Chapter 9 #2
“Taco, you and Shadow return after breakfast. They won’t be moving for another two hours.
We’ll trek to the top of the mountain and make the call.
Sparky, I’m afraid I’m leaving you here.
Ragu, you and Shadow will accompany me. The rest of you, get some chow.
I’ll take watch when I return. Cole and Hollywood, eat and relieve Patch and Knight,” Saint ordered.
Shadow tossed Taco a small tin. “Put this on your arm. It’ll help with the bug bites. We don’t need you sick,” he said, gathering his pack.
“Thanks,” Taco murmured as Sparky handed him a wet cloth and a bucket.
“Wash first and then apply the salve,” she advised. “Then spray down,” she said, reaching for the can.
“Thanks,” he said again, taking the bug spray.
“Let’s go,” Saint ordered Shadow and Ragu. “I want to contact them before the village wakes.”
The men walked up the mountain, mindful of the rebels.
“I wonder what’s so important that we need to contact them again so soon, after speaking with them two days ago,” Ragu wondered out loud.
“Keep your heads on a swivel,” Saint reminded them. “We’ll know soon enough.”
“I have a bad feeling about this,” Shadow murmured. “They only reach out before sending supplies. We didn’t need any with Doc and Whiskey coming.”
“Ragu, set up the equipment over there. Shadow, keep watch. I hate this damn place,” Saint muttered.
“We’re set,” Ragu said.
“Make contact with Bear and let’s get this over with,” Saint ordered as he checked the nearby area. Since staying there on the rocky mountain, they hadn’t encountered anyone in days, but it didn’t mean they didn’t wait for an opportunity.
The screen lit up, and Catherine appeared with Kassie holding her hand. Doc sat behind her with Whiskey.
“Did you miss us already?” Ragu said, attempting to lighten the mood.
“Catherine,” Saint said. “I didn’t expect to see you. Did something happen?”
“No,” she said quietly, squeezing Kassie’s hand. She held a tissue in the other. “I’m calling it. You’ve searched for Leo for four months straight. Your family hasn’t seen you in seven. It’s time for you to come home.”
“What?” Saint asked in surprise. “We haven’t given up. Only today, Sparky came up with an idea, and we’re checking it out right after this call.”
Catherine’s eyes filled with tears. “When Doc and Whiskey bring the plane over, I want you to return home. We’ll have the funeral then.”
Shadow stared at the screen. “You’re going along with this?” he asked Doc and Whiskey.
Doc slightly shook his head as he answered, “It’s what Catherine wants. Your family needs you. Leo wouldn’t want you missing out on any other moments.”
“You’ve proven your loyalty in searching all these months.
You must admit you haven’t found a single trace of him.
If Leo were alive, you know he’d find a way to let you know,” Catherine reasoned.
“It’s not a choice, or an easy decision.
Leo asked us to move forward. I’m honoring his request. Come home.
Your loved ones miss you. We miss you. I want you here to say goodbye to your leader and brother in arms.”
Saint swiped his hand over his face, attempting to control his emotions. Shadow’s chest moved rapidly as if he struggled with his words. Ragu hung his head, refusing to gaze into the camera.
“I’m sorry. It’s not as if I don’t want him found. We can’t pretend he’s alive any longer. Our daughter needs closure. I need to prepare for this child, and we can’t do it without you,” Catherine sobbed.
“It’s all right, Catherine,” Saint consoled her. “We’ll keep searching until Doc and Whiskey bring the plane. Victoria took hers to Ireland. Ivan will need his to transport his men.”
Kassie wrapped her arms around her friend as she peered at Saint, begging them to find Leo.
“Let’s get you home,” she soothed. “I’m sure the men need to make arrangements.”
Catherine gazed at the camera one more time. “I’m sorry.”
“No, Catherine. We’re the ones who’re sorry. We failed to bring him home to you,” Shadow said quietly. “We failed Leo.”
Shaking her head, Catherine rose with Kassie’s help.
Her eyes shot fire as she gazed at Shadow.
“I don’t want to ever hear you say that again.
You’ve torn the desert apart, and you've done it again for months. There’s nothing else you can do.
He’s lost to us. You’ll come home, and we’ll honor him.
You will not feel guilty or call yourselves a failure.
His widow and his children need your help.
Leo expects you to help raise his kids and help them remember what a great leader and father he was.
If you want to feel sorry for yourself, you’ll have to do it on your own time.
We all have regrets. We’ve learned time still goes on, and we’re never promised tomorrow.
It’s time you spent it with your family while mine heals. Do you understand me?”
Shadow’s eyes glistened as he nodded. “Yes, ma’am. I hear you loud and clear.”
They watched as Kassie led Catherine from the room.
“Do you agree with this?” Saint asked slowly.
Doc glanced at Whiskey and let the new leader of Alpha team speak.
“We’ll return for the funeral. Then we’ll send a team out for a month at a time.
We won’t stop until we bring his remains home,” Whiskey said calmly.
“Leo never forgot about me. I won’t leave him there.
As far as Kassie and Catherine are concerned, we gave up the mission.
They need peace, and Catherine doesn’t need any more stress. ”
The men nodded their agreement. Saint disconnected the communications while Ragu packed up everything. Shadow continued his watch.
“What do you think about this, Saint?” he asked as he scanned the horizon.
“I think we need to crack this case and find our brother before they ship our asses home. I can’t stand another day here, and I’m not leaving Leo to rot in some damn enemy territory,” Saint said vehemently.
“Then we’d best get down to the village. Cole needs to figure out the link between Sergeant Ford and whoever he’s working for,” Ragu said as they made their way down the mountain.
“We will, or we’ll die trying,” Saint vowed. “He’ll pay for contributing to Leo’s death.”
They entered the cave where the rest of the team waited.
“What’s wrong?” Sparky asked as she heard the men file in.
“Catherine ordered us home,” Saint announced to the team.
“Shit,” Hollywood said, shocked. “Why?”
“She says Leo wants us to move forward. We may never find him, and we have our own families,” Shadow explained.
“What about Sergeant Ford?” Cole asked, petting Striker.
“We’ll have to divide the team,” Ragu suggested.
“No,” Saint replied. “When we lose sight of one another, trouble happens. We stick together. First, we’ll investigate the village and see if Sparky’s idea has any merit. Then, we’ll take care of Sergeant Ford and his friends.”
“Whiskey plans to keep searching. We’ll go home and say goodbye to give Catherine some closure. Then, we’ll rotate teams until we discover what happened to Leo,” Shadow informed them. “I plan to spin up as soon as we attend the funeral and I check on Avie and Deni.”
“We never leave a man behind. We know what we’ll most likely find, but why does it feel like we’re letting Leo down?” Patch said, seeming disappointed.
“He’d never stop searching for us,” Knight murmured.
“We’re not giving up,” Saint said firmly. “We’ll rest, regroup, and succeed. Failing isn’t an option.”
“The only easy day was yesterday,” Sparky repeated what the men said every day. She held her hand out, and the men stacked theirs on top of her delicate one. “Here’s to finding Leo and taking Sergeant Ford down.”
“Hooyah,” Saint said, his voice cracking.
“Hooyah,” the group repeated. They refused to fail their leader.