Chapter 41
Link peeled his clothes off, glad he hadn't actually caught fire. His skin was a little toasty, but he would cool off. There weren't any blisters on his neck or back, unlike Mick.
They were okay, a few sore muscles, bruises aplenty, sore backs, and knees, but they were alive. Mick had some blisters on the back of his neck, but they would heal.
The ambassador was alive, though he was shaken.
His wife and kids had been out of town when the attack happened.
The loss of life of a few of the house staff was sad, but it could have been much worse.
The ambassador was taking time to call the family of the staff who hadn’t made it. Link thought that was good.
Another team could have gone in with the same results, or they could have done better, preventing the explosive devices from going off. They hadn’t seen the devices, so maybe it would have been better, or it could have been so much worse.
Link had taken the kill shot. He knew it would stay with him for a while, but he would work through it in therapy.
He had Tetris on his phone, a game he played after every mission to help regulate his thoughts.
He'd still need to go to therapy, talk to someone about what happened, but the kill had been good.
The man had been planning on killing the ambassador.
That had been evident from his stance and the determined look in his eyes.
“Hey, Link, you good?” Chase asked as he stepped from the shower.
“Yeah. I’m good. You?”
Chase rolled his shoulder. “Just sore. Nothing a dip in the hot tub and some pain killers can’t take care of.”
“Oh, a hot tub sounds good,” Stanley said.
“I’d love to take a long nap,” Bean said.
“I want pizza,” Keel said.
“I want ice,” Mick said.
They all chuckled at that one. They'd survived hell and come out on the other side.
The terrorist, whoever he was, had meant to create chaos, and he had in a way, but he hadn't won.
Maybe he thought he could strong-arm the USA or Germany into doing his bidding, but now he was just some dead guy who failed.
Link stepped under the spray of water, letting the warmth sink in.
He knew the whole thing had been televised.
He had little doubt it would be played over and over again, picked apart, and armchair do-gooders would detail every wrong move they made, telling the audience no one had to die.
The military had made mistakes, the fire and explosions had been the military's fault, and not the fault of the terrorist. It was all part of the ratings games the media played.
Anything to get clicks and views, the truth be damned.
But he wasn't on earth to set people straight. He would ignore it all, like he usually did, and go home to his lover. That brought a smile to his lips. He had a lover, and all he wanted to do was just get home to Ansley and let the world keep turning.
He shut off the water and wrapped a towel around his waist. Chase bumped his shoulder and lifted his chin. “You’re thinking of Ansley, aren’t you?”
“Of course he is,” Scott said. “He’s got a good woman to go home to. She’s going to wrap you in her arms and hold you tight. No question, you’re going to be one happy man this weekend.”
Link chuckled. “I’m not going to lie, I’m very happy she’s waiting at home for me.”
"All I've got is my lumpy couch and microwave meals," Stanley said. "Gotta say, being on missions with you guys is more fun than being home alone."
“Gosh, Stanley, you could buy yourself a new couch,” Keel said.
Stanley rolled his eyes. “I’ll get new furniture, eventually. I just don’t see any reason to spend money on furniture when I don’t have to.”
Bean moved to stand in front of Stanley and put both hands on his shoulders. “Trust me, brother, you need to get a new couch. That one is crap. Just go out and buy a new one. You’ll be much happier.”
The door opened, stopping the conversation. It was an officer asking them to come talk to other officers before leaving. Something about the ambassador wanting to extend his thanks.
“Sure thing,” Chase said as he pulled up his pants, zipping them.
They would head home. Mick would take a few days to allow the blisters to heal, then they would be back at it.
He wanted to take Ansley to the beach and spend the day sitting around doing nothing other than holding her.
He would make sure she never lacked in love.
He would spend his life showing her how much she meant to him.