Contract to Kill (43 page)

“I can imagine.” Nathan liked that neither of them had reacted to seeing his scars. Maybe Holly had prepped them.

“It’s an honor to meet you,” Tommy said. “Thank you for protecting my identity. You and Mr. Fontana and SA Grangeland risked your lives for me, and I won’t ever forget it.”

“You have my gratitude as well,” Vince said. “I wish I could do more than just say thank you.”

“It’s more than enough,” said Nathan.

Vince smiled. “That’s what Director Lansing told me you’d say.”

“In case it matters,” Nathan told them, “Mason said something to me just before he died. He claimed he would never have blown the cover of his operatives. It seemed genuine to me. He had nothing to gain by lying.”

“Even if he was telling the truth,” Ramiro said, “it doesn’t diminish the thanks we owe you. There was no guarantee he wouldn’t have eventually sold us out for money. I once believed he’d never betray his oath.”

“Well,” Vince said, “the important thing is that the November Directive’s secure and the other operatives are safe.”

“The president will be happy about that,” Holly said to Vince.

“He already is. He’s going to invite Nathan and Harv to the White House. Apparently your names have crossed his desk before. It’s happening sometime next month, but you didn’t hear that from me.”

“We’ll go, but only if Holly and SA Grangeland can come with us.”

“I can’t guarantee that, but I don’t think it will be a problem. As you know, the plan for implementing the ND came from your father’s committee as a result of a presidential edict, and the president’s been following its progress closely. For a lot of reasons, he’s extremely pleased the ND was saved.”

“Harv and I will go no matter what, but don’t tell anyone that. Even though we’re not aligned politically, I have no desire to see the president look bad. When he looks bad, the entire nation looks bad. Refusing an invitation would be very bad form, and it would also reflect poorly on my father. Besides, I’ve heard he can be quite charming. I’m curious to see for myself.”

“Guard your pocketbook,” Vince said with some humor, but Nathan saw pain on the man’s face. Although the ND was secure, his father was dead—the last casualty in Mason’s private war.

“I’ll leave my checkbook in the car.” He looked at Tommy. “Was being undercover as bad as I imagine? It has to be the worst kind of stress imaginable.”

“You get used to it.”

Nathan waited.

“Okay, not really. It’s pretty bad.”

No one said anything, and Nathan suspected Holly may have told them not to fill in the silent intervals. Either way, he appreciated the break to gather his thoughts.

Vince said, “I wish I could’ve been there to see our fathers fighting side by side. That must’ve been quite a sight.”

“It was. I have this incredible visual of my dad firing the Browning while George drove. Your father died a true warrior’s death, and it was far from meaningless. We might not have made it without him.”

Vince shook his head. “I still can’t believe he did it. He called me that afternoon and said he didn’t feel right about you and Harvey cleaning up his mess. But I never expected him to go to Yuma, much less with your father.”

Nathan thought about his last moments with Mason. “Why do you think he did it? Tanner Mason, I mean.”

“I’ve been asking myself the same thing,” said Vince. “We paid him an exorbitant salary, nearly twice the industry standard.”

“He hated Alisio,” Tommy said. “Maybe defeating the man wasn’t enough. He had to destroy him. Mason told me many times he didn’t want Alisio getting away with murdering Special Agent Hutcheson.”

“So in the process of destroying him,” said Nathan, “he became him.”

“My father and I talked about various risks,” Vince said, “but we never suspected it would be Mason. If anyone was going to go rogue, we always believed it would be one of our ND operatives.”

Tommy cleared his throat.

“Present company excluded,” Vince said.

“Despite Mason, have some of the November Directive’s goals been reached?” asked Nathan. “Alisio’s cartel is in disarray, at least, right?”

“Better than that,” Vince said. “It’s been dismantled. Two dozen arrests were made in four Mexican cities.”

“Has there been any fallout from Mr. Alisio’s unfortunate . . . demise?”

“Nothing we can’t handle. It seems you have some friends on Capitol Hill.”

Nathan glanced at Holly, who nodded.

“How’s Harvey doing?” Vince asked.

“He’s okay; Hahn’s bullet only nicked him. He just needed a few stitches.”

Harv hadn’t mentioned getting winged on the rim, and Nathan had chewed him a new one for bleeding on his helicopter. The flight surgeon at NAF El Centro did the needlework on his thigh. His dad’s calf wound turned out to be more serious than they first thought, but the venerable Stonewall McBride was expected to make a full recovery.

“Is BSI otherwise unscathed?” Nathan asked.

“So far, so good. We had to act quickly, and I think we made the right call.”

“You’re talking Mason, Hahn, and Lyons?” George Beaumont’s death had been publicly explained as being due to natural causes. But he hadn’t heard how BSI explained the sudden disappearance of three of its key personnel.

Vince nodded. “This may not sit well with you, but officially they were killed in the line of duty, doing BSI work. That’s what we told their families.”

Nathan looked at Holly, then back at Vince.

“Given the circumstances,” Vince continued, “it seemed the right way to go. For the record, Mason and the others were KIA during a covert mission related to the takedown of Alisio’s cartel. Because of the classified nature of their work, that’s the only information BSI or the government can confirm. When Mason and the others signed contracts with us, they formally acknowledged that this kind of thing could happen, so their family members have accepted the situation about as well as anyone could.”

“So they’re unsung heroes,” Nathan said. “Like fallen CIA officers.”

Vince looked a little uneasy. “Yes, that’s a fair analogy. Their families will receive full death benefits, the works. I hope this doesn’t . . . you know, sit badly with you, given what really happened.”

Nathan wasn’t concerned. “I’m okay with it. It seems like a good solution to me. I can’t imagine how else you could’ve done it without compromising the program. And the families certainly don’t deserve to be punished.”

Vince nodded, as did Tommy. “That’s how we see it.”

“I have one personal favor to ask,” Nathan said. “I looked at your bio and noticed you’d climbed pretty high in the San Diego Sheriff’s Department before you became a co-owner in BSI with your brother and dad. Do you still have any connections over there?”

“Yes, I know lots of people.”

“Toby Haynes really wants to be a deputy sheriff. Since he literally took one for the team, could you put in a good word for him?”

“I absolutely can. And will. And if he’d rather stay with us, he’s got a bright future.”

“He told me he doesn’t think he can do that.”

“Yeah, I kind of figured, but the offer’s good if he changes his mind. BSI’s covering all of his out-of-pocket medical expenses and offering a healthy parting gift. It’s enough to make a down payment on a house, so he won’t have to be a renter for the rest of his life. All we’re asking is that he keeps everything confidential.”

“Toby’s not a gold digger; he’s a hard worker and an honest man. We offered him a job as well, but I’m pretty sure he’s set on being a deputy sheriff.”

“Please let me know if I can help, I mean, more than I already have.”

“Will do. You would’ve made a respectable Marine.”

“Thank you, that’s what my dad kept telling me.”

“So what’s next for you, Tommy? Sun, wine, and women? Sorry, Holly.”

“No offense taken.”

“I think I’ll chill for a while, then start a nursery business. I’ve always liked gardening.”

“Outstanding.”

“Well, we just wanted to say thank you in person,” Vince said. “If my father were alive, he’d be here.”

“He’ll be remembered.” Nathan shook hands with them.

They turned to go, but Tommy stopped. Nathan knew what was coming, and let it happen. Tommy gave him a handshake, then a brief hug.

After they left, Nathan said, “Thank you, Holly. I wasn’t big on meeting them, but I’m glad I did. Can we go for a walk?”

“Sure.” She turned to go, but Nathan didn’t move.

“What is it?” Holly asked.

“A question’s been bugging me ever since the fight in the borrow pit. When we were jogging across the desert, the saguaro cacti triggered a memory of a cartoon I used to watch.”

“Which one?”

“Quick Draw McGraw.”

“Are you serious?”

Nathan nodded.

She smiled. “I loved that cartoon. I laughed when Quick Draw played El Kabong and hit the bad guys on the head with his guitar.”

“Oh, man, I’d forgotten about that. He wore a mask and black cape and yelled ‘
Kabong!’
”

“Yep. So why are you thinking about it now?”

“Because I can’t remember the name of his little sidekick.”

“And
that’s
what’s bugging you?”

“Yeah, it’s making me crazy. I guess I could use the Internet, but that seems lazy. What on earth did people ever do before smartphones? I guess they went to the library or actually talked to each other.”

“His name was Baba Looey.”

“Yes! That’s it. Thanks, now I don’t have to cheat to get the answer. Harv didn’t know, and I told him not to look it up.”

“I’m speechless, Nathan. I had no idea.”

“What?”

“You just constantly surprise me.”

Holly took his hand, and they wandered north along the sidewalk. Nathan had played some pickup basketball games in the rec center across the street, but he hadn’t done it in years.

“I saw you at George’s memorial service,” Holly said.

“You were on the other end of the bleachers.”

“You knew I was there?”

He nodded.

“I wasn’t ready to talk.”

“That made two of us.”

“I’ve never seen such a beautiful service. It made me cry.”

“The Marine Corps Honor Guard units are volunteers. It’s hard for me to hold it together when I attend those services. I wish more young people appreciated veterans.”

“You looked really sharp in your Dress Blues. I know I’m biased, but you Marines have the best uniforms.”

“Hey, at least it still fits.”

“In hindsight, talking to you at the service would’ve been easy.”

Nathan didn’t say anything.

“Ethan says I’ve been really grouchy lately.”

“That’s hard to picture.”

“Trust me, I can be really mean.”

“Everyone can. Want to head down to the breakwater?”

“The breakwater?”

“It’s an old La Jolla icon. It created the Children’s Pool, a small sheltered cove of beach, but the seals have reclaimed it. I think it’s a preserve now, not sure.”

Neither of them spoke while they walked. Life was so amazing and rich, and yet so equally full of disappointment and heartache. Such was the human condition—a continuous struggle to overcome obstacles. Nathan hoped it never got easier.

As if reading his mind, she said, “We’re going to take things one day at a time.”

He squeezed her hand tighter.

And felt safe.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Thanks are owed to the following people:

Dr. Douglas Reavie, FACS, for his input on and insights about the Sharp Memorial Hospital scene.

Tom Davin, CEO of 5.11 Tactical, for allowing me to use his products and clothing lines in the books. Tom also served as a Recon with the 1st Battalion, 1st Marines—“First of the First.”

John Torres, former ATF deputy assistant director. I first met John at the ATF Citizens’ Academy in 2010 when he was the SAC of the Los Angeles field office, and he’s been a good friend ever since. Anything stated correctly about the ATF is to John’s credit; anything missed is on me.

Corporal Tim Haley, a retired US Marine. Tim served with the 1st Battalion, 9th Marines—“The Walking Dead.” Tim saw action at Khe Sanh; what more needs to be said?

Pastor Charlie Little of Templeton Presbyterian Church for his permission to use him as a real character in the book. Charlie’s guidance and leadership in my life are essential for my spiritual health.

Mike Holmes of Molokai Fishing, for his help with the Kaunakakai Ferry Terminal scene.

Erick and Mary Ann Reinstedt: their friendship is treasured.

Jake Elwell, my agent. Jake stuck with me during the early years!

Alan Turkus, Jacque Ben-Zekry, Jeff Belle, and the entire Thomas & Mercer team. My journey with Amazon Publishing has been extraordinary in every sense of the word. Writing novels is hard work, but the T&M team makes the publication experience enjoyable.

Perhaps most important, my freelance editor Ed Stackler. From original story concept to finished product, Ed plays a vital role in the Nathan McBride adventures. I couldn’t write these books without his help.

AUTHOR’S NOTE

The Nathan McBride books employ a combination of real and imagined locations and people. In
First to Kill
, I created a completely fictional FBI field office in Sacramento. In
Option to Kill
, I used the actual Fashion Valley mall and its surrounding area.

I stepped out of my comfort zone to write
Contract to Kill
. I think authors need to do that every so often to challenge themselves. I don’t like painting the military or law enforcement with a dark brush. I believe our service members, law enforcement personnel, and first responders are heroes in every sense of the word. Are there bad apples in those professions? Yes, of course, but we shouldn’t allow the actions of an extremely small minority to be representative of everyone else.

The world of private military contractors (PMCs) is nebulous. Lots of money exchanges hands at many different levels, and, with that, there’s always the possibility of corruption. I believe most PMCs are honest, hardworking, and dedicated individuals. Sadly, for some people, money becomes an addictive drug, and its obsessive pursuit can change a good person into a wicked person.