James Acton 03 - Broken Dove (33 page)

“Where are we going?” asked Acton.

“Diyarbakir Airbase. From there I’m not sure where you’ll be going. Rome I guess.”

“What about you?”

Dawson smiled.

“We were never here!”

Diyarbakir Airbase, Turkey

Reading elbowed Laura. “Look.”

Laura looked out the window of the Gulf V and followed where he was pointing. Three helicopters, silhouetted against the night sky, cleared the roof of the hangar the bodies had been in earlier. They landed with a slight bounce, and immediately men began to pour out of two of them. Laura’s heart leapt and tears filled her eyes as she recognized James. She jumped from the seat, ran down the aisle and stuck her head out the door. “James!”

He looked at her and waved as he helped somebody off the chopper who Laura immediately recognized as the kidnapped Pope. She grabbed the railing and descended the steps as fast as she dared, then dashed across the tarmac. James helped his charge onto a gurney that had been rushed out, then turned to look for her just as she slammed into him. He grunted from the impact as she wrapped her arms and legs around him, burying her head into his shoulder, the emotions of the past day pouring out uncontrollably. He hugged her back, and said nothing. Just squeezed her tight, breathing into her neck. She never wanted to let him go, ever again. She thought she had lost him this time, and now understood what he had gone through when she had been kidnapped.

It was horrible.

She uncurled her legs from his waist and dropped to the ground, switching her arms from around his neck to around his torso, burying her head in his chest. His hand gently stroked her head as she slowly regained control. Finally, she pushed away and looked into his eyes.

“Thank God you’re safe.”

He smiled at her then jerked his head toward the gurney being pushed inside the hangar with the Pope, Giasson and the late arriving Vatican entourage surrounding it. “I think He was on our side.”

She smiled. “You and your jokes.”

He hugged her hard, pushing her head back into his chest. “God, I missed you.” He kissed the top of her head then let go slightly. She bent her head up and he looked at her for a moment, his eyes filled with the love she knew they both shared, then he closed them, lowering his head. She closed her eyes and felt his lips touch hers, gently at first, as if rediscovering a passion thought lost, then with more fervor, as they lost themselves in the moment, oblivious to the dozens of personnel, top secret helicopters, and one Interpol Agent himself delighted to see his old partner safe. Her hands ran through his short hair, dry and caked in mud and sweat from his ordeal, and she didn’t care. He gripped the back of her head with one hand, pushing her against his lips, his other hand on the small of her back, urging their bodies together. Her heart pounded in excitement, and she began to tingle as the moment built.

Then he stopped.

She felt a wave of disappointment flush through her as he pressed his forehead against hers, his chest heaving with excitement, as if in time with hers. He stepped back, still holding both her hands in his and laughed. “I think we’ll need to get a room.”

She laughed. “Who needs a room, we’ve got an entire airplane,” she said, jerking her thumb toward the Gulf V. Acton raised his eyebrows several times, a suggestive look on his face. She leaned in and bit his earlobe, giving it a flick with her tongue. “There’s quite a few people here who probably want to talk to you,” she whispered. Then, her voice lower, throaty, she said, “but later, you’re all mine.”

“I’m going to hold you to that.”

Laura noticed the group of soldiers who had been aboard the helicopter with James head into a nearby hangar. “Are those the same gentlemen we’ve met before?”

James nodded. “Let’s go say thanks.”

Acton took Laura by the hand and walked over to the Delta Force team that had saved his neck. As they approached, he witnessed their exhaustion. Heads held low, shoulders sagging, all sitting on whatever they could find, or on the floor of the hangar itself, dousing themselves in as much water as they could, several cases having been brought to them. Though tired, their wit, their camaraderie, was still intact. These men who wouldn’t hesitate to die for their country, to die for each other, to die for us, these men knit together so tightly through constant training, socializing, and fighting, knew each other so well, had a bond so intense, that no civilian could understand it, no desk jockey could fathom it. They were, as has been said of others, brothers in arms, a family made from all parts of the fabric of the American mosaic, fused together in such a way as only combat could. Acton was proud to know his country had such men, and was proud to have fought beside them today.

“Does anybody know what the hell a Hail Mary is?”

Acton smiled at Niner’s question.
I guess he didn’t realize the old man was joking.

“Hail Mary, full of grace,” said Acton. “You never went to church?”

“But I’m Buddhist!” exclaimed Niner as he turned toward the voice. “Hey, BD, look who it is!”

Dawson looked up and smiled, waving Acton and Laura over. He extended his hand to Laura who let go of Acton and grabbed Dawson in a hug, her head buried in his chest. “Thank you so much!” she cried. Dawson’s arms, bent at the elbows and pointing out from his sides, awkwardly returned the hug.

“Just doing our job, ma’am.”

She let go and as she made her rounds, Acton stepped forward and began shaking hands in turn, and when done, they both sat down on the hangar floor and chitchatted with the team.

“So where are you off to now?” asked Laura.

“Hon, they can’t tell you that,” said Acton.

“Yeah, or we’d have to kill you.” Several of the team groaned at Niner’s joke. He raised his hands palms up and shrugged his shoulders. “What, too soon?” They all laughed at that, even Laura and Acton, as the events of London were recalled.

“What about you two?” asked Dawson. “Where are you off to?”

“Well, we
were
visiting my folks in Vermont before all this happened, so I think we’ll head back there before my mother has a fit.”

Dawson gestured toward the Gulf V. “Heading there in that?”

Acton blushed slightly. “Yes.”

Niner whistled. “Sweeeeeeeet!”

Jimmy leaned toward Laura. “Ma’am, if you ever get tired of this bozo”—he jerked his thumb at Acton—“you come look me up. I’m a very nice man, enjoy cleaning and cooking, and can hem a mean pair of pants.” Laughter echoed through the hangar and Laura leaned forward, patting the man on the cheek.

“As tempting as that offer is, I think I’ll be toughing it out with him for a
long
time.”

Jimmy dropped his head, feigning hurt, as several of his buddies slapped him on the back, pretending to console him.

“So, Doc, I get the impression you’ve been doing some training since we last met.”

Acton nodded. “Yeah, Laura hired a couple of former SAS guys to teach us hand to hand, weaponry. A bit of everything.”

“It shows.”

“My man did good?” asked Laura, throwing her arm over his shoulders.

Niner leaned forward and pointed at Acton. “Good? Shit, ma’am, I’d let him watch my back any day!”

The rest of the team echoed the sentiment, causing Acton to blush.

“Jim!”

Acton looked over his shoulder at Reading, who waved for him to join him. Acton stood up and took a deep breath. “Well, before I say something and ruin my newfound reputation, I’ll say goodbye, and thanks once again.” He shook Dawson’s and Red’s hands, then leaned in and slapped Niner on the shoulder, half a smile etched on his face. “And if you ever need my help again, you just call.”

A round of guffaws erupted from the group of hardened warriors as Acton stepped back and took Laura by the hand. “Be safe,” said Laura, waving as they turned and walked toward Reading. As they neared, Atlas’ ridiculously deep voice rolled across the tarmac.

“That’s one seriously fine woman.”

“You can’t say that when her boyfriend’s within earshot!” exclaimed Niner.

Acton looked at Laura out of the corner of his eye, and saw her staring at him with a smile on her face. “So, am I seriously fine?”

He reached down and squeezed her butt. “Damn fine.” He let go and gave a secret thumbs up behind her for the benefit of the Bravo Team, who responded with a roar of laughter.

As they neared the other hangar, the Pope, confined to a wheelchair, was rolled out by Giasson, accompanied by Reading and Chaney. He rolled up to Acton, hands extended, a huge smile on his face. Acton took the proffered hands and the old man clasped them tightly, pulling him forward. For a moment Acton thought he was expected to kiss the papal ring, but instead he was kissed on both cheeks. “Thank you, young man, for saving us all.”

Acton nodded.
Haven’t been called ‘young’ in a long time.
“You’re welcome, Your Holiness. But I think the guys you really need to thank are over there,” he said, jerking his thumb over his shoulder, toward the hangar they had just left.

 “They’re gone!” exclaimed Laura.

Acton looked at the empty hangar and smiled, shaking his head. “No. They were never here.”

“That is most unfortunate,” said the Pontiff. He turned to Acton. “We must return to Rome now. Will you join us?”

Acton shook his head. “No.” He looked at his watch. “Today is my dad’s birthday, and if we leave now, we might just make dinner.”

The old man smiled and nodded. “I understand completely.” He raised a finger. “But first, I must speak with both of you, alone.” Acton nodded to Giasson who released his grip of the wheelchair. Acton stepped behind the Pontiff and pushed him toward a set of crates where he and Laura sat, facing the Pontiff in his chair.

His smile was gone.

“Evil was defeated today, but at what cost?” Acton was about to say something but the old man raised his finger. “Dozens have died due to a chain of events I initiated, and I must live with that. But
you
”—he pointed at Acton—“do not. The blood on my hands stains deep. Father Granger was a friend, who died in my service, attempting to retrieve something lost hundreds of years ago. In essence, we were trying to steal back what was stolen from us. And he paid the ultimate price. Detective Chaney, asked to participate in this folly, nearly died, and I, in my continuing denial of my age, chose to look for him when I did not find him in his chambers. I too almost paid the price, a price I would willingly have paid had I known the bloodshed that would result.

“But I didn’t. And living in the past is something that causes nothing but sorrow in the future. I will pray for all those who lost their lives, and I will pray for you, Professor Acton, in hopes you will find forgiveness within, for what you were forced to do. But”—he leaned forward in his chair, lowering his voice—“I pray for both of you, for I suspect, in saving me, you have been exposed to something no one should.” He sat back in his chair. “You opened the chest?”

Acton nodded.

“As I suspected. It is written on your faces. You have seen evil, and it weighs heavily on your souls.”

A tear rolled down Laura’s cheek.

“Fear not, my child, for the Lord loves you. Put your faith in him, and he will help you through this. Evil is real. We see it every day around us, hear about it every day on the news. There is no avoiding evil. However we can fight it. By being better people, by refusing to give into the temptation to do the Devil’s bidding, we win the battle a little bit each day. You both were exposed to so much knowledge of evil, two thousand years’ worth, in one sitting. I remember the night I was declared Pope, and the secret was revealed to me. The horror I felt. My faith, a faith that had sustained me all my life, began to slip away. How could God, how could our Lord, even exist, with so much evil on this Earth.

“I sat all night, questioning my faith, but as the morning sun broke, I heard something tapping on my window. I recoiled in horror, my heart and mind filled with fear at what I had just read, but instead of some demon desperate to be invited inside to steal my soul, I found a lone dove, floundering with what appeared to be a broken wing, tapping on the glass. I opened the window and picked up this poor, wretched creature, this broken dove, and stroked its feathers. As I held it by its feet, it made no attempt to escape, though I was certain it must be terrified. That was when I found a plastic ring, some discarded piece of garbage, wrapped around the wing I thought broken. I gently removed it, and the poor creature was able to flap both wings. I let it go, and if flew away, then returned moments later to rest on the railing of my balcony. It sat there for a minute, cooing, then flew away again, up, into the morning sky.

“I returned to my office, a smile on my face, and joy in my heart, that I had been able to help this poor, broken creature, and restore it to the life granted it by the glory of God. And it was then that I realized that I no longer doubted my faith, I no longer feared the evil that I had just discovered. God had sent me a messenger, that little bird, to remind me of the beauty of His creation, the innocence of His creatures, and the power He has granted us over His dominion. With His gift, no evil can triumph over Him.”

He sat back in his chair. “Now, I believe you have a birthday party to get to, and I have a billion or so people to reassure that reports of my death were indeed greatly exaggerated.”

He smiled and turned the chair around. Acton pushed him in silence back to the hangar, Laura trailing. Before they reached the doors, he motioned for them to stop. “Remember what I said. Believe in Him, and He will believe in you. Forget what you have seen and go home.” He motioned for Acton to come closer so he could whisper. “And make an honest woman of her.” The old man patted Acton on the hand and winked. Acton chuckled, shaking his head, a smile spreading across his cheeks as he blushed a little.

“That’s an idea crazy enough to work.”

Acton Residence

Stowe, Vermont

The doorbell rang.

Acton started to get up but his mother waved him off.