Chapter One Hundred Twenty-Eight
Eli's P.O.V.
Ash has stayed for dinner and he's currently showing Dani videos of magicians on his cell. Dani's face is too cute, as she sits watching with wide eyes. Scar is laying at her feet. He's dozing but not totally asleep. He looks around the room every so often. He's got up to pace the lower level of the house a few times too. He frequently stops at the doors to sniff underneath them as well. I may not be able to tell him commands just yet, but from what I've observed, he's showing signs of protecting Dani and our home already. That puts my mind a little more at ease for tonight's transfer.
I hear Dani chuckle as I'm clearing away the dishes and she nearly exclaims, "How did he do that? That's not possible. It's not real. Is it?"
"A magician never reveals his tricks. That's one of the rules. They never tell you how they do their tricks."
She's silent, like she's trying to figure it out and then she laughs. She actually laughs. And it is truly a beautiful sound.
"I know how he did it!"
Ok, so she must have been replaying it in her mind. That is pretty cool.
I almost miss Ash whisper, "No way. How can you know that?"
She shrugs, "I just replayed it in my head slowly. Do you want me to tell you how it's done?"
"No, nu-uh. You'll ruin the magic for me. It's magic. That's all I need to know."
"Ok. Hey, Ash?"
"Yes darlin'?"
"What's a roller coaster?"
My head snaps in their direction, and I watch both of their reactions. Ash looks stunned for a few seconds and I can't quite figure out what he's thinking. Then I see anger and hurt flash across his features. I can see Dani is starting to feel uncomfortable and worried about her question. She probably feels like she shouldn't be asking questions; like she should be seen and not heard.
Ash must realize this too, because he snaps out of his thoughts and asks, "You've never seen a rollercoaster? It's like a train that goes really fast but it goes up in the air and then does loads of loops and stuff. Here, I'll show you..."
Ash brings up a video of a rollercoaster on his cell and for a few moments, all we can hear is the sound from that. Eventually Dani figures it out and her voice is laced with panic when she shrieks, "It's the metal snake, Eli!"
She points at Ash's cell screen and then searches for me while speaking, "That's it, Eli! It's the metal snake! I told you there was a metal snake!"
Scar jumps up and is standing at the ready, so I make sure my voice is low and calming when I respond, "I know, baby, I know. It's ok, sweetheart. That's what helped us to find them. You helped us to find them."
She doesn't look quite so panicked now and she looks sheepish as she apologies to Ash for her outburst.
Ash smiles and says, "You have seen a rollercoaster; you just didn't know what it was called. It kind of does look like a metal snake, actually."
Trust Ash to try and make the situation less serious. His lighthearted nature helps in many situations and this would be one of them. Dani sends him a tight smile and Scar nudges her hands that are tightly squeezed together on her lap. After feeling Scar's presence, Dani's hands immediately open and she buries her fingers into his fur. The gesture makes an involuntary smile form on my lips.
Ash clears his throat and says, "I'm going to head home to grab some things. I'll be back to get you in a half hour, Eli. That work for you?"
"Yeah, thanks man."
Him and Dani shoot a goodnight to each other and he's gone. Dani helps me to finish cleaning up, but she's quieter than before. Once the tidying up is done, I grab her attention and then hold her close.
"Hey, are you ok?"
She nods and then whispers, "Can I be honest with you, Eli?"
"Always. I'd like that very much. You can tell me anything, sweetheart."
"I don't want you to go out tonight. I don't think you should be on this transfer. You're not back to full duty yet and I'm worried you're going to get hurt."
I feel a tightness around my heart. Knowing she's worried reminds me that she cares. I don't want her to be worried, but I can't explain how important this is to me without revealing what I'm doing. I don'twant her to be even more worried by telling her who we are transferring.
"I appreciate your concern. I've got a good team with me and I'll have Ash right next to me. I'll be back before you know it. I promise I will be extra careful and I'll make sure I check everything three times. There's nothing to suggest things will go sideways, but we always prepare for it. We'll do everything in our power to make sure everything runs smoothly."
I pause and think for a few seconds before questioning, "Are you sure this is just about me? If you're worried about staying here on your own, my parents will be more than happy to have you stay with them..."
She counters my question with one of her own, "Should I be worried? I'm not saying I'm not worried, but I feel like I should be even more concerned now."
"No ma'am. I just want you to know you can still go to my parents if you want to. I don't want you to be scared or uncomfortable on your own when you can have some company. You've got Scar too. He will take care of you, but I don't think you should be worried about anything."
I hate lying to Dani so much, but it's for her own good. If I tell her the truth tonight, she'll be a mess and terrified. I don't want to do that to her, so this is the only alternative.
I can see the wheels turning in her head, but instead of voicing her thoughts, she simply nods and escapes from my embrace. I loosen my hold immediately, not wanting her to panic if she feels restrained. I try to ease her fears by saying, "I'll call as soon as the transfer is complete and let you know everything is fine. Would that make you feel better?"
"Yes, it would."
"Ok, I'll do that. It's going to be fine, baby. It's just a routine transfer. I've done these a thousand times. Prison transfers in Iraq were way more scary."
I see her eyes widen and then I realize maybe that wasn't the smartest thing to say.
"Don't tell me. I don't want to know how much danger you were in..."
"Sorry, I was just trying to show by comparison this isn't so bad."
"I understand. I don't like thinking about you being in danger, that's all."
"I get that. I'll be back before you know it. Ok?"
"Ok."
The doorbell rings, causing Scar to bark. We're getting used to that now, so it doesn't startle us so much. I give Dani a quick kiss and say, "I'll see you in a little while, Dani. I love you."
It takes her a few seconds to process and then manage a response.
"I love you too. Be careful, Eli."
"Always, sweetheart. Always."
I bend down to Scar's eye level and whisper, "Take care of her, little guy. She's very precious to me and I need you to guard her. Ok?"
I know he can't really understand me, but he lets out a little whine and it makes me feel like he has some understanding on the situation. I secure my guns and put my badge on the chain around my neck and head for the front door. I silently send up a quick prayer that this transfer will run smoothly or at least I'll get the foresight to see if something isn't right before it hits us.
Ash is silent for most of the journey. He knows the seriousness of this whole thing. He knows how badly I want this guy to be punished. He also knows how much I hate that he won't be staying in the States for that punishment.
We're almost at our destination when he speaks his first words.
"Dani ok?"
"She's worried."
"Does she know who we're transferring?"
"No. I couldn't tell her. She'll be terrified and I can't do that to her."
"Understood. Are you ok? I know this is tough for you."
"I hate that he's escaping his punishment here but I can't do anything about it. That is the worst feeling; being totally helpless. I can't ensure Dani gets her justice because the guy who caused her all of this pain will be half way across the world."
"Maybe we'll just have to find a reason to go out to Russia and make sure he's not having a nice life, huh? How are your wounds?"
"Fine. I'll be fine. Just make sure you keep your eyes open for every little thing. I don't trust this guy or his minions. I'm sure we didn't pick up all of them so we need to be extra cautious."
"I learned from our last encounter with this lot. I won't make the same mistake again. I really am sorry about that, LT..."
"Don't even mention it. I was saving your life and I know you'd do the same for me. That's what brothers do."
He nods, but I know he feels bad about the fact that I took a bullet for him. It is what it is. That's what we do for each other. I know him and Arrow would do the same for me so we shouldn't even be talking about it.
I sigh, "Look, man, I know you feel bad but that's part of the job and part of our unspoken code. I know you'd take a bullet for me if it ever came to that. I don't want you to feel bad or guilty. I'm not dead and you're not dead. Yeah, I've got a few extra holes, but that just adds to the list of previous injuries. We shouldn't even be talking about it because that's what we do for each other. I don't need you thinking about this. I need your head in the game so we can get back home safely when this is done. You hear me?"
"Yes sir. Let's get this scum bag out of our lives forever."
We suit up at the car with our own gear and just before we head in to meet McGuire Arrow's number flashes up on my cell.
"Hey LT. Just checking in. Everything still good?"
"Yeah, we're just heading in to meet the Feds now. You in position?"
He scoffs at that, "Like you even need to ask that question, LT..."
"Just checking. This one is important, man."
"I know. I'm watching all routes and I'm in position. Good luck out there. Tell Fuse I said to watch his and your back."
"Will do. You too, man. Keep your comms open."
Ash and I attach our comms and we have a direct link to Arrow. We'll all join the Feds channel when they give us the frequency, so we can keep tabs on everything that is going on.
Ivankov is loaded into the truck relatively quickly once the briefing is completed. When he notices me and Ash, a smug smirk crosses his features. I want to punch that smirk right off his face and it's Arrow's voice that filters through my anger when he says, "LT, keep your cool. I know you want to kill him, but you can't. Just keep a lid on it for a little while longer."
I don't know how he does that. I swear he has tracking devices and cameras on all of us. That is a slightly creepy thought to be honest.
As if he reads my mind, Arrow explains, "I heard your breathing change. I know you well enough to know that's the angry breathing. I know you're the king of being focused, but you really need to practice that title tonight. Just get through the next couple of hours and then you can get home."
I know he's right and normally I would be able to control myself better. However, this is the guy that hurt Dani, held so many girls captive and shot me. I think I'm entitled to a moment of anger.
My response to Arrow is only one word, "Roger."
But I know Arrow can sense the hidden meaning behind the word. I am so thankful these guys have my back in so many ways. A few years ago, Arrow's words would have needed much more force to get through the anger. I wasn't always so controlled or focused. I got into far more fights than I like to admit or like to remember. Before I joined SWAT, I wasn't exactly acting like myself or the way my parents brought me up. I'm definitely not proud of it and it's a moment in my life I'd like to forget. Ash and Arrow know me well enough to know the signs of when I'm getting angry. I've learned to control that side of me, which is why I rarely get angry and one of the reasons I can be so patient with Dani. I know what I can be like when I get angry, so I do everything in my power to not allow that anger to show through.
As we're traveling to the airstrip, Ivankov speaks in Russian, "I thought I'd killed you. No one knew who you were or what had happened to you so I thought I'd managed to kill you."
I keep a blank look on my face and don't even give him the satisfaction of letting him know I can understand him.
He continues, "I know you can understand me. You know Tatyana, huh? She was my favorite. Still is, actually. No one can compare to her. She was always such a willing party. Has she shown you what she can do? I bet you've tried all sorts of things with her, haven't you? She's quite something."
I don't want to give this guy the satisfaction of letting him see he's got to me, but I want to smash his face in and then kill him. How dare he say such things about Dani?! I know he's just trying to get a reaction out of me and get into my head, but the disgust and rage is starting to cloud my mind.
Thankfully, he shuts his mouth shortly after that, but he knows his words have done their damage. If they all remember Dani so much, what on earth must they have put that poor girl through? Has she even told me a fraction of the things they did to her?
Ash speaks in Spanish, "What's he said to you?"
I shake my head. I don't want to run the risk of anyone else hearing and understanding. I also don't want to speak the words out loud. It was bad enough hearing them the first time, let alone having to repeat them.
We're almost half way to the airfield when Ivankov speaks in Russian again, "When I get free, I'll find you. I'll make you pay for raiding us. I'll make Tatyana choose between the two of us and I guarantee she'll choose me..."
Something doesn't feel right. I prayed for insight when leaving home and maybe this is the insight I was looking for. I've always trusted my gut and I'm not about to ignore it now. Why would Ivankov bring up getting free now? I block out the rest of his words by addressing Arrow in Spanish, "Check the route we're on. Something isn't sitting right with me..."
The comms are silent for a little while, then Arrow's voice filters into my ear.
"You've got an obstruction about three klicks ahead. Looks like a semi and a truck have just collided. Take detour route one. I'll monitor the situation and dispatch unis to the location."
I respond in Spanish, "Get the Cap to dispatch the unis. He'll know which ones are clean. Check our other routes too."
I tell our driver to use route one, not bringing attention to the fact that there may be a situation or given Ivankov any reason to think we're suspicious in any way.
Ash and I watch Ivankov carefully. While we were in Iraq, a prison transfer almost went bad because the prisoner planned for a truck to crash into our convoy. We noticed it just before the truck hit us because the prisoner braced himself for the impact. Thankfully, we didn't lose the prisoner or have any serious casualties because it gave us a few seconds to prepare.
Ivankov isn't bracing himself for an impact, but I'm not taking any chances. We travel along this route for a while and then Arrow says, "Change to detour two. I'm not liking the look of what's up ahead. It seems too busy for this time of night. I need to see if they're forcing you onto a single route as a trap. Give me a minute to see what's going on up ahead. Continue on detour two."
I tell the driver to change course and then watch Ivankov. He doesn't look at all fazed by the situation but I expect he's well practiced in hiding his intentions and his criminal ways.
Arrow informs me that the other routes are clear so far and we should proceed as planned. He's monitoring everything very closely.
I keep our communication in Spanish as I ask, "You speak to the Cap?"
"Yep.He's on it. He said he was heading there himself. He's not taking any chances with it. I'll keep you updated when I hear from him. Just watch it out there, LT. I don't like this one bit. Something is wrong, I can feel it."
"We planned for this, right? It's like Iraq all over again. Did you do the other things I asked?"
"Of course. I've got everything set up. I've got your backs."
Things fall silent for a little while but when we're almost at the field, Ivankov's body language changes ever so slightly. It might not be noticeable to everyone, but I see it and so does Ash. I check the Feds to see if they see anything. I know I have a tendency to take over situations. It's one of my flaws, I guess. I trust my team completely with my back and I'll do whatever I have to to ensure we're safe. Hence the reason I commandeered the route change and basically took McGuire's job away from him.
I send a glance McGuire's way and it seems like he noticed the change himself. I raise my eyebrows at him and he understands my silent question. I'm silently asking for his permission to take control of the mission. Normally, Feds don't like people treading on their toes and taking over, but this isn't a normal situation. This could prove deadly to everyone in this convoy, and I don't want to hand my fate over to someone I don't know.
He nods and responds to my non-verbal question, "Go ahead. You seem to have things in hand."
That's all the information I need to get things moving the way I want themto. To stop Ivankov hearing our plans, I get Arrow to relay the information to the other drivers in the convoy.
"Go to our backup plan. You pass the message along."
Arrow proceeds to give the agents in the cars in front and behind us the plan. We're splitting up and mixing the vehicles up. We're going to stay on the same route and the other SUVs will take remaining detours we planned. That way, cars will be taking all of the routes and it will hopefully confuse anyone who is set along the journey to stop us.
Maybe fifteen minutes later, I can see the entrance to the airstrip. Ivankov has started to look rather smug about something; like he knows something is going on.
Arrow's voice confirms my suspicions, "You've got visitors up ahead."
Arrow, Ash and myself planned for this, just in case we got in this situation.
I reply, "Roger. Deal with it like we planned..."
"Yes sir. You'll have flashes in 3, 2, 1..."
I see the flashes and hear the bangs. Ivankov wasn't expecting it and he jumps slightly. The smug look on his face has diminished slightly. He doesn't look completely disheartened, which leads me to believe that he still thinks he has a chance at getting out of here. Well, I'm not about to let that happen. My job is to make sure he gets on that plane, so that's what I'm going to do. I will complete this mission or he will die in the process. I'm not going to die for this guy, so I'll be putting him in front of me if it comes to that.
Arrow's voice appears again, "That took care of most of them. We've still got a few stubborn ones. Be prepared for a gun fight."
"We're not getting out of this truck until we're at the plane, so they best be prepared to die under our wheels."
I address the agent driving, "You hear that? Anyone gets in your way or tries to stop us, you run that scumbag over..."
"That's not what we're supposed to do..."
Seriously? In this situation that's what he's going to say?
"Fuse? Take the wheel. Do it while rolling..."
"Yes sir."
Ash takes the wheel while the driver keeps his foot on the gas. Then the driver slides out of his seat so Ash can take over. Judging by the look on Ivankov's face, he wasn't expecting us to be so well prepared. I'm guessing he thought the Feds would have sole charge of his transfer.
Arrow chuckles, "Why do you guys get all the fun? You get to do all the good stuff..."
"I asked you to join my team, but you declined. That's your payback. Light them up again and give us a diversion to get closer."
He lets off the remaining devices we have situated near the airfield gates and this gives us enough of a distraction to get through the gates. The tricky part will be getting Ivankov out of the car and onto the plane without anyone getting shot. Cue the gunshots now. It didn't take them long to get back in the game, did it?
"Arrow, you there?"
"Yes sir. What do you need?"
"What's your 20?"
"Right behind you."
"Good man. Give us some cover so we can exit..."
"10-4. On my green."
I wait until he gives us the green light and when I hear his shots, that's when I grab Ivankov and yell at McGuire and Ash to stay close to me. We just need to make sure this bird gets in the air and then we can deal with the problems on the ground.
McGuire keeps on the other side of Ivankov, while Ash and I engage in a minor exchange of gunfire. It helps that Arrow is located on the other side of Ivankov's men, so they're getting it from all sides. It isn't long before the other Fed vehicles arrive, so they join the exchange.
I yell out over the comms and to whoever is near me, "Cover me for the exchange..."
I grab Ivankov by the scruff of his neck while he shouts out expletives in Russian. He really isn't happy about getting on this plane and going back to Russia. Judging by the abuse he's throwing my way and his utter distaste of the current event, it would suggest that he's in for an awful time back in Russia. I hope he rots in a dark, damp prison and dies a slow and painful death. It's the least he deserves after everything he has done.
Before the exchange is completed, the gunfire ceases and the area goes down to a more normal level of noise. There's the usual sound of radio chatter, police sirens and various noises associated with high police activity. Ivankov is still mouthing off in Russian, but I'm trying to tune him out. McGuire is by my side, overseeing the exchange and signing the paperwork. Apparently, the two Americans that have been released are at this airfield and they will be escorted back by some of the Feds.
For the most part, I can tune out what Ivankov is saying, but then he starts bad mouthing Dani again. Just as I'm about to shut his mouth for him, to stop the vile words from escaping any more, I feel hands on each of my shoulders. They're not physically restraining me, but I can feel the hidden meaning behind the gesture. I don't need to look to know it's Ash and Arrow. I'm slightly shocked that Arrow actually stepped out into the open. One of the reasons he's so good at his job is because no one knows he's there and no one knows what he looks like. He's just revealed himself to Ivankov but it doesn't take long for me to figure out why.
While the scumbag is still running his mouth about Dani, Arrow steps away from me and cracks Ivankov with a few punches across the face. It shuts him up instantly and it obviously has Arrow's desired effect because he's grinning when he faces me again.
His voice sounds completely normal when he says, "I thought he'd never shut up. Is he always so chatty? I bet he sung like a canary in the clink..."
I chuckle, "Probably. I have no idea what he's talking about, but I'm guessing he's throwing his associates under a bus. I don't know if they'd be too thrilled to hear he was ratting them out though. Still, he's not our problem any more."
Ash pipes in, "One less scumbag to worry about. Hopefully he rots out there. Or maybe freezes to death. That might be an option..."
McGuire finishes the exchange and Ivankov is cuffed to two huge Russian officers. It's the first time he actually looks terrified at the reality of the situation. I hope that's a sign of his fate.
As we head back to the truck, I assess the scene. There are a few bodies of Ivankov's men dotted around and a few more have been arrested. It's a bit chaotic at the airfield, but as the plane takes off I realize it's actually done. We made it through; maybe by the skin of our teeth, but we're all out the other side and still in tact. I feel both of my brothers give each of my shoulders a quick squeeze and the gesture holds more emotion and meaning than people would ever know. I am very thankful for the pair of them. I probably wouldn't have made it through the night without them. I might have had backup and physically made it through the exchange, but I'd have pummeled Ivankov to a pulp and lost my job or been thrown in jail for the damage I did to him. They were there to stop me from doing something stupid and I'm grateful for that.
We don't say stuff like that to each other, so I simply say, "Thanks guys."
Arrow is first to respond, "Don't mention it."
Ash squeezes my shoulder again and says, "Nothing to thank us for, brother."
"I should call Dani. I'll catch up with you in a minute."
The call barely rings before I hear her sweet voice on the other end of the phone and my body starts to relax at the sound of it.