“I’d been keeping an eye on the family for days. The middle daughter hauled water every day. I knew her routine. The target had been spotted to the south and then I went days with no sign of him. On December 25, I noticed the water girl’s routine changed. She made one extra trip, using a different footpath.”
“You followed her.”
“Right to the target, yes, sir.” Will dipped his chin. Eyes calm and steady. “I made the report. It felt like the perfect gift at the time.”
Thomas waited, but Will didn’t seem inclined to share the rest of the story. “It took you two days to get your target out of that cave and into custody.”
Will dipped his chin. “That’s what the report says.”
Thomas leaned forward. “Do you want the post in Colorado?”
“Yes, sir. Delivering mail and chatting up locals beats the hell out of crawling through caves on the other side of the world.”
“Then tell me what really happened.”
“I suppose you have the clearance,” Will said on a heavy sigh.
Thomas managed to stifle his laughter this time.
“I refused to move in immediately,” Will began. “On the twenty-fifth.”
“You didn’t want to make an arrest on Christmas Day?” Thomas asked, pushing harder than he wanted to. This interview was like pulling teeth.
“Everyone acts like I was sitting around waiting for Santa Claus,” Will snapped, lurching up and out of the chair. “I didn’t want the water girl to die on Christmas. Is that so damned terrible?” He stalked over to the window, hands braced on his hips. “If I’d gone in right after her they would’ve known. If somehow I couldn’t take them all, if I missed just one man, she would’ve been killed for sure. I have enough blood on my hands.”
He turned away, but Thomas didn’t need the eye contact to know Will was thinking of his brother. The Chase family had buried their younger son after a training accident. Somehow, the grief had twisted, and Will carried guilt and blame because his brother had been inspired by Will’s military service.
“So, yes,” Will continued, turning back. “I waited. I came at them from a different direction. I practically laid a trail for them to find me in the secondary post.”
“But they didn’t.”
“No.” His wide shoulders rolled back. “And I took them all, starting with the weakest link in their watch rotation, until it was just a matter of escorting the target to the extraction point.”
Thomas knew the target remained in custody, the terrorist cell out of commission, the attack they’d planned for spring thwarted. “You saved her.”
“Hard to say.” Will pressed his lips together. He walked behind the chair, his fingers digging into the upholstery. “She didn’t die on Christmas because of me. That’s all I know for sure.”
Here were the character and integrity Thomas had sensed when evaluating Will as a potential recruit. Internal fortitude and an undefinable X factor that couldn’t always be measured by personnel records and reports were essential for this new task force. He nodded, calmer now that his instincts had finally been confirmed. “Pick up your travel documents and postal service new-hire information from my receptionist. What you make of the rest of your new life out there is up to you.”
Will’s face brightened with enthusiasm. “Thank you, sir.”
“Despite your cover, you’ll find a way to stay in contact with this office and stay in combat shape. There’s no way to tell when we’ll call you into action.”
“You won’t be sorry.”
Thomas leaned back into his chair after Will walked out, more than a little relieved. If the current rumors could be trusted, they might be calling on Will sooner than anyone expected.
Copyright © 2015 by Debra Webb
ISBN-13: 9781460375860
Confessions
Copyright © 2015 by Cindy Roussos
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Cynthia Eden, Confessions
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