direction is worse than into Georgetown.”
He helped her remove her coat, “Yeah, it gets worse each year, and too many road construction projects are making it even more difficult.”
They chatted a bit before he went into the kitchen to finish a salad. “Can I offer you a glass of wine?”
She hesitated for a moment, “Sure, red please.”
He was prepared, having opened a bottle earlier. He had prepared Chicken Marsala with asparagus and whipped sweet potatoes. He had never done any adventurous cooking before, but he’d followed suggestions on the web. He invited her to the table.
She was quieter than usual, so he got down to business before eating anything. “Rachael, I was able to use a contact in the Pentagon to get a look at Montes’ personnel jacket.”
Before he could continue, she raised her hand slightly saying, “Peter, first I want to apologize for screaming at you about John.”
He looked down and took a breath, “You weren’t wrong. I’ve kicked myself a hundred times for not trying harder to stop him.”
“I don’t think you could have done anything.”
“I should’ve tried.”
“What did you tell Carolyn?”
“Oh, you know, that I would always be there if she needed me. Then I told her about John’s training. Look, he’s smart and tough. I’ve seen him handle himself well in bad situations. At this point, we need to trust his instincts and skills. He’s not going to forget his family.”
She took his hand saying, “Peter, I know you want to be with him. You only came to Washington because of me. If you’d stayed in Illinois, you’d probably be right there with John in Mexico now.”
He looked obliquely at her, then pursed his lips, “Yeah, well, moving’s not something I’ll ever regret.” He squeezed her hand gently then resumed eating. Their relationship had cooled, and he hated it. Dinner was on the table and they were sitting across from each other. He had candles, but they remained un-lit.
She continued, “So, what about Montes?”
Sitting up straighter, he said, “Your man had a pretty vanilla time in the Army. All routine stuff. No combat time, as a supply guy. No exceptional promotions or duty assignments. He just seemed like a lot of guys who drift through their careers thinking about retirement way too soon.”
“So, you didn’t find anything interesting?”
“Possibly. He was born to Mexican farm laborers in California in the mid ‘50s.”
“Yeah, I knew that, and his parents died in Mexico before he came back to the States and joined the Marines.”
“Right. That’s right.”
She looked at him, “So, what’s possibly interesting?”
He looked serious and pushed his food around on his plate. “I did some deeper digging about his parents, not sure why, it just seemed curious that he left Mexico, and that his parents died young.”
“Was that in his file?”
“No, just that his parents were dead.”
She tasted her salad then asked, “So, he was an American citizen by birth and came to the States after his parents died.”
“Yeah, seems that way. But I asked a friend in intel, who asked another friend and got some interesting stuff on Montes.”
She didn’t say anything, just looked at him.
He went on, “They lived on the Gulf of Baja California. His father was suspected of being a small-time smuggler up the coast to San Diego and might have been killed, his wife too, because of it.”
She was curious, “Okay, so how does it affect our boy?”
“It might not, but here’s the punch line. His mother’s maiden name is Cardenas.”
She was alert. “It’s not an unusual name.”
“Yeah, but the information I got says she could be related to Alejandro Cardenas, either his sister or cousin. He’s the leader of the Cardenas Cartel smuggling dope through Mexico. At least he was until some months ago when the DEA got him.”
She sipped her wine, “Wow. So, Jamie might be related to the cartel boss.”
He shook his head slowly, “Seems like it.”
“So, how does that relate to Vitale?”
“I don’t know. Intel is your business, so maybe you can find out.”
“I don’t think it’s correct protocol for me to check out the CIA Director.” She snickered.
He smiled gently, “Yeah. That would not go well with most bosses.”
He was smiling at her when his mobile phone began vibrating. He intended to end the call, but the display said “Stokes.” He answered, “John, what’s up, buddy?”
Rachael continued eating and could only hear one side of the discussion as Peter stood and faced away from her. “Okay, pal, listen. Is there anyone inside the station?” After a pause, “Look, can you see how many cars and men?”
Rachael lowered her glass and sat upright.
“Yeah, okay. Look, you probably don’t have much time.”
“Understood. Uh huh.”
“All right, John. Yes of course I’ll ... , but you gotta be smart now. Being tough and proving you’re a hero isn’t going to work.”
“John, put the phone in the desk drawer and leave it on without ending our call. I’ll get a trace going. If they haven’t taken you in ten minutes, put it back in your pocket, keeping the call active.”
Peter was emphasizing every word with hand motions, “Yeah. I know, but you’ve got to let them take you! It’s your only chance at these odds. Think of Carolyn and the girls!”
“Okay, pal. I hear you. John, I’m coming. Hang tough. You won’t be alone for long.” Peter listened for several more seconds without speaking. Leaving his phone on, he set it on the table and walked into the bedroom to use the landline.
Rachael felt sick listening as Peter called someone unknown about tracing the call through “Ft. Huachuca” in Arizona. Huachuca is the home of the 111th Military Intelligence Brigade with worldwide signal intelligence capability.
He gave some instructions and phone numbers before returning to Rachael. She saw the distress on his face saying, “What happened?”
He let out a deep breath and walked slowly past her into the front sitting area, not looking at her. “They got him.” He didn’t say that he had heard gunfire.
As she stood up beside him, his head lowered. “The Mexican Federal Police, some ‘Commandante Padilla’ set him up. When he called, he knew what was coming down. It’s night, and the police all disappeared when some cars arrived outside the station. He wanted me to know and to tell Carolyn ... you know.”
He took a deep breath and looked at the ceiling. Rachael put her arm through his and pulled next to him. He could feel the warmth of her body from ankle to shoulder as she leaned her head against his. It was a feeling he had missed every minute of every day for months.
“Rachael. I, I don’t know what to do.”
“Yes, you do. You knew as soon as you told him to keep the signal going.”
He lifted his chin and momentarily pursed his lips, “It’s not that easy.”
“Why?”
He didn’t answer immediately then turned to face her only inches away saying, “I’ll never give up hope of being with you again — forever. I’ve tried to become the guy you could love.”
She pushed away slightly, looking into his eyes. “Peter, I know you feel conflict because this time it’s John. So, let me help you.” She stepped further away continuing, “This time is different. You need to help John. I want you to help John and Carolyn.”
He stared at her for a moment, “Rachael. He’s, he’s my ‘brother’. I don’t have any choice.” His eyes were watering slightly.
“I want you to know something, Peter. I’m still a little confused, but I’ve got to say it.” She paused for a second then took his hand saying, “I’ve never stopped loving you. I don’t think I ever could. It’s the life you lead, or led, that I’m conflicted about. That’s
still it for now, but I know you’ve been trying.”
He looked down into her eyes, but didn’t speak. She continued, “This time isn’t the same. This isn’t some mission to save the world. This is John. You need to do whatever you can. If it means going into Mexico to get him, you’re the best person on earth to do it.”
He took a slow breath saying, “Rachael, I don’t know what to say.”
“I do. Say I love you.” She moved forward and they embraced. It was neither an impassioned kiss nor a peck; it was a bonding moment that sealed his approval to go for John without threat of further damage to their relationship.
She released him and went for her coat while he stood there looking at her. She passed by him, retrieving her purse and opening the door. She turned, saying, “I’ll call Carolyn, and you get moving.”
The call to Headquarters DDO (Deputy Director Operations) went to voicemail, “This is a message to Colonel Giles. Sir, this is Major Shields, requesting orders to support unit El Paso. I’ve received a call from one of our Illinois ARNG officers as he was being captured in Mexico. I plan to arrive in El Paso, as quickly as possible, and have requested a GPS location on his phone via Huachuca. I plan to assist in rescue ops. I don’t know the command structure there, but will assume you will clear the way. Sorry, cannot wait for confirmation. I’ll be available via SMS or cell en route. I’ll call for MAC flights or take commercial, whichever is quicker, even if it’s at my expense.”
After that, he made a second call to the TAG (Commanding General) office at the Illinois Military Department, “This is Major Shields from Headquarters National Guard,