CHAPTER 52

Aboard the USS Kearsarge (LHD-3)

Adriatic Sea

September

THE CHINOOK LANDED ON the deck of the amphibious assault ship under the cover of darkness, the only illumination on deck coming from a strip of green landing lights. Reece, Strain, Ox, and Django climbed out of the Defender through the top of its roll cage and down the helo’s rear ramp while the aircraft and deck crews worked swiftly to move the MH-47 onto the elevator that would take it to a hangar belowdecks. A desert-cammie-clad Marine first lieutenant from the 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit led the men across the deck and inside through a steel hatch. All four commandos squinted as their eyes adjusted to the bright fluorescent lights of the ship’s interior while their escort led them through the labyrinth of corridors. Members of the ship’s crew stepped aside to let the visitors pass in the narrow space, eyeing the mysterious armed men with curiosity. The beards, nylon chest rigs, and salt-stained MultiCam combat clothing worn by the Agency men contrasted sharply with the blue and gray “Aquaflage” worn by the clean-cut sailors of the conventional Navy.

Wonder what admiral ever approved that uniform, Reece thought.

Reece hadn’t been able to catch up with Ox much during the flight due to the noise. Now he was directly behind the Army legend as they moved through the bowels of what Reece often termed a “big gray ship” due to his mysterious inability to tell them apart.

“Aren’t you getting too old for this, Ox? Happy seventieth birthday, by the way. Sorry I missed it. ”

“Easy, Reece, I’m not even sixty! Besides, the way my wife spends money, I can’t afford to retire. I can still drive and shoot as long as I don’t forget my glasses. ”

“Well, you must be the Dorian Gray of XXXXX. ”

“Who? ” Ox asked.

“Never mind. ”

“Just don’t ask him how to work the comms, ” the usually stoic Django deadpanned over his shoulder.

“Yeah, I need to start bringing one of my grandkids along to work the radios, ” Ox shot back at his partner. “Why do they make those things so complicated? ”

Their Marine escort motioned to a closed hatch and the men shifted to a more professional demeanor as they entered the room for the mission debrief. The room was fairly large by ship standards and was one of the ready rooms for the LHD’s helo pilots. A Marine helicopter squadron logo adorned the hatch as well as the podium at the front of the room, where two men and a woman, all dressed in civilian clothes, waited.

“Great job, boys, fantastic work. Mr. Strain, you and your friend here are going to make me take back all of the bad things I’ve ever said about SEALs. Mr. Reece, I’m Vic Rodriguez, very nice to meet you. ”

Reece was never a great judge of height, but he guessed Rodriguez at five feet six. He was a handsome man with short salt-and-pepper hair and olive skin that made his age hard to guess. Dressed in khaki pants, hiking boots, and a black polo shirt, he was fit and had an energetic air that made him immediately likable.

The two men shook hands, Rodriguez smiling warmly. He motioned toward the other individuals in the room and introduced them. Reece recognized Nicole Phan, the analyst from the videoconference in Istanbul; she looked even younger in person.

“Guys, this is Major Dave Harper. He’s a liaison from XXXX, ” Rodriguez said, introducing the thin man with the high and tight haircut.

“Great job out there. I’m just here to coordinate the air, ground, and sea assets for this. Here to help however I can. ”

“Those helo pilots were nothing short of incredible, ” Reece said. “Please thank them for us. ”

“Will do, ” the Army major said with a nod.

The ship’s galley had the room catered and the food, true to Navy form, was actually not bad, though Reece hadn’t forgotten the differences between eating in the officers’ mess and the enlisted one. Night and day. Reece and Freddy ate like they’d been shipwrecked for weeks before beginning the hotwash. He led them through each phase of the mission, answering questions from Rodriguez, Phan, and Harper as they went. The UAV images were displayed on the room’s LCD screen, and the men gave play-by-play narratives from their perspective on the ground. Reece had been through hundreds of similar debriefs during his time in special operations, though none were as sensitive or as classified as this one. Following the three-hour meeting, Harper called for an escort to show the men to their assigned sleeping quarters.

Rodriguez shook Reece’s hand on the way out and spoke in a muted voice. “Great work, Reece. Get some sleep. There’s something I want to discuss with you in the morning. ”

Reece bid him good night, wondering what the morning’s conversation would entail.

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