Page 35 of Digit's Deflection
“Wanted to surprise you – seems like I succeeded, by the look on your face.”
“Yeah, you did. What are you guys doing here? Wait, before you answer that, how’s Sheri and the kids doing?”
“Sher’s good.” The way his face softens whenever he speaks my sister’s name always makes me feel like you’re witnessing the most incredible sunrise. I love how he loves her. “The kids are doing great too. Getting big. They’d all love to see you. You should come out and see us when we get back.”
“Yeah, sounds like a solid plan. When’re you headed out?”
Maverick shakes his head. “No idea – we weren’t given any details, just that we were coming here for a joint pow wow. I’m guessing it’s with y’all.”
Hearing the door open, we turn to look and find Commander Hurt and Maverick’s commander, McVie, enter the room, Tex and Wolf’s team bringing up the rear. Color me intrigued. Three teams and Tex. Whatever it is, it’s clearly big.
“Good morning, all. Get comfortable, we’ve got plenty to cover today, so let’s get right into it, shall we?”
There’s a lot of shuffling as everyone finds themselves a place to settle. Commander Hurt passes a stack of papers to Cookie, directly to his right, showing him to pass them down. Taking from the stack, he does as instructed. Curiosity is riding high by the time the severely depleted bundle gets to me.
The quick glance I give the top page before returning my gaze to the commander has me dropping it again to read what’s on the paper. Armatrout’s name jumps up at me, and my interest sharpens. Whatever this is, it’s obviously connected to the fucker, and I’m hoping it means we’re going on a hunting expedition.
The energy in the room turns electric as the guys get an eyeful of that first page, some even turn to the next before Commander Hurt calls for our attention.
“With Tex’s invaluable assistance, we’ve managed to track the elusive Mr. Armatrout to a mountaintop compound in Peru. Through various sources, we’ve ascertained that he is, indeed, currently in residence. And can therefore assume that Commander Jones is there too.
“It is highly unlikely that the man will be in situ where his hostage isn’t. So, based on this information, we’re here to plan the mission that will retrieve the commander and capture Armatrout. As with the other compounds, this one will be destroyed to prevent it from being used again.”
The hum of voices as they process the man’s words aloud fills the room. He gives a few moments to chew over what he’s said before calling for silence again.
“The reason you’re all here today is you’ll be going in together as a joint task team. This is one of Armatrout’s biggest compounds, if not the biggest, and it will take the manpower of all three teams to cover the area thoroughly. Tex, would you like to take it from here?”
“Thank you, Commander,” Tex replies, stepping toward the projector. He lowers the screen and begins to share images, talking us through each one.
By the time we break for lunch, my brain is buzzing with all the information we’ve learned in the past few hours. Now it’s a case of putting that information to good use, coming up with a plan of attack.
A copious number of ideas are thrown around at the table, some discarded, many noted for further exploration. And by the time we return to the briefing room, there’s an air of excitement that finally we have a shot at finding and detaining this psychotic fucker.
The afternoon passes in a blur of tactics, strategies, more brainstorming, logistics and planning. It’s twenty-one hundred hours when Commander Hurt calls an end to the day.
“It’s been a long day, gentlemen. Go home, give your brains a break, get plenty of rest because tomorrow’s going to be another long one. I’ll see you all back here at oh six hundred.”
Wolf and his team are the first to leave, call out their goodbyes as they head out the door. Maverick comes over.
“Hey, you up for grabbing a bite before heading for home?” he asks.
“Yeah, I’m down for it.” I haul my phone out of my pocket, taking it off silent and checking for messages. I find a couple of missed calls and texts from Liora. “Give me a sec, Mav. I just need to check some messages quickly.”
He quirks an eyebrow. “Yeah? Something you want to share with the class?”
“Nothing I want to share with you bunch of reprobates.” The guys laugh, then Gator throws me right under the bus.
“Probably messages from his new girl. What’s her name again … Liora?” He grins, knowing full well what her name is.
My eyes immediately track to Maverick. He’s the only one who would recognize the name. The man’s frowning, and you can almost see the cogs in his brain turning to place the name. I see it all over his face the second he places it.
“Rather unique name. Wouldn’t, by any chance, be little Ms. Liora-Jane, would it? What was her surname?” Mav clicks his fingers, wracking his brain to remember her surname. “Adams. That’s it. Liora-Jane Adams.”
And wouldn’t you fucking know it, with a room full of grown men watching me like a bug under a microscope, at his words I flush. I can feel the heat rush up my neck and into my face.
“Dude, are you blushing?” Bear asks, laughter thick in his voice.
“Oh my God, he is too,” Dutch adds. And then the ragging’s on.
