Monster (75 page)

The other men began laughing, trying not to spill their drinks. McDaniels held up his shot glass. “To Mehmed. He has survived two attacks in one day.”

They clicked their glasses together and downed the whiskey. This being the first time Mehmed had ever drank a shot of whiskey, he gasped for breath as his face turned fire red. Only after many moments and much laughter did the young man recover enough to hold his glass out again for Rasheed to fill.

“Ver…very good,” Mehmed announced. “Allah will surely send me to hell for this.”

“Allah does not have time for such piddling things,” Rasheed instructed, filling the young man’s glass along with the others. “When do we kill the Hughes spawn,
Shaun of the Dead
?”

“I don’t have time for such things, Kay.” McDaniels waved in Rasheed’s direction dismissively. “Can’t you keep your tongue from wagging for even a second?”

“Colonel,” Barrington said, glancing at the other men, “we know those guys might as well go jump off a cliff now. Kay just wants you to know if there’s anything we can do to help you find…”

“I know, Tom, and I appreciate the offer. Let’s drop it, okay? I will not have time for anything in the immediate future other than these Senate hearings coming up. I will then be going back to the reservation to visit some old friends I have not seen in years.”

“Yes, I am sure you are going off to visit your friends,” Rasheed scoffed openly, causing Barrington and Donaldson to stifle laughter at Rasheed’s obvious disbelief. “Very well then, at least call us if you run into any difficulties while visiting your friends.”

“If you bunch keep talking they’ll be putting an ankle bracelet on me with a GPS to keep track of my whereabouts. Besides, I can’t get away with something like you’re talking about with Red around.”

This statement caused immediate laughter with Mehmed merely looking on with a slightly inebriated smile on his face. McDaniels downed the rest of his shot and shrugged.

“I have no idea what you three think is so funny.”

“C’mon, Colonel, Diane would kill Aginson with a dull butter-knife to protect you,” Donaldson stated. “Your business is your business. We respect that.”

“Plausible deniability or not, call if you need anything,” Barrington added. “Diane was really shook up. We all know those two dweebs didn’t pull that snatch and grab on their own.”

“Diane needs closure on this and so do we, my friend.” Rasheed refilled McDaniels’ shot glass. “Her disappearance caused havoc all the way to the White House. The manhunt was not called off for a month.”

Barrington let Rasheed refill his glass next. “Kay’s right. Nothing in the lives of those two morons was overlooked. Missing them did not sit too well with anyone. Now we have two Syrians recognizing M. We are not doing too well, Colonel.”

“How much fallout was there from the White House Demonstration?” McDaniels asked.

“Hardly any because of the confusion,” Donaldson answered. “We still have Mero’s old group wired. The word is out on M.”

“Unfortunately, we will no longer be able to dangle him on the hook.” Rasheed put an arm around Mehmed. “I will already have to listen to endless hours of retribution from Suraya for endangering him this time.”

“Perhaps I could talk with her,” Mehmed offered, the whiskey allowing him to speak without thinking.

“Yes, by all means, young Mehmed,” Rasheed retorted, causing Mehmed to back away from Rasheed’s immediate angry glare. “You will be a eunuch if you do but this is America and you may try if you wish.”

“Perhaps I will keep silent instead,” Mehmed quickly noted as the others laughed, including Rasheed.

* * *

“What did you guys talk about while we were in the kitchen?” Reskova glanced over at McDaniels from her driving.

“They’re all assuming I’ll be going out to whack the Hughes brothers. They laughed at my Reservation visit story.”

“I was afraid of that.”

“I never figured on fooling them anyhow. They needed a story to tell if someone asks them where I’m at.”

“This is insane. I can take care of myself and you’ll be with me.”

“I can’t be with you every second. What makes you think they won’t just give up the small shit and blow us up, Red? They will get around to it, especially if the Syrians are in on this.”

“That’s why you were so hot for saying hi to the boys over at the White House. You wanted intel on the new Syrian bosses without anyone noticing.”

When McDaniels kept silent, Reskova laughed.

“Heh, heh, heh, I’m finally getting in stride with you, Cold.”

“Yeah, you’re the bomb, Red.”

“Shit, you devious… okay… what else? Come on, what else is steaming in that miasma of a brain.”

“Whoa Nelly, calm down,” McDaniels replied. “I have nothing on my mind except getting you home.”

“I can take you now, Skinny. You have to obey me.”

“You won’t like the foreplay to your throw-down, Red.”

“We’ll see,” Reskova said confidently. “I’ll have you spilling your guts out in fifteen minutes.”

“Good luck with that.”

* * *

In the still darkness, McDaniels finished dressing in his uniform while listening with amusement to Reskova’s snoring. Dino lay at his feet, having already been run at four in the morning when McDaniels had wakened. McDaniels signaled the dog up with a hand gesture.

“Turn that record over, will you Dino?” McDaniels hand signaled Dino.

Dino leaped to the side of the bed. He stood on his hind legs, using his front paws to push on Reskova’s nearest shoulder as she lay on her back. Reskova stopped snoring. She went from her back to her side, groaning sleepily and pushing back with her free hand. When she felt Dino’s flank, she barked out an order which sent Dino scurrying to the foot of the bed. Reskova sat up, hearing McDaniels laughing.

“I was snoring again, huh?” Reskova pulled the nasal passage expander off the bridge of her nose. “Lot a good these things do.”

“You only get loud when you’re really tired.” McDaniels walked over by the bed.

“It’s only a little after five,” Reskova commented, looking over at the clock. “Let me…”

“Aginson’s sending a driver over to pick me up,” McDaniels broke in, reaching down to massage Reskova’s shoulders.

“Oh God, Cold.” Reskova leaned into McDaniels as he rubbed her neck and shoulders. “What did you do to me?”

“Well, we were in the final interrogation when…”

“Oh crap! Admit it Cold, I had you on the ropes.”

“You’re the bomb, Red.”

 “Make me late for work,” Reskova urged, pulling away from McDaniels and getting on her hands and knees.

“Holy Christ in heaven!” McDaniels turned away, balling his fists. “The driver will be here any minute.”

“Your uniform pants are going to split.” Reskova stretched forward on the bed, looking over her shoulder at McDaniels provocatively.

“Try that when I get home,” McDaniels warned, prompting Reskova to stretch further, lifting her rear end more. “Why you… okay… I hope you’re as perky when I get home.”

As McDaniels turned to leave, Reskova jumped out of bed and onto his back, her legs locked around his waist. She choked him with all her might, making growling noises. McDaniels walked out to the kitchen as if he wasn’t carrying a hundred and thirty pound woman trying to choke the life out of him. He picked up his keys for the apartment and his green beret. McDaniels then proceeded to the front door where he put his left hand on Reskova’s wrist and began squeezing. Within seconds Reskova leaped free of McDaniels but could not shake his hand loose from her wrist.

“Ow…ow…ow…ow…” Reskova danced next to McDaniels as he retained his grip on her arm. “I give… I give… c’mon… let… go, you brute.”

McDaniels released her moments before a knock sounded on their apartment door. McDaniels gathered Reskova in his arms, kissing her lightly on the mouth and neck until she groaned, writhing against him. Reskova pulled away finally as Dino began growling at the door.

“You play nice with those Senators, Cold.” Reskova gave McDaniels a final hug. “Make Aginson look good.”

“I’ll do my best. I’m not betraying those young men in Syria, no matter who they have sitting in on the meeting.”

“I love you,” Reskova moved away from the entrance and called Dino over to her.

“I love you too, Red.” McDaniels looked her over once more before opening the door.

“Get a move on,
Shaun of the Dead
,” Rasheed stated, looking at his watch and tapping his foot impatiently.

“Kay,” McDaniels said in surprise, closing the door behind him. “Who did you piss off to get chauffeur duty?”

“Director Aginson wanted me with you in front of this interrogation committee. Jen and Pete will have Mehmed listen to the voices we recorded at his near death event. He will try and pick up on anything we missed. Aginson is waiting in the car for you.”

“He needed a driver cleared for all this. I get it.” McDaniels followed Rasheed to the elevator. “You’ll get a real eyeful of Democratic bureaucracy today. You wore your
Men In Black
suit - good move.”

“Yes, when one of the toadys asks you a particularly idiotic question, I will fix him with my special stare.” Rasheed turned toward McDaniels in the elevator with a look meant to peel paint off a wall.

“Nice,” McDaniels complimented him. “That look should get me about three to five in Leavenworth with good behavior.”

“I have watched these Senate meetings on C-SPAN,” Rasheed countered knowingly. “You will need me to intimidate these arrogant…”

“We won’t be in with all the Senate, thank God,” McDaniels interrupted. “Aginson told me it would only be men who we can trust not to leave the meeting and run for the nearest camera. You weren’t thinking of getting face time on C-SPAN were you?”

Rasheed’s silence answered the question. He met McDaniels’ questioning glance finally as they were exiting the elevator. Rasheed smiled and shrugged.

“Only five people watch that network anyhow - only four today because you’ll be at the meeting,” McDaniels informed him. “Will you be sitting with me?”

“Right next to you. I am to be the slice of diversity pie between you and Director Aginson to give Al Jazeera an Arab face if they somehow get a picture of the attendees.”

“Want to set up our own black op and take out Al Jazeera?”

“I am shocked you would think I would have anything to do with such a plan.” Rasheed opened the driver door of the Lincoln Town Car, gesturing for McDaniels to get in the back. “When do we leave?”

McDaniels entered the rear passenger door, chuckling at Rasheed’s comment. He nodded at Director Aginson before strapping on his seatbelt and pulled the door closed. It was the first time Aginson had seen McDaniels since his return from Iraq. He shook hands with McDaniels.

“It looks like you’ve lost some weight, Colonel. How do you feel?” Aginson asked with genuine concern.

“Very well, Sir. Have you found out the meeting designates’ names?”

“I know Senator Hokanson will be there but that’s only because he told me he would be. I gave him the list of Senators you would not speak in front of under any circumstances. He enjoyed your comments next to their names.”

“He’s okay.”

“Your list caused quite a stir when he made up the oversight committee required to hear about your mission so we could get the money funded for its continuance. As I explained when you set out on this endeavor, we can’t keep this completely under wraps.”

“Just so you realize telling any of those Senators on the list about the operation will destroy it. Al Jazeera already broadcasts everything they say as propaganda against our own troops. If they don’t like my leaving them off the list, please invite them to join me for a private briefing.”

“Please don’t say anything like that at the meeting, Cold?” Aginson pleaded.

“It is amazing to me how Fifth Column traitors never have to watch what they say but I have to be extra careful not to hurt their feelings. I want to run for President.”

“I will vote for you, Cold Mountain,” Rasheed announced from the front.

“I’m afraid calling a group of Senators Fifth Column traitors would doom our funding for more than just the mission you have running.” Aginson covered his face with his hands for a moment. “On the other hand, I’d vote for you too.”

Chapter 54

Senate Oversight

As Aginson led the way toward a special Senate chamber designated for the briefing McDaniels would be giving, a familiar red faced, bloated figure strode purposely to intercept them. With him were three well dressed professional looking men with earpieces. They appeared to be Secret Service agents or possibly bodyguards. McDaniels leaned over to whisper something to Rasheed who grinned appreciatively. The apoplectic Senator walked right by Aginson, stopping only a few feet away from McDaniels, shaking his fist at him in rage.

“I don’t know who you think you are,” a familiar Massachusetts’ accented voice shouted at McDaniels, “excluding me by name from this meeting, but I assure you I…”