Out of the Shadows (20 page)

She glanced at Charlie, who simply shrugged. She frowned then said, “Well, go on.”

“At first I was mostly involved in reconnaissance. After a while, I let it be known that I was interested in smuggling. Initially, it was supposed to be alcohol and animal skins—I wouldn’t even pretend to smuggle drugs.” He gave her a wry look. “Quickly, though, I made the transition to getting involved with arms dealers, which was our objective from the beginning.”

Charlie interrupted Ben by asking, “When did you start working the Pakistan connections?”

Ben glanced around the room, then leaned forward. Dropping his voice he answered, “Only about a year ago. Up until then, I was focusing on small runners who sold to local chiefs. In that capacity, I was able to help stop some of the arms going to Somali thugs who pass themselves off as pirates.” He shook his head in disgust. “It was a joy to shut them down.

“Anyway, about a year ago, I learned of a Pakistani broker who was selling a variety of weapons through Mombasa and Mogadishu—SAMs and rocket-propelled grenades, along with other small missiles manufactured in China and North Korea. These were being traded and sold into Libya, Syria and Iran to insurgents and terrorist groups. Rasheesh didn’t care who he sold to, he just cared about his bottom line.”

“Rasheesh?” Leslie paled and swallowed hard. “He’s the one who tried to kill you?” It was both a question and a statement.

Ben looked grim. Taking her hand, he said, “Yes, Les. I am truly sorry. I should never have involved you in that sordid mess.” He addressed Charlie, “You see, I...well, accidentally took Leslie on my last meeting with Rasheesh.”

“Accidentally?” Charlie repeated.

“I didn’t intend to; it just worked out that way.” He turned back to Leslie. “Ironically, your being there probably served to seal the deal. You see, despite my reputation, they didn’t trust me. They suspected I was a spy. But my bringing you along that day helped dispel their doubts. As far as they were concerned, only a sold-out bottom-dweller with no scruples would bring a woman with him to a meeting of that sort.”

He shook his head. “Leslie, the truth is, had I not taken you with me, they probably would’ve turned me away, or maybe even killed me. As it was, I cut a deal that gave me access to vital information regarding arms shipments.” He paused, hesitating to tell her more.

Seeing that his friend had stopped, Charlie huffed, casting a significant glance at Leslie. “The rest of the story—what Mr. Oh-Shucks-It-Was-No-Bother isn’t telling you—is that he was able to give the location of and details about the shipments to his CIA and DOD contacts. In turn, they sent teams of SEALs to board the vessels. After confirmation...well...” He grinned. “The ships met with unfortunate accidents at sea, and the SAMs, missile launchers, and other assorted implements of destruction are now at the bottom of the Indian Ocean.”

Ben gave a slight nod and then picked the story back up. “Not surprisingly, when Rasheesh found out his ships were lost, he knew what had happened. So I was targeted for—uh—removal.”

Leslie looked grim. “So they were waiting for you that day?”

Ben put up his hand, requesting silence, as the waitress returned. The trio ordered coffee, and after she’d left, Ben answered. “That morning, I radioed Charles Endebbi to let him know I was about thirty minutes out, and I asked him to contact Simon. As I approached the field, things didn’t seem quite right, so I did a slow circle of the area and spotted a couple of poorly camouflaged jeeps about a kilometer away.”

The waitress returned, and he paused while she placed a steaming mug in front of each of them. When they were alone again, he continued. “As I lined up my final approach, I pulled out the M-4 I kept hidden in a compartment under the rear seat. When I taxied toward the hut after landing, Charles didn’t meet me as he normally does. I took my time pulling in, letting the prop continue to spin. Sure enough, three men came out of the hut with automatic weapons blazing. I gunned the plane toward them, and they scattered. When they hit the dirt, I took out all three with the M-4. After that, I taxied the plane around a little trying to spot any others.”

When he paused for a sip of coffee, Leslie asked, “What’s an M-4?”

Charlie replied, “An M-4 carbine. It’s an assault rifle. They’re very useful in certain situations.”

Ben shrugged. “I wanted to take the Cessna back up, but I smelled gasoline, so I swung the plane back around and jumped out. As I did, another guy popped up from under that old Piper Cub and fired.” He looked grim then. “He hit me in the chest and stomach before I was able to tag him with the carbine.”

His gaze dropped to the coffee cup. “I fell and was trying to get up when the fifth guy approached me. I saw him coming, but couldn’t react quickly enough.”

His hand was shaking a little as he took another sip of coffee. “Fortunately, he was a bad shot and only caught my thigh before I heard the sound of another automatic weapon.” Ben grinned. “And then, miracle of miracles, I saw my guardian angel take the form of a giant Masai warrior jogging toward us, shooting.”

Leslie gaped at him. “
What? Simon
killed the last guy?”

“Yep. I can’t describe how I felt when I saw him. At that point, I was lying in the dirt trying to stop the blood flow from my leg. I didn’t have the strength or coordination to get on my knees, much less pick up my gun. And there was Simon. He’d heard the gunfire and quickly figured out what was happening. Simon can stalk anything, and he was able to approach unnoticed.”

She shook her head in confusion. “But...I just can’t picture Simon with a gun.”

Ben grinned again. “Although he loves to carry around that spear—and believe me, he knows how to use it—his weapon of choice in a gunfight is an Uzi. He took the guy out in one burst. The rest is pretty much a blur until I woke up in my cabin with you taking care of me. And you know what happened from there.” He sat back, his tale complete.

“No! Not a chance, Ben Murphy!” Leslie leaned toward him, flummoxed. “You can’t stop there. What about the funny-looking plane-helicopter and the guys in the coveralls? Then Paul and I looked all over Nairobi trying to find out where you had been taken. You fell off the face of the earth!”

Ben looked askance at Charlie, who gave a slight shrug. Looking pensive, he turned back to Leslie. His hand captured hers on the table, and he rubbed her fingers with his thumb. “I can’t give you all the details, but the Navy usually has a carrier group patrolling the western part of the Indian Ocean. They work to ensure that the shipping lanes remain open into the Red Sea and help thwart pirate attacks.

“The plane was a V-22—called an Osprey. They’ve only been in regular use for a few years. Well, the Osprey transported me to the carrier and I was taken into surgery. Fortunately for me, those guys are used to working on people with gunshot wounds, and they did a great job of patching me up. I was on the carrier for a couple of days before being evacuated to a military hospital in Kuwait. After a few more days a transport brought me here.” He smiled at her. “That’s pretty much where you came in this morning.”

Leslie shook her head at his nonchalance. “Ben, you’re amazing. It’s like you’re describing a ball game, not a life-and-death situation.” She leaned over to kiss his cheek. “This is going to take a lot of getting used to.” Ben kissed her in return and then gestured for the waitress.

Charlie said, “Given Ben’s—uh—abilities and who he knows, we’re all glad he’s one of the good guys.”

Ben frowned at his best friend. “Hey, man, don’t scare her. She could still change her mind.” He said the words jokingly, but there was an edge to the statement. He stood and looked at Leslie. His expression was compelling when he said, “Let’s go see about a wedding. I want to give you as little time as possible to reconsider.”

Leslie took his hand and rose. “Ben, you
are
one of the good guys, and you’re the one I can’t live without.” She stood on her toes to kiss him on the cheek. “It’s too late anyway. You’re not getting rid of me now.”

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

B
EN
AND
L
ESLIE
WERE
relieved to find that getting married on a military base in Germany was relatively simple. They were able to collect the required documents courtesy of an efficient air force administrative assistant and the seven-hour time difference with Texas. With the paperwork in hand, they sought and received approval from the base commandant. Finally, the chaplain was contacted; he agreed to meet them at the base’s church at eight.

Leslie and Ben had only a short time to prepare for the ceremony, and they retired to their separate rooms to get ready. Forty-five minutes later, Leslie emerged to find Ben waiting for her in the main room of the borrowed apartment. Her breath caught. He was wearing his dark blue dress uniform, complete with brass buttons, gold braid, and an impressive array of medals.

Oh my Lord,
she thought, and then her mind went blank. Once again she had a feeling of being with a stranger—an unbelievably handsome stranger. And then he smiled, and her heart soared.

Leslie was wearing a simple, pale blue linen dress that she’d purchased earlier that afternoon at a small boutique on the base. It was midcalf in length, with cap sleeves and white lace adorning a scoop neckline. She had allowed her hair to curl naturally, and it flowed to the middle of her back. As he stared, she felt her cheeks grow pink, and she stopped in the doorway, unwilling or unable to cross the room to him. He crossed to her, took her hands and kissed her softly. “You’re incredibly beautiful,” he said quietly. “I can’t believe how fortunate I am to have you.”

She reached up and tentatively touched his hair, much as she had that morning. She tried to speak and had to swallow before she managed to whisper, “You’re so amazing that you scare me.” She stared at him for a moment. Finally she stood on her toes and threw her arms around his neck. “Let’s go find Charlie,” she whispered.

* * *

C
HARLIE
HAD
CONSPIRED
with the officers’ mess to have “room service” delivered at eight o’clock the next morning. Fortunately, he had warned the newlyweds, and Ben was dressed and ready when a young private delivered their hearty breakfast.

Leslie had neglected to pack any sleeping clothes, so she was clad in one of Ben’s T-shirts when she sat down to eat.

“This has been the most wonderful two days,” she declared as she dined on German pastries and a boiled egg. She reached over to touch Ben’s cheek in a loving caress. “I woke up yesterday morning somewhere in Turkey—I’m still not sure where—and now I’m somewhere in Germany—I’m still not sure where—and we’re married...”

Ben had never seen her more lovely, with her curly hair mussed and her eyes shining. All vestiges of the shadows were gone. He knew there would be times when they’d return, but for now he gloried in seeing her happy.

Following breakfast, Ben added more coffee to their cups and said, “Let’s go sit on the couch. There are some things we need to talk about.” Seeing her concerned expression he leaned over and kissed her nose. “No, it’s nothing bad. We just haven’t really talked about what’s next, and it’s time we did.”

“Oh.” She smiled. “Yes, things started moving a little fast, and we missed a few steps.” She picked up the cups and led the way toward the living area of the small apartment.

Ben stopped by the bedroom to snag a blanket. He draped it around her as they sat on the sofa. “I have to cover you up. We need to talk, and looking at you is a serious distraction.”

She rewarded him with a quick kiss. Chuckling a little, she crossed her bare legs and dutifully covered them before turning to face him. She picked up her coffee and took a sip, then looked up at him adoringly.

He groaned. “Stop it, will you? We need to talk, and you’re killing me.” He took her coffee cup and set it on the low table where he’d propped his leg. Taking her hand, he said, “You married me on incredibly short notice, and you haven’t even asked about the future. About what’s next.”

She sat back and frowned slightly. “Ah, well. I guess it didn’t occur to me to ask, because I really don’t care. No, that’s not right. Of course I care. What I mean is it doesn’t matter where we go or what you do. The only thing that matters is that we’re together.”

Humbled, he pulled her to him and kissed her hair. “That’s what’s most important to me, too.” He set her back onto her side of the couch. “Okay, but we do need to talk.”

His tone became serious. “The brass wanted to send me stateside for the remainder of my therapy, but I insisted on waiting here for you. If you’re game, we can head to D.C. either today or tomorrow. I’ll finish my therapy in a few weeks and, well... I’ve completed the dissertation, and Georgetown’s graduation is coming up.” He sighed and looked a little self-conscious. “I kind of need to go to the ceremony.”

“Ben, that’s wonderful! For goodness’ sake, that is a
huge
deal. It needs to be celebrated. Of course we’ll go!”

He shrugged. “I don’t like big fusses, I guess. Well, my parents will probably come up from Florida for the graduation, which is great. That’ll give them a chance to meet you. After that, I thought we could go to Dallas to visit your family...”

“That’s perfect!” she exclaimed. “Even though Mom and Dad said they were happy for us, they need to meet you to be reassured.”

“Then maybe we can pick a place for a semi-delayed honeymoon. And after that... Okay, here it comes.” He paused, considering how to proceed. “You know I can’t go back to Africa for a while. My cover was blown, and there will be quite a few—em—bad guys after me if I show up anytime soon. So the air force brass came up with an assignment. It’s not exactly optional, but they give you the impression that you have a choice...” He watched for Leslie’s reaction.

“Ben, what is it?” When he didn’t answer immediately, she said, “I meant it. I really don’t care if it’s here in Germany, or Washington, or even Incer...Incerlin, Turkey, or somewhere else. But
please
tell me I can go with you. I
have
to be with you!”

He smiled. “Don’t worry—it’s okay. How about Colorado?”

“Colorado?” She blinked and sat back. “I love Colorado.”

“I’ve been given a joint assignment teaching part-time at the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs and serving as an intelligence analyst for the Department of Defense at the Cheyenne Mountain Facility. I’ll be helping monitor terrorist activities in East Africa and the western part of the Indian Ocean. Basically, in addition to teaching military history to cadets, I’ll be part of the team intercepting and interpreting communications among the various groups and factions in that part of the world. They need my language abilities and experience with the different cultures.” He shrugged and added absently, “My Arabic will need to improve, and I may have to learn Farsi, but that’s in the same language group as Urdu...”

Leslie shook her head. “Ben, you amaze me.” She rewarded him with an eager smile. “That sounds absolutely perfect. Colorado Springs is beautiful, and it would be a wonderful place to raise a family.”

“Speaking of raising a family...” he interrupted. He tugged the blanket away from her. “It’s been nearly two hours since we made love.”

* * *

S
OMETIME
LATER
,
THEY
LAY
in bed intertwined. Leslie’s head rested on Ben’s shoulder, and he lightly caressed her back. Finally, she sighed. “Ben, it’s my turn. I, um... I need to talk to you about something.”

She raised up on her elbow and gazed at him, running her hand across his chest and abdomen to stroke the reddened, puckered scars. “This is kind of serious.”

He caught her hand and kissed her fingers. His eyes held hers. “Okay. What is it? You look worried. Honey, whatever it is, we’ll work it out...”

She sensed that her apprehension had spread to him, and she tried to dispel it. “It’s nothing scary.” She sat up and pulled the sheet to cover herself. “Ben...” She took a deep breath. “Whew, this is awkward.”

He sat up, too. “Leslie, what is it?” He looked more curious than concerned.

She glanced down at her lap and bunched the sheet with her fingers. “Hmm... Well, when Emma was born, Brian insisted on taking out a life insurance policy. Since he was a young doctor with high income potential it was a very generous policy.”

Sensing where the discussion would go, Ben became visibly uneasy. His voice was low, nearly a growl. “Leslie, I don’t want your money.” The playful mood had evaporated.

“Just listen, please.” She raised her eyes to his.

He took a breath and nodded. “Yes, okay. I’m sorry.”

“Anyway, there was an accidental-death attachment, which tripled the amount.” She took Ben’s hands as he seemed to have retreated. “Ben, that’s not all...the truck...” She bit her lip and paused for a moment. “The truck that hit them was from a soft-drink distributor. The driver was speeding, and he ran a red light. He was probably under the influence.”

Ben scowled as he stared down at their joined hands. Leslie continued. “I wasn’t in any shape to pursue it, but my father took over on my behalf. There were negotiations...the company was eager to settle the claim.” Teardrops dotted the sheet and her voice was pleading. “Ben, I didn’t care. I wanted to be left alone. I just signed the papers. I didn’t want the money...
I don’t want the money.
It’s about their deaths... That’s what it represents to me.” She sighed and whispered, “Ben, it’s millions.”

He surged out of bed. As hastily as he could, given his injured leg, he pulled on his undershorts and slacks. He paced the room with an awkward limp, barefoot and bare-chested, before turning back to her. “Leslie, damn it...” She saw his jaw tense as he moved away again to stare out the window.

She slid out of bed and, following his example, slipped on his discarded shirt. She sat down to wait. Finally she broke the silence. “Ben, I’m sorry. I didn’t want to make you angry. I thought you needed to know, and I wasn’t sure when or how to tell you.”

* * *

H
E
GLANCED
BACK
at her and said to himself,
You idiot!
She looked small and sad, where only a few minutes before she’d been carefree and joyful. He wanted to beat his head against the wall. Instead he gave a deep sigh and scrubbed his face with his hands. Limping back to the bed, he sat beside her. He took her hand and kissed it.

“Leslie, I’m sorry I reacted so poorly. I just...it’s a weird sort of jealous, macho thing. That’s all. It’s just pride and stupidity on my part.” He continued to frown and gently massaged her fingers. “But that said, I need you to understand that I can’t take another man’s money. I’m sorry, I just can’t.” His eyes were eloquent as he pleaded with her, praying she would understand.

“Ben, I...”

“No, wait.” He touched her lips gently with his fingers. “Let me finish. It may be stupid, self-centered and even outdated, but I have this need to support us, to support my family... I can’t take the money. But Leslie, I know it would be unreasonable to prohibit you from doing whatever you wish with it. I want you to have whatever you need...”

Leslie kissed his cheek. “Ben, I meant it.
I don’t want it.
But I have an idea.” Her words were emphatic, and her smile sweet. Suddenly she was childlike with enthusiasm. “It’s something I’ve been considering for a couple of months, and if you’ll hear me out, I think you’ll approve.”

Ben listened for the next several minutes as she explained her proposal. When she finished, he slid from the side of the bed to kneel before her. She started to protest, but he stopped her with a look, a shake of his head and a simple “No.” On his knees, he laid his head in her lap and wrapped his arms around her waist. Stark emotion was in his voice when he said, “Dear God, you’re beautiful.”

Her tears were falling onto twin damp spots on the sheet, and he drew up a corner of it to dry her face. “I love you so much—and I have from the start. From the moment you walked into the Rift Valley Bar and turned those big blue eyes to me... You took my breath away.” He caught her hand in his and sweetly kissed her fingers. His voice had calmed, and he smiled. “I haven’t been able to completely regain my balance since then.”

After holding her for a few minutes, he rose to his feet and pulled her up to stand with him. He kissed her gently. “I hope,” he finally said, “that I get to spend the next fifty or sixty years with you. It’ll take that long to even begin to show you how much I love you.”