“I’ve read the details on some of your missions, none of which will ever be revealed to the public either. How many lives have you and Harvey saved? You guys cleared the way for a SEAL team to seize a chemical weapons stash in Bosnia. You took out a rogue Russian general who’d been about to sell shoulder-launched missiles to Hamas. Can you imagine Al-Qaeda terrorists lurking at the ends of our nation’s airports with Stinger-type weapons? Even though Marine One constantly uses different routes to ferry the president back and forth to Andrews, eventually they’d get lucky and be in the right place at the right time and shoot it down.”

He could imagine those scenarios. All too well. “What now?”

“My suggestion is take a vacation. You and SAC Simpson. Go someplace tropical and lounge around. Drink margaritas and play shuffleboard on a cruise ship. Go scuba diving. You’ve earned it.”

“Yeah, that sounds about right. Will you promise me something as a personal favor?”

“That depends.”

“Don’t kill Montez.”

She raised a brow. “That’s quite a request.”

“If you include the dead mercenaries from Montez’s Long Beach warehouse, Harv and I have killed sixty-two people. We’ve got enough blood on our hands.”

“Okay. I’ll agree to that. Or more accurately, I’ll recommend it. But Montez may wish I hadn’t.”

“You’re a good woman, Rebecca. I wasn’t sure when we first met, but I am now.”

She smiled. “Thank you. It means a lot coming from you.”

“Why do I get the feeling I haven’t seen the last of you?”

“Be careful what you wish for.”

Chapter 50

Chapter  50

General Hawthorne’s C-20G turned final into Leeward Point Airfield, Naval Station Guantanamo Bay, just after 1400 hours. Nathan found himself gripping the armrests a little too tightly as the wheels touched down.

“Nervous?” Harv asked.

“A little.”

“Yeah, me too.”

Thorny hung up the phone and turned toward them. “We’re all set. Rear Admiral Patricia Maas has agreed to meet us in person, so has Captain Brett King, the station’s commander. Maas is the commanding officer of Joint Task Force Guantanamo, so we’ll be in good hands. The JTF deputy commander, Brigadier General Gabriel Porras, will also be meeting us at the terminal. Porras is Army. JTF Gitmo is under a separate command from the rest of the station.”

The jet’s thrust reversers deployed and the pilot applied power.

“A separate command?” Harv asked over the engine noise.

“Yes, it’s comprised of mostly naval personnel, but it has servicemen and women from all branches. There are other Marines on the station, but their primary assignment is to guard the perimeter fence.”

Thorny must have sensed his apprehension. “Relax, Montez won’t be able to see us. We’ll be behind a two-way mirror.”