Call of the Dove

"I'm glad. About time those assholes at the FBI, SA Miller excluded, had their asses reamed by someone higher up the food chain. Go get some rest. I have a funny feeling that in the next day or so, something is going to pop."

"Yes sir," Sammy replied as the two of them turned toward the RVs.

Don watched his men until they were in one of the RVs, then returned to the house. The next couple of days would be interesting, Don thought as he walked back to the house. Lori and Steve were still on the porch talking quietly. Don stepped up and stood waiting. He wanted to find out what was going on with Lori, her job and Steve and his.

"Don," Steve said still looking into his wife's eyes.

"I got most of what happened from my men, but would like to hear what took place from the two of you."

"Ah...," Steve started.

"Those assholes in Phoenix were going to steal our collar," Lori hissed. "That is until the AG himself read them the riot act. Yet they still didn't want to cooperate and give us a ride home. Sammy took things into his own hands. I'm afraid we kidnapped a pilot and a chopper. I haven't heard from my boss yet, but I expect to."

"You won't. My boss had him on the line when he was talking to SAC Grady. They both know what he was trying to do. And if I have anything to say about it, it just cost him his job," Steve said vehemently.

"Interesting. You really think you can get his ass canned?" Don asked.

"You bet. The FBI falls under the jurisdiction of the DOJ. They work for us. If I had the time and the transport I would pay that SAC a visit he would never likely to forget."

"So everybody is keeping their jobs... for now?" Don asked.

"Of course, except that ass of a SAC in Phoenix," Steve said.

Lori just smiled as she put her hand on Steve's arm. Don nodded, turned and went inside.

Chapter 10

The radio was blaring Glenn Frey's Smuggler's Blues as everyone worked on the car. They were now starting to put it back together. Every part had been rebuilt or replaced, cleaned, polished and tested. The first to come together was the chassis. All the components were laid out on the floor in the approximate location they would be attached. Then the crew began attaching. By lunchtime they were almost finished.

"So any word?" Don asked as they sat around the table.

"No, none," said Lori.

"Me neither," Steve added. "You?"

"Not related to your problems. The word is a band of bandits crossed the border from Guatemala into Mexico yesterday. One of my people followed them up the coast but lost them in Mexico City. They are predicted to arrive here day after tomorrow."

A hush enveloped the room.

"How many, what arms?" John asked.

"Fifteen, light weapons, M4's, AK's. Nothing we can't handle, my men and I," Don said. "I have another team flying in later today. They should be here around dusk."

"Shit, this is turning into an all-out war," Millie croaked.

"The war... has been going on for a long time. It will continue until the tight asses in Washington realize, or perhaps they do, that the longer they outlaw drugs the longer the cartels will be with us. Legalize drugs and the cartels die and the government gets a large influx of tax dollars," Don said calmly.

"You believe that?" Steve asked.

"It's only logical. If drugs were legal, would you do them?"

"Hell no."

"Nor would most of the population of the U.S. In fact predictions are that only ten percent more people would be used than those that are using now. The prices would of course skyrocket at first, but as the market was flooded with legal drugs, the price would come way down. And the Treasury would benefit from the increase in revenue."

"I don't really believe that," Steve said.

"Look it up. Google is a great tool. Studies have been done by half a dozen universities around the country. The government even commissioned a study. They tried to hide it, but it's out there on the net. You want to solve the drug problem, treat them the same as alcohol, problem solved."

"I don't know," John said. "I can see some of what you say might help, but..."

"Which would you do, buy a thirty dollar ounce from a pusher or buy that same ounce for ten bucks? Or be able to grow what you need in your own backyard?"

"All right, enough of the debate on the war on drugs. We have a car to finish before the big party day after tomorrow," Millie chimed in to get the debate stopped.

Even though they weren't building a 409, everyone in the garage was singing along to the Beach Boys classic. The work on the car, it had yet to earn a name, was progressing nicely. The suspension was now complete and the chassis sat on the old set of tires and rims. The engine and transmission had been mated and now hung from the overhead crane, waiting to be placed in the car.

Millie, Lori, and Janice were working inside the passenger compartment. Putting in the carpeting. The dashboard had been placed by Steve and Hank. The steering column and wheel still needed to put in. That would happen after the engine and transmission were slipped into place. Then it was time. Everyone gathered around to help as they lowered the engine, slipping the transmission in first angling it down to duck under the firewall. Then it was in, resting on the motor mounts.

John and Hank slipped under the car and bolted the motor and transmission in place. They slipped the driveshaft in and the drive train was ready to go. The rest of the crew was attaching the electric and gas lines. The coolant lines would have to wait until the radiator was in place. Everything was buttoned down just before dusk. Then Don's radio squawked.

"Eagle one, slick inbound, looks friendly."

"Roger Eagle one," Don answered running for the gate to the field.

Everyone else gathered at the garage entrance to watch. The helicopter came in low over the trees and dropped down in the middle of the field. Four men jumped out and ran toward Don. The chopper was up and headed away to the north before the four men's feet hit the ground. The noise dwindled as the helicopter sped off. Don was talking to his men. After a minute or so, they all nodded and headed off into the brush. They disappeared almost immediately.

"Dinners ready," Carol called from the porch.

Everyone headed inside to eat. John hung back, closing up the garage and making sure alarms were turned on. The rumble of the door closing accompanied his trek to the back door. Now all they had to do is wait. The day after tomorrow and the war would be here. Then he noticed the crate by the RV. Don was dragging it under the awning. John stopped and waited. Don joined him a few seconds later.

"And?" John asked.

"And what?" Don replied.

"In the crate?"

"Ah, yes the crate. Some party favors for the party."

"I see. What kind of party favors?"

"Just some small arms for us here at the house."

"About that party..."

"The cleanup squad is standing by not three minutes away. They chopper in and collect and clean up the party mess and are gone before anyone takes notice."

"And your report..."

"Will reflect that my men were training when they came under fire by Mexican nationals on the U.S. side of the border, twenty miles this side of the border. All were killed and the bodies brought to Holloman Air Force Base at White Sands. No questions will be asked of me as my unit doesn't exist."

"Ah, I thought you worked for the OSI?"

"I do, on paper."

"Ah... okay, let's eat," John said looking at his brother in law with a little more awe.

The rest of the night was spent quietly indoors.

Chapter 11

The car was almost done and Tom Petty's Free Falling was playing quietly on the radio in the corner. The garage had taken on a hush as the parts were fitted. The radiator was in, hoses clamped in place and fluid filled. The gas tank was in place, lines run, checked for leaks and filled. The engine had been filled with the necessary amount of oil as had those pumps attached to it. The wiring was finished, neatly run to all the places it needed to be, all that was needed was a battery to bring everything to life.

The last thing to be lovingly attached to the new car was its wheels. Chrome plated wheels, five spoke, with a low profile tire. The suspension was set up so the car was low to the ground, only eight inches of ground clearance. The hydraulics would raise the car to a twelve-inch ground clearance when needed. The car was beautiful. And ready to be fired up. John handed the keys to Millie. Huge smile on her face she slipped behind the wheel. Adjusted the seat. Shivered and slowly inserted the key into the ignition switch. Crossing the fingers on her left hand, she turned the key.

The engine cranked, sputtered, cranked some more. John waved at her to stop. He picked up a spray can and squirted something into the carburetor on each side of the blower.

"Okay, try it now," he yelled.

Millie turned the key. The engine cranked and exploded into life. It was running. John leaned in and pushed on the accelerator linkage. The engine revved loudly.

"I think we forgot the exhaust," Don yelled.

"I know," John yelled back laughing.

The headers were belching fire as the engine warmed up at an idle. When John blipped the throttle again blue flames shot out from under the car and filled the garage with noise. John signaled Millie to shut it down. She turned the key to the off position and silence once again returned to the garage.

"All right, let's get the exhaust installed," John shouted, laughing.

Two hours later the car was complete. They started it up again and backed it out of the garage, parking it in the middle of the apron just in front of the garage. The paint sparkled in the light of the noon high sun. It was beautiful. Janice had added just a touch of metal flake to the pearl white finish. Little silver flakes caught the sun and reflected that light as little jewels would. The windows were tinted a dark smoke. All the chrome, which there was hardly any, sparkled. The hood of the car only had a small rise to accommodate the blower and the two carburetors.

The family stood around the car just admiring it as it sparkled in the sunshine. Millie was leaning against John as she looked at her reflection in the window.

"She's beautiful," Millie croaked.

"She is that," John said. "Almost as beautiful as you." Chuckling could be heard from the rest of the family.

"So, what are you going to name her?" Jack asked the question on everyone's mind.

"I don't know. I need to take her for a drive first. See what she feels like."

"Well, what are you waiting for?" Don asked.

"I'm not done admiring her yet," John said giving Millie a squeeze.

"Well, we're expecting company and I want all the vehicles in the garage when they arrive, except for what's coming."

"And what's coming?" John asked.

"Help," Don said flatly. "You can hear it now."

Don cocked his head. John did too at the noise off in the distance. It was a roar of an engine like no other that he had heard. A diesel, a large diesel. It bellowed its arrival as it charged past you. The noise grew in power the closer it came.

"Is that a tank?" John asked.

"No. I couldn't get one of those on short notice, so I got something almost as good."

"What?"

"You'll see. It's really ugly, though, but perfect for what is going on here. Open the gate to the pasture. We'll park it there until nightfall."

"Geez Don, I hope you haven't overdone anything?"

"Maybe, but it's in our favor to overdo it."

The roar of the engine became louder and louder until the ugliest truck John and the rest had ever seen pulled into the drive. Don was at the gate waving the drive into the pasture. The truck barely slowed down to make the turn. It was huge, it was ugly and it looked dangerous.

"That is the ugliest thing I have ever seen," John said to Don, slapping him on the shoulder. "What the hell is it?"

"It's called a Cougar. It is completely armored and armed with a 7.62mm machine gun in a turret up top. There are gun ports all around. It's not fast but can go almost anywhere. The guys in Iraq love them."

"Holy shit," John shouted.

The engine was cut and quiet once more returned to the yard. Four men practically tumbled out of the vehicle. Don walked over to where they were. They all saluted him in unison. He waved a kind of salute back at them. They all talked for a while, then Don returned to the group at the car. The four men went to an RV and went inside.

"They'll shower, rest and be ready for tonight."

"So you think we'll be hit tonight?"

"Not knowing what gear they have, doubtful. First thing in the morning, for sure."

"Why the Cougar?"

"What better place to put the women?"

"I'm not going in there," Lori almost shouted.

"Lori!" Steve growled. She was suddenly a meek housewife. "You will do as I say and you will be in there before first light in the morning."

"Of course dear," she answered softly.

"Any more objections?" Don asked smiling weakly.

"Who wants to go for a ride?" John asked to cut the tension in the air, pulling the keys to the car out of his pocket.

"Me," Millie said.

"We can fit two more. How about Steve and Lori?"

Steve nodded and Lori and he slipped into the backseat. John fired it up and slowly backed down the drive. The car was a lot quieter with a top-notch exhaust system installed. Once on the road out front, John accelerated away from the house. By the time he had to slow to take the curve, he was doing a hundred and forty miles per hour. This car was way faster than the '57. It was quite a bit lighter too. The horsepower was about the same, though. He would have to get it dyno-tuned to know exactly, but he estimated around four hundred horses.

For the next ten minutes, John drove the back roads of Cochise County. For the next two hours, he gave everyone a ride except Don and Janice. As he pulled in the drive with his parents in the backseat, he tossed the keys to Don.

"Don't wreck her," he said.

"Really? Janice, get your pretty little ass in this car," Don shouted as he slipped behind the wheel.

Janice giggled with glee as she closed the passenger door and cinched up her seat belt. Don was down the drive and out on the road as quick as he could. They could hear Janice's squeals of delight as he raced away.

Chapter 12

Jack and Doris had gone home. Janice, Lori, Millie, and Carol were in the Cougar that sat in the drive. Sergeant Bruce Tan was in the turret, his radio whispering as the other units communicated with each other. The women talked quietly amongst themselves. Lori kept expressing her desire to be with Steve, instead of cooped up in the Cougar. She giggled every time she said that. Carol, just harrumphed at her. Janice and Millie giggled at their mom.

John, Don, Steve, and Hank were sitting on the porch. Rudy was down on the drive, his ears twitching to the sounds of the night. Don's radio also whispered the communications between his units in the field. All of them were armed. Don had given them each an M4. They all said they knew how to handle them, which they did. There was a case of magazines at their feet.

"Echo one, we have heat signatures. Five miles and closing."

"Where is Echo one?" John asked.

"He's two miles to the south, three to the west. Right about where our guest should walk past him. He'll wait until they pass, then flank them to the south until they arrive. Then their fun begins."

Silence once again settled on the men on the porch. The men could hear the women whispering in the Cougar. They could see Sergeant Tam grinning in the turret above. John rose, walking over to the Cougar he opened the door as quietly as he could and leaned in.

"Ladies, we can hear you up on the porch, could you remain silent until we deal with what is coming?"

"Sorry dear," Millie answered. "We'll be quiet until you tell us it's okay to talk or until the gunfire starts and we scream our heads off."

"Good enough," John smiled at his lovely wife.

Closing the door, John returned to the porch.

"Eagle one, intruders one mile from the property line."

"Echo one, three just split off. They are headed down the road toward the house."

"Alpha one, roger. Looks like we'll have some coming up the drive. Places," Don whispered.

The four men moved in unison, almost as if they had rehearsed it. A wall of sandbags had been placed between the house and the driveway. Rudy moved too, he quickly disappeared into the night at Don's signal, "watch."

"Eagle one, one hundred meters."

The turret in the Cougar above them alerted them to movement down the drive. Then there was a yip from the woods to the left of the drive. Then four shadows moved out of the woods.

"Detener y soltar sus armas," Don called out.

The men halted, then raised their weapons to fire. The machine gun in the turret chattered and all three of them dropped where they were. It didn't seem fair. Yet they were there to kill John and Millie along with anyone else that was with them. Then the firefight broke out to the west. Loud, but short-lived.

"Alpha one to Gamma one, you're up," Don called over the radio.

Two helicopters came swooping down to land in the field in front of the RVs. Eagle team showed up dragging the men they had fought. The team from the helicopter picked them up and tossed them inside. Three men flowed out of the darkness to drag the three at the end of the driveway over to the helicopters. Within five minutes the choppers and the bodies were gone. Eagle team flowed back into the darkness.

"Falcon one, company arriving, Sheriff's car."

A few minutes later Sheriff Hudson showed up turning into the driveway with his lights out. When he saw the Cougar sitting up by the house he braked hard.

"Well, I guess I should..." John started to say.

"I'll handle it John, but you're welcome to come," Don said.

"Sure, my life is in your hands," John quipped.

Don rose from his chair on the porch and waved to the Sheriff. Then he stepped down to the drive and started toward the Sheriff's car. The door opened and Bill Hudson stepped out.

"I need to see your hands," he yelled.

"Sure Sheriff," Don said raising his hands, palms out. "We good Sheriff?"

"Yeah, we're good," Bill said and closed his door and walked to where Don stood.

"What can I do for you Sheriff?" Don asked politely.

"I have received several calls about gunfire from here. You wouldn't know about that would you?"

"Well, Sheriff as a matter of fact I do. Fifteen heavily armed Mexican Nationals crossed the board into the United States about five hours ago. They made their way here, where my strike team met them in a short firefight."

Bill's mouth was hanging wide open as he stared at Don.

"What?"

"My strike team met and overwhelmed a force of armed Mexican Nationals on US soil, who were at the time trespassing on Sterling land, we being guests of his at the time. Rules of engagement in accordance with MilSpec when encountering a force of hostile foreign nationals on US soil."

"Well, where are they," Bill croaked when he finally got his voice back.