Mando Bk. 02: Good Badass Bitch Ch. 10-11

Sherman is Easter lily white. "You all would have been gang-raped and beheaded if the Falcon's team hadn't been so fast. And those terrorist bastards were starting those atrocities immediately with Marla. My god! Mr. Falcon, your team saved my family's lives, dignity, and future!"

Larry squeaks. "Me too? The would rape a boy?" His eyes go wide and kind of glaze over in shock. His jaw drops like a ventriloquist dummy's slot jaw mouth and locks open giving the impression of the entrance of a tiny cave.

I nod. "Yes, Larry, these animals would have you three just alike."

He burred his face in his hand to hide his tears and muffle his sounds of woe, shaking like a bowl of jello sitting on a vibrator. Finally he jumped up and ran to his father lap. He hugged his son quietly as tears rolled down his cheeks and he gasped for breath.

Holding themselves together is too exhausting; so they fall apart together instead. Tears flow midst cries of anguish over what could have been.

The scene is interrupted when the surgeon rushes into the room to see what got the nurse so worked up about and skids to a stop to see what captured the family's absolute attention. He stares at the video, then at the family, and back to the video. "That's you?" he asked as he approached. "No wonder you're so shocked and grateful to be alive. Mon Dios!"

His eyes dart from one family member to the other. "Were two of you really shot?" Two grinning faces bobbed up and down.

"Where?"

The mother told him about getting a bullet in the liver, and the son showed the surgeon his leg.

"But you don't look injured." He scratched his head, unable to understand what happened.

Marla pointed at her father. "They all had the same doctor."

The surgeon's eyebrows shoot up two floors. "Doctor? What doctor can do this?"

I kept my finger to my lips and faced away from the door. The family got the message and kept my identity to themselves.

"The one in the video throwing those disk things, wielding those swords, and making them kill each other," Sheila added with pride.

The surgeon shook his head. "No wonder he was so good with a sword, he's a surgeon!" The family laughs, giggles, and bob their heads with unfeigned enthusiasm.

"Then, I guess when I examine you Mr. In-a-coma-won't-last-two-more-hours-Garland, I don't suppose I'll find a reason to hold you here, no?"

While Sherman is talking and laughing with the surgeon, a Secret Service agent from another ICU unit rushes into the room with three companions in tow. "Mr. Sherman did-" They skid to a halt when they catch sight of the family. Each blurted phrases in such a rapid and logical order it could have come from one man instead of four.

"Madam Vice President!"

"We saw the news clip."

"And you're here!"

"And you are healed like us and well!"

One awestruck agent asked the question all six were double anxious to know. "Madam Garland, who were those guys? They were incredible. Are they seals?"

She giggled. "No fellows, they are Hawks."

Then Sherman had a question. "Just out of curiosity, Marion, how many enemies did you leave on the ground back there? It looked like the battlefield of Gettysburg."

"I don't know, Sherman. The estimate we heard was between fifteen and seventeen thousand all tolled. About two thousand in the fort and the rest on the ground outside the fort."

Sherman's jaw came unhinged and hung like a broken shutter on the side of a window. Then one of the agents found his voice. "Fifteen to seventeen thousand?"

VP Garland smiled, nodded, and said, "The situation room will have satellite photos of the rescue they are probably analyzing for the umpteenth time. I imagine they have a count by now. I'm interested in knowing the real numbers, too. Falcon and Chief Hawk guessed between thirteen and fifteen thousand on the ground. Phantom, the driver and pilot agreed.

"Another agent was following the banter in awe. "Wait a minute. That man Falcon, the driver, and one other person was the whole team?"

"Ummm-hmmm."

"You mean a team of three took on over fifteen thousand soldiers!?!"

"Madam VP nodded politely. "You saw the satellite video boys. We saw it in person and can vouch for the authenticity of it. That's what happened. And by the way, that same man is the one who healed you."

I kept my back to them reading Sherman's chart.

All agents blanched and got a severe episode of the drop-and-lock jaw like Larry experienced earlier.

A flummoxed agent got her attention ask for clarification. "THREE! THREE commandos go against fifteen thousand?"

The VP laughed. "They were a focused trio with tunnel vision. "

"What do you mean?"

They weren't there to fight fifteen thousand terrorist; they were three people dead set on bringing four people home alive."

"A Secret Service agent whistled. "One commando, a sniper, and a driver took on fifteen thousand terrorists for real?"

Sheila y giggles "It's okay, they didn't have anything else to do at the time.

Marla stuttered. "But-but-but Mr. Falcon never used a gun! He threw knives and round things, and went head-on with some and broke necks with his feet!"

Larry spoke up. "Can you imagine what would have happened in the dark when those angry terrorists saw the muzzle flash of a gun?"

"Ummm, they'd shoot us?"

He shook his head side to side. "That's an understatement because the shot would reveal our position. They'd come close to emptying their guns in our direction and turn us into a sword bank." Marla blanched.

Larry concluded, "We'd been dead of lead poisoning within seconds of Falcon's gunshot, and headless within a minute."

The family's look of astonishment grew as the total picture took shape in their minds. Sherman contemplated the statement. "That implies that any team that tried to take the camp by firepower alone would have had little chance of getting them out unless a full attack was launched with guns on the ground and in gunships? Or missiles or other munitions?"

Marion nods and replies, "Right. Chief Hawk explained it was a trap. Only silent, hidden weapons could be used for the rescuer to reach the hostages. The infiltration to enter the gate unnoticed has to be small to avoid detection. That's why only one person went in. The sniper was far enough away the terrorists' rifles wouldn't reach him even if they located him. He took out the tower guards, spotlights some of the bunker guards, all barracks, and the jeeps, plus a few more to clear our path. The rest were dispatched as you saw."

"But Mom," Larry quizzed, "What was he throwing?"

"Round blades with thick centers and jagged, saw-like teeth. Being round and flat they are not only deadly and easier to throw faster than knives, but they also pack small."

Then Sheila remembered Chief Hawk discussing that with the generals on the phone. "Yes, it was Chief Hawk who rescued the school kids and teachers by himself unarmed except for the water balloons and paintball gun. How incredible is that? "

Her sister's eyes were wide when she blurted, "Phantom told us that we had to keep all details of the team to our selves, because after having their plans ruined, the terrorists will launch a massive manhunt for the Hawks."

Larry jumps in, Yeah. They can't stay anonymous if we give anyone information like describing their appearance, specific skills not seen in the video clip when telling about the rescue, how they talked, or anything that stood out about them.."

Sherman is on board immediately. "Right everyone. These guys can keep helping people like us as long as no one knows who they are. The terrorists will be searching high and low for them for foiling their plans and killing so many of their soldiers. And worse, they'll want to take the Hawks out first before trying something like this again,."

After the men left Madam VP asked me. "Then how can you be acknowledged publicly and receive awards, and such?"

I patted the VP's hand. "Madam Vice President, we're kind of shy. All that attention embarrasses us."

"But we must do something. Maybe a private ceremony filmed, edited, and shown that evening on the news. Would that work?" She got her hopes up and wouldn't let go that easily.

"No, Mam. Announce the country's gratitude and show clips of the rescue. You and the kids can tell what happened and make the award public. Our camera was live in the Pentagon, and they have sat photos. You'll have all the pix you need. Just tell the public we were called away and weren't available."

"Marvelous. Thank you Hawk family. You are remarkable."

After a passel of weeping wet hugs, I escaped to the jet for our trip to Italy. Who knows what awaits the Hawks there?

Danny and Kammy chuckle and smile when I relate this. Danny.

She sighs. "Yep, I guess we're living action heroes now."

This statement strikes my funny bone. "And some of that action I definitely don't want to repeat." Kammy and Danny don't hesitate to affirm my feelings. Your bet your ass!" Danny proclaims.

Kammy comes back with;"And your cock too!"

Danny retorts, "Now wait a minute, Kammy, let's not be too generous!"

Kammy looks down in mock shame. "Yeah, I guess I got carried away."

I guffaw and they squeal and holler. Our laughter would hit the rafters if there were any.

End of chapter 11.