The Marine Bk. 02 Ch. 13

Everything changed when my phone buzzed. Opening it up, there was a short, coded message from the Director that would have chilled most to the core. I simply locked the screen, grabbed my laptop, placed it in my bag and headed out of my office. On the elevator down to the parking garage, I called Jennifer.

"On it already, Nate."

"Check your surroundings when you leave, Julia."

"I know, Nate. I know." I heard the nerves in her tone. It had suddenly turned very real, very quickly. "Starting deletion. I'll have my phone and laptop only."

"We'll go Plan D. If you don't feel safe, dump everything, Julia. All that matters is you get out of there safe. But if they're monitoring..."

"Five minutes, Nate. I'll take public transport."

"I'll be in my car. I'll pick you up. There's a weapon next to the bed. Make sure you grab it. Use deadly force if necessary. Anyone coming won't be friendly."

"I love you, Nate."

"I love you, Julia. Move quickly. I'm almost in my car. I want you out of there in two minutes. They will want this public as a sign they can get us wherever they want."

"Leaving now, Nate. They won't get any information from anything in here. I'll see you soon."

Leaving the car park, I picked up the tail within a couple of minutes. They were so obvious; it was almost embarrassing. Aware they likely wouldn't know London streets like I did, I spent five minutes just playing with them, letting them get comfortable, before I led them on a merry journey around east London before I lost them in some back streets.

Parking up in a side street, I got out and waited for them to come driving by. Noticing my car, they parked up and were ready to make a move. Watching as they walked by me, taking no notice of their surroundings, they approached the car with weapons drawn. From my position, putting them down was easy, putting one down with a shot to the head, the other clipping him in the shoulder. Moving quickly, he was trying to lift his weapon when I put another bullet in his chest.

"Russian?" I asked. He barely had a few breaths left before he expired. His colleague was already dead as blood pooled on the ground from a head wound.

Moving them out of the way, I got back in my car, criss-crossing around London for fifteen minutes, ensuring no-one was watching, before I headed to the rendezvous point. I was almost there when my phone rang. It was the boss.

"They know everything, Nate." The fact he called me that told me everything. He was now worried for my safety. I heard it in his tone. "And it's not just you. They know all they need to know about you. All your history. Your real history"

"My family?"

"We didn't even discover the leak until... It doesn't matter now. We know it was them. However, I also know who helped them."

"Who?"

"The man you replaced. He went off-grid three years ago. We thought he was dead. Drugs. Alcohol. Simple suicide. Recent information suggests he's alive and now working for whoever will pay him the most. He knows all our systems which is why we didn't even realise. He wasn't happy when you took his job. We dropped the ball on that."

"I'm going to get them, sir. No-one fucks with my family."

"I'll move what assets we can but they're going full press on this, Nate. I'm... I'm sorry."

I'd never heard him apologise before. "I can get to Bristol, sir. What about my family back in Australia?"

"I'll call in some favours and do what I can. But they're on the front foot on this. Have you taken care of them nearby?"

"Two agents dead already. I'm sure London is now crawling with the bastards."

"Let me know when you have your cousins safe. I'll call in whatever resources I can. You'll return here and then we'll focus on your family elsewhere."

"Katie... Katie's in Berlin."

"I already have the BND on the case, Nate. Your sister will be safe. I'll have her flown to the United Kingdom before you are transported here."

"Okay. I'll get to business, sir. Apologies now for when the shit hits the fan."

"You're covered, Nate. Just get everyone to safety. Once your entire family is safe, we're going to deal with the leak, once and for all."

"Good. I'll talk to you later, sir."

Once I was on the M1 out of London, I thought about things. Having to show up on Hannah and Emma's doorstep after so many years wasn't going to be easy. Then telling them their life was in danger due to what their cousin had been doing... I could only hope the rest of the family up in Manchester was already being taken in protective custody. No doubt they'd be wondering what the hell was going on, but I assumed they'd learn the truth soon enough.

To my immense relief, Jennifer was waiting for me at the rendezvous point. Getting out of the car, she hugged me tightly. She was a tough woman, one of the toughest I'd ever met, but I could feel her shaking slightly. "I had to lose them twice on the Underground," she whispered, "I have no doubt they were watching the Heathrow cache."

"It's why I chose the Luton one," I replied, "One that only two people knew about." Meeting her eyes, I caressed her cheek, watching her eyes close momentarily. "You're safe with me, Julia. But we should get going."

"Bristol next?"

"They're going to target my family."

The Luton cache was held in an old shipping container in an abandoned warehouse. I'd actually bought the land at a steal not long after I'd arrived in London. The container was under constant surveillance by camera's and required a three-step process before it could be unlocked. It held everything we could possibly need though. Weapons and ammunition. Clothing and protection. Money and passports. I didn't like dumping the Aston Martin, but I knew there was a chance the car would be tracked.

I kept half a dozen cars around the lot. Knowing I'd need at least a four-seater, we grabbed the supplies we'd need before we changed into the clothing we'd need as I knew it wasn't going to be easy. Seeing Jennifer dressed all in black, checking over her MP5, I managed to joke that I'd never found her more attractive.

"You like your women dangerous, Nate," she said, managed a smile in return.

It was dark by the time we made it to the outskirts of Bristol, Jennifer on her laptop, continuing to monitor the situation. Intelligence was now flooding in. The Russians had put out feelers and contracted numerous groups to get the job done. Some were Russians but plenty were people with an axe to grind against organisations like ours.

Hannah and Emma still lived in the same apartment. I drove past three times, checking that nothing was out of the ordinary, before I parked up down the street. Making sure we could communicate, doing the usual checks, we stepped out and would have looked like two people ready to go to war. Stepping up to the door leading into the apartment, Jennifer took position as I managed to break the lock, heading straight upstairs to the relevant door.

Knocking loudly, I heard Hannah shout out. When she opened the door, I appeared in her vision and there was no missing how her face immediately went pale, like she'd just seen a ghost. In a way, I was a ghost. "Nate?" she whispered.

"Is Emma home, Hannah?" She didn't reply. "Is she home, Hannah?"

Nodding, she managed to reply, "Yes, yes. She's home."

Quickly closing the door, I gently grasped her wrist and led her towards her bedroom. "Grab your passport, phone and wallet. We need to move, Hannah."

"But..."

"Now, Hannah. Passport. Phone. Wallet. Maybe a coat and something else warm."

Emma appeared in her doorway and nearly fainted when I met her eyes. Then she started to cry, wanting nothing more than to hug me. Glancing at Hannah, she hadn't moved and looked ready to do the same. "Emma, did you hear what I just asked of Hannah?" I was using the tone of voice that was successful when in the Marines. She managed to nod her head. "Good. Get what you need. We leave in sixty seconds." Neither of them moved so I clapped my hands loudly three times. "Now, girls. Move it. Fifty seconds."

I didn't want them having the chance to think nor was it the time to ask questions. We could handle that later. What mattered was getting them to safety.

"Contacts, Nate. A van just drove by for the second time. They're definitely watching for your cousins or you."

"Head back to the car once they park up. I'll handle whoever comes inside."

"You sure?"

"If they want to turn this place into downtown Baghdad, they're welcome to try. Move now, Jules. You'll know when to join in the fun."

Hannah and Emma were ready once I turned around. Both looked pale as hell and knew from the urgency in my tone and in my body language that something was going wrong. Lifting the MP5, ensuring it was ready to fire, I stepped towards them. "There are people downstairs who are here to kill me and will try and hurt you. I won't let them do that. There will be gunfire in the next couple of minutes. Keep your heads down and stay behind me. I won't let them hurt you. Okay?" Both managed to nod. "When I give you an order, follow it. I won't use signals, you won't understand them. But if I say move, you move. Down, get down. Et cetera. Got it?" Both nodded again.

"Four tangoes out of the van, Nate. Two-team formations. One heading inside, one team guarding the door. Two remain in the van, look like a driver and passenger."

Stepping out of the apartment, I asked the two girls to get into a bedroom and lower themselves to the ground. I heard footsteps on the nearby stairwell and pulled back, leaving the door open, turning off all the lights. Carefully stepping backwards, I positioned myself so I could see the door, light from the hallway outside filtering in.

The language they were speaking wasn't Russian. Couldn't quite pick it but it wasn't anything I knew, assuming they might have been from one of the old Soviet Republics further east. I knew the Russians still had tremendous influence in those areas.

I learned quickly that, if these were ex-army or something, they'd forgotten half their training. Though careful when entering the apartment, as soon as they thought it was empty, they relaxed. Far too quickly. Recognising they wore no vests, putting a couple of bullets into each of them was far too easy. Moving quickly from cover, I put a bullet in each of their heads, checking they were definitely dead, before doing the usual checks for identification. No surprise they carried empty wallets.

Returning to the bedroom, Hannah and Emma were both crying. Helping them both to their feet, they hugged me tightly. "There are four more outside," I informed them, "I need to take care of them before we can go. Wait her. I'll be back as soon as it's safe." I paused before asking, "Jules, what's the situation?"

"Two outside heard the gunshots. Deciding whether to enter. Two in the van are readying to move out."

"Soon as the two in the van are out, take care of them. I'll take care of the other two."

"Affirmative. No calls about gunfire. Already sent false reports about fireworks in the area."

"Girls, I need you to take cover again. Once the other two are down, we'll make our move. Okay?" Both nodded, wiping their cheeks dry. "Get down and keep each other calm."

Heading back outside, I heard footsteps hurrying up the stairwell. Idiots. I waited by the door to the apartment and simply waited for the first man to appear. He ran up the stair with his weapon against his body. By the time he was level, I stepped out and put a bullet in his head. The man behind him tripped over his colleague, managing to release a spray of bullets, pulling back into the apartment in time, thankful these buildings were made of brick and concrete.

Checking around the corner, the man who'd tripped was lifting himself up, only looking up in time to see the barrel of my weapon aimed in his direction. He accepted death by closing his eyes. Dragging both bodies inside to join their colleagues, I opened the linen cupboard and grabbed a blanket to cover them. I didn't want the girls to see them.

Finding them cowering in the bedroom, I looped the strap of the MP5 around my shoulder, so it rested against my back, thankful and not surprised that Jennifer reported in to confirm two kills downstairs.

Crouching down in front of them, they moved to sit on their knees. "Are you okay?" I asked softly. Both of them managed to nod. "I know you have lots of questions but now isn't the time. What matters is getting you to safety. Once we've done that, I'll answer any questions you have. I know you're going to be upset and no doubt angry..."

Before I could continue, I found myself hugged tightly by two near hysterical young women. "You're really here?" Hannah sobbed.

"You're really alive?" Emma added.

Hugging them back, I kissed each of them on the cheek. "I'm really here and I'm definitely alive," I replied, "I have a lot to explain. For now, grab your bags. We need to go."

After grabbing what I'd asked, and perhaps one or two extra things, I led them outside. They glanced at the blanket and visibly moved further away. Heading downstairs, it was slow progress as, although Jennifer had reported in that everything was fine, I knew other eyes could be watching. Making it to the entrance, Jennifer flashed the lights of the car to indicate where she was.

Opening the door, I had the girls jog to the car, covering them the entire time until I knew they were safely in the car. Jennifer slid over onto the passenger seat as I got behind the wheel, shoving the car into gear and taking off. "Call it in, Jules," I ordered, "Any news from up north?"

"Uncles, aunts and cousins are being moved to secure locations."

"Good. Any news from back home?"

"Nothing so far. I'm not sure if that's good or bed. The boss is contacting anyone he can for news."

"Destination?"

"RAF Waddington."

"He wants me to drive all the way across to Lincolnshire? Fuck..."

"Home of ISTAR, Nate. It makes sense they'll be willing to help out. The boss has already sent the information required."

"Katie?"

"Picked up by the BND. Helicoptered to Ramstein Air Base before being flown to meet us at Waddington."

"Any noise yet?"

"I've already sent reports to those who need to know. Cleaners already on their way to the apartment and street. Local constabulary notified of an incident. 5 already have friendlies on the way to ensure it's handled otherwise."

"Anything from 6?"

"They're going through everything with a fine-tooth comb right now but, at the moment, they're putting everything together. I wouldn't be surprised if many of the assets have been long dormant sleepers, ready to be activated when something like this happened."

I kept the car off the motorways, sticking to A-roads before I hit Lincolnshire. It was late night, or early morning, by the time we pulled up at the gates of RAF Waddington. Hannah and Emma were fast asleep, assuring them we'd speak later, but I didn't want to talk about it while driving along. The guards at the RAF base were naturally curious and suspicious upon our arrival. Once again, it was a passcode then a quick word with the base commander and we were quickly allowed onto the base and escorted to the administration building.

Waking Hannah and Emma, they'd obviously forgotten enough while they were asleep that they almost started crying again upon seeing my face, clinging to me as I led them inside. Led towards a room where there were a couple of couches, I couldn't stop smiling when Katie stood up and rushed towards me, no doubt full of questions but she hugged me tightly without a word for at least a couple of minutes.

"Nicholas Stevens?"

Turning back to the door, I was greeted by a trio of men in the RAF, the shoulder patches suggesting the one in the middle was the CO of the base. After sharing salutes and handshakes, he admitted to knowing something was afoot but had only been given the base details. Asking Hannah, Emma and Katie to take a seat, Jennifer telling me she'd look after them while I was gone.

It wasn't a long meeting, giving the CO a brief overview of the situation, explaining further that I did work in intelligence but, naturally, I couldn't go into too many details. He grinned, replying that he was aware something was going on considering he received more than one phone call from people far above his own paygrade, informing him that I was on the way and that we would be flown out as soon as transport was sorted out. Thanking him for the hospitality, he told me to look after those with me and that, as soon as the plane landed and was refuelled, we'd be on our way again.

Returning to the same room as before, Hannah, Emma and Katie were sitting together on one of the couches, Jennifer on an armchair. The small table in front of them had a kettle of coffee, a pot of tea, and some snacks on a platter. Realising I hadn't eaten in hours, I poured myself a coffee and picked up a couple of sandwiches plus an apple.

Hannah and Emma were wiping their cheeks. Katie was smiling at me. We sat in silence until Jennifer said, "I haven't told them anything yet, Nate. I figured it was best that it came from you."

"Anything from the boss?"

"The plane is still on its way. We'll be here for another couple of hours. He's taking us back to base and we'll have to decide on our next move."

"I'm going home, Jules. If they go after my family..."

"What?" Katie asked, her voice full of worry.

"It's my fault, Katie."

Jennifer stood up and looked ready to slap me. Instead, she leaned down and kissed me hard. "It's not your fault, Nate. All you've ever done is your job. Your duty. To the cost of everything else. The fault lies with them." Sitting back on her armchair, she took Katie's hand. "I'm aware he's seen you while he was working alongside me. I'm glad to meet you finally, Katie. I'm hoping to meet the rest of your family."

"Are you... Are you with him?" Hannah asked.

"I'm his colleague, his friend, his confidant. But, yes, I'm also his lover. I love him." She paused before leaning forward. "But he's never stopped loving any of you," she added softly, "Every decision he's made since the day he chose to live this life, he did it to keep all of you safe. Unfortunately, it's doing that very same job which has led us to this moment here."

Finishing my plate of food and cup of coffee, I moved to sit between Hannah and Emma, unable to stop smiling when they both immediately cuddled into me. "I'm sorry for hurting you," I whispered, wrapping an arm around both of them, "But the decision I made at the time... I knew the cost to me and also to you, but it was such an opportunity, I couldn't turn it down. I knew that decision would hurt those who loved me the most, as much as I loved you in return. I don't blame you if you hated me for it."

"We missed you," Hannah whispered, clutching me tightly, Emma doing the same, "I can't believe you're alive!"

"We'd never hate you, Nate. We have so many questions, and we might be a little mad about certain things, but we never stopped loving you."

"And I felt the same way."

"He'd occasionally travel to check up on you," Jennifer added, "Completely against the rules, but he wanted to just make sure you were happy and getting on with life."

"It wasn't the same without him," Hannah murmured, "But Emma and I did the best we could. We eventually found comfort in each other as we knew no other man could possibly compare to him."

"I'll explain everything on the flight. I promise. Jules, I'm guessing my days working for the agency are drawing to a close."

"Mine too, Nate. Where you go, I go."

"Do you love her too?" Hannah asked, her voice almost a whisper.