Elaine Levine - The Edge Of Courage

Rocco smiled at him. He offered Kit his hand. “It’s done, man. We’re cool. How long have you known?”

“Got the call while you were inspecting Mandy. That’s why I sent you home.”

Rocco laughed. “Zavi, this is Uncle Kit. Can you please greet him politely?”

Zavi saw Kit’s flattop haircut, his height, his weapons, and shook his head. “He is a dushman, Papa,” he whispered into Rocco’s ear. “Be careful.”

Rocco sighed. Everything his son had been taught was backward now. The people he now needed to be wary of were some of his countrymen and fighters from the region of his homeland-not the coalition troops the warriors from his village had fought. It could be a difficult transition for a child. He hoped he could help Zavi learn without deepening his hatred for one people or another.

“He’s not an enemy, son. He’s my friend. He’s a good man. I would like you to meet him.”

Zavi turned in Rocco’s arms, still leaning back against him. “Hello, Uncle Kit.”

Kit grinned at him. “Hello, Zavi. Your father’s missed you something terrible. I’m so glad you came here to find him. Was the trip very hard?”

Zavi straightened and glared at Kit. “I was not afraid.”

Kit laughed and looked at Rocco. “He growls like his daddy.”

“Zavi, would you like to go meet my horse, Kitano? I can see him watching us. He’s either very curious about what’s happening or he’s just hungry. You can help me feed him.”

Zavi nodded and reached for Mandy’s hand. “Do you speak Pig English?” he asked as they walked away.

Rocco heard Mandy answer, “Pig English? You mean Pig Latin?”

“No. I mean Pig English. It isn’t Latin. You take an English word and change it around. It’s a word game.”

Rocco and Kit stood and watched the two walk away. “He has my faculty with languages,” Rocco commented.

“Looks like it. He’s quite gifted.”

“I want him protected, Kit.” He nodded at the soldiers who brought Zavi. “The Army already knows what he is capable of. They will exploit him. Why else would they challenge him to speak Pig Latin?”

“It isn’t a skill that can be easily hidden.”

“I’m not raising him to be a warrior.”

Kit sighed. “Rocco, what you can do linguistically, what Zavi can do, is rare. It’s something extremely valuable to our country.”

Rocco looked at Kit but could not pursue their conversation because the lieutenant was approaching. She handed him an envelope. “Here are your son’s papers-his birth certificate, passport, vaccination records, and such. I’m sorry it took us so long to get him to you. We had to do a paternity test to be sure he was yours. I put his carseat and suitcase on your porch.”

“How did you find him? What happened to him after the explosion?” Rocco remembered the small body he’d held so tightly thinking it was his son. Whose lost child had he held then?

“A shepherd who was a friend of yours turned him in. He said he tried to get you to come with him after the explosion, but you resisted. He had his wife guard Zavi and went back for you, but by then your shock was so bad, he could not make you understand. When Halim’s men came for you, he began to fear for Zavi’s life, and then for his and his wife’s lives as well. He wasn’t sure if the things they said about you were true, but your son put his entire family at risk. He fled with the boy and his wife to hide at a cousin’s home several villages away.

“When some of our guys came to that village for a shura that was being held with the elders, he met with one of the officers and explained that he had Zavi. Fortunately, that captain knew about the search your team was conducting for your son. He gave the man a substantial reward and took the boy.

“Zavi was hidden and moved from fort to fort until he could be flown out of the country. And then in Germany, we had to wait for the results of the paternity test. I regret it took us so long to bring him home to you, but we couldn’t do anything until we were certain. Everyone who spent any time with Zavi fell in love with him. He’s a special kid, sir.”

Rocco shook hands with the lieutenant. “Thank you.” As the SUV pulled away, he and Kit crossed over to the house. Rocco sent Max to stay with Mandy and Zavi while he and Kit went inside.

“What did you find out about Blade?” Rocco asked as he set the packet on Mandy’s desk.

“Owen and I covered several miles of rock formations. We even sneaked onto the WKB’s property to examine the ones there. We did find several fissures, but all were empty. The Forest Rangers know the area intimately. Val and Angel are working with them closely. Kelan and I are going to keep a watch on Blade’s house, see if the bad guys come back.”

Kit put a hand on Rocco’s shoulder. “We’ll find him soon-if the information Amir gave us was valid. I’m not convinced it wasn’t a distraction to let them get to Mandy. Had we not run off this morning, she wouldn’t have been taken. It’s interesting that we haven’t heard from Amir again. I think he’s playing us, and I don’t like being such an easy target. We may have to wait for Blade to check in.” Kit looked at Rocco. “He will. He’s too ornery to stay down for long. Go spend the afternoon with your son and my sister. Put this day out of your mind.”

Ty held himself perfectly still as he listened to the small sounds the rattler made in its slow approach toward him. The viper’s head was wide and its body long. He knew he’d have one chance to capture it, but every second he waited thickened the air in the dark pit. A rock with jagged edges pressed against his back. He didn’t know how much longer he could hold his pose without his body beginning to resist, but he didn’t dare move until he had control over the snake’s deadly mouth.

The rattlesnake appeared to consider the dark opening of his jeans by one of his ankles, no doubt sensing the warmth of his skin. Christ, he hoped it would see the opening was too short and narrow to be of use.

He was not so lucky. The viper inched closer to his leg, then stopped, testing the air with its tongue. Ty wondered how much it relied on its sight versus its other senses as it eased over his ankle to lie against the warmth of his skin. He had to resist all instinct to hop up and dance away from the cold feel of the snake against his skin.

The beast moved slowly up his shin, almost to his knee, where the pant leg was too tight to go farther. It drew as much of itself inside as it could, leaving a good two feet of its body outside, its rattle up but not sounding. Ty watched the fabric move as the snake settled inside his pant leg. It grew still, resting where it was, comfortably absorbing the heat of his leg.

His back cramped painfully as he watched the shadows shift across the pit, marking the day’s progression. When the sun was directly overhead, the air began to warm up, and the snake slowly reversed its position.

Ty leaned forward, hoping the snake’s movement would camouflage his slight change in position. When the spear-shaped head popped out of his pants, he grabbed the snake. Its mouth opened with fangs drawn. It looked big enough to swallow an adult prairie dog.

Ty had been in this pit for a night and a day without food or water. The viper in his hand looked like his salvation, right about now. He pulled his knife from its sheath and cut the snake’s head off. His stomach growled in anticipation of the coming meal.

Mandy was sitting on the sofa, having a quiet conversation with Fee later that night. Rocco had spoiled her the whole afternoon, first with a hot bath and tea, then getting Fee and Zavi into the kitchen to help him make dinner. Mandy joined them, but was only allowed to sit at the table and call out instructions. The house was quiet now. Zavi was asleep in Ty’s room. Owen and Max were downstairs. Greer was at the hospital. Kit and Kelan were staking-out Ty’s house, while Val and Angel were still searching for their lost teammate.