Gary Ponzo - A Touch of Revenge

Merrick turned and leaned over the dome-shaped speaker on his desk. “What about fighters?” he asked.

CIA Director Ken Morris spoke. “Sir, Turkey has just deployed a squad of fighter jets over western Kurdistan. They’re currently in a surveillance formation, but that’s how most of their missions begin.”

“What does this mean?”

“We don’t know, Sir. Not yet anyway. We’ll continue to monitor.”

Merrick returned to the window. His back to the room. “Any thoughts?” he said to his assembly.

“Sounds like Budarry might be ready to bomb Kurdistan,” Vice President Hearns said.

“Not a chance,” Fisk said and left it there.

“Why not, Sam?” Merrick asked over his shoulder.

“Because you’re about to offer your unilateral support for the Turkish people and a killing campaign wouldn’t exactly make him look like a team player. He’s neurotic, but he’s not stupid.”

Merrick nodded.

“Sir,” Morris said, over the speaker, “now there’s a small unit of Turkish soldiers heading down a road toward Karliova. This is the city where the KSF headquarters is located, it’s also Temir Barzani’s hometown. It’s where his family still resides.”

“Small unit?” Merrick asked.

“One tank, followed by one truck. The truck is a large transport vehicle covered with a canvas top. Many times used to move troops. However, it is large enough to carry a short-range missile.”

“Shit,” Merrick said, rubbing his chin. “What is he doing?”

“It could be his way of warning Barzani not to implement a terrorist attack on American soil,” Morris said. “He might’ve sent a threat directly to the KSF. The fighters could be there to pave the way for their attack.”

“Would he do that?” Merrick asked. “Would that work? Would that stop Barzani from detonating a bomb?”

Silence.

“We’re not sure, Sir,” came a voice Merrick couldn’t distinguish.

“I’ll bet I know who could answer that,” Fisk said.

Merrick looked at Fisk and immediately knew who he was referring to. He bent over and pushed a button on the phone. “Rose,” he said. “Get me Nick Bracco.”

Nick was circling various parts of the map with different colored pens designating the quantity of troops sent to each region. He was making sure he didn’t miss anything. Tommy had just arrived with sandwiches and sat across from him with his feet on the desk, waiting for instructions.

Tommy pointed to the sandwich still sitting on Nick’s desk. “You need to eat something,” he said. “You need some protein to keep you going.”

Nick absently unwrapped the sandwich and took a bite. His cell phone vibrated and he took the call. “Yes,” he said, while chomping his food.

“It’s Memu,” FBI agent Tompkins reported. “Barzani’s personal security guard. He’s been strangled to death.”

“Great,” Nick said. “Barzani has now officially killed every member of his crew.”

“Maybe he’s done us a favor,” Tomkins said.

“Doubtful,” Nick said. “He’s just crazy with revenge and he’s not going to leave any loose ends.”

“No one’s seen anything. You want me to continue to canvass the area?”

“Yeah,” Nick said. “Give it another hour. You don’t come up with anything, head back.”

“Got it.”

Nick put his phone on the desk and took another bite of his sandwich.

“You gonna find this guy?” Tommy said, slurping soda from a straw.

“I don’t have a choice,” Nick said, and meant it. He pulled open the top drawer of his desk and grabbed a vial of pills. He opened the amber bottle and dropped half the pills on the map, then picked the correct ones and put the rest away.

“How many times a day you have to take that stuff, Nicky?”

“Right now, three times a day,” he said, then popped the pills in his mouth and swallowed.

“You need to get off that crap. It’s doing more damage than good.”

“Why do you say that?”

“Because I know you. One minute you’re all jittery, the next you look like you’re falling asleep.”

“Maybe it’s because I haven’t slept in two nights?”

Tommy grinned. “Don’t start using facts to mess up my diagnosis.”

“Sorry, Dr. Bracco.”

The door opened and Matt came in looking like he’d just run a marathon. He lumbered over to Tommy and dropped into the chair next to him. There were large bags under his eyes. He leaned back and stretched his legs up onto the desk beside Tommy’s.

“Well,” Tommy said. “How’s our girl?”

Matt seemed to consider the question, as if it was complicated. “Well, she went in for X-rays at one and by three-thirty this morning she was in surgery.”

“You’re kidding,” Nick said. “Why didn’t you call?”

Matt gave him a look. “Like you don’t have enough on your plate?”

“How is she?” Tommy asked.

Matt turned and looked at Tommy with a deadpan expression. “Her neck is fractured. The doctor said her spine was so jumbled, if she tried to get up, she could’ve easily become a quadriplegic, or worse.” Matt reached a tired hand over and gently grabbed Tommy’s arm. “You might have saved her life.”

Tommy put his sandwich down on his lap and frowned. “Don’t get all dramatic on me now. I saw her flying around like a ragdoll. Anyone else would’ve done the same thing.”

“No, you’re wrong,” Matt said. “No one else would’ve thought to keep her down like that. Anyone else would have gotten her help or offered their jacket … but you knew exactly the right thing to do at the right moment.”

Tommy took a big bite of his sandwich and with a mouthful of bread and meat said, “Okay, you’re on to me. I’m a jack of all trades. I know a little bit about everything. Even spinal cord injuries.”

“Well, I want to say something,” Matt said. “I owe you a big apology.”

“Why?”

“Because from the moment you came to Payson, I’ve been riding your ass and you’ve done nothing to deserve it.”

Tommy swallowed a large chunk of his sandwich in one gulp, then slurped down some of his drink and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. He pursed his lips out and closed his eyes. “You wanna kiss me now?”

Matt shook his head and grinned. “Maybe later.”

“Good. I’ll run out and get some breath mints.”

Nick crumpled up the paper from his sandwich and tossed it in the trash below his desk. “Is she going to be okay?”

“Yeah, she’ll need to stay in bed for a week or so, then a neck brace for a while, but the doctor says she’ll recover just fine.”

Matt looked over at Tommy. “Could you do me one favor?”

“Shoot.”

“Well, with Barzani still loose and this Russian in the area … I need someone to watch her while I help Nick. Someone I can trust.”

Tommy smiled. He stood up and tossed his sandwich wrappings into the trash, then grabbed his drink. “It would be my honor, Agent McColm.” He saluted Nick as he opened the door to leave. “Pardon me, Sheriff, but I have a security detail to tend to.”

The door shut and the two of them looked at each other.

“You know you’ve just paid him the biggest compliment you could give him,” Nick said. “Trust is everything in his world.”

“Yeah, I know. Fact is, I probably trust him more than anyone besides you.”

Nick’s cell phone danced on his desk from the vibration mode. He answered, “Bracco.”

“Please hold for the President of the United States,” a women’s voice said.

Nick twisted the phone away from his mouth and said, “Merrick.”

Matt raised his eyebrows and nodded.

“Nick,” President Merrick said over a speakerphone. “How are you?”