Mike pulled the door handle open and followed Tom into the hospital room. Tom found a chair while Mike stood over the woman in the hospital bed. She had suffered a significant amount of trauma. Internal damage, broken bones, and a gunshot wound were the most significant of her injuries, but not her only ones. After a week in the hospital, Niki was progressing on her way to a total recovery. It had been touch and go in the helicopter and again after landing. He smiled down at her sleeping form. Cleaned up, she was quite beautiful. If he allowed himself to think about it, and he did. He had some feelings for the woman.
Tom squirmed around in the chair in the corner of the room.
Today wasn't typical. Normally, after the morning debrief, Mike went to the hospital to sit with Niki, and Tom hung out in the metro area in search of a new ex-wife or went wherever the wind blew him. But here he was. Each day, Mike planted himself in the chair Tom now occupied and waited for Niki to wake up. Most days, she would wake soon after he arrived. She knew he was going to be there. He spent every day for the last week with her. She didn't seem to mind, and he was pretty sure she enjoyed his company.
It was a good routine to be on. Debrief at the CIA in the morning. In the afternoon, he sat with her for as long as the hospital staff would allow him in her room. After what they'd gone through, a bit of relaxation was good.
They talked about her father, her brother, what life would be like now, and what life had in store for them.
Tom cleared his throat from the chair. “I’m going to go find something to eat.”
Niki blinked. “Mike?”
He put his hand on her shoulder and smiled tenderly. “I’m here.”
Tom walked over to the opposite side of the bed. “Me too.”
“It’s good to see you again.” She laid her hand on Mike’s. “What’s the occasion?”
Tom winked. “You know me, playing hard to get.”
She smiled up at him.
“Actually, Julia called and wanted to meet us here.”
“Oh, how is she?”
“She’s busy.” They hadn’t seen much of her between the debriefs and her work.”
“What does she want to talk about?”
“Not sure. Afghanistan, I guess. Speaking of which, I assume Mike told you what happened after you passed out on the bird?”
“That would be a correct assumption. But, let’s hear your version.”
“I gave her a brief overview of events,” Mike said. “It doesn’t seem important now.”
“Mike. The man of few words.”
Niki smiled and glanced up. A grin crept onto Mike’s face, a running joke passed between them.
Tom looked out the window. “Anyway. You know you’re at Bethesda Naval Hospital. You’ve got a fractured this, a broken that, a perforated something else. A couple of boo boo’s, you’ll be fine in no time.”
“Oh, believe me, I know about those things.”
“So, we landed at a military base in Tajikistan unannounced. We hauled you and the kids out of the bird and watched it take off as soon as we were clear. It seems they frown at unauthorized landings at their airfield.” Tom chuckled. “Who knew? Anyway. The MPs came at us like we were the 105th Afghan horde ready to invade their country.”
“Uh.” Mike raised his eyebrows. “That might be a bit of an exaggeration.”
“Not by much.” Tom gave her a lopsided grin. “After a lot of yelling and gnashing of teeth, you went to the hospital. They confiscated the kids and backpack, and we went to jail.”
Mike shrugged. “That part’s true, but it was the nice section of the jail.”
“We’d already decided we weren’t going to tell them shit. So when they got to interrogating us, there was a lot more yelling and hurt feelings. At one point, some American General came down to speak to us. Where he came from or how he got there, I don’t know.” Tom beamed at them from the memory. “He left in a huff. Sometimes, I’m of the same opinion of officers as Al.”
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They sobered.
Tom's eyes met Mike’s. “Soon afterward, a bunch of investigators from the FBI, CIA, and CDC came in and hightailed it to that mountain. They recovered Al’s body and sent it home.”
“So,” Niki said. “The Afghani Government didn’t try to stop you?”
“What they don’t know can’t hurt them. Plus, if they did send anyone, the Commandos went along as security.”
"We met his body at Dover,” Mike said. “It sucked."
Tom drew in and exhaled. "Yeah, it did."
Mike turned his head and wiped his eyes. “I had to call his relatives to let them know he was dead and about the service arrangements. Al's service will be at Arlington National Cemetery next week.”
Niki took his hand. “I’m sorry.”
Mike dropped his head. “Yeah.”
“Mike contacted everyone he could. Al’s parents are dead. He has kids still in school and a couple of divorced wives. It’s short notice. Julia, Mike, and I may be the only ones at the funeral.”
Niki’s expression dulled. “That’s sad.”
Mike nodded. “It is. Sometimes, the life we lead can ruin relationships and leave you alone at the end.”
“At least Al had us, brothers.”
Mike looked up. “He’d have been good with that.”
“I would, too.”
Niki looked up and put her hand on Tom’s fingers. “I’m sorry.”
“Huh.”
“I’m sorry how I acted. I can be difficult sometimes.”
“A bitch.” Tom smiled.
“I don’t know if I’d go that far." She grinned. "But I am sorry I was unpleasant to you.”
“No worries, I can be…”
“An asshole.”
Tom laughed. “You got that right.” He patted her hand. “Mike, like I told you way back when you should have married this girl.”
“He wishes.”
Mike smiled. “Maybe.”
Before Tom could come back with a snappy retort, the door opened.
Julia walked in. Her mouth formed a curious smile. “What’s everyone laughing about?”
“We’re making marriage arrangements.”
Niki hit his fingers. “Shut up, Tom.”
He pulled his hand away and laughed.
Julia smiled with them. “I didn’t see that one coming.”
“Oh yeah, it’s been brewing alright.”
Niki looked up at Mike.
Mike sighed. “Once he gets going, you can’t stop him.”
“Julia, I've seen them in here on many occasions talking and conniving and canoodling. Yesterday, I thought I saw the Chaplin walk out of here.”
Niki rolled her eyes.
Mike shook his head. “You weren’t even here yesterday.”
“Anywayyy,” Julia smirked. “I had a meeting with the Director this morning. Hotak’s kids are at a safe house, for now, we’re still not sure what to do with them.”
“If my brother is alive, I’d like him to adopt them.”
Julia looked down from the end of the bed. “Really? That's very nice. Why?”
“It wouldn’t be the first time someone adopted the children of their enemy and used them to fight that enemy.”
“Frankenstein’s army,” Tom joked.
Julia frowned. “I don’t think she’s joking.”
“I’m not.”
Mike lifted his hand. “Maybe we can shelve this one for later.” He peered down. “We have to check on your brother first.”
“Good idea.” The thought of turning those kids against their family was way outside Julia's comfort zone. The Hotak family had issues if their father was any indicator, but still. “The bag is at the NSA. So far, it’s been slow going, trying to glean anything from the hard drive and his notes. They’re having a little more success with the satphone.”
“That’s good to know,” Tom said.
“It is a positive. The team at the mountain conducted an extensive investigation. They came up with a lot, but there are still far more questions than answers. It would have been nice if we could have talked to Hotak.”
Mike returned her gaze. “It would have." Mike deadpanned. "Too bad he accidentally fell out of the helicopter."
Tom grinned. “Shit happens.”
“Yes, it does.” Julia inhaled. “We have people in the Czech Republic looking for this estate Hotak mentioned, but so far nothing. All in all, the mission was a semi-success.”
Tom’s face turned red. “Come again."
"The Director’s words."
"We stopped Hotak. He’s dead. He won’t get the chance to finish what he started.”
“Yes, that’s true. But the weaponized smallpox virus is out there. There is some plan in place to use it. We don’t know how it was to be used. Are there others to implement Hotak’s plan? It’s a waiting game unless the team from the mountain, the group in the Czech Republic, or the NSA can figure it out.”
Tom nodded. “And there’s other unfinished business. Like, who are the traitors in Afghanistan?”
“Yes.”
Mike’s hand hadn’t left Niki’s shoulder. “But, it’s over for us.”
Niki reached up and took his hand. They smiled. Mike intertwined their fingers together and gently squeezed.
Tom and Julia caught the act of affection and found something else to look at. Before, it had been a big joke, but maybe it wasn’t.
“Anyway. The Director is thinking about rooting out the traitor. He’s thinking about sending us out again to do that rooting.”
“Pfff.” Tom cocked his head. “Not back to Afghanistan, I hope. Doesn’t he know I hate that place?”
Julia’s lips twitched up. “I’m sure he took that into consideration.”
“He also better consider paying me a lot more than the last time.”
“He considered that as well.”
“Oh. Well. In that case.” Tom’s hand opened palm up. “What do you think, Mike?”