Corps Justice Boxed Set: Books 1-3: Back to War, Council of Patriots, Prime Asset (76 page)

Benjamin shook his head in disbelief. He
could not believe that his countrymen would sell him out to the
Americans. After all he’d done for them.

“I supposed there is no way out of this,” he
asked.

Neil took a second to respond. “I can think
of one way.”

Benjamin couldn’t hide his surprise. “And
what would that be?”

“Apologize for my parents,” growled Neil,
tears coming to his eyes as he spoke.

Would it really be that
easy?
These Americans are all alike.
Weak
, thought Benjamin.

“Very well,” Benjamin shrugged. “I
apolo…”

Before he could finish the word, Neil raised
the suppressed weapon and pulled the trigger twice. The rounds
blasted into Benjamin’s chest. He slid down the side of the car and
ended up on his ass, clutching his wounds.

Neil limped over to the dying terrorist, his
pistol never leaving its target. Benjamin looked up at his enemy in
pain.

“Apology not accepted,” said Neil.

Before Benjamin could utter another word,
Neil fired a single round into his head.

Chapter 43

The Lodge, Camp Spartan, Arrington, TN

1:35pm, October 5th

Cal, Neil, Daniel, Travis, Trent, Gaucho and
Dunn sat in the weathered leather chairs of the VIP lounge. Each
man held a full glass of Tennessee whiskey. They’d just returned
from a whirlwind of funerals for their men killed in Wyoming,
including Lance. It had been a sobering journey for each of the
assembled seven.

MSgt Trent raised his good arm, the other
still in a sling, and called a toast. “To the brave men who have
gone before us.”

Every man raised a glass in silent salute
and took a heavy pull from their whiskey.

Cal stared into his glass, thinking about
his lost friend Brian Ramirez. He couldn’t get the picture of
Brian’s weeping parents out of his head. They’d hugged him like he
was family when, in fact, he’d never met them before.

“Brian told us how much he loved his new
friends. He spoke of you often, Cal, and considered you a brother,”
Mrs. Ramirez had said between sobs. He’d held her and wept, the
pain finally pouring out over the loss of his friend.

They’d exacted revenge on Ponder and the
Pakistani terrorists. There was no one left to kill. It was the
inner demons that would take time to fade. Like every man in the
room, Cal had lost friends before. He knew there was a grieving
process. Cal felt that it got harder with age. Maybe it was a finer
sense of one’s own mortality and an understanding of the fragility
of life.

The bartender, a crusty old Marine Sergeant
Major, woke Cal from his reverie.

“Can I get you boys another?”

Everyone looked to Cal for a cue. For some
reason he couldn’t explain that despite the deadly rescue in
Wyoming, every man in the room, including Travis and Dunn, now
looked to Cal as their commander. It felt strange, but his years in
the Marine Corps had showed him that even the lowliest Marine can
be elevated in status through his actions on the battlefield.
Unbeknownst to him, Cal’s swift tracking and killing of Ponder and
Benjamin had cemented him as their leader. In their eyes, Cal was
his father’s son.

“I think I’ll finish this and take one for
the road, Sergeant Major,” answered Cal. The others nodded in
agreement and quietly went back to finishing their drinks. They
would talk later.

After receiving their refills, the men said
their goodbyes and left to get some much-needed rest. Travis
followed Cal to the elevators.

“Can I do anything for you, Cal?”

“I’m okay. I think I’ll just get some rack
time and then get back to work tomorrow.”

“Why don’t you take a few days off? There’s
nothing that can’t wait.”

Cal shook his head. “I need to stay busy
right now, Trav. I’ll go stir-crazy if I take time off.”

Travis understood. He knew the pain his
cousin was feeling.

“Fair enough. Why don’t we grab breakfast
tomorrow morning and then we’ll come up with a game plan.”

“Sound good.”

Cal stepped into the elevator as Travis
paused to answer his cell phone. He motioned for Cal to go up
without him.

Cal pressed the button for the second level
and waited for the doors to close. Just before they slid shut,
Travis’s hand stuck in and bumped the doors back open. His face had
gone serious.

“What’s up?” Cal asked.

Travis extended his cell phone to Cal and
said, “It’s the President.”

+++++

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