Read Online Jericho 3 by Paul McKellips - Free Book Online

out butter and get his blood pressure checked?”
    “Well, that didn’t seem like enough to me either, Leslie. That’s why I wanted to talk to you. Junior is out gallivanting around the globe playing Army men, and Eileen is still mourning over Jane. I didn’t know who to call.”
    “You did exactly the right thing, Ruth. Are you okay to drive home?”
    “Oh, for heaven’s sakes yes. I may be seasoned, but I’m not an invalid.”
    “Okay…let me make a few calls. I’ll call you tomorrow, no later than supper, I promise.”
    Ruth stood up, grabbed her purse and reached over to kiss Leslie’s cheek.
    “You are a wonderful person, Leslie. I knew that the first time I met you. You would make a wonderful daughter-in-law.”
    Raines blushed as Ruth summoned one of the guards behind the desk.
    “You there, sergeant, walk this old woman out to her car,” Ruth called out to one of the uniformed guards behind the desk. Regardless of their rank, all soldiers were “sergeants” in Ruth Campbell’s mind.
    Lieutenant Perkins looked over at Raines who lifted her hands in defense since she was innocent of issuing the order.
    “Yes, ma’am,” Perkins said begrudgingly as he locked arms with Ruth and walked her out to her Ford Galaxy sedan for the 95-mile drive back to Bird-in-Hand, Pennsylvania.
    Raines watched Lieutenant Perkins help Ruth into her old Ford Galaxy. She knew Camp would want to know that his father’s health was failing. But just like every military family that deploys, sometimes decisions are made to protect warriors from having to deal with more than one war at a time. Raines decided to step in and handle the family problem herself, a situation Camp knew nothing about.

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6
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    Datta Khel, Miran Shah District
    North Waziristan, Pakistan
    W hen Banks regained consciousness, he realized that he had been placed in a chair at a table. Two AK-47 toting captors stood above him on both sides. A long knife was the only object on the table. He looked up to his left and realized that the guard’s face was completely covered by a Shemagh that was tied around his head, face, nose and mouth. Only his eyes were exposed. He kept looking straight ahead. Banks looked to his left, and the other terrorist was equally as stoic. The wall behind him was covered with a black and white flag. Based on what Banks remembered from the pre-deployment briefings he tried to sleep through, he thought he was probably sitting in front of the Islamic Khilafah – Shahada – the flag of jihad.
    “Dr. Banks, I hope you’re feeling better since your nap.”
    Banks glared at Kazi. His jaws clenched, and he was determined to take his execution like an American, like a soldier. He said nothing.
    Kazi bent down in front of him and placed his forearms comfortably across the table.
    “Dr. Banks…there’s a couple of ways we can do this. It’s entirely your choice. But before you choose, I want you to know what a marvelous invention Facebook is. Oh yes, it clearly helped fuel the Arab Spring in Tunisia, Egypt, Libya and perhaps even in Syria. What would the Occupy Wall Street movement have been without Facebook? Do you have a Facebook page, Dr. Banks?”
    Banks remained silent.
    “Let me think…hmmm…yes, yes now that I think of it you do, don’t you…Dean Banks, MD…Board Certified Gynecologist practicing with the Bucks County Women’s Health Clinic, US Army Reservist on a four-month deployment to Afghanistan. Nice of you to wish all your friends goodbye and a Merry Christmas.”
    “Banks is a common name. Nice try,” Major Banks said.
    “That was my concern too…but when my friends in Philadelphia finally got your 14-year-old son Chad to ‘friend’ them well, then we knew. The family photos are precious. Chad and Brittany look like lovely children. And your wife, Meg – or do you still call her Peggy – she is very attractive Dr. Banks…very attractive.”
    The major’s heart sank to the floor.
    “Did you know that