always expressed disgust at what their brother did and vowed to turn him in if he ever contacted them. The two of them live on a rundown ranch near San Antonio. If they’d have sneezed, we’d have heard it. I’m glad it’s over.”
“How many law officers did Hughes kill during the time you were chasing him?”
“Four. Three, when they stopped him at a road block. One was a S.W.A.T. guy, who tried to go in after him when Hughes went into the Rockies for a time. Hughes butchered him. We didn’t find his body for two days. I…”
“No wonder Tom and Jen were so freaked about going in there after him,” McDaniels remarked.
“Why do you think they bothered to send us with you? Why not just send you on a search and destroy mission alone?”
“I think they were afraid I would disregard the little one’s safety,” McDaniels admitted.
“Maybe,” Reskova replied. “You can’t be the only guy they could have sent with us though, so I guess they were auditioning you for a slot on our team.”
“I hope you’re right. It probably doesn’t give you much confidence in how your superiors felt about you three.”
“Noticed that, did ya’ Colonel?”
* * *
With two hours to wait for the next leg on the trip, Reskova and McDaniels sat together in John Wayne International Airport at the gate they were due to leave for Detroit from. McDaniels dozed fitfully while Reskova read a novel and watched the few people who were there early for the same flight. No Middle Eastern group had arrived. A tall, slender black man walking by stiffly with the help of a cane did a double take at the dozing McDaniels. Dressed in a three-piece dark gray suit, the man looked like the CEO of a major firm. He set his brief case down. Reskova sat up straight, wondering what the man’s interest was in McDaniels. He smiled at Reskova before calling out quietly.
“Colonel McDaniels?”
McDaniels popped up in his seat, instantly alert. When he saw the man standing in front of them, McDaniels seemed stunned. Standing up quickly, McDaniels grasped the man’s proffered hand with both of his. The two men held their posture for more than a few moments before McDaniels spoke.
“Jesus, Ken, it’s good to see you.”
“Hell,” the man named Ken exclaimed, shaking his head in disbelief. “I thought you died in Naseria. Then I saw the news about the Hughes’ killing and I laughed my ass off. What in God’s name got into you, boy, and what the hell are you doing out of a jail cell?”
Reskova had stood up next to McDaniels. She watched the man McDaniels called Ken run both of his hands over his close cropped graying hair. He almost seemed to be trying to dispel the illusion he thought McDaniels represented. Finally, when McDaniels gestured at Reskova, Ken turned his attention to her.
“I saw you in the news report too,” Ken said to her. “FBI, right?”
“I’m Special Agent Diane Reskova, Sir. I take it you know the Colonel here.”
“This is Ken Folley, one of the best AC-130 gunship drivers of all time. How’s the leg?”
“Coming back slowly, Colonel. I won’t be flying anytime in the future,” Ken replied, shaking hands with Reskova. “At least I didn’t lose it.”
“You going to Detroit on this flight?” McDaniels asked, gesturing for Folley to sit down with them.
“Yeah, I have a new gig going,” Folley answered. “Want to go have a coffee with me? We can get a booth.”
“Sounds good,” McDaniels agreed, while Folley picked up his briefcase. “That okay with you, Diane?”
“Sure, I’ll have something with you two.”
When they were seated at a booth in the restaurant near the gate, Folley kept glancing at McDaniels and chuckling as the waitress took their order.
McDaniels grinned. “Okay, Ken, what the heck’s so funny?”
“You first, Cold Mountain,” Folley countered. “How the hell did you beat the rap?”
“It was public outcry, Mr. Folley,” Reskova answered for McDaniels.
“I caught
“How many law officers did Hughes kill during the time you were chasing him?”
“Four. Three, when they stopped him at a road block. One was a S.W.A.T. guy, who tried to go in after him when Hughes went into the Rockies for a time. Hughes butchered him. We didn’t find his body for two days. I…”
“No wonder Tom and Jen were so freaked about going in there after him,” McDaniels remarked.
“Why do you think they bothered to send us with you? Why not just send you on a search and destroy mission alone?”
“I think they were afraid I would disregard the little one’s safety,” McDaniels admitted.
“Maybe,” Reskova replied. “You can’t be the only guy they could have sent with us though, so I guess they were auditioning you for a slot on our team.”
“I hope you’re right. It probably doesn’t give you much confidence in how your superiors felt about you three.”
“Noticed that, did ya’ Colonel?”
* * *
With two hours to wait for the next leg on the trip, Reskova and McDaniels sat together in John Wayne International Airport at the gate they were due to leave for Detroit from. McDaniels dozed fitfully while Reskova read a novel and watched the few people who were there early for the same flight. No Middle Eastern group had arrived. A tall, slender black man walking by stiffly with the help of a cane did a double take at the dozing McDaniels. Dressed in a three-piece dark gray suit, the man looked like the CEO of a major firm. He set his brief case down. Reskova sat up straight, wondering what the man’s interest was in McDaniels. He smiled at Reskova before calling out quietly.
“Colonel McDaniels?”
McDaniels popped up in his seat, instantly alert. When he saw the man standing in front of them, McDaniels seemed stunned. Standing up quickly, McDaniels grasped the man’s proffered hand with both of his. The two men held their posture for more than a few moments before McDaniels spoke.
“Jesus, Ken, it’s good to see you.”
“Hell,” the man named Ken exclaimed, shaking his head in disbelief. “I thought you died in Naseria. Then I saw the news about the Hughes’ killing and I laughed my ass off. What in God’s name got into you, boy, and what the hell are you doing out of a jail cell?”
Reskova had stood up next to McDaniels. She watched the man McDaniels called Ken run both of his hands over his close cropped graying hair. He almost seemed to be trying to dispel the illusion he thought McDaniels represented. Finally, when McDaniels gestured at Reskova, Ken turned his attention to her.
“I saw you in the news report too,” Ken said to her. “FBI, right?”
“I’m Special Agent Diane Reskova, Sir. I take it you know the Colonel here.”
“This is Ken Folley, one of the best AC-130 gunship drivers of all time. How’s the leg?”
“Coming back slowly, Colonel. I won’t be flying anytime in the future,” Ken replied, shaking hands with Reskova. “At least I didn’t lose it.”
“You going to Detroit on this flight?” McDaniels asked, gesturing for Folley to sit down with them.
“Yeah, I have a new gig going,” Folley answered. “Want to go have a coffee with me? We can get a booth.”
“Sounds good,” McDaniels agreed, while Folley picked up his briefcase. “That okay with you, Diane?”
“Sure, I’ll have something with you two.”
When they were seated at a booth in the restaurant near the gate, Folley kept glancing at McDaniels and chuckling as the waitress took their order.
McDaniels grinned. “Okay, Ken, what the heck’s so funny?”
“You first, Cold Mountain,” Folley countered. “How the hell did you beat the rap?”
“It was public outcry, Mr. Folley,” Reskova answered for McDaniels.
“I caught
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