“I guess,” she said looking down at the table. Everyone was quiet, allowing the granddaughter and her grandfather to contemplate what had transpired.
“Wait,” said April. “They don’t know you’re alive. All they know is that I’m missing and you’re dead.”
“True,” nodded the colonel. “They were convinced that I was buried. I made sure it looked legit.”
“What are you thinking, April?” asked Ham.
“Well, normally I would call Daniel but since he’s gone, maybe I contact Gustav directly. By phone,” she said quickly to avoid any disagreement. “I contact him and tell him I found something interesting in my grandfather’s casket. A notebook and no body.”
“That would certainly send him reeling,” smirked the colonel. “But it would also put a price on your head. That’s what happened with Jerry. He wanted more money, more power and some guarantees. He’d taken something that Gustav needed. In the end, it killed him.”
“Well, grandpa, if I’ve learned anything in the last few days of being here it’s that these men and women are capable of anything. I would put them up against Gustav any day of the week and I bet they’ll win.” Quinn smirked at April, kissing her temple.
“We will win, baby. We.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
April walked slowly with her grandfather around the gardens. It was a sunny day but with the sun setting, the evening was getting colder. She had a million questions for her grandfather and most of them were about his lack of trust in her with the information.
“I know you’re angry with me,” he said quietly.
“I’m not angry, Grandpa, I’m disappointed. You and I have been a team since I was an infant. I’ve told you every secret, every heartbreak, every disappointment. I’m just not sure why you wouldn’t trust me with this when my life was at risk as well.”
“You know, April, when I was active-duty, even when I was at the Pentagon, I made decisions that effected the safety of thousands of men and women, civilians, cities, hell, countries. I never once questioned those decisions.
“But with you, my own flesh and blood, I questioned everything. Was I enough? Could I be mother, father, and grandfather? Did I choose the right school for you? Did I explain the birds and bees properly? Did I pick out the right gifts for you? I was never sure of anything when it came to you. Only that I loved you.”
“Grandpa you were always enough and always made great decisions for my life, for us. I didn’t miss out on anything. I went to every camp, every dance, every after-school function. I’m not sure how you were able to do it.”
“Well, in fairness sometimes my aides were driving you to and from things,” he smirked.
“Yes, that was horrible. I mean, pulling up to the middle-school football game to cheer and I get out with a handsome young man in uniform,” she said rolling her eyes. “Every girl in school thought I was the luckiest girl ever.”
“I didn’t realize that,” he laughed. “Well, I’m glad that worked out. The truth is, I was scared April. It was probably the most scared I’ve ever been. There were people I should have, could have called to reach these men here but I was worried that they were somehow involved as well.”
“It worked out,” she said continuing on the path. “I’m not sure how it worked out but Quinn, River, and Finnegan saved my life. Quinn in a lot of different ways.”
“He’s a good man,” nodded her grandfather. “I knew his grandfather and great-grandfather. They were all good men. This is an unusual group here and I knew that I could trust them. I should have trusted myself, and you, even more. I’m sorry.”
“Thank you for saying that,” she said squeezing his arm. “Grandpa? I need you to walk me down the aisle. Try to stay alive for a few more weeks, okay?”
“Deal,” he laughed.
“Do you believe him?” asked Quinn, staring at the older men around him.
“I do,” nodded Patrick. “I think his age made him do something drastic. A young Colonel Lewis would have taken them on, guns blazing. An eighty-something year old Lewis, probably doubted himself and wasn’t sure what to do.”
“I guess I can see that. It just bugs me that he put April in danger by not trying harder,” said Quinn.
“Brother, he tried. He was doing everything that he thought was right. He’s right. Finding us, getting in touch with us is hard. As a ‘dead man’, there wouldn’t have been a way for him to find our number in a cell phone that was no longer live. I’m not saying his actions were perfect but I get it,” said Finn.
“What about this Gustav asshole?” frowned River. “What do we do about him?”
“If we try to arrest him, he’ll claim diplomatic immunity of some sort. Of course, that’s if we do everything above board,” smirked Ham.
“True,” nodded Gator. “I say we find him, figure out where the players are and just eliminate them one-by-one.”
“We need to find that tech guy first,” said Victoria. They all jumped, turning to see her beautiful face. She smiled, giving them a wink. “I’ve been working on my stealth approach.”
