Chapter Twenty-One
Saturday, March 24th
Troy and Wes sat at the nurse’s station discussing what happened. Wes was antsy about Eleanor.
“Kip and I told you, we will take care of her, but you haven’t had a chance to speak your piece. Until you know for sure she’s writing you off, stop beating yourself up,” Troy said.
“What’s going on with Gwen?” Wes cocked his head.
“She has a concussion.” Troy rolled back on the chair.
Wes cocked his head. “Hmm.”
Troy said with exasperation, “Tango Team spent a lot of time on my protection detail and providing logistics. Gwen was one of the few people who didn’t give me the pity face. She’d spend hours playing board games with me. She talked to me about anything—gardening, the news, pop culture, anything to keep my mind occupied. She helped me mourn…mourn the old me. I care about her.”
“Ask her out,” Wes said.
Troy shook his head. “Scars, PTSD aside, my…I… She deserves a complete sexual partner.”
“I think you’re selling yourself short. What do the docs say?”
“I haven’t healed completely. I’m seeing a new urologist in San Diego. And then they will reassess.”
“Again, don’t sell yourself short.”
Troy shook his head. “We need to do our search faster. A storm front is moving in—heavy rain and lightning. High winds, and the temperature is dropping. Just our luck—Leesburg doesn’t get this type of weather. I called Luke and told him to do whatever you do with animals in bad weather. But that means we will need to hold on to our evacuation patients for a while longer.”
“Do they have the necessary pain meds?” Wes worried.
“Sam said they have a week’s worth in stock, so we will be good. We should be clear by tomorrow afternoon.”
“I met a member of my new Eagle’s Talon Team.” Wes’s brow rose. “Tell me who else is on the team.”
“Before you get nauseated, Kieran, Mike, Kip and I went over the applicants while you were spending time with the FBI. We looked for a mix of tactical talent, plus Kieran had a set of requirements. Hena Simon and Andi Cohen are both paramedics and former Israeli Defense Force members. Hena was in DC, so she got here quickly. Andi is due in by car. You have a choice for your tactical MD. Duncan Mulligan, a DC doc and a center MD, and Sam Baker. They are both Eagle’s Talon-eligible. I think we should create a schedule and let them share the position.”
“I like that idea. Who did you choose for Team Leader and XO?”
“Amy Byrne, Team Leader. She was XO for Echo Team. And Tristan Bell as her XO. He was alpha squad leader on Oscar Team. Their resumés are on the server.”
“And you were worried about not being able to do the job?” Wes laughed.
“We haven’t heard from O’Mara.” Troy pulled out his phone to call when both of their phones vibrated and lit up. “Shit. We have a report of an explosion on the southeast fence line by two of the cabins. Multiple injured. Sheriff’s department on scene. I’ll do the notifications and run the logistics.”
Wes pushed up and headed out. “This is Crockett. Who’s responding?” he said over his radio. A flash of lightning lit up the door.
“Mr. Crockett, this is Dan Chambers; I’m responding to the scene, sir.”
“Roger,” he said to the new level-three supervisor.
Leaves blew around his truck, and branches littered the ground from the vicious winds. Sheets of rain threatened to overload his windshield wipers. His headlights cast an eerie shade over the scene.
Wes stepped out of his vehicle to hear the cries. “Medic. I need a medic,” a woman called out.
Wes threw open the rear hatch of his truck. After dragging a large red bag from the back, he tossed it over his shoulder and ran into the melee.
Approaching the site of the explosion, he bit back a curse. Dirty rivulets of rain ran down Chad Thorn’s face. “What do we have?” Wes demanded of him.
“ANFO, possible additional bomb. Multiple injured. Sir, Marx and Conway, KIA.”
