with a huge grin.
“Well don't we seem happy this morning? Did you sleep OK?”
“Not too bad. I almost woke you up again around three-thirty.”
Derek spent enough time away that when he was home, the couple often found themselves awake in the middle of the night, enjoying intimate moments. He had woken Heidi at one-fifteen and two-thirty but couldn't muster up the energy to continue when he had tossed and turned at three-thirty that morning.
“Should I make us some coffee?” he asked.
“Mmm. Yes, that would be good.”
Derek pulled away the sheets and walked, still naked, to the kitchen.
“Aren't you going to put some clothes on?”
“Nope.”
Heidi laughed and remained under the covers. “You kill me. So, honey?” She waited as she heard clutter from the kitchen.
“Baby, where do we keep the extra coffee? This bag is gone.”
“It's in the pantry above the cereal. Honey?”
“Yeah, baby?”
“Do you know how long you will be gone yet?”
After a few seconds, Derek appeared in the doorway.
“No. I don't. I think I will be back in a week or two, tops.”
“I really hate that you are going.”
“I know. I do, too.”
Derek began to walk back toward the kitchen. “I do have some good news, though.”
“Oh really? What is it?”
“Well, I was fooling around last night …”
“Oh believe me, I know that.”
“No I was fooling around before we were fooling around, and I got us a little surprise for the spring.”
“What?”
“Well, we are going on a little vacation later this spring. Nothing major, but I think it will be fun.”
“Really? Where?”
“How does Rome sound?”
Derek covered his ears as Heidi screamed in excitement from the bedroom. Within seconds, he was being hugged by his naked wife, who had the grin of a first-grader glued to her face.
“Are you serious?”
“I am serious.”
“That is so awesome. Thank you, baby, you are the best.” She kissed him and jumped in excitement.
“So can I offer the naked lady some coffee?”
The two stopped and looked at each other, realizing they were both naked in the kitchen, and laughed.
“Yes. Just give me one second. I am going to throw something on.” She turned and ran to the bedroom but turned back to kiss Derek one more time. “I love you.”
“I love you too, honey.”
C H A P T E R 5
Sunday, January 24
Everglades, Florida
Maverick Training Facility
0150 Hrs
A small light bulb in the corner of the hangar provided the only light for the team as they waited by their packs for the flight. Inside each pack were tactical clothes, communications gear, custom Maverick Series weapons, and an assortment of other gear that would be required on their assignment.
The plane would have the team's chutes and other necessary gear on board. The men had a long flight ahead of them and were not kitted up yet. Most were decked out in 5.11 tactical clothing in hopes of remaining comfortable for the journey. The jet would pick them up at the airfield and take them to Ramstein Air Base in Germany, their only stop. T e military would know a CIA jet was landing but would not be privy towho was inside or what they were doing. This type of deal was arranged only at the senior level of leadership.
Several pops and the distinct hissing sound of flares ripped through the quiet night skies as red smoke and lights now illuminated the runway. The airfield had been notified by the pilot that they were in range. Men scrambled to prepare the strip. Landing on a short runway in the middle of the Everglades at night was no easy task, especially without good runway lights. The aircrew had done this before, though, and would have several more difficult missions ahead of them.
Derek had learned that Larry Tuttle, the owner of Osprey Aviation, was a longtime friend of the director and had served with him in the army. While the director had been a Special Forces operator, Tuttle had been a Special Operations pilot. He had served with the
“Well don't we seem happy this morning? Did you sleep OK?”
“Not too bad. I almost woke you up again around three-thirty.”
Derek spent enough time away that when he was home, the couple often found themselves awake in the middle of the night, enjoying intimate moments. He had woken Heidi at one-fifteen and two-thirty but couldn't muster up the energy to continue when he had tossed and turned at three-thirty that morning.
“Should I make us some coffee?” he asked.
“Mmm. Yes, that would be good.”
Derek pulled away the sheets and walked, still naked, to the kitchen.
“Aren't you going to put some clothes on?”
“Nope.”
Heidi laughed and remained under the covers. “You kill me. So, honey?” She waited as she heard clutter from the kitchen.
“Baby, where do we keep the extra coffee? This bag is gone.”
“It's in the pantry above the cereal. Honey?”
“Yeah, baby?”
“Do you know how long you will be gone yet?”
After a few seconds, Derek appeared in the doorway.
“No. I don't. I think I will be back in a week or two, tops.”
“I really hate that you are going.”
“I know. I do, too.”
Derek began to walk back toward the kitchen. “I do have some good news, though.”
“Oh really? What is it?”
“Well, I was fooling around last night …”
“Oh believe me, I know that.”
“No I was fooling around before we were fooling around, and I got us a little surprise for the spring.”
“What?”
“Well, we are going on a little vacation later this spring. Nothing major, but I think it will be fun.”
“Really? Where?”
“How does Rome sound?”
Derek covered his ears as Heidi screamed in excitement from the bedroom. Within seconds, he was being hugged by his naked wife, who had the grin of a first-grader glued to her face.
“Are you serious?”
“I am serious.”
“That is so awesome. Thank you, baby, you are the best.” She kissed him and jumped in excitement.
“So can I offer the naked lady some coffee?”
The two stopped and looked at each other, realizing they were both naked in the kitchen, and laughed.
“Yes. Just give me one second. I am going to throw something on.” She turned and ran to the bedroom but turned back to kiss Derek one more time. “I love you.”
“I love you too, honey.”
C H A P T E R 5
Sunday, January 24
Everglades, Florida
Maverick Training Facility
0150 Hrs
A small light bulb in the corner of the hangar provided the only light for the team as they waited by their packs for the flight. Inside each pack were tactical clothes, communications gear, custom Maverick Series weapons, and an assortment of other gear that would be required on their assignment.
The plane would have the team's chutes and other necessary gear on board. The men had a long flight ahead of them and were not kitted up yet. Most were decked out in 5.11 tactical clothing in hopes of remaining comfortable for the journey. The jet would pick them up at the airfield and take them to Ramstein Air Base in Germany, their only stop. T e military would know a CIA jet was landing but would not be privy towho was inside or what they were doing. This type of deal was arranged only at the senior level of leadership.
Several pops and the distinct hissing sound of flares ripped through the quiet night skies as red smoke and lights now illuminated the runway. The airfield had been notified by the pilot that they were in range. Men scrambled to prepare the strip. Landing on a short runway in the middle of the Everglades at night was no easy task, especially without good runway lights. The aircrew had done this before, though, and would have several more difficult missions ahead of them.
Derek had learned that Larry Tuttle, the owner of Osprey Aviation, was a longtime friend of the director and had served with him in the army. While the director had been a Special Forces operator, Tuttle had been a Special Operations pilot. He had served with the
Similar Books
