CHAPTER 1I: THE AFTERMATH
DANNY continues her story
Chuck greets his old friend Gino with a handshake and a hug. "It's good to see you still vertical, Gino."
"Thanks to Mando here, Chuck. Thanks for arranging it."
"Gino, I told you he was a specialist and you saw it first hand. Mando is quite efficient. Frankly, Gino we have no one in the Bureau as skilled and efficient as he is. He's worth ten times his fee." He glanced back at me.
"Mando, I understand you gave Agent Jacobs your statement. He'll email the written version to you to sign and return tomorrow. Yours' too, Gino. However, Mando, will you give an unofficial briefing, please, starting with these gruesome pictures of heads without bodies.?"
I laugh and give him the same sanitized version I gave Special argent Jacobs.
Chuck leans back and speaks to Gino. "Gino, Mando took a lot of bullets tonight so you wouldn't have to. And make no mistake, he's standing there like nothing happened, but buddy boy, that man is in pain, aren't you son? Bruised end-to-end, I imagine."
"Got me there, Chuck."
He shifted his focus from Gino to me. "Really Mando, how did you survive that war?"
I shook my head. "I had no choice but to survive to keep Gino alive. I did what I had to do, that's all."
He scoffed. "That's all my ass. Shit fire, son, you have to be the most polished pro in this business."
I enjoy the warm feeling of pride that statement triggers before responding. I laugh and shrug. "I don't know any other pros."
He gives me that, "don't bullshit me" look. "Right. Lone Ranger Mando. He lowers his voice while Gino goes in search of a bathroom. "I'm wondering, Mando, when will you introduce your ace fighter to the grateful client?"
"After I get cleaned up and become me again. Say, between half an hour to forty-five minutes. My battered and bruised body is demanding attention at the moment." I spin around and head toward the bedroom my gear was in. "Excuse me boys I have a soaking date with Epson Salts in a hot bath."
***
After getting the hot bubble bath and salts started, I remove the makeup with Cole cream. Next I step into the steamy shower, switch the hand held spray nozzle to pulse to remove the sweat and wash the dye from my hair.
One by one I pluck the buckshot out of the few exposed areas in my arms and legs. When I finish anointing the wounds with triple antibody salve and wrap them with waterproof tape the luxurious therapeutic bubble bath is ready and waiting under a hazy cloud of steam. I eased a toe into the water to check temperature before submerging all of me beneath the sparkling bubbles and suds to soak. Ah, the wet heat and soft, sudsy, silky feel of the scalding hot water is reviving me. I feel human again. Next, I rub down all the skin I can reach with creamy aloe body lotion accented with the fresh fragrance of green apples. I follow that with panties and a sports bra before cocooning myself with a white terrycloth bath robe from the closet, and make my way slowly to find Gino.
I wonder how he'll react upon discovering that Mando and Danny are the same person.
CHAPTER 12: BEHIND THE VEIL
GINO'S story
Once we have the room to ourselves, Chuck says, " I wasn't exaggerating a bit about Mando's expertise, was I?
I am quick to reply." No exaggeration, just fact. Is he human?"
He laughs, "I've wondered that after every mission he's been on." He sipped orange juice and set the glass down on a coaster. "Gino, tell me straight out. Do you think you're over paying him and agree I sent the right person?"
"Definitely the right person. I'm wondering, Chuck, if he should get a bonus for going against that many killers. Who else would take that assignment?"
"Against the Machetes?" He shakes his head. "No one. Two of them are in the ten most wanted line up, and one is actually number one. We know certain hits and hostage situations they were responsible for, but those two on the ten most wanted have many more hits than we know about. Even if you offered ten times that amount you'd have no takers."
I frown. "Why does he?"
"A couple of reasons, I think. One, because he can, and two, he likes saving lives and knowing he's killing the bad guys instead of innocent young soldiers just following orders. He is in a class of his own. No one individual can do what Mando does. No five either I imagine. He thinks far differently than we do. He breaks everything down to the smallest level, analyzes it, isolates the problems and comes up with a solution so practical yet never thought of. His methods often shock us. This situation, for example."
"Yes, Chuck,his methods were unbelievable. Actually, they were impossible, yet he did it as lived through it."
Chuck laughs. "Exactly. You know what the boys call him don't you?"
"Besides Mando?"
"The Lone Ranger because he works alone, and some call him Stopwatch."
"Stopwatch? What's the connection?"
Chuck laughed. "Because he stops his enemy's clocks. He jams their ticker to keep his client's ticker running smoothly." He grinned. "Sounds appropriate, doesn't it?"
I laugh. "Absolutely. On both counts."
He leans halfway towards me. "We only send him missions against the worst of the worst vermin like murders, kidnappers, and hostage takers. He doesn't do domestic work. All cases are such high risk we know that either them or him will be body bags. Hell, Gino, no criminal he's fought has ever been arrested."
"Why I that?"
He laughs, "Because, Gino, like these headless wonders in this picture, they all leave in body bags."