Standing in for Dad

"Commander Watkins, how are you today?" I asked as I handed him a 3x5 card and a pen with the question 'Who set up the two snipers?"

To his credit, Commander Watkins was now shaking as he wrote, 'Had to be the CIA Station Chief.' as he handed me the card I passed him another one: 'What are they so scared of they are willing to kill a US Diplomat over?'

Watkins then responded in writing, 'Drug smuggling and human trafficking also foreign agents doing illegal torture.'

I then wrote something, "If safe, will you testify?'

He responded, 'Can't be safe, CIA.

I wrote, "We are CIA and this is not going to fly. You have family?'

Watkins wrote back, 'None.'

I then wrote, 'When I offer a tour of the Embassy, accept and we can leave. We can knock down anything shot at us. After this, your life is not worth a plug nickel anyway.'

"Commander, may I meet the CIA station chief? Also, I would like to interview one of your prisoners, Miss Stanley Cooper. Oh, and have the Admiral brought to us as well, please."

****

What I didn't know was the SEAL Team helmets were tied into the bridge of the Embassy and Captain Barnes saw the cards as we passed them back and forth. He turned to his communications officer and said, "Get me the CIA Director and Homeland on the horn on a secure channel!"

The men were on the line within minutes and Captain Barnes introduced himself, "Sir's, I am Captain Barnes, Captain of the Embassy ship Le Délice de Susan and we have a situation. Ambassador Walker has just uncovered proof of drug smuggling, human trafficking as well as foreign agents doing illegal torture."

"The Base commander was just stripped of his command for failing to follow an order by the President of the United States and the second in command, Commander Watkins is in imminent danger. It is my assessment the former Base Commander will not live out the day as well. Commander Watkins is willing to testify. Is this a sanctioned situation?"

Both men asked, "What proof do you have?"

Captain Barnes replied, "Deep Look satellite caught them cleaning up their shit underground and we have video of a written conversation with Commander Watkins."

The CIA commander said, "Hell no this shit isn't sanctioned!"

Homeland spoke up to someone in his office Get the Joint Chiefs on the horn and patch them in, NOW!"

Moments later the Joint Chiefs were on the line and Captain Barnes gave them a sitrep. The Chairman said, "Get that carrier group to blockade that damn base immediately and send in enough Marines to take the place by force. Arrest everyone not killed. The President is not to be informed except that we have had to take over the base due to illegal activity. If he wants to know more, we will tell him in the Situation Room."

"How long?" Barnes asked.

After a pause the Chairman said, "Can your people get to the defense hub and shut it down?"

"Sir, that SEAL Team and Ambassador Walker can shut down the whole fucking base, Sir."

"We can have a Battery of Marines there in 45 minutes arriving in both helicopters and para trooping in if the base anti-air resources are secure."

"It will be neutralized, Sir. You have my word. Also, I am sending the video of Deep Look so you can brief your men on the way in. Sir, what are the rules of engagement?"

"Do whatever you need to do, Captain, to secure that base, protect the SEAL Team, the Ambassador, and yourselves. You are authorized weapons hot."

After everyone hung up Captain Barnes said, "Coms! Can you get exact coordinates of all the anti-air assets on the base with Deep Look?"

"Already mapped out, Sir."

"How many batteries and what is their composition?"

"Sir, there are Five sets of 8 missile silo's with half a dozen gun emplacements."

"Plug in the gun emplacements and be ready to fire one missile on each emplacement. Have one additional missile on the command and control center as well."

"Sir, that center is underground, the missile will not be effective."

"Shit! What about a communications tower?"

Coms laughed his ass off, "Sir, this base was old when my daddy was in the Navy. They have a centralized set of towers that seem to control everything."

"Fan-freakin-tastic! Have two missiles strike that position first!"

"Sir, may I make a suggestion?"

"Absolutely! What's on your mind?"

"Sir, this base is self sufficient. It is run entirely by generators. Those generators are on the surface and in a direct line of site to the Sea Whiz."

"You have to be fucking kidding me!"

Coms smiled, "We take out those generators along with the building housing the battery backups and the base is totally in the dark. Then all we have to do is take out the gun emplacements, Sir."

"Damn son! Where were you during Desert Storm! In 20 minutes I want you to take out the generators first and then launch a missile at each of the gun emplacements."

****

One of the SEAL Lieutenants tapped me on the shoulder as Commander Watkins was coordinating my requests. When I turned to look at him he tapped the side of his helmet, indicating I needed to turn on my coms unit. OK, I felt stupid at that reminder. I turned it on and asked, "Whats up?"

Captain Barnes came over the line and gave me a very quick sitrep.

"Commander Watkins, is there a secure place we can meet with everyone?"

"Yes, Ambassador, there is a secure bunker not far from my office and within 200 yards of our location."

I nodded, "Have everyone meet us there and make sure they understand I don't want to be kept waiting. The longer I wait the more I want to know."

"Everyone will be there in 10 minutes, Mr. Ambassador."

I wrote a note to the Lieutenants, for them to share, "Weapons hot. Take out ALL escorts after last one arrives with extreme prejudice."

"SEAL Team, we are going to cut power in 18 minutes. That leaves only two stairwells to the lower levels, both within one click. You need to secure those stairwells for 25 minutes after the shit hits the fan."

****

Alpha Squad broke down into two 4 man teams and went to secure the stairwells. Beta Squad stayed with us but handed over several grenades and three Claymores to each team, bringing their complement up to 20 grenades and 6 Claymores each. I noted everyone had silencers affixed to their.45s.

As soon as we were between buildings, Alpha Squad broke away and headed to the stairwells. When they went into the stairwells they set one Claymore on the 6th step up from the landing of the first floor door set to be tripped from the fourth step and a second Claymore on the wall above where the door would open that would be manually triggered by a SEAL.

The tops of the stairwells were out in the open and were basically 12 X 12 foot reinforced concrete boxes. Both SEAL units then set the other 4 Claymores up in strategic locations for area denial to secure the ground level landing from anyone attempting to storm the stairwells. They were relieved to note no one used the stairwells when the elevators were working.

****

We arrived at the secured room and 8 Seals came in with us and fanned out to cover the door from all angles, weapons low but safeties off on their.45s which were just sitting unsecured in their holsters. To their credit, the SEALS relaxed as if this was a cakewalk mission, not wanting to set off alarm bells when everyone entered.

Miss Cooper arrived first with a guard escorting her and treating her roughly. When she entered the room and saw Dad and me there she freaked. "Oh no! Please! Please don't kill me! I made a mistake, I am sorry!" She was weak, unwashed, disheveled, cuffed, and had obviously been abused. We had the guard secure her to the table and I told her to be quiet. The guard was asked to step outside as the room would soon be too crowded for him to remain inside.

The Admiral came next, escorted by two men who looked to be a two man wet work team. They obviously didn't like the arrangement and were hyper alert. After securing him to the table across from Miss Cooper, who was now wondering what the hell was going on, having met the base commander before, the two man team put their backs to the wall and stood close to each other.

Finally, the CIA station chief walked in, just about 2 minutes late,with four men who were obviously mercs. "It seems to be a bit crowded in here," I said, "Two of our guys need to step outside please?" I said as I looked at the LT. He nodded for two to step outside and as soon as the door was closed, the CIA station chief started, "Wha...."

That's all he got out before the six men were gunned down in the blink of an eye by silenced.45s with armor piercing rounds. Good thing, too as they were all wearing body armor. All the mercs were knocked down and the SEALS followed up with head shots before the stunned men could react.

We heard the man outside go down hard as the station chief reached for his gun. Dad stuck his sub machine gun in his gut and said, "Please pull that shit out. I am begging you."

One of the SEALS disarmed him, patted him down and locked him to the table as well. The CIA station chief then said, "You fellas have just signed your death warrants. I'm the fucking CIA!"

Dad just laughed, "Ever hear of the field agent called Spectre?"

"Who in the company hasn't? He is a legend in the spec ops division of the CIA."

Dad smiled, "Well you are now one of the few who can identify me. So you will forgive us if we don't give two shits about you being a rogue fucking CIA field operative who got his dick caught in a vice."

The spook literally turned white with that announcement, "FUCK!"

Two SEALS then gagged and blindfolded the Admiral and spook. Alpha squad then quickly stepped out to secure the outside door, then they began setting claymores and creating a kill zone up top.

"Commander, I need you to lead two SEALS to the command bunker so it can be neutralized, do you have a problem with that?"

"I can do that, it is actually next to us, within 20 feet. But can you not kill them outright? Those men are innocents in all this."

"As long as they do what they are told and don't attack the SEALS. Lieutenant, you disagree?"

"I would leave it in my men's hands, Sir. Allow them to determine if it is safe to let them live."

"Good enough Commander?"

"Yes, that is all I could ask for, really."

The Commander and two SEALS left to secure the command bunker.

Miss Cooper was in tears.

****

(Heavy banging) "This is Commander Watkins! We are under attack and I have an urgent message for the Joint Chiefs! Let me in!"

(Shouting through a reinforced door) "Commander! We are under orders from the Admiral not to allow anyone in or out when under attack!"

"First: I am the base commander as the Admiral has been put under arrest by the President of the United States! Second: If you don't open this door immediately we are all fucking dead!"

Realizing the rumors were true, and that the Commander was indeed the next in line to run the base, one of the men opened the door to let him in.

The SEALS rushed the center and secured the four occupants, shutting down their emergency power grid and cutting all command and control to the entire base in the process.

****

"Fire control, take out those generators!"

Immediately the Sea Whiz Gatling guns opened fire on the cluster of generators and the building with the emergency battery storage. Within seconds the entire area was saturated and destroyed. The battery acid leaked onto the concrete flooring and reacted, creating a hydrogen gas cloud that finished the job when it exploded.

Captain Barnes then ordered, "Take out the gun emplacements!" and six missiles shot straight up and then headed straight towards each gun emplacement which were blown up before the teams manning them could react. No one even suspecting that the Embassy carried the most advanced Naval Missiles on the planet.

When the Sea Whiz started up everyone topside on the base froze and then went into panic mode, finding a shelter to hide in. When the power went out, it took about two minutes before the first Claymores went off on the stairwells.

"Coms let the incoming Marines know where to land and that the airspace is now secured."

****

The first team of four SEALS noted when the Sea Whiz went live and two members set themselves to cover the stairwell inside while two set up outside with their compliment of grenades and Claymores.

It didn't take long for the first Claymore to cook off in the stairwell. From the looks of it, that first one took out 6 armed men. The SEALS then shot a few rounds down into the stairwell and threw down a grenade to make everyone think twice about coming up.

After a moment, a man with a foreign accent called up, "Who are you people?"

One SEAL hollered down, "Navy SEALS! And if you want to live you will not come up these stairs, they are rigged with explosives and we will take you down."

"I am a foreign diplomat with diplomatic immunity! You cannot hold me here!"

"That may very well be, Sir. But the second I see you, I am blowing your fucking head off. After that I will check your credentials and offer an apology to you. So I suggest you keep your supposed diplomatic ass down there and we can sort this shit out in about 20 minutes."

"You will cause an international incident if you shoot me!"

"Yep, and it will be the second one in as many days. So take a fuckin number, asshole." The SEAL fired a round down the stairwell just for good measure and shit got real quiet real fast.

The coms officer let the SEALs know that they would advise if anyone was coming up the stairs.

Outside they did let the two other SEALs know that a couple squads were headed their way along with a sniper setting up in a nearby building. Sea Whiz took out the sniper but the squads moving in were in line with the two SEALs.

This is where the DEEP LOOK satellite saved their asses. The SEAL members watched and just as the two squads were setting up to attack, they lit up two of the Claymores and took them out to a man.

****

The second team of 4 SEALs were not quite as fortunate.

When the Sea Whiz went off and took out the power the stairwell was almost immediately packed with armed men. After the first Claymore went off two of the SEAL team members let loose with a couple grenades down the shaft but more men kept coming into the stairwell. One of the armed men had a light caliber M-16 and he was able to bounce a few rounds up the stairwell.

One round grazed one of the SEAL's upper arm and he cursed and immediately bounced a live grenade back at the assailant. The other SEAL threw one down the open center of the stairwell and both of them took out the men coming up the stairs. Thankfully, the active, acoustic, automatic noise cancellation devices in their helmets protected their hearing.

Outside, two armored personnel carriers were moving in fast. About the time they were able to draw a bead on the SEALs outside though, Sea Whiz again had their backs. The depleted Uranium rounds literally plowed through two concrete block walls of a building and exploded the two vehicles.

While that was happening, another assailant was busy lining up a hand deployed rocket at the Embassy. The moron mistakenly thought he could get a shot off without being targeted. After the Sea Whiz took him out, the bloody idiot had his launcher surrounded.

****

After all the initial commotion, the base personnel figured out they were outmatched and everyone stood down. About 19 minutes later the Marines landed. Captain Barnes squawked over a loudspeaker, "Marines, hold position! We have friendlies that have booby trapped access to the stairwells! Allow them to clear the traps and clear the area before you move in!"

"Marines are here you can all evac now." Captain Barnes informed us.

The SEAL Team with Dad and I secured the Admiral and spook while I unshackled Mrs. Cooper as I spoke to her, "Mrs Cooper, if you wish, I am authorized to have you released into my custody for a period of years. I will take care of you and hire you as a property manager to manage 2 lake front cottages. You will have 3 squares, an environmentally conditioned place to live, a soft bed, and limited freedom to move about the area, to include visiting your town."

"All your belongings were confiscated and sold at auction, including your home, I cannot do anything about that. But I will take care of all your needs for as long as you wish. That is, of course, if you can see this way out of your current situation as your best option for a better life."

"If you do not wish to do that, I can arrange for you to be tried for violations of the Espionage Act and if you win your case, you can be free and get reparations for the loss of your assets. If you lose, you will find yourself in prison for the rest of your life. I might add, they have an audio record of your phone conversations with the hit team with whom you spoke, so your possibilities of winning your case are slim and none."

"Mr. Walker, I was a self-centered, egotistical, shrew who made some really, really stupid decisions from a position of false pride. If you can get me out of here, I will be forever grateful and in your debt. This place, horrible as it is, has taught me humility. I will gladly work for you for as long as you wish."

As we exited the underground bunker we met up with the other squad and 22 of us walked out together to meet the Marine Captain in charge of the Battery.

"Captain! I am ES-5 Harry Walker, Ambassador of the United States. I have two prisoners here, one is the former base commander and the other is the CIA station chief. I have evidence they were involved in human and drug trafficking as well as allowing this base to be used by foreign agents to perform clandestine and illegal torture on detainees housed on base. I am handing over those two men and am taking custody of one detainee."

"Commander, if the Marines clear out the non-desirableness, you think you are safe?"

"Very much so, Mr. Ambassador."

"Captain, by Order of the President, Commander Watkins is now base commander and he will work with you to ensure you get all the intelligence and bad actors you need and off the base."

The Captain turned to me, noticed my insignia and asked, "How long before the rest of your command makes it out so we can begin cleaning up this clusterfuck, Ambassador?"

"This is all of us, Captain, you may commence your operations."

"Wait! 18 of you, along with a flippin yacht, were able to shut down an entire military base? Including totally suppressing their air defenses?"

"Yes, Captain. This is all of us."

"Who the hell are you people and can I get you attached to my unit?

I smiled, "Sorry, Captain, but that information is above your pay grade."

The Captain chuckled, nodded and barked, "Gunny! Assign some Marines to secure these two men and make sure they don't talk to one another! I will deal with them after contacting command."

"Eye Sir!"

With that, the 19 of us casually walked to the yacht.

"Coms," Captain Barnes said, "Broadcast Joan Jett and the Blackhearts singing 'I Love Rock and Roll' as the Team walks back and put it out over every speaker on the ship. After that play 'Hero' by Mariah Carey. These boys deserve a hero's welcome back."

Coms just smiled and cued up the songs.

Cathy met us at the gangway and took the injured SEAL under her wing, taking him directly to the med bay. On the way to the elevator 'I need a Hero' by Bonnie Tyler came over the speakers on the yacht. DD grabbed Mrs. Cooper and took her up to the med bay as well for a full checkup; working her counseling magic along the way.

****

A quick X-ray showed three pieces of bullet shrapnel in Billy's arm. Cathy numbed his arm as Doc made sure his instruments were clean. Doc said, "Billy, while I am sure your injury was painful, it isn't really that bad. I can get these out without an issue and, with a few stitches after cleaning your wound and a couple days R&R, you will be right as rain."