The hotel looked quiet at three in the morning, no sign of the absurdly lax security force Ricardo maintained. Gary walked boldly into the main lobby and made for the elevators. Suddenly he felt a great need to see Chris, to hold him and never let him go.

Gary inserted the key and slid quietly into the room. Chris lay asleep, clutching a pillow in his arms. He looked so peaceful like this, so soft...vulnerable. And that's what tore at Gary's heart.

Jerry had been so much like this, so blissfully unaware of the dangerous world around him. That would be gone now, his innocence stripped and laid bare by these murderous thugs. Gary hoped the boy was all right; he just had to be...vengeance was such a horrible waste of precious time.

If they had hurt him, one tiny little hair...Gary would lash out with such a storm of hate and murderous intent that no one in that cartel family would survive. The team would support him, they always had. They had done things too horrible to contemplate, things best left buried in the desert sand. But as he looked down at Chris peacefully asleep he knew there was a good reason to never lose control like that again.

Gary showered and carefully slid into bed beside Chris. The next few days would be a test. Chris would see and hear much...too much. He couldn't be protected from the savage fury of the actions they would have to unleash, but the boy needed to know what it meant to be strong in the face of adversity.

Umm Qasr, the Iraqi port on the Persian Gulf below Basra. The Iraqi invasion was set for the end of March 2003; the Navy Seals went in the day before the party started. The British Royal Marines and the Polish Special Forces were due to take possession of the port and allow supplies to begin flowing. The Iraqi Navy had a base there, and no one knew if they had plans to blow up the vital equipment on the docks. Gary and his unit were tasked to prevent that kind of damage.

At 0200, in the middle of a quiet night, thirty-two Seals climbed out of the water onto the docks of Umm Qasr. In a matter of minutes they took out the guards patrolling both the dimly lit docks and the rail yard beyond. No demolition charges were found, the concerns of the big brass were unfounded. Now all they had to do was hold the position until 0600, easier said than done.

The Intelligence people had screwed up on one small detail. There was a force of elite Republican Guards encamped just outside the port facility, several hundred men who knew how to take orders and fight. Once the guards were discovered missing the alarm was sounded. Fortunately there was only one way in and out of the docks and Gary's unit controlled it.

The situation quickly became problematic when the Seals started to run out of ammunition. By the time the British cavalry rolled in they were shooting back with captured weapons. When the fight was over the Seals had several wounded and no casualties, but there was a pile of Iraqi bodies blocking the entrance. Gary's team was extracted, the helicopters flying over the advancing Army units flooding out of Kuwait. It was only the beginning of a long love/hate relationship Gary had with Iraq and its people.

It seemed like he had just fallen asleep when Tommy came knocking...was it seven already? Gary went into the next room and they sat, leaving Chris to his slumber. The disk Eduardo had made was filled with background information on the cartels gleaned from the public records. It seems a lot of officials had died trying to control the spread of drugs in the Yucatan.

"These guys are fucking animals," Gary finally said. "They murder just about anyone."

"Murder is a refuge of the weak, it takes a strong hand to control the living without it," Tommy said.

"More of that Chinese philosophy you've been reading lately?"

"Nope, just common sense. How do we control animals? When they turn rabid you kill them all."

"A frontal assault is out, their compound is like a fortress, especially that church," Gary said, looking at pictures of the old Spanish church. Seems it had been a tourist attraction for years until the cartel secured the location. "Look at those battlements, the place looks like a castle."

"A Trojan horse maybe?"

"Hmm ... about as effective as a wounded duck," Gary said. "This has to be quick."

They had to infiltrate based upon specific information as to where the boys were kept, if they were there at all. No sense in robbing a bank if the money had been moved elsewhere. But one look at the place told Gary the boys were being held in the compound. Ignacio would think it impregnable so the best thing to do was get him to open the gates for them.

"We need a diversion to draw off the main force, a secondary movement to confuse our intentions and the real snatch and grab to take the boys out," Gary said.

"Someone has to be inside if that's going to work. At the first sign of trouble they may try to eliminate the hostages or use them as shields," Tommy said.

"Then I have to allow myself to be captured...and I have a very good reason to be there, my son. They ought to believe that."

"You always stick your neck out like that, no wonder I look so much like a hero...always rescuing your ass in the nick of time. So what are you planning to do, just knock on the door and ask to see your son?"

"Something like that, but I plan to go to church first," Gary said. "They'll let me in if they think I'm worth something."

And the plan evolved as they spoke. Gary would go in, be taken and probably locked up while they thought about his offer. It would have to be a large ransom offer, a sum big enough to make it worth their while. Tommy and company would probe the outside, secure the escape route and become the strike force. Over time the plan would involve elements of missions they had pulled off before.

Tommy went out to secure some serviceable vehicles, heading to the airport Hertz counter first. Gary needed to make some arrangements with Ricardo, but first he needed to wake Chris.

Nibbling on an earlobe produced the right results, Chris rolled over with a bright smile.

"How did it go last night?" He asked.

"Good, learned enough to make it worthwhile."

Chris propped himself up in bed. "What am I going to be doing while you go out chasing the bad guys?"

"You and Oliver will run the show from here. We'll all be linked by a highly secure radio network. Communications is the backbone of any operation, especially when guys are spread out all over the place. But it's more than that, Oliver is very good at analyzing information. And just so you know, he's a really good soldier, someone I admire...I think you will too."

"You have such cool friends," Chris said. "I had no idea you were into all this stuff."

"That's why we're successful...no one knows. I took a team of combat ready men and forged a security company. I think for what we do there isn't much in the way of competition. Unfortunately we've been the choice of last resort for some of our clients who let things get out of hand."

Chris threw his arms around Gary's neck. "I feel safe with you around," He said. And that was the point, he needed to feel safe...but then so did Jerry. Gary felt like he had let his guard down there.

"Come on, time to get up...the guys will be here in a while," Gary said.

Chris showered and they had room service make up a light breakfast. Gary got Ricardo on the line and said they would use his meeting room this afternoon, he promised them lunch and total privacy. Then Chris followed him down to the boat and Gary began to reveal a few of the less obvious things.

Gary showed him the trick with the hood over the kitchen range. Between them he figured Chris and Oliver could manage to take it apart. The boy gasped when the box slid out and he saw all those weapons.

"Remember my words, Chris. These are not to be fooled with unless you need to protect yourselves. I want Oliver to agree before you load any weapon, he'll show you how. For your size and ability I would recommend the Uzi. It has little kick and sprays bullets like a fire hose, all you have to do is point it in the general direction of what you want to hit."

Gary put a hand on the boy's shoulder for emphasis. "Chris, killing people is bad business and something I hope you never have to do. The Uzi clip holds thirty rounds and if you hold the trigger down it will go empty in a matter of seconds. Nothing is more dangerous than an empty gun so take it easy if you have to fire it. Again, Oliver will show you how to load it if necessary."

Then he took Chris onto the aft deck and pulled up the engine access hatch. They looked down into the engine compartment and Gary dropped down beside the large diesel motor, turning back to give Chris a hand. They crawled over to the bilge access door and Gary twisted the handle.

Needless to say the smell was a bit raunchy, but there was little water to block their view.

"See those...uh, bricks?" Gary reached down and pulled one up, it came away from the Velcro mountings with a ripping sound. "This is the ammunition for those weapons, the outside is rubber, and it only looks like a brick." He laid several of them on the deck and closed up the hatch.

They carried the bricks into the galley and stacked them beside the stove. "Now you have bullets for the Uzi and the M-16's, the pistols will be coming with me. Okay, on to other business," Gary said.

He showed Chris where they could set up the communications gear, power outlets to plug into and a rubber boot in the overhead that they could remove to run the antenna wires up the mast.

"Are you afraid of heights?" Gary asked.

"No, I can climb a palm tree in a heartbeat," Chris said.

"Good, same theory for climbing the mast, but the sail has to be up for it to work. Just take it easy, I'll try to help when the time comes. You know the boat, where the supplies are...you guys may be living here for a few days. Just be careful not to attract attention, and if you need anything just ask Ricardo."

The weather report said the week ahead looked better and better, drying up by the weekend. The same could not be said for the hurricane in the Gulf, it was about to tear Texas a new asshole. Gary had been to Galveston many times, fond times that looked like they were about to become history. The city was close to sea level which meant the islands would be devastated.

Tommy interrupted and said it was time to go get the troops. He'd rented a green Expedition from God knows where. A good solid vehicle for carrying heavy weight and it would soon be tested. Chris joined them and they took off for the airport in Cancun.

The five men that walked down the steps from the private jet looked like something out of a Hollywood movie about American tourists. The flowered Hawaiian shirts, the straw hats and baseball caps almost made Gary laugh...but they had gone through American customs without a hitch.

The Mexican officials gave the well worn passports a perfunctory look, and stamped an entry visa for each man. Gary loaded the golf clubs and bags in the SUV while Tommy led Nate back into the terminal to the Hertz counter to pick up vehicle number two. Gary introduced Chris to the guys and especially Oliver. At least the cast was only on his left forearm.

"Car slipped off the jack," He explained, "At least they gave me a cool cast."

Gary laughed and looked down at the camouflage pattern which was practical. The guys all shook hands with Chris and he looked each of them in the eye with confidence. Nate and Tommy returned in a Jeep Wrangler which they had procured as the second vehicle.

Ricardo had given them most of the third floor since the rooms were available. They commandeered several rolling carts and trucked stuff up the elevators. Each man was given two hours to rest up and shower before they would meet to begin planning.

Chris was excited, he babbled about the things he'd heard the guys say, the brief glimpse of their exploits that they often shared. Each man had a specialty, something they were good at, although they could each do most anything required of a combat specialist. But at the same time they were real human beings and Gary respected that.

They had all been through the same training, the same fights, and had discovered themselves to be among men they trusted. No one individual could have survived what they had experienced, yet as a team they thrived. To that end Gary trusted their input, and knew there would be more than one opinion of what they were about to do.

Command did not easily yield to a democratic form of thinking, but Gary valued each and every one of the men's opinions. Sometimes they were too cautious, although it was not their personal safety that they were expressing. Missions always took on a life of their own as they kicked off. Adjustment was required or someone paid the consequences. So far they had always done the right thing, and to be honest, it wasn't always Gary's decision that mattered.

Gary could not easily explain the danger of what was planned. At this point he didn't know that much about it himself. But if something went horribly wrong he knew that Tommy or one of the guys would get Chris back to Max...his life would go on.

The meeting room was quiet, the guys barely talking to one another as they worked on the plates of food Ricardo had provided. The banquet, for that is what it appeared to be, was spread out in heated chafing dishes along a covered table set against the wall. There were no waiters, no one would be allowed in the room as they met.

Chris and Gary were the last to arrive, and were met with gazes that varied from friendly to anxious...that was to be expected. They helped themselves to some food, sat down...and Tommy began to talk.

"Guys, we have a difficult task ahead," He said, and this the way he always started these proceedings. As the number two leader Tommy had always chaired the planning sessions, the man had never been known to run out of words. He was eloquent, but never mouthy...and he never missed a beat when it came to inspiring the guys to be their best.

Tommy laid out the problem. Mayor's son, Gary's son, the kidnapping and the remote enemy compound. And then he told them Gary was going be the inside man, the one who would find the hostages and be held with them until everyone was rescued.

Chris stopped eating and stared at Gary. Tommy said it was necessary since the boys had to be located before any action could be taken. But Chris was now worried, Gary was going into danger and he could do nothing to stop it.

Oliver spoke up. "I brought some new little gadgets Gary can use, damn near fool-proof even though they are short range. I can replace the button on his jeans with a microphone that transmits on VHF, has a range of three miles or better over water. The circuits are in an iron on patch we place in the pocket, virtually undetectable. Thank the CIA for this one."

"So you can hear but I can't talk back," Gary said.

"You have a belt buckle for that. Sorry, it's a Western thing, but it's a two way. It has a call up feature set to vibrate; only you'll know when we wanna talk. And the belt has a garrote in the lining; the throwing knives will be in the boots."

Gary laughed. "Now I'm a cowboy...long as it works. If I need a weapon I can get one from the guards, always worked before." He looked around the table. "Thanks for being here guys; I got you covered on this one."

They all grumbled, they weren't here for the pay...loyalty motivated them, but Gary smiled. "The Morales cartel is into drugs, there ought to be some loose cash lying around...just don't take more than you can carry." The guys all laughed, all except Nate.

Kuwait, the remnants of an Iraqi headquarters vehicle sitting just across the border. Nate found a box of gold bars, the spoils of war he immediately determined, and he tried to make off with it. The burden was just too much for him and he enlisted the help of a local who immediately drove off with it in his car. Nate was furious and they all laughed at him, lesson learned.

"Okay, the plan is as follows," Gary said. "Ricardo is loaning us his limo. He assures me the driver can get me through the gate and up to the church. I hope they decide to lock me up with the boys so I can check on them, I will insist they do.

"The church is part of their fortified position, and thus a target of opportunity. The locals might not like that, but they chose the site not us. It won't go down well with the authorities if we trash an important holy site so I better brush up on my Catholic virtues." A few snickers.

"Tommy and Jackson will drive in as tourists. You'll wander the village and scope out the people. I imagine some of them will be part of the cartel so look for weapons. I don't know how fast this will unroll; I will bankroll your venture so you can buy some stuff to keep the locals happy."

"Just stay away from their senioritas," Nate said. "No more hot water." That brought a general round of laughter and Jackson grinned.

Jackson Delmar had been a college boy, an NFL hopeful until he slipped quietly into the Navy. He'd been caught with the college Dean's wife in a mutual shower scene and had to leave town abruptly. He was a strong man, a ladies man, but not here. Putting the two black men together as friends on tour made the most sense, alone they would be standouts.

"Okay, Nate and Mark will take the waterfront," Gary said. "I need your eyes to tell me if the yacht is there. A lot of watercraft around, many of them carry tourists across to Cozumel Island. We may consider that avenue of escape ourselves, but not if the yacht is left functional. It's supposed to be armed and dangerous. I'm sure Mark will think up a unique demo package for those guys."

Mark had blown up an entire convoy of armed Iraqis in the middle of a village without killing a single civilian. He was that good and it earned him a medal.

"Rescuing the boys is one thing, having Ignacio in our sights will resolve a lot of local issues. We could get the boys out only to have to face that jerk later on, I want both problems solved. Besides...he's mine." The guys grinned at that, they understood.

"Bobby will have perimeter patrol; he's the close up eyes and ears. One word from him and we all move if they suspect anything and start to form a resistance. I have some overhead shots of the compound and the surrounding area. Highway 307 is the only way in and out, not a great option if they get re-enforcements on the road too soon.

"Oh, just for your information, there is a Mexican Navy base some miles to the south. I don't know if heading that way would help or hinder us so I plan to head back to Cancun with the boys. Maybe get lost in the tourist trade if they're still capable of following us by then. In and out, that's the scenario for now...any questions?"

Mark nodded. "Any chance of us taking the yacht by force? That would solve our transportation problems."

"I imagine if Ignacio is aboard then it will be heavily defended, but then so is the church compound. That would mean fighting two battles...not gonna happen. I think we're spread thin enough. Eduardo is going to contact his brother, one of the local military commanders after we strike. They will do the mop up...well, unless they are in Ignacio's pocket too.

"The political scene dictates that we get the hell out of town. I think we can safely stay here at the hotel a few days, no one knows we're here now, but that could change quickly. You're all welcome to sail back with me and the boys if you have the time to spare. Otherwise the jet will be at the airport for the return trip. It will be on call starting tomorrow."

"When do we go?" Mark asked.

Gary looked around the room, it was his decision. "Tomorrow. The longer we wait the bigger the chance that the enemy will discover the existence of our strike team. Oliver and Chris will setup the communications station today, radio checks and all that before dinner. Rest up and check your weapons...we should jump off by late morning."

"Late morning?" Tommy asked.

"Yes, let the heat build up a bit. Makes the guards sleepy and then they won't resist hustling me indoors when I arrive. If I leave here by eleven, you should be behind me only an hour, say 1300 as your arrival time. Heat of the day, hot tourists looking for refreshment, anything that looks normal...peaceful. Go sit in a cafe, walk on the waterfront...I'll be inside sweating my balls off."

"Anyone bring a football?" Mark asked.

"You wanna play ball?" Jackson asked.

"Nope, I'll fill it with C4 and toss it to the guys on the yacht with a remote detonator. I saw that in a movie once."

"Yeah, I did too...uh, Brad Pitt I think," Nate said. "They were there to fight the Iraqis Hollywood style." That got a lot of laughter. Every man in that room had done it the hard way.

"I have a ball," Jackson said.

"Figured you might," Mark replied.

Gary passed around the satellite photos he'd pulled off Google that morning. The layout was pretty clear, church and the enclosed compound at the north end of the village, road and gate facing the main street. It looked positively medieval, and that was what Gary was counting on.

The waterfront and the docks weren't fortified; Mark would be able to get close enough to the yacht to toss his ball if needed. Bobby would look for chinks in the armor; find the back way in which might be a better way out once they found the boys. Gary just hoped they were in good enough shape to walk out, they might have to run.

Tommy looked over the maps and found a remote parking spot for the vehicles on a side road. There were lots of spidery trails around the village, most of them showed up clearly on the overheads.

"Look at this," Bobby said. He pointed to several trails that seemed to come out the back of the church and one of them ended in a small square patch. "Bet that's a cemetery." He said.

"Good eyes, that means there's a back door somewhere," Gary said.

"I'll find it," Bobby said. "Easy access to the beach or the trees, depends on which way is best I suppose. Lines of defense will determine that."

Gary nodded in agreement. Some of the guys engaged Chris in discussing Jerry and Miguel. Gary had every confidence that Chris and Oliver would hold it all together, they had to for this to work. The best way for Chris to weather this storm of emotion would be to stay busy and involved.

Oliver and Chris carried the radio gear down to the boat. All the equipment fit into two ordinary looking Samsonite suitcases. Oliver was in the electronics business and had been for years. His contacts with the covert services in America were real, and he had developed much of this equipment himself.

Gary was left holding a pair of cowboy boots and a belt, the buckle was huge by his standards. But he fancied the embossed stallion with the ruby eyes, control buttons Oliver had explained. Sorta took away a little of the magic to know that, but it would still look good with his jeans.

Mark went back to his room with Jackson's football, while Tommy and Jackson checked out the transportation. Nate and Bobby went off to do the weapons check. Gary went looking for Ricardo.

"My driver is very concerned," Ricardo began. "I will take his place for you."

"Oh no, I can always get one of my men to drive," Gary said.

"But he will not know the way. I can assure your passage to the church, I must insist."

Ricardo had an almost pleading look in his eyes. He wanted some part in all of this; his desire to please overcoming his personal fear. Gary nodded in agreement and the man brightened immediately.

"What role will you be assuming?" He asked.

"I'm to become a Texas oil man, lots of money. We will be there because Eduardo's deputy has told me my son has been held hostage and might be ransomed out of this mess. I hope it gets the deputy in a lot of hot water...I really don't want Eduardo's name to come up."

"Yes, good. The offer of money will be most welcome to those greedy people. I would shoot them myself if I had the skills." He smiled. "But I do not. Will they let us leave do you think?"

"I don't know. But I will insist on seeing my son."

"Yes, this is proper for a ransom. I pray that he will not be hurt, Miguel too." Ricardo said, crossing himself.

"You're Catholic? Of course you are," Gary said.

"Yes, and I do business with The Church."

"So you've been inside this church the Morales family now owns, tell me what it is like."

Ricardo explained how the artwork inside was magnificent, the statuary was considered sacred. And then there were the vaults where several noble Spaniards had been interred in past centuries.

"Vaults...there is a basement?" Gary asked.

"Oh yes, it is the holiest place. The most cherished are buried down there, they have great carved tombs. The not so great are buried in the cemetery out behind the church."

"But the walls are high and the church has been surrounded by this fortress of brick and stone." Gary said. "How does one reach the cemetery?"

"There is a door...ah, you seek an entrance, wonderful." Ricardo's eyes gleamed; he was enjoying the use of his knowledge. "Yes, there is a stout doorway at the base of the church underneath the altar above. It is quite heavy, solid metal I think, but I have seen it only once. But Gary, it locks from the inside, you cannot get in."

"I will be inside looking for a way out, you have just solved my problem," Gary said.

Gary walked down to the boat and saw Oliver stringing antenna wire out through the overhead boot. Chris was still inside as Gary crept up on deck.

"How's the setup going?" He asked.

"Good...that boy of yours is freakin smart as hell, he has this all figured out already," Oliver said.

Gary smiled. "Yes, he's very clever. You have weapons command over him, mind that he doesn't point a loaded gun at you...he's never fired one before."

"He showed me the cache, very clever," Oliver said. "I bet you've been hauling those things around for years and no one knew."

"Yes, I bought them a long time ago."

"We'll keep them handy in case you bring any bad guys back with you." Oliver laughed. "I sorta figured this boat was Plan B in case everything goes to hell in a hand basket."

"It's all ready to roll, tanks topped off and plenty of supplies," Gary said. "Plan B is better then no plan at all."

"Got that right," Oliver said. "Okay, are you gonna climb up there or...well, I just can't, damn it. This fucking cast is a pain in the butt."

"You planning to zip tie the antenna to the masthead?" Gary asked.

"Yeah, up there to the side, figure it won't foul the pulleys that way in case we have to raise the sail in a hurry."

"Good thinking...why don't we let Chris do us old men a favor?"

"Sure, but its mighty high up there, you think he can do it?" Oliver asked, looking up the mast.

"Forty-five feet...about as tall as a palm tree I recon," Gary said. "He should do just fine."

Oliver leaned in the porthole and called Chris up on deck. The boy's eyes gleamed as Oliver explained how the zip ties were to be attached to the masthead. Chris nodded and looked up, but it was curiosity not fear Gary saw in those eyes.

"We need to raise the sail so you can use the rings to climb, we'll just untie the lashings on the boom so the sail won't catch a breeze," Gary said. "And I'm going to put a line around your waist for safety. You slip and I'll just lower you down, okay?"

Chris nodded. Oliver laid the wire out on the deck while they untied the sail. Gary then cranked on the winch sending the limp nylon upwards, it looked more like a banner now than a sail. Chris gave him a sexy smile and then tied the safety line around his waist.

Grasping the mast just like it was a palm tree Chris began his ascent. Up and up he went, never looking down until he reached the top. He wrapped his legs around the mast and locked his ankles. Slowly he pulled the antenna up on the signal line and within minutes had it secured to the masthead. Chris was all smiles when his feet touched the deck again and Oliver clapped him on the back.

"What a great freakin monkey, that took balls, boyo," Oliver said. He looked up again. "Now let's go see if it works."

Below decks there was a great pile of gear on the coffee table, wires running everywhere. Oliver turned it all on and connected the antenna leads. He tuned a dial, punched a few buttons and they had salsa music coming through the speakers.

"Yup, it works. Chris, you did it partner." They high-fived and Oliver went back to the equipment.

"Oliver, I'm going to take Chris back up to the hotel...how long do you need?"

"Be done in an hour, we'll check your belt out later and I still need to sew on that button."

"Okay, I'll bring the pants down for dinner. We have a table all squared away in the restaurant for seven o'clock...more free eats."

"I like the sound of that," Oliver said.

Chris laughed as they walked back up to the hotel. "Oliver has a huge cock...its massive," Chris said. "Oh, not that he showed it to me but...well, he doesn't wear underwear and I saw the damn thing snaking down his leg in those cutoffs. Jeez, it shocked the hell out of me."

Gary grinned. Oliver's appendage was notorious in the outfit, eleven inches of death was the standard joke. Guys in the Navy get pretty raunchy in close quarters and aboard ship things like that get noticed. Oliver was modest about it; it was Nate and Jackson who'd entered him in that contest. It was agreed he had the biggest one in the Mediterranean fleet that year, the prize money kept them in beer for weeks.

At least now Chris had contributed something tangible to the mission, but now there was nothing but time ahead. Gary knew that these moments of waiting were the worst; at least he had things to think about. Chris would find the hours ahead disturbing and there was little Gary could do except offer himself.

A soldier gets used to the waiting and he was taught to use it as a means to focus. The reality was that the risk of combat was never far from even the most lucid thoughts. To a young and inexperienced boy these thoughts would be terrifying. Gary shut the door to their hotel room and took Chris in his arms.

For the longest time there were no words, just the emotions and the grasp of two people sharing more than the physical contact. Chris was such a sexy creature, but that was denied and had been since Jerry was taken. Gary could only thank his lucky stars that Chris had not been part of that; it would have driven him mad.

Tomorrow morning Gary would leave, and he had confidence in his ability to return. He had to come back; this was all too new to end. He had never allowed personal feelings to interfere with a mission before, now he couldn't put them aside. Everything he wanted in life was tied up in the future of these three boys.

Chris seemed to feel Gary's thoughts and sought to comfort. His fingers felt Gary's cheeks as their eyes met.

"When this is all over I want you to myself, I don't care what that takes," Chris said.

Gary smiled. "We can do anything you want. I'll take you anywhere you want to go."

Chris kissed Gary's cheek and nodded. "I know you will. This time let's pick someplace a little less dangerous, okay?"

"I love you," Gary said. "I've been waiting a long time to love someone like you."

"I know," Chris said. "Life can sure get complicated, but loving you is the easiest thing I've ever done. It's almost dinner time, maybe you ought to get dressed. "

Gary tried on his jeans and the belt. The boots seemed to finish things off and Chris laughed at the cowboy image.

"You don't have a hat...no cowboy ever goes without a hat," He said.

"Um, I suppose ... but where would I get one?" Gary asked.

"I saw hats at that little store by the restaurant, that place we went our first night here...can we go there?"

So they walked up the street and sure enough, a store with lots of hats. Chris chose one that only made Gary smile, and he looked at another. Until finally they both reached for the same one, yes, this was it. Not your Texas pressed felt, but a Mexican straw hat, lacquered with a feather band...perfect. The locals would admire it; Gary would wear it with pride.

Bobby was in the lobby and Gary told him what Ricardo had said about the vault under the church. He smiled and said he would ask Mark for a way to open the door from outside if needed. A small shaped charge ought to do it without bringing down the roof.

One by one the guys drifted into the restaurant and sat down for one of Ricardo's famous meals. Oliver regaled the others with Chris' feat at climbing the mast and the boy positively blushed at the attention. He felt a part of the team now.

Tommy talked his way through the timeline for tomorrow and everyone nodded in agreement. Too many variables made a hard plan impossible, but if Gary had to go with a see-and-fix concept this was the bunch who could make it work. They finally said good night and everyone wandered off to their rooms. Gary knew Tommy would take another walk around the perimeter and there was comfort in the knowledge.

Gary took a sheet of hotel stationary and began to write while Chris watched television. It took him an hour and then he sealed the letter in an envelope, placing it on top the television set. Chris looked up and Gary smiled.

"That's for you, just some information you might need if we have problems," Gary said.

Chris bounded off the bed and into his arms. "Nothing is gonna happen to you, I know it," He said.

"It would be foolish not to be prepared for the worst, but you open that envelope if anything happens, okay?"

"Yeah, it'll still be there when you get back."

On the morrow they would do battle, the both of them. Gary had never had someone to kiss on the eve of conflict. The others had their wives or girlfriends for such fond farewells, but now he had a partner. And this singular moment brought all that to mind.

Chris was the first boy to become involved in a mission. The past six years Gary had flown off to meet the needs of various clients, but most of it was far less dangerous than what lay ahead. The other boys had only known he was off on business, they never understood the risks involved.

They retired by midnight, cuddled and slept. And for the first time in years Gary slept the deep sleep of a man at peace. No thoughts of the conflict ahead kept him awake and tossing through the night. Thoughts like that might disturb Chris and the delicate balance of love would not allow it.

Oliver had altered the jeans and dropped them off before breakfast. They showered and then Gary put on his disguise. Chris looked it over carefully, and at least in the mirror it was pretty convincing. Chris said it was the hat and maybe he was right. At least he got a few whistles and cat calls in the dining room when the guys first saw him all dressed up.

"Forget your horse?" Tommy laughed, but he nodded in appreciation.

They kept the banter light during the meal. The limo would be ready at eleven, two hours later Gary would be standing in front of the church or busted. Either way he would be inside, and then they could proceed.

If Ignacio's people went for the scheme at least Gary wouldn't have to be a part of the assault, but nothing was going to stop the mission from unfolding. There was just no way to tell if it would go according to plan. Finally it was time to roll and Gary met Ricardo in the lobby, he was wearing the chauffeur's uniform.

Gary gave Chris a big hug in front of everyone and the boy made him proud, not a tear in sight. The guys each shook Gary's hand and nodded. He knew they would be all out for this one. No 'Semper Fi,' no 'do or die' from this bunch, these were the berserkers of old when it came to battle...and God help anyone who got in their way.

Chris gave a slow wave as Gary got in the car, and then he was left behind. Gary had seen Oliver put a hand on the boy's shoulder. Chris was in good company. Ten minutes later Gary's belt vibrated twice and he knew the communications was up and running.

On to Chapter Ten

Back to Chapter Eight

Chapter Index


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"Brass Balls" Copyright © 2011 by Chris James. All rights reserved.
    This work may not be duplicated in any form (physical, electronic, audio, or otherwise) without the author's written permission. All applicable copyright laws apply. All individuals depicted are fictional with any resemblance to real persons being purely coincidental.

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