The Rescue Pt. 01

I simply shake my head. Addison has this thing about getting the names of cities, states, countries wrong. Close but wrong. "You mean Australia? No that was great opportunity for her. She got to work with Great Whites for the first time and finish up her doctorate at the same time. The mistake she was probably referring to was what happened the night of your mom's charity party thing."

"What happened?"

"It's not important. How are her mom and dad taking this?" I ask to change the subject.

"About as bad as you'd expect. They were all set to go the Africa and start looking for her but it's too dangerous for them to go," Addison answers.

"Africa... are you sure about that?"

"Yes Africa. Bengal, Senegal something like that."

"Senegal?" I ask. It had been on the news recently. Political upheaval, some military leader staging a coupe using roving gangs of militia to undermine the stability of the region and generally killing anyone that stood in his way. "What the hell was she doing there?"

"Michelle was with this guy she'd met in Australia, a premed named Justin. The ship she was on, he was the medical officer onboard and I guess he and she... whatever. Anyway he got offered something with the Peace Corp to go over to Africa in an aid station there after the thing is Australia was finished and Michelle kind of tagged along with him."

"So she and her... boyfriend are missing then?" I ask. Just saying "boyfriend" feels like a punch in my gut.

"He's not her boyfriend, well not exactly. I mean according to her they did..."

"Stop. I... I don't want to hear about any of that, just tell me what happened and leave out what the two of them are doing."

"I didn't mean..."

"It's fine. Continue."

"Okay. When the compound they were in was attacked. Justin managed to get the patients out but Michelle somehow got left behind."

"Got left behind, how in the hell does he leave her behind?" I nearly shout as my anger boils over.

"They had guns Kenneth. They were shooting everyone and everything that moved. He was lucky to get out with his life. He's tried getting back there but it's no use. The embassy says they can't help because of the politics involved and the station was so far off the beaten path that he'd need a guide to get back. No one's crazy enough to venture in the area now that all the fighting has started so we may never find her... her body," Addison says starting to cry.

Many different thoughts begin running through my brain about what Michelle could have gone through but I squash the most disturbing ones and manage to say. "I'll find her. Just get me a plane and I'll bring her home."

She looks up at me shocked. "Kenneth, no I couldn't ask you to do that. That's not why I came here tonight."

"I know you didn't but I owe her that much. I've been in the country before; I've got contacts there that can help me once I get there," I tell her.

"They say that it's suicidal to try and go there now, you could be killed. She wouldn't want that, not from anybody but especially not from you. She might not have said it aloud but she loved you, I know that she did and if you got killed trying to find her..."

"If she loved me then she wouldn't have run off after I kissed her," I blurt out without thinking. "Uh... I mean, we only knew each other for a week at most. You can't say that she loved me in that short amount of time."

"Of course she loved you, you dope. Why else do you think she ran after this kiss of yours?"

"You lost me."

"Look, Michelle doesn't let people in easily but that changed when you came along. She never let anyone as close as she let you get in such a short amount of time. It scared her."

"She told you this?"

"I'm her best friend, she didn't have to tell me I just knew. Like I know that she would not want you to get yourself killed trying to get her body back."

"I can't watch them bury an empty coffin and pretend everything's all right Addison," I tell her. 'I just can't'."

Addison's hand shoots up and covers her mouth. "You love her too," She says through her fingers.

"That doesn't really matter anymore does it?"

She gets up from her seat and pulls me into a reluctant hug. "I'm sorry Kenneth. I... I don't know what to say," She says.

"There's nothing to say," I tell her stepping back from her. She studies my face trying to determine if arguing with me will just be a waste of her energy.

"Kenneth, you're so god damned stubborn and I think now I'm in love with you for it," she answers with a faint smile. "What do you need from me?"

"The plane, fueled up and ready to go. The place is a full on hot zone so I don't want to go in unarmed if I can help it. We'll probably have to put down in Morocco or even Spain and if you're in touch with this Justin person, any clues as to where this Aid station is or was would be a big help."

She nods. "I can have our family's private jet fueled and ready at the airport in about two hours. There's a private entrance but you know all that already. Justin is here so I'll bring him along to the airport so he can tell you what he knows."

"All right, I'll be there," She gets to her feet, wraps me in another huge hug and whispers in my ear.

"Thank you Kenneth, thank you so much for doing this I wish that you and Michelle...."

"Just uh... just get the plane ready and I'll meet you at the airport."

After she leaves to get things prepared on her end Joe comes down to the cabin as I'm packing and I feel his eyes boring into my back.

"I can feel you staring Joe, whatever it is just get it off your chest now because I've got things to do."

"Do you really still have contacts in Senegal?" He asks.

"They might not all be dead," I answer. It's a lie. I've never even been there before, close as I came to the place was Casablanca when I was setting up a stash box there but Joe doesn't need to know that, none of them do. It's not like I'm going to let anyone talk me out of going. I may have screwed up before with how I handled things with Michelle, but I'm not going to let her down now that she could be gone.

"Uh huh and you realize that Michelle very well could be, right? Militia's aren't exactly known for taking prisoners in that part of the world," He answers.

"That's the theory I'm working under, yes. She's dead somewhere and I'm going to retrieve her remains," I answer checking the clip in my pistol before tossing it in my bag. "What's your point?"

"Are you prepared for what you might find there? Jesus, Ken it's been a year and you still have that picture hanging up where you see it every day."

"So?" I ask.

"So you shouldn't be doing this. You're head's not in the right place and it could get you killed."

"My head's fine."

"Uh huh and when you find her body then what? How are you going to be when you see what they did to her?"

Images flash through my head but I shake them loose. "Joe, we're not having this conversation. You can either get me to the airport or get the hell out of my way. I'm done talking about it," I tell him.

"On the other hand she could be alive. Human trafficking is rampant over there right now too," He says. "If she managed to survive and got sold..."

"Jesus Joe, will you make up your damn mind!" I turn angrily to him. "Is she dead or alive and a sex slave to someone? Goddamn it, I told you we weren't talking about this anymore."

"You have to talk about this, I'm your friend and your business partner and I need to know how you plan to cope if you can't find her? I mean no one knows if she's even dead or not," He answers.

"Neither do I and that's why I have to go. I have to assume that she's dead because otherwise she could be anywhere right now having God knows what done to her and the thought of that turns my stomach. It will be all I can think about and it will eat me up inside until I know for sure either way. If she's dead then I'll bring her body home if she's been sold I'll track her down somehow and bring her home. Then I'll kill everyone involved with whatever happened to her."

"Or die trying?"

"Or die trying. Beside, you know where my will is in case I don't make it back right?"

"Don't even joke about that man, it's not funny."

"I wasn't trying to be funny I'm just telling you how it's going to be."

"Bloody."

"More than likely."

He takes in my words and let's them sink in before answering me. "All right Ken. I didn't mean anything by it ya know?"

"I know you didn't Joe. It's just that I lost her once and now maybe for good but I have to know."

"Just do me a favor and don't go getting yourself killed over there. That will of yours won't cover the cost of the boat and the extravagant lifestyle I've come to enjoy," He tries to joke but adds. "Seriously, watch yourself over there."

I give him a nod as I zip up my bag. "Save your goodbyes for the time being. We've got a couple of stops to make before we go to the airport."

James Voss knocks at his daughter's door briefly then enters. Addison is sitting at her computer typing away. She barely glances up as he enters.

"Addison, why is the jet being fueled up for a trip to Africa?" He asks.

She stops her typing and looks at him. "Kenneth. He's going to find her."

He shakes his head. "Addison I know how much you cared for Michelle, she was like a daughter to me as well but we can't just ask Ken to..."

"I didn't ask him to go Daddy. I just went to tell him what happened so he didn't see it on the news. He volunteered to go. Insisted that he was going actually," She tells him.

"You should have talked him out of it."

"If you saw the look in his eyes you'd know that would be impossible. He's going with or without our help."

"I knew that he cared for her but I guess I had no idea huh?"

"None of us did but it explains why she took off like she did and why she did her best to ask about him without asking about him."

"You think something happened between them?"

"I know it did and Michelle got scared. Maybe because she was leaving for nine months or maybe because she had seen him nearly get killed while working for us or even what had happened to her with other guys, I'm not sure but I know that she wasn't prepared for what she felt and ran from it."

"I see. I was surprised that those two became friends so quickly. I always saw Michelle as quiet and reserved but she just gravitated right to him like they were old friends."

"It shocked us all and looking back now I can see how good they were together. I should have been more supportive of her," She begins to tear up thinking about her loss. Her dad hugs her tight and strokes her hair.

"Let's just say a prayer that she's somehow safe and sound. Ken will find her and bring her home to all of us,"

Addison nods her head and both of them close their eyes and say a silent prayer.

Joe pulls to a stop in front of a downtown office building that houses my old Navy SEAL teammates security firm, Kortesis Protection Services. Alex Kortesis is the prototypical SEAL that you see in movies and on television, handsome, slick and dangerous but once you get past all of that he's also a decent guy, sometimes. I've done some work for him, here and there since we left the Navy but what I'm about to ask for might dry up all the goodwill I've stored up over that time.

"You sure you want to do this?"

I shrug. "Not much choice, he's got access to things I don't and besides he owes us for all those little jobs we've been doing for him these past few months."

"Wonder if he'll see it that way?" Joe questions. "That last job didn't exactly work out like he thought it would."

"We told him that he might not like what we found. Not our fault, we did our job."

"Our job found that his girlfriend was cheating on him with two other dudes and at least one hottie though I can't see the girl on girl thing bothering him too much. You don't exactly bounce back from that and we haven't been paid yet. Just saying," Joe points out.

"Look, he already knew something was up, why else would he have wanted us to tail her? The way I see it, we saved him a lot of future heartache and possibly half his company if he up and married her on a whim. The thing you need to understand Joe, is that Alex doesn't fall in love. He had some angle that he was working with this woman. It's that simple. He still owes me plenty and if I have to call all those favors due for this, I will."

I make my way into the glass and brick office building and nod at the guards at the desk. I'm a regular face so I get the nod to continue while they deal with other visitors. I take the stairs up to the third floor because I'm in no mood for elevator music. I peer inside the darkened office figuring it's too late for anyone to still be here but to my surprise Alex's secretary is still here typing away at her computer. I tap on the glass door and wave as she looks up. Her lips curve up into a smile and she presses the security buzzer to let me inside.

"It's a little late for a business call don't you think Kenny?" Erin Adams asks as she gets up from behind her desk.

"Did I miss him?" I ask.

"Only by a couple of minutes, what's up?"

"I need his help."

"Must be important, you've got that determined look you get when you're on to something," She states. "Is it case related?"

"Something personal," I answer. "Can you call him up, see if he'll come back in?"

She thinks for a moment then nods, picking up her desk phone and punching in Alex's cell number.

"Hey, it's me. Ken's here and he wanted me to see if you could come back?" She says then hands the phone to me. "He wants to talk to you."

"I take it you've heard about Michelle?" He asks once I take the phone.

"Yes."

"I figured as much. I spoke to Addison a little while ago and she told me, I figured that I'd be hearing from you," He pauses. "Don't touch anything; I'll be back in about five minutes. Oh and be ready to explain to me just what in the hell you're thinking."

Before I can respond, he's hung up.

While we wait for Alex to get back, Erin asks. "Anything I can do to help?"

I think for a few seconds then answer. "Think you can print me out some recent maps of an area in Senegal Africa?"

"Africa? What's in Africa?"

"A friend, I hope. I'm looking for an Aid Station pretty far off the beaten path."

"Google maps just won't do the trick huh?"

"Doubt they'd be recent enough."

Erin thinks then nods. "I think I know someone that can help me out with that. She owes me a favor or two," She heads over to her computer and begins typing. "We're in luck, she's online." A few more pecks on the keyboard and she announces. "Okay, she can help us. The stuff should be in my email in a few minutes."

"What's in your email?" Alex asks entering the office.

"Up to date maps for the region and hopefully the location of this aid station Ken's looking for," Erin answers.

Alex nods and looks to me. "My office," He says in a voice that sounds an awful lot like an order.

"She typed, I didn't touch anything," I tell him.

"Now," He says making sure that I know this time, it is an order.

I follow him in and manage to shut the door before he lays into me. "All right, tell me what in the hell are you thinking?"

"That I need to borrow some gear before I head to Africa," I tell him.

"That simple huh," he asks.

"Alex, you're my oldest and some would say only friend so believe me when I tell you that I'm doing this and there's nothing that you can do that's going to stop me."

"Screwed up knee notwithstanding, I think I can still take you."

"Today isn't the day to find out Alex. Either help me or tell me to fuck off but I need an answer. I've got a plane to catch." I practically growl at him.

He stares at me for several moments then shakes his head. "You know that you're going to get yourself killed over there?"

"Not until I find her I won't."

"Ken, I know you liked her but she left remember? Told you that it was a mistake when the two of you..."

Ignoring him, I pull out the shark tooth and hold it where he can see it. "Remember on the Voss case when I got my ass tossed through that window? She gave me this that next morning. She said that she wore it for protection but what did she need protection from, said I should have it since I was the one that was in danger and not her."

"Jesus, you don't believe that this is somehow your fault do you?"

I shake my head. "No, I don't think it's my fault but there's a reason I still put this on every morning and there's a reason a picture of her still hangs in the cabin of my boat where every day I look at it and wonder what might have been."

"The word insanity springs to mind," He states.

"Maybe so but if she's gone, really gone, I have to know."

"And exact revenge on any and all involved. I know better than to argue with you when you get like this," He states.

I nod. "Thanks Alex. Any favors you feel you owe me, we're square for this, all right?"

He waves his hand in the air at me as if chasing away a fly. "If I didn't think I'd slow you down with this bum leg of mine, I'd go with you and watch your back. I liked Michelle too."

"I know you would and I appreciate it. I'm sorry that I had to be the one to tell you about Tiffany," I tell him to break the uncomfortable silence that had descended on us. He claps me on the shoulder and smiles.

"Hey, the way I see it you saved me a lot of troubles down the road. She was a little hellcat though wasn't she?"

"You have the video tapes that prove that."

He smiles at a memory that's playing through his head for a brief moment then turns to me. "How are you gonna get these weapons into the country?"

"I'm hoping to bypass customs by using the Voss's private jet. If that doesn't work... guess I'll go in naked and scrounge around. War torn country I'm sure I can find someone that will be willing to part with some gear for the right price. Besides I keep one of my stash boxes in a bank in Casablanca, so I'll have cash and some gear if needed. It'll just take a lot longer to get to Dakar that way but, I've got it covered if it comes to that."

"Casablanca huh? It figures that you'd have one there," He says shaking his head.

"I like Casablanca; I can get to it from anywhere in Africa just about. Beside you know me and old movies," I answer.

"One in Key Largo and Sierra Madre too I suppose?"

"Largo and Ciudad Canatlan. It's just outside of the Sierra Madre Mountain Range."

"Of course it is," Alex acknowledges before leading me into his office leaving Erin behind to begin printing off the maps. The lights in his office illuminate automatically when he enters and makes his way over to the bookshelf. He pulls the spine of a book, "Guns of the World" and the shelf slides open revealing a modest arsenal of weaponry.

"Guns of the World, really you give me shit about old movies and Guns of the World is book you chose?" I ask with raised eyebrows.

Alex just smiles. "It was either that or "Curious George," Welcome to my Wall of Weapons, see anything you like?"

I let out a low whistle while looking at the arsenal before me. A Russian Dragonov sniper rifle, a SCAR-L assault rifle, a couple of different MP-5's and a Desert Eagle are among the treasure trove of goodies he has displayed. All of it would be useful but I'll need to limit myself to the barest of necessities if I've got to sneak them in.

"One day you're going to have to tell me how you got your hands on all this hardware. Is that the Dragonov?" I ask him pointing to it.

He nods. "What can I say? It was close to my heart."

"Any closer and that sniper would have stopped your heart. How he put a round through your canteen and didn't hit you in the process is beyond me," I tell him.

"Well you made sure that he didn't get a second chance."