Page 14 of What Remains (John Worthy #3)

They took the path to the spring’s parking lot, holding onto the guide rope and battling their way down the mountain, both men bent nearly double as they fought the wind. The air was glassy, and the wind threw fistfuls of icy grit that needled John’s cheeks and cut tears.

As they rounded a flank and the wind’s shriek dwindled, Driver straightened, put out a hand to stop him and said, “You thought I was dead, Worthy? No one told you?”

“That’s right.” John scrubbed bits of ice from his eyelashes with a gloved hand “No one.”

“Did you ask?” When he nodded, Driver said, “And?”

“The only answer I got was along the lines of Daniel Who ? Same for Flowers and Meeks. Everyone stonewalled. I came up empty. Even your dad couldn’t figure it out.”

That made Driver’s eyebrows arch. “You asked the old man?”

“Sure. That’s how Roni knew about you to begin with.

Before Afghanistan blew up, we were both stationed at Benning …

well, Fort Moore now. Asking hadn’t gotten me anywhere and I didn’t have any better ideas.

So, yeah, I went to see him just as soon as I got back stateside.

Poor guy couldn’t believe you were still alive or, you know, had been. ”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean he thought you were dead , Driver. That’s what your command initially told him. KIA was what he said. He near about had a heart attack when I told him what happened.”

Driver cursed then shook his head. “I’m sorry about that. There’s no love lost between me and my old man, but for God’s sake, that’s just cruel. How much did you tell him?”

“About what went down? Not a lot. Not about Shahida and the boys or Mac, if that’s what you’re asking. All I told him was that Roni and I had seen you.”

“How did you explain about Roni?”

“I didn’t. He didn’t ask and I never said.”

“What did he do?”

“Tried to get your records, but he came up just as empty. It was like they’d erased you and your guys completely.”

“Figures.” Closing his eyes, Davila pinched the bridge of his nose between gloved fingers and exhaled a smoking breath. “Deniability up and down the line.”

“What did happen?” He wasn’t ready to hear how Roni had died, not just yet. “After that cave-in?”

“After I rose from the dead? Mac got over his surprise and then me and the guys were tasked with different assignments.”

The guys? “Flowers made it?” When Driver nodded, he added, “And Meeks, too?” Another nod. “What different assignments? No, wait.” He held up a gloved hand. “You couldn’t tell me anyway. Or if you did, you’d have to kill me.”

“Something like that. Although I can tell you that our merry band got split up, which is why I got a new crew. I guess me and my guys caused too much mayhem for the higher-ups.”

Cryptic answers that were almost non-answers. Though he ached to know Driver’s story and sensed the desire was mutual. They were, he reflected, survivors and veterans of a very specific war. But first things first. “Why are you in-country now ? You know why I’m here, but what about you?”

“I told you. A retrieval. Honestly, when we picked up your distress, I thought the people we were sent to retrieve had somehow gotten out.”

People? “So, these people you were sent to retrieve were or are on a separate mission?” When Driver nodded, he asked, “Are they prisoners?”

“That’s the consensus. They even might be dead by now.”

“How old is your intel?”

“Last contact with their command was in August. Last time they were spotted was about six weeks ago.”

“Do you know where these people are?”

“Yes and no.” Driver’s sigh rode on a steam cloud. “That’s where things get fuzzy. All Command has is a broad outline, a general idea of a location based upon, well…let’s just say supplies being brought in.”

“That would suggest a fixed operation.”

“Or one with a limited reach, especially now that it’s winter.”

“Drone fly-over to confirm?” When Driver shook his head, he asked, “Why not?”

“Because of the various players involved. We’re not the only people with eyes in the sky.”

Of the countries in the area, he thought Russia and China were safe bets to be those eyes. “And no one wants to provoke an incident?”

“Or alert any of the involved parties who aren’t sympathetic to our interests.

In a way, even diverting to you hasn’t changed our mission.

There’s no ticking time bomb because no one knows we’re here.

Well,” Driver amended, “no one knows that my team’s in-country.

We don’t know if you’ve been compromised. ”

“Parviz is dead.” The words came out hard and flat. “So are his two buddies.”

“You’re forgetting the Russian.”

“Ustinov?” He thought about that then shook. “I’m not sure that killing us serves Russia’s interests, especially if Ustinov was our point of contact. He’d have been vetted and honestly, I got the impression that his country is just as interested in what’s in them thar hills.”

“What about the kid?”

“Matvey? He’s been with us the whole time.”

“You search him?” When John nodded, Driver said, “Find anything?”

“If you’re asking whether he had a secret decoder ring, the answer’s no. This is the only thing he was carrying.” He dug out the thin knife he’d found dangling around the boy’s neck. “Trigger is on the side. That little nub there.”

“Whoa,” Driver said as the blade leapt from one end of the handle. He squinted at the knife. “Nice OTF. Couple of knicks on the cutting edge. That point is pretty wicked, too.”

“Seen some action for sure.” Carefully butting the business end back into its housing, he slipped the knife into his pocket.

“Given who he is…well, was , I’m not surprised.

But if you’re asking if I went through his clothes, the answer would be no.

On the other hand, it’s not as if people have storming up here to either kill or help us. ”

“So, you figure him to be uninvolved?”

“Oh, Matvey was involved but only in a low-level kind of con. He picked Davila’s pocket, but that was about it. I think he was forced into the whole ambush thing. It wasn’t as if he was particularly skilled with a rifle.” He paused. “We both know boys like him, Driver.”

“Okay. Cool.” Driver’s head moved in a brisk nod as if he’d just ticked off another item on his to-do list. “I only worried that he might be a problem. Saves us both some trouble.”

Trouble? Because of the cold and the wind, they were standing close enough to one another for John to see how utterly void of emotion Driver’s eyes were and realized in that same instant that he just now might have saved Matvey’s life.

Perhaps Driver wouldn’t have killed the boy, but if he suspected the boy was a plant, Driver would have searched and then probably given the boy a few supplies and left Matvey somewhere along the road to make it back to whatever home he had.

“What’s your next move then?” John asked.

“Get you guys to Khorog, then take the van. Davila needs better quality care than either you or Harvey can give in the field. Then…you know, fair winds and following seas, man. Have a safe journey back to the States.”

He shook his head. “But I haven’t finished what I started.”

“And? You’re saying you want to go on with your mission?

” Driver’s tone held a note of amusement as if he were a tolerant parent watching the antics of a child.

“And how do you figure on doing that? Just for grins and giggles, let’s imagine how you might accomplish this if you are both alone and absolutely ignorant of where to start looking or what to do when you get there. ”

“What if part of that equation wasn’t a factor?”

“As in?”

“As in I don’t go on alone?”

Driver’s eyes narrowed. “Meaning?”

“What, you want me to draw you a picture? I’m asking if you’d consider a swap.”

“A swap.”

“Do you hear an echo?”

“Don’t get cute.” Arms akimbo, Driver took a step back—carefully, given the ice and the path’s slope—and favored John with a slow look up then down and then back again. “You want me to swap out Harvey for you.”

“Yeah. Harvey’s a medic. I’m a doc. Same diff in a combat situation.

I mean, I’m not going to do brain surgery out in the field.

” Though with Matvey’s knife and one of Parviz’s hammers, he bet he could perform a pretty decent frontal lobotomy.

“I won’t even ask you to find out where Roni’s remains are before we start. ”

“No preconditions?”

“Word of honor. I help you do whatever it is you’re here to do and then you find out from your people, who clearly have a line to Patterson or else we wouldn’t be standing here now…

you ask them where we need to go to fulfill my mission.

Then we get the hell out of this country. Really, it’s a win-win for you.”

“How do you figure?”

“Has the cold made you suddenly stupid? Erased your memory?”

“Careful.” The word came out mildly enough, but now the laugh lines at the corners Driver’s eyes smoothed. “Just because we loved the same woman doesn’t mean we’re buddies.”

For a fleeting moment, he wanted to break Driver’s nose. Get a grip. He’s goading you.

“You’re right. We’re not buddies,” he said with about as much inflection as if he were commenting on the weather.

“We’re also not rivals anymore. I am suggesting a logical alternative, and you know it.

I’m a doctor, I can function under stress, and oh yes, by the way, I know my way around a rifle.

” He didn’t say he thought he was a better shot than Driver, but if the man jumped to that conclusion on his own, well…

c’est la vie . “You know I can be counted on in a crunch—and frankly? You owe me. When you asked for my help to get those kids to the airport, I gave it. I went AWOL.”

“For which you received no disciplinary action.”

“Being unconscious and near death at the time, I assume Command thought that would be redundant. But, no, I wasn’t demoted. Actually, I was offered a promotion.”

“Yeah? To what?”

“Light bird and any posting I wanted.”

“In exchange for?”

My sanity? “What do you think?”

“Silence.”

He nodded. “And except for visiting your dad, I have kept it zipped.” He hadn’t even told his therapist at Brighter Days. “As soon as I was eligible to separate, which was PDQ, I did.” He paused a beat. “Do this, Driver. Take me with you. Is it so much to ask? I once helped you.”

“Not from the goodness of your heart,” Driver said, though his tone was mild. “You did it because you just couldn’t stand the idea of me being anywhere near Roni.”

Every word cut. “Say that’s even true,” he began then raised a finger as Driver opened his mouth. “Shut the hell up, okay? You had a chance to lob a grenade. Now it’s my turn.”

“Sure.” Again, that smug expression. “Go ahead. Be my guest.”

“Say I went along out of jealousy. But so the hell what, Driver? I helped. I went AWOL to help you and Shahida and those kids.”

“You want a medal?”

He brushed that aside. “What is more, I bought you guys time . Time to get those kids out. Time to get away. And don’t forget, when the chips were down, I came back for you.

If it weren’t for me, you’d be worm food.

So, cut the crap. It’s not like your motives are pure as the driven snow.

Mac offered your team a lifeline, a way back into the Raiders, but only if you helped Shahida. ”

“So.” Driver cocked an eyebrow. “You heard about that.”

“Let’s just say we had a long drive, and Flowers had a lot to get off his chest.”

Silence. Driver’s features were as void of expression now as if the man’s face were carved from a lump of cold granite.

Although his eyes, dark and glittery even in daylight, held a new malice and for the first time, John wondered if maybe he’d gone too far, revealed too much, shown his hand too early.

Before this moment, he’d had no true idea what he could or even wanted to do with the story Flowers had shared during that drive to the aqueduct.

Finally, Driver said, “Blackmail, Worthy?”

This man could kill him where he stood, could snuff out his life with his bare hands.

Get into a physical fight with Driver, and John had no doubt at all that he wouldn’t come up the winner.

Driver could break his neck, do away with Davila so there would be no witnesses—and then report back either that, gee, the guys we were sent to rescue weren’t there or, gosh, all he found were bodies.

If Harvey knew what was good for him, he would go along with whatever Driver ordered.

“No, not blackmail,” John said. “ Manum manus lawate. ”

“Ah.” Driver chewed on that a moment. “What do I get out of this? Besides Brownie points in the Cosmic Ledger of Life.”

“A damned good hired gun with very little to lose. Although I do, mostly, enjoy living and draw the line at jumping out of a plane. Will I have to?”

“Not unless you fall out or I give you a push. We will have to call for an extraction. That’ll be by helo, best guess, but that’s down the line. Depends on our people’s conditions.”

“As in fitness?”

“As in whether we need to hump them out in body bags. Broadly speaking, though, yes, how we get them out depends on whether they’re in one piece.”

“What happens if they can’t hike out?”

“How good are you at a fireman’s carry?”

“Are you serious?”

“Deadly. They might be wounded, in bad shape, or both. Why do you think Harvey has some serious muscles? But let’s cross that particular bridge when we come to it.”

“How many people are you retrieving?”

“Best case? Alive?” Driver held up two fingers.

“Do you know for certain that they’re alive?”

“No,” Driver said. “But we live in hope.”