As for Nathan’s current issues… well, it probably said something that over a five-day period, he’d produced eight cords of firewood. The source of the wood was a ranch in east San Diego County, where Harv and he owned fifteen hundred acres of pristine oak and pine forest. Harv, an expert at felling trees, had brought the 120-foot giant down with surgical precision. Seeing the massive tree fall had been an awesome yet sad sight. By controlling the direction of the fall, they’d preserved several oaks that wouldn’t have survived otherwise. Such was a tenet of nature: some die so that others might live.
His thoughts drifted to Holly. When he’d first met her a few years back, she’d been the special agent in charge of the FBI’s Sacramento field office. They’d connected with each other in an unguarded way Nathan hadn’t thought possible. He missed her. Maybe he’d take a trip back east and rekindle their friendship. Harv had been urging him to do it for several months.
He felt his cell vibrate in his pocket, wiped his hand on his jeans, and pulled it free. He squinted at the screen but decided to take the call.
“The answer’s no,” he said.
“Charming, as always. No names.”
“To what do I owe this honor?”
“Not over the phone.”
“Well, that kinda limits our communication.”
“I’ve arranged your transportation out here. You’re both on a chartered flight.”
“My friend’s a family man. He can’t just drop everything like I can.”
“He needs to be on that jet.”
“We’re retired.”
“You’re never retired.”
Nathan wiped sweat from his forehead. “Can you at least give me something?”
“Central America.”
“Are we talking about the location I think we’re talking about?”
“Yes.”
Nathan didn’t know what to say, didn’t trust himself. After a few seconds, he asked, “Is this about our old friend?”
“No, it’s something else.”
“May I assume we wouldn’t be talking if the situation wasn’t urgent?”
“You assume correctly.”
“Are we going down there?”
“Yes.”
“How much time do we have before the charter?”
“A few hours. I’ll text you the details after we hang up.”
“What do we bring?”
“Overnight bags. We’ll supply the rest.”
“I’ll bet that’s an expensive flight.”
“It is.”
“Okay, we’ll be there.”
“Take something to help you sleep during the flight.”
“I doubt I’ll be sleeping anytime soon.”
Nathan ended the call and stared at his phone. Ignoring the call hadn’t really been an option. When the director of the CIA called, you answered. Besides, he liked Rebecca Cantrell. His trust in her wasn’t absolute, but she’d never done anything to make him question her integrity. Still, he had to wonder: What on earth required a face-to-face with the director of Central Intelligence? Nathan didn’t like the implications. Could this be about a potential leak? He and Harv weren’t operations officers anymore, and surely Cantrell had people she could send to Nicaragua. So why involve them? It didn’t make sense. One thing was certain — he and Harv weren’t doing any wet work. Those days were long past.
He needed to call Harv right away. When he got thrown into voice mail, he sent a text.
call me asap
That would get his friend’s attention. Harv would drop everything and call back right away, probably within—
His phone rang with a familiar tone. “Harv.”
“Nate.”
“Thanks for calling me.”
“How’s the hand holding up? I hope you’re not overworking it.”
“It’s doing okay.”
“What’s up?”
“I just got off the phone with our friend on the Potomac.”
“And…?”
“We’re going out there tonight.”
“Did she say what it’s about?”
“Central America.”
Harv hesitated for a second. “Tell me we aren’t talking about what I think we’re talking about.”
“I’m afraid we are.”
Harv asked, “Are we going in?”
“She said yes.”
Harv waited a moment before responding. “I hope you reminded her we’re retired.”
“I did. She told me… us… that we’re never retired.”
“With all due respect to your beloved friend, that’s complete and utter horseshit. It has to end sometime. If we help her, it’s because we made the choice, not the reverse.”
“Come on, Harv. You know how it works.”
“I’m just venting. I have no desire to step foot in that hellhole ever again.”
“On that, we agree.”
“What do we bring?”
“Just overnight bags.” Nathan’s phone chimed with a text message. “Hang on, I’ve got a text coming through… looks like we’ve got… two hours.”
“Two hours?” Harv asked.
“We’re leaving from Monty.”
“This isn’t about our old friend, is it?”
“She said it isn’t.”
“Well, at least that’s something.”
“Let’s just find out what’s going on and take things from there.”
“I’ll meet you in the lobby of Corporate Helicopters.”
“Ninety minutes.”
“See you there,” Harv said.
CHAPTER 4
Just before 1800 hours, Nathan and Harv rode out to the flight line in a Corporate Helicopters shuttle cart.
Like Nathan, Harv maintained himself in top physical condition. Half-Hispanic, half-white, Harv was a handsome man. Behind a tan complexion, his light-hazel eyes and graying hair gave him a distinguished look. Although Harv wouldn’t take it as an insult, Nathan thought his friend looked like a politician.
They exchanged smiles when they saw their ride. Its engines whining with power, the white Challenger was a beautiful jet and looked to be about sixty feet long. The first officer introduced herself and asked to see their IDs. She took a little too long looking at Nathan’s face but recovered with a warm smile. She told them the flight would take a little under five hours with a local arrival time of 0200 hours. She showed them the amenities, gave them a safety briefing, and disappeared into the cockpit. He and Harv settled into their seats and buckled up. Five minutes later they were climbing into a twilight sky and turning east.
Nathan resolved to try to get some sleep but didn’t feel optimistic. Unpleasant memories kept surfacing. Mind over matter, he told himself and took another look at the booze cabinet.
“Don’t even think about it.”
“Huh?”
“You keep glancing at the liquor cabinet.”
“You’d never let me do it.”
“You got that right.”
Nathan grinned. “Think you could take me?”
Harv issued a half laugh. “You’re falling apart at the seams. You may be four inches taller and outweigh me by forty pounds, but I know all your vulnerable spots. It’d be over in ten seconds.”
“Sounds like your bedroom.”
“Hey, watch it. Besides, I’m good for at least two minutes with Candace.”
“How often are you getting it?”
“More than you.”
Nathan waited, trying not to smile.
“Okay, lately? Hardly ever. I’ve been guaranteed a minimum of three times a year. Christmas, my birthday, and Groundhog Day.”