The Saltwater Connection, Book #6 of the Janitors Series - Suzan to stay with team for a couple days.

Today’s excerpt is from The Saltwater Connection, Book #6 of the nine-book Janitors Series.  Jim gets to keep Suzan for three days, max.  Enjoy and have a great day.

m.j.

 

Fifteen minutes later, Jim called General Kowalski and, after a wait of a few minutes, the General answered, “Kowalski.”

“Hi, Ski.  Jim Scott here.  How’s things?”

“Just fine, Jim.  I just hung up with the White House.  Uh, I assume you’re on a secure line?”

“Yeah.  You?”

“Funny, Jim.  The call I got from Pennsylvania Avenue sorta confirms rumors I’ve been hearing about what you’ve been up to.  Are you still employed by one of the alphabets?”

“No.  Left CIA about three years ago.  No longer employed by the Government.”

“Then I guess the rumors are true.”

“What rumors?”

“That you’re doing black-bag things and working directly for the White House.”

“Hmmm.  Interesting.  What I’m calling about…”

“Is Lieutenant Saltwater.  I’m glad she’s okay.  Bradley tells me you want to keep her for a few days, now that you’ve rescued her.  How long a few days?  What I mean is, she has to deploy soon.  Should have left today, but I thought I’d give it another day, to see if she turned up.”

“I don’t know if ‘rescued’ is the correct term.  She had already ‘rescued’ herself when we showed up.  Very resourceful lady, your Lieutenant.  Anyhow, I’d just like to keep her a day or two longer.  I’m a bit strapped for healthy people right now.  I lost a man on this deal, and have two wounded.  On top of that, I have two more going to pick up a plane in the next few minutes, and two with the plane out, leaving me with only two men.  We’re expecting company here, though probably not until tomorrow.  If it comes tonight, I’d like one more person on my team to handle it.”

“Okay, Jim.  It’ll press my team for time just a bit, but we can handle it.  Bradley told me he has a very fast plane we can use to make up some of the time lost.  It’s on its way to me as we speak.  I’d hate to make this last longer than three days, though.”

“She special ops?”

“Glad you had Bradley call, or I wouldn’t answer that, no matter how good a friend you are.  To answer your question, yes.”

“Didn’t want to put you in that position…that’s why I had General Bradley call.”

“Figured it was.  What led you to even think she’s special ops?”

“The way she handled herself up here, her refusal to tell me about her deployment, and I tricked her into using Arabic.”

“Oh, shit.”

“Gave her the lecture about not getting fooled like that again.  She’s a smart cookie.  She got the message.”

“Good.  Okay, you got her for three days, max.  Unless I get another call from Washington.  Don’t get her shot up…we need her.”

“Thanks.  And I’ll try to keep her whole.  My guess is she’d be better at keeping me alive than the other way around.”

“Naw, Jim.  The only reason you’re not a General officer in the Marine Corps is you opted out for CIA.”

“Thanks.  At least one of us made General.  You deserve it.”

“Thanks.  Enough patting each other on the back.  I’ve got a base to run.  Talk to you later.”

“Okay, so long.  Oh, wait a second.  You have a Captain by the name of Charles Forquer running around giving the clap to other officers.  Can you impress upon him what a naughty thing that is to do…after you get him cured?”

“You’re damn right I can.  Don’t tell me he got to Saltwater.”

“He did.”

“I’ll have his ass.  Now, I’ve gotta go, Jim.”

 

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