Tough Love (ManXMan)

Chapter 8.

Elijah

I've been working on this plan nonstop with the Commanding Officer of DEVGRU and their team leader too.

The plan was hold a team briefing with my men as usual but a 'fake' mission will be announced while the original rescue mission will be carried out by DEVGRU and the Army Paratroopers. NSA and Interpol were assisting by intercepting chatter and hijacking waves to know something about an exchange and Italy. But they were trying to piece the bits of information together that's all we were waiting for now.

Right now I was on my way to brief Major Feldman as my deputy Commanding Officer she has to know about every plan according to the code of Military Justice. It was all to protect the mission so if something happened to me she could pick up the mantle.

"Sir a video is live, Captain Butler is on it right now." Tierney yelled out and I started a jog/ run back into the base office.

I looked at Rome on the screen where he was tied and bounded by chains like a criminal. He'd lost weight, unshaved, puffy eyes, and longer hair. I've missed the tough son of a gun so much.

"Tierney call in IT to put a trace to this video, use facial recognition on the guys with the uncovered faces." Their 'boss' was smart enough to not show his face just his torso and upper thighs. The weapons the men were wielding were high tech made in only one country in the world, Russia  which also supported my thesis due to their use of DShK.

We listened carefully as their leader made his demands which were outrageous by the way.

He was demanding the 25 terrorists that were captured by the CIA three years prior after their ring had been infiltrated.  They are dangerous men that shouldn't be returned to the society, and he wanted all of them in exchange for Captain Roman Butler and the other American hostages in one week or they will be publicly executed in the most barbaric way.

"They're so heartless." I nodded my head in affirmation to Feldman's statement.

I could only imagine how Secretary Butler was feeling right now with this demand. The thing is I know my country very well one life is not worth the danger these 25 men pose to the world at large, it's a sacrifice that can be made. They know what they signed up for, they weren't going to buy this.

"How are you feeling Major with your brother held hostage too?"

"Well I'm pushing through as much as I can but it hurts Colonel knowing they have him." She explained with tears swelling in her eyes ready to fall any second.

"We'll get them back Major. Oh there's a new plan I need to run by you later. Just have to make some call to D.C."  She gave me a small smile which I returned before moving out.

This just brought back my craving for alcohol, I've been sober for 15 years but super stressful situations brought back the cravings strongly.

"Sir IT couldn't get a precise location but they hypothesize that it's about an 55 mile radius, in any direction. But face Rec identified Mash Dobreva former Bulgarian presidential marksman and Ray Ivanovich ex-KGB agent. They're both on CIA's top ten most wanted list.

"Thanks Tierney, please tell IT to keep searching probable areas in the radius that are suspicious."

Meanwhile in D.C.

Dave

I was in a meeting when the senate defense committee called my office to log into LiveStream to listen to the demands.

This is why I'm on my way to the White House to speak to the Commander-in-Chief and a good friend of mine, President William T. Thompson or Bill like I call him. I'm too familiar with situations like this and it never ends well for the hostages because global peace is more worthy than one or two officers. One of this officers is my son and that is not an option for my son.

I couldn't believe my eyes as I set eyes on my son, he was a shadow of himself, tied up like a Goat about to be slaughtered.

The security officers welcomed me and opened the gate and I marched into the White House.

"I've been expecting you Dave. Just know that the Senate has a say on this too and I can't just pardon 25 homicidal maniacs on the street. You're my best friend but my hands are tied on this issue."  He said before I could even get a word out as I stepped into his office.

"You're his godfather Bill don't be this nonchalant about it." I slumped onto the sofa he had in his office, tears brimming in my eyes. No parent ever thinks of this happening to their children.

"The senate committee tell me there's a plan, trust in the system Dave. Rosa is making some food stay for some?" He asked me and although I understood his situation I just wanted to go home and think of all the things I didn't get to do with my son like apologize.

"Maybe some other time Bill." I rushed out the same way I rushed in. I instructed my driver to drive to the park where we used to bring Roman as a young child.  Upon getting there I came down from the car and walked around the park, reminiscing the days with Eloise and Roman, just us three in our own world.

Unlocking my phone I click on the video to watch it again for no apparent reason. I've watched the video almost 17 times not like I'm counting till it caught my eyes.

If he wasn't so much like me I wouldn't have noticed it at all. Right from when he was a baby, Rome would always maintain eye contact with whoever he was talking to, a trait from me but in the video he was looking down.

It was subtle but he was moving his toes in a certain pattern at intervals over the course of the 20 minute long video. They resembled numbers so I rushed back home, grabbed a pen and paper and started following his movement. 13. 6512413114.

After 2 hours I couldn't figure out what my son was saying it wasn't Morse nor Fibonacci but I remember the guy that 'stalked' Roman for me talked about a friend he had Elijah Johnson.

With my connections I'm able to decipher that Elijah is his commanding officer so I called the base.

It was getting too long so I cut it here guys cont'd next chappy.

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