“However, I’ll give you an alternative. You and me, alone in a room. Winner takes all.” Vasily laughed.
“How is that fair? You must be ten years younger than me.”
“We are the same age,” said Wes. “I just live a better life than you.” The phone was silent for a moment and then he spoke again.
“I’m a businessman. You’re a man of violence and war.”
“Vasily, don’t bullshit me. You’re the man that’s into war and violence, and of course, let’s not forget that you want to recreate Mother Russia. If that’s not crazy, I don’t know what is.”
“It will happen,” he said through clenched jaw.
“No, it will not. Those countries that you’re so determined to control again are now aware of what your plot is. They are, as we speak, working with the U.S., the U.K., Canada, and Australia to beef up their borders, their weapons, and fighter jets.”
Wes and the others could almost hear the sizzle of Vasily’s anger. He wasn’t a man that didn’t like interference and definitely not interference that he knew would work.
“One way or another, I will kill you.”
“Dude, I’m an old man now, just like you. A good hurricane could kill me.”
“I truly hate you,” said Vasily. “I take great satisfaction in knowing that my technology has won out or you wouldn’t have kept me on the line this long. You don’t know where I am but I know where you are. See you soon, Mr. Jordan.”
The call ended and Wes turned to Dan and Connor who both nodded.
“We got him. He’s in a home near Clallam Bay. Spitting distance to Canada and a private runway at the back of the house. There’s a private jet parked there which means we need to disable that jet before we do anything.”
“Then let’s get a plan together and head to Washington,” said Joey. “River? Can you hold off on telling the feds anything for a while? I’d hate to have someone spoil our entrance.”
“I can hold off for a bit,” he smiled. “I’m not cut out for fed life anyway. I’m a SEAL and I’m ready to get back to doing what I do best.”
Joey smiled at his friend.
“Then let’s make this happen.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
Marissa stepped off the Osprey and the first person she laid eyes on was her mother, Ramey.
“Hey, Mom,” she smiled.
“Hi. Are you okay?” she asked quietly, calmly.
“I’m okay, thanks to Joey and his teammates.”
“Good, then I can give you shit for doing something so stupid.”
“Mom…”
“Don’t ‘mom’ me, Marissa. I’m not talking about getting caught up in all that. That could have happened to anyone. I’m talking about not calling home for help. Not reaching out to Joey, who you knew was only a short distance away. You avoided speaking to us, you avoided asking for help and you nearly lost your life.”
Marissa could see that her mother was visibly shaken and upset. That wasn’t an easy thing to do. Ramey Curry Jordan was once a Marine. Tough as nails who’d fought her way back from an intentional attack and injury that nearly caused her to be in a wheelchair her entire life.
Instead, she came to work at Belle Fleur as a massage therapist at the spa, where she fell in love with Christopher Jordan and had two sets of triplets. She was Marissa’s hero.
She hugged her mother, letting the tears flow.
“I’m sorry, Mom. I’m so, so sorry and I will never do anything so stupid again. I should have trusted you all andcalled Joey. I was so happy to see him there, and then scared and worried, and all the other emotions.
“But I’m home now, Mom. I’m home and I’m going to marry Joey. I need help planning that wedding. Do you think you can help me?”
