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“Bedrooms up here.” He pointed to the top floor and picked up a pencil from the desk and started to lightly write some words. “If we’re living there, let’s make it nice.” He moved around the table, and I saw his wheels as they stared to turn. “Middle floor should be kitchen, living room, and dining room. Maybe an office or two.”
“I can see that.” I nodded with my hand over my lips to hide my relief at his interest.
We spent the next few days going back and forth, tweaking and adding to our plan. It was a joy to see some life back in our son. Meg often came out to give her opinion, and we both took pleasure as we watched Daniel come to life again.
“You need a bigger kitchen.” Meg eyed the drawing measurements. “If you’re going to feed an army of men, you’ll need an army-sized kitchen.”
“Good point.” Daniel crossed out the measurements and extended the size. “What else do you see, Mom?”
She glanced over at me, seeing what I saw. Progress.
“Well, let me see. Maybe a garden with fresh flowers. Might seem funny now, but flowers can be soothing.”
“I can see that. I’d like to have a boxing ring too.” He pressed his lips together. “We need some sort of physical outlet. It would have to go somewhere where it won’t be affected by outside elements.” He bent over the table and sketched a ring on the bottom floor then looked up. “If you’re serious about this Cartel group, we need to be ready in the off chance they ever find us. Because we’re going to have a real target on our backs.”
“I know.” I lifted the paper he was working on and showed him my sketch of the bunker.
“Between the house staff, the two teams, patrol around the grounds, and whoever would be staying with us at that time, I think maybe we extend out here.” He drew a line to match the entire length of the floor above. “One entry point, but a hidden way out maybe over here.”
“Yeah, I see what you’re saying.” I moved closer and leaned over the sketch. “We’ll need a separate way of communicating, too.”
Daniel jotted down some notes, then his pencil stopped. “Dad, where will this be built? Where’d we ever get the money to make it all happen?”
“It’ll be built about eighteen miles from here.” I rocked in my chair, waiting for him to connect the dots.
“Larry’s land?” I grinned for an answer. “I love that place.” He grinned back. Larry was my father’s best friend and like a second grandfather to Daniel. My thoughts went back to those days. I could remember Daniel playing in those mountains, getting lost in the woods and swimming in the lake. I had wonderful memories of my son’s small legs pumping as he ran up the hills as fast as he could go. What better gift could I give him than a place he could once again feel safe to roam free and to be valued once again?
“The best part is Larry’s family sold it to me at a reasonable price and agreed to let me keep it in their name so the name Logan would never be tied to it. If there’s ever any chatter about what’s going on, his grandson Ken will step in and cover for us. There’ll be no way anyone can trace it back to us.”
“Smart. I know Ken. He’s a good guy.” This had to be the best kept secret. We didn’t need the townsfolk poking around.
“A hundred and twenty-five thousand acres of untouched Montana land. We’ll build on the land right next to the lake, so we’ll get a bird’s eye view of anyone coming or going. Oh, and don’t worry about the funding, I’ve already got a few higher-ups working on that. We just need to lay out our plan for them.”
“This is crazy!” He lightly laughed as the whole idea took hold. “Who are you thinking for the team? Johnson, Day, Moore?”
“Yes, and Wildcraft and Jones. Who are you thinking?” I asked curious as to who he’d let in.
“Zack, Frank, and Ray. I’m not sure about the others yet.”
“You want us to fight, scale mountains, and get people out, right?” Daniel nodded in excitement that this could really happen. "Yes, you’re a damn fine Green Beret, son, and I know Zack is, too. You’ll have four spots to fill with the best guys you know. Berets, Deltas, SEALs, Scout Snipers, stack it well.”
“Copy that.” Daniel threw me a crazy lopsided salute then caught me in a wild hug. We were on our way. I whacked the floor with my slipper and watched history being made.
* * *
We broke ground two months later, after our proposal was accepted by Washington. They were on board a hundred percent, and their enthusiasm for our project showed. They saw the storm that was headed our way. Daniel and I threw ourselves into it, and with our focus on the project, we barely noticed the months slip by. I did notice the smile that sat on my son’s face each morning when he joined us at the table. He still had his moments when that smile would slip, but we would take what we could.
“Daniel!” I called from the bottom of the stairs. “Come down for a moment, please.”
“Yup.”
Meg was nervous but equally as anxious to see his reaction. We needed to try something out of the ordinary. It was time to take the next step.
“We’re heading into town to Patty’s Restaurant for dinner.”
“Okay.” He turned to leave, but I raised a hand.
“Get ready. We leave in ten.”
