Free Necessary Retribution by Mike McNeff

sure, Doctor.”
    As Maria led the way to the ambulance, Whisky whispered to Robin. “I trust that man of yours is a good man.”
    “He is, Whisky.”
    “Is he married?”
    “No, why do you ask?”
    “I haven't seen my daughter look at a man like that for many years. She was married once. The no good son-of-a-bitch stole her blind and left her with a broken heart.”
    “Doug's pretty much in the same boat, on that score. There seems to be a connection there, but who knows? They just met.”
    “Just makin’ sure.”
    “As a father of two daughters, I completely understand.”

    Three hours later, the team winged for Hawaii. Robin sat with Jamie, waiting for a connection with Bill Grassley. “Pick up the headset, Rob. He'll be coming on.”
    Robin put the headset on just in time to hear, “Bill Grassley.”
    “Hi, Bill. We're headed back.”
    “Rob, it's good to hear your voice. How is everybody?”
    “We had to leave Doug in Davao City, he'll have to undergo surgery to minimize nerve damage to his shoulder. Willy got some minor wounds to his back. Everyone else is fine.”
    “Do I need to do anything about Doug?”
    “He's in good hands.”
    “Good work on these missions, Rob. You guys are proving your worth in spades.”
    “We do our best.”
    “What can you tell me about the Russian woman you rescued.”
    “She was in bad shape, beaten mercilessly and repeatedly raped before we got to her.”
    “What you don't know is she's one of the KGB's top assassins. She's taken out several western operatives. The Brits and the French are a little peeved we had her and didn't terminate her.”
    “When we saw her, she was a victim. We don't kill injured hostages even if they are assassins. But I won't let that affect future decisions if we meet again.”
    Robin thought it best to change the subject. “On another note, get a hold of Chris Fleming and tell him to get his butt up to Seattle.”
    “Why?”
    “I want to turn Ivanov over to him. We can do it quietly and smoothly with Chris and avoid any complications.”
    “That's a great idea. I'll get on it.”
    “I'll call again when we're a couple of hours out of Seattle.”
    “Okay, that'll be fine.”
    Robin took off the headset and leaned back in his chair. “So Jamie, how've you been?”
    “Worried about you guys.”
    Robin nodded. “There probably were some things to worry about.”
    “That doesn't sound like you.”
    “So far, our worst casualty has been you. The events over the last two years have taught me the difference between luck and skill. In a combat operation, we need both to survive. We increase our odds by having top skills, but we need a least a little bit of luck to get back alive. We've had a good run of luck, but I just don't know how long it will last before we lose someone.”
    “You guys are one of the best trained teams in the world.”
    “You mean ‘us guys’. Training is one of our edges. The other is you.”
    “Me? What do you mean?”
    “You're our intelligence analyst. I will not commit our team to action without your intelligence estimate the mission has a probability of success.”
    Jamie's face took on a very serious look. “I don't like the idea the team's success is based on my decision.”
    “It isn't. It's always based on my decisions. I know the nature of intelligence. It can be unreliable. But I know you're absolutely reliable. You give me the best intelligence and I make the decisions.”
    “I appreciate your confidence in me.”
    “You've earned my confidence, Jamie.” Robin stood up. “Now, I've got to check on Ivanov.”
    “Damn, I missed you guys!” Emmett promptly gave Robin a bear hug the minute he came through the holding area door. “Promise me you won't leave me behind next time.”
    “I didn't want to leave you behind this time.”
    “What's the deal with Doug?”
    “He's in good hands. He needed surgery and I think the doctor is also going to work on other wounds.”
    “What other