The Rescue Pt. 06

"I think he hit you a little too hard Kenny," She says.

"No, I'm serious."

"This is a discussion for later okay. Just know that I love you okay?"

I nod as Trent is lead past us now silent but his glare says enough.

"He's going to come back you know?" I tell her. "No matter what hole they drop him into; he'll eventually crawl out of it and come after us."

She nods. "We can worry about that when it happens, right now I just want to get you taken care of and back home with me."

Back at the embassy, Michelle and I are separated despite her protest to the contrary. Agent Jackson doesn't budge sending me to the infirmary and Michelle to a private room upstairs to wait. A Gunnery Sergeant named Swepson accompanies me taking off my cuffs when the doctor tells him to.

"Hell of a fight you had," The doctor states. "I heard the other guy screaming about his broken arm from down in the parking garage."

"He was kind of loud wasn't he?" I joke.

"Not to mention a little brutal to you from the look of things. Let's see what kind of damage he wrought eh?"

The doctor goes about his examination asking me what hurts, where and how bad. After redoing the stitches in my shoulder he takes a seat across from me.

"Good news and bad news. Good news is that your nose isn't broken and your stitches held up pretty well for the most part. Bad news is that you've got at least one broken rib and a couple that are cracked along with what I'd consider a mild concussion," He tells me.

"You SEAL's always get this beat up in a fight?" The Gunny asks.

"Give me a break Gunny, it's been a long couple of days for me," I tell him.

"Yeah and you ain't as young as you used to be either, right Grayson?" He asks in a Texas drawl.

"It's not the years, it's the mileage."

He chuckles at that then looks at the doc. "He okay to head to Interrogation? Jackson wants a debrief as soon as possible?"

"I see no problem with him taking that short of a walk but I'd leave the cuffs off him since it's his upper ribs that are injured," The doctor tells him.

Gunny Swepson nods and pockets the cuffs. "I won't get any trouble out of you if I leave this off will I?" he asks me.

"No sir. My days of fighting Marines are well past me."

He chuckles. "Son, the shape you're in I'd say that's one hell of a good idea."

"What do you mean that I'm not allowed to see him?" Michelle asks the Marine that's standing guard in her room.

"That's just what I was told ma'am," the Marine answers.

"Well you had better go and find someone that will tell you something different because if I don't get an update on him I'm marching out of this room and finding him myself."

"No need for all that Dr. Ripley," Agent Jackson says stepping into the room. "I've just been briefed on our doctor's findings. Two cracked ribs, one broken rib and a mild concussion... oh and he had to replace a couple of your stitches too."

She nods her head. "Okay so when can I see him?"

"I've got to debrief him about all that's happened, I'm not sure how long that might take, but in the meantime I've got your family and friends on the line wanting to talk with you," He tells her.

"If you think that will appease me, it will for a little while but I had better see Kenny within the hour or we're going to see just how tough the Marine's here can be."

Agent Jackson suppresses his laugh and looks over at the Marine stationed at the door. "She scare you Marine?"

"I'm a trained Marine sir but I hope you acquiesce to the lady's request. She looks like she'd be more than capable of ripping my throat out and showing me my vocal chords." He answers.

"I don't think I blame you one bit son but I'll try and keep you out of harm's way. Dr. Ripley, your call is being transferred in and I will see you again after I have a talk with Mr. Grayson."

While I'm waiting for Agent Jackson I ask the Gunny where Michelle is.

"There's a VIP room for visiting dignitaries and the like that's not being used at the moment so I figure they've get her up there," He answers.

"VIP room? Nice. Hope she's enjoying it."

"She hasn't sat down once since she got here from the chatter I'm hearing in my ear bud. Threatened my guy at the door if he didn't let her come and find you. Something to do with pliers and an intimate part of his anatomy that he'd prefer to stay intact."

"I wouldn't doubt her Gunny, she fought her way out of an armed militia's headquarters, transfused my sorry ass with her own blood and drove through the streets here like a maniac."

The Gunny laughs. "Yeah, we've been getting an earful from the Italian police czar about the crazy blonde American. Our diplomats gonna have his hands full on that one. If she did fight her way out of that camp though I might want to double the guard on her just in case?"

"I've got her preoccupied for the moment Gunny but keep an ear out just in case," Agent Jackson says as he joins us.

"Preoccupied?" I ask.

"We put call into to her family. She's on the phone with them now."

"That's good. They okay?"

"Confused a little bit about what's going on but I'm sure she's explaining to them what's happened."

"I suppose that leads us to explaining my side of things of then?"

"I listened to your recording so pretty up to speed but I'll need to get down in your own words how all this came into being."

"All right Agent Jackson, I'll tell you what I can. Where do you want me to start?"

"The beginning is usually best. How'd you meet up with Agent Trent?" He questions shuffling his papers.

"He picked me up at the airport. A friend of mine called around trying to get me some help in finding Michelle and Trent was there waiting at the airport in Morocco when we landed."

He nods. "Uh huh. And then what?"

"He brought me to what he said was his office in our embassy there, this crappy little room in the basement and I knew something was up."

"And how'd you know that?"

"No one has offices in the basement of the Embassies. That's always used as a fallback position in case of an attack. You can't have filing cabinets, desks and the like in the way. Besides, there was no nameplate on the door and that egomaniacal bastard would raise hell until his name was on his door somewhere," I tell him. "So I started recording the minute I walked through that door. I didn't know what he was about to ask me to do but I knew it was something, why else would the CIA pick me from the airport right? Then at some point he showed me that Michelle was in fact in alive and that's..."

"You assumed that she was dead?"

I nod. "I'd heard about Ballo and his forces aren't known for leaving anyone alive. I thought I was coming here to find a body. Turns out she was alive and according to what Trent showed me on his computer was about to be sold in an auction."

He stops me. "So Agent Trent knew the location of a captured American citizen about to be sold as what I can only assume to be a sex slave or worse and did nothing? Alerted no one?"

"I have no idea if he alerted anyone or not. All I know is what you heard on the recording."

He makes a note in the file and continues. "Yes, pretty damning stuff. So we can add Aiding Human Trafficking to his list of charges. And what did Agent Trent ask you to do for this information?"

"He wanted me to kill Ballo."

"And did you?"

"He's dead. A gunship came in and leveled the place after I got Michelle out of there," I tell omitting my part in putting a bullet in Ballo's brain.

"Is this before or after you killed him?"

I shrug. "I never said I killed him, I'm just confirming that Ballo is dead."

"Grayson, I'm not looking to hang this on you but are you sure Ballo is dead?"

I nod. "I watched him enter his barracks, they took a direct hit from that gunship and no one came out of that inferno. He's a smoking corpse or at least we was two days ago."

"And you know he was in there for certain?"

"He walked in and never left. I saw it myself."

He nods and gets to his feet. "We'll I've got some good news and some bad news for you Grayson, which do you want first?"

"It's been a long few days Agent Jackson; just tell me whichever you want."

"All right. Good news is Dr. Ripley is not going to be detained by us. As soon as her ride lands we'll escort her to the airport and she's free to go about her life. We figure she's been through enough already," He says with a smile.

"Thank you Agent Jackson."

"Not so fast. You on the other hand, we'll need you to take us through things that went on step by step. I'm afraid that you won't be able to go home with her," He says.

I sigh. "Do you think that there's any way I can go with you guys when you take her to airport? I promised her folks that she wouldn't leave my sight until I put her back in their arms. I'd kind of like to keep that promise if I can."

He thinks for a minute then says. "I'll see what I can do. In the meantime I'll have you taken back to a room you can use to get cleaned up and some rest."

"Hey Jackson... thanks for your help, with everything."

"Don't thank me yet Grayson. I'm going to get Dr. Ripley's statement and I'm going to have to keep the two of you separated until I can verify a few details. Wish me luck for when I tell that to her."

"Just tell her that I said everything's going to be all right just don't make a liar out of me. She hates liars."

He nods. "I think I can do that."

A few hours later, they come to my room and get me. Gunnery Sergeant Swepson holds up the cuffs.

"I'm sorry as hell about this Grayson but I got my orders," He states.

"I understand Gunny, it's not a problem," I tell him turning so he can cuff me behind my back.

I pause as my ribs scream out in pain as I stretch back but I manage not to.

He grabs my shoulder and turns me back around.

"They said I had to cuff ya, they didn't say how," He says cuffing my hands in front of me. "That better?"

"Lot's better, thanks Gunny."

Agent Jackson gives him a look but says nothing about it.

"The Voss's plane will be landing shortly. Dr. Ripley is waiting for us in the car."

"Thanks again for letting me see her home," I tell him as we make our way down to the parking garage.

"Just doing my job," Agent Jackson says.

"I know your bosses didn't tell you to take me on this little ride, so thanks."

"As the Gunny here said, they said I had to keep an eye on you so since I'm escorting Dr. Ripley to the airport... well I just assume that meant to bring you along," He states.

"Sounds like a pretty loose interpretation of what they told you but I'm not going to complain."

"Good." He states opening the car door.

Michelle is already seated inside.

"Kenny!" She shouts and wraps her arms around me. It's awkward what with us being in the back of an SUV and my hands being cuffed and all but she makes it work.

"Why are you still in handcuffs?"

"Orders ma'am, I'm sorry," Jackson tells her.

He sounds genuine in his apology as he climbs in the front seat flanked by a Marine driver and the Gunny seated beside me as my guard. Michelle reaches down and holds my hand as we start making our way towards the airport.

"How'd the call to your folks go?" I ask.

She nods. "About as well as you'd expect but they were glad to hear that we were both relatively all right."

"Michelle... I..." I begin to say but she stops me.

"I know. When I saw the handcuffs I knew," She says tearing up.

The Gunny looks at us and then at Agent Jackson before producing the handcuff keys.

"Swepson, we weren't authorized to..." Agent Jackson begins to say.

"He's in my charge and won't be giving me any trouble," Gunny Swepson states as he unlocks my cuffs and puts them away. I reach up, hug Michelle to me and whisper in her ear.

"Everything will be all right."

She pulls back. "I can't leave you here Kenny. Is there anything I can do, we can do so you can come home?"

"He'll just be about a week behind you is all Dr. Ripley. I just need him to walk us through some things and help me with a few reports and we'll send him right back to you. I promise," Agent Jackson tells her.

The grim mood lightens a little and she offers him a smile. "Thank you Agent Jackson. I'm going to hold you to that promise. Otherwise I'll have to come looking for him and we'll start this cycle all over again."

He chuckles and shakes his head. "We don't want that Dr. Ripley."

Satisfied with his answer Michelle leans back, lays her head on my shoulder, and whispers to me.

"How are you feeling?"

"A lot better now that I'm with you," I tell her putting my arm around her.

"Even with messed up ribs and a concussion?"

"Yes, even with all that."

"You're so full of it." She says louder. "What is going to happen to Agent Trent?"

Agent Jackson turns in his seat and tells her. "He's being taken care of, don't worry about him."

"Can't say that I'm sorry," She says.

Back to a whisper she asks me. "What about you? Do you trust this guy to keep his word?"

"He told me that he'd get you home and your plane is here. He told me that he'd see about letting me see you off and here I am so... I guess I kind of have to. I trust the Gunny here, he won't anything bad happen to me."

"Well nothing too bad Dr. Ripley. I mean he was a SEAL after all and they're known to get into all sorts of things they shouldn't." Gunny says getting a smile from her.

"Yes Gunny, they sure are but thank you. After the thing with Trent I'm having trouble trusting anyone that's CIA but if Kenny says you'll look out for him, that's good enough for me," She says.

"We're not all as bad as Agent Trent turned out to be Dr. Ripley," Agent Jackson says. "I assure you that Gunnery Sergeant Swepson and I both will take good care of Mr. Grayson."

"Then I thank you both," She says.

We reach the airport and drive in the private hanger wing where the Voss jet is already waiting. Michelle gets out as soon as we come to a stop and runs towards the waiting group consisting of her parents, Alex, Addison and her dad. The six of them hug, laugh, and cry as the rest of us exit the vehicle. I breathe a sigh of relief that I've gotten her back to the people that love her and smile despite the fact that she's about to leave me. I stay at the front of the SUV with Agent Jackson and the Gunny just watching the happy group.

"So mission accomplished huh Grayson?" He asks.

I nod. "I've done a lot of things before but I think that this is the most satisfied I've ever felt afterwards."

"You know, you may have caused me a shit load of paperwork Grayson, but you did a good thing here," He tells me.

I nod and watch as they all try to talk at once and then break up laughing.

"Aren't you going to join them?" the Gunny asks.

"Let them enjoy having her back for now. I'll say my hellos in a while."

"They're your people too Grayson. No need to hang on the sidelines just watching," He says.

It's almost as if Michelle hears him because at that moment she turns, looks at me and tells the rest of them to come with her. Addison reaches me first and hugs me tight causing my ribs to cry out in agony. I don't say anything however, I just breathe through the pain and hug her back.

"Addison, be careful he's got some cracked ribs." Michelle says pulling her back.

"Ribs, I thought you were shot?" She questions.

"There was a fight. I pummeled the guys feet with my ribs," I joke.

"That was a horrible idea Kenneth," She says.

"Yeah, I figured that out the hard way I guess."

"You're still a goof ball. Thank you for finding Michelle and getting her safely back home to us. I don't know how we'll ever repay you," Addison says giving me a more careful hug this time.

"You already know that's not why I did this Addison," I tell her.

She looks at Michelle and sees the smile on her face. "I know exactly why you did it and I'm so glad for the both of you."

"Where's Alex," Michelle asks. "I figured he'd be with you."

"He stayed behind to greet everyone for us. T.J., Ramon, Lissa and Scott are all on the way to the estate to wait for us." Addison explains.

"There's going be a week long party when we get you home." Brenda Ripley says joining us.

"And Kenny, this is my mom, Brenda," Michelle introduces us.

I stick out my hand to shake but the petite beautiful blonde woman slaps it away and hugs me much in the same careful way Addison just did.

"You saved my baby, you get hugs. I'm so sorry you got hurt helping her," She tells me.

"It's all right. I'm fine thanks to Michelle."

Michelle blushes and tries to joke it off. "I had to do something to stop your whining right?"

"I don't whine."

"No, you said you don't whimper. There's a difference."

"Michelle!" Her mom admonishes her shocked that her normally quiet daughter is acting like this but then sees the look Michelle and I are sharing and can't help but laugh herself.

Her dad does shake my hand however. "Just saying thank you doesn't feel like it's enough for what you've done for Michelle."

"It's plenty sir," I tell him. "Michelle is very special to me as she is to all of you and I'd do all this again in a heartbeat if I had to."

"Except for the getting shot part," Michelle adds but I notice there's fresh tears in her eyes.

"I told you that was part of the plan," I joke and she smiles but then hugs me.

Mr. Voss comes up and hugs us both.

"I'm so glad that you both are safe and sound. Now let's get you home so we can really celebrate."

Agent Jackson steps over and tells us.

"I'm sorry to break this up but I need to get Mr. Grayson back to the embassy. We have a long few days ahead of us," He states.

They look at Michelle and I confused.

Addison speaks up. "What are you talking about? Kenneth's going with us."

"I'm afraid not. We need him to stay with us for a little while longer," Agent Jackson says.

"My father has some very powerful friends that we can get on the phone in a matter of minutes if need be to get my friends, all my friends home," She tells him.

Her father lays a hand on her shoulder to calm her down and they all look at me.

"What this about Ken?" Mr. Voss asks.

"There are just some things I need to clear up first. I'm not under arrest or anything. I agreed to this, okay?" I tell them.

Addison doesn't look convinced but Michelle speaks up.

"I'll explain everything that I can on the plane. Just go back to the plane and I'll be ready to go in a few minutes, please?"

"Son, if you need a lawyer or anything just tell us right now and we'll have one at the embassy before you get back," Mr. Voss says.

"Or we can start calling senators and congressmen until we get you home with us," Mrs. Ripley says and I'm touched that they're ready to fight for me.

"I appreciate the offer, I truly do, but it's not necessary. As I said, I'm not under arrest or being charged with anything. I just have to provide some testimony on a few things before coming home," I explain to them.

"And Agent Jackson knows that if he isn't back in a timely manner I will be back in this country raising all manner of hell," Michelle says giving Agent Jackson a smile.

"You've started enough international incidents Dr. Ripley. I'll make sure we get him back home to you all very soon," He tells her.

Seemingly satisfied with this exchange the group allows Michelle to lead them back to the plane.

"You guys get comfortable, I'm going to go say goodbye okay?"

Michelle returns to where Agent Jackson and I are and asks him. "Can you give us a minute?"

"Yes ma'am," He states and steps away.

"I'm not one for long goodbyes," I tell her taking hold of her hand.

"If you tell me that the problems of three people don't amount to a hill of beans in this world I will punch you. Cracked ribs or no cracked ribs," She tells me quoting a Casablanca line that in truth was circling around in my head.