CHAPTER 31


   The guy sounded pretty country, very whimsical, and a bit patronizing as he looked up and saw Nate walking in the room. He sounded as if he even personally knew Nate when he said, “well if it isn't the man with the plan. What you planning today young man.” Nate felt a bit self conscious and after the guy introduced himself as, “Tommy Mack,” Nate could understand why the man was so good at putting you on the spot. Thomas Mack was a former two star general and they were usually pretty good at such things. Mack seemed amused by Nate's fidgeting and just nodded for another chair, “sit down son. I think you could use it.”
Instinctively, Nate went right for the chair like he really had been ordered to sit. Then he had to ask, “um, do I call you....”
“I'm retired,” Mack replied, “and I think we're both here for personal reasons, so, how about Tommy?”
Nate stumbled with, “I don't know if I.. you know... would feel com...”
“It's an order,” Mack snapped.
Nate wasted no time nodding and answering, “Tommy it is, sir.”
“So,” the guy still had his command presence, even when he was pretending to be Farmer Jones. Mack also still had the other peculiar habit of Generals, that being, he spoke his mind quite plainly, “you're the fellow that gets all them hits on the internet.”
Nate gulped, “well... I...”
Again, Mack looked as if he wanted to laugh, “don't mind me, Major Caldwell. I'm just an old man now. An old man who wishes like hell he was a young Major that could get away with some shit like that.”
Nate still remained apologetic, “I don't think there are too many who feel that way, sir, I mean Tommy.”
Again, Mack laughed, “oh trust me, Jim and his buddies are not thrilled about having you around but, what the hell do they know?” Nate drew a blank and Mack let him know, “Garret ring a bell?”
“General... Chairman of the Joint Chief's Garret? That Garret?.” Nate felt his spine tingle when he asked, “he's mentioned my name?”
Mack was chuckling, “more than once from hear tell of it.” Mack was having a lot of fun with this kid. He really missed the army. Still, he tried to put Nate at ease, “son, don't let them old codgers, over at the Pentagon, bother you one little bit. Let me tell you a little secret that I learned from being old, they won't be around forever.”
That much sounded true to Nate, and he could have figured that part out for himself but, at the same time, he was not sure how much that really mattered. When he said as much to Tommy Mack, the guy suddenly sounded like your favorite teacher, “who do you suppose is running up all those numbers on them search engines with your name on it?”
Nate mumbled, “a lot of women to be sure but...” He finally gave up and just shrugged.
“Young people,” Mack said in a matter of fact kind of way, “and, unlike Jim and all my buddies over across the river, they will be here tomorrow.” Then, almost as an afterthought, he mentioned, “and by the way, they don't like those old farts so that works in your favor.”
The obvious question that came to Nate's mind was, “yeah but for what? If they all want to buy a used car from me, after all this over, I suppose that could be an advantage. That's about the only thing I can figure I'll be doing when all is said and done.”
Mack actually winked at Nate, “set your sights a little higher. You might have more in you than you think.”
That left Nate at a loss because he had no idea what that could possibly be. He remembered that time he met the Reverend Shoals. Meeting Tommy Mack felt a lot like that because it would seem they were both plotting out his future. Shoals had wanted Nate to be a teen beat cover boy but, what was Mack saying? More to the point, why did he even care? Was he just some old guy with nothing better to do? One last soldier to command, maybe?
Fortunately, the conversation came to an end when Janet Isaacs walked in the waiting area and right up to them. She was busy, quite literally, letting her hair down and sounded up beat as she told the two men, “she's out of recovery now, awake, and drinking her first water in twelve hours. I am happy to report that everything went as smooth as it could.”
Mack was practically beaming as he stood up, “and this is the last one? When can I see her?”
Janet stopped fiddling with the tie on her gown. She practically commanded Nate when she nodded to the back of her neck, “get this, will you Nate.” As Nate fumbled with the string, Janet told Tommy, “well General, I am hopeful this will be the last surgery she needs. Course, the real work is just getting started. Katie has a lot of rehab in her future, I am afraid.” When the surgical gown loosened around her scrubs she gently elbowed and Nate and said, “thanks.”
Mack seemed to be completely oblivious to the side show and he just asked, “can I go see her?”
“I told her you guys were here, and she's waiting for you General,” Janet said as she nodded for the door that he could use. Then she stopped Nate with one finger and told him, “not you, not yet. They need a few minutes to themselves.” After a second she added, “and when you see her I think you guys need that too.”
Nate remained confused but he did notice the surgeons finger. He was a bit disappointed, “please tell me, Janet, that you are not coming on to me.”
Janet thought about it and then admitted, “thought about it.” She then owned up with, “I don't really mess with someone else's property though. Not what this is about anyway. How long you got left in DC?”
“Uh,” Nate humbly repeated her words, “someone else's....”
Janet rolled her eyes, “how can you be that blind? Just answer my question numb nuts.”
“Well,” Nate shrugged, “Didi told me to take the time I needed. She's running a friend, an errand... hell I don't know what to call it. Anyway she's down in North Carolina right now. I think she would prefer I stay at arms length for the moment so...”
Janet crossed her arms and nodded, “so as much as you need?”
“Um,” Nate nodded, “yeah I guess.”
“Good,” Janet had that tone of, 'it's settled,' even if Nate had no idea what was. Then she explained, “I think I'm being thanked, or maybe, my mother is keeping an eye on me but, I got invited to this little thing at the White House. I need a plus one and figured you would fit the bill, perfectly.”
“The...” Nate was not sure what to say, “White... You sure you didn't mean a white house?” Nate knew exactly what she meant and exactly who her parents were. Neither of them were someone he wanted to piss off. “You can't find anybody respectable?”
Janet shrugged that suggestion off, “why would I want to do that?”
“Well your dad is a general and I'm just a Major,” Nate told her, “that might be a major situation, if you catch my meaning.”
Janet giggled and under her breath she said, “she was right. You are funny.” Janet developed a big smile and said, “believe me Nate, pissing off my Dad is the point of the exercise but, since he isn't here right now, like always, who cares.”
Nate pointed to himself, “I might.”
It became quite apparent that the surgeon was not going to take no for an answer, “don't worry, I can protect you. Go see Katie.”
When Nate followed the doctor's orders, the General noted his presence and actually excused himself. Tommy Mack actually whispered to him on the way out the door, “good luck son, you're going to need it.”
What? Nate was not sure he wanted to approach Katie's bed now. She was definitely awake, alert, and in obvious discomfort but, she also seemed welcoming and happy to see him. When Nate sat down next to her bed she actually reached out and took his hand. Katie did not let go. Neither seemed to know what to say but, finally, Katie managed, “so, I hear you got a date for Cinderella's Ball.”
Nate almost choked, “what the.... You put her up to that, didn't you?”
Katie rolled her eyes, coughed as she almost laughed, and then said in a groggy kind of way, “of course, it was my idea Nate. Didn't take much arm twisting ether.” Nate lodged a protest and Katie ignored the words if not the context. That led her to asking the question, “do you still love her?”
That brought Nate's tirade to a complete and abrupt halt, “Janet?”
Katie slapped her forehead and moaned, “oh god. You know who I'm talking about.”
“Don't believe everything you read on the internet Katie,” was all Nate had to say on the matter.
“Jesus Nate,” Katie replied in frustration that did not seem to be connected with her current pain meds, “you jumped right back in the army, first chance you got, and I can't figure it was for the grand dining. You wanted to get back to Feyland, didn't you?”
Nate thought that over and then admitted, “she's still alive Katie. Don't matter if I love her or not. She got in trouble cause of me and...”
Kate released his hand and then grabbed his shoulder, “you don't get it, do you?” When it was clear he did not, she told him, “Nate, I kind of knew Angie Thompson was still alive, long before you told me about that letter. I think I knew a few other things too. Kind of instinctively but, I think, deep down, I knew what was going on.”
Now, Nate was nervous and, almost, to the point of being scared. No matter where he fell on that scale of the emotional hierarchy, he knew that Katie now had his attention, “what's that all supposed to mean?”
“Remember Vega?” Katie asked.
It took a few reminders but, finally, Nate replied, “short little New Yorkrican chick with an attitude?”
“That's her,” Katie replied before admitting, “she knew Thompson pretty good. Then she saw the girl, out in the Hurt, almost a year after Thompson was supposed to be dead. We'd had acts of sabotage in the field and, Division ordered us to downplay it but, I always knew it was real. I also knew it had to be somebody that knew our operations, inside and out.”
A light went off in Nate's mind. He got it but, he still did not believe it, “why would Angie....”
Katie grabbed his hand again, “Nate, I hate to be the one to tell you this but, she played you. Why, I don't know but, that wasn't a kidnapping. That thing with Thompson had to be an insertion.”
“Are you trying to tell me,” Nate was still in disbelief, “that Angie was some kind of...”
“Some kind of operator?” Katie asked rhetorically, “probably. I don't know for sure, I just know that none of it ever added up.” Katie pulled back and would not look at him now. She almost mumbled as she told him, “I just thought you needed to know.”
For Nate's part, he was not sure he really did. His emotions were already pretty conflicted on this matter and, now there was an added problem. What the hell did he tell Sara? Did he even say anything at all? Surely she had a right to know, didn't she? Then, it suddenly struck Nate. His head popped up and he looked at Katie who was trying to get comfortable and fight off the effects of the medication. He thought about not asking her but, then he just said, “why?”
Katie rolled her head over and gently asked, “why did she do it?”
“No,” Nate replied, “why did you?”
It looked as if Katie did not really understand the question. She almost did not answer, although, that seemed to be more from the medication and after effects of the surgery. She was sounding groggy when she replied, “cause you're my friend?” Katie fell asleep.