Hostage Zero

As the time stretched to ten and then twenty minutes, children who’d run away began to wander back into the camp and to gather around the rescuers. They wanted to know what they should do. Some of them wanted to come along with Jonathan’s team, not even knowing where they would be going.

“We can’t take them all,” Boxers said.

“So how are you going to choose who gets left behind?” Harvey asked.

“The wounded get first priority,” Jonathan said. “We’ll decide on the others later.” Until Evan was safely at home, everyone understood that the rescue team could not return for the stragglers.

“So what happens to the rest?” Harvey asked.

Jonathan shrugged. “They have to be patient. They can fend for themselves. For a while. Hopefully, the villagers will take care of them. Maybe someone else. We’re not in the refugee business. Not today, anyway.”

Harvey listened to the words, and he knew right away what he had to do. “I’ll stay with them.”

“Oh, no,” Boxers objected. “I’m not getting to safety and then have to fly all the way back here to pick you up.”

“I don’t expect you to,” Harvey said. “I mean I’ll really stay.” He looked to Jonathan. “I’ve got nothing to go to back there. I’m a predator, remember? No job, no place to live, lots of people pissed off. This’ll do for me for a while.”

Jonathan stared, unsure what to say.

Boxers objected, “You’re talking shit. Boss, say something.”

Jonathan gave Harvey a long, hard look. “We’re talking a career decision here. Think about it carefully.”

Harvey smiled. “Hey, I’ve got no passport in a country that I invaded outside of any law-abiding entity. What could possibly go wrong?”

When he saw that the humor landed flat, he changed his tone. “Seriously, Boss. Over here I get a new lease. Back home, I’m nothing but an embarrassment to everybody.” He spread his arms to include the crowd of kids. “I have my flock.” His eyes bored into Boxers. “And I’m not what they say I am.”

The Big Guy grew uncomfortable. “Suit yourself,” he said. Then, to Jonathan, “I can have the bird ready to fly in five minutes. If we’re getting out of here, we need to start loading up.” He walked off to attend to it.

Jonathan said, “Harvey, this was never the plan.”

Harvey laughed. “It certainly wasn’t mine. But sometimes opportunities come wrapped in odd packages.”

“How will you make a living?”

“Adapt and improvise. Isn’t that your motto?” He shrugged. “Look, back in the world, nothing went right for me. I pissed on some opportunities, and some stuff just spun out of my control, but when it’s all said and done, I’ve got nothing back there. Seriously, these kids we liberated all need to find their families. They all need an education. Maybe I’ll copy your example and build the Colombian version of Resurrection House. I’ll do fine.”

Jonathan could not have been prouder. “Help us load, then?”

It only took a few minutes. The most seriously wounded got the white leather sofas, while the rest took up space on the floor with Evan, who seemed to be handling the pain of his leg pretty well. Because of weight restrictions, they drew a solid line in the sand that the dead would all be left behind, as would the uninjured children. As Boxers put it so succinctly, “We’re not a damn school bus.”

After some fierce debate, though, an exception was made for Charlie. A promise was a promise, after all.

With the cargo bay full, and increasing numbers of children pressing to climb aboard, it was time to go. Jonathan turned to Harvey one last time. “We can make room for you. Say the word.”

Harvey smiled. “I’ve already said my words. Someone should stay. I want to stay.”

Jonathan found himself speechless-a condition that rarely afflicted him. He held out his hand. “Thank you,” he said. “We couldn’t have done this without you.”

Harvey accepted the handshake. “Oh, I bet you would have found a way. Thanks for thinking I would be crazy enough to come along.”

They held the handshake long enough for it to become uncomfortable. Jonathan wanted to tell this Marine that he should be proud of himself, but he knew that speaking the words would cheapen the moment. Instead, he said, “We gotta go.”

“Yep,” Harvey said. “Give my best to anyone who gives a shit.”

“I’ll do that. You take care.”

“I’ll take care of me,” Harvey said. “You take care of those kids. I hope you kept current on your combat medic skills.”

“It’s only about a fifty-minute flight,” Jonathan said. This, down from a nearly ten-hour truck ride under the original plan.

“You’ve got the ambulances arranged?”

“They should be waiting for us. Venice said she’d take care of it, and that’s as good as dispatching them ourselves.”

Harvey offered his hand again. “Then get the hell out of here.”

Before climbing into the cargo bay, Jonathan stripped himself of all weapons and armor, keeping only his Colt on his hip and his. 38 in his pants pocket. He’d be moving from one patient to another, and the fewer encumbrances he had, the better off he’d be.