Home Front

By C. L. Jones

Things have changed in a big way for Pops when his closest friend and the mother of his kids passes away. Now his new mission is to try to get through each day readjusting to his single lonely life while continuing to work at a job that has little meaning except to earn enough money to cover the expensive bills from his wife’s illness.
All of that changes when he receives an unexpected call from his friend Surfer, a member of the Crew that formed on Pops’ final mission for the Organization. Surfer was so distraught that Pops only got a hint about a kidnapping and drugs before Surfer hung up the phone. Pops hoped that Surfer heard his plea to wait until he could get there to help.
Pops calls on Cowboy for help, another member of the Crew who is like his brother. Together they head for the corrupt city where Surfer is living to render aid and comfort to another brother in any way they can.
The members of the Crew have a certain set of skills that come in handy as they uncover an organized ring of human trafficking, drugs and prostitution. Along the way is a disgusting dose of human debris that makes you wonder about the moral fiber of our society.
The bottom line is the bad guys should learn to not mess with members of the Crew without expecting payback. And sometimes payback can be pretty painful.

• Language: English
• Publisher: C. L. Jones
• Release date: May 5, 2018
• ISBN: 9780463854624

C. L. Jones

C.L. Jones grew up in a large Midwestern family, a military family who served for many generations, where he learned the art of storytelling. Back in his early days he would sit around the fire pit and share his tales with friends and family. C.L. Jones experienced the depth of brotherhood through out his military career, having received the Combat Infantry Badge, Bronze Star, 2 Purple Hearts, Meritorious Service Medal, and the Humanitarian Service medal. The first three books that he's published are part of a series that he fondly calls "Brotherhood Holds the Line". Brothers of Different Mothers, the first book, is a story about how Pops and the Crew grew to become brothers while trying to survive the organization's efforts to thin the ranks. Book #2, Home Front, shows how the strong bonds that formed in Brothers of Different Mothers continued to grow as the Crew helped Surfer through trying times. Book #3, Second Chance, takes the close knit team on a mission to Central America to find a CEO of a large company who was kidnapped by a rebel faction to extort money for their cause. These three stories are good examples of the kinds of stories that he would share.Jones has completed work on the Farm Boy Series. You will recognize some characters from Pops and his crew but the squad is the younger generation of agents working through modern technology with the same bad elements that survive time. Good against evil with some twists. Book #1, Farm Boy, book #2 Farm Boy's Wisdom and book #3 Enough is Enough is now available. An early release has shown that Enough is Enough is an exciting read and was well received. What is coming next, we now look forward to the saga wrapping up with a final conclusion for the Pop's Team and Farm Boy's squad, just wait till you read what happens next!!

Book preview

Home Front

By

C. L. Jones

Copyright 2002 C. L. Jones

Smashwords Edition, License Notes

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to your favorite ebook retailer and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

Table of Contents

His Room

Chapter 1: The Goodbye

Chapter 2: The Call

Chapter 3: The Meeting

Chapter 4: Never Hurt The Ones We Love

Chapter 5: Finances

Chapter 6: Implementing the Plan

Chapter 7: Jammed Up

Chapter 8: The Underbelly

Chapter 9: The Clean Start

Chapter 10: Betrayal

Chapter 11: An Eye Inside

Chapter 12: A Beautiful Dream

Chapter 13: Another Casualty

Chapter 14: The Gathering

Epilogue

Note from the Author

Other Books by C. L. Jones

HIS ROOM

The silver moon’s rays broke the black clouds of the night sky,

and through the blinds into this his dark and peaceful room.

And brought back memories from the past

he thought he had once buried in an old darkened tomb.

Back they came rushing in all too soon,

and invaded that soft and gentle room.

Not the darkness of night or the window shades drawn tight

could keep them from sinking into his life’s ever-present gloom.

Lying there beside him she knew his missions in the middle of the night

came quiet under the rays of that silver moon.

She knew with the breaking of the light,

the sun seemed to heal wounds of his dark and dreary room.

CHAPTER ONE:

THE GOODBYE

Pops sat near the bed in the hospital reminiscing about the good times and bad times throughout his life. He remembered how Mary looked standing on the airport balcony waving to him when he left home for the war. He remembered the way she looked when she told him that he was going to be a father. His mind wondered to other things as a kind of self-defense mechanism that kicked in to guard against the agonizing minute by minute lingering that comes with the passage of time in a hospital room, waiting for someone to die. He’d recognized the self defense mechanism in himself many times through the years.

He was unable to stop a replay of the mountain compound mission that had happened four years ago and his newfound brotherhood. It had been a while since Pops had come home with around a half a million dollars. He’d snuck through the back door into the kitchen and acted as if he’d been on a normal mission. Pops yelled out, Hey is there anybody home? Mary had been upstairs when she heard his voice. Pops had heard her come running down the staircase, through the house, around the corner and into the kitchen. She’d been so happy to see him that she greeted him by jumping up, wrapping her arms around his neck and locking her legs around his body.

Pops couldn’t believe that he’d lived in two such different worlds; one where he’d traveled around the world on missions for the organization, and another where, like many people, he’d lived in a suburban setting with a lovely wife and family. When he went on a mission it was pure hell but he was always able to come back to his little part of true heaven. Mary would take him by the hand and lead him to their bedroom. She’d prop up all the pillows on the bed to make a place that looked like a special king’s throne. She’d put on some of his favorite music, and head to the kitchen to make him a special snack. Mary knew all the foods he liked best and each time he was away on a mission she would take the time to learn how to make another dish. The dish was usually Chinese or Mexican food which she knew were Pops’ favorites. It would be served with that special smile on her face and that twinkle in her eye.

These were the things Pops always replayed any time his reminiscing kicked in. No matter where he was or what he had to do, Mary’s smile and twinkle kept Pops going through the worst of times.

Pops would sit there with soft Irish music, his favorite dinner and a tall glass of ice cold Coca-Cola. Sometimes Mary would look through the hall closet and retrieve candles that she kept tucked away for those special occasions. She’d walk around the bedroom carefully placing them in what she thought were just the right spots and she would light them. Then without looking at Pops, she’d make another trip around the room and close all the heavy drapes and shades. With a little embarrassment she’d look at Pops as she disappeared into the dressing room and on to the bathroom. Pops would lie there slowly eating and listening to the sounds of her shower. After the shower stopped he would soon hear her at the make-up table. He knew the length of time it would take for her to put on her make-up so he was never surprised when the blow dryer kicked on as she dried her hair after the make-up. He would hear her moving the little bottles of perfume around as she tried to pick out just the right one. He would lie there and anticipate the next sound. There it was, the closet door and the sound of the hangers moving back and forth on the clothes rod. It would be about then that Pops would smell the scent of one of her perfumes as it would slip into the room from under the dressing room door. It was usually the one that she knew was his favorite. Pops would wait with a silly grin on his face.

No matter how many times they’d gone through this routine he’d always felt like he did the first time they were together.

Mary would slowly open the dressing room door as she turned out the light. As if she was still embarrassed after all these years, she would walk gracefully and sexily inch by inch across the bedroom floor. When she reached the bedside she would stop. She would reach down pick up the remote to the stereo with one hand and click on her special music. He would wiggle and readjust himself as he got ready for his own unique, very private show. As the music started Mary would go into a real bump and grind dance. She would start a slow stimulating striptease. He would get so worked up that he wanted to jump her right then. She would hold her hand up to stop him and finish dancing to the song. As the next song started, her performance would go up a notch or two. When the song and dance came to an end she would climb onto the bed on her hands and knees and slowly do a slinky crawl across the bed. Her crawl had been so slow that Pops wanted to reach over and grab and pull her over to him.

Mary’s eyes would make contact with his eyes and he knew it was best to just wait. As she reached his side he’d lift his arm and she would slip into place, her head on his shoulder and his arm would start wrapping around her. She would start with light kisses on his face and neck then she would go into a soft kissing frenzy. After a few minutes she would start working the kisses down his neck and onto his chest. Pops knew the end result of the kisses would be pure pleasure for him but he always knew there was more to it than her wanting to please him. Mary was doing an inspection, she would find scrapes and wounds and after the lovemaking was over she would climb upon his chest and just lay there for a while. Then she would slide into her ready-made spot on his shoulder and tell him anything new or anything that happened while he was gone. She would cuddle up next to him for a while then without saying a word or asking any questions she would go to the bathroom and comeback with whatever she thought she needed to tend to his injuries. She would very carefully treat and medicate each scrape and scratch, then would say, Okay kid, you rest for a while and I’ll wake you in an hour. Then she would leave the room and go back to the kitchen.

Once after she’d left the room he followed her down to get something from the fridge. He spotted her through the kitchen door before he entered and saw her bent over with her head nestled in her arms on the kitchen table, crying softly to hide the sound of her pain from him. She had never known that he’d walked in on her because he’d slipped back to the bedroom to do a little manly guilt-crying of his own.

This routine had been the same after the mountain compound mission. As she left the room to head for the kitchen, Pops remembered thinking that maybe this time it would be different and hopefully a little better. He’d laid in bed waiting while listening to every sound that she’d made after leaving the bedroom. He’d imagined her as she moved around the house trying to be quiet so she would not disturb him. Then it had gone dead bone quiet for several minutes. He’d waited and listened. A big smile had covered his face as he heard her running back toward the bedroom. He’d slid down into the bed and hid his face in the pillow as if he were asleep. She’d come busting through the door yelling in complete happiness, What is all this?

Pops had sat up in bed pretending he was being awakened from a sound sleep, What’s what?

This, this, look at all this money, she’d said in very happy voice.

Pops had played it straight. Still acting, he’d said Oh that. It followed me home and I thought I’d keep it. Maybe if I feed it, it’ll grow to be something some day.

Can I count it?

Still acting, he’d answered her as he pretended that he was going back to sleep, Sure, just don’t pay too much attention to it or it might get spoiled. He had turned his back as if he was not going to watch her count it and said, It’s not much. Only around a half a million dollars.

The room had been completely silent for a short time. When she’d grabbed his arm he’d turned back to face her. She had tried to speak, What? Where? Can we keep it? I’m sorry, I don’t know what to say. This is just what we needed to help rebuild our retirement.

Yep, he’d said. Now that I’m retired we will have to find something else for me to do.

After years in the Army and years of doing what he’d been doing for the organization, Pops had wondered what he could do to stay busy and have an income. He’d taken months going over different ideas and nothing had felt right. It had been a long time since the mountain compound mission and he’d not heard word one from the organization. He’d known that once they’d pieced together what had likely happened at the compound, they would probably not contact him again because they’d be worried about sending anyone who’d walked away from that debacle on any mission. He’d also known that the money that the Crew had taken was of no concern to them and it could be that they hadn’t even known about it. To the organization that amount of money hadn’t even been chicken feed. On the other hand, Pops had instinctively known that if the organization was aware of the money, they’d also believe that whoever had the money would not do or say anything. For anyone to have spoken of it or how they got it would be stupid.

So Pops’ had considered that the money he and the Crew had pocketed was free and clear, but he’d returned to his original dilemma; what to do now? Then one day as he’d been watching a TV crime show it came to him; maybe he could try being a private investigator. While working for the organization he’d picked up a lot of private investigator methods as well as contacts. To his way of thinking at the time, surveillance was nothing more than recon.

After much consideration and a few long talks with Mary, Pops had settled on PI work. As it turned out, Pops had done well in the PI line of work. He’d had several corporations and attorneys as clients and sometimes he’d handled private party cases. He’d discovered that he hadn’t liked working on divorce cases because people who’d once said they’d loved each other were doing their best to hurt each other.

Mary and Pops had been spending more time together than ever before. He’d been able to tuck away most of the money he’d brought home from his last mission. They’d been able to go on a few vacations and just enjoy being with each other. From time to time he’d heard from one of the other guys on the Crew. They’d all been doing well and most had been enjoying life just as Pops had. At that point his life had been looking great.

Then one day Mary had started feeling ill. The doctors had run several tests over a period of weeks. One day when she’d been home alone the doctor’s office called. They’d told her she had a terminal illness and only had a short time to live.

Later that evening when Pops had returned home she’d walked into the living room where he’d been sitting and stood in front of his chair between him and the TV. He’d looked up at her as she’d stood there with tears flowing down her face. He’d jumped up from his chair and wrapped his arms around her, asking, What’s the matter kid? He’d taken his hand and lifted her face so he could look into her eyes. Pops had seen in her eyes that she was trying not to tell him something. He’d seen then that she had to dig down deep to find a way to break the bad news to her husband. Did something happen to one of the kids? Is it one of our parents? She’d only been able to lean against him with her head on his chest and continue to cry. What had she been going through to try to find a way to tell him? That the plans they’d made to grow old sitting on the front porch, rocking in their rockers together would never come true? That watching the grandkids play in the yard would never come true for the two of them? How could she tell him she was going to die?

A few months had passed since Mary had told him of her terminal illness. One day when they had just returned home from one of her treatments she’d been laying on the living room couch watching TV, feeling like shit and trying not to show it. He had been sitting on the floor beside the couch, pretending to be watching the program. He’d noticed out of the corner of his eye that she’d been watching his every movement. He‘d acted as if he didn’t see her for what seemed the longest time but finally he hadn’t been able to take it anymore. He’d turned and looked into her eyes and said, What? What’s the matter?

She’d taken a long look at him that seemed to last several minutes. Finally with a completely sober look on her face, she’d said, I want you to make me a promise, okay?

Pops had tried to be very serious and had put on his poker face not knowing what to expect. With a smile he’d replied, Okay kid, what do you need?

She hadn’t been happy with his light-hearted reply and the smile on his face, for obviously this had been a very important subject. She’d come back at him with, It’s not a joke, okay?

He’d immediately changed his demeanor into his old military attitude, Okay, I’m sorry. He had taken her hand and then added, What do you want?

She’d looked into his eyes as his own eyes had examined the overall look on her face. She’d seemed to calm down when she made her request, I want you to promise me that no matter what, you’ll never take another mission for those people. I want you to promise me that if you ever have to go out again you’ll do it only to help or to protect someone. I want you to promise me that. No more night ghosts okay?

He’d gotten up from where he’d been sitting and knelt beside the couch. He’d held her hand with one hand and had run his other hand down her cheek as he’d whispered, I promise. No more missions like the others. I’ll only do what is needed to protect my family or someone else needing my kind of help. No more night ghosts, okay kid?

Pops had spent three years taking care of her. Now he sat by her empty, lonely bed in the hospital. He’d been at the hospital every day for the last three months watching the woman he’d spent of the better part of his life slowly slipping away. During the last week he’d spent every minute holding her hand when he’d been in the room. It just so happened that yesterday the doctor had called him into the hall outside the room. He’d known it before he’d stepped out of the room. The doctor had told him in no uncertain terms, Maybe you should call your kids. Mary won’t make it through the night. He’d been denying that this day would come during this nightmarish ordeal. He was losing the love of his life. It seemed like he was losing his own heart. His heart was imploding and he discovered that it was something you never want to experience.

Pops had sleepwalked around the hospital for the next few hours wrestling with what he’d been told. He’d always believed that somehow Mary would make one more of her miraculous comebacks. He’d found that he couldn’t bring himself to make the call until later when one of the nurses who’d been taking care of Mary, had walked into the room, put her hand on his shoulder and had said, Go call her children.

After the call it hadn’t long until the kids arrived in Mary’s room. Their arrival had made the family complete. With her family circled around her she had looked calmer then she had in days. Pops had known how much Mary believed in God and God’s angels, so in a very soft voice he’d told her that her angel was waiting to take her home. He’d told her to pick out a good place for the family to join her someday. He then did the hardest thing he had ever had to do, he’d told Mary that it was okay for her to go ahead and go on home. For the first time in days she’d opened her eyes, smiled at him, softly squeezed his hand and slipped away. Mary was now out of her pain and walking home with her guardian angel. Mary was dead and Pops felt like a very large part of him had gone with her.

CHAPTER TWO:

THE CALL

It had been two years since Mary’s death and Pops had gone through a poor me state for a while. His friends and family, even Mary’s mother, had been telling him that it was time to move on and he needed to start seeing other people or start dating someone. He’d resisted that idea and told himself it would be like cheating on Mary. But after two years he admitted that the loneliness started to get to him. He’d always been able to handle being alone when he had been on a mission where he’d spent days surveilling a target. Then, he’d learned to pass the time by thinking of home, Mary and the kids. Other times he would lay in wait and dream of the day when he would be considered too old for any more missions. In these dreams the organization would stop calling him or even better, assign him as a field training camp instructor. But now he felt as if his dreams were gone and time never seemed to do anything but drag by a second at a time.

There was little of the half million left after he’d covered most of the costs of Mary’s illness. He was worried that what little was left would still be taken by the doctors and hospitals who had treated Mary in the last few months when she’d been alive. So he’d gone on a little spending spree. He’d tried different things like buying a little jet-black convertible thinking it would help or taking off to different parts of the country without telling anyone he was leaving or where he was going. He’d spent some time with his children and his new grandbaby. His kids had tried everything to help him along but most of the time after they parted he’d felt emptier then before. Along with the PI work, he’d started doing some security work at one of the local resorts to occupy his time. He’d made some new friends at the resort and it was becoming a regular event for some of the people who worked there to ask him along after work. They usually finished at the resort around eleven o’clock at night and would hit some of their favorite local haunts in the downtown area.

At first he’d say, Oh, thank you very much but I think I’m a little too old for you guys. But his worker buddies at the resort kept asking and he was starting to feel like he wasn’t being nice if he didn’t tag along at least once with them.

One night when one of the guys from the group asked him along again, he surprised them by agreeing. He put on his best face and said, Okay, sure I’ll go. It might be fun.

Lo and behold, the night was fun. He joined in everything the group was doing. No one paid any special attention to him which made him feel right at home. Women asked him to dance and they treated him like he was just one of group and not the older citizen he’d made himself out to be in his own mind.

Going out with the group from work became somewhat of a routine, however he found that he was spending way too much time with them. For some unknown reason this made him more uncomfortable than earlier when he’d been turning down their invites. So he began backing away by telling them that he was tired from work or needed to run errands or needed to get home to take care of his dog. None of these excuses were good but it was all he could come up with. He was back to his old ways where he would work at the resort, maybe take a small PI case here and there and for the most part when he wasn’t working, he would stay home.

Unexpectedly one night as he was about to end his shift at the resort, one of the young guys he worked with told him that the group was headed to a big country western club on the other side of town. He asked Pops if he wanted to tag along. Pops had always wanted to see what the big deal was with the gigantic cowboy bar so he said yes before his brain had time to think it over. For a world traveler and a world class sanctioned assassin it was like a small grain of sand from something out of his old life.

Before leaving the resort that night he stopped by his office to finish up the daily reports and review the work schedule for the