Dammit2

By Jerry Baggett

Marine Major Dammit McGowin stared intently at photos taken from security cameras immediately after the bomb exploded inside Cinderella Children's Hospital. He could hear the children screaming. He felt the concussion, smelled the burning flesh, understanding firsthand what they were going through. Attractive Dr. Robin Goodrich missed the fairy-tale life she shared with the handsome tough guy returning from deployment. Her passion for Dammit exceeded only by her desire to treat underprivileged children needing medical care. Fawaz Abu-Sabra, the ruthless terrorist leader, believed himself unbeatable until he encountered the hard-principled Dammit, a man equally without mercy for those willing to slaughter innocent children and their caregivers. Terrorists seek refuge in Washington state's beautiful San Juan Islands. God only knows the depth of their sickness.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Covenant Books, Inc.
• Release date: Nov 26, 2018
• ISBN: 9781643005447

Book preview

Terrorist Attack

Dr. Robin Goodrich glanced at the speedometer: eighty-nine miles per hour on speed control for the last hour. California’s highway 8 between El Cajon, California, and the isolated I-10 junction was virtually empty of traffic. She moved her eyes back to the dark clouds bringing up moisture from the Sea of Cortez. She’d hoped to reach the I-10 interchange for a potty break before the heavy desert showers forced her to raise the top of the Mercedes sports car.

Dammit’s booney hat and her dark glasses failed to hide the natural beauty of the thirty-one-year-old blue-eyed blond racing the rain clouds and paying little attention to the 105-degree air temperature. She felt the first drops of rain and looked out beyond the shimmering heat waves rising off the hot asphalt, an overpass, just in time. Great.

Months of publicity following her abduction for ransom a year earlier made Robbi an easily recognized public figure. She knew the drive from Los Angeles to Tucson without her security was a reckless sign of defiance. She was determined to live a normal lifestyle regardless of her enormous wealth. Dammit would be furious with her for making the drive alone, but he wouldn’t know.

He claimed he was called Dammit because of his mother—Dammit this, Dammit that—and believed Dammit was his name until he started school. His father thought it humorous and added Dammit to his birth certificate as his middle name.

She checked into the Tucson Hampton Inn as a late arrival, too tired for the much-desired shower. She had stayed overnight at Dammit’s man cave located in a wooded fire-danger area off Topanga Canyon in Los Angeles. Anxious to leave San Francisco the day before, she knew the drive from there to Tucson would be fun with the stopover at Dammit’s place, even though he wouldn’t be there.

Robbi felt comfortable in the small office provided by Ted Austin, the administrator at Cinderella Children’s Hospital, but that didn’t prevent her being anxious to visit the children’s critical care ward. Her first love, internal medicine, had grown even stronger after a year of visiting each of the nonprofit children’s clinics established through her family endowment. She had commended Ted for an outstanding performance as administrator, his success in staffing with highly qualified professionals in child care.

The pressure wave slammed through the building. Robbi’s chair crashed against the back wall. A hard object raked across her head above the left ear. She fell forward toward the door that had been blown open, with debris tumbling on top of her. She struggled to her feet, deaf from the explosion. She felt blood on her face and searched for damage to her head, deemed it to be noncritical, then looked around for Ted Austin. Oh my God, Ted. Are you okay? Help me find out what’s happening.

Ted Austin picked himself up off the floor. I believe it’s in the children’s ward, Dr. Goodrich. He looked at blood dripping from her ear. Are you all right, Doctor?

Yes, hurry, we may be needed.

Robbi looked to her left down the narrow hallway—smoke. She could hear children screaming and adults shouting over her ringing ears. Running through the blown-out wall, she saw metal fragments had slammed through everything and anyone in the vicinity. Perhaps more remarkable, the faces of health-care professionals, ragged and bleeding, reaching out to injured children, some crawling through body parts scattered around survivors. The unmistakable fear on faces of those still living.

Robbi rushed to aid a small child missing a limb below the elbow.

Chapter 2

Dammit Returns from War

Marine Major Dammit McGowin buckled himself in for the long flight from Ponta Delgata, Azores, to the United States. The flight from Bagram Air Base in Parowan province Afghanistan had provided him with a much-needed rest. He had looked at the pictures repeatedly over the eastern Atlantic, wishing for more clarity and detail. The four-hour stopover in the Azores had given him time to enlarge several digital photographs he’d received prior to boarding the big military transport plane. He didn’t wait for the seat belt release sign to come on before turning on the overhead reading light and pulling a small magnifying glass out of his briefcase. He released the seatback tray in front and used two spring clips to hold the ten-inch-by-twelve-inch photographs flat on the tray and stared at the first picture.

Dammit could almost hear the children screaming. He felt the concussion, smelled the burning flesh—all too familiar. He looked away until his pulse stopped pounding. He looked at each of three photos again, carefully, then went back to one taken from the hallway, a tall female in hospital worker’s blue smock, pushing a trash barrel. The short hair at the back of his neck tingled with his anger. He raised a big fist over his head, slamming it against the rack above, attracting the attention of a flight crew member.

Inhuman brutality, he thought. God only knows the depth of the sickness, the primal savagery of those who kill innocent children.

Is something wrong, Major?

No, I’m sorry for the disturbance, he said. I raised my arm to relieve pain in my shoulder and accidentally slammed the overhead fixture.

Dammit’s orders specified a twenty-four-hour-delay in route for a debriefing conference at the Pentagon. He knew the flight terminated in Virginia where several other military officers, senior to him, would have transportation to the huge building. He was confident he could scrounge a ride from the airport with that bunch. Most, he knew.

Dammit looked at the clock on the wall, 1800 hours, a long nine-hour day with the review board. He turned to see Colonel Brighton reaching for his hand.

Thank you, Major, for maintaining your ready reserve status as a marine officer. We are fortunate to have reserve officers like you pick up the harness again when the need becomes critical. He laughed. I won’t ask how you managed to get shot in the butt again. I believe that’s the second time you’ve had damage there.

I was always told to keep my head down, Colonel. No one said anything about keeping my ass down. Thank you for your kind words, sir.

Dammit looked at the bank of phones in the conference room, pulled a small book from his briefcase, a list of secure numbers inside the Pentagon, and punched in the number he was looking for.

Colonel Gladstone’s office, Gunnery Sergeant Phillips, how may I help you, sir?

This is Major Dammit McGowin, is the colonel available, Sergeant?

Dam McGowin, I heard they shot your butt off over there. What are you doing in my building?

I’m on my way home Stoney. Been a long day, I need a strong scotch and then dinner. My treat. Can you make it?

For you, anytime, old friend. What’s up?

I know you’re up-to-date at defense intelligence, and I need to pick your brain. You may be able to shed some light on the domestic terrorist scene here in the States.

Colonel Felix Gladstone pulled hard on the glass of twenty-five-year-old-scotch before continuing. Things are going to move from bloody to complicated in the Middle East, Dam. Conflict has elevated Shi’ite militias to prominence as a military power competing with the Sunni, and now even the Kurds have gained territory. All the factions will be competing for power in a weakened political arena. He looked at Dammit.

You should know this without having me tell you. ISIS lost more than territory after you defeated them in Mosul. They will be sucking the weak tit now, looking for fertile ground to regain a base of power. The operation will simply go underground. Afghanistan can expect the usual tactic, more car and truck bombs and people with suicide vests.

Dammit said, So how does that affect what’s happening here at home? You saw the horror in those pictures. I’m afraid we’ve been far too generous honoring religious rights, allowing cults to masquerade under the guise of religion.

I don’t know about that, Dammit, but here’s what you can be sure of. ISIS, like the Taliban and all other radical groups, reverts to a position of weakness: small acts of terror, well-organized cells patiently waiting to assert themselves when the power base begins to fail. We’ve seen that all over Europe with the violence in London and Paris. Soon, we may see an increase here at home, more of what those pictures clearly display.

I see, Dammit said, so what do you make of that shot of a cleaning woman just before the explosion? Does it look like anyone on the radar with military intelligence or the folks at Homeland Security? I’m sure you exchange information.

It’s suspicious-looking to me only because it looks more like a disguise than an actual cleaning person, Stoney said. I’ll run it through everything we have and get back to you if it pans out. You can expect more of this kind of thing now, but the politicians don’t want the public to panic over suppositions.

I may need to call on you from time to time as a civilian. Will that be a problem, Colonel?

I know how you’ve been working with the FBI as a civilian, Dam, but I may not be able to communicate with you in an unsecured setting with what you need, but we’ll try to work it out.

Dammit grabbed his bags and exited the airport baggage pickup onto the street. He searched the long line of vehicles until he spotted an attractive woman ahead waving her arms furiously. God, she’s beautiful, he thought. How did I get so lucky?

Robbi started running toward Dammit, saw his arms were full, and slowed until they came together. He dropped his bags and lifted her off her feet. She kissed him furiously, tears betraying her emotion, before burrowing her face into his chest.

Let me hold you for a while, please, she said, her smile beaming affection. They hugged each other close for several moments until she moved away, grinning.

I can tell, you’ve missed me too, she said.

Starting the car, Robbi said, I told you Mike called Deputy Director Max Findlay at FBI headquarters in Washington, and he greased the wheels so that Grogan, agent in charge here, would be able to work with us. Well, Grogan called ten minutes ago and wants you to call him immediately.

Having you in my hair again is not my idea, Dammit, after all the trouble you gave me working on Robins’ kidnapping, Grogan said.

I suppose that’s why you recommended the letter of commendation from the director of your austere organization.

Strictly a moment of weakness. Now Robbi tells me you two have other plans for the next ten days. I don’t want to hear about that, but check in with me as soon as you’re ready to hit the ground running. Robbi’s attorneys insist on having you represent them while working with the bureau again. He laughed. They must be nuts.

Dammit said, What can you tell me so far, Phil? I’m sick to my stomach at the uncalled-for brutality.

We have five dead children, two dead parents of children, and one deceased health-care worker. And here’s the puzzling thing: a missing nine-year-old-girl. Cameras in the parking lot show what’s believed to be the female assassin running through the parking lot carrying a child under her right arm. Several other people are hurrying away from the bombing with children, not surprising.

Are you referring to the tall woman in the photo from the hallway dressed as a hospital worker?

Precisely. The pictures from the parking lot are blurry. We aren’t identifying the assassin’s gender as male or female yet, Grogan said. The missing child’s mother is a single parent, injured in the blast. The child is extremely pretty, smart, and outgoing.

Dammit said, The puzzle broadens, perhaps, to lead investigators away from Islamic extremists.

Maybe, but it has the appearance of domestic terrorist activity. However, the bomb was more sophisticated than normally used by low level bomb makers from either camp military-grade explosives.

Chapter 3

Welcome Home

Robbi watched as Dammit left a trail of clothing across the dressing-room floor, shedding the last item, underwear, at the shower door.

She laughed and blocked him from entering the shower. Honey, I’ve never seen you with a farmer’s tan before. Doctor’s orders now. I have to check out those new trademarks on that devilishly attractive body. It looks like a tiger took a bite out of your butt.

Dammit’s six-feet-five-inch muscular frame blocked out much of the light, standing over Robbi. She was having fun with him, aware of how eager he was to claim her body.

Sweetheart, please, I’m embarrassed with you staring at me.

That never bothered you before, she said, touching the dark scars.

I know, I’ve never missed you so much. Don’t you know, it’s been six months since you met me in Cyprus for that long weekend?

He wrapped her in his arms and stepped into the shower, letting warm water flow freely over their highly sensitive bodies.

With her head resting on his upper arm, Robbi ran her fingers along the scar that started at the outer edge of Dammit’s shoulder and reached the center of his chest. She recalled how she had forced herself to stitch the open wound together with a household needle and cotton thread. He had remained fully conscious throughout the ordeal, even wiped blood away with an alcohol-soaked wad of surgical gauze while she stitched. She had known by then that she was passionately in love with this man. Even now she loved every tender touch from her gentle giant. She pinched his nipple playfully.

Robbi had felt burdened by the responsibility of inherited wealth she hadn’t asked for until Dammit came into her life and encouraged her to accept the responsibility graciously and made the most of her opportunity. She had grown into the challenge quickly, encouraged by his unyielding nature and no-sweat attitude facing adversity. Dammit had stepped forward, risked his own life and career to rescue Robbi from brutal men determined to end her life.

I’m sure you don’t mind, honey. I’ve arranged a few days of sun and fun before we go back to work.

That’s wonderful, sweetie, Dammit said. Right now, I’d like to talk more about the horror of the terrorist attack on Cinderella. Does it still bother you to discuss the gory details? If so, there’s always tomorrow.

Not with you, but I may tear up at any time. Robbi pushed herself up to a sitting position.

Asking Mike for help was a blessing. He and Tracy flew to Tucson and stayed with me through the worst part of the investigation and those endless meetings with every agency of the alphabet. She looked at Dammit.

"Dam, the publicity has been horrible. My picture has appeared in all the newspapers every single day. ‘Robin Goodrich, wealthy philanthropist, injured in explosion at children’s hospital supported by the wealthy woman Medical Doctor’."

The media has gone back to cover all the terrible details of the kidnapping. I haven’t been able to leave the hotel suite since the tragedy. We’ve tied up a full floor at Hampton Inn with our security people and attorneys. I only managed to slip away last night, taking a late flight, knowing you would be here. I couldn’t possibly not welcome you home.

Thank you, sweetheart. I’ve never had a better welcome-home party.

She studied Dammit’s face. "I’m so sorry, Dam. You’ve had enough trouble without this