Love and the White Wolf - Book 3

16. Live Like It's Your Last Day (Sexual content)

After Edmonton we drove to Jasper National Park and stayed for four days. For a late birthday present James chartered a private helicopter to take us on a tour of the area. When the pilot found out that James had his helicopter pilot's license he turned over the controls so the boys could see their dad flying. Of course Steve said he wanted to fly helicopters as well. Sam echoed that desire. It truly was a good time but was called short by James being called in on an urgent classified mission. He placed the special phone call and arranged for the emergency portal for himself while our flight was changed for the boys and myself to leave earlier. He couldn't tell me where he was going or how long he would be but promised to call or text when he could. Then he kissed all three of us and watched us go through security before he reported to the information desk. We got home late but Sarah met us at the airport and we followed her to their home to stay overnight. Sam had also been called in for the mission.

Two days after James left he texted to watch the evening news. The top story was of a fishing boat that strayed too close to North Korean waters. The boat had been seized and the crew taken into custody. The Avengers weren't mentioned as a diplomatic solution was being sought. It did mention that a rescue mission was a possibility. For another four days there was no word then suddenly it was announced that the Avengers had launched a covert rescue operation and had successfully rescued all the prisoners plus a couple they hadn't known about. James video called from the military base in Japan before the transport left. He looked tired and admitted he hadn't slept in almost 48 hours. It would be a day before they landed at our airport. He said he would call a ride share.

"Like hell you will," I told him.

I picked him up with the kids and it was the best tonic for both him and Sam, who also got hugs galore from the boys. James was still jet lagged so I drove home. He talked a bit after checking the boys were asleep on the ride home.

"The North Koreans put a bounty on me, on all of us," he said. "Claimed they had a way to resurrect the Winter Soldier that couldn't be broken. One of the extra people we rescued was a disgraced general. He said it was true. HYDRA left a back door to my psyche. I have to go to Wakanda next week for a full evaluation."

I squeezed his hand as I could tell he was quite upset by it. So many years after breaking free the threat was still there.

"Do you want us to come?" I asked.

He sighed. "Normally, I would say yes but this is going to be a deep evaluation," he said worriedly. "I would rather you and the boys didn't see me in such a fragile state. It'll be hard for both of us but I think it's for the best."

I understood. Steve looked up to James but even he was sensitive to James moods. If the evaluation was as extensive as he was expecting it could be very distressing for all of us. That night we caught up on our sex life but he was distracted. I had never seen him this worried when he wasn't injured.

Shuri arranged for a site to site portal so there was no jet lag as it would affect the evaluation. He wasn't going to call either although Shuri indicated she would on his behalf.  Two days after he left she made the call via Friday.

"The general gave us all the information he had and we did find something," she said reluctantly. "I blame myself. It should have been obvious to me at the time we first deprogrammed him."

"You can fix it, right?" I asked.

"Gail, we've put him back into cryosleep," she admitted. "We have to be very careful and precise or we risk reactivating him. I wish I had better news but I don't."

The following day I received a call from a woman I had never seen. She identified herself as the former HYDRA graduate of the Winter Soldier program that been found the year before. She was still in Wakanda undergoing treatment. Like James had done she was living a quiet life in a village before returning to society. She was even contemplating joining the Avengers once she felt up to it.