Operation Phoenix

by Susan Hayes

  “I didn’t overreach, your dear brother dropped me.”

  Damn it, when had Dax arrived?

  She turned and spotted the subject of her story leaning up against the wall near the door. He was wearing a dark blue, sleeveless top that showed off his heavily muscled arms and the broad width of his shoulders.

  “Is that what happened? All I saw was you plummeting into the water, then things got…ugly.” She trailed off after that. It was one thing to tell the story about him falling in. It was another to go into the details about what happened next.

  Dax had come into the gym to blow off some steam by working out and maybe sparring for a bit with one of his teammates. The investigation wasn’t making much progress, and Trinity was still avoiding being in his company unless their work required it. The last place he had expected to run into her was in the gym, chatting with the rest of the team about his misspent youth.

  Listening to her talk about those days made him nostalgic. She was the only other person who remembered that time of his life, and he wished that he could talk to her about those times, and about Travis.

  “Go ahead and tell them the rest of the story, Trin. See if any of them eat fish for a week after you’re done.”

  “I lost my appetite for seafood the second she started talking about sewage and fish in the same breath,” Aria admitted.

  “What happened next?” Eric prompted her.

  “He started to drown. The fish were so thick in the water that they formed living currents, which made it nearly impossible for him to stay afloat.”

  “Not to mention the fact I couldn’t swim. In fact, that was the first time I’d ever been in water over my head.”

  She laughed, and that light, easy sound made his heart ache. It had been too long since he’d heard her laugh.

  “It was only over your head because you didn’t try to stand up.”

  “How was I supposed to know that? It looked deep.”

  “How did you get out, sir?” Eric asked again.

  “Travis had to jump in and tell him to put his feet down,” Kurt said. “At least, that’s the story I heard.”

  “It wasn’t Travis that jumped in after me. It was a little girl with more courage than sense.” He inclined his head to Trinity. “You weren’t even supposed to be tagging along that day. We had no idea you were there until you landed in the water, grabbed my arm and screamed at me to stand up.”

  “Good thing I followed you two. Travis was laughing too hard to realize you were in trouble, and you were too panicked to hear me call to you.”

  “You jumped into sewage to save him?” Dante asked.

  “My brother wasn’t the only reckless idiot in the family,” she said with a familiar grin.

  Trinity’s smile was the exact same one Travis used to have whenever they were charging into danger. The last time Dax had seen it was the day Travis had pushed him out of the way and saved his life. Choked up by memories and regrets, Dax slipped out of the room while the others were still talking. If he tried to spar in his present mood, he’d end up hurting someone.

  He’d vanished on her again. Trinity wasn’t sure if she was more annoyed that he’d slipped away without a word, or that it bothered her so much that he’d done it. She should be used to him disappearing by now. It was his trademark move.

  She finished up the story, chatted for a few more minutes with the others, and then headed to her quarters. Instead of a sauna, she’d grab a hot shower before tackling whatever crisis had cropped up while she was gone.

  When she finally checked her messages, she vowed to never leave the base again. Eight new messages, three of them marked urgent. She started with those. Might as well get the bad news first.

  The first message was from her base administrator. Cleo had been growing increasingly agitated over the constant flow of access requests from the investigation team. The Master Sergeant was the most organized, protective person Trinity had ever met. She considered the staff here her family, even referring to them as her ‘chicks,’ when she was feeling sentimental. It was no surprise she wasn’t coping well with the chaos that came with this kind of investigation.

  The newest issue was an order to grant access to the vault to Dax and several other members of his team. Cleo wanted Trinity’s confirmation before arranging for updates to their access codes. Access to the Vault of the Fallen was carefully controlled, and Cleo had assigned herself the role of the gatekeeper. She even saw to the restocking of that part of the base herself.

  The other messages were from Tony. All of them. The urgent ones were simply a demand for her to get back to him as soon as she could, so she had to listen to the earliest messages to know why he was so unhappy.

  “It would have been nice to know this was coming so I could have prepared for the fallout,” she muttered in irritation when she finally had the full picture.

  Dax and his team hadn’t just gotten clearance to go into the vault. They had been granted full access to every project and file on the base, including the archives. She had tried to prepare Dr. Clarke and his people for this possibility, but they hadn’t believed it would happen.

  “V.I.D.A., when did the orders come in?”

  “They arrived while you were off-base, Lieutenant. I believe it was the same time that the Master Sergeant and Chief Scientist Clarke were informed.”

  Not helpful. That news should have come to her first.

  “Can you tell me where Commander Rossi is right now? He and I need to discuss a few things.”

  “He is in his quarters. Shall I inform him you will be arriving shortly?”

  “No. If I don’t get a heads up, then neither does he.”

  She dressed quickly, opting for her uniform over the more comfortable choices in her limited wardrobe. She needed to remind him that she might not be part of his investigation, but she was still the base commander, and he needed to keep her in the loop.

  5

  Dax was down to the dregs of his second glass of brandy and contemplating a third when the door chimed, indicating he had a visitor. It was probably Kurt, wanting to reminisce about Travis some more. They didn’t talk much about the days when it was the three of them against the galaxy, but after Trinity’s story today he was feeling nostalgic. It wasn’t a stretch to figure Kurt would be, too.

  Since he had left the gym, Dax had done nothing but remember his friend. He’d poured a drink and started looking at old holo-pics, letting the memories wash over him. It wasn’t the most productive use of his time considering the investigation was stalled, and headquarters wasn’t getting back to him with the information or clearances he’d requested, but tonight, he was missing his friend.

  He got to his feet and wandered to the door without bothering to put on a shirt. The entire base was heated by geothermal energy, which meant that for once, his floors weren’t cold and he could relax in comfort.

  He passed a hand over the inner panel, and it slid open to reveal he’d been mistaken about who had come to visit.

  “Trin?”

  “Commander Rossi. I need to have a word with you. May I come in?”

  He’d known her too long not to recognize that tone. She was pissed off and trying to hide it beneath a veneer of formal politeness. She was also back in uniform, buttoned up and proper. He was tempted to pop a few of those buttons and free her hair from its braid. Part of him wanted to see what would happen when that veneer cracked. For the moment, his more sensible side won out.

  He gestured her to come in with the hand still holding his nearly empty glass. “Come in, Lieutenant West.”

  She eyed his glass, then his appearance, and her lips pursed. “Relaxing after a long day?”

  “Something like that. Given the fact you’re back in uniform, I’m guessing you’re not ready to relax. If you are, then I’m happy to pour you a brandy before we get into…whatever brings you to my door.”

  “I’ll pass. I haven’t had dinner yet.”

  “I haven’t eaten
either, but that’s not going to stop me.” He gestured for her to take a seat in the sitting area near the window while he refilled his glass.

  Once he was settled in the chair across from her, he set the glass down and leaned forward. “So, what’s got you mad enough to come see me this late in the day?”

  “Who said I was mad?”

  He chuckled. “I know you better than either of us want to admit.”

  She ignored his barb and stayed on topic. “Why didn’t you tell me you’d asked for access to every project on the base? I’ve got people having meltdowns about it, and I had no warning.” She tapped the insignia on her shoulder. “We’re supposed to be on the same side.”

  “I didn’t know if I’d get approval. I did request that if my team was granted clearance, you be given advance notice. I take it you weren’t told?”

  Her expression softened slightly, but her voice was still edged with frustration. “Do you think I’d be here if I had? By the time I knew about it, I had more than a half-dozen angry messages from my admin sergeant and Dr. Clarke. I left my office for less than two hours, and all hell broke loose! It’s been like this since you and your team got here. My base is in a shambles, Commander.”

  “I’m sorry about the chaos. Really, I am.” He raised his hands in a frustrated gesture. “But I’ve got a job to do.”

  “And so far, you’re not doing much except unsettling the scientists who work here and poking into experiments that have nothing to do with your investigation. Not even I am allowed to know everything that goes on around here. That’s how secret this place is.”

  “And secrets are what caused this problem in the first place. If it hadn’t been for the way this place operates, the thefts would have been noticed years ago,” he pointed out.

  “You’re not going to get any argument from me. I hate secrets.” She pinned him with a dark look that was equal parts irritating and arousing. He really liked the confidence she’d gained. It was as sexy as hell.

  “Would it help if you were present when we started the next round of interviews and cage-rattling?”

  Her eyes widened. “Are you offering to include me in your investigation?”

  He rubbed the back of his neck and contemplated how many hoops he was going to have to jump through to make that happen. “Yeah, I am. They trust you, and you know them. Maybe you’ll see something we’ve missed.”

  “That means a lot to me.” The hard edge faded from her voice, and her posture relaxed. “You don’t know how much.”

  “You resented us coming in here and taking the investigation away from you. I can’t blame you for that. Since we’re not getting anywhere with our usual tactics, it might be time to change it up a little.”

  “I wanted to be the one who solved this because it might be enough to get me transferred out of here. I don’t care about the glory, I need the leverage.”

  He took a sip of his drink before replying. “You want out of here so you can get back to finding out what happened to Travis.”

  She nodded, her resolute silent saying more than any words she could have spoken.

  “What will you do once you know?” He pointed to her uniform. “Will you take that off and go back to living the life he wanted for you?”

  Trinity sighed. “You know, it’s funny. No one ever actually asked me what I wanted to do. It’s like they all had a meeting about it and decided what would be best for me and then acted as if it was my idea. Mom and Dad told me I’d won a scholarship to an off-world college I didn’t even remember applying to, and I went because that’s what everyone seemed to expect me to do.”

  “That’s not an answer.”

  She surprised him by leaning forward and taking his drink from his hand. “If we’re going to talk about this, then I might need that drink, after all.”

  “Good thinking.” He got up and fetched the bottle from his desk, picked up a second glass, and brought it back to his chair. Without a word, he poured himself another serving, then topped up hers.

  “Do you even like serving in the IAF?” He asked as he sank back into his chair.

  “I do. I didn’t expect to. Basic training sucked, and I thought about quitting a few times, especially with mom and dad begging me to drop out.” She took several sips of her drink, then sat back in her chair and stared into the amber liquid.

  He’d never tell her this, but he’d started drinking it because it reminded him of her eyes. “I miss them. Your parents, I mean.”

  “They miss you, too. I think they feel like they lost both of you that day. Mom says you never went back.”

  “Too many memories. Too many regrets.”

  “And too many secrets?” she asked softly.

  Fraxx it. “I only have two, and they’re both part of the reason you’ve been mad at me all this time.”

  “Did you try and save him, Dax?” Can you tell me that much?”

  The ache in her voice broke him, and the truth tumbled out of his mouth in a rush.

  “The fraxxing idiot didn’t give me the chance to. He saved my life, and it cost him his.”

  Trinity hadn’t come for a confession. All she’d wanted was for the two of them to find a way to bury the hatchet, or at least convince him to stop turning her base upside-down. Things hadn’t turned out that way. Now, she was looking at Dax, and for the first time, she saw more than the brash, cocky boy who had broken his promises and her heart.

  He was hurting. His eyes had a haunted look she’d never seen before, and his voice was rough and raw.

  “He saved your life?” She set down her drink and reached for his hands without thinking about what she was doing.

  He gripped her fingers. “I’m sorry, Trin. He should be the one still here. Not me. That’s why I never visited your parents again. It didn’t feel right.”

  All those years of being angry with him, of blaming him, it had never occurred to her that he was even angrier at himself than she was.

  “You of all people know what Trav was like. I somehow doubt he stopped to ask your permission before he did what he did.”

  “More like he shoved me out of harm’s way before I even saw what was coming.”

  “That sounds like him.”

  “You’re still talking to me. I figured you’d be halfway out the door by now.” He gave her a ghost of a smile. “Or slugging me.”

  “Is that why you’re holding onto my hands so tight?”

  He looked down at their joined hands, then back up at her. “No. I’m holding onto you because you’re letting me. Why is that?”

  “Because I heard the way you talked about him. I was so angry at you I forgot you lost someone you cared about, too.” She squeezed his fingers. “I’m sorry.”

  “I miss him.” He rose from the chair, tugging her hands so that she stood, too, then drew her in close. “And I’ve missed you.”

  “Dax I—”

  The rest of her protest died without being uttered as he bowed his head and brushed his lips over hers. It was like their first kiss; gentle and sweet, and for a moment she let herself get swept up in the rush of being back in his arms. She wanted to kiss him back and pretend that the last ten years hadn’t happened. There had been a time he’d been the best thing in her life, but that was a long time ago. Before she’d learned some harsh lessons about love, and trust, and loss.

  She pulled away, and he let her go.

  “I should probably apologize for that,” he said, sounding entirely unrepentant.

  “But you’re not going to, are you?”

  The smile he flashed her was heavy on charm and light on sincerity. “Nope.”

  Her brain was telling her to turn around and go, but her body wasn’t listening. Her blood was singing in her veins, and her lips still tingled from their kiss.

  “You’re still a cocky ass. How about instead of an apology, you put on a shirt and pour another round.”

  This time, his smile was sincere. “You’re staying?”

  “If you
want me to, then yes. I’ve missed you, too.”

  “Please stay.”

  He wandered over to the frosted screen that separated his sleep area from the rest of the room. “I’ll grab a shirt.”

  It wasn’t easy to tear her eyes away from his sculpted body, but she managed it. Barely. She needed to get a grip on her libido, douse it with ice water, and lock it in a dark corner for the rest of the night. There was still a lot of history between the two of them, and a lot of hurt. Still, they were talking again, and that was something of a miracle all by itself.

  “If we’re going to keep drinking, maybe we should eat,” she suggested.

  “That sounds extremely practical.” He almost sounded disappointed. “Got a favorite you can recommend from the food dispenser?”

  “You always liked my mom’s moussaka, how about that?”

  “Your mother delivers?”

  “No. But I, spent some scrip to get the right ingredients, borrowed the base’s kitchen one day to cook it, and then let V.I.D.A. break down a sample. She extrapolated a pretty decent version the food dispenser can create. You game?”

  “This might be the closest I ever get to you cooking me dinner, so, yeah.” He reappeared a moment later wearing a lightweight t-shirt. “I mean, yes please, I’d love that.”

  She activated the food dispenser and made her request. “It should be ready soon.”

  He was seated by the time she turned around, and both their glasses had been refilled.

  “Do you see your parents often?” he asked as she sat down.

  “It’s been a few years, but I guess I’ve seen mine more often than you’ve seen yours. Do your parents know why you don’t come home?”

  “I see mine at least once a year, now. They’re not on Earth anymore. I got them out of there. They’re third-wave colonists on a nice little planet that needed people with their experience with self-contained eco-systems. I called in some favors. They’re happily maintaining greenhouses these days.”