by Dale Mayer
Steve was already on the phone.
In the video, the handle was turned down at a slight angle, the door…a hair open. Something that could only be done from inside. As in someone was holding the handle and ready to jump out.
“Got him.” Evan smiled but there was nothing pleasant about it. And the men in the room all mirrored the same look. “You were right, Megan. There is someone on base that shouldn’t be here.”
“And they have access to the hangars,” she said in a hard voice. “That’s so not good.”
Chapter 8
She was a pilot and as such had nothing to do with the next scenario, so she was summarily thanked and booted out of the room.
Outside she stood in the cooler air, staring at the overcast sky. “What do we do now?”
“Nothing,” Evan said. “They’ve got this.”
She studied him. “I figured you’d say that but had hoped for a different answer.”
“No, you did a lot already. No one had even considered this, and you gave them something specific to go on and possible proof. They are on it, now let it go.”
She shook her head. “Sure. Just like that. To know there could be any number of men on the base who could be planning an attack and I’m to just let it go?”
“It would be good if you did.” He nudged her toward the hangar. “Aren’t you going to a seminar this afternoon?”
Glancing at her watch, she winced and nodded. “I’m already late. Not good.”
“Let’s go.’
He ran at her side as she made it to the workshop in just under five minutes. And still five minutes late. He gave her a hard kiss and whispered, “Say nothing to anyone, remember that.”
She nodded and turned to join the rest of the pilots for the new computer training session. And came face to face with Butthead. One of the many superiors she dealt with on base.
“And of course you have a reason for being late?” Lieutenant Gerard asked as she passed him gate-keeping at the doorway.
“I do.” She took her seat and tried to calm down. “I was in the hangar looking for a missing token from one of the men injured in yesterday’s mission,” she said, opting for a partial truth.
Not even he could take umbrage with that.
This afternoon should be easy enough. They had an upgrade to the radar system on board the helicopter with many new features. Ice should be here too – days off or not. She grabbed her phone and texted her. The response was immediate. I’m at the hospital. Take notes for both of us.
Sighing, Megan settled back into her seat and listened.
The time disappeared as the new applications were revealed, and she could easily see how advantageous this upgrade was going to be.
The question and answer period was lively and interesting. By the time they broke for the day, her head was swimming and she couldn’t wait to get back in the air to work with the program. “That’s it for today,” the trainer spoke above the din. He waited for the noise to lower then said, “I’ll be available for questions all of tomorrow.”
The march for the door started.
“Megan Hemmingway.” Butthead stood in front of her. He narrowed his gaze at her. “And how long did that take?”
She raised her eyebrows, not sure what he was implying. But he was her superior officer. She glanced at her watch and assessed when they’d gone into the hangar. “I guess I was there for just over an hour and a half.”
“To look for a token?” he asked, his voice dry and critical.
She stiffened, not liking his implication. “Yes,” she said and stared at him calmly. Most of the men in the military were decent family men but then there were the few who could make life very unpleasant for everyone, especially women.
“And of course you were alone.”
Interesting. “On the contrary. I was with one of the SEAL team that had been involved in the rescue. He was the one requesting the token so he could return it to the man in the hospital.”
Silence.
She’d always had a problem with this man, but the military bred their troops with more attitude than any other career so it came with the territory.
He gave her a hard nod, and she slid past him.
Outside she gave a mental shake. She’d enjoyed the afternoon but then she really loved to learn new things and anything to do with upgrades on her job were huge.
The sky had darkened while she’d been inside. She headed toward her vehicle. It was later than she’d expected. The blame for that could be put squarely at the feet of the QA session. Still lots of good information came out in that session, so it was hard to begrudge the time.
She really enjoyed flying. The glimpse into the combat she’d seen yesterday had given her an insight into so much more. Not a nice one.
War, on drugs or people, was shit for everyone.
She drove home and parked outside the front door of the little house. It was cute and just big enough for her. She hated to clean and this was something she could manage. Walking inside she tossed her keys on the table and headed to the kitchen. She was starving. She opened her fridge and groaned. She hadn’t made time for shopping yet. And that was the last thing she wanted to do right now. She studied the stack of takeout pamphlets on the side counter. She couldn’t stomach the idea of pizza again. She really did enjoy cooking, but what was the point when it was just her? If she was entertaining then it was fun.
But eating alone, not so much. After being in a long-term relationship, she’d gotten used to having meals together and planning weekends with a special night out. Now it was just her and her alone.
It sucked.
But then again, she had little to complain about. She could do with a few more friends. She frowned and considered Ice sitting at the hospital. And made a fast decision. She texted her, asking if she was still there, and got an immediate terse yes back.
Have you eaten?
Not hungry.
Too damn bad. Ice was a lean mean machine, but she needed to eat like everyone else. Turning around Megan picked up her keys and walked back out the front door. She was suddenly in the mood for Greek. She took a slight detour to the only restaurant she’d found so far that had authentic Greek food. That she’d had enough time to try several already didn’t say much about her cooking skills.
It actually said more about her state of loneliness.
Once at the hospital she parked and wandered through into the reception and asked for Levi’s room. She was immediately told the men weren’t allowed visitors.
“How about the men and women standing guard?” she asked, gently holding up the bag.
And received a flat look in return.
“Right. I’ll just text them.”
She walked away and phoned Ice.
“Ice, I’m in the waiting room with Greek takeout. Where are you and how do I get to you?”
There was a moment’s hesitation then Ice said reluctantly, “Take the elevator on the left and come to the fourth floor. Someone will meet you there.”
As she hung up, Megan sighed with relief. She’d had enough trouble making friends in the couple of weeks she’d been here, and although she had a good basis for a deeper friendship with Ice, she hadn’t been sure of what type of reception she’d get tonight.
On the fourth floor she was greeted by four men. She stared at the hard faces and realized that if nothing else no one here was downplaying the security issue.
She held up the bag of takeout food. “I figured Ice wouldn’t eat without being forced to.”
The men exchanged glances then stepped back.
“Thanks.” She walked down the hallway following one man. Another walked at her side and the other two followed. Was there something else going on she didn’t know about?
“Wait here.”
She stopped and didn’t move. She was no fool.
The door to the left opened and closed.
Then it opened again and Ice came out. “You shouldn’t have come.”
<
br /> “Why is that again?” she asked curiously. “I care about these men too, you know. I don’t know them personally, but that doesn’t mean I want them to suffer.”
Ice studied her face for a long moment.
Megan kept hers open and friendly, but there was cool determination in her voice. She didn’t want to push in where she wasn’t welcome, but how was anyone going to know who she was if she didn’t push at least a little?
Ice nodded. “Come in for a moment then.” Ice led her inside the room set up with two beds.
Megan recognized Levi and Stone. “Nice that they are together.”
“Not protocol but given it’s easier to keep them covered if they are in the same space, we managed to convince the doctors to have them both here once their conditions were upgraded.”
“Not much room to sit down,” Megan said looking around.
“No need to sit.”
“Right.” Of course not. She looked at the man standing on the side watching her, waiting for her to do something he could jump on her for.
She faced Ice. “Do you know something I don’t?”
Ice shrugged. “Better to expect and not have anything than to be unprepared and lose a life.”
Megan wanted to ask if she heard about the van and possibly suspects on the base, then figured she should just keep her mouth shut. These men and Ice appeared to be paranoid enough for all of them.
Feeling awkward, she handed the bag of food to Ice, then she turned toward the door intent on leaving when it opened in front of her and Evan walked in.
*
He grinned when he saw her. “Hey, look who’s here.” The four men crowded in the open doorway behind them.
She sighed. “I’m just leaving.”
“No need to leave on my account.”
“It isn’t on your account,” she snapped. “I was leaving anyway.”
“Wait a few minutes and I’ll walk out with you.” He gave her a wink.
“Why are you here?” she asked.
“I came to see how Levi was doing.” He glanced at the small room in surprise. “Hell, I didn’t think you’d make this happen.”
“It took some persuading,” Ice said with a warm smile. “I know they are happier together.”
Evan nodded. “Have they woken up?”
She shook her head, the whisper of a smile a mere memory “No, not yet.”
The big man on the side spoke up. “They can’t. Drugs.”
Megan winced. “I guess that’s a good thing.” Shit. “I’m glad you’re here to watch over them.”
“Why?” Ice interjected before anyone else could get a word in.
“That’s actually what I came to talk to you about,” Evan said in a low voice as he quickly explained what Megan and he had found.
When he finished the air had warmed up considerably.
Megan glanced around to see the men looking at her more as a curiosity but with respect.
“Do we have any confirmation of that?” Ice asked, her dark eyes darkening even further.
“No, not yet. The handle was definitely in the downward angle as if to open and the door was open enough to see a thick black shadow. The only possible alternate theory is the door was tied in that position.”
“And it wasn’t on the way out?”
“No, it wasn’t.”
She nodded. “Then we assume the worst.”
She walked over to Levi and stared down at the unconscious man. Megan hadn’t had a chance to see him in the bed, feeling uncomfortable enough just being in the room, but the look of naked longing on Ice’s face was heartbreaking.
She lowered her head and waited. Finally, Ice walked over to stand in front of her. “I need a favor,” she said abruptly.
Startled, Megan straightened and gave her a clipped nod.
“I need several changes of clothes and a few personal items from my house.” She motioned at the two men lying in bed. “I won’t be leaving these two until this is settled one way or another.”
Megan nodded slowly. “I can do that.”
Ice pulled out a set of keys. “My address is,” and she rattled off an address that was unfamiliar but heard Evan’s comment in the back of her ear, “I’ve got it.”
They spent a few minutes discussing what she needed then Megan turned to leave.
“I’ll be back in half an hour,” she said. She looked at the bag of takeout food and said, “Make sure at least half of that is gone before I return.”
Ice’s face was set in stubborn lines. Megan turned to the men. “Happy to bring back food for you guys too, but she needs to eat.”
The men grinned and nodded. “We’ll see to it.”
One man said, “And make mine pepperoni.”
“Ha, no way,” another man growled. “I want as many meat toppings as we can get and still call it a pizza.”
The men were still wrangling as Evan led Megan over to the second room where Merk and Rhodes were lying. They were at least awake and talking to the two men standing guard. Evan brought those four up to speed and extended the offer. “We’re picking up pizza for those in the other room, anyone else want anything here?”
As they walked down the hallway back to the elevator a few minutes later, Megan asked, “Can they really eat a large pizza by themselves?”
“Yes and so much more if they get the chance.”
She shook her head. “No wonder they are so damn big.”
He laughed and looped his arm through hers. “You don’t know the half of it.”
Chapter 9
It was nice to have this sense of camaraderie, and although she hadn’t planned to slip back into the relationship she’d had with Evan, it seemed natural enough to do so.
Maybe even more so as the world had an uneasy edge to it. She could see the security everywhere as they drove first to Ice’s home to collect a bag of necessities then to the pizza joint and placed an order. She wondered how anyone could eat that much. The restaurant owners seemed happy enough to get the business.
“Slow today?” she asked, looking at the empty restaurant.
“The place emptied an hour or so ago, and it’s been a ghost town ever since,” the manager said.
At his words, Megan turned to look out the window. The street was mostly empty with the exception of a few slow driving cars. Was this a coincidence or instinct keeping everyone inside and hopefully out of harm’s way?
The pizza smell as they drove back to the hospital made her mouth salivate even though she was sick of it. She’d have loved to dig in right now but that was hardly fair. There was so much to eat she couldn’t imagine the men getting through it all. Evan also wouldn’t let her pay. She’d planned on it, but he’d been adamant. Then again she’d brought the Greek.
When they arrived the men’s eyes lit up. What was it about a simple pizza that warmed a man’s belly and brought comfort to his soul? She didn’t have the same reaction these men did. Her weakness was tea. The world was okay if she could have a moment to enjoy a cup of tea to sip and enjoy.
Right now the atmosphere had little of that.
The men came out into the hall and lounged against the walls as they chowed down. They took turns, eating and snagging a couple of pieces to go back inside to let the next man come out. But as they did so they managed to empty almost a full box each.
She held the cardboard boxes rather than place them on the ground. There were several straight back chairs to sit on. Conversation was low and minimal. When everyone had had a chance she stacked the few remaining pieces into two boxes and delivered one box to a room.
Then they left.
The process had been little over an hour.
Back outside it was as if time stood still. There was still a dark overhanging cloud in the air and the streets appeared more than a little empty. She ran her fingers through her hair and realized all she’d done was transfer the pizza grease to it. Great. Shower time.
“Now what?” Evan asked as they walked to
the parking lot.
“I’m going home to get rid of that lovely pizza odor I’m wearing.”
“What?” he cried. “It’s a great smell.”
“Ha, it was all good until the double anchovies.” She gave a mock shudder as he opened her car door. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“I’ll follow you home – you only live a block away from me.”
She stared at him, her mind suddenly flooded with images of his bedroom. That’s where they’d spent the entire weekend a few years ago. She spun around and looked at the streets, trying to orient them in her mind. “Really?”
“Yeah.” He grinned a boyish grin and said, “In fact, I’m behind you and over one.”
“I had no idea.”
She went to get in when he said, “Are you sure? I figured you were just trying to get as close as you could.” He gave her a big wink and hopped into his truck.
She slammed the door with a little more force than necessary. Then laughed. If nothing else he was good entertainment. And her mind flooded again. Slick bodies on sweat soaked sheets. Hot loving she’d never had before or again. Even with her fiancé, the sex had been good, great even, but nothing like it had been with Evan. She’d figured it had been the circumstances. The sweetness of the moment, knowing it would be over soon.
But he’d just brought it all back again.
She drove home carefully. She could see him behind her waiting and watching as she got out and headed inside. She appreciated the gentlemanly behavior to see she got home safe. Even though she was quite capable of looking after herself.
Inside she locked her door and headed upstairs to her tiny bedroom and bathroom. It was shower time then maybe a cup of tea in front of the television. A bit dull but that’s what she needed after a day like today.
She stripped in the bedroom and walked into the shower. Turning on the hot water to warm up, she grabbed her robe and hung it up on the back of the door.
The steam wafted out of the shower as she opened the glass to step inside. Instantly the heat pounded on her skin. She loved it. She stood unmoving for a long moment, letting the hot water soak into her body. She hadn’t been chilled prior to stepping in, but for some reason the warmth was giving her comfort she hadn’t known she needed.