"Wait, Kaeden…" Sky looked back at Kadey who rolled over and flung off the covers, still asleep but waking. She motioned toward the door, and he followed her out. When the door closed, she put her hand on his forearm. "I wanted to apologize."
Anubis kept a carefully blank face. "For what, exactly?"
"Well for getting so upset last night and for doubting you were trying to take care of us. It's just that…" She pulled her hand through her hair and then leaned into his chest resting her forehead on it. He instinctively curled his arms around her. "I've never done anything like this before. I'm major-league freaked out about the doctor and that other person being killed and there are so many questions I have that you won't-"
"Can't." He interrupted.
She nodded. "Right… can't answer. I'm overwhelmed, and I need to do what is right for my baby. Can you promise me we won't get into any trouble for using those IDs?"
Kaeden smiled and tugged at her hair until she looked up at him. "I swear that the IDs are legitimate. You and Kadey are my dependents as far as the Air Force is concerned. Guardian has laid the groundwork, so you don't need to worry any longer. We will access the base, get Kadey to the hospital, and take it from there. As soon as we drive through those gates, we are safe. I'm going to go get you your luggage. You can keep whatever has been provided or replace it with what you've brought. You eat, get a shower, and get Kadey ready to go." Anubis leaned down and kissed her forehead before he turned her around and all but pushed her through the door. He pulled the door shut behind him and glanced at the car Asp had dropped off. They were going first class, and for that, he'd make sure he thanked Alpha. The man was all about family.
Chapter Nine
Sky sat in the front seat of the new vehicle. She glanced back at Kadey who was leaning over and staring out of the window at the front gate of Taylor Air Force Base. Kaeden queued up in the line of traffic and rolled down the driver's side window. His employer had provided the clothes they all wore. The expensive silk blouse, linen slacks and high heels she wore cost more than her entire monthly salary working for the District Attorney. She didn't tell Kaeden, but the fact that someone knew their sizes freaked her out. Kadey chose to wear a beautiful pink dress complete with pink patent leather shoes. Whoever purchased the outfit also included pink barrettes for her hair. To say Kadey was excited to be on the 'adventure' would be the understatement of the year.
"Momma! Look, he has a gun!" Kadey pointed to the uniformed guard standing at the gate. Indeed, he had a handgun strapped low against his thigh. The holster was grey and blended with the camouflage uniform he wore. "Yes, I see. That is so he can protect everyone. Just like a policeman, but he's a soldier."
"Airman," Kaeden spoke for the first time since they left the little motel.
"What?" Sky had no idea what that meant.
"He isn't a soldier. He is a Staff Sergeant in the Air Force. He's an airman, but he's also an NCO, so calling him sergeant is more appropriate."
Sky blinked at the information dump. She looked back at Kadey and made big bug eyes at her. The little girl laughed and waved at the 'sergeant' when they pulled up to his location beside the gate. He smiled and gave Kadey a small wave. Kaeden handed over all three IDs, and Sky held her breath.
"Mr. Long, we've been expecting you. If you would pull over to the right please, sir?" He handed the ID cards back and grabbed the microphone that was attached to his lapel. "Taylor, this is Gate One, notify Eagle One that the primary is on base." Kaeden waited for the second lane of traffic to clear and pulled over as directed.
Sky grabbed Kaeden's hand and squeezed it. She glanced back at Kadey who was almost standing on her head looking at the huge overhang covering the gate. She hissed at Kaeden, "Why does he want us to pull over? Who is the Eagle guy? Are we in trouble?"
Kaeden parked the car and turned to her. "No, I'm assuming the 'Eagle Guy' is either their squadron or the Support Group Commander. For an installation this size, I'd wager the Wing Commander is a Brigadier General, so probably a minion detailed to make sure we make it to our quarters and that we have everything we need."
"Are there always so many guards at the gate?" Sky looked back. There were two other airmen or sergeants that she could see. One of them had not only a handgun but a machine gun.
"I don't know. Manning depends on a lot of different things."
Sky watched the sergeant as he walked over from the gate shack. He wasn't looking at them, but at the outbound traffic. He kneeled down beside the driver's side door. "Sir, our Support Group Commander, Colonel Cologne is approaching. We will stop traffic and allow his driver to cross over and come into this lane. Please follow his vehicle to the DV quarters."
A dark blue vehicle approached, and Sky watched as the people at the gate stopped traffic with an effortless command and allowed the other vehicle to swing around the gate shack. The car pulled up beside the new Cadillac. The passenger window rolled down, and a middle-aged man in a uniform spoke, "Mr. Long, Mrs. Long, welcome to Taylor Air Force Base. Please follow me; I'll escort you to quarters."
Kaeden started the car and pulled into traffic after the dark blue sedan. "Just like that?" Sky marveled.
"I told you to trust me." Kaeden grabbed her hand and squeezed it once before he dropped it.
Sky gaped out the window. The base was incredible. Even in the fall, the grass was green and mowed to within an inch of its life. The bushes were all trimmed and neat. Everything was so clean and well maintained. Nothing was out of place. The fastidiousness of the installation had a calming sense of order, and it seemed to surround everything. Cars stopped for people in crosswalks without any prompting, which was baffling and altogether awesome. Brown signs with letters and numbers, not really words, made no sense to her and pointed in different directions, but even those were all the same size, uniform with clean lines and unobtrusive.
"Momma! Look!" Sky whipped her head around to see what had Kadey excited. A row of huge planes sat right off the road where they were driving. "Can we ride in one?"
"Oh honey, I don't think so. Right?" Sky handed that loaded question over to Kaeden for support.
"Those planes are used to take people and equipment all over the world. They make sure all the military people have what they need to do their jobs. If we rode in one someone might not get what they need, when they needed it."
"Oh. Okay. That would be mean." Kadey craned her neck to see the planes as they passed.
They followed the dark blue car through the installation until they pulled up to a small series of buildings tucked under a canopy of old, beautiful trees. The two people in the lead vehicle exited and immediately put on hats. Kaeden put the vehicle in park and glanced at Sky. "Let me do all the talking."
Oh, heck yes, please . "Absolutely." She sure as heck wasn't going to open her mouth and insert her foot. She'd gladly put this all on Kaeden.
They got out of the car as the men approached. Sky busied herself getting Kadey out of the car as the men introduced themselves. When she turned to them all eyes were on her. She squeezed Kadey's hand and glanced over at Kaeden.
"Honey, the Colonel asked if you wanted a tour of base housing and to meet with some of the other wives at the Officer's Wives' Club after Kadey's appointment."
Sky drew a deep breath; obviously, Kaeden was pushed into a corner if she already had to talk. "I really appreciate the opportunity, but we've had a rough couple of weeks. If we could just relax tonight?"
"Of course, ma'am. General Hewitt's protocol office developed a possible itinerary for your stay, but of course, your family comes first." He turned to Kaeden, "Mr. Long, my executive officer, Captain Munson, will bring your luggage inside."
Instead of handing over his keys, Kaeden popped the trunk and pointed out what he wanted the other man to bring in. Once the trunk closed, he put his hand on the small of Sky's back. T
hey strolled down the sidewalk and into the fancy apartment. There was a small kitchen, a living room, an office and two bedrooms, each with their own attached bathroom. Sky and Kadey explored the rooms while Kaeden dealt with the officers.
"Momma, when we go to the hospital, I get to come back here to sleep, right?"
"That's right, baby. We are just going to meet your doctor and maybe do some tests." Sky had to break that to the little girl.
Kadey looked up at her with sad eyes. "But I don't like tests." Kadey associated tests with blood draws and needles.
"I know, but if we have to do tests, we'll ask your daddy if we can get a special treat afterward, okay?" Sky had no idea if that was possible, but there had to be a place where they could get ice cream on the base. God, she hoped there was.
"Chocolate?" Kadey pulled her hand out of Sky's and climbed up on the bed. She sat down and fluffed out her skirt around her.
"If that's what you want, you bet." Sky sat down beside her and gave her a sideways hug.
"Am I going to get my operation here?"
"Yes, I think so, baby."
"Why?"
"Because they can take better care of you here."
"Why?"
"I don't know, maybe the doctors are smarter here?" Sky made bug eyes at Kadey again diverting the little girl's worry. Sky glanced up when a soft knock on the door sounded. "Come in."
Kaeden walked in and sat down on the other side of Kadey. "We are free until our appointment at two. The chief cardiologist will be overseeing Kadey's care. We're clear."
Sky watched as Kaeden picked up a sleeping Kadey out of the back seat of the car. She shut the door and locked the vehicle with the key fob. The appointment at the medical facility had lasted three hours. Not because of any wait, because there was absolutely no waiting for them. They'd been assigned an escort as soon as they arrived at the huge medical facility. Sky didn't have a clue what rank the woman was, but there were a lot of stripes on that sergeant's arm. The woman was professional and courteous while taking them from one spot to the next. By the time they walked out of the facility, they had been to the laboratory to have blood drawn for both Kaeden and Kadey, an EKG done on Kadey and then one final stop for an MRI. That is where they met the chief cardiologist. They called in an anesthetist who gave Kadey a light sedative so she could once again sleep through the entire procedure. For that, Sky was thankful. The loud banging and clanking of the MRI would have terrified Kadey, not to mention the little girl would not have been able to lay still for the extended period of time it took to run the image.
Sky had to acknowledge that Kadey's Air Force doctor was amazing. She'd given him the only copy of Kadey's medical records as soon as they met. Nobody asked about the little girl's last name being different on the records, which was yet another thing that had been weighing on Sky's mind. By the time they left, the doctor's staff had made a copy of all the records and returned the originals to her.
"We will review all the tests and information from the previous doctors, but as I am sure you know, the biggest stumbling block to Kadey's operation is her blood type. Are either of you a suitable donor?" The doctor spoke to them in a darkened room as they watched Kadey in the MRI machine.
"Yes, I am Rh-null." Kaeden's eyes didn't move from Kadey's small form.
"Sir, I'm sure you realize how rare your blood is. I know our leadership would like to encourage you to register with the…"
Kaeden put up his hand and shook his head. "Not possible due to the nature of my position and the risk it could cause to the security of my work."
The doctor let out a sigh. "Figured it was something like that. Otherwise, you two would be registered as a national treasure."
Sky shook herself out of her thoughts and hurried ahead of Kaeden to open the door to the apartment where they were staying. She unlocked the door, pushed it open and switched on the light. Kaeden made his way to Kadey's room and laid her down on the bed. Sky took off her pretty, new shoes, pulled a blanket up over her, and tucked her in. The little girl was exhausted.
Sky followed Kaeden out of the room and shut the door, leaving it open enough so Kadey could see the hall light which she flicked on as she walked past it. Kaeden spoke over his shoulder as he exited the front door, "I'll be right back." She watched out the window as Kaeden walked to the car and opened the trunk. He returned with a small black bag and two big canvas totes.
He placed the black bag on the top of the refrigerator and sat the two canvas bags on the kitchen counter. Sky drifted his direction and watched as he unloaded… groceries?
"There is a ton of food already in the refrigerator." Sky opened the door and pointed to the stocked shelves.
Kaeden shrugged. He carefully inspected each seal on the items he took out of the bag. "Habit. I won't eat anything I don't buy or prepare."
Sky pulled out one of the dinette chairs and sat down thinking back over her association with Kaeden. The stark truth of his words hit her. When they'd been dating, they cooked at home and went out after they ate or he'd pick her up after dinner, and they'd go dancing. Later, during their hook-ups, they barely got out of bed, let alone worried about food.
"Why?"
"Paranoia brought about by a profession that places me in potentially dangerous environments. I'm acutely aware of what can happen if you aren't careful."
"What? You mean like food poisoning?" She could see where that would be a problem if he didn't always have proper refrigeration or cooking facilities.
Kaeden stopped unloading the bag and turned his head toward her. His eyes filled with mirth and he laughed. "Yes, exactly like food poisoning."
He opened a can of smoked almonds and pulled out a tin of crackers. Sky had never seen crackers in a tin before. Kaeden popped the lid and put them on the table with the almonds. He opened several more tins and cans making an impromptu feast out of nuts, crackers, dried fruits, preserved meat spreads and several canisters of chocolate. He opened the second bag and smiled. Kaeden revealed a bottle of dark amber liquid. "Would you like a drink?" He held up the bottle toward her.
"What is it?"
"Irish Whiskey." Kaeden turned on the hot water and let it run. He rummaged in the cabinets and pulled out plates and glasses. Sky watched as he washed, re-washed and then rinsed the dishware.
"I think they're clean." She picked up a macadamia nut and popped it into her mouth.
"Another habit." Kaeden fished the glasses out, poured a small amount of whiskey into each glass, and then put the glasses in the freezer. He pulled out a couple of bottles of water from the bag and opened one for her and one for him.
"Are you ever going to be able to tell me what you do?" Sky scooped up a handful of a dried fruit combo and picked out the mango pieces to eat first.
"Probably not." Kaeden pulled out his phone and frowned at the face of the device.
"Issues?" Sky was immediately on alert.
"No. But my scheduled phone call has been pushed back." Kaeden spread some canned meat spread on his cracker and downed it in one bite. He made and ate six more crackers slathered in meat spread before he started on the nuts and fruit. The man demolished most of the food in record time.
Sky tipped her head and watched him. When was the last time she actually saw him eat anything? The other morning when he'd made pancakes with Kadey. "When was the last time you ate?"
Kaeden shrugged and got up to retrieve the whiskey. He extended one glass to her and took his seat again. "It doesn't matter. I eat when I can. I've learned to deal."
"Why didn't you say something?" Sky took a sip of her whiskey. The strong liquor burned all the way down her throat, and she gasped a breath in surprise.
"Smooth, huh?" Kaeden smiled and winked at her.
"Yeah…totally smooth." Sky sat the liquor back and grabbed the water bottle hoping to quench the fire currently roasting h
er esophagus.
She elevated the bottle to her lips and drank down half of it. When she lowered the bottle, Kaeden was watching her, and she saw the darkening look of desire in his eyes. She gulped down the last swallow of water. "Want something, big boy?"
He took a drink of his whiskey. "I somehow always want you."
Sky set her water bottle down and picked up a piece of chocolate. "What would you do with me if you had me?"
Kaeden's gaze traveled over her. He shifted in his seat and leaned forward. "Everything. If I had you, and you were mine…" He reached out and drew her hand from the table turning it palm up. He traced his finger across the palm of her hand sending a full body shiver through her. "I've spent so many nights imagining how I'd tease your body, the way I'd take you to the point of losing your mind only to leave you at the edge, teetering until you begged me for release. I'd worship your body, Sky. You'd never doubt that you were the amazing, beautiful woman I see."
Sky pulled her hand back.
His eyes flashed to hers.
"But you won't stay."
"If it was possible?" He shrugged and shook his head not answering his question. "I want you. Both of you, but my life is…"
Sky held up her hand. They'd done this bit before. "Right, I know. Complicated. Look, Kaeden, I get it. I'm a side thing, and Kadey is a child you never wanted. I appreciate you stepping out of whatever spy-thriller movie set your life exists on to help us. Let's just leave it at that. Kadey is having surgery in two days. The doctor said we could go back to our own physician after he sees her at the two-week point post op. So, in sixteen days, you'll be free to do whatever it is you do. I'll go back to the house before the bank repossesses it, pack up and figure life out. We'll be fine."
Kaeden leaned back and diverted his attention out the picture window at the front of the apartment. "If I could change what I am… what I do…"
Sky could feel the pain and regret in his voice, it was that palpable. Whatever kept him from… no. She wouldn't do that to herself again. She stood up and walked around the small table dropping to her knees in front of Kaeden. But she would take her pleasure where she could, and she would try to take away some of the pain that seemed to swamp Kaeden.
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