Placing her purse and garrison cap nearby, Molly sat down. Several numbers on the printout were circled in red ink. Cross-checking them against those on the monitor, Molly realized they had been changed. Her heart started a slow pound. Someone was deliberately changing the numbers on her flight test! Who? Molly looked around, but the computer room was silent except for the hum of the equipment.
Whoever it was had a key to get in. An instructor? Stymied, Molly sat looking around. Was the person still in the building? Or had he fled the scene when the Shore Patrol let her into the building? Getting up, Molly walked to the other end of the room where a phone was located. She would call the SDO office and ask them to send Cam over immediately.
Picking up the phone with a trembling hand, Molly turned so she had an unobstructed view of the rows of terminals and the door at the opposite end of the room. The phone rang four times on the other end before someone answered.
“Yes, this is Ensign Rutledge over at the TPS building. Get ahold of Captain Sinclair, SDO. There’s been a break-in here, and the person may still be in the building.” Her voice shook slightly, and Molly hoped the sailor didn’t notice it. Just as she opened her mouth to speak, the door to the computer room was violently jerked open. Molly quickly put the receiver back into the cradle and stood anchored with fear.
Chapter Fourteen
Molly swallowed against a dry throat as Chuck Martin stepped into the computer room. His gaze flicked to where she stood at the rear of the room. His eyes narrowed in anger.
“What the hell are you doing here?”
It was now or never. Molly knew to appear weak would invite Martin’s attack. Gathering all her strength and resolve, she lifted her chin and hardened her voice. “I should ask you the same thing,” she hurled back. Forcing herself to move, she went over to her station. “Just what are you doing with my printout sheet for Friday’s flight?”
Martin placed a mug of fresh coffee down on the table. “I always check out the flight engineer’s program before I fly it with him,” he grated back. He doubled his fists and placed them on his narrow hips. “You still have to answer my question—what are you doing here?”
Molly saw the dangerous glint in Martin’s narrowed eyes and sensed the tension in his body as he stood menacingly over her. Her mind whirled with questions and options. Martin was upset. What would he do? She remembered Cam telling her that she saw only the best in people, but that it could be dangerous if carried to an extreme. Martin was just such a person not to underestimate.
“No,” Molly rasped, jabbing her finger down at the printout. “You tell me how you got in here, Martin. I got permission from the SDO and Shore Patrol to let me in. I’m on the office log as being here. Are you?” She saw Martin’s eyes widen in surprise over her attack.
“I got permission.”
“From who?” Molly shot back, standing her ground, her heart starting a low, hard beat.
“It doesn’t matter.”
“Yes, it does.” She turned and looked at her printout and then back at Martin. “No one has the computer access code to bring this printout up except me and my instructor, Lieutenant Norton. Just how did you get ahold of it, Martin?”
Martin grinned. “None of your business, honey.”
“Don’t call me honey!”
“Maybe bitch is a better word,” Martin snarled.
Molly’s mouth dropped open. Fury shot through her. Before she realized what she was doing, she stepped forward and slapped Martin across the face. The pilot reacted instantly, taking a step back, his hand going to his reddening cheek.
“How dare you!” Molly cried fiercely. “I haven’t done anything to you, Martin! I will not have you call me names or show disrespect!”
Rubbing his cheek tenderly, Martin sized her up. “Why, you little—”
“Don’t you dare call me anything more! You’re in a lot more trouble than you realize.” Molly grabbed the printout with the red-circled changes on it.
“Hey! What are you doing?” Martin lunged forward.
With a cry, Molly leaped back, the printout under her left arm. She saw the pilot’s face twist in hatred, and knew he was going to take the evidence away from her. That couldn’t happen! Whirling around, Molly raced around the end of the station, heading toward the door to escape.
“Come back here!” Martin roared, sprinting after her, his hand outstretched.
Molly’s fingers wrapped around the handle. Jerking open the door, she lunged through it. Just then, Martin’s fingers dug into her shoulder, slipped off, but caught the fabric of her flight suit instead. Crying out, Molly was pulled off balance. She half twisted around, falling out the door.
Martin landed heavily upon her. The wind was knocked out of her. The printout went sliding down the polished tile floor just out of her reach. Lashing out, Molly used her fingernails, which were blunt and short, to strike out at Martin’s face.
“Oww! You bitch!” Four red scratches appeared on his left cheek.
Dodging his fist, Molly pushed Martin off her. Just as she scrambled to her knees, Martin threw his arms around her legs. With a scream, Molly fell to the floor. She was being dragged backward! Fighting wildly, she loosened one of her booted feet and took aim at Martin’s face. He wasn’t going to get her printout! If he got it, he’d destroy the evidence, and then there’d be no way Molly could prove he’d altered her flight program.
Teeth clenched, she put as much strength as possible into kicking Martin. Her boot grazed his jaw and solidly struck his shoulder. It only infuriated him. Breathing hard, her breath coming in gasps, Molly freed herself.
“No way!” Martin roared at her as she staggered to her feet.
Molly was barely standing again when Martin hit her full force from behind. She slammed onto the floor, her head striking the tile first. The air was forced out of her, and she lay stunned, unable to move.
“Hold it!”
Molly blinked, realizing it was Cam’s voice. With the last of her strength, Molly looked up. Her eyes widened. Cam stood poised at the other end of the hall, his face etched with fury.
Martin hesitated only fractionally, then leaned down, scooping up the printout.
“Stop him!” Molly cried, trying to get to her feet.
Cam snarled a curse as he ran down the length of the hall after Martin. He saw Molly sitting on the floor, disheveled and bruised, with blood dribbling from the corner of her mouth and nose. He knew Martin had done it, and hatred more driving and savage than he’d ever experienced exploded through him.
Recovering her breath, Molly realized Martin would scramble for the stairs to escape. Every bone in her body hurt from the jarring fall, but she ignored the pain and thrust out her foot to trip Martin as he started to run past her.
The pilot hadn’t expected Molly to do anything but cower in a heap on the floor. When she stuck her leg out in his path, he tripped and fell forward. The printout flew through the air, arcing over Molly’s head and striking the glass door to the computer room.
Cam lunged just as Martin got to his knees. Where the hell was Shore Patrol? His fingers dug deeply into Martin’s shoulders and he jerked the pilot to a stop.
Hissing a curse, Martin doubled his fist.
Cam was prepared. Just the sight of Molly bleeding was enough to make him want to kill Martin. He took great satisfaction in striking the pilot in the face. Bone crunched and broke beneath the force of his well-aimed blow. Martin cried out and crumpled to the floor, covering his face with both his hands.
“My nose! You broke my nose!” Martin shrieked.
Breathing hard, Cam hunkered over him, his fist wrapped in the pilot’s flight suit. “You son of a bitch! I’ll break more than your nose. Don’t move!”
Sobbing for breath, Martin kept his hand over his head. “I won’t, I won’t! Don’t hit me again!”
Molly heard several men running up the rear exit stairs. Three sailors with Shore Patrol badges on their left arms appeared at the othe
r end of the hall and hurried toward them. Once they arrived, Cam released Martin to their custody and straightened.
“Arrest Lieutenant Martin for trespassing without authorization, and for assault,” he snarled.
Still sitting on the floor, Molly breathed a sigh of relief. She saw anxiety replace Cam’s unadulterated anger as he came over to kneel beside her.
“Johnson,” he snapped at one of the Shore patrol men, “call an ambulance.”
“Yes, sir!” The petty officer went into the computer room to use the phone to call the dispensary.
“No,” Molly protested. “I’m okay. Really, I am.”
Cam’s hands shook badly as he framed her face. “Like hell you are. You’re a mess. You’re bleeding from your nose and mouth, Molly.” He carefully touched her brow where it was turning black-and-blue.
“I am?” She reached up and touched her upper lip. “Oh, dear…”
Cam kept his hand on her shoulder as she paled considerably after that discovery. Was Molly going to faint on him? He wouldn’t blame her. “Hold on,” he pleaded with her. “I’ll get you over to sick bay in a few minutes.”
Darkness kept edging her vision. Molly remembered what Dana had told her about how to stop fainting, and lowered her head between her knees so the blood would flow back into her skull. Cam’s hand felt comforting on her shoulder.
The Shore Patrol took Martin away, and she and Cam were alone in the hall. Molly kept her head bowed for at least three minutes until the black dots in front of her eyes disappeared. Slowly she lifted her head and looked up into Cam’s grim features.
“I found my printout on the table and the flight program on the monitor, Cam. Somehow, Martin got my access code and retrieved the information.” She pointed to the printout sheets scattered nearby. “He changed some of the numbers, Cam. They’re circled in red. When I tried to take the evidence, he stopped me.”
Cam shook his head. “He could have killed you, Molly.” God, how courageous she’d been. He saw anger and stubbornness in her green-and-gold eyes.
“I wasn’t about to let him foul up my flight plan again, Cam! I figured it out. He changed my other flight plan, too, and made me look bad. I got a poor grade on that test flight.”
“Yes. And he was the one who brought up the fact to Vic that he should recheck your math figures on the printout,” Cam muttered. “It all makes sense. That bastard!”
Pressing her fingers to the bridge of her nose to stop the bleeding, Molly started to feel giddy and happy. “That’s why I had to keep that printout as evidence. I tried to get out the door, but Martin jumped me from behind.” With a grimace, Molly added, “I’m afraid I’m not much of a fighter. I’m sure Dana or Maggie would have beat Martin at his own game. All I did was scratch, claw and scream.”
Cam slid his arm around her shoulders. His voice was low with feeling. “Angel, you could have been killed. I don’t know if Martin would have gone to that length, but it wasn’t worth the risk. I need you alive. God, I was so scared when I came up here and saw you sitting there bleeding.”
Molly whispered his name and threw her arms around Cam’s shoulders. Reality was starting to impinge on her state of shock. She clung to him, her head nestled against his shoulder. Just the smell of Cam was like a perfume to her heightened senses. “Cam, just take me home. Stay with me tonight. I don’t want to be alone. Please?”
His voice was gravelly with emotion. “I wish I could, but I’ve got the duty, angel.” God, how Cam wanted to be with her, hold her and care for her! Right now, Molly needed him. Gripping her by the shoulders, he stared down into her traumatized features. “What I’ll do is have Johnson drive you home after the doctor’s seen you.” His voice deepened. “I’m sure he’s going to tell you to stay home and rest tomorrow. You can fly that spin test next week sometime. I’m sorry I can’t be with you tonight, Molly. I want to be…. God, how I want that for both of us.”
She tucked away her disappointment, realizing Cam was right. An SDO couldn’t go off base for the night and return in the morning. No. Cam had responsibility for everything that happened on base for a twenty-four-hour period. He couldn’t be with her, no matter how badly they both desired it. “I’m sorry. I should’ve remembered,” she whispered unsteadily, her head beginning to ache in earnest.
Cam heard several men coming up the stairs. It had to be the medics that Johnson had allowed to enter the facility. “Can I take a rain check?” he asked. “Friday evening I’ll come over. We need to talk, Molly, about a lot of things.”
She nodded. “If you came over tonight, I don’t think I’d be of much use to anyone. I feel awful, Cam.”
He tenderly kissed her hair. “I know, angel. You took a lot of punishment from Martin. Here come the medics. They’ll take you out on a gurney.”
Molly started to protest. But, when she struggled to rise, Cam clamped his large hand on her shoulder and forced her to remain sitting. Used to taking care of herself all her life, Molly realized she’d forgotten what it was like to be cared for. Acquiescing, she allowed the medics to check her over and place her on the gurney. Once she lay down, Molly felt exhausted. It was as if the physical confrontation with Martin was the last straw. There was no more fight left in her.
* * *
Cam nervously fingered the huge bouquet of autumn flowers in his hands as he waited for Molly to answer the door to her apartment. The November wind cut through him, although he wore a leather bomber jacket with a white wool scarf around his neck. The door opened. Cam’s heart thudded once to underscore how very much he needed to see Molly. She stood there smiling at him, dressed in an ivory crewneck sweater and a pair of pink cord slacks. His heart went out to her when he realized she was just as nervous, perhaps more so, than he was.
“Come in,” Molly invited.
Cam inhaled. “You must have cooked me dinner.” He grinned as he gave her the bouquet after she shut the door.
“I did. The flowers are just gorgeous! You didn’t have to do this.” Molly sniffed at the flowers’ individual scents, loving Cam for his thoughtfulness.
Shrugging out of his jacket and scarf, Cam hung them up in the hall closet. He noticed a black-and-blue goose egg on Molly’s forehead. Otherwise, she looked incredibly well. “You deserve a Purple Heart, not flowers,” Cam teased, shutting the door and coming to join her. Nervously he put his hands in his pockets. “How are you feeling?”
“Like new.” Molly reached up, slid her arm around his shoulder and pressed a kiss to his mouth. “Thank you.” It had taken everything on her part to initiate the kiss that was begging to be shared between them. Before she could move away, Cam’s hands came out of his pockets and captured her. The flowers were between them.
“Do you know how much you’ve changed?” Cam asked, holding her startled but pleased gaze. His body cried out to consummate the love he knew had grown and blossomed between them.
Molly relaxed in his embrace. “No. I feel the same old Molly.”
He smiled and pushed back her blond bangs so he could inspect her goose egg more closely. “I wonder if, five months ago, you’d have fought back—or fought at all—for what was yours? Not that I condone you going after Martin.” Cam frowned. “He confessed to everything today, Molly. Not only did he change figures on two of your flight programs, but he did it to another engineering student, too.”
Cam’s touch was fleeting, and Molly savored his closeness and care. “Not to mention the assault on me.”
“He’s up on charges for that, too.” Cam allowed his fingers to drop away from her hairline and he tilted her chin. “How are the nose and mouth?”
“When I hit the floor I just jarred my whole head. My nose is fine, and I have a small cut inside the corner of my mouth. That’s all.”
“At first I thought you might have broken your nose or lost some teeth,” Cam admitted. With the huge bouquet of flowers still between them, he knew it was useless to embrace her. Which was exactly what he wanted to do. Reluctantly
, he released Molly and walked with her into the kitchen.
With a laugh, Molly placed the flowers on the drain board and hunted up a vase to place them in. “I’ve got a hard head, Cam, so no real damage was done. This will end Martin’s career, won’t it?”
Sitting down at the table, which was set with Oriental-designed plates rimmed in gold, and gold-colored flatware, he nodded. “He’ll get court-martialed for this,” he promised grimly.
Molly cut the stems of the bouquet of flowers one by one and placed them in a cobalt-blue vase. “I can’t believe any pilot would do what he did. Doesn’t say much for competitiveness, does it?”
“Martin went overboard.” Cam watched Molly arrange the flowers, her every movement graceful and lovely to watch. “Did you call your father and tell him what happened?” he asked her finally.
“No.” Molly put the vase at one end of the table, pleased with her artistry. “Why should I? He didn’t care that I almost drowned in the Chesapeake after ejecting. Why would he care if I got into a brawl with a male pilot?”
Cam said nothing, but he saw the hurt in Molly’s eyes. She poured them each a glass of white wine and placed a shrimp salad before him. She sat down at his elbow.
“You didn’t have to make me dinner, you know,” Cam said, enjoying each forkful of the tangy salad.
“I wanted to. It’s so much fun watching you enjoy every bite. I’ve never met a man who loved his food as much as you do.”
“It comes from seven years of being spoiled,” Cam told her.
The reference to his past caused a twinge in Molly’s heart. She kept her head bent and continued to eat.
Cam had seen her eyes grow dark. He placed his fork beside the emptied salad bowl. “What are your plans after you graduate? You know you have two weeks’ leave coming after that, don’t you?”
The Gauntlet Page 18