“Ohh!” she gasped, turning and gripping Matt’s arm. “Look! Omigosh! This is awesome!”
“I agree,” he murmured, impressed. The huge cavern held not only tent and Quonset hut facilities for the personnel, but a two-story operations building, and a huge landing lip where two Boeing Apache Longbow helicopters and a Blackhawk helo sat. The place was a beehive of activity with people and golf carts coming and going ceaselessly. Matt figured that electricity would be at a premium, and that the base probably ran on those huge generators he’d seen over on the mining side. It was probably that battery-powered golf carts were used to transport people and supplies from one side of the mountain to the other.
Their driver stopped at the small, two-story building with HQ painted in black on its sheet metal siding. Jenny slid out of the golf cart.
“Just go up the stairs, ma’am,” the red-haired sergeant said. “Major Stevenson is in room 208. She’s awaiting your arrival.”
Thanking the sergeant, Jenny hurried up the outside metal grate stairs to the second floor, Matt at her heels. The loud, irritating sound of a bell suddenly clamored through the complex, echoing from the cave walls. Jenny hesitated when she saw four women dressed in black, form-fitting uniforms, helmets in hand, running toward the Apache helicopters, which were being pushed out onto the lip, beyond the cave entrance.
“They’ve got a mission,” Matt told her as he came to a halt by her side and watched the scene unfold. “That bell is telling them to get to their helos and get into the sky. They’ve probably spotted drug runners on radar and are going to intercept them.”
Turning, Jenny looked up at him. Now Matt’s face was grim and drawn. She was seeing his warrior side once again. Gazing back at the women climbing into the dual cockpits of the Boeing Apaches, which were painted a dark green color, she said, “They’ll be risking their lives, won’t they?”
Nodding, Matt turned and studied her upturned face. “Judging from the report, these pilots risk their lives every time they fly. Look at that hole they’ve got to fly through…whew, that’s tight! One wrong move and they’d crash into the side of that lava wall.”
He was right, Jenny realized in mounting alarm. They watched as the cockpit hatches were closed by the crew chiefs and the rotors began to turn. The growl and high-pitched hum of the Apaches’ dual engines warming up to take off hurt her sensitive ears. Jenny knew she could never do what these women did. Her admiration for them rose steadily. Turning, she opened the door.
“I think we need to meet Major Stevenson,” she told him, glancing down at the gold watch on her right wrist.
He agreed and followed her into the building, down a hallway bustling with women personnel moving to and from the various offices. He and Jenny quickly located Major Stevenson’s office on the right side of the corridor.
Jenny halted and knocked on the open door. The woman behind the metal desk looked up.
“You Jenny Wright? From Perseus?”
“Yes, I am. And this is Matt Davis.” Jenny moved forward with a confidence she didn’t feel, but she had to pretend, for this commanding officer’s sake. Maya Stevenson was more than a heroine in her eyes. She was more like a goddess—perhaps Pallas Athena, a wise woman warrior from Greek mythology.
The major’s emerald eyes settled squarely on Jenny, but oddly, Jenny no longer felt anxious or worried. Somehow Major Stevenson’s look calmed her nervous state. Good leaders had that ability, Jenny was discovering. At home, working for Morgan, she could be in the midst of a high-stress situation but his calm demeanor automatically soothed her, as well.
“Glad you’re here, Ms. Wright, Mr. Davis. Have a seat. Let’s talk. Coffee?” Major Stevenson said, turning to the coffee machine behind her desk.
Jenny cast a quick look at Matt, who drew out two chairs sitting near the wall and brought them to the center of the small, cramped room. He gave her a look at that said, Everything’s okay, darlin’. Well, he might not have said “darlin’” but she liked to think he did.
“I’d love some coffee,” Jenny said.
“Good. Woman after my own heart,” the major murmured as she poured some into a white, chipped mug. “Never trust a person who doesn’t drink some java.” She cast a look over her shoulder. “Cream? Sugar?”
“Er…no, black, please. Matt? Do you want some?”
He grinned. “I’d better or the major is going to throw me out of here as jaguar bait. Right, Major?”
Jenny heard Major Stevenson chortle as she turned and leaned across the desk to hand her the cup.
“That’s right, Mr. Davis. Black?”
“Yes, please.”
Jenny saw and felt the instant rapport that Matt established with the major. It was because they were both in the military, which had its own language, slang, and above all, a unique camaraderie that was often tighter than family bonds. Jenny knew she was an outsider to their world. Still, Maya treated her as if she were a part of the group, and for that Jenny was grateful.
After handing Matt his coffee, Major Stevenson sat down. She shoved a stack of files in their direction. “I have seven women who want to volunteer for those missions, Ms. Wright.”
“Please, call me Jenny? I’m afraid I don’t stand much on formality.”
Maya grinned darkly. “Just like your boss, I see. Okay, Jenny. You call me Maya. Fair enough?”
She smiled. “Sure.” Leaning forward, Jenny asked, “These are your pilots who want to work with Perseus?”
“Yep.” Maya sipped her coffee as she continued to gauge her from half-closed eyes. “It’s your job to figure out which three, Jenny. Morgan Trayhern said you come armed with a psych degree. I like that. You look like you run your life by the seat of your pants. With your intuition, right?”
Shaken by the commanding officer’s perception, Jenny straightened and said, “Why, yes…yes, I do.”
Nodding brusquely, Maya said, “Good. Don’t trust a woman that doesn’t run on her gut at all times.” She waved her hand toward the files. “You pick ’em, Jenny. And then let’s schedule a conference afterward and we’ll go over your choices before we post the lucky three names.”
“Do you have suggestions? I’d love to be aware of them.”
Her grin increased. “Now…I know just enough psychology to shoot myself in the foot with it, Jenny. I feel you need to do this by yourself. You don’t need me noodling in with my two cents’ worth. You know the mission. You know what it requires. Any one of my pilots would do. But you and Morgan have set up certain protocols. You know the people my women have to interface with, and so it comes down to personalities, doesn’t it? Who will get along with whom? And I’m out of that circle. So after you’ve interviewed my pilots, we’ll meet and talk, okay?”
Jenny nodded and sipped her coffee. She saw a sergeant come in and hand Maya several sheets of faxed papers. Maya thanked her, looked at them and sighed.
“Duty calls.” She stood up. “Sergeant Joann Prater will show you to the room you’ll use to conduct your interviews in, Jenny. If you need anything, she’s your contact. Okay?”
The sergeant, a woman with short, red hair and blue pale eyes, came forward and smiled. “Let me show you to the room, Ms. Wright?”
Jenny quickly got up, balanced her coffee cup and picked up her briefcase, while Matt came forward and scooped up the personnel files. “Thanks, Maya. We hope to have this done in two or three days,” Jenny murmured.
Nodding, Maya said, “That’s fine. See you later.”
Even as Jenny turned, she saw Maya pick up the phone with a dark and harried expression. The faxes must have been upsetting. As she and Matt followed Sergeant Prater down the highly waxed hall to a room near the end on the left, Jenny began to realize the pressure that all these women worked under continuously. Could she work with that kind of stress? No way.
The room was they entered was tiny and spare. There was a green metal desk in the middle, a small window with venetian blinds over it, and several green metal
chairs. And that was all. Matt placed the files on the desk and stood back while Jenny put her coffee cup down on it and settled her heavy briefcase on the floor nearby. The sergeant left. The hum of office machines, the low voices of the staff, the ringing of phones, drifted into their space.
Looking around, Jenny set her hands on her hips. “Home. At least for the next few days.”
“It could be a lot worse,” Matt observed. “By the way, you made a good impression on the major.”
“I did?”
“She treated you like one of her own. That’s a good sign.”
Lifting the briefcase to the desk, she murmured, “I thought she had. I know military people don’t necessarily like civilians.”
“My gut tells me she likes you.”
“Then I’ve crossed my first bridge. I know if a CO doesn’t like you, you’re damned.”
Chuckling, Matt moved the chairs around so that they were in front of her desk. “You catch on real fast, darlin’. Real fast.” This time, he purposely used the endearment to see what effect it would have on her. Jenny lifted her chin and looked at him, her sky-blue eyes flaring with surprise…and pleasure.
“I’ll bet you call every woman darlin’,” she accused lightly as she pulled out her laptop and hunted for a place to plug it in. Her heart was beating erratically because the look he gave her was one of interest—and desire.
“No,” Matt answered slowly as he walked to the door and looked out into the hallway, “I don’t.”
Flustered, Jenny sat down, opened up her laptop and turned it on. Watching Matt lean casually against the doorjamb, his hands in the pockets of his chinos, she felt a little shaky and uncertain about their relationship. Tonight, she had to go back to the hostel and sleep in that bed—with him—again. How would she handle it this time?
Chapter Six
Fatigue lapped at Jenny as she sat down on their bed in the hostel. It was nearly ten o’clock and they’d just finished a quick meal at the India Feliz Restaurant. Matt sat at the small desk, reading the information she had typed in on the three women pilots she’d interviewed extensively today.
Untying her hiking boots, Jenny yearned to lay down and sleep. The day had been horrendously stressful on her, although she’d not let that out to anyone. No, she’d behaved confidently, as if she knew exactly what she was doing. Yawning, she stretched out on the bed, her hands tucked beneath the pillow.
Matt glanced up. He saw Jenny closing her eyes and drawing her knees up toward her body. It was dampish in the room and she was lying on top of the quilt. Getting up, he took the light alpaca blanket and spread it across her diminutive form. As he drew it up to her small shoulders, he saw her smile tiredly.
“Thanks…. I’m bushed. I think I’ll take a little nap before I get my shower, Matt….”
Her words were slurring. Leaning down, he followed his desire to touch her. Threading his fingers through her short, blond hair, he whispered, “Go to sleep, darlin’. You’ve earned it. You did a good job up there today.” He saw her lips part and realized that she was already asleep. Good. Last night she’d been restless, and Matt was sure she hadn’t gotten very much sleep.
Tucking the brown-and-cream-colored blanket around her shoulders, he stood above her and absorbed her soft, peaceful features. What a courageous woman she was, and yet she didn’t see it or recognize it within herself. Jenny had conducted the three long, intensive interviews with professionalism and intelligence. He’d seen another side to her today and he was very impressed. During the interviews, she wasn’t flighty, restless or talkative. She had her questions and she asked them. And she faithfully typed each pilot’s answers into her laptop. At all times, she was cordial but reserved, and kept a professional demeanor. Matt figured the degree in psychology had taught Jenny how to handle herself in such a situation.
Going back to the laptop, Matt continued to look at the answers the pilots had given during the interview. Jenny had asked him to go over the material and create comments or follow-up questions, if needed, because, with his military background, he could deduce much more than she along those lines. Jenny was a team player. Throughout the day, she’d made him feel important and part of each interview. He hadn’t been relegated to a corner, to be seen but not heard from. Nope, between each interview, she’d spent at least thirty minutes, sometimes an hour, asking for his opinions, his experience, in order to gauge the prospective volunteers.
Hours later, Matt shut down the laptop and took a shower. It was nearly midnight. As he came out of the bathroom, the steam curling out the door as he opened it, he saw that Jenny continued to sleep peacefully. Maybe because he’d purchased a night-light at a local vendor’s booth on the way back this evening? It burned brightly and steadily in a wall socket. When he’d taken his shower, he’d turned off all the lights with the exception of the night-light.
As he approached the bed, his heart expanded. Matt felt such tenderness toward Jenny. She slept like the angel she was. He recalled how, on their way down the dirt path from the helicopter landing pad, she’d wanted to go visit Maria and little Daniel, to see how they were. Matt and Jenny had gone to the part of town next to the soccer field, where most of the poor lived in shabby tin shacks, with rocks on the roof to hold them down during thunderstorms or on windy days. Maria was just coming back from the roaring tributary that cut through the small town on its way to the mighty Urubamba. She had a load of wet clothes in her huge basket.
Smiling softly, Matt shook his head as he remembered Jenny’s kindness. As tired and hungry as she was, she’d followed Maria to her humble home and helped her hang the laundry on several lines outside the shack or down at the river. And she’d also brought Daniel a piece of chocolate cake they’d been served at the base cafeteria. The little boy’s eyes had lit up like Christmas tree lights. It was painfully obvious that Jenny dearly loved children. She’d hugged Daniel, kissed his silky black hair and given him the small gift. Maria’s husband, Juan, had thanked them for their generosity.
Crouching down now, Matt placed one hand on the side of the bed near Jenny’s drawn-up knees, which were tucked warmly beneath the alpaca coverlet. “You’re an incredible person, Jenny Wright,” he whispered as he trailed his fingertips across her firm, warm cheek. “What are you? A beautiful fairy? A pretty butterfly? You’re more a figment of my imagination than real, aren’t you?” Matt spoke softly, not wanting to rouse her from her badly needed sleep. When he grazed her cheek, she moved slightly in response. She was so sensitive. So fragile. And yet, despite her difficult years growing up, she pushed courageously forward.
Matt found himself wanting to help Jenny continue to grow, to evolve out of her imprisoned past. She brought out his natural desire to help others. For so long, Jenny had been alone. Matt had discovered earlier today that the few relationships Jenny had had with men had all been negative. She blamed herself, of course, for the outcome of each. However, she never said anything negative or disparaging about men. From Matt’s view, knowing only what she shared with him, the men she’d known had been first-class jerks who didn’t have a clue how to appreciate someone like Jenny. They couldn’t get beyond her restless flightiness, her talkativeness when she got nervous, or her lack of self-esteem.
“No,” he whispered softly, “you don’t tame a butterfly, do you, darlin’? You just give her her freedom, and appreciate her for what she is and is not….”
Rising slowly, Matt moved around the end of the bed. He pulled back the covers on his side and eased his bulk down, not wanting to disturb Jenny. Once in bed, he lay with his face toward the wall, because if he didn’t, he was going to turn on his side, reach out and gently pull Jenny into the curve of his arm. His heart wanted that more than anything…and yet Matt brutally reminded himself that women were trouble with a capital T. His ex-wife had taught him that.
Tomorrow was another day, and he found himself looking forward more than ever to working with Jenny. She was mesmerizing to him; she had so many facets, like
a gleaming, brilliant diamond. And he was enjoying discovering the many scintillating and wonderful sides to her. Yes, tomorrow was another day. A delicious day full of possibilities….
Jenny held her breath momentarily when Chief Warrant Officer Akiva Redtail walked into the interview room. She was copper-skinned, with gold, slightly tilted eyes. Though she wore the same black, body-hugging uniform the other pilots did, several things set her apart from the women Jenny had interviewed yesterday. Mostly it was the invisible yet powerful energy that Jenny felt surrounding the nearly six foot tall, big-boned woman pilot. It nearly knocked Jenny over as Akiva Redtail soundlessly entered the room. Akiva’s hair, thick and black, hung straight and shining down across her breasts. She wore a bright red headband that brought out her obvious Native American looks. What caught Jenny’s attention was a small braid started at the center part and tucked neatly behind her right ear. Around her waist, tucked in her belt, was a very old-looking ax covered with leather, the aged handle knicked and well worn. On her right side, near her pistol, she wore a beaded Indian scabbard with short fringe that held a huge knife.
“Hi, Ms. Wright,” Akiva Redtail said, thrusting out her hand across the desk. “I hear you’re the woman who’s gonna pick the lucky three?”
Jenny couldn’t help but smile at this bold, confident pilot. She gripped her hand and shook it warmly. “That’s right, but Mr. Davis, my partner here, was in the military, and will be helping me make the final choices. Have a seat? I’ll try and make this as fast as possible.”
The pilot released Jenny’s hand and went over to Matt and shook his. “Yeah, I’ve got the dirty duty today. Let’s hope the cowbell doesn’t ring.” And she grinned wolfishly as she sat down. Taking a huge wad of bubble gum out of her cheek, she threw it in the wastebasket nearby.
“I chew bubble gum when I’m on duty. Reduces my stress level,” she explained as she sat comfortably, one booted leg across the other.
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