Wrong Time

by Mitchel Grace

  “Strike a pose,” Sam said while holding the camera away from them and snapping a picture of the two of them together.

  Then she grabbed her computer and took the SD card out of the camera. She uploaded the pictures from the camera onto the computer.

  “What are you up to?” Nathan asked.

  “I think you should write them an email and attach a picture of us with it to show that you’re okay and you’re with someone who cares about you. You can tell them some of the minimal details of why you’re gone, but just leave out the heavy stuff.”

  “Are you sure it’s okay to do that?”

  “No, but if I still had a family, I wouldn’t want them to wonder where I was. I would write the same letter that you’re about to write, so just do it, and don’t worry about the consequences. I’m supposed to be looking after you, so you won’t get any of the blame if someone finds out anyway.”

  “Thank you. I couldn’t ask for a better person to be in this situation with, and just so you know, you’ll always have a family as long as I’m around,” Nathan said and hugged her.

  He sat down with the laptop and began his letter. Nathan was surprised at how fluently the words flowed from him. He had thought that it would be hard to explain his situation to his family, but it actually wasn’t hard at all. He explained how he had seen something that someone didn’t want him to see when he went to his job interview, and how until the matter was resolved, he wasn’t going to be able to come home for his own safety and for theirs.

  “I just want you to know that I’m safe, and honestly, I’m very happy. I met someone, and she’s the best thing that’s ever happened to me. When this is all over, I’m going to let you meet her. We’ve seen so many things together. You know how I’ve always wanted to go to Paris, right? Well, we went there together. I feel like I’ve experienced more in the last few days than I experienced in an entire lifetime back at home. I guess what I’m trying to say is that no matter what happens next, you should know that your son found happiness. If everything goes well, I should be home in the next few days, but if something goes wrong, I need you to know that I love you both. Also, tell Cupcake that I said hello. We had a bit of a disagreement about whether or not I should be able to use her road before I left, and truthfully, I just couldn’t live with myself if I knew that mine and Cupcake’s issues weren’t resolved,” Nathan wrote while smiling.

  “I’ll see you soon. I have attached some pictures of my new best friend. She’s amazing, and I know that you guys will love her. I love you. Goodbye for now,” Nathan wrote and sent the message.

  “So do you feel more at peace now?” Sam asked.

  “Not quite. There’s still one more thing that I want to do before tomorrow,” Nathan said.

  “Really? What is it?”

  At that moment, Nathan pulled her down onto the bed with him and kissed her. If the two of them only had two more days on this earth, Nathan determined that he wanted to spend those two days showing Sam how much he loved her.

  After the meeting with Zane was over, Michael and Jess went back to their room.

  “So Zane said for us to do anything that we had been putting off, and there’s definitely something I’ve been putting off for a long time,” Michael said.

  Jess had feared the day when this talk was going to inevitably happen. She didn’t know how she felt about Michael, and she didn’t want to have to make that decision right then and there. It wasn’t fair to her. If something happened to Michael, she would regret it for the rest of her life if she turned him down, but at the same time, she wondered if that was really a good enough reason to proclaim her romantic love for him when she didn’t even know for sure if her love was that type of love.

  “What is it?” Jess asked.

  “I love you, and I have loved you for a very long time. I know that I haven’t always been the man you need, but that’s going to change starting today. Will you give me the chance to be with the only person I’ve ever wanted to be with?”

  Jess didn’t know what to say. She loved him enough to feel bad for him, to worry about him, and even to kiss him in a time of distress, but she didn’t feel the same way about him that he felt about her. She just sat there silently. She didn’t want to lie to him, but he had been so much better lately. His destructive behavior had vanished almost overnight. She couldn’t help but be scared that turning him down would send him back down an old familiar road that was only full of pain.

  “Jess, you can tell me the truth, even if the answer is no,” Michael said.

  “I love you, but I don’t think that I love you in the same way you love me. I need you as my friend, but I just don’t think you’re what I need as more than that right now. I don’t want to hurt you or ruin the great thing that we already have between us, but that’s the truth,” Jess said and then looked down at the floor.

  She couldn’t stand to look into Michael’s eyes. She didn’t want to stare into the hurt that she had just caused.

  “I’m happy with what we have right now, but I just have to ask for my own sanity . . . is there a scenario where you and I work in the future?” Michael asked.

  “I don’t know. I suppose anything is possible. I’m just not there right now, and I don’t want to lead you on or give you false hope. I may never be there, but don’t ever think for one second that I don’t love you or that you aren’t my best friend.”

  “Okay. How about for now, I just be what you need me to be. I’ll be your best friend, and when and if the day comes that you need more than that, maybe I’ll still be there for you.”

  Jess was stunned at how well Michael was taking all this. She hadn’t felt like he was right for her because of his instability, but here he was in an awkward and heart wrenching situation, and he was calm and collected. Did I make the wrong decision by turning him down, Jess wondered.

  “As your best friend, I have to point out that we’re in Paris. How about we go have a little fun? I hear there are plenty of things to see here,” Michael said.

  “Sure, I would like that,” Jess said.

  The two of them left the room, and although Michael was truly okay with what had just transpired, she couldn’t stop thinking about it. Maybe she wasn’t in love with him, but his calmness and willingness to be the person she needed him to be had certainly gotten her attention. She finally saw Michael as something other than a sick puppy dog, and if nothing else, that was a start. Could we be together someday? Yeah, I think that maybe we could at some point, Jess thought.

  * * * * *

  Lee and Trish explored the city and then grabbed some dinner. As it started to get dark, they made their way back to their room. Throughout the day, something had been bothering Trish, but she had done her best to hold it in until now. She just couldn’t control herself any longer, and the words burst from her mouth.

  “How are you not offended that we got put on delivery duty? We have not only the least dangerous job of anyone here, but also the dumbest one. A monkey could literally be trained to do the job we’re doing,” Trish said in frustration.

  “Okay. First of all, that outburst came out of nowhere. I thought we were having a pretty good day,” Lee said.

  “I just don’t understand how you can be so happy. We have officially been given a job that any idiot could do. Jacob could have even done this job.”

  “It’s true that this job could potentially be easy, but don’t downplay the importance of it. If we don’t come through, a lot of soldiers are going to be left out to dry. Also, don’t downplay the danger in what we’re doing. We’re going to be carrying a bomb that has enough fire power to take out most of a building, and the only thing standing between us and a large explosion is going to be an old, half blind trigger man,” Lee said and laughed.

  Trish was not amused by his joke.

  “Lee, be serious. It doesn’t bother you to be treated like an idiot?”

  “I don’t think we’re being treated like idiots, and I’m happy that you�
��re going to be in less danger. I don’t want to see you get hurt.”

  “I’m much less fragile than you believe me to be. I should be actively fighting.”

  “Please, for me, accept our role in all of this. It’s a very important one, and at the end of the day, it’s the role that we’re going to have to play. I can’t carry that thing and watch my own back. Without you, I won’t be safe, and without me, you won’t be either. I kind of like the idea of the two of us working as a team, even if this job is beneath us,” Lee said.

  “So you do admit that this job is beneath us?”

  “Of course, I do. We’re probably the two smartest people here besides Jess, and you’re probably one of the best soldiers here, but this is our task, and I think we should complete it because, quite honestly, what else are we going to do?”

  Trish knew that he was right. There was no use in complaining about the task they were given. It wouldn’t change anything. Trish sat down on the bed and just stayed silent for a long while.

  “Look, if you’re just frustrated and you need to vent about this, then I understand, and I’m here for you,” Lee said while sitting down beside her.

  “No, you’re right. There’s nothing we can do to change this situation, so let’s just finish it and move on.”

  “Great, but I mean it when I say that I’m here for you.”

  “I know. Hey, Lee, what do you think you’re going to do when this is all over?” Trish asked.

  “I don’t know. I guess that depends on what you’re going to do. I don’t see us just going our separate ways, do you?”

  “No, I think I might want to keep you around for a while.”

  “So where do you think you’ll be? Do you think that the CIA may become a permanent thing for you?”

  “Oh, definitely not. I’m just not the CIA type. When this is all over, I’m so out of here. Maybe I . . . I mean we, will go to Vegas and I’ll use some of my abilities to get us some cash rolling.”

  “I think that sounds like a great plan. I’ve always wanted to be rich,” Lee said while grinning.

  “The money is overrated. It’s all about the company you keep,” Trish said and scooted over closer to Lee.

  He wrapped his arms around her.

  “If that’s the case, then I’m living the dream right now, I suppose,” Lee said and then leaned over and kissed her.

  In a way, Trish had started to love Lee. No matter how stressed she was about anything, he had a way of making her smile. For the first time ever, she could imagine her life with someone who wasn’t named David. She felt a little guilty because of that fact, but it was what it was. Lee was good for her, and she was now determined to be good for him. As Lee held her, she thought. Just one more mission and life will be normal again for us all. Unfortunately, she couldn’t have been more wrong. The trials that they were facing were only going to get harder, and she and Lee were only going to need to lean on each other more in the coming weeks.

  Chapter 24

  The next morning, everyone met downstairs for breakfast and discussed what they were going to do for the day.

  “I just want to go back to sleep,” Sam said sleepily.

  “Oh, come on. It’s our last day before our op is carried out. We should enjoy the day together,” Michael said.

  “I agree. I was planning on doing a little shopping today. It’s not every day that you’re in Paris. I might as well take advantage of the situation,” Jess said.

  “I was thinking more along the lines of us going to Notre Dame and then maybe a few more locations,” Michael said.

  “Well, I’m in for a little shopping,” Trish said.

  Michael gave a look over to Nathan as if to say, “Back me up on this one.”

  “I wouldn’t mind exploring some of the more historical parts of town,” Nathan said.

  The truth was that Nathan had no desire to do any more walking or climbing after the Eiffel Tower, but the idea sounded a lot better than shopping.

  “All right then. I have an idea. Let’s all split up until this evening. Girls will go one way, and guys will go the other,” Jess suggested.

  Lee hated this idea. The truth was that he didn’t care about the historical significance of the different landmarks in the town, and he might have wanted to shop around just as much as Jess and Trish did, but it’s not like he could just come out and say that. What kind of guy chooses to go shopping with the girls over hanging out with the guys? How would that make him look? Sam was having her own problems with the plan, too. When they had been at the mall back in Washington, it had been a strange experience. Jess and Trish treated shopping like a competitive sport, while Sam found the whole experience to be long and very boring. Somehow, she felt inadequate or out of place when she was with other women shopping.

  “I think I want to go to Notre Dame,” Sam said.

  “Well, that’s no fun. Our groups will be uneven,” Jess said.

  “All right, I’ll go with the girls,” Lee said while sounding disappointed.

  Secretly, he was extremely happy.

  “All right, I guess we can meet back at the hotel around five this afternoon,” Nathan said.

  “That sounds great,” Lee said.

  Then the two groups broke off from one another.

  About thirty minutes into the shopping trip, Lee was already regretting his choice to go with the girls. He had wanted to buy himself some things, but instead, he found himself thrust into the role of official bag carrier.

  “Oh, you should get this one,” Jess said.

  “I don’t know. I mean, I like those, but what about these?” Trish asked.

  Lee was so confused. How could picking out one pair of earrings be this hard? He liked to go to stores, and he liked to buy things, but there was one key difference between him and the girls. When he saw something he wanted, he didn’t debate whether he should get it for ten minutes. He just bought it.

  “Why don’t you just get both pairs?” Lee asked in hopes that his suggestion would hurry Trish along.

  “No, I’ll decide soon,” Trish said.

  Lee walked a few steps to his right and sat down on a small bench. As he scanned the area, he saw a French man who had the same lifeless expression that he assumed he himself must have. It was funny. They couldn’t speak each other’s language, and they looked nothing alike, but when their eyes met, both of them clearly had a look that said, “help me get out of here!” Lee had to smile a little bit once he realized this fact.

  “Lee, why are you sitting down? We’re going to move on without you if you don’t keep up,” Trish said.

  Yeah, I doubt that you’ll actually move too far away from where you were before, Lee thought. The day went on, and although it was a slow one for Lee, at least he learned a valuable lesson. If you want to go blow some cash, never, ever go with Trish or Jess. A simple endeavor will become a full blown sport!

  * * * * *

  At Notre Dame, Nathan and Sam were climbing the steps with ease, but their friend Michael was having a hard time.

  “Are you all right back there, Michael?” Nathan asked while looking back.

  “I’m just fine . . . I haven’t had a heat stroke yet,” Michael said through very hard breathing.

  “I think that your friend may be a little out of shape,” Sam whispered to Nathan.

  “I know. I think if we had gone to the Eiffel Tower, he might have died,” Nathan said and laughed.

  “What was that up there? Are you two making fun of me?”

  “Us? Never!” Nathan said.

  Once they were at the top, Nathan couldn’t help but be in awe of the gothic architecture that was all around him. He didn’t get the feeling that Sam really appreciated what was around them, and something like this always went right over Michael’s head, but this was one more thing that he could check off his bucket list. It was truly enlightening for him to have gotten to experience something like this.

  “So how about we go to the Louvre now?�
�� Nathan asked as they were descending the stairs.

  “What is with you people and all the walking? I think we should sit down for a few minutes,” Michael said.

  “Hey, this was your idea. Just try to keep up,” Nathan said.

  “I should have just gone with Jess. I bet that Lee isn’t having to deal with all this walking right now.”

  “Oh, trust me on one thing. Lee has it much worse than you right now. I learned that much from shopping with those two girls when we were in Washington,” Sam said.

  Nathan and Michael looked at her in a puzzled manner.

  “Just trust me. He would gladly trade places with you right now.”

  As their day went on, Nathan saw many of the things that he had always wanted to see, and he took comfort in the fact that even if the people around him didn’t see the significance of what they were doing that day, at least one of them wanted to be there with him.

  * * * * *

  Once they were back in the hotel, they all met at Nathan and Sam’s room.

  “I wish I had gone with you three,” Michael said while noticeable wheezing.

  Lee pulled him to the side.

  “Never, ever, wish that on yourself,” Lee whispered to him.

  “Was it really that bad?”

  “Oh God, yes!”

  For a few minutes, they all made small talk about how their day had gone, but then Michael asked everyone a question.

  “If this is the end, if Markus is in that building and we kill him, then what’s everyone going to do after this?”

  “Lee and I are going to make some money in Vegas,” Trish quickly responded.

  “I’ll probably go back to Atlanta and try to get a job there, although I seriously doubt that my old job is still an option. I didn’t exactly have time to tell anyone I was leaving,” Jess said.

  Nathan and Sam stayed quiet.

  “Well, what about you two?” Michael asked while looking in their direction.

  Nathan didn’t know how to answer his question. If they were going to run away together, did everyone really need to know about it or where they would be going?