Death in Time

by Robyn Nyx

  “I need you to strip down to the minimum amount of clothing you’re comfortable with. I need a full body scan, internal and external.”

  Brooke froze at the doctor’s matter-of-fact request. “Internal?”

  Makenzie reached over and placed her hand gently on Brooke’s shoulder. “Don’t worry. He doesn’t mean it literally. The machine is capable of the internal scan with no invasive procedure. Clothes just slow it down some.”

  Brooke relaxed a little from the involuntary full body spasm she’d gone into. She looked around for a changing cubicle or a privacy curtain, something to preserve her modesty.

  As if Makenzie had read her mind, she said, “Are you shy?”

  Her tone was teasing and a cheeky grin accompanied her words. She made Brooke smile in spite of her discomfort at having to get naked. It wasn’t like she hadn’t already thought about shedding her clothes in front of Makenzie, but it was under entirely different circumstances and in far more ambient lighting than the harsh fluorescents that would wash out her skin and highlight every flaw. “Err, I guess I am.”

  “You need to lose that. You’re a soldier now, no place for shyness…or vanity.”

  Dr. Sal shook his head. “You don’t need—”

  “Yes, I do.” Makenzie shot him a look that made him turn back to his desk and begin to fiddle with his workstation. She turned her attention back to Brooke. “The quicker your clothes are off, the faster the doc can get the scan finished.”

  Brooke decided to ignore the possibility that Makenzie actually didn’t have to be present in the room while this was going on and didn’t analyze her intentions. She swallowed hard. Crap. Makenzie would be able to see the fairy tattoo on her hip. She always liked to explain it before anyone saw it. She wished she’d just had it lasered off. She took the hem of her T-shirt and pulled it quickly over her head. As swiftly as she could, she unbuckled her belt, undid her jeans, and tossed them on a nearby chair, all the while staring straight ahead at what she assumed was the body scanner and avoiding eye contact with Makenzie. She was mildly disappointed when she didn’t hear any murmurs of appreciation as she undressed, but checked herself. Makenzie was a professional, not a horny teenager with a crazy crush on the new girl at school. Boots. She tried to toe her boots off but they wouldn’t budge, so she turned away slightly as she bent over, self-conscious about flashing her breasts Makenzie’s way. It wasn’t much of a choice. She ended up sticking her ass toward her instead, but she’d been told enough times that she had a great butt not to worry so much about Makenzie’s reaction. A few awkward moments later, and she stood stripped down to her chonies with her arm across her chest to cover her nipples.

  “Lie down and place your arms by your side.” Dr. Sal pointed toward the scanner, and she did as instructed. “Don’t be alarmed when the bed retracts. You’ll stay in place.”

  “What?” She felt the glass slide from beneath her, and her body felt weightless, suspended in midair. She struggled to resist the temptation to move around and test the machine’s ability to keep her supported. She didn’t want to end up sprawled on the floor in an ungainly naked heap. A tiny machine appeared above her head, before zooming up and down her body, moving an inch to the side and doing the same again until the top of her body had been captured. It disappeared from view, but she could hear its low-key hum grow louder each time it reached the underside of her head. She marveled at its speed and the amount of information it was catching, but then worried if it might have picked up something she didn’t know about. She didn’t know of any hereditary diseases, but her parents had died when they were young. What if there was something they hadn’t told her about?

  The cold glass slipped beneath her again, and she swung her legs over the side to stand. Makenzie was two feet in front of her holding her T-shirt out. Brooke snatched it back a little too eagerly and pulled it on. She was sure Makenzie had a lustful, hungry look, but she was too embarrassed to even attempt to reciprocate, certain that she’d end up looking like she had a gimpy twitch rather than producing a seductive wink. Makenzie turned away, and Brooke quickly redressed.

  “You’re all clear for active training,” said Dr. Sal, spinning around to face her.

  “Wow. That was quick.” She peered over his shoulder to look at the screen, but he waved her away.

  “It’s nothing you’d understand.”

  Brooke raised her eyebrow as she looked at a monitor full of ticks and green bars. “I can be interested even if I can’t decipher it, Doc.”

  “Of course. Sorry. Sometimes my bedside manner is lacking.” He pushed away from his desk and allowed Brooke to lean in.

  He was right, obviously. None of it made sense, but it was a big relief to see there was nothing standing between her and a new career.

  Makenzie took her by the upper arm again and pulled her toward the door. “The doc is used to dumb soldiers, Brooke. We’ve got plenty of other stuff to do without being bogged down with this, especially since you’ve got a clean bill of health.”

  “Thanks, Doc.” Brooke let herself be guided out of the room by Makenzie. She liked her touch, even if it was functional. She was used to being told what to do by a female superior, but she’d never had one this hot before, and being pulled around by her wasn’t at all unpleasant or unwelcome. If ever it was appropriate, she’d be thanking Donovan for giving Makenzie the job of her orientation. After the initial hostile welcome, Makenzie was a very nice change of pace.

  Chapter Thirty-two

  Landry stepped off the train, and Garrett slapped her on the back.

  “Say hi to that little princess for me.”

  She nodded. “Sure thing, hoss.” He’d been desperate to regale her with his tale of how fabulous Priscilla looked, and how he couldn’t believe she was the same sick little girl Landry had brought to the island two weeks before. She’d smiled and made the right responses in the blank spaces he left. Honestly, she’d wanted him to shut the hell up. She disliked that he’d gotten to see her before Landry. “See you in the morning.”

  She grabbed her bag and settled the strap across her chest. She took the steps to the hidden exit two at a time, craving that first hit of Frisco-fresh air. More than that, she was desperate to see Jade, who she’d arranged to meet in the regular station’s parking lot. She was confident Delaney would stay put, Mason had confirmed she was handling Brooke’s orientation with no issues, and the board was meeting to discuss her proposal. There was little to do other than wait, so she took the opportunity to spend the evening with Jade.

  She flashed her card on the exit panel and the door swung open to reveal Jade waiting on the other side.

  “Hey, lover.” She jumped into Landry’s arms and wrapped her legs around her waist, pushing Landry’s bag out of the way. “I couldn’t wait the extra few minutes it’d take your slow ass to get to the car.”

  Landry grinned and kissed her. “God, I’ve missed you.” She kicked the door closed behind her and Jade unraveled herself. “Take me home.”

  “Your place or mine?” Jade hooked her arm inside Landry’s and kissed her shoulder.

  They walked for a little while as Landry decided where home was. Is it wherever you are? “Yours. I want some alone time before I see the girls.”

  “Are you sure? They can’t wait to see you, especially Caitlin. She’s feeling pretty shitty about the way she treated you before you left.”

  Jade led Landry to a sturdy-looking SUV in metallic iridescent paint.

  “That’s a little different from your last ride.” Landry shielded her eyes, as if the paint job was blinding. It wasn’t lost on her that Jade had chosen an electric model that was top of its class in safety, but she didn’t comment. There was nothing like a close shave with Death’s scythe to make you reconsider how you lived.

  Jade shrugged and climbed in. “I’m a colorful woman. Lucy reflects that.”

  Landry laughed as she got in the passenger side. “You’ve named your car Lucy?”

  J
ade started the car and joined the slow traffic heading south across the bridge. “Are you going to answer my question or just dance around it with small talk?”

  Landry smiled. She appreciated Jade’s way of never letting the elephant in the room go without acknowledgement. “Caitlin has nothing to apologize for.”

  Jade snorted. “She damn well does. And Lizbeth won’t be happy until Caitlin’s gotten down on her knees and begged your forgiveness.” Jade glanced sideways at Landry and tutted. “Stop picturing me on my knees. I don’t beg for anything.”

  Shame. “Caught me.” Landry leaned over the center console and nibbled Jade’s bare arm. “Seriously though, I understand why she reacted the way she did. I can’t imagine how hard it was for them, not being able to see their baby while she was so ill.”

  Jade shook her head. “That’s not the way Lizbeth sees it. You told them the parameters that came with your offer of help.”

  Landry sighed and looked out the window across the Bay. The familiar Frisco fog wrapped the landscape in a cozy blanket. She bet Priscilla would be wrapped in bubble wrap for a good while until Lizbeth calmed and was convinced that her baby was fully healed. Caitlin had every right to her emotions and reactions. Landry knew there was no malice in them. It really was nothing personal.

  “I don’t want this to cause any problems between those two. Having Priscilla back safe should bring them closer, not drive them apart.” Landry didn’t want to contemplate their relationship failing. Since she’d met them, she’d always loved the stable volatility of their partnership. It was nothing she’d coveted. Until Jade, a sexual relationship that lasted longer than two nights was an alien concept and something she’d never sought for herself. But Lizbeth and Caitlin suited each other. They were a team, each with traits complementing and supporting the other. Landry believed they could be that rare forever couple.

  Jade’s warm hand on her thigh brought Landry back into the moment. She placed her own hand on top and squeezed gently.

  “It won’t be a problem as long as Caitlin apologizes. I think that’s just the way it has to be for Lizbeth.”

  “Does Caitlin want to apologize?” Lizbeth was headstrong, and it was clear she ran their relationship. It seemed to work mainly because Caitlin was so laid back. But if she was being forced to do something she fundamentally disagreed with, would she be strong enough to stand her ground?

  “Of course she does. She feels totally foolish. Christ, Landry, you saved her life and now you’ve saved her kid’s life. She says she’s been an ‘ungrateful cock,’ and she’s desperate to make things right with you.”

  Landry said nothing for a while as Jade navigated them through the early evening traffic and onto the coastal route to her house.

  “I still want to be selfish and spend this time with you before I go to see them. I have to be back on the island in the morning.”

  “About that, what’s going on? Was the mission a success?”

  “Do you want the long version or the short version?” Landry already knew the answer. Jade had told her she loved detail, and she wanted to imagine every moment so she could create her own movie version in her head.

  Jade grinned, lifted her hand, and slapped Landry lightly on her thigh. “Have you been away from me so long you’ve already forgotten everything about me?”

  Landry turned sideways in her seat, reached over, and caressed the back of Jade’s neck. “I couldn’t forget a single thing about you if I tried.”

  Jade laughed. “You’ve certainly not forgotten how to be sickeningly sweet.”

  Landry smiled before retelling the story of the mission. Jade’s reactions and murmurs of exclamation and surprise amused Landry. She was used to sharing her missions in detail in the debrief, but the audience had never been as animated or interested as Jade was.

  “I love the way you tell a story. You could so make these missions into a book. I would read the hell out of that.”

  Landry smiled at Jade’s playfulness despite the serious nature of the mission. “So you see why I can’t just come back for my usual post-mission break.”

  Jade nodded slowly as she took the turn up to her house. “I totally get it, baby. You don’t stack shelves for a living, I know that.” She stopped the engine and turned to Landry, for once, a serious look in her eyes. “I’m scared. Every moment you’re away from me, I wonder if I’ll ever get to see you again.”

  “I know, babe. I feel it, too. But I use it. It makes me even more determined to get home to you, to us.” Landry leaned in and kissed her. “I have to get home to what we’ve got.” Her declaration felt like a clichéd light bulb moment. Landry had been concerned that her feelings for Jade would interfere with her ability to get the job done. But in the face of such a threat, Landry had held firm. She wouldn’t have broken, no matter what Simson did to her. Landry was stronger because of her love for Jade. The danger to Jade’s life had cemented her resilience and made it impossible for her to give up the location of the PRU to Delaney. She would rather have died than allow their plans to endanger Jade’s life. Her mom had been right about it being a scenario that would never be repeated. It was impossible for Jade to be used against her on any normal mission because no one knew a thing about Landry, her history, or her present. Before Jade, Landry had been blasé about her life and her survival, almost as if her own life hadn’t really mattered. But now, she had something to come home to other than an empty apartment and an ever-revolving carousel of different women. She had Jade, and she had her love. It was no small thing. Landry was aware of its presence like a trapeze artist knew the safety net was beneath them. It didn’t make her weak because Jade was there. It made the tough decisions easier because whatever happened, Jade would catch her.

  Jade broke away from the kiss and looked at Landry. The depth of her love was clear, sending Landry a siren’s call from her soul. She got out of the car, and Landry joined her at the front door.

  “Food or bed?” Jade opened the door, and Landry followed her in before softly closing it behind them.

  Landry had eaten a protein bar and drunk a mug of coffee since returning. Her stomach felt empty and neglected, but it hadn’t growled for attention yet. “Any chance we can do both?”

  Jade took Landry’s hand and led her into the kitchen. “Let’s just feed you, and then I’ll take you up to bed to work it off.” She pushed Landry onto a barstool. “Sit there, and I’ll fix us something quick.”

  “You’re going to cook for me?”

  “Even I can scramble eggs.”

  Jade moved around the kitchen almost aimlessly. Landry watched amused as it took her five cupboards before she located a frying pan. She opened and closed three more before she sourced flour tortillas.

  “Lucky all the utensils are on your island.” Landry pointed to the various steel pots of ladles and wooden spoons positioned neatly alongside the gas-top stove. Jade stuck out her tongue and opened the fridge to retrieve eggs, milk, and a variety of fresh vegetables.

  It wasn’t pretty, nor did Jade make it look easy, but after ten minutes, she placed a plate of egg tortilla wraps in front of Landry along with a bottle of salsa verde. She looked pretty pleased with herself, and Landry smiled. “That looks amazing.” She opened a wrap and dotted it with the salsa.

  “You don’t have to lie.” Jade sliced a piece of her own wrap and popped it into her mouth. “Though it does taste pretty good.”

  Landry didn’t have to lie; the wraps looked and tasted great. She’d devoured one and was halfway through her second before she registered how hungry she must have been. She also realized that other than the “I’ve missed you,” they hadn’t talked about how Jade was doing. Landry got up and took a zero soda from the fridge. “Do you want anything?”

  Jade swallowed a mouthful of food before she answered, “I’ll share yours.”

  Landry took a long drink, wondering if the reason they hadn’t talked about how Jade was because there was a problem. “We’ve talked about eve
rybody else—how have you been?”

  Jade didn’t look up from her plate and chased a piece of scrambled egg around the plate. “The usual. Training, friendlies, and building up to next season.”

  “Have you visited your family?”

  “Yeah. Everyone’s okay…”

  Landry reached across and touched Jade’s hand as she raised another forkful of food to her mouth. “Babe…what’s wrong?” A hundred things could be the issue, but Landry didn’t want to jump to the conclusion her insecurity about their relationship might drive her toward.

  “Nothing. What makes you think something’s wrong?”

  Landry laughed gently. “We’ve run through everybody else’s issues, but we haven’t talked about how you’ve been these past few weeks.”

  Jade shook her head. “There’s nothing exciting to talk about.”

  “And is that the problem?”

  Jade smiled and looked rueful. Landry wondered if Jade was carrying the team’s disappointment in their last season. She was brought in as the team’s savior, but it hadn’t quite panned out.

  “Kind of…”

  Jade was quiet for a moment, and Landry didn’t speak. She wanted Jade to relinquish her fears without questioning, and she didn’t want to put words that weren’t there into her head.

  “I feel like my life is insignificant.”

  Landry waited for more, but Jade said nothing. “Compared to what?” she asked gently.

  “Compared to everyone else’s.” She tossed her fork on her plate and crossed her arms. “You’re out there saving the world, and I throw a bag of wind into a hanging bundle of rope. Knowing what you do has put a whole new perspective on my life.”

  Landry suppressed a smile. Jade looked adorable when she was feeling sorry for herself. “Do you want to save the world?”

  “God, no. Being a soldier or spy never appealed to me, even as a kid.” She uncrossed her arms and grabbed Landry’s hand. “That doesn’t mean that I don’t realize that I’m incapable of making a difference.”