He crossed the room in three strides and swept Jean into his arms. “How about a kiss for luck, seeing as you’re sending me into battle?”
Laura did her best not to look and the moment was soon over.
John left for the courtyard and Jean sighed, her eyes firmly on John’s behind. “I hate to see him leave, but I sure love to watch him go!”
“You’re a lucky woman,” Laura said, laughing through her tears.
Jean’s eyebrow went up, only half-joking. “You’re married and in shock, so I’ll forgive you this once. That hunk of man is all mine, and I don’t share.”
Laura winked at Jean. “Gotcha. No ogling the eye-candy.”
“I heard that!” John called back over his shoulder with a laugh. “I’m not a piece of meat, you know!”
“How else am I supposed to describe such prime beefsteak?” Jean said under her breath as he rounded the corner.
“I can still hear you!” John complained.
Laura snickered, the amusement turning to a yawn, which turned to tears again.
Jean steered her to the bed. “Get some sleep. We’ll talk about everything MI5 made you do when you get up.”
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
QBBS Meredith Reynolds, All Guns Blazing
Diane nervously adjusted the skirt of her dress as she ascended the stairs to All Guns Blazing’s viewing platform behind her sister. “Do you see them yet, DJ?”
Dorene unleashed a dazzling smile and waved to two young men seated at a table for four. “There they are, by the window. What do you think?”
They stood and waved back…one of them a little nervously, Diane thought.
Diane added her own smile of greeting, talking out of the side of her mouth to her sister as they crossed the floor. “I already told you that pilots are not my first choice when it comes to dating. If either of them is capable of talking about something other than themselves for more than a minute, I’ll eat my hat. Narcissus had nothing on pilots, dear. I should know!”
Dorene hid a snigger, knowing full well what her twin thought about the fighter-pilot community. “Well at least we have dates! Let’s enjoy dinner. We can talk about the students if Thomas and Leonard turn out to be a pair of bros.”
Their dates scooched around the surrounding tables, and each pulled a chair out for the sisters.
“Good evening, ladies,” the taller of the two men greeted them. He was blond and chiseled, where the other had dark hair and a kind face.
“Why, thank you, Thomas,” Dorene said coyly, taking a seat. “How nice to be having dinner with a pair of gentlemen. You must be Leonard,” she said to the other warmly, holding out a hand for him to shake. “Lovely to meet you. This is my sister, Diane.”
Diane smiled and greeted the men, taking a close look at them both. Hers was the nervous one. He was a little shorter, a little less brash-looking than her sister’s date, who she was absolutely certain would tick every box on her ‘why pilots are a bad idea’ list. She had the better deal, she thought. Hers looked a little more circumspect.
Diane decided to try and enjoy the evening. What was the worst that could happen? “Nice to meet you, Leonard,” she said as he pushed the chair in for her. “That’s one of my favorite names, you know! Like the character in Star Journey.”
“I love Star Journey!” Leonard blushed, returning to his seat after helping Diane with hers.
“I think we all love Star Journey,” she said approvingly.
“So, you two run a school?” Leonard asked Diane as Dorene and Thomas chatted beside them. “Tom’s been telling me about having the trainees around.”
“We do,” she replied. It had been a long time since her last date and Diane was feeling slightly nervous. “You’re not one of the student mentors? I wondered why I didn’t recognize you.”
“No, not me.” Leonard must have realized she was nervous because he smiled, touching her hand for a brief second before pulling his hand back. “It’s okay, I’m not used to being set up on dates either. Thomas convinced me it would do me good to get out and meet someone. Can I get you a drink to start?” He jabbed a button on the table’s console.
A server came over to them almost immediately. She gave them a thousand-watt smile, as if they were making her day by being there to enjoy themselves. “Hi! I’m Amy, and I’ll be your waiter for the evening. What can I get for you all? Drinks?”
They gave Amy their drink orders.
“Can I get a menu?” Thomas asked.
Diane noted that he didn’t say ‘please’. Strike one.
Amy brought the drinks and a stack of menus for them to peruse. “Would you like me to activate the privacy filter?” she asked after they’d chosen their meals. “We’ve got a Guardian group booked in this evening, and they get pretty loud.”
“Yes, that sounds like a good idea,” Thomas said, returning to the anecdote he was telling Dorene without consulting any of them.
Strike two, buddy, Diane thought. She was glad he wasn’t her date. There was only so much you could let slide for a pair of pretty eyes and a tight butt.
Not that Dorene seemed to mind. She listened to his sea story with rapt attention, head tilted to one side to get a better view of the pilot’s deep blue eyes. The rest of the bar may as well have been empty, for all the attention Dorene paid it.
The chirpy waiter bounced off with their orders for steaks and fries, leaving the foursome to talk in privacy.
Diane turned her attention back to Leonard. “You’re pretty quiet for a fighter jock, Leonard. What’s your story?”
He buttered his roll as he replied, “I’m not a fighter jock, that’s why. We can’t all be brainless wonders. I mean, who wants to be stuffed in a tin can and fired toward the guns? Give me a nice safe transport gig any day.”
Diane couldn’t help but giggle at that. Maybe the evening wasn’t going to be so bad after all.
The wait for dinner was short. Amy appeared quickly with the plates arranged on her arms in a feat of balance that impressed Diane. With the privacy filter only allowing the music through, the conversation turned to the food.
“I love how they get it just right here,” Thomas remarked. “I’ve eaten steak all over the world, but nothing beats steak in space!”
“Sure,” Diane agreed, cutting into her meat. “So, how do you two know each other?”
Thomas grinned. “That’s a fun story.”
“We grew up in the same neighborhood,” Leonard said. “Didn’t know each other, though.”
“We enlisted on the same day, went to basic together. Stayed buddies even though we went our separate ways.”
The two friends had a rhythm, like they’d told this story before. Thomas took a moment to top off the glasses again. Diane was surprised to see that they’d been there long enough to finish the bottle.
Amy appeared at the table with a tray of desserts, smiling as she passed them out. Diane looked over and saw Cheryl Lynn give a little wave from her booth. Diane gave her a surreptitious thumbs-up.
“Not that I have anything against kids being innovative, but the trainees are putting themselves at risk every time they climb into one of those experimental fighter Pods.” Leonard had been talking to her, but she hadn’t been paying attention. She pulled herself back to what he was saying, her good mood evaporating as the meaning of his words set in.
“Oh yes? Why is it so dangerous? I thought the Pods were perfectly safe.”
Leonard broke into a laugh. He didn’t see the warning in Diane’s eyes. “The Pods are safe, it’s the idiots flying them I worry about. Simulator training is all well and good, but there’s no way kids should be taking them out for live-fire exercises.”
Diane stood, placing her hands on the table in front of her so she could lean in. “Live fire? I sincerely hope that those trainees you’re talking about aren’t my students.”
Leonard gulped, looking at Thomas for backup.
Thomas paled at the sight of the angry sisters. “U
m… It’s not as bad as he makes it sound. We just took them out to shoot up some asteroids.”
Dorene leaned over and grabbed Thomas by the lapels. “Why, you no-good low-down… You let the students do what? Are you cerebrally challenged?”
Diane threw her napkin down in disgust. “Strike three, you’re out. This date is over.”
United Kingdom, North Wales, Temporary HQ Opposite Conwy Castle
Broadbent peered anxiously at the map on the table, poking at the little die-cast models surrounding the castle one of the men had made from children's building blocks while he waited impatiently for Perkins to speak.
A sudden squawk from the speaker startled him, then it emitted Perkins’ voice. “Ground forces are in position, sir.”
He gave his head a shake before thumbing the button to answer. “Roger, Perkins. Advise on Challenger positions, over.”
“Challengers are expected in T minus two hours, sir. Bloody expressway, again.”
Broadbent waited for Perkins to release the button.
“Sorry, sir. I can’t get my head around this silly walkie-talkie idea. Oh…dammit. Over.”
“Our digital comms are compromised, Perkins. The radios are necessary.” Broadbent sighed. “If the expressway doesn’t clear up within the next fifteen minutes, radio and tell them to dump the transport and come overland. I’m about to move into position. I’ll be dark until it’s over, one way or another. Over.” He released the button, then pressed it down again quickly before he could change his mind. “Perkins.”
“Yes, sir?”
He paused. “If I don’t make it out of this slapdash folly, it’s been good knowing you, old chap.”
This time Perkins was the one struggling to speak. “Be careful, won’t you, sir?”
Broadbent dropped the walkie-talkie on the table and left the tent. He found the team he’d asked for waiting, fully loaded for an assault. They were dressed in black, faces painted and bristling with weapons.
They joked and jostled one another; the bravado of men about to go into battle.
Most of them would die tonight.
United Kingdom, North Wales, Student Dormitory, Conwy Castle
“Someone’s coming,” Halli whispered, diving under the covers.
“Lights out was fifteen minutes ago. Who would be coming in here?” Aleksi replied, not having the Wechselbalg gift of enhanced senses.
“It is Ms. Dukes?” Maxim asked sleepily.
Jean opened the door, letting in a sliver of warm yellow light from the hall. She was no longer angry, but clearly still bothered by something.
“Kids, are you still awake?”
Tina sat up and switched the light on. “Where’s John? Has something else happened?”
Jean shook her head. “No, he’s gone to get Doctor Llewellyn’s family. He’ll be back soon. He’s just having fun teaching the Brits why kidnapping and extortion is a bad idea. I wanted to check in on you all, since it’s been a hell of a day. How are you all holding up?”
A mumble of noncommittal replies washed around the students.
Jean nodded. “We’ll make sure there’s someone for you to talk to when we get home. I wanted to come and tear another strip off your hides, but I realized that you did a good thing—even if the way you all went about it wasn’t very well thought out.”
Tina was about to argue when she saw Jean go distant, her eyes unfocused like she was somewhere else. “Who was that?” she asked when Jean came back to herself.
“I’ve got to go. You kids get back in bed now. I’ll come and see you when I’ve dealt with this problem.”
“Jean, what is it?” Tina was alarmed now.
Jean did a double-take, studying Tina closely. “You’ve never called me by my first name before.”
“And I won’t again if you don’t tell us what’s going on!” She drew herself up to her full height, wishing she had a pair of her mom’s heels so she could look Jean straight in the eye.
Jean shook her head with a wry smile. “Not this time, Tina. I haven’t got time for explanations right now. There’s a situation outside the castle walls I have to deal with. You kids are the best, but you’re still kids and the safest place for you is here in the dorm. You’ll all stay here, and this time don’t disobey me. Am I making myself clear?”
Tina stamped her foot and went back to her bunk sulkily. “Fine, but we could help. We’re not untrained children, you know.”
Jean was already leaving. “I know, but I’ve got this. You get some rest, you hear me?”
The door closed behind her, leaving them in darkness, and they heard a click as she locked it from the outside. Tina waited a few minutes, then crept out of her bunk and went to kneel at the door. Maxim followed, and they pressed their ears up against it to hear what Jean was saying to Guardian James.
“To the west and the south, in an arc.” The solid oak door muffled Jean’s voice, but Tina could just make out what she was saying. “No heavy ordnance, just manpower.”
Guardian James spoke so softly she couldn’t make his reply. She waited for Jean to speak again.
“I could use you and Guardian Donal in the Black Eagles. I can hold the front until John gets back. Give it twenty minutes. Let the kids fall asleep, then come and find me.”
The twenty minutes crawled by agonizingly slowly. Craig was a pressure cooker, primed to explode by the time they heard Guardian James walked away.
“I thought he would never go!” he gasped when they heard the elevator doors close behind the Guardian. He crouched between Tina and Maxim. “So…our illustrious leaders. What’s the plan?”
“The first thing we need to do is get this door open. Masha, can you pick this lock?”
“It’s more complicated than the one on Doctor Llewellyn’s desk drawers. It might take a while.”
“We haven’t got time for that,” Maxim said softly. “The enemy is at our door, and everyone except Ms. Dukes and the Guardians will die if we don’t get out of here. We need to help them. We will break it down. Get out of the way.”
Tina cringed as he took a run-up, leaping just before he crashed into the iron-banded oak to maximize his momentum. His shoulder hit the door with a dull thud and he bounced back, knocking Halli over.
“Gott Verdammt!” he exclaimed, having heard John say it more than a few times over the last week. “Sorry, Halli.”
“I’m okay,” the girl said, springing up. “Hey, you damaged the door. I’m impressed!”
“Yeah, you did okay, Maxim. The band on the middle has cracked, and the hinges are bent.” Tina was examining the door. “Come and put those nanocytes to work. I think you can pull it off the frame with a few good tugs.”
She stepped away from the door, taking Ron and Aleksi with her.
Maxim, Halli and Craig all grabbed on where they could and looked around for the twins.
“You don’t seriously think I’m going to break my nails on that, do you?” Mischa proclaimed.
“No, you two just sit there. Don’t worry your pretty little heads,” Craig snarked. He kept muttering, knowing full well they could hear him, “It’s not like you have super-strength or anything.”
Masha joined him on the loose board. “I at least will help,” she said, nudging his shoulder with hers.
Back and forth they worked the loose boards, prying the nails that held them together free an inch at a time. It took a few minutes, but soon they had enough boards removed to compromise the integrity of the door.
“I hope this door was a replacement and not a genuine antique,” Tina said as she stacked the boards the Wechselbalg kids passed back to them.
Ron made a soft noise in the back of his throat.
Tina winced. “It’s original? Well, hopefully it can be put back together afterwards. We only broke one board.”
There was a clang as the cracked iron band fell to the floor with nothing to hold it up. Their way clear, the kids went through the hole in the door, their attempt at stealth more
comical than effective given the noise they made falling into the hallway.
“Ow, watch it!” Tina squealed as someone trod on her hand. She got up quickly and dusted herself off.
“Where is the secret passage?” Ron asked, scanning the walls. “Never mind, now that I know it’s there it’ll be easy to find. Fireplace, yeah?” He went over and started the same prodding and pressing process Aleksi had performed earlier.
“It’s not a pressure pad, Ron,” Aleksi said. “I couldn’t work out how to open it at all.”
Ron grinned and pulled hard on the wall sconce beside the fireplace. “Ta-daaa!” A shower of dust fell from the sconce and landed on his head, but nothing else happened. “Aw, man! It must be something else. Try everything!”
They all went around the hallway pulling on the wall sconces between.
There was a crunch and Craig blurted, “Whoops.”
They all turned to see him with a wall sconce in his hand. It was no longer attached to the wall.
“Craig!” Tina was appalled. “How did that happen?”
Craig shrugged. “I thought twisting them might work. I dunno, it just came off in my hand.”
Masha snickered. “Only you would do such a thing, Craig.”
“What is this?” Maxim asked, moving in for a closer look at the crests carved into the mantle pillars behind Craig. “They are not the same on both sides. Look!”
They crowded around Maxim. The roaring lions on the crests were almost identical, but one was set at a slightly different angle.
Aleksi hit his forehead with the heel of his hand. “How could I have missed this?”
Ron scratched his head. “Where are they looking? That’s where we’ll find the release mechanism.”
Eight pairs of eyes followed the path from the lions’ eyes to the tapestry on the opposite wall. Craig was the first one there, grabbing the bottom edge of the tapestry. “It’s not attached like the others. The corner is loose.”
“I’ll go,” Ron volunteered. “You’ve had all the fun without me so far.”
“How do you know the others are attached?” Mischa enquired, tilting her head with curiosity.
Alpha Class - Discovery: A Kurtherian Gambit Series (The Etheric Academy Book 3) Page 12