by Dale Mayer
“Got it,” Parker replied and ended the call. He shot to his feet and said, “We’re supposed to look for anything out of the ordinary. And we need to take pictures. I’ll let you do that.”
“Of what?”
He turned to look at her. “Everything,” he replied quietly.
She nodded. He hit the lights, and she started at the entrance, taking photos of everything inside the hanger, including full exterior pictures of the vehicles and the equipment and the internal layout of the building. She finished doing a panoramic view of floor to ceiling and then wall to wall. That took longer, and she could feel the time constraints pulling at her. She wanted more photos, but, just as she finished taking more shots of the body, she heard the sound of vehicles arriving. “Parker?”
“I hear them,” he said. “Stay calm.”
“Easy for you to say.” She turned back to the body, took several more pics of him and his position, even though she knew it was probably useless, and then sat back down beside Parker.
Just then came a voice outside. “Military police. Stand down. We’re coming through.”
Parker called back. “The door is open. Come on in. We’ve been waiting for you.” The door slammed open, but nobody entered. Parker walked over so they could see him, his hands in the air. Four men filed in, holstering two weapons but still within an easy reach. They took one look at the empty building and walked over to where Sandy sat. She stood and was asked for her identification.
Parker was ahead of them. He gave their names, ranks and reason for being there.
“This is a long way from where your brothers lie,” said the first man, Bobby Telford according to his ID. “What are you doing here?”
“You can confirm with Commander Cross,” Parker replied. “A K9 shepherd went missing several months ago during the transfer to the military plane taking him home. Commander Cross, knowing I would be here to collect my brother and also knowing I am part of the Titanium Corp, asked if I could spend a day or two looking for the whereabouts of the dog. As you can see, that is the dog right there.”
Samson even now sat at attention beside the dead man.
Sandy reached down and scratched him. He snuggled a little closer to her leg, as if unsure of the current situation. Or maybe he was getting the same vibes as her. Because she definitely felt uncertain. The two men who entered last walked around and did a complete search of the hangar.
Parker, as succinctly as he could, gave an explanation of what they were doing here at that moment.
When he was done, she commented, “Honestly, we were just getting off the base and away from the heavy memories.”
The men nodded. “I’m sorry for your loss,” Telford said. “War has a habit of causing a lot of pain.”
Sandy motioned to Ronnie in front of them. “We spoke to him not two hours ago.”
Telford asked her to go over the conversation. She did, to the best of her ability, checking with Parker to see if he had anything to add.
Parker shook his head. “He’s the one who told us about the local boy. We headed out toward the village, found the boy and his father, and learned the rebels had the dog. I went in, grabbed the dog, came back. Simple.”
“Well. Not so simple,” Telford replied with a disgusted tone. “Not if you brought in a group of rebels on our heads.”
“I drove straight here on his directions,” Sandy said, motioning at Parker. “And thank God for that. Because the rebels were shooting at us all the way down the road, as you can see by the bullet holes in the jeep. But, once we went cross-country and came upon the airstrip, I think they stopped following us. They were likely afraid they’d be up against more than they were ready to handle. If we hadn’t come tonight, Ronnie would have been here all night, not found until the morning.”
The MPs nodded. Two stood off to the side, making phone calls, and Sandy remained motionless, not happy about all the weapons they carried. But then she’d spent enough time around active duty personnel that she shouldn’t be bothered. But it was the first time she herself was involved in an investigation.
“Did you know Ronnie prior to coming here this evening?” Telford asked.
“No,” she said. “Not that I recall. I’ve done a lot of tours in Iraq. His face is not familiar, nor is his name.”
“Good enough.” The lead MP looked at both of them and said, “Somebody will give you a ride back to the base.”
She frowned, but he gave no indication he was willing to argue. She slid her hand under Samson’s rope, keeping him by her side. The two closest MPs looked at the dog, then looked over at Parker.
Parker said, “The dog is going stateside with us tomorrow.”
Telford nodded slowly. “He needs to be cleared for that.”
“I’m sure Commander Cross is on it,” Parker said.
With Badger’s words in mind, Parker quietly, trying not to bring any attention to what he was doing, took photos of each of the four MPs. Then he typed in their names and sent them off to Badger.
He didn’t know if that would do any good. One of the men noticed what he did. “Do we need to confiscate your phone?” he asked, his voice hard.
Parker looked at him. “You’re more than welcome to. I just sent your names to Badger from Titanium Corp, who is in direct contact with Commander Cross. Obviously we have some suspicions of an inside job here, and we’re making sure you four are on the up-and-up.”
They were greeted with stony silence across the room.
“Of course Commander Cross is already in contact with the base commander, who sent you four MPs here. So you can look at me as a suspect if you want, but I’m looking right back at you as suspects as well.” He knew he shouldn’t have said that because all four men stiffened and glared at him. He shrugged and said, “Look at it from my point of view.”
“And from ours,” the first man said, his voice calm but authoritative.
Parker nodded. “Exactly. We’ll take the dog back to the base. There’s no crate for him here. I’ll try and get one from the K9 supplies, and we’ll get him shipped out with us tomorrow.”
“As long as we have your contact information. And you don’t leave the base until we complete our investigation.”
“As long as your investigation is completed by the time we leave with our brothers,” Sandy said, walking toward Parker, Samson at her side, “then we agree. It’s not as if you’ll have trouble finding us stateside.”
The men looked at each other and then nodded. “Johnson here will take you back to the base,” Telford said.
Parker agreed.
Johnson separated from the group, and they all headed outside to the vehicle the MPs had arrived in.
“What about our vehicle?”
“Leave it. One of the men will bring it back.”
Without an option, Parker sat in front, and Sandy sat in the back with Samson. The dog showed no sign of unrest, but his gaze was wary of the new scenario. His life had flipped in the last few months.
They drove the short distance back to the base. Nobody said a word until the vehicle pulled into the parking lot. Parker hopped out; Sandy and Samson followed. They stopped, looked down at the dog, and Parker said, “I’m not sure I can take him into the regular barracks.”
Johnson nodded. “Arrangements have been made. Go see Colonel Barek first. I’ll take you there.” He shut off the engine, hopped out and led the way.
As they walked into the colonel’s office, Parker and Sandy straightened, saluted and waited to be addressed.
The colonel looked up at Parker and frowned. “I’ve spoken to Commander Cross and to Badger. You two got yourself in a hell of a pickle.”
Parker raised an eyebrow and gave a short nod.
“You do, however, appear to have found the missing K9 dog, Samson. Is that correct?” He stared at the dog between the two of them. “Good. That’s one thing we needed to clear up. But you’ve also brought the rebels back to the base, I understand?”
Sa
ndy shook her head. “No, sir. That is not correct. They stopped firing at us miles out, then stopped following us a couple miles before the air base. I think they knew we were returning to the base.”
“The question is, was the dog worth them coming after you again?”
“Potentially,” she said. “But, since the dog had come from the base, I’m sure they understood the ramifications of attacking us over a dog they had no right to.”
“Exactly,” he said. “I understand from Johnson you potentially have a dispute with us?”
“Not necessarily,” Parker said. “But Ronnie’s death appears to be more of an inside job, and I didn’t want to hand over this information to somebody who might be part of it.”
The colonel tossed down the pencil he had in his hand and crossed his arms as he leaned back on the desk. “Tell me why you think that?” he invited.
Parker hesitated, and then, with a look at Sandy, he explained the little he knew.
“You think we have a smuggling issue going on here?”
Parker nodded.
“Well, I’m glad you’re going home tomorrow,” the colonel said. “I wish it was for better reasons than what you were here for. But you are correct. We do have a problem, and this could be part of a much bigger issue. Unfortunately it has now cost the life of that young man, and I want to make sure that no more lives are lost in this investigation.”
Parker was surprised at the colonel’s admission. But then it wasn’t as if it was something to hide now.
“Glad to leave, sir. Obviously this is a delicate issue.”
“It is, indeed.” The colonel looked at them each and with a stern look, said, “I presume I can count on your silence?”
Parker nodded once. Sandy nodded as well.
The colonel continued, “I don’t want you talking to anybody, and not because I don’t trust you but because I know what a base is like for gossip. To that end, I’ve placed the three of you in the same lodgings. Is that an issue?”
Parker could feel Sandy’s startled reaction. He looked at her and then said, “I’m fine with it, sir.”
She nodded. “That’s fine, sir. Thank you.”
“Samson’s to stay with you. We’ll get him a crate. He is to be crated at all times, except when he needs to relieve himself. Do you understand?”
Parker didn’t think it was very fair but agreed. “Is there a reason for that, sir?”
“Yes. We lost the damn dog once, and he’s back to being my responsibility until he’s off this base. So, until that point, he stays in his crate.” He made a motion, letting them know they were dismissed.
Parker turned and led the way out of the office. With Samson still attached to the rope in his hand, Parker stood outside and took several deep breaths.
Sandy muttered right beside him, “What is it about standing in front of the big boss that makes everything else go hazy?”
Parker chuckled. “Well, we shouldn’t be in trouble over this, although Samson won’t enjoy the next twenty-odd hours.”
“Right? That’s a long time for a dog in a crate.”
“We have to make sure we get a big one so he can stand up, move around, lie down comfortably. We’ll take him out for a lot of breaks.”
She chuckled. “Of course. I can help with the breaks.”
“Yes,” he said. “Now we find out where we’re supposed to stay.”
“Isn’t it odd that they want us together?”
“Everything about this trip has been odd,” he said in a low tone. He motioned at the MP coming toward them. “Looks like Johnson is on our case.”
Johnson stopped in front of them and said, “Follow me, please.” He led the way to a small portable barracks. It was empty except for themselves. On one side of the first bed was a large crate. Johnson said, “This will be your room. Please don’t leave it until you’re called for breakfast in the morning.”
“And if we do?” Sandy asked in surprise. “I have friends on base I’d hoped to spend some time with. What about walking the dog? He has needs too.”
“All visits have been curtailed. You’re expected to stay in these lodgings. We will post security if need be. As for the dog, you can walk him outside at the entrance in full sight of the sentries only.” With that, he turned and walked away.
Inside the barracks, Parker and Sandy stared at each other. “Are we prisoners?” she asked.
“I think they’re just making sure we don’t get into any more trouble,” Parker replied. “And it definitely reinforces how I feel about staying in the military.”
“Right, and that’s likely to be as much of the reason why they’re doing this too,” she said with a nod of her head. “I didn’t really consider that.”
“Right. From their point of view, we’re already outsiders.”
“Yeah. So which bunk do you want?”
He chuckled and said, “There are lots of spares. Pick one.”
She picked the one across from where the crate was and threw herself down. “What about dog food?”
“We should have asked Johnson to bring some,” Parker said, rubbing Samson’s ears. “I think I’ll step outside and see what kind of response we get.”
She laughed. “Better you than me. But crate up Samson before somebody comes in and finds out you’re not following orders.”
He groaned. “Samson probably needs to lift a leg. We also don’t know when he was last fed.” And, with Samson once again at his side, Parker stepped out of the barracks.
Chapter 5
Sandy waited for any sounds of a disturbance and then peeked out the door. Parker headed for the medical center. She wasn’t sure if he would get his ass kicked for this or not. But he had a good reason. Samson looked to be in good shape, but obviously they needed some food for him too. She had no choice but to sit here and wait.
She tossed her phone on her bed and stretched out. She wasn’t prone for more than a minute when a knock came on the door. “Come in,” she said.
The door opened, and Johnson walked in. Parker and Samson were not with him. He stopped, looking for Parker, then spun to look at her.
“He needed food and water for the dog,” she said.
Johnson frowned for a long moment, as if processing the viability of the words, then gave a clipped nod. “I’ll go check on him.”
“You do that,” she said.
Sandy reached for her bag and pulled it up on the bed. “Can I have a shower, or is it forbidden?”
Johnson stopped at the entrance and nodded. “Take it now.”
She reached up and pinched the bridge of her nose. She hated this sensation of being a prisoner. Following orders was something she was used to but not like this.
“Why is it that I had to come here myself?” she asked herself, not for the first time. She could have stayed at home and waited for them to bring Jeremy back, but she’d felt she needed to come to escort him on his final trip. They’d been very close; it was the least she could do. She loved her brother dearly and couldn’t believe his love of the navy was what had taken his life. She had no clue what she would do without him in her life.
As for her new career, she had options. Lots of them. She just didn’t feel inclined to go in any one direction. And, right now, she wanted to get clean and have a good night’s sleep and then try to put this very distressing day behind her. There was no thought of preparing for her terrible tomorrow. She only knew she had to get through it somehow. She grabbed her toiletries, her nightclothes and stepped outside.
The MP out front turned to look at her. “I’m going for a shower,” she said.
He nodded and pointed in the direction. She took a deep breath to calm down, as she realized she and Parker were truly being guarded. Was it so they couldn’t leave? No. Maybe not guarded, maybe protected? Not that somebody would come after them. Not a thought she wanted to consider but something that maybe she had to. If she wanted to look on the military police actions in a more favorable light, she’d have to
consider that maybe they were trying to protect them.
She undressed in the locker area of the showers, stepped into the shower cubicle and blasted the water. The first shot of water was cold, and she shivered as she let out a teeny shriek. Once the water was warm, she tilted her head back and let the water run over her head and body. It was soothing, and she loved the feel of the water. She worked quickly, and, once she was done, wrapping herself up in a towel, she leaned here for a moment.
It would be the only time to herself that she had until she was back stateside. A disconcerting thought for somebody who normally lived a very private life. Finally she couldn’t delay it any longer. After brushing her teeth, she dressed in the clothes she’d brought, wrapped a towel around her head, picked up the rest of her belongings and headed back. With any luck Parker would be there. She didn’t like being alone here. Something deeply unsettling revolved about the day’s events.
She hoped Parker had managed to get what they needed for Samson. He appeared to handle whatever was thrown at him with equal equanimity. She loved that about him. He deserved respect for his patience and his ability to deal, but, more than that, he had earned it. He had that air about him that stated who he was and, if you didn’t like it, … too bad. Not the same arrogance she’d seen in others but a sense of quiet power. As if he’d seen it all and knew he could handle it.
When he’d gone up that hill after the dog … and came back, … not only unharmed but with Samson, well, she’d been impressed. That he was calm even as they were being shot at said so much about him.
She walked into her new bunk and found Parker sitting on the side of his bed, with Samson in his crate nearby. Parker looked at her, surprised, then realized where she’d been and nodded in approval. “That’s a really good idea. When I came in, and the place was empty, I wasn’t sure what to think.”
“I figured, if nothing else, it would get me a few minutes out of here,” she said with half a smile. “I’m sure you saw the sentry.”
He grinned at her. “Passive-aggressive bunch?”