“Oh boy. That helps.” Kerry picked up her glass and drank from it.
“So, what’s your best judgment, boss? You know I trust it, too.”
Dar took the glass from her. “He’s calling Hamilton, though, and briefing him.” She took a sip. “I honest to God don’t know what to do, Ker. I know we should turn this over to the military, and let them handle it. It’s out of our league.”
Kerry nodded slowly. “You’re right,” she agreed. “This is outside our expertise, and it could potentially be very dangerous to be involved in. General Easton should take it from here.”
They were both quiet for a few minutes, sharing the glass of milk until it was drained to the last drop. Finally, Kerry put the glass down and turned her head to look at her lover. “You think they’ll botch it.”
A tiny cocking of Dar’s head indicated reluctant agreement. “I want to get all of them,” she murmured. “I’m afraid of two things, Ker: one, that they’ll take too long; two, that they’ll go in there and lose the data that will identify all the people involved.”
Kerry folded her arms. “Dar, I understand how you feel, but this is beyond us.”
“I know.” Dar’s voice was unhappy. “Let’s go call Gerry. We can’t sit on this any longer.”
Kerry followed Dar out of the kitchen and across the living room.
“Chief, we’re going to turn this over to the Joint Chiefs—who contracted us.”
A snort. “Figures.” Chief Daniel got up. “Do you know what that’ll do? They’ll take a brush the size of an aircraft carrier and paint us all with it. Some reward for helping you out. Assholes.” She went to the door and was through it before Dar or Kerry could respond. The slam reverberated, making Chino bark in surprise, then it was quiet.
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“Ugh.” Kerry rubbed her forehead. “What a totally unlikable person.”
Dar picked up the telephone. “Yeah,” she agreed. “She’s a nastier son of a bitch than I am. I never thought I’d live to see that.” The phone buzzed in her ear, then was picked up. “Gerry? It’s Dar.”
ANDREW WALKED TO the end of the dock and took a seat, extended his long legs out, and squirmed to get more comfortable on the hard wooden bench. He didn’t have that long to wait, as footsteps sounded after a few minutes, and he turned his head slightly to see the tall, burly figure making its way toward him.
He waited until the intruder was very close, then he swiveled to meet him. “’Lo.”
Jeff Ainsbright slowed and came to a halt a body’s length away.
“Hey, Andrew.” He cleared his throat. “Thanks for saying you’d meet me.”
Quiet, patient blue eyes surveyed him. “Sit yerself down.” He moved over to let his old friend take a seat, then he waited in silence.
The anger inside him would be patient for a while longer.
“Listen, Andy...” Jeff seemed at a loss. “About last night.”
“Y’know,” Andrew interrupted him, “been a long time since I been to a parent-teacher meeting. Dar’s a grown woman, has been for years.
If you got something t’say about what happened last night, y’need to be saying it to her.”
Jeff exhaled and rested his weight on his elbows. He laced his hands together and studied them. “Andy, you know I always liked Dar.”“I always got that idea, yes,” Andrew said. “She always talked well of you.”
The commander was silent for a few moments. “I just wasn’t ready for last night,” he admitted. “Chuck came home and told us, and I just didn’t...I didn’t have a chance to think about it.” He looked up. “D’you understand?”
A shrug was eloquent. “Never mattered to me, so no, I do not understand.”
Jeff sighed. “You always had a blind spot with her.”
Now, Andrew looked up and met his eyes fully. “She is a gift God gave me.” He spoke slowly and with an almost gentle passion. “He made her, and I love all that she is.” A breath. “Ah do not know why people do not understand that.”
Jeff looked at him, then dropped his eyes. “Because you’re a better man than most of us are, Andy.”
“That’s bullshit,” Andrew snapped. “And what the hell’s wrong with that kid of yours?”
The commander shifted away a bit. “What do you mean?”
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“What the hell you think I mean? Goddamn ship captain goin’ off his damn gourd, lashing out at some civ?” Andrew’s eyes flashed. “He leave his brains on board, or what?”
Jeff gave him a defensive look. “C’mon, Andrew. He was under a lot of stress. He was really stuck on Dar.”
Andrew stood and paced restlessly. “No, no no. Ah don’t buy it, Jeff.” The ex-SEAL shook his head. “Not after all this damn time. Don’t you be telling me he’s stuck on her since they was in high school. So stuck he goes nuts when he finds out he ain’t got no chance, fer the
second
time.” Andrew turned and put his hands on his hips. “Don’t sound like somebody I want running mah boat, let me tell you that.”
Ainsbright looked at him warily. “He’s a good ship captain.”
Pale, ice-blue eyes regarded him. “Seems to me, I’m remembering they washed his ass out of command school.”
“He tried again. Had to grow up some. You know how it is.”
Andrew’s jaw worked. “From what I seen outside that steakhouse, he ain’t growed up near enough to be in charge of himself, much less a boat full of other folks.”
Frustrated, Jeff threw up his hands. “C’mon, Andrew, he lost his temper. Don’t tell me you never did. I know better.”
“I never ran me no boat,” Andrew replied softly. “But I never picked me up no baseball bat and went after no civ woman, either,” he added. “I’m thinking that should be enough to take back them stripes.”
Jeff went very still. The two men stared at each other for a long moment, then Ainsbright sat down again and rested his head in his hands. “Yeah, he fucked up.” His voice echoed off the pavement.
“Damn stupid kid.”
Andrew leaned back against a wooden pylon and gazed up at the clouds. Thunder rumbled overhead, but it had not, as of yet, started raining. The headache that had started when Ceci had told him, in her own way, about the bat now worsened. “Damn lucky kid.”
Jeff jerked his head up. “Lucky?”
The chill in Andrew’s eyes was unmistakable. His nostrils flared.
“Lucky ah did not come out that door thirty seconds earlier than I did.”
The commander snorted in weary bemusement. “Shit, Andy. Dar didn’t need your help. Chuck’s in the base hospital with a ruptured eardrum and partially dislocated jaw.” He closed his eyes. “They’ll probably discharge him for that. Maybe it’s for the best.”
Andrew sat down. “You ain’t going to report him, then?” he asked, quietly. “’Cause if you don’t, ah will.”
Ainsbright looked up at him, taking in the uncompromising stance and the inflexible will showing on his old friend’s scarred face.
“Andrew...”
“Not fer me, or fer Dar,” Andrew said. “You’re right. Dar don’t need me to take care of her anymore. She’s a big girl, and she can handle herself as well as most.” He straightened. “But out on that boat, Jeff,
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there’s folks down under decks who don’t deserve t’have someone like that taking charge of their lives.”
“He has a spotless record!” Jeff protested.
“I used to be one of them folks below decks,” Andrew shot right back. “Someone has to watch out for them, if you ain’t.”
“Andrew, for God’s sake!” the commander yelled. “It was a little scuffle, c’mon now!”
“No, sir!” Andrew went nose to nose with him, jabbing a finger into his chest. “It was a Navy captain attacking a civilian and displaying conduct unbecoming to a goddamned officer!” He glared at Ainsbright.
“And if it was Dar that done that, I’d report her, too!”
Silence. “Would you?” the commander asked softly.
“I would,” Andrew replied.
“Well,” Jeff Ainsbright dusted off his uniform, “I’m not you.” He turned and walked around the bench, then headed off down the dock without a backward glance.
Andrew let out a sigh, then he sat down on the bench and stretched out his long legs, studying their denim-covered length with a frown.
The rising wind blew a tiny bit of sea spray against his face, and he tipped his head back, eyeing the dark clouds pensively.
“No luck, eh, sailor boy?” Ceci stepped lightly over her husband’s outstretched legs and settled down on the bench at his side.
“Naw.” Andrew shook his head. “Stubborn old fool.” He turned his head slightly. “You sure Dardar’s okay?”
“Why don’t you call her?” Ceci held out the cell phone. “Make you feel better.”
Andrew examined the electronic device, then handed it back. “Got me a better idea.” He stood, and held a hand out. “Let’s go see for ourselves.”
Ceci allowed herself to be hauled to her feet, and they started down the dock. They were halfway back when the rain caught them, sweeping across the way with a scent of ozone and damp, warm wood.
“HEY.” KERRY SAT on the edge of Dar’s desk. “Why don’t you let me get you another shot of those pills, huh?” She could see the pale tinge to Dar’s normally tan skin.
“No.” Dar shifted her arm in its sling to try and ease the ache.
“They put me out, and I don’t want to risk that before Gerry calls us back.” The pain had gotten worse as the medication wore off, though, and now she had bursts of sharp agony moving up her shoulder and into her neck.
“Okay.” Kerry tried another tack. “I’m going to make some herbal tea, want some?”
Dar thought about that, then nodded. “Yeah. Do we have that peachy kind?”
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“It’s apricot and honey,” Kerry told her. “And yes, we do.”
“I’d like that.” Dar smiled. “I guess I can go lay down on the couch for a while, huh? I’m sure Gerry’s going to be a few minutes.”
“Sounds like a great idea to me.” Kerry got up, waiting for Dar to join her, then tucked a hand inside her elbow and walked with her to the living room. She got Dar settled back into her comfortable nest of pillows and fleece, and then she headed off toward the kitchen.
“Hey, Chino.” She greeted the Labrador, who had followed her.
“You want some tea, too?” The blonde head cocked curiously at her.
“No, probably not, huh?” Kerry put some hot water up, then pulled a bowl from the cabinet and raided the crisper, pulling out some fruit and washing it. Cherries, which were a favorite of Dar’s, and grapes, apples and peaches, and the bananas that were her own favorite. Then she removed a thick, sweet banana nutbread from the refrigerator, and sliced off a few slices, spreading a coating of cream cheese on them before setting them on a plate next to the fruit. “There.” She pulled a bottle of Advil from the cabinet and set it down, idly spinning it as she waited for the water to heat.
Dar tilted her head back and regarded the popcorn ceiling. Her findings had surprised Gerry; she knew that from the shock in his voice.
She also knew he would react quickly, and that troops were probably already heading for the base—military police and Marines, more than likely.
It bothered her, though, to simply release control of the situation.
Kerry was right. She knew they’d botch it. She knew they’d miss out on catching all the bastards who were involved, and maybe only get the obvious ones. And people like Jeff Ainsbright, who, even if he wasn’t involved, would be taken down because he damn well should have known what was going on in his own command.
Dar sighed, remembering the long afternoons she’d spent as a youngster running wild with Chuckie and the other kids in the housing area’s grassy spaces as their fathers huddled over barbecues in the front yard. If she tried, she could close her eyes and hear the football games playing in the background.
A warm touch on her arm made her jerk, and she opened her eyes.
“Sorry. I was just thinking.” The scent of apricot drifted over from the tray Kerry was setting on the coffee table.
Kerry took her partner’s hand in her own and chafed the fingers.
“Dar, if you’re tired, go ahead and go to sleep. I’ll wake you up as soon as the phone rings.”
“Hmm.” Dar shook her head. “I slept half the day, Ker.” She shifted her head on the pillow, then pulled herself up a little. “Did you wrap that brick up?”
Kerry nodded, then handed Dar her cup. “Wrapped it up, taped it up, put it in a box, and put it up on top of the cabinet so Chino can’t get at it.” The Labrador, hearing her name, came snuffling over looking for
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goodies. “Stuff gives me the creeps just looking at it.”
Dar took a sip of the tea. “You never experimented?”
“No.” Kerry shook her head. “I stuck to beer, thanks, and that got me in more than enough trouble.” She paused in the middle of handing over a piece of bread and looked up at Dar. “Did you?”
A pained sigh gave her the answer. “Once,” Dar admitted. “Not the hard stuff. A bunch of us got hold of some wild weed growing back south of the base and decided to have a party.”
Kerry finished handing over the nutbread. “And?” she asked curiously.
“I was sick as a dog for three days.” Dar nibbled her treat.
“Throwing up, seeing spots, couldn’t keep anything down until my mother finally got me to the doctor’s and he got some intravenous Dramamine into me.”
“Oh.” Kerry bit her inner lip. “I thought you couldn’t take that.”
“That’s when we found that out.” Dar grimaced. “Next time someone asked me if I wanted a joint, I slugged them.” She took a bigger bite. “Mm...I really like this.”
“I know.” Kerry seated herself on the floor, leaning back against the couch and exhaling. “Me, too.” She handed over a handful of cherries. “I was only really tempted when I was in college,” she said.
“Everyone did it. All those late nights and stress...I had a couple of friends who had a source for just about everything. They were always telling me what they had and asking if I wanted any.”
Dar watched her profile and the motion of her jaw muscles as she chewed. “We had that a lot in college, too.”
“Mm.” Kerry exhaled. “I remember one night, I had this paper due in my writing class and a systems design due on the same day. I’d had a full schedule of classes that day, and I was totally wiped out. Just exhausted. Even double espressos weren’t doing a thing for me.”