Filled with delight over the successful rescue, the kitchen crew who had accompanied Jimmy returned to the base with Sampson sang happily while the dog howled along, though Jimmy was the only one not in a festive mood. As soon as they arrived at the upper ground entrance, he shut down the rotor blades and shifted into ground travel mode. Waiting as the massive iron door slid open, he put the vehicle into gear. It hopped the lip of the door grooves and rolled down into the earth. He felt his nerves prickle with every meter he descended.
Having all personnel alive and accounted for—along with their beloved mascot—gave the crew the jovial satisfaction of a successful venture. But the celebration didn't last. After Jimmy secured the airtruck in the safety dock and everyone exited, Lynn was spotted stomping down the metal steps into the garage. Her boots echoed loudly throughout the massive space, and seemed to drown out the noises of engine repair, instantly killing the cheery sounds of triumph. Her face was flushed red with anger as she approached. A sudden silence fell over the giant room; no one said a word. Even the motor pool crew went quiet. The only remaining sounds were mechanical, coming from a distant area where equipment spinning bolts in a zipping sound was heard.
"We are here on contract," Lynn yelled just as soon as she came to Jimmy. He stood rigid beside the docked vehicle, allowing her anger to flow freely without his usual quick remarks or excuses. "Shit like this can cost us our contract and NOBODY gets paid!"
"Don't lose your shit before I let you know what happened," Jimmy said with a disapproving glare. "Just tell them we ran into the enemy when we were scouting the premises."
"How?" Lynn asked, exasperated. "The command center knows Griff and I went out to do that ourselves."
"With this," Jimmy said, pulling up a video on his iPad and handing it to her. Lynn stood motionless as she stared at the device.
"This is good," she said with a crooked smile. She watched the video report with relish. "No, this is great! Do we need to send out a report for Jordan to retrieve prisoners?"
"Merc was going to do that," said Dave, stepping out of the group to address the angry female.
"You took the kitchen crew with you?" Lynn asked, dumbfounded when she realized who it was that made up Jimmy's team. "Don't do that again. The next time you go out without authorization I will ship your happy ass stateside...immediately! You will NOT jeopardize our contracts."
"Yes, sir," Jimmy said evenly. Counting this event, he suffered three strikes of insubordination already and could not afford another, he needed to get a grip on his decision making process, fast. Lynn glared at him and then turned to walk back to the staircase to prepare for their assigned debriefings.
"Get your smartass to the meeting before the debrief counselor gets there. We have to get our stories straight." She said loudly, turning before continuing on to the stairs and through the threshold of the doors. Jimmy shouted back that he would be right behind her.
After an interrogation that the command staff had the nerve to call a debriefing, Jimmy needed to escape the suffocating walls of his quarters. He headed for the dining hall, but the warmth he usually found there had vanished. The cooks on the serving line greeted him with tight lips and cold shoulders. It was obvious they had already been reprimanded, as well.
Yet, when they spotted Sampson, the tension broke. They showered Jimmy's four-legged companion with celebratory praise and hand-fed him choice scraps of steak. Jimmy stood frozen during the fanfare. His mind was still trapped back in the briefing room, replaying the audio recording of the captured Russians. He remembered the interpreter's translation, and a sudden, dark laugh bubbled up from the man's chest. Jimmy couldn't stop thinking about the robust soldier he had first encountered before Sampson's capture.
When the deep belly chuckles of the interpreter had finally ceased, his reaction became clear: the two Russians had been fiercely arguing about whether they should have eaten the scout dog instead of using him for bait.
The silence from Jimmy deepened as he looked fondly at Sampson, who was happily devouring another piece of steak, and felt a cold prickle of dread. Maybe I should keep him on a tighter leash, he thought. Patting his thigh, he signaled for Sampson to follow him to a corner table. A kitchen assistant quietly slid a mug of coffee in front of him after he sat down. Sipping it silently, he only wished it were a stiff Kentucky bourbon.
Jimmy watched Griff walk through the door and head for the coffee urn. Curiously, he saw Griff pull a cup from the neat stack, only to replace it. Griff then tossed an empty tray back onto the table beside the condiments, marched over to the beverage cooler, and pulled out three bottles of beer.
"Griff," Jimmy called out and motioned for his teammate to sit with him.
"What's up?" Griff asked as he approached the table and set his beers down. Pulling out a chair, he sat across from Jimmy, but didn't look up.
"That's what I was going to ask you," said Jimmy.
"Nothing I care to discuss with you right now," Griff said flatly.
"You know," Jimmy said with a knowing grin. "I think it has something to do with Lynn always hanging around Merc. Am I wrong?"
"Still not discussing anything with you," Griff said as he popped the lid off the first bottle and took a long draw of the amber liquid.
"Tell her how you feel," Jimmy said as he grabbed one of the bottles, twisted off the cap and set it down in front of himself. "You weren't going to drink all these yourself, were you?" He picked up the bottle and drank from it before Griff could respond.
"I was thinking about it," Griff muttered. Neither noticed the clicking of Sampson's nails as he pranced off from the table.
"You know, I can take Merc out with me on my next run and make him disappear. No one would ever find the body," Jimmy suggested. "I don't mind...favor for a friend."
Griff didn't respond. He continued to stare at the table and then looked up.
"I'd like to see that," Merc said as he walked up behind Jimmy, the happy dog following. He took the capped bottle of beer that Griff picked up and pushed at him.
"Oh, the three beers were for all of us," Jimmy said, eyeing Merc, wondering why he was already back at the base. It hadn't dawn on him that Merc was expected to sit with them.
"What exactly did I do to merit a death sentence?" Merc asked as he took a seat at the table.
"Nothing," Griff interjected as he glared at his teammate, "Jimmy's just being a dick."
"What's new?" Merc chuckled under his breath.
"See," Jimmy protested, slamming down his fist. It made Sampson jump in surprise. "You don't even know me and you think you can make comments like that about me? You don't belong here."
"Get used to it," Griff said, more to himself than to Jimmy. "Lynn wants us to meet here and discuss Merc coming aboard."
"Oh, hell no! This can't be happening," Jimmy loudly protested.
"I'm not going to be a part of the team unless I'm needed," Merc spoke up. "I don't do employee work, I will contract myself with your team. And just so you know, I don't ever plan to sit in an office eight hours a day for any business."
"How much is THAT going to cost us?" Jimmy asked, concerned.
"A thousand a week plus expenses," Merc answered frankly.
"Goddammit," Jimmy spat. "I knew this was coming out of my pocket. Every time we pay expenses, his pay is coming off the top. That will diminish profits, cutting into my portion."
"What is going on here?" Lynn asked as she walked up in the middle of Jimmy's fit. "I heard you, Jimmy, the moment I walked through the door."
"He found out Merc's pay structure," Griff muttered as he sipped his beer.
"Oh," Lynn said, uneasy. "So...let's just get down to business." She pulled a chair from another table and sat down with the men, her voice recorder and media notepad in hand.
"Documents?" Merc asked. "I thought I'd just 1099 it."
"Not a lot of documents," Lynn said as she pushed the iPad toward Merc. "The first three pages I need filled out and signed. The rest is a packet to familiarize yourself with the organization of our business. That's your iPad for business."
"Well..." Jimmy said, somewhat dejected, "we're business partners. I am not an employee. Without my vote you don't work with us."
"This is not a democracy, Jimmy," Lynn cut in. "It's a business and majority owners make the decisions."
"Well, I'm still not an employee."
"We've determined that already," Griff said to Jimmy as he watched Merc scroll through the documents. He, himself, would respond to this in an adult as well in a businesslike manner. Lynn was right about his skills. He just wondered how Jimmy sharing the spotlight with Merc was going to work.
The discussion between the new power team ran short. After Merc questioned the need for his specific skills, the Holy Trio described their recent tours, sharing both their struggles and successes. Merc seemed comfortable with the plan to work alongside the militia team and, for the first time, relaxed completely. Sampson trotted over and jumped into his lap. Leaving the men to talk, Lynn headed for the command center. She would brief the generals on the changes in their business status.
"Hey, buddy," Merc said happily. He was glad that Sampson chose to greet him with such fervor. He looked at Jimmy who shook his head, refusing to give the mercenary the satisfaction of his jealousy. The three continued to talk more about the business and just how Merc was going to fit in. After scratching Sampson for a moment, he looked at Jimmy.
"You said you wanted to talk to me?" Merc turned to Jimmy and asked. He explained when Jimmy furrowed his brow, confused. "Out on the field, when we tied up all those prisoners."
"Oh, yeah," said Jimmy, the reminder jolted his memory. "Sampson is going to stay here when we go home. Are you okay taking care of him?"
"That would work out well for me," Merc nodded. "I guess we should get him used to not being with you so much, I should take him out more."
"Well," Jimmy hesitated when he thought about the near loss of their companion. Was it wise to leave him in the war? But there were no pets allowed on any flights into the Americas. "Make sure to keep a watchful eye out. They're gunning for him now."
"I've got some guys in technology putting together a cloaking app for his collar, one he can't remove. He'll be fine," said Merc..
"That's a damn good idea," Jimmy retorted with a satisfied smile. "He'll be like an invisible terror from the waist down."
Lynn studied the general's patrol instructions at the Command Center, tracking the ground shots with a practiced eye. Snapping the media device shut and into her pack, the file could wait; she needed to find Jimmy and Griff and set up the next outing. She slipped out into the motorpool, her boots echoing across the cavernous floor, joining the low mumble of voices and equipment sounds. Ahead, Griff and Merc were walking toward the machine shop, completely oblivious to her approach. Slowing her pace, she purposely blended into the shadows of the garage as they disappeared through the workshop doorway.
She wondered, with a spur of curiosity, how the two were getting along. If they could form a real friendship, it would solidify the team—and maybe help steady her own rocky footing with her emotions. Merc was a good man, safe and solid. She liked him, and she could see a future where she could possibly adore him. It wouldn't be the shattering love she had shared with her late husband or the earth moving feelings Griff brought out in her, but a controlled flame that was safer than a wildfire. Griff, on the other hand, was an absolute wildfire in her heart. He tore down every emotional wall she built. It terrified her how easily he grounded her, yet one look from those honey-brown eyes could still melt her like a spring thaw.
What was she thinking? Lynn reined in her thoughts, angry at how easily they drifted back to Griff. It was Merc she wanted to connect with. Merc, whose quiet confidence and sharp mind left her completely spellbound whenever he spoke. Mentally resetting, she walked toward the machine area. Pausing at the edge of the garage threshold, she calmed herself before stepping inside. Her breath caught. Merc was standing right across the room beside Griff, his eyes already fixed on her. A wave of heat rushed beneath her skin, freezing her dead in her tracks.
"Look who's here," said Merc with a slight smile. They were too far away for Lynn to hear them talk. "She's looking for you, probably to talk about the new ops you two will be running tomorrow."
"It looks more like she's staring at you," Griff said, eyeing Lynn. Merc glanced from Lynn to Griff, shaking his head slowly. Wanting to tease her, Merc gave Griff a sharp nod, then snapped his gaze back to Lynn. Their eyes locked. Lynn jumped back. Her pack nearly slipped from her grip, as a file of images she was holding spilled its contents, scattering maps and photos onto the floor at her feet. She scrambled to scoop them up, her brain frantic for an exit strategy. She bolted right, spun around in a sudden change of heart, and fled in the exact opposite direction. She couldn't get out of sight fast enough.
"That was cruel," Griff commented flatly when Lynn disappeared out of sight.
"She makes me uncomfortable," said Merc nonchalantly.
"She may like you," Griff decided to lead the conversation around any feelings their new team member may have for Lynn.
"Or she could not," Merc scoffed. "Does she?"
"I can't say," Griff sighed. Even if he did know exactly how she felt about him, he would never betray her confidence.
"Well, I don't need any romantic entanglements at this time. We're in a war for Christ's sake," Merc pointed out poignantly. "You don't think things will get weird with her? I really don't plan to entertain any such ideas like that now or in the near future."
"I doubt it will turn into anything at all when you say it like that," Griff responded. "Regardless, everyone needs love."
"Well then," Merc lightly added, "I guess I'm not everyone or anyone, however you want to look at it." He was expressionless when he turned and walked away from Griff.
Merc spent his days at the base with Lynn, discussing his skills, the Denver Militia Recovery Company, and how they would maintain contact. Their closeness deeply bothered Griff, driving him to the point of wanting to eradicate his feelings for her entirely. Bit by bit, he felt his affection crush under the weight of the smiles she gave to Merc—smiles he had once cherished in the secret hope that they would bring the two of them together.
Lynn's actions toward Merc were starting to worry Jimmy. He and Griff had built a tight friendship since offering Merc a position with their company, and it killed Jimmy to watch his buddy suffer. It hardly felt fair that Jimmy was so happy in his own love affair while Griff had to endure Lynn's embarrassing public spectacles over Merc. Jimmy decided he was going to call Lynn out on her childishness the next time he got a chance. And that chance arrived that afternoon.
Lynn, Griff, Jimmy, and Avril sat in their quarters, playing Spades and ironing out their return plans to Denver. Lynn led the conversation with her usual confidence, laying out the strict changes she intended to make regarding government contracts. This latest campaign had been an eye-opener for all of them, and it was clear things needed change.
Everyone yelled 'come in' at once when a knock sounded at the door. The moment Griff saw Merc step inside, he turned to Lynn. He sighed in defeat, noticing the bright smile spreading across her face. Merc's presence always seemed to light her up. Any hope Griff had that she would just "get over it" began to wither. Lost in his own disappointment, he didn't notice Jimmy watching him, taking in the look of despair on his friend's face.
"Just need to pick up a file on the latest patrol assignment," Merc spoke as he entered. Griff watched Lynn jump up and rush to the computer station. She pulled a folder from the cabinet, flipping through the pages until she found the photos she was looking for. Sliding them out, she handed them over. Merc scanned the prints, offering a warm smile that left Lynn blushing. "Thanks," he said, before calling out a quick goodbye to the crew at the table on his way out.
"Does he make you want to be a better person?" Jimmy teased. He and Griff laughed. Jimmy stopped suddenly when he saw the anger cross his girlfriend's face.
"What?" Jimmy asked innocently. "It's funny." But Avril was not amused.
Lynn glared at Jimmy, giving him an unappreciative frown. Slowly she turned to Griff and shook her head. As she walked quickly toward the door, Griff instantly regretted the entire episode that played out. He jumped up and ran to catch her.
"It was just a joke," he said gently, taking his friend's arm. "We didn't mean anything by it."
"You of all people should know me enough to know how much that hurt," she said, trying to keep her voice even.
"You of all people should know ME," Griff said as he released her and stepped back. "I hurt too." He looked deep into her eyes, trying to ward off the rush of feelings that quickly turned to anger. His eyes clouded, and the look of disappointment pierced her soul.
"I hurt too," he whispered again and then turned away from her, rejoining the others.
"You wanna take an extra patrol?" Jimmy asked Griff when he returned to his seat. "I've got to give Avril some room. She's kinda pissed."
"Great idea," Griff said firmly. He stood, walked over to his pack beside the door, and began checking his gear. Jimmy joined him. Neither man looked up as Lynn left the room. Turning to Avril, Jimmy went to kiss his sweetheart goodbye, but she pulled away, stood abruptly, and followed Lynn out the door.
"Lynn," Avril called out as she caught up with her in the hall. "They are bad for that, but it is nothing."
"I know," Lynn sighed sadly. "He's right, you know. I should be more thoughtful about his ...feelings? I don't know what to call it. We are friends and both of us...I can't think about how I feel about Griff right now," Lynn's demeanor became gloomy as she prepared to shut down.
"Why?" Avril was confused, the vibrations that she felt emanate from Lynn were strongly intertwined with Griff.
"It's destructive. Everything I fought, bled, and worked to build would unravel—my reputation shredded by the corporate world's rigid rules against being involved with a coworker. And for what? Loving Griff like this... well, it could completely destroy me. And the terrifying part was that I would let it happen, and I'd never be the same again." The pace of her voice quickened as her thoughts tumbled out in a breathless, frantic blur.
"But you have love for him," Avril tried to argue. She had to sprint to keep up with Lynn's longer stride.
"That's just it," Lynn argued back. "I love him too much, too damn much for my own good, and for his own good. God! It's so complicated, so goddamn complicated."
"He still feels love for you," replied Avril reluctantly. She was going to find out why the vibrations between everyone on her team were so scattered and unorganized.
"Wait!" Lynn said in a panic as her eyes widened. She stopped walking and turned to Avril. "Have you been talking with Griff?"
"No," said Avril, taking a step back. She had already promised her discretion to Lynn. "It is vibration that I feel from him."
"I understand the vibration," Lynn took a breath of relief. She turned and continued walking to the dining room. "I have to get past this emotion I have for him."
"Vibration is strong love sign that is with you and Griff," Avril said as she quickened her pace to follow Lynn.
"Please don't ever repeat that," Lynn begged. "We need to change the subject, please."
"One question," Avril spoke up after a moment of awkward silence between them, she grabbed the door after Lynn opened it and followed her into the cafeteria.
"Please, no more talk about my feelings for Griff," Lynn continued to beg.
"Why Merc?" Avril wanted to know. "There is no vibration for you. Admire for you, but no love."
"I like safe adoration," Lynn gave her friend an understanding smile. Both walked up to the food line and each grabbed a tray. "I absolutely adore him. And he's like me when it comes to work. Shit gets done because there are no distractions. If we found time to share with each other, we would make the most of it. But we both would know that those moments would be few and far between."
"Merc," Avril began. She waved the two men that came in behind them to go on ahead of them in line.
"Look, can we talk about something else?" Lynn asked flatly. Standing to face her friend again. "And we can never bring this up again.
"If you wish," Avril obliged. "You understand vibration?" She watched as Lynn examined the dishes behind the sneeze guard. Not really sure what she wanted for herself, she copied Lynn's requests as her turn in line came up. Meatloaf and mashed potatoes.
"Yes, I understand vibration," Lynn answered as she began to peruse the desserts, "if you're referring to its relationship to the Universal Laws, yes. I am an avid explorer of metaphysics in a spiritual context."
"You are correct," Avril responded cheerily, and chose from a small display of sliced cheese cakes. "I am in that study five years."
"I figured as much," Lynn smiled as she pulled a glass of iced tea from the rows of drinks at the end of the line. "I wish I had time to get into it as a study. I can't even meditate properly."
"I meditate always," Avril interjected proudly. She also chose ice tea for her beverage..
"I've attempted every method known to quiet my mind," Lynn muttered, staring blankly as she asked the server for water and a few lemon slices. "I just can't shut down the thoughts."
Avril offered a sympathetic nod, guiding them toward a quiet table near the door. Over their meal, Lynn explained the Twelve Laws of the Universe as she understood. Her words seemed to work a strange magic, drawing Avril into a headspace where her own racing thoughts finally began to settle.
That quiet intrigue carried them through the afternoon. Avril noticed a strange, unspoken distance between the men and women of their little group. By evening, the tension culminated in a stark division; the men retreated to their own quarters, while Avril and Lynn retired to Avril's room. There Lynn would stay the night, away from her team to refocus and settle her emotions.
Sleep didn't come easily. Instead, the women sat up late into the night, talking about Avril's studies with the Essenes until midnight finally brought a lull to their conversation. Slipping into their respective beds—Lynn on the extra cot and Avril on her own— both finally drifted into a deep sleep.
Lynn didn't return to her room until later the next day, after she had the maps for their patrol. While Jimmy was away begging Avril for forgiveness, Lynn and Griff went over the outing's plan alone. The tension between them in the small room felt suffocating. Forcing them both to step out and head for the dining room. Thinking that a change in venue would help.
The couple walked in silence, the heavy uncertainty of their quarters trailing them like a shadow down the hall. But the tension broke the moment they stepped into the mess hall; across the room, Merc stood by the kitchen crew, talking animatedly with a squirming Sampson in his arms.
"Do you like him?" Griff finally asked, not really sure if he wanted to know the answer.
"Not like that, no," answered Lynn as she chose a chair that faced away from where Merc stood. "Not any more."
"What happened," this fascinated him.
"It's what he keeps doing." With some difficulty Lynn tried to explain what she meant. "He makes it apparent to look away from me every time I look at him...very obvious that he is not interested."
"Explain," Griff asked curiously. He wanted to know what would make such a big difference in feelings she had obviously had for Merc earlier.
"You have a clear view of him, right?" she said in a low voice as she leaned closer to him..
"Yeah," he answered and looked at Merc who seemed deep in conversation.
"Here, watch what happens every time I look his way," she said with a sigh of regret. "Don't let him see you look at him, he may not do it."
"Do what?" Griff was confused.
Lynn turned around in her chair and looked at Merc intentionally. When he noticed her looking at him he turned his head from her direction and pulled up his nose.
"Well," said Griff, playfully hitting her arm with his fist. "Better luck next time. Let's go patrol." He wanted to feel bad for her, but the relief made him feel too damn elated.
Lynn wasn't really impacted by the fact that Merc did not have feelings for her. She resigned herself to the fact that being alone was the best way to live. However, it concerned her later that day when Avril sent a message wanting to meet with her—alone. Lynn was sure the subject of her feelings would be brought up again. She needed to find a way to thwart that effort once and for all.
"So," Lynn said knowingly. "You wanted to talk to me. Is everything okay between you and Jimmy?"
"We are very good," Avril answered. "Are you...okay?"
"A little dejected from being rejected," Lynn half-laughed, making light of the situation between herself and Merc..
"What does mean this?" Avril asked, confused. "I don't understand. You want one who does not have vibration for you and turn from one who vibrates with you."
"Yeah, I know it's confusing," Lynn was not sure how to explain the elements of her madness she knew Avril must be thinking about her. "It's not really that simple to explain."
"Griff...his heart has survived many challenges from you," Avril cautioned. "He will not always feel good for you. He turns from you already."
"That's a fact that I'll have to live with," Lynn said. All of the sudden it felt as if her throat closed, and then she choked back the burning sign of tears forming in her eyes. "Besides, we would never survive the stigma between us that would shake out."
"What is stigma?"
"It is the current reality in my world. I am a business woman with a male business partner half my age. I have to keep that first and foremost in my mind when it comes to dealing with these feelings for him. We are alike in so many ways, and yet we live on two separate planes of life."
"You are alike...the two of you," Avril muttered.
"It doesn't matter," said Lynn, her mind clouded. "I would likely neglect him for my work. I'm a workaholic, Avril. Any man with me would suffer."
"Do not think you are to be alone," Avril grinned. "My teacher says you choose from three men."
"What are you talking about?" Lynn asked, surprised. Since her husband died, she loved only one other man. And then there was the man she wanted to love, but Merc didn't want her.
"There are three that you will choose from," said Avril happily. "Choose wisely."
"I'd rather not," Lynn countered quickly, still reeling from the 'three' men that were supposedly in her life.
"You will choose and it will be good," sighed Avril.
"And when is this time to come?" Lynn asked, wondering what else Avril's teacher said about it.
"When you are ready, maybe your birthday, maybe later," Avril said, matter-of-factly.
"Good," Lynn finally smiled. "I already had my birthday this year. That's another year."
"It could be sooner..." Avril teased.
"You said there were three," Lynn looked at her friend curiously. "Who's the third? Surely not some stranger."
"There is time for third person."
"I don't have time nor the patience to deal with someone new, and I've never been good at starting relationships from scratch."
"He will be unknown."
"Oh, well," Lynn just wanted to put the whole conversation behind her. "Whatever happens, happens."