one.”
Roberts sipped his coffee and turned back to the daily reports. It appeared that at least the commandos had gotten ID badges, but…why in the hell wouldn’t they be issued under their real names?! How could he pull their service records if he didn’t have names? He went through the list of badges issued. Padre, Spanky, Apollo, Zombie Slayer…he laid the list aside and sighed. Mitchell was screwing with him again and it was really starting to piss him off.
“James, I need you to do something.”
“If it’s that major, just say the word, boss. I got the perfect tool for the job.”
Roberts rolled his eyes again. “Would you fucking grow up, please?” McDonald snapped to and almost appeared hurt. “I need you to go to Personnel. See what that old bitch that works behind the counter can give us on those commando-types that went through there today. I want real names, branches of service, the whole ball of wax.”
McDonald glared at him before getting to his feet. “Yes, sir .” He stormed out of the room, slamming the door on his way out.
Roberts watched him leave and debated writing him up for his comments about the major and for insubordination, but d ecided against it. The man was volatile enough without being provoked. He would simply keep his chain shortened and watch him to make sure he didn’t do something any more stupid than he normally did.
But the commandos…now they were another story. Roberts would stop at nothing to discover what their story was and why they decided to invade his base. He knew that something was up, and that this new base commander had something to hide. He was just too…shifty. He could smell it on him. He had pulled all he could on Mitchell but the guy was a freaking Boy Scout. Not so much as a parking ticket. It was as if he graduated high school, went to college, did nothing but attend class and then signed up for the military where he slept, ate and breathed his job. He flipped through his report on Mitchell again and shook his head.
“Nobody is this fucking clean.” He shoved the file into his private cabinet and locked it.
Captain Roberts grabbed a Motorola on his way out and signed out of the Man-Cave. He took the keys to his Jeep Cher okee and headed out to do a perimeter check. He needed to clear his thoughts and the outer perimeter always helped him with that.
*****
Laura felt her stomach rumble and realized that she had skipped another meal. Her hands were beginning to shake a little as her blood sugar dipped so she handed over her manifests to the CDO and asked Tufo to join her for lunch.
“I could eat.” He patted his midsection. “I can always eat!” The two left the new site of the Operations Command Center and worked their way to the base cafeteria. Having not been there before, Laura hoped that they didn’t only serve food at specific times, as eating out of a machine didn’t appeal to her at the moment.
As they entered the building, Apollo and Donovan were exiting, Williams carrying a large fruit basket and Mylar balloon that said ‘Get Well Soon’ on it. “Where are you going?” she asked.
She could have sworn that Apollo blushed as he lowered his face. “Uh, we headed to the infirmary.”
Donovan decided to chime in and explain a bit more, “Apollo felt guilty for beating the bejeezus out of that security guard, so we’re taking him a fruit basket and a balloon.”
Tufo grinned. “They were out of teddy bears, huh?”
Laura grinned at them. “That’s very sweet of you.” Her stomach growled in protest and she turned to follow the scent of the food inside. “Just, be nice when you give it to him, okay?”
“Of course.” Apollo actually appeared wounded by her words. “That’s the whole point.”
“Hey, boss, as much as I enjoy a nice meal with a pretty lady, I think I might hang with these two. Keep them out of trouble.” Mark hooked his thumb toward Apollo and Donovan.
Laura gave him a smirk but swatted
Roberts sipped his coffee and turned back to the daily reports. It appeared that at least the commandos had gotten ID badges, but…why in the hell wouldn’t they be issued under their real names?! How could he pull their service records if he didn’t have names? He went through the list of badges issued. Padre, Spanky, Apollo, Zombie Slayer…he laid the list aside and sighed. Mitchell was screwing with him again and it was really starting to piss him off.
“James, I need you to do something.”
“If it’s that major, just say the word, boss. I got the perfect tool for the job.”
Roberts rolled his eyes again. “Would you fucking grow up, please?” McDonald snapped to and almost appeared hurt. “I need you to go to Personnel. See what that old bitch that works behind the counter can give us on those commando-types that went through there today. I want real names, branches of service, the whole ball of wax.”
McDonald glared at him before getting to his feet. “Yes, sir .” He stormed out of the room, slamming the door on his way out.
Roberts watched him leave and debated writing him up for his comments about the major and for insubordination, but d ecided against it. The man was volatile enough without being provoked. He would simply keep his chain shortened and watch him to make sure he didn’t do something any more stupid than he normally did.
But the commandos…now they were another story. Roberts would stop at nothing to discover what their story was and why they decided to invade his base. He knew that something was up, and that this new base commander had something to hide. He was just too…shifty. He could smell it on him. He had pulled all he could on Mitchell but the guy was a freaking Boy Scout. Not so much as a parking ticket. It was as if he graduated high school, went to college, did nothing but attend class and then signed up for the military where he slept, ate and breathed his job. He flipped through his report on Mitchell again and shook his head.
“Nobody is this fucking clean.” He shoved the file into his private cabinet and locked it.
Captain Roberts grabbed a Motorola on his way out and signed out of the Man-Cave. He took the keys to his Jeep Cher okee and headed out to do a perimeter check. He needed to clear his thoughts and the outer perimeter always helped him with that.
*****
Laura felt her stomach rumble and realized that she had skipped another meal. Her hands were beginning to shake a little as her blood sugar dipped so she handed over her manifests to the CDO and asked Tufo to join her for lunch.
“I could eat.” He patted his midsection. “I can always eat!” The two left the new site of the Operations Command Center and worked their way to the base cafeteria. Having not been there before, Laura hoped that they didn’t only serve food at specific times, as eating out of a machine didn’t appeal to her at the moment.
As they entered the building, Apollo and Donovan were exiting, Williams carrying a large fruit basket and Mylar balloon that said ‘Get Well Soon’ on it. “Where are you going?” she asked.
She could have sworn that Apollo blushed as he lowered his face. “Uh, we headed to the infirmary.”
Donovan decided to chime in and explain a bit more, “Apollo felt guilty for beating the bejeezus out of that security guard, so we’re taking him a fruit basket and a balloon.”
Tufo grinned. “They were out of teddy bears, huh?”
Laura grinned at them. “That’s very sweet of you.” Her stomach growled in protest and she turned to follow the scent of the food inside. “Just, be nice when you give it to him, okay?”
“Of course.” Apollo actually appeared wounded by her words. “That’s the whole point.”
“Hey, boss, as much as I enjoy a nice meal with a pretty lady, I think I might hang with these two. Keep them out of trouble.” Mark hooked his thumb toward Apollo and Donovan.
Laura gave him a smirk but swatted
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