it, and, with a powerful kick, removed the handle.
Before the colonel could make another move, Slater slammed the door behind himself and hurried down the hall.
He pulled his phone from his pocket and dialed the number Captain Barnes had inputted for him while they were in the air.
“Where have you been?” her voice sounded hollow.
“Just wrapping things up,” he traded his own name and rank for the Colonel’s. “Where are you?”
“Same place. Stretching our legs.”
Slater picked up his pace, “No wonder you sound so distant.”
She snorted, “I had a boyfriend who said the same thing.”
“Funny,” he intoned. “I’m not sure where the latrine is in that building.”
“I’ll come out and find you in the atrium.”
“No!” he shifted the bags so they were more evenly distributed, “I’ll find you.”
Slater stopped suddenly and swung around, accidentally knocking a young private to the ground with one of his bags.
“Sorry, sir,” the kid acted as if it was his own fault rather than Slater’s.
Slater picked up the private’s patrol hat and handed it back to him, “Carry on, private.”
He put the phone back to his mouth, “See if you can clear the women’s room before I get there.”
“Did I just hear something tearing?”
Slater kept walking, “It was Velcro.”
“Such as the Velcro from a uniform?”
He saw the building ahead, “It came off a private.”
“I’m becoming more and more apprehensive about this as we speak,” Barnes sounded like she was laughing.
“Is there more than one’s women’s latrine in the building?”
“No clue, but there’s a state flag just outside this one.”
“Great,” he closed his phone and entered the building. He returned the salute of several superior ranking officers before making his way to the women’s latrine. Glancing around himself to ensure nobody was watching, he ducked into the restroom.
“How nice of you to join us, Captain,” Hanbali was leaning against the wall, but still standing. Barnes had crouched down against the same wall, barely glancing up, “Now what?”
“Now,” he set down the women’s bags and rolled his shoulders to stretch them, “we get out of here.”
“How?” she stood up and looked at him, eyes widening, “and how are you suddenly a colonel?”
He grimaced, “The less you know. . .”
She hefted her bag to her shoulder, “Understood.”
Hanbali lifted her substantially smaller bag, “You may not want to know, but I do.”
Slater ignored that comment, “We’re going to meander out of here like nothing is out of the ordinary. Then we are going to go requisition a vehicle,” he glanced out the door, “and leave the base.”
“And by requisition,” Barnes walked slightly behind him, speaking only slightly softer than conversationally, “you mean steal.”
He led the way across the atrium, keeping Hanbali between himself and Barnes.
“They may have it back when we are finished with it,” he marched with purpose toward the nearest exit.
“See that transport bus?” Slater indicated it with a nod of his head.
“It’d be hard to miss,” Barnes was right behind him.
“Get in, and get down.”
Barnes pushed Hanbali ahead of herself. Slater followed them on and closed the door.
“I don’t suppose they left the keys in the ignition?” Barnes spoke from her place on the floor.
Slater reached under the dash, “Not a problem,” the engine started.
“How are we going to get past the guardhouse? Before you got to us, they announced over the loudspeaker they were looking for an Army captain who was possibly impersonating Colonel Jenkins.”
“I know. I heard. Give me your jacket.”
She sat up enough to remove it.
“Put mine on,” he threw it back. “Take off the name tag. I’ve got a new one in the right outside pocket.”
Before the colonel could make another move, Slater slammed the door behind himself and hurried down the hall.
He pulled his phone from his pocket and dialed the number Captain Barnes had inputted for him while they were in the air.
“Where have you been?” her voice sounded hollow.
“Just wrapping things up,” he traded his own name and rank for the Colonel’s. “Where are you?”
“Same place. Stretching our legs.”
Slater picked up his pace, “No wonder you sound so distant.”
She snorted, “I had a boyfriend who said the same thing.”
“Funny,” he intoned. “I’m not sure where the latrine is in that building.”
“I’ll come out and find you in the atrium.”
“No!” he shifted the bags so they were more evenly distributed, “I’ll find you.”
Slater stopped suddenly and swung around, accidentally knocking a young private to the ground with one of his bags.
“Sorry, sir,” the kid acted as if it was his own fault rather than Slater’s.
Slater picked up the private’s patrol hat and handed it back to him, “Carry on, private.”
He put the phone back to his mouth, “See if you can clear the women’s room before I get there.”
“Did I just hear something tearing?”
Slater kept walking, “It was Velcro.”
“Such as the Velcro from a uniform?”
He saw the building ahead, “It came off a private.”
“I’m becoming more and more apprehensive about this as we speak,” Barnes sounded like she was laughing.
“Is there more than one’s women’s latrine in the building?”
“No clue, but there’s a state flag just outside this one.”
“Great,” he closed his phone and entered the building. He returned the salute of several superior ranking officers before making his way to the women’s latrine. Glancing around himself to ensure nobody was watching, he ducked into the restroom.
“How nice of you to join us, Captain,” Hanbali was leaning against the wall, but still standing. Barnes had crouched down against the same wall, barely glancing up, “Now what?”
“Now,” he set down the women’s bags and rolled his shoulders to stretch them, “we get out of here.”
“How?” she stood up and looked at him, eyes widening, “and how are you suddenly a colonel?”
He grimaced, “The less you know. . .”
She hefted her bag to her shoulder, “Understood.”
Hanbali lifted her substantially smaller bag, “You may not want to know, but I do.”
Slater ignored that comment, “We’re going to meander out of here like nothing is out of the ordinary. Then we are going to go requisition a vehicle,” he glanced out the door, “and leave the base.”
“And by requisition,” Barnes walked slightly behind him, speaking only slightly softer than conversationally, “you mean steal.”
He led the way across the atrium, keeping Hanbali between himself and Barnes.
“They may have it back when we are finished with it,” he marched with purpose toward the nearest exit.
“See that transport bus?” Slater indicated it with a nod of his head.
“It’d be hard to miss,” Barnes was right behind him.
“Get in, and get down.”
Barnes pushed Hanbali ahead of herself. Slater followed them on and closed the door.
“I don’t suppose they left the keys in the ignition?” Barnes spoke from her place on the floor.
Slater reached under the dash, “Not a problem,” the engine started.
“How are we going to get past the guardhouse? Before you got to us, they announced over the loudspeaker they were looking for an Army captain who was possibly impersonating Colonel Jenkins.”
“I know. I heard. Give me your jacket.”
She sat up enough to remove it.
“Put mine on,” he threw it back. “Take off the name tag. I’ve got a new one in the right outside pocket.”
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