She worked quickly, amazed that he could drive while struggling into her jacket.
“That is not going to fit you,” she commented.
“They won’t be looking that closely, but I need to be Air Force right now.”
“Who’s ‘Donway?’” she replaced the name badge.
“Some poor private who is going to get yelled at for losing the name from his patrol cap.”
He pointed to his bag, “Put on a pair of my pants.”
“I thought you said they weren’t going to be looking that closely.”
“At me,” he corrected. “You’re getting out.”
“Great,” she rummaged through his bag.
“They’re looking for a man, not a man and a woman. They’re looking for an Army captain or colonel, not an Air Force captain.”
“I’m going to look like an Army colonel,” she reminded him.
“Nobody is going to believe you’re a man, Barnes – not for one second.”
She pulled his pants over her own, “I’m going to look like I’ve been playing dress-up with my dad’s clothes again.”
Slater smiled, “Be ready to get out and yell at the sergeant up here.”
He pulled to a stop by the guard.
“What’s the problem, Sergeant?” he looked down at the man with the gun.
“We are looking for a man who beat up an MP and stole a colonel’s badge, sir.”
“Why are we stopped?” Barnes barked from behind Slater.
Slater began to explain, but she stomped to the door which Slater quickly opened for her.
“Sergeant,” she approached him quickly, “do you know who I am?”
He glanced down, “You’re Colonel Donway, ma’am.”
She curled her lip, “I do not have time for this. Are you looking for me?”
“No, ma’am.”
“How do you know?” she leaned in further.
“You aren’t a man.”
She narrowed her eyes, “That’s an excellent observation, soldier.”
The sergeant tightened his lips.
“Open the gate, Sergeant.”
She spun on her heel and climbed onto the bus.
She watched the gate open as she dropped into her seat.
Slater pulled away from the post, “Good job, Barnes.”
She laughed, “Thanks, but I’m losing my pants – or, your pants, rather.”
“Are you pretty familiar with this area, Barnes?”
“Sure,” she was pulling his pants off and putting them back in his bag, “my dad was stationed here a while.”
“But not you?”
“I was too, but I wasn’t out on the town as much when I was in the service as I was when I was a teenager.”
“Wild child, huh?”
Hanbali spoke up, “Are we moving on to the contingency plan?”
Barnes and Slater glanced at each other.
She blinked at them, “Surely there is a contingency plan.”
Slater blew out hard, “There is, but chances are, if the first plan was leaked, so was the contingency.”
Hanbali climbed into her seat, “Why not just go to the head of this base and ask for help?”
Barnes opened her phone, “We don’t know who to trust, and we were specifically told not to speak to anyone.”
Hanbali leaned forward, “Why are you more concerned about following that order than the one about the contingency plan?”
Slater cleared his throat, “I’d like to stay alive.”
Barnes agreed with a nod.
“Is there anything in Temple Hills?” he tried to get his arms out of Barnes’s jacket while driving with his knee.
Barnes stood up next to him and pulled hard on the end of one sleeve in assistance, “There used to be an ice cream place in the mall, and
“That is not going to fit you,” she commented.
“They won’t be looking that closely, but I need to be Air Force right now.”
“Who’s ‘Donway?’” she replaced the name badge.
“Some poor private who is going to get yelled at for losing the name from his patrol cap.”
He pointed to his bag, “Put on a pair of my pants.”
“I thought you said they weren’t going to be looking that closely.”
“At me,” he corrected. “You’re getting out.”
“Great,” she rummaged through his bag.
“They’re looking for a man, not a man and a woman. They’re looking for an Army captain or colonel, not an Air Force captain.”
“I’m going to look like an Army colonel,” she reminded him.
“Nobody is going to believe you’re a man, Barnes – not for one second.”
She pulled his pants over her own, “I’m going to look like I’ve been playing dress-up with my dad’s clothes again.”
Slater smiled, “Be ready to get out and yell at the sergeant up here.”
He pulled to a stop by the guard.
“What’s the problem, Sergeant?” he looked down at the man with the gun.
“We are looking for a man who beat up an MP and stole a colonel’s badge, sir.”
“Why are we stopped?” Barnes barked from behind Slater.
Slater began to explain, but she stomped to the door which Slater quickly opened for her.
“Sergeant,” she approached him quickly, “do you know who I am?”
He glanced down, “You’re Colonel Donway, ma’am.”
She curled her lip, “I do not have time for this. Are you looking for me?”
“No, ma’am.”
“How do you know?” she leaned in further.
“You aren’t a man.”
She narrowed her eyes, “That’s an excellent observation, soldier.”
The sergeant tightened his lips.
“Open the gate, Sergeant.”
She spun on her heel and climbed onto the bus.
She watched the gate open as she dropped into her seat.
Slater pulled away from the post, “Good job, Barnes.”
She laughed, “Thanks, but I’m losing my pants – or, your pants, rather.”
“Are you pretty familiar with this area, Barnes?”
“Sure,” she was pulling his pants off and putting them back in his bag, “my dad was stationed here a while.”
“But not you?”
“I was too, but I wasn’t out on the town as much when I was in the service as I was when I was a teenager.”
“Wild child, huh?”
Hanbali spoke up, “Are we moving on to the contingency plan?”
Barnes and Slater glanced at each other.
She blinked at them, “Surely there is a contingency plan.”
Slater blew out hard, “There is, but chances are, if the first plan was leaked, so was the contingency.”
Hanbali climbed into her seat, “Why not just go to the head of this base and ask for help?”
Barnes opened her phone, “We don’t know who to trust, and we were specifically told not to speak to anyone.”
Hanbali leaned forward, “Why are you more concerned about following that order than the one about the contingency plan?”
Slater cleared his throat, “I’d like to stay alive.”
Barnes agreed with a nod.
“Is there anything in Temple Hills?” he tried to get his arms out of Barnes’s jacket while driving with his knee.
Barnes stood up next to him and pulled hard on the end of one sleeve in assistance, “There used to be an ice cream place in the mall, and
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