Learning to Stand by Claudia Hall Christian

fit together, but how? I have no idea
how to connect the dots.”
    “ Perses was there? I always
thought he was a myth or legend.”
    “ Perses accepted a contract
to assess the viability of a hit on the Fey and the Weasel. He led
us to Shelter 17. I probably could have found it but not in time.
Plus he had the key.”
    “ Odd behavior for an
assassin.”
    “ He owes me a favor or six.
And, yes sir, he’s odd.”
    “ Well good night,” Colonel
Gordon said. “We’ll talk again tomorrow.”
    “ Yes sir.”
    “ And Alex, go home. You’ve
done enough today,” he said. “Let Sergeant Flagg become an expert
in paperwork.”
    “ Yes sir,” she
said.
    He raised a hand in ‘good-bye’ then walked
out of her office. Looking from stack to stack, she finished her
mug of coffee then poured another. She wandered to the place where
Colonel Gordon stood. Her finger touched each face.
    “ Go home, Alex,” Jesse said
appearing beside her. “There are no answers here.”
    Nodding to Jesse, Alex dressed in her winter
gear. Limping on her injured hip, she pulled her office door
closed.
    “ Walk you to your car?”
Jesse asked.
    She nodded.
    “ Did I ever
tell…?”
    FFFFFF
    Tuesday night
    March 25 — 9:40 P.M. MDT.
Fillmore Auditorium
Denver, CO
     
    John and Max were watching the roadies
finish setting up for DeVotchka.
    “ Remind me. Why are we
here?” John yelled to Max over the background music.
    Max raised his eyebrows. He nodded his head
toward the Slavic Sisters. The women trapeze artists were testing
their aerial silk cloth.
    “ Yes, very interesting,”
John nodded. “But...”
    John felt a hand on his shoulder. He
grimaced to Max then turned to see who touched him.
    “ Hi John,” the woman said.
“I’m surprised to see you here.”
    John tried to remember the woman’s name. She
worked at St. Joseph’s Hospital or at least he thought she worked
at the hospital. She spent so much time pushing her inflated chest
and lips in John’s direction that conversation was nearly
impossible. Too polite to actually dismiss her, he avoided her as
much as possible.
    “ I heard your wife is out of
town.” Her tiny hand caressed his arm. “When I saw you here, I
figured you were looking for some company.”
    John stepped away from the woman. She bat
her long eyelashes at him. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Max
laughing at him.
    “ Listen,” John started but
his words were lost over the trumpet playing announcing the start
of the concert. His attention jerked to the stage. Maybe if he
ignored this woman...
    While the band played their first song, the
Slavic Sisters vibrated the aerial silk to the music. The silk
tapestry billowed down from the stage hitting John’s face. He
stepped back to stay out of the way. The trapeze artist winked at
John then flipped the fabric from his face.
    Smiling her crooked smile, Alex stood in its
place.
    In a breath, she was in his arms. She
giggled when he lifted her from the ground. She wrapped her legs
around his middle, their lips fused in passionate consumption.
    When John pulled back to look at her,
DeVotchka’s lead singer, Nick, yelled, “Drayson, get a room!” The
crowd cheered in agreement.
    With a nod to Max, John carried his laughing
Alex through the crowded venue to Colfax Boulevard. He set her down
for a moment then instantly regretted the decision.
    “ The cab’s waiting for us,”
Alex started.
    He lifted her back into his arms and carried
her to the cab. Nestled in the back of the cab, they took the short
ride to their new home. John scooped her off the sidewalk and
carried her into the house. They kissed and stroked their way up
the stairs until, unable to wait any longer, they made fast love on
the third floor landing.
    “ Wanna try out the bath?”
Alex asked.
    “ Very much so. But the
water’s not hooked up to it yet.”
    “ What?”
    “ It’s a long story.
Shower?”
    “ Bed?”
    “ You’re so traditional,” he
said.
    Opening the door to