Wrong Time by Mitchel Grace

the whole situation to him.
    “I have a lot of doubts about this op.
I don’t know if we’ll be coming back from this one,” Zane said.
    Michael was a little troubled by Zane’s
doubts, but he knew the risk of any combat mission from personal experience.
    “When do we leave?” Michael asked.
    “We’re leaving tonight, so if there’s
anything that you’ve always wanted to do, then you need to do it now.”
    Michael thought for a minute and exited
the office. He walked straight to Jess in her new office and pulled her up from
her chair. Then he kissed her. She quickly pulled away from him.
    “What are you doing?” Jess asked.
    “I’m leaving tonight, and just in case
anything happens, I wanted to do that at least once.”
    Jess was sad. She didn’t want him to go,
and she feared what would happen if he did leave. She leaned in and gently kissed
Michael again.
    “If you don’t come back, you’ll never
be able to do that again,” Jess said after she pulled her lips back from his.
    “If that’s the case, I’ll definitely be
coming back,” Michael said and smiled.
    * * * * *
    That evening, Jason gathered all of
them back together, and they got into his car.
    “I’ve got a surprise for you three,”
Jason said.
    Jess was in no mood for surprises
because she was worried about Michael. Suddenly, the car stopped in front of a
house.
    “What are we stopping for?” Trish
asked.
    “This is where you three, and when
Michael gets back, four, will be staying,” Jason said.
    They all piled out of the car and made
their way into their new home. It was a three bedroom home, so now no one would
ever have to sleep on the floor, much to Lee and Trish’s relief.
    “Oh, and there’s also a car in the garage,
so I don’t have to keep coming to get you guys.”  
    “Thank you,” Jess said.
    “Don’t thank me. The agency needs your
help. It’s their responsibility to make sure that you have a place to stay and
a car to drive.”
    After a short while, Jason left them to
their new house. Jess went straight to her bedroom because she was the perfect
mixture of tired and worried that makes a person just want to go straight to
sleep. Lee and Trish, however, made their way to the kitchen.
    “I don’t know about you, but I’m
starving,” Lee said while searching through the pantry where he found several
different types of food.
    “I am, too. What did you have in mind?”
Trish asked.
    “How about some spaghetti?” Lee asked while
holding up some noodles that he found.
    “That sounds good. So how is your new
job?”
      “It’s absolutely wonderful! I’m working
with people who are just like me, and I think that I may have met someone who
fits the description of exactly the type of woman I was talking about last night.”
    “Really? What’s she like?”
    “She’s beautiful, and most of all, very
intelligent. She’s probably the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen.”
      Trish got really quiet after hearing this,
and her mind began to wander. So she’s the most beautiful woman he has ever
seen? What am I, she wondered. The truth was that she was a little offended,
and maybe even a little jealous, but she really didn’t know why. Lee noticed
her silence and the look of irritation coming from her eyes.
    “I’m sorry. You don’t want to hear
about my relationship issues. It was nice enough that you listened to me last
night,” Lee said.
    The night went on, and the two friends
made small talk, but no matter how much she tried to, Trish just couldn’t shake
off the feeling of jealousy that she had for a woman she had never even met.
What is happening to me, Trish wondered.
    * * * * *
    Back in Houston, night had fallen, and
Chloe had been discharged from the hospital.
    “We aren’t going to have a transport ready
for her until tomorrow morning,” Sam said as the three of them rode in the car.
    “I have a name,” Chloe said in
irritation.
    In truth, she was already irritated
enough by the fact that