Date: Thu, 15 Apr 1999 21:16:21 -0600 (MDT) From: "Katherine R. Freymuth" Subject: Vengeance - Chapter 7 Message-ID: Chapter 7 Major Genine Taylor, as she was calling herself, entered her quarters with a sigh. The past two weeks had been extremely difficult for her, especially given the feelings that were gradually growing in her heart. The feelings frightened her immensely. She couldn't afford to get involved and yet it was too late not to do so. She knew that being close, personally, to him was giving her information she couldn't get if she were one of the mercenaries in the barracks across the estate. But she was becoming too close and it both frightened and exhilarated her at the same time. The more she was around him, the more she fell in love with him, the higher the chances that she would be found out. She exhaled. She couldn't worry about that now. She had an obstacle in the way of her job. She no longer had free access to communications. General Burke trusted her but only to a point. He would let her be his recruitment officer but only if his right-hand man, Colonel Richard Stewart, was with her when she left the estate. That meant she at no time could communicate with her real commanding officer. That also meant that she was on her own. She couldn't call for re-enforcement if she needed. She began to undress herself from the camouflage uniform she was wearing. After she had finished undressing herself, she stretched her arms over her head with a moan of fatigue before bending over and touching her toes. There was a seductive sigh from the door. "I don't think you realize just how gorgeous you are when you do that." Genine stood up quickly while grabbing a robe from her bed and quickly putting it on. She quickly turned to the person who had spoken. "General Burke, if you wish me to continue to work for you, you are going to have to be more considerate with my need for privacy, especially when I am changing my clothes." Burke laughed. "Still playing coy with me, Major? After two weeks?" He walked slowly towards her. "Red light, General," Genine warned. "Red light?" Burke questioned. "It's been a long time since I heard that phrase." Genine took a step away from him. "But I'm sure you still remember what it means." Burke stopped his approach. He looked at Genine carefully. "Are you certain?" Genine gave him a rebuking glare. "Permission to speak bluntly, sir?" she requested. Burke smiled. "Of course." "If you're not here for purely professional reasons, sir, get the hell out." Burke laughed. "I like that, Major. However, I hope that red light of yours will turn green." "I wouldn't count on it, sir," Genine told him, hiding the anxiety she was feeling. Burke smiled at her. "But I am." With that, he turned around and left the quarters. Genine slumped onto her bed with a shaky breath. She closed her eyes. *Damn the man! Why can't he just leave me alone? Why does he have to be so persistent?* She exhaled. *Why does he have to be so observant?* "Please," she begged to no one in particular. "Help me with this. Please." She hoped that, somehow, her pleads would be heard. Al waited patiently in the warden's office. He was thinking and he had a lot to think about. After all, it wasn't every day when somebody tried to kill him. The questions that were burning through his mind were who and why. He had already supposed, from the car bomb being triggered by his security remote, that the bomber knew his habits. But what else did the bomber know? And why him? Another thing that bothered him was the attack on Commander Strickler. Her wounds were obviously meant to kill her. He had a strange feeling that the attack on Genine and the car bomb were both done by the same man - someone who knew both Al and Genine very well. *If this person knows me well enough to know the littlest of my habits, he'd also know much more important things!* Al realized with trepidation. As these thoughts came to him, the door to the office opened, allowing the warden to enter. "The Sheriff and the Naval investigator you requested will be here soon, Admiral," the warden told him. "Would you like some coffee while you wait?" Al looked at the warden intensely. "May I use your phone?" he asked urgently. The warden furrowed his eyebrows with slight concern. "Certainly," he told Al. "I'll wait outside to give you some privacy." "Thank you," Al said, quickly standing and going to the desk as the warden stepped out. He sat before the viewscreen and quickly dialed the number. "Hello?" came the answer from the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. "Beth, don't talk; just listen," Al said quickly. "Get out of the house right away. Just grab Christy and Angie and leave through the back door. Leave the lights on and the drapes closed. Turn on the television. Turn on the radio. Do anything that would convince everyone that you're still in the house. And, for gawd sake, don't tell anyone where you're going, even me." Beth looked at her husband with a confused frown. "Al, you're frightening me. What's wrong?" Al shook his head. "I can't tell you." "Why not?" Al closed his eyes. "Because it would only frighten you even more." Beth looked at him firmly. "Al, if you want me to leave, you'll tell me why," she pressed. Al hesitated. "Then you'd better sit down." Beth obeyed immediately. "Someone put a bomb on the convertible," Al told her. "I'm afraid that whoever did it might come after you and the girls." "Oh, gawd!" Beth whispered in shock. "Now, go," Al ordered. "Come with us," Beth insisted. Al shook his head. "If I'm right, whoever did it is going to be on my six. If I went with you, it would probably only put you in danger. Just go." He looked at her lovingly. "I love you." Beth gave a gentle but worried smile. "I love you. Just be careful, Al. Please." "I will," Al promised. "You too." He quickly disconnected the line, not wanting Beth to see the growing concern in his eyes. A moment later, the warden entered the office, followed by the County Sheriff and a military officer. "Excuse me, Admiral," the officer said. "The County Sheriff's office has agreed to turn this matter over to the Navy if you agree to give them a statement. I'm Lieutenant Commander Roger Hillard, sir." He saluted Al respectfully. Al stood up from the desk and walked around, returning the Lieutenant Commander's salute. "Of course, Commander," he answered before turning to the County Sheriff and extending his hand. "Al Calavicci." The Sheriff accepted his hand. "Bob Thompson. Shall we get this done so you can go home?" "Thank you," Al said as the four men sat down. "Hey, Harry," the voice said from above. Sam opened his eyes at the sound of his borrowed name. He sighed slightly when he saw the time on Harry's sports watch: 12:13 am. "Dan, it's after midnight," he moaned. "What do you want?" Dan quietly hopped from his top bunk and lowered himself so that he could see Sam. "I was thinking about those girls we saw the other night," he told Sam. He smiled. "Want to see them again?" Sam stared at him in disbelief. "You want to sneak out of here in the middle of the night just so you can go on some sexual escapade?" Dan laughed slightly. "You make it sound like I'm going AWOL. This isn't really the military, you know." Sam huffed. "Tell that to Major Taylor and Al." Dan held back a laugh. "Al! I like that. Just don't call the General that around Taylor. You're liable to do another hundred and twenty-five push-ups." "And you're liable to do over two hundred if you're caught sneaking out," Sam pointed out. "We weren't caught the other night," Dan told him. Sam exhaled. "I don't want to risk it again." He wondered why they risked it the first time. "Fine," Dan said. "I'll go alone." Sam grabbed his arm before he could leave. "Dan, don't be stupid." Dan's smile widened. "I'll tell you what you missed." He pulled away and quietly started towards the barracks' door. Sam sighed in frustration. The sensible side of him told him to stay in bed but the stronger heroic side told him to go after Dan. Therefore, he quickly slipped on his pants and quietly hurried after him. He finally caught up with him halfway to the estate's wall. Sam grabbed Dan's arm, stopping him. "Hold it," he told him. Dan looked at him and muffled a laugh. "You're not coming like that, are you?" he whispered. He started walking again. "Dan, this is stupid!" Sam exclaimed quietly, following him. "Let's get back before we're caught." "So what if we are?" Dan said. "A few push-ups will be worth it." "I think you'll be doing a lot more than that, gentlemen," a deep voice said before several flashlight beam hit them. "Ah, shit," Dan moaned, seeing a tall man with gleaming white hair and green eyes approach them. Sam looked at the man carefully. For some reason, the man looked very familiar. "Take them to the main house and wake Taylor," the man ordered. "We've got a couple of AWOLs here."