The man’s face paled and he quickly shook his head. “Nah, I think I’ll wait for Simon.”
“Imagine that.” She turned and practically dragged Simon back to his tent.
“Are we going to do it?” Simon asked, a smirk painted across his features.
“I think you’ve done enough already.” She dropped him unceremoniously on the floor of his tent. She leaned backward and stretched her back and shoulders. “You’re heavier than I remember.”
He rolled over and gave her another smirk. “I’ve done enough? Was I good?”
She sighed as she bent over and tucked his willie back into his jeans. “You were the best, baby.” She gave him a wink before she stood.
“That’s King Baby.” He yawned and rolled to his side.
“You got a few minutes to sleep, King Baby. Then it’s all the hot coffee I can pour down ya.”
She sat on the edge of his cot and stared at the pile of crap they all called a leader. She silently wished that somebody with more than two brain cells would step up and dethrone the king.
Carol looked in and found Dr. Carpenter sleeping. She glanced at his vitals and nodded. It appeared as though the cocktail she had injected him with was doing the trick. At least he was able to get some rest.
She gently closed the door and returned to her workstation. She had just sat when an orderly approached. “Word is that Dr. LaRue is on her way back.” He gave her a knowing smile. “She has the primordial sample.”
Carol exhaled hard and leaned on the counter. “Thank god.”
The orderly nudged her. “I thought you were an atheist?”
“Agnostic. And it’s just a phrase.” She pushed away from the counter and picked up the running report she’d maintained on Dr. Carpenter. “Do me a favor and have another researcher go through my notes. Have them make sure I’ve chronicled everything we’ve attempted with Dr. Carpenter. When she gets back she’s going to want details.”
The orderly nodded and picked up the file. “You think this original sample is going to do the trick?”
“I certainly hope so.” She turned and glanced at the clock. “When is she due?”
He shrugged. “I just heard that they’re on their way back.” He turned for the door, then paused. “They had to make some kind of detour to drop somebody off…oh, and that military guy that nobody liked? He didn’t make it.”
Carol felt as if she’d been gut-checked. She slowly turned to him. “You mean Captain Hollis?”
The orderly nodded. “Yeah, I think that was his name. The tall guy that wanted to help out, but Dr. LaRue said was dumb as a box of rocks. It was him.”
Carol sat down gingerly. She could see his brilliant smile. The blue of his eyes. The way he always carried himself so confidently. She had to swallow the lump that had risen into her throat.
“Anything else, doc?”
She turned to the orderly and shook her head, her ears not really hearing him. “I’m fine, thank you.” She waved him off as visions of Captain Hollis bounced through her mind.
She remembered the times he’d tried to make small talk. The times he sat with her on the mess decks during meals. She remembered how he seemed to almost flirt with her and she had dismissed him…because Dr. LaRue had commented he was so desperate to be in the lab that he’d resort to using any excuse he could think of to worm his way in.
Was she right? Or had he really been interested in her? She turned and looked at her reflection in the cover of the culture warmer.
Could he have really been interested?
She’d never know now. The man was dead or missing in action. She sat back in her seat and tried to focus, but images of him smiling at her overtook her thoughts.
Carol glanced around the lab and realized, there weren’t exactly a lot of dating options left these days. Not that she’d really have time for such matters, but now that option was removed. And for what? Because she’d feared what Dr. LaRue might think?
Carol forced herself up from the chair and walked from experiment to experiment, going through the motions of checking each one and charting their progress. The entire time, though, her mind was on the handsome captain she’d never see again.
“Life is too short…”
Roger leaned into the curve and hit the accelerator on the Harley. He rode the machine to the top of the crest, then hit the brakes. He slowed the machine and glanced down the road leading to the trap that now held his beloved Indian.
Although the FatBoy was a decent riding machine, his Indian was his. He had raced to the dealership to put his money down on the thing before they were even available for sale. He’d loved that bike. He couldn’t be held accountable for wanting one last look at its final resting place.
He didn’t expect to see Mike standing beside his own bike and waiting.
Roger locked up the brakes on the Harley and stared at the big man at the end of the street. He watched as Mike slowly turned and crossed his arms over his massive chest. He looked like he wasn’t happy.
Roger looked straight ahead and felt the pull to continue. Just hit the accelerator and leave. He glanced down the street again and saw Mike. He was almost certain that if he could make out his facial features, the man would have a What the hell? look on his face.
Roger sighed and turned the handlebars. He drove the bike slowly, his eyes searching for either the ragers or other bikers who might be lying in wait.
When he got close enough he could make out Mike’s features, he didn’t feel triumphant that he had guessed the other man’s mindset. He obviously wasn’t happy. He slowed the bike and killed
