Blaze of Glory (15 page)

How
could
she
combat
that
with
cartoon
flyers
and
a
few
movies?

She
knew
her
job
had
merit
and
in
the
long
run
worked,
while
keeping
her
honor
in
place.
Still,
on
days
like today,
she
felt
a
bit
like
they
were
David
fighting
Goliath
without
even
a
slingshot.

Then
there
was
the
whole
attraction
to
Bobby.
She
didn’t
know
what
she
wanted
anymore,
except
that
when he’d
been
covering
her
body
with
his
after
that
scream,
she’d
felt
both
protected—and
weak.
Very
strange, because
she
was
used
to
taking
care
of
and
protecting
people,
not
the
other
way
around.

Was
she
really
up
for
a
shortterm
fling
with
this
man?
She
could
so
easily
fall
into
something
intense.
So she’d
learned
early
to
count
only
on
herself.

She’d
been
reassured
by
psychiatrists
that
she
was
not
bipolar.
She
wouldn’t
spend
a
week
staring
at
a
wall, unable
to
make
herself
get
out
of
a
chair
for
more
than
a
trip
to
the
bathroom.
She
wouldn’t
seclude
herself in
a
lab
for
seventytwo
hours
straight,
unable
to
sleep
or
unwind.

Still,
she
feared
that
a
host
of
other
problems
might
genetically
swing
her
way,
and
yes,
perhaps
that
was
a bit
paranoid,
a
problem
in
and
of
itself,
but
Bobby
was
just
so
much
man
she
could
totally
lose
herself
in
the sheer
magnetic
essence
of
him.
And
more
than
anything,
she
feared
losing
control
of
herself
like
her
dad.

Also,
what
if
Bobby
couldn’t
be
there
for
her
in
a
crisis?
As
much
as
she
and
her
father
had
managed
to forge
a
relationship,
she’d
never
truly
been
able
to
count
on
him—or
anyone—for
support.
When
it
came time
for
a
permanent
commitment,
she
needed
an
equal
partnership.

Bobby
shifted
in
his
seat,
stretching
back,
foot
jiggling
while
the
console
illuminated
him
and
the
cab
in
a ghostly
green.
“Flipper
as
your
call
sign,
huh?
There’s
got
to
be
a
story
behind
that.
Because
I
can
think
of
a thousand
natural
puns
off
your
name
that
would
have
come
to
mind
first
for
a
call
sign.”

“Such
as?”

“We
can
get
to
that
later.
I
don’t
want
to
risk
pissing
you
off.” Wise
move,
bud.“I’ll
share
the
story
of
my
call
sign.
But,
in
return
you
have
to
watch
one
of
my
movies
and really
freaking
pay
attention.”

His
twitching
boot
stilled
for
a
second.
“You
noticed,
huh?”

“The
snoring
gave
you
away.”

He
tutttutted.
“I
knew
I
should
have
brought
those
Breathe
Right
strips.” She
couldn’t
see
any
real
harm
in
telling
him.
The
story
was
embarrassing,
but
it
would
give
them
something else
to
talk
about
besides
the
unshakable
attraction
between
them.

“Okay,
you
want
the
whole
sordid
tale
about
how
I
got
dubbed
Flipper.”
She
kept
her
eyes
forward,
on
the road,
ever
aware
of
him
staring
at
her
and
the
men
in
back
likely
listening
with
avid
ears.
“I
was
in
this
bar up
in
Norway,
and
I
may
have
been
a
little
overserved
with
the
local
brew.
But
we
were
laidback,
having fun
on
a
stopover
coming
home
from
a
rough
stint
in
Iraq.
There
were
other
countries’
soldiers
there
from countries
who
refused
to
support
U.S.
action.”

“Shit,
Gracie.”
Bobby
straightened.
“You’re
damn
lucky
to
be
alive.”

“Moot
point
now.
Back
to
the
story.
I’m
dancing
with
my
buddy
Rodeo
here
and
this
asshole
says,
‘Fuck the
U.S.A.’”

Silence
weighed
heavy.
Blasphemy
like
that
wasn’t
unheard
of.
In
fact,
they
put
their
lives
on
the
line
daily so
rude
jerkoffs
like
that
around
the
world
would
have
freedom
of
speech
without
fear
of
their
tongues being
cut
out.
But
to
say
that
to
a
woman,
even
a
soldier,
damn
it,
that
was
crossing
a
line.

Padre
cracked
his
knuckles.
“Barfighting
words
if
I
ever
heard
them.” Gracie
grinned,
tight
and
deadly—and
mischievous?
“That’s
pretty
much
what
I
was
thinking.
I
was
also thinking
how
really
ugly
that
fight
could
get,
as
wired
tight
as
we
all
were
and
world
politics
in
a
mess.
So,
I dredged
up
all
that
training
I’d
received
for
the
best
possible
way
to
defuse
the
situation.”

“And
that
would
be
how?”

She
couldn’t
stop
the
fullblown
smile
at
the
memory,
embarrassing
and
yet
somehow
totally
the
sort
of thing
longago,
“UnGraceful
Gracie”
dreamed
of
having
the
guts
to
do.
“I
flipped
up
my
brown
Tshirt
and flashed
them
my
sports
bra
and
said,
‘Fuck
this.’”

Laughter
exploded
throughout
the
van.
Stones
started
a
round
of
applause.
“You
are
definitely
okay—for
an Army
grunt.
I
think
we’ll
have
to
dub
you
an
honorary
Air
Force
Sky
God.” Damn,
it
felt
good
to
embrace
that
daring
side
again.
What
had
happened
to
make
her
so
uptight?
The
urge to
live
a
little
sparked
to
life
inside,
quickly
fanning
to
a
cracking
fire.

“Why
thank
you.”
She
glanced
back
quickly
to
toss
him
a
wink
and
smile.
“As
you
can
imagine
the
story made
the
rounds,
and
flipping
up
my
shirt
turned
into
‘Flipper.’
Bottom
line,
using
my
brain
pulled
our
asses out
of
the
fire
rather
than
resorting
to
fists,
and
that’s
what
my
job’s
all
about.” Bobby
shook
his
head
slowly.
“Pardon
me,
sugar,
but
I
would
say
your
magnificent
rack
pulled
your
asses out
of
the
fire.”

Gulp.
Awkwardmoment
alert,
with
all
those
guys
in
the
back.
Brazen
it
out.
There
was
no
other
way.

“Magnificent,
huh?
Sounds
like
you
may
be
playing
some
mind
games
with
me
yourself,
Captain.” Bobby
leaned
to
whisper,
and,
Lord,
he
was
the
best
whisperer
with
those
puffs
of
heated
breath
against
her ear,
which
made
her
hormones
sit
up
straight
and
assert,Shortterm
affair
works
Aokay
for
us.

“Those
aren’t
the
only
games
I’d
like
to
be
playing
with
you,
Miz
Gracie.” RURIK,HIDING
in
the
far
corner
of
the
meditation
garden,
clutched
his
cell
phone.
Voice
low,
he
checked in
with
his
contact.
“Something
is
not
right.
I
can
feel
it.
We
need
to
move
up
the
date.”

“Explain,
please,
beyond
this
feeling.”
The
person
on
the
other
end,
his
connection,
would
then
pass
the message
up
the
chain.
It
was
almost
impossible
to
construct
the
whole
network
just
from
speaking
to
one person.
Unless
somehow
someone
infiltrated
the
very
top
echelons,
there
would
always
be
branches
of
their cell
that
would
survive
to
fight
on
with
their
cause.

It
pained
him
to
say
the
words
that
would
cut
short
his
time
with
Jiang.
He
loved
her
as
he
had
loved
no other
in
his
life,
but
their
cause
was
bigger
than
love.
It
had
to
be.

Their
love
could
be
logged
in
history
as
they
changed
the
outcome
of
the
election.
That
would
have
to
be enough.

“Security
devices
have
been
sprung
left
and
right
of
late.
Spikes
activated
on
a
dirt
road
rarely
used.
Minor trip
devices
snapped,
indicating
someone’s
very
interested
in
spending
time
just
outside
our
boundaries—

someone
smart
enough
not
to
get
caught
on
tape.”

“Hmm.
I
can
see
your
concern.
Give
me
a
few
days
to
investigate—”

“I
don’t
believe
we
have
days.
I
think
perhaps
we
should
simply
bomb
the
laboratory
now
instead
of
the whole
public
show.
We
have
everything
we
need
to
know
and
all
the
supplies
stored
away,”
he
insisted.

“This
will
warrant
news
coverage
and
rid
the
country
of
much
of
its
brainpower,
who
seem
to
have
such

‘scruples’
about
how
to
use
their
nuclear
knowledge.
This
is
war.
We
should
fight
however
we
can.” The
People’s
Revolutionary
Council
had
all
the
information—a
lead
that
he
had
squirreled
away
for
years, the
past
months
more
than
ever.

“This
is
not
your
decision
to
make.
Be
patient.”

“It
is
not
a
matter
of
patience,
but
rather
one
of
ensuring
we
do
not
miss
the
opportunity.” He
saw
Jiang
round
a
sculpted
tree,
her
whispery
loose
pantsuit
caressing
her
gentle
curves
with
provocative hints.
She
smiled
for
him,
only
him.
She
would
have
made
a
good
wife.
Biddable,
sexy,
devoted.
She
must have
slipped
responsibilities
to
be
with
him
now.

Her
satiny
long
hair
hung
all
the
way
down
her
back,
swishing
forward
like
a
curtain
when
she
knelt
to
snap an
overgrown
branch
on
a
miniature
bonsai.

“I
still
am
not
completely
convinced,”
his
contact
said,
“but
I
will
pass
your
concerns
up
the
chain
and
get back
to
you
by
tomorrow
with
your
orders.”

“Thank
you.”
Rurik
extended
his
hand
to
her
as
he
finished
his
conversation.

He
clutched
her
fragile
bones
for
their
short
remaining
time.
In
actuality,
he
didn’t
need
anyone’s
permission to
carry
out
his
revised
plans.
Jiang
definitely
would
not
agree,
which
left
him
no
choice
but
silence.

She
slid
into
his
arms
in
a
perfect
fit.
“Who
were
you
talking
to?”

“Regular
business,
working
out
details,
nothing
we
need
to
worry
about
now.”
He
wrapped
her
tighter.

“What
do
you
say
we
skip
this
afternoon’s
lecture
and
make
love
under
the
trees?” Her
eyes
went
wide.
“Outside?
In
the
open
where
anyone
might
find
us?” His
body
went
hard
at
just
the
thought,
but
then
he
lived
his
life
on
the
edge.
“The
risk
will
make
the pleasure
all
the
sweeter.”

Her
smile
matched
his
as
she
sank
with
him
onto
the
mossy
green
grass
beneath
the
trees.
He
welcomed
the chance
to
clear
his
mind
of
what
would
have
to
come
soon,
because
he
did
not
doubt
for
a
second
that
his instincts
were
right
and
he’d
been
trusted
without
fail
in
the
past.

Therefore,
he
figured
at
most
he
would
have
only
one
more
time
after
this
with
Jiang.
He
had
to
make
it count
for
an
eternity.

BOBBY
WAVEDto
the
last
of
his
crew
to
leave
the
van
after
an
eternally
long
drive
to
their
camp.
He made
his
way
into
the
back
of
the
vehicle
while
Gracie
restored
perfect
order
to
the
DVDs
and
other
gear.

The
interior
carried
a
uniquely
sensual
mix
of
the
scent
of
Gracie
and
popcorn.

Hell,
he
would
never
be
able
to
go
to
a
movie
again
without
getting
aroused.
He
would
spend
the
rest
of
his crazy
life
keeping
the
popcorn
bucket
strategically
placed
in
his
lap
in
theaters.

He
plunked
down
in
a
swivel
chair
in
front
of
a
console.
“Flipper,
huh?” She
glanced
over
her
shoulder,
her
hands
pausing
while
closing
the
DVD
cabinet.
An
overhead
dome
light provided
the
only
illumination,
the
tinted
windows
and
nighttime
casting
the
rest
of
the
world
in
pitchblack darkness.
Parked
at
the
edge
of
the
camp,
he
and
Gracie
were
as
alone
as
they’d
ever
been
except
for
two hours
in
the
jungle
with
a
broken
Humvee.
His
craving
for
popcorn
quadrupled.

What
didshe
want?
He
didn’t
have
an
answer
for
that
one,
however,
he
did
know
she
deserved
better
than
a whambamthankyouma’am
from
a
guy
who’d
been
a
long
time
without
sex.

The
tail
of
her
braid,
normally
tucked
up,
had
snaked
loose
and
brushed
between
her
shoulders.
“Are
you asking
for
a
‘Flipper’
demonstration?”

“I
wouldn’t
say
no.”

She
laughed
and
went
right
back
to
restoring
order
to
her
psyops
van
packed
with
computers,
printers, monitors
and,
yes,
the
projector.
“Bobby,
I
never
thought
our
paths
would
cross
again
until
this
op
came up.”

He
stretched
his
legs
out
in
front
of
him,
ankles
crossed.
“Oh,
Miz
Gracie,
there
you
thought
wrong.” Now
didn’t
that
startle
her
quiet
and
still.

Slowly,
she
turned
to
face
him.
“Pardon?”

He
leaned
forward,
elbows
on
his
knees.
“Do
you
really
believe
that
little
brushoff
in
Iraq
would
send
me running
for
good?
We
have
unfinished
business.
Who
knows
where
it
will
lead,
but
we
never
had
the chance
to
find
out.
I
made
damn
sure
our
paths
crossed
again.” She
dropped
into
another
swivel
seat
beside
him,
their
knees
brushing,
upping
the
temp
in
the
van
at
least
ten degrees.
“You
chose
to
be
a
part
of
this
operation?”

“No.
I
begged.”
He
wanted
honesty
between
them
and
he
wanted
her
to
realize
how
much
she’d
haunted
his thoughts
these
past
months.
“Once
I
learned
you
would
be
a
part
of
this
operation,
I
pleaded
my
guts
out
to the
original
aircraft
commander
who
was
slated
to
fly
the
mission.
I
had
to
buy
his
whole
family
tickets
into Disney
to
get
him
to
agree—and
he’s
got
seven
kids.”

“You
paid
all
of
that
money
just
to
spend
time
with
me
again?”

“Yes,
ma’am,
I
did.”
God,
he’d
missed
talking
to
her,
and
yet,
she’d
only
been
a
part
of
his
life
for
a
short time
before.
When
he’d
first
met
her,
he’d
immediately
broken
things
off
with
his
other
girlfriend.
But
it
had taken
him
six
weeks
to
get
Gracie
to
agree
to
go
out
with
him
on
those
three
fateful
dates—one
in
the
States and
two
overseas
in
Iraq.

She
laughed.
“I
wrangled
you
on
this
op
so
I
could
finally
get
you
out
of
my
head—and
you
happened
to
be the
better
crew
for
the
job,
in
my
notsohumble
opinion.”

“You’re
kidding,
right?
You
didn’t
actually
set
this
up?”

She
shrugged.
“My
dad
has
some
connections
and
I
made
use
of
them.” Bobby
cursed.
“That
damn
other
pilot
knew
he
was
off
the
op
and
still
scammed
me
out
of
Disney
tickets.” He
shook
his
head,
chuckling
along
with
Gracie,
unable
not
to
admire
the
man’s
ingenuity
until
finally
they both
went
silent.

She
stared
into
his
eyes
for
an
extended
second
before
asking,
“Why
didn’t
you
just
drive
up
to
North Carolina?”

“Whenever
I
was
home
at
Hurlburt,
you
were
in
another
country.
I
saw
this
as
my
one
and
only
chance.

Well
worth
the
cost
of
some
Disney
tickets.”

“And
risking
your
tush.”

“No
risk.”
He
shrugged.
“We’re
just
that
damn
good.”

She
stayed
quiet,
staring
at
him
until
his
boot
started
bouncing
again,
which
made
their
knees
rub.
Crap.
He wanted
her
in
his
bed,
but
he
still
preferred
people—Gracie
in
particular—keep
out
of
his
brain.
“What?”

“You
do
have
the
most
interesting
way
of
stringing
words
together
in
a
fashion
that
I
know
wouldn’t
come out
of
any
other
individual’s
mouth.”

Her
smile
went
whimsical
and
just
thinking
that
word—whimsical—was
so
unhim
he
almost
fidgeted
right out
of
the
van.
Except
he
really
wanted
to
hear
the
rest
of
what
she
had
to
say.

“If
someone
relayed
the
conversation
to
me,
I
would
know
Bobby
Ruznick
said
that.” She’d
put
that
much
time
into
studying
and
thinking
about
him
as
something
other
than
a
freak
to
check
out under
her
psychologist
microscope?
That
sent
a
heady
rush
through
him.

He
reached
to
take
her
hand,
smoothing
his
thumb
across
her
wrist.
“Don’t
you
find
it
interesting
you
know me
that
well?”

“You’re
that
memorable.”

She
squeezed
his
hand
and,
damn,
it
was
more
erotic
than
a
full
nude
stretch
with
any
other
woman.
She embodied
subtleties
that
stroked
his
exhausted,
overreved
soul.

He
took
her
other
hand
so
their
eyes
had
to
meet.
“I
appreciate
the
compliment
but
I
do
believe
you overestimate
me.”

“How
about
we
give
that
a
test
run
and
see
how
you
measure
up?” She
couldn’t
actually
mean…she
wasn’t
saying…his
brain
stuttered
over
even
the
fanfuckingtastic possibility.

Sex?

He
held
tightly
to
both
her
hands
and
the
possibility.
“You
mean
now?
You
want
to
have
sex
now?”