Clayton's Request (Sass' Version)
Title: Clayton’s Request
Authors: Hugo “Animal” Chikamori & Heather “Sass" Chikamori
E-mails: [email protected] & [email protected]
Rating: PG-13
Classification: Animal/Liandra ; Harm/Mac
Spoilers: My story “The Stalker”; any of Animal’s where he’s with Meg (ugh!)
Summary: Clayton Webb requests Animal’s presence at a government function and things go completely insane.
Disclaimers: Lines borrowed w/o permission, (but w/o monetary gain) from Star Wars & Top Gun. –grin-- None of the JAG characters in this story belong to me; well, two of them do. CMDR Liandra Gracen Chikamori is mine, and, while the character of Captain Hugo “Animal” Chikamori isn’t mine, his creator is! –grin--
Author’s note: Animal, honey, brace yourself for an ego massage!
WHITE HOUSE
1600 PENNSYLVANIA AVENUE
WASHINGTON DC
“Thanks for coming,” Clayton said as Animal and I entered the time-honored building that many knew so well. Clayton had requested my husband’s presence at this government shindig. I had not wanted to go and had complained, quite loudly, to both Animal and Clay at the thought of having to deal with snotty Senators and ill-tempered Congressmen. Clay also, rather snidely, had mentioned to me that Meg Austin, my husband’s ex-girlfriend, would be making an appearance there. That did it. My eyes had glazed over and I was about two seconds from killing Clayton Webb in cold blood when Animal intervened. During his intervention, he had a smirk on his face, as though he’d have rather seen me pulverize the CIA operative.
Now I stood beside my beloved Hugo as we entered the building where this whole affair was to take place. I wore a shimmery electric blue gown that, Animal said, clung to my curves. Knowing my own shortcomings, like the fact that I am a very small woman, I had laughed. “No, honey, this dress shows off the highlights in my hair. But,” I grinned at him as I stood on tiptoe to slide my arms around his neck, “it also will go well with your Medal of Honor.” “Well,” Animal had said, running his hand through my long hair, “it does do that.”
I favored my darling with a brilliant smile. Smiling was all I could do, for at the moment, speaking was quite impossible. Animal stole my breath away. He was so handsome in his uniform. Per decorum, he wore his dinner dress whites, the tuxedo-like cut of the uniform highlighting the four gold lace stripes, indicating his current rank, that of a United States Navy Captain. Being the carrier air wing commander, or CAG, of CVW-8, he had more or less been given an order to be there.
When that information had come to light, I used my resources at JAG to find out exactly where that order had come from. A short time after I’d spoken to Bud about it, he came back with news that the SECNAV had made the request. SECNAV, my foot! I now thought irritably as Clayton Webb came over to draw Animal away so he could introduce him to Senator John McCain from Arizona. Clayton Webb’s the one who issued that order. He’s just using the SECNAV to cover his six.
Thankfully for me, having noticed the infinite number of men, both young and old, that had made it their business to “keep me company”, Clay’s wife came to my rescue. I told her laughingly, “Sandy, it was pathetic. You know me. I’m not the type to be rude first off, so I tried the nice way, patiently explaining to them I am a married woman, a happily married woman. When that didn’t seem to be working, I tried flaunting the rock, “ I grinned, using her and Mac’s nickname for the four and a half carat, emerald-cut diamond engagement ring Animal had given me, “but that didn’t work, either.”
Normally I did not wear Animal’s ring in public because I was afraid something would happen to it, it was so expensive. I usually just wore the platinum wedding band with the inscription, Semper Fidelis, on the inside. Granted, it was the Marine Corps motto, and my husband and I were both career Navy, but we felt that the meaning of the phrase, “Always Faithful”, was still fitting for us. Animal later sheepishly informed me he had spent a large part of his savings, nearly thirty thousand dollars, on the wedding set. I vividly remembered crying when Animal had used the diamond to propose to me at my office, where, he said, “it all began”.
{FLASHBACK}
He and I first laid eyes on one another at my office, the headquarters building for the Judge Advocate General, located in Falls Church, Virginia. He had come by to visit a couple of his old friends, my co-workers and friends Harmon Rabb and Sarah MacKenzie. Sarah and I shared an office back then. I’d been walking out of our office, case file in my hand, my nose and eyes, buried in the file, when I literally collided with Animal, then a Commander. I myself was a mere Lieutenant, senior grade, at the time. Animal had chuckled. “Excuse me, Lieutenant . . .” He left the statement open, indicating I should supply my last name. Looking up at the wall of solid muscle I had crashed headlong into, I blushed, my cheeks turning an intense scarlet. “Gracen, sir,” I had stammered. “Lieutenant Gracen, would you mind telling me where Lieutenant Commander Harm Rabb’s office is?” the handsome Japanese officer asked professionally. “Actually, sir,” I began, but he’d interrupted me with a smile, “It’s Animal, Commander Chikamori if you would like to be formal.”
“Well, Commander, I was headed there myself, to deliver this file.” I replied, gesturing with the folder in my hands.
“May I accompany you there?” he’d asked courteously.
“Certainly,” I’d answered professionally.
As we walked across the bullpen, my lungs struggled to take in oxygen. I was acutely aware of his hand at my elbow. It was barely there, his fingers just managing to brush my bent arm as it swayed back and forth, but I knew it was there. So did someone else, it seemed.
“So, Animal, you going in for the newbies now?” a familiar voice snickered from behind us.
I knew that voice. It belonged to Lieutenant Commander Jack Keeter, an old friend of mine and Harm’s. He and Harm had attended the Naval Academy together. As I spun around to confront Jack, I noticed Harm and Sarah come out of Harm’s office, followed by my uncle, AJ Chegwidden, our boss. Harm raised an eyebrow at me. I shook my head. I turned around completely and spoke to Keeter. “Say, Jack, since when did you change your callsign to ‘Screwball’?"
Animal, Harm, and Sarah had all burst out laughing, and even my uncle managed a smile. “She’s got you there, pal,” Harm grinned slyly at his friend.
Jack looked properly reprimanded, an abashed expression covering his face. “Sorry, Sass,” Jack apologized, calling me by my first callsign, one he had christened me with, “in honor of my smart mouth”, he had explained.
Later, in mine and Mac’s office, I’d looked at her with a grin. “Wow! Who was that? He was gorgeous!”
{END FLASHBACK}
“Earth to Lia,” Sandy’s voice penetrated my memories. “What are you grinning at?”
“Oh, sorry, Sandy. Just remembering when Animal and I first met,” I smiled brilliantly as Sandy’s husband brought mine back over. “What was the little scuffle about, dear?” I asked Animal. Right before they headed our way, Animal had hauled Clayton by the lapel into his face and said something, his countenance infuriated.
“Nothing, honey.” Animal replied, lovingly caressing my semi-bare arm.
“Can I talk to you for a minute, sweetheart?” Clay suddenly asked his wife, leading her over toward a cluster of Senators.
“Don’t give me that bull, Haruo,” I complained at my husband, calling him by his middle name. I could tell he knew he was in trouble from the look on his face. I only use his middle name on two occasions: when I’m angry with him, or in our more private moments. This definitely did not qualify as a private moment, given that we were in a room with probably two hundred people, minimum.
“Why’d you nearly strangle Clay?” I asked him pointedly.
“I was just telling him to keep all of those lecherous political and Naval goats away from you,” he sighed, “not to mention the fact that Clay informed me that Harm ‘had other pressing concerns’, so he and Mac aren’t here,” he complained as one of his best friends, his wingman LCDR Phil “Metalman” Burrows, walked up, an attractive redhead in a black sequined gown on his arm.
My jaw dropped in astonishment as I recognized the woman with Metalman. An old girlfriend of mine, she and I had played together in a rock band with her sister and our best friends growing up. I broke away from my husband to throw my arms around her. “Kimber!” I shrieked joyously.
She hugged me back enthusiastically. “Liandra, what are you doing here?” she asked, pulling back from our embrace. Kimber inhaled sharply as she pulled away, taking my left hand in hers. “And where did you get that?” she asked, pointing in awe at the ring on my finger.
“Tell you what. If Animal will get permission from Clay for us to kiss this place goodbye, I’ll fill you in, only if you promise to tell me what in heaven’s name you’re doing with this deadbeat,” I jerked a thumb over my shoulder at Phil.
“Deal,” she grinned widely as the four of us headed for the door.
Suddenly, the sound of gunshots reverberated through the ballroom. Gazing at the doorway, I saw that two of the Secret Service agents that were trying to usher the President to safety had suddenly slumped to the ground, bright red splashes smearing their tuxedos. I felt myself falling as my husband threw me to the ground, Metalman doing the same with Kimber.
“Keep your head down,” the Captain in Animal commanded me sharply, when, without warning, a 9mm was shoved in his face. a Middle Eastern voice spoke quickly in Farsi. Not quickly enough, thanks to a swift lesson Mac had given Animal and I not too long ago.
I knew I must’ve looked frightened. I tried to keep my horror from showing, because I knew the last thing Animal needed right now was to have to deal with a hysterical female, on top of keeping his own emotions in check.
{Come with me}, the terrorist gestured to Animal with his gun. Animal began to walk in the direction the Arab had implied, but not before I made sure he knew I loved him. Snatching his dress uniform by the sleeve, I pulled him around to face me. Grabbing his face, I yanked his head down and kissed him passionately. God only knew how long it would be until I saw him again, and I wanted my husband to know how much I loved him. The terrorist spoke again. {Not the woman, she will stay here}, he said, roughly shoving me backwards. I tripped and stumbled wildly until I felt Kimber’s hand lock onto my arm, just barely managing to keep me upright. The Middle Eastern soldier hauled Animal away from me. Looking my husband in his dark eyes, I called out emotionally, “I LOVE YOU!”
My husband grinned a cocky, sideways grin at me. “I know.”
As Animal’s captors led him away, he spoke to me once again. “I have a bad feeling about this.” I turned to Kimber and smirked. “Those idiots don’t know it yet, but they have made a VERY BIG mistake.”
Sandy came over as I spoke with Kimber. “How can you smile at a time like this?” she asked, looking around furiously for Clay.
“Yeah, I want to know the answer to that myself. And what was that kooky reply for? He might get killed, so when you tell him you love him, he says ‘I know’. What the blazes was that?”
Even though the situation was extremely serious, I could not help the grin that formed on my face. “That was our favorite line from Star Wars, Kim,” I told her. “And that grin? That’s classic Han Solo.” I snickered softly. “We have to be ready, girls, in case he needs us. Animal’s up to something.”
“Well, those fools are in trouble. “ Sandy muttered under her breath.
Metalman snuck over to us, keeping a watchful eye out for the nearly thirty terrorists scattered about the ballroom. “How are you girls doing?” he asked, giving Kimber a meaningful look.
“Fine, considering we’re now hostages in an apparent government takeover,” Sandy quipped sarcastically. “How do you think we’re doing? My husband has disappeared, Liandra’s husband was taken away at gunpoint, probably because of that blasted medal hanging around his neck. I told Clay not to make him wear it, but he insisted. Blast it,” Sandra’s voice broke as tears flowed unchecked down her face. Looking at me, she said softly, “I’m sorry, Lia.”
Putting my arm around her, I squeezed her shoulders. “It’s okay, Sandy. Animal will be alright. If anybody can get out of this, my husband can.” I smiled at Sandy and Kimber encouragingly. I had to keep their morale up, keep them from getting depressed. If any of us got to the point of believing the worst, then it could very well happen, not to mention the fact that when Animal gave me his signal, we wouldn’t be ready, and that, too, could get us all killed.
Metalman gave Kimber an intense look. “I’m going to sneak out of here and go see if I can find Animal, give him a hand.” Turning to me, Phil spoke solemnly. “I will bring him back to you, Lia.”
“I know you will, Phil, and thank you.” My husband’s best friend squeezed my hand reassuringly and he was gone.
The three of us watched Metalman walk away stealthily. I did a quick scan of the crowd. “Okay, they appear to be letting us mingle like usual. We have to do something, or I am going to go crazy. I have to help Animal.”
Sandy grabbed my arm. “You are going to help your husband by staying alive, Liandra. You are not going to run around here half-cocked, not knowing exactly how many gun-toting lunatics there are in this place. You aren’t your Uncle Cordell, you know,” she said, speaking of my martial-arts expert uncle, also a Texas Ranger.
“No, but I can fight like he can. After that incident with Palmer, I finished getting my black belt, plus Animal started teaching me a few things after we got married.” I chuckled. “As for that crack, nobody’s like Uncle Cordell.”
“Okay, look,” Kimber stated. “Sandy and I will spread out, check the place out. Find out how many of these husband-stealing goons there are in here. Then we’ll report back to you, say, in fifteen minutes,” Kimber said, checking her watch as Sandy and I synchronized ours with hers. “You stay here in case Animal comes back, so you can spot any signal he makes.”
“Gotcha.” I wandered over to a small table that was stocked with every liquid imaginable in various glasses. I chose an ice water, not wanting champagne, for two reasons. One, champagne was almost always used in celebrations, and this certainly wasn’t a celebration anymore, and two, I definitely didn’t need any alcohol in my system dulling my actions or my thinking. I needed to be sharp and ready when Animal got loose from those creeps. I glanced heavenward, whispering a silent prayer to God for my husband’s safety, and the safety of all those stuck in this mess. Please, Lord, keep everyone in Your hands tonight. Give Hugo the wisdom and knowledge he will need to get us out of this.
I felt a cold, clammy hand on my arm pulling me around. Whoever it was, it wasn’t my husband. I grimaced before I turned around. So much for a quick end to this mess of an evening.
As I faced the man who was pulling on my arm, I got a good look at the expression on his face. Lustful, lascivious, and not anything I wanted a part of. He began to drag me toward a table. Red-hot rage flooded through me as it dawned on me what he was after. He wasn’t just eyeing me, he meant to rape me. Over my dead body, I thought to myself. No other man had ever touched me except my husband, and I intended to keep it that way.
My attacker shoved me down onto the table as I twisted my head around, frantically searching the edges of the floor for Animal and Metalman. Relief engulfed me as I spotted Animal wrap his arms around the neck of a terrorist along the wall and snap it. I saw him looking through the crowd for me, so, to get his attention, I screamed. The creep looming over me leered at me and said something lewd in Farsi. My Farsi wasn’t as good as Mac’s, but I could tell by his face whatever it was he’d said wasn’t pleasant. His hand grazed my breast and it was all I could do to keep from throwing up. Animal, if you don’t do something, I thought just as a silenced round hit the terrorist in the head, his hands clutching my dress as he fell to the ground, dead. Gray matter from the now deceased terrorist decorated a nearby wall, as well as my dress. I made a face. Oh, well, at least Clayton was the one who paid for it, I thought as my eyes surveyed the crowd again for my heroic spouse.
Around me I heard several of our kidnappers muttering and complaining in Farsi. It was absurd, but I wanted to jump up and down and clap my hands gleefully. These goons were confused and nervous now, and I knew my husband was in no small part responsible for that. I did manage a smug smile. These morons didn’t have a clue who they were dealing with.
A few minutes later, to my shocked delight, I realized that Animal and Metalman, along with Senator McCain, had cleared the ballroom of all but two of the terrorists. One of those two suddenly brought a woman to the front of the room. Beside me, I heard Sandy gasp. I hadn’t even noticed when she and Kimber had returned. “That’s Senator McCain’s wife,” Sandy said unnecessarily, because the terrorist had just announced he would kill Mrs. McCain if “the people who are killing our people do not show themselves.”
Glancing over at Animal, I noticed his wingman raising his arm to fire on one of the terrorists. I gave him a surprised look as he mouthed the word “SCREAM” at me. Okay, yeah, I can do that.
I cut loose with a banshee shriek as Animal and Metalman stepped out into the crowd and fired at the two remaining terrorists.
“Room’s clear,” Animal grunted as I came running over to him. Throwing my arms around him, I kissed him passionately. “I’m so proud of you,” I whispered in his ear as he pressed a silenced MP-5 into my hands.
Kimber and Sandy ran over to us. “Any sign of Clay yet?” I asked.
“No, not yet, but he has to be around here somewhere,” Sandy replied with a smile.
Kimber grinned at me. “I just saw your Uncle AJ come in. Wherever Clay’s hiding, he’d better stay put, because your uncle is furious with him,” she giggled.
“Is my anger something you find amusing, Lieutenant Commander Benton?” Uncle AJ said dourly as he walked over to include himself in our little group.
“Oh, Uncle AJ, stop it,” I scolded as I walked over to hug him.
As he slid an arm around me, he noticed the terrorist’s cerebral matter clinging to my dress. “What in the devil’s hell happened to you, Liandra?”
Giving my husband a ‘keep your mouth shut’ look, I decided my uncle did not need to know all that had recently transpired, but, as usual, my husband took matters into his own hands. “I had to shoot a man who was about to rape her, sir,” Animal stated dutifully as I glared at him.
To appease my uncle’s fury, I invited him along on the next step in our mission. “Animal wants to go downstairs and rub these guys out at the source. Want to join us?” I asked, knowing full well he wanted in.
“Who else is going?” was his reply as he jacked ammunition into a weapon he’d somehow acquired, probably off one of the fallen terrorists’ bodies.
“Me, Animal, Metalman, Senator McCain, and you,” I told him as I prepared my own weapon for use.
“Oh, no, you’re not,” AJ stated firmly.
Taking my husband’s arm, I responded hotly. “Yes, I am, Uncle AJ. I don’t know if anyone’s told you this yet, but Animal was the first hostage they grabbed. They took him away, out of the ballroom, most likely with the intent to kill him. Now, I don’t know about you, but as far as I’m concerned, that deserves a little payback. Are we going to sit around arguing about this all night or are going to go in there and stop these creeps? Besides, Uncle AJ, these two clowns,” I said, gesturing towards my husband and his friend, “ have been playing SEAL all night. I need you to come along and show them how a real SEAL takes care of business.”
“All right,” Uncle AJ finally conceded. “But you do as you are told, Liandra. Animal and I have more experience in these matters than you.”
Insulted, I glared at my uncle. “Hey, you’re talking to the girl that took down Palmer here.”
Animal led us down a hallway toward the door the terrorists had used to take him to the situation room. “There’s seven of the horrid cretins down here. I took out the one that was supposed to kill me, and Metalman and I got two more after I got loose.”
Opening a stairwell door, my uncle said, “So that’s one and one-quarter terrorist a piece. Think you can handle it?” he asked us. Metalman grunted an assent; Senator McCain and Animal nodded. Uncle AJ looked down at me. “What is it, Liandra? Are you having second thoughts?”
“No, just plotting.” I answered, then turned to my husband. “The leader of this bunch of yahoos, he’s the one who ordered your execution?”
Animal nodded.
“Good. He’s my whole one, then.”
“Liandra!” Uncle AJ sputtered.
Quick as lightning, I spun on my uncle and pinned him against the banister. “Let’s get something straight, Admiral,” I said sarcastically. “It was my husband these cowards tried to kill. From where I’m standing, I have more reason than anyone except Animal himself to want this man dead. HE IS MINE, so all of you just stay out of my way. Get in between me and that madman and you might end up with a bullet in the head. That is my final warning,” I stated coldly as I followed my husband down the staircase.
Once we were all through the door at the bottom of the landing, Animal pointed to a set of double doors about halfway to the end of the hall. “There it is, they’re gathered in the situation room.”
Senator McCain spoke up. “There’s another secret entrance through an office down this hall,” he said as he ushered us down a side hall into a spacious, yet spartan room. “The secret door is over there,” the Senator pointed to a darker portion of the wall.
Giving me a quick hug, Animal looked around at Metalman, Senator McCain, and Uncle AJ. “Let’s get this overwith.”
Animal crept surreptitiously over to the concealed door, placing his ear against the wall. “Sounds clear.” He turned to me. “Come here, babe. I need your help.”
Walking over to my husband, I said, “Okay, what?”
“Wanna play Texas Ranger? I’ll be Walker, you be Trivette,” my husband answered with a grin.
“Aww, I always hafta be Jimmy,” I whined sarcastically as we spun simultaneously and fired perfect roundhouse kicks, shattering the fake wall.
Not even waiting for the debris to settle, Animal and I crashed through the huge hole in what was left of the wall. The three terrorists nearest me raised their arms to fire, but met their Maker when fired upon by Metalman, my uncle, and the Senator, who had followed us through our homemade entrance.
Spotting the leader of the terrorists, I looked at Animal. “Is that him?”
Animal nodded affirmatively. “Okay, he’s mine, then. That leaves five for the four of you to take care of,” I replied as I took off at a dead run after the man who had ordered the execution of the love of my life.
Chasing the monster out into the hallway, I screamed at him in Farsi. {Stop! Turn and face me like a man, unless you are too cowardly to fight a woman.}
He slowly turned and glared at me. {You are not a woman. You are just a child. You cannot fight me and win.}
I gave him a feral grin. Mom always said I’d be able to make use of the fact that I look young for my age someday. {That does not matter. All that matters now is that you pay for what you have done here tonight.}
He tried to wear me down with a seductive smile. {But what have I done to harm you, beautiful lady?}
I gave him a cold look. {You gave an order to have my husband executed. Not to mention one of your men nearly raped me.}
{But I had no control over that}, he said plaintively, as he raised his gun arm to fire at something behind me.
I heard the clatter of running footsteps behind me. Animal’s voice stood out among the cacophony that floated into my ears. “Liandra, GET DOWN!”
Instantly and without conscious thought, I dropped to the floor as gunfire rang out over my head and the terrorist leader fell, a 9mm round in the middle of his forehead.
I stood up and stretched out my hands to my husband. Dropping the weapon in his hand, Animal ran over to me, and pulled me into his arms. “Do you think maybe we can leave now?” he asked me wryly, taking my hand in his as we walked back over to Uncle AJ, Senator McCain, and Metalman.
Clayton, Sandy and Kimber came running up the hall. Kimber threw herself into Metalman’s arms. I could hear her chewing him out for worrying her as he led her out the stairwell door. “No fair,” I whispered in Animal’s ear. “Why do they get to leave, and we don’t?” “’Cause they’re quicker than us,” my husband quipped as Clay walked over.
“Animal, Liandra, are you two okay?” he asked.
“No thanks to you, Webb. Where in Hades have you been, anyway?” Uncle AJ snarled. “My nephew was nearly murdered tonight, my niece was nearly raped, and all you can say is ‘are you okay’?” AJ thundered as his fist collided solidly with Clay’s nose, breaking it again.
My exhausted spouse glanced down at me. “Let’s get out of here, quick, before those two start an all-out war.”
Taking my husband’s hand, I slipped my other arm around his waist and leaned into his shoulder. “Yes, please. Let’s go,” I said as we left Uncle AJ and Clay to their never-ending battle of wills.
LATER
Harm and Mac arrived just after all the hostages had been taken to the hospital. The morgue van was still outside, though, to finish collecting the bodies of the terrorists that had died at my family’s hands.
“Any idea on what happened here?” Animal asked tensely as he gathered me into his arms.
I now wore a set of hospital scrubs that one of the paramedics coming in to check out the hostages had given me. I’d changed out of my ruined dress the minute the scrubs were in my hands. Clay and Sandy showed Animal and I where there was a restroom, and we went in so I could change. Clay, a large white bandage covering his nose, had objected strongly to Animal going in with me, but Animal, having exhausted his patience on our little unplanned SEAL escapade, shoved Clayton roughly up against the wall. “I go in there with her or she doesn’t go in at all. I am not letting her out of my sight, ever again. The last time I did, she nearly was raped,” Animal growled. Peeling Animal off of Clay, I agreed with him. “I’m not letting you out of my sight, either, Captain. The last time I did, you nearly got yourself killed.”
Once inside the restroom, I slumped tiredly against the wall. Animal took me in his arms, sliding his hands around to unzip the disgusting remains of my dress and remove it from my worn out body.
As the dress slid away, my husband continued holding me as I let out hours of frustration, anger, and fear through my tears. “Oh, Hugo, I thought . . .” “Shh,” he murmured consolingly as he pressed soft, comforting kisses onto my face. As his lips traveled softly over my closed eyes and down my face, I was reminded again of the power of his love for me. Slipping my arms around his neck, I clung to his muscular frame. His lips brushed mine and I suddenly felt as if I was on fire. My husband’s sharp gasp told me he felt the same as I did. “Hey, Animal, you big stud,” I whispered in his ear. Hey, I thought, he’s not the only one who can quote from our favorite movies. “That’s me, honey,” he chuckled, probably at my choice of quotes. I’m sure he knew what I was about to say, but I said it anyway. “Take me to bed or lose me forever.”
“Aye, aye, ma’am,” he’d replied facetiously, then turned serious as he took me into his arms once more. “Honey, I am so sorry about tonight.”
“That’s okay, dear, I understand. You had work to do. But, you will make it up to me,” I’d stated pointedly.
Now, I couldn’t wait to go home, take a nice hot bath, and sleep for a week. I turned my lagging attention back to Uncle AJ, who responded to Animal’s question. “The terrorists tried to make it their ultimate statement in trying to capture as many leaders as possible in the United States government. If they wanted to do that, they succeeded,” Uncle AJ said.
“I don’t know,” I could tell by the tone of his voice that Animal was thinking out loud. “Could they have had something more in mind? Maybe they tied something into the computer system . . .could they have done that?” My husband asked a question not many people could answer.
Except one. “If I can get to a computer, I can find out what they did.” I glared furiously over Animal’s shoulder at Clayton Webb. You’re gonna pay for this, Webb, I thought darkly as my husband’s jaw dropped in shock at the sight of Meg Austin.
“Meg?” he said.
“Yes, Hugo, it’s been a long time,” Meg said, her eyes still showing a faint trace of affection towards my husband, affection she had no business having, considering how much she’d hurt him.
“Not long enough,” I said sarcastically as I stared daggers at Meg. “There’ll be plenty of time for reunions later . . .right now we need to find out what those terrorists have done to the situation room.”
A US Army Master Sergeant brought Meg a Macintosh G4, one of the most powerful portable notebook computers in the entire world. Meg sat down and had a look at the computer screen. “Okay, I’m going to need a T7 link into the situation room.”
“Done, ma’am,” said the MSGT. “It’s ready for you to work on it. We have all the schematics of the building and the wiring, so all you have to do is call up each floor.”
Fifteen minutes later, we found out what had happened to the situation room. The terrorists had wired 200 tons of C4 to the building’s wiring. Meg found the timers, that just oh so conveniently were wired into the C4 and all of it was linked to a computer. Marvelous. What a perfect ending to this horrible day, I thought sarcastically. These jerks really worked the White House over, didn’t they?
Animal asked Meg, “Can you stop the timer?”
“Not without getting a closer look at it,” she told him. “We have to see what the wires are,” she said to the Colonel. “I need to get a bomb squad down here with some bomb defusing gear and some protective clothing for myself . . .I’m going down to take a look.”
“You’re risking your life, Meg,” Animal said. “That thing could go off and you’ll be standing at ground zero.”
“I know I will,” Meg replied, ”but it’s the only chance we have, sir.”
Mac asked, “Meg, are you sure it’s the only way?”
The NIS agent nodded soberly as she pointed at the black box at the corner of the screen. A readout showed what the fuse was for. It grew very silent in our little van; a van that somehow only moments ago seemed quite spacious now felt too small. I’ll bet Meg’s not having a good time right about now, I thought as I suddenly remembered Harm telling me once that Meg was claustrophobic. The device was a fuse for a thermonuclear weapon. All that C4, we noticed, was shaped inward towards a little box, a little box of plutonium. The terrorists had wired the entire situation room into a massive thermonuclear warhead with ground zero being in the heart of Washington, DC. And the timer was clicking down to zero. If someone didn’t do something soon, we would all be seeing a mushroom cloud over Washington, DC.
The only problem with this was the fact that the box of plutonium was sitting on top of a C4 trigger, which would explode if the box was moved. Not to mention that if the wires were cut, the rest of the C4 would explode and the chain reaction would set off the thermonuclear explosion.
And it was all set to a computer-linked trigger; a computer that ran on . . . Electricity! That’s it! I thought frantically. “Meg, tell the city to shut off all the electrical power,” I said to her quickly. Animal glanced over at me, a puzzled expression on his face.
“What?” Meg stammered. “What do you mean by that?” Under normal circumstances I’d have called her on the improper form of address, but, more than likely, we were all going to be incinerated in a matter of minutes if my hunch didn’t pay off, so it really wasn’t that germane at this point.
“You said the wiring was hitched to the computer, right?” I snapped, losing patience with her. “Tell the city to turn off all the electricity so that there is none anywhere. Trust me on this, just do it.”
Meg just shrugged her shoulders and made the call. Then six pairs of eyes—mine, Animal’s, Mac’s, Uncle AJ’s, Meg’s and Sandy’s---watched the timer anxiously. The timer slowly counted down its minutes, all fifteen of them, but to each of us it seemed like an eternity. As the final second ticked off, we all said a fervent prayer. At least my death will be quick, and I’m with the man that I love most on this earth.
But nothing. It worked.
The cool, calm, star-lit night was still visible, the hustle and bustle of the streets of our nation’s capital city unabated. Everyone stood there for an infinite moment and then we all breathed a huge sigh of relief, audible throughout the van. Weakly, I sank into my husband’s arms, shaking all over. He kissed my hair, and I leaned further into his comforting touch.
Clay stepped up into the van, completely unaware, as usual, of the drama that had just taken place. “Well, that proved to be one heck of an evening.”
Animal turned and addressed everyone. “Liandra and I are going home to a nice warm bath and a good night’s rest.” Once more I leaned into his soothing embrace and we left, heading for the parking garage and Animal’s metallic blue Camaro.
MUCH LATER
True to our word, the first thing we had done once home was hit the shower. Actually, my husband hit the shower. I opted for a long, luxuriating soak in the hot tub. After we were both finished, my Animal picked me up and carried me to our bedroom where he told me in exquisite detail, both with and without words, how proud he was of me.
“What for?” I asked as I ran my hands over his shoulders lovingly.
“For figuring that electricity thing out,” he grinned before kissing me passionately.
As soon as coherence returned, I replied, “Oh, Meg would have eventually figured it out herself, once she quit staring goggle-eyed at you.”
“She was not,” Animal murmured as he ran his fingers over my arms, causing delicious shivery sensations to run over me.
“ She was, too. Sandy and I both saw her. Men are so dense,” I teased him, “especially the ones that wear dress whites and gold wings. You think those will get you in bed anywhere,” I laughed at my husband.
“Well, it worked on you, didn’t it?” Animal gave as good as he got.
“Why, you . . .” I sputtered indignantly as I sat up and threw a punch at him. He dodged my hand and used his own to capture my face and pull me close enough for a kiss. “Oh, no, you don’t . . .” I started to object, but he cut me off by pressing his lips to mine. Before my bones turned to mush, I wrapped my arms around Animal’s neck and ran my fingers through his soft hair.
Smiling at my husband, I told him, “I’m going to get you back for that smart remark, you know.”
“Ummmm,” he murmured smugly as he grabbed the back of my head and lowered his mouth to mine, heat suffusing my body all over again at his touch.
I really did get him back, but that’s another story for another time.
THE END.