PART 3
1845 hours
JAG Headquarters
Falls Church, VA
Lt Singer yelled out orders to Gunny, and he obeyed huffing
under his breath. Tiner noticed Gunny
dashing around, and offered to help.
“Thanks, Tiner. I
think I might kill her,” Gunny said with a laugh.
“Sarge, even I might kill her,” said Tiner, picking up a
stack of papers.
“Kill who?” the Admiral growled as he added to Tiner’s pile.
“Get a move on it,
Gunny!” Singer yelled from her desk as she hovered over a bag from Burger King. This irritated AJ.
Making everyone stop in their tracks he shouted,
“Lieutenant!”
“Yes Sir!” she
hissed, holding onto a carton of fries.
The crowd began to whisper.
AJ walked over to her, and quietly spoke.
“Lieutenant, I am hungry myself, and we all have duties that
need to be done, even if they are a bore,” he started to say.
“Sir,” she interrupted, “I am working hard to finish this
report tonight.”
“Lieutenant,” he
said angrily, “then work on it. Gunny has his own assignments.”
“Yes, sir!” Singer snapped, letting the fries drop back into
the bag.
AJ spun around, and headed off to the kitchen. He heard footsteps behind him, and knew they
belonged to Gunny.
“What can I do for you, Gunny?” AJ said.
“Sir, I need to speak to you privately, regarding operation
R&R,” he whispered.
“What about it?” AJ questioned quietly while stooping in
front of the refrigerator.
“Sir, I was asked to give you the exact location of the
exercise. Along with ways to reach the,
um, command post. You know, sir, in
case you have any questions, or a problem arises.”
“I see. Are we
expecting any problems?” he asked, looking at a container of fettuccine.
“Well, Admiral, to be honest with you, the Colonel didn’t
disclose her intentions to all of us, sir,” Gunny said.
AJ stood upright abruptly, and looked carefully at
Gunny, “You mean she didn’t tell
Brumby?” he asked bewildered.
“It would appear, sir, that the Colonel needs some
space. Admiral, I can’t say for sure,
but my gut tells me that things are getting a little hairy.”
“Well, hell. I knew
something was bothering her. Didn’t
they just set a date?” AJ asked.
“Yes, sir. You know,
Admiral, they say getting married can be one of the most stressful times of
your life.”
AJ let out a laugh.
“Try getting divorced,” he said.
2100 hours
Mac’s Apartment
Georgetown
Mic scanned the quiet apartment. He looked down at Jingo and asked, “You miss her too?” Jingo gave Brumby his “sad puppy” eyes. “I know Jingo. It’s not the same without her,” he said to the dog.
Mic stood still for a moment, not sure what to do, then
decided to stay there anyway. He took
his shower, readied the bed, and went to scan the kitchen for food.
“Ahh, Sarah,” he thought out loud, “I wanted you here
tonight.” His so-called career was on
the fast track to nowhere, and today had been particularly trying. He was not getting the calls he hoped for. Times were tough, but one look around, and
he knew he was doing the right thing.
The trouble was he definitely did not want to be alone tonight. Shoving a plate of leftover pot roast into
the microwave, he pushed the start button, and then picked up his briefcase to
keep himself occupied and his planner fell out. When he looked down, he realized that it was open to Renee’s
number. “I know Rabb is out of town,
too,” he thought, “Maybe I’ll give her a call.”
PART 4
0830 hours
Charleston Bed and Breakfast
Hampton, VA
Mac stood on her patio in the cool, spring air. The bright sun hung above the bay, and it
glistened on the water. She watched the
ships make their way out to sea as the hot coffee cup warmed her hands. “Peaceful,” she said to herself. “I did need this time alone.”
This was a quaint, New England style resort. Not one of the romantic vacation spots she
and Mic picked up brochures on, and one with less Southern charm. Nevertheless,
it caught her eye. It was a million
miles from her troubles.
Mac sat in the oversized wicker chair. She snuggled in to the thick cushions, and
closed her eyes. As she let out a sigh,
she could hear the seagulls circling around.
Mac sipped her coffee, and thought about calling Mic. Last night she bought a phone card to
use. She did not want to tell him where
she was. Reluctantly she grabbed the
phone; after all, Mic would wonder why she did not call.
0900 hours
JAG Headquarters
Falls Church, VA
At his desk, AJ poured over his files making a list of
things to do. The Secnav “suggested” he
spend the weekend in Norfolk inspecting the JAG offices. This scratched his plans of attending the
Oriole’s home opener, but the inspection was due.
“Enter!” he snarled at the knock to his door
“You wanted to see me, Admiral?” Rabb asked.
“Yes, Commander, I need to go out of town this weekend, and
am putting you in charge. Here is a
list of things that need done, along with a list of available personnel. Any questions?”
“Sir, Mac isn’t on this list. I didn’t know she was out,” he replied confused.
“Are you keeping a record of her whereabouts?” AJ asked with
a hint of sarcasm.
“No, sir, she usually tells me her plans, ahh, we tell each
other,” Rabb answered feeling embarrassed.
“Don’t worry about it!” he exclaimed, “She’s a big
girl. She can take care of herself.”
“Yes, Admiral!”
“Hope this won’t ruin your weekend, Commander,” AJ said.
“Well, Admiral, I hope this doesn’t ruin your weekend, sir.”
“It all ready has!” groaned AJ as he left his office.
0915hours
Charleston Bed and Breakfast
Hampton, VA
Mac called Mic’s office first, but his voice mail answered
the call. She left a brief message, and
then tried his apartment. Again, she
only reached his voice mail. She set
the phone down, and looked out at the bay.
People were gathering on a dock, and Mac remembered that the resort
offered a sailing trip on Friday mornings.
She glanced at the clock realizing she could make it in time. Grabbing her coat, she quickly headed out
the door saying, “Try you later, Mic.”