Chapter Six

They'd left directly from the airstrip, Ripcord taking the time to thank and say goodbye to Chuck. He crossed to the passenger side to open the door for her, she smiled as she pushed it shut, instead putting her hands on the T-top frame and hopping the fiberglass panel. Sliding into the bucket seat, she flipped her black sunglasses from the top of her head down, turning to glance at him.
"Half way?" She asked, tapping her forehead. "Where did all the brain cells go?" Her actions prompted a laugh from him as he crossed back to his side, entering the same way.

He'd slowed the car to almost a rolling stop, revving the engine heavily. She immediately shot forward, looking left and right, to see what kind of vehicle was challenging them this time, but there were none around. She raised her sunglasses and shot him a curious glance as he once again took the engine to redline. A mischievous grin swept across his face as he nodded forwards. Further inspection from her showed the on-ramp to I-70. The same devilish grin over took her as well as she hopped up on the front seat, as he dropped the car thorough all 5 gears, hitting the ramp at near 80.

They drove straight through this time, no detours, the trip taking a short six hours, with Ripcord's "bat out of hell" style driving fueled by the mid-day skydive adrenaline rush. She thought back to the tattoo she'd seen on his shoulder, first back in the Brazil jungle, then again back when she'd near walked in on him after his shower, a bat emerging from some flames, and smiled. Suited him well. She'd spent most of the ride resting against him, placing her hand atop his when he'd have to shift gears, cradled in his arm when he didn't. Their mood turned more melancholy as the two soldiers came upon the more familiar sights of "home."

He brazenly smoked the tires as he passed his pseudo-nemesis, the attendant at the parking garage, bringing the car safely once again to its spot on the third tier. The echoing growl ended as he turned the key to the off position. The entire car seemed to relax as the engine ceased, including the two occupants inside. She didn't want to move, didn't want her time with him to end. They'd have to stop being Courtney and Wally, go back to being Specialists Krieger and Weems especially in front of everyone else. "Wally, I...." She began uncertainly. He placed his index finger gently to her lips causing her to stop mid-sentence as she nervously scanned his reassuring green eyes. His intensity brought a wave of warmth and security that flooded over her as he traced her facial features. His free hand came to a rest on the back of her neck beneath her hair as he leaned in closer and drew her to him; the touch of his parted lips sending an electrical charge through her more intense than she'd ever felt. "You were saying?" He whispered softly as they slowly parted.
"I don't remember." She whispered honestly, causing him to chuckle slightly, brushing his lips against her forehead before drawing back.
"Good." He said, reassuredly, offering a small smile. They stared at each other for another brief moment before he exited the vehicle "true superman" style, one hand on either side of the frame, hopping over the door rather than through it.
She'd helped him replace the fiberglass T-Tops before he walked her to the dorms, where they'd said good night. Though it was still relatively early, both still needed to pack a week's worth of gear... causing her to smile. Twelve hours to pack. A blessing in disguise.

They met up the next morning, him swinging by her dorm room at 0700. "Hey Covergirl, you ready?" Ripcord spoke loudly enough for his voice to carry through the wooden door. She smiled at the familiarity. "One sec." She replied from behind the door. She took a final second to give herself a once over in the mirror. Like her jeans, the neatly pressed short white straight cut denim skirt and matching short sleeved shirt were a bit bigger on her than she'd have liked, still a left-over from the slight drop in weight after the jungle. Another blessing in disguise. From what she'd remembered, Hawaiian cuisine looked absolutely delicious, it would be nice to actually eat it for a change. He'd helped bring down her two bags, and she smiled to see that he still packed in the same beat-up ruck he'd taken for the weekend trip to visit his family. They met up with the team by the motor pool, as was planned, her melancholy mood immediately washed away by the team's near exuberance.
"Rogue Force!" Fast Draw shouted, handing out high fives, his post-mission/post pass high still fired up. Repeater even almost cracked a smile as Fast Draw jumped on his back, piggyback style, singing his own off-key hula-song, finishing with a Ha-wa-ii chant.
"Seven days in paradise!" Zap added. She smiled, and shook her head to clear it from negative thoughts. They still had seven days, seven days before any of this became real again. Seven days before they'd get the call and stand before Hawk to find out where they'd be going next, what their assignment would be. She let a small smile creep over her face, thinking of the word they. 'The Rogue Force', her team. They'd only been out together twice, three times if she counted when it was just her and Ripcord. The sense of belonging was comforting. Her team. They'd worked well together, they'd worked hard, and they'd earned the break.
"I'm taking surf lessons, amigo!" Zap continued, patting Ripcord on the back. "Are you in?"
"This arm in salt water?" He said in disbelief. "I hope you're kidding."
"That's... That's right." Fast Draw said, dejectedly, his hand shooting to his wound, but quickly shrugged it off. "Oh well, at least this should work well as a pick up line!" He quipped.
"Where are we staying?" Zap.... Melendez... asked. She wouldn't make the same mistake again. Melendez, Provost, Brown, Guderian, Therien, and of course... she let her eyes soften, falling on him. Weems. First names she was still getting used to.
"Who cares?" From Fast Draw. "As long as there's sun, sand and babes in bikinis." She rolled her eyes.
"Happily married man, amigo." Zap said proudly twirling his wedding band on his ring finger.
"More for me." he shot back.
"You'll need the odds, son..." the sergeant quipped, causing laughter from the rest of the team. "Says here we'll be staying at The SunSpree..." Hotseat read from their itinerary. She half choked/half laughed on the Coke she'd picked up on the way down.
"Thank you Uncle Sam!" She said, shaking her head. "SunSpree. Fancy name... it's the Holiday Inn.... The Super 8 of the Islands." Her agent had coined the term for the large Holiday Inn resort, and the name kind of stuck with her.
"Still be nice to stay somewhere tropical inside this time, Chica." Zap said with a quick nod.
"Amen to that." From Heavy Metal. She shot him a quick look of contempt before averting her eyes.

She recognized the soldier transporting them as Sgt. Shannahan, one of the reservists that had a background in transportation, even with his civilian clothes on. The blue Government Issue van dropped them at the Richmond International Airport, where they'd catch the first leg of their long flight. Richmond to St. Louis, change over airlines, St. Louis to Los Angeles, change flights, then on to Kauai.

She saw him staring out of the small window at the clouds below, an almost peaceful look on his face as the 737 traveled onwards towards Los Angeles. She shook her head slowly. "Not on your life, Skyboy." She kidded. "Twenty Eight thousand feet, that was one thing."
He gave her a no-big-deal shrug and smile, adding a quick: "I've done it before." She smiled, settling back in her seat, not doubting it.
She managed to sleep through most of the flights, wishing she could once again settle into the safety and warmth of Ripcord's strong arms, but knowing that they'd have to be more cautious in front of the team.

After what seemed an eternity of flying coach, the large commercial jet touched down at Kauai's main airport, the entire team again coming alive to stare out the windows at the scenic islands and blue ocean below. As was tradition, two beautiful women clad in native Hawaiian garb placed a lei around the neck of each passenger as they exited the aircraft. "All right!" Fast Draw commented as they walked up the ramp way to the main terminal. "Not even here for five minutes, and I've already been 'leid.'" It was possible, she thought to herself. He did get more obnoxious by the minute.

A shuttle had been arranged to take them to the SunSpree, Hotseat informing them they'd be doubling up in rooms. Fast Draw to slid an arm around her shoulder. "Looks like it's you and me Babe." He said with a wink. She picked his hand up unwrapping it from around her and dropping it back in his lap. "In your dreams, Hotshot." She told him, getting a quick: "It will be now." In response.

It wasn't spoken, but she knew the room divisions. Ripcord and Zap. Heavy Metal and Fast Draw. Repeater and Hotseat, she'd get her own. No need for discussion.
Ripcord walked her to her room before heading down the hallway to the room he and Zap were to share, telling her he'd see her again when they all met downstairs for dinner.
The topic of choice was how the forty eight hour passes were spent as they waited for the first round of after dinner drinks to come. Zap, of course had returned home, bringing back new pictures of the wife and family, his face lighting up as he told of stories of his kids antics, most of which sparking laughter from the team. Heavy Metal had gone back to see his girl, fiancé‚ he actually called her. Fast Draw kept his answers curt, simply stating he'd went to see his parents, before letting his eyes wander over towards the bar area. Hotseat and Repeater had both remained on base, Hotseat describing how he'd gone exploring the local area, finding a hole-in-the-wall bar about 30 miles out. "Not a lot to look at," he'd said, "But they did have a few pool tables and decent enough food." She'd seen Ripcord perk up slightly at the mention of the pool tables, a confident smile crossing his face. "What about you two..." Hotseat continued. "When, of course, you weren't tearing up the base in some suped-up hotrod...." He nodded, then half-kiddingly continued. "That's right, your sergeant received a complaint call from a parking lot attendant." She shielded her face with her hand, chuckling slightly at the memory, the attendant shouting, "This is not a speedway!" She shot a sideways glance towards Ripcord, who simply shrugged and stated they'd taken a road trip, stopping off at his mom's place in Columbus, it being cheaper than a hotel. She thought she'd seen Hotseat's still bruised face grow a bit darker, his eyebrows raised slightly as Ripcord spoke. The look was dismissed as the round of beers were finally brought to the table, prompting Hotseat to make a toast. He held up his mug and the rest followed. "To..." He began, but stopped. To what? They couldn't toast to success, though they'd had it, it wouldn't be official for another 20 years. The team looked to each other for a brief second, before Hotseat continued.
"To the seven of us." He concluded.
"Eight." From Heavy Metal. Up until that point he'd been near silent. "You can't forget Murphy... Murphy's law?" Fast Draw was the first to laugh.
"Damn, was that a joke Guderian?" He asked, prompting a smile in response from Heavy Metal.
"To the eight of us." Hotseat corrected. "Rogue force." The others raised their glasses in like and drank.
"And..." Fast Draw added, making a toast of his own as a woman in a short floral skirt and bikini top walked by. "To being a rogue in general....Who's with me?" He looked around the table. Zap once again held up his wedding banded hand, Heavy Metal holding up a hand as well. Hotseat added a trademark "too old" comment, while Repeater simply offered his stoic glance, causing Fast Draw to sigh. "Well, Weems, looks like it's you and me. Up for a boys night out?" She dropped her eyes quickly to the table, not wanting to show the hint of jealousy which crept into them.
"No thanks." He simply replied, shooting a quick look towards Covergirl. "My ribs are still killing me." She raised her eyes to him giving a worried glance before realizing he was simply avoiding the night out with Fast Draw, a small smile forming at the corners of her mouth.
"No sense of adventure, Skyboy. I have a bullet hole, not going to slow me down." He tried. Ripcord still smiled, and slowly shook his head. "I'd ask you, Babe, but you don't qualify. However, if you want to spend a boys night in..." He thumped his chest. "Elliot's in room 119. For now..." He spied another good-looking woman in a floral skirt as he twirled the Hawaiian flowered necklace. "Time to get ..."
"Don't even..." she interrupted, shaking her head. He tossed her a wink.
"Jealous, Babe?" He asked with an obnoxious smirk.
"You know what your problem is..."She started, but stopped when she felt Wally give a reassuring pat to her knee beneath the table.
"Yeah, I told you I did. Just not enough of Elliot Brown to go around." He quick tousseled her hair before heading out to the bar.
Once Fast Draw left, the others followed suit, Hotseat, Repeater and Heavy Metal being the first to leave. Zap and Ripcord finished what remained in the pitcher of beer before the three ascended the stairs to the second floor. He'd told Zap that he'd be to their room momentarily. She'd heard him chuckle in response, adding a whispered "No you won't amigo," causing a quick blush to cross her face as she quickly looked away.

She awoke early the next morning, enjoying a brief run on the sand, before returning to the room where Wally still lay sleeping. She tried not to wake him as she grabbed her change of clothes, sliding into the bathroom, smiling as she took the time to lock the door behind her.

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