Things had been good since the Joe team returned from their mission in Paris. Hawk was constantly in meetings with organizations that wanted to give financial support in their fight against Cobra. The terrorist organization had finally stepped on one too many toes and the Joes were profiting from it. Cobra had been quiet for a while, both a good and bad thing. Good because it allowed the Joes a little down time and the intelligence teams time to prepare for the next bout. Of course, the bad side was that, usually, when the Snakes are quiet this long it meant they were planning something big.
As for Duke and Scarlett things have continued to go well. Their relationship is progressing at a pace satisfying to them both. They’re not flaunting their new relationship but neither are they attempting to hide it. Hawk and Duke are at another meeting in D.C. and Flint is on vacation with Lady Jaye, leaving Beach Head in charge.
Two days before Duke is scheduled to return Scarlett, Wild Bill, Gung Ho, and Ace have gone out drinking. Scarlett’s beeper goes off.
“Tell whoever it is that you’re out with your boyfriends and to shove off!” Ace told Scarlett
“Yeah, we’re just about ready to start a new game and you’re the one with the money!” Bill joined in the chorus
“I’ll just be a minute. It’s a D.C. area code.” She told her campanions
“Give my regards to Duke!” Ace called after her as she left the table
“Whatever!” she called back
Scarlett made her way to the bank of pay phones at one end of the bar and dialed the number on her beeper. Someone picked up on the first ring. “Hi!” she greeted who she thought was Duke on the phone
“It’s nice to know we’re still on speaking terms, for now at least.” The voice came back
A cold dread came over Scarlett, “Stevens. What’s wrong?”
“Mr. McCullough has been injured. I have been requested to inform you that your presence is requested on his behalf.”
She gasped, “Grandfather? What happened? Where is he? Will he be all right?”
“He was shot earlier this morning. Mr. McCullough is in intensive care at a London hospital. The doctors seem hopeful. The bullet
missed most everything vital.”
“I’m not on base. It’ll take me twenty minutes to get there and then I’ve got to get permission from the C.O. .”
“Will that be a problem?”
“How long will I be gone?”
“It was a sniper-and not one sent by a disgruntled bookie.”
“I’ll call you when I get back to base.”
Scarlett hurries back to the table. “Who has the keys?”
“You’re not ready to leave yet, are you? The fun’s just started!”
“I’ve got to go! Give me the keys!.”
Bill noticed that something wasn’t quite right with his friend. “What’s wrong?”
“My grandfather. He’s been shot. He’s an old man and I need to get back to base so I can get emergency leave.”
In the care, on the way back to base, Scarlett tried numerous times to get patched through to Beach Head. Each time she tried she was unsuccessful. One way or another she had to get to grandfather. He needed her. When one of her friends pressed for details she told them all she knew, that grandfather had been shot and was in the hospital, and that she couldn’t get any straight answers as to his condition. That shut everyone up. When doctors started dancin’ around, avoiding a straight answer, something was up. And that something was not usually well received.
When Scarlett and the Joes arrive back at base they go in search of Beach Head. They find him in the midst of a poker game-one in where he was winning. Beach Head is still reluctant to speak with Scarlett until she barges in and clears all the money off the table. “I need emergency leave. My grandfather is in the hospital.”
“Will you get our of here?! We’re in the middle of something important!”
“This is more important. I need you to grant me emergency leave. My grandfather is in the hospital and I need to be with him.”
Beach Head grabbed the money back, threw it on the table, and grabed Scarlett by the arm.
“I wouldn’t care if the pope himself walked in here right now and told me the fart was on his death bead. Hawk said no one was to leave. I’m in charge right now so you’d better believe that I’m not letting you off this base. For all I know you’d be headed to meet your boyfriend. Now get out of here!” He slammed the door in her face.
Scarlett turned from the now shut and locked door, deciding it would be usless for her to pound her fists on the door, or try and break it in.
Bill and the others were waiting a few feet away, ready to help in any way they could.
“If you need me to, I’ll fly you to Atlanta.”
“Thanks Bill, but I’m hoping that won’t have to happen.”
“What can we do?” Ace asks her
“Nothing. Go back to your quarters or go get something to eat. I have to make some phone calls.”
She calls Stevens and reports.
“Stevens?”
“Who else would answer this phone?”
“I can’t get leave.”
“What do you mean, ‘you can’t get leave’?”
“All the C.O. s are gone and Beach Head is in charge. He doesn’t think that a family emergency warrants immediate leave. I don’t know what to do! Bill offered to fly me to Atlanta but I’ve got a hunch you’re not in Atlanta, are you?”
“Don’t fret.”
“Don’t FRET! What else am I supposed to do? I’ve only got one choice, if I can’t convince Beach Head to let me go, I’ll have to resign.”
Stevens laughed low, as if he had a private joke no one else knew about, “Not necessarily Angel, not necessarily.”
“I don’t like the sound of that… I’m happy here. I don’t want to leave.” She told him firmly
He chuckled again, “Pack Angel. Blood is stronger than friendship.”
“He may be family, but he’s not blood.”
“Decide Angel, he pulled you out when there was no one else.”
Scarlett remembered lying in a hospital bed day after day, night after night, knowing she would never again be allowed to see her friends, wondering what would happen to them. Wondering what would happen to her, would they just forget, would they come after her? She didn’t know. All she knew was that she was not able to leave the hospital on her own. Someone from the outside would have to come and fetch her. Stacy had come after Toby, but there was no one left to come after her. Or so she thought until that fateful day Stevens wandered into her room with new clothes and an offer at a new life. She took it without looking back. Slowly, with Stevens help she recovered from the cold that had nearly taken Toby’s life and her left foot. After a few scant weeks she was downgraded to a cane. Grandfather and Elliot had in time come to be dear friends-a home, shelter from the cold world of intrigue. They had saved not only her body, but, her soul. They loved her unconditionally, like family, and she had come to love them the same. The years she had spent working for Elliot were good years. She enjoyed the intelligence game once again-perhaps because when things got to be too much there was solace in an old man’s smile. Whatever the reason she got her edge back and still had it. She owed the old man more than she could ever repay and she knew that no matter what the consequences were she could not just leave him to die in the cold world that he had once dragged her from.
“I’ll come, but I’m not sure how to get to you.”
“I’ll be there in a few hours. I’ll have transfer orders with me. Pack what you need for the night. If you’re gone long enough they’ll forward your clothes and things to Atlanta. We’ll intercept them if the time comes. Anything sensitve either bring with you or send to Rodger. He’ll safe keep it for you until the time comes for you leave us once again.” With that cryptic message, he hung up.
Scarlett packed two duffles-one with a variety of clothes, mostly hers, but a few high ticket items she was “borrowing” from Allie. She hoped she’d have the opportunity to return them. The second duffle contained her laptop, two hand guns, spare clips, and a variety of toiletries that would turn her into any one of the women smiling back from the numerous passport and identification papers she had in the bag. All there was left to do was write a note telling Duke and Allie what had happened. She wrote down the essential details-Grandfather shot. Must leave. Will be in touch. Love, Scarlett. She was sure Bill and the others would fill everyone in on the details.
A few hours later, at the designated time, Scarlett left her room and traveled down the halls to the tarmac, bags in hand. Stevens was several things, one of those things was being annoyingly, at times, punctual. Although in this case she certainly understood that time was of the essence. She didn’t know what was going on but she was sure it was more than a simple shooting. Stevens wouldn’t have bothered her if it were that.
She heard a helicopter in the distance, “Right on time.” She said softly.
The helicopter arrived in Joe air space and all hell broke loose. Several Joes came out rushing out of the building ready for a fight as the unknown helicopter prepared to land on the tarmac.
“How’d it get so close with out us noticing!” someone shouted
“That doesn’t matter, you idiot! We got to get rid of it!” someone answered.
Several other Joes ran past her, preparing to fend off an attack. Snake Eyes and Timber came up to stand beside her.
“It’s not like you to sneak off.” He signed
“I can’t tell you what’s really going on. Just that I have to leave and I hope you’ll understand.”
“I understand, some of the others I fear, will not.”
A silent tear ran down her cheek. She wiped the tear away with the back of her hand before she turned to face him. But whatever she said was lost in the wind as the helicopter touched down and opened its doors. Stevens ran towards her as a group of soldiers defended the helicopter. Angel took his hand and allowed herself to be lead to the helicopter, away from the Joes.
Later, if asked, the Joes would of course deny the fact that they somehow allowed an unknown helicopter to touch down and take off with one of their own. It hadn’t happened that way-they were seasoned professionals-used to taking on Cobra-there was no way a piddly little assault team beat them. Some would testify that Scarlett had turned traitor-that she was dressed in civilian
clothes waiting on the chopper to touch down. Others claimed that she had been kidnapped. Others still, claimed that the chopper wasn’t really a chopper at all but clever disguise by Cobra to cover up some new weapon. Bill, Ace, and Gung Ho, explained Scarlett’s story as best they could. But still, not even they could tell Duke what had really happened. They themselves didn’ t know. When asked if he knew anything, Snake Eyes would merely shrug his shoulders in a gesture of helplessness. He could tell Duke what he alone knew Scarlett had said moments before the chopper took off with her in it. But he wasn’t at all sure they would be a comfort. “I’m sorry.” Two simple words that could mean so many things. He wished his friend well on whatever journey she was now on.
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Continued in Chapter Two!
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