Author's Note: Usual disclaimers apply. Hope you enjoy! Any inaccuracies with geography or topography or cultures is because it's a work of fiction, and the it's nice to have the power to make the land work for you!
He gave an appreciative whistle. She smiled, twirling around. "What is it about you and this uniform?" she asked.
Leaning up against the wall, arms crossed, he studied her. Was it was the way the pencil skirt fit around her ass that made it so appealing, or the fact that it showed off her fabulous legs? He wasn't sure, and figured either answer would get him a smack, so he just continued to smile wolfishly.
"Maybe it's not the uniform, but what's underneath," he said, raising his eyebrows. He knew she had a tendency to wear her sexiest lingerie under her dress uniform, and he could only imagine what she had on this time. While he had seen, and appreciated, each and every piece, he didn't mind a reunion now and then.
She smacked him on his arm, laughing. "Too bad you won't have a chance to find out. Hawk and I are leaving for the summit in," she glanced at her watch, "fifteen minutes. You're not quite that fast, loverboy."
"I could be," he growled, pulling her close. She laughed again, pushing away.
"Hey now, we're in public, right? Gotta behave!"
"Who says," he mumbled, pulling her to him again, burying his head in her neck and giving her a soft kiss, something he knew made her putty in his hands each time.
She sighed, wishing they had more time. He always seemed to know which buttons to push.
She gave him a quick kiss, and then pulled away once again, this time with regret. He could see it in her eyes.
"Hopefully things will move along at a good pace and we'll be home within the week."
His look turned dark. "You ARE talking about a bunch of politicians, Al. Things never move fast with them. No," he sighed, "I figure you might be there up to a month. Promise to keep in touch?"
She patted her pocket, which he knew was where she kept her cell phone. "Promise," she said with a small smile. "I'm sure you'll keep so busy while I'm gone, you won't have time to miss me!"
"Yeah, right," he told her, kissing her forehead. "Be a good girl, okay?"
She smiled. "Always. You too… I love you."
"I love you, too," he told her, catching her hand and giving it a squeeze. "Stay safe, even if it is just a bunch of politicians."
She turned to walk away, knowing if she didn't now, it would just get harder. It was difficult when they were so used to partnering on the same missions that when one of them was sent off alone, they didn't know how to say goodbye. While he was right, she was just going to be among a bunch of politicians, she had a dual role. While working as a translator, she would also be working security for the American delegates as well. There were several top military brass going and she would be only a small part of the contingent, but it didn't necessarily guarantee safety. Not in their line of work.
Hawk nodded to her as she approached the car. He noted her small bag and smiled. "Already sent the other luggage on?" he teased, knowing she never packed light. Being a covert agent, she had a tendency to pack so that she would be ready for any situation.
Lady Jaye just smiled and didn't answer, stowing her bag in the open trunk, then slamming it shut. The bag, while deceptively smaller than her usual, could fit a large amount of items in the small space. It was one her cousin had designed recently and sent to her as a gift. She had to admit, although her family liked to use her as a guinea pig at times with their designs, she often found whatever they created usually had a lot of merit and use in her career with GI Joe.
"Ready?" Hawk asked, helping her into the car. He always enjoyed taking Lady Jaye on assignments with him. She was a companionable traveler and could talk on a variety of subjects. She also represented his team well, with her quick wit, intelligence, and, of course, her ability to speak almost any European language fluently, as well as many others.
"To hang out with the big whigs and listen to them grumble and argue about every minute detail? You bet!" she laughed. "How about yourself?"
Hawk patted his pocket and nodded. "I finally get to test run this baby out that my wife gave me last Christmas." He pulled out an e-reader and showed it to her. "I figure there will definitely be some down time, knowing how the last one went, with someone always storming out. Since you and I are unofficial, it'll give me something to do."
She chuckled, nodding. "While you can look official, like you're taking notes on your electronic device, I have to listen and translate every word for our diplomats. I think I may have gotten the better part of the deal," she replied sarcastically.
"So, are we flying out with the big boys, or are we to be decoys…again?" she continued, referring to the last summit they had attended. Often, countries sent several official looking transports so that no one knew who was flying on which plane.
Hawk looked at her and frowned. "Have to tell you the truth, I'm not sure. I guess we'll figure it out when we get to the air base." He looked up at their driver, who had been sent from the Pentagon to transport the two. "I figure he's not telling, or he doesn't know either."
It didn't take them too long to arrive at their destination, and Hawk and Lady Jaye used the time talking about everything but military strategy and life on base. She explored his e-reader, recommended a few books, and taught him how to download them.
She checked her cell and noticed she already had a text. She smiled at the simple message Flint had sent. She sent the usual reply and told him she'd text him again once they arrived at the summit.
Once Hawk and Lady Jaye boarded the plane, they were both swept into the hustle of high level security officials and all that entails a secure flight. She was glad they were seated to the back and away from the more powerful officials. While she had grown up in a world that rubbed elbows with some of the men, she preferred a more quiet existence in her adult life and wished to stay in the background. She knew Hawk often asked her on these summits just because she did know these men and it helped cut him some slack when his special forces team came under attack.
The flight was surprisingly short. Unfortunately, the summit was not. True to Hawk's prediction, there were some temper tantrums and storming out of officials. However, the summit accomplished what it had been created for, and Lady Jaye found herself packing for the return trip home after a couple of weeks. She and Hawk would serve as decoys this time and be on one of the "dummy" flights back to the States that had a passenger list much loftier than their positions.
She had just finished texting Flint her latest message when they were called to board. It was to be the "lower class" individuals on their flight, with the higher brass switched at the last minute to three other waiting planes. Each would take a separate flight path home.
"Pretty empty," Hawk commented in a low voice as they took off. Lady Jaye was sitting across the aisle from him. He noted the four individuals sitting behind them, scattered among the seats. Most had laptops or PDAs out, working on their own agendas. Tired from the past few days of constant arguing and veiled insults that had suddenly turned into agreement, Lady Jaye settled back in her seat, prepared to rest for most of the flight. She had just drifted off when something jolted her awake.
Her eyes flew open and she turned to say something to Hawk, but all hell broke loose at that point. There was a loud BOOM and the plane rocked violently before she felt the explosion. She was singed by what felt to be a fireball and the plane plummeted downward.
"We've been hit!" shouted Hawk unnecessarily, as she held onto the sides of her chair, preparing herself mentally and physically for impact.
There was a loud crack and she felt a rush of air at her back, her breath nearly sweeping out of her body. It was getting difficult to draw a breath. She wasn't sure if it was due to the air pressure or a panic attack. She was afraid to look back, but was pretty sure the plane had a huge hole in it.
She shouted hoarsely for Hawk to duck and cover seconds before they hit.