1470 Words, this chapter. Again, research taken from the internet.

Chapter Three, Transfer 2: Feeling the Heat

Jess went down her check list. She double and triple checked. He had to have everything. She sweet-talked and threatened until she got the quickest delivery time humanly possible. Becker would have the gear by the early morning, Yemen time.

Or heads would roll. She was dead serious. Her research of the area had terrified her. Would Becker even survive a few unequipped hours?

She tried to steady her nerves, again. She remembered him telling her to relax. It had been easier when she had his voice in her ear.

She sighed. She felt helpless. Maybe that was why she took equipping him so seriously. She wanted to include some little present, but he was on duty. Plus, what did you send to someone in the desert?

Finally, she decided on something practical. She hoped.

She ordered a couple cases of gourmet survival food. She hoped that it would be edible. She had her doubts, but anything was better than eating bugs or desert lizards or whatever.

Then she had an inspiration. She included in the shipment a pair of high quality sunglasses. She smiled. Those chocolate brown eyes needed protection. She blushed as she imagined them on that gorgeous face.

She was daydreaming about the debonair Captain when Lester rudely shattered her moment of peace.

"Miss Parker! My office, now!"

She sighed, and joined him in his office. His face was red and several veins jutted out on his forehead. "Explain these!" he cried, waving several papers around.

"They're requisition orders," she said innocently.

"Of course they're bloody requisition orders!" he cried. "Three thousand pounds, Miss Parker! Wretched requisition orders! For one man! I shudder to think how much the Crown would be in debt should we have sent an entire squad!"

"Well…you did ask me to equip him," she said weakly.

He stared at her. "Equip him, Miss Parker, not outfit him for an episode of Hollywood Safari Man!"

She stifled a giggle and let him continue.

"How on earth can it cost so much for one man?" he asked in exasperation.

Jess shrugged. "It's really, really hot there, Lester. You don't want him unprepared do you?"

"Of course not, Miss Parker. However, I didn't expect you to go overboard." He shook the requisitions again. "Several thousand pounds!"

She gave a guilty little grin. "I suppose…"

"Yes, Miss Parker?"

She sighed. "I got a bit scared when I read up on the area. It's not just hot; it's remote and technologically underdeveloped."

He smirked. "No air conditioning?"

She shook her head. "Among other things."

Lester's fury had faded and he looked sympathetically at the young woman. "The Captain can handle himself."

"I know. He told me to relax."

"You should have taken his advice…and spared our budget." He gave a teasing smile.

"I'm sorry."

He nodded. "I appreciate your apology."

"Of course. Um…do I have to pay the money back?"

Lester sighed. "No. I suppose the least the Crown can do is pick up the tab. He is risking his well being, after all."

She nodded.

"In the future, please try to reign in your shopping skills, hmm?"

She laughed. "I will. I promise."

"Thank you. Actually, I have a dreadful foreboding that three thousand pounds will turn out to be fairly cheap," he said. "I wonder how much an entire historic town costs these days."

"Excuse me?"

"The town of Zabid is a "World Heritage Site." Wonderful, I have just dispatched a man who seems to love causing collateral damage there."

"What does that mean?"

"In a nutshell, it's old."

Jess laughed. "In a nutshell."

"Hmm. It's one of the oldest towns in Yemen, rich in Arab and Muslim history."

"Old."

"Precisely, and not preserved all that well apparently, at least from a historical perspective. In 2000, do-gooders under the flag of UNESCO, the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization, isn't that a pretentious name, deemed Zabid 'in danger' of losing its unique historical character."

"They want to protect it."

"Yes, and I'm sure the UNESCO people will be all over my hide if their precious site is tarnished further by creature guts, EMD blasts, or simple structure collapse."

"Things which seem to follow Becker," said Jess.

"Indeed."

"It's not his fault, or yours," said Jess, "it's an unfortunate consequence of the job."

"I know, I know, but that often falls deaf onto the ears of conservationists, bothersome people. I just hope and pray that the Captain's tenure in Zabid doesn't lead to an international incident."

"And I was worried about the heat."

"You should be, Miss Parker, both kinds."

Jess sighed. "I'll try to persuade Becker, the next time we speak, to go easy on the structures in the town."

"I would appreciate that, Miss Parker, thank you. However, I don't think it will help."

"It might. Becker doesn't enjoy destroying things."

"Are you sure about that?"

"Pretty sure," said Jess.

"That does not give me a great deal of confidence, Miss Parker."

Abby and Connor were enjoying lunch when Jess, with her laptop, descended upon them. "Did you know that there was a suicide attack in Yemen in 2012?"

The couple looked surprised.

"Um…yeah," said Connor, "but I didn't know you knew. Current events aren't normally your cup of tea."

"Becker's there," she said.

"That explains your interest," Connor said, smirking at Abby.

Abby was more sympathetic. "Jess, it's fine."

"It is not, Abby!" she cried, plopping down beside her. "One hundred and twenty people died in that attack! It was during a parade, of all things! They were practicing for Unity Day, commemorating when Yemen unified into a republic."

"Jess…"

"Affiliates of al Qaeda took responsibility. Al Qaeda!" Jess raved. "They're…well, bad!"

"You need to calm…"

"Did you know a British citizen and his interpreter were kidnapped in 1997?"

"Uh, no, I did not," said Connor.

"It's not just terrorists," continued Jess. "We've had a strained relationship with Yemen. What if the Yemen government wants to hold Becker?"

"Why?'

"I don't know! Maybe to get more help with their anomalies or to get us to send more aid. They're a poor country, you know."

"Jess, Becker will be fine," said Abby calmly.

"What if some hostile person finds out he's a British soldier? What if they try to make some sort of political statement or something?"

Abby took her shaking hand. "Jess, stop it. Your imagination is running wild. Becker's been in combat. He knows how to protect himself."

"And after convergence," said Connor, "the ARC has a pretty good bargaining position, should we need it."

"Which we won't," said Abby.

Jess nodded, slowly taking their comforting words in. "I guess," she said. "Yemen did ask us for help, so they should want to keep Becker safe."

"Right," said Abby, smiling at her. "He will be fine."

Jess nodded. "You're right." She sighed. "He's just so far away and in a strange place."

"I know," said Abby, squeezing her hand. "It's hard, but you have to have faith."

Jess nodded. "He will be fine," she said, willing herself to believe.

"Besides, with anomalies and incursions, political intrigue is the least of his worries."

"Connor!"

"Just saying," Connor said, sheepishly. "Sorry, Jess. I don't think sometimes."

Jess smiled, but couldn't shake what he said.

Abby shook her head. "Don't listen to him…"

"No," said Connor, "She should listen. Trust me, Jess, Action Man can handle anything, whether it comes through an anomaly or not."

Jess smiled. "You're right, he can. I have to trust that."

Abby and Connor smiled and nodded.

"Okay, I am going to relax," said Jess. "Maybe I should eat. I don't think I have for a while."

"You don't think?" asked Connor.

Abby laughed, shaking her head. "That's what worry does. Connor, go order her the special. Plus several chocolate things."

"Got it," said Connor.

Jess smiled. "Thanks for looking out for me."

Abby smiled. "No problem."

"What is the special, anyway?"

Abby chuckled. "Well, I hope having Connor order it doesn't backfire. It's Chinese, featuring prawn crackers."

Jess felt a tear well up. "I'll practice trusting in him while I eat."

"That's what I was hoping you'd say," said Abby.

Jess smiled and nodded. "And soon he'll be back here eating it with me and I can snatch crackers off his plate."

"While he swats your fingers away," said Abby with a laugh.

Jess nodded, smiling. "Yep," she said, the tear making its way down her cheek. "I'm not so good at this trusting thing."

"It's not that Jess," said Abby. "You miss him. It's hard. I know." She looked over at Connor, remembering when they were separated recently.

"Becker and I aren't…"

Abby laughed. "Right, I keep forgetting. You're just friends." She smirked.

Jess blushed. "Just friends."

End of Chapter Three