Chapter 4
Savannah was jerked out of her memory by a hand on her shoulder. When she looked up, Marcus was looking at her with his usual blank stare. His ice blue eyes were intently staring at her. "You okay?" he asked. Savannah stood up and stretched. She was almost six feet tall, but it always felt as if Marcus dwarfed her. His biceps were almost as big as her waist, and he always stood awkwardly with his hands at his side, his fingers slightly clenched.
"Yeah, I was thinking about the day Baird admitted he was in love with Sam." Marcus grunted and blinked his slow blink. That look always indicated something was bothering him, although he would never initiate a conversation about whatever was on his mind. Savannah didn't need him to say anything. She already knew what was eating at him. She put her arms around his waist and put her head on his chest. He awkwardly put his arms around her. She felt him let out a long breath. The comfortable silence and easy feeling between them almost kept her from saying what she knew was causing his stress. "Anya?" was all she managed to whisper when she felt him stiffen in her arms.
She tightened her grip around his waist and looked up at him. He was staring into her eyes, but looked like he would run if she let go of him. They stood staring at each other for a few seconds. Marcus said, "Yeah, it's always Anya." Savannah gently rubbed his back. He began to relax and she let go of him. Marcus dropped his hands back to his side. Savannah stepped around him, and pushed herself onto the workbench, her legs dangling. She began swinging them back and forth, as Marcus turned toward her. "Marcus, I don't want you to think it hurts me that you think about her. In fact, I would be concerned if you didn't think about her. She was your wife and the mother of your only child. I wouldn't expect you to forget her."
Marcus crossed his arms and let out a sigh. "It's not fair to you. I can't give you what you need." Savannah scoffed at him. "What is it exactly that you think I need?" Marcus picked up a pen from her desk and began to examine the tip. "You deserve to be happy, Savannah, and I can't give you that." He threw the pen back on the desk and looked up at her. "You deserve to laugh, have fun, and feel safe. I'm not a talker. I'm not a cuddly kind of person. Hell, I barely know how to get out of bed half the time." Savannah crooked her finger and waved him over. Marcus slowly walked up to where she was sitting on the workbench. Savannah had lightning fast reflexes, and she reached out with both of her legs and pulled Marcus to her. She kept her legs wrapped around his waist as he stared at her with a look of fear and shock. "Marcus Fenix, you and I have known each other for more than forty years. We've been through a lot together." She unwrapped her legs from Marcus' waist and replaced them with her hands. She pulled him close to her and looked into his eyes. "You know I have no expectations of any kind. You know I don't expect anything from you, other than what we already share. You and I have something deep and special, and the only thing I need from you is what you already give me."
Marcus blinked slowly as Savannah moved her hands up around his neck. Marcus put his hands on top of her thighs. "Someday, I hope you'll allow yourself to let me make you as happy as you deserve to be. I'm comfortable with what we have now, and I'm not even sure what that is, Marcus. All I know is I can't be without you in my life, no matter in what capacity that might be." Savannah felt the tears forming in her eyes. Marcus leaned his forehead against hers and exhaled slowly. "Me either," he said as he pulled her into a hug. They stayed that way for a couple of minutes until Marcus' radio crackled with a call from CIC.
Savannah raised her snub pistol and aimed at the target hanging 200 feet away. She emptied the magazine into the paper. She reloaded and let loose again. She might be 62 years old, but she had never lost her ability to be lethal with a weapon. After all, she was an Onyx Guard. However, Emergence Day had catapulted her into the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. She still had her special forces training, and used it often when training new recruits. When she had burned through her ammo, she began field stripping her weapon to clean it. "Nice try, Cole, but I don't think you will ever be able to sneak up on anybody." Cole walked up and playfully smacked her in the shoulder.
Savannah grunted and rubbed her arm. "Jesus, Cole. I do need that arm, ya know." Cole guffawed and sat down on a stool across from Savannah. "You are obviously pissed off about somethin'. You need the Cole Train's expert psychological services?" Savannah smiled and let out an exasperated sigh. "Is there a way to tell Baird he was right without his ego blowing up any bigger than it already is?" Cole laughed and said, "Nope! You just gotta tell him and suffer the consequences." Savannah rolled her eyes and grimaced at the thought. "I think I'd rather take a torque bow round to the stomach." Cole bent over laughing, slapping his knee at Savannah's joke.
"Good luck with that. What was he right about? Maybe you can avoid telling him."
Savannah bent down and put her goggles and ear protection back into her range bag. "Not this time, Cole. He's my best friend. I can't keep this from him." she leaned back against the wall and crossed her arms. "He'll just bug the piss out of me until I tell him anyway, so I might as well just come out with it." Cole stared at her for a few seconds before he said, "Is this about our beloved Delta leader?" Savannah sat straight up and practically yelled at Cole, "He can't keep his damn mouth shut about anything, can he?" Cole just shook his head, tapped his chest and said, "Best friend. He can't keep anything from me either, ya know?"
Savannah put her head in her hands and growled. "He's so infuriating!" Cole chuckled and leaned over to Savannah. "All I know is that keeping serious stuff to yourself is not healthy. It will eat you alive, L.T." Cole patted her knee and stood up. Savannah decided Cole was right. She went to Baird's workshop to talk to him, but found it dark and empty. As she turned to go back to her house, she felt the hair stand up on the back of her neck. She was suddenly aware of someone watching her.