Chapter 4: Settle Down
A/n: Between college and the lack of reviews I have been very unmotivated to write. Sorry for the wait and the length of this chapter.
"If I know her, she'll do it. Plus she's smart, studied law before deciding she wanted to be a dumb grunt." Taylor pulled up a window on the desktop for Shannon to see. He skimmed it over talking to himself.
"Flawless evaluations, several letters of recommendation but there are gaps in her service history."
"Classified, she was in one of the first groups to be trained once Spec Ops went co-ed. I was against it at first, but she proved time and again that she could handle herself."
"It's almost like she was trying to prove something." Shannon looked meaningfully at the CO.
"Well, she didn't take the Taylor name until a few years back, she was a Price till her contact with the marines was up." Still, the doubt that everything she had done during her military career had been to prove she was worthy of his name.
"But still some might say that she is getting the position because she's your daughter"
"And I'll say it's because she's better qualified then anyone in the colony. We've been making do with your help, but none of the others has really stepped up to fill Washington's shoes. They just don't have the experience to do the job. If while the portal was still active then we would have recruited someone from 2149, but we don't have that option anymore."
"Then I say if she's agrees it alright by me, but what do I know I'm just the lawman."
"Speaking of lawman, I something else for you to look at." This time Taylor picked up a pile of papers from his desk and handed them over. Once again Shannon started skimming through them. "I think I may have found you a deputy, not that you need one, but in light of recent events we should start preparing people to take over should something happen to the folks in key positions in Terra Nova."
"So now I have a key position? I'm touched."
"Well, I think some folks like having a civilian who had a say in how things are run around here. Makes us less like a military dictatorship don't you think." Taylor smirked at his own comment, but it was still true. He had the final say so in most colony matters given to him by the bylaws. It was not a burden he took on lightly or treated as such. One day that might change. If it didn't then if anything should ever happen to Taylor, his second in command would become the heir apparent. Another reason why giving Eve wash's position was a weighty matter. If the system didn't change Taylor could be setting up his family as the Terra Nova ruling class. Something he didn't want.
A knock at the door pulled back from his musing about what the future could hold.
"Hey, Pops." Evelyn stood in the door with a pack over one shoulder and the jacket Taylor had given her in the other hand. Her color looked tons better after a week laid up in the infirmary, but it held the pale hue most newcomers loss after a few weeks of sunshine. "I made my great escape and I need a place to hide."
"Funny, the good doctor doesn't usually lose patients." Taylor got up from his desk and crossed the floor. With half a smile she met him halfway and surrendered to the hug.
"Actually, since I been such a good pin cushion she discharged me with orders to rest often and only engage in light duty. I informed her that I have no duty, but I didn't tell that Taylor's don't rest too well." She pulled away and ran her hand through her hair before going on. "But I still don't have a place to sleep so I came to ask for a bed. Maybe you could put it under a roof, and you know some walls might be good while you're at it."
"I think we have some place around here where we can squeeze you in, in fact I'll walk you there now." Taylor pulled her pack from her shoulder and swung it onto his shoulder. "We can talk on the way. Shannon you can handle things from here." It wasn't really a question more of a statement of fact. He knew the sheriff could take care of what little issues would pop up. There always seemed to be something. Shannon said something about looking the papers he had been given over and seeing what he could do.
As Eve followed her father wherever he was taking her, she watched how the people acted around him. No one was disrespectful or falling over him. As they passed by the marketplace there was a hello here, a friendly comment there, and piece of fruit thrown from back there, and Taylor would nod or wave like there was nowhere else he would rather be. She could see that these for better or worse were his people, and she wanted more than ever to find her place among them. They didn't talk until he led her to a house near the security force barracks.
"I guess I should start by asking you what you wanted when you came. Most people have some idea, or did back when we were still getting pilgrims." He stopped outside door and waited for her to answer.
She paused and thought for a moment. "Pops, I really don't know. I didn't think much about what would happen after we got here. All I could think about was getting everything and everyone here in one piece." There was a railing enclosing the porch off to the side of the door, so she sat on it. "I want to help, to do something but I have no clue what it is. Guess I just figured you would have something in mind when I got here."
"Well I do have something in mind." The commander put his hands on the rail Eve was sitting on and watched the people passing by. Everyday people going about their lives. "We need a new XO around here, since Wash is no longer with us. And I was hoping you would take the job."
"I thought the sheriff was currently filling that role."
"Shannon's not military." Taylor continued. "They may be okay with him filling in for a day or two, but if anything should ever happen to me."
"They may not answer to a civilian in the long haul." Taylor had forgotten how she could finish his sentences for him, since most of the time they were coming from the same place. If he was a scientist he would ponder things like nature versus nurture. Evelyn was stared at the wall like she could see through them. Taylor almost started talking again before she spoke. "This was her place?"
It wasn't really a question. She knew Wash would want to be close to the men to help keep them in line. It almost made her smile to think that no one would step out of line for fear of the legend.
"Most of the personal effects have been removed. I had the bed replaced a few days back." Taylor stepped to the key pad and unlocked the door. He pushed it open but let Eve be the first to enter.
"You're asking me to take her place." It was a whisper. "You want me to take her job, live in her house. I don't know if I can live up to that."
"I know Wash left some pretty big shoes to fill." Taylor put his hand on her shoulder, trying to comfort her. She pulled away taking slow small steps into the building. It looked like any other home in the Colony for the most part. The small things marked it as Wash's home. A punching bag hung in the middle of the first room to the side. The cups in the kitchen were picked by Washington. There were some boxes stacked in the corner of the living area. Her father was following her in and set her pack down on the kitchen counter.
The silence was pounding through the rooms, either saying anything. What could they say? Feeling had never really been their strong suit. Finally, Taylor just turned to leave. "Let me know when you have an answer."
Eve came back to the counter and unzipped a pouch on the side. The picture she pulled out was one of the few things she had brought with her to remind of her of 2149. It was a picture of her, Wash and her father at Eve's gradation. The first time she put on her shiny gold bars that defined her life. They were so proud of her and nothing would change that if it was in her power. She knew what Alicia would want, to be sure that her men and Taylor would be taken care of.
"I'll do it, but I'm not her."
"Understood."
Shannon was on a mission, tracking down someone who didn't look like they wanted to be found. With the resume Jim had in his hand, it was a surprise he hadn't signed up for the security forces. The colony was a big place and as the sheriff was finding out it wasn't always easy to find someone. After putting out the word who she was looking for, the agro department got back to him after lunch.
So here he stood looking up at the perimeter fence watching a young man hack away at the vines and foliage tangled around the timbers that kept the dinos out. The heat of the day encouraged him to strip off his shirt and displaying his various tattoos that a t-shirt would normally cover. A few more wacks, and Striker threw down the rest of the vines and finished the section of fence he was working on and headed back down to earth. He saw Shannon standing and watching. "can I help you with something sheriff?"
That puzzled Shannon since they hadn't been introduced yet. "do we know each other?"
That got a mischievous grim from Striker. "not really you have a have a kill on sight order from my former employers." For half a second Shannon worried as the younger man lifted the meshedi over his head and then threw it down burying the blade in the ground. "So in my book you're one of the good guys."
Shannon nodded and closed the distance between them. "So the argo guys picking on the new guy again, putting you on weeding duty."
Striker picked up his discarded shirt and used it to wipe some of the sweat off his neck then reached for the canteen laying on the ground. "naaa, I came to them wanting some good hard manual labor."
"Why?"
"My grandfather was one of the last farmers of our time. He used to tell me there was no problem hard work couldn't fix, even if the problem was in your head." Striker tilted back his head and guzzled down some water.
"So you've been out here for three days hacking at the fence looking for mental clarity?" Shannon folded his arms over his chest and looked to younger man over. He had to agree Taylor had a point.
"Haven't got anything better to do." Striker tossed the canteen and shirt back down where he had picked them up and looked Shannon straight in the eye. "Now, if you're not going to get to the point do you mind if I get back to work?"
"Who said I have a point?"
"Look, I know who you are and since you're here I know you read my file. So let's not pretend that one cop doesn't know when another is interrogating him." With that he turned grabbing the handle of the meshedi before jerking it out of the ground.
"Why did you resign?" that stopped him from storming off and Shannon pressed forward. "you came from a okay family, grew up in a bad part of town and then you joined the police academy. Worked like hell graduated top of your class, could have had any assignment but you went right back to your old neighborhood. My guess is you were trying to honestly help, but then for no reason I can find you resign. So why?"
"I was working undercover when I punched a politically powerful man for trying to seduce a girl half his age."
"Guys always go for the younger ones."
"Yeah, well the creep was only thirty. After that he started screaming for my badge and the captain was only too happy to give it to him on a silver platter."
After a moment thought, Shannon made up his mind. "Want a job?"