She knocked on the door.
'Andrea.' Frank said, 'Come in.' Andrea walked in to Captain Larson's office, to find Chief Skinner, Chief Watson and five over officers in the office. 'You work fast, Lyons, he was one of our top candidates.'
'Sometimes you've got to shot a hostage' she said, looking at each of them.
'Look, we all no that your a legend and all.' Skinner said with a sarcastic smile on his face stepping towards her. 'But our program has been proven to work.'
'There's a gap between training and what really happens out there, Cujo.'
'Oh really?'
'That's right. My intention is to narrow that gap, now if anyone has a problem with that idea I'd like to here about it?' she said looking at them who didn't say anything.
'Is this how its gonna be sir?' Skinner looked at Frank. There was a pause.
'Yes it is.' Skinner looked at Andrea, it was clear that he didn't like her, the fact that she had come in and taken over his training school was bad enough, but the fact that he was being told what to do by a female that was younger then him, seemed to really tick him of.
'Permission to be dismissed sir?'
'Granted.' and with that Skinner walked out.
'Let's go! Let's go! Keep it together!' Officer Watson shouted as the class entered the pool in two lines caring life equipment and lined up on the edge of the pool. 'You've got three minuets to get this gear on all of it!set go!' he shouted as they jumped into the water and placed on there gear.
Over the next two weeks they started there training, from doing press ups every day to, swimming lengths. To jumping into the pool from a tall height. Each day it became tufter and harder and bye the end of the second week Andrea had chucked out half the class, each night she would site in her officer with each cadet's application folder in front of her. But there was something about Jake's that kept getting to her. By the fourteenth day everyone was in agernoy.
'Can you die from chlorine poising?' one of the guys asked. The lads were sitting in there dormitory, everyone placing ice packs on there ankles or rubbing cream into there legs.
'I can't feel my legs,' Hodge said. 'I'm serious.' it was then that Jake walked in fit as a fiddle.
'Well I don't no about you guys but I feel good.' Jake said getting up onto his bunk.
'This Dunbar lass, she operating on some whole different cylinder.' officer Kenneth Weatherby said as he massaged his leg, 'What is it two weeks and she's failed half the class already.'
'She's a legend.' Hodge said. 'They say she's got something like two hundred saves.'
'I heard it was three.'
'Who cares what her number is,' Jake said. 'If she's such a stud what is she doing here.'
'Eh up guys how's it going.' One of the lads said entering the dormitory and coming up to them and going into his locker.
'Hey Z, were you going?'
'Oh my sisters best friend is getting married and there having a big reception downtown, I promised her I'd go.' he said, it was then that Jake looked up.
'Wait you said wedding reception?' he said with interest in his voice.
Jake and his fellow class mates weren't the only ones heading down town, on the out side the bass, Andrea crossed the street she headed for a little bar that she was no stranger to, Maggie's Hanger.
It was quite full when she went in, which was nothing new. Entering the bar she saw Maggie with the band sing as usual. She was no stranger to this place.
'Hey Senior Chief.' one of the guys called as she entered. She walked up to him and saw Petty officer Hall.
'Hey Andrea, she looking hot to night.' that was a matter of upion she thought. It was then Maggie spotted her, she pointed at Andrea still singer, and Andrea pointed back smiling.
'This place has not changed.' she said as she turned towards the bar. Suddenly the band stopped at Maggie spoke.
'Form Dalkieth, Scottland.' she said smiling at Andrea.
'Don't' Andrea said smiling, knowing Maggie long enough to no what was coming.
'Senior Chief Andrea Dunbar is in the house ...' she said as the room filled with applause and Andrea went red. '... big as day and still alive, I must owe somebody money.' she said handing the microphone to somebody and stepping down to Andrea.
'Your terrible.' Andrea said as she gave Maggie a huge.
'Oh Andy.' she said hugging her back. 'I heard a rumor you were gonna be teaching in town.' she said as the pair headed for the bar. 'If that ain't the karmic wheel spinning i don't now what is.' the stat at the bar, and Maggie took a bottle pouring it into glass. 'Well. The prodigal's return. Hows your parents?'
'They decided to stay home.' Andrea lied taking a sip of liquid. 'Work stuff' Maggie laughed.
'Yeah. Winter in Dalkieth. Let me see. Winter in Glasgow.' she said comparing the two.
'All right stop, stop.'
''They decide to stay home'' She said shaking her head. 'Well it's a good thing we got a full bottle and a half the night.'
'Yes we do.' as they touched there glasses.
At the wedding reception, the guys were getting into the swing of things.
'OK, to those who have fallen, to those who have survived phase one.' Jake said rasing his beer bottle as the others all joined him. As they all drank, Hogde noticed a girl looking at him. And so did Ken.
'Check it out, she's staring at you.' he said.
'That girl right there is not staring at me.' Hogde said pointing a there causing the others to laugh.
'Did you just point a there?' Jake laughed. 'Did she see you point.'
'I don't now.' he said as the others laugh.
'All right, you gotta go and talk to her you gotta go and make a move.' Jake said
'I can't.'
'What' Officer Lindsey said.
'I just don't feel comfeterbal.' Hodge said.
'Your talking to me.' Lindsey said.
'Your telling me you want to jump out of helicopters for a living.' Jake said. 'But your affraind to talk to a girl.
'That's exactly what I was telling you.'
'All right look, I'm gonna help you out here.' Jake said. 'I show you how its done, pick out eh hottest girl here. I'll take her home.' all the others starting laughing as though it couldn't be done.
'No, how about I will find the girl.' Lindsey said. The others agreed so she looked around the room. 'OK, at the bar eh two o'clock.' all the others looked at the bar and saw a brown haired young woman sitting at the bar saying goodbye as her friends left.
'Yes.' Ken said. Nodding
'That's a good one.' Hodge said
'There is no way in hell she is going to talk to you.' Ken said.
'That one?' Jake said looking a little worried.
'That one Lindsey said smiling.'
'Hundred bucks says she shuts you down.' Ken said. 'In less then a minuet.' he said placing to 50's on the table.
'That looks like a bet to me, Jake.' Hodge said, Lindsey agreed.
'All right.' he said standing up. 'All right, a hundred bucks says i close it in less then a minuet.' he said also place to 50's on the table.
'Oh absolutely.' Ken said, Jake took a final drink
'Tick – tock, tick – tock, tick – tock' the others teased.
'Clock starts when i start talking to her.' he said heading over to her.
'This is gonna be embarrassing.' the others said.
'Do you reckon he'll do it?'
As Jake approached her he looked up at the others.
'Evening ma'am. Can I buy you a drink?' he asked there was a pause. In which she didn't look at him.
'I don't think so.' she said simply. Jake nealed towards her ear.
'You don't no what your missing.' he whispered, before she slowly turned to look at him.
'You sure you wanna go with that one? That's, like your top – of – the – line. A game material?' Jake didn't say anything. 'You say the way I see it, you got two choices here: walk away with me, or walk out of here with me and split the cash.' Jake tried to stay cool.
'Cash? Hu what cash?' he lied.
'Come on you bet your friends you could pick me up.' she looked over at eh the others table. Who were all watching.
'You see that makes me nervous.' Ken said to Lindsey.
'She's shutting him down.'
'How much time you got left?' she asked Jake's
'About twenty seconds' he said smiling knowing he was beat,
'Shall we.' she said standing up. And together he lead her to the door.
'Oh my gosh' Lindsey said in amazement.
'It looks like there leaving the bar together.' Hodge said as Ken checked his watch convinced it was broke.
'No way! You have got to be kidding me, how did he do that?'
'I'm impressed' Lindsey said.
Outside he was leading her or rather she was leading him to her car.
'There's a bar outside you base called Maggie's you know it?' she said.
'Yeah.'
'Good, meet me there next Friday around eight?' she said
'You got a name' he asked as they reached her car.
'Yeah, don't for get my money' she said getting inside and closing the door.
'You got a middle name? He said as she started to drive away. 'You do realize I can't go back in there.' he said standing there alone like a dork, as she drove away.
