The Drill: R-rated language, British spelling/grammar for Elizabeth and no military- or show-picking—please and thank you.
Twelve
"I can't believe you reported him!"
Elizabeth's smile disappeared. She had only turned in the report half an hour ago, which meant that Ruby must have typed a letter and sent it over as soon as she stepped out.
"I'm sorry that you disagree with my decision, Ms. Prowse," Captain Shaughnessy said, using the woman's former name just to gall her. "But I was only fulfilling my duties."
"Lieutenant Casler added another thirty days!"
"You were lucky it was not more! I reported him out of bounds only because he claimed that he had come to walk me home. Deity only knows what he did before I caught up to him!"
Emily opened her mouth, then closed it, too angry to form words.
"You swore you would keep your mouth shut!"
"I did nothing of the sort! I said I would let you off with a warning!"
"You violated an implied contract!"
"Something that wouldn't stand up in a court of law!" Elizabeth barked. "Implied contracts are even worse than a standard oral contract!"
She watched him pace around the yard, but Jonah, too, was at a loss for words.
"It could have been a lot worse!" Elizabeth reminded him, lowering her voice to a hiss. "Or would you rather be shackled in the back of a jeep, on your way to Cheyenne to stand trial?"
"I would like not have to deal with Emily for another thirty days!"
Captain Shaughnessy waited until her lover was glaring at her before she spoke.
"I will give you a few days to cool off. Perhaps by then you will realize that the fact that I told only part of the truth actually saved your sorry arse!"
*****
"The sooner, the better."
Elizabeth saluted and made her exit, only to be accosted by Marielle a few feet away.
"Lieutenant Casler giving orders now?"
"As they pertain to Mr. Prowse's house arrest, yes."
"I forgot," Master Sergeant Bancroft replied. "But isn't he a few days from being released?"
"He was, but Lieutenant Casler gave him another thirty." Elizabeth vaguely waved the sheaf of paperwork in her left hand. "Caught him outside the east gate on my way back from the banquet the other night. The lieutenant wants these signed…they acknowledge that Ms. Sullivan and Mr. Prowse have been informed of the sentence extension."
"Did I hear Lieutenant Casler actually order you to Ms. Sullivan's house?"
Elizabeth never got to answer, as everyone in the bullpen was immediately distracted by several men bursting through the front door.
"There's a tornado coming!" Stanley Richmond yelled. "Everyone needs to get into the shelter!"
"Is Sheriff Green out with the Rangers, warning everyone?"
"No, Captain," he replied. "Jake had to help batten things down at the ranch. Mayor Anderson was the one that sent the Rangers out."
"That's what I needed to know. Get going, Mr. Richmond. I'll handle everything here."
*****
A few hours later, Elizabeth and Ruby agreed that the wind had died down enough to begin making their way out of the basement.
"Who have we got, here?"
"Almost everyone, Captain," said Sergeant First Class Alvarez. "We only have one fireteam unaccounted for."
"Go upstairs and check the duty roster so we know who's still out there. Where is Specialist Crawford?"
"Here, ma'am." A young woman with a pixie cut stepped out from behind a bunk.
"Communications?"
"Yes, ma'am."
"Get on the horn and find what's left of the National Weather Service, see what we're dealing with, here. That doesn't work, find a radio and try raising Cheyenne."
"Aye, Captain."
Nicole headed upstairs just as SFC Alvarez hustled down.
"Sergeant Milan and her fireteam just got in, ma'am. They're the ones that didn't make it back from the field."
"Nearly flattened, Captain," replied Sergeant Milan. "Only one small outbuilding left standing. Nurse Velasquez says that one was the one where Mr. Prowse's quarters were located."
"Injured? Deceased?"
"The nurse said he found a tractor trailer on its port side with Michael Warren pinned underneath. At least six others are injured. Nurse Velasquez said there won't be a full count until he can get some assistance in moving the rubble."
"Time of death for Mr. Warren?"
"They need a liver thermometer whenever it is that we're able to send help."
"Captain Shaughnessy!" Specialist Crawford hollered from the next room. "I raised someone on the ham radio! They have to get a storm investigator out here to be sure, but Cheyenne is reporting an F5 for our area. There are also conflicting reports on whether New Bern has been decimated."
Elizabeth's heart sank. There were one or two levels higher on the Fujita scale, but tornados of that magnitude were rarely seen. They had an all-out disaster on their hands.
"Sergeant Alvarez, are we completely accounted for?"
Vicente took a quick look around the room. "It appears so, ma'am."
"Alright ladies and gentlemen, listen up."
Nicole came fully into the room and the rest straightened up a bit.
"We're going to have to spread out. Eleven groups of three should be sufficient to assist the sheriff's department and the Rangers in assessing the damage and helping everyone get back on their feet. Be on the lookout for privateers—just because the compound is reporting six injuries doesn't mean the rest of them aren't out and about. Not to mention any outside smugglers that might see an F5 as a chance to pick us clean.
"Specialist Crawford is the only one unavailable for a recon group. She'll stay here with me so that we can keep getting updates. Lieutenants, the city-state is going on immediate lockdown in order to hinder smugglers. Be sure to 'lock the doors' on your way out."
*****
"He doesn't want to see you, anymore."
"Your father no longer has that option," Elizabeth snarled. "Inform him of my presence. He will see me immediately."
Emily scowled at the woman and disappeared while the captain decided on the most comfortable chair in the room. Selecting the couch, Elizabeth flopped down and closed her eyes. It would be good to take her mind off the tornado for however long it took Emily to drag her father into the living room.
"Come to beg my forgiveness?"
"Come to tell you that the challenger to the Pirate Throne is dead. F5 tornado rolled a semi onto Warren a few hours ago." When Jonah didn't answer right away, Elizabeth opened her eyes.
"In another few, some ass-hat will take his place and I'll be out for good." He shot her a dirty look. "Thanks for sharing."
"Keep that attitude and I may 'forget" to suggest to Lieutenant Casler that you be permitted supervised visits."
Jonah didn't react.
"Or would you prefer not to participate in the cleanup and rebuild of the compound?"
"This is how you apologize?"
"There is no apology here, nor will there ever be," Elizabeth said sharply. "This is a chance for you to go home and remind them precisely who is running the gang. You'll be accompanied by one of the privates that usually supervises you when Ms. Sullivan is absent, but I doubt that would lessen the effect of your presence.
"I would also recommend that you appoint an…executive officer, if you will. Someone to run the business for the next thirty days and cover any extended absences in the future. Someone you trust, obviously, but someone who can keep the upstarts in their place."
"Someone like Javier?"
"That wouldn't be my first choice, but it is up to you," Elizabeth replied, getting to her feet. "I know you want to get out there as soon as possible, so I'll take it up with Lieutenant Casler when she returns from the field."
*****
"A gentleman to see you."
Elizabeth frowned. "Who is he?"
Marielle started to speak, but stopped when she saw her supervisor's attention divert over her shoulder.
"News, ma'am."
"Have they determined the magnitude of the tornado already, Specialist?"
"No, ma'am. This is about the impending civil war."
Elizabeth gestured for her to go on.
"It's no longer impending."
"Since when?"
"President Tomarchio ordered Bravo Company from the 14th over the line about two weeks ago. They're saying that both sides barely stopped long enough to commemorate the anniversary of the September Attacks before the invasion began."
"New orders forthcoming, Crawford?"
Nicole flushed. "I don't know. I've only been talking to a comm specialist from 10th Delta Company, ma'am."
"They have fresh orders?"
"Negative. Specialist Remington said their company commanders have been quiet since they got settled."
"Keep in touch with Remington and see if you can raise our company commanders. I want to know what's going on. Don't be afraid to interrupt me if you get word.
"Affirmative." Nicole saluted and Elizabeth turned back to her aide.
"I apologize for that interruption, Sergeant," she said. "But…what are you doing back here already?"
"The zone I was assigned to was nearly clear. There were only three more houses on the block, so I let Sergeant Covetti sign off."
"I ordered all of you to help everyone get back on their feet."
"The damage is extensive," Marielle replied. "I radioed Lieutenant Harbor and she said that we'd have to order more supplies before we can start to rebuild the majority of the town."
"Very well. Who's in my office?"
"Jack Bennet."
Captain Shaughnessy failed to take the proffered hand. She was too busy glaring at him for sitting behind her desk.
"How did you get in here?"
"Master Sergeant Bancroft let me in."
"Nice try, but the lock doesn't take her thumbprint."
"Federal disaster management has manual override."
"We called Cheyenne less than three hours ago," Elizabeth argued. "You couldn't have gotten here by helicopter—according to regulations, choppers don't lift until three hours after the confirmed end of a storm. They haven't lifted for four or five since the attacks."
A/N: And that's all she wrote. I had a chapter thirteen at one time, but I never finished it…and it was way too graphic for this site, anyway. Maybe if I ever get the patience (and stop taking on so many projects) I'll come back and finish this.
