Chapter Fourteen

Jess walked into Ops three days later. Everyone greeted her happily. There were several cards and a bunch of lilies on the ADD. She sighed. She hoped none of them were from Elm.

To her relief, the cards were all from Ops personnel and the lilies were from Lester. She sighed and chuckled nervously. 'Get a grip,' she said to herself.

She went about her work, catching up on what she had missed. Soon there was an anomaly alert. There were no incursions thankfully, but directing the team and monitoring the anomaly in case there were creatures kept her mind busy. She liked it busy. It didn't wander if it was busy.

Once the anomaly was closed and the team on their way back, she looked up. Everything in Ops was as it should be. Accept that Corporal Bern was there. He wandered around Ops, occasionally looking at a report or a monitor. He caught her eye. They both smiled.

She sighed. Everything was going to be fine.

"Jess."

She turned at the sound of her name and her heart froze. Walking toward the ADD was Elm.

"How are you?" he asked with a big smile. "I'm so glad you're back. How about a hug?"

Her eyes grew wide and she began to panic.

"I'll hug you, Recruit," said Bern, who suddenly appeared in front of Jess. She sighed with relief.

"Oh. I didn't know you were here," said Elm.

Bern chuckled. "Obviously not. Aren't you supposed to be attending a lecture with Mr. Temple's assistants?"

"Please. Why the hell do I need to know how the anomalies work? That's what eggheads like Temple are for."

"Connor is a lot more than an egghead," said Jess.

"Sorry. I know he's a friend," said Elm. "I didn't mean anything. " Elm looked uneasily at Bern. Why couldn't he get out of the way? "So, Jess, how about lunch?"

"I…can't. Thank you."

"Jess, we really need to talk."

"No you don't," said Bern. "You need to leave her alone."

"This is none of your business! It's between me and Jess!"

"What is?" asked Jess. She got up from her chair and walked past Bern, who grabbed her arm. "I'm fine, Corporal. The recruit and I need to discuss some things."

Elm smiled. "We do."

Jess sighed. She shook her head. "We barely know each other. I don't understand why you think we're so…close."

Elm steadied his nerves. "That's Becker talking. Don't let him get between us."

"There is no 'us,' Recruit Elm."

Elm actually staggered back, like she'd hit him. "You have to call me Bobby."

"No. I don't think I should. We're simply colleagues, not even that really, more like acquaintances. I don't know why you think we're more. We aren't."

"Jess…please don't do this…."

"I think perhaps you need some professional…guidance," said Jess gently.

Elm scoffed. "They've brainwashed you! You're spouting their words!"

Jess shook her head. "I'm not. I'm trying very hard not to hurt you, but you seem to believe in something that just isn't real."

Elm lunged forward and grabbed her. Bern reacted with a quick karate chop to his neck. Elm staggered back and weakened his grip on Jess. Bern pulled her free and pushed her backwards, away from Elm.

"What the hell!" cried Becker, running out of the lift with Matt and the others behind him.

"Stay away from her!" screamed Elm.

Jess was several feet behind Bern. She looked confused and frightened.

"What's going on out here?" asked Lester, joining them all.

"You're all against me! You're plotting to keep me and Jess apart!"

Jess shook her head. Abby and Emily were beside her, holding her hands and whispering that everything was alright.

"Good Lord! Is this man deranged?"

"Yes, Lester he is," said Becker.

"You go on and think that," sneered Elm. "You won't keep us apart forever. I promise you that."

Becker sighed. "Well, at least now we know. You are crazy."

Elm laughed sinisterly. "Lock me up. I'll never stop loving her."

Jess began to cry.

"Captain, take this man to medical and keep an armed guard on him."

"Yes, Sir," said Becker.

Elm began to thrash as Becker grabbed his arm. Then he began to fight with the Captain, Bern and even Matt. Finally a blow to Elm's head knocked him out.

James Lester stood nursing his sore hand. "I did not get any satisfaction out of that. His head is very hard."

Matt chuckled.

"Way to go boss," said Connor.

Bern and Matt dragged him out while Becker went to Jess.

"I feel like it's my fault," she said, sobbing in his arms.

"It isn't. You didn't cause this in anyway."

"Of course not," said Lester. "The man is deranged. He could have fallen in love with a raptor."

Jess giggled slightly at that. "Thank you," she said.

"Not at all," said Lester. "Let's all get back to work. Captain, my office. We need to figure out what to do with that….nutcase."

"Yes Sir," Becker said but looked at Jess. "Can I have a minute?"

Lester looked at the badly shaken field coordinator. "Yes of course," he said. He smiled at Jess. "Why don't you go get some tea with Abby and Lady Emily?"

She nodded and the ladies left.

"I'm not leaving her unprotected," said Becker. He moved over to the ADD and pushed some buttons. "Lieutenant Keyo to Ops. It's urgent."

"The lieutenant had his own run-in with the recruit, didn't he?"

Becker nodded. "Keyo reported Elm seemed too protective of Jess during the moth incursion. Afterwards, Elm apparently had some harsh criticism of Keyo's handling of the incident. I should have acted them."

Lester smiled. "You were busy elsewhere. Besides, if I had to choose between staying at Miss Parker's bedside and handling a loudmouthed recruit, I'd have made the same choice."

Becker chuckled. "What do we do now?"

Lester sighed. "I find it hard to believe that this behavior just started. It makes me suspicious?"

"That maybe his files were a little too clean?"

"Exactly. I merely glanced over the recruits' personnel files. You and Miss Parker I assume paid them more attention."

Becker nodded. "I teased Jess that she was pouring over them too much."

Lester smiled. "And there no indications of inappropriate behavior in his files?"

"None and I was thorough. I went back to his school days. Jess thought I was being paranoid."

Lester laughed. "I pay you to be paranoid."

"That's what I told her," he said. Then he sighed. "I wasn't paranoid enough apparently."

"You cannot find what is not there," said Lester. "I have no qualms now. I shall get to the bottom of this." He smiled. "I like ruffling feathers."

Becker chuckled. "Under the circumstances, can we lift the 'no killing' rule?"

Lester smiled. "Not just yet. I do, however, authorize severe man-handling, if necessary. Do what you must to protect Miss Parker. And the ARC obviously."

Becker smiled. "Thank you."

"Not at all. Now, if you'll excuse me I have to discover why a nutcase was delivered to our doorstep."

End of Chapter Fourteen