"I really think you should be coming with me."
Bella felt the tension behind her skull building and rubbed her temples in an attempt to relieve the pain. She'd barely slept an hour last night; when not straining her hearing to listen to the guards outside her door and the strange noises across the base, she was tossing and turning thinking about Edward out there somewhere searching for the men who stole the weapons. The weapons. The pit in her stomach felt like a rock. Who the fuck took them? Why? The combination of worry, sleeplessness, and Black's anger was making Bella feel ill.
"We decided yesterday. You go back, take Yorkie's body home for his mother. Report back to your team and attempt them to put pressure on their Jordanian counterparts to release Hussein for interview. When they agree, you can always fly back."
"That was before there was a Code Silver on base," Black argued. Like he'd been arguing for the past half hour. "I'm not leaving you alone here."
"But I'm not alone. There are two hundred American Marines here, and my room is right down the hall from the Commanding Officer. And besides-" she continued rapidly after Jacob opened his mouth to contradict her again, "I still have a job to do here."
The military lawyer huffed loudly. They'd both been repeating their points on loop since they'd left the CO's office where they'd been summoned at 0600. The CO hadn't given either of them any details except to say that a security incident had occurred the night prior, but that they were investigating it. Black had argued their need to know the details due to the murder of Yorkie, which could've been related. The Commanding Officer dismissed the claim, downplaying everything yet still instructing them to remain solely inside either their sequestered office or bedrooms. Meals would be brought to them inside the rooms. Bella was deeply grateful for Edward's visit to her room last night, not just for the makeshift dinner and the way being with him made all of the pressure building up over her feel lighter, even if just for a few minutes. But he gave her more information in five minutes than the CO gave them in half an hour. She realised the level of trust Edward had in her by sharing that information and it touched her.
Black stood quickly from his hair and began prowling around the office space again. After working with him for just a week, Bella had learned how deeply the man hated to be caged up. Obviously a brilliant lawyer, but he clearly felt most at home when mobile and moving rather than behind a desk. He seemed to be thinking over her words in his head and Bella left him to his pacing, turning back to her laptop and rereading the email from her boss back in Virginia.
She'd always had a solid relationship with him. A career intel officer with the CIA, Johnathan Bannerman – Banner – had been recruited into the agency back in the early eighties after specialising in Soviet Studies. While he was a brilliant analyst; able to command any room regardless if it was filled with military or congressmen, able to smell bullshit a mile out, and most of all, backed his staff to the end. Including the lone female analyst on the Middle East Military desk. Bella had appreciated Banner's quiet encouragement and support for the past three years, and knew he trusted her without needing every single detail. She'd kept him abreast of her time in Muwaffaq al-Salti, including the inability to access Hussein, the strange atmosphere on base, and the apparent growing divide between the Jordanian and American soldiers. Last night, once she was back in her room, Bella had emailed Banner to inform him of an emergency alert on base. She hadn't given him all of the information Edward told her, but just relayed the alarm and her seclusion to the panic room for an hour. Morning time back in Virginia, Banner had responded right away asking if she needed to be pulled out. Bella had declined, stating she wanted to finish taking scope of the base and believing she had a better change getting the Jordanian leadership onside once WO Black was out, and Banner deferred to her judgement. She appreciated that he didn't pull rank and order her back home – not an unfair call given the instability of al Salti. But Banner knew her and knew better than to attempt any misplaced heroics. Bella smiled lightly, thinking of one man with misplaced heroics that she didn't mind in the least…
Black interrupted her thoughts. "How long will you stay?"
Bella shrugged. "I don't know. Another week? Maybe two?"
He sighed deeply, obviously accepting the inevitability. "Bella, please don't take this the wrong way. I know you're dedicated to your job. But… Are you sure? There's been murder on the base, and then the weird shit last night? Its fucked to say, but you're the only woman within a twenty-mile radius…. No one will think any less of you if you head back with me." Black looked at her pleadingly, his two hands raised up as if to fend off her return attack.
She took a second to steel herself against the impulse and thought again of Edward. She could accept now that she had misjudged his concern and kindness eight months ago in Georgia. Maybe Black had similar genuine intent. "Thank you, I appreciate that. Really." Bella smiled at the solider to show she meant it. "But… I can't."
The man sighed again deeply and shrugged. "Worth a shot. I'll call home and get them to organise the return flight, then tell the CO to have Yorkie's body prepared. Hopefully can get out by this time tomorrow." Black turned to exit the office but paused by the door. "Bella?" She looked up to see him shifting nervously from foot to foot. "Will you call me? Just to let me know you're ok? Or email. Then let me know once you're back stateside? Might be an idea to debrief properly once you're back."
Bella smiled again. "Sure thing. Good idea."
Pleased, the WO strode out of the room and Bella got back to her inbox.
~A~
Jacob ended up getting a flight out that night, 2300 Jordan time. A gruelling fourteen-hour trip, it would get him back to Fort Leonard Wood in Missouri around 0500 local time. Lucky for Black he could sleep anywhere, though the thought of twenty-two year of Private Yorkie's body resting in the storage chamber beneath his feet did give him some discontent.
He took a swig from the flask one of the pilots had kindly left on his seat, feeling the burn of whiskey as it went down and gritted his teeth. This is not how Yorkie should be coming home. Jacob felt fucking furious about it. Not only was he bringing the kid home in a body bag, but he wasn't even going to be able to give the boy's mother any answers. It was fucked up that the Jordanian's hadn't given him access to the fucking murderer. Hussein should've been extradited to the US and charged with First Degree Murder, which – if tried in Missouri court - would earn him the grand prize of Capital Punishment by lethal injection. Too fucking good for him.
Jacob seethed in his seat. Deep down he knew that Bella was their best shot of getting access to Hussein, and that his presence probably jarred more than it helped. She would get it sorted, and he'd be back on a plane to Amman where he'd finally get to look the man in the eye and watch him confess to what he did. But, even knowing it was the right strategy, Jacob felt strange about leaving Bella at al Salti. Yes, it was the right move. Yes, she was a professional. Yes, she was surrounded by soldiers instructed to protect her. But it felt… wrong.
He took another mouthful of the liquid and forced himself to slouch down in the military-grade airline chair. Over the loud drum of the engine whirring, Jacob was able to be honest with himself that some part of the unease came not just from the potential danger she faced on base, but from his inability to see her every day. It had only been six days, but Jacob liked Bella. If asked two weeks ago who he would like to be secluded with into a miniscule, windowless, airless office with for fourteen hours a day, Jacob would've said 'Fucking no one on this earth, thank you very much'. But he'd enjoyed his time with Bella. Despite how obviously fucking smart she was, she never made him feel like he had to defend himself like he felt at the American Military University; the dumb kid who grew up on reservation going to public schools wearing hand-me-downs from his older brothers. Bella never rubbed in his face the fact that she knew the Jordanian situation better than he did, or that he was only adding strain to her work. Instead, she was quiet, thoughtful, a hard worker, polite… Hell, she even had great table manners despite their meals being served on trays with piddly plastic utensils. Just the kind of girl he could bring home to his parents and not feel awkward about his mum's waitress job or his dads disability, or be worried his parents wouldn't approve of his choice. Jacob imagined bringing her to a Black family Thanksgiving and imagined Bella Swan in blue jeans instead of her endless black slacks. The thought made him smile. He was sure she'd scrub down good, and somehow make denim look stylish – but not so stylish that she wouldn't get down on the ground with him to muss up his niece's and nephew's hair.
Reassured that one way or another – either by him flying back to Jordan, or by her flying back to the US – he would be seeing Bella again soon, Jacob leant into his thanksgiving fantasy, felt the liquor soothing his muscles, and drifted into sleep for the remainder of the flight.
~A~
Wow. Guys! When I say I was not expecting your reviews, I mean; I was not expecting your reviews. Normally I get a few "Yay's" or "Love's", but to hear from you guys how much you've liked my story and been waiting for updates? Makes me feel so happy inside. Now I know people genuinely like my story I promise I will write more quickly.
Thank you xx