War Fields: Chapter 5
Despite Annie's courage to speak up to Matt, her shyness started to return while enduring the ride in Thunderhawk.
The car was filled with an awkward silence. Annie had never been in such a close space with Matt Trakker, and
she couldn't bring herself to look at him. Instead, she gazed out the window plotting her father's punishment
for making her endure such torment. Matt silently wished he knew how to make her more comfortable for the short
drive, so he played with the radio until he reached a country music station. With this notion, Annie became more
relax by the music and forgot about who sat next to her.
Several minutes later at Boulderhill, Matt was the first to enter the control room. Brad laid back comfortably
in his chair with his feet resting on top of the table, "Well chief, what's the verdict?" Matt stood there silently
with a sly smile on his face, as Annie appeared from behind his back. Brad fell out of his chair in shock, "Annie?
You serious?"
Matt was going to set a hand on Annie shoulder, yet reframed from doing so in fear of upsetting her. Instead,
he just stood there gloating with his arms crossed, "Don't look so surprise. Annie came her on her own free will."
Annie looked at the facial expressions of Matt and her father, knowing somehow that she had definitely missed something.
"I thought you wanted to spend some time with me?"
Brad smiled as he made his way over to her and whispered into her hear, before giving her a quick kiss on the cheek,
"I do more then anything."
While everybody was focus on Annie and Brad, Buddy elbowed Dusty in the shoulder, "Cough it up."
Dusty smirked and pulled some money out of his pocket and slapped it into Buddy's hand, "Who would have thought
he'da made it through their front door... this is the last time I make a bet with you."
"You should pay more attention," Buddy replied good-naturedly. "The father/daughter bond ALWAYS
wins out over incoherent shyness."
Matt's friendly persona was soon replaced with seriousness, as he gave final orders to his team, "The transport
leaves in two hours, get your gear together ladies and gentlemen." After that remark Matt returned to his home.
As he reached the mansion, he shouted for his children, "Scott! Roxanne! I need to speak with both of you." The
two wasted no time running down the stairs into the study. Usually he only shouted their names if he was leaving
on a mission in such short notice or somebody was in deep trouble.
Roxanne remarked as she entered the room, "What ever it is dad, I swear I didn't do it."
Matt eyed her with suspicion, "Do what?"
"Precisely," She smiled innocently, as she sat down on the couch next to Scott.
He shook his head wondering if he should even ask, "I need you both pack were leaving for Venice, Italy in 2 hours."
Scott spoke in his boyish tone, "So VENOM is in the area, huh dad?" Matt just nodded boldly at his son assumption.
"Let me get this straight," she spoke with disbelief in her tone, " I'm going and your taking me knowing that VENOM
will be within a reasonable radius of me. Dad did I miss something?"
"OH your still grounded, but I'm stretching the rules because Annie is coming along. While you're in Venice, you
will not go any where without Scott or T-bob." Roxanne was about to interject with a but, until Matt interrupted
her, "No buts. You mess this up, I might consider boarding school."
Roxanne's mouth dropped at the open-ended threat. Oh is that how he's going to play it? She lied through
her teeth trying to hold back any indication of anger, "Fine dad. I can live with that."
"Good get packing," Matt smiled hoping he reached an understanding.
Half the day passed before the transport reached Italy. As Roxanne entered the hotel room, she threw her bags
into the room and plopped herself down on the bed exhausted. Annie followed in behind her setting her baggage
neatly on her bed, "That sure was a long plane ride."
Roxanne stretched out on the bed, "Yeah well roommate I got news for you. You realize that the only time your going
to see your dad is maybe at meal time or when he turns in for the night."
Anne sits down on the bed disappointed, "Really? I didn't really think about that when I agreed to go." She
reached around and scratched the back of her neck in a habitual nervous gesture. "Heck, I guess I wasn't
really thinking at all. I was too stunned by your father standing in my front door telling me I COULD go that
I kind of just did what he told me. And then Dad took off so sudden, once the transported landed. He didn't
even give me the chance to say bye or even a simple good luck."
Roxanne sat up indian-style on the bed, "If he would have told you, you'd probably be attach to his leg, and he
wouldn't be able to do his job."
"I would not!" Annie blushed as she grabs her pillow and throws it in Roxanne's face.
Roxanne laughs as she threw Annie's pillow back at her, "That just confirmed it!"
Within a matter of minutes, pillows were flying all over the room. Roxanne and Annie were running around the room,
tossing pillows at each other, and making loads of noise in the process. Matt opened the door connecting the room
and felt stun when a pillow knocked him in the head. "OK girls that's enough," he picked up the pillow and threw
it back on the bed. The two sat back on their respectable beds still hyper, yet tried to look innocent about the
whole thing. "It's getting late and everybody is trying to get some sleep. I suggest you both turn in, because
tomorrow going to be a long day."
"Umm…Mr. Trakker," Annie asks, "Where is my father?"
"He's off on a recon assignment with Buddy. I expect them both to report back by daybreak. Goodnight girls," Matt
replied as he closed the door behind him.
As soon as Matt shut the door, the girls burst out in laughter. Annie confessed, "I thought he was going to yell
at us."
Roxanne smiles, while she added a yawn, "He was good sport about the whole thing. I think I'm going to catch some
Zs, we got a lot of exploring to do." With that final remark, the girls head off to bed.
Annie awoke in the middle of the night by the sound of whimpering. She turned her head and noticed the noise was
coming from Roxanne, who was tossing and turning in her sleep. Annie sat up in her bed rubbing her eyes, "Hey Roxanne?"
Annie could tell she hadn't heard and figured she'd have to wake her up. She raised her tone, "Roxy wake up."
Yet still Roxanne refused to stir. Annie stood next to her bed and shook her lightly, "Roxy?"
Roxanne's eyes popped open unaware of her surroundings. She jumped out of bed, violently grabbed Annie's shoulders,
and slammed straight into the floor. "ROXY!" she screamed, as she looked into her dark menacing eyes that were
full of hate. The lights popped on in the room, as Matt rushed in worried. There was his daughter Roxanne Trakker
with her fist in the position over Annie Turner ready to give a final powerful blow.
Roxanne stood there shaking as she looked at a terrified Annie. Her scream had snapped her out of her nightmare,
yet she could of killed her. "I'm…I'm…sorry…what…what have I done," She spoke in a quivering voice as tears fell
from her eyes.
Matt hastily moved towards his daughter and helped her off Annie, "Annie are you ok? Did she hurt you?"
Annie was still trying to make heads or tails of the situation, "I'm fine. Really she just startled me big time."
Matt had a protective arm around Roxanne who was mumbling, "I thought it was him…"
"I know," He said believing her ever word. He turned to the doorway where Scott and T-bob were observing the situation,
"Scott I want you to stay with Annie." Scott nodded as Matt took Roxanne into his room.
Scott notice Annie was confused, "It's not the first time she's had bad nightmares."
"You call that a nightmare. I looked into her eyes and saw a person I didn't even know," Annie grabbed a glass
of water trying to forget the incident ever happened. "Who did she think I was?"
Scott knew better then reveal Roxanne's true secret, "The man who killed her mother is the same man who abused
her, before she started living with us."
Annie felt some sympathy towards Roxanne after hearing the truth. Oh! No wonder dad said she led a troubled life.
I couldn't even imagine... Annie's thought's drifted, and it wasn't until she saw splashes in her water glass
that she realized she was crying.
"Annie? You okay?" Scott sat down beside her on the bed and casually draped a comforting arm around
her shoulders.
She quickly wiped the tears away. "Yeah...just a bit of delayed reaction shock I guess." Annie let
her head rest on his shoulder a moment as she looked up at him. "Kinda makes you grateful for what we have,
doesn't it? Our lives certainly aren't perfect, but we have supportive people who love us."
"So does Roxy if she'd just open up a bit more," Scott agreed softly.
"Well then, you and I are just going to have to make that a priority now, aren't we?" Annie grinned
as she laid back on the bed.
Matt's son smiled back, "Yep. We are." Then he yawned. "Starting tomorrow."
"You two really should go back to sleep," piped in T-Bob's voice from the other end of the room.
Annie nearly jumped back off the bed since she hadn't noticed the little robot follow Scott in. She gave T-Bob
a cursory glance. She spent so much time up in the mountains in completely natural surroundings that the robot's
presence sometimes unnerved her a little. She shook it off and said to Scott with a sly grin, "Guess you're
bunking with me tonight."
He blushed and quickly launched over to Roxanne's bed. Annie laughed softly. "Relax, it's no different than
when I stay in the cabin with Jesse and Cody. Separate rooms aren't much different than seperate beds. Besides
if Roxy comes back, T-Bob can wake you up."
Scott rolled over before she could embarrass him further. "Night Annie."
"Night Scott." Before she could tease him any further, she was asleep.
The next morning Roxanne came up to Annie confessing, "I'm really sorry about last night. I really don't know
what came over me. Can you find it in your heart to forgive me?"
Annie looked into Roxanne's concern eyes; they were different from last night. She knew she hadn't meant the attack,
but she also realized there was more to Roxanne then anybody was letting on, "I understand." Annie smiled letting
no prejudice show, "I want us to stay friends, so I do forgive you. I know you didn't mean it."
Roxanne hugged Annie, "Your the only friend I've had in a long time. I'd hate to lose you over this."
Annie returned the hug, "It takes a lot more then that to send me running. Remind me to tell you some of my horror
stories from up in the mountains. Although I am curious...where did you learn to attack like that?"
"I got it off the streets. A girl got to protect herself somehow."
Annie considered her next statement carefully, wavering for a moment. In the end, she decided to try and pursue
the opening. "I'd be willing to listen if you wanted to talk about it," she said with what she hoped
was a warm smile. "I know now is probably a bad time, but...well...the offer is open ended."
Annie waited for Roxanne's reply, but she simply avoided the statement, remarking as she grabbed Annie's hand,
"Come on lets get breakfast. I'm starved."
