Sarah's POV
The kiss Clay gave me was going to be among my most cherished memories.
I melted on the spot and it took all that I had to give him a final
hug and quickly leave the room.
I gathered up Jim and Ramon and we left the hospital and went
directly to the hotel. Jim took care of checking us in.
When he returned, he handed me a key. "For the fiancé. That's the
key to Clay's room. I hope I'm not presuming, but I figured you'd
want to stay there."
"Thank you, and that was a very astute presumption. The both of you
have been very understanding, and I appreciate your support." I
couldn't believe them. I was going to have a girl talk with their
wives. I want to see what they do to keep Jim and Ramon as
thoughtful and considerate as they were.
"Think nothing of it. This is what we do. Besides, just like mi
amigo there, I love a good romance."
"I have blushed more in the past two days with the two of you than I
have in the last two years!" It was true. I wasn't one to blush, but
I guess it happens when your emotions have been exposed.
"I've gotten two adjoining suites next to Clay's. While you were
talking with Clay we contacted Bud. Harm and a Cmdr. Manetti are on
their way here. Should be here this evening. We are going to have
one bedroom set up as a command center. That way Clay can rest
without having to be disturbed by our coming and going. I suggest
that we unpack the gear and get it set up. Then EVERYONE takes a
nap. This afternoon while you and I make contact with your Captain
Jarot, Ramon and Bud can hack away at the money trail. We'll also
set up a communication schedule."
"Sounds like a plan. I'll contact Jarot and set up an appointment.
I'm sure he'll see us."
We trooped up to the rooms with the bellhops that were laden with
all the gear. I think the Admiral was going to take great
satisfaction in presenting the bill for this operation to the DCI.
Clay traveled well. But I don't think he was using the Company dime
for this room. It was very luxurious. There was a large living
area, kitchenette, dining room, and two bedrooms. I had the bell
hop place my bag in the room with Clay's gear. I unpacked what
little clothing and toiletries that were in my emergency case.
There was a knock at the bedroom door and Ramon appeared with the
gearbox that held the items that Tessa had purchased for me. I
thanked him, and began unpacking that as well.
Tessa had bought practical jeans, shorts and tees. There were also
walking shoes and sandals. Everything was the right size. What was
a surprise were the sundresses, bikinis, and lingerie. The dresses
were simple, but if I put them on I'm sure they would be very sexy.
The bikinis were gorgeous, one in beautiful pale yellow and the
other in a deep burgundy. I hoped I had a chance to wear them. The
best was the lingerie. The bra and panty sets came from Victoria's
Secret. The panties weren't much more than scraps of lace and the
bras were made for my curves. The woman certainly knew how to shop.
I'll make sure to have Clay thank her when he could. He was going to
enjoy the results of her shopping spree more than I would.
Once I finished I went to the `command center' next door. Ramon was
busily assembling the computers and satellite/video gear. Jim was
unpacking the armament. He had hand weapons, semi-automatic rifles,
and if I wasn't mistaken a sniper rifle. It looks like we were
prepared for just about anything. He handed me a 9mm automatic and
four clips. "Sarah, there is a round in the chamber. Just be aware."
"What kind of holster do you want? I can offer something in the
shoulder or hip line."
"Oh, I prefer the shoulder kind; the other doesn't do a thing for my
hips! Your wife provided a light jacket to cover it."
"Please don't talk about her shopping!" I only smiled at the comment.
I wandered over to Ramon. He paused in his set up and handed me a
satellite phone and a camera. "There's a backpack over there to put
the stuff in. I've also got a PDA that will uplink with the phone.
We can send data back and forth. The camera is digital, with 100mg
memory stick. You can snap as many pictures as you need."
"Pretty impressive. How long will it take to contact Bud?"
"He's on line with me now. Sit down at the keyboard and start
typing. We're using a secure uplink connection. So you can ask him
what you need."
I sat at the laptop and began typing.
"Hello, Bud. This is Sarah."
"Hello M'am. How's Mr. Webb?"
"He is actually doing quite well. He'll get out of the hospital
tomorrow. I think at this time you can simply type Sarah and Clay.
Titles are going to get to be a bit much. :-)!
"OK, I can do that, or at least I'll try! How are you doing? You
were a bit upset when you left."
"Bud, I'm fine. I'm getting ready to take a nap and then we are
going out to start interviews. I just realized it's 0100 Hours
there. What are you doing up?"
"The Admiral realized that the time difference may cause trouble so
I've adjusted my schedule to mirror your daytime hours. Harriet and
Tiner are going to man communications during our day. BTW, Harriet
sends her best, and AJ sends a kiss."
"Kiss them both for me. I'm going to sign off now. BTW - Good
Hacking!"
I asked Jim to wake me in two hours and went back to the room to
rest. I decided to take a shower before going to bed. Rather than
put on my nightshirt I slipped on one of Clay's dress shirts. He
wasn't going to need this part of his traditional three-piece look.
Besides, I needed to have something of him close to me while I
napped.
I dreamed of Clay. The knock that woke me interrupted a very crucial
moment in one of the most erotic dreams that I've ever had. I
planned on recreating that dream as soon as possible.
I yelled, "I'm awake, be up in a few minutes." I tried to recapture
the moment but it was gone. Disgruntled, I got up and dressed and
went to join the others. When I arrived there was huge meal
waiting. I suddenly realized how hungry I was. I hadn't eaten
since the last meal on the plane, several hours ago.
Ramon and Jim were busily eating. "Rabb contacted us. I gave him
the hotel location and room number. His plane lands in a few hours.
He's going to meet here. You should be back from your interview at
just about the same time."
We left Ramon tapping away at the keyboard and took a taxi to
Jarot's office.
We were shown immediately into the Captain's office. "Colonel
McKenzie, how lovely to see you, I wish it could be under better
circumstances."
"Thank you captain. This is Lt. Cmdr. James Morrison of NCIS. He
and I are assisting Clayton Webb from State in the investigation of
the bombing. Mr. Webb was injured and will be joining us sometime
tomorrow. Here is a list of names of suspected terrorists that may
have had a hand in the attack. Do you recognize any of them?"
"Yes I do. He pointed at three names on the list of five. These
three are known to be members of an extremist religious group that
is based, as far as we know on Sulawesi. We have been looking at
their movements, but were reluctant to arrest them. We wanted to
get the leader. We had hoped by taking him into custody the rest of
the cell would collapse. I'm sorry we did not arrest them."
Jim spoke up. "Captain, do you know if they were in Jakarta at the
time of the bombing?"
"They were. We apprehended two of them but one managed to slip
away. We believe he headed back to the island. I have men there
looking for him. But trying to find one man on a jungle covered
island will be difficult, especially if he has associates hiding
him."
I was sure they were interrogating the two suspects, and weren't
being gentle about it. I was familiar how things such as this were
handled here. It was part of their culture and in this case I
didn't care how they got the information. After 9/11 and other
bombings my sense of proper procedure was sorely tried.
"Do you think that we could talk to them Captain?"
"Certainly. It may take time for me to arrange."
"Captain, would a donation to your retirement fund help set it up
quicker?
"I will arrange for it tomorrow. They haven't told us anything.
Oh, by the way there were two other arrested with them. They aren't
Indonesian and aren't talking either."
"Where are they from?" Jim asked before I could.
"They haven't said, but I believe that they are either Afghani or
Pakistani."
This was a big revelation, and I wanted to go over this with Clay.
This put a different slant on things.
I glanced at Jim and gave him a nod. "Thank you for the information
Captain. I can't tell you how much this means. Can you tell me one
other thing? Why didn't you tell this to the other investigators?
It's been over 48 hours since the bombing."
"They didn't ask."
"I see. Thank you again. We'll be here in the morning."
We walked out and hailed a taxi. "Jim I want to go see Clay and let
him know. You go back to the hotel and run the names again with
Ramon. I'll meet you later."
We left Jarot's office in separate cabs. I greeted the guards
stationed outside of Clay's room and quietly walked in. He was
sleeping and I really didn't want to disturb him. As I leaned over
to kiss him, he grabbed me and pulled me onto the bed, and proceeded
to kiss me senseless. I returned the favor, thinking about my
earlier dream. I was wet already and I had been in his arms for
only a few seconds.
"Hello, Princess Charming. Comfortable?" These few words were said
between kisses and very intimate caresses.
"Very, how did you know it was me anyway?"
"I cheated, I wasn't asleep and looked through my lashes. You are
really cute when you try to sneak into a room."
I was tempted to pop him, but his obvious injuries were holding me
back. The bruises on his face were a lovely Technicolor and the
swelling had yet not begun to subside. He was acting as cocky as he
could dressed in a backless gown.
"I'm not going to remind you about my marine training, but Marines
are not CUTE when they are stealthy!"
He chuckled. "I've got some good news. I've managed to convince the
doctor to let me out of here this evening."
When I began to protest he continued. "Twelve hours is not going to
make that big a difference and I promised to take it easy at the
hotel. I can't take it here another moment. I hate hospitals!"
"Don't whine. Did the doctor release you, really?
"Yes, really. Now help me dress. They left some scrubs on the
chair over there. I was going to call the hotel in a few minutes
and have you come pick me up, but you saved me the call."
I stood and helped him sit. He was still a bit woozy, but
maintained his upright position with no assistance. He removed the
gown, and when I turned from retrieving the scrubs I had my first
good look at his body. He had multiple bruises that were companions
the ones on his face. I had felt its firmness when we had lain
together, but seeing it was a different matter. It was obvious that
he worked out. His pecs were well developed, his abdomen was flat,
and his thighs looked powerful. Probably from all the riding he
does. Then my gaze looked at the real him. There was no deficiency
in that area either. I guess I was staring at him for a while.
"Like what you see?" he said with a shy smirk.
How someone could be shy and smirk at the same time I couldn't
figure out, but he managed it.
I gulped. "Yes I do, very much. But if you want to get out of
here, get you mind on a different train of thought."
"Spoil sport. Hand me the pants." Together we managed to get him
dressed. I found his shoes and tattered clothing in the small closet.
"Do you want me to toss this stuff?"
"Yes, it's not good for much. Will you call the nurses to get the
paper work started?"
I stuck my head out of the door, and asked one of the guards to call
the duty nurse. A few minutes later we were ready to leave the
hospital.
The Marine corporal spoke up as we left the room. "Colonel we are
assigned to Mr. Webb and will be accompanying him wherever he goes.
We have transport ready downstairs. If you will follow us."
Clay looked at me, and I shrugged. I don't know who assigned the
Marines, but I wasn't going to turn them away. They had their
orders.
It took another thirty minutes to get to the hotel. Clay was
napping. He had his placed his head on my shoulder as soon as we
had sat in the car. I shook him gently when we rolled up to the
hotel. He immediately opened his eyes and smiled at me.
"I cat nap very well, you never know when you will sleep next in
this business. Let's go on up."
He turned to the Marine guards as we entered the lobby. "Gentleman,
we'll get you a room. For the next few days you will have to get
rid of the uniforms. Have your relief get you some civvies and join
us here."
The four of us entered the elevator and walked to the suite where
command had been set up. When I opened the door I saw that Harm and
Tracy Manetti had arrived.
Tracy gasped when she saw Clay's face. I guess no one had prepared
her for his appearance.
Harm looked at his friend and winced, "Man, didn't they tell you not
to lead with your face? You look like hell."
"Why thank you Harm. Hello, to you too. And yes I feel fine."
I spoke up because I didn't want them to start their usual
sniping. "Don't start you two. I have more than enough to do, and
refereeing isn't one of them."
Clay nodded his acceptance of the truce. I don't think he has quite
forgiven Harm for his comments regarding the Angel Shark incident.
Even injured he was a professional. Harm was being Harm and just
grinned his patented grin. I noticed that Tracy had placed a hand
on his arm, `to calm him?' I wondered what was going on there, but
didn't have the time or the inclination to pursue the thought.
Ramon spoke up. "We were just about to order from room service.
You two hungry?"
"Have you ever known me not to be hungry? Order enough for the two
guards outside that are glued to Clay's tail for the duration."
"Room service is going to have a fit if they have to feed us AND
three Marines. It will take a while for the order. Do you want to
discuss this afternoons information with the class?"
Clay and I settled on the love seat and the others gathered around
as Jim and I began to tell our story.
TBC
The kiss Clay gave me was going to be among my most cherished memories.
I melted on the spot and it took all that I had to give him a final
hug and quickly leave the room.
I gathered up Jim and Ramon and we left the hospital and went
directly to the hotel. Jim took care of checking us in.
When he returned, he handed me a key. "For the fiancé. That's the
key to Clay's room. I hope I'm not presuming, but I figured you'd
want to stay there."
"Thank you, and that was a very astute presumption. The both of you
have been very understanding, and I appreciate your support." I
couldn't believe them. I was going to have a girl talk with their
wives. I want to see what they do to keep Jim and Ramon as
thoughtful and considerate as they were.
"Think nothing of it. This is what we do. Besides, just like mi
amigo there, I love a good romance."
"I have blushed more in the past two days with the two of you than I
have in the last two years!" It was true. I wasn't one to blush, but
I guess it happens when your emotions have been exposed.
"I've gotten two adjoining suites next to Clay's. While you were
talking with Clay we contacted Bud. Harm and a Cmdr. Manetti are on
their way here. Should be here this evening. We are going to have
one bedroom set up as a command center. That way Clay can rest
without having to be disturbed by our coming and going. I suggest
that we unpack the gear and get it set up. Then EVERYONE takes a
nap. This afternoon while you and I make contact with your Captain
Jarot, Ramon and Bud can hack away at the money trail. We'll also
set up a communication schedule."
"Sounds like a plan. I'll contact Jarot and set up an appointment.
I'm sure he'll see us."
We trooped up to the rooms with the bellhops that were laden with
all the gear. I think the Admiral was going to take great
satisfaction in presenting the bill for this operation to the DCI.
Clay traveled well. But I don't think he was using the Company dime
for this room. It was very luxurious. There was a large living
area, kitchenette, dining room, and two bedrooms. I had the bell
hop place my bag in the room with Clay's gear. I unpacked what
little clothing and toiletries that were in my emergency case.
There was a knock at the bedroom door and Ramon appeared with the
gearbox that held the items that Tessa had purchased for me. I
thanked him, and began unpacking that as well.
Tessa had bought practical jeans, shorts and tees. There were also
walking shoes and sandals. Everything was the right size. What was
a surprise were the sundresses, bikinis, and lingerie. The dresses
were simple, but if I put them on I'm sure they would be very sexy.
The bikinis were gorgeous, one in beautiful pale yellow and the
other in a deep burgundy. I hoped I had a chance to wear them. The
best was the lingerie. The bra and panty sets came from Victoria's
Secret. The panties weren't much more than scraps of lace and the
bras were made for my curves. The woman certainly knew how to shop.
I'll make sure to have Clay thank her when he could. He was going to
enjoy the results of her shopping spree more than I would.
Once I finished I went to the `command center' next door. Ramon was
busily assembling the computers and satellite/video gear. Jim was
unpacking the armament. He had hand weapons, semi-automatic rifles,
and if I wasn't mistaken a sniper rifle. It looks like we were
prepared for just about anything. He handed me a 9mm automatic and
four clips. "Sarah, there is a round in the chamber. Just be aware."
"What kind of holster do you want? I can offer something in the
shoulder or hip line."
"Oh, I prefer the shoulder kind; the other doesn't do a thing for my
hips! Your wife provided a light jacket to cover it."
"Please don't talk about her shopping!" I only smiled at the comment.
I wandered over to Ramon. He paused in his set up and handed me a
satellite phone and a camera. "There's a backpack over there to put
the stuff in. I've also got a PDA that will uplink with the phone.
We can send data back and forth. The camera is digital, with 100mg
memory stick. You can snap as many pictures as you need."
"Pretty impressive. How long will it take to contact Bud?"
"He's on line with me now. Sit down at the keyboard and start
typing. We're using a secure uplink connection. So you can ask him
what you need."
I sat at the laptop and began typing.
"Hello, Bud. This is Sarah."
"Hello M'am. How's Mr. Webb?"
"He is actually doing quite well. He'll get out of the hospital
tomorrow. I think at this time you can simply type Sarah and Clay.
Titles are going to get to be a bit much. :-)!
"OK, I can do that, or at least I'll try! How are you doing? You
were a bit upset when you left."
"Bud, I'm fine. I'm getting ready to take a nap and then we are
going out to start interviews. I just realized it's 0100 Hours
there. What are you doing up?"
"The Admiral realized that the time difference may cause trouble so
I've adjusted my schedule to mirror your daytime hours. Harriet and
Tiner are going to man communications during our day. BTW, Harriet
sends her best, and AJ sends a kiss."
"Kiss them both for me. I'm going to sign off now. BTW - Good
Hacking!"
I asked Jim to wake me in two hours and went back to the room to
rest. I decided to take a shower before going to bed. Rather than
put on my nightshirt I slipped on one of Clay's dress shirts. He
wasn't going to need this part of his traditional three-piece look.
Besides, I needed to have something of him close to me while I
napped.
I dreamed of Clay. The knock that woke me interrupted a very crucial
moment in one of the most erotic dreams that I've ever had. I
planned on recreating that dream as soon as possible.
I yelled, "I'm awake, be up in a few minutes." I tried to recapture
the moment but it was gone. Disgruntled, I got up and dressed and
went to join the others. When I arrived there was huge meal
waiting. I suddenly realized how hungry I was. I hadn't eaten
since the last meal on the plane, several hours ago.
Ramon and Jim were busily eating. "Rabb contacted us. I gave him
the hotel location and room number. His plane lands in a few hours.
He's going to meet here. You should be back from your interview at
just about the same time."
We left Ramon tapping away at the keyboard and took a taxi to
Jarot's office.
We were shown immediately into the Captain's office. "Colonel
McKenzie, how lovely to see you, I wish it could be under better
circumstances."
"Thank you captain. This is Lt. Cmdr. James Morrison of NCIS. He
and I are assisting Clayton Webb from State in the investigation of
the bombing. Mr. Webb was injured and will be joining us sometime
tomorrow. Here is a list of names of suspected terrorists that may
have had a hand in the attack. Do you recognize any of them?"
"Yes I do. He pointed at three names on the list of five. These
three are known to be members of an extremist religious group that
is based, as far as we know on Sulawesi. We have been looking at
their movements, but were reluctant to arrest them. We wanted to
get the leader. We had hoped by taking him into custody the rest of
the cell would collapse. I'm sorry we did not arrest them."
Jim spoke up. "Captain, do you know if they were in Jakarta at the
time of the bombing?"
"They were. We apprehended two of them but one managed to slip
away. We believe he headed back to the island. I have men there
looking for him. But trying to find one man on a jungle covered
island will be difficult, especially if he has associates hiding
him."
I was sure they were interrogating the two suspects, and weren't
being gentle about it. I was familiar how things such as this were
handled here. It was part of their culture and in this case I
didn't care how they got the information. After 9/11 and other
bombings my sense of proper procedure was sorely tried.
"Do you think that we could talk to them Captain?"
"Certainly. It may take time for me to arrange."
"Captain, would a donation to your retirement fund help set it up
quicker?
"I will arrange for it tomorrow. They haven't told us anything.
Oh, by the way there were two other arrested with them. They aren't
Indonesian and aren't talking either."
"Where are they from?" Jim asked before I could.
"They haven't said, but I believe that they are either Afghani or
Pakistani."
This was a big revelation, and I wanted to go over this with Clay.
This put a different slant on things.
I glanced at Jim and gave him a nod. "Thank you for the information
Captain. I can't tell you how much this means. Can you tell me one
other thing? Why didn't you tell this to the other investigators?
It's been over 48 hours since the bombing."
"They didn't ask."
"I see. Thank you again. We'll be here in the morning."
We walked out and hailed a taxi. "Jim I want to go see Clay and let
him know. You go back to the hotel and run the names again with
Ramon. I'll meet you later."
We left Jarot's office in separate cabs. I greeted the guards
stationed outside of Clay's room and quietly walked in. He was
sleeping and I really didn't want to disturb him. As I leaned over
to kiss him, he grabbed me and pulled me onto the bed, and proceeded
to kiss me senseless. I returned the favor, thinking about my
earlier dream. I was wet already and I had been in his arms for
only a few seconds.
"Hello, Princess Charming. Comfortable?" These few words were said
between kisses and very intimate caresses.
"Very, how did you know it was me anyway?"
"I cheated, I wasn't asleep and looked through my lashes. You are
really cute when you try to sneak into a room."
I was tempted to pop him, but his obvious injuries were holding me
back. The bruises on his face were a lovely Technicolor and the
swelling had yet not begun to subside. He was acting as cocky as he
could dressed in a backless gown.
"I'm not going to remind you about my marine training, but Marines
are not CUTE when they are stealthy!"
He chuckled. "I've got some good news. I've managed to convince the
doctor to let me out of here this evening."
When I began to protest he continued. "Twelve hours is not going to
make that big a difference and I promised to take it easy at the
hotel. I can't take it here another moment. I hate hospitals!"
"Don't whine. Did the doctor release you, really?
"Yes, really. Now help me dress. They left some scrubs on the
chair over there. I was going to call the hotel in a few minutes
and have you come pick me up, but you saved me the call."
I stood and helped him sit. He was still a bit woozy, but
maintained his upright position with no assistance. He removed the
gown, and when I turned from retrieving the scrubs I had my first
good look at his body. He had multiple bruises that were companions
the ones on his face. I had felt its firmness when we had lain
together, but seeing it was a different matter. It was obvious that
he worked out. His pecs were well developed, his abdomen was flat,
and his thighs looked powerful. Probably from all the riding he
does. Then my gaze looked at the real him. There was no deficiency
in that area either. I guess I was staring at him for a while.
"Like what you see?" he said with a shy smirk.
How someone could be shy and smirk at the same time I couldn't
figure out, but he managed it.
I gulped. "Yes I do, very much. But if you want to get out of
here, get you mind on a different train of thought."
"Spoil sport. Hand me the pants." Together we managed to get him
dressed. I found his shoes and tattered clothing in the small closet.
"Do you want me to toss this stuff?"
"Yes, it's not good for much. Will you call the nurses to get the
paper work started?"
I stuck my head out of the door, and asked one of the guards to call
the duty nurse. A few minutes later we were ready to leave the
hospital.
The Marine corporal spoke up as we left the room. "Colonel we are
assigned to Mr. Webb and will be accompanying him wherever he goes.
We have transport ready downstairs. If you will follow us."
Clay looked at me, and I shrugged. I don't know who assigned the
Marines, but I wasn't going to turn them away. They had their
orders.
It took another thirty minutes to get to the hotel. Clay was
napping. He had his placed his head on my shoulder as soon as we
had sat in the car. I shook him gently when we rolled up to the
hotel. He immediately opened his eyes and smiled at me.
"I cat nap very well, you never know when you will sleep next in
this business. Let's go on up."
He turned to the Marine guards as we entered the lobby. "Gentleman,
we'll get you a room. For the next few days you will have to get
rid of the uniforms. Have your relief get you some civvies and join
us here."
The four of us entered the elevator and walked to the suite where
command had been set up. When I opened the door I saw that Harm and
Tracy Manetti had arrived.
Tracy gasped when she saw Clay's face. I guess no one had prepared
her for his appearance.
Harm looked at his friend and winced, "Man, didn't they tell you not
to lead with your face? You look like hell."
"Why thank you Harm. Hello, to you too. And yes I feel fine."
I spoke up because I didn't want them to start their usual
sniping. "Don't start you two. I have more than enough to do, and
refereeing isn't one of them."
Clay nodded his acceptance of the truce. I don't think he has quite
forgiven Harm for his comments regarding the Angel Shark incident.
Even injured he was a professional. Harm was being Harm and just
grinned his patented grin. I noticed that Tracy had placed a hand
on his arm, `to calm him?' I wondered what was going on there, but
didn't have the time or the inclination to pursue the thought.
Ramon spoke up. "We were just about to order from room service.
You two hungry?"
"Have you ever known me not to be hungry? Order enough for the two
guards outside that are glued to Clay's tail for the duration."
"Room service is going to have a fit if they have to feed us AND
three Marines. It will take a while for the order. Do you want to
discuss this afternoons information with the class?"
Clay and I settled on the love seat and the others gathered around
as Jim and I began to tell our story.
TBC