"Jack." Sam said as she sat back down.
"Yes?"
"Do you remember when you came to talk to me earlier?" She asked.
"Yes."
"Do you remember what we were talking about?"
"Calling Kyle to make sure he was free for dinner." Jack replied.
"No the other thing. The person we thought could get us the information we needed."
"Yes." Jack wasn't sure where she was going with it.
"The person who we couldn't locate, and that when you checked in with Daniel hadn't responded to your message."
"Yes. Where are you going with this?" Jack questioned.
"I located him."
"Where?" Jack asked.
"Or rather I should say he located us, he's behind that big bushy plant over there."
"He's slippery; never know where you're going to find him." Jack muttered. "Excuse me; I need to talk to this guy. If the food comes before I get back, go ahead and start without me."
"Jack." Sam handed him their room key. "Remember to ..."
"I know." Sam was referring to a device that they both had to squeal the room to make sure it wasn't bugged.
"Who was that guy?" Mel asked after Jack left.
"Best not to ask ma'am, so I don't have to tell you. It's easier on deniability."
"Deniability?" Kyle questioned.
"The less you know the less anyone can ask you about sir." Sam replied.
"You're going to start up with sir and ma'am again?" Mel questioned.
"It's proper protocol ma'am."
"But you've been referring to us by our names all night." Kyle said.
"Actually I haven't been referring to you as anything sir. It's my way of being amenable to the Colonel's orders. He likes to keep the protocol relaxed when we're not on military property, but it's still there." Sam explained.
"So you still call him sir and Colonel?" Mel questioned.
"When on military property yes ma'am. Ninety-five percent of the time, he's not my husband he's my boss. He says jump I say how high. The five percent of the time on base he needs me to be his wife; it's to give him a reality check. It may sound odd, but it works for us."
"Sounds tough." Mel said.
"It's a balance, but the way our base is run it's always been a casual formality, we're all friends. The chain of command is still there but we've always been that way. We laugh and joke with each other, because if we didn't the stress would get to us."
"I guess if it works." Kyle shrugged. "One question though, do you know what I've been told?"
"Yes sir. I know the whole story."
"Did you have to sign all the paperwork I did?"
"I can't say sir, it's classified."
"Is everything in your life classified?" Mel asked.
"Most of it ma'am. My security clearance is pretty high, definitely higher than both of yours."
"The life of an Air Force Major." Kyle joked.
"You ain't seen nothing yet." Sam smiled and took a sip of her drink.
"So tell me more about short skirts night." Mel said.
"What do you want to know?" Sam asked. Kyle rolled his eyes.
TBC
"Yes?"
"Do you remember when you came to talk to me earlier?" She asked.
"Yes."
"Do you remember what we were talking about?"
"Calling Kyle to make sure he was free for dinner." Jack replied.
"No the other thing. The person we thought could get us the information we needed."
"Yes." Jack wasn't sure where she was going with it.
"The person who we couldn't locate, and that when you checked in with Daniel hadn't responded to your message."
"Yes. Where are you going with this?" Jack questioned.
"I located him."
"Where?" Jack asked.
"Or rather I should say he located us, he's behind that big bushy plant over there."
"He's slippery; never know where you're going to find him." Jack muttered. "Excuse me; I need to talk to this guy. If the food comes before I get back, go ahead and start without me."
"Jack." Sam handed him their room key. "Remember to ..."
"I know." Sam was referring to a device that they both had to squeal the room to make sure it wasn't bugged.
"Who was that guy?" Mel asked after Jack left.
"Best not to ask ma'am, so I don't have to tell you. It's easier on deniability."
"Deniability?" Kyle questioned.
"The less you know the less anyone can ask you about sir." Sam replied.
"You're going to start up with sir and ma'am again?" Mel questioned.
"It's proper protocol ma'am."
"But you've been referring to us by our names all night." Kyle said.
"Actually I haven't been referring to you as anything sir. It's my way of being amenable to the Colonel's orders. He likes to keep the protocol relaxed when we're not on military property, but it's still there." Sam explained.
"So you still call him sir and Colonel?" Mel questioned.
"When on military property yes ma'am. Ninety-five percent of the time, he's not my husband he's my boss. He says jump I say how high. The five percent of the time on base he needs me to be his wife; it's to give him a reality check. It may sound odd, but it works for us."
"Sounds tough." Mel said.
"It's a balance, but the way our base is run it's always been a casual formality, we're all friends. The chain of command is still there but we've always been that way. We laugh and joke with each other, because if we didn't the stress would get to us."
"I guess if it works." Kyle shrugged. "One question though, do you know what I've been told?"
"Yes sir. I know the whole story."
"Did you have to sign all the paperwork I did?"
"I can't say sir, it's classified."
"Is everything in your life classified?" Mel asked.
"Most of it ma'am. My security clearance is pretty high, definitely higher than both of yours."
"The life of an Air Force Major." Kyle joked.
"You ain't seen nothing yet." Sam smiled and took a sip of her drink.
"So tell me more about short skirts night." Mel said.
"What do you want to know?" Sam asked. Kyle rolled his eyes.
TBC