Chapter 13 Name The Day

Efraim had made arrangements to meet Francine at the Agency after he was finished with exams at Bethesda Naval Hospital. The Navy doctor had looked over his records from Romania and Germany, did a cursory neurological examination and put him on light duty for another week.

Efraim took the elevator down to the intelligence level. He smiled to himself at the double take the guards were taking at him. They hurriedly saluted, which he returned and walked into the bullpen. The room became silent as he walked through and walked into his office. He set his hat on his desk and was going to sit down when he heard Billy yell for him.

"Beaman! My office now!"

Efraim walked across the bullpen and went into Billy's office. Francine was sitting across from Billy at his desk, Amanda next to her and Lee pacing behind them.

"So nice that you could join us, Beaman. Why didn't you check in last night?"

"Gee, nice to see you again too, Billy. Fine, I'm fine, the doctor says there is no damage and I'm on light duty for another week."

"Stop with the sarcasm, Efraim. Why didn't you report in?"

"Because I had been in the air for two damn days. I had a nine hour flight from Ramstein to Andrews and an eight hour flight the evening before from Bucharest to Germany. I was x-rayed and CAT scanned; poked and prodded and I was tired. And before all of that, I was shot, battered and bruised. On top of all of that, I have two insane mother's breathing down my neck about finger food for my wedding. Believe me; nothing you can say right now will top any of that. I wanted to sit in my own house in peace and quiet. I wanted to eat at my own table and sleep in my own bed"

"Would you mind then, Beaman, sitting down and giving me your report?"

"I'd be happy to Billy."

"Then sit!"

Efraim sat on the couch behind Francine. He remembered he was in uniform and sat up straight. Billy asked his questions and Efraim answered them. Francine added an insight here and there, but basically, this was Efraim's show. After a couple of hours of debriefing, Billy seemed satisfied with what he had gotten. He kicked the agents out of his office, telling them to close the door behind them.

"He was getting chewed out something fierce last week by Smyth," Lee told them as they walked out of the bullpen. "Smyth was furious that the laser was lost."

"The laser isn't lost; it's just not accessible at this point in time. It's a leap in technology, but the optics aren't right and there isn't any way you're going to get the firepower at distance that Quigley was claiming."

"What about those trees on the mountain?" Amanda asked, remembering the two blasts they had lived through.

"Under a mile, Amanda. Even those on the far ridge were less than two miles. I don't know what would have happened had he tried for the Fargaras Ridge that day. All I know is the storage for that distance overheated the circuitry and caused the unit to overload," Efraim answered Amanda, but kept glancing at Francine, who had been unusually quiet that morning.

"We're going to be up to our necks in this case until Defense recovers that van or we find Quigley's research," Lee observed with a look at Efraim.

Efraim nodded his agreement. "Look, I have to find out when my debriefing is scheduled at the Pentagon. Then Francine and I have some things to take care of, we'll be out of the office. Lee, you can reach me on my cell phone, all right?"

"Running?"

"As fast and as far as I can; Francine, let's go." He took her arm and headed for his office.

"I just can't leave Efraim. I've been gone almost two weeks; there are things that I need to do!" She planted her feet when he let go of her arm to pick up his hat off of his desk. He set it on his head and smiled at her and she sighed.

"Come on, Franny. Let's go." He took her arm and directed her to her office. He helped her with her coat and pulled her to the elevators. He put on his own coat and buttoned it as they waited for the elevator.

"Where are we going?" Francine asked him.

"We are going for a ride."

"Efraim, I don't have time for this."

"Come on, go with me."

She sighed, nodding resignedly as she stepped into the elevator with Efraim. Francine watched Efraim as he stared at the floor indicators as they flashed. Linking her arm with his, they walked out of the elevator and over to Efraim's car.

The sun in DC was bright that day, but the wind was bitingly cold for early December. Francine pulled her gloves out of her pockets and put them on. Efraim drove to Maryland, heading towards Annapolis. He pulled up to the gates, showed his ID and was saluted through. He maneuvered around the campus, parking at the edge of the Chesapeake Bay.

Efraim stepped out of the car and stood watching the wind whip the waves into white caps. He pulled the collar of his wool coat up around his ears and thrust his hands into his pockets. Francine climbed out of the car and came to stand by him. He put his arm around her and she burrowed into his side trying to block the wind and find warmth.

"Efraim," she asked him, her teeth chattering in the cold. "Why are we here?"

"It's beautiful here, don't you think? I used to come here when I was in the academy to think and find some perspective. Do you know that if the Greeks had understood atmospheric heating and cooling and the role the oceans played in our weather, Zeus would have ruled from the seas or Poseidon would have been the ruler of the gods. I was always amazed that the water could make its presence known in such spectacular ways. We think all of this," he gestured to the buildings, bare trees and concrete of the naval academy, "Is permanent because of the importance we attach to it. But the water can and will slowly erode all of this over time. We think we're permanent, and we're not."

"I'm not following you, B. And can you hurry; I'm freezing here standing in the wind."

"The laser isn't important. It is to the minds that run things, but in the long run, it isn't important. Do you want to know what's important to me?"

Francine nodded; her face in the V of his coat where it was warm.

"You are important to me. The love I have for you, the home we will create together, the family we will be and hopefully build. The work we do is important, for a time, but in the long run it really isn't. But you and I, we'll be important to each other for the rest of our lives. I refuse to let my job dictate my life any longer. You come first."

"Oh, Efraim."

With his arm around her shoulders, they walked back to the car. The heat blew from the vents and Francine warmed her hands over them. "Efraim, I've never seen you this introspective before. Is something wrong?"

"No. I'm just trying to find perspective in all of this. It's going to be a rough week with debriefings and then the wedding. I just want to have it straight in my mind what is really important in all of this. That's you and me. That's all."

Francine nodded, watching the waves hit the sea wall. She hadn't noticed the chips and cracks in the wall, but as she watched the water drain through them, she understood what Efraim was saying.

"Let's go home, Francine. I'm really tired."

"You still need time to recuperate." She told him, seeing the fatigue and stress around his eyes and mouth. She leaned over and stroked the side of his face with her hand. He took her hand in his, kissed her palm and held it to his cheek. She smiled at him, her heart full of love for him. "Come on B, let's go get some sleep. The world can wait awhile."

They went home and Efraim changed into sweats and went to sit on the couch. Francine changed into a pair of jeans and T-shirt and she swiped one of Efraim's academy sweatshirts. Efraim fell asleep on the couch and Francine pulled out his laptop and connected to her computer at work. She checked her mail, finding a message by Leatherneck telling her that Dr. Smyth was on the warpath and looking for both her and Efraim. She told him to keep their whereabouts quiet, that Efraim was exhausted and needed to rest. She did the preliminaries on security for several large scale functions that would be taking place after they returned from their honeymoon and sent them to Amanda for her to get started on them while she was gone.

Efraim slept through lunch so Francine made herself a sandwich. She marveled that Efraim always had something to eat in the house, while Francine was lucky if she could find a piece of chocolate stuck away in the cupboards. She made a pot of coffee and carried the sandwich and cup of coffee to where she was working. Billy had sent her an email demanding to know where they had gone and she replied that she was working from home. Let them run in circles for awhile without us, she thought to herself. She checked again on Efraim and went to find an extra blanket to cover him with. She leaned over and kissed his forehead and went back to work at the laptop.

Francine was translating some documents when Efraim woke up. It was late afternoon, almost 4:30 when he wandered into the dining room. Francine looked up at him over her glasses and smiled, he looked like a little boy, disoriented and lost.

"Hey B, did you have a good nap?"

He sat down beside her and put his head on his hands and watched her. "I feel like I've been sleeping for days. What time is it?"

"It's 4:30."

"Oh jeez, I wasted the entire day! I'm sorry, hon! Why did you let me sleep?"

"Because you needed to rest, and I'm going to make sure that you get the rest you need so I can keep you up all hours of the day and night on our honeymoon!"

He laughed at her statement, knowing she probably wasn't kidding. "What have you been working on?" He nodded at the laptop she had in front of her.

"I took care of my mail; I did the preliminaries on security for those large luncheons and dinners at the end of January. And I'm just translating some documents right now. And Leatherneck sent out a warning that Dr. Smyth was on the warpath and I gave Billy a piece of my mind. So all in all, a normal day, only quieter. Are you hungry B? I just made a fresh pot of coffee and I could make you a sandwich if you'd like?"

"Thanks, I would like that." He watched as she got up and went into the kitchen. He ran his fingers through his hair, trying to set it to rights. He hadn't been this tired in a long time, not even after he had been shot in Los Angeles. Maybe the doctor is right and I should take extra time off, he thought. He knew with the wedding coming up, there was a lot of work to get finished. He sighed and then jumped as he heard a knocking on the front door.

He answered the door and Dr. Smyth strode in on a cloud of cigarette smoke.

"Bad form Beaman, you and the blushing bride to be pulling a disappearing act. I've been looking all over town for the two of you and I don't like to waste the shoe leather. Mind explaining your hasty exit this morning?"

"Hello to you too, Dr. Smyth. I'm on limited duty and was tired. I came home to sleep."

"Sleep? I needed a briefing from you."

"Sir, my orders are to report tomorrow at 1100 at the Pentagon for a joint briefing with the military, the NSA and the Agency."

"Yes, but I want information now Beaman, not the same drivel you're going to give those hacks maƱana," Smyth sat down on the couch, held up the end of the blanket that had covered Efraim, and blew smoke at it. He propped his feet up on the coffee table and continued to puff away. Efraim walked over, took the cigarette out of the holder and dropped it in the half full glass of water that was on the coffee table. He pulled the coffee table away from the couch so Smyth's feet dropped to the floor with a loud thud.

"This is my home Dr. Smyth, and I expect guests in my home to observe basic manners. I'm not intimidated by you. You may be able to get everyone else to jump through hoops with your verbal skills, but frankly, I find it boring. As for the information I will be giving at the briefing tomorrow, I will give absolutely everything that I heard, saw, felt, think and know about the operation as a whole and the laser in particular. I will not hold out any special pieces of information for you, there are none to withhold."

"I don't think you appreciate the position you are in."

"I'm a Commander in the United States Navy with orders directly from the President of The United States."

"And when you're released?"

"Dr. Smyth, if you feel it necessary to threaten me, you are barking up the wrong tree."

"And the blushing bride; what about her? She takes orders from me."

"Not if you continue to threaten and harass us, I won't," Francine came out from the kitchen, placing her hand on Efraim's arm to offer her support. "You'll get our briefing in the morning. If I'm no longer employed by the Agency, I'm sure the NSA or the Pentagon would be willing to employ me."

"So it's true then?" Smyth stood up and looked at Efraim and Francine standing side by side in front of him.

"What's true?" Efraim asked.

"Another Stetson and Stetson; what will I have with you, Beaman and Beaman?"

"That's exactly what you would have had," Francine told Smyth, still stinging from his threat to fire them.

"Would have had? Desmond, are you telling me you actually believed I would relieve either of you from your duties?"

"Yes, that's what she's telling you Dr. Smyth."

"Surely the two of you know it's unwise to make major changes after experiencing trauma or a major life change. And the two of you marrying is about as major a life change as can be made. Heed my advice children; sit tight. In light of the strain of the last operation, I suggest you take the remaining time up to your wedding off to give the two of you a chance to fully recover. And I expect both of you back to work when you return from your honeymoon. Am I making myself clear?"

"As clear as usual, Dr. Smyth." Efraim replied, not without a little sarcasm in his voice.

"Good. Then I'll see the two of you at the Pentagon tomorrow. I'll let myself out. Commander, Desmond." Efraim and Francine watched as Dr. Smyth turned and walked to the door. He stopped and pulled his empty cigarette holder from his mouth, gave Efraim a telling look, and closed the door.

"What the hell just happened?" Efraim asked; his head spinning.

"I'm not sure, but I think we just made Dr. Smyth climb down from his high horse."

"How did that happen?" He asked as he sat down on the couch where Dr. Smyth had just been. "One moment I'm being threatened with our jobs and the next thing I know we have the next week and a half off plus our honeymoon."

"We stood up to him B. Lee always said when push came to shove; Smyth would fold if he was holding a losing hand."

"Who gets to call Billy and tell him the good news?" Efraim asked her.

"Why don't we let Smyth do the job for us? We'll hear from Billy after that. You still hungry B?"

"I'm starved! Is my sandwich ready?"

"Yep, better eat it; it could be the last thing I ever make for you."

"Don't count on that, hon," he kissed her and sat down to eat.