CHAPTER 3: THE PRE-MEET
He had been working almost an hour helping his friend Colonel Anderson set up for the drill competition that night. The Colonel called Jack right after he got out of rehab and asked him for a favor. Jack owed the Colonel a lot more than a little favor the man had saved Jack's life on more than one occasion.
The Colonel hadn't told Jack yet what he wanted. He helped Jack find a house to stay in and than told him to just get comfortable for awhile. Jack asked him multiple times about the favor, but each time the Colonel just told him to have patience in due time.
One day the Colonel called Jack again and asked him to come to a meet and help it set up afterwards they could talk about what he needed help with. It surprised Jack to learn the Colonel was teaching JROTC, it just wasn't something he had ever thought the man would do. But than the Colonel was a man of many trades. Jack finished setting the last row of chairs up. His face hurt where the woman had punched him in the face.
The Colonel walked up not late, but not on time. "Hey Jack thanks for the help."
"Sure." Jack said they both knew the Colonel tormented him into helping.
"What happened to your face?" Thomas asked seeing the huge bruise on the side of Jack's face.
"Nothing. The woman in this town aren't much different from L.A."
"No they are not." Thomas laughed. It was nice to see Jack in good spirits. He meant Jack the day he flew a helicopter in to pick up the sole survivor of a mission. Thomas meant up with Jack again in L.A. when he was working with the L.A.P.D. Jack went to Thomas's wedding with Teri, but shortly after Thomas learned of their separation. Thomas and his new wife Mia went to Teri's funeral. Thomas had seen something had changed in Jack. He knew Jack was no longer working for CTU but no one really knew why. None of his contacts in L.A.P.D. had a clue why Jack left or was fried depending on who he talked to. Jack would tell him in his own time and if not than Thomas didn't need to know, he would not press his friend for that information.
"Anything else you need done sir?" Jack asked after he had all the chairs set up.
"I need a judge but I doubt I can get you to do that. Why don't you stay for the meet see what goes on and maybe I can recruit you to help us sometimes." The Colonel was keeping a cover he didn't want anyone to know he asked Jack there. The story was that Jack showed up in town and the Colonel tormented him into helping. "I need an outside eye, especially if I'm going to take them to the nationals. I've got so much faith in these kids I don't always see the wrongs."
"Sure. I probably could make a few practices for you." Jack knew Thomas was up to something asking him to come to practice could be a cover for whatever else he wanted help with. Whatever it was it was heavy otherwise Thomas wouldn't be taking all this precaution.
"That's good Jack." Thomas said looking over Jack's shoulder as he saw his star walk in.
Liz walked in with her mom. Lisa was so proud of her daughter she looked grown up in her uniform neatly pressed unlike most of her other wrinkled clothes. Lis rushed over to the Colonel, her nerves acting up. Her mind tormenting her as she ran over the routine commands over and over in hopes of not forgetting them as soon as she got on the drill pad.
"Liz you ready?"
"Yes sir." Liz voice held the note of the nerves that were threatening to make her run away.
"Don't sound ready." Thomas smiled at her, "You'll do fine. Liz why don't you take my good friend Jack to get a soda in the unit and Jack can help you with those nerves, and carry stuff up at the same time."
Jack smiled yeah he could help her with the nerves by telling her to run now. He followed her down the unit watching her march in the Air Force regulations 20 inch steps, with crisp turns around the corners. He studied the school it clearly was a public school the lockers a maroon color, and the tile floor scuffed. She led him through a small cemented loading dock area towards the old shop class, Jack assumed.
"Sir."
"It's Jack." Jack said he hated being called sir anymore.
"Jack how do you know the Colonel if you don't mind me asking? Were you in the Air Force with him?"
"No I was in the Army the Colonel helped me out once."
"Cool."
"Hey don't worry about the meet." Jack felt like he should help the young girl somehow she looked like a deer caught in the headlights. "When you get out on the start line take ten deep breaths and slow your heart rate down." So he was using what he learned to shot a sniper rifle it was almost a similar situation. "Don't start until the thumping in your ears stops from your heart pumping the extra blood through your arteries because of the nervous reaction. Once that pass's go with it."
"Ok I'll try. Where you a commander or something?"
"Or something." Jack answered. He grabbed a bottle of water and three rifles slung over his shoulders, and two flags in their cases he carried them up while the young girl carried the harness that the flag carriers carried the flags in, and the other rifles. When they got up to the foyer that served as the drill area the Colonel was talking to a woman who had her back turned to Jack.
Jack though just from the back shot that she had to be a beautiful woman, he pushed it out of his mind it was no time to be looking at women he wasn't ready for that yet. He walked over to the staging area set up for the Central students. Each school had a classroom that was called the staging area. In this area they could fix uniforms, change, and do whatever else they wanted. Jack set the stuff down and wished the girl luck.
The Colonel was walking up the three steps that led into what the sign above the large open doorway, big enough to fit at least five people through at once, said Science Wing. "Jack I'd like you to meet Liz's mother" He didn't get to finish when Lisa almost squealed.
"We already meant Colonel." Jack said with a chuckle.
"And how is that Jack?" the Colonel asked he knew Jack was on the same street as Lisa, but Jack had never mentioned meeting anyone or talking to anyone but the landlord for that matter. By the look of Lisa and her getting ready to apologize, "The different than L.A. women?"
Jack smiled at the Colonel who was almost ready to laugh.
"I'm so sorry about that." Lisa saw the bruise from where she decked him.
"Oh don't worry Jack here has a hard head. I should thank you I've been meaning to beat some sense into him." Thomas said almost in tears from laughing so hard.
"I am sorry."
"Don't be." Jack said smiling.
"Oh I got your wallet it's at my house."
"Huh?" Thomas said looking at Jack wearily.
"When I attacked him he lost it. I guess when he fell."
"Sure likely story." Thomas said laughing.
"If you want I can drop it by tomorrow?"
"Um sure." Jack said giving her his address.
"That's just down the street from me." Lisa didn't want the stranger to know that she used some resources and knows more about him than he would expect. "I better get in there and see how Liz is doing. When are the other kids arriving?"
"Better be soon." Thomas said walking with Lisa motioning for Jack to follow.
Liz came out fully ready for the grand opening ceremony where she would lead a integrated color guard, one that consist of not only Air Force Cadets, but army, navy and marines. "Sir do you mind if I go through this one time by myself?"
"Do whatever you need the others are do at any time and the other team leaders will have the same opportunity to run through the routine if they so choose to."