The next chapter should arrive quickly since I had this chapter and the next done at least until I decide to rearrange everything so there's a good 3000 words lying around that need reconfigured for chapter 9. Also congrats to pronker who won the drabble challenge from the last challenge. If you removed the 555 from Doris's number the remaining digits spell out DOLPHIN, but the real kicker that was pointed out by pronker was that the area code used for Doris is the area code for Miami, home of the Miami Dolphins.
Kowalski wasn't sure how many times he had tried calling or how long he spent outside willing Doris to call him back. It had occurred to him that if Doris had been there when the attack happened then surely whoever had been behind it would have taunted him in some way by now. It offered him some relief to think that Doris had left before the incident. If she had ever been there at all, it was possible that Rico was merely confused when he first came around.
"Kowalski?" Private's voice was soft with concern as he approached. "Mind if I sit here for a bit?"
"It's fine," Kowalski slipped his phone into his pocket and tried to push the lingering thoughts of Doris behind. "I'm just waiting for some type of response from Doris. How could they think she or I would do something to any of you? Why hasn't anyone suggested that someone could have gone after her?" He argued even though he knew and had run through all of the numerous logical reasons for Doris's lack of response.
"I'm sure that's another avenue they're looking into especially if you haven't been able to make contact with her. There's any number of reasons that Rico could have brought up your names."
"Well tell that to-"
Private cut Kowalski off quickly, "Skipper is angry and worried and looking for someone to blame other than himself. He was the one who gave Rico the order to stay behind and he's going to follow whatever crumbs there are until he finds the trail of the person who did this. You know that's how he works."
Kowalski huffed at the remark, he never had been able to buy 100% into the reasoning that Skipper showed concern with anger. "Even if that's the case, I'm still trying to wrap my head around being a suspect and around Doris being a suspect. And Rico…" Kowalski's heart clenched in his chest as he stopped himself from saying something he would most certainly regret.
"I really don't think you're someone that they're considering. They are just working with the information they have. I'm sure you're going to be cleared to see him. After all, it could have been any of us or all of us if it hadn't been for that gallery stint."
"Do they have any ideas?"
Private shook his head, "No. Or at least they're not telling us yet." Private's phone went off. "Oh, it's Skipper. They need to brief us. Hopefully, that means we have some answers."
Just as Kowalski stood to follow Private he felt his own phone start to vibrate, he pulled it out of his pocket and felt a rush of relief at seeing Doris's name come across the screen. "You go ahead, I'll be there in a few."
"Try to make it quick. I'm not sure if they'll start the briefing without you."
Kowalski answered the phone the second Private's back turned, "Doris?"
"I'm sorry I missed your calls, I've only just gotten settled in enough to check my phone. What's going on?"
"You have no idea how happy I am to hear your voice. Someone broke into HQ while we were at the gallery and…" Kowalski laughed, verging into hysterics. "Rico was attacked."
"Oh my god, is he okay? Are you?" There was clear panic and concern in Doris's voice.
"I honestly don't know. We haven't been told much, but I have a briefing to go to in a few minutes so hopefully, we'll find out more. But I'm just so relieved to hear from you."
Doris laughed lightly on her line sounding calmer than before even if a bit bewildered, "Sweetheart, it's only been a few hours since we last talked."
"I know, but I was so worried that something had happened to you."
"Why...oh, I'm guessing you got my little present then?"
"Present?"
"You'll think I'm crazy for doing this, but I stopped by HQ while you were at the gallery. I just wanted to surprise you with a little something, a memento to remind you of me while I'm away."
"That's really sweet, but I didn't get it. Our whole place is currently under investigation, I'm still in my suit believe it or not." All the stress that Kowalski felt vanished as the pieces started to fall into place.
"Hopefully you can be back home sooner rather than later. You'll know what it is when you see it and if you're still not sure you can ask Rico. I really hope he's okay, even if he doesn't seem to like me much, he's one of the few people who recognize how brilliant you really are. Now I thought you said you had a briefing you needed to go to?"
"Right," Kowalski replied with some reluctance, "I'll keep you updated if I can. Stay safe, I love you."
"I love you too."
Kowalski ventured back into the building feeling lighter than before. He had just made it back to the waiting area outside of Rico's room when Private stuck his head out of a room and waved him over.
Kowalski couldn't help but smile as he stepped into the room and saw Rico's face light up. He looked better than before, dressed in loose sweatpants and a plain tee, sitting up. A notepad and pencil lay on the table beside him and Kowalski imagined that Rico had been sketching between various tests and periods of isolation. For a moment Kowalski could believe this was any post-mission incident and Rico was waiting to be discharged. But he was still too pale and the dark circles under his eyes made his face look gaunt. He hovered next to the bed, unsure of what to do or say, but Rico rolled his eyes and pulled in down into a bone-crushing hug.
The tell-tale pinprick of heat behind his eyelids was the only warning Kowalski had before he found himself crying into Rico's other shoulder. He wasn't sure if it was the delayed relief of knowing that Doris was safe and free of any blame or the simple reassurance that Rico was alive.
After several minutes, Kowalski gained some resemblance of control and removed himself from Rico, wiping his eyes. "It's good to see you."
Before Rico could respond the door swung open and Skipper stormed into the room with a file in hand. He went straight for Kowalski and shoved the file into his chest hard enough to make the taller man stumble. "Congratulations, Lieutenant, you've been sleeping with the enemy."
"Sleeping with the enemy?" Kowalski sputtered, face flushing with embarrassment and anger. He fumbled with the file for a moment and felt his heart drop when he spotted the name and printed on the tab.
DELPHINI, DORIS
"I just talked to her, she was jet-lagged from her flight," Kowalski started to argue, unable to bring himself to open the file. He had just talked to her and all of the pieces fit, she had been at HQ to leave him a present. It explained why Rico had given her name, he had seen her prior to the attack. Beyond that, he was having a hard time imagining Doris's petite 100lb frame being able to do anything to the 280lb wall of muscle that Rico was.
Skipper was unmoved."She never got on her flight. Now she's MIA while I have a member of my team that's a dead man walking if we can't get the answers we need."