A few hours later, Andy was awoken by the warm temperature of the room. He underestimated the heat in Brazil. He got up to adjust the air conditioner and noticed Sharon had inadvertently kicked her blanket due to the apparent heat. A little smile appeared on his lips despite his half -asleep consciousness, Sharon's nightgown left little to the imagination, he deemed her character too tough and austere to be wearing something incredibly sexy. He wanted to pull the duvet over her body but he wasn't sure if she had indeed slept with a gun under her pillow, and knowing Capptain Raydor, she would really shoot him. He turned the air conditioner full blast. He figured she would eventually feel very cold she would innately pull the duvet tighter around her.
The next morning, Andy was gone by the time Sharon got out of bed. Sleeping through her alarm, she realized she only had fifteen minutes before the seminar started. Why didn't that Lt. Flynn wake her? What a stressful way to start. She needed to skip her shower if she wanted to grab breakfast. She needed to eat and have coffee to keep her brains working in the morning.
Hurriedly taking her suit out of the closet she shared with Lt. Flynn, she realized her gun was visible in her vanity bag. Lt Flynn knew when he dressed this morning Sharon did not fulfill her threat in keeping her gun under her pillow.
Sharon would not do such a dangerous thing, besides in spite of their constant clash, she 80% trusted Andrew Flynn, the remaining 20% was because he was still a man, and after all his kindness and virtue, there was still a chance he might succumb to his frailties.
She checked the schedule for the day before taking a shower. Andy was the second speaker on the first day of the seminar, right after Metro Division. He will be the last speaker before they break for lunch. Another three Division Heads will be presenting in the afternoon session. Sharon's turn wouldn't be until the third day, right at the very last. She didn't like presenting last for the day because people were usually restless by then. Andy's slot was better, having people still alive and perky in the latter part of the morning.
Glancing at her watch, five minutes till the seminar, taking the last bite of her toast without actually tasting it, she bumped into Chief Pope who sat beside her, still holding a glass of apple juice he was still drinking.
"I just heard about the mix-up in room assignments. Let me call the attention of Human Resources about it. They should have immediately faxed the changes in room assignments to the hotel reservations the minute Lt. Flynn replaced Chief Johnson. I'm sorry about this, Captain. It was not our intention to make you uncomfortable," said Will Pope.
Sharon gave him a condescending look. "Don't worry about it, Chief, as you can see, I'm still in one piece," she said before putting another piece of grape in her mouth. She was still upset about the whole thing but what's done was done.
Everyone started pouring inside the function room on the third floor of the hotel. Sharon seated herself near the front so she could clearly see the visuals.
"Good day, Captain Raydor!" greeted Commander Burns of SWAT.
"Good morning," she greeted in return.
Another Commander from Homeland Security sat beside Commander Burns.
"Hey, Captain. I heard you got in late last night. Your flight got held up?" he asked as he took a seat.
Sharon really didn't want to talk about it, somewhat worried that sharing the same room with Lt. Flynn might suddenly come up in relation to her flight but of course she needed to be polite to her colleagues. There were only a handful of them who held no particular dislike for her and she must at least try to keep them.
"I took the Varig flight via Rio de Janeiro instead of Sao Paulo, intending to make a quick stop to see the Corcovado but it was apparently a wrong decision. The flights out of Rio were full, I was late in checking in and got bumped off and could only get the last flight. I was on standby for the earlier flights for hours. It's very exhausting," she said.
"If you wanted to take a little trip, you should have left Los Angeles two days ago like Chief Pope who had a city tour of Iguazu. Or better yet, take a later flight going back after our seminar. Some of us will be staying a few more days. Deputy Chief Suarez and Commander Robinson will be going to Rio de Janeiro and Lt. Drake will be going to Manaus to see the Amazon Rainforest," said Commander Morell.
"Excuse me, Lt.. Who?" asked Captain Raydor.
"Oh, Winnie Davis' assistant- Lt. Drake," said the Commander.
Shortly before the seminar started, Chief Pope took the podium and made an announcement.
"There will be a slight change in our schedule. Instead of breaking for lunch after Priority Homicide, we will proceed to the third speaker from Special Operations and will break for lunch afterwards."
Hearing a slight noise from the people, Chief Pope continued, "Believe me it's all for the good. This way, we can all end our afternoon session earlier and have time visit the Bird Park or take a swim."
The seminar started on time with the first speaker from Metro Division. He discussed about the Case of The Serpent who was murdering his victims and taking over their identities. It took them several months before he was apprehended. His discussion including the questions and suggestions from the other colleagues took an hour and twenty minutes.
When Andy stepped in front of the podium, he had a commanding presence that made everyone take notice. Sharon must admit he was extremely attractive in his suit. He began by introducing himself and informing he was standing in for Priority Homicide Unit Head Deputy Chief Brenda Lee Johnson. Sharon was mighty impressed with his presentation that remained interesting and understandable in all of his hour and a half discussion. His voice soothing and his diction crisp and clear, his presentation was very systematic, enabling easy comprehension unlike the previous speaker who sometimes jump back and forth in several topics. Andy discussed the similarities and differences of the two cases, and how in spite of it appearing like a similar case, the disparity in them determined that the investigation should be handled in a different tactic.
It was impressive that each team member's assignment was crucial, and every member had a contributing factor to solving the case. Albeit she did not approve with some of their decisions and strategies, Andy Flynn was persuasive in his final remarks to substantiate their team's rather unconventional ways and innovative style, that like flying an aircraft, there are rules and protocols but in an emergency life and death situations, technical skills must be accompanied by analytical skills to come up with solutions that are not on the book, just as there is no single formula in catching criminals, they must constantly find new ways albeit untried and untested. Applause was deafening as he exited the stage.
Sharon checked the time it was past noon and she wanted to ensure the room that will be vacated will begiven to her. In order to be inconspicuous when she slips out of the seminar, she informed the Commander beside her that she was moving to the back as the enormous visuals were giving her a headache just before Lt. Drake started her presentation.
Sharon sat for a few minutes at the back row near the door in case someone was watching her when she stood up from her original seat. She took out her organizer and scribbled a few notes before escaping to the back door.
A different receptionist attended her from the time she checked in last night. She was equally friendly and spoke English well with a slight accent.
"Yes, Ms. Raydor, Room 225 is already reserved under your name. It's just down the hall from your current room. However, housekeeping is not yet done cleaning the room. It might take another hour or so, but I promise by the time your seminar ended, the room will be ready."
Sharon was disappointed as she was hoping to take a shower and get her things out before Lt. Flynn came back to the room. Iguazu Falls was hot, worse than California in the summer and she was really feeling hot and sticky. Knowing everyone must be in the seminar including Lt. Flynn, it was probably a good idea to take a shower and pack her things before going back to the function room.
Sharon tapped her room card to open the door and almost collided into Lt. Flynn's broad back who was standing in the middle of the room.
"What are you doing here? You shouldn't be here," said Sharon in annoyance.
"I should say the same thing about you, Captain. It's the middle of the seminar yet here you are," said Andy in amusement.
"I… I was preparing to move out," she answered defensively.
"I was parched talking for almost two hours. I wanted to take a fifteen-minute break," said Andy.
Sharon glared at him, her hands on her hips, "Well don't rest here. I'm taking a shower."
Her bossy disposition was starting to annoy him.
"Couldn't you have done that this morning or better yet after the seminar?" said Lt. Flynn.
She closed the distance between them until they were face to face, Andy could see the specks of gold in her green eyes.
"You have no right to tell me when to have my shower. If I want to do it now. I certainly can," she replied haughtily. "And I don't want to do it with you in the room."
"Fine! Even if I have as much right to this room as you are," yelled Andy.
"Sometimes you are just impossible, Captain!"
Grabbing his phone and service revolver, he slammed the door, leaving Sharon Raydor alone in the room.
He had completed his anger management course and had vastly improved the past two years but dealing with Captain Raydor sometimes just tested his patience. All she needed to do was ask him nicely to leave the room to give her a little privacy. She didn't have to act so superior and nasty.
He was half-way down the large staircase leading down to the mezzanine and lobby when he heard a rain of bullets, people screaming and glasses breaking coming from below. Instinctively, he pulled out his gun and glanced down the gap of the banister where he caught sight of men carrying machine guns.
Andy cursed under his breath and retreated up the stairs. Another rain of bullets pierced the air and a lot of Portuguese tongue yelling and cursing around him. Down the hall from their room, he caught sight of the men with high caliber coming out of the elevator and purposefully entered Room 225, breaking the door as they entered, the housekeeping staff screaming in immense fear.
Andy did not wait for the men to emerge from the room, he scrambled for his key card and entered their bedroom.
"Captain! Captain! Captain Raydor!" he screamed, searching for her.
Adrenalin rushing through his body, without much ado, he broke the bathroom door in his panic to find her, still calling out her name.
With water running down her body, rinsing the scented shower cream, Andy Flynn could not have barged in at a more importune time, she screamed at the sight of him. For a moment she feared he was getting even for all the times she wrote him up for every little thing but the frantic look in his eyes was not lust but pandemonium. It confused her but nonetheless did not completely eradicate her anger and fear.
Andy pulled open the glass shower door, oblivious to Captain Raydor's nakedness, pulled her out of the shower.
With her heart pounding loudly in her ears, she was surprised to find her voice, "Lt. Flynn! What is the meaning of this?!" she yelled aghast.
Andy grabbed the hotel bathrobe hanging at the back of the door and clothed it around Sharon's naked body without any finesse.
"I'm going to write you down for assault! Let me go!" she yelled.
"Shut up, Captain. Trust me if you don't want to die," he yelled back.
He frantically searched around the bathroom and found what he was looking for. Stepping on the sink, he pushed the ceiling open and told Sharon to climb up.
"I can't go up there. What's happening?" she reasoned.
"Just hurry up and climb, Captain, I'll explain later," said Andy.
Unmindful of her near nakedness, he lifted her up till she could reach the ceiling and pushed her up her buttocks and waist, before hauling himself up to the same opening, but not before frantically drying the traces of water left by Sharon.
"Ouch," said Sharon as Lt. Flynn bumped into her in the tight crevice in the ceiling.
It was too small to fit them both. "Move over, Captain," said Andy. Half his body was still dangling down.
"It's too small," she said in panic.
"We have no choice. We have to make us fit," insisted Andy.
As half of his body was inside, Andy scooted Sharon over till she was atop him before he managed to close the ceiling door.
"Too tight, Lieutenant," she protested.
Andy put his forefinger in his lips, signaling for her to be quiet. No sooner had they settled lying flat inside the ceiling, with Sharon atop him, her wet hair framing her face dripping on Andy's face and neck when the bedroom door burst open. They could hear their room being searched and their things thrown around. In a minute several men burst open the bathroom door.
Peering through a small gap, she gasped inwardly upon seeing men with machine guns.
Andy could not see through the gap as it was his back facing it. Slowly he maneuvered to his side, hugging Sharon to him till he had her to her side too, facing him, giving him a little view on what's happening in their room.
This infuriated Sharon as the movement got her even more intimately pressed against Andy Flynn. They were too close she could hear his pounding heartbeat and sense his nervousness seeing his Adam's apple moving when he swallowed.
Albeit their predicament, she could see the courageous determination in his eyes, renewing the admiration she had for him.
She wondered what the hell was going on.
Voices pierced the room as they heard one man talk in speedy Portuguese. Their eyes grew as they were able to made out Sharon Raydor's name in the sentence.
Were they now holding their passports which they kept inside their respective bedside drawers?
They heaved a sigh of relief when the men soon left the room.
Slowly Andy scrambled out of their hiding place before helping Sharon climb down from the hole.
They were treading their steps lightly, checking if the coast was clear when to their horror, they saw the armed men still outside their open bedroom door. Andy shoved Sharon back in to avoid any bullets. They fired against Andy, but he managed to duck and rolled back inside to join Sharon.
"Captain, ran out the balcony," he yelled.
Sharon ran out the balcony and uttered a horrified "Hell!"
The hotel was surrounded by armed men. Still contemplating the best move, there were shots fired inside the bedroom. Before she could worry about Andy, he stumbled beside her, his clothes in disarray as he fired against the enemies with a gun not his own. Evidently had a brawl before reaching her.
"Run to the forest. I'll cover you," he yelled.
"Follow me, Lieutenant!" she yelled back.
Clad in nothing but her dirty bathrobe, Sharon lay hidden in the forested area in the national park. Shots were raining around her as she ran away from the hotel for safety. She fortunately managed to escape, but not without trouble. Near the Bird Park, she ran into two armed men who apparently had instructions to shoot any white person since they fired at her without provocation. Without her gun, all she could do was disarm them and snap their necks.
She wanted to look for her other colleagues, but she knew it was not safe. She was almost naked, and her gun was not with her. Her thoughts drifted to Lt. Flynn. She prayed hard he was alright. He saved her back there and let her escape. Keep him safe, Dear God, the way he kept me safe.
She was startled by some shuffling sound. All her senses were alert for any sign of a human being approaching. At the sign of a shadow nearby, she pounced on it, prepared to kill when the man she tackled was quick enough topple her backwards, his weight thrown at her, leaving her gasping for breath as he pinned her to the ground.
"Captain!" cried Andy, lifting her neck to help her breathe better, bringing her face close to his.
"I'm sorry I knocked you out. I didn't know it was you. You startled me I thought it was one of those goons again," he explained.
"Lieutenant? she managed to utter, looking at his bruised face and bloodied forehead, his eyes full of concern for her.
His clothes were torn, and he had scratches all over, but he was alive. Thank God, she thought.
But instead of smiling in delight, she uttered, "Get off me, Lieutenant," she demanded.
Andy stumbled to the side to let her up. He handed her a long, black trench coat which he thought would make her happy.
"You should've gotten my gun as well. And my cellphone," said Sharon.
Andy's temper flared. "Didn't you see I hardly gotten out alive just to get that trench coat. And that's the thanks I get!"
Sharon did not meet his temper. She knew it best that in order to keep peace, one should at least be calm. "You need not yell, Lieutenant. All I was saying I need my gun more and my cellphone."
"So you'd rather go traipsing around Iguazu Falls dressed in nothing but a hotel towel?"
"I couldn't see your cellphone lying around, much more your gun when we stumbled out of our hiding place. Your coat was the only thing lying on the bed. I didn't have time to go searching you know that!"
Side by side they leaned on an enormous Acacia Tree trunk, gasping their breaths and settling their thoughts.
After fifteen minutes of silence, Sharon spoke, "Maybe I can now ask… What the hell is this all about?"
With his eyes closed, still resting after his escape from death, he calmly replied, "I don't know, Captain… All I know was that these armed men came into the hotel just as I was going down the lobby. I didn't quite panic at first and just thought it best to hideout in our room to avoid whatever it was…."
Andy paused a bit before he continued. "But then those armed men suddenly came out of the elevator and went straight to Room 225 and started shooting. I knew right then it will be a matter of minutes before they reach our room if they were going door to door."
Sharon's green eyes stared at Andy panic-stricken.
"Room 225… That was supposed to be my new room."
