Chapter 6: A Man Called Flint or Dash or Warrant or...
Duke stood in the main conference room with his back toward his teammates. He liked to have a moment to himself before he addressed the troops, collecting his thoughts, preparing himself to face the one person who melted his heart and ignited his passions, the one person he could never have. But he knew that wasn't important now, and forced himself back to the matter at hand. He had a missing man, his right hand man. A man called Flint. Taking a deep breath, he turned to face his soldiers.
"Well team, we have a problem. Sometime between the hours of nine and eleven, we lost a valuable member of our team. Our one and only warrant officer, the one and only Flint, also known as Dashiell Faireborn, a man for all seasons, a man to whom we owe all our lives, a man who---"
Duke's speech was interrupted by the opening of the door. Shipwreck and Snake Eyes stumbled in, closely followed by Shipwreck's bloodthirsty parrot and Snake Eyes' rather diminutive wolf.
"Sorry Top, Snakes' dog—"Snake Eyes elbowed Shipwreck sharply in the ribs. "Er—wolf, needed a walk." He smiled sheepishly as Polly alighted on Duke's head. Before he could take root, Duke batted him away. His eyes narrowed in a scowl at the two men.
"Fine, take your seats men," he barked. "As I was saying, our one and only warrant officer, a man we call Flint, a man...a man...a man..." Damn it to hell. That little interruption completely ruined his flow and destroyed one of his best briefing intro speeches yet. His troops watched him expectantly. "Our Flint was violent—uh—viciously taken—er—torn from our—er." Damn. "Flint is gone. Lady Jaye?"
As Lady Jaye rose to tell everyone what she knew about Flint's disappearance, Snake Eyes slid into his seat next to his girlfriend, Scarlett. She surreptitiously signed a question under the table, her eyes betraying her disappointment at his quickly signed answer. "The docks again?" she whispered, forgetting for a moment she was in a briefing. Oh well, she had heard Lady Jaye's story several times already, and while it got more interesting and embellished at every telling (Lady Jaye could weave a good tale), she felt this was more important. "What are we going to do about him?" She signed. "He can't possibly afford all that, not to mention all the stuff he could pick up down there." Snake Eyes nodded in commiseration. They were both worried about their friend. He signed something back to her, saying he was sorry for interrupting the briefing and that they would talk later. "It's OK," she signed back. Although, this had been one of Duke's better speeches...
Duke, having heard Lady Jaye's report several times before (although by this, the fourth time, it was sure to be quite entertaining—Lady Jaye could weave a good tale), allowed himself to gaze across the table at Scarlett and Snake Eyes. Damn. Why couldn't he get this one person out of his mind? As they signed back and forth to each other, Duke felt the cold grip of jealously. They looked so close, so...in love. He really should just give up. And he really should talk to Shipwreck. From the way it looked, Snakes had found him down at the docks again. Didn't he realize what he could pick up down there? Not to mention the expense. That Mara the Mermaid story was fishy at best. Yes, he really must talk to him...
It appeared that Lady Jaye was just wrapping up, so Duke turned his attention back to the briefing. "And then, much to my shock and horror, his hair, that beautiful, dark hair, came off in my hands, revealing an amazing blonde ponytail, soft, shiny, and not a part of our Flint." Lady Jaye was in rare form. "I reached for his face, grabbing it behind his ears, and...." She paused for dramatic effect, looking out across the room, meeting each soldier's eyes in turn. The troops all leaned forward in anticipation. "It was... a DREADNOK!" The troops gasped in horror. "I immediately knew something horrible had happened to our most honorable warrant officer, so I...I..." Lady Jaye choked back a little sob, allowing a single tear to escape down her cheek. Taking a deep breath, she continued. "I hauled his sorry, drunk ass onto my war-weary shoulders, and brought him back to base, where he continues to drain our resources in medical. He is, as we speak, under the care of Doc, who assures me he will awaken soon. We shall have our answers, and as God is my witness," she raised a fist in the air. "We will find you Flint!!!" She lowered her fist, closing her eyes and taking a deep, shuddering breath. Her teammates applauded appreciatively. Lady Jaye had truly outdone herself. She opened her eyes and smiled, taking her seat with a little bow and flourish.
"Thank you, Lady Jaye," said Duke, rising to take over the briefing. He was stopped by hand on his arm.
"Sir?" said BowTie, the most dapper member of the Joe team, and one of the most deadly. Duke turned to the man at his side. He had not even noticed BowTie enter the room, but that wasn't unusual. The man moved with extreme stealth, even when vacuuming and dusting around Joe Headquarters. He was always neat and tidy, and always dressed smartly in a black tux with tails, and, of course, a bowtie. BowTie handed Duke a small, folded piece of paper. He opened it and slowly read what was written, becoming more horrified at every word. His hands shaking by the time he finished, he dropped the note and gripped the back of his chair, knuckles whitening.
"Oh dear god."
Duke stood in the main conference room with his back toward his teammates. He liked to have a moment to himself before he addressed the troops, collecting his thoughts, preparing himself to face the one person who melted his heart and ignited his passions, the one person he could never have. But he knew that wasn't important now, and forced himself back to the matter at hand. He had a missing man, his right hand man. A man called Flint. Taking a deep breath, he turned to face his soldiers.
"Well team, we have a problem. Sometime between the hours of nine and eleven, we lost a valuable member of our team. Our one and only warrant officer, the one and only Flint, also known as Dashiell Faireborn, a man for all seasons, a man to whom we owe all our lives, a man who---"
Duke's speech was interrupted by the opening of the door. Shipwreck and Snake Eyes stumbled in, closely followed by Shipwreck's bloodthirsty parrot and Snake Eyes' rather diminutive wolf.
"Sorry Top, Snakes' dog—"Snake Eyes elbowed Shipwreck sharply in the ribs. "Er—wolf, needed a walk." He smiled sheepishly as Polly alighted on Duke's head. Before he could take root, Duke batted him away. His eyes narrowed in a scowl at the two men.
"Fine, take your seats men," he barked. "As I was saying, our one and only warrant officer, a man we call Flint, a man...a man...a man..." Damn it to hell. That little interruption completely ruined his flow and destroyed one of his best briefing intro speeches yet. His troops watched him expectantly. "Our Flint was violent—uh—viciously taken—er—torn from our—er." Damn. "Flint is gone. Lady Jaye?"
As Lady Jaye rose to tell everyone what she knew about Flint's disappearance, Snake Eyes slid into his seat next to his girlfriend, Scarlett. She surreptitiously signed a question under the table, her eyes betraying her disappointment at his quickly signed answer. "The docks again?" she whispered, forgetting for a moment she was in a briefing. Oh well, she had heard Lady Jaye's story several times already, and while it got more interesting and embellished at every telling (Lady Jaye could weave a good tale), she felt this was more important. "What are we going to do about him?" She signed. "He can't possibly afford all that, not to mention all the stuff he could pick up down there." Snake Eyes nodded in commiseration. They were both worried about their friend. He signed something back to her, saying he was sorry for interrupting the briefing and that they would talk later. "It's OK," she signed back. Although, this had been one of Duke's better speeches...
Duke, having heard Lady Jaye's report several times before (although by this, the fourth time, it was sure to be quite entertaining—Lady Jaye could weave a good tale), allowed himself to gaze across the table at Scarlett and Snake Eyes. Damn. Why couldn't he get this one person out of his mind? As they signed back and forth to each other, Duke felt the cold grip of jealously. They looked so close, so...in love. He really should just give up. And he really should talk to Shipwreck. From the way it looked, Snakes had found him down at the docks again. Didn't he realize what he could pick up down there? Not to mention the expense. That Mara the Mermaid story was fishy at best. Yes, he really must talk to him...
It appeared that Lady Jaye was just wrapping up, so Duke turned his attention back to the briefing. "And then, much to my shock and horror, his hair, that beautiful, dark hair, came off in my hands, revealing an amazing blonde ponytail, soft, shiny, and not a part of our Flint." Lady Jaye was in rare form. "I reached for his face, grabbing it behind his ears, and...." She paused for dramatic effect, looking out across the room, meeting each soldier's eyes in turn. The troops all leaned forward in anticipation. "It was... a DREADNOK!" The troops gasped in horror. "I immediately knew something horrible had happened to our most honorable warrant officer, so I...I..." Lady Jaye choked back a little sob, allowing a single tear to escape down her cheek. Taking a deep breath, she continued. "I hauled his sorry, drunk ass onto my war-weary shoulders, and brought him back to base, where he continues to drain our resources in medical. He is, as we speak, under the care of Doc, who assures me he will awaken soon. We shall have our answers, and as God is my witness," she raised a fist in the air. "We will find you Flint!!!" She lowered her fist, closing her eyes and taking a deep, shuddering breath. Her teammates applauded appreciatively. Lady Jaye had truly outdone herself. She opened her eyes and smiled, taking her seat with a little bow and flourish.
"Thank you, Lady Jaye," said Duke, rising to take over the briefing. He was stopped by hand on his arm.
"Sir?" said BowTie, the most dapper member of the Joe team, and one of the most deadly. Duke turned to the man at his side. He had not even noticed BowTie enter the room, but that wasn't unusual. The man moved with extreme stealth, even when vacuuming and dusting around Joe Headquarters. He was always neat and tidy, and always dressed smartly in a black tux with tails, and, of course, a bowtie. BowTie handed Duke a small, folded piece of paper. He opened it and slowly read what was written, becoming more horrified at every word. His hands shaking by the time he finished, he dropped the note and gripped the back of his chair, knuckles whitening.
"Oh dear god."