Chapter 35
Mike stood outside the hangar smoking a cigar. He knew he shouldn't be smoking in general and usually he smoked in celebration but right now he just needed the soothing motions of puffing on cigar, the relaxing scent of the smoke rolling off the end. It was a long day and it was an even longer night. So he needed the ten minutes of just sinking into his favourite pass time to leave everything behind and refresh himself.
The plane carrying Taylor, Burk, Granderson and three others from Chicago was taxi-ing up to the terminal. He exhaled smoke into the air with a sad sigh as his ten minutes up. He moved to the closest bin and snuffed out the cigar.
The plane came to a stop and airport staff rushed out to secure the plane and help with whatever procedures followed when a plane landed. Mike held his ground and looked to Wallace who walked up to stand next to him.
"You know where you're going?" Mike asked the man.
"Yes, Sir." he told him with a nod. Mike remained silent as the door opened and a staircase unfolded down to the ground. Passengers walked off the plane towards them.
Mike held his ground, he watched as Wolf was at the head of the group completely disregarding any military decorum but Mike was letting it slide given he'd feel the same if his family was in trouble. Hell, his family was in trouble he just had no clue where they were or how to help them.
"Taylor," Mike said in greeting to the man. "Wallace is going to take you to your sister but you need to be prepared." Mike cautioned him.
"Sir?" Wolf asked not sure how to interpret Mike's warning but also glad that he had a ride to see Larrin immediately even though he was supposed to be getting debriefed first. Though he couldn't help but feel cold dread pool inside of him at the Commander's warning.
"She was assaulted this morning, she's going to be ok but she's wrecked. She confessed to what happened her before she ended up here and it's left her unsettled." Mike said not seeing any point in dressing it up pretty for the man. Though 'unsettled' was not the best way to describe it. She was more resigned to a gruesome fate than expecting them to save her.
"I thought you got the message to evacuate her to Norfolk." Wolf said carefully as he tried to keep his anger tamped down as it it had been a long afternoon for him and the headache pounding at his temples was not helping his mood.
"We did but it happened hours before we knew what was going on." Mike told him not even insulted at Wolf's visible but contained anger at the situation.
"It's that Julian character." Wolf said as he'd badgered Cameron telling him about Larrin and then he thought of Doc. How she was one of his victims.
"Yes, we've already spoken with her about it and she's safe. So go with Wallace, see her, get some rest and we'll call you in later today ok?" Mike told him, Wolf gave a curt nod understanding he wasn't being asked if it was 'ok' but being given an order.
"Yes, Sir and thank you." He told the Commander. The man gave a nod and with that Wolf looked to Wallace.
Mike watched as Wolf and Wallace walked way heading to a vehicle to get them to Andrea's place. He then squared his shoulders as he moved towards the stragglers. Burk and Granderson looked like they needed at least a week of R&R as they walked slowly and in pain. Mike knew Wolf was in no better shape but the man was driven by his need to protect his family. So he was going to collapse.
"Sir," Burk and Alisha both said in succession as they saluted him. He gave a nod acknowledging the salute.
"You both ok?" he asked them.
"They both have whiplash and concussions among other minor injuries. They need rest and at least a week to fully recover before going back in the field." A woman with wild and wavy red hair that was barely contained in a braid told him. He looked her over, noting the navy digi pants and navy coloured t-shirt, combat boots matched with a shabby white lab coat.
She had a tall African American sailor Mike presumed to be Lt Commander Cameron Burk given he was immaculate in his uniform and general deportment in comparison to his companion. She smacked of civilian while Burk Snr was Military to the bone.
"We're a little bruised Sir, but good to go if you need us." Burk assured Mike.
"No, we'll listen to Doctor..." Mike drawled waiting for a named to be supplied.
"Sir, her name is Doc." Lt Commander Burk informed him.
"Like Maddona?" Mike asked wryly if this was some kind of joke at his expense.
"No, as in I have amnesia and can't remember my name but I know how to do my job. Hence 'Doc'." She told him in a bored tone that said she couldn't care less what he thought of her.
"Lt Commander Cameron Burk." Cameron said introducing himself before he explained Doc being here. "She's one of our doctors in Chicago. I asked her to join us as she is the one who built the profiles on the most prominent Scavengers and their archetypes." Cameron explained.
"I also wanted access to a lab." She added, she wanted to run blood tests on herself. There was a lab in Chicago but it wasn't really set up for what she wanted to look at.
"Commander Mike Slattery, we'll see what we can do but for now the scavengers are our main priority." he said offering his hand to her. She shook his hand and gave a nod understanding that once they addressed the current issue or when they didn't need her she could go off and do her own thing.
"Nice to meet you." Doc told him.
"The Captain wants to speak with you both immediately before we call it a night and regroup in the later in the morning." Mike informed them.
"Yes, Sir." Cameron said, Mike looked Granderson and Burk.
"You two go home and rest. We'll call when we need you, Kudleski will drive you to your respective homes." he told them, the two nodded and walked off leaving Mike with Doc and Cameron.
"Let's go." he told them.
"She's probably sleeping." Miller offered to Wolf when he came into the bungalow. Commander Garnett left the house as soon as he arrived dressed in BDU's heading to the command centre. Wolf wondered how much everyone knew as Wallace commented on how much of a flurry the command centre was with people coming going.
Wolf tried to pry information out of him about Larrin and all the man knew was that Larrin was wanted for murder but Captain Chandler gave the order for them not to hand her over. But that was all he really knew, which didn't help Wolf as he only had pieces of the story. But now he stood in Garnett's bungalow with Miller and Cruz; the two men were seated at the small dining table having coffee.
"How is she?" Wolf asked Miller, he wanted to see Larrin for himself but given the commander warned him to be prepared he decided he'd poke his head in and see if she was awake. If she wasn't he'd let her sleep. He knew he needed some sleep himself.
"Not good." Miller told him as honestly as he could as he really wasn't sure how analyze the situation. He didn't know Larrin or what was going on to give a proper response. He had to admit he was still reeling from the kiss. It had been great but in a way bittersweet as he felt like she was telling him goodbye.
"What she say to you?" Wolf asked.
"Not much, you should really ask her yourself." Miller told him as he didn't really want Cruz to put in his two cents of trying to confirm Larrin was a nutter. Wolf nodded and gave a tired sigh.
"Ok, is everybody else ok?" Wolf asked him, changing topics as he moved to the dining table and sat down. He really needed to lay down and rest but he knew sleep wouldn't come easy.
"Yeah, all good and safe at Tex's. Green took some in the vest and was hit in the leg but nothing major. He should be out of the hospital tomorrow." Miller told him.
"You alright? how's your Mom?" Wolf asked.
"All good, she's at the house with Tex and the others." Miller told him.
"You trust Tex around your Mom?" Cruz asked him.
"Why not?" Miller asked confused.
"He's single, she's single." Cruz offered like it completely made sense to him that the two would just naturally become a couple.
"Yes, that means they should totally get married and Tex adopt me. Then I can finally have a Dad." Miller said mockingly as he pretended to totally on board with it until he threw Cruz an incredulous look. "Come on, man. Everyone knows Tex is hooked up on Dr Scott." he added.
"No way, she was just easy pickings." Cruz said dismissing the idea of Tex and Dr Scott.
"Easy?" Wolf asked him as he wouldn't describe Dr Scott as 'Easy'.
"Ok the only pickings on the ship given Green told him no fraternizing with the crew which is fairly hypocritical coming from him." Cruz stated with an amused smile.
"Tom," Mike said, pulling the man away from the table. Senator Pierce was seated but with his head down as he slept on the desk. Michener stood to the side looking lost as to what to do. Holliday just leaned against the wall looking bored but wide awake.
Lt Commander Burk was communicating with his people while the woman known as Doc just watched the room.
"They find her?" Tom asked Mike.
"No, they found Emmerson dead and a message." Mike said, judging by his face Tom knew it wasn't good news.
"What did it say?" Tom asked him.
"We have three days and a radio channel to make contact to trade presumably Larrin for Dr Scott. " Mike said. Tom cursed under his breath.
"What's happened?" Michener asked them. Tom turned and picked up a folder filled the brim with paper. He walked over to the table and dropped it on the table. The sharp sound of the folder hitting the desk as well as the vibrations woke up the Senator and caught the attention of everyone else in the room. The man sat up looking bleary eyed but scared.
"They have Dr Scott." Tom said, he watched the shocked expression on Senator's face as he knew nothing. Michener looked stricken by the news as he had been agreement of Rachel being taken away from St Louis to deal with the Immunes. Though it wasn't the immunes they had to worry about but the group 'Scavengers' that they had created.
"He wants Larrin for Dr Scott." Holliday said smugly like he'd been telling them all along except the Commissioner had never been involved with Rachel's case. They were read in but they'd kept out the details of her being alive so Tom had expected him to be shocked not smug.
"Yes, how about you tell us what you really know." Tom said looking to the man as he'd just shown his true colours without realising it.
"I don't know anything past what's been said in this room." Holliday lied and they all knew it.
"Somehow I doubt that as you're the only one in the room who seems to know what's going on and I said 'they' not 'he' and I also didn't mention there was an offer on the table to trade." Tom told him.
"Look, I've dealt with Heldt. I know what he wants and that he'll do anything to get it. Larrin's his little rabbit; the one that got away. So of course he'd take someone just as valuable and trade. Dr Scott is too old for his tastes, so she'll be unharmed." Holliday said in a matter of fact tone.
"How reassuring." Tom remarked drily. "Do you know where the people you hand over to Heldt and his men go afterwards?" Tom asked him.
"We meet in a field. I have no idea where he goes and I pretend not to believe what he does with the people. Their bodies don't turn up in our borders so it's not my jurisdiction." Holliday informed him.
"What kind of cop are you?" Doc asked him.
"A pragmatic one. There is no paradise without sacrifice." Holliday told her.
