Chapter 10

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The Nathan James was 45 miles away from Vietnam, Mike sat on the bridge after a short call with Tom over Navy red.

Strange forces at work in your part of the world. Until I understand them myself, watch your six. He looked at the horizon as he pondered over the words his friend had spoken at the end of their call. He couldn't help but feel his gut twist slightly at the words, if Tom was suspicious of something it usually meant there was a reason to worry.

After getting their local guide and a translator on board, Mike stood on the bridge as their local guide was steering them close enough to shore. There were a lot of boats on these waters. Apparently piracy was Vietnam's worst problem, the cure being hijacked before it got to the people on land.

"Tell him to make sure we stay clear. Any of those local tin cans come close to us, we'll cut them in half with the laser." Mike stated, the earlier gut feeling causing a twist inside of him as he thought briefly over Tom's departing words. Was this what he had meant?

"Got it. Hold on." Mike registered Burk's voice from behind him and saw that he had somehow produced a dictionary out of nowhere.

"Oh. Laser." Burk then noted and Mike smiled. Rookie mistake, son.

"Pew." The imitation sound of a laser made him roll his eyes.

"Don't you have some place to be?" Mike eyed the man while shaking his head slightly. Men, always trying to get the girl, a smile escaped to his lips as he thought that he was one of them and yes, he had tried and succeeded on getting 'the girl' as his mind went to Andrea, but his thoughts were disrupted as there apparently would be a celebration in their honor.

Mike thanked the young woman and the guide for the invitation. Stating that they would come there 'with bells on.'

"I, uh, forget. How do you say your name?" Burk's voice hovered in the air again.

"Ai."

"Ai. That's a beautiful name. You going to the party tonight?" Burk asked and Mike smiled, the man was smitten, or at least he thought he was.

"With bells on."

Glancing at his clock, he wondered just how long this little charade would be continuing. He wanted this to go as efficiently as possible.

His XO was staying on the ship, after Tom's little warning he thought it was best that Cameron Burk would be holding a close eye on the surroundings in case there would be a situation. But before setting his feet on solid ground he managed to get a moment of peace to send one short email to Andrea.

Dear Andrea,

We have arrived at Vietnam and the cure is delivered. People are very happy and it looks like they want to give us a celebration for our hard work..

Mike sighed as he thought about the words he wrote. It was Dr. Rachel Scott who had done all the working. Despite of the rough start, it was she who had not given up on finding the cure, even when the Russians and the Immunes threatened to destroy their plans. She had fought through, they had fought through alongside her.

Still difficult to think that she isn't here with us.. Isn't it?

He wrote, knowing Andrea would know what he meant with it.

Anyways.. I'll be home by midnight. And the only girl I'll be looking at is you, in my mind you're there. Wish you were here.

Say hello to Kara and Frankie. Danny will be coming home soon.

- Mike

Mike sat on a couch in the middle of a dance club. Looking like he didn't belong there. A dance club? Where was the garden party with iced tea? He wondered as he looked around. Seeing his crew dance on the dance floor. Hell, even Jeter was letting himself being charmed by a young woman. This was not what he had in his mind when he had agreed to this celebration.

As he sat there alone, he could very vividly imagine Andrea sitting next to him, and looking at him with those round eyes and a smile on her face. She would be half enjoying that he felt the situation more than uncomfortable, and she would most likely playfully tease him about having a stick up in his ass.

Mike glanced at his clock. 30 minutes and they were out of here, he thought and imagined an amused look from Andrea inside of his head. Wouldn't she just be laughing her ass off when she would hear this story?

A moment went by and suddenly there was a pull on his neck from behind him and the only response he got around to say was "Hey, hey, hey" before there was a big wet kiss placed on his cheekbone. "You're cute!" The young woman said before moving onto the next victim.

20 minutes, he corrected in his mind as this was getting out of hand. He wiped his cheek briefly and in his head he imagined Andrea leaning over to wipe his cheek more as she playfully said "You got a little..". He sweared he could almost hear her giggle at the situation.

His thoughts were interrupted by Danny who slammed himself beside him on the couch, placing his drink of something on the table. Mike moved his eyes slowly from the drink to the man, raising an amused reply from him "Just water, Skipper." Yeah right.

Mike studied the younger man. Some kind of light thingy around his neck, Green was in on it too? And he's somewhat responsible of the whole bunch. Although violating the frat rules and getting a sailor pregnant was not responsible, but hey, who was he to talk? He had done the exact same thing. Chuckling at the thought, what were the odds of that?

Mike leaned slightly towards Danny and got him to listen. "Lieutenant, we shove off tomorrow. Gassing up at Pho Kong."

"It's all ahead to Okinawa. Be a cargo plane bound for St. Louis there, with your name on it." Mike revealed mysteriously, glancing at the man for a reaction which was pretty much a stunned look.

"Sir.." Danny met his gaze with a asking look.

"Orders from the CNO. You're going home. Be with Kara. Meet your boy." Mike explained and gave the man a smile. Immediately getting a celebratory reaction out of him as he got up from the couch and let out a few happy screams. Mike smiled, at least one of them was going home. A feeling of sadness was creeping over him as he had been waiting for his own command for so long, and the chance to fall in love again with Andrea was definitely something that came as a surprise, a very nice surprise, but it would be difficult since he was most likely going to be away in the start. Would he even get back in time before their kid would be born?

Glancing at his clock, 10 more minutes of this techno music, and they would be shoving off. Feeling more than eager to reach his bunk on the James and call it a night.

The sudden stillness in the air was followed by groaning of the crowd as the music had stopped and the lights were out. The second time tonight. Time to go, he thought as he waited for the van to come.

But as he hoped for the lights to turn on again, he saw their pilot enter the club. "Captain!"

"Something's wrong." He said and before he could do anything, there was gunfire and Lincoln was down. Mike got up and attacked one of the attackers. A useless effort as there were too many, the first guy had been easy to take down, but they quickly outnumbered him, and the tazer gun shot right through his body, taking out the rest of the lights as he lost consciousness.