Hawk never bothered to offer Paul Burnett a seat. He leaned backward in his high-back, black leather chair and steepled his two index fingers against his chin as he regarded the Lieutenant. After about a minute he finally spoke. "Are you sure you did not see anything or anyone while you were searching?"
Slightly insulted, Paul spoke in his defense. "Sir, I already told you that I never saw anything. My report is right here." Paul assumed that he could sit down, so he moved towards the chairs situated across from Hawk.
"I have not said you may sit down, Lieutenant." Hawk stated matter-of-factly.
Paul looked at the General, with a shocked expression on his face. "I'm sorry, Sir."
"I read your report and I think you are hiding something." Hawk watched the younger man in front of him, gauging his response.
Paul nervously shifted his eyes around the room. "Look, General, I told you that I didn't see anything. It was pretty windy. My pilot had a hard time keeping us at a level that I could not..."
"So, you are saying the reason you could not see anything was the fault of one of my best helicopter pilots?" Hawk interrupted incredulously.
"Well, no, not really," Paul stammered. "It was Mother Nature's fault. I know just as well as any pilot that you can't fight the winds of Mother Nature." He glared at Hawk, trying to figure out what this little extra debriefing session was all about.
Hawk stood up behind his desk and leaned down on his fists. "I think you are lying. I think you saw something up there and refuse to say anything, hoping one your biggest obstacles would be out of the way."
"How dare you say that?" Paul responded in outrage, forgetting he was in the presence of a general. "I am a Lieutenant in the United States Navy. I save lives, not lose them."
General Hawk stood tall and intimidating behind his big oak desk. He gave Paul a glare that had caused many a green shirt to ask for reassignment. "You are out of line Lieutenant!"
Paul took a step back from the angry General. "I'm sorry, Sir, but your allegations are false. I did not see anything."
Hawk turned to his window that overlooked part of the tarmac and saw the two lone Tomahawks take off. "Very well," he said as he turned back around. "You may go. But rest assured, if I find out that you are doing what I hope you are not doing, I will make you wish you were never found. Do I make myself clear, Lt. Burnett?"
"Yes, Sir," Paul replied, standing at attention.
"Good, now get out of my sight," Hawk said as he sat back down and started shuffling files again.
Paul exited the General's office and for one second leaned against the door. He breathed a sigh of relief before he proceeded to stalk down the hallway. He was livid at the insinuations that Hawk threw at him. He was angry that he had gotten out of line. But mostly, he was pissed that his own wife was betraying him and refusing to talk to him. "Damn," he said as he tightened his fist, punching the wall, before heading back across base.
Cover Girl, still dressed as Lady Jaye, walked from the women's barracks towards the recreation building, making sure that Paul saw her.
Paul rounded the corner after he smashed his tightened fist into the wall. He walked outside and stopped. He saw his wife walking across the base heading towards the Recreation room. She was alone. 'He was going to get some answers this time,' he swore to himself.
"Alison!" He hollered after her as he ran towards her.
Cover Girl acted as if she didn't hear him as she approached the building.
He called out her name again, but still she ignored him. "Hey," he said, as he came up behind her and grabbed her shoulder, a little more roughly than necessary. "What is going on?" he demanded.
Cover Girl turned around. "Ow!" She exclaimed, sounding just like Lady Jaye. "Go away Paul." She turned once again and moved quickly away from him.
"Damn it, Alison!" he yelled. "Stop running away. We need to talk." He stood firm, glaring at her as she turned back towards him.
"I don't want to talk." Cover Girl glared at him. "Now leave me alone!"
They approached the entrance in such a way that allowed Paul to trap her. He grabbed her by the arm and forced her against the doorway. "I'm sorry Love, but if you will not talk to me civilly, then I'll have to out-strength you."
"OW!" Cover Girl growled before kneeing him between his legs.
Paul jumped sideways, causing her to miss her intended target, but receiving a smarting jar to his inner thigh. "I got your number baby. Now, are you going to talk to me, or do I have to get more physical?"
"Man you'd better let her go or I'll crush you like a tin can," Roadblock rhymed as he grabbed a hold of Paul's arm.
Paul looked up at the dark-skinned man. He saw two more soldiers behind him. He released Cover Girl's arm, glaring back at the man. "This is between me and my wife. May we have some privacy?"
"Paul, I've already made plans with these guys and I am NOT going to break them. Now let me leave," Cover Girl stated as she walked over by Roadblock.
Paul stared at her, "Alison, we have to talk, and I would rather not make a scene. Why don't you just come with me, to my room, so we can talk this out? Everything seems to be a ... misunderstanding."
"You don't want to talk, you want to demand, you want to order. I'm not that way and I'm not going," Cover Girl screeched as she started to walk past him.
Paul grabbed her arm, catching her completely off guard as she tried to walk away and pulled her back towards him. He slapped her across the face. His eyes blazed, "I told you I want to talk to you NOW!" he said as shoved her into the door frame.
Roadblock pulled Paul roughly away from Cover Girl and punched him in the gut. "Didn't yo momma ever teach you not to hit a lady."
The air left Paul's lungs as RB punched him. He crippled over slightly before he regained some of his breath, then he took a swing at Roadblock. "And didn't your momma ever tell you that you fight like a girl," he sneered
Roadblock caught Paul's fist in his hand and began applying pressure to it. "I have no time for you."
Shipwreck came over to assist. "You know, Navy boys should know better than to hit a girl. You're not very bright are you, swabby?"
"Guys, just leave him and let's go play pool," Cover Girl said as she opened the Rec Room door.
"Yeah," Roadblock said as he let go of Paul's hand and turned to go inside.
Paul foolishly attempted to follow when Shipwreck socked him in the jaw. "Stay away from her, or you'll be answering to all of us," he warned.
Clutch laughed as he walked past Paul and into the Rec Room. Once the door was shut Roadblock walked over to Cover Girl. "Alright Cover Girl, why are you dressed as Jaye?"
"It's a long story, Block," she said as she rubbed her face where Paul had hit her.
"You alright?" Roadblock said as he lifted her chin to look at her face.
Shipwreck left the room but returned quickly, "Here is some ice, doll face."
"I'm fine guys," Cover Girl said as Shipwreck tried to apply the ice to her face but she grabbed the bag from him. "I said, I'm fine. Let's play some pool."
Clutch made sure Paul had left. "Man that is supposed to be Jaye's husband and he didn't realize that you weren't her. That's pathetic. We knew who you were from a distance." He walked over to the pool table and grabbed a cue. "Who's your partner, Court?"
She glanced at her friends. "I can always count on my true friends. I really didn't think he would go all spastic on me. Thanks for being in the right place at the right time," she said, smiling brightly.
"Any time," Roadblock and Clutch said at the same time
"Why are you dressed as Jaye anyway though? Where is she?" Shipwreck
Cover Girl briefly explained the game plan as they got their pool sticks and readied themselves for a game.