"Vice Admiral Cooper how are you today, sir?" I said pulling out my navy language.
"It's good to see you too Lieutenant Commander." he said smiling. I could feel Erik's eyes boring into my back.
"So what can I do for you tonight?" I said already dreading this call.
"Well we need you to be the eyes and ears for a mission in the Middle East." he said.
"Josh, you know I am no longer doing that kind of stuff." I said sighing.
"Yes, I'm aware. But I need you, Chris. The computers are out here I'm video chatting with my phone, please." he said nearly begging.
"Fine what are the coordinates and access codes?" I said pushing Erik's chair out of the way and pulling up a screen on the computer and grabbing a head piece. He told them to me and I brought up the thermals, satellite pics, and sound.
"Hello this is Lieutenant Commander Christy De Vries and I am going to be your eyes and ears. Can anyone give me a cliff notes version of the mission?" I said speaking to the entire group on the ground.
I pointed to Erik motioning him over and pulling up the same screens on the computer next to me. I grabbed a pen and paper writing him a message waiting for a description on the mission. Can you match the people in the thermals with the pictures on the satellite to find out if all the people are ours or if there are enemies hiding? I turned back to my screen as someone started talking.
"This is Captain Johnny Dutton and we are rescuing one of our own who is about a mile north of us." the man who seemed to be in charge of the mission said.
"Sounds good let's get you all home safely. How's that sound?" I said.
"That sounds like a great idea, I have ten men on the ground can you verify I have ten." he said to me. I started counting realizing there were way more than ten men on the screen.
"Umm there are 25 bodies on the map." I said confused. I realized then when I scrolled out that to the north there wasn't a single human thermal on that area.
"Ambush abort, I repeat, abort get out of there!" I said turning to Erik. "Call the closest planes and get them in there they need air support." I heard machine guns firing in my ear. A minute later everything went silent.
"Report captain report!" I said watching ten bodies starting to fade from the map. I zoomed in on the spots where they were fading seeing ten men dressed in camo dead on the ground. I got up throwing the headset onto the desk.
"Hey it's not your" Erik started to say. I cut him off with a hand storming out of the room and walking to my car. I got home disabling the wire and walking to the kitchen. I found a bottle of vodka in my liquor cabinet. I bypassed the glasses as I fell onto the couch turning the new episode of House on.
*******************TWO HOURS LATER***************
PAIGE'S POV
I walked up the stairs to Christy's apartment with Dom. I was really starting to like him and was hoping Christy would be asleep when we got here so I could invite him in. I got to the door and could here the Late Show on. I almost laughed because I know for a fact Christy hates the late show. I opened the door to find Christy sitting on the couch in a pair of sweats and a Boise State football jersey. Then I noticed to the mess everywhere and the shattered vodka bottle that must have been empty when she thrown it. I sighed letting the door fall open forgetting about Dom.
"What the hell happened here?" he asked.
"Umm looks like something shitty happened to her tonight and I mean really bad she never drinks vodka." I said heading over to pick up the papers that were scattered everywhere.
"Don't touch that." Christy snapped at me. I dropped the papers and went to the holes in the wall that were obviously caused by a fist. I sighed leaning down starting to pick up the glass. Christy finally passed out after a few minutes and I went to evaluate the damage she had caused to herself. The skin on her knuckles was completely gone and it felt like she had fractured a bone in her wrist.
"Dom, can you go to the medicine cabinet and grab me the medicine kit in the camo bag" I said referring to my field medical kit. He came back a few minutes later and I began patching her up.
I got up and threw away the bloody towel I had used. I turned to Dom who had stayed through the ordeal instead of bailing. I walked up to him and hugged him.
"Thank you." I said looking up at him.
"Not a problem I can help you carry her to her room and the clean up if you want." he said smiling sweetly.
"Umm only if you want to I can get it if you don't and I understand if you don't." I said smiling.
"I'd love to" he said picking Christy up and carrying her to her bedroom.
I turned and picked up as much as I could. I felt an arm snake around my waist spinning me to face him. I laughed as the radio turned on and he switched it to Crimson and Clover. I wrapped my arms around his neck and laid my head on his chest. We danced back and forth around the room until the end of the song when he leaned in taking my face in his hands and kissing me slowly. I pulled him toward the couch sitting down on top of him. I kissed him once more before getting up and walking to my bedroom and grabbing a short night gown that was on the top of my basket. It was Ed Hardy and it was short and black with a tiger holding a rose. I grabbed a couple pillows and my comforter carrying them out and setting them on the couch. He smiled at me as I sat down next to him. He pulled me against his chest and grabbed the blanket covering us up. The last thing I remember is Dom kissing the top of my head as I drifted off to sleep.
***********Next Morning Christy's POV*****************
I woke up rolling over in bed to find a nasty looking sandwich sitting there with a note. I grabbed the note opening it seeing Paige's horrible yet unmistakable handwriting. Hey you were really drunk last night so I called in sick for you. Clean the house up please its embarrassing. Ohh and it's your birthday next month what do you want to do? See you tonight luv ya peace. P.S. My godfather called he said you are no longer on the kill list so there is something to be happy about see you later. I got up and grabbed a Gatorade out of my closet and a bottle of Tylenol. I went out to clean the house plotting ways to get out of my birthday.