The mission lasted nearly two weeks this time. They returned by sub and went straight in to be debriefed. The men had been released just before midnight and Gil brought them back to the base where they fell into their beds, exhausted. Even Goniff was more interested in sleep than in finding something to fill his stomach.

The mansion was quiet. Rawlins made sure the other men stationed on the grounds had things to do that kept them away from the house. The team was still asleep upstairs and, for once, he was prepared let them keep to their beds until they'd had their fill and woke on their own. When the phone on his desk rang he snatched the receiver up to silence it and then instinctively held a hand cupped over the mouthpiece so he could keep his voice low. He needn't have bothered; he wasn't given much of a chance to speak and only managed one 'But, sir', before the call ended and the line went dead.

The Sergeant Major made his way quietly up to the second level, avoiding the squeaky tread on the stairs. He grumbled silently to himself about unreasonable superior officers who couldn't be bothered to be at the initial debriefing and expected the CO to get up and go back to HQ at the break of dawn because they didn't want to wait for the official report to be transcribed and distributed. He didn't know exactly when the Lieutenant had returned to the base, having fallen asleep at his desk waiting for him, but it was long after he'd brought the rest of the group back.

He stood outside the commander's quarters for a moment before reaching out to carefully open the door. Gil took a quick look inside and frowned. The room was empty. Everything was neatly in its place and just as the Lieutenant left it before the mission. Rawlins turned on his heel and made his way back to the lower level with a determined stride. He understood dedication to duty but the young officer he was responsible for often took that to the extreme. They'd be having a little discussion about how efficiency suffered when you didn't get proper rest….again.

The British NCO pushed through the door to the Lieutenant's office and stepped inside fully expecting to catch him at his desk. But, like the bedroom upstairs, the room was empty. He'd been there though. The folders and papers that were waiting on the desk for his return had been moved into the boxes provided for them. Gil picked one file up and thumbed through it taking note of the corrections the younger officer had left in red along with his initial and the signature on the last page. He shook his head; that could have waited.

He might not have heard the Yank come in but he was certain he hadn't heard him go out again. He couldn't be out at his morning run… Gil stepped back into the hall and looked down towards the library. The door was slightly ajar.

The fire had burned down low but coals still glowed on the grate. Garrison had pulled the high back chair around to face the hearth. He'd kicked his shoes off and his long legs, crossed at the ankle, rested on the hassock. The little ginger cat was curled up on his lap and purring softly. There was a cup of coffee gone cold on the side table but the little saucer of cream had been licked almost clean.

Rawlins cleared his throat and eyes, golden in the glow of the fire, turned his direction. They blinked sleepily as they considered him standing there in the doorway.

"I'm sorry, but there's been a phone call," he said, just above a whisper.

The response to that was a yawn.

… "From that Major Johns, I'm afraid."

And that elicited a low growl followed by a hiss before the little cat turned her back on him and curled back into a ball.

Rawlins smiled. "My opinion of him as well, little miss."

Gil walked back down to his office and picked up the receiver. "Get me headquarters Jenkins, Major Johns, if you please." He rolled a pencil back and forth on the desktop while he waited.

"Major Johns, sir? Sergeant Major Rawlins. Yes, sir, I know you wanted Lieutenant Garrison, sir, but he's not in the building at the moment, sir. No, sir. No, I've been through the mission notes he left on his desk, sir. It appears he wasn't best pleased with the men this time out, sir, and he's got them all out on the obstacle course…. Well, sir, they were gone before I got in this morning, sir. …. Yes, sir, it's just the kind of discipline they need, sir. Oh, from what I read, I don't believe they'll be in much before dark tonight, sir. What's that? Yes, sir, I'll have him call your office tomorrow to set up a meeting, sir. Thank you, sir."

He tapped the cradle three times to bring the clerk back on the line. "Jenkins, hold all of the calls coming through to the residence until you hear from me. And, tell the gate not to let anyone through without my permission, will you? I'll be using the office over in the east wing today." Gathering up a stack of folders and plucking his favorite pen out of the drawer he snapped off the desk lamp and headed out the door.