Although this was not something he ever looked forward to, speaking with relatives after their loved ones had been killed or injured, he had been saddened by the fact that there was no-one to represent Smith. When he’d been informed that morning that Smith had put him down as his N.O.K. (next of kin) nominee, he was surprised, but also touched. Smith deserved to have someone claim his body, and if that someone had to be Saul Harris, then he was more than prepared to step up and take care of him the way he deserved to be. He owed the kid at least that much, and silently vowed to see him right.
He rubbed his hand along his jaw and observed what was left of his team, as they stood scattered outside the Service Hall. They were bruised, they were battered, but they still had a whole lot of potential. He knew what he needed to do now, more than anything, was keep hold of the ones he had left.
It was time to glue the pieces back together.
*
Harris told the team to rendezvous at The Vicar by 1400, and it arrived quickly. By the time he’d left Command with Smith’s ashes, made it across town to his apartment and grabbed a bite to eat, it was then time to get into his civilian clothes. He placed the ashes and British flag on the coffee table in his living room. He wasn’t sure where else to put them for now. He sat there looking at them, holding the silver urn in his hands for a moment, staring at his own reflection. He sighed and put it back down. I’ll be back later, Smith.
The first to arrive at The Vicar, he immediately set up a bar tab, and took a seat in the back corner. While he waited for the others, his mind ran over the service, ran over the debrief, and ran over his conversation with Colt. He knew he had to find time alone with both Packham and Welles this evening, before they disappeared on leave. He was halfway through his first drink when, Doc, Brown and Packham arrived.
Harris held up his beer and pointed at the bar. Doc nodded and led them over to place their order, and as soon as their drinks came, Harris requested a private word with Packham. She looked a little nervous, but nodded and followed him around to the front bar, leaving Doc and Brown curious, as they watched them walk away.
Harris leaned against the bar, front on, placed his drink down and looked over at Packham. She stood quietly, sipping her beer, waiting for him to speak. She’s the opposite of Welles, he thought.
“I wanted to have a word with you, sergeant, about your plans for the future. Have you had any thoughts about what you want to do?”
Packham looked a little surprised. “Er, no, sir. I’ve just been trying to get through these past few days.”
Harris nodded, “I hear that!” He took a swig of his beer and placed it back down. “Well, as you know, the Darwin mission was only a test case, but there is opportunity for a permanent position, so I’d like to offer it to you, sergeant.”
Packham again looked surprised. “Er, wow.”
He gave a sad smile. “It’s an unfortunate circumstance, but I need a new co-pilot. You’re more than qualified. That would be the position you’d be taking. Are you up for it?”
She looked down at her beer, thinking, and he eyed her carefully.
“You don’t have to answer me now, sergeant. You’ve got a few weeks to think about it if you need. I wouldn’t blame you if you said no, given what happened. But just remember that we weren’t charged with anything. Whatever reservations you might have, know that you can trust me. You can trust the Aurora team. It’s a shame this was your first mission with us. But that said, it should be the worst you’ll see, and I mean the worst.” He watched as she kept looking down at her beer, avoiding eye contact. He turned his body to face her. “Is there anything you want to ask me, Sarah?” he asked. It was obvious something was on her mind. He used her first name as a means of leveling the field and trying to make himself more approachable.
She looked up at him. “I … I guess I’m just a little surprised, captain,” she said.
“Why’s that?”
She hesitated a moment, then looked him in the eye. “I was a coward … on the ship. You all wanted to go back on the Darwin and I wanted to stay on the Aurora. I freaked out. I … I just—”
“—wanted to make it home,” he finished her sentence. He looked her in the eye. “There’s nothing wrong with wanting that, Sarah. The word coward is a little harsh. You got spooked. It happens to all of us. But at the end of the day, you’re the one that got us out of there, so don’t sell yourself short. You came through for us in the debrief, too. They tried damn hard to break you, harder than any of us, but you held strong. That wouldn’t have been easy. Sometimes we’re strong in one field and weak in another. That’s why we work in teams; to help each other out, to balance out those strengths and weaknesses. You were unsure on the Darwin. But what doesn’t break you, makes you stronger, right?”
She nodded, giving him a small smile, and he noticed the delicate features on her face seemed to lighten up somewhat. He nodded back at her and grabbed his beer.
“I do understand if you’d prefer to go back to flying the cargo ships, though.”
“I don’t know, captain,” she said, playing with the label on her beer.
He took another swig of his drink. “Well, I guess that’s something you’re going to have to figure out. What it is that you want.” He studied her for a moment while she seemed to think about it. “C’mon, let’s head back to the others. You think about it and I’ll call you in a few weeks for your answer.” With that, he pushed off the bar and began to head back to the others, worried how Colt and Packham would cope on their own without the Aurora looking out for them.
“Captain?” she called after him.
He turned around to her.
She looked him firmly in the eye. “I’m in.”
He stared at her. “Yeah? You don’t want to take a few weeks to think about this? You’re sure?”
“Yes, sir. You didn’t let them take us. You defended us. That’s the kind of team I want to be in, sir. A team who has my back. I don’t think I could trust any other now … so, if you’ll have me, I’m in.”
He smiled as he walked up to her and held out his hand for her to shake. “Welcome to the Aurora, sergeant.”
She broke into a smile and shook his hand. “Thank you, captain.”
*
Carrie entered The Vicar dead on 1400, but it appeared as though she was the last to arrive. Brown told her there was a tab at the bar, so she got herself a drink and made her way to the Aurora tables. She took a seat beside McKinley, who stared at her with his poker face. His piercing blue eyes seemed to twinkle back at hers, the blue of his shirt catching the color just right.
“Do you ever play nice, McKinley?” she asked directly, staring back at him.
He shrugged nonchalantly, caressing his jaw, the silver band around his wrist shining next to the woven leather one. “Sometimes.”
“So, you can play nice, then?”
A smile broke his face, teeth and all. She noticed that he actually had a nice smile when he let one escape.
“You’re just so easy to rile up, Welles,” he told her, smile firmly in place. “Stop making it so much fun for me.”
“Yeah, well, don’t you forget who saved your ass. Next time I might miss,” she said, with a satisfied look.
His face clouded a moment. “Yeah, you got me there.”
Carrie almost felt bad for a moment as she looked at his sombre face. He lifted his beer and held it out to clink with hers. She did so.
“I still want a rematch on the shooting range, though,” he said, his eyes smiling at hers now.
Carrie grinned. “Bring it on, cowboy!”
He let out a short, sharp laugh, before going serious again. “How’s the head?” he asked motioning to her bruises.
Carrie touched the side of her face. “It looks worse than it feels.”
She suddenly looked across the table and saw Harris trying to get her attention.
“A word?” he mouthed, pointing over
to the bar.
She suddenly felt a little nervous. What does he want? She nodded and stood, Doc and the others glancing at them, as she followed Harris to the front bar of The Vicar.
“How’re you healing, corporal?” he asked, studying her face carefully, as they came to a stop.
“Okay. It doesn’t really hurt that much anymore. It’s just the tiredness.”
“And how’s everything else?” he said, leaning both elbows on the bar and taking a swig of his beer.
“Er … fine, sir,” she stuttered, not quite sure what he was referring to.
“Yeah?” He glanced over at her and arched his eyebrow.
She looked back at him curiously, taking a mouthful of her beer, as he continued to stare.
“You went through quite a bit on this mission, Welles. I’m just wondering how you’re going with it all. Sometimes, you know, people can benefit from some counseling if they need it.”
“Oh, no, I’m fine, sir,” she said quickly, waving it off.
“Are you sure? You survived a couple of nasty attacks. You nearly died. That’s a lot to deal with. People have suffered after experiencing less.” He turned his body to face hers and looked her in the eye.
She held his look for a moment but then turned her eyes away. “I’m doing, okay, sir.”
Harris’s eyes were skeptical. “You were having some … interesting dreams in the hospital on the Aurora. You still getting them?”
Carrie shook her head, lying, wondering what Harris must’ve heard while he was covering for Doc. “No more than anyone else, sir.”
The captain, she noticed, stared at her a moment before suddenly averting his eyes, as though she’d hit a nerve. “Well,” he said, putting his hand in his pocket and pulling out a card and handing it to her, “that’s the number for the UNF counseling service. You need to talk to someone you give them a call. You don’t want to talk to them, I’ve written my number on there, too. I’m always available.”
Carrie stared at the card and at Harris’s number scrawled across it. She looked back up at him, locking eyes. “Thank you, sir. I appreciate it.”
“And don’t be too stubborn or proud, Welles. This stuff can manifest if you don’t take care of it.”
She nodded. “Thank you, captain.” She gave him a smile. “Was that all?”
“No,” he said, eyeing her carefully.
She tried hard not to look nervous, but she noticed that Harris had a way of looking at her, studying her, as though he were reading her mind or something. She kept her face even.
“As you know, corporal, the Darwin mission was something of a test case for you new recruits.”
She gave a short, sharp, sarcastic laugh. “Was it ever!”
Harris grinned. “As I was saying, it was a test case, but as with any stint in the UNF, there’s always a view to a permanent placement should things work out.”
“Yes, sir.” she said, curious now.
“You impressed me, Welles. You exceeded my expectations. I know the Darwin mission was tough, very tough, but you stepped up. You got balls, corporal.”
A smile crept onto Carrie’s face, but she tried to keep it in check. Harris seemed to notice.
“I figure you can never have too many sharpshooters in your team. Besides, I like the fact that you’re keeping McKinley on his toes,” he said, flashing her a smile. “So, what I’m saying is that I would like to offer you a permanent place on the Aurora.”
A smile lit up Carrie’s face, but it quickly faded. She suddenly felt like she was caught between a rock and a hard place. She was thrilled with Harris’s offer, which surprised her considering how tough the mission had been, and how tough the dreams were that had followed her since. But she felt vindicated. She’d won Harris’s approval, against the odds, and yet, up until that moment, she thought that she was ready to give it all up if it meant being with Doc. But now the captain had given her his seal of approval. This intriguing man from the UNF was inviting her into his team, drawing her to follow him. Could she just turn away from that?
Harris seemed to detect her hesitation. “I don’t need an answer now, Welles. Go on leave and think about it. I’ll call you when I need an answer.” He looked down at the card in her hands. “Take your time and use that card if you need to. And just remember that I’m always here … We made a good team, Welles. I think you’d have a bright future aboard the Aurora if you decide to join us again.”
She nodded and took a gulp of her beer, trying to clear her throat of the lump threatening to build. Harris looked at her, then gave a sharp nod, “Okay. Let’s get back to drinking, shall we?”
“Captain.” She stopped him.
He looked back at her and she locked eyes with him.
“Thank you for everything. I know I haven’t exactly been the easiest soldier to deal with, but I have learned a lot from you. You, too, have exceeded my expectations, sir.”
He glanced down at his beer then back to her again. “Thank you, corporal. It’s not often the captain gets feedback from his soldiers. It means a lot. The colonel’s done a good job with you. He should be proud.”
“Oh!” Carrie reached into her pocket and pulled out her father’s note. “I got this. I thought you might want to take a look.”
Harris took the piece of paper from her, eyeing her curiously, opened it and read it in silence.
Ree,
Glad you made it back to Earth. I tried my best to keep the sun shining for your return—as good as I could from down here in Florida, anyway. Hope it was warm enough for you. Come and see me as soon as you can. I look forward to seeing you nice and tanned.
Dad
Harris closed it over and handed it back to her. “Burn it.”
She looked at him surprised.
“Just in case, corporal. Burn it.” Harris put his beer on the bar and asked the barman for a light and a bowl, assuring him it wasn’t for cigarettes, which were considered illegal in Fort Centralis. He handed them to Harris, who turned and took the note back off Carrie and lit it. She watched the flame grow and swallow it whole. Harris threw it into the empty bowl, blew it out, and they both surveyed the ashes. The captain nodded to himself, then finished what was left of his drink, and put the empty bottle back on the bar.
“Come buy me a beer, Welles,” he said, walking back over to the group.
Carrie followed him, and saw Doc standing at the bar watching them both curiously. They both moved to flank the lieutenant: Harris on his right and Carrie on his left. Doc exchanged a look with Harris, but didn’t mention anything about what he saw.
“Same again?” Doc looked over at Carrie.
She smiled and flashed a subtle, seductive glance. “Yes, please.”
Doc cleared his throat, almost blushing, then turned back to Harris. “And you, sir?”
“I believe I will have several, lieutenant!”
They took their drinks and made their way over to the tables.
“So,” Harris said, sitting down next to Hunter, “what are your plans, Hunter?”
The Kiwi pilot took a swig of his beer and smiled at Harris. “I’m going to go home, grab Leilani, jump into bed and not get out until you call me again!”
“Leilani?” Colt asked.
“My beautiful, beautiful girlfriend!”
“She is beautiful!” McKinley offered with a grin.
Hunter threw his bottle cap across the table at him.
“You kept that one quiet, Hunter,” Packham noted.
Hunter shrugged. “You never asked.”
“Alright,” Harris said looking over at Brown, “and you, Mr Brown?”
“Hell, I don’t know. Probably go lie on a beach somewhere and drink some cocktails,” he said, then looked over at Doc. “Doc tells me Hawaii is worth a visit. I hear the barmaids are pretty special.” He flicked his eyebrows up and down.
Doc gave an embarrassed laugh and looked down at his beer bottle. “
That’s just what I hear, Brown!”
Carrie turned to Packham and started her own conversation. “What about you? What are you going to do?”
“Don’t know. I haven’t really thought about it yet. I’ll probably just head down to Saint-Tropez.”
“Saint-Tropez?”
“Yeah, my family have a beach house there.”
Carrie stared at her for a moment, then looked her up and down. “You’re rich, aren’t you?”
Packham glanced at her, then at McKinley who had been listening in, then shrugged, nodded, and downed her beer.
Carrie glanced over at McKinley. “And you?”
“I’m not rich.” He shook his head.
“No, I mean what are you going to do?” Carrie asked.
“Don’t know,” he said taking a swig of his beer. “I’ll probably drink for the first week. Then when the hangover fades, I’ll go visit my mother, play the good son, and try and make up for all the years of heartache I gave her.” He looked her in the eye. “And you?”
“I don’t know either. I’ll go see my dad for bit. Just in case he … I’d better thank him for … you know.”
McKinley nodded. “Yeah, you better do that.”
“Alright,” Harris said loudly, getting everyone’s attention. “I think it’s about time we raise a toast to the guys, before y’all can’t even speak your own names!” He stood and raised his glass, looking around at his soldiers. “I’m going to keep this simple. I don’t think you need me to tell you about your fellow soldiers, except to say that they were great soldiers, they were good people, and they will be sorely missed. So please raise your glasses to Carter, to Bolkov, to Louis and to Smith.”
Everyone raised their glasses: “to Carter, to Bolkov, to Louis and to Smith!” then they all took a long drink.
“Quietest you bunch have ever been,” Harris said, sitting back down.
Carrie eyed Harris as he took a seat again. “Captain?”
“Yeah.”
“What are you going to do with Smith’s ashes?”
Everyone looked at him. He seemed to ponder his answer for a moment.
Darwin Page 57
