Scavenger Falters (The SkyRyders Book 2)

by Liza O'Connor

  Chapter 2

  Logan fought to contain and conceal the anger he felt. It was bad enough that Sparkes had seduced Alisha, but now he wanted to seduce Daniel as well?

  He had rightfully challenged Sparkes’ intention to visit often. While Logan had ensured the Corps reinstated Daniel’s pension, that didn’t give Jack the right to consume it in high food bills. Yet when Logan mentioned it to Jack, the arrogant bastard simply presented a deposit slip, showing how generous he could be with the Corps’ money.

  That really pissed off Logan. His budget was so damned tight he couldn’t buy sufficient blankets for his squad, and yet evidently the Corps had given Jack a blank checkbook to use as he wished.

  Thus, Jack left a hero who had saved the catcher, saved the budget, and somehow he’d even got credit for saving Alisha, while Logan’s part in her life had disappeared from her memory. She hadn’t even said goodbye when she left. She had kissed Daniel, but never once glanced in his direction.

  A chilly silence fell upon the kitchen once the lovebirds were gone.

  “Young girls are the strangest, yet most beautiful things on God’s Earth,” Daniel declared.

  Logan didn’t even dare want to attempt a reply in his present mood, but fortunately Daniel didn’t seem to be looking for one.

  “Alisha’s mother, Caroline, was much like Alisha when she was sixteen.”

  Logan’s heart climbed into his throat. “Alisha says she’s twenty-one.” Dear God, don’t let her have lied.

  “Is she?” Daniel laughed and shook his head. “I suppose she is. Doesn’t seem possible. She looks so young to me. But then I’m growing old, and the young keep looking even younger every day.”

  “Then she is twenty-one?”

  Daniel paused as he did the math in his head. “She turned twenty-one the day after she left Flatland, I believe.” Then his gaze fell upon Logan. “But she’s a young twenty-one. Until she left Flatland, she had been pampered and protected from the world at large. It’s the way they raise socialite children. Teach them no values, no ethics, no skills, unless you call setting a table a skill.”

  “Doesn’t sound like a life Alisha would like.”

  “No, but had you asked me, I would have told you her mother would have likewise shunned it. Caroline was just like Alisha, one minute a playful kitten, and then next, doing something so extraordinary it would take your breath away. One day she and some of her friends had gone into Capital to see a movie. That was back when the subways still ran. While they were waiting for the train, a little boy fell onto the tracks. His nanny screamed for help, but there was a train barreling towards them. No one could save him, or so it seemed.”

  Daniel smiled with pride, intermingled with regret. “Caroline dived onto the tracks, grabbed the boy, and rolled out of the way of the oncoming train within seconds of impact. After the train was gone, she handed the boy back to the nanny and then tried to pull herself back up onto the dock. Unfortunately, she had sprained her right wrist and no matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t climb up.”

  “Wouldn’t anyone help her?” Logan asked.

  “You would think so, but no. They were afraid to get close to the edge. Afraid she’d accidentally pull them over. She remained on those tracks for almost an hour, dodging one train after another, now too proud and angry to ask for further help.

  “Finally, the father of the child arrived, and the little boy told him what happened and begged him to help the nice lady who had saved him.” Daniel sighed. “So he called her over, pulled her onto the dock, and took her to his home where she was well cared for by his personal medic.

  “By the time she was returned home, she was enraptured with her savior. I never knew a person could love so hard, so quickly. He was her Prince Charming. He had rescued her, comforted her, and shown her kindness when no one else would, and she wanted nothing but him.” Daniel sighed heavily.

  “I tried to point out the problems of the match. He was married, twice her age, and a socialite. She didn’t care about the problems. She believed anything was possible.”

  “Like Alisha,” Logan said softly. Like us, he added to himself.

  “And he was just as besotted. So he divorces his wife and marries my sixteen-year-old daughter.”

  “If you could see it was wrong, why did you allow it?” Logan asked.

  “I didn’t at first, but eventually I gave in, due to necessity and because I couldn’t stand to see her suffer anymore. And believe me, she suffered terribly when I told her I’d never permit the marriage.” Daniel sighed. “But then my hand was forced. She was pregnant with Alisha. It was a virgin birth, well documented. So now, I had a choice of letting her be Karl York’s mistress or wife, and I thought the wife of a socialite had to be better than that of a mistress. So they married.”

  “I take it from the few things that Alisha has said that it’s not a happy marriage.”

  “For a short while they were happy, but socialites really are to be pitied. They have the most boring and unfulfilling lives of any humans on Earth. Even the fish in the Cully are more worthwhile and beneficial. The Caroline I loved and raised could not exist in such an environment, so she changed into a person who could, and there wasn’t a bit of the change that was for the better. By her fifth year of marriage, my Caroline was completely gone. There was no sparkle or joy left in her, and certainly nothing wondrous. She was hard and bitter. She was only twenty-one, the same age as Alisha.”

  Daniel stared out the window until he got his emotions back under control.

  “I can’t allow that to happen to Alisha.” He faced Logan. “You’re a good man, Logan. But you’re too somber for my granddaughter. You’ll crush her playful spirit.”

  Logan smiled painfully. “Well, I hadn’t thought of that reason. I just told her I was too old and her career was more important.”

  Daniel breathed out heavily. He then smiled in compassion. “Thank you for putting her welfare before your needs.”

  “I appreciate your candor, but let me be blunt as well. I am not the one you need to be protecting her from.”

  “You mean Jack,” Daniel said.

  “He may seem charming, but he is a well-known Romeo when it comes to leaving young girls brokenhearted.”

  Daniel shook his head. “She’s not in any danger there.”

  “I think she is,” Logan insisted, getting more than a bit peeved that Daniel wouldn’t even consider this blatant danger, while he was so worried that Logan might get his hands on Alisha and depress her playful spirit.

  “I don’t think you can see their relationship fairly, Logan. You’re too close. There’s nothing but friendship and respect between them. And I think right now she desperately needs a friend to help her through the rough times.” Daniel reached out and squeezed Logan’s shoulder. “And if you need a friend, it would be my honor to be here for you as well.”

  Logan found it a bit perverse that Daniel would warn him off his granddaughter and then offer his friendship to help him through the pain of giving her up. “I accept your offer of friendship, Daniel, but only on the condition: that we never again discuss my feelings for Alisha.”

  Chapter 3

  Alisha managed to keep her composure until the jeep turned the corner and her gramp’s house was no longer in view, then she burst into tears. She had tried her hardest to make Logan jealous, to force him to admit he loved her, but instead she had only made him angry.

  “Alisha?” Jack exclaimed and pulled the jeep over to the side of the road. “Are you upset over Logan’s remark about the catcher?”

  “No!” she replied and cried even harder.

  Jack gently pulled her into his arms. “I would have retrieved your catcher if it had been nothing more than regulation gear. He’s just mad because I had the opportunity to do it and he didn’t.” Jack paused and then added, “And maybe because you were coming on to me shamelessly.”

  “I was not!” she countered, angry that her plan had been so transpar
ent.

  “I’ve seen enough flirting to know it when I see it. You were definitely hitting on me. Now either you’ve changed your mind and you do want to sleep with me, or you and Logan had a fight this morning and you wanted to make him jealous.”

  Alisha leaned her head into Jack’s chest. “I don’t want to sleep with you, Jack!” she growled with certainty.

  “That’s good, because if you were seriously coming on to me, we’d have a problem.”

  She glared up at him. “Am I that repulsive?”

  “Not at all,” he assured her, stroking her cheekbone. “You are absolutely breathtaking, but my heart already belongs to someone else.”

  “Then why are you so nice to me?” she demanded.

  “Because I think you are the most extraordinary person I’ve ever met and I enjoy your company immensely.”

  Alisha gave him an apologetic smile. “Thanks. I think you’re pretty swell too…as a friend.”

  “I know. Your heart’s taken as well. But these old guys, they don’t cave easy.”

  Alisha was on the verge of denying it was the colonel, but she hated lying to Jack, and he wouldn’t have believed her denials anyway. He knew her too well. “Is it that obvious?”

  “Actually, no. You’ve got the general convinced there’s nothing going on, and he’s a sharp old bird, always looking out for that sort of trouble.”

  “Then how’d you figure it out?”

  “Give me credit! I’m a brilliant visionary, able to pull together bits of intel, and develop the enemy’s strategy—no, wait, that’s you. Well, then it’s probably because the speakerphone was still open when Logan confessed he loved you.”

  “Did the general hear that?” Alisha asked in horror.

  “Fortunately, no. I was the only one there, working desperately on creating battle plans for two scenarios: if you could do the impossible and if you could not. It’s a good thing you did the impossible, because my other battle plan truly sucked. Powell would have stripped me down to private if I had put that one in play.”

  “You can’t tell anyone about Logan,” she said. “His reputation is very important to him—so important that he’s willing to give me up rather than have anyone find out.”

  “I understand better than you can imagine. And someday, I’ll share with you why, but right now, General Powell is going to flay me alive if we lose any more time dallying in Broadtown.”

  “We could just fly back,” Alisha offered.

  Jack grimaced. “Alisha, I said I retrieved your catcher. I didn’t say it was in one piece.”

  She took in a deep breath to stave off more tears. “This day just keeps getting worse.”

  “Don’t worry. Having the general grill you on every detail of your flight will make the first half look downright pleasant in retrospect.” He reached into his bag and retrieved a manual. “And to liven up the trip, I’ve brought the latest version of the regs. The general has put me in charge of making certain you don’t disobey any further regs. In fact, since I’ve a prior history of involving myself, any infractions you do make will go on my record.”

  “That’s not fair!” Alisha objected.

  “No, but he’s pretty sure it will be effective, both in the speed you are taught the regs, and in reminding me never to put my career on line for anyone again.”

  She hated that Jack had put his career in jeopardy for her, all because she hadn’t known a recent addition to the regulations, which required her to sign out before going airborne during battle. Alisha opened the book. “Are there any more stupid ones like 14.69.2?”

  “Hey, there’s a bright side. You’ve one less to learn today,” Jack teased. “And while I’ve got you cheered up, I should warn you that due to a sudden influx of Broadtown and Doakstown Ryders, there are insufficient quarters and we’re going to be roommates for the next couple of weeks.”

  “That doesn’t sound right. As a captain, I should be bunking with my crew, not a colonel.”

  “Trust me when I tell you that’s out of the question. You will be bunking with a colonel. You could bunk with Colonel Drake from Doakstown, but I should warn you, he snores louder than morning mess call.”

  “Why can’t I bunk with Colonel Logan, if the general doesn’t believe anything is going on?”

  “Two reasons: first Logan would never agree to it. He’d go sleep with Drake before sharing quarters with you. And second, the general wouldn’t agree to it, because he wants to preserve Logan’s good reputation. If you two bunked together, it could create speculation that DC’s accusations are true.”

  “But what about your reputation?” Alisha countered.

  Jack laughed and shook his head. “My reputation is so ruined that nothing can harm it further. Besides, we’re already a couple in everyone’s eyes, so it will only seem natural that you should choose to bunk with me.”

  She recalled last night after the battle, when the ground crew had found her. They had only known her as the “colonel’s girlfriend” rather than for her contributions to the Ridge battle. “I think it’d be better if I bunked my crew.”

  “I don’t snore.” He looked offended by her curt refusal.

  Regretting her tone, she tried to explain herself better. “It’s not you. I’m sure you’d make a very nice bunkmate. I just don’t like being known as Colonel Sparkes’ girlfriend. I’d rather be known for my flying skills.”

  “I don’t think that will be a problem,” Jack assured her.

  “But it already is! Do you know the first thing out of the sergeant’s mouth last night when I told him I was Captain Kane of the Ryders? He asked, “You’re the Colonel’s girlfriend?”

  Jack cringed. “I promise you, the first time you fly at quarterlies, no one will ever think of you first as my girlfriend. We pulled in ground crews all the way from Bartlesville for last night. Those guys were just behind in the news. I assure you by now, they know who you really are.”

  “Still, it would make more sense for me to house with my crew. After all, I am their captain?”

  “All right, I see your point. But if you weren’t a captain, but rather a colonel, would you see my point?”

  “Of course, but—” Alisha stopped in shock. “Are you saying I’m being promoted to a colonel?”

  “No. I am not saying that. The general specifically told me not to tell you, so let’s be clear. I have not told you, and you do not know!”

  “Wow!” she exclaimed and leaned back and pondered the matter. “How’s that even possible?” she asked. “I can’t even shoot a rifle.”

  “Bring it up when the general surprises you with his news, and for God’s sake look as shocked as you do presently or he’ll know I told you,” Jack begged. “Now get back to studying!”

  “You can’t boss me around anymore,” she teased.

  “You’re not a colonel, yet,” he warned.

  Alisha smiled and returned to the regs. Unfortunately, she couldn’t concentrate. A colonel—that could change everything. Colonel Logan and I would be equals. I wouldn’t be under his command. Surely that would enable us to admit our love!

  Chapter 4

  Since Logan flew to Capital, he arrived before Jack and Alisha and thus had the dubious pleasure of the general’s debriefing process first. General Powell analyzed every little action Logan had made from the beginning to the end of the battle. He particularly struggled with Logan’s reasoning for joining the medic group instead of joining Jack at the command tent.

  As much as Logan hated admitting it, Jack hadn’t needed his help. He had planned a perfect battle and saw it executed flawlessly.

  “Don’t you think sending a crew to retrieve Alisha’s catcher a bit frivolous?” the general countered, trying to find fault with Jack’s command.

  Logan hated he was compelled to defend and support Jack’s decision.

  “Then you think he did an acceptable job,” the general said as he scribbled on his pad.

  “No,” Logan corrected him. “I thin
k he did a superb job. From the moment Alisha cleared those launchers, everything happened with absolute precision. He was in complete control, and all I could have done in that commanders’ tent would have been to get in his way.”

  “So you chose to remain with the understaffed medic unit and helped save forty lives,” the general noted as he continued to write on his pad.

  Logan was about to declare he wouldn’t apologize for his decision, but realized the general wasn’t asking for an apology…and where did he get “forty lives”? Logan had no idea how many people he had helped.

  “I doubt it was forty lives, sir…”

  “That’s what the chief medic says. So unless you want me to demerit her for providing a false report…”

  “No, if Sandy says forty, then it was forty. She’s very precise,” Logan assured him.

  “My opinion as well,” Powell replied. “Very impressive woman. I’m hoping she’ll agree to stay on here. But she’s wary of the invitation. She thinks I don’t like women.”

  Logan just stared at him. Everyone knew the general was gender-biased. Well, everyone except possibly General Powell. “Perhaps it’s because in a fort of three hundred and eighty-two flyers, you haven’t a single female Ryder. And if you include your ground crew…”

  “I know. I know. And don’t think I’m not kicking myself for being so blind. Do you realize that if Alisha had applied to join my troop, I would have turned down her request? I would have stated her lack of time as captain as my reason and never even bothered to watch her fly. I would have felt my decision unbiased and reasonable, but look at the talent I would have lost. And it’s not just her. You had two other women in your squad, both of which flew first squad in battle. I checked their histories. Both applied here, but I turned them down. Yet they out-flew most of my men. Without doubt, your chief medic can run circles around mine.”

  Powell paused and then continued. “I have always prided myself on my ability to cull the wheat from the chaff, but evidently my thresher isn’t performing to specs. I am clearly making poor judgment calls on the quality of female candidates.”