by Mia Ford
"At ease," Captain Warrick said, seated behind his desk. "And take a seat."
Olivia took a seat behind Warrick's desk. She noted that the other officer didn't bother, remaining standing by the desk as if he had a point to make.
"Captain Warrick. I was told to meet with you as soon as I arrived this morning. But I'm afraid to say that I'm at a loss as to why," Olivia began. She made sure to address the Captain as such, even though he wasn't technically military. But as said, Olivia wasn't exactly in the Navy's good graces at the moment and as such she preferred to stay formal.
"Yes, yes," Warrick said, leaning back in his chair. "Oh, this is Lieutenant Commander Randall, posted at Pearl Harbor," he said vaguely as he indicated to Randall. Randall offered Olivia a curt nod, before turning back to face Warrick.
"Is he the reason I am here?" She asked, having no idea who Randall was. She wasn't too familiar with Pearl Harbor.
"In a way. Randall, if you will?" Warrick offered. He looked like he was either tired or in some sort of pain. Either way it was clear he wasn't in the mood to speak and most likely felt this situation was beneath him.
"Yes," Randall began, turning to face Olivia. "Two days ago four of my men were on a routine training exercise five miles off the coast of Honolulu. As they were borrowing equipment from the SEAL Vehicle Delivery Team stationed there, one of the SEAL's insisted that he go along for the ride. While out at sea my team stumbled upon an old Japanese submarine from the Pearl Harbor attack --"
"Really?" Olivia asked, suddenly interested. "That's amazing. Up until now only four have been --"
"Lieutenant, that's not the point of the story," Randall interjected, sounding a little put off.
"Oh right, sorry," she offered, deciding on the spot that her initial instincts about Randall were correct. "Continue."
"Anyway. My boys were going to call it in but the SEAL decided to take matters into his own hands and try and salvage the wreck himself." The way he sneered on the word SEAL suggested to Olivia that he harbored a not so secret disdain for this particualr operative. "Long story short the submarine dislodged itself and almost crushed one of my men. The SEAL then performed a bunny maneuver --"
"Bunny maneuver?" Olivia asked. She was perched over the desk, scribbling away on a legal pad but had to pause at the mention of this unknown term.
"It's when a diver shares his oxygen mask with another diver. Its use is highly dissuaded and although not illegal, should never be used unless absolutely required. Even though here it may have been, that would never have been the case had this SEAL not put my man in such a position in the first place."
"Ok... OK," Olivia said as she continued to scribble away. "So what charge are you bringing him up on?"
"What... is that not your area?" Randall asked, sounding angry now. "He put my men in danger and I want his head! Surely you can figure out some charge to -- exactly how long have you been a lawyer for the Navy Ms. Conway?"
"It's Lieutenant Conway," Olivia corrected, doing her best to hide her annoyance. "And I'm not in legal. I'm in intelligence --"
"Intelligence? Then why the hell are you --"
"Easy Randall," Captain Warrick cut in. "I've bee assured that Lieutenant Conway is excellent at her job and if there was any illegal activity, which it sounds like there was, she won't hesitate to prosecute. Am I right?" he finished, turning his attention to Conway.
"Of course," Olivia agreed, deciding irrevocably that she didn't like Randall one little bit. "I'll have to do some digging though. Interview your men too. Oh and I'll need to speak to this SEAL obviously. Where is he now?"
"He should be here," Randall spat, going red in the face. "If I know him he's probably taking a detour. Making us wait. He's as arrogant as he is --"
"Easy Randall," Warrick said again before turning back to Olivia. "He should be he any moment. He came in by boat this morning and --"
It was just then that the door to the office opened, followed by the entrance of Clint Reese. Even in his SEAL uniform, Clint struck an imposing figure. He was impossibly handsome and held himself in such a way that the room seemed to shrink around him.
"Lieutenants, Captains," Clint said in a very casual manner as she strolled into the room. He didn't bother to salute either of them too, waving his hand vaguely at the officers instead.
Olivia had her back to Clint when he entered the room and was also engaged in her notes, so it wasn't until he was well into the office and she'd finished taking her notes that she was finally able to turn and get a look at him. When she did her eyes near popped from her sockets and her breath caught in her mouth. And no, it wasn't because she was smitten by his good looks or strong physique and no it wasn't because he made her weak at the knees like he did so many other women. It was because she knew him.
"And who might this be?" he asked, smiling flirtatiously as he finally spotted Olivia sitting by the desk. If he recognized her he didn’t indicate as much, choosing to instead look her up and down like he was eyeing up a juicy piece of steak that he was soon going to eat.
"You've been brought up on charges," Captain Warrick was saying, rolling his eyes at Clint's behavior. Seeing his casual reaction to Clint's actions, Olivia had to bite her tongue. It was because of men like Warrick that sexism still reign supreme in the Navy. "The least you could do, Reese, is act like a soldier."
"Trumped up charges," Clint said, not taking his eyes off Olivia. A fact that she was very aware of. She didn't know if she should introduce herself or say hi like she knew him. On second thoughts, it was probably better that Warrick and Randall didn't know that she and Clint had a history. She couldn't imagine how they would react if they found out she had a history with the man she was going to be investigating.
"Trumped up – you almost got one of my men killed!" Randall exploded.
"Killed? Is that what Brian said? I thought you rescuse swimmers were meant to be able to hold your breath for --"
"That's not the point! You acted irresponsibly --!"
"I'm a SEAL. Irresponsible is on the badge," Clint cut back in, not even bothering to hide his smile. Olivia got the sense that he was enjoying himself. Although how that could be she had no idea. He was under investigation after all.
"You're finished this time, Reese," Randall continued as if he hadn't been cut off. He was seething at the mouth as he spoke too. "That I promise you --"
"Excuse me!" Olivia yelled, standing up now. She was getting rather fed up with the dick measuring that was taking place. "That's for me to decide I think. And I'll thank you Lieutenant to stop threatening my client? As he now is."
A silence descended over the room as the three men all stopped and stared at Olivia. Randall looked furious. Warrick looked bored and Clint looked... maybe impressed? He was definitely staring at Olivia with some sort of look on his face, although she couldn't get a reading on it.
"I think I have enough for now," Olivia continued, scooping up her legal pad. She knew when the time to make herself scarce was. "I will continue my investigation from here and come to a conclusion as to the events in my own time. Captain Warrick, I will keep you posted." With that she turned and exited the room, careful to keep her eyes on her feet as she did.
Her reason for leaving in such haste had far more to do with wanting to put some distance between herself and Clint as quickly as possible. Oh she knew him alright. The two used to date after all and she was pretty sure that he recognized her too. He seemed as arrogant and sure of himself as ever and she needed to get out of that room before Randall and Warrick realized something was amiss.
As such she determined then and there that she was going to get through this case as quick as possible. She had no desire to spend any more time with Clint than was needed, especially considering the way the two had parted last time they saw each other. With any luck this would be a cut and dry case and she would be finished with it before the week was out.
CHAPTER THREE
Clint didn't hang around Captain W
arrick's office any longer than he had too. Captain Warrick he didn't mind so much, or at least as much as one can like a commissioned officer. But Randall was another matter. Just being in the same room as him was gut wrenchingly painful. It had nothing to do with the fact the guy was trying to get him disbarred from the US armed forced either. It was really just that he was a terrible person that shouldn't be allowed to coexist with others... or at least that was how Clint saw it.
So even if that wasn't the case, Clint still made haste from Captain Warrick's office. Olivia Conway had exited the building less than thirty seconds prior and Clint really wanted to have a word with her.
Of course Clint knew who she was. How could he not? Not only did Olivia have the face of someone that you didn't forget overnight, she had always held a special place in Clint's heart. Clint wasn't the kind of guy to fall for or even develop feelings for the woman he was sleeping with. He just wasn't built that way... expect when it came to Olivia. He would never tell her this of course, but leaving her was one of the harder things he had to do and if it wasn't for personal reason, than he wouldn't have even considered leaving in the first place.
As such, it struck him as nothing but a surprise when he walked into that office and saw her sitting there. That initial shock was the real reason he had pretended not to know her, automatically slipping into flirt mode. But now that was passed and as a result he hurried from the officer in pursuit of her.
"Liv! Hey, Olivia!" He caught up to Olivia just outside the office, on the steps of the building. When she heard her name called, Olivia half stopped, half kept walking, as if undecided whether she should turn and talking to the Navy SEAL. But, as his voice boomed down the steps and across the yard, she really couldn’t ignore it.
"Hello," she said flatly as she turned to face Clint. Her stance was formal in nature, as if she were addressing a client, rather than an ex-lover.
"Hello?" he responded, smirking at her dry response. "I thought I would have at least warranted a semi-enthusiastic 'hey.' Or a even a hug and a cheek kiss?" he joked as he reached her.
"What's up?" Olivia asked. She was being short and to the point. Clint could feel the animosity pouring from her. Clearly she still hadn't forgiven him either.
"Oh nothing," Clint continued in his usual jovial manner. If there was one thing about Clint, he was hard to throw off. He had a level of self-confidence that wasn't easily dissuaded. "I just haven't seen you in four years. I thought maybe you didn't recognize me? You weren't very forthcoming in there."
"It would have been unprofessional if I had acted like I knew you. I'm assigned to assess if you broke any laws. I'm not here to catch up on old times." She spoke to him like he were a soldier and she were his commanding officer. Formal and direct.
"Ah... I see you haven't changed," Clint let out a sigh. He was disappointed by the way she was acting, truth be told. She had always been the serious type, putting work above everything else. He thought that considering their history, he may have warranted a different response.
"What do you want, Clint?"
"Honestly? I just wanted to catch up. I haven't spoken to you since the Academy. I thought you might want to get a drink with me? I'm in town for a few days and --"
"I don't think that's such a good idea. In fact I know it's not," she finished.
"The bad ideas are always the best ones," he joked again, reaching out and patting her on the arm. She instantly recoiled under his touch. Was she really still that mad at him? "I have to admit though, I was shocked to see you. I thought you were in intelligence? I had no idea you moved into legal?"
"I didn't," Olivia replied, letting out a sigh before stopping herself. It was the first emotion she had shown around Clint. "I was assigned to you for... for reasons between me and my C.O."
"Reasons? Is that what you call applying to the Navy SEAL training program – of course I knew. Every SEAL knows," he pushed when he saw the shocked expression on Olivia's face. "I'm surprised they didn't ask you to take leave. But I suppose being assigned to my dumb ass is just as bad?"
The reason for Olivia's assignment and current demotion was purely political. Roughly three months earlier she had made her Commanding Officer aware that she intended to apply for Navy SEAL training. Doing so would make her the first ever female Navy SEAL, assuming that she passed. Although it wasn't illegal, it was heavily frowned upon, making Olivia public enemy number one.
"Is there anything else?" Olivia asked in her predetermined short manner.
"No, I don't think so." Clint could tell that he hit a nerve with the Navy SEAL comment. "Just thought I should say hey. You look good Olivia."
To that Olivia offered a curt nod, turned and walked across the yard as fast and far away as she possibly could. The whole time Clint watched her go, a wry smile on his face. Yep, she was exactly as he remembered her to be. The whole uptight routine was an act, he knew it to be. Back in the academy he used to relish breaking through it. It was almost a game to him. Today though, she wasn't having any of it. Clearly old wounds didn't heal as fast as he had hoped.
But even with the way she was acting, Clint had to admit that his attraction for her hadn't faded. If anything it had only increased. What a shame then that nothing was to come of it.
CHAPTER FOUR
Olivia didn't usually go to bars alone. And when she didn't it definitely wasn't with the intention of getting smashed on vodka as a means to numb the pain and forget past worries. That kind of behavior was reserved for alcoholics and the clinically depressed. But there was nothing usual about that days events. In fact it was probably the worst day that Olivia had had in recent memory. As such, the moment she finished work, she made her way to the bar.
The bar was a naval one located only a few short minutes from where Olivia lived. She had never actually been there before, primarily due to the clientele. Naval bars, and indeed any military bar, were always teeming with drunk sailors, soldiers and marines. It was a testosterone fuelled environment where fights were encouraged and woman were seen as a life support system for what was located between their legs.
As Olivia entered the bar, she automatically concluded that this bar was going to be no different. Of the thirty or so patrons that filled the small space, twenty eight of them were male. Of that twenty eight, about twenty five were military and of those twenty five, twenty were drunk beyond comparison. The music was loud, the air stunk of whiskey and cigars and Olivia immediately regretted her decision to go there.
It was only because the bar was as full as it was that Olivia was able to navigate her way through the throng, drink in hand and park herself in the corner without being molestered. She may have received the odd stare or wink, but if she had, she didn't notice. Her thoughts were heavily preoccupied with a certain Navy SEAL.
Seeing Clint again had brought back a wave of emotions that she didn't even realize she still had. She had acted rather cold to him outside of Captain Warrick's headquaters, she knew that. It wasn't done out of spite, or anything like that. It was purely a defense mechanism. She just had no idea how she should have acted. Clint had always been a pretty easy going guy, making it very hard to get a reading on him. Did he harbor any feelings of animosity toward her over how things ended between them?
The break-up of Clint and Olivia four years prior wasn't anything sinister. The two had met in the Naval Academy, both in the same year and both with similar aspirations. But after a year of study, Clint all of a sudden quit, citing his desire to join the Navy SEAL's instead. At the time Olivia chastised the decision, calling him foolish and claiming his was throwing away his future. That was the reason she gave him anyway.
The real reason for her anger at the time was that she knew that if he left to join the SEAL's, she wouldn't see him again for at least a year. He was the first man she had ever really developed feelings for and was furious with herself for letting him get to her and with him for acting like their relationship didn't matter. For all she knew he thought of her as not
hing more than a way to kill some time.
It was because of this that they got into a big fight, he left and they never spoke again.
As she sipped on her drink, enjoying the isolation she was currently receiving, Olivia made the very bold decision to apologize to Clint the next time she saw him. She was going to be the bigger person. Maybe he had changed? She was going to --
"Hey there beautiful." It was a greeting that Olivia was all too familiar with. That, coupled with the drunken slur of the man who spoke it, indicated pretty clearly to Olivia that it was a greeting that wasn't going to be worth turning around for.
Sure enough, the moment that Olivia turned to see who had spoken, she wished that she hadn't. He was a Marine, of that she could be sure. With a shaved head, a square set face and very thick neck, he was the quintessential Marine that Olivia knew only too well. She also knew that he was the kind of Marine that she should avoid at all costs, especially while in a bar.
