“What about you?” Wendy asked, looking into his eyes.
“I’m the engineer, not the doctor. I did everything I knew how to do. I’m still pretty upset and all, but I’ll survive and go on to save other lives. I’m worried about him.”
“Rachel lost a quarter of her squadron in battle. It hit her pretty hard. Did you know that?”
“No.”
“Then why did you ask Rachel to talk to him?”
“Because he loves her.”
“He barely knows her.”
“Doesn’t matter. Rarely does.”
Wendy raised her eyebrow. “And what about you?”
“I would hope someday to be worthy of you. Besides, there aren’t too many women around tall enough to look us in the eye.”
Wendy laughed, “Joshua Cohen, you are a nut case.”
“I will take that as a compliment.”
“Which is how it was intended. I’m not in the mood for dancing. Why don’t we go out on the terrace? We can trade war stories.”
“War stories?”
“Yeah, they’re like fish tales, you know, about the one that got away. You can tell me about all the fun gizmos you’re working on, and I can tell you about the ships I shot up.”
“Are you really interested?”
“I won’t know until you tell me.”
Wendy and Joshua wandered out to the terrace holding hands and stood close enough to hear what Rachel and Isaac were saying, but not so close as to appear to be eavesdropping.
Rachel had mopped up most of Isaac’s tears with her handkerchief. “Have you ever lost someone close to you?” he asked.
“Yes, I’ve lost many friends in battle.”
“Did you watch them die?”
“Only one that was real close to me.”
“Can you tell me about it?”
Rachel told about watching Myra attack the battleship at the cost of her and Jennifer’s lives. She talked about how much it had hurt and that even now, every time she powers up a ship, she thinks about Myra and the fun they had playing in Myra’s P I ship. Isaac asked questions about details he did not understand as Rachel explained what had happened.
“It took them six months to die,” Isaac said. “They were in pain for six months, and there was nothing I could do. They were dying, and my best drugs couldn’t ease the pain. I couldn’t even hold their hand to make them feel better. I failed them.”
“That’s how I feel about the people I lost in this last battle.”
“Please, tell me about it.”
Rachel explained the details of the battle and why she felt what she did was wrong. Isaac demonstrated a quick grasp of the concepts Rachel as discussing and when she had finished, he asked, “If you had arrayed your ships normally, would you have risked losing all of them in that opening barrage? The missile guidance systems were only given four targets, not sixteen. They would have spread out against the sixteen instead of bunching up on the four.”
Rachel thought about the comment for a moment. “You’re probably right. Let me ask you. What could you have done differently, knowing what you know now?”
“Nothing.”
“Well, there you have it.”
“Rachel Solomon, would it be forward of me to tell you I love you?”
She rested her head on his shoulder and said, “I figured that out. This only seeing each other once a year is the pits.”
“Maybe you could come to Boston for Thanksgiving or winter break.”
“We’ll work something out.”
The following weekend the gossip columnists would run pictures taken from a distant helicopter of the four of them on the terrace. The headline ran, “WARRIOR PRINCESSES FIND PRINCES!” The subtitle ran, “Why do they look so sad?”
ACADEMY - CHAPTER FOURTEEN
THE RETIRED INTELLIGENCE OFFICER who served as the party’s doorman jumped to his feet as three frighteningly familiar silhouettes crossed the driveway. Three old comrades in arms, veterans of shared long forgotten campaigns, strolled in his direction. The only woman in the group, tall, dark and with a sensuous walk that made men’s hearts skip a beat ascended the steps with the two men accompanying her a few steps behind.
“Good evening, may I help you?” He was careful to remain calm. These three fellow soldiers had enough dirt on him to make his life very uncomfortable should they choose to do so. He looked around to see if any of the reporters who had been there earlier were still lurking about. Catching these three visitors here would have been a bigger story than the one they came for. He feared that an off-hand comment would jeopardize his cover.
The woman addressed him with a malicious grin, “Bond, is it? As I remember, yes, it’s Bond, James Bond, Agent double oh seven.” She was clearly letting him off the hook, at least for now. He felt the sweat cool on his back.
“Yes, I am pleased that you remembered me. Unfortunately, I am at a loss. To whom do I have the pleasure of speaking?”
“Charles, Nick and Nora Charles.” She intertwined her arm with one of the men. She turned to the other and said, “Jack Ryan.” The trio stepped past him and headed for the door.
“Uh, I’m sorry, but you can’t go in there. The party is for the students only.”
The woman smiled sweetly, perhaps too sweetly, and slid over to him so her hip brushed his. “Now, Jimmy, we know the rules, but you’ll bend them just a little for us, won’t you?” She handed him the pistol she had removed from his holster without his realizing she had done so.
“My dear lady, how can I refuse one who stole my heart and ran off with another?”
“I thought you would see things my way.” She handed him his wallet.
“Oh Shit!” was the first thing Faye Anne said when she saw Greg, Avi and her father enter the room. “Oh Shit!” She ran to collect Rachel and Wendy.
“Your parents are here! They can’t see you like this! You need to look happy. You need to look like you are having a good time! It’s a party!” Faye Anne led the two couples in from the terrace. They wandered over to the dessert buffet and nonchalantly selected pastries, seemingly oblivious to the fact that their parents were trying desperately to be discreet and failing miserably. Within seconds, everyone in the room knew who they were and why they were there. Most were glad it wasn’t their parents who had decided to crash the party.
The disc jockey, sensing a sudden chill in the room, changed the music to something lively and easy to dance to.
Isaac leaned over to Joshua. “Are you ready to commit to the lady?” He whispered.
“What? Here? Now?” Joshua sputtered.
“Can you think of a better time to win the fair maidens’ hearts? Their parents are here.”
Joshua took a deep breath. “No.”
“Follow my lead.”
“I hope you know what you’re doing.”
Isaac smiled. He took Rachel’s hand and started toward the dance floor.
“Where are you going?” Rachel asked.
“To dance with you,” he replied, bowing gracefully.
“I don’t know how,” Rachel said quietly, subdued and embarrassed.
Isaac blinked. It had never occurred to him that she did not know how to dance. They had not danced the year before, and he had thought it was so they could talk freely. His plan had been to dance with her until they were close to her parents and she could not help but introduce him. He needed another plan and fast. With the accent of a bad Shakespearean actor he pronounced, “M’Lady does not know how to dance,” in a voice that could be heard across the room. He turned to his brother. In a loud voice and with theatrically furrowed brow, he said, “Joshua, dear brother, M’Lady does not know how to dance. Does your lady know how to dance?”
Joshua read his brother’s signals perfectly, as he always did. He smiled as he took Wendy’s hand and bowed before her as Isaac had done. In a theatrical voice mimicking the one his brother had used, he asked, “Would M’Lady like to dance?”
“I d
on’t know how,” Wendy replied with a blush.
“Ah, brother dear, it appears we share the same conundrum. The ladies can’t dance.”
“How tragic!” Isaac said in an oratorical style. “We have two young ladies who cannot dance!”
“Rabbi,” Isaac called to the Rabbi who sponsored the party. When he had the Rabbi’s attention he continued, “Sir, it seems we have a dilemma here, perhaps even a sacrilege. We have two young Jewish women who do not know how to dance. Do you not see something wrong with this?”
Isaac’s grin lit up his face. It was all Joshua could do to keep from laughing.
“Well, my good young man,” the Rabbi replied, suppressing his own laughter. “It is hardly a sacrilege, but it is most unusual. Most Jews learn to dance as children. These ladies must not have grown up in a Jewish community and must not have had the opportunity to learn. Perhaps you young gentlemen should be gracious enough to teach them.”
“Perhaps, indeed!” Isaac stated. “Brother dear, should we teach them?”
“Most assuredly! It is our sacred duty!” Joshua responded in a melodic manner, his voice light with laughter.
Isaac suddenly turned solemn. “But first, brother, we must disarm them.”
Joshua stopped laughing, his eyes wide with surprise. This move he had not expected.
Isaac reached around behind Rachel’s neck and gently removed the knife from its sheath. With the gleaming clear weapon lying across the flat of his hand he looked at Joshua. His expression told Joshua that he was to do the same. Gently he followed suit.
Avi was in a state of panic. “What is going on?” She turned to Greg in fear. “Why are they teasing the girls like that?”
Greg scanned the expressions on the two young men and took his wife’s hand. “Where you grew up, teasing was a prelude to killing. You teased someone into making the first move so you could kill them. Right?”
Avi nodded without taking her eyes off the two young men who held the knives across the flats of their open hands as they lead their daughters in their direction.
Greg continued. “For most of the rest of us, teasing is a prelude to courtship. These two young gentlemen are about to test their mettle to see if they rate to join our family.”
Isaac stopped in front of Greg and Joshua stopped in front of Avi. Faye Anne had moved to their side fascinated by the events unfolding before her. Isaac held the knife for Greg to take. He bowed his head slightly. Greg bowed his head slightly and with both his hands took the knife.
“Gentle sir and madam,” Isaac said formally. “I humbly request permission to seek your daughter’s hand in marriage.”
Joshua presented the knife to Avi who took it in both of her hands.
“Gentle sir and madam, I humbly request permission to seek your daughter’s hand in marriage.”
Faye Anne poked her head between them. “Say yes, you will be glad you did.”
Greg shot her a quick glance and grinned. “Young sirs, might we have the pleasure of knowing your names and professions? How would you propose to support our daughters in the manner to which they are accustomed?”
Isaac straightened and smiled. Greg was playing the game with him. “Gentle sir and madam, I am Isaac Cohen, I am a recent graduate of Harvard Medical College in Boston. I have my MD and am studying for an additional degree in advanced primary care and emergency services. I am studying in a special Federation project to train teams of medical and engineering professionals to provide primary and emergency care in a mobile hospital.”
Joshua patiently waited for his brother to finish. “Sir and madam, I am Joshua Cohen. I am working on a Masters of Science in Biomedical Engineering as part of the same program as my brother. My brother is the doctor. I am his support engineer. We travel together as a team. It would be our intent to see that your daughters also stayed together as a team.”
Greg thought for a second. “First, you must teach them to dance. We would, of course, prefer that they finish their studies at the Academy before marriage. If they still wish to marry you, we will see about the wedding. Gentlemen, you’re on your own.”
Graciously and theatrically bowing, together they said, “Thank you, sir”
As soon as they turned toward the dance floor, Rachel looked at Isaac and said, “What a load of crap! After that, what makes you think I want to marry you?”
He pulled her into his arms and kissed her. As soon as he released her she backhanded him in the jaw and instantly melted, apologetic for having hurt him. The skin on his face quickly started to turn color showing the bruise where she had hit him.
Avi watched in horror. Greg said. “Avi, what did you do the first time I kissed you in public?”
“I backhanded you.” She looked at him and smiled with the memory. “You made your point.”
Faye Anne said, “When they first met, she threw him over that terrace rail out there into the grass. If he wasn’t scared off then, this won’t slow him down.”
Avi turned to Faye Anne. “Why did she throw him?”
“He grabbed her butt.”
“Serves him right. How long have they been seeing each other?”
“This is only the second time they’ve been together. They’ve been writing and calling since last year’s party.”
“She never told us. What about Wendy and Joshua?”
“Same time. Less tempestuous relationship, but then they’re both more stable people.”
Faye Anne filled Avi and Greg in on their daughters’ romantic activities as they watched the dance lessons progress on the dance floor.
After watching the others dance for half an hour, when the music shifted to a traditional folk dance, Greg took Avi’s hand and tried to pull her toward the dance floor. She resisted. Greg laughed out loud. “Young Masters Cohen! The reason the young ladies do not know how to dance is because their mother doesn’t either!”
Avi blushed bright red. “Greg, don’t!”
Greg laughed as he dragged her to the dance floor. Several of the young ladies gathered around Avi, boisterously attempting to teach her the steps to the dance. Several folk dances later, they collapsed into the chairs around the room exhausted from both the dance and the laughter. Most of the ladies had smeared their makeup wiping off the tears of laughter as they whirled around the floor in what had changed from a rather sedate party to one that was as loud and rambunctious as the ones Greg and Avi remembered from their youth.
It was into this pandemonium that “James Bond” brought Admiral Dankese, her aide and an Air Force General. Simultaneously, two Air Force helicopters landed on the grassy area beyond the terrace. The room fell silent. Greg, Avi and Admiral Sherman turned to face the new arrivals and more out of habit than protocol, saluted.
The Air Force General returned the salutes and addressed them. “Admiral Sherman, Captains Solomon, we need you, your daughters and their entire entourage to accompany us in those helicopters.” He caught the expression on Avi’s face and said, “Admiral Dankese and her staff will see that your personal effects are delivered as appropriate.”
“Thank you.”
When the girls arrived to see what was going on, the Air Force General addressed them, “Cadets, Marines, please accompany us to the helicopters. Dr. Cohen, Mr. Cohen, please join us. We will see that you are returned to your duty stations following the meeting.”
Admiral Sherman addressed the General, “Can you tell us what this is about?”
“Not yet. You will be briefed shortly, and you will understand the reason we need to move quickly. Please, we have little time.”
The group moved toward the helicopters. “James Bond” started to go with them. The General addressed him. “No, sir, you stay here.”
The flight to the nearby Air Force Base took less than half an hour. The noise of the helicopters prevented any conversation. The helicopters flew inside the open hangar doors and set down within.
“Well, life with you is certainly not dull!” Isaac said to Rachel.
Rachel was too concerned with questions she could not answer to see the humor. She and Wendy had retrieved their knives from their parents as they walked to the helicopters. Isaac and Joshua instinctively rested their hands on their girl friends’ backs where the knives were hidden as if somehow knowing their ladies were armed and dangerous gave them a level of comfort that six special operations trained Marines traveling with them did not.
The hangar doors closed, and they were led to a conference room attached to the hangar. The Federation’s President stood at one end of the room with several members of her staff. She pointed to chairs arranged in rows, indicating for them to be seated.
As soon as they had taken their places, she addressed them. “We do not have much time. I would love to chat with you individually, but that will not be possible. We have some rapidly developing opportunities that if we do not take advantage of will pass us by. I cannot stress enough how important what I am about to ask you to do is for the future of the Federation. We have discovered some, shall we say, problems in our intelligence operations. The recent Saturn Industries project has exposed serious leaks in the Federation Intelligence Organization. Some of the leaks appear to be from my staff. This is why no attempt was made to disarm any of you prior to meeting with me. Admiral Sherman, we need to tap into your organization for help. Under my authority as Commander in Chief, I am recalling you to active duty with the Federation Intelligence Service for the duration of this operation. We would prefer working with someone who has divided loyalties we are aware of than someone whose loyalties may not be as they appear. Please go with General Thompson, and he will brief you on your duties.”
He stood to leave. “Cadet Sherman, go with your father. Your skills have not gone unnoticed.”
Faye Anne stood. “Thank you, ma’am.”
The President smiled. “You are welcome, dear.”
“Captains Solomon, I have vacated the outstanding warrant in the Daniel Esperanza case. You are free to move about the Federation. I need you for a diplomatic mission. The Swordsmen are thinking of seceding from the Federation.”
Solomon Family Warriors II Page 62
