by Dale Mayer
Parker nodded. “Been there, done that,” he said, not surprised. “I presume they went out in waves?”
“They’re all over the place,” he said. “You know what? If you leave and come back in twenty minutes, this place will have lines out the door with two hundred men and women in here, trying to load up.”
“I was just coming for coffee. How many hours until food?” Parker asked, checking his watch, trying to mentally calculate the time difference.
“Two hours,” the guy replied helpfully.
Parker nodded, grabbed a large cup of coffee and a muffin, and walked back to his barracks. He could have sat at a table, but it felt odd. He felt odd. He was still one of them and yet, in a way, not one of them. He’d already handed in his notice. He was here to take his brother home, and then Parker was almost done.
Ten days. Five of them were for his brother, and yet how could he explain that to anybody?
He sent a quick text to Badger. Hey. Arrived. No sign of dog.
Thanks for the update.
And that was it.
What else was Parker supposed to say? His buddies all knew why Parker was here and that he might start working for Badger when Parker was done here. At least he had told Badger that he was available to help, if Badger needed anything, but they hadn’t decided on a specific direction. According to Badger there was always room for another guy at Titanium Corp, but they were based in New Mexico. Parker was based out of California. Who knew where the hell he’d end up?
He finished his coffee and muffin and tossed the trash. One thing you were taught to do when in the military was to keep your area clean. He headed over to shipping and receiving. As he stepped inside, he smiled at the supply clerk. “I’m here to check on the whereabouts of the dog that went missing.”
Her face stiffened. “I can’t tell you very much,” she said cautiously. “I was told the investigation was closed.”
“But the dog hasn’t been found, correct?”
“I was told it’s closed, pending any further developments,” she repeated curtly. “If it is found, it’ll be shipped back stateside. I have standing orders to do that, but until I have the dog …”
“So, did it go missing here, or did it go missing at the air base?”
“At the air base,” she replied, looking at him strangely. “It was a really nice dog too.”
“Are you thinking maybe somebody took the dog?”
“It wouldn’t be the first time things went missing,” she muttered.
Considering where she worked, he nodded. “Who took the dog to the base?”
She clicked over to a computer file, brought it up, printed off a page and was about to hand it to him. “I need ID first though.”
He looked at her in surprise and pulled out his ID card.
She nodded. “Okay. You’re the only one cleared for this information.”
He raised an eyebrow.
“Commander Cross called about it,” she said with a half smile. “The K9 war division has been shut down, but you’re still checking into a few of his cases, correct?”
He nodded. “At least I can do something worthwhile the last few days before I’m done.”
“Are you leaving?” she asked in surprise, her tone almost envious.
“Yes,” he said. “I have ten days left. I actually came here to escort my brother’s body home, but, while here, I’m looking into Samson’s disappearance.” He turned with a half wave, grabbed the sheet of paper and walked out.
He read the name on the page. “Gorman Manga?” He frowned at that. “What the hell kind of name is that?” he muttered. Then he felt somebody walking behind him.
“There you are,” he heard and looked up to see his friend Cam.
They shook hands and slapped each other on the back in a half hug.
Parker grinned and said, “I checked the barracks for you, but you weren’t there.”
“Nah. I was over with the vehicles. What do you want with Gorman?”
“I’m looking into the dog that disappeared from here.”
“That was bizarre,” Cam said. “Not that I heard very much about it, just that a dog went missing. Why you?”
“I was asked to.” That was one of the things about the military—there were a lot of secrets, and nobody really expected you to tell them the truth about anything because, more often than not, you couldn’t.
“Gorman Manga was on that run. And one of his friends but I can’t remember his name. Gorman—actually both of them are gone now though. I think they are on leave in Germany,” Cam said, frowning.
“His name’s really Gorman Manga?”
“Yes,” Cam said with a laugh. “He doesn’t appreciate it much either. So only tease him if you want to start something.”
“Do you know him well enough to ask him about the dog?”
“Sure.” Cam pulled out his phone and said, “What do you want to know?”
“How the dog went missing. Apparently it was crated. Did the entire crate get picked up and moved? Is he sure it was latched? Did he sell it or …”
Cam’s eyebrows shot up. “Okay.” He walked over a few steps as he made the call. When he ended the call, he turned to Parker. “We caught him still awake. The dog was crated. The team turned away, loading up everything else. The dog would go up front with them. When they finished loading up all the gear and went back to the trolley where the dog was, the front gate to the crate was open, and the crate was empty.”
“And he never saw anybody hanging around the place?”
Cam shook his head. “He says not. It was him and two other guys loading and the ground crew.”
“I wonder why this dog?”
“Or any dog for that matter,” Cam said. “He may have gone in another shipment. Things get busy, and some items get forgotten.”
“Maybe. I guess that’s one answer. As long as the paperwork was still in order.”
“If any of the ground crew was responsible for the lapse, and they catch the dog, I’m sure they would ship him back over again and worry about the paperwork later.”
“Pretty slapstick though,” Parker said. “If they get caught, they get shit for the way they handled it.”
“It’s just a delayed shipment. Hardly a big deal for anybody, except the dog.”
“In this case, the dog had an adopted family. I wonder if that has something to do with it.”
“I don’t know,” Cam said. “Anything is possible. When are you leaving again?”
“Late tomorrow,” Parker replied. “After the short ceremony for Jerry and Jeremy tomorrow, we fly back with them in the evening.”
Cam’s head dropped. “That was a shit deal,” he said. “I’m so sorry.”
“Me too,” Parker said. “If it isn’t my brother, it’ll be somebody else’s for sure.”
Cam nodded. “They’ve both seen way too much in their years over here.” Then he grinned. “But you’re almost done. I can’t believe that. No second thoughts?”
Parker shook his head. “No second thoughts. Jerry’s and Jeremy’s deaths were the last straw. I’m tired of all the death.”
“Gotcha. You still must have plans for the future,” Cam said.
“No. I don’t,” Parker said. “I really don’t.”
They talked a little bit more while they walked. Parker looked at one of the names on the manifest in front of him for the dog and asked, “What about this other guy. Manfred? Tobey Manfred.”
“Tobey’s a good guy. He’s over in Germany, with Gorman.”
“Okay. And Samson is the only dog that was lost. Correct?”
“I can ask Gorman if anything else went missing, but I think it was just the dog.” He sent a text this time. As they walked, Cam said, “It’s almost time for food. We have to get there early. Otherwise you know what happens.”
“Sure. Let’s go eat. I had coffee and a muffin, but that’s been an hour already.”
“By the time we get back there and get into line a
nd get through the line, it’ll be grub-eating time,” Cam said.
They turned around and headed back through the base to the cafeteria. Parker greeted several men he knew as he walked up the line, but only Cam he knew enough to stay with.
By the time they were done eating, Parker looked up, surprised to see Sandy, standing in the middle of the room, searching for a place to sit. He stood and motioned to her. She smiled and walked over. “Hey. Fancy meeting you here. Mind if I join you?”
“No. Not at all,” he said. He introduced her to Cam and explained why she was there.
Cam offered his condolences. “I’m sorry for your loss.”
She nodded. “It’s tough. You don’t want to tell anybody why you are here because they don’t know what to say.”
Cam stood, smiled at them and said, “I’ll check in with you later. I’ve got meetings to go to.” And he strode off.
Sandy smiled at Parker. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to chase him away.”
“You didn’t,” he said. “That’s the thing. It feels odd to be here. Like a guest but not quite.”
“I was just thinking that as well. I did a couple tours over here, and, now that I’m back for this short time, it feels like I don’t really belong. I don’t have places to go or people to see. Sure a few but, after an hour or two, it seems like you’ve said all there is to say. Then it just gets … awkward. Everyone tries to avoid broaching the reason we’re here, and I don’t want to be the first to bring it up. Hell, I don’t really want to talk about it at all, but neither do I want my brother to be forgotten.”
“Neither do I,” Parker said with perfect understanding. “I kind of wish we could go back tonight. I know it’s important to be here for the ceremony tomorrow, but …”
She leaned forward. “Me too,” she said. “When they said we’d fly in today on the military plane, and then we’d leave a day later, I was kind of like, Why can’t we fly in and fly right out? I’m good to have it all done in one day. This is tough enough. Why extend the pain? We still have the funerals to go through at home.”
“I know,” he said. “That’ll be a whole other level of hell. On top of that, … I’m leaving the military. I only have ten days left.”
She put down her fork. “Don’t tell me that your brother was the last straw?”
He stopped chewing in surprise. When he could, he asked, “Why?” And then he knew. “You too?”
“Yes. I’ve been thinking about it for a long time though,” she confessed. “My brother was the one who kept me in all these years. He was such a strong believer, and I am too. The navy has been good for me, but I was thinking it was time to go into the private sector.”
“Not too many military people go into the private sector,” he said with half a laugh. “Often they join the service and stay for decades, but being in the civilian medical field is an option for you.”
“I wasn’t so sure I wanted to go back into that, but I know some people who maybe I can work with. A couple private hospitals.”
“Right,” he said. “I do know somebody connected to a private hospital, but I don’t know if they’re looking for employees.”
“These are my last few official weeks. Then I don’t know what …” She pinched the bridge of her nose and sniffled back tears. “I’m sorry.”
He grasped her other hand in his and said, “Don’t. Don’t apologize. We’ve both lost somebody who mattered to us. This process is difficult enough. We can’t try to hide our feelings. We have to acknowledge them and carry on.” Now, if only it were that easy. But he was damned if he would add to her waterworks by letting his own emotions loose. They’d both end up on a crying jag here and now.
She gave him a half smile. “I don’t even want food, but, in the back of my head, I keep hearing a voice that says, You need your strength. Eat.”
He agreed, staring at his plate. “I can’t see any reason to argue with that common sense. I ate a whole plate of food, and I don’t even know what it was.”
She took several bites and settled back in her chair, looking slightly more relaxed. She lifted her head from her focus on the plate and asked, “Did you ever learn anything about the dog?”
Grateful for a more neutral and less painful topic, he said, “I spoke to someone. A couple someones. While they were loading the luggage, it seems somebody opened the hatch to the crate and either let the dog out or it escaped on its own. What happened afterward, I don’t know. No one does supposedly.”
“Right. So, any cameras at the hanger? Anybody have any idea who was hanging around at the time?”
“I need to go to the air base and talk to the ground crew. The men who took the dog to the air base are on leave in Germany. Although, according to this statement, they both said the dog was there and caged, when they saw it last.”
“Any chance they’re lying?” Sandy asked in a low tone, looking around to make sure nobody heard them.
Parker felt a start of surprise. He hadn’t considered that. Not looking for an ulterior motive from any of the US Navy men here, but it was possible. “That’s an interesting thought. I hadn’t considered it, but they are both backing up the same story. I guess it depends what the ground crew says.”
“Depends on which ground crew. You may have to go there a few times to talk to them all.”
Parker glanced at his watch and said, “I thought I’d go tonight. The ceremony is at noon tomorrow, and then we leave.”
“Are we leaving tomorrow afternoon or the day after that?” she asked in surprise.
He frowned at her, pulled out his phone and checked it. “Tomorrow, late afternoon, as far as I’m aware.”
She pulled out her phone and checked it. “I don’t know why I thought it was the day after.”
“I’d leave today if I could.” He looked at her food left on her plate. “You did well with your meal, after all.”
“I feel like puking,” she admitted.
“Maybe some fresh air will help. You want to drive with me to the air base again?” He couldn’t really explain why, but he didn’t want to separate from her right now. Hell, she was literally the only one here who understood him. And what he was going through. They had a bond. And he, for one, wasn’t willing to let it go right now. It might be selfish, since he’d originally asked so she wasn’t cut loose on her own for the next few hours, but, if he were honest, he’d asked her so he wasn’t alone.
“Sure. Why not?” she said with a note of relief in her voice. “It’s not like I’ve got anything here to do. We’re both at loose ends, so, if we go together, we might achieve something.”
“Maybe one of our last good deeds while we’re in the military is to find this dog,” he said.
“The dog has already been decommissioned, hasn’t it?”
“Yes. If that’s what they call it. He was supposed to be adopted by a family in California.”
“We’re heading back to California, so, if that’s the case, maybe we can take him back with us?”
“Maybe,” he said with a laugh. “The trouble is, we might get attached and not want to give him up.”
“If you find it and rescue it, I’m sure you’ll get priority on that one,” she said, laughing.
He grinned. “I’m not sure I’m ready for a dog. I don’t have a job ten days from now.”
“Join the club,” she said. They got up from the table, and she reached out her arm and looped it through his. “We’re both at new stages of life.”
“Right.” He nodded. He almost added something then but decided not to. He knew firsthand that, in order to have their new starts, they first had to close the door to the pain in their old lives. And unfortunately, in this instance, it meant closing the door on the life they’d had with their brothers at their sides. They now had to move forward alone, with only their memories to give them comfort.
They walked arm in arm back out to his rig, a comfortable peace between them. Sandy looked at their ride and, with a snicker, said, “You th
ink it’s safe to trust it?”
“I would think so. After all, it got me here.” Parker smirked, loving their ability to joke and to tease each other over the hard underlying reason for both being here. He turned on the engine and headed out of the parking lot.
“Seems so strange,” she said. “Being a part of this but on the outside.”
“I know. We’re here, and yet we don’t belong. How long were you in for?”
“Seven years,” she replied solemnly. “Seven years. I thought to go ten but after Jeremy …”
“I hear you. But you have lots of prospects, don’t you? There’s always a need for medical personnel.”
“Yes. I won’t have a problem getting a job. At least I don’t think so.” She glanced at him. “And you?”
“I’m enlisted. For you, it’s a different system, right? I’m not sure what I’ll do. I have my electrician and plumber licenses, so I could work as a tradesman.”
“Yet I’m hearing a but in there,” Sandy said.
“I was thinking more of building houses and selling them,” Parker said with a shrug. “It’s what my dad used to do. Heck, it’s what my dad still does. Now that my brother’s gone, it’s just him and me.”
“What about your mother?”
“She died when I was seventeen. That sent me into the military.”
“Ouch,” she said. “I’m lucky. I still have my parents. They’re both in the medical field too. Neither were in favor of me going into the military. They’re very happy I’m coming home.”
“Where’s home?”
“Coronado. Or rather, San Diego. I’m sure I’ll be leaving my apartment too. It’s not on the base, but I’ll go wherever the work is.”
“Same here,” he said. “Amazing how much change has just entered our lives, huh? All from the same sad event.”
“Very much so but it’s up to us to make the best of it. Where’s your father?”
Parker nodded. “The same. San Diego.”
“Good,” she said. “I won’t feel quite so alone then.”
He laughed. “No, and you know who to call if you want anybody to build you a house.”
She chuckled. “Maybe. Considering the house prices in town …”
