Code Red: The First Mission ~ Chapter 2

Mika's Note: This chapter was originally titled Losin' Leslie which was actually something ELSE the very first time, but I'm not going there.  Nothing but a bit of silliness in this chapter.  :)

“So you two aren’t actually touring together?”

Blake looked sheepish. “Um, nooo. She um, just…” he trailed off.

Ali bit back a smile. “Came for a visit?” she suggested.

“Uh, yeah. That’s about right.”

“Oh-kaaay,” Ali laughed. “If that’s your story than that’s what we’ll tell HQ. Until then, we’ve got to get someone on her tail as well, just in case.” She pulled her two-way radio off her belt and called Caleb.

~*~

“Right. Okay. Thanks for the intel.” Caleb placed his radio back on his hip.

“Looks like the little blonde was just flown in for some after-hours recreation. She’s left to the airport.”

Bryan raised an eyebrow. “So she’s not his girlfriend? I think you’d better get you-know-who away from him if that’s the case.”

Caleb observed his second-in-command for a moment, noting how bad he was at hiding his jealousy. “No, not quite. She is his girlfriend; she’s just not touring with him. As Ali put it, it was a ‘routine hook-up’ whatever that means.” Caleb looked at the steaming Bryan and restrained a laugh. “Better get your keys and head to the airport. We can’t have Ms. Morgan out on her own with a psychopath bent on ruling the world on the loose, can we?”

Bryan stated at his commander with a gaping mouth. “But what about…”

Caleb held up a hand. “We’ll assign someone else to that case. I’ll get your team out to you ASAP.”

~*~

“Ms. Morgan!” Bryan yelled, gasping. “Wait!”

Leslie turned to see who was calling her name. “Oh, it’s him.” Sighing, she slowed and allowed him to catch up. “What are you doing here?”

“HQ sent me to escort you to your next show,” he panted, desperately trying to catch his breath. “They figure that if Mr. Matson is a target then, as his girlfriend, you might be a target as well. I would have escorted you here had we known you would be leaving so soon.” And had I been assigned to you.

Leslie thought it over for a moment. “Okay then. You can carry my bags.”

“Yes, ma’am.” Bryan looked to the pile of carry-on luggage and cringed. “This is going to be a long assignment, I can tell already,” he mumbled quietly as he hefted her make-up bag onto his shoulder.

~*~

Settled in, bracing for the flight, Leslie resigned herself to her fate. I guess it could be worse. He’s at least somewhat attractive. It’s just… She looked at the career soldier sitting next to her and had a panicked thought. “Excuse me um…”

“Bryan. Call me Bryan.”

“Of course, Bryan. Um, that officer you left with Blake…”

“Allyson Hart. Yes, she’s one of our best.”

“Oh, that’s good. Um, what I was wondering was, is she married?”

“Married?” Bryan laughed. “No, not hardly.”

“Is she otherwise attached? Like with a man?”

Bryan thought sourly about the cowboy he left her with and bit the inside of his cheek. “No, no boyfriend either.”

“Girlfriend?” she asked desperately.

Laughing, he shook his head. “Nope, no girlfriend, although I wouldn’t put it past her.”

Shit! And she’d walked off and left her man with the woman. “Oh. Okay. So, you think Blake’ll be safe with her?”

“Absolutely. She’s a highly skilled soldier and very intelligent as well,” he reassured her. But, whether he’ll be safe from her is something else altogether, he thought bitterly.

“Hmm… as long as you’re sure then.”

“He’ll be fine, and so will you.”

“But she’s professional, right?”

“Usually.”

Leslie nodded and tried to settle down, knowing that she wouldn’t be able to relax until she and Blake were back together again and she was sure he wasn’t anywhere near that woman who seemed to completely catch her man’s attention in so short a time. But she trusted Blake, or at least, mostly. It was that soldier she didn’t trust. She hadn’t liked the way Blake had been so at ease with her. And so quickly.

In the meantime, she figured she could enjoy herself and maybe even have a little fun. Just so things stayed… even. “So, what about you? Boyfriend?”

Bryan gave her a horrified look and then he noticed the smile. Easing a bit, he smiled back. “No, no man in my life as we speak.”