Rough Pt. 04

Rough - Part 4 - How Radioactive?

The unmarked Gulfstream was parking as the Jeep drove up. Moments later, a single figure stepped rapidly down the ladder and headed toward the vehicle. Red hair, tallish, wearing his military khaki with insignia. Silver oak leaves flashed in the morning sun.

"Good morning, I am Julia, Team Liaison. You must be Commander Reilley."

"Right you are. This is the welcoming committee?"

"Yes, sir. The men are engaged in desert training. I don't know exactly why, given our proposed mission along the Atlantic Coast." Her smile was a giveaway.

"Where on earth did they find you for the team?" His smile was equally bright.

"I am afraid you will have to ask Agents Schmidt and Smiley about that. Let me introduce you to Angie and Emma, who are attached to their respective agents." Handshakes were exchanged as he asked to be called Tim.

"Sorry I am in uniform, they wanted it for the plane. Do you suppose I could climb in for a quick change?"

"Commander, this is a terrible breach of military protocol, but necessary since three women are not riding around in Tonopah with a Navy Commander in uniform."

Julia stepped into him with a light kiss on his cheek. "Tim, I am just a poor innocent former Flight Attendant, but will discreetly look the other way while you change. How many Irish girls have you left behind in Washington?"

Very quickly he was down to his boxers, and equally quickly into a tee and running shorts. He noticed, for the first time, that flirty Julia was in running clothes.

"My god, I have to run with you?"

Emma was behind the wheel and driving away as Julia pushed Tim into the back seat and sat next to him. "Sir, the Team Leader assigned me to be your trail guide."

"If you call me Sir once more, you are going over my knee."

His strong arms hoisted her to his lap, where she did a fake collapse and moaned. He turned the incredible bottom over his knee anyway, asking the others, "Does she take down strange men this way all the time?" His fingers kneaded the muscled buns gently.

Angie answered, "They have plans for you. She is the advance party. You don't mind a shopping run into town?"

"Damn, I have a fistful of new documents and orders for the Team. When do we get serious?"

Julia turned over and sat up, whispering in his ear, "Arnie told me I had to learn to work hard and play hard. Right now, we are in playtime. You are awful cute and I would have a fling in a minute. You didn't answer my question about girlfriends?"

He tightened his arm around her waist and relaxed against the seat back. She felt really nice, tucked into his side.

"I am between girlfriends. The last one decided she would not marry a guy who disappeared for six months at a time. The one before that did marry me, even though I said I was a bad bet. Took her a year to find that out and divorce me."

Angie looked over her shoulder from the front seat. "Hang on tight, Julia, he is meat for Arnold's grinder."

As they entered the grocery, Emma said, "Tim, you go with Angie, she has a list. Julia, you come with me, I have a list too."

Walking down the aisle, Emma said sternly, "Young lady, you are not allowed to hit on him, even if he is the hottest guy to hit Tonopah since Smoky Bear."

"But Mom, he is single!" They giggled and poked at each other. Emma stopped and said quietly, "Let him set the pace. Remember, he is on a very secret and very difficult mission and doesn't need a hot affair right this minute."

Emma got a quick kiss on the lips. "Thank you. I was carried away for a moment."

When the jeep was loaded with supplies and they were headed north, Angie was in the back with Tim, who was relaxing into the high desert air more every minute. "Have you been hiding out here very long?"

Angie used her tough voice, "Emma, do you suppose he is cleared for background on us?"

"Doubt it. We better wait until we are back at camp. Julia needs to sweat some of that Beltway veneer off."

Tim was red in the face, but laughing. "Damn, if this is the welcoming committee, I am really going to suffer with the agents."

Angie kissed his cheek and said, "We are in charge of keeping morale high. Arnie says this is going to be a hard one."

"Double damn. Women who know what their men need. Is Julie really unattached and am I allowed to be friendly?"

Emma gave him a quick stare from behind the wheel, "This is her first time out as an agent. There is to be no damage! Understand?"

Closing his eyes, he gave a soft moan and collapsed into Angie's lap. She kneaded his hand and kissed the back of it. Before he could say anything more, she said, "Take a nap, agent Reilley, you need the sleep." The three women glanced at each other and smiled.

The gravel road to camp bounced Tim awake and he sat up. Rocks and creosote bush in all directions. A shack with three cars straight ahead.

"Wow, when they told me remote, they meant REMOTE!"

Arnie and Jason wandered out to say hello and help with grocery bags. Angie told them, "Go somewhere and talk business. Emma and I will deal with the homefront. You may come back in an hour for lunch."

Arnie found a proper floppy sun hat for Tim and the four members of the expanding team walked off into the brush. Julia carefully positioned herself on the far side away from Tim, minding Emma's warning.

Tim tried to make a joke, "I guess this is a secure location?"

Arnie replied with a quiet voice, "So secure that a little later in the season, the sun will kill you in a few hours."

There was a long silence, punctuated by Tim saying, "Seems as though the Team can fall into work mode pretty quick."

Jason said, "We've figured out that sending someone with nuke credentials means something serious about our opponents."

He muttered under his breath, "Damn."

In another long minute, he said, "There's a few background doc's in my luggage, but basically you've guessed what DC is all riled up about. Scared to death about any radiation hazard rumors getting to the media."

Jason asked the questions. "More than rumor, isn't it? But NSC is pretending they are only dealing with rumors? What levels have been monitored and where?"

Tim looked around as though there were mic's in the bushes. "The number of people who know the real situation is fewer than a dozen. The team size has already been reduced, which we need to talk about. The rad level is low, but the signature is of very nasty stuff. Bomb grade stuff."

It was Arnie's turn to talk. "So there is a protected cache somewhere on the Eastern Shore, and what is hidden there is not known but the signs are bad."

"That is about it. You folks are really fast studies."

Jason said, "Julia, you are not cleared for this, so you didn't hear anything, did you?"

She responded, "Tim, I'm feeling bad about the move I put on you when you were carrying around all this bad news."

Arnie used his hard voice, "Hey, you are tough, remember that. You can romance him when we all come back alive."

It was time to turn around. Jason asked, "You are the nuke guy. What are our revised marching orders?"

He smiled and gave a low chuckle. "Since you are so up on this, I can tell you that no one who knows more nuke than I do has been briefed. At the moment, what NSC wants most is more raw info, especially about who is guarding the material and what kind of device is hidden."

The former flight attendant asked, "They can't risk more monitoring flights, can they? Do we have a cover story for messing around in the countryside with rad meters?"

Tim smiled again. "They told me in DC that Arnie and Jason were in charge of figuring that out. Apparently, there was a meeting where Arnie impressed some stars?"

Arnie mumbled, "Apparently," which drew laughs from Jason and Julia.

The return was mostly in silence, the bodies mulling over the new hazards of a nuclear device added on top of the earlier ones.

Lunch was quiet, with Arnie and Jason leading an effort to discuss recreation options. Emma and Angie picked up the need to lighten the conversation, suggesting foolish activities such as flower study.

Tim looked faded and was sent to the inside bedroom for a nap. Emma hugged Julia tightly to her front and asked, "Is she behaving?"

Jason said, "She is suffering too much from following orders to give Tim a warm welcome and then finding out what nasty news he was bringing us."

Arnie leant down and kissed her forehead. "You are not to worry. He has the same on-off switch the rest of us do. Just turn down the Julia hot meter a little!"

Julia buried her face in Emma's generous bosom and mumbled, "Oh, this is too much!"

Arnie and Jason extracted Tim's folder from his baggage. "This is above top secret, so you haven't seen it, and have no idea what he is talking about. We are going to find a rock and do some reading. Julia is to relax here and keep Tim company if he wakes up."

As they walked through the brush, Jason said, "As soon as they know Tim has briefed us, the command structure is going to be all over me. You may have to call in a favor or two from your stars, just to get us a little maneuvering room."

"Yes. Why do you suppose they haven't yanked us off the assignment already? I'll bet this is part of the morning Oval Office briefing."

"Well, one thing for sure, CYA is part of the story. Every high level official who knows about this is scared shitless, just like us."

"Yes. We have a good rep, but are definitely expendable. How does that make you feel, Jason?"

"I was asking myself that a few minutes ago at lunch. You know, hanging out with you, Arnie, is changing me. Instead of looking for a way out, I am thinking, "Bring them on!' "

They sat on adjoining boulders, smiling thinly at each other. Arnie said quietly, "Nice to hear that, Jason. Do we have any business including Tim and Julia?"

Jason didn't answer right away. Finally, he said, "Not fair, given how far we've come, not to let them decide for themselves. We can probably ease them to the sidelines with no damage if they want out."

There was a noise in the distance and they looked up. Walking toward them, about fifty yards away, were Tim and Julia. Tim had Julia's hand grasped firmly in his own. They both were smiling.

The closer they got, the bigger the four smiles got. Arnie spoke loud enough for the advancing couple to hear. "Jason, write these two up under Article 126, violating the no fraternization rule."

The Team Leader decided to get to the point immediately. "Stop where you are and listen carefully. Jason and I are pretty sure this Team is now classified as expendable, and we are being given a revised mission that could easily end in failure, with bad consequences for the team members. Jason and I have decided we are all in anyway, but the two of you are able to be shifted to the sidelines with no penalty at this stage. You won't be the slightest bit diminished in our eyes if you decide to fight another day."

Jason whispered, "Damn, they look good together. This isn't fair."

Arnie replied, "Not fair at all."

Tim had turned Julia and himself around and was talking to her while walking away. Arnie and Jason sat back on their boulders and relaxed. They clearly heard her say "No!" just before her fist pounded on Tim's muscled bicep.

In a flash, Tim had her on his shoulder and was loping to Arnie and Jason. He was laughing and she was steaming when they arrived. He said, "Had to make her mad to get a straight answer!"

"Let me down, good for nothing."

Arnie asked, "What's the story, Julia?"

"He tried to talk me out of staying. Said it was too tough for a woman."

Tim, still laughing, said, "She said one more comment like that and I was getting a fearsome kick in the balls!"

Julia was down on her feet and had Tim's arms wrapped around her. "If you haven't noticed, we have a thing going. I told him Arnie said we had to be able to switch off. He said he would handle the problem!" She looked at them fiercely.

Arnie and Jason looked at each other and nodded.

"Commander, if this was a regular mission, you would be in all kinds of trouble. But it isn't and as long as the two of you are a first class fighting team, we are not going to worry about that other stuff."

Julia sagged back into her new man's chest, saying, "Damn, I need a good cry, but not here."

For another hour, they sat in the desert gravel with backs against the rocks, debriefing Tim and talking about team composition. The previous eight to ten number was no longer feasible, especially since the focus of the mission was now to provide the NSC with information on what they were really up against.

After a bit, Arnie said, "Seals. We need a couple of Seals, preferably individuals who know something about the Bay and its shallows. This thing could be underwater."

Jason added, "And a really good Comm person. The White House is going to classify everything TS and above. We will need the latest lightweight encryption gear and someone who knows how to use it well."

Julia was busy with her phone. "These are just logistics notes to myself. Expurgated."

Tim was squeezing her shoulder and rolling his eyes at Arnie and Jason. He obviously had encountered a new kind of woman.

She looked up at them. "Wheels. If you are taking your girlfriend to random back roads looking for nookie, there better be down at the heels wheels with rebuilt innards available!"

The three males looked at her for long seconds, after which Jason started clapping. "Nookie! I'll be damned."

Arnie joined the clapping, but Tim said, "Just a f****ing minute!"

That broke up the meeting and they ambled toward camp. Tim was giving Julia a hard time. "Tell me more about this nookie requirement."

"You are not cleared for that, sir. Requires chemical castration first!"

He roared and threw her high in the air, which produced a loud scream. She rode the rest of the way to camp on his shoulders, raining a torrent of abuse down on his head. Jason and Arnie nodded at each other. Bonding was occurring.

Angie and Emma surveyed the approaching team. Julia looked a sight, riding high and giving orders.

"You don't suppose we have underestimated that one?"

"How could she get a tough Irish Navy Commander under her thumb so fast?"

"Lots of brains, lots of body, lots of spirit."

The Team arrived to find cocktail hour in progress. Julia climbed down and announced to Tim, "The other day, it was explained to me that showers here are outdoors under that head there. These others have already seen what there is of me to see, but I suppose if you feel like it, we could share a shower? Water is scarce."

Tim sat down heavily, looking at the other men. "It just gets worse, doesn't it?"

Jason and Arnie were into the whisky and nodded. "Better get over there, Commander, she doesn't like being kept waiting."

"We get to soap each other, and you all get to watch?"

"That's about the size of it. She told us that there was no room for modesty on a mission like this."

"Damn."

Emma and Angie each took a lap and provided kisses. Angie said, "If she was any hotter, there would be flames."

Jason said, "I think there is some method to her madness. She wants to milk that sexist Navy stuff out of him, and she wants to integrate him to the Team."

Arnie added, "After dinner, we'll give them the Jeep and say to get lost."

One result of the two person shower was a big erection in Tim's shorts that Julia felt free to pester as they joined the others.

Halfway through the meal, Emma turned up the heat. "Ok, tell us when you are leaving? Is it alright if Angie comes home to Front Royal with me?"

Arnie jerked. Did he want her closer to the mission location? She made the shock worse.

"I'm thinking Emma and I might take a vacation house on the Eastern Shore for a few weeks."

Jason and Arnie simultaneously said "No!"

Emma smiled and said, "If you are going to be chasing hot pants here through the countryside, there needs to be a safe house!"

Julia blushed and said, "Damn."

The three men walked off into the desert, grumbling. Julia was hugged and told the teasing had a good objective.

"You don't know what you are going to find out there and establishing a base with black suited males is a giveaway. Two middle aged librarians having some relaxation is good cover. The chain of command doesn't need to know about us. That might be useful too."

As the women cleaned up, Arnie led the men back, his face grim.

"Ok on Front Royal. Not ok on Eastern Shore, but that is interesting idea. Put it on hold for now. Jason will get on the horn to see if a plane can take all six of us east tomorrow. Tim says NSC types are wetting their pants waiting for us to get in place. His visit to Sonora is on hold."

* * *

It was another 3 am morning for Jason. After he climbed into the car for a call to Washington, others moved around to fix coffee and something to go with it. Angie tried to get Arnie to stay in their bag, but it didn't work. He was wrapped around her at the stove when Tim and Julia wandered in from the brush, bags under their arms. Raised eyebrows inquired, but she shook her head no. "I told him the switch was off. He hugged me and kissed me and I told him we might have to have a hike today sometime." Tim looked unhappy. Arnie thought what a fine couple they made and how quickly Tim had relieved him from responsibility for two hot females. Angie was going to tease him forever.

The two men huddled to one side with steaming coffee. "What do we need to accomplish today, assuming we fly tomorrow?"

"Depending on what orders Jason receives, it would help me to understand more about how to deal with a small nuclear device. If it is hot enough for an aerial mission to detect, are we able to handle it? Do you suppose we might luck out with one of the Seals having underwater explosives training?"

"Arnie, there are teams specially trained for field recovery. Remember the bomb lost off the coast of Spain? After that, the military got busy and found volunteers to take on nasty field conditions and nasty radiation conditions. I think our job is to localize the device and neutralize whomever is guarding it. NSC would be extremely happy if this situation never sees the light of day in the media."

"You are seeing headlines screaming about yet another intelligence failure?"

"That and worse."

Jason climbed out of the car and walked over. "Fly tomorrow. They are super anxious. Have already found a quiet corner of Fort Belvoir where we can sleep and meet. And, believe it or not, someone thought of the Seal idea and called the base at Little Creek. One of their best people will meet us for dinner tomorrow night. I asked about clearances and they said mountains are being moved."

"Damn, Jason, you do good work."

"I also asked if we could requisition Commander Reilley to the team and they gave in." Tim and Jason looked at each other and Jason asked, "You are still in?"

"Damn right. Seems like Arnie leads a good team."

Julia arrived out of the dark with plates of egg and sausage. "He grows on you, doesn't he?"

Tim and Julia sat close together at the picnic table and he filled her in on the conversation. She kissed his ear and told him the switch was totally off once they got on the airplane. "It's important for you and for me that I do this completely on my own."

He nodded his head, but made a low rumble in his chest. "Not on the plane yet."

As before, no one wanted to stumble around in the dark, so partners climbed back in together and slept.

When Angie poked her head up in brilliant desert sunshine, Julia was smiling at her from a position tight to Tim's chest. Angie mouthed, "Good girl," and Julia pulled Tim's head up for a long wet kiss. Angie didn't need to guess what was going on with Julia's arm moving down in the bag. She pointed at the Jeep and then out into the brush.