Page 14 of Very Special Forces

"I do!"I protested.

"YouWhatsapp photos of small animals on skateboards and ask ouropinions on shoes."

"Theshoes question was meant for my best friend, Lily."

Kafskyleaned in and said softly, "I still say go with the lilac pumpswith the bows. Chic yet edgy."

"Verymanly," said Harris. "This is why you wear a uniform; otherwise youmight pick stuff like that."

"Not forme," sniffed Kafsky. "Lexi asked our opinion. As a friend, I gaveit."

"Okay,enough!" I called out. My muscles were tired — I was tired — and Iwanted to head home for a shower, then a relaxing evening ofcarbohydrate consumption, kissing, and dodging my mother's groupchat messages about my wedding. "You didn't come all this way tohide out in the trees near my gym to talk about my messagingproblems. How can I help?"

"Actually, we haven't come far. We're stationed in FortCharles for a couple months."

"And weremembered you live nearby. It didn't take long to track you down,"added Harris.

"How didyou track me down?" I wondered.

"We'reelite soldiers. We have skills," said Harris.

"We sawyou as we were driving around and followed you here and waited,"said Kafsky.

"You'reboth so weird. You could have just asked me for my currentaddress."

"Regardless, we need your help. You're a PI now. You findstuff."

Instantly, I was on alert. What the hell kind of problem didthey have? "What have you lost?"

"It'sonly a little thing..."

"Verylittle," agreed Kafsky, widening his thumb and forefinger slightly."Just a teensy problem."

"Hardlyanything!"

"Outwith it!" I yelled.

"We losta tank," said Harris. "And we need you to get it back before theArmy finds out it's missing."

ChapterFive

I pacedbeside the long windows that overlooked the street. Several floorsup, everything seemed peaceful. There were no worried friends, noover-anxious mothers checking for the seventeenth time if I'dconfirmed my choice of wedding dress because I was crazy to thinkany dress could be altered in a week, and no friends from long agowho had misplaced a tank. A tank! Not just any tank. A militarytank!

"Take aseat," instructed one of the lawyers, an older lady named MarianneLewis. She arrived with Steve Wendell a few minutes ago, after myrequest to the couple's respective legal firms. Steve appearedtired and irritated. The lawyer looked like she was ready to sendeveryone a bill and do something more interesting.

"Sorry,"I said as I took a seat.

Stevechecked his watch. "She's late," he said.

"Notyet," said his lawyer, "there're five more minutes. Ms. Graves, canyou give us a hint as to what's inside the document?" She nodded tothe brown envelope I placed on the table, deliberately out ofreach.

"I thinkit would be fairer to wait for the other party."

"I'mpaying for this!" huffed Steve. "I should know what's init."

"You'reboth my clients and as such you get the information at the sametime," I reminded him.

"I don'tsee why she has to be here," said Steve and then he fell silentwhen the door opened and his wife's lawyer stepped through,followed by his wife. She raised a hand to give a small wave toSteve and his eyes fixed on her empty left hand. His tiredexpression became thunderous and he turned his head away. Fayeglanced at me and gave me a small, sad smile.

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