Page 5 of D-Day

Wrapping the towel around his waist, he left the bathroom and entered his bedroom. Bear and Professor were gone. He got a change of clothes out of his drawers—khaki pants, elastic at the ankle, black polo, and socks and underwear.

His jaw fixed in rigid lines, he pulled on the underwear and socks, then the pants, then he made an opening in the polo and slipped it over his head, tucking it into the pants, then threading his belt. At the door, he jammed his feet into a pair of stylish black combat boots.

He closed his eyes and rested his forehead against the wall, a thousand emotions warring inside him. He didn’t want to want her, damn it. He didn’t want to get sucked back into thatuncomfortable situation. But the image of her bleak face took shape in his mind.

Swearing angrily, he snatched up his go bag, along with a bomber-style windbreaker, black with an orange lining, and yanked open the bedroom door. He needed his frigging head examined.

Ramming his arms into the jacket while juggling the bag, he went down the stairs, anger and frustration building back up to dangerous levels. He dropped it near the door and entered the living room. His buddies were everywhere, and they were sending out their silent but deadly looks, all except Bear who just looked impassive. The sage son of a bitch.

He glared at Buck as he pulled open the fridge, grabbed three bottles of water, and twisted open the first one. Buck was sitting at his small table. “I know you’re the landlord, Buck, but a little courtesy would be appreciated,” he snapped.

Buck folded his arms and rocked back in his chair. “How the fuck would I have let you know I was going to use my key when you were wasted?”

He downed bottle one, then two, then the third one. He was definitely dehydrated and those would take the edge off. After the last gulp of the water, Zorro offered him a cup of coffee, which he ignored. Zorro set it on the counter, the porcelain making a heavy sound. “Fair point,” he growled.

“According to Zorro, you’ve had a tough night,” Buck said. There was a strange tightness in his chest as he watched Buck. D-Day studied his face for some clue as to what was going through his mind. His mouth was pulled into an unyielding line, and there was an unusual tenseness about him. D-Day had to wonder if it was his behavior that had put it there or was it something else…word from home?Helen? His gut tightened. Fuck, he hoped everyone was all right. He wanted to ask, but this wasn’t the appropriate time.

“Yeah, jailbird,” Gator said. There were bird calls all over the room, from squawking to tweets to coos.

“Parade boy,” Professor said.

Several of them snickered.

He turned to glare at Zorro again, but the man wasn’t fazed. “Yeah, that’s right, kick the sidekick,” he groused. “We all know how much the guy behind the man has to suffer. Look at Robin, one of the best.”

His eyes narrowed, irritation flashing through him as Zorro struck a nerve. He was far from Batman—lost. So, he might have stepped in to protect Sara, but he wasn’t twisted up with any kind of vengeance—he never had been, even after what those boys had done to him in high school. It just wasn’t his thing. “Are you comparing me to Batman?” D-day asked, his voice low.

“If the cowl fits, caped crusader,” Zorro said with a grin. D-Day tried to relax. Zorro was often comic relief for the team, along with Blitz, but he sometimes didn’t mean to be funny.

“The cowl doesn’t fit, boy wonder.” Zorro had the audacity to grin at the iconic Robin reference.

“Wait a second, are you putting Robin number one, Zorro?” Professor asked, censure in his voice.

“Damn straight I am.”

“That’s bullshit,” Professor said.

“Okay, Rhodes Scholar, who’s your pick?”

“Sallah, he’s Indie’s right-hand guy. He has the perfect line. ‘Asps. Very dangerous.’ He’s giving Mr. Snake-phobic a head’s up.”

“He’s also the one that stepped aside and told Indie, ‘You go first.’” Zorro said snidely.

Some of the guys chuckled, and Professor shrugged. “A faithful and brutally honest companion.”

“Wait, you’ve got it all wrong,” Gator said. “It’s Barney.”

“That big, annoying purple dinosaur who loves everybody? I thought he was the main attraction,” Blitz asked.

“No, for chrissakes. Barney Fife…Mayberry RFD.”

That drew shouts of laughter.

“Hey, he always made Andy look good.”

“Nope, my money’s on Donkey,” Buck said. “He annoyed Shrek and everyone around him, but he was a tenacious and faithful guy.”

Gator said, “No…it’s Barney?—”

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