Page 65 of Close Match
I nod. “Coming on base is serious.” I’m about to run through a typical day’s protocols when I’m given the go-ahead to drive through.
“You’re all clear. It’s good to see you, sir.” I nod at the young lieutenant, who’s run my ID and Linnie’s. I know by the time I pull up to the NCIS headquarters, Shaun and whomever he chose to escort Linnie will be waiting outside. Taking our IDs back, I toss mine on the dash while Linnie slips hers away.
“Every day,” I confirm.
Her eyes get big, but before she can gather her thoughts for comment, we’re pulling up in the parking lot near the nondescript brick building that holds so many of my memories and even more of my nightmares. A bead of sweat trickles down my back. I rub my hand across my neck. I nod. “So, this is it. NCIS Headquarters.”
Linnie doesn’t say anything. I twist in my seat to face her only to find her not looking at the building but me. “Is everything all right?” Her voice reflects the concern etched on her face.
I turn off the Jaguar, leaving us cocooned in silence. “Everything’s fine.” Until I pulled up to my old office, I thought I was improving. Now, I realize I’m no closer to stepping in through those doors than I was six months ago, the first time I received a call to determine my mental readiness to return to the job. Back then, I had Ev’s medical health to shield me. Now, there’s nothing but my fears.
Even as I’m reaching for the handle, I give Linnie a quick rundown of what she can expect. “You’ll be escorted everywhere inside the building, even the restroom. You have to wear a badge at all times. There’s going to be areas you’ll pass that you may have questions about, but we won’t be able to answer, no matter how much you try to dig. If you can’t handle that, tell me now, and I’ll call Shaun over to say hi.” Part of me wants her to say no so desperately. I can almost taste the bile rising in my stomach at the idea of walking into my old life.
Linnie nods. “I understand.”
No, you don’t!I want to shout at her.You have no idea what the men and women inside that building go through daily.Flashes of the acceptance on Shaun’s face when he realized if I took the shot the through-and-through would be likely to hit him almost make me want to upend the lunch Linnie and I enjoyed near the museum. The horror of Tim McMann’s face as he ate the bullet. The devastation and ultimate blame turned on me by Commander Cindy McMann when she learned the full extent of what happened to her son.
And the weight of it all in my mind.
“Then let’s go,” I say brusquely, shoving my door open. Linnie follows at a slower pace. She silently keeps pace with my long strides, which I do not attempt to slow down. We reach Shaun and a female agent I recognize as Sandra Raines. After a quick introduction, the issuance of badges, and another briefing, the four of us enter the building. Linnie surrenders her purse for inspection. We both walk through metal detectors and into the shielded elevator to the third floor where my old team sits.
As the door closes, I feel myself start to hyperventilate. Then whether by accident or design, a smooth hand jostles against mine.
Linnie.
She doesn’t say a word, but she doesn’t move away either. It was her presence that made stepping off the elevator possible.
And the next few hours bearable.
* * *
Somehow,Shaun’s unearthed an official NCIS hat and T-shirt for Linnie. She’s charmed by the gesture until he casually says, “You should make sure there’s no blood on them. I stole them from Sandra’s locker.”
Linnie turns a pale shade of green. “Umm…”
I snicker, knowing Shaun would be more likely to have requested them for Linnie than ever do something like that.
Sandra, who just wrapped up taking a call on a possible lead, throws him the finger. “He did not, Linnie. Don’t let him mess with your head. He got those just for you,” she says, confirming my suspicions.
Linnie pokes Shaun in the chest. “You’re trouble, Shaun.”
Sandra gets belligerent. “How is it Monty’s new woman has your number already?”
Linnie and I choke on her assumption simultaneously. Linnie recovers her aplomb quicker though. Giving me a wink, she drops her voice and adds a touch of venom. “New woman? Darling, I thought I was the only woman.”
I pretend to placate her. “Now, sweetheart, you know there were others before you.”
“According to Sandra, it appears I’m one of a crowd. I’m not sure how I feel about that,” she sniffs. I want to howl with laughter. Based on the look on Shaun’s face, he wants to as well.
“Do I need a song to go along with this little dramatic fit?” I drawl. This is way too fun. Leaning against the secure file cabinet next to Shaun’s desk, I cross my arms and my legs at the ankle.
Linnie looks tempted. Her eyes narrow. “Don’t think I won’t. You know by now I have no problem with randomly bursting into song. It’s embarrassed you enough times. Particularly when we got into that fight at the coffee shop.”
Shaun’s doing everything not to laugh, but Sandra looks enthralled. “Tell me, what song fits this little squabble?” I dare her.
And damn if she doesn’t start to sing about someone having six wives and arsenic. I’m bracing myself on my knees to hold myself upright. Shaun’s pounding my back, wheezing with his laughter. And Sandra declares, “You just became my new best friend.”
Linnie pops out of the pissed-off girlfriend role. “What’s even funnier is that we’re not together.” She shrugs. Giving me a warm smile, she tells the other agent, “We’re just good friends.”
