Page 85 of Operation: Silent Angel
“Yes, some dumb shit installed the door-locking mechanism backwards, and when the door closed, they were locked inside. There’s no cell service out here, as it’s so far off the grid, so they couldn’t reach anyone for help,” Cooper said.
“Thankfully, they brought the food and water supplies inside before the door was closed,” Winston said. “If not, we may have found them dead.”
“Or if we hadn’t found them, they eventually would have run out of food and water and died,” Gallup said.
“Well done, team,” Shepherd said. “I’ll notify SecDef and the authorities.”
“When can the Lear pick us back up?” Cooper asked.
“Not until the morning, I’m afraid,” Shepherd said. “I’ll send the ETA to you when I have it. Until then, enjoy the lake.”
The team slid back into the two pickup trucks, Mac groaning from the pain in his back, which persisted. Winston had examined him and believed it was muscle pain. “We’ll get some ice on your back when we get to the cabin,” he said. “And when we get back to HQ tomorrow, I’ll want you to see Dr. Diana for X-rays, to be sure. Don’t do anything too strenuous before then. And no heavy lifting.”
Mac chuckled. There was no way he would try. “I don’t plan to lift anything heavier than a can of beer; have to drink those before we head back. And those steaks that were in the cooler look pretty damn good too.”
“Yeah, we’ll have to cook those up tonight,” Cooper agreed.
***
They enjoyed the night off, under the stars and moonlit sky. It was calm, a peace each man appreciated as they sat outside of the cabin drinking the case of beer after a delicious steak dinner. The ice had helped Mac’s back enough that he could move without the wind being knocked out of him from the spasms.
But the next morning, as they drove to the airfield to catch their ride home, Mac again felt the tightness and spasms. He knew this injury wasn’t going to resolve on its own promptly. He would have to see Shepherd’s wife for x-rays and treatment.
The appointment was made for him, and he reported to her chiropractic and physical therapy clinic as soon as they arrived back at HQ. He met her mom, Peggy, the office manager, when he checked in. She was a pleasant woman who he’d been told knew about them and their operation. She was also very knowledgeable about chiropractic care and explained what adjustments would do for him, combined with physical therapy if it was needed.
Before seeing Dr. Diana, one of her staff brought him into a room and took X-rays of his back. Diana wanted them to review before she touched him. He appreciated her caution. He waited in one of the treatment rooms for her for nearly half an hour after.
“Hi Mac,” she greeted as she came in. He stood. “Sorry for the delay. Please sit,” she said. She sat on the padded bench beside him. “I reviewed the x-rays and there is nothing concerning on them. Eddie is correct that it’s muscular. I can help the healingalong by making sure you’re in alignment.” Then she explained why it was necessary.
Dr. Diana then put him on her table and thoroughly adjusted him. She advised him that he might be a bit more sore initially, but it would improve. “I’ll notify Sam and your team medic that you are on limited duty until I release you. I think you should feel much relief before Thanksgiving.” She set his next appointment two days out.
***
Diana got to the office a good half hour before her first patient was scheduled. Sam had an early call and was up and out of their residence on the tenth floor of the building earlier than usual, but for some reason, she was wide awake and couldn’t go back to sleep. She decided to get going a bit early rather than lying there wasting time.
Once in her office on the second floor of the building, she brought up the patient calendar to review her first few patients. She vaguely recalled a new patient had been booked for the morning, for pain from a car accident if she remembered correctly. Mac was also due for his second appointment first thing. She hoped he had some relief from the pain after the first adjustment.
For some reason, the date hit her with surprise. It was already that late in the month? That was when she realized she was a few days late with her period, and she was always very regular. She wondered if this could be the start of early menopause forher. Her mother was only two years older when hers started. She dreaded the thought of becoming irregular. She loved that she could count on when she’d have it.
Diana went to the storeroom to grab the top to her scrubs from the clean stack. On the shelf beside it were the pregnancy tests. Even though she seriously doubted it was possible, as she felt perfectly normal, she grabbed a box and took it into the bathroom with her. She peed on the stick and was shocked to see the plus sign already displayed as she withdrew it. Sure that it was a false positive, an error on the test, she went back to the storeroom and got a second box, a different brand they had ordered.
The result was the same. She pulled her pants up and sat back on the toilet seat, staring at the two positive tests until a knock at the door startled her. “One moment,” she called.
Shaking off her surprised stupor, Diana washed her hands and disposed of the two test kits in the trashcan, except for the sticks that showed the results, which she slipped into her pocket. Then she opened the door. No one stood outside. She found one of her physical therapists in the main room. No one else was in yet.
“Good morning, Diana,” Tara greeted.
“Hi, hey, do me a favor and let reception know I had to go back upstairs for a few minutes when they get in. I won’t be long,” Diana said.
“Sure thing,” Tara said.
Diana smiled and nodded and then rushed from the room. There was a private back entrance into her clinic that was only for her use and for Shepherd Security personnel. It was a secure set of doors with both the palmprint scan and code entry, as with the rest of the agency doors. The internal agency elevator as well as the agency stairwell were accessible from the back hall. She entered her code and pressed her palm to the access door to the stairwell. Within, she charged up the three flights of stairs, exiting the stairwell right outside of Sam’s office.
His door was closed, but that never stopped her from entering. She never purposefully tried to see what was going on in his work world, but she was privy to much. She opened the door and found Sam standing at his stand-up desk. Seeing him, her heart filled with love, pride, and happiness. That was when her thoughts turned from ‘I’m pregnant’ to ‘I’m going to have his child’. Tears filled her eyes.
“Diana? Is everything okay?”
She closed the office door and crossed the distance of the office to where he stood. “Are you off your call?” she whispered.
