ball.
“You don’t smoke,” she said as she studied his face at close range.
“Nope.”
“Don’t shave, either, I see.” There was a subtle twinkle of laughter in her eye.
He blushed and looked away. “I’m usual y out on the ice. What’s the use of shavin’ for your dogs? They never seem to appreciate it, anyway. Well, except Sadie, I guess. For some reason she liked the taste of shaving cream. Damnedest thing.”
“Can I meet your dogs?”
She didn’t have to ask twice. As soon as they could get their coats on, he took her to the kennels, where she played a little jumparound with Shep while she and Henry discussed the merits of malamutes as lead dogs. Henry said Shep had earned his medals in the field. Then he told her how much he missed Sadie. “I always seem to lose my ladies somewhere along the way. It’s a talent.”
He paused, changing the subject.
“I have a feeling they’re gonna take us out of here.
The Navy, I mean. But I’m not sure I can do them any good whether I go to Washington or Tokyo, or look at one computer-generated dude or another. I won’t know this terrorist until I actual y see him. Face-to-face.” He shook his head. “And how’s that ever going to happen?”
A voice called out to them over the howl of the wind. Kai Grimes. He was clad in full arctic gear, his head covered by his hood, but Henry could still recognize him, over fifty yards away.
“That’s what I mean,” he said to Sarah. “I can tel that’s Grimes coming, even though he looks like anybody else. Everybody dresses like that here. After a while you get so you can tell who’s who. It’d be like that with me and that terrorist. If I ever see him. . .”
“. . . you’ll know him,” said Sarah.
Grimes reached them. Shep moved between Henry and the SEAL. Noticing Shep’s defensive stance, Henry pulled on the leash. “Don’t jump this guy, Shep. He’ll cut you six ways before you lick his face.” He laughed.
Grimes held up his hands. “Not dangerous with friends,” he said, then he looked at Shep. “Nice puppy, Gibbs. What’ya call him? Kong?”
Henry smiled. “The Eighth Wonder of the World. . . Shep, this is a SEAL you can eat if you want. Say hello 74 to Commander Grimes, Shep. He’s your dinner.” He patted Shep’s side.
Grimes and Sarah laughed. A strong gust of icy wind hit them, cutting short their laughter as they turned away from it.
“What brings you out on a nice afternoon like this, commander?” asked Henry, squinting tears out of his eyes.
“Time to blow this burg, Henry. You too, French. The general wants you on the carrier Enterprise by noon. He says to expect a prolonged visit, but pack light.” The SEAL looked at his watch. “The Cobra is leaving in two hours.”
“Not without my dog,” said Henry.
Grimes was walking away, but Henry’s statement stopped him in his tracks. He spun round.
“What?” He stamped his feet against the cold. In spite of a layer of Gore-tex-lined socks, booties and boots, his toes were already numb. He’d been out in the cold for hours helping establish a cable hookup for the generators of the Glomar Explorer when it arrived. He was in no mood for arguments. “Did I hear you say. . .?”
“Not without Shep. Take him with us and I’m all yours. But, without Shep. . . well, no more volunteering for Mr Henry Scott Gibbs, American stoolie.” Henry clutched Shep’s nylon leash resolutely.
“Fuck it, Henry!” shouted Grimes. “They’ll buy you a whole kennel full of dogs if you’ll just. . .”
But Grimes stopped himself mid-sentence. He could see it was useless to argue. They could put a gun to Henry’s temple and lead him away, but that wouldn’t assure his cooperation. They needed a full y cooperating Henry Gibbs.
“Okay, whatever,” said the SEAL. “Your dog could count as a witness, I guess. But what if he shits on the general’s shoes?”
“Shep never shits,” said Henry. “I don’t know. Figure
“You don’t smoke,” she said as she studied his face at close range.
“Nope.”
“Don’t shave, either, I see.” There was a subtle twinkle of laughter in her eye.
He blushed and looked away. “I’m usual y out on the ice. What’s the use of shavin’ for your dogs? They never seem to appreciate it, anyway. Well, except Sadie, I guess. For some reason she liked the taste of shaving cream. Damnedest thing.”
“Can I meet your dogs?”
She didn’t have to ask twice. As soon as they could get their coats on, he took her to the kennels, where she played a little jumparound with Shep while she and Henry discussed the merits of malamutes as lead dogs. Henry said Shep had earned his medals in the field. Then he told her how much he missed Sadie. “I always seem to lose my ladies somewhere along the way. It’s a talent.”
He paused, changing the subject.
“I have a feeling they’re gonna take us out of here.
The Navy, I mean. But I’m not sure I can do them any good whether I go to Washington or Tokyo, or look at one computer-generated dude or another. I won’t know this terrorist until I actual y see him. Face-to-face.” He shook his head. “And how’s that ever going to happen?”
A voice called out to them over the howl of the wind. Kai Grimes. He was clad in full arctic gear, his head covered by his hood, but Henry could still recognize him, over fifty yards away.
“That’s what I mean,” he said to Sarah. “I can tel that’s Grimes coming, even though he looks like anybody else. Everybody dresses like that here. After a while you get so you can tell who’s who. It’d be like that with me and that terrorist. If I ever see him. . .”
“. . . you’ll know him,” said Sarah.
Grimes reached them. Shep moved between Henry and the SEAL. Noticing Shep’s defensive stance, Henry pulled on the leash. “Don’t jump this guy, Shep. He’ll cut you six ways before you lick his face.” He laughed.
Grimes held up his hands. “Not dangerous with friends,” he said, then he looked at Shep. “Nice puppy, Gibbs. What’ya call him? Kong?”
Henry smiled. “The Eighth Wonder of the World. . . Shep, this is a SEAL you can eat if you want. Say hello 74 to Commander Grimes, Shep. He’s your dinner.” He patted Shep’s side.
Grimes and Sarah laughed. A strong gust of icy wind hit them, cutting short their laughter as they turned away from it.
“What brings you out on a nice afternoon like this, commander?” asked Henry, squinting tears out of his eyes.
“Time to blow this burg, Henry. You too, French. The general wants you on the carrier Enterprise by noon. He says to expect a prolonged visit, but pack light.” The SEAL looked at his watch. “The Cobra is leaving in two hours.”
“Not without my dog,” said Henry.
Grimes was walking away, but Henry’s statement stopped him in his tracks. He spun round.
“What?” He stamped his feet against the cold. In spite of a layer of Gore-tex-lined socks, booties and boots, his toes were already numb. He’d been out in the cold for hours helping establish a cable hookup for the generators of the Glomar Explorer when it arrived. He was in no mood for arguments. “Did I hear you say. . .?”
“Not without Shep. Take him with us and I’m all yours. But, without Shep. . . well, no more volunteering for Mr Henry Scott Gibbs, American stoolie.” Henry clutched Shep’s nylon leash resolutely.
“Fuck it, Henry!” shouted Grimes. “They’ll buy you a whole kennel full of dogs if you’ll just. . .”
But Grimes stopped himself mid-sentence. He could see it was useless to argue. They could put a gun to Henry’s temple and lead him away, but that wouldn’t assure his cooperation. They needed a full y cooperating Henry Gibbs.
“Okay, whatever,” said the SEAL. “Your dog could count as a witness, I guess. But what if he shits on the general’s shoes?”
“Shep never shits,” said Henry. “I don’t know. Figure
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