little something to you Petty Officer… if you fuck up this mission because of a woman, your career is over. Do I make myself clear?”
Ryker swallows hard. Hargraves’ calm appraisal of the situation makes what he said all the more disturbing. “Yes sir, Colonel.”
“Then you had better be straight with me son, right here, right now. Can you pull the trigger on Dr. Julian Baker? Because if you can’t, I need to find someone that will. We can send in a shooter from the CIA if necessary.”
Ryker can feel his face flush. The fucking CIA? They operate like a surgeon with a chainsaw. “That won’t be necessary, sir.”
Hargraves steps in front of Ryker. “Don’t fuck with me Evans. I’m tempted to pull you off this mission as it is. The only reason I haven’t is because you’re the best we’ve got and we want Dr. Baker back, not dead. But if I can’t trust you, I will find someone that I can.”
“You can depend on me, sir,” Ryker says again.
“Prove it. Break it off with Veronica. Tonight. Show me that your head is in the game.”
Ryker grits his teeth. “Yes sir.”
Hargraves watches Ryker, finally satisfied he has gotten through to him. “Dismissed.”
Ryker comes to attention, fires off a crisp salute, pivots, and walks out of the room.
CHAPTER TWELVE
Over the last week Ronnie has gotten to know the routine pretty well. She sits in the common area nearest the motor pool so she can keep an eye out for when Ryker returns. While he debriefs, she moves to another common area he was to walk past on his way back to the guest facilities. When he is done with his debrief he stops and they have dinner together. Today is just like all the others, except this time he storms past the common area after his debrief without a sideways glance. Puzzled that he didn’t stop as normal, she rises from her chair and hurries into the hall. “Ryker?” He stops, but doesn’t turn. “Is everything okay?”
“No,” he says before he slowly turns to face her.
“What’s the matter?” she asks as she joins him, leaning in for a kiss.
He dodges the kiss and steps back. “I can’t see you anymore. Not for a while.”
“What? Why?” she asks, her heart sinking.
“I’ve been told I’m jeopardizing the mission by being involved with you.”
Ronnie is quite for a moment. She knew this might happen, knew that they could order him to stop seeing her. And, it appears, they have. She can feel her face harden. “So they’ve ordered you to stop seeing me?”
“Yes. I’m sorry.”
Ryker really does look miserable, but that doesn’t make her feel any better. “And you’re going to? Just like that?”
“Ronnie… I don’t have any choice.”
“The hell you don’t! You could tell them to go fuck themselves! They don’t own you, Ryker.”
He purses his lips as he steps forward and takes her by the arm. If they are going to have it out, better to not do it in the hall. “Let’s go in here,” he says, steering her back into the small common area.
She allows him to steer her into the room, Ryker kicking the chock from the door as they pass so it can swing closed. No one has ever dumped her before and the more she thinks about it, the more pissed off she is getting. “So just because Colonel Hard-on tells you to drop me, you do? Just like that?”
“Not just like that,” Ryker snaps. “You think I want to do this?”
“Then why are you doing it? Tell him to go fuck himself.”
“Ronnie, I can’t do that and you know it! Or you should. For this mission he is my commanding officer. If he says break it off then I have to break it off!”
“And if he told you to go out and fuck some whore on the street for information you would that too?”
“He wouldn’t do that!”
“But would you?” Ronnie asks, her voice low and threatening.
“No! Of course
Ryker swallows hard. Hargraves’ calm appraisal of the situation makes what he said all the more disturbing. “Yes sir, Colonel.”
“Then you had better be straight with me son, right here, right now. Can you pull the trigger on Dr. Julian Baker? Because if you can’t, I need to find someone that will. We can send in a shooter from the CIA if necessary.”
Ryker can feel his face flush. The fucking CIA? They operate like a surgeon with a chainsaw. “That won’t be necessary, sir.”
Hargraves steps in front of Ryker. “Don’t fuck with me Evans. I’m tempted to pull you off this mission as it is. The only reason I haven’t is because you’re the best we’ve got and we want Dr. Baker back, not dead. But if I can’t trust you, I will find someone that I can.”
“You can depend on me, sir,” Ryker says again.
“Prove it. Break it off with Veronica. Tonight. Show me that your head is in the game.”
Ryker grits his teeth. “Yes sir.”
Hargraves watches Ryker, finally satisfied he has gotten through to him. “Dismissed.”
Ryker comes to attention, fires off a crisp salute, pivots, and walks out of the room.
CHAPTER TWELVE
Over the last week Ronnie has gotten to know the routine pretty well. She sits in the common area nearest the motor pool so she can keep an eye out for when Ryker returns. While he debriefs, she moves to another common area he was to walk past on his way back to the guest facilities. When he is done with his debrief he stops and they have dinner together. Today is just like all the others, except this time he storms past the common area after his debrief without a sideways glance. Puzzled that he didn’t stop as normal, she rises from her chair and hurries into the hall. “Ryker?” He stops, but doesn’t turn. “Is everything okay?”
“No,” he says before he slowly turns to face her.
“What’s the matter?” she asks as she joins him, leaning in for a kiss.
He dodges the kiss and steps back. “I can’t see you anymore. Not for a while.”
“What? Why?” she asks, her heart sinking.
“I’ve been told I’m jeopardizing the mission by being involved with you.”
Ronnie is quite for a moment. She knew this might happen, knew that they could order him to stop seeing her. And, it appears, they have. She can feel her face harden. “So they’ve ordered you to stop seeing me?”
“Yes. I’m sorry.”
Ryker really does look miserable, but that doesn’t make her feel any better. “And you’re going to? Just like that?”
“Ronnie… I don’t have any choice.”
“The hell you don’t! You could tell them to go fuck themselves! They don’t own you, Ryker.”
He purses his lips as he steps forward and takes her by the arm. If they are going to have it out, better to not do it in the hall. “Let’s go in here,” he says, steering her back into the small common area.
She allows him to steer her into the room, Ryker kicking the chock from the door as they pass so it can swing closed. No one has ever dumped her before and the more she thinks about it, the more pissed off she is getting. “So just because Colonel Hard-on tells you to drop me, you do? Just like that?”
“Not just like that,” Ryker snaps. “You think I want to do this?”
“Then why are you doing it? Tell him to go fuck himself.”
“Ronnie, I can’t do that and you know it! Or you should. For this mission he is my commanding officer. If he says break it off then I have to break it off!”
“And if he told you to go out and fuck some whore on the street for information you would that too?”
“He wouldn’t do that!”
“But would you?” Ronnie asks, her voice low and threatening.
“No! Of course
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