Brent was relieved to see that Samuel was already unloading a rather good-sized moving truck with the help of several teens. At this point, there were few able-bodied men in the compound, just Samuel, Daniel, a handful of science nerds, a couple of retirees, and himself. Most of younger families and single men would be filtering in over the next few days, maybe weeks and months.
That had been one of his concerns about the risks of going public. Once everyone was here, well, Daniel’s and Samuel’s friends alone would make this place virtually impregnable. But right now, it was mostly the retired, women, and children among their ranks of fifty-odd souls.
But if Daniel felt they could handle things, that was good enough for him. He truly did trust them to know their business as well as he knew his.
He waved for Samuel to join them. From the way the man nodded and spoke to Sammy, perhaps Daniel had alerted him to the situation. A moment later, his friend joined their small crew as they entered the bunker once more.
Daniel had already pulled up a couple of chairs and crates as extra seating, but the tiny space was more than cramped. This facility always would be though. Designed primarily for storage, it would become the short term fall back shelter if an attack did come. But it was only meant for a short time, a couple of days max while they came up with a plan of attack or until re-enforcements arrived.
It would serve his purposes now, provide a private place for him and those closest to him to come up with a plan of action. One that served the greater good and did their best to protect those they cared about.
“Okay, I want to hear everyone out here. But yes, I agree we must do something. To give people the best chance possible to makes plans, prepare, and protect their families. What that something is though I don’t know yet,” he sighed as he looked around the room at each of them. His eyes came to rest on her, the one he could not afford to lose again. “I want all of you to help me make that choice. Together.”
As he knew she would be, Monique was the first one to speak, “As I have tried to tell you all morning, I can be on a plane to Los Angeles in fifteen minutes. My friends can get me on the news tonight. By tomorrow the whole world will know the truth.” She shook her head, “I don’t understand what the delay is.”
Brent closed his eyes, ran his hands through his hair and inhaled, preparing once more to defend his decision, but it was Lauren, who spoke up before he could. “The delay is that it serves no one’s best interest to incite mass panic that way.”
She looked directly at Brent as she spoke this time, “Besides there is the issue of credibility here.” She turned back to Monique, “No offense, but neither you nor Brent have much left.”
Lauren paused and bit her lower lip as she did when she was trying her best to formulate a polite way to say something. It made Brent smile, “Go ahead and say it, sweetheart. The only people who would listen to us are a handful of kooks.”
“I was trying not to be quite so brutal, Brent.”
He smiled, they must be making progress then because brutality was the only language she had spoken for the past eight or nine years at least. “And your alternative?”
“Let me go. Back to London, if that is still possible. But if not, then Washington. Let me meet with colleagues at the Met Office, USGS, FEMA...”
“Like the alphabet soup bureaucrats are going to believe us. And even if they did, they aren’t going to do anything. They can’t even save a few thousand people in New Orleans. How are they going to manage a global disaster of this scale?” Monique stood her ground.
Brent sighed; he had to agree with her assessment of the situation. But he too feared unnecessarily inciting panic in the masses. Innocent lives could be lost just as easily in riots and looting that might follow Monique’s announcement.
Lauren looked right at him, addressed only him this time, “You know I’m right, Brent. You know that we have to try at least.” She turned back to the other woman, “You may be right. It may come to that. But we can’t just jump right over proper channels without giving them a chance to respond, to manage the situation in a more organized and productive way.”
“We’d be no better than them if we did, Brent,” she pleaded.
He shook his head, “Honestly, I don’t like any of our options here.” He stood up and walked over to the crate where Lauren was sitting. He held out his hand to her, uncertain she would even take it. He was both relieved, and a bit shocked when she did.
He drew her up and made no bones about where he stood, where his loyalties lay and who held his heart as he wrapped his arms about her waist and drew her into his embrace. “I know what you say makes logical sense, babygirl. But I can’t. I can’t risk it. Can’t risk you. The girls and I need you too fucking much,” he laid his soul bare for not just her but all of them to see.
She smiled softly as her hands cupped his face, “Honestly, I don’t want to leave them...or you,” the admission was half whispered as she dropped her eyes and bit that oh-so-kissable lower lip once more. Brent’s heart and hopes soared at her words.
“But you know it is the only way. You know I’m right, Brent. We have to try. We can’t just be cowboys from your wild west and go off rogue. We must try to work through the proper channels. Do it the right way. I know your moral code, Brent Jacobs. You won’t be able to live with yourself any other way.”
He sighed; she had him there. She knew him just as well as he knew her. It was not only his moral code. It was theirs. This was one argument for which he had no answer. And she knew it too as she brushed those soft lips across his for a mere second, “You know I’m right, darling.”
He nodded reluctantly and held her even tighter. He always did hate when she burst his bubbles. The only solace was the gentle way her love cushioned his fall.
“I might have a partial solution, Doc,” Daniel cleared his throat to grab their attention.
“Good thing too. Before we need to get these two a room,” Samuel teased as Monique snickered along with him.
Daniel sent his friend a look that silenced them, “I might have a friend in Washington that could do a bit of security for your Missus.”
“I thought Travis and the others would be too occupied with their own...”
Daniel shook his head, “They are, but there might be someone else.”
“Who?” Samuel was the one to voice Brent’s question.
“Zane,” Samuel nodded as Daniel turned to Brent. “Commander Zane Rogers was on our team for a couple of years, but the boy genius ended up stationed at the Pentagon.”
“He’s a scientist too - Masters in Statistical Analysis. So, he might be able to help you make your case, have a few contacts of his own as well as make sure you get back safe and sound to Doc and those babies,” Daniel pleaded his case directly with Lauren.
“If you’re sure you can trust him, then that’s all I need. I’d appreciate any help the man can give,” Brent told Daniel. He was not happy with the situation, but it was better than nothing.
He inhaled, taking in her sweet smell, no one would believe him, but he knew he could find this woman blindfolded in a room of them by her scent alone. “What you say, sweetheart?”
She nodded her head and surprisingly wrapped her arms about his waist, “Sure, like you say we’ll take any help we can get.”
Lauren squeezed him tightly then drew back and turned in his arms looking at Monique this time, “That includes yours too, Monique. I do agree that you should go to California. Just give me a couple of days in D.C. to try things this way first. But if I fail, you’re right; people have the right to know what is at stake here. They have the right to make the best choices they can for their families based on the facts.”
Monique jumped up from her chair and rushed over encircling them both in a hug, “See, I always knew this one was smarter than just her books and formulas, mon ami,” she kissed him on the cheek.
Turning to Lauren, she added, “And you don’t be stupid again. Get the job done or leave. Come back to this man and those babies. That is all that truly matters, mon cheri. Family is everything.”
“We can second that one,” Daniel added with a smile. “But if you, folks, don’t mind it’s lunchtime and my wife is a damned good cook. Let’s all get some food then get our butts to work. It seems that our nice and easy cushy job guarding some hippie eco-village commune has suddenly turned into a real one of saving lives and protecting people’s ass.” He clapped Brent on the back, “People we care about.”
“If your wife’s cooking is involved, then I second the motion. Meeting adjourned,” Brent groaned as he felt a sharp elbow to his stomach. He frowned down at Lauren, “What’s that for, baby?”
He loved the way her bottom lip poked out; it made him want to kiss it until it was swollen and red...then soothe it with softer ones.
“Are you saying that you prefer Jill’s cooking to mine?” she pouted.
He laughed, “Darlin’, as much as I love you, we both know that it ain’t because of your skills in the kitchen.” He bent down and fed his obsessions just a little as he suckled on that lip then gave it a quick nip with his teeth as he whispered in her ear, “The bedroom? That’s another matter.”
Samuel clapped him on the back, “The rest of us are heading out for some food. You two don’t leave any stains on my desk,” he chuckled as he looked back from the doorway with Monique and Daniel on his heels, “Now Daniel’s dat’s a-nutter madder, as my wife would say.”
Brent shook his head at his friend’s not-so-gentle ribbing. “I want to know where you keep the handcuffs.” His pronouncement met with another elbow to the ribs, but he figured he might as well join their little ‘pussy-whipped’ husbands’ club officially by giving as good as he got.
“Third drawer from the top, last cabinet on the left, and there’s other fun interrogation tools in there too,” Samuel added with a perfectly straight face. “But I suggest you nip that one’s penchant for inflicting pain in the bud now. Before Jill fills her head with all kind of switchy shit.”
“Hey, nothing wrong with letting the little one have her turn on the other end of the ropes now and again,” Daniel winked at him. “Give it a try, you might like it.”
“I have a lovely black leather bustier I can loan you, mon cheri. The cowboy won’t know what hit him. Just who,” Monique winked at Lauren, whose face was flaming red by then.
“You three go eat, and we’ll catch up in a bit,” Brent shook his head.
