Page 24 of Operation: Valiant Angel

Tessman laughed. “Twins, Sloan is so screwed.”

Wilson laughed with him. “Yeah,” he agreed. “I can’t even imagine having one baby dependent on me, let alone two at once.”

“That’s why I always slip on the raincoat. I don’t want any unwelcome surprises,” Tessman said.

Wilson laughed. “It’s too bad the ladies we met last night flew home today.”

“Yeah, Jackie was fun. I wouldn’t have minded another day or two of her company.” He took a long pull from his can of beer. “I have Jackie’s contact info. If I’m ever in Atlanta, I’ll reach out to her. She said her friend, Tanya, doesn’t hook up. Is that true? Did you go back to your room alone last night?”

Wilson gazed out over the water again. “It would have been nice to be with her last night, but I’m not disappointed with how it went. It was cool just talking with her. She’s smart, getting her doctorate in astrophysics. She’s like on this completely different intellectual plane than the rest of us, analytical instead of emotional.”

“Yeah, right,” Tessman agreed in a way that communicated he didn’t believe a word Wilson said. “So, have you collected another friend?”

Wilson laughed and then pinned Tessman with a stare. “Don’t start with that again. I haven’t even thought about my other friend the whole time we’ve been here,” he lied.

The truth was, after he’d returned to his room the previous evening, Rae or Reina, as he was trying to make himself think of her as, had been in his thoughts. He had evaluated his relationship with her against what Tanya had said about him being the kind of person she’d want in her life, someone who is satisfied with their own life and not needing another to make them complete.

That was how he felt, too. If he was ever to have a relationship, it would be with someone who was independent and didn’t need him, just wanted him. Was that his issue with Rae? He didn’t feel that she was at that point in her life. Of course, thinking about her in those terms meant he had a romantic personal interest. He would never hold that lens up to decide if someone was friends-worthy. And in the back of his mind was what Garcia said. She had always been with men out of need. Maybe he did see her as a project, someone who needed his help.

“So I was thinking of reaching out to that flight attendant after we get back to the resort and see what she and her friend are planning for the evening. Maybe tonight will go differently for you,” Tessman said.

Wilson groaned inside. “Sure, whatever,” he said casually. “I plan to be on the dive boat as early as possible tomorrow. I want to make the most of the day before our late flight back.”

“That makes two of us,” Tessman said. “You turning into an old man on me? Can’t party late and still be up to dive early?” he teased.

Wilson scratched his forehead with his middle finger, flipping Tessman off while flashing him a smirk. Tessman grinned. When they reached the resort, they each went to their rooms with the intention of getting cleaned up. They’d meet at the poolside bar and grill again.

When Wilson stepped from the shower, an image hit his brain that made him stop in his tracks. Flashing through his mind was the scene inside the little shack after he’d kicked the door in when the two dumb-shit kids had launched ice at their SUV a few days earlier. One second, he saw his accurate memory of the boys within, cowering when the door exploded inward. The next second, he saw their bloodied bodies.

He stumbled over to the bed and sat on the edge, trying to purge the horrendous thought and calm his racing heart. He hadn’t given an order to return fire. The boys hadn’t been shot. Where the fuck had that image come from? And why did his brain present him with this thought now?

After several deep breaths, his heart rate returned to normal, and he ran his fingers through his wet hair, pushing it from his face. In all his years doing this job, he’d never experienced a flash of what could have gone differently, tragically, in an operation. When ordered to take a shot, or when giving that order, he never hesitated. If he was in a leadership role, he evaluated the situation and went with the best possible option. Often, there was no time for a lengthy analysis. He relied on his gut instinct from years of experience.

Then he reminded himself that was what he’d done in that situation. He knew immediately that something didn’t seem right. Somehow, he knew that the threat they faced wasn’t what it appeared to be. Blind deadly force was not called for. He’d made the right call. His team and the dumb-shit boys in the shed were all alive because he had. But that still didn’t explain why that possible outcome had just flashed through his thoughts.

Just then, his phone pinged with a text message. He retrieved it from the bathroom counter, feeling irritated that it was probably Tessman, asking him what was taking him so long. His room was stocked with a mini bar. He helped himself to a rum and diet and sat on the bed before checking the message. It wasn’t Tessman. The text was from Rae.

“Hi, I just wanted to share this,” her message read. It was followed by a screenshot of the student portal showing her as an enrolled student at Kirkwood Community College in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. “I did it! I enrolled in my first college class. It starts next week.”

Wilson found himself smiling, happy for her. He wanted to tell her he was proud of her and that she’d do great, but his prior thoughts, wondering if he saw her as a project, someone he needed to help build, stopped him. He thought about his reply and sipped his drink before tapping it out. “Thank you for sharing. English 101, huh?”

“Can I call? It would be easier to talk than text,” she messaged.

Wilson hit dial, placing the call to her.

“Hello,” she answered. “I’m glad you could talk. I didn’t want to text it all.”

“Yes, I have a few minutes,” he said.

“So, I met with an admissions counselor on a Zoom call yesterday. Even though it was a snow day for us, they were all working remotely, so it worked out. She helped me with the application, and we talked about the path to my degree. She suggested I do my gen-eds first, and we even talked about me transferring to UIU, Upper Iowa University, to complete my bachelor’s degree and get my teaching certificate down the road. It’s a flexible university with accelerated programs. There’s a campus in Cedar Rapids and a lot of online or remote classes.”

He could hear the excitement in her voice. It made him smile. “That’s great, Rae. I’m amazed you jumped on it yesterday.”

“I told you I was going to.”

He chuckled. “You did. I guess I just learned that when you say you’re going to do something, you’re not just blowing smoke.”

She also laughed. “No, I rarely blow smoke. Seriously though, Jimmy, thank you for the encouragement.”

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