Chapter 10
CHAPTER TEN
The second Buck saw Obi-Wan, he grinned. His friend looked like shit. As if he hadn’t slept well in weeks. Which was only fair, since Buck’s sleep had been crap as well.
The man driving the car that picked them up at the orphanage hadn’t said much on the way to the military base, but the second they pulled into the lot of the very building where they’d made their plans to rescue Mandy and the kids, Buck finally relaxed.
The scene at the orphanage was weird. He couldn’t put his finger on what had made him so uneasy, but something wasn’t right.
Which was why he’d said Mandy would be coming with him back to the base.
She probably didn’t need to, but not only did he feel reluctant to part from her, he couldn’t leave her surrounded by the somewhat hostile vibe he’d felt at that place.
And it seemed as if she felt the same way, since she’d agreed so readily. He knew if she hadn’t felt something was off, she never would’ve wanted to be away from the children she adored. Especially the ones she’d bonded with even more deeply during their kidnapping nightmare.
“Buck!” Obi-Wan exclaimed, not hesitating to throw his arms around him and pound on his back a few times.
It felt good. Buck wasn’t a man who shied away from physical displays of affection.
Maybe that was because his parents hugged each other and their kids all the time while he was growing up.
Or because he had a sister who had no problem showing her love by hugging him.
Regardless, he returned his friend’s enthusiastic greeting, then pulled back.
“You know the colonel is gonna ride your ass for that stunt, right?”
Buck winced. Yeah, he knew that. Night Stalkers weren’t supposed to leave their aircrafts, yet not only had Casper done it—with disastrous results—now, so had he. “At least our chopper didn’t get blown up as a result,” he said with a chuckle.
“True. Laryn will be thankful, since it’s bad enough she has to get Casper’s new chopper up to snuff. If she had a second one to deal with at the same time, I think she’d quit on the spot. And I’m assuming this is the Amanda Rush?”
Turning, Buck smiled at Mandy, who’d been hanging back, giving him space to greet his friend. He held out his hand and, to his great satisfaction, she took it and let him pull her forward.
“Yes. Mandy, this is Obi-Wan, my copilot and one of the best damn chopper pilots in the world.”
“Obadiah Engle,” his teammate said, holding out his hand.
Mandy shook it, a small grin on her face. “I guess I know why people call you Obi-Wan.”
“Yup, because I fly my choppers like they’re starfighters,” he teased, returning her smile.
“He really does love Star Wars, so that’s definitely part of it, but apparently when he went to the recruiting station, the recruiter was trying to say his first name.
He said, ‘Obi-What?’ There were other guys in there signing up, and they thought he said, ‘Obi-Wan.’ Two of those recruits happened to be in his basic training platoon, and they introduced him as Obi-Wan to everyone. ”
“It stuck,” Obi-Wan said, with the same huge smile on his face.
Then it faded. “Are you guys all right? I did my best to persuade the colonel here to let me do some flyovers with the FLIR to find you, but apparently that first flight we did ruffled quite a few feathers over in Venezuela. He was told if another helicopter crossed into their airspace without prior approval, it would be considered a declaration of war.”
“Fuck,” Buck muttered.
“Exactly. But I wasn’t about to leave without you. I knew you’d make it out of that jungle, just had to give you some time. I’m sure Colonel Burgess will appreciate you not getting captured and making him have to do a shit-ton of paperwork to get your ass home,” Obi-Wan told Buck.
His friend was joking, but Buck could hear the concern and worry in his voice. He clapped a hand on his shoulder. “I’m sorry,” he said in a low voice. “I’m sorry I left you to deal with everything back here.”
He shook his head. “Not a problem.”
“And I’m sorry I forced Nash to leave you and the kids,” Mandy said.
“I heard about why you ran off. Have to say, I was pissed at the time, couldn’t imagine what the hell you were thinking. But after hearing the entire story, I get it.”
“I put Nash in danger. I put everyone in danger.”
Obi-Wan shrugged. “You’re here now. Safe. I’d say it all worked out in the end, and that’s all that matters. Sometimes the path to get where you want to be is full of twists and turns, but all that’s important is that you keep going until you get there…which you did.”
Buck appreciated his friend being diplomatic and not making Mandy feel worse than she already did about her actions.
“Now, I’m guessing you both want to take showers and eat.
Your room is in the same place it was, Buck, and I think they have a bunk for Amanda right down the same hall.
I can meet you in the cafeteria in about an hour?
Is that enough time to scrub off that jungle rot I can smell on you?
” Obi-Wan asked with a grin, letting them both know he was kidding.
“Perfect.”
“And there’s a firepit around here somewhere, I’m sure, where we can put those clothes. I think they could probably stand up on their own at this point.”
To his relief, Mandy chuckled.
“Come on. Apparently Obi-Wan’s been practicing his stand-up comedy routine—don’t quit your day job, buddy—and we’ve got a date with a hot shower.
” Buck still had Mandy’s hand in his, and he didn’t feel the least bit self-conscious about it.
They’d been through an intense ordeal together, and he didn’t give a shit what others thought about the obvious display of affection.
He wanted Mandy to know that he was serious about seeing her when she got back to Virginia.
Besides, the thought of being separated from her was…unsettling. They’d spent every minute of every day together, except for when he checked his snares, and it felt strange to even think about being away from her now.
“Whoa, is that a dog?” Obi-Wan asked incredulously. “It looks like a cross between a wolf and a sloth or something.”
Buck couldn’t believe he’d forgotten about Rain. He’d been so excited to see and talk to Obi-Wan that he’d gotten out of the transport car and hadn’t even thought about the poor dog.
Turning, he saw Rain was sitting in the middle of the parking lot right next to one of Mandy’s suitcases, which they’d grabbed from storage at the school, looking a little lost.
Mandy let go of his hand and crouched down. “Come ’ere, Rain.”
The dog immediately trotted over, allowing her to pet him.
“That’s Rain,” Buck told his copilot. “He kind of found us when we were in the jungle. Decided we were a better choice than the asshole rebels who were obviously abusing him. And the olives we kept feeding him while they lasted didn’t hurt.”
“We can’t leave him out here,” Mandy said, sounding stressed. “He won’t understand. And he might wander off, feeling rejected.”
“Of course we aren’t leaving him. He’ll come inside with us. That won’t be an issue, will it?” Buck asked his friend, communicating with him nonverbally by opening his eyes a little wider and raising a brow.
Obi-Wan immediately shook his head. “You’re kind of a sensation around here, Amanda. Especially when everyone heard what you did because you thought a child was missing. If you wanted King Kong himself to move into your bunk room, I’m sure no one would say a damn word.”
Buck could see Mandy visibly relax when she heard she wouldn’t be separated from the dog who’d played such a huge role in their ordeal.
“He saved our lives, you know. Prevented us from being recaptured,” Buck told his friend.
Now Obi-Wan’s brow lifted.
“It’s true. We were headed straight into the path of two rebels who were patrolling the border, in case their suspicions were correct and there was someone who hadn’t reached the chopper.
Rain pitched a fit and made us go in a different direction.
He knew they were out there, and if he hadn’t insisted we turn, we would’ve come face-to-face with those men. ”
“Huh. All the more reason for him to stay with you guys. I’ll make sure everyone hears that story, so there’re no complaints. But…and I hate to bring this up…what happens to him when we leave? Will he stay with you at the school, Amanda?”
“That’s what I wanted, but I don’t think Blair will approve him. I’m not sure what I’m going to do, but eventually I’m hoping to bring him home with me. I’ll need to find a vet and get him paperwork, and figure out what else I need to do in order to bring him back to the States when I go.”
“Lucky dog,” Obi-Wan said with a small smile. “I’ll see what I can find out for you. We’re kinda remote here, but there has to be a veterinarian somewhere. And someone who can foster him until you leave.”
“Oh, thank you so much!” Mandy gushed.
“My best friend is standing in front of me with a smile on his face and looking none the worse for the wear after his time in the rainforest. It’s the least I can do for the woman who’s made him look more content than I’ve seen him in a long time.
” Then Obi-Wan gave them a chin lift. “See you at the chow hall in an hour.”
He headed in the direction of the main building on the small military compound, while Buck, Mandy, and Rain walked in the opposite direction, toward a smaller two-story building that served as housing when needed.
Buck had grabbed Mandy’s suitcase and easily carried it in one hand while holding Mandy’s in the other one.
“Will we get in trouble for bringing him inside?” Mandy asked. “Do you think he’ll even come in with us?”
“I think he’ll go wherever you go,” Buck reassured her.
Sure enough, when they got to the building and Buck opened the door, Rain trotted inside as if he hadn’t lived outside his entire life. He followed Buck and Mandy up the stairs to the second floor.