62. Mission Accomplished?
Mission Accomplished?
Tonight was our last night in the city. Everyone had a flight to catch at first light in the morning; they were sending each of us back home, to different cities, in different states.
Spider was headed to DC. Widow to LA. Cash and Thor to New York City but they would go their separate ways from there.
Professor had a sweet pad in Hawaii; he couldn’t wait to get back.
Saint would return to his family farm in Alabama.
And Jerry? Well, he was somewhat of a nomad.
His RV home was parked at the DC airport; from there he’d venture out to the national parks and travel the country.
The biggest surprise of the night was learning Belle had made a sudden decision to come back to Miami instead of DC; she told me she wanted to see where our relationship would lead. I was ecstatic.
“So, have you decided?” Belle said, stroking my hair.
“Yeah! You can stay in my place while you search for an apartment in the city,” I said, turning to her. “But shouldn’t you wait until the transfer to the Miami FBI field office is complete?”
“It’s done. Michael said he’d give me anything I wanted,” Belle replied.
“You’re in for it now. Ha!” Spider said, laughing obnoxiously. He spilled some of his red wine on the floor.
“Watch it! The red wine is older than you are!” Widow said, stuffing her face with more spaghetti.
“Will you stop eating?” Saint said, cleaning his rifle.
“Will you put that thing away? The bad guys are dead.”
“Are they?” Saint replied, stopping to look at Widow. She looked down and continued eating.
“It’s our last night together,” Spider said, finishing his glass of red wine.
“Please, try to get along. Who knows how long this forced vacation will last. Honestly, they’ll probably bring us in, one by one, for interrogation.
They big wigs in DC want to know what the hell happened.
This was a classified program after all. ”
“He’s right,” Belle said. “And now the whole world is aware that something serious happened. Well, the foreign governments, at least. Most people will go about their daily lives, ignorant of what happened here. That’s why they’ve shut down the super computer; sealed the area and are spreading that fake story on the news. ”
“What was it again? A gas explosion?” I said.
“It’s one of their favorites,” Thor said. “That, or training accident.”
“So, you two seem awfully cozy,” Jerry said, finishing another gelato. “It’s a rather odd match, wouldn’t you say?”
“Odd match? I guess so,” I said, looking at Belle.
“I don’t think so!” Belle said, pouting.
“No. No, I wouldn’t. Why is it odd?” Widow said, indignant.
“It’s fine, Widow. I can see why it looks that way,” Belle said. “Our personalities are a bit different.”
“Belle’s too demanding. Alex will be burned out within six months,” Spider said, cackling. The rest of the guys joined in on the laugh; Widow didn’t find it too amusing; Nor Belle.
“I’m willing to give it a try,” I said. “If she is.”
Belle suddenly turned to me and grabbed my cheeks, giving them a soft squeeze; she smiled wider than I’d ever seen her smile before and planted a wet kiss on my lips.
The team became raucous and jeered from a distance, to my annoyance, but I tuned them out quickly.
All my attention had turned to her. To Belle. She was my future now.