He really wasn't.If Faith caught wind of what was going on, she would immediately pursue this investigation without fear of the potential consequences.If she knew about Chastain's thinly veiled warning, she would probably drive to Quantico herself and start shouting at generals until she had Chastain's ass in a chair so she could wax eloquent about the gruesome fate that awaited him if he threatened her husband again.
The last thing Faith needed was the US Marine Corps coming after her.The last thing David needed was to know that it was his fault.She had enough on her plate.This was his fight.
Another truck left, this one a Ram 3500 dually pickup painted drab green but otherwise indistinguishable from any other consumer pickup.The open bed contained an artillery piece with bright red reflective tape around the last foot of the barrel and an equally bright red plastic cap over the muzzle.The truck accelerated rapidly down the dirt road, bouncing over a couple of ruts to the consternation of the NCO watching the gate and the delight of the Marines inside the cab.
David took pictures of that too.He was going to take pictures of everything that happened at the Gunnery Sergeant Samantha R.Nielsen Testing and Research Center at the base.If anything, untoward was happening with dogs on this base, this was probably where it was happening.
Or so he assumed.He really had no idea what he was doing here.He just knew he had to dosomething.At the moment, that something was driving his Subaru Outback up a dirt hill, parking it in a stand of mockernut hickories, and taking pictures with his cell phone at maximum magnification, yielding grainy images of so far about a dozen trucks ranging from a semi-sized ten-ton to the Ram dually with a few five tons and seven deuce-and-a-halfs rounding out the complement.The research building had no windows, and other than the loading dock, where such suspicious items as boxes of paper and rolls of carpet were loaded and unloaded, respectively, David saw nothing that happened within.
And it wasn’t like he could just sneak in and take a peek.He was already far exceeding the logical limit of his ability to investigate.If he tried to enter the base, he would be caught within seconds.
His phone buzzed, and he jumped.He sighed when he saw Faith’s number, then took a deep breath and forced a smile.“Hey, babe.How’s the case?”
“Why do you sound weird?Is everything okay?”
David allowed himself a half-second to marvel at how easily Faith saw through his lie.One sentence, and Faith already knew he was out of sorts.
Of course she did.She’s the greatest detective alive.
“I’m a bit under the weather,” he said.
“Yeah, I know.I just called your office, and they said you called in sick.”
Oh, thank God, I told her the same lie.“Yeah, it’s nothing.I think it’s just a little cold.”
“But it’s warm outside.”
“So, colds are actually caused by germs, Faith.It doesn’t matter if it’s cold or warm outside.”
“Fuck you.”
“Sure, I’m down.I’m not that sick.”
“Ha ha.Well, I’m not going to be home until late tonight, andifI’m home, I’ll be spending my time working, so you’re going to have to keep it in your pants and rest.”She paused a second, then said, “I’m probably not going to be home tonight.”
“That’s fine,” David said.“I get it.Sergeant Meyers is way hotter than I am.”When Faith didn’t reply for a long moment, David said, “Hey, I was kidding.I didn’t mean to make you upset.”
“I’m already upset,” Faith said.“We put a warning out about this guy, and we got a call that looked promising, but it turned out to be a Karen pissed that some guy was at a dog park without a dog.”
“Did he match a description or something?”
“You know, I don’t appreciate you replying logically to my complaining,” Faith replied.
David laughed.“You’re right, how rude of me.Sorry, I’m just not happy with being sick.”
“Yeah, I know.You get man colds worse than Michael used to.”
David thought of a joke to tease Faith about Michael.Her old partner was also his best friend, but years ago, they had a brief romantic relationship before Faith met David.He liked getting her goat about it, mostly because it was one of the few ways that he knew he could get her.Now probably wasn’t the time, though.
“David?Are you there, or are you pouting?”
“Pouting.Horribly.I thought you loved me, and you come at me with this shit?”
Faith giggled, and David felt a pinch of longing for her so powerful he nearly told her to forget about the case and come home now so he could hold her and forget about everything for a while.He imagined her gathering him into her arms, pressing his face against her chest, soft and warm and—
“David?Are youstillthere?”
He pulled himself reluctantly from the image of her skin against his.“Yeah, I’m still here.”Still learning jack-all about the 93rdTesting Brigade.
