Two Days Of A Dream (15 page)

He took a firm hold of her upper arm and marched Kelly down the now populated row of tents. She didn't appreciate the way he was manhandling her but didn't comment because she had to concentrate on not losing a sandal at the fast clip he had set.

The doctor, Coleman, and Larsen followed. Talbit tried to engage Coleman in a conversation, but she responded with one and two word answers. That didn’t deter him, and he continued his mostly one-sided conversation. He would ask her a question and wait patiently for her short response before sprinting off into another subject, ever hopeful of drawing her out. Larsen was ignored to fume quietly on Coleman’s other side.

Kelly glanced back often to see how they were doing. Coleman didn't look comfortable. Larsen, ramrod straight, frowning at the distance ahead. She could tell he didn't like the attention the doctor showed Coleman. She couldn't blame Larsen. Coleman was beautiful and smart, and Larsen seemed to have a lot in common with her from what little Kelly had seen of them together.

They came to a larger tent than all the rest except the mess tent. Soldiers milled around outside and seemed to be waiting for something. All eyes turned when they approached.

Kelly heard one of them whisper, "She's not wearing the sexy dress."

They were waiting for her, and she thought she really liked Marines. They were far more appreciative than any other men she'd met.

One of the men pulled the tent flap to one side. "Sir, they're here." He nodded to someone inside the tent and shifted his rifle. "Yes, sir." He turned to Cap and said, "The colonel will see you now."

He opened the flap all the way and Cap ushered Kelly in. Coleman and Larsen didn't follow, but Talbit was close on their heels.

The colonel didn't look up from the papers on his makeshift desk. "Have a seat."

His desk looked like the lid to a very large crate that had been inverted and now lay on top of two smaller crates. It was big. It suited him, Kelly thought.

He continued reading the papers, occasionally writing something down. His total disregard for them irritated her. She had always hoped there wasn't another like her father. But here he was in the flesh. Her stomach felt queasy.

A sergeant sat at a smaller desk to the colonel's left. He had a pad of paper and pen and seemed to be waiting for something. She looked from man to man, hoping this would be over soon; she felt the tiredness return.

Cap steered her to the second of two seats facing the colonel. She grumbled at the way he pushed her down, as though she might not sit. Cap then took the chair next to her without a word or a glance.

The colonel grunted but otherwise didn't comment. It figured that she would get stuck with Talbit, too. In his own good time, the older man pushed the papers away and looked Kelly square in the eyes.

"Those ‘sweet young men’ had enough explosives to blow this camp to smithereens! What were you supposed to do, lead them to the fuel depot?"

She cringed. "I was looking for Cap."

The colonel's voice rose with disbelief. "You were looking for Captain Duran?"

He looked at Cap, who didn't move or even bat an eye. She thought Cap braver than herself as she cringed away, just like she used to do from her father. Her hands trembled in her lap and she didn't want to chance her voice breaking, so she just nodded.

The colonel breathed in deep and leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms over his chest. In corporate management classes, Kelly learned that Broan’s body language meant he didn't believe her. Two could play that game. She, too, leaned back and crossed her arms over her chest.

Her father had never believed her, either. The thought made her laugh inside, since she had always been such a scaredy-cat that she never did anything wrong on purpose. Her stomach flipped. She was still that way, at least when it came to her father … and now Broan.

Chapter Twenty

She had guts. Duran had to give her that. She had taken the same stance as Broan. She looked less intimidating in his oversized clothes that bunched up everywhere her body bent. Even the large sandal that dangled from the foot she rocked from over her knee was almost comical. She was scared, but she wasn't going to let Broan know that. She definitely had guts.

But Broan knew. He'd been in this game long before she was born and after their first encounter was ready for her. But even he hadn't come across someone quite like the woman who sat on the other side of his expansive desk and defied him. Duran had never seen anyone confound Broan like she had when they first met in his tent, earlier. She was good, and her story alone had everyone baffled.

Duran could tell this would be a long interrogation, as Broan and Kelly both were going to play the game. It was like watching a chess match but more interesting.

His question startled Duran. It seemed absurd, to him, that Kelly could have anything to do with the terrorists. Duran knew that was why Broan was in charge of this interrogation.

She didn't bat an eye. "I haven't planned any attack. Now, the Stevens account is beginning to feel like an attack. I can't believe how many strategies I have in play right now. It's a good thing my staff is well trained."

"Colonel ... Broan, right?" Duran poked her in the leg where the colonel couldn't see, but she ignored him. "None of my people deal with terrorists. They don't have time for extracurricular activities."

Broan turned his head to look at Duran before he unhurriedly looked back at Kelly. "What's your title?" He looked down at the paper on his desk.

"That's Senior Marketing Analyst. I haven't been a mere manager for almost three years." She seemed very proud of her accomplishment, and Duran wondered what she actually did for a living.

"I took the condo when I was made senior analyst, so, about three years ago. The view isn't great but the layout is excellent."

Duran thought he would like to see that layout. He changed position.
Mustn't think of that,
he chided himself.

Broan rubbed the day’s bristle, on his chin, making a scratching sound. "How long have you lived in Omaha?"

Kelly sighed. "I moved to Lincoln to go to the University and stayed there when Temme offered me a position. I guess I've been in Lincoln a dozen years."

"When did the Hamas recruit you?"

"Hamas?" She leaned forward, her forehead creased in a question. "Oh ... right." She relaxed against the back of the chair. "I've never been recruited by anyone. I'm much too busy. Not even TeamMates has been able to entice me to give up a little bit of my time."

"What's TeamMates?"

"TeamMates is an organization that matches elementary through high school students with adult volunteers for one-on-one time so the child can have a friend/mentor."

"So, you've been too busy getting indoctrinated to spend time with a kid?" Broan folded his arms.

She blinked a few times.
Trying to come up with an excuse?

"Come on
Mssss.
Goins, just answer the question." Broan leaned back, cocking his head to the side.

She held up one finger. "Just give me a minute. I'm trying to figure out how you got such a ludicrous idea from what I just said."

"Is it ludicrous?" He tapped his pen on the edge of the desk and then laid it down.

"Yes! Granted, I should volunteer, but that doesn't make me a terrorist." She sighed contemplatively. "You're right, though. I should be a TeamMate. It's probably the only way
I'm
going to influence a child." She sighed again and the wistfulness pricked the room. As the sadness flit across her face Duran wanted to hold, and comfort her.

"South of Lincoln." She took in a deep breath and squared her shoulders. "My favorite color is purple, my zodiac sign is Leo, I was my high school valedictorian, I love to swim and hike although I don't get to very often." She frowned at Broan. "Would you ring the bell so I can switch to a new speed date?"

Broan flung himself back, showing his first sign of irritation, and huffed. "You don't really believe you're dreaming all this, do you?"

She lifted her fisted hands. "Of course I am.” She grimaced as she slowly spread her fingers out and placed them, palm down, on his desk. “How else could I get here?"

Broan threw his hands up.

Chapter Twenty-one

Kelly felt in her bones, when this interrogation started, it would take a long time. Her bones were seldom wrong. She lost count of how many times Broan asked the same questions again and again and she repeated the same answers. Two hours later, Broan shook his head, partly from frustration and partly from exhaustion.

Kelly felt she really shouldn't be sorry for this man who had barked question after question and repeatedly accused her of being a spy. Anyone who knew her would have laughed hysterically at the notion of her being anything but a corporate climber. Bullheaded, obstinate, and determined but not a spy. She didn't look like a spy, not even a corporate spy. But no one here knew that. Nevertheless, she did feel sorry for the man with the deep, dark bags under his eyes. The creases and lines added to his gaunt features. She noticed both men needed sleep.

She had hoped Cap would stand up for her, but he didn't know her, either. Kelly faced the fact that he would never know her. This was a dream, and Cap had been conjured up by her subconscious. Soon she would wake, and there was a good possibility she would never see him again, not even in another dream. The thought made her sad, and she felt tears prick her eyes.

"Yes, but that's your job. You're supposed to be hard on those you suspect." She shrugged. "I don't know how to convince you that I'm not a spy." She arched her back and tried to relax her tense shoulders. "I guess it really doesn't matter; I'm going to wake and all of you will be gone."

Kelly couldn't help the glance she took at Cap. She was afraid now that she would wake any moment, and she wanted to make sure she saw him one last time before she did, realizing that each time she looked could be the last.