Teegan, page 17
“Lots of things don’t make sense,” he replied, “but you and I both know we need to find her and to hear from her, before this goes any further.”
“And yet we’ve narrowed the possible suspects down to a very small group of people.”
“We have.” Mountain tossed him a look. “And, for that group of people, we need some damn-good reasons for what’s happening.”
Teegan didn’t say anything, but he knew what his brother meant. It was pretty hard to accuse any of these people because they all seemed so ludicrously normal and unlikely suspects in this event. “Mason was also supposed to get us some more information on correlations between these people.”
“Everybody knew everybody before this session, except for,” he took a moment to add, “several of the foreign team.”
“They did switch in and out quite a few times, didn’t they?”
“They did. And Nikolai, with his frenemy Eric, has triggered some of this second round of suspicions.”
“And yet Eric was here from day one, until he went rogue, and now he’s dead. So why is it that we suddenly think he’s got something to do with this drama still?”
“I don’t know about suddenly,” Mountain clarified, looking over at his brother, “but, when it comes to sorting out who’s involved, it’s been suggested that Eric was blackmailing somebody. By the looks of it, … it had to do with Nikolai’s father’s death. It had to do with somebody who was potentially on the ground over there at the time. Besides, Peter was a father to both of them. That doesn’t mean that it’s not a case of mistaken identity. It doesn’t mean that the blackmail was happening already, and really none of it means anything because we don’t have any proof.”
“You’re really thinking that Amelia will give you any of that?” Teegan asked, with a headshake.
“No, I’m not.” Mountain stopped, facing his brother. “Yet I am expecting that she’ll know some answers and will add one more piece of the puzzle. Maybe. Or maybe more than one.” Then Mountain shook his head. “I sure hope not, but it feels as if we’re close, damn close.”
Teegan had to admit his brother had always been a very positive person, but this went over and beyond that attitude. “I hope so too. However, it seems to be a lost cause.”
“Don’t even go there.” Mountain glared at him. “I didn’t give up on you, and I’m not giving up on Amelia.”
Something in his brother’s attitude made Teegan wonder. “You’ve met her before, haven’t you?”
“I have. I saw her early on but not for long, and she wasn’t close enough that I could read her facial expressions.”
Teegan didn’t say anything to that for a moment, while he considered the possibilities. “You met her at the village then, didn’t you?”
“She was just leaving, and I didn’t understand who she was or what her connection was to any of this at the time,” he explained. “Of course, if I had a chance to talk to her now, it would be a whole different story.”
Teegan laughed. “Maybe that’s why she’s keeping well away from you.”
“Maybe it is,” Mountain admitted. “God knows there isn’t any other explanation.”
“Sure there is, bro. She doesn’t trust you.”
“She doesn’t even know me enough to know whether she can trust me or not,” he argued, “and that’s more of a problem. If she had trusted us, she wouldn’t have kept you out there as long as she did. Besides, she ought to trust Magnus. I don’t know how many times he went up to the scientists’ camp to keep their generator going. It seems as if Amelia’s making decisions without all the information, which doesn’t make sense, considering she’s a scientist. How long does she think she can keep this up?”
Teegan added, “We don’t have anywhere near the information we need either. I don’t know even how long she had me, and, for all I know, I was kidnapped back, and she stole me again. We have nothing solid on the timeline for the period I was missing.”
Mountain frowned and nodded. “I hadn’t considered that, but honestly, it makes no sense. If she took you from him twice, that would mean she would have to know exactly who is behind this.”
“So, maybe she’s protecting him,” Teegan suggested.
“She’s a scientist though, not a mercenary. For God’s sake, what the hell is going on here?” Mountain muttered.
Without much in the way of answers, they continued to hunt, going through all the places Mountain had registered as having potential. Soon Teegan realized that his brother had absolutely no intention of letting him out of his sight.
As they headed back, turning toward the base, they heard an odd sound in the distance. Mountain stopped and cranked his head to the side, listening intently. Teegan pulled up beside him and asked, “What do you hear?”
“Shots,” he replied in a low voice. “I swear to God, I’m hearing gunfire.” With that, he took off at a fast pace, heading in the direction of the sounds.
The trouble was, in this cold, sound was often very deceptive. It would come across crisp and clear because of the cold, yet could be quite difficult to track down. Teegan watched his brother, trying to keep up as Mountain raced ahead, almost in a panic, and realized that he likely thought that Amelia was either shooting or getting shot at.
At that thought, Teegan’s heart filled with dread, and he raced after his brother, hoping they could find this woman who had saved him. But, after Teegan finally caught up to his brother, he got somber, seeing Mountain looking around in anger and frustration. “Nobody’s here.”
“There was, though,” Mountain bit off.
“Yes, there was, but maybe it was a case of chasing us away from where we were or something.”
When shots were fired a second time, Teegan was suddenly flung to the ground, Mountain on top of him, with orders to stay down. When still nothing came a few minutes later, Teegan slowly lifted his head, his brother on the ground beside him. When another shot rang out, hitting not ten feet away, it poofed in the snow, as if the shot had been directed specifically into that location, where Teegan glimpsed some plastic white sheeting. A bullet hitting it made a different sound than when hitting the surrounding snow.
Teegan realized that the shooter wasn’t trying to kill them at all. The shooter was trying to show them something.
Day 6 Dinnertime
Sitting at a dining room table, eating dinner, Sandrine was partially included in some of the conversations around her. Not completely, but a couple people stopped to talk to her at least. Some others at her table ate pretty quickly and left, but still, she didn’t feel quite so isolated, as she had since she first arrived. Maybe because she’d gotten into trouble, maybe because people felt she didn’t really understand the dangers.
She didn’t know what caused it, but it was a much more enjoyable experience than she’d had up until now. When a shadow crossed her table, she looked up to see Magnus. She frowned at him. “Any word?” she asked in a low voice.
He nodded. “They’re on their way back.”
She smiled, feeling some of her tension lightening up. “Were they successful, though?” she asked, sensing something in his voice.
He shrugged. “That remains to be seen.”
She rolled her eyes at him. “In other words, yes, but I’m not cleared to know, so you can’t tell me anything. Got it.”
He burst out laughing. “You got all of that from my response, huh?”
“Yeah, well, it’s been a theme since I got here,” she replied. “I get it. I just arrived. I’m a nobody, and, as far as you guys are all concerned, … I’m not trustworthy. And everybody who has been here is suspicious because I came in, when they weren’t allowed to leave.”
He smiled. “I guess that makes for a fairly uncomfortable time here, doesn’t it?”
“Whatever,” she muttered, as she glanced around. “But apparently because I screwed up so badly last night, people are talking to me now. Who knew that’s what it took to get people to be friendly?”
Frowning, he sat down beside her. “Have people really been that standoffish?”
She looked over at Magnus and then at the people scattered behind him. “What do you think?”
He winced and nodded. “Funny the things that you don’t see because it’s not part of your world.”
“That’s pretty normal for everybody, I would think,” she muttered, with a shrug. “Not sure what kind of a statement you were trying to make there, but I’m pretty sure it’s just life.”
He smiled. “How are you and Teegan doing?”
“If the guy would ever stay put long enough to get better, we might be doing fine,” she said, with a smirk. “As far as our relationship, if that’s what you’re asking, it’s fine. Not quite back to where we were, but in a way in a better place. Especially now that he’s regaining some of his memories and knows he hasn’t forgotten about another relationship, which was my concern.” He didn’t say anything but continued to work on his plate of food. “Where’s Sydney?” she asked suddenly.
He nodded in the direction of the clinic. “She’s still in the clinic, said she would be a little while.”
That didn’t make a whole lot of sense to her, but she nodded slowly. “I gather she had somebody coming in that I’m not allowed to see.”
He smiled. “Did she send you out?”
“Yeah, a while ago. She told me to go off and to have a little time to myself, that, since things had calmed down, it would be a good chance for me to take a little time away,” she repeated, trying to shake the thoughts of something brewing at the clinic. “At the time, I didn’t think anything of it, but, if you’re sitting here, eating dinner without her, that means she’s doing something in the clinic that she doesn’t want me to see.” At that, she rolled her eyes. “I’m telling you, this place is full of secrets.”
He stiffened at that. “Any secrets you’ve heard recently?”
“No, nobody’s talking to mem, remember?”
He nodded and didn’t say anything, but he continued to eat. He looked around, and several other people came and went, but nobody came over to talk to them.
“I guess you’re used to this kind of treatment up here, aren’t you?” she asked. “Where nobody talks to you, where they come and go, steal a look in your direction, then pick up speed and scurry on a little faster.”
He gave her an odd look and shrugged. “Sometimes that’s the way it goes, … particularly with the work I’m doing.”
“Right? All that secret investigative stuff, huh?”
“Doesn’t seem it’s very secret if you know about it,” he teased, with a half smile.
She shrugged. “But would I know if I wasn’t around Sydney a lot?” she asked, with a questioning gaze. “I doubt it, and I’m pretty sure you guys try to keep all that stuff super secret.”
He grinned. “And yet super-secret stuff doesn’t necessarily stay secret.”
“I think that’s a fundamental law of a secret,” she noted. “The minute you try and keep one, it goes to pot, and everybody knows.” She got up, taking her empty coffee cup with her, and grabbed herself a hot cup of coffee and a big cookie. As she sat back down again, Magnus eyed the cookie appreciatively. Sandrine nodded. “They just came out. Sydney would probably want one too, if you’re taking dinner back for her.”
“I will,” he said, as he got up. He smiled at her and added in a smooth voice, “Teegan should be home soon.”
“Glad to hear it.” She watched, as Magnus loaded up a plate for Sydney and walked out.
Even if Sandrine went to the clinic, she knew she wouldn’t be allowed inside. Apparently the identity of the patient was protected, somebody who wasn’t allowed to be seen. She wasn’t sure who that was, but it could just as easily have been the CO. She was sure that, if he were ill, even with a cold or a flu, he wouldn’t want anybody to see him down there. Sandrine waited a little bit longer and then got up, grabbed a cup of tea, and headed to her room, determined to stay there and to enjoy some peace and quiet, while it lasted. Besides, Sydney would call for her, if needed.
Things could get awfully hairy here, changing from one minute to the next. As she walked past the clinic, several people bolted from it and headed toward the main entrance to the base, Sydney and Magnus among them.
Sandrine watched them in alarm. “Do you need me?”
Sydney called back, “No, we’re good.”
And that was a definite No, you’re not needed message if Sandrine had ever heard one. Curious, she followed the crowd to see what the commotion was. As she reached the main door, Teegan had just arrived, shedding his outerwear in the gear room. As she got close enough, she noted he was doing okay, but he was exhausted, his face red and tired.
When he caught sight of her, his face lit up immediately.
It was enough to warm her heart and to make her feel as if she were included, and more importantly, meant to be here. She had to admit that, up until now, that was often a state she didn’t really recognize. Walking nearer, she asked, “You okay?”
He smiled at her, then nodded. “Yeah, but I am really looking forward to dinner.” He looked at the teacup in her hand. “I gather you’ve already eaten.”
She nodded. “I wasn’t sure when you were coming back, but, if you’re hungry now, I’ll come with you and drink my tea.”
Sydney, Magnus, and Mountain joined them, and the doc announced, “We’ll be eating in the clinic.” Sydney hesitated, looked at them, and then added, “If you want, you can join us.”
Surprised but pleased, Sandrine nodded. “Fine, I can wait in the clinic, if you two guys want to go get food.”
And, with that, Teegan and Mountain took off to grab some food, before it was put away. Sydney and Magnus walked back with Sandrine to the clinic.
Once inside the clinic, with the door shut, Sandrine noted, “I gather they found something.”
“Yeah, we’re not sure what though,” Magnus said, with a nod.
“Teegan’s energy levels are pretty low, so I sent him to get food before it was all gone,” Sydney shared. “We’ll talk to them in a few minutes.”
Because Teegan had looked pretty tired, Sandrine’s first instincts were to go help him. As she waited a few minutes, Magnus got up and quickly disappeared. Sandrine looked over at Sydney and frowned.
“Trust them.” Sydney spoke quietly. “If there’s a problem, they’ll let us know.”
Sandrine settled back on one of the few chairs in the clinic. “It’s just frustrating sometimes.”
“It’s frustrating all the time, but you do get used to it.”
“Do you?” she asked, with a wry look at her boss. “Not so sure about that.”
“If you want to keep a relationship, you do,” the doc stated, her voice calm. “These guys are heavily involved in something here, and the reality is, we may never be privy to all the details.”
“Yeah, it’s the something part that’s a little odd.”
“No, it is what it is,” she declared, “until this is settled.”
“And then what?” Sandrine asked. “Will you stay or …”
“It depends on what’s happening here.” She lifted a shoulder. “If the training base is staying open, then I’ll be staying because I’ll still be under contract for this assignment. However, that doesn’t mean that anybody else will be staying, and, in terms of our group, … that has yet to be determined.”
“Ah, right,” Sandrine confirmed, finding a smile. “Let’s hope that we find a healthy, happy solution to this mess.”
At that, the door opened, and Magnus walked in, followed by Teegan and Mountain. He was carrying a tray and so were the two brothers. As they sat down, the beds and tables quickly filled up. Before anybody had a chance to say anything else, the two big men started plowing into their food. She watched Mountain, fascinated as he ate well over half the plate in what seemed to be five bites. When he looked up and caught her gaze, she was still staring at him.
He raised an eyebrow. “Never seen a man eat before?”
“Never seen a plate disappear in five bites before,” she replied. “Do you want me to get you more?”
He contemplated that for a moment, then shook his head. “I should be good.”
She nodded doubtfully, as he studied the rest of his plate, then looked over at Teegan, who was watching his brother with a grin on his face. “You’re both in awfully high spirits,” Sandrine noted, “so I gather you found something that’s making you happy.”
“I don’t know about making us happy,” Mountain clarified, “but we were shot at today.”
At that, everybody stiffened and stared at him in shock.
“But were we?” Teegan asked him out loud. “I’m not so sure that we were shot at, versus somebody was shooting in our direction, trying to show us something.”
“What were they trying to show you, if they were shooting in your direction?” Magnus asked.
Mountain looked at him and grinned. “That’s the thing. Looks to be another cache in a snow cave. We opened it up and brought everything back with us,” he shared, looking around, noting their packs on the far side of the room. “And it’s all in there.”
Magnus hopped up and brought the bags over where he could slowly unpack them. Almost immediately, he whistled. “Do you recognize any of this stuff?” he asked, turning to look at Teegan.
Teegan nodded. “Yes, a lot of it looks to be from where I was held captive. I just don’t know whether it was Amelia’s or not.”
“So, who is it you think was doing the shooting?” Magnus asked, sitting back. “Are you thinking they were deliberately trying to show you this?”
Mountain nodded. “Yes. They fired all around us and then seemed to really target the one spot. I think they were trying to locate the snow cave from a distance as well, so that we could see it.”
“Jesus,” Magnus muttered, as he stared at him.
Then came a knock on the door. Everybody froze, and then the knock came again, with a funny staccato. When it opened up again, Barret and Egan stepped in. “Hey,” they said together, watching the expressions on everyone’s face.
“And yet we’ve narrowed the possible suspects down to a very small group of people.”
“We have.” Mountain tossed him a look. “And, for that group of people, we need some damn-good reasons for what’s happening.”
Teegan didn’t say anything, but he knew what his brother meant. It was pretty hard to accuse any of these people because they all seemed so ludicrously normal and unlikely suspects in this event. “Mason was also supposed to get us some more information on correlations between these people.”
“Everybody knew everybody before this session, except for,” he took a moment to add, “several of the foreign team.”
“They did switch in and out quite a few times, didn’t they?”
“They did. And Nikolai, with his frenemy Eric, has triggered some of this second round of suspicions.”
“And yet Eric was here from day one, until he went rogue, and now he’s dead. So why is it that we suddenly think he’s got something to do with this drama still?”
“I don’t know about suddenly,” Mountain clarified, looking over at his brother, “but, when it comes to sorting out who’s involved, it’s been suggested that Eric was blackmailing somebody. By the looks of it, … it had to do with Nikolai’s father’s death. It had to do with somebody who was potentially on the ground over there at the time. Besides, Peter was a father to both of them. That doesn’t mean that it’s not a case of mistaken identity. It doesn’t mean that the blackmail was happening already, and really none of it means anything because we don’t have any proof.”
“You’re really thinking that Amelia will give you any of that?” Teegan asked, with a headshake.
“No, I’m not.” Mountain stopped, facing his brother. “Yet I am expecting that she’ll know some answers and will add one more piece of the puzzle. Maybe. Or maybe more than one.” Then Mountain shook his head. “I sure hope not, but it feels as if we’re close, damn close.”
Teegan had to admit his brother had always been a very positive person, but this went over and beyond that attitude. “I hope so too. However, it seems to be a lost cause.”
“Don’t even go there.” Mountain glared at him. “I didn’t give up on you, and I’m not giving up on Amelia.”
Something in his brother’s attitude made Teegan wonder. “You’ve met her before, haven’t you?”
“I have. I saw her early on but not for long, and she wasn’t close enough that I could read her facial expressions.”
Teegan didn’t say anything to that for a moment, while he considered the possibilities. “You met her at the village then, didn’t you?”
“She was just leaving, and I didn’t understand who she was or what her connection was to any of this at the time,” he explained. “Of course, if I had a chance to talk to her now, it would be a whole different story.”
Teegan laughed. “Maybe that’s why she’s keeping well away from you.”
“Maybe it is,” Mountain admitted. “God knows there isn’t any other explanation.”
“Sure there is, bro. She doesn’t trust you.”
“She doesn’t even know me enough to know whether she can trust me or not,” he argued, “and that’s more of a problem. If she had trusted us, she wouldn’t have kept you out there as long as she did. Besides, she ought to trust Magnus. I don’t know how many times he went up to the scientists’ camp to keep their generator going. It seems as if Amelia’s making decisions without all the information, which doesn’t make sense, considering she’s a scientist. How long does she think she can keep this up?”
Teegan added, “We don’t have anywhere near the information we need either. I don’t know even how long she had me, and, for all I know, I was kidnapped back, and she stole me again. We have nothing solid on the timeline for the period I was missing.”
Mountain frowned and nodded. “I hadn’t considered that, but honestly, it makes no sense. If she took you from him twice, that would mean she would have to know exactly who is behind this.”
“So, maybe she’s protecting him,” Teegan suggested.
“She’s a scientist though, not a mercenary. For God’s sake, what the hell is going on here?” Mountain muttered.
Without much in the way of answers, they continued to hunt, going through all the places Mountain had registered as having potential. Soon Teegan realized that his brother had absolutely no intention of letting him out of his sight.
As they headed back, turning toward the base, they heard an odd sound in the distance. Mountain stopped and cranked his head to the side, listening intently. Teegan pulled up beside him and asked, “What do you hear?”
“Shots,” he replied in a low voice. “I swear to God, I’m hearing gunfire.” With that, he took off at a fast pace, heading in the direction of the sounds.
The trouble was, in this cold, sound was often very deceptive. It would come across crisp and clear because of the cold, yet could be quite difficult to track down. Teegan watched his brother, trying to keep up as Mountain raced ahead, almost in a panic, and realized that he likely thought that Amelia was either shooting or getting shot at.
At that thought, Teegan’s heart filled with dread, and he raced after his brother, hoping they could find this woman who had saved him. But, after Teegan finally caught up to his brother, he got somber, seeing Mountain looking around in anger and frustration. “Nobody’s here.”
“There was, though,” Mountain bit off.
“Yes, there was, but maybe it was a case of chasing us away from where we were or something.”
When shots were fired a second time, Teegan was suddenly flung to the ground, Mountain on top of him, with orders to stay down. When still nothing came a few minutes later, Teegan slowly lifted his head, his brother on the ground beside him. When another shot rang out, hitting not ten feet away, it poofed in the snow, as if the shot had been directed specifically into that location, where Teegan glimpsed some plastic white sheeting. A bullet hitting it made a different sound than when hitting the surrounding snow.
Teegan realized that the shooter wasn’t trying to kill them at all. The shooter was trying to show them something.
Day 6 Dinnertime
Sitting at a dining room table, eating dinner, Sandrine was partially included in some of the conversations around her. Not completely, but a couple people stopped to talk to her at least. Some others at her table ate pretty quickly and left, but still, she didn’t feel quite so isolated, as she had since she first arrived. Maybe because she’d gotten into trouble, maybe because people felt she didn’t really understand the dangers.
She didn’t know what caused it, but it was a much more enjoyable experience than she’d had up until now. When a shadow crossed her table, she looked up to see Magnus. She frowned at him. “Any word?” she asked in a low voice.
He nodded. “They’re on their way back.”
She smiled, feeling some of her tension lightening up. “Were they successful, though?” she asked, sensing something in his voice.
He shrugged. “That remains to be seen.”
She rolled her eyes at him. “In other words, yes, but I’m not cleared to know, so you can’t tell me anything. Got it.”
He burst out laughing. “You got all of that from my response, huh?”
“Yeah, well, it’s been a theme since I got here,” she replied. “I get it. I just arrived. I’m a nobody, and, as far as you guys are all concerned, … I’m not trustworthy. And everybody who has been here is suspicious because I came in, when they weren’t allowed to leave.”
He smiled. “I guess that makes for a fairly uncomfortable time here, doesn’t it?”
“Whatever,” she muttered, as she glanced around. “But apparently because I screwed up so badly last night, people are talking to me now. Who knew that’s what it took to get people to be friendly?”
Frowning, he sat down beside her. “Have people really been that standoffish?”
She looked over at Magnus and then at the people scattered behind him. “What do you think?”
He winced and nodded. “Funny the things that you don’t see because it’s not part of your world.”
“That’s pretty normal for everybody, I would think,” she muttered, with a shrug. “Not sure what kind of a statement you were trying to make there, but I’m pretty sure it’s just life.”
He smiled. “How are you and Teegan doing?”
“If the guy would ever stay put long enough to get better, we might be doing fine,” she said, with a smirk. “As far as our relationship, if that’s what you’re asking, it’s fine. Not quite back to where we were, but in a way in a better place. Especially now that he’s regaining some of his memories and knows he hasn’t forgotten about another relationship, which was my concern.” He didn’t say anything but continued to work on his plate of food. “Where’s Sydney?” she asked suddenly.
He nodded in the direction of the clinic. “She’s still in the clinic, said she would be a little while.”
That didn’t make a whole lot of sense to her, but she nodded slowly. “I gather she had somebody coming in that I’m not allowed to see.”
He smiled. “Did she send you out?”
“Yeah, a while ago. She told me to go off and to have a little time to myself, that, since things had calmed down, it would be a good chance for me to take a little time away,” she repeated, trying to shake the thoughts of something brewing at the clinic. “At the time, I didn’t think anything of it, but, if you’re sitting here, eating dinner without her, that means she’s doing something in the clinic that she doesn’t want me to see.” At that, she rolled her eyes. “I’m telling you, this place is full of secrets.”
He stiffened at that. “Any secrets you’ve heard recently?”
“No, nobody’s talking to mem, remember?”
He nodded and didn’t say anything, but he continued to eat. He looked around, and several other people came and went, but nobody came over to talk to them.
“I guess you’re used to this kind of treatment up here, aren’t you?” she asked. “Where nobody talks to you, where they come and go, steal a look in your direction, then pick up speed and scurry on a little faster.”
He gave her an odd look and shrugged. “Sometimes that’s the way it goes, … particularly with the work I’m doing.”
“Right? All that secret investigative stuff, huh?”
“Doesn’t seem it’s very secret if you know about it,” he teased, with a half smile.
She shrugged. “But would I know if I wasn’t around Sydney a lot?” she asked, with a questioning gaze. “I doubt it, and I’m pretty sure you guys try to keep all that stuff super secret.”
He grinned. “And yet super-secret stuff doesn’t necessarily stay secret.”
“I think that’s a fundamental law of a secret,” she noted. “The minute you try and keep one, it goes to pot, and everybody knows.” She got up, taking her empty coffee cup with her, and grabbed herself a hot cup of coffee and a big cookie. As she sat back down again, Magnus eyed the cookie appreciatively. Sandrine nodded. “They just came out. Sydney would probably want one too, if you’re taking dinner back for her.”
“I will,” he said, as he got up. He smiled at her and added in a smooth voice, “Teegan should be home soon.”
“Glad to hear it.” She watched, as Magnus loaded up a plate for Sydney and walked out.
Even if Sandrine went to the clinic, she knew she wouldn’t be allowed inside. Apparently the identity of the patient was protected, somebody who wasn’t allowed to be seen. She wasn’t sure who that was, but it could just as easily have been the CO. She was sure that, if he were ill, even with a cold or a flu, he wouldn’t want anybody to see him down there. Sandrine waited a little bit longer and then got up, grabbed a cup of tea, and headed to her room, determined to stay there and to enjoy some peace and quiet, while it lasted. Besides, Sydney would call for her, if needed.
Things could get awfully hairy here, changing from one minute to the next. As she walked past the clinic, several people bolted from it and headed toward the main entrance to the base, Sydney and Magnus among them.
Sandrine watched them in alarm. “Do you need me?”
Sydney called back, “No, we’re good.”
And that was a definite No, you’re not needed message if Sandrine had ever heard one. Curious, she followed the crowd to see what the commotion was. As she reached the main door, Teegan had just arrived, shedding his outerwear in the gear room. As she got close enough, she noted he was doing okay, but he was exhausted, his face red and tired.
When he caught sight of her, his face lit up immediately.
It was enough to warm her heart and to make her feel as if she were included, and more importantly, meant to be here. She had to admit that, up until now, that was often a state she didn’t really recognize. Walking nearer, she asked, “You okay?”
He smiled at her, then nodded. “Yeah, but I am really looking forward to dinner.” He looked at the teacup in her hand. “I gather you’ve already eaten.”
She nodded. “I wasn’t sure when you were coming back, but, if you’re hungry now, I’ll come with you and drink my tea.”
Sydney, Magnus, and Mountain joined them, and the doc announced, “We’ll be eating in the clinic.” Sydney hesitated, looked at them, and then added, “If you want, you can join us.”
Surprised but pleased, Sandrine nodded. “Fine, I can wait in the clinic, if you two guys want to go get food.”
And, with that, Teegan and Mountain took off to grab some food, before it was put away. Sydney and Magnus walked back with Sandrine to the clinic.
Once inside the clinic, with the door shut, Sandrine noted, “I gather they found something.”
“Yeah, we’re not sure what though,” Magnus said, with a nod.
“Teegan’s energy levels are pretty low, so I sent him to get food before it was all gone,” Sydney shared. “We’ll talk to them in a few minutes.”
Because Teegan had looked pretty tired, Sandrine’s first instincts were to go help him. As she waited a few minutes, Magnus got up and quickly disappeared. Sandrine looked over at Sydney and frowned.
“Trust them.” Sydney spoke quietly. “If there’s a problem, they’ll let us know.”
Sandrine settled back on one of the few chairs in the clinic. “It’s just frustrating sometimes.”
“It’s frustrating all the time, but you do get used to it.”
“Do you?” she asked, with a wry look at her boss. “Not so sure about that.”
“If you want to keep a relationship, you do,” the doc stated, her voice calm. “These guys are heavily involved in something here, and the reality is, we may never be privy to all the details.”
“Yeah, it’s the something part that’s a little odd.”
“No, it is what it is,” she declared, “until this is settled.”
“And then what?” Sandrine asked. “Will you stay or …”
“It depends on what’s happening here.” She lifted a shoulder. “If the training base is staying open, then I’ll be staying because I’ll still be under contract for this assignment. However, that doesn’t mean that anybody else will be staying, and, in terms of our group, … that has yet to be determined.”
“Ah, right,” Sandrine confirmed, finding a smile. “Let’s hope that we find a healthy, happy solution to this mess.”
At that, the door opened, and Magnus walked in, followed by Teegan and Mountain. He was carrying a tray and so were the two brothers. As they sat down, the beds and tables quickly filled up. Before anybody had a chance to say anything else, the two big men started plowing into their food. She watched Mountain, fascinated as he ate well over half the plate in what seemed to be five bites. When he looked up and caught her gaze, she was still staring at him.
He raised an eyebrow. “Never seen a man eat before?”
“Never seen a plate disappear in five bites before,” she replied. “Do you want me to get you more?”
He contemplated that for a moment, then shook his head. “I should be good.”
She nodded doubtfully, as he studied the rest of his plate, then looked over at Teegan, who was watching his brother with a grin on his face. “You’re both in awfully high spirits,” Sandrine noted, “so I gather you found something that’s making you happy.”
“I don’t know about making us happy,” Mountain clarified, “but we were shot at today.”
At that, everybody stiffened and stared at him in shock.
“But were we?” Teegan asked him out loud. “I’m not so sure that we were shot at, versus somebody was shooting in our direction, trying to show us something.”
“What were they trying to show you, if they were shooting in your direction?” Magnus asked.
Mountain looked at him and grinned. “That’s the thing. Looks to be another cache in a snow cave. We opened it up and brought everything back with us,” he shared, looking around, noting their packs on the far side of the room. “And it’s all in there.”
Magnus hopped up and brought the bags over where he could slowly unpack them. Almost immediately, he whistled. “Do you recognize any of this stuff?” he asked, turning to look at Teegan.
Teegan nodded. “Yes, a lot of it looks to be from where I was held captive. I just don’t know whether it was Amelia’s or not.”
“So, who is it you think was doing the shooting?” Magnus asked, sitting back. “Are you thinking they were deliberately trying to show you this?”
Mountain nodded. “Yes. They fired all around us and then seemed to really target the one spot. I think they were trying to locate the snow cave from a distance as well, so that we could see it.”
“Jesus,” Magnus muttered, as he stared at him.
Then came a knock on the door. Everybody froze, and then the knock came again, with a funny staccato. When it opened up again, Barret and Egan stepped in. “Hey,” they said together, watching the expressions on everyone’s face.
