Bojan, page 2
“Well, you can,” Riff replied. “Absolutely you can, especially if you don’t want anything to do with this, but Terkel was trying to call you to see if you would go give Bullard some backup and help keep them safe while you’re at it.”
“I still don’t understand what Lacy is doing.”
“She’s apparently attending university over there.”
“University?” he repeated.
“Yeah, she’s at med school over in Johannesburg.”
“Med school, huh. Wow, the shocks just keep coming.”
“You really haven’t kept up with her, have you?”
“No, I haven’t, and there are reasons for that. Remember?”
“Sure,” Riff replied, “but she moved on with her life, and she is in med school and has been doing some practicum—work experience or something, I don’t know—but with Bullard’s wife, who is also a doctor.”
“Well, shit,” Bojan muttered, not knowing what else to say. “It still sounds highly unlikely that they need anything from us—or me.”
“Yeah, it’s definitely a you thing,” Riff stated, “but I’m heading over to give a bit of assistance.”
“What do you mean by that?”
“I’m more of a shadow these days,” he said. “Sometimes that works for me, sometimes not, but I’ll be in the background. I know that Bullard is over there, waiting for some help, and I won’t let him down. He’s always been there for me, and I know he’s really shorthanded at the moment because a bunch of his guys are getting married or having families. It’s like some sort of freaking pandemic,” he muttered.
“Yeah, well, that wouldn’t be Lacy though,” Bojan added. “She can’t have kids.”
“I wanted to ask you about that. I thought I’d heard that.”
“Yeah, it’s true. I know she tried all kinds of tests, but it’s just not to be,” Bojan stated.
“Hmm, well, one of the tests that she has to do involves living at Terkel’s place for a while,” Riff shared. “That place is positively scary with burgeoning bellies at the moment,” he muttered. “You can bet I was happy to take this job just to get the hell out of there.”
“Burgeoning bellies? Terkel’s partner too?”
“You have no freaking idea. Oh, and his whole team has gone private by the way.”
“Private? Terkel?” Bojan felt like a parrot, and all he could do was repeat everything coming at him. “Jesus.”
“Yeah, so I’ll give you a few minutes to assimilate all this,” Riff explained, “and then Terk will call you back. There is money in it, and I know for sure he’s good for it. In fact, they’re doing really well, but they’re still trying to get set up.”
“Where are they based?”
“England. In a castle of all things.”
At that, Bojan started to laugh. “Good God, man. If anybody else had called me and had told me all this, I would have told them to call me back when they were sober and hung up, but I happen to know you don’t drink.”
“No, I don’t drink, and, yes, it’s a freaking castle. I saw it myself. That’s where my gear is and where I’m staying these days, but, as I said, it was a good time to get out of there.”
“Seriously, on the burgeoning bellies or whatever that was?”
“Every freaking one of them. It has something to do with the energy work, so, if Lacy is still unable to get pregnant, she needs to go spend some time with them because, I swear, it’s contagious.”
“Well, it’s a good thing you and I aren’t in that position then,” Bojan muttered, shaking his head. “Whoever would have thought?”
“Nobody, that’s the thing. Nobody would have thought, and this is all way too beyond me, but well—” Hearing noises in the background, Riff stopped. “That’s my call for the plane. I’ve got to run. You’ve got a few minutes, and then Terkel will be calling you. Bye.”
Bojan sat back on the hotel bed and looked around. It was kind of a sorry way to spend the last few days, as he had, but he’d just been so burned out and worn down from the last job that it had been this or go a bit stir-crazy. He’d done a private job for a friend, and, well, now he was footloose and fancy-free, but every time he was out for a few days, something came up, and he ended up back in the industry.
He never could quite break whatever connection kept him tied to that world. He had money, and lots of it, so that wasn’t the issue. It had much more to do with trying to settle down and to find another way to make a living. Yet again it came back to the fact that he didn’t need to make a living, but neither could he seem to walk away.
When his phone rang as expected, he glared down at it, then, finally giving in, he answered. “It’s Bojan,” he snapped. “What the hell is this all about? And did I hear that you will be a father?”
After a moment of silence on the other end, Terkel replied, sighing heavily. “You have no idea how my life has changed. On the other hand, if you would ever come for a visit, we could fill you in.”
“Not when you dangle things about Lacy in front of me.”
“Ah, it’s still Lacy, isn’t it?”
Bojan winced at that because, if there was ever anything to remember when dealing with Terkel, it’s that you need to keep your damn walls up. Otherwise Terk would know everything there was to know about you. Bojan slammed his defenses up just then, but Terkel was already chuckling.
“A little too late, buddy, and, yes, she got herself into a bit of trouble, but I’m not sure it’s trouble for her, as much as it’s trouble for the rest of us.”
“Meaning, Bullard.”
“We are one,” Terk declared. “If Bullard needs us, we’re there. He helped us out, and we’ll help him out.”
“Of course there’s always Levi and his team.”
“Levi will always be part of the family too,” Terk stated. “No way he can’t be.”
“That’s because you and Merk are family,” Bojan noted in exasperation, “but that’s got nothing to do with me.”
“Except for Lacy, and she’s definitely got something to do with you.”
“What’s the job?” Bojan asked abruptly, just to adjust Terk’s focus.
“Go give Bullard a hand.”
Bojan frowned at that. “But there are strings with the job, is that it?”
“No, not so much strings. You would just be hired muscle,” Terkel replied calmly. “However, considering that Lacy made this observation, and we know that your energy and Lacy’s energy are much stronger together, it would be very helpful if you could confirm or deny what’s going on in Bullard’s world.”
“Why me? You could do that yourself.”
“I get that something is drawing in Lacy’s energy,” he explained, “so that’s one of the reasons I’m pulling some strings to try and get people over there to help. And, if need be, I’ll go over there because I won’t leave Bullard in his time of need.”
“And yet you also have a pregnant wife, according to Riff,” Bojan noted. “Believe me. I’m still adjusting to that idea.”
“Don’t get me wrong. I will go if need be. The struggle isn’t that it’s right or wrong. The struggle is just trying to adapt to how my life has changed. I have people here I can leave Celia with. I simply won’t desert Bullard, not after he’s come to our rescue so many times.
“No, of course not.” Bojan sighed. “Fine. But if Lacy gets in my head again—”
“She will get in your head because she already lives in your heart,” Terkel declared, his voice calm, “and, if you think I’ll pull any punches about that, you’re wrong.”
Bojan glared at the phone. “I really, really hate it when I’m around people who know more than me.”
“The only reason you hate it is because you’re still resisting. You also know that your abilities, which you continue to deny, are much stronger when you’re close to Lacy.”
“Yeah, and I don’t understand that.” Bojan moaned. “I’ve tried to use these so-called abilities you keep talking about without her, and they don’t work.”
“That’s because you’re a matched set,” Terkel stated. “And, like a lot of matched sets, you don’t function quite so well on your own.”
“Yet she appears to be functioning just fine,” he pointed out.
“No, I don’t think so, and I think that’s why she’s only getting a partial reading. She can’t get any more information on it.”
“That doesn’t mean I will either.”
“No, and I have a fair bit of information, but we don’t have any idea who or when.”
“Which means you haven’t got anything,” Bojan muttered in disgust. “And what about Riff?”
“Riff’s headed over already. He’s on a plane, or he should be.” After a moment’s pause on the phone, Terk added, “Yeah, he’s on the plane now,” which matched up with what Riff had told Bojan.
“And?”
“You’re a whole lot closer, and you could be over there yourself fairly quickly.”
“I could.” He hesitated. “So, Riff told me that you guys have gone private, huh?”
“Yes, and that’s another viable point that I still haven’t gotten used to bringing up. We’re no longer a part of the CIA or any government body, although we are taking contracts from all of them,” he shared, with a note of humor. “I’m quite happy to take money from them, if it comes to that, but, in this case, we’ll be paying your wages.”
“I don’t come cheap,” Bojan pointed out.
“I know you don’t, and, although this isn’t what I would consider a high risk job, because of who needs us and what the issue is, obviously I’ll be paying top dollar.”
Bojan frowned at that. “When you put it that way, it somehow makes me feel like a sleaze.”
And Terkel burst out laughing. “Okay, well, anytime you want to give me a discount, feel free. The bottom line is, I need help, and either you’re there or you’re not. I just need to know.”
“Fine, I’m there,” Bojan groused. “I’ll get there in my own time though.”
“Of course you will.” Terk laughed. “I’ll tell Bullard, but I won’t tell Lacy. How’s that?”
“Knowing her, she already knows anyway,” he muttered.
“It could be the time for you two to settle your differences.”
“Not likely,” he muttered, as he went to disconnect the call. “Some things are just unforgivable.”
“No, they aren’t,” Terkel argued. “They just take a little more time and understanding, and it really helps if you get the full story.”
And, with that, it was Terkel who ended the call.
*
Lacy Marriot had been busily working in the surgery suite, tired from an already long day. She stretched, and, when her arms dropped, a thought slammed into her brain. It was so strong, so harsh that she stumbled back a step. Bullard turned toward her and frowned. She gave a headshake. “I’m fine,” she murmured. He just raised an eyebrow and continued to stare. She winced. “Bojan is here.”
His lips twitched. “Wow. Have you got an antenna for him or something?”
“Yeah, maybe,” she muttered, glaring at him. “Not one I particularly appreciate.”
“Life is like that,” he replied, with a nod. “And considering the weird knowings you’ve got going on here, I’m not at all surprised that Terkel suggested that Bojan come over.”
“Of course he suggested it,” she muttered caustically, “but I’m surprised Bojan actually answered the call.”
Bullard shrugged. “Terkel can be pretty persuasive.”
“Maybe, … it still surprises me though. The very fact that I’m here would typically be enough to keep Bojan away.”
“Not this time.” Bullard gazed at her sharply, shaking his head at their dynamics. “Will you be all right?”
“Of course,” she snapped, glaring at him. “It’s not as if I haven’t seen him time and time again.”
“No, but still, this time could be different.”
She shrugged. “Doesn’t matter. He’s already here.” At that, Bullard turned and looked around the room, then back at her. She understood the confusion in his expression. “He’s out in the kitchen, probably having coffee, or at least he will be in the next ten minutes.”
Bullard’s eyebrows shot up, and he turned and walked out of the surgery suite, leaving her alone.
Which was a damn good thing because just knowing that Bojan was here didn’t mean she was ready to deal with him. She’d had a pretty strong suspicion that he was on his way but hadn’t allowed herself to analyze the information that had been racing toward her. She’d always had an early alarm system where he was concerned, but then, when you love somebody as much as she loved him, you just couldn’t catch a break. No matter what he said or did, she was as susceptible to him as ever, and it just pissed her off.
Finally she finished cleaning up the surgery suite, and, stripping off her latex gloves, she threw them into the garbage bin and stepped out of the room. She was tired, fed-up, and the last thing she wanted to deal with was Bojan right now. She walked into the kitchen, knowing there was really no way to get out of it. Better to face the devil you knew right up front, and, as she walked in, the familiar drawl hit her.
“There she is,” Bojan greeted her, calmly looking over at her. “What kind of trouble did you get me into now?”
“I didn’t get you into any trouble,” she stated calmly, as she walked to the coffeepot. Multiple people were around—some she knew, and some she didn’t—but that was just how it went around here. She poured a cup of coffee, then rubbed her temples. The headache that had started earlier was now at a massive crescendo. When Leia looked over at Lacy in concern, Lacy smiled. “I’m fine. You’ve got enough on your plate to worry about, so no need to add more to it.”
“That doesn’t mean I’m not concerned when a friend is dealing with a headache that just won’t go away.”
“Yeah, well, it just got compounded.” Lacy shot Bojan a hard look.
He gave her a benevolent smile. “Right back at you, honey.”
She looked over at Leia. “You really had to call him, huh?”
“Bullard felt we needed some extra help,” she explained. “I told him it would be fine, but he didn’t want to take any chances. Terk agreed.”
Lacy muttered, “Bullard won’t take any chances, particularly given your current situation.”
“Oh, thanks,” Leia said, followed by a giggling laugh. “Sure, go ahead. Remind everybody that I’m built like a whiskey barrel.”
“A whiskey barrel?” Bullard repeated, as he walked over and bent down to give her a gentle hug. “That is hardly how I would have described you.”
“Well, it’s how I feel,” she muttered. “A whiskey barrel with stick legs.”
Lacy had to grin. “Still, you’re the prettiest whiskey barrel I’ve ever seen.”
At that, Leia rolled her eyes. “If that was meant to help, well, thank you, I think.”
“Yeah, that probably didn’t help, sorry.” She stared down at the coffee which was hot but kind of tasteless. “I’m really tired, so, if you’ll excuse me, I’ll go get some rest before dinner.” With that, she turned and walked out of the kitchen. She knew Bojan couldn’t resist tormenting her, and, sure enough, he called out behind her.
“What’s the matter? You running away already?”
“No, I’m not,” she declared, “but I’m tired, fed-up, and the last thing I need right now is anything to add to my headache. If you’re still around, maybe I’ll talk to you in the morning, but I need a nap right now.”
She knew she had surprised him, but she’d changed. At least she hoped she’d changed. This was one of those tests where she would see whether she really had changed or if she would slide back into the same damn pattern she’d been trying so hard to get rid of. She voted for change, but it seemed as if her body didn’t give a crap what she wanted. The fact that Bojan didn’t want her and that she still wanted nobody else was a cross to bear that she couldn’t seem to find any way around. She understood why, to some degree, but he was wrong, and he didn’t want to listen to reason. So it just didn’t matter.
Up in her room, she closed the door, sank onto her bed, and let the hot tears flow. Every time she saw him, the tears came. It was as if she had no way of hiding her feelings, and that drove her to madness. He was a hell of a man. She was a hell of a woman. It seemed they were two sides of the same coin and yet were never meant to join up. Although they had once, and that was part and parcel of the problem.
She sagged back on her bed, grabbed the loose blanket that she kept on the side, then rolled over and closed her eyes. Thankfully sleep came quickly.
Chapter 2
When Lacy opened her eyes not too much later, she felt a little sense of peace. Bojan was here, and she would deal with it, just as she always did. Nothing would ever make her life easier when it came to Bojan. It was what it was, and it was something she must deal with. She got up, and, stepping under a hot shower, she let the water cool down at the end, to wake her up and to fortify her for what was to come. As she stepped out and quickly dressed in a light dress and sandals, she made her way back downstairs, ready for dinner.
Most of the team seemed to be in the dining room, seated around that huge table. However, a smaller group still sat at the kitchen table. Lacy walked over to Leia and asked, “Did you get a nap?”
She looked up at her, shook her head. “No, of course not.” As she stood up, she winced.
Immediately Bullard was there to help her. “Is it time?”
“No, it’s not time,” she replied crossly. “Unless you’re trying to ask if it’s time to go lie down before dinner. Because, for that, it is time.”
At that, Bullard called out to the others, “I’ll be back in a few minutes.” Then he quickly escorted Leia from the room.
Lacy walked over to put on the teakettle, then she poured herself a glass of lemonade from the fridge.
“Still drinking tea, I see,” Bojan noted.
“Tea, coffee, whatever,” she muttered. “I don’t mind which. Some things are just really not that important, but right now lemonade hits the spot when it’s hot out.”
