(This is the first of the major changes to the manuscript. It, like the other chapters, are what I consider draft phase. In other words, there may be spelling, punctuation, and grammar errors that will be caught in edits. Apologies to those who received this twice. I hit the wrong button when I was scheduling posts and it went out early.—ASG)
“We’re here, ma’am.”
Ashlyn glanced up from the report she’d been reviewing as the aircar came to a halt. Looking out the window, she arched a brow in surprise. When Okafor said she wanted to meet somewhere private, this wasn’t what she expected. The aircar was now parked next to one of the underground entrances to the security building. Unless she missed her guess, it was one not only closely monitored, but also one that didn’t show up on any plans of the building. It was there for emergencies—and for meetings such as this. She knew just inside the doors a few feet from the aircar was a turboshaft that would carry her to her destination—one that might not even be in this building.
“Thank you, Corporal Ohana. Did the general have any instructions for me?”
“No, ma’am. She did say the turboshaft is programmed for your destination.”
She nodded in response. Before she could open her door, another Marine was there, opening it for her, his eyes scanning the parking area for any threat. She nodded once in appreciation and didn’t argue when he reached for her briefcase. Instead, she followed him inside, watching as he used the biometric plate to unlock the turboshaft.
“Ma’am, your car will be waiting for you when you’re ready to leave.” He handed her the briefcase.
“Thank you, sergeant.”
She stepped into the car and watched as the doors slid shut. There was a slight pressure as the turboshaft activated. As it did, she glanced at her watch, making a bet with herself about how long the ride would take. She knew from experience it could be anywhere from half a minute to half an hour. For the sake of her already overloaded schedule, she hoped for the former, but planned on the latter.
The doors opened with an almost silent whoosh less than five minutes later. One corner of her mouth quirked up as they did. Wherever she was, it was still within the security complex. Before she could do more than step out, Okafor was there, smiling in greeting.
“This way, Ash,” Okafor said after shaking hands.
Ash fell into step to the right and slightly behind the Corps’ senior officer. Their relationship might be to the point where she could call Okafor by her given name in public—and not choke on it—but this was different. Everything about this meeting, from its last minute nature to the secrecy, warned her this was not the time for informality. Besides, even after all these years, she still got nervous whenever she had to come to the security building without explanation. There were too many bad memories of the time after the Arterus mission where she’d been confined her during her court martial and then when they brought her back before her pardon.
They turned off the main corridor and continued down one of the many secondary corridors in the building. Closed doors lined it on both sides. At the end of the corridor, Okafor pressed her palm against another biometric plate and the door slid open. Suspicious, Ashlyn stepped inside, her eyes sweeping the room for threats even as her hand reached for the gun she didn’t have.
“Easy, Ash. This isn’t a trick.” Okafor spoke softly, her expression reassuring. “It’s just that there are too many eyes and ears around right now and what we have to discuss needs to stay need to know for a bit longer.”
“If you say so, ma’am.” Even with the woman’s reassurance, Ash remained alert.
“Let’s try this again.” Okafor moved to lean against the edge of the conference table in the center of the room. “You have nothing to worry about, Ashlyn. This isn’t any sort of ambush. No one is about to spring false charges against you. But that doesn’t mean I don’t have a surprise or two up my sleeve.” She grinned and Ashlyn groaned before rolling her eyes.
“I thought we agreed after the war that there would be no more surprises, ma’am.” Especially since the general’s surprises tended to be the sort that included commendations, citations, and promotions.
“Did we?” Okafor motioned for her to take a seat near the head of the table. “I only remember promising not to bother you about returning to duty until you were ready.”
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