COLONIAL RANGER FALL OUT BREAK (book07) CHAPTER 14

CHAPTER 14

“Are you really certain this is a good idea,” Kent said politely enough as he drove down the darkened dirt road. Barbara had said very little since they left the clinic. She was obviously, very much rapped up in her own thoughts or, maybe, her emotions. It was quite possibly both and one reason that Kent had elected to join her in silence.

The closer they got, the more Kent's mind drifted towards practical concerns and he could no longer remain silent. Fortunately, Barbara chose to speak. Unfortunately, practical concerns seemed to be as far from her thoughts as were possible. She proved it by saying, “he's my Uncle. I can't just ignore this.”

Kent tried to point out, “that's not exactly what I meant.”

Barbara was not getting it, “if he's still alive then...”

It took a moment before Kent would broach that subject but, he saw no way around it now, “don't get your hopes up.”

It was clear that Barbara was slightly angry with him, “you were the one who told me Kent. How the hell did you make a mistake this big?”

“It wasn't a mistake,” Kent told her. She was about to snap at him but, he knew what she was going to say and he cut her off with, “I thought he was dead, just like your father, your brother, Ian. He just wasn't with them when that artillery hit. I thought he had died weeks earlier. Doing what...”

Barbara accepted it. She didn't like it but she understood. She also knew, “you didn't have to lie to me. I knew how Duke was. I wasn't completely oblivious to his activities.”

“I'm afraid Barbara,” Kent took a deep breath and then said, “you do not know as much about the man as you think. I didn't even know until...” Kent took a moment and then continued, “the point is, I'm not as concerned about his past activities as I am his current ones.”

She was biting when she noted, “yeah you want to forget the past because you helped him.”

They pulled into the parking lot and looked at what was supposed to be their destination. That's when Kent took the opportunity to reply to Barbara, “in all honesty Barbara, I did a lot more than help Duke. In many ways, I think it was more of a case of him helping me.”

Barbara knew what she wanted to say but, instead, “you sure this is the place?”

Kent was positive and the fact that it was now burned down was even more of an indicator, “what I am sure of is that he obviously has no wish for further communications with us. A statement that is overly dramatic, I grant you but, you have to also consider the kind of people we used to have to deal with. Some habits never die, I'm afraid.”

“I'm taking it, you mean the people who used to hunt you as opposed to the ones that helped,” Barbara said with a frustrated frown. Then she dropped a possible hint, “like maybe, Interpol?”

“I suppose,” Kent said as he gave her a curious glance, “just as I suppose you didn't just randomly pick an agency.”

“They paid me a visit today,” Barbara said, still closely examining the remains of what had once been a Texan bar. She knew she was not going to see anything of worth so she just gave up and said, “let's get out of here.”

As Kent drove back towards the airfield, he remained silent for awhile but, finally he had to ask, “what did they want? Interpol I mean.”

“Getting Paranoid in your old age, Kent?”

“Sometimes I think that I have achieved this age precisely because of paranoia,” he replied.

“Well,” Barbara shrugged, “the guy didn't say anything about you or Duke. I'm not even sure he knew there was a connection.”

“He knew,” said Kent with a certain amount of disgust. He seemed to realize his tone as well. Kent back pedaled, “I apologize, as I stated, some habits never go away.”

“I don't think you have to worry,” Barbara told him, “Helen knows you're here, of course I assumed you already knew that since she wanted to pin a medal on you.”

“I was under the impression, Barbara,” Kent told her easy enough, “that sending me the message that she knew, was precisely why she wanted to decorate me and Miss Hiller.”

“Which tells me that you don't have anything to worry about,” Barbara reiterated. “She's mentioned you. I get the feeling she thinks she might need you again. Given the situation, it makes sense.”

“Dear Barbara,” Kent replied, “the situation is precisely why I am worried. Helen Crass is the least of our concerns at the moment. You know Helen but, trust me, I know her far better than you do and I have no intention of doing anything for that woman, ever again. I doubt there is anything she could do that would compel me to ever change my mind.”

It made Barbara think but, she was still not sure it was all that important, “well you definitely know her with an attitude like that.”

“Duke is the problem,” Kent told her. “There were thirty of us, in that unit, when we left. Until a few weeks ago, I thought I was the only one still alive. If Duke has returned then it is for a reason. He certainly didn't stay off world because he thought it was safe. He made it quite clear to me that he has not been idle all these years.”

“There's no way he killed that German,” Barbara replied with resolution. She knew what Kent would say to that and she stopped him with, “and I'm not saying that because I'm his niece. He didn't stand anything to gain by it. I'm thinking straight on this matter Kent.”

She was right about that much and Kent knew it, except, “that we know of Barbara. I think if one thing is perfectly clear about our current situation, we are very much operating in the dark.”

Now it was Barbara's turn to know when someone else was right. There were times when this job wore down your very soul. Barbara wondered how her father ever put up with it all, for so long. Oddly enough though, this was not one of those times. Barbara was just sick of all the damn games. It was more like an irritant than anything else. When they arrived back at the clinic, that irritation only grew. Kent was quickly informed about the four new patients and, it was not long after that when they discovered how these men wound up here.

Kent looked on the bright side and told Barbara, “at least Mister Barton did not kill them.”

Barbara remained deep in thought until the nurse at the station excused himself and walked off down the hall to take care of an errand that Kent sent him on. Then he asked Barbara about her thoughts and she surprised him with, “do you think he could have? You know, Barton, kill?”

Kent sighed in frustration and told her, “quite easily actually. Barbara, the man is an elite soldier. The point is, he chose not to.”

Barbara actually sounded a lot more upbeat than Kent would have thought she might when discussing this topic. Her words were very serious, particularly when she looked Kent in the eye and said, “like you used to? Like Duke?”

That brought about another sigh and Kent chose his words carefully, “that is not exactly an apt comparison.” When it was clear that would not do, Kent said, “I have no idea what transpired in Mister Barton's past. It's always possible but, the fact remains that the man has acted, more or less, responsibly in his current position and I know of nothing that he has done to warrant deep suspicion. If anything, Mister Barton seems to be a quite simple fellow.”

Barbara was still biting a nail, looking at Kent with an intent stair, and she did not even hesitate when she told him, “he broke into my room, Kent.” Barbara knew that this man was never a very emotional person and that was why she was somewhat surprised, and a bit peeved, when Kent almost laughed. She let him know, “I don't find it funny.”

Kent shook his head and then said, “he told you this, did he?”

Now Barbara broke her facade and became really irked, “like he's going to tell me something like that Kent.”

“Then how do you know,” Kent asked but was not sure he would get a satisfactory answer. Surprisingly, Barbara had one when she explained the lock she had started using and how it was broken. Despite this, Kent remained unconvinced and when she told him what was missing he was even more so, “and Mister Scoggins said he had our personnel files, did he? Well, not to put to fine a point on it Barbara, I do believe the man is entitled to see them.”

“He could have asked,” Barbara was almost pouting now.

Kent was serious, “and you would have said no.” Barbara was obviously going to start ranting at this point and Kent cut her off, “be honest dear. You two have been trying to get under each others skin since the man first arrived. As I recall, you were even hiding here when he landed and, please do not tell me you had something important do. I know better, I was with you.”

“Who's side are you on here,” Barbara demanded. She almost reminded him of that teenager, from so long ago, that used to have very similar, and quite frequent, discussions with her father.

“Barbara,” Kent told her, “I'm not on a side. I am also not making light of this situation but, I believe, you are.”

That turned her face red, “what?”

The nurse returned and instead of the medication that Kent had asked for, he had some log books instead. The kid pointed a few things out and Kent told him quite bluntly, “that has to be wrong. Go double check.” Kent peeked down the hall to make sure the boy returned to the pharmacy and then turned his attention back on Barbara, “what you are talking about is a very serious breach of security my dear. You have chosen to assign this situation to your ongoing dispute with Mister Barton and, you have neglected to consider other possibilities.”

The volume was a little too loud when Barbara almost blew up. A sneer from Kent got her to tone it down as she asked, “who else would? How else did Barton get our files?”

It was an interesting question and Kent thought the matter over. He was not entirely sure of the answer but, he did know one thing, those files did exist elsewhere. He also believed that the actions that Barbara were describing were a bit too juvenile for Mister Barton. The man was a big child in many ways, not unusual for someone in his line of work but, when it came to his job he was usually a solid professional and, Kent found, could be exceptionally cunning.

With crossed arms, Barbara watched the man think and she wanted to know those thoughts that were in his head. Then the phone rang at the nurses desk and Kent answered. He had a worried look when he handed the phone to Barbara, “it's the airfield. I think you had best take this call.”

Now she was angry. Barbara grabbed her coat and prepared to leave, “that jack ass. I told him not to go up there.”

“You're not thinking about going after him are you?” Kent remained calm enough as he asked. “Perhaps you should allow Mister Bar...”

“He took two of my kids with him Kent,” Barbara snapped. “Barton can go play soldier in the woods all he wants, for all I care. Danni and Amy have no business in the middle of that.”

Kent sounded quite thoughtful when he simply asked, “why not?”

As Barbara began to walk out she pointed at the man and was quite livid when she said, “don't start. I had enough of that shit from Norm, this morning.” Kent watched her leave but he did not move. He just patiently stood at the nurse station. When the nurse came back, looking nervous, Kent even pointed at the boy and said, “not yet.”

Barbara came stomping back around the corner and right up to Kent, with her hand open, “keys.” He handed them off and then when she was gone he told the nurse, “please tell me you found them. I'm not giving those men any more morphoids for pain.”

The nurse just shrugged, “sorry doc. We're out.” That was not what the log said. Kent went and looked himself and, sure enough, the pain killers that he wanted were gone. The nurse did point out, “we were running low. I don't think we had that many to begin with. Maybe...”

After a heavy sigh, something that Kent seemed to be doing a lot of today, he bowed his head and told the boy, “I'll handle it.”

Kent needed a break. He walked out the front door of the clinic and found that, he was glad he brought his jacket. As he slid it on he noted the first flakes of snow, in the lights of the parking lot, as they began to fall from the darkened skies. It actually made him smile even if he thought they were a bit odd for this time of year. He shrugged that off. If one thing had not changed about humanity, over the course of history, it was people thinking the weather was strange for this time of year. Kent just leaned up against his borrowed pick up truck and watched as the snow got heavier. Sometimes the simple things helped.

Something needed too. Kent had a lot on his mind, about a lot of people that actually mattered to him. Maybe that was why it took him so long to realize that he had one more worry. He was leaning on the truck that Killian had provided for him. Wasn't that suppose to be gone with Barbara? When Kent looked around the truck, he found his keys. They were on the ground, right next to the drivers side door.

Kent sighed, yet again, as he said, “oh no.”