“Come in,” Barbara said to the rap at her door. She was a little bit surprised to see who stepped in, “well now, Norm. You don’t often grace us with your presence here in the bowels of the barracks. I thought you were just a ‘no further than the commissary type’ to be sure.”

Norm was a little surprised at Barbara. For her, that tone in the voice spelled out happy even if you would probably not read it that way on most people. There was also something else about her this morning. Norm watched her gently folding laundry and putting it away in one of Shannon’s drawers. It seemed that she was something else a lot more than just a little happy. It was almost like the woman was at peace.

Norm looked around the room and did not see Shannon so he closed the door behind him, “I hope this isn’t a bad time.”

“No,” Barbara replied in an up beat tone, “not at all Norm. What’s on your mind?”

“Well I,” Norm glanced back at the door for a second and then continued, “I kind of just wanted to talk to you, privately, you know, without all those ears around.”

That actually caused Barbara to laugh, “oh it has to be one of you and Barton’s little,” she put an extra sarcastic spin on, “investigations.” Then Barbara stopped folding clothes and she became a tad more serious. She looked at Norm and said, “what are you doing here Norm?” He was about to speak but, Barbara corrected him before he could say anything, “no I don’t mean in my room. I mean why are you even here at the station. I know Darcy’s off today. It’s a Colonial Holiday. The schools are closed.”

Suddenly Norm found himself on the defensive. He put his hands in his jacket pockets and looked at the floor as he talked, “well you know, every Family Day, Darcy makes sure her and the kids are up at Shady Lawn seeing her Mom.”

With a bit of concern, and an almost matronly sounding tone, Barbara stepped up to Norm and said, “and why aren’t you with them?”

“Oh hell Barbara,” he was actually squirming now and that was not something that Barbara thought she would ever see. Norm went on, “I don’t like nursing homes. Sides that, her Mom, well that woman didn’t like me when she could remember who I was.”

With a smug smile and crossed arms, Barbara almost laughed at him, “well now. Special black ops teams, murderous thugs, Texan mobsters, and even haunted houses don’t scare Norman Scoggins but he can’t handle an old folks home.”

Norm looked up at her out of the corner of his eyes, “had your fun?”

Barbara snickered, “I suppose so.” Barbara walked back to her laundry and said, “so what did you want to tell me that’s so classified?”

Norm took a deep breath and then he took the extra chair by her desk. Then he thumped his fingers on the desk, crossed his legs, and finally got around to saying it, “I was just wondering if you’d made up your mind yet.”

Barbara stopped again. She looked over her shoulder and studied Norm. Then she went back to folding as she said, “I made my mind up two weeks ago Norm. I haven’t changed it.”

“Yeah Barbara but,” Norm pointed, “I don’t see you beating down any doors to leave. You’re still here.”

After a deep sigh, Barbara pushed the unfolded laundry aside and sat on her child’s bed. She then told Norm, “that’s only because deciding something, and then up and doing it are two entirely different things. There are…” Barbara did not know how to say it. She finally decided on, “complications.”

Norm asked point blank. “You mean the kind of complications, like, say, whoever it was that came in here and shot our two mystery guests?”

Barbara took a very deep breath. She put her hands on her knees and with a stiff spine she said, “yes that would be one of them.”

“Good,” Norm replied quickly, “I was hoping you wasn’t going to lie to me about that any more. I damn well knew you never bought that line of bullshit them three shoveled out for everybody else.”

Barbara looked Norm in the eye. She wasn’t mad though. She still looked peaceful, at ease with herself. Then she asked, almost sounding as if she were looking for a favor, “does Barton know?”

“I don’t think he does,” Norm replied. “He probably suspects something is wrong though. Jake might be funny about things but, he’s pretty sharp when you get down to it.”

Barbara nodded, “I do realize that, yes. Maybe the Americans actually sent us someone worth his salt, this time. I’ve seen you two work together. I’m sure you can handle this when I’m gone.”

Norm realized what it was now. He finally put his finger on what it was about Barbara that was raising the storm warnings. He supposed that she really was telling the truth. She had made her choice and that was exactly why she was at peace. If that were the case then there was probably nothing else left that he could say.

When Barbara got up she actually smiled at him, slapped him on the leg, and then got back to her laundry. She told him, “go be with your family Norm. I really feel awkward telling someone older than me this, but, family really is the most important thing in our lives.”

“I don’t know Barbara,” Norm said as he got up. As he walked to the door he added, “I don’t have a long distinguished line of ancestors like you. Hell, I don’t even know where my ancestors got here from. Really don’t care, I guess.”

“Well in that case,” Barbara told him, “there’s nothing going on here today. I know you don’t want to go over to the palace and watch Amy and Kent get their medals.” She became serious again, “go be with Darcy and your kids. You may not like it but I think they deserve you.”

Norm closed the door behind him without another word. He wandered up to the Commissary where he found the door to the kitchen opened. Given recent events he actually peeked in but, he only found Shannon inside. That damn dog was with her. It was still limping on one paw and rapped in bandages but, otherwise, recovering from having a piece of his hide torn out by a bullet. The dog, Rusty, got lucky as it only took a glancing blow. At close range, a ten millimeter can do plenty of damage. Norm was more concerned for the people though, even if the dog had been a hero of sorts.

Right now, their hero was licking a spot on the floor right by the door. It had been recently covered in grease but, Rusty was about to take care of that problem. All the while, Shannon had her back turned to the mutt and was fixing up his special dog food they got from the vet. Norm thought about saying something. Then he figured what was the point? It wasn’t like anybody had used this kitchen in years. He walked on out to the porch, leaned up against one of the support beams, and watched the ocean waves roll in.

It did not take long before he noticed a couple of shapes moving in and out of the waves. One of those shapes was most definitely Tony on his surf board. Norm thought it funny because the other one did not look like Chuck and the mechanic was about the only other one here stupid enough to go out there and do that. After a moment, Norm realized the second shape was female even if he did not recognize who. Norm wondered if Amy finally got up enough nerve to get out there and join her boyfriend. He somehow doubted it. He definitely knew it wasn’t true when a couple of car doors slammed.

Norm looked over to the parking area and saw that Amy was one of two people who had just gotten out of a station car. As she began to walk towards the porch, Norm saw the other person. It was Kent? Norm most definitely had to find out what this was all about. He met Amy at the end of the porch. She looked frustrated and mad so he asked the girl very diplomatically, “what happened to you?”

“Oh nothing,” was her reply and a definite red flag to Norm. He learned a long time ago that when women said that it was time to duck. This girl was definitely pissed off right now. She even crossed her arms and stomped a foot when she said, “I just spent all last night in a German holding cell is all.”

Suddenly Norm was alarmed, “what? How the hell did that happen?”

Kent came walking up behind her, “it seems our precious little Miss Hiller, here, is number one on the Reich’s most wanted list. I tell you what, you just can’t trust those club patron’s one little bit these days.”

“Club patrons?” Norm developed a very stern look. He crossed his arms and with no room for compassion he told her, “all right young lady. You’d better start talking right now.”

Amy just raised her arms and shrugged. All the while she could not bring herself to look Norm in the eye, “Danni took me to this club last night. She thought I needed a…”

“She went back to the Feu Rouge,” Norm said with a little alarm but, more anger. “After I told that little nitwit to stay away from there.” Norm started looking up and down the porch like Danni was just going to magically appear. He knew better but, he had to dump some energy by some means.

Finally even that much did not work so Norm demanded, “where is she?”

Amy gulped and squeaked out, “um, I don’t know?”

Norm made his words come out slow and one at a time, “did - she - get - arrested - too?” Amy only nervously shrugged so Norm yelled back too the commissary, “SHANNON!”

Only after that did Kent step forward and tell Norm, “I think you can relax Mister Scoggins. She’s the one that called Jake in the first place. I’m sure she’s perfectly safe.”

The teenager came out the door with her own attitude, “what!? I’m busy Norm.”

He didn’t care what kind of mood she was in right now, “go wake Danni up and tell her to get her ass out here now!”

Shannon looked like he was insane, “she’s not here.”

Norm was grumbling a few choice words under his breath before he looked to Kent and said, “where’s Jake? I want to know when he last talked to her.”

Kent bowed out at that point, “you can’t blame that on me. He’s still down at the airport. He said he had something to take care of.”

“And you let him stay,” shot back Norm in a very accusing tone.

“Exactly what was I supposed to do about it Norman,” Kent stated with a no fault kind of tone. “He’s a grown man and capable of taking care of himself. I’m not his babysitter.”

Norm only noticed that Amy was walking away when she passed right in front of him. She was not headed inside the building though. She was walking straight for the beach. Norm yelled at her, “I’m not done with you yet.”

She kept right on walking. She stopped right where the coarse sandy ground began turning into real beach. She watched the surfing for a minute and completely ignored Norm. Then Amy promptly turned on her heels and stomped back to the commissary door. Norm was going to give her another good ass chewing but, her eyes and cheeks were already covered in tears. Norm let her go.