Mickey sat alone in the twelve foot diameter, multiple jet hot tub set flush with the floor, all jets running. The hot tub was positioned beside a twenty-four foot oblong, powered lap pool in the underground gym module. He was immersed up to his chin in the churning water with his head leaned back on the sky blue padded rim cushion when Maria entered the 1,500 square foot exercise module. Mickey looked up when he heard the door click closed and watched Maria walk in wearing a white heavy cotton terry cloth robe, flip flops and carrying two bottles of Eagle Nest Water. She stopped at a chair positioned beside the pool, set the bottles next to the rim, removed her robe and laid it on the chair. She was wearing a black French cut Tonga style bikini which matched her hair; now pulled back into a pony tail. The suit accentuated her hour glass figure and shapely toned legs. Mickey watched as she lithely stepped down into the bubbling water. Oh, my God. Nobody should look that good. I fully understand 'Double D' now, Mickey thought.
"Ooh, just right," she said as she settled down in the water on the blue merle fiberglass bench next to Mickey.
"I like it hot," Mickey said as he was finally able to get his mouth to work. "Well, I… uh, mean the water."
"I know what you mean," Maria said coquettishly. After a short beat, she added, "I brought you some water. Noticed you weren't carrying any."
"Duh, can't believe I forgot water, thanks." Mickey hesitated. "How long have you been with the BEF."
"Oh, just a little over three months… I had been flying F-18s off the Avenger…"
"Avenger?"
"USS George H.W. Bush—Part of her keel is made of salvaged steel from the Twin Towers."
"I knew that."
"Right—Anyway, I was coming up to the end of my original flight school commitment in the Corps and got a call direct from SecDef Baker that someone wanted to talk to me about my options. Well, turned out to be Dare and he offered me a position with the BEF. I had heard scuttlebutt, you know how that goes, but had no idea it actually existed."
"Neither did I till that fracas in the Gulf last year and got to meet Dare and the rest of the team. They're something else."
"I met with Dare and Kit, they explained what the BEF was and how they worked. Did you know it was created by President Reagan?"
"No kidding?"
"Dare said that because of plausible deniability, we technically don't exist. No glory, no honors; just the satisfaction of knowing we're in the front line to protect our country. The Force had access to the very latest technology and weaponry. Much of it not even deployed to the regular services. Sounded good to me, so here I am—What about you?"
"Well, not a lot to tell. I'm adopted. Don't know who my real parents were. Raised by a wonderful family in Altus, Oklahoma. No brothers or sisters. My mom was a school teacher...
"Oh, wow! My mom was too. But I have two brothers," Maria interrupted.
"Cool—My dad was the mayor for ten years. He had a good friend who was a congressman. Got me an appointment to West Point. Played football. Did a couple of tours in Iraq with the Green Berets after I graduated. Got offered a move to the Secret Service and eventually was asked to head up the detail for President Thompson and—you know the rest."
Maria sensed Mickey's demeanor becoming morose. She placed her hand on his shoulder.
"Mickey, I think I know what you're feeling…"
Mickey turned and Maria embraced him.
"Maria, I can't help but feel I somehow let her down. It's eating me up."
"Mickey, Mickey, please believe me, we will get her back. I promise you that. I've never been around a team like this."
Mickey leaned back from the embrace and looked into her face.
"Thanks, Maria, I really needed that."
She hugged him again.
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