Time of the Draig Read Free

We can go over any questions you may have in the morning.”
    Chandler put the flash drive in his pocket and walked to the door. Without looking up from her desk, Samantha asked, “Is there something you forgot, Captain?”
    He turned and stared mutely before raising his hand in salute. She returned the formality and pretended to focus on the computer. As soon the door closed behind him, the restrained laughter finally broke free.
    Boomer stepped in front of the desk. “I don’t think the captain liked me. Do think you it’s because I’m black?”
    How could he possibly say that with no smile ? she wondered before she lost all her forced composure and laughed until tears formed in her eyes. Finally able to respond, Samantha said, “Sure, that must be it. His reaction had nothing to do with your imposing body language, the I’d-love-to-kill-you glare in your eyes, or your general largeness, Boomer.”
    He pondered the response. “Just checking.” The smile broke free when he asked, “Are you done pissing on your territory?”
    “Okay, so it was a bit over the top making him salute, but I couldn’t resist, Boomer.” With a glance at the camera, she added, “You should sit while you can. Besides, looking up at you makes my neck hurt.” She smiled as he took the chair in front of her desk. She added for the benefit of whomever monitored the lab, “No one can expect me to be pleased to have someone else in my lab. Bringing Captain Chandler up to speed is only going to slow my research.”
    Boomer replied, “We need to talk.”
    Some matters held a universal truth: no good conversation ever started with those words. Samantha held his gaze. “Let me change into fatigues first.” She rose from the desk and walked to the other keypad in the lab. As she held her thumb to the pad, the door to their private quarters opened.
    The plain room contained the basics: two beds, dresser, bathroom, and an efficiency kitchen. Somewhere on sub-level seven she had more luxurious quarters, but they were too far from the lab and too far from Boomer. The makeshift quarters served their needs just fine, and it allowed her and Boomer the comfort of knowing the lab was secure.
    The dress whites landed on the bed. There was no reason to hang them in the closet because she would never wear them again. The fatigues were all she would need. In that there was a choice: desert camouflage or the green version. She chose the green, even though the base was buried in the desert.
    As she sat on the bed lacing her boots, she noted the full packs in the corner. Boomer had done as she had asked, but there had been no doubt in her mind he would. They were together in all things.
    Samantha rose and opened the top drawer of the dresser. She caressed the dog tags as she stared at the Marine Corps-issued material. Once there had been a time when the tags meant the world to her, but now they were a reminder of what had been lost. A heavy sigh was as close to an emotion as she could muster. With a final touch, she said a silent goodbye to the reminder of what was no longer.
    On a beautiful September morning, the world she knew changed forever. Terrorists destroyed the World Trade Center, most of the Pentagon, and the White House within three hours. The next day the whole of New York City was obliterated from the map, as was Washington D.C., by nuclear bombs. The east coast was still unlivable due to the radiation. With most of the government dead, the military had taken control and never let go.
    When these events took place, she had been stationed in Germany as part of an international think tank to begin studying UNK005. Her father had her transferred to the base in Arizona immediately, even though it didn’t “officially” exist. UNK005 came with her. Boomer was supposed to be sent to the action. It had been a simple matter of hacking into the main system and changing his orders. Her dad had other concerns while he tried to maintain order and keep