Tom Clancy's DARK ABYSS - an Apple Loving Individual romance

Chapter 16 - The Plot Unfolds

Chapter 16 – The Plot Unfolds

Monday, May 22, 2023
Military Base
Washington D.C.
17:00

Hunter's plan worked, as Lucas was able to sleep the entire flight, despite his fear of sleeping in an aircraft. He was still sleeping as the jet finally entered the airspace above Washington D.C. and prepared to land on the helipad of the base. Auburn and the rest were already awake, and the former was watching him sleep.

"I ain't gonna lie, y'all!" said Hunter. "I didn't feel good having lulled him to sleep with that song."

"The boss doesn't sleep at all in planes, you did what you had to." Meadows assured him.

"True, that!" Hunter exclaimed. "I know I'm in for it, though."

"Well, he'll eventually forgive and forget!" said Spade. "Don't worry about it!"

"Good to know!" said Auburn. "Because he's stirring awake."

Everyone then froze and stood dead in their tracks. Hunter just stood their calmly. As the jet landed safely on American soil, Meadows, Auburn and Hunter stood still, as Lucas opened his eyes. He stood up, having that long-deserved nap. Suddenly, his mood changed to an angry fit. He then lounged forward at Hunter!

"Oof!" said Hunter, as Lucas pinned him against the wall.

"You can start acting like a goddamned professional, and not put our lives at stake like that again!" said Lucas, very angrily and full of range. "I don't sleep in planes, because of fear that something may happen to me or my squad, and you lull me to sleep?"

"You were getting baggy-eyed for the record! You needed your brain to function properly, for our next move!"

"Boss, please let him go!" said Meadows, angry and on the verge of tears. "He meant well."

"If you didn't get the rest you needed, you wouldn't be able to face Shovel." Auburn added.

Lucas calmed down a little. He then let go of Hunter. He took a few deep breaths in and out.

"Still, I feel that was very stupid and immature, on Hunter's part." Lucas said. "You shouldn't have jeopardized my ability to make sure, we were safe."

"Boss, you know even if you were asleep, I could've easily overseen the remainder of the flight." S.A.R.A. added to the conversation. "I may not be a smart AI, yet! But I'm improved enough to control such measures."

"If y'all are done patting one another on the back, I think we should get moving!" said Spade.

"She's right!" agreed Nebula. "Shovel and Beast are waiting for you."

Everyone then put their personal drama aside, grabbed their gear, and prepared to enter the base. It felt good to be back in the U.S., especially having ventured into the snowy mountains of Donetsk, Ukraine. Mihai, the Romanian informer they brought along with them, from that enemy base was already scared to being forced to enter foreign grounds, having left his family back in Bucharest. Nebula, for one was worried about this.

"Major, did you really think it was a great idea, to bring him here?" said Nebula. "We already have so much on our hands to deal with. This isn't a good time to have a foreigner come back with us."

"I understand all too well, Nebula." Lucas said to the major general. "However, he's also given us many secret, encrypted documents, as well as the location of the encryption key. The key is located somewhere near Chicago. If it hadn't been for Mihai here, we'd be nowhere to proceed forward."