Crazy Enough

Crazy Enough: Chapter 13

The colonel leaned forward and said, "That's it! That girl is grounded for life!"

*****

Getting into the States was probably the easiest part of Corkie's entire week. Apparently, the rumor that Ivan spread about her being in Cuidad Juarez worked, because the border guards only glanced at her passport and asked the normal questions before letting her pass. She traveled with an elderly American Hispanic couple, returning from vacation, saying that she went to Mexico for a friend's funeral and her boyfriend abandoned her when they had a big fight. The nice gentleman and his wife took pity on Corkie and offered to take her as far as they were going, which happened to be in Odessa, Texas. And that was fine with her. Get her as far away from Mexico as possible before Alex came looking for her and the photos she stole back from him.

So, she was back on American soil, just like Juan and Alex wanted. She had her pictures back, and she was thoroughly exhausted and invigorated from her night with Alex. A permanent smile graced her face. And really, it was a big shame that they wouldn't see each other again. She could go another couple of rounds with Lieutenant Alex Spears...forever. It had been the best sex of her life, and it had lasted for hours. And hours. If he wasn't so freaking narrow-minded, she might even have the temperament to fall in love with him, but that would never happen. She didn't like soldiers.

But she sure liked him.

Upon reaching Odessa, she said goodbye to her new friends, walked into a bank, withdrew some money from one of her savings accounts and went in search of a convenience store to buy a prepaid phone. Then she called her brother, Doug.

"Hello?" Doug answered on the fourth ring. She was actually surprised he picked up. Doug didn't answer numbers he didn't recognize.

"Hey, Duggie," she said cheerily.

"Who is this?"

"It's Corkie! Don't you recognize your own sister's voice?"

There was a pause, and then Doug said, "Whose phone are you using?"

She sighed. "My satellite phone was smashed. I had to get a throwaway—"

"Smashed, how?" he asked suspiciously. "Where are you?"

Well, so much for brotherly love. "I'm in Texas, on a job. And never mind about my phone. Is Henry around?"

Doug paused again...and then he groaned. "Hell, Corkie...what are you up to now?"

"What makes you think I'm up to anything?" she asked innocently. Doug knew her too well. It wasn't even funny anymore.

"Because the only time you want to speak to Henry is when you want information," he answered.

"Not true! I call to say 'Hi' all the time."

"No, you don't."

"Okay, fine...yes, I need information," she said, sticking her tongue out at the phone and her brother. She walked along the street, headed to a motel she saw earlier, and hoped to get a room for the night before buying a bus ticket back to D.C. She needed to take a look at her pictures on her SD card, but her camera's battery was dead, and she needed a room with a plug. Which happened to be in motel rooms.

"The last time you talked to Henry, you left for a whole week. Just up and disappeared," Doug said, his voice getting that protective tone. "You know we hate it when you do that. Sometimes, it's nice to know where you're going. We worry about you—"

"Doug?"

"What?"

"I'm fine. I'm better than fine. But I do need to speak to Henry. Is he around?"