When The Tempest Meets A Storm

Chapter 19: Reality Check.

They were lead to the very back of the kitchen between two metal counters until the general found a spot suitable enough. The other man in the grey-green uniform carried a small hefty case. It was sliver in color.

Elise followed Johnny and leaned back against the metal counter facing the general, Reed and Susan.

While the other man busied himself with opening up the case, the general began to explain to Reed, the reasons behind his arrival.

“I am only here Reeds because I am under direct orders from the joint chief of staff.” He began to speak in an authoritative tone “Frankly I don’t like the idea of sharing sensitive information with a civilian scientist, especially one who enjoys the public spot light so much.”

Some is a little irritable. Elise leaned towards Johnny to mumble a witty comment only to notice his attention was focused elsewhere, on the attractive woman in uniform.

Elise felt a sudden pang in her heart that startled her

It was moments like this, when reality dealt her with a blow and revealed his true nature to her. Johnny could never resist a pretty face, especially when they were paired with an equally gorgeous body. That’s all she was to him, just another pretty face that can be disregarded when another one came along.

She suddenly felt nauseous and uncomfortable. The boots around her feet felt incredibly tight and she curled her fingers into fists, her palms were sweaty too.

What was I thinking? Move on? With Johnny Storm? The idea that felt like a delightful little whisper in her ear was suddenly polluted.

She was roughly shaken out of her foreboding thoughts by an elbow to the ribs. It was a gentle nudge but it felt like a brick to the head.

“Smiles, would you look at that?” Johnny whispered. Bumping his head in the direction of the pictures Ben was staring at. The pictures were given to him by General Hager; it was of the anomalies they were discussing. But that was the least of her priorities at the moment.

“Whatever.” She grumbled petulantly, hoping he would take the hint and leave her be.

Johnny was concerned by her dismissive tone. He immediately averted his gaze from the pictures to Elise. She had her arms crossed defensively over her chest. Her emerald gaze her grown stormy in reasons he didn’t comprehend.

“Are you alright?” the concern in his tone seemed to harden her stare. She raised her gaze and stared blankly at her uncle’s back.

“I am fine.” She uttered sternly, Johnny could only blink in bewilderment.

Something about a sensor, Susan’s pissed so that means Reed accepted the mission. Elise mused mentally while trying to act like she knew what they had been talking about the entire time.

“Good, so you will build the sensor for us, we will tie that to the—“

Here we go. She said with a roll of her eyes, she could only pity Susan and her disappointed expression.

“—I am afraid I can’t.” Reed interruption shocked everyone.

“What?” The general asked, reeling from Reed’s refusal.

The scientist smiled in a way that dimpled his cheeks, he took a step back to fall in line with his fiancé. He wrapped a doting arm around Susan and hugged her to his side. “You see I am getting married this Saturday, I just don’t have the time.”

Elise’s spirits were lifted, she was not expecting the turn of events.

“Richard’s your country needs your help.” General reminded him, Elise immediately looked to Reed. It was another obstacle; Eli knew Reed couldn’t resist the call of his country. She watched him take a shaky breath.