FIRST  ASSIGNMENT

A   JAKE  MITCHELL  STORY

By  Beej

(comes after New Recruits)

Six months of intensive training were at an end and soon the newest recruits to A&M Risk would know if they had made the grade. They sat in the conference room of the 12th floor office complex chatting quietly together, while Mike, the ‘M‘, and CFO, of A&M, got himself yet another refill from the coffee pot at the rear of the room.

Suddenly the door flew open, crashing back on it’s hinges, and Jake stormed into the room, carrying a thick file. He slammed it down at the head of the long, oval oak conference table, turned a thunderous glare at the six trainees sitting there, and left, in much the same manner as he had entered, slamming the door behind him.

Mike put his coffee down and rushed towards the door, looking over his shoulder as he opened it.

“Talk amongst yourselves, boys and girls. I’ll go check out who’s rattled laughing boy's cage.”

The ‘boys and girls’ looked around at each other in shock. Over the past six months, they had seen Jake in many different moods, but up until now, they had never seen him quite like that, and now knew what some of the other staff had meant when they had mentioned his patent ‘look’.

They had no idea what was wrong with their boss, and could only hope it wasn’t anything to do with them. They all stared at the file on the table, not daring to take a look in case they brought the wrath of Jake down on their heads should he walk back in and catch them.

Mike steamed down the corridor towards Jake’s office like a runaway train. He burst through the door ready to rip Jake a new one, but stopped as he saw his friend.

Jake was standing by the window wall, his hands in his pockets and his forehead resting against the glass, a picture of abject misery. He didn’t think he’d ever seen his friend look so down.

“Jake?”

No reply.

“JAKE?”

Still no response.

Mike walked over to the window and gently placed his hand on Jake's shoulder. He watched as Jake slowly lifted his head away from the glass and turned to face his worried friend.

“You okay, Jake?”

Jake walked slowly over to his desk, and sat down heavily in his chair. He rubbed his hands over his face before looking up at his friend.

“Yeah, mate, I’m apples.”

“Like hell. You wanna talk about it?”

“Nothing to talk about,” Jake replied, making a visible effort to pull himself together, pushing himself up from his chair and making for the door.

He looked back at Mike with an ‘are you coming’ expression on his face, then walked down the corridor towards the conference room.

The low rumble of talking from inside stopped the minute the door handle turned, and Jake and Mike walked into a silent room, alive with tension.

“G’day, folks. How ya going?” Jake asked, as if this were the first time he'd been in the room, looking around at six worried faces. They all relaxed a little as they saw Mike give them the thumbs up behind Jake's back.

“Right then, the moment you’ve no doubt all been waiting for.  Six months down the line and it’s time to let you know which of you have made the cut,” said Jake, looking at the expectant expressions on the faces.

“We won’t beat around the bush and leave you in suspense, even though it would be fun,” laughed Mike. “We’re happy to tell you that you all got through the first part of your training, and we’re delighted to say you’re ready for stage two.”

The small group let out a joint sigh of relief and there was a short delay in the proceedings while they took the time to congratulate each other. A discrete clearing of  throats brought them back in line.

“We now get onto the difficult part of this morning's meeting,” Jake said seriously. “As you all know, when we did the initial interviews, you were told that not all the positions would be here in the Sydney office. We actually need three here, and three to continue their training in our new London office.”

“Now, of course it would be much better if you could work this out yourselves,” added Mike. “But, if you can’t, then Jake and I will make the final choice, and believe me when I say that there will be no negotiation regarding our decision!”

Darren Hill raised his hand slightly. “Can I say something please?”

“Yeah, mate, go ahead,” Jake replied.

“We’ve been chatting about this on and off since we started training, and have come up with a list, just in case you decided to keep us all on, that is.”

Saying this, Darren rose from his seat and walked to Mike and Jake, handing over a sheet of paper then returned to his place.

Jake looked at it and handed it across to Mike with a raised eyebrow. He then opened the file in front of him and took out a similar sheet.

“Alrighty, before we go any further, I’ll show you what Mike and I had decided, just in case you couldn’t.”

Jake slid his sheet across to be passed around the table.

SYDNEY

Kiri Collins

Darren Hill

David Johnson

LONDON

Jason Evans

Marie Mason

Lynn Turner

He looked down again at the list Darren had handed him.

SYDNEY

Darren

David

Kiri

LONDON

Jason

Lynn

Marie

“Well, children, we all seem to be on the same page here, don’t we,” Mike said, laughing at the stunned group.

“Okay, ladies and gentlemen, for the three of you who have chosen to leave the nest and join our new colleagues in London, see Jenny for your flight details. The company will be arranging apartments for you. Until then you’ll be staying in an hotel near the office, okay?”

Jason, Lynn and Marie nodded their agreement, looking forward to their new adventure. Marie and Lynn hoping that they would be able to share an apartment eventually, as they had become good friends.

“Now that’s settled, I know it’s still only Monday morning, but I think you all deserve a break. We know it’s been a tough few months for you, and it’s going to get tougher from here on in. It could be a long time before you all manage to meet up again, so we’ve decided that you should spend some down time together before the ‘London Three’ get shipped out in a couple of weeks.”

There followed a lot of cheering and back slapping, and finally the little group filed out of the door, heading off towards the reception area, where Jason, Lynn and Marie would pick up their travel documents from Jenny.

Darren held back in the conference room and motioned to Jake that he wanted a word.

“Walk with us,” Jake said, heading along the corridor with Mike to his office.

“Have you had the invite, Jake?”

“Yep.”

“Ya looking forward to it?”

“No, mate, it’s a fuckin’ pain in the arse!”

“Am I missing something?” asked Mike.

“We’ve both had an invite to the Unit shindig next Wednesday,” Darren answered.

“And the problem is?”

“Think about it, mate, what’s the bloody date next week?”

“Shit, it’s Angie’s birthday!”

“Will she be mad if you miss it just once, boss?” asked Darren.

“It’s not that, Dazza, I've had to miss them before now,” replied Jake. “There’s something kinda special I’ve got her this year for a pressie.”

With that, Jake pulled open the top drawer of his desk and  threw over a small box to Darren. He opened it up and gave a long low whistle.

“Man, oh, man, that’s a bewdy, mate. Does she know what’s coming?”

“Not unless you tell her. I thought I’d spring it on her. I promised I‘d be home for her this year, and I would have if not for that invite.”

“You could always say no, Jake,” Mike said, slapping him on the shoulder.

“You don’t turn down an invitation from the Unit, mate. It’s more like a fucking command,” Jake sighed.

“We’ll think of something. Maybe we can sneak you out early. As long as the General sees you at least once, I’m sure he won’t miss you,” said Darren.

“ I guess,” said Jake, not entirely convinced. “Anyway, if we have to go, we’ll go in style. I’ll pick you up.”

“On the Hog?” Darren asked, a huge grin on his face.

“Not this time. We go by car.”

“Ripper, I’ll see you next week then, boss.”

With that, Darren rushed off to catch up with the others, who were already on their way to the lift, and two weeks freedom.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Early the following Wednesday morning, Darren was suitably impressed when Jake pulled up outside his parents’ home in a brand new BMW Z4.

Now maybe his olds would agree that he’d made the right move from the army into ‘this insurance lark’ as his dad called his new profession.

His parents followed him to the parked car and watched as the driver stepped out. He was dressed smartly in a charcoal grey three piece suit. His cufflinks sparkled in the early morning sun. Were they silver, wondered Mrs. Hill,  white gold, or could they even be platinum? Her husband looked at the driver's shoes. He had long held the belief that a clean, shiny pair of shoes were a good indication of quality in a man. These gleamed to perfection.

The driver stepped forward with his hand outstretched.

“Good morning, Mr. Hill,” he said, shaking hands firmly.

He then turned to Mrs. Hill and took her hand in his, raising it to his lips and kissing her knuckle.

“Mrs. Hill, you’re everything Darren described, and more.”

Politely refusing the invitation to ‘come inside for a cuppa’, they headed off, leaving Darren’s parents standing by their front gate, waving happily.

“Cheers, Jake. That was good of ya. Now maybe they’ll get off my case for leaving the army.”

“No worries, Dazza. Anything to make you look good, mate.  You don’t mind if we make a quick stop before we head out, do ya?”

“Not at all.  Forget something?”

Jake didn’t reply, but smiled slightly as he headed back for his apartment. He pulled up outside, not bothering to use his parking spot.

“Two ticks. Mate,” he called over his shoulder as he jogged down the boardwalk and entered the building.

Five minutes later he was back, wearing a pair of faded jeans, t-shirt and trainers.

“There’s enough time tonight for stuffed shirts, at least I can drive there in comfort,” he said, winking at Darren, who was already casually dressed.

They reached the Unit in plenty of time, and were soon changed into their dress uniforms, and feeling very uncomfortable. Jake constantly checked his watch.

“How long to drive to the farm from here?” asked Darren.

“Too bloody long, but if I can leave early enough, I can make it while it’s still actually her birthday.”

“We’ll get you there, no worries.”

“Hope so, mate. Hope so.”

The luncheon dragged on, but eventually was over and the guests congregated in the main hall for drinks. Col. Fisher caught Jakes’ eye and called him over.

“Mitch, you’ve been looking about as happy as a bastard on Fathers’ Day ever since you arrived. What’s going on.”

“It’s Angie’s’ birthday, Tom, and I promised her faithfully I’d be there this time.”

“Sorry to hear that. I’m sure she’ll understand. You’ll be there tomorrow.”

“It’s more important than ever that I keep my promise,” replied Jake, showing Tom the small satin box.

“Oh shit, why didn’t you say something earlier. Listen, just make yourself known to the General, then slip off. He won’t notice.”

“Thanks, Tom. I owe you big time.”

Fifteen minutes later, Darren saw Jake slip out of the hall and make his way towards the car pool. He turned and saw Col. Fisher standing beside him, smiling.

“Love’s young dream, eh? It’s about time. A better match I’ve never seen.”

Darren nodded in agreement and walked with the colonel towards the bar.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“How could he? He promised he’d be here!”

Angie threw herself onto the sofa in fits of tears. The party had broken up hours before, and she had finally given up hope of Jake turning up.

Emily sat down beside her and gave her a sympathetic hug. She wondered what had kept her grandson away. He never broke a promise unless it was humanly impossible for him to keep it.

Sam was pacing the lounge room, swearing under his breath. He stopped and pulled out his cell phone.

“I’ll give him a call, see what he’s playing at.”

He tried the Sydney apartment, the office, Jakes’ cell phone, but got no reply from any of them. In desperation, he tried Mike. After about six rings, he picked up.

“Talk to me!”

“Mike? It’s Sam. Is Jake with you?”

“No, my friend. He’s meant to be with you!”

“Angie’s in tears up here. He never showed.”

“Shit! Listen, Sam, give me five, I’ll get back to you.”

Without another word, Mike hung up and began dialing Darren’s number.

“Where’s Jake?” he demanded when Darren picked up.

“What ya mean, where’s Jake? He left here  hours ago. He should be at the farm by now.”

“He never got there, my friend. I don’t like this.”

“I’ll get some wheels and head over there, Mike. I’ll meet you there, yeah?”

“I’m on my way even as we speak. Keep in touch.”

Just as Mike got off the phone to Sam, letting him know he was on his way up, his cell rang again. It was Darren.

“Mike, something’s so not right. Jakes’ car is still up here, it looks like he didn’t drive anywhere himself.”

“Maybe he got a lift and left the car for you.”

“Yeah, right. As if he'd let me loose with this beauty. Even if he did, I think he would have let me know before he went, don’t you?”

“Yeah, you’re right. I’m just clutching at straws. Are the keys anywhere?”

“That’s the biggest worry. They’re in the ignition!”

“Fuck! Okay, you’d better take his car and get to the farm as quick as you can. You’ll get there before me so try to keep it calm.  We don’t want them falling apart before we know what’s going on.”

 

By the time Mike arrived and they explained that Jake had just vanished, Angie had gone from being upset, then distraught, to pissed off and furious. She'd got it into her head that Jake was playing some stupid game with her. She stormed off screaming at the top of her voice:

“When you see that no good prick, you can tell him I never want to see him again as long as I live!”

“That went well,” remarked Mike, looking at the door that had just slammed shut. He turned to Emily and took her hand in his.

“Don’t worry, Emily. We’re going to find out what’s going on. I’m sure there’s a simple explanation for all this.”

“I hope so, dear. You do what you do best, and I’ll see if I can calm Angie down. I don’t want Aaron walking in while she’s still spitting like Ngauruhoe!”

“What’s Ngauruhoe?” asked Darren.

“It’s a Northland volcano, mate,” replied Sam.

“Ah, right,” grinned Darren in reply.

Enquiries back at the Unit revealed a sighting of Jake leaving the base in a taxi, but the car and driver couldn’t be traced. Having exhausted all avenues, they decided to return to the office in Sydney and see what their contacts could turn up.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Jake was pissed off. Tired, hungry, sore, aching and most definitely pissed off! He was losing track of how long he’d been there, wherever ‘there’ was. He slowly lifted up his head and looked around. Why did it look familiar, why did he feel he should know where he was? His arms and shoulders ached unmercifully and he glanced up at the wire that bound his wrists together and the chain that held him suspended beneath a metal beam. It looked like he was in some kind of warehouse, but where…and why?

A door opened noisily behind him, and he struggled to turn and see who had walked in. His captor had made no attempt to hide his identity from Jake, and when he walked round to the front of him, Jakes’ eyes widened in surprise.

“Good sleep, Mitchell?”

Jake lashed out at his captor, who stood just out of range of his feet.

“That won’t get you anywhere, and you know it. I think it’s time we contacted your friends, isn’t it. Now, what shall I send them for their ‘proof of life’? Some hair? A finger, perhaps? I know.”

He stepped towards Jake, a blade in his hands, and quickly cut the leather cord from around his neck.

“This will do nicely. Let the games begin.”

With that, he turned on his heel, laughing as he left Jake alone once again.

“I’m fucked!” muttered Jake.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Mike, Darren, David and Jenny sat around Jake’s desk wondering what to do next. It had been almost a week now and no sign of Jake anywhere. All their contacts had come up empty handed, and there had been no demands from anyone. The military had come up empty handed, too. The silence was broken by Mike's cell phone. He checked the caller ID and frowned as he showed it to the others before answering.

“Talk to me!”

“Special delivery!”

The phone went dead. Mike sat there staring at it.

“What’s going on?” asked Jenny.

“Go check the mail, honey,” Mike replied.

Jenny ran out to the reception desk just in time to see a messenger heading back towards the lifts. She picked up the packet he had left and returned to the others. She handed it across to Mike, and sat down, waiting for him to open it.

Everyone held their breath as Mike tore the end of the package open. He reached inside and pulled out…a black leather cord. Attached to the cord was a pewter Maori symbol representing the spirit of freedom. Jenny and Mike recognised it at once, it was one of three Jake owned, the others representing ‘fearless’ and ‘strength’. Jenny put her head in her hands and quietly wept.

David picked up the discarded envelope as Mike slowly turned the pendant over in  his hand.

“There’s a note in here,” he exclaimed.

He handed it over to Mike, who opened it and read *We’ll be in touch*.

As Darren and David continued to examine the packet, Mike picked up the phone and dialed.

“Sam? I need to speak with Emily, please…Emily, someone’s taken him… we got the proof this morning. Can you let Angie know?”

“She won’t speak to any of us, Mike. It’s as if she thinks we’re all in on whatever she believes Jake is up to.”

“Damn! Well, there’s nothing we can do about that for the time being. Right now, our main objective is to get him back as soon as possible. We’ll sort Angie out after. I’ll keep in touch.”

As he replaced the handset, he looked up at three pairs of eyes, watching his every move.

“Angie has cut herself off from everyone up there. She thinks it’s some giant joke that Jake and the family are playing on her. Still, we can’t worry about that now, can we. There’s more important stuff to take care of.”

No-one dared leave the office as they had no idea how they would be contacted. So they called out for food, and settled down to wait. Later that evening, Jake's direct line rang. Mike answered. It was the call they had been waiting for. The first thing Mike did was to demand proof that Jake was still alive. The kidnapper seemed very helpful, and told him that was no problem. Mike set the tape running.

“Jake?”

“Mike, I don’t know WHERE I am, or why I’m being held. All I know is that I’m in a HOUSE somewhere….”

Mike heard a grunt, and guessed that Jake had been silenced before he said too much.

“There, you see, he’s still alive and kicking…or trying to kick anyway.”

“What is it you want for his safe return?”

“Return? Did I say I was going to return him? Oh, no, Mr. Taylor, I never said you would get him back. I just wanted you to know he’s still okay…for now…I’ll be in touch soon, and you can talk to him again…if you’re lucky. You’ll definitely be able to listen to him though.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Shit! This is no K&R, whoever this bastard is, he has no intention of letting Jake go. This is personal!” said David, looking worried.

“Play the tape back,” snapped Mike.

They played the tape again and again. It didn’t take long as Jake hadn’t been able to speak much.

“What am I missing here?” asked Mike. “There has to be a clue.”

“Listen to the way he’s stressed a couple of words, boss. I think he’s in a warehouse!”

They played the tape one more time, and a small smile slowly appeared on Mikes’ face.

“Shit, Davey. When the fuck did you get so damned smart?”

"Must be the training," David replied with a grin.

“Okay, let’s put this together. He’s in a warehouse, he’s not up for ransom, so…he’s being held by someone he knows, either personally or professionally, and they are bearing one mega grudge. All we  have to do now is work out who and where.”

Mike looked at the others and grinned, at last they had something to work on, even if it was, as yet, a mere crumb. They were going to find Jake, hopefully before the bastard did him any permanent damage.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The blast of icy water brought him back to awareness in an instant, and with awareness came the pain. He stifled the groan trying to escape his lips. No point in letting the bastard know he was hurting, and hurting bad. It took him a few moments to realise that he was no longer hanging from the beam, but was hog tied on the floor. The door didn't close completely as his captor left.

“The bastard’s getting sloppy,” he thought.

Just then, his captor strode back in, dragging a wooden chair behind him.

“UP!”

Jake stayed where he lay.

“I...SAID...UP!!”

The next thing he knew, Jake was dragged up roughly and thrown into the chair and secured tightly with cable. His captor then left the room, returning a few moments later with a camcorder.

“Time for your 15 minutes of fame, Mitchell. Or in your case, more like 15 seconds! Smile for the camera.”

“Fuck off, you worthless piece of shit!” Jake spat.

Ignoring him, the man placed the camera onto a stand, pulled on a hood, and pressed record.

“Well, gentlemen, as you can see, your friend is still alive, but not kicking as hard as he would like. I do hope you like the changes I’ve made to his personal appearance. I think black and blue suits him, don’t you?”

At that point, the hooded man walked over to Jake and pulled his face up to enable a clear shot of the damage he’d already inflicted. Jakes’ right eye was swollen  shut, his lip split in a couple of places, and there was a jagged gash down the left temple, with dried blood caked down his cheek and neck.

“I didn’t stop at his face though, I’m nothing if not thorough.”

He then ripped open Jakes’ shirt, revealing bruises and what looked like burns across his chest and stomach.

“I thought I’d work my way down, don’t want to miss anything, now do I? He’s not really up to having a chat with you today, but I thought you’d like to see how he’s progressing.”

“Mike, don’t listen to this bastard…don’t agree to anything…there’s no time...”

Jake was stopped with a punch to his mid section. Despite his efforts, he let out a grunt of pain, and doubled over, trying to catch his breath.

The man walked back to the camera, switched it off and removed his hood.

“That should do nicely, Mitchell. Let’s see what your friends make of it, shall we?”

Leaving Jake tied to the chair, he walked out with the camera, whistling a merry tune as he went.

“Psycho prick,” Jake muttered under his breath.

                                                            ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The tape arrived an hour later by messenger. They went into the office to watch. Mike tried to keep Jenny out, worrying about the content, but she couldn’t be persuaded to wait, and joined them around the screen. She gasped at the first glance of her  boss, but managed to keep herself together. The three men were looking closely at the damage, but thought that it looked superficial...so far. Then they all looked into Jakes’ face as he began to speak.

All too soon the recording stopped, and true to his word, Jake's captor made no demands at all.

“Run it through again, just the part were Jake is speaking..”

“More stress on words, this time listen and time,” said Darren. “What does he mean?”

They played the whole tape again. On the third play, David jumped up from his seat.

“I know what he means! Play it again and listen to the background noises.”

They played it once again, they heard planes, and they also heard a clock striking the time.

“Shit, listen, what time did this package arrive?”

“3.45,” replied Jenny.

“The clock is striking 3.00! He’s closer than we thought. Somewhere near the airport?”

“Can you play it one more time, boss?” asked David

They listened to the tape again.

“I know where that is! That clock is in Coogee! It’s about a thirty minute trip from there to here, not too far from the airport, and the distinctive clock. Now all we have to do is find the warehouse.”

“Hey, good work, Sherlock. I knew there was a good reason for taking you on,” winked Mike.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Once they’d worked out what area Jake was being held in, it didn’t take too long for their contacts and operatives to close in on the warehouse. Mike was letting no-one talk him out of going in on this one. He chose Darren and David to go with him, he felt they’d earned the right after the preliminary work they’d put in.

They waited until last light to make their move. All was quiet, and they were pretty sure the kidnapper wasn’t inside. David went round the back of the building and found a low window. It didn’t take him long to force a silent entry, and he was soon letting the others in via a side door.

Not wanting to risk showing a light, they all donned their night scopes, and began searching the building. The inside was made up of individual storage units so the search was going to take a little longer than expected. They split up, Mike taking one side, Darren and David working the other.

The first few units were completely empty. About halfway into his search, Mike hit pay dirt. A wooden bench was pushed up against one wall. A filthy cloth thrown over it like a makeshift blanket. Attached to the wall was a metal ring, with two lengths of chain, complete with two metal shackles on the end. On the wall he also found something very disturbing…a bullet hole surrounded by blood! Only one thing was missing…a body.

Just then he heard his name quietly called. He left the room and went to where Darren and David were standing in an open doorway to another unit, staring at a bundle on the floor.

“Holy shit,” Mike exclaimed, rushing into the room and kneeling beside the bundle on the floor.

He reached out his hand to touch it…the bundle moved a fraction, and groaned!

“Help me get him up… now!” Mike hissed back at his men.

They quickly, but gently lifted Jake’s inert body from the ground, and Mike threw him over his shoulder. Making their way back to the side door, they exited the building as quietly as they had entered. Just as they had settled Jake into the back of the car for the trip to the hospital, they noticed a figure heading towards the warehouse.

“Fuck!” spat Darren. “I know who that is.”

“Who?” asked Mike.

“It’s Collins! Training officer up at the unit. He hates Jake.”

“Okay, this takes it out of our hands. You two go keep an eye on him, I’ll make a quick call.”

It wasn't long before around half a dozen army vehicles pulled up outside the warehouse and black clad figures silently disembarked, quickly surrounding the building. A familiar figure stepped out of the lead car and came over to Mike.

“How is he?” Colonel Fisher asked.

“He needs to get help pretty fast,” replied Mike.

“Right, we’ll get him to the military hospital. Less fuss that way, don’t you think?”

“Whatever you say, Colonel.”

Just then, the warehouse door flew open and Captain Collins was dragged out between two very large special forces operatives. He was handcuffed and thrown into the back of the first truck, which was soon heading off towards the city.

“What will happen to him, Colonel?” asked Darren.

“Well, Hill, he abducted an officer at an official regiment function. He’ll face a court martial as soon as we can get it arranged. Until then, I’m sure the men will keep him nice and safe,” the Colonel replied with a wink. Jake was a very popular member of the regiment, and most of the men in the trucks were his mates. Oh yes, Collins would be VERY well looked after until his trial.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Angie was running late for her shift. She’d rushed her shower, missed out on breakfast, and was just headed out the door when her phone rang.

“Shit!” she exclaimed.

She hesitated for a second. Should she let it ring and head out? It could be important. It could be the hospital. She headed back in to answer it.

“This better be important,” she snapped down the receiver.

“Angie? It’s Mike.”

Silence.

“Angie? Are you there?”

“What do you want, Mike. I’m running late.”

“It’s okay, I’ve already called the hospital to let them know you won’t be in for a couple of days.”

“You WHAT?”

“Angie, I need you to come down to Sydney for me. It’s important.”

“If you want to talk to me about Jake, I’m not interested,” Angie said.

“Listen, I know you’re angry with him, but I do really need to see you down here.”

“Angry doesn’t get close, Mike. Not only does he break a promise, but he doesn’t call to explain, and then he vanishes completely. It’s been over two weeks without a word to anyone. The joke is getting old.”

“I know, babe. Please, get down here and let me explain something to you. I can get the jet up there to pick you up in no time.”

Angie sighed before answering. “I’ll catch a train.”

“You’ll get the plane! Get over to the airport, it should be with you within the hour.”

“Very well. I’ll come down, and I’ll listen. Just don’t expect me to believe anything you tell me about that creep.”

She hung up the phone and went to the bedroom to change out of her uniform. She was about to call for a cab when her doorbell rang. She opened it to see Sam standing there.

“G’Day, Angie.”

“What are you doing here?”

“Thought you might like a lift to the airport.”

“What is this, another Mitchell conspiracy?”

“Look, luv, I don’t know what the hell is going on either. Mum and I don’t know what’s happened to Jake anymore than you do, and mum's worried sick, so give us a break eh? Do you know how much you’ve hurt her by cutting us all off?”

“I…I’m sorry. I just…”

“I know, luv. You feel Jake let you down, and you couldn’t bear to see anyone who reminded you of that fact, eh? Come on, get in the Ute.”

“Do you know what Mike wants, Sam?”

“No, luv, I don’t. He called and asked me to get you to the airport ASAP, so…here I am, at your service.”

Angie reached up and kissed Sam on the cheek.

“Thanks, Sam. I’ve really missed you.”

Thirty minutes later she was fastening her seat belt and waiting for the A&M  company jet to take off on its trip to Sydney. She had no idea what Mike was up to, but she was certain it had something to do with Jake. She had to admit that her initial anger…no,  rage, towards Jake had turned into worry. If he couldn’t keep his promise there would be a good reason why. But he would have contacted her to explain…wouldn’t he? If he could!

90 minutes later they were making their final descent, and Angie was becoming very nervous. Her belt was off as soon as the wheels hit the runway, and she began pacing up and down the cabin as the jet taxied to the hangar. Out of the window she saw Mike standing by the car. As soon as the door was open she was down the steps and standing in front of him.

“Is this about Jake?” she asked

“Get in the car, Angie.”

“Come on. Mike. Talk to me. Is this about Jake?”

“We’ll talk when we get there, okay?”

“Jake’s office? The apartment?”

Mike stared straight ahead, negotiating the rush of traffic heading from the airport towards the city. Angie didn’t recognise the turn he took sometime later, but she knew they weren’t heading into the CBD. She said nothing, knowing Mike was in no mood to reply.

The car was weaving through the back streets and Angie soon lost track of where they were. Evening was fast approaching and it was becoming dark. Mike finally pulled up outside a large, red brick building. It looked like a back entrance. He opened the car door and ushered her out. Taking her by the hand, he pulled her towards a doorway.

As soon as they were inside, Angie realised they were expected. A uniformed man rose up from behind a desk and greeted Mike, asking him to follow down a narrow corridor. Angie saw a door open in front of them and a large man stepped out.

“That will be all, lieutenant.”

“Sir.”

Tom Fisher held out his arms to Angie, and she fell into his embrace.

“Hello, little one. Long time no see.”

“Hello, Tom. Why am I here?”

“I needed to see Tom for a few minutes, Angie. I didn’t think you’d mind,” said Mike.

“Angie, walk with us,” said Colonel Fisher.

Angie was confused. She was sure that Mike had asked her to come to Sydney to talk about Jake, and now here she was with Jake’s former commanding officer, godfather, and good family friend, in some army offices. Just as she was about to ask what was going on, they went through a set of double doors and a familiar smell greeted her.

Antiseptic!

This was a hospital!

She looked at Mike and then at Tom. They had both stopped by a closed door. Tom placed his hand on her shoulder and asked her to go in. She slowly opened the door and all three entered the quiet, dimly lit room.

Angie looked at the figure in the bed and gasped…It was Jake!

They moved closer to the bed, and watched as Jake shifted slightly, a quiet groan escaping his lips.

“AJ?” Angie whispered.

Jake’s eyelids fluttered and finally opened slowly. He focused on Angie and lifted up a hand towards her.

“Hey, baby,” he croaked.

Angie ran to him, her anger forgotten, and wrapped her arms around him the best she could. Jake winced, but bit off the moan so as not to upset her too much.

“Baby, I’m so sorry. I couldn’t…”

“Shh! It’s okay. Don’t say a word. Just let me look at you.”

“Ahau aroha koe,” Jake muttered, losing his battle to keep his eyes open, and on Angie.

Angie gently stroked Jake’s cheek, careful to miss the extensive bruising there.

“Hei ahau mahi koe," she replied lovingly. "You just go back to sleep now.”

She stayed by the bedside, holding onto his hand, until he dropped back into a deep, healing sleep. Then she turned to Mike and Tom, the look on her face letting them know she needed some answers. Tom indicated they should leave, and they headed towards a small office behind the nurses station.

As soon as the door closed behind them, Angie rounded on Mike and Tom. Before she could say a word. Tom raised a hand for silence, then began to speak.

“It’s not as bad as it looks, Angie.”

“I’m a nurse, Tom, and it looks bad enough to me!”

Mike reached out for Angie and gently steered her down into a chair. Once she was seated, Tom went on to explain that although Jake looked bad, most of his injuries were superficial, and a couple of days in hospital should put him right.

“The worst injury is to his hand…he’s been shot. The bastard decided to ventilate him. He must have forgotten Mitch is a leftie and aimed for his right hand."

“Hold on, are you telling me the low life that did this knows Jake?”

“Yes, Angie, I’m afraid he does. It was an officer from the unit. There's always been bad blood between them.”

“So what happens now?”

“We’ve got him, and we’ll deal with him. It’s an army matter. Don’t worry, he'll not be getting away with what he did. The only thing you need to think about is helping Jake follow orders. That way, he’ll be home in a few days.”

Angie smiled slightly at the thought of the army nurses trying to keep Jake in bed as ordered by the doctor. She once again wondered how on earth he had managed to rise to the rank of Major in the regiment, knowing how stubborn and rebellious he could be. She guessed it was because he was a born leader. The top brass had known it and acted accordingly. She felt proud of her man, and wanted to be with him. She got up and headed for the door, looking over her shoulder and winking at the two men, she went to see if Jake was awake.

She could hear the commotion well before she got to Jake’s room. On entering, she quickly took in the scene. Jake was definitely awake, and struggling to free himself from the grip of two military nurses.

“C’mon, mate, do us all a favour and get back into bed…NOW!”

Jake still struggled to get up.

“Lie down!”

From the look on his face, Angie could see Jake was simmering at just below boiling point. She decided it was time to make herself known.

“Actually, I think you’ll find he outranks you, Lieutenant.”

The nurse spun round on her heel to face Angie.

“Excuse me?”

“I said, he outranks you, luv. Shall I make the introductions?”

Angie stepped forward until she could read the name on the nurse’s badge.

“Lieutenant Brown, meet your patient: MAJOR Mitchell.”

Angie winked at Jake and laughed as the two nurses let go of him like he was a hot potato, spluttering their apologies as they realised that this wasn’t a civilian as they had at first thought.

Jake smiled and resumed his attempt to get out of bed.

“As you were, soldier! Back in that bed like you were told!”

The nurses grinned as Jake sheepishly did as Angie ordered, whispering a grateful thanks to her as they left her alone with Jake. She went over to the bed and leaned in to give him a loving kiss.

“And just where did you think you were going, babe?”

“I need my jacket.”

“Why?”

“Can you just fetch it for me please, seeing as how you won’t let me get it myself.”

“Okay, okay, if it’s that important to you, hang on while I fetch it.”

She picked up his jacket from the back of a chair, and took it over to the bed.

“There ya go. Are you going to tell me why it’s so important you have it right now?”

Jake was fumbling about in the pockets, intent on finding something. He pulled out his clenched fist and patted the side of the bed with it, inviting Angie to sit with him.

“Angel, I know I messed up your birthday…”

“It’s okay, AJ. You would have been there if…”

“Listen, please. I know I ruined your day. I made a promise that I couldn’t keep and I’ve never done that to you before. I was going to give you this at the party.”

He took her left hand in his bandaged right one, raising it to his lips and kissing her knuckles. He then slowly and lovingly placed an exquisite diamond and aquamarine ring on her third finger.

“Märena au?” Jake asked, gazing intently into Angie’s face.

Angie said nothing. She sat staring at the sparkling jewel on her finger for a moment, then slowly looked up at Jake with tear-filled eyes. She flung her arms around his neck and burst into tears.

“Would that be 'yes'?” asked Jake, gently rubbing the small of Angie’s back, trying to calm her down.

Her sobs eventually turned into hiccoughs, and she lifted her face from his shoulder and beamed at him.

“That would be YES!” she laughingly replied.

Jake lay back against the pillow, relief washing over his tired face. Angie kissed him gently and told him to rest. She waited until he was asleep once more, and headed out of the door to find Mike and Tom. They were both still where she’d left them, and rose as she entered the office.

“How is he?” asked Mike.

“He’s very tired, and has gone back to sleep.”

“And how are you?”

“Engaged!” Angie replied, grinning like a Cheshire cat and waving her hand under Mike’s nose.

“Well, well, so the big guy finally got his arse in gear did he? Congratulations!”

Mike and Tom both gave Angie a hug and kiss, and dutifully examined her ring, agreeing that it was the best thing they had ever seen. She slapped Mike playfully when he raised it to his mouth and went to bite it to check it was real. She then got serious.

“When can we get him out of here?”

“Well, apart from his hand, he doesn’t have any serious injuries, so we’ll see how he is after a good night’s sleep, then maybe, with supervision, we can get him home tomorrow.”

“I’m sure Drew will help us keep him in line,”

“Yes, it must be handy having your doctor living in the same complex as you.”

“Not when the ‘you’ is Jake, Tom. You know how much he hates doctors. He’s only happy to see Drew in an unprofessional way, like when they both take their morning run together, or in the pool. I’ll have a word with him though. He’ll be more than happy to try and keep Jake in line.”

TWO WEEKS LATER

“Jake, are you sure you’re up to this party?”

“I’ve never been more sure of anything in my life, luv,” Jake replied, taking Angie in his arms and swinging her around the lounge room. “Anyway, Drew will no doubt be here to keep an eye on me,” he added, winking.

Angie laughed as Jake carried her out to the balcony and gently set her down, ordering her to relax as he went back inside to bring out the breakfast tray. He returned a few moments later, groaning under the weight of the loaded tray, and set it down on the table.

“Enjoy your brekkie, luv,” he said, snagging a slice of toast as he headed back inside.

“And just where do you think you’re going?”

“I thought I’d keep out of your way. I’m sure you want to decorate the shite out of the place,” Jake replied, ducking a cushion as it made its way through the balcony door.

“I’m going to show my face in the office for a couple of hours, don’t worry, Drew is giving me a lift in.”

Angie sighed. She knew he was getting cabin fever being kept in the apartment since coming out of the hospital, but she was still worried that he was going to do too much too soon. She came in and gave him a hug.

“Okay, sport. Go and say G’Day to the troops, and I’ll see you back here later.”

She kissed him goodbye and went back out to the balcony. She leaned over the rail and watched him walk down the boardwalk towards the road where she could see Drew waiting. Jake turned to give her a wave, and Drew stepped out of the car to do the same. She smiled, thinking they looked like a couple of school boys let off for the morning. As soon as they pulled away, she went back to her breakfast, already going over in her mind what she needed to do before the party that evening. In a way she was glad Jake had gone out; he would only get under her feet if he were there.

                                                            ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Jake and Drew rode the lift together until the 10th floor, where Drew had his office. As he walked out he told Jake he’d see him later. Jake carried on up to the 12th floor. He suddenly felt nervous and had no idea why. He was the boss, for god’s sake, not a new boy. As the lift came to a halt, he took a deep breath and stepped out.

He was greatly relieved when he found himself alone in the corridor, no fanfare, no welcoming committee. He realised that’s what he was afraid of…he hated fuss. He turned and headed towards the reception area. Sandi looked up as he approached and nudged Dee, who was on the phone. They both grinned and gave him a little wave and carried on with what they were doing. Smiling to himself, he turned towards his office.

Jenny, just coming through the door, looked up and saw him.

“Hey, boss. Had enough skiving and decided to come back to work?”

“Hell, no, Angie chucked me out so she can get ready for this party. Missed me did ya?”

“Like a hole in the head. How about getting back behind that desk of yours and going through some paperwork?”

“Jeez, but you’re a slave driver, woman!” Jake said, laughing, as he made his way past her and into the office.

Just as he made himself comfortable, the door opened and a pile of papers came in, Jenny barely in sight behind them.

“You’ve gotta be joking, luv. I promised Angie I’d only be gone a couple of hours!”

“Don’t worry, Jake. They aren’t all yours. I thought I’d join you, if you don’t mind.”

“Never. Pull up a chair and get comfy. Wanna drink?”

“A cup of tea would be lovely. Hang on a minute and I’ll just put these down.”

“No worries, Jin. I’ll go get them. I think I remember where the kettle is,” Jake winked, getting up and heading out the door.

He was surprised to find the rec room empty, but glad in a way as he didn’t feel too much like talking. He made the drinks and headed back to his office, laughing when Sandi and Dee demanded to know where their drinks were. He tilted his head down the hall, telling them they knew where to go get their own.

“There ya go. Earl Grey, no sugar, slice of lemon.”

“Thanks, Jake,” said Jenny, taking the cup from him and placing it on the coaster he slid across to her. She watched him place his steaming giant mug on another before she spoke again.

“So, how are you…really?”

Jake sighed and leaned back in his leather chair.

“Truth?”

Jenny nodded.

“I’m embarrassed. I fell for the oldest trick in the book. I let my guard down around a bloke I knew hated my guts, and paid for it.”

“So, what’s the damage?”

“I was lucky, Jin. He could have done a lot worse. I got away with cuts, bruises and a few minor burns.”

“And a hole through your hand!” Jenny snapped, her voice catching with emotion.

Jake looked a little sheepish as he went around to Jenny. Crouching down in front of her, he took her hands in his.

“Hey, really, I’m fine. I’ve had a lot worse. Please, don’t get upset,” he said, wiping away a tear that had escaped and was trailing down her cheek. “It’s healing up already, and after the therapy, it will be as good as new, promise.”

Jenny looked at her boss and smiled, kissed him on the forehead, took a deep breath and sipped her tea.

“Better now?”

“Yes, sorry. I was just worried about you.”

“I know, ‘mum’, and I appreciate it, really. So…shall we hit this pile and then get outta here?”

“Jake, I’m meant to be working, I can’t just swan off.”

“Now, I know I’ve not been here for a couple of weeks, but last thing I remember, I was the boss, and you were my P.A., right?”

“Right.”

“Alrighty. So, if the boss tells his P.A. that she needs to accompany him away from the office, it’s a safe bet that she won’t get a black mark for ‘swanning off’, now will she.”

They both sat back, drinking their tea in companionable silence, then began working through the pile of papers. When they’d finished, Jake took Jenny’s cup away from her, carrying it back to the rec room, washed both mugs, then returned, picking up her jacket on the way.

“C’mon. We’re outta here.”

He pulled her up from her seat and headed off towards the lift, waving goodbye to the girls, reminding them not to be late for the party. Once outside the building, Jake headed off on foot towards the Quay with Jenny following in his wake. He stopped to buy them both an ice cream, and they strolled along past the Opera House and headed towards the gardens for the short walk back to his apartment.

“You can protect me from Angie when she tells me I’ve got back too soon,” he joked.

Ten minutes later they had arrived at the wharf and Jenny was surprised when Jake steered her to a seat outside the café. His friend Pete was on duty and came out to take their order.

“Cuppa, Jin?” Jake asked.

“That would be lovely, thanks.”

“Two teas, Pete, mate. One Earl Grey with lemon, and a usual.”

“Coming right up, mate.”

Jenny looked over at Jake, wondering why he stopped for a drink here instead of going straight up to the apartment. Jake caught her quizzical look and explained.

“I think it might be safer to have a cuppa down here. I’ll bet she’s up to her eyes in it and will do her block if I waltz into the kitchen and get in her way.”

“Chicken!” laughed Jenny in reply. “Don’t worry, I’ll look after you.”

“Never doubted it for a minute, luv.”

Angie was pleased to see Jenny, and between them, they managed to park Jake on the balcony, with orders not to set foot back inside until they told him to, then they set about getting things ready. Angie was having the party catered, but they needed to shift some of the furniture around before the caterers arrived. It wasn’t long before the security phone rang and they were here. Jenny was getting as excited as Angie, and couldn’t wait to see what was on the menu.

Half an hour later, everything was set, though it was a battle to keep Jake away from the food. He was sent to the bedroom in disgrace, and told to take a shower and get ready. On his way to the stairs he snagged a bug, and ran off before Jenny could retrieve it. He pronounced it to be *delicious* as he shut the bedroom door behind him. Angie and Jenny collapsed in helpless laughter.

“He will never grow up,” said Angie.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The party was well underway when Mike arrived dragging Darren and David behind him. David was still a little in awe of Jake, and was dreading having to try and be *sociable*, but at the same time, felt honoured at being invited. He still wasn’t too sure what the party was about, but assumed it was to celebrate Jake and Angie’s engagement.

Jake hated socialising, usually leaving that kind of thing to Mike, but to see him circulating amongst his guests, you would never know it. He noticed Mike and the lads come in, and waited until they got a drink before turning off the background music and asking for everyone’s attention.

“Okay, folks. First of all, I’d like to thank you all for coming, and would like to thank Angie and Jinny for getting everything ready despite  their misfortune of having me hanging round the place while they were getting set up. I guess it’s time to let you know what this little gathering is all about, and despite public opinion, it’s NOT anything to do with a beautiful young lady who has done me the honour of accepting a certain item of jewelry on her third finger, left hand.”

“It’s about time she made an honest man of you!” quipped Mike.

“Go bite yer bum, mate,” replied Jake.

“Right, as I was saying, before I was rudely interrupted, I guess I’d better tell you what this evening is all about. As you are now all aware, I had a little bit of trouble a few weeks ago, and if it wasn’t for the combined efforts of our newest members of the company, I don’t know how it might have ended up. As it was, they worked out where I was, and how to get me out before I sustained too much damage.

So, I’d like to ask Dazza and David to stop hiding in the kitchen and come up front for a second, so that I can say well done, mates, thanks a million for what you did, and consider your ‘first assignment’ a 100% success.”

 *************************************** 

Rough Translation

Ahau aroha koe = I love you

Hei ahau mahi koe = As I do you

Märena au = marry me

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