Travis finally lifted his head and wiped his eyes as he tried to catch his breath. “I...don’t know,” he admitted. “Something...something to do with cards?” He was a stupid enough statement to start him laughing again, although he tried to control it this time, and grabbed the cards that Clint had just dealt out to him. “Okay, okay, okay...time to prove who’s boss around here.”
Clint snorted. “Trent already proved that by winning the last three hands.”
“I’ll let someone else try to win this time.” Trent stood up and stretched. “I think it’s time for this old man to call it a night.”
“Party pooper,” Jeff teased.
Trent just thumped him upside the head as he walked by, and slapped on his hat. “See y’all in the morning.” The cool air felt good as he ambled to his bunkhouse. It wasn’t often that he stayed up late to play games with anyone, let alone the younger crowd. It had been enjoyable tonight though, and the laughter had been nice. As he got to his bunk and went inside, he eased down to sit on the edge of his bed. Taking his phone from his pocket, he pulled up a contact and looked at the picture for a long moment. The laughter of the young people tonight had made him miss someone else’s laughter. His thumbs started a text message.
Just wanted to say hi. Miss your smile. Hope you’ve had a good day. :)
After sending it to Thirteen, he rose and got ready for bed. The morning would come early.
Back in the dining room, the antics continued for a while longer until it really was getting late and everyone knew if they didn’t part for the night, they’d regret it come morning. As everyone filed out of the main house, Travis tucked his hands in his jacket pockets and came up beside Ashlee, giving her a bump with his shoulder. “Hey...walk you to your bunk?”
He smiled as they started forward, aiming for the row of bunkhouses. “Thanks for including me tonight. I had a lot of fun, and sort of forgot all the bad stuff that’s been happening, so...it was nice.” Coming to a stop at the bottom of the little porch steps, he turned and looked down at her eyes as his smile returned again.
“Maybe
Clint snorted. “Trent already proved that by winning the last three hands.”
“I’ll let someone else try to win this time.” Trent stood up and stretched. “I think it’s time for this old man to call it a night.”
“Party pooper,” Jeff teased.
Trent just thumped him upside the head as he walked by, and slapped on his hat. “See y’all in the morning.” The cool air felt good as he ambled to his bunkhouse. It wasn’t often that he stayed up late to play games with anyone, let alone the younger crowd. It had been enjoyable tonight though, and the laughter had been nice. As he got to his bunk and went inside, he eased down to sit on the edge of his bed. Taking his phone from his pocket, he pulled up a contact and looked at the picture for a long moment. The laughter of the young people tonight had made him miss someone else’s laughter. His thumbs started a text message.
Just wanted to say hi. Miss your smile. Hope you’ve had a good day. :)
After sending it to Thirteen, he rose and got ready for bed. The morning would come early.
Back in the dining room, the antics continued for a while longer until it really was getting late and everyone knew if they didn’t part for the night, they’d regret it come morning. As everyone filed out of the main house, Travis tucked his hands in his jacket pockets and came up beside Ashlee, giving her a bump with his shoulder. “Hey...walk you to your bunk?”
He smiled as they started forward, aiming for the row of bunkhouses. “Thanks for including me tonight. I had a lot of fun, and sort of forgot all the bad stuff that’s been happening, so...it was nice.” Coming to a stop at the bottom of the little porch steps, he turned and looked down at her eyes as his smile returned again.
“Maybe
tomorrow we’ll have to come up with something else to do, too...” It was a half statement, half question. Was she interested? It seemed to him she was returning the kind of attention he was giving her, but he didn’t want to push it if she really didn’t want to head that direction with him.
Rick wasn’t so sure he liked Sam’s response, but he knew better than to argue right now. He could yell at Hal, but Sam was new and she was FBI, and he had to be more careful. He had to trust she knew what she was doing, even if he had reservations. “Okay. Well, take him back to his cell and...” He stopped himself, then shook his head. “No, don’t make him navigate the stairs anymore right now. Take him next door to the bedroom we have there. No one’s using it right now. There’s no secure lock on the door though, so you’ll need to either chain him to the bed or stand watch the whole time.” He wasn’t kidding about the chains – anything goes when it came to Agency operatives. “I should be able to get everything together and have Misty assist me this afternoon for another surgery though. After that, we can get him back downstairs where it’s easier to keep an eye on him.”
Though he didn’t say anything, Aaron was listening to the entire conversation, and it was aggravating. He really was being treated like a dog. He knew he wasn’t making it easy by trying to escape more than once, and he’d hurt people, but that’s what someone did when they needed to get out. That’s what anyone would do to escape the enemy. Enemy...Aaron wondered a moment about that word. Why had Garret come here? Why had anyone? Carson. Misty. Gage. Alec. Had all of them been that blind to just give up the power of the Agency? What had they seen in the Elite that Aaron didn’t?
His eyes moved over to Sam and watched her interact with Rick. Her work was cut out for her now, needing to babysit him even more until that afternoon. And he wasn’t sure if that made it worse for her or him.
Though he didn’t say anything, Aaron was listening to the entire conversation, and it was aggravating. He really was being treated like a dog. He knew he wasn’t making it easy by trying to escape more than once, and he’d hurt people, but that’s what someone did when they needed to get out. That’s what anyone would do to escape the enemy. Enemy...Aaron wondered a moment about that word. Why had Garret come here? Why had anyone? Carson. Misty. Gage. Alec. Had all of them been that blind to just give up the power of the Agency? What had they seen in the Elite that Aaron didn’t?
His eyes moved over to Sam and watched her interact with Rick. Her work was cut out for her now, needing to babysit him even more until that afternoon. And he wasn’t sure if that made it worse for her or him.
Posts
