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It's Dolly's Birthday
Chapter 10
The cavalry (air mobile) arrives...
Xe was with the Trolls. The minute the big Sikorsky touched the concrete apron at Lunken, she bounded out the side door and strode briskly to where Drummond was leaning against the Cherokee.
"I didn't come for you," she informed him immediately she was within earshot. "I came for Gabrielle."
Drummond snorted at the irony of it. "It's OK, Xe. I'm grateful you came, no matter why. How many Trolls?"
"Ten. Terry said we'd have to make a couple of trips. Are we gonna set up at your house?"
"Nah. I have a place down in the city. Better suited for a headquarters. No rich neighbors to bitch to City Hall about all the strangers in camos trooping in and out all odd hours of the day and night. It's filled with antiques and shit from my travels with Hephaestus Industries, but we can shove that aside. And there's plenty of phone lines."
"How far is this place?"
"Oh, ten minutes or so."
"So that's twenty minutes round-trip, allow a couple of minutes to load and unload... we can have everybody there in under an hour with two trips, a little over with three."
"Don't sweat it. I took care of that little detail. I called a buddy at the cab company and they're sending us three vans that they use for hauling railroad crews around. That should be able to handle ten Trolls and their equipment. Anything or anybody who doesn't fit can ride with me in the Jeep."
Xe nodded. She turned toward the chopper and pumped her arm twice, then drew her pointed forefinger across her throat. The Troll in the pilot's seat nodded. Whoever it was couldn't be unidentifiable behind bug-eyed goggles and helmet-mounted mike, but Drummond would have bet money it was Petra Alexandra. The big Troll maiden would have insisted on it.
The chopper's main rotor lost its rotational speed as the turbines wound down. The rest of the Trolls piled out of the back door and formed up on the apron.
"So let's go say hello to Bobbo and get this show on the road."
"Um..." Xe began tentatively.
Drummond heard the note in her voice and stopped, turning back to face her. "What?" he demanded.
"Bobbo's not with us. Pete's in command."
"She... what?" It was more the surprise than any real disappointment. "Isn't Dolly important enough to...?"
"Bobbo is in a hospital in Japan. He was in deep when his cover was blown. We almost lost him. We did lose the rest of his team... seven of our best. Terry says we have reason to suspect that his being hit and Gabrielle's being snatched was part of a coordinated effort toward a goal we can't see yet."
"Oh. I see. Well that put me in my place. Didn't it?"
"Whatever. Let's go say hello to Pete, shall we?"
"Sure. And don't you ever so much as hint that I ever even considered doubting her for an instant. Please."
Xe grinned. "Sure, man."
"Thanks."
"Good to see you, too."
Smiling, Drummond cuffed her lightly on the shoulder and headed off toward the squad of Trolls forming up on the apron. Behind him, Xe grinned, her teeth flashing white in the sunlight. Cally's advice had been spot-on.
The Trolls formed up for inspection on the concrete apron. Drummond did the honors, even though he couldn't have felt less like it. He knew it was necessary for the unit's morale. So, keeping his emotions on a tight check rein, he went through the motions. He was stern but fair and generally gave them passing marks. Then he let Pete dismiss them to get ready to board the vans as soon as they arrived. The tiny force of Troll behemoths scattered to their preparations. Pete detailed one girl -- a potential officer candidate if Drummond had ever seen one -- to locate the airfield's manager and find a parking place for their helicopter. She handed the young trooper a CFXS credit card to pay for the service and refueling the bird.
As she turned back to give her attention to Drummond, he raised an eyebrow. He had to lean back and look up to meet her eye, an unusual experience for him, as he was six feet, two inches tall. Pete grinned and nodded. She was almost seven feet tall.
"Reminds me of myself at that age. Eager go-getter, still wet behind the ears," she said conversationally, deliberately misunderstanding his expression.
"Pete, Pete, Pete. You're only twenty-six yourself."
"Yeah. But she's nineteen. Seven years is a long time in this business."
Drummond nodded. "At this time of your life it is. To an old fart like me, seven years is the blink of the proverbial eye."
Pete chuckled at that, as was expected of her. She was good for that; always doing what was expected of her. Except that she always did it brilliantly and with a certain flair that Drummond found himself envying. That Bobbo was grooming her for command pleased the man immensely. As his old man used to say of those he admired, she was good people... Troll or not.
"So," she said.
"So," he replied, agreeable, if somewhat muted.
"You gonna tell me, or do we find out by accident?"
Drummond sighed. "Dolly's been kidnapped by aliens."
"You mean the not-from-around-here Mequillar aliens? Or from- just-across-the-border human aliens?"
"The first one. The Meqs."
"I'm sorry."
"It's not your fault..."
"I'm not apologizing dummy. I'm sympathizing."
"I know, Pete. It's what... she... says." He almost sobbed aloud, but managed to contain the exclamation in a lump behind his sternum. Pete started to reach for him, then realized that she should not and stood still. In a moment, he was under control again.
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