AL:ICE-9 Read Online Free PDF Page B

ALICEs were his to direct.
    All the community patrol members at least knew of Jake. All knew what he was doing to better things for everyone. Each patrol group had town leaders who directed the day-to-day activities, but Jake was their field commander. As was usually the way in these cases, his embellished reputation had grown beyond absurd, but that too served a purpose. All understood, should anyone choose to go “freelance” with the gear provided them, Jake would be coming to collect.
    With everything in order, Patti decided to get a bite to eat and clean up before the dog and pony show.
    ----*----
     
    Jake and Sara arrived at ALICE-1 well after lunchtime. They each flew their own fighters down, but as Jake had mentioned to Sara before departing, this was to be Low and Slow. Inertial dampening or not, just the thought of being bounced around caused him to wince. For Jake, it was to be a minimum effort activity and while he could have had ALICE do the flying, his pride prevented those words from escaping his lips.
    As his fighter settled in to an approach over the Nevada desert, so did a feeling of coming home. Jake had grown up in the southwest and while he had never called Nevada home, ALICE-1 certainly felt like it.
    Once they set down in the hangar, a crowd of well-wishers descended upon the two. It was now common knowledge about Jake’s resolution to the hostage taking in ALICE-4. As was usually the case in these things, if a video was available, it spread like wildfire. Thankfully, someone had clearly intervened and the reception committee numbers were small. As he climbed down, he could make out several familiar faces in the group.
    Facilities commander Linda was there leading the group, newborn Tracy in her arms. As commander, he expected her, but her sister Kathy was by her side, holding Timothy as well. It still amazed him that as awkward as this should be, all involved seem to take it in stride. To add to the mix, he noticed Sandy was there standing behind the two of them, smiling and waving.
    Jake’s first thought was to run. It was like having your wife and ex-girlfriends all in the same room. Then he remembered that was his issue, they were all good with this, or at least they claimed they were. Still, he laughed to himself, thinking, the panic was hard to shake.
    Sara was the first to reach the hangar floor, dropping her helmet in the fighter seat as she climbed down, leaving both hands free for hugs. Jake’s movements were a little slower as he gingerly repeated her actions. Emerging from around the nose of Sara’s fighter, everyone enveloped him in the celebration surrounding Sara.
    Once all the kisses, hugs, and fatherly doting had subsided, Jake caught Patti’s attention.
    “So I hear you are finally ready with your after action report?”
    “Oh we have way more than that for you!” she replied with a smile.
    “When?” he asked.
    “Well, I know your fondness for meetings with food, so how about 6pm local in the large dining hall. That gives you time to clean up and rest if you like. We really need to include more than just the core team here,” she offered
    “Think so, huh?” Jake replied, wary of what she had in mind, “OK, then you better work out the details on the links to the other locations as well.”
    “Already taken care of, see you at 6,” she answered, then turned and hurried off. Jake would almost swear she was skipping as she headed into the facility doors.
    ----*----
     
    At the appointed time, Jake found himself and Sara ushered into the large dining hall. They had managed to change clothes, showering together with a minimum of intimate contact. With his wrap removed, Sara could see the extent of the bruising on his ribs and berated him again for taking such foolish risks. Jake resisted the urge to remind her three lives were hardly trivial, instead he just “Yes Dear’d” her.
    The room layout normally had all the tables in rows covering most of the exposed floor