Every Pack is a Generation Challenge

After her jog she finally knocked on one of her neighbors doors.

https://i.ibb.co/cY6dWSd/10-02-23-10-02-35-PM.png

The Eggleston's lived there, and she met Alice. They chatted for awhile, and then April planted the bug as she had come to do. She was finding that she was becoming a very 'huggy' person lately.

https://i.ibb.co/Dw7KMWk/10-02-23-10-03-15-PM.png

Since she had finished placing all the bugs, it was now time to make the recordings.

https://i.ibb.co/w4YZMLD/10-02-23-9-54-26-PM.png

She first listened and then made clippings of the interesting bits. There really wasn't much of note. Most of it was idle gossip; a comment about a neighbor's hair, what so-and-so had said, things of that nature. One girl had been afraid she had committed some light treason. Nothing the military would be concerned with. There was one interesting conversation she overheard.

"...no one seems to know where it came from. Even the eggheads can't figure it out."

Were they talking about the scientists? April had seen a few of them around Strangerville, but she hadn't talked to any of them yet. She hadn't figured out if they were working for the military or not. Surely General Grunt would have told her. Anyway, April decided to include that bit in the recordings, just in case.

Then she got to Mrs. Sigworth's recording. She hesitated, but then she pressed play.

https://i.ibb.co/BrL723w/10-02-23-9-56-21-PM.png

https://i.ibb.co/zxX9v9Y/Screenshot-255.png

https://i.ibb.co/DWn103j/10-02-23-9-55-49-PM.png

The order had come from the top? But that would be General Grunt. If no one was allowed back in there, why had he sent her there in the first place?

She hurried and finished up her work and then headed out the door. She needed to take her mind off things.

-Later, at 8 Bells bar-

https://i.ibb.co/Y3TxtMD/10-02-23-9-40-38-PM.png

April had in fact run into Nina again and the two of them had become fast friends. Since she had finished placing bugs and making her recordings, she was now at 8 Bells dancing with Nina. It was nice to unwind and forget about things.

https://i.ibb.co/s3JZ9HT/10-02-23-9-39-51-PM.png

They were having fun dancing together, but April couldn’t help noticing the Major she had met her first night at the bar.

https://i.ibb.co/JFs3ZP2/10-02-23-9-31-11-PM.png

He wasn’t in uniform tonight, and she thought he was even more attractive without his uniform. She supposed other girls might say the opposite. You could tell which guys were here in uniform just to pick up girls. At least he wasn’t one of those guys. The way he was leaning against the bar though, eyebrows pulled down in an almost brooding way, definitely made him stand out from the crowd. And his light brown eyes and high cheekbones made him very appealing to April. Who was she kidding? He was downright sexy. She couldn't stop looking at him. He had his arms crossed over his chest and she could see the definition of his biceps under his jacket.

He wasn’t dancing or talking to anyone, but she thought she had seen him glance her way a few times. He looked her way now and her heart skipped a beat. She quickly looked back at Nina.

https://i.ibb.co/7Vk3FNK/10-02-23-9-30-45-PM.png

Nina noticed. “Go talk to him.”

https://i.ibb.co/1s3Hn1V/10-02-23-9-40-48-PM.png

“No, I don’t think he likes me very much.”

https://i.ibb.co/mbd1gxW/10-02-23-9-40-27-PM.png

“Then why does he keep looking over here?” Nina grinned at her.

https://i.ibb.co/ySf8dcg/10-02-23-9-41-21-PM.png

“Stop looking at him!” she begged, but she was smiling. Ugh, why did she care if he was looking at her? He wasn’t very friendly. Or, maybe she had just judged him too early?

“Fine, I’ll go talk to him. Wait here.”

“Yes, Captain,” Nina replied, saluting her. April rolled her eyes.

She made her way to the bar and sat down next to him. She had talked to him once before, but she hadn’t gotten his name. Now that she was here, she didn’t know what to say. He was a rank above her. Perhaps she should just wait and see if he would talk to her first.

https://i.ibb.co/s6ZXw9z/Screenshot-252.png

To her surprise, he did. He turned and said, “Looks like you’re having fun.”

She turned to face him. “Yes. Do you dance?”

https://i.ibb.co/yXmHvPQ/10-02-23-9-34-58-PM.png

He shook his head. “No…”

Well, maybe her first impression had been right after all.

https://i.ibb.co/6sZ0bwj/10-02-23-9-34-51-PM.png

“What do you do?” she asked, a little more rudely than she had intended.

https://i.ibb.co/K62pPBP/10-02-23-9-33-28-PM.png

He actually smiled at that, the tiniest of smiles. “Observe."

“Okay…and what have you observed?”

“Nothing of note, yet.”

https://i.ibb.co/yhSBJM3/10-02-23-9-36-08-PM.png

“Noting of note?” What was that supposed to mean?

“If you’ll excuse me, Captain Fogel.” He got up and left the bar.

April stared after him. How did he know her name? She hadn’t told him, and she still hadn’t gotten his name.

https://i.ibb.co/cNDk6Wz/10-02-23-9-45-36-PM.png

She stomped back over to Nina.

https://i.ibb.co/8DjRN8y/10-02-23-9-46-54-PM.png

“That didn’t go well, I take it?” Nina asked after seeing her face.

“Apparently, I am ‘nothing of note’, so no.”

https://i.ibb.co/VYshcPs/10-02-23-9-40-23-PM.png

“Yikes. Did he say that?”

“Well, not exactly, but that’s what it seemed like.”

Nina got the impression that April didn’t want to talk about it anymore. She grabbed April’s hand and pulled her to the bar. “Come on, the next round’s on me!”

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

A couple days later April was finally ready to turn in the recordings from the listening devices. The week had gone by with mostly training and getting debriefed on various subjects around the base. She still had various tasks to do for the military outside of her covert operations. In fact, she had done so well that she had already been promoted to Major. And so, she found herself back in General Grunt's office.

https://i.ibb.co/CmWj3WQ/10-03-23-10-22-15-AM.png

He greeted her with a hearty, "Congratulations on the promotion, Major!"

"Thank you, sir."

She had expected him to start filling her in on what to do next, but before she could even give the box with the recordings he said, "Major Fogel, I want you to meet someone."

https://i.ibb.co/4JbG30v/10-03-23-10-21-59-AM.png

"You'll be working with him on the remainder of this project. He's already been informed and debriefed on the situation and he will fill you in on what to do next. I have some important matters to attend to, but I will leave the two of you to it."

He motioned at the door. "Major Tomlin, come in please."

https://i.ibb.co/SmqXH3Z/10-03-23-10-22-55-AM.png

April had to stop her jaw from dropping to the floor because the Major that walked in was the same one who had so rudely excused himself from the bar just a couple nights ago. At least she knew his name now...

General Grunt introduced them. "Fogel, this is Major Tate Tomlin. Tomlin, Major April Fogel."

Major Tomlin gave a salute, which she returned, but the two of them gave no sign to General Grunt that they had met previously.

"Well, I have urgent matters to attend to I'm afraid. Tomlin, I trust you will fill me in later." And with that he left and April was left standing in the general's office alone with Major Tomlin.

https://i.ibb.co/xLvHqtV/10-03-23-10-27-20-AM.png

When the general left she noticed Tomlin's shoulders relax, but he still held the same taut line across his features. She wondered briefly how handsome he'd be if he actually smiled a real smile. She shook the thought away.

Not wanting to betray her thoughts, she didn't look him in the eye when she turned to him. Her gaze settled instead on his biceps. Well, that didn't help.

"Well?" she demanded. She was still a little upset about the other night.

https://i.ibb.co/HdDnVC4/10-03-23-10-29-00-AM.png

"I'll take the recordings you collected," he said quietly.

https://i.ibb.co/vYWTf26/10-03-23-10-26-32-AM.png

She handed them over to him and he said, "Thank you, this should be enough."

"What are they for?" she asked him.

https://i.ibb.co/KDRVQVL/10-03-23-10-29-01-AM.png

He looked slightly uncomfortable, but maybe that was how he always looked. "Really, we are just trying to gather every bit of information about the mother plant as we can."

"What would civilians know about it?"

He didn't answer, but changed the subject. "We have a new assignment. It involves taking a trip to Granite Falls. Do you know the place?"

https://i.ibb.co/D7WPZHf/10-03-23-10-27-16-AM.png

"I've heard of it, but I've never been."

"There's an individual rumored to live there commonly known as 'The Hermit.' This individual is supposed to be a plant expert. We must find him or her and gather what information we can."

April was puzzling over how this was related to the disappearances. Major Tomlin just looked at her. She looked away quickly.

"So, will you be accompanying me to Granite Falls?"

https://i.ibb.co/6NB1NK2/10-03-23-10-29-02-AM.png

"I'm sorry? You mean, the two of us?"

"Unless you'd rather stay here?"

"No, no, of course not. I'll be going."

That seemed to be the end of the conversation. He motioned for the door and the two of them made their way outside.

https://i.ibb.co/gj9khzB/10-03-23-10-29-36-AM.png

Tate held the door open for her and then exited the office behind her. He breathed a sigh of relief once outside, no longer cooped up in General Grunt's small office. April was ahead of him and he watched her make her way down the steps. She really was beautiful. He had no idea how to speak to her. It seemed he had already given her a bad impression of himself. He found small talk uncomfortable and awkward. He'd wanted to stay in the bar and talk with her more, but being around so many people was difficult for him. He had been watching her dance with her friend and he had been mesmerized. It wasn't that she was an amazing dancer, but the way she moved had been so care-free. It had made him forget about his worries for awhile. Would a weekend with her have the same effect he wondered? That was another worry in itself. He felt crazy just being so close to her. He wanted her to glance at him the way she had across the bar the other night. There had been some desire in her eyes he thought, but now...he was afraid he had offended her somehow. He definitely desired her, but for now he would try to rein in those feelings since she didn't seem to reciprocate them.

April was also worrying about a weekend alone with him. What would come of it?