Part 20 (2/2)
He grinned. After all she'd been through... But she was right.
This was not the time. ”The stairs are right in front of you,” he said.
She nodded. ”Oh thank G.o.d you're here. I'm so scared,” she whispered as he helped her up the stairs.
”You, after being shot at, beaten, and survived being thrown out of a helicopter and a drowning. What could possibly scare you?”
He was genuinely puzzled. He'd yet to see anything rattle her. Stuff that would send normal men running had her sucking in her gut and facing the enemy.
”What if they don't like it?” she whispered as they walked the long road across the stage to where the mic waited. Mason knew he'd likely catch h.e.l.l for being on the stage with her, but there was no way he was going to desert her right now. He was also s.h.i.+elding her from the curious eyes staring at them. They'd see her soon. That would cause a h.e.l.l of a reaction.
He heard Hawk's voice on the communicator. Calm, dependable, powerful Hawk. Giving orders and moving into position as if he'd just woken up from a nap.
The table stood in front of them. ”You don't have to do this,” he whispered, his voice caught by the mic and reaching out across the room. He winced.
The audience shuffled uneasily.
”I'm fine,” she said.
In a voice that reached to the back of the room, Tesla repeated, ”Against all odds, I'm fine.” Then she patted his arm, told him to stay close and stepped around him to face the audience.
A CRESCENDO OF cries filled the air. The announcer rolled over to her. She held up her hand to stop him. ”Good morning. Some of you know that I am Tesla Landers. Some of you met me last night where I gave a presentation of my work. This morning I'm giving a demonstration of how it works and what it can do. However, most of you have no idea what I've been through to get here. What others have done to try and stop me. And to gain my work for their own use. So let me tell you.”
In clear details, some Mason hadn't even heard yet, she stood tall and calmly told the ma.s.sive audience sitting rapt all the details of what had happened this last week.
Instead of appearing terrified, she was steady and convincing as h.e.l.l. When she came to the part about Hawk and fearing he was dead, Mason could feel the color bleaching from his own skin. Lord what she'd been through...
”Now let me tell you why I'm sharing all this...”
The audience was silent... ”It's because what I have created will save lives. Our soldiers, men and women who stand for us each and every day their lives. For the lives of the men who have saved me every time this last week. I know SEALs aren't supposed to get the glory but these men...” she pointed to Hawk in the back of the room, Swede on the far side, Cooper in the front, and Dane against the left wall and Shadow, standing in the shadows on the right. Her final gesture was to turn and motion to Mason himself. ”I have nothing of value to give them in thanks but to see that this program does what it's intended to do. Save their lives that they might in turn help someone else in need.”
”So how does it work?” She turned on the projector. With all eyes on her, she lifted her necklace over her head and unhooked the cross she had dangling on the end. With a simple motion she proceeded to pop it into two pieces and plug one side into her laptop.
s.h.i.+t. She'd been wearing that thing the whole d.a.m.n time. Mason's shocked gaze went from one of his men to the other and saw the same shock in each of their faces. No one had guessed. She'd been wearing that necklace the whole time she'd been captive in enemy hands and they never knew. He caught sight of his commanding officer and saw the same surprise on his face. But his second in command at his side...yeah, that wasn't a look he'd ever expected to see.
And d.a.m.n if Tesla's father hadn't called it. He lifted his communicator and said to Hawk, ”Dodgson is looking ready to make a move.”
”Swede is already on it. He saw the same d.a.m.n look.”
Swede reached the man in seconds, who only at the last moment realized the threat bearing down on him. The man jumped up and bolted to the door. Hawk stepped in front of him, his fist connecting with the man's jaw.
The officer dropped like a stone to the floor. Hawk and Swede bent and lifted him and whisked him away, their actions only causing a small disturbance in the room. All eyes were on Tesla and her program as she led them through the process of what it could do and what her future plans for the program were going to be.
When she finished, she fell silent for a long moment. Then she said, ”I lost my brother to the job. He knew I was working on this. For him, I finished it.” She gave a tremulous smile. ”I've called it Harry's Hope.”
She straightened and looked around the room. ”Are there any questions?”
And the place erupted.
In a calm orderly fas.h.i.+on, she stood until she looked like she couldn't stand any longer, and answered the questions as they were fired at her.
Finally, the room fell silent.
Mason stepped up and offered his arm.
She accepted. ”Ladies and Gentlemen, if there are no more questions, I'm sure you'll understand if I leave you now to think about this while I go find a doctor to check out my broken ribs,” she said in a dry, humorous voice and she withdrew her USB and clicked it back into a cross. As she replaced the piece on her necklace, she added, ”And as long as Mason's taking me, I know I'll get there safe.”
The audience chuckled.
Then she added, ”Except if we're going on a helicopter. Then I'm going with Hawk.”
And she turned and walked away. The audience stood and clapped as she left. She lifted a hand in acknowledgment and kept walking.
Mason had never been more proud of anyone in his life.
She was something.
And what she was was his.
She just didn't know it yet.
Chapter 27.
”NOW IF WE can keep you safe and out of trouble long enough to heal...” The nurse smiled down at her. ”You just need to stay in bed for a couple of days and let your body get over this trauma.”
She nodded and curled up under the sheets. She really hated hospitals. Although this was a nicer one than most. ”I could go home and sleep.”
”Maybe. Waiting on the rest of those X-rays first. If the doctor is good with them, then you can. But you have to rest. No more racing around the countryside.”
”My racing days are done,” she whispered, yawning.
”Good. Sleep a bit. When you wake up the doctor will be here.”
She barely heard the rest of the nurse's statement as the warmth and coziness of being curled up in bed, all the nastiness of the last few days over and the stress of the presentation and demonstration gone, finally allowed her to relax.
Destress. Not that she knew what that was. Still, she needed downtime in a big way. Talk about surviving a week of h.e.l.l.
Mason had helped her off the stage, and she was ashamed to admit she'd all but collapsed on him afterwards. But he took it in stride, picking her up and rus.h.i.+ng her here. She hadn't seen him since.
In fact, outside of the nurse she hadn't seen anyone.
She wasn't sure what was to happen next. Was her little house she'd been in prior to the latest kidnapping available to return to? Did she want to go back there? She was of mixed feelings over that. She'd loved Mason there but had been kidnapped as well. Not exactly a good balance. Later, she'd think of it later.
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