The final member of their little group sat at the other end of the table. The young Senior Ward might have been twenty years old. If all went well, he wouldn’t be doing anything more than hauling the team they were replacing back to Fort Nevada and then returning to wait for Alex and his team to rejoin him after they were done on the surface in Zone Four. Alex approached him first.
The kid sat up straighter in his chair before deciding he should stand. He pushed back and tried to salute. “Senior Ward Third Class Xavier Herrons, sir.”
“Third Class?” Alex’s brows went up. He turned to look at Thomas, though his next words were directed at the youngster. “And yet you were assigned this duty? Your Guardians must think highly of you.” He would have expected a Second Class, at a minimum.
“I hope so, sir. I work very hard.”
“See that you do, Ward. I’d hate to see how far down their opinions would slide if you were to lose her.”
The kid darted a startled look at Lena across the table and then back to Alex’s impassive face again. Herrons swallowed convulsively.
“Alex.” Thomas’s voice was calm, but his face held both amusement and irritation. “Why don’t you come review the route again?”
Alex guffawed. “Because I know the route like the back of my hand. Besides, he’s the expert who’s been in and out all month.” He nodded at Jackson. “He’ll be navigating.”
Jackson’s posture spoke of forced neutrality.
Alex snorted and turned instead to the four packs piled against the wall. He moved through them one by one, rechecking for contents, load and access. He finally stood, hands on hips, and turned back to the table.
Thomas and Jackson had turned their attention back to the map, but Lena wasn’t watching them anymore. She watched Alex, arms crossed.
“Oh, hi, Lena.” He gave her a warm smile, hoping for one in return.
“Hello, Alex.” She uncrossed her arms and reached up to tuck her hair behind her ears. “Can we get out of here now?”
He raised his brows. What had happened? She was already unhappy. And though they’d managed to build a friendly camaraderie during evening lessons, he knew there was a tension building in her lately that had nothing to do with him or their kiss. Why?
“Safety first,” he told her lightly.
Were they putting her safety first? Because he’d had personal contact with her, simply knowing she was out there created a distraction, an irritating constant pull on his attention he couldn’t shake. It posed a danger to him and to what they were trying to achieve.
But how much more of a danger was it to Lena?
If he was so affected that he hadn’t been able to resist a taste of her lips, how were the others managing without his legendary self-control? He’d pulled himself out of it, and he made himself deal with it during their lessons, even if he hadn’t been able to sleep a full night in the month since. Would the others be able to do the same?
She stared at the backpacks, tracing the lines of them, waiting. The eagerness to be on her way, to leave the Fort behind, was obvious. Clearly, they weren’t managing well. What was she having to deal with that she hadn’t been complaining about?
Thomas looked up. “All right. If we’re good to go?” He looked askance at Alex, who nodded. “You all know what we’re doing, and how we’re doing it. You go up, relieve the team, observe from a distance, wait for your relief, and get out. Got it?”
As soon as the others nodded agreement, Lena abandoned her chair and hoisted her pack. The men hadn’t cleared the table yet.
Alex worried for a moment the pack might pull her small frame over. He should have known better.
She settled the pack across her shoulders and looked back at the rest of them standing around the table. “What are you all waiting for?” She arched a brow. “Time’s wasting.”
And he wondered why he had an itch to get back?
***
Alex had to reach out and pull Lena back toward himself as she automatically headed for the train she’d arrived on months ago. He smiled and grabbed the back of her pack, steering her away from the front platform toward the back corridor.
“Hey!” she protested, craning her head to look up at him over her shoulder.
“It’s this way,” he told her, voice mild.
Her gaze swerved to Jackson behind him and the soft, suspect noises he made. Her face darkened. “It’s not funny.” The words she gritted were icy. She whipped her head forward again and marched ahead of them down the corridor.
He turned to the younger man and raised a brow in question.
Jackson shrugged. He focused straight ahead. “It’s fine, sir.” He cleared his throat. “No trouble.”
Alex stopped. He grabbed the back of Jackson’s pack as he had Lena’s a moment before and dragged him to a stop. Herrons slowed, but Alex gestured him on with a nod.
Alex returned his attention to Jackson Lee. “There’s personal business, and then there’s business that could affect my operation. And the second is very much something I need to know. Tell me now.” He gave no other option, and no wiggle room.
“There is nothing to know, sir.” Jackson told him in his quiet, sensible voice. “No personal business.” He paused. “I took care of it like you told me to.”