The Daniel Johnson Chronicles: Secret Happenings
“So what comes first?” asked Daniel. He spoke through the door to Fibrizia, sitting on a couch in the previous room.
“A shower,” she said, leaning back in the chair. “Then a haircut.”
“Not what I mean,” said Daniel. Fibrizia heard the sound of the shower turn on. “What do I do next?”
“Are you sure,” Fibrizia began, but Daniel interrupted her.
“Open the door, I can’t hear you over the shower,” he shouted. Fibrizia opened the bathroom door. She could see the outline of Daniel’s long, lean body through the shower curtain. Steam rose from the top of the stall.
“Are you sure you’re ready to jump back into Antarctica?” asked Fibrizia. She lowered herself to the floor, leaning back against the open bathroom door. “You’ve been stranded in an intensive survival situation for two months on a deserted island.”
“Intensive survival?” asked Daniel. “Man, that’s like a vacation compared to my normal job. Nobody shot at me, I wasn’t dodging bombs, I was in a tropical climate. Practically a vacation. A phonecall to Michelle and I’ll be fine.”
“Mmm,” said Fibrizia, looking down at the tile. “The mental health of agents is closely monitored, as you know,” she said. “Besides, even if you were ready now, a trip to Antarctica takes time. It’ll be at least three days preparation, even if I don’t clean all my high heels.” This got a chuckle from Daniel. She looked up at his silhouette on the shower curtain. “I was just wondering about you,” she said.
“About me?” Daniel asked. “I keep telling everyone, I’m fine, I don’t know why they’re so worried. All that emphasis on safety. It’s more important that we stop Watson.”
“That’s what we’re worried about,” Fibrizia said. “Watson’s the problem here.”
“How so? More than usual?” Daniel asked, rinsing his hair. “Hand me a towel, will you?”
“Watson’s on the move again,” Fibrizia said. “We don’t know what he’s planning. Molly’s been tracking his known planes and his Antarctica base, and now she’ll be on the lookout for his aircraft carrier as well. He’s moving large amounts of material around, and we’re trying to figure out what.” She handed him a towel over the curtain as the water shut off. “We might take some side trips before we go to Antarctica,” she said, as Daniel opened the curtain.
He stepped out, towel wrapped around his waist, and Fibrizia stood up.
“Back on the island,” she said, stepping closer to him. “You okay with that? I mean,” she said, standing inches from him, her voice breathy and low, “I don’t want you to do anything crazy, but you’ve been gone a long time.” She reached up to stroke his cheek, newly shaven. “I was just wondering,” she said softly, and the towel fell away as Daniel kissed her.
“A shower,” she said, leaning back in the chair. “Then a haircut.”
“Not what I mean,” said Daniel. Fibrizia heard the sound of the shower turn on. “What do I do next?”
“Are you sure,” Fibrizia began, but Daniel interrupted her.
“Open the door, I can’t hear you over the shower,” he shouted. Fibrizia opened the bathroom door. She could see the outline of Daniel’s long, lean body through the shower curtain. Steam rose from the top of the stall.
“Are you sure you’re ready to jump back into Antarctica?” asked Fibrizia. She lowered herself to the floor, leaning back against the open bathroom door. “You’ve been stranded in an intensive survival situation for two months on a deserted island.”
“Intensive survival?” asked Daniel. “Man, that’s like a vacation compared to my normal job. Nobody shot at me, I wasn’t dodging bombs, I was in a tropical climate. Practically a vacation. A phonecall to Michelle and I’ll be fine.”
“Mmm,” said Fibrizia, looking down at the tile. “The mental health of agents is closely monitored, as you know,” she said. “Besides, even if you were ready now, a trip to Antarctica takes time. It’ll be at least three days preparation, even if I don’t clean all my high heels.” This got a chuckle from Daniel. She looked up at his silhouette on the shower curtain. “I was just wondering about you,” she said.
“About me?” Daniel asked. “I keep telling everyone, I’m fine, I don’t know why they’re so worried. All that emphasis on safety. It’s more important that we stop Watson.”
“That’s what we’re worried about,” Fibrizia said. “Watson’s the problem here.”
“How so? More than usual?” Daniel asked, rinsing his hair. “Hand me a towel, will you?”
“Watson’s on the move again,” Fibrizia said. “We don’t know what he’s planning. Molly’s been tracking his known planes and his Antarctica base, and now she’ll be on the lookout for his aircraft carrier as well. He’s moving large amounts of material around, and we’re trying to figure out what.” She handed him a towel over the curtain as the water shut off. “We might take some side trips before we go to Antarctica,” she said, as Daniel opened the curtain.
He stepped out, towel wrapped around his waist, and Fibrizia stood up.
“Back on the island,” she said, stepping closer to him. “You okay with that? I mean,” she said, standing inches from him, her voice breathy and low, “I don’t want you to do anything crazy, but you’ve been gone a long time.” She reached up to stroke his cheek, newly shaven. “I was just wondering,” she said softly, and the towel fell away as Daniel kissed her.