Hotel Arizona
The thankfully uneventful trek to the canyon’s south rim took them the rest of the night. The bedraggled trio wandering into one of the hotels mid morning earned strange looks from the hotel staff. Hitomi jerked her head at the front desk, asking if she should book a room. CJ nodded and found a phone.
She told Mitchell to take a seat while she dialed home. She allowed for a small smile as Buck answered the phone, something few businessmen did for themselves. She related the events of the previous night quickly, while Buck made encouraging noises.
“By thunder, Cynthia! What is that man playing at? No, don’t answer. Are you sure he invoked Homeland Security? Oh, of course you are, look who I’m asking! Can you two sit tight with this Dr. Carroll until I can get there?”
“Of course. Douglas is almost certainly gone, or will be soon.”
“I know, I know. That doesn’t matter. As soon as I hang up, I’ll be making a few calls before I come down there. Not the least of which will be to a few friends in the Defense Department.”
“Thank you, Buck.”
“Now, now. We’ll see what we can get straightened out. I can’t promise, but I’ll do what I can.”
“‘Omi got us a room, we’ll sit tight until you get here.” She told him the hotel they were at, then they said their goodbyes. She tapped Mitchell and joined Hitomi near the elevators.
“We’re in luck, partner. A bunch of reservations were cancelled this morning,” she waggled her eyebrows for effect, “so we got a nice suite.”
CJ nodded, “Lead the way. I’ll fill you in up there, once we’ve swept for bugs.”
Hitomi gave her an odd look, but nodded. “You got it.”
# # #
Once a sweep of the room turned up nothing, CJ told them Buck’s plans. “I would imagine he’s going to want to talk to you Mitchell. Don’t worry though. He’s like a father to both of us.”
“Like nothing. He’s the only father I’ll ever acknowledge.” Hitomi nodded at Mitchell. “You’ll be okay with him at your side.”
Mitchell nodded, looking a bit uneasy. CJ placed a hand on his arm, “We’re serious. He also told us to sit tight.”
“Good, I’m not sure I could walk to the bathroom right now. I think I’m going to try and crash. Since we have to wait until tomorrow anyway.” She got up and went to the bedroom and fell onto one of the beds.
“You two work well together.” Mitchell slouched a bit in his chair.
“Years of practice. We’ve been known to finish each other’s sentences.”
He laughed, “Here’s to good friends, hey?”
CJ smiled back, “I wish this would have gone better. This was supposed to be a mini vacation for her. Still, I think she’ll agree that it was worth the trouble to see that tomb.”
“You both love archeology?”
“Yes. Mostly as a hobby. We’re usually too busy to indulge.”
“Working?”
“You could say that.”
“What do you do?”
“Contractors. A little of this, a little of that.”
“Jacks of all trades?”
“Master of none,” CJ smiled, Mitchell laughed, and she drew the conversation away from what she did.
They talked well into the night.
She told Mitchell to take a seat while she dialed home. She allowed for a small smile as Buck answered the phone, something few businessmen did for themselves. She related the events of the previous night quickly, while Buck made encouraging noises.
“By thunder, Cynthia! What is that man playing at? No, don’t answer. Are you sure he invoked Homeland Security? Oh, of course you are, look who I’m asking! Can you two sit tight with this Dr. Carroll until I can get there?”
“Of course. Douglas is almost certainly gone, or will be soon.”
“I know, I know. That doesn’t matter. As soon as I hang up, I’ll be making a few calls before I come down there. Not the least of which will be to a few friends in the Defense Department.”
“Thank you, Buck.”
“Now, now. We’ll see what we can get straightened out. I can’t promise, but I’ll do what I can.”
“‘Omi got us a room, we’ll sit tight until you get here.” She told him the hotel they were at, then they said their goodbyes. She tapped Mitchell and joined Hitomi near the elevators.
“We’re in luck, partner. A bunch of reservations were cancelled this morning,” she waggled her eyebrows for effect, “so we got a nice suite.”
CJ nodded, “Lead the way. I’ll fill you in up there, once we’ve swept for bugs.”
Hitomi gave her an odd look, but nodded. “You got it.”
# # #
Once a sweep of the room turned up nothing, CJ told them Buck’s plans. “I would imagine he’s going to want to talk to you Mitchell. Don’t worry though. He’s like a father to both of us.”
“Like nothing. He’s the only father I’ll ever acknowledge.” Hitomi nodded at Mitchell. “You’ll be okay with him at your side.”
Mitchell nodded, looking a bit uneasy. CJ placed a hand on his arm, “We’re serious. He also told us to sit tight.”
“Good, I’m not sure I could walk to the bathroom right now. I think I’m going to try and crash. Since we have to wait until tomorrow anyway.” She got up and went to the bedroom and fell onto one of the beds.
“You two work well together.” Mitchell slouched a bit in his chair.
“Years of practice. We’ve been known to finish each other’s sentences.”
He laughed, “Here’s to good friends, hey?”
CJ smiled back, “I wish this would have gone better. This was supposed to be a mini vacation for her. Still, I think she’ll agree that it was worth the trouble to see that tomb.”
“You both love archeology?”
“Yes. Mostly as a hobby. We’re usually too busy to indulge.”
“Working?”
“You could say that.”
“What do you do?”
“Contractors. A little of this, a little of that.”
“Jacks of all trades?”
“Master of none,” CJ smiled, Mitchell laughed, and she drew the conversation away from what she did.
They talked well into the night.
Comments