Monday. 13:10 Outside the Main Dorm and Cafeteria

The car rolled to a stop. the driver put it into park, then hurried out and opened the door for the Captain and Commander sitting in the backseat. Captain Garcia got out first, followed by Commander Eric Taubitz. John let himself out and walked around the car.

Taubitz spoke up first, “Cadet, please hand me your Naval Intelligence ID.”

John smiled and pulled it out of his pocket, “Figured that was coming. Here you go.”

“Official separation papers will be sent to you by the end of the week. Should anything come up that you would go to them, use the official Navy channels now,” Captain Garcia said.

“Understood and considered it done.”

A delivery guy walked up to the men, “One of you John Lief?”

“Ooh perfect. Lunch,” John said as he dug into his pocket.

John pulled out a pair of credit chits. He scanned the first, shook his head, and put that back in his pocket. The other had fifty-five credits left on it. John tossed it to the delivery guy.

“Keep the change. Thanks.”

The commander and driver shook their heads. Garcia chuckled a bit and sent the other two officers away. He needed to have a private word with the cadet.

“Cadet, right now what I’m about to say is off the record.”

John nodded, “Understood.”

“Your reputation within First Fleet, or hell within the core fleets, is not great. It was made to look better when you came to our defense. But your actions in the previous year…”

John couldn’t fight the urge to let the captain finish speaking, “I had to act sir.”

“Let me finish,” Garcia said quietly but sternly, “Didn’t make you any friends. All it did was piss off the hornets’ nest that is the admiralty. I get why you did, as did many other command officers. Many even supported you. Far more didn’t and the majority of the admiralty is pissed with you. Your problem is you act too damned fast, you need to show some bloody restraint. If you don’t, you’d be lucky to make Lieutenant Commander.”

John let the words sink in and thought about things, “You are right sir that I am overly quick to attack those that try to attack me. I’m not keen on the idea of letting anyone get the first shot in. I will do a better job in assessing threats to me in the future.”

Garcia slapped him on the shoulders, “For the record, I was and still am on your side. There are many that can see you going places. You of all people ought to know what happens with wax wings when one flies too high.”

John stiffened and saluted the captain, “Sir, understood. I will endeavor to act with more intelligence and wisdom.

“Please do that, it’ll make our life far less complicated. Oh, intelligence wanted the locations of your caches. All of them. And now, not before you had a chance to clean them up.”

John sighed and dug in his jacket, “Where is that drive?”

He went through four pockets before he found it, “Ahh, here we go. Includes the location of each one along with a manifest of everything that should be found within. Ammo counts may not be perfect but should be close. Oh, and it also includes the last time I visited them.”

The captain took the drive then walked back to his car. The driver opened the back door, but the captain paused a moment. He then looked back at John.

“What’s the chances that any of the dates were forged?”

“Are you referring to the off-the-books local one?”

“Yes, that is the one that Intelligence was most concerned about.”

John smiled, “What makes you think there’s going to be any evidence to support anything else?”

The captain shook his head, “You literally said you’d act with more wisdom like thirty seconds ago.”

“Sure did, but everything you and Intelligence wants is on that drive.”

The captain nodded then slid into the car and spoke under his breath, “I’m sure it is.”

“The date I last visited it was the date when I audited it last. The Navy isn’t out any money or items. Everything I received or acquired while in service to Intelligence is there. Any extra money above what is reported will not be found,” John said with a smile.

The officers turned and headed to their waiting car. John swore he could hear Taubitz say John had the worst case of an arrogant, anger management impaired kleptomaniac. He thought that statement was somewhat rude since he wasn’t a kleptomaniac, he only took things when people attacked him as recompense. It was difficult to argue the arrogant and anger management points, especially given the afternoon’s events.

16:15 Lounge

John was playing cornhole against himself. He was sore and sick of sitting on the couch while everyone was focused on studying. The irony here is that he's acting out of boredom was now annoying everyone in the room. Jessica snapped first.

“For the last hour you’ve been throwing bags, John,” Jessica slammed her book on the table, “And every god damned throw goes in the hole. Why are you doing that?”

“I’m bored,” John said nonchalantly.

“Please for the love of god do something else,” Thomas’ breaking point was a hair’s width away from being broken as well.

“Fine,” John complied.

John put the bags away and put the boards back in the locker in the corner of the room. He then grabbed his tablet and sat in one of the chairs to the back of the room. Andern looked up and snickered to himself.

“What?” Kristin elbowed her boyfriend.

“The big baby is pouting,” Andern was laughing while pointing at John.

John looked up and shook his head, “I’m really not pouting, I’m looking at some messages that came in.”

“Big pouty baby,” Andern laughed as he looked back at his book.

Andern didn’t see John’s retaliation, but he felt it. A pillow John had taken from the chair next to him was thrown at Andern. It hit him square in the face.

“Dick, I was reading about how Intelligence confiscated my hidden caches. And wanted my badge back too,” John paused as he skimmed through another message, “And a prayer service I need to go to on Wednesday.”

Kevin shut his book loudly and looked over at John, “Damn, they took all that swag?”

John smirked, “Officially yes.”

Jessica put her hands up, “Nope, nope, and nope. Stop it right now. We’re not doing this again. I do not want to get roped into anything.”

“I’m actually with her, which is weird,” Brian agreed with Jessica.

“What about those credit chits?” Thomas asked.

“Now that I will talk about. Most of them were mine. I left some extra in there to account for all the crap I squirreled away under questionable circumstances. I took care of that in the summer.”

“Sneaky bastard,” Alice said with a smile on her face.

“They really did cut you off. I didn’t think you were being serious,” Kristin said, “Why? It seems so sudden.”

John leaned back in his chair as he read the obituary, “I was a bit of a loose cannon…”

“Nooooo, you don’t say,” Andern said sarcastically.

Kristin elbowed Andern in the ribs, “Let John talk you dick.”

“They originally sent me off to the Academy in the hopes that I wouldn’t lose myself to killing people. A fat lot of good that did since they kept me on the payroll while I was here. They really wanted a mole of sorts in command. But now that I can’t read minds my ability to collect intelligence, the kind that can be used to convince people to get into order quietly, my usefulness to them is at an end.”

“Your continued run-ins with the public, assassins, never-do-wells, and the like strained that relationship,” Theresa said.

“Sure did. That still fits into their risk calculus that I was still worth keeping around. The beginning of the end of our relationship was when I ran off half-cocked and burned myself out,” John looked up at his friends, “I figured this was going to happen sooner than later. Then today I get accosted after I went shopping and some halfwit ended up falling off a curb and got pancaked by a fucking bus.”

Thomas laughed, “There it is.”

Jessica shook her head, “Why do you attract this much attention?”

“Hey, it wasn’t my fault,” John got really animated with his arms, “I walked in, spent some money, walked out and three guys thought they’d steal from me.”

Alice took a deep breath and slid her book onto the table, “Dare I ask how much you spent and where it came from?”

“I emptied one chit and damaged the crap out of another.”

“Millions?”

John nodded.

Kevin interrupted Alice, “What’d you get?”

“Swing over before curfew and I’ll show you.”

“Got everything for you then, eh?” Alice had a disappointed look on her face.

John made a feigned face of pain, “Come on. What do you really take me for? Nah, I got you a couple of goodies too.”

Alice grinned, shook her head, and refocused on her homework.

23:15 Co-Ed Dorm

Kevin stopped by to drool over the watches. His eyes were affixed on the case back. He couldn’t get stop watching the movement work. John handed him a jeweler’s loupe so he could take a better look at it.

Alice would have been annoyed but her eyes were affixed by the bangle and necklace John had purchased for her. She wasn’t overly fond of jewelry in general, but the diamonds on the white gold dolphin sparkled in a way that was hard to keep her eyes off of.

“Hate to do this my man, but…”

Kevin handed the watch to John, “Oh yeah, it’s time to get some shut-eye. Good lord man, those two are amazing.”

Kevin let himself out. John took the watches and put them back in their boxes. Alice was still staring at her necklace. She managed to refocus and set the necklace back in its case.

“Thank you. I’m not going to say anything about those watches,” Alice was smirking, “I suppose there’s always a time for a first.”

“You’re welcome.”

“About that prayer service. I should come with you. She’s dead because of me,” Alice said sheepishly.

“No, she’s not dead because of you. She’s dead because a pair of assassins were working and she drew a bad hand,” John said looking back at her, “You don’t need to, nor should you, feel any guilt about her death. Plus, the two of you were barely on speaking terms much less friends or even acquaintances. I’ll say goodbye then head back.”

“Where is it?”

“Miami. Have a 10:00 flight on Wednesday. Then coming back in the afternoon. I’ll be missing chow though.”

“Damn, are you really going to have all your finals done by then?” Alice tossed a psychology book on the coffee table.”

“Assuming there are no cancellations I should get five tests taken care of tomorrow. Hoping I can get that wrapped up before lunch but that may not work.”

“You suck. You know that right?”

John just nodded, “That will leave me with two left to take on Wednesday. One of which should be a twenty-minute test.”

“Well, I’m studied out. You coming to bed soon?”

John looked up from his tablet, “Yeah, got a couple more things to take care of still. I’ll be in there quickly.”

Wednesday. 07:10 Cafeteria

John and Alice were sitting at their normal table in the cafeteria. John was eating some bacon while he wore an incredibly obvious. Alice was staring at a psychology book and her coffee. The rest of their group filed in slowly that morning.

Tuesday’s tests had taken what felt like years off their lives. Except for John, he exceeded his own ridiculous expectations. He only had a single test left to take. Everyone was still on track to wrap up as scheduled. The problem with that for the others was that they had another full day of taking tests.

“Good morning, Mr. Smugness,” Kristin said as she sat down next to Alice.

“We didn’t talk much last night, are you really done?” Kevin said as he sat across from John.

“Need to take a leadership survey and a psychological screening,” John took a sip of orange juice, “They sprang that on us on yesterday. Shouldn’t take more than twenty or thirty minutes for each.”

Andern then joined the table. His tray contained a plateful of bacon and a hilariously large mug of coffee. It looked like he was up into the wee hours studying.

He began mumbling, “Roommate started studying last night after curfew. Before we knew it, it was 05:20. Fuck me, I’m tired as fuck.”

“Morning sunshine,” Thomas said slapping Andern’s shoulder, “Jesus, can you eat normally for once.”

“Bacon and coffee. Almost sounds like his idiotic diet,” Kevin looked down the table but was pointing at John.

“No, he has a miniaturized black hole for a stomach. His diet consists of more than two items,” Alice lightly elbowed John.

“I’m hearing a whole lot of jealousy going on at this table,” John continued to wear the smug look on his face.

The group continued their banter for another thirty minutes before they broke and headed off to their respective testing sites. John was walking with a bit more confidence in his step that morning. John kissed Alice when they got to the medical building, he continued on to the Armstrong building.

The morning for John wrapped up as quickly as he presumed. When he was finished, he changed into casual clothes in his room, put his suit in his garment bag, and then headed to the airport. The airport was not very busy, but his plane and flight crew were there. John settled into the plane and began to reminisce and try to figure out what to say to Jess’s family.

13:30 Kisvold Funeral Home, Miami

John walked into the funeral home wearing a suit with a blue tie. A quick scan of the room showed no one he knew. No one from Intelligence appeared to be there. He proceeded to walk over and sign in to the guest book.

He then received a call which made him slip outside briefly, “This is John.”

“This is Agent Dickerson, why are you here?”

“Dickerson, you’re the desk jockey on the third floor here in Miami, right?”

“Yes, now answer the damned question.”

“What one normally does during visitations. Paying my respects. Why?”

“You got her and the other agents in that building killed. Everything that happened is on you.”

“Some maniac with delusions of grandeur and a lack of humanity hired two well-equipped and connected assassins. That’s on him. There was nothing more that I could do.”

“If you didn’t go and neuter yourself…”

John shook his head and ended the call. There was no point in continuing the conversation. It was interesting how far from grace he had fallen in their eyes. It was all so sudden, yet despite that John was a critical component that helped solve the disappearance of military goods and wares last year. He shrugged and then held open the door for a couple that had just arrived.

He walked over and looked at screens that had pictures of Jess from when she was growing up. Her flirtatious attitude appeared to start when she was little. John noticed that the confidence that she had disappeared when she went to the academy.

“You noticed it too,” a man behind John spoke up.

“If I didn’t know her, I’d say that was the look of regret.”

“I’m her uncle Tony. How did you know her?”

“Nice to meet you, sir. John Lief. I worked with her before I was shipped off to the academy.”

“How long did you work with her?” Tony asked.

John looked up and thought, “Several investigations. Didn’t work in the same field office until about three months before I shipped off. That was three and half years ago or so.”

“I haven’t seen any other people from the Navy show up.”

“I would bet that a few would show up for the funeral. Mid-term break starts tomorrow and we’re flying out, so I came down today to pay my respects.”

Tony gave a confused look, “Mid-terms, I was under the impression you were an officer?”

“Going to be in about seven or eight months. I’m still in the academy.”

“I see. I didn’t know that Naval Intelligence employed children.”

John smiled, “They don’t normally. I’m far from normal apparently.”

Tony chuckled, “You should go inside and say hello to her younger sister and folks.”

John reached out to shake Tony’s hand, “Thank you sir, and I’m so sorry for your loss.”

He walked inside the small room and saw an open casket at the center of the right wall. Several rows of chairs were set up. Most were unoccupied but a few older people were sitting down towards the back and chatting. John noticed who he presumed were her parents and a teenage-looking sister at the front talking to some people.

John walked over to a table and paged through a scrapbook. He smiled at seeing some of the pictures. But he noticed the same thing here too, her expressions changed when she went off to the Navy. The academy wasn’t the same for her as it was for John, though in a way it was just as transformational.

There had been enough delaying the inevitable John thought to himself. He needed to properly pay respects to her immediate family and to her as well. John turned and walked up to them slowly. He got there just as a couple moved up to see her body.

“Good afternoon. I’m so sorry for your loss. I’m John Lief, I was a co-worker of sorts in Naval Intelligence.”

Janet Markos looked up and smiled, “Oh, I was wondering when some of you would be here.”

John smiled, “I’m not in the same department anymore so I’m not really sure what their plans are. But I’d presume they will be present for the funeral.”

Jorge Markos shook John’s hand, “Did she get you into any trouble in the office?”

“Oh, you have no idea,” John smiled, “Luckily I played the straight angle so even if she was being her usual self, she couldn’t get into too much trouble.”

As the conversation went on, Jess’ younger sister didn’t seem to want to join the conversation. She was however listening intently to the conversation as it went on. John clued in on that fact towards the end of his short chat.

“Again, I am so sorry for your loss.”

“Thank you.”

John shook Jorge’s hand and gave Janet a quick hug. He walked over to the casket and looked down at Jess. It was a curious thing looking at someone’s dead body. Doubly so for knowing them as intimately as he did. John pulled a gold coin out of his pocket and slipped it under her hand. It was a lucky coin that she had given him after their first investigation together.

John leaned down and whispered, “Thank you. I’m sorry we parted as messily as we did. I hope you finally found the peace you so desperately sought in life.”

John gave a quick salute, then turned to walk out of the room. This chapter in his life was finally closed. He felt sad that Jess gave up her life, especially to save the woman that ultimately took her place in his life. But John felt that she really did find peace in the end.

John walked onto the sidewalk as the double doors slid open. He was about to get back into the loaner car he borrowed at the airport. A voice called out to him and asked him to stop from behind.

“You said your name was John?” her sister said.

John turned around, “Yes. You must be Cassie.”

“Your him.”

“How much did she tell you?” John wore a pained smile on his face.

Cassie made an ugly look on her face, “Too damned much. Why did she have to be so damned miserable?”

John shrugged, “She had a lifetime’s worth of regret by the time she graduated the Academy. I’m not really sure how or why though. But it did cause her to make some bad decisions.”

“Oh my god,” Cassie gasped, “You were the one that destroyed her career in the Navy.”

“No, she did that herself,” John shook his head, “But I’m not entirely innocent here either, I used her weakness to get the real masterminds involved in that scheme. Her willingness to go along with their plan killed her career. Some of the other agents spotted something in her that they could use though.”

“We weren’t told any specifics about how she died, besides it happened while she was on a protection mission. I don’t suppose you could fill me and my family in on any of that?”

John shook his head, “She died with honor. As for more specificity than that, I’m sorry but I’m not at liberty to say.”

“Then you know,” Cassie had a pitiable look, “Please, anything would…”

“I’m not at liberty to speak freely on the matter. I wish I was. Trust me when I say that your sister died a hero. There’s a debt that I will always owe her,” John walked over to Cassie and placed a hand on her shoulder, “I am so sorry that your big sister was taken from you. She will always be looking over you.”

That appeared to placate Cassie for the time being. John turned and began walking to his car. Cassie once again spoke out once more.

“Suppose I join up for the Navy. Would I get to know the full truth then?”

John smiled and turned around, “I wish I could lie to you to put you more at ease, but service doesn’t work that way. If you want to join the Navy, do both yourself and your sister a favor and find a solid reason for doing so,” John paused and thought about the pictures, “In giving it more thought, this may be why that smile of hers went away for six years. You have a new chapter in your life ahead of you, stay strong, both for your parents and your big sis.”

Cassie stood there not sure what to say. John smiled then waved at her and turned around to head to his car. It was time to get home. Not necessarily back to reality, but to continue on with his life. Tomorrow afternoon they’d be piling on a plane and heading to Key West again. They were all in need of a break away from things. Some more so than others.