Chapter 31

This was a bad idea.

Emily attempted to push the thought away but it kept bubbling back to the surface the further she got from the base. Caught between two promises to Finn; never leaving until he returned and doing whatever the Commander asked. So when the latter demanded, no ordered her to go pick up her passport at the consulate, she had to make a choice.

The truth was she was so tired her brain had not been able to come up with another competent argument. It had been four days since Finn walked away. Three long nights. Mostly sleepless. She did manage to drift off at some points, only to be roused bright and early with the rest of the base.

Most of her time was spent in what she assumed were barracks. It was a five-room building, two bedrooms with ensuites on either side of a central common room. Emily was the only occupant. Good thing she was used to being alone.

At first, after assuring her family she was alive and then following it up with a declaration she was in fact not insane, Emily decided to learn more about the country currently hosting her vacation. Bogota was a diverse and thriving metropolis full of cultural delights calling to be discovered. There was a range of artistic endeavours to explore, including The Gold Museum which looked interesting. The city also boasted distinct districts to wander offering everything from Spanish colonialist architecture to street graffiti. This city life was juxtaposed against rugged terrain and hiking trails minutes from the city. Emily had absently wondered if, once Finn was back, they would have time to explore the country.

Until then, Officer Kim was her constant companion. He escorted her to and from the mess hall for food and managed to sneak her a few essentials. A phone charger, an old DVD box set of 'Friends' and a book to read. A spy novel. Unfortunately, the story was only helping her active imagination, providing life and death scenarios a little too real for her now.

It was foolish, but she constantly texted Finn. He was 'comms down' which meant there was no communication between the base and his team. Well, no communications with anyone. Silence until the mission was complete.

Still, it made her feel better to be able to reach out to him. Silly things like "Some green soup for dinner tonight. I've never craved a burger more," or "Working on my own mission here – making Officer Kim crack a smile," kept her sane. Every night, before crawling into bed to try to sleep, she told him she loved him. Every morning she reminded him she was still at the base waiting, as promised.

Except today.

She tried to rationalize her actions with the knowledge it would only take an hour to get there and back, according to the Commander. He had pointed out the roof of the US Embassy from his perch in the tower on the base. Insisting it was only 10 minutes away.

Her first argument to have the passport brought to the base failed instantly. The US Consulate would not release it without her physical presence. That was how things were done around here and there was nothing the Commander could do about it. To be fair, he had arranged it so she would be pushed to the front of the line once there.

It will all be over and done with by the time Finn got back, she told herself. Another rationalization. Finn never even had to know. She didn't need to explain the particulars.

But Emily knew she would. It was a matter of there being nothing between them, no secrets, no hidden agendas. If this relationship was going to work, there had to be no more miscommunications or mix-ups. So, she would tell Finn of her betrayal when he got back, whenever that was going to be.

Emily desperately wanted Finn back now.

For the first three days, she had managed to keep relatively calm. The cracks started last night as she found herself getting more and more anxious for his safe return. The logical part of her brain knew it was most likely related to sleep deprivation. She would wait as long as needed. This was Finn's job and he loved it. Yet she yearned for his return, not wanting to be parted from him anymore.

There were so many unanswered questions. About the past and the future. The least of which is where will they live? Would they even live together?

Emily knew Finn didn't have a permanent residence. He just went wherever the mission was and made it his home until something else came along. Would he want to keep up the nomad lifestyle? Would she travel around the world, not having a home for herself? Spending her days in limbo, waiting for him to return from a mission?

This thought had shaken her confidence. She and Finn would be together, Emily was sure of it. But what would her life look like? She had a job back in Washington and it meant a great deal to her. It was important to be useful in life, to do good work, to help people, to right the wrongs. This yearning didn't need to be fulfilled at the firm she was at now, but she did need to do something.

And what about her family? Despite the pressures they put on her, they were important. She loved watching Ben grow up. Couldn't wait to meet her new niece when she arrived. Then there was Mary and her father. Without her rational guidance, what would become of them? How could Emily not be part of their lives?

The loud noise of a car horn exploded in her ears bringing her back to reality. More pressing matters were at hand. The small white car transporting her and her security detail was trying to merge into a sea of traffic. From what Emily could see, there was just a swarm of life, with no rhyme nor reason in front of them and she had no idea how they would get to the next street, never mind the US Consulate.

But Officer Kim was not deterred. He swiftly and elegantly eased the little compact into the flow of cars and negotiated turn after turn as if he himself was orchestrating the traffic. Emily attempted to focus on the hustle and bustle of life they passed, rather than the process of driving.

This was Colombia. The streets were jammed with carts full of fresh fruits and vegetables, cafes and bars, office buildings and shops, all densely populated with people. Everything seemed foreign, yet familiar to Emily. It was life. Everyone going about their daily affairs, buying groceries for dinner, meeting for a coffee, finding an outfit for a special occasion. She was amazed and interested in it all. Having not been anywhere except for a few months in Japan years ago, she was dazed by the teeming life outside of the gates of the base.

True to the Commander's word, in about 10 minutes, the car pulled up to a walled, single-storied, modern concrete building. The US flag was flying atop and its crest garnished the gates, where a guard, dressed in a khaki brown uniform, inspected Officer Kim's credentials and guided them to a parking space near the building's side door. Another guard came out and escorted them into the consulate. As they passed through the doors, frigid air conditioning hit Emily and caused goosebumps to flash across her skin.

Officer Kim had helped her wash her clothes and she was once again wearing her jeans and a white dress shirt. Her raincoat was draped over a chair in her temporary room. No need for it in this oppressive heat. Emily would have preferred to tie her hair back, but her only elastic was currently reminding Finn she loved him. It left her long hair loose and a little wild from the humid climate. She shoved some errant strands behind her ear in an attempt to make herself presentable.

They were led down a dimly lit corridor spilling out into a large room. It was filled with bored looking people all standing in a windy line, defined by red velvet ropes, leading to two little desks. Each one was manned by an official-looking clerk, surrounded by paperwork and an antiquated computer. One of them was helping a man dressed in a crisp white suit and the other was crowded with a little group consisting of a woman with brunette hair and three young children that shared her hair colour, all looking tired and frustrated. Emily and her two escorts passed the two desks and made their way into a small office in the back.

"Sir, Miss Emily Montgomery here."

A stocky man with short-cropped hair and thick glasses, looked up from the slim laptop at the corner of a large mahogany desk.

"Ah, Miss Montgomery." He smiled at her, "Please have a seat."

Emily took the chair on the left in front of the huge desk. Private Kim stood at her side and the other officer exited, closing the door behind him. It turned out all she needed to do was sign her name a few times on some official papers, get her picture taken and a temporary passport was hers. Everything was signed and sealed and half an hour later, she was taking leave of the office, making her way across the large room.

The knot in Emily's chest started to ease. She would be back at the base soon. There would be nothing for Finn to worry about.

When she passed the first desk, she locked eyes with the woman with the three children and smiled at her in sympathy for still being there. The mother smiled back, and then the expression slipped from her face, followed by a look of confusion. Emily felt a blast of intense heat that knocked her off her feet. She heard an ear cracking boom as she fell backwards. When her head hit the floor, everything went black.