Gregory opened his mouth to continue the story when Lieutenant Budgell held up her hand and looked over his shoulder.
"We will have to continue this later," she said. "Once we're alone again."
Gregory nodded.
Moments later Dr. Marshall returned from the washroom. The Lieutenant paid for the meal while Gregory and the Doctor had a quick smoke outside. It wasn't long after that the trio were on the road again, this time with Gregory sitting in the front of the Jeep with the Lieutenant.
The sky grew red and they continued their journey towards St. John's. The Dominion's capital had grow by leaps and bounds during the war. North America's most easterly city, its sheltered harbor had become a major jumping off point for vessels making a transatlantic crossing.
It had also become a priority target, as Axis submarine wolf-packs, like the one that had sunk the Beaumont, were known to prowl just a few miles off the coast. The allies retaliated with frequent air observation and patrols by submarine hunting craft.
With the war now over, and allied ships returning home, it wasn't known what direction the city would take. Without the influx of funds from visiting ships and sailors, many shops and businesses would have to rethink how they operated. Unemployment was already on the uptick as traffic to the port beginning to slow down.
The Jeep rolled into the "Queen's Own" hotel in downtown St. John's a little after 8 that evening. Lieutenant Budgell accompanied her charges inside and spoke with the clerk to arrange accommodations. They were soon handed keys and directed to the third floor.
"I have family here in town, so I'll be staying with them until we leave for the Enclave," the Lieutenant said. "I managed to get you rooms on the third floor where most of the other contractors will be staying. You two are the last to arrive, expect briefings to start as early as tomorrow."
The two waved goodbye to the Lieutenant as she left the hotel and then made their way to their rooms. Dr. Marshall was extremely enthusiastic about finally having a room to himself. Following their stay at Aunt Maggie's and the bunk on the ferry, Gregory very much agreed with the sentiment.
The hotel room was the nicest one that Gregory had ever stayed in. Used for visiting dignitaries, "The Queens Own" was considered one of the classier hotels in the city. For most of his adult life, Gregory had been used to roughing it out on shipboard accommodations or, when he was afforded leave. very cheap hotels often shared with his fellow sailors.
The first thing he did was withdraw the figurine from his coat pocket and gently unwrap it. There was no change to the little statue, but he felt better knowing it was still with him, and was still intact.
He opened up his sea-bag and withdrew a fresh set of clothes to lay out for the next day. He thought about hiding the figurine in a rolled up pair of socks until he reached the Enclave, but he thought better of it. He wasn't sure if losing his luggage would be a possibility between now and reaching the Tabby's home, but he didn't want to risk it.
The day's newspaper had been placed on a small round table in the corner of the room. He took one of the pages, and re-wrapped the figurine. While not ideal, at least it was a little better than wrapping it in toilet tissue.
He sat on the edge of the bed for a few moments, contemplating what to do next. He had noticed a busy dining room and lounge area near the check-in desk and thought it might be a good opportunity to meet some of the others who would be traveling to the enclave.
He stripped and got into the shower, letting the hot water wash over him. He hung his head down and closed his eyes, trying to relax. From the encounter with the voice, to the confrontation with the Lieutenant, and just the normal stress of involved with travel, he hadn't realized how exhausted he was.
He finished showering, toweled himself off, and wrapped himself in a hotel bathrobe. He was very much considering skipping the lounge and heading straight to bed.
The phone rang.