In that next few seconds, Jack heard the audible sounds of footsteps approaching the commodore's office. A quick turn of the handle and an opening door produced a gasp from Jack's lips.
He'd expected to see a big, manly naval officer walk through the door.
Instead, he was greeted to the view of Abigail stunningly dark eyes and quiet, confident smile.
"Ah, Lt. Commander Wainwright, please come in. I'd like to introduce you to Commander Jack Easterbrook."
"No introduction is necessary, Commodore. I've already had the pleasure." Abigail grinned at the double entendre, and Jack almost breathed a sigh of relief that it went over Lucas's head. They shook hands as smoothly as two people could who didn't just spend the night tangled together.
"Good to see you again, Abigail," said Jack, while trying to keep a serious face.
"And you too, sir," she answered with that sultry look that she was famous for.
"Abigail, thank you for joining us," said Lucas as she sat down in the second chair in front of his desk. "We have news to share with you."
"What news would that be, Commodore?"
"You and the Destiny are being assigned to Jack's task force. Jack will be your commanding officer for his upcoming mission. I will allow him to fill you in on the details but I need you to prepare your ship for sailing out immediately."
Abigail dropped the smile on her face and paled visibly. "Sail out? Right now? After all that's happened this morning?"
"That's right, Abigail. You look like you've seen a ghost. Are you all right?"
She took a moment to recover her composure. She chanced a quick glance at Jack before turning to face Lucas again. "Quite all right, sir. I take it we're going to chase after the Occitanian raiders from this morning? There's nothing I'd love more than to get them within the sights of my guns."
Lucas's eyes flickered to Jack for a moment before a call came in from the radio that was addressed to him. Lucas grabbed the radio and prepared to respond before turning to them one last time. "As I said, Jack will fill you in. I need to take this one. You're both dismissed for now."
As the commodore's attention turned to the radio, Jack leaned in and nudged her elbow. "Come on—let's go outside. I'll explain everything out there."
She looked at him with apprehensive eyes but a nod of her head shortly followed, and they left the third floor office. It wasn't until they were back on the street and away from any listeners that Abigail opened up to him.
"Jack, what the hell is going on? Why was Lucas being so cryptic just now?"
Jack took a deep breath before spilling the news. "We're going into the Fourth Vector. That's our new mission." He took a few minutes to explain everything that Lucas had just told him.
The color never quite returned to her face as he explained the details. In fact, she almost looked a little scared to be heading so deep into the unknown. "The Fourth Vector? Are they crazy?" she whispered. "Do they want us to get speared by a bunch of savages?"
"We're supposed to make allies of them so that they spear the Occitanians instead," said Jack, wondering if the words sounded as crazy coming out of his mouth as they did while forming in his head.
"No one who's ever gone into the vector has ever come out alive to tell about it. There's a reason why it's not even on the maps. No one knows what's really there!"
"I know, Abigail. I know." They walked together quietly back to the ships.
"This is quite the day for surprises," she muttered as they came onto the harbor dock.
"You can say that again, Lt. Commander Wainwright. So when were you going to tell me?"
Jack watched as her cheeks filled with color. "I was going to tell you until you told me that you thought Wainwright was a man. Then it just became a little game, I suppose."
"So that's how you knew we wouldn't be disturbed last night. I have to say I'm impressed, Abigail."
She let slip a little grin. "I was going to tell you this morning but then the bombs started going off and there wasn't any time."
"I hope that's the only secret you've held from me," said Jack with a raised eyebrow.
"You look so sexy when you pretend to be mad. I rather like it, Jack," she said, nudging into his side. "If I didn't just find out you were my new boss, I'd be tempted to let you take me back to quarters and fill me with more cum."
She gave a throaty giggle as she separated from his side and headed over to the plank of the Destiny. Jack could only shake his head as the playful and leggy brunette disappeared up the railing.
Turning to look at the Valiant, he could already see Twitch waiting for him at the railing. Squaring his shoulders, he turned toward the plank to alert the crew to their new mission.