Maverick (A G.I. Joe Fanfiction)

Chapter 18: Florida

Duke called everyone to attention and everybody started moving/ circling around a strange multimedia viewer. Joe and I placed our selves on either side of Jane while Snake and Storm stood behind me, it was the closest I had seen them together and getting here was the first time I had seen them ride in the elevator at the same time. I shook my head at myself, knowing I was reading too far into it.

"I take it most of you have met Maverick?" Duke assumed, gesturing to where I was standing. "In the past weeks, Cobra has been actively trying to make a grab for her necklace, for reasons we are yet to know. I purpose we put her back in the public eye, lure that bastard Cobra Commander out of the hole he's hiding in."

"Where would I be going?" I inquired, my face an uncaring mack.

"Florida, with a small team made out of the people you see in this room," Duke answered, motioning to everyone with a sweep of his hand.

"Specific place."

"Jane's farmhouse should be big enough for all of us."

"Oh."

"Why 'oh'?"

"I just thought you'd like to see where I was for those unaccounted nineteen years. Though it would have to be a small group, the rest would have to stay with Jane."

"How many is a 'small group', Maverick?"

"Three along with myself."

After a moment of thought, Duke nodded in agreement and asked for a raise of hands for volunteers. The hands rose like this: Snake-eyes, Jane, Storm Shadow, Lady Jaye, Flint, Breaker, Ripcord, Roadblock, Heavy Duty, and lastly Duke. Jinx was there but thank whatever God or gods are out there that she didn't make a move to put up her hand. No offense to her, but I honestly couldn't trust the woman as far as I could throw her.

"Okay then," Duke finalized the conversation. "You all have an hour to have your bags packed and have your asses in the hanger or we're leaving you here."

As everyone was filing out, Duke caught Snake by the arm as he passed. Duke seemed to whisper something to Snake. However, I couldn't quite make out what Duke was asking him while Storm lead me up the ramp. My free hand clamped down on the railing before Storm got me into the elevator. I fixed Storm with a look that made him stop pulling. Once I was done with that, my gaze moved back to Snake across the room from us.

When he finally caught my concerned eyes, he signed from me to go without him and he would be okay. It took a second to figure out what his gestures meant because I was pretty rusty with my sign language. I signed back that I'd see him later and that he better be at the hanger because I didn't want to have to leave without him. I allowed Storm to tow me away after a final okay from Snake.