Saving Grant Ward

Chapter Twelve

I woke up the next morning to the sound of the hotel room door slamming. Since Ward wasn't next to me in the bed, and a brief search revealed that he wasn't anywhere else in our room, I assumed he'd left to go do some Specialist something or other with his morning.

I didn't know when he'd be back, so I got ready as quickly as I could. I showered, got dressed, made breakfast in our little in-room kitchen, and brushed my teeth, all without any sign of him. By the time I'd finished, I was starting to get seriously annoyed. Where the hell had he gone?

I walked a lap of the room, trying to find any kind of paper or note that he might have left to tell me where he'd gone. Big surprise, there was nothing.

I rolled my eyes and grabbed my phone, quickly dialing Ward's number. I almost threw the thing against the wall when I heard his phone ringing in the next room.

"You have got to be kidding me," I mumbled to myself. I was just about to go out looking for him when the door finally swung open.

"Hey, Slater. Glad you're up," Ward said as he strolled into the room, apparently without a care in the world. I scowled and put my hands on my hips.

"Where the hell have you been?"

He started a pot of coffee before answering, still casual as can be. "I was scoping out activities for Kayla and Derek to do today to help establish our cover."

"Seriously? That's it? You were gone for almost two hours!"

"I had to be thorough. Besides, taking my time meant I could scope out potential threats as well as tourist activities."

"And you left your phone here because...?"

"I didn't need it. Why are you so mad?" he asked, finally acknowledging my body language and tone.

"Because you left without me telling me where you were going or leaving me a way to get in touch with you!"

Grant just rolled his eyes. "You're fine, I'm fine. I don't see the big deal. We're both Specialists, we've been trained to work alone."

He turned back to the coffee pot and poured himself a cup, then moved to leave the kitchen, but I was not done with this argument. I stepped into the space between the wall and the counter top and blocked his path.

"Ward," I started, trying to make sure my voice and my expression communicated how serious this was. "We are spies. You've told me yourself how dangerous our work can be, and I need a way to get in touch with you in case of an emergency."

He narrowed his eyes at me, but clearly wasn't ready to concede. I sighed.

"Look, I get that Specialists usually work alone or whatever, but as long as you're training me, neither of us is working alone. If you just disappear on me, and I have no way to call you, I'll have to go out and try to find you, which could jeopardize both of us and our covers. You know that as well as I do."

He huffed and crossed his arms. "...Fine. You make a... decent point. I'll keep my phone on and with me if we have to split up during this mission. I expect you to do the same."

I grinned and stepped out of his way. "You got it. Thanks, Ward."

He just grumbled indistinctly as he moved past me.