True Blue - A Second Chance Romance (Complete)

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.