CROSSFIRE - Atlantis DSV - New Cape Quest

unning lights outside, her Mediterranean eyes glimmering brilliantly under the shimmering
eddies of light that played across the walls of the XO‟s quarters.
“I‟m trying not to think about it,” he admitted hazily. “But you might have been right,
before. I‟m sorry I snapped like I did...”
She wrapped her hand around his shoulder and cocked her head slightly. “Hey,
you‟ve made your brownie points back.”
He smirked again. “That‟s the champagne talking, darling,”
She shrugged, and kissed him again. “Doesn‟t mean I don‟t mean it.”
There was a sharp rapping from the door to Callaghan‟s quarters, and his he closed
his eyes, head snapping around sharply. “What is it?” he snapped, gently letting go of
Madeline.
No reply came, and Callaghan sighed sharply as he stormed across the room,
leaving Madeline to look back out to the sea. “Yes?” he repeated, pulling the hatch open
impatiently.
His eyes immediately flared and he straightened as he saw the man waiting in the
hall. Admiral Ainsley immediately noticed Hayes behind him, and smiled apologetically.
“Sorry to disturb you, Commander.”
“Admiral, no, please - come in.”
Ainsley hesitated before stepping through the hatch, nodding curtly to Hayes.
“Commander,” he greeted her with a coy smile, noting the piled plates atop the table near
Callaghan‟s small kitchen, pots piled out of the basin. “I‟m sorry,” he flushed. “I didn‟t mean
to intrude,”
“No time is ever going to be ideal around here, sir, I understand.”
Ainsley looked apologetically at her again before eyeing Callaghan with an unsure
gaze. “I‟m truly sorry, Commander Hayes... I need to speak with your husband privately, if
we may?”
She nodded silently, regarding Ryan with a smile as she started walking to the door.
She didn‟t get far before Callaghan stopped her. “No, stay here,” he said. “This way,
Admiral...”
Ainsley entered the small study next to Callaghan‟s quarters setting a data pad down
on the desk, and closed the door behind him before peeling off his jacket. “I‟m sorry again,
for this, Commander, but it‟s not something I could afford to wait on until morning.”
“I understand, Admiral,” he dismissed, settling in to a chair beside the desk.
“I will level with you, Ryan,” he said. “I am fronted with a position that I am not certain
I can win Captain Banick‟s support on.”
Banick‟s XO hesitated. “Admiral, I appreciate your position, but this may not be an
appropriate conversation.”
“I‟m I don‟t have the luxury of courtesy, Commander... I need your help.”
For the next half an hour, Ainsley explained everything, down to the finest detail.
Throughout it all, Callaghan said nothing and simply stared, listening, as the colour gradually
drained from his face. When Ainsley finally explained what he intended to do, Callaghan
simply stood hesitantly, and looked out the window again. The Vice Admiral had just handed
him the fate of his career to do with as he felt necessary and in doing so, had tied
Callaghan‟s to his. Through action, or inaction, they would both damned.
“Why?” Callaghan asked painfully. “Why ask me this?”
Ainsley stood, motionless. “Because you are the one person on this ship who has
any kind of appreciation for what Hornsby is doing, and you know exactly why.”
“You realise what you‟ve just done,” he said flatly.
Ainsley smiled sadly. “My career was over no matter what course of action I chose to
pursue, Commander. What you, however, choose to do with the same information is up to
you.”
Ainsley picked up the data pad he‟d left on the desk and turned to leave before
Callaghan turned from the window. “Sir, I have a question.”
“Anything.”
- 168 -