2.
He was at work, looking at yet another computer programme with a glitch in it when he heard another 'ping'. The email was exactly the same as the last time, this time, however it was 12:30 and Mark decided to take an early lunch, he wandered over to the small bench the smokers usually sat on and opened his 'healthy' lunchbox that Jane had started packing for him, he sighed at the sight of yet another salad and opened his phone. He rang the number and this time was not surprised when Jack answered.
"I want to offer you a job" Jack said
"I have a job" Mark answered immediately
"A better one" Jack replied
"I'm happy where I am" that wasn't quite true; he was content where he was, he wasn't happy. Several things over the last few years had lead him from his 'happy' state to one a little less secure. His firm had been bought out by an international, and the new rules and procedures had already cost 7 people their jobs, the pay scales meant that he could look forward to several years without a rise to bring him into line with others of the same level. And the 'perks' of working with a small family business were just gone.
However the job he had, had become more of a challenge, he had no real objections to the new rules, they all made perfect sense, he was not as pleased about the pay, but he had known that Mr Tomlinson had offered him a great pay deal when he joined the firm at 20 years of age, with a fixed .5% above inflation rise per year.
Jane, Marks wife had decided she wanted to cut down her hours at work, which meant that the money coming in would get shorter and shorter over the years, she had wanted to actually finish work altogether but they couldn't afford that, especially as the medical insurance was tied to her job, and she was permanently tired, he had been worried about her health for a while, but she was a nurse and he could guarantee if something was really wrong, she would have known straight away, and told him.
Lizzy was doing well, now getting on for 10 years old, and very VERY smart, but Tom, he wasn't doing so well, he had been bullied for a couple of years at school before they had worked out what was wrong, and now it was a struggle to get him to go at all!
All this flashed through Marks head while he waited for the reply.
"Look," Jack was trying to sound reasonable "would it hurt you to come and have an interview?"
"I don't WANT another job!"
"I promised I wouldn't say anything, but Sam needs you"
"Why, what's wrong?" Mark asked quickly, Sam would never ask for help from him, she was too independent and stubborn!
"I can't tell you" was the reply "I can only ask you to come for the 'job interview'"
"I can't just drop everything and jump on a plane to Colorado!" Mark said. "Just tell me what's wrong with Sam!" he was getting angry now, he had no other way of contacting her.
"I can come interview you there, at your home, if you want… Look, Mark, I know you understand 'Classified', Jacob would have made sure you did. Sam needs her family around her, but the reason she does is classified. If you were to get a job with us, you would automatically have clearance. All you need to do is learn about some certain computer programmes, and we employ you as a contractor."
"My sister needs help from her family, but we are not allowed to give her it because of National Security? What the fucking hell is going on?!"
"MARK!" snapped the older man, and Mark caught himself straightening his back and his shoulders automatically "Look, can I come around tonight? I'll bring Sam with me, we can talk a bit about the job"
"She's OK to travel then?" Mark was puzzled now beyond belief.
"She fine, what time will you be home?"
"About 6pm" he said deliberately not using the 24 hour clock system
"We will be there" the phone went dead. How the hell were they going to get from Colorado to San Diego in 5 hours, Mark thought. Unless they were at Nellis, Mark remembered that Sam had been posted there just as she got engaged, mind even THAT was a good 5 hours drive away!
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Mark arrived home at 5:45 pm making sure he set off a bit earlier so he could warn Jane and the kids that they would be having visitors. Jane was laid out on the sofa, black circles under her eyes. Lizzy was trying to do some homework on the dining room table and shouting at Tom because he had the radio on and she couldn't concentrate.
Mark ran around quickly picking up the kids discarded clothes and paraphernalia. He warned Jane and she ran upstairs to put make-up on her eyes. At exactly 6pm the doorbell rang, Mark hadn't heard a car pull up, but he had been trying to get Tom to turn off the music.
He opened the door as Jane came downstairs. "Sam" Jane said and gave her sister-in-law a big hug. "You look like shit" she said, always the diplomat Jane. Sam looked tired, as tired as Jane did most nights recently.
"You too Jane" Sam said laughing slightly.
Mark took a long hard look at the man who he had spoken with earlier, Jack was a tall, man, thin, but not weak looking, he was solid muscle from what Mark could see, he had grey hair and wore lose denim jeans and a black Tshirt that clung to his chest and arms, showing off the muscle definitions well. He looked tanned, but that could be from working outside a lot most of his life, his face was a mixture of youth and age. When he looked at Sam he looked in his early 40s, when he looked anywhere else, closer to 60.
The men shook hands and everyone headed into the living room, the kids were still arguing in the dining room, and no amount of door shutting could block them out altogether.
"Don't tell the kids I'm here" Sam said, "we can't stay long and we have to get through it all" Mark and Jane nodded, everyone sat.
"So, Sam, what's this all about?" Mark asked
"I can't tell you Mark. General O'Neill…Jack… has an offer for you, everything depends on what you decide."
Mark was getting VERY annoyed now, it was one thing for the high and mighty AF General to play games, but his SISTER? He had thought that they had gotten over this when his dad and he had made up after all those years of arguing.
"Sam, don't play games. Jack said you needed help, he also offered me a job" Jane looked round at him surprised.
"We need a computer specialist." Jack said
"Bullshit" Mark answered "You are the Airforce, if you need a computer specialist you just get one to come from the academy or you post one to your base. I'm just a lowly grunt, I am not anything special and I KNOW you have much better qualified people available than I"
"Mark…" Sam started to say
"True" Jack interrupted her "but none of them are you!"
"What is so special about ME?" he asked.
"You are Carters brother" as if that explained it all. "Look, I'll make it simple. I, personally, want to give you the job, it is a proper job, it is not just a job we made up for you. I have a budget to make 'this' happen and I am guessing it will almost double your income, added to which you will get full medical cover for everyone, from top AF personnel, you will get a nice house near the base, but actually in the town, the kids will have a great choice of schools, both of the high schools are VERY good. The academy is close if they decide to join the force. And … you will be near your sister"
"I thought you were working at Nellis now Sam?" Mark turned to her. He was having a problem understanding just what was happening, he knew he was nothing special, but he could not understand why SHE was so special they would employ HIM. Especially with the benefits package.
"The medical insurance…" Jane asked, being a nurse she would think of that first "what does it cover?"
"Everything" was the simple answer
"No insurance covers everything" she said "for instance most won't cover pre-existing conditions"
"Everything." He repeated, Sam nodded along with him.
They talked things out for another half hour or so, money, work, the programmes he needed to know, and Mark kept trying but he couldn't get anything out of Sam, she was working at Nellis part time, but she lived in Colorado… Jack was working in DC but HE lived in Colorado too! And they wanted him to pack up his Family and move to Colorado to be close, when he was closer to Nellis where he was! Eventually Jack stood up and stretched.
"We will leave you to discuss the matter… you can reach us on Sam's cell when you decide" and they said goodbye and left the house. It was only when they had closed the door they realised they had been rude and had not invited them to stay for dinner! Jane opened the door quickly to shout, but they were nowhere to be seen!
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