"Send for teams," he started off shakily, pausing only a moment, then finishing as if he were back on battle grounds, "I want land to leave in twenty minutes and air ready upon call." As he turned his back to me,starting his departure from the area, he gave one last command that triggered goosebumps along my skin, "You shall personally escort them, John, since you seem to enjoy this so deeply."
	He halted briefly, likely to be certain I had heard. Despite understanding that he meant it as an insult, like I was the 'alien dreamer' and wasn't taking matters seriously, I couldn't help being eager to move forward, albeit nervous.
	Only when I saw he had reached the entrance to the room and had turned on his way down the hall, did I spin around, glancing across the room before acting upon the instructions given. Being of a strong military background myself, I was accustomed to having a voice that would still a group on its own.Nonetheless, with this unsettled bunch, I had to resort to an over-speaker.
	"Hello, people! People?Hello!
	That worked.
	"This is Major Shinn. I just wished to remind you what your job here is. Do you remember?" I asked with rhetoric sarcasm as I looked around at everyone to make my reprimand appear severe.
	Some of the employees hung their heads, refusing to make eye contact as they returned to their desks,while others casually tapped away on their keyboards as if they had never ceased working. Noticing that I had actually received a few nods, I decided that my point had been properly made so I removed myself to finish my own tasks.
	As I turned, my ears detected the hum that was filling the space again. Instead of paying too much heed, I rushed directly across the main hall to a more compact version of the room I just left and picked up a receiver hanging on the wall in my usual office, instructing four teams to prepare themselves for immediate leave and then another five to await in case there was need for reinforcement.
	Once completed, I promptly clicked the machine off and with one stride, reached an identical one, using it in the same fashion to relay orders for those specializing in air-borne maneuvers. When I stopped to think about it, times such as these when I was focused on what I was doing rather than why I was doing it, I realized that I did very much appreciate my career.
	True, it took me quite some time to get here and it had been a rough path, however, the end results were definitely worth the effort. The sense of power and control was a responsibility too great for many, yet for me, it gave stability and a sense of peace. The call ended soon and before my head caught up with my body's actions, I was already out of the room, halfway to the end of the hall which was exactly where I wanted to beheading...for at the end and on the right, was a nearly forgotten storage closet that would be perfect for calling Connie without any distractions or interruptions.
	Upon reaching its door, I hesitated.  Visually scanning to make sure nobody was about, I pulled a key from my pocket and put it into the lock. As it settled into the slot, I gave another scope of the area and then rapidly slung the entry open and slipped myself inside, shutting it tightly behind me without even bothering to switch on any lights.
	I sighed as the darkness enveloped me. It wasn't that I needed to see; my cell phone lit up well. It was only that I was sometimes a bit paranoid, or so my wife said. I liked to think it was the right amount of precaution, but the teasing by others had me doubt this every so often. Sensible or not,I didn't feel comfortable calling her before making sure the space was empty. Not that I thought there would be anyone else hiding in the closet...
	I swiveled to put my hand on the wall at my rear, feeling for the lights witch which wasn't difficult to find. The bulb made a subtle clicking sound as it illuminated the space.Just as I figured, I was alone. Slipping my hand into my slacks, I retrieved the outdated flip phone from its pocket. Perhaps I was overly cautious at times.