by Margaret Kay
Yvette was on in Ops too, currently in the bathroom. Mother sat alone in the quiet. Ops was dead today. He expected it would probably remain that way through the New Year. Alpha, Delta, and Charlie Teams were all still at the office, no one deployed since the operation in Algeria. Shepherd said no team would go back out unless it was an emergency. He was purposefully scaling operations back for the holidays so all the teams could take a well-deserved break.
Bravo Team was still guarding a Saudi Prince, who had extended his vacation in the United States. He and his family flew out tonight, then Bravo Team would be relieved and get to enjoy Christmas as well. Bravo’s team members were all heading home to their families. None of them chose to come to the office, and they had been invited to the Christmas festivities. Mother didn’t blame them. They had worked for four months with no break as the personal security business was another arm of Shepherd Security, and it was booming, bringing in a steady revenue stream.
The newly formed Echo Team had just finished the deployment of equipment in the Power Grid Protection Project to the power plant in New York that morning. They were officially on leave until the first of the year. Then it would be three months of back to back installs with no time off. Only BT, Echo Team’s team leader and Michael Cooper, Cooper’s brother were on their way back to HQ. The two other, newly recruited members of the team were departing New York to head directly home to their families for the holidays. They were all due back at HQ at zero seven hundred on January second.
BT had previously been one of the lead analysts in Ops but had been promoted the previous year to team leader on this new team. BT had already contacted them, volunteering to pick up any shifts in Ops if needed. Mother was looking forward to seeing him, to hear how he liked leading Echo Team. Mother was happy BT had gotten the opportunity. He was a good man, an asset to the team.
A big Christmas Eve party was planned at HQ. The lounge down on five was decorated and a beautiful tree was set up. A tide of gifts flowed out from beneath it. The festivities would begin at eighteen hundred hours. Mother looked forward to the leisure time to visit with his teammates. Angel ordered a meal to be catered in. He knew there would be the singing of Christmas Carols and opening of gifts. He now had one more gift to buy, for little Hahna. Lambchop would conduct a Christmas service at the stroke of midnight. The festivities would conclude immediately afterwards.
On Christmas morning he, Sherman, Brielle, and Bobby would exchange gifts and spend time together at his place until he headed back here to take a long afternoon and evening shift in Ops. He was due in at twelve hundred hours. He volunteered to be on until midnight. He also volunteered for a shift on the twenty-sixth. It would be quiet. He didn’t mind.
He had an airline ticket to fly into San Jose on the twenty-seventh. Delta Team was approved to be on leave from the twenty-seventh until January third. His return ticket was for the red eye on the second. Lambchop would also be flying out on the twenty-seventh to Pittsburg to see his family. Sloan and his fiancé Kaylee were driving to Cleveland to see both their families that day too. Sherman was the only one who would remain in the area. He and Brielle were closing on their new home and moving in on the twenty-eighth. They’d be moved out of his place when he returned. He was sorry he wouldn’t be there to help them move in.
Alpha Team’s approved leave was from Christmas Day through New Year’s Eve. They were all due back in the office on January first. Madison, Cooper, his brother Michael, and now Hahna were flying to see her parents in Arizona on Christmas morning. Doc and his wife, Elizabeth, and their infant daughter were flying to Houston to spend the holidays with Doc’s family. Jackson and his wife Angel were hosting the holiday at their place. Jackson’s family was driving in to spend a few days with them. Angel’s aunt and cousin lived nearby too, so they’d get to spend the holiday with her side as well. Garcia and Sienna were not close with their families. They would no doubt spend some time with Jackson and Angel and their families, but they were looking forward to a few quiet days to decorate the nursery and just enjoy being together. Mother suspected that Garcia would end up picking up a few shifts in Ops if needed, though. The man was a workaholic.
Charlie Team’s leave went from New Year’s Day through January eighth. They were scheduled to cover HQ and be on call from Christmas day through New Year’s Eve. It sucked for them. Mother knew they were getting the shit-end of the rotation, but they had been off the previous year from Christmas Eve through January second, so it was their turn. Shepherd did his best to make things fair.
Yvette reentered the room. “Man, I hate it so quiet. These next two weeks are really going to suck.”
Mother knew that she was on over the next week. Her leave coincided with Charlie Team’s. “You deserve a few quiet shifts. Enjoy it.”
“I like it busy.”
“Are you going away anywhere during your leave?” Mother asked. He realized he didn’t know much about Yvette’s personal life. He didn’t know if she had a family she visited or a man she kept company with.
“I haven’t decided yet,” she said.
Mother excused himself, heading to the bathroom as well. In the hallway, he ran into Madison, Cooper, and Hahna. “Hi, what are you doing in, Madison?”
“We brought Hahna in to get her tracker anklet and for Shepherd to meet her.”
“Hello Hahna,” he said in a gentle tone.
Madison held Hahna in her arms. Hahna held the baby doll that Angel had given her in her arms. Madison spoke to her in Arabic.
“Hello, Danny,” Hahna’s little voice said. Then she said a few sentences in Arabic.
“She says she remembers you wrapped your scarf around her. And that you are nice.”
Mother smiled at Madison. “Yeah, what happened to my scarf, anyway?”
Madison laughed. “I have it, need to wash it and I’ll get it back.”
Mother waved her off. “I was just kidding, don’t care about it.”
“Keffiyeh, scarf, Hahna,” Madison said. “Scarf.”
“Scarf,” Hahna repeated.
“She’ll be speaking fluent English before you know it,” Mother said.
“We are making it a priority. She is picking it up so fast,” Cooper said with pride.
They were at the end of the hall. Mother went into the bathroom as the Cooper family continued to Michaela’s lab.
“Oh my, she is precious!” Michaela gushed.
Madison introduced Hahna to the team’s tech goddess and her good friend. “Michaela,” Hahna repeated, her tiny hands touching Michaela’s face and then her own. She spoke something in Arabic.
“She says your skin is the same color as hers,” Madison translated.
Michaela laughed. “Yes, it is,” she said with a smile beaming at the child.
Hahna glanced around the lab with wide-eyed wonderment. “We think she came from a very impoverished village, based on what she’s told us about her life. There was no running water in her home. They kept warm with a fire, no other heat source. I’m sure she has never seen anything like this in her life,” Madison said, motioning to the high-tech equipment in the lab.
“This will be an amazing time of growth for her,” Michaela said. “It’s an exciting time.” She gave Madison a hug, and then Cooper. “I’m so proud of you both, taking her in and giving her this chance at a good life. If there is anything I can do to help, please just let me know.”
“Thank you,” Madison said, truly appreciative of the offer. “I will call if I need anything. Everyone has been so supportive.”
“Well, I’m not surprised by that,” Michaela said. “Landon did tell me though, that Shepherd was initially pissed that the team reached out to their wives to get things set for her as you traveled home with her. What was that about?”
“I think he took the stance he did just to drive home the point to the team that operational security must stand until the debrief after a mission. And on that mission in particular, as we were in Algeria unofficially,
” Cooper said.
At Michaela’s prompting, Madison sat Hahna onto one of the counters. She took off her shoe and sock on her right foot. Michaela held up the tiny anklet. A heart pendant that held the tracker dangled from the chain. Madison spoke to Hahna in Arabic. “It is a special gift from us to you that I want you to always wear.” She pointed to the heart. “This heart is so you know that we love you.”
Michaela watched Madison and then Cooper press kisses to the top of her head. Then she measured the chain so it would fit snug enough that it couldn’t be removed from Hahna’s ankle. She fastened it and then nodded to Madison. Hahna was now protected by Shepherd Security. The Ops Team diligently monitored the children’s trackers. There was a special alarm that would sound if a child’s tracker moved farther away than one hundred yards from one of the adult’s trackers without prior notification that it would take place.
From there, Madison and Cooper brought Hahna down to five, to Shepherd’s office. His door was open, and they saw that he was seated behind his desk. He glanced up and smiled as they entered. Hahna walked beside Madison, holding her hand. Shepherd smiled and rolled forward.
“Shepherd, this is Hahna,” Madison introduced.
Shepherd reached a hand to her. “As-salam alaykom,” he spoke the traditional Arab greeting, which meant peace be upon you.
“Wa Alykom As-salam,” Hahna replied with a smile.
“Now in English, Hahna,” Madison prompted.
“Hello,” Hahna said with a bigger smile, proud to show off her English.
“What do you want her to call you, Shep,” Cooper asked.
“Good question,” Shepherd said. “She’ll be learning a lot from and with Sammy, I suppose.”
The corners of Madison’s lips pulled into a grin. “So, grandpa it is then?”
Shepherd nodded.
“Hahna, jid, in English, grandpa.” She pointed at Shepherd. “Grandpa,” she said.
“Grandpa,” Hahna repeated.
“Did you already see Michaela and get the tracker?” Shepherd asked.
“Yes, and we have an appointment with Lassiter in a few minutes,” Cooper said.
“Joe reports that things are going well for you,” Shepherd said.
“Yes, we’re settling in,” Madison replied. “Thank you for giving me the time off to get things set up at home.”
“Your teammates picked up your shifts. There were more offers than coverage needed. I also hear that Angel, Elizabeth, and Sienna have committed to having her overnight whenever you need them to.”
“Yes. And we’ve brought her over to all their houses so she will be comfortable there. She and Sammy have already bonded and play so well together. You are correct that she will learn a lot with and from Sammy. We’ve already seen that take place. And you should see how gentle she is with Olivia.”
Shepherd smiled and nodded. “I should let you get to your appointment with Joe. Goodbye, Hahna,” he said.
“Goodbye Grandpa,” she replied.
12/24
Dr. Annaka Sanchez gazed across Cook Inlet at Mount Redoubt fifty-eight miles away as she put her car in park in front of the research facility where she’d spend the next twelve hours. It was rare that she could see the mountains as clear skies didn’t occur often this time of year. It was two in the afternoon. The sun would set in just two hours. She hated this time of year. The sun didn’t rise until ten a.m. The long days in the summer hardly made up for the long hours of darkness in the winter months.
She’d accepted the position at the Anchor Point Research Center four years earlier. She always thought that as a marine biologist that she’d work in a tropical climate, at least that had been her plan. But the opportunity to study endangered beluga whales year-round in their natural habitat had been something she couldn’t turn down.
Cook Inlet, Alaska, was a unique location that beckoned her. Underwater oil drilling in the inlet was one of the many threats to the whales and other marine animals that lived in the inlet. Here, she had the exclusive opportunity to study the confusing migration patterns of the whales and the effects of pollution on this pristine habitat and on a species which studies showed were as intelligent as dolphins.
She got out of her car and gazed one more time at Mount Redoubt as she headed towards the door to the building. It was beautiful. She never tired of seeing the snow frosted mountains that towered over the inlet, which was dotted with ice floes. To the left she saw the silhouette of one of the many drilling platforms in the inlet. She knew it was only a matter of time before one of them had a catastrophic accident that would devastate the wildlife in the area.
Looming over the building were the Kenai Mountains. A weather system was blowing in. The top of the mountain was obscured in clouds. The forecast called for six inches of snow in the next twenty-four hours. Looks like the forecast hadn’t been wrong.
Pushing through the door, the relative warmth inside the building surrounded her. She really needed to get the heater in her car fixed. It was a seasonable thirty degrees out, not horrible by any means, but she was chilled. The temperatures were more moderate on the Kenai Peninsula than they were in nearby Anchorage, which got colder and received more snow annually.
The office bustled with activity. There were eight people who worked at this location. Six others were inside the main room. She was one of four researchers who headed the program. There were three research assistants, and a clerical support person, three of the four locals. They were the field arm of the main office located in Anchorage that had ties to the Marine Biology and Biological Oceanography College at Alaska Pacific University for funding purposes only. Annaka Sanchez officially was not a college employee. Her funding came from federal research grants, but she did make updates to the Dean and those research grants were secured by the University. It was an odd reporting structure. The three other researchers operated on funding from other colleges within the university.
The table-top Christmas tree and other decorations around the room glowed with lights of all colors, setting a festive mood. Christmas music played in the background, nearly drowned out by the many voices chatting loudly. On the floor beside the tree, many beautifully wrapped packages were stacked upon each other. Hers were near the bottom of the pile as she’d been one of the first to bring hers into the office. She was the only one in the office who also had packages in the pile for each of the children whose parents worked in the office.
She placed the tray of rum balls she’d made with the other party food on Dr. Patrick Keeling’s desk, the only person not in the office. He would be in at two a.m. to relieve her and monitor the equipment. Patrick was the only other member of the team with no family in the area. Annaka and Patrick had taken shifts over the holidays for the past two years that he’d been part of the group so that the others in the office would have time with their families.
Annaka felt arms wrap around her. Turning her head, she smiled at Ayla Jones, the clerical support person for the office. “Merry Christmas, Ayla,” she said and returned the embrace.
“Merry Christmas. Thank you for taking shifts so the rest of us can be off for the next few days. I really appreciate it,” Ayla said.
Ayla was a Native Alaskan, self-identified as an Alutiiq, a native to the Kenai Peninsula. Her husband, Nuki, was a fisherman. They had a simple but comfortable and welcoming home up the winding road that led towards the Kenai mountains. Annaka and Dr. Claude Renault along with his wife Karen, and Patrick Keeling were regulars for game night at Ayla and Nuki’s house. The research assistants came occasionally when they didn’t have an evening or overnight shift.
“You’re welcome. I’m happy to.” She pulled her hat off, revealing her shoulder length black hair that hung loose. Usually, she secured it in a ponytail. Then she took her coat off as well. She deposited both on her desk chair nearby.
The group ate, drank, sang and opened gifts. The Christmas party ended at four just as darkness crept in. Annaka gave each of her coworkers
a hug and then locked the front door behind them. She watched them drive out of the parking lot. Then she settled in at her desk and reviewed the data the station monitored twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week.
She wrapped the new scarf around her neck that Ayla gave her, enjoying the warmth and softness against her neck. It didn’t match the sweater she wore, but she didn’t care. Now that everyone else was gone, the temperature in the room dropped. She left the Christmas music on, playing softly in the background. Not that the quiet bothered her. But it would be a long night. She had plenty to keep her busy though. In addition to all that was monitored, she had research entries due for her report that she had to complete by the end of the month, necessary evils to keep the federal grants paying for her research.
There were trackers on a dozen beluga whales who hadn’t migrated. It was not known why some migrated, some didn’t. The trackers on whales she’d named Trixie and Peanut, showed them swimming out of the inlet and around the base of the peninsula. She watched them closely. Last week they’d made a similar trek to Seward, where they’d remained for a day before returning. The whales’ patterns were being tracked, but she couldn’t figure out why they behaved the way they did. Unless they followed a school of fish to feed, there was no reason for their travel.
