“Maura was wrong. Music isn’t the best way to communicate with you. This is.” She kissed him with every ounce of her love and emotion.
“Kerry,” he sighed.
Her breath filled with the images of them physically connecting. “Love me, Leaper. Love me until I cannot take any more.”
She watched him as he delicately removed her clothes and lowered himself onto the bed next to her. As his fingers stroked her belly, her eyes fluttered closed.
Oh, the pleasure those hands bring. This man certainly knows how to push my buttons and how to focus rhythmically on just the right one. Mmm, again and again.
Chapter 10
Ordinary days are punctuated with routine and standard stuff, but after a cascade of crap and chaos, what’s a lady to do?
Kerry pondered the question as her eyes tracked Leaper around the room.
He stood there—tall and strong and naked—all lean muscles and caged energy, ready to pounce. The sun had just begun to rise, and long sunbeams stretched across the bay, leaving a trail of glittering, diamond-like sparkles in their path. It was gorgeous and slightly surreal in its picturesque glory.
Kerry gave up her musings. She couldn’t resist coming up behind Leaper and wrapping her arms around him. Being in the nude, skin to skin, was a titillating experience. She wanted nothing more than to spend the entire day making love. Could she do that? She kissed his back. The skin was soft and warm and smelled of him. “Good morning,” she murmured.
He turned in her embrace and kissed her. That single touch of lips was magical, as if it spoke directly to her soul. “I appreciate your morning attire. Any chance we could go back to bed for a few hours?”
“I was just thinking that.” She wiggled in his embrace. “We need to get moving, if you’re still interested in having your men see a Marine Mammal sea lion demonstration. I have a text from Topper’s trainer, Adam Forrest, and he wants to schedule it for 0800.”
Leaper looked at the projection clock next to the bed. “It’s 0600. That doesn’t give us much time.” He frowned. “I’m skipping the quickie, but tonight, we’re having a longie.”
She chortled. “As always.” She danced out of his reach and into the bathroom. “I’m calling dibs on the shower.” She turned on the water and stepped inside.
He opened the door. “There’s a water shortage, ma’am. I’m afraid you have to share your shower time.”
“Oh no,” she said in a movie-worthy mocking tone. “What will I do?”
Water pelted her skin as he pulled her close. His kisses set her on fire as his hands blazed a path of glory to between her legs. As his fingers found her clit, her breath shuddered out. “Leaper.”
“I’m not making love,” he said, his voice low and gravelly. “I’m just making sure that certain places get…squeaky clean.”
“Yes,” she sighed, leaning into his touch. Her pleasure heightened as the sensations climbed and climbed until her sheath tightened and her body shook with the power of her climax.
She leaned on him for several seconds, wishing her legs didn’t feel like gelatin. He held her steady, and then he reached for the soap and played bath boy as he gently moved her about, covering her with suds and rinsing them away. It was such an erotic shower, she wished it didn’t have to end. But soon enough he opened the shower door, wrapped her in towel, and deposited her on the bed, only to disappear back into the bathroom for his own morning routine. She knew she had to get moving or she’d be late.
Kerry prided herself on not being rude. Since the sea lion trainer was doing her a favor, with Command’s approval, she needed to be there early. Besides, she wanted to have extra time to check on her dolphins.
Rushing around his bedroom, she dressed quickly. She wrote him a note and left a lipstick print at the bottom.
See you at 0800 under the bridge, Coronado side. xxoo Kerry
* * *
The morning sped by practically in a blink of an eye. Kerry checked on all of her dolphins and provided additional hydration instructions to Clay and Dilly. She sat beside Juliet’s pen and allowed herself a few minutes to relax. Opening Juliet’s care kit, she withdrew a toothbrush and paste.
Her hands smelled like fish, but she didn’t care. It was such a relief that the dolphins were eating well and that none appeared to be succumbing to any further viral infection. She could wait until the end of the day to wash her hands with lemons. The oils from the lemon skin could penetrate even the worst odor.
Juliet nudged Kerry’s hand, and Kerry brushed the dolphin’s teeth and tongue. Then Kerry stowed the mouth-care items and obliged her by tossing a ball into the pen. The ball smacked the water, and the dolphin was under it in record time. Under and down the ball was tossed, then pushed and rolled, spun and poked, until Juliet was lost in her own game.
“I completed the task list you wrote. The extra hydration on Buckeye and Delores really perked them up.” Dilly nodded at the dolphin. “How’s Juliet doing? Has the vaccine had any effect on her?” She sat down on the dock beside Kerry.
“Hard to tell. Her blood test confirms that she has the virus, but she doesn’t have any symptoms.” Kerry tucked her legs underneath her.
“I don’t understand.” Dilly scratched the tip of her nose.
“Think of it this way,” explained Kerry. “Two kids get the measles or chicken pox. One child is covered head-to-toe in a rash or spots. The second child doesn’t have a single sore. Immune systems will vary, depending on genetics, diet, rest, stress, environment, and the state of your health at the moment you become ill. In my opinion, our dolphins receive significantly better care then they would out in the wild. They eat regularly, play often, socialize with each other very well, and have every medical option open to them. All of this happens without the constant daily threat of predators or the need to find food or shelter or safety. That takes a lot of stress off a creature.”
Kerry wiggled her fingers in the water, and Juliet brought the ball to her. Kerry tossed it in the air and the dolphin volleyed it back. “Oh, if you think of it, could you please remind me to visit the lab? I ran a few tests on Juliet’s blood to gauge the progress of the vaccine and its effect on the disease. In the wild, the effects were practically instantaneous, but it was with an older male who had an advanced infection. I want to see how these isolated blood cells react to varying doses of the vaccine.”
The ball came soaring through the air.
Kerry caught it and rolled it on top of the water, watching Juliet leap out of the water and dive over it before she came up from below and bouncing it into the air. “I love how she plays. She’s such an inspiration, putting playtime as a priority. A few weeks ago, I would have observed and enjoyed Juliet’s antics. But now, having someone in my life who likes to get out and explore, I think I understand how vital and important time off is for mental, emotional, and physical well-being.”
“He’s built, your guy. Tall, too. He has an easy smile.” Dilly observed.
“Yeah, he certainly does.” Kerry noticed the sea trainer, Adam Forrest, was walking purposefully in their direction. When he picked up an ordinary rope, smiled at Dilly, and gave her a small wave before he left, the intention was obvious. “Since you’re done here, do you want to observe the sea lion demonstration? Adam’s running it.”
“I’d love to, but I’m volunteering at the sea lion pens in an hour. Next time.” Dilly clapped her hands together and stood. “Thanks for thinking of me.”
Kerry nodded. She wondered if Dilly would ever pick up the hints from Adam; his interest was clear. It was funny how a trained observer saw other worlds but never her own.
The dolphin aimed the ball at the departing Dilly, but the tech wasn’t prepared, and it bounced right off her head and landed back in the pen. The dolphin nodded her head up and down, squeaking and clicking, and Kerry could have sworn Juliet was laughing.
&
nbsp; * * *
“I’m Adam, and this sea lion is Topper. The primary tasks that our marine mammals perform are identifying and alerting us to enemy divers and sea mines. The marine mammals are not trained to engage or attack the enemy,” said Adam Forrest. “But these mammals do have a mind and motivation of their own. They can be unpredictable.”
“What do you do when they are acting out or misbehaving? Do you punish them?” asked Trainee Parks.
“No,” said Adam. “We ignore aberrant behavior and reward good conduct. Though it’s fascinating to note that, just like a human child goes through the terrible twos, there are periods in a sea lion’s growth and development where rebellion is part of the learning process. We use this time to teach a way to communicate, so we can instruct them, share commands, and know if they need something. The name of this game is patience, kindness, and positive reinforcement—and then even more patience. Sea lions and dolphins are very aware of positive and negative emotions. So I save my frustration for private reflection or activities such as surfing, kayaking, or paddleboarding. As a trainer, I work with sea lions every day. They are more than my friends. It’s like they’re my children. The more loving I am to them, the happier they seem to be.”
“How strong are they?” asked Watson. “Topper looks like he can take on at least two of us.”
“No doubt.” Adam looked at Topper, who was watching the discussion with avid attention. “Sea lions are very strong and intensely smart. They don’t like to be pawed, but they will wrestle with human beings if the opportunity arises. Biting is part of both their affection process and their defensive reactions. Markings that leave a small ring or barely break the surface are considered playful, while biting off large chunks shows aggression.”
“Is there a daily routine?” asked Coates.
“Yes. You brush your teeth. We brush their teeth. You eat breakfast. They eat. We check their physical state regularly to make sure they are fit. You get medical checkups. They love to play, and I imagine that all of you do too.” Adam nodded. “Right then, let’s have our combat swimmers—Mestor and Soq—in the water, and we’ll begin the process.”
Leaper barked out instructions. “As Adam prepares, let’s drop our lights and cameras over the side and record this process for further discussion.”
The trainees took out the requested equipment and secured it to the cleats on the side of the boat before lowering it into the water. Watson checked that the anchor was still secure, and then he caught Leaper’s gaze. “All set.”
Adam released the latches and lowered a small portion of the side panel of the boat. Topper jumped into the water, and the combat swimmers hopped in after him.
Pointing to the tennis ball mounted at surface level, near the open side hatch, Adam said, “If Topper sees something, he will surface and touch this ball with his nose.” Just then, the sea lion broke the surface of the water and rubbed his nose on the tennis ball. “I give him a float—it’s like a buoy, but smaller and more of a flagging device.” Adam showed them an example. “Like this one. The sea lion takes this float over to the spot where he sees an enemy swimmer or a mine and leaves it there.
“Just so you can understand a portion of how important this is… Divers can spend weeks, months, or even years hunting for mines,” Adam continued. “Dolphins and sea lions can locate them in mere minutes. Their ability to understand their environment and decide what fits and what doesn’t is remarkable.” Adam gestured toward the surface of the water. “If we were out patrolling somewhere, and Topper did just this—touched the ball, received a float, and marked the spot—then our combat swimmers would explore what was down there.”
“What’s the history behind the Marine Mammal Program? When did it start?” asked Watson.
“The program originated in 1960,” explained Adam. “Bottlenose dolphins were the primary focus back then, but sea lions joined the program shortly thereafter. We work with female dolphins and male sea lions. We can trace the effectiveness of the mammals’ contributions all the way back to the Vietnam War, where they saved thousands of lives by alerting us to underwater mines and enemy swimmers. The marine mammals have served in the Persian Gulf and additional areas that are currently classified. What I like is that I can take Topper here on just about any type of transportation, from a van to a plane, to a train or a boat. As long as I can keep him cool and comfortable and hydrated, he’s pretty happy to go anywhere in the world.”
The combat swimmers surfaced and headed back to the boat. Topper was right beside them. “If these swimmers were the enemy, then Topper’s flag would alert us to something we cannot readily or easily see or sense,” Adam explained.
He called the sea lion into the boat. “People think we’re the ones forcing the mammals to work for us. That’s not true. Topper was rescued from an oil slick as a tiny pup and he would have died if we hadn’t cared for him. He was literally laying on his departed mother waiting for rescue. We saved one adult and two pups that day, and now, we are the ones who have the privilege of feeding him, loving him, and learning from him. The mammals are the ones who give the permission, and they have the option to relocate or voice their opinion. Dolphins hop out of the pen and sea lions can be clever escape artists. And, you don’t want to be on the receiving end of a mammal’s dislike. Biting is one of their favorite communication tools. You’ll notice a few scars. You see, as I teach the sea lions, they also teach me. It’s the best job in the world, and one of the most fulfilling.” He chuckled. “So how many of you want to leave SEAL training and work for the Marine Mammal Program?”
“Adam…” Kerry admonished him.
Leaper raised an eyebrow at his men. If his guys preferred the program, he’d attempt to smooth the way, but from the body language of his recruits, they were determined to stay right where they are. “Good try,” he teased.
“Hey, a guy’s got to throw the option out there.” Adam shrugged. “I know that demonstration was pretty basic, but I always start with something easy for Topper. What else can I do for you?”
“Can you walk my crew through the best method for interacting with sea lions, including both wild sea lions and ones that are part of the Marine Mammal Program?” asked Leaper. “We can even switch boats. When you need me, I can play a role in another scenario, such as the sea lion going from water into boat, so we understand how he loads in.”
“Your funeral, man. He doesn’t know you well, and sea lions, as I mentioned, they bite.” Adam nodded. Leaper didn’t bother giving a response. “Okay. Let’s do this. You and Kerry go back down to the bridge. When I signal you, drive directly toward us at a normal approach rate, and I’ll take care of the rest.”
“You got it,” affirmed Leaper. Turning his attention to the trainees, he added, “A reminder that the cameras and lights are deployed. If you need to move the boat, pull them and store them properly.”
“Aye, aye,” replied the trainees.
The two men switched places. The boats rocked precariously for several seconds before Kerry took the helm and steered it back toward the bridge. She hummed Simon and Garfunkel’s “Bridge over Troubled Water” to herself until Leaper was whistling along.
From the smile on Kerry’s face, it was obvious she enjoyed being with him and doing all that she did. The way he interacted with her coworkers put everyone at ease. He was glad Command had approved this demonstration and interaction. The more comfortable people were with the marine mammals, the more likely they would respect their intelligence and personal space. Yes, today was a much better day than the one where the Base Commander had yelled at Leaper—not that Leaper hadn’t handled it with his usual aplomb, but a sanctioned experience opened the doors for illumination and absorption.
* * *
The humidity was rising as the sun climbed higher in the sky. Being on the water, Coronado usually stayed fairly cool, but in the hotter months the heat index could climb to
ninety degrees and higher.
Kerry’s shirt clung to her skin. She wished she could strip it off and dive into the water to cool off. But this wasn’t the time to play. Maybe after they were done with the second part of the demonstration. For now, she’d have to settle for wetting her mouth. She lifted the glass water bottle to her mouth and drank deeply. As she was securing the top, something odd caught her attention. She turned toward a boat that was weaving in and around the pylons of the Coronado Bridge. As the boat came closer, she squinted at it.
Something still wasn’t right.
It was a tourist boat, moving in an erratic manner. It was zigzagging and going so slowly through the water that it was practically crawling. The man driving it looked oddly familiar. “Where do I know that face from?” Kerry muttered.
“Are you talking to me?” asked Leaper, making his way toward her from the back of the boat. The folding side door, which the sea lions and dolphins used to get on board, had partially opened, and Leaper had been fixing the latch and making sure it wouldn’t fail at an inopportune time. “I have binoculars.”
He held them out to her, and she took them, holding the binoculars to her eyes. Her finger worked over the knob, bringing the images into sharper focus. “Well, I’ll be damned. There’s a dead man driving a boat.”
“May I?” asked Leaper, holding out his hand.
Placing the glasses in his hand, Kerry said, “Unless I’m horribly mistaken, that’s Boscher. What’s he doing here? I thought he was dead.”
“The guy that Admiral Dale said was responsible for placing the dolphins in harm’s way.” Leaper’s lips thinned. “There’s another guy in the boat, and he’s…armed. Dammit, those are ground-to-air missiles. Now, where are they going with those?”
“Shit! It looks like Boscher’s headed toward your boat crew, the combat divers, and our sea lions. Can we head him off?”
“We can. He’s driving a dinky boat, rented from the marina. I recognize the colors on the hull. Do you see the sticker on the stern?” Leaper tucked the binoculars into the utility pouch behind the seat. He picked up the bottle Kerry had been drinking from. “Can I have this?”
The Power of a SEAL Page 25
