Love Lost

by Michael Anderle

  Dan nodded to the man across from Jean. “Chief Engineer Rodriquez?” Thomas recognized Chief Rodriquez’s name. He was pretty famous among the Captains as one who could get the slowest boat to get up and haul ass. He had heard that Rodriquez had left the Navy, but not why.

  John Rodriquez stood up. He was forty years old and his skin was pretty dark. He had hard eyes and he probably stood about 5’8” but was somewhat wide. He looked around at everyone. He looked at the sitting Jean Dukes. “Dukes, it is my pleasure to meet you. I am a Navy man, but in my Navy, we don’t hurt women. We protect them. I had heard two Captains talking about Officer Dukes situation and neither seemed upset about the situation. I took it up with my Captain who was sympathetic but not willing to rock the boat. It seemed to me that my Navy wasn’t taking care of it’s own the way my mom taught me to take care of my familia. I was due up and left the Navy. I dropped my duffle as I left the ship to make sure everyone knew I wouldn’t be back.” He looked back at Dan. “That your boss wants Jean Dukes to be a part of whatever we are doing is enough for me. I would be proud to be a part of a company that seeks her out.” He sat back down.

  Damn, Thomas thought, he would really love to have these people on his team. Then he thought about it. Shit! This was his team. Bosse was giving him the chance to meet everyone before they even landed and enough background information to form a small team based on the shared experiences of the Navy and standing up for their personal ideals. That every one of the people on board had a personal code spoke to the person driving this effort. That the ‘boss’ had fronted the team that took out the terrorists only caused Thomas to really start looking forward to working again towards a goal, not just a paycheck.

  The next person to stand was the marine. His name was Todd Jenkins. He was a career Marine who had spoken plainly to a congressional member who had asked his honest opinion. It seemed that the unvarnished truth, in front of a camera, wasn’t the response the good congressman had actually wanted. That the Brass at the top stood firm for him for two years was a testament to the Marines supporting their own. The congressman got himself elected to every appropriations committee that he could. He was then a horrible pain in the ass each and every time. When the congressman got another term, Todd decided it would be better for the marines if he stepped aside. They had done right by him and no one was happy with his decision. He had been on the beach for six months when he got called. He had obviously stayed in shape.

  Dan introduced the pilot as Lt. Cmdr Paul Jameson who was with the Navy for twelve years before having his own disagreement on the rules of engagement. He felt those engagement rules were the cause of his best friends death and no one would even discuss the reasons for the rules with him. He couldn’t be a part of a team any more that didn’t have a defined target.

  Up in the front, Paul was listening to Dan and the others talk. Personally, he believed this flight a short term gig. However; he realized that by not having been asked to interview, the bastards were making him want to be a part of the team.

  Paul was still sore with any sort of upper management. It was why he free-lanced his piloting skills instead of joining up with any company. He had been recruited hard by both commercial and private groups. Everyone wanted someone with his type of skills. He could fly a large plane with just packages on it for three weeks out of the month and rest the fourth and pull in twice his previous salary. Without getting shot at.

  However; he nursed an anger at the loss of his friend. He wanted to make a difference, not help someones package go from Oklahoma to Brazil overnight.

  Jean’s story pissed him off. If he ever met these two ass wipes they would lose their teeth. He would also have to shake the hand of the Chief Engineer. It was obvious just from listening that he hadn’t realized that Jean Dukes was on the plane with him and she was the reason he had quit the Navy. The marine had given up his life to help his team. Not his physical life, but certainly his emotional life.

  He realized he was proud to be the pilot for this group.

  Dan hadn’t realized what was going through Paul’s head. He continued, “Lt. Commander Max Wagner, would you care to share?”

  Thomas waited to see what this gentleman had to say. Here was his number two, if he didn’t miss his guess.

  His voice had an interesting cross between a Texas and a German accent. How the hell did someone get that? “My name is Maximillian Wagner. I was the second on a Destroyer who had issues with the financials. I took it to my captain and was told to drop it. I didn’t. The further I looked the more I found the rot had gone over to the mainland and up the chain. I passed the information on and while a good portion of the group was charged and the theft ring was broken up, not enough of the highest brass could be formally charged. They had black marks all put in their jackets and I was targeted by some of their friends. The best that the Navy could do after the first year was monitor the activity. I decided that no good deed would go unpunished and took the offered package. I’ve got two years before most of the group will be out, so I find myself wondering what to do next. Frankly, I need to work for someone or something I believe in and the Navy doesn’t have my trust at the moment.” He sat down and received looks of agreement from everyone there.

  He had summed up all of their feelings. They were all professionals wanting to work for something they could believe in. It was his turn.

  Dan looked at him, “Captain Thomas?”

  Thomas stood up and walked the aisle over to Jean. He offered her a salute which was totally inappropriate in the regs but every Navy man there stood up saluted her as well. She started tearing up as she stood and saluted Captain Thomas back. He walked up next to Dan who sat down with a smile on his face.

  Thomas turned around. “This morning, I was sitting on my couch in Jacksonville drinking a beer at 10:00 AM. Why? Because I spoke out that I felt the mentoring program used for retired high level officers, both in the military and in the Navy specifically, wasn’t being run appropriately. I felt it needed more transparency when they represent a defensive company and yet come back to consult at the same time. Obviously, I was in the minority. The more I was told to keep quiet, the more it pissed me off. I kept mentioning the issues with mentoring until I was, very politely, shown the door. That was over two months ago.”

  He looked at all of the people in front of him, these would be his crew if everything worked out. “Fortunately for me, Mr. Kurns here told me he would pay me to go on a job interview with a free flight to Nassau before I could let slip I would swim here for free.” Everyone smiled and laughed at that comment. They were all feeling the same, now.

  “Now that I hear this group was part of the terrorist take down in Miami, I would walk on water to go to this meeting. I am personally proud to have been selected to even be on this plane with each and every one of you.” From over the loudspeaker the pilot added, “Hear, hear!” They all smiled at his intrusion.

  “Hopefully, they don’t have a rowboat with holes in it for me to Captain, but if they do, I happen know enough about Chief Rodriquez over here to know that it will be the fastest damn row boat in this hemisphere!” Everyone laughed.

  Most had heard of the chief, even if they didn’t immediately put the man in their plane with the crazy engineer getting crazy results down in the engine room. “Max, looking around this plane, I get the feeling it won’t be a rowboat we are dealing with. I believe your attention to the finances will be important and probably no little part of the decision to be on this plane. Should we work together, I will always have your back. Dukes?”

  She looked at him. “Let me know next time someones ass needs kicking, I wouldn’t want your leg to get tired so I’m volunteering Jenkins legs. Not because I’m not willing, but rather so I can make sure the ass kicking is the best we can do.” This got a lot of laughs from the team. Todd actually blushed but added a quiet, “Hell yeah!” to the group.

  “I’m sure our pilot has a good story, but I’m not really in the mood
to jiggle his elbow right now.” When he said that, the plane did a little wing bounce to let him know the pilot was listening. “However; if he doesn’t set this plane down well, I happen to know where a ‘Vette that can be traded in for a Prius is parked.” Everyone had to laugh since it was pretty well know that fighter jockeys usually had testosterone powered cars and everyone had noticed the Corvette.

  The speaker came back on, “This is your pilot speaking. Having heard all of the stories let me say that I will make this the smoothest landing you have ever had.” The mic clicked off, then after a couple of seconds clicked back on again, “And leave my fucking Vette alone!” You could hear the grin in his voice.

  Everyone laughed.

  Dan thought that he had a first class seat on how to pull a team together, this Captain was an artist and it was Dan’s pleasure to watch it happen. Frank just continued his writing.

  CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

  Nassau, Bahamas

  The landing was one of the smoothest the team had ever felt. Everyone was shaking hands and getting to know each other as Paul taxi’d out to the hanger that Ecaterina had rented ahead of time. She had stayed out of the way, just listening to everyone. She was a quick study of people as well as wildlife and she was sure Bethany Anne was going to like this group. Frank and Dan, with no little help from Nathan, had done Bethany Anne proud.

  Now, she was looking forward to seeing what kind of boat Bethany Anne had procured for the team to use.

  Dan was on the phone in the back and Frank had pulled out his laptop to get online. It was the ‘special’ laptop with the link to Franks office back in Washington D.C. It had more biometric security on it than laptops had in the Pentagon. With Franks knowledge and Nathan’s added to it, this laptop was not going to be able to be used by anyone without Frank’s help. Looking satisfied, Frank closed his laptop as the plane came to a rest.

  Ecaterina started the process to open the door. She was met by Airport help on the outside. Dan had come up to the front.

  Todd Jenkins noticed that Dan was positioning himself to cover the door entry and had his hand ready for a draw inside his coat. Todd had noticed the shoulder holster within a minute of coming on the plane. He missed it in the beginning because a large part of his focus was on the lovely smile of the hostess.

  Todd prepared to go into action if necessary and positioned his body.

  The door opened and he noticed Dan look out and around in a professional manner. Ecaterina beside him stayed out of his way and she looked accustomed to the activity and wasn’t worried. That was an interesting tidbit of information. Todd filed that knowledge away.

  Dan stepped off first and Ecaterina shook everyone’s hand as they stepped off. Frank was the last and he went by her to stick his head in the pilot’s cabin.

  Paul was busy shutting down the plane. He had just finished his check list. He really was happy for having done this gig. He noticed the older man step by Ecaterina and he looked over his shoulder as Frank stuck his head in the cabin. “So Mr. Jameson, would you like to take the blue pill where you wake up believing that working for yourself is the only way to make things happen, or would you like the red pill and go with Captain Thomas and the team? If you take the red pill, I will get someone to finish shutting down the plane.”

  Paul Jameson was having an existential moment. Paul thought about the amount of time that Frank and his team had put in finding these people and making this set of job interviews happen so fast. He doubted that his piloting of the craft was accidental. He wasn’t unhappy doing what he was doing, but there was only so much that one person can do when what needs to change is so vast. There was something going on here, and it felt like the beginning of something unique. Something special. He unclipped his belt and smiled up at Frank. “I think I’ll take you up on that interview option, Mr. Kurns.”

  “My boy, I didn’t ask you to interview. I asked a good friend how to get you interested and you know what she told me?”

  Paul stopped and turned back to Mr. Kurns, “What what that?”

  “She told me to use the right bait, Mr. Kurns. Think on that and hurry your ass up so you don’t get left behind, I hear the helicopter now.”

  Paul turned back around, what helicopter? He jumped down the steps and went behind the plane. He could see the group about fifty yards away looking at the sky towards the North and the water. There was a big bird coming in. Holy shit! It was a black hawk and did she ever look mean. The whole team was just as surprised at their ride as well.

  Toto, they weren’t in Kansas, anymore.

  Paul noticed how nicely the helicopter landed. As if it weighed as much as a feather. There was one helluva large black man holding a slung P90 inside the bird. He nodded to Dan and offered the first seat to Captain Thomas. Captain Thomas nodded to the person inside the bird and jumped on. The rest followed his lead. Paul was the last on and Rodrqeuz waived him over to sit by him. Dan closed the door. Paul heard the crew member call to the pilot that they were all aboard and the chopper took off and angled back over the water.

  Thomas was enjoying the flight. While the armed crew member took him by surprise, it shouldn’t have. This was a damned Black Hawk tricked out. This was $30 million at least flying here. They wouldn’t be in a row boat, that was for sure.

  He lost his composure when Wagner said, ‘Saints Preserve Us!’ next to him. He stopped looking out the side of the bird and looked through the pilots windows in front and at the massive yacht they were approaching. He got a good look for just a minute before the pilot had to change direction and the boat was under them, now. That boat had to be at least 325 to 350 feet in length. Saints preserve us, indeed!

  Paul Jameson had seen the boat as well. He smiled as he thought red was the right pill for him to swallow.

  The landing on the boat was just as smooth as the landing at the airfield. Paul thought that this pilot was every bit as good as he was in a plane. This group was more and more interesting all of the time. He couldn’t imagine what they could pull off that would surprise him anymore.

  He had to admit later, that he was woefully unprepared to have answered that at the time.

  The Queen Bitch’s Ship Polarus in Nassau

  “Damn, it’s easy to get fucking lost on this ship.” Bethany Anne was walking towards the helipad, she hoped. She had lost track of time working through some other details and John had commed her to let her know, ‘the Navy has arrived.’

  You realize I could tell you how to get there, right?

  One of these days, she would learn to lean on all of her advantages. Even the transient alien inside of her.

  Sorry, TOM. Just busy and got distracted. How the hell do I get back up to the landing area?

  Turn around and go back to the last intersection. Take a right and then your first left. There is a set of steps that go up.

  She stopped and turned around. Concerned she was going to miss the group she boosted her speed over to the stairs and slowed down to go through the door. If she didn’t have new recruits, she would just slip through the Etheric and drop in on them. She hadn’t created any safe zones yet on the boat and had been a little concerned what to do when the ship was underway. Would her slipping through the Etheric work the same, or would she end up in the ocean? TOM had said she would have the ability to position correctly with the ship, but she was still a little hesitant. He explained that the earth itself was traveling through space at approximately 67,000 miles an hour, so what was the big deal?

  She made the top as she heard the people getting off of Shelly. It was agreed that they would all wear their team ops uniforms. She wanted everyone to understand that they were military first, not super rich looking to play out of the United States waters.

  Well, they were that, too. They just wanted to play with guns and ammo and missiles and blow shit up. At least, that was how Scott described themselves.

  Ecaterina had called. She was in Nassau interviewing companies now to change some of the ship. Beth
any Anne wanted the whole owners suite ripped out. She didn’t want to see anything in there that reminded her of Natalia and the others. She had stayed out of the suite. Her team had taken care of ripping out most of the bedroom already.

  She pushed the final door open. Door, hatch? She couldn’t be bothered to learn it all right now regardless of a super-intelligent alien along for the ride.

  She watched as the new recruits came off of the helipad. She knew that Bobcat would be back in the air to go and pick up Frank and Ecaterina. She saw Pete go up some stairs and enter the helipad area. It looked like he was going to be part of the protection for Shelly on this trip. Yup, Darryl handed him a P90 and he clipped it on and got on board.

  Everyone had left the helipad but one rather large guy from the group had caught Pete jumping on and noticed the weapon. The man turned around and went with the group down below. They would be going to the larger meeting room on the second deck. It already had finger food and beverages setup and waiting for the group.

  She waved to Bobcat who had noticed her. He put two fingers to his lips like stupid fangs and she laughed out loud at his antics and then he put his hand down and the Black Hawk started to lift off. She just smiled and shook her head.

  So far, he was the most comfortable around her as a vampire. Even John was occasionally careful and respectful. She wasn’t sure if Bobcat had a respectful bone in his body. William was back in Miami working with the armored SUV’s and tooling up their engines so couldn’t make the trip out.

  Bobcat mentioned that he preferred the bunnies on the beach, not the ones who went boat hopping and had a date he had been working on for two weeks that night.

  She turned and went up to the bridge to check on the captain. He was ever polite and just a bit… dumb. That was most likely due to her heavy handed approach to wiping his memory and implanting her commands. If his brain shorted out after she replaced him she couldn’t be bothered to worry about it.