Chuck
This had been a busy day. We docked in Ireland this morning and have been busy all day. The kids demanded a lot of Lisa's and my time, as they wanted the two us to help the Irish kids to learn what they had learned. The Irish kids were lucky to have Serene to teach them at home, since she was a lot more accomplished than I had thought.
That was the fun part, and then there were Julie's adult kids. Sue had made the call for me so they could take the ferry to Ireland, be here for the evening meal, and surprise Julie. I thought it would be good for them to meet me and my family so they would know Julie was leaving her property in someone's hands that would care for it.
Everyone welcomed the families when they arrived. Julie's two children each had one child. The two grandchildren were both about eight. Julie's adult kids, Penny and James, sure didn't act like Julie. They were very stiff and standoffish at first, or at least it seemed that way to me. You would think a couple of kids who had been home schooled out on an island would have been free spirits. They were anything but.
James' wife, Eugenia, acted as if coming into this wonderful near castle was beneath her. Penny's husband, Thomas, was more laid back than James, and didn't act as if the Irish were a contagious different race.
After all the introductions had been made, Brutus put Julie and her family in the front lounge. Julie asked Lisa and me to stay with her because she wanted to discuss some things with her children while I was present. I guess she figured Lisa was my primary partner and included her.
Julie began her conversation with her kids by hugging me and kissing me on the lips. I watched Penny's mouth drop open and James' eyebrow arch. Julie said, "I know we don't have a lot of time this evening, but I want you, Penny and James, to try to get to know Chuck and Lisa as much as possible. You briefly know that I've selected Chuck to be the caretaker of the island and all who live there. What you don't know, is that I have signed over the island to Chuck so that he is now the sole owner, as well as caretaker."
James exclaimed, "Huh?" Penny gasped.
Julie continued, "You will see, in time, that this was a very good way to leave the island and the people there in good hands. You both know that you two don't go there often and don't seem that interested in what happens to the people of the island. Just so you know, Chuck has already formed a trust so the island will be financially sound for what may be forever. He has already commissioned work to be done out there that includes an entire new electrical grid, increased farm equipment, and I think he's even surveying to see if he can have a runway to land some of his airplanes out there."
James' and Thomas' eyes were big and round thinking about what Julie had disclosed.
She continued, "As you can see, Chuck is very good at organizing and directing activities. He isn't a financier or professional investor either. Do you know what he does for a living?"
The four adults leaned forward to hear, while the two kids were squirming in their chairs because they were bored.
Julie said, "He is an American and a United States Deputy Marshal. Can you believe it? He was a Marine before, was injured, and now has become a very high-ranking law officer. If you have an opportunity to speak to a young lady here named Wanda, ask her of Chuck's exploits."
Penny asked, "Is Chuck a slang name for something?"
I smiled and said, "My name is Charles, but everyone who knows me calls me Chuck. Please don't be formal with me; I'm more of a Chuck than a Charles."
James asked, "Mother, I saw the gesture of you kissing Charles, er, ah, Chuck. Do you have an intimate relationship with him?"
Julie laughed, "That would be none of your business, James. Don't you think I may be a bit old for him? And look at Lisa, this darling lady with him. You'll find that she is only one of many who consider Chuck their special man. I consider Chuck a special friend for life."
Thomas asked, "Ah, Chuck, does this mean that you could be restrictive as to who would visit the island?"
I smiled, "Yes it does, but as far as Julie and her family, you are always welcome. If you will let me know in advance when you would like to go, I can assist in part of the transportation required. I've been fortunate enough to have an airplane that will get us from Florida to Limon in a very short period of time. I also have a motor launch we use to get to the island."
Julie laughed, "His motor launch is a seventy foot yacht. He owns it by having gotten rid of some vicious mobsters that were controlling the area. I'll tell you all about it in time. Chuck is a very resourceful man. That's why he is now the caretaker and owner of the island."
Penny leaned over to James, "If we can still go there for a holiday from time to time, it's better to have someone capable to take care of the place for us."
James was blunt, "I had thought the island would be part of our inheritance."
Julie's laugh was almost sinister, "Is that all you would consider? Come on, didn't your father provide enough for you? It seems you were given a generous trust to take care of you for the rest of your life. If your needs exceed the stipend from the trust, you should get a better job, or any job, for that matter."
Penny was quick to intercede, "Oh, Mom, he didn't mean it that way. He was just thinking of our and the kids' future. You know Thomas works for his father and is quite successful at what he does. James just has never had the opportunities to learn business as Thomas has."
Julie said, "James, your uncle asks all the time why you won't become a protégé of his. He would love to teach you his trade. The man is one of the most respected land brokers in London. You should consider his offer."
That shut James up and gave him a piercing look from his wife Eugenia that would whither a cactus. Eugenia commented, "Father asks James to join him and my brother in his work all the time. James would rather spend his time golfing and playing tennis. I suppose if he was to get good enough playing golf, he would be very famous."
Julie laughed, "Tiger Woods, you're not, James."
Eugenia, looked at James with that sly out of the corner of her eye look, "In some ways he is very much like Tiger, just more circumspect."
Lisa almost choked from trying to keep back the laughter from the innuendo. It was Julie's turn to raise an eyebrow. She made the comment, "James, you know there are character conditions for the stipend from your trust. You should review them from time to time to remain in compliance."
James' face was very red, but he kept his mouth shut.
Julie said, "Now that we have the greetings and my news out of the way, what is the exciting news, Penny?"
Penny smiled broadly, "I'm expecting our second child. We should have had number two right after number one, but it took a while for some reason. Anyway, Mother, Thomas and I are very excited about having another child."
Julie said, "Wonderful, Penny. I look forward to being able to spoil your new baby along with the other two grandchildren."
I asked Julie, "How about we join the families in the library? I think it would be nice to have a little toast for you and your children." I stood up and everyone followed.
In the library, we took some time re-introducing everyone. It did take a few minutes of explanation for the new couples to put together who belonged to whom. We toasted the newcomers and shortly afterward Thomas joined the snooker players.
As soon as it looked as if Julie and her kids were comfortable, I guided Lisa out of the room and we headed downstairs to continue playing with the kids.
Lisa and I were just beginning to work with the kids again when Julie and Penny came down the stairway and walked into the room with Julie's grandchildren. Instead of us stopping to talk to the newly arrived adults, Lisa and I continued to work with the kids as we had been. All of the kids in the room looked and waved at the two newcomers, but kept seated while trying to get their timing down on the piece they were practicing.
I could see Bonita glance at the new kids a couple of times before she laid her guitar down and went over to them. They had a short conversation and were soon dragging up two more chairs. Bonita gave one her guitar, and asked Serene for hers. Bonita began showing the two kids how to hold their hands on the frets so they could play their first note. She had them stroking across the strings gently so they could hear the difference between the natural and the chord.
Amazing as it was, Bonita was showing them how to join the others in producing the music they were practicing.
Bonita looked at me and gestured as if she was playing an air guitar. I turned and picked up my practice Gibson similar to the kids guitars that Lisa had bought for us and handed it to Bonita. That was all that was needed. While the room full of kids practicing the four-part harmony of the piece, Bonita taught the two new kids a couple of chords.
Chandra came into the room to announce the evening meal. The kids headed for the children's eating area and swept the two new kids from the room with them.
We were served a delicious Irish stew that was full of chunks of lamb, carrots, potatoes, and some other vegetables that I didn't recognize. It was served with what I found out was potato bread. It was delicious, as well, and was perfect to sop up the juices of the stew.
The ladies serving us were quick to bring the pot around to ladle more stew into our large bowls. To me, eating this delicious food was a great treat.
Glenda asked Lorna to teach her to make the stew so she could serve it at home. When Lorna said it was difficult to make only a small quantity, all of the people from our group began laughing. Sue explained that most of us ate together every evening in a communal setting. Sue said, "It's usually thirty to forty people who eat together every night, so you can see that we need recipes for large quantities. I love this bread; we need to learn to make that as well."
That comment had the Irish and English contingencies questioning how we cooked and served so many. Steve tried to explain the patio, but it was difficult for these folks to understand the concept. I could see their problem, as it was tough for me to understand how the patio evolved as well.
After supper, tea, or whatever they call it (I think the Irish refer to the evening meal as supper), Lisa and I headed back downstairs to work with the kids on their evening presentation. Bonita and Corine also had been working on something that I thought was very nice. They had brought Lisa into their confidence and had her practice with them too.
A short while later, all of the adults came to the large children's room downstairs to listen to their presentation. I was only there for support now. I wasn't part of the group that was playing.
I think Julie's kids were the most surprised when their two kids were sitting with guitars along with the other kids. When the kids began playing, the two new kids played their guitars, but only changing their finger positions when Bonita directed them.
They played their practiced pieces, then the new music they had been practicing. I was even surprised at how good it was. You could even define the chords being softly stroked by the two new kids.
Next up was something special, performed by Corine and Bonita. They played Ave Maria on the piano and violin. The two switched instruments about halfway through so the people could see both of the girls playing both instruments. Lisa then joined them and played the piano, while the two girls played two other harmony parts on their violins. I was very impressed that the girls had learned the music, and produced something so delicate, so fast. All I could think about was what they could do with a couple of weeks of instruction and practice.
The adults applauded the efforts of all the children, and thought it would be a good time to go back upstairs for dessert.
When Steve commented that he was used to having the kids with them for meals and desert, Mac got up and brought all the children into the library. There was more confusion with the kids in there, but it was a lot more fun to have them with us.
I was glad when the kids were being taken away for bed. I was tired as well, and looked forward to a good night's sleep. I did stay in the library for a last drink with most of the men before going up to the suite that had been assigned to my group.
When I reached the suite, I found all of the women were in gowns, gathered in the sitting room. Brandy was standing, while the others were all sitting. Brandy announced, "Good, now that Chuck is here, we can plan what we want to do while we're here." She looked at me and asked, "Is there anything special you want to see or do while we're here, Chuck?"
I answered, "There really isn't anything special that I'd like to see. You girls probably have dozens of things you want to do and see, so I would enjoy following you around while you do what you do. If I get bored, or find something else I want to do, I'll let you know. Wanda and I do have to go down to the boat and use the computer there for some work, but that won't take long. What do you guys want to do?"
Each one began telling the group what they wanted to see. All of them wanted to see Buckingham Palace and the surrounding area. The Tower of London, the Imperial War Museum, Westminster, Land's End, and several mentioned Stonehenge. That sounded interesting. Another suggestion was to take the train through the Chunnel under the English Channel and go to Paris. That would be pretty special too. After a half hour of suggestions, Brandy said, "I'll write all of this down and we'll contact a tourist company to take us around to see these sites. I'll ask the others if they want to join us. We'll stay over in London a night or two so we can see as much as possible. Everyone agreed?" That was that, the girls were going to make this an organized adventure.
When we went to bed, we couldn't all fit into this king size bed, but everyone received a good night hug and kiss before we snuggled in for the night. I think we were all worn out from visiting and the strain of being in a strange location.
When I woke up, the women were all stirring. Some were out of the bathroom already, and some were still in there. When I sat up, Taiying was instantly next to me, carrying my leg. The two Asian sisters had been making it their job to help me with the leg every morning. They knew I would not put a sock on before I had a shower, and that afterwards I thoroughly dried the stump and rubbed some cream on it. They had become very adept at helping me.
Lisa loved the attention the two gave me, and always gave them a kiss to thank them for helping me. When the three kissed, there were often some roaming hands that caressed each other, giving them all additional pleasure.
This morning, I was showered and dressed in just a few minutes. None of the women wanted to be distracted this morning.
Downstairs, the girls went to the kitchen to help, while Brutus invited me into the garden where he said the other men were gathering. Dewey greeted me with a Bloody Mary, slapping me on the back. When he asked what I was going to be doing while here, I tried to explain, "The ladies are planning a tour of some English sights and are even planning on a trip to Paris through the Chunnel."
That brought several of the men to their feet, talking about how that would be fun. I told those that were interested to coordinate with Brandy, as she seemed to be the leader of the trip. I said that we were also planning on some sightseeing here in Ireland. I wanted to see some real Irish castles and there were some places in Belfast that I had always wanted to visit.
Mac became very interested in our Irish tourism, and said that Brutus would be happy to be our guide. I said, "I'll get the girls together so they can work out a schedule with him. I'm really not sure exactly how long we'll be docked here, but probably a full week, if you're fine with keeping us around that long. You know we could stay on the boat since it's like being in the finest of hotels."
Mac said, "I am impressed with your boat. The Irish Bell is as big and quite lavish, but it doesn't have the warmth your boat has. It's probably the people that make it that way. I think our boat will become as warm and comfortable as yours is when we add more children to our family."
We ate a great American breakfast of eggs, bacon, biscuits and sausage gravy that Glenda had supervised making. She announced to everyone, "This is what I feed the crew on weekends. Steve often helps me cook it. We started out with just a couple of us and grew to the crowd we now have."
Mac commented, "I can't wait to see this patio place you keep talking about. You'll have to take some pictures so I can get an idea."
Mercy said, "I'll have someone take a bunch of pictures and send them to me on the internet. That will help you understand our big outdoor living room."
"That's the other thing," Mac said, and asked, "How do you stand the heat in the summer, and what do you do this time of year when it's cold?"
Steve offered the explanation, "The patio is screened and has air conditioning and heating units on the roof. In the summer, cool air is blown into the open patio with ceiling fans dispersing the air. In the winter, we blow in and circulate heated air. You do have to wear shoes in the winter as the concrete stays cool, but in the summer, the closest thing anyone wears in footwear is thongs, you know, shower shoes."
The English and Irish nodded their heads in understanding.
After breakfast, Julie and her kids prepared to leave. Julie told us, "I will keep in touch with you. I think I want to travel with you to Italy, and on to the Riviera, if I can. When you leave the Riviera, I'll fly back to London and begin being a full time grandmother. First, I have to see if the home the children have picked out for me is what I want. Call me and don't leave without me."
I told Julie, "I'll be talking to Mark out on the island today. I'll find out how everyone is doing and call you. Call me with a phone number as soon as you get one. Get a cell phone that you can use anywhere with the right service."
Thomas said, "I'll help her get a good cell phone. You're right though, a cell is perfect for a traveling person or a person who isn't at home much. I expect Julie to be visiting us a lot."
Before they left, James came to me and said, "You should discourage Mother from going with you to Italy and the Riviera. She is not young, you know, and it could be damaging to her health."
I smiled at Julie's son. "James, you should get to know you mother better. She is a very active person and you had best make sure she has plenty of room to roam, and lots of contact with her grandchildren, to keep her young. You know she moved around on her island daily, worked in the fields, helped with the stock, and took care of those that were sick. Your mother is no shrinking violet."
James gave a grumpy sound, "Still, the woman is over fifty and should be very cautious with her health. Please discourage her."
A few minutes later, Penny and Thomas cornered me, Penny said, "Please talk mom into going with the group to Italy and the Riviera. Thomas and I would love to go with you. She will have a great time going with you and she may never get another chance. Since Dad passed, she has been on the island almost continuously. She has visited us a few times, but most of her life has been on the island. I'm surprised she's moving here, but I do know how much she loves James and me and these wild kids of ours."
Thomas reinforced what Penny said, "Do convince her to travel with you. I'll call you with her number so you two can chat. Penny and I would love to come, but I am busy right now at work. My dad isn't getting any younger and I need to be ready to take over for him. Thank you for being such a good friend to her."
Julie gave me a very warm hug and kiss before she left. She did say that she was planning on coming with us when we sailed for the Mediterranean.
When they were gone, I went to look for Wanda. She was lounging with John in the garden room. "Wanda, how about going to the boat with me so we can use the on board PC? There might be a few things we need to go over."
Wanda grinned, "Oh yeah, there are some things to go over all right. You know you can't be away without problems that only you can handle, or so they think. Let me get my purse."
When I found the rest of my family to tell them I was going to the boat with Wanda, several wanted to go to the boat with us. I had to discourage them, as this was a working trip and we needed privacy. When Lisa asked, I said, "Have you spoken with Wanda?"
Lisa said, "I have and you need to talk to her. I can't offer anything to what she has to tell you, but talk to me about it later."
When I found Wanda, she had Brutus waiting for us with car keys in his hand. He said, "I've been delegated to give you taxi service to the yacht club. Come, you'll enjoy the ride with me."
We were going to make the trip in a really nice late model Mercedes. Brutus said, "This is Mac's favorite except for his 'SL'. A car like this is a real pleasure to drive. Mac has a Cadillac that is about as nice, but it is a little wider and not as agile on the roads we have."
The trip didn't take long, and less than a half-hour later, Wanda and I were in the boat's office while Brutus was in the upper salon, enjoying the TV.
Wanda began, "Let's check on what's happening stateside. I'll check on your site and you call John to see what's going on. I can call the girls to see if there have been any strange inquiries."
Wanda logged on to the secure site and was looking to see if there were any messages that needed attention. I called John and heard him say, "Wanda has some information for you. Since you're on a non-secure phone, talk to her about what's up. If you need me, use the sat phone and call the secure number. Glad to know you've made it to Ireland. Talk to me later if you want."
That was cryptic. Now I was curious.
Wanda was finished and said, "No new problems. John's handling the bullshit stuff that's coming in and dispatching people from DC as needed."
Wanda said, "Let's make some coffee and come back down to talk."
We made a pot of coffee. I took a cup up to Brutus and then followed Wanda back down to the office.
Wanda began telling me, "First, the second incident you were involved in off the coast of Florida has a bunch of kinks in it. Everyone involved was apprehended and some were even spirited out of the country for special interrogation. You, Chuck, have pissed off a lot of people, a lot of very bad people. The bureau thinks that there are still some hard feelings about your original run in with the mobs over the employment thing. Since you were instrumental in bringing down the employment office scam, you are known as a real shit disturber. The bad guys are not that happy with how you were able to close up the escapee problem, but since that group was dancing with real terrorists, they're going to let that pass. Your being involved in bringing down the guy in Miami has a lot of insiders spooked, and the mysterious disappearance of all of those contract people, doesn't help either. You're figured for having had a hand in it. Whether you did or not, only you know. Those contractors were a secretive bunch, and as you found out, were ex-CIA agents. I'm glad you're not mixed up with that specific problem any more."
We sipped our coffee and Wanda continued, "I'm supposed to tell you that you may not have seen the last of someone trying to even the score." Wanda took a deep breath, "And that brings me to what you need to know. Central Intel wants to talk to you. The SS boys know this and have tried to discourage them. Since you're out of the country, the CIA will probably talk to you while you are here or maybe in Italy, or both. According to our SS bosses, the CIA is swamped with terrorist stuff and has been inundated with smugglers and international jewel thieves. I'm told that if you do get involved with them, you will not have the cover that most of them have, and you would be out by yourself for the most part."
"What do you think, Wanda, should I head home? Get out of here while the getting is good?"
Wanda smiled, "No, the SS guys said you would make the right decision and you may be of help to the Central Intel guys on a case or two. You can advise them without getting involved. The one thing the SS boys said was that you should not involve Lisa. Lisa knows this, and as you would guess, vehemently objects. I told her it would be for her own good. She got mad and said perhaps the two of you should just get out while the getting is good. She may be right."
I said, "I'll listen to what they have to say, but I don't want to be like the contractors. I don't want to keep going out to eradicate one or two guys because they are thought to be bad guys. I'll deal with real killers, but no suspicious characters."
Wanda smiled, "That's what the SS guys felt you would say. Be sure to let the people that contact you know exactly how you feel. They'll put pressure on you, but you don't have to be a part of them."
I asked, "How much of this does John know?"
Wanda was shaking her head, "Not much. He's going to fish from you about what's up. There's enough scuttlebutt going around, that he knows Central Intel is trying to draw you in. Just be cool with John, and he'll find out what he needs to know in due time."
"Shit, I guess I should start carrying again. I thought this vacation would be a good time to be free of a weapon for a while."
Wanda handed me another ID card that had "The United States of America, State Department" on it and she told me, "Yes, you need to carry. You have been given diplomatic courtesy to carry in all of Europe. You are now listed with Interpol. If you are questioned, show your regular Deputy Marshal ID and this ID, and have whoever questions you call the number on this card." With that, Wanda gave me a small stack of business cards with my name and the designation of U.S. Deputy Marshal assigned to the State Department. Whoa, that sounds heavy. There was a telephone number that said it was so identification could be confirmed.
I was looking at the new ID card, when Wanda said, "Be careful, Chuck. If the CIA wants you for something, make sure of what and where it is, before you even think of having anything to do with them. With your registry with Interpol and being assigned to the State Department, they may not want to use you anymore, or at least not as much. If there is a terrorist problem, they will come to you since you've handled several already. Now look at your business card real close. If you need help, use your cell phone and call the identification number. As a last resort, dial SSattachee or 772-882-2433. When they answer, give them your name and identification number and they will authenticate you by a voice print. This is to be used as a last resort only. Just remember SSattachee."
Wow! Real cloak and dagger stuff.
Wanda said, "I want you to think about using means other than a firearm to neutralize an enemy if it's necessary. I'm sure you've kept active, and may have even sparred. From what I heard from Lisa, your two Asian sisters are good training and sparring partners. Anyway, if you can avoid gunfire, do it. Guns attract a lot of attention. I'm going to be around you until we get ready to leave the Riviera, so I can back you up. Lisa is experienced and can back you up, but I want you to exclude her from any of this semi-covert activity."
"Okay, Wanda, I think I have it. That island down in Costa Rica is sounding better every day. Whew! This is a hell of lot more tangled than I ever thought it could get."
Wanda laughed, "You started out in the service with a very high profile case. Since then, you've handled problem after problem, been hurt, but keep coming back. You've become well known within the service, as well as the SS. With a rep as wild as yours is, you're going to have a difficult time keeping a low profile. Just keep your eyes open and have some fun. The faster you have your meeting with Central Intel, the faster you can get back to being on vacation."
I was nodding and said, "Let me get my sidearm out of the cabinet here. Might as well get my backup out too."
After I had my pistol out, put a shoulder holster on, and strapped on my small Glock to my prosthesis, I ran up to the master cabin and got a sport coat out of the closet. When I came back down to the office cabin, Wanda was hanging up on her cell.
She said, "I reported in that we've had the conversation. They want you to call the SSattachee number so they can have your voice recorded. Let me call for you."
Wanda called the number and gave some information, along with a code number, then handed me the phone. I said, "Johnson." The voice on the other end said, "Please say the days of the week."
I did that and the voice said, "Thank you, can I speak to Ms. Johnson again."
Wanda listened for a minute, then hung up. She said, "They do a voice stress analysis on me to make sure I'm not being forced in any way. They are very cautious."
"Where are they, here, or in the States?" I asked this, wondering where they would be.
"They are all over. The call is routed to the nearest facility, but
is recorded and shared throughout the secure network." Wanda began
closing her purse. "We're done. Anything else you need to do down here?"
I sighed, "No, this does make me a little jumpy, though. I always rely on my ability to sense things that are going to happen, but because of being so relaxed, I might have lost some of that."
Wanda hugged me as she stood, "I'm not worried. I've seen you react to conditions before. You'll respond to a problem, I'm sure."
Then I remembered, "I need to call Mark down on the island in Costa Rica. Let me call real quick to see how he's doing."
Surprisingly Mark answered his cell phone after a couple of rings. After he said, "Mark Robbins," I said, "Mark, this is Chuck. How's it going down there?"
Mark said, "Really good. I've imported some labor from our construction people and we're building the towers for the wind generator turbines. We should have them all built and connected in another week. Miguel is having a great time with the carts and the new farm equipment. I think he's planning on tripling the amount of land he farms. He thinks he can produce enough produce to sell to almost support the island. I think he might be over estimating but it's good that he's so ambitious. The rest of the island people are just as enthusiastic."
Mark had to pause for a breath, "For your information, I've surveyed the area thought to be good for a runway. Some of the area is probably too low but could be built up so the whole runway could be at least four feet above the highest tide. If there's a storm, there will be water washing over the runway but it should be out of the water the rest of time."
I asked, "How long can we make the runway?"
Mark told me, "Right at twelve thousand feet. That should be long enough for even the 737. It won't take that much fill to build up the low spots and we can get the fill from where Miguel is planning to develop more agricultural land."
I asked, "Are you and Caroline enjoying the island? I hope it's not all work and no play."
Mark said, "Not a chance. Caroline is ready to move down here right now. She loves the place. She knows we have to go home but I have to tell you, she's going to want to be down here a lot. I'm with her, as I love the place too. I've even picked out a remote spot to build us a home. I want one of those A-frames that has all of the windows in front so I can look out at the sea and the beauty of the island. Caroline has ordered some baby peacocks and turkeys for here. Without predators a flock of those birds should add some beauty to the island and provide additional food for the inhabitants out here."
"You sure have been busy Mark. I can't wait to see what you've done."
When I was going to hang up Mark asked, "So, do you want to invest in the runway or just let that idea simmer. The construction people could use the work and we can get equipment down here by barge. What do you think, want me to have them start on the project? I have more ideas for the future but I can't stay here right now as there's too much happening back home."
"Okay, ah, go ahead and begin. You're going to need financing so I need to call Ben to get him to loosen up some money. How're you going to house the men you bring down?"
Mark said, "Come on, we live in a trailer park. I'll pick up a bunch of those FEMA trailers left over from Katrina and ship them down. Those things are dirt-cheap. The biggest problem will be plumbing and waste. I'll work that out. If I send men down as couples, they will integrate down here easier. I think I can get two couples per trailer. We won't need that many at a time so it should work.
"Okay Mark, I'll call Ben for financing. He'll make the arrangements. Thank you for all of your work. You are really doing me a favor."
Mark laughed, "Actually Chuck, you're doing Caroline and me a favor. We're really enjoying this place. I can't wait until you see how we've made even the wind turbines aesthetic. Come see the place."
When I hung up, I dialed Ben Phillips cell number. When Ben answered and I told him who was calling, the first thing he asked was, "How is my Beth? Are you having fun, is she all right?"
"She's fine Ben. All the ladies are planning to go to London today to do some tourist stuff. Are you coming here or are you coming to Italy?"
Ben said, "I might not be able to join you in Ireland but definitely in Italy. I want to go to the Riviera with you. That's going to be the highlight of the trip."
I said, "What I called about is I'm going to expand on the construction I'm doing on the island in Costa Rica. I'm going to build a runway so we can fly into the island directly. To do this is going to require some capital so I need you to segregate some money for the project. Mark Robbins is heading up the project and you know Terrell, he'll probably be in charge of the construction."
Ben asked, "How much?"
I was stymied, "I have no idea. Mark may have a number or an estimate but just give him what he needs."
Ben said, "You probably have enough in Costa Rica to handle almost any kind of construction down there. That money is making good returns right now. I'm using it for some risky off-shore investments that can be kept separate from your other holdings. The bad thing is the Costa Rican taxes but the good thing is no U.S. taxes. I'll get with Mark and get him a draw account to take care of what he's doing."
"Thanks Ben. Get done with your work and come travel with us. You would love the serenity of sailing in the warm waters of the Mediterranean."
Ben said, "I really will try. I'll try to see you by the end of the week."
I hung up from Ben thinking that the island was going to become a world of its own.
As Wanda and I went up the stairs, I was overcome by a new sense of awareness. I suppose I didn't have to worry about losing my ability to sense what's going on around me.
When we went through the galley, I noted the coffee pot had been turned off and cleaned. Wanda rinsed our cups and put them in the sink. Up in the salon, Brutus was watching the news. He asked, "Ready to go home?"
"I sure am, Brutus. Sometimes these conference calls can be draining."
Brutus looked at me a little different, and said, "They must also be a bit of a warning. Are you authorized to carry that thing under your arm?"
I showed Brutus the State Department ID card and he nodded. He said, "My goodness, I am among some high profile people. This explains some men that have been watching the house. I've attempted to check them out, but they slip into the night whenever I've tried to come up on them. Maybe you can help me find out what their intentions are."
I nodded, "We'll do that. Keep watch and we'll confront them. We need to find their transportation first, and the rest will be easy."
Wanda reached out and patted the Glock under my arm, "Remember what I said about noisy firearms."
I smiled. Brutus caught the smile and copied the curvature of my mouth. The small man was looking forward to perhaps more than what I wanted to find.
It didn't take us long to get back to the huge stone home. The four groups of girls and the children were getting ready to travel to London for their planned sightseeing adventure.
Lisa said that she had clothes packed for me, but she did a double take at my wearing a sport coat. She sneakily gave me a hug and frisked me, finding my weapon. She softly asked, "Is there something I need to know?"
Just as softly, I answered, "Insurance, we'll talk."
Mac had ordered the big bus again, and said that we could use it for our trip on the ferry into London. He and Michael were going to remain here in order to take care of some business they needed to deal with.
While I was making sure my toiletries were packed, Brutus came into the suite and asked, "Do you have a few minutes? The visitors are back and appear to be observing the house with binoculars. I've also discovered where their car is parked."
I said, "Did you look for another set of people watching for us so that we can't sneak up on them?"
"Ah yes," Brutus said, "That's probably how they knew to leave before I could get to them. Let me go up to the observation room at the top of the house. Let me see if I can find where a second group might be."
I followed Brutus up to what would be the fifth level above ground. This was a small sitting room with dark tinted windows all around. Brutus said, "No one can see in, but as you can see, we can see out. Let me scan the area to see where these two groups are. Here, use these other glasses to look at the first two while I look for their partners."
He handed me some very strong binoculars and pointed toward an area that didn't have brush in front of it. The two men in that position were sitting on the ground, looking at the house, also through binoculars. Since the bus had pulled up inside the front gate, they were focused on it. The two looked like any two government shills that would be on a stakeout. Hopefully, that was all they were.
About that time, Brutus said, "I see them. Look over to the back of the property, up on that little knoll behind the bushes. They can see the front of the house and inside the gate, from their viewpoint. If we go out the gardener's gate, we'll have cover all the way around to them. Their car is right behind them on the other side of the knoll. Let's take them first, then go get the other two."
I nodded, "Ah, do you want to do this, or would you prefer for me to take care of it."'
"You must be jesting, Chuck. I haven't had any jousting fun for far too long. Come on, let's immobilize the four and find out who they are."
We went downstairs and out the gardener's gate. We used some out buildings and the wooded areas to hide our approach. I was impressed; Brutus was as quiet on his feet as any well-trained scout.
When we came up behind them, Brutus indicated that I take the one to the left and he would handle the one to the right. Not thinking about Wanda's warning about guns, I pulled my Glock and put it against the head of the man on the left. Brutus had pulled an automatic and done the same to his man on the right. I said, "Stay very quiet, raise your hands slowly and put them on your head. We won't hurt you if you follow orders."
Both men acted as if they were going to comply with our request. As the man I held at gunpoint was raising his hands, he quickly twisted and tried to do a chop on my gun hand. My training had me bringing my hand down instead of trying to pull away. It was easy to dodge the chop and counter with a quick blow to the chest. The man fell to his knees, stunned, and I had a chance to see Brutus with his man face first on the ground with his knee in his back.
I pushed my man down and began frisking him. Both men were clean of weapons. Their only identification was a passport that told me they were US citizens here on a work visa. Each had a cell phone. I rolled the man over I had hit in the chest and said, "I'm going to walk you to the house where you will be watched while we find the other two men with you. If you are very quiet, you will probably get to eat lunch. If not, breakfast was your last meal."
Brutus and I walked the two men to the back of the house and took the two into the servant's quarters. Brutus used the house intercom and called Wanda to come to that area of the house. When Wanda showed up, Lisa was shadowing her.
"Wanda, I want you to watch these two for us while we go get another two Brutus has been seeing. Ah, Lisa, you're not to be a part of this."
Lisa said, "Bullshit, what you're involved in, I'm involved in. You go get the other two and Wanda and I will take care of these two."
Lisa was wearing a full skirt that made her look very feminine. She pulled it up and pulled a Glock 27 from a holster and held it on the two men. "Now go," she told me.
As Brutus and I went back out the gardener's door, he was chuckling. "You folks amaze me. That little girl and you were playing wonderful music yesterday, and today you're playing with guns. You folks are something."
We came up behind the two who were sitting on the ground watching the house. I thought we were making enough noise to startle the dead, but these two weren't listening. Brutus and I came up on each side of them and I said, "Gentlemen, you will not be harmed if you cooperate. Put your field glasses down and put your hands on top of your head. Please don't try anything stupid so we don't have to do anything equally as stupid."
When the two had their hands on top of their head, I made them each stand and while Brutus held them at gunpoint, I searched each of them. These two had wallets with credit cards, in addition to passports and cell phones. The one man had two cell phones. I walked the two to the house where we had them join their friends being held by Wanda and Lisa.
I told the girls, "Two more to watch. Brutus, none of these guys have car keys, so they must have left them in the ignition."
When I got Brutus out of hearing range of the group, I instructed him, "Get two pair of your housekeepers' cleaning gloves, you check out the car in the rear, and I'll go check out the one in front. Make sure you check under the seats and in the trunk. Look for any kind of hidden storage area."
The car in the front, a Mercedes, did indeed have the keys in the ignition. The inside of the car was clean, nothing in the glove box or under the seats. I checked under the hood and found no hidden storage area. The trunk was a different story. At first glance, the trunk looked empty but the floor looked pretty high. It took a minute or so to find the latch to open a compartment that contained several firearms. There were a couple of Glocks with silencers, two of those nasty little .22 automatics with silencers, and a very nice .308 with a good scope. These were weapons of professionals, and I needed more information to know what to do with these men.
I closed the trunk and drove the car to the back of the house. Brutus must have had the same idea, as he was pulling up in a late model Jaguar XJ. He got out and said, "They have some fine weapons in the trunk. You should see the little .22 automatics with silencers they have. That's for some very close work."
When we walked into the room where the girls were holding the men, the four were now trussed up very securely. Mac was standing there grinning. He said, "I came to find Brutus to tell him I was leaving and discovered these lovely ladies holding these four. I thought they might be more comfortable not holding weapons on them, so I found some line and we tied them up. I suppose I need to ask, "Who are they? What are you going to do with them?"
I looked at Wanda, "What number do I use now, Wanda?"
She shrugged her shoulders and I said, "Okay, ah, everyone, including you,
Wanda, get out of here for a few minutes while I have a conversation with these men."
Lisa was not happy, but left with the others.
I looked at one of the guys that was in the front of the house and asked, "From your ID, you must be the leader among these men. Tell me something to make me feel good. First, who do you work for and can you prove it."
The man looked at me funny, but didn't say anything. I toed the other man that been in the front, "Want to make my day and tell me who you work for?"
I was watching the four and noticed the two men that had been in the back were sweating a little. They were nervous about something. I sighed, "I suppose I need to split you up and do away with you one at a time. I need to do this outside so there's no blood indoors. The owner of this home is very generous to have us stay with him for a few days. What'll it be, visit with me outside one at a time, or start talking?"
Lisa came strolling in the door with a small butcher knife. She said, "You showed me something on the way over here that might come in handy. You may not want me to help, but you don't have a choice. We're in this together." With that she grabbed the man I thought to be the leader by his short hair and pulled his head back. She flicked his nose, slicing a nostril, making it bleed.
"Shit, damn, you fucking bitch, you don't have to do that," the guy said, shaking his head from the sharp pain of his nose being cut.
Lisa took a paper towel and put it under his nose and told him, "Then you better talk to us right now. We are not kidding around, talk."
The guy said, "Let me make a call to find out what I can tell you."
I smiled and said, "Not a chance. You will talk to me now until I am satisfied, and then I am going to talk to the State Department, followed by seeing what coroner handles cases out here."
The guy was getting nervous, "You can't just kill us. We're protected. We're here to watch you. You're supposed to be some kind of target and we're supposed to see who is after you. We don't even know what we're supposed to do if you're attacked."
I said very truthfully, "I can kill you and you are not protected. I'm going to repeat my question, "Who do you work for?"
The man shut up, looking sideways at his three buddies. I brought out my cell and called SSatachee. A voice said hello and I said, "Johnson." The voice said, "What day is the first day of the week?" I said, "Monday." Monday was the first day of a computer's week. I figured they wanted that instead of Sunday.
There were some tones, clicks, and hisses, before a voice said, "That was fast. What do you need?"
I described what had happened and where I was. The voice asked, "You haven't neutralized them have you?"
"No, that's why I'm calling; I need to know where to dump the bodies." I watched the four squirm.
The voice said, "Can you read me the identification on their passports?"
I read the four names and there was a long pause. The voice began asking questions about each man as to what he looked like. They were able to tell me the hair and eye color and gave an identifying mark for each. When they were done I asked, "Are they employees or someone I need to worry about?"
The voice said, "They are employees, at least for right now. If you caught them so easily, they are probably not very valuable. You have our permission to neutralize if you have to, but we would prefer to come get them. What's your pleasure?"
"You know where I am, come get them. You will need extra people to drive their vehicles, or should we keep them. You could always give them as gifts to the homeowner."
The voice said, "The homeowner can easily afford cars such as these."
I asked, "What's with the weapons in secret compartments in the cars? These men are outfitted just like professional killers."
The voice said, "I see, you've discovered their occupation."
"That's right and that's what worries me. Why do you have professionals checking me out?"
The voice almost sounded aggravated, "I told you, they are watching to see who it is that you are attracting. If they had called in asking permission to assist you, they would have had the necessary equipment."
"Come get these guys and send someone to talk to me today. I will be waiting. I want to get back to enjoying my vacation." I hung up on the voice, as this was not the conversation I wanted.
Lisa asked, "Who do you want outside first?"
"Leave them," I said. "Their babysitter is coming to get them. They can sit there until the others get here. Watch them and let me talk to Mac and send the others off to London. We'll catch up later."
I went out of the room and told Wanda, who was waiting for me in the kitchen, "Get the rest of the folks together and get them on the road. I'm going to hold these guys until someone from State comes to get them, at least if the SSattachee number is the State Department. Anyway, you guys should get started so you won't miss the ferry."
Mac looked at me, I told him, "You should go to work. I don't think there will be people here without our knowledge in the future. I'm going to stay to meet some people who are coming to pick up the four men."
Mac gestured to Brutus, "Stay with him and when he's gone, you might want to remain watching our home. Chuck? I'll see you in a couple of days."
Wanda came back and said, "Steve and Dewey have already left for some business appointments. Dewey is going into London and Steve is flying to Germany. I'll watch over the group until you catch up with us. I've already called security to have them assign a couple of men for protection. They'll meet us when we get off the ferry. I'll feel better with some help."
Wanda gave me a little hug and walked out. Mac shook my hand and left with Brutus, walking back into the little mudroom near the gardener's door.
Lisa was standing, watching the four men. She said, "How about putting these guys on chairs at the kitchen domestic's table. We can give them one hand free and give them some coffee. I think they know we're serious if they fuck up."
We did that and I pitched all of their ID and cell phones to the middle of the table. We all had a cup of coffee while we waited.
About twenty minutes later there was a thump, thump, thump of a heavy helicopter. I told Brutus, "Go out and make sure they land where you want them to land and to land where you can keep an eye on the helicopter. Watch that it isn't a setup."
Lisa said, "I'll go out and cover him. Let's tie these guys back up though so they don't give us any shit." The three of us had them bound quickly. Brutus offered me a roll of duct tape, suggesting we might now want the men to stay quiet. We had them back in the mudroom, sitting on the floor again. As some extra security, we used a couple of wraps of duct tape around their hands and feet. That would keep them from using something to cut the line holding them. A strip of duct tape across their mouth would keep them from alerting others.
The three of us went out the back, leaving the gardener's door open. Brutus said, "They appear to be landing on the other side of the car park, so they will be fine. Let them land."
We remained concealed to see who got off the helicopter.
After the wingless bird landed and idled down, four men got off and looked around. They didn't appear to have weapons, but I would find out before I relaxed.
I yelled, "Over here, we have the men inside."
They looked around and could see the open gate and door to the gardener's entrance and came toward us. The four men came through the gate and I said, "Hold it right there. Hands on top of your heads, very slowly."
The one guy said, "I'm carrying and the other three are not. Our ID is in our top left breast pocket. Are you Johnson?"
I didn't answer until the four men had been thoroughly searched. I pulled the one man's gun and put it in my waistband and asked, "Before we do business, who do you work for?"
The guy who had the weapon said, "I'm CIA, along with this guy. The other two are from the State Department. Is there a place to talk?"
I said, "Go tell your pilot to shut down and we'll have some coffee."
One of the State Department men jogged out to helicopter and talked to the pilot. The aircraft shut down and the guy came jogging back. I showed them inside, past the four prisoners we had captured.
I asked, "Who is the senior State Department person?"
One of the guys stuck out his hand and said, "Hi, I'm Randall Radison. I'm lead on this."
I said, "You and you, the senior CIA guy, come with me." I led them outside to the Mercedes. I opened the trunk and the secret compartment. When the weapons were exposed, the State Department guy had a shocked look on his face. I told them, "I've had some experience with professional hit men. These are the weapons of a professional. If you think about it; you'll figure out why I was about to do away with those men."
The CIA guy said, "They didn't display any weapons to you, did they? They were here to watch you. They were under orders to only watch you, and to call in for orders if something happened. How did you catch them? The way they work in pairs, they should have been able to cover for each other."
"Training," was all I said. I showed the two men the Jaguar and the hidden compartment in that trunk, then led them back inside. Lisa immediately said, "This guy wants to untie these others, should I let them?"
I said, "I want to hear more before anybody goes anywhere. Give, why is the State Department hanging around with CIA spooks, and who do you suspect might be looking for me?"
Randall Radison said, "We were notified that you were here visiting. We were also told you had been involved in a disturbance off the coast of Florida that netted a couple of big players in some smuggling operations. These smuggling groups are all intertwined. They use money from smuggling to operate businesses that appear to be very successful. It's pure money laundering. They have businesses in several countries. Your friend, Steve Sharp, could easily be a smuggler and launder money through his foreign manufacturing plants, such as the one here in Ireland. We know that isn't the case and that S&S is clean. Other companies doing business between countries are not as clean."
"We know you were instrumental in a couple of large busts in the states and some kind of skirmish down in Costa Rica. Apparently, a New York family was trying to resurrect the smuggling business in Costa Rica, but it seems you have been instrumental in them giving up on the project. They aren't sure you had anything to do with it, but you seem to be around when these things happen. Your latest exploit of bringing down a human smuggling group has the Bratva in a spin. They lost their entire operation and have had most of their people jailed or deported. They may want to talk to you about that. You weren't really mentioned on that one, but it's become law enforcement knowledge that you've led several of these groups lately."
Randall said, "We contacted the CIA to shadow you, to watch you. They were more observers than anything else. They would have assisted if you needed them, but they were to be primarily observers."
I told the four men not tied up, "If you feel the need to observe, talk to this man, Brutus. He'll assist the observers to find appropriate places to watch from. You will notify him anytime anyone is near his home. Will you do that?"
The CIA guy nodded, "Yeah, we should have contacted you before we snooped around. I should have known you would discover our activities."
I said, "If we can find you, the people you may be trying to catch watching us can find you. That makes you totally ineffective. Had you contacted us in advance, you wouldn't have been exposed."
I scratched my head and said, "I'm going to let these guys loose. If they come back, they are to check with Brutus to be placed. Any backtalk and they will be back sitting on that floor. Come on, Brutus, let's get them untied."
We untied the four men and I asked, "Who's driving the cars and who is flying in the helicopter?"
The State Department guy, Randall, said, "We'll be flying back to London. The CIA still has some business here."
I looked at Lisa and said, "Want to ride back to London and greet the others when they get there?"
It took a few minutes to get the CIA guys ready to leave and I asked the State Department men to wait a minute. I took the lead CIA man off to the side and asked, "I'm told by my people that you were trying to see if I want to work with you. Is that right?"
The guy looked everywhere but at me, "Ah, ah, ah."
"Come on, tell me what's up?"
The man said, "You screwed that up when you were made a Special Agent for the State Department. You can't work covert, so you really can't be effective or a lot of help. We're planning on continuing to use you as bait to see what you attract. There, you feel better?"
"I feel better knowing that I'm considered bait. I would appreciate any intel you pick up concerning who might be looking for me. If I know, I can be ready, and maybe even proactive." I stuck my hand out, surprising the man. He smiled, shook my hand, and said, "Thanks for understanding. They said you were unique. We'll try to watch your back."
I watched as the six men got into the two cars and drove off. Lisa checked to make sure our baggage had been taken with the others and we said goodbye to Brutus. He shook my hand and said, "Be careful now that you know you could be a target. I'll see you in a couple of days."
Lisa and I followed the two State Department men to the helicopter. This was a nice Sikorsky commercial carrier. It didn't take long before we were in the air, flying toward London.
When we landed at the embassy, we were introduced to several big shots. No one really knew what Lisa and my statuses were, so we were sort of rushed through. Lisa and I caught a taxi to where the ferry would dock and headed out.
When we got to the landing area, we found that it would be another hour and a half before the ferry landed. I called Wanda to see if her cell worked. It did and I told her Lisa and I would be waiting for them.
We walked up to a commercial business district, looking for a place to get something to eat. We stopped in a pub where we enjoyed some great fish and chips, with some cool, but not cold, Guinness. The neat thing we learned from the menu was that fish and chips were not an English fast food. It became popular in England long after the Irish had created the popular snack.
It took three Guinness's each, and our fumbling attempt at snooker, to take up the time until the group arrived.