Star
of the Sea
By
Chris B.
Lieutenant Lee Crane finished signing the rental
papers for the 67’ sailboat he had reserved for seven of the 15 days the USS Nautilus
would be in port at the US Navy base in Holy Loch, Scotland as the boat
underwent a limited refit of the computer systems and crew change outs. He had hoped that Captain Nelson would be
able to join him for a day or so on the water but the captain had hedged on
accompanying him citing a vague need to
be available should problems arise with the refit.
Ever since their return from their mission1
to extract Dr. Rikhart and his son from Slovestein the captain had become very
cold and distant towards Lee while on the boat.
It seemed as though he had become somewhat of a non-entity, with the
captain only grudgingly acknowledging him and then only when duty dictated any
interaction. Despite the skipper saying
he was proud and impressed with Lee’s performance on the mission he had come to
seriously doubt that declaration. Lee
had become increasingly certain that the captain had been very disappointed
that he had allowed two Slovestein agents to get the jump on him which resulted
in him being beaten and interrogated under truth serum.
During the mission the captain had, while undercover made
a wager with Lee where the loser of a dart game would have to do what the winner
wanted to do for a certain number of days. Lee came out on top and won four days of the
captain’s time. As Lee recovered from
his injuries in sick bay, the captain had asked him what he wanted to do with
his days and Lee indicated that he’d just like to hang out with the captain and
do a little sailing for a day. On board
the Nautilus Nelson sounded all for settling up on the bet and even offered to
rent and provision a boat when they got to DC. That never materialized and he few times Lee
suggested they go out for a day of sailing after that were met with Nelson’s
reluctant agreement then somehow managing to back out at the last moment or an
outright rejection of his invitation.
Lee sighed disappointedly as he exited the rental
office and moved down the dock toward his vessel. He had already decided should the captain
back out again it would be the last time he would try and collect on the bet. The more he mulled over the issue he decided
that the captain was probably more upset with Lee allowing himself to be
captured and potentially giving them all away than he had let on. The Skipper had been nothing but cool and
reserved barely acknowledging he was even present on the boat. There was no more chatting over coffee in the
wardroom when no one was around about the captain’s pet project a private
research submarine he intended to build one day.
Reaching the appropriate slip number Lee was amazed at
the boat he found. It was a beautifully
appointed yacht and the last thing he expected for the money he paid for the
rental. He was certain that the rental
agent had made a mistake until he matched the hull number and the vessel name
the Bonnie Bradana with his
paperwork. He climbed aboard tried his
key in the cabin door and was thrilled to find it fit.
He quickly entered the cabin and discovered a
luxuriously appointed interior with a large galley, dining and sitting areas
with plush seats, built in stereo system and entertainment system taking up one
wall. As he made his way forward he
found a nice sized head with a shower and a monstrous master suite with a
king-sized bed. There definitely had
been some sort of mistake and he headed out of the cabin and back to the rental
office to confirm he had been given the correct boat.
“Aye lad, I gave you the right boat. We’re at the end of the season and the
Bradana hasn’t been out much this year, she needs a good run before we put her
up for the winter. Since you’re a
seasoned sailor and a member of the US Navy I think she’ll be in good hands and
you’re actually doing me a bit of a favor,” the agent said with a wink.
“If you’re sure sir,” Lee replied with a huge smile
enjoying his good fortune. “Oh I forgot
to ask what the boat’s name means.”
“In Gaelic it means beautiful salmon. She swims like a fish and can readily face
any challenge she might come up against,” the agent replied.
“Thanks again for such a beautiful boat, I’ll take
care of her as if she were my own,” Lee said as he turned to leave the office.
“I know you will, have a grand sail lad. I’ll see you in a week.”
Lee left the office headed back up the pier and over
to the local grocer to get provisions for his trip. He purchased fresh meat, eggs, vegetables,
fruit, cookies, coffee and some Cokes.
From there he stopped at a small liquor store and purchased a couple of bottles
of Talisker scotch and a rack of beer for when he set the anchor each
night.
His next stop was to the harbor master’s office to get
an extended weather forecast and to file his float plan. He was thrilled to see the forecast called
for clear skies and moderate winds for the next 10 days. That done he quickly called back to the
Nautilus filed his float plan with the duty officer and then headed back down
the dock with his provisions to begin his sailing adventure.
<<<<O>>>>
Lee made quick work of stowing all his gear and
provisions. He uncased the sails, fired
up the onboard engine, undid the lines and cast off from the pier. He motored slowly out of the small boat
harbor and then once clear of the breakwater he unfurled the sails and raised
them rapidly catching the insistent breeze out of the north and made his way
towards the open sea. Since the Skipper
had declined his invitation to sail with him Lee had changed where he was
sailing and increased how far from Holy Loch he intended to go. If the tides and winds were with him he hoped
to make it through the Firth of Clyde past the Isle of Arran and out to the
North Atlantic to take a look at Ireland then back. It was an ambitious plan but he was anxious
to work off some of his frustration over the situation with Nelson and try to
regain some perspective.
The day was beautiful and he happily sailed until it
was well after dark enjoying the late autumn sun on his skin and the fresh
breeze ripping through his hair. It was
nearly 2000 when he found a secluded cove that afforded some protection should
the weather change during the night. He
dropped his sails then his anchor and settled in for the evening. Lee was quite pleased he had made excellent
progress towards his goal and was actually feeling relaxed and at ease for the
first time since his return to the Nautilus following the debriefing at ONI
headquarters.
Once satisfied everything was shipshape he went below
to the galley and started whipping up something for dinner while he sipped on
his cold beer. As his stew simmered on
the stovetop Lee went back topside and sat down, his back against the mast as
he lazily surveyed the stars. He could
easily envision himself back a couple of centuries aboard a gallant man of war
like the USS Independence patrolling the seas keeping the waters of the US
safe.
As a boy he had often fantasized that the captain of
the Independence, one William M. Crane, was a long past relation and that he
was holding up the family name as he answered the call to service and the sea. He sighed wistfully after a moment doubting
that reaching such lofty levels of command would ever happen given the current
situation with Captain Nelson. Once
again he wished he could just talk with the man and find out exactly what he
had done wrong and try to atone for that mistake. After a few more minutes he pushed up from
the deck and returned to the cabin to serve up his dinner and call it a night.
<<<<O>>>>
It was rare to see pleasure boats out this far this
late in the season and that immediately captured her attention as she lay on
the shoreline watching the stars. It
looked as though there was only one aboard the sleek sailboat which also was
unusual. As she peered through the
darkness her eyes caught sight of the boat’s young master as the lights from
the cabin briefly illuminated him as he came up on deck to spot the stars.
She blinked a number of times to clear her eyes making
sure she was seeing the handsome young man correctly. He was tall and slender with dark curly hair
and moved across the deck with a sure step that said he’d always been at home
on the sea. It was too dark to really
make out his face but what she had seen so far intrigued her and made her long
to get a closer look.
She watched intently as he sat back against the mast
his gaze fixed up towards the heavens.
He sipped occasionally from a bottle he had brought with him, seemingly
lost to deep thought. She wanted a
closer look but that would have to wait until morning as she watched him push
to his feet and return to the cabin below.
She sighed in frustration then returned her gaze to the stars above; it
would be a long night.
<<<<O>>>>
Lee awoke feeling truly refreshed and relaxed for the
first time in months. He always slept
better when he was at sea and the gentle caress of the waves along the hull of
his boat lulled him into a deep and dreamless sleep. He rolled over picked up his watch and was
stunned to find it nearly 0700; he never slept that late even when he was on
leave. He stretched fully like a big jungle
cat and damn near purred at the wave of serenity and peace that washed over him
at that moment. He lay in bed a few
minutes longer then hauled himself out, donned his sweats then headed into the
galley to start a pot of coffee and to survey the day.
As the first cup of black gold drained into the pot he
quickly snagged the carafe and poured it into his waiting cup before thrusting
it back under the drain to collect the remainder of the brew. He opened the cabin door and stepped up on
deck finding a gorgeous fall sunrise beckoning him to join the day. Lee stood in quiet contentment as he watched
the sun climb slowly above the ocean surface illuminating the sky and sparse
clouds in a myriad of colors. He sipped
gingerly on his hot beverage and smiled as the brew began to work its wonders.
With the sun now clearly above the horizon and his cup
empty Lee returned to the cabin to whip up a little breakfast, review his
charts and plot out his course for the day.
He hummed happily to himself as he scrambled his eggs and dropped a
couple of strips of bacon in the hot frying pan. As the food cooked he poured another cup of
coffee, dropped a couple of pieces of bread in the toaster and pulled out a
plate and fork. He quickly transferred
his meal to the plate then sat down at the table to eat and consider the charts
before him.
Lee was surprised at his hunger and rapidly polished
off breakfast, the plate looking as though it had been licked clean. He washed his dishes, tidied up the galley
then headed back to the cabin to get dressed and ready to sail. He came topside hauled in the anchor, raised
the sails and started on the next leg of his voyage.
<<<<O>>>>
She was usually off by first light gathering food for
the day and tending to the various tasks she needed to complete, but not
today. She had stayed on the beach since
last night waiting for the young man to emerge from the boat so she could get a
good look at him in the morning light.
As he strode out onto the deck and the first rays of light kissed the
surface of the sea she knew immediately her wait hadn’t been in vain.
As the sunlight washed over him she gasped in awe at
the handsome man standing at the stern of the boat watching the sun climb above
the horizon. He was the most gorgeous
creature she had ever seen and felt a hunger and desire rise up inside her like
never before. His eyes were of the
morning sun kissed with a wee touch of the deep green sea and driftwood; his
smile rivaled the sun for brilliance, his voice masculine and beckoning almost like
a siren’s call urging her to join him.
He spent a few moments greeting the sun then returned to the cabin
leaving her wanting another glimpse.
She knew she would have to leave soon to join up with
her family to fish for the day but she was loathe to leave her vantage point
now that she had fully seen him. She
held off her return in hopes that he would reemerge one more time before she
had to go. After what seemed an eternity
he came back outside this time dressed in a pair of faded blue jeans and a
tight white t-shirt stretched across his broad chest and chiseled abdomen. His movements were fluid and sure as he moved
around the boat and each action spoke to his strength and to his familiarity
with this vessel and how to handle her.
She sat there transfixed totally overcome by the
handsome stranger oblivious to her mother’s strident cries in the distance to
come join the family. She finally came
to her senses when her little sister sent to bring her errant sibling along shoved
her over breaking her concentration. The
spell broken she watched with some disappointment as the man hauled anchor raised
his sails, and headed back to sea. As she
watched the boat exit the cove she promised herself that once she had finished
fishing she would set out to find her handsome man again.
<<<<O>>>>
As the last workman installing the new computer
terminals exited the boat Captain Nelson let loose a sigh and scanned the
control room spying his XO Commander David Martin examining the work that had
just been completed. It had been a long
day keeping watch over the workers and they would be at this for another
week.
Harri was ready for a break and walked over to the XO
to check on the status of things. “How’s
it all looking David?”
“Well Skipper from what I can see so far we’re right
on schedule and the new equipment is going to fit in well with our current
configuration.” Martin said with a smile.
“That’s good to hear,” Nelson replied returning the
smile. “I hope there aren’t any glitches
when they power it up so we can get back out to sea as scheduled.”
“Can’t argue with you there sir.”
“Now that the work crew is off what say we head over
to the officer’s club and I’ll buy you a drink.
This watching and waiting is thirsty work.” Nelson offered with a
chuckle.
“Now that sounds like a plan I can deal with,” David
answered. “Just let me make sure the
watches are all in place and things are squared away and I’ll be ready to go in
a half hour.”
“Great, that gives me time to tie up my own loose ends
as well. I’ll meet you back here in 30.”
Nelson and Martin moved off in different directions to
see to things before leaving the boat.
In exactly 30 minutes they met up in the control room then disembarked
and headed to the officer’s club to get a drink and relax.
Arriving at the club they walked into the bar and
located a table in a quiet corner of the room.
The barkeep came to their table immediately gathered their drink orders
and returned to the bar to fill them. Within
minutes he was back with their drinks and a large basket of popcorn for them to
nibble on while they relaxed.
Harri picked up his drink and looked at David. “Here’s to a seamless upgrade,” he said as he
inclined his glass towards the XO.
“I will most definitely drink to that sir.” Martin
replied as he raised his glass acknowledging the skipper’s toast.
They both sipped on their drinks and felt the stress and
tedium of the day ebb away. They sat there
quietly for a while absently watching the soccer match on the television and
munching their popcorn. After a few
minutes Martin finally decided to broach an issue that had been causing him
concern.
“Skipper do you mind if I ask you a question?”
“Not at all David, what’s on your mind?”
“I know you can’t go into specifics, but was there a
problem between you and Lt. Crane when you were on that ONI mission?”
Nelson looked at his XO somewhat surprised at the question. “No, other than the fact some bastards
attacked him. Everything went like
clockwork; he was probably the best partner I’ve ever had on a mission. Why do you ask?”
“Well sir ever since your return from the ONI debriefing
you’ve been treating Crane like persona non grata. Unless required by duty you never acknowledge
him, when you make assignments he seems to draw every shit duty there is which
doesn’t add up since he’s one of the best performers on the boat and in general
you act as though he just doesn’t exist.
If there was a performance problem on the mission that could impact
operations on the boat I would like to know about it so I can keep an eye out
for it.”
“I wasn’t aware that I was doing that,” Harri replied
chagrinned at not being cognizant of his behavior towards Lee. “Are my actions that noticeable or is it just
you David picking up on this?”
“Harri it’s the whole damn boat that’s noticed that in
your eyes Crane isn’t much above pond scum now.
Before you left on the mission it was rather obvious that you thought
rather highly of him as do the rest of us.
He’s bright, talented, professional and easy to work with; hell he’s the
consummate junior officer. Everyone knew
he was one of your favorites and didn’t begrudge him that because he never
played on it and because he works harder than just about anyone else on board.”
Nelson looked at his XO consternation written across
his face. He wondered silently where
this discussion was going. “Go on,” he
said neutrally.
“Your treatment of him has gotten so bad he’s actually
requested a transfer because he’s afraid his presence onboard is detrimental to
the operations on the boat. To
paraphrase his request he feels that your issues with his poor performance while
on your joint mission is distracting to you and in turn negatively impacting
the other members of the crew. It would
be better all-around if he were transferred off the Nautilus so everyone could
concentrate on their tasks instead of wondering what the screw up will do at a
critical moment. He indicated that ONI
would take him if another sub billet isn’t available.”
Harri sat back in his chair stunned at David’s
revelation. He had tried to distance
himself from Lee a bit after the
mission to try and rein in the burgeoning paternal feelings he had developed for
the young man while they had played father and son. He didn’t want to come across exhibiting
undue favoritism towards him following the mission but apparently he had so over
compensated in the opposite direction that his poor treatment of the man had forced
Crane to request a transfer.
As he thought back over the last couple of months he
begrudgingly had to agree with David’s assessment. Add to that his not so subtle refusals of
Crane’s invitations to go sailing or backing out at the last minute leaving him
high and dry. He had enthusiastically
agreed with Lee’s request they do a little sailing as Harri’s means of settling
the bet he had made during their
mission. Given his recent behavior
towards him on the boat, he could only image what his lieutenant must be
thinking.
“I asked him if he had tried to resolve this issue
with you before he decided to request a transfer and he said he had attempted
to speak with you but you never granted him an audience. Skipper, in my opinion he doesn’t deserve the
treatment you’ve been dishing out to him and I’m inclined to recommend that you
approve his request for transfer if there is an issue between you two. It’s a small community on the boat and your apparent
disdain for Crane is having a negative impact on crew morale.”
Harri felt as though he had been slapped, so shocking
was his XO’s revelation of the general perception of the situation between him
and Lee. He locked eyes with his XO and
could clearly see David’s condemnation of his treatment of Crane. “Thank you for bringing this to my attention
David, I had no idea I was being so unfair to Lt. Crane. You’re quite right he doesn’t deserve to be
treated that way, no member of my crew deserves that.”
He almost smiled as he saw the look of relief flood
over his XO’s face at having survived bringing this situation to his
attention. It spoke volumes as to the
level of regard he had for Lee at his willingness to point out Harri’s
abominable treatment of the young JO at the risk of being blasted by Nelson’s
not inconsequential temper.
“So what is your recommendation to resolve this issue,
XO?”
“That all depends on what you want Skipper. Do you want Lt. Crane to remain on the boat
or would you be more comfortable with him gone?”
“God no I don’t want him off the boat, especially if
the only choice is sending him to ONI to work full time. As you’ve already pointed out he’s a damn
good officer and a real asset to the boat.
He’s also proven to be too talented an ONI agent and that means he will
be drawing the tough assignments with the highest probability of injury or death.”
“Well sir if that’s the way you feel sir, I would
recommend that when Lt. Crane returns from leave you two find somewhere private
and discuss whatever issues exist between you and let him know how you intend
to resolve them. Harri from what I’ve
observed he’s made no attempt to play on any familiarity you two established on
your mission so I think the problem rests with you,” David offered cautiously.
Harri smiled and nodded. “Reprimand received XO. I’ll see to it before we head back out to
sea. When is the lieutenant supposed to
be back off leave?”
“He should be back in 6 days. According to his leave chit he rented a
sailboat and was heading out for a few days.
His float plan indicated he should be back in port on Thursday,” David
replied as a very relieved smile spread across his face.
<<<<O>>>>
Now finished with fishing, she dashed off in the
direction she had seen the boat go hoping to be able catch a glimpse of it and
catch up to him by the time he dropped anchor for the night. The winds had been relatively light all day
so he couldn’t have traveled too far.
She just prayed that he chose to quit early so she stood a chance of
finding him.
She knew these waters intimately and took full
advantage moving to the areas with the fastest currents taking her rapidly out
to sea. She periodically would stop and
scan the horizon for his boat and then resume her search for the beautiful
young man. “Beautiful,” she thought with
some amusement that wasn’t a word normally applied to a man but that’s what he
was to her.
As she continued south she let her mind wander and
reflect on what her family would say if they knew she was chasing after a man
she hadn’t even met. Her mother would be
aghast, her father furious and her brothers and sisters along with the rest of
the clan would think her daft. Mentally
responding to their reactions she flashed back on the vision of her beautiful
man and they all became unimportant and moot.
She had to admit he had unknowingly enchanted her and she had to track
him down and make him hers.
She had been moving at her best speed for nearly 5
hours now and as she slowed to take another sighting she spotted her goal ahead
on the horizon. Thrilled with her luck
she pushed harder adding a last burst of speed to close the distance between
them. She gained ground quickly and
realized he had most likely decided to stop for the day and anchor in the
secluded cove ahead.
Her assessment was correct as she rapidly caught up
with the boat. Drawing near she slowed
down not wishing to draw attention to herself just yet. She really wasn’t ready to meet her dream man
lest he not be interested and turn her away.
She would haul out on the near shore just out of sight and wait until
dark to move back out to the boat and gaze upon him. This gave her time to figure out what she
would say once she worked up the nerve to approach him.
<<<<O>>>>
The light winds had prevented him from making the
distance he wanted to cover for the day but surprisingly that didn’t upset him
in the least. He instead enjoyed the
relaxed pace and even decided to cut his sailing short so that he could anchor
down and take in the sunset while sipping on a glass of scotch. He had spotted a protected cove that would
make a safe haven for the night and directed his boat there. He quickly dropped sails then the anchor and
made ready for a relaxed evening lounging under a cloudless autumn sky.
As soon as he had secured the Bradana for the night he
made his way to the galley to collect his drink then returned on-deck to settle
down and watch the sun sink slowly into the sea. Lee sat down next to the mast and leaned
back. He sipped on his drink and smiled
in satisfaction as he felt it relax the muscles challenged by his day of
sailing. He let his mind wander and for
the first time since Slovestein didn’t focus on his problems with the skipper. He had turned on the stereo and began singing
along. Certain that no one could see him
he even got up a couple of times to play some wicked air guitar on his favorite
tunes.
With the sun slipping below the horizon the air took
on a chill and he pushed up to his feet to go inside and put on a
sweatshirt. He refilled his glass and
returned to his spot by the mast and watched the stars emerge in the now black
velvet sky as the nearly full moon began to slowly rise. His attention was caught by what sounded like
a splash off the starboard side and Lee scanned the water around him for the
source. As he looked across the surface
he spotted what appeared to be a pair of large dark eyes looking back at him.
He stared intensely at the spot in the water and as
the moon illuminated the surface he spied a seal watching him. “Well hello there,” Lee said greeting his
visitor. “How are you this beautiful
evening?”
The seal ducked down beneath the surface of the water almost
as if embarrassed to be caught staring at the man on the boat. After a moment it resurfaced closer to the
craft and snorted softly as it blew the water out of its nose. Lee laughed quietly. “Welcome back. Are you hungry?” The seal blinked at him and moved a little
closer to the boat. “Stay there I’ll be
right back, okay.”
Lee ducked into the cabin and came out with a couple
of hardboiled eggs left over from his lunch.
He quickly peeled the eggs and lobbed the first one to his guest. It landed just in front of it and the seal
sniffed the egg for a moment then rapidly gobbled it down. “Ah you like that, huh?” Lee said
laughing. “Okay then, here’s another
one.” He tossed the second egg and the
seal raised up out of the water to catch it on the fly.
Lee laughed out loud.
“My, you are quite talented and apparently very hungry. I’d offer you more but don’t have anything at
the moment.” The seal snorted in
response then ducked back down under the water and swam off.
“Come to think of it, I’m getting rather hungry,” Lee
said to himself then turned and headed back into the cabin to whip up some
dinner for himself. After a leisurely meal of grilled cheese sandwiches and
leftover stew, he moved back on deck for a nightcap before retiring for the
night. He spotted a few of the
constellations and polished off his drink.
The November air had taken on a more biting chill and it looked as
though there were clouds moving in so after a sudden shiver he decided to call
it a night and headed inside.
<<<<O>>>>
Once the sun was down she eased herself back into the
water and moved closer to the boat. She
was thrilled when he came out on deck where she could watch him. He had turned on some music and she became
enthralled when he began to sing along with the songs. His voice was smooth as honey and the sound
of it inflamed her desire for him even more.
She nearly laughed out loud as she watched him stand and flail around as
though playing some invisible instrument with some of the songs yet it only
accentuated how strong and masculine he was.
With each minute she watched him she longed to be
encircled in his strong arms and held close to that incredible body. She ached to be near him, to touch him, to
kiss him, to make love to him under the moon that bathed the silent night. As she became lost in her fantasy she moved
suddenly causing a disturbance on the water.
Much to her horror she realized he had heard that and had begun scanning
the water around him for the source. She
froze praying that he would not spot her and just go back to lounging in the
starlight.
As luck would have it he quickly zeroed in on her
location and he locked his eyes with hers then greeted her. It felt as though a jolt of electricity had
surged through her body. She gaped
stupidly at him momentarily stunned by the connection then coming back to her
senses she ducked rapidly beneath the water in embarrassment. She scolded herself severely for being so
careless and knew she needed to just swim off.
Unable to break the spell he had cast upon her she
turned a deaf ear to reason and resurfaced closer to the boat. He happily welcomed her return. The sound of his voice caressed her being and
drew her even closer. He offered her
food then momentarily disappeared into the cabin only to return with what
looked like eggs. He rapped one lightly
on the mast then peeled off its shell.
He tossed the white orb towards her and it landed a foot or so in front
of her. She sniffed the thing then
rapidly consumed it. It was absolutely
delicious and she looked expectantly towards him for more.
He laughed at her reaction, the sound of his voice
once again sending a delightful shiver through her body, then he tossed the
second orb her way. Unconsciously she
lunged out of the water to capture the treat in midair. As she gobbled it down it dawned on her what
she had just done and was mortified that she was acting like a food-grubbing
gull. He responded to her catch with
another burst of delighted laughter and a warm smile for her.
She reveled in his attention and locked eyes with him
one more time. She quickly broke the
connection knowing that if she remained here much longer she would most likely
do something stupid that would break the spell forever. She needed to get away and collect herself
before taking an action that could destroy everything she longed for from this
man. After a moment she snorted at him
and disappeared beneath the water swimming quickly back towards shore. She needed to think and decide what she truly
wanted.
<<<<O>>>>
As she lay out on the beach playing through the
various scenarios in her mind she became aware of a change in the world around
her. The sea was becoming unsettled, the
winds were rising and clouds were approaching from the north fast. Something was not right, this turn in the
elements was too quick and unannounced.
As she looked to the sky and the depths of the sea she spotted the
reason, Nodens2 and Camulus3 were quite obviously at odds
with each other and that could only mean a wicked storm was brewing as vent for
their anger. By the feel of things this
was not going to be some bothersome squall but a full blown storm of epic
proportion.
Her concern immediately turned to her beautiful man on
the small boat anchored offshore. Given
the severity of the approaching storm and the direction of the wind this small
cove would offer no protection; he needed to get out while conditions remained
relatively calm and make haste to the nearest port on the Isle of Arran. She moved back into the sea and swam as
quickly as she could to his boat to alert him to the deteriorating conditions.
When she reached the boat she slammed hard against the
hull repeatedly up where the sleeping quarters were located hoping to rouse him
from his sleep. The waves had already
increased in size causing the boat to rock noticeably. She just prayed her warning would be heard
and heeded by the man inside.
<<<<O>>>>
Ever attuned to the motions of the sea, Lee was
suddenly aware of the change in sea state.
Instead of the gentle swell he had fallen asleep to, breaking waves now
slapped against the hull of his boat rocking it violently. As he crawled from bed he heard a loud repeated
thud against the side of the boat making the craft shudder even more. Concerned his anchor may have come loose and
he was in danger of running aground he quickly pulled on his clothes and bolted
up on deck.
He was relieved to find his anchor holding firm but
was quite dismayed by the deteriorating weather conditions. There had been nothing on the radio about
this storm and the forecast he had picked up back in Holy Loch indicated at
least 10 days of clear weather. Lee
moved back inside and flipped on the radio tuning into the Scottish weather
service. He listened intently to the
warning to mariners the weather service was broadcasting. They anticipated near hurricane like
conditions with sustained winds of 75 knots with gusts to 90 and seas of 25 to
30 feet for the next 24 to 36 hours.
Recording the information Lee quickly perused his
charts and realized that he needed to get moving now to have any hope of making
it to the closest port before the worst of the storm caught him in the open
ocean where he didn’t want to be. He
radioed in his position to the Coast Guard and indicated he was going to make a
run for Lochranza to avoid the gathering storm.
He also requested they forward his change in plan to the duty officer
aboard the SSBN Nautilus tied up at the Navy base in Holy Loch.
Having taken care of the notifications he set to
battening down all the hatches and securing everything on deck and in the cabin. He pulled out his rain gear and placed it
next to the wheel ready for use once the rains and high waves hit. Next he hauled anchor and raised sails beginning
his desperate run for safety.
Conditions deteriorated rapidly with the winds
whipping the sea into a frenzied state while sheets of rain pelted down. The ocean itself rose up faster still easily
exceeding the worst of the conditions predicted by the weather service. Lee found himself quickly fighting for his
very life as he guided his now woefully small vessel through nature’s worst
storm in a century. He was nearly 3
hours out of Lochranza and knew he stood little chance of making it there in
one piece.
As the wind and waves battered his boat he heard the
devastating sound of his main mast cracking over the howl of the storm. Looking on in horror he watched the top of
his mast sheer off and come crashing down to the deck below taking with it any
chance he had of navigating to safety.
Cursing loudly Lee moved quickly into the cabin and flipped on the
radio.
“Mayday, mayday, mayday! This is whiskey tango 452 on
the Bonnie Bradana, repeat whiskey tango 452 on the Bonnie Bradana. I’m approximately 20 miles north northeast of
Lochranza. I’ve lost my mast and I’m
unable to control my vessel. If there
are any vessels in the area please assist.
If I start taking on water I will be taking to my life raft.” Lee repeated his message twice more before
the waves broke through the starboard porthole and shorted out the electrical
system.
Lights and power gone Lee moved back up on deck to try
and rig something that would give him a modicum of control over his floundering
vessel. Unable to come up with anything
that would be of value he moved to the bow and pulled out the life raft. He secured the safety line to the bow cleat
then activated the deployment system that freed the raft from the can and
inflated it. As he prepared to climb aboard the raft a monster wave broadsided
his boat nearly keeling it over. The
wave slammed into him sweeping him overboard into the frigid water.
Shocked by his unexpected ducking and the force of the
wave he gasped pulling in a lungful of water.
He struggled in vain against the raging sea above him and soon found
himself losing all fight and began sinking slowly into the murky depths. He raised his eyes and reached feebly for the
surface before passing out.
<<<<O>>>>
She had been pleased that he heeded her warning and
had quickly moved to set sail for port.
She too needed to get out to sea to avoid the battering effects of the
storm. Caught too near shore she could
easily be caught up by the waves and flung into the unyielding rocks that
studded the coastline. She kept pace
with his boat and would do her best to see that he made it to safety.
As the conditions worsened she became truly worried
for him as fought to keep his boat afloat and on course. At every turn the wind and waves seemed to
taunt him and make a point of showing him just how insignificant his efforts to
master his boat were. She watched in
horror as his mast shattered and crashed to the deck taking away his only
chance of making port.
She continued to watch the man as he tried to deal
with the situation and was impressed that he never panicked as so many of his
kind were prone to due during stressful situations. She was caught completely off guard when a
rogue wave larger than anything else that churned on the sea suddenly rose up
and slammed his boat. The next thing she
knew his boat was nearly swamped and he had been flung into the sea like a wisp
of foam.
She dove deep below the surface and spotted him
struggling to make his way to the top but he was making no headway. She watched as he gazed upwards towards the
surface then went limp and sank further into the depths. She moved immediately beneath him and pushed
him up to the surface where after a brief moment he grabbed a desperate breath
yet did not open his eyes.
She knew the sea was robbing him of his warmth and
would soon claim him if she didn’t get him to shore and some place warm in a
hurry. She scanned the area fixing her
position. There was one chance if she
could just keep him with her. A few
miles east was a small island long used as a fish camp by fishermen trolling
for fish in the north Atlantic. Unused
for nearly a century there still stood a small cabin they had built. If she could get him to shore she could
shelter him in the cabin and let him recover.
Setting her course of action she centered her
beautiful man firmly across her back and struck out for the island fighting the
fearsome waves, howling winds and rains.
Forward progress was slow in coming but after an hour or so of
struggling against the elements she was able to pull herself and her companion
onto the small stretch of soft sand beach.
She was exhausted but had no time to rest as his
feeble efforts to shiver and warm up began to fade. She had to get him someplace warm and dry in
a hurry or he would succumb to the tantrums of the gods and she would not let
that happen without a fight.
Regaining her breath she moved quickly to the cabin
and changed then ran back to the beach and hauled the young man up into the
building and nestled him in the dry hay that still remained. She stripped off his sodden clothes and
briefly allowed herself the indulgence of marveling at his body as she longingly
drew her hand down his length.
Next she gathered up the dry wood still stacked these
many years in the corner by the fireplace and set to building a fire to help
drive off the chill. She found the flint
rocks the old fishermen used and soon had a fire roaring in the ancient
fireplace.
She next scoured the cabin finding a couple of old
woolen blankets left behind and placed them gently over him. She added a couple of more logs to the fire
then climbed under the blankets and snuggled close to her beautiful man giving
him her much needed bodily warmth. She
brushed the dark locks off of his forehead and gently kissed his lips as she
drifted off to sleep exhausted from her efforts to save his life.
<<<<O>>>>
“Mister Martin, I have a Commander MacDaniel from the
Scottish Coast Guard on the line, sir,” Sparks called out across the control
room.
“Did he say what he wanted Sparks?” Martin inquired as
he looked up from the schematics that he and Captain Nelson had been reviewing.
“Something about Lt. Crane and a massive storm raging
across the region, sir.”
Nelson and Martin looked up at each other in
concern. “That can’t be good,” stated
Nelson. “I’ll take it Sparks.”
“Aye sir, patching the commander through now.”
“This is Captain Nelson how can I help you Commander?”
“Ah Captain Nelson, Commander MacDaniel here with the HMS
Gannet Search and Rescue unit. Captain
we received a radio transmission from a Lt. Lee Crane about 5 hours ago
alerting us to a change in his float plan indicating that weather conditions
were deteriorating and he was making best speed towards the port at
Lochranza. He also requested we pass
this information on to you. About 3
hours ago we received a mayday transmission from him indicating that he had
lost his mast and was now unable to control his boat. He said if his boat began to take on water he
would be taking to his life raft. He
repeated his message twice and then we lost all contact.”
Nelson paled suddenly as he heard the message and
realized the implications. He mentally
began kicking himself for backing out on Lee’s invitation to join him for a day
of sailing. Perhaps between the two of
them they could have handled the storm and made it safely to port before
anything untoward had happened.
“Sir, conditions are still too bad for us to launch
aircraft to search the area and there are no vessels in the general vicinity
that could render assistance. This storm
came out of nowhere and caught just about everyone flat footed and unprepared
for its duration and severity. Once
winds die down we will dispatch aircraft to search for your man along with a
number of other mariners reported as missing.
According to the weather service conditions are not expected to
significantly improve for another 24 to 36 hours,” the Commander continued.
“Thank you Commander I appreciate you contacting us
with this information,” Nelson replied evenly.
“I will see about having US Navy assets made available for your SAR if
you don’t already have arrangements for that support.”
“Thank you for your offer Captain but we have a number
of agreements with your Navy to provide aircraft and vessels in events like
this. I’ll see to it that you’re
provided with updates once our search efforts begin.”
“I appreciate that Commander. If you require any assistance from us, please
don’t hesitate to let me know.”
“Aye sir, you’re very welcome. I hope to be in touch with good news once we
get things underway. I’ll be talking to
you later, goodbye, sir.” Nelson hung up
the phone slowly looking somewhat shaken.
“What’s up Skipper?” Martin inquired.
“Well apparently there is currently one hell of a
storm raging to the south of us and Lt. Crane is right in the middle of
it. He had contacted the Scottish Coast
Guard amending his float plan intending to head to Lochranza to try and make
port ahead of the worst of the storm.
Conditions deteriorated much faster than anticipated and he issued a
mayday about 3 hours ago indicating he’d lost his mast and was most likely
going to have to take to his life raft.
According to Commander MacDaniel conditions are so bad that they can’t
get aircraft in the air and there were no reported vessels in the area that
could render assistance. Once things die
down they will dispatch SAR aircraft and vessels to try and find a number of
people reported as missing.”
Despite Nelson’s unemotional report on the situation
his XO could clearly see the concern and turmoil in the man’s eyes. There was no doubt in his mind now that the
skipper’s earlier treatment of Crane actually was an effort on his part to
avoid the appearance of favoritism and not because of problems that had occurred
on their mission.
“Is there anything we can do sir?” he inquired.
“Not right now David.
If conditions are so bad the Coast Guard isn’t going out there’s nothing
we could do to help. I’m going to alert
the base commander as to the situation and offer any assistance we can once
conditions die down.”
“Yes, sir. Understood.”
“I’m heading to my cabin to speak with the CO, take
care of things here,” Nelson said then exited the control room heading to his
cabin.
“Aye sir,” Martin replied as his skipper disappeared
out the aft hatch.
Harri closed his cabin door and dropped into his chair
burying his head in his hands. This was
the last thing he expected and he was having a tough time controlling his
emotions and keep hidden just how concerned he really was. His XO was right, Lee hadn’t made any attempt
to curry favor following their mission and he had repaid his excellent performance
with indifference and disdain. Now the
young man may be lost before he could correct the situation and he could only
see it as his fault.
Finally pulling himself together Nelson picked up the
phone and notified the base commander of the situation. He’d done all he could do for now.
<<<<O>>>>
Lee gradually emerged from the depths of
unconsciousness and began registering the world around him. The last thing he recalled was being slammed
by a massive wave washing him overboard into the cold and churning waters. He remembered gasping for breath but sucking
in only water then sinking slowly into the cold depths.
As he moved from his memories to the present he
registered that he was no longer cold or wet.
He could hear the storm raging outside and gave an unconscious shudder
at its ferocity and power. He could hear
the crackle of a fire and felt the warmth washing over him. He also became aware of a body pressed close
to his no doubt trying to provide him the warmth he so badly needed. He slowly cracked open his eyes and found
himself quite confused at his surroundings.
Looking above he could see what appeared to be a
thatched roof in the glow from the fire.
He surveyed the surrounding area and seemed to be in a small cabin or
house of some sort with a single door and one small window next to it. As he scanned the fireplace he noticed his
clothing laid out next to it no doubt to dry.
A quick inventory of the drying clothes confirmed he was naked as a
jaybird.
Turning his attention to himself he found he was
nestled down in what appeared to be a bed of straw along with a young woman
snuggled next to him. He cautiously
lifted the old blanket covering them and could easily tell she had nothing on
as well. He blushed momentarily
embarrassed at having no memory of her or how they had come to be cuddled
together next to the fire.
He shifted uncomfortably and that disturbed the woman
next to him, waking her up. She pushed
up on one arm and they looked at each other for a moment. She smiled warmly immediately relieving some
of Lee’s anxiety.
“Well you’ve decided to join the world again, have you?”
she said playfully. “I was truly
concerned that I had not gotten to you in time.”
Lee looked incredulously at the slight woman next to
him. “You pulled me from the sea? You
rescued me?”
She smiled again and nodded. “Aye.
It was quite a challenge with that storm raging overhead. It took some time for you to start breathing
again once I pushed you to the surface.”
Reading his disbelief she smiled even wider. “I’m an excellent swimmer and I’m much
stronger than I look,” she said with a giggle.
“Thank you… thank you for saving my life. How did you find me? I hadn’t seen any other boats in the area
when I lost my mast. I was certain I had
no chance to survive.”
“Just lucky I guess,” she replied. “The waves were huge and a small vessel could
easily be missed in their rise and fall.”
“I’m Lee, Lee Crane,” Lee said after an awkward moment
of silence.
“I’m Moire, it means star of the sea,” she replied.
“That’s a beautiful name and I can quite honestly say
it’s a pleasure to meet you Moire.”
Moire looked at him impishly and grinned shyly. “Nice to meet you Lee and believe me the
pleasure is all mine,” she replied as her eyes traveled down his exposed chest.
Thankful for the darkened room Lee blushed and almost
pulled the blanket up over him. He was
no stranger to women but her unhidden appreciation and daresay lustful look
surprised him, making him feel almost like a lamb before a lioness. “Ah, um...
I suppose I should put on some clothes.
I need to go out and relieve myself,” he stammered.
She laughed quietly as she pulled back the blankets
and moved so he could get up. “You need
not be embarrassed around me Lee. You’re
a handsome man and presented only pleasant surprises when I undressed you. Also there’s no need to put on your clothes
yet because they’re still wet and the last thing we need is for you to catch a
chill again. There’s a bucket over in
the corner you can use since I’m sure you really don’t relish the idea of going
out in that storm to take care of your business. I’m not at all squeamish about such things if
that’s what’s bothering you.”
Lee smiled sheepishly and felt damn near like a coy
maiden in this woman’s presence. She
quite obviously was used to taking care of herself and had no compunction about
saying what was on her mind. He pushed
up to his feet feeling somewhat uncomfortable standing naked before the
fire. Once he was standing Moire reached
her hand up to him and he helped her stand as well. She pointed to the far corner, “The bucket is
over there. While you’re taking care of
that I’ll add a few more logs to the fire.”
Now out from under the covers Lee got a good look at
his rescuer. She was about 5’8”, long
straight black hair, deep green eyes, lovely face, and a shapely well-muscled
body; she was absolutely gorgeous. He
smiled in appreciation then turned and headed over to the corner. Once finished he turned back around and found
her lying in their bed a hand extended beckoning him back.
“Come back to bed Lee, there’s no point being up with
that storm still ragin’ outside and you need to warm yourself more lest you
start shivering again,” she said with a wry smile and a wink as she pulled back
the blankets.
He returned her smile and laughed. “What kind of boy do you think I am?”
“Oh my beautiful man, I want to learn exactly what
kind of boy you are. I want to know all
about you,” she giggled.
“Well I would love to learn about you as well and how
you came to find me in my hour of need,” he said as he walked back across the
room lowered himself to the floor and slid beneath the blanket.
<<<<O>>>>
As Lee made himself comfortable Moire curled up next
to him and laid her head on his shoulder.
“So Lee tell me everything I need to know about you,” she said as she
gently rubbed her hand across his chest moving subtly lower with each pass.
He sighed and gently placed his hand over hers
stilling it. “You keep that and there’ll
be no talking.”
Moire raised her head and smiled bouncing her eyebrows. “I’m sure we can handle any problems that
might arise,” she said with a mischievous glint in her eye.
Lee laughed softly.
“Well I’m sure we could but I’m still tired from my dip in the ocean
earlier, I feel as weak as a day old kitten.
Plus I need to get to know you much better before things get too hot to
handle.”
“Too hot to handle?
I think that highly unlikely,” she said lightly. “Since I asked first
you tell me about you,” she answered as she lowered her head back down on his
chest. She listened to the slow and
steady beat of his heart.
Lee laughed and squeezed her hand. “Where should I begin? If you haven’t already guessed I’m an
American and I’m an officer in the US Navy.
Right now I’m serving on a submarine; not quite sure how much longer
that will last but I love it. I don’t
have a girlfriend, if you’re wondering.
Quite honestly there’s not much to tell.
How about you?”
Moire cocked an eyebrow and stared at him. “Not much to tell; you’ve told me next to
nothing. What about your family? How about your parents, brothers, sisters,
aunts, uncles, grandparents and cousins?”
“I don’t have a family, at least that I remember. I grew up an orphan,” Lee added quietly.
“Surely there’s someone who claims you as their own? And why do you wonder how long you’ll remain
on your ship?” Moire asked.
“It’s a boat,” he corrected, “Subs are boats. I don’t
think my commanding officer has much use for me anymore after I screwed up on
mission we were both on. He doesn’t even
act as if I exist any longer so I’ve requested a transfer. As far as family I do have a friend, my roommate
from college who more or less adopted me as his kid brother, along with his
family but that’s about it. I have
friends but no one truly close other than Chip.
Come on tell me about you,” Lee replied quickly trying to shift the
subject.
She stared at him closely for a moment trying to
divine what rested beneath that inscrutable façade. Guessing for now she would make no headway
she shrugged and let the topic drop.
“I’m born and bred here in Scotland and never been but a few miles from
where I was born. I and my family live
near where you dropped anchor night before last. Where you have a dearth of kin I am overrun by
it. I live with my parents,
grandparents, 5 brothers, 6 sisters, a multitude of aunts and uncles and even
more cousins than you can count. I fish
for a living with my family,” she replied.
“Wow that’s some family. I guess you never lack for company,” Lee
replied. Moire rolled her eyes nodded
emphatically and chuckled.
“So answer me this, how is it that you found me when
my boat began to flounder? How did you
get to me so quickly after I fell in?” he asked as he drew his finger softly
down the side of her face.
“Truth be told Lee Crane I became enchanted the first
minute I laid me eyes on you that first night.
I was too shy to come talk to you for fear you’d turn me away. You so bewitched me I had to follow you when
you left in hopes I’d come up with the courage to say hello,” Moire said
blushing slightly.
Lee laughed softly.
“Oh surely you’re kidding, I’ve never enchanted anyone in my life,” he
replied with a soft snort which then turned into a harsh cough. He rolled away from her as he continued to
cough trying to clear the water he’d sucked into his lungs earlier.
She looked on concerned as it took some time for the
coughing fit to die down. “Are you okay,
Lee?” she asked as she gently rubbed his back.
“Yeah, I probably just inhaled a little too much of
the ocean when I fell in,” he said once he regained his breath. Moire climbed out from under the blankets and
rooted quickly through an old chest pulling out a battered tin cup.
“You stay right there and I’ll get you some water to
drink,” she said as she walked to the door and out into the raging storm. After a minute she came back in with a full
cup. “Here drink this, can’t get water
any fresher than this,” she said handing him the cup.
“Thank you. You
should have let me get that now you’re wet and cold,” Lee said as he sipped
gratefully on the cool water.
“Nae, that’s the last thing you need with that cough
and you don’t need another chill,” she said as she brushed the water off her
skin then picked up his white shirt and blotted herself dry before returning it
to the hearth. “By the looks of it this
storm is going to last at least another day.
Nodens and Camulus must really be going at it.”
“Who?”
“Nodens, Celtic god of the sea and Camulus, god of war
and the sky. They must have really ticked
each other off to be ragin’ so horribly at each other.”
Lee looked at her somewhat incredulously. His disbelief in her explanation quite
obvious on his face. “You know, just
because your people don’t believe in these gods doesn’t mean they still can’t
have a hand in what goes on in this world.
There are more things and powers out there than you can ever guess
at. Just because something once known to
be real is now called folklore or a myth doesn’t mean it doesn’t still exist,”
she replied somewhat testily.
“My apologies Moire, you’re quite right. I’m sorry if I offended you,” Lee replied
contritely. His head slightly down, he
looked up at her through his long lashes feeling duly chastised. Her heart melted immediately at that look of little
boy shame and smiled warmly at him.
“Here give me the cup, do you need more water?” She
asked.
“No, I’m fine now, thank you. Now you come back to bed and get warm,” Lee
said folding back the blankets and extending his hand to her. “You need to tell me now how you followed me
without me seeing you. I still can’t
believe you rescued me. I find it even
harder to believe you were too shy to come up and say hello,” he said with a
chuckle.
“As I said I grew up in these parts and know all the
ways to move around to avoid being seen,” she replied with a sly look in her
eye. She crawled back under the blankets
and snuggled close to him luxuriating in his warmth and embrace. As she relaxed she heard him bite back a
yawn. “Enough talk for now my beautiful
man, you need a wee bit more rest. In
fact I think we could both use some.
We’ll have plenty of time to get to know each other better as I said
this storm’s going nowhere fast. Sleep
well Lee.”
“You too Moire, good night,” Lee replied as he kissed
her lightly on the forehead and quickly drifted off to sleep.
<<<<O>>>>
Lee was jolted awake early the next morning by a
ragged tear of coughing that felt as though his lungs were trying to rip free
of his body. Hoping not to wake Moire he
quickly climbed out of bed and exited their small cabin. Still coughing as he hastily exited the door
he was immediately slammed by the fierce wind and sheet after sheet of
horizontal rain.
He momentarily gasped at the brutal onslaught of the
elements but resumed coughing once the shock had passed, nearly doubling over
in pain as the spasms rocked his chest.
As he continued to cough he absently noted he should be more chilled than
he actually was being outside in the chilling wind and rain. When the coughing fit passed he stood up and
raised his face to the sky letting the rain soothe his tortured throat. His thirst quenched he returned inside to
find Moire sitting up looking very concerned.
“Are you all right Lee?” she asked anxiously.
“Yes, I’ve just developed a bit of a cough. I had hoped to get outside before I woke
you. Sorry,” Lee replied.
“Don’t be worrying about me, it’s you we need to be
concerned about,” she responded as she got to her feet and grabbed his dry
shirt from the hearth. She moved over to
him and began drying him off in hopes of keeping him from getting chilled. She started at his head and gently worked her
way down his back listening to his soft moans of appreciation.
When she reached his ankles she moved to his front and
began working her way up. Reaching his
waist she immediately noticed she had piqued his interest. She smiled devilishly and continued upward
making sure everything was pampered and dried.
“My, what a big boy you are,” she said coyly.
Lee laughed lightly and pulled her into his arms and
lowered his lips to hers giving them a gentle kiss. She returned the kiss and then spread her
lips as he deepened the kiss. Her body
felt on fire as though a jolt of electricity passed through her at his touch. She had no idea such a simple thing like a
kiss could so inflame her. She dropped
his shirt and placed her arms around his neck drawing even closer as he wrapped
his arms tightly around her.
After a few moments he bent down and swept her up in
his arms and carried her over to their bed then gently lowered her onto the
blankets. He knelt down next to her then
slowly lowered his body on top of hers.
He resumed kissing her as his hands began to softly stroke and tweak her
body making her squirm and groan in absolute pleasure.
He then pulled back and she sighed in disappointment
at the loss of contact. He smiled
wickedly at her then resumed kissing and sucking and licking his way slowly
down her body as his hands continued their exploration. She gasped in startled pleasure at his expert
ministrations and then was lost to a world of exquisite sensations and color.
<<<<O>>>>
They laid there in silence letting their bodies quiet
after making love. Her head rested on
his chest and she listened contentedly as his heartbeat slowed lulling her
almost to sleep with its steady beat.
She reached up lightly stroked his face and smiled. Never in her wildest dreams had she ever
expected anything that earth shatteringly fantastic.
“Oh my god, my beautiful man that was incredible,” she
whispered finally able to speak coherently.
“I never dreamed it could be so …” she sighed unable to find a word to
adequately define the sensations she had experienced.
Lee chuckled quietly. “I agree,” was all he said
followed by a long satisfied sigh. He
raised his head and kissed her on the top of the head then hugged her tight
against him.
As their bodies stilled they listened to the still
raging storm outside. He chuckled again
as he thought over their fit of passion.
“What?” Moire asked.
“I think we probably out did the storm for sound and
fury. Talk about call of the wild,” he
replied laughing harder.
“Aye, I think you’re right. I didn’t know I had that pent up inside me,”
she replied with a hint of embarrassment in her voice. “I think I’ll have to thank Nodens and
Camulus personally for the storm locking you away with me here.”
Lee smiled and nodded his agreement as he gently
stroked her hair. As he laid there
watching the dying embers of the fire his stomach growled loudly and both of
them broke out laughing.
Moire pushed up on one arm and looked at him in
amusement. “Is that so? It seems as though you’ve worked up quite an
appetite after that incredible performance,” she said as she bounced her
eyebrows.
“I must admit I’m a wee bit hungry, it’s been a couple
of days since I last ate,” Lee replied as he rubbed his belly.
“Well I think I need to remedy that situation. I can’t have you wasting away to nothing seeing
how I have many more plans for encores,” she answered as she pushed to her feet
and moved to the fireplace to add a couple more logs to the fire.
“And how do you propose to do that?” he asked looking
around the room for any hint of a stash of goodies.
“I’m an expert at fishing, if you will recall me
telling you that. You stay here, keep
warm save up your strength and I’ll be back in a flash with something to fill
that hole in your belly.”
Lee immediately rose to his feet alarmed at what she
had said. “You can’t go out there in this
storm; it’s not safe. Plus you don’t even have any clothes.”
She smiled warmed at the genuine concern he had for
her safety. “Don’t worry my beautiful
man, I told you I’m from these parts and know where to go to get what I want. I won’t be gone long and then we can have a
lovely fish dinner. As far as clothing
in this weather it wouldn’t make a bit of difference.”
“Moire please don’t go, I can go quite a while without
food you don’t need to risk yourself on my account,” he said as he pulled her
into his arms.
Moire raised up on her toes and kissed him lightly on
the lips. “Lee I know what I’m doing and
I’m more than a little peckish myself.
If you can tend to the fire and get us some fresh water we’ll be ready
to eat once I return,” she said as she pushed out of his arms and moved to the
door.
“Well at least take my slicker to fight off some of
the rain.”
“I’ll be fine, plus I have my own seal skins stashed
down by the beach,” she replied with a wink and slipped out the door.
<<<<O>>>>
Moire dashed down towards the beach to a stand of
rocks where she had hidden her skin. She
quickly pulled it out shrugged it on then made her way to the water. As the surge of a huge wave began to recede
from the shoreline she dove into it and was carried safely past the rocks. Knowing the fish would have moved to deeper
waters to avoid the storm she quickly started swimming further offshore.
The visibility was next to nothing with all the wave
action and rain stirring things up making it difficult to spot any game. Going mainly on instinct she followed the
bottom and soon found herself in range of a large school of salmon. She struck quickly snapping up a couple of
large fish then swam back out before they even seemed to realize there was a
predator in their midst. Fish firmly
secured in her mouth she turned and headed back to shore.
As she swam she spotted an odd bit of fishing net on
the bottom moving lazily with the storm surge.
She dived down to the bottom and placed her catch on top of the net then
gathered the ends and carried her fish back in her impromptu basket. On her return she noted a number of large
scallops splayed out on the bottom feeding frantically on all the matter
stirred up by the storm. She placed her basket on the sea floor then began
snapping up the scallop shells and deposited them on top of her fish. When she felt she had enough to satisfy her
beautiful man she bundled up her haul and headed back to shore.
<<<<O>>>>
Lee watched in dismay as she darted down towards the
beach. He didn’t like the idea of her
going out in the storm, but she was her own woman and he had little if anything
to say about it. He felt somewhat
ridiculous being left behind like a fisherman’s wife to tend the home fires and
keep house but he had to defer to her familiarity with the area and acknowledge
that the last thing he needed to do was make his cough worse. When she was no
longer in sight he turned around and surveyed their cabin looking for ways to
pass the time until she returned.
Feeling somewhat exposed he pulled on his skivvies and
black jeans. Next he slipped on his rain
slicker picked up the honey bucket took it outside and emptied it a good
distance from the cabin. Since she was
bringing back fish for dinner he looked around the place for a means to cook
it. He dug through the small chest she
had pulled the cup out of but didn’t find anything that could be used as a skillet. He did however find an old metal pitcher he
could collect rainwater in and an old flour sack that could serve as a towel or
a tablecloth depending on their need.
He eyed the room once more and spotted a pile of
sticks, picking up two of the longer and stouter ones he smiled knowing that they
would do the trick. He moved over the hearth and found his wallet, wristwatch,
ring and pocket knife inside one of his shoes.
He put his ring and watch back on then grabbed the knife opened it up
and began whittling one end of each stick to a sharp point creating a spit he
could cook Moire’s fish on. Not one to
sit idly by he then remade their bed and tidied things up a bit as he waited
for her return.
All the while he completed his chores he experienced
more frequent and harsher coughing spells. His rib cage and abdominal muscles
were starting to hurt as they were being stressed and tortured with each bout. He
was beginning to become concerned knowing that his cough could all too easily
become pneumonia and without medical treatment he could die. He also noticed he
felt warmer than he should given the cool temperature in the cabin and realized
he was now running a fever. His only
defense was you keep hydrated so he drank as much water as he could refilling
the pitcher a number of times.
Once he had done everything he could inside the cabin,
he glanced down at his watch and noted that nearly four hours had passed since
Moire left to get them something to eat.
He had no idea how long she would be gone and began to pace anxiously as
he awaited her return.
<<<<O>>>>
Moire made good time back to the island as the wind
and waves pushed her forward. As she
neared the beached she held back momentarily timing the waves so she could work
her way to shore without being pummeled by the pounding surf. She rode the tail end of a large wave in and
rapidly scampered up the beach out of reach of the following waves with their
dinner securely in tow.
She made her way back to the rocks set her basket down
then quickly removed her skin. The brisk
wind rushing over her exposed human skin made her shiver momentarily. She carefully rolled up her seal skin and
placed it back in her hiding place. She
picked up her basket and began trotting up the beach towards the hut and Lee. When she opened the door and stepped in, Lee turned
quickly at the sound and smiled, his relief at her safe return readily apparent.
“Thank god you’re back,” Lee said. “I was beginning to get worried you were gone
for so long. Are you okay?”
Moire smiled and laughed. “Yes I’m just fine,” she replied. “I also have our dinner,” she added as she
held up her improvised basket filled with the salmon and scallops.
“How did you get all that? I would have thought with the storm pounding
away the fish would have moved further out to sea.”
“I told you I’m an expert at this,” she said dodging
his question. “I don’t know about you
but I’m starving.”
Lee looked at her for a minute certain that there was
something she was definitely holding back.
He decided to raise that subject later and reached forward taking the
load of fish and shellfish from her hand.
“Well I can’t argue with your success.
Those fish are beautiful and the scallops are huge. I’ll get them cleaned then we can roast the
fish and have scallop sashimi. First thing though is to get you dried off
before you catch a chill.”
He grabbed the flour sack he’d found and gently began
drying her off. Once he’d dried her he
picked up his shirt and helped her put it on.
He reached forward and buttoned the bottom four buttons which left a provocative
view of her beautiful breasts peeking out.
He then led her to their bed and indicated she should get in. “Here you rest and warm up while I take care
of the fish, it’s the least I can do since you took care of all the hard work.”
She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him
passionately. He returned the kiss more
than willingly. After a moment she unwrapped
her arms and while still kissing him let her hands slowly trail down his chest
and abdomen making a beeline for the button and zipper on his jeans. Lee smiled and laughed as they continued to
kiss, the laughter sending a thrilling vibration across her lips and down to
her toes.
He gently took her hands brought them up to his lips
and kissed them lightly. “You keep going
that way the fish will be spoiled before we get to them.”
She looked up at him and smiled impishly. “And that’s a problem?”
Lee laughed again.
“After all you went through to get them, yes. Also, I don’t know about you but I need a
little fuel in my system so I can fully satisfy all those wickedly seductive
thoughts obviously swirling around in that beautiful head of yours.”
She sighed deeply.
“I suppose you’re right. The last
thing I’d want is for you to run out of steam before we reach the end.”
“Indeed not,” he said seriously. He smiled gave her a hug and a quick kiss on
the forehead before gathering up the fish and heading outside to gut and clean
them.
<<<<O>>>>
Lee returned to the cabin minutes later, he impaled
the fish on the spits he’d fashioned earlier and positioned them over the
fire. He next cut open the scallops and
removed the large edible muscle from each shell and stacked them on an empty
half shell. He picked up the tin cup and
filled it with water then took the cup and his shell of appetizers and sat down
next to Moire.
He picked up one of the large scallops and gently
brought it up to her mouth and fed it to her.
She accepted the morsel and sucked seductively on his fingers making
sure she got every bit. He smiled and
wiped a small drop that escaped her mouth with his fingers and offered it to
her. She licked it off then reached down
picked up a scallop and made the same offer to him.
Lee captured the scallop and her fingers with his
teeth. He licked the sweet essence of
the scallop off her digits then released them and swallowed the tender bite.
His tongue snaked out and rimmed his lips as he stared intensely into her
eyes. There was something in those deep
green pools that pulled at his soul as though he were diving to the
depths. Raptures of the deep called to
mind and he laughed mentally. “What a
way to go.”
They continued to trade tidbits until the smell of
cooking fish drew them from their self-indulgent game. Lee was the first to break the connection as
he moved to the fire to turn the fish.
He picked up the cup of water and took a sip then offered it to Moire.
She took a drink and handed it back. The intensity of the mood broken Lee
concentrated on cooking the fish.
When the fish was done he pulled them off the fire and
placed them on a couple of flat rocks he had cleaned off to use as plates
earlier. He peeled back the skin on one
of the fish and then they pulled the succulent flesh off the bones and started
their erotic feeding frenzy once again. By
the time they pulled the blankets up over them for the night they were
completely sated and spent. They both
absently noted the storm had passed and an eerie calm now claimed the night.
<<<<O>>>>
“Skipper, I have Commander MacDaniel on the phone for you
sir,” Sparks called across the control room.
“Thanks Sparks I’ll be right there,” Nelson replied as
he fought down the urge to run across the room to get the phone. Sparks handed him the receiver once he
arrived. “Nelson here, any news
Commander?”
“Aye Captain Nelson.
We’ve finally been able to get up in the air and we spotted your man’s
boat adrift about 150 miles from his last reported position. The main mast has been sheared off and the
life raft has been deployed but was still tethered to the boat. From the looks of things he was probably
washed overboard. I’m sorry Captain.”
“There’s no sign of him?” Nelson asked dejectedly,
knowing full well the implications of the Coast Guard’s discovery.
“No sir. We
will be completing a thorough overflight of the entire area to make sure we can
account for anyone that may have made it to shore alive or dead. I’ll let you know if we find anything sir.”
Nelson remained quiet for a moment as he digested the
commander’s report. “Thank you,
Commander. I appreciate all your efforts
and as I said earlier if there’s anything we can do to assist please let me
know.”
As Harri signed off he noted his XO had come over to
join him in the radio shack. “Any news
sir?”
“They’ve found his boat adrift and his life raft had
been inflated and secured to the boat as if he was prepared to abandon ship,
but there’s no sign of him anywhere. The
commander said they think he was probably washed overboard before he could get
in the raft. There’s no sign of him in
the area but they will keep an eye out for him as they conduct their
surveillance of the coast line.” Harri replied quietly.
David nodded knowingly. “I’m sorry to hear that. I’ll contact COMSUBLANT and have the chaplain
notify the next of kin sir.”
“There’s no need XO, he had none listed. I’ll get in touch with his best friend and
pass on the information,” Nelson answered numbly. It still amazed him that such a remarkable
young man really had no one he called family.
“I’ll be in my cabin.”
“Aye sir,” Martin acknowledged knowing exactly how
hard this loss hit his CO and friend.
<<<<O>>>>
The first rays of dawn pushed through the tiny window
of their rustic cabin illuminating the inside.
Moire was the first to wake and laid there with her head resting
comfortably on Lee’s chest. She listened
to the beat of his heart and was now hearing a disturbing rattle in his
lungs. The only thing that had
interrupted their all-consuming lust was the coughing fits that increasingly
pulled him away. If he continued to get
worse he could quite possibly die. Even
in the cool of the cabin a fine sheen of perspiration covered his face and
chest meaning he was probably running a fever as well. Trying to distract
herself from such depressing thoughts she lightly ran her hand over his
sleeping form. He moaned in pleasure at
her gentle and playful touch and pulled her tighter against him.
Along with the dawn came a calm and clear day, odds
were that he would now start to think actively about returning to his
world. He had waxed almost poetic about
his life aboard his boat and the many adventures he had had and the things he
wanted to achieve some day. In all he
had said staying here in Scotland with her was never considered and that gnawed
wickedly at her heart.
She also knew that she truly had been enchanted by her
beautiful man and wanted nothing less than them growing old together. The only way she could even hope to keep him
with her was to be totally honest with him and reveal her true nature. She didn’t relish the task of explaining
herself and dreaded his possible response.
In no real hurry to rush into that mess, she closed
her eyes and snuggled down deeper in their bed.
She began running her hand over his body relishing the feeling for
probably the last time. He moaned again
and began stroking her in return.
He opened one eye and stared at her. “You are going to leave me as nothing more than
a dried out husk, you know that,” he said with a chuckle then began kissing her
gently as his hands once again began to coax her to new heights of ecstasy.
<<<<O>>>>
It was past noon by the time they finally made it out
of bed. Famished from the night’s
activities they breakfasted in bed on the fish leftover from dinner. Now full and in need of answering another of
nature’s call Lee pulled on his pants and headed out the cabin door. He blinked hard against the bright autumn sun
as his eyes adjusted then stretched enjoying the crisp air nipping at his bare
chest. He quickly finished his business
and returned to the cabin.
“It’s a beautiful day out there Moire, the storm has
completely passed,” he said as he grabbed her hand as she crawled out of bed. “I think I would like to go out and explore
the island. What do you say, care to
join me?”
“Aye, I would.
I’ve been feeling a wee bit cooped up with that storm ragin’ for the
last couple of days. Let me go take care
of things myself and we can go for a nice walk.
Is it cold out there?”
“Not bad, a little crisp but the sun’s working on
changing that. Here put on my shirt it
should help,” he replied as he picked it up and held it out for her. She slid her arms into the sleeves then
scampered out the door.
Returning a few minutes later she walked over to Lee
wrapped her arms around him and gave him a gentle kiss. “You’re right it is a beautiful day. Come on my beautiful man let’s take that walk
and there are a few things I think we should discuss.”
Lee returned her kiss and nodded in agreement. He needed to stretch his legs and he had many
questions he needed answered about this beautiful woman who had saved his
life. “Do you want to pull on my rain
gear or is my shirt enough?”
“Actually I’d be fine with nothin’ at all,” she
replied with wicked grin.
Lee laughed and kissed her again. “Come along you insatiable sex demon, before
you corrupt me once again.”
“Me corrupt you?” she answered in mock
indignation. “Twas I who was the
innocent lamb before I was bewitched by you, my beautiful man.”
They both laughed then headed out the door to take a
tour of the island. It was a short tour
as the island was quite small, really just big enough to offer sanctuary from a
storm which probably explained the presence of the small cabin. As they walked along holding hands and
soaking up the sun, Lee noticed that there was no boat along the shoreline and
Moire was apparently unconcerned by the absence of one.
After they had completed their circuit of the isle
they settled on an outcrop of rock and watched the sea. Once they sat Lee again fought through a bout
of harsh coughs and wiped the sweat from his brow. It was obvious to them both he was getting
sicker with time.
<<<<O>>>>
They sat quietly not saying anything for the longest
time. As the silence dragged on Lee finally took the first step. “Moire, how is it you were able to get those
fish and scallops or even rescue me in that storm? I see no boat on the island and that doesn’t
seem to upset you.”
She turned her head and regarded him for a
moment. She reached up gently stroked
his face wiping away the perspiration then pulled in a deep breath and began. “Lee remember when I told you about Nodens
and Camulus and how you reacted?” Lee
nodded not sure where she was going with this.
“I also told that just because a thing once known as
real and now only thought of as folklore or myth, doesn’t necessarily mean that
a thing doesn’t still exist.”
“Yes I remember,” Lee replied quietly.
“Do you know what a selkie is Lee?” Moire asked
seriously.
Lee furrowed his brow and stared at her extremely
confused. “Yes I think so. Isn’t a selkie a creature that can exist as
either a seal or as a human?”
“Aye. Selkies
are beings that can transform from seal to human by removing or donning their
skin. They have existed on this planet
for millennia and have for the most part lived in harmony with humans and the
sea moving easily between each world.
Lee I am such a being, I am a selkie.”
Lee stared at her dumbfounded by her revelation. “You can’t be serious,” he finally managed to
get out.
“Aye, completely serious. You asked how I was able to get us dinner and
how I managed to rescue you from the sea.
I’m at home in the sea when I exist as a seal. You never saw me when I followed you because
I was swimming behind your boat. I
listened to you sing with your music and dance and play a make-believe guitar. I became even more bewitched by your playful
ways. You first saw me when you shared your eggs with me. When you spoke to me I thought I had died and
gone to heaven.”
“My god,” he whispered.
“Lee I’m being honest when I say you enchanted me the
first time I saw you. I had to get to
know you but hadn’t figured out a way to do that until you were washed off your
boat by a huge wave. I swam up
underneath you as you sank towards the depths and pushed you to the surface so
you could breathe. I then towed you to
this island so I could get you to safety.
When I finally got you up to the cabin you were so cold the only way I
could get you warm was to share my body heat with you along with the fire. I couldn’t let you die my beautiful man.”
Lee sat in silence next to her trying desperately to
process all she had said and reconcile it with his experiences. No one could have known he’d sang and played
air guitar on the deck of his boat or tossed the eggs to a seal or that he had
been washed overboard unless they were there.
As the silence stretched out Moire began to fidget and
become uncomfortable. She steeled
herself for the impending explosion, the look of horror and revulsion along
with the accusations of betrayal from Lee.
Unable to take it any longer she spoke, “Do you hate me Lee? Do you want me to leave your sight?”
After a moment Lee turned his head to look at
her. A small smile spread across his
lips and he placed his arm around her shoulders and pulled her close. “How could I hate you, you saved my
life. You’ve warmed me, fed me and made
love to me like no other,” he said with a wink and a lecherous smile. “I must admit this is the absolute last
explanation I ever expected.”
She smiled in relief that at least he wasn’t forcing
her from his side. She leaned over and
tentatively kissed his lips. He returned the kiss then leaned back and looked
up at the sky. “So what now my beautiful
selkie woman?”
“Lee I want to be with you always. You’ve bewitched me and I can’t imagine ever
wanting to leave your side. Stay here
for a moment, okay,” she said as she pushed to her feet. He looked up at her and nodded. She turned and ran to an outcrop of rocks
further ashore then dropped to her knees and began rooting around. After a moment she pulled something from
behind the rocks picked it up and returned to Lee’s side.
“Here,” she said as she offered him the bundle.
“What’s this?” he asked as he tentatively accepted it.
“It’s me seal skin.
It is a selkies most prized possession; it represents freedom and life
to us,” she answered. “When a selkie
becomes bound to human form it’s usually because their partner found their skin
and hid it from them or destroyed it so they could never return to the sea. I’m
giving mine to you freely to keep or burn whichever you want. I want to be bound to you Lee and this is the
only way that can happen.”
Lee stared in disbelief at the thing in his
hands. “I’m truly honored but I can’t
accept this Moire. It’s not that I don’t
care for you but I’m not ready to settle down and given what I do and who I
work for that’s not even a possibility for a number of years to come. I still owe them a few more years of service
and if I disappeared before I fulfilled my commitment and someone spotted me,
they would put me in prison somewhere back in the United States.”
“Also your family is here and I doubt you would be
willing to follow me wherever they sent me.
There would be long periods when I would be gone and you would be alone
in strange lands. You would be unable to return to your family and I think you
would grow to resent me. I think if I
were forced to stay here I would likewise come to resent you,” Lee added as he
looked deep into her eyes.
He watched in dismay as tears began to well up in her
eyes. He put down the skin and pulled
her close. She resisted momentarily then
gave in and sobbed into his shoulder.
“Please don’t cry. If you think
this through you know I’m right. The
worlds we live in are too different plus it’s just not the right time for us to
be together,” he said as he stroked her hair and hugged her close.
As her tears subsided and she quieted they returned to
the cabin and talked well into the night.
Moire went more into detail about herself and her people trying
desperately to talk Lee into changing his mind.
Lee likewise expounded on his life and his desires for the future which
as he had pointed out were a world away from hers. By the time they crawled into bed for the
night they both knew they were going their separate ways. They spent the next few hours making sweet
and gentle love then held each other close savoring the last few moments they
would be together.
<<<<O>>>>
By the next day Lee’s cough was worse and he was now
having greater difficulty breathing. He
was nearly exhausted from his frequent bouts of coughing and was running a
serious fever. They both knew he needed
help soon or odds were he would die.
As they lay quietly together in bed Lee thought he
heard the drone of an airplane engine in the distance. He immediately scrambled out of bed pulled on
his trousers, grabbed his slicker and bolted out of the cabin to survey the
skies. As he scanned the horizon he
spotted what looked like a C-130 flying along the coast line. Lee ran to the highest point on their tiny
island and began waving his coat frantically trying to catch the pilot’s
attention.
As the plane drew closer he could make out the Coast
Guard markings and waved his jacket even harder. He watched in dismay as the plane flew
overhead apparently not having seen him but as the aircraft passed it banked
sharply to the right and began to circle back. He let loose a huge shout of joy and continued
to wave his coat like a battlefield banner.
He laughed out loud in delight when the pilot wagged his wings
indicating he’d been seen then continued on with his flight.
Lee turned and trotted excitedly back to the cabin
where his joy was short lived as he took in the sad look on Moire’s face. Tears streamed down her cheeks as she knew
their time together had come to an end.
He gathered her into his arm and hugged her tight as he fought back his
own tears. He had become as enchanted by
her as she by him and knew he would miss her dearly.
Knowing it would most likely be some time before the
Coast Guard could get a boat or helicopter out to rescue him he reached down
picked up her hand and led her back into the cabin and their bed. He kneeled before her and gently began kissing
and stroking her body putting every ounce of tenderness and passion he had into
loving her this one last time.
<<<<O>>>>
By the time they emerged from the cabin it was dark
and the nearly full moon had already risen and was being kept company by the
gathering clouds. The night was still,
not even a hint of breeze swept across the island.
Lee was fully dressed for the first time in days and
felt odd walking next to his naked lover as he escorted her back down to the
beach. As they neared where Moire had
hidden her skin she stopped and moved in front of Lee to give him one last
passionate kiss.
“I still think you’re making one hell of a mistake me
beautiful man,” she said as she stepped back then smiled ruefully.
“Probably,” Lee answered with a wry smile. “But it wouldn’t be the first one and
definitely not the last.” He kissed her
gently on the forehead then moved off to sit down on the rocks and wait for her
to change. As he waited he stared up at
the sky and the emerging stars wondering if he really was making the right
choice.
His attention was drawn back to the beach as he spied
a small seal working her way over to him.
He gave her a slight smile as she moved up next to him on the
rocks. “You’re an equally gorgeous seal,
you know that my beautiful selkie woman.”
She barked at him which sounded much like a laugh then
nudged him gently. Lee leaned over and
gave her a kiss on the top of the head and stroked her face and neck. “You take care of yourself, who knows one day
we may meet again and if you’re still available I may just take you up on your
offer.”
She barked at him again and then disappeared into the
sea. Lee scanned the water but couldn’t
see her. It was probably best not to
look back he thought then pushed to his feet and trudged back into the cabin and
finally gave in to the exhaustion and sadness.
<<<<O>>>>
Lee slowly stirred awake but resisted opening his eyes,
he really wasn’t ready to join the real world just yet. By the antiseptic smell he knew he was in a
hospital and he could sense someone else in the room most likely a nurse or
aide. He pulled in a deep breath which
proved to be the wrong thing to do as it set off a vicious coughing fit. He drew up his legs and rolled over on his
side, his eyes screwed tightly shut powerless to stem the flow of tears that
streamed down his cheeks at the pain in his chest. He became vaguely aware of a man’s voice and
then a pair of strong hands helping him to sit up.
“Just relax son, don’t fight it. It’s a little easier if you sit up. You have
to get your lungs clear before you’ll get better,” the baritone voice said as
the owner’s hands steadied him and kept him from toppling over.
The coughing spasm seemed to go on forever then began
to taper off. Lee sat there cradling his
sides trying desperately to regain his breath.
As the pain faded and it became easier to breathe he opened his eyes and
turned his head to thank whoever had helped him. He couldn’t hide the look of surprise and
shock when he discovered Captain Nelson holding him upright.
“Th…thank you Captain Nelson,” he stammered hoarsely. “What…what are you doing here sir?”
Nelson smiled and patted him lightly on the back. “ Someone had to come claim you after the Scottish
Coast Guard notified us you’d been found and were now in the hospital suffering
from a bad case of pneumonia,” Nelson replied as he ease Lee back onto the
bed. “It seems that this is becoming an
all too common occurrence, me greeting you as you wake up in a hospital. I think we need to change that Mr. Crane.”
Upon seeing his CO, Lee involuntarily grew tense and
averted his eyes from the captain’s gaze, he was nearly laying at attention. Nelson immediately picked up on Lee’s
discomfort in his presence, something he hadn’t experienced since that
Christmas break when he ‘rescued’ the young plebe from the frigid streets of
Annapolis4. Everything his XO
had said about his treatment of him was proven true in that one moment.
“What day is it sir?
How long have I been here?” Lee inquired as he stared down at his hands.
“It’s Wednesday morning. They picked you up off that island late
Monday evening and you’ve been pretty well out of it since then. The doctor said you’ve been running quite a
fever and your lungs are dangerously congested.”
Lee processed the information Nelson had given him
then sighed. “I’m sorry to have
inconvenienced you sir. I suppose I’m
AWOL as well,” Lee said quietly. “I’ll
accept any punishment you assign sir.”
“It’s no inconvenience lad, I’m just glad you’re
safe. As far as being AWOL, there were a
number of extenuating circumstances that kept you from returning on time. You don’t need to worry about any
disciplinary actions.”
“Thank you sir, I appreciate that.” After a moment of awkward silence Lee
continued, “Did the doctor tell you when I can return to the boat, sir?”
“He said he’ll release you this afternoon as long as
you are taken directly to the hospital on base and remain there until your
lungs clear,” Nelson replied. “I’ve
already contacted the hospital and they have a bed with your name on it standing
by.”
Lee grimaced at that thought causing Harri to chuckle
quietly. “It’s your choice Lieutenant
you can spend your time here or in Holy Loch.”
“I guess I’ll take Holy Loch sir,” Lee answered.
Before Nelson could respond the door to Lee’s room
opened and the attending physician entered.
He looked at Lee and smiled.
“Good to see you awake and with us this morning Mr. Crane; you’ve had us
quite concerned. I’m Doctor Butler.”
“Nice to meet you sir,” Lee replied.
“Well what say I check you over and see how you’re
progressing? Captain Nelson, would you
please excuse us?” Butler said.
“Of course Doctor.
I need to make arrangements for our return to Holy Loch anyway. I’ll see you in a bit Mr. Crane,” Nelson responded
as he made his way to the door.
“Fine. I should
be finished here in about half an hour barring any complications. If everything is good I’ll release Mr. Crane
after lunch.” Nelson nodded and left.
<<<<O>>>>
The doctor efficiently checked Lee’s vital signs,
listened to his lungs and assessed his general condition. “Well Lieutenant it looks as though you’re
recovering nicely. Your temperature is
down and it sounds as though your lungs are beginning to clear. How do you feel overall?”
“I’m fine sir,” Lee answered.
“That doesn’t answer my question. How do you feel?” Butler replied with laugh.
“I’m kind of tired and my chest and abs are sore. It is easier to breathe, which is a big
relief.”
“Good, that’s exactly how you should feel. All that coughing along with the fever is
exhausting and it will be a few days before you feel more like yourself. As far as the pain in your chest and abdomen
that will fade as you cough less. You’re
putting quite a strain on those muscles right now with each episode but as your
lungs clear you should notice the pain disappear.”
“Thank you sir,” Lee replied.
“One bit of cautionary advice, don’t try to keep from
coughing even with the pain. You need to
expel that mucus from your lungs and the sooner you get it out the sooner
you’ll be back in fighting form.”
Before Lee could ask the one question foremost on his
mind there was a soft knock on the door and Captain Nelson stuck his head in to
see if it was okay for him to return.
Dr. Butler waved him in. “How’s
he doing Doc?” Nelson inquired.
“He’s progressing nicely and should recover fully.”
Butler answered
“So I’m okay to leave now?” Lee asked hopefully.
“Yes I’ll sign off on your release as long as you
agree to check in with your own physician when you get back to your base. You’re not out of the woods by a long shot
Mr. Crane and could relapse all too easily if you don’t keep up with the
antibiotics and rest.”
“Yes sir, I understand.”
“Understanding and doing are two widely disparate
concepts to you Mr. Crane,” Nelson chimed in with a smile. “I’ll see to it that he follows all your
instructions, Doctor.”
Lee fought the urge to roll his eyes and glare at his
CO, but the last thing he needed to do was antagonize the man further; he was
in enough trouble as it was. “Can I get cleaned up and dressed now sir?”
“Sure, just take it slow. I’ll have your lunch sent up and when you’ve
eaten that I’ll set you free.”
“I’m not really hungry sir, can I get something later?”
“No, it’s time for your next round of meds and they’re
best taken with food. Eat everything on
your plate and you’re free to go,” the doctor replied.
Lee grimaced at the notion but nodded his
agreement. He then climbed carefully out
of bed and made his way to the small bathroom to shower and shave.
<<<<O>>>>
The nurse pushed the wheelchair bearing Lee out the
front doors of the hospital and waited for his ride to arrive. Captain Nelson pulled up in his rental car
got out and opened the passenger door then provided what assistance he could helping
the young man into the front seat. He
thanked the nurse then returned to the driver’s side got in and headed out to
the main road.
Lee sat quietly as his CO chauffeured him to what he
presumed would be the airport. The
silence felt oppressive and in Lee’s mind it meant the captain was gathering
his forces to lambast him for his irresponsible behavior.
“You really surprised a lot of people Lee making it to
shore and surviving the storm. The Coast
Guard said they’d seen nothing like it before. We were already planning your
memorial service lad,” Nelson said lightly trying to defuse the tension in the
car. “The island you turned up on was nearly
five miles from your last reported position and everyone is rather impressed
you were able to make the swim.”
“I think I had some help sir,” Lee replied softly.
“Oh? Help from whom?”
“I think it was a seal sir. I had fed a seal some hard boiled eggs the
night before the storm came up. When I
was washed overboard I vaguely remember being pushed up towards the surface
once I started sinking. I don’t recall
anything after that other than waking up on the beach. I somehow managed to crawl to the small cabin
and was able to get a fire started and warm up,” Lee offered wondering how the
captain would take that.
“A seal? A seal
pushed you back to the surface after you started to drown then towed you five
miles in a raging storm to a nearby island complete with a deserted cabin and
deposited you safely onshore?” Nelson repeated incredulously.
“Yes sir, I believe so sir. Tales of sailors being rescued
by seals and dolphins are not unheard of sir, I’m just lucky to be one of them. I guess the lesson is to share your
hardboiled eggs with any seal that happens to visit your boat,” Lee answered in
all seriousness.
Nelson stared at his lieutenant in complete
disbelief. Spying a park up ahead he
quickly pulled off the road into the parking lot and stopped the car before he
had an accident. “Are you seriously going
to offer that as your explanation for how you survived?”
“Would you prefer I claim that either Noden or Camulus
took pity on my plight after I was dumped in the sea by their storm and one
magically transported me to the island?
Or how about this one, a beautiful selkie woman took a shine to me and
chased after me as I sailed along. When
I discovered her one night watching me I shared my hard boiled eggs with her and
to show her gratitude she rescued me from the sea when I was swept overboard. Once she got me to the island she hauled me
to the cabin, warmed me, fed me and we engaged in wild passionate sex until the
storm broke and we had to go back to our respective worlds,” Lee replied
testily tired of trying to justify his survival. “Of the three, the first version is least
likely to get my security clearance yanked and earn me a lovely jacket whose
sleeves tie in the back and comes with a room with padded walls.”
Nelson stared at him astonished by his
uncharacteristic outburst. “Who are
Noden and Camulus?” was all that immediately came to Harri’s startled mind.
“No one sir,” Lee replied tiredly as it dawned on him
how he had just snapped at his CO. “Sir
I apologize for my outburst, please excuse me.
I was way out of line, I’m tired and it has been a really trying time
for me. It’s no excuse, I know.”
“Are you okay son?” Harri asked earnestly.
“Yes sir, I’m fine.”
Harri snorted then turned off the car. Deciding to let the whole rescue story drop
for the moment he turned his mind to other more pressing matters. “Feel up to a
walk Lieutenant?”
Lee looked at him warily much like a dog about to be
beaten, then answered somewhat hesitantly, “Aye sir.”
“Okay then let’s go.
There are a few things we need to discuss before we get back to base and
the Nautilus.” Harri said as he opened
his door and got out.
Lee swallowed hard then opened the car door and
climbed out to follow his CO. He could
feel the axe head rising over his neck and braced himself for the telling blow
that would end his hopes of a career in the Navy.
<<<<O>>>>
“After you left on leave, I had a very interesting
conversation with Mr. Martin regarding your continued presence on the Nautilus,”
Nelson began. “He told me that you’ve
requested a transfer because you think you’re a detriment to the boat.”
Lee nodded.
“Yes sir, that’s true. It’s quite
obvious that you’ve lost all confidence in my abilities following my screw up
on our mission to Slovestein. I thought
it best to remove myself as a distraction to you and the rest of the crew so
everyone could concentrate on their jobs and not have to worry about me.”
“To be honest Mr. Crane that’s the furthest thing from
the truth. Lee I owe you two things, an apology and an explanation.”
Lee looked over at his captain in surprise, this was
not at all what he expected. “Sir you
don’t owe me anything.”
“Yes lad I do.
First off the apology. Mr. Martin
gave me a rather pointed lecture on how deplorably I’ve been treating you since
we returned from our mission. Believe me
that was never my intention and I’m sorry if I’ve ever left you with the
impression I am less than impressed with your abilities and performance both as
a submariner and regretfully an ONI operative.”
“Thank you sir that means a great deal to me,” Lee
said softly.
“As far as an explanation for my actions it does stem
from our mission. I didn’t want to come
across as showing you any undue favoritism. I admit I enjoyed the give and take
and the degree of familiarity we developed while undercover and I didn’t think
it would be wise to let it bleed over into our onboard interactions. I apparently overcompensated to the point of
creating doubt in your mind as to my confidence in your abilities. My shabby treatment of you in turn created
uncertainty and concern with the rest of the crew on the boat which was sending
morale down the toilet. XO Martin
basically read me the riot act telling me in no uncertain terms that he thought
my treatment of you unfair and that he would support your request for transfer
if I couldn’t resolve my issues. After we were told you were alive and
relatively well, he shoved me off the boat with instructions to go collect you
and to remedy the situation between us one way or the other before I could come
back.”
“The XO said that, sir?” Lee asked surprised to have
such a staunch supporter in Martin.
“Yes, he did. In responding to your request he went so far
as to contact COMSUBLANT and COMSUBPAC to try and locate an open billet on
another sub you could transfer into. At
the moment nothing is open and because of that I’m going to deny your request;
I refuse to send you back to ONI full time.
You need to demonstrate to the Navy at large just how good a submarine
officer you can be Lee and that the Silent Service is the place where you can
best put your considerable talents to good use.”
Lee stared and Nelson for a moment stunned into
silence. The captain sounded sincere in
both his apology and his explanation but Lee had been misled too many times in
the past to so readily accept things like this at face value.
Getting no response from Lee, Nelson pushed
forward. “So if I agree to do my best to
return things back to the way they were before our mission would you be willing
to rescind your request for transfer?” Nelson finally asked.
“Aye sir, that’s all I really want, to be treated like
everyone else. I enjoy being on the
Nautilus and didn’t really want to leave,” Lee replied. He figured he could always resubmit his
request if the captain’s words turned into just a hollow promise.
“Very well then, let’s consider the matter closed and
again I apologize Lee. Now there is the
issue of settling a bet.”
“Sir if it’s all the same to you, I would just like to
consider that issue closed as well,” Lee replied quietly.
“Really Lee I don’t mind and now that I’ve been made
aware of my actions and have dealt with my issues I would be more than happy to
pay up. You name it anything you’d like us to do,” Harri offered
sincerely.
“Thank you sir, but I’d rather not.”
Harri felt as though he’d been punched in the
heart. He couldn’t really blame Lee
knowing some of his background and how he grew up. In his world it usually didn’t pay to take a
second chance on someone who had already let him down. He could tell by Lee’s tone and body language
he had done some serious damage to their relationship, daresay friendship and he
was anxious to try and repair it.
“Alright lad, as you wish. If you should change your mind just let me
know and I’ll gladly pay up, okay?” Nelson offered.
“Yes sir. Thank
you sir.”
“Well then let’s head back to the car, we have a
flight to catch and you have an appointment with a bunk in sick bay. I bring you back any more beat up the XO will
have my head.”
As they turned and started back to the car, Harri made
a solemn promise to himself to make things right between them. He valued Lee’s friendship too much to let
that slip away along with his growing fatherly feelings towards the young man
and there was no way he was willing to let that go without a fight.
Epilogue
Fifteen Years Later…
SSRN Seaview moved slowly up the Firth of Clyde on her
way to the commercial shipyard in Holy Loch. Representatives from the Scottish
government had contracted with NIMR to provide assistance in evaluating fish
stocks and the overall health of the marine eco-system in the area. To get a jump on their task Nelson had
ordered them to come up through the channel with Seaview’s deck awash but the
conning tower above water and manned to allow for observation of the
environment both above and below the surface.
For Lee this was a bittersweet return to the area; he
hadn’t been back to this neck of the woods on a boat since his near drowning
experience all those years ago. As they
made their way forward he had to marvel at how things in his life had changed
since then. At the time he had seriously
doubted his chances of staying in the Navy let alone one day commanding a
sub. He’d been thoroughly convinced that
his then CO one Captain Harriman Nelson had found him lacking and of little
value and was most likely looking for some way to drum him out of the service.
Now, as Commander Lee Crane, captain of the Seaview,
stood in the observation nose alongside his boss and ‘father’ Admiral Harriman
Nelson watching a pod of seals feed on a school of salmon, he chuffed in soft
laughter at his ruminations. It still
amazed him at all that had come his way.
“What?” asked Nelson.
“Oh nothing sir.
I was just thinking about the last time I was in these parts. I haven’t been back here on the water since
my little sailing incident. I was just
thinking about how much has changed since then.
Back then I pretty much figured my stint in the Navy was most likely
over and you were personally going to ensure that I would never get the chance
to one day have my own command,” Lee replied chuckling.
Harri looked at him and laughed as well. “Well it was one hell of a challenge getting
you to a point where you could,” he said jokingly as he patted his ‘son’ on the
shoulder. Harri cringed mentally as the
memories of that whole fiasco flooded back.
They returned their attention to activities outside
the windows enjoying the water ballet of sorts. The seals were gorging
themselves on the fish and would from time to time swim over to the huge
submarine and observe the humans behind the Herculite. As the seals continued to feed one suddenly
stopped her pursuit of a fish and did what could only be described as a double
take as she spotted one of the men standing there. She moved closer to the windows and cocked
her head from side to side staring at the tall dark haired man while keeping
pace with the boat’s slow progress.
Unaware of the seal’s scrutiny Nelson and Crane
continued to chat about the acrobatic display outside the windows. As they talked Chip Morton, XO of the
Seaview, entered the nose with a current update on their ETA in Holy Loch. As he neared the skipper he noticed the seal
almost frozen in place seemingly staring at the captain. Chip laughed out loud, causing the two men to
turn and focus on him.
“What’s so funny Chip?” Nelson inquired.
“It looks like Lee has yet another admirer
Admiral. That seal has been staring at
him for the last few minutes; apparently it’s a she and she’s quite taken with
our skipper.”
Lee glared at Chip then both he and the admiral turned
and looked at the seal. As Lee regarded
the seal their eyes met and a surge of recognition flashed through him. He moved closer to the window to get a better
look. As his friends regarded his
reflection in the window they made out a slight smile and a hint of a blush. “I’ll be,” Lee said quietly.
“What Lee?” Chip asked.
Without answering Lee moved to the intercom. “Cookie this is the captain.”
“Cookie here, what can I do for you Skipper?”
“Would you send someone up to the observation nose
with a couple of hard boiled eggs, right away?”
“Uh, yeah…I mean yes sir, they’re on their way. Anything else you need with them?”
“No Cookie, just the eggs.”
Harri and Chip stared at Lee confused by his odd request. Lee returned to the window and continued
watching the seal. She disappeared
briefly to surface and grab a breath of air but returned to the window as well
to continue her observation of the man, her beautiful man.
A couple of minutes later one of the crewmen from the
galley entered the nose with a bowl containing two hard boiled eggs. “Here Skipper, Cookie said you wanted a
couple of eggs.”
“Thanks Thompson,” Lee replied as he took the eggs out
of the bowl. “That’s all,” he said
dismissing the man. He placed the eggs
in his pocket then turned back to the windows made eye contact with the seal
and pointed up. He then turned and walked
through the control room to the ladder leading to the conning tower and rapidly
climbed up.
“What’s he doing?” Chip whispered to the admiral.
“Got me, I haven’t a clue,” he replied a look of
concern clouding his face. “But I think we should find out.” He and Chip walked to the ladder and ascended
as well.
Arriving topside Lee relieved O’Brien of the
watch. “Head on down Bobby and warm up a
bit, I’ve got things here. Also when you
get down there bring the boat to all stop.”
“Aye sir,” O’Brien acknowledged as he waited for the
admiral and the XO to finish climbing into the tower.
“Lee what’s going on?
Why are you bringing the boat to full stop?” Nelson asked.
Lee just looked at him and smiled enigmatically. He pulled the eggs out of his pocket and
proceeded to rap them on the tower and peeled off the shells. As he tossed the shell over the edge a seal
suddenly popped up next to the sub eyeing the occupants of the tower closely.
Lee smiled broadly and tossed the first egg to the
seal. She let it hit the water, sniffed
it a couple of times then gobbled it down.
“It is you isn’t it?” he asked. The
seal barked loudly seemingly answering his question and Lee laughed out loud.
He lobbed the second egg towards her and she jumped from the water catching it
mid-air.
“Hello my beautiful star of the sea,” Lee called out
and the seal snorted and barked back in reply.
He laughed delighted by her response.
“It’s so good to see you again and it looks as though you’re doing well.” The seal seemed to nod in answer to his observation
and barked again at him.
Nelson and Chip looked at each other both becoming
more than a little concerned at their friend’s odd behavior.
Completely oblivious to the other men in the tower, the
seal and man locked eyes sinking into their welcoming depths just as they had
all those years ago. They seemed to
convey wordlessly all that had happened in their lives and how content and
happy they were at the way things turned out.
But there was also a tinge of sadness and longing for having moved on
without the other. They recalled their
sweet and lusty time on the island and both seemed to smile in embarrassment as
the memories washed over them.
Nelson, finally reaching his limit stepped forward and
placed a hand on his captain’s shoulder.
“Lee are you all right? What’s going on son?”
Nelson’s words and touch broke the spell and Lee and
Moire returned to the present. Lee
smiled once more at the seal and she snorted and barked a farewell then disappeared
beneath the surface.
Lee turned and smiled at his friends finally
acknowledging their presence. “I’m fine
Admiral, not to worry. I was just
renewing an old friendship,” he replied cryptically.
“Huh?” Chip replied.
“With a seal?”
“Yes Chip with a seal, a very special and cherished
seal,” Lee answered.
“Care to elaborate on that Lee?” Nelson interjected
his curiosity definitely piqued.
“I told you about her sir, she’s the same seal,” was
all Lee added. “Well shall we get back
to business?”
Harri stared at him for a moment trying to recall Lee
ever telling him about a seal, then the memory dawned on him. “Is that the same seal you said rescued you
after falling overboard during that storm?”
Lee smiled and nodded.
“Yes.”
“That seems highly improbable that the same seal would
be here and would recognize you after all this time, and vice versa.”
“As I told Chip, she is a very special seal,” Lee added with a sly smile.
Harri frowned at him and once again sifted through his
memories and that car ride back to the airport.
After a moment his eyes snapped back on his captain, the light bulb
suddenly flashing on after all those years.
“You’re telling me the third version of your rescue
was the truth?!” Harri exclaimed incredulously.
Chip looked on at a loss, having never heard anything but the ‘official’
account of Lee’s adventure.
Lee graced Harri and Chip with a Cheshire-like grin
then descended the ladder into the control room. “Resume course and speed to Holy Loch Mr.
O’Brien.”
The
End
Note: All
referenced stories are on Seaview Stories under Chris B.
1 A Surprising Shift
2 Nodens – Celtic god of the sea
3 Camulus – Celtic god of war and the sky
4 A Wild Heir