Dear Vickie Ch. 03

Chapter 3

As we walked into the JAG office I said "Hello again Sgt. Rester, we have a 0030 hrs appointment with Colonel Lane."

"I believe he is expecting you, I'll let him know you're here. Just a moment please."

Sgt. Rester went in the door and came back five minutes later saying, "Follow me please, the Colonel is ready for you now."

Tony and I went into his office and sat at the two chairs in front of his desk. He was on the phone, but about to hang up. We kept quiet and waited our turn for his attention. He soon hung up and turned to us. He had at first acknowledged us and then turned away to complete his call.

"Sgts Cummings and Mancini. So good to see you again. Boys, I have some good news and some even better news for you. Then I have some great news for the both of you."

"Let me start with the good news. Your lawyer in Florida will take your case for the divorce pro bono. His name is Walter Groenblat, he does the civil work, and Ernest Stein does the criminal cases. So no worries there. Also from the information that Mr. Sterling has obtained there will be no question of infidelity and adultery. With the evidence so far there should be no contest, especially since you are a military man on assignment overseas. Now for the even better news, your company is not going to be a part of the divorce, except she will have a claim to a part of the company. However that doesn't sound as bad as it sounds. Because her actions are the reason for the divorce, that will be considered by the judge. Now since her name is not on the company as an officer, her claim is fragile. Florida is not a community property state, but it does have a marital and non-marital property clause. Because you started the company while you were married, she is entitled to some compensation, depending upon the ruling by the judge. Mr. Groenblat is pretty sure that the judge will award her some monetary value of her work as an employee of the company. Is your wife paid by the company or do you both share the profits?"

"Colonel Lane, we both get a salary from the company, all profits go into a trust fund for our son's college. We keep a certain amount out for maintenance and supplies, but the rest goes into the trust. Why?"

"Son, you have to be the smartest husband I know or have a great advisor. With the company set up like that she can't touch a bit of the assets, they all belong to your son and the executer of the trust. Who is that, you or your wife? Please tell me it is someone else."

"Actually it is his Godfather Don Sterling. It's in our wills that if anything were to happen to us, he would take over the company, the custody of Sean and be executer of our estate as well as the trust. You know I'm not even sure Vickie remembers that we set up the trust. We can put money into it, but we can't withdraw any until Sean is eighteen."

"My God Boyd, who had you set this up this way?"

"My Dad did. He told me that that would be the best way for Sean to have the money when he needed it for college."

"What a stroke of genius. Your dad was right this trust is foolproof and only the executer or the parent can get the money for college for your son."

"Well actually it is for any and all of our children. I seem to remember that Dad had it written so that it would apply to all children, born of the union of Boyd and Victoria Cummings."

"Oh wow, that means that even if Vickie had another child by someone else, they wouldn't be covered by that part," said Tony.

"So long as we could prove that the child was not yours by a DNA and blood test."

"Oh my god, I just had a thought, what if Sean is not mine? Oh God, I don't want to even think about that." I broke down then.

The Colonel was on the phone in a moment, as soon as he found the phone number he was looking for. "Walter, this is Charles Lane again. Is there any chance we can get a DNA test run on the son, Sean Michael? - Yeah, saliva would be good. – check with the birth hospital, see if they did a work-up on him when he was born. A lot of hospitals do that now. - Yeah... do you have a copy of the trust fund set up for the boy's college? - Good, read it through very carefully. I think we got an iron clad document for that and Boyd tells me they both get paid a salary from his cleaning company and all profits go to the trust. – Yeah very smart move. – Uh huh - Yes - No - Alright, you get back to me as soon as you can. - Thanks... you too. Bye."

"Boyd, I'm more surprised by you and this case the more I find out. Now the great news. You two leave on a mission tomorrow night and you should only be gone about three or four days. You will get to calm way down before you're done with this and then maybe a day here and then you are homeward bound for fifteen days leave. Now I can swing Tony too if you think you will need him home with you. I can tell that you two have bonded into a partnership that is going to be a little hard to break up after this is all over."

"Colonel, as much as I would like Tony to come too, I don't think that is fair to him and besides Don will be there for me. Don and I met in basic training and we've been together since. He's kind of like my brother or maybe twin. But not like Tony and I, we're like twins for sure."

"I think anyone can see that is true. So what is the verdict, is Tony going or staying?"

"Sir, if I may say something on my behalf, I would love to go with Boyd, but I met someone yesterday. We have a lot in common, but I'm not sure where we are going with this, so if it's all the same to you I would like to stay. I don't have a girlfriend back home, either home; McGuire or Patrick and I would hate to lose this opportunity because I left for a while. I hope you understand Boyd."

"Tony, I would never forgive myself if I ruined your chance with Amy. She seems like the right girl for you. Growing up fifty miles apart gives you guys so much in common to start out with that I can't in good conscience be that selfish. Stay and I hope that there is something good for you to tell me when I get back here."

"Oh yes before I forget, I need you both to sign this faxed document. Boyd where is says your name and today's date and Tony where it says 'witness name'. I'll fax this back to Walter and we can work on getting Victoria served."

"Can we wait on serving her until I get home? I think I would like to surprise her with it after I get back home. Like maybe fifteen minutes after I walk into the house."

"Oh man Boyd, that is cold," Tony said.

"I just want to see the look on her face when she reads the papers. I think that will be some payback for the surprise I got with Don's phone call."

"Tony's right that is cold, but I heartily approve. If you can take a picture of her face, I would like to see that. That might give me a little boost in the payback department, even though it will be by proxy."

"No problem Colonel, I'll make sure that happens, just for you. But if her reaction is like I think it will be, I may blow it up to eleven by seventeen and hang it in the living room."

"I'm not too sure that would be right, what would your son think of that?"

"I guess you're right Colonel, but it sure would remind me that not all women can be trusted."

"I think that is a very true statement. Well I have more work to do, so why don't you two go back to your tent and see about some sleep. You may not get any for the next few days. I don't really know all the particulars of this next mission of yours, but Major Kelly assured me that you two were the only ones to accomplish this one. So good hunting and come back so we can get you on a plane ride back home."

"Thank you Colonel. For everything you have done so far and everything you still have to do. I'm not sure I really deserve all this help, but I thank you and I'm sure if my son knew, he would thank you too."

"That goes double for me too Colonel. Boyd is my best friend, like he said we're like twins, so what hurts one of us hurts us both."

"You both have something special in your relationship. I wonder what will happen once your tours are over and you have to be separated by transfers."

"Oh we already planned on that. We have talked about that when we are out in the field. We will be best friends for life. We will always know where we are and maybe, once we retire, we'll settle down in the same vicinity. Then again maybe not, who knows. My Dad has friends all over the world. He corresponds with them all about monthly. Some daily since they are all on the internet and e-mailing back and forth. They reminisce about the old days and talk about what they are doing now. Dad says that it really helps to have friends all over, that way you're never lonely or alone."

"You have a very smart dad, I think I may keep that in mind and see if I can contact some of my friends that I have lost touch with over the years. Since I'm still in the service some of them might be too and I will see if I can trace them down. Thank you, Boyd that is a great idea. Now go get some rest, I'll take care of things here and Walter will keep things working back home. Don't you worry about anything, but coming back mellow form your little outing."

"Thanks Colonel, for everything. See you soon."

"Thanks from me too Colonel, my brother needed help and I'm sure glad you were here for him."

"We do what we can Tony, that's why we are here, to help those needing help."

We left the Colonel's office and I stopped out at the reception area and told Lillian, Sgt. Rester, we will be gone for a couple of days, work you know. But when we get back, I know Tony here would like to see Amy again. And as for me, well... when I get back from...ah... handling my problem, I hope that you would be available to talk to too. I'm not trying to make any commitments or anything, but I'd like to get to know you better."

"Sgt. Cummings, I think I would like that a lot. I'm not attached right now and I think I may leave myself open to entertaining a flyboy for a change."

Tony piped in with, "Oh so no more ground pounders or jar-heads for you?"

"Now I wouldn't want to commit to that just yet, but I do know one jar-head that kinda likes a certain flyboy she met not long ago. You guys get out of here, I understand that you have some work to do... so go do it."

"Thank you Sgt, I hope to see you soon," I said as we walked out.

"Boyd I think we may have stumbled into something we need to contemplate long and hard on. Then either run like hell or stop running, I'm just not sure which right now."

"I think you are so right brother. Sleep does sound good right about now, though."

Five days later we are brought back in on a helicopter after our mission. Eight confirmed and four possibles. We hit a cave up in the mountains near Darreh. The insurgents were using a camouflaged tarp to cover the entrance. They would trek down this one valley and then about daybreak they would drive their vehicles into this cave and then wait for nightfall again to move back out and travel down the valley to resupply troops. We counted five trucks full of cargo and we think there were twelve men with the convoy. We followed them by infrared down the valley and then they kind of disappeared. I marked the area and we looked very close in the daylight. The second day we were there I noticed what looked like rock moving. That is when I noticed the tarp. Then it was just a matter of waiting for them to emerge into the night and pick them off. We later learned when the Marines moved in that there was really twelve confirmed dead and a huge cache of weapons, food and even bunks back in that cave. This was definitely a stopping over point for a major pathway down to the A1 highway.

When we got back we were floating on air we were so calm. I made an appointment to see Colonel Lane and he gave me my flight orders and some additional information. "Once you get back stateside, contact Major Kenneth Riley at this number. He will get you a flight down to Patrick. You will be flying into Atlanta and then to Fort Stewart for a courier flight to Patrick. Once there you will contact Walter Groenblat at this number. He will set you up with the process server. He will drive you home and then knock after fifteen minutes after you arrive. Now the big question is do you want to call your wife when you get to Atlanta or wait and surprise her."

"I think I would prefer that we be alone when she is surprised by the papers. What about Sean, where will he be?"

"It seems that your parents have arrived in Florida and are staying with your in-laws and Sean is with them this week, well he will be when you get stateside. They picked up Sean today and are keeping him until Wednesday of next week. You will be getting in on Monday afternoon, and if things go right you should be home by about 1400hrs. So calling her is up to you."

"Thanks for everything Colonel. I'll make sure I get that picture of her surprise. My cell phone takes good pictures."

"You have some things to pack and a ride to catch so you can make that surprise happen. I wish you luck."

"Thank you. I'll be back soon I hope. I'll grant temporary custody of Sean to my in-laws since they are right there."

"Walter already has that paperwork ready for your signature."

"Again Thanks."

"I'm here to serve our military, that what I'm doing."

I left and headed back to my tent and found Tony there with my bag all laid out and underwear and socks already packed. My extra uniforms were also packed. All I had left to pack was my toiletries and another pair of boots. All my class "A's" were back home. All I had here was my BDU's and some personal items. I hugged Tony and told him goodbye and went outside looking for my ride out of here.

A hummer was sitting outside the tent running and an Army PFC was holding the door open for me. I put my duffle bag in the back and we headed out to the flight line. From then forward the trip was a blur. I arrived in Atlanta at 6:00AM and was escorted to a waiting Army helicopter to take me to Fort Stewart. Once I arrived I had about an hour before my C-130 was due to take off for Patrick AFB, Florida. I had time to call Vickie.

"Hello."

"Hi Vickie, I'm in the states, well Georgia actually and I wrangled a flight home. I should be home this afternoon. I'll call when I get there at Patrick. I already have somebody that is going to drive me to the house. Ain't this great?"

"Boyd, your coming home today, but how, why, I mean wow! You said this afternoon, right? Do you know when exactly, I want to get ready for you. Your folks are here, well with my folks. They have Sean with them... wait you planned this all out to surprise me, right?"

"No my love, the only surprise I had in store for you was my visit. The other things are just gravy. I'll be home soon. I can't wait to see you and hold you again. I gotta run, see you soon, bye."

"Bye Baby, I love you."

I hung up then. I could hardly keep the anger out of my voice. It was hard, but I managed it. I controlled my breathing just like I did when I had someone set in my crosshairs. That calmed me down sufficiently so that I could go on. Now the slow ride to Patrick and then meet the courier to take me to my home.