Curtis Woodman Ch. 02

"My job keeps me in England, for now."

Since I was looking out at the view, I didn't see her stare at me. If I had, it would have forewarned me of what was coming.

"So, what is your job. What exactly do you do Curtis?"

My standard answer to civilians came to my lips; and, turning to look directly at Ruth showed me she expected an answer, perhaps just not the one she was getting.

"I'm a security consultant."

She tried but she couldn't hide her anger fast enough, her eyes told on her. Ruth's emotions were all over the place.

She looked at Becky who was sleeping in my arms.

"I asked for a copy of the alley incident, twisting an arm or two got it to me three days later. I gave it to my head of security, and he took it away with him. He called me to his office later that afternoon and he went through the report a page at a time. He was a captain in the Marine Corps, Curtis, so you can imagine what I'm going to say next can't you."

I'm not sure who would ever win this game of poker between us, but it was Ruth who just wouldn't let go.

"He told me you're not only a soldier, but also, A: still active and B: special forces. He went through the locations of each shell casing of the gun you took from the driver and where each of the bullets ended up. Heart and head Curtis. It also explained why you covered your face and continued to wear sunglasses."

Ruth clearly wanted to say more. She also seemed to forget that I'm not married to her, so I didn't have to listen. We got a cab back to the docks where the coaches were unloading the tourists because departure would be in a couple of hours. I handed a sleeping Becky to her mother who held her close and thanked me, before taking a step back.

"This is the most she has slept since the alley incident, because she knows she's in the arms of the man who looked after her." She wanted to say more and yet something was holding her back.

Her inner anger won out in the end when she said. "Sarah and I talked about you once. To them you're the son they never had. She told me she's seen you without a shirt once and that your body is all busted up."

It looked like she wanted to stop right there, but the turmoil within her just got too much. "You saved my baby and for that I will be forever grateful." Her face hardened just then and the love of a mother for her child said. "But I can't get involved with you, your damaged goods Curtis, and I can't risk you exploding and hurting my baby."

Taking a step back was easy, walking away from those two, the hardest thing ever. She had her own opinion, plus of course she was always free to express it, and in her mind, she was right. As for me, it was also time to return home.

*******

On the flight back I closed my eyes to stop the guy next to me from talking. The smell of alcohol was strong enough to warrant a breathalyzer if the police caught him driving. Great, now I've got to put up with a drunk sitting next to me on the journey home.

The nice flight attendant tried to talk to him, but he just said that he would only listen to her if she had a bottle of bourbon in her hand and was free to party. I had already figured out his height and weight, the rest was merely timing, which was almost immediate. Since they were just about ready to join the que for take-off, all eyes were on other things like stowing away last-minute luggage and checking seat belts. That's when my elbow connected at just the right angle.

He let out a slow moan that could barely be heard; I helped sleeping boy rest his weary head against the back of his seat. By the time that the plane was at cruising altitude, we were both asleep. Mind you, the mood I was in, if anyone referenced us that we look like bookends, I may have had to really hurt someone. I woke about half an hour before landing, and sleeping boy was awake but behaving himself. He was really quick to buckle up when the sign came on as well.

The pretty flight attendant was by the door thanking everyone. When I got level with her, she took a step forwards, placed her hands on my shoulders, and then leaned in and kissed my cheek. I didn't remember this being in the welcome or even the good-bye pack. Then with a great big smile, she thanked me. When I used my very best confused look she just winked, and when her hands left my shoulders, she took that step back again. It seems I did have a witness to my indiscretion.

If my holiday didn't suck so bad already, it was totally in the shitter by the time I got back in England. When I turned my cell on, there was already a message from Sarah as well as my boss; my boss won out. It seems that God's brother had taken it upon himself to act as an intermediary between two of the commonwealth countries. He was flying down there at the end of the week.

His usual security team was, of course surrounding him. The Unit got there ahead of him and we 'tourists' watched his plane land, we then wandered around looking at everything. My orders were simple; a classic hide and seek operation for us. Hide in case it all went south and the security people were overwhelmed, and then seek out God's brother and get him the hell out of Dodge, preferably, NOT in front of television cameras.

Their seemed to be a lot of posturing and chest thumping going on with all three of the leaders, but after the second day, things calmed down. Then towards noon of the fourth day, bits of paper were signed in front of the world's press and God's brother got on a plane three hours later. Me and my 'tourists' took the scenic route to the border and left via a boat waiting for us in the neighboring country. We arrived back home two days later with God's brother all over the news channels telling the world what wonderful people the commonwealth was made of. Yep, you have just got to love a politician.

*******

Since we are such a small group and seem to be invisible to everyone, we don't actually own any turf; no barracks any of us get to call home anyway. So, for practicalities sake, we sort of hived off a section of barracks and made it ours. It was close enough to London in preparation of a worst-case scenario, but also far enough away that bureaucratic eyes don't look far enough to find us.

Which is fine for us. Then regiments get rotated and move out, just as another bunch move in, and find us sitting there. Admin officers wander up and scratch their heads. The smart ones talk and don't shout. Most of the time we work on the basis of, 'we won't bother you if you don't bother us.'

But on a few occasions my own boss had to come down and have a chat with the regiment's commanding officer. Of course, once that happens, we're treated like lepers, which we've learned to live with. It just seems a shame since we're all supposed to be on the same side.

I heard knocking on my open door. I was about to bitch at the person actually knocking on an open door, when luckily for me, I looked up first. Colonel Franklyn was a tall man and one of those officers that every single one of his troops respected. When they did a forced march around the periphery of the camp's grounds, for instance, you would always see him at the front, and carrying just as much as each of his troops.

Then of course, his Regimental-Sergeant-Major was always just a few paces behind him. Now, he too stood in the corridor, blocking anyone but his boss from entering my office. Out of respect for his rank. I stood and saluted Colonel Franklyn. Even my first observations of this moment showed me he really did not want to be here.

"May I come in?"

Still caught off balance by this moment, it took a second to regroup and wave him in and offer him a chair. The Sergeant-Major closed the door, leaving us alone inside. It was not until he sat that I saw the file he had had in his hand land, on the desk. It was face-down so I couldn't glean anything from it until he was ready to tell me.

"I suspect my being here will start the rumor mill. I would ask that you use the same reason I intend to use, and that is that I'm chewing you a new one for your people leaving their vehicles at the wrong end of the motor pool again."

Our eyes locked for a moment. That was probably the most he had willingly said to me in the almost three years his regiment had been at this camp. Still unsure where this was leading and really happy I had my boss on speed dial, I slowly nodded my head.

I watched and waited until he leaned over and pushed the folder towards me. By his manner I could tell he still didn't want me to touch it yet. Hell, this was his show, so I let him run with it.

"Major Woodman, I have a soldier I can't place. She's put the time in and is next in line for Regimental-Sergeant-Major. RSM Johnson has only held that post just shy of two years. He's one of the best I've worked with, and I want to keep him; however, I don't want to lose her either, but I may have no choice. Today she put in a request for a transfer to your people."

I was already shaking my head. "I'm sorry Sir, but my unit has a numbers limit, that and we don't take requests for transfer. When we want people, we go out and find them ourselves."

This time he stood; I was a fraction of a second behind him.

"Well General Brownlow and I would like you to at least read her personnel file, as a favor."

I don't think he saw me salute him as he and the RSM left the building. The file continued to sit on my desk while I just stared at it. Freddy came in and asked if I was okay. My first response would have been in the negative; however, I now have a General and a Colonel peering over my shoulder.

"It's times like this Freddy that remind me why I hate politics. Find JoJo, and I will need you both at the boat later this evening."

"Any clue's, cos you know JoJo's going to ask me why?"

My stare finally left the still untouched folder on my desk. He started to fidget and wondered if he really had spoken out of turn.

"Just remind her, like I'm going to remind you. That I'm the boss."

*******

This would be close to three months since I left the boat; I've lived in rooms at the officer's mess since I got back from Malta. At first it was easier for me since we had our trip to contend with, then I just stayed at the mess because I didn't want to go to my boat. Sarah would text me from time to time in the form of an official looking memo telling me what the new owners were doing to and for the club.

Every time I got one of those, it felt like another reason why I didn't want to go to the boat. I just didn't want the drama. Except, I'm now standing in front of the Ortiz and it didn't even have any dirt on it. The windows shined and everything was tied up and stowed away. I was still looking at my boat; not even sure I should go near it when Sarah came up behind me.

"If you had bothered to answer my texts and phone calls, then you wouldn't be all that shocked at the condition of your boat."

I let my eyes wander one more time before I turned to her and asked. "Okay, I give in. What's going on here?"

"Every morning she's here, Becky comes over, puts on a life jacket and cleans your boat from pointy end to blunt end." She saw me smile because I had used that same term the first time I talked to people from the club about canal boats. "She wanted to clean the inside but that wasn't happening. As per our agreement, I'm the only one with a key, and the only one allowed to enter without you being present."

Her smile faltered, and a sadness crept in when I said. "I would prefer it if you kept both the Forbes-Hamilton women away from my boat."

"Can't do that Curtis, they own the boat club remember?"

My answer was unrehearsed, but the venom in my voice was just as undisguised. "Then consider today as the start of my sixty-day notice."

Sarah went white and a part of me felt ashamed that I chose her to lash out at. She looked ready to cry when I held out my hand and waited. Her own hand went into her pocket and came out with a key I recognized. We both had so much we wanted to say; pride is very much the enemy of any friendship, that was for sure.

I tossed my bag into my boat and started the engine. Freddy and JoJo turned up a few minutes later. I cast off soon after they were aboard, and they sat downstairs reading the file while I found us a quiet spot. I tied up but sat on the roof for a moment, finally smiling when the birds gave us their song. I still gave it one more good long look around before I got off the roof and went below to join my friends.

JoJo thrust a coffee in my hand as I came down the stairs. She leaned her ass against the kitchen top and glanced out the window and down the footpath from time to time while I sat on the chair she had clearly just vacated. I went into as much detail as I could remember about the meeting, also reminding them both that I had yet to read the file myself.

The sudden movement from JoJo stopped all conversation. She even instinctively reached into her jacket before looking at me. "We've got company; two males, early to mid-twenties and look like they can handle themselves, following some girl. Ten-ish and blonde, looks like she's crying."

I got out of the door and was looking at her when she practically jumped off of her bicycle, ran the last few yards to my boat, and then launched herself at me as her crying only seemed to increase. The two 'gentlemen' were not impressed that I had their charge wrapped so tightly around me. Freddy and JoJo still knew nothing about the situation but winged it anyway when they came out of the boat and stood between me and them.

"Ma'am, Sir. You need to get out of the way. The young lady is in our care and we need to take her back to her momma."

JoJo simply stared at the one in front of her for a moment and then smiled at him. That's when even I took a step back, then another when she said. "Are you married, have children, do you even want children?"

The bodyguard wasn't sure what way this conversation was going, not to mention that I still hadn't surrendered the little girl back to him. Freddy continued to watch the other guy while JoJo took her new friend to pieces in five moves, and that was only because he managed to block the first two. He was still rolling around on the ground with his hands between his legs when Ruth came up the path. She spoke to the other guy in Italian for a few minutes and then looked at me.

"Bring her back by eight this evening." She paused and watched the wounded bodyguard get up off the ground, then turned back to look directly at me once again "You've proved me right already Curtis. Your sixty-day notice is acceptable."

With that, Ruth turned and walked down the footpath, both bodyguards following her, although one of them walked a little slower than the others. I still had a sobbing child in my arms, so all of us went back to the boat and inside. Freddy quickly put the file back together and placed it in one of the cupboards out of sight, while JoJo set about calming a crying eight-year-old.

"Are you Curtis's friends?"

JoJo smiled and shook her head. "Sorta sweetie, we are friends but, he's my boss."

Becky stiffened and the crying stopped. "I'm not sweetie, my name is Becky." Then she looked up at me, shrugged and then looked back at JoJo before saying, "But Curtis calls me munchkin. I still don't know if I like that name yet, so until I decide, I will let him keep calling me that."

Freddy decided to look real busy so he could hide his smile, and I pulled a drink out of the fridge and handed it to Becky. She thanked us as she drank from it. When Becky asked if we could all go for a ride in the boat, I figured why not. So I started the engine while Freddy released the ropes, and we were off.

Bossy Becky took over after that when she insisted that her new friend JoJo was to walk the roof with her and that she must take off her shoes and socks first.

Becky's face became really serious when she said. "Curtis says it's the rules and if you refuse and fall in, I'm not going to pull you out."

Freddy had to dive back into the cabin so he could laugh. My stomach muscles ached for hours later that evening. We stopped at the riverside pub. Everyone got fed and entertained by an eight-year-old, and we had her back in her mother's arms by seven thirty.

My intention was to tie my boat up and go back to the officer's mess at camp, JoJo refused to leave her seat at the table until I sat down. She had obviously talked to Freddy about what she planned, because he sat by the door watching the night's activities of music and dance coming from the clubhouse.

"Boss. When did you go to America? The lady told her bodyguards that you were the one that saved Becky from the kidnapping. The one I put on the floor was the brother of one of those that died out there. When did this happen and why am I listening to it from one of the richest women in America?"

I stared at JoJo. "Let me guess, the Italian thing between them?"

She nodded. "Yes, and you're also stalling."

*******

This was new territory for me. I explained my visiting friends on our leave and that the once-leader of my team's wife had died. Then I explained the unplanned visit to the states and of course the kidnapping attempt and the death of the bodyguards trying so hard to keep Becky out of the hands of people planning to make money off the back of stealing her from her mother.

I then rolled up my sleeve and told them both that with the sleeve around my face and acting as a disguise, along with my sunglasses of course. Becky got to see the tattoo and every detail lodged themselves into the memory of an eight-year-old.

"Despite everything I did to hide myself, my giveaway was my arm. Ruth then gave that information to her private investigators and the rest, as they say, is history."

Freddy's eyes went wide then. "So there actually were people out there watching you?"

I nodded my head, and to ease his guilt, I told how electronic they were with their snooping.

I locked up the boat soon after that. Our meeting about the file had been placed on hold for the evening, admittedly it couldn't be helped, but this file still needed addressing. All three of us were seated in my office with the door closed at ten the next morning, going over everything, and most importantly, why us.

It was JoJo that spotted it first and said. "Boss, I think she's lying."

She handed me the sheet of paper in her hand.

"Her regiment arrived here mid-June. According to this, three months later she started applying for all the courses that would make her resume look good if you were reading it. Hand to hand combat courses, sniper school, advanced infantry courses, survival courses. As soon as she came off one course, she applied for another. I still don't know how she managed to even get all these courses considering the rank she carries, but she did. This wasn't to get the RSM's job. She wants out and she wants in with us."

I pulled out the small picture of her that was clipped to the inside of the folder and handed it to Freddy.

"Take that and show the boys, ask them if they have seen or talked to her."

Freddy nodded and left the room, JoJo still sat in her seat.

I wasn't sure why until she said. "She's cute."

"All eight-year-olds are."

"I meant the mother."

Our eyes locked and neither of us were budging on this.

"This is my private life, and you need to take a real big step back from it JoJo."

"Can't do that boss. This is the Unit, we all know every name of every family member and, I might add, we all know every birthday in it. Us girls go shopping together and we all know that we are part of the family that has 'Unit' as our combined last name. 'When one falls, we all pick them up'. You instilled that into those in uniform, and the wives and girlfriends stole that from you, and included it in our lives.