Curtis Woodman Ch. 03

Ruth knew then who the contact was that the Horsemen had spoken too. Grandpa Zeek spat at Ruth's feet when she said she was marrying again. When Zeek asked if he was more educated than the last husband, Ruth had told him what Curtis had first told her, she even remembered that she smiled when she said the Curtis was a security consultant. Grandpa Zeek had to take one his pills to lower his blood pressure.

When the ambush went down and the husband was in the car, they envisioned nothing but a jumped-up security guard with a posh title. When his hand came into sight holding a Sig and when Curtis fought back, it shook them all.

"He admitted, Ruth, had they even had a suspicion that Curtis wasn't a soft target, they would have hosed the whole car down with automatic fire. It was the total contempt the contact had for Curtis that probably saved both your lives."

Freddy once again pointed at the flash drive in her hand and said. "When they figured out who you really where and who Curtis was, they knew it was only a matter of time before we came for them, so he gave us that to give to you."

Ruth looked at it with total distrust. She had to fight the urge to throw it into the trash. A hand rested on her arm and Ruth looked at Freddy, he was smiling.

"I gave it to JoJo, Ruth. She took it to friends of hers who play with these sorts of toys. It will open normally, Ruth. There is no spyware or anything that is going to make you have a really bad day. Only the money trail and the proof that the elders of your family conspired to have you killed and Becky returned to them in the States."

Tears formed in the corners of her eyes, hope perhaps.

"With that you can take back the family companies Ruth."

*******

A Year and a half later...

I looked out over the boat club from the apartment window above the clubhouse. It was our home for now; I was still healing, although I'm told that the limp will never leave me. I struggle to get onto a boat. As for following Munchkin onto the roof, well maybe in a year or so, dependent on the next round of physio.

"Daddy, Mom just phoned from the airport."

Becky was told by her mom that she needed to do her homework before we took the boat out. Of course, with Ruth at the airport and heading back to the States for a couple of weeks, she wouldn't know that we took the boat out first and she did her homework before going to bed.

"I'll get the Ortiz ready, and you get Hope ready."

The conspiratorial tone was amusing. Ruth knew what we were doing, Sarah would have told her if her own maternal instincts hadn't kicked in already.

"Ok Munchkin, but no taking her socks off this time okay? She's still too young."

I watched her eyes roll; I swear she learned that from JoJo.

"But Daddy, she has to learn, when you're on the deck, you do so in bare feet."

"Munchkin, she's just turned a year old. I think we can give her another couple of years before we take her down that route, who knows, she may not even like boats."

Becky's jaw genuinely dropped in shock and her eyes went real wide.

"Don't like boats? Daddy, are you sure you and Mommy picked up the right baby from the hospital on the way out?"

She must have heard me laughing as she left the apartment. It was my day off. I had officially retired from the Unit now. I'm just too banged up to pass another physical. I swear I saw Ruth do a fist pump when I told the family that.

My ex-boss tried to promote Freddy and he went over his head and went to visit General Brownlow. That could have cost his career, but fortunately, I had already had a conversation with God's Brother. We are an unusual bunch; the rules only apply to us when we need them to. God's Brother and I had our own conversation. JoJo now runs the Unit.

Freddy's turn in command while I was still in hospital was enough for him. He had found his niche within the Unit. He just loved administration; he was the oil that kept the Unit going. Taking the lead for awhile was fine, but Freddy was one of life's second in commands. He thrived on what others, like me, ran from, paperwork.

JoJo was a ball of fire when she found out that Freddy and I had put her name forward to take command of the Unit. She actually threatened to shoot me when she found out. It took Maggie and Ruth to sit her down and tell her that this was what had been planned between Freddy and I all along. I stayed just long enough for JoJo to finally catch on.

The Keyleigh Ortiz roared into life and after placing Hope out of the breeze, I cast off and Keyleigh pulled away from the mooring. The two women on the Becky Ortiz waved as they sunbathed. It was an interesting conversation I had with JoJo, she said she would only take the job if Ashley and her could move out of my boat and buy Becky's. An eavesdropping Becky screamed 'deal' before I had a chance to draw breath and refuse.

Becky wasn't stupid; she went to her mom and said that if JoJo and Ashley bought her boat, she would still have all her friends nearby. She is a very forward-thinking daughter. In retaliation for her thoughtfulness, I offered to leave the canal boat to her in my will. That boat, in a round about way had brought us all together after all, so it did seem logical to keep her in the family.

For now, our two daughters and I stay in England. Ruth goes back to run her company as well as the family one. With generations of dominance from the old men, who are mostly facing trial and major jail time, it's taking time for the family to get used to the freedom they have now. Ruth is waiting for planning permission to convert two of the rooms from the apartment into an office. Once that's done, her travel with be cut in half.

Sarah and Gil flat out refuse to retire, and I thank them daily for that commitment. I get my hands dirty along with Gil now, helping out around the club, hence my day off.

As we gently motor passed the clubhouse, Becky is already setting up a chair and pulling her socks off. Hope is wrapped up tight and fast asleep next to me.

The End.