Heavy Traffic

"Okay," said Sean. "In an hour I will still be able to swing east and then south if our guess about Atlanta is wrong, but I'm ninety-five percent certain of their destination."

"I agree," said Kirby. "Start towards Atlanta and I'll monitor things on this end and keep you posted. I'm also going to see who we may have currently at the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center near Brunswick that we may be able to use on this. Let me know your planned route as soon as you have it."

"Will do. Thanks, Uncle Kirby."

"Semper Fi Marine.

"Semper Fi," said Sean, but the call had been ended.

"What does 'Semper Fi' mean?" asked Amanda. Sean hadn't noticed her standing on the other side of the counter and wondered how long she had been there. Her natural beauty was radiant, and once again startled him. She was a little thin due to her captivity, and she didn't have a gym-trained body, but her overall physique was toned and screamed of exposure to nature. Her flawless skin and sun-kissed complexion were more tantalizing to him than any woman he had met in all his worldly travels.

"It's short for 'Semper Fidelis' which is Latin for 'Always Faithful'. It is the motto of the United States Marine Corps. My Uncle Kirby was also a Marine. In fact, he was my inspiration for joining."

"Oh, Okay."

She stood with damp hair, but in the same clothes that she had on before she had taken her shower. Her raw, wholesome beauty was even more obvious to Sean as she stood there smiling at him. Her wet hair and natural appearance suddenly reminded him of what he found familiar about her.

He thought back to one point in his youth when his parents had taken him to New York with them on a business trip. Among the items on their agenda was a meeting with the PR firm they had selected for a new ad campaign. Sean remembered his mother going through stacks of photos of the models they were considering, and how taken she had been with one in particular. The model was not able to find time in her busy schedule to work on the campaign, but Sean remembered her name to this day; Elle MacPherson.

Amanda stood before him now and Sean knew his mother would have been just as taken with her as she had been with Elle. She held a clean dry towel and a pair of scissors.

"Feel better?" Sean asked.

"Heaps better," she said. "Being able to wash the touch of those animals off me was wonderful. I hope you don't mind, but I used your razor. Thank you again."

"No problem at all. I'm glad I was there to help. Now, we need to get ready to go. The ship has already docked and the container with the girls is likely on a truck headed for Atlanta. If we leave now, we can arrive at the same time, or maybe even beat it there. We have a drone monitoring it so we'll know if they stop and begin to let people off, but our guess is that they want to get the entire cargo to Atlanta for distribution. Let me make a few more phone calls because once we leave here, it will be at least an hour before we get into decent cellular coverage."

First, he called Gideon James back.

While the phone was ringing, Amanda came up behind Sean and placed the towel over his shoulders. He looked back at her questioningly. She simply held up the scissors for him to see and then smiled at him as she took several locks of his hair between two of her fingers and began to cut. This act felt somehow natural to Sean, so he turned back to the phone and let her continue without objection.

"Hi Gideon," Sean said when the phone was answered. "You're going to have to deal with the situation at your cabin on your own for right now. The FBI is probably going to want to get a statement from you about who you informed about your trip. I need you to leave me out of this as much as possible. As one of my lawyers, I assume you can manage that alright?"

"Not a problem. How did you get the FBI involved so quickly? They generally wait for a request from local authorities before getting involved in something like this."

Sean explained, "The situation is being handled now as a matter of national security which takes it out of the hands of all local and state authorities. I wouldn't advise that you mention that fact yet or some of the rats will flee the ship before assets get in place to catch them. This goes deeper than just a rural county Sheriff. Several others have to be involved for them to think that they could bring a container full of young girls into the United States without fear of discovery."

"I wish I could get a flight out today, but I've already checked and the best I can do is a flight into Tallahassee through Atlanta late tomorrow morning," Gideon said.

"How fast could you get to Dulles?" asked Sean as he continued to feel foreign sensations every time Amanda touched his face, neck or head while she tenderly combed and cut his hair.

"I'm about thirty minutes from there right now," Gideon replied.

"Don't go to the main terminal, but have someone direct you to the World Wings FBO building. I'll make arrangements for a private jet to fly you back today."

"Where will they fly me to?" asked Gideon. "Can they fly me to Decatur County Airport in Bainbridge?"

"That would be ideal," said Sean, "and I don't see why they couldn't. I could also see about having you met there by the FBI who could drive you to your cabin and get your statement along the way. Let me see what I can work out and get back to you."

Sean hung up and checked the time. He smiled up at Amanda in appreciation as he called his father's former secretary Maureen McKenna.

"Mr. Wallace's office," said a professional female voice.

"Hi, Moe, it's Sean. Why did I know you would be in this early?"

"Sean! It's wonderful to hear your voice. Is everything okay?"

"I'm fine, Moe, but I don't have a lot of time to chat right now and I need you to handle a few things for me with the highest priority. Can you do that?"

Without hesitation, Maureen said, "I'm always at your service Sean. What do you need?"

Sean explained the flight arrangements that he wanted to be made for Gideon James. As soon as he was finished giving her the details, he sensed something in her silence.

"Is there a problem, Moe?" he asked.

"I don't think there will be a problem, but Mr. Folsom is out of the office today and if I don't track him down to get the approval..."

"Moe, Tom Folsom doesn't have to approve any directions I give to you. You work for me, personally. Tom Folsom works for me, and then only in a limited capacity. If I need to remind him of that, I'll be more than happy to do so."

"I'll make the arrangements, Sean, but you already know a few things have changed since you have been out. You may want to go ahead and remind Mr. Folsom before he completes his purge of anyone loyal to you. That's all I'm going to say on the matter right now."

"Give me Tom's cell number," Sean said.

She read him the number, "I'll call you back as soon as the arrangements are made."

"No, you won't be able to reach me on my cell for at least an hour so just call Gideon James at the number I gave you so he knows that he's good to go."

"Okay, Sean," said Maureen. "Will we be seeing you anytime soon?"

"It sounds like that may be a real possibility," Sean told her as he hung up.

He immediately called Tom Folsom's cell phone and left a message requesting a return call.

Amanda had been quietly listening to Sean on the phone as she finished cutting his hair and removed the towel from his shoulders. Her mother had always cut her father's and brother's hair, but she taught Amanda how to do it so that she could help out with the station's hands.

Her experience cutting the hair of dozens of men had never provided Amanda the satisfaction she was feeling with this intimate task for a man she had met less than two hours earlier. Amanda became aware of how important it was to her for this haircut to please Sean.

She could tell that his last conversation bothered him, but she didn't want to interrupt him to ask any questions. She found a broom and began cleaning his cut hair from the floor around the base of his stool.

Sean called his uncle back, "Uncle Kirby, I have made arrangements for Gideon James, the owner of the cabin where the three Tangos are waiting, to fly back into Decatur County airport today. It might be a good idea to have the FBI meet him when he arrives to get his statement about what he told Morgan Smith. Can you arrange that?"

"Do you have his flight details?" asked Kirby.

"Not yet, but if you still have my dad's office number, you can call that. His former assistant, now mine is named Maureen McKenna. She is making the arrangements right now and will have all the details you need shortly."

"I remember Moe and I've got the number. I'll give it half an hour before I call."

"Thanks," said Sean. "We're going to be leaving here in the next few minutes and I will be out of pocket until we hit cell coverage about an hour from now. I've decided that we'll be headed towards Georgia Highway 300 which will take us through Albany before meeting up with Interstate 75. I'll call you as soon as we have a signal so we can get an update."

"Talk to you then," said Kirby as he ended the call.

Sean stood, walked into the kitchen and looked at his reflection in the microwave. He ran his fingers through his hair as he turned to Amanda.

"Wow. This is the best cut I have ever had. I like the length and style a lot. How did you know?"

Amanda finished dumping the clippings into a trash can before answering. She could barely contain the elation she felt.

"I have spent enough time around a station and in remote areas to recognize when a man's hair is long due to neglect rather than design. Your hair was obviously bothering you, so I wanted to take care of it for you. I hope I wasn't too presumptuous in my actions."

"You won't hear anything but appreciation from me. I was seriously contemplating how to cut it myself, but that would have entailed just shaving my head. I like your style much more, so thanks again. It's perfect."

Amanda glowed at Sean's appreciative praise. "The pleasure was all mine. I am at your service whenever you need a touch-up. If circumstances later permit, your neck could use a little more attention to tidy things up some."

An image of standing naked in a shower as she shaved his neck flashed across her consciousness and Amanda hoped the blush she felt wasn't too visible.

Sean simply nodded as he walked across the room and collected a packed duffle bag from a closet by the front door.

"You pack fast," said Amanda.

"I had already packed before heading out to check my traps. My original plans for today were for me to drive to Atlanta and then head to Tennessee tomorrow morning. My hibernation had to end sometime and you happened to catch me as I am exiting my cave, so to speak."

"I'm honored to witness your awakening," said Amanda.

Sean sensed that she was going to be a bigger part of his awakening than merely being a witness to it. He set an intrusion sensor and locked the front door of his cabin. He then led Amanda out of the backdoor and locked it. Continuing to the garage, he opened the door revealing a shiny silver Volvo XC-90 SUV. Pushing a button on the remote, he unlocked the doors and opened the passenger door for Amanda. She climbed in as Sean went to the driver's side.

As he settled behind the wheel she said, "You'll have to forgive me if I seem to be reaching for the steering wheel from time to time. Where I come from it is usually on this side of the car."

Sean laughed and said, "You'll probably be too focused on trying to find the brake pedal to worry about steering. I'm a pretty aggressive driver."

"Hit me with your best shot," she said as she buckled her seat belt and tied her hair into a ponytail. "What about your generator? Do you leave it running all the time?"

"It starts up only when the batteries that power most of the house need charging. With the solar power system and plenty of sunny days, there is enough fuel stored for it to run continuously at least another two weeks if necessary. If I'm not back to close things up for the summer then I'll make arrangements for a diesel delivery far enough in advance to keep it running until I do return."

Amanda sat in silence as they drove, but her mind never drifted from the thoughts of the man beside her. He was obviously more than a warrior, with apparent resources and skills that belied his attempts to seem more primitive and simple than he actually was. His military training could explain his physique and the tidiness of his home, but not his gentleness. He certainly wasn't lacking for money, if his house and car were any indications, but he didn't offer any suggestion that he wanted to discuss his true occupation so she didn't pursue it.

They were just entering Bainbridge when Sean asked Amanda. "Do you know what a Wal-Mart is?"

"I'm familiar with them," she said, "but I've never shopped at one.

"Do you have a clear enough idea of what you would want to purchase that if I stopped at a Wal-Mart you could run through the store and make your selections without a lot of decisions?"

"As long as the store has signs indicating where specific items were located, I could get everything pretty quick. I don't need much really; just undies, daks, and a pair of shoes that fit would cover me for days."

"What are 'daks'?"

"I'm sorry," Amanda said with a laugh. She had a soft laugh that resembled a purr. Sean knew at once that she had no idea just how sexy it was.

"Daks are slang for pants in Australia. I'll try to be more considerate in my language."

"Please don't. I would love to learn more slang from Australia if you don't mind explaining it to me when you use it. Anyway, I don't want to rush you that much. Maybe you could select the underwear, daks and shoes while I picked up shampoo or other toiletry items you might want."

"I can be a girly girl when circumstances call for it, Sean, but it's not who I am. I was raised on a sheep and cattle station and have dedicated my life to helping orphans in remote underdeveloped countries. Shampoo is not important to me unless it matters to you."

"What's a 'station'? Is that like a ranch or a farm?"

Amanda smiled and said, "Very good! You're picking up the slang already."

"I just want you to be as comfortable as circumstances permit. There's no reason to play the martyr and forsake either hygiene or comfort unnecessarily."

"You are absolutely and uncategorically the sweetest thing I have ever seen. I'll tell you what, I'll go get the clothes and you can go find me some decadent chocolate to eat. It's too early for a beer, but you can buy me one of those later. How's that?"

"A girl who likes beer and chocolate but doesn't want to shop till she drops. I'll be beating guys off you for the rest of my life," he teased.

"American boys are so easy," she said in mock exasperation.

True to her word, when Sean stopped at the Wal-Mart in Bainbridge, Amanda had selected shoes, packages of panties and socks, three T-shirts, and two pairs of jeans before he had decided on which chocolate to buy her. She teased him about this until they returned to his car. Amanda also noticed that almost every woman in the store stole a glance at Sean, and once she had joined him at the checkout lanes, the visible envy of her being with this man was obvious. Once back inside his car she immediately went about changing out of the sweat pants into fresh panties and a pair of the new jeans without any consideration for Sean seeing her change her underwear in the process, although she did notice him deliberately avoiding looking in her direction as she changed. The old panties, bra, sweatpants, Gideon James' socks, T-shirt, and Tango Three's shoes were tossed into the far back section of the Volvo SUV. Amanda then relaxed in her seat as Sean drove them north towards Atlanta.

After a few miles, she said, "Thanks for the clothes. I'll pay you back as soon as I can get my status here straightened out."

"Don't give it a second thought," Sean told her. "I am glad to treat you to your first American clothes."

After a few more miles she said, "Sean, since we're going to be driving for a while, do you want to talk about your recent hibernation?"

Sean was surprised. Yes, he was surprised that Amanda had remembered his earlier comments and decided to explore them, but he was more surprised by his not being averse to the idea of sharing his history with someone else. Maybe it was just the right time, but he suspected it was more that Amanda was the right person to share this with.

"The impetus for it was a betrayal by my former fiancée, named Kimberly DuPont. We met while I was attending Vanderbilt University for my MBA. I had completed my undergraduate degree prior to joining the Corps and felt that I owed it to my father's legacy to take my education to the next level. We met at a fitness event on campus, though I was there only because it was on my normal cycle training route. She was handing out water bottles promoting some local gym, and I was thirsty so I took one and we started to talk. A few days later we ran into each other on campus and she suggested we meet later for drinks. Now that I think back on it, our chance encounters seemed awfully coincidental. Anyway, after dating for about nine months I proposed and she accepted."

"Why?" Amanda asked.

"Good question. I guess I felt it was the logical thing to do. Kimberly and I always seemed to have a good time together. I missed her when we were apart, and I could envision spending the rest of my life with her. I recognize now that I had become comfortable with her more than actually loving her."

"So, what happened?"

"From the beginning, Kimberly had this strange rule that she wanted to have friends who were male, and according to her, no threat to her and me, but she always wanted to keep them secret from me. She felt that she needed to have someone who she could get an unbiased male perspective from to better understand how she could please me. I wasn't so insecure that the idea of her having male friends threatened me, but I always had issues with her insistence that they be kept secret."

"I broke off our engagement when she was hanging out two or three nights each week with her friend Mark, but still refused to introduce him to me. A couple of weeks later she came to me claiming that she had ended her friendship with Mark because I couldn't handle it. I wasn't mollified, but after a month or so of her not seeing her male friends, the engagement was back on."

"Within a month of us setting a date for the wedding, she said that her brother, Jim was coming to town and she wanted to spend some time with him. I said that was great and that I looked forward to meeting him, but she could never find a convenient time for the three of us to get together. She and her brother would meet for lunch, dinner, and drinks, but never at a time where I might be able to join them."

"Suspicious," said Amanda.

"You think? So, the next time that my schedule conflicted with a dinner that she had planned with her brother I decided to surprise them. I arrived at the restaurant about five minutes after her and waited in the parking lot for her to greet her brother in the foyer of the restaurant. Let's just say that they were a very passionate family. It was almost as if they were flouting their relationship for everyone to see. Once they were seated, I asked for a table across the partition from them so I could hear them but they couldn't see me."

"Well, it should go without saying that her brother Jim was actually her friend Mark. Also, Kimberly had apparently learned from someone who my father was and this is what prompted her to conveniently bump into me so often when we first met. She sat at that table with Mark discussing the five-year timeline she had for her marriage to me before she would be entitled to half of my assets and after she divorced me, they could then live happily ever after. I walked around to their table, asked her for my ring back and when Mark tried to be chivalrous, I laid him out with a squeeze to his Brachial plexus. I then forcibly removed the engagement ring from Kimberly's finger and walked out never to see her again."