Rough Pt. 05

Rough - Part 5 - Eastern Shore Real Estate

The two Seals arrived at Fort Belvoir from Little Creek by midafternoon the following day. Kevin introduced his new partner, Navy Lt. Commander Sam Williams, who looked a lot like his fellow Seal. Medium height, deep tan, lots of muscle and a ready smile.

He said, "It is a pleasure to meet all of you. Kevin tells me this is a super high priority mission with a classification above TS, directed from the White House and lead by a civilian!"

Jason added, "It gets worse, but these are good people. So are you. We have tough job and you have skills we need. Believe it or not, there are three civilian women involved, too. They are out doing chores but will bring dinner with them when they return. Starting now, we are not having any communication with any military except Mike Hamilton from the NSC Staff."

Kevin responded, "Thanks, Jason. Seals get into strange situations too, so we are ready to roll with the punches."

After Arnie suggested the Seals change into jeans and tees, the men sat on the porch nursing beers, with the two Seals looking good in used and faded clothes. A few minutes later, the parade of Julia leading the rented RV arrived. Shortly the males were getting hugs and kisses from all three women, who laughed and giggled at their crazy situation.

Gesturing to Kevin and Sam, Julia asked, "Do they know?"

Arnie took charge, "I think, agents, that we need to go over current plans carefully. We are extremely fortunate to have two of the best Seals in the Navy with us tonight, and will act accordingly." His emphasis left no doubt about the subtext, and Julia clammed up.

The takeout was excellent Vietnamese and Arnie indicated a second beer was approved by opening one himself.

After the dinner debris had been removed, he started in on the briefing, saying, "Why don't you let me go through current thinking without exploding, and then we will have Q and A."

With a few words about cover, he pushed the consultant to the librarians role right out front. The Seals were frowning. But he pushed on, pointing out that whomever was driving the nuke plan would hardly expect opposition from the likes of two consultants to a pair of middle aged librarians. The more he talked, especially the parts about the towed SUVwith diving gear, and the opportunities to shower and sleep in a bunk bed rather than in a swamp, the happier Kevin and Sam looked.

Sensing the warmer mood, Arnie stopped and asked for questions.

"With respect, sir, this is unusual to say the least."

Arnie was quick to remind them, "No military address, team. You are civilian consultants."

"I hope you realize that it may take a day or two for us to call you Arnie. Plus Julia, Jason, Emma and Angie."

Arnie smiled, "The pain will go away."

Emma rose and walked to the sofa, inserting herself between the Seals. "Now you two listen up. From tomorrow morning on, you are two former Seals that have gone into business together as consultants to property owners and real estate agents on the Eastern Shore. You get fancy fees, because the word has gotten around that you have saved hundreds of thousands of dollars by discovering all kinds of fakery and bad dealing in coastal property. You have even had to use disguises to avoid alerting the bad guys."

About two minutes into Emma's lecture, Kevin and Sam had little pocket notebooks out, scribbling rapidly.

By this time, Emma was massaging neck and shoulder muscles and getting grateful looks. From behind Tim, Julia was wagging a finger at Arnie.

"Just one more thing, guys, Angie and I want this mission to succeed. We have skin in the game and want our guys back in one piece. Ok?"

Speaking slowly so he didn't use military lingo, Kevin said, "Emma, you just gave Sam and me a lesson in not jumping to conclusions. I think we are going to be a great team. We have lots to learn from each other."

The room was silent and tense with anticipation. Kevin asked carefully, "What is our first destination? Do you have a script for our showing up?

The Eastern Shore maps were brought out. Arnie, Jason and Tim caucused in the corner while the Seals and women studied likely first stops.

Arnie showed his impatience at sending others ahead. "This is not my usual gig. I am adjusting from lone wolf to team leader."

Jason squeezed his shoulder, "Your instinct was right on. I could never pull off that bit of team work going on the other side of the room."

Tim volunteered, "We have plenty to do, keeping a link open to Mike and the chain of command while analyzing what the women and the Seals are finding."

After half an hour, Emma and Kevin were still smiling and telling the room that a five am start was necessary, so sleep was now needed.

With an apologetic look at Arnie, Tim eased Julia out the door to their unit. The Seals frowned and left for their unit. Emma and Angie looked at their men. "Well?"

Jason smiled, "I've never seen such uppity behavior in my life. You completely cowed the pride of the Navy!"

Two long time warriors had women in their laps applying kisses. Angie and Emma high fived each other. "We are beginning to understand how damn scary your work is. Take us to bed and tell us this is going to have a good ending."

* * *

Mike Hamilton showed up in the dim early morning light as they were doing coffee and juice. With a steaming mug in his hand, he advised, "I have something to brief you on. The CIA, on a carefully controlled basis, has drafted a few of its agents with homes across the bridge to eyeball any cars they haven't seen before. Two days ago, a report came back that there was a tentative match between a photo of a new junior staffer at an eastern Europe embassy and a guy in a car."

Tim said, "Could be nothing. New guy out for a joyride in the country."

"Right. But a small number of people are busy diving deep right this moment. I will relay anything that develops. My boss wants to know what's going on. His boss is pounding on him."

"Aye, aye, sir. Forces deployed to eastern shore this am. Careful investigation of likely sites initiated. Measures taken to avoid detection."

Jason pounded Arnie on the back. "Good report, Team Leader!" Mike looked dubious.

"You didn't make that up?"

"Cast your eyeballs out the door, Commander. See that impressive RV. It is underway for Centreville in moments."

Emma and Angie came in the door, dressed for librarians on vacation.

With a sly grin, Arnie said, "Commander, let me introduce you to the advance guard. These are agents Emma and Angie, who happen to need a vacation place in Delmarva."

Before Mike could recover, Kevin and Sam arrived, looking suitably disreputable.

"Mike, give us an evaluation of the Seal disguises. These two miscreants from Little Creek are now property consultants on the eastern shore. There is very little they don't know about property scams there, submerged or not. The librarians have hired them for an outrageous fee."

Hamilton had a quick reaction. "Damn, I am not breathing a word of this up the chain. Nice work. Go find that device!" He was out the door.

In half an hour, the RV was moving. The SUV stuffed with gear had been checked over by Kevin and Sam, who were on a one hour delay. Arnie decided the librarians did not need to know about the CIA activity just yet, but passed along Mike's words to the Seals.

"Arnie, it occurred to Sam and me that if we can cook up disguises, so can our opponents. Do you have any ideas along that line?"

After a long sip of a second cup of coffee, he responded. "We have to ask what their motivation is? How is the device wired for remote activation? Does it need a nursemaid nearby and how often? Is this a bluff operation with a fake device that only has traces of active material?

"Or do we have a truly renegade group that has acquired and hidden enough nuclear material to take out DC and most of our government? In which case, it is almost certain that a dozen or more heavily armed individuals have secreted themselves to make sure it detonates?"

Tim said quietly, "That is spot on, Arnie. If this has anything to do with Jihadis, they don't much care about surviving the blast. So right now, they are working hard to avoid detection, not knowing for sure whether our surveillance has detected the device or not?"

Jason added, "We have to be prepared for the worst of those scenarios. Trained and equipped paramilitary guards. A lethal device..."

Kevin said, "This is pretty tricky. We localize the device and its guards, but do not alert them while the NSC and Pentagon decide how to eliminate the threat?"

Jason smiled thinly, "That pretty much sums it up. A hell of tight place to be."

Arnie went into Team Leader mode. "We can't solve everything in advance. About your original question, the two of you should get going and keep your eyes open the next couple of days about a disguise that would not alert the locals. Let's not use any electronics. I think Julia has just become a niece of one of the librarians, who lives in the District, but journeys out here to spend time with her relative. She just happens to rendezvous with one of us daily to exchange news."

* * *

Two long days later, a big box rental van with paper streamers on the sides saying "Delmarva Movers," was parked in the back lot of a Highway 50 tavern halfway from the bridge to Easton. In camp chairs next to the tailgate sat four persons who could easily be tired movers. Their conversation, however, was not exactly about moving.

"Hamilton says higher ups are getting frustrated. Want more specifics."

Julia looked at Jason and said, "The librarians are busy. Have worked twenty miles north of the bridge. The consultants and their sniffers have found nothing. Do we make up a story?"

Arnie sipped his beer and waited for Tim to contribute something. His nuke expert looked as exasperated as the others. "Jason, tell Mike we are as frustrated as they are, but a preemptive move could have drastic consequences. Mention that if the bad guys just wanted another 9/11 event, they probably would have already done it. Ask him for an update on the guy the CIA is tracing."

"Well," said Jason, "a little pushback won't hurt. We are the ones out here walking a narrow line. But I have an idea. Why don't we find a tired fishing boat and hire it for a day? Pay for a trip to Charlestown and back. Julia can retrieve Sam and his gear."

Heads nodded. A long shot, but if they were lucky, Sam's equipment would pop somewhere along the trip and they would be a big step toward localizing.

Julia stood up and frowned at them. She was dressed in men's clothes and with her hair tucked under a hat, could pass for a male. "Mover girls don't jump just because you give me an order, Boss. I've got feelings for that no account Sam. He'll pee his pants when he finds out he gets to spend a day on the water with me."

With further instructions about a rendezvous in Queenstown Harbor, and a tug at her cap brim, Julia departed in her recently acquired and well used Chevy pickup. The men sitting in her wake laughed and laughed.

Arnie rose and finished off his beer. It felt good to be doing something. He looked at Jason and Tim, "Shall we find ourselves a boat that needs some income?"

Behind the tall cardboards at the rear of the moving truck was a small battery of sophisticated comm gear, delivered yesterday back at Belvoir. Jason had signed the custody receipt, saying he doubted a field team ever got to do this before. To ensure the link worked, they exchanged notes with Mike Hamilton, their NSC contact, every few hours. Arnie asked, "We going to draw straws for who gets to stay with this stuff? Can't be left unguarded."

Jason answered, "No, the Team Leader and the Nuke Guy are going and I am staying." He butted fists with Arnie and that was that.

By dark, they had found a rundown fishing charter boat at the Safe Harbor Marina near Queenstown and made an arrangement for early the next morning. After a fast food dinner, the big box van was parking in the rear of a nearby hotel. Julia and Sam knocked on their door at 9pm, looking tired and sober faced.

Arnie tried to cheer them up. "Thanks for changing plans and coming on a boat ride with us, Sam. What do you think of that chauffeur we sent for you?"

He smiled, "If I say anything about women drivers, she'll bop me good, so best stay quiet. My stuff needs to go in the van with a live body watching it. We gonna take turns?"

Julia had a pistol out, looking dangerous. "I'll take first watch." Her eyes warned about any sexist remarks, even if well intentioned.

When Jason knocked quietly on the tailgate at 1am, she was there quickly. "A message from Mike just came over the secure link. CIA says their guy is an operative. They are establishing a careful tail and will advise."

The next day, it was a beautiful sunny morning on the Bay as their boat chugged slowly northward. The owner, a man named Jack, provided good hot coffee and some doughnuts he said were fresh. Julia was in the arms of her boyfriend, Sam, exclaiming about the strange looking box with two metal arms sticking out of it.

"Honey, it's a new kind of fish finder. We are out here today to test it. Might work, might not. He hugged her back and applied a soft kiss to her cheek. His arms were comforting. she thought, but whispered, "You are in trouble."

He tightened his grip and whispered back, "Relax."

Off to the side, Tim and Arnie were studying a detailed map of the Bay, supposedly looking for fishing holes, but actually checking the low lying coastline to the right. In the midst of heavy vegetation were numerous jetties, marinas and houses.

"Unless we get a break with the sniffers, or the librarians find a suspicious guy looking for real estate, we could spend weeks in there, poking around." Tim shook his head in frustration. It was hardly an assignment for a carrier nuke officer.

Arnie squeezed his shoulder, "This is a trial balloon. Something to do while the librarians work their way north."

Ten minutes later, they were leaving Pooles Island Lighthouse astern on the port side. The wind was calm and the sun warm. To starboard, the map showed Chestertown, an historic place sitting on its own arm of the Bay, several miles away.

Sam was keeping an eye on his machine and suddenly jerked forward and grabbed his earphones. He pushed a button on the side of the box and a strip of paper started feeding toward him. He looked around at the faces watching him and smiled.

"Smart box is telling me a school of fish nearby." This was agreed code for something showing up on his sniffer that matched the nuke profile. Arnie quickly gestured to Julia to sit by him in the stern.

Speaking very quietly, he said, "We're going back. You and Tim need to carry this discovery to Kevin and the librarians immediately. I'm going to tell Jack you have a bad case of cramps connected to your monthly and need to return to our hotel. I know that's sexist, but bear with me this once. While I go forward, you tell Sam and Tim what the deal is."

Julia frowned and nodded.

In less than an hour, they were tied up at Jack's berth. He was unhappy at the quick end to the outing until Arnie assured him he could keep the whole day's fee that he already had in cash in his pants pocket. He offered an arm to Julia getting out of the boat and she took it, with an evil look at her men and a public moan of pain as she doubled over.

A quick powwow confirmed the split of the party into Julia and Tim, and Arnie and Sam. Julia's pickup gunned away without waiting for Tim's luggage, which Arnie would grab as he checked out of the hotel. With them went the printout from Sam's machine.

The two movers and their van headed slowly north toward Centreville. After Arnie crawled through a mysteriously enlarged window to the back and checked the comm gear to find no traffic, Sam asked him, "Why'd you separate me from Julia?"

"Not the reason you are thinking of. Those of us who are paired up are on a strict no affection diet for the duration.

"You and I are going to be the backup second echelon. Two badass warriors willing and able to take on anything that goes down that Kevin, Tim and Julia have trouble with. And also the communications command post. If we really are close to the action near Chestertown and those two marinas, there is going to be a hell of a lot of encrypted chatter."

"What's the plan for tonight? When do you contact Hamilton?"

"Good question. I sent him a one word alert, but he and his boss will want more right away. We need more localization and Tim is probably best at that. You and I and the women need to maintain our disguise as long as possible at the same time we try to identify a bad guy or two."

"CIA is going to be all over us shortly. They like to ignore orders from NSC types."

Sounds like you have some acquaintance?"

"Hard to avoid in the type of work we do. They are talented, dedicated and a total pain in the ass."

They passed through Centreville and continued toward Chestertown. Arnie saw a truck station ahead and suggested a stop to fuel up and get provisions for a long night. Unless something else developed, their destination, and next rendezvous with the others, was the Holiday Inn Express on the far side of town.

Sam shopped and Arnie fueled the van. Back on the road, with a soda in hand, Arnie said, "What do you think of this idea?

"The original shipment went into a sailing yacht in the Black Sea and made it to the Atlantic without detection. But a trans-Atlantic sailboat from the Mediterranean couldn't just show up in these coastal waters without attracting attention. So the cargo was transferred at sea to an American boat homeported in Portsmouth that is making its way south for the winter season in Florida. It just happens to be in one of these two marinas we are closest to while the owners visit friends in Annapolis."

Sam added, "The cargo is in the bilge wrapped in lead, but somehow the wrapper has gotten loose, or they took it off for inspection, which is why our surveillance picked it up."

Arnie smiled, "Maybe you visit one marina in the morning, along with your aunt Emma, looking for a boat to buy and float to Florida in. Ask the marina guy if there are any for sale and take a buyer's walk around."

Sam added again, "Emma has a smartphone and keeps telling me she is taking pictures to send to her sister."

Arnie asked, "Think we should duplicate that at the other place with Tim and Angie?"

As Sam parked at the Holiday Inn, Arnie called the RV in the clear and suggested a get together of old friends for dinner. Angie seized the phone from Emma and said, "Cousin, we thought you would be here yesterday?"

"Now you just calm down. We are not sweating a day or two on this trip. Get your fanny over here and we will take you out for a good meal."

An hour later, Arnie and Angie were in the front seats of the moving van, with six anxious bodies behind them next to the comm gear. The librarians had reported no sightings of strangers, but everyone's attention was on the printout from Sam's sniffer machine.

Arnie spoke through the open hatch, "I think we need to ask Mike to hold off the CIA for a day while we work on finding the device. Sam's positive leaves an awful lot of territory where it could be, and more importantly, where its guardians could decide to set it off."

Tim added, "That also gives NSC time to pre-position a retrieval team. In this situation, the nuke people outrank the CIA."

Kevin asked, "Arnie, do you mind if we give our base commander a heads up? Just a soft signal that reinforcements may be needed on short notice with full gear?"

He responded, "Good idea. The damn thing could still be underwater. But let's make sure Mike Hamilton is onboard. He will already be worried about off the reservation behavior."