Page 3 of Spring UnVeiled
The yeoman started rattling off names.Most of them were junior enlisted men on other teams although he mentioned a few petty officers and even a chief.
“So, are you guys interested in sponsoring one of the girls?”Seamen Apprentice Fontanelle sounded excited.“I can get you guys into the party on Friday night.The one on Thursday night is a special private deal.”
“No,” all six men said at the same time.
“Well, if you know of anyone who needs a good live-in nanny or you change your mind about sponsoring, you know where to contact me.I need to get back into work.”The young man stepped back and gave them a smart salute which they all returned.He did a perfect about-face and strode into the building.
“What-the-fuck?”Shadow said the words they were all thinking.
“Debt bondage,” Teddy clarified.
“Call it whatever you want, but it’s human trafficking,” Ox added.
“Fuck that.It’s sex trafficking.”Shadow continued, “Those girls have no hope in hell of ever getting away from Miss Nami.”
“I don’t like that she’s got a bunch of SEALs involved.I don’t care that they’re relatively fresh.Most of them have been around long enough to know that shit just ain’t right.Especially that fucking chief.”Trojan said.“He’s a dirtbag.I’ve known him since BUD/S.He was in the class ahead of mine.He enjoyed giving some of my classmates not just bad but terrible advice, then laughed when they got in trouble.He told them that he was teaching them an important lesson…don’t trust anyone.”
“What a fuckhead.”Slick sneered.
“I’m shocked every time the asshole adds another chevron.I can’t believe they keep promoting him.”Trojan turned and spit on the grass as though he had a bad taste in his mouth.
“We need to go tell Commander Brenner about this.”Teddy glanced over his shoulder at the building they just left.
“If this fucks up our leave, the girls are never going to forgive us,” Slick pointed out.Their leave had been approved effective immediately.They had seven days to enjoy the cabins they’d rented in the mountains where the late-arriving spring hadn’t melted all the snow yet.
Teddy knew what he had to do.“You guys head on up to Big Bear Lake.Shannon and I will get there as soon as we can.Just make sure the beer is cold by the time I get there.”He turned and headed back into the headquarters.He had to tell his commanding officer.
Chapter2
Navy Captain Evan Hubbardsilently admired the fourth gold stripe on the black cuffs of his winter service dress uniform as he settled into the comfortable leather chair for the flight from Norfolk, Virginia to Coronado, California.He was the highest-ranking officer on the small corporate-style jet.The uniform shop had performed a miracle by adding the extra stripe within hours so he could catch the coast-to-coast military shuttle.
The annual board had selected him for the new rank only a few weeks ago but his promotion had been expedited when Vice Admiral Trevor Maddox personally requested him to fill the position of Naval Special Warfare Group 1 Commanding Officer.
Evan had no idea why the C.O.of all U.S.Navy SEALs wanted him in California so quickly.Special Operations was a small community to begin with and there were very few officers, especially at his level.Even though everyone knew each other, SEALs could keep a secret.No one was talking about the sudden retirement of his predecessor, Captain Johannes Desmond.
On the other hand, everyone knew the tawdry details of why a lieutenant commander and a lieutenant on one of the teams under his command had been relieved of duty last month.Another commander of a different team—but again, one of Desmond’s—had been relieved for no-confidence last year.But there was probably more.
During the coast-to-coast flight, Evan wondered what kind of shit show he was walking into.When the small jet circled the military airport, he stared out the window at the long strip of land that was filled with pain and joy.
For the last nine years, he’d been an East Coast SEAL working his way through the ranks.As a lieutenant commander, he’d overseen three Troops on Team 8.When he’d been promoted to commander, he’d taken over as C.O.of the more than three-hundred SEALs and civilians on and supporting Team 2.But he’d gotten his start on the island below.
Upon exiting the small jet, he saw a car waiting for him on the tarmac.He’d never had a driver while on U.S.soil, but his new position rated a Navy vehicle and driver.The thump of the heavy door made him realize that the SUV was hardened with bulletproof glass and a steel-reinforced body.Interesting, but he figured the added security was necessary.
Every SEAL had a price on his head.As the C.O.of Group 1, his still-thick, but lightly salted hair and hard skull were probably very valuable.
It had been years since he’d been back for any longer than a few days.The familiar water automatically drew his attention, but when they started down Sherman Road he noticed the condition of the golf course and wondered how soon he could get a tee time.Although he’d only recently taken up golf, he knew most senior officers used the sport to get to know their counterparts and superiors, hoping for favorable memories at promotion time.
Just before Evan had moved from Coronado the last time, he’d decided to make the Navy a career, hoping they’d keep him until he wore stars.That decision had lost him his wife and daughter, but his original goals had always remained the same.
Where the street changed names, his eyes automatically shot to the dense civilian housing on his left.His gaze held on the small stucco house a few blocks from the gate with beautiful views of the ocean.It’d been his home, no,theirhome, for many years.
Glancing at his watch, he wondered if Genevieve was home.Of course she wasn’t.It was only midafternoon Pacific time.He readjusted his watch since he’d be living in California for the unforeseen future.
Evan wondered if his daughter was also at work.Kylie had seemed extremely unsettled lately when they talked on the phone.He hadn’t gotten to see her at Christmas because it was Genevieve’s turn for that holiday.Besides, he’d flown Ky out to Virginia Beach for the long Thanksgiving weekend.She’d seemed especially nervous about her finals, so he wasn’t surprised when she spent most of her time in her room studying.New Year’s Day, he and Gen had agreed that it would be all right for their daughter to take off a semester and work while she decided on a major.
He was anxious to see his little girl once again.Although it had been five months, they talked at least every 3 to 4 weeks.Lately, the conversations had been relatively short because one or the other was headed to work or had just come home from a busy day.
The Navy gave him thirty days leave, but as C.O.of a SEAL Team with hundreds of his men deployed all over the world at the same time, he hadn’t taken a week straight in over three years.Maybe he and Kylie could take a vacation together.He’d heard there were some great resorts in Puerto Vallarta.
