community and when the man offered him a chance to get back into some action, he jumped for it. Maybe not literally jumped, but he was ready and willing to do whatever kept him active. McCarthy said he needed two more men and John knew just who to ask, having met Mike and Bart at the San Diego VA Medical Center while being fitted for prosthetics.
Former frogmen all, they bonded quickly and took McCarthy up on his very lucrative offer. Just sucked he had to keep it secret and couldn’t let his ex-wife know where he was going or how long he’d be gone. He hoped to make that up to her and the kids.
The job had turned out as McCarthy said, as they worked on fine tuning the piloting controls of the subs under the supervision of Dr. Morganton. John never really trusted her since he couldn’t get a straight answer from McCarthy on what her story was. He did learn she’d been a major researcher for a bioengineering company that specialized in advanced bio-alternative mechanics.
John didn’t have the faintest idea what the hell that meant.
All he knew is that the whale-like subs were seriously futuristic SDVs, or SEAL Delivery Vehicles; basically mini-subs designed to move people or cargo. Although the cockpit only had room for one operator, the cargo hold, which was sealed and filled with breathable air, could hold a dozen or more men with gear. John was more than glad to work on a project that would help SEALs in the field.
But that wasn’t to be, it appeared.
“Let’s work through this,” John said finally. “There has to be a way we can deliver the coke and get Esperanza to not kill us.”
“Espanoza,” Bart corrected.
“What the fuck ever!” John shouted. “I don’t give a good goddamn what the man’s name is, I just want my family to be safe and to get out of this alive!”
“What if we get lost?” Mike asked. “Just disappear and not show up at all. There’s a lot of ocean between here and there.”
“The man will think we’ve double crossed him and still kill my family,” John replied.
“And my mom,” Bart added.
“Then, what?” Mike asked.
But before the others could answer, proximity alarms rang out in each sub.
“What do you have?” John asked. “Anyone have visuals?”
“Three, right behind us,” Bart said. “Please don’t let them be whales coming to hump us. It is mating season for blue whales, right?”
“Fuck if I know,” John replied. He played with a couple of dials and brought up the rear cameras. “Holy shit. Are you guys seeing this?”
“Yeah,” Bart said. “Are those what I think they are?”
“Jesus,” Mike replied. “Whoa! Where did they go?”
“They dove pretty fast,” Bart said. “Think they figured out we aren’t real?”
“Either that or they are going deeper so they can come at us from underneath,” John said. “That’s how sharks hunt.”
***
Max lifted Jack into his car seat in the minivan while Helen helped Carli with her seatbelt.
“Thanks,” Helen said as the van’s doors slid shut. “You really didn’t have to do any of this.”
“Not a problem,” Max said.
The two stood there awkwardly.
“So, I better go,” Helen said.
“Can I get your number?” Max asked at the same time.
“My what?” Helen asked, completely surprised.
“Too soon, I get that,” Max said. “Sorry. Forget I asked.”
“No, no, that’s cool,” Helen grinned. “It’s just, well…”
“You could do better,” Max said, pointing to his scars. “No worries.”
“Oh, God, no!” Helen exclaimed, her eyes involuntarily checking out Max’s very tone body. “You don’t look bad at all.” She glanced at the van and the faces of her two children watching her. “I’m just not sure frogmen are good for me.”
“Totally get that,” Max said.
“Hey!” Shane shouted as he crossed the parking lot to the minivan. “You ditched me, dude!”
“Who’s that?” Helen asked.
“My brother,” Max said as Shane ran up to
Former frogmen all, they bonded quickly and took McCarthy up on his very lucrative offer. Just sucked he had to keep it secret and couldn’t let his ex-wife know where he was going or how long he’d be gone. He hoped to make that up to her and the kids.
The job had turned out as McCarthy said, as they worked on fine tuning the piloting controls of the subs under the supervision of Dr. Morganton. John never really trusted her since he couldn’t get a straight answer from McCarthy on what her story was. He did learn she’d been a major researcher for a bioengineering company that specialized in advanced bio-alternative mechanics.
John didn’t have the faintest idea what the hell that meant.
All he knew is that the whale-like subs were seriously futuristic SDVs, or SEAL Delivery Vehicles; basically mini-subs designed to move people or cargo. Although the cockpit only had room for one operator, the cargo hold, which was sealed and filled with breathable air, could hold a dozen or more men with gear. John was more than glad to work on a project that would help SEALs in the field.
But that wasn’t to be, it appeared.
“Let’s work through this,” John said finally. “There has to be a way we can deliver the coke and get Esperanza to not kill us.”
“Espanoza,” Bart corrected.
“What the fuck ever!” John shouted. “I don’t give a good goddamn what the man’s name is, I just want my family to be safe and to get out of this alive!”
“What if we get lost?” Mike asked. “Just disappear and not show up at all. There’s a lot of ocean between here and there.”
“The man will think we’ve double crossed him and still kill my family,” John replied.
“And my mom,” Bart added.
“Then, what?” Mike asked.
But before the others could answer, proximity alarms rang out in each sub.
“What do you have?” John asked. “Anyone have visuals?”
“Three, right behind us,” Bart said. “Please don’t let them be whales coming to hump us. It is mating season for blue whales, right?”
“Fuck if I know,” John replied. He played with a couple of dials and brought up the rear cameras. “Holy shit. Are you guys seeing this?”
“Yeah,” Bart said. “Are those what I think they are?”
“Jesus,” Mike replied. “Whoa! Where did they go?”
“They dove pretty fast,” Bart said. “Think they figured out we aren’t real?”
“Either that or they are going deeper so they can come at us from underneath,” John said. “That’s how sharks hunt.”
***
Max lifted Jack into his car seat in the minivan while Helen helped Carli with her seatbelt.
“Thanks,” Helen said as the van’s doors slid shut. “You really didn’t have to do any of this.”
“Not a problem,” Max said.
The two stood there awkwardly.
“So, I better go,” Helen said.
“Can I get your number?” Max asked at the same time.
“My what?” Helen asked, completely surprised.
“Too soon, I get that,” Max said. “Sorry. Forget I asked.”
“No, no, that’s cool,” Helen grinned. “It’s just, well…”
“You could do better,” Max said, pointing to his scars. “No worries.”
“Oh, God, no!” Helen exclaimed, her eyes involuntarily checking out Max’s very tone body. “You don’t look bad at all.” She glanced at the van and the faces of her two children watching her. “I’m just not sure frogmen are good for me.”
“Totally get that,” Max said.
“Hey!” Shane shouted as he crossed the parking lot to the minivan. “You ditched me, dude!”
“Who’s that?” Helen asked.
“My brother,” Max said as Shane ran up to
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