And that’s exactly what happened. Brandy took her back and placed her on her breast to feed.
A gasp emanated from the two youngest girls. Brandy smiled at their mother. “They’re adorable, Geri. What a nice family you have.”
Mrs. Tanner was near tears, her face beaming. “Tori, Lynne, you remember when we brought Keira home from the hospital? You remember all this?”
Keira was checking her phone again. Geri tried to grab it from her hands, but her daughter sat on it.
“I’ve turned it off,” Lynn said defensively.
“Honestly, your dad is going to be more than displeased when I tell him. I don’t understand all this texting.”
“Just kids from school, Mom. No biggie.”
“But this isn’t what we do when we have company. Your friends can wait.” Geri’s agitation was escalating.
“Tori, go take Shelby and let’s serve Brandy with some ice water, okay? And bring some for me and everyone else.”
“Roger that,” Tori said as she extricated herself from the couch, pulled Shelby up, and left the room.
Geri gave Brandy a puzzled look. “I’m just glad they don’t pick up on any of his other lingo. And he has some choice ones.”
“I’ll bet. So does Tucker.” Brandy turned to Lynn. “Do you babysit?”
“Sometimes.” She shrugged and stared down at Kimberly with her chin balanced on her open palm. “Does she use a bottle?”
“Not yet. I’m pretty much it for now.”
“You have a pump?” Geri added.
Brandy didn’t quite know how to respond. “Not ready yet. I’ll wait until Tucker gets back. Just one of those things I didn’t think about.”
“Well, that’s good you haven’t needed it. I did with my first one.”
“I’m right here, Mom. Lynn, remember?”
Brandy was shocked at the attitude of the teen and started to cross her off the babysitter list, when Lynn added, “Just kidding. I have to give you a hard time, you know that. It’s what you do to me all the time.”
Geri and Brandy exchanged a look. Brandy didn’t say a word.
Later, the girls watched her change Kimberly’s very messy diaper, examining the yellow-green contents and scrunching up their noses.
“She’s got hair like boys,” remarked Keira.
Brandy chuckled as she put the sleeper back on, wrapped the baby loosely and placed her over her shoulder for another burp.
“You should see her daddy. She takes after him.”
The girls laughed while their mother delightedly looked on.
Brandy decided to bring up the subject of babysitting, explaining it would be some months, but asked Lynn if she and Tori would like to watch Kimberly together some time. They were both enthusiastic about the possibility.
Brandy didn’t want to stay too long so began to gather her things to leave.
“Can I bring anything for you? How are you doing with cooking?”
“The ladies on Team 3 have been overdoing it.”
“Yup, that’s what we do all right. You let me know, though.”
“Will do.” The two hugged again.
“Here, Keira, take this for Brandy,” Geri said as she handed the diaper bag to her daughter.
They said their final goodbyes, the girls waving to Kimberly’s unfocused face over the top of her shoulder, all the way to the doorway. Keira walked with her down the steps and back to the car, watching Brandy strap the baby safely inside.
She handed back the diaper bag.
“Thanks, sweetie. That was fun. Do you like babies?” Brandy asked.
“Yes, but my dolls are teen dolls now. No babies.” Keira was shy and so blurted out, “She smells nice.”
“Yes, she does, doesn’t she?”
A cloud came over her face as she spoke, “Lynn has a boyfriend. She doesn’t want Mom and Dad to know. She texts him all the time. They would be super pissed if they found out.”
Brandy was surprised with the reveal. “Really? Maybe you should tell them. What do you think?”
“Oh no. My sister would kill me. I can’t do that.”
“Well, think about it. If you think it’s wrong, you should—”
“I don’t like the picture he sent,” she interrupted.
“What picture?”
Keira looked at the front door and saw the coast was clear. “He sent her a picture of his pee pee!”
Brandy arched up and made a mental note that somehow she was going to have to meddle, and she didn’t like being in that situation. She didn’t want to do this without talking to Tucker first, since it was a relationship he valued. This was going way beyond her babysitting needs. And that already short list had just gotten much smaller.
She leaned over and spoke softly close to Keira’s cherubic face. “Keira, you know that’s wrong. It’s always wrong. You should tell her so the next time you see or hear about it. And you really should tell your Mom or Dad.”
Keira’s eyes grew wide and filled with tears. “I shouldn’t have told you. Now you’ll tell my parents. I’m going to get in a lot of trouble.”
She turned and quickly ran back into the house, slamming the front door behind her.
Brandy’s heart ached as she watched Keira disappear. She wanted to go back inside and let Geri know about the conversation, but the anger and concern had clouded her judgment, and she needed Tucker’s opinion before she opened up that box of horrors. There would be no good way this could work. Geri and Bryce needed to know. Keeping everyone “happy” was the least of her concerns.
If the situation were reversed, she’d hope that someone would tell her the truth about what her kids were doing on their cell phone. She knew it was not only the right thing to do, but it might keep Lynn out of harm’s way.
She drove home, pondering her decision, hoping that Tucker would agree with her. She missed him more than she ever had.
Chapter 9
Two delivery vans showed up at dawn to pick up the team. They were to be transported to their new lodging, now set up and ready to go, where they could unpack. Then they’d divide up into smaller groups for their forays into town. State had hired a small team to help with their meals and logistics. A portable surveillance tower was installed, and they’d have direct communication with Washington for updates.
Gibson had received word that several cell phones were being tracked with the CIA “hairnet” device, giving them the opportunity to identify and monitor phone traffic, as well as pinpoint specific locations. Three additional hand carry devices were given to the team; one went to Tucker, Gibson kept one, and the last was given to Fredo.
Even at daybreak, the road into Las Palmas, located north of the island, was jammed with other delivery trucks, lorries, and buses. They passed emergency trailers, and staging areas loaded with pallets of supplies, and tents of varying sizes, including temporary hospitals and housing for displaced citizens, tourists, and workers. Tucker doubted their vans would wind up on anyone’s radar.
They also passed several international relief organization mobile units, fire and rescue vehicles, and a fair number of media trailers. Seaside resorts were overrun with troops, transport trucks, and relief workers. It appeared even tourist buses were pressed into service. In the distance were spires from a dozen or more cathedrals.
Several large ships, including a cruise ship, were docked in the main shipping and industrial zone. In addition, hundreds of smaller vessels moved in and around some of the littler ports. The scale of the operation was massive, and with the proximity to the other seven islands making up the Canaries, as well as the eastern coast of Africa, the whole place resembled a large space station. It was the hub of a wheel involving dozens of countries and cultural differences, many of whom were closer in distance than Spain, the country they were part of.
The two vans snaked their way through the back streets of the city just as shopkeepers were readying for the day. Several school buses and black SUVs also fought for space.
Once they cleared the capital, they turned sharply and began to climb into the hills, closer to the remnants of the fire, which had consumed thousands of acres and a huge national wildlife preserve. As the smoke got thicker, the buildings became less frequent and the temperature cooled. Several villages along the road appeared abandoned but were blocked by barriers, guarded by the local Civil Guardia in blue uniforms armed with semi-automatic weapons. Gibson had told them looting had been a problem in certain evacuated areas, and the Guard took their jobs seriously, being tasked with keeping order.
The view east, down toward the Atlantic Ocean, was spectacular as bright blue glimpses of it popped up through the dark smoky clouds. Rain was threatening, which actually would improve conditions on an archipelago known for a lack of annual rainfall. But with forty thousand acres smoldering from the raging wildfire, even mudslides would be welcomed.
When the smoke cleared, they were protected by winds coming off the bright blue ocean. At a distance, it looked like a colorful free-form patchwork quilt. Colorfully painted houses with flat roofs dotted the coastline and crept into the hills, shoved up against large boulders and outcroppings of jungle foliage.
At last, they came to a set of massive gates and stone columns protecting the approach to their lodging. A crudely made wooden sign attached to the façade indicated the property was closed. The first driver exited the car and entered a code into the communication box at the left of the gate, and several seconds later, the lumbering structure swung to the side, allowing them entry. The grounds beyond were lush, landscaped with flowering trees and tall grasses, bordering both sides of the crushed stone driveway leading downhill. In various locations along the way, tips of tall trees appeared to have been damaged by fire, green leaves turned into curled pieces of brown scrolls. Most of the landscaping and roadway was covered in light grey ash, as flakes swirled all around them, reminding Tucker of the first snow in the Sierras.
The stone and plaster hotel was tucked into the hillside with a spectacular view of the ocean and nearly all the coastline down to the airport. Tucker wondered if it had been a grand home at one time because it looked several hundred years old. The tall, ornate façade extending up three stories in the middle, like a crown. From here, they could see just about every ship or airplane coming on or off the island.
This area, thankfully, was completely free from smoke.
Sven paused on the patio outside the lobby, taking a quiet moment, his pack slung over his right shoulder. “I stayed here a long time ago.”
“Oh yeah? When?”
“Gosh, nineties—late nineties. Overstayed my visa and nearly got married, too.” He scratched the back of his head and re-hitched up his pack.
“She was a Spanish lass, then?”
“Oh yes, very Spanish.” Sven sighed. “Knocked me right off my feet. Her parents were very wealthy, lived in Madrid. She was going to school here, studying art.”
Tucker didn’t want to pry, so he walked slowly beside his Norwegian friend as they climbed the painted tile grand stairway and kept his mouth shut. His background hadn’t been anything as dramatic, or as romantic, until he met Brandy. He wanted to know more but knew Sven might enlighten him on his own.
“I’m never going to tell my new bride about this,” started Lieutenant Gridley. “She’ll think I did it on purpose.”
“Yeah, but you were in Paradise, man,” said Trace. “No fires, no bad guys, and it was your honeymoon.”
“I think Trace is right,” said his brother-in-law, Tyler. “This is nice, but I’d still choose Hawaii any day.”
“You know they got a volcano on the other island?” added T.J.
“And snow,” said Fredo.
“How the Hell did State find such a place, Gibson?” asked Cooper. “You must’ve pulled some mighty big strings.”
Lt. Commander Gibson disagreed and barked back, “Not on your life. Just the luck of the draw. That’s all it is.” He stood his ground on the lobby floor as he studied the men climbing the stairs, examining the old wooden beams and unique carvings. Then he added, “Figure out your roommates. When you’re done, come on down here for a chat in about an hour. That’s when the food arrives.”
“You taking one of the rooms up here, Commander?” Tucker asked.
“Already picked out. It’s the one with all the crates in it.”
Tucker knew Sven wanted to bunk with him, and he didn’t mind. He’d picked out one at the end of the hall, next to the fire escape.
The rooms were huge, covered in crude paver tiles bordered with colorful hand-painted tiles used as baseboard and door trim. He didn’t like the fact that he and Sven had to share a bed, albeit a king bed.
“Shit,” he whispered.
“I was thinking the same thing,” mumbled Sven. “I was so anxious to get the best view I didn’t check out the sleeping arrangements.”
“Let’s see if there isn’t a spare after everyone’s situated.”
Sven disappeared and returned with his report. “All taken. We got by far the biggest room, and even better, we got a desk and a bigger bathroom with a tub.”
“Damn, and here I didn’t bring my back scrubber and the salts.” Tucker punched him in the arm. “You really think we’ll have time for a bath, man?”
“Soaking in steaming water is a national pastime where I come from.”
“Yeah and rolling around in the snow afterwards.”
“Do you see any snow?”
“Good point. So if you’re taking too long in the tub and I gotta use the john, I’m not waiting, but I won’t look,” said Tucker.
“Fair enough,” answered Sven. “And I won’t tell anyone we spent our days here in the honeymoon suite.”
Tucker stiffened. “Say what?”
Sven pointed to the heart-shaped pillow on the bed Tucker had failed to see. Sven was starting to unpack. Tucker just threw his bag in the corner, his irritation burning a hole in his stomach.
“You tell anyone about this, you’re dead.”
“Got no one to tell.” Sven’s smile was evil, and when he wiggled his eyebrows up and down, he looked like an old Viking bastard straight out of the movies.
Tucker normally would have moved his journal under his pillow but now didn’t want to risk its discovery, so he left it in his bag. He considered calling Brandy.
“Did the Commander say anything about using our cells?” he asked.
“I think he said we could, just not in town, unless it’s work.”
“I’m going to try to contact Brandy, if you don’t mind. She should be getting up about now.”
“Tell her I said hi.” Sven pointed to the bathroom. “Taking a shower.”
Brandy picked up before the third ring. He could hear Kimberly fussing in her arms. “Hello, sweetheart. How’re my girls?”
“Oh Tucker, I was hoping you’d call. We’re good. Staying busy. Let me get her situated, and then I can talk.” She lowered her voice as he heard fabric and movement. “I’ll have to whisper. She’s already starting to figure out there’s a whole world out there.”
He waited until she came back on the line.
“There, all better. How is it over there?”
“Can’t say much. I’m going to write it all down, like I did before. But I have to say the accommodations we’ve been scoring are first class. Am I making you jealous?”
“A little. So you’re in another villa or something?”
“Sort of like that. Anyway, long trip. Same old, same old. I’m rooming with Sven, and he says to tell you hi.”
“Give him my best. Does he know about the baby?”
“Yup, knew before I could tell him.”
“You guys. Nothing gets by any of you. He going to go back to Africa?”
“I don’t know. We didn’t get that far. So what have you been doing? Can’t stay long, but just a quick update, okay?”
“Actually, I have to talk to you about something. I was over at your former Team Guy’s house. You kn
ow, the Tanners?”
“Oh, good. Sleuthing for sitters?”
“Started out that way. But I need your advice. I think I know what you’re going to say, but I need to hear it from you.”
“Is there a problem?”
“How well do you know them, Tucker?”
“They only had two when I served with him. I didn’t see the family at all. Is she okay? Something going on?”
“Not Geri. It’s her oldest daughter, Tucker. She’s fourteen. And she’s texting guys on her cell phone.”
“Hardly a national tragedy. Happens all the time, Brandy.”
“No, I get that. But her little sister said the boy was sending her pictures of his junk.”
Tucker wasn’t sure he’d heard Brandy correctly.
“Did you see it?”
“Oh Hell no. What do you think I am?”
“Well, you going to take the word of a little girl of, what, five?”
“She’s six.”
“Well then—that makes all the difference.”
“Stop it, Tucker. I believe her. I feel like I should tell Bryce and Geri about it. Now, this could be like you implied, just a sister fight, or maybe she likes to tell stories. But think about it. What if Kimberly came home and told you this story? Would you believe her? Would you want to tell the parents of that child?”
Brandy was right, but it was damned hard to relinquish control over the situation. If he were home, he’d just jump in his truck and drive over there and get to the bottom of it. He thought Bryce would probably want to know, just like he would.
He remembered seeing the older girl transfixed with all the messages she was getting, and Bryce’s reaction to it. He was going to have to trust Brandy to make that call to his friends. And if need be, he’d clean it up afterwards. It saddened him that they hadn’t exercised more control over their daughter.
But Brandy was right. It was not okay to let it slide until he got home.
“Wow, you’ve got a tough one there. I think your instincts are correct. You need to tell Bryce and Geri. If he’s got a problem with any of that, have him call me, okay?”
SEALed Protection (Bone Frog Brotherhood Book 5) Page 6