Chapter 11
That night the girls made a large pot of pinto beans and pork. As Little Faye, one of the youngest girls, took a bowl and went to the bean pot, Lena spotted her and yelled “No!”
“Why did you yell at her?” Adrian asked Lena. “Why shouldn’t she have beans like everyone else?”
“Because she releases poison gas when she eats beans, that’s why,” said Lena.
“Oh for God’s sake, you have to be kidding me. That little girl couldn’t hold a teaspoon of gas. Faye you go ahead and eat the same as everyone else.” He addressed the rest of the girls who had started to pay attention. “This is a unit, a tight knit group. You can’t single one person out for special treatment if she hasn’t done anything wrong. It’s just not right to make her watch you eat well while she has to settle for less.”
Race had been watching and listening, smiling a bit. “It’s her turn to ride in the cab tomorrow, you know.”
“It is not, why are you changing the rotation?”
“I determine the roster and make changes as I see fit, and tomorrow she rides in the cab.”
“Fine. That’s just fine with me. Faye, you eat all the beans you want.”
Adrian fell asleep that night thinking maybe he ought to have listened to the girls about Faye. How bad can that little girl’s stomach be? Oh hell, she’s just a little kid and I’ve been around many a grown man with bad gas, no problem.
Two hours after leaving the camp the next morning, Adrian was sitting in the passenger seat and watching the countryside slide by outside the window when he suddenly let out a yell. “Jesus Christ! Faye! Oh my lord.” He frantically rolled the window down and stuck his head out. When the girls in the back saw him stick his head out they began laughing with hilarity.
Adrian spent the rest of the morning with his head mostly out the window and cursing violently. Faye smiled at him frequently. He soon learned that whenever she smiled at him, a gas bomb was about to explode. “Holy shit, Faye! You should’ve warned me yourself. Is this any way to treat a friend?”
Faye just shrugged innocently, then a little smile came on her face. Adrian quickly stuck his head out the window again. Every time he did, he could hear the girls in the back hooting and laughing.
Adrian called for an early rest stop. “Race, you take Faye into the bushes and don’t come back until she’s done her business. Damn. Even Bear is suffering.”
They traveled for three more days before reaching the outskirts of Corpus Christi in the evening. Faye wasn’t allowed to eat beans for the rest of the trip. As they came near the city Adrian called a halt for the day, he didn’t want to arrive in the dark. With the first signs of daylight they resumed the last part of their trip.
Adrian took over the wheel as they approached the city. With the sun rising behind it, he could see smoke or steam coming from one of the refineries, and headed toward it. They eventually came to the refinery entrance, and could see an aircraft carrier docked in the channel near the refinery. They must have blown the bridge to get that monster in there.
At the gate, they were stopped by men in uniform holding their hands up for them to stop. As he slowed to a stop, Adrian shouted out the window to the girls, “Stay in the truck.”
He slowly opened the cab door and stepped out, keeping his hands in sight of the guards. They looked nervous. “Hello. I’d like to see your CO.”
Recognizing him, the guard laughed and replied, “You already have an appointment. You’d be Adrian Hunter, I presume?”
“How in hell did you know that?” asked Adrian, somewhat startled.
“Just about everyone in Texas knows you’re coming to Corpus with a truckload of girls. Who else could you be?”
“Yes, I’m Adrian. What do you mean, I already have an appointment?”
“The Admiral put out the word to let him know if and when you arrive.” Pointing to a parking area just inside the gate, he continued, “Park over there and we’ll arrange transport to the ship for you.”
“What about the girls? I don’t want to just leave them here waiting.”
“No problem, we’ve got a bus can take you all on board the ship. I’ll call it in; it’ll be here shortly. Tell the girls it’s ok to get out and stretch, but to leave their weapons on the truck. No offense, but you’ll all have to be unarmed to get on the ship.”
“And my wolf?” Adrian asked.
“No problem sir, as long as he stays with you at all times; The Admiral has already cleared him.”
Adrian knew from his military days that this was lenient treatment and didn’t argue. “Understood.” He wheeled the truck through the gate and parked it where the guard had indicated. Getting back out of the cab he told Race “Tell the girls to secure arms and come on out and stretch their legs.”
As the girls were disembarking from the truck, Adrian looked around at his surroundings. He could see men working in the distance in the refinery. Huge pipes ran everywhere with large tall towers jutting up into the sky at seemingly random locations. Knowing something of the basics of refining from discussions with Matt, he could more or less piece together what he was seeing. In rudimentary terms crude oil was pumped into the refinery where it was heated in a large vessel with a tower on it. As the oil was heated specific elements of the oil were ‘cooked off’ as the oil reached their specific boiling points. “It’s a lot like distilling whisky.” Matt had said. “The oil will reach a high temperature then the most volatile stuff will boil off as a chemical steam. When it reaches a certain height in the tower it will be drawn off and condensed back into a liquid state. Except for the certain gasses that will remain in gaseous form. The lighter elements, such as gasoline will come off, then as they’re cooked out of the main vessel the temperature will rise again and the next most volatile material will cook off, and so on. This is how they separate gasoline from diesel from kerosene from natural gas. Eventually what will be left in the vessel is a thick tarry substance. Due to the high temperature this can then be pumped out because it will be liquefied and thinned by the heat. After it’s pumped away a fresh batch of crude oil will be pumped in and the process starts over again. That in a nutshell is more or less how it works.”
The huge aircraft carrier loomed over everything. Men in navy uniforms moved about on deck in a purposeful manner. Even when a ship like this was sitting still, there were, Adrian knew, thousands of tasks that had to be continually carried out. Adrian saw several very large black cables running from the ship and into the refinery area. These he assumed were power cables, transferring electricity from the ship’s nuclear reactor-fueled generators to the refinery.
The guard had placed another man in charge of the gate and walked over to Adrian. “It’s a real pleasure to meet you sir.” He saluted, startling Adrian a bit, but he saluted back automatically. The young guard stuck his hand out and said, “Ensign Fredericks, at your service sir! The admiral has requested the pleasure of your company aboard the ship and asked me to act as your escort.”
Adrian shook hands, admiring the young man’s crisp clean uniform and military looks. He hadn’t seen a man with a short haircut and closely shaved face in a long time, or a man with the obvious pride of military bearing this man had. It was beyond refreshing, it was like a homecoming.
“The shift transfer bus will be here momentarily; while we’re waiting, I need to make sure everyone is unarmed. I don’t mind patting you down sir, but I’ll be damned if I know how to assure the Angels aren’t armed. Any suggestions?”
“Angels?” Adrian asked with a bewildered tone.
“Adrian’s Angels, sir. The girls. Everyone knows about them.”
“Oh, that’s right.” Adrian said, recalling the name the girls had chosen for themselves. “No, I can’t think of anything right off.” Turning his head to where the girls were standing, looking at the ship
in awe, he called out, “Race, over here, please.”
When Race approached, Adrian said, “Race, this is Ensign Fredericks. Ensign Fredericks, this is Race Miller, she’s in command of the Angels.” He emphasized the word Angels.
Ensign Fredericks shook hands with Race. “Pleasure to meet you ma’am, a real pleasure. I’ve heard about the Angels and their run-in with the bad guys. Well done, ma’am.”
She said, “Thank you, Mr. Fredericks. It is okay to call you ‘mister’ since you’re an Ensign, isn’t it?”
“Yes, ma’am, it is. I’m surprised that you know Navy protocol so well. We have a slight problem, we’re trying to figure out and maybe you can help. No one is allowed to board ship while armed, except some Navy personnel on official duty. I can pat General Hunter down, but I don’t think it appropriate for me to pat down the girls. Have you any suggestions?”
Race turned to Adrian with a questioning look. Adrian replied to her unstated question, “The Ensign is correct, Race. We can’t board until he is assured that we are carrying no weapons or other contraband onto the ship.”
Race thought for a minute and said, “Do you have a woman on the ship that can perform the search?”
The Ensign slapped his forehead, “Of course,” and immediately jogged off to the gate. They could see him speaking into a microphone. After he was finished he walked back over. “I caught them just before the bus was leaving; a female officer will be assigned to ride out here on it and do the pat down. While we wait, are there any questions I can answer?”
Race said, “What’s the ship doing here, and what are those cables running from the ship?”
“What we’re doing here is a longer story than I have time to tell you right now. But basically those cables deliver electricity from the ship to the refinery. We’re making fuel, mostly diesel. We’ve reconditioned several fishing trawlers to bring in food. The trawlers run on diesel, so it’s a necessary step in being able to feed ourselves. We’re all a little tired of sea food, but it’s all that we have.”
“Where are you from, Mister Fredericks?”
“Please call me Eric. I’m originally from Connecticut. My father was career Navy and we moved and lived all over the world when I was growing up. I joined and have been traveling ever since. I’ve been in the Navy all my life so to speak. We’ve been docked here for eighteen months now, about the longest I’ve lived anywhere to tell the truth. How about you Race? Where are you from?”
Before Race could answer an old school bus pulled up to the gate.
Chapter 12
Race took the girls to the far side of the bus, followed by the female officer, a Lieutenant—equivalent to an Army Captain. The pat down would take place out of sight of the men in the area. She had a friendly demeanor towards the girls and they didn’t seem to be intimidated.
Eventually Race and the female officer, followed by the girls, came out from behind the bus. The Lieutenant approached Adrian and Eric, shaking her head a bit, “Every single one of those girls had a concealed knife on them. Even the youngest. From the way they talked, they have a solid understanding of how to use them, too; they say you’ve been training them every day.” She handed a bag of knives to Eric.
Adrian said, “That’s right, I have. Believe me when I tell you they definitely do know how to use them effectively.”
“Isn’t that a bit extreme?” Eric asked. The Lieutenant nodded in agreement with the question.
“Not a bit.” Adrian replied. “If you knew the full history of these girls, what they’ve been up against and what they may come up against in the future, you’d probably agree with me. But agree or disagree, it’s the right thing for them to know. It’s the right thing for them to have that skill and that tool. I am as pleased as I can be that they have the knives and the skill to use them.”
The female officer stuck her hand out to shake. “I’m Lieutenant Jenkins,” she said.
“Pleased to meet you Lieutenant.” Adrian replied while shaking hands. “We’ve come a long way to get here, is there any chance these ladies can get a shower and clean their clothes on the ship? Maybe get a health exam by the ship’s doctor while we’re here? Also I need to stable my horse somewhere.”
“Absolutely. I’ll see to the girls myself and make sure your horse is properly tended to. Let’s board the bus; the Admiral seems impatient to meet you.”
Adrian turned to Eric, “Can I see you for a moment in private first?”
Behind the bus, Adrian removed his own knife and handed it to Eric. “Put this in the bag. You forgot to pat me down, and I don’t want the Captain to know you missed it.”
Eric took the knife with obvious signs of embarrassment. “Thank you sir. That would have been a mark against me.” He placed it in the bag of knives he was carrying and they got on the bus. The girls followed quickly.
During this time the girls had been staring at the carrier in awe. The ship was impossibly huge and strikingly beautiful. Old-time mariners were blown away by it, young girls that had never seen any ship before were simply stunned.
The closer they got to the ship the larger it loomed, until when the bus stopped at the dock it became impossible to see its full length and breadth. It blocked most of the sky and seemed to go on forever in all directions.
From the bus they loaded onto a tender boat and quickly motored the short distance to the carrier, then climbed a series of metal stairs that were attached to the side of the ship. Bear had a little trouble at first, but soon got the rhythm of it. They stopped at the top of the stairs
“Permission to board?” Eric asked the guard in a formal tone.
The guard replied, just as formally “Permission granted.”
As they stepped onto the ship, a long, three-tone whistle rang out. “Admiral On Deck” someone shouted and everyone came to attention; even the girls sensed the requirement of the moment, and stood straighter.
“As you were!” The Admiral said in a normal tone of voice that still seemed to boom around the entire ship’s immense inner deck. Everyone returned to their duties immediately, albeit doing those duties a bit sharper than before. The Admiral was a trim man in his sixties with gray hair cut short. He was six feet tall and moved with barely contained energy.
“Mr. Hunter! I’ve been waiting to see you ever since I heard you were coming to visit! Ladies!” he said, bowing to the group of girls with a smile, “I’ve been on tenterhooks waiting to meet you as well. We have prepared a late breakfast for all of you in the Officer’s Dining Room, please, follow me.”
Without waiting for a reply, he turned smartly and led the way. If the ship had seemed huge before, it seemed even larger as they walked past several F-16 fighter jets, then wound their way up and down stairs and in and out of passageways like a maze. It took ten minutes to reach the dining room, where they found plates laid out and platters of food scattered around the table.
“I’m afraid that all we can offer is sea food. It’s good fare, but can become monotonous after a few months.” the Admiral said with a smile to the girls. “Please sit where you like and eat as much as you want. Water is all we have to drink, but it’s purified and will wash the food down adequately. Come, come, sit down ladies, don’t be shy. Lieutenant Jenkins, you’ll be in charge of the girls for the time being, sit and eat with us. Ensign you may return to your post now. Thank you for bringing them along so quickly. Now, let’s dig in!”
The girls had been eating pork and canned vegetables for years and were happy to eat something different. Adrian agreed with them, the seafood was outstanding, a really great change of pace. When the girls finally started showing signs of getting full, the Admiral said, “Ladies may I borrow Mr. Hunter for a few hours? While he’s gone would you like a tour of the ship?”
Adrian replied for the girls, “Admiral, I am sure they would love a tour, but I’m t
hinking they might enjoy a long hot shower and a chance to wash their clothes even more, if that’s okay?”
The Admiral saw the delight on the girls’ faces and, smiling broadly, said, “Of course! I should have thought of that first thing.”
“After that” Adrian said, “Would it be possible for the ship’s doctor to give each of the girls a health exam? I don’t think any of them are ill, but they won’t get this opportunity often and…well…I just want what’s best for them.”
“Certainly! Another splendid idea sir. Lieutenant, would you make the arrangements? Then a tour if they so please and let’s all meet back here for dinner, 1900 hours, yes?”
“Adrian it is then.” the Admiral responded to Adrian’s request. They were seated in a pair of comfortable arm chairs in the Admiral’s quarters. “Please call me Jim in private, but please do continue with ‘Admiral’ in front of my crew.”
At that moment there was a knock at the door, and a sailor brought in a tray with a thermos of coffee and two cups.
“I apologize for not having sugar or cream, but what little we have is needed for higher purposes. This coffee is a rare treat in itself; we have almost none left and only bring it out on special occasions. This, my friend, is a special occasion. There are damn few heroes that come to visit.”
Adrian started to protest, but was quickly cut off.
“Hero you are sir, most definitely,” insisted the Admiral. “The entire country is talking about your exploits and if they are only half true you are still a most singular hero and apparently a modest one to boot. Even if I hadn’t thought so before, your rescue of those young ladies would put you firmly in that category without assistance. Please, tell me their background, their story.”
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