This time, she frowned, furrowing her brows before glancing at the door and right back to him. “Why is there a guard at the door, then, if I’m not a prisoner?”
He really wanted to chuckle, and he did for a second under his breath before he shook his head and glanced at the door. “No, Abby, I guess I can see why you’d come to that conclusion, but I posted that guard there to keep everyone out and away from you. Your dramatic arrival caused quite a stir with the crew. I have no doubt that without that guard there, you’d have just about every sailor sneaking in to catch a glimpse of you and talk to you. You’re quite the exotic passenger.”
Her face flushed in embarrassment. “Oh.”
“You know, Abby, it actually never even occurred to me that you would interpret it that way, and for the distress it obviously caused you, I am truly sorry.”
She pressed her white hand to her bruised cheek to hide her deep blush, but it wasn’t working. “I’m sorry for jumping to that conclusion. But how was I to know? You said nothing to me.” As soon as the words were out of her mouth, he saw her backpedal as if she shouldn’t have said what she did.
He really wanted to say that a girl show some backbone, that she shouldn’t dare pull back, but he was also the captain. “Abby, this is my ship. I am the captain, and I don’t discuss a decision I make with anyone. I’m never questioned by my crew.”
“But I’m not a member of your crew, so how does that apply to me?”
She actually stumped him, and he looked at her, hoping she was finally coming out of her shell. “Maybe so, but you are under my protection, so the same goes for you. But just so there are no more misunderstandings, ask me. When I decide something on this ship, however, you won’t be privy to it.”
Her face softened a bit, and for a second, Eric wanted to reach out and touch her. But he couldn’t do that, not to her, so he slid back his chair and stood up, squeezing his fists so he wouldn’t be tempted to do something stupid. There was something that passed between them, when she looked up at him again, and for a moment he couldn’t breathe, so he said not a word as he gave her a curt nod and crossed to the door, yanking it open. He stood in the doorway, watching her watching him with something in her eyes that, from any other woman, would have had him running for the hills.
Chapter Seven
The enlisted female bunkroom that Gail Carruthers occupied contained eighteen bunks, all filled on this deployment. She lingered in the closed confinement of her rack as four of the women who shared the bunkroom with her gathered by the TV to watch a reality show they were able to pick up.
“He really pisses me off,” Gail said. “He needs to have someone knock him off his high horse. I don’t know who he thinks he is, but he treated me that way because I’m a woman.”
The four women relaxing around the television stilled, then looked at each other in a wary sort of way, as if there were eyes and ears listening everywhere.
Petty Officer Jennifer Hampton was a pretty girl from Ohio with long dark hair, slender and curvy. She moved closer to Gail. “Would you keep your voice down?” She leaned against the bunk and reached out, swatting Gail’s leg. “I agree with you, as do most of us girls on this ship. He’s a bastard when it comes to women, but you need to watch your step, girl. He’s the captain, and you need to be careful of what comes out of your mouth.”
Gail shrugged and rolled off the rack. “Not if we go together and file a discrimination suit against him.”
The silence was so sharp that if someone was listening, they’d most likely wonder what the hell was going on in there.
“You’re crazy, girl. What’s wrong with you, coming up with something stupid like that?” Petty Officer Mary-Jo Johnson murmured as she pushed herself out of a chair.
“No, really, please listen. I heard that there is a lady commander out there who is next in line to command a ship like this one. If we can get rid of this asshole, then we don’t have to worry about being passed over for promotion just because we’re the wrong sex.”
Two of the other enlisted women shared a glance and appeared to be considering the idea.
“We all know he’s made his position clear regarding women. He’s never hesitated to spell it out. You all know I’m right. He believes we were born to stay at home and wait for our husbands, holding their slippers in our hands, bearing their kids, wiping snotty noses and waiting hand and foot on them like bloody slaves. It’s like something out of the dark ages!” Gail gestured with her hands as if leading this group of women. But dark-haired Mary-Jo continued to frown and stand as if on guard, arms crossed… as if perhaps just waiting to take Gail down.
The three other women, who ranged from blond and pretty to tall, lanky, and dark, shared a look that would have caused some worry to anyone watching. Gail had to suppress a smile, wanting to high-five herself for the quick thinking. The captain’s one mistake was her advantage: He had voiced objections to the presence of women in the Navy, but even worse was his damning statement that they lowered the integrity of the service.
She jumped when Mary-Jo stepped in front of her, nose to nose with a hard take-no-shit look, as if she was considering pounding the crap out of her. “Okay, girl, you got a point about the captain. He does have a problem with us women, and he has said some stuff that has right pissed me off, too. But you don’t forget he’s the captain, and if he says jump, we ask how high. This ain’t Wall Street, and he’s not just some boss. So I wonder whatcha think you’re gonna do about it?”
Swallowing, Gail cringed inside, wanting nothing more than to take a step back, but she was trapped with her back to the bunk as she stared into eyes so dark she wondered if the woman had ever had a happy thought. She stifled the urge to cower, her heart pounding, very aware of Mary-Jo’s strength and the fact that the woman would go down fighting to the death before ever backing down. She didn’t run and hide from anyone. Gail could always think herself out of a situation, and she counted on that, praying it wouldn’t fail her now with this woman who scared the crap out of her and was breathing down her neck. She had to find a way to win her over. Mary-Jo was the one person on this ship who was impossible to read, and Gail definitely did not ever want to piss her off.
“Ladies, I got a plan, and I’ll be counting on your help. You know we have to stick together. Women in the Navy have to remain united or we’ll never get ahead, and you know we’ll continue to get passed over for promotion here under Captain Hamilton’s command,” Gail said.
Mary-Jo held up both hands, and Gail wondered if she was going to grab her and shake her, but instead she took a step back and jabbed a finger in Gail’s face. “You can just stop right there, girl. I’m not interested in any dirty business or getting involved in any scheme of yours to hurt the captain. You can count me out. I had enough of these games with my sister back home. I’m certainly not gonna stoop to doin’ somethin’ that’s gonna start trouble, especially when it’s not based on any facts.” Mary-Jo stared with a hard look at each one of the women in the room—a look that had Gail trembling under her skin. Then she almost growled at Gail before shaking her head and turning without another word and walking into the head.
Gail was breathing hard, pressed against the bunk as she listed to the squeak of the faucet and the water spilling through the pipes. Then the faucet squeaked off. A moment later, Mary-Jo returned to the bunkroom. She didn’t look any calmer.
“Humph. You just remember what I said, and if I was you, Miss Gail, I would drop it and start doin’ the job you’re supposed to do and keep your nose out of the captain’s business.”
The angrier Mary-Jo got, the more pronounced her southern accent became. It wasn’t something Gail had seen often, but she had heard it once or twice whenever some young sailor had made a backhanded comment. Mary-Jo swept her gaze past each of them, clenching her fists, and suddenly smacked Gail on the back of the head. “What’s wrong with you, trying to cause trouble? And what’s wrong with you girls, sittin’ here listening to this? Sham
e on you.” She gave each of them a final dark glare before heading for the door of the bunkroom. “If you even think about causing trouble and I hear about it, I’ll go straight to the Cap’n. I won’t stand by and take it, and I won’t do it sneaky like the coward you are. I will be in your face and wipe the floor with you.” She leaned in to Gail’s face, and for a moment Gail thought she’d spit on her, but then she turned and left the bunkroom.
The remaining women gazed at each other before one of them said, “She’s right. Just let it go.”
But no, there was something inside Gail that hated being humiliated or having one of her ideas squashed by some darky piece of trash. The way the other women were turned away from her now, after she knew she’d almost convinced them—no, she’d find a way. She had to. After all, Captain Eric Hamilton had pissed off the wrong woman and needed to be taught a lesson. Instead of sulking away, she plopped into one of the chairs by the TV, earning a pitying glance from Jennifer, who had her long brown hair pinned up. She absolutely loathed that feeling, when someone turned the tables on her, and at this moment she hated all of them for making her feel this low.
Chapter Eight
Eric sat behind his big desk, considering the officers in the room. Joe was still sitting in the chair by the sofa, where they had just held their daily department head meeting. The meetings were, as a rule, held in the morning, but with the sudden arrival of Abby and the ensuing commotion, they’d rescheduled it for 1900. He acknowledged each officer as they passed by his desk. “Captain,” each said before leaving. Eric downed the last of his bitter coffee in one gulp and reread the orders clutched in his hand: Undetermined extension of existing orders to remain in the Persian Gulf, conducting operations in support of multinational forces in Iraq and maritime security operations in the Gulf in order to set conditions for security and stability in the region.
“Stability in the region, that really sums everything up,” Eric said. He didn’t look at Joe, but he could feel his friend watching him.
When the USS Larsen pulled out of their homeport six months earlier as part of the battle group now stationed in the gulf under Operation Iraqi Freedom, emotions had been high. The thrill of being back on the open sea was the biggest adrenaline rush he had ever experienced. He lived and breathed the Navy. It was a part of him. Among the crew, just about each one of them had it in their blood. Most had left behind wives, children, and families; some had even become new fathers while out at sea. But that was what happened when you chose a life in the military. Your spouse had to look after the home front, and if something happened at home, there wasn’t a damn thing a sailor could do. Many didn’t get the messages until whatever the trouble was had been resolved.
When Eric announced the orders of their extended stay, he’d seen the disappointment in the eyes of his officers. They were ready to go home, to see their families. Johnson, a redheaded, blue-eyed officer, had a young wife pregnant with their first, and she was due to deliver when he was supposed to be home. That was all anyone had heard from him the last few weeks, that he was going to be in the delivery room when his baby was born. When Eric looked into the distress on Johnson’s face, even though the officer had tried to hide it, well, he felt lower than dirt, and he apologized to him. He felt guilty and horrible, because when he read the order, he’d been happy beyond words. He had no ties to shore, only a cheap rented apartment in Portsmouth, furnished second-hand. He had no emotional ties, and he never gave a second thought to the shore. No, this was Eric’s true home, his lady love, the sea, the only place he truly felt alive.
He sighed and placed the orders back in the folder. Then he dropped it neatly to the side of his desk. An order was an order, and he wasn’t about to coddle his crew. They all needed to suck it up, especially with the new task force that had just been created because of the escalating tension and increase in danger in the area. The task force was scheduled for dispatch later in the week.
Eric had been hesitant about bringing up the subject of Abby, but he knew there was no way around it. He had to say something to his men. They knew she was here, so all he’d said was that they wouldn’t be moving her, and, for the time being, she would remain in sickbay, off limits to the crew. Of course, he wasn’t surprised by the response and the way they looked at each other as if wondering why she was still here. This included Joe, but Joe, being his right hand, steered the discussion in a different direction. Eric knew all too well that behind closed doors, alone, he’d be hearing from him. Before the meeting, Eric had spoken with Vice Admiral James, who was the commander of the US Navy and Marine Forces in the Gulf. They addressed the fact that the Brits were still very much in the area. In fact, they’d spotted one of the British Class Sheffield Destroyers on the horizon to the north.
The fact was that Eric was stalling, and that was something he didn’t do. He was, though, concerned with how the admiral would react toward Abby and the reason she was remaining on board. When he brought up the matter, he’d met a heart-pounding silence in which he could hear a pen clicking on the other end of the line, but then the admiral had said, “I will leave it to your better judgment.” Eric didn’t know when he’d decided to keep Abby on board. He’d just known, for some reason, and because of what had happened to her, that he wanted her to stay under his protection right now.
Eric didn’t glance up until the door clicked closed behind the last officer. That left him alone with Joe. “Sorry about the extension. I know you miss Mary-Margaret and the kids.”
Joe tightened his mouth and glanced away. “Thanks, Eric. Yeah, I miss them.”
Eric watched his friend struggling with his emotions before he cleared his throat roughly.
“So what did the admiral have to say about Abby?” Joe asked.
This was the part he didn’t want to address, because Joe was like a dog with a bone sometimes and read him very well. So he turned away and jabbed his fingers through his short dark hair. “He said he’d leave when and if she’s moved up to me.”
“What do you mean if she’s moved?”
“Abby was quite upset about the guard. You know, she thought she was a prisoner. She misunderstood my intentions.”
Joe was still watching him, still waiting for Eric to answer him, and Eric knew that hard look from those deep blue eyes. It was one Joe gave Eric when he knew he was blowing him off. Any other time, Joe would keep digging until he answered, but Eric didn’t want to talk to anyone, even Joe, about why he felt the need to keep Abby here for now.
Instead, he said, “I’m looking for some information—any information—on this Seyed Hossein, the guy who ‘bought’ Abby, who did this to her.”
“Turns out there’s not much available,” Joe answered. “Not even a hundred percent sure the guy exists.” He picked up the files, then sat across from Eric. He tossed the file on the desk and added, “You know that the French police report that every year, at least several thousand girls are reported missing from Paris? The police believe these girls have been abducted for prostitution in Arab countries. What’s really sick is that even Intel has information that there are auctions in Africa where these abducted white women are sold to Arab customers, and blond women like Abby are like platinum.”
Eric touched his forehead, trying to still the boiling rage that was ripping through him. He couldn’t stomach what he was picturing, and Abby had lived it.
“These women disappear, never to be seen again. For what it’s worth, Abby is one of the lucky ones.” Joe held up a manila file folder. “I believe this Hossein is responsible.” He slid the file across the desk to Eric.
His stomach burned, and the bile threatened to climb up and close his throat. He had to swallow hard a couple times before he could speak. “They can be quite the sick, perverted bastards, can’t they?” He leaned back as the leather hissed, propping his feet up on the desk.
Joe cleared his throat. “I’m not sure I should mention this, but I overheard some talk on board of how Abby might be some sort o
f terrorist.”
Eric slammed his feet on the ground, standing up so fast he sent the chair crashing into the wall. He braced his arms on the desk and leaned down, feeling the predator in him clawing to be set free, and he wondered, by the look on Joe’s face, whether his friend thought he’d tear this ship apart.
“Whoa, calm down and don’t head out that door to kill anyone just yet. I did put an end to the rumors.”
“Who started them?”
Joe gave him a look as if Eric should know better. “Kind of hard to tell, you know, especially on a ship where the crew lives for whatever tale someone can tell. If I didn’t know better, I’d think you were a little taken with this girl.”
“Look, I’m concerned about her. I mean, how many of these girls who are taken are ever found?” He shrugged because he felt something for her, but he was sure it was because he had found her. He had saved her. “Joe, I think we should get Intel on to this Seyed Hossein. My gut tells me there is more to this guy and situation than we know about. I mean, why does he have her on a boat in the middle of the night out here, alone?”
Sitting down, he squeezed the back of his neck. His mind was going faster with ideas and reasons, and he liked none of them. There was a feeling he got whenever something didn’t click, didn’t settle, because he knew there was more, and that was the feeling he had about this elusive Seyed Hossein. He still couldn’t figure out what Abby’s role was to be, because he knew deep in his bones that she hadn’t been along for a pleasure cruise. Guys like Seyed were dangerous animals. Nothing they did was without an agenda. He’d have to talk to Abby again. He hated upsetting her, making her relive this horrible thing over and over, but it couldn’t be helped.
“Captain, did you hear me?”
Eric blinked a couple times. “Sorry, was just thinking.”
Danger Deception Devotion The Firsts Page 54