Life as a New Hire Ch. 39

"Oh boy," I looked at Aya. Amazons were supposed to avoid notoriety. There was a lengthy pause. Mu quietly relayed the news to Zhen which distressed her.

"So, what was it like making love under the tarp?" Topaz inquired.

"Wait a second," I prevaricated. "How did you know about that?"

"I am that kind of system, Cáel," she affirmed. Mu translated which only caused Zhen greater distress.

"There were blankets under there," I evaded.

"That shows preplanning on your part. Most wise," she pointed out.

"It was totally by accident, I sw ..." I got out.

"My system has a voice stress analyzer," she cut me off. Mother fucker! My feminine worst nightmare. Don't get me started on Antonio Banderas and clowns.

"Do you have to use it on me?" I avoided sounding sarcastic. There was another long pause.

"I've never thought about not using it," she confessed. Bingo.

"Are you a computer?" I asked in all seriousness. Another pause.

"The Turing Test? I understand you have taken it numerous times," she noted.

"You don't work for the CIA, do you?" I guessed.

Pause.

"Yes, though my work for the Agency is somewhat of a sideline to my dedicated purpose," she tossed me a bone. Then, "Deirdre says hello."

I was leaning toward the Illuminati anyway. Yes, I had been saved by my crazy Aunts.

"What kind of people are coming to get me - us?" I questioned nervously.

"Military people."

"What kind of military people?"

"I think it is best for me to leave you guessing," she taunted me.

That was okay. I had been saved by a wacky spy satellite with delusions of Artificial Intelligence secretly operated by the CIA who secretly-secretly really worked for the Illuminati.

With layers upon layers of byzantine program, Topaz might really have been approaching sentiency. I desperately wanted to go back to being a delivery boy. My sanity required it.

"It was damp, warmed by compassion and stoked by passion," I related of my sexual session with Zhen.

"It was unique in the look in her eyes when they sparkled, the curve of her breast from beneath and the way sweat trickled in multiple rivulets down her throat. She has these two secret places - one was new to her, I could tell," I continued. "Her heart beats strong and her breathing is even in the manner of a true athlete."

"In one way she was every bit a woman. In another, she was exactly the kind of woman I wanted her to be and that's a tough thing to do, believe me," I finished up.

"You are a poet," she responded. "You should go home." By home I believed she meant 'Ireland'. I had this deep down sensation.

"Nope. No way ~ no how," I cut that discussion off. "I prefer to live as a free castaway on a Sun-blasted reef than a parakeet in a gilded cage."

"Meet Deidre half way then?" she countered.

"That I can do. When the flying monkeys let me go, have her give me a call," I agreed. Eh, I was going to end up banging an Aunt or two eventually. As long as I was sure they weren't my real mother, I would cope somehow.

"I will monitor your situation for the next two hours and be back by the time your rescue is achieved. Until then, Cáel Nyilas," she exited our conversation. That was okay, the Marines were on the way. It had to be the Marines. I didn't think nature made kick-ass seahorses big enough for the cavalry to come riding in on.

(The Marines have landed)

The first contact with our salvation force was by cell phone. We used Aya's phone card in Zhen's phone and sure enough, a nice marine made a call when they were twenty minutes out. The Sun hadn't set the eastern sea on fire yet. Everything in this artificial sea-skillet was beautiful.

It was rendered that way because we were leaving this abandoned atoll very soon. Fondness works that way. Their plane had the luxury of trained pilots and clear weather, so they were able to make a full circuit of the airfield before landing. Their landing was flawless and they even taxied the US Navy C-37B over to the JOC building ~ show offs.

A Naval Lieutenant named Toffler had assured me everything was okay with his craft, he had two naval corpsmen onboard, as well as some 'special guests'.

"Thank you for being less than perfectly helpful," I snorted. He laughed at me.

"Is your companion in the black sports bra seeing anybody?"

"Her vision is 20/20, so you are out of luck, smart-ass," I laughed back.

"I'll make sure to take off my wedding ring," he bantered while rolling to a stop.

"That's too bad," I faux-sympathized. "She has a thing for married men."

"Why are we rescuing you again, Joker?"

"You are here to save the girl. I'm the Guy Friday," I explained.

"Tell her 'the Marines have landed,' but squids are where the real action is at," he informed me.

The ramp was coming down. I went from a kneeling position to a crouched jaunt to meet our guests. Two men came out of the sandstorm swept up by twin engines going to idle. I could tell they had two separate types of helmets. One was the classic 'Fritz' design. The other ...

"Menner? Menner!" I exulted. Here was my Romanian companion who had allowed me to feed Ajax to an angry goddess and save hundreds of lives in the process. With him were five Marines from Lima Co. 3rd Battalion (Trinity), 3rd Marine Regiment ~ "Fortuna Fortes Juvat" (Fortune Favors the Brave) - thank you, Grandpa.

Menner was leading four men from the Vânători de munte as eight troopers set up a semi-circular perimeter around us, kneeling with their weapons pointed down. They weren't expecting a hostile encounter, but they were ready for any fight whatever came there way.

[Romanian] "My brother ~ my Prince," Menner chuckled over the low roar of the plane's engines. His eyes wandered over to the bound bodies of the Seven Pillar killers. "I see you've had your battle without waiting on the rest of us this time. Are you okay?" he added. Then he squinted, "I see you had your usual extraordinary companions, I recognize the eyes."

I looked over to Aya, who was on one knee five meters away, cradling her QSW-06 in the same manner I had been holding my QCW submachine gun moments earlier. Her face was serious and her eyes carefully tracked all the new arrivals for a hostile motion. The medical pack was strapped on her back. You never knew when you might need more medical supplies.

[Romanian] "I am bringing all my troopers home this time," I turned back to Menner. "She needs tending to. Our kidnappers tortured her by cutting off two digits of her right middle finger. She toughed it out - gave them nothing. She is my daughter in all the ways that matter, my friend."

[Romanian] "Then she will be a princess amongst our people," he grinned grimly. "She already embraces the responsibility."

"Gang," I shouted as I motioned the three forward. "Time to go home." Aya started trotting our way. The closest Marine had been waiting for me to finish my bonding moment with Menner before speaking. He walked and talked like an officer.

"You are certainly Mr. Cáel Nyilas," he nodded. "I'm Lt. Robeson, United States Marine Corps. I would like to take you and your party home. What is the situation?"

"Lieutenant, this young lady is Aya Ruger. She was kidnapped along-side me and managed to kill over twenty of our enemies, so be careful around her." I was deadly serious about what I said. Aya should get proper credit for all the people she sedated then drowned. Dead was dead, even if it was accidental.

"These two," I pointed to Zhen and Mu, "are Lúsìla ninda and Amar, Taiwanese nationals suffering some shock from the abrupt crash landing of the aircraft. They don't seem to know why they were kidnapped, but they were instrumental in aiding Aya and me making it to shore during the typhoon."

"If you say so, Sir," he nodded. He did believe me, yet a soldier was taught to be skeptical of anything a civilian told him about a military situation. "The bodies?"

"Those are the corpses we found after the storm. I decided we should attempt to place them in your custody so you can figure out who they are," I suggested.

"Sir, I don't think we can let civilians keep their weapons aboard the flight," the Marine Lt. stated since I had both a pistol and submachine gun, Aya had her pistol and Zhen had her and Mu's blades. A Marine NCO sent a party to gather the dead.

"Marine, I am Cáel Nyilas, Irish diplomat, freebooter and Champion of the worst possible causes," I began my spiel.

"You probably have some orders concerning bringing me in alive. I am not so constrained and am more than willing to steal this aircraft and fly back to Hawaii without you. My team keeps their weapons - or you give me your best shot ... right now," I met his gaze. He mulled over his options. Two Romanians and two Marines were starting to load the ad hoc body bags aboard the C-37B.

"Normally I don't take that kind of crap from a civilian and I don't want you to think I'm making an exception because of your Security Clearance. I'll let your people keep your weapons, but if something goes wrong, I'm shooting you first," he assured me.

"Done deal," I offered my hand and he shook it.

"Oh and Happy Tibetan Independence Day," he congratulated me.

"What?" I gasped.