Caught in the Net (7 page)

“Oh?  Were you trying to knock me over?  I didn't
notice,” Rich teased.

“You are gonna fit in great here.”  Michael chuckled,
happy with the level of comfort Rich was displaying with his sister.  “You will
find that the folks are real supportive of our crew.  Whatever they need to be
happy and fulfilled, the bosses go out of their way to help them.  They’ve put
several of the men through school to keep them with us.  We also have an
assigned research vessel, the
Allegro
.  It’s a sweet gig.”

“I'm sweet, too, you know.”

“Yes, you are,” Michael agreed, kissing her forehead. 
“And you also make the best French toast in the world.”

“That I do.  I'll make breakfast for everyone after I
rinse the sand off.  Here, carry the lobsters, pack mule,” she ordered Rich.

Dr. Quimby was awake, lounging on the deck with a cup
of coffee.  “Good morning, kids.  Good surf?  It looks like you had some nice
peaks out there.”

“Good morning, Doc.  Yes sir, very nice.  Mike and I
talked and, if possible, I would be very interested in joining your team.  It
sounds like a dream job,” Rich said, standing his board next to Michael’s and
handing Sam the heavy load.

“Let’s see what we can do.  What do you have there,
honey?” the man asked, kissing his daughter.

She untied the knots and dumped five large, angry
lobsters on the deck.  “LUNCH!”

“Tsk, tsk, you know you aren’t supposed to remove them
from this area,” Dr. Quimby said, grabbing two of the bugs off the deck and
tossing them into a cleansing tank that the family kept for fresh seafood.  Sam
caught one, as Rich grabbed the other two.

“I have diplomatic immunity.  And they are males,” the
girl shrugged.  Rich questioned the statement.

“Oh, well, I guess it’s something else we haven’t told
you.  We are both Special Forces,” Michael added humbly.

“I’m guessing life with you two is neither boring nor
predicable,” Rich commented, still finding it difficult to process all the
information being presented to him.

Dr. Quimby clapped him on the shoulder.  “You have no
idea, son.  So?  Did I hear anything about bacon?”

Scott dragged himself out of bed by the time breakfast
was made, and eyed the lobsters in the holding tank as he sat at the deck table
to eat.  “Looks like someone broke the law.  This is a preserve, no fishing.”

“Technically, I didn’t.  The lions snatched them and
gave them to me.  If you don’t want lobster…”

“I didn’t say that.  I just don’t want to deal with
having to get you out of park ranger jail.  Mmm, coffee.”

“So, Sam told me that you got to meet the pod this
morning?  How did it go?” Dr. Quimby asked Rich.

“It was amazing.  Thanks, Sammi.”  Rich smiled as she
handed him a plate stacked with food.  “I’ve never seen anything like it. 
After threatening to eat me if I touched Samantha, that whale made me put my
arm in its mouth.  That was not an event I could have prepared for in my wildest
dreams.”

“Really?  Why would he have you do that?  I don't
understand,” Dr. Quimby asked, eyeing his daughter and seeing a little smile. 
She was up to something again.  Poor boy.  Rich explained what he had been
told, wrinkling his brow as Michael, literally, fell on the deck laughing and
holding his stomach.

“Did she tell you that?  Oh my God…” he howled. 

Rich frowned, looking at the girl.

She offered him a toothy grin.  “Still think I’m
cute?” she asked, blinking her long lashes as she ducked behind her father. 

Rich shook his finger at her.  “Watch out, my dear. 
You’re not the only one who can pull pranks.”

“Good, finally we get someone who can beat her at her
own game,” Scott commented, slapping Dr. Quimby’s hand away from his bacon. 
“Welcome to the family, Mr. Lewis.  You’ve been pranked.”

“Should I expect this often?” Rich asked, hearing the
girl yelp as her uncle smacked her thigh.

“We don’t have enough time in the day to warn you what
to expect.  Just sit back and enjoy the ride.  And please let one of us know if
she gets to be too much to handle,” Scott ordered, wagging his finger at Sam
who stuck her tongue out at him.

Rich grinned, his dimples accented.  “Yes, Mike warned
me as well.  Don't worry, I will call on you for anything I can't handle on my
own.”

Rich blended into the family easily, and by the end of
the day, the comfort level was at its peak, with him joining right in with the
warm teasing and playful banter.  Sam walked him out to his car, holding his
hand.  “Did you have fun today?” she asked.  “My family is always like this.  I
love hanging out with them more than anything.”

“It was the most fun I’ve had in years.  Are you upset
that I joined them in teasing you?”

“After my stunt?  Heck no.  I had to see if you had a
sense of humor, you know.  And balls.”

“I have both.  Just beware, you don’t want to pull
pranks on me too often, I always get even.”  Rich smiled, holding her chin
gently.

“I’m an expert at dodging bullets.  Live in a family
like this, raised with hundreds of big brothers, a girl learns how to take care
of herself.  I hope we didn’t overwhelm you about us, though.”

“Not at all.  I find you amazing.  And beautiful.  And
a bit of a brat.”  Rich smiled, kissing her.  “All the qualities I look for in
the perfect woman.”

“Even the brat?”

“Especially the brat.  I have a special way of dealing
with that quality.”  He kissed her again.

“Believe me, so does my family and I don’t care for
it,” she mumbled against his lips.  Her knees shook after he let her go and got
into his car. 
Wow
, she thought,
almost as good as the swirls.
 
Sam watched him drive away and, after regaining control of her legs, returned
inside.  Her family was in the kitchen cleaning up after dinner.  She smiled,
leaning against the wall.

“Did you have a nice day, love?” Dr. Quimby asked,
handing her a dishtowel.  She nodded, still smiling. 

Michael grunted.  “Looks like she got a real kiss
tonight.  Samantha?  Helllloo? Care to join us?”  He snapped his fingers in her
face.

“He’s so nice and cute.  And he likes my brat side.”

“Speaking of which, what were you thinking with
putting his arm in that damn whale's mouth, girl?  You have more sense than
that,” Scott asked. 

She started to dry a plate.  “No, really, Uncle Scott,
I was responding to Ton's inquiry.  He asked me how Rich tasted.  I didn’t
understand, so I let him find out for himself.  Plus it showed me Rich wasn’t a
wimp.”

“Tasted?” Michael piped in, “What could that mean?”

“I don’t know.  I can tell you now, from a human perspective,
he’s delicious,” she sighed.

“I don’t want to hear that, thank you,” Dr. Quimby
grumbled.  “How did you introduce him to Ton?”

“As a new pod member, but closer than those at work. 
Like a mate.”

“Oh shit!  Samantha, Ton was asking you about sex!” Michael
howled again, laughing hysterically.  “He wanted to know if Rich satisfied
you!”

His sister turned bright red as her eyes widened.  “Oh
no... Do you really think so?  No wonder he was confused when I put Rich’s hand
in his mouth.  I’m so embarrassed.”

“You’ll get over it.  At least until I tell the men,”
Michael hooted.  The room exploded with uncontrolled laughter as the other two
men joined in. 

Sam's face turned a deeper crimson.  “Please don’t,
they raze me enough as it is.  Come on, Mike, please?”

“No way.  Not after your last prank on me.  I’m still
finding love letters signed by dolphins on my desk.”

“You guys are so mean.  You’re lucky I love all of
you,” the girl grumbled back, getting a hug from her uncle.

“Yes, we are.  Both mean and lucky.  I do like that
boy, though.  A lot.  He’s got a good head on his shoulders and I get the sense
that he might be strong enough for you.  The fact he’s got a long fuse and a
good sense of humor helps.  I’m going to take a trip to North Island tomorrow
and check out his unit.  Mike, if you really think he would do well in the lab;
I’ll see about getting the transfer.”

“I think he would be awesome, Scott.  His credentials
are incredible and he gets along with the family.  Plus, it looks like we’ll
have a new sparring partner, too.  Kenpo black belt, martial arts honors in
Annapolis, boxing, recon training… his are almost identical to ours.  I really
could use an officer with his skills,” Michael said.

“I'm sensing a bromance here,” Sam whispered to her
father.

“Yeah, me too.  I don't know who is more infatuated -
Scott or Michael,” Dr. Quimby whispered back.

Not paying attention to the whispers between his
friend and niece, Scott continued talking, “Just be careful not to mix personal
with business.  We already have a fine line between you two.  You need to be
able to focus on work.  Samantha, I’m talking to you.  What are you two
whispering about?”

“Nothing ‘cept how wonderful you are to get Rich this
job.”  Sam blinked innocently, smacking her father's hand as he pinched her for
the lie.  “Seriously, Uncle Scott, when have I not focused on work?  That’s all
I ever seem to do.  Maybe a cute engineer will give me some positive
distractions.”

“He’ll eventually find out about our dynamics if you
don’t behave.  Will you be able to handle that?”

“How did Mom handle it when Daddy found out?” she
asked, wrinkling her brow.

“She was mortified.  But, I hate to say, it never
stopped her from getting into trouble.  She got used to it eventually, especially
after he moved in with us,” Scott chuckled.  “Just try to behave yourself.”

“I will.  I really like him a lot.”  Sam blushed
sweetly.

As promised, Scott presented to the commander of the
engineering unit at North Island the next day.  Scott explained his need for a
design engineer in the labs and reviewed several files before selecting Rich. 
The colonel did not cover his dismay at losing the new officer, noting that Lt.
Lewis was hard working, reliable, competent and had strong leadership skills. 
He additionally acknowledged that the new position would offer the young
officer a unique opportunity to rise through the ranks, and verbalized his
pleasure at seeing a major general take personal interest in caring for their
troops. 

Reluctantly, Scott agreed to allow the young man to complete
his present project before reassignment and, immensely pleased with himself,
Scott called his nephew to boast about his success.  This was followed with a
grumpy command for Michael to take a hopper across the bay immediately and help
set up Rich's office in the engineering department of the main facility. 
Michael politely refused Sam's offer to assist, feeling it best to avoid any
chances of her trying to pull another prank on their new friend and coworker.

“I think having Rich in this unit will work well.  I
spend half my time over here anyway,” Michael said as they moved a desk into
the empty office. 

Scott nodded.  “That and out of your sister’s reach. 
I was really impressed with what I heard about him today.  There’s more than
meets the eye with that boy.  He might become my new favorite.”

“You will have to fight with Sammi over that,” Michael
chuckled, hooking up the computer.  “She is already accusing us of trying to
steal him from her.”

“Think he can handle her quirks?”

“Yeah, I do.  He's already given her looks that made
her pause mid-step.  My gut tells me he's good people.”

“Mine, too.  And Dad as well.  Let me know what you
need for him and we’ll get it.  I think it will be good for the men to have an
officer in here full time, too.”

“I’ll let them know he’s coming.  Hopefully, they’ll
be okay.  I spoil them a bit.”

“Give them time.  We’ve taught you two how to build
loyalty and I would hope they’d be concerned about someone replacing you here. 
I also want you to move the transmitter and band study this way.  Closer to me
and your father, just in case.”

“You read my mind.  I really don’t want her to have
unlimited access to the bands if I can stop her.  I want to keep an ECG in the
new lab, though.  I need that.”

“No problem.  How’s she doing?  Anything new?” Scott
asked with concern. 

Michael shook his head.  “No.  She seems balanced
right now.  No more of that swirling stuff either.  I think she convinced the
pod to stop it.  I’m getting ready to start the weapon detection study and she
gave her promise to cooperate.  We plan to begin that next week.  Hopefully,
we’ll have Rich on board by then.  That is right up his alley.”

“We should.  The colonel anticipated completion of the
project by the end of the week.  He’s going to call me and let me know.  And
Mike?  Please come to me if you see anything odd with Sam.  Dad is already
stressed enough about it.”

“I will.  But you have to trust me when I tell you
she's fine.  I would know.  I always do.”

Rich was ecstatic when Michael shared the news, as
well as the precautions taken against his sister meddling with his new office. 
Rich started laughing.  “Would she actually try to pull stunts at work?”

“Don't underestimate the Siren.  She has a huge
following, including all the men in your unit.  Most of them were present when
she had the accident, so they share a very special bond with her.  I can assure
you, with all certainly, that she would prank you as often as possible and that
she will have assistance.  Your only hope is to get the men to develop the same
amount of loyalty towards you as they give to her.  I can't think of any other
way to put the brakes on her.  I guess I should warn you that they still back
her with pulling crap on me.  This is your last chance to back out… are you
sure you want to date her?” Michael teased.

“She’s adorable and her pranks are harmless.  Yes, I
do.  Are you having concerns over this?  I will respect your opinion if you
feel that it would interfere with our work.  You know her much better than I do.”

“I would never get in the way of my sister’s
happiness.  I’m hoping that having you around will allow her to slow down and
not be so work-driven.  As long as we can stay professional and focus on our
jobs, then there is no problem.  If something happens and you guys break up,
you will still be friends.  She doesn’t hold grudges.”

“Neither do I.  I want your word that you will be up
front and honest with me should you see or hear anything that might cause
problems.”

“Always.  And likewise.  Especially regarding her.”

Rich was transferred that Friday to his new duty
station and was greeted warmly by Scott and Dr. Quimby as he entered the lab. 
He stood quietly as the engineering team was instructed by Michael to be
helpful and hospitable, uncomfortable with the frowns as they realized that
Michael was sifting command of the section to the newcomer.  Sam also noticed
and sharply informed them, hands on her hips, that if she discovered anyone
giving Rich problems, that man would have to deal with her.  Rich’s eyebrows
rose as they immediately responded, promising to help in any way possible. 
Glancing at Michael, he read the words ‘told you so’ on his friend’s lips.

Sam returned to work as Michael escorted Rich around
the base.  They stopped by the headquarter offices.  “General Jenkins, please,”
Michael asked the lance corporal at the front desk. 

“Yes, sir.  General?  Lt. Quimby is here to see you, sir.”

“Which one?”

“Um, Michael, sir.  If it were Sam, she would have
bypassed me and been in there.”

“True.  One day you will learn how to corral her.”

“I doubt it, sir.  She scares me.”

“I hear you are not alone there.  Go ahead and send
him in, Greg,” Scott laughed.  A couple of seconds later, the two young men
were at his door.  “Hey, boys, sit down.  How’s the tour?” Scott asked, hugging
both.

“A bit overwhelming, but good.  Thank you so much for
this, Scott,” Rich said, hugging him back.  “I can't tell you how much I
appreciate it.”

“Hey, I know talent when I see it.  Besides, I have a
personal agenda.  We’re hoping your positive influence will distract our girl
from getting herself into trouble.”

“Samantha?  Trouble?”  Rich grinned.  “I suspect she
has quite the capacity for it.”

“You have no idea.  Have you seen the seal unit yet?”

“No sir.  We’re trying to get me settled here first.”

“Gotcha.  Here is your chain of command.  Michael,
Joe, me and, God forbid, Samantha.  When Mike is absent from engineering, you
are in command.  This is a good opportunity to exercise your skills.  I want
you to stretch yourself and not feel limited.  The only rule I have is:  if
it’s not broken, don’t let Mike touch it.”

“They don’t like me fiddling with stuff,” Michael
grunted. 

“Does that include me?  I can usually put things back together
and get them to work,” Rich asked, watching as Michael tinkered with a metal
puzzle on Scott's desk.

Scott snatched it out of his hand.  “Last time you
touched my puzzle, it took me three weeks to figure it out.  Leave my stuff
alone.”

“It only took Sam two minutes,” Michael snickered, “and
she's not even an engineer or a physicist.”

“Samantha isn't the only one with a big mouth in this
family.  Rich, no fixing things that aren’t broken, at least without
permission.  I’m in the lab three times a week for a few hours to review and
monitor.  Joe and I have open door policies for our crew.  Never hesitate to
come to us if you need anything, okay?  And don’t let the men convince you that
I’ll toss you in a tank if you do.  That only happened once.”

“And it was an accident,” Michael interjected.

“We are all about ideas here.  There are no stupid
ones, okay?”

“Yes, sir.”

“One more thing, with this transfer you also get a
perk of quarter changes to this facility’s BOQs if you like.  Since Joe and I
opted not to use ours, I’m offering you one of our suites.  We keep the other
in case one of us has duty and can’t get home.”

“Seriously?  The general’s quarters?”  Rich was, once
again, stunned. 

Scott nodded, tossing him the keys.  “I treat my team
well.  We also have occasional gatherings with the entire crew at our place. 
These privileges extend only to our labs and the
Allegro
crewmen.  We
don’t advertise.  Someone might report it to the base commander or something.”

“Aren’t you the base commander?”

“And I need to be a good example.  Questions?  Good. 
Will you need help getting your personal belongings transferred to the BOQ?  I
can have movers sent.”

“Truthfully, I have nothing except my uniforms and
books.  Everything else is in storage.  I haven’t had a chance to do anything
with it yet.”

“Michael can help you if you need anything.  What are
your plans for tonight?  I want you over for dinner.”

“Scott, I think he was going to ask Sam out.”

“They can go tomorrow.  Joe’s making something
edible.  Don’t know what.  Be there at 1800.”

“Yes, sir.  Thank you for everything.  I really
appreciate it.”

“My pleasure.  Now get going, I have work to do,”
Scott said, kicking his feet up on the desk and opening the newspaper. 
Laughing, the two left.

“This is too much.  I can’t believe it,” Rich
commented as Michael took him over to the BOQ suites.  The general’s suite was
a separate single story house with a manicured yard, located on the bay with a
private beach and fenced back yard.  There were two large bedrooms, an office,
living room, dining area, kitchen, laundry area, family room, two bathrooms and
a garage.  All fully furnished with a Japanese theme.

“The other one is a three bedroom.  We use it when we
get off too late and we don’t want to drive home.  You also get a housekeeper
and gardener.”  Michael smiled.  “The housekeeper keeps everything stocked so
you don’t have to go shopping.”

“Am I allowed to bring girls over?”  Rich grinned,
bouncing on the edge of the large bed. 

Michael laughed.  “Just don’t tell my sister.  Or have
it be my sister.”

“Speaking of which, I need to tell her our date is
postponed.  Is she going to be pissed?”

“Probably not.  She's pretty flexible, but don’t let
Scott boss you around too much.  He likes to be in command.  Sam is the bravest
among us and challenges him the most.  Dad and I, however, are smart enough to
just do as he wants, to keep him happy.  If you have plans, tell him and hold
your position.  He respects that.  He might not cooperate, but you will have
his respect.”  Michael shrugged good-naturedly.  “Let’s go see the midget then
you can get going.”

“You won't hear me argue with you there, Mike.  Thanks
again.”

“Thank me after you get settled in.  You might be
changing your mind,” Michael chuckled.

The two entered the lab quietly, Michael holding his
finger to his lips to prevent the crew from alerting his sister.  She was,
literally, knee deep in a shallow tank having a conversation with a young
bottlenose calf who had scratched its pectoral fin.

“Didn’t your bull tell you not to go near those
fences?  You need to listen to him.  He tells you these things to protect you.”

“She should follow her own advice,” Michael whispered
to his friend.

Rich smiled, fascinated.  “Do they really understand
what she is saying?”

“Yes, but not in the literal sense.  She speaks aloud
to help form the images correctly that she is trying to translate to them. 
With practice, I'm sure she will be less vocal.  But then... it's Sam.”

“I gather silence is not in her nature?”

“You gather correctly.”

“How does that feel?  Yes, I’m sure it hurts.  I’ll
let the pod know you’re here to rest for a few days.  Yes, I’m sorry, but I
have to let your bull know.  No, we can’t hide that, it would be lying and the
pod cannot lie.  Splasher?  Please let his bull know where he is.  I’ll have
him in Ton’s tank if they want to come in and check on him.  Thank you.  Come
on, little boy.  Into the big tank with you.  No, the whale won’t eat you.” 
She scooted the small dolphin to the ramp of the larger tank and watched him
slip inside.  After tossing him several mackerel, she washed her hands and
turned around.

“Those aren’t regulation shorts, lieutenant,” Michael
said with a smile.

“I never wear regulation shorts, lieutenant.  They are
ugly.  Hi Rich.”  She blushed a little.

“Mike said that he actually understood that whole
conversation.  You are going to have to explain this to me.”

“I will.  Wanna laugh, Mike?  He’s afraid of having
his tail flukes bitten.”

“What does that mean?” Rich asked in confusion.