Chapter 11

That evening after dinner — a dinner that Candy said was beyond belief — I called for a family conference in the library. And the entire family was present, even the infants who spent the time in the arms of their Aunts Missy and Candy. Their mothers were ordered not to touch ... except for baring a tit as might be required. Marty and I were astonished; Missy and Candy handled the infants with care and delicacy that made it seem that they had done nothing else for years.

“Okay, folks,” I began. “It’s time to put that miserable settlement out of business ... permanently. Any ideas?”

Paul looked at Jim. They seemed to exchange a wordless message and then Jim firmly nodded his head. “I guess it’s time to call in Rob Collins,” Paul said softly.

“And who is Rob Collins?” Marty asked.

With a lopsided smile Paul replied, “Well, as you know, Missy bought us Harleys for Christmas. My plate is SEAL-63; Jim’s is SEAL-62. The numbers indicate we were in SEAL team 6; Jim was #2 and I was #3.” He paused and then continued, “Rob Collins’ bike’s plate would be SEAL-61. He was a lieutenant (j. g.) and the team leader. That’s who Rob Collins is.”

“Where is he now?” Missy asked. “What’s he doing?”

“He’s in New York,” Jim replied. “He’s making tons of money, but he’s bored to tears. I’m certain he’ll come with us. And if he does, he’s all we’re going to need.”

Marty had been listening carefully. She spoke up finally and said, “We’re missing something very important. That slime pit has been operating for years out there. Over that period of time word of its operation must have leaked out to someone. And remember Ben Franklin’s dictum: ‘Three men can keep a secret if two of them are dead.’

“Let’s face it: That place isn’t a secret and can’t be. So that means they’ve got cover from somebody or bodies somewhere. Moreover, they have to have sufficient clout to stop a raid before it happens. Remember, there are dozens if not hundreds of women and girls out there. It’s not like a Prohibition-era speakeasy or gambling joint where the evidence could be hidden in a matter of moments. Furthermore, let’s not forget the body disposal. From what I remember, and from Missy, there have to be hundreds of bodies buried close by.”

“That’s why I said just the three of us,” Jim interjected. “From everything we hear, there are very few guys out there. Certainly no more than the three of us can handle. But there’s something more we’re going to need...”

“What’s that?” Marty asked.

“We’re going to have to become agents of the Virginia Bureau of Investigation. Then we’ve got all the legal cover we’re going to need.”

That time it was Marty’s and my turn to exchange looks and then forceful nods. “Jim, you and Paul get on the horn to your friend Rob Collins. Before I make a call, I want to be sure he’s onboard.”

That matter only took a few moments. Paul reported back, “He’s coming down on the first flight tomorrow morning. Is that good enough?”

Marty just nodded and went to her Rolodex again. And again she placed a call to the governor on his private line. She grinned when the first thing he did was to ask about Missy and asked her to give her dogs a big hug from him. Then Marty proceeded to explain the situation. It turned out that the governor had remembered the events surrounding Missy’s adoption, including the hell-hole she had escaped from. “Anyone who puts that outfit out of business permanently will be doing an immense service to the Commonwealth. Now what specifically do you want me to do?”

That took only a few more moments; then the governor ended the call. A few minutes later the phone rang; it was the chief of the Virginia Bureau of Investigation who proceeded to swear in Paul and Jim over the phone. Then he slowly read the words so they could swear in Rob Collins when he arrived.

With that out of the way, Paul raised the next question: “What about equipment?”

“I’ve been thinking about that,” Jim said, “and I think I have an answer. First, we’re lucky because Norfolk is about as far from that place as it’s possible to be and still be in Virginia. Assuming they’re plugged into law enforcement agencies, it’s unlikely that their reach extends this far. Furthermore, I’m sure the locals would help us out. That being the case, how about borrowing some gear from Norfolk SWAT? From what I’ve seen when we’ve been on the range with those guys they have everything we could possibly need.”

“And our relationship with Norfolk P.D. couldn’t be better,” Marty interjected. “Only today we received confirmation that one of the guys our boys put down permanently was a cop-killer ... a Norfolk cop killer! As of today, those guys would give you everything they have. And that’s not even to mention what we and Missy did for the Patrolman’s Benevolent Fund.

“Great idea, Jim!” she added. “I really think it’s going to fly.”

And that ended the family meeting. I really felt good about the prospects.

The next morning the boys took the Rolls out to the airport to meet Rob Collins. When they returned, I was the first to see him ... and I felt my heart roll over. Glancing over to Marty, it was apparent she had been gobsmacked, too. Oh, well ... we were used to sharing everything.

Reading that paragraph over, I guess it really wasn’t too informative. Aside from the fact that I thought Rob walked on water, did not get feet wet. He was very tall — about six feet four, I guessed — with brilliant blue eyes — like Missy, Marty and me — and sandy hair. Although he was dressed in a business suit, I guess my senses had been sharpened enough that I recognized that the suit had been specially cut to allow for very large biceps and thighs like tree trunks. In short, he was a hunk. Suddenly, I could feel myself blushing ... and getting very wet. That was because — for the very first time in my life — I found myself wondering if his package was as big as the rest of him. He’ll split me in half! I mentally exclaimed.

Did I ever mention that Marty and I always seemed to be on the same page? What happened immediately after provided confirmation. I hadn’t uttered a single word, but she whispered, “And you’ll love it, too!”

While I was daydreaming, Jim and Paul were trying to make introductions. Only then did it appear that Rob was as taken with the two of us as we were with him. “My God!” he muttered. “The two most beautiful women on the face of the Earth! And you’re my size, too.”

Indeed, at five-ten and wearing two-inch heels we were both looking almost straight into his eyes.

And it continued! And got even worse! Since Rob was a guest of Jim and Paul, Maria and JJ joined us in the library. And even though she had only been with us for less than a day, Candy insisted on serving along with Missy.

I said it got worse. “How?” you wonder. Well, when Missy first laid eyes on Rob Collins it looked like she had walked face-first into a brick wall. Gobsmacked!

When we took seats in the library, Rob sat smack in the middle of our leather-covered sofa and motioned for Marty and me to sit on each side. Which we did. Can you believe it? I actually found my head resting on his right shoulder! And glancing to the left, I saw my daughter with her head on his left.

Was that all? For either of us? Hell, no! Simultaneously, we both let out loud sighs and snuggled as close to him as we could get. And did that bother Rob? Again, hell no! He just used his very powerful arms to pull both of us closer. And the only way we could have gotten any closer would have been to shed all our clothes. And you know what? I was actually giving that some serious thought.

Looking at Maria and JJ, it was apparent the two were struggling to try to control their giggles. Of course, each was snuggled as close as she could get to her mate.

I was utterly astonished at Candy! She was out of the hospital for less than 24 hours — and she had been in a wheelchair, yet — but she was serving drinks as if nothing had ever happened. (I learned the next day from Missy that Candy had been in agonizing pain all that day, but had never shown the least sign. Clearly, girls from that hell-hole were tough!) Marty and I, along with Rob, were drinking Cardhu; JJ and Maria were drinking white-wine spritzers. I don’t know what Paul and Jim had.

As soon as the girls served the drinks and brought out platters of JJ’s perfect canapés, they disappeared only to quickly reappear with the two infants, both of whom were ready for lunch (?). The mothers lost no time in baring themselves to the waist to nurse their daughters.