Chapter 4

Julia realised she'd signed onto something she'd not thought through very thoroughly. From her life as a paid nanny in San Francisco, she was now on a giant nuclear submarine somewhere in a new world, an alternative earth, where there was no television, radio, automobiles and shopping malls. She'd didn't think she'd miss all that, they seemed so mundane and unnecessary, but they gave her security and a sense of belonging.

Try as she might, she just couldn't get used to the Retvizan. There was no night and day, no set meal times, and the lights stayed on 24 hours a day. Everything was just the same, hour after tedious hour.

Little John had settled after a big feed from his mom. Big John had returned from his watch and it was clear the couple wanted some time alone. Her quarters next door had thin walls and made her feel voyeuristic and dirty when she heard the sounds of them making love. She told Chino she was going for a walk and left down the passage.

But where does one go, a civilian on a nuclear submarine? The doors and hatches had signs in Russian and she couldn't dare go exploring. There were far too many security areas and she didn't want to be ordered out by some outraged seaman. Forward was the Officer's mess and aft, the O/R's mess. Beyond that was the common room where they showed movies, and there was a gym attached, where the crew worked out. She knew there was a sauna and spa, but it was usually occupied by naked males. The boat wasn't designed with women in mind and the rest room didn't even have a lock.

The guys were always friendly to her and she'd little complaint about that. Even those who couldn't speak English smiled in greeting. Having 'transited' the crew were in a bouyant mood and had expectations of more adventures.

She'd asked one day how Chino spent her time. She'd told her she was lonely sometimes and couldn't fill in her times off. Chino chuckled and told her there were 140 guys on the boat and to use her imagination. But that was fine for her, Chino was pretty and outgoing. All the guys adored her and she'd no trouble making acquaintances. Julia was short sighted, plain, too tall and skinny. At thirty, she'd never done anything outrageous, and her strict Catholic parents would've been horrified if she had.

What was she doing here, she wondered? Chino was so persuasive and she adored Little John. She loved babies and was good at her job. Chino was apt to be forgetful, impulsive, and, although she loved her son, Julia felt Chino wasn't quite mature enough for the responsibility of a little child. She shuddered at the thought of her caring for Little John alone.

She wandered forward to the Officer's mess. One advantage of being a civilian was an all access pass to both messes. She felt suddenly hungry as she caught the whiff of cooked food. The Russians had laid on American food for their guests and she could get thick steaks, hamburgers, or pancakes swamped in sweet cranberry sauce 24/7. Depending, of course, on whether you felt like breakfast, lunch or dinner.

"Pancakes!" she ordered, and the Russian chef smiled. If they knew no other English they'd learned the names of all the American dishes.

The chef brought the plate out, beaming with pleasure. The men had to fetch their food from the counter, but these Russian chefs were gentlemen, and insisted they wait on the women at their table.

As usual, the chef had piled on way too much whipped cream and she was sure he was trying to flirt with her. Each pancake was individually crafted, it seemed to her, and she saw the chef waiting for some sign of acknowledgement. She smiled a thank you and he went about his business grinning and whistling some pop song.

"Mind if I join you?" she heard an American voice. It was Captain Boomer Zeigler, USN, and she nodded. "Boomer!" he smiled, and put out his big hand to shake.

"Julia," she said in a quiet, shy voice. The man would've been in his early 60s, but he was still incredibly healthy and fit looking. He was in his element on a missile boat and surrounded by people he understood and shared his passion.

"Ah," he said, "you're the nanny!" 'The nanny, ' she thought? Is that all I am, just a nanny? Somehow, the description seemed offensive, but she let it pass.

"Yes," she replied, "I'm the 'nanny'."

"Y'know, I've been in the Navy 40 years and this is the first time I've met a nanny on a missile boat," he chuckled, "kind of a strange new world, huh?"

"Very strange," she agreed, and managed to smile. Julia felt the guy was quite engaging, actually, and reminded her of an uncle. He was a retired Colonel in the Air Force, and he was tall and had a commanding presence, just like this man. But Uncle Robert had always treated her well and she'd fond memories of him.

"There," Boomer grinned, "kinda feels nicer when you smile, doesn't it?" Julia flushed with embarrassment. "Y'know?" he continued, "you sure look pretty when you smile."

Strangely, Julia didn't take the remark as a 'come on.' It was just a damned nice thing to say, at that time, in the mood she was in, and she beamed back at him.

They chatted for a little while. He told her his wife had died a few years back of the 'big C, ' and he'd a son in the Navy he was 'mighty proud of.' She tried to reciprocate with stories from her life, but she felt they were nothing compared to this man's experiences.

"The thing is with these boats," he explained, "is it takes a special kind of person to put up with the life. Being away from your folks for so long is tough, and we get a lot of marriage break ups and so on. It's a young man's life, when you don't have a care in the world and no attachments. You gotta enjoy male company and comradeship, cos all you got is your watch buddies."

"It's so boring here," she told him, "I guess it's all right for those who get used to it, but, well, there's nothing to do."

"Y'made any friends, here, Julia?" he asked.

She shook her head. "There's just Chino... and Johnny is okay. But they want to be together..."

"Oh, sure," he chuckled, "and you feel like a gooseberry? That's one thing I've never felt on a submarine, a gooseberry. You don't have couples on American submarines unless you ain't natural," he smiled, "and then it's against the rules."

"Oh yes," she giggled, catching the meaning, "I guess you couldn't have that!"

"Hell, no!" he agreed, adamantly. "Y'now," he continued, "one thing about the Russian Navy that's different from ours. All our ships are dry. Here, there's beer in the mess and most of the officers have a bottle or two in their cabins. I don't see any hangovers on duty or drunk sailors. I guess if you're used to having booze on board you can control it. Wouldn't do for our guys, though, they'd be bombed in no time."

"Don't like beer," she told him, "a nice Bourbon and coke, maybe, but they don't have shots in the mess."

"You like a little Bourbon?" he grinned, slyly, "well, now, it just so happens I might have a bottle stowed away. If you fancy a little nip... ?"

"Hmmm, I shouldn't," she was conflicted, "the baby..."

"You have time off, huh? His mother can't look after him for a spell?"

"Sure she can, it's just..."

"You need to unwind a little, Julia, otherwise you get keyed up so tight you go nuts. Y'like a bit of music? Classical? A piano sonata?"

"Classical music?" she smiled, "you like classical music?"

"Hell, yeah. Rachmaninov, Ravel... I got a little piece by Vivaldi, it's my favourite and I play it often."

"Oh, I love Vivaldi!"

"Let's go, then. My cabin's just for'ard."

She stood and the Captain hooked her arm and escorted her to the door.

Chino and Johnny lay in bed together, just talking. Little John was sleeping soundly, and Julia had gone off somewhere. It seemed like ages since they'd last been alone like this. She combed her fingers through his chest hairs as they chatted. He was such a hunk, she thought, and she was lucky to have him.

She lay her cheek against his naked chest and listened to his heart. He stroked her face with his fingers and teased out her long hair, loose, and trailing behind.

"So, baby, I wonder how much real time has passed in Eden? There'll be more babies, for sure," she said.

"That's what happens when there's no TV," he smiled.

"Yeah!" she agreed, "Amy would've had hers. I wonder if it's a boy or girl? D'yer think Mich'll be knocked up?"

"Wouldn't be surprised. And that Frenchwoman? She seemed the friendly type."

"Yeah, and Ben's lady, Anastasia? They became hot real quick," she giggled, "she'd show him a few tricks, I'm sure. She strikes me as real sensual, y'know?"

"How do you know?" he laughed, "how can anyone tell what someone's like in bed unless..."

"Yeah, but, y'know, some people just ooze it. The way they move, smile... and Anastasia's got a real nice body or haven't you noticed?"

"Sure I noticed," he laughed, "I notice women's bodies. I noticed yours, didn't I?"

"Eventually!"

"From the beginning! I just didn't make it obvious, that's all!"

"Horny bastard," she laughed, and pulled at his nipple, "how many other women's bodies have you been checking out?"

"Hey, what can I say?" he looked pleading, "I'm a man, it's in my nature."

"Just make sure you don't check them too closely, that's all!"

"As if I would?"

"As if you dare? I own your ass, remember?"

"And what about you, hmm? See anything you like?"

"Nothing better than what's in front of me," she said quietly, then kissed him on the mouth. Pavlov's hand drifted down to Chino's naked bottom and he ran his fingers down to the top of her thighs. She shivered, and pressed herself tighter to his body. Softly, she sought his mouth again, and he received it, hungrily.

Chino peppered his face and neck with little kisses, all the while sawing her legs over his. She manuevred herself until she lay along him, squirming over his stiff dick, pushing her moist, naked pussy over the cock she knew so well. She pushed a breast up, prodding his lips with her nipple, until he flicked his tongue out. It tasted sweet, of mother's milk, because it hadn't been that long since she'd fed Little John.

She sighed and squirmed, caressing his chest and kissing his face, as she sought to catch his knob with her open pussy. At last, she hooked him, and twisted so she could ease down on it. Chino felt the marvellous sensation of Pavlov's flesh sliding against her vaginal walls. This was to be a slow fuck, she decided, as if there was nothing else left to do in the world.

Valentin surveyed their positions accompanied by Karyn. Last night's rain had stopped, but the skies were still grey and there was a low mist on the mountain tops. The road leading down to the main Nordvolk settlement seemed so close you could spit across it. The mines, themselves, were further up the valley and, with the Bedowan now covering the road, the miners couldn't get to them.

Valentin carefully scanned the settlement with his glasses. It was the Landsvaar's move, now, and he wondered what that was going to be. He turned around and looked upwards to the crag. Perhaps they'd follow the Bedowan's move and attack from over the mountain? We'd need to be prepared for that, he thought, and looked about for possible areas of entry.

"It has been a great victory, Valentin, one we'll sing about around many campfires."

"No victory yet," he replied, "until the operation's accomplished."

"But it has," she told him, puzzled.

"The settlement's still there," he said, "now's the time to tighten the noose."

"What noose?"

"Siege! We have the Nordvolk under siege, now. Once that fort is gone we can all go home."

"But we have no time," she said, "Winter is almost here. We're leaving."

"What? You can't," he said, astonished, "the job's not done!"

"We cannot stay, Valentin."

"But they will just reoccupy this fort and we would have finished nothing!"

"We have their machine gun?"

"So? What good is a machine gun if you don't intend to use it?"

"What do we do with the place anyhow?" she said, "there's too few of us to hold it."

"Burn it?"

"Valentin, you've done enough! More than we've managed to accomplish in ten summers. They will take this lesson back to their homes and they'll learn to fear us. The Al Tafliq will be famous among our people."

"Is that what this was all about, some thing of the ego? Something to sing songs about? Fame... tales of heroism?"

"What's wrong, Valentin?" she asked, concerned.

"This... this killing was for nothing," he told her, "a waste of lives just for bragging about?"

"I don't understand you," she told him, "come, we must get ready to go."

Julia understood that Boomer had likely ulterior motives for bringing her to his cabin and she wasn't sure what she was going to do. For all she knew, he seduced lots of women, with the same lines, the same come ons. Perhaps he'd made the offer of an evening with Vivaldi and a little bourbon to others? Or perhaps he merely figured out what a young woman needed at the present time and played to her weaknesses? In any case, she was undecided about her response, but at the same time, certain this old naval officer would take no for an answer if that was her decision. In other words, she felt safe, but not without nervousness.

It took another bourbon and coke before she was able to relax. He was right about the piece of music and it carried her away with soaring violins and hypnotic cellos. He stretched out opposite in an armchair, head back and eyes closed, while she perched on his bunk. For twenty minutes he said nothing, letting the music say it all.

"What ya think, huh?" he said, as the piece finished.

"Beautiful!"

"I knew you'd like it," he said, "I can tell exactly what people need. It's a gift I've had since I was little."

She nodded. She was aware that speech was loaded, but let it pass. 'How can anyone tell another person's needs without asking?' she thought. She wished she could come back with an assertive reply, but that wasn't her nature. Most men intimidated her, and she found it hard to stick up for herself.

"Another?" he asked, proffering the bottle.

She knew she ought to leave, now, but didn't want to, not quite yet. Maybe she wanted to find out what this guy had in mind? But offering wasn't the same as accepting and she knew she could walk out anytime she liked.

"Sure, why not?" she said.

"Why not, indeed! he chuckled.

Boomer had a nice laugh. It was full of joy, of passion, and it reminded her of the innocence of a small child taking delight in small things, missed by adults.