Chapter 4

When I arrived back in San Diego, Webb and Clint met me at the airport and as we drove back to base, they filled me in on what happened after I left. Investigators found that the jumpmaster from 2nd platoon had actually failed jumpmaster school; somehow he got hold of the correct documents and forged a passing grade. Pineapple had officially retired in that week and left for Hawaii with his wife which none of us had ever met.

The jumpmaster was facing criminal negligence charges, reckless endangerment, and manslaughter, second degree, as one of the men had died, the one that wasn't expected to regain consciousness. The critical case had been upgraded to stable and with luck, might be able to finish out a Naval career but never again in Special Warfare. When they turned silent, I mentioned that I was thinking about getting out. I'd seen some serious shit and felt that maybe it was time to move on. In my opinion, some of the personnel coming into the community just weren't the right fit. The CINC hadn't impressed me much with his policies and statements about the military actions in Somalia and Haiti, and his public announcement allowing homosexuals in the service. Overall, I was feeling like I had used up all my good luck and was now running on only bad luck.

For the next few months, I just went through the motions as the thought of getting out weighed heavily on me. Any and all charges that were to be put against me for the supposed assault were dropped in light of the evidence against the 2nd platoon jumpmaster.

One day I found myself sitting in the team room and lost in thought as to what I was going to do when I got out. I really had no idea.

I had just spent the last seven years doing what I enjoyed, making new friends, and traveling the world. What could I do in the civilian sector? I had already put my chit in to get out and I knew that I had another year of active duty to do but Webb had mentioned that he could add that year to an IRR status and just extend it that way. Webb was a great guy; he was constantly checking the team status boards and A-rosters for deployments, and still competing in triathlons during his off duty time. I began to think that maybe his middle name was 'PT'.

The progress that Karen was making was outstanding. She was now able to forgo the walker totally and move around more freely. Her dad was keeping me in the loop on developments and when he heard I was getting out, mentioned that he knew some people on post there that could use me. I thanked him for his offer and then focused on the ETS paperwork. Once I cleared with the team, I didn't have to report back to them and was moved to a transient barracks waiting out-processing. The next few days had me running the entire base checking in with finance, supply, medical, the motor pool and the dive shop just to make sure I didn't forget anything.

Webb set me up to visit a Naval Reserve unit in Seattle to determine if it was someplace I wanted to be. I thought it over and then thought it over some more. It wasn't the same as the Teams and it was a reserve unit in which I would be actually doing IS work. I didn't commit to it so Webb told me it was still open when I wanted it. I had some more leave time built up so I flew back to visit Karen and stay in the area for a little while and check things out. She was looking good and met me at the airport with her mom. I was surprised when she got out of the car and slowly walked to me. I could tell it was taking a lot out of her but she had that sparkle back in her eyes that I was used to. She all but collapsed in my arms after walking those few steps. I helped her back to the car and sat in the back with her. We talked and held hands while her mom drove. She told me that her friends in San Diego had sent all her stuff and her books back so she was able to continue her studies.

The doctors were impressed with her progress and were expecting a full recovery in four months. I stayed for a week and looked over the civilian jobs that her dad had mentioned and the reserve unit. It was a small Marine support unit that supported a Naval construction battalion. The CB's were further up north in Everett and the Marine unit was in Seattle. From talking to the Gunny there, it sounded like they didn't get to train together very often.

I went back to San Diego and finished clearing and saying goodbye to my team. Webb gave me a bad time over my scores at SOTIC as he had actually tied them when he was there. I made a comment about second best always last and he laughed. Clint was moving up to primary SOTIC himself and getting a new spotter, some kid from Texas whom I met briefly and always seemed to have a large wad of chewing tobacco in his mouth. I would miss these guys; we had grown close over the last few years and shared a lot of the mutual events. Not this brotherhood of war crap, but real friendship, we had gone through BUD/S, jump school, SQT, several deployments to non-desirable parts of the world, and now shared SOTIC. It was almost like breaking up the three musketeers. I stopped on my way out to say goodbye to Doc. He was knee deep in work as usual but took the time to tell me that he thought I was an excellent operator.

I couldn't find Hannaberry or Rogers anywhere, so I just left a note in the team house log and a hundred dollars for drinks so they all could go out and party. When I left in the cab, I resisted the urge to look behind me as it went out the gate. This was a chapter in my life that was over and I was turning the page to start a new one.

I returned to Washington State and spent some time checking up with old friends that I had known from high school and the Boy Scouts. Turns out that a really good friend of mine from the Boy Scout days was stationed at Fort Lewis. I looked him up and we sat and talked about what paths we had taken since the last time we had seen each other which was just after high school when we had spent the summer as staff at the scout camp. He told me that he transferred in from 10th Mountain just a few months ago and was still getting used to the command structure and post facilities. I actually said 'No shit?' and asked if he had been in Gothic Serpent.

He confirmed it and told me he was at the Paki stadium when the call up for a relief column happened. No way. We had actually been in the same shit and didn't know it. I asked him what he did during that time, relating to if he went out. He told me he had and was in the column that had formed up. No shit. We had been in the same column. I asked what his MOS was. He told me he had been assigned to the motor pool and had been there when a couple of Hummers that had been seriously shot up were returned and no one could remember who had signed for them. His motor pool sergeant had put the blame on Delta because he remembered some black helmeted operators commandeering a couple during the stand to. I had to chuckle, but didn't tell him it had been us. We sat and shot the shit for a few hours more then I told him I had to leave. We promised to get back together and have a beer or whatever.

I drove around the post and then made my way back home to visit the family. Over the course of my years in active duty, my dad had retired from the service, and my mother had had difficulty in understanding my choice of duty. I made a mistake when I took my first leave after BUD/S by telling my mother that now my life expectancy on a real world mission was less than a corpsman assigned to a fleet marine force, which equaled about 1.5seconds. She had a hard time dealing with that and phone calls were usually strained and letters few. I only stayed for a few hours to tell them I was engaged. I started to tell them about Karen's current condition but had to stop when my mother went ballistic about the engagement. I stayed calm and tried to console her but it wasn't working. My dad took me aside later and told me that she had really been going through hell and had a scrapbook that contained any article dealing with SEALs that she read and reviewed and increased her worries about my safety. I told her I was out of that now and just taking it easy until something jumped up and grabbed me. I finally left and went back to post to hang out with those that I could relate with.

I was sitting in the NCO club when a gentleman in a dress shirt, no tie and his suit jacket over his arm walked over to my corner table and sat down uninvited. I looked at him, he stared back. He then hung his suit jacket over the back of the other chair and leaned towards me. He asked me if I would consider using my training to come to work for him.

I looked around; no one else was noticing this conversation. I told him I had no idea what he was talking about. He went on to tell me that someone with my skills and background could go far with his company. I just stared at him like I hadn't heard a word. He then proceeded to tell me how valuable an asset I could be and if I would be willing to share some of my training experiences with others. I finished my beer and without a word, got up and left without looking back.

Later that week, I stopped by Karen's house and stayed for dinner and talked. I told the MSGT about my visitor at the club and he just smirked and told me that many more attempts would be made until they got tired of asking or I took a job with them. He told me that had happened to him after his first tour. I asked who it was and he just looked at me with a deadpan face and told me I should already have that answer. I knew who it was but didn't want to say the name out loud for fear that thunder and lighting might strike. I eventually took a job with FedEx in the corporate security division providing security at the Seattle Ramp facility. It paid well but was a bit boring.

Over the next few months, I would get phone calls or letters offering me a job as a security consultant, contractor, private security protective officer, you name it, it was listed.

Karen's injuries healed enough for her to start swimming and using a stationary bike. I was finally able to take her out walking without fear of aggravating her. We began to seriously plan our wedding and everything was smooth. I had decided to secretly plan our honeymoon and had a great idea. I talked to MSGT about using the post chapel and he set that idea in motion. I called my old team and notified them of the date, time and place as well as sent invitations. Karen was now able to do low impact aerobics and was putting muscle tone back on. The brace had been off for a month now and she was feeling good and in my opinion, looking good. She still had monthly checkups at MAMC and her doctors were ecstatic over her recovery.

As the big day approached, I hadn't received any confirmations from the team. I knew that they had gotten the message. I stopped by and talked to Smiley, my old Boy Scout bud and we shot the shit for a while after duty hours and he reconfirmed with me the date and time. I told him he might have to be the best man, as Clint hadn't responded back yet. He was OK with that and said he hoped he had the time off. I gave him the MSGT's phone number and told him if he had any problems, call him and he would square it away. I got confirmation on my honeymoon location and now just had to wait for the day.

It was a nice, sunny spring day and the chapel had been decorated and ready. I arrived early and made sure it was good to go. The MSGT was already there as was his wife. My parents rolled in about an hour before the service and we separated and talked. It hit me then that my parents had never met Karen. How could I have missed that? I silently slapped myself and made the introductions all around. Turns out my dad and Karen's had the same MOS and had been to some of the same places. I left them to talk about the good old days and looked around for my team. Strange that nothing had been sent back. If they had been deployed, the duty officer would have told me when I asked him about their status on the A-Roster. I went inside and met Smiley in the groomsman room and we checked out the tuxedos. Karen was hustled off to the bride's room with her mom and mine to start preparing. I got dressed, checked myself out to make sure and then stepped out to see if my team had showed. Still nothing. This was becoming stranger and stranger. I went back in to check out Smiley. He was in the hallway waiting and asked me for the ring. I gave that to him and asked him if he had heard anything about my team in the off chance that maybe they had contacted someone else when I wasn't available. Unlikely, but still within the realm of possibility.

I took my place at the front with Jay beside me and we turned to watch the bride's procession. The music started and the group gathered at the back. The chapel was packed with family, mostly on Karen's side, including all the off duty members of 1st Group. MSGT Vaughn had his formal dress blue uniform on as well as my father, the rest of the group had their dress greens on with the senior NCO's and officers in the dress blue. It was quite a sight.

Her dad took her to the front and did the hand off, I could tell he was having problems letting go when he leaned close to me and whispered that if I didn't treat his baby right, he knew where to find me. I took her arm and we turned to face the chaplain. The ceremony was quick and to the point. I slid the ring on and now she was my wife. A round of applause went up as we turned back and presented ourselves as a married couple. We walked down the aisle and when the doors opened, there was my team, in dress whites, raised swords, forming an archway and at the bottom of the small flight of stairs, a white limo with the door open. Jimmy Webb was standing on one side of the open door and Pineapple on the other.

The LT and Clint were standing just to the other side of them. I didn't know what to say. We walked under the swords and into the limo; I made eye contact with them the whole way. We drove over to the O Club for the reception in one of the private rooms. It was great to see them again. It felt that they were family and I was home.

We had a small reception and I was able to wander over to the team and ask what had happened. Apparently when my invitation had arrived, they were on a FID and heard about it when they got back, just 12hours earlier. LT had immediately called Pineapple who jumped on a plane with his wife and flown to Washington. He had then contacted the Chaplains service and found out where the chapel was, then called the LT back who had been arranging a MAC flight to McChord AFB right next door to Fort Lewis. When Pineapple called him he had Webb check out two Hummers and draw up orders for a training assignment before briefing the rest of the team on the operation. With some slight vagueness on the travel and requisition orders, they had driven the Hummers to Sacramento and onto an USAF MAC flight heading north. From there, they had driven them to the fort and taken some rooms at the lodge, which Pineapple had arranged. I was amazed at the speed they moved at. Just like the old days, they functioned cohesively and with a purpose.

I was finally able to meet Mrs. Pineapple/Kanaka. She was definitely Samoan and a very nice outgoing person. She actually called Pineapple by his first name, I had thought it was Chief but it was really Manuel or Manny as she called him.

I raised an eyebrow to him over that and he told me if I ever used it, he would make sure I would eat my food from a straw for a very long time.

He took me aside and told me he was proud of me and that I would always be a great operator. He knew of no one else who could make multiple shots from over 900yards and cover them with a quarter. It looked like his eyes were starting to water, but no way, not the Chief. He shook my hand and went back to the group. Webb talked to me next and told me I had made a good choice and if I ever wanted to trade her in, let him know first. He recited the old trust me with your life but not your money or your wife line. I laughed with him and he told me that the team seemed empty without me. Clint came over next and we talked about the old days for a little while. He told me he had put in his chit to take an early out. His ankle had started to bother him and Doc had told him that it was a hairline fracture. If it got worse, he would be dropped from the alert team until it healed. It had happened during our last jump together.

LT and Doc came over and wished me well with Doc slipping a handful of condoms in my pocket with a wink. LT told me he had an addition to Doc's contribution. He gave me an envelope and said not to open it until that evening. I must have given him a strange look because he added that I would enjoy it. They led me back into the main area where the rest of the party was well underway. Karen came over and told me that she was a little jealous because my team was monopolizing my time when I was the one who had married her. She had that little playful pout on her face and I knew she was joking. She pulled me onto the floor and said it was our time to dance. I know my limitations and I stop at dancing. I told her that and she said don't worry it was a slow dance and she could lead. Of course she said that with a mischievous smirk on her face. After a couple hours of meeting and greeting, we decided to slip away and start our honeymoon. She went over and told her parents and I told mine who I noticed had been talking with Karen's for the entire time. We slipped out the back and into the waiting limo. We cruised out to Karen's parents house to change and grab the luggage. I pulled out the envelope that LT gave me and opened it.

Inside were a key, a small map and an upgrade to First Class. I read his note. It said that the key was for a house on the beach and the map was how to get there. I checked the tickets. They were for the same destination I had planned for, damn him and his good old boy Intel network, and chuckled. The note went on to say that it was a time-share he had bought several years previous and never got the chance to use. We went back out to the limo and the ride to the airport. We were going to spend the next two weeks in Costa Rica.

It was a nice house. It sat on a small hill that went right down to the ocean. It was across Nigoya Gulf, just south of Puntarenas on the Pacific side and well away from the tourist areas. The closest neighbor was almost a mile away. One whole side of the house faced the ocean with a vast expanse of windows, and a hot tub that sat right on the deck so you could sit and watch the ocean waves crash against the white sand beach. LT had even arranged for a car for us to use as well as directions to the grocery store and so forth. The car was just a little Mitsubishi enclosed jeep, but it had the guts to go over the unpaved roads and handle the traffic in San Jose. On the last day there, we were laying out on the beach, which was part of the property, when a man rode up on a horse. I stood up and looked at him to see if he was one of the neighbors or just lost. Somewhere in back of my mind, a small alarm went off.

That feeling of the hair on the back of your neck standing up, except I still had my hair short. I checked out the horse for any bags or sheaths, then the rider for any unusual bulges around the waist. Nothing. He stopped several yards away and got off the horse before walking to us. Karen looked up from her towel and then looked at me. I looked back at her and shook my head. As the man approached I could see he was not Costa Rican or Tican as they called themselves. He was American. He slowly walked closer and called out to us. I walked towards him stopping about six feet from him. He stopped as well and tilted his hat back. I asked if he was lost. He asked me if I liked it down here and if I was doing any work while I was here. I asked him what business it was to him what I was doing here. He reached to his waist and I took a step closer.

He told me he was only reaching for his ID and to relax. He handed me a folded leather wallet, which I opened. Inside there was a picture of him wearing a suit jacket and tie, and what caught my eye was the agency crest and name that was on the other flap. I handed it back to him and told him that's nice, so what? He said I had been a hard person to track down and that he just wanted to know if I was working for anyone down here. I asked him if he saw any work that I was doing. He didn't say anything. I removed my shades and fixed him with The Look and asked again. He met my stare but I noticed a line of sweat start on his forehead and move down the side of his face. I asked again and he finally said no. I pointed out that I was on my honeymoon and wasn't working anywhere down here. He shot a glance over my shoulder to Karen then back at me. I told him that she wasn't a threat to him, I was. I gave him a choice on the method of his exit. I elaborated and told him that one was the way he came in and the other involved chum. He told me I was full of shit. I gave him more of The Look. He excused himself and told me he was only following orders then he got on his horse and rode off. I stood there and fumed for a few seconds before I felt the touch of Karen's hand on my arm. I turned to her and she asked me who that man was.