Chapter 61

I awoke the next morning, feeling like I had been dragged behind a camel. That only made me feel bad all over again, thinking about camels, because of the tricks that Maurice had pulled on all of us when we first climbed on one of the filthy beasts. I looked at Kat lying behind me and reached down and gently rubbed her stomach. She stirred a little making an mmm noise and I smiled to myself. As I looked at her lying beside me, I couldn't help wondering how an old homely Legionnaire like me had been so lucky. I knew now what I had been missing all the years I was serving; first, a dirty faced little girl, and now a beautiful woman. I was smiling as I got up and went to shower and shave before breakfast. I had just gotten dressed, when that familiar knock at the door sounded. I quickly covered Kat and went to let Trina in. Sally was with her and I put my finger up to my lips in the sign of silence to them. Sally looked over at Kat and smiled at her. Sally had always been an early riser and loved the mornings. When she was little I remembered how many times she had awakened me to look at the sunrise with her. She helped Trina set up the breakfast on the table and sat down, pouring herself some juice while Trina poured me a cup of coffee. Sally said something to Trina and she giggled as she went back out the door.

"Hon, is that food I smell? Smells good but I need my robe, will you get it for me please?"

I quickly went to the bathroom and got it, handing it to her and standing between her and Sally as she slipped it on. I helped her up and got her seated at the table.

"Kat, have the babies started kicking yet? When they do, will you tell me so I can feel it?"

I almost missed the chair and Kat broke out laughing at her.

"Sally honey, in a couple of months they will be fighting for space and will be kicking up a storm. If you want, you can help me rub lotion on my stomach so I don't have a lot of stretch marks. In a few more months I will be a big blimp and need all the help I can get."

"Gee, you mean I have to wait that long? Don't they grow faster than that?"

I looked at her in shock and Kat busted out laughing again. I just sat there, feeling that somehow this whole conversation had gone over my head. I had no idea what to say or do to change the subject. Once they got on the subject, it was like I wasn't there next to them. I thought I'd better go out and check to see if the arrangements I had made to get Jubal and Farley away were on track. I started to get up when there was a knock at the door. Myrna came in and I slipped out in the confusion. Whew, I hadn't got to eat or finish my coffee, but at least I was no longer in the middle of all of that. I went out to the patio and Captain LeMeur was there with the rest of the soldiers on R & R. I sat down and poured myself a cup of coffee and finally got to drink a little. I was thinking about the calls I had to make today and the meeting I was going to call a little later to see what my friends had decided. After what I had learned last night, I knew now that Tiny and his family could go home and not have to worry. I knew I was going on faith here, but I didn't believe what Maurice had told me was a lie. I had to make sure from this point on that I kept all of us safe. That meant I was going to have to go on the offense for a change instead of sitting around waiting for something to happen. Jubal and Farley came out and both of them had small bags. They sat down and we talked about what they had to do and where they were to strike. Captain LeMeur said it was time and I shook their hands and wished them luck. I sat for about an hour, kidding back and forth with the men. I felt right at home again with these men. I went back inside and wondered if I should go back upstairs. Before I could decide, Katie came up to me.

"Jon, I got all the phones programmed for you. It really wasn't that hard but I don't understand what they mean by the red light flashing to scramble. You have to push the yellow button to do it but it doesn't say what scrambled means. Is that something that these phones have to make them work better? I went through the whole book but there wasn't any kind of explanation in there either."

I sat down on one of the chairs and explained it to her. When I was finished all she said was "Cool." She then went on to tell me that she had assigned numbers to each phone from one to six and that the number of the phone always showed in the upper corner and when one of the others called me the number of their phone would show up under the phone number I had. She also said that the actual numbers for the phones could be assigned, but according to the book, they could be just assigned the single numbers. When I wanted to call one of the other phones, all I had to do was press the single digit. They were set up to call each other this way now, but I had to assign each phone its own separate number. It could be up to eight digits, and since these were satellite phones, the number had to be an even number of digits. I didn't understand a damn thing she said. I finally told her to assign a number to each phone and put it in phonebook in all the phones. That way all the numbers of each phone would be in all of them. By the time she got through trying to explain to me what I didn't understand, my head was hurting.

When she finally left to finish the programming, I remembered I hadn't gotten the headset for the ships yet. Damn, I thought, another call to make. I started up the steps and Myrna and Sally passed me coming down. Myrna hugged me and I got a kiss and hug from Sally. Neither one of them said a word, but they had big smiles on their faces for some reason. This should have put me on my guard, but I just shrugged it off. When I went in the room, I poured another cup of coffee and sat down at the communications console, thinking hard. I heard someone clearing their throat and when I looked that way, my jaw hit the floor.

"Well, how do you like it? I thought I better wear it before I start getting too big for anything but stretch pants."

Good lord, I thought, one of my socks had more material in it than that bikini she had on. What was standing before me had to be one of the most erotic sights I had ever seen in my thirty some years.

"Well, do you like it? I am going to lay out today and I bought it just for you. Jon, will you please say something?"

"Are you sure that thing is legal? I mean, it's nice and you look good enough to eat. What I mean is, well I think you need to remember I am not the only man on this island, Dear."

She busted out laughing, and her next words almost made me have a panic attack.

"This is mild compared to what the rest will be wearing today. Wait till you see Myrna's and Sally's, we all bought them at the same shop in the airport. The clerk told us this is the new style that everyone wears down here. They're called Wicked Weasel Bikinis. All of us except Quanta's wife and daughters bought them. Sylveen said they all wear thongs at the beach they go to. I think that's a little risqué, even for me."

Yea I thought and the guy who invented them must have been a pervert or something. I wasn't about to ruin the day by saying what I thought of them, so I just got up, kissed her, and said to have fun. I said I would probably be on the phone all morning, so she might as well work on her tan a little. She gave me a big smile and a quick kiss then ran back to the bathroom. When she came back out a couple of minutes later, she had a little short robe on, and had a big bag and towels over her arm. Out the door she went, just that quick. I wondered if I ought to see if the village had a blind guard to watch over them. I knew I wasn't about to go out where all of them were. I was only human and there were too many good looking women here. I was only a male and just married at that. I shook my head, trying to get that picture out as I sat back down.

The first call was the one I didn't want to make, but I knew I had to. I finally got the director on the line, after going through the ID check that was SOP with Interpol. When I made my report, there was silence on the other end. I was informed that the warrant had just gone out on him fifteen minutes ago and that he was considered a fugitive. We talked for about hour and he filled me in on what had happened with some of the raids. All had been successful so far, and there had only been one casualty on our side. I was also informed that the island defenses would be completed in the next three days. All the materials had been sent and the supply ship should be here today with them, including the men who would be stationed here. I was also informed that I would be having a visitor in the morning from the President to talk to me about certain matters. He wouldn't elaborate on it other than telling me he should be here by noon. I pressed him on it and he would only tell me that it was a surprise and that it would be to my benefit. I was finally able to get off the phone and then another problem came knocking at my door in the form of Tiny and he was madder than hell.

"John, have you seen the bathing suits the women are wearing?"

"Yes, I saw Kat's just before she went outside to sun herself."

"Jon, can't you do something about it? I mean those things are downright indecent. Did you know when they get wet they turn completely transparent until they dry again?"

"Tiny, I didn't like it either, but although I haven't been married as long as you and Maggie, I have learned, when it comes to Kat and the other two Musketeers, to not stick my hand in a bee's nest. They are all old enough to decide what to wear, and the men know that if the women are at the pool they are to stay away. Besides, Kat told me that she wanted to wear it before she got too big. No, Tiny, I think I will just stay out of this one. Now if you want to march down there and order them to change, you go right ahead."

He looked at me a minute then said softly; "Do you think I'm crazy or something?"

"No, but don't try to make me do it either. I am still on my honeymoon and I certainly don't want to sleep on the floor for the rest of our vacation. Besides, Kat told me Sylveen and her daughters wear thongs all the time. I guess knowing how liberal Nigeria is right now, that means they go topless. I personally have a keen interest in keeping my manhood, so if you want to go join them to swim go right ahead. Remember, this is a private island so I would be almost willing to bet that they all will be topless by the time the morning's over. Now, if there isn't anything else, I have a bunch of calls to make."