Chapter 12: Bobby and Sandy tell some of their story

We grouped and had breakfast cooked, eaten and cleaned up in no time. Considering our condition from the night before, it was an amazing feat.

Right after finishing, Janet begged off for some morning naptime. I could tell that she was pretty sore which made me feel bad, but I also knew that she had asked for each and every time. She had actually caressed me awake twice during the night. She knew she was going to be very sore but chose to continue.

She came over and kissed each of us in turn then headed for one of the guest rooms to lie down for a few hours.

Mel, Hail, Sandy and I just sat around sucking down mass quantities of coffee since we were totally out of IV bags.

We had been talking for a time about pretty much nothing.

It was Mel who kind of dropped a bombshell on us.

Obviously an astute study, she made the observation that it appeared that Sandy and I had more than just a friendly business acquaintance. She said that there were things said, and looks and just little things that gave her the idea that we had known each other fairly well sometime in the past.

Hailey was now looking at us with a very strange face. I couldn't tell if it was just curiosity or some complicity. "We also noticed there is a distinct similarity in the scars you both have on your bodies, and I would hardly think that's coincidence," Hailey added.

Sandy and I looked at each other nervously after having had Mel ask us to tell about our past experiences together. Hailey had identified similarities in our scars. It was nothing accusatory, just wanting to understand a past relationship.

I hesitated for a wee bit; I wasn't quite sure how I was going to deal with the line of questioning. I'd never given explanations much thought and once Sandy and I tell some of it, that reason will be apparent.

I knew it wasn't going to affect the relationships we'd built together, but as mature as they seem, they still may be a little young to grasp the full meaning of what Sandy and I had done during our time in the service. That and quite honestly, we really shouldn't tell them all that much.

So I just figured I'd be blunt, honest and lay out as much as I comfortably could and hope that it would put the curiosity to rest. This wasn't something I was prepared to deal with and I know Sandy wasn't either. She was looking at me with interest and curiosity. A look of, "How ya gonna handle this big fella?"

Looking seriously at both girls, "When I went into the Navy I volunteered for Special Operations right out of boot camp."

To make something perfectly clear I explained, "SO was a totally separate operation from the Navy SEALs. SO was more into the clandestine, quiet, ultra-surgical, psychological operations rather than the storm in, kick their asses, then leave."

I had their attention that was for sure. The looks from the girls were priceless, and Sandy just sat there sipping her coffee like I'd said nothing. She had a mild smirk on her face that told me she was curious how I was going to deal with it. She was going to keep her mouth shut and let me dig the hole. Then as usual, she'd come in and bail my ass out. She was good at that!

"Don't get me wrong, the SEALs are the best in the world. There is no other group of specially trained commando type operators that I'd rather have with me than a squad of Navy SEALs."

I paused a bit, in an attempt at keeping my own train of thought. I was treading on thin ice and didn't want to blow it.

Sandy just continued to sip her coffee with a wry smile raising her eyebrows at appropriate times to reinforce what I was saying.

Then with a laugh I said, "There were times when they actually came in and did our 'dirty work' for us."

Sandy laughed and I continued, "We had enough 'excitement' to keep us more than interested."

"I met Sandy after having done numerous operations with the SO teams. I'd been in the business for about 6 years or so and she was just coming in for advanced training."

"I was a training officer so my job was to run all of my students through the ringer. It was not an easy training regimen because we needed to weed out anyone that we felt wouldn't be able to carry out missions successfully. Nine out of ten did not pass, and in some classes nobody passed."

I took a sip of coffee and continued, "Sandy excelled in every level of training we were presenting, and to be honest, she was my 'top student'. I've never met anyone that could be as stealthy, cunning, nasty or violent when necessary than Sandy."

Looking at Sandy and smiling, "I knew of a mission that was being recruited for so when she graduated from the school, at my behest, she and I became a team."

Mel and Hailey looked at both of us as though we'd both grown a 3rd arm from our chests.

Hailey hesitantly asked with a very distant tone, "So ... you guys were spies?"

I looked at Sandy and she looked at me but answered for the both of us, "Well, no. Not in the classic sense of the word. Spies usually recruit and control other agents to gather intelligence information or they attempt to gather the information directly."

"Our job was to quietly stir the pot using some of the information that real spies had gathered. It was up to Bobby and I along with others like us to be quiet rabble-rousers. You know, cause hate and discontent in opposing groups to further situations favorable to our government."

Then with a giggle, "We were professional shit stirrers. Not to sound to egotistical, we were damned good at it," then looking at me with a smile, "The best."

It was apparent that some of it had sunk in, but that they were still confused as to how we actually did what we did.

I figured I'd try to close the conversation, "There isn't a whole lot that either of us can tell you guys. Ninety-nine point nine percent of what we did is still highly classified," then with a wide smile and a loud chuckle, "If we told you, we'd have to kill you."

Humor lost, they either didn't hear what I'd said, or it didn't really register. It happens when you talk to deep thinkers.

Seriously, "Bobby, you said that Sandy had saved your life, and she says she didn't. Can you tell us anything about that?"

I looked at Sandy and she shrugged her shoulders and said, "Why not? We've kind of opened the door, they deserve an answer."

Sandy then took a deep breath and told both Mel and Hailey that they could never breathe a word of this story to anyone. We weren't going to tell them a lot, but would give them enough to hopefully satisfy their curiosity.

"Guys, if you ever say anything to anybody about what we're going to tell you and it somehow gets to the wrong ears, it would not only cause my death, but Bobby's and a few other people in different places throughout the world," she looked at them very seriously and continued, "Knowing that, do you still want to hear the story?"

Mel looked at Hailey with saucer eyes then turned to Sandy to ask, "Can you tell us in a way that is so 'general' that we really don't know anything?"

Sandy looked at me and I kind of rolled my eyes and moved my head back and forth, and looked at the girls to ask, "What you are saying is that you don't want the responsibility of knowing information you're not supposed to know, right?"

"Yeah I guess that's what we mean Bobby," Hailey whispered, "It just sounds like it would be better if you guys kept your secrets."

"Thank you, Honey, I'm sure I can speak for Sandy to say that we appreciate your honesty, and the fact you can allow us to have our secrets without judgment or false impressions."

"Bobby, I think I can give them some clue without compromising anything," Sandy said to me quietly.

"Ok, I don't have a problem with that." I was curious myself how she'd planned on explaining.

Looking seriously at the girls Sandy hesitantly spoke, "You have seen the scars on Bobby's back and chest. Yes?"

Both nodded slowly to acknowledge.

"Hailey mentioned it already, but when we were all together last night, you obviously noticed the scars I have over my breast, shoulders, and back?"

Again, both nodded slowly.

"Those are all souvenirs that Bobby and I picked up during our last mission. The SEALs came in and bailed us out."

It was well said. Sandy looked between the two girls who had turned a very Goth shade of white. Their eyes told the whole story.

"Bobby, you said they were 'war wounds'," Mel observed.

"Yes, I did."

Sandy interjected, "It was war Mel, trust me on that."

Mel nodded her head and both she and Hailey just let out heavy sighs and leaned back in their chairs to relax for the first time since the conversation started.

I figured I'd end it there.

"It was unfortunate, but we were both "forced" to retire after our last operation. Our bosses were not happy, but there was nothing they could do. We were just too successful and the powers that be determined that there was no way we could ever operate again without the probability we'd both be killed."

"So, they gave us a bunch of money and showed us the door, and the rest, as they say, is history."

Sandy spoke up, "Mel, Hail, it's very important that Bobby and I maintain a very very low profile for the rest of our lives, and I guess one thing I have to say is that things aren't always what they may seem."

I chuckled at that one and added, "I don't want to pop any of your bubbles, but Sandy and I are not necessarily what or who we appear to be."

"What does that mean," Mel shot at us without any hesitation.

Sandy looked at me before she answered, and I gave her the hedge eyes again, "It means that we have not always been who we are now. The Bobby and the Sandy that you see and know are who we are, who we were is not important."

Then looking at each of them, whispered, "We haven't always been the people that you have come to know and love."

I had to interject here, "Please, don't ever ask us to tell you what we mean by that, because I for one would have an extremely difficult time with it. I believe Sandy would also."

Sandy nodded her head, and I saw her eyes start to well up.

Christ, it's not often that I've ever seen Sandy cry about anything. This woman, though outwardly doesn't look like it, is tough as nails.

The girls noticed as well, but didn't say anything.

Part of our exit from service was notification to our families that we had been killed in action.

Sandy and I both, in the name of security, had lost our identities and have lost our families. We were orphaned so to speak, and to try to explain that to the girls would have stirred up emotions that I'm positive that neither of us cares to re-visit.

We had both moved on as we had to do, but Sandy had lost a brother and a sister and I had lost two sisters whom I love very much.

If we wanted to know anything we had to go through black channels, but we both decided independently that it would be far too painful to do any kind of inquiry.

All we've ever had in this world was each other, but we each knew that to be a couple was not something that could or would work successfully in our given situation. Though we always stayed very close, we remained single and apart.

Sandy and I had been looking at each other for a time trying to give each other the emotional and morale support we both knew the other needed.

We have both been very lonely. Suddenly, unplanned, I'd started relationships with a small gaggle of young women and Sandy wanted to keep an eye on me to make sure I didn't hurt myself.

What it did was put us back together again in such a way that we could see each other without causing any undue suspicion. We could try to be a little closer and for both of us it was really important to know directly that we were both doing okay.

It is to my good fortune that I have hooked up with a couple of wonderful young women who love me unconditionally, whom I love the same, and that will allow Sandy and I to have a relationship as well, though we both know how careful we still have to be.

It's careful in the sense we not only have to "hide" who we really are, and what we really did from them, but we have to ensure that we are very careful about the unlikely possibility of either of us slipping up. We're professionals, the chances of either of us slipping up in a bad way is very remote.

Looking at both of them very seriously I let out a very heavy sigh and whispered, "Mel, Hail, if the wrong people find out about either Sandy or me in any way other than who you know, love and see, it will probably cost us our lives, and because of circumstances perhaps yours as well.

"This is nothing to fuck around with or to be freaked out over, but you just need to be aware.

"I am Bobby, period. She is Sandy, period.

"That's all you really need to know, and trust me, it's all you really want to know. Outside of 2 people in our government, Sandy and myself, you two are the only ones that have any inkling of our real past."

Then with another heavy sigh, "I shouldn't have said anything, but I can't help it, I have to be as honest with you two as I can."

Lamenting again, "You need to know because if by some chance either of us, or more probably both just disappear off the face of the earth, you need to know we didn't run off and elope."

I wish I could describe for you the look on Sandy's face when I'd said that, but suffice it to say it was priceless.

Mel and Hail's on the other hand, were looks of total panic.

"It would probably mean that certain people had been able to somehow track us down and make good on threats. It's probably never going to happen, and it's probably nothing either of you need to worry about, but as I said, I have to be honest with you, the possibility exists."

The room became very silent, and all I could hear was our breathing.