Chapter 64

There is something about a half drowned terrified kitten ... Yup ... five out of six ends are sharp and the one that isn't sharp may not have good sphincter control.

David said, "First thing we do is get a fifty five gallon drum of beach sand ... and probably the same again nest week. Can you believe the volume of that kitten? OUCH! Careful with the iodine!! Nyoman ... is your nickname Doctor Pain?"

The crew was sitting at the portable sidescan sonar trying to decide if the helicopter was worth recovering. Well ... David was writhing under the attentions of Dr. Pain. The boys were holding down the limbs she wasn't amputating. So ... the girls and the Chief were trying to decide if the little helicopter was worth recovering.

The sixteen year olds were being cute and covering their ears so as to not hear the cuss-words David was using. Even the Chief was impressed ... and that takes a lot! It's not that the younger girls had never heard the words ... they did, after all ... go to American schools ... but there are appearances to keep up.

Barbara suggested she drop the ROV to see just how bad the crash messed up the little chopper. Since the Captain ... David ... was still under the knife of the surgeon ... Lieutenant Commander Gary (Jake) Zalewski was second in command ... no matter that most of the orders came from Chief Sanchez.

At the moment Jake was gazing fondly into the huge brown eyes of Rose ... Rosalie ... Rose ... Rosalie ... Rose..."Sure," he mumbled.

Barbara released the ROV. "Someone wanna drop the claw?"

"Art, drop the claw," commanded the Chief. The claw was another part of the multi use speedboat (dinghy) davits.

"Just like that, Chief Daddy?" Barbara asked.

"Just like that, Barb. You have never done anything without a reason."

"Ooo, Thank you, Daddy." The Chief was more noticeable by omission.

"Art."

"Yes, Barb."

"I'm going to fasten the claw to something on the chopper. It's leaking fuel and that's not good."

"Very good, Barbara," complimented Andrea.

"Thank you, sir."

Art called out, "Slack line, Barb. On the bottom."

The cable was very visible in the lights. Barb attached the cable with her remote hand and dragged it to the small vehicle. The cockpit door was open ... she reached in with the pincer, clipped the seatbelt of the pilot and pulled the body out. The gentle Gulf stream wafted the body away. It was soon out of sight. Using the pincer and remote hand, she fastened the cable to the rotor head and closed the cable claw around the cable.

"Gently, Art. Take up slack." She watched as the cable tightened around the rotor head. "Good ... bring her up slowly. Good ... good ... coming right along nicely, Art."

The body of the chopper broke water ... the body in the chopper broke wind.

"Well, we need to get rid of that," said the Chief.

"Wait!," cried the pilot. She walked over and gave the body a good kick in the balls. The boys cringed.

When she kicked, his wallet flopped out and a set of keys on a chain slid out of his shirtneck.

"You know ... somebody should search that," said David.

"I'll do it," said the pilot, "I owe him a few indignities."

From the right front pocket she recovered a money clip with more than three thousand dollars ... the left front had a set of car keys and set of keys that said BOAT. She pulled off the belt and discovered it was indeed a money belt... 25 double eagles. The inside suit coat pocket held a book with codes and the shoulder holster had a CZ-52, a serious gun for a serious person. The wallet pocket was already empty but the other one held a Colt .380 Mustang. This fella was armed.

She was about to roll the body overboard when James said, "Wait ... his watch, ring and shoes. What is your name, anyway? We can't keep referring to you as the pilot."

"Celandine, Mom had a thing for all things Greek. A celandine is a swallow and a yellow wildflower whose name derives from chelidon, meaning "a swallow bird." She explained, "Mom was a professor of Greek literature."

"Well," James asked, "Do you?"

"Do I what?" she asked.

"Swallow?"

She turned bright red.

Nyoman Sanchez slapped James a good one, "James Sanchez! I'm going to wash your mouth with soap!" She grabbed him by the ear ... no small feat ... she had to jump ... and he was ducking. With a grip like Vicegrips, all five feet nothing mom led all six feet 3 son off to the galley.

As they hurried off the deck, Celandine shouted, "Yes!" She was very taken with James.

"Watch ... eww. ring ... icky ... shoes." The pants leg pulled up ... there was a second Colt Mustang in an ankle holster. "I refuse to strip him."

Andrea said, "I will, you've got me curious." the sox came off ... on the bottom of the right foot was 15L32R2P7029 "Is someone taking notes?"

"I will," said Angel, "Angela is cook tonight."

An inventory was collected.

The left foot was bare. Andy stripped the pants ... nothing. The suit coat had a heavy feel, Andie ripped out the silk lining ... a second lining had thin pockets with 1/8 inch thick platinum plates. After she scrunched the suit coat and found nothing she removed the shirt ... there was nothing in the shirt.

James came out spitting ... he fell to his knees in front of Celandine and begged her pardon.

"Yes." She said.

"Yes you forgive me?"

"Both."

James sprung a woody. Celandine blushed again.

All the rolling around it took to strip the body had an effect.

While the crew was examining the contents of the wallet ... the body vomited ... coughed, spewed water and groaned. He started breathing ... then muttering in Spanish.

"Shit!" exclaimed Andy. "Someone get rid of that."

"But ... he's alive."