Chapter 24

I was confused about something when I woke up. I couldn't remember what it was or why, but I figured that some forms with my internal music would give me answers. I went outside to stretch after putting my peg, some shorts, and a T-shirt on.

It was raining, but I needed the forms enough that I ignored the steady rain and began going through them one at a time. I was going from one stance to the next as I stretched all my muscles which gave my mind time to think of what was troubling me.

Oh yeah, Jane. She was going back to Hawaii and I couldn't think of a reason to stop her other than to tell her how much I loved her. I knew Tina and Lisa put a lot of emotion into her as well, but they might be able to let her go more easily. She had carried my baby for almost two months and lost it doing what Lisa and I do all the time. She did give us reason to make sure that Lisa would be relegated to the house and guarded by the ladies when she became pregnant.

I felt a presence with me in the rain, and looked over and saw Jane forming with me with her eyes closed as she went from one stretch to the next. Lisa was soon next to her, and then Tina showed up on the other side. The three women became synchronized as they stretched and presented each new form.

The three girls stood quietly and bowed when I brought my final form to a close. There was no formality, just sheer, raw love in that moment. The three girls picked me up, took me to the pool while being heavily rained on, stripped me and themselves, and we soon were in the pool. Tina kissed Jane and told her, "Have our man one more time, Lover. I wish you could stay, but we understand. You are so much like us."

Jane and I made love in the water with the two girls holding us together. Jane was kissing and crying at the same time, but also enjoying a continuous orgasm. She locked her lips onto mine while I flowed into her, and when she pulled free said, "There will be a time when I come to you for our son, Chuck. Be ready, because it won't be long. I love you and all the ladies so much, but I am Hawaiian and I need to be in Hawaii."

The girls kissed her and took her to the outdoor shower to rinse off. The rain was coming down hard when we finished showering, laughing at how ridiculous it was for us to be in the rain, forming, swimming, and showering.

Babies were scrambling around in the family room and trying to find their mothers in the kitchen, so it was difficult to walk back to the bedrooms. The four of us dried off and dressed for the day. Tina had to go to the hospital, but didn't have to be there until 8:00. Jane wanted to make sure Ipo and she went back to Hawaii with their parents. I figured that I would fly them all back in the Citation if we couldn't get them back on one of the golf tours.

The world seemed to slow down a little and seemed a little more in order once we were on the patio. I had a conversation with Sue and Brandy about Jane and Ipo going back to Hawaii. I heard Mercy telling me in my head that she thought Jane would come back, but this was best for now.

We found out there were no charters going all the way to the West Coast this week, so I called the airpark to tell them to make sure the Citation was ready for extended range and that I would be using it.

I told the parents while we had coffee and some breakfast that Lisa and I would take them home today. We would stay in Hawaii overnight and fly back tomorrow. My mind was doing a wallet squeezing exercise as I considered the fuel cost of the roundtrip to the islands. It was a lot, but I didn't begrudge what it was because Jane meant so much to me and our family.

It didn't take anyone long to be ready to leave. Jane and Ipo left with tear stained faces after a lot of hugs and kisses from all the girls. Brandy took her new Expedition while I drove my car out to the airpark where the Citation was sitting in front of the charter office.

Lisa and I did the inspections using an umbrella and confirmed the extended range fuel cells were filled. We were taking off toward the West Coast in just a few minutes. We cut across the gulf, moving at our top cruising speed. Jane and Ipo figured out how to make coffee and were able to make drinks for their parents.

We refueled at Burbank Airport, a secondary airport near Los Angeles, and took off for the islands. It's a long but not difficult flight. The weather was decent, so we didn't get bounced around, and we had food on the aircraft. The parents were pretty much toasted by the time we were on final in Hawaii. The girls thought it was funny, but I worried that my crazy family and friends might have given them some bad habits.

Lisa had radioed that we needed two limos for the folks, and we talked about possibly making a quick turn and going back to the mainland. I said, "We shouldn't. We've been up for nearly the max and we should rest. We'll tell the girls we will be leaving very early so that they won't think they should stay with us. Let's get the bird serviced and get out of here after a good night's sleep."

We went to the resort and were put in an upper floor economy room, as that was all that was available. The manager apologized about how small the room was, but we assured him it was fine. We ate a great meal and snuggled to sleep after some expressions of our love.

We slept for a little over six hours and I got up to pee and maybe get going. Lisa came in and used the pot before pulling me into the shower. We had a relaxing shower and vowed to get some food before we took off.

We bought several sandwiches out at the airport, and checked to make sure there was plenty of water and coffee on board. We took off for the mainland after going over the aircraft and confirming fuel levels.

We had a sandwich about halfway there, and Lisa used the satellite console to get the day's password and phrase, and then called our contact. Lisa went through the protocol and told him of our location and status, with me listening in on my headset through the bird's technology. She said, "We're going to refuel outside LA, and then head straight home. We're advising you in case there is anything between here and home."

The man said, "There is a Marshals Service problem in Amarillo that you would be good for, but you'll have to talk to your people about that. None of our immediate problems have your names on them in highlights, so I don't have anything spectacular for you. We do have all kinds of targets and problems if you want to go south of the border, but you two might not want to mess around down there for a while."

I told the contact, "We'll stick around home for a while. I'm going to check with the Marshals Service to see if I can return to work or if I'm done. DOJ seems to be tightening up more and more lately. That you guys still seem to have free rein is amazing. I suppose your numbers don't get back to the Oversight Committee."

The contact said, "We know how to get stuff under the rug. Homeland Security watches us like a hawk, but they are always asking for our help to clean something up. Give the Marshals Service a call and see if you can get back into the swing of things. I'm sure they want you to go back to butt kissing around the offices. We'll stay in contact and see if we can use you two when you're close to a problem that needs solving."

When we hung up, Lisa asked, "Do you want to talk to Sam? Want to see if they want you to go back to work?"

I told Lisa, "Let's wait until we refuel in California and call from there. How about a nice restaurant meal before we finish the trip?"

We found a good real Mexican restaurant and enjoyed some great food. We went back to the Citation and sat in the cockpit to call in when we were finished.

"Hey, Sam, how is it going? This is Chuck and Lisa, with no new holes and ready to go back to work. Is that possible or should I still hang out a while?"

"Good to hear from you two. The psychiatrist wants to talk to you, so give her a call, and have her come visit you. You could go in and visit with Wanda to get caught up with what is going on in the stations, and you might want to use the range. I'm sure you could use some practice. I think you'll be cleared for full duty again when the shrink gives you her thumbs up. Just stay out of shoot-em-ups for a while. Give me a call when the shrink is finished, and we'll see if you can be back on full duty. I'm not going to ask about the other folks, since I'm sure they'll contact me if they need you. If they call, take care of what they need, and don't report it to our agency. You got that?"

"Got it. I'm told all is quiet on their end, except for a small problem they know you're having in Amarillo. Let me know if that gets to be a big problem."

"Will do, Chuck. I think I'm glad you're back. You can take care of all the garbage stuff for me. I'll be happy to have you to do what I can't get my other man to do. Call me when the shrink is gone."

Lisa leaned over to me and patted me on the hand as I ended the call. "See, Lover, we are back in everyone's good graces. Should I call that DC babe, the shrink, and see if she wants us to pick her up?"

I had to think about that but decided, "Naw; we'll call her to tell her that we will be home. She can come commercial if she wants to come see us. We can ship her back if we have something going back that way, but let her make the effort."

Lisa took my phone and went through my contacts until she found who she wanted. I heard Lisa say, "Hi Miz Benton, this is Lisa Johnson calling for Chuck Johnson. He heard you needed to talk to him before he can go back to full duty with the Marshal Service. When can you come to talk to him?"

There was a long pause before the shrink said, "I'll try to get connections to Tampa, and we can do an interview right away. Since Deputy Johnson hasn't been involved in any terminal incidents that I know of, I think he'll be back to duty right away. I'll call when I know when I'll be in Tampa and we'll go from there."

"Thanks, Miz Benton, I'll tell Chuck. He'll be happy to see you."

Lisa was grinning as she ended the call. "I wanted to see if she was going to insist you come to her. It was as I suspected. She wanted an excuse to come to visit us again. We should put her up at the house, but I don't think we want to get involved with a Service shrink. You agree?"

"Oh yeah. I guess the guys in Hawaii kept us completely out of that mess over there. I'm surprised since they have so few incidents that I would have thought they would include everyone and their cousin in the report."

We prepped and inspected the Citation, went through all the checklists, and soon were on the way home. There was so much crazy weather everywhere, and I was happy to cut across the gulf to only encounter the tail end of a front heading into the Florida panhandle. Lisa got mad because she was getting us coffee when the first of the turbulence hit. She spilled coffee in the galley and on her. She waited until the heavy shaking subsided before bringing us both some fresh coffee.

We cleaned up the spills and prepped the aircraft as soon as we landed, in case it was needed for a charter.

We transferred our duffel bag and equipment cases to the car and drove home. We arrived just about five in the evening, so we stashed our stuff, put our dirty clothes in the hamper, and took a cart to the patio.

Sing and Taiying saw us walk in and ran to us. That was noticed by the others, and all our women, some with kids in their arms, soon were over to get hugs and welcome home kisses. It sure is nice to get home.

Mercy came over to us and gave me a hug and kiss on the cheek. She said, "Check the bar out. There is a young lady looking for you over there. What's funny is Tiny didn't have any trouble talking her into a drink and she's already on her second."

Lisa and I looked at each other. Lisa asked, "How in the hell did she already get here? She must have found something coming this way in order to beat us home."

I took one of the twins in my arms as I went to the bar. Farah was jabbering away at me when I approached Ms. Benton. I smiled as she looked at me with the little girl in my arms, "Hi, Judith. How in the world did you get here so fast?"

"Your company had a charter and was dropping one of the Marshals off, so I hitched a ride on his way back here. See, I saved the taxpayers and my department some money."

Farah was squirming, so I gave her to Lisa to take back into the house. I didn't know whether Frieda was allowing the twins to circulate among everyone yet.

Tiny handed me a fat glass of ice with clear liquid in it, and built another just like it for Lisa who was returning. Judith asked, "Should we have another interview at that place where the robber was, or can we do it here or at your house?"

"I'm not doing interviews yet tonight, Judith, but we'll do it later or in the morning when the place clears out a little. We can use the studio if you want to do it at the house."

The woman was all smiles and wanted to be in Lisa's and my good graces. She told me, "However and wherever it works out is fine with me. This is just to check on your attitude and to make sure you haven't turned into the killing machine some in the DOJ thought you were. I've become one of your supporters and admirers, Chuck. Every time one of the die hard do-gooders ask about you, I take them into my office and show them one of the videos of your captures. They ask when you will be back in service when they leave."

Lisa came up and surprised Judith by giving her a hug. She told the DC shrink, "I've watched Chuck for a long time now, and I can tell you that he leads his men to accomplish the goal of the capture or to prevent an attack. I've watched him take a round in his armor just to be sure before he fired. I wish you could witness Chuck under fire, Judith, but he wouldn't allow that."

"I did; I witnessed Chuck capture a man who was attacking innocent people. Chuck did everything he could to keep from firing, and then the perpetrator acted and made another officer kill him. That Chuck wasn't the enforcer was good. I was able to see how fast something like that happens, and find out that Chuck doesn't willingly terminate people. I think I needed more help than Chuck after that one."

"Good; no, I mean it was good that you witnessed how some of this stuff happens so fast. I've watched so much of this stuff and cringed when Chuck is in front protecting and leading his men. You don't want to be in a decision making situation like that. Chuck will always make the decision to save those with him first and to keep collateral damage to a minimum second."

"I know that, Lisa. Chuck is special to me and I hope to the Marshals Service. I know he has ties to the Secret Service and the NSA. I'm told the CIA is always trying to recruit him. Those folks are what are considered nut jobs in my department. I hope Chuck doesn't have to work with them often."

Judith was working on her third drink by the time supper was called. We found places to sit and enjoyed some great meatloaf, mashed potatoes, gravy, and green beans. One of the better parts of the meal was the home made rolls that were on the table to soak up the gravy.

After supper, I asked Judith, "How about running over to the house and doing the interview. We'll come back for a nightcap before you go to bed at the hotel."

Judith said, "That's a problem, Chuck. The hotel is booked solid tonight. I was hoping your place might have a spare bed."

Lisa winked at me and said, "Come on home with us, and we'll put you into one of the upstairs guest suites. I'm sure you'll enjoy the accommodations."

Lisa showed Judith her suite at the house, then brought her downstairs to the family room for the interview so we could have it done and over with. The entire question and answer routine took fifteen minutes, but it was all her questions and my answers. The three of us went back to the patio where our women were gathering the babies to take them home when we finished.

Judith had a strong nightcap, while Lisa and I sipped some scotch. I think we were impressed at Judith's ability to absorb alcohol.

We went home and sent Judith to her private area upstairs. I watched as sneaky Lisa opened the security system panels and pushed the record buttons for the cameras in Judith's suite. She didn't put them up on monitors, she just pushed record. She closed the doors when she finished, and said, "That's just in case. You never know what those people are going to do next. Now we'll have a record if we need it."

Aunt Etta came back down after making sure the girls were in bed. She sat with Lisa and me, having a drink. Julie came out in her gown, poured herself some wine, and sat with us. Aunt Etta said, "The company you contracted to mine the gold on my land has been bringing in an awful lot of it, Chuck. What am I going to do with all that money?"