All I Want for Christmas
By
Caribou Kid
"Come on, we have to hurry. They won't wait all night," Lee Crane, ONI operative and captain of the NIMR submarine SSRN Seaview, hissed trying to get his charges moving towards their transportation and safety. He had been sent in, at the last minute, to assist a scientist and her family defect from the People's Republic in exchange for her information on a new submarine detection system being developed in the PR's secret labs.
Their path to safety lay five miles in front of them through a dense forest covered in a heavy blanket of snow, that had to be navigated in the middle of the frigid night. As the snow had deepened and temperatures had dropped, their pace had slowed considerably and Lee knew they were now at the point where the children would have to be carried to keep any hope alive of reaching the pickup point before the recovery team had to leave.
"We're trying as best we can. Can't we slow down just a bit?" Gretchen Sanglar replied as she, her husband, and mother urged their three small children along.
"I'm sorry, but no. We've got too much ground to cover in a short amount of time. If we aren't there when the extraction team arrives we're out of luck," Lee answered. He turned around and looked at the group and the meager personal belongings they had packed for the trip. "I hate to say this, but you're going to need to leave your bags here and carry the children to quicken our pace. If there's anything you absolutely have to have, pull it out and put it in the children's backpacks."
Both Gretchen and her mother Magda grimaced at the request, but nodded in agreement and quickly rifled through their small bags pulling out the few family heirlooms they had brought and secured them in children's bags. Gretchen also pulled out two thumb drives and offered them to Lee.
"Here, here are copies of all the research and prototypes of the detection system," Gretchen said.
Lee nodded but carefully closed her hand around the drives. "You keep that with you, you'll need to deliver that personally to your handlers once you arrive in the US." Lee stated, affirming to them that he would get them out of the PR and to safety.
Gretchen smiled and nodded back. "Thank you."
"Thank me when you're all safe," Lee replied with a smile. He then turned and addressed Gretchen's oldest child. "Liza do you think you could ride on my back?"
The 8-year old stared wide eyed at the stranger that had come in the middle of the night and hurried them out of their home. She slowly shook her head no and grabbed her father's hand tightly. She was not about to run the risk of getting separated from her parents, brothers, and grandmother if this man took off with her.
"It's all right Liza, you can trust him, he's here to help us," her father said as he knelt down beside the scared and confused little girl. "Please honey, it's the only way your mother and I can carry Alex and Derrick."
Liza looked at her father cautiously, weighing his request to let the man in black carry her. There was something in her father's tone that told her it would all be fine and she trusted him implicitly.
"Okay, Papa," she responded quietly. Despite her agreement, it was quite obvious she was leery of the tall, slender man.
"Don't worry, Liza, I promise you a smooth ride. Your mama and papa will be right behind us, with your brothers and grandmother," Lee said. He knelt down in front of her and gave her a reassuring smile. "In fact, I need you to let me know if they are keeping up with us. Is that something you can do for me?"
Liza nodded tentatively. "Uh huh," she squeaked out.
"Excellent, honey. My name is Rudolph by the way, we haven't been properly introduced," he said as he held out his hand for her to shake. Liza smiled shyly and took his hand and shook it. "Now that we're friends, you climb on my back and hold on tight. You need to look behind us from time to time to see how everyone is doing. If you see someone having a problem, you let me know right away."
"Kay," Liza replied and carefully climbed onto Lee's back. He quickly stood up and then gently wedged each of her feet into one of his pockets.
"How's that? Are you comfortable?"
"Yes."
"Good, hold on tight, we're going to be moving pretty fast now. Remember what I told you, you need to keep an eye on everyone behind us."
"Yes, Rudolph. I will." Lee laughed and patted her gently on the leg.
"Here we go." Lee took the lead, breaking trail through the deep snow for the group behind him. With the children now being carried, their pace increased significantly. There was a very good chance now, that they would make the rendezvous with time to spare.
oOoOo
"Rudolph," a quiet voice said in his ear.
"Yes Liza," Lee answered.
"Gramma keeps falling down in the snow and is getting farther behind us," she dutifully reported.
Lee immediately stopped and turned around to evaluate the scene behind him. Liza had been quite right that her grandma was having problems keeping pace with the group. He pulled the little group to a halt and waited for the older woman to catch back up. "Good eyes Liza, you did your job well," Lee said. Liza blushed and let loose an embarrassed smile, very much pleased by Lee's praise.
"Brent, you and Gretchen keep going. Head for that large spruce across the clearing while I help your mother along. Once you get there catch your breath and wait for us," Lee ordered. Brent nodded his head and grabbed Gretchen's hand and gently pulled her forward with him.
Lee quickly ran back to the older woman to help her keep up with the group. As she struggled to climb back up to her feet after having fallen again, he slipped his hand under her arm and helped her stand. "How are you doing, Magda?" he asked as he steadied her.
"When did this all become so hard to do?" she asked rhetorically. "I'm so cold I can't feel my feet, hands, or face." She began shivering violently, now that she was no longer moving and the night air chilled her perspiration-soaked clothing.
Lee gave her a quick smile and shook his head. He took a fast look at the thermometer built into his watch and found the mercury had dipped significantly below zero. No wonder she was having problems. "I'm sorry to keep pushing you, but we need to keep moving. I'll work on making the trail easier for you to walk and when we get to the other side of the clearing I'll see about finding you a walking stick to help you out."
"Thank you, young man. I'm sorry that I'm slowing everyone down, and I know you hadn't counted on me coming along. I truly appreciate you allowing me to come," Magda replied.
"Don't worry about it," Lee answered. "Why don't you stand here a few minutes and catch your breath while I start tamping down the trail. Liza here will keep an eye on you and let me know if you run into any more problems."
"Yes, Gramma, I'll watch out for you too." Liza offered.
"Thank you, sweetheart. I just need a few minutes and will be right behind you."
Lee began working his way through the deep snow evening out the trail made by their small party, in hopes that it would speed up passage for Liza's grandmother. As he was nearly halfway to the large spruce where the others waited Liza suddenly cried out. "Gramma!"
Lee spun around and spotted the woman lying face down in the snow making limited effort to try and right herself. He sprinted as best he could back down the trail to her side. He carefully rolled her over and gently brushed the snow from her face. She looked up at him with a somewhat blank and confused expression, not quite able to fully comprehend the current situation.
He swore quietly under his breath, then kneeled down and gathered the woman up in his arms and climbed back to his feet. He walked as quickly as he could across the clearing to join the concerned group waiting for them by the tree.
"Gramma? Gramma, are you all right?" Liza asked repeatedly as she peeked over Lee's shoulder. "Please Gramma, talk to me. What's the matter with Gramma, Rudolph?"
"Everything will be all right, Liza," Lee responded. "Your gramma is just very cold and tired. She's taking a nap now, to save up her strength."
As they reached the others, Gretchen moved quickly to check on her mother and daughter. "Mama? Mama, can you hear me?" she cried. "What's wrong with her?"
"My guess would be hypothermia," Lee answered, as he placed the woman carefully on the ground. "It's below zero and her clothes aren't the best for these temperatures."
Gretchen and Brent moved to her side and attempted to wake her, taking her frigid hands in theirs and rubbing them gently. Without a place out of the elements and a means to warm her up, there was nothing they could do for her right now. Lee knelt down and had Liza get off his back to join her parents and grandmother.
He stood back up then unzipped his jacket and pulled out several packets of chemical hand warmers. He slapped the packets forcefully then rubbed them quickly between his hands to mix the chemicals to begin the warming reaction between the compounds inside. "Here," he said as he handed them to Brent. "It's not much, but place these inside her jacket, next to her skin. These should provide a little warmth until we can reach the recovery team and get her on board the sub."
As Brent and Gretchen did as Lee asked, he reached into his pocket and pulled out his GPS to get a reading on their exact location. As the unit located the satellites above, fixed their position, and displayed it on the screen, he smiled a bit at the information. "Good news, folks. We're just under a mile from our pickup point. Bad news is we're losing valuable time standing around here, we need to really pick up the pace to get there in time."
"But what about my mother?" Gretchen asked, afraid that they would have to leave her there to freeze to death.
"I'll carry her," Lee answered immediately. "We need to move now. Liza, please climb back on my back." Liza nodded and moved quickly to get aboard. "Brent, pickup Magda and pass her to me, then grab Alex and be ready to really move, time is of the essence."
"Wouldn't it be better for me to carry Liza?" Brent asked.
"No, not at all. I need someone who can hold on by herself and can keep a good watch on things while we're moving," Lee replied as he patted Liza's leg. "Alex is too young, and the last thing I want to do is drop him."
Brent nodded, then knelt down and gathered the still woman in his arms and rose slowly. Lee moved forward and accepted the load in his arms. Once he had her settled and his load balanced he started walking. "Come on everyone, let's get moving. Liza, you let me know if they start slowing down."
"Yes, Rudolph. Just like before. Come on Mama, Papa, we gotta go."
Lee laughed out loud, appreciative of the smaller version of his XO, Chip Morton, on his back. She would make darn sure no one lagged behind.
oOoOo
By the time they reached the secluded beach, Lee was nearly spent having fought his way through the deep snow while carrying his passengers. Finding cover behind a large boulder, he knelt down and divested himself of his load, and released a relieved sigh as circulation began to return to his arms. Liza immediately sat by her grandmother, held her hand and spoke quietly to her as Lee had instructed.
He pulled out his binoculars and scanned the dark expanse in front of him looking for any signs of the recovery team. After a moment he spotted what looked like a small zodiac approaching the shore and sighed in relief when the occupants of the boat sent two rapid flashes of red light. He responded with the countersign and within minutes the inflatable boat was pulling ashore.
"Stay here until I signal it's safe," Lee ordered, then crept cautiously down to the water's edge to verify the identity of the men in the boat. Hidden behind a snarl of driftwood, he observed the two men dressed in black scanning the area for their contact. Feeling confident that they were his contact he whistled the signal which was immediately answered with the correct countersign.
"Rudolph, the fog is closing in," came a hushed voice.
"All the better for a Frosty Christmas," Lee replied, in a low voice as well.
"Good to see you Rudolph, time is short we have to get out now. There's a PR sub lurking in the neighborhood and we only have one shot at this," the team leader said as he greeted Lee.
"Good to see you too Frosty. Come on and help me with the packages," Lee answered, and escorted the man back up the beach to where the Sanglar's were hiding. As Frosty got a look at the group he frowned and shook his head. "What's wrong?" Lee asked.
"There's no way we can get that many people back to the sub in the raft we've got. As it is we're pushing it with the group identified in the mission brief, there's just no way to carry an extra body back. And with that sub out there a second trip is out of the question," Frosty said quietly.
Lee had figured as much when he saw the small boat the recovery team arrived in, he knew someone would be staying behind and also knew who that would be. "All right, let's get them aboard your raft and get you out of here," Lee replied instantly.
"What, you're staying behind?" Frosty inquired.
"Yeah, it's a no brainer. I'm the logical choice since I stand the best chance of extricating myself without assistance. I've done it before and can do it again. Get them back to the boat ASAP. Also the older woman is severely hypothermic so keep her out of the weather as much as possible on the way back."
"The Grinch isn't going to be pleased," Frosty responded.
Lee briefly rolled his eyes; he hated missions around the holidays since it invariably affected the code names assigned. Though he wondered if Admiral Bricker knew what code name he'd been given. Knowing Bricker, he probably reveled in the moniker. "It couldn't be helped, it was the only way the good doctor was going to come, and if the prize is as valuable as they think, it can save hundreds of lives in the long run. I made a command decision and I stand by it," Lee answered.
"Very well, Rudolph," Frosty acknowledged then kneeled down and picked up Magda and carried her down to the raft.
Once they got the entire family and crew on board, it dawned on the Sanglar's that Rudolph would not be accompanying them. "Aren't you coming, Rudolph? Liza asked.
"No honey, I have to stay behind."
"Is that because I insisted you let my mother come with us?" Gretchen asked, fearful of the answer she'd receive.
"Yes," Lee answered truthfully. "The boat they have is too small to accommodate us all."
Looks of horror and shame crossed both Gretchen's and Brent's faces as they realized the cost of changing their conditions of defection at the last minute. Gretchen looked down at the face of her unconscious mother, her head lying in her lap. Could she just leave her here to die? Knowing if she couldn't, she'd most likely condemn their rescuer to death. Checking her feelings, she made the difficult decision to do just that.
"I'm so sorry Rudolph, I hadn't considered any of the consequences of my demands. We can leave my mother here, she'll most likely die from the cold anyway," she replied as tears streamed down her cheeks.
"Gretchen, I had already considered the implications of bringing an additional person with us and accepted the chance I might have to stay behind. I was ultimately responsible for letting her come and have no problem with her leaving with you. It was the right thing to do, to let her come, so consider it my Christmas present to you and your family," Lee responded. "Plus the first thing I plan for when I go in, is a way out on my own. I have a lot of things going in my favor, the most important being that no one was wise to our departure. It will probably be a couple of days before they realize you're gone and that gives me all kinds of options for getting myself out of the country."
"What about your family, Rudolph? Won't they miss you?" Liza asked quietly.
"I really don't have a family honey, so I doubt that I'll be missed that much. I have some friends but they are spread out all over my country. All right Frosty, let's get you on your way. Safe trip and let the Grinch know I'll be in touch when I can."
"Will do Rudolph. Be careful and watch your back," Frosty answered as he lowered the outboard into the water and fired the engine up. "I'll tell Grinch to keep a light in the window for you. Good luck and Merry Christmas."
As the zodiac disappeared into the night, Lee waved goodbye then suddenly began to shiver. "Damn," he said to no one in particular. He had violated the first rule of winter survival by allowing himself to overheat and soak his base layers with sweat. Now that the activity had died down and with the faint breeze growing more insistent, the frigid temperatures were quickly stealing away his precious body heat and chilling him to the bone.
He turned around and began trudging back up the beach and back into the forest to avoid the chance of being detected by anyone who might be about. He figured since they had apparently escaped undetected, the Sanglar's car should be safe to use to get him to one of the port cities before the authorities started looking for it.
oOoOo
Lee had been walking for nearly hour and had made less than a mile in distance. He was shivering violently, having difficulty moving in a straight line, and keeping focused on what he needed to do. Finally realizing he was truly in danger of freezing to death, it dawned on him that it was time to find cover and try to warm up. He slowly scanned the forest looking for a potential site for cover but found his options limited. Staggering forward he finally found a large spruce that had broad branches reaching the ground, with a relatively clear area at the base of the trunk.
Picking the leeward side of the tree for his den, he began piling snow around the outside of the branches at the bottom of the tree creating a makeshift windbreak. Having made a solid wall around the majority of the tree, he next set about collecting dead branches and moss to hopefully get a fire started to generate some warmth. He found it extremely difficult to perform any coordinated actions and needed multiple attempts to properly stack the wood for his fire.
With kindling and moss finally down, he pulled out his flint and steel and began trying to start a fire. By that time all his physical coordination was gone, along with any feeling in his fingers. Between the extreme shivering and loss of manual dexterity, each time he tried to strike the flint against the steel he knocked both items out of his hands. He stared stupidly at them on the ground for several minutes before he was able to mentally realize he needed to get a fire started if he wanted to survive. He scrabbled after the flint and steel with numb fingers and found himself unable to grasp and pick them up.
As his addled mind pondered the issue at hand, Lee came to the realization that it really wasn't all that cold anymore; in fact, it was beginning to feel quite warm. He smiled as he felt the warmth spread through his body. He leaned back against the tree trunk, released a deep sigh, and relaxed. He was suddenly very sleepy after all his efforts and was ready for a long winter's nap.
oOoOo
Harriman Nelson paced his study, anxious for word about his captain, friend, and chosen son. He was not happy in the least that ONI had tapped him at the last moment for a mission. When Harri asked him why he felt compelled to accept the mission, Lee informed him that the agent initially selected to go was a new father, and he only thought it fair that he be able to spend his daughter's first Christmas together, as a family. Harri had little he could say aloud to that generous act, but thought sourly to himself, 'And what about your family, Lee? I'd love to spend Christmas with my son as well.'
Of course he kicked himself for thinking selfishly only of himself, and then kicked himself again for lacking the courage to voice how he felt about Lee. He had found his feelings towards the young man growing more paternal since probably the first time he'd rescued the lad off the streets of Annapolis during the Christmas break of his plebe year. Within the last two years, since Lee had joined NIMR and taken command of his submarine, those fatherly feelings had grown exponentially. He knew deep down that the feelings were largely reciprocated but he still couldn't say the words to the person to whom it meant the most. Given their positions both in the Navy and at NIMR, it had to be him to take the steps to say it first but the words always seemed to just stick in his throat. He'd hinted at it numerous times, but to say 'I love you as my son' was beyond his power.
Harri harrumphed at his cowardly behavior, then started another circuit around his study. As he reached the mid-point of his lap, there was a knock at the door and his sister Edith poked her head in. "Harri, our guests have started to arrive." She stared at him quizzically for a moment as she recognized his harried state. "You're going to wear a hole in the rug, if you keep that up. What has you so upset?"
"Oh, just something at work, not to worry," Harri blustered. "I'll be right out."
Edith shook her head, not buying it for a minute. She knew the signs well, there was only one other person besides herself that sent Harri into such a snit. "It's Lee, isn't it? You're worried about him. I thought he was going to spend the holidays with us this year."
Harri stopped and stared at her a moment realizing how transparent he really was. "Yes, it's Lee. He's pulling reserve duty for a friend in not the friendliest of locations. He should have been in contact by now, and I'm just anxious to hear from him."
She could tell there was more to it than that, but there were certain parts of Harri's and Lee's professional lives that she knew were off limits. "I see. Well knowing Lee, he's just making sure all the loose ends are tied up before he calls and lets you know all's well."
He could only hope that was the situation, but he had had a bad feeling about this mission right from the start. He really didn't know the particulars but he somehow felt that things were going to spiral out of Lee's control, and maybe for the last time. "I'm sure you're right," Harri replied, as he tucked his concern out of sight. "Come on, let's go greet our guests and enjoy our Christmas Eve."
oOoOo
Harri played the part of congenial host to a tee, not letting on he wanted to be shaking some sense into his missing captain instead of entertaining company. When the last of the guests left, he made a beeline for his study to check for any messages that may have come in during his absence. As he booted up his computer, his cell phone rang. Checking the caller ID his heart clenched seeing the Deputy ONI Director's name on the read out. Steeling himself for the bad news, he swallowed hard and hit answer.
"Nelson."
"Harri, Phil Bricker here."
"Evening Phil, what's got you calling this late on Christmas Eve?" Harri responded, having a very good idea for the call.
"Harri, I have an update for you on Crane. He successfully completed his mission," Bricker started.
"But…," Harri asked tentatively sensing there was something not quite right.
"But he's still in country. He ran into issues with excess baggage and gave up his seat to accommodate it. He told the handler that he had experience making his own travel arrangements and would take care of it from his end," Bricker continued.
"How the hell did that happen?" Harri yelled.
"He told the handler he made a command decision allowing the extra piece and knew the potential consequences for that decision. He said that 'all' the packages should arrive together and that was his Christmas gift to them."
"Damn him," Harri ground out.
"On the plus side Harri, he was uninjured and based on what he told the handler they had escaped undetected, so no one is on the lookout for him at the moment. Crane's good, you know that. If anyone can find his way back home unassisted it's him," Bricker hastily added. "I'm sorry I couldn't tell you he was on his way home as we speak, but I have no doubt he has everything under control."
Nelson hung his head and rubbed his eyes. It was so totally Lee to think of others before himself. "Thanks for the update, Phil. I appreciate it very much."
"Not a problem Harri. I'll pass on any information I can, as soon as it comes in. Have faith Harri, this is Lee Crane. Merry Christmas and I'll be in touch."
"Yes it is Phil. Thanks again and a Merry Christmas to you." Harri ended the call and sat back in his desk chair feeling only despair. He knew he promised to let Chip know as soon as he heard anything, but just didn't have the heart to wake him up at his parent's house in Ohio and give him the less than encouraging news. He should be allowed to enjoy some part of his Christmas. He pushed up to his feet, walked over to the bar and poured a stout shot of the family label.
As he took his first sip, Edith walked in and immediately knew there was a problem. "Who was on the phone, Harri?" she asked quietly, having heard him talking to someone.
"Lee's CO for this mission," he answered. "There's…uh…there's been a hitch with his mission and he'll be delayed in making it back."
"Do they know when he'll be back?" she inquired.
"No, he missed his transport and now has to reschedule. We'll just have to wait until he gets things settled and calls in," Harri explained.
"I'm sorry Harri. I know how much you wanted to spend some time together this holiday season. Hopefully he can get a seat right away."
"That would be nice but I doubt he'll have much luck this time of year," her brother replied dejectedly.
Edith recognized that Harri needed a little time alone and excused herself from the room. "I'm heading up to bed, brother dearest. Is there anything I can get you before I go?"
"No thank you, sweetheart. Sleep well and I'll see you in the morning."
Once Edith had left, Harri stalked over to one of the wingback chairs in front of the television and plopped down. He turned on the TV and began rolling through the channels mindlessly looking for something to engage his attention. As he scrolled along he found a local station airing "A Christmas Story", a movie centered on a little boy's quest for a BB gun at Christmas. The movie was at the point where Ralphie had been stymied in all his attempts to secure the gun and was now down to asking Santa for his heart's desire.
Harri watched as each of the children in line was marched up the stairs by disgruntled elves to sit on the department store Santa's lap and relay their requests. Each time Santa asked, "And what do you want for Christmas?" Harri answered quietly aloud, "My son, here, safe and sound." He watched the movie until it ended then grudgingly got up and made his way to bed, deeply afraid of what news tomorrow would bring.
oOoOo
Lee was roused from his nap when he felt someone nudging his foot repeatedly. Summoning up his remaining bit of energy, he cracked open his eyes and saw a pair of tall black boots blocking the entrance to his shelter. He slowly scanned up the body of the boot's owner finding a large man blocking both his route of escape, and any light that the moon provided. About the only thing he could vaguely make out was the bearded face staring down at him. The man somehow seemed familiar but placing the name to the face was beyond him. He knew somewhere in the back of his mind that he should definitely be concerned but was having a tough time remembering why.
"Interesting place to be taking a nap on such a chilly night," the man said.
"Uh… just needed a plllacee to rest for a ccoupplle of mminutes," Lee slurred in response to the statement. "Is there sssomething you wa…want?"
"Actually you're exactly the person I've been searching for," the man replied. "I have over a hundred requests asking for you."
That response set off alarms in Lee's mind and he began working furiously through the chilly fog that had clouded his brain to organize his thoughts, and recall why the man's words so worried him. "I cccann't imagine wh why you would want me, I'm jjjust a lowly fffisherman that wen… went out for a stroll," he stammered. "And I dddon' know anywhere nnear a hundred people that would bee interested in me." The man laughed out loud in response to his remarks. It was a deep rumbling laugh that reminded him very much of the admiral's laugh and his mind flashed momentarily back to the man, eliciting a brief smile.
"Uh uh. That's not what your wardrobe tells me, or the high tech gadgets I see laying around you," the stranger answered. "Finding you has just made my life a whole lot easier."
"Why? Whatcha gonna doo with me?" Lee asked fearfully.
"Take you with me and turn you over to the one desiring your presence most," he answered. "You are 'most wanted' on quite a few lists."
"Cccouldn't yyou juss pretend you didn' fine me? I'll give you all mmmy money an' any of these thhhings you wan'," Lee offered. His heart sank as the man laughed again at his offer knowing instantly he was going to be served up to his enemies like a turkey on a platter. "It is Chris'mas, you ccould just let me go as a gift of goodwill an' all," he added hopefully.
The man laughed even louder at that. "You have nothing there that I want or need. It is your person that is of most value to me and others. I'm curious Captain, why did you let the old woman go in your place? She was on the verge of death and was in no pain; your decision makes no sense."
The use of his title increased the alarms in his addled brain. This man definitely knew who he was and it was obvious there was not much point in denying it. He momentarily wondered how he knew what had transpired on the beach, but working that one out took too much effort in his current condition. He tried in vain to summon up enough energy to move his body in hopes of making some attempt at getting past the man, but he had lost control long ago as hypothermia claimed him. The thought of just conceding defeat and giving up suddenly seemed the most desirable course of action, and another wave of warmth swept over his failing body as though confirming that as the right decision. He was so tired and just wanted to rest.
He looked up at the face once more and smiled slightly. "It was the riiight tthing to do. Hhher family neeeeded her, plus when I agreed to her cccomming along, she became mmmy responsibility."
"And what of your family, Lee? Don't you think they need you as well?"
Lee stared up at the man, a look of confusion written across his face. He thought of his friends as his family but wasn't quite sure if they regarded him as such. As he began to form a response, he finally lost the battle to remain conscious and his body shut down as a last ditch effort at survival. The very last thing he registered was the sensation of being dragged out of his lair by his heels through the snow, no doubt to his doom.
oOoOo
Harri rolled over slowly, cracked open a weary eye and spied the clock on the night stand. It was 0615 making it Christmas day. He sighed tiredly having tossed and turned all night worrying over the state of his captain and son. Resigned to the fact that he would get no more sleep, he threw back the covers and got up. He pulled on his robe, shoved his feet in his slippers, and slicked down his hair then headed out of his bedroom to start a pot of coffee. Following the death of their parents, Harri and Edith established the tradition of giving the staff Christmas day off so they could all celebrate with their families. Aside from being a nice thing to do for the people that worked so hard to take care of the household, Harri actually enjoyed the solitude and quiet it afforded.
As he trudged down the hallway to the staircase, he noted the absence of his joy and anticipation of the day. Even as an adult, Harri loved all that Christmas was and celebrated, and usually anticipated the exchange of gifts with loved ones as much as any child. Today none of those feelings were present, only those of worry and dread claimed center stage.
Reaching the bottom stair, he heard Edith's bedroom door open and moments later she descended the staircase, to join her brother. "Merry Christmas, Harri," she said as she reached the last step and gave him a big hug and a kiss on the cheek.
Harri gladly reciprocated. "Merry Christmas Edith. Did you sleep well?"
"Apparently much better than you," she replied, taking in her brother's bleary eyed appearance. "Still no news from Lee?"
"No, not that I really expected anything this soon. I just wish that he could master the art of saying 'no' from time to time," Harri replied, then smiled weakly.
"That's just not Lee and I know you wouldn't have him any other way," she said returning his smile and patting him gently on the arm.
"True. Well my dear, I'm heading into the kitchen to start the coffee and heat up the sticky buns so we are duly awake and fortified for the Christmas morning festivities. Why don't you go on into the sitting room, light the tree, turn on the gas fireplace and I'll be there shortly," Harri offered.
"Of course brother dear," she agreed and gave him another quick peck on the cheek.
Working diligently at his chores, Harri was startled and alarmed by a loud scream from Edith. As he hurried from the kitchen to see what had happened he nearly ran her over as she rushed to find him.
"Edith! What is it, what's wrong?!"
"There's…there's a body in the sitting room," she sputtered out.
"A body? A dead body?" Harri inquired, trying desperately to get all the details.
"Well it looks like one. I didn't get all that close. It's all wrapped up and lying on the sofa next to the tree. I certainly didn't place it there, and I don't think you did either."
"No, I definitely haven't placed anything that large in the room since last night. You stay here and call 911," Harri ordered.
"What are you going to do?" Edith asked.
"I'm going to my study to get my gun and then I'm going to go check out the sitting room," Harri answered as he rushed out of the kitchen.
oOoOo
Warmth. Delightful, glorious, wonderful warmth. Lee inhaled deeply the warmth and caught hints of pine, cinnamon, and ginger in the air. Totally confused as to his location he cracked open his eyes, and found himself completely encased in what felt like a soft wool blanket. As he tried to move he discovered that his arms and legs were securely pinned by his wrap which sent a wave of panic through him.
He immediately began trying to figure out his situation and formulate a plan of escape. The last thing he recalled was a rather bizarre conversation with a large bearded man wearing tall black boots and an oversized coat fringed with white fur, while he sat freezing in an improvised emergency snow shelter, in a forest in the PR. The man indicated that he had been searching for him and was going to turn him over to those who wanted him most. Given that statement, Lee fully expected to find himself in a barren, cold cell in some detention facility when he woke, not cocooned in a warm blanket and laid out on a soft bed with hints of Christmas spices in the air.
As he fought hard to mentally resolve these discrepancies his attention was suddenly drawn to the sound of muffled voices. He heard a man's and a woman's voice, and as best he could make out, they were wishing each other a Merry Christmas. He heard the man say that he was going to start the coffee and the woman intended to light the tree and the fireplace in the sitting room. 'Definitely not a prison,' Lee thought to himself.
Still not totally coherent, Lee remained where he was trying to piece things together when he heard someone open the door to the room and flip on the lights. The next thing he heard was a blood curdling scream from the woman and the slam of the door.
Now fully awake, Lee tried desperately to unsheathe himself from the blanket wrapped around him. As he moved, his muscles suddenly rebelled and left him nearly breathless from a Charlie horse that stampeded up his leg. He cried out in pain as he fell back onto the sofa and began madly massaging his cramped muscle. Moments later the doors to the room were flung open with a loud bang announcing the entrance of someone new.
"Don't move a muscle or I'll shoot you where you are," came an angry and surprisingly familiar voice.
Startled by the noise, Lee sat bolt upright and unceremoniously toppled off the couch and plopped heavily onto the floor. He flopped around momentarily like a landed fish, then lay still. "Please, don't shoot. I couldn't move if I tried," he replied through his woolen cocoon.
"Who are you and how did you get in here?!" the man demanded angrily.
"My name is Rudolph and I have absolutely no idea where here is or how I got here," was Lee's muffled reply. "Could someone please help me out of this thing, it seems to be tied shut."
The man with the gun stood there and watched with mild amusement as the man on the floor floundered around. Relatively certain the intruder meant them no harm, he called to the woman in the kitchen to join him.
"The police are on their way. So it's alive, well that's a good thing. Who is it?" she inquired
"He says his name is Rudolph and also says he has no idea how he got here," the man answered. "Here, hold the gun on him while I go unwrap him."
"Be careful, he could be armed," she replied.
"That's why you'll have the gun trained on him, my dear."
Lee heard the man approach, then was rolled from side to side as the binding around him was untied and removed from his outer wrap. 'No wonder I couldn't get out' he thought to himself.
"Now listen to me carefully, don't try anything or my sister will put a bullet between your eyes. Do you understand?"
Lee froze. There was something incredibly familiar about that voice and his mind raced furiously trying to remember who it belonged to. The thick blanket muffled enough of the sound to make it difficult to hear anything clearly.
"I understand," Lee replied. "I mean you no harm. Please, I just want out of here."
"Good, we understand each other then. I'm going to unroll you now, but clearly remember what I said. The lady with the gun shoots marksman and I don't think you'd enjoy a demonstration of her skill."
The man pushed a coffee table out of the way then slowly unfurled the blanket revealing a slender man with dark curly hair, dressed completely in black. With the last turn the man was face down on the floor and he ever so slowly extended his arms out to the side to show his hands were empty. "May I get up?" asked Lee.
This time it was the man's turn to freeze at the sound of the other's voice. "Lee?" he asked quietly.
Suddenly the voice clicked with a face. "Admiral? Is that you?" Lee answered.
Harri dropped to his knees at his friend's side as Lee pushed up from the floor to his knees and sat down. The room was silent as they all stared at one and other. Simultaneously, Lee, Harri and Edith started to speak. "How…" They all stopped then broke into relieved laughter.
"My god son, welcome home," Harri said as he pulled Lee into a fierce hug. "Where the hell did you come from? Bricker said you stayed behind, there's no way you should be here now."
"I haven't the faintest idea how I got here. The last thing I remember was sitting in a snow den I'd made and talking to a large, bearded man who said he had been looking for me. I vaguely remember being dragged out of my cave by my heels and that's it. I honestly expected to wake up in a place far less hospitable. I thought I imagined it all because I was very hypothermic by then, if he hadn't found me I'd be dead." Lee replied, as he looked around the ornate room.
Harri's face began to cloud at that remark as he prepared to take Lee to task for taking along the extra person, then giving up his ride home, and nearly freezing to death. Recognizing the signs of her brother's fearsome temper, Edith chimed in deflecting the coming storm. "Well why don't you help him up Harri, and we can adjourn to the kitchen for some coffee and warm sticky buns. Lee looks as though he's running on empty."
Harri harrumphed at having the wind stolen from his sails but then relented and smiled as he climbed to his feet and extended a hand to Lee. He pulled the younger man up to his feet and once again embraced him. As Harri patted him on the back, Lee made eye contact with Edith and silently mouthed 'Thank you' then flashed the smile that melted her heart.
She mouthed 'You're welcome, but you owe me.' Lee laughed out loud and patted the admiral on the back as well.
As Harri released Lee from the hug, there was a knock at the door. "Police!"
"Just a moment," Nelson called back. He walked quickly to the front door and opened it up to find officers Malone and Reed on the steps.
"We had a report of a home invasion and possible body. Are you Harriman Nelson?" Malone stated.
"Yes, I'm Nelson, and yes that's what we thought at first, but it turned out to be a practical joke. Please come on in," Nelson replied. The two officers entered and did a visual once over of the entrance hall. They immediately spotted Edith and Lee dressed all in black standing beside her with his arm draped casually over her shoulder.
"Is he the body?" Reed asked, noting Lee's attire.
"Yes, he is," Edith responded. "Apparently he overdid it last night with the egg nog and after he passed out his 'friends' wrapped him up in a blanket then snuck in here and deposited him under the tree."
"And you are?" Malone asked.
"Lee Crane, I'm captain of Admiral Nelson's submarine SSRN Seaview," Lee replied.
"Do you have any proof of that?"
"Not on me, my wallet is at home. My friends used my keys to unlock the door to make their um…deposit. I'm not much of a drinker and I think they were rather liberally spiking my nog," Lee replied with a chuckle.
"I can vouch for Captain Crane," Nelson added. "If you like we can step into my office and I can pull up the NIMR website which has my command crew's pictures prominently displayed on the home page."
"No, I don't think that will be necessary, we'll take your word for it. I find it interesting he has a key to your residence though," Malone replied.
"It's a security measure, I likewise have a key to his place so we have immediate access should something come up," Nelson explained. "We were just about to head to the kitchen for some coffee and sweet rolls, would you care to join us?"
"Thank you very much for the offer, but we need to get back on patrol," Reed answered.
"I thank you both for coming so quickly to our call. I apologize for the false alarm, but I've had intruders in the past and I don't take any chances. Merry Christmas gentlemen."
"Better safe than sorry, Admiral. Merry Christmas to you all as well. Have a good day," Malone said and then he and his partner exited.
oOoOo
Once the police had left, they all moved to the kitchen to discuss what had happened and to get some sustenance into Lee. Lee relayed all that he could recall without divulging his mission and was still very much at a loss to explain how he found himself some 6,500 miles from where he had started out.
"I suppose I should give Admiral Bricker a call and let him know I'm back," Lee said.
"I think that can wait until tomorrow," Harri replied. "Given the unexplained nature of your arrival here, they'll have you on a plane and headed back east within the hour. Your charges made it safely to their ride so any information Bricker needs is already available. I think you've more than earned a day off with your family."
Lee looked at Harri somewhat startled at his statement. That was the first time he had ever really intimated that he thought of Lee as family outside the drug induced ramblings following his adverse reaction to cortisone after the incident with an experimental submarine. Edith too looked rather surprised that Harri actually got the words out.
"Don't look so shocked," Harri said, embarrassed at both their reactions. "When I call you son, Lee, it's far more than just a fond appellation, that's how I think of you, as my son."
Lee sat back in his chair stunned by the admiral's admission. A large smile slowly spread across his face. "Thank you, sir. That means the world to me," he squeaked out. He quickly cleared his throat of the frog that seemed to have taken up residence. "I've long thought of you as the father I would have chosen if given the chance."
"It took you long enough, big brother," Edith added and leaned over and kissed him on the cheek then planted one on Lee's. "Welcome to the family, nephew."
As they sat there finishing up their coffee and pastry, Lee was unable to stifle a huge yawn. Everything he'd been through in the last couple of days was finally catching up with him.
"Why don't you head up to the east guest room, get cleaned up then crawl in bed for a few hours. I think your body has had just about enough," Harri said in response.
"Thank you, sir, I'll gladly take you up on that, I don't think I can keep my eyes open much longer." Lee then rose from the table and ambled out the door and up the stairs.
"Well what do you think of all this Harri?" Edith asked once Lee had left.
"I'm not at all sure what to think. We've encountered some pretty odd things during the course of our voyages on Seaview so the fact that he just showed up here isn't too far out of the realm of the possible. I'll have to mull this one over. I have no idea what we'll tell the Navy," Harri replied. After a moment he pushed back from the table and stood up. "I'm going to go straighten up the sitting room. Why don't you get us a couple of fresh cups of coffee and we can open our gifts while Lee rests."
"That sounds like an excellent idea. I'll be there in just a few minutes."
Harri made his way back to the sitting room and began picking Lee's wrappings up off the floor. He noticed the gold cord he had been secured with was similar to that binding a number of gifts under the tree. The blanket he had been wrapped in had a very festive Christmas pattern of snowflakes and ornaments, almost like wrapping paper. He quickly coiled the cord, folded the blanket, and placed them on one of the chairs near the door.
As he pushed the coffee table back into location in front of the sofa, he noticed what looked like a large piece of cardboard shoved between a cushion and the arm of the sofa. He grabbed hold of it and pulled it out. It was shaped like a gift tag and the words written on the front had him standing there agape when Edith entered with their coffee.
"Harri? Harri are you all right?" she asked as she took in her brother's somewhat shaken appearance. "What have you there?"
He turned and stared between her and the tag for a moment then slowly handed it to her. "You're not going to believe this," was all he said.
She took the tag, looked at it and was likewise startled by the message. TO: Harriman, Merry Christmas and handle with care, FROM: Santa.
"You don't really think…do you?" Edith stammered.
"Given the time of year, I wouldn't be surprised one bit. Lee said the large man told him he was 'most wanted' on any number of lists. I know he was at the top of mine, he was all I really wanted for Christmas," Harri answered, then started to laugh. "I guess all those years of leaving cookies and scotch finally paid off. Thank you Santa, for everything, wherever you are. And a very Merry Christmas to you as well."
The End.
I hope you enjoyed this little bit of fluff and holiday cheer. Thanks to all who have read my stories and especially those who comment and let me know what you think. Merry Christmas to all and a Happy New Year. CK