Thanks to Sue D. for the inspiration.
An Unsettling Discovery
It had been a long and tense patrol that involved a very real life and death run for international waters when the SSBN Marlin's position deep inside the People's Republic waters had unexpectedly been detected. They had been running silent for nearly two days as they carried out their monitoring activities when the PR through pure dumb luck stumbled onto them. Recovering quickly from the rude shock of being uncovered, Captain Morris immediately got his boat and his crew moving at best speed out of the unfriendly waters.
They spent the next three days playing cat and mouse with the PR submarines and surface vessels working their way to safety. The crew's performance was stellar as they maneuvered the boat through treacherous waters coming under fire at times close enough to rattle loose the fillings in their teeth yet not once losing their cool or giving away their position.
As the Marlin passed into the safety of international waters the captain issued an enthusiastic BZ for the entire crew. Using the recent engagement and the need to check the boat for damage as justification, Morris requested COMSUBLANT allow the Marlin to make port at the US Navy base in Naples, Italy. His men deserved a little bit of R&R after their incredible performance and Italy would be just the place for them to blow off a little steam and stand down. Receiving permission Captain Morris ordered the new course and the Marlin made port five days later.
OOOO
The warm sun and the fresh sea breeze was a welcome change to the men standing in the conning tower as the Marlin was escorted to her berth. LTJG Chip Morton closed his eyes and inhaled deeply the fresh air as he enjoyed the feel of the wind brushing against his face. They were only through half of their scheduled deployment but after their run-in with the PR this break was just what the doctor ordered.
Once docked Chip assisted the XO checking the men off the boat for liberty. After the enlisted were gone he and a number of the other junior officers were released for a couple of days of fun in the sun. Decked out in their whites they disembarked and headed straight off base to find a nice little street café where they could bask in the sun, get some fresh pasta, a little wine and hopefully gain the company of some lovely Signorinas.
As they finished up their meal the guys started looking through the tourist pamphlets they had collected trying to decide how best to spend their time. It was a given that whatever they did was going to be outside to take full advantage of the warm sun and fresh air after having spent the last two months locked in a titanium can with 100 other guys.
"Hey look at this one," LT Dave Ormand said, as he held up a pamphlet that touted a beachside resort with swimming, snorkeling and lots of pretty girls sunning themselves on the beach. The flyer was quickly passed around the table.
Chip smiled in approval as he perused the flyer thinking a little time stretched out on a beach with some pretty company would be just the ticket. As he looked up from the literature to offer his vote of approval he suddenly froze as he spotted what looked to be his old Academy roommate, best friend and self-adopted little brother Lee Crane walking down the sidewalk on the other side of the street in the company of two rather dubious looking men. They headed to another sidewalk café where they sat down at a small table and began to talk in earnest.
"Well Morton, what do you say?" JG Rick Fenster asked.
"Huh? What was the question?" Chip replied as he tried to recover from the surprise of seeing Lee in Naples.
"Hello Chip. Are you up for heading to the resort and hopefully all those lovely ladies?"
"Uh…yeah, sure that's fine with me. Look I'll meet you guys there; I need to go check on something across the street."
"What? Did you see some girls?" another of the group asked as he scanned the street around them.
"Nah I thought I saw somebody I know. Go ahead I'll catch up later," Chip answered as he rose from their table and started to make his way across the street.
"All right, don't take all day," Fenster called after his friend.
OOOO
Chip quickly made his way over to the other café, his stare fixed on the young man with the dark curly hair sitting with his back to the street. The more he looked the more he was certain it was Lee and couldn't for the life of him figure out why he would be here in Naples. Last he knew Lee had been tagged for additional training of some sort and was supposed to be tied up there for the next three months.
"Lee? Lee Crane is that you buddy?" Chip called out as he neared the table.
The three men looked up and stared at him. The two older men quite obviously had no idea who the big blonde kid was and the focus of Chip's attention likewise shot him a quizzical look.
"Lee it is you. What the hell are you doing here in Naples, bro?" Chip said as stood in front of the dark-haired young man.
"You must be mistaken, I am not this Lee. My name is Leonardo Caprese," the young man answered in heavily accented English.
"Aw come on Lee quit kidding," Chip countered. There is no way in the world there could be two men who looked like Lee Crane.
"No I'm sorry I'm not the man you're looking for," Leonardo replied his expression taking on one of annoyance at the blonde's continued insistence that he knew him.
Chip continued to stare at Caprese's face. The expression said he had no idea who Chip was but the eyes told an entirely different story. It had taken the better part of the first year at the Academy to learn how to read those eyes and the story they were telling him was to get the hell away in no uncertain terms.
"Look sailor boy he don't know you so shove off before I give you a hand," one of the older men said as he began to stand. "We got business to conduct and don't need you buttin' in capisci?"
Chip's eyes narrowed as he continued to stare at the man he was certain was Lee Crane. After a couple of seconds he backed off. "Yeah I understand you don't have to get all bent out of shape. Sorry I disturbed you." As Chip was turning to leave his eyes were drawn to a folder that was inside Lee's slightly open backpack. The two-inch lettering was plain as day 'Top Secret'.
Leonardo's eyes tracked Morton's gaze and he rapidly moved his leg to obscure the rest of the contents of his bag. "Tomas asked you very nicely to move on, I would suggest you do so before he gets upset," Leonardo warned.
"Yeah I'm outta here. Sorry again for disturbing you," Chip said defensively. He fixed Leonardo with a caustic glare that conveyed nothing but contempt for his ex-roommate's apparent trafficking in Navy military secrets.
OOOO
As he turned and walked away, Chip's thoughts were a maelstrom of uncertainty. Like a pendulum they swung between extreme reactions to what he had seen and heard. He felt anger, outrage, contempt, betrayal, disappointment, and righteous indignation that Lee could be a traitor to his country. At face value, it seemed logical since Lee really didn't have any family or real ties back to the US. He'd grown up an orphan and had no idea what it was to be part of a family until Chip brought him home their first summer break. That summer Lee had been 'adopted' by the Morton clan and became the second son and brother.
But as the pendulum swung back the other direction he in good conscience couldn't condemn his brother without hearing his side of the story. Lee was too good, too committed to the Navy and his country; his moral fiber and sense of what was right too ingrained to be easily swayed by the allure of quick money. Why would he put so much time and effort into being the best at everything he could since day one at the Academy and then throw it away for no reason? No, this whole scene was a non-sequitur knowing Lee Crane as he did and he was bound and determined to find out what was going on.
Chip scanned the street and spotted a men's clothing store about half a block from the café. He needed to get rid of his whites and change into some clothes that would allow him to blend in with the residents so that he could surreptitiously follow Lee once he left the café. He quickly made his way to the store and purchased a pair of jeans, a button down short sleeved shirt, a pair of boat shoes and a small leather backpack. He donned his new clothing in the store, shoved his uniform in the pack then exited and found a location where he could keep an eye on the three men unobserved.
As he watched them he noticed a covert swap of backpacks under the table. He was immediately shocked and once again felt the pendulum of emotions swing against Lee's favor. He knew his duty, but he wanted to get Lee alone and find out what the hell was going on before he went to the authorities and alerted them to what he had seen.
Shortly after the trade of bags the two thugs got up and made their way down the opposite side of the street to a waiting car. They climbed in and the vehicle drove off. Chip had noted the license plate number and would provide that to the SPs when he made his report. As the vehicle disappeared from sight he quickly reestablished his surveillance of Lee.
Lee sat at the table quietly sipping on his wine seemingly without a care in the world. After 20 minutes he paid his tab, exited the café and started walking back down the street in the direction he had come. With Lee on the move Chip quickly crossed the street and began tailing him to see where he was headed.
OOOO
Lee made his way to a small plaza where there was an open air farmer's market going on. The plaza was full of people milling about from vendor to vendor making it difficult to keep track of a single person. Try as he might Chip quickly lost sight of Lee as he seemed to melt into the crowd and then evaporate. Chip sighed in defeat; this spy thing was harder than it looked. Now that he had lost Lee he really had no other course but to return to base and report what he had seen to security.
He completed another circuit of the plaza in hopes of spotting his friend but came up empty and decided to leave. As he made his way down an empty side street in the direction of the base he was suddenly grabbed from behind and pulled into an alley where he was slammed hard against the alley wall, his head making solid contact.
Trying desperately to beat back the stars and regain his breath he was marginally able to focus on two glowing amber eyes furious at having been followed. The hands roughly grabbing the front of his shirt shook him and then thrust him back against the wall.
"Just what the hell do you think you're doing Morton?! You're going to get us both killed!" hissed a familiar voice.
Chip finally managed to focus on the whole situation and found a very angry Lee Crane glowering at him. "Lee? I thought it was you," Chip squeaked out. Regaining more of his control he gripped Lee's wrists and yanked them off his shirt and pushed him back. "What do you mean what am I doing?! What the hell are you doing here? Why were there top secret documents in your backpack? What do you mean get us both killed?"
Lee stepped back and quickly perused the alleyway. He had no idea whether he was being watched but he wasn't going to take that chance. This was not the place to have that conversation and odds were it would get very loud, very fast once he let Chip know what was going on.
"Look we can't talk here. If you want to talk meet me at the small boat harbor at 2200. There's a small cabin cruiser moored in slot R-26, just come on board and come alone. I see anyone else with you and I'm gone. Got it?" he whispered.
"What makes you think I trust you to show up? You're probably going to bump me off because I caught you selling out your country," Chip snarled back. "If I were smart I would go straight to security now and turn you in for treason."
"Your call, that's completely up to you. Consider this though, if I wanted you dead you'd already be toes up and you know that to be a fact," Lee answered in a low and deadly tone.
Chip swallowed hard and found he was unable to control the shiver that ripped through his body. This was the Lee Crane that scared the living crap out of him as he morphed into the person that had spent his early years living on the streets having to fight just to survive. Even as a midshipman Lee had demonstrated that he was more than capable of following through on that threat if the situation really warranted it.
Not giving Chip the chance to regain his equilibrium Lee pushed him hard into the wall one more time. "I won't tell you again, leave me alone or I will end you," he said loud enough in accented English to be heard by anyone that might have cared. He then turned and walked quickly back to the deserted street, leaving Chip to decide what his next course of action would be.
OOOO
Watching Lee's back as it disappeared down the alley Chip pushed off the wall and gently rubbed the back of his head. He had a whale of a headache but only part of it came as a result of bouncing off the alley wall. He had never truly been the focus of Lee's anger before and his recent brush with his temper left him reeling even more than the revelation that Lee was trading in military secrets.
He remained in the alley a few more minutes as he composed himself and sorted through all the conflicted feelings he had about the situation. There was more at play here than the obvious treason and Chip ultimately felt he owed it to Lee to hear him out. The fact that Lee didn't harm him spoke volumes since he was more than capable of what Chip had accused him of planning to do. Maybe he could talk him into turning himself in and possibly avoid a long prison term.
Having decided on a course of action Chip walked somewhat unsteadily back to the street. As he entered the street he immediately spotted the car the two thugs had driven away in after the meeting at the café. 'So Lee was being watched' Chip thought to himself. He started walking back towards the market rubbing his head and staggering noticeably letting his observers know Lee had dealt with him forcefully.
Chip walked over to a nearby café and ordered a glass of wine and a bottle of water. He spent the next hour trying to come up with possible scenarios that would explain what had just happened. He still couldn't reconcile the fact that Lee had turned traitor but no matter how he looked at it, everything seemed to add up to just that.
As the afternoon waned he left the café and hailed a cab to take him to the resort where the rest of his buddies were hanging out. He had over six hours to kill before he would get any answers so he might as well enjoy his time here while he could. He quickly found his friends splayed out on the beach soaking up the sun and entertaining a number of lovely ladies.
"Hey Morton, bout time you showed up. So was it your friend or not?" Fenster called out as he spotted Chip.
"Nah, just really looked like him," Chip lied.
"So why don't you shed your clothes and come on out and join us. We all went in and rented a suite for the night so you can stow your gear and come on back."
"Sounds like a plan," Chip said as he caught the key tossed his way. He went back into the hotel, purchased a pair of swim trunks then went to the room to change. As he exited the elevator on his way to the beach he spied one of the thugs he had seen with Lee. This was starting to take on a frightening tone telling him Lee was in way over his head and by the looks of it he was too.
Acting as though he hadn't seen the man he walked back to the beach and spent the rest of the afternoon and early evening with his friends. He occasionally shot casual glances up toward the veranda checking to see if his shadow was still there. Unfortunately he had yet to be disappointed by his absence.
At 1830 the men returned to their suite to clean up for dinner and dancing with the friends they had met on the beach. They returned to the resort dining room for dinner and enjoyed a sumptuous meal. It was nearly 2130 by the time dinner was over and the group made their way to the disco. This would probably be the only opportunity Chip would have to get away without being seen.
Once they had claimed a table Chip excused himself to go to the restroom. He was overjoyed to find there was a large window that opened out to the back of the hotel and he quickly made his exit and disappeared into the night. He walked about a mile from the resort trying to make sure he hadn't been followed before he hailed a taxi and headed for the harbor.
OOOO
It was 2200 on the dot when he arrived at the harbor and cautiously made his way down the dock until he reached slip R-26. Just as Lee had said there was a small cabin cruiser moored in that slot. The boat was completely dark which left him wondering if Lee had blown him off. Chip shot one more nervous glance over his shoulder looking for his shadow and not seeing him climbed aboard.
He cautiously moved to the cabin door and tried the knob. It readily turned in his hand and he pushed open the door and entered. He carefully eased his way down the three steps into the cabin and stood still waiting for his eyes to adjust to the dark. "Lee," he called out quietly. "Are you here?"
The silence seemed to stretch on forever until a soft "Yes" responded to his query. Chip let out a soft sigh of relief.
"Close the door then move forward about four steps, there is a couch to your left. Sit down and stay quiet," Lee's barely audible whisper directed.
Chip complied. He sat there quietly in the dark for another five minutes by his best guess when he heard someone moving in the cabin. After a moment a match flared to life which lit a candle sitting in the middle of the table in front of him.
A soft glow brightened the cabin and Chip finally spotted Lee sitting across from him. He looked tense and almost exhausted. "Lee what's going on?"
"You did a good job ditching your tail, I'm impressed," Lee responded evasively.
"How the hell did you know I was being followed? What's going on?" Chip asked becoming more than a little annoyed at all this cloak and dagger crap.
"I've been watching you and your tail for most of the day."
"Okay I'm only going to ask this one more time, what the hell is going on?!"
"I damn near fainted when I saw you walk up to the table this morning, you know that. You were the absolute last person I ever expected to see here in Naples," Lee answered with a chuckle.
"Quit stalling Crane and get to my question," Chip demanded.
"I think you'll be relieved to find out I'm not selling out my country Chip."
"And…" Chip continued. God this was like pulling teeth.
"And I'm TDY to the Office of Naval Intelligence as an undercover operative trying to find out who really is buying military secrets," Lee finished quietly.
"WHAT?! Are you freaking crazy?!" Chip thundered in response.
"Shhhhhh! Keep your voice down. You'll undo all your efforts to get here unseen if they hear you bellowing like a mad cow," Lee scolded. "I'm breaking protocol here big time Chip and if ONI finds out I told you what I'm doing I'm toast. The only reason I'm even letting you in on this is that I seriously believe you would blunder into what I was doing and end up getting yourself killed. The simple fact that Tomas was following you says my cover is now suspect and probably pretty close to being blown."
"How long?" Chip asked coolly.
"How long what?"
"How long have you been working for ONI?"
"Since shortly after we graduated," Lee replied. He was rather happy the room was poorly lit so Chip couldn't see him blush in embarrassment at having kept this from his friend for so long.
"Since graduation?!" Chip hissed. "That's over three years and what, you didn't think you could trust me, your best friend? How did all this happen?"
"Admiral Masterson, the Director of ONI approached me while at sub school. He said they were all impressed at how I rescued Captain Nelson when he was kidnapped during the Mayor's Ball*. They said I had the aptitudes and skill sets they needed and felt I could make a real difference in helping to keep our country safe. I don't work full time because I really do want to command submarines some day and that is the agreement we made. I will do the occasional errand for them and they let me chase a career as a submarine officer. As soon as I finish up here I'll be assigned to subs for the next four years."
"Geez Lee they're just going to get you killed. I think what's going on right now is a good indication of how dangerous this is."
"Look Chip this isn't open for debate. They asked, I said yes, issue closed." Lee replied defensively.
"Oh I don't think it's anywhere near closed. You're only 23, just a kid, what the hell do you know?"
Lee glowered at Chip. "Oh I think I'm well aware of the dangers in this world, far more so than you old man. This is exactly why I never told you I signed on with ONI. I don't need this grief from you; it's my life and according to the Navy I'm man enough to make those decisions and carry out the missions necessary to keep the Navy and our country safe," Lee snarled.
Chip sat back startled at Lee's fervent response. He really believes in this and it was obvious that nothing Chip could say tonight would change his mind. This was all such an unsettling discovery that his all-but-in-blood brother had been training and working as a covert agent for over three years and he hadn't any clue this was going on. He had to admit that now he almost wished Lee were selling secrets instead of being offered up as a sacrificial lamb in ONI's espionage game.
"I'm sorry Lee, I was out of line. You're right it is your life and you do have the right to determine how you live it," Chip said sincerely. "So is this your first mission in the field?"
Lee eased back in his seat and sighed. "That's okay Chip, I knew it would be a bit of a shock for you. In answer to your question no I've had other missions, but this is my first solo which is why I nearly fainted when you walked up to the table. If I had had a partner, I could have sent him to back you off before you became involved." Lee said.
"So have I really endangered your cover?"
"You didn't make it any stronger, especially when you followed me. This is big Chip and the people involved are big time international arms dealers with global distribution networks putting advanced military technology into the hands of terrorist organizations," Lee explained.
"Shit, I am so sorry bro, is there anything I can do to repair the damage I've done? Is it safe to be talking about this here?" Chip inquired.
"Yeah it's safe; this cabin is soundproof and has electronic scramblers that prevent eavesdropping. The best thing you could do is go back to your boat and stay there until you head back out to patrol, but I'm guessing you have no intention of doing that."
"If it really would keep you safe I would, but we're just coming off two months underwater and a wicked run-in with the PR; it's just nice seeing the sun and being able to breathe fresh air after that. I've got one more day ashore and then have duty until we shove off in two days. Do you think it would be okay if I just hung with my buddies from the boat until then?"
"It'll probably be fine as long as you stay with the crowd. I know they're going to be suspicious of you having disappeared on them but if you act cool and just do what the other guys do you should be safe," Lee answered.
"But what about you, will you be safe? They probably have figured out we do know each other after I chased you down, is that going to be a problem?"
"I've got no idea Chip but I'll deal with it if it comes up. If they push the issue I'll say something like you're one of my sources inside the Navy, you were just surprised to see me in Naples and thought I was going behind your back making a sale for myself. These unexpected road bumps are just part of the job so don't worry about it," Lee offered.
"So what do we do now? They'll only be more suspicious when I return to the resort won't they?"
"I have a plan for that. I have a friend I would like you to escort back to the resort. You need to act as though you've been having a wild time on the town. She works for the DIS, the Italian intelligence agency so you're not endangering a civilian. Your cover story will be that you met her when you stopped to buy your new clothes and made a date to meet later when she got off work. You ducked out because you didn't want the other guys doggin' you while on your date."
"You think they'll actually believe that load of bull?" Chip asked skeptically.
"Oh yeah they'll believe it as soon as they get a look at Isabella," Lee answered with a wolfish grin. "Just behave yourself or she'll snap it off."
"Huh?"
"You'll see." Lee pulled out his cell phone and made a quick call. "Okay your ride is on her way. You stay put for fifteen minutes before you get off the boat. I'll make sure no one is there waiting to give you a rude surprise."
"Lee will I get to see you before we ship out?"
"Probably not, I have to try and force the big dog to come to me and that won't happen in public. Also don't tell anybody about this or about me working for ONI. An agent is only an asset if people don't know he's an agent. I can read your mind from here Morton, Admiral Masterson will be talking to you personally if you start shooting your mouth off in hopes of getting me kicked out."
"Okay," Chip replied with a guilty grin as he stood up and held out his hand. Lee grabbed it and Chip pulled him into a quick hug. "You be damn careful Mr. Crane, I fully expect to see you next time we get leave. And another thing this whole spy stuff discussion isn't settled yet not by a long shot."
Lee clapped his brother on the back. "You take care too and I'll see you when you get back from deployment." With that Lee exited the boat and worked his way back up the dock watching for any signs that he or Chip had been followed.
Fifteen minutes later Chip exited the boat and walked back up the dock to find a fire-red Lamborghini parked at the gate. As he moved forward the driver's door opened and a drop dead gorgeous brunette got out. Chip almost felt compelled to check to see if his tongue was dragging on the ground. 'Lee Crane you dog' was Chip's first thought.
"Buona Sera Chip," Isabella said with a smile. "Can I give you a lift?"
"Buona Sera Isabella," Chip replied. "You can take me anywhere you like."
She laughed and got back in the car. As Chip crawled in the passenger side she smiled again. "Lee said you were good looking. I think we'll go play for a bit before I take you back to your friends."
Chip blushed feeling like an awkward teenager out on his first date. "That's fine with me. I haven't had much chance to see the city or mix with the natives."
Around 0130 Chip and Isabella arrived at the resort hotel. Chip escorted her through the lobby to the disco and found most of his buddies still partying. As they neared the table the guys sat there gawking at the goddess Chip had on his arm. He really wished he'd had a camera to capture the looks of disbelief and envy on all their faces. He shot them a semi-leer and leaned over to kiss Isabella gently on the cheek then made introductions.
"Well I guess that explains why you evaporated," stammered Fenster.
OOOO
After partying until the wee hours of the morning, Chip and Isabella finally bid each other adieu. She had to work in the morning and Chip needed to act the part of an officer and a gentlemen. Chip entered the shared suite about 0400 found an open spot on the floor and collapsed exhausted from all the events of the day.
Around 1000 the first of the party animals began to stir and soon there was the aroma of fresh coffee wafting throughout the suite. Groans of pain and appreciation could be heard from the bodies littering the rooms.
"Okay, wakey, wakey you sleeping bums time to get up and face the day," Ormand said loudly to the inert masses as he threw open the curtains. He was immediately pummeled by an assortment of pillows and odd bits of clothing.
The guys slowly stirred to life grudgingly making their way to the coffee pot and the bathroom in no particular order. Within the hour everyone was showered, shaved and ready to head back to the beach for their final day of liberty. They shuffled their way out of their suite and caught the elevator down to the lobby. Their next stop was the café for copious amounts of coffee and breakfast.
As they sat down at the table Chip caught sight of his oversized shadow out of the corner of his eye. The waiter quickly collected their orders and left two carafes of coffee on the table; it was a common request from sailors on leave. As the coffee began to take effect the guys started chatting about last night and eventually turned to the topic of Chip's date. Normally not one to kiss and tell, Chip let fly the details regarding his secret rendezvous and bits of salacious innuendo all for the benefit of the man sitting across the room. He did his best to sell his secretive exit as a desire to avoid chaperones or clingons. He was met with a number of less than polite responses to those comparisons.
Breakfast finished, the guys headed out to the beach to grab a few more hours of sunshine and company with the farer sex before reporting back to the boat to let the other half of the officers go on leave. They staked out a fair portion of sand and caught a few more winks of sleep before the ladies made their way out for the day.
After a couple of hours Chip found the sun a bit strong and needed to cool off, get more sunblock and visit the facilities. He decided he'd make his way back to the room and relax a few minutes before heading back into the elements. Casually scanning the veranda he was relieved to see his shadow had disappeared in the light of day so he told his friends he was heading to the room and asked if they needed him to bring anything back. Aside from his date's phone number there were no other requests.
Chip made his way back to the room and as he opened the door he was shocked to see his shadow tossing the room looking for something. "Hey!" Chip yelled startling the man. "What the hell do you think you're doing in here?"
Tomas turned and glared at him, very obviously upset at not finding what he was after. He charged at Chip and as Chip turned to make a hasty retreat someone stepped in behind him and hit him hard on the back of his head knocking him out.
The man who hit Chip stepped out into the hall and grabbed a dirty laundry hamper left unattended while the maid cleaned another room. They quickly picked their parcel up dumped him in the hamper then buried him under the damp towels littering the room. They next made their way rapidly down the hall to the service elevator and took the car down to the basement. They wrestled Chip out of the bin, hurried out the back doors, dumped him unceremoniously into the back of a van and drove off.
OOOO
Geez his head hurt and he really couldn't remember why. He knew he had had a few drinks last night but not nearly enough to account for the raging hangover torturing him right now. As he cracked open his eyes he was at a loss to explain why he found himself tied up and in a broom closet. Chip groaned out loud as he tried to find a position that would return circulation to his hands and feet, and ease some of the throbbing in his head.
Giving it his best shot he was able to finally manage an upright position and leaned back against the far wall of the closet. He groaned loudly as blood began flowing to his hands and legs making him feel as though he was buried up to his neck in a mound of fire ants. As he looked around his 'cell' he found that there was only one way out and that was the door. Trying desperately to recall how he got here the door was suddenly pulled open and a beaten and bloodied Lee Crane was thrust in by the goons he had seen him with the day before.
As they backed out of the room another man stepped forward to regard his prisoners. He was quite obviously the one in charge as he was impeccably dressed in an Armani suit and tie and enough gold bracelets and chains to make a rapper feel underdressed. "Once you're partner wakes up we're all going to have a very long discussion about access codes to the system you sold me," snarled the man in accented English. "Believe me when I say I don't appreciate being shorted when someone sells me goods." With that he slammed the door with enough force to rattle Chip's teeth.
Chip eased his way over to his unconscious friend trying to determine his condition. His left eye was nearly swollen shut; there were multiple bruises on his face and open wounds on his chest and back from what he didn't know. "Lee-onardo, can you hear me? Come on buddy can you open your eyes, please." There was no response to his plea that his friend wake up and Chip hung his head trying to fight off the pain and his guilt at blowing Lee's cover.
By his estimation an hour had passed by the time Lee slowly started making his way back towards consciousness. He groaned softly and coughed as he made the journey back to the land of the living. As the moans became more frequent, Chip quietly tried to draw his friend the rest of the way back. "Leo, can you hear me? Are you okay?"
"Ughngh, oh god," Lee said as he rolled tightly into a fetal ball on the floor.
"Leo, can you hear me?" Chip whispered.
"Chip? What happened, what are you doing here?" Lee answered in accented English making sure to not let loose of his cover in case anyone was listening.
"I'm not sure but I think the men you've been dealing with are about to try and beat some information out of us. Some dude in a $1000 suit and way too much jewelry said you owed him some access codes." Chip replied.
"Creep only gave me 50% of the money, there was no way I was going to give him codes without getting the other half," Leo coughed out as he squirmed on the floor working at the ropes on his wrists. After a moment he was free and pushed carefully up to a seated position. He quickly looked over their makeshift cell and like Chip noted only one way in or out. "You got any idea how long we've been here?"
"I can't even hazard a guess. They knocked me out at the hotel and that was around noon. I don't know how long I was out. I would guess you've been out for about an hour," Chip offered. "My god Leo you're bleeding."
"Yeah LaMatta fancies himself a master of the blade. I didn't think he'd get this physical but I thought wrong," Lee said as he cradled his right side.
"What are we going to do now?" Chip asked.
"Well first off I think we should get you untied." Lee reached behind Chip and undid his hands and then his feet. Chip hissed in pain as blood freely coursed back into his extremities. "Next thing is we get the hell out of here."
"How do you propose we do that? There's only one way out of this hole and it's most likely being guarded by one of those goons," Chip remarked as he rubbed his wrists.
"I told you I have certain aptitudes and skill sets my friend and I think it's about time I demonstrate some of them to you." Lee quickly removed one of his shoes and pulled out a slim pick from the sole, then took off the other one and repeated the action. "Tomas and Gino aren't the most observant or diligent of employees and my guess is that they're off in some other room eating, watching TV or both until LaMatta returns."
Lee moved to the door and began working on the lock and was quickly rewarded with a soft click and a subtle movement of the door. He smiled at Chip then slowly eased the door open. As he suspected the hired muscle was nowhere to be seen. He drew the door open further and as light from the hallway flooded the closet Chip was alarmed at the amount of Lee's blood on the floor and on the door and the bruises and cuts that marked his chest and back.
"Damn Lee he did a number on you, are you sure you can make it out?" Chip whispered.
"Shhhh. I'm fine. Come on now we have to get out of here before LaMatta returns or those idiots come to check on us." Lee pushed the door shut and locked it giving them a little more time in which to escape should their captors return to resume their interrogation.
OOOO
Now free, they moved quietly down a long hallway in what appeared to be an old industrial building of some sort. At the end of the hall was a fire door and it represented their best way out. There were doors on either side of the hallway and each door had a small window. As they passed each door they hazarded a quick look inside and were finding them to be empty. As they reached the third one from the end Lee's assessment of LaMatta's goons proved correct as they sat there watching cartoons and shoving food in their faces.
Lee reached into his pocket and pulled out a number Lira coins. He silently pushed the closed door back as far as it would go then made a stack of the coins and jammed them between the door and the door jamb so the bolt on the doorknob couldn't retract, effectively locking the men inside. He made another stack and did the same thing once more as insurance. Chip just looked at him and rolled his eyes.
"Seriously, you're penny-ing them in?"
Lee smiled and shrugged. "Well technically speaking I'm Lira-ing them in. Gotta use what you have on hand. That should buy us a little more breathing room."
They continued down the hall until they reached the fire door. Lee cautiously pressed the bar and eased the door open a crack to get a hint as to what was behind it. The door opened into a large warehouse bay with a small office on the far wall. The lights were on inside and LaMatta could easily be seen working on a computer.
On the wall to the right was another door that most likely led to the outside. Lee eased back the door and looked at Chip. "LaMatta is in the office across the bay working on a computer; probably trying to hack the program I gave him. There's another door to the right that probably heads outside. I want you to ease your way along the wall and check it out. If it is to the outside and you can get out without being seen, go. Find a phone, call this number and pass on the following message..."
"What are you going to be doing?" Chip asked after committing the number to memory.
"I'm going to make sure LaMatta doesn't get away. He's the fish we've been after and it's the first time we have him with his hands dirty."
"Lee you look like you're barely able to stand; I'm not leaving you here alone to take on that creep. In case you haven't noticed you've been leaving a pretty significant blood trail. We'll both go make the call and then come back and stake out the warehouse until ONI arrives."
"No Chip, we can't take the chance that the hired muscle gets wise to being locked in and calls for assistance from their boss. Odds are he would bolt without letting them out leaving them to take the fall. I'm not going to take any unnecessary chances; I just don't want all my hard work going to waste. Now go, the sooner you make contact the sooner you can come back."
Chip frowned at his friend not liking the idea of leaving him behind in the least. He also recognized how stubborn he could be and wouldn't budge from this place until he had done everything he could to complete his mission. "All right, I'll go but you stay put and don't do anything stupid."
Lee flashed him a smile that practically yelled, "Who me?!" Chip rolled his eyes then eased out the door and hugged the wall until he reached the other door. He slowly cracked it open then turned briefly back towards Lee gave him the 'OK' sign and disappeared out the door.
OOOO
Once outside Chip took off running looking for some place to make a call. He found himself in an industrial area made up of old warehouses and abandoned buildings down near the docks. After looking for nearly 15 minutes he finally found a small fishing supply shop that was open. Bursting through the front door, he badly startled the old man mending fishing nets. In his limited Italian Chip was able to convey it was an emergency and he needed to use the phone. The old man grudgingly let him use the phone behind the counter if only to get him out of his shop.
Chip rapidly dialed the number Lee had given him and was connected with the ONI detachment at the base. "This LTJG Chip Morton off the SSBN Marlin. I was sent by Leonardo Caprese to ask you meet him at a warehouse at 21 Via Nazario Sauro immediately. He has the fish on the line and needs help reeling it in."
"Copy that, we're on our way," replied the voice on the other end. "Anything else?"
"Yeah Leonardo got tore up by the fish pretty bad and could use a bandage," Chip added.
"Understood." With that the line went dead.
Chip thanked the old man profusely then bolted back out the door and back to the warehouse to make sure Lee hadn't done anything stupid. He quickly ran up the steps to the door he had exited and quietly pulled it open. He slipped inside and scanned the bay around him and the office. The lights were still on but LaMatta was no longer visible.
Sucking in a deep breath, Chip began cautiously working his way over to the office to sneak a look inside. As he got closer he could see that the door was slightly ajar. Working in even closer he nearly had a heart attack when he saw Lee splayed out in the center of the office floor. There was blood on the walls, a small coffee table and a number of chairs were overturned all indicating some kind of a struggle had taken place. Chip looked quickly around trying to determine if anyone else was still there and not immediately seeing anyone he pushed open the door and moved to Lee's side.
Afraid of what he was going to find Chip gently laid his fingers on Lee's neck, certain that there would be no pulse. Much to his relief there was a slightly rapid but strong beat signaling he was only unconscious. He scanned the remainder of the office and thought he saw something back behind the desk. Easing his way past Lee he crawled quietly over to the desk and was even more surprised to find LaMatta also unconscious but tightly secured in copious amounts of duct tape.
Chip shook his head in amazement then stood and returned to Lee. He cautiously turned him over on his back and tapped him lightly on the face trying to bring him around. "Lee, Lee, can you hear me bro? Can you wake up for me?"
After a few moments Lee rolled his head away from the annoying tapping and groaned. It took another minute before he finally managed to open his eyes. He looked at Chip for a moment then blinked several times as if trying to clear some mirage from his sight. "Chip? What are you doing here?" he replied.
"Lee, are you okay bro? What happened here?" Chip asked as he helped Lee sit up.
"The clowns in the lunchroom figured out they were locked in and called for help. LaMatta was getting ready to get the hell out of here without letting them out so I just detained him," Lee replied rather matter-of-factly. "Did you get a hold of ONI?"
"Yes he did," answered a tall middle-aged man standing in the office door. He entered the office followed by a corpsman who moved immediately over to Lee and started to examine him. Moving behind the desk he spotted their target all wrapped up and ready for delivery along with his computer and other electronic storage devices.
"Captain Hardy," Lee said batting at the medic as he tried to stand.
"At ease Crane, let the man do his job. By the looks of this man over here you've done yours and can stand down," Hardy replied. "You Morton?"
"Yes sir," Chip replied as he rose and stood at attention.
"At ease Morton. Good work getting word to us, though I'm not quite sure how you became involved in all of this?"
"Uh it's kind of hard to explain sir," Lee offered with a hiss as the medic wiped at one of his cuts with an antiseptic. "We were roommates at the Academy and Chip spotted me talking with LaMatta's muscle while on liberty from his boat. He came over to talk and things just kind of deteriorated from there, sir."
"Hmmm, I see."
"Speaking of LaMatta's muscle, they're locked in the lunchroom awaiting arrest. Lt Morton can show you where they are."
Hardy indicated Chip should lead the security detail to their location. "You okay Crane?"
"Yes sir, I'm fine."
Hardy noted the blood on the walls and floor and the number of bandages the medic had applied and stared at him dubiously. "I rather doubt that. What's his condition Jerry?"
"He's got a number of knife wounds of varying depths, bruised and probably cracked ribs, extensive bruising to the head and face, a concussion and is in need of some serious rest, sir," the medic replied. "My guess is he needs at least one night in the hospital, but that's the doctor's call."
"Sir I don't need to go to the hospital, I'm fine. I just need a nice hot shower and I'll be ready to give you my debrief," Lee protested.
"I think we'll follow the corpsman's advice Mr. Crane. You did a hell of a job Lee, well done. I'm not real thrilled with Morton's involvement but you handled that well."
"Thank you sir," Lee said quietly. "He's someone I can always count on to have my back."
There was a sudden roar of laughter from the security officers as they lead Tomas and Gino out to the waiting van. They were cursing a blue streak at having been trapped in the lunchroom then hung out to dry by their employer. The senior security officer and Chip walked over to Captain Hardy to let him know everything was taken care of.
"We've got them both sir and by the sounds of it they're ready to start singing like birds about their employer's activities. Very inventive means of securing them Crane," Lt Lassiter said with a chuckle.
"Oh, how so?" inquired Hardy.
"He pennied them in sir. Those goons nearly came unhinged when they found out how they'd been locked in," Lassiter replied having a tough time controlling his laughter as did Chip.
Hardy chuckled. "Very clever, Crane."
"I didn't have much else available at the time sir," Lee replied blushing slightly.
"If you enjoyed that Lassiter then you will really enjoy taking the man behind the desk into custody."
When Lassiter moved to collect the last man he lost any pretense of controlling his laughter. The man was wrapped from the shoulders down to his ankles in duct tape making him look something like a silver mummy. "Well I don't think we'll have to worry about him getting free," he snorted.
"All right, let's get everything sewn up and get these two men to the hospital for a complete checkup," Hardy said as he took note of the bruising on Morton's face and the way he kept rubbing at the back of his head.
"Are you injured sir?" the medic asked keying in on the Captain's comment.
"I'm fine sir, I don't need to go to the hospital, in fact I think I'm already AWOL," Chip said with a cringe as he looked at the clock on the wall.
"You're going to sick bay LT and that's settled; I'll contact your CO and let him know what's happened and that we'll return you to your boat as soon as possible," Hardy replied cutting off any other response but "aye sir".
OOOO
It was past midnight and Chip found himself awake staring at the ceiling in the hospital room he shared with Lee. He was diagnosed with a mild concussion and the doctor thought it best he be kept overnight for observation. By the time he was wheeled into the room Lee had already been placed in a bed and sedated to keep him there so he could start to heal and catch up on the sleep he so sorely needed. His attention was drawn from counting ceiling tiles by a soft moan from the other bed. He looked over and watched as Lee tried to find a more comfortable position.
"Lee? You awake?" Chip asked softly.
"Yeah, just woke up. What time is it?" Lee replied groggily.
"A little past midnight. How're you feeling?"
"Midnight?!" Lee answered incredulously.
"Yeah you've been out since they brought me in around 1700. I think you needed the sleep," Chip said chuckling. "So how are you feeling?"
"I'm fine. I'm a little sore but that's about it."
Chip snorted in disbelief. "Lee, are you seriously going to keep doing this ONI stuff?"
"Yeah for as long as they let me. Despite what you may think of this mission I am pretty good at this. All those years having to reinvent myself to fit in, having to fight for survival on the streets and in the foster homes gave me the ability to adapt to almost any situation, think fast on my feet, and be able to withstand a lot of punishment. The Navy has been the first real home, the first sense of belonging anywhere I've ever had and if I can repay that by using my talents to keep my home and my family safe I will. I'm sorry you're at odds with this Chip, but it's what I feel I need to do."
Chip stared at his friend trying hard to read his expression in the darkened room. "I just worry about you Lee. The doctor said he had to put 85 stitches in you for all those cuts LaMatta made, you lost a lot of blood and were bordering on exhaustion. I didn't like sitting here waiting to see if you're going to survive what the bad guys did to you. This little game you're playing is going to get you killed. I've heard too many horror stories about things that have gone wrong where agents end up beaten, tortured or dead and the agency didn't do a damn thing to help."
"Chip I'm fully aware of what the risks are and know there may be situations where ONI has to disavow any knowledge of me or my activities to protect the country. Believe me that was part of the introduction to ONI and they want agents to know that it is a real possibility before they get too involved in the training. This is a chance for me to really contribute and the results of my missions have real and immediate impacts more so than day to day duty. I don't have a death wish Chip, but if a mission goes bad and I get killed what will it matter in the long run?"
"It would matter a hell of a lot to me and the rest of my family, who happen to care a great deal about you too, baby brother! Once you signed on with us, which came before ONI I might add, you assumed certain responsibilities and obligations to our family which includes being there when we need you and not causing undo worry and grief by doing stupid things like playing spy." Chip fumed.
Lee smiled fondly as he thought about his adoption by the Morton clan that first summer break. It still amazed him that they accepted him so quickly and so completely even with his rather rough past. He loved them all dearly and was pretty sure they felt the same way. "I'll keep that in mind and do my best to stay out of harm's way, big brother."
"Oh like that could ever happen," Chip replied rolling his eyes. "If you go on with this craziness just remember you do have a family you have to come back to at the end of the day. Getting yourself killed would inconvenience us all considerably, and I'm telling you right now Mom does not look good in black."
"Got it bro, I'll do my best….So what happens tomorrow? Has your boat left yet?" Lee said changing the subject from a topic that was coming perilously close to voicing feelings he kept tucked deep inside. In his experience giving voice to them usually meant that what he held dear would soon be ripped away and destroyed.
Chip let the change of topic slide knowing all too well he would make no further headway tonight; there would be other opportunities to address this madness. "Well I'm supposed to get debriefed on my portion of this whole fiasco in the morning then I'll be taken back to the Marlin. Captain Hardy said he'd cleared my unauthorized absence with Captain Morris so I shouldn't have to face any reprimands."
"That's good to hear, I am sorry you got dragged into all this but I couldn't have had a better backup when I needed it. You know, I could put in a good word for you with ONI…" Chip's pillow caught Lee right in the head before he could finish his sentence. They both began to laugh quietly and then settled back in bed to grab a few more hours of sleep.
OOOO
So focused on their conversation the two young men failed to notice that the door to their room was slightly ajar. As they laughed at Lee's offer to set Chip up with ONI, their discussion ended the door was eased silently shut.
Captain Hardy turned and walked slowly down the hall towards the elevator. He had finally finished tying up loose ends with the LaMatta case and wanted to check on his star agent and his friend before heading home. He really hadn't intended to eavesdrop on their conversation but when he heard the topic of their discussion he became immediately interested knowing it could potentially impact ONI and his team.
He was impressed beyond words with his young protégé; what that young man had accomplished in such a short time was almost beyond belief. Yet Hardy felt somehow something was missing from the puzzle that was Lee Crane. He had yet to really identify what that was, but he did know that once that last piece was added it would make him nearly unstoppable. He smiled as he mentally replayed the conversation realizing that last piece had just been slid into place and he couldn't thank Morton enough for providing it.
That last piece was a reason to come home beyond meeting just the mission goal. Morton had pointed out that Lee had a very real reason to return home to be with the family who loved him. The fact that there were people who cared deeply about him and were waiting to see him, relying on him created a huge responsibility and a personal need for self-preservation.
Lee was willing to do virtually anything to complete the mission regardless of the personal cost. While that attitude was important in carrying out ONI directives it could lead to a premature and all too often terminal end to an agent's career. Morton reminding him that there are people at home counting on his return would serve to rein in Crane's tendency to throw caution to the wind.
The young man had a nearly pathological need to take care of and protect those he worked with or he loved and thanks to Morton pointing out this obligation to his family it might just keep him from throwing away his life because as he saw it, it really wouldn't matter in the long run. In the short time he'd known Lee Crane, Hardy couldn't think of anything that was further from the truth.
As he stood in front of the elevator doors waiting for the car, Hardy began to hum happily to himself. All said and done it had been a good day even though his agent and unwilling partner were a little worse for wear. They had nailed a big time arms dealer saving countless lives, and his new agent had been reminded of a very real reason to employ a little more caution when on assignment. Hardy owed Chip Morton more than he could repay. As the elevator doors slid open he stepped in mentally composing the letter of commendation LTJG Morton would receive for saving LTJG Crane's life, now and in the future.
The End.
* Possibilities and Potentials