Potential and Possibilities
Midshipman First Class Lee Crane fought hard to stave off the yawn that threatened to appear on his face. As Brigade Commander it would be unseemly for him to appear less than excited and honored to be attending the annual Annapolis Mayor's Ball for the graduating midshipmen at the city's grand hotel. The problem was that this was the fifth function in four weeks and all the events celebrating the graduating class's accomplishments were getting old and he had had more than his fill of rubber chicken or shoe leather roast beef.
Because he was tops in his class and the brigade commander he had received a double dose of attention something he was never truly comfortable with enduring and was finding it all a little wearing. He thought to himself had he known that this was part of the price of excellence and being the best he probably would have missed one or two more questions and ceded the number one position to someone better suited to the limelight; someone like his best friend, roommate and number two in class standings Chip Morton.
As soon as that thought occurred to him he shoved it aside knowing full well there was no way he could ever do less than his very best. Lessons learned hard growing up set the notion in his mind that he was only of value when he was the very best.
He once again greeted well-wishers as they made their way over to him to extend their congratulations on his accomplishments and to impart some sage words of wisdom to help him on his way when he was commissioned as an ensign in two weeks. He thanked them for their wishes and advice and waited for the next person to venture forth.
Lee released a deep sigh as the elderly couple returned to their seats and prayed time would pass faster. He smoothed out his dress whites and shifted back and forth on his feet trying desperately to wake himself up. He looked up and spotted Chip across the ballroom, also the recipient of similar congratulations and advice. He made eye contact with his self-appointed big brother and seemingly through telepathy they expressed their mutual desire to be just about anywhere but at this party. At least Chip, nearly two years older than Lee, could enjoy a drink to help make the time pass less painfully and he raised his glass toasting his underage roommate while shooting him a wry smirk.
Once Chip was free of his current batch of well-wishers Lee walked across the room to join him. "Having fun yet?" Lee inquired playfully.
Chip rolled his eyes and laughed. "Well I suppose it does beat marching off punishment on a cold, wet night."
"Marginally and at this point I'd be hard pressed not to take that option," Lee replied with a laugh. "I'm going to head outside for a bit and get some fresh air, you wanna come with?" Lee asked.
"No, I'm waiting for Amber to return from the restroom and then we're going to dance a while." Chip answered.
"Okay. I'll be back in a few if anyone should miss me," Lee replied. He truly wished his girlfriend Jorja had been able to attend but a sudden family emergency took her back home to Arizona the day before the event.
Lee made his way through the lobby, exited the front door and walked towards the alley; he just wanted a few moments alone to relax and recharge before heading back inside. It was still early and he had a long way to go before he could excuse himself from the event and return to his room at Bancroft. He leaned cautiously against the wall so as not to stain his white tunic and pulled in a deep breath enjoying the cool spring air. The alleyway was dark and it appeared as though no one else was there. Lee stood there quietly for a few minutes savoring the solitude when his attention was drawn to a door from the hotel which was suddenly flung open flooding the alley with light.
He stared intently down the alley and watched as two men hustled out and moved to a car parked further down the alley way. They fired it up and pulled forward apparently waiting for someone else still in the hotel. A few moments later Lee was shocked to see two more men emerge with Captain Harriman Nelson between them; the captain was also attending the ball and clad in his dress whites. As they entered the alley the light from inside flashed on the barrel of a gun extending from the overcoat over one of the men's arm. It was more than obvious Captain Nelson was not going anywhere willingly with these men and apparently needed assistance. The vehicle already running, Lee figured he didn't have time to go back inside and summon the cavalry before the men and their unwilling passenger left.
Lee pushed off from the wall and started walking briskly down the alley towards the captain and his escorts. "Captain Nelson, there you are sir," he said loudly drawing everyone's attention. "Sir, Admiral Bering sent me to find you; he needs to speak with you at once."
Lee's arrival startled the men and provided Captain Nelson with the opening he needed to shove his escort to the ground and throw a punch at the man on his other side. When Nelson made his move, Lee immediately joined the fray taking on one of the men exiting the car. Being the Golden Gloves intercollegiate middle weight champion he decked the man getting out of the front passenger side and he wasn't going to be getting up any time soon. He moved quickly around the car to assist the captain with the other three men.
It looked for a moment that he and the captain were getting the upper hand when suddenly everything went dark as something hard made contact with the back of his head courtesy of the fifth man neither of them had seen. Lee went down in a heap. Nelson likewise was knocked unconscious and both he and Lee were bound and unceremoniously dumped in the trunk of the car and the lid slammed shut.
oooooooo
Consciousness slowly started to dawn on Lee and he moaned as the headache from his encounter with the two by four announced itself. He did a quick assessment of his condition finding that he had a number of sore ribs, his jaw and cheek hurt from the blows he'd taken in addition to the screaming headache. Trying to move his hands and legs he was immediately startled to find that he was tied and began to struggle. As he moved to sit up he felt a hand on his shoulder gently pushing him back down.
"Just relax for a minute Mr. Crane, and take it easy," said a familiar voice.
Lee's mind raced rapidly trying to remember where he was, where he knew that voice from and why he hurt all over. Giving it everything he had he pried his eyes open to find the concerned face of Captain Nelson staring down at him.
"Captain Nelson?" Lee asked hoarsely. Suddenly everything came back to him. The men forcing Captain Nelson out of the hotel, their fight, and then the feeling that the back of his head had exploded as something hard hit him from behind. "Are you okay sir?"
Nelson smiled slightly at the young man as he struggled to sit up. "I'd say we're probably both in a similar condition Mr. Crane. I've got one hell of a headache and my ribs feel like someone used me as a punching bag."
"Where are we sir?" Lee asked as he perused the room. It was a small storage room with no windows, a single door and a bare bulb on the side of the wall as the only source of light. There were a number of boxes and wooden crates on one side of the room along with a few mops and brooms. While he was taking inventory and trying to identify a means of escape, Captain Nelson untied his hands and feet, much to his relief.
"I'm not sure; I only came around a few minutes ago myself," Nelson replied as he gingerly rubbed the back of his head. "I would like to thank you for coming to my aid Lee."
"It wasn't much aid sir, I'm sorry. I just didn't think I had time to go back inside and get help before they drove off," Lee answered. "Why were they forcing you into the car sir?"
"I've been working on a number of secret projects for the Navy and I'm fairly certain they are intent on having me tell them all about my efforts," Nelson responded as he helped Lee into a sitting position. "I'm sorry you've been injured and I'm sorry they brought you along."
"Don't worry about that sir, I've had worse," Lee answered. His answer caused Nelson to raise his eyebrows in surprise. He knew Lee had grown up in less than optimal conditions from the time he had spent with him during Lee's first Christmas at the Academy, but the young man had not elaborated on any situations that would have left him more injured than his current state. Knowing this was not the time to delve into that subject Harri filed that away for future inquiry assuming they escaped their current predicament.
"Well I suppose we should start working on how we're going to get out of here," Nelson said.
Before Lee could answer they heard a noise outside the door and it was suddenly pulled open revealing the two thugs who had hustled the captain out of the hotel. Both men bore the bruises they had acquired in their skirmish with them giving Lee and Harri a small sense of satisfaction that their capture had come at some cost. Each man leveled a gun at one of the room's occupants ensuring there was no encore performance of the alley scene.
After a moment a third man stepped up behind them and smirked at Nelson as he noted the look of recognition on his face. "Nice of you to join us again Nelson," the man remarked.
"Pfander! Your hospitality leaves quite a bit to be desired," Harri replied sarcastically.
"Well had you come quietly we would be having our discussion in a much more comfortable venue but given the damage you and your little bodyguard inflicted on my men civility has gone right out the window." Pfander answered.
"And what exactly is it you think we are going to discuss, as if I don't already know," Nelson inquired.
"I'm sure you do. I'm most anxious to talk with you about the new missile guidance system you've been working on for the last year. There is any number of people that have voiced an interest in that little item and now that you've completed your work, it's time to find a buyer."
"I always figured you for an unprincipled, money grubbing bastard but didn't think you would stoop to treason," Nelson spat out.
"Oh you wound me," Pfander replied in mock offense and then laughed derisively at the man on the floor. "Some of us weren't born with a silver spoon in our mouth and have actually had to work for things in this world, unlike you and your young friend there."
"You have no concept of the word 'work'. The only thing you've excelled at is stealing other people's labor and ideas. At the risk of sounding too cliché, you'll never get away with this. I'm not going to tell you anything and Mr. Crane here is likewise disinclined to share what he knows." Nelson spit back.
If Pfander was selling military secrets Nelson knew the man valued no one's life and would most likely shoot Lee if he felt he had nothing to share. By seeding the idea that Lee was somehow engaged in his work he hoped to increase his potential worth to the man. He also hoped that he could buy them enough time to either escape or that someone would find them before things went too far.
"Grab him," Pfander ordered. The two men with guns stepped in and roughly pulled Nelson to his feet. Despite his best efforts to bite back the sound Harri grunted in pain as his ribs protested the sudden move. Lee moved quickly to come to the captain's aid but was pulled up short when Pfander brandished a gun in his face.
"Down boy," Pfander said. "If you want to continue breathing you'll sit back down and stay quiet."
Lee looked quickly between Pfander and the captain. "Do as he says Mr. Crane," Nelson ordered.
"Aye sir," Lee responded quietly as he resumed his place on the floor. With that the men dragged Nelson out of the room and Pfander slammed the door shut and locked it.
Lee sat motionlessly for a few moments listening intently for an indication as to where they were taking Captain Nelson. Once he heard a heavy metal door shut at the end of the hallway he released the breath he was holding and painfully pushed himself to his feet. The room immediately started to swim and swirl in front of him and he fought hard to control the urge to vomit; he recognized the signs of a concussion which wasn't too surprising given the knot on the back of his head and the headache he was sporting.
Once he had managed to regain his equilibrium he scanned the room again for anything he could use to escape. The lock on the door had a blank plate on his side so there was no opportunity for him to pick the lock. As he looked towards the ceiling he noticed a rather large ventilation shaft near the top; that appeared like it held potential and he began pushing the crates across the room beneath the opening.
His ribs and head complained loudly at the exertion but he eventually was able to stack boxes high enough that he could check out the shaft. He climbed unsteadily up his makeshift structure and pulled gently at the grate covering the opening. It finally came free and he lowered it quietly to the floor. Lee scanned the inside, it looked as though the shaft was sturdy enough to support his weight and wide enough for him to crawl through.
As quietly as he could he hauled himself into the shaft. Once inside he laid there panting in pain from the exertion and stress on his injured body. The shaft was so narrow he couldn't curl up and cradle his damaged ribs; there was just enough room to allow him passage and nothing more. Recovering his composure Lee gritted his teeth and began the slow arduous crawl through the shaft, hopefully to freedom and rescue for the captain.
oooooooo
His progress was slow as he had to be as quiet as possible to avoid detection by their captors. Given the extreme pain he felt with each movement, Lee figured that he had at least a couple of cracked ribs from his run in with Pfander's henchmen. After covering what he estimated was about a hundred feet the shaft entered a large room. There were multiple openings on both sides of the duct allowing in fresh air and much appreciated light. Lee had begun to find himself becoming claustrophobic in the tight confines of the shaft and the influx of air and light helped him tamp his growing discomfort back into the box from which it crept.
He inched his way forward towards the first set of openings and peered through the grate. The room was a large open bay, mostly empty and at least two stories below him. He quickly spotted Captain Nelson strapped to a chair surrounded by Pfander and his crew. By the looks of the captain's face they had been trying to beat the information out of him, his eyes were nearly swollen shut, blood trickled out of his nose and mouth and his head lolled slowly back and forth as it rested on his chest.
Lee felt a growing sense of outrage as he took in the captain's condition and yearned to break free from his temporary prison, rush down and pummel the men below. He quickly schooled his temper knowing it presented a danger to both him and the captain; giving it license to vent would reveal his location most likely getting him killed and of no value to the captain. He once again started pulling himself through the shaft but with a greater sense of urgency, hopefully to an exit where he could escape and go for help.
As he crossed the wide expanse of the room he could hear the men below as they dealt with Captain Nelson. "Come on Nelson, it's a simple thing just tell me what the access codes are for your safe."
"Go to hell," Nelson mumbled out. His response was quickly greeted by the sound of flesh hitting flesh and a low grunt from the captain.
"That's not very nice Harriman and really unoriginal," chuckled Pfander. "Griggs go get the serum and a needle, I think it's time we up the intensity of the game."
One of the men turned and made his way to a small office across the open bay. Pfander grabbed Nelson by the hair and raised his head to look at his prisoner. "Looks like he's passed out; Manes go get some water and let's see if we can bring him back around. There's no point in shooting him up if he's unconscious, half the point of the serum is the pain it causes."
The other man turned and started walking in the opposite direction to presumably collect the water. Lee knew he had to pick up the pace before they could subject the captain to whatever drugs they intended to inject into him. He doubled his efforts and worked his way faster to wherever the shaft ended.
oooooooo
Although it seemed like an eternity, he reached the shaft outlet five minutes later. The duct opened into another small room with doors on either side. He gently began pushing on the grate to get it open so as not to alert anyone to his presence; after several minutes it finally let go and crashed loudly to the floor below. Lee froze in absolute terror afraid that the noise had been heard by those in the other room. He lay motionlessly for several minutes waiting for someone to come in to investigate the sound. Much to his relief apparently no one heard the grate clatter to the floor or if they did, they had no interest in checking out the source of the noise.
Lee finally began pulling himself forward out of the opening, because he had no room to turn around he was going to have to drop headfirst onto the floor below. He gently eased his way forward slowly pulling his body out of the shaft; he splayed his legs tightly against the side of the shaft walls until most of his body dangled from the opening. Steeling himself for the impact, he released his legs curled into a ball and dropped the five feet to the floor like a newborn calf. The impact with the concrete surface knocked the wind out of him and rattled his damaged ribs; he lay there gasping for air like a fish out of water, curled tightly into a fetal ball cradling his ribs.
Several minutes passed before he was able to drive back the agonizing pain, unfurl his body and push to his feet. Once up he peered cautiously through the small window in the door on the right. He looked into a larger room with a couple of desks and chairs and most importantly a telephone; the buffer of the office between the storage bay and where he exited the duct explained why no one heard the noise of the falling grate. Lee carefully opened the door and made his way to the phone on the closest desk; he picked up the receiver and found the line dead. He quickly grabbed the phone on the other desk and found the same thing.
oooooooo
Lee swore quietly to himself, turned and exited the door he had entered to find out what was behind door number two. Slowly turning the knob on the second door he gently pushed it open finding the building parking lot on the other side; finally something was going his way. Near the door was the sedan he had seen in the alleyway back at the hotel. He moved quickly over to the car tried the driver's side door and found it open. He eased inside and looked for keys or anything else that could be of use in freeing Captain Nelson. The keys were gone so he rifled through the glove box, door pockets and center console eventually coming up with a good sized knife.
He popped the hood on the car and used the knife to cut several of the wires inside; next he added a three inch slice to each of the tires. They weren't going anywhere in that car and he just hoped they didn't have another one stashed somewhere else on the lot. With that done, Lee forced himself to run across the lot to the street where he hoped to find a phone so he could alert the police. As he moved forward he noted the building was located in an older warehouse district so there was a dearth of smaller stores or businesses where he could find assistance. Looking at his watch it was nearly 0300 on a Sunday so there was little chance he would encounter anyone in the area that could help.
As Lee hurried down the street his vision began to swim again and he had to stop to keep from passing out. He folded over in pain and finally lost his battle with the nausea losing his dinner to the pavement beneath him. The muscle contractions of his vomiting rocked his chest and he nearly dropped to the ground as the last of the dry heaves faded away. Breathing deeply for a few moments to steady his nerves, he carefully straightened up and resumed walking down the street.
When he reached the end of the second block he was rewarded by the sight of a small convenience store on the opposing corner. Although the store was closed there was a public payphone out front and he prayed that it was in operational order. Moving as quickly as he could he darted across the street to the phone, grabbed receiver and dialed 911.
"911 what is your emergency?" the female voice said at the other end of the line.
"I need to report a kidnapping," Lee replied.
"Who has been kidnapped?" the dispatcher asked.
"Captain Harriman Nelson from the Naval Academy," Lee answered. "He and I were forced into a car while attending an event at the Westin. They beat us up and they're now trying to force the captain to divulge information on a secret project he's been working on for the Navy."
"Right…Look kid making false reports to 911 is a criminal offense punishable by a $25,000 fine and/or 5 years in prison."
"I'm not making this up! Please send help to a warehouse on the corner of Madison and Fifth." Lee pleaded to the dispatcher. The next thing Lee heard was a click as the dispatcher hung up. Lee stared in disbelief at the phone for a moment then his mind began to race furiously trying to come up with another solution.
oooooooo
Lee dug in his pants pocket and pulled out a quarter, shoved it in the slot and dialed the number. "US Naval Academy Security, how may I help you?"
"This is Midshipman First Class Lee Crane, let me speak with the officer in charge at once, this is an emergency."
"One moment please," the operator replied and Lee was placed on hold.
Seconds later another voice answered the phone. "Major Dietrich."
"Major this is Midshipman First Class Lee Crane. Sir Captain Nelson has been abducted and is being held captive by men trying to gain information on a project that he's been working on. He and I were taken from the Westin while we were attending the Mayor's Ball and brought to an old warehouse near Madison and Fifth." Lee rattled off.
"Whoa, slow down a minute, Mr. Crane. Who grabbed the Captain?" Dietrich inquired.
"The man's name is Pfander and the captain is apparently well acquainted with him. He had his men beat the captain up in an effort to get the information he wants and is getting ready to inject him with some sort of drug to make him give up the access codes to his safe," Lee replied. "Please sir believe me, I'm not making this up. The captain is in mortal danger."
"I believe you Mr. Crane. We have already received reports that Captain Nelson had gone missing from the event. Where are you right now?"
"I'm outside a small convenience store about two blocks from the warehouse where they have the captain." Lee replied.
"Okay you hang tight there; I'll get teams rolling to your location. How did you wind up with the captain Mr. Crane," the major asked.
"I saw the men forcing the captain out of the back of the hotel and tried to come to his aid. There were five of them and they managed to overcome us." Lee answered. "Please hurry sir, Captain Nelson was not doing well when I escaped and they were just waiting for him to regain consciousness before they injected him with their serum."
"NCIS and ONI have teams on the way," Dietrich said. "You stay where you are until they arrive."
"Sir I'm going to head back to the warehouse and see if I can help the captain. I already disabled their car and don't want them taking that out on the captain if they discover the damage before you arrive," Lee offered.
"Alright Mr. Crane but you be very careful and don't take any unnecessary chances." Dietrich replied after a moment.
"Aye sir," Lee replied and hung up. He turned and started making his way back to the warehouse as fast as his battered body would allow.
oooooooo
"You hit him too hard, he's not going to wake up any time soon," Pfander growled at Griggs.
"I'm not the one that pegged him with the 2 X 4," Griggs replied in his defense.
"Well, why don't we find out what the kid knows? Nelson indicated that he was his assistant or something; he may just have the codes we need," Manes offered trying to deflect the ire of their employer.
"I seriously doubt he knows anything, he's just a midshipman, but he may be a tool we can use against Nelson when he wakes up," Pfander replied after some consideration. "Go get him and try not to knock him senseless, okay."
Griggs and Manes sneered at him then turned and headed off to the store room to retrieve Lee. As they arrived Griggs pulled the keys out of his pocket, unlocked the door and flung it open, much to their surprise they found the room empty. They quickly scanned the interior and noticed the tower of boxes leading up to the ventilation shaft at the top of the room.
"There's no way in hell he could have fit in there," Manes said as he examined the narrow shaft.
"That's the only other way out besides the door," Griggs replied. "Come on let's figure out where this thing goes and see if we can catch him at the other end." They both bolted out of the room and followed the shaft as it entered the storage bay.
Pfander looked up in surprise as Griggs and Manes came tearing into the room. "Where's Crane?" he asked.
"He's gone. He somehow managed to escape using the ventilation shaft." Manes explained.
"Damn! Find him, we don't need him getting out and bringing back the authorities." Pfander spat at his men.
"That's exactly what we're doing," Griggs replied and began running across the bay following the shaft overhead. They went through two more rooms before they came to the end of the shaft. They immediately spotted the grate lying on the floor letting them know their prisoner had already made good his escape.
"Shit!" exclaimed Pfander. "All right go get Nelson we have to get out of here now!"
Griggs and Manes nodded and bolted back through the doors to the main bay to release Nelson and haul him out to the car. Pfander swore to himself as he dug through his pockets for the car keys and made his way out the door to their car. He moved quickly to the car, opened the door climbed inside and shoved his key in the ignition. He twisted the key and was met by nothing.
"What the…" he said. He removed the key to make sure he had the right one then reinserted it and turned it once more only to be met by silence again. He threw open the door and popped the hood to take a look at the engine. After raising the hood he swore viciously as he took in all the severed wires sticking up in the compartment. He slammed the hood back down then started swearing again as he finally noticed the flat tires. "That kid is so dead!" he screamed.
Just then his men exited the building with a half-conscious Nelson supported between them. "What's wrong?" asked Griggs.
"That little son of a bitch ripped up all the wiring under the hood and slit every one of the tires," Pfander fumed.
"Shit, what are we going to do now?" asked Manes.
"Call Murdoch and tell him to get over here now. In the meantime you two head on down the block and see if you can find another car that we can use, we need to get out of here ASAP in case our over-achieving midshipman has managed to call for help." Pfander replied. "I'll stay here and keep working on Nelson since it seems he's starting to wake up."
oooooooo
Lee remained crouched behind a large crate on the loading dock watching Pfander and his men as they realized their means of escape was gone. He heard Pfander order his men to find another car and waited for Griggs and Manes to run off down the road to look for a car to steal before making his way towards Pfander.
"I should just kill you right now Nelson and be done with it," Pfander growled as he aimed his gun at the semi-conscious man on the ground. "Problem is you're just too valuable to let me do that."
Captain Nelson moaned as Pfander kicked him in the side. Harri fought hard to force his eyes open and regain some semblance of awareness. Finally getting them open he tried desperately to make them focus but everything seemed to weave and flow before him. He knew he had to be seeing things as he could have sworn he saw Lee Crane walking up behind Pfander.
Just as Pfander was preparing to launch another assault on Nelson, Lee tapped him on the shoulder causing him to turn rapidly. As he turned Lee knocked the gun from his hand and followed up with a right upper cut to his jaw. That punch normally would have knocked the man out, but given his diminished condition he just didn't have the power he usually put behind the punch.
Even at half force the shot was enough to stagger Pfander and he stumbled back falling to the ground as he tripped over Nelson where he lay on the ground. Pfander scrambled to his feet as Lee advanced on him, the knife he had recovered from the car in his right hand. Lee kicked the gun under the car knowing there was no way he could retrieve the weapon before Pfander was on him. He waved the knife menacingly at the man as he eyed him and the gun just out of his reach.
Knowing how bad the young man had been beaten Pfander figured he could probably take him fairly easily. He pulled off his jacket and wrapped it around his right arm and began fencing with Crane trying to get him to commit an error and fall into his grasp. Unbeknownst to Pfander he had just entered the world Lee Crane grew up in; one that included back alley knife fights that determined day to day survival and not the one of privilege and ease he had assumed.
Lee stepped back drawing Pfander away from the downed Nelson. "Come on boy, give me the knife. You haven't the balls to use it, we both know that," Pfander taunted.
The unsettling and dangerous grin that spread across Lee's face at those words made both Pfander and Nelson shudder involuntarily. "Do you really want to test that hypothesis, Pfander?" Lee taunted back. "I've sent more men to the hospital than you could ever imagine. Come closer then and let's dance asshole." He motioned to Pfander to come nearer and settled into a deeper crouch balancing lightly on the balls of his feet, he mentally sealed all the pain securely behind an impenetrable wall it no longer was a consideration in this game of life and death.
Pfander blanched finally getting an inkling that he was tangling with someone he should run away from with all speed. His pride and arrogance kept his common sense from kicking in and he advanced on Lee. Captain Nelson watching in total amazement as Lee toyed with Pfander, making him look the fool as he quickly danced out of reach of his clumsy and blatant charges while inflicting slicing wounds across his opponent's arms, face and torso at will. Tiring of the game and beginning once again to feel his injuries Lee made his move easily dropping Pfander like a ton of bricks. As Lee's knee on his throat slowly choked off his air supply Pfander passed out wondering how the hell that had happened.
Once Pfander was out Lee moved quickly securing his feet and hands with the roll of duct tape he had found in the glove box. Next he popped the trunk then burning the last of his reserves lifted Pfander's inert body and dropped it into the compartment and slammed the lid shut. He staggered slowly back to the captain's side. "Sir, are you okay?"
Nelson stared up at his rescuer and blinked in total disbelief. "Yes Mr. Crane," he replied hoarsely. "I'm fine thanks to you. How are you doing, you don't look like you're feeling all that hot."
Lee gave him a small smile. "I'm fine, sir." With that he leaned against the car and slid slowly down the side landing heavily on the ground. He leaned over sideways and reached underneath the vehicle retrieving the gun in the event Griggs and Manes returned before the cavalry arrived. "Help should be here shortly sir," he said as he pushed back up to a seated position.
"How did we get here?" Nelson asked as he finally registered that they were now sitting in a parking lot instead of the storage bay he last remembered.
"It's a long story sir," Lee answered tiredly. "Can I tell you later?"
Nelson smiled at the young man. "Yes Lee that would be more than acceptable." Lee smiled back at the captain then his eyes rolled back and passed out just as the Navy security forces arrived on-scene to save the day.
oooooooo
Nelson made his way slowly down the hall at Bethesda Naval Hospital to Lee Crane's room to check on the young man. Lee had sustained a serious concussion and been unconscious the better part of the last two days. As he entered the darkened room he eased his way over to the chair next to bed and lowered himself carefully onto the seat.
At the sound of the chair shifting across the floor Lee moaned softly and cracked opened his eyes. "Good morning Mr. Crane," Nelson said with a smile.
Lee blinked his eyes several times then finally focused on the captain. "Good morning sir," he replied softly.
"How are you feeling today?"
"I'm fine sir," Lee answered.
Nelson chuckled and rolled his eyes. "Somehow I doubt that Mr. Crane. Would you be up to a little chat today? I'd like to hear about everything that went on after we got separated at the warehouse."
Lee gave Nelson a small smile and looked shyly up through his long lashes. "Yes sir, I'd be happy to answer any questions you have."
Harri smiled back, "Good, how about you start with how you got out and called for help."
"That was all pretty simple, sir. Once they pulled you out of the room I found a ventilation shaft that ran from the room to a location near the building exit. I managed to get inside and work my way to the end of the duct where I was able to exit and get outside the building. The duct crossed through the room where you were being interrogated and while I was crawling through I heard what they intended to do to you since you weren't cooperating. That just spurred me on to get through the shaft as quickly as possible so I could get you some help."
"As soon as I was outside, I disabled Pfander's car so they couldn't drive off while I went looking for a phone to call for help. I found a payphone a couple of blocks from the warehouse and called 911. The police thought I was calling in a prank and hung up on me, so I called Academy Security and they were more than willing to dispatch someone to help us out. Apparently you had already been reported as missing from the party sir. After alerting Major Dietrich I came back to the warehouse to make sure they didn't make off with you before help arrived and to provide any assistance I could," Lee related.
"I'm truly thankful for all your excellent assistance Lee; I don't think I would have survived without it." Nelson replied.
Lee smiled self-consciously at the Captain's words of thanks. "May I ask a question sir, who is Pfander?" Lee asked.
"James Pfander, he's a scientist I'd worked with on a couple of projects in the past. I've always had my suspicions about his ethics and true loyalties and this incident confirmed everything I had long suspected. He somehow managed to gain access to certain research files and discovered we had completed the missile guidance system. There are many governments, the People's Republic most notably, that would pay handsomely for the particulars of that system. Thanks to you, that isn't going to happen now."
Lee lowered his eyes and looked somewhat embarrassed at the captain's words of praise. "I was just doing my duty sir."
"Well Mr. Crane, there are a lot of us who are thankful for that. Now once you feel up to it there will be official debriefs with NCIS and ONI since this incident has national and international implications. My guess is that the events will be designated as classified and you will be prohibited from divulging what you know. Don't speak of this to anyone else until after all the debriefs have been concluded and you are given your instructions. There are others involved in this scheme that have yet to be uncovered and if it became common knowledge that Pfander is in our custody and most likely trading information for a lighter sentence they would disappear like smoke in the wind."
"I understand sir," Lee answered. "Sir, will I be able to participate in graduation?"
"Oh most definitely Mr. Crane, we can't have graduation without the First of the class there to lead the newest crop of officers into service. I'm very much looking forward to hearing your speech." Nelson responded.
This time there was no doubt that Lee was blushing as the red hue rose up his face. "Thank you sir, I hope I don't disappoint you."
"I think that highly unlikely lad," Nelson replied as he patted Lee on the shoulder. "Now you rest up so there's no delay in getting you sprung from here, okay."
Lee smiled at Captain Nelson, "Aye sir, with pleasure."
oooooooo
It had been nearly three weeks since the incident with Nelson and Pfander and Vice Admiral Robert Masterson, head of ONI, began reviewing the final reports with the official debriefs from all those involved. As he read the account from then Midshipman First Class Lee Crane he started developing a keen interest in the young man's spontaneous involvement in the event. He definitely showed courage, dedication to duty, a sharp mind, and an ability to think outside the box adapting to the situation and eventually subduing and capturing Pfander.
He next read Nelson's account and found himself even more impressed with the young officer. Based on Harri's assessment the only reason the missile guidance system remained safe and Nelson survived was because of the selfless actions of the midshipman despite the significant injuries he had sustained while trying to protect him.
Thompson sorted through all the documentation he had received pulling out the copy of Crane's service record and perused his history and accomplishments while at the Academy. Those were every bit as impressive as his action in the field; first in his class, an affinity for learning languages especially Middle Eastern dialects, and athletically gifted as demonstrated by his boxing championship. Reviewing his personal background he noticed the man was an orphan with no known family and had actually spent time as a young child living alone on the streets. It was no wonder that he was able to adapt and respond so effectively to the stressful situation in which he found himself. A speculative smile began to grow across the admiral's face as he looked at the handsome young face staring back at him from his commissioning photo. Oh what a wealth of potential and possibilities this man presented, he would have to see about extending him an invitation to visit ONI.
The End.