Chapter 4

Chip and Janet left on FS-1 early Friday morning for the 1100 meeting in Washington. They hoped it wouldn't take to long so they could go back to Santa Barbara that night.

They landed in Washington thirty minutes before the meeting was scheduled to start. Chip took off his flight jacket and put on his dress coat and grabbed his cover. Janet also took off her flight jacket and replaced it with the suit coat that went with her skirt. She took off her flat shoes and put on her heels.

They hailed a cab once they got out of the terminal and were at the lawyer's office in twenty minutes.

"I'm here to meet with Mr. Stein. I'm Janet Crane and this is..." The secretary cut Janet off before she could finish.

"Please have a seat Mr. Stein will be with you shortly."

"She sure was rude," Janet said to Chip under her breath. Chip gave her hand a squeeze and she squeezed his back.

I'm so lucky to have a 'brother' like him, Janet thought.

"Mrs. Crane it's a pleasure to meet you. I'm terribly sorry that we couldn't change the meeting but I see your husband made it back anyway," Ivan Stein said sweetly.

"Mr. Stein this is not my husband. This is Lt. Commander Charles Morton. He came with me because my husband couldn't."

"I'm so sorry Commander, please for give me," Mr. Stein said a little embarrassed as he shook Chip's hand.

"Please call me Mr. Morton."

"Please come into my office. Would you like something to drink?"

"No thank you," they both replied as Mr. Stein showed them to chairs in front of his desk.

"Mrs. Crane this is very personal information, do you want Mr. Morton to stay and hear this?"

"Yes sir. He can see and hear whatever you need to show or tell me. I trust him completely."

"Very good. Let's get started. I've requested this meeting because I need to go over with you your parent's will. I know you haven't seen them in many years and that your husband met your father just recently under very difficult circumstances."

"Mr. Stein, how do you know about my husband meeting my father?"

Lee was on an ONI mission which should have been classified information, Janet thought.

She looked at Chip and he could tell what she was thinking.

"Mrs. Crane, you may not have known what your parents did for a living but I did. I've known them for the last forty years. I needed to know how they died so I could process their will. Admiral Johnson gave me the information and circumstances. I'm the lawyer for quite a few of the people who work for ONI. Non-military personnel as well as navy personnel like your husband and I can assure you whatever information I received is privileged so you don't have to worry about you or your husband being exposed. I realize it can be a life threatening issue."

"Thank you I appreciate your help in protecting him."

"There is a letter that your parents wrote to you after you married Commander Crane. I was instructed to give it to you before I give you the terms of their will. Here is the letter which I would like you to read now," he told her as he handed her the letter.

Janet opened up the sealed letter.

Dear Janet,

If you are reading this letter it's because your father and I have both passed. By now you know what we did for a living. We're terribly sorry we were never there for you or your grandparents. What you didn't know is that your grandmother would send us pictures and reports of how you were doing especially when you were little. She was instructed not to tell you what we did or where we were to keep you safe. I know that's no excuse not to come home and see you even when we weren't overseas. It was easier to stay away and not face you and your questions. We had some dear friends killed on a mission because their intel wasn't delivered on time and they were caught before they could make their extraction point. We felt guilty as we were originally assigned to that mission but at the last moment were reassigned to a different one. We didn't want our jobs to take over our lives but some how it did. After our friends were killed we knew we owed it to them to continue working for ONI so we could never say no to an assignment. Unfortunately we put our duty before you.

We were so proud when you married Commander/Captain Lee Crane. We were in California the weekend you were married but didn't find out until that Monday when we got the newspaper. You don't know how badly we wanted to get in touch with you but we didn't want to face you. Again that's no excuse for us not contacting you and letting you make the decision to let us in your life after all those years. We hope you're very happy.

We know you had to tackle many difficult situations we never knew about on your own. You must be a strong person to have handled it all.

We're asking your forgiveness. Please accept our sincere apologies. We did love you and are very sorry we never told you that in person. Please take care of yourself and your husband.

Love,

Mom and Dad

Janet folded up the letter and put it back in the envelope with tears running down her cheeks. Chip wrapped his arms around her while she cried. Mr. Stein didn't know what was in the letter but he knew the Carter's well enough to know they regretted never contacting their daughter. He left Janet and Chip alone while he got her some water.

Drying her tears, Janet handed Chip the letter to read while they were alone. After reading it he felt bad for Janet. She needed Lee now more than ever and where was he on an ONI assignment because he can't say no. He handed her the letter back and she put it in her purse.

"Chip that letter almost sounds like Lee and his reasons for taking on missions. Thankfully we don't have any children so he won't have to tell them why he needs to be a spy. If and when we do, I will not let him continue to work for ONI. They will not be without their father."

"Does he know that?"

"No and please don't tell him. Can we keep this between us?"

"Yes, it's not for me to tell him. That's between you and him."

Mr. Stein returned to the office and gave Janet the water which she gladly accepted. He sat down at his desk and took some more papers out of the envelope.

"Your parents didn't have many possessions. I know you have emptied their apartments in Washington and in Belgium. They moved around so much they just couldn't keep much. Since they didn't have possessions they wisely invested the money they made from ONI. They had four accounts in various banks on the east coast totaling more than five hundred fifty thousand dollars. Their will instructs me to give you a check for the total amount minus my fees. I have subtracted my fees so here is a check for five hundred thousand dollars," Mr. Stein explained and handed Janet a check. The fees may seem a bit much but they cover all the years I have been taking care of their investments and legal documents."

"Mr. Stein, thank you very much. I do have one request. Is there any way this money can be transferred to this bank in Santa Barbara. Commander Crane and I have an account there. I just don't feel comfortable carrying a check for that amount of money," she asked her hand shaking as she handed the check back to Mr. Stein and the name of the bank she and Lee used.

"That will be no problem. I will personally handle the transfer." He gave her a receipt for the check and the rest of the papers.

"Thank you. Is there anything more I need to know about my parents and their will?"

"No that is all. You have my sympathies on the passing of your parents. Despite what you may think of them, they did love you. It was a pleasure to meet you Mrs. Crane and you also Mr. Morton. I hope your husband returns shortly. Please have safe trip home."

"It was a pleasure meeting you also," Janet said as she shook Mr. Stein's hand. Chip also thanked him and shook his hand.

They left his office and Chip hailed a cab to take them to a restaurant not too far from the airport. It was close to 1300 and he was hungry.

Janet didn't say anything during the cab ride to the restaurant. Chip was having a hard time realizing how much money she received but followed her lead and didn't say anything either until they were seated at the restaurant.

"Janet, I know it's none of my business but what are you going to do with all the money," Chip asked with curiosity.

"Chip, you are like a brother to me, so you can ask me anything you want and I will tell you what you want to know. If Lee agrees it will all go to the charities that NIMR sponsors. I gave their last paycheck to the college scholarship fund. This time the admiral can decide where it is needed. I don't want the money."

"Are you sure? You could buy something for yourselves. Maybe a house on a lake or in the woods. That way you can go on 'vacation' in your own home."

"Chip when do we have time to go on vacation? Whatever Lee wants to do with the money is fine with me."

Chip finished his lunch and ate part of Janet's. She wasn't hungry but did manage to eat a little. He paid the check and got a cab to take them to the airport. With luck they should be back in Santa Barbara by 1800.

((()))

After a week of fighting and the casualties mounting the country of Vadvostok and the rebels agreed to a five day cease fire.

A friend of Admiral Johnson's at the State Department called and told him about it. He knew Johnson was waiting for word so he could get an agent out of there.

As soon as Johnson got word of the cease fire he called Admiral Nelson.

"Nelson there is a five day cease fire in Vadvostok. Can you get there to pick up Lee in five days?"

"What about the airport can the pilot get in there to get him?"

"No the airport is still closed, they destroyed the runway. The ports are open because the economy is suffering and since most of their goods are shipped through the port they are reopening it," Johnson reported.

"Gerald if we leave now we should be there in three days but I will make sure we get there to get him. Do we even know he is still there? Where do we go?"

"Harry, I don't have any information right now. I will call the pilot and find out what I can. I'm just giving you a head's up so you can call your crew in and be ready to leave. I will call you as soon as I get some more definite information."

"Thanks, Gerald. I appreciate it. We will be ready to leave as soon as I hear from you."

Nelson called down to the sub pen and got Chief Sharkey.

"Chief, recall the crew. We're leaving for Vadvostok tomorrow morning."

"Aye aye sir," Chief replied breathing a sigh of relief.

(()))

Admiral Johnson called the pilot who was still waiting in the city of Atyom. He told him to radio Lee and tell him that Seaview would be at the port to pick him up in three days. For all Johnson knew Lee was at the port waiting. He hoped Lee hadn't left the country yet but knowing Lee Crane he could be on a ship on his way back home already.