Chapter 4

Dave put away the thermoses into the backpack and Jack shoved in the box of doughnuts. Dave smiled at him. "You ready?"

"Papa, I've been waiting for this a long time," he smiled back, putting his hand on Dave's forearm. "And Papa, it's safety first. I'm in." Dave pulled on his hunting gloves; Jack pulled on the mittens Aaron sent along.

Dave kissed his forehead. "I love you too my son." He looked to the front of the boat. "You wake up Max," he winked.

"Got it Papa." They rose off the seat together. Dave opened his shotgun case as Jack woke Max. Seeing the shotgun come out, Max hopped to his feet. Jack smiled. "I think Max is ready Papa." He put on Max's life vest.

Dave smiled back at him, looking at the sun rising. He put two shells in the gun and shut the barrel. "So am I," he said, looking at Jack. Jack smiled and quickly sat down in his seat. Dave patted his thigh. "Come Max," he pointed. Max dutifully jumped on the shooting platform and sat down next to Dave.

Jack beamed as Dave pulled his duck call out of his pocket and made his first call. Max still sitting next to him quivered. Jack smiled more.

A couple calls later from Dave that produced no ducks, Jack started to frown. Dave didn't notice. He had a "crowd" to work. Max sat impatiently at his side, his tail wagging at every blat of the duck call.

Dave tried again with no luck. "Papa," Jack whispered.

"Easy son," he said, still scanning his shooting horizon. "Those first calls were to wake up the drakes. It's not my first county fair." Jack smiled at the phrase he had heard before. "Now that I've got their attention….." Dave changed the call.

Jack looked over the boat to where Dave was looking for ducks to see a large gathering of ducks stirring. Three started to fly. Jack sat on pins and needles. Take the shot Papa; take the shot. Dave let them fly past him and then fired at the trailing drake. He dropped it with his first shot. "Go Max," Dave commanded. Max dove in. "Jack, stay put." He waited for another trailing drake to fly past him and bagged him with the second shell. Opening the gun barrel, Dave said, "Clear." Jack didn't move.

Dave looked at him. "Sorry son; that's my, dad's and the team's notice. When I say 'clear' you can come up here." Jack scampered up next to him.

"Got it Papa." Jack noticed a few more drakes flying over. "What about them Papa?"

Dave smiled. "Son, I've already dropped two. We don't want to overwork Max." As he said that, Max gently snatched the first one off the top of the water and swam back to the boat. Dave smiled at Jack. "You did one fine job Jack; I'm proud of you." Jack smiled from ear to ear. "Come Max," Dave commanded. Max's young body quickly closed the distance. He deposited the first duck on his walk up platform. "Go Max," Dave said. Max turned and started to swim back out.

"Papa, Max is going the wrong way," Jack said. "The other duck is over there," Jack pointed. He instinctively whistled at Max. Max stopped and looked at Jack. "Go that way Max," Jack pointed. Max turned and headed the direction that Jack pointed.

"Keep talking to him son," Dave said, rubbing Jack's shoulder. "He's swimming blind; you're his eyes."

Jack understood what Dave was telling him. This was the part of Max's training that Jack had worked so hard on. "Max, more left," he pointed. Max, still swimming, looked back at Jack and then started to swim where he pointed. A few seconds later, Max barked at spotting the duck, swimming towards it.

Dave smiled broadly at Jack, rubbing his shoulder. "Thanks partner. You did a great job training Max."

Jack hopped down to look at the first drake. "They really have bright colored feathers," he said.

"Yes they do," Dave said, opening his shotgun to pop out the spent shells. "That's how I know they're drakes; especially the white ring around their neck. The females don't have that."

Jack smiled at him. "I remember Papa." Dave noticed Jack looking at the bird more. He recognized Haley's softness he inherited. He understands why I hunt yet he still feels for a dead animal.

"You OK Jack?"

"I'm good Papa," he smiled. "I've just never seen one of your ducks with the blood on it," he matter-of-factly added. Dave smiled at him as Max come up the ramp with the second duck. Before he could set it down, Jack moved to the front of the boat. Max shook his body with a large shake, spraying lake water all over the area. Jack looked at Dave. "Remembered that one too Papa," he smiled.

"Atta boy Jack," Dave smiled, praising Max for his work. Dave picked up the two ducks to put them in the cold locker of the boat.

"Papa," Jack said incredulously, "we don't want a picture of Max's first ducks?"

"I'm bad," Dave smiled, pulling out his cellphone. "You feel comfortable holding them Jack?"

"Yup, I'm good," he smiled. Jack took the two ducks from Dave and sat down on the platform, getting Max to sit down next to him. Dave snapped a couple pictures. "But Papa, don't send them to dad yet; let him sleep. He needs it."

"Agreed," Dave smiled, taking the ducks and putting them in the locker. "But it's downtime and some more breakfast for us. It'll take time to attract more ducks to the blind."

Dave made sure Jack pulled off his mittens as he took his gloves off. He pulled out some hand sanitizer they both used to be extra careful before they handled the contents of the backpack. Jack looked at him. "You been hangin' out with Ms. Kellmer Papa?" Dave looked at him. "She's super big on keeping germs away," he said, wiping his hands together.

"Ms. Kellmer is a smart lady Jack," Dave smiled, pouring him a cup of hot chocolate. "Dad and I were really impressed with her when we met her at parent-teacher conferences a couple weeks ago," he added, handing the cup to Jack.

"Yup, she is Papa," Jack smiled, blowing on his hot chocolate while warming his fingers around the cup. "And a lot of fun," he beamed. "She's my favorite teacher so far."

Dave smiled, pouring his cup of coffee. "My favorite teacher," Dave said, sitting down next to Jack, "was Sister Theresa. For a Catholic nun teaching school, she was warm and loving." Jack looked at him with a question. "I went to Catholic grade school Jack. And back then, teachers got away with a lot more on how they made students behave than they can now. In my school, the teacher not to get was Sister Agatha. She had a wooden ruler and used it. Thank goodness I didn't get her."

"Papa, what do you mean?"

"Back then, the teachers could use corporal punishment in the classrooms." Jack furled his brow at Dave. "Sorry son; they could spank you. Sister Agatha used her ruler on her student's hands. Especially kids like your dad; writing with their left hand. It wasn't good Jack and it wasn't right. But it happened back then." Jack shook his head. "Sister Agatha, when I was in school was old; Sister Theresa was young and didn't believe it that. She just wanted to teach us." Dave's mind drifted back. "I want to open your mind; that's how you learn," he said, recounting her words.

"She sounds way cool Papa," Jack said, taking a drink. "And I'm glad you didn't get Sister Agatha," he smiled.

"Me too," Dave smiled, taking his own sip, nudging Jack's shoulder. "I'd have been in her doghouse with welts on my hand every day."

"Papa?"

"I was short back then Jack; to make up for being picked on during recess, I was the class clown." Jack looked at him. Dave laughed. "I was the kid that made smart alec remarks in class."

Jack looked at him wide-eyed, taking a bite of his doughnut. "Really Papa," he snickered.

"Yup, I was," he smiled. He looked around and nudged Jack's shoulder again. "You see something?"

Jack nodded his head. "The decoys are working," he whispered, as a small flock of ducks flew into the cove. "Papa, I think that is so neat how they land on the water; they're sorta like mini planes landing on aircraft carriers." Dave marveled at his son's observant mind.

He smiled. "I never thought of it like that Jack," he smiled. "But you're right. Ready to get back at it?"

Jack finished off his doughnut and drained his cup. "You bet Papa."

Round two of hunting commenced with Dave having to work a bit harder with his duck call to get them moving. "Papa," Jack whispered in question.

"They've had their breakfast Jack; and with the sun up, they're taking a bit of a snooze," he whispered back, pulling out his sunglasses, putting them on. "This may take some time." Jack sat patiently for twenty minutes, watching the flock with Dave. Dave winked at him. "Time to use my secret call," he whispered.

Unbeknownst to the two of them, Cory and Tina were watching from their cabin. "Wakey, wakey ducks," Cory said. He noticed Dave loading his shotgun. He smiled at Tina who was keeping a sharp eye on Jack.

Once again, Dave dropped two drakes with the two shells he had in the chamber. "Look at the other ducks taking off," Cory said to his wife.

Tina pulled the binoculars to her eyes. "I just want to see Jack and Max work together. They've practiced so hard together."

She smiled at her husband, handing him the binoculars. "Look at Jack; he's got Max heading out to the second bird, telling him where to go." Cory looked and watched the scene.

"Too cool," he smiled at her as Max found the second duck. "But babe, we stop watching now." Tina looked at him. Cory smiled. "They're guys and they've been out on the water for a couple of hours," he winked.

"Got it," Tina smiled.

The fourth duck in the cold locker, Jack gave Dave a pained look. "Champino?"

"Papa, I got go. Bad."

Dave smiled. "The coffee is hitting me as well."

"Papa?"

Dave smiled. "We can pee into the lake. That little bit what hurt the eco system. As my papa used to say, 'it's like the old lady peeing the ocean'. But let's move to the front of boat where there's no houses to watch."

When they finished, Jack looked at Dave. "Papa, I gotta do the big job as well." Dave laughed and reached into a storage cabinet on the boat, pulling out a steel bucket. The other ones Dave had on the boat, for rinsing his hands or giving Max a drink were plastic.

He looked at Jack with a smile. "That's the poop bucket," he said, pulling out a roll a toilet paper on his index finger.

Jack eyed his suspiciously. "Really Papa?"

"Really," Dave smiled. "Pull down you drawers my matey," he said like Captain Jack. "I'm next."

Jack smiled his relief at Dave, pulling off some toilet paper. The job done, he pulled up his underwear and pants. "Papa, if you don't mind," Jack said with a spark in his eye, "I'm gonna head to the back of the boat."

Dave knew the answer, unzipping his hunting pants, but played along. "Jack?"

"Papa, I've walked into you and dad's bathroom at the wrong time more than once. I'm gonna go up wind," he said.

"Good idea," Dave smiled, plopping his south end on the bucket, laughing at Jack crawling up on the platform. He's learning Dave smiled. He knows to go up wind.

When he finished, he stuck the bucket and the roll of toilet paper back in the storage locker. "Papa," Jack said looking at him, "I don't think Fabreeze will help that." Jack reached for his backpack and poured another cup of coffee for him.

Dave pointed to the skull and crossbones on the locker door, smiling. "That's why that's there Champino." Jack laughed. Dave took the coffee cup. "Thanks son," he smiled.

They sat down together on the boat bench after Jack poured himself more hot chocolate. They each powered down another doughnut. Jack looked at his last little bit and then Dave.

"You can share Champino," he smiled. "That little bite won't hurt Max." Jack tossed it in the air and Max snagged it, gulping it down.

"Papa," Jack smiled, pulling out another doughnut, "this is just special. I like this time with you."

Dave smiled. "So do I Champino." He looked at Jack. "But son, dad and I talk and he told me about your talk together."

Jack eyed him. "Do you two share everything?"

Dave smiled at him. "Yup; pretty much. That's called loving each other."

Jack smiled. "That's cool Papa." He looked off over the lake. "So Papa, if I tell you I miss mom you won't get mad?"

Dave pulled him close. "Jack; listen to me." Jack looked him in the eye. "Your dad and I want you to never forget you mom. And I mean never."

"I get it Papa; she died to protect me," he whispered, climbing up in Dave's lap.

Dave pulled him into his embrace, kissing his head. "Yes she did son."

"Papa, I get it; George was bad guy. That's why you and dad and the team go away. You catch bad guys like him. I just wish dad knew that I'm OK with that," he confessed.

"Champino?"

"Papa, I know dad. He hates being away from me." He looked at Dave. "You do too." Dave nodded. "But I get why you do that." He looked out over the lake again. "I love having Aunt Jess around and I know…."

"Know what Jack?"

"In a way," he said, looking at Dave, "you're doing it for mom."

Dave hugged him tighter. "Your mom yes; and for you Jack. That's what drives the team. We want to stop what these people do so they don't have to lose someone they love."

Jack looked out over the lake again rubbing Max's head, sitting next front of the two of them. "Papa, I miss Mudg too."

"Son," Dave said, kissing Jack's head. "Your mom and Mudg are sitting together, looking down on us and loving this day as much as us," he smiled.

"Ya think Papa?"

Dave kissed him again. "I know better Champino."

Jack nudged him. "And Caroline and James are there as well."

Dave smiled. "You bet they are."

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A/N: A review of Duckology 101: a drake is a male duck. Fabreeze is an American product that is an air freshening spray.