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Kauai was marking time offshore to return to her homeport in darkness. With the rocket launch complete, there was little chance the Occupy Cape Canaveral crowd would be determined or even interested in exacting any retribution. However, the District Commander was hard against crowds grabbing pictures of the victorious cutter returning to port.
FBI agents in Tarpon’s boarding party seized the cellphones and the GMN video camera onboard the Bon Temps and scrubbed any footage of the encounter with Kauai. Here, the media ululations that usually followed such perceived government high-handedness were conspicuously absent. This curious lack of reaction led Ben to speculate later that the FBI had uncovered some interesting media involvement in the Bon Temps’s fruitless sortie. The Squid projector was dismounted once the Bon Temps was out of sight, and it was stored in an innocuous case on the boat deck to be removed to the warehouse after they moored. It was not a classified piece of gear, but the Coast Guard still had an interest in not revealing it to casual onlookers and people inclined to develop countermeasures.
Ben completed supper and stretched out in his stateroom for rest before the port entry evolution when his desk phone rang. He sighed, reached over, and grabbed the receiver. “XO.”
It was Hopkins. “XO, could you come to the Bridge, please? There’s something you need to see.”
Ben straightened. “I’m on the way, Chief. You want me to grab the skipper?”
“No, sir. Just you.”
“Right.” He grabbed his ball cap, hastened to the ladder, and climbed to the Bridge. Bondurant, who had the watch, smiled as he entered the Bridge and nodded to Hopkins sitting at the console. Ben said, “What’s up, Chief?”
Hopkins patted the seat on her right and said, “Have a seat and get a load of this, sir.”
Ben sat and looked at the screen in front, which displayed an official Coast Guard message. He skipped past the message header and began reading:
ALCGPSC 093
SUBJ: ADPL LIEUTENANT COMMANDER SELECTION BOARD RESULTS
A. Officer Accessions, Evaluations, and Promotions, COMDTINST M1000.3(series)
1. The Secretary, acting for the President, has approved the report of the Selection Board convened on 2 August, which recommended the following officers on the active-duty promotion list (ADPL) for promotion to the grade of lieutenant commander. Officers selected are listed below in ADPL precedence order:
Ben scrolled down through the names, and one jumped off the screen.
16. POWELL, SAMUEL J. CGC KAUAI
Ben blinked, looked again, and a smile spread across his face. “Holy shit! The skipper wasn’t in the zone! I didn’t know he was even eligible!” Officers in the Coast Guard were selected by annual promotion boards who considered officers within a window that moved down the list of officers ordered by precedence. The board could also choose an officer eligible for a promotion by virtue of time holding their rank but not yet within the window, but these selections are extremely rare. That the board reached past so many eligible below-zone officers to pick Sam was an immense complement to his performance.
Ben was delighted for this man, who had become his closest friend. Deep selected, as deep as you can get! Not only that, advanced to the top of the list! Each event was rare in the Coast Guard; it was unheard of for both to coincide. It meant that Sam would get promoted several years ahead of what was usually expected. He turned to grin at Hopkins and saw the sad look on her face. At that point, the reality hit home, and his face fell.
Sam was Ben’s CO, but although there was a very formal Superior-Subordinate relationship between them set forth by the Coast Guard, they were more like partners in the practical sense. Ben regarded Sam as his closest friend and the finest officer he ever knew. He was definitely not looking forward to parting company with him on top of getting a new boss. But there was no getting around the basic fact.
“Yes, we really will lose him now. They can’t keep him on board as a lieutenant commander.” He turned to look at the screen again, and his smile returned. He sent the message to the bridge printer and grabbed an envelope from the cabinet below the console. “C’mon, Chief, let’s grab COB.”
A couple of minutes later, Ben knocked on Sam’s cabin door.
“Come in.”
Ben opened the door and entered, followed by the two chiefs. Sam looked at the three and then put on his best Anthony Hopkins as Captain Bligh impression. “What’s this, Mister Christian? A mutiny?”
Ben waved his hand dismissively and replied, “No, no, Captain. I put down today’s mutiny hours ago.”
After the laughter subsided, Ben continued, holding out the envelope. “We have something for you, sir.”
Sam took the envelope with a puzzled glace at his guests, opened it, and started reading. His eyes opened wide, and he looked at Ben. “Is this a joke?”
Ben beamed back. “Not a chance, sir.”
Sam rechecked the page and said, “Wow!”
“We wanted to be the ones to tell you, sir, and the first to congratulate you,” Ben said.
Sam stood, shook Ben’s hand, then pulled him into a hug. After doing the same with Hopkins and Drake, he said, “Thanks, guys. As awesome as this is, it’s much more amazing coming from you.”
“Thank you, sir,” Ben said. “By your leave, Captain? We need to start preps.”
Sam looked into his eyes again and said, “Yes, thank you.”
After pulling the door closed, Ben turned to the other two and said, “Well, I guess we’d better get on it.”
Drake smiled, patted him on the shoulder, then turned and walked down the hallway. Hopkins reached over and gently squeezed his upper arm, then turned to the bridge ladder and climbed. Ben paused for a minute, glanced at Sam’s door, and then turned to follow Hopkins to the Bridge.
Victoria Carpenter put the phone down and breathed a sigh of relief. Benjamin was safe—Kauai had moored, and he called to say he was leaving for home and ask if she needed him to pick anything up on the way. She knew she shouldn’t have been worried. This was a low-risk sortie, or so Benjamin told her. But, given the increasing tensions and violence associated with the anti-launch demonstrations, Victoria feared the Kauai would land in some sort of conflict. She knew of the Bon Temps’s voyage from the news feeds and dreaded the confrontation they seemed determined to force on the Coast Guard.
Victoria watched NASA’s live stream of the launch from her office that afternoon, anxiously awaiting the final moment when the rocket cleared the pad. She usually enjoyed watching the rocket launches. Like Ben, Victoria appreciated the aesthetic beauty of the machine and the precision required for a successful mission across vast distances. Today, she felt only a brief sense of relief. The launch occurred on time, so Benjamin and his crew must have prevented the Bon Temps from interfering. She knew that the lack of any other news was probably a good sign, but she could not help worrying about it until Benjamin’s call.
Victoria sat at her desk and picked up the picture of Benjamin from their day on the DC Mall back in March, taken by the same photographer of the photograph on Benjamin’s wall on Kauai. Victoria persuaded him to take this solo shot of Benjamin after agreeing to sell them the other picture and was delighted with the result. The photo was comprehensively perfect in her mind: the lighting, venue, composition, and the ideal subject. It was also a tangible mark of what she regarded as her most perfect day, followed by the perfect night when she and Benjamin made love for the first time in her apartment.
Benjamin had been as much a surprise to Victoria as she was to him. They met by chance on the only occasion Victoria had gone into the field from her office job with the DIA in the Washington, DC, suburb of Bethesda. She’d appreciated the challenge of processing UAV imagery data in the austere environment of a hotel room. The location of the Florida Keys was also agreeable, particularly in January. Even the journey was tolerable—because of their sensitive and highly classified equipment, they traveled on a government plane, avoiding the horror of the commercial airport terminals with their crowds, confined spaces, noise, and all those people touching you.
Later in the week, her mentor, Peter, notified her he was coming ashore and bringing one officer, Benjamin, with him as a liaison. Victoria had pulled Benjamin’s record for Peter’s review before the operation, and she was decidedly unimpressed. Benjamin was a mediocre performer at the Coast Guard Academy, had an uneventful tour of duty aboard USCG Cutter Dependable in Little Creek, Virginia, then was assigned to Kauai as second in command. There was something unusual—he had been awarded the Coast Guard Commendation Medal for heroism in saving three lives after a traffic accident. She noted this with approval as she pulled his official photo, which was also unimpressive. All official military photos looked the same to her, like instead of “say cheese,” the photographers said, “Now, give us your most menacing scowl!”
The young man who arrived with Peter for the team meeting that first night was nothing Victoria expected. Some height, but not overly tall, with a slim, athletic build and the most captivating blue eyes she had ever seen. Benjamin was not the militaristic buffoon Victoria took him for after reading his personnel file, but a modest, almost shy, intelligent young man who provided fascinating conversation. She suspected he was also attracted to her—she caught glimpses of him looking at her while she worked at her computer during the team discussions.
After the team meeting, they had a long conversation, mainly with Benjamin describing and answering her questions about his life aboard ship. The next morning Victoria had to return to Bethesda, but she spoke to him that evening after he completed the search activity for the day. This time Benjamin was the receiver, and Victoria was talking. It thrilled her he was interested in what she did, and although she suspected he did not quite understand it all, he still seemed to hang on to every word. Several days passed before they spoke on the phone again after Benjamin returned home. Something had happened during the mission, but he could not discuss it. Working in the world of classified information and secrets, she understood. Whatever happened must have been extraordinary, for he and Samuel received the Coast Guard Medal, a top award for heroism.
They settled into a routine of nightly phone calls whenever Benjamin had the connectivity. They were a welcome distraction at first, becoming an increasingly important part of her day as she got to know him. He was interesting, charming, and funny all at once, and unlike anyone she had ever met, she could discuss anything on her mind with him. Given this, she was puzzled that he was not married or had a steady girlfriend. When she finally asked why that was, he went silent, and she quickly tried to withdraw the question.
“No, it’s OK, Victoria. I’ve asked myself that a few times. The only answer I can come up with is I haven’t met anyone who needed what I could provide.” Then he quickly changed the subject, and she was careful not to raise it again. Benjamin’s answer created a paradox for her. She often could not connect with people she liked and felt much closer to him, knowing he shared this experience of loneliness. On the other hand, it made her even warier of making any blunders. It was a specter hanging over their early conversations, fading over time as she became more comfortable with him.
Between the distance and the relentless demands of Benjamin’s job, the conversations were all they had. Benjamin had hoped they could get together when he was close by in Quantico while completing his combat training in February and March, but the short time and large volume of training requirements extended through the weekends. During his course, the only free time allowed was just one evening that served as a somewhat awkward first date and one other full day together, and they seized on those opportunities.
Their first date had been a maelstrom of emotion for Victoria. Fortunately, her coworker friend Debbie, knowledgeable about such things, helped her select a suitable dress and put on the appropriate makeup. Benjamin’s stunned reaction to her appearance made things awkward at first, but they quickly recovered their usual banter over an excellent meal at a lovely restaurant. It ended up an excellent first date.
For the second, Benjamin had driven up from Quantico early on a Sunday morning and picked her up at her apartment. Although they had a lovely day touring the Mall and Smithsonian, the outing was marred when Victoria suffered a panic attack on the crowded Metro train on their return trip. Benjamin escorted her off the train to safety once he realized what was happening, but she was sure this stark presentation of her affliction would drive him away. Her fears seemed well-founded when they returned to her apartment, and he made to leave. It was one of the most emotional moments of her life, and she often replayed the memory of it like one replayed a favorite song:
He took her hands and said, “Victoria, I, um....” He gazed longingly at her, then looked down. After another moment, he held her eyes again. “I had a great time today. Thank you.”
“Yes, I did too.” She had willed herself not to cry. “I hope I can see you again soon.”
“Yes. Definitely. As soon as possible. Goodnight, Victoria.”
“Goodnight, Benjamin.” She kissed him fully on the lips. After a few seconds, Victoria pulled back, then stepped inside the apartment and closed the door. She sat on the floor, oblivious to the fact that you are not supposed to sit on the floor, pulled up her legs, and put her chin on her knees. OK, this is how it ends. He was just being kind to me today because he feels sorry for me. I will not cry! And then, of course, she cried. About half a minute later, a knock on the door startled her. She stood slowly, reeled to the door, and looked out the peephole. She gasped and fumbled with the lock and wrenched the door open. “Benjamin!”
He stood in the doorway with a serious expression on his face. “Victoria, I’m sorry, but I can’t leave it like this. I want to be with you. I know it’s unfair to lay this on you so late at night and then run out at oh-dark-thirty tomorrow. But after today, I want to have every moment I can with you. If you don’t feel the same, I’ll understand, and I’ll go, but I had to tell you.”
She stepped up to him, put her arms around his neck, and pressed her head onto his chest, listening to his deep breaths and pounding heart while blinking away her tears. After a minute, she hugged him tightly, then took his hand, led him inside, and closed the door. They did not talk again until the morning, but neither did they sleep. When they embraced the last time before Benjamin left to return to Quantico, Victoria wanted to tell him she loved him, but the old fear returned, and she could not say the words. Instead, she smiled warmly at him, gave him one last kiss, and said simply, “Goodbye, Benjamin.”
Benjamin had no other opportunity to visit during his training and had to return immediately to Florida once it concluded. They resumed their routine of the nightly phone calls whenever Benjamin had the connectivity. Victoria longed for these calls all day, hoping he would say something or give her some sign that it was safe to reveal her love for him.
Victoria caressed Benjamin’s picture—she remembered how she had been holding and looking at this picture when he told her he loved her for the first time—a surprise call on a satellite phone before he went into action at Barbello. The call was like a dam bursting, each admitting they had been in love with the other since the night of Benjamin’s last visit and lamenting the lost month they kept the truth to themselves. She went to bed that night with the most joyous feeling in her life.
Victoria woke up the following morning with the same excited joy, only to have it crushed when she arrived at work to learn Benjamin had been grievously wounded and evacuated by helicopter. His survival was in doubt, and Victoria knew nothing she could bring to bear would affect that outcome, but she was determined to be with Benjamin through whatever was to come. Fortunately, she had plenty of help.
Her coworkers helped her arrange a flight to Miami, where Benjamin was transported for emergency surgery. One of the original January team agents went along to help her cope with the airports and transport to the hospital. She arrived just after Benjamin went into surgery and was greeted in the waiting room by Joana Powell, Samuel’s wife and a close friend of Benjamin. Joana stayed with Victoria and comforted her through the operation.
Although the operation was a success, the nature and severity of Benjamin’s injury left doubts about whether he would recover consciousness or even survive. Victoria stayed with him, speaking and reading to him during his coma and sleeping fitfully in a recliner the hospital staff set up for her. She had dozed off from exhaustion late the following day with her head on Benjamin’s bed and dreamed about their day on the Mall when his light touch awakened her. The intensity of her relief at finding him awake and able to talk rivaled her joy at finding out he loved her.
Victoria stayed with Benjamin for the two days during his post-op recovery at the hospital and then at his apartment during his two-week convalescence, helping him while he recovered his coordination and balance. Victoria cherished the time they had together and the chance to meet and talk with Benjamin’s shipmates and their families. As the time approached for her to return home, Victoria’s sadness at the thought of leaving grew, culminating at a small dinner party Joana put on for her and Benjamin with Emilia Hopkins and her beau, Erich Deffler. Victoria had a grand time, particularly in what Joana called the “girl talk” session involving the three women. She discovered she fit right in with the discussion and laughter and felt a sense of belonging she had never before experienced. Benjamin sensed her sadness on the way home—he was wonderfully good at that—and asked her about it when they got to his apartment. To Victoria’s shock, after she explained her pensiveness, Benjamin asked her to consider moving in together.
The surge of emotions created by that request was overwhelming. Victoria had settled into a steady existence of home-work-home in a government position with the DIA and known no other reality. She feared leaving this safety for the uncertainty of a private-sector job with different people and working in a whole new place. On the other hand, she could be with Benjamin every day, going to sleep and waking in his arms, enjoying meals, outings, and the other pleasures of life in his company. Victoria had also grown to love Joana and wanted to spend time with her. She was warming to the idea when the reality of her condition reasserted itself. Victoria was realistic—she knew her many behavioral anomalies concealed at work or on short dates would show themselves when living with someone. The thought of these coming between her and Benjamin filled her with dread, and she told him as much. Benjamin was undeterred, pointing out that he was sure he had quirks she would find abnormal, suggesting that they could work through them.
In the end, Benjamin prevailed, but only after Victoria extracted a promise from him not to propose marriage until they completed a six-month trial co-habitation period. She was not convinced they could work through the bugs and did not want the pressure to commit to what might be the disaster of a failed marriage. They were approaching the six-month point, and looking over it now, her demand seemed rather silly. She could never return to her earlier “safe” existence—despite her recurring worries about Benjamin’s safety, she had never felt happier or more alive.
The sound of a key in the front door jolted Victoria out of her reverie, and she carefully placed the picture on her desk as she stood to go to the door. Benjamin was stepping inside as she came into the room. He put his backpack down, gathered her in his arms, and they shared a warm kiss.
“Hello, my love. How was your day?” Benjamin asked. “I have been on the edge of my seat waiting for the outcome of those test runs,” he added, referring to a new machine language algorithm she was struggling with at her workplace, Vectorsonds, Inc.
“That can wait, Benjamin. I want to hear about your encounter with the Bon Temps. I was worried about you.”
“You really shouldn’t, you know,” he said. “They were a bunch of well-meaning people amped up by a slimeball journalist. The worst that could have happened to me is them throwing me overboard, and I had John and Shelley along to keep that from happening. It all worked out. The rocket launched, nobody got hurt, and I’m home with you tonight.”
“I know I should not worry, but I cannot help it. You know how I am about these things.” Victoria smiled. “Now, please tell me what happened.”
Benjamin provided the narration of the intercept and seizure of the Bon Temps he knew Victoria wanted to hear. With a crowd of civilians and a journalist already involved, there were no secrets to be filtered. She laughed at Bondurant’s comment about Benjamin throwing the journalist overboard, but only smiled on hearing of Shelley’s ribald answer to Childress’s impertinent question. Despite Benjamin’s assurances that the job would not permit any relationship between them, even if Victoria were not in the picture, Shelley was an attractive woman who had a great deal in common with him. Even Victoria was human enough to be a little jealous of her.
“Oh, and the big news is happy and sad at the same time,” Benjamin said.
“Bittersweet?”
“Yes, that’s the word. Sam has been selected for promotion to lieutenant commander.”
“Surely that is excellent news, Benjamin. What could possibly be sad about that?”
“It is excellent. He was selected years ahead of normal, which is a huge deal for an officer. Naturally, I think he deserves it; even so, it is nice to see the Coast Guard do right by him. The thing is, they can’t leave him on Kauai as a lieutenant commander. I guess he would have had to rotate next summer anyway, but I had hoped they could use our special status to keep the band together.”
“Oh, I see how that could be sad.” In fact, the news was alarming to Victoria. She knew if Samuel left, Joana would follow, and she could no longer hang around with the woman who had become her closest friend. Benjamin picked up on her thoughts at once.
“I know Jo is an important part of your support system here. Will you be OK?”
She hugged him again. “Yes. I am coming to terms with it. Of course, we can still talk and text, but it has been wonderful to visit with her, particularly when you are gone. You warned me this sort of thing is part of military life.”
“Yes, hails and farewells. But hey, it will be months before we have to deal with the bitter part. Let’s celebrate Sam’s good fortune. Do we have any of that cabernet you like? We’re both off tomorrow, so we might as well enjoy tonight.”
“We do indeed.”
“Super. How about I crack a bottle of that while you regale me with your tale of adventure in machine language land?”
Victoria snuggled into Benjamin three hours later as he lay soundly asleep and turned on his left side. It had not been a night of lovemaking, just talking about Samuel, Joana, their work, and their future together. She caressed Benjamin’s upper right arm lightly, careful not to awaken him. Like most patrols, this most recent one allowed little time for sleep, and Benjamin had been exhausted when he arrived. Still, you stayed at it, making sure I was alright at work and with the news that Joana and Samuel were leaving us. She softly kissed and then rested her forehead against Benjamin’s shoulder. Sleep, my love. I have the watch now.
