Dead Silent Calm, Book #7 of the Janitors Series - Hector and Joyce on way to arrange boat for trip to China.

Today’s excerpt is from Dead Silent Calm, Book #7 of the nine-book Janitors Series.  Hector and Joyce on their way to Sasebo to arrange boat for trip to China.  Enjoy and have a wonderful day.

m.j.

 

As those in the Joint retired to the dining room, the plane carrying Joyce and Hector landed at Atsugi Naval Air Facility, Japan.  They were met by a Navy commander.  After he looked carefully at the plane they came in, make and model he’d never seen before, and softly whistled, he introduced himself.  “Come with me.  I’ve got fatigues and ID for you at my office.”

Hector just nodded, then smiled as the commander opened the rear door of the sedan.  He thought quickly and entered the car first on a hunch.  The commander, who was driving the car himself, then walked around the car with a grin on his face.  When they reached his office, they were handed ID and Marine fatigues, which already had their names (false) and rank insignia.  The commander told them they could change in a small head (Naval terminology for bathroom) off his office.

Soon both had changed, and the commander nodded, “I’ll take you to one of our planes for the trip to Sasebo.  We’ve been instructed that the plane that brought you is to stay here until you return.  You’ll be met at Sasebo and the driver has been instructed to take you where you need to go and to stay with you until you return here.  The plane that takes you down will wait there for you for the return flight back here.  Any questions?”

Hector wondered just how much information the commander had, and if he knew the IDs—which had Hector a Marine captain, and Joyce a Marine colonel—were false.  Deciding he probably had limited information, Hector acted with proper military procedure and answered, “No, sir.”

The commander, not fooled in the least—especially after the “captain” answered the question, rather than the “colonel”—and after having seen the shoulder holster Hector had worn under his sports coat, and now wore under his fatigues—grinned and nodded.  “Okay, let’s go.”

Back outside, the commander again opened the rear door of the car and Hector got in first.  Joyce shrugged slightly, said “thanks” and slid in next to him.  As he walked around the car, the commander thought, “Spooks.  God spare me.  Guess the guy was military at one time though.”

Once they were airborne, Hector leaned over to Joyce sitting next to him and whispered, “That commander sure was having fun at our expense.  He knows damn well we aren’t as advertised.  Uh, by the way, about me getting in the car and plane first…that’s the military way.  The senior officer gets in last, so they are the first out.  When we land, you get off first.  By the way, you’re a Marine colonel and I’m the oldest Marine captain around…General Bradley’s idea of a funny, I guess.  A colonel, by the way…I’m getting redundant with the ‘by the way’ crap, but anyhow, a colonel in the other three services is equal to a Navy captain.  A Marine captain is lower ranking.”

Joyce smiled.  “Some of that I know.  Did a movie once with Marine and Navy characters.  In the movie I was a Navy nurse…a lieutenant commander.”

“Oh, yeah, I saw that.  You were great…as you were in all your movies.”

“Thanks.  But don’t ask me for my autograph.”

Hector busted out laughing.  “Wouldn’t dream of it…unless…”

“Captain, mind your place.”

Hector laughed again.

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