Dead Silent Calm, Book #7 of the Janitors Series - Janitors add new team member.

Today’s excerpt is from Dead Silent Calm, Book #7 of the nine-book Janitors Series.  On the way to China, the Janitors get a new member for the team.   Enjoy and have a great day. 

m.j.

 

After Jim had Rodney alter course for that area of the coast and informed the rest of those aboard the Dog Pound II that all was well, they settled into a routine aboard the boat.  With another day and night still remaining before they approached the coast of China, the coming night was spent sitting around and talking about nearly everything under the sun.

Out of the blue, Rodney casually asked, “Uh, Jim, what would be the chances of…er…me joining your team?  My wife has subtly asked on more than one occasion if we were ever going back to the mainland.  She’s from Boston, and I was originally from Sioux Falls.  We just went to Hawaii to nose around and wound up settling down there…for a few years while I tried to figure out what to do with the rest of my life.”

Jim glanced at Billy and Hector, then, after two shrugs, grinned.  “From what we know about you in Desert Storm, I know you’re not lacking in guts.  But, uh, can you shoot very well?  I don’t mean when you’re right on top of some guy like you were in that building you ran into gun a blazin’.”

Rodney shrugged.  “I haven’t had much practice from any kind of a distance.”

Jim laughed and stood up and walked over to where he had slung his shoulder holster with his silenced Walther in it.  He took the gun out, picked up an empty plastic jug and walked to the stern of the boat.  Everyone else, including Rodney, followed him.

Jim pushed the safety to the off position and handed the gun to Rodney.  Rodney took the gun as Jim tossed the jug overboard.  He fired four times without coming close to the jug.

Jim laughed as he reached over and took the gun.  One shot later, the jug was filling with saltwater.  As they all walked back to where they had been, Jim asked, “How are you with languages?”

“Awful.  My wife says I have trouble with English.  Speak a little bit of a few of the local languages, Hawaiian, Japanese and a tiny bit of Chinese.  But have trouble with long sentences…except Japanese.  That one I’m pretty good at…well not great.”

Jim sighed.  “How about computers?  How are you on them?”

“Awful.  Hate ‘em.”

Jim looked at Dan, then Billy, the women, and finally Hector.  “Well?”

Dan sort of flipped one hand in the air, as he grinned.  Billy shrugged.  Hector grumbled, “Why the hell not.  Guy can’t shoot, can’t speak and is worse on computers than Dan.  What’s not to like.  Hell, we might get someone shot somewhere along the line and could use a pro to patch us up.  Far as I’m concerned, he’s in.”

“I’ll say,” joked Janet, “now I’ll be outta washing dishes all the damn time.”

That drew a round of laughter from the Janitors.  Part of Jim’s training of the Janitors included target practice, ending with firing at grapefruits at a mile.  Worst shot had to wash dishes until the next round of target practice.  Janet had become more or less the permanent dishwasher.

Jim looked at Holly, Suzan, and Jessica.  “You three have anything to add?”

Holly grinned.  “He’s in.”

Jessica just nodded.

“Guy takes care of his Marines the way he did, gets my vote,” Suzan replied.

 

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