TRWD18

My Journal
By
Harriman Nelson
18

We’d made good time, and had made the River Ness last night. Now we expected to dock at Inverness shortly. I was glad that I would be able to climb topside and walk down the gangplank with Lee when Seaview docked. In fact, I might be taken into custody with him.
I knew he was topside with Chip right now, and I decided now was as good a time as speak with him before we docked.
The klaxon sounded.

“Make all preparations to dock,” Chip’s voice came over the PA.
Oh hell, I’d waited too long. I hurried, but it wasn’t fast enough to the Control Room as by the time I got there, Seaview had been secured and Lee had come down the ladder to retrieve his dress jacket and coat, and was pulling them on, along with his cover.

Mrs. C. was there, in tears. Jiggs was doing his best to console her. Joe was pulling on his dress blues, so I wondered if the powers that be were going to allow Lee a travel companion. I’d have rather have been asked for the job. But then, I might be sitting next to Lee as a prisoner. There had been no word yet as to that.

“I’d wanted to talk with you, son,” I told him after he’d embraced his mother and letting go with some difficulty. “No matter what happens, I believe you did the right thing and if I’d been in your shoes I would have done the same.”
“I know,” he answered, squeezing my shoulder while we docked and Chip climbed down the ladder.

From the view ports, we could see one of the escort ships docked with the freighters. The others were probably behind us simply waiting to depart once Lee was in custody, the U.S. military van waiting to take him to whatever flight had been arranged to get him back to the states. A police escort was waiting as well.
“I guess it’s time,” Lee said. “Chip, I hope getting Mom, Winston, and Missy onto a commercial flight home won’t be too difficult.”

“Excuse me, sir,” Ski said as he picked up Lee’s duffle, near the ladder, surrounded by every crewman who could squeeze into the Control Room, “but there’s not a man aboard that disagrees with what you said or did. We wanted an honor guard…but the SecNav said no.”
“Thank you. It’s…it’s been an honor serving with you. Oh, Mom?” he turned toward her, removing his watch and rings, “you’d better keep these for me. I don’t think they’ll let me wear anything that could conceivably be used as weapons.”
Joe took them instead as she crumbled. I was glad Jiggs and Emmie were there to support her.
My eyes were moist, and I was glad pulling on my coat helped to distract me.

As Lee he began to climb up the ladder, he took one last look at his crew, before continuing. Chip and Jiggs and I, having pulled on our coats, followed him up into the icy cold air.

The dock wasn’t deserted. Press trucks were there, and the U.S. Ambassador and mayor of Inverness were waiting by their staff cars.

Lee waited on deck for Joe, Jiggs, and me. But mostly for me as he gave me a hug, then kissed his fingers and pressed them against the Conning Tower’s bulkhead.
“Be good,” he whispered to her.
I saluted him, Jiggs, Chip, and Joe following suit, though the SecNav had also informed us not to show Lee any military courtesies due a former president.
Lee acknowledged the salute and began his descent down the gangplank, saluting the colors on the way.

The MP’s placed Lee’s hands behind his back, and cuffed his wrists. I swear even Seaview groaned.

“Lee Beauregard Nelson-Crane,” the ambassador began, “you are charged with treason and will be taken to…what the…”
His driver, in a panic to reach him, handed him his cell phone. The ambassador’s face morphed from aggravation to surprise.
“The charges have been dropped!” he continued, “The missile fired by the People’s Republic had no satellite. It appears to have been armed with some kind of nuclear and biochemical agents. And computer experts had confirmed it was not programmed to fall into the Atlantic. The People’s Republic denies any knowledge of what they’re calling sabotage in their ranks.
Again, all charges have been dropped against him. Get him out of those damn cuffs!”

We ran down the gangplank, followed by just about every crewman from Seaview, congratulating Lee and slapping his back in celebration.
Then as Lee raised his hands to quiet his men he turned to the ambassador.
“Are we still in the Navy or can we go back to being civilians now?”
The ambassador’s phone beeped.
“It’s the secretary of defense. For you, Captain,” he said, handing Lee the phone.
“Nelson-Crane here…yes…I see. Chip?” Lee called him nearer to give him the phone.
“Yes,” Chip said, “Yes…that’s a great big affirmative, Mr. Secretary!”
There was so much jubilation, it was difficult to hear the ambassador, who had taken his phone back and was trying to speak to Lee.
“For the record, Captain,” the ambassador was saying, “I never doubted you.”
I knew that was highly unlikely, but all’s fair in love and politics.
“Well, Lee?” Chip said, “relieve me, already.”
“Captain Morton,” Lee said formally, “I have command.”
“Yes, sir, you have command…yippee, I’m the XO again!”
“Captain,” the mayor, the ancient badges of honor dangling from his neck glinting in the sunlit snowflakes, approached, “welcome to Inverness and good luck with your expedition. I’m sure we’ll have volunteers to assist, should you wish it.”
“Thank you. I’ll have a copy of our itinerary brought to you once it’s completed. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I really have a lot to do.”
“…Captain? Captain?” the reporters began to yell their questions:
“…What kind of retribution should be done toward the People’s Republic?”
“…Will you sue President Hodges for false arrest?”
“…Will your government pay for a replacement prosthesis since you used it in the line of duty?”
“…Well,” Lee said, indicating his eyepatch, “I already had a replacement on order before all of this.”
“…And paid for it selling one of his cars,” Joe said.
“…I don’t really know what I or the government will do yet about anything,” Lee said, “As for retribution against the People’s Republic, the chairman may well be right about sabotage.”
“…Is that a diplomatic response or are you afraid to say what you think?”
“…As I said we don’t have all the facts.”
“…But you still have suspicions?”
“…I’ve had enough dealings with the People’s Republic to be suspicious when proof is lacking. But for now, I’d suggest we simply be grateful that there was no boom or release of any bio hazard. Now, if you’ll excuse me…”
“…Do think President Hodges showed ineptitude?”
“…I think he demonstrated an incredible lack of judgement, yes.”
“…Should he continue as president?”
“…That’s for my fellow Americans to decide,” Lee said as began to climb up the gangplank.
“…Three cheers for Captain, the Honorable Lee Nelson-Crane!” someone from behind the barricades yelled out. “The once and future president of the United States.”
Not over my or Lee’s dead bodies, I mused.
Lee only waved, saluted the colors again, and after another wave to the ambassador, mayor and the folks behind the barricades, disappeared through the Conning Tower’s deck hatch.

By the time Jiggs, Joe, Chip and I had joined Lee below, Mrs. C. was holding on to Lee for dear life, and Emmie hugged me.
“Chip?” Lee asked as he removed his coat and dress blue’s jacket, “Give the crew a twenty-four hour shore leave.”
“Aye, sir.”
“Are communications still on the blink?” Sparks asked with a wink.
“Our systems are functioning properly now,” Lee smirked, “and the men can phone or email home if they like and have shore leave according to Mr. Morton’s scheduling for it for the next twenty-four hours. Harry? A few words. My cabin.”

It still hurt somewhat to walk but I managed to accompany him without having to lean on him, as several crewmen followed us, still congratulating him.

In minutes Lee was opening his cabin door, and gently shut it behind us.
Missy greeted him with a meow, and Winston ran circles around his feet as befitted his master. Then Lee sat down wearily on his bunk, and placed his head in his hands.
“I was so scared, Harry,” Lee finally said.
“We all were, son.”
A knock at the door interrupted, aggravating Lee but he called out ‘in’.
“Your mother wanted me to return these to you right away,” Joe said, handing Lee his watch and rings.
“Thanks,” Lee replied, sliding them all back on, then looked up at his friend with a questioning eyebrow to see if there was anything else.
“See you later, then,” Joe said and departed.

“Harry, thanks for standing by me in all of this.”
“Remember, I’m your friend, enemy, partner, rival, big brother, and blood brother, not to mention your father now. And I still want to bash your head in sometimes.”
We both laughed. He’d remembered me telling him about my ruse of being Harriman Jones during the Zeraff affair and explaining my connection to him to Melina Gounoris.
“Want the news?” he asked.
After my affirmative nod, he asked Sparks to pipe in a selection to his monitor.
The split screens were tuned to CNN, Fox News, and the BBC. We settled on the BBC as we saw Mr. McDonald, bundled up in front of the Land’s End Pub.
“…I knew it all along. The laddie’s incapable of treason. Walks with the angels, that one. God keep him!”
“…You’re just enamored of him because he believes in your damn kelpie,” one of the patrons said.
“…He saved Washington didn’t he, which saved the rest of us.”
“…Oh tut, the U.S. isn’t our only ally.”
“…No, but it’s the biggest one.”
“…Have you spoken to him since he was released to return to Seaview a few minutes ago,” one of the reporters asked.
“..Well, now, I tried, so I did, to put a call through to his submarine through his institute, but I could only leave one of those blasted phone messages, it were so busy. Wanted to ask the laddie to join me for a pint. And maybe go fishing with me on the loch. You know. I wouldn’t be surprised if President Hodges finds himself out on his bum now and that the yanks make the laddie take over again. The Yanks have had two presidents in less than a month and both have disgraced themselves. Those other folks in the line they have are unproven. Forget them. Nelson-Crane is the best man for the job. Put him back in Washington, where he belongs.”
“…That was Mr. Angus McDonald,” the anchor reporter said from the newsroom, “in response to the vindication of Nelson-Crane a few minutes ago, While the U.S. presidency is voluntary, voted upon by public and by electoral majority, it’s not out of the question that and interim presidency might be requested in spite of the substitute list, if President Hodges is requested to step down. This is the BBC, returning you to our regular programming.”

“Would you Lee? Take on the job if offered?”
“When hell freezes over.”
“Well, I believe our nearest and dearest are wondering what the hell’s taking so long for us to join them.”
With that Lee gave Missy a tickle under the chin, then got off the hunk.
“C’mon, Winston,” he said, and we returned to the Observation Nose, trying to ignore the sword of Damocles possibly hanging over our heads.