Dan Barns: Problem Solver

Chapter Four

"Understood Hillbilly. Will see you after things calm down. Crow out" the voice said then went quiet.

It could be a few days or hours before we got rescued, but we were going to be warm and well fed. I got a small fire about ten feet into the cave. The cave had an arch that allowed the smoke to ease out of the cave with ease, but kept the rain out. I covered the entrance with some limbs. Those might not stay if the wind did crazy things. I hoped that it would miss us, but I was not sure on the path of the storm. I was sure the storm surges would not get us because we were on the north side of the island and it was coming from the south.

We sat down and ate as our clothes dried. We changed into one of the sealed sets of clothes, then laid down on blankets that I brought along. I let the fire go out and we moved around to the back corner of the cave. After about three more hours of rain the howl of the wind picked up and she bolted upright as a lightning bolt hit the front of the cave. She screamed. I sat up and pulled her into me. This was indeed going to be a long night. After an hour of her shaking, I got her to lay back down. I covered her up and held her. This is the part of the mission I don't mind. No one shooting at us. No one can get to us, and we are safe and out of the way.

The storm raged for about sixteen more hours. She had never been camping and it was easy to see. When she woke up and it was still raining she turned to me and had a very perplex look on her face. "How long will this last? Do we have enough supplies to make it through the wait and are we safe?"

"Ray we are safe. We have plenty of water and food. Not for a banquet, but to keep us alive until we get picked up. This may be a long wait. As soon as they can, the boat that answered will be here to pick us up." I said as I drew a tic tac toe board in the sand and handed her a stick. "The goal is not to worry ourselves sick." so I taught her tic tac toe and some yoga exercise to help with breathing and some fighting moves to help her protect herself if the worse happened.

After the rain stopped, I turned on the radio and listen for our pick up. It was twenty two hours after the call when I heard something.

"Hillbilly, we are here and are waiting for you in a raft on the north side of the storm damage." announced on the radio. I went around the edge of the cave and looked for our evacuation group and I also seen the patrol boat that gave us so much grief before the storm.

"This is Hillbilly, and you have company and I do not have a clear route to you. I want to get to the square dance, but the Hatfield's are near. I do not want to get in the crossfire. I will make it west towards the point." I said as I watch the patrol boat shoot west toward where I had said to meet.

I watch for the all clear sign, and grab the gear to go to the boat. We got in and laid down. The boat radioed back and said they would be back tomorrow. I nodded and laid flat as they headed back to the U.S. Dakota.

When we got to the ship, we went straight to medical then released to go eat and get a few hours nap. After two hours, we were asked to join the captain in the officer's mess. As we got there I could tell the captain was worried about something.

"Mr. Barns, welcome aboard. I was surprised when we got the order to head south for a pick up and that it would be the call sign Hillbilly. So what is going on?" he asked as we were poured drinks.

"Honestly, I was rescuing the young lady from death. It seems that her father is a terrorist and had a few targets that are of great importance to the powers that be and she has the information that they were using to make the plans for the attacks. I was sent in and things got complicated a little faster than they should have. But we made it out." I said as I looked around the room. "Why? What is wrong?"

"I have been asked that I turn over the two criminal that I have. They are responsible for the destruction of a small village on the island yesterday. I was trying to figure out how you could have been on the island when you called out from the island we picked you up on."

"I am just that good captain. I have to get to D.C. as soon as possible. This paperwork needs to be gone through by homeland and other intel groups. We do not want another attack on our soil." I said as he ordered dinner for us.

"While we wait on dinner and on the ride back, I could help you look through the paperwork and see what we can identify as targets and what is the time frame that these are suppose to take place." He said as our drinks were refilled.

"We can look." I said as I pulled out the top three sheets and handed to him while I went over the next three sheets. I also handed him the letters that went with them. Soon we found the festival in each town that was described in the letter with the annual title in the heading. We went through dinner and the letters highlighting and numbering the events and the correlating attacks. Even Ray got to looking. Once we were done eating, which took about six hours and two meals with the paperwork, the Captain looked at his watch.

"I will get you home as quick as possible. We are waiting for the helicopter to get back from a medical run. They will be back in the hour. If you want we can fax some of the information stateside so they can begin." The captain said as he pointed toward the office area.

"No it will wait. It is a delivery only type situation. I already did a quick fax of some of the things, so they are working on some of the initial pages." I said as I leaned back for the plate to be put down.

"Just trying to help. You will be home soon kid." he said as he helped put the papers back in order.

A few hours later we were escorted to the awaiting helicopter and sent on our way back to solid ground.

From the ship, we took a helicopter ride to D.C. and started the process of making my charge a protectorate of the government. I went thru a debriefing and identified the guys that was following us as well as the patrol boat that gave chase. The request to turn us over as terrorist had made it to the capital's desk and the time that the act took place was the time I had the girl in the boat on the island waiting out the storm. That was sent back and the fact that no one could have gotten off the island during the storm in airplane or boat shut up the small country.

I spent one more night in D.C. before heading back to Texas. Plans do not always go as they are laid out. We make choices that affect others as well as ourselves. The young lady was given a place to lay low and in turn she gave the documents that allowed the CIA to do what they needed as well as Homeland, the information to block some major attacks from within our own country. It is days like these that make me happy to do my job.

Although I did not get involved in stopping the crimes on the scene, I do know these attacks did not happen or happened on a much weaker scale. Involvement behind the scene is easier than being the public face of crime solving or prevention.

A/N: Sorry guys! Got a bit long winded!