Part   Thirty   "Sink Or Swim"

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Thursday 18th May 2017 (cont)
 

Tammy had finished dressing herself when the US Airforce officer returned. Tammy had recognised the rank as 2nd Lieutenant.

"We're sorry for the inconvenience Miss Smart."

"Why couldn't you just do some simple bloody research? Or maybe just ask for my NATO ID card?"

"We were acting on information received."

"Which came, no doubt, from a True Freedom operative - a well known terrorist group."

"I'm sorry I can't discuss that."

"You can't? Well, my guess is that my clearance is higher than yours and, by the way, my rank is full lieutenant. I'm also sure your NSA and CIA would also be able to verify me if anyone had asked, meanwhile I'm late for an appointment at HMS Faslane, plus 40 miles further away than I should have been. I'm half inclined to instruct lawyers to haul your ass into court over this."

"I wouldn't advise that?"

"Really? My guess is that you don't want anyone to know about your little arrangement with the golf course at Turnberry?"

"That's not public."

"It soon could be."

"Your colleague is waiting outside."

"That colleague is a Captain in the Special Boat Service, you've managed a major screw up!"

Tammy's rucksack had clearly been searched and, in the process, a bottle of shampoo had leaked over the contents. She shot daggers at anyone in a US uniform but decided screaming wasn't worth it.

She carefully emptied the contents out onto a table, her lingerie and nightwear had suffered the worst from the shampoo and she put them to one side. "Kyle, if you don't mind, I'll need a bag for those."

Her casual clothes were creased but she'd chosen tops and bottoms that could suffer a little abuse. What really annoyed her was that her combats, carefully pressed and put into protective bags, had been screwed up and shoved back in the rucksack without a care, the bags were nowhere to be seen.

Kyle had just returned with a couple of duty-free bags when Tammy realised that her weapon wasn't in the pocket: that was worth a scream.

Kyle shook his head then pulled her Glock out of his own bag. "I offered to look after it, they weren't keen on leaving it unattended."

"Great, what's the time?"

"Coming up to 1400."

"So, we'll be late."

"I've informed Captain Wade of the delay, he'll let the Royal Navy know."

Tammy quickly repacked her bag, folding everything to avoid further creasing but the damage was already done. "So I guess we scrub whatever was planned today and just head there in the morning? I need to put everything through a washing machine. I think I'll be sending an invoice for anything that's ruined! What were they thinking?"

"Following procedure, sort of. Prestwick is the diversion airport for terrorist incidents but normally they get a bit of warning. You were already on approach to Glasgow when the call came in so they panicked. As the Americans were already on the ground they took control of the assessment."

"Let me guess, I was armed and dangerous?"

"Yes, but that's normal, isn't it?"

Tammy scowled then laughed, her first of the day. "Really? Is that my reputation?"

"I may be breaking several international secrecy laws, but, yes."

"Thanks for the vote of confidence, Kyle."

"Anytime, but what I did hear is that you get the job done, in your own way."

"I deal with the situation, you can't always do it by the book."

"True, but don't ever break the Geneva Convention, that's one book that's a whole load of trouble. You'd be on your own and the nearest paddle would be well out of reach."

"Been there, done it, survived it and can't tell you anything about it."

"You were shafted and came back?"

"Effectively, yes, but sometimes I wonder why I bothered. Today is one of those times."

They had walked across to Tammy's plane and the closer she got the worst her fears became. A knife had been taken to the seats, her strongbox had been forced and part of the instrument panel had been pulled apart.

"Shit! I'm going to sue those pricks! What the hell did they think they were doing?" Tammy started to cry. "Who did this to me?"

She felt an arm pull her into Kyle Fielding's chest as she sobbed, but she didn't resist. It took a few minutes for Tammy to restore her decorum.

"Well, I ain't flying from here."

She pulled her phone out, thankfully that hadn't suffered any damage and had been off whilst she was in the air, although it was now on and she hadn't knowingly had time to turn it back on. There was a missed call from her father but she ignored that and called Jim at Smart Air.

"What went on? The tower here was asked about your flight plan? Then the Police called us with the same question."

"Someone had it in for me, and I'm mightily pissed off. My plane's not airworthy right now."

"I see, how bad?"

"New seats, instrumentation needs checking, probably much more."

"Okay, where are you?"

"Prestwick."

"Right, hmmm,, can you see TJ Aircraft?"

Tammy turned and spotted the hanger a few hundred metres away. "Yeah."

"I'll give them a call and I'll arrange to have your plane collected. Do you want a replacement aircraft?"

"No, I think I'll find my own way back."

"Okay, your father called here."

"I have a missed call from him, let me guess, someone has put video of my landing on the 'net?"

"Yes, with a Tornado in the background."

"Damn, so much for travelling quietly." Tammy ended the call. She next took a few photos of her plane's interior.

"I need to drop the keys over there," she pointed, "then we need to get to the digs, but is there a town nearby?"

"What for?"

"New undies, something to wear later? A new bottle of shampoo?"

"Oh. We're close to Ayr and the nearest car rental places are in the town, not here."

"An airport without car rental?"

"Wick doesn't either, there's just not many flights into here normally." Kyle reached for his own phone and started making calls.

By the time Tammy reached the maintenance hanger, the duty manager was expecting her.

"Miss Smart?"

"Yes, I take it you had a call from my fleet manager?"

"I've dealt with Jim before, decent guy."

"Right, he has my authority to handle this, I'm going to be busy."

"He said something like that."

Kyle finally got off the phone, "the local Avis agency will drop a car here in the next twenty to thirty minutes. They suggested we wait in the café."

"Sure."

The pair walked back into the terminal building, and went to walk landside when a security guard tried to stop them. Tammy growled whilst Kyle flashed his NATO ID; Tammy didn't slow, she'd had enough of authority for the day. They settled into the café for a coffee and a sandwich.

The car was barely big enough for the pair of them including their kit, but would suffice as a means of transport. "I've hired it until Monday, just in case, and we can drop it at an Avis depot in Glasgow when we're done."

"Good idea, cheers. Now, before it gets too late I need to find a laundrette and a clothes store."

Kyle drove whilst Tammy searched for information about the town, discovering that there was a mall but no self-service laundrettes. "At least there's Primark and H&M", she offered.

Half an hour later she had picked up lingerie and nightwear to replace the slimy ones from her bag, plus a travel iron, and a replacement shampoo.

It took nearly an hour to reach the Garemount Lodge, their guest house for the weekend. It wasn't quite what Tammy expected, it was a two bedroom self-contained lodge, just a few minutes from Gare Loch.

"Where's the staff, or the bar?"

"There aren't any staff Tammy and alcohol is off-limits for the weekend."

"Who booked us here?"

"Someone in Wade's office, I guess."

"Well, why here and not the Travelodge down the road, the one next to a pub."

"My guess is security."

"Fine, but Marcus had had a security problem in his office and my travel plans were known, so could this place have been compromised?"

"Possibly, but I'm not sure we have much choice? If it helps, I'll give the Travelodge a call."

Kyle walked away from Tammy as he searched for the number then called it, returning a minute later.

"They're full, it's the weekend of the annual Helensburgh beer and gin festival and the organisers have taken over most of the rooms."

"So that option ain't an option?"

"Look, I spotted some take-away fliers so maybe we can order a curry or drive down to Helensburgh and use that pub? No alcohol though!"

"If we get time tomorrow I'll go food shopping."

Kyle laughed, "time? This is the only time off you'll get!"

"Okay, you win this round but I have a few things to do before we need to decide about dinner."

Once she reached her room Tammy first rinsed out her knickers etc and left them to dry in the bathroom on the towel warmer, and then found hangers for her creased clothing. Next she called her father.

"I was worried, Tammy."

"I was furious, I still am."

"Why do you still do this, whatever it is?"

"Good question, Dad, I'm having doubts myself."

"Well, I don't think your mother has seen anything yet but don't be surprised if she calls?"

"My phone is going off, I really shouldn't be making this call, sorry."

"When are you back?"

"We finish on Sunday but, without a plane, I can't see myself getting a train Sunday afternoon."

"So stay over and get one on Monday."

"I'll have to square that with the university."

"I doubt you'll have any trouble with your excuse?"

"If I'm allowed to say where I am, and that's unlikely."

"True, call when you can."

"Will do."

She went to turn her phone off but ran a security scan instead. Not satisfied she plugged her phone into a power outlet and initiated a factory reset. She then plugged in the new iron and decided the coffee table would do as an ironing board, covered with a towel. As the iron heated up her phone beeped to say it was ready, she logged into the phone's account and selected a backup from a previous day, instructing it to download and restore. Her photos of a few hours earlier were wiped in the process.

By now the iron was hot so she started on the task of making sure her uniforms were smart and would pass any inspection. It took half an hour but she also managed to press her jeans and the maxi skirt she'd brought with her.

There was a knock on her door at five, Kyle was outside.

"I tried your phone."

"I haven't given you my number."

"Ah, blame Captain Wade. In any case, it was off."

"I suspect the Americans put something on it so I've done a factory reset. It should be back on?"

Tammy picked it up, it had rebooted and was waiting for her PIN.

"All sorted."

"Except if the Americans had put something on it, they will have tracked you here."

"I doubt they would need much more than my number to track me." Tammy paused, "actually I didn't search my backpack thoroughly for bugs."

Kyle put his finger to his lips and they moved the near empty backpack onto the low table, he pointed at Tammy's shoulder bag and suggested she went through that.

Ultimately they found nothing. "We'll never know if your phone was compromised, and I suspect none of those goons would know how to, but there's also nothing obvious in your bags."

"Okay, what next?"

"Why don't we go for a walk before dinner?"

Tammy grabbed a cardigan and her shoulder bag but left her phone in the room. They walked down the lane away from the Lodge and turned right onto The Briars, a narrow lane overlooking the main road and the Loch.

"What is the training this weekend, Kyle?"

"Ah, would you might leaving that until tomorrow?"

"Why not tell me now?"

"It's easier if I tell you tomorrow when we sort out the equipment. By the way, did you bring a swimsuit?"

"Yes I brought two, but I've had to rinse them both out."

"Wear one in the morning, please, it'll save time."

"I hope it's dried out, but I'll be getting wet?"

"Yes."

"Okay, okay, have you been to Faslane before?"

"It's actually HMNB Clyde, and yes, several times. And, no, I can't tell you what I did there."

"What time do we start in the morning?"

"How about we take breakfast on the base, I can do your briefing at the same time, leave here 0700?"

"Sure."

They walked down to the northern end of the lane then turned to head back, beside them traffic was flowing to and fro. "That can't be all traffic into the base?"

"The road goes around the base and up to the head of the loch, then down the other side. I explored the area a year or so back."

"What are we going to do about food then?"

Kyle pulled out his phone and checked a fast food app. "Locally there's a load of places that do delivery, how does Chinese sound?"

"Sure, but I thought you wanted a curry?"

"Yeah, I changed my mind."

They placed an order and were told it would take three quarters of an hour, Tammy decided to have a shower.

She was just drying her hair when Kyle knocked on her door. "It's in the kitchen."

Tammy joined him there a minute later, her hair could wait but her stomach couldn't.

 
Friday 19th May 2017
 

Tammy was regretting the second cup of coffee as now the loo beckoned, made even more awkward as she was wearing a one-piece swimsuit under her combats. Kyle had gone off to speak to an officer, leaving Tammy with his kit bag - she could only imagine what would happen if she abandoned both their bags just to appease her bladder.

She simmered for a few more minutes, very aware that her fatigues were army issue and almost everyone around her was in Royal Navy uniform. It was only her ID card, together with a Visitor Pass, that avoided unnecessary questions. Kyle re-appeared.

"Ah, Lieutenant Smart, this...." Tammy acknowledged the female officer but didn't hang around, protocol be damned!

Somewhat refreshed she returned to the table.

"That was simply rude."

"You abandoned me, and your kit, then wandered off. I didn't know where you were, I couldn't leave the table because of the kit and I desperately needed a wee. Had you told me you intended to go off, I might have gone for a wee first!"

Tammy hadn't sat down and was, perhaps, a little louder than was needed.

"Under different circumstances, Lieutenant, you would be on a charge."

"I don't have to be here and, to be honest, I still don't know why I'm here. Tell Marcus he can stuff his offer where the sun don't shine."

Kyle quietly said to Tammy, "pick up your bag and follow me, otherwise one of the other officers here will send you to the Glasshouse."

She did as asked, but only to avoid embarrassment, Kyle led her on a march across the base and refused to say a word until they were behind a closed door.

"What the hell is wrong with you?"

"Don't take that attitude with me, I'm pissed off enough already! Either show me some respect or I'm out of here!"

"Not if I put you on a charge."

"Go on, try it, then the whole weekend will be a waste of time. I have better things to do, as well as an insurance claim and legal action against the US Air Force and Prestwick airport."

"If you were one of my men ..."

"I'm not, I'm not under orders and this uniform is just a cover. So get off that high horse and either work with me or I'm outta here."

Tammy wasn't out of breath from the near jog across the base with her backpack, which may have surprised the Captain, but her response certainly did - not one of his team would have uttered Tammy's words.

They were in a small lobby area, Kyle opened the door nearest to him and waved for Tammy to follow. She now realised they were next to a pool, a circular pool about ten metres across. Kyle continued walking and stopped next to scuba gear.

"Okay, this is decision time. I was tasked with giving you a crash course in underwater swimming, with and without a tank. We have two and a half days to certify you. I'm not prepared to waste any of my time unless you stop this griping and do exactly what I say from this moment on?"

"Okay."

"No! The correct response is 'Yes Sir!'"

"In which case, piss off. Health and safety I can take, bigotry and officiousness I won't. If you or Marcus had told me what this was about I could have done a course in Inverness or Aberdeen at a commercial centre."

"So you're not a bit grateful for what's been arranged for your personal benefit?"

"Sure I am, but let's be sensible and we'll get on just fine, otherwise stick me in the brig as I'm likely to bust a nose if this pretentious crap keeps up."

"How the hell did you survive a boarding school, Tammy?"

"Conditioning, I didn't know different then. Since then I've met a few idiots who obviously haven't read Animal Farm, or at least interpreted it different to me. I'd rather do without this uniform and all the protocol that comes with it as the officer class does seem to attract a certain type of person."

"That uniform is a means of getting you training and access to non-civilian assets."

"Fine, let's concentrate on that."

"Can you at least behave around other officers, ones that won't be lenient?"

"I'll try."

"Okay, stow your bag over there," he pointed, "then strip out of your fatigues."

"Here?"

"Yes."

Tammy looked around, they weren't alone and no-one was in the water, she sat to remove her boots and was stood in her cossie a few minutes later.

"Have you worn a wet suit, or a dry suit, before?"

"No."

"Well we'll start with just a snorkel, but first some words of safety."

The words were printed on a notice behind Tammy, she turned to read and by the time she turned back Kyle was holding a snorkel and goggles. "Pop these on and get in the water."

"Flippers?"

"You don't need them."

Tammy spent an hour in the water, mostly with her face down in the water. She did note that she couldn't see the bottom of the pool. Kyle was in the water a couple of minutes after Tammy and was shouting instructions to her.

A buzzer sounded and Kyle told her to get out.

"Get yourself showered and dry, you have ten minutes."

There was a separate female shower area and Tammy had remembered to pack clean undies in her kit bag, as well as a large towel, but she opted to put on a clean, dry, swimsuit instead. She made it back to Captain Fielding in twelve minutes. He clearly didn't like having his authority questioned but didn't question her timekeeping. Others were gathered by the pool edge and clearly Tammy's time was up.

"Come with me, you should bring your kit."

They only went through a couple of doors and settled into a training room.

"We're going to spend the next few hours going over the equipment and the rules, you need to know the rules inside out as it could mean the difference between a successful dive and an inquest."

"Understood."

It seemed strange to Tammy that she was putting on a wet suit and yet they were going nowhere near the water.

"Right take that all off then put it on again."

It got weird when he turned off the lights. "Now I can't see anything."

"Your eyes will adjust, you might need to get into a suit in the dark without being seen, so get used to it."

Finally, after two hours, Kyle was convinced she knew how to get into and out of a wet suit.

"One last thing before we go to lunch....." he produced a blindfold. "So far you've had partial light, now strip out of that suit whilst blindfolded and get into your fatigues, then reverse the process."

They took a break at eleven, then Tammy got to experience the weight of a single air tank and the taste of a standard breathing valve.

"I hope that's been cleaned since it was last used?"

"Of course, but ultimately you'll want to get your own set of scuba gear."

It was midday when they walked back to the NAAFI for lunch.