The Chrysalis Project Book 9: Iron Dolphin Book 3 pt1   The last time Krystel and   Tammy were together, London   was exciting. Now it's   Tammy's turn to travel WARNING: The Chrysalis Project may be hyper-violent for some readers!

 

 

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Preceding installment:
Tamara's Tales Shakespear Takes a Break

 
 
 

'What does Krystel have in store for me?' had been Tammy's question.

"To learn, the secret to life." Krystel replied with a smile.

Tammy looked at her confusion. "What?"

Krystel had spotted Tammy coming from Baggage Claim and smiled as she waved her over. Tammy was surprised, Krystel had taken her passport and handed it back a second later with stamps and directed her out of the terminal. A taxi took them over to a hotel called Bell Channel Inn.

"Pink?" Tammy asked when they got out of the cab.

Krystel winked. "Welcome to the Caribbean."

At the desk, Tammy checked in. She only needed to fill-out the registration and have the main page of her passport photocopied.

"There you are Miss Smart and enjoy your stay." The desk-clerk said.

Krystel picked up Tammy's suitcase. "Let's go."

Tammy turned to follow and was immediately confused. Krystel was leading her out, not up.

Outside Krystel led the way to the parking lot and stopped at a new model Jeep Grand Cherokee.

"Kerri, er, Krystel; where are we going?" Tammy asked.

Krystel set Tammy's suitcase in the back. "Oh, you're just registered here. You'll be staying with us. Hop in."

Tammy climbed into the passenger seat. Krystel backed out then drove away.

"Freeport is a hub. We stay on a private island. It's not far away by helo." Krystel explained as she drove. "Oh, we have to make one quick stop though."

A few minutes later the jeep pulled in at a school. A cluster of girls waited out front and one broke away when Krystel honked.

"Hi Aunt Kryssie." The young teen greeted as she climbed into the backseat then asked. "Are you the Scottish girl, Tammy?"

"Yes, I am." Tammy replied.

The girl smiled back. "I'm Mindy."

Krystel drove away. "What's the word?"

"Got in trouble." Mindy pouted.

Krystel smirked in the rearview mirror. "Yeah? What'd you do?"

Mindy sighed. "FUBAR is not an acceptable assessment of a classmate's grade average."

Tammy snorted and Krystel laughed.

"I had to spend Break writing lines on the board." Mindy complained.

Krystel shook her head. "They let you off easy. Guess who won't."

"Mama and Daddy." Mindy groaned then snapped up. "NO! Don't tell uncle Carl, PLEASE!"

"Forget it kiddo. You're nailed and everybody gets their shot." Krystel stated.

Tammy looked back and asked. "How bad will it be?"

"Mama'll make me clean the house to inspection. Daddy'll make me wash the Bell. Uncle Eddie'll make me degrease some engines. Uncle Carl won't let me go sailing. Uncle Rodrick will have me search around the coves for an anchor and bring it up. Aunt Lyssa'll work me in her studio or I have to babysit the twins." Mindy listed.

Krystel prompted. "And me?"

"No Princessland for a week." Mindy groused.

"Princessland?" Tammy asked.

Mindy explained. "Princessland is an online world. I talk to girls all over the world in it. No going into it is how aunt Kryssie grounds me."

"I see." Tammy said, understanding now.

Krystel drove into a hangar and parked. Mindy bailed out, with her backpack. Tammy followed suit and followed Krystel, who retrieved her suitcase. They all walked out and stopped. A helicopter was descending in front of them. The rotors slowed and stopped. A groundman drove over with a tractor pulling a trailer with a tank on it. It was marked for fuel and began refueling the helicopter.

Tammy pointed to the pilot, wearing a full flight-suit and helmet with the visor down. "Isn't he a bit over-dressed."

"Daddy always wears that." Mindy commented. "You'll get used it."

"Darth Vader-guy." Tammy remarked, mostly to herself.

Mindy giggled. "Everybody calls him that, a lot."

Krystel arched an eyebrow. "Something get your attention?"

Tammy asked. "Didn't he turn over the Epic to the ferry-pilot?"

"Yeah. He did." Krystel chuckled. "She describe him?"

Tammy nodded. "Darth Vader-guy, she called him."

The pilot waved them out, Mindy streaked toward the helicopter while Krystel and Tammy walked casually. After take-off, Tammy heard the pilot.

"Take the controls." The pilot said to Mindy.

Mindy answered. "I have the controls."

Tammy couldn't resist and looked out the window. There was no denying it, the view was beautiful. From altitude, she was looking down on scattered patches of paradise. Fewer and fewer island were coming into view. Then the helicopter began to descend.

"Tower, RamAir on approach." The pilot called out.

"Copy, RamAir. Clear for final approach."

An island came into view and Tammy immediately spotted a long runway and hangars.

"Is this an actual base?" Tammy asked.

Krystel wagged her hand. "More or less. There's a lot we can do here."

The helicopter landed and man came out. The wheels were chocked and they disembarked. Tammy followed Krystel into the middle, and largest, hangar. They were met by a strawberry blonde woman coming down a set of stairs. Tammy glanced around, there were two other helicopters she was familiar with. The shocker was an actual gunship and some kind of fighter jet towards the back of the hangar.

"Hi Tammy. I'm Kimberly Lando." Kim introduced herself and offered her hand.

Tammy shook hands. "Pleased to meet you, Tamara Smart. You wouldn't happen to be; the Kimberly that sent me a text about the registration?"

"That was me, just call me Kim. Sorry about the confusion, a miscommunication. Come to the conference room and we'll go over the schedule." Kim said and led the way.

Tammy walked in and looked around. "Is this all about me?"

Krystel nodded and pointed to a chair. "That's right. Have a seat and we'll go over it."

Tammy took the seat and gave the two women her attention.

"Now. We sent you an itinerary. In truth, you actually will learn those. You'll be learning other things as well. When you leave here, you'll have some literature and discs in support of the executive courses." Kim stated.

Tammy asked. "Just out of curiosity, is there really an Elegant Executive service?"

"Oh sure. We own it. There actually is a seminar going on right now, for 12 women. It's mixed in with a vacation package so they get a full two weeks. They just won't be out here and some of your activities will be way different." Krystel smirked.

Tammy looked at the large white dry-erase board and listened. The way they had things scheduled almost down to the minute, it seemed this wasn't the first time they had done something like this.

"I'm surprised all this was put together in so short of time. Will I get any sleep?" Tammy asked.

Krystel laughed. "Oh you'll get sleep. It just won't seem like enough. This is pretty much Saturation Training. You're a sponge and we have a pitcher of liquid. We pour and pour until you can't absorb anymore."

"I see. I get the impression you all have done this before." Tammy remarked.

Kim nodded. "We have, but you're getting a seriously abridged course. You won't be going into jungles and deserts, for example. Let's make this clear Tammy. We're not expecting you to go on Assault Operations. To give you a clue, you will be a listening post. You'll perform tasks such as investigations and surveillance. That's the bulk of what you do for us."

"So, I really will be a spy?" Tammy surmised.

Krystel nodded. "Yeah Tammy. You got into kill or be killed situations and you did what you needed to, but it doesn't sit well with you. The higher-up's aren't any help. Too many think a uniform and firm command have an affect. Doesn't work that way. There are times when bullets, blades are the only option. Not always, but those times are there."

Kim tapped the file in her hand. "You have inside knowledge about finance, nice. You need other skills too. We'll help with that. You are set up in a way. Realty. You can use property interests as your way in. You also have banking connections, that will provide other ways in. You also picked up piloting, that is another way."

"Learning the diving skills are also another way to be where I can be useful." Tammy guessed.

Krystel tch-ed at her. "Wrong useful, Tammy. The most critical party you need to be useful to; is yourself. Remember how I said Wade didn't see your business as important?"

"Yes." Tammy replied. "You said that it is."

Kim nodded. "And she's right. It is critical. It gives you a life with purpose that is easily explained. I won't lie to you. One day that purpose will change. You won't be able to provide help. When that day comes; and it WILL come, you will be able to go on. You will be able to go on, your way."

Tammy got it now. She wouldn't be disposable. Expendable. There would be light at the end of the tunnel, light not from an oncoming train.

"Alright. I like this idea. How do I go about it? All this, will help me get there?" Tammy asked and pointed to the schedule on the board.

Kim sat down beside her. "Yes. Think of this; as a collection of tickets at the beginning of a new road. With these passes, you will get through the checkpoints and toll booths along the way."

"I see. I believe I understand it now. So, when do we start?" Tammy asked.

Kim got up and tapped the board. "First thing in the morning. That said, there are a couple of things to be aware of."

"First thing; that's not a pet." Kim said and pointed toward the door.

Tammy looked and saw a black dog standing there.

Kim looked at the dog. "Warlock. Trete zurück."

The dog sat, ears up and forward.

"I take it, he is a some type of service dog?" Tammy guessed.

"Warlock is a tactical dog. Anti-personnel and anti-ordinance. Even if you speak his language, he won't obey you. If you encounter him, freeze. Let him investigate you and when he's satisfied, he'll move on. There are residences here, respect their privacy. Enter under permission. South of the runway is a range. A red flag means the range is live. When the runway is in use, an announcement will be made. Anything else comes up, you'll be told. That's the safety briefing. Welcome to Ram's Rock Island." Kim said and smiled.

Another command was given and the dog approached Tammy and gave her a thorough sniffing. Satisfied, he wandered out.

Krystel snerked. "Now he knows who you are. He'll check you out randomly. But if he growls, leave the area you're in."

"That wraps it up. You'll be staying with Krystel. The rest of the evening, is yours." Kim said and went out.

Krystel stood up. "Come on, let's get you settled in and then get ready for dinner."

 

~o~O~o~

 

"For the love of God; what have I gotten into?" Tammy groaned in the shower.

Krystel woke her at five in the morning and handed her a clutch of clothing. High cut shorts, racer top and cross-trainer shoes. Tammy soon found herself on a bicycle riding laps of the runway and trying to keep up. After the ride Tammy followed Krystel on running laps then popped the shoes off and dove into the oncoming surf. Tammy had no idea how far Krystel had her swim. All she knew was that Krystel had been alongside her the entire time and as Tammy stumbled from the surf; revealed Tammy had biked five miles, ran four and swam two.

"Not bad for day One. Now for a shower and breakfast, then we get started." Krystel said, walking confidently, but looked over. "You might consider shaving some more. You're going to be in the water more than just for PT."

Tammy did just that. Taking more time in the shower than usual. After she dried her hair, she looked out of the spare bedroom and glanced to see what her friend wore. A simple flare-skirt and sleeveless shell, with sandals that had a heel to them. Tammy dug through her clothes and found a casual dress and sandals then dressed. After breakfast, they left for the main hangar.

"Morning." Kimberly greeted, clipboard in hand.

Tammy returned the greeting. "Good morning."

"Not regretting your visit already, are you?" Kim smirked.

Krystel laughed as she poured a cup of coffee. "She only thinks she is! Help yourself, Tammy."

Tammy poured her own, sipped it and looked at them both like traitors as she choked it down. "What IS this?"

"If it's sludge, Rodrick made it. Crunchy would be Carl. Strong enough to pull your guts inside out, Lonestar. If it melts the cup, Eddie made it and what we can't drink, he uses as a degreaser." Kim remarked then sipped. "This is a second run, so no idea. To the conference room, let's get to it."

Tammy followed them into the conference room. Within minutes, Tammy was being shown examples of raw intelligence and the easiest ways to find it. After that, ways to exploit that type of intel to gather more in-depth. This was deemed 'Working Intel'.

"Working Intelligence is information that leads you to bigger and more important things. Actionable Intelligence is exactly that. Information that can be used to take Action." Kim explained.

This lead to another half hour of lecture with diagrams, including how to prepare a briefing packet. Kim excused herself for a few minutes while Tammy studied the material.

"Kim, What is RUMINT? Er...Kim?" Tammy asked then saw she was alone, until she looked lower. "Hello, dog."

The Tactical dog sat looking at Tammy, but didn't respond to her voice. Kimberly walked in a moment later.

"Something wrong?" Kim asked.

Tammy nodded to the dog. "I looked over and instead of you, I saw him."

"Oh. He was waiting for me." Kim said then looked to the dog. "Warlock. Suche. Gehen."

The dog immediately bolted from the room with a growl. A phone rang also.

Kim picked up a cordless handset off the table and headed for the door. "Excuse me, I have to take this. Would you mind picking up the bomb for me, Warlock will show it to you. RamAir Charters."

"Sure. Wait. Did you say 'bomb'?" Tammy sputtered then heard the dog barking aggressively in the hangar and rushed to go after him.

She found the dog crouched under the nose of an amphibious plane and barking at the nose-gear. Tammy crawled under and looked around then found a bundle of two blocks marked Semtex. There didn't seem to be anything else, just the explosive. No timer counting down or other electronics she assumed it should have. The dog continued to bark adamantly.

Tammy looked at him. "Okay, okay! I see it, but can I just grab it?"

A voice yelled out. "Hey! Just get it off there. He'll shut up then!"

Tammy pulled on the bundle and it simply came away. The dog woofed then walked off. Tammy crawled out from under the plane and went back to the conference room. At the table she looked at the bundle. It seemed to only be two packages of explosives. She had been focused and startled when a cup was set in front of her.

"Hey there." A rather tanned blonde haired man said then pointed to the bundle. "Checking out the mutt's toy?"

"Toy? I thought it was a bomb." Tammy said.

The man shook his head. "Not really. The explosives are real, but that's all it is. He smells that, not the other bomb stuff, so we don't bother. It's what he does. So you're Tammy."

Tammy eyed him. "Does everybody know who I am?"

"Yeah. We're all teaching you something. I'm Carl. I'll teach you sailing and probably oversee your diving." Carl said.

Tammy asked. "Are you the one who sent me the diving equipment?"

Carl nodded. "Yeah. Better me than Mindy, everything would be pink or purple if she had a say in it. Mares is a good line and very popular. You can get it serviced anywhere pretty much."

Krystel came in with good news, it was time for lunch. It consisted of salads with shrimp, but no wine. She discovered why, right after. Tammy found herself in a colorful dive-suit, with rebreather, and wading into oncoming surf. Krystel and Carl wanted to get a feel for Tammy's previous dive training. Tammy did have to admit, diving in these tropical waters was quite pleasant, compared to the cold waters back home. She was amazed at the fish and other sea creatures. When their gauges edged to the mark, Krystel signaled her to return to the beach. Just as the first warning caught her attention, they breached surface.

"That was great!" Tammy said as soon as she pulled the respirator from her mouth.

Krystel smiled. "Liked it?"

"I will admit, I'm jealous you have such beautiful water to dive in. You would have to drag me out." Tammy laughed.

They went over to the hangar and rinsed off themselves and their gear. Tammy learned fast how to maintain and store the gear. Krystel and Carl showed ways that were quick and methodical, yet very thorough. Carl had dove as well and brought in a bag of lively contributions to dinner. Mindy was back from school by then. She checked over Carl's catch then selected one of the lobsters and immediately began chasing after Tammy with it, making snarky jokes about it.

"WAIT TAMMY! YOU HAVE TO EXPLAIN, IT'S NOT PERSONAL YOU WANT IT FOR DINNER! IT'S TOTALLY CLICKED OFF!" Mindy giggled.

Tammy dodged and ran the other way. "Now's not the situation for SNAPPY remarks!"

After the bit of play, Mindy tossed the lobster back to Carl and ran off to go home.

Tammy had to shake her head. This place was nothing like she had imagined. It was both serious and fun. That was when she stopped.

"Ut-oh." Krystel said.

Carl leaned back against the water tank. "Somebody havin' an epiphany?"

"None of this is like I thought. I worried that I'd either be bored to death or miserable." Tammy admitted.

Carl shook his head. "I'm leaving this to a superior officer. Lieutenant Commander; she's ALL yours, Ma'am."

Carl went off with his bag, leaving Tammy and Krystel alone.

"Did he just call you a Lieutenant Commander? As in, Naval Officer?" Tammy asked.

"Yes Tammy. I'm not actually in the Navy anymore, but yes, my rank is Lieutenant Commander. My primary is CyberOps and secondary is FieldOps. Let's take a walk." Krystel said.

"I grew up low-middle income. Not religious, not mainline conservative, but close-minded family. Pretty much the only thing I ever did they approved of, was leave. I didn't play sports, so they couldn't brag about me like the other parents. I was a damn good student. I made honor roll and got into computer science. My grades and computer studies earned a scholarship, so I went to college. I wanted to serve. I believe in freedom. Did then, still do now. When I graduated, I joined the Navy with a commission. Not bad for me. The problems happened while I was in college." Krystel told her.

Tammy didn't pay much attention to where they walked, it was along beach, which was pleasant.

Krystel went on. "During college I had a degree of freedom I'd never had before. I indulged it. I got a part-time job that provided me with money and I spent it. On an apartment, clothes, make-up, shoes, getting my ears pierced. The works. Finally I got up the courage to go out. So I did. Had a blast too. There were plenty of places I could go to and be anonymous, so I enjoyed myself. Right before summer break, a friend of mine wrote me a letter. A kid in my high school came out, as gay. Everybody went off the deep end."

Tammy watched their feet making prints in the sand. "Your parents jumped aboard the wagon?"

"Hell no, girl. Those fucks led the charge to run him out of town. Worked too. He left after getting beaten pretty bad. What we call 'a life-altering ass-beating'." Krystel said.

"So what did you do?" Tammy asked.

Krystel laughed. "Broke the law. I was already a hacker by the time I hit high school. Now that I was in college, I was much more skilled. Took me all of an hour to find everybody in on it and another two to get into the bank. By morning, my apocalypse was done. Everybody was broke, in debt, credit shot to fuck all and most bills overdue. I felt GLORIOUS in my vengeance!"

Tammy was enthralled now. "Did it work? Were you able to get away with it?"

"Of course, and yes. Well, mostly yes. Turned out, I wasn't the only one moving around cyberspace that night. My preparations caught somebody else's attention. They watched me and were impressed. The next afternoon, I was called for a meeting in the computer lab. It took all of two minutes for me to know what was up, and another three to agree to training. Within thirty minutes, I was on a summer course. That was my checkpoint: Zulu. No return. I had talent and it could be cultivated. That started my journey down that electronic rabbit hole straight to Cyber-warfare. I only glanced back once. A letter 'home'. I wrote of disgust, outrage and told them they would never see or hear from me again." Krystel said.

"Krystel, how deep do rabbit-holes go?" Tammy asked.

"Oh, that's the question if there ever was one. No two are the same. As for me; I've neither hit bottom, nor fell out the other end. Only I'm not falling, I'm diving. I'll go as far as I can. I want to." Krystel said proudly.

Tammy looked over. "And you're happy?"

"Happy? Girl, I've done things the kids I grew up with never dreamed about in their wildest imagination! I've stormed Cartel compounds in the jungle, chased smugglers across the desert, wore a five-grand designer gown in Milan, played cards and won against an Arabian Prince, swam under an ice covered Russian harbor and had a fire-fight in a coffee shop! I've even jumped from twenty-nine thousand feet to land on the top of a ship as the lead element of an Assault group to take it over. Piracy on the high seas took on a whole NEW dimension on that one! Hard to imagine how it can get any better." Krystel laughed.

Tammy thought on it then asked. "Love? Do you have someone?"

"I have dates, but nobody full-time. I go to Freeport, Key West and Miami. A night, a weekend. Whatever I want. There's always guys that don't have a problem with that. It works for me, I'm not ready to settle down in marriage and have kids. I may never be. If that changes, I know where to look." Krystel smirked.

"Oh." Tammy replied then remembered a couple of comments that didn't make sense. "Wait. Something doesn't set right. You said, in college you spent money on clothes and so on. Also that your family weren't kind to a boy that came out as gay. Krystel, please tell me two plus two..."

"Equals four, not twenty-two. I wasn't born anatomically female, but I wanted to be. This." Krystel said and swept her hands to mean herself. "Part of the recruitment package. Nice perk, huh?"

Tammy gawked. "You're transgender too?"

Krystel laughed. "You started earlier in life than me, but I went more radical than you. Not all of it was easy. I had more work done than you, but I get this, so it's not all bad. Come on, we need to get some dinner."

After dinner, Krystel handed Tammy several pages.

"What is this?" Tammy asked.

Krystel tapped it. "Diet program. It's the one we use after transition. It's how we maintain ourselves."

Tammy read and could't believe it. Some were simple and others were elaborate. Some were even gourmet.

"This does not look anything like some kind of diet." Tammy remarked.

Krystel sat back. "It's not supposed to. You have to actually look into the nutritional values to see it. You can achieve, without appearing to be working. The world of Intel is a world of smoke and mirrors. Make all around you believe what you need them to. You're not a spy. You're not an operative. You work for yourself. You ARE a businesswoman."

"That can dive, fly planes and shoot guns." Tammy snarked.

Krystel smirked at her. "And parachute."

"Oh god, I'm going to learn that too, here?" Tammy asked.

Krystel smiled. "Even if she has to toss your Scottish-Lass ass off the ramp herself, you'll learn to jump. You might even like it."

"She? Who do you mean 'she'?" Tammy asked.

Krystel giggled. "Oh, you'll meet her tomorrow. She'll be teaching you wardrobe and styling too. Just like she taught me."

"So, you went through more of a program than I did." Tammy surmised.

Krystel sipped from her glass. "Two years. Transition and training all at the same time. All Go, no stop. Intense, but it was part of what got me where I am."

Tammy helped with the dishes then went off to relax. Soon enough she was in bed and asleep.

Morning came, and with it was the grueling exercise. It was obvious Krystel added to it. After her shower she dressed similarly to the day before. Tammy began to worry. The weather was warmer than she had thought and her clothes weren't as lightweight as she needed.

"Krystel. I think I have a wardrobe issue." Tammy said during breakfast.

Krystel nodded. "Running out of clothes?"

"My shopping was limited." Tammy admitted.

Krystel waved her off. "We thought that might come up. You'll get squared-away today. You're fine for now."

They finished breakfast, cleaned up and headed out. Tammy was puzzled when Krystel turned away from the hangars. The answer came minutes later when a large house came into view. Krystel stopped at the door and pointed.

"Go on in. You're expected." Krystel said then turned to go. "Enjoy your time with her."

Tammy wondered why Krystel had smiled, but knocked anyway. No answer came, but Tammy let herself in.

"Krystel did say I was expected." Tammy said as she went in.

The oddest sight struck her when she entered the living room. Two toddlers were on a carpet and the black tactical dog was laying down, his mouth open and shaking his head side to side as the children tried to grab at his snout.

"I thought he was dangerous." Tammy remarked.

"Warlock is." A voice said behind her.

Tammy turned and her jaw immediately hit the floor. "YOU?"

"Hi. I'm Lyssa." Lyssa said then smiled. "How about we keep this informal. You don't have to call me MiLady."

"MiLady? Really?" Tammy asked then looked to where Lyssa pointed and saw a shield on the wall, below it a framed document. "This is a Royal Order! Wait. Why is it Black? This can't be real."

"By His Royal Highness, Prince Henry Charles Albert David, under the authority of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; I am Lady Lyssa Kordenay-Mason. Yes, that is VERY real. Myself, my husband, Kim, Pete, Lonestar, Carl and Eddie were knighted. We have the favour of the Crown." Lyssa smirked. "We're THAT damned good."

Tammy looked over. "Does Sean know?"

Lyssa laughed. "Of course. I'm the reason he met you. I told Krystel where to find him. I taught her, now I teach you. Ready to learn? It's time to play Barbie, little Scottish girl."

When Lyssa pointed past her, Tammy turned to look and saw a rack of clothes and shoes. She knew it didn't require a degree to know they were all in her size. A heartbeat later, she was naked and being dressed. For the next four hours, she put on outfits and applied make-up. Tammy learned business looks that screamed 'corporate hatchet-woman' all the way to 'does she work for a high-echelon escort service'. Then they switched to casuals; dresses, skirt-sets, shorts-sets, pants, jeans, leggings. All with best coordinating tops, blouses and sweaters. Finally came formals and semi-formal wear. Tammy was confused when Lyssa gave her a set of luggage to pack it all away in. The luggage was designer, by Coach.

When Tammy finished, Lyssa smirked. "Now you have appropriate apparel here. We'll send it to you by FedEx after you leave. Time for lunch."

Tammy tried to pay attention, but Lyssa was a whirlwind in the kitchen and had the meal ready in only half an hour. Tammy almost couldn't contain herself, it smelled so appetizing. It was some kind of glazed chicken breast with a wild rice and mixed vegetables. Tammy shook her head and somehow managed to hold in her laughter during the meal. Lyssa was able to slip in bites for herself while feeding the twins. They shifted back and forth from cooperative to combative. After they finished, Lyssa cleaned them off and set them back down to play. Miraculously, there was nothing on her white blouse or pink skirt.

Lyssa noticed the glance over. "Oh, they only go ballistic when you wear dry-clean-only around them. If you can throw it in the washer, they don't care."

"That's funny!" Tammy laughed then turned serious. "May I ask a personal question?"

Lyssa leaned her hip against the back of the couch. "You can ask. Getting an answer is another matter."

"I assume you've been in this secret world a long time? How have you been able to do it; keep the two lives separate?" Tammy asked.

"That's the big question, isn't it? Well, I've been in black-ops almost all my adult life. I just went from one unit to another. Finally, I couldn't go any further. A man showed up and made me an offer. I could go on. But I wanted to go a different path. I became a woman of mystery. I came from nowhere and maintained shadows around me, even when I stood in the spotlight. You never got that chance. You were dangled in the public eye and kept there for all to see. I danced, cat-walked and posed for all to see. When the lights went out; I stalked the darkness invisible to all." Lyssa explained.

Tammy thought about that. Yes, even she had heard of Lyssa Kordenay. The Prima and model. She couldn't believe there was so much more. Like an iceberg, the visible part was pretty, but the unseen was dangerous.

Lyssa shook her head. "Tammy, things went way out of hand with you. It's not your fault. Bureaucrats will always make excuses to marginalize costs. Most have never had to undertake risks themselves. Pay attention, because this pertains to you. Under this flag, you won't be treated like that. All of us, every single one, has faced the same and greater risks than you. I've faced the worst there is. I did it alone, Tammy. I did it for more reasons than I can explain. I can say this. The greatest thing I ever did; was for freedom, justice and safe conduct. That sounds idealistic. Maybe even romantic, but you'd be wrong to think so. You will never be truly alone from now on. We take care of our own. You are one of our own now, Tamara Smart. Today's lesson is over, on your way. The luggage will be sent over later."

Tammy took that as an order. An order to be immediately carried out. She had never met someone who could be charming and frightening at the same time. The really odd part, was that she felt reassured too. How could she do all that? At the hangar, Tammy's eyes popped out.

"GOOD CHRIST, KRYSTEL, YOU'RE TOOLED UP!" Tammy exclaimed at the sight of her friend in a one-piece black suit and weapons rig.

Krystel laughed and tossed a bag to her. "Catch. Change in there, it's fun time."

Tammy went into the same room they used to change into the wetsuits. In the bag was an outfit almost identical to Krystel's. A pair of knee-high boots were included. Tammy put it all on and came out.

"Not bad." A man's muffled voice commented, passing behind her.

Tammy turned and saw the pilot in full flight gear, Lonestar. "Thank you."

Tammy joined Krystel and had a harness strapped on her. Straps going over each shoulder, belt around her waist and holsters strapped to each thigh. Krystel held up a pistol, locked open. The slide slid forward and it was stuck into the right holster, a second pistol went into the left. Magazines were put into plastic holders around her waist. Twenty magazines in total, then two into her hand.

Tammy looked at her. "Are we about to storm a third-world country?"

"Nope. Just the range." Krystel said and picked up a green metal box. "Let's go."

Krystel let Tammy warm up with five magazines each then let her watch as she went through the Killhouse. Tammy was sent through. She was much slower and nowhere near as accurate. Krystel sent her through six more times, changing the layout and target positions each time. Tammy knew it was supposed to be serious, yet it seemed fun, running through a building and shooting make-believe bad guys. Finally she was spent. Her legs were tired and her hands were strained.

"You do this all the time?" Tammy asked Krystel.

Krystel nodded. "Twice a week. You do mean just pistols, right?"

"You do more?" Tammy asked in shock.

"Yeah. Two days each; pistols, assault rifles and sub-guns. Some days are just going in, some are jumps and some are amphibious. Train to insane, crazy becomes do-able in combat." Krystel smirked.

Tammy shook her head. "Insane is right."

"Well, the fun's over. Let's clean up and go see about dinner." Krystel said.

Tammy was surprised when Krystel brought out a vacuum and used it to collect up all the spent casings then emptied it into a bucket. They went back to the hangar and changed then went to Krystel's cottage. Tammy made dinner using the diet program. She slept well that night.

 

~o~O~o~

 

The next morning was Day Three and started as the other two had. Exercise, shower and breakfast. Tammy had been told to wear jeans and a tank t-shirt with the knee-high boots. Today her morning instructor was the man they called Eddie. He showed her an engine and told her it was the same engine for the Epic. He spent a lot of time going over it, common problems and their solutions. He also showed her pictures of more serious problems and how to deal with them.

"I hear you have a two-seater. CzechSport. Over here is a similar engine." Eddie said and began teaching about it as well.

Tammy was surprised at how easily some things could be repaired. On a whim, she asked what items she should have in a toolkit for her planes. He handed her two printed pages.

"You were going to give these to me anyway, weren't you?" Tammy asked.

Eddie chuckled. "Yeah, but living up to that last name of yours; you asked. You have not wasted this time. Go get chow. You'll meet your Dive-Boss when you get back. Prepare to suffer, kid."

After lunch with Krystel, Tammy changed into a bikini and went back to the hangar. A rather fit man was standing in the conference room wearing a wet-suit, the top half down but had on a t-shirt.

"Afternoon Tammy. I'm Rodrick Mason, your Dive-instructor. You enjoyed my wife's company yesterday." Rodrick greeted her.

Tammy returned the greeting. "Afternoon, MiLord."

Rodrick smirked at her. "Oh. Smart, as in smart-ass."

"I'm afraid I couldn't resist." Tammy replied.

Rodrick rolled his eyes. "Yeah, yeah. Get in here. You've got a lot to learn and not a whole lot of time to do it."

Tammy went in and sat down.

"I don't know the man that gave you the initial dive-training personally, but his rep isn't bad. You need some skills he wasn't able to get around to. This is a crash-course. I'll be teaching you how to inspect watercraft, structures and perform surveys underwater. These skills you can use for more than one reason. Yes, you can use it for the projects we have and for Sean. You can also use it for your business. Let's get to it."

Tammy sat and paid close attention to narration of images on the large monitor. What to look for, where to look and why they would be there. After an hour and a half she was sent to suit up. Rodrick took her out in the cove and they dove. She went under the hulls of three boats then to a pier and boathouse to inspect the pilings and so on. Using Dive-slates and hand-signals, Tammy and Rodrick communicated back and forth. Rodrick also had waterproof flashcards to explain in-depth of the things she needed to pay close attention to.

The gauges on the rebreathers began to alert them, so Rodrick led her out into the cove then taught her how to switch units without surfacing. She almost choked on the mouthful of seawater so Rodrick had her repeat clearing the mouth-piece to learn how to do so without choking on the water. Finally Tammy gave him a thumb's-up and he returned it with a pat on her shoulder.

Tammy spent the limit of the rebreather learning to survey and make a diagram on a larger Dive-slate. After that, she learned to come ashore in a low-observable manner. Amphibious-incursion. She left everything on the cove's sandy floor; except mask, snorkel, fins and slates. He even made her sneak into the hangar to put the slates on the conference table.

"Not bad for a first time." Kim said, walking in.

Tammy watched as a video of her coming ashore began to play. Kim pointed out certain things Tammy overlooked. It was critical, but constructive.

"Is there time for me to do it again?" Tammy asked.

Kim nodded. "Sure. You can go back out in the water using just the snorkel. Start where you left the gear and come back ashore."

"Hit the water." Rodrick said with encouragement.

Tammy went back out and followed Rodrick to the gear-drop point. She dove down and touched the gear then headed toward the surface. She had an idea and rode the inside of a wave to wash ashore. Laying in the surf she shed the rest of the gear and broke from the water-line to rush over to some vegetation. From there she tried to move low and fast, looking around for any type of cameras. She smiled when she spotted one, then another. Tammy made it to the hangar and slipped inside.

Kim stood there, smiling. "Tammy Smart, you did really good. You only showed up on seven cameras instead of all eighteen. You pass this exercise and we hope you never need to do it operationally. Hit the shower, your day is done."

"Go ahead. Carl is collecting the gear. You did good." Rodrick nodded.

Tammy went to the shower and rinsed off then did so without the wetsuit. Despite it being difficult training, she was enjoying it. She left the bikini on and decided to walk along the beach. She found a cottage and the little girl Mindy was sitting on the porch at a table with books open.

"Must be doing homework." Tammy guessed and moved on.

A large house was next, but she didn't go to investigate, just moved on. On the far end of the island was some kind of training course, looking like gymnastic equipment. She walked further around and found Lyssa and Rodrick's house. Lyssa was outside, sitting on the grass playing with her children. Tammy smiled and continued further. She found a trail that went inward, so she followed it. Two cottages were in a large clearing, she couldn't see anyone in or around them. Though curious of who owned them, she reminded herself to respect their privacy. She saw two other paths and she chose the far one.

She reached the end of the path and laughed.

"Doctor Livingstone I presume?" Tammy called out to Krystel.

Krystel was standing on her porch and laughed. "Why, of course, Miss Stanley!"

Tammy went in and changed into shorts and t-shirt. Once again, Krystel had her make dinner from the program. Afterward, they sat on her porch and relaxed.

Krystel sipped her wine. "Well Tammy, what's the verdict on the trip so far?"

"I'm being run ragged, for certain. But for some masochistic reason, I'm enjoying it." Tammy chuckled.

Krystel smiled. "Good. No reason not to find the good times when you can. If you can have a good time, you'll learn better."

"Is that where I've been wrong?" Tammy asked.

Krystel shook her head. "You aren't military. You don't have the same drive and motivation your previous instructors dealt with. They're accustomed to those with the 'failure is not an option' mentality. You went in with the 'what am I in now' state of mind. Or so it seemed."

"I'm afraid I can't argue that. May I ask a question off-topic?" Tammy asked.

Krystel shrugged. "Sure."

"There are other houses here. May I ask who they belong to?" Tammy asked.

"One belongs to Kim, Lonestar and Mindy. The other big house belongs to another family, but they aren't here right now. Only their housekeeper. You know Rodrick and Lyssa's house already. The other two houses belong to other members of the unit. One that stays on deployment and another in the states. The one in the states is married and adopted her husband's two kids. Pete, Eddie and Carl have quarters set up in the hangars." Krystel listed.

The sun had set so they adjourned for the night.

 

~o~O~o~

 

Tammy woke at the first beep of the alarm clock. She dressed in the workout clothes and went out to meet Krystel on the runway.

"You work out more than me, don't you?" Tammy asked.

Krystel nodded. "Nothing personal, you just aren't up to our levels. If you continue on after leaving, you'll get there. Let's get to it. We got business."

Tammy put her all into it and felt oddly satisfied walking back to Krystel's cottage. The dress-code for the morning was skirt, an off-shoulder top and pumps. Apparently it was indoor lessons for the morning. Her instructor was Kim again. Her lesson plan was all office administration. Some things Tammy knew, others were new information. Some could help and others wouldn't apply to estate agencies. Realty as Kim called it. Mostly, Kim spent time teaching her how to organize better. Kim also taught her how to keep one electronic side safely apart from the other. Even phone and computer procedures and protocols so Tammy could communicate relatively in the open to the island, yet still maintain security.

"So with this phone, there are two levels. One normal and one for covert communications?" Tammy asked.

Kim nodded. "That's right. It uses cell towers primarily, but you can switch to satellite if you need to. The satellite phone in the pack you were sent will now be a back up. If you have to, you can delete settings and destroy it."

"I've always wanted to ask; where did all that come from?" Tammy asked.

Kim sat back in her chair. "The pistol, ammo, computer and phone we acquired from a British operative that went rogue. Everything else could be ordered off Amazon and was. Oh. The ballistic vest was made by us. We used you purchase history to determine the size. Speaking of sizing, come with me."

Kim led Tammy to a room at the back of the hangar. Inside Tammy was told to strip and step into a booth.

"Okay. Stand with your feet apart more. Good now hold your arms out a little more. Good. Close your eyes and don't move." Kim said and began typing on a laptop. Moments later she said. "All done. You can get dressed now."

Tammy put her clothes back on. "What was that? Some kind of scanner?"

"Yeah. It measured you. The suit you wore for the range, doesn't fit. You'll get one that does. The boots are fine, we get them off the shelf and modify for our use." Kim said.

Tammy had the impression there was more to the suit than looks. "Is the suit bullet-proof?"

Kim gave her a sly smile. "Bullet-resistant, Tammy. Nothing is bullet-proof. You get a level five ballistic rating. It also will protect you from slashes and stabbing."

Tammy's eyes went wide. "Are you serious? It can do all that?"

"And more. It disrupts your infra-red signature to a degree. It won't make you invisible, just slightly confusing to sensors. Pay attention, your life depends on this. You can survive seven point six-two rounds and pistol rounds up to forty-five caliber. You'll get a welt or a bruise, but you'll live. Concussive force will hurt you, stay back from explosions. Grenade fragments won't penetrate from a distance. The closer you are, the higher the risk, always take cover. The collar is flexible, not rigid. You can be strangled. The suit increases survivability, it doesn't make you invulnerable." Kim explained then fixed her with a stern look. "Do you understand all of this?"

Tammy felt the urge to stand at attention and did. "Yes M'am."

"Forgetting that can end you. I don't think I have to tell you twice, do I?" Kim asked.

"No, M'am." Tammy replied.

Kim nodded. "Good. Let's get lunch now. You are going to have some fun-learning this afternoon. Bikini required and you report to the dock."

After Lunch with Kim, Tammy rushed to change into a bikini, choosing a purple set and went down to the dock. Carl waved to her from a sailboat.

"Time to learn how to sail!" Carl called out.

Tammy smiled and all but jumped aboard. Fun-learning indeed. Carl taught her how to sail the boat. It was quite fun, but all too soon, they were back at the dock and switching to a large motor boat.

"This is called a Cabin-cruiser. It seems big and it is, but one person can handle it. Now, cast-off. Single up all lines and we'll get underway." Carl said.

Tammy cast off and pulled in the mooring lines as he directed then ran up to the flying bridge. Under Carl's instruction, she piloted the small yacht out. She learned how to use the electronics to make a course, check water depth and even find other objects on the surface. It was very easy to learn how to pilot it.

"Carl. Is there a loo onboard?" Tammy asked.

Carl looked confused. "A what?"

"A bathroom." Tammy laughed.

Carl shook his head. "You're on a boat. They're called a Head. Yeah, down below."

Tammy went down then inside and began looking around. "Wow. A person could live on this boat."

She did find the Head and did her business. She explored a bit more after, finding a small bunk room, kitchen along with a small dinette set.

Back on the flying bridge Tammy said to Carl. "Someone could live on a boat like this, can't they?"

"Sure they can. You could live on the sailboat too, but it's not as friendly for females." Carl answered. "Some boats like this even have dive-lockers. We could even make it all the way to Key West with this boat."

Tammy took the controls when he indicated and changed course to head back. At the dock she tied up then followed him down to a sleek and powerful looking boat.

"Is this a racing boat?" Tammy asked.

Carl smiled. "Yep. This is a cigarette-class, off-shore racing. They're also called go-fast-boats. Smugglers use them too. Cast off and jump in."

Tammy untied the lines, tossed them onto the boat and jumped aboard. Carl started the engines and they roared. Tammy had to put on a set of headphones with microphone.

"Get over to the seat and buckle up. Take the throttles." Carl told her. "For racing a boat like this, you have the wheelman and the throttleman. Take us up to half."

Tammy pushed the levers forward halfway and the boat leaped forward with a roar, pinning her to the seat. Carl took sweeping turns, making the boat bank hard then straightened out.

"Take it to Full." Carl said.

The throttles were rammed forward and the boat began launching over waves as it rocketed out to sea. Tammy yelled out and had a smile a mile wide. This learning was really fun.

"We're going about seventy!" Carl had to yell over the headset. "If we had calmer sea, we could get up to hundred or more! Havin' fun yet?"

Tammy said back. "DEFINITELY!"

"Throttle down and idle." Carl said.

Tammy pulled back on the levers and the boat slowed down and floated.

Carl unbuckled his seat-belt and took off the headset. "Your turn."

"I get to drive?!" Tammy asked then unbuckled and changed seats.

They both buckled up and put on the headsets.

"Okay. That way! All ahead, Full!" Carl said and rammed the throttles forward.

Tammy squealed, held the wheel tight and turned to the direction Carl had said. They raced about while Tammy learned the features of the boat then returned to the cove. Tammy listened carefully and was able to dock the powerboat. Her legs felt weak as she climbed out onto the dock.

"Gone all mush on me?" Carl quipped.

Tammy sat down. "That was the greatest! Thank you for teaching me how to sail!"

"CARL! You took MY boat out?" Rodrick bellowed from the end of the dock.

Carl snapped to Attention. "AYE, SKIPPER!"

Rodrick strode up and eyed him intensely then looked down to Tammy. "Did you learn anything?"

"Did I ever!" Tammy said, smiling.

Rodrick's eyes narrowed. "I take it, you had FUN?"

Tammy giggled. "I bloody well did!"

"Good. The day is done and done well. That'll be all." Rodrick said then threw her a smirk and left.

When Tammy could stand up, she went back to Krystel's and joined her for dinner. Later she fell asleep and looked forward to the next day's lessons.

****TBC in part 2***