ALPHA ZULU 69 MEMOIRES
Chapter 017 – Russian Revenge AGAIN!
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PRIMARY CHARACTERS:
Randy Best: Colonel, U.S. Army – Alpha Zulu 69
Adam Mann: Colonel, U.S. Army – Alpha Zulu 69
Robert Masters: Major General, U.S. Army Alpha Zulu Security
Gloria Worthington: aka "Mama Bear" Board Chair of Worthington Industries
(a major multi-national defense contractor)
Luke Worthington: CEO of Worthington Industries
John Worthington: COO R&D of Worthington Industries
Doug Meat: Lieutenant Colonels, U.S. Army – Alpha Zulu 69
Steven Goodman: Lieutenant Colonel, U.S. Army – Alpha Zulu 69
Magnus Savage: Major, U.S. Army – Alpha Zulu 69 Medical Trauma Surgeon
Connor Best-Mann: Adopted son of Randy Best and Adam Mann
Randy Adam "RA" Worthington: Adopted son of Connor Best-Mann & John Worthington
Liam McIntyre: CFO Worthington Industries & Partner of Luke Worthington
Aiden McIntyre-Worthington: Son of Liam McIntyre and Adopted son of Luke Worthington
Jason Allman: 1st Sergeant, U.S. Army – Alpha Zulu 69 Platoon Leader
Matt Longdick: Master Sergeant, U.S. Army – Alpha Zulu 69 Squad Leader
Billy Bob Vance: Staff Sergeant, U.S. Army – Alpha Zulu 69 War Dog Handler
Beauty Malinois: Master Sergeant, U.S. Army – Alpha Zulu 69 War Dog
Rod LittleFeather: Staff Sergeant, U.S. Army – Alpha Zulu 69 War Dog Handler
Maximillian (Max) Malinois: Master Sergeant, U.S. Army – Alpha Zulu 69 War Dog
Alex Goodman-Meat: Adopted Son of Doug Meat and Steven Goodman
Noah Goodman-Meat: Adopted Son of Doug Meat and Steven Goodman
I strapped on my Glock as I exited my office heading to the imps secure room. Every man on base was moving in high gear and one by one an imp was deposited in their secure room and the door locked down so there quarters convert to an ultra-secure panic room. Steven and the sergeants were coordinating the base security and I felt uneasy yet happy there hadn't been any sound of gun fire.
A few hours later I was relieved that Steven ordered an end to the Alert and the imps being locked down. No intrusion was found and now it was a search of the sensor logs to find out what happened. In the after action review it became apparent Alex and Noah had ventured into one of the "off limit" areas before a mine field and triggered the alert. Now our first duty as parents... and neither Steven or I were looking forward to this eventual moment.
As we returned to our quarters and asked Alex and Noah to join us, we sat down to a family meeting. When we asked them if they knew what happened... they held their head in shame and said they thought they did. They ventured past a warning sign and then all hell broke loose. (How right they are.) They couldn't believe all the trouble they caused and knew they deserved to be punished. Steven and I looked at each other and knew we had to be fair in our punishment. We believed they had learned their lesson about restricted areas but we had to do something to prove we cared about them as parents. I turned to our two sons and said: "You two will go to each squad sergeant at our evening meal and ask to address his squad. "You will then apologize for triggering the Alert and causing any problem with his squad. You will do it from your heart because you know it is the right thing to do, not because I'm making you do it." I hope you now realize these signs are there to protect you even from yourselves. Going past one of these signs you could end up with a serious injury and neither Steven or I want to see you getting hurt. We opened our arms and ask our two sons to join us is a group hug. Yes, we loved them even when they screw up. It would be tough on them to apologize to 100+ men but I knew it would develop character and they needed to accept responsibility for their actions. As I started to know my two sons I do believe they would have preferred to be spanked than to face the soldiers of our base and admit they were the cause of the Alert.
Steven and I sat down with Doc and the Chaplain as our sons made the rounds of the tables/squads. They were almost in tears when they returned to us and asked us if they could now go get their food. We joined them in line and they joined us with Doc and the Chaplain for a very quiet dinner. Afterwards when we were alone both Doc and the Chaplain complimented us on what a great job we were doing as parents. I only wish I felt as secure being a parent as I do running this base. At least the base comes with an "instruction manual"... and most parents by now would have had 10+ years of learning to be a parent. Steven and I had a lot of catching up to do and we knew there had to be mistakes to be made, it was just a matter of time before we were the ones who would be doing the apologizing.
Alex and Noah had a few days of academic testing before school started and we realized they were behind the normal learning experience for children their ages. We also knew this school would revise their tutorial so that it would be challenging but not impossible for our sons to catch up to their learning level within a reasonable period of time. We just had to encourage them and I knew the imps would help them as only peers can.
When it came time for Christmas break Luke and John invited Alex and Noah to join the imps at Camp Phoenix and for Steven and me to join them for Christmas with Mama Bear in Washington. I thanked him for inviting our sons and I agreed to let Steven join them. I just felt both of us gone over the holiday would have an adverse impact on the base and the men. Luke understood my decision and would abide by it.
It was sad to watch my now five imps board the jet with Steven to head off to Camp Phoenix for the holidays. It had been so long since I had been alone but in a small way it was good and I could better relate to how many of our soldiers feel being alone at the holidays.
I was in need to feel Max on my shoulders and a wet sloppy kiss from a loving "mutt". Actually, the only one I could get a kiss from without cheating on Steven. The silence was deafening and I felt so alone. I actually wish OPS would be calling an Alert just to liven life up. I hoped the security detail at Camp Phoenix was ready for my five imps. Their security staff would be needing vacation time after having the five imps for two weeks non-stop.
BE CAREFUL WHAT ONES WISHES FOR! I was shocked to reality when my communicator went off with the ominous "ALERT, ALERT"... I quickly rushed to OPS and asked what triggered the alert. There was an assassination attempt on Mama Bear which resulted in the General being shot. Until it was determined "who and why" both Camp Phoenix and Fort Connor was placed on full alert by the Secretary of Defense until further notice.
Luke and John did their best to keep the bad news from the imps but Logan, Aiden and R.A. had been through this enough times they knew something was up. Alex and Noah were kept in the dark but even they realized this wasn't a normal routine they were experiencing. Finally, when the General was out of Surgery and it as determined he would survive Luke and John had a family meeting and let the five imps know what had happened. Alex and Noah were scared and it helped to have Logan, Aiden and R.A. for support which kept them busy and their minds off of someone again trying to kill their "Grandmother".
I personally made a visit to every group stationed to ALERT status and gave them the who and why we were staying at ALERT. I could have used the communicators or the "grapevine" but I wanted them to personally know I was with them all the way through this ALERT.
The Fathers at Camp Phoenix kept the imps busy but close enough they could quickly be locked down into a panic room if necessary. Even video games and computer games become "old" after a period of time and the imps were starting to feel the effect of this ALERT.
Mama Bear was at the General's side until he was out of the woods. When she returned to the Penthouse she made a few personal calls before she retired to gets some sleep. Whoever was behind this assassination attempt better hope the authorities arrested them before anyone associated with Mama Bear finds them. She didn't have the code name of "Mama Bear" just because she was a grandmother. She definitely had fangs and claws and wasn't the least bit shy about using them if necessary and someone threatened her family. (You'd think people would learn from previous threats to her family.)
Mama Bear's security wanted her to move her to Camp Phoenix but she wouldn't hear of leaving her beloved Penthouse. She wanted to be close to the General and she wasn't a woman who was going to change her mind. Even after POTUS asked her to move to a more secure location she was adamant she would not leave her penthouse. Finally, when the General recovered enough to be discharged from the hospital he asked her if she would join him with the children and grandchildren with whom he wanted to celebrate the holidays. She reluctantly conceded to the man she loved.
Once Luke and John had her settled into Camp Phoenix the next challenge was keeping her there. It would take a combined effort of her sons, their partners, her grandchildren and my two sons to convince her she was needed and they didn't want to take any chance of losing either her or the General. Finally, the General asking her to stay safe so they could continue to have a life and future together tipped the scale and she relented to remain at Camp Phoenix.
I teleconference with Luke and Steven daily and we agreed that the imps should stay with Steven at Camp Phoenix until SecDef canceled the ALERT. All five fathers and Steven were wearing exposed side arms and I knew Camp Phoenix had been designed with State of the Arts defenses. Unfortunately, Fort Connor was still a target as we couldn't broadcast there wasn't any imps on the base to capture. The hardest part was and is waiting for the intelligence services to determine who this new threat was. I knew with Mama Bears contact there were intelligence services throughout the world combining their efforts to determine who was the latest threat to her and her family. Alex and Noah were learning far too soon why Fort Connor existed and the role their fathers played in protecting the imps.
I teleconferenced daily with my sons, our three imps and of course Steven. I tried to keep a positive view of the situation but in the back of my mind still was the knowledge of losing Connor to an assault on my original two imps. I was torn between the man I loved, my family, the Worthingtons who were a family I loved as much as my own and the men of Fort Connor for whom I am responsible. Doc and the Chaplain were invaluable in helping me through such a stressful event in my life. At least Alex and Noah were learning early on in their new family what life could be like. I just hoped it wouldn't traumatize them too much or prevent them from having an enjoyable future.
Always in the back of my mind is the thought of them wanting to live with a "normal" family and not with us in this "high risk" environment. The longer we were forced to stay at full ALERT the more paranoid I became. I owed Max a case of "doggie treats" for all the times he just cuddled and kissed me. Yes, there is validity in "pet therapy"! Max was never ordered to give me special intention he was just intuitive enough to know I needed some physical attention. In his own way he was my support staff. I hoped he knew how important he was to my life.
I so wanted to spend Christmas with Steven, our first Christmas together as a family but apparently it wasn't to be this year. I asked Luke if I sent Stevens present in our daily secure mail if he would see it got under the tree to be opened on Christmas morning. As our conspiracy developed Luke, John, "Billy Bob", Connor and even Steven wanted to know what I had got him and I told them they all would have to wait till Christmas like everyone else. I so wanted to see his face when he opened his present. I had ordered a replacement "dog tags" for him, had Mama Bear's jewelers platinum plated the dog tag, put it in a platinum setting, diamonds around the edges and a lab ruby to cover the chain hole to show my love for this man. Included in the ring of diamonds were the two birthstones of our sons in the new pendant chain opening. The back of his dog tag was ablaze with every color of sapphire, ruby, emeralds in a rainbow of colors. Yes, it was more than I would normally spend but I wanted him to know how much he and our family meant to me. Something he could wear every day and remember how much I loved him.
We were still at alert on Christmas morning and I video conferenced with Camp Phoenix as the family opened their Christmas presents. I made certain both the imps and our sons had Christmas presents from both Steven and me but the look on Stevens face when he opened my present negated any cost in having it made for him. Even Mama Bear was impressed with the quality of work done by her jeweler. Steven knew I was still in love with this fantastic man I had asked Randy and Adam for permission to marry so long ago.
I was playing Santa in the mess hall as the squads rotated through Christmas dinner when the news came that SecDef had cancelled the Alert. (The best Christmas present I could have received.) I couldn't video conference with Luke, John and Steven to get the inside scoop till after I finished my "Santa" responsibilities but I so looked forward to have the imps and my sons back at Fort Connor. The one good thing from this alert is it confirmed how much I loved my partner and my two new sons.
I was elated to hear the news the ALERT had been lifted and life could get back to normal. Luke and John were filling me in on the details. Apparently, a relative of the man that had planned, authorized and funded the original attack on the base that cost Connor his life escaped from a Russian prison and decided to take revenge on Mama Bear personally. I didn't ask or wanted to know the gruesome details of his death but knowing Mama Bear it wasn't a pretty scene. I imagine if they found him it would require DNA evaluation of his body parts to confirm who he was. At last some normalcy to our lives at Fort Connor and Camp Phoenix.
It was only a few days after Christmas that Mama Bear announced she and the General were returning to the Penthouse. Steven and the five imps asked to share her ride and to drop them off at Andrews to catch their jet back to Fort Connor. As much as their fathers loved their imps they knew they had to share them with their "second family" at Fort Connor. The entire base was elated to know their imps were returning early. When the plane landed at Fort Connor, R.A. lagged behind the others when they headed to the vehicles to return to our quarters. He quietly said I had three hours with Steven, the imps would keep our sons busy till evening retreat. Enjoy the time you have with your lover.
R.A. had given me a wonderful Christmas present and it didn't cost him any money. I should be upset that he was orchestrating my sex life but I was so thankful for three hours where I knew we had a big chance of not being interrupted. I asked the First Sergeant to handle any base problems till evening retreat and I'd be in my quarters if he really needed me. He just smiled, saluted and said: "With pleasure, sir. Enjoy yourself!"
By the time of retreat the jungle grapevine had the entire base well versed that I was destroying Steven's ass. The imps were being sweet little angels who had devised this plan and I wondered if my sons had been part of the deception. The time Alex and Noah spent with the imps definitely helped to cement their friendship and trust. The imps were old pros at being locked down and help our sons through the trauma of their first time "in jail". Of course, Beauty being locked up with them helped provided she had a good supply of doggie treats. An ample supply of doggie treats were stocked in the Panic Room. The designers were even thoughtful enough to have a grassy "poop" area in the panic room that could be scooped and the excrements put in an odor proof container for disposal after the threat had ended.
As the imps invited our sons for three hours challenge of video games I took Steven and headed to our quarters. The minute the lock slipped on our door Steven knew what was on his agenda. I slowly removed his clothes admiring the beautiful body before me. His new "dog tags" only accentuated the beautiful man wearing them. I kissed him as I quickly undressed and lead him into the shower. I loved soaping his naked body and caressing every inch although he did warn me if I played with his cock or ass too much it would result in a major explosion of high grade Army baby batter. (How did I feel about a couple of more children?) (Talk about ruining the mood!)
I spun him around, put his hands against the wall and Mt. Meat claimed his ass for the first time in weeks. His scream was justified and the pleasure he was enjoying was all too evident. I so missed the tightness of his body and I had over two hours left to enjoy it. I felt my first orgasm ready to explode and I knew he'd be well lubed for a few more fucks as we headed to the bedroom.
I could feel his tight ass clamp shut as Mt. Meat exited so I grabbed a towel and started to dry off this beautiful man. I took his hand as we walked to our bedroom... placing him in a doggie position in bed so I could destroy his ass with a hard romantic prostate pounding with orgasmic results. I was going to see how many times I could send him to Nirvana and was going to enjoy the process to its fullest. His screams of passion filled our bedroom and I knew our sons would be well aware of our activities even if they were in their bedroom. They were still too young for "the talk" so we had to be considerate and let them develop at their own intellectual rate. Not everyone becomes a "sex maniac imp" at the same age. With our luck it probably is contagious hanging around with our current three monsters in residence (Even R.A. would later admit he was "guilty as charged".
My cock loved the tight feeling of Steven's body and I could stay entwined with him for hours upon hours. The warm wet feeling of his ass around my cock, holding him tight, kissing him passionately, stroking his hardness till his balls explode, feeling his muscles spasm in pure pleasure... Three wonderful hours and fantastic feelings with the man of my dreams. I could never thanks Randy and Adam enough for bringing Steven into my life. Waking up to his smiling face and beautiful eyes is as satisfying as enjoying the expert lover he is. I have been truly blessed.
All too soon evening retreat will be upon us and we both needed to shower or "smell like a locker room" according to R.A. Hygiene is important but I doubt there isn't anyone on base who isn't aware of my activities with Steven these past three hours. I should just put out a general announcement: "I love this man, eat your hearts out"!
Alex and the three imps decided to split up and one each to socialize with each squad. Noah wanted to be between his dads and we were glad he was still young enough not to be shy or ashamed to show his love for his fathers. He still was sweet and innocent but I doubted that would last long around our imps. Although, he had 100 "big brothers" that seemed awful protective of him. I hope their protective nature doesn't hinder him too much when he hits his prime sexual development.
Alex got invited to spend the night with the imps and Noah wanted to spend the night cuddling with his dads. Other than having to wear "boxers" to bed I loved cuddling Noah between Steven and myself. I only wish my father had been as tactile with me. I guess that is why I really love to cuddle with Steven even more than I enjoy his tight ass.
As Steven and I walked our family of imps to morning flag raising the next morning it was apparent from the way Alex was walking that video games wasn't the only thing on the agenda last night. Our son lost his cherry ass, there was no doubt and frankly no concern. I knew the imps wouldn't force him and most boys go through a homosexual stage in their development. Whether he is gay or straight is his decision. Steven and I will love him regardless.
The other "give away" to Alex's new found sexuality is when he ripped off his towel and went skinny dipping with the imps and the men in our pool. Noah was embarrassed and came running home not knowing what to say or what to do. Our first venture into the world of child counseling and sexual information to our youngest son. We didn't want to put his mind into overload. We simply explained to him Alex did nothing wrong it was his choice to go naked as much as it was yours to wear swim trunks. It is all personal choice and so long as it isn't forced on anyone or embarrasses others there is nothing wrong with it. We seem to have conquered our first challenge in teaching our sons about sex and their bodies.
I couldn't believe the commitment of time it took for Steven and me to be sincere caring fathers and not just getting by with the bare (No pun intended) necessities. I was fortunate to have 100+ men, the Chaplain and Doc to help us out and keep the imps and our two sons both protected from any outside threat and from their own mischief. I figured R.A had to be planning a super prank soon as there hadn't been any since before the Christmas "lock down". I just hope Alex and Noah aren't too involved and I don't have to resort to corporal punishment as a learning tool. (It would hurt me more than it would their tender bums!) The last imp I had to spank was R.A. and he volunteered so Aiden would suffer any adverse effects so soon after his rape. I hated to do it to R.A. but it had to be an honest spanking and he definitely slept on his stomach for a few days even with Steven, Doc and me applying liberal amounts of Doc's numbing gel throughout the day so not to make R.A. suffer. If one of my two kids screwed up would I have the guts to discipline them the same as I would the three imps. Whether I liked it or not I would have to treat them as equals and that means pants down, bare ass up and bend over my knee. I remember how fiercely R.A. screamed with ever stroke of my hand and it tore me apart. The hard part of being a parent is to enforce decisions for the good of one's children and their future. I knew I always had a safety valve and Steven would never let me venture past the point of injuring our sons or any of the imps if they needed to be disciplined. (Although, when they swapped out our lube with Doc's numbing gel there were evil thoughts that raced through my mind. At least the laughter of the men and Steven taking it with humor helped me to "go with the flow"... Although I think the imps would have preferred a hard spanking to the psychological punishment they received.)
I had to snicker when I thought of four naked imps running across the base to get clothes to wear. Definitely one of those future moments when "grandfather" gets to embarrass the parents in front of his grandkids. I am so looking forward to those days and I can understand Mama Bear better now that I have two sons of my own.
Another part of being a parent I never completely understood until now... how fast they outgrow their clothes. It has only been 6+ months since we bought out the stores in Washington and it looks like Steven and I will soon be doing it again. (I wonder what SecDef and POTUS would think about turning Fort Connor into a nudist camp... nah... that would be pushing the envelope too much but sure would be cheaper on my wallet. (And don't let anyone tell you different... the extra money the military gives for each dependent doesn't even start to cover the cost of having a kid!) I am so thankful that Adam and Randy made Steven and me sit down with the Worthington's broker and develop a long term financial plan for us. Another item I owe thanks to Adam and Randy... I need to do something special for those two. Steven and I need to do some brainstorming and come up with something unique and special for them when they least expect it. (NOTE TO SELF: Make this happen sooner not later!!!)
After dinner today when our sons usually take off for the imps quarters I'm going to have a quiet evening with Steven, no sex, just us talking and sharing and telling him how lucky I am to have him as my partner in life. I sincerely don't tell him that enough... we both kinda take each other for granted when it comes to our "life commitment". But, really... I can't imagine a day without Steven in my life. Since the day he walked into our suite at the Washington Marriott what I thought was LUST for his hot body was really LOVE of a fantastic man.
I really think Randy and Adam are hanging around with the Alpha Zulu program as Worthington employees so that when Seven and I reach mandatory retirement age for the Army they will actually retire and "gift" their positions to us with the blessings of Mama Bear, the General, Luke and John. They really are a family in our eyes and both Steven and I would walk over hot coals to protect the Worthington Dynasty. What we do is more than a career with the Army it is a labor of love.
I know Steven will go for this but I want to have a custom certificate made making Randy and Adam official Grandparents of Alex and Noah, notary gold seal and ribbons... all the bells and whistles. Steven and I will make it a total family conspiracy and have Alex and Noah sign the certificates with us and have our two "imps in training" present it to Randy and Adam at a formal base assembly.
Just as my mind and body was starting to relax my wrist com sounds off ALERT, ALERT!!! FIRE BEHIND THE DINING HALL! OK, something that had never happened before. The Fire Team responded quickly and extinguished the small fire only to determine it was from a lighted cigarette. As smoking wasn't allowed on the base and our soldiers were totally in agreement with the policy the thought that immediately came to mind was the imps bringing contraband back with them from Camp Phoenix. Steven and I had security remove the three imps and our two sons from their quarters and do a thorough search of their quarters (Including our sons sleeping area, no preferential treatment was shown.) The imps were embarrassed when they returned to their quarters and found their assortment of dildos and sex toys neatly arranged on their beds. Security reported finding the incriminating contraband in Alex's bedroom. Now, it was time for Steven and me to find out if we could treat our sons with parody to the imps.
As the imps were released from security I asked that our sons be escorted to our quarters and security guards posted until we could arrive. There was no denial that this was going to hurt me (us) more than it would Alex. When Steven and I returned to our quarters I asked the security detail to remain and see that we weren't disturbed unless the base went to ALERT status.
Entering our quarters, our inner sanctum, it felt like marching into hell. I knew what had to be done and Steven knew he wouldn't let it go beyond what was necessary. As Alex and Noah were summoned I asked them to sit and explain to me what had just happened.
Through the tears and contrition Alex admitted he had gotten the cigarettes from one of the security men at Camp Phoenix. The security team thought it was "cool" to teach Alex how to smoke. (Someone at Worthington was getting a call from a hostile dad when I was finished with my sons.) Noah knew nothing about it, he was innocent. Noah was still scared for his brother and concerned about what punishment Alex would be given. I explained to him the seriousness of his "error" and that his punishment would fit the offense. He was given one last chance to plead his case before his punishment was rendered.
Alex wasn't shocked but he was embarrassed when he was told to drop his pants and bend over my knees. Noah had to look away but definitely was trembling as the first resounding sound of my handing hitting the bare cheeks of Alex's ass. If the sound of skin on skin wasn't bad enough the scream emanating from his mouth even made Steven cringe. Steven and I had agreed upon 10 strokes and it was all I could do to complete his punishment. I was tearing as much as Steven and Noah were. When I finished with his punishment I helped Alex to stand up, pulled up his trousers and told him to go to his room until morning assembly. He was only allowed out of his bedroom to use the bathroom, no exception! As the tears continued to stream down his face he accepted his fate and headed to his room. Steven and I cuddled Noah and told him what just happened hurt us more than it did his brother. Please don't ever do anything that dumb so we have to do this to you. Learn from the mistakes of your brother and the imps.
Steven and I still love you and your brother very much but part of being a loving parent is to set rules and guidelines and do what is best for your children. What Alex did not only could have harmed any number of soldiers but smoking by itself could be injurious to his health. Cigarette addiction can be just as injurious to ones body as drugs even if it is legal. Noah wrapped his arms around my neck in a death grip and sobbed how much he loved us and please not to send him and Alex away.
Steven and I assured him that wasn't even a consideration. The two of them were ours regardless of how many times I had to enforce rules, regulations and guidelines with the palm of my hand. We still love you two as much as we ever have. I closed this session with: "Steven and I love you and there is no way I'll ever lose you". You might want to go and see your brother right now. He has a sore ass that hurts like hell and could probably use a smiling face like yours.
Noah wasn't shocked to find Alex naked laying on his stomach with red glowing buns when he entered his bedroom. Noah took his hand, looked into his eyes and simply said: "Dad loves you very much" which started a torrent of waterfall streaming down both of their faces.
Steven and I went to our bedroom and I just wrapped my arms around him and cried. "You did what had to be done and I know how hard it hurt you to do it" were his words of solace! Oh, how right he was, my hand hurt like hell but I couldn't let our sons know that fact.
Sex was the furthest thing on my mind tonight. I asked the First Sergeant to post a security detail at the entrance to my quarters till morning flag raising. No admittance and my sons were not to leave our quarters. If they attempted to leave security was to notify me immediately. The last thing I wanted is my sons to try and run away from home. I knew stationed on an island it was impossible but when did adolescent children think things through, the usually acted upon impulse.
I stripped down to my birthday suit and asked Steven to join me in bed. Max was off duty and Steven was close and available. I just had to feel loved and needed at the moment. I should be feeling sorry for Alex, since he returned from Camp Phoenix he lost his cherry ass to one or more of the imps and got his ass "tanned" royally by his father for his screw up. He was on a roll and what do they say about all good/bad things come in threes. I hope for the sake of his now super tender ass he breaks that cycle.
When Steven and I went in to wake up our sons to get ready for morning assembly Alex was still naked on his stomach and Noah was sound asleep in a chair by his bed tightly grasping his hand. Steven picked up Noah and tucked him in his bed. I'd show some mercy and allow them to miss our morning formation. I told the guards on our door that I would have the first sergeant send their replacement as soon as flag raising was completed.
The father in me cooled down enough to have an intelligent conversation with the head of the Camp Phoenix security detail. He agreed with me and assured me the individual would be found and appropriately disciplined. When Luke found on about what had happened he wanted the individual fired and brought up on charges. It took the cool, calm, collected image of being his "father" for me to convince Luke that was overkill. As the aggrieved father I suggested perhaps the "Rack" or "Iron Maiden" might be more appropriate which made Luke smile and chuckle. OK, I get it... make the punishment fit the crime... you did it all too often for John and me. And, yes... I did learn a lot from the two of you about how to work with men of diverse character.
I found the individual who had encouraged my son to smoke had a permanent letter of discipline put in his personnel folder, forfeit of a week's pay, and Camp Phoenix does have garbage pails that need cleaning on a regular basis. It was suggested to this soldier he might want to VOLUNTEER for this detail for the next month. (Too bad it isn't 90+ degree summer weather at the moment. Yes, I'm a vengeful father!)
I had barely finished my call with Camp Phoenix and the ominous ALERT, ALERT... sounded off and the guards rushed in my quarters, grabbed Alex and Noah and headed for the imps secure room. I strapped on my Glock, grabbed my Uzi and was right on their heels as Alex got unceremoniously thrown into "lock down". His scream echoed through the room as he landed on his super tender bum. I brought up OPS on my communicator and asked what happened to call the ALERT. Apparently one of our drones when down while on patrol and until it was determined the cause protocol dictated ALERT STATUS! Life just keeps getting better and better. I have to be more careful of what I wish for and treasure the dull boring moments around here.
As the drone went down over water and would be very difficult to recover. Our best and most expedient method to determine what happened was from the sensor logs. The base stayed on high alert as Steven, I and the techs poured over the sensor detail to see if we could determine a logical scenario. At the moment there was no indication of any outside factors contributing to the downing of our drone. Worthington would have us a replacement within 48 hours and our men would have it "locked and loaded" within 12 hours of arrival at Fort Connor. Luke isn't going to be happy when I tell him I lost a $1,000,000.00+ USD drone. I'm certain the Worthington Brain Trust will be going over sensor logs 24/7 till they find out what happened.
I pulled the base back to a normal alert status with rotating squads and armed escorts for the imps and my sons wherever they went. I just thought to myself "Never a dull moment at Fort Connor".
A week later Luke called to tell me they had found the culprit. There was a glitch in the avionics and the sensor was showing the drone to be full of fuel when actually there was less than a quarter tank on board. The engineer who had worked on the avionics program was now on the unemployment line and being terminated from Worthington Industries left little chance for further employment in this category of work.
Our maintenance crews were relieved to know it wasn't anything they had done incorrectly. These men are very convicted as to the quality of their work. "Their" drones were like children to them and they hated the thought of losing one. Although, did they drool when they saw the new prototype that Worthington delivered straight off the prototype line the next day. It was like Christmas all over again for them. I swear they all creamed their BDUs when the new drone was unloaded off the cargo plane. (Probably not as good as a night time visit from Connor but they were all walking around with obvious erections the balance of the day.)
Life was returned to normalcy at Fort Connor but I'm enough of a realist to know if life were to be normal I would be unemployed. We are fast approaching the one year anniversary of adopting our two sons and it is now time to put my "plot" in motion for Randy and Adam. I can't believe how talented our men are and creative when it comes to computer graphics. (I do believe they could forge any document in the Pentagon if properly motivated.) Randy's and Adam's certificate was flawless right down to the embossed gold seal. The four of us signed us and had it framed for them. Now to get them to visit Fort Connor on some ploy when our family anniversary rolls around.
Luke and John were eager to join in this conspiracy and volunteered to make sure Randy and Adam were on base and on time. I was surprised that Luke and John pulled it off as the four of them walked down the ramp of Alpha Zulu One. We kept the boys out of sight so they didn't give away what was happening. Luke and John said it was close to lunch so we'd hit the "work" after a good Army meal which needed little encouragement for Randy and Adam to be in agreement.
As our meal wound down and the announcements of the day were given I proceeded to the microphone and ask Randy and Adam to join us. Luke, John and our two sons accompanied them as I shared the story of how Randy introduced me to my life partner and was responsible for bringing Steven into my life. How they were the major force in my life to make me want to have a family and were responsible for bringing Alex and Noah into the lives of Steven and myself. Alex and Noah then presented Randy and Adam their official Grandparent certificate and you could see the tears on the faces of both individuals. They knew it was a gift from our hearts and our acknowledgement of how much we loved them. I have a feeling it won't be long and the Worthington clan will be doing the same for them. I hope they steal our idea, Randy and Adam deserve any and all accolades for the wonderful job they have done over all these years.
I was and am always concerned when our lives are calm and normal, well... as normal as a life can be with five adolescent youngsters and 100+ gay men. Noah seemed to have a big growth spurt and none of his clothes were fitting. So, I decided to take Noah with me to the next regular security meeting I had at Worthington's and then hit a few stores and empty out the wallet for clothes. Steven suggested I take a small security detail with me which I reluctantly agreed to his "suggestion".
Noah was bored waiting for me to finish at my meeting and then was the happiest kid in town as we decided on an "oriental" buffet for lunch and then hit a couple of stores for clothes. It was kind of funny watching the biggest guy on base, a 6 foot 6 inch 270 pound college linebacker walking while holding the hand of my small son. Suddenly, without warning I hear the scream "GUN" as he throws Noah to the ground covering his small body with his own as he is hit with two rounds from a pistol. The assailant was immediately neutralized with extreme prejudice! As I secured the gun of the assailant I then went to render assistance to our team. Our big hero of the day had two gunshot wounds to his back but it didn't look like they had hit any vital organs. I was aghast when we rolled him off Noah to see one of the bullets had gone straight through him and had entered my son chest. I immediately requested two ambulances and had Alpha Zulu OPS put all facilities on a high tactical alert till it could be determined who and why this attack occurred.
I was doing fine till we got Noah to the trauma center and then I went into "Dad" mode and the utter reality of this disaster struck home. I brought Steven up on my com and filled him in. Steven told me Luke had Randy and Adam headed to Fort Connor and he would be leaving to join me as soon as they arrived.
The wounds our team member had received were not life threatening and I was to learn later his actions probably saved Noah's life by slowing down the impact velocity when the bullet passed through his well developed muscled body. A magnum round hitting a small boy like Noah would have been fatal.
Noah was still in critical condition, stabilized and on his way to surgery. What started as a simple shopping trip for clothes turned into a major disaster and until we could determine who and why Camp Phoenix, Fort Connor and Worthington Executive Offices were on high alert and total lock down. Mama Bear was not happy when her security detail refused to let her leave her penthouse and join us at the hospital.
It only seemed like minutes and Luke arrived with a fully armed security detail to assist me. Another unhappy hospital administrator arrived on the scene. After having a private conversation with Luke the administrator left with his tail between his legs. By the time Steven arrived I was in the mode of a devastated parent blaming myself for not being attentive enough to our surroundings. At this moment all I wanted to do is lock Noah in a panic room and never let him out in the world again.
Noah unfortunately had a rare blood type and the hospital supply was critically low. One call from Luke and he had five donors from Worthington Security in the hospital, sleeves rolled up and ready to give all the blood needed for my son. I knew Alpha Zulu and Worthington Security can be competitive at times but today it was a total team effort.
Six hours of surgery and my mind could only think of the worse scenario imaginable. Alex had to be in terror of losing his brother. I knew the Chaplain and Doc would give him the best support possible and the three imps were there to give him the peer support to help him through this ordeal.
Noah finally came out of surgery and was admitted to the Intensive Care Unit. The doctors said the next twelve hours would determine the outcome. Luke had his security team posted and regardless of how much the doctors and nurses demanded we couldn't stay with Noah, unless they were the Secretary of Defense or the President of the United States we weren't leaving his side. (And I have a squad of men with visible side arms which you can appeal my decision if you have the guts.)
Noah was a fighter and came back stronger than the doctors could have imagined. After five days in the Intensive Care Unit we had him transferred to the VIP wing of the hospital which had limited access and the medical staff there was used to working with security personnel.
We had him in a four bed ward which either Steven or I was with him 24/7. He got embarrassed over me holding his hand and kissing him constantly but in the back of my mind was the thought of how close Steven and I came to losing him.
Finally, he was strong enough he could video conference with Alex and the imps. Alex was all in "big brother" mode and I have a feeling he'll be competing with 100 soldiers who will also be in the running as his protective big brother.
Our hero of the day was awarded an addition stripe, a purple heart and a bronze star for his fast action that resulted in saving Noah's life. As fathers, Steven and I would have wanted to put him in for the Medal of Honor but we had to be realistic. To add insult to injury, this shooting had nothing to do with our Alpha Zulu program. We were just in the wrong place and the wrong time as two thieves exited a store after an armed robbery. They panicked, shots fired, and they ended up dead.
Doc had his work cut out for him with two stubborn patients who hated their physical therapy rehab. And we could see Noah tremble every time he heard a gunshot. (Frankly, I couldn't blame him.)
As soon as Noah was physically able Steven and I started Noah and Alex on our "GUN" (hit the deck) program/drill. Neither the Twins v2.0+1 or the current imps put so much effort into developing that muscle memory as did Alex and Noah. Something I hoped would never have to ever be used.
Steven and I had some long and heated discussion about whether to stay in the Army or ask for separation. The final determination was when we announced to our sons that we were retiring from the Army. They were vehemently opposed and told us they knew the risks when they agreed to being part of our family at the final adoption review. They were proud to be our sons, proud that we were part of the Army and proud of the work we do to protect the imps, the Worthingtons and defending our country.
There were tears in our eyes as Steven and I hugged and kissed our sons. They showed more maturity and judgement than many of the soldiers in our command. Noah promised to try and not be terrified every time he heard a gunshot if we would stay at Fort Connor. Alex promised not to cause us any more problems (Fat chance of that ever happening!). Their sincerity is what made Steven and I realize how they fulfill our lives and make what we do here at Fort Connor a labor of love and not just a "by the books" job.
Randy and Adam are going to have to wait a few more years before we are ready to step into their shoes. Right now we have two full time jobs:
#1 being the proud parents of Noah and Alex and
#2 running Fort Connor and being in command of this "Band-of-Brothers".
TO BE CONTINUED...
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Email to: ibnMichigan@gmail.com