Page 6 of Fall of the Trident
Zelle pointed.“If not, some guy is camping too damn close to your gear.”
Marta squinted but couldn’t see that far.Yes, something shaped like a person was moving next to her stuff.It almost looked as though he was stretching out his legs and leaning back on his elbows, but at this distance she couldn’t make out much of anything else.
Damn these old eyes.Maybe I should get that LASIK surgery.
She had that debate with herself many times but always came to the same conclusion; she’d then have to wear glasses all day to be able to see her computer.Currently, her nearsightedness kept her from the torture of glasses.
Squinting again as the water gently picked her and her board up, whoever was there blended in with the sand.She needed to go ashore and face the intruder.
“Thanks, Zelle.”Marta caught the next wave.
Popping onto her board, she slid into the perfect unbroken wave.She tried to look over her shoulder to get a better view of the interloper.Bad idea.Her balance was off when the curl slammed the nose of her board.
She flew through the air.
Since it wasn’t her first airborne trip, she filled her lungs with air and tried to hit the water at an angle.The wave shoved her to the sandy bottom.When she surfaced, she quickly wiped the water from her face and looked for the next wave.Quickly swimming to her board, she lay flat on the deck and let that wave push her to the shore.
When she could stand in waist deep water without getting doused, she hopped off and headed to the beach.
A man in tan board shorts and a yellow rash guard advertising a local oyster bar was running through the surf toward her.Aviator sunglasses and a white ball cap with the Sea ‘N Air logo of the base golf course, hid his face and hair.
She wasn’t sure who this man was, but he seemed to know her.
“Marta, are you okay?”
They met in knee-deep water.
She blinked, not just to clear away the salty water, but because she couldn’t believe her eyes.
Trevor?She shook her head as though to clear the vision in front of her.It couldn’t be Trevor Maddox.What the hell was he doing onherbeach?It wasn’t really hers but since she’d been coming to that beach for nearly thirty years, she thought of it as hers.
He grabbed her shoulders.“Marta.Look at me.Are you all right?That was a hell of a spill you just took.”
“Admiral Maddox, what are you doing here?”After the way she’d acted earlier that day, he was the last person she wanted to see.She’d been rejected and humiliated enough for one day.
She jerked out of his grasp.
“I needed to talk to you,” He insisted.
She rolled her eyes and trudged through the water past him.She couldn’t bear to hear another of his apologies.Maybe he was right.Nothing could happen between the two of them because she worked for him.
He caught up to her in two strides.“I tried to call you several times but when you didn’t return my messages, you left me no choice but to come find you.”
She spiked her board into the sand and picked up a towel.“What’s so all fire important that you had to chase me down here at the beach?”She wiped up her face then stared at him.“And how did you know I’d be here?”
“I went to your house first and when you didn’t answer the door, I took the chance that you’d gone surfing.”His explanation sounded reasonable, but it still irked her.
“That still doesn’t explain how you knew I’d be here.”She planted her hands on her hips.
Trevor grinned.“Marta, I’ve been stationed at Coronado three different times during my career, and you’ve been here each time.Everyone knows you love to surf…right here.”
She huffed.“I guess that makes me damned predictable.”She wasn’t sure which irritated her more, the fact that everyone knew where she surfed or that he had come there to find her.“You still haven’t answered my question, why are you here?”
“I need to leave as soon as possible for Little Creek.I want to welcome the men back and congratulate them for such a successful mission.”He looked out to the water.
Her mind immediately started compiling a travel checklist.She needed to call the airstrip and find out if the flag jet was there.It was used exclusively for the rank of bird and above.It always surprised her how many Navy captains and admirals as well as Army, Air Force, and Marine colonels and generals were in the San Diego area.She then had to notify their sister base in Virginia so they could prepare the visiting officers’ quarters for him.She also had to check on the social calendar of Captain Don Arnold.As commanding officer of Group 2, he would be obligated to meet the Vice Admiral and escort him to his quarters.Meals.Assembling the men.
“I want you to go with me.”His gaze returned to her.
