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Post by kansasterri on Jun 27, 2023 12:57:21 GMT -6
Thank you for the update: I am enjoying the story!
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Post by ncsfsgm on Jun 28, 2023 7:30:37 GMT -6
Chapter 9
Archer shut the air conditioner off, opened up the sunroof and front windows to smell the fresh country air, after he crossed the Mississippi on I-40. Staying in the righthand lane, he picked up I-55, heading toward Jonesboro. Taking the offramp at Fogelman, he picked up US-63 and opened the sunroof and the two front windows and let the wind blow the smells of the country through the Suburban. Setting his cruise control at 55 mph, he adjusted his seat and enjoyed the ride to Jonesboro. Before he left Jonesboro, he stopped at a service station and got out his second bottle of water and a pack of beef jerky. Archer pulled out his phone and called Dan.
“Dan, I’m in Jonesboro. I’m meeting a realtor at Windsong Reality who is taking me up to see the property. I’ll come to your place later on.”
“Okay Arch. I’ll see you later.” Dan replied.
Archer met Barry at the real estate and went over the particulars of the sale, looked at a couple of maps and aerial photos, then Archer followed Barry’s Jeep Cherokee on AR-141 on to Poplar Bluff. They turned off state Highway KK onto a graveled road and made several turns for about 7 miles and finally turned off on a non-descript drive with a mailbox and stopped next to what, in some places, could be called a chalet.
“Barry, what did you say the square footage of this place is?”
“Twenty-five hundred and thirteen. There are three bedrooms, two and a half baths, two floors, and a two-car basement garage Mr. Harmon.”
“Well, let’s take a look inside.” Archer said.
Barry unlocked the front door and let Archer in.
The floorplan was nicely laid out and the place was furnished with quality furniture.
There was still food in the pantry and the upright freezer.
“Why in the world would someone sell this?” Archer asked.
“It seems he took a tumble on the stock market,” Barry replied.
Archer did a walk-through of the kitchen, great room, dining room, and the master suite on the first floor, then went up the stairs and walked through the bedrooms, loft, and two bedrooms on the second floor. They headed to the basement and looked at the 20’x25’ garage area that held a Polaris Ranger.
“Where does the power come from?” Archer asked Barry.
“Roof mounted solar panels and there is a backup generator.” Barry replied.
“Okay, I’ll take it.” Archer said. “Get the paperwork started, give me a call, and I’ll come down with the check.”
Barry almost swallowed his tongue. It wasn’t every day he made an almost $100,000 commission.
Archer saved his location as “home” on the GPS then selected Dan’s location. He was only seven and a half miles, more or less, from Dan’s place. He followed the directions and was there in 15 minutes, keeping his speed down on the gravel roads.
Archer wheeled into the parking area and got out of the Suburban. Dan came out on the porch, grinning.
“You finally made it!” Dan shouted.
Archer grinned, “Yeah, this is pretty far back in the sticks.”
Archer shook Dan’s hand and said, “Cozy setup you have here.”
“I’m working on it,” Dan replied. “Come on in and have a drink.”
“I hope you have some decent scotch.” Archer said.
“GlenDronach 15 Revival good enough for you?” Dan asked.
“You are a lifesaver, my friend.” Archer said, grinning.
“So, where is the land you’re looking at?” Dan asked.
“Actually, it’s only around 7.5 miles from your mailbox. It’s quite a place. It is a log chalet and is fully furnished. I mean dishes, sheets, blankets, everything. The deck and west windows face the lake and is really nice. Even comes furnished.” Archer said.
“That’s odd.” Dan said.
“The realtor said the man lost his ass in the stock market.” Archer said.
“I could see that happening these days.” Dan replied.
“Yeah, I think I got a pretty good deal. I think the place is worth at least four mil, but I got it for less than two.”
Archer took another sip of the scotch, then went to his truck and brought back a map and an aerial photo of the property.
Dan looked at the map and said, “I don’t see a dock, is there a dock on the property?” “I didn’t see one,” Archer said.
“You need to get a boat. It would be almost half the distance to here by water, I don’t think you want to settle for a pedal kayak.” Dan said. “If you want to put in a floating dock, I can give you the contact information for the company who put mine in. You’ll need to go by the Corps of Engineers to get a permit though.”
“You’ve got a dock? Where’s your boat?” Archer asked.
“Too busy to look for one.” Dan said.
“Well, we can go a look at boats together. Is a Boston Whaler with an M-240 mount out of the question?” Archer asked.
“Probably a little more than you need, at least for now. The Sac and Fox Indians were cleared out of here a long time to go.”
“Yeah, probably so. I still need to get some firepower. This is a pretty remote area. I saw guys get complacent down in Peru end up with an arrow in the back.” Archer said.
Dan grunted. “Well, you won’t have to worry about arrows as much as everyday people taking what they were trying to take what isn’t theirs.”
“I know where I can get some TAR-21s and enough ammo to put a stop to that crap.” Archer said.
“What are those?”
"It’s an Israeli combat rifle; 5.56, uses AR-15 mags, built in laser and red dot sights, and can be fitted with night vision. It’s a bullpup design so it takes a little getting used to.”
“Well, I’ll take what I can get.” Dan said.
“No kidding,” Archer said. “ Where is the nearest grocery store around here?”
“There’s a Food Rite about three and a half miles up toward Wappapello Dam.” Dan replied. “They carry everything most grocery stores have.”
“Good, I need to start stocking up. Also cleaning supplies. The house needs a little cleaning.”
“Hell, hire someone, there’s a bulletin board down at Food Rite where people put up advertisements for things like that. Check it out. The realtor is going to call me when the paperwork is ready, so I imagine he won’t take long, especially since he is getting a 7% commission. I’ll ride around tomorrow to get to know the area.” Archer said.
“There isn’t much north of here on the other side of the dam. Most commercial stuff you’ll find between here and Poplar Bluff down MO-7.”
“What’s with the highway and road numbering?” Archer asked. “You’ve got numbers and letters.”
Dan chuckled. “I guess they ran out of numbers.”
Dan was pouring a couple of fingers scotch into their glasses when Holly came in.
“Oh! I’m sorry, I didn’t know you had company!” Holly said, setting a box down on the kitchen island.
“Holly, may I introduce you to Archer Harmon.”
“Oh yes! The infamous Mr. Harmon! I am pleased to meet you,” Holly said, holding out her hand.
Archer shook her hand and frowned at Dan. “What kind of stories have you been telling her about me?”
Dan grinned. “Nothing that wasn’t true.”
“I brought you a lasagna for supper.” Holly said.
“That’s too bad,” Dan said. "I was going to feed him Vienna sausages and Bush’s beans.”
“Hey! I’m a guest here!” Archer fired back.
Holly giggled and placed the dish into the oven to keep warm. “Well, I’m taking Momma to bingo tonight. I’ll see you tomorrow Dan.”
“Okay. Be safe.” Dan replied.
“Wow! Are there any more like her around here?” Archer asked.
“Yeah, there’s a few.” Dan replied.
“Good. My first winter here might not be so lonely.” Archer said, grinning.
“Be careful around here Arch. The women will kill you quicker than the men.”
“Oh, I’ll be suave and debonaire.” Arch said.
“Oh, I know you will. Just watch how you step.”
“I’ll keep that in mind.”
Dan took Archer around and showed him around.
“I like what you have here, Dan.”
“Well, it’s still a work in progress. There are still things I want to do.”
“What are those things sticking up above the trees?” Archer asked. “Antennas?”
“No, they are vortex wind generators. Wind blowing around the mast will induce a vortex and cause the mast to vibrate and produce electricity.”
"Maybe that’s what I need. My place has roof-mounted solar panels and a backup generator. I’d rather not have to use a generator, if possible."
“I’ll give you Joe Martin’s contact info and you can talk to him about a system upgrade.” Dan replied.
“Good. The only downside I found was that generator.”
They ate their supper and relaxed outside on the patio with another glass of whiskey.
“So, are you and Holly an item?” Archer asked Dan.
“Well, sorta I guess. We have some steps to go.” Dan replied. “When did you get back in the dating scene?”
“There were a couple of Ecuatorianas that got be back on track," Archer said. “I finally decided being angry and sad was not doing me any good. I just didn’t want to spend the rest of my life with either one of them.”
“You need to find a woman and have some kids,” Dan said.
“Well, look who’s talking.” Archer said, laughing.
“Yeah, I know. I just need a little time.” Dan replied, grinning.
The first thing next morning after breakfast, Archer took Dan and Holly over to see his place. Holly and Dan were impressed. When they went inside, Holly noticed the place was a little dusty. “Sorry about the cleanliness, I’ll have to find someone to come in and help clean it,” Archer said.
"Dan, Siobhan, Crystal, and two other girls formed a cleaning team to go around and clean summer cottages.” Holly said. “They could knock this out in no time.”
“Can you talk to Crystal for Arch?” Dan asked her.
“Sure, no problem. I’ll even come and help them,” Holly said.
Holly took some notes of what needed to be done while Dan and Arch did a closer inspection of the place. They walked out to the lake edge and looked at the shoreline.
“What about putting a dock here?” Arch asked.
“The water doesn’t look very deep here,” Dan said. “I think you would be better off down at the rear of the house. The water would be much deeper there.”
They walked down to the water’s edge and decided it would be a good place for the dock. Some trees would have to be removed to get access to the area but that wouldn’t take much. “How much wood do you burn a year?” Archer asked Dan.
“Three, maybe four if we use the cookstove frequently,” Dan replied. “Why?”
“Well, I’ll need firewood but when they cut these trees down it won’t be dry enough to burn this winter.”
“Don’t worry, there are several people who sell firewood around here.”
“Is there a stove and fireplace store around here?” Archer asked. I want to replace the wood stove upstairs with one with a catalytic combustor.”
“I don’t know about Poplar Bluff, but I know there’s one near Sam’s in Cape Girardeau.”
“Good. I guess that’s something I can do this week.”
The next morning Barry called Archer and told him the paperwork was ready and they were ready to close. He set an appointment for 2:00 PM and headed to Jonesboro and went straight to the Bank of America. BOA was partnered with Scotiabank in Mexico City, where he was going to draw the money from an account to buy the property. He did a money transfer and got a certified check for the total amount Barry had told him over the phone. He was told to come back in two hours for the check, so Archer went to get lunch at a nearby burger joint, “Skinny J’s” where he had a bacon cheeseburger with a salad. After the closing, Archer headed back to Wappapello.
Archer wanted to stay the night in his new house, so he stopped at the Food Rite to pick up a few essentials. He got a pack of toilet paper, a pound of bacon, a dozen eggs, bread, deli meats, sliced cheese, condiments, a case of beer, a six pack of Mountain Dew, and a six pack of Pepsi.
Archer parked his cart in the shortest checkout line and was reading the headlines on the magazines in the rack next to him when he glanced at the young lady ringing up groceries for the person in front of him. She couldn’t have topped five feet, had long black hair, and had the oddest blue eyes he had ever seen. The customer loaded her bags back in the cart and Archer moved forward and began moving his groceries to the conveyer belt. He glanced at the checker’s name tag and mumbled “Siobhan”. The young woman glanced up at him and smiled. He put the bagged groceries in his cart, paid and left the store. Dan was right, there were some good-looking women around here.
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Post by gipsy on Jun 28, 2023 10:01:04 GMT -6
He drank too much of the water. Thanks for the update.
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Post by bluefox2 on Jun 28, 2023 19:32:38 GMT -6
Arch has been bagged, tagged, and stuck in the marriage freezer without even realizing it.
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Post by kaijafon on Jun 29, 2023 11:13:05 GMT -6
curious as to what exactly IS in the water around there abouts...
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Post by gipsy on Jun 29, 2023 15:48:35 GMT -6
Love Potion No 9, of course.
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Post by ncsfsgm on Jul 2, 2023 9:02:32 GMT -6
Chapter 10
Dan grabbed a fresh smelling, green pocket T-shirt and pulled it over his head, then tucked it in loosely at the waist. He stomped into his boots to get his feet settled in and went down into the kitchen. He could smell coffee brewing from his bedroom. Holly was getting a frying pan out as he walked in. Dan went up behind and wrapped his arms around her.
“What are you doing?” Dan asked.
“I was getting ready to fix you and Archer breakfast,” Holly replied. “The cleaning team will be here at 09:00.”
“Okay, let me make sure Arch is awake,” Dan said.
Dan went upstairs and knocked on Arch’s door and walked in. Arch was pulling on his pants.
“I smell coffee!” Arch said.
"Holly’s cooking breakfast. She said the cleaning team will be here at 09:00,” Dan said.
“Okay, I’ll be right down.” Arch replied.
Holly had bacon frying and was making toast in the broiler. Dan came in and handled the toast. When Archer came in, Holly asked him how he’d like his eggs.
“Over easy, please.” Archer replied.
Dan set the plate of buttered toast on the table, then got jars of strawberry jam and apple butter, placing them on the table along with the butter bell.
They had just started eating when the front door opened, and Crystal came in.
“Mornin’ y’all!” Crystal said, grabbing a slice of toast and spreading strawberry jam on it.
“Morning’ Crystal. You want eggs and bacon?” Dan asked.
“No this is enough,” Crystal said, getting a cup of coffee.
“Crystal, this is Archer Harmon, whose house you and the girls are going to spruce up.” Archer stood up as she walked over to Archer. Shaking her hand, Archer said, “Pleased to meet you ma’am.”
“He’s got a lot better manners than you do Dan,” Crystal said. “He stood right up when a lady approached him.”
“I do stand-up when Holly walks in,” Dan snapped back.
“Yeah, but that’s ‘cause you are sweet on her.” Crystal said, grinning.
Holly blushed and picked at her egg.
Archer left with Crystal and when they got outside Archer didn’t see anyone else.
“Are you all there is?” Archer asked.
“Oh no! I didn’t know what you had for cleaning, so I had the other girls stop and pick up supplies.”
“Well, make sure you give me the receipt,” Archer said.
“Well, Archer seems to be a good man,” Holly said.
Dan took a sip of his coffee and leaned back in his chair.
“When I first met Archer, I was totally different than I am now", Dan said. “I finally told him about my ex, and he began riding herd on me, and for almost a year he made sure I wasn’t going to do anything stupid. I later had to do the same thing for him.”
“It seems that the worse thing a woman or man can do to their partner they claim to love, is betray that love by cheating on them.” Holly said. “You’ve turned out pretty good except for not being able to commit. At least you aren’t bitter like some people get.”
“I had to work on it for a long time. As for committing, give me a little time. I’m through dodging,” Dan replied.
“Good, then you are taking me to St. Louis Saturday morning and we’re not coming back until Sunday evening,” Holly said. “I’m going to come back here your woman.”
“Yes ma’am!” Dan said, throwing her a salute. “Do you want to ride with me to Archer’s?"
“As soon as I finish the dishes.” Holly replied.
“I’ll help you,” Dan said, standing up. He found that working with Holly by his side gave him a rush of positive emotions and clarity, helping him think more clearly.
When they arrived at Archer’s, the women were vacuuming, dusting, and mopping the first-floor pine floors. Whatever they were using smelled nice, so Holly picked up the bottle at the sink in the utility room. It was Sparkling Wave scented Pine-Sol. She was familiar with the pine-scented Pine-Sol but this smelled much better. Holly grabbed a dust rag and began helping to dust.
“Where is that dock place you recommended?” Arch asked Dan.
“It’s near the marina on state highway D. Do you want to take a ride?” Dan replied.
“Yeah, let’s go. I’ll drive,” Arch replied.
The dock company was at the front edge of the parking lot for the marina, so they parked in the marina parking lot and walked around to the front of the building. Archer selected his dock design and lengths. Archer knew exactly what he wanted and was soon finished with the design. He wrote them a check and was promised to have it in within the next 5 days. They were walking back to the Suburban, a truck towing a boat went driving toward the boat ramp.
“That’s what I want!” Arch said, jumping in the truck and following the truck and boat trailer.
The boat was a Boston Whaler 240 Vantage with a 90 HP Evinrude motor. Arch caught up with the owner, and they talked about the boat and where the owner had bought it.
“Gavin Marine up in Cape Girardeau” The man revealed when asked. “They had two or three others left up there when I bought this one last week.”
Archer thanked the man, shook his hand, and went back to the Suburban.
“Looks like I’ll be going to Cape Girardeau,” Arch said, grinning.
“It is a nice-looking boat,” Dan agreed.
“What are you thinking of getting?” Arch asked.
“I’m leaning toward a Tracker Pro Guide V-175 WT with a 115 hp Mercury engine. You can cruise like a pleasure boat or fish off of it. You can even use it to water ski.” Dan said. “I’ll have to go up to the Cabela’s Boating Center in St. Louis to get one though.”
“I’m loving this area more and more,” Arch said.
When they got back to Archer’s house, two of the women were taking dried bed linen off the clothesline and folding it.
“We’re almost done!” Crystal said. “The linens in the closet smelled a little musty so we took them, stripped the beds, and washed everything. We washed the linens for your bed and hung them outside to dry. All the others we dried in the dryer.”
“Thanks Crystal.” Archer said. For the first time, Archer saw Siobhan. “I didn’t know she was helping you.” Archer said, nodding toward Siobhan.
“Oh, I guess she was upstairs earlier when you were here. Siobhan! Come here!” Crystal said.
“Siobhan, this is Archer Harmon.”
Siobhan smiled. “Hello again!”
“Oh! You two have met?” Crystal asked.
“Just in passing,” Siobhan said, winking at Archer.
Siobhan’s sweet southern accent sent shivers up and down Archer’s spine.
Archer blushed and turned to go into his bedroom. He came back, opened his wallet, counted out a wad of cash, and handed it to Crystal.
“This is too much!” Crystal said.
“Consider it a bonus. You ladies did an excellent job!” Archer replied.
Crystal tried to give money to Holly, but she refused it.
“No, you girls earned it. You can always come back with me to clean Dan’s house.”
“Are you kidding me?! You keep that place cleaner than an operating room now!”
Holly looked at Dan. “Are you ready to go?”
Dan waved his hat toward the door and led her out. He opened the truck door for her and then climbed into the driver’s side.
“I made reservations in Little Rock for us this weekend.” Dan said.
“Can we go to the Electric Cowboy Saturday night?” Holly asked.
“Whatever you like. I enjoy country music also. Why don’t we leave Friday afternoon and get more time in?” Dan said.
Dan sat up in his bed, his body soaked with sweat. At first, he didn’t recognize his surroundings. Then it came back to him. He was at a Marriott in Little Rock, Arkansas, and had been since Friday night. It was now early Sunday morning; he was here with Holly for the weekend. In a few hours he was going to take her to breakfast. He laid back slowly, trying not to wake her. She moaned and rolled back over to him, throwing her left leg over his thighs. They had been having a wonderful time, but the nightmare that had awakened him was of what Molly had done to him, except it was Holly’s face on Molly’s head.
As Dan’s head cleared from the remnants of the nightmare, he caught his breath and looked at the clock. It was only 4:24 AM. Hell, he thought. I’ll never be able to get back to sleep. Dan slowly slipped out of bed to keep from waking Holly, washed his face, then made a cup of coffee. He turned the television on, volume low, and tried to calm himself down.
“What’s wrong Baby?” Holly said, rolling over.
“Just a bad nightmare of things long past.” Dan mumbled.
“Come back to bed and I’ll help you sleep.” Holly mewed.
As Archer drove up MO-51 on his way to Cape Girardeau, he remembered a call he wanted to make. Pushing the phone button on the console for the On-Star hands free, he called Jeremy Cassidy. It had been a while since they had talked.
“Jeremy, Archer Harmon.”
“Arch! It’s good to hear from you! What are you up to these days?” Jeremy asked.
“Well, I’ve sort of retired and am living in Missouri. I bought a place on Lake Wappapello and just moved in.”
“Hm-m-m-m, that’s a little less than 400 klicks from here, about two and a half hours flying time."
“Well, I don’t have a plane anymore so that’s out.” Archer said.
“Too bad. When did you sell it?”
“I did a stint down in South America and didn’t want it to just sit.”
“Oh, very well. I hope that doesn’t preclude me from stopping by for a visit?”
“Oh, hell no! Just give me a heads up, I’m running around all over the place.” Archer said.
“Good. How is the place?” Jeremy asked.
“Just what I wanted. It’s close to a friend of mine, but it’s remote enough, far enough away from larger towns. But not so far away that I won’t need some arms for protection.”
“Say no more. I’ll put together a package for you. Will you be at home next Saturday?” Jeremy asked.
“For sure!” Archer said. “I’ll text you the coordinates.”
“That’s great.” Jeremy said. “I’ll be coming up in a float plane.”
“That’s good. Then the coordinates I send you will be the location of the dock I’m having put in this week.” Archer said.
“Good, then I’ll see you Saturday.” Jeremy said.
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Post by gipsy on Jul 2, 2023 9:19:18 GMT -6
Thanks for the update.
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Post by feralferret on Jul 2, 2023 13:39:10 GMT -6
Yep! The water strikes again. Must be some sort of hormones in it.
Thanks, ncsfsgm.
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Post by gipsy on Jul 2, 2023 14:10:52 GMT -6
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Post by iamnobody on Jul 2, 2023 16:11:01 GMT -6
I am very familiar with that nightmare.
I haven't dated anyone since the late wife's passing so there is no putting another woman's face on her body. But I have the occasional nightmare of coming home from work early and catching my "loving, faithful, conservative, Christian" wife in bed with another man. Finding out she was unfaithful was such a deep betrayal. It went from seeing her as wonderful and beautiful - to seeing her as being polluted; a diseased, worm infested cesspool that I would never touch again. I would of divorced her if she hadn't of died from the cancer that morning. Her confessing on her deathbed in the hospital - I still don't know if she was being repentant or if she was giving me 1 more stab in the back before she passed on.
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Post by rep1270 on Jul 5, 2023 6:27:54 GMT -6
Thank you for the story. Ralph
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Post by ncsfsgm on Jul 5, 2023 10:26:02 GMT -6
Chapter 11
Archer found the Marine dealer and they still had models of the 240 Vantage in different colors. He picked the two-tone grey because it had more options. The dealer matched it with the appropriate trailer, and he was soon out of there. They had even registered it for him online and applied the registration number to the hull. It didn’t have an M-240 mount, but it would do.
On his way out of Cape Girardeau, Archer pulled into an outdoor store he had noticed on the way in and bought some Adirondack chairs and a couple of small matching side tables.
A display of fire pits caught his eye, and he picked out a Breeo X Series Patio Fire Pit Set to purchase. After the attendants loaded the merchandise, Archer continued his journey back home.
Dan pulled on a long sleeve pocket T-shirt and grabbed his jean jacket. The breeze coming off the lake had started to become a little cooler. He went to the kitchen and made a roast beef sandwich with lots of horseradish sauce, a small salad, and poured a Pepsi. Munching on his sandwich, he stood and watched the noon news on TV and an infomercial came on from a local greenhouse dealer with people’s testimonials. He wrote down the address and phone number. He had been thinking about a greenhouse next to the garden. It would be nice to grow his own salad fixings during the winter. Finishing up his sandwich and chips, he wiped the island down and grabbed his hat.
The greenhouse company had several models in different price ranges. The one that drew his attention was 20’x40’ and came in three different materials. The aluminum frame could be built with either 6 mil plastic film, plexiglass, or Ethylene Tetrafluoroethylene (ETFE) panels, which lasted 5 to 10 times longer than the rest of the coverings. It was expensive, but he wouldn’t be replacing anything for a long time. He bought the model with the ETFE panels. The salesman said they could have it installed by the first of November.
Holly was at the house when he returned, putting together a pot roast in a Dutch oven.
“What are you doing tomorrow?” Dan asked her.
“I don’t know. What have you got in mind?”
I’m going up to Cabela’s Boating Center tomorrow and look at boats. Wanna take a ride with me?”
“Sure, are you taking me to lunch?”
“Of course, I am.” Dan replied. “I want to leave by 08:00 in the morning.
“Okay, I’ll be there early.” Holly replied.
Dan opened up his computer and did a search for Tracker Pro Guide V 175 and looked over the options that came with it.
Dan woke up the next morning to the smell of coffee and bacon. Quickly taking a shower, he got dressed, and hurried out to the kitchen. Holly was flipping a pancake as he walked in. He hugged her from behind and kissed her on the neck.
“Good morning, beautiful.” Dan said.
“You’re going to make burn the pancakes!” Holly giggled.
Dan poured a cup of coffee and a small glass of orange juice, no pulp. He got the butter bell and the maple syrup and set them on the table.
They ate breakfast, rinsed, and placed the dishes in the dishwasher and were ready to leave at 07:30.
Holly filled two water bottles and they headed for the Boat Center.
The Boat Center was a fisherman’s dream come true. Dan immediately identified a salesman and ask about the Pro Guided V-175s. The salesman walked the over and showed them what they had on hand. One that was painted what they called Starlite Red looked really good. With a 150 hp motor, it had the ECHOMAP™ Ultra 106sv, Sections & 18"-Wide (45.72 Cm) Jump Seats, a Removable Ski Tow Pylon, a black Premium Poleless Rope Ratchet Cover, and instead of carpet, Woven Floors & Decks. Dan did go and check the others but came back to the Starlite Red one and went over it again. He finally told the salesman he wanted it and a trailer.
“What do you think?,” Dan asked Holly.
“It’s beautiful!” Holly said, looping her arm through Dan’s as they followed the salesman inside.
Since they had to have a couple of hours to prep and register the boat, Dan and Holly went to lunch at Pappy’s and shared a platter of Ribs, burnt ends, brisket, slaw, and fries. They ate a leisurely lunch and drank a gallon of iced tea. Before they returned to get the boat, both had to take a bathroom break.
Halfway home, Dan pulled over at a gas station and checked the covers on the trailer wheel bearings to make sure they weren’t hot while Holly went inside to use the restroom. She hadn’t gotten quite enough tea removed back at the restaurant.
When they got home, Dan removed the boat cover and launched the boat with Holly’s help. He and Holly took the boat out and he set the ECHOMAP™ Ultra 106sv for shallow water warnings, combo screen, and routes. They cruised around a little then went back in. He left the boat in the water and put the cover back on.
Holly was a little chilled from being on the water, so he built a fire in the stove and they sat and drank wine for a while.
Dan woke up the next morning on the couch with a blanket draped over him. He stood up, stretched, and realized he had never gone to bed. He stepped out onto the porch and it was chilly so he went back in and built the fire in the stove back up for Holly when she got up. He went into his bedroom and the bed was unslept in. He called out her name and there was no answer. “She must have gone home last night.” Dan was thinking. Dan took a shower, shaved, dressed, and went into the kitchen. After making a pot of coffee, he looked in the refrigerator, pulled out a bell pepper, and got an onion out of the pantry. He chopped those up, along with a decent sized piece of smoked ham. Setting those aside, he got out his big frying pan and melted a large glob of butter in it, sauteed the chopped vegetables and meat until the vegetables were just a little crunchy, then drained everything out of the pan. He took a break, went and gathered the eggs and checked the feed and water in the pen. The air was crisp with a hint of woodsmoke in the air, probably not all his. Going back inside, Dan washed his hands and scrambled six of the eggs, and fried six slices of bacon. After the bacon was cooked, he poured off a little of the bacon grease into the bacon grease saver and poured the scrambled eggs in the pan, then added a dash of kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper to the eggs. After the egg mixture was firm, he dished the vegetables onto the egg, and flipped the sides of the omelet to the center. Plating the omelet, he added little mounds of homemade pico de gallo on top and set the plate in the warming oven. Dan wiped the pan out with a paper towel, added a little oil to the pan, tossed a couple of frozen hash brown patties into the pan and started the toast.
As Dan was buttering the toast, Holly walked through the porch door.
“I hope you weren’t planning to eat all this yourself!” Holly said, taking the spatula and flipping the hash brown patties.
Dan grinned, took out the omelet and cut it in half, sliding the half onto another plate.
“You skipped out on me last night,” Dan commented.
“You were sleeping so soundly I didn’t have the heart to wake you to go to the bedroom,” Holly replied, turning off the stove burner.
Holly put a hash brown on each plate and Dan added the toast, poured a glass of orange juice for each of them, and filled their coffee mugs.
“Is this what they call a Denver omelet?” Holly asked.
“I call it a Dan de Lake Wappapello omelet,” Dan replied, grinning.
“Well, it is certainly delicious!” Holly said.
Archer got up, showered, shaved, and dressed and made some chipped beef gravy with Pillsbury cheater’s biscuits. He didn’t want to take the time to make biscuits that morning. He wanted to eat and go launch the boat at Dan’s ramp.
He finished, washed the dishes, and called Dan.
“Hey Dan, is it okay to bring my boat down to launch it?”
“Sure, come on down. Holly and I can take your truck and trailer back to your place.”
“Great, I’ll be over in a few.” Archer said.
Dan and Holly were down at the ramp when Archer drove up. Dan guided Archer down the ramp, released the winch hook and grabbed the long bow line. As the boat floated, Dan guided it over to the floating dock and began removing the boat cover. Archer pulled the truck back up and parked, then headed to the dock and helped Dan finish removing the cover.
“I’ll have Holly follow me over and bring me back.” Dan said.
“Okay, I’ll see you on the other side.” Archer responded.
Archer had filled his fuel tank and had already programed trip routes into his GPS. He pushed away from the dock and selected the route back to his place. As he came around the point to turn into his dock area, he spotted Dan on the dock.
Arch gave Dan a tour of the boat after they finished putting out the boat bumpers and tying it up. As they climbed back on the dock, a seaplane circled and landed on the lake, and cruised over to them, tying up on the dock.
Jeremy climbed out on the dock and shook both men’s hands.
“Nice location, Arch. How’s the fishing here?” Jeremy asked.
“I haven’t had a chance to go yet but they tell me it is great, especially when the bass are bedding in the Spring.” Arch said. “How are things going with the group?”
Things are slightly better in some areas, but nationwide, getting worse. Anarchists have been running amok but they are slowly being turned back. I’ve brought y’all a few things to help out if needed. Also, Arch, I’ve got an ARGYLE PACE individual I need to stash for a couple of weeks. Do you have space for him?”
“Yeah, no problem.” Archer replied. “So, you’re still running that?”
“I don’t run it. I’m just part of the railroad,” Jeremy replied.
Jeremy waved toward the plane and a young man got out with a bag and walked over to the three men.
“Arch, Dan, this is Jim Cameron, or that’s his name right now. We’ll need to hold him here at least a couple of weeks, then he is on his way to his destination. I appreciate your help Arch.”
“Glad to help. It is a good cause.” Arch said.
“Pleased to meet you Jim.” Arch said, reaching his hand out to Cameron. “Jim, this is a close friend, Dan Adams. You can count on him too.”
Dan shook Jim’s hand. “Pleased to meet you Jim.”
“Arch, I need to get to the printers and pick up some No Trespassing signs,” Dan said. “I’ve got hikers getting off the trail and cutting across my land. I’ll talk to you later.”
“Okay Dan, I’ll see you later.”
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Post by gipsy on Jul 5, 2023 11:17:40 GMT -6
Thanks for the fine update
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Post by rep1270 on Jul 5, 2023 11:21:07 GMT -6
Thank you. Ralph
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Post by ncsfsgm on Jul 7, 2023 21:41:15 GMT -6
Chapter 12
Archer removed the pot roast from the oven and took the lid off the Dutch oven.
“Man! That smells good!” Jim said.
“Yeah, it’s a simple enough meal, but easy to make,” Archer replied.
Archer took the dishtowel off the rising dough in the pan on the counter and slid it into the oven and changed the temperature.
“You make bread too?” Jim asked.
Archer chuckled. “I cheat. I didn’t have time to make dough today. I’m using frozen dough from a bag I got from Food Rite. Personally, I don’t think it is yeasty enough, but it is all right.”
Forty-five minutes later the bread was ready, and Archer set out a couple of bowls filled with pot roast, potatoes, carrots, and onions. He let the bread cool in the pan for a few minutes then turned it out on a cooling rack. Slicing two thick slices of bread, Archer laid them on bread plates and set them on the table. He called Jim to dinner and got them out a beer each.
They ate silently for a few minutes before Jim spoke.
“My real name is David Keller, Dave, to my friends. Which apparently I have more than I realized. I just finished 5 years in USASOC. Three combat tours on an A-Team or Detachment – D. You read that right, five years and three of them spent dodging bullets. Hard to believe I came home without having to use not even as much as a band-aid. Bullet-proof is what they called me. Well maybe I was physically, but mentally, that’s a different story. I was diagnosed with anger issues caused by PTSD when we got back from the last mission.”
“Yes, Jeremy said you were in the ARGYLE PACE network. Did you kill them?”
“No, never had the chance.” Jim said. “When I got back to the compound, I was immediately taken into custody, I guess you would call it. I couldn’t leave. The legal staff and whoever is in the program took over from there.”
“Well, at least it will take her a while to get wise before she takes legal action.” Archer said.
“You know, the hardest part is we have to put up with lying politicians and some of the line officers and still have to contend with the women at home lying to us too.” Jim said.
Later that evening, Archer got a call from Jeremy, telling him he was flying in the next morning.
Dan ran a search for ARGYLE PACE and came up with three hits on conspiracy sites. It seems it was a government program run by black ops to make those who had uncovered or perpetuated government misdoings disappear. The sites listed several names of guys as having disappeared soon after returning from overseas missions. It was possible that they were covering up government war crimes. As in all conspiracies, there possibly was an element of truth to the conspiracies.
Holly took the hot biscuits out of the oven and transferred them to the bun warmer as Dan sat the butter bell and the honey pot on the table, along with the plated eggs and bacon.
Holly poured orange juice, refilled the coffee mugs, and they sat down. Dan got back up and poured a glass of milk and came back to the table.
“What do you have planned today?” Holly asked.
“The greenhouse people are coming in today to do the flooring and support bases,” Dan said.
“They are going to pour a concrete floor?” Holly asked.
“No, they are using pavers for the floor. The only concrete will be in the support bases the supporting ribs in the structure will be bolted to,” Dan explained. “A couple of trucks each of gravel and sand, that they’ll have to tamp down, should be arriving soon.”
“Well, I’m going to the market for fresh vegetables, orange juice, and milk. Is there anything you want from Food Rite?”
“Bamboo skewers if you can find them,” Dan said.
“I saw some at Dollar General the other day. Do you want six- or twelve-inch skewers?” Holly asked.
“A couple of packs of both,” Dan replied.
“I’ll get them,” Holly said.
The hour and a half flight from Washita Lake was smooth. The weather was clear, but a cold front was heading their way in a couple of days. As the plane sat down on Wappapello Lake, Archer and Jim heard it and headed for Archer’s dock in the side by side. Jim grabbed the lines and tied them off to the cleats and Jeremy stepped out of the plane. The three men went back to the house and Archer poured coffee for them.
Jeremy slid a large manila envelope across the table to Jim.
“This is the end of the road for you. Here are you supporting identity papers. We’re locating you over at Sanderson Point.”
“Where is that?” Jim asked.
Archer grinned. “It’s a half mile across the lake at the mouth of Lost Creek.”
“Patriot Shield came under ownership of that point through the dealings of a soon-to-be retired Missouri State Senator. He’s decided to retire to Arizona and spend more time with his family.”
Archer chuckled. “Is he going to have enough left to afford the move?”
“He talked and helped us out on a couple of things, so we left him something.” Jeremy replied. “Arch, why don’t you take us over there in your boat to check it out.”
“Sure, it’s ready to go.” Archer replied.
The three men cruised across the lake in calm waters and pulled up on the beach on the northwest side of the point. Walking to the house, it was clear the house had been recently renovated and work was still being done on the garage.
“We’ve talked to the contractor and the renovation work will continue. A solar contractor is putting in a full system but using a grid-tie system was problematic, at best, with all the regulations the state and federal government has implemented,” Jeremy said. “You’ll have no problem running any electrical appliances you want.”
“What’s that building over there?” Jim asked.
“That will be a warehouse. We’ll be storing equipment for the teams there, everything except weapons,” Jeremy replied. “Let’s go in the house and check it out.”
“Looks like all I’ll need is a boat,” Jim said.
“There is a Boston Whaler 170 Montauck in that building over there. It has the fishing package option too.” Jeremy said.
“The house is a typical 3-bedroom lake house design with horizontal log siding,” Jeremy continued. “It has new insulation, new appliances, the floor plan was opened up a bit, a bathroom added upstairs and has all new windows.”
The house was quite nice and was everything Jim could have asked for. They returned to Archer’s place and had more coffee. Jim opened the envelope and poured out the contents onto the table. A birth certificate, passport, Missouri driver’s license, credit and debit cards, checkbook, and various other items pertaining to his new identity, Andrew Blake.
“Will these pass scrutiny?” “Andy” asked.
“We haven’t had one busted yet,” Jeremy said, smiling.
“Very well. I guess I’ve found a home then. What’s next?” Andy asked.
“I guess you need to purchase transportation and get your home furnished,” Archer said. “We can start on that tomorrow.”
Siobhan pushed the shopping cart through the aisles of Hobby Lobby, just browsing. When she saw the fake coal hods an idea grew in her mind. She placed two hods in her cart then went to find jute cording in the crafts area, along with beeswax and then selected several different scents of essential oils, a large bottle of denatured alcohol, and a pack of spray bottles. She would make housewarming gifts that would hopefully be useful. On the way to checkout, she loaded two large bags of pinecones they had on special. As she left Poplar Bluff, her mind was swirling with the thoughts of Archer.
When she got back home, she turned the oven on and set the temperature to 225 degrees. Lining a large baking sheet with parchment paper, she laid a single layer of pinecones on the parchment paper and baked them for twenty-five minutes. She watched the pinecones carefully to make sure they didn’t catch fire. When the time was up, she took the baking sheet out and let the pinecones cool on the counter. Meanwhile, she melted the beeswax in a double boiler and dipped lengths of jute cordage in the wax, leaving about four inches on each end wax-free, and hung them on metal clothes hangers to harden. Once the cones were cool and the cordage wax hardened, she wove the cordage around each cone embedding it and winding it tightly. She clipped and frayed the ends of the cordage, leaving a head similar to a dandelion seed head. Placing the cones in a container, she sprinkled cinnamon oil over the cones, placed the lid on and shook the container several times to make sure the oil was distributed. She made two more sheets of cones and scented them with clove oil. Then she also did a sheet of balsam fir essential oil.
Siobhan filled each hod with the different scented cones and using a glitter pen wrote cards that said, “Welcome Home” and hung the cards from one of the hod handles. She set them aside to deliver later.
That afternoon, Archer took Andy down to Poplar Bluff to find a vehicle. They looked at several new pickup trucks, but nothing caught his attention until he found a classic 1972 Chevrolet C-10 that had been restored, but it had the 1977 style eggcrate grill and had a two-inch lift. Andy’s father used to drive a truck like this that had a similar paint job, but his father’s had been a darker gray. The reinforced frame restoration also came with an Alaskan cab-over camper. Andy bought the package, even though it cost as much as a new truck. After getting the registration taken care of, a happy Andy followed Archer back to his place, with a stop off at Best Buy for Andy to buy a GPS. He had no way of finding his way around. They were his first steps in making a new life.
They lowboy came in with Bobcat skid steers, one for moving dirt around and a skid steer with a compactor attachment. Also, two hand operated compactors were strapped down on the bed. After the equipment was unloaded, the truck and lowboy were parked off to the side on the main road and the Bobcat began preparing the area for the greenhouse. When the first truckload of gravel came in, they were prepared to begin spreading and compacting the gravel. Six men worked tirelessly all day to get the bed laid. By their quitting time, the floor base was prepared, and the bolts concreted in for the support frame.
As the men were loading the skid steers onto the lowboy, a truck arrived with pallets of 12x12 paving stones for the greenhouse floor. These were offloaded with the truck’s crane and placed in locations for installation the next day. Holly drove up and walked over to where Dan was standing watching what was going on.
“Looks like they got a lot done today,” Holly said.
“Yeah, they’ll put in the paving stone floor tomorrow, then start on the frame the day after. I’ll have a greenhouse the end of the week, which reminds me, I need to go pick out the lumber for the plant beds and shelves tomorrow and arrange for it to be delivered.” Dan said.
“Are you ready for supper? I fried chicken and made potato salad.” Holly said.
“Heck yeah!” Dan said. “I love your fried chicken!”
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Post by gipsy on Jul 8, 2023 9:10:27 GMT -6
Thanks for the update.
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Post by gipsy on Jul 9, 2023 11:49:37 GMT -6
If you ever wonder why he has so many Irish lassies in his stories just search Celtic Women on Youtube. Here is a fine example youtu.be/-P1wyDW7BOQ but there are hundreds.
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Post by ncsfsgm on Jul 9, 2023 14:45:49 GMT -6
Chapter 13
Holly was setting out the food and dinnerware when there was a knock at the door. Dan loosened his pistol in his holster and went to answer the knock. Siobhan stood there with a black coal hod full of pinecones in her hands.
“Dan, I’m sorry, but this is a belated home warming gift.” Siobhan said.
“Come on in, Siobhan. What is this?” Dan said, taking the gift from her hands.
“They are scented pinecones. You can use them for starting a fire or just throw them into the fire to scent the room,” Siobhan said.
“Oh, okay, thanks,” Dan said.
Holly came out. “Oh, hi Siobhan.”
“Siobhan brought a house-warming gift,” Dan said.
“Oh? What is it?” Holly asked.
“It’s just some scented pinecones I made to start fires or to make the house smell better,” Siobhan said.
“Oh, so my house stinks?” Dan asked.
“Dan, stop it!” Holly said. “Siobhan, he has no couth. I’ll thank you, for Dan, for your gift.”
“I know, men just don’t get it sometimes, Siobhan said, blushing. “I’ve got one of the hods for Archer, but I’m reluctant to give it to him.”
Holly stared at Siobhan and suddenly understood. “If you want, I could go down with you tomorrow to give it to him.”
“Would you?” I just don’t….”
“Say no more. Come by tomorrow morning and we’ll go together,” Holly said.
“Thank you Holly,” Siobhan said.
“Have you eaten? I made fried chicken,” Holly said.
“No, thank you. I need to be going,” Siobhan said.
“Come on back over in the morning and I’ll go with you to make the delivery,” Holly said.
“Okay, I’ll see you in the morning,” Siobhan said.
Siobhan returned to Catcher Cove at 08:30 the next morning. Holly was coming back from the garden area, watching the men lay the paving stones. As she entered Siobhan’s car, the aroma of the pinecones assaulted her senses. She glanced at Siobhan and put on her seatbelt.
“Overpowering in here, isn’t it?” Siobhan said.
“It’s very pleasant in the house though,” Holly replied.
They rode quietly to Archer’s and when they arrived at his house, Siobhan let out a huge sigh.
Archer walked out of the garage and approached them.
“Well, good morning ladies, to what do I owe this pleasure?”
“I…I made these for your and Dan’s houses as housewarming gifts to welcome you here to the Wappapello area. They can be used to start fires or to just add fragrance to the house.”
Archer picked the top pinecone out of the hod and sniffed it. “That’s nice!” He then sniffed the hod. “I also smell cloves, and cinnamon.”
Siobhan smiled. “That’s right!”
“Well, I really appreciate this. I wasn’t expecting anything. Are you still working down at the Food Rite?” Archer asked Siobhan.
“Yes, but only two or three days a week, just when they are short-handed.” Siobhan replied.
“Would you be interested in picking up a part—time cleaning job one or two days a week for me?”
“You mean clean your house?” Siobhan asked.
“Yes, say Fridays and Tuesdays.” Archer said. “There probably won’t be much to do.”
“Yes, I’d be interested in doing that.” Siobhan said.
“Great! Is $20.00 an hour enough?” Archer asked.
“Oh no! That’s too much! We usually get $15 an hour.”
“Well, I’ll feel better giving you $20. It would give me peace of mind knowing the house won’t turn into a pig pen.”
“I’ve got to get going Siobhan,” Holly said. “I’ve got some shopping to do.”
“Oh, okay. Thank you Archer for the job,” Siobhan said.
“Thank YOU for the housewarming gift.” Archer replied.
Archer watched as the two women drove off, then went back to the garage and got his truck. He wanted to go pick up a fuel cart, and fuel stabilizer, plus tools to clean up some of the deadfall from the woods around the house to use as firewood.
Dan watched as the men laid the paving stones quickly and efficiently. They were almost three quarters done. They would begin framing the aluminum frame tomorrow. When all the stone was laid, three men walked along the stones and using a long-handle blade that looked like a flattened garden hoe, that was a little thinner than the crack was wide, tamped the soil down between the slabs. Two other men came and poured buckets of polymeric sand down, and others swept the sand into the cracks with wide street brooms. Once all the cracks were filled, water was misted over the floor to dampen the sand. It would solidify, filling in the cracks, preventing anything from sprouting between the stones.
Archer had sent a water sample to U.S. Water Systems for testing to determine the best whole house reverse osmosis filtering system for his house. He had gone by the county health department and read the water quality report for the Wappapello area and decided he wasn’t comfortable with some of the chemicals found in the groundwater. An RO system would take care of a lot of the problems. Archer wasn’t necessarily concerned about himself. He was more concerned for any of his progeny he might have. When he told Dan, Dan also sent his water to be tested, and they could help each other with the installation. They later found out from the company there were certified installers in the area that could install the systems for them. Andy checked his water and found a RO system already installed that had dual 140-gallon storage tanks. There was nothing that told Andy when the filters elements had last been changed so he ordered new ones to have a starting point. Both Dan and Archer went over to inspect the system to get an idea of what they were getting.
Crystal drove to the address Andy had given her and was stopped at the gate. She pressed the call button and Andy answered it on his mobile. He buzzed her through and went out to meet her in the parking area. He had been inside the garage apartment talking to the contractors.
“When she pulled in, Andy opened her door for her and was greeted by a very nice pair of legs. In fact, the whole package was extremely nice.
“You must be Andy?” Crystal asked.
“At your service,” Andy said, smiling.
“What is it you wish for me to do?” Crystal said.
“Come, I’ll show you,” Andy replied. They went to the side door and Andy opened and let her in.
Andy grinned, "Will you walk into my parlor?" said the spider to the fly. ‘Tis the prettiest little parlor that ever you may spy.”
“Do I need to draw my pistol on you?” Crystal asked, grinning.
“Heavens no! I’m basically harmless. They’ve just finished renovating the house and I want it cleaned before I start bringing furniture in, which I haven’t a clue as to what to get or where to get it,” Andy said.
Crystal smiled. “Well, why don’t we get it cleaned first and maybe I can show you a few furniture stores and help you pick things out?”
“That would be wonderful!” Andy said. “I’ve recently relocated to this area and haven’t a clue as to where things are.”
"Hang on a second,” Crystal said, and went out to her car and brought back a tape measure. Andy took her through the house and Crystal checked the condition of each room and took room measurements and notes. When they were finished, they went back outside.
“What are they doing over there?” Crystal asked, pointing to the garage.
“Renovating a garage apartment,” Andy said. “They clean up after the work is done but still leave a little dust and such, much like the condition the house is in.”
“Well, we might as well check that out while I’m here and get measurements.”
“After you, ma’am,” Andy said, and waved her to the entrance door of the apartment.
Dan, Andy, and Archer were sitting in Dan’s back yard huddled around the Solo fire pit, occasionally feeding it wood and drinking Irish whiskey.
“You know, it was about a year ago that I opened my eyes, saw the tail fins of an 82mm mortar round in front of my face that had exploded only a few moments before and the first thing that came to my mind was ‘what the hell are we doing here'?”, Andy said. “We were protecting oil assets, not some village or Christian settlement in Syria. It became double troubling later when I found out the lies we had been fed, and that my wife was four months pregnant while I had been gone six months. That’s why I didn’t fight being put in the Argyle Pace program when they did.”
“Just what the hell is ‘Argyle Pace’.” Anyway? Dan asked.
“ARGYLE PACE was a discrete program put together by a couple of Squadron and Battalion Sergeants Major, which tried to keep guys from going to prison when men came back from a long deployment and found their wives cheating. It happened a couple of times to guys in the squadron who killed their wives, and there was nothing that could be done for them. It was an off shoot of the old Family Support program that was started to keep families more informed and supported when the husbands were deployed, except the upper echelon of the NCO Corps kept tabs on the actions of the wives. If they saw something going haywire, they moved the NCO out to some obscure assignment and away from their wives. The cheating mostly happened with the younger wives who hadn’t been hardened by the realities of the military. If a guy was due to be discharged soon, he would get discharged and disappear off the face of the Earth. How long were you in the pipeline Andy?”
“Six months.” Andy replied.
Archer continued; “Anyway, the guys would disappear after the best divorce lawyers prepared them, and these guys were sent to a staging location to begin their journey to a new life. They might move three or four times before settling down with a new identity and occupation, or for some, basically retire if their financial assets allowed them to. No divorce actions were initiated by the men, they just let the wives file for abandonment. At first, donations came in to fund the program, but in recent years Col Cassidy has been funding the majority of it. He has ways of draining the bad guys of their illicit gains. But, all in all, it has given a lot guys new starts in life and I think kept some good men around.”
“Sounds like a big organization,” Dan said. “How did they obtain new identities?”
“It is,” Archer said. “Colonel Cassidy has some of the best computer people you’ll find, a lot of them gleaned out of the first cyberwarfare section of JSOC. I don’t know where they picked up the forgers."
"The funny thing is some of the supporters don’t even know what they are doing, or about the program. They are asked for a favor for a friend and then fulfill it.”
“Well, Arch, you’ve turned out all right, perhaps you could give Andy some pointers. The folks here are nice and there are some nice women around. Now that girl, Siobhan, Holly saw a sparkle in her eye when she was talking to you. She would be nice girl to get to know."
“She is too beautiful for me,” Archer said. “Beautiful women have way too many temptations to cheat, and a lot do. I want to settle down one day and have a family, but I need someone who wants to have a stable home and take care of our children without my having to wonder where she is. Attractive women are way too much trouble. There would always be guys flirting with them and trying to take them away from you, and at some point they would go for one reason or another. I don’t need that kind of country western song life.”
“Archer Harmon, you are way too cynical!” Holly said, bringing out a tray of drinks.
“Does anyone know this woman named Crystal?” Andy asked.
Holly giggled.
“Crystal is my cousin,” Dan said. “I’ve known her all my life. You treat her right. She is the sweetest girl you could ask for. Be forewarned, she will gut you like a deer and leave you by the roadside if you trifle with her.”
"Hey!” Andy said, holding up his hands in surrender. "I too want to settle down, but I can’t do much until I get a divorce, which gives me time to slowly move into this. I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I thought I would love Ann the rest of my life, but she’s burned every bit of love I ever had for her right out of my heart. I just want someone to love me as much as I love her and stick with me.”
“Well said.” Holly mumbled, carrying the tray back into the house.
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Post by ncsfsgm on Jul 9, 2023 14:52:53 GMT -6
If you ever wonder why he has so many Irish lassies in his stories just search Celtic Women on Youtube. Here is a fine example youtu.be/-P1wyDW7BOQ but there are hundreds. I enjoy watching them but I enjoyed several weeks in Ireland in my younger years. My first trip over there I bought several several books on the Uprising and plotted out a self-tour at every major conflict the IRA had with the Black and Tans where the B&Ts got their asses waxed. A beautiful country with a lot of history.
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Post by gipsy on Jul 9, 2023 15:26:11 GMT -6
I have a folder of just Rebel songs and inside that I have one with lyric videos. Some of them are really heartrending.
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Post by ncsfsgm on Jul 12, 2023 16:23:53 GMT -6
Chapter 14
Siobhan came over to Archer’s on Friday to clean and found Archer making out a grocery list.
“You should have called. I could have picked up anything you needed,” Siobhan said.
“I’m sorry, I don’t want to seem too cosmopolitan, but the basic spices you have at Food Rite are salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, poultry seasoning, and hot sauce. That’s okay in most cases, but I like a variety of spices, depending on what I want to cook. I’m heading up to St. Louis in the morning to do some grocery shopping in the bigger markets and do a little recon of what’s available.” Archer said. “Are you free to go with me?”
“Sure, I don’t have anything planned,” Siobhan replied.
“We’ll need to leave around 8:00 or 8:30. I want to run up to Patton to pick up a cargo trailer before we go shopping, and I’ll make breakfast,” Archer said.
“That’s fine, I’ll be here early,” Siobhan said.
“I can pick you up.”
“That’s not necessary. I’ll meet you here.”
--NEWS FLASH--
“Five Democrat congresspersons on a fact-finding tour to Cancun died this morning when their aircraft crashed just short of the runway at Cancun International Airport. More following in the next hour.”
“Greg, we’ve received the itinerary of the fact-finding group and it seems odd that there are an equal number of males to females in the group and what the hell does Scorpion Reef have anything to do with national security?”
“Brian, I wouldn’t want to read anything into this but there doesn’t seem to be much pertaining to national security in Quintana Roo. I don’t see an uprising of Mayan terrorists developing there.”
Archer finished frying the ham and drained all but a small amount of grease from the pan. He checked the biscuits, and they needed a few more minutes. He had the eggs set to cook when Siobhan got there so he set the butter bell and the apple butter on the table. The hash browns were already cooked. He was slicing a ripe tomato and when he heard a knock at the door, he took off his apron and went to answer it.
“Come on in Siobhan, breakfast is ready. How do you like your eggs?” Archer asked.
“Over easy is fine,” Siobhan answered.
The timer for the biscuits alarmed, Archer removed them and the ceramic warmer plate from the oven. He started to break the biscuits apart and put them in the warming basket. Siobhan finished putting the biscuits in the basket and finished slicing the tomato while Archer was cooking their eggs.
She got the container of juice from the refrigerator and poured their coffee.
“Where can I get more of this cast iron cookware?” Archer asked.
"I can show you a couple of places tomorrow,” Siobhan said. “Do you like cooking with it?"
“Yes! It holds a constant heat, is durable and the food seems more flavorful,” Archer said. “I’m used to cooking with Titanium cookware, but I like cast iron better.”
Archer and Siobhan picked up a 7x16 foot cargo trailer in Patton then made their first stop at the Monte Blanco Mexican Grocery Store, where Archer picked up bags of Masa and various spices. Their next stop was at Schnucks where they purchased various cheeses, fresh vegetables, some frozen foods, dry ice, and some nice cuts of beef and pork before heading down to Sam’s Club where Archer made the bulk of his purchases. They loaded carts three times before Archer was satisfied, then went back in and got more big packs of toilet paper, paper towels, paper napkins, plastic cups, and two more 25-pound bags of all-purpose flour. As they left Sam’s, Archer punched up the address of Bass Pro and headed there. Siobhan said he could buy all the cast iron cookware he needed there.
Archer quickly selected a Lodge 5-Piece Cast Iron Cookware Set, two loaf pans, a cast iron grill and griddle, a pack of scrapers, two muffin pans, and a 15" Cast Iron Pizza Pan. The last stop they made was at the Liquor Warehouse and picked up a wide selection of wine, Bourbon, Vodka, Scotch and Irish whiskies, and two cases of Smithwick's Irish Red Ale.
They stopped at Sugarfire’s and had a wonderful early dinner of smoked pork.
. “This would be perfect for your living area,” Crystal said, running her hand over the back of the leather Chesterfield sofa. Sit down and try it.”
Andy sat down and agreed that it was comfortable, asked about a matching recliner, and Crystal and the store attendant were off on a mission. He watched as Crystal enthusiastically searched through the chairs to find something Andy approved of. They did much of their shopping at Bassett’s to take advantage of their “Deliver anywhere in Missouri” claim. By noon, they had picked out everything to furnish the garage apartment and the upstairs bedrooms. At 11:00 they took a break and went to have lunch at a recommended eatery near the furniture store.
“I really want to thank you for helping me out,” Andy said. “I would be lost just picking out even an end table. I’m as dumb as a box of broken hammer handles when it comes to picking anything with sophistication.”
“I’ve really enjoyed today. It’s been a lot of fun.” Crystal said.
“Yeah, I enjoyed it too,” Andy said.
Archer loaded the last of the building blocks on the trailer and checked everything against his list. He went back into the building supply store and got more nails for his nail gun then headed home.
Using the laser level and shovel, Archer leveled the support blocks. Then he made beams with glued and nailed 2x6 boards. Once he had the base framed and squared, he put in the joists that allowed free flow of air to help in drying out the firewood. By the end of the day, he had everything but the roof on. All openings were covered with screen wire to allow airflow but especially to keep wasps out. They had a habit of building nests just where you didn’t want them. He’d add the shingles in the morning. Archer had picked up a bundle of odd shingles at the restore store that would work just fine.
Putting up his tools, Archer went into the house and warmed up a bowl of beef stew from the container he had in the fridge. He sat eating his stew and watching the Weather Channel. After sopping up the leftover gravy from his bowl with a piece of bread, he decided some butter pecan ice cream would be nice right then. He checked the freezer and found none, grabbed his keys and headed for Food Rite. Food Rite wasn’t very busy and he picked up a half-gallon of butter pecan and one of strawberry and headed to the checkout counter. When he got to the checkout, he moved over to Siobhan’s line when he saw she was working. A guy with his hat on backwards reached over to Siobhan and rubbed her arm. Siobhan jerked back and told him to keep his hands to himself. The guy grabbed Siobhan’s upper left arm and pull her toward him. Archer moved to him and squeezed the man’s ulnar nerve, causing him to release Siobhan. Archer turned him and shoved him away from the station. The man reached into his pocket and flipped out a knife.
“I’m going to give you one chance to put that away, otherwise, you’ll be screaming to heaven for relief from the pain I’ll bring to you,” Archer said.
The man looked around at the people watching, then at Archer. “F#*k You!” He said and went through the exit door.
“Thank you young man,” an elderly lady said. "I don’t know where trash like that comes from these days.”
“Thank you Archer,” Siobhan said, bagging Archer’s ice cream. Archer mumbled, “Don’t mention it,” paid and left the store.
Archer walked outside to his truck and had just stepped off the curb when the guy lunged out from beside the ice machine. Fortunately, it was just as a Deputy Sheriff’s car swung into the parking lot. Archer dropped the bag and latched onto the wrist of the attacker, punched him in the throat, then stiffened the attacker’s knife-welding arm and drove his face into the curb. When the knife dropped out of the man’s hand, Archer kicked him in the twins before kicking the knife away. The deputy walked up.
“Slick move,” he chuckled. “I’ve got this. Stand over there and I’ll get your statement once I’ve secured this dude.”
People had come out of the store and were standing watching. Siobhan ran over to him. “Are you all right?”
“Yeah, but my ice cream didn’t make it,” Archer said, frowning. One of them had stomped the ice cream in the struggle.
“I’ll replace it,” Siobhan said.
Siobhan picked up the bag and took it inside, but soon returned with another two cartons of ice cream in a bag and set it in the ice machine. By the time all statements were taken, the man was charged with one count of assault in the third degree with him grabbing Siobhan, and one count on his assault of Archer.
“Were you injured?” the Deputy asked Archer.
“I’m fine,” Archer replied, adjusting his hat.
“What’s that?” the Deputy asked, taking Archer’s hand in his.
There was a thin red line on Archer’s wrist. It could have been caused by a fingernail or the knife. It was hard to tell in the store-front lighting.
The EMTs arrived and checked the handcuffed man, and one came over to check Archer.
“Fix his wrist,” The Deputy said to the EMT.
The EMT cleaned the scrape with an alcohol swab, applied betadine and a large band aid.
“Good, I can replace one of the 3rd degree charges with assault in the 2nd degree." The Deputy said.
Finally, Archer was allowed to leave so he retrieved his ice cream and went home.
At home, Archer spooned butter pecan ice cream into a tumbler, poured a little Pepsi into the glass, and stirred it up with an iced tea spoon. As he put the ice cream in the freezer, a car drove up. The security lighting came on, and through the window, Archer saw it was Siobhan.
He opened the door, and she rushed in. “Are you all right?”
“Sure, I’m fine. Want some ice cream?” Archer asked.
“What is that?” Siobhan asked, pointing to the tumbler.
“Butter pecan and Pepsi,” Archer answered.
“Gross!” Siobhan said, scrunching up her face.
Archer dipped a spoonful out of the tumbler and fed it to her. She contemplated the taste and said, “Not bad, but I think I’ll just have a drink of water; this night has had my heart racing.” Siobhan said.
“What about a glass of wine?” Archer asked.
“That’s even more better!” Siobhan replied, nibbling on her bottom lip.
“Take a seat on the couch and I’ll be right back,” Archer replied.
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Post by gipsy on Jul 12, 2023 18:21:29 GMT -6
Thanks for the update.
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Post by kansasterri on Jul 15, 2023 15:41:48 GMT -6
It is a rare but delightful thing when a cop is right where you want him to be.
One time a car left the parking lot of a bar and pulled out right in front of me. I slammed on my brakes and I just barely avoided hitting him.
I had no idea the car behind me was a cop car. The cop pulled over the guy leaving the bar, and I giggled to myself all the way home
Thanks for the update!
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Post by gipsy on Jul 15, 2023 16:09:52 GMT -6
Karma works sometimes.
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