The ride back into the harbor entrance at Dana Point went smoothly, the wind and waves were at our back and there was no traffic of boats or lines of fisherman along the sea walls to impede our progress. The sound of the dual MTU diesels, thrumming away underneath me, along with the very faint edges of seasickness still wanting to make an appearance from my lower body, made me sleepy but very relaxed…until I saw what was waiting at the end of the channel. There’d been no radio traffic coming out of Richard’s single side-band ship-to-shore radio while we’d been on the mission to the island so there was no chance of “see the man” kind of communication reaching me. I’d put the thought of the Western White House and its players out of my mind during the cruise back to the harbor. Reality rushed back in at me as I looked upon the scene, however.
A black Lincoln was parked parallel to the water atop the channel’s end. It wasn’t parked legally, instead just sitting there near the very edge of the reinforced concrete serving as a ending buttress against the harbor water. I needed no communication with anyone to understand the situation. I knew exactly what the vehicle was and why it was there.
It’s possible someone in the Western White House wants the three marines and anything related to them to be investigated and you and your group of nobodies are being used to get that done. They cannot risk being tied to what the investigation might revel in case it’s not in their best interest. This way they have a scapegoat and deniability. Deep waters here. Someone in the group is not who you think they are.
Thanks for the in depth analysis and the direction of your comment.
Not bad. Maybe you should be a detective. Nice of you to write in detail about your thoughts too.
Semper fi,
Jim
the sun was till(*) shining in the sky, although getting low over the ocean (* still )
and here (*) time in Cuba and recently Mexico (*confusing !! ) IDK…
Very interesting to see where this is now headed !!
Semper Fi
Thanks for your sharp eyes, Bob.
It is corrected.
Jim
Good one LT. I was wondering how the wounds were holding up
Thanks Tony, as I don’t mention the long process of coming back physically, and having to hide the wounds and effects from
them from everyone around me. Appreciate the thought….
Sempe fi,
Jim
it is attention gripping not getting
you plod along then real or reel us in
what time and year was this?
now
did you then or have you ever seen the Ellsberg file?
have you ever met G Gordon Liddy?
were you trained by E Howard Humt?
were you a plumber?
whar re did you ay in the Bay of Pigs?
inquiring minds…..
I was too young for the Bay of Pigs, never met either Liddy or Hunt, other than Mrs. Hunt.
I wasn’t a plumber because I was always in San Clemente. I did see the Ellsberg file.
Thanks for the curiosity and support,
and Semper fi, my friend,
Jim
Gets darker and darker LT!
“Mrs Nixon, or one of the servants, peaked…should that not be peeked?
Thanks for another spell binding chapter!!
Thanks for the help. and the compliment Joe!
Semper fi,
Jim
Spellbinding story sir,
thanks a lot Tim, much appreciate the compliment…
Semper fi,
Jim
The dog is referred to as a male and a female in the same paragraph.
‘I got up and headed for the door in the wall, passing Timahoe, the seemingly faithful Irish Setter who gave me every impression she was waiting for me to come back. I rubbed the top of his head before I went through the “
Thanks for the help here Bob…and this will be corrected….
Semper fi,
Jim
Suggestions:
regarding the dog:SHE was waiting…rubbed HIS head?
Richard advance(D) to the table
Putting hat/not had down
Who/not whom would believe this
Her/not here time in Cuba
We’ve got the U.S. government with/not in
Holy bat shit BATMAN!!
Thanks for that laconic but blatant compliment Harold!
Semper fi,
Jim
“Putting the big had down…” I think you meant to write “hat”, rather than “had”
I’m giving these to you because your vital to us…” I think you wanted “you’re” instead of ‘your’
Sounds like you and the dwarves are getting into the deep stuff! The mysteries must be breeding, as I would assume from old knowledge of Tricky Dick and his “staff”.
Write faster, LT. You’ve gotten my mind in a whirlwind, wondering where it will deposit me.
You again, Craig. I love it. The mysteries are indeed multiplying.
Semper fi,
Jim
Wow! In for life, however long they may determine it to be, and you got Richard in, at a different level from you. Great writing, had a cold chill at the end.
Thanks for the compliment and for sticking with me Ted.
Semper fi,
Jim
It seems you made some friends you didn’t know would happen. Had to reread this just to soak it all in again. 1963, Cuba, Mexico city, Cobb, what else is going to come out of all this??? At least one person in the western White House seems to be on your side. They must know you are meeting, so whom is a double agent? And what about Richard’s past haven’t you realized yet. So many questions and so few answers. Semper Fi Sir
Thanks Bob, for the trust and loyalty in following the story so closely. I am in arrears on answering older comments and that’s my
fault, not because I don’t place importance on them, it was that I lost a bunch on the computer somehow and Chuck got them back.
Semper fi,
Jim
Another great chapter. A few typos, but I’m sure others will point them out.
Thanks!
Thanks Christopher and really appreciate the compliment too
Semper fi,
Jim
An absolutely great Chapter!
Keep on cookin’!
Semper Fi!
Thank you so much Bill, and so sorry I am so late in responding to such a great compliment.
Semper fi,
Jim
Did not see that one coming.
Thanks bruce…I don’t really mean to write cliffhangers but it turns out I do a lot!
Semper fi,
Jim
LT,
THANKS! You made my day.
You cannot imagine how uplifting it was to log on this late afternoon hoping that you maybe posted a new episode. I was mentally drained from wrestling today for hours doing the final paperwork to settle a friend’s estate (less than $3000) who died in 2013. It was all set in 2014. IRS snags. More snags. Resolved in late 2019. Then COVID hit and trying to talk to anyone at IRS was harder than reaching someone on Jupiter. Got his small F.I.T. refund a few weeks ago.
****************************************
MORE mysteries to add on to the run-a-way yacht and 3 dead marines! Cobb. Stoner 63. Richard. The envelope. The 10 pictures. The marine driver who is always giving you rides. How does Mardian know your every movement?
Getting to be a real bowl of spaghetti.
A mystery wrapped in riddle inside an enigma?
I sure hope we get some answers.
Keep typing away!
Thanks Walter, and so sorry this response is so late. Really appreciate your loyalty and determination to see that friends estate through.
Few people understand just how complicated dying has gotten in this culture.
Semper fi,
Jim
James, The dialog from Mardian gives me the impression that your actions are being followed to determine if they should recruit you for more demanding projects. You act on your own initiative; you assemble resources (human plus equipment); you defy convention (break rules) – but not too bad. You produce results. Bingo!
When you were directed to the pool area I was hoping the dog would greet you and he did.
Some minor editing suggestions follow:
the wind and waves at our back
Maybe add “were” after “waves”
the wind and waves were at our back
and there being no traffic of boats or lines
Maybe substitute “was” for “being”
and there was no traffic of boats or lines
making me sleepy but very relaxed
Maybe “made” instead of “making”
Maybe “and” instead of “but”
made me sleepy and very relaxed
Richard’s single side band ship-to-shore radio
Usage seems to be Single SideBand
Richard’s Single SideBand ship-to-shore radio
The only one of the Dwarf’s standing was Hoodoo
Drop apostrophe in “Dwarf’s”
The only one of the Dwarfs standing was Hoodoo
// Issue that in Chapter 26 we read: “I gathered the photos together and gave them back to Hoodoo to hold onto, minus the tenth one, which I put in my breast pocket.”
Here in Chapter 27 we read: “I reached back inside and pulled the Polaroid’s as a stack from my pocket and held them out to Hoodoo.” Again you retain the 10th.
One or the other chapter needs a rewrite to resolve the handing over of the Polaroids. //
pulled the Polaroid’s as a stack
Drop apostrophe from Polaroid’s”
pulled the Polaroids as a stack
seeing what would likely prove to the lettering and numbering I feared
Maybe add “be” after “to”
seeing what would likely prove to be the lettering and numbering I feared
I’m giving these to you because your vital
“you are” or “you’re” instead of “your”
I’m giving these to you because you are vital
OR
I’m giving these to you because you’re vital
What were the Dwarf’s stepping into
Drop apostrophe in “Dwarf’s”
What were the Dwarfs stepping into
as Gularte secured the lines
OK but Bob Elwell would have been the more experienced person
police department or lifeguard force..
Extra period
police department or lifeguard force.
fictitious dwarfs were to the Snow White in the Grimm story.
Drop “the” before “Snow White”
Could say “Grimm’s fairy tale”
fictitious dwarfs were to Snow White in the Grimm’s fairy tale.
!! I was hoping the dog would greet you.
know of my existence, I wasn’t quite the nobody
Period instead of comma
know of my existence. I wasn’t quite the nobody
having somehow caught from my erroneous tone that I knew the name.
It seems Mardian is mistaken – not you
Maybe
having somehow erroneously caught from my tone that I knew the name.
Marine reflected. “The camera was
Seems “Marine” should be “Mardian”
Mardian reflected. “The camera was
I was coming quickly to realize I might never see
Reads a bit smoother if “coming” and “quickly” are transposed
I was quickly coming to realize I might never see
No, you won’t, instead of wasting
Period instead of comma
Capitalize “I” of “instead” as new sentence
No, you won’t. Instead of wasting
both of you’ll retrieve them together
Only because this sentence is a command I’d expect each word to be emphasized not contracted. so maybe “you will” rather than “you’ll”
both of you will retrieve them together
and if he wasn’t then what then?
Could drop second “then”
and if he wasn’t then what?
involved myself in where swirling around in waves
“were” instead of “where”
involved myself in were swirling around in waves
it’s more than you do not use, discuss
Maybe “that” instead of “than”
it’s more that you do not use, discuss
Mardian said back You and I are employed
comma after “back” then open quotes before “You”
Mardian said back, “You and I are employed
every impression she was waiting for me
“he” rather than “she”
every impression he was waiting for me
more real and uncomfortable than the pool area
Maybe “comfortable”
more real and comfortable than the pool area
and that sun was till shining in the sky
Add “the” before “sun”
Change “till” to “still”
and that the sun was still shining in the sky
nearby and a had a great effect
Drop “a” after “and”
nearby and had a great effect
Richard advance to the table
“advanced”
Richard advanced to the table
He handed it to me, while Shawana rearranged
“Shawna”
He handed it to me, while Shawna rearranged
Putting the big had down
“hat” rather than “had”
Putting the big hat down
while at sea or the San Clemente Island pier, or in the run
Maybe add “at” before “the San Clemente”
while at sea or at the San Clemente Island pier, or in the run
Whom would believe this
“Who” rather than “Whom”
Who would believe this
Cobb, a woman, and here time in Cuba
Seems “her” rather than “here”
Cobb, a woman, and her time in Cuba
We’ve got the U.S government
Add period after “S”
We’ve got the U.S. government
you all is ‘do you want to continue
Make full quotation mark
you all is “do you want to continue
Gularte and Herberich studding photo number ten
“studying” rather than “studding”
Gularte and Herberich studying photo number ten
Blessings & Be Well