Home Goes The Warrior by Jeff Noonan Read Free Book Online

Quantico, he was briefed on his schedule and the school curriculum. He found that he was going to receive classroom training for eight hours a day, six days a week. He was also assigned to a two-hour evening session that alternated between hand-to-hand combat and firearm training. He was expected to be in training for sixty hours a week for the next two months. It reminded Lee a bit of the SEAR Training he’d been through before he left for Viet Nam.
    After the briefing, he was assigned a room on campus where he was to live for the next two months. The next morning, Lee reported to the classroom as he had been instructed the day before. From then on, his life was an absolute blur for the next eight weeks. He was trained in law, forensics, investigative techniques, communications and all types of law enforcement equipment. In the evenings he worked out with a professional trainer and honed his boxing, karate, and shooting skills. On Sundays, he slept, studied, and did laundry.
    After the first four weeks, Agent Wright dropped in regularly to see him. He’d been assigned as the agent in charge of the “Philadelphia Shipyard Project” for over a year now and he was watching Lee’s progress intently, convinced that his future success was tied directly to his new protégé’s performance.
    Finally the eight weeks passed. But, much to Lee’s chagrin, his departure was delayed. Agent Wright spent another two days with Lee, going over everything he had on file regarding the shipyard case. During this two days, the two also made arrangements to contact and communicate with one another once Lee reported to the shipyard. Only when this was done was Lee allowed to board the return flight, exhausted but feeling prepared for the task ahead of him.
    Today was Tuesday and he was scheduled to arrive in San Diego about midnight tonight. He and Maggie had agreed that he would go straight to the ship tonight, get some sleep, and then prepare for his transfer. Tomorrow he would pack up his belongings and go through the check-out process aboard ship. He knew that Captain Neilsen was planning a going-away ceremony aboard ship Wednesday afternoon, so he wouldn’t be able to leave until that was over. Maggie was taking leave starting on Wednesday and they planned to meet as soon as he could get off the ship.
    Lee was anxious to get on the road. The vacation Maggie was planning was very much on his mind. He’d never done anything like this before and he was excited. He couldn’t help but wonder what it would be like to have no work and no responsibilities for two entire weeks.
    When he arrived in San Diego, he took a taxi to the ship. He was asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow. It had been a very long, hard, two months.
    He arose and did his morning run as usual. He couldn’t help but notice that he ran easier and farther today than he had just a few weeks ago. The FBI training course had left him in terrific physical shape.
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He was still dreading what he might encounter when he got to Philadelphia.
    His morning was totally consumed with packing his gear and stowing it in his car, then working his way around ship, checking out and saying his goodbyes to the many friends he had gained over the past few years. It was a long, emotional, morning.
    Captain Neilsen had scheduled a going-away ceremony for Lee in the wardroom, as was normal for departing officers. But when the word of this got out to the crew, the captain was visited by a group of chief pettyofficers. The crew had a request. They wanted to be included in the ceremony for the lieutenant. The wardroom wasn’t big enough. So the captain moved the ceremony aft and outside to the ship’s helicopter deck.
    At 1400 hours, the ship’s speaker system announced, “The going-away ceremony for Lieutenant Raines will commence immediately on the helicopter deck”. The announcement startled Lee, who hadn’t been told of the change. He left the wardroom and made his way