Star Gazer’s car. Tail Gunner stopped one row in front of Star Gazer and was just about to get into an old 1999 Camaro Super Sport.
Star Gazer got out of the Benz and said, “Hey, bro, was that just the Acadia shift change?”
Tail Gunner looked over at Star Gazer and said, “Yeah, brother.”
Star Gazer said, “Maybe you can help me, man. I’m looking for my brother Tail Gunner. You ever heard of him? He’s stationed on the Acadia. Just want to spend some time with him.”
Tail Gunner turned to look at the kid saying his name. His mouth dropped open. His eyes went big, and he said, “Star Gazer, is that you?”
Star Gazer said, “Yes, Tail Gunner, it’s me. Let’s take a ride. We got to talk.”
Tail Gunner walked up to Star Gazer, and they embraced each other in a bear hug. Star Gazer drove, and Tail Gunner sat in the passenger seat, and Star Gazer told Tail Gunner what was going on. Tail Gunner listened to Star Gazer, and after he was done talking, he told Star Gazer, “Count me in, bro. Let’s do it.”
Star Gazer smiled, picked up his secured marine radio, and called T-Con 56 to Marine One, “Tail Gunner is ready for recovery in custody in bound fifteen minutes to Coronado Marine One.”
There was no reply at all from the Marine radio. Not one Marine answered the call. They were all in shock. Star Gazer drove Tail Gunner to the Coronado Marine base from San Diego across the bridge. Star Gazer drove through the gate at the Marine base turned the corner left at the cafeteria. They both got out and went inside to see the Marine colonel on duty. They stopped at the duty colonel’s table in the chow hall, and Star Gazer said, “Grandfather, look who I just found. It’s Tail Gunner.”
The Marine colonel turned slowly in his seat and looked at the boys and then said, “Hello, son.”
Tail Gunner smiled and said, “Hello, Grandfather,” and stepped up and hugged the Marine colonel.
Sitting in the Marine colonel’s lap, he said, “Grandfather, I know where Ghost is. He is on the Acadia Navy ship.”
It went dead silent in the Marine chow hall as the Marines just heard they know where all three missing baby hybrids were now after nine and half years of not knowing. The Marine colonel just sat there in shocked silence for a minute then said, “Boys, give me a minute to talk, okay?”
Star Gazer and Tail Gunner replied, “Yes, Grandfather,” and walked outside and sat on the hood of the car.
Fifteen minutes later, a Marine gunny came out and said, “Boys, Grandfather will see you now. Come inside.”
Star Gazer and Tail Gunner replied, “Yes, Gunny,” and went into the chow hall to talk to the Marine colonel.
The Marine duty colonel turned toward the boys in his seat and said, “Boys, I want Ghost of that damn ship here tonight. You hear me? Tonight.”
Star Gazer and Tail Gunner wiped tears from their faces and said, “It will be done, Grandfather. We promise you.”
The Marine duty colonel said, “Go get him, boys, now.”
Star Gazer and Tail Gunner said, “We will be back with Ghost in an hour or so. Wait for the call, Grandfather.”
Chapter 13
Ghost Caller
Star Gazer and Tail Gunner drove back to the San Diego naval station surface warfare base, and the Navy SEALs security force gave them entrance to the base. They drove south across the base down to the service piers and backed into the parking spot in front of pier 7 main gate. Star Gazer took a deep breath, looked over at Tail Gunner in the passenger seat, and said, “Let’s do this quietly.”
Tail Gunner picked up his radio and called out, “Ghost, are you there, baby?”
The reply was “That’s just creepy. I’m here.”
Tail Gunner said, “Ghost, go to McDonald’s on base for dinner. I will meet you there, okay?”
Ghost replied, “Okay, I will be there in five minutes.”
* * * * *
Star Gazer and Tail Gunner saw Ghost walking halfway down the pier and watched from the front seats of the emerald-green Benz plated to DIA 5.
Star Gazer teared up and said, “Hello, baby brother.”
Ghost passed through Navy SEAL security and exited the security manway gate turn style. He walked to the right toward the McDonald’s restaurant on base. Star Gazer and Tail Gunner drove to their right away from Ghost to not alert the Navy SEALs what they were about to do, kidnap Ghost back from them. Star Gazer drove quickly around the base and pulled up by Ghost on the side road to McDonald’s. Tail Gunner rolled down his window and said, “Get in, Ghost, now.”
Ghost got in the back seat behind the tinted windows and put his seat belt on. Star Gazer drove the Benz up to the second base gate and floored it passed the Navy security guard at the gate. Star Gazer turned the supercharger on, and the twin-turbo spooled up to full throttle, and the Benz flew through the open gate at seventy miles per hour. Star Gazer ran the red light at ninety miles per hour and went through the traffic intersection, squealing and smoking the tires, and slid the Benz sideways let off the throttle. The Benz straightened out, and he hammered it again.
Ghost replied, “Your friend drives fast, Tail Gunner.”
Star Gazer slowed and turned left and sped down the street toward the Coronado bay bridge entrance away from the Navy base. At the red light at the intersection to the bridge, Star Gazer turned around in his seat and said, “HI, Ghost.”
Ghost screamed, “Star Gazer! Holy shit!” They hugged, and the light turned green. Star Gazer obeyed the speed limit across the bridge and watched the rearview mirror for a tail following. They drove down Silver Strand Boulevard, passed the SEAL base and straight into the Marine base in Coronado. Star Gazer drove through the Marine base gate. He honked the horn for fifty yards to get the Marine’s attention. When they pulled up outside the chow hall, the Marines were outside, waiting to greet them. Star Gazer was out first and handed the keys to the Marine colonel. Tail Gunner got out next, and Ghost got out of the back right door last.
The Marine colonel said, “Welcome home, Ghost.”
Ghost cried, “Grandfather,” and ran to the Marine colonel, and embraced him.
The Marines took Ghost to the Marine medical center, and Ghost was surrendered to the Ghost Recon medics for treatment and observation. Star Gazer and Tail Gunner went to their hybrid containment in the chow hall—a massively strongly built hybrid bedroom, and lay down together in bed and fell asleep. They both cried softly until they finally fell asleep. Eight hours later, Colonel John Force walked Ghost into the hybrid containment bedroom, and he jumped into bed with Star Gazer and Tail Gunner.
Marine One Colonel John Force said, “Good night, boys, and welcome home.”
The boys replied, “Good night, Grandfather Force.”
Colonel Force closed the containment door and locked them inside their room and walked away with tear-filled eyes. Ghost was medically cleared in eight short hours in full health and ready for service. The Marine One command transported the boys to Washington, DC, for the MI-45 congressional debrief for their missing nine and half years four days later.
Chapter 14
Congressional Debrief
The Marine One command brought the boys into the congressional debrief hearing room in the congressional building in Washington, DC. The boys were tasked to inform and clarify to the congressional council where they have been and what they were doing for the past nine years and six months before their positive sighting in the United States. Star Gazer testified first in the congressional debrief.
Star Gazer testified that they were kidnapped