Baby Seals Part 6

By J.W. Bloomfield

With the possibility of being foreign exchange students in their future (Australia, here we come!), Jeff and Danielle have much to accomplish. Some things they have planned for, but as usual, there are many surprises along the way—some good, some bad, and some downright dangerous! Musicals, cruises, a bear attack, another visit to Africa, and romance find the twins using their wits, skills, and their faith to conquer all, or almost all.

• Language: English
• Publisher: WestBow Press
• Release date: Dec 4, 2018
• ISBN: 9781973646488

J.W. Bloomfield

J.W. was raised on a farm in the Texas Panhandle, along with his four siblings. Living eight miles outside a small town gave him a lot of time with his imagination. He wrote his first story when he was seven. J.W. resides in Texas with his wife, cocker spaniel, and horse.

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Prologue

F BI Special Agent Shawn Harrison stood in the darkened house beside his bedroom window staring out into the street. His warm brown eyes grew cold as he examined the late model sedan parked two doors down. The man knew every car on the street: his neighbors, their visiting family and friends. He did not know this one.

It was only a matter of time until they found him. His team had been working on the case for months with no good leads. They had no idea who the criminals were, how many there were, or even if they were male or female; only the crime scenes they left behind.

Then, as usually happens, the criminals made a mistake, and a big one. The Special Agent and his team knew approximately how many there were in the group and who they were. Well, to be exact, they didn’t know who they were since they weren’t in any database, but the team would be able to identify them if they arrested any suspects.

Apparently, the criminals, the gang if it was one, had resources as well and had identified him, if not his entire team. He could take care of himself, but how to protect his daughter? Without an active threat, he couldn’t hide her in a safe house, and if they had the resources to find him, he didn’t trust that they couldn’t find her as well, hidden or not. He needed a full-time bodyguard for her, but, again, without an active threat, no department would assign the resources.

Then, from nowhere, the idea popped into his head: the two kids who had rescued Lily Avery a few years earlier. They would be how old now? He performed the math in his head. Sixteen. They would be sixteen now. Would he put two sixteen-year-olds against a group of five to seven thieves and murderers? He reviewed in his mind the house where Lily and the other girls had been found and thought to himself, Yes, he would. At 7:00am, he dialed a number.

Later in the year, in Alaska, the large bear stood in the trees as the two hikers walked back into view. He had been there when they arrived earlier in the day by helicopter, the noise from the machine keeping him hidden in the trees as they passed on their way into the forest. Roaming nearby in search of food and water, the bear was back in the trees as the two hikers returned. As they neared the concrete pad where the helicopter had dropped them off earlier, he charged.

And in Australia, a family prayed about keeping a foreign exchange student for the school year. In their back yard, a funnel web spider set up a nest.

Chapter 1

J eff and Danielle, self-declared twins, sat side by side in the courtroom on their sixteenth birthday. They were both 5’11" tall, and Jeff, at 175 pounds, now outweighed Danielle by ten pounds. She didn’t mind. They both knew she was faster. The young people had matching brown hair. Jeff kept his military short while Danielle’s reached her shoulder blades and was usually worn in a long braid.

The two were heavily muscled from years of SEAL training from Mike and his team as well as the adventures that seemed to keep popping up in their lives. It had been a little over two months since Danielle’s foster parents had shot them, and while they were recovering at an amazing rate, they considered themselves to be only eighty percent back to normal.

Their family and friends were seated around them in the brightly lit room. Fourteen-year-old Elizabeth Freedman, one of the sisters the two had somehow collected during their lives and soon to be their sister by adoption, sat on Jeff’s left, squirming with excitement. She was dark skinned like her mother, with sparkling brown eyes, a rapid way of speaking, and practically no filter between her mouth and her brain. Jeff took a moment to give her a look to make sure she behaved during the ceremony.

Nine-year-old Lily, the hidden sister, sat beside Elizabeth. She and her parents had flown in for the ceremony from Phoenix using tickets Jeff and Danielle had purchased online. They could have easily purchased their own tickets or used frequent flyer miles. Lily’s mom, Mia, now worked for the foundation Jeff and Danielle had set up, choosing hotels and apartments near hospitals in cities all over the country to provide inexpensive housing for the families of cancer patients when they went for treatment.

Mia worked hand in hand with Jeff and Danielle’s other sister, Cindy, who was Danielle’s first foster sister and had later been adopted by Steve and Amy Jacobs, the two who had first invited the twins to church and been with them through all the years of turmoil that followed. Cindy was shorter than the twins and thin, with waist length black hair; she was studying interior design at a nearby school. When Mia ended up choosing an apartment building rather than a motel, Cindy handled the decorating and preparation. She had a few frequent flyer miles of her own.

Cindy was seated beside Danielle, with Robert Freedman on her right. Robert and the twins were tight. He had rescued them from Danielle’s mother and step-father, they had rescued him from liquor store robbers, and on and on. He had been there every time they had been in danger, and now he would officially take them under his wing, as would his wife, Michelle, seated next to Lily. If ever a group of people loved and respected each other, it was the three Freedmans, Jeff, and Danielle.

Sydney, Jeff’s girlfriend, sat behind him. The blond, soon to be eighteen-year-old was almost as large as Danielle with the same muscular build after a year of training with the twins. She knew Jeff and Danielle were still hurting after their mom’s death the previous year, but if anyone could help the pain go away, it was Robert and Michelle. She leaned forward to put her hands on Jeff’s shoulders and say, Try to act dignified during the ceremony. He tilted his head back against hers and answered, I will do my best, but I make no promises.

Sydney had cut class to be here, with her parents’ and even her counselor’s permission. She was a senior, had a high GPA, would make up any work she missed, and everyone considered this an important enough event to warrant a few missed classes. Besides, it was Friday. She would have the whole weekend to catch up on anything important.

Sydney was sitting beside Rachael, Jeff’s previous girlfriend and now one of Sydney’s close friends. They had become acquainted the previous year and found they had many things in common. Rachael knew secrets about Jeff that she was pretty sure Sydney didn’t know yet, such as how much money Jeff and Danielle were worth, and Sydney also knew a few things that Rachael hadn’t figured out yet. Probably. He had dated Rachael for a couple of years, so maybe there weren’t that many secrets.

The two had spent a little time discussing the upcoming adoption and had agreed that Robert and Michelle were the best choice. Steve and Amy, although perhaps the friends the twins had known the longest, weren’t quite right. Although they would adopt them in a heartbeat, they would be more like a big brother and sister than parents. Mike was a longtime friend as well, but he would treat them more like adult members of his SEAL team than his children, and his wife, Ella, was, frankly, too in awe of them for rescuing her and Savannah to make a good parent.

Robert and Michelle were just right. They were both tough and loved the twins beyond words. There would be just the right amount of parenting and friendship. Jeff and Danielle were almost past the parenting stage anyway. Maybe they had been for a while, although Marilyn had somehow made it work.

The courtroom was filled with their many friends. The foundation board was there. Cindy’s parents were sitting nearby. Mike, Ella, and Savannah were in the group of onlookers as well as Stuart and Travis, members of Mike’s former SEAL team; Mark, their jump and occasional transport pilot; Mac, their unarmed combat instructor; and even Hayato, who had taught them to make their swords. Alice, Danielle’s former next-door neighbor, and her sister, Eunice, who had bought Danielle’s old house, were there. The list went on and on, all people who had played a role in Jeff or Danielle’s lives and wished them the very best.

Finally, the judge appeared. He was aware of their history, what they had been through, and what they had accomplished in their brief time on this earth. With a solemn voice, he called the participants forward and asked if Robert and Michelle had the best interests of Jeff and Danielle in mind. After reviewing the paperwork and some other words, he declared that Jeff and Danielle were now Jeff and Danielle Freedman. The packed courtroom erupted in cheers and applause.

After the ceremony, the crowd made its way to a nearby restaurant. Jeff and Danielle had reserved the whole place, and as the luncheon progressed, they moved from table to table, thanking everyone who had come, receiving congratulations, and some Marilyn would be happy for you comments, which they agreed with. Sydney sat with the sisters during this, watching Jeff move from group to group. She commented to Cindy, I hope their lives go a little smoother now. Cindy choked on her tea. You are talking about Jeff and Danielle, right? Of course things won’t go smoother. They’ll just be different.

She considered for a moment. Poor Robert and Michelle. Jeff and Danielle will be getting their drivers licenses now. She paused and snorted. And they have to change their ID’s again: Social Security, motorcycle licenses, bank, credit card. When I get married, I’m keeping my name just so I don’t have to change every ID. Elizabeth, who had been listening to this exchange, gave her a look. When you get married, that’s what will be at the top of your list? Girl, you have issues.

Chapter 2

J eff and Danielle paused in their run. The sunny day was still with blue skies and few clouds, but in early February, the temperature was not warm. They had driven over early to Sydney’s house and had begun their trek from there, following the river along the trail, first east, then south, and now east again. Soon they would reach their three-mile turning point and head back.

Sydney watched them with some anxiety. It had not even been three months since they were shot, and yes, everyone, including the doctors, said the recovery was miraculous, but still, running six miles in the cold February air did not seem safe or sane. At least Michelle had put her foot down on swimming in cold water, although she reluctantly agreed to allow them to swim in a heated pool. Sydney had joined them as they swam lap after lap, cutting through the water with speed and skill.

No wonder the swim coach had tried over and over to convince them to join the swim team; at least until he found out they were part of the team who rescued the two families trapped in seventy feet of water under an overturned sailboat. After that, competing on a school swim team just to see who could swim the fastest didn’t seem all that important.

Their first days back at school had started well enough. The few students who had thought this was a good time to press them had found out quickly that Jeff and Danielle not at the top of their form were still well above the average person their age physically. The disgruntled band member from the previous year’s concert had shoved Jeff in the boy’s restroom and found himself first in the nurse’s office, then at home after being picked up by his mother, who he told he just wasn’t feeling well. Perhaps something he ate or a bug going around. Word moved around the school quickly, and the twins had no more problems. With fighting anyway.

One young man with a crush on Danielle was making no progress with his advances, and after months of trying different approaches, some to her amusement, some to her annoyance, his pride was getting the better of him. It didn’t help that he had bragged to his friends that she would be his girlfriend before Thanksgiving. He was able to blame his lack of progress on her hospital stay and recovery and moved the new conquest date to Valentine’s Day.

The day came and went with no change in his status, and he declared it due to the emotional trauma of the adoption and moving in with their new family. His friends were having none of it, and he finally had to admit it wasn’t going to happen, no matter what he did. So, he began calling her names. After trying a few, he settled on Moose. Whenever she passed in the hall, he would call Moose, and he and his friends would laugh. In class, they would cough/say Moose.

The description was obviously wrong. While Jeff and Danielle were well muscled from all their training, it was more the muscle of body sculpting and swimming than weight lifting. Their movements were as graceful as leopards. They did walk a little strangely, a movement caused by the careful placement of their feet, ensuring they did not torque as they shifted weight. As a result, they moved silently over almost any surface. Even Addison’s and Sydney’s friends had commented on it; not in an insulting way, just as an observation. I can’t put my finger on it, but Jeff and Danielle walk funny.

The two girls couldn’t explain it either until they had walked with the twins over dry grass and gravel, noticing that they made no sound and that the stones were unmoved. Then it clicked. Try as they might, they couldn’t duplicate it. Not with any speed, anyway.

The boy and his friends could not think of any insulting cat names, so Moose, no matter how inappropriate, became their name choice. Danielle went from treating all of his advances with patience and kindness to ignoring him. She and Jeff were very good at this. When they ignored something, it wasn’t as though they weren’t paying attention to something that existed. It was as though it didn’t exist at all; there was nothing to pay attention to. There was a very noticeable difference between the two tactics, and the boy and his friends felt it. So did the rest of the school who began making a point of observing the group saying Moose and the twins’ lack of response to it.

Sydney was bothered by the situation more than Danielle and offered to take care of the boys if she didn’t want to be bothered by it. Danielle stared at her in surprise and asked what she was talking about. Sydney stared back and said, The guys who are calling you Moose. Danielle said, Someone is calling me Moose? Why? Sydney rolled her eyes and let it drop. If it wasn’t going to bother Jeff and Danielle, it wasn’t going to bother her either.

The situation did allow Danielle to help some of the other kids in the school, those who had for one reason or another acquired unkind, insulting, or degrading nicknames. One day at lunch, a girl approached the twins as they waited in line to pay for drinks before heading to their usual table with its usual shared lunch. She asked Danielle if she could talk to her, and they agreed to meet after Danielle’s last class of the day.

Jeff sat nearby out of earshot as the girl told Danielle about her unfortunate nickname, Puffin, and asked what to do. Danielle asked, Why don’t you like it? The girl, short and stocky, glared in disbelief and asked, Do you know what a puffin is? Danielle pulled her sketchpad, charcoal, and crayons from her messenger bag as she answered, A bird that literally flies through the water. She drew a quick sketch of a puffin with the girl’s bright green eyes flying under water.

The girl stared in amazement. Danielle said, Embrace the name. I’ll have something for you in a couple of days. Encouraged, but not convinced, the girl left. Two days later, Danielle handed her a patch that matched the sketch she had drawn. She also gave her a picture of the sketch, painted in acrylics. The girl sewed the patch on the sleeve of her jacket, and from that moment forward, slowly at first, although the nickname didn’t change, the reason for it did.

More and more young people came to Jeff and Danielle, sometimes one or the other of them, sometimes both, often involving nicknames. Some of the nicknames were cruel. Some, like puffin, were only mean if the owner of the nickname thought they were. Sometimes the twins gave a new nickname, complete with a picture to focus on. Sometimes they just changed the meaning of the nickname, much to the dismay of the person or group who had assigned the nickname as a means of control or insult.

Every time, though, they explained what God thought of his children and explained their worth to Him. Sometimes this helped, sometimes it didn’t. There were times when the two just shrugged and said, It isn’t our job to fix the world.

They had begun lifting weights, and even more significantly, sparring with kendo swords, and rarely, their own swords. Watching them with the wooden practice swords was a joy; watching them with the razor-sharp swords they had made themselves, not so much. On the two times they had used them, Sydney had waited inside until they walked back in, laughing, swords sheathed, no cuts visible in spite of the sounds outside of metal striking metal in a steady rhythm. Elizabeth had assured her that the steady sound of a kata was nothing like the chainsaw sound of the swords when the two tried to kill each other.

They hadn’t made a parachute jump since the shooting, and everyone knew they were champing at the bit. After a call from Michelle, Mark refused to take them up until Mike cleared it, which he wouldn’t do until Michelle and the doctors okayed it. So, the twins did what they could when people could see them and also did what they could when no one was watching. Time passed.

Chapter 3

J eff and Danielle sat in the waiting area at the DPS office, waiting patiently to take the driving portion of their license test. Earlier in the week, Michelle had driven them to the driver training school owned by Travis’ friend, Aidan, where the calm, round, jolly man met them at the door.

The three Freedmans arrived in the car Jeff and Danielle had rebuilt themselves, adding a number of unique features such as bullet proof glass and armor in the doors and trunk. This was also the automobile the twins had driven all over the US when they were fourteen, searching for an answer to what they called the Africa problem, arriving home on their fifteenth birthday. They hadn’t driven it since.

As Michelle listened to the three review all the driving training the twins had received, she thought about how far they had come since the previous year when Marilyn had died and Danielle’s foster parents had shot the twins. Their recovery had been nothing short of miraculous. They had lost no weight in the hospital, and as far as she could tell, no muscle mass. They had not yet returned to their full workout but were well on the way, and their muscles and strength reflected it. Michelle joined them for parts of their training, and she considered that her entire family would make formidable opponents.

The review ended, and Danielle stood with Michelle as Jeff and Aidan moved to the car for what would be essentially the final test. Michelle commented, You could have gone first, you know. Danielle shrugged. I like for Jeff to go first; you know, break him down, lower his expectations. They stared at each other a moment before bursting into laughter.

As Aidan open the passenger door, he paused to examine it. This door is heavy. It isn’t armored, is it? Jeff answered simply, Yes. The older man asked in surprise, Why? Did you buy it this way from some movie star? Jeff smiled. No. Danielle and I modified it to keep people from breaking in. Aidan asked, What do you keep in here? Gold bullion? Jeff laughed. No. But whatever we put in here, we want to keep safe. Aidan shook his head and climbed in. Jeff accelerated smoothly away.

Half an hour later, they were back. As the two walked up, Jeff tossed the keys to Danielle. Aidan commented to Michelle, Looks good. I think he drives better than my instructors. The woman nodded in agreement, and Aidan followed Danielle to the car. Again, the car pulled smoothly away and disappeared. When it reappeared, Aidan appeared to gesture toward the training area in the parking lot.

Danielle nodded, and the car leapt forward, racing toward a pair of cones with flags inserted in them. They were close together, perhaps wider than the length of the car by a foot on either end and another foot from a curb. As the car neared the cones, Danielle wrenched the steering wheel, and the car slid neatly sideways into the space, stopping two inches from the curb. Jeff and Michelle stared, and Jeff commented, Why didn’t I get to do that? Girls have all the fun!

Danielle climbed out of the car and moved the front cone a few feet forward. Re-entering the car, she drove slowly back to park in front of her family. Aidan stumbled out of the car, stammering, Now I remember why I let my other employees handle the driving part of the instruction.

Back in the office, he filled out the necessary paperwork to show the young people had finished their driving instruction. Handing it across the desk, he said, You are both excellent drivers. If you repeat the stunt Danielle pulled, they will probably lock you up, and you won’t pass your driving test. Well done, though. You have a future in stunt driving if you need it. The twins grinned.

Now, back at the DPS office, they would be taking the driving test in Michelle’s SUV. Robert had pointed out that they didn’t want to make the testing officer suspicious right off the bat with the heavy, armored doors, and since they both felt comfortable with the SUV, it became their testing vehicle.

Although they weren’t aware of it, the DPS officer giving them their driving test knew about them and their history, including the time spent driving illegally across the US. While he didn’t approve of their action, he appreciated the hours of driving it represented without, as far as anyone knew, accidents of any kind. Their driving skill, therefore, came as no surprise.

The twins were not aware that he judged their driving with a much higher standard than any other young driver he had ridden with, making note of their unconscious attentiveness to their surroundings, avoiding problems before they had a chance to develop, and awareness of hazards such as the clear right lane as the traffic signal at an intersection turned green.

As they were cruising down a busy business street lined with shops, they both observed a young man on a skateboard snatch the purse off the shoulder of a woman who was not paying the attention she should have to her surroundings, mesmerized by the display in a shop window. As the man raced down the slight slope and skidded around a corner, Jeff asked the officer giving the test, Want him? The officer, gritting his teeth, muttered, Of course I want him.

Jeff whirled the car around the corner and stopped a few feet in front of the skate-boarding purse snatcher. The officer stepped out in front of the man and tackled him to the ground, flipping him on his face and handcuffing him. In a few seconds, a crowd, led by the red-faced woman whose purse had been grabbed, rounded the corner and stopped, seeing the purse snatcher on the ground with the officer kneeling over him.

The woman yelled, That’s my purse! and the reporting process began. As soon as he stopped the car, Jeff dialed 911 on his cell phone and reported the situation. In minutes, a patrol car stopped behind him, and the police officer took custody of the prisoner. Jeff and his observer drove on to continue his driving test. The officer commented, You’re just a magnet, aren’t you? A puzzled Jeff, unaware that the officer knew who he was and his background, answered, What? I’m just taking my driver’s test. The man muttered, Uh-huh, and went back to taking notes.

Soon enough, it was Danielle’s turn to take the wheel. As she pulled smoothly away, Jeff told Michelle about his time with the officer. The woman rolled her eyes. Do you think you’ll pass? Jeff replied, I don’t see why not. I didn’t break any laws or drive in a hazardous way. Much.

Danielle’s driving test was much like Jeff’s: normal with a slight mix of abnormal. The testing officer asked her to drive down a dirt road toward a small pond. The road ended abruptly a few feet before the edge of the water. When the officer asked her to return to the street, Danielle backed up a bit, raced forward, and performed a 180-degree spin, ending up facing back up the road, which she then drove sedately up.

The officer, after seeing the pond racing toward them and thinking that for some strange reason Danielle was going to plunge the into the water, said, I meant back up the road to the street. Danielle said, Huh. You should have been more specific. The officer shook his head and made more notes on his sheet, but he didn’t fail her.

The SUV returned, and a short time later, Jeff and Danielle were in possession of their temporary driver’s licenses. That evening, the officer called his friend Aidan and asked, So, who really trained them? He highly respected Aidan’s school, training methods, and instructors. There was never any problem with students from the school. It was obvious, though, that Jeff and Danielle had received more training than Aidan provided, a lot more, their drive across the country notwithstanding.

Aidan didn’t even have to ask who his friend was referring to. He laughed. Well, technically, they were trained by one of my instructors since Travis is on my list. Which was true, although Travis seldom instructed anyone unless Aidan was in a bind due to a sick instructor or a family emergency. The officer laughed as well. It was a trip riding with them. I could tell they were alert to their surroundings. I could also tell they considered the road to be a suggestion.

Aidan didn’t mention that Mike and Stuart had also been involved in the training. He also left out the part about the parallel parking maneuver Danielle had performed. And the armored car. Some things were just better left unsaid.

Jeff and Danielle had met Michelle at the DPS office after school, riding their motorcycles over. Now they followed her to the Shepherd house to pick up Elizabeth from homeschool before heading north to the Freedman ranch. The fourteen-year-old girl rushed from the house when she heard them arrive; more precisely, when she heard the motorcycles arrive.

Did you pass? Of course, you passed. Pulling open the front passenger door of the SUV, she tossed her backpack on the floor and shouted to Michelle, who winced since the girl was only feet away, Hi, Mom! Can I ride home with Jeff and Danielle? Michelle replied, May I, and no, you’re riding in the car with me. Elizabeth wailed, But mom, you drive so slow! The woman smiled as she said, They’ll be following me, so we’ll all be driving the same speed.

Frowning, Elizabeth jumped into the seat and buckled her seat belt. Her outgoing nature wouldn’t allow her to pout for long, and shortly after Michelle pulled away from the curb, Jeff and Danielle a safe distance behind, the girl asked, Are you and dad going to let them buy new motorcycles?

This had been a topic of discussion ever since the day after their adoption ceremony. Now that they were sixteen, they were no longer restricted to 250cc’s. To be accurate, their motorcycles weren’t 250cc now. The twins had not possessed them long before the modifications began, and if a mechanic were to take them apart, he or she would find some interesting alterations, all designed to increase the power without changing the outward appearance. Those days were gone, and with shining eyes, they debated over meals the advantages of Husqvarna vs. Ducati.

Their dreams had crashed to a halt when Robert commented, Michelle and I haven’t said you can buy new motorcycles. Michelle was gratified to note that the look in their eyes as they stared at the two adults was one of shock and dismay, not rebellion. She knew the thought had never even crossed their minds to say something such as, Mom would have let us, possibly because they knew Marilyn might very well not have let them, but also because they respected their new parents too much to say such a thing.

She smiled as she said, Your father and I will discuss it. The twins turned pleading eyes on the man, who merely agreed. Like she said, we’ll discuss it. Now, in reply to Elizabeth’s question, Michelle said, We’ll see. She and Robert had discussed it and agreed to allow the twins to proceed with their purchase. They had both watched them ride at Stuart’s ranch and knew the young people were skilled but (usually) careful riders.

Jeff and Danielle also seemed to have no need to show off, especially since leaving the hospital. She was a little surprised they even wanted more powerful machines, but she and Robert trusted them to ride wisely. It would be interesting to see which was used more often, the car or the motorcycles. Naturally, she and Robert would prefer the car since it was literally armored like a tank. It was a good thing the price of gas wasn’t an issue.

Robert announced their decision over dinner that evening, and the family spent two hours Saturday morning at the motorcycle dealership. Jeff and Danielle had reached a final decision on make and model, and most of the time was spent choosing exactly which motorcycles, filling out paperwork, and paying for them.

Danielle picked one in green, Jeff in blue, but the colors might as well have been arbitrary because as soon as they arrived home with them, they began modifications to change the appearance to old and non-descript. In a week, the dealership would not have recognized them. If fact, they probably would have sworn the two motorcycles had never been in their showroom. The other three family members just shook their heads in amusement, very familiar by now with Jeff and Danielle’s strange ways.

Elizabeth wanted to keep one of their old motorcycles for herself. Robert and Michelle agreed although they told the