Cruisin’ For Love, page 12
“That’s a pretty damning assessment of their moral code, wouldn’t you say that?”
“Yes, I’m well aware of the fact that parents sometimes don’t supervise their children as they perhaps should. Or have a different opinion of what’s acceptable and what’s not acceptable. I can see how they would be concerned that having a son who deals drugs or is in possession of drugs, could jeopardize his father’s opportunities. I’m not sure I would’ve done anything different had I known how connected his parents were, but I knew that he needed to be apprehended. And I thought I was doing my job to protect the innocent people on the cruise.”
“Does your Navy talk to you about interfering with other government’s judicial system, their laws, not inserting yourself since you are not sworn police or prosecutors? You are operators, you go in and handle riots and defend and rescue people in war torn areas of the world. But this is Italy, this is a civilized country, with a constitution and a court system. You defied the authority of the security on ship as well as the police and the judicial system here in Italy. This is a very serious offense.”
“I understand and I’m very sorry for my actions. I probably overreacted.”
“Probably?”
Shrugging and leaning over the table with his hands folded together, he added, “Yes, I overreacted, I should have been more careful not to hurt him, I was solely intent on making sure he was captured, and I should have paid more attention to the fact that I am stronger and bigger than he is, and I should have allowed other people to do their job. But that’s the worst of it. I was doing it for all the right reasons.”
“But if you thought someone was going to harm your family, would that give you the right to murder them? To cause a great deal of physical injury?”
“Under the circumstances, these circumstances, no. I made a mistake. This mistake could cost me my job, I could lose my trident over this. I was angry at this young boy’s actions. I’m angry that I’m being charged or being charged for something that I really didn’t intend to do. I am angry that my wife and children are not able to talk to me, that I’m not able to have representation or talk to my commanding officer or the naval liaison or anyone from our State Department. It appears that all my rights have been removed and Samuel’s rights—well he’s allowed to run free and do whatever the heck he wants to do. It hardly seems fair to me. But that’s your determination not mine.”
“You say the captain of your ship is a friend of yours? Why didn’t he intervene?”
“If I had an answer to that, I would give it to you. I didn’t even get the opportunity to speak to him. I was told by the security team that I had to remain in my cabin, and after I gave him the drugs, I no longer had any communication with him. Just because we are friends, I would’ve thought I would be given more choices. I was moved to this facility because I was told it was for my benefit. I don’t understand any of this, nothing’s been explained to me, and it just seems that I was the victim here. Granted, I used perhaps more force than I should have, but I’m the real victim. And there are going to be other victims if he’s not apprehended. That is something I’m most concerned about, and I suppose Captain Dominichello is focusing in on that. As he should.”
“So, what do you think should happen from here on?”
“Well, if I’ve caused battery of some kind assault, I will have to pay the consequences. Whether it’s justified or not, that’s your determination not mine. I didn’t mean to cause him harm. I just merely wanted to apprehend him.”
“But what is it that should happen in your opinion?”
“In my opinion, I should be released. I also think a team should be sent to the ship to investigate the drug use, to interview the boy and his parents, and to determine perhaps by interviewing other passengers on the ship, if the boy and his friends are in fact a nuisance to other passengers. I know that there are people we talked to who complained about those kids. I have their names. If you like you could interview them. I think after you investigate what went on, you’ll see that I’m telling the truth. I’m not proud of it, but I’m telling the truth.”
She looked at Mark without revealing any emotion. She asked him about his family, his upbringing, what his specialty was on the teams, how long he’d been a SEAL, how long he intended to remain in the military, and he answered all her questions. By the end of the interview, Mark was not sure if he was believed.
“Are you going to charge me with an offense, officially?”
“I haven’t determined that yet. I do need to speak to the parents who lodged the complaint. Of course, it’s going to require that they leave the ship to come here for the interview. That may be a problem for them. We will do our best to investigate, in the meantime though, you are going to need to stay here. I will allow reasonable use of phones, you’ll be housed in an individual room, by yourself, and your meals will be delivered to you. I’m not going to place you in the general population or allow you to have communication with other prisoners here. If what you said is true, I don’t believe a lengthy stay, or international incident should be created over this. But it’s very important that we get to the bottom of why it was that you were so angry at this boy and verify that he either is or is not dealing or possessing drugs. Like you said, if he is a danger to the other passengers, we are concerned about that, and we need to do something before they leave Italian waters.”
“They’re supposed to be in Capri all day today. I believe they’re supposed to head out in the morning for France. I think the next stop is Nice.”
“I will contact the captain immediately, and I will ask permission to come aboard to conduct a cursory interview if the passengers are unable to come to us. But I will ask that this be done before they sail further. I’m sure the captain is not going to want to delay the cruise. But it is going to be his decision.”
“Well, I thank you for listening anyway, and you can look up a couple of passengers there, Mr. and Mrs. Clopton, and Mr. And Mrs. Brandon, both of whom discussed with us their displeasure with this band of boys that seemed to run into everybody and cause problems. I’m sure there are others as well, but we did discuss it at length.”
She handed Mark a business card and wrote her cell phone on the backside of it. “You may be receiving visitors our government might arrange for you, an attorney to help represent your interests. Please have him contact me directly before he speaks with any other members of the police force or the prosecutor’s offices, please. It will be to your advantage that he does so.”
“Thank you, ma’am. Now, can I call my wife?”
“Yes, I believe we are arranging for a phone to be brought in here, and you may give her a call now if you wish. I will also allow you a call to your naval representative. We are going to need their help in sorting all this out as well.”
Mark was heartened. There was a tiny glimmer of hope burning in his chest. He prayed to the god of SEALs that if he were able to escape this situation relatively unscathed, that he would devote the rest of his life to his family, his wife, and kids, even if it meant he had to give up the teams. Whatever it took, he’d made enough mistakes in his life. He wanted to make sure that he kept Sophia and the girls part of it. It was the most important thing in the world to him.
Nothing else even came close.
Chapter 16
The suitcases were delivered to Sophia’s room, and much to the delight of the girls, they began dressing up in some of the new clothes they had brought with them for the cruise. The little time they spent down at the pool had refreshed everybody, and even though it wasn’t normal, life had sort of returned that way, temporarily.
Her cell phone rang with a number she didn’t recognize, and when she answered it, she was ecstatic.
“Hey, sweetheart. It’s me.”
“Oh my God, Mark!” She was speechless, bumbling, tears brimming over her cheeks. She felt like she was going to pee in front of her daughters.
“I’m good, and I just have a couple minutes to tell you I love you, and they allowed me a couple of calls. How you guys holding up, sweetheart?”
“I’ve been worried sick. We’ve not had any news. You say everything’s okay? Are they going to release you?”
“I wouldn’t go that far yet; I haven’t even talked to anybody else. I’m not sure what the strategy is, or if there is one. But I didn’t want you to worry. I think this is a safe facility, and for whatever reason they decided to house me here I’m grateful. I’m in Montepulciano—”
“I remember it so well, Mark. It’s such a beautiful little town.”
“Haven’t seen much of it, since I’m in the prison, which apparently is a high-level, not exactly maximum-security prison, for government and corporate offenders. I’m not even sure whether there’s anybody who’s done serious crimes here, but it’s a little bit like a hotel, except there are bars and I have to wear the prison uniform.”
“Do you have any chance of talking to Kyle or an attorney, or have they explained charges? Or if there will be?”
“I’m not sure. And I may have to ask you to get hold of Teseo. We may need his help.”
“Kyle said the same thing. I know he’s trying. He gave me the number. I left a message.”
“Oh, that’s good, I’m glad you’ve talked to Kyle. How did he sound? I’ll bet he was a bit pissed about all this.”
“Not sure about that.”
“Is he working on something? Because I haven’t heard a damn thing.”
“I just spoke to him today around noon. That’s the first he’s heard of things. It takes time. But yes, he promised me an update later tonight or tomorrow morning. I talked to Christy as well. And I hope you won’t be angry with me, but I also called Nick Gunn. He said if he had to, he’d come over here and help you break out, that was a joke.”
“That was funny, but we can’t do that here on these lines. It might get construed as something else. It looks like there are several things being put into motion. I sure would like to talk to an Italian attorney. And I have concerns about using anybody that they might recommend to me here, so Teseo and Kyle those are going to be our best bets. Since you speak Italian, you can interview them and kind of get an idea what they’re about, and perhaps by then they’ll let you see me. But I just don’t know who to trust. You should be careful too. But I wanted you not to worry and—”
“Daddy!” Carrie Ann had overheard Sophia’s conversation with Mark. All three girls ran over to grab their turn at the phone. It was a shoving match, eventually the phone winding up on the floor and scooting to the other side near the sliding balcony door.
Sophia rescued it before it went into the street below.
“Sorry about that. The girls are so excited. They keep asking for you, and they don’t understand everything. We’re all concerned. God I’m so relieved to hear your voice. You sound good, really good.”
“Where are you staying?”
“I’m at the Savona Hotel, you remember it, it’s very nice. They have invited me to sit in on a special dinner tomorrow night for Christmas Eve. And the hotel clerk has been wonderful, found some bathing suits for us until our luggage arrived.”
“Oh, your luggage did come? Any idea where my bag is?”
“Yours and my bags came with the luggage as well. No worries there. Anyway, we’re going to go to the candlelight vigil and the children’s choirs at the cathedral that’s within walking distance from here. It’s a custom in Naples. I think it’ll be nice, and if you’re back, I would love nothing more than to have you join us. But in the meantime, we’re going to have that little slice of Christmas anyway.”
“Love you so much, and you’re doing such a great job. I’m just waiting for instructions. One of the things that is going to be important is investigating that kid, before they leave Italian waters. I believe tomorrow is when they head out for France. I’d like to get some representation or get hold of Teseo before that happens.”
“Yes, Kyle said the same thing. I’m sure they’re doing everything they can. Do you need anything? Is there anything you need me to verify? Papers, anything at all that proves who you are?”
“I have my military ID and my badge, they know who I am, and they have my passport. I think it’s something else that they’re waiting for. But we’ll get there. I just want you to know how much I love you and how much I’m thinking about you and how much I wish I could be there with you. If this turns out to be a long event that will take days or weeks to resolve, I want you to go back home, and muster up the resources we have there, rather than spending time here waiting for answers that just don’t seem to be coming. I’m sure they’re doing everything they can.”
“One thing Kyle said is that it was important that the media not get hold of this story. I guess that’s more a warning for me than for you.”
“He’s thinking about the SEAL community. I’m not worried about my career, Sophia. If it happens it happens. I know Kyle’s probably worried about it. But if the media gets hold of it, in my way of thinking, it would be more a blemish on the new ambassador to England than it would be on me. I would think they wouldn’t want that. But I’ll let them tell me I’m wrong.”
“That’s a good point. And I think I agree with you. Well, I’ll be here. You make your calls, and if there’s anything else I can do, please text me or call me or have someone else leave me a message. We’re safe, people here have been wonderful, and the main thing is I’m just trying to give the girls some Christmas spirit,” she whispered into the phone. “They still think we’re going back on the ship.”
“Gotcha. Well, I love you, and I’ll be in touch soon.”
“Love you as well.”
“And Sophia, things are going to change. One thing I’ve been doing is thinking about things. I’m partially responsible for all this. I should have made a different choice. From now on, I’m going to do things differently. You’ll see.”
“You try your best.”
“This time, it wasn’t good enough. I got distracted, and I put you all in jeopardy.”
“Lots of time in the future to talk about that. For now, just get yourself out of there. I want you home. You belong with me.”
“I sure do. I’m going to make that my sole priority. I promise.”
The housekeeping staff brought back their washed, ironed, and folded clothes, and Sophia asked for a recommendation for pizza, which had been the choice of the girls. She showed Sophia a brochure on the desk with the phone number of a pizzeria that came highly recommended.
Sophia ordered an extra-large pizza because she was feeling like she could eat the whole thing herself, she was so relieved, and famished. She put a movie on for the kids, prepared, a bottle for Domenica, after she managed to smear pizza sauce all over her pink cheeks. Resisting being washed, the toddler finally settled in for the night with her bottle, the girls next to her in the hide-a-bed.
Sophia double-checked the lock on the door, and then took a quick shower, getting ready for an early bedtime. She was glad that so far, the news was good, now she needed to rest. Tomorrow they’d start putting together a team and a plan. God, she hoped Nick and Kyle and Teseo and all the rest of them, all her friends and Mark’s brothers forever, would come to Mark’s aid. She wondered if she should attempt to stir things up a bit with the ambassador and his wife or ask the local police if they were looking into the drugs on board the ship but decided she would let others do the work they were better at anyway.
The girls were asleep, the TV was turned off, Sophia grabbed the toddler, brought her to bed with her and promptly fell asleep.
At 2:00 a.m., her phone rang again.
“Sophia, this is Teseo Dominichello, and I understand Mark has been transferred. Forgive the early morning call.”
“No, it’s okay. We expected him to stay here so that’s where I am. But he’s in Montepulciano, at the federal prison there.”
“Yes, I know of it. I have some acquaintances there. You must be beside yourself with worry.”
“That’s good of you to say Teseo, but Mark is the one who needs your help. I need an attorney that I can go visit with and can give me some direction on what we should be doing, if there should be petitions filed since I don’t understand how the system works here.”
“You best just leave things the way they are, since sometimes things happen unofficially. I think he’s in good hands, although the ambassador and his wife are still forcefully demanding charges be filed. The main reason for my call is just to let you know that so far, the prosecutor has not decided to charge. But that could happen at any time.”
“That is good news. I will take any bit of good news I can.”
“Well, there is one other thing, and I hesitate to let you know, but they have made a complaint against not only Mark, but Carrie Ann. And that’s a whole other issue. Family court—anything having to do with minors, is a very tricky situation here. If they don’t become reasonable, and I’m sorry I couldn’t appear to be coming to your aid, but if the ambassador and his wife don’t turn their thinking around, I may have to ask you to do something your attorney probably wouldn’t recommend.”
“What is that?”
“I’m sorry, I’m not at liberty to say. But you’ll know when I call you. I’m only going to ask you to do this if we’ve lost any other leverage we have. Just understand that. Everyone has Mark’s welfare at heart. If there’s a way to get him back soon, rather than have this drag on for weeks and months, that’s what we’re going to do. I am meeting with Kyle via Skype tomorrow. We are not going to pull out of port until I know exactly what we’re running into. The ambassador and his wife are demanding that we keep to our timetable. We’ll see what happens.”
