Operation: Austin

Chapter Four Part One

Paige Turns a Page

The road’s entrance passed through a gate with a large sign above it that read “Sherwood.”

She looked at him and asked, “Sherwood? That name doesn’t seem to match a farm in an area of fruit orchards.”

He smiled. “As in Sherwood Forest.”

She thought about what he’d said, then it dawned on her. “Ah, yes. The place where Robin Hood hid. Would that make you Robin Hood?”

He looked at her, raised an eyebrow, and shrugged his shoulders mysteriously.

She had a questioning look on her face. “But no Maid Marian?”

“Nope,” he confirmed.

As they pulled up the long drive, she could see the house and buildings ahead. “Wow,” she said. “This is your house? It looks like a hotel!”

“This is it!” he proudly claimed. “Be it ever so humble, there’s no place like home!”

Far from humble, the main house was over 14,000 square feet, with a very modern design using cross-laminated timber and glass. All exterior surfaces were stucco, and the interior was mostly wood, with some drywall. Cross-laminated timber is a manufactured material that looks like plywood but is several inches thick, making it very strong. It offers many advantages over the way most houses are built, but takes more time in planning and usually costs more.

When he was deciding on a design, he chose CLT because he wanted a single floor plan with lots of skylights; the flat roof of a CLT design made those features easier to achieve. He also liked the natural-looking wooden finish of the interior surfaces; they gave the rooms an open, warm feeling. In cool weather, heated tile floors provided warmth. It was a sprawling residence with high ceilings, and the effect was stunning.

The entire design was intended to highlight the enormous swimming pool terrace around which it was built. Every room facing the terrace had Nana Walls, a system of folding glass doors providing complete access to the outdoors. It was as if there were no walls at all, creating a huge open area. Including the rooms on both sides, it was one immense pass-through residence.

The other thing that attracted him to CLT was its use of a renewable resource. Trees. which have a unique feature that makes them highly beneficial: they process CO2 and effectively store the carbon within cellular structures, releasing the oxygen back into the atmosphere. Essentially, trees are carbon storage units. Gary would not describe himself as an environmentalist in the politically popular use of the term, but he did believe in being organic and sustainable. Using trees and replanting them are vital tools in ecological stewardship.

Opposite the house, across an expansive drive area, there were outbuildings. To the far left was a huge CLT-and-concrete building housing a tactical training range. To its left side and behind was an archery range and a 1000-yard rifle range with covered firing positions. To the right of the house was a modern barn with several horse stalls, a dog kennel, and a loft. Between the barn and the tactical range was a large shop building with six tall roll-up doors. The shop had a mezzanine with three bedrooms and a bathroom. Behind the barn was a shed roof and then a huge garden. Alongside the garden, a large greenhouse faced south. Gary had put a lot of effort into making Sherwood a place where the team could come, stay, and train for missions. He designed most of it and oversaw the construction himself.

Her face registered amazement. “You live here alone?”

“Jax and me,” he quipped.

“Wow,” she murmured as she returned her gaze to him. “What about Carla?” she asked. “She doesn’t live here?”

“No, she lives in town unless I’m gone. I imagine you’ll meet her daughter very soon. As soon as her mom tells her I have a woman staying here, Cristel will want to check you out. I think the curiosity will get her to the house as soon as she can find an excuse. I will tell Carla to wait for two weeks. That will give you some time to settle in and heal up before you have to face the inquisition. Cristel is a cutie; you will like her, but she is seventeen years old and has no filter. She loves to hang out here and swim in the pool with her friends.” He glanced at her and laughed. “Uncle Gary has a party house.”

Paige was thoughtful: “Thanks. I don’t want to see people like this. I look horrible, and I’m just not ready for someone to ask questions.”

He nodded in understanding. “While we are on the subject, Carla doesn’t know anything about you other than the fact that you are coming home with me. She is aware that sometimes we are involved in things she doesn’t want to know the details of. I trust her completely, but this is your business. She won’t ask, and you don’t have to volunteer anything you don’t want to talk about.”

She nodded silently as she mentally navigated her complex situation. He could tell she was taking it all in.

At the top of the drive, they pulled into the large, paved expanse. Turning left to the house, he hit the garage door button, and one of the three doors on the left side of the house rolled up just in time for them to drive in. As they pulled inside, she could see a pickup and a large SUV behind the other doors.

He turned off the car and looked at her with a weary smile. “That was a whole day! I’m glad to be home. Now we can rest for the evening, and you can get settled in.”

As they got out of the car, the door opened from the house, and Jax ran through, followed by Carla. He was dancing the wiggle-butt; happy Gary was home. The moment he saw Paige get out of the car, his attention instantly shifted from his master to her. He began sniffing her all over, her hands trying to keep him at a distance as she laughed. As a new female on his turf, he intended to check her out. He was not threatening, just overly enthusiastic. She wasn’t afraid, but having a ninety-pound dog shoving his nose up your crotch can be just a bit intimidating for a first meeting.

“JAX, SITZEN!” Gary barked in German. Instantly, the dog dropped into a sitting position. His tongue was hanging out of the side of his mouth, and he looked at Gary as if to say, “Geez, I was just trying to get to know her!”

“I’m sorry, Paige, he is normally better behaved. Jax, hier!” Coming straight to Gary, Jax sat at his feet, looking up at him expectantly. His master reached down and roughed up the big dog’s collar line, scratching behind his ears. Jax leaned into his hand, deepening the contact. “Good boy! It’s good to see you, too.” Gary praised him, then made a hand motion to the door. “Okay, go inside.” Jax bounded back into the house, and Gary popped the trunk and started pulling the bags out of the back seat.

While he was dealing with the dog, Carla greeted Paige. “Dios Mio,” she cried as she took some bags from the car. “You’ve had a bad time, I can see. Well, you are here with us now,” she said as she led Paige into the house.

Gary called after them, “Carla, please put her in the room next to mine. John and Layla won’t be here for a while, anyway.”

As they walked into the house, Paige looked stunned, taking it all in. The large kitchen had a peninsula worktop and bar with stools. Beyond that was a huge main room. The left side of the room was full of leather chairs and several couches. On the left wall, visible from the kitchen, was a flat-screen TV that reminded her of something you would see in a large sports bar.

A large table with a dozen chairs stood on the right, and a full-length built-in cabinet lined with dishes was set against the wall. From both sides of the room, you could see outside through the folding glass wall onto a large pool and its surrounding terrace. It held numerous tables and other furniture, and to the right of the courtyard, there was a custom spa that appeared to seat about eight people.

She looked at Gary. Speechless.

“Come on,” he motioned. “Let me show you to your room, then you can take a shower and freshen up. After dinner, I’ll give you the ten-cent tour.” He led her to the left, past the furniture, to a hallway that passed behind the garage.