Hollow Vengeance

In the late fifties, I remember riding home from church with my family in Tampa, Florida. We skirted Hillsborough Bay along the way. That bay stunk. Down wind unpleasant odiferous breezes were sure to waft in anybody’s direction. At the time, I did not know it was rotting algae in industrially polluted waters alongside oxygen depleted marine life creating inescapable zephyrs. Windows down sans air conditioning my sisters andIn the late fifties, I remember riding home from church with my family in Tampa, Florida. We skirted Hillsborough Bay along the way. That bay stunk. Down wind unpleasant odiferous breezes were sure to waft in anybody’s direction. At the time, I did not know it was rotting algae in industrially polluted waters alongside oxygen depleted marine life creating inescapable zephyrs. Windows down sans air conditioning my sisters and I would pinch our noses making sour faces crying plaintively, phew! 
Dad would laughingly reply, "Oh come now, it’s just the bay roses you smell.” Then we'd all have a laugh. 
Years later I arrived across that same bay at Mac Dill, Air Force Base in south Tampa. It was early December, 1971. Clearly big-business still held its grip on the industrial port city. Smelling the noxious breezes blowing across the base I could sense the greatest offender's smoke stacks where still spewing chemicals into the bay. Too U.S. Phosphoric continued pouring its overheated fluorite wastes directly into the bay with impunity. What I could not see were clandestine operations of, 'The Brother's' Shipping and Meat Packing Company', (the largest privately owned shipping fleet in the world). They were busily slipping sludge into the waters directly off-shore. These industrial giants accounted for the lion's share of chemicals polluting a once pristine estuary. All the while local regulatory officials were hopelessly entrapped in their tentacles with bribes. Pollution was no problem for these good ole boys' they saw to that. As for organized crime in Tampa that was another kettle of fish. 
Nevertheless, these things didn’t concern me. As Major Frank Barrett, United States Air Force, I was a pilot with a mission. Recently from Thailand, my duty was to teach what I knew to a new generation of would be s*** hot’ fighter jocks headed for Southeast Asia. 
Actually, I enjoyed my assignment. Settling in an off base home with 
my sweet wife, hot meals and a quick shot of life was sheer comfort. Having 
returned unscathed from a deadly sometimes confusing job I felt blessed. Everyday was 
gravy. Home the conquering hero, now I was hell bent and whiskey bound to make up for 
lost time. I was flying decent aircraft in non-combat hours and loving it. Best of all, I was 
privileged teaching the best and brightest students survival skills acquired the hard way. 
From me they would 
learn survival in aerial combat with a deadly enemy in the sky. 
In Thailand they dubbed me, "Bee Sting", Barrett. What can I say? "Bee Sting" fit on the back of a helmet. Now I was teaching pilots how to sting once making the other guy die. My job was a plum given the youngest ace to come out of Southeast Asia. I downed seven MiGs in combat. I didn't mind that either. I enjoyed turning and burning with the rest of them if it kept my little family together. Especially since my wife was now with child. I was ready to settle. Oh the good- life of a non-combat flight instructor. It was what I lived for… Then suddenly, out of the blue life got up front and ugly delivering death at my door step. Gut wrenching seconds sent my world convulsing into a hideous nightmare turning it up side down. My very existence devolved into a Draconian all consuming drive for vengeance upon those who destroyed my family. The unquenchable desire for mortal vindication overtook my sensibilities. Finally, all reason failed until I discovered the Confucian wisdom, "Before you embark upon a journey of revenge, first dig two graves." 

Prologue 
I was a shave tail Second Lieutenant, on Ft. Walton, beach Florida angling to introduce myself to a shapely brunette for the longest time yet couldn’t discover the device to overcome my shyness. Suddenly, before the indignity of passing her by again it came to me like an epiphany. 
I blurted, "How did you know I'd be here?" 
Ramsay raised half-way from her beach blanket startled by my question. She must have thought I suffered some delusional case of mistaken identity or maybe sun stroke. 
What began as a quiet day for her was suddenly punctuated by an unexpected experience. A strange young man stood over her. He stood almost six foot, attractive with sandy brown hair poking out of his numbered ball cap. Possessing a lithe tanned body he shielded his eyes from the sun's rays. 
I saw myself as a devil may care pilot, square shouldered sure of myself with aviator sunglasses poised over the bill of my cap. So why was I asking a question so clearly irrelevant? 
How did I know? Ramsay wondered. 
Speaking coolly, "I'm sorry, you must be thinking of someone else." 
I smiled, "I could have sworn you were looking for me." 
Undiminished, Ramsay returned a withering question. 
"How could I be looking for you, when I don't even know who you are?" 
Unruffled, I rebutted, "Oh, but you should, I'm Second Lieutenant Frank Barrett, United States Air Force." 
Confused, the shapely twenty year old shook her long hair loose from the band holding her pony tail. I could see her thoughtful look trying to make sense of my remark. Flipping up her sunglasses, she took a close look at me revealing sparkling azure eyes. In sunlight they twinkled against the beach of pure white sugar sand. 
Unforgettable, I thought. 
"Lt. Barrett, I hope you'll forgive but, I really do not know you, and I certainly had no intentions of finding you here." 
I persisted, "Well now that you know my name, what's yours?" 
Ramsay was not some dim witted co-ed stalking the beach for available bachelors. In fact, she recently graduated Summa Cum Laude, from Florida State University with a double major in English and Physical Education. Taking a break from the grind before entering the job market was her only intent at present. Now she was facing a seemingly unique come-on from a young Air Force Officer. 
"I'll tell you what", she quipped, "I'll tell you my name if you admit this isn't the first time you've tried this approach...