by Brook Greene
“What do you mean like in Heratio’s absence?”
“No like they have gotten rid of a liability and replaced him with someone more efficient.”
I step back, ‘you mean to fucking tell me we have been chasing a fucking ghost?”
His eyebrows shot up, ‘sir.” I add quickly.
He places both of his hands on the table, ‘do you think I would have had four of my best men out in that fucking jungle if I knew he wasn’t alive, Tucker?”
Looking down I scatter the photos to the floor with one rake of my arm, ‘fucking a!”
“We just got the intel yesterday morning and spent most of the day trying to find your asses. As soon as we did we came in and extracted you.” He stops and lets me collect myself.
“See this is the problem when we go in with a maybe on an id.” I complain like a child.
“I know, believe me they have gotten an ear full from me today, also I told them you four are to be deactivated from this case for awhile. Ten years is long enough, you guys need a break.” He walks over to a desk and takes up a stack of papers. Turning he hands them to me, ‘these are your formal leave request papers, they are for all four of you.” I stand in shock as I just stare at the documents in his hand.
“I don’t have to tell you why I am doing this but I can if you want. I can give you the fucking speech about how your main priority right now is my daughter and her well being. And you can’t take care of her if you are running down some fucking asshole in the jungles of god knows where. They need to be signed and back on my desk by zero six hundred.” He thrust the papers out for me to take them. Doing so I glance up at him, ‘the decision doesn’t have to be unanimous, but I didn’t think one would stay without the others.”
I laugh, ‘you kinda did just give me the speech sir.”
“Well fuck Tucker, she is all I have left in this world and for some God forsaken reason she wants you and the only thing I can do is give it to her.”
I smile at his declaration, ‘thank you sir but I think it is the other way around.”
He stops before the words he was going to say leave his mouth and gives me a once over, ‘but I will tell you this if you do anything to hurt her, I know people.”
I have to stifle the laugh building in my throat and just agree with the man, ‘yes sir I have no doubt you do but there isn’t a chance in hell once I get back to the states I will fuck this up.”
He snorts, ‘we’ll see, your dismissed.”
I walk out of the headquarters tent into the harsh sun squinting up I stroll back to where my men are waiting. As I reenter the tent they are lounging in boxers and tanks trying to stay as cool as possible in this climate.
I wave the papers in the air, ‘good news boys.” They all three sit up at my words, ‘we have our kinda walking papers.” I hand out the proper documents to the right men and take my place on my cot to go over the verbiage, it doesn’t matter what it says the last line is what I want to read.
‘The United States of America would like to thank you for your years of dedicated service and will officially grant leave upon request.’ Not sure what is due me, I take the pen I had swiped from the desk and signed my name quickly before someone popped their head in the tent and informed me this was a bad joke. The other three do the same thing.
“Holy shit, I can already feel the weight lifting.” Dalton sighed as he lay back with his papers on his chest.
“No shit man, I can’t wait to get home.” Matthew agreed as he laid back and closed his eyes no doubt thinking about his new wife waiting patiently at home with Avery and Piper. The three women had become close in their shared depravity of the men in their lives. I was glad Avery didn’t have to go through this alone and had two kindred spirits to share the loneliness with.
Smiling to myself at the thought of her not being lonely for long, hell she would have to lock herself in a convent just to keep me off of her and I planned on being on her and in her a lot when I get back.
Dalton flips through the papers, ‘what about Eno, Cowboy and Beeker have they been offered the same deal?”
Shit I hadn’t thought about those three, I had been so wrapped up in the thoughts of Avery’s body laying naked on our bed waiting for me, ‘I would think so, he said something about one not staying on without the others.”
“Hopefully.” He retorted. Roman had been strangely quit through the whole exchange. I watched him out of the corner of my eye as his face contorted with doubt.
Finally after what seemed like hours he spoke, ‘what do we do if we aren’t soldiers?” His face is sullen with uncertainty.
“Who gives a shit man as long as we aren’t getting shot at or having to sleep on the fucking ground and live on MREs.” Dalton said as he lay with his eyes closed.
His face is still pinched with reservations of retiring. Then he looks to me, his senior officer in the Corps and his leader in the field, ‘Leo what are you going to do?”
I smile at him, ‘I am going to go home and sleep with my woman then I am going to marry her ass making an honest woman out of her.”
Shaking his head, ‘no I mean for a living, you gonna keep the shop open and work on cars for the rest of your life?”
“Why not? I actually made a descent living doing it as cover. Imagine what kind of money we could make if we are truly giving it our full attention?”
His face turned thoughtful then his eyes lit up, ‘what about we do something we are actually good at?”
Matthew sets up curiosity getting the better of him, ‘what do you mean what we are good at, we are kinda in the middle of doing what we are good at.”
“That is what I mean, we are good at protecting people.” Roman has stood and starting pacing the barracks.
“No what we are good at is killing the bad guys.” Dalton corrected, ‘from a long way off.” He closes one eye and makes a gun out of his thumb and finger and shoots Roman.
“My point is we could use those skills to keep other people safe, our knowledge of the bad guys and our ability to collect data about them.”
He has peeked my interest, ‘like a security team or something?”
“Yeah like a whole company dedicated to it.” Roman has finally set back down, ‘Beeker is a genius when it comes to electronics, he could be our systems guy and the rest of us could be the muscle.”
I have to give it to him for the thought and the idea but I would have to really think about this. Would be something that would take me away from Avery like this fucking job does or would I be able to sit behind a desk and work a computer which isn’t an overall pleasing thought either.
“It is a good idea Roman I will hand it you, but let’s get home and get settled for a few days and then talk about it again, what do ya say?”
Looking a little dejected about my warm reception of his idea he slumps back on his pillow, ‘okay fine I give you a week to get on board if not I am going to do it by myself.”
Dalton’s thunderous laughter rips through the air, ‘isn’t that how you do it anyway, by yourself to yourself?” Making the rest of us laugh Roman chunks his pillow through the air landing it on Daltons exposed stomach as Dalton adds, ‘late at night? You best not be jerking off with me anywhere near you man.” He throws the pillow back at Roman. We hoot with laughter for a few more minutes and then we are over come with the silence we crave as soldiers.
****
At zero six hundred all four of us walk into the head quarter tent to hand in our papers to Kent.
Three hours later we are on a plane headed back to the states, and sitting down after takeoff is not an option for me. I am filled with anticipation and the anxiety of seeing Avery is crushing me. Dalton and Matthew are the same way, a very quiet Roman is sitting in his seat listening to his music completely ignoring us. He is still upset about yesterday and is letting us know in no uncertain terms.
The six hour flight seems to take days I watch as the clouds pass under us and slowly begin to count the minute
s to touch down. We are advised the plane will be landing soon and need to take our seats not much to my liking I am offered help from a handsy flight attendant that cannot seem to get the hint I can buckle my own seat belt.
Matthew seeing the exchange opens his mouth to speak holding my hand up, ‘shut up dude I know but they belong to Avery.” The snickers from the other men let me know the little exchange has an audience.
As the jolt of the wheels hitting the tarmac sends ringing through my ears, my heart adds the fast beat to the music playing in my soul. Avery is waiting for me, I turn my head and look out the windows and hope I can catch a glimpse of my angel. All I see are void shapes and moving shadows, it is dusky dark outside and the inside lights have not come on yet plus the setting sun is glaring off the glass making it hard to see.
I catch movement out of the corner of my eye from a small tarmac tunnel exiting out onto a small area to the right. I turn in my seat and the breath is punched from my gut at the sight of her, my Avery. I sit up in my seat trying to will the plane to stop and let me out faster.
Before the plane comes to a complete stop, and much to the dismay of the handsy flight attendant I am standing at the door as the wheels lurch forward and then stop. I pound my fist twice on the door, ‘come on open it.”
“In a bit of a hurry are we soldier?” The tart woman drawls.
“Please just open the door?” I pin her with my eyes.
Roman comes up behind her, dwarfing the slight woman, ‘lady you better do as he asks or the big man will rip it off its hinges.”
She turns and gives him an eat shit look, he throws his hands up and backs away, ‘just saying.”
“Well sir if you will move sir I can open the door sir.” She emphasized every time she said the word sir.
Stepping only slightly to the left giving her enough room to open the door and not rub against my cock, I take two more steps back just for good measure.
Busting through the finally open door I bound down the waiting steps, thank god, and hit the tarmac at a dead sprint to Avery’s waiting arms. Taking her up I crush her mouth with mine not giving her a chance to speak before I am tongue lashing her mouth.
She feels wonderful in my arms, this is where I belong, not in some jungle of a foreign country chasing a ghost from my past. But right here, right now.
Seating her down I give her a once over, her beautiful skin is somewhat paler than normal but I am sure it is just from missing me and her frame hangs slightly off. Her face is drawn but her body is strangely plumper.
“Avery baby you feelin’ alright?” I tilt her shoulders back so I can look into her eyes.
She encircles my waist with her arms, ‘I am now.” I glance over at Piper who is eyeing me and Avery with every exchange.
Only taking my arm from her long enough to take up my bag. I plant a kiss on the top of her head letting her know it is time to go, ‘come on baby, let’s go home.” Beeker, Cowboy and Eno greet us at the gate and Eno gives me the wink, letting me know my request from our phone conversation we had had last night had been taken care of.
We exit the airport and waiting just as I had wanted was a stretched limo, ‘ ohh what is that?” Avery gasps as she points to the car.
“That is our chariot ride home.” The driver opens the door for us as Roman rounds the corner.
“Cool as hell, I have never ridden in one of these things.” He steps forward to enter.
Dalton takes him by the shoulder pulling him back slightly, ‘and you are not today, either.” Dalton shifts his eyes towards me and Avery hoping the bone head will get the point, I got it for privacy.
“Oh shit man, you cock tease.” Roman throws over his shoulder as he enters one of the waiting yellow taxis. Dalton tips his head and gives me a wide smile as if to say good luck but I know I want need it, Avery is on the same page as me.
I follow Avery into the limo and snuggle her up against me as the driver closes the door and circles back around to his seat. I reach to select the button for the privacy glass almost immediately, but not for what I really want but something else.
I take her tiny hand in mine, ‘how was your two months?” I know asshole question but I have a better one for later.
“Hell, sheer and utter hell.” Her head has burrowed deep in my chest as she fist my tee shirt with the hand I am allowing her to have free, the right one.
“Mine too.” I kiss the top of her head taking in her smell, I had not forgotten it but the real thing is so much better than the memory.
She flings back out of my embrace with her face contorted with anger, ‘don’t fucking patronize me, of course you would think that yours was worse because you were in a jungle and all.”
My confusion needless to say is warranted, ‘what the hell Avery that is not what I meant at all. I meant being away from you was utter hell for me. I don’t give a shit where I am at, if I am away from you it is hell.” I hold my arms back out trying to coax her to lie back down but she doesn’t.
“So you are just going to sit there and act like there is no elephant in the backseat with us, at least not yet anyway.” She slumps back not in my arms but wraps her arms around her belly.
What the fuck, Avery has a belly not too big of one, but for her frame it is visible.
She registers the look of confusion on my face and sits up pulling her shirt tight around her, ‘yeah see why my fucking two months were hell and not one fucking word from you at all about anything. You are such an asshole Leo.”
I hold up my hands, ‘okay be kind rewind. What are you talking about? Are you insinuating I knew?” My eyes go wide with the question.
“Not insinuating, I told you on the phone last night.” She crosses her arms again.
“I think I would have remembered that kind of news,’ I pause as her comment registers, ‘wait, how long had you been waiting for me to get to the phone after Roman came and got me?” I sit up fumbling in my bag for my phone.
“Oh around two minutes, then you asked how work was going and stuff, I dropped the bomb and then you said for me to hold on. You came back like three minutes later. Leo, did you get hit in the head while you were down there, honestly.” She huffs as she sits back.
I slam my head back against the head rest, ‘son of a bitch, I am going to kill the mother fucker.”
She starts chewing on her lips, ‘so what exactly are you saying?” As the situation begins to dawn on her at the change in timber of the voices she had spoken too, ‘I was just so excited to get to talk to you, why?”
“You told Dalton not me. He was walking out of the communications tent when I was walking in, asshole I am so beating his ass when we get home. I don’t care if I have to drag him off of Piper.”
Now she is holding her belly due to the pain from the laughter, ‘don’t make me laugh, I will pee on myself.” Joining her I grab her and drag her across my lap burying my face in the bend of her neck.
“How far along are you?” My words muffled by her hair.
“Thirteen weeks, found out the week after you left,’ I tilt my head back in question, ‘remember the doctor’s appointment, well surprise.’ She says as she throws her hands out to either side of her head.
No fucking shit surprise. She reads my face and holds it in her hands, ‘oh Leo you aren’t upset are you? I tried to talk to you but my Dad kept telling me I should wait to give you the news in person.” Her eyes go sheepish and her head turns down.
“Your Dad knew?” I sigh and swallow the frustration because it is not what she needs right now, she needs my reassurance, ‘Avery look at me,’ her name is like honey in my mouth, ‘I could not be any more happy.”
“You could have fooled me.” She slights as she does look away this time.
“So does this look excited enough for you?” She turns and squeals at the sight of the ring I had ask Eno to purchase for me today, ‘so?”
“So what?” she asks through her hands as they cover her mouth.
“Oh you are g
oing to make me do it aren’t you?”
She surveys the area, ‘there is room, albeit not too much for an overly large man like yourself but I am sure you can make due.” She is patting my shoulder as she lifts herself off my lap. I climb out of the seat and hit my knees in the pinched floor; I ask Avery the right way, to marry me.
****
Avery
Eight Years Later
“Rip his head off Gia!” I shout from the stands as my wrist is promptly yanked down along with my body, I land with thud onto the metal bleachers.
“Sit down Avery and quit inciting my daughter to violence.” Leo reprimands me, ‘it is just pee wee football not the MMA.” He glances over at me as I am finding it hard to sit still. Gia had signed up for football in the summer, she had begged for days promising she would not get hurt. Leo and I had been at odds at first, him being the one taking a little more convincing than me to let her play but in the end Daddy gave in and Gia got her way, as usual.
“Oh that is brilliant coming from a man who shoots people for a living.” I huff as my comment garners the attention of the uptight couple sitting in front of us, they turn to give us a weary glance. Seeing Leo and his size, the man urges his wife to turn back around and leave it be.
He leans over to whisper in my ear, ‘I don’t shoot people for a living,’ he pauses and I can feel the breath from his laughter on my skin, ‘it just happens to come up sometimes, and they are all bad.”
“So that makes it all better uh?”
“Sure it does-“ he doesn’t get to finish his statement because I jump from my seat again to cheer Gia on as she has intercepted the football and is running it back much to the joy of the whole crowd.
Leo jumps to his feet next to me, ‘that’s my girl, run your ass Gia.” He whoops into the air as she high tails it down the field leaving all the boys in her wake. Spiking the football in the end zone, she looks to find us standing up screaming for all we are worth, she flashes us the drop dead gorgeous Leo smile, my heart clenches with pride. Her little hand darts up into the air the moment her teammates over take her congratulating her outstanding ability.