by Tim Wheat
19.
Mary Elizabeth had never been alone, in an apartment, with a man who was taking a shower. She heard the shower start, heard Chase singing and carrying on, but couldn’t quite make out the words. Maybe a George Gershwin tune? She smiled at his attempt to sing. For all his talents, that was not one of them. To her surprise, she felt no embarrassment being in a strange man’s living room, by herself, waiting for him to come out. She stood up, took off her sweater, and moved over to the cupboard to see what he might have planned for dinner.
The cupboards were a dead end, though. He had a pretty unlimited supply of pasta noodles and canned spaghetti sauce, but that was about it. Perhaps she would suggest going out to eat when he emerged. Money wasn’t an object for her. She had a very healthy allowance which she never abused and almost never exhausted. As a matter of fact, she had a large sum of money in the bank. She had told her father about it once and he told her that once he had given her money it was hers. Unless she gave him a reason not to trust her, or started hanging out at those cocaine halls or opium dens, she would have access to it.
Down the hallway she heard the shower stop, and moved back over to the couch, picking up the book Chase had left behind. “Scalar Waves In Nature” by N. Sarff.
“Sounds like a blast.” She muttered to herself.
Then she heard the knob on the bathroom door turn as Chase headed to his room to get dressed. Now she was embarrassed, and had anyone been there they would have noticed her cheeks getting rosy again. She had never blushed so many times in one day in her entire life and it made her feel an infinite happiness. Then Chase called out and interrupted her daydream.
“Darling, I left my towel on the bed, would you mind getting it for me?”
Her heart jumped fifty beats per minute, and her cheeks turned a darker shade of crimson. She hadn’t expected this though she had hoped he would seduce her. She was ready, and quite willing, but thinking you are ready, and going through with it all, are very different things.
Her knees trembled as she stood and made her way down the hall. As she passed the bathroom door, Chase’s grinning head with his wet tousled hair poked around the corner.
“I swear I didn’t do this on purpose.” He said, a wide grin adorning his face.
“That’s OK,” she said, “where is it at in here?”
While he explained to her the towel’s location she stripped off all her clothes and stood still feeling her heart beat and enjoying the anticipation. She was seconds away from giving herself to the love of her life and she wanted to remember every second.
“I can’t believe this is happening. I just met him.” She purred under her breath as she approached the bathroom door and pushed it open.
*******************
20.
As the door opened she observed Chase with his back to her singing the Gershwin tune while brushing his teeth at the sink. His back and buttocks resembled the statues she had seen in the Smithsonian and she wanted to reach out and feel if they were as solid. As he turned she first noticed the tanned skin of his upper body, and the stark contrast to the white line at his waist. He seemed to move with a purpose, even in this confined space, and then his deep blue eyes came to rest on her.
Mary Elizabeth’s body came alive and every sense heightened tenfold as he approached. Her eyes drank in every perfect line of his sculpted body, and dedicated them to memory. She had never seen a naked man in real life before. Her anatomy books had informed her of what to expect, but this was nothing like that. She felt as if the smallest change in the room made her body quiver even more, and then he was there. Rex Chase stood over her, smiled, and whispered in her ear.
“I swear I didn’t do this on purpose.”
His breath in her ear almost sent her entire body into convulsions as she fought to make the words come out. When they did they were almost inaudible.
“I did.”
Chase began kissing her neck and her head was swimming. This entire day had happened so fast. Yesterday she had been a single woman, dedicated to furthering her education. Now she was head over heels in love with the most amazing man she had ever met, and wished to share her whole life with him. She hadn’t even noticed Chase guide her into the bedroom until he scooped her into his arms with ease and laid her down on the bed. It was all happening so fast, and then he nuzzled her neck and whispered the words she already longed to hear from him.
“I’m in love with you.”
“I’ll love you for the rest of time.”
His admission and her reply were instant and permanent. Mary Elizabeth closed her eyes and reveled in the moment, drinking in every second. Endorphins flowed throughout her body, and then Chase tensed. She felt the muscles in his arms and back contract to the point she thought they might pop from his body. He was squeezing her so tight it should have hurt, but nothing about this night could be more perfect. Moments passed, and as his body relaxed, his grip lessened. Mary Elizabeth marveled at the intensity of the love she was experiencing. Edward Rex Chase was the man of her dreams, and this was how she wanted to feel for the rest of her life.
*******************
21.
Forty sticks of dynamite, wired in strategic sequence, and blown all at once, made for an impressive display of firepower. Ahiga stayed hidden for a few seconds after the initial blasts because he knew that his dirty bombs would be shooting nails and other projectiles in every direction. He hoped and prayed that the two closest to the little cabin wouldn’t cause any harm to his beloved, but would chop off the heads of the guys who were trying to get her. George did not know if she was alive or dead, but he was certain that he was now on his way over to that cabin.
He could see four of the commandos trying to assess the situation, and that sealed his decision. Angela’s safety was going to involve him killing every last one of the enemy. What happened next, for the fifth, unseen commando, was the most impressive use of firepower he had ever witnessed.
***
The warrior sat separated from his comrades and had taken a serious blow from the concussion of one of the charges. Otherwise he seemed to be unharmed, though, when he witnessed a lone gunman rise from behind some rocks sixty yards away. His hearing seemed impaired by the blasts, but he could see that the man was walking steadfast, and without fear, in his direction. The gunman had one of the big mp18 submachine guns in one arm, and another mp18 submachine gun on the other arm. They were modified, belt fed, versions of the gun, and the man had a small arsenal of 9mm bullets wrapped around his body.
Klaus Weimer felt hypnotized by what he was seeing. He had been fighting wars for almost twenty years, and had never seen a man attack an unseen and uncounted force with such boldness. Watching as his partners fell, gunned down one by one, the German estimated that the man, now within thirty yards of him sweeping the trees with his machine guns, could not know how many attackers he was assaulting. Klaus looked around the immediate area and no longer saw his weapon. It had to have blown away somewhere in the blast. His head was aching and he now noticed, blood dripping from a wound in his right bicep, and more from his ears onto his shoulders. When he returned his gaze to the road the gunman was standing ten yards away, guns silent, looking at him. The experienced soldier stood up from behind his rock and stared straight ahead.
It was clear the gunman was addressing him, but his eardrums failed him, victims of the concussion from the dynamite. Klaus just stood and looked at the man who was now shouting at him in a very irritated manner. The German smiled and continued to take in the entire situation. As the gunman began putting his weapons down, the weathered German commando took heed of the absolute physicality of the man.
His arms looked like they had rocks in them. His neck was so big around he must have had to get all of his shirts tailored for a night on the town. His face was emotionless, but his eyes were burning with intensity. It wasn’t hate, he had seen hate before, it was something else. Klaus knew the end was near as the fearless soldier
approached, but without his machine guns. Instead, he brandished a knife, already stained with blood. That answered another question the German had been wondering; the gunman had taken the others with the silent weapon. Within arm’s reach now the German tensed and waited for the darkness to flood over him. Instead he felt the butt of a pistol pressed into his hand, and the deadly weapon forced to his temple. At the same time he felt the cold steel of the knife pressed against his throat. The gunman gave him the option of taking his own life with a bullet in the head. He released his grip on the pistol, dropped his hand then proclaimed in perfect English.
“No thank you. You do it. I’ve had enough killing.”
An instant later he saw the blood from his head splatter on the face of the gunman. He felt his body convulsing underneath him as he lay in a heap on the ground, but he had no way of controlling it. He thought about what a wasted life of killing he had lived, and wondered if the people he had killed had experiences like this. His executioner walked away from him as the darkness came in waves. Light was now gone. Forever.
*******************
22.
After escorting Mary Elizabeth to her apartment, Rex Chase felt like he was floating in space. He had experienced his fair share of conquests in the past, and sometimes with women of similar experience to Mary Elizabeth, but this time was different. The emotions he had after their initial coupling felt unlike any others he had ever had in his life. Rex Chase had hit the walk-off home run, scored the winning basket, and thrown the last second touchdown pass, but none of those compared to the contentment he had gotten from sleeping with Mary Elizabeth Castle. It was all he could do to stop himself from walking straight to the jewelry store and buying a diamond ring to make the woman his forever. What a crazy thought.
Yesterday he had never even spoken to Ms. Castle and today he was ready to spend the rest of his life with her. His logical brain told him just a young man’s hormones tricked his intellect into satisfying a primeval mating instinct. Chase had let mating instincts take over on a number of occasions, though, and this was just, well, different.
He smiled as he neared his home. “Different,” had become the lead candidate for word of the day. Throughout most of his life he had been in command of almost every situation, but today, today he had lost control of himself a half a dozen times. A woman, his love, had messed with his head and turned life inside out. Chief, though Chase’s best friend, would have to be fine by himself. Rex knew his comrade was more than capable of handling anything that The Organization could throw at him. He had known Ahiga since they were kids, but it was evident to anyone that George was a different man now. Rex had noticed it after Chief’s first kill. Chief had told him about the experience, and the others who followed, and Chase had listened, not knowing what to say. It had seemed just listening was enough, but Rex Chase wondered if George was still the kid he had grown up with. Everything was so different today than yesterday. George would be fine. Mary Elizabeth needed him now. He intended to stay right here and begin the rest of his life.
*******************
23.
Hans startled awake, and his heart skipped a beat. It was already dark outside. He had a job that needed to be done, and he might have missed an opportunity because he was sleeping. That was something out of character for the young German/American. Under normal circumstances he found sleeping to be a difficult undertaking. Oftentimes he would lie in his bed tossing and turning for hours. It wasn’t that he felt guilty for all of the atrocities he had committed. He knew that they all served a purpose. It was because, no matter how many he killed, or how many children he orphaned, their faces still haunted his dreams.
All of this was of no matter, though, as he exited his Model A, and headed, on foot, toward the address on the paper in his hand. At first it surprised him when Hoff slipped the address of Mary Elizabeth into his hand before he had even given his report, but Dietrich Hoff was the most prepared man he had ever met. Hoff had shown on a number of occasions to have a remarkable memory, and this must have been one of those moments. Maybe one of his businesses had delivered something to her house, or maybe he had been bedding the young lady.
That was a more likely scenario. It seemed like Hoff always surrounded himself with beautiful women of all races and creeds. He had probably had sex with the young woman. Hans smiled at this, since, even though he despised beautiful women, they still fueled his libido. She was one of the more exquisite beauties he had ever seen. It was a pity her life was about to come to an end. Maybe he would show her a good time before he finished her, or after.
*******************
24.
His timing had been perfect. Rex Chase bounded down the steps of Mary Elizabeth’s apartment as the spy watched from behind a nearby Lincoln. His gait was fluid and easy, and the spy smiled to himself, guessing the two had just made love. Hans, before Chase was even out of sight, approached the young woman’s door, climbed the steps, and rapped three times.
Mary Elizabeth rushed to the front of her apartment; unlatched the chain, and opened the door. She expected Rex Chase to be standing there, but instead an almost sickly looking boy stood wearing a crooked smile. Her face must have reflected her extreme disappointment because the boy said,
“I’m sorry to disappoint you ma’am, but I seem to have drained the battery on my automobile. Would you have a telephone available for me to summon help?”
Before approaching the apartment the spy had lifted the hood on the big Lincoln sitting out front. Even if the vehicle was a familiar one to her, he just needed her to open the door in order for him to complete his assignment. That being accomplished, she was as good as dead. He had never failed his adoptive father, and with their goal so close at hand, he did not intend to begin now. Hans was not sure what relation Rex Chase or Mary Elizabeth had to any of the work he had been doing, but if Dietrich Hoff gave him an order, the spy was sure to carry it out. Mary Elizabeth’s reply, however, was something he hadn’t expected.
“I don’t have a phone. Sorry.”
With that Mary Elizabeth slammed the door shut, locked the deadbolt, fastened the chain, and headed straight toward her telephone. She recognized the stranger as the boy who had run into Chase at the ball field. His behavior had seemed odd then and she felt as if he held contempt for her, even though they had never met.
As she had walked with Chase to Conant Hall she had kept an eye on the stranger crossing the field and seen him enter the Model A with the giant inside. Mary Elizabeth did not know very many men who could fill up the passenger seat of a Model A the way that Dietrich Hoff could, but she was certain that he was the man in the vehicle. At Chase’s apartment she had made an effort to peer out the window from time to time, and at one point had seen the large man standing next to the Model A. Though it was a good distance away, she confirmed her suspicion that it was Dietrich Hoff. Patrick Castle didn’t often speak of his business with Mary Elizabeth, but at a party, once, he had leaned over to her, motioned toward Hoff and said,
“My dearest daughter, if anyone ever asks you if you’ve met the devil, you have. That’s him right there. I want you to know, if you ever run into him at a time when it seems odd, or inopportune, that it isn’t a mistake. He is The Morning Star.”
Mary Elizabeth cursed at herself as she rushed toward the phone. She had been so preoccupied with her personal life before that she had failed to recognize the danger. The pounding on her front door now amplified her intuitions. Why would Dietrich Hoff want to kidnap, or harm her? What did the little man out there want? These were questions for her father and she meant to get him on the phone, but perhaps she should get a weapon to defend herself first. She grabbed a poker from the fireplace and began dialing the rotary phone. The operator on the other end had Mary Elizabeth connected to her father in short order and he answered on the second ring.
“Patrick Castle here.”
“Daddy, I saw Dietrich…”
Except for a gurgling noise,
the line went silent as Hans burst through the door, crossed the short distance and brought his blade across the throat of young Mary Elizabeth. In his hurry, he had almost cut her neck clear to the spine, and the blood pouring onto the floor was forming a large puddle.
“Mary? Mary? Is that you honey? Operator. Operator.”
“Yes sir.”
“Was I cut off?”
“No sir, the line is still open.”
“Mary. Mary.”
Hans could hear the distraught father on the phone as he looked down upon the death he had just created. Mary Elizabeth’s head hung grotesquely back from her body as she had collapsed into the wall where the telephone hung and gotten propped up by it. Her knees folded behind her, wedged in such a way that it looked as if she had pressed her body up against the wall and her neck had just unhinged and fallen backward.
The spy, in his frenzy to get through the door, had overdone it a bit. That was not of consequence now, though, as he had completed the job he had come here to do. Though he had killed many young women before, this one was just a little bit different. He had never killed a woman as savagely as he had just now, and he wondered to himself if a voice deep inside had summoned some actual rage upon the girl. He didn’t have any personal quarrels with her, yet she lay there now, propped against a wall, almost decapitated. Her father’s worried voice continued through the earpiece of the phone when the spy reached down, brought it to his ear, and uttered two words.
“She’s dead.”