“Don’t worry Lexie; there’ll be plenty of shopping in Tahoe, and as an added bonus the Camster will be right there to keep you happy.” Cams toothy grin made me smile. I grinned back sheepishly and blushed a bit. I saw Lenny roll his eyes.
“Alrighty then, off to Tahoe we go! See you guys at fourteen hundred sharp!” Cam was practically dancing with excitement as he bounded out the door.
Evie and I were walking out together when Lenny stopped us. “Hey, you ladies need any help with your luggage?” Lenny asked politely.
“I won’t, but Lexie has more suitcases than the Mata Hari.” Evie amused herself.
“I’ll stop by to help you grab them, k?”
“Thanks, Len.” I smiled awkwardly at him. He was always such a gentleman. He will make someone a great husband someday.
Chapter 3
Bon Voyage
Evie
I was never a good passenger on a plane. I much preferred to be behind the controls managing the cockpit. Laughlin saw to it that we were being transported on the CIA’s finest bird. I felt like I was in the lap of luxury. I’m sure many of the top brass held many meetings at thirty-six thousand feet aboard this baby. I could have slept for days in the overstuffed leather swivel chair I had claimed for the four hour trek. Lenny sat across the table from me in a similar chair. Both of us pulled out our laptops as soon as we boarded. Lexie and Cam were sprawled out on the couches that flanked our makeshift office space. Grizz and D found the flat screen, complete with a video game system and immediately began playing some gory zombie-laden game. Lenny and I were busy strategizing, using Google Earth and satellite maps provided by Laughlin. The area was heavily wooded, flanked by Lake Tahoe, and a grand peak of the Sierra Nevada mountains. There was one small, dirt access road to the property from the main highway which circled the lake. The dense foliage didn’t allow us to see if there were any fences or patrols at the perimeter of the property. Several acres to the front of the property had been cleared of trees, making the hulking mansion clearly visible. Our only chance of even getting near the property without being seen was either coming down the mountain, which could be risky, or the eastern woods. Lenny and I both agreed that coming in from the lake would make us too visible. We were somewhere over the Midwest when I got pelted in the side of the head by an unknown object. I turned towards Cam. He was grinning at me as he reached his arm out to retrieve a small Nerf ball.
“Can I help you Cam?” I said as I instinctively rubbed the spot near my ear where the ball had made contact.
“Naw, Ev. I’m just bored.” He flashed me his innocent school boy grin.
“Perhaps you could help Lenny and I come up with a battle plan.”
“Seems like you two have it pretty well covered.” Cam was lying on his back on the sofa tossing the ball up into the air.
Lexie decided to chime into the conversation. “Evie, it seems like you and Lenny already have it planned out. I’m bored too! Let’s play a game or something.”
I was slightly annoyed by their lack of focus. “Children, recess is over.”
Lenny interrupted. “Actually Ev, I think we have our first mission pretty well mapped out.” He winked at Lexie. “A game sounds fun. Lex, you wanna play something on my computer?”
Lexie shook her head. “No, let’s do something to get to know each other better.”
“Seems like you and Lenny know each other pretty well,” Buff added with a smirk.
“Alright then Lexie, what should we play?” I shrugged my shoulders as I gave into the peer pressure.
Lexie’s face lit up. “I know! How about truth or dare?” She seemed very proud of her suggestion.
“Fine, but I get to ask the first question.” I didn’t like the game, but at least if I got to go first I could control the atmosphere of the game and make sure it didn’t get too personal. “I want to hear from Cam first.” I smiled devilishly as I moved my gaze on Cam, who was still sprawled out comfortably on the sofa. “Truth or dare Cam?”
Cam shot a mischievous grin back at me. “Well Miss Ev, I think the Camsters gonna take the safe route, and choose truth. That look your giving me makes me think you might dare me to jump outta this birdie without a chute.”
His thick deep southern drawl was so alluring it made thinking of a good question difficult, but not impossible.
“Cam, what was the defining moment in your life?” I asked proudly.
“Ewwww, good question!” Lenny slapped me lightheartedly on the shoulder.
Cam stared up at the ceiling of the fuselage as he rubbed his chin pensively between his thumb and index finger. All eyes were on him. Even the Bronx Brothers stopped playing their game and turned, giving Cam their full attention as he began to tell his tale.
“Well Ev, I haven’t always been the innocent, good natured fella you see before you. My daddy owned his own business, which meant money wasn’t always reliable. My beautiful mama worked hard at Kmart to make sure the ends always met and us kids didn’t want for anything. My daddy had big dreams for the old Camster here. He had it all planned out. I’d go to college on a football scholarship, get a business degree, and come home to run the family business so he could retire. I got the football scholarship alright. Full ride to ‘Bama. Roll Tide! It didn’t take long for the Camster to realize that he wasn’t college material. I hated going to class, studying, you know the learning part of college. I did love the parties though, and the ladies….Oh and the ladies loved me.”
Cam pointed to his chest and nodded his head swollen with pride at his extracurricular conquests. Cam continued. “The school put me on academic probation after my first semester, but I didn’t care. All I wanted to do was drink and have a good time, so by the end of the first year, I had flunked out of school and lost my scholarship. I knew my daddy was gonna be pissed at the shame I had brought to our family, but he wasn’t. He was disappointed. I could see it in his eyes. My shortcomings would have been easier to deal with, you know, mentally if he had been pissed. He woulda yelled a bit, then it woulda been over. He was so proud that his son, a nobody from backwater Alabama was gonna be playing football for the Tide, and I let him down. I did everything I could that summer to make it up to him. I ran errands for his mortgage company and tried to learn the business, but I just didn’t understand the numbers. Guess I shoulda paid attention in economics. I tried to get customers for him, but the clientele I brought in was nothing more than a bunch of bar hopping, unemployed, starved for attention females who couldn’t afford houses if they grew on trees. The harder I tried, the more I disappointed him. Mama called us oil and water because we just didn’t mix well. Some of our nightly fights almost came to blows. The thirty-first of July was particularly hot, even for Alabama. Daddy was worried about the mortgage payment that was due the next day and mama was trying to make him feel better. I remember he didn’t look well. He was all pasty or something. I figured the heat had gotten to him. Mama tried to give him a glass of ice cold lemonade she had made fresh that day. Daddy slapped it out of her hand, and started shouting at her. I knocked over the kitchen table, picked him up by his shirt and slammed him into the icebox. Man, did it leave a dent.”
Cam was lost in time, reliving a moment from ten years earlier. He was sitting on the edge of the sofa, gripping the leather edge tightly in his fists. His eyes were fierce, yet welling up with tears.
“I told him he was a failure, and not to take his own disappointments out on Mama. I called him a nothing who would never be anything more than a fat, washed up, old hustler. I spit in his face and told him that I prayed to God every night that I would never be like him before I stormed out of the house and sped off on my motorcycle. My daddy’s heart stopped before I made it out of the driveway. I actually crossed paths with the ambulance that was speeding to help my daddy. He never woke up. I didn’t mean the things I said to him. That man was my hero, but I couldn’t let him hurt my Mama. The docs thought that he had a lack of brain oxygen, and that made him mean just bef
ore his heart gave out. My Mama forgave me, but I don’t think I ever really forgave myself. One moment of my life changed it forever. Mama always said that it isn’t important how many minutes God gives you upon this earth, but what you do with them that counts. I took that to heart and decided I needed to make my minutes count, because you never know how many minutes you have left. Daddy was a Navy man, and the Navy made him into a good person. So, I chose that path, and here I am today, because I wanted to be just like my daddy. Still do!”
The room was deathly quiet. Lexie was blotting tears from her eyes with a handkerchief that Lenny had passed to her. I realized that I hadn’t taken a breath for awhile, and inhaled deeply. Cam smiled sweetly as he pulled out a black leather rope and pendant that were hidden under his shirt. The pendant, which he held forward with his thumb, resembled a silver bullet.
“When we cremated my daddy, I put a few of his ashes in here. It keeps him close to my heart and reminds me to always do the right thing. Daddy worked hard every day of his life to make sure we had food on the table and shoes on our feet for runnin’. God help me, I will do everything from here on out to make him proud of me.”
I took a seat on the sofa next to him and put my arm around his back.
Looking at the locket I said, “Beautiful Cam. Looking at you, I assumed you didn’t have a care in the world. Thank you for being so honest.”
Cam kissed the top of my knuckles and gave me a devilish wink.
“The Camster seems all superficial, but I’m actually a pretty deep guy once you get to know me. How bout’ it Evie, ya wanna get to know me better?”
He was always the charmer. I stood up and gave him a friendly kiss on the top of his head, before ruffling his hair out of place. He playfully shoved me back into my seat at the table.
“You Navy men are hopeless!” I rolled my eyes. “Alrighty Cam, it’s your turn. Who do you choose?”
Cam rubbed his hands together vigorously and smiled mischievously.
“Who to choose? Hmmmmm……I choose Lexie”
She sat up straight on the edge of the sofa and grinned from ear to ear.
“Alrighty Lex, it’s on. Truth or dare?”
Lexie didn’t hesitate. “Dare!”
“Ah, I see the pretty lady likes to take risks.” Cam chuckled before shooting her his best evil grin. “I dare you…” There was a long pause, “to kiss Lenny square on the lips. No tongue now sweetness, or the Camster’ll get jealous.”
Lexie shot up out of her seat. Her green eyes danced with fury. “This isn’t junior high Cam!” She stormed out of our close quarters and slammed the restroom door behind her at the back of the plane. Cam put his hands up in a defensive manner.
“What did I say?” He looked profoundly confused.
Lenny spoke up. “It’s not you dude. It’s me.”
His whole demeanor had changed from a proud warrior to a boy who had lost his puppy. Cam gave him an apologetic look.
“What did you do to her man?”
“Truly Cam, I don’t know. We used to date…”
“Wait a minute Bro! You got to tap that?” Cam raised his hand waiting for a high five that never came.
“Ah, Hell NO! Lexie still has nightmares about what the nuns at her orphanage would do to her if she had sex before marriage. She’s totally against it.”
“Bro, that’s harsh!” Cam was shaking his head in disbelief.
“Yeah, imagine trying to keep your hands off that beautiful creature day in and day out.” Lenny smiled half heartedly.
“There would have been a lot of cold showers.” Cam shuttered at the thought. “So what’s the story between you two anyways? You dump her or something?”
Lenny gazed at the clouds outside the tiny window behind Cam. “Life might have been easier if I had, because I’ve wondered every day since I got her letter, why she left me.”
“She broke up with you in a letter. Man, how can you stand to look at her?” Cam seemed genuinely angry.
“Cam, don’t fault Lexie. I should have seen it coming. Hell, I probably did see it, but ya know, ignorance is bliss.” Lenny continued to gaze off into the distance as he remembered his life with Lexie. “We were like the perfect couple, or at least I thought we were. Hindsight is twenty-twenty.”
I chimed in. “Maybe we should talk about something else. Cam, what made you join The Pride?”
Cam’s eyes sparkled with pride as he began. “I knew it would make my daddy proud if I kicked a little terrorist ass, especially after nine eleven.”
“Len, how about you?” I turned my chair to face him, curious about his reasons.
Lenny looked towards the restroom where Lexie was still locked inside. “Her. I joined because of her.”
“Well, so much for changing the topic,” I exhaled with frustration. “Alright Len, you need to get this off your chest before we can be a cohesive team. Tell us about when you used to date Lexie.”
“Did ya meet her at some fancy Hollywood party Len?” Cam’s eyes danced wildly in anticipation of Lenny’s story.
“Nope, not like that at all. We actually met in Florida while we were both on leave. I was cruising around with some of my buddies trying to pick up chicks on spring break. The first time I saw Lexie, I physically felt my heart stop. Oh my God, she was breathtaking. She was by herself, reading a book at an outdoor café. I made my buddies stop the car in the middle of the street. I got out and sat at the table behind her, just to be closer to her. There I was, the son of a huge Hollywood producer, a decorated soldier, normally all the confidence of matador, unable to find the courage to speak to her. I followed her back to her hotel and waited for her to come back down to the lobby. I had to pay the desk clerk so he wouldn’t get me arrested for loitering. She finally walked off the elevator, looking like a goddess in pink. I pretended to bump into her just to start a conversation. I think I said something stupid like; boot camp made me clumsy, as I apologized vigorously for my misstep. We discovered that both of us were Marines, and that made the rest of the conversation easy. We had dinner on the beach that night, trying to top each other’s stories of battle. Two months later I took her home to meet my parents. They loved her, but what isn’t there to love about Lexie? I drove her to Half Moon Bay on our first year anniversary and during a romantic picnic on the beach, I asked her to be my wife. She accepted, and I felt like the luckiest man alive. I did everything right. The flowers, chocolates, the romance, I wanted to give her the world and keep her safe.” Lenny got up from his chair and moved to the couch that Lexie had once occupied.
“Lenny, you don’t have to continue if this is too hard,” I said with the utmost sincerity.
“The thing is, Evie; I need to talk about it. It’s been almost ten years, and I’m still madly in love with her.” He rubbed his hands through his wavy blond hair causing it to stick out on the sides. “Looking back, things started to fall apart when we got called back for a tour in Iraq. We were assigned to the same platoon, fighting shoulder to shoulder, thanks to a little bit of string pulling on my part. I know I was overly protective of her when we were there, and I also know she resented it. We would bicker a lot. She’s got one hell’uva stubborn streak in her! If she even thought that I was trying to make a decision for her, the holy ca-ca would hit the fan. The last day we were together, we came under some heavy fire. I got hit.” Lenny lifted his chin and pointed to the crescent shaped scar near his collar bone. “Lexie actually saved my life. She kept me safe until help could arrive. That’s the last time I saw her. I was flown to Germany for treatment, and about two weeks later I discovered her letter in a box of my belongings found when they cleaned out my footlocker.”
I got up from my chair and kneeled down in front of Lenny so we were eye level. “Len, people handle tragedy in strange ways. Being a soldier is hard, but loving a soldier is even harder. Think about it. She almost lost you because of a bullet, and I’ll bet it broke her heart to see you suffering. A gentle soul like Lexie probably couldn’t
handle the thought of losing you for good, so breaking up with you was her subconscious way of protecting her own heart from any future sadness. I don’t think Lexie has a mean bone in her body, so I’m sure she never intended you to be hurting for so long. Think about it for a second. What would you have done if that bullet had hit her instead of you?”
Lenny’s eyes burned with rage at the thought of Lexie being harmed. “There wouldn’t be a terrorist alive from Baghdad to Kabul if any harm ever came to her.”
I patted his hands that were tightly clasped in front of him as I stood back up. “Do you think you’ll be able to put your feelings for her aside? We’re going to be working closely together for a very long time,” I asked him with genuine concern.
“Of course I can,” he snapped defensively at me.
I wanted to continue this conversation, as I didn’t know if Lenny was stable enough for our mission, but Lexie emerged from the restroom apologizing for her earlier outburst. The pilot announced that we would be landing, so we all buckled up. There was awkward silence between us while we waited for the plane to touch down. I was anxious to get Lenny alone to continue our conversation, but unfortunately that would never happen. As soon as we landed at the small airport amongst the mountains in Lake Tahoe, we were shuttled off in separate vehicles to our hotel. Dusk was falling, so we didn’t have much time before our mission would begin. Lexie and I were placed in a suite together, and as soon as our suitcases hit the floor, we were dressing for our recon mission.
Chapter 4
Domus Aurea
Lexie
Staring through the fuzzy darkness towards the hulking manor was not exactly my cup of tea. I hated the wilderness, and spending the night in the woods with nothing to do but zone in on a cold stone building was like watching paint dry. Domus Aurea was a sprawling stone manor crouched atop an overlook of Lake Tahoe. Beautiful serene lake views bordered one side of the manor, and a thick dense mountain forest flanked the rest. The house itself had an expansive, pristinely manicured lawn complete with sculptures and well maintained privacy shrubs. A large infinity pool scraped the edge of the cliff at lakeside, but the house still had the feel of a medieval mad-man’s castle. I shuddered at the thought of what went on inside the dungeons of those castles. My mind drifted to tortures and executions that made water boarding look like child’s play. One could go mad staring at a house like this and letting their mind wander back to a less civilized time. At least I had the members of my faction to keep me sane. Evie was 20 yards to my right, while Lenny was in his familiar position of being way to close, always trying to be my protector. Brent, Cam, and Paul were on the far side of the tower farther up the mountain. I hated reconnaissance missions with a passion. I’m more the mani, pedi, shoe shopping type of a gal. Ahh, what a new pair of Jimmy Choos wouldn’t feel like now.
The Pride Page 3