Playing the Field

by C. J. Pinard

  “Lieutenant Lawless, report to Building 2200 at 1600 hours.”

  I turned around to see a grunt standing in the doorway, looking at me.

  “Thank you,” I said to him.

  He nodded and walked out. I looked at my watch. It was 1530 hours. Where had the day gone?

  I shut down my equipment, grabbed my hat, jacket, and gloves and walked in the cold to the building, which was a couple blocks over. This base was set up similarly to the American bases, almost like a small city. The temperatures were extreme and brutal, especially for a California native like me, who never heard the words “extreme” and “weather” ever chained together in a sentence.

  Opening the door to Building 2200, wondering where I was supposed to go, I naturally found the Marine Corps offices and wandered in there.

  “Lawless, we’ve been waiting for you,” my commanding officer said.

  I removed my cap. “Sir?”

  “Come this way,” he said, indicating for me to follow him. So of course I did.

  We were led to a small conference room where a large whiteboard took up most of the easternmost wall, and a large screen was pulled down in the front of the room. A bulky audio/video projector sat on the massive oak conference table, which took up most of the space.

  “Sit,” he said, indicating a chair. There were three other men in the room, all with more ranks than me. I had been an enlisted grunt the first time I was in, but when I had re-enlisted for the reserves, I had already obtained my Bachelor’s degree, so I had a few more ranks as a First Lieutenant this time around, but not as many as the men in this room.

  “Gentlemen,” I said, nodding to each one.

  “Lawless, first of all, I wanted to tell you what a good job you’re doing in surveillance,” my CO said, a tall, thin, older man whose name was Lt. Col. Owens.

  I nodded, otherwise sitting stock-still. “Thank you, sir.”

  “I read your jacket,” he said, measuring me with an ice blue stare.

  I said nothing, just waited for him to continue. Instead, another one in the room spoke.

  “You are former E.O.D., are you not?” he asked.

  I briefly flicked my eyes to his uniform, noting he was a Major General and my face grew even more somber.

  “Sir, yes, sir, that’s correct.” I resisted the urge to salute. This guy was pretty high ranking, and I became even more nervous, wondering why a two-star general was interested in me at all. I was just a First Lieutenant, and really had no aspirations to go higher.

  “Well, Lawless, we may have a situation that calls for E.O.D. help.”

  With more confidence than I felt, I looked to both men, ignoring the third whom I hadn’t even taken the time to read his rank yet, and said, “Okay, is there no E.O.D. on base, sir?”

  He smiled a little. “Yes, there is. They are all a little green, if you know what I’m saying. You are doing a great job in surveillance, but we’d like to… let’s say… ‘borrow’ you for a couple of weeks.”

  I nodded, the next words were almost automatic. “Sure, whatever you need, sir. I’m your man.”

  “That’s what we like to hear,” the General said, whose name I noticed was McAllister.

  “May I ask what the situation involves?” I asked, looking at each of them.

  McAllister nodded. “We’ve received some intelligence – thanks to your shop, I might add – that we’ve got some insurgents planning an attack on the base. As I’m sure you’re well aware, this base is no stranger to attacks. We’ve learned from each and every one, but this time, we’re going to be proactive – go on the defensive, if you will.”

  “Absolutely understandable, sir. I can sure respect that line of thinking.”

  Lt. Col. Owens smiled a little. “It’s all we’ve got.”

  I listened intently of his plans for me to be on standby with the expectation that if any explosive ordinance work was needed, that I would be there to help out.

  “Two guys from the E.O.D. had been sent home, one being injured, the other on a family emergency. Because of the nature of this intelligence, we definitely need all hands on deck, and some experienced hands, at that.”

  I nodded. “I will help any way I can.”

  The three stood up, seeming pleased that I was willing to help them. As I left the building and caught a ride back to my barracks room, I smiled a little to myself. What was I supposed to say when three high-ranking Marines were asking for my help? No? Ha. Guess they don’t know Jace Lawless doesn’t know how to say no.

  Chapter 22

  “Are you sure your parents are asleep?” Miranda whispered, her lips hovering just inches from mine.

  I looked at the water beaded across the swell her cleavage, the steam from the hot tub rising up all around us. Nodding, I said, “Yep. It’s almost midnight. My parents don’t stay up past ten, like ever.” We had only been dating a few months, so she didn’t know these little quirks about my family yet.

  She grinned and pressed her lips to mine. I groaned and pulled my hand out of the water to untie her red bikini top from her back. Then I reached up and untied it from around her neck. I watched with amusement as it floated on the surface of the bubbling Jacuzzi. I pulled her closer, pressing her bare chest against mine. Her long legs were wrapped around my waist, and I wanted nothing more than to tear off both our swimsuit bottoms and plunge myself into her.

  I was seated on the built-in bench of the hot tub. I broke the kiss and looked out over the attached swimming pool at my parents’ house. Miranda’s lips were on my neck and I moaned as she licked my ear. Steam was rising off the surface of the black-bottom pool, and because Miranda was turning me on so much, I was getting hot, literally. So hot, I could feel the sweat beading along my brow and my hairline. I suddenly stood up, her legs still around my waist as the water sloshed off our bodies. I was holding her up under her ass, the single braid in her blonde hair resting on her shoulder and flowing down the front of her chest.

  Miranda gasped, looking at me questioningly. There was a flat rock formation separating the Jacuzzi from the pool and I stood on it. Without warning, I peeled my beautiful girlfriend from my body and threw her into the pool.

  I laughed as she screamed, and I dove with precision into the water, knowing we were at the deep end of the pool. I quickly swam toward the shallow end so I could see her face.

  Miranda emerged in the deep end, gasping as she broke the surface of the water. I could tell she was about to scream obscenities at me, but I put my finger to my lips and pointed to the house.

  She scowled at me, then disappeared under the water.

  I just stood in the shallow end, following her blurry figure until she was right on me. Instead of poking her head out of the water in front of me, I felt her tug my swim trunks down – and I let her. She popped her head out of the water, and then threw my trunks onto the side of the pool where they landed with a wet slap on the concrete. I watched as her bare breasts bobbed on the surface of the water.

  Wanting to pull her into my arms, I was about to do just that when she disappeared under the water again. I gasped in shock and pleasure as I felt her warm mouth wrap around me. Slowly backing up to the edge of the pool in case my knees buckled under me, she swam along with me like the mermaid goddess I thought she was at that moment.

  She wrapped both hands around my ass cheeks as her warm mouth continued to do things I had never had done to me before. I couldn’t believe how incredible this felt in the pool. I splayed both arms on either side of me on the concrete edge of the pool and tilted my head back until my face was bathed in the light from the moon overhead.

  The night was quiet, the only sounds I could hear were the sloshing of the water and my own guttural groans.

  I felt Miranda pull off of me and pop her head out of the water. She was smiling.

  “Just coming up for air,” she said, taking a huge breath, preparing to go back under.

  I smiled, reaching out and pulling her to me. “Oh no you don�
��t.”

  Turning her around, I placed her against the wall of the pool and went underwater, yanking off her bikini bottoms, coming back out of the water to mimic her action of tossing them to the side of the pool.

  I placed my left hand on her right breast, rubbing a little as she smiled at me. Then I slid my hand down her soaking wet body, keeping my eyes locked with hers. Once I reached her intimate core, I ran the back of my hand along the mound of flesh there. I felt her shudder a little, watching as her nipples grew even harder. When I slipped two fingers inside of her, she squealed a little, throwing her head back. I stroked my fingers in and out of her, rubbing her in the place I knew drove her crazy.

  I pushed her flat against the poolside, reaching down to kiss her hot mouth. She slid her tongue inside my mouth, and I ground my hips and hardness against her stomach. Leaning down, I ran my lips along her neck as her fingers trailed down my chest and began to stroke me.

  “I want you so bad,” I murmured in her ear.

  “Then take me, player,” she said back.

  I didn’t need to be told twice. I used my left hand to guide myself into her slowly, her legs still wrapped around me. The weightlessness of the pool was heavenly, and when I felt how slick and hot she was despite the pool water, I groaned as her body completely sheathed mine all the way to the hilt.

  Gently bucking my hips back and forth, I felt her tighten around me. With her arms around my shoulders, she leaned in and kissed me again, our bodies completely locked together as she rode me faster and faster. I plunged into her in return, as she matched my thrusts. One last, hard squeeze and she was crying out my name, all her love and ecstasy releasing onto me. I then lost it myself, shuddering as my body poured into hers as we stayed locked together. I tilted my head back to look into her eyes. They were clouded with lust and happiness.

  Licking her lips, she said, “God, Jace, you’re so damn good.”

  Swelling with pride, I replied. “I love you, my queen.”

  “I love you, too.”

  My eyes slammed open as my alarm clock woke me. My body was painfully strained under my shorts, and I decided the only way I was gonna concentrate at work today was to relieve myself in the shower. This was the part of deployment I hated. When I had been deployed the other two times, I had hoped to meet some girl I could have a fling with, but nobody really held my attention. There had been one or two, but they never showed much interest past an abrupt fuck here and there… and those were definitely quick fixes that really didn’t satisfy me.

  Everything I’d been taught and grown up hearing was that love and sex were two separate things. Men used love to get sex, and women used sex to get love. While I knew that was true for the most part, I also knew that when the two combined… when I got myself tangled up with Miranda and poured my love into her body through sex, there was nothing like it. Nothing. The ecstasy combined with emotion was explosive and irreplaceable. I hadn’t had this with Sam. I thought I did, but I didn’t. I knew that now. Miranda truly was my first love, and I couldn’t be happier that I’d never have to search for that again. She was mine forever, and now she was having my baby, and I truly was the luckiest guy I the world.

  The hot water cascaded down my body, the strain of my erection not going away, not even a little bit. I tried to think of other things, but my mind kept drifting back to Miranda’s delectable hourglass figure. The flat of her beautiful stomach and the swell of her perfect breasts and pink nipples kept me hard as a rock.

  I didn’t want to have to do this, but I was gonna have a very miserable day if I didn’t get rid of this thing. I lifted my face against the water as my I used my left hand to reach down and reluctantly grab myself, finding little consolation that it would be only four months until I could get home and make love to the queen of my entire world until I couldn’t breathe.

  ***

  It was go time. A month after my meeting with the general and my CO, intelligence gathered told us the insurgents were planning an attack involving some bombs. They had planned to send three suicide bombers inside a Humvee rigged with explosives through the gates of our base. Oh, hell no. That wasn’t going to happen. Thankfully, we had enough intelligence to know the day, and almost the hour as to when this was going to happen.

  I felt like a cop on a stakeout as night blanketed the dark desert. Using my binoculars, I watched the front gate of the base for anything suspicious. A few Marines had infra-red equipment and could see a lot farther out than I could. After what felt like hours but was probably more like 45 minutes, I heard the radio transmission through my earpiece that a Humvee was headed our way. It wasn’t American military issued, either. It was definitely the one we’d been waiting for.

  The other Marines signaled for us to get to the front gate. A tripwire loaded to detonate was set up and armed, and we all hid behind a barricade and waited for the Humvee to hit the wire, hopefully foiling their plans. The problem was, if the suicide bombers were strapped with explosives, and the car was, too, we were in for a hell of a hot lightshow. I placed my hands over my ears and closed my eyes and waited.

  When the Humvee drove over the wire, only a very small, unimpressive explosion went off. It took out the front two tires, but the three individuals inside remained unscathed. It did succeed in stopping them from entering the base, but it seems we’d also pissed them off.

  Royally.

  We were all standing with weapons drawn as the three insurgents exited the vehicle, pointing their own weapons at us and shouting in their language.

  “Open fire!” someone said, so I began to shoot.

  They shot back.

  Thankfully, we took out two, and the other surrendered, his arms in the air, his rifle dangling across his chest over the crude vest he wore.

  The MPs quickly took his weapon and subdued him. I stood back and let them do their job, as they placed handcuffs on him.

  “Do not touch that vest, guys,” I said, pointing at it.

  One of the MPs nodded at me. “Didn’t plan on it, sir.”

  Two MPs and one Lt. Col. assisted in loading the prisoner into a waiting Hummer, and as the last one about to get into the vehicle, I felt a sharp sting hit me in the back of my right thigh. I cried out in shock, and then yelled again as another painful burning pierced me in the upper back, then the front of my chest.

  In the moonlight, I looked down in shock to see the vest I was wearing begin to bloom with blood. My right pant leg was also turning black with the spread of blood, and I fell to the ground, grabbing my leg.

  Hearing screaming, yelling, commands, and finally my name, I tried to respond, but I felt a light was extinguishing inside my head. It was already dark outside, but things turned even blacker as I began to fade away. I tried to keep my eyes open, but they drifted closed, and as the blackness found me, my last thoughts floated to my stepdaughter, my wife, and the tiny life growing inside of her, hoping I would get to see them again.

  Chapter 23

  I had to force my eyes open. They wanted to stay closed, heavy and feeling like lead. Lead… like bullets. Bullets! My eyes slammed open.

  I had been shot. I had been freaking shot. Holy crap. I blinked rapidly, my eyeballs feeling like they’d be dusted with powder. I was in a hospital room. The head of my bed was slightly angled, but not enough for me to see the entirety of the room. I tried to sit up some more, but an excruciating pain shot through my chest, and I gasped in agony.

  My eyes drifted to the side of my bed where there was a cup and a pitcher. I needed water badly. I felt like I’d been sucking on cotton. My head was pounding. I reached out with my right hand and the pain in my chest intensified. I used my left hand to gingerly pull my hospital gown away and saw a large bandage covering most of the right side of my chest. There were also electrodes attached, whose wires led to a machine, which was beeping on the left side of my bed. I looked down groggily to see a small device attached to the machine lying next to my left hand. It had a button on it, so I gathered up
the strength to wrap my hand around it and push the button with my thumb. I was hoping this was one of those self-help things that pushed more medicine into my body.

  Instead I heard a buzz, and a nurse came in my room quickly. Her graying blonde hair was twisted up to the back of her head, and her pink scrubs fit her snug. The name badge on the lanyard around her neck read “Ella.”

  “Hey! You’re awake!” she said, smiling. Her smile comforted me, and I tried to be polite and smile back, but I just couldn’t. I felt weak. I didn’t like that feeling.

  “Water,” was all I managed to croak out.

  “Of course.” She poured some into a cup and handed me the cup. I drank greedily and sighed at the small relief it brought me.

  “I need some aspirin or something, ma’am. My chest hurts.”

  She smiled. “You probably need more than aspirin.” I watched as she went around to the other side of my bed and changed clear plastic bag hanging from a pole, replacing it with another full one. She did something to a dial near the pole, then looked back at me. “The morphine should kick in soon.”

  “Morphine? That’s kinda strong, isn’t it?”

  She nodded. “You were shot, Lieutenant. You need morphine.” She pointed at my leg. “Can I take a look?”

  Huh? I lazily looked down at the sheet covering my legs. “Okay...”

  Pulling back the sheet, she made sure the bandages covering my right thigh were still intact. “Does it hurt?”

  I didn’t know how to answer that. My chest hurt the worst, but my whole body just sort of ached. “I guess.”

  She smiled, replacing the sheet. “Through and through. Both of them. You’re very lucky, Lieutenant.”