Goodnight, Jill, I hope the rest of your evening is a little less exciting.” “Amen to that,” Jill sighed shaking his hand.
“Ed, what did Bull whisper to Dink?” Peace asked before Polasky could turn away.
“He told him if anything happened to you, Bull would kill Dink and everything Dink loved, all the way down to his pet goldfish.”
Peace burst into laughter with Polasky, while Jill smiled uneasily, wondering how much of what Bull threatened was a bluff, if any of it was. “Goodnight, Ed,” Peace said finally.
Polasky waved as he turned back to where Nancy was standing by the entrance. She exchanged waves with Peace and Jill, before going inside the restaurant with Polasky. Peace put his arm around Jill.
“I guess I’ll just walk you to the Buick. Thanks for the warning. Old Dink might have separated my head from my shoulders with that pipe.”
Jill put her arm around Peace as they walked. “I don’t know. I thought I saw you already moving when I shouted.”
“I was,” Peace admitted, “but when I saw your face, I moved a heck of a lot quicker.”
“You would have killed him. I… I saw your face just before Bull stopped you.”
“Jill, he was going to kill me,” Peace reminded her.
“I… I know. For a moment there, I felt like I was back in Chili,” Jill replied. “Tonight was so great, it…”
“Don’t let this ruin it then,” Peace urged quietly. “Ed kept repeating one phrase when I was training with him. Something would happen like I’d lose concentration, or something inexplicable would interrupt us. He’d just shrug and say ‘shit happens, deal with it and go on’.”
“Has anything like that ever happened to you before?”
“You mean a guy coming out of the dark with a lead pipe in front of a restaurant? Nope.”
Jill stopped, and looked up at Peace. “You just dodged the question.”
Peace remained silent.
“Becky told me a story I think you’d like,” Jill said. She related the story of the True Lies movie.
Peace laughed when Jill recited Swartznegger’s line, ‘but they were all bad’.
“Why did you dodge my question, Peace?” Jill asked again. “You think I can’t handle it if you did? I know you killed eleven men in cold blood on the mission in Chili.”
“But they were all bad, Honey,” Peace deadpanned, sending Jill into a gale of laughter, partly at the line, and partly as a release.
“Okay,” Jill sighed, wiping tears from her eyes. “Want to have a beer at the oldies place.”
“Love to,” Peace replied with a smile. “Then, I’ll kiss you goodnight, and see you tomorrow after I get off base.”
“I don’t think so,” Jill said as they arrived at Peace’s Buick, and he held the door open for her. She slid inside stiffly, pulling her cane in after her.
Peace shut her door, and jogged to the other side. When they were on the way to Jill’s motel, she turned to him, having waited for a comment, which was not forthcoming.
“You aren’t going to say anything?”
“It’s not your decision, Jill,” Peace answered. “I think you maybe need some time to digest all of this. We’ve only started. Why rush along, and screw up something special before it gets a chance to start?”
“You’re staying with me tonight, and that’s final,” Jill stated, crossing her arms over her chest petulantly.
Peace laughed appreciatively. “Nice, but I don’t take orders from civilians.”
Jill hiked her blue dress up suddenly, showing the top of her nylon stockings, red thong underwear, and a garter belt.
“Well, maybe I’ll make an exception…” Peace whispered, his throat dry suddenly, as he glanced at Jill as she moved provocatively on the seat.
__
“Jill,” Peace kissed the back of her neck, as she lay in his arms.
Jill opened her eyes as Peace ran his hand down her thigh gently. She looked at her travel clock on the nightstand. Flashes of their night together spun through her awakening mind. Jill shivered, and blushed, remembering her utter abandon during their lovemaking. No one had ever touched her as he had. She clasped his hand in hers by her side. Turning onto her back, Jill yawned sleepily. Peace kissed her forehead.
“Good morning.”
“It’s the middle of the night, Peace,” Jill complained, feeling his arousal as he stroked her softly with his fingertips. She moaned softly under his touch.
“I have to stop by the house and get changed. I have to be on base by seven,” Peace replied, beginning to kiss her gently along the front of her body, as she arched her back.
“But it’s only… four… why…”
Peace paused, looking up at Jill, smiling. “It may take me a while to say goodbye.”
Jill giggled, and then gasped as Peace returned to his ministrations.
Chapter Eleven
Complications
Dan stood in full combat gear near the start of the firearms training range, as the rest of the team ran sprints to simulate how they would be in combat before having to fire on the enemy. He spotted for each of them as they ran from one station to the next, firing at the targets two hundred yards out. For the next few hours, they varied the patterns and distances, always with sprints in between to stretch their stamina to the limits. Peace was like a machine. His controlled breathing and deadly accuracy easily surpassed Bull, who led all the others. When Dan called a halt to the exercise, the team gathered to hear final comments and criticisms.
“Well, Peace sure killed the old myth about never getting some the night before because of performance concerns,” Bull interjected, causing Dan and the rest of the team to laugh as Peace looked down at his rifle, and adjusted his pack.
“We’re brothers, Peace,” JT added, clapping the sheepish Peace on the back. “Get it off your chest.”
“She was excited when you almost broke that college boy’s neck, right Peace?” Nick piled on.
“Good Lord, he sings, he dances, he plays piano, he shoots, he sha na na’s,” Tracer exclaimed, to the amusement of the rest of the team. “Tell us the secret to life, hallowed one.”
Peace suddenly began singing the Ballad of the Green Berets, catching the rest of the team off guard. Before anyone could grab him, Peace streaked ten yards away, continuing in a deep baritone voice. Dan grinned as Peace’s tormentors tried to reach him, but he was the fastest man on the team. They tried circling him, and cutting him off; but Peace kept singing, foiling each attempt to reach him, as he extended his skirmish line along the range. The rest of the team had to finally give up, shaking their fists at the distant Peace, whose voice Dan could still hear plainly. Shaking his head, Dan blew the whistle on them. The team was back in front of him in seconds, with Peace passing the rest of the team, even though he had been twenty yards away from the nearest man. Peace stood at attention with as solemn a look as his permanent grin allowed him.
“That was cold, Peace,” Doc laughed breathlessly.
“You’ll get yours, Petty Officer Peacenik,” Bull threatened.
“Yes Sir, may I have another, Sir,” Peace intoned. “Hoo-ya!”
“Can we return to business, gentlemen?” Dan asked, as the rest of the team laughed.
__
The team jogged along the water in formation, still in full gear, with Peace calling out made up rhymes in cadence, breaking the monotony, and getting laughs at the same time. Dan ended the training session after another grueling two miles in the sand. As they walked off the workout on their way to the barracks, Dan jogged up next to where Bull and Peace were walking together.
“Are you going to the police station, Peace?” Dan asked.
“As soon as I get showered and dressed, Lieutenant.”
“Have you thought about what you’re going to do?” “He has to nail the guy, Lieutenant,” Bull put in.
“I’m just worrying about the fallout if this comes to trial,” Dan offered. “You know how these th
ings go.”
Peace nodded. “You may be right. What would you suggest?”
“Why not play it out and see if they can get a plea bargain out of this Dink guy. If they do, great; but if they have to take it to trial, maybe you ought to think about bailing.”
“Peace should wait on letting this freak off the hook till he finds out if Dink boy has a history of lead pipe serenades,” Bull replied. “Last night may have been just another episode in this character’s past. These college sports guys get a blind eye for almost everything from the cops.” “I’ll go along with you on that, Chief,” Dan agreed.
“Look, I’ll keep in mind what you said,” Peace reasoned. “If they have something in the works for this guy, I’ll go along with it. If the Chief is right and Dink has a history, I have to see this through, Dan. He might kill the next person he gets pissed off at, especially if he thinks he can get away with it even when he gets caught.”
“The police have already contacted Commander Jessup about this,” Dan admitted. “He called me at home last night, and wanted to know the details as soon as possible. Bull filled me in this morning; because I called over to Ed’s, but you weren’t there.”
“I covered for your extracurricular activities, Petty Officer Peacenik,” Bull added haughtily.
“You never mentioned anything this morning, Dan,” Peace mused, ignoring Bull, who pushed him off stride. “If the Commander doesn’t believe us, I’m sure he can get enough from the witness reports, the police have, to get the picture. I can’t see him pressuring you about this no matter what they do.”
“The police are getting pressured, I guess,” Dan replied. “Jessup’s worried about two members of one of his Seal Teams getting involved in a potential attempted murder case.”
“So,” Peace nodded, “you were feeling us out about it before letting me know what the Commander had in mind.”
“That obvious, huh,” Dan sighed. “Sorry guys, this Dink’s parents must have some clout, because the cops who called the Commander downplayed the incident like it was a barroom altercation over a disagreement.”
“That’s bullshit, Lieutenant!” Bull said, stopping.
“Calm down, Chief,” Dan urged. “I know you guys like brothers. I don’t care how it went down, or if Peace ripped the guy’s head off and shit down his neck. We’ll work this through together.”
“I’d like to know how they plan on explaining away the mask and pipe,” Peace added, after both he and Bull laughed at the Lieutenant’s uncharacteristic statement.
“Bull explained all that in detail. When I called Jessup back to fill him in on what the Chief told me, the Commander was mad as hell, and told me he’d call me back after he talked to the police again. When he called me back, he said the police didn’t have any lead pipe or mask, and that the witnesses never mentioned them.”
“Uh oh,” Peace said quietly. He looked over at Bull, who nodded at him solemnly. Comprehension of how little they had between them as far as evidence without the mask and pipe caused a brief silence.
“I’m getting a real bad feeling about this,” Bull said finally. “I understand now why you wanted to hear us out a little before you told us about the evidence, Lieutenant.”
“On the upside, Dink was the one arrested,” Dan pointed out. “Think about what would have happened if both of them would’ve been arrested. By the time this story made it around the block, it would have been Peace in the mask, holding the pipe.”
“I owe Bull on that one,” Peace said. “I was acting without thinking.”
“If you hadn’t, you’d be dead or maimed,” Bull said simply. “Let’s see what we’ve got here. Ed was the one who took Dink’s mask off. Jill saw the whole thing, Holly probably saw the cops bag the pipe and mask.”
“The police were probably right about the people in the restaurant who came out for a look. I doubt they saw Dink with the mask or the pipe,” Peace added.
“How about the officers involved?” Dan asked. “Did you get a name, or a copy of their report by any chance?”
“After the cops arrived, I was paying more attention to Holly than them,” Bull admitted.
“I have that part down,” Peace grinned. He proceeded to give a detailed description of the two officers, including badge numbers, last names, and distinguishing characteristics.
“Peace, you freak,” Bull pronounced.
“I’ll work on that end right now,” Dan laughed. “Jot what you just rattled off to us down when we get inside, and I will call Commander Jessup, and see if he can get to the bottom of this before you leave for the police station.”
“Will do, Lieutenant,” Peace replied, just before he took off running, and then stopped ten yards away. He looked back at Bull, and started singing The Ballad of the Green Berets again as he marched with his weapon shouldered as if he were in a parade.
Dan heard Bull’s surprised intake of breath, and then he was off after Peace a split second later. Peace heard or felt Bull’s pursuit, and sped up, leaving Bull, who carried the much heavier M60 behind. The last thing the now laughing Lieutenant Righter heard as he followed his two men was Bull’s outraged bellow: ‘You’re toast, Peacenik!’.
Lieutenant Righter located Peace and Bull having coffee together in the small commissary room. The other team members had already left. Bull was in a serious recitation, with Peace listening intently, complete with hand gestures when Dan pulled up a chair at their table.
“Well, you two kissed and made up, I see,” Dan quipped.
“Not hardly,” Bull retorted. “I’ve decided on Klingon vengeance.”
“Huh?”
“Bull means the Star Trek aliens, called Klingons, version of vengeance. In one of the movies, a Klingon stated it: Revenge is a dish best served cold,” Peace explained as Bull nodded in agreement.
“You don’t get out much, do you Lieutenant?” Bull remarked.
“I know about Star Trek, Chief,” Dan laughed. “I just never saw the scene you’re referring to.”
“What’s the good news from the Commander?” Peace asked.
“I’m afraid the news has become considerably stranger,” Dan sighed. “It seems the police do have two members in the department with those badge numbers and last names; but they were off duty when the incident occurred.”
“Oh boy,” Bull interjected, with a shake of his head. “What did the Commander have to say about that?”
“With Peace’s detailed recall of the incident, and the officers involved, he knows something’s wrong. He told me he wants affidavits written up by the people we know personally, and filed with a lawyer in the JAG office at NAS San Diego. The Dink guy was never processed.
We…”
“What!?” Bull exclaimed in disbelief.
“That was quick,” Peace smiled.
“What are you smiling at, Freaknik?” Bull asked, leaning back, with his arms folded over his chest.
“I was going to say,” Dan laughed, “we don’t even know this Dink’s real name.”
“Derrick Batiste,” Peace replied. “Are the police filing charges against me, Lieutenant?”
“No,” Dan answered. “As of now, the incident never happened.”
“I vote we work on the affidavits as Commander Jessup ordered, and I will find out a whole lot more about Dink.”
“I don’t like the sound of that, Peace,” Dan remarked quietly.
“You would agree it would be stupid for me to just pretend this never happened, wouldn’t you?” Peace asked. “It’s not only Bull who’s involved. Ed and Nancy are part of this too. Ed and Dink do not have an amiable relationship. I need to know how dangerous this guy is.”
“So, you mean to just recon this guy through public channels, right?” Dan asked.
“Screw that,” Bull cut in. “Let’s round him up and take him to the desert.”
All three shared a laugh at Bull’s curt solution.
“Just with my computer,” Peace replied. “I’ll get into his
records at the college, and find out who’s paying his bills, and some addresses. Eventually, I’ll at least know what all this is about. Now, if you gentlemen will excuse me, I have a lady who needs a lift to LA.”
“How will I reach you if something comes up?” Dan asked.
“Jill has a cell phone. I’ll give you the number before we leave. Bull here will be seeing Holly tonight. He can find out what she actually saw last night.”
“Great, I finally get a date with the woman of my dreams, and I have to interrogate her.” Bull sighed. “On the other hand, that’s a great ice breaker.”
“Mystery acts like an aphrodisiac,” Peace agreed. “You’ll be able to cash in on the hard boiled gumshoe angle, Chief.”
“Great, now I’m taking lessons in love from Freaknik,” Bull sighed, as his friends laughed appreciatively.
“At least I don’t have to go to the police station,” Peace said.
“Dan, can you call Ed, and bring him up to date on this whole deal?”
“You bet,” Dan assented. “If you think this incident seems a bit out of the ordinary to us, wait until Ed hears the details.”
“We’ll be lucky if Dink, and everyone who has ever known him, isn’t dead by morning,” Bull said, smiling.
“I just want to make sure Ed knows so he can be prepared for the worst,” Peace nodded. “If I were Dink, I’d steer clear of Ed’s. He may send other people Ed’s never seen though, which is why I want him to be on guard.”
“What do you mean by send other people?” Bull asked in confusion.
“We don’t know why or how all of this is happening, Chief,” Peace reasoned, trying to cover his hunch about Dink not being any more than a hunch. “I think it would make good sense not to assume anything at this point, including Dink not being able to send people over to frighten off witnesses.”
“Think of it this way. I heard one of the cops talk to someone, I thought was a superior, about the mask and pipe. Dink was let go. The incident was a misunderstanding. No report was made. The cops who were there, really weren’t there. The Commander gets calls about the incident to preemptively disavow anything I reported. If those cops were involved, then Dink also knows by now who saw and heard anything he can’t explain away, including your address, Bull.”
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