Remember, It’s You I Love: Operation Pink Knight

by Mairsile Leabhair

  “Hurrah!”

  He continued, “The first week will be all about running. You will run every day, twice a day, during your training. In between running, you will do pushups, sit ups, jumping jacks, pull ups, and crunches. Do you understand?”

  “Hurrah.”

  “In the afternoons, you will learn the proper way to fire a weapon, to field strip and re-assemble your weapon. You will learn this on a variety of different firearms. You will also learn how to handle a knife, throw and kill with a knife, and my personal favorite, you will learn how to incapacitate the enemy, using just your hands. Do you understand?”

  Vicky could not visualize herself driving a knife into someone’s ribs, but she was determined to at least learn how, in case Aidan needed her help, God forbid. She looked at Aidan, who was clearly in her element, and embracing it. Vicky was reassured by that.

  “Hurrah.”

  “You will learn how to read maps and use a compass. You will also learn how to solve problems under fire, protect yourself during attack, identify unexploded ordinance, and detect improvised explosive devices or IEDs. Do you understand?”

  “Hurrah”

  “Now, I know you all paid a lot of money to be here. Frankly, I don’t give a shit, and I don’t have to, you signed a waiver. So you will soon understand why I love my job, because I will get to be in your face every step of the way. I’ll let you have the first day, but after that, when you fuck up, you and everyone else within ear shot, will know it. There will be no coddling, no favoritism, no excuses. There will be no lollygagging, no slouching off, and no skipping drills. By the end of this course, the men will do thirty-one pushups, the women will do the same style pushups, eleven times. Both will do forty-three sit ups, run five miles without puking, and qualify on the shooting and knife throwing range. There will be other physical tests, mental tests, and survival tests, that you will have to pass in order to complete the course. Do you understand?”

  “Hurrah!”

  The Drill Sergeant wrapped it up with the hardest rule of them all. “If you think that’s going to be hard, you ain’t heard nothing yet. You will turn in all electronics, including your cell phones, your iPads and Pods, and laptops, and gadgets, and games, before you walk out this door today. This is not a social club, do you understand?”

  Vicky thought sardonically, oy-vey, as the rest said hurrah.

  “Trainees Cassidy, Montgomery, and Williams, pick up your packets and report to the Commander’s office, double-time. The rest of you are dismissed until 0 500 tomorrow. And for you virgins, that’s 5 a.m.”

  With the dismissal of the assembled recruits, Aidan, Vicky and Jerry walked over to the table, and found their packets and boots. As most of the other recruits lingered behind, talking, and drinking coffee, the three friends walked to the Commander’s office.

  “Did I screw up already?” Vicky quipped, “Why are we being called to the principal’s office?”

  Aidan and Jerry laughed, as the three entered the Commander’s office.

  The Drill Sergeant showed them in, then stood behind the Commander, who was seated at his desk. The Commander also wore fatigues, and had a buzz haircut. His face was hard, but his eyes were soft, which gave Vicky hope that he wasn’t quite as rough around the edges as the Drill Sergeant was. A retired Army Colonel who didn’t like sitting at home, the Commander found his second calling, working for the private firm.

  He stood up and said, “Take a seat.” Then he introduced himself, and got right to the point. “President Trenton called, and asked that we assist you in your training for Operation Pink Knight. First, let me say, Cassidy, that it is both an honor and a privilege, to assist you in your mission. I’ve never been in the presence of a double medal recipient before.”

  Both the Commander and the Drill Sergeant snapped to attention, and saluted her. She nodded her head, a bit embarrassed, but also honored, and returned the salute. But Aidan didn’t want to be asked a bunch of questions about the medals, not when she had one of her own.

  “Permission to speak, sir?”

  “Granted.”

  “Operation Pink Knight, sir?”

  “Yes, that’s what he called it. Kind of fitting, don’t you agree?”

  “Yes sir. Thank you, sir.”

  “Because of his request, and because of your mission to rescue a fellow soldier; plus President Trenton happens to be a close personal friend of this firm’s owner, we will be waving the fees, and—”

  Aidan’s stalwart military training, momentarily abandoned her, and she slump down in her chair. “Fuck… me…”

  Jerry fought hard to suppress a snicker, but Vicky squeezed Aidan’s arm.

  The Commander was inwardly laughing, but outwardly, he didn’t skip a beat, “and your training will be customized to fit your special needs, plus accelerated so that you will finish in six weeks. With that said, you will still be subject to the same rules, and qualifications, as the other trainees, but only the five of us will know the circumstances. Understood?”

  Aidan and Jerry responded promptly with a “Hurrah”, and Vicky looked at both of them, and then said “Hurrah”, after the fact. Aidan smiled at her, and then thought, My God, the fees are waved! Thank you Jesus! Seriously!

  ***

  Lying in bed together that night, after several rounds of celebratory orgasms, Vicky looked over at Aidan, drinking in her features, her sharp edges, and her strength. She was so strong, emotionally as well as physically. Vicky knew Aidan was determined, and when she was on a mission, nothing got in her way. But for Vicky, the mission was about helping Aidan, nothing more, and while that was all she needed, her curiosity was not satisfied.

  “Aidan, are you awake?”

  “Yes.”

  Vicky sat up, “Tomorrow we start training, and it sounds like we’ll be pretty busy. I may not get a chance to talk with you again, until we leave for Syria. So, um, can we talk now?”

  Throwing back the cover, Aidan placed her pillow against the headboard, and leaned on it. “What’s up, kid?”

  Vicky swallowed hard, and said, “I want you to tell me about Samantha. About how you two met, and how you came to love her.”

  “Now? Are you sure that’s such a good idea? I don’t want to hurt you again.”

  “I think it would help, actually. I know you love me, that’s not what I’m after. I think that if I knew more about Samantha, it would help me help her more…, does that make since?”

  Aidan motioned for her to move closer, and Vicky snuggled against her, wrapping Aidan’s arm around her waist. “Okay, but just promise me you’ll say something, if it becomes too much. I met Sam in boot camp, but it wasn’t until just a few years ago that I got serious about her. Anyway, after a while, I sort of started running into her on purpose. One of those deals where I’d seen her around the base a couple of times, and I just decided that I wanted to know more about her. But in the military, you’re closeted to a degree in that they don’t ask, and you don’t tell. Growing up in Arkansas, I’m sure you know what I mean by that.”

  “Oh, yeah, it wasn’t until I made a name for myself, that I came completely out of the closet.” Vicky grinned at her, “But you’re getting off the subject.”

  “Okay, well I asked her out on a date, and really liked her, right off the bat. She was outgoing, and confident. She had beautiful blonde hair, long like yours, with blue eyes, and creamy skin, like yours, and…” Aidan stopped, realizing that Dr. Kline was right. “You know, the Doc said that I fell in love with Sam, because she reminded me so much of you. I didn’t know what he meant by that, until just now.”

  “Oh, what else does he say?” Vicky was clearly pleased with his analysis.

  “He said that even though I was cut off from you, my subconscious found a way to fill that void, by finding someone just like you.”

  Vicky sat up, and tilted Aidan’s head toward her, so she could kiss the top of it. She cooed, “That’s a good subconscious.”

  Aidan
laughed, and poked her in the ribs.

  “Oh, no you don’t. Keep talking missy,” she commanded, settling back beside Aidan.

  “Well, I have to admit, thinking about it now, it really wasn’t very fair to Sam. I mean, if I had known, I never would have…, well anyway, Sam and I started hanging out every chance we got. We use to sneak out to secluded spots, and just—”

  “Uh, don’t get too graphic, okay?”

  Aidan chuckled, “No, we just talked a lot. I mean, yes, we were a couple, so we had sex, and a lot of it—”

  “Uh, hello! We’re getting away from what I’m looking for, Aidan. Tell me what Samantha liked, and didn’t like, about politics, or religion, or stuff like that.”

  “Well, that’s where you and she are polar opposites. She didn’t believe in God, and we argued a lot about politics, and having children. I wanted kids, she didn’t, and there was no compromise. I’m not saying that Sam wasn’t a loving, caring person. Far from it. It’s just that we wanted different things in life. I can see that now, but I didn’t want to see it then. Anyway, the night before we were attacked, I proposed to her, by the Tigris River in Baghdad. It seems pretty surreal now, telling you this. Was that what you were looking for?”

  Vicky was lost in thought, and feelings of guilt. That’s what I was looking for…, I am so relieved that we’re different in some ways, does that make me a bad person? Probably.

  “Are you okay, Vick?”

  “What? Oh sure, I was just thinking.”

  Sensing Vicky was concerned about something, Aidan asked, “Thinking about what, kid?”

  “No, you’ll think I’m just being silly.”

  Aidan loved it when Vicky played coy, mostly because she knew, that Vicky reserved that side of herself, only for her. “I have always thought that you were silly.” She winked at her, and wiggled her fingers as if she were going to tickle her.

  Vicky squealed, and flashed back to when they were kids. No matter what they were talking about, it usually ended up with Aidan tickling her, if she played coy.

  “Come on, tell me or I’ll tickle you until you pee in your pants.”

  “Okay, you win. I was thinking that I’m glad Samantha and I aren’t completely alike. I um…, I like that I’m different.”

  “Honestly baby, I like it too.”

  “Really?”

  “Yeah really. I love that you and I agree on most things, but we can have honest debates and still respect each other. I love that you have your faith, and don’t try to force it on me. That you love me the way I am, and you don’t try to change me. Not that Sam tried to change me, but you appreciate the way I am, just as I am. Did that make sense? Anyway, lastly, I love that you want to have children, and will fight even the church its self, to have them.”

  Vicky blinked, impressed and humbled, at the same time. She kissed her lover tenderly on the cheek, and then asked in a playful way, “Wanna hear what I love about you?”

  “Only if it’s good stuff,” Aidan chuckled.

  “But I don’t have any bad stuff, well maybe that you hog the covers at night, and take all the hot water in the shower, and—” Aidan poked her in the ribs, and Vicky laughed again, “Well, you asked for it. Now where was I…, oh yeah, I love your strength of conviction and character. Your self-awareness. How you allow people to be who they are, even if they don’t respect you. How you sacrificed your love of this woman, to save the lives of the wounded.” Vicky thought about what she had just said, and a look of concern came across her face. She sat up and looked Aidan in the eyes.

  “If that should happen to us in Syria, I want you to promise me, you’ll do the same thing, Aidan. I want you to save Jerry and Samantha first, and worry about me last. Promise me you will do that.”

  “No baby, I can’t promise that. I will never promise that. I don’t even understand how you can ask me?”

  “I ask because it’s important to me to know that someone else wasn’t left to die, because you were worried about saving me. I ask because, just like you did with Samantha, it’s the right thing to do.”

  “And that is yet another big difference between you and Sam.”

  “Aidan, promise me?”

  “Okay, kid, I promise I’ll consider it.”

  Vicky smiled, knowing that was probably the best she was going to get out of her lover. Leaning back against Aidan again, Vicky finished with, “The main thing I love about you, is how you love me.”

  Aidan smiled. She pulled Vicky closer, automatically rubbing her hand along Vicky’s soft arm, until she realized it was igniting a fire inside her. “Speaking of which…,” she slipped her hand under Vicky’s t-shirt, cupping her breast, and began teasing the nipple with her thumb.

  “Oh.” Vicky moaned, completely submitting herself to the sensation, “Oh, yes, I love that too.”

  “Then are we done talking now?” Aidan didn’t wait for an answer. She sucked at the hollow on Vicky’s neck, eliciting a groan from Vicky.

  “Oh… yes.” But Vicky wasn’t done talking yet. “I love how stubborn you can be.”

  Aidan caressed the other breast until it became hot under her touch, “Oh…, oh,” Vicky arched her back but kept on talking, “I love that you knew me as a kid, and…,” Aidan kneaded both breasts at the same time, while her searing kisses between the soft flesh, sent an electrical spark straight down to Vicky’s clit. “Oh, wow!” But Vicky kept fighting it, mostly to keep Aidan working it. She deliberately kept her hands away from Aidan, so that she wouldn’t be tempted.

  “I love how you…, Oh!” she was surprised by Aidan’s hand, slipping between her thighs, causing her to buck, and grab tight to whatever was within reach. “I…, oh…, love how… giggle… you… giggle… sneak up on me! Oh wow!” Finally, Vicky stopped fighting the ravenous sensations, and instead, encouraged her body to embrace them, until she was unable to hold back any longer. She grabbed Aidan, and pulled her in close.

  Aidan loved this part..“And I love how you climax in my arms. Hold on to me baby, hold on.”

  “Oh, wow! Aidan!”

  She enjoyed watching Vicky’s orgasm play across her face. It ignited her own loins, just to watch Vicky come.

  Afterwards, the two lay in each other’s arms. Vicky, still breathing hard, snuggled up close to Aidan’s warm body. Aidan held her tight, “Listen, tomorrow’s going to be a tough day, so why don’t you close your eyes, and get some sleep, okay baby?”

  “In a minute sweetheart, I just want to enjoy you for a bit longer.”

  Aidan kissed the top of Vicky’s head, then realized that Vicky had slipped her hand up under the covers, resting it between her breasts. She thought, the mere touch of this woman sends my heart to racing.

  Vicky grinned. She could feel Aidan’s heartbeat pounding, and knew her body was expecting more. She ran her hand the length of Aidan’s form, rubbing her fingers over the muscled ribs, the quivering stomach and soft under belly. She wanted to feel every inch of Aidan, to know her, to claim her, and to possess her. She climbed on top of her lover and laid her head between her breasts. Aidan brought her arms around Vicky, who fit so perfectly along her frame. Vicky slipped her hands underneath Aidan, and felt her shoulder blades, running her hands slowly, down Aidan’s back, and stopping at her hips, caressing her butt.

  “I love you so much,” she whispered, as she brought her hands back up to Aidan’s breasts, and began to kiss and massage first one, then the other. She sucked on the nipple until it hardened, causing Aidan to let out a throaty moan.

  “Oh, baby!”

  She was already on the verge, when Vicky moved in, and pushed her over the preverbal edge. Aidan cried out, and grabbed for something to hold onto. Vicky, finally released from her fever, clasped hands with Aidan, and watched, as her lover’s ecstasy exploded through her body. There is no greater gift, than to give yourself completely, unabashedly, to the one you love, and allow them into your most sacred inner sanctum, during your most vulnerable moment. That was the gif
t the two lovers gladly gave one another, on the eve of their greatest adventure together.

  Chapter 9

  Vicky and Aidan dressed in their fatigues and boots, attached their canteens full of water to their belts, put on their dog tags, and inspected each other. Vicky had deliberately left off her makeup, which unfortunately for her, allowed all her freckles to show. How are they going to take me serious now, she wondered.

  Aidan gave her an appreciative look. “You know, you are so damn sexy with that canteen on your hip, baby.”

  “You’re just being silly.”

  “No seriously, I’m about to need a cold shower.”

  Vicky smiled. A stitch of pride welling up inside, at being able to turn on her lover, even while wearing drab, scratchy cotton.

  “But I wouldn’t wear the engagement ring on your hand, not during training, or for the rest of the mission for that matter. It’s too dangerous.”

  “No Aidan, I have to have my ring with me. This may sound trivial, but it’s almost as if your mother approves of me wearing her ring. If…, if I don’t keep it close, I think she would be disappointed in me.”

  Aidan smiled at her. She loved the sentimental side of Vicky. It helped to keep her grounded, especially now that she was returning to a war zone. “I don’t think my mother could ever be disappointed in you, Vicky, no matter what you did.”

  Vicky smiled, warmed by her compliment. Then she had an idea, “What if I put it on the chain with my dog tags?”

  “Sure, I think that would be a good idea. Just keep your dog tags tucked in under your tank top, so it doesn’t bounce around while you’re working out. That way it won’t entice me to do this,” Aidan squeezed Vicky’s breast, generating a groan from her lover.

  Before the sun even crested the horizon, Aidan, Vicky, and Jerry, stood in formation, at arm’s length, with the rest of the trainee’s, ready to start the day. A day that involved heavy calisthenics, and running two miles, all before breakfast. The trainees struggled to run up the slope of a hill, just as the sun crested the horizon. But they struggled even harder, to maintain their speed running down the other side, because the pace was set by the Drill Sergeant, and they were at his mercy, or the lack thereof.