Dead Shot

by Erik Schubach

  I watched all the Christmas lights adorning the city as we went, tomorrow would be Christmas Eve. It seemed like there should be fewer people on the road to me, though I knew intellectually that tonight and tomorrow would be crazy busy with all the last minute shoppers.

  When we pulled into the parking lot at her apartment complex, I saw a familiar yellow ribbon across her door. She always put it there when I was deployed. I stopped a sudden sob in my throat as my eyes welled up. What the hell Kenzie? I took a deep breath as the cabbie looked back at me, his face tinged with concern.

  I wiped my face on my sleeve and smiled at the man. “Sorry.” He just gave a genuine smile of compassion and shook his head. I paid the man and he hopped out and popped the trunk and pulled my duffel out for me using both hands, a little strain on his face. I smiled at him and said, “Thanks. Happy Holidays,” I slung the bag over my shoulder with one hand and started toward Katie's door as he hopped back into the cab and pulled away.

  I saw her through her living room window as I went to her door. She was already in her lounge around sweatpants and one of my t-shirts. Sitting on the couch and eating her dinner as she watched the television. I couldn't stop my grin.

  I pulled out my “burner” phone and called her. She set her fork on her plate and just idlly looked over at her phone on the coffee table. I almost snorted as she suddenly sat bolt upright with a huge smile on her face, almost spilling her meal on her lap as she snagged the phone. With our standard humor she said, “Well as I live and breathe. What a pleasant surprise Bugbat One.”

  I said, “Just thought I'd wish you a Merry Christmas Valkyrie One.”

  She kicked back on the couch and propped her feet cutely on the armrest as she twirled her finger in her hair. Damn but that was cute. She kicked into deep south mode, she knew how it got my motor running. “Ah, do declare. You are about the sweetest girl. I was just thinkin' bout' you shugah.”

  I said through my smile as I spied on her, “How do you feel about taking in strays?”

  She squinted an eye and crinkled her nose in confusion as she pulled the phone from her ear and looked at it accusingly. I saw realization dawning as she jumped to her feet as she slapped the phone to her ear. “This is your cell number you are calling from Kenzie girl, where are you that you have service?”

  I smiled and hung up and knocked on her door. The squeal from inside as she ran to the door warmed my soul knowing that I made her just as excited to see me as I was her. She flung the door open still sqeeing and dove into my arms. I spun her around and just let her feet dangle off the porch as I took advantage of our faces being inches apart and kissed her as passionately as I could bring to bear.

  We had to break for air and she giggled. I set her down and my face ached from the huge smile on it. She was grinning from ear to ear and she grabbed my left hand in both of hers and dragged me with her as she backed through her door and into her apartment.

  She shut the door and the look on her face could only be described as hungry. I shrugged sheepishly, “Ummm... surprise?”

  She pushed me back against the door and said in a husky voice full of emotion, “Oh shut up and kiss me soldier girl!” I'm one to follow orders from an angel. As our lips reacquainted themselves with each other, her hands desperately clawed at my uniform.

  I giggled out between kisses. “Slow down Katie, you have me for two entire weeks.”

  She stopped unbuttoning my shirt and grabbed my collar with both hands and pulled me back down to her lips. She mumbled while in mid kiss, “Didn't I tell you to shut up soldier? I need to unwrap my present!”

  I bent and picked her up in my arms. She wrapped her arms around my neck as I stated walking toward her bedroom as I replied, “Yes ma'am!”

  What followed is a little too hot and too carnal for me to share here. But a few hours later I was stretching and purring like a cat, with an angel curled into me as she dozed off with a wistful smile on her face. I stared at her face, memorizing it once again. Damn do I love this woman. I made sure she had plenty of blankets then dozed off with her in my arms.

  ***

  The next morning I sat bolt upright, covered in a sheen of cold sweat, desperately grasping for my knife that wasn't there. Katie was sitting up facing me with a hand on the arm searching for my knife. “Shhh shhh... it's ok Kenze. You're here with me. Shhhh...”

  I blinked away my sleep and focused on her, the nightmares still fresh. Then I closed my eyes and silently sobbed as she pulled me to her shoulder. She stroked my now regulation collar length hair that she loved so much, while I took a few seconds to compose myself. Once I was fully awake, I gently pushed away from her and smiled fondly at her. “Sorry, I'm ok. Just a bad dream.”

  She grinned and rolled her eyes and let the blanket fall off of her naked form, causing me to drool, then she said quietly, “If you ever want to talk about it, I'm here baby.” Then she waved it all away and just grinned, “Why didn't you tell me you were coming for Christmas, you silly woman?”

  I shrugged with a crooked grin on my face. “I wanted to surprise you.”

  She leaned down to me on the bed and gave me a featherlight kiss and pulled back. “Well, you succeeded.” Then she added as she tilted her head cutely, “I love your soldier-y ass.”

  I hugged her to me and spoke into her shoulder. “Well, there's more to me than just my ass.” This got a snort from her, and I added, “And I'm completely, one hundred percent, head over heels in love with you Valkyrie One.”

  She pulled back with a smile. “Well that statement goes both ways Bugbat One.” Then she suddenly hopped up, revealing her feminine curves in all their glory, and whapped me across the face with a pillow. Then ran squealing with me in hot pursuit to the shower. Damn but she was fun!

  After getting ready for the day, with me in some of my civvies which we kept at her place “in case of emergency”, we hopped in her car to go surprise Nana. Dad's coat was in the passenger seat where I had left it four months back. I slipped it on to combat the December chill in the air.

  It was opening time at the market so she would be there prepping to opening The Pike. The smell of fresh bread from her ovens would be permeating the street level of Pike Place Market about now, making merchants, and tourists waiting for the market to open, drool.

  It was still a few minutes early so we lucked out and found a parking meter near the main entrance. We held hands and strolled toward the Post Street Alley buildings. I just couldn't get close enough to those startling green eyes and her dusting of freckles that existed solely to tease me. The market bell went off just as we reached the building that The Pike was in, and all the merchants were in motion, unlocking their doors as the gathering crowds started perusing their wares.

  We followed our noses down the hall to the end and pushed open the glass doors of The Pike and almost food-gasmed on the spot. The shocked and smiling face of my grandmother when she looked up and saw us was well worth the trip alone.

  I gacked as she pulled me into a tight hug. “Kenzie girl! I didn't know you were coming! Are you here for Christmas? What a fantastic surprise!”

  I giggled and hugged her back and kissed the top of her head. “Yes Nana, I'm here for the holidays. I thought it would be a fun surprise for my two favorite girls.”

  She disconnected from me and gave Katie a warm, welcoming hug as well. “Katie.”

  My girl grinned and replied, “Emily.”

  Then my grandmother prompted us, “Sit, sit girls. Let me get you some breakfast. When did you get in?”

  I blushed profusely as I admitted, “Last night.”

  She looked at me, then Katie, then a crooked, sly smile spread on her lips. She walked back to the kitchen shaking her head with that same smile. Good God, could I feel any more embarrassed?

  The other tables filled up quickly as we waited. They were three other expanded metal tables and chairs like you would find on someone's patio.

  Nana appeared quickly with a platter full
of offerings. The savory smells were threatening to kill me. She grinned at us and held up a finger then darted off to take orders from the other people. We watched her for a minute with grins on our faces then couldn't wait any longer and dug into the gravy slathered eggs. The peppers and onion mixed in gave them some texture and just enhanced all of the flavors without having to add any seasoning. Plain sliced bread was on the side, still warm from the oven, the perfect vessel to sop up the extra gravy and get it to our mouths. I've said it before and I'll say it again. Damn can Nana cook!

  She visited with us between orders and we all caught up. They shared that Katie was becoming a regular here as she and Nana shared gossip about a younger me. The evil women! When we finished, we bid Nana goodbye with a promise to be “home” when she finished for the day. The Pike would be closed the next day, Christmas.

  As we walked back to the car, Katie huddled in and hugged my arm as we walked. I suspected it was as much to battle the crisp breeze as it was to cop a free feel of my muscles. I was happy either way. She looked up at me. “What mischief would you like to get into this fine Christmas Eve sugar?”

  I tilted my head in thought then said, “Someplace I can find some decent wrapping supplies, I have a couple gifts that need obscuring in my duffel.”

  She shook her head. “But love, you can barely carry a tune, I doubt you can rap.” She gave me a confusing three count as her humor went right over my head before she giggled in glee at me missing her sarcasm, then dragged me to her car.

  Chapter 12 - Errands

  The next thing I knew, we were at an old warehouse that was being used as some sort of Victorian artisan fair. When we parked and stepped inside to see rows upon rows of tables that were piled with countless handmade crafts, she spread her arms wide. “Taa daa! I'm sure we can find what you need here.”

  I started looking at some of the tables. People were dressed in Victorian clothing and everything on the tables was either antique or made to look antique. I shook my head. “This is amazing, I never knew it was here.”

  She shrugged as she looked at some hand woven fabric. “Every year, between Thanksgiving and Christmas the past ten years.” Ah, during my enlistment when I was avoiding the city, that explains it.

  We just kicked back into an exploratory mode. We spent almost two hours perusing the tables. She kept prompting me to purchase things other than the cute little handmade boxes and hand printed paper sheets I was going to use as wrapping paper.

  “Not much space in my duffel for personal effects.” I told her

  She chastised me, “Nonsense woman. You have just over a month before you retire. You know you can keep anything over at mah place or Emily's. Stop being afraid of being something other than a soldier.” I grinned, I knew she was upset with me a bit since her southern belle accent always came through when she was. Her “my” came out like “mah”, and with that raspy sweet tone of her's, it was my Kryptonite.

  I couldn't help it, I leaned down and gave her a gentle kiss and said, “I'm trying... I'm trying.”

  She winked at me with a grin and said, “One more stop before lunch.” I shook my head in disbelief, I was still full from breakfast. This little lady could pack food away like a trucker and still keep her alluring figure.

  We wound up at the MAC. The two things I have found to be her weaknesses were music and art. I had never been one to be big into art, but on my visits, she has been slowly pounding some culture into me. Hey I've got culture, I sometimes order imported beer! I've found that I'm starting to enjoy some artists.

  She was a woman on a mission as soon as we got in and paid our admission. She was not ashamed at all to get the military discount for me that I always feel uneasy taking. She was dragging me by the hand to the central display area. She had taught me that that is where they display the featured exhibits.

  She stopped us in front of the exhibit with a satisfied chipmunk style grin on her face and motioned to it palm up like she was pleased with herself. I grinned as I looked at the pieces. It was from one of the few artists she knew that I liked, Mia Jacobs. There was something about her work that I found extremely compelling and fascinating.

  I have always felt like my life has been a mess that lacked focus, but Katie brought focus into it for me. That's just like Mia Jacobs' work. If you looked at it carefully, it was a seemingly random jumble, with an odd organized structure that I could almost grasp, but not quite. Then when you took a step back, it would magically snap into focus and the most beautiful pictures would be right there in front of you. They were there all along, but you just couldn't see it through all the static until you took that step back, to take the piece in as a whole.

  It was a Mia Jacobs piece that finally broke through to me on the art front. I figure that if her stuff can make a connection with me, then there must be others out there that can as well. Don't get me wrong, I'll never be an art snob or anything, but I can finally appreciate some types of art. But impressionistic, or some of the stuff that just looks like junk from a back alley all welded together, I'll never understand, it looks like trash to me.

  I smiled at my redheaded obsession, she brought me here because there was a new Jacobs Effect exhibit here. I quickly looked at the ground for the little marks they place near any Jacobs Effect piece... the optimal place to stand to get the full effect.

  It looked as though I were looking at a huge photograph of a familiar woman. I have grown to almost know the woman that was pictured in most of Mia Jacob's work. A healthy looking woman with flowing brunette hair and amber eyes which looked almost orange to me. Something in her eyes always belied the gentle smile on her face. There was a pain there that reached down into her soul. The eyes never lie, and that Ms. Jacobs could pick that up and reflect it in her art was incredible to me. I often wondered who this woman was to her. Then I paused as I looked at the second person in the scene.

  I tilted my head. There was no mistaking it, she was much younger in this picture, but it was the exact same smile... it was that small blonde woman from the airport that I had helped with her luggage. There was that small world thing again, hitting me right between the eyes.

  I blinked off my shock then moved to the next mark with Katie attached to my arm. She was laying her head on my shoulder and was gently massaging my biceps. She had told me on more than a few occasions that they were “her's”. Who am I to argue?

  The next piece had that same brunette looking sickly, laying on a beach towel playing with a smiling baby. The look in her eyes... it was... I... A tear rolled down my cheek with the joy and pain reflected in her eyes. I just knew that something happened to this woman that was Mia Jacobs' obsession, some tragedy. These pieces were like a chronicle of her memories, they had to be, there is no way that emotion like that could be imagined.

  I just hugged Katie tighter into me. After I looked at the third piece, I then stepped up close and had to smile in wonder. All of these pictures were created with little triangles of fabric that were glued to the canvas. It looked almost random, but again, my eyes were trying to tell me there was some sort of pattern to it that was just beyond my grasp.

  I kissed Katie on the top of the head. “You brought me here for this.” It was a statement not a question. She grinned and reached up and wiped the wetness off my cheek with her thumb. Then continued upward to run her fingers through my hair. It was a hassle in the desert, nothing but a sweat trap that made me hot and sticky and uncomfortable, but she liked it so the hair stayed.

  She shrugged as her hand dropped back to my arm. “I know how much you like her work. This exhibit went live after Halloween. What is it you are seeing that I am not? I think the stuff is beyond amazing, but you seem to connect on an emotional level.”

  It was my turn to shrug and I just answered cryptically. “It's all in the eyes.”

  Her smile grew larger, she knew I had a thing about eyes, and that fascinated her. She loved that I could read a person just by making eye contact. Then she almost purred
, “What are my eyes telling you now soldier girl?”

  I snorted. “That it is lunch time, and something else that is heating me up in some inappropriate places.” She giggled, slapped my shoulder, and the next thing I knew, she was dragging me out to the car by our clasped hands.

  We got into the vehicle and she asked, “Where to for lunch?” I must have subconsciously looked back at the snow covered mountains because she was suddenly chirping out, “The cafe at Valentine's it is. I know how you miss Starfire.”

  I tilted my head to regard the redhead. In two short years, with less than ninety days spent in each other's company, she has become a fixture in my life that I can't live without. She already knew me as well as I knew myself. She was like the other half of me and I felt sure that I knew her as well as she knew me. Then the dark voice in the recesses of my mind prompted me, “Yeah, she knows you're a killer and she loves you anyway.”

  I shook that thought away and turned on the radio as she navigated the streets to the freeway on-ramp. An upbeat song started, ‘The Beat of My Heart’, by Elise Tran was playing. We both grinned at each other and bobbed our heads to the beat. The playfulness of it had reminded me of some of Amber LaLanie's older stuff before she started coming out with more sophisticated and emotional music.

  We got off the freeway in Issaquah, at the base of the mountains, the streets were covered with packed snow and the place looked like a winter wonderland. It is amazing the difference a short twenty minute drive can make. Before long we were parking at the gorgeous timber lodge that houses Valentines Cascade Experience. It is an outdoor outfitters shop that also offers mountain tours, hiking and camping experiences and the like.

  They have stables that offer horseback riding on the trails through the forest. That's where they are boarding Starfire for me.