“Blow the candles out,” he commanded.
“Copy that.”
As the powered hatch slid open, the powerful gusts of air re-energized the marines. The long flight to Iraq had exhausted them. Jake unstrapped himself and put his helmet on, on his way to the door.
“Alright boys and girls, this is it!” He cried, turning to his men. “Remember: those two guys depend on us. Good hunting!” Unlike every other time, he didn’t even glance at Allison. Instead, Jake took another short step towards the gaping opening and looked down. Just as he did, the few village lights went out.
“Last time, baby,” he said to himself, putting his hands either side of the access. Jake closed his eyes and pushed off. Spreading his arms and legs, he presented his chest to the ground and arched his head and back upward, as the rest of his fellow troops began to jump from the massive airplane. With his heart pounding in his chest, he plummeted to the ground, feeling the wind against his face growing stronger by the second. Soon, he could get a good personal visual of his landing site by using the night vision goggles mounted to his helmet. It was a large, wide roof. The figures of two men standing at the edge of the terrace grew larger, as he approached. They were pointing at the gate.
Bending his legs at the knee and with his chin tucked in, Jake grasped the parachute risers in an arm-bar, also protecting his face and throat with his elbows tucked in to the sides. Seconds before he landed, the one farther from him pointed up at him. His comrade attempted to flip around, but Jake effectively landed on him and the other guard. His big, heavy body knocked them both off balance. Their guns fell to the roof top, as they landed hard on their backs. The one closest to Jake got tangled in his parachute. As soon as his feet touched the ground, he reached out and covered the guard’s mouth with his hand, as he struggled to free himself. He pulled his rifle off his shoulder first and then reached down to pull his bayonet from its sheath. The middle-eastern man put his hands on either of Jake’s shoulders and tried to push him upwards, but to no avail. Jake stabbed the hostile in the chest once between his ribs, angling upwards. The young Captain pressed his knife in to the hilt and waited the few seconds while his victim became unable to speak or breathe as he drowned in his own blood. In the meantime, Sergeant Foster took out the other rebel more easily – he was able to slice through the carotid artery and half his victim’s windpipe. Jake pulled his knife out of the Iraqi, and cleaned it off on his victim’s uniform. Punching his hands into the parachute cloth that had been wrapped around him, he got free of it. He picked up his rifle and bounced up. His men had taken their positions at the edge of the roof and were waiting for his orders.
Jake simply nodded. He and the rest of his platoon bent their heads down, pointing their rifles down at the hostiles, thirty feet below. The crackling sound of their weapons tore the silence, as Allison’s platoon began to land in the yard. Four out of five Iraqis were brutally gunned down. One of them managed to shoot back at them, once. His bullet hit Sergeant Foster in the chest, before he was eliminated as well. Foster’s body was thrown backward, as his rifle slipped through his fingers. He landed hard and flat on his back, close to his Captain, moaning in pain.
“Fuck!” Jake spoke through gritted teeth, dropping to his knees beside him. “Are you ok?”
“It hit the vest…” Forster groaned. “Son of a bitch, it hurts.”
Allison’s platoon sprinted across the yard, as Jake heard fast, heavy footsteps on the stairs. His gaze shot up and to the left, just before a hostile kicked the terrace door open. Jake jumped up, gripping the handle of his rifle. His men opened fire upon the terrorist. He didn’t have the chance to fire a single shot. His body rolled down the stairs. Three more Iraqis emerged, but they all suffered the same fate.
“Keep your eyes peeled,” Jake urged, feeling his adrenaline rushing through his veins. “There’s at least one more hostile.”
He and his fellow troops walked through the door and started climbing down the stairs, having to jump over the dead bodies of their enemies. As they reached the second floor however, a loud bang, followed by a piercing scream sent chills down Jake’s spine. He recognized that voice: it belonged to Allison. Having no time to waste, he started running down the stairs. A split second later, a powerful, rifle blast echoed back through the walls of the building. His men cleared the second floor and the first one as well. Jake jumped over the few steps, only to be greeted by a heartbreaking sight: Allison lying on her back, close and to the right of the staircase. A medic was beside her, tending to her wound. A dead Iraqi was lying on his right side down the hallway.
“She was the first to come down here,” Corporal Jones was quick to inform Jake. “She tried to shoot him, but the son of a bitch beat her to it.”
Jake looked down at Allison, his chest rising up and down. She had a large wound on her right leg, just above the knee. Her pants were soaked with blood.
“Why’s she losing so much blood?” Panic had settled in his voice.
“My best guess is that the bullet hit the femoral artery,” the medic replied. “I can stop the bleeding, but we need to get back to the plane ASAP.”
At that very moment, a loud, banging noise of someone hitting a door grabbed their attention. Almost immediately afterwards, two, male voices were heard:
“Hey! Hey! Get us out of here!”
“Boys, call for the evac.” He commanded. “Medic, take care of her.” Then, Jake sprinted across the hall. The door in question was at the end of it and to the right.
“Get back!” He cried, lifting his right leg. Jake kicked the door down. Rivers and Sanchez were in poor shape. Their clothes were filthy and badly ripped: they were beaten up; but they were alive. Closest to the door was Austen Rivers. Both of his eyes were bruised and he had big cuts on either cheek.
“Are you boys alright? Can you walk?” Jake asked.
“Jake Isaacs,” Austen uttered with a barely audible voice as he limped towards his old friend. Sanchez also rushed towards him. Within seconds, Jake was lost in a group hug, as the cheers of his troops resounded in the basement. Swelling with pride, he held them tight.
“Come on, you apes,” he said, flexing his muscles around them. “Let’s get the hell out of here.”
19
Happily for Allison, two helicopters arrived in minutes. She was carefully loaded onto a stretcher and carried up the stairs. Jake would not leave her side. Despite her latest attempts to break him up with Holly, he meant her no harm. He wanted her out of his life, not out of life altogether. Nevertheless, Jake had one more reason to feel badly. Seeing her helpless on the floor made him realize how terribly he had treated her, since that first night in his bar. Yes, she had wronged him: she had led him to believe that she was dead; but he had been rude to her, time and time again. Of course, her behavior towards him had not been ideal, either; but Jake was a much better man than the recent brute who had been avoiding her, and insulting her since she had blown into town.
Doctor Stein, the young medic, was quite confident of Allison’s chances, even though Allison had lost quite a lot of blood. Allison’s blood type was 0+ and there was a small blood bank available onboard the plane. Still, before he could operate on her, he had to wait until plane reached cruising altitude and that took a little time. Moreover, working in a tiny room in the hull of a moving airplane did not make the situation any easier for him. Fearing for her life, Jake kept pacing up and down outside the room, accompanied by his friend, Ricardo Sanchez.
“She’s going to be fine, big Jake,” he tried to reassure him. “She’s a survivor. I still don’t know how she came back from the dead, though.”
“She never was dead,” Jake corrected him. “It was all part of a plan.”
“She had you thinking she was dead?” Ricardo’s deep voice went up an octave. “Man; that had to really hurt. What plan are you talking about?”
“Ask the Secretary of Defense,” Jake muttered. “He hatched it.”
“I never thought I
’d see you in that uniform again, man,” Ricardo said as he laughed. “You showed some balls out there. Thanks a lot.”
“No problem, you idiot,” replied Jake as he smiled. “Just don’t get careless, or I’m going to have to come rescue you again.”
At that moment, Dr. Stein emerged from the operating room.
“I’ve removed the bullet, and stitched up the artery,” he announced. “She’s going to be fine.”
“Oh, thank God,” Jake sighed in relief. “Can I go see her?”
“Sure,” Dr. Stein nodded. “No more than a few minutes, though. She needs to rest.”
“Thank you, doctor,” Jake said, passing by him to see his fellow platoon leader.
His gaze was fixed on the large bandage on her leg, as soon as he laid his eyes on her.
“It could be a lot worse,” he heard Allison say in a faint voice. She was pale; a few strands of her long, blonde hair were in her face.
“I can’t argue with that,” Jake said, his tone calm and steady as he turned his gaze to her face. “How are you feeling?”
“Not bad, actually: thank God for those strong painkillers,” a broad smile spread across her face. “Come closer. I won’t bite.”
“I called Simms.” He informed, obligingly. “He was thrilled to hear about the operation. He said he’d decorate us all.”
“You don’t look so happy about it,” Allison remarked, assuming a more serious voice. “Why?”
“I never cared about medals, Allie,” Jake attempted a lazy tone. “You know that.”
“Yeah, I do. Listen, I’m sorry about what I did, back in Adams. I did some pretty awful things. I messed you guys up pretty badly,” Allison admitted, guilt written all over her face.
“Why in the world did you do all that?” He lowered his voice, leaning over her. “I mean, accusing her of owing money to a loan shark? And who the hell was that guy in my bar, anyway?”
“Just some local…” she answered, reaching out her hand to touch his. “I paid him to pretend to be my boyfriend. It’s pretty sad if you think about it.”
“I can’t argue with that, either,” Jake sighed, feeling her fingers on his wrist. “I need to apologize to you, too. I shouldn’t have been so rude to you.”
“I can’t blame you for that,” Allison whispered in a voice turned soft and tender, as she clenched her jaw. “I was horrible to you.”
“You should get some sleep,” he suggested, as a faint smile formed on his face. “I’ll check on you later.”
“Jake, don’t…” she uttered, squeezing his wrist as he tried to turn around. “Please, don’t go just yet. I’m really sorry, honey. I should have told you.”
“Don’t go there again, Allie,” Jake whispered, the pleading tone in her voice making his heart sink. “We’ve been over this.”
“How can I not go there?” Allison wondered, as her eyes darkened with sorrow. “I miss you, Jake. God, I miss you so much.”
“Do you know how many times I dreamt you were still alive?” He asked, his voice broken, as he felt tears rising in his eyes. “Do you know how many times I wished I could see you, just one last time? Do you know how much I needed to hear your voice?” he ended with a voice gone raspy and low.
“Oh, my God…” a sad whisper escaped her, as she dropped her face into her hands.
“You chose the uniform over me, Allie,” Jake concluded, a tear rolling down his face as she burst out crying. “You volunteered for the mission; no one forced you to do that.”
“I still love you, Jake…” she sniffled, sliding her hands down her cheeks.
“Maybe…” he whispered, biting his lower lip. “But you love that uniform more.”
Unwilling to stay there any longer, he stormed out of the operation / recovery room, feeling more tears streaming down his face. The conversation he had been avoiding for days had gone precisely as he expected. Jake knew what Allison would say to him, long before she even opened her mouth, but her apologies could not change the fact that she had left him in the dark for a long time.
“Yeah, you love me, Allie. I can’t deny that. That’s why you pulled all those crazy tricks on me in Adams. That’s why you’re crying right now. But, don’t expect me to forget about everything and take you back. I can’t forgive what you did. There’s someone new in my life. And I can’t wait to get back to her…”
20
“He’s not answering…”
Back in Adams, the following night, Holly had been trying to reach Jake on the phone for hours, but her attempts were futile. Taking advantage of her day off, she had visited her good friend, Cathy. Still, the two of them had barely exchanged a few words. Holly was spending most of her time calling her boyfriend, much to her friend’s frustration.
“Thanks a lot for asking me how I’m doing,” Cathy stated sarcastically. “What would I do without you?”
“I’m really worried about him.” Holly spoke, her voice filled with tension, as she tossed her cell phone across the couch.
“Well, I wouldn’t be,” Cathy shrugged. “You said he used to be the best at this.”
“Yeah, but he’s not done any of that stuff for a while now,” Holly said. “What if something happened to him?”
“Get rid of those negative thoughts, darling.” Cathy waved her hand in front of her face. “You shouldn’t think like that. You finally got what you wanted and now you’re speculating?”
“I did, but…”
“No ‘buts’,” Cathy interrupted. “He’s coming back and that’s the end of it. So…” She paused and sipped some coffee. “Is it?”
“Is it?” Holly squinted at her. “Is it what?”
“Anything like you had imagined,” Cathy elaborated.
“Oh, come on!” Holly chuckled. “Haven’t we talked about this on the phone?”
“Sure, but I like to see you smile like that,” Cathy pointed at her. “Come on. Tell me everything.”
“Oh, God…” Holly’s cheeks flushed in embarrassment. “He’s been amazing so far. I thought he was a brute; that’s what I liked about him in the first place; but he’s so much more than just that. You should have seen the look in his eyes that night, girl. So much pain, so much sorrow… I wanted to kiss him so bad. I’m glad I didn’t, though.”
“Because … he kissed you later,” Cathy said with a cunning smile on her face. “What was so special about that kiss?”
“What wasn’t?” She answered her friend’s question with a question. “I wasn’t expecting it. I was about to leave, when I heard him say my name. And then… Oh, my God. That kiss … so warm and tender… I swear; my knees were shaking. The rain made everything so romantic.”
“I’m worried about her, to be honest,” Cathy voiced her concern. “The one he was crying for, that is.”
“You were there when he tried to kick her out of his bar,” Holly pointed out. “Besides, he’s been very clear about it: he’s not getting back together with her.”
“Ten years is a long time, sugar,” Cathy sighed. “I’d love to believe that, but, it’s just a little too hard, you know? He must have loved her a lot. I mean, it’d been three years and he was still not over her loss.”
“I believe him, Cathy,” Holly spoke, her voice firm. “It’s not just because he says so. You should see him every time she’s around. He doesn’t want to be anywhere next to her.”
“What happens when he stops being mad at her?” Cathy interjected a question. “Because, rest assured, Holly: someday, he will forgive her.”
“Whose side are you on!?” Holly exclaimed, glaring at her.
“Yours, baby,” Cathy responded, her voice calm, “always on your side. I’m just being realistic here.”
“Be supportive,” Holly attempted a lower, sweeter tone. “Be a friend. You said it yourself, girl. I’ve been dreaming about this for a while. Now that I have it, it’s better than I ever dreamed possible. Don’t ruin it.”
“I’m trying, honey,” Cathy’s somewhat de
ep voice turned into a whisper, as she eased her mug down onto the table. She took her friend’s hand into hers, maintaining eye contact with her. “I don’t want to see you get hurt.”
“What are you suggesting, then?” Holly asked, the stiffness in her voice showing her discontent. “That I break up with him, just because you have a hunch? Really?”
“I’m just saying you should be careful,” Cathy replied. “Don’t believe everything he says. It’s too soon, anyway.”
“Well, it’s too late for that,” Holly finally smiled. “All he has to do is…” she faltered. “Look at me with those big, blue eyes. He makes my heart melt.”
“Okay, now I’m starting to get jealous,” Cathy confessed.
“Why’s that?”
“Because that has never happened to me,” she stated in a raised voice, smiling at the same time. “A simple look just won’t cut it for me.”
“It depends on the look,” Holly said, a devilish grin on her face as she leaned forward. “I love it when his eyes say ‘I want to have you right here, right now.’ We all like to feel wanted. But, it’s not just that. I wish I had a tiny camera so I could show it to you. He doesn’t have to say the words. He lets his eyes do all the talking.”
At that moment, Cathy’s cell phone buzzed with an incoming text message. Her smile disappeared, as she scrolled down the screen. By the time she had read it all, her face was stiff with disappointment.
“That was from my editor…” she muttered under her breath. “Edgar Jones, a real estate developer, is down at the “Northern Fire” hotel. He wants me to interview him. Want to come with?”
“It sounds boring,” Holly complained.
“Come on, hon,” Cathy insisted. “All you have to do is sit and wait for me in the hotel bar. I’m buying. We can gossip about him afterwards.”
“I stand convinced,” Holly winked at her. “Let’s go.”
21
Holly continued to call Jake on their way over to the hotel, with the same exact results. “Northern Fire” was a massive structure on the mountain side, overlooking a river valley and surrounded by lush greenery. The sun was slipping over the horizon, as the two friends arrived. Just when they entered the lobby, Cathy received another text message.
Filthy Desires: A Romantic Suspense Collection Page 119
