by Casey Elliot
"Oh…" He felt ashamed. "I was er…. You know…" He scoured his mind for an excuse.
"Don’t worry about it,” she said, trying to soothe him. "I know you’ve got a lot to contend with."
David didn’t know what to say. His mind was in a muddle, and all he wanted to do was tell her the truth about Damian. But he couldn’t. For a moment, he moved his lips to speak, but his mouth went dry and nothing came out. He coughed instead and looked to the ground.
"Anyway," Suzanne said, shifting to signal that she was going to leave. "I just wanted to give you this."
She grabbed his hand and uncurled his fingers. She placed something cold in the palm of his hand. She then gave him a weak smile before closing his fingers back up and hurrying to her car.
"Don’t be a stranger," she called from the driver’s seat.
And she was gone with only a long plume of smoke floating up from the exhaust to signal her departure. David felt the metallic object in his hand and recognized it immediately. He felt the jagged edges and his eyes began to fill with tears. He couldn’t stop it, and the pain only got more intense when he opened his eyes. Sitting in his hand were Damian’s dog tags, and they were as shiny and clean as the day he got them.
He stormed inside and slammed the door closed. Holding the tags to his face, he let his tears fall onto them as he held his head in pain. So many thoughts were swirling in his head. The day they all died never left him, and it was time the truth came out.
He pulled out his phone and gripped it tight. With Officer Brady’s number at the ready, he held the phone to his ear and… There was a knock on the door. Must be Suzanne again, he thought. Yet, as he opened the door, he stood face to face with Marie.
"Oh! How did you find me?" he asked, perplexed.
"Your address was in your file."
"Oh yeah. Of course." He went silent, embarrassed that she caught him crying.
"Have I come at a bad time?" She reached out to hold him, but he pulled away.
"Sorry, it’s just… a lot on my mind."
"I can see that, David, but I’m here to help you. Please, won’t you let me in?"
He slumped in resignation. Looking down at his phone, he could see Officer Brady had answered his call.
"Hello?"
They could both hear the older man’s voice from the phone.
"I guess I have a lot of explaining to do." David hung up the phone and gestured for Marie to enter. "I’ll tell you everything."
Once in his living room, he couldn’t help but spill all of his secrets. He held Marie’s hands tight as he spoke, with his words catching in his throat. But, with her encouragement, it soon became easier to talk, and it wasn’t long until he felt the great relief that came with offloading all the heavy memories holding him down.
"Damian," he said, still clutching onto the dog tags. “He wasn’t well.”
"In what way?" Marie leaned forward to hug David.
“Because I was the only one who returned, they all assumed I killed our own men. But it was Damian.”
"Are you saying he murdered your unit?" Marie was dumbfounded and reeled back.
David nodded.
"He was so unwell. The pressure was too much. We’d seen things out there you wouldn’t wish on your worst enemy, but we lived through it every day." He shook his head and gripped Marie tighter. "It was the hottest day when it happened. Up there on those dusty mountains with the sun shining down on you, it can feel like you’re not even on earth anymore. It was then that I noticed a change come over Damian. He started to talk funny, just saying the strangest things. Then, he would become agitated and pace up and down for hours and hours. I was looking through my binoculars out onto the valley below when I heard the pop of gunfire behind me. I thought we were under attack, but when I turned around, I saw Damian shoot everyone down."
"Jesus," Marie said, with devastation in her voice. "That must have been so awful."
David didn’t answer. There was a long silence as he looked into space, his mind churning as he decided whether he should let Marie be privy to his greatest secret.
"I killed him," he whispered. "It was either him or me. My reflexes made sure it was him."
Marie didn’t say a word. She just held the man tight as the grief shook through his body.
"I understand." She kissed the side of his face. "You don’t need to say anymore." With that, David turned his head, brushing his lips up against hers.
They kissed sweetly as they held each other close. There was no pressure or mind-games this time, just the all-encompassing passion and affection of two people who understood each other. Their kisses, however, soon became more desperate and they pushed up against each other as they yearned to feel more of the other’s body.
They pulled at one another, tugged at each other’s clothes, and wrapped their limbs around one another’s bodies. David pulled Marie toward him tight and she climbed on top of him, her hair caressing the side of his face.
"We don’t have to do anything if you don’t want," she asked, trying to be sure he was comfortable.
"I want you more than I can describe." He traced a finger gently down the side of her cheek.
"I want you, too," she whispered, sliding off her blouse to reveal her perky breasts.
He touched her delicately, feeling her curves all the way down to her hips. Then he ripped at her skirt and tore it from her body. Rolling her off the couch, he pushed her onto the floor and kissed her hard. She spread her legs wide to feel him, and he lay in between them eagerly.
"I want you so much," she said, nearly breathless, as she reached up and bit into his chest playfully.
He reacted by nuzzling into her neck as he pulled his penis from his boxer shorts. He was so much bigger than she imagined and, as she wrapped her hand around him, she was surprised at the size of his girth. Pumping her hand up and down, she listened to him groan and grew wet as she heard his breathy voice and masculine grunts of pleasure.
"I want you inside me." She opened her legs wider.
He wasted no time in satisfying both their urges, and he only teased her for a second as he lingered his tip at her opening.
"Come on," her voice rasped. "Push yourself inside me."
He thrust into her hard with her screaming and tearing at his hair.
"Oh God!" She flung her head back. Her back arched in ecstasy.
"You want it harder?" he asked, thrusting into her over and over again.
"Yes!" she screamed, even louder than before.
He obeyed her command by stabbing into her over and over again as he felt climax approaching fast. Meanwhile, Marie was rocking her hips up and down, pushing herself onto him more and more, wanting to feel him all the way inside her.
"Harder!" she screamed one last time. He pumped himself into her so hard and so fast that he’d built himself up into a frenzy with sweat pouring from his brow.
They orgasmed in unison; their cries mingling with each other’s, as they shuddered with pleasure. Marie laid back exhausted with her thighs still quivering and ran her fingers down the sweaty space between his pecs.
"You’re the best," she said, before closing her eyes.
David looked down at her adoringly before laying by her side.
"So are you."
Chapter 9
The two Harleys were riding side by side with the wind in the couple’s faces. Marie was beaming with happiness as she felt the warmth of the sun on her back and her new man by her side. Beside her, David got her attention, gave her a thumbs-up, and then swerved left off the beaten track.
Back out in the country, the young man was in his element. He gazed up at the dense forest and the high mountains of the national park and felt the calmness of nature descend on him. As they reached the end of the track, they climbed off their bikes and kissed each other.
"Are you sure about this?"
"Yep," David said while nodding. "Absolutely sure." He looked up to the nearest mountain.
"
Looks like a hell of a climb." Marie held her hand up to her face, as she looked up. "But, it looks like fun."
"That’s my girl." David kissed her cheek. "I like a woman who’s up for a tough challenge."
As they began to climb, David felt as though he couldn’t be held back. He was on a personal mission, and he owed it to Damian to respect his honor. The climb was tough, but Marie was with him every step of the way with her hand in his.
"Nearly there." He was breathing heavy as his boots crackled on the rocky road. "Not long now."
After a few hours, they were finally at the top, and the view was breathtaking. Marie exhaled and whistled as she looked all around her.
"My God! It’s incredible!"
"Sure is. Damian loved the mountains."
Marie went quiet for a moment as she contemplated her next words carefully.
"Do you think you’ll ever tell anyone what really happened?"
"No." His voice was stern and final. "As far as they know, it was an ambush. That’s the end of it."
He gripped the dog tags in his hand and reached out his arm. Feeling the cool breeze lash the sand against his skin, he closed his eyes and whispered, "I’m so sorry buddy. I’ll never forget you." With that, he let the tags drift away in the wind.
The End
Bonus - Bear All The Way
*****
The wind was blustering through the night, smacking the tree branches up against Rochelle’s window. She was tossing and turning beneath her covers, unable to sleep. The nightmares were getting worse and they were only fueled by the terrible weather. When the first bolt of lightning hit the back yard, she sat bolt upright and resigned herself to a sleepless night.
“Urgh…. My God,” she rolled out of bed straight into her slippers.
Pulling on her dressing gown tight around her body, she shuffled out her room and downstairs in search of snacks and a cold glass of milk. Illuminating the dark kitchen with the glow of the refrigerator, she pulled out the milk and a half eaten dish of apple pie that her mother had made earlier. Then, she reached into a nearby drawer for a fork and got stuck by it. She was shameless about her big appetite, and it was one of the things that her mother loved about her. She was always relishing home cooked meals and rustling up fancy dinners during the holiday season; not that her trim body would show it though. Despite her eating at least four meals a day, she was no bigger than a size four and constantly envied by her girlfriends. She could hear her mother’s voice in her head, as she tucked into the pie.
“As soon as you hit your twenties, you’ll balloon into a beast.”
But of course, Rochelle didn’t care about that right now. As she polished off the last bite, she reached for her cellphone and tapped the name at the top of her call list. As she listened to the dial tone, something shone beside her and she noticed it was her father’s sheriff’s badge. She fiddled with it for a moment before putting it back in its place.
“Hey.”
“Hey… Why are you calling me in the middle of the night?” her sister Anna seemed confused.
“Because I can’t sleep and the thunder and lightning is scaring me,” Rochelle whispered.
“Oh yeah? Is the weather real bad down there?”
“Oh, just awful,” Rochelle sighed. “When are you going to be home?”
“Why… you miss me?” her sister chuckled. “I keep telling you, when the semester’s over.”
“But, that’s not for ages!”
Since Rochelle’s older sister had moved up north to go to college, she had been feeling lonely at home. She was always finding excuses to call her up at all times of the day and night, but lucky for her, Anna thought she was cute.
“You do know that it won’t be long until you have to leave for college?”
“I know…..” Rochelle sipped at her milk.
“You have applied haven’t you?”
“Yes….”
“Good… and what’s Dad thinking about you finally leaving the nest?”
“I think he’s happy,” Rochelle lied, as her voice quivered.
“Happy? That bastard’s never happy about anything!” Anna was enraged just thinking about him.
“Hey, it’s ok. He’s not been too bad recently, I promise.”
“You’re lying. I can tell sis, he’ll never change.”
Rochelle, too scared to talk about him anymore, hung up in a panic and flung her phone across the kitchen counter. It slid all the way to the other side before falling to the floor with a loud clatter.
“What the hell is that noise?”
She had woken her father and she could hear him rising from the creaking bed in anger. Gulping down her anxiety, she huddled in her seat praying he wouldn’t come into the kitchen, but it was too late. He had already noticed her sitting there through a gap in the banister, and he came marching in with his heavy footsteps shaking her plate on the table.
“What the hell are you doing up at this time of night?”
“I was just… scared of the storm,” Rochelle whimpered.
“Scared? I’ll give you something to be scared about!” He raised his hand as though he was about to hit her.
He moved just a fraction of an inch and she cowered beneath him, flinching at his sudden movement. He laughed at the fear he had inflicted on her and pulled back with a proud look on his face.
“I’ve told you a hundred times. When you go to bed, you stay there. I swear to God girl, you’re gonna eat us out of house and home.”
“But…”
“But, what... Eh?”
As per usual, he was furious and there seemed to be little reason for his outburst, but Rochelle and her sister were used to it and grew up under his reign of terror. If anything, it had made the sisters closer and they never went a day without checking up on each other.
“Next time, you’ll get more than a warning,” he snarled. “Bed…… Now!”
Rochelle ran as fast as she could; taking the stairs two at a time. Once in the comfort of her bedroom, she slammed the door closed and burst into tears. It wasn’t fair. Other girls’ fathers weren’t like this. She looked around her bedroom and felt a wave of sadness engulf her. It wasn’t long until she left home for college, but it was still months away and she couldn’t stay any longer.
Thinking about Anna, she desperately wanted to speak to her again, but as she reached for her phone, she realized it was still in the kitchen.
“Oh no!” her tears became heavier.
There was no way she could go back into the kitchen. She could still hear her father down there on the prowl. But, she had an idea…
The storm was still raging outside and the noise wasn’t any less frightening, but remaining in the house was just intolerable. As she pulled on her jeans and coat, she thought about her mother and how she’d suffer without either of her daughters at home. But, she needed to live her own life because she was finally at the end of her tether.
Resting her forehead against the window, she looked down into the back yard and decided it wasn’t too much of a jump onto the garage roof, and then to the ground. It was now or never.
Hurling as many belongings as possible into her backpack, she took a deep breath and opened the window. The cold air lashed at her face with her wet hair whipping at her eyes. The rain was beating down hard with the noise of the nearby trees creaking and groaning ominously.
“I love you Mom,” she whispered into the night, and then leapt.
*****
She regretted her escape as soon as she landed in the soft mud of the garden, but as she looked up to her bedroom window, she knew there was no going back. Running headlong into the night, she knew it was likely she wouldn’t even make it to the city, but it was worth a shot. In fact, anything was worth a try to get out of the hellhole she knew to be her home.
Reaching the edge of the house, she climbed into her car and wondered how she could start it without waking her parents. She figured there was no use in even trying to con
ceal the sound. Her home lay on the edge of a deep valley with no one around for miles and any sound would travel far and wide. She’d have to be quick, turn the key and be down the drive in a matter of seconds. For the first time in her life, she prayed the thunder and lightning would come down to disguise the sound of the engine, but as she turned the key, she wasn’t so lucky. The car roared into life with the headlights beaming into the kitchen window.
Her father was sitting there, blinded by the light for a moment before he stood up in a rage. She could see him, as he made his way through the house. Pushing her foot to the floor she sped away as fast as possible, kicking up dirt and gravel as she drove.
The open road stretched out ahead of her, and finally, she was free. All the way through the valley, she was terrified that she’d see the lights of her father’s truck shining in the mirrors, but he never came and, as she slowed down to a steady speed, she wondered why.
Thinking about her mother once again, she tried to swallow back the tears, but it was no use. She felt terrible for leaving her behind without even a hint of an explanation, but she knew she’d understand. However, the tears became heavier and heavier until she was sobbing with her chest heaving, as she gasped for air. She soon became blinded by both the tears and the rain, but she drove on relentlessly with the force of the wind shaking the car along the isolated road.
Taking a quick, but blurry glance to the dashboard, she saw she was almost out of gas and the thought of being stuck out here in the wilderness terrified her.
“Oh my God!” she wailed. “This can’t be happening.”
Then, it came; something rock-hard and heavy with an insurmountable force. It hit the hood of the car at speed, and it brought Rochelle to a screeching halt. She screamed in terror, as she saw the creature that was attached to the front of the hood. As a devoted animal lover, the thought of injuring something so innocent broke her heart. It would seem that her night was getting worse by the minute.
However, the rain was brutal, as it lashed down around the vehicle making deafening noises against the roof. She had to squint to see what kind of animal it was and she wiped at the windshield to see it better. With a gasp, she saw the large paws that were digging into the car and the enormous torso they lead up to.
