by Lili Tufel
“Yes sir.” Dallas stood and saluted General Brown. Not once did he glance at Abby. He made no eye contact the entire meeting.
She walked slowly out of the conference room hoping he would approach her but he exited as if she were invisible. Abby walked briskly past a few soldiers who were escorting the codes to an undisclosed location. She ran down the outside stairwell and caught site of Dallas at the parking lot.
“Dallas!” She called out against the wind. Stray strands of hair blew wildly around her face.
Dallas stopped but didn’t turn around. She sprinted to catch up.
“Are you purposely ignoring me?” Abby tucked strands of hair behind her ear.
Dallas folded his arms in silence then drew a breath.
“Why won’t you look at me?”
“Listen, I’ve been asked to lead an important mission. I promised you I would help get your father back and I intend to keep that promise. I’m focusing on that right now. What else do you want from me?”
“What’s the matter with you? It’s like you’re a different person.” She squinted.
“Quit imagining things, alright? You heard the General…now go on back to the guest house.” He pointed.
“You’re being a jerk.”
“I’m risking my life for your father,” he flung both arms in the air bringing his hands to his chest, “And I’m being a jerk?”
“Yes!”
“Do you have any idea how I am supposed to face Colonel Johnston? Am I just gonna go in there, kill the insurgents…then grab your father…and tell him…hello Colonel, I’m here to rescue you and by the way I’m in love with your daughter! He trusted me with you. I severed that trust.”
“I think you’re wrong, Dallas. My father would do anything to see me happy.”
“You know…I don’t even fear those insurgents…I fear your father.”
Abby took a step closer while on her tippy toes, she put her hands on his triceps and leaned her face to his, almost touching.
“Don’t do this, Abby don’t draw me in like this. I cannot show any sign of weakness. I’m commanding seasoned men. They’re looking to me now.”
“A lot of those men have wives and girlfriends. If they saw us they would understand.” She heaved a sigh. “So I’m your weakness? Why can it be that you draw strength from us? I know I do…and…I think my father would be happy to see his daughter in love.”
“It’s not just your father. These guys,” he paused, “Like Javi for example…they don’t think that way.” He looked at her intently while licking his lips.
Batting her eyes, she puckered her lips as he drew closer.
With a racing pulse, he looked around, “You’re right, I can handle those guys.” And exhaling, “C’mon, I’ll walk with you.”
He marched by her side to the guesthouse. Locking the bedroom door behind them, he brought her body against his. She grabbed his shirt and pulled it off over his head as she glided her fingertips down his abdomen and unbuckled his pants. He raised her shirt, slowly kissing her breasts. Taking her into his arms, he lowered her onto the bed. She wrapped her legs around his bare muscular back, pressing her chest against his.
“You’re tense.” Abby whispered.
“I’m nervous, Abby.” He grunted.
“Me too.”
He kissed her mouth and felt her body rise. He loved her before he met her and when he closed his eyes he hoped that soon he would make things right, and by gaining the consent of her father, he would take her as his wife.
* * * * *
Chapter Six
As night fell, four Chinook helicopters flew to a remote mountainside near the Afghanistan-Pakistan border. Thirty Special Operation soldiers were inserted into the treacherous terrain several thousand feet above sea level. Dallas was among the special operators ascending towards the established rally point. From the rally point, security teams were set up while Dallas and his group of seven headed towards the target. They stopped within a few hundred yards to study the mud hut then crept forward in pure assault mode.
Colonel Johnston lay shackled with a chain and two padlocks in the east room of the mud hut. Dallas motioned for the first soldier to enter with the LED light. An outside guard took notice but before the guard could fire his weapon, Dallas took him out with his silencer. The rest of the Special Op soldiers followed and they soon filled the mud hut killing the kidnappers.
Dallas approached the ailing Colonel and helped him to his feet. He shot the padlocks at close range releasing the chains from his legs. He placed the Colonel’s left arm over his own shoulder facilitating his walk to the pick-up zone. A Chinook helicopter hovered in the blackness of the night as it lowered the electrically powered rescue hoist.
“You’re going to be alright Colonel!” Dallas shouted as he gripped the cable.
“That was very well executed soldier. Excellent job, you saved my life. I’m proud of you, son.” Colonel Johnston placed his hand on Dallas’s shoulder before being airlifted in the harness.
* * * * *
Javi parked his rental car in a lot full of mini vans and SUV’s. Sounds of children’s voices whisked in the air and bounced off the trees. Javi approached the little league dugout and studied the players noticing a golden curled ponytail popping out of a baseball cap. He turned his gaze towards the wooden bleachers and spotted Jasmine. Jasmine leaped out of her top row seat and clumsily stumbled over people as she made her eager descent. “Why didn’t you tell me?” She flung her arms around his neck. “Never mind, this is the best surprise ever. Come on I want Samantha to see you.”
Jasmine grabbed Javi’s hand and led him towards the dugout fence right behind Samantha’s seat on the bench. Javi placed his hand against the fence inserting his fingers to grab her hair and tugged at her ponytail to get her attention.
Samantha hopped in her seat and shrieked, “Ouch!” She turned around to catch the culprit and jumped out of her seat. “Javi, you made it. You came to see my game!”
The umpire announced the commencement of the game.
“Where can we get some peanuts?” Javi asked.
Jasmine giggled and pointed to the concession stand.
Javi and Jasmine sat among a crowd of parents while cracking shelled peanuts and cheering for Samantha. At the bottom of the seventh inning, Samantha’s team was down by three runs. Samantha was at bat and drew a walk.
Jasmine whispered to Javi, “Look at the coach’s signal. When he tugs at his ear, he’s telling her to steal the base.”
Samantha adjusted her pink batting helmet and fidgeted with her gloves as she looked intently at the coach giving his signal. A pudgy boy wearing glasses that barely fit underneath his batting helmet walked up to the batter’s box ready to swing. The pitcher took his position, lifted one knee in a throwing motion…and Samantha was off. She dashed to second base. The catcher overthrew second and Samantha kept running. She rounded third and slid in at home plate.
“Safe!” The umpire called out.
Javi and Jasmine cheered and whistled as Javi’s cell phone buzzed in his pocket.
“Did you see me? Did you see me?” Samantha called out from the dugout removing her batting helmet.
“That was awesome!” Javi called out ignoring the buzzing phone.
The pudgy boy with glasses drew a walk and trotted to first base. Next at bat began the top of the line-up, which meant the best player on Samantha’s team was in the batter’s box. The coach gave his signal to take the first pitch. The boy obeyed and blew it out of the park to win the game.
Samantha’s coach called his team over for a victory meeting as Javi’s phone buzzed again.
“I gotta take this call.” He said pacing towards a more private area near the restrooms.
Dallas shouted on the other end of the receiver, “Yo, Javi! Man. I thought my calls weren’t getting through.”
“I was a little busy. So did you make it to the sand or what?”
“Better than that brother, m
ission accomplished. The full bird is safe and on his way to Tampa.”
“Why Tampa, Why is he coming here?”
“That’s where the Colonel wanted to go.” Dallas paused causing the line disturbance to become more audible. “Listen, Javi, you were right to reprimand me about Abby. I was out of line and I want to apologize. The Colonel asked me about his daughter. I told him she was at Fort Sam Houston and that the General would have her flown to Tampa. He’s grateful that I saved his life so I thought maybe there’s a way in for me now. I really like this girl.”
“If you really like her, what can I tell you? This is the Colonel we’re talking about.” Then Javi thought, why does he want to come to Tampa, what’s the connection?
“Javi, Javi, Javi…did you like my game?” Samantha called out running towards him.
“Wait Samantha, he’s on the phone, honey.” Jasmine sprinted after her.
Javi looked at the two beauties approaching. His heart skipped a beat and he suddenly felt a little compassion towards Dallas. “Listen, I gotta go but I’m here for you bud. Anything you need me to do.”
“Well since you’re in Tampa maybe you could keep an eye on Abby and just make sure she’s safe.”
“Don’t worry about Abigail. I’ll talk to Jasmine and maybe she’ll invite her over or something. We’ll keep an eye on her for you. So don’t tell me you’re staying over there. You’re a glutton for punishment my friend.”
“We got Sushi Intel so I’m leading another team to the Afghan border. I’ll call you again soon.” Sushi was code for Shahrivar.
“I’m sure you’ll do an excellent job, Dallas. Go fry his ass.”
Jasmine looked straight at him and raised an eyebrow. He looked below his chin and shrugged his shoulders at Samantha, “Oops. I said a bad word, didn’t I?”
She smiled.
* * * * *
Jasmine sat by the hospital bed shuffling papers from a file folder on her lap.
“Colonel Johnston, I’ve heard a lot about you. I actually had the pleasure of meeting your daughter. She is a very sweet girl. I’m just going to take a look here at some of the information you have for the rest of your immediate family. Some of these numbers are a little outdated. There’s even information here dating back to the seventies.” Suddenly Jasmine stopped in a panic.
She stared at the name of an emergency contact with a familiar phone number. She excused herself and told the semi conscious Colonel she would be back later. She walked to her desk unable to draw in a full breath. She called Javi.
“I need to see you. Can you meet me for lunch?”
* * * * *
Javi waited for Jasmine outside the Coffee Shop. She ran into his arms in a fright.
“What’s the matter?”
“Javi, I was looking through Colonel Johnston’s paperwork and he has an emergency contact that has been in his file since the seventies. It’s my mother’s name and phone number. Why couldn’t she tell me?” Jasmine sobbed.
“Why don’t you go talk to her?” Javi tightly wrapped her in his arms.
“She won’t even let me mention the subject. She gets so upset every time I try to talk to her about it.” Jasmine sniffled.
“How about you invite her to dinner tonight and then bring up the subject and see what happens. People change you know, maybe she’ll open up this time.”
“Will you be there with me?”
“Of course, if you want me to.”
“Why would my mom keep this from me all my life?” Jasmine began to sob again. “I can’t eat right now, Javi, I’m sorry.”
“How about we go for a walk?” Javi took slow steps with one arm around Jasmine. “You can’t jump into any conclusions until you talk to your mom.”
“It just makes so much sense, Javi. The timelines match and I have his last name.”
Javi stopped walking. “I just got a flashback. Remember those dreams I told you about. The ones I had about the Colonel. They weren’t just dreams. It happened right after he had been severely beaten. He spoke to me almost in a whisper. He told me to come to Tampa and protect his daughter. I thought it had something to do with Abigail. But he was trying to tell me to protect you…in case those bastards got to you.”
“I’m so glad you listened. You came and you saved Samantha’s life. I don’t know where I’d be without you, Javi.” She threw her arms around him. “Thank you!”
“You don’t need to thank me sweetheart.” Javi looked at the sidewalk and remembered his strong words to Dallas, “Ain’t that something, I chewed Dallas out for falling for Abigail and kissing her. I told him that he took advantage of the Colonel’s trust. And here I am in love with the Colonel’s other daughter.” He stared into her eyes.
Jasmine leaned into him and kissed his lips. For a moment suspended in time, they stood in each other’s arms, at the corner of the Coffee Shop, unaware of the noisy traffic zooming by.
* * * * *
“This BBQ chicken is delicious and the potatoes are magnificent. You didn’t tell me he can cook.” Jasmine’s mother looked at Javi and winked. Jasmine’s mother, Chelsea was a middle-aged woman with long braided salt and pepper hair. She wore no make-up and aside from the wrinkles, her skin was flawless. She sat next to Samantha at a small round dining table in Jasmine’s apartment.
Javi stood up, walked a few steps to the kitchen and refilled his glass of iced tea. “My mother used to make BBQ chicken with the potatoes in the same pan, just like this. I remember when I was a kid, I would come home from playing outside all afternoon and I could smell the chicken in the oven. I would grab a fork, sneak it into the oven and pull out a whole drumstick. Then I would run outside the door and eat it in the hallway.”
Samantha licked a finger full of BBQ sauce and asked, “Didn’t you burn your mouth?”
Javi sat down and chuckled. “That’s why I went out into the hallway, for the cold air to cool it.” Javi rubbed Jasmine’s back motioning for her to talk to her mother while he kept Samantha busy. “Hey Sam, did you know there’s a big mall around here?”
“Yeah,” she picked up another napkin.
“Well, I was walking around there while you were in school and…uh…I got you something. Your mom helped me hide it.”
Samantha shrieked, leaped out of her seat and tossed her napkin on her plate. “Can I see now?”
“Sure come on. I can’t believe you didn’t notice it outside behind the planter.”
Samantha ran out the front door and found a shiny new pink bicycle with plastic ladybugs attached to each spoke on the wheels. Glittery ribbons hung at the ends of the steering column. She grabbed the new helmet and tried it on. Javi took one last glance at Jasmine before shutting the front door.
“What did he get her?” Jasmine’s mother asked.
“He bought her a new bike.”
“Well aren’t you going to go out there with them?”
“No, mom, we need to talk.” She placed both elbows on the table. “I was at work today going over the file of a new patient. Colonel Johnston, the one from the news?”
“Jasmine, I’ve told you a hundred times not to bring up that subject.”
“He’s my father isn’t he? Mother, tell me the truth!” Jasmine yelled.
“Yes,” Jasmine’s mother brought her palms to her face.
“How could you keep something like that from me? Why…mom,” Jasmine buried her face in a napkin.
“He was always so reckless. If something were to happen to him on one of those missions he was always on…I wanted to protect you from the pain of having to lose him. And when you got married and lost your husband…I realized that the very pain I had always tried to protect you from…came to you anyway. How could I bring this up and cause you more pain? I’m so sorry.” She sobbed.
“Does he know about me? Does he know who I am?”
“Yes, I’ve told him about you. When you were a bit older than Samantha was and you played softball, he’d go to some of those games and
blend in with the crowd. I’d see him watching you…it broke my heart. I knew he’d be gone by the morning…off on another one of his highflying missions. What was I supposed to do?”
“How about telling me the truth? I am so disappointed.” Jasmine turned her face away.
“He has another child, a daughter. I guess he tried to mend his mistakes with her. That poor darling, seeing her father being held hostage like that, wondering if he was ever coming back.” Chelsea tried to regain eye contact with her daughter.
“Yes mother I’ve met his other daughter and she’s a perfectly well rounded young woman just like I could have been had I been told the truth. You were protecting yourself and your own feelings. You weren’t being fair to me!” Jasmine yelled.
“Well I am sorry. I’ve done the best I could Jasmine Johnston. You got his last name didn’t ya?”
“Oh gee mom, that just makes it all better.”
“Well I am not going to sit here and take this abuse from you. You’re not the only one whose feelings are hurt here. Like I said, I did the best that I could under the circumstances and I’m sorry if that wasn’t good enough for you. Maybe someday you will think of the woman who gave you life and raised you when she was just a kid herself and you can find it in your heart to forgive her.” She opened the front door and left.
“Bye grandma!” Samantha called out while riding her new bike.
* * * * *
There was a knock on the hospital room door. A middle-aged woman with long braided salt and pepper hair approached the Colonel.
“James,” with perfect posture, she took a seat.
“Chelsea,” he whispered. His dry lips were scabbed from dehydration.
She leaned close enough to take his hand. “I am so glad you made it out to see another day. I really was worried about you.”
