Charlie explained, “He is a Fayetteville detective.”
Pops stuck out his hand, saying, “They both are C.A.G.”
“Damn,” Aesop said. “The Funny Platoon, huh? I didn't know it was real. Heard it was rumor.” Sticking out his hand to Fila, which she shook, he said, “Didn't mean to diss you, ma'am. I didn't know you were Delta, too. Don't know what to call you. Don't know your rank.”
Fila grinned and said, “Don't need to call me ma'am, Officer. I work for a living.”
Charlie and Aesop started laughing, and Pops groaned.
Aesop said, “Nice to meet you, Sergeant. I'm a retired E9 myself. Nice meeting you, too, sir.”
Charlie grinned, saying, “No need to call me sir, Sergeant Major, I work for a living.”
Pops groaned again, while the other three laughed.
Saying “Do not call me sir, I work for a living” was a cliché among Special Forces NCOs and had been that way for decades.
Rose was now outside, with several officers around her and visibly shook up. She ran up to Charlie, throwing her arms around his neck.
“Oh, Charlie,” she said, “You and, and oh, I am so shaky and ready to faint, I can't think of your name, sweetie. Oh! Fila, thank you both so much. You saved my life. You saved everybody's. That officer over there told me these were the gang members they think killed that convenience store clerk down on Hays Street last week, after they took all her money. I was so scared!”
She grabbed Charlie and kissed him on the cheek and then did the same to Fila, and gave her a big hug, too.
Charlie held her protectively and said, “Rose, this is Pops, a friend of ours.”
She shook hands with Pops and said, “Are you a detective, too? All this time, I didn't know Charlie was a cop, let alone this sweet thang he brought in today.”
“No,” Pops said, “I'm just a friend. They are really great detectives, but they work undercover so please do not talk about them to the press.”
“Lord have mercy,” she replied. “Ahm gonna thank the Good Lord every day we have such brave officers protecting us. Of cause Ah'll keep mah mouth shut.”
The lieutenant came out of the café and Rose was escorted away. He shook hands with Aesop and said, “Sergeant Aesop, hello.”
“How ya doing, Lieutenant Hogan?”
He stuck out his hand to Charlie and Fila, saying, “This community owes you two a lot. These punks had killed before. We are sure. Two rounds each dead center in the forehead.”
Pops said, “Thanks, Lieutenant. Now we won't be able to fit their heads through the door.” To them, he said, “The lieutenant said you two can give a quick statement and get out of here, before the news media shows up. Which is what I am going to do.” Pops shook hands all the way around and said to his charges, “Good job! We'll talk in the morning.”
He headed at a fast walk toward the Little Bird, swung his two fingers in a fast circle overhead, and the chopper started revving up. As soon as he hopped in, the rotors revved rapidly, and it lifted off, banked, and disappeared over the tall trees.
The lieutenant said, “Everybody told us the same thing. You two are heroes. I heard you live close. Do you want an officer to take you home and take your statements there?”
Charlie looked at Fila, who nodded, and he said, “Lieutenant, we would love it, but one request?”
“What's that?”
Charlie said, “Can we each get a piece of carrot cake to take with us?”
Aesop yelled, “No problem,” as he headed toward the café door pulling his badge out. The lieutenant signaled an officer by the door to cooperate with him. Aesop whispered to Rose, and she escorted him. They emerged with a small cake box a minute later, and Aesop thanked her and carried it to Charlie.
Aesop said, “Rose said to give you two the whole cake, you lucky turkeys. Man, I love her pastries.”
They thanked him, shook hands with him and the lieutenant, and headed toward a cruiser with a Fayetteville PD sergeant.
The lieutenant's voice stopped them at the cruiser. “Hey, both of you! My wife and I will keep you in our prayers! God bless you both for what you do for this country.”
Charlie smiled and waved, and Fila said, “God bless you, too, and thank you for your service to the community!”
As they got into the cruiser, all the assembled crowd spotted them and started clapping again.
They got home and went into the house. Charlie poured each of them a snifter of brandy. They drank quickly. The sergeant took an offered cup of hot coffee.
Charlie and Fila drank bottles of water while they gave their statements. In a half hour, the sergeant shook hands with them at the door and thank-yous were again exchanged.
As soon as the cruiser pulled out of the driveway, Fila turned to Charlie, tears welling up in her eyes, and he held his arms out. She started crying and ran into his arms.
“Charlie, that is the first person I have ever killed,” she sobbed.
He said, “I know, honey. I know. You did not hesitate at all. You showed me I would want you on my team anywhere, anytime.”
“You were wonderful,” she said. “You were so calm and took charge and made it work out for everybody.”
He replied, “We need some carrot cake.”
She stopped crying and smiled, nodding her head, wiping her tears. She said, “Why don't we both take quick showers? After what happened, I was drenched in sweat. You cut us each a piece of carrot cake, pour us each some coffee, and we eat them after?”
Charlie smiled, “Sounds like a plan to me. See ya in a few.”
They each went to one of the two bathrooms. Charlie climbed into the shower, and now he was alone, he sobbed hard, letting the water pour on his face. He thought about the young punks and how wasted their lives were. He thought about all those who hammered his red brothers into thinking about what victims they were until many thought their lives were hopeless. He thought about how many people in the lives of the dead gangsters, from parents to teachers to news media, had told them they were victims of prejudice, corporate greed, and so many other victimization excuses, and how alive they might have been if just someone would have told them they were strong or smart and had opportunity if they were willing to work for it. He thought about how they probably had been in and out of jail, not learning about consequences for their actions. He cried and let the water drain the negative away. He knew the action he had taken had saved lives, and he was so thankful for all the training he had received in the U.S. Army Special Forces. By the time he finished rinsing off, he had his shoulders back and his chest out a little with pride.
He started drying off and heard Fila speak loud from the bedroom. “Hey, Poke! I got your dessert, and it is ready for you.”
Charlie splashed on a little Obsession and dabbed on deodorant, brushed his teeth, looked in the mirror, and smiled at himself, then opened the door.
There was some light but not much, and his incense burner on the dresser was lit and so was the large candle, and the ones on his nightstand and headboard. He looked at her and smiled. Fila lay on the bed with her long shiny black hair spilling across one shoulder.
She was smiling at him and said, “Ready for dessert, darling?”
The sight of her tanned naked body took his breath away. Her body was near perfect, to match the rest of her, and it was obvious that she worked out very hard. He saw low on her right side below the rib cage a very obvious bullet-wound scar with a larger exit wound on the back right side. This made her even more attractive to him.
Removing his clothing, he slowly walked forward, smiling, and now it was her turn to marvel at
his
magnificent physique. He was indeed all man.
He sat down on the bed, and pulled a rose out of the vase on his dresser and softly ran it all over her neck, face, and shoulders, and teased her sensitive areas without really touching them. He then started peeling off rose petals, one at a time, and dropping them on her tummy, breasts, and all over. As each would land, he would softly kiss wherever it landed. He took his time, and she was elated. This went on for twenty minutes. Never had she experienced ecstasy like this, and what was amazing to her was that he had not even touched her breasts yet, or her more private areas, but now his lips were all over the breasts where the fragrant petals landed. Ten minutes later, his lips were almost down to the bottom petals. He just started to kiss there, and she grabbed his shoulders and sat bolt upright.
“Charlie!” she said suddenly. “Stop! Please stop! I am sorry. I am so sorry!”
He immediately sat up and took her hands and said, “I'm sorry, Fila. Did I move too fast? Did I do something wrong?”
She now took his face in her hands and tears started dropping down her cheeks. He was very concerned now.
“You did nothing wrong.” She explained, “You have been wonderful. It is not you. It is me.”
She continued crying, and he pulled her gently against his massive chest and held her. She sobbed for five minutes straight. He jumped up and ran to his bathroom, returning with a box of tissues. She thanked him and started dabbing tears away.
He said, “It is so hard to deal with killing someone. I have nightmaresâ”
“No, Charlie, it's not that,” she interrupted. “I was going to be stoned to death when I was a girl, because my cousin tried to rape me and got my clothes off, but I fought him off.”
“And they were going to stone you for
not
getting raped?”
“Exactly,” she said, “and it was my father who instigated it. An honor killing, they call it. Then later, as a teenager, I was actually raped in Baghdad.”
He stroked her hair, saying, “I'm so sorry, Fila.”
She said, “I have not been able to have sex of any kind with any man since. I tried several times but just could not. Nobody ever made me want someone like I wanted you just now. You had me going far beyond anything any man had ever accomplished, but when it came to the moment of truth I panicked.”
Charlie said, “Look. We have to pose in Iran as husband and wife, but we do not have to do anything. We can sleep behind closed doors, but I want you to feel you can trust me. You do not have to worry, Fila. I would never hurt you, and I will never let any man hurt you again.”
She hugged him tightly.
Then he said, “Why don't we lie down under the covers, and I will just hold you? Nothing else. You just stay with me tonight.”
“Charlie!” she said.
Part of her was scared to give trust to this man, but an even bigger part wanted him to become one with her. She was falling in love, but how could she let anybody touch her ever again? She decided she would conquer her fear and allow herself to let her guard down.
Fila crawled under the blankets and sheets and his giant arms embraced her. She felt so safe with her head on his massive pectoral muscle, and she sobbed little sobs, until she finally fell asleep. The last thing she remembered was Charlie softly stroking her hair.
Â
FILA
awakened with a start and looked around. Charlie was asleep next to her, holding her protectively. She looked at his face and wished his eyes were open. They were what made him the most attractive. They showed somehow intelligence and humor. She drifted back to sleep.
Fila opened her eyes and looked at the alarm clock radio on the nightstand. It was 5:15 A.M. and the alarm would go off in fifteen minutes. Charlie lay nude next to her. She watched him in his sleep and thought about what a great man he was.
Fila knew that, although she was a rape victim and that would carry a life sentence, this man had shown her loveâpure, complete love. It was a totally different scenario, and she felt so relieved she could now imagine even trusting a man.
She drifted off.
Charlie had another nightmare and this one made him sit up suddenly. Eyes barely even open, he immediately grabbed the hand that had just grabbed his throat. He looked into the eyes of Fila, who had been startled by him sitting up and immediately grabbed him by the windpipe, but she was now wincing from the wristlock he'd placed on her hand. They both let go of each other and started laughing at themselves.
“Nightmare?” she asked.
“Yeah, but you were in it,” he replied defensively, without realizing what he was saying.
“Gee, thanks a lot!” she said, slamming him in the face with a pillow.
Now he was really embarrassed.
“Wait, I didn't mean it like that,” he protested.
They both started laughing.
They returned to the bedroom from quick trips to the bathrooms, still nude, and plopped down on the bed.
She suddenly got serious and said, “Charlie, I feel so guilty about last night. I want you to make love to me.”
He leaned over and kissed her, saying, “I'll make love to you when you feel giddy, not guilty. Come on, let's get dressed. More exciting briefings today.”
“You know, that's a good idea, but Charlie, I mean it,” she said. “I want you to make love to me.”
He grabbed her hand and pulled her out of bed and into his arms and hugged her, saying, “Look, we will be posing as husband and wife, and it would help if we acted like we were 24/7. That is simple survival. I also know you are trying to do the right thing for my sake. I appreciate it, Fila. When it is time for you and me to make love, you won't have to ask me. We will both know. I do not want you to make love to me for the wrong reasons, even if they are noble.”
“Are you sure?” she asked.
Charlie said, “Can't wait to get in and see that Rozanski again. The man has had a charisma bypass.”