Mai Ling

On the ride up to the base I knew I couldn't just let it go. Someone had known I was not coming to town for three weeks. Someone knew I had a girlfriend and knew where she lived. None of that was difficult. My duty schedule was posted just like everyone's. Following us any number of times would have shown him where Mai Ling lived. I needed to find someone with a blue eye and a brown eye, graying hair and a tattoo of a bird.

When I got off the bus I headed for my room. I looked at every man I passed looking at his eyes. In the barracks I kept looking. For the next four days I looked. No one I saw had one blue and one brown eye. I started thinking that maybe it was someone from the army base in town.

On Friday morning I was coming out of the chow hall and the First Sergeant was coming in. I looked at him and nearly stopped in my tracks. It was him! One blue eye and one brown! Graying hair! About two inches taller than me! I knew who it was.

From the chow hall I went over to the Commander's office. The young man in the office was putting up a new organizational chart, complete with pictures. The old chart had used pictures about one inch square and black and white. The new chart used two by two color pictures. As I talked to the guy about the mail delivery I helped him. I gathered all the black and white pictures and tossed them in the trash. In the process I took the one of MSgt Benson. I would show it to Mai Ling and see if he really was the bastard who hurt her.

When I showed Mai Ling the picture her eyes widened. Her hand shook.

"That is the man. Who is he?"

"That is nothing for you to worry about. I will take care of him and I will protect you," I whispered. Then I got her out of the hospital and took her home. It was dark when we got inside Mai Ling's apartment. I sat her on the small couch and left the lights off. I went into the bathroom and made sure it was clean.

I took her into the bathroom and told her to stay there for a few minutes.

When I examined the bedroom and living room I was glad I had not let her see them. There were bloody sheets on the bed. Her jar of green lube was laying empty on the floor. The headboard had torn sheet restraints tied to it. I took care of all of it. I lit some incense and then I brought Mai Ling in and put her to bed.

Within minutes she was asleep. The trip home and the reentry into the scene of the crime had drained her. I drew a chair up next to the bed and sat with her. For a while I watched her sleep. Then I closed my eyes and slept too.

"Pete." Her voice in the darkened bedroom woke me.

"Mai Ling."

"Be in bed with me."

My shoes came off and I started to lie next to her.

"In bed, naked, and hold me."

I follow requests like that very well. She molded herself to me and went back to sleep. When I woke up the sun was up and she and I had not moved. Well, to be honest part of me had moved. That part was poking Mai Ling in the butt.

"You want fuck me?"

"No. Well, yes but I know it's too soon. I can wait."

"That man not wait. He liked that he hurt me."

"I'm not that man. I never want to hurt you."

I was spooned with this petite woman who trusted me to care for her. My feelings for her had deepened during all this and I realized that I wanted to protect her and care for her always.

I was interrupted in my thoughts by her voice.

"When you leave?"

"I go back to the base on Sunday night."

"No. When you leave, me?"

"Why would you think I would leave you?"

"I am broken. You go back to stateside."

"Broken? You were hurt. The doctor said you'll heal fine."

"I never have babies. You will go home. I will be alone."

There was no emotion in her voice. She was stating the facts as she saw them.

"I'm not leaving you."

We were quiet a long time. As she was falling asleep again I heard, softly, "yet."

When Sunday night came Mai Ling was up and taking care of herself pretty well. I made sure she had food for a few days and I helped her get clean. Somehow the people who make Chinese apartments didn't put a tub or a shower in them.

Back on base I got ready for work and went. I heard three guys talking about going to the opening of the base pool. They saw MSgt Benson at the opening. He was showing off, making dives from the high board. One guy mentioned that even the eagle on his shoulder never smiled.

The rest of that shift I thought how I could get him the proper payment for what he had done. What I thought of would get me twenty-five to life in a federal prison.

In my room I undressed and prepared for eight good hours of sleep. As I put things away I noticed the slip of paper I had written Mrs. Benson's phone number on. I left it right where it was.

When I woke up I had the beginnings of a plan. Over that day I worked on it. Then I put it into action. I went to the warehouse on base where I knew there was a telephone. I dialed the number I had memorized. Mrs. Benson answered.

"Hello."

"May I speak to MSgt Benson please?"

"I'm sorry, sergeant Benson isn't here. May I take a message?"

"Possibly. Will you please write it down so that he gets it exactly as I say it?"

"I have a good memory. I'll remember it."

"Please, write it down. It is very important."

"OK.OK. I have a pen and paper."

"Good. Sergeant Benson, I know who you are and I know what you did. If you fuck my woman again I will kill you."

"What are you saying?"

"I'm telling you that your husband fucked my wife. If he comes near her again he will die. He has a small scar just above his hip, and an eagle tattoo on his shoulder."

"That bastard!"

"He hasn't worked a weekend on the base on over a month. He hasn't been with you either. Guess where he was? In bed with my wife is where. Just give him the message." I hung up.

I went to work.

At the end of the shift I went to the chow hall and sat by a window. I watched MSgt Benson strut from his office to his car and drive off the base. I smiled.

I was awakened at midnight by hands pounding on my door. When I opened the door the night CQ said, "I need your help. We need to wake everyone."

"Why?"

"Sergeant Benson was killed by his wife when he got home tonight. Seems she got a call from someone today that told her that Benson was fucking the guy's wife. She believed him. When Benson came home she fed him a good dinner and then had him go in and shower. She pulled back the shower curtain and sliced of his cock and his balls. He beat her pretty bad before he passed out. She waited until she was sure he was dead before she called for help. That's what I got from the Provosts office down in town."

On Friday when I arrived at Mai Lings she was sitting on the couch reading the Chinese newspaper. She looked up and said, "You did this."

"Did what?"

"You found a way to have that man killed."

"No. I found a way to stop him from hurting you or anyone else, ever again. His wife did more than necessary, but I'm not sorry."

"I saw doctor today. He says I heal nicely. Next week I be well so we can fuck. Can you wait that long?"

"I can wait."

Somewhere in that weekend we discovered that she could suck cock without pain. We also discovered that her breasts were no longer bruised and sore.

When my time on the island was over I had finished all the paperwork, interviews and bullshit necessary to marry her and bring her back to the states with me. We brought her sister with us, but that is another story, perhaps for another time.