In Free-Fall

"You're an ass-hole," I grunted, my heart doing hand-springs and cartwheels and leaping twenty feet off the ground.

"Nothing new there," he grinned.

"Come by the Womack Ortho Department around 11, and we'll swap car keys. Neither Gina nor Jalisa know I'm going in yet, I don't want to give you away so I'll call Jalisa in the afternoon. You will be on your own, Sergeant, so if you haven't acquired the target by then, we will disavow all knowledge of you," he suddenly broke into a grin, "damn I like playing sneaky pete."

"You're a pretty devious sonuvabitch," I grinned, "you oughta see about getting in Group."

"Fuck you," he grinned, "I said I liked playing it, not living it. My momma didn't raise her little boy William to get his ass shot off in some godforsaken country. You do your thing and I'll do mine -- outside of Special Forces."

"Okay, brother Jackson," I raised a hand to shake goodbye and instead, he did a quick slap and dap, something I wasn't quite into and was pretty awkward with. He laughed and said Jalisa was holding supper for him, and left. I wasn't far behind him, I settled the tab and went home.

I had chosen to take duty for my two soldiers so I reported in as Company Charge of Quarters for the night at 1800 hours. The duty went quiet and smooth with only one drunk causing a fuss. Sergeant First Class Garcia as CQ had more authority than SP4 Mueller did and when I was called to the disturbance, it quickly settled down. After that it became a long slow grind til sunrise. PT at 0500 came and finally 0600 hours arrived. First Sergeant grinned and said, "okay Mueller go home," I grinned and picked up my cup.

Instead of going home, I went to the Mess Hall, spotting a couple of my guys in civvies. They called me by name and waved, smiling. I overheard one of them say that I was a "green beret, and there ain't nobody tougher," with some pride. "Yeah," another of my guys sat down with them, "he's a rough sonuvabitch, but he treats you square, you always know where you stand with him, and he'll do anything for you." The other one laughed and said, "yeah but you pay for it later," the first one said, "pay later, but still takes care of you." I discreetly moved out of ear-shot and found the NCO's table.

I greeted Staff Sergeant Robles, one of my fellow Platoon Sergeants, and a 1st Cav veteran, he was also in the Primary Zone for promotion and I expected to see him get the extra rocker for Sergeant First Class pinned soon. We talked for a few minutes, sucking down some coffee until Sergeant Ruby stepped over to us with a plate-full of fresh doughnuts. They were nicely powdered and he said it was a new recipe he was trying out. A couple of the KP's were also bringing out plates of doughnuts and setting them in front of the breakfasting soldiers. Jackson suddenly appeared, pulling up a chair and snagging a doughnut.

"Damn!" he grinned up at the cook, "I like your cook better than ours," he shoved half a doughnut in his mouth. Sergeant Ruby laughed and went back into his kitchen saying he had to start lunch. I waved him off and turned for another doughnut. Robles had his mouth full and a doughnut in each hand, and Jackson had a hoard of four. I grabbed Jackson's thumb and twisted it back, when he yelled and flinched back, I took one.

"Goddamn sonuvabitchin sonuvabitch," he massaged his thumb, "dammit, go find your own."

"Want to swap keys now?" I threw my keys on the table.

"Shoo," he nodded, and stuffed an entire doughnut in his mouth, daring me to say anything and reached in his pocket.

"Told her I'd pick her up at noon," he said through a full mouth, "her plane's supposed to leave around 2 or so. Be there, bro," he looked at me seriously, "I don't want to see her back in my house except for an occasional visit, know-wha-um-sayin?"

I nodded, thinking of all the things that might go wrong, and trying to figure how to allow for them. Standard pre-mission tactics. I looked up at Jackson, my eyes full of my misgivings.

"Aw-w, bro," he suddenly grinned, "she's nuttin' but a fat-assed little . . ." I balled my fists and my eyes narrowed as I glowered at him, "keep that thought in mind, old son, she's your woman, whether you want her or not, and all you have to do is claim her, that's why she don't want to ride with you," he leaned back and crossed his legs, and winced, dropping his foot back down. The knee was getting more painful since he'd stopped taking the pain pills in preparation for his upcoming surgery.

"Okay, brother-in-law," I grinned crookedly and stood up, "I'll be taking my woman off your hands at noon."

He picked up the remaining two doughnuts and licked each one.

"Want a doughnut?" he offered as innocently as he could.

I just shook my head, not because he'd licked them, but because I didn't really want one -- all I wanted was my woman. I stood there for a couple of more seconds, still plotting my moves. Never go into a situation without a plan. I snorted, what plan? Go to Jackson's apartment, pick up Gina and take her home with me, simple. I slapped my beret on my head and turned to go. I froze two paces away and turned back to Jackson, ripped my beret off my head, threw it on the table, and picked up his ball-cap, it was a bit big, since it had to fit around his packed hair, but he had a small head so it wasn't that much bigger. It would do to camouflage my head.

"Hey!"Jackson protested sitting up, then he reached over and picked up the discarded beret almost reverently.

I saluted the beret as I would a fallen soldier and turned on my heel -- fair trade, a hat and a woman for a green beret.

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I had managed to keep my face hidden from Gina when I picked her up. It wasn't hard, she kept shielding her eyes from "Jackson" and looking away. I hadn't said a word, just got her luggage and loaded it in the trunk as she climbed in the front. We took off and I hit the electric door locks on his Luxury Edition -- no seat belt laws back then -- and turned off on 401 heading for Silver City and my apartment. I took her petite little brown hand in mine and she suddenly stiffened. She looked down at my hand holding hers, then up into my face.

"I'm taking you home, baby," I smiled.

Gina didn't say a word and for a few seconds sat paralyzed in disbelief on her side of the open bench seat. I had thought she would have run out of tears by now, but she hadn't. Fresh tears came to her eyes and she inched over beside me, leaning her head on my shoulder.

"We gonna go fuck, baby?" she smiled up at me tearfully.

"No, honey," I shook my head, "we're gonna go make love," I nodded, "we're gonna make love when we get home, and for the rest of our lives . . . if you let me," I pulled in to my parking spot.

"Oh, God, baby," she threw her arms around me, "will I ever."

She took my tongue willingly and eagerly, then suddenly she stiffened and backed away.

"Wait," I tried to pull her back, "No! Wait!" she pushed me away as I looked at her questioningly, "wait, did you just propose to me?"

I looked at her for a few seconds as if collecting my thoughts and as if trying to remember what I'd said.

"Well, what part of "the rest of our lives" didn't you understand?" I grinned, "I'm gonna tie you up to me so you don't run off on me again. These few days was bad enough for me, and I'm sure my troops would prefer a mellow me to a screaming hard-ass maniac with a permanent hard-on for their asses, you know?"

"No I don't," she shook her head, "but come on let's get upstairs with your maniac hard-on," she paused glancing back at the trunk, "YOU can come get my bags later," she smiled, "I'm gonna rip your clothes off and fuck your brains out."

I laughed, "like you did last time, huh?" I came around and opened her door and handed her out. The overcast sky cleared as we came together again and I lifted her beautiful dusky face to my lips.

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For: Jimmy Lee and Viva, RIP and may your love last forever, brother.

One quick note, Jackson, whose real name we'll keep to ourselves, for some stupid reason volunteered for Special Forces, and got a slot in one of the classes. He has recently retired from the service with a chest full of medals and ribbons. He was wounded twice and almost killed one of those times when he took a bullet fragment through his left lung.

Master Sergeant Garcia and Regina Jackson Garcia, as you probably figured out already, were Jimmy Lee and Viva and I will also keep their real last names to myself, but they died along with "Natasha," the oldest girl, in a car accident. Jackson took in the remaining three kids, Viva'd had two more kids with Jimmy Lee, and yes, he was hispanic and she was black, but wherever they are now, I'm sure there are no racial distinctions.

Please do me one more favor, considering the situation our soldiers are in with Iraq and Afghanistan, keep them in your prayers. That is all.

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