Picture Postcards from L.A.: Beryl

I eased the door open a crack and saw several girls huddled together at the other end of the room. I also spotted an armed man sitting in a chair next to the door. I quickly scanned the girls, looking for one that resembled the picture of Camille that Beryl showed me. I saw her among them, looking distressed but otherwise seemed okay. I eased the door back shut and locked and barred it just as I had found it.

I knew then that I would not be able to get Camille out without help from the police. I made one more sweep of the facility before leaving to note everything I could to help the police make their raid. I waited by the door for the outside guard to pass by before easing out, making sure to lock it behind me before heading to my car.

I made it back to my car without incident and carefully drove away and out of the business park. I made my way back to the motel and entered my room. After quickly changing, I called Chris' number. I knew she wouldn't be there, so I left a message for her to call me as soon as possible, intimating that I had important, time-sensitive information for her. I climbed into bed, not expecting a return call from Chris until morning, and immediately fell asleep...

... As promised, Steph was front and center when the seniors on the basketball team were introduced. There were only three of us, and I was the first to be introduced. When my name was called, Steph jumped up and yelled, "Yay!!" easily the loudest of the few attendees. My parents had also shown up, and they were much more subdued in their approval, but I could see the pride on their faces that their little girl was being introduced.

The game quickly started and, as expected, we won handily. The other team's center, Sarah, was as tall as I was, but she wasn't very athletic. I was able to shut her down, covering her like a wet blanket, while able to break away and score on her. With the final score 42 -- 26, we had locked up a winning season for the second year in a row.

After the handshakes and prayer, I hurried into the locker room, eager to shower and get dressed as quickly as possible since Steph was waiting for me. All the girls were happy about how they had done in the game, so there was a lot of high-fiving and congratulations. Gabriel, our point guard, had scored 24 points, almost more than the Trojan team, and was going to go and play basketball in college. There were a couple of scouts in the seats tonight, so I was glad she had a big game like she did.

Disengaging as quickly as I could, I finally made it out of the locker room, finding Steph waiting for me. She was practically vibrating, being so happy for me, and she ran up to me and hugged me tight, making the heat in my pussy flare up like a nova. I briefly returned the hug, not wanting to give away the fact that I wanted to just spend the rest of my life wrapped in her arms.

Her happiness was infectious, and I was smiling as widely as Steph once we separated. We quickly left the gymnasium and got in Steph's car. My parents had already left since they knew I was going with Steph. We headed up Maple Avenue, took Madison Avenue over the river, and eventually onto Lake Street. Once we got to Elmira Heights, we stopped at Curly's Chicken House. This was one of our favorite places to eat since we loved their rotisserie-cooked chicken.

After a game, I was usually hungry, so I ordered a half chicken. Steph just ordered a breast. When our food came, I tore into mine so violently that Steph started laughing. I grinned in return but didn't stop eating. While I ate, I watched Steph daintily eat her chicken, licking her fingers each time she set it down. I watched in fascination as her lips wrapped around her fingers as she cleaned them off. I flashed back to the first time I tasted those lips, making my nipples harden and ache as I yearned to lean in and taste those lips now. Steph noticed my intense stare and grinned before pursing her lips as though kissing me. Food was forgotten for the moment, and I licked my lips, wishing we were somewhere private so I could ravage her lips.

The tableau was broken when our waitress came up to our table to ask if we needed anything. We assured her we were fine, and I went back to eating my chicken until there were only bones left on my plate. We paid and left, eager to spend some private time together.

We ended up back at Steph's house. I greeted her parents before we went into Steph's bedroom. As soon as the door was closed, Steph stepped into my open arms, and I wrapped them around her as her arms went around me. Our lips crashed together, and we both softly moaned our desire for the other as our mouths opened simultaneously and our tongues fought a duel to the death.

Time went away, and my whole universe was Steph's lips on mine and her body pressed against mine. My hands went to her ass, and I lifted her up as her legs wrapped around my hips. Steph began humping my core as my fingers dug into her ass, massaging her cheeks while our kiss continued unabated. My body was on fire, and my pussy was burning. I could feel my juices flowing, attempting to put out the fire. Just as I started walking us over to her bed, there was a knock on the door...

... I was jolted out of my sleep by the shrill ringing of the phone. I reached for the phone, picked up the receiver, and groggily said, "Hello?"

"This is Detective Graham. You wanted to talk to me?"

I quickly gathered my sleep-scattered thoughts together. Looking at the alarm clock, I saw it was only 5:30 AM. "Yes, Chris. I found Camille, but I can't extract her without help," I replied.

"Tell me what you have."

For the next few minutes, I told Chris what I had found at the industrial park, going into greater detail when she asked questions. After five minutes, Chris said, "I need to get a team assembled. Give me an hour, and I'll call you back."

"Okay, but I need to be involved when they go in," I said, wanting to ensure Chris understood that I wanted to be there to make sure Camille got out safely.

"We'll see," Chris responded, probably not wanting to commit to letting me in on the raid but not totally shutting the door, either. "We'll discuss your involvement once I get the team together."

With that, Chris ended the call. I got out of bed and went into the bathroom for a long, hot shower. By the time I was done and had completed my toilet, I was ready to go. I reprised my tactical outfit sans the balaclava but with my tactical vest so I could participate in the raid if permitted. I made sure my gun was securely in its holster, along with the spare clips. At the very least, I planned to grab Camille and spirit her away to avoid all of the hassles of a long interrogation after being rescued.

The phone rang in the promised one hour, and I picked it up, saying, "Hello?"

"We're staging in the parking lot behind St. Bridget of Sweden school on Whittaker Avenue. You know where that is?"

"Yes, I'll be...."

I heard the click before I even finished talking as Chris hung up without saying anything else.

I headed out, not wanting to keep Chris waiting, although I was sure I was closer to the school than she was. I carefully made my way to the staging area and pulled into the empty parking lot, finding a spot to park where I hoped my car wouldn't draw a lot of attention. Twenty minutes passed before the next vehicle pulled in, so I stayed in my car, waiting for everyone to get there. Within five minutes, a slew of cars and vans pulled into the parking lot.

As soon as I spotted Chris, I got out of my car and walked over to meet her. I got a few side-eye looks from the police officers gathered around her, but they looked away when Chris motioned me to join her. I saw a couple of officers I had worked with before who nodded to me, and then I spotted George, who gave me a big smile when he saw me.

Chris was standing over a makeshift table with maps and building schematics spread out on it. Huddled around her were several men in tactical armor who were going over the maps and schematics, planning their raid. When I came up to Chris, she turned to face me and said, "Ray, here, was inside the building last night and can help answer anyone's questions about the layout and disposition of people."

Everyone looked at me, eager to hear what I had to say. I noticed that several tactical team members gave my outfit an approving glance as I stepped up to the table and started pointing out everything I had seen last night. Questions and answers flew back and forth for the next ten minutes as we discussed the disposition of forces and how we were going to breach the building. I gave my assessment of the defenses, pointing out where I saw hard points/defensive positions and where the target of the raid, the room holding the women, was located.

I gave my impressions of the men I had seen inside, noting that they hadn't been dressed in anything other than regular street clothes. They were armed with semi-automatic pistols, but I hadn't seen any rifles except for the armed guard inside the locked and barred area. I pointed to where they were located and made sure the team knew that the armed guard stationed at the front of the building did make rounds inside the building, so his exact location wouldn't be guaranteed.

Once the initial briefing was over and I had told them everything I knew, I stepped back and let the team leaders finalize their plans for their teams. Chris walked up to me and said, "You can come in with us, but I want you to stay with me and behind me. I know you know how to take care of yourself, but I will be held responsible if you get hurt while on my watch. Okay?"

"Yes, Chris," I replied, willing to accept whatever role she was willing to give me. I hung back when Chris went back to the table.

George came over to me, smiled, and said, "You did good, kid. You've done this before, haven't you?"

"Army CID. We had to bust some well-trained and armed soldiers caught doing bad things, so I had extensive training," I said, returning George's smile of approval with one of my own. I appreciated that George had always treated me as an equal despite our differences in age. He was one of the old-school cops who had acquired his expertise on the mean streets of L.A. He had joked once about learning the trade from Sgt. Joe Friday, himself.

Soon, the planning was done, and everyone started packing up and getting into their vehicles. I followed Chris' car as we headed toward the industrial park, going through the back streets and avoiding the main thoroughfares. By the time we got to our destination, the police had blocked off all the streets and alleys around the building so no one could escape by vehicle.

Thanks to my input, the ingress teams were able to get to their positions at every exit except the front entrance without being seen. As promised, I stuck with Chris as we watched the team that was picked to enter the front and confront the security guard take up their positions. From our position, I could see that the security guard was at his desk, so we wouldn't have to worry about finding him. The team picked to enter the front door stormed the entrance, getting through the doors and surrounding the security desk, catching the security guard without a shot being fired.

Chris and I went in once the guard had been neutralized. I could hear the sounds as the rest of the teams poured in through the other entrances. Due to the overwhelming surprise, I didn't hear anything except the loud voices of the police yelling, "Hands up!" as they swarmed the building.

Chris and I entered the main warehouse area after hearing the various teams shout, "Clear!" I saw several scruffy men lying on the floor, their hands bound behind their backs, surrounded by several alert policemen. I recognized them as the men I had seen last night. I confirmed with Chris that those were the men I saw last night. Shortly after, the teams reported to Chris that they had swept the building and found no one else inside.

Only one thing was left to do now that all the suspects were in custody. Chris walked up to the locked and barred door, pounded on it, and shouted, "There are twenty armed officers out here. You will surrender or die if you hurt any of the girls. You will slide your rifle out the door butt first and will get on your knees and interlace your fingers behind your head. Knock on the door twice if you understand."

Chris stepped back, and two officers stepped up and lifted the bar off the door when the guard inside banged on the door two times. The officers stepped back as the door cracked open, and the butt of a rifle started coming out.

As soon as an officer grabbed the rifle, Chris shouted, "On your knees, hands behind your head!"

"Okay," a shaky voice behind the door was heard.

Chris motioned to one of the officers to open the door while the other officers pointed their weapons at it. As the door swung open, I saw a man on his knees before he was swarmed over by several officers. I followed Chris in, going straight to the women huddled against the opposite end of the room. I holstered my gun and went to Camille. A quick cursory glance told me she hadn't been assaulted or otherwise hurt.

"Camille, I'm Ray. Beryl sent me to find you," I said as Camille looked questioningly at me.

"Sh... she did?" Camille stammered in relief as she stepped up and wrapped her arms around me. I instinctively wrapped my arms around her, feeling her shaking from all of the stress she had been under. She muttered, "Oh, God," repeatedly between sobs as she clung to me.

I looked over at Chris, who was looking at us questioningly. I just shook my head and tried to disengage from Camille. I was struck by how similar she was to me. She was my height with shoulder-length black hair and expressive brown eyes, and I thought that the picture Beryl had shown me hadn't done justice to her. That probably explained Beryl's initial reaction to seeing me when we first met. The slight French accent I detected in her voice suggested that she might be of French-Canadian descent. I unwrapped my arms and gently pushed Camille back, saying, "It's okay, Camille. You're safe now."

Camille looked around, sniffed, and asked, "Where's Beryl?"

"She's somewhere safe."

"She really sent you to find me?"

"Yes. She misses you terribly."

"Oh, she's probably frantic!"

"Yes, so we need to get you out of here and back to the police station as soon as possible so we can quickly get you debriefed."

I led Camille out of the room and then out of the building, taking her to one of the paramedic teams set up to check out the women. I stayed with Camille as the medic checked her out, mainly because she wouldn't let go of my hand. Chris eventually joined me and said, "Looks like you have a new friend."

I looked up and said, "Only temporary. What now?"

"We need to take everyone downtown to debrief them. I'll try to finish Camille's statement first so you can get her back to her friend."

"Okay." I looked over at Camille, who gave me a tremulous smile. "I'll take Camille with me and meet you there?"

"Promise me you won't run off with her?"

"Cross my heart."

"Okay, I'll get George to take you to your car. He'll tell you where to go." With that, Chris turned and walked away.

Moments later, I saw George heading my way. George smiled and said, "You two look like sisters."

I grinned and said, "Everyone has a Doppelganger somewhere. I guess I found mine."

At that moment, the medic turned to me and said, "Okay, I'm done. She's uninjured physically but has been under a lot of stress. Once the adrenalin wears off, she's going to crash and will want to sleep a while." He stood up, pulled his gloves off, and walked off to check on another victim.

I smiled at Camille and said, "I'll take you downtown so you can make your statement. Once that's done, I'll get you to Beryl."

"Okay, Ray," Camille said as she shakily stood up, still clinging to my hand. George led us to his car, and Camille and I got in the back seat. He quickly drove us back to St. Bridget of Sweden school. George told me where to take Camille. I thanked him as I got Camille out of his car and into mine. George took off, and I quickly followed.

Camille was silent most of the way downtown. Just as I saw my destination ahead, Camille asked, "Ray, why are you doing this for me?"

"It's part of the service I provide."

"Service?"

"Yes. When Beryl hired me to find you, I could have just done as she asked. I found you last night. I could have called her and told her where you were and left it there. However, I went the extra mile and made sure the police came and rescued you. Like I said, it's just part of the service."

After a pause, Camille said, "Thanks, Ray. I'm so glad you found me and helped rescue me."

"It's what I do. You should thank Beryl instead of me."

Camille went silent as I pulled into the parking garage next to the police station. I found a spot near the elevator and took her in and up to the room George had told me to take her to. We were the first ones there, so we waited outside the interview room after I grabbed two coffees from the break room. Unlike the stereotypical police coffee alluded to on TV, it was good coffee, and I felt the caffeine going to work.

It wasn't long before a flood of officers and victims entered the room, Chris among them. She approached us and asked, "Are you ready, Camille?"

"Yes, I guess so."

"Okay, come with me, and we'll make this as painless as possible."

As Camille stood up, she noticed I hadn't and asked, "Aren't you coming with me?"

"No, you're on your own for this. Just tell Chris what she wants to know, and I'll be here when you're done."

"Okay," Camille said as she turned and followed Chris into the interview room.

I got up and entered the observation room so I could see and hear what Camille had to say. I thought I might learn something about the group that kidnapped her and share it with Brian. As I watched, I was struck by how easily Chris made Camille comfortable and took her into her confidence. Chris drilled down and pulled as much information out of Camille as was possible. By the time they were done, Chris and Camille were chatting like good friends.

I could tell Camille was just about ready to collapse, so I was glad when Chris ended the interview and told Camille she was free to go. I met her at the door when she came out and said, "Let's go, Camille. I'll take you somewhere where you can clean up and get some rest."

"Thanks, Ray."

"No problem. You've had a bad few days."

"When will I see Beryl?"

"You're in no condition to see her just yet, but I promise you'll see her as soon as you get some rest."

"Okay."

I led Camille, stumbling a bit from the fatigue setting in, to my car. She was already asleep by the time I was in the car and starting it up. I smiled, glad she was finally coming off the stress and adrenalin high from her ordeal. I carefully drove back to the Panorama Motel and got Camille out of my car and into my room. I practically had to carry her in, so I just put her on the bed, stripped her shoes and clothes off, and covered her up.

After hanging the Do Not Disturb sign on the door, I stripped out of my outfit and pulled on some sweats. I called around to my contacts to let them know the case had been resolved. When I was done, I went out to get some lunch. I made a quick run to a nearby Jack in the Box for a salad. It wasn't the best salad, but it was quick and filling. When I was done, I curled up in the chair and napped for a while...

... They called my flight, so it was time to go. The look on Steph's face made my heart break as I hefted my bag and stepped toward the open door. Steph ran up to me and hugged me one last time before slipping a small envelope into my hand. "Don't open this until you're alone in your room," she whispered before she backed away, tears in her eyes. I waved to my parents before I turned and headed into the Jetway™ and to my new life as a soldier in the US Army.