The Reluctant Warrior

"Damn, Chris," he smiled, "I've never met anyone like you before."

"What do you mean?" I chuckled, "I'm nobody special."

"Bullshit, I've seen you fight twice now," he replied, proudly patting me on the shoulder, "And you also saved my life today, man."

"I just did what anyone else would've done," I replied, walking toward my car, "It was no big deal."

"Yes, it was...at least to me it was," Mike replied, stopping me, "And I wanted to say thank you."

"In that case," I grinned, extending my hand, "You're welcome, my new friend."

"I like the sound of that," Mike chuckled, shaking my hand, "Besides, you've already shown me twice now that I don't want to be your enemy."

~~~~~~

As soon as I pulled into the driveway I noticed that Dad's truck was missing, indicating that he wasn't there. Still though, I thought nothing of it as I got out of my car and made my way to my front door step.

"Hi, baby," Carly smiled, throwing her arms tightly around my neck the moment I opened the door, "I missed you."

"Hi, sweetie," I replied, looking around the room, "Where's Dad?"

"He went back home," she smiled, "I just love that man. He is such a nice guy."

"Yeah," I proudly smiled, "He's a good one."

~~~~~~

"So, what did Dad say?" I asked, "I mean, what did you guys talk about?"

"All in good time, Chris," Carly softly replied, "All you need to know right now is how much I love you."

"I love you, too," I grinned, wrapping my arms around her waist and pulling her to me, "My beautiful bride-to-be."

"And don't forget it, either," she giggled, playfully slapping my arm.

~~~~~~

I awoke the next morning to Carly softly rubbing her hand across my chest and kissing my throat while she snuggled her naked body against mine.

"And just what do you think you're doing, little girl," I lecherously teased, "You know what's going to happen if you keep doing that, don't you?"

As opposed to answering me directly, she pulled me on top of her while spreading her legs. And the moment my now hard cock touched the opening of her wetness, she softly kissed my lips and then sensually breathed, "Make love to me, Chris...I love you so much."

We spent that morning making slow and gentle love; eternally sealing the bond we'd formed. And every time that I looked into her eyes, the love I felt radiating from within her, spread its way through every fibre of my being, bathing me in the essence therein.

~~~~~~

After our classes that afternoon Carly and I went out to Guiseppie's for dinner that evening, and then met Kevin and Kayla over at a club called "Tango's", where some friends of ours who had a band were playing that night.

~~~~~~

We had been enjoying a great evening when all of a sudden, ten big guys, who I knew were football players and were also being led by Mike Thompson, came into the club and surrounded our table.

"YOU," Mike shouted, as the glare on his face softened into a smile, "I believe I owe you a drink, my friend."

"Nah," I grinned, standing to shake his extended hand, "But you guys are free to join us if you want to."

"What're you doing, Chris?" Kevin asked, fear written across his face.

"I also owe you an apology, too, Kevin," Mike gently said, extending his hand in friendship, "I'm really sorry, man."

"I'll take Chris' drink then," Kevin laughed, shaking Mike's hand.

"Come on, then," Mike smiled, as he and Kevin made their way to the bar.

"What's going on here, you guys?" Kayla asked, looking at me, "Chris?"

I explained to her and Carly what had taken place earlier that afternoon with Mike and the gang members, and also how they were trying to rob him. Kayla looked at me as if I had two heads. Carly simply smiled while shaking her head and purred, "My Hero."

~~~~~~

We were all having a great time and had just come off of the dance floor when, a waiter appeared at our table with two trays full of shot glasses. And upon closer examination, I noticed that the shot glasses were full of Tequila...Cuervo Gold to be exact.

"Shots for all, but wait till everybody gets theirs," Mike smiled, as he handed out the shot glasses. The once everyone was served, Mike pulled me up to stand at his side as he said, "This man saved my life today, and I will eternally be grateful. So, now I toast him and ask you all to do the same," then he raised his glass and said, "To Chris, he's the real Spartacus," and then he downed his glass, setting it on the table once he was finished.

"TO SPARTACUS!!" everyone else toasted, following Mike's actions.

"Aw, man," I grinned at Mike, my face turning a beet red, "You didn't have to do that."

"Yeah, I did," Mike replied smiling, "You've taught me a lesson that nobody in my family or the coach has been able to teach me."

"Oh yeah?" I asked, amazed at the fact that I'd taught anyone anything, "And what was that?"

"You taught me that I wasn't invincible," he admitted, his head down, "And that everybody needs help from time to time."

"That's right, buddy," I chuckled, patting him on the shoulder, "But the most important thing to remember is, that everyone needs their friends, too, and I'm proud to have you as one of my friends, we all are."

"Thanks, Chris," he proudly grinned, then he turned to me as if he were telling a secret, smiled and asked, "You think you could introduce a dumb jock like me to some of these hot girls that all seem to know you?"

"No problem," I laughed, and then I proceeded to do just that.

~~~~~~

"I had a good time tonight," Carly smiled, as we drove home, "How about you, baby?"

"I had a blast," I gently replied, tenderly caressing her soft cheek, "But I wouldn't have had near as much if you hadn't been there. I love you, Carly. I love you with all my heart."

"Aw, I love you, too, Chris," she replied, sniffling, "And I always will."

~~~~~~

The next day after my drama class, Dr. Hatcher gathered the cast and crew of "Spartacus" and said "Okay, gang, in two nights we go to Center of the Performing Arts. This will be the last show so; let's make it a good one."

~~~~~~

Are you excited about the show?" Carly asked, as we sat at the table eating dinner that night. But before I could answer, the telephone rang. "Hello?" Carly said, as she answered, "Hello? Of, well," she smiled, hanging it up, "Must've been a wrong number."

"Oh," I replied, thinking nothing of it, when I should have, "Okay then."

~~~~~~

That night as we lay down to sleep, I felt that something was amiss, but after not being able to figure it out, I settled in to an uneasy sleep. And because I felt the way I did, I made sure that I slept with my arms protectively placed around my beautiful Carly.

~~~~~~

I dreamed that I was on the beach and that Carly and I were enjoying the sunshine. I'd just dried off, and was hugging Carly, when I unexpectedly felt an unseen force trying to pull her from my grasp. There was a sudden jarring, snapping me from my dreams to find that there were two men in our bedroom

The first sound to reach my ears was that of Carly screaming, "NOOO...CHRIIISS...HEELLP MMEEE...NOOO."

I grabbed hold of the first man, snapping his neck as I bounced off of him to land on my feet; and then all at once there were three shadows surrounding me. I leapt forward, punching the first figure in the throat, smiling in satisfaction as he dropped to the ground right after I'd felt his trachea snap and separate beneath my punch.

I swung back around when another had jumped onto by back, making his legs kick the third figure in head, which knocked him out. However, I could hear Carly's screams getting further away in the darkness, and by the time I'd dispatched the third attacker; I only had enough time to run into the street to see a plain white van smoking its tires as it sped away down the street...but not before I got the license plate number.

~~~~~~

"Dad," I said in a panic, after I'd called and woke him up, "They took Carly, they're all dead...I...I got the license plate number."

"Whoa, calm down Chris," he replied, his voice expressing major concern, "I want you to very slowly tell me what happened."

And after I'd managed to tell him everything that had taken place since the strange phone call, Dad simply said, "Don't touch anything, go anywhere or do anything until I get there, son, promise me you'll do exactly as I've asked."

"Yes, sir," I replied, without hesitation, "I'll be waiting for you in the driveway."

~~~~~~

"My fiancée is going to kill you for this, Charles," Carly spat, restrained to an armchair, barely clothed, "You disgusting son-of-a-bitch."

"Shut up, you little bitch," he spat, her yelping as he harshly slapped her face, "That was always your fucking problem little girl. You never learned to shut up when you should've been listening."

"Did it make you feel good to rape a sixteen year old virgin," she tauntingly laughed, "As tiny as your dick is, I'm surprised you even popped my cherry."

"Let this be a lesson to you," he growled, "You should've known better than to file stutory rape charges against me, you stupid little cunt.

The last thing she remembered was seeing Charles' fist as it was leaving her face and then everything went black.

~~~~~~

Holy shit," Dad exclaimed, at seeing the bruises, not to mention the blood that had seemingly been sprayed all over my body, "Are you alright, Chris?"

"Yeah, I'm okay," I replied, having regained control of my composure, "They took Carly away in a white Ford van, but I got the license plate number."

"Good," Dad replied, as I handed him the information, ""I need to look around the house, too, to see if they left anything behind."

"Come on in," I said, leading him down the hall to our bedroom. "I took out three of them trying to get to Carly, but they still took her."

"Damn," almost proudly replied, "That's three men, boy."

"Yeah," I savagely replied, "Three men that were trying to kill me."

"That's right," he knowingly replied, "And that's exactly how I want it to look when the police get here."

~~~~~~

After the police had been called and upon their inspection, they'd established that my life was being threatened and that I was well within my right to use deadly force. After all, it had been three against one, and after searching the bodies; a gun was discovered that I must've missed when I'd searched them myself. However, a knowing wink from Dad had ensured me that everything was going to be all right where this mess was concerned.

~~~~~~

Two hours later fond Dad and I in the FBI building, downtown, walking into the office of Special Agent Richard Henderson.

"Holy shit, Jake," smiled Richard, as he and Dad shook hands, "I thought you were dead."

"Not yet," Dad laughed, "But we have a problem which requires your particular kind of talents to help us solve."

"Oh, no," he laughed, "I told you after DaNang that I wasn't going to...."

"February tenth, nine-teen sixty-eight," Dad interrupted..."It's my son's fiancée, Rick...please?"

"Alright," Rick relented, "But after this, we're even, do you hear me?"

"Okay, bro," Dad smiled, "Thanks Rick."

"Aw, hell," Rick laughed "This beats the shit out of being in the office all day. What do you want me to do?"

"What happened on February the tenth in sixty-eight, Dad?" I asked.

"That's the day that your father saved my hide," Rick grinned, "You're Chris, aren't you?"

"Yes, sir," I respectfully replied, "You were talking about Vietnam, weren't you?"

"Yeah, I was," Rick said, with a pause, "I've known your parent since before you and your sister were born."

"Then that makes you family," I smiled.

~~~~~~

Through a friend of Dad's, a base of operations were set up in a rent house way out in the country, about five miles from the property which contained the address we'd traced the van to.

"This guy is a major shipping magnate," Rick informed us, "Not only does he have connections on Capitol Hill, but he's going to have his lawyers all up our ass when this is over you know."

"Like I give a fuck," I spat, "It's my fiancée that he's holding hostage in there; and if I have to go in by myself, I'm going to take her back, God dammit."

"Easy, kid," Dad said, "You're not going in at all. You leave this to us; we're the professionals here."

"Oh Yeah?" I asked, "Well fuck that, I'm going in whether either of you like it or not, and that's final."

"Is that a fact," Dad angrily replied, "And just how do plan on doing that without getting through me first?

"I love you, Dad, I really do, "I firmly said, "But if it means having to fight you to get to Carly, then I guess wed better get this over with now."

"Wait a minute, you two," Rick laughed, steeping between us and laughing at Dad, who by now was smiling as well, "He sounds just like somebody else I used to know."

"Yeah, he does," Dad laughed, "But you do exactly as you're told, Chris. Do you understand me?"

"Yes, sir," I grinned, "When do we go?"

"We'll know as soon as we get our intelligence reports," Dad knowingly smiled at Rick, "And they should be here any minute."

Suddenly, and while totally catching me completely off-guard, Mom walked through the door of the house we were in like she owned the place, and all the while, looking me in the eyes with a knowing smile written across her pretty face.

~~~~~~

"Damn, Mom," I smiled, "What're you doing here? You could get hurt."

"Oh, I don't think so," Rick laughed, "Your Mom was a member of the US Naval Intelligence/Counter-intelligence Agency before your parents met. As a matter of fact, how do you think they met to start with?"

"Tell me," I asked, knowing it was something cool, "I can't wait to hear this one."

"I won't go into details, because that doesn't matter," Rick chuckled, "I'll just tell you that your Mom saved your Dad's ass, and we'll leave it at that."

"I love you, Mom," I chuckled, placing my arms around her, "Especially because you saved Dad's ass."

"Yeah, yeah," Dad playfully grumbled, "Smart ass kid."

"So, Brenda," Rick said, "Show us what you got."

For the next hour, Mom show them a blueprint of the house, where she got them I'll never know, as well as a layout of where and at what intervals that guards had been placed. She also handed Rick And Dad the security codes to not only the front gate, but the house as well. And when she was done, I had gained a new respect for my Mom that I'd never known before, but which also made me love her ever more than I already did.

"So," I asked, once Mom had briefed us, "When do we go in?"

"We go in when it's reasonably safe, Chris," Mom firmly replied, "And that's why we're going to wait until about three or four in the morning before we make our move."

"Wait a minute," I said, placing my arm around her shoulder, "You aren't going anywhere, Mom. You're going to stay right here where it's safe. Besides, I'd die if something happened to you."

"Uh oh," Dad devilishly grinned, and then before I knew what was happening; Mom had flipped me over her shoulder, leaving me in the floor, breathless, with her foot on my throat, while Rick and Dad laughed like fools.

"Well well, my handsome young fool of a son," Mom firmly replied, her foot still on my throat, "You're no longer in any position to tell anyone what they can or cannot do. Now," she continued, helping me to stand, "Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes, ma'am," I replied, rubbing my shoulder, "Damn, that hurt."

"Oh, hush up," Mom teased, kissing my cheek, "That was nothing, you big baby."

~~~~~~

Chapter Nine

The evening was wearing on into the night, and before too much longer, four and a half hours later to be exact; the time had come to strike. My part of the plan had been drilled into my head over and over, until I had it down pat.

"Whoa," Dad said, as he watched me prepping then loading my Martial Art weaponry, "Would you like to tell me hat you think you're doing with all those weapons? This is supposed to be a non-lethal extraction. Do you know what that means...non-lethal?"

"Bullshit Dad," I angrily replied, "Those asshole already tried to kill me once so; I'm not taking any chances. Furthermore, they're holding Carly hostage, I've already killed three men because of this shit so; a few more ain't gonna bother me one bit."

"Look, Chris," Dad seriously told me, "This is the real thing, boy. These people don't fuck around."

"Neither do I," I hissed, "So, if I'm going in, then I'm going in my way. Have you got a problem with that?"

Dad was about to get irate before Mom, who'd always had a sort of sixth sense, said, "No, Jake, if carrying his weapons means he'll do a better job, then I'm inclined to let him, okay?"

"Maybe," Dad said, "But what if..."

"I thought you said that you taught him everything you know," Mom interrupted, "Well?"

"Alright," Dad relented, looking at me, "You stay sharp and watch your ass. These people are dangerous, Chris."

"No shit, Dad," I sarcastically smiled, knowing it would piss him off, "That's why girls don't do this kind of work."

"What about your Mom," Dad triumphantly replied, "She's a girl?"

"Yeah, but she doesn't count," I said, winking at Mom.

"And why not?" Dad indignantly asked.

"Yeah," Rick said, in Dad's defense, "Why not?"

"Because, unlike the two of you, I've had the good sense be afraid of Mom's wrath ever since I came into this world," I laughed, "Which means that I was born smarter than the both of you put together."

"Get em, baby," Mom cheered, hugging me, "That's my boy."

"Whatever," Dad laughed, "Come on, let's get this show on the road."

~~~~~~~~~

The moment the uplink on Mom's communication gear was connected, we, Dad, Rick, and I, all made sure that our headpieces were hot, and then we moved out.

My job was to make sure that the men guarding the outer perimeter, and there were four of them, were neutralized through non-lethal means. Rick and Dad may have been using stun guns and tazers, but after remembering how my beautiful Carly screamed when those assholes broke into our house and took her from me, I was on definitive search-and-destroy.

~~~~~~

"Why're you keeping me here, Charles," Carly plead, beginning to break, "What purpose is it going to serve?"

"Misconduct of any kind means politic ruin," he spat, "I figured that if I kept you here long enough, then maybe you might be willing to change your mind and drop the charges you've filed against me."

"Never," Carly laughed, "I'll never drop the charges against you, you filthy piece of shit."

~~~~~~

Because of the fact that it was a dark and moonless night, we'd successfully managed to be dropped in by helicopter, another one of Dad's "connections", behind a rather large rise, just past where the property line began.

I checked my watch after the helicopter left, and right on time, Mom's voice rang in my earpiece, "Viper, Viper, this is Home Plate, all stations report in."

"Viper One, checking in," I heard Dad say.

"Viper Two, checking in," followed Rick, right behind him.

"Viper Three, checking in," I replied, right behind Rick.

"Execute op in thirty seconds, Home Plate standing by," Mom replied.

"Alright, guys," Dad whispered, "We all know what are jobs are, and that each of us is depending on the other." Then he smiled, and looking directly at me, said, "Stay focused, do what I know you can do in your sleep, and I'll see you on the other side with Carly safe and sound." And then we were off, each heading in different directions.

~~~~~~

As I crept across the ground through the darkness I felt myself becoming part of the earth, and the teachings of my father were now an integral part of my being. And the nearer I drew to the place she was being held, the more I could literally feel my beautiful Carly. And while she'd always been a strong woman, I could feel Carly's strength slowly draining from her.