The Three Day Pass Ch. 16

"You go and prepare that lecture, we will look forward to hearing it, Sgt. Benson." The C.O. said, to the bewildered private, "Yes I did say Sergeant, it was no mistake. All of our teachers are either Noncoms or officers and since you are not a college graduate, a temporary Sergeant's rating is the best, Mr. Barns and I could arrange for you at this time. In a year or so it will be made permanent. I am going to take particular pleasure in announcing this at graduation, when I present you with your graduation diploma and your promotion papers. However, if at anytime you should decide to make the army your main career, we would insist that you to enter Officers' Training School or perhaps we can arrange an appointment to West Point. Now, I believe you and agent Barns have a few things to talk over, you are dismissed, Sergeant."

"Yes Sir! Thank you sir." He said saluting smartly and leaving the room with Bill.

"Congratulations Joseph, You did well. Come lets go for a ride." Barns said leading Joseph to his car. Barns drove him to a secluded part of the base and parked the car. Turning to Joseph, he said, "Before we go any further, I have to ask you something. What the fuck is going on between you and Fazzi? Are you still with us or are you not?"

"Bill, how could you even ask me that? You know me and where I stand. I am right with you, I am an American and that comes first, last and always." Joseph protested. "Why would you think otherwise?"

"Well what other concussion should I come too? It appears that my prize agent is sleeping with the enemy and I just can't help it if I get that impression." Bill said. "Tell me you're not involved with him."

"I can't tell you that. Yes I'm involved with him–but not the way you think. What I'm doing is because I now know that this is the only way to gain his complete and unqualified confidence. Marrying his daughter would not have done it. Yes it might have worked if we had years to work on it, but in the end he would never fully trust me."

"Why not? You would be his son-in-law, a member of his family." Bill said. "He would have to trust you!"

Joseph, smiling and trying not to laugh in Bill's face, explained, "First of all Bill, you like most westerners, do not understand Arab history or psychology. There is a long Arab tradition of not trusting anyone. For centuries there has always been this inter-family war between individuals as well as clans. Nobody trusts anyone. They don't trust outsiders, least of all in-laws. Hell, even here in the U.S.A., in-laws are not close to each other. Then, add to that the most important fact of all.... the fact that Kassie is not his daughter..." Seeing the look of shock on his face he continued by explaining, "Early in their marriage, Mary became lonely because of Fazzi's perversions and she took a lover. She became pregnant by him. When Fazzi found out about it, he was furious about it. He knew it could not be his child. But, as an Arab he could never admit that his wife had willingly had sex with someone else. That would be an insult to his manhood. He had the man arrested on some trumped up charges and after personally torturing him, he raped him, cut off his genitalia and stuffed them in his mouth. He then killed him and fed him to the fish in the Mediterranean. If she were his real daughter, perhaps he would come to trust her husband. But not as the husband of his wife's illegitimate daughter. No way. Marrying her off to anyone would give him the chance to get rid of both Mary and her bastard. So you see why I have to do it this way. There is no other way to gain his complete trust. I hate him and I want to throw up every minute I'm with him, but I will stop at nothing to get him, even if it means..."

"I understand now." Barns said. "If she had married one of our paid informers, it would not have gotten us 'in' with him. We would have wasted our money and time for nothing."

"It would appear that way." Joseph said. "Just think about it, this way, poor Fazzi is paying for his own downfall. Richard Worthington gets a new account and a chance to get big bucks, Kassie gets her freedom, Mary gets to start a new life, the F.B.I. has an inside man it can trust and I get a BMW out of it and all I have to do is to keep my guts from boiling over and now and then let him suck my cock."

"Be careful Joseph...I do not have to tell you that-–this man is a killer. I want you to carry a weapon. As a Sgt. you will be issued a side arm. I know you know how to use it. That weapon will be too big to carry off base." The FBI agent said. "So as a little graduation gift, from me and the boys in the office, we decided to give you this .22 cal. pistol and issue you a permit to carry it. It is small enough to hide on your person. I want you to carry it and you better do some target practice with it. You can use the army firing range. I don't want to have our best agent winding up as fish bate in the Atlantic."

"Are you sure that's necessary? I can take care of myself without having to carry a gun."

"Better safe than sorry." Barns said, and as he handed him a gift-wrapped box containing a gun and box of ammunition. "What are you going to do for the rest of the weekend?"

"Bill, I am really worn out. I really think that after I call the house and let Fazzi and the family know about the test results and the arrangements I have made for them to attend my graduation–I'm just going to crash and get a good night's sleep. Maybe some of us will hit a local bar or the Enlisted Men's club to celebrate a bit, but nothing big."

"Ok relax a bit and have some fun, you have earned it. I'll head back to the office now. I have to make a full report on all of this. I think the director will be very pleased. He will also be glad to know that we were wasting our time and money trying to hook-up that other guy with Kassie. Just knowing all of the money we saved from being flushed down the toilet should make him very happy. Before you hit the bars, I suggest you take the .22 cal. down to the range and familiarize yourself with it."

"Thanks Bill, both for your help and the gift." Joseph said. "I wish I could invite you to the graduation, but with Fazzi and the family there...it might not be a good idea."

"Thanks yourself and I understand. I better get going. Have fun this weekend. Good bye."

After Bill left Joseph called the family and told them the good news, leaving out the parts about his promotion and the school appointment. Kassie told him she was very proud of him and that she had filled Mary in on all that was going on. She told him that Mary was walking on air. She could not believe it. After all these years the both of them were going to be able to live their own lives. To do what they wanted–when they wanted–without having to answer to anyone but themselves. The two of them were just sad that Joseph had to pay so high a price for their happiness.

"Tell her that she should enjoy her liberty and find a good loving husband. That goes for you too, Kassie." Joseph told her. "That would make all of this worthwhile."

"I love you Yussef, habibi." Kassie said.

"And Kassie–I love you too!"

"Joseph is there any chance that you and I, one day, that we could...?"

"Habibi, let's let the future take care of itself. Just be happy that both you and Mary can start to live, at last, in Freedom...

To be continued.........