Paula, a new employee at the Department of Defense, has a kill in her cross-hairs. Charles, a God in uniform has pledged to have her calling him Daddy by the end of the night....
Charlie and Paula had spoken scarcely a word to one another in the two months he’d been in DC. There was no animosity between them; rather they were consumed with work. John and Sarah moved home after Paula had returned to work. But Paula’s guestroom wasn’t vacant very long. Stacy moved in under the guise of being too ill to fend for herself when, in truth, she hated sleeping alone. Paula had her hands full: Stacy’s doctors’ appointments and morning sickness, helping her plan the wedding, and managing both of their workloads. But this was nothing compared to what Shawn was going through. How he juggled fourteen hour ‘high pressure’ days and Stacy was inconceivable.
Being an Airman herself, Stacy was aware of the demands placed on Shawn and never pressured him for more attention then he offered. By contrast Shawn had it pretty well; he was left out of the wedding plans whereas poor Tony had been expected to partake in every minor decision. It was the ‘being there’ for Stacy that wore on him. He was his fathers’ only son and had seen his sisters’ depression caused by her absentee husband. He wanted what his parents had: a stable family.
The days of Soldiers hunkering down for extended periods of time were long gone. It was replaced by “We’re stationing you here but we’re sending you TDY for months on end there. Please, sign and date on the dotted line”. And given their career fields and elevated security clearances, their group was in high demand. Paula, Cathy and Tess had sent the past three weeks working at Luke AFB in Phoenix. Luckily, Mo and Lisa were there to baby sit Stacy.
Charlie continued his side venture with Tony and worked increasingly longer hours in the process. Client after client rolled in, a welcomed distraction from his hollow love life. When women discovered he was once more available, the Ho Patrol formed a single file line at his door. To his credit, or to his naivety, Charlie didn’t blink in their direction. His breakup with Paula was too fresh, meaningless sex was the farthest thing from his mind. As for Paula, she refused to engage in any conversation regarding Charlie. Fortunately, everyone else felt it was time for them to move on as well. They’d hit a stalemate and needed a cooling off period. Charlie’s DC assignment couldn’t have come at a better time.
Charlie and Shawn arrived home two days before the Air Force Ball and the day after Stacy found out they were expecting twins. This came as no surprise; Stacy had out grown all of her uniforms overnight. Shawn immediately began making plans to leave the Armed Services in lieu of civilian employment—it was time to put his degree to work.
The flame of Charlie and Paula's relationship had been snuffed out, leaving only the smoldering embers of their friendship behind. But was it a true friendship? It was obvious to anyone in their presence for more than five minutes theirs was no friendship. In all sense of the word they were still a couple. Whether it was ordering one another’s meal at dinner or sleeping together, they were still a couple—although for Charlie, their “relationship” by the backdoor was wearing thin. He needed Paula to make a decision; he was getting sick of her having her cake and eating it too.
For Paula, letting go of Charlie proved difficult. He was her first love and seeing him only affirmed her folly in letting go. When Charlie was away in DC, it was easier to cope but his return shattered any notion she was over him. She didn’t know how to let go. She didn’t want to let go. She wanted him back. And seeing women fall over themselves for a shot at him pissed her off royally. Single or not, she’d staked a claimed on him; his mind, his body, and all of his baby juice belonged to her. Or at least that’s how she saw it.
“Oh my God.” Paula heard a woman say to her friend when Charlie and John stepped into the glittering ballroom in full Mess Dress. They looked as though they’d leapt from the cover of a magazine. “Is he wearing a wedding ring?”
Paula’s guts began to boil. Charlie scanned the crowd from the balcony before he caught Shawn’s eye and joined the rest of the group. He kissed Paula and sat beside her. Paula rolled her eyes at the ladies at the next table.
“You look beautiful tonight. Is that a new dress?” Charlie complimented Paula. His eyes trailed the delicate purple beaded fabric of her halter dress and stopped shy of her pillow-soft breasts.
Paula nodded and leaned close to Charlie. “You can help me get out of it later.”
He gave her a stern narrow eyed look before turning to the rest of the table. “What did we miss?”
“All of the speeches,” Tess replied. “And the awards ceremony. Dinner should be arriving any minute.”
“I’ve ordered your meal.” Paula added.
“Thanks,” Charlie gave a light cough and nodded politely at the pasty ladies at the opposite table. He then turned and kissed Paula’s hand. “Why are those women staring at me?”
“Because you’re hot and it kills them to see you with me.” She answered.
“Oh, I thought something else was afoot. I only get those looks when I’m with you.” He beamed.
“Please,” Paula rolled her eyes.
They spent half the night stealing glances and the other half openly flirting with one another. Charlie’s resistance to Paula's charm was low. As much as he wanted to rid himself of their back and forth ‘relationship’ he couldn’t, she’d gotten under his skin. She wouldn’t admit it but he had a vice grip hold on her as well. They danced and laughed and, true to his word, Charlie didn’t look at any alcohol.
It was after 2:00am when Charlie and Paula arrived at her house. Paula stood watching Charlie remove his tux in their once shared closet. She loved his strong shapely legs and well defined back. He glanced over his shoulders to find her spying on him and gave a short laugh. She was on the prowl and he was in her crosshairs. He wasn’t having it.
Paula wasn’t giving up so easily. She went to him and wrapped her arms around his waist and kissed the center of his back, between his shoulder blades—his spot.
Charlie released a low groan. “Paula, stop it.”
Like hell she would. She kissed his back again only this time she allowed the tip of her tongue taste his skin.
“You know what that does to me.” His resistance waned as one of her hands caressed his chest while the other slid into his boxer briefs, encircled his cock, freeing it from its confined, and began to stroked it—all the while she kissed his spot. “We can’t keep doing this.”
“Why not?” she stroked. Charlie tried to pull away but she held him in place. “Don’t you like it?
Charlie grew hard in her hand. “You know I do.” He moaned aloud. “Tell me what you want.”
“I want it rough. I want you to use me.” Her lips on his back, his cock in her hand, her words in his head; she had him right where she wanted him.
“We can’t keep doing this,” He breathed as though it’d taken every ounce of his will power to force the words passed his lips, and even more to pull away from her and go to bed. It wasn’t long before he felt Paula’s arm drape over him and he rolled over to face her. In the darkness he couldn’t see her eyes but he felt them mere inches from his. “Paula, we have to stop. I can’t be your Mr. Fix-it anymore.” His voice was heavy.
“I don’t want you to be my Mr. Fix-it.” Her voice quavered. “I want you—I want us again. I want to go back to the way we were.”
Charlie shook his head. “I don’t wanna go back to the way we were. I wanna do this better than before. You have to trust me, wholeheartedly. And I’ll never touch another drop of alcohol as long as I live.”
“I never doubted you. I was being stubborn.” She kissed lips softly. “I never thought you’d leave me but the night you walked out, I knew you were serious. I had to get my act together or lose you.”
“Don’t put me on a pedestal. I’m a work in progress. I walked out because I saw our relationship about to self-destruct.” He paused. “Are you sure this is what you want?” He heard her breathing pattern change slightly. “Did you just have an orgasm?”
She nodded as a slow bashful smile spread across her face. “I can’t help it, I love you.
“So, you’re one hundred percent certain this is what you want?”
“Yes, I am.”
Charlie was silent for a moment as though he were awaiting something catastrophe to befall them. “I love you, baby.” He said with that slow drawl of his. “I’m sorry for hurting you.” His fingers wandered over her skin, taking in every inch of her. Heat emanated from his trailing touch.
“And I’m sorry for hurting you.” A soft moan escaped her lips and she shivered slightly.
“I’ll try like hell to never hurt you again.” He said against her mouth and then her cheek. “Tell me again what you want and I'll make it happen,” he whispered in her ear, his hand on her breast.
Paula could barely think much less articulate a sentence. She mumbled, “Fuck me”.
“Say it louder,” he breathed, his own arousal trembled in his voice.
Her voice quavered. “Fuck me.” she said louder. "I want it hard. I want it rough. I want you to bend me over and fuck me hard. Grab my hair, pull my head back and take me.”
Charlie gave a clipped snort, his hand cupped her bottom. “You know me too well.”
“Please Charlie,” she whimpered before he rolled her on her stomach and began kissing up the back of her legs. She was on the verge of coming out of her skin but she dare not move. The warmth of his breath, and the softness of his kisses and licks on her spot—the crease where her butt met her thighs, were maddening. She felt the tiny drops of dew gather in her cavern. He parted her farther and stroked her thighs…Paula closed her eyes, and gave in to the feelings. He knew just how to touch her. Willingly, she opened herself to him. She was his to do with as he pleased.
Flat on her stomach, exposed and submissive to Charlie was how Paula affirmed her devotion to him—to their relationship. The joining of their bodies in this archaic ballet of sensations encompassed everything she felt for him: her trust, her willingness to submit, the giving and receiving of pleasure. She bit and gripped the sheets as his thickness thrust deep even strokes into her wet pussy. He moaned and she groaned as her walls sucked him off: her inner muscles lapping at the head of his cock. She never felt so exposed or so aroused in her life when he took her in this position…and she loved it. The sheer greediness of it all, the ineffable helplessness she felt with his hand pressed into the small of her back, the slick slapping sounds of arousal their bodies produced was well worth the pleasure-pain she’d feel the next day
“Pull my hair. Make me beg.” She muttered.
Charlie took a fistful of her hair and pulled her back against his shoulder and stroked into her. “Is that better?” he said in a provocative manner, his cock burning inside of her. “Cum on me,” He moaned. “Cum all over my cock, baby. I’m gonna fuck you like this for the rest of your life.”
His words slurped at her clit and her juices spilled over his cock and he swelled inside of her. Each thrust drilled more wetness from her and she screamed for deliverance yet begged for his cum.
Her convulsing pussy straightened its resolve to take what belonged to it: his cum. It felt like tiny fingers jerking him off. It was too much to bear. “Baby, I’m cumming.”
“Cum in me.” She all but ordered.
He groaned heavily and pumped his cock as his cum began to surge through it, shooting deep, deeper, deepest into Paula sated little hole. “Oh, God,” He moaned and collapsed beside her—but she wasn’t done with him quite yet. He uttered a sigh and she wrapped her lips around him once more, urging him to give his remaining cum to her. She worked her mouth gently over his cock, drew out the last of his lust and licked him clean. Charlie trembled with one hand on her head while the other palmed his forehead. “Damn...mmm shit” he stammered. “I think you gave me a speech impediment!” he exhaled.
Paula laughed and gave his head one long lick.
******
The next morning, everyone met at Lisa’s house for breakfast and last goodbyes. Charlie and Shawn only had two more weeks left in DC however judging from the crowd and Stacy’s tears; you would’ve thought she’d never see Shawn again. After breakfast they loaded Tony’s truck, had their final laughs and (really this time) goodbyes.
Stacy seemed almost shaken, she wouldn’t let Shawn leave. Every time he tried she’d well up again and he would go back to comfort her. He spoke to her softly and she nodded in time. They exchanged a few more kisses and she let him go.
In the days that followed, Stacy suffered unexplained grief. Shawn called three maybe four times a day yet she couldn’t pull herself together. He worried about her and needed to return home as soon as possible. Peggy, Charlie’s mother, arranged to have them flown home immediately after their morning briefing on Bolling.
The last meeting was over and Charlie and Shawn hurriedly packed their belongings in order to catch their flight.
“Slow down cowboys!” Major Ferguson said waving two pieces of paper in the air. “You have orders from Sgt Hale.” He pulled up a nearby chair and sat. “One of you is to report to The Pentagon for briefing and the other is headed to Travis Air Force Base, California. The choice is yours.”
“How long is the Travis trip?” Shawn asked pensively.
“Three weeks,” answered the Major. “Whoever takes The Pentagon detail goes home afterwards.”
“I’ll take the Travis,” Charlie volunteered without battering an eye. “Shawn, you go home. Paula will understand. Hell, I might fly her out to see me for a few days.” He laughed.
“Are you sure?”
“Yep, I’m sure,” Charlie said taking his orders from the Major. He quickly looked over the papers. “Shit, I gotta get movin’. My flight leaves in thirty minutes. I’ll call Paula when I land.”
“I’ll call ahead and tell them you’re on your way.” Major Ferguson said and left for his office.
“Thanks man. I appreciate this.” Shawn stood and hugged Charlie tightly.
“No problem. I’ll see you at home.”
Hours later Paula and crew were kicked back sipping coffee in the office and laughing as Tess give an overdramatic account of her last date. Paula’s phone rang; it was Mark Rhodes calling from Boston. He called to tell everyone that his wife was expecting another baby and they would be visiting Gunter soon. He and Paula had chatted for over an hour when he was pulled away, he told Paula he’d call her right back—there seems to be a hijack simulation going on.
Within minutes, Paula’s phone rang again.
“Ms. Williams, this is Major Rhodes,” Mark said authoritatively. “This is not, I repeat, not a simulation. The World Trade Center has been hit. I need to you pull the specs on my plane. Otis is mobilizing.”
The air was sucked from Paula’s lungs and she fell back on her training. Quickly, she relayed the information Mark requested.
“Thank you, Ms. Williams. I’ll be in contact.” And just like that Mark was gone.
Paula ran to the Colonel’s office, interrupted a meeting with the Majors and told them what happened. They marched to the floor, now in confusion as to why Paula shot from the room. Paula sat at her desk and logged into their news wire per the Cols request.
“Paula, what going on?” Lisa asked.
Paula ignored Lisa, the brass waked over her shoulder until she connected her computer monitor to the six large wall mounted plasma screens, five displayed the DoD news wire and one displayed CNN (playing their regular morning news).
The room gasped as the news thread.
“Great, CNN hadn’t gotten wind of the news,” Colonel Wilson said. “They’re normally thirty minutes behind us. Who did you say was mobilizing?”
“Otis Air National Guard out of Massachusetts has been mobilized. They’ll be the first to recon the area.” Paula answered.
Colonel Wilson looked out at the awestruck faces, Military and Civilian alike. The gravity of the situation wasn’t lost on her. “We all know what to do.” She paused. “Let’s do it.” She turned and left with the rest of the brass in tow. “Paula,” she shouted. “Get someone from Otis on line and find Sgts' Willis and Lowry!”
Lisa, Mo, Stephanie and Cathy gathered around Paula’s desk, her trembling fingers typed rapidly, desperately trying to locate anyone within Mark’s squadron to brief Colonel Wilson. Finally she reached the flight commander and passed the call to the Colonel’s office.
Everyone stood watching gray smoke bellow from the WTC North tower. Suddenly at 9:03am there was a loud scream as everyone watched a jetliner crash into the South tower sending flames and smoke ripping through air.
The screaming drove the brass from behind closed doors. “Where are Charlie and Shawn?” Colonel Wilson demanded to know, completely out of character—she never referred to uniformed Airmen by their first names. “Who are we missing?”
“Shawn took the briefing at the Pentagon and Charlie is en route to Travis.” Sergeant Hale said.
“Next they’ll begin grounding flights. I have to get them home.” The Colonel thought aloud, her eyes searched the floor for answers. “Paula, call Peggy and have her round up Shawn. If he’s inside of the Pentagon tell him to get out: remove his uniform and put on civilian attire, remove his dog tags, and CAC and AIS Cards and place them in his shoes. He’s to present his credentials only to uniformed service members. He’s to report to Andrews and pickup a government fleet vehicle with GPS tracking. Tony,” she called in his direction. “Be sure he’s tracked until he arrives.” She turned to Sergeant Hale. “How long has Charlie been in the air?”
“Two hours,” Sergeant Hale replied. “He’ll be stopping in Phoenix to refuel within an hour. I’ll catch him there.”
“Good. Patch him through to my direct line once you’ve spoken to him.” Colonel Wilson said as her assistant whispered in her ear and she ran back to her office.
“Ma’am,” Tony stood and called out to her. “Besides, Charlie and Shawn, we are all accounted for.”
Her face drained of color, Stacy sat unmoved the entire time. The ladies gathered around her, assuring her everything would be fine. Stacy didn’t believe a word they said.
At 9:37a.m American Airlines Flight 77 struck the Pentagon. A thick hush enveloped the sea of activity.
Minutes later, Stacy felt Shawn’s presence leave her side. There was no doubt he was gone. She slumped to the floor and was rendered crippled by long gut wrenching tears. She went limp as the ladies attempted to lift her and her belly from the floor. John picked her up and carried her to Major Teasdale’s office where the ladies tended to her. Stacy was inconsolable and rightfully so. Her cries and agonizing screams triggered everyone’s wailing. Paula held and rocked her like a child, she was so fragile.
Overwhelmed, Tess left the room bawling franticly. Lisa, Mo, Cathy and Stephanie remained though they were in no better form. Comforting Stacy in her manic state was futile; she shook violently and repeated, “He's gone! Oh God, he's gone. What am I going to do?”
“Don’t say he’s gone,” Lisa wept. “We don’t know. He may be safe.” Her feign hopefulness was threadbare.
Colonel Wilson burst into the office and kneeled in front of Stacy, taking her hand. “Sweetie, calm down, she said gently. “Think of your babies. We don’t know if Shawn was in the building at the time and we don’t know which corridor he was in. Peggy’s looking for him. We’ll find him.” Her voice cracked.
Stacy’s head shook hysterically and tears streaked down her red face distorted by sheer misery. Her throat was clamped shut and she wasn’t breathing.
“Stephanie, fetch some water,” Colonel Wilson said, motherly. “Stacy, please, I need you to calm down, breathe. We’ll get through this. We’ll bring Shawn home.”
Stacy tried to speak however her words choked and snagged in her throat. “He’s not coming back.” Her entire body shook with heaving tears, her distress was palpable.
Stephanie returned with water and tissues. Colonel Wilson took Paula’s place and saw to Stacy herself.
Paula dashed to call Charlie. He didn’t answer his cell phone the first ten times she called. Finally he answered.
“Hey babe!”
From his upbeat tone, Paula surmised he hadn’t seen the news. “Sergeant Willis, This is Ms. Williams. Please call me from your secure Blackberry.”
Charlie’s stomach fell through the floor as he dialed feverishly.
“Field Assistant Branch. You are on a secure line. This is Ms. Williams,” Paula swallowed her grief long enough to get the call script pass her lips. Charlie replied per protocol. “Please note the following directive from Colonel Wilson: Do not board your flight to California…she read off the Cols. instructions.
“Roger,” Charlie dipped into the airports’ bathroom and immediately began removing his Blues, luckily his carryon was his only bag and he had a spare set of clothing. “Can someone reserve me a vehicle?”
“I’ve taken care of it. Your car is waiting at Luke AFB in the fleet lot, your keys and directions are inside.” She heard a male voice in the background. “Is that Shawn?”
“No, Shawn’s at the Pentagon, why?” he struggled out of his shirt.
Paula took a deep breath. Two jetliners hit the WTC in New York, and one hit the Pentagon minutes later. No one can reach Shawn.”
“What!?” his voice echoed off the walls. “What? When?”
“Just a little while ago, you were in the air when it happened,” Paula said before being interrupted by Janette. “Oh my God, another plane just crashed in Pennsylvania.” Paula covered her mouth. “Oh. My. God.”
“Is my mom safe?”
“Yes, I spoke to her earlier.”
Charlie went into Airman Mode. “Call my mom, have her contact anyone she knows inside of the Pentagon, and tell her that I’m alright but Shawn is missing.”
“I’m way ahead of you. We’re awaiting news.”
A noisy group of men entered the bathroom as Charlie was leaving. “Paula, I have to go. I’ll call you once I’m on the road.”
Relieved to hear his voice, she didn’t want to let him go. She wept into the phone.
“Stop crying. I’m alright. We have to find Shawn. I’m fine—I’ll be home soon. Please don’t cry. I love you.”
“I love you too. Please just…just get home.”
“I’m on my way. I have to go.” He darted through the crowded terminals and caught a cab to the base. The base was on lockdown and Charlie waited nearly two hours to enter. After securing his vehicle, he contacted his mother and Colonel Wilson. His last call was to Paula as he began the long drive home.
He called Paula throughout the night for any news on Shawn’s’ whereabouts. His optimism began to fade when Shawn hadn’t been located after twelve hours. Charlie called his cell phone, it rang but there was no answer. If Shawn were safe he would have called someone.
Charlie knew Shawn was died.
His emotions were too raw. He couldn’t manage them all at once so he numbed them. He was impervious to everything around him…the car must have driven itself because he had no recollection of manning it. He remembered praying for strength and forgiveness. He remembered praying that Shawn had been taken quickly and hadn’t suffered.
But beyond those memories, there were none of his drive home.
******
Being closest to the base, everyone gathered at Paula’s house and kept vigil throughout the night. She took in the children of other servicemen who were called to 24 hour duty—some she knew only in passing from Sarah’s daycare. Nevertheless, their parents needed assistance and she opened her doors. Cathy and Stephanie cooked dinner while Mo and Lisa saw to Stacy. The men were called to duty and popped in and out as time permitted. Predictably, Sarah managed the children and kept them occupied until bedtime.
Around 3am, Paula tip-toed through the living room overflowing with sleeping bags filled with slumbering children. She checked each one as though they were her own. Looking at their innocent faces, she wondered what type of world they would inherit; a civilization where the rules of engagement were ignored for martyrdom was no civilization. She knew war would follow and they would be its beneficiaries. It would be up to them to sort out this mess.
Paula joined the ladies crammed in her bed with Stacy squashed between them.
“Paula,” Stacy said faintly. “Be honest, do you think Shawn is alive?”
How could she answer the question? “I don’t know, Stacy. He may be amongst the injured and he can’t make contact.”
Stacy didn’t reply immediately. “No, he’s dead. If he were injured, he would’ve found a way to communicate. You know him; he would’ve called.” She rolled over into Paula’s arms.
Hours later the phone rang bringing everyone to a start. Paula answered and took the call in her office.
“Paula, it’s me, Peggy,” her voice was shaky with exhaustion. “Are you sitting down?”
Paula sat hard in her chair and came unglued.
“I’m sorry. Shawn didn’t make it, he’s dead. They identified his body this morning. I shouldn’t be telling you this but I can’t reach Colonel Wilson or the First Sergeant. I need you….”
Paula couldn’t hear anything except the blood rushing in her ears and she couldn’t breathe. Her chest heaved and heart folded onto itself. Somehow she managed to walk downstairs and handed the phone to Tony before she fainted. Stacy, grief-stricken and heartbroken, was admitted into the hospital within the hour.
Like dominos, they all collapsed—men and women; the strong and the fragile alike. They all would fall. Linguistic prose fails to describe the emotional meltdown which followed. Crippling devastation puts it best.
Charlie wouldn’t be notified until he arrived home safely the following day.