Ghost Soldiers

Chapter Six - Rough Weather - Part IV

(POV/Peter Linton)

The rain stopped by mid-afternoon and it turned into a brilliantly beautiful day. Luke was in a great mood, showing the type of lighthearted humor I hadn’t seen in him in years; it was infectious. We went for a walk with Vasha, Red and Danny joining us. I think we all felt relief at having the secrets behind us and it manifested itself in the type of boyish high spirits that Luke and Red excelled in. Danny, of course, tried to keep up with the two bigger men in the various tests of strength and agility they devised, jumping over logs, throwing what looked to be small boulders, and racing. I declared myself the judge and thus ineligible to compete. In truth, I was getting quite a bit of enjoyment out of watching them, especially when the shirts were doffed.

Red was probably the best all-around athlete of the three, although he could not match Luke when it came to feats of sheer strength. For his part, Danny was remarkably quick and agile, not to mention too stubborn to know when to throw in the towel. Sometimes he resorted to outrageous trickery in order to beat them. After one such episode, which left the two big men rolling on the ground wrestling each other while the imp got off scot-free, said imp sauntered over to me, a wide grin on his face. I handed him a cold drink from the pack I’d thought to bring with us.

“Some might consider such tactics under-handed,” I commented mildly.

Danny laughed. “I know I sure would,” he replied agreeably, “but when you grow up the smallest, you learn to use anything you’ve got.”

“Oh, I’m not criticizing,” I assured him. “I suspect your brother learned a few things from you in those early days. The first time I met him, he defeated me in a jujitsu match after I’d had him fairly pinned, by spreading his legs suggestively and licking my ear.”

Danny laughed delightedly. “My big bad brother did something that devious? You know, I can picture him doing something like that now that you mention it. He always was the irreverent one. I’ve wondered how you met. I didn’t realize he made advances to you right away though. I kind of thought it would have been you....” Danny stopped, then blushed. “Not that I’m trying to hear the details,” he quickly added.

“Sure you are,” Red interjected. He and Luke had finished whatever their latest challenge had been and now stood before us, grinning like two big kids.

I turned to Danny. “They really haven’t changed much in all these years. They were insane when I met them and....”

“And you found you loved our insanity,” Luke said, picking me up and hugging the breath out of me. Laughing, I ordered him to put me down, but then gave up and kissed him.

“Damn, they’ll be at it for an hour now,” Red grumbled cheerfully. “Want to go fishing, Pup? They may not come up for air until dinner.”

Danny laughingly agreed and the two of them walked off as Luke lowered me to the ground, his eyes bright with love and happiness. Contrary to Red’s expectations, we did not progress directly into lovemaking. Luke just leaned above me for a long moment, one hand stroking my hair back from my forehead, the other supporting his weight so he wouldn’t crush me. I reached up and caressed his cheek.

“You’re happy.” It was a statement, not a question, but he nodded in agreement.

“I didn’t even realize how worried I’d been about Danny coming here until now that the worry’s gone. But it’s also made me realize how damn much I missed this...this... being a person. Having family around to have fun with. Which isn’t to say there haven’t been good times over the years but....”

“But the years were not yours to spend the way you wanted to,” I finished softly. “I believe I understand.” He flashed that quick smile of his at me, the deep dimples never failing to charm, such a surprise as they were on his lean face.

“I know you do, Linton. God, if anyone does, it’s you. For most of that time, after all, I still had Red, and my visits to you and to my family. For all those years, all you had was that bastard Simon.”

I couldn’t hide from Luke the pain that his reference to Edward gave me. He’d never quite understood why I felt I owed Edward loyalty, what he held over me that kept me with him until my actions at his behest made me even more of a prisoner, why I stayed even after Danny was no longer as much at risk. Most of all, I don’t think Luke understood why I wouldn’t let him kill him, the one man whom Luke would willingly have slain in cold blood. I turned my head away but he gently turned me back to face him.

“I’m sorry. It’s past time for me to stop doing that. It can’t hurt him so it only hurts you when I refer to him like that. I wish I understood, Peter, but I don’t. But don’t let it make you turn away from me.” Luke’s voice was softly pleading. I brought my hands to his face and grabbed it forcefully, kissing him demandingly.

“Never,” I murmured into his mouth, before rolling us over. I kissed my way down Luke’s long bare torso, encouraged by his moans. I tugged at his jeans and he lifted up so I could slide them down over his hips. I closed my lips over his hard cock, taking in the full length. He groaned so loudly I thought he might bring Vasha back. I lifted my head away, making him sigh in disappointment. I grinned.

“Don’t worry, I’m not done with you, lad, but try not to scare all the animals. There’s loud and then there’s loud.”

He made a sound that was part laugh, part gasp. “If you weren’t so fucking amazing at that, I wouldn’t be so appreciative, now would I?”

I laughed and returned my attention to his cock. Let the wildlife – the other wildlife – worry about itself.

Luke’s cock was glorious, long, uncut, with just the right girth to it. I loved to deep throat it, resting my arms on his thickly muscled thighs. Feeling his balls tighten, I pressed behind them, hard, to hold off his orgasm. I took my mouth away from him again, with one last, lingering lick, and he looked down at me from beneath those sinfully long lashes of his.

“You’re trying to kill me, aren’t you?” he whispered – and he seemed to be completely serious. I was quick to reassure him. “I’m not leaving you like this, love. I’m just in the mood for something different.”

I slipped out of my trousers, but kept my shirt on, just in case Danny and Red should wander back this way. Luke’s eyes gleamed with anticipation as I moved over him and settled carefully down over that beautiful cock. Slowly. Feeling the intense burn, I wished for a moment that I’d taken the time for lube, but seeing the excitement in Luke’s eyes, I pushed against the pain until he was fully seated. Damn, but I forgot sometimes how much I loved having him inside me, filling me so completely that I felt as though I’d explode with the pleasure/pain. He grasped my hips and we started a gentle rocking that soon sped up into a wild bucking, our sweat mingling, making our bodies slide as he ripped my shirt off so that he could run his hands along my chest and sides. I tried to hold off coming as long as I could, not easy when he was slamming that monster cock against my prostate with every thrust, but all too soon, I felt the world exploding and it was all I could do to hold on and revel in the sensations coursing through me. The tremors continued longer than I would have thought physically possible.

Finally, I collapsed on top of him and for a long while, the only sound was the rasping of two very sated men trying to catch their breath. We remained there until our breathing steadied, then, almost as though on cue, we jumped up and ran into the freezing water of the loch to wash off before racing, yelling and laughing, to the house.

Luke used Red’s shower while I used the one in our master bath. I was feeling sore but good. It was the kind of deep down good that had eluded me for a long time – ever since the morning we awoke to the news that Danny had been kidnapped. We were able to rescue Danny, with some help from his close friends, but it had been a difficult time for all concerned. With Danny here and Luke having achieved some peace, I felt that we could finally move forward with our lives. But then Luke came back into the room and the expression on his face told me that there was something on his mind. He leaned against the doorframe, his long, lean form covered in nothing but a towel around his waist. He was thin but still the most beautiful man I’d ever seen. It was hard to breathe normally with a near naked Luke in the room.

“I’ve been thinking,” Luke said as he took the towel from around his waist and used it to dry his hair, thus ensuring that my ability to think would be completely eliminated by the sight of his nude form. I considered the merits of dragging him back to bed versus getting dressed for dinner. He must have read my mind, because he grinned and tossed the towel at me.

“No more of that right now, you sex maniac. Danny might leave us alone but you know that Red will be up here pounding on the door, wanting his grilled fish just about the time that things got interesting.”

“It’s always interesting with you,” I purred, walking over to him and wrapping my arms around his waist. We kissed, but just when I thought matters were progressing nicely in the right direction – the bed – he pulled back.

“If I were a suspicious man, I might think you were trying to distract me,” he accused teasingly.

“You are a suspicious man, but I am not trying to distract you, at least, that is not my ultimate goal, it is merely a side effect. Now, if I were an insecure man, which I am not, I might think the thrill is gone from our relationship,” I retorted, tempted to pout; however, despite my relatively youthful appearance, I have to think there is something incongruous about a fifty year old man pouting. Much less a fifty-one year old. “All I am looking for is a bit of physical affection from the man I love....”

Luke burst out laughing. He picked me up and strode to the bed, his long legs taking him across the room in two steps. He dropped onto the bed with me in his arms, landing so that he was on the bottom. Amused green eyes looked up at me as those long legs wrapped around my waist.

“Take me, I’m yours...again...and always.”
 

**********************

It was some time later that we headed downstairs – freshly showered and dressed in jeans and sweaters that were thick enough to keep out the fall chill. We found Danny and Red on the deck in the back where there was a large outdoor fireplace. Red was showing Danny what he considered to be the proper way to grill the fish on it, which would come in handy, should Danny ever be stranded somewhere without a gourmet chef. To his credit, he was doing a good job of looking deeply interested in what Red was telling him. I saw that there was already a huge salad ready and Red had some potatoes baking alongside the fish, so dinner was essentially done.

“About time you two came up for air. You’re not as young as you used to be, you know. You might want to take some vitamins or somethin’ when you’re going to be gettin’ up to such shenanigans that many times in one day,” Red grumbled.

“Maybe they were napping,” Danny suggested, his dimples deepening as he glanced at Luke from the corner of his eye.

“Nope, just some good old sodomy. Morning, noon and night. Keeps a man happy,” Luke said cheerily. “Toss me a pillow, Pup?”

I had to chuckle at the face Danny made. I suppose that even for an out and proud gay man, there is such a thing as TMI when it involves father-figures.

Red didn’t help by adding, thanks to his ever-keen powers of observation, “From the way English is walking, looks like two pillows are needed. When are you boys gonna learn to take it a little easy on each other?”

Face slightly red, Danny left to fetch two pillows from the great room. Red looked at Luke as he said, “Can you believe him? Acting all embarrassed? Back in the day when we used to visit him and Lanier, they would be all over each other and Lanier was always sitting down like he had....”

Luke’s laugh cut off whatever colorful metaphor Red was about to share. “That was a completely different thing, Red. No kid ever wants to think of older people having a sex life.”

“Watch who you’re calling older,” I said, pretending offense. The teasing continued after Danny came back in, with Luke pulling me onto his lap and pawing me until his brother cried uncle.

“All right! You have a healthy sex life! But contrary to what you have concluded,” he said, grabbing a beer and drinking half of it down in one swallow before he continued, “I am not put off by the two of you together. I’m just missing Brian and feeling horny, and Red won’t cooperate so....”

That last part sent us all into whoops. Eventually we settled down to eat, talking quietly and reminiscing over the old days. It was when we were enjoying a drink after dinner, watching the sun sink down among the mountains that Luke returned to his earlier topic. It is always at such peaceful, good times that I find myself blindsided.

“I feel so much better having gotten rid of all that baggage. You know, the secrets,” Luke began in a thoughtful tone. “I really recommend it.”

Danny looked at Red quizzically. “If this is about that last piece of cake, I’m innocent this time, big guy. ‘Fess up.”

“Don’t think that’s what he’s gettin’ at, kid,” Red answered, his dark eyes thoughtful.

“Then what?”

“Thinkin’ it’s about time for English to spill his secrets, Irish?” Red’s voice was soft but a chill went through me. I stole a quick glance at Luke. His green eyes were steady as he reached his hand out and took mine in a firm grip.

“Why, Peter? Why did you leave the service and go to live with Simon? He had to have something on you for you to take all that you did from him for so many years.”

“If Peter hasn’t told even you in all this time,” Danny said, looking back and forth between his brother and me as an awkward silence reigned, “it’s certainly not something he wants to share for the first time in front of me.”

“Well, I don’t know that I agree,” Luke said, my hand still held tightly in his large one, his thumb stroking along my palm in an attempt to be comforting. It wasn’t working.

“What do you think, Peter? There had to have been so many times when you had to walk a tightrope between being there for Danny, whom you’ve loved like a son, and following the orders of that madman...I mean, your cousin. There had to have been plenty of times Danny handled something on his own because he couldn’t trust his buddy ‘George’.”

I felt as though I’d been sucker punched. I tried to pull my hand away but Luke wouldn’t release his hold on me.

“Let go, Luke,” I ground the words out. He didn’t. Instead, he pulled me closer, wrapping his arms around me in a vise-like embrace. Danny came over and kneeled in front of us. He took my free hand – the one I was contemplating smashing into his brother’s face.

“No, Peter. Please, don’t get angry at Luke. He’s wrong to lay that particular guilt trip on you. I had no claim on you and I’ve often worried that you actually stayed with Edward longer than you wanted to out of a sense of obligation toward Angel and me. You were a great friend to us and helped tremendously. I owe you a great debt of ...”

“No!” My shouted word caused him to stop.

Red was sitting on the wood railing, calmly carving something with his knife. While my anger upset Danny and Luke, it merely made Red look up and say, “You know there’s a lot to be said for gettin’ things off your chest, English. This particular secret should have come out years ago. The fact of the secret is worse than the truth.”

His tone made me scrutinize him carefully but his gaze was as bland as ever. Yet, looking into those dark eyes, I knew that once again, Red was privy to secrets that others thought unknown to any third party. I did not know how he did it. But he knew. When over the years he had found out, I did not know; he’d certainly never given me any indication, but at some point, he must have learned the sorry story. I should have known he would have dug until he found out the truth to make sure that it wouldn’t pose any risk to his beloved Luke and Danny. Still, I had to appreciate the fact that he hadn’t ever told Luke. Or Doug, presumably. Which left Hank as the only possible person to have told him, and even he did not know all of the truth. Unless Red somehow got it out of Edward.

“Peter?” Luke’s voice was soft, questioning. He still had his arms around me. His lips moved close to my ears. “Nothing would change the way I feel about you. And I know Danny feels the same. That includes even if you decide not to tell us. I was just thinking today of how much lighter I feel with the weight of my secrets and guilt off my shoulders. I want you to have the same feeling of lightness.”

I sighed. “I’m going to hold you to that,” I whispered to him. Then, to Danny I said, “Get the whiskey.”
 

**********************

(1992, Saudi Arabia – Post Operations Grandy and Desert Shield)

I got out of the Humvee with a groan that made my driver laugh. I joined in, albeit ruefully.

“I’m not as young as I used to be,” I said. “These rides over bumpy roads have lost some of their charm.”

My driver scoffed. “Yeah, you must be all of what? Twenty-eight? How did you get to be a Major so young?”

I grinned. If I hadn’t been hopeful of seeing Luke on this visit to the American base, I would have explored the appreciative light in the driver’s brown eyes. He was a fit young man. But no man could compare favorably to my bonny Luke.

I carried my bag into the officers’ barracks. I saw Hank immediately, sitting at the front desk. He jumped up and came around it to greet me cheerfully. He shook my hand then insisted on taking my bag.

“Major! It’s great to see you! Damn, Luke and the others won’t be back until day after tomorrow but I can try to get a message to them. You look great!”

“So do you, lad.” Once the driver left, I pulled Hank into a hug. “And what’s with this Major nonsense?”

He laughed in his shy way. “Luke is a Major now. It’s made us all much more conscious of how important they are. You were really easy going – most of the majors you meet can be real ... well, they’re not as nice as you.”

I raised an eyebrow. “Are you telling me that Luke has become stuffy and makes you salute him?”

Hank looked appalled. “No! It’s just that with him being a major we have more of the brass hanging around him. So we have to salute him cos they expect us to salute them.”

“Does Red follow protocol?”

“Are you kidding?”

We both laughed. The idea of Red saluting Luke on a regular basis was pretty amusing. Hank hoisted my bag to his shoulder and said, “Let me show you your quarters and then if you’d like, I could show you where the officers’ lounge is.”

“I would rather we try to find a place where the two of us could share a drink. Come on, show me these fine quarters you have assigned to me – I trust that I am close to a certain over-sized Major?”

“Just happen to be right next door to him, sir.” I mock glared at him and he smiled and amended his answer, “I mean, Peter. Follow me.”

We made plans to meet in an hour’s time. I took a leisurely shower and dressed in casual clothes, per our agreement, since we were going into the local commercial area that had sprung up to cater to the military personnel. It enabled the military people to be freer, as they were used to, without offending Saudi sensibilities.

At Hank’s request, we went to a quiet looking establishment that Hank said he’d been wanting to go to but Doug had not had the chance yet to take him to.

“He ordered me not to go on my own, but I’m sure he would be okay if you’re with me,” Hank said ingenuously. I laughed and agreed. I thought that even the overly protective Doug would likely find me, a highly trained M16 operative, a suitable bodyguard for his boyfriend in whatever passed for a gay bar around here.

We were slightly disappointed to find the club to be rather tame – no dancing boys or scantily clad waiters. There was a piano player knocking out jazz for a throaty voiced transvestite in one room and in another, couples of all types were enjoying romantic dinners by candlelight. We chose the third room, which resembled a taproom back in England...or Pittsburgh...except perhaps the booths were cleaner.

We ordered drinks and a light dinner. Hank caught me up on how the gang had been faring since I last saw them during the height of Operation Grandy – what the Americans called Desert Shield. Red was his usual irascible, irreverent self. Big Eli was proving to be an able Marine, but what he really wanted to be was a medic, so he was taking classes in that. Private Lee, the young man who had fought me so fiercely for his unit had also made his way to Luke’s squad. He was now a Sergeant, like Hank, and was a brilliant tactical officer.

Most of his conversation, however, was devoted to telling me about the love of his life, Doug Jones. Doug was a fantastic pilot, the bravest of soldiers, the tenderest of lovers. I had to smile at his youthful enthusiasm. Doug and Hank had been together for some time now, but there seemed to be no chance of the bloom ever fading from this particular rose. If several years of military life had not done it, with a war thrown in along the way, it was difficult to fathom what could.

“So, when Doug got those fellows straightened out, it was clear sailing....” Our dishes had been cleared and Hank was finishing yet another story about his hero when we were approached by a trio of wealthy looking locals.

“Gentlemen, may we join you for a drink, and perhaps some conversation?” the lead man asked, speaking in Oxford accented English. Hank looked to me for guidance. I shrugged. I should have politely declined but the truth was, as much as I liked Doug and enjoyed Hank’s company, a little bit of love’s true bliss goes a long way with me. So, I gestured for the men to sit down, shifting over so that I was sitting closer to Hank. The booth was shaped like a horseshoe so we found ourselves wedged in by Saudis on both sides. The first man introduced himself as Aziz, and his two companions as Mujab and Badi.

“My name is Peter and this is Hank,” I said, also giving only our first names. “We are honored by your company.” I knew some Arabic but decided against using it, deeming it better to keep some cards up my sleeve, as Red would no doubt put it. No, Red would have a much more original way of phrasing it, I decided, as I accepted a drink from Aziz.

“To lovely new friends,” Aziz toasted us, raising his glass to clink it against mine. I raised my eyebrow at the adjective. He seemed quite fluent in English but even the best of linguists can make a mistake, I reasoned, determined not to leap to any conclusions.

Within a couple of minutes, it was obvious that Aziz had not made a mistake, at least not so far as his choice of words. He intended to call Hank and me lovely. We were both blond and fair-skinned, with somewhat pretty features for men, if one ignored my stubborn chin and Hank’s slightly protruding ears.

Our Arab friends were willing to overlook such deficiencies. Their attentions became more...attentive...as the evening went on, and eventually I called a halt.

“We really must be leaving. Our friends will be arriving back at the base tonight and we should be there to greet them. It has been delightful meeting you, but....”

“The evening is still young, Peter. You must come back to our living quarters with us and enjoy some of our very fine wine that we have there. Much better than the inferior beverage found here.” Aziz smiled broadly, his teeth sparkling white against his dark skin.

“Any other time, I would be delighted to accept, but,” I smiled just as broadly, “not tonight. May I ask you to stand and let Hank and me out, please?”

“I will be delighted to oblige you, my dear Peter.”

Feeling slightly relieved, although admittedly surprised that he gave in so easily, I slid out of the booth, tugging on Hank to get him to follow. To my surprise, he was recalcitrant. To me, that is. To Mujab, he was acting like he was the prayer that was answered, leaning against the tall dark-haired man as though he were boneless. He was giggling as Mujab bent and whispered in his ear. To my amazement, my young Marine Sergeant friend who was part of a committed couple allowed this chance-met Arab to lick his shell-like ear! Before I could say or do anything, Hank raised shining eyes to me.

“Peter! Mujab says they own a diamond mine and they have lots and lots of diamonds at their place. Can’t we go look, just for a few minutes? I’ve never seen any diamonds straight from a diamond mine before!”

“I don’t think that’s a good idea, Hank. Your commanding officer is sure to check and make sure you are back in quarters by curfew, not to mention your Captain, who is especially diligent about checking in on you.”

“We’re good, Peter. We’re just gonna have some fun. As long as you’re with me, Doug’s not gonna mind,” Hank smiled sweetly. Looking at him more closely, I saw that his eyes were dilated more than was accounted for by the dim lighting of the bar. He was flushed. I tried to remember how much he had to drink. Luke had always said Hank had no head for alcohol, but he’d meant it in comparison to the rest of them, who could drink like fish. Well, perhaps I should have limited his drinks, but really, a Marine Sergeant shouldn’t have to be babysat.

“Hank, it is time to go,” I said in my command voice. He tried to straighten up, but staggered against Mujab again.

“Perhaps you should head back to your base and entrust Hank to us?” Aziz suggested silkily. “As soon as he is feeling better we will bring him back to you. No doubt some strong coffee will make him feel much more like himself and ready to face his commanding officer.”

I looked at Aziz and smiled. “I thank you for your considerate offer but I do not believe that will be necessary. Hank would do best to come with me now.”

“Let us give you a ride then. I do not think he is capable of walking very far,” Aziz suggested. “Badi, please be so kind as to retrieve the car.”

Badi left. I walked over to Hank and tried to get him to lean on me in order to head out of the club. I was hopeful that he would be able to walk well enough with my help to get back to base. This situation was looking worse by the minute but there was no way in hell I was leaving Hank on his own with these men.

Unfortunately, there was also no way I was getting Hank to walk anywhere. No sooner did the four of us walk out of the club into the Saudi night, than Hank started to slide to the ground, passing out on me. Aziz took it in stride, calmly ordering Badi to pick Hank up and carry him the rest of the way to the car, which was a long black limo with darkened windows. Reaching it, he looked at me with a half smile.

“Ah, a dilemma, Peter. Do you go back to base like a good soldier, or do you stay with Hank, like a good friend?”

I sighed. “I believe I must put the demands of friendship first, Aziz. If your invitation still stands?” I feigned resignation and helplessness. The last thing I wanted was for these men to take Hank and leave me behind, which they might well do if they suspected that I would prove to be too much of an impediment to their planned evening’s entertainment.

The “apartment” proved to be a luxury suite in the best part of the city. I was having trouble gauging the ages of the three men. They were all university educated, younger sons of Arab oil men, as far as I could tell. No real responsibilities and too much money.

This would be a recipe for fairly innocuous trouble, except Arabs really frowned on homosexuality. So any adventures of this type would have to be kept very quiet. Foreigners would be best, especially if they disappeared.

Of course, I could be overly paranoid. But as we were offered more to drink while our hosts disappeared to “change into something more comfortable” I was not tempted to giggle at the cliched phrase as Hank did.

“Did you hear that, Peter?” Hank was falling over on the low, leather couch. “He said, he said....” Hank hiccuped. “They had to get into ...hiccup...something more...comf...comf.....you know. I never...hilarious!”

“Hank...don’t drink any more. Come on, pull yourself together, man. We’ve got to get out of here and get ....”

Badi came back in first. He was dressed in only a robe. I stopped speaking. He was carrying two more robes.

“Aziz asks that you put these on. We want you to feel comfortable also.”

“I feel most comfortable in my own clothes,” I answered quickly, before Hank could speak. “Hank also, as we will be leaving in a short while.”

“Perhaps you should let Hank answer for himself?” Aziz came in. Mujab was behind him carrying a tray with a bottle and glasses. I sighed. This was going to be tricky.

“Shall we enjoy a drink together before we explore what other delights this evening may bring?” I asked, looking as though I had given up my resistance and was eager for whatever the evening held.

“Yes, that is what I had hoped,” Aziz said, with another of his broad smiles. He nodded to Mujab, and the tall man set his tray down and poured four glasses. Badi placed the robes on the back of a chair and with a quiet word to Aziz, left the room. I sat on the chair that held the robes, leaning back against them as I casually crossed my legs. I patted the arm of the chair as I smiled seductively at Aziz.

“I am pleased to see Badi leave. I prefer even numbers. Much nicer than a large group for young Hank also. Can I hope that we can keep it just the four of us?”

Aziz looked delighted. “I live to please. He pressed a button on the phone, which seemed to function as an intercom, as Badi’s voice answered. He replied, “Badi, you are dismissed for now. I will call you if I need you. Stay nearby.”

Badi agreed, the disappointment plain in his voice.

Turning back to me, Aziz smiled. My attention was split between him and Hank’s activities with Mujab. The tall Arab was unbuttoning Hank’s shirt slowly, teasing him with compliments and sly touches. My heart ached for the innocence that was being trampled without a thought to the harm it would cause this innocent young man.

I sparred verbally with Aziz while I tried to think of a way out of this mess. If I didn’t think the evening would end in execution, I would be willing to take one for the team, trusting that Luke would understand. But it was different for Hank. He and Doug were monogamous. It was an integral part of their relationship. Neither one of them ever strayed. This behavior by Hank was completely out of character.

Too out of character. I looked suspiciously at the bottle. Aziz and Mujab had both drunk from this bottle so if they were drugging Hank, it was being added to his glass, not the bottle. I took a sip of my glass, watching my companion from under my lashes. It may have been my imagination but his eyes seemed to gleam with satisfaction when I appeared to take a deep gulp from my glass.

I allowed Aziz to paw me a bit while I continued to monitor the action on the couch. Hank’s shirt was off, and Mujab’s robe was open enough to reveal that he wasn’t wearing anything beneath it. He pressed Hank down upon the silk pillows that adorned the leather couch and his aggression was beginning to penetrate the fog that seemed to encircle my friend’s usually level head. Hank started to struggle but his efforts were ineffective and Mujab’s hand was slipping into his trousers to cup him roughly.

It was time to neutralize my “date” so I could help Hank. I leaned back so that Aziz had to lean down awkwardly to continue to caress me. He moaned softly as I reached inside his robe and cupped his balls, while probing his mouth with my tongue. Deeming him suitably distracted, I pressed my free hand on the trigger point that caused him to lose consciousness. He fell heavily against me, and I quietly rolled over so that he was beneath me on the chair. Glancing over, I saw that Mujab was fully occupied restraining Hank while he wrestled him out of his pants. I walked up behind him quietly and jerked him away from Hank. I was able to render him unconscious without any difficulty.

“Get dressed,” I hissed at Hank. Tears glistened in his eyes. “Peter...how did this happen? That man...he was touching me...kissing me. Doug is going to be so mad.”

“We’ll discuss it later, come on.”

In the end, I had to dress him. His hands were shaking too much to do anything. Instead of getting better, he seemed to be losing coordination as the minutes passed. I looked worriedly at the two unconscious men in the room with us. I was not sure how long they would stay that way. I also did not know how far away Badi was lurking. As it turned out, the answers were, not long or far enough.

Mujab stirred and sat up just as I’d gotten Hank up on his feet. I tried hauling him to the door while Mujab called to Aziz, “Wake up! They’re leaving! Quick, call Badi!”

Aziz murmured but he did not wake. Mujab got up and started toward me menacingly.

“Back off,” I said warningly. “I am leaving with my friend and will not permit you to stop me.”

He laughed, and if Hank thought the earlier comment had been a cliche, this laugh was pure Hollywood villain. All he needed was a curling mustache, I mused, weighing how best to attack while balancing Hank who was little better than a dead weight in my arms. No help for it, Hank had to be dropped for the moment.

Things got ugly when Mujab shouted louder, bringing Badi bursting in through the front door. Seeing my determined look as I stood between Mujab and Hank, with an unconscious Aziz on the chair, Badi didn’t waste time. He closed the door behind him and pulled out a large knife from his boot.

“You are not leaving,” he informed me.

I pulled out my own knives – thanks to Red, I carried two on my person and could wield both. They had never thought to search such a “lovely” looking man as me for a weapon.

“I am leaving,” I assured him, “and I’m taking my friend with me.”

They tried rushing me. I threw my knives at them as they came, hitting both of them in the chest. Not fatal hits, I thought, but enough to stop their rush. As they fell to the ground, moaning in pain, I turned to pick up Hank.

“You bastard!”

I whirled around and was just in time to deflect Aziz’ knife. He tried to strike me but I was able to dodge. He sneered.

“I must assume you did not drink as much as you appeared or the ruffies would affect you as they have your friend. But there is more than one way to subdue a man.”

Aziz knew how to fight but he was no match for me. The trouble was, I was mad as hell. And he was a big man who was fighting recklessly. He was also too mad and too high with adrenalin to know when to quit. He backed away and I thought he was giving up. Instead, he reached into a drawer and pulled out a gun. Before he could take aim, I leaped forward with a flying kick that struck his arm, knocking the gun out of it. He stumbled forward and my follow-through kick landed on his windpipe, crushing his trachea. I stared in horror at the man lying at my feet, gasping for breath. A few feet away, his two buddies lay clutching their chests, my bloody knives lying next to them. Hank was passed out on the floor behind me and completely useless.

For the first time in my life, I panicked. I was in a foreign country, one that was on barely civil terms with my government, and I’d just seriously, possibly fatally, injured three wealthy and no doubt well-connected citizens.

I called Edward. I gave him only the barest of facts. For once, he did not mock or tease. He grasped the seriousness of the situation immediately. He instructed me to sit tight and said he would have someone meet me there within the hour. I spent that hour rendering medical treatment to the three men, including an emergency tracheotomy on Aziz, using whiskey to sterilize my knife.

Edward’s man, a tall, muscular blond, was there in forty-five minutes. He took one look at the situation and nodded to me.

“I’ll take care of this, sir. Do you need help getting your friend back to where you are staying?” He glanced at Hank, whom I had lifted onto the couch.

“No, no, I’ll be fine, that is, if I can get a ride.” I ran my hand through my hair – I was totally unlike myself, on edge, unable to think clearly.

The blond smiled at me, a cold, humorless thing. “I have brought a vehicle for you. Here are the keys. Our mutual friend said to tell you he will be in touch with you once you have had a chance to sleep and recover.”

I nodded and took the keys. Hoisting Hank to my shoulder, I went to the door. Stepping out, I had to shift Hank a bit in order to free a hand to close the door behind me. That is when I heard it. The quiet sound of a silenced gun. That sound was followed by two more just like it.

Edward had sent me a hit man to help me out of my difficult situation.

I drove back to the base in a daze. I left the keys in the car and it was gone by morning. Hank didn’t remember anything about our evening out, but bemoaned that he had drunk so much that he had passed out and had earned himself a killer hangover.

Edward called me late in the afternoon of the following day – while I was still waiting for Luke to arrive and was debating what to tell him. Edward explained that his man had disposed of the bodies, making it look like they died in a fiery car crash. There was so little left of the bodies, it was impossible for anyone to find any evidence of the true cause of death. Even dental records would not have been of help in establishing identity; Edward’s man provided for some identifying information to fall from the car as it flipped down an embankment before bursting into flame.

As Edward divulged, in carefully coded phrases, the lengths to which he had gone to protect me and my “paramour” as he believed Hank to be, I felt his net tightening around me. It was enough that by the end of the conversation, I had only to whisper, “How can I repay you, Edward?”

He chuckled lightly. “Surely there should be no thought of payment between cousins, George! You were desperate and I was only too glad that you knew that you could count on me in your time of need. I hope this means we will no longer have such distance between us. I have arranged for a driver to pick you up this evening. Your commanding officer is willing to give you leave until you can arrange your affairs.”

“My affairs?” I repeated stupidly.

“Your exit from M16, dear boy. After all, they don’t really approve of our kind in her Majesty’s secret service, do they?”

I knew how to interpret Edward. He was subtly informing me that I would leave the service voluntarily or I would be forced to leave in disgrace by my superiors being apprised of my homosexuality in a way that they could not ignore. Such as my being caught in flagrante delicto with a gay lover and three dead Arabs.

“I am looking forward to seeing you,” I said, having nothing else I could say. I left the base that evening, telling Hank that an emergency had arisen back home. He hugged me good-bye cheerfully enough, sorry that I would be missing the others, but having no clue that our evening out had brought about such a drastic change in my life.

I was glad that I left Hank on such good terms, with him never knowing the truth. He died nine months later in Afghanistan when a land mine exploded under his jeep. I learned of his death in a letter from Luke. It broke the silence between us that had begun when he learned of my defection from the service to work for my cousin, whom he’d met once and hated immediately. When we met in New York City during his next leave to drink a toast to Hank, he demanded to know why I had left without saying anything to him. All I could do was look at him and say it was a family matter.
 

**********************

(Scotland, 2009)

When I finished my tale, there was silence. I was afraid to look at any of their faces. Instead, I drank deeply from my glass of whiskey.

“Well, I’ve never been a soldier, but I’ve been in some tight situations with sexual predators like those guys you described, and I would have done exactly as you did. Only in my case I would’ve called Luke and Red and they would have killed those guys the same as Edward’s guy did. The only difference is, they wouldn’t have been asses about it afterward.” Danny’s words broke the ice.

Luke pulled me close and said roughly, “How could you ever have thought I would think less of you for protecting Hank? Though that is my fault, not yours. I was so wrong to be angry when I should have known you would have had good reason for your actions.”

Red spoke last. “You should have ended their lives yourself. They deserved to die for what they planned to do – rape and murder. But for the rest of it, if the system didn’t blame you for being what you are, then you wouldn’t have been at your cousin’s mercy when it came to blackmail,” he said simply. “The only solution once he played that card would have been to kill Simon, but I can see where you didn’t want to go there then. Not while you both had folks still alive. Would make family gatherings awkward.”

I laughed weakly, leaning against Luke. The incongruity of that comment – I started to laugh harder. Danny joined in. He probably knew better than Luke and Red even how strange my family had been.

“Well, I think we need more whiskey,” Red said, and he went to get another bottle. Danny followed him, no doubt to look for some cake.

“I wish I had been there for you,” Luke whispered. “But I thank you for giving Hank those last few months with Doug. They were so happy together. Nothing ever ruined it for them.”

“I’m glad. I used to wonder if it had been worthwhile. That maybe I should have just gone along with Aziz that night and allowed Mujab to have his wicked way with Hank. There was no saying for sure that they would have killed us. Not if they thought they had gotten away with it. But I just couldn’t bear to see Hank handled like that.”

“He wouldn’t have coped well,” Luke agreed, master of understatement that he could be. He brushed my hair back gently. “Once Hank died and your father was gone, you stayed because of Danny?”

“No. That boy, Silver. I gave him medicine under Edward’s orders. He had an interaction with other medication he was taking that I didn’t know about – it caused him irreversible brain damage. I can never forgive myself for that.”

Danny overheard me and broke in on our conversation. “Excuse me, Peter, but you should forgive yourself for Silver. If ever there was a disaster waiting to happen, it was that kid. He took more drugs that just the ones you gave him and his epilepsy meds. He was in the clubs all the time, hitting on guys for pills. If it wasn’t something you gave him, it was going to be something from someone else. It was just a matter of time. Your care kept him going longer than he would have otherwise.”

“That doesn’t excuse me,” I argued. “I am, or was, a doctor. I’m supposed to ‘do no harm.’ In that case, I failed that basis tenet.”

“So, I see your misguided dopehead boy and raise you one slaughtered village of innocents,” Luke said. “Who has more to keep him awake at night?”

“Neither of you should be suffering sleepless nights,” Red said impatiently. “Life ain’t easy and it ain’t pretty. But all any of us can do is the best we can do with the cards we’re dealt. Dopehead kids, oversexed Arabs and slaughtered villagers with no knowledge of how they got that way. You can raise ‘em, or hold ‘em, but none of us are the type to fold ‘em until the game is over. And it’s far from over for any of us.”

“I’ll drink to that,” Danny said, raising the bottle and swigging then passing it to me.

“To the game,” I said, then passed it on.

“To the end of secrets,” Luke said, passing it to Red.

“To us.”

As I’ve always said, Red has a way with words.

Feedback for Arwensong

Return to Ghost Soldier