Tess Awakening (7 page)

Kejal weakly took Tess’s hand. “Major, please
find my child. Don’t let the General have her. Please!” The hand
lost its grip, and Kejal died.

Tess wailed in desperate frustration. “Damn!
This is not fair! Let’s turn back and blow them to Kingdom come!”
Then she broke down, crying. The rest of the flight was silent. The
choppers landed at the base and were met by several Humvees and an
ambulance.

The crew that was downed was required to
undergo a debriefing and medical exam. After removing the burqa and
emerging in her sexy gown, Tess was quite a sight. For a few
minutes, the field hospital stopped functioning while the men and
some of the women tried desperately to stop staring at the stunning
beauty in their midst and to regain a measure of control.

Over the protests of the physicians, Tess and
Jake refused hospitalization. They promised they would be back the
next day for further checkups and debriefing. The staff eventually
provided Tess with a set of fatigues. After checking that Sergeant
Archie was okay and that the wounded were taken care of, she just
wanted to get the hell out of there.

Back at the battlefield the Coalition forces
withdrew. One U. S. soldier had been killed in the battle, but the
fighting had cost the Iraqis hundreds of troops. The losses
included one Republican Guard infantry battalion, one armored
company, two field artillery batteries, and one antiaircraft
battery.

Following the withdrawal, Coalition aircraft
launched an assault on the remaining defenses in Al Hillah. The
planes dropped numerous cluster bombs. Following the bombing, they
advanced and captured the city, encountering sparse resistance.
They then advanced towards Najaf. Small pockets of Iraqi irregulars
continued to hold out in Al Hillah, but nearly all resistance in
the city was soon annihilated. The Republican Guard no longer posed
a serious threat.

Chapter 8

Jake managed to negotiate a ride to Kuwait
City. “Where are we going? Tess asked.

“I booked us rooms in town. We need a bath
and some sleep.”

“I thought that all the hotels in town are
booked solid?”

“I have contacts.” Jake was a man of few
words and many means.

At the hotel, they had to wait for their
rooms to be ready. They sat at a table and ordered drinks.

“Jake, how did you know that we had been
captured and how did you get involved in rescuing us?”

“I just happened to be around when the other
pilots reported that the crews of two choppers had been captured. I
found out that you were in one of them and invited myself to go
along with the rescuers. We got outside the compound within thirty
minutes but landed far enough so we would not be noticed. I
insisted on leading the rescue. The army troops knew that I had the
stealth experience to infiltrate enemy areas and avoid detection.
We did not want to start shooting to protect the prisoners. Three
of us donned Arab clothes and managed to enter the compound looking
like locals.”

Tess smiled. “Looks like I was rescued again
by a strange man.”

“I can’t take all the credit. I made it to
the jail and talked to Sarge through the barred window. He told me
they had brought you inside, and that he and the men were worried
that something bad would happen to you. However, I knew that you
would not lay idle. I counted on you to manage the situation, and
you did. It would have been harder to rescue you if you hadn’t
escaped from the building on your own.”

“Just the same, thank you, Jake. I owe
you.”

They felt battered and spent. Their thoughts
turned to Dan. Jake started to talk about that time when he and Dan
had been best of buddies, going through the demanding regime,
planning their careers and receiving their first assignments as
real officers. They kept in touch and got together as often as they
could, telling tales about their adventures and consoling each
other over their lost loves.

Jake did not share that Dan had talked to him
about Tess and had tried repeatedly to get him to come out to Fort
Rucker and meet her. Dan kept telling him about how perfect they’d
be for each other. Jake had at first thought Dan himself was in
love with Tess; he talked about her all the time. ‘Tess is the best
co-pilot I’ve ever had – except for you of course. Tess is the best
XO I’ve ever had. Tess is the second best friend I’ve ever had and
I’d really like for my two best friends to meet. Come on down to
Rucker for the weekend. I’m telling you she’s perfect for you in
every way!’

But Jake had always been busy. CIA Field
Intelligence was not a job where you just took a long weekend —
hell you rarely took a regular weekend. Regrets were not something
that Jake let linger, but this one time he was sorry for not having
taken that one long weekend.

Watching Tess, Jake understood the tears that
had threatened when she talked of Dan’s death and he realized how
hard she had fought to be a good soldier, a soldier Dan would be
proud of. Yet, he still needed to know; he needed to be there in
some way, be close to Dan one more time.

Dan’s death; Kejal’s sacrifice. Tess now felt
the effects of her narrow escape from the malevolent General’s
grip, the ordeal of the crash and the horror of witnessing Archie’s
torture. She had reached the end of her rope and needed some rest —
a chance to heal, time to think. She turned to Jake. “I promised
Kejal that I would find her daughter and to bring her to safety. I
fully intend to do that.” Jake looked her in the eyes. “I know. I
will help you.” He did not tell her that he had no idea on how to
do that.

Then he reached over to wipe away a tear that
managed to escape down her cheek. The touch sent a jolt through her
body and through his. Their gazes held and he bent his head to kiss
her lips.

“Sir, Madam; your rooms are ready.” The
bellhop interrupted the moment.

“Just as well,” Tess quipped, “I am
exhausted.”

“Me too,” Jake replied.

They rose, sore and hurting in places they
didn’t know they had. In the elevator, they noticed their rooms
were on a different floor. At least that gave them an excuse to go
their separate ways. Tess’s floor was first. She gave Jake a light
kiss on the cheek and disappeared.

***

Settled in her room, Tess emerged from the
shower and slipped on a soft bathrobe provided by the hotel. She
dried up and started to brush her hair. It didn’t take long. She
thanked herself for making the practical decision to keep it short.
She could not bear the thought of an hour-long hairdo. She felt
totally exhausted, body and mind, not only for the past ordeal, but
also the impact of Dan’s untimely death, and her inability to do
something to prevent it. She felt immensely alone.

A knock on the door; she looked through the
peephole, and saw Jake. She opened the door. Jake stood at the
threshold, dressed only in a clean T-shirt and slacks. He also
looked sad and exhausted. Not a word.

“Come in,” she said.

Jake walked through the door slowly as if
entering a sacred place. He remained silent, staring at Tess, his
eyes boring into hers. She felt his sadness and overwhelming
need.

The world stood still. She closed the door.
Jake continued to stare at her with palpable, overwhelming hunger,
hoping with all his senses that she would not deny him. Roger had
never looked at her that way. Tess suddenly abandoned her defenses
and felt her own need for contact, comfort and refuge surge through
her body and soul. She did not want to deny him.

She went to him, folded into his arms and
kissed him gently, opening her lips to signal acceptance and
surrender. Jake trembled, forcing himself to touch her gently,
rather than rushing to possess her and plunge into the blissful
oblivion he so desperately needed.

Tess pushed herself away, took his hand, and
gently made him sit on the bed. She opened her robe and stood front
of him, proudly, like a Goddess waiting to be worshiped, masking
her own need. Jake’s heart raced. He felt awe and wonder that the
universal life force created Woman – this woman — perhaps the only
good reason for him to keep on living.

Jake removed his clothes, revealing a
graceful, lean and muscular body. Still sitting, he slowly drew her
to him, marveling at her body. He softly breathed on her nipples,
between her breasts, down to her center between her thighs. He
seized her hips and gently rubbed her belly with his lips and face.
He felt the tight muscles of her abdomen, marveling at the thought
that she would soon accept him inside her.

He rose and embraced her, standing, relishing
the wondrous feeling of her soft body against his. He gently rubbed
his lips against the nape of her neck. He nuzzled her ears, brushed
against her cheeks and gently kissed her eyelids. He put his lips
on her breasts which were enveloped in a luminous, pearly skin, so
thin that microscopic veins showed through. His penis rubbed the
lips below her pelvis and felt her, warm and moist. She started to
tremble.

Tess surrendered, laid on her back, breathing
hard, her body aching to be touched and explored. Once more, she
allowed Jake to taste her flesh. He softly kissed every inch of her
velvety skin, her neck, her ears, her breasts, and her belly and
that wonderful receptacle sheltering his delight. He could not get
enough.

They kissed softly until Tess took charge.
She always took charge. She threw him on his back and started to
use her tongue on his towering erection; licking the glistening
head and the hard shaft.

Then she mounted him, parting her moist inner
recesses, inviting the hard rod to gradually enter her. She started
to move rhythmically, savoring the sweet invasion deep inside her.
She suddenly felt an orgasmic release.

Jake feasted his eyes on the body of a
stunning woman pleasuring herself on him, but he did not want to
reach his own release yet. He wanted to take her
his
way. He
moved her to her back and again he let her guide his manhood
inside. He descended into her and started to move steadily,
lovingly kissing her mouth and breasts until she responded again.
He increased his rhythm until she moaned with pleasure. She bucked
her hips and he made a final few thrusts deep inside her, achieving
mutual ecstasy. More than just love making, it was a reaffirmation
of life, of love, of hope — an escape from a world that is often
ugly and cruel. They fell asleep in each other’s arms.

Chapter 9

Amir woke up with the most agonizing
headache he had ever experienced. It took him a few minutes to
realize what had happened. “The whore!” he muttered, “She was
planning to do this all along! He raised himself painfully and sat
on the side of the bed, still dazed from the blow.

“Kejal!” he called, with less authority than
usual. The mere sound of his voice reverberated painfully. Kejal
usually appeared within a minute of being summoned. Not this time.
Amir managed to stand up and went looking for the woman. No one was
around, not even his trusted lackeys. He went to the front door,
now realizing that he was bleeding from the side of his head. He
went outside, only to be met with chaos. Several of his men were
lying dead on the ground, others were rushing around screaming, and
heavy smoke was emanating from the prison. He remained on the
portico for a few minutes; the blood from his head dripping on the
collar of the beautiful robe, until one his men recognized him.

“General, the prisoners have escaped and done
a lot of damage!”

“From the looks of things, that is an
understatement.”

He quickly called Kemal, the garrison
commander and a couple of the senior officers, demanding an
explanation.

Kemal, brandishing a Kalashnikov AK-47
assault rifle just to show that he had some measure of control, did
not relish the prospect of breaking the news to the General, but he
had no choice.

“General, the woman and the American rescuers
did this! They surprised us. Three American helicopters fired at
us!”

Amir was almost speechless on learning about
this colossal ineptitude. “And what did you do about it, you
idiot?”

“We shot back at the helicopters, General,
but they had more firepower.” Realizing that Amir was about to
shoot him between the eyes, he added, “The woman, Kejal, helped
them escape, but I think we killed her!”

Amir brought his arm to the hip were he
usually strapped his gun, and remembered that he was not dressed
for the occasion. He would have shot the hapless soldier, but he
settled for a punch to the face that sent the man rolling down the
stairs.

“Where is the woman?!” he demanded.

“They took her with them in the helicopter,
General.” Kemal, still on his back, raised his arm to protect
himself from another blow. The General kicked him.

“Why am I cursed with eunuchs like you?” Then
he kicked him again.

Amir turned on his heels and went up the
stairs and back to his suite to get dressed. He would not admit it
to himself, but he had cared for Kejal. She was cold as ice,
stubborn and resentful. He broke her spirit and forced her to serve
him and to come to his bed whenever he fancied it. He actually
enjoyed her hostile and contemptuous passivity. It reinforced his
sense of domination — to impose on her body at will, without a
pretense of affection and foreplay. He was conscious of her silence
and stillness when he possessed her, relishing in the thought and
feeling that he was merely using the defeated to bring himself
pleasure without the need to reciprocate. Yet, he became used to
her presence and started to enjoy her beauty and elegance. He
eventually had hoped to reach an understanding, where she would
accept that what happened to her family was not such a clear-cut
situation. Now she was gone because of some illiterate incompetents
and — that treacherous American whore. It’s my fault, he reflected.
I should have ravished the bitch on the spot, without the
superficial pretense of seduction.