Chapter 20: Sniper Competition Tuesday 18 September 2007

Khudabah, Pakistan — Evening of twentieth day of capture

I didn't sleep as well last night because of my hunger and I still have the headache and the stiffness. Damn I'm pissed at Mustif, that son of a bitch. I can't stand it when women are mistreated and it's even worse when they're young like Zarika.

Ah, the guards are coming to take me to the cell, damn there are always three of them and they always have rifles. It's useless for me to resist with those odds, my goal has to be to survive and look for an opportunity to escape. I need to talk to Zarika and see what her plan is. Great, she's back with them today, but won't look me in the eyes, she's still embarrassed.

The guards took me down to my cell and tied me to the chair; Zarika left and came back with our food. I said," Zarika, don't be embarrassed, Mustif is a shithead and I'm going to kill him some day.

She finally looked at me and said, "I hate him and Hussein so much, they took me away from my home and killed my whole family. I know that if we don't escape soon Hussein will give me to his men and then the rats will eat me. Please can't you help me escape and take me to America with you?"

"I keep looking for a chance to escape," I said, "But they always watch me with three guards. If they were gone then I could kill Mustif and we could escape. Can you figure out someway to get the guards to leave me alone with just Mustif?"

"I have some ideas," she said.

We talked for the rest of the day trying to make plans, Mustif never showed up to torture me. At the evening before the guards came to take me up to the bed I asked Zarika, "So where's Mustif today?"

"I'm not sure, I'll see if I can find out tonight from Hussein," she said and then looked at the floor and continued, "You do know that Mustif was right, I love you? But I know from the way you talk about your Jens that you love her and only her. Since you can't love me like your wife, could you at least love me like your sister?"

She looked up at my eyes and was crying. I said, "I've always wanted a little sister and now I finally have one." She smiled at me as the three guards took me back up to my bed and tied me down for the night ... Time to dream about my Jens.

Kaneohe Bay Hawaii — Tuesday Day Eighteen

It was different sleeping last night with Jens spooning me instead of me spooning her but this damn cast is driving me crazy and I didn't sleep worth shit! I need to do something about this; I need to get this damn cast off. I slipped out of the bed and into my old bedroom without waking Jens; sometimes I'm glad she's a heavy sleeper. Where's my extra Kabar, ah there it is. Now I need to be careful so I don't slice up my arm ... Ah shit, Jens just came in and caught me.

"Hey jarhead, what the hell do you think you're doing with that Kabar? It better be picking your teeth and not trying to take that cast off." Jens said with a pissed look in her eyes as she snatched the Kabar out of my hand.

"This damn cast is driving me crazy." I said.

"Not as crazy as I'll drive you if you try taking that off again. The doctor said the cast needs to stay on for at least a week and I'm gonna make sure you listen to the doctor, for once in your life. Damn, sometimes you act just like a little kid. Try it again and I might have to spank you!" Jens lectured me.

"But," I said.

Jens interrupted, "No buts about it, do I need to call daddy?"

Damn I didn't like being lectured by Jens, and I guess she was right. Besides she really could call the General and no one can chew ass better than he can. I looked up at her, "I guess you're right. But do you have any way of making this damn cast so it isn't so itchy?"

"Of course my love, follow me back to my bathroom." Jens said as she walked away.

I followed her; at least the view was good.

When we got to the bathroom she pulled out some baby powder, put it at the edge of the cast and gently blew it up inside, it felt wonderful. "Now we can't do this very often because of your abrasions but this should help for awhile. Also mister, I'd better not catch you trying to stick anything up your cast to scratch your arm, if you do that it'll just cause an infection." Jens said, "Now come back to bed with me and let me cuddle with you."

I was thinking as she spooned me, damn sometimes it's nice being taken care of but other times it's a real pain in the ass. I hate being treated like a whipped dog.

Jens snuggled even closer to me and said, "Sorry my fiancé for yelling at you and treating you 'like a whipped dog.' I just love you and I don't want to see you hurt yourself. Your arm has a minor injury now, but if you take off the cast and break your arm the rest of the way, you'll be in a cast for at least a month."

Shit I forgot that she could feel my feelings and as usual, she was right. I brought her hand to my mouth and started kissing her fingers and said, "Dammit, sometimes I really hate it that you're almost always right."

"Get used to it my Ben; after all I'm the brains of this outfit. You'll do great today at the pistol competition only using your left arm." She answered.

It was going to screw me up big time especially on the defensive portion of the course, I couldn't move as well with it on and tactical reloads would be hard. At least the rifle part was done; I don't know if I could shoot with this fucking cast. And Friday would be hell at the snipe off, shit I could imagine what it would be like being out in the field with this on.

Jens said, "I'll make a deal with you. If you don't fuck around with that cast, and you know what I mean, we'll see if the doctor will take it off Thursday night so that you can do the snipe off without it. However he might say it needs to go back on Friday after the competition; if he does you're going to listen to him this time."

I thought about it and said, "That seems okay with me." Jens squeezed me tight and said, "That's the Ben that I know and love."

I turned over and gave her a great good morning kiss. "Wow that was some kiss mister. What's that for?" Jens asked.

"For taking good care of me even when I was being stupid and for apologizing for treating me like a whipped dog." I answered.

"So, the kiss was sort of like makeup sex without the sex? I can only imagine how much better it will be with the sex part. Maybe when that happens I'll even start fights so that we can have makeup sex." Jens asked batting her violet eyes.

I of course blushed and said, "I know, you don't have to say it."

We both laughed, "Stay in bed my dear and I'll bring you breakfast in bed." Jens said as she hopped out of the bed. I waited until she was in the kitchen and of course started screwing with the cast, she yelled from the kitchen, "Hey if you don't think I can feel that you fucking with that cast then you're crazy. Leave that damn thing alone or I'll come in there and tie your right arm down to the bed."

Shit I hated the thought of being tied up and she just might try to do that. From the kitchen I heard, "You're damn right, I'll come back in there and do that. Why don't you read your book to take your mind off of things?"

That was the best idea I'd heard all morning. I'd finished the Clive Cussler book and was a bit disappointed, I had read every one of his books and this one had a major mistake in it. So I opened up a new Kai Starr novel that I'd bought about an old west gunslinger kid named Josh Love, it was called Rustlers Revenge and started reading. The cast was still bothering me so I kept messing with it some.

Five minutes later Jens came in with breakfast and my eyes nearly bugged out of my head, she'd take off all her clothes. "Well, I'm happy to see that at least I can distract you from that cast, I was beginning to think you didn't love me anymore." Jens said faking her pout, "Now be my good Marine and eat your breakfast while I get cleaned up, I already ate in the kitchen. Since the brawn of this outfit is disabled the beauty and the brains need to pick up the slack. And for the last time leave that fricken cast alone, I can feel it every time you fuck with it and it drives me crazy. And you don't want to see what happens when I get too crazy."

She kissed me on the lips and danced into the bathroom singing, she was singing so loud I could even hear her in the shower,

"I can see U without even looking
I can hear U and U don't have 2 make a sound
I can feel U without even touching
I am near U even when U're not around

I guess I'm crazy, crazy 'bout U, boy
I guess I'm crazy, crazy 'bout U, boy
Guess I'm crazy, yeah, yeah

On a crowded street there is no one
Only U and me, if only in my heart
This feeling can't be beat, loving U's so fun, so fun
A fire burns in me, I don't need a flame 2 start it

I guess I'm crazy, crazy 'bout U, boy
I guess I'm crazy, crazy 'bout U, boy
Guess I'm crazy, yeah, yeah."

I guess there are worse things in the world than being crazy about someone; I sure as hell knew that I was crazy about her.

Breakfast was great, damn Jens has taken good care of me since the fight and my injury she really has spoiled me.

"Thanks for all the good thoughts my love, I wondered if you were 'crazy' for me," Jens said with a big smile as she walked out of the shower.

"Jens, it seems like you're more in tune to my feelings than ever, what's going on?" I asked.

"I'm not sure, but I do know when you got hurt I felt the pain too. And I can definitely feel it when you fuck with your cast. It's like my feeling detector for you has been cranked to HIGH, perhaps it's some sort of protection mechanism." She answered.

Well, I wondered if I could still hide some of my feelings from her. So I decided to think about Jugs and yes she couldn't feel that. Whew, I was pretty worried that I couldn't block my feelings but I felt better now knowing that I could.

"Well my love, are you ready for your shower?" Jens asked, "We have a cast cover to keep your cast from getting wet and I'll scrub your back for you."

I wasn't sure about this; about Jens helping me shower it was a little embarrassing.

"Hey, it's not like I haven't seen IT before." She said, "Besides you know we're waiting until we're married."

"You know, I really can do all this myself." I answered.

"Of course you could, but it'll be easier if I help. And I promise that I will be a very good girl." Jens said.

And again I was shocked. Jens helped me out of my clothes and put the cast cover on, she walked me into her bathroom; damn there wasn't nearly as much crap in the bathroom as Jugs used to have.

"Hey, I felt that. Of course I don't need as much crap to make myself beautiful as that fucking whore did." Jens said in a testy voice.

I had to think fast, "Of course not my dear you're much more beautiful than she was." And that comment saved the day and earned me the only kiss of my shower time.

Jens got the water temperature perfect for me, soaped up a washcloth and handed it to me, I closed the shower door and she patiently waited until I finished the parts I could get to. Then she washed my back, and it felt great. She kept her word and was a very good girl, even when she helped to dry me off.

"Wait right here my dear while I go and get your underwear and uniform." Jens said and dashed into my old bedroom. A couple minutes late she came in and helped me get dressed; again she was being a perfect angel. "There now, wasn't that nice?"She asked.

I looked down at the floor a little bit sad. "Hey, what the hell is wrong?"She asked me.

"It was wonderful, but, but, but you didn't fool around any and I sort of missed it." I answered.

She grabbed me and gave me a smoldering hot kiss, after it was done she answered, "Believe me when I tell you it was damn hard not to, but I promised you that I wouldn't and I always keep my promises. Don't worry my love, helping you this morning has made me hotter than ever." She swatted my butt and continued, "Let's get our Kimbers and head over to the pistol range. With that cast on, you'll need some practice."

We went into the extra bedroom and I tried to help Jens load up the Humvee, she wasn't having any part of that, "Ben you're injured, you need to save your strength for the pistol range and for healing. You just sit your cute little ass in the Humvee and let me do everything this morning. And don't argue with me and don't fuck with that cast."

I went and sat in the front of the Humvee and of course started messing with the cast. There are times I like being taken care of and there are times I don't, this was one of those times. Damn she was making me feel like I was an invalid. She made the last trip out, jumped in the driver's seat looked over at me and said, "Thanks my love for letting me take care of you, I know it's a pain in the ass. I don't know what's going on, but my maternal instincts are going crazy since you got hurt."

I looked in her eyes and I could see the depth of her love for me, I needed to choose my answer wisely, "I know that you're trying to help me and keep me safe, and I do appreciate that, but you're a little over the top. Do you think you could tone it down some, especially in public?" And I held my breath waiting for her reply.

She smiled and said, "Yeah I guess I have been going overboard and I'm so sorry for that," gave me a kiss on the cheek and continued, "I'll do my best to tone it down, but you need to do your best to leave that damn cast alone."

I thought damn that was easy, why couldn't it be that easy with Jugs or the other women I'd dated.

Jens said with some fire in her eyes because she knew what I had just felt, "Well my love, that's because they were all selfish fucking whores that were only interested in what they could get out of a relationship not what they could give. I'm not like them and never will be so stop comparing me to them before I get really pissed." She started the Humvee and pulled out for the pistol range with our escort following.

Yeah, she was right, why did I always try to compare the incomparable with the lackluster and mundane. Sometimes I'm just too analytic and made a promise to myself to stop comparing Jens with anyone else.

She said again knowing what I was feeling, "Damn fucking straight Marine, it's about time you realized I'm incomparable."

I figured, damn I'd better not think of anything right now unless it's Jens or the weather and that's what I did for the rest of the drive. As we pulled up I told Jens, "Don't give me any crap, I'm helping unload the gear."

"Of course my love, whatever you say as long as you're leaving that cast alone." She replied.

I wondered if fucking with the cast was really causing Jens that much grief and decided it might be a good idea to leave it alone.

We hauled the gear over to our table and then went over to talk to the press. By now everyone had heard of our fight last night and the reporters had a bunch of questions. For the most part Jens had become the defacto spokesperson for us so she answered most of the questions until Ms. Morgan asked, "Ben, won't it be hard today to shoot with that cast on?"

"Yes, it will, I'll have to use my left hand, but I'll try my best." I answered.

Well, that was the understatement of the day and I found it out the first time I fired my pistol. My balance was all off and it was screwing me up big time. Even though I've worked on it, I'm still not as good with my left hand as I was with my right. I could still hit the target, but it was nothing like yesterday and tactical reloads were a huge pain in the ass. I spent a bunch of time trying to get used to it, and was getting better. I looked at Jens and said, "I really can't do this with the cast on, how about we take it off and then I put it back on at the end of the day."