In the Crosshairs of a Mother's Eye

By Rebecca Crawford

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Copyright 2003 Rebecca Crawford

CHAPTER 9

Liz and Calvin had a wonderful weekend. Thankfully, Liz’s had a strong spirit; she didn’t let what had happened affect her sexual feelings toward Calvin. Liz knew that the man was a lunatic and she was not to blame for his attempted rape.
Calvin flew back to Fort Bliss on Monday morning. Just his being there for the weekend had helped smooth the whole incident over for Liz.
Liz returned to the barracks to dress for morning PT. Shameca was there putting on her running shoes. “Hey, girl, are you doin’ alright?”
“Yes, I’m doing much better now that I was able to be with Calvin. I really miss him a lot.”
“You’ll never look at that PT field the same way again.”
“True, but I can handle it.”
“You’re stronger than I a.m. I’d be in counseling somewhere.”
“Some how this whole event has changed me. I feel stronger, more like a fighter.”
“You showed you’re able to defend yourself, I’d hate to cross you, Liz.”
Liz grinned at Shameca. “I just plan on always being prepared from now on.”
Shameca stood up ready to go. “It sure opened my eyes and it didn’t even happen to me.”
“That’s the bad thing Shameca; people always think it won’t happen to them.”
“Are you ready to go out there?”
“As ready as I’ll ever be.”
Shameca and Liz went out to the field. Liz looked over to the area where she had been assaulted and almost killed. She had put it all in perspective and it didn’t bother her to be there. They went through PT and the day went on like any other.
At school that day when Liz was off by herself testing some equipment Sergeant Ramsey approached her. “Shameca tells me that you know about us.”
“Yes, I do know, but I won’t say anything. She’s a great friend to me.”
“It could cost me my rank and position here at Fort Gordon.”
“Sergeant Ramsey, I assure you that you don’t have to worry about that. I believe in love and Shameca does love you.”
“I love her too, and I really don’t know what to do in this situation. I’ve never went out with any of my students.”
“Shameca has a special attraction about her. I can understand how she may have swayed you to cross the line of ethics.”
“Sergeant Ramsey looked at Liz with great seriousness. “She’s going to be getting her permanent duty station orders soon. I can’t ask for a request for her to be stationed here, there would be red flags flying everywhere.”
“Calvin and I have been in contact by phone everyday. You could do that and then get her to put in a request for change of duty here later on.”
“I know, but her odds of receiving the request are minimal.”
“I don’t know sergeant, but I’m sure you’ll figure something out.”
“I appreciate your silence in this matter, Private Richards.”
“I know. It’s okay by me. I better get back to my class.”
Sergeant Ramsey walked back toward his room. Before turning the corner he turned to Liz giving her an appreciative smile. Liz waved, and then turned back to the testing of her equipment.
The day of graduation finally arrived, and everyone was in a rush, shining shoes and brass. Liz had her hair neatly pulled up and looking great in her uniform.
“So, I guess this is it, girlfriend.”
“I suppose so. I want you to know I’ll never forget you, ever.”
“I feel the same way Liz.”
Shameca and Liz stood hugging each other. They had formed a bond in the last six months together. They exchanged home address so they could stay in touch. Their families could forward the mail to them until they learned the address of each others next duty station.
“We better get to the field. I sure don’t want to do my schooling over again.”
“And I don’t want to wait another six months to see Calvin.”
They went to the field; finding their places in formation. The base commander gave his speech of congratulations. Once the ceremony ended, Liz’s graduate group met in one of the banquet halls where they would be handing out certificates. Liz received the distinguished honor graduate award and her certificate of completion for the Signal Corps. All the soldiers left that day with a sense of achievement.
Liz returned back to the barracks for the last time. Tiffany was there packing up her personal items.
“Hi, Tiffany, I’ve hardly seen you since your return from seeing your brother.”
“I have a girlfriend I met. I’ve been staying with her off base; I just needed to get away.”
“How’s your brother been doing?”
“He’s doing much better. He’s home now under going some therapy.”
“That’s great!”
“Yes, it’s a real relief. Liz, I need to ask you something.”
“Anything, what is it?”
“How do you feel about homosexual relationships?”
Liz stopped turning to Tiffany. “I personally wouldn’t want one, why?”
Tiffany blushed. “My girlfriend is a lesbian. She really likes me a lot. She hasn’t tried to push it in my face or anything, but I kind of feel a pull toward her.”
“Tiffany, if you’re asking me if it’s okay to have this type of relationship, you’re asking the wrong person. You’re the only one who can answer that for yourself.”
“Your right, I hope I didn’t offend you or make you feel uncomfortable by asking.”
“Everything I’ve done, seen, and had happen to me since I’ve been in the Army leaves no room for being shocked or uncomfortable.”
“Thanks, Liz.”
“I hope things go well for you, Tiffany.”
“I wish you and Calvin the best.”
Liz finished her packing and was ready to go. She had scheduled her flight out and was anxious to get on her way. She said good bye to Tiffany catching a cab to the airport. Once she checked in, cleared security and was at her gate, she called Calvin to make sure he would be there to pick her up when she arrived in El Paso.
“Liz, I wouldn’t dare miss picking you up.”
“Just checking.”
“I have a surprise for you.”
“What?”
“I guess you’ll just have to wonder.”
“This is going to make my flight seem like forever.”
“Yeah, but your thoughts will be on me.”
“They always are.”
Expressing their love, they hang up. Liz boarded her flight fifteen minutes later and sat in a window seat. Liz thought about Robin and Lee. She would call them soon and bring them up to date on her lives events. In the meantime all she could think about was Calvin and his hidden secret. In three and a half hours she would be in his arms.
The flight was smooth with few turbulents. Before Liz knew it she had fallen fast asleep. The announcement of their arrival to El Paso woke Liz from a good rest. The stewardess was making her final checks to insure everyone was belted in and in an upright position. Suddenly the stewardess was paged to the cabin cockpit phone. When she hung up she stood facing the unsuspecting passengers grabbing the microphone.
“Your attention, please, it seems we’re experiencing trouble with the landing gear. Please don’t be alarmed. We’ll be circling the airport while the pilots run some checks.”
The cabin filled with chatter. Liz sat there thinking, ‘Here I go through all this military training, almost get raped, this incident is just about right.’
The aircraft had been circling for thirty minutes. Some of the passengers started getting frantic, others were crying. The only thing that really bothered Liz was the fact that her husband was watching below.
The stewardess came over the intercom again. “Please try and remain calm. It seems our landing gear will not release. We have been instructed by traffic control to land without them. I’ll be coming around giving everyone pillows. Please put the pillows on your laps with your heads upon them.”
The stewardess tried calming the passengers as best as she could. It was all she could do to keep her own composure. Everyone got into a crash landing position. The lady sitting next to Liz was crying and praying.
Liz tried to calm her. “Ma’am., try to calm down.”
“Its, just, I have three small children, I’m not ready to leave them.”
“You haven’t yet, just try to be hopeful.”
As the plane neared the runway Liz could see fire trucks and ambulances lining the runway. Liz grasped the lady’s hand next to her. “We have each other.”
When the lady took Liz’s hand the plane hit with force. There were flames and sparks flying off the bottom of the craft. Liz hit her head against the arm of the seat, gashing her forehead. The plane seemed like it would never stop. Liz knew that with the lengthy flight from Georgia, the fuel level was very low and the chances of an explosion were low. The plane went off the runway into the grass field; finally halting. The emergency exit hatches were opened and the blow up slides released. Everyone was instructed to remove their shoes before sliding out
The fire trucks were spraying the bottom of the craft to cool it down, while paramedics were waiting for the passengers, checking them out, as soon as they reached the ground. When Liz reached the ground a paramedic grabbed her arm leading her quickly away from the plane toward an ambulance.
“That’s a nice little gash you have there ma’am.”
“I’m just glad that’s all I have wrong with me.”
“I can understand.”
The paramedic treated her wound, bandaging it. “I don’t think stitches will be needed. Can you see okay? Any blur in vision?”
“No, none.”
“I think you’re alright. If you should experience vision problems in the next twenty four hours, please go to the hospital.”
“Alright, thank you. I just want to see my husband. He’s in the terminal waiting on me.”
“Ma’am, there’s a bus over there where all the passengers are being sent. It’ll take you to the terminal, but you’ll be taken into a briefing room before you can be released.”
Liz looked in the direction the paramedic pointed. “That figures.”
“Sorry ma’am, standard procedure.”
“As you can see by my uniform I get a lot of that.”
Liz thanked the paramedic again and then walked to the bus. All the passengers were taken in and led to the briefing room. An airline official waited for everyone to be seated. “As you were instructed by the paramedics, anyone here that has any residual or enhanced complications due to their injuries, please go to the hospital. I’ll be handing out our contact information before your release. We apologize you had to go through such a scare today. If you have any further questions we have our people set up in the back of the room to help you, again, sorry for your most unfortunate experience.”
The company official left the room. The contact information was handed out along with the settlement release form. Although some sought to speak with their attorneys, Liz knew her injuries were minimal. She signed the release form, giving her fifty thousand dollars and absolving the airlines from any recourse of action against them. This was more than Liz expected. Liz was given a copy of the signed form and escorted from the room.
When she approached the waiting area, she saw Calvin sitting sunk down in a seat with his fist under his chin. Liz walked up to him slightly kicking the toe of his boot. Calvin looking up; realized it was Liz. He jumped up; wrapping his arms around her. “Oh, Liz, they wouldn’t tell us anything! I have been worried sick! I didn’t know the extent of your injuries. Thank God you’re alright!”
Liz thought Calvin was going to crush her, he held her so tightly. “I can’t breath.”
Calvin released his gripping hug and kissed her bandaged forehead. “Sorry, baby, I was just so scared.”
“Me, too, I thought, here I a.m., I have a great husband and I may never see him again.”
Calvin smiled down at her. “Not only should we teach you fighting techniques, we may need to send you to airborne school.”
“What? And carry a parachute every time I fly.”
“It would make me feel better.”
Liz pulled Calvin down, kissing his firm soft lips and then grasping his hand whispered, “Let’s get out of here.”
They went to baggage claim; getting her duffle bag. When they went outside Liz expected to catch a cab, but Calvin kept walking. “Calvin, where are you going?”
“To our new vehicle.”
“We own a vehicle now?”
“Yes. I bought it two weeks ago, its part of your surprise.”
Calvin led her to a beautiful gold Tahoe. “I love it!”
Liz got in while Calvin put her duffle bag in the back. “What? You don’t want to drive?”
“No, I think I’ll wait.”
Calvin drove to the base pointing out where everything was. He entered the base housing area; pulling into the driveway of a duplex. It was very nice and fairly new looking. Calvin turned off the ignition; turning to Liz. “Shall I carry you over the threshold?”
“If this is our house, you’ll not only carry me over the threshold, you’ll carry me to the bedroom!”
“And leave out the wining and dining?”
“We’ll do that later.”
Calvin came around; opening her door and gathering Liz in his arms. “You better hope I don’t trip.”
“Hey, what’s another injury, I’ll live. Besides I was given fifty thousand for this one.”
“What?”
“You heard me. The airline is avoiding as many law suits as possible, so I wavered for the pay off.”
“Ah, beautiful and rich.”
Calvin went inside the house with Liz in his arms, taking her to the bed and laying her down.
“Undress me, Calvin.”
Calvin unbuttoned her shirt; slipping it off of her and then pulling her up to stand in front of him. He unzipped her skirt; letting it slide toward the floor. Calvin began caressing her soft skin as he reached up to remove her bra. He laid her back down slowly; rolling her hose down her long legs. His erotic obsession over took him when he realized she had no underwear on.
Liz lay naked before him; wrapped her long legs around him and pulled herself up as she began undressing Calvin. She removed his shirt exposing his masculine broad shoulders. She unbuttoned his pants sliding them down as he stepped from them. He had a full peak of desire, which made Liz heat with anticipation to have him. Liz put her lips around Calvin’s throbbing hardness slowly consuming him.
Calvin gasped with pleasure as Liz stoked him with her soft wet lips. Calvin pulled away pressing his hardness against her moving downward. Liz placed her legs at his shoulders leaving him the welcoming he so wanted. He penetrated her until he was fully consumed by her sweet tightness. Calvin began kissing Liz with hot passion causing her to ignite into an explosive climax. Calvin could feel the fire burning within her and he could take no more. He came within her; Liz feeling every pulsating release. Calvin lay on top of Liz, slowly returning from the world she had taken him to. His breath was close to her ear. “I love you so much, Liz.”
Liz lay stroking his back. “I love you, my husband.”
They lay in bed for some time enjoying the bond of their nakedness. Liz finally sat up. “I’m starving. Do you have anything to appease my appetite?”
“I wasn’t enough?”
“You quench other desires, but my stomach seems to have a mind of its own.”
“I bet we could whip something up.”
Liz looking at Calvin with a teasing grin, “And who is going to do it?”
“I’ll wrestle you for it.”
“Oh, yeah, Mr. Big guy! You know you might lose!”
“You think you’re that tough?”
Liz was on her knees on top of the bed in a fighting position. “We’ll see.”
Calvin and Liz started wrestling. Calvin finally trapped her with her hands pinned over her head. “I win.”
“I just let you!”
“Oh, I see, you just didn’t want to show off.”
Calvin released Liz from his grip. Liz slipped on Calvin’s big shirt and went to the kitchen making sandwiches and then bringing them back to bed.
“A gourmet meal?”
“No, just an intermission snack.”
“Oh?”
“I’m not through with you yet, Mr. Richards.”
“Such sweet torturous words.”
They laughed; eating their sandwiches. They spent the rest of the evening in bed satisfying each others most inner desires.
Liz had four weeks off before she was expected to report for duty. She spent that time pleasing her husband and taking pleasure in her wifely duties around the house.
Liz reported early; doing her in processing into Fort Bliss while Calvin was pulling his daily duty. She wanted time to familiarize herself with the base layout and her unit location. She still had a week before she was expected at her unit. She used that time to landscape the front yard, small as it was, in beautiful bushes and flowers. She wrote a letter to Robin and Lee and to her grandparents keeping them up to speed on things.
Calvin and Liz’s love grew stronger with each passing day. They were inseparable; enduring the times they had to spend apart. That night Calvin came home with unexpected news
 

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