General

Chapter 8 – Shoot me

La Isla de Aquinas – Chapter 8

It had been ten months since we moved here, and I dreaded the day that dad would announce we were moving again. I had been helping Glenn with the last female shoot for the calendar and was enjoying myself more than I ever did in my life. This, to me, was another indication I really, really wanted to stay this time.

The shoot was the most daring one so far, as it was a copy of ‘Virgin Killer’ by The Scorpions. However, instead of a ten-year-old girl, a fifty-ish woman appeared. She was obviously nervous as hell. After she changed and I saw the picture we needed to copy, I knew why. In the original image, the girl is naked with a cracked glass effect obscuring her vagina from view. The woman was wearing a flesh-colored strapless bra and matching thong, which left little to the imagination. Glenn assured her that he’d airbrush out all visible portions of that bra, and he guaranteed it would be a tasteful picture.

Despite her age, I got hard seeing her this way. Glenn had anticipated this and gave me an apron with the studio’s logo before she arrived. “Here, Bud,” he said, “it’s the new company outfit. I ordered it specifically for you, ” and he smiled a knowing smile.

When I felt myself grow hard, I was very grateful for it. But, when we were done and Glenn dropped me off, I had a bad omen. And when I opened the door, it was immediately apparent why. Mom and dad were sitting on the couch, and my dad asked me to sit down.

“We’re moving again, aren’t we?” I blurted out and felt the tears welling up in my eyes.

“Yes, we are,” my dad responded coldly.

It turned out my dad was being sent to a new base in some hotbed in central Africa to help create a permanent presence there. In addition, my mom was asked to help set up the medical facilities, so not going there wasn’t really an option for them.

But as they explained the situation of the area we were moving to, it was clear to me they weren’t that fond of it. It was a hostile environment around the base, and many facilities needed to be created yet. Not an ideal situation for an almost thirteen-year-old boy to grow up in.

“We’re still talking about what we should do with you,” my mom said. “There are options, but none of them are completely worked out in detail.”

“Can’t I stay with Glenn and Gloria?” I said, making sure they wouldn’t miss this obvious option.

“No. Of course not! We can’t ask them to take you in for almost a year!” my dad said but looked at my mom with an expression I hadn’t seen before.

“We still have to work out the details, dear. But we figured we needed to tell you this now, so you can prepare for leaving too.”

I could see the struggle all over my mom’s face, and my dad wasn’t as confident as usual.

Later that evening, when I lay in bed, thinking about all this, I realized I needed a game plan. If I played my cards right, I might stay longer in Seattle instead of some hot hell-hole. Or worse, an army-run boarding school. If I could stay here, I could spend more time with Glenn and learn even more about photography. A win-win situation in my eyes.

The following morning, Glenn picked me up to help him with a shoot involving half a dozen models. We were going to take pictures for the winter billboard and shop decorations, and it promised to be chaotic with this many eighteen and nineteen-year-old models. Some of them were probably regular divas already.

Because of that, Gloria would be helping too, and the moment we started working in the studio together, I broke into tears.

“Hey… what’s up, bud?” Glenn asked, looking all concerned.

Gloria hugged and shushed me, and after my tears dried, I explained it all to them. I was careful not to mention the option of me staying with them. They needed to come up with that themselves. And Gloria did. Oh boy!

“They’re not taking you to a dangerous place like that! And you’re sure as hell not going to any boarding school either! Not while we’re around to take you in!”

She looked genuinely pissed. But, like so many times, Glenn was the voice of reason.

“He’s not our kid, honey. We can’t decide what his parents are going to do.”

“I know that!” she snapped. “But why don’t we talk to them and offer that Scott stays with us as an option?”

“Oh. We’ll definitely do that! But we can’t promise anything, Bud,” Glenn said, looking at me. “You know that, right?”

“I know. But thanks for trying!” I said, hugging them both and drying my eyes.

“Of course, honey. I’ll invite them over after church tomorrow, and we’ll see how it goes.”

Just as Glenn predicted, the shoot that day was more than chaotic. Half the girls barely listened to Glenn’s directions, and some of the clothes just didn’t fit properly. Gloria was helping the girls with getting dressed, and after I saw a naked butt and a naked back appear from behind the room divider, I just had to ‘accidentally’ take a look.

I knew I had to wait for the right opportunity to see as much as possible. I was so focused on the changing room that Glenn repeatedly had to correct me, obviously frustrated about how it all went down.

After a little while, my opportunity came. Three girls did one shoot together and had to do another one with a new set of clothes. So after a few moments and some talking, I knew they had to be naked. I pretended I had some stuff that needed to be placed in the back of the room. I walked past the closed bit of the divider toward the end of the room. I knew just where to stand there to see the entire hidden bit, which of course, wasn’t hidden from view from where I was standing now.

I turned around and… WOW!!! Three butt-naked girls were walking around in all their glory. Of course, their boobs weren’t big since they were models, but they were boobs, so I didn’t care. But their pussies were even more interesting. One of them had a thin, black stripe of hair covering it, but the other two were as bald as I was down under.

It was a good thing I was wearing my apron. I was now rock hard, and the strain of my stiffy against my jeans was very uncomfortable. But it didn’t matter because it was hidden, and I was looking at these nude girls. I was glancing so intensely that I didn’t see the broomstick. The moment I bumped into it, it fell over with a lot of noise.

I quickly pretended to be very busy but felt my face go beet-red. The girls were giggling, and I could hear them say things like, “how cute” and “he’s curious” to each other. I was glad they didn’t shout at me or something, and they didn’t seem bothered by me at all because they were still prancing around in the nude.

As quietly as I could, I slipped by them to get back to Glenn, all the while my eyes were focused on the bald slits of the two girls. It fascinated me greatly, and I almost stumbled over my own feet.

When I got back, Glenn shot me a furious look. And the moment he was done with this part of the shoot, he opened the door to the storage room and nodded for me to get in there.

“Don’t ever do that again!” he said with a raised voice, still with that pissed-off look on his face.

“I’m sorry. I just…” I tried but couldn’t look Glenn in the eyes, so I just looked at the floor.

“I know what you were doing. But I’m running a professional studio here, and you have to behave professionally too. Get it?” he said, still pissed off.

“Yes. I’m sorry, ” I mumbled, embarrassed, genuinely feeling sorry.

“If you need spanking material, just ask! I’ve got books for you to thumb through that will get you off within a minute. Just don’t…” Glenn trailed off, realizing he was ranting.

“Sorry. I promise I won’t…”

Glenn’s look was much kinder now and almost back to the Glenn I knew. A smile appeared, and he asked, “they do look good, don’t they?” and he nudged me in my side.

I smiled and said, “Yeah! Two of them don’t have hair. You know. Down there…”

“Haha! You DID have a good look. And they’re eighteen, so I’m pretty sure they shaved it.”

“Oh… Okay, ” I responded, not sure why they’d do that.

“Look, Bud. I’m serious. Give the models their privacy, okay?”

“K. Won’t happen again. Promise!”

And that was that. I didn’t intentionally peek again, although I did see bare boobs a few more times. Glenn later said that these girls were teasing me. I didn’t mind.

I stayed over at Glenn and Gloria’s place that Saturday night and was nervous as hell about the following day. Gloria promised me that she would talk to my parents about it and that I shouldn’t worry. But I still did.

Before we were done in the studio, Glenn called me over and handed me a thin book.

“Here, Bud. Look at this when you’re going to bed. It will help you out,” he said and smiled a conspiratorial smile.

The book was great. It contained all sorts of nude, full-body shots of models around the same age as the ones modeling this afternoon. The book’s title was ‘Best portfolio pics – Legal,’ and on the next line, it read, ‘Part III.’

As I lay alone in my bed and thumbed through the book, with just the dimmed light of my flashlight, I was quickly hard as a board. I started jacking it and was cumming hard before I knew it. This was some great stuff!

After I helped clean the breakfast table the following day, I couldn’t sit still. I was just too nervous about how my parents would react. So the moment the doorbell rang, I rushed over to the front door to let my parents in. There was a lot of small talk, but the subject of us moving inevitably came up. At first, my mom wouldn’t listen to Gloria, but thankfully, Gloria kept going.

“I assure you, Janice, it is no trouble at all! In fact, we’d be glad to have him over. He’s kind, helpful, and brings a lot of life to this house. Honestly, Janice!” Gloria pressed.

I could see my mom was struggling internally. She glanced at my dad, and his face basically said it all. He was okay with it! After all the struggles he and I had, he was finally on my side. I didn’t care if it was because he just wanted me out of the picture. I could stay!

The moment I realized this, my stomach did a backflip, and I was overwhelmed with joy. But my mom gave it one last try.

“But Gloria! We can’t ask this from the two of you! It’s almost a year!”

“You’re not asking, Janice. We’re offering! And we’re offering this because we want to. You can call us as often as you want to check on Scott if you want. But I assure you, he’s in good hands!” Gloria countered.

“I know… but…” my mom persisted, “you want to do this too, Frank?”

“Well… it beats going to Africa with us or going to a boarding school. And if it doesn’t work out for some reason, Scott can still go there. We’ll just have to arrange it remotely. As far as I see it, that’s the worst-case scenario,” my dad answered, clearly accustomed to the idea already.

“Well… then it’s settled! Drinks, anyone?” Gloria said enthusiastically.

And that was the start of a year without my parents and my sexual discovery with Glenn.

Copyright 2022 – Jason Crow
All rights reserved

Non possum manere nec expectare possum omnia de voluptate corporis mei invenire

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Here’s the download link to this chapter’s audio file: Link

But I recommend downloading the complete audio file (.m4a, .m4b or .MP3) for the best experience. There’s also an eBook in both the ePub and PDF format available for download here.
Click here to go to the Audio book/eBook page

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Chapter 5 – Funeral

La Isla de Aquinas – Chapter 5

I blink and open my eyes. Moments later, I hear it again, “Scott?”

So I turn to look at the door and see Audrey’s silhouette in the half-open doorway and the hallway light illuminating her from behind.

“Whizzit?” I grumble.

“I can’t sleep. Is it okay if I sleep in here with you?” Audrey asks and already enters my room.

“Uhh… I… okay.” I answer, not completely awake yet.

“Thanks!” she whispers and walks around my bed to get in on the other side of the queen-sized bed.

But then I realize I’m naked. “I’m… uhh… I’m not wearing anything right now. Do you want me to put on my boxers?”

Audrey doesn’t stop and starts crawling in. After she gets in, she looks at me and shrugs.

“I don’t care. I’ve seen you naked before when I was little. But if you want to, be my guest. It’s your bed, after all.”

“Kay. Good night then, Lil’ Bit,” I say as I move around a bit to find my spot again.

“Night. And thanks,” Audrey whispers as I feel her doing the same.

She never slept with me before, and although I know perfectly well this isn’t anything sexual, I get hard from the idea of this pert little girl in bed next to me, with the events of last night adding to the whole vibe.

The time Audrey saw me naked was a few years ago. She was around seven or eight at the time, and we were swimming in the pool. Gloria was at work, so it was just Glenn, Audrey, and me. At first, when Glenn and Audrey disrobed and jumped in the pool, I felt a bit odd. When I was alone with Glenn, being naked together was never weird. But I realized I had a slight mental block now that this young girl was here too. But when they both called for me to join them, I decided to drop my inhibitions and was in there with them in the blink of an eye. And that was that. We played in the pool, dunked each other, threw a ball around, and did all the stuff you do in a pool. We just did it naked.

After we swam, we dried off, got dressed, and didn’t talk about it anymore. To Glenn and Audrey, it was the most normal thing in the world. Just like it was to me when I was younger. But I guess me being older now caused me to think about it a bit differently.

Staring at the ceiling, I figured sleep wasn’t coming anymore with Audrey next to me. But the last day’s events wore me out more than I expected. The stir beside me awakened me, and I felt Audrey’s arm drape itself over my chest. After lying like this for a few minutes, I glance over to my left and see Audrey lying on her belly, still dressed in her T-shirt and loose-fitting boxers. These boxers are pulled down a bit, showing off the top of her ass crack.

I giggle internally about it when I realize I’m lying here, completely exposed. I kicked off the blanket during the night, and it fell to the floor. I know nudity isn’t an issue to Audrey, but still… But if I move, she wakes up. Oh boy…

As a compromise, I casually drape my right hand over my Johnson. Audrey’s eyes flutter open the moment I move, and immediately a smile spreads across her face.

“Morning, Scott,” she says cheerfully.

“Morning. Sleep well?” I ask, glad that the glumness of last night seems to be gone for now.

“Like a baby!” and she gets up a bit to hug me tightly and says, “Thanks for letting me sleep here with you!”

“Of course,” I say as I hug her back. The moment the hug is done, Audrey sits up straight. Unfortunately, this suddenness doesn’t give me the chance to cover up again, and she openly looks at my penis. Thank god I don’t have morning wood. At that moment, I notice her shirt is inside-out. Was it like that the night before?

Before I can ask about it, Audrey asks, “what do we do today?” She looks me in the face now, clearly not caring about my nakedness.

“Dunno. The only thing we need to do is make sure everything is set for the funeral. So we need to pick out some clothes, get the paperwork ready, that sort of stuff.”

“We’ll do this together, right?” she asks, looking down a bit sad.

“Of course we will, Lil’ Bit! But I need your help as much as you need mine. We’re in this together. But the two of us will get through it. No matter what!” I extend my arms, and Audrey dives in for another hug.

I hear her sniff and just hold her tightly. I don’t know what to say or do. I just want to be there for her the best I can. And I’m confident we’ll manage this together. I really am. Audrey is a bright kid, and Glenn’s attorney promised to help us to the best of his abilities. That’s what Glenn paid him for, after all. But I knew it wasn’t just for the pay. When we left his office yesterday, I learned that he’s a distant relative of Gloria, and Mr. Cohen insisted we’d call him whenever we had questions or needed help, and he’d take care of it.

I start making breakfast as Audrey hits the shower. When she walks into the kitchen, her shoulder-length hair is still wet, and she’s wearing the same short schoolgirl-styled skirt as yesterday. Her tight t-shirt accentuates her newly developed female forms magnificently. Because I’m currently dressed in just my boxers, I quickly sit down to hide my growing dick and look away to prevent it from becoming a full mast. Having a boner would just be too awkward for both of us.

After my shower, I get back in the kitchen, where I find Audrey cleaned everything, but she’s not in the kitchen anymore. Curious about what she’s doing, I head over to the living room to see if maybe she’s outside. The second I enter the living room, I realize something is wrong. I can’t see it right away, but I see Audrey lying there as I round the short space to the corner that leads to the couch. She’s curled up into a ball and crying her eyes out.

I pick her up the best I can and pull her into my lap. I gently rock her from left to right in an attempt to soothe her. The girl in my arms is crying with everything she’s got. I feel so powerless and inadequate to help this heartbroken girl.

“I miss him so much, you know?” she whispers between sobs.

“Shhh… I know, Lil’ bit. Me too,” I whisper back as I keep comforting her.

Tears flow down my cheeks as we sit there for about half an hour. After that, Audrey sits up straight, wipes her eyes, and kisses me on my cheek.

“We need to start doing something. I can’t spend my days crying on the couch,” she sternly says and gets to her feet.

“You know it’s okay to cry, right?”

“I know. And I will. But right now, we need to make sure to give Glenn the best funeral we can.”

This girl just keeps surprising me more and more. I know she needs room to mourn, and I promise myself I’d help her with that. But she’s right. We need to start working on the arrangements.

We spent the entire day calling people, browsing the internet, looking in Glenn’s closets for insurance papers. Finally, at the end of a long day, we’re pretty sure all the correct wheels are set in motion. Neither of us is in the mood to make dinner, so we order Chinese takeout and stare blankly at some lame movie Netflix recommended us.

“Can I sleep with you again tonight?” Audrey asks out of the blue, looking at me with her puppy eyes.

Not seeing any harm in it, I say, “Course, Lil’ Bit. It’ll be good for both of us.”

For things to stay at least a little bit modest, I decide to keep my boxers on as I crawl under the covers. I hate wearing clothes to bed. Every night I pop a few boners, and wearing clothes causes it to get trapped in the fabric, which in turn causes me to wake up. But with a twelve-year-old girl beside me, it’s just the right thing to do even though she doesn’t seem to care less if I’m naked or not.

Audrey enters my room dressed the same as last night. And again, I notice what a fine young woman she’s becoming. I lift the blanket at her side, and as she crawls in, I’m presented with a great view down the front of her t-shirt. I don’t see her tits completely, but the top of her nipples are clearly visible. I quickly look the other way, and as Audrey cuddles up to me, I do my best to think about other things than this girl’s developing breasts.

“Thanks for not being weird about this,” Audrey says as I feel her setting in for the night.

“No problem. Glad to help.”

“Well… I like it, so thanks,” she responds and starts yawning loudly.

“Night, Lil’Bit,” I say and kiss her on her forehead, tired too from the stressful day.

The following days are all centered around getting the funeral arranged. We select a casket, hire a funeral director, select a caterer, that sort of stuff. We also make sure the place under the tree, next to Gloria’s grave in the back of the yard, is ready. During all these tasks, Audrey and I basically act as one. In addition, Mr. Cohen makes sure all the insurances are taken care of and that everything is paid for.

So, eventually, the big day arrives. I wake up before Audrey does, glad the poor girl had some sleep. As I lay in bed, thinking about the dreadful day ahead, I feel Audrey stir beside me.

“Hey,” she whispers.

“Hey. This is the day. How do you feel?”

“I did sleep a few hours. Didn’t expect that.”

“Yeah. Me too.”

“I wish this day was over…” she says, barely above a whisper.

“So do I, Lil’ Bit. We’ll stick together today and get through it. You and me. Deal?”

Audrey looks at me, and with a vague smile, she says, “That sounds like a deal!”

We get up, get dressed, and eat breakfast together. Neither of us eats a whole lot since we’re too tense about the day ahead of us. However, the funeral director is right on time, and at practically the same time, Mr. Cohen arrives. Together, we recheck the schedule of the day, which visibly puts Audrey at ease.

The funeral was… well… a funeral. We cried a lot but also chuckled at some old stories from Glenn’s earlier life. I was surprised to see almost all my special forces crew members showed up. We talked a bit after the funeral was done and agreed to meet up sometime in the near future to discuss my role in the team. But they also assured me to take as much time as I needed.

“I’m SO glad this is over!” Audrey says as she kicks off her shoes and falls on the couch.

“Me too. But, honestly, it wasn’t as bad as I expected,” I say as I kick off my own shoes and loosen my tie.

Audrey looks thoughtful, and after a few moments, she says, “guess you’re right. Just not the moment the casket went down…”

“That was bad, yeah,” I admit.

“That was so… permanent, you know?”

“Yeah. The definitive ending of Glenn. A turning point for us to go on with our lives, I guess.”

“Yeah…” Audrey whispers as she looks at one of the caterers outside hauling out the last chairs we rented.

“Sorry for being so philosophical,” I say, realizing I’m blabbering.

“No problem. I know what you mean,” she sighs.

I’m a bit surprised we don’t cry at this moment. But then again, we cried enough during the funeral. So maybe the tears dried up. I do feel an urge to get a drink, though. So I walk over to the liquor cabinet and pour myself a big glass of whiskey. I’m about to turn around when I hear Audrey say behind me, “Can I have one too, please?”

I didn’t see too much harm in it, considering the day we had. So I pour a little bit in a glass and join her on the couch.

“Ahh… That’s nice,” she says next to me as she polishes it off in one gulp.

“You’ve had some before?” I ask, amazed.

“A few times, yeah. Glenn didn’t want to drink alone on special occasions. So last year, he started giving me some too. Always just a bottom of whiskey, though. Never much.”

I feel surprised hearing this. I know Glenn was a free-spirited guy, but I didn’t expect him to do this. To me, it isn’t a big deal, but some people might think differently about it. I was determined not to make a habit out of it, which of course meant I had to cut down on the drinking too.

After about an hour of small talk on the couch, I notice Audrey looking tired. Feeling drained after today, I suggest we go to bed. So we clean up and head off to bed. I quickly disrobe and slide under the covers, wondering where Audrey is. Moments later, she walks in, and I see she switched her white blouse for a light-blue tube top.

“Can’t sleep in my blouse, and I hate wearing a bra to bed,” she says as she sees me checking her out.

“I get it,” I respond as casually as I can but feel my dick stiffen and press against the fabric of my boxers as I can’t keep my eyes from the nipples showing through her half-transparent top.

The moment she drops her skirt and her laced hipster-style panties come into view, I’m instantly in full-blown boner town. This is awkward. Out of precaution, I place my hand over my boner. Just in case she suddenly cuddles up and touches my boner through my boxers. This way, I’ll have a way to deflect her. She turns around and stands there looking thoughtful as I let my eyes roam over her magnificent nubile body. I’m not sure if she’s standing there so I can check her out, but I certainly seize the opportunity.

After a few moments, she lifts the blanket and crawls in. And, just as I expected, she cuddles up to me. As she settles in, I feel her hard nipple press against my chest through the thin fabric of her tube top, and she lifts her leg to drape it over me. Then, just before I can say anything, her legs stops moving, just a hair short of my sack.

“Night, Scott.”

“Night, Lil’ Bit,” I respond, staring wide-eyed at the ceiling.

I lay there contemplating what had just happened. Is she showing off to me? Am I reading into something that isn’t there? Is she, like Glenn and Gloria, just more open about her body than most people?

An image of her standing there in her semi-transparent tube top and laced pink panties fills my mind. She looks sexy as fuck with her raven-black hair just over her shoulders, accentuating her white skin and blue top. Maybe I need to convince her to sleep in her own bed again before this gets out of hand. But, despite all that, sleep comes quickly.

Copyright 2022 – Jason Crow
All rights reserved

simul in uno lecto cum vix ullis vestibus, facito calamitatem

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Here’s the download link to this chapter’s audio file: Link

But I recommend downloading the complete audio file (.m4a, .m4b or .MP3) for the best experience. There’s also an eBook in both the ePub and PDF format available for download here.
Click here to go to the Audio book/eBook page

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Chapter 1 – He’s dead

La Isla de Aquinas – Chapter 1

“Try to see it my way…” I say to Jack, who’s looking doubtful at me, “I want to do something more with my life. Maybe I’ll…”

I’m interrupted by Kevin shouting at us from the comms tent, holding up the satellite phone, and waving at me. I look at Jack, who just nods, and I hurry over to the tent.

“Hello?” I ask curiously after I take the phone from Kevin.

“You’re mister Scott Harris, correct?” the voice on the other side of the line informs.

“Yes. Yes, I am,” I say, fearing what will come after hearing the formal voice on the other side of the line.

“I’m afraid I have some bad news for you,” he says, and after a short pause, “I’m sad to inform you that Mr. Taylor passed away this morning.”

It’s as if time stands still, and I feel like someone kicks me in my stomach. Glenn dead? But how? And what about Audrey? And, what happened? It takes me a few moments, and as I steady myself against the table, I regain my senses.

“Mr. Harris?” the voice says calmly.

“Yeah… sorry… I’m here. It’s just that… I didn’t expect this.”

“I understand. Mr. Taylor died this morning because of heart and lung failure. He was diagnosed with a very aggressive form of lung cancer just last week. I’m sorry for your loss, Mr. Harris.”

“Thank you. I’m… why didn’t he let me know he was sick?” I hear myself ask, knowing perfectly well that the person on the other end won’t or can’t tell me this, but there were just too many questions popping up in my head.

“I don’t know, Mr. Harris. But it all happened very quickly, that much I know. But… em… the main reason I’m calling you is because of the last will of Mr. Taylor. And, of course, about his daughter Audrey. Are you available to come to my office to take over the testament and settle some urgent matters?”

“I’m currently abroad, but I think I can arrange something for tomorrow afternoon. Is that an option for you?”

“Of course, Mr. Harris. Does four p.m. suit you?” he asks politely.

“I think I can manage that, yes,” I say, a bit blown away by it all.

The man gives me the address and extends his condolences again. I thank him, hang up the phone, and sit down on the nearest chair.

“Bad news?” I hear Jack ask.

“Yeah. Glenn died this morning. I need to get back to the states.”

“Fuck! That’s bad. I’m sorry, man,” he says and puts his hand on my shoulder.

“Yeah. Me too,” I say, fighting to hold back my tears. The last thing I want is to cry in front of the guys.

“Well, the job’s done here anyways. So that won’t be a problem. I’m sure if I ask Mike, he’ll fly you back to the mainland immediately,” Jack says, his hand still on my shoulder.

“Thanks. Appreciate it. You know I’m getting out now, right?” I say softly.

“I know. And we’ll see. It’s been long enough here anyway, so I wouldn’t worry about that too much now. So you get your stuff, and I’ll go ask Mike.”

I watch Jack leave the tent we’re currently sitting in. Right now, we’re in the middle of the jungle, searching for a wanted drug lord and rebel leader. This is our fifteenth consecutive job on this island I have come to love so much.

We’re at a reasonably sized island in the Caribbean called Isla de Aquinas. With its location a bit north of Colombia and east of Nicaragua, the climate is fantastic. But geopolitically, it’s a nightmare. So that’s the main reason my group and me have been here on and off for five years in a row, doing all sorts of covert operations for different reasons and different parties.

We’re currently at a small camp owned by the Colombian army. Our job is to eliminate the drug lord during his inspection of the production fields. These drugs are supposed to fund his campaign against the current, Colombian-oriented leader. Combined with Nicaraguan funds, this drug money would give him a serious chance to overthrow the current leader. Several mighty people didn’t want that to happen, so they called us.

We planned this job for over a month, and we spent more than a week in the jungle. So staying in some form of civilization now is nice, but getting this news by satellite phone sure as hell isn’t.

After high school, I joined the army. I didn’t do it just to please my dad. No. I aimed for the elite forces because I wanted to do all sorts of crazy shit all over the world and be damn good at it. THAT was what I wanted to do and eventually ended up doing.

I’ve done all sorts of crazy missions with our small but close crew. We’re the guys they call when it needs to be done, preferably without anyone knowing. And they almost always deny our presence and existence. This is fine with me. I get to do what I like best, and the pay is more than excellent.

But lately, after another covert operation in another jungle and another briefing by yet another bloated suited guy, I felt tired and fed-up. I wanted to do something more with my life. My entire life, I never really grounded anywhere. And after all this time, I want a place for my own to call home. Despite the fantastic teammates I work with, I have had it with being alone.

Between missions, I always visited Glenn as much as I could. He was more of a father to me than my real dad. My father served in the army for as long as I can remember. He is a high-ranking officer and changes base at least once a year. He dragged my mom and me with him across the world. By the time I turned eleven, I had lived in fourteen different countries around the globe. But when we met Glenn during our time in Seattle, my life changed. My mom and dad became friends with him and his wife, and I stayed over at his place a lot! I finally had a normal place I could go to and feel welcome.

My mom did everything she could to build us a comfy home each time we moved, but it was always on base, and the houses all looked the same over there. So it just never felt like home. But when I was at Glenn’s place, I was home.

And now he’s dead.

I gather my things, lost in my thoughts, hearing Jack yell at me. “Mike’s ready to leave, Scott!”. So I quickly drop the last of my stuff in my bag and walk over to the chopper. Jack waits there with a serious look.

“You okay, man?”

“Yeah. I’m good. Thanks.”

Jack gives me a firm hug, slaps me on my back, and steps aside to let me through. “We’ll talk later. But, first, we need to get you home. Take care.”

I nod, walk over to the chopper, and quickly get inside. Before I know it, we’re airborne and on our way to the big camp on the Colombian mainland, where a plane will take me back to Seattle. As we get higher, I notice a few of the guys looking. I wave at them, and they wave back. But at that moment, I’m sure I’ll never see them in a setting like this anymore.

“Bad news?” Mike’s voice asks, his voice sounding tinny as always through these headphones.

“Yeah,” I say as I keep looking outside, ”my best friend died today.”

“Shit, man. I’m sorry,” he responds thoughtfully.

Like most helicopter pilots, Mike is a strange but very likable guy. He‘s the typical adrenaline junkie, but he’s also the best damn pilot I ever met. He pulled us out of a tight spot numerous times, and I owe him my life. At least three times.

“Yeah. Me too,” I softly say, lost in my thoughts.

Mike drops me off at the large Colombian Air Force base, where a plane is already waiting. This is all very unusual, but the Colombian army is grateful for our help, so they help us out in return. Before I get out, Mike looks at me, pats me on my back, and smiles weakly.

“Take care, man!”

“You too. Don’t crash, okay?” I smile.

“Stay alive, okay?” he smiles back.

We always say this to each other when I exit his chopper. It became a running gag over the years, but we both like it, and it kinda grew on us. We bump fists, and I wave goodbye as I walk over to the plane.

It is way past noon when I enter my Seattle apartment. I shower, shave, and as I browse through my closet for decent clothes, I stumble across an old picture of Glenn and me together in his backyard. I take it in my hand and need to sit down on the bed as tears start forming in my eyes. This sure brings back some memories…

Copyright 2022 – Jason Crow
All rights reserved

Initium novam casus

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