Veil of Silence (27 page)

“How could that be done?”

He looked at her finally.  “Major, I don’t think you want to know that.”

She looked at him for a long moment before asking, “Could you arrange that?”

“There are pros and cons with that plan.  One, he is going to know we are lying and if he already has knowledge that you arrived at the embassy, that could create some embarrassment.  Two, if he knows where you are here in the United States that could become a problem for you.”

“Do you think he knows where I am?” she sounded fearful, thinking of Heather and the children.

He looked at her sadly.  “I am not going to lie to you, Marsha, he could.  We don’t know his capabilities and America is a very open country; however, we never let the newspapers or media know of your return.  Now that your interrogations are over, they will have to inform the public that you are alive and returned.”

“Freedom of Information Act?”

He nodded.  “It sucks, but I would suggest that since you and your wife have lived in that house for many years, you may wish to think about moving.”  He saw her reaction.  “I’m not suggesting a witness protection program here.”

“If I wish to stay in the army, can’t they help me?”

“Of course, and officially you are out on maternity leave.”

“Oh, gawd.  If Zabi finds that out, he’ll have more reason to find me.  Sons are highly desired,” she was thinking of Liam.  She already knew that Amir was what Zabi really wanted.  If it was just Bahir, he might not be attempting anything.

“So what would you suggest I do?” she asked, worrying.

“For now, just live your life and rest.  No offence, Major, but you look like shit,” he noted the big circles under her eyes from lack of sleep and he didn’t think it was just the baby.  “Use your maternity leave, decide what you want to do when you come back, and just rest.”

“What if he…” she began, gesturing with the manila envelope.

“We can play ‘what if’ until the cows come home, Major.  I suggest we worry about the problem when it becomes a problem.”

“Since it came through official channels, don’t you have to respond?”  She looked very worried.  He wondered what kind of poker player she was.

“I’ll get to it in due course.  These things take time,” he answered and with that he showed her his copies of the paperwork, put them back in their folder, and put the folder at the bottom of the stack on his desk.

She smiled.  She understood the paperwork shuffle very well.  “Do you need anything else from me, Captain?” she asked formally.

“No, Major.  That will be all.  I will continue to keep you apprised of anything at this end.  In the meantime, I’ve been reassigned to this base and have other cases to work on.  I’ll let you know if I find out anything on the other promotion we were working on.”

“You are moving here permanently?” she asked.

He nodded.  “My wife is thrilled.  She’s packing up the old place now.”  He didn’t sound as thrilled, but that was the army life, from post to post sometimes.

“Let me know when she gets here.  We’ll have a barbeque,” she felt comfortable enough to offer.

He smiled at her genuine warmth.  “I’ll do that.”

Marsha got up to take her leave.  As she reached for the door handle, she looked back.  “Lance, if you could make this disappear, make him disappear, I’d appreciate it.”

He looked startled for a moment, thinking she was suggesting that he hire a hit squad for Zabi.  With the little he knew of what the man had done—he’d read the reports on the scars on her back and legs—he could only imagine the rest and he didn’t blame her.  Then, remembering what they just spoke about, he nodded once and watched as she turned and left his office, leaving the door open.

* * * * *

Marsha made one stop before she left the base.  As a major in the army, she would need uniforms and gear, at least that’s what she told the supply sergeant when she requisitioned replacements.  With her greatly deflated body, she had to guess at her sizes and after trying on a couple of outfits on principle, found what she was looking for.  The other gear she checked carefully, placed in a gear bag, signed for, and nodded to the supply sergeant.

* * * * *

Marsha drove home carefully.  She was frightened, genuinely frightened for her family.  She didn’t recall ever speaking of where she lived while in captivity.  She didn’t think Zabi could find her, but then remembering the interviews her parents had given, realized it wouldn’t take much to track her down.  Now, under the Freedom of Information Act, the information regarding her return to the army would have to be released.  It was a double-edged sword and she wasn’t thrilled about it.  She considered carefully what she would tell Heather.

“Hey, babe.  I’ll change and we can go shopping.  That didn’t take long,” she said brightly as she walked in the door.  She was so tired.  She’d never had a lot of recovery time and now with the stress of the last few days and the new stress of today, she was exhausted.  Still, she would try to be upbeat and cheery.  She didn’t want Heather to suspect anything was wrong.  She headed into the bedroom to stow her new gear and uniforms.

Marsha didn’t realize it, but her enforced cheery attitude alone alarmed Heather.  She knew her well enough to know something was up.  Still, if it was classified, she knew she couldn’t ask.  So, as a good army wife, she accepted it and began to get the children ready to go out.  Both Bahir and Amir would go in the car seats.  They could put Liam in the third one, but would bring his carrier to put him in after they picked up Hayley from school.

“Do you know what kind of vehicle we should get or what you would like?” Marsha asked when she returned, tucking her shirt into jeans that finally fit her frame.  The jeans were a little tight from her post-baby bulge, but a lot better than the sweats she had practically lived in while at home the past few weeks.

“I was thinking we should get a minivan with all the kids,” Heather said quietly as she looked up and smiled at Marsha.  She looked a lot better and was not just ‘acting’ happy.

“Oh, gawd.  We really have become suburbanites,” Marsha complained in a good-natured voice as she smiled at her wife.

‘Whatever she had been called back to the base about, it must not be that big a deal if she shrugged it off so quickly,’ Heather thought.  “Well, we could get one of those huge, gas guzzling, SUVs?” she offered.

“Oh, could we?” Marsha sounded dreamy as she thought of how much more she would like that.

Heather laughed.  Marsha would change her mind when she got sticker shock at the expense of one of those.  Marsha picked up the carrier with the baby in it and the diaper bag as Heather took Bahir and Amir’s hands.  They headed to the garage.

“Go?” Amir asked as he pointed at The Wreck.

“Yes, Amir, we’re going out,” Heather answered him, using complete sentences to help him learn more English.  She’d noticed he spoke in Tajik less and less.  She glanced at Bahir as she helped her into the car seat.  The little girl tried to speak her native language as much as possible, but in light of the household speaking exclusively English, she too had spoken it less and less although she was still a quiet, little girl.

Marsha snapped the carrier backwards to the car seat where Hayley normally sat.  She smiled down at Liam, dressed warmly to go out and gurgling happily.  She thought about Hayley and wondered if their relationship would warm up soon.  She desperately wanted to hug that child more freely, but refused to force herself on the youngster.  She would have to come to her in her own good time.

In no time at all, the two moms had the children settled and in the car.  Marsha got in the passenger seat, feeling uncomfortable about always being the copilot on their trips in the car.  She had to admit though, she couldn’t have driven when she was enormously pregnant, and she didn’t know the roads as well as Heather.

Heather pushed the button on the garage door opener and the door opened promptly.  The car, however, didn’t start on the first try.  Or the second.  Or the third.  On the fourth it turned over, reluctantly.  Finally, it was started and she put it in gear to back out of the garage.

They went to car row in one of the nearby towns and began to look around.  They passed the various dealerships, looking longingly at the fun-looking and expensive sports cars and luxury cars, and then on to more practical cars for their lifestyle with so many children.

Shopping for cars with two children and a baby was not fun.  The two moms were distracted by them.  They looked at so many vehicles they were forced to stop, go pick up Hayley, and return.  The various salespeople they dealt with tried to be understanding, but it wasn’t until they rode in the Chrysler Town and Country minivan that they felt they had found what they were looking for.  It looked like a space shuttle to Marsha and the seating for seven sold it to Heather.  It drove like a dream and they weren’t sorry to see The Wreck go.  They gave them very little for the trade in, but it was relief to get rid of the old, unreliable car.  Transferring their things over to the new minivan, the kids got excited when Hayley pointed out it had a ‘TV’ in it.  What it actually had was two flat panels that flipped down so the children could watch a DVD when they rode in it.  Amir and Bahir had fallen in love with the few DVDs they owned and Hayley watched them all again since they were new to her siblings.  She seemed to enjoy showing off to them all the things she took for granted.

After everything was signed, sealed, and delivered, Marsha turned to Heather and said, “Let’s get new car seats to match the new van.”

“Where do you suggest we go?” she asked.  She was very pleased with the newness of the van.

“ToysRUs?”

Hayley, listening from the second set of seats where she sat across from the baby carrier, shouted, “ToysRUs!”

“Hayley!” both of her moms shushed her.  They looked at each other and laughed as Heather put the van in gear.

Shopping with four children at a ToysRUs store was a mistake.  Hayley seemed determined to get something more than a car seat, and while Bahir and Amir didn’t understand as quickly what some of the things were, they caught on soon enough.  The car seats were expensive enough and Marsha and Heather debated over them so long, everyone was crabby.

“Let’s donate these,” Marsha suggested as they installed the new ones that not only matched the upholstery, but looked so clean and new.  Each child had their own seat and between the three older ones, they could switch seats so no one was assigned one.  Sometimes Hayley would want to sit next to Bahir in the back, and sometimes with Amir, so now they could switch it up.  The moms were only concerned that everyone was buckled in.  The baby had to be in a snap-in carrier in his seat, facing backwards.  It made it easier to reach him if they needed, and it was safer if they were in an accident.

“Why can’t I sit up front?” Hayley asked resentfully when Heather drove and Marsha sat in the passenger seat.

“Children have to sit in the back seats,” Heather told her with a finality that told the child not to push her luck.  Heather had noticed that Hayley would argue if Marsha told her things.  She wanted them to work it out so that their family life was more harmonious.

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

As Heather’s mouth fully engulfed her entire clit and labia, Marsha moaned heavily.  It had been years since she felt that sensation and she jerked from it.

They had waited so very long to be together and finding out that the doctor had cleared her wife for lovemaking if not too strenuous, only made Heather want her more.  She’d seduced her as soon as the children were all in bed and they had both showered.

Heather let go momentarily to ask, “You like that, baby?”

“Oh, gawd.  Don’t stop…pleeeeaase,” she moaned as her body convulsed towards her wife’s mouth.

Amused, Heather took her tongue and made a wide, sweeping circle and then blew cool air on the engorged clit.

“Don’t tease….”  Marsha’s hand came down to cup the back of Heather’s head towards her body.

Smiling, Heather took the cooling skin into her mouth, warming it quickly with long strokes of her tongue and engulfing as much as she could into the warmth.

“Mmmmmm.”  She began to grind against her wife’s mouth.

Gently, she caressed Marsha’s leg, lifting it over her right shoulder so she could try another angle.  Her fingers didn’t stop their caresses on the soft skin and then they encountered wet skin.  Still they didn’t stop, but kept right on going…inside.

“Oh, yes, touch me,” she gasped out, her head arching back into the pillow as she let go of Heather’s head to grasp the pillows in her fists.

Slowly, Heather inserted her fingers, first one, then the other into the slickness.  She curled them into a ‘come hither’ motion, pressing on the spongy flesh.  Marsha went totally limp for a moment.  Heather looked up above her wife’s mons to see if she was okay.  She could see the super erect nipples over the flesh, two sentinels that made her wish she could be in two places at once.  She reached her other arm up so her fingers could play with the pointy tips.

Marsha could feel the touch of her G-spot and it totally defeated her like nothing else could.  She went absolutely limp, and then Heather began to move her fingers.  Her lips had captured her clit and labia completely, the combination making her nipples rock hard and they actually…hurt.  She relished the feelings that Heather was causing in her body.  She released herself to them as her wife expertly played her body.