Disclaimer: I do not own these characters. Pixelberry does.
Summary: Looks into Fiddler’s betrayal
*** *** ***
“So, should we go through the plan again?” His voice was low, his rural Louisiana accent thicker than usual. He does that when he’s speaking in hushed tones or when he’s growling in your ear. I saw them around the corner, talking in hushed tones. What could they be talking about? Why are they standing so close?
“No. I got it, Grandpa.” Putting a hand on Jake’s shoulder, he took a deep breath, looking nervous. They nodded at each other. I narrow my eyes at him – Jake trusts him. Jake hangs on to his every word.
Walking towards me, they’re still speaking in low tones. I’m a keen listener. “Listen, Mike … we can trust Jeanine with this.” My lips twitch upwards. He also trusts me.
Mike stops abruptly. “No. Absolutely not.” Gritting my teeth, I try not to make a sound. My blood is boiling and vision is starting to blur. How dare he?!
Just before Jake could counter, I shuffle a few paces away from them and square my shoulders. After blinking a few times, I start advancing in their direction. “Well, if it isn’t our favorite black widow?” I swear Mike is sneering at me. Rolling my eyes, I look at Jake who gives me that infamous smirk of his. That smirk I’ve seen him use in countless bars as he tilts his head towards a backroom, a bouncy little bimbo following close behind. He knows how that smirk works on me. How it gets me out of my clothes every time.
Mike knows about this. It has to be part of the reason he doesn’t trust me. If that were the case, though, how can he trust Jake?
“Aw, come on now, Mike. She’s a Fiddleback.” Crossing my arms, I raise an eyebrow at Jake. “Jeanine won’t kill you afterwards but she will leave some nasty bites.” There was a wink. I’m not sure who the wink was directed at but I could kill him. Maybe I will but I’d have to fuck him again first.
Fighting the urge to throw my hands in the air and let them onto how much they were irritating me, I leaned back against the wall and smiled at them. “What were you guys up to?”
“Strategizing about our next run. Going out in a few days. Got intel of some weird activity.” Mike frowned, obviously irritated that Jake even gave me that much information. His eyes darted between us nervously. “Weather patterns and all. Could compromise our position.” Jake thought he was a smooth talker. He wasn’t. Mike let out a disapproving grunt. “So, uh, what are you up to, Jeanine?”
My hands gesture down my clothes, regulation Navy gym shirt and shorts. “Gym.” Since our group was elite, we were stationed at Camp Gamma with tighter lockdown. No internet and movies like the larger bases in Qatar and Bagram. Our choices for entertainment were watching DVDs, playing solitaire on the communal computers, or going to the gym. Maybe alcohol if someone was able to sneak some in through a care package. Sex was possible, but rare, and you have to be really careful about that.
“Save me a treadmill, will ya?” Glancing past him, I shrug at Mike. The gym was usually busy at shift change. Luckily, three o’clock in the afternoon was the best time to go if you wanted to run without listening to the grunts of the meatheads.
Out of the corner of my eye, I notice Jake’s subtle nod followed by scratching behind his right ear. He’s expecting me at ten pm.
My attention stayed on Mike, though. Treadmill. One of his favorite things to do was set up next to me and see who could run longer, harder, faster. There was a constant sense of competition between the two of us. Every once in awhile, a glimmer of camaraderie. But he doesn’t trust me. So, fuck him. “Sure thing, Darwin.”
***
The smell of sweat and cigars wafts near me as I’m exiting the gym. I’d gone hard for an hour and a half and my usually strong legs are shaky. My face is warm, red, and damp. Normally the smell of cigars wouldn’t bother me but now I’m nauseated. “Fiddler …” A smooth, baritone voice calls nearby.
Lundgren. Rex Lundgren. Commander of the Arachnids. He was a mean son of a bitch who was damn good at his job. Wiping my face with a towel, I turn around to face him. The man is tall and strong. Always has a cigar in his mouth. “Sir.” My body stiffens into a quick salute. Lundgren was the only commanding officer that ever made us salute outside of our uniform. Forgetting to do this would end up in some sort of punishment. Jake often refused, regardless of uniform.
Not surprising, he ignored my salute. “You know what’s going on with Darwin and Wolf?” Cocking an eyebrow at him, I shake my head. His eyes narrow to thin slits and a menacing glare takes over his face. “Don’t play dumb with me, Fiddler.”
“Sir. I honestly don’t know anything.”
“Find out then.” The cigar came out of his mouth followed by some smoke. I tried not to wrinkle my nose. Never understood how he got away with those cigars. Before I could open my mouth, he continued. “No use in defending those boys, Fiddler. You think Darwin gives a shit about you?” Placing a hand on the wall, I tried not to let that gut punch affect me. Lundgren’s right. Mike couldn’t give a damn if something happened to me. Probably breath a sigh of relief. Hot tears threaten to stream down my face. Not now. Not in front of Lundgren.
He doesn’t leave until I nod in submission and give him another salute.
***
The red digital numbers of my clock read 21:55. I give myself a once over. My long black hair is finally down past my shoulders, out of the regulation hair bun. After a quick run with a styling wand, the big curls catch the harsh light of the hallway. My slim body is covered with an oversized sweater that hits my legs mid thigh with not much else underneath.
A tube of lipstick sits on the dresser. It’s bright red. The perfect compliment to my heart shaped lips and tan skin. I purposely picked this cheap brand because the lipstick doesn’t stay on, it smears onto anything it touches. I love it when this lipstick smears all over Jake’s mouth.
Looking out into the hallway, I see that no one is nearby and I quickly and quietly make my way through two hall corners to Jake’s room. I give the usual three quick raps on the door. The last time I snuck in unannounced, his his head was buried in between the legs of an enraptured Master Sergeant.
Did I ever mention he’s a slut?
Nervously, I give the hall another glance before I hear the door open and feel his hand on my arm, yanking me in the room. After locking the door, he leans against it, looking me over. His mouth turns into that damn smirk again.
His disheveled hair is longest I’ve seen on a deployment. Past the four inch regulation standard for men and it isn’t even tapered. Jake gets away with a lot, mainly because he and Mike are the best pilots anyone has seen in some time. The soft light of his nightstand lamp outlines his tight and toned body. My eyes dart down to the only article of clothes he’s wearing, his sweatpants. I see the outline of what’s waiting for me. Fuck.
“Ain’t you a sight for sore eyes.” His voice is low and hoarse as he approaches me, putting a hand on each of my hips. The line was stupid but damn if I’m not having a hard time keeping my cool. His deep blue eyes move from the hem of my sweater and meet mine. God, those eyes. “Let’s get rid of this.” Snaking his hands under my sweater and onto my abdomen, sending shockwaves through my body, he quickly maneuvers the sweater off of me and onto the floor.
There I stand, wearing only a pair of skimpy panties as he runs his hands down my shoulders and slowly towards my breasts, grasping and gently kneading them. Tilting my head to the side, I close my eyes and run my tongue across my lips as his thumbs slowly circle and tease my nipples. God damn, this feels good. He’s going for the slow burn tonight.
Fuck, I don’t want the slow burn. I grab his wrists and pull them off me. Before he can respond, I throw my weight on him, wrapping my arms around his neck and capturing his lips with mine. I want that lipstick all over him. Like I’ve marked him.
Mark him … as mine. Pulling away, I stepped back to admire my work – his mouth was a light shade of red and his lips had a slight swell. He tasted good. A combination of mint and was that whiskey? Where did he get that?
Don’t get distracted. Grabbing onto his shoulders, I leaned over to press my lips to his neck. My mouth travels down his neck kissing and licking, until I get to the base of his neck where I gently nibble and suck.
“Jeanine …” His voice came out in a breath. Encouraged to continue, my mouth attempts to break his skin. “Jeanine.” This time, his tone is more stern. Stopping what I’m doing, I straighten up and wait for him to continue. “Can’t do that there, flight suit won’t cover it.”
Seriously? Now he cares about regulations and proper military decorum? “Jesus, Wolf! Your undershirt will cover that.”
Crossing his arms, he scowls at me. “Name’s Jake. We aren’t on assignment and I don’t do nicknames.”
Instead of swallowing my pride in an attempt to get laid, I glare at him. “You let Mike call you nicknames.” God, even here, in Jake’s private bunk, I can’t escape how much I hate Mike.
“Mike ain’t got nothing to do with this, Jeanine.”
Mike has everything to do with this. I roll my eyes. “I swear, Jake, you’d let him call you his bi-.”
Oh shit. His jaw clenched as his brow furrowed. I crossed the line. Looking me right in the eyes, he warns through gritted teeth, “If you wanna fuck on outta here and get yourself off, you’ll finish that thought.”
Letting out a deep breath, I soften my shoulders. Our gaze holds and I’m finding it harder to breath. He can’t possibly be any hotter right now as he silently challenges me.
Part of me wonders what would happen if I just walked out. Would he follow? Angrily jerk himself off? Breaking our eye contact, I find my sweater on the floor. Taking a few steps towards it, I smile to myself and bend over to pick it up. He loves my ass, especially barely covered.
Pushing my lips into a pout, I stand up and face him, threatening to get dressed. No reaction. Damn, this will be harder than I thought. I slip my sweater back on, making sure to lift my arms over my head so he can have full view of my breasts – they’re nice ones. One last look at him and he’s barely moved. My eyes dart towards his pants, however, and I see he’s still aroused.
Turning away from him, I step towards the door. Just as my hand touches the door knob, I feel his strong arms wrap around my waist. His torso presses against my back and I feel his hardness pushing against my ass. My breath hitches as his lips attach to my neck, kissing it as he slips his hands under my sweater.
The walls of the rooms at Camp Gamma were thin. Thanks to some expert level flirting, Jake was able to guarantee himself a private room during the entire deployment. Despite that, we had to stay quiet. I breathe out, short, shallow, loud breaths while his hands were massaging my breasts and his tongue was licking my ear.
“Come on …” I let out a cry as he whispered in my ear and bit my earlobe. “And stay quiet.” Letting go of me, he grabbed my hand and pulled me towards his bed. He directs me onto the edge of the mattress. I lay on my back, bending my knees.
Standing at the edge of the bed, puts a hand on either of my legs, pushing them apart. His fingers move down my right thigh, making me shiver. Eventually, his grazes the edge of my panties before slipping in. “You’re wet. Good.” Wet? I’m gushing. Tilting my head back, I take a sharp breath as he moves his fingers back and forth against my folds.
I groan as he stands up again, his touch was like magic. He slips off my panties and pushes my sweater up to my torso. After grabbing a condom from his night stand and rolling it onto him and slipping off his sweatpants, he climbs on top of me. “Jeanine,” his breath is hot against my ear. “I need you to touch yourself.”
“Huh?” That was new – usually he reveled in pleasuring me beforehand.
“I ain’t coming alone.” He moves his face inches away from me. “You good to start?” I nod. He aligns himself with me and quickly makes his way in. I gasp from the sudden pressure until my walls adapt to him.
My hand moves down my body, finding my clit to which I start applying pressure, running small circles as he’s rocking his hips quickly. I can barely keep up, trying to match his tempo. My head sinks back into the mattress as a warm sensation starts to build in my lower abdomen. Trying to stay quiet, I bite down, hard, on my bottom lip.
Jake grabs a hold of one of my bent legs, pulling it it up and holding it against him as he continues to thrust faster and deeper into me. He buries his head in my shoulder. Besides the sound of low grunts, soft moans, and skin slapping against each other, it’s completely quiet. The sheer speed and power of his movements have caused me to abandon my task. This feels good, so good, but it’s lacking. I can’t come to this.
“Ah … fuck …” He groans as he finishes, spilling into his condom. Quickly, he pulls out of me. Jake lifts his head up to look at me, breathing heavily. “You doing alright? You finished?”
Letting out a deep sigh as he stands up, I shake my head ‘no’.
After tossing the condom, he pulls on his sweatpants and kneels on the bed in front of me, crooking a finger towards him. Rolling my eyes, I get up. Not going to be an afterthought tonight.
He narrows his eyes, questioning me. Instead of saying anything, he watches me adjust my sweater, pull my panties back on, and find my sandals.
I reach for the door and turn around, giving him a sarcastic salute. “Thanks for the fuck, McKenzie.”
***
The red light of the digital clock is plaguing me in the dark. 02:46. Sighing, I shift over onto my side, trying to get some sleep. The area between my legs still tingles. Damnit, I want more. My own efforts at self-satisfaction after leaving Jake’s room proved fruitless.
Tap. Tap. Tap. Gasping, I shoot straight up. That sounds like Jake’s knock. What does he want?
Trying not to seem too eager, I rush towards the door, cracking it open. Peering out, I see that smirk. “Hey.” Taking a deep breath, I pull Jake into my room. Being one of the only females at our compound had some perks, one being that I had my own sleeping quarters.
“What are you doing here, Jake?”
Looking me in the eye, he takes a deep breath and leans towards my ear. “I need to tell you something.” Closing my eyes, I relish his breath against my skin.
Grabbing his hand, we make our way over to my bed. As I sit down, I can’t help but ogle him. Though it’d been a few hours, he still looks like he’s basking in the afterglow. Lucky bastard. He sits down next to me, smiling. “You look really beautiful tonight.”
My hand moves to cup his face and I bring myself closer to him. Even with this dim light, I can see his blue eyes sparkle. Leaning in, I capture his lips with mine. Wrapping his arms around me, he returns the kiss. By the way, Jake is an amazing kisser.
“So, uh,” Jake breaks apart, taking a deep breath. Moving his hands from my waist, he rubs my arms slowly. For once, he’s having trouble maintaining eye contact. “About earlier …” Taking a beat to think, he looks me in the eye, “I was … It’s not usually like that. You deserve better.”
Sighing, I shake my head, “About what I said about Mike –”
He chuckled, “He’s called me a bitch before, ya know.” I cock an eyebrow at him, “Right after he saved me from getting my ass kicked.” My lips curl into a hint of a smile. “Mike’s the closest I have to a brother, Jeanine. I’ll do anything for him. I’ll die for him.”
I’ve known Jake since we were recruited into the elite Arachnid squad around the same time. Though we quickly became close, this is the first time I’ve seen him somewhat vulnerable. I don’t do vulnerable.
“So. Is that what you came to tell me?” I move my hands to his legs, running my hands back and forth on his thighs. Maybe there’s still a way to salvage tonight.
Jake takes another deep breath and runs a hand through his hair. After moving my hands, he stands up and starts to slowly pace. Stopping right in front of me, he asks, “Jeanine. We know each other pretty well.” I nod. “Besides Mike, you’re the only person here I can trust.” Straightening up, my heart starts to pound. Where exactly is he going with this? Unable to speak, I nod again and watch him as he kneels in front of me, taking my hands into his. “Jeanine, can I trust you?”
Oh shit. Whatever he has to say is serious. “Yes.”
His hands strengthen their grip on mine and his thumbs start circling my palms. “Okay, here goes.”
As he’s recounting what he and Mike had discovered about Lundgren, I sit in a stunned silence. My mouth is dry. I can’t breathe. Holy shit.
“Jake.” I can’t keep my voice from shaking. We’re breathing hard, realizing the gravity of what was revealed. “Why did you tell me this? Why not keep it between yourselves?”
“I need an outside party. Someone that will back us up when this all goes to shit. Jeanine, I need you to back us up.” His eyes are earnest.
I nod my head. “Y-yeah. I’ll back you up.” All I’ve wanted lately was for him to trust me. If only I could take that wish back. I don’t want to know this. Breathing a sigh of relief, he smiles and lets go of my hands. They’re white now due to his grasp.
Standing up, he ruffles his hair. There’s a heavy feeling in the air with neither of us knowing what to say. Clearing my throat, I reach out for his hand, “Stay with me tonight.”
***
My eyes catch the time. 05:32. Jake’s sleeping soundly. My eyes are still wide open. Lundgren’s onto them.
***
Panting, I grip the sides of the exam table. Wave after wave of intense pleasure washes over me as I feel like I’m having an out of body experience.
Though we’re in an exam room of an unused clinic in the adjoining Camp Beta, we still have to exercise caution. A final, quiet cry escapes my lips as I tug on his hair.
Satisfied, he stands up and eases my legs back together before moving over to the sink to rinse his mouth.
My body is warm, my face feels bright red, my muscles refuse to budge. I’ve never felt anything like that before. “What was that for?” I can barely formulate words. Jake had found me in the hallway and we quickly made our way to this room without even asking each other how our days were going.
“Mike and I are heading out soon.” He helps me put my pants back on. “Just wanted to say goodbye and give us something to look forward to when I get back in a few days.”
I nod my head, swallowing hard. “O-okay.” I sit up. “Be, uh, careful out there.” He winks at me and gives me a quick kiss before leaving the room.
The alarm on my watch goes off. I’m leading weapons drills in the next hour. Making my way towards the the practice site, I hear the nickname that makes me seethe. “Black Widow.”
Turning around, I see Mike coming towards me. My stomach plummets. “Wrong code name, Darwin.”
We duck into an empty room. He closes the door, leaning against it, glaring at me. My hands move to my hips as I stand taller, we don’t take our eyes off each other. “I don’t have all day. What do you want?”
“Despite my warning, Grandpa trusts you.” I roll my eyes at that stupid nickname.
“Why don’t you trust me?”
“I know what you’re capable of.” His eyes narrow at me. “What you’ve done to get where you are now. You’re ruthless.”
“What are you talking about?”
“Haran. 2011.” He crosses his arms, waiting for my reaction.
Trying to keep a cool demeanor, I take a moment to collect my thoughts. Haran in 2011 is what caught Lundgren’s attention and got me in Arachnid. I single-handedly took out what I thought was a sleeper cell of terrorists. Turns out they were a group of humanitarians working with a local hospital. “McKenzie knows about that, Darwin. He still chooses to trust me.”
Slumping against the door, he runs his hand across his regulation mustache. “Grandpa doesn’t get close to many people. When he does, he puts everything into the friendship. Don’t take advantage of that.”
“He’s perfectly capable of forming his own opinions.” I give him a tight lipped smile. Fuck Mike. “He doesn’t need a babysitter.”
Mike shakes his head. “He doesn’t.” A frown forms on his face. “He trusted you with a life or death secret. You guard that with your life … Jeanine.” Pushing himself off the door, Mike gives me one last glance. “If anything happens to him, I’m holding you responsible.”
***
“Fiddler …” I wince as I hear that baritone voice while locking up the exercise room. Taking a deep breath, I turn around to face Lundgren.
Mustering up the energy, I give him a salute. “Sir.” Again, he doesn’t return my greeting. He motions for me to follow him to his office down the hallway.
My hands are clammy and I try to wipe them dry on my pants. Not much luck. I can feel blood pounding in my ears. What does he want from me?
Closing the door behind us after we get to his office, he ushers me into a chair. Picking up a cigar and lighting it, he looks at me thoughtfully. He kicks his legs up onto his desk and leans back. “You’re a Lieutenant, Junior Grade?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Close to being a Lieutenant?”
“Yes, sir.”
Lundgren take a long drag of his cigar and blows out the smoke slowly. His dark brown eyes look at me menacingly. “That’s too bad, Fiddler. I’m charging you with Indecent Conduct.” My eyes widen. Indecent conduct? “UCMJ Article 134.”
I have to control my voice. I cannot show him just how freaked out I am. “Sir? May I ask what for?”
“An inappropriate sexual relationship with Lieutenant McKenzie.” Grinning, he taps a finger on a manila folder sitting on his desk. “Proof is right here. Enough for a dishonorable discharge from the Armed Services. You’ll lose everything, Fiddler.”
My head is spinning. I can barely see straight, barely think. Clearing my throat, I focus my eyes on him. “Sir, if I may. The nature of our relationship was, by no means, indecent. We’re both officers, neither of us are married, and all contact was consensual.”
Shrugging, he opens the folder. “This is the exact problem I knew we’d have when we brought a woman onto the squad.” I furrow my brows. Woman or not, I am the most qualified person for my position. “You have compromised military readiness. Especially with the best damn pilot I have.”
At this point, my hands have been gripping the edge of my chair, hard. They’re starting to hurt. Compromising military readiness? How? Will he go after Jake? After all, he’s fraternized with plenty of enlisted soldiers.
He cackles and I look at him incredulously. “Now Fiddler, I’m a decent man. You give me something I need and I will shred these papers right here and you won’t hear anything about a dishonorable discharge again.” Swallowing hard, I nod. “Tell me what you know about Darwin and Wolf.”
“Sir, I don’t know –”
Lundgren puts his legs down and folds his arm on his desk, leaning over towards me. “Tell me what you know or you’re going down with this charge. You hear me, Fiddler? Your military career will be over and I will personally see to it that your civilian life won’t be easy.”
Sighing, I fight back the tears in my eyes. My hands are still gripping onto the chair. Taking a deep breath, I look Lundgren in the eyes. Well, I finally have my chance to fuck Mike. As for Jake, he isn’t worth me losing everything. An odd sense of calm washes over me and I sit up straight.
“Sir, Lieutenants Darwin and McKenzie have found out that you’ve been forging signatures to buy weapons the Navy did not request. That you’ve been turning around and selling those weapons to our enemies. They’re gathering evidence to present to a JAG.”
Standing up, Lundgren takes the manila folder and walks it over to the shredder, destroying all evidence. Turning around, he smiles and takes another puff of his cigar. “Good girl. I’ll see to it you make Lieutenant sooner than you planned.”
***
Standing still, my eyes track a large group as they’re trudging along the frozen landscape. My invisibility suit makes it impossible for anyone to notice me as long as I stay still. If I move, I have to be swift enough to not leave a trail behind.
About 500 yards away, I spot him.
For someone who let his best friend die, abandoned his post, betrayed his country, and spends his time lying in a hammock drinking, Wolf looks good. He’s let his hair grow even longer. Fuck. He looks really good.
After waiting for the group to settle for a break, I notice he’s veered off into a thicket of trees. Not alone but with a woman. Of course. Three years later and he’s still the same old man-whore. Leading around another girlfriend du jour. Sneaking closer, careful not to make any sudden sounds or footprints, I finally get within earshot of them.
“You doin’ okay, Princess?” Princess? What kind of name is that? He’s looking down at the woman, tucking a stray piece of hair behind her ear.
Princess has big, gorgeous blue eyes, bluer than his. Her think, blond, bouncy hair rests past her shoulders. She’s petite and short enough to just fit under his chin – which is short because he’s only 5’9 in combat boots. Princess is exactly his type.
Wrapping her arms around his waist, she smiles a bright, dazzling smile at him. Oh, he’s hooked. “I’m doing great, Top Gun. In fact, I think it’s you who’s a little out of breath.” Wait. Nicknames? Wolf’s resorted to nicknames. Who does he think he is, Mouse?
Trying not to gag, I cover my mouth as they continue to flirt with each other. I’ve seen this act before. Wolf’s bold but I never thought he’d actually fuck someone in the snow just several meters from a group of people.
He cups her face, running his thumb back and forth on her cheek. Now they’re gazing at each other. They don’t budge. Are they frozen? Eventually she gets up on her toes and kisses him. I wonder if he’s still a great kisser. By the looks of it, he is. Maybe better. He even dips her.
They’re a fucking fairy tale.
“As much as I’d like to continue this, Princess, we oughta get back to the others. Still got a long way to go.” She nods in agreement and they link their hands before walking away. Huh. Guess I was wrong.
After making sure they were out of range, I press a button on my communication device. “Sir.” Lundgren acknowledges me. “I’ve located Wolf. He’s 20 minutes south of you. Big party. Should be easy for Arachnid to wipe out.”
Princess seems nice. I’ll make her my first target.
