An Airman's Deadly Affair

Sweat pools under the ski mask as a clock ticks above the door. 0145. Perfect! Right on time. My eyes slowly adjust to the darkness in the large room, dimly lit at the further end. I lift my mask just enough so that I can wipe away the perspiration slowly making its way down the back of my neck. Not a single drop can fall. I have come too far and waited too long for this. There will be no evidence left behind. Pulling the night vision goggles down over my eyes, I creep behind a large steel shelf, looming over me in the darkness. I adjust the goggles and turn them on. Suddenly, the room flares green in front of me and I get my bearings. I look around for her. I know you’re in here! Somewhere in front of me, I hear papers being shuffled, the faint sound echoing off the walls. There she is! It’s been a while since she and I have been alone together. I force myself not to laugh as sheer ecstasy churns deep in the pit of my stomach. This is going to be too easy. I make my way past the first two shelves and pause to stare at the rows of slick black M9 pistols, illuminating an eerie green in front of me. I caress the cool metal of the one closest to me. You will do just fine. I’m so close now. I can almost smell her perfume through my ski mask. Chanel. God, how that smell used to set me on edge. Now it makes me want to vomit. I don’t want to look at her, not yet. It is ironic. There was a time I couldn’t get enough of her. But that was before. The gun slides out of the rack beautifully, not making a sound. I pull a suppressor off the next shelf and screw it on. Cradling the gun in my right hand, I reach to the top of the tall locked cabinets. I find the small key hidden on top as I bite back the disgust threatening to choke me. Who was the brains who thought it was a good idea to hide the key to the ammunition closet on top of it? I am so goddamned tired of all this mediocrity. Don’t they know how important it is to maintain order? To keep everything mission ready? Sliding the key in the lock, I feel the tumblers release. Shit! The metal latch scrapes against the door. The hairs on the back of my neck rise as I stand perfectly still. She slowly glances around. The muscles in the back of my shoulders begin to ache as I wait. Somewhere outside, a tree branch scrapes against the building. A strong October wind howls. Taking her outer jacket from the chair, she pulls it around her for warmth and goes back to what she is doing. The flimsy metal door opens without a sound. I’d oiled the hinges earlier when I walked through here perfecting my plan. I find what I am looking for and load the gun. My pulse skyrockets as I edge down the aisle, patches of light starting to flicker through the shelves and flashing bright in my goggles. I pull the mask away from my mouth and take a deep breath of air. It’s time. When I turn off the goggles, the light from the small desk lamp spotlights my target and suddenly my heart lurches. God, she is beautiful with her long blond hair pulled back revealing her slender milky white neck and just a glimpse of her full red lips, parted slightly. She’s not looking at me, but she doesn’t have to. I remember those eyes. I’ll never forget them. The cold hard steel of the gun starts to slip through my shaking fingers. It’s time to get on with it! Sweat sticks to my eyelids, threatening to drip into my eyes and blind me. I rub my eyes through the mask. .She props up the thick blue book she’s reading and I see the cover “Psychology 101.” How perfect! She’s studying how to mess with people’s heads. I think you’re good enough at that already, bitch. You’re a member of the strongest military in the free world and you’ve pissed it all away! She writes something on the bright yellow notepad on the desk. You’ve only cared about yourself while your comrades are off fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan, fighting terrorism, protecting our country. You don’t care who you step on or screw along the way, just so you make it to the top. You’re a disgrace to this Air Force, the uniform and to the proud men and women who wear it. My hand shakes violently as I think of all you have done! “Clang,” Damn! I bite back the curse as the sound of the gun hitting the side of the shelf ricochets off the steel. “Who’s there?” Her head whips towards me, just as I step back in the shadows. “I said, ‘who’s there?’” she says, rising, drawing the pistol strapped to her waist. Her voice is trembling. Silence. She hesitates, her eyes darting around the dark room and then she lowers her gun and turns back to the desk. I spring from my hiding place and point the barrel of my gun at the base of her neck and pull the trigger twice. She drops to the floor, her face hitting the hard concrete. Raw emotion courses through me. I wish she’d seen me, seen the look of extreme satisfaction on my face as I pulled the trigger. “Teresa, is that you?” someone calls. “Where are you?” Shit! Who the hell is that? No one else was on duty tonight. My heart races. I don’t have time. I retrace my steps and push the gun onto its shelf and silently race to the door. My hand on the door handle, I can’t resist looking back and see a woman standing over the body. I open the thick door and slide through, running into the darkness, the woman’s screams echoing in my head. My foot hits a tree root and I stumble and fall, crashing against the ground. I pull off the goggles and mask and try to catch my breath. Dammit! I was so close. I left behind a damn witness. I should have known that bitch would be there. I stand and breathe in slowly. I must think. The air is cold, chilling the sweat on my neck and face. I wait, hidden in the darkness, my mind reeling over this unfortunate turn of events. I look back at the armory, silhouetted in the moonlight. A smile creeps onto my face as I cover it with my mask. My little witness is soon going to regret she was in the wrong place at the wrong time. But as I turn to disappear into the night, my excitement returns. This may not be so unfortunate after all.