When Raleigh and Matt arrived at the Detention Center, the military police already had Specialist Jackson in an interview room. He was dressed in prison orange and shackled at the wrists to the table and legs to the floor. He wasn’t going anywhere. He looked tired but had a fire in his eyes.
Raleigh was surprised as they approached the room. He stood for a moment and looked through the two-way mirror at the kid. “He’s just a young kid. Can’t be more than twenty.”
“Yep, he’s nineteen. Only been in the army eighteen months. He’s from Chicago; we’re told he grew up on the Southside. Joined to get away from the gangs, at least that’s what he told his buddies in his unit. You ready to go in?”
“Ya.” Raleigh paused and took a deep breath. “Let’s get this over with.”
When they entered the room, the young specialist snapped to his feet. “Good morning, sirs,” he said, then rendered a salute. Raleigh and Matt returned the young man’s salute.
Raleigh spoke first. “At ease, Specialist. Sit down. You know you don’t have to talk to us. You know you have a right to an attorney, correct?
“Yes, sir. I know.”
“Do you know why you’re here, soldier?”
“They think I started the fire at the warehouse, but I didn’t start no fire. I was sent down to check the locks by Sergeant First Class Anderson. I swear I didn’t start no fire.”
“Tell me, who’s Sergeant First Class Anderson?”
“Sir, he’s my supervisor. He said I had to go at eighteen hundred hours and check the locks at the old warehouse. I didn’t start no fire, I swear.”
“Do you know why he sent you to check the locks, Specialist?”
“Nope, just that he said go check them and text him when I did. So, I checked them locks on my way back from chow and then texted him. Next thing I know, I see on the TV that the warehouse is on fire. I got scared and tried to call Sergeant Anderson, but he wouldn’t answer my call or texts.”
“Can you hold one second, Specialist?”
“Yes, sir.”
Raleigh leaned in toward Matt. “Do me a favor, man. Go out into the hall and call his commander. See if we can get a line on who this Sergeant First Class Anderson is. See if we can’t get him brought in for questioning.”
“Ya, no problem. Be right back.”
Raleigh continued with the questioning. “Tell me about Sergeant Anderson. What do you know about him?”
“Well, sir, I know he’s my supervisor, and he likes to disappear a lot.”
“Whatcha mean by disappearing?”
“Well, like I said, he disappears a lot. A few times we found him over by that warehouse that burned, talking to some guy. Not sure who he was but he looked big and he looked mean. Looked like one of the special ops guys. He’s a white guy, blonde, baseball cap, and had a beard. You can always tell the ops guys cuz they look civilian, but they walk and talk military.”
“Ever get a name?” Raleigh asked.
“Nope, I tried to stay as far from those guys as possible, they crazy. But I swear to you, sir, I didn’t start no fire. I’m tryin’ to turn my life around and stay outta trouble. That’s why I left Chicago. Black men die in Chicago, and if you in a gang like I was, you gonna die. It’s just a matter of time.”
Then it hit Raleigh that maybe, just maybe, there was a connection between Jamal Hendricks and Jackson.
“Specialist Jackson, do you know a Jamal Hendricks?”
“Ya sir, he one from my old gang. In fact, he was here recently. Tried to get me back in the gang. Said if I didn’t they was gonna hurt my momma, but Sergeant Anderson kicked him off post. How you know about DZ, sir?”
“DZ?”
“Ya, DZ was Jamal’s street name,” Jackson replied.
“Long story, Specialist, but don’t worry. I believe you that you didn’t start the fire, but you gotta trust me. I will get you outta here, but for right now, this is the safest place you can be. I will order you to be separated from the rest of the population and double up on security. You’ve been a big help, Jackson. Just be patient. I promise I will get you outta here.”
“Thank you, sir.”
Raleigh extended his hand and shook the young specialist’s hand. “Be safe.” Then he walked out of the room. Matt was just finishing his call when Raleigh walked out. “Any news on Anderson?”
“Ya, Fitz, we got a lead. He’s at his house. We got two plain clothes MPs watching his house. They said he’s loading up his car, and they want to know should they pick him up?”
“Hell, yeah, pick his ass up now. We gotta get him in here now.” Raleigh's voice carried throughout the hallway and a few soldiers poked their heads out of their offices to see what the commotion was all about.
Matt got back on the phone and gave the military police their orders. “Ya, pick his ass up and bring him here. We’ll be waiting.”
Raleigh sat down on the bench while Matt paced the hall. A young female MP stopped in front of them and asked if they would like any coffee while they waited. As she walked away with their coffee orders, Matt stared and Raleigh waited for his comment as the young woman rounded the corner to the break room.
“Damn, Fitz, did you see her? She can arrest me anytime; in fact, I will give her my cuffs. What I wouldn’t give to crawl in between those legs. Speaking of legs, that sergeant of yours is pretty leggy. I’ll bet they look damned good wrapped around your neck, huh?”
“Matty, I done told you. It ain’t like that,” Raleigh corrected.
“Ya, right, and I’m Harry Truman. I know you hit it, so just admit it.”
“I haven’t, I swear. I haven’t had sex with her.” He cursed Matty.
“Ya, but I bet you messed around?”
Raleigh snorted back. “Not gonna say.”
“Oh man, you have. I can tell, so how was she? Inquiring minds want to know.”
“Nope, now drop it or I’ll drop you,” Raleigh threatened with a half grin.
“Ya, right, in your dreams.” Matty snorted back.
Raleigh shot him a look, and Matty backed off. “All right, Fitz, damn man. So serious. Didn’t realize she meant that much.”
“She doesn’t.”
“Ok.” Matt rolled his eyes. “Whatever you say, Fitz.”
“You done now, man?” Raleigh asked as he patted Matty on the shoulder. “Love ya, man. I will let you in on everything when this is all over. All right?”
“Ya man, I’m sorry.”
As the two patched up their differences, they could hear what sounded like a fight near the front entrance to the Detention Center. As the fight got louder, they decided to check it out. When they rounded the corner, they found two MPs had pinned down a man in civilian clothing. The man screamed, “Why am I here? I didn’t do anything?”
The ranking MP looked up at Raleigh and Matt. “Sirs, this is Sergeant First Class Anderson. Where do you want him?”
“Just take him into the interview room. We’ll be there in a minute.”
The MPs pulled Anderson to his feet. Anderson drug his feet as the MPs pulled him to the room and locked him to the table and floor. Anderson continued to yell while he pulled and yanked on his chains.
Raleigh stood for a moment rubbing his face and stretching, trying to clear his head. He needed to call Sam and see how she was doing. It was already getting late. He looked down at his watch—it was nineteen hundred hours. Damn it, the reservation.
***
Sam had spent the last few hours finding the perfect black dress. It was tight and cut low in the front, and the back was open to expose all the way to the base of her lower back. She had her hair and makeup done at the salon and also had her nails and toes done. She waited, perched in front of the TV watching The Big Bang Theory as time ticked away. She was going to be stood up, and as the time ticked closer to nineteen hundred hours, the tears started flowing. Why hadn’t he called yet? She sat in silence and tears. Then her phone rang. It was Raleigh.
“Baby, I’m so sorry. We gotta do a rain check on dinner tonight. I will explain later. Just know I am thinking about you, and I am so sorry.”
“It’s ok, Raleigh, I understand.”
***
When she spoke, he could tell she had been crying, and his heart broke knowing it was because of him. There wasn’t anything he could do, though; he didn’t have a choice. The mission and the investigation came first, and she would have to understand.
“I gotta go, baby, but I will see you soon. Order some dinner from room service and charge it to the room. Ok?”
“Ok, I can do that. I will talk to you later. Bye.”
Before he could say another word, the receiver went dead. Damn it.
“Everything ok?” Matt asked. “You ready to go into the interview room?”
“’Bout as ready as I am gonna be.”
When they walked in, Anderson was still fighting the cuffs, screaming and raising hell. “At ease, sergeant,” Matt scolded. “Keep your military bearing.”
“Why am I here?”
Raleigh sat down across from the sergeant and explained. “You’re here because you ordered Specialist Brian Jackson to check locks on what was thought to be an abandoned building. You were seen frequently at that building talking with a man before the fire. You wanna explain what’s that’s all about?”
“I want a lawyer now.”
“Ok, but it’s gonna be awhile and ya know, if you cooperate with us, the Army will go easier on you. So why don’t you tell us what the deal is?”
“Hell no, go fuck yourselves. I’m not saying anything ’til I talk to my lawyer.”
“All right.”
Raleigh looked at Matt then smiled. “Do me a favor and call this scumbag a lawyer. I am sure we can have one here by tomorrow morning, at the earliest.” Matt walked out of the room and called the Judge Advocate General’s office, but got no answer. He left a message and returned to the interview room. “No response at JAG, Chief.”
Raleigh looked at Anderson. He smirked. “Well, looks like you will be staying the night.” He pounded on the door and the blonde MP answered. “Ya, Sergeant, go ahead and have Sergeant Anderson booked on conspiracy, arson, and theft of government property. I will get with JAG in the morning and they can come up with the rest of the charges. For now, throw this scumbag in a cell.” Raleigh then stood up and in her ear said, “Keep him away from Jackson. Right now he’s our number one witness.”
Glancing down at his watch, Raleigh saw it was almost nineteen hundred thirty hours and he still had to go talk to the general, then hopefully get back to the hotel before Sam fell asleep. He was pretty sure he wouldn’t make it. His face grimaced and disappointment filled his heart. He wanted tonight to be special. Instead, he had spent the evening with a scumbag that didn’t deserve his time and a kid who, for whatever reason, had the misfortune of working with said scumbag.
Matty must have seen the disappointment in his face and offered to grab a few beers on the way to the general’s office.
“Everything ok, Fitz? You look a little down. Wanna grab a six-pack and drink it with the general?”
“Well, we gotta go there anyway. Might as well come bearing gifts. Let’s go!”
***
Sam’s supper was excellent, even though she ate it through tears and loneliness. She pulled out her favorite movie Gone with the Wind. She kept it in her computer bag and it went everywhere she did. It was her go to movie. Here she was, alone in a beautiful hotel room, watching a movie and crying. She knew Raleigh had something nice planned for them, and it wasn’t his fault he stood her up, but she was growing to trust him and that scared her. As she sat through the movie, she couldn’t help but think about the preceding days. Were we moving too quickly? Am I expecting too much from him and myself? Doubt and fear were creeping in; she wasn’t sure what she would do. She wanted to give him and herself a chance, but she just didn’t know how anymore.
It was midnight by the time Raleigh opened the door to the hotel room. He stepped in quietly, looking down at his feet so he didn’t trip on a shoe or anything that might be on the floor. The flicker of the TV was the only light in the room. Sam was curled up on the couch, still in the dress he had her purchase on his credit card. She looked stunning, more beautiful than he had ever seen her. He wanted to pick her up in his arms and make love to her by the fireplace in the corner of the room. But instead he picked her up and softly lay her on the bed. Gently, so he didn’t wake her, he removed her dress and stockings and placed them on the chair next to the bed. He slipped her bra off and covered her in the goose down blanket on the bed. He then got his clothes off except for his boxers and crawled in next to her. He laid there for a moment and took her all in. “If I died tomorrow, I would be a happy man,” he murmured in her ear then leaned in and kissed her cheek. “Good night, beautiful. I promise to make this all up to you.”
It was 0900 when the phone rang, and they were both still lying in bed. Sometime in the night Sam had turned to Raleigh, and he woke up with her cuddled next to him with her head on his shoulder and her hand on his chest. He quickly grabbed the phone, careful not to wake her up as he slipped out of bed and into the other room.
“Ya, this is Chief Fitzgerald.” Still drowsy from the previous night, he stretched.
“Fitz, it’s me, Matt. Wanted to let you know JAG is on their way to talk with Anderson. Just giving you a heads up. What time you plan on coming in?”
“I was thinking ’bout thirteen hundred, if that’s cool?”
“Ya, of course. I’ll be over at the detention center. So just come on over there when you get to post.”
“Roger that, I will see you then.”
Raleigh hung up the phone then dialed room service. If he couldn’t treat Sam to a great dinner last night, the least he could do would be to get her breakfast in bed.
“This is Room Service. How may I help you?”
“Hello, I’d like to order a number one and a number four. Can you bring up a rose and a tray for the bed also?”
“Yes sir, we can do that.”
“Great, thank you.”
“Ok, sir, we will be up in about fifteen minutes. Thank you.”
Raleigh waited by the door, watching through the peephole for the cart to come to the door. He didn’t want to risk them knocking and waking Sam. He wanted to be the one she saw standing there, ready to serve her any way she wanted. He barely caught the guy as he walked up to the door. His fist was balled up ready to hit the door when Raleigh swung it open.
“Thanks, here’s a twenty. I will leave the cart outside the door. Is that ok?”
“Yes, sir,” he said and left as Raleigh quietly pulled the cart inside. He placed Sam’s plate on the tray along with the single rose and sat down and wrote her a note.
Baby, I am so sorry. Just know I thought of you the entire night. When I came back in and saw how stunning you looked, I wanted to make love to you right then. But know this, you are amazing and like no other women I have ever met. I want our time to be special. So, when this is all done and over with, I will make it all up to you. Xo xo Raleigh.
He poked the note just under the plate and carried the tray into the bedroom.
“Sam, darlin’.” He set the tray down for a moment and touched her arm. “Sam, baby. I got us breakfast. Why don’t you sit up and let me take care of you?”
Sam stirred and stretched, then saw Raleigh standing above her in just his boxers with a tray filled with food and a single rose.
“Sit up, baby. I got your favorite. I know you gotta be hungry because you didn’t eat much of your dinner. It’s still on the table in the other room.”
Raleigh knelt down and placed the tray in front of Sam then crawled into bed next to her.
“Baby, I am so sorry about last night. Do you forgive me?”
“Hmmm, let me think about that for a moment,” she said as she smirked at him. “I understand, Raleigh. I know we have a mission. It just sucked is all.”
“I know, baby. I promise to make it up to you.”
“Oh, you're gonna make it up to me all right.” Then she leaned over and kissed him more deeply than she had ever kissed a man. “And I forgive you.”
As they sat under the covers, they cuddled and fed each other bites of egg. Sam had never felt so loved and safe before; she was having feelings for this man she barely knew and it scared her. She leaned her head on his shoulder and just relaxed. Raleigh loved it when she did that; it made him feel wanted and alive for the first time in years. He didn’t want to lose her or this. For him, she was his salvation and he wanted her to be his. He didn’t want to get out of bed, and he wanted her close so when it was the right time he would tell her everything.