Chapter 25

Cam

Katie hung up the phone on me, and I was pissed. She just shoved something in my face, and I had no idea what she was on about. She had said she had gone to Shooters Bar, and I knew exactly what that place was like. She had chosen the one bar that could be at the worst possible location to take something out on me. It was the local haunt used by many of the Navy personnel to let off some steam, and it was the one place that a lot of girls went when they wanted to catch the attention of the guys from the Navy.

I strapped Emmy into her car seat and fastened her into the back of the car. Owen had agreed to take care of Emmy, and I couldn’t believe I had to stoop that low again and ask him to babysit. Owen had told me his new girlfriend was excellent with kids, so Emmy wouldn’t be a problem. I had hoped he was right about this. Owen was bad enough, but throw a stranger into the mix, and I was not happy. At all.

I arrived at Owens house and dropped Emmy off with him. I had said I wouldn’t be too late as I was just going to get Katie and have it out with her why she was so off.

“So, Cam, what’s so important that you have to run off so fast?” Owen asked.

“Just a small problem with Katie. Nothing for you to worry about. And, before I forget, you have a few things at my house that were dropped off earlier,” I said.

“Ah, I see. Don’t tell me Katie saw you with my ex. Damn her. She always makes things difficult,” Owen said.

“Well, that isn’t your fault. Just make sure Emmy is okay, that is your concern,” I said as I walked to the car.

“She will be fine. The new one loves babies, especially the practice part,” Owen replied with a huge grin.

It was Owens ex she saw. Fuck!

I left Owen’s house and was halfway to Shooters when it made sense to me. It was Owen’s ex who Katie must have seen me with. We had been outside talking around the time that Katie would have come to play with Emmy. God-damn Owen; he even gets me into trouble when he’s not involved.

I arrived in the parking lot of Shooters and could hear the faint sounds of music blaring from the bar. I had been here a few times when I was younger, and it could get pretty rowdy. A few memories of when I was younger came flooding back, and many of the times I had visited here, I had caused trouble. I was sure that wouldn’t be the case tonight.

I strode across the parking lot and opened the door. The noise from the jukebox hit me like a tornado. How anyone could talk above this noise was beyond me, and I could see no enjoyment in having music this loud, no matter how good or bad it was.

I took three of four steps inside, and I could hear a few “ooh’s” and “aah’s” around me. Everyone had their eyes fixed on me, and it was most likely the effect of the video on the internet, the one of the kid who I had knocked senseless at the first party I had gone to with Owen. The whispers spread and a few fingers were pointed in my direction, but it did not seem to attract too much attention once you had stepped away from the doorway.

I hope there are no cell phones filming. I wouldn’t be able to explain that one for sure.

I glanced around the bar, and on my first scan, I couldn’t see any sign of Katie.

Damn you, Katie, if you told me the wrong place.

I looked around the bar again and could see a couple of kids by one of the pool tables. I noticed the one kid mouthed something to the other, and pointed in my direction. He stood to look and I could see Katie lying over the edge of the pool table. The kid had been lying over her, and probably would have agreed to show her how to hold a pool cue.

I stormed across the bar toward the pool tables and could already see that they were navy guys, just by the cropped hair, the overly pressed shirts and the smell of their cologne, Testosterone.

I could see Katie stand as I got closer. She glared at me and looked as pissed off. It was obvious she had underestimated me and the whole situation.

“Katie,” I said in a commanding tone. “I need to talk to you, now!”

“Go away Cam,” Katie said as she turned her back on me.

I hope she fucking has the sense to listen to me.

“Will you just hear me out for a moment,” I pleaded.

“So where is she, Cam? Hey, where is your girlfriend? Or do you just want another piece of me for a change?” she asked angrily.

“Listen to me. It’s what you think. You have got it all wrong,” I added, giving her a look of warning. The little brat needed to be laid across my legs and to have her ass spanked good and hard.

“I fucking saw you, Cam! You hugged and kissed her. And it certainly looked like something was going on from where I was standing,” she snapped.

“Listen for a minute, will you!” I reached out and grabbed her, pulling her closer as I gritted my teeth.

“Have you been lying all this time?” Katie added.

I encouraged her physically to come and stand in a quiet area so I could explain. She resisted at first and then thought it was wiser if she did.

“I will tell you exactly who it was you saw,” I said and looked deeply into Katie’s eyes.

“Yes, you will.”

“And you will be shocked once you realize how wrong you were to misjudge,” I added.

“Go on then, enlighten me. I suppose it was just an old friend,” she said.

“The woman you saw ,e talking to is Owen’s ex-wife. She had just popped round and brought some of Owen’s things which he had left at the house. He can no longer get in as she changed the locks, and it’s been a such a long time since I have seen her, and that hug was a friendly gesture for someone who is going through a rough time,” I explained.

Her eyes were like steel.

“That’s all there is to it; nothing more and nothing less. Two old friends catching up for a few minutes, and don’t forget she’s Emmy’s godmother. So she’s going to be around forever. Stop being an ass and just ask.”

I also explained to Katie that neither Owen or his ex-wife wanted to see each other anymore. That is why they had agreed on something and used me as an intermediary.

I told her how she had remained in the house, and Owen had moved into an apartment closer to the base until the divorce had finally gone through and then a decision could be made about the house. I also explained that I had to leave Emmy there again and I was not happy about Owen taking care of her this regularly, no matter if his new girlfriend was good with children.

“You okay there, Katie?” Jamie asked from behind me.

“Leave it, Jamie, you don’t know who…,” she started to say.

“Yes Jamie, step back before you regret it,” I snarled.

Jamie placed his hand on my shoulder and spun me round. He held the pool cue in his hand and threatened to take a swing.

“I’m not afraid of you,” Jamie said as the pool cue shook in his hands

“Go on, try it and see how far you get,” I said and stared into his eyes.

Jamie thought he would be the one who took down the great Cam Cross.

Fuck, not today sunshine, or any other day for that matter.

Jamie swung the pool cue with all his might, and I raised my arm to the side of my head. The cue struck my arm and I grabbed the end as it came to a halt. Jamie stared at me in shock. I think he expected a different result to happen.

Jamie, you have a lot to learn if you want to be a SEAL.

Jamie let go of the cue and a paleness washed over his face. The pool cue shattered as I swiped it against the pool table and shoved the one piece against Jamie’s throat. I pushed Jamie back towards the pool table, and he leaned over backward.

I pinned him down against the green cloth and his breath became shallow as I started to slowly crush his windpipe with the pool cue. His hands tried to grip at the cue and I knocked them out of the way. Jamie’s arms flailed wildly as his breath became lesser and lesser. He hit the balls across the table, and it was ironic… he potted the black.

Game over.

“Cam, stop it, you will kill him,” Katie said as she stepped towards me.

“Well this is his unlucky day. He touched the wrong person,” I replied and shoved the cue harder into Jamie’s larynx.

Jamie had interfered with me at the wrong time. He was on the wrong end of my temper and I was going to teach Katie a lesson. Fuck, and it looked as if the lesson was using Jamie to prove it to her, once and for all.

Katie pulled desperately at my arm to get me to release Jamie. But my arm was locked and I pushed with my body weight. Pulling my arm served no purpose, and Jamie would pass out before I could be released that way.

“Cam, stop it, please,” she said as she tugged at my arm.

“Why should I stop? Fuck, he just… he shouldn’t have,” I replied. I could hear Jamie gasping for air.

“Cam, I’m sorry, it’s my fault, not his,” Katie squealed. “I was angry with you, and I just wanted you to feel what it was like to be cheated.”

“He should have said no at the start,” I said and bore down on Jamie.

“It was me. I should have said no,” Katie said as she continued to tug at me.

“Just to remind you, Katie, I never have, nor ever will cheat on you,” I said and stared into her eyes.

“Cam, think about it please. Who will take care of Emmy if you get in trouble?” Katie said in a calm and soothing voice.

I looked into her eyes and I knew she meant every single word she had said. The pain had welled up with her tears and she seemed genuinely sorry for the trouble she had caused.

Her voice of reason snapped me out of it. I was inches away from permanently making my name in history, and it wouldn’t have ended in a good way, both for Jamie and for me, if I had continued without Katie’s persistent pleading.

I would have gone down like a fallen war hero, and my name would have been wiped of all the good things I had already done. In Owen’s words, ‘The great Cam Cox’, would no longer leave the same ring to the many Navy personnel who passed through that base, or any other base each year.

My photo would be removed from the wall of the Admiral’s building, and no picture would remain a solitary reminder of what I once was. I let loose the piece of the pool cue and watched as Jamie gasped for breath. He rubbed his neck as the color slowly started to return to his face.

“Scram, get out of here,” I said to Jamie.

“Come on Roberto, let’s get out of here,” he said to his friend.

I laughed to myself as Roberto spoke. “Right behind you. I got your six.”

I turned to Katie as the two guys made a quick exit and placed the broken piece of pool cue on the table.

“I suppose you feel good about yourself,” Katie said to me as she released my arm.

“I would have felt better if you have not misunderstood the situation. I’m not sure what I need to do to make you understand,” I added.

“Well, how do you expect me to react?” Katie said.

“Better than this.”

“You have to look at it from my side as well, you know. I have tried,” she added.

“Well, enough of that here. Just get yourself outside and get your ass in the car,” I said as I grabbed her arm and started to march her to the exit.

I glanced around the bar and noticed that there was luckily no one with a cell phone. Much of the action had taken place away from the view of a lot of people.

“Katie,” I heard someone call from behind me.

“It’s okay, Jenny, I have to go,” Katie called as we exited from the bar.

We crossed the parking lot, and Katie got into the car. I started to drive off and began to talk to Katie.

“Katie, your attitude stunk on the phone. I was so pissed when you hung up on me,” I said in an angry tone.

“I know I may have overreacted, but I was probably just as pissed as you were,” Katie said as she looked in my direction.

“Is this gonna happen each time I speak to another woman?” I asked.

“No, I was just… it was when you kissed. I just lost it,” she replied.

“That is what I’m trying to say. You have to control your feelings,” I explained.

“You’re a fine one to talk. What did you just do to Jamie’s neck? Gosh, you could have easily killed him?” Katie replied.

“That’s different. I was doing that for you,” I said.

“Well, I never asked you to crush his windpipe. That was your choice,” Katie said.

“Well, it’s all over now, and that Jamie will have learnt the best lesson of his life tonight. It will do him good,” I explained.

“How the hell can you say that?” Katie asked.

“He should treat women with some more respect, and his training will surely go up a bit. I don’t think he will want that to ever happen to him again,” I replied.

“Fuck Cam.”

“Well, if you react like this every time I do speak to another woman, you’re not as mature as I thought you were. You’re very far from it. It would make me consider carefully,” I said.

“I’m so sorry Cam. I promise it won’t happen again,” Katie said quietly.

“Well, when we get home, you need to show me how sorry you really are,” I explained, wanting to take full advantage of her. She’d have done the same to me… I had no fucking doubt.