Thanks to everyone for your lovely reviews for chapter 1! Let me clear something up here, John Davis is John Reese. Remember Reese is the name that Kara Stanton gave him his first day in the field. From what we saw of his military file in Many Happy Returns, we know John's real last name is 5 characters long and the last character is 'S'. There are quite a few names that fit that description, and I have chosen to use the name Davis in my fics.
Iraq - Ambush
The prisoner lunged across the table for Carter's throat, wrapping his hands around her neck and squeezing tight while she desperately tried to push him off. Davis was on him in one bound, running his fingers through Rashad's hair until he had a tight grip and then smashing his face forward into the table. Rashad immediately went limp and his fingers fell from Carter's neck.
Davis began examining Carter's injuries. No serious damage was done, but she would have some serious bruises for a while.
"I'm fine, sergeant," she grumbled and tried to push Davis away.
Rashad stirred and looked up, blinking in confusion. Davis casually grabbed his hair and smashed his face back into the table knocking him out again.
Carter frowned. "I can't interrogate him if he's unconscious!"
Davis gave her a cocky smile. "You need a break. I don't think this is working anyway. Let's go get a soda in the mess and rethink our strategy."
Carter folded her arms and raised an eyebrow. "Our strategy? Our?"
"We're a team until Captain Hernandez says otherwise, Carter. I'm here, use me."
Carter tried to not think about all the different pleasurable uses she had for him that had nothing to do with interrogation. Then she kicked herself and got back to business.
"OK, let's talk."
Davis smiled that devastating smile at her. "Ever play Good Cop, Bad Cop?"
Over lunch they mapped out their strategy. They returned to the brig and Davis took over the interrogation.
Davis sat opposite Rashad and stared at the prisoner for a few seconds using the most penetrating stare that Carter had ever seen. Rashad squirmed and then seemed to shrink in his chair under that intense gaze. Carter was rather surprised he didn't burst into flames; she was beginning to squirm and the stare wasn't even directed at her.
Then Davis began speaking softly in a menacing, whispery voice that somehow managed to make the hair on the back of Carter's neck stand up and cause a rush of heat between her legs simultaneously.
"Well Rashad, here we are. You know, you're not much good to us unless you talk."
Rashad tried to play tough, but it was clear he was overmatched. "I'll tell you NOTHING!" he hissed at Davis.
Davis smiled, but the smile did not reach his eyes. They remained cold and flat as he stared at Rashad. "Oh, you will."
Carter watched, fascinated as Davis got in Rashad's face. He badgered Rashad. He yelled at the prisoner. He threatened. He had Rashad quivering with fear. This went on for several hours.
Rashad continued to resist all of Davis's attempts at persuasion and finally Davis had had enough and he lunged for Rashad, but Carter swiftly stepped in between them. "Stand down soldier!" she barked.
"He's not talking. Let's just get rid of him," Davis growled. He turned his head so Rashad could not see his face and he winked at her.
"Take a break soldier." Her voice was harsh, but with her back to Rashad she beamed at Davis and winked back.
Davis turned and stiffly left the room.
"He's crazy!" Rashad shouted from his corner.
Carter turned to Rashad, her face sympathetic. "I'm sorry, did he hurt you?" she asked, her voice dripping with concern. She gave him a water bottle and listened sympathetically while Rashad complained of his treatment. Gently, delicately she led the conversation around to the Al Qaida cell.
Rashad told her everything she wanted to know and then some.
After Rashad had finished spilling his guts to Carter, he was escorted from the room and Carter walked out the door. Davis was leaning against the wall waiting for her with a big grin on his face. The deadly, menacing man was completely erased and the gentle, kind man had returned.
Carter could not help but return his smile. "We make a good team."
Davis nodded. "Yep, we do. I think a celebration is in order. I hear the dining hall is serving meatloaf tonight."
Carter threw back her head and laughed. "Oh, you know how to treat a lady."
The next morning, they hitched a ride with a convoy that was heading back to Camp Liberty. They were in an elated mood; the mission was a complete success. Joss had passed the location of the Al Qaida base onto the strike team and they were informed─ just before they left─ that the air strike was planned for later that day.
They had been on the road for a couple of hours, approaching the halfway point. Davis and Carter were cheerfully swapping war stories with other soldiers in the Humvee, when Davis idly glanced out of the window next to him.
"Get down!" he yelled as he dove out of the vehicle dragging Carter along with him. Just as they hit the ground outside, all hell broke loose.
The Humvee they had just vacated exploded in a fire ball and rolled over. Joss didn't see anyone else get out. Then the shooting and screaming started. Davis pushed her to the ground, covering her with his body as much as he could.
"Stay down," he ordered as he began firing at the insurgents. Joss was on her stomach on the ground while Davis crouched over her, firing at everything that moved. Joss drew her handgun and did her best to return fire as well, but the fighting was churning up so much dust that it was difficult to see.
Every vehicle in their convoy was destroyed. One by one they went up in fireballs and parts were scattered over the road. Carter could feel the heat from the fires and the acrid smoke burned her throat. Shrapnel shredded one arm of her jacket. She heard the cries of the wounded, and worse, she heard them stop screaming when they died. She had never seen combat before and she hoped she would never see it again.
Davis reacted with calmness under fire that was almost supernatural in Carter's estimation. He never flinched; he just calmly picked off their attackers one by one. Carter, from her prone position watched in horror as one of the other soldiers took a bullet to the head and went down without a sound. She slithered over to the fallen man and took his rifle and extra ammo, using it to cover Davis's back as he took down enemy after enemy. She owed her life to the sergeant; she was not about to let anything happen to him. She knelt back to back with him and took out a couple of enemy combatants as well.
When the shooting was finally over, Davis looked at Carter. "Are you OK?" he asked grimly. Carter looked up at him wide-eyed and nodded tightly while she battled back tears. "A few cuts from shrapnel, nothing serious."
Davis laid a gentle hand on her arm. "First time in combat?' he asked softly. Carter nodded again.
"You did good Carter." He indicated the bodies of the men she had shot while covering his back. "You probably saved my life."
"You saved mine by dragging me out the Humvee, so we're even I guess." Carter looked around and realized the she didn't see or hear another person moving. "Oh my God, Davis, are we the only survivors?"
"Stay here and stay down. I'll check."
Normally, Carter would have argued, but she decided to let the man who had the combat experience handle this. She was shaking so hard, she wasn't sure if she could get to her feet anyway. She needed to lay there for a few minutes.
Davis returned quickly. "There's no one else," he reported tersely. Carter closed her eyes and squeezed back the tears.
"Can we call for help?" she whispered.
Davis shook his head. "All the radios were destroyed with the vehicles, but once they realize we're overdue, they'll send out a search party." He indicated a low hill several hundred yards away. "I think I saw a cave; let's wait there. We'll be out of the sun and it will be easier to defend if more rebels come looking for their friends."
Davis held out his hand and helped Carter to her feet. Despite the grim circumstances, she couldn't help the little thrill that ran through her body at his touch. She and Davis gathered as much spare ammo as they could carry, a couple of canteens, and a first aid kit and began trudging to the cave. They reached it without incident and stashed their gear inside.
Carter opened a canteen and took a long drink of water to clear her throat of the sand, grit, and smoke from the firefight. She passed it to Davis and he took a drink while he looked outside.
"Sun's going down. They probably won't send a search party until morning."
"So we're stuck here for the night. Great," Carter grumbled.
Davis looked around the cave. "Well, it's not the Hilton."
Carter snorted. "It's not even the No Tell Motel."
Davis laughed. "I won't ask you how you know that. We should be safe here, at least for tonight."
"Thanks to you," Carter said softly.
Davis shrugged. "That's why I'm here."
"Well, I'm for one am glad. I owe you for saving my life."
"It's my job." Davis said with a trace of embarrassment.
Carter could not help but smile at the shy man in front of her. She liked him; she liked him a lot. She liked him more than she should. She let her eyes travel up his lean frame as he took his jacket off leaving him in a T-shirt. That T-shirt did nothing to hide his muscular chest and flat abs. Her eyes moved up his neck to his gorgeous face with the perfect profile and blue eyes framed by rich dark lashes. It was all topped off by coal black hair and what had to be the most adorable cowlick in Iraq.
SHIT! What was she thinking? Time to change the subject.
"Are you hungry?" she asked, taking off her own jacket. It was miserably hot in the cave, but at least they were out of the sun.
John looked over at Carter. He loved looking at her when she was in her t-shirt. She had a trim figure that the camos simply could not hide. Even Army issue desert camouflage pants could not hide that magnificent ass. Her stomach was flat and her rack was nothing short of incredible. She had a huge brilliant smile that could light a street and big dark eyes that shined with intelligence.
Wait, did she just say something? "I'm sorry, did you say something Carter?"
She smiled that smile at him again. "I asked if you were hungry."
Davis returned her smile, his blue eyes dancing. "Why? Are you cooking?"
"Sure," she said reaching in the satchel that she used to carry case files. The strap had been slung across her body, so when John had dragged her from the Humvee, it had come along for the ride. She pulled out two energy bars and tossed one over to Davis. "Dinner is served."
Davis grinned his boyish grin at her again. "Thanks Lieutenant." He opened it and took a bite. "You're a good cook."
Carter laughed at him and took a bite of her bar. "If you ever are in New York City, look me up and I'll cook you my special lasagna."
Davis decided he liked the sound of her laugh too. "Sounds good, I love Italian food." He ate the last bite of his bar.
Carter decided she wanted to keep him talking. His voice sounded different. It had lost the Sergeant's authoritative bark and it was softer, sexier. "All my family is in New York. Where's your family?"
"Don't have one," he said softly.
Carter arched an eyebrow at him. "Not even parents? You sprang whole from the earth complete with rifle and sergeant's stripes?"
He smiled at that. "No my dad died when I was a kid and my mom died a few years ago. I was an only child."
"I'm sorry." Carter felt bad about the joke.
"Don't be. What about you?"
"Married, one kid." Davis's heart sank. He did not want to hear the M word.
"You have a picture?"
Carter reached into her satchel and pulled out a photograph. It was a picture of a smiling Carter with a tall, handsome black man– obviously her husband– and a smiling boy who looked to be around four or five.
"This was taken just before I shipped out. Taylor has probably doubled in size since I saw him." There was a slight quaver in her voice. John realized it must have been so hard for her to have been separated from loved ones, probably much harder than just being alone like him.
"Cute kid. Is your husband in the military?"
"Yeah, he's Army too. He's home now and in about a month I head home. Couple months after that, he heads to Afghanistan."
"That must be hard on a marriage," Davis remarked.
Carter looked sad. "It's what we signed up for. How come you never married?"
"There was one woman I wanted to marry, but she couldn't hack military life." Davis blinked, he could not believe he was telling her this. He hadn't told anyone about Jessica before, but he found Carter so easy to talk to that it just came naturally.
"Why didn't you quit then?" Carter was shocked she was asking so many personal questions, but she needed to know him. She knew that her time with him was short and she wanted to connect with him as much as possible.
"You are quite the interrogator, aren't you?" Davis said with a smirk on his face.
Carter hung her head. "Sorry, occupational hazard I guess. Forget I asked."
Davis looked at her as she fiddled with the wrapper from her energy bar and bit her lip. He realized that he did want to answer the question; he wanted her to know him. "It's OK. I was going to quit, then 9/11 happened and I realized all I knew was how to be a soldier. She was an incredible woman, but she wasn't cut out to be a soldier's wife. So I let her go."
Carter's heart hurt for this man. She hadn't known him long, but she did know that he was a good man and he deserved the love of a good woman. "That must have been hard to leave her behind."
He shrugged. "You do what you have to do." He checked his watch. "Go ahead and try to get some sleep. I'll take first watch."
"Not sure how much sleep I'll get," Carter said as she settled down in a sitting position with her back against the cave wall.
Davis slipped his jacket back on and grabbed his rifle. "Try and get some. I have no idea what the morning will bring, but it will be easier if you're rested."
"Yes, sir," Carter barked, but Davis didn't see her smile because his back was to her.
Davis stopped and turned around. "I'm sorry, Lieutenant. I forgot my place."
Carter gazed up at him, her eyes regretful. "No, I'm the one who should be sorry, Sergeant. I was kidding, really. You know what you're doing out here, I don't. Issue all the orders you need to."
Davis wondered what she would do if he ordered her to kiss him. He threw cold water on himself. As desirable as she was, she was married and an officer– completely unattainable for him.
"Just get as much rest as you can, I'll check on you in a while." He fled to the mouth of the cave to keep watch before he did anything stupid.
Carter watched him walk away, noticing that he moved with the grace of the natural athlete. She found him completely mesmerizing.
Carter tried to doze, but as soon as the sun slipped below the horizon the desert grew cold. When she began shivering, she gave up and went to the mouth of the cave where Davis was standing guard.
"Can't sleep?" he asked when he she appeared beside him.
"Too cold," she sighed and rubbed her arms. "Let me take over, maybe you can get some sleep."
Davis shook his head. "I doubt I'll be able to sleep either. Come on."
Curious, Joss followed him back into the cave. "We're going to have to huddle together for warmth tonight; it's cooling down very fast out there."
Carter opened her mouth to protest then shut it. As much as she was afraid that cuddling with John Davis was going to open up a can of worms that she really didn't want to open, he was right. It was already very cold and all they had for warmth was each other.
He sat down with his back against the rock wall and Carter snuggled up to his side. They put their arms around each other and Carter put her head on his shoulder.
John began gently rubbing her arms. "Go to sleep, Carter," he commanded in his soft voice. It wasn't long before she complied, feeling safe and secure.
The next morning, Carter woke up; aware she was using another human for a pillow. "Good morning," an amused voice rumbled. Carter looked up and froze. John's lips were mere inches from hers. They stared at each other for a few seconds, both acutely aware they wanted to kiss each other, but not sure how the other one would take it.
They were saved only by the whump-whump sounds coming from overhead. "Helicopter. The rescue party is here," John said and they both raced outside to flag it down.
A few days later, Carter was walking to the dining hall with her friend Marco when she saw a unit preparing to ship out. Men were racing around loading supplies and shouting at each other.
Carter turned her head to look at all the commotion. "Who's shipping out today?" she asked idly.
Marco didn't even look up. "The Ranger unit, I think. There's a bad insurgent problem down by An Najaf and they're going down to help."
Carter caught herself just in time to keep her step from faltering. Davis was shipping out! Her heart sank to the pit of her stomach as she realized she would probably never see him again. She bit her lip; she wanted to see him one last time.
"Hey, I forgot something. I'll catch up to you in a few minutes, OK?" She forced herself to sound cheerful.
"Okay, see you in a few," Marco replied and kept on walking towards the mess hall without looking back.
Carter hurried as quickly as she could over towards the convoy and stood hidden in the shade of a motor pool building as she searched for him. He was easy to spot, even in all the organized chaos. All she had to do was scan over the heads of the other soldiers; his 6'2" frame stood out. She easily spotted him by one of the transports as he herded his men onto the vehicle.
Carter blinked back the tears that she knew were not caused by the grit and sand thrown up by the activity. Regardless of Army rules and regulations, she was going to miss that man; she was going to miss him terribly. More than any officer should miss an enlisted man. More than a married woman should miss a man who was not her husband. She watched intently as he got his men loaded and then easily swung his lean body into the transport with his usual grace and secured the door behind him.
Davis wasn't too happy to hear first thing in the morning that his unit was shipping out. He secretly hoped that he could "accidentally" run into Carter at least a few more times, maybe even be assigned to work another case with her. But he was a good soldier and he accepted that he would never see the interrogator again, no matter how much he wanted to. It was probably for the best anyway. He had been having some very unprofessional thoughts about the lovely officer being out of uniform…
He performed his duties in his usual exemplary manner while keeping a watchful eye out for an opportunity to slip away briefly and maybe say goodbye to Carter. But no such opportunity presented itself. The last minute, unplanned nature of their assignment meant that he was completely occupied with getting his men ready to move out and he couldn't and wouldn't shirk that responsibility.
He wondered if she would think of him once his transport left the base. He wondered how she'd gotten under his skin after he swore no one would touch his heart after Jessica. He wondered if maybe, just maybe, he'd gotten under her skin as well.
But it didn't matter, he told himself. She was an officer and he was enlisted and the Army was quite clear that the two should not mix. Besides, she was married with a child. She was unattainable even if the Army wasn't standing in their way.
So John told himself it was better this way, that they would never see each other again. They didn't belong together since she belonged to another. It was time for him to stop mooning over her and get on with his work. She probably would not give him a second thought. Still he couldn't help but feel sad about it; they had shared an incredible connection these last few days. They complimented each other unbelievably well, and he would miss that connection terribly.
Davis gracefully swung himself into his transport and shut the door behind him, shutting down that particular train of thought. He settled into his seat and the transport lurched forward, taking him away from Camp Liberty and on to his next assignment.
As the transport rolled forward, he idly glanced over at the motor pool building and he saw a movement in shadows. He froze in disbelief as he realized it was Carter standing there, watching him. Their eyes locked for a brief second and she smiled at him. He smiled back, his eyes dancing with happiness. She had come to see him off; she had felt that connection too.
John wanted to jump out of that truck and run to her. He wanted to tell her everything he had been thinking but couldn't and didn't say. He wanted to throw his arms around her and feel her small body pressed against his once again.
But he didn't do any of those things. He finally admitted to himself that it wasn't because the Army would frown on it or because she was married. He didn't do it because he was scared. Scared of his feelings for the combative lieutenant. Scared that she would reject him. Scared that he couldn't be the man she needed, because all he knew was how to be a soldier.
So in the end, he settled for her farewell smile and for the thought that she cared enough about him to come to say good bye. She did feel that connection and it was important enough for her to come down here and watch him go.
It would have to do.
Carter watched until the transport was out of sight. He had seen her and he had smiled like he was happy to see her. Maybe he thought of her as something other than "that annoying bitch" like everyone else seemed to think of her. Maybe he would miss her, too.
Mentally, Joss kicked herself. What was she doing chasing after an enlisted man when she was married and an officer? It didn't matter if the tall handsome Sergeant would miss her, nor did it matter how much she would miss him. Fate was a cruel mistress and she had brought them together at the exact wrong time and place.
Still, she thought as she turned to join Marco in the dining hall, it was nice to have not been alone; to know that someone with his skills and sense of honor had her back. She had never felt as safe as she had these last few days in the middle of a war zone. Sure she had her coworkers and for the most part she had earned their respect, but as a black woman in a man's world she had always felt somewhat alone. Nevertheless, for some bizarre reason that white man had made her feel cared for. There were no words for how much she would miss that feeling.
