Case 4: Masada, Part 3
Disclaimer: Same as before. My updates will be slower in coming, as I've now started my fourth semester in college and my second as a sophomore.
Steve1's fanfic Loneliness inspired the references to Jay you hear about in this story.
~ ~ ~ ~
25 May 2000: By the time Hal and Ivy arrived in Tel Aviv the sun was already setting over the horizon. They took a taxi cab to the hotel and Ivy immediately noticed the tell tale bulge of a 9mm pistol under the cab driver's t-shirt.
"Hal?" Ivy asked.
"That's the way of life around here Ivy, most blokes in Israel carry concealed weapons due to those blasted Palestinian terror organizations." Hal replied.
They reached the Hilton hotel where they headed to the check in desk. The clerk, a woman in her mid-thirties with plenty of Arab in her family tree, gave them a room number.
"Room Number 272." The woman said, handing Hal his key.
"What about my room?" Ivy asked, "Is there a room for Ivy Darren on your list?"
"No, ma'am, I'm sorry. You are staying in Room 272 as well." The woman said.
"What? There has to be some mistake!" Ivy protested.
"I thought Tatiana booked us for two rooms!" Hal added.
The woman was mystified, how on earth were these two intimate if they didn't want to share a room. It took all kinds to make a world, she shrugged and said, "Here are your keys. Do you have any other baggage?"
"No." Both of them replied.
"It's either that or sleep in the streets." Hal quipped, "I'm calling Wells over this."
He pulled his cell phone free and dialed the number, "Chief, there must be some mistake."
"What did he say?" Ivy asked.
"I just got an earful about just sucking it up and taking it. Also there was no room in this hotel and Wells said that the Marriott in Jerusalem is too close to Palestinian territory for our purposes...." Hal began awkwardly.
"Hal, we're both adults here, we can share the same hotel room." Ivy said.
"Right," Hal sighed, as he dug his keycard out and opened the hotel room up, "The bed's yours."
"Hal, that couch doesn't look too comfortable." Ivy observed, "I'd feel better if you took the bed."
"I'd feel better if you took the bed, Ivy." Hal countered, "I've slept in worse places before. Foremost among them a bouncing Land Rover going through the hinterlands of South Africa."
"Hal, for God's sake, we have a bed that's large enough for both of us. We're both adults, and if you try any funny business you know I could break your hand in a few places." Ivy replied.
"Right. I understand. Do you want the shower first?" Hal asked.
"If you don't mind." Ivy said.
"Not at all." Hal replied. As Ivy walked into the bathroom, Hal turned on CNN and watched the news on what was going on in the Gaza Strip and West Bank area. After about forty-five minutes Hal grabbed his toiletry kit and towel and headed for the shower when he heard the door open.
After having showered and thrown on a pair of shorts and his United Kingdom Rugby t-shirt. He knocked on the bedroom door and Ivy let him in. His eyes nearly went wide when he saw her. Ivy wore a blue silk night shirt that terminated at just above her mid thigh. It showed her long, well defined legs and hung loosely off her frame yet it complemented the curves of her body rather than hiding them.
Both of them climbed into opposite sides of the bed. Hal faced outward, towards the window. He tried five times in twenty minutes to fall asleep, but it seemed that he couldn't. Ivy was asleep before she even hit the pillow. He had to chuckle lightly at that one, and he turned towards her, watching her still form.
'God I feel like such a bloody pervert. Great job Olden, you enjoy watching your partner while she's asleep.' Hal thought, 'Though she does look so peaceful, so fragile, and even more beautiful than she is when she's awake. Where the bloody hell did that come from?'
Hal turned his back to Ivy and tried again to fall asleep. 'For Christ's sake, you're not a bloody hormone driven teenager. You shouldn't be so....'
Ivy was muttering something or other and it seemed to be causing her some distress. "No, please don't leave! Oh please....Jay, don't do this to me..."
"Ivy?" Hal asked, "Are you alright?"
'You bloody wanker, of course she's not alright, can't you see she's hurting.' Hal thought, 'All the more reason she needs a friend, not a lover.'
Hal turned back towards her, Ivy was stirring in her sleep. "Jay, please, we can make this work. Don't go, please..." Ivy muttered.
"Ivy, you're having a nightmare." Hal replied. His words had no effect that he could see. He wanted so desperately to just hold her, reassure her that everything was fine now. Short of waking her up, he only had one other option.
Hal moved closer to Ivy, taking her gently in his arms, speaking in a soothing tone. "It's alright. You'll be fine."
Ivy's eyelids fluttered open and in their closeness he could smell the vanilla body wash she used that night. "Hal?"
"You were having a nightmare." Hal said, gulping audibly, "I shouldn't have done that."
"No." Ivy replied, smiling sweetly, "I needed that."
Ivy returned his embrace. Hal felt his pulse rate quicken. "Just hold me for a little longer, ok?" Ivy asked him. Hal could see the incredibly vulnerability in her eyes and it awakened some protective instinct in him.
"OK." Hal said, holding her close. He heard Ivy sigh contentedly as she fell asleep. Whoever this Jay fellow was must've really hurt her badly. 'If I meet this Jay fellow somewhere I'll punch his lights out.' Hal thought, 'Should I really be enjoying this as much as I am?'
Hal could feel the gentle swelling of her breasts against his torso as he held her, and he could tell she had decided to forgo wearing a bra for that evening. The even sound of Ivy's breathing told him she was asleep and began to lull Hal towards a similar venue as he felt his eyelids get heavy and he fell asleep.
~ ~ ~ ~
26 May 2000: The sunlight streamed through the window and Hal felt his eyelids flutter open. He could feel Ivy curled up against his left side with his arm around her waistline. Hal had decided he could go for an extra few minutes of sleep when Ivy woke up.
"Hal, we've got to meet our contact in half an hour. Wake up." Ivy said.
Hal mock groaned and flexed his left hand. Ivy's weight on it for much of the night had left a very bad case of pins and needles. Hal stood up from the bed and got dressed and saw Ivy at the door, her arms folded across her chest, tapping her foot with an enigmatic half smile.
"Hal, you're the last person I'd put on my list of morning people." Ivy replied.
Hal gave her his trademark grin and he opened the room door for her as they headed for the elevator and down to the lobby to take part in the continental breakfast. As they sat at the table, Hal chose to break the silence.
"So who's Jay?" Hal asked, "If you don't mind me asking."
"He and I were very close, since I was sixteen." Ivy said, with a sad smile, "We separated a year later, because he was moving to New York, and I was going to ACME. But he joined ACME two years later and we got back together."
"Really?" Hal replied, "What happened?"
"We dated for about five years after that. It was a relationship that had its moments, we had our fights and our good times, but I thought he was the one. Then around my twenty-fifth birthday we had our last big fight. He and I hardly spent any time together that year and I complained. Then the big shocker hit, he was moving to Australia and wanted me to accompany him. I didn't want to leave San Francisco, I really didn't, I am just so comfortable there, my family my best friends, they're all there." Ivy began, as she did, she started to sound very emotional.
"You don't have to continue if you don't want to tell me any more of it." Hal replied.
"No, I need to talk to someone about this." Ivy replied, "Anyway. He countered he was making the move because Australia was a good place to maybe start a family and I should be a big girl about this and just go along with it. I countered he was finding his career more important than me. We fought about this all day and then he walked out the door and was on a plane to Sydney the next day. We haven't seen each other since."
"What a wanker." Hal replied, frankly, "If he really loved you he'd have been willing to compromise."
'Great job Olden. Open mouth, insert foot.' Hal thought, 'Now you've really put her off.'
Instead Ivy softened and said, "So let me ask you this: if Diane didn't want to move and you got an offer to go somewhere to further your career, what would you have done?"
"I'd have talked with her, hear how she felt, and if she felt that strongly about moving I'd try to find a compromise or not have taken that step." Hal replied.
"About what you did for me last night," Ivy began, "I want to thank you. I'm glad you're there for me."
"Hey, you've been there for me just as well, you stopped me from killing Holbarth. Though I had to screw things up by..." Hal replied.
"Kissing me like I was Diane. Hal, I've forgiven you for that already, quit apologizing." Ivy replied.
"Detective Olden? Detective Darren?" said a voice, "I'm Chief Inspector Rosenthal, ACME Tel Aviv Field Office."
They turned to see an older Israeli man heading their way, wearing a business suit with a uniformed Israeli soldier with a brown beret atop his head. "This is Andrew Demerest, Israeli Special Forces. I feel he is most qualified to assist in your investigation."
As Rosenthal spoke, he indicated the Israeli soldier, his complexion darkly sun tanned from days under the blazing sun. His olive drab fatigues were serviceable, but well worn. His brown beret bore the cap badge of the Golani Infantry Brigade, Israel's most elite infantry brigade.
Demerest stepped forward, even off duty he carried his CAR-15 with three magazines taped end over end. Noticing Ivy's raised eyebrow he said, "It's a fact of life in Israel that soldiers walk around armed, even off duty."
Andrew Demerest was a medium built fellow, about twenty-one years old, with close cropped black hair and thoughtful brown eyes. He was a compact fellow, his musculature strengthened by his nearly two years in the Israeli Army. As she looked at him, Ivy could see a small picture of Jackie Harris taped to the side of his rifle.
Apparently Demerest hadn't forgotten the reason he'd left ACME to join the Israeli Army. Looking into his eyes, Ivy could see that Demerest still loved Jackie. 'It really must be killing him to know that Jackie and Chris are a happy couple.' Ivy thought, 'He should at least tell Jackie how he feels about her.'
"You used to be Jackie's mentor, right?" Demerest asked Ivy.
"Yeah." Ivy replied.
"How is she?" Demerest asked.
"She's doing fine." Ivy began, "She worries about you, you know."
"I know. The life of a soldier is an inherently risky profession." Demerest replied, seeming surprised at that fact, "But she now has Chris in her life, and the profession of the soldier is all that remains for me."
~ ~ ~ ~
TBC (Don't worry, the whole Demerest-Jackie story line will develop in later chapters.)
Disclaimer: Same as before. My updates will be slower in coming, as I've now started my fourth semester in college and my second as a sophomore.
Steve1's fanfic Loneliness inspired the references to Jay you hear about in this story.
~ ~ ~ ~
25 May 2000: By the time Hal and Ivy arrived in Tel Aviv the sun was already setting over the horizon. They took a taxi cab to the hotel and Ivy immediately noticed the tell tale bulge of a 9mm pistol under the cab driver's t-shirt.
"Hal?" Ivy asked.
"That's the way of life around here Ivy, most blokes in Israel carry concealed weapons due to those blasted Palestinian terror organizations." Hal replied.
They reached the Hilton hotel where they headed to the check in desk. The clerk, a woman in her mid-thirties with plenty of Arab in her family tree, gave them a room number.
"Room Number 272." The woman said, handing Hal his key.
"What about my room?" Ivy asked, "Is there a room for Ivy Darren on your list?"
"No, ma'am, I'm sorry. You are staying in Room 272 as well." The woman said.
"What? There has to be some mistake!" Ivy protested.
"I thought Tatiana booked us for two rooms!" Hal added.
The woman was mystified, how on earth were these two intimate if they didn't want to share a room. It took all kinds to make a world, she shrugged and said, "Here are your keys. Do you have any other baggage?"
"No." Both of them replied.
"It's either that or sleep in the streets." Hal quipped, "I'm calling Wells over this."
He pulled his cell phone free and dialed the number, "Chief, there must be some mistake."
"What did he say?" Ivy asked.
"I just got an earful about just sucking it up and taking it. Also there was no room in this hotel and Wells said that the Marriott in Jerusalem is too close to Palestinian territory for our purposes...." Hal began awkwardly.
"Hal, we're both adults here, we can share the same hotel room." Ivy said.
"Right," Hal sighed, as he dug his keycard out and opened the hotel room up, "The bed's yours."
"Hal, that couch doesn't look too comfortable." Ivy observed, "I'd feel better if you took the bed."
"I'd feel better if you took the bed, Ivy." Hal countered, "I've slept in worse places before. Foremost among them a bouncing Land Rover going through the hinterlands of South Africa."
"Hal, for God's sake, we have a bed that's large enough for both of us. We're both adults, and if you try any funny business you know I could break your hand in a few places." Ivy replied.
"Right. I understand. Do you want the shower first?" Hal asked.
"If you don't mind." Ivy said.
"Not at all." Hal replied. As Ivy walked into the bathroom, Hal turned on CNN and watched the news on what was going on in the Gaza Strip and West Bank area. After about forty-five minutes Hal grabbed his toiletry kit and towel and headed for the shower when he heard the door open.
After having showered and thrown on a pair of shorts and his United Kingdom Rugby t-shirt. He knocked on the bedroom door and Ivy let him in. His eyes nearly went wide when he saw her. Ivy wore a blue silk night shirt that terminated at just above her mid thigh. It showed her long, well defined legs and hung loosely off her frame yet it complemented the curves of her body rather than hiding them.
Both of them climbed into opposite sides of the bed. Hal faced outward, towards the window. He tried five times in twenty minutes to fall asleep, but it seemed that he couldn't. Ivy was asleep before she even hit the pillow. He had to chuckle lightly at that one, and he turned towards her, watching her still form.
'God I feel like such a bloody pervert. Great job Olden, you enjoy watching your partner while she's asleep.' Hal thought, 'Though she does look so peaceful, so fragile, and even more beautiful than she is when she's awake. Where the bloody hell did that come from?'
Hal turned his back to Ivy and tried again to fall asleep. 'For Christ's sake, you're not a bloody hormone driven teenager. You shouldn't be so....'
Ivy was muttering something or other and it seemed to be causing her some distress. "No, please don't leave! Oh please....Jay, don't do this to me..."
"Ivy?" Hal asked, "Are you alright?"
'You bloody wanker, of course she's not alright, can't you see she's hurting.' Hal thought, 'All the more reason she needs a friend, not a lover.'
Hal turned back towards her, Ivy was stirring in her sleep. "Jay, please, we can make this work. Don't go, please..." Ivy muttered.
"Ivy, you're having a nightmare." Hal replied. His words had no effect that he could see. He wanted so desperately to just hold her, reassure her that everything was fine now. Short of waking her up, he only had one other option.
Hal moved closer to Ivy, taking her gently in his arms, speaking in a soothing tone. "It's alright. You'll be fine."
Ivy's eyelids fluttered open and in their closeness he could smell the vanilla body wash she used that night. "Hal?"
"You were having a nightmare." Hal said, gulping audibly, "I shouldn't have done that."
"No." Ivy replied, smiling sweetly, "I needed that."
Ivy returned his embrace. Hal felt his pulse rate quicken. "Just hold me for a little longer, ok?" Ivy asked him. Hal could see the incredibly vulnerability in her eyes and it awakened some protective instinct in him.
"OK." Hal said, holding her close. He heard Ivy sigh contentedly as she fell asleep. Whoever this Jay fellow was must've really hurt her badly. 'If I meet this Jay fellow somewhere I'll punch his lights out.' Hal thought, 'Should I really be enjoying this as much as I am?'
Hal could feel the gentle swelling of her breasts against his torso as he held her, and he could tell she had decided to forgo wearing a bra for that evening. The even sound of Ivy's breathing told him she was asleep and began to lull Hal towards a similar venue as he felt his eyelids get heavy and he fell asleep.
~ ~ ~ ~
26 May 2000: The sunlight streamed through the window and Hal felt his eyelids flutter open. He could feel Ivy curled up against his left side with his arm around her waistline. Hal had decided he could go for an extra few minutes of sleep when Ivy woke up.
"Hal, we've got to meet our contact in half an hour. Wake up." Ivy said.
Hal mock groaned and flexed his left hand. Ivy's weight on it for much of the night had left a very bad case of pins and needles. Hal stood up from the bed and got dressed and saw Ivy at the door, her arms folded across her chest, tapping her foot with an enigmatic half smile.
"Hal, you're the last person I'd put on my list of morning people." Ivy replied.
Hal gave her his trademark grin and he opened the room door for her as they headed for the elevator and down to the lobby to take part in the continental breakfast. As they sat at the table, Hal chose to break the silence.
"So who's Jay?" Hal asked, "If you don't mind me asking."
"He and I were very close, since I was sixteen." Ivy said, with a sad smile, "We separated a year later, because he was moving to New York, and I was going to ACME. But he joined ACME two years later and we got back together."
"Really?" Hal replied, "What happened?"
"We dated for about five years after that. It was a relationship that had its moments, we had our fights and our good times, but I thought he was the one. Then around my twenty-fifth birthday we had our last big fight. He and I hardly spent any time together that year and I complained. Then the big shocker hit, he was moving to Australia and wanted me to accompany him. I didn't want to leave San Francisco, I really didn't, I am just so comfortable there, my family my best friends, they're all there." Ivy began, as she did, she started to sound very emotional.
"You don't have to continue if you don't want to tell me any more of it." Hal replied.
"No, I need to talk to someone about this." Ivy replied, "Anyway. He countered he was making the move because Australia was a good place to maybe start a family and I should be a big girl about this and just go along with it. I countered he was finding his career more important than me. We fought about this all day and then he walked out the door and was on a plane to Sydney the next day. We haven't seen each other since."
"What a wanker." Hal replied, frankly, "If he really loved you he'd have been willing to compromise."
'Great job Olden. Open mouth, insert foot.' Hal thought, 'Now you've really put her off.'
Instead Ivy softened and said, "So let me ask you this: if Diane didn't want to move and you got an offer to go somewhere to further your career, what would you have done?"
"I'd have talked with her, hear how she felt, and if she felt that strongly about moving I'd try to find a compromise or not have taken that step." Hal replied.
"About what you did for me last night," Ivy began, "I want to thank you. I'm glad you're there for me."
"Hey, you've been there for me just as well, you stopped me from killing Holbarth. Though I had to screw things up by..." Hal replied.
"Kissing me like I was Diane. Hal, I've forgiven you for that already, quit apologizing." Ivy replied.
"Detective Olden? Detective Darren?" said a voice, "I'm Chief Inspector Rosenthal, ACME Tel Aviv Field Office."
They turned to see an older Israeli man heading their way, wearing a business suit with a uniformed Israeli soldier with a brown beret atop his head. "This is Andrew Demerest, Israeli Special Forces. I feel he is most qualified to assist in your investigation."
As Rosenthal spoke, he indicated the Israeli soldier, his complexion darkly sun tanned from days under the blazing sun. His olive drab fatigues were serviceable, but well worn. His brown beret bore the cap badge of the Golani Infantry Brigade, Israel's most elite infantry brigade.
Demerest stepped forward, even off duty he carried his CAR-15 with three magazines taped end over end. Noticing Ivy's raised eyebrow he said, "It's a fact of life in Israel that soldiers walk around armed, even off duty."
Andrew Demerest was a medium built fellow, about twenty-one years old, with close cropped black hair and thoughtful brown eyes. He was a compact fellow, his musculature strengthened by his nearly two years in the Israeli Army. As she looked at him, Ivy could see a small picture of Jackie Harris taped to the side of his rifle.
Apparently Demerest hadn't forgotten the reason he'd left ACME to join the Israeli Army. Looking into his eyes, Ivy could see that Demerest still loved Jackie. 'It really must be killing him to know that Jackie and Chris are a happy couple.' Ivy thought, 'He should at least tell Jackie how he feels about her.'
"You used to be Jackie's mentor, right?" Demerest asked Ivy.
"Yeah." Ivy replied.
"How is she?" Demerest asked.
"She's doing fine." Ivy began, "She worries about you, you know."
"I know. The life of a soldier is an inherently risky profession." Demerest replied, seeming surprised at that fact, "But she now has Chris in her life, and the profession of the soldier is all that remains for me."
~ ~ ~ ~
TBC (Don't worry, the whole Demerest-Jackie story line will develop in later chapters.)