Into Africa
By
UCSBdad
Disclaimer: I own no Castles. Or Becketts. Rating: K+ for language. Time: The present day, but in an alternate universe.
Kate was back shortly after dinner with a backpack slung over her shoulder. "Captain Rodgers, can I ask a favor of you?"
"You'd probably get a more favorable reply if you called me Rick." He said with a smile.
She smiled back. "Rick, can I do my paperwork here? I'm in a bunker with eight women and between the music and the gossiping, I can't even hear myself think."
"Sure, Kate. You can use my desk." He pointed to a pair of smoothly sanded boards nailed to two upended, empty ammo cases. The chair was another, smaller ammo case with an olive drab pillow atop it. "I'll be out checking the perimeter and the bunkers. I'll be back in a bit."
Kate put her laptop down on the table and got to work.
When Rick came back an hour and a half later, Kate's laptop was in her backpack and she was reading a book. In fact, she was reading s book that was very familiar to Rick.
"You're a fan of Richard Castle's books?" He asked.
Kate reddened slightly. "Yes, I am. Is there any reason I shouldn't be?"
Rick shook his head. "No. I like them myself, but I didn't figure for the type to enjoy the adventures of Joe Flood, a retired Special Forces NCO."
"In Castle's books the good guys always win, unlike in real life. Sometimes I prefer fantasy to reality. Flood always seems to run into people in trouble and he always helps them. Besides, they're very well written. I also like the fact that although Flood is trained in violence, he's only hit people twice in the books and shot one person, and that was in the foot. I like that he outthinks his enemies, he doesn't overpower them."
"Certainly, Flood has hit three people. What about Katrina Norton?"
"Katrina Norton was a spoiled brat whom Flood spanked to get her attention. She was a better person for it."
Rick bowed to Kate and smiled. "I bow to your superior wisdom. You know, I've heard that Castle actually is a retired Special Forces NCO."
Kate shook her head. "I doubt that. This Castle is obviously a literate, educated man. With the internet, it would be easy to get the necessary technical background for the stories and Castle could easily have found some retired NCO's to give him pointers. How many great writers have come out of your alma mater, West Point?"
"Good point. There is Edgar Allen Poe, but he only stayed at West Point for less than a year before being kicked out. Of course, generals from U.S. Grant to Norman Schwarzkopf have written successfully. However, I didn't go to West Point. I graduated from UCLA."
"So, how did a UCLA grad end up in the Army?"
Rick's smile faded. "My wife and infant daughter were killed in an automobile accident. I kind of lost it for a while. A couple of my amateur psychologist friends thought I had developed a death wish. Maybe they were right."
Kate put her arm around him. "I'm so sorry for bringing that up. I really am."
Rick stroked her cheek. "It was a long time ago and while the pain never completely goes away, it becomes bearable after a while."
"Still, I'm so very sorry for bringing that up."
"Don't be. It happens. I'll see a young mother with a baby and I'll remember. Sometimes just a sunset will remind me of looking out onto the Pacific and holding my daughter. Something will always remind me of them."
Kate thought for a moment. "Would you like to take a walk? Clear your mind?"
"Why, Dr. Beckett, I thought you'd never ask. Besides, I have a present for you."
"A present? For me?" Kate was surprised.
"It's something you'd never buy for yourself." Rick picked something up from behind his desk. "One of the wounded who was medevacked out was about your size, sort of. He left his flak jacket and helmet behind." He helped her into the flak jacket and put the helmet on her. "I've asked the Army for flak vests and helmets for your whole team. I haven't had a reply yet."
Kate grinned. "You're right. I never would have bought this for myself. Thank you."
When they were outside of the command bunker, Kate took Rick's hand and began to head north to the now uninhabited part of the mesa. When they were several hundred yards beyond the last bunker, they heard the sounds of two people making love. Rick headed for them and picked up his pace.
Kate jumped in front of him. "What are you doing?" She whispered in his ear.
"I intend to put a stop to that."
"Why? It's just Chris Sullivan and Billy Hebert. You mean you didn't know?"
"Look, Kate, talking and having dinner together is one thing but…"Rick stopped as Kate's arms were around him and her lips were pressed against his. Her tongue slid across his teeth, demanding entrance. He couldn't turn her down. She pushed her boobs against his chest and moaned softly into his mouth. Then she broke the kiss.
"We should leave them alone and go about our own business, Rick. Don't you agree?"
"I agree."
"Good, because there's a nice, soft patch of sand up ahead that's in a little dip in the ground. And you'll have to show me how to get this flak vest off. I assume you know how to get everything else off.
Rick demonstrated his proficiency at removing flak vests and other items of clothing. Kate pushed him down and mounted him astride.
"It's been a long time, lover, so I don't want any foreplay or fooling around. I just want you inside of me right now." She grasped his erection and lowered herself down onto him, then began moving up and down on him, moving faster and faster.
"Lean down so I can play with your boobs." He whispered.
She did so and he began to stroke her already hard nipples, then gently cupped her breasts, tweaking her nipples with his thumbs.
"God! I'm going to come already." She whispered. "I promise I won't make any noise." But he did hear a long drawn out moan from her.
"Me too. I'm coming."
She collapsed on top of him. "God, I needed that. Not just the sex, but sex with you.'
"You are a remarkable woman, Doctor Beckett. Very remarkable."
She kissed him softly. "You have no idea."
"This might not be a good idea. "He said after a few minutes "I've seen this sort of thing happen before."
"What, a sexy archeologist and a sexy soldier getting together?"
He laughed. "People off by themselves in the middle of nowhere. There was a Special Forces NCO and a woman from an NGO in A-Stan. They could hardly stand to be out of each other's sight. They got married in a rush. Then they went back to the US where they found they were very different people with very different dreams. The marriage fella apart in a year. What I'm saying is, Kate, I'm not looking for a good time or a one-night stand, I want a long-term relationship. I'm a soldier and you're an archeologist. This makes no sense on paper."
Kate thought for a moment. "We don't live our lives on paper. And I want a long-term relationship as well. I'm a one and done kind of a girl. But, Rick, you miss 100% of the shots you don't take. So, let's see where this goes. Maybe we will crash and burn. But maybe we won't. And one way or another, I want to find out."
"So do I." Rick checked his watch. "We should be getting back."
Kate sighed loudly. "I suppose we should."
When Chris and Billy came back to the bunkers, a large form loomed up out of the dark. "You two have a good time?" Mr. Reed asked.
"Yes, Mr. Reed. "Chris answered. "And you don't have to worry about kicking Billy's ass if he doesn't treat me right. If he doesn't treat me right, I'll kick his ass so hard he'll have to shit standing on his head."
Reed laughed softly. "Girl, if I wasn't happily married, I'd go after you myself. Go on, now. There's work to be done tomorrow."
After that night, Kate began to eat regularly at what was laughingly called the officer's mess. It consisted of Rick's table and whatever chairs could be scrounged up. For ambience, it had a candle perched on top of a beer can. Kate always made sure she sat right next to Rick. Neither Ron Fields, Glass or Bill Reed said a word. At least not in front of them.
Three days later, Kate stuck her head in the command bunker. "Oh, Captain Rodgers, can I see you for a moment?" Her voice dripped with saccharine sweetness.
Rick wondered what he'd done wrong, but got up and followed her outside.
"The chopper brought in the mail today, but someone sent some of your mail to the dig." Kate held up a letter. "This is addressed to Captain Richard Rodgers and the return address is….Black Pawn Publishing. Is there anything you'd like to tell me, Captain Castle?"
Rick sighed. "Yes. I'm the Rick Castle that writes the Joe Flood novels. Okay?"
"Why didn't you tell me?"
"The Army likes as little publicity as possible about Special Forces. Big Army had a huge hissy fit when I told them about the first Joe Flood novel. I still have to have all of my works cleared by the Army so I don't say anything that the Army doesn't want said. Actually, Bill Reed is the only one on my team that knows about the books. " Rick stopped for a moment. "Maybe it would be better if I started at the beginning. Okay?"
Kate nodded.
"I wrote my first two novels as Rick Rodgers. They were Slaughter on Sunset Boulevard and The Dame on the Santa Monica Pier. They weren't best sellers, but they sold enough to keep Black Pawn interested. In fact, there was some talk of doing a movie. A direct to DVD movie, but a movie none the less. I was married by the time I wrote the second book. Her name was Meredith and she was gorgeous, sexy, fun loving and an actor. We had a little girl, named Alexis." Rick smiled momentarily, then the smile disappeared. "Meredith hated being pregnant. Her whole self-image was as slim, sexy Meredith, not big as a house Meredith. On Alexis' first birthday some of Meredith's friends invited her over for a party for the little birthday girl. Like most Hollywood parties, there was too much alcohol available and Meredith stayed too long and drank too much. On her way back home on the Pacific Coast Highway, she drifted into the oncoming lane and was hit by a truck. She and Alexis were killed instantly."
Kate put her hand on Rick's chest. "You don't have to say anything more. I never should have asked."
"No, you should know this. Like we both said, we're not looking for a one-night stand, we're looking for always."
Kate just nodded, but Rick took her hand.
"I was devastated. Among other things, I couldn't write a word. I couldn't do anything. I really don't know how I ended up in the Army. Maybe I really did have a death wish." Rick thought for a second. "I think maybe it was P.C. Wren, who wrote Beau Geste, and other stories about the French Foreign Legion, who wrote that some men joined the Legion so they no longer had to think about anything. All they had to do was keep their weapon and gear in good order, march along behind the man in front of them and do as they were told. I became a grunt, an infantryman, and went to Iraq. I kept my weapon and gear in order, followed the guy ahead of me, did what I was told and thought as little as possible. When I came back from my second tour in Iraq, my battalion commander called me into his office and told me I should apply to OCS, Officer's Candidate School. I was still in a no thinking mode, so I did. And that changed my life."
"How?" Kate asked.