Stroke chp05 the mark of sin.
I stare at the Polaroid, as the beast launches into air. It will be two hours before we have the altitude to hurl our bodies to the ground. The small, beautiful image, makes me smile and giggle like a school girl. The other don't say a thing. I am lost in hopeless love with this girl.
How different a year makes, the foolishness of falling in love with a copy of my mother. Carla is sex crazed, barely monogamous and immoral to the core: a perfect copy of my mother from her petite frame to her brown hair and blue eyes. The Money is the only thing keeping her tied to me. I want the girl. I remember.
The Easter picnic downtown. The parade we marched in, the beer we drunk. The wild women we chased. I caught the eye of a petite brown-haired beauty, dancing to the band, we danced all night and thru the weekend in my bed. A month later blue eyes is still in my bed, but crying. She late. A test later and we are engaged. Once the paternity test is done. We are married.
It's strange how my life has turned out. I was born into money, obscene amount of money. Granddad was a great lawyer and even better con man. Lacking all moral fiber or backbone. He carved an empire from nothing. Passed the gene's on to his only daughter, my mother.
Mom married an equally immoral man from Ohio, Carl Bennet. He had the brain power for the new technologies, drive and determination, with no money to carry his dreams out. The two rock and rollers came of age and power in the mid-fifties, perfectly timed to the sex crazed sixties.
Early in the marriage my older brother Lewis was born. The perfect copy of granddad and parents. I can remember watching him hold down a younger girl, maybe eight and rape her for fun, with his middle school posse. He married another immoral sex crazed woman name Drualla Thomason. Rich party girl, I learned way too much about sex from watch her.
Dad a month after I was born, mother died giving me life, married Karen Post. Splitting the company into three branches. Petroglyphic Lambda run by his sister Sarah. FMT run by him, Lewis and Thomason, Lewis's father-in-law. And Lamp Post Inc. of Cleveland run by his new brother-in-law William Post.
Each a money maker, divided into mini kingdoms, the empire is fortified. The three-faction neutralized, with him the only one with true power. I watched my high school years the family become more immoral, corrupt and without redemption.
I remember escaping the day I graduated from Exeter. Handing dad my gown, granddad my mortar board with valedictorian tassels. Walking away to Richie car, we drive till neither can stay awake into the west.
Arriving in Louisville, Kentucky, I legally change my name, and enlist in the Army. Richie shakes my hand, kisses my cheek and head to his hedonist mecca of San Francisco Castro district to live his dreams.
Using the Lambert name, I enter the Army volunteering for Ranger, Airborne and Special forces. I spend the next three years in schools and training regiments. Till I'm picked to be a Candidate in the Elite Ranger Long Range Patrol teams.
I start training the day after I wed Carla. The Training is long, hard and brutal. The Captain is driving us to breaking point. I nearly break a dozen time. But mange to pull myself thru the mud to come out successful.
Mid December heralds my daughter birth in the world. The Captain offers to put me back a year to stop training and be with my new born. I refuse, two more months I qualify, and get my flash on my black beret. Graduation guarantees E-5 promotion and pay raise. A fast track to E-6,
The plane is reaching for the stars as we done our oxygen masks. Hour later, we switching from plane oxygen to our chest tanks. We check each other gear and our own. Sixteen candidates are out the back door. Waiting is the hardest, the ramp lowers. Pitch blackness in the red glow of the night lights in the belly of the 17th Military Airlift Squadron's Lockheed C-141 Starlifter.
The pitch blackness of our first night HALO jump. This is where the men are separated from the cowards and fools. Stepping to the foot of the ramp, my third HALO jump is about to happen. I stand on the edge of the ramp, Collins, my friend and rival is next to me.
The green light flashes, the picture of my daughter born yesterday Anastasia Rose Lambert. Floats in my vision. The red light flares the green to dark. We wait and release our tension. Green light explodes as we pile out the back; off the ramp. I scream my daughter name into the pitch-black night sky over North Carolina. We have a fair distance to fall before opening our chutes and five hundred feet swing under the canopy. I watch my wrist altimeter spin down.
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Ray-pov
Falling, the last man out the door. Night vision goggles give me the candidates position. I see Lambert and Collins neck and neck for last opening. Till I see a body out of control and falling pinwheel thru my formation. Crashing thru one chute. I watch in horror as he plows into Lambert.
The two spins into the ground as nearby Collins chute is too late opening. He'll probably live, but never walk again. Getting to the ground, calling the boss. This is bad, I find the two less than ten yards apart. Not much to bury. I can't help feel responsible for these deaths. Lambert should have never been here, with a daughter born yesterday, now an orphan.
The inquire finds a malfunction of Wilson oxygen system caused him to black out, and impact with Lambert. The two hit the ground at terminal velocity. I take the deaths hard. I transfer from training to team four, being retrained in desert warfare at Ft. Irwin in California high desert.
While on recall back to Bragg; Mideast is heating up. Sitting lonely in a dive bar, I meet a doll, petite and well built. We hit it off. The next morning, I'm shocked to be introduced to Carla Lambert. More shocked by Annie. I fall in love with both.
We marry three months later in Ft. Irwin. Adopt Annie and start a new life. Till desert storm, away waging war while Carla is bedding everything in town, on post and around Ft. Bragg. My return, has her promising to be faithful, but by year 9 it's over.
I find out I didn't adopt Annie, she's heartbroken ten-year-old, headed to Las Vegas with Carla boyfriend soon to be husband three. I go on a ten-day bender, ending my reserve military career. Returning home to my uncle old house in Montesano.
9 months later Annie is waiting on the stoop, she's runaway. How she got all the way here, is a mystery. Carla arrive three days later. We fight over what Annie has told me. but the courts side with her. They return to Las Vegas and him. The bastard, I really need to kill him.
14 month later, Hospital calls me to pick up Annie, she has proof about the abuse. I arrive to take my daughter home. Carla claims Annie chased after a neighbor and got beat by him for being a gold-digging tease, not her and Morton.
I stash Annie at Lost Lake for two weeks. She can camp out, while I work the courts to get my daughter back. I arrive to find my girl, happy and fresh to start her new life. We spend the summer fishing, camping and bonding in between my work. I need the money. The lawyers cost me dearly to get my girl.
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The school district throws us a loop, Annie test out as a genius. Before Vegas, she was smart having jumped three grades. After Vegas, she is driven to excel. She gets a full scholarship to one of the best high schools in the state. We pack up and move the Belridge section of Bellevue. I worry Annie is too young for high school and the rough, mean kids. But she stroked to go.
Her first day is nerve racking at work, Henry, ex-navy, is a good boss. The shop needs craftsman like me, were weeks behind orders. Nearing four, Henry taps me phone call. Shit it can only be Annie.
"Annie everything ok?" Yes dad. I what to go to friend's house for dinner and study. His housekeeper will be there till his parents arrive, we're in four class together, all advance placement. I'll be fine.
"Let me talk to your friend." Hello sir, my name is Christian Grey, I live at 4253 moorbay road in moorland section of the city. My fathers and lawyer and my mother is a medical doctor. I invited Anna to dinner and studying. It's better than her alone in the house in Belridge. The house keeper will chaperone us, till my mother gets home.
"Ok put Annie back on. Annie are you sure?" Yes dad, you could get some overtime, pick me up at 7:30. It'll be ok, Christian is a gentleman.
"ok you can go to his house and STUDY" Great, you have to tell the driver. "Fine, put him on." Mr. Steele, Ted Wormeson, is it ok if I drop Anastasia at the Grey house? "Do you think the boy is trust worth?" Yes, sir I do, there a bright pair of kids. And I've been driving Christian and his older brother Elliot for several years. Their mother would skin them alive if they were not gentlemen. " Ok, you can drop them at Greys house." Thank you, sir. I hang up.
Sweating a moment, I ask Henry about over time. He beams with glee, we may even get the order out on time this week.
xxxxxxx
I worry arriving at the rich mansion, the sign on the drive declares it as Grey Manor. These people are moneyed rich, we just don't fit in with this crowd. I wonder how Annie is get on with them. Knocking on the door; I feel out of place here, with these rich people.
The door is open by a nice-looking guy, who steps outside. Introducing himself as Christian father. We talk for several minutes. he explains how the kids met, the teachers lumping them together. How both are genius students. An all of the boy's problems, nothing is sugar coated. I would normally prevent the relationship with someone so out of control.
But one look at the two head down in a math book, I realize this is the first-person Annie has bonded with. Carrick tells me it Christian a well. After a dinner and long talk with Grace and Carrick; I feel at home, even cared about. Annie has made friends and so have I.
The Grey's want Elliot to drive them in the morning. It means 45 minutes less bus driving around the city picking up other kids. Plus, the Grey boys will scare off any bullies. I read Annie the rules on the way home. She accepts them without complaint.
It becomes a regular schedule for me to eat and pickup Annie from the Grey's house. Cary is a great guy, we have a lot in common, surprising us both. Grace is match making me, to Annie delight. The kids are accelerating thru the class work. Behaving and making my world easier and joyful.
I worry sometimes about their touching, it hasn't got to first base yet, I talk with Cary about it. It's normal touching between teens he tells me. I check them watch TV sometimes. Christian will sit on the floor, rubbing Annie's feet. I also watch him do his sisters. It seems normal, brotherly. But doubt whisper in my mind. I see them looking at each other in a too adult way sometimes.
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Christmas at the Greys is done, me and Annie head to Montesano to check the house and spend some father daughter time. The air is clean and woods green. We enjoy the days here. we head home to Belridge, we're doing the New Year's Eve at the Greys country club.
Normally not my scene, but the Greys introduced us in the fall, I've made some friends and acquaintances. Plus getting me a lot of over time, since I don't have to worry about Annie being home alone.
We arrive home to four men with guns. Hustle us into a limo, I'm Tasered and out cold. My mind is disjoined waking in a jail in central Texas, on bogus charges. I start sending message thru other inmates to Welch. Where is Annie?
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August
Sitting in the gloom of predawn. I lay awake. I can't leave or Annie's dead. Somewhere, I don't know. I sweat the time, dreaming of breaking the asshole jailer necks. I wait, for what I don't know. I stare at the ceiling.
Noise from the front break my thoughts. Light blare as three men stomp down the corridor. I turn to the intruders.
"Well! I always knew you would end up here. What would the General think of your sin's; Major." Speaks the person I've been wishing would find me.
"They have Annie, I can't leave." I beg
Smiling he looks at his watch, smirking in my face. "she is airborne for Singer springs, ten minutes now"
"Yes, let's go." We exit, Passing the office, watching the helpless deputies on the floor, tie-cuffs. Blindfolded, and very uncomfortable. We exit into the night. Arriving outside of town, a ancient Huey lifts us into the pre-twilight dawns ink black night. I watch the stars fields float by the door. Annie is safe, that all that counts.
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Gulf coast hotel:
"what do you mean it's the only fu#$$% ##$$%%%ing option. We could?" I spout as Welch shakes his head. I try to think thru the issue, but I don't see any other way. I nod my head, Welch explodes on the phone. Arranging the wedding tomorrow in South Carolina.
I watch them walking off the beach. He kisses her, like she's a adult. Not a child. I storm out the room, across the parking lot. Into the sands we crash. I fight, but the kid is faster and takers punishment better than most adults I've fought.
Anna drops down between us. "Done with the testosterone contest. Because Dad! I'm marring Christian in the morning. Chris your mine forever, no going back. Let's get on the road after you two showers." She smirks at us, each getting a peck on the cheek.
I realize she no longer my little girl, on the road I stare at them. They reek of love and teen hormones. I ponder the day as we descent the blue ridge to the foothills of South Carolina. The world is spinning out of my grasp.
Hours later. I step into the anteroom of the main post chapel of Fort. Jackson. I take my little girls hand. We step into the chapel. My girl is getting married, way too young. But it's the only way. Besides she loves him with all her heart. I stare at Christian at the altar. And my doubts disappear. I stand with my godfather, my arm around him steading him. He'll be dead within days. I cry for him, my daughter and our new life.
Xxxxxx
Moring at Grey Manor.
The Grey adults are bent out of shape over the return of the married kids. They nearly break in the door to Christians room. Welch and I argue till the kids arrive. They join in till we are eating at the table, waiting the very late love birds. They enter and the questions and answers fly. Afterwards, we fight the threat and not each other.
Days later, after Christian is shot, Anna is an Heiress, obscenely rich, she hugs me, how does she deal with this sudden wealth. We put are head together with Welch, Roz and Carrick. We hammer out the future the best we can. Christian changes and modifies several things.
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We, the family watch Anna skip past the other returning to their seats, after being handed their diplomas. She jumps into her husband's arms. we retreat to their house on the mystic river. The future is bright. As the dawn rises in the east, heralding the dawn of a new day, a new future. I sweep a tear for frank, his last day was filled with his little girl, his beautiful little Anastasia Lambert. Now Anna Grey, my little girl, my daughter. how great the future looks thru the prism of a father's eyes.