Love and War

Two lovers on opposite sides of a war meet for a date, only to be put in a compromising situation

She walked in to the Cantina and saw her beau. The captain was seated with water in hand, sweating, waiting for her. She made her way over and sat down at the table looking like she always did, with loose clothes and a somewhat of an outdoors look. He knew her secret, he never let on that he knew, but he knew alright. It was part of his job, to know things about others. To find out where people’s sympathies lie, and rally support for his men. His relationship with her perhaps wasn’t the best of ideas, but since when is love logical? If love were a thing of logic, the world would be an even bigger s**t hole than it already is. At least, that’s the way the captain saw it.

“Sorry I was held up, had something I needed to get done.”

The captain knew what this really meant; he wasn’t going to say anything about it. He could only imagine what operation she was running.

“It’s okay, I haven’t been waiting too long.”

It was in fact the truth, he had been busy getting a debriefing before coming here. He didn’t care for much of what was being said. If debriefings didn’t seem so pointless, maybe he’d give a damn more. Sure the pay is good, but his company, well that was a whole separate matter.

“Have you ordered anything?”

“Nothing but water.” He said as wiped his forehead with a handkerchief. It was unbearably hot and humid today. The past week the region had been setting record temperatures that were starting to get to the soldiers. The jungle wasn’t meant to be used as a battlefield. If it wasn’t hot, it was raining, if neither were happening, it was probably nighttime, and that gave rise to a whole new set up problems.

“In time you will get used to it.” She stated with a smile

“I hope so…”

Their hands met at the center of the table. He knew what he was doing could be considered wrong, that is of course, assuming anyone knew her secret other than him. If worse came to worse he could always claim ignorance though. He thought it a risk worth taking either way. Her olive skin and emerald green eyes were well worth any extended stay in the cooler.

“So what shall we have?”

“This is your land, make a good recommendation.”

As she scanned the board for something that would show him the true taste of her culture, a small incident was brewing at the corner of the hut. A soldier on R&R was convinced he recognized a patron, who not only 3 days ago on the battlefield, had tried to shoot him. Armed and with Dutch courage, he confronts the patron. Despite the denials the soldier is certain, and from there all hell starts to break loose. He draws his gun and points it at the patron who in return puts a knife to the soldier’s neck. A standoff has started, and it takes the rest of the hut almost 30 seconds to realize what is going on. As the surrounding people take note of the situation, guns are drawn from soldiers and from some of the other patrons. The standoff grows, in no time the captain and his date take note. The look of shock on their faces turns into fear of the other. She knew his job, he knew her true job, but did they know that the other knew? Some of the soldiers looked at their captain as they stood pointing guns at some of the patrons, the guerillas. In a flash the girl gets up, and the captain reacts, the two whip out their pistols and point them at each other.

“Is this some sort of set up?” he asked

“What? Me? Set you up, why would I be so stupid, I love you”

“Why are you pointing a gun at me?”

“Why are YOU pointing a gun at me?”

“You think I don’t know?”

“Know what?”

“What you are?”

“I am only their doctor.”

“Either way you are with them.”

“I am with you too.”

The hut was getting sucked into their conversation.

“Captain, yo, captain…what the f**k is going on!?”

“Shuddup.”

“I’ll waste one before I die.”

“Shut the f**k up! Nobody is wasting anyone! Is that f*****g understood!?”

“Captain look around you!”

The captain began to take note of his predicament. 11 soldiers and 14 guerillas were two inches of being killed or being killers. This was excluding him and his date. All the while this standoff is playing itself out, a table of four are sitting still scared to death to even breathe. They are completely uninvolved. Poor b******s, wrong place at the wrong time.

“That table of four…let’s let them go first, they have no business here.”

She nodded her head in agreement.

“Will they listen to you?”

She nodded again.

“Okay.”

She began to instruct the guerillas “Laissez les quatre la partir, sans aucun problème!”

“These four at the table are going to leave. They don’t belong in this mess. And nobody is going to do anything stupid…understood!?”

“Vas-y.” she commanded to the four at the table.

They were too afraid to move

“Dépêchez-vous, vite! Vite! Vite!”

They quickly got up and scurried out.

“Now what captain?” a solider asked.

“Shut the f**k up and keep cool!”

She looked into his golden brown eyes and sneaked out a smile.

“He has a valid question…now what?”

“I don’t want anything bad to happen…”

“Neither do I…”

“Then we all withdraw…”

“No, don’t trouble yourself, I will go, and take them with me…I just need your word that no body will die today.”

How could he possibly lie to those emerald eyes. Even if he could, he sensed they had the power to see his heart and soul. If he lied, she’d know without a doubt.

“You have my word.”

“Very well then.”

She put her gun down and he did so as well.

“Nobody is going to kill anyone, they are going to leave, peacefully, and we will let them, peacefully.”

“Your kidding, right?”

“Soldier, if you have a problem with it my gun is going to have a problem with you. Same goes for anyone else.”

“Allez-y, sans faire une batter!”

Slowly but surely they all retired their weapons and the guerillas made their way out the door. She was the last one out, and he was sure to follow her to the door. As she walked out he felt compelled to kiss her, but he couldn’t.

“Racquel..”

She turned “Yes…?”

“Je t’aime”

She smiled and felt flattered.

“I love you too.”

With that she turned and walked off to disappear in the jungle. The captain could only hope it wouldn’t be forever. He was going to receive hell with the higher ups as soon as word of this even got around. He figured his secret affair with a guerrilla would be out sooner or later, and no matter what happened…for the those emerald eyes, it would all be worth it.