Aries Rising

　
For the majority of my life and career, I’ve succeeded at keeping distant from everyone I ever was involved with.

And that’s how I lived until the day I met the man of my dreams…the man who loved me for me..

Until one day in Iraq, while on assignment for the Bureau, Chris, my partner, my lover, and my heart took a bullet for me in the heart, and died.

A huge part of me died that day, and from then on, I chose to keep myself closed off from everyone and everything, focusing on work only.

It’s amazing how running black ops does wonder for your soul, circumventing your grief into senseless violence...killing drug lords…killing the upper echelon of the Yakuza organization in Tokyo, among other things.

I closed myself off, spiritually shutting the door between myself and the outside world.

Jennifer is my real name, but you may know me by one far different.

Aries Rising.

As I grieved, I slipped into the shadows, becoming more of a ghost...being the one the Bureau would send when other agents couldn’t or wouldn’t, going against the lowest of the low.

Everything was clockwork, cold and ruthless, I didn’t have to face the pain in my heart, the agony in my soul.

Then one day, I received orders for my next mission, to take out a rogue IRA operative...the mission seemed easy enough.

Or so I thought.

My cover I.D. was Mary Kathleen Glennanne, a call girl/escort who serviced the north London area, it was a dual investigation, because MI:5 were investigating the brothel because very wealthy and influential men, including a lot of politicians frequented there.

Three takedowns in one shot.

“A call girl?” I asked my handler, Lisa, who went by the name Phoenix.

“You can do it Jen.”

“Couldn’t I just sit on a rooftop somewhere with my assault rifle and pick him off that way?”

“No.”

“But I just got the gun back! Got a really sweet laser assist added to the scope and everything!”

“No. We’re working with British Intelligence on this. Playing by their rules.”

I sighed.

“Okay. Who is the guy anyway?”

“Jonathan O’ Donnell, goes by Johnny, code name Dark Angel. Runs guns between the U.K, America, and the Far East. Top level member of the IRA, wanted in two bombings up in Belfast.”

“That’s it? That’s all the intel they’ve got?”

Phoenix nodded.

“He finds a way to never get caught.”

“Neither do I, boss.”

“Yeah, but you didn’t bomb a church where hundreds of innocents were at Mass did you?”

“No.” I said, reading. “This guy did that?”

“Indirectly. He’s who they bought the equipment from.”

“And you still want me to kill him?”

Phoenix shot me a look.

“Yeah, yeah I know. Do job first ask questions later.”

“This guy’s bad news, Jen. Sure he may have a pretty face and look sweet as pie, but he’s not. He’s got his hand in a lot of the organized crime coming out of the U.K…if he’s not directly involved, he finds a way to be.”

“Understood. But can I ask one thing?”

“What?”

“Will you change my name please? My cover name?”

“Why?”

“Doesn’t it sound odd to be a prostitute with a Catholic school girl name?”

Phoenix paused.

“Good point. You’ll be Jennifer Callahan. Still Irish, but less obvious.”

“I like that, boss. I’ve got practice in the voice,” I said, switching from Bostonian to Irish. “What do you think of that then?”

“Good...good.”

“One more question.”

“What?”

“Do I have to sleep with him?”

“That’s entirely your call.”

Once in London,  I was sent with the Bureau’s card to purchase clothing for my new I.D.

Including a lot of lingerie.

“I guess the regular Walmart gear won’t cut it,” I said to myself outloud.

“Excuse me?”

“Oh, sorry, sorry, I was thinking out loud.”

“Hmph...Americans.”

Who knew Harrod’s salespersons were so snobby?

After I left, heading up the street, my cell phone began to ring.

Phoenix told me this would happen, all of the escorts had this same phone, the bosses called them when a job came open.

“Jennifer Callahan?” asked an English voice.

“This is she,” I said in a brogue.

“Find your way in London alright?”

“Oh, aye, I did. "

I was then given directions to where the brothel was located, in St. John’s Wood, near the center of town.

It was a plain-front looking building, looking more office like than whorehouse like.

You expect whorehouses to be gaudy and flashy.

At least they are in films.

I felt very self conscious in my new tighter clothes, and the high heels as I walked in.

Plus wearing more makeup than I’d ever had cause to.
　
Later that night, there was a huge party, I guess it was for their primo clients, or to scope new ones.

My name in the brothel of all things was Angel.

Contradiction, huh? I’m no angel. Far from it.

Phoenix had explained to me how the hit was to go down.

“Ensure that O’Donnell chooses you, do whatever necessary.”

“You mean come on to him.”

She held up the picture of the man.

“Shouldn’t be TOO hard.”

“He’s cute, for a man in a  smudgy photo, he’s cute.”

“No time for being a smartass, Jen.”

“Sorry boss.”

“As I was trying to explain, make sure that you’re the woman he shows interest in, do whatever it takes to ensure it. Seduce him...play around with his ego...play hard to get, whatever. Once he takes you back to his hotel room, keep the charade up. The moment he has his back to you, fire.”

“So he can’t retaliate.”

“Right.”

“Wouldn’t he know the sound of the gun?”

“Good point.”

“I’ve got a knife, I could dig it out of my purse while he was distracted.”

“Great minds think alike Jen.”

“Would I have to sleep with him?”

“Nope. Easy and clean kill. No worries.”

That’s what you think.

There were some very attractive men there that night but they all had girls already chosen..no need for a new one.

All the men were English too. Well, one was Scottish, could have been a clone of Gerard Butler.

I stood there at the bar, wondering how in the hell I was going to pull this off, when I felt a kiss on the back of my neck.

My insides twinged because that’s one spot Chris always kissed, while we were at work, and while we made love.

“I hear you’re new,” said the male voice.

IRISH. He’s the one.

“Turn around here,” purred the voice. “Let me ‘ave a look at you.”

I felt his hands slide down my hips, checking me out.

A little knot of nerves bundled itself up in my tummy as he did.

I was Jen, full on, the REAL me, not Aries, not any cover I.D.

The human me, the one who was desperately lonely.

“Come on, love,” he whispered, kissing my ear. “Don’t be shy.”

I turned to face him, and was met by the most beautiful man I’d ever seen.

He had the face of a model with these sleepy dark blue eyes.

“There now,” he purred, his hand on the side of my head. “That wasn’t so hard was it?”

Easy for you to say.
But I remember what I was told to do, so I kissed him.

He kissed me back, and I took it a little further, sliding my tongue into his mouth.

Hope this lingerie’s good enough.
“Mm...” he purred. “What’s your name then?”

“Angel, sir.”

“Don’t call me sir, sir’s me father.”

I felt him touching me again, his hands felt like velvet.

“Angel, hmm…and an Irish one...I’m so bloody tired of those English girls…Cold, the lot of them...I think you’ll do.”

His tongue slid across the roof of my mouth and I thought I’d fall apart.

“Oh yes,” he purred. “You’ll do.”

He gripped my leg up next to him, leaning me back against the bar.
　
We kissed again, I deepened it another time, my hand sliding down to the front of his trousers.

I could feel him straining against the cloth as I rubbed my hand.

Too bad I have to kill you.

I think I like you.

As I followed him up to his room, I felt for the gun that was strapped to my right thigh, thanking my lucky stars that I’d listened to Phoenix after all.

She was right, knives are TOO bloody messy.

The last man I stabbed took WAY too long to die.


“Remember,” she told me. “Quick and painless.”

But I found myself watching him as he moved about the room, admiring his movements, admiring his body.

And there was MUCH to admire indeed.

I allowed my inner self the pleasure of it before I made my move.

“Too bad,” I whispered softly. “Much too bad.”

I drew, pulling the safety back, my finger on the trigger.

O’ Donnell’s ears pricked, as he whirled around to face me.

“What’s all this?” he said, eyes of blue fire. “Planning on killing me then?”

I said nothing, Aries was in control now.

He strode over towards me, my heart beating like a jackhammer as he did.

“You think I’d let you get the drop that easy?” he growled, catching hold of the back of my hair.

I kept the gun pointed at him, pulling back a little more on the trigger.

“Not quite an angel are ya lass?”

Those eyes burned through me, straight into my soul.

KILL HIM! My mind screamed. GET IT OVER WITH! KILL HIM!

It’s while I was caught in his gaze, he slapped the gun out of my hands, sending it skidding across the floor.

O’Donnell yanked hard on the back of my hair, pulling my head back to look at him.

I wanted to fight to get free, wanted to run, wanted to get away…but I couldn’t…I wanted to stay…I wanted to..

It was while I had those thoughts that he kissed me, crushing his lips to mine.

His right hand slid down my leg, gripping it against him as he savaged my throat.

I struggled weakly against him, as my regular human self and my killer self warred inside me, one wanting him to come to me, the other wanting to shed his blood.

When he kissed me on the lips again, his tongue slid inside my mouth and down my throat, torturing me.

I fought harder against him.

“You want me,” he purred. “Admit it lass...you know you do…”

“No!” I said angrily. “ YOU BASTARD!”

He purred again, his tongue sliding across the roof of my mouth.

“NO!”

We were fighting by this point, slamming each other into walls, up against doors, punching…fighting…

Tumbling to the floor, rolling around..

I slapped him hard across the face, O’ Donnell in turn bit me on the side of the neck as hard as he could, nearly drawing blood.

Both the pain and the pleasure of it shot through me and a moan came from my throat in response.

He pushed me forward onto the bed, bending me backward as he lowered his head once more.

My body shook violently but I still fought to maintain control, kneeing him in the groin.

O’ Donnell howled, but that seemed to turn him on even more.

“Don’t deny it..” he whispered, his eyes a dark blurry blue as he looked at me.
I looked defiantly at him.

He lifted up my chin as he kissed me, things going deeper after a few minutes.

I found myself moaning even louder than before as he pushed me completely down on the bed, O’ Donnell himself following soon after.

His hands slid down me, touching places that hadn’t been touched in years and years.

I never thought I’d be capable of being loved by ANYONE ever.

Pretty soon we were lost in each other, trading kisses as we made love.

Every move I made, he matched me for it, much as he had in the fight.

I’d not been with anyone in SO long…

He seemed to feel the same, kissing me in every place he could reach, never breaking our rhythm.

O’ Donnell then sat up, pulling me up , so that I straddled him.

His arms slid up and down my back, and I shivered in response, our kiss never breaking.

His head then lowered to my neck as he moved inside me, down to the injury from earlier, sucking the skin around the wound.

I groaned, not trying to stifle it this time.

“Angel..” he whispered..” My angel..”

“That’s not my name,” I whispered back, clinging to him, which was an interesting feat, since we both were slick with sweat now.

“What’s it then?”

“I’m Jennifer. That’s my name,” I said, in a shaking voice. “ It’s Jennifer.”

I could hear Phoenix in my head saying STOP RIGHT THERE!


“Jennifer,” he purred, stroking my hair as we kissed.

I never realized just how erotic hearing someone say your name could be.

“That’s me,” I whispered, gasping as he moved a little farther in.

“I’m Johnny.”

“Johnny what?”

“Just that for now,” he whispered, stroking me.

“Don’t stop,” I whispered. “Please don’t stop.”

“I won’t,” he said softly as we lay back down.

I knew I’d have a lot to answer for later on.

But God… let me have this one moment to feel alive, truly alive, even if it fades with the sunrise. I knew what I was doing was wrong…but it felt so right…and so good…. 

Hero

There are people of many walks of life
Who do incredible things to overcome strife
Strong of heart...strong of mind
These people are truly a special kind.

But there is one who stood above the rest
Without a doubt she is truly the best
Through any crisis, big or small
She soldiered on, surviving them all.

Who is this hero?..some may say
I tell you...knowing her brightens my day
She was and remains my hero, unlike any other
And I'm proud to say..she was my mother.