PART III - Chapter 7: TWO WOMEN

 

 

Chapter 7

Two Women
(Ó 2010)

Logan took Josephine’s advice and did leave earlier that afternoon, around 3:00 PM, which was early anyway by his standards, he could not leave until he finished his assignments. That was something that has been engrained into his personality from his years in the Legion. Being in the Legion was something that he has kept to himself since his return to America, no person at the bank has any knowledge of his time there. Besides, the less they knew of him … the better. The only thing they knew of him was that he was an ex-police officer from France, and he was a widower. He preferred to keep it just there, because he could not take any chances while he was back in America, for anyone to find out who he was … before he was Logan.
 

The walk to the “L” station was at a slower pace because of his lack of sleep, the climb up the stairway was a little labored, but from other traits that the Legion formed in him, he just drew from any inner strength and persevered, and after about a ten minute wait, the train that would take him to his home arrived, stopped and the side doors slid open.

The afternoon rush hour was just going to start, so the were not that many people in the train cars as of yet, he waited for the people leaving the car to exit, then he entered the car and there were plenty of seats open which was a welcome sight to him. He went over to a row that was empty and took one by the window. The quick sixty-second pause was soon over, the doors closed, and the train began to move. Logan sat back to relax and closed his eyes. The gentle swaying of the train car and the rhythm of it as it rode over the tracks helped him to relax. He closed his eyes and began to think of the dreams and of the two qualms that he had now. To have his bracelet taken from him, and the chance that he would never be buried next to his deceased beloved. These thoughts interfered with his trying to relax, so he started to think again of the first night he saw Lily, at Le Club Argenté D'oiseau, seeing her as he drove past, with Cosette and Miriam, looking up and down the boulevard, trying to see which direction he took as he left - - -

 

 

- - - As luck would have it, they did not have to go to Theo Buchin‘s home to wait for his arrival. He was spotted coming out of another gay bar just a few streets over and Jean-Luc had him picked up immediately. He was brought back to the Police Headquarters by two uniformed gendarmes and placed into an interrogation room. The room was plain, with gray cement walls, a table, some chairs, and one-way glass on the wall. Outside of the room were Henri, Jean-Luc, Logan, and joining them was Captain Thiebulet. The Captain was briefed on what Logan had done at Le Club Argenté D'oiseau and what he had found out about Theo. This made the Captain very pleased with his protégé, and let Logan know his appreciation of his good work for his first solo run.

“Well then,” the Captain said, “let us have a little chat with him then.” However, the Captain stopped Logan from entering and told him, “Sergeant Morrow, I want you though to stay and just observe through the one-way glass.”

“Yes sir.” Logan answered without question, it was the Legionnaire in him, not questioning the orders or actions of his superior officer, and not expecting an explanation of why. However, something happened though that Logan was not use to, he did get an explanation.
 

“It is not that I do not appreciate what you have done Sergeant,” the Captain began to explain, “It is that I have been thinking over your position lately, and I may want to keep your identity unknown to those outside the unit. You pulled this off because no one knows who you are. Jean-Luc and Henri are known to those we go after, but you my boy, if we can work this right, and with your skills, you could be a sort of ‘secret weapon’ for us. Let us keep it like this for now, I hope you understand.”
 

Happier that he had an explanation; Logan thought for a second and said, “I understand completely sir, thank you very much.”

The Captain patted Logan’s shoulder, “Good, very good. Now you can observe through the glass, he will not be able to see you, if you yourself have any questions or something to contribute, just pick up that phone and I shall relay it, understand?”

“Yes sir.”

The Captain and Jean-Luc entered the room leaving Henri with Logan. It did not take much to break Theo. After just a few minutes the Captain asked if Bela Volchescu had any idea whatsoever about Theo’s homosexuality. 

“What would Bela think if he finds out that you enjoy looking at him very much while you are all naked together in the steam baths and showers after exercising or playing football?” Jean-Luc asked. Theo was very uncomfortable and showed.

“You and I both know Bela’s personality,” the Captain added, “if he has the slightest idea or suspicion that your looking at his naked ass in a loving way, well, you have witnessed with your own eyes his ruthlessness”.
 

“But I am very valuable to him,” Theo said with a whimper.
 

Jean-Luc then stood directly in front of him with his face inches away from Theo’s and said gently, “If that is so … then why are you so frightened?”
 

The Captain added, “Because you know that it does not matter how valuable you are. If Bela finds out that you would like to fuck him, he will castrate you and feed your cock to his dogs … and let you bleed to death.”
 

“But, it is not like that,” Theo answered, “I am not attracted to him like that.”
 

Jean-Luc began to laugh, “Then why do you keep it a secret from him then? This is Paris man! Nobody cares if you are a homosexual. It is widely accepted.”
 

“Just not accepted by some,” the Captain said, “the thing is, you do know what Bela would do. The idea of homosexual men sickens him.”
 

Jean-Luc then sat down and gave Theo a sardonic smile, “And it may be true, that you are not attracted to him. But, someone just has to inform him, and plant the idea that you would love to suck his cock … and vice versa.”

Theo began to shake; it did not take much to break him. He had kept himself secret for so long from the Volchescu‘s, he did everything to mask it, even faked it with the women entourage that was always around.

He decided to cooperate in full, in exchange for protection and a way out of the country. He began to cry from his fright and the Captain put a reassuring hand on his shoulder and told him things were going to work out fine for him.

Then the phone rang in the interrogation room and the Captain picked it up, it was Logan giving him a request. “What? Why yes … yes sir. I shall inform the prisoner.” the Captain said, and then hung up the phone.
 

He walked over to Theo and said, “There is another provision in our arrangement Theo”.
 

“What is that?” He asked.
 

“You are to never, ever go into Le Club Argenté D'oiseau again. In fact, you are to stay out of that entire neighborhood,” the Captain informed him, “plus, and this was emphasized to me greatly, you are to cease all contact with the transvestite known as Giselle. My fellow officer on the other side of that window knows who you are. If you in any way continue to harass this Giselle, well my then friend, you must remember, the deal that you made tonight is with me … not with him … do you understand?”

 

 

Theo nodded, but Jean-Luc said, “I think it would be best if you spoke up, so that our colleague on the other side understands you.”

“Yes, “Theo said, “I understand. I will leave her alone completely.”

“He will hold you to that,” the Captain said, “now, you are going to be our guest here for awhile, you might as well get comfortable, we shall return shortly.” With that, the Captain and Jean-Luc left the room. 
 

Now all four men were together, observing Theo through the glass. The Captain said, “I am going to let him be alone for the rest of the night in a cell by himself, let his fright get the best of him. Then I will start a preliminary interrogation about Volchescu. You three did a fantastic job, you should all go home and get some sleep, and we shall have a briefing in the morning, and then drill Theo some more together.”
 

Henri said, “Sounds good to me, I am hungry and tired”.
 

“I’m just tired,” Logan said.
 

Jean-Luc said, “Well then, lets drop you off at your home then meet here in the morning, let us say around ten o’clock.”
 

Logan said, “Sounds great to me, let’s get going then.” He wanted to get back to his apartment, because not only was he tired, but also he had the girl, Lily, on his mind. He had many mixed feelings he was trying to deal with, one was an emotion that he thought deserted him many years ago. He, Jean-Luc and Henri began their walk together down the hallway and to the elevator to leave the building.
 

They all soon were at the back entrance where the small van was parked. They entered it, Logan taking his place in the back, and then they drove down the boulevard, taking Logan to his home first. He sat in the back and watched the street scenes of the city pass by, all the time thinking of the beautiful little woman he had met earlier, and all the mixed emotions swimming through him.
 

Henri broke the brief silence, “Eh Logan, why did you have Thiebulet tell Theo to stay away from that transvestite? Was she that convincing?”

“No,” he answered, “it’s just she’s a friend of that girl I met. Jeez, I keep calling her ‘she’.”

Jean-Luc glanced at Logan through the rear view mirror, “This real girl you met, she is beautiful?”

“Yes,” Logan sighed, “she is. It’s been a while since I’ve talked to one like her.” He paused to reflect on an old memory for a second, then continued, “Anyway, that asshole Theo scared this Giselle … she … damn there I go again, …she tried not to show it but Theo scared her. So if she’s a friend of this Lily woman, I just thought I’d stop something before it started.”
 

Henri then blurted in, “Plus, scoring a few points with the beautiful REAL girl would not hurt.” Jean-Luc gave a laugh that showed he agreed.
 

“Yes,” Logan said, “that wouldn’t hurt. Besides, I got this thing about bullies.”
 

“And what is that?” Jean-Luc asked.

 “I just don’t like them. Theo showed his true colors tonight, that he has always been one. That’s why he broke down so fast and agreed to cooperate. Like any bully who had someone stands up to them and knocks them on their ass.” Logan then gave out a yawn and placed his head back to shut his eyes and rest, and to think of Lily. It was only a short time before they were at the entranceway of his apartment building. The sudden stop brought him out of his train of thought. Logan opened the door and laboriously exited his large frame from the van.
 

“Say, let’s meet at the coffee stand around a quarter to ten … on me.” Logan offered.

Jean-Luc reached from the drivers window and patted Logan on his arm, “Sure thing, and Logan?”

“Yes.”
 

“You did a great job tonight, not bad for your first time.”
 

“Thanks Jean, that means a lot.”
 

Henri gave his approval also, “Yes, Legionnaire, great job.”

Logan smiled and stepped back from the van, “Thanks, see you in the morning,” and gave them a small wave. With that, Jean-Luc placed his foot on the accelerator and left Logan on the sidewalk. Logan walked into the small arched entryway, but stopped and placed his back to the stonewall and then peered around the corner of the bricks and watched as the van drove to the corner and turned left at the corner. They were now both gone and Logan stepped back onto the sidewalk. He looked around and saw he was alone on the street. He felt as if he needed to take a walk, and he began to go in the direction that Jean-Luc and Henri had just drove. It would be just a little busier on that street on the corner, with the restaurants, clubs, bistros, and taverns. Paris never closes.

He walked to the corner and then everything came alive. He looked to the direction that Jean-Luc and Henri had turned to make sure they were out of sight. He began to walk in the opposite direction, down the busy boulevard contemplating if he should stop for a beer, something quick to eat, or both.
 

He had her on his mind, this woman Lily. It has been a long time since he has had a feeling like this, to have something like this happen to him. To have a beautiful woman speak to you and treat you the way she did. Yes, there were other women from his days in the Legion, especially the women who came to Corsica where he was stationed. The bored wealthy women and the young ones looking to be with the Legionnaires. However, that all was not anything that was real. Most of it was to fill the void of his loneliness, and to try to forget the other girl … from that time … before he was Logan.

This was that feeling he had when he was younger, when he was eighteen, and before that. He kept having the image of Lily going through his head, her face, her tight curly hair, her British accent with that slight touch of the cockney twang. Her eyes, how she did not blink her eyes, but they opened and closed slowly. The fragrance of gardenias when she was near him.

However, it was the endearments she spoke to him, the way she always was calling him “honey”, “hun”, “sweetheart”, and most of all, how she kept calling him “luv.” He thought of how long it has been since somebody called him things like that … and really meant it.
 

“It sure would be nice to have a girlfriend again, wouldn’t it?” He whispered to himself, “Christ, it’s been what … twenty years?” He then thought of the girl from his past, and sadness fell over him. Then guilt started to come to him, guilt over having to lie to Lily because of his surveillance of Theo. How could he start something off with a lie? What was he going to do now?

In addition, the guilt of what he had done to the girl from his past. He had to do what he had done, to save her from what would have happened to him, to give her a chance for a better life … a life without him. He knew what he had put her through, even though he never witnessed it. However, he was going through it with her, even though he was far, far away. It was best, what he had to do, but the feelings of guilt for doing so … that was his cross to bear.
 

Walking down the boulevard, he now noticed all the couples and lovers on the street, sitting in the bars and bistros. He did not pay much attention to it before, the holding of hands, arms around each other, and the kissing. A girlfriend, someone who loves you, something that was so common to all others, has really been denied to him since he had to run from America and hide in the Legion. 

It seemed to him suddenly as if he was just surrounded and overwhelmed by all the couples in the bars and walking around the street. Logan then turned around and walked back to his apartment. Soon he was back in the archway that was the entrance to his complex. He entered through the gate, and walked across the veranda to the entrance of his apartment building. He went up the flight of stairs to the second floor where his apartment was. Once inside he turned on the lights to his small one bedroom flat, just right enough for him.

Inside the door, to the left was a small kitchen that shared the same room with the living area. A small dining table was in the kitchen area, along with the sink, refrigerator, cabinets and stove. In the living area was a small sofa against the wall on the left, with a large rocker recliner and television set. A sliding glass doorway led to a small balcony that overlooked the street. On the left was a doorway that led to his bedroom. His bedroom had a large brass bed and a dresser and am war. There was also a large closet, and the bathroom was to the right as you walked in. He hung his jacket on the back of the door and went to his large rocker recliner, sat down and let out a sigh. “I probably wouldn’t know what to do in a boyfriend/girlfriend type thing again anyway.” He said.

He rocked back and forth in his chair staring up at the ceiling. A couple of minutes later he got up and went to his bedroom to the closet. He opened the doors and brought down a dark wooden box from the top shelf. On the top lid of the box was the seven flamed grenade, the symbol of the French Foreign Legion carved into it. He went to the edge of his bed and sat down on the edge. He opened the box, and took from it two brass folding picture frames that were hidden underneath the rest of the contents. He placed the box next to him and turned on the lamp on the table next to his bed.

The picture frames were the type that are hinged which open and close like a book, they each held two pictures covered with a glass pane. The first frame he opened was the one that went lengthwise. The pictures inside were of a woman. The picture on the right showed her standing with her arms crossed and she was smiling. She was beautiful, with dark skin, long black hair that was parted in the middle. She wore headband, had dark almond shaped eyes and full lips. By the clothing she was wearing, you could see that she was a Native American Indian. The picture on the left showed the same woman sitting in a chair with a little boy of about three years of age on her lap. She was holding him lovingly and both were smiling. They were sitting on a chair and it looked as if they were in the middle of mountains and plains.
 

Logan stared down at the picture and stroked the image of the woman, “Mama,” he whispered gently. After a few minutes, he kissed the pictures and closed the frame. He set it down gently next to him on the bed and picked up the other picture frame. It was the same type of brass frame, only this one opened sideways. 

Inside were pictures of a young girl, a pretty girl of sixteen years of age. The picture on the right was of her wearing a sundress with a pink apron. She had wavy light brown hair, light skin, hazel eyes, and a pleasant smile. She was standing in front of a Baskin-Robbins 31 Flavors ice cream parlor. Just by looking at her face, you could tell that she was a sweet girl, the kind of girl every boy that age would want to end up with. She had the face of an angel, and you felt you could always find comfort in her. The picture on the left was the girl sitting on the bench of a picnic table in a park. Sitting next to her was a dark haired boy the same age as she. He had longish hair was wearing a black t-shirt and jeans. His left arm was around her shoulder, and she had both her hands holding his right on her lap. They both were smiling and you knew they loved each other.
 

“I sure hope you have someone that keeps you happy,” he whispered to the picture, “and got you to forget me.” The boy in the picture was Logan … in the days before … he was Logan.
 

He closed the picture frame, then placed them both back in the wood box and returned the box to its place in his closet. He then stripped down to his underwear, went back to his living room to turn out the lights. He went back to his bed, turned off the lamp, and fell on his bed. He now stared at his bedroom ceiling thinking of the days of his youth back in America, of his mother, of the girl in the picture. Then … he began again to think of Lily.

He remembered the woman Cosette and the others at Le Club Argenté D'oiseau telling him that Lily comes in there practically every night. He got the thought of maybe going back there tomorrow night, and tell her everything that was really going on, and let her know the truth. He then began to fall asleep, he told himself that was what he would do, tomorrow night, get dressed up more and go back to see Lily, and tell her everything.

He then went into a deep sleep. In his dreams, he heard the tribal drums that came in his sleep many times over the years. When he heard the drums, he felt very secure, and slept even more soundly. Then the warmth on his shoulders, and the warm feeling on a spot the middle of his forehead. The drums became silent as he slept - - -

- - - Logan heard the announcement for his train stop. He got up from his seat and stood by the doors until the train came to a complete stop. The pneumatic hiss came as the doors opened and he stepped out onto the platform turned right and went to the stairwell. He stepped quickly down the stairwell, out of the “L” stop and onto the street that would lead him home. He then walked briskly to his apartment where his main plans were to try again to eat something, take another hot bath, and to get right to bed. However, it was the sleep he was anxious for to get to the most, for he was hoping to have another dream, and so he wanted to get to bed as soon as possible.