Chapter 10
This is just bizarre, Ali thought. This date, this whole thing, it's all kind of surreal. Here she was, sharing dinner with a woman who she was pretty sure assassinated five people in the last week. Sure, they were all criminals, but still. This whole thing was just crazy. There were so many questions she wanted to ask, but also, a part of her just wanted to have a normal date with a beautiful woman, to not get into something so deep that she might regret knowing the truth, so she let go of the question she was about to ask again and said, “Okay, we’re going to get back to that, and also back to what you were saying about our jobs being the same, because I’m not sure if they are, but I’m dying to know how you got into joining the Special Forces in the first place.”
Ashlyn leaned back in her chair. “It started when I was around fifteen or so”, she said. I was living with my parents. They were kind of foodies, so they liked to try new restaurants. Sometimes, the restaurants they tried weren’t in the best neighborhoods. Anyway, one night they went out to dinner, and they came back much later than I had expected. Apparently, they were mugged when they were walking back to their car after dinner.”
“Awww…I’m sorry, Ashlyn”, Ali said.
“Thank you”, Ashlyn said. “Anyway, they had gone to the police station to file a report. As you may have guessed, the police never found the assailant.”
“Well, it’s too bad about the mugging, but at least your parents weren’t hurt.”
“That’s true. They weren’t hurt, and the assailant only got my father’s wallet and watch, and my mother’s purse and jewelry. But, I remember being so angry at the fact that they had been mugged. I was an only child, so my parents were everything to me.” Ali noticed that Ashlyn used the past tense. “I wanted to catch the assailant and make him pay. Or, I wanted the police to catch him and make him pay. But, he was never caught. And, and as time went on”, Ashlyn continued, “I became less angry that my parents had been mugged, and more angry that the assailant was never found.”
“So, that’s where the vigilante comes from, huh?” Ali asked.
“No. Not just yet", Ashlyn continued. "My father was a successful real estate broker, and he and his firm were buying up property in various up-and-coming neighborhoods in the city. One of the areas they were buying property in was Little Italy. Little Italy has many good restaurants, so property value had come up, since it had become a hot place to dine. One night, about two years after the mugging, my father took my mother out to dinner at a restaurant in Little Italy. It was next to a property he was thinking about buying, and he wanted to show her the property. When they came out of the restaurant, they were shot and killed.”
“What?!” Ali said in disbelief. She stopped chewing, her mouth hanging half open, full of food.
“Yup. Just like that. Gunned down in a drive-by shooting. A big investigation was opened – local police, the FBI, etc. Apparently, the mafia didn’t want anyone buying up property in Little Italy, and, instead of just warning off prospective buyers verbally, or just offering more money to keep the properties in the hands of the local residents, they decided to ‘send a message’, so they shot my father and my mother as a warning to every other prospective buyer to stay out of Little Italy. No warning. No discussion. No thought to how shooting them would affect me, their daughter. They just shot and killed them.” Ashlyn looked down, and when she looked up, Ali could see a tear start to form in her eye.
“Ashlyn – I’m so sorry.” Ali said. She wanted to reach out and give Ashlyn a comforting touch, but Ashlyn’s hands were in her lap, and the large, elegant table placed too much distance between them for Ali to be able to reach across the table and touch Ashlyn’s arm.
Ashlyn wiped away the tear and continued. “I was devastated. I moved in with my grandmother and finished off high school. I’d always had an interest in art and an aptitude for computers, so after high school, I went to college at Northwestern to study graphic design and computer science. I attended college for a couple years, but I couldn’t focus, and I just felt like my life lacked direction. I guess I was searching for meaning. On top of that, underneath everything was the hurt I felt due to my parents’ deaths. Over time, sadness turned to anger, and beneath the surface, I was harboring a desire for revenge. Anyway, while I was at Northwestern, I met an army recruiter. He told me that the army is a good place to find meaning in one's life, which is probably what army recruiters tell a lot of prospective recruits. Anyway, I was pretty lost, so, I ended up dropping out of college and joining the army.”
“Wow”, Ali said, since that was about all she could think of right then.
“I went through basic training, and then I went through the army’s basic combat training course. When I finished BCT, one of my instructors suggested that I try out for the Special Forces. I was in good shape, and I had scored well on some aptitude and ability tests, one of them being on the rifle range. I had no other plans, and the thought of one day avenging my parents was still in my mind, and I figured I could pick up some valuable skills in the Special Forces, so I entered the Assessment and Selection program. Six months later, I donned the green beret and joined a Special Forces unit. I served on the Special Forces for six years, and I was honorably discharged two years ago.”
“Wow”, Ali said again. “So, what was it like? Being a part of the Special Forces?”
“It was grueling, as you might expect”, Ashlyn said. “First off, they physically work you and deprive you of sleep. Then, they teach you all sorts of stuff: tracking, surveillance, hand to hand combat, advanced weapon tactics, explosives, electronics. Long range shooting. They also teach you languages and customs, since you will most likely be operating in another country. The thing they teach you most, though, is how to problem solve and improvise on the fly.”
“Wow”, Ali said for the third time. “Well, it sounds…fascinating, to say the least, and, well, quite a life you’ve had”, Ali said, since she couldn’t think of anything else to say. “And…what have you been doing since you were discharged from the army?”
“I’ve been living off of my inheritance from my parents, and working part-time as a graphic designer and computer consultant”, Ashlyn smiled, and then said, “among other things.”
Ali stared at her. She wanted to follow up on the 'other things' part, but Ashlyn spoke first and said, “Your turn. How about you? What was your path to becoming a special agent in JOCT?
“My parents were killed in a car accident.”
Ashlyn looked at her and put down her fork. “I’m sorry to hear that”, she said earnestly.
“Thanks”, Ali said. “They were driving home from work one day. They were going through an intersection, and a driver coming cross traffic ran a red light. The driver had been drinking at a happy hour that day. He was drunk, and he was texting on his phone. He wasn’t paying attention, and he T-boned my parents' car, right on the driver side door.”
Ashlyn’s face registered sympathy. “I’m so sorry, Ali.”
“My father died on impact. My mother died a few days later. The other driver walked away. He was a first time offender. His lawyer got him down to two hundred hours of community service. My parents have been dead for seventeen years.” Ali looked down and then looked up. “It’s not fair. Two hundred hours for my parents' lives. And all because someone couldn’t follow a few simple rules. Just couldn’t fucking follow the law. So, I got into law enforcement. I went to college and got my degree in criminal justice, and then I joined the police force here in Chicago. I was a cop for a couple of years, working the gangs here in the city. Then I joined the FBI. I worked in Organized Crime for a bit, and then I heard about JOCT, so I applied. They accepted me for the Chicago office because I am familiar with Chicago, and because I have experience working in a federal agency. I can bridge the gap between the two worlds – the local and the federal.”
The two women were silent for a minute, and then Ashlyn said, “Well, it sounds like we have some similar experience…personal tragedy.”
“Laws need to be followed”, Ali said, continuing her thoughts. “When people start breaking laws, bad things happen.”
“When bad people do bad things, bad things happen”, Ashlyn responded.
“I want to make this world a safer place”, Ali said. “That means that people need to follow the laws and rules. And, if they don’t, I’m going to be there.”
“I want this world to be a safer place, too”, Ashlyn said. “But, laws and rules aren’t always going to ensure that. People break rules and laws all the time. And they get away with it, all the time. Justice needs to be served, regardless.”
“If people followed the law, bad things wouldn’t happen”, Ali said resolutely.
“If people acted right and were good people, we wouldn’t need laws”, Ashlyn countered. “Look, Ali – we want the same thing. Good people safe, bad people behind bars. Or…maybe…somewhere else.” Like six feet under, Ashlyn thought. She looked right at Ali and leaned in a bit. “Maybe we can help each other out.”
Ali stared at Ashlyn. “Wait-what?” she said. “Ashlyn - I can’t work with you.”
“Why not?” Ashlyn said. She leaned in. "Look, we both know that the Maranos and the Disciples are bad, law-breaking scumbags in the first degree. If they aren't dealt with, there's just going to be more and more innocent bodies piling up."
“I agree, but I can't work with you because, it’s against the law. I mean, even if I wanted to work with you, which, well, to be honest, I could see the benefit, I couldn’t.” Ali looked at her. “I mean, I’m probably breaking like eight federal statutes just having dinner with you right now.”
Ashlyn rolled her eyes slightly. “Look, no one has to know we’re working together. I can help you out without anyone knowing.”
“People will find out. I mean, I found you out.”
“I left you that hair, on top of the bank, so you could put two and two together. And you’re the only one out of your whole crew who was able to do so”, Ashlyn said. “Look - we both know how things work. There’s the ideal world, and then there’s the real world. The ideal world is that you and your law-abiding partners will be able to take down the mob and the gangs and everything will be hunky-dory. In the real world, that’s never going to happen. Your agencies are too congested with process, procedure, politics and bureaucracy to get anything done. You need help. Someone who works on the outside, who isn’t bogged down by anything.” Ali just stared at her, so Ashlyn repeated herself. “Ali – we want the same thing.”
“Maybe so”, Ali said, and looked at Ashlyn forcefully. “But we need to go about it the same way.”
Ashlyn held Ali’s stare, and then she looked down. She looked back up and smiled a bit. “Well, you just let me know.” Ali’s face softened a bit, and Ashlyn said, “Hey – enough business for tonight, okay? Let's not spoil our date arguing. You just let me know tomorrow or whenever, yes?”
Ali stared at Ashlyn, and then nodded slowly and smiled slightly.
Ashlyn saw Ali nod, and smiled. “Do you want dessert?” she asked.
********
“Well, that was one of the more interesting dates I’ve had”, Ali said, as she and Ashlyn walked to their cars in the parking lot.
“Did you enjoy it?” Ashlyn asked.
“I did, yes. And thank you”, Ali said. Dinner had been lovely. Kind of surreal and a bit confusing and, well, to be honest, bizarre, but still lovely nonetheless.
“You’re welcome”, Ashlyn said. And she meant it.
Ali reached her car first and unlocked it with her remote. She turned to face Ashlyn. “So…what’s next?”
Ashlyn looked into Ali's eyes, and then looked down. She reached out slowly and took Ali's hands. She felt Ali go rigid, but she looked up and smiled, and Ali relaxed. “Well, do you feel like continuing the night?" When Ali didn't say anything right away, Ashlyn said, "I've got a place nearby." It was one of a few apartments Ashlyn had. She never knew when extra places would come in handy. "Do you…want to come over for a drink?"
Ali looked into Ashlyn's eyes. This woman is fascinating, she thought. She's beautiful, smart, complex, and obviously skilled at many things, but, there's something more. She's a nice person. She's a nice person, and a caring person, Ali thought. She could feel Ashlyn's sympathy when she told Ashlyn about her parents. She could tell Ashlyn cared about making sure good people didn't get trampled on by bad people. Yes, I'm pretty sure she doesn't always follow the law, and yes, even though she hadn't confirmed her involvement, I'm pretty pretty sure that she killed five people last week, Ali thought. But, despite all that, she's still a good person. She's not a cold-blooded killer. She has a conscience. Ali's mind was spinning, and she looked down, and then back at Ashlyn, who was looking at her expectantly. "I do", Ali said, "but not tonight." She looked apologetically into Ashlyn's eyes and squeezed Ashlyn's hands.
"Well, okay", Ashlyn said. She understood the reasons why Ali was hesitant to continue the night, hesitant to get involved with someone who may be illegally eliminating criminals. She smiled, squeezed Ali's hands back and said, "Well, then, why don’t you just let me know if you can use my help, then”, she said.
Ali looked into Ashlyn’s eyes, and then looked at the ground. There was all sorts of shouldn’t-be-doing-this happening here. She looked back up at Ashlyn, who was still smiling at her. “I-I-I don’t know”, Ali said. “I mean, this...this is just crazy”, she said.
“Crazier than bad people getting away with doing bad things?” Ashlyn asked.
“I...just don’t know”, Ali said.
Ashlyn smiled at her again, and then stepped closer. She leaned in and said, “Well, how about you think about it, and in the meantime, since there are no sirens or flashing lights around right now, I’ll give you this.” She let go of Ali’s left hand, cupped Ali’s chin, and planted her lips on Ali’s. Ali stood there for a second, in shock, then closed her eyes, let her lips relax, and returned the kiss. She felt Ashlyn’s tongue gently enter her mouth and lightly touch her own. The two women remained pressed for a minute, tongues dancing lightly, and then Ashlyn broke the kiss. She pulled back, smiled, and lead Ali by the hand to the driver's side door of Ali's car. She opened it for Ali to get in. Ali smiled, almost shyly, then got in her car.
Ashlyn said, “Have a great night, Special Agent Beautiful”, then shut the door for Ali. Ashlyn watched as Ali fired up her engine and backed out of the parking lot. Ashlyn then turned around and walked to her own car. As she was about to get in, she heard Ali call out. “Wait!” Ashlyn turned around. “How can I get a hold of you?” Ali asked.
“You're a special agent”, Ashlyn said and smiled. “Figure it out”. Ali just stared at her. Ashlyn winked and got in her car, then fired up the engine and drove off.