The Hidden

Alright, I’m off to work, dear.

Oh, I hate when you work nights, my love. I get so worried.

He strides over to her, making silly gestures with his hands and face. By the time he reaches her to put his arms around her, she is full of smiles with a single tear dripping out of her left eye.

Now, dear, you know you have nothing to fear, and you see how this job goes. I can’t control what my clientele does day or night, but duty is duty.

He opens the left side of his coat, revealing the side-holstered pistol tucked neatly against his ribs and hidden beneath the jacket. She has no idea what kind of pistol it is. He told her that when he got it, just a few years ago. Oh, what was it? Was it a 22? No, a 42? Oh gosh, I can’t remember, she thought while looking at it. She hated guns but understood he needed one for self-defense since he had started his new job just a few years back.

I liked it better when you were working your other job, hon. You were on a schedule and in the daytime. Now it’s like who knows when you’ll be home or not. She gave a little whimper.

Now, dear, he buttered her up while looking into her eyes and running his fingers through her hair, then gently clapping his fingers on the back of her neck.

A disturbing thought ran through his mind as he touched the back of her neck. How small her neck was in diameter, he moved his hands to each side of it. It would be so easy to strangle her and probably break her neck in the process, he thought as he gripped her tighter.

Right then, he jumped in his mind to what they used to call a flashback. It was nighttime in Afghanistan, and he and five other men of a Special Forces team were approaching a small encampment tucked into a deep gorge, making it extremely hard to be struck from the air. Intel had a high probability that a Taliban commander would be there this night, and he and his team were sent in to eliminate the enemy commander.

There was one of several sentries stationed on top of the gorge to guard the entrance into the camp, and he was sneaking up on one of them with a KBAR knife drawn. He got up right to the back of his target before he sprang. As he threw his right arm around his opponent’s chest and slid it up onto his neck to put him in a choke hold, he brought his left hand with knife over head to bury it into the enemies heart then follow up by slitting his throat only the guy was quick and was able to knock the knife from his hand. He responded by squeezing tighter around the man’s neck and bringing him down on the deck. The insurgent dropped his weapon in the struggle but managed to roll over and face him on the ground. The man desperately reached for his gun lying just out of his reach. He brought both hands around his neck and began to squeeze, cutting off the man’s airway. He got to stare into the man’s eyes as he shook out and died.

At first, he didn’t know what to think; his adrenaline was racing so hard. He just went into auto mode from training and grabbed the guy’s weapon and looked toward the next sentry, seeing him being taken down by his colleague. Then, as he calmed down a bit, he started feeling a sense of euphoria and power. He thought about what he just did, and with a bit of a quiver, he realized he liked it.

At first, he didn’t know what to think; his adrenaline was racing so hard. He just went into auto mode from training, grabbed the guy’s weapon, and looked toward the next sentry, seeing him being taken down by his colleague. Then, as he calmed down a bit, he started feeling a sense of euphoria and power. He thought about what he just did, and with a bit of a quiver, he realized he liked it.

Ease up! Jesus, you’re hurting me, she exclaimed as she broke free of his neck grip.

I..I..I’m sorry, honey. Oh God, it’s happening again, he replied.

You haven’t done that since you first got back from the war. What’s gotten into you? Aren’t you still receiving therapy at work? What about your medication? Have you been taking it? You have been acting strange since you started this new job. What is it? She questioned using a firm tone of voice.

Yes, dear, I’m still doing my therapy, but ahh… but the doc told me to go off my meds for a bit to see how I do. And the new job, geesh, still the same job, just a different position. He explained.

Told you to go off your meds! Told you to go off your meds! Now that doc is either a quack or you’re full of shit, so which is it! She yelled back at him, shaking her right pointed forefinger up and down at him while giving a grimacing face.

Look, dear, you’re upset, and I have to go to work. I will be back as soon as I can, and that will give you time to calm down. He reached down and picked up a mid-sized black gym bag and walked over to grab his jacket from the rack near the door.

When did you start carrying a gym bag to work? She screamed as she turned and grabbed a tall, half-empty glass off the coffee table. As she cocked her arm back, glass in hand, and turned back towards him to throw, she noticed something peculiar that made her think.

She saw the big brown handle of his K-Bar knife stuck down in the back of his pants as his shirt flipped up while he put on his jacket. It caught her off guard for a moment, and the thought ran through her head, I’ve never seen him carry his knife before.

He opened the door to leave just as he slid his last arm through the jacket and began to exit.

You’re cheating, son of a bitch! She screamed as she threw the glass as hard as she could in his direction. The door slammed shut just as the glass hit its target, shattering with a loud crash against the closed door.

She paced the living room in a frantic pace, cursing and mumbling loudly to herself, ripping at her hair. She gazed at the small corner bar they had built into the living room years ago and headed straight over, stomping the whole way. Then, she grabbed a bottle of whiskey and poured a small shot into a tumbler glass, swigging it down. That was quickly followed by another shot, after which she wiped the back of her hand across her mouth, then poured another full-size drink to sip on while she calmed down.

She sat on the barstool, taking sips of her whiskey, still flustered to the point of having anger shakes.

I know what I need, she said out loud, then went around the bar, knelt onto the carpet, and reached her hand under the bar.

Hugh, she huffed, feels like there’s something else under here. Come on, where are they? Her fingers brushed over the texture she desired, and her hand grasped it. Pulling it out, she lifted it in front of her face.

There you are, my beauties. It’s been a few months, but I’m so glad to have kept you for the emergency.

She had an old, half-full pack of cigarettes in her hand. She grabbed a lighter next to the candle on the bar, went back to her seat, and pulled out a cigarette, stuffing it between her lips, then lighting it like a Crack head, feigning that first hit. She took a long drag and started choking immediately.

Whew! It’s been a minute. She laughed, still coughing up puffs of smoke.

She regained her composure and began smoking and drinking her whiskey. She finished that drink.

Mine as well have another. Ole cheating ass is probably got his cock in some other woman by now, she told herself, in slurring speech. After she poured the drink and took a sip, she remembered feeling something else under the bar. It felt like a flat board or something.

I wonder what that is under there? I don’t recall putting anything else down there; it must be his. Well, let’s have a little peek, shall we?

She got up, felt dizzy for a moment.

Whew! That stuff did the trick, now, she said while circling the bar.

Once behind the bar, she got back down and reached back under it and felt the object with the tips of her fingers. She stretched in further and felt a material like fabric on top of the object. She was able to use the tips of her fingers to slide it out.

Out from under the bar came a picture frame, about 2 feet by 2 feet square, with a velvet cloth taped to the front, covering whatever was inside the frame. At the center of the fabric, a note was taped that read Read Me on top of it. She opened the little note card, and on the inside it read:

Darling, if you find this, please do not uncover it. It’s meant to be a surprise for you from me: love, Your Husband.

She laughed like a hyena, You dope, you know no woman wouldn’t be able to not to stand uncovering it. Should have hidden it better. She finished singing in a little musical tone.

She peeled off the tape from the top two corners. Her eyes grew wide, and her face distorted into a look of pure terror. As she looked down at what she saw, she began to scream bloody murder.