Authors: Aliyah Burke
Dezarae crossed her arms over her chest and looked at the skinny child in her kitchen.
“I’ll stay with you.” It took her less than five seconds to come to that decision.
“Very well.” Dezarae said as she looked at the sheet and made the call to leave a message with Ross
Connelly.
“I am going to have to put you on the couch until I get a bed up in my office,” Dezarae said as she
walked with Charmane into the living room. “Are you tired now? Do you want to get some sleep?”
Not wanting to be alone, Charmane dragged her feet before she asked, “If I don’t get in the way,
could I maybe just stay with you while you work on the car?”
“Of course, but I think we need to get you a bit warmer clothes. Did you pack anything warmer than
that?” Dezarae asked.
“No,” Charmane admitted. “I don’t do much that requires warm clothes.”
“Well, let’s see what I have.” Dezarae led the way to her room. She noticed the way the child’s eyes
roamed over her things. Opening the closet, she grabbed a sweatshirt and tossed it on the bed.
“I like your room,” the quiet admission came.
“Thank you, it is the one place I get to be girly.” Dezarae looked at her, “I don’t have any pants that
will fit you. That sweatshirt will at least keep you warmer and we will take you shopping for some clothes
tomorrow. Let’s go.”
Together, the females left the house and walked out into the night, Dezarae wondering what she had
done and Charmane wondering if maybe she had found a friend. Entering the shop, Dezarae sent Charmane
to turn on some music as she put on a pair of clean coveralls and began to detail the Fairlane. When she was
done, Charmane helped her cover it and they went back to the house and into the garage where Dezarae
began final touches on her Shelby.
Charmane settled onto the couch that was along the back wall and watched as Dezarae worked
meticulously on her car. Exhaustion set in and as she pulled a blanket over her, her eyes began to feel heavy.
The last thing she remembered was hearing Dezarae sing along with the music that played in the garage.
It was midnight when Dezarae called it quits. Standing up, her eyes moved to the couch where she
saw that Charmane was sound asleep. “Like that you seem almost sweet, Charmane,” Dezarae whispered as
she cleaned her hands.
Walking over to the young teen, Dezarae gently shook her. “Wake up Charmane. It’s time to go
inside.”
Sleepy eyes opened they grew wide as they saw Dezarae until recognition poured in. “I’m tired,” she
slurred.
“I can see that. Come on, we’re going in.” Dezarae helped her up.
Within minutes, the child was sleeping soundly on the couch as Dezarae climbed into her own bed
and tried to figure out if she should curse or thank the force that had brought Ross Connelly back into her
life.
45
CONNELLY’S FLAME
Aliyah Burke
Strong hands held his head as he sat in the back of the dark bar alone at his booth. His beer before
him lay untouched, as was the burger and fries on the plate. He was miserable.
“Mind if I join you?” a voice asked as a man slid into the other side of the booth without waiting for
a response.
The hands dropped to the table and a sharp retort was bitten back as he saw who it was. Gray eyes
took in the only Black man in their team, Ensign O’Shea, better known as Hondo. “Do I have a choice?” the
man asked, wanting to be left alone in his misery.
“Nay, not really.” The man shook his bald head as he reached for the beer and took a swig. “What’s
up with you, man?”
“What do you mean?” Ross Connelly asked, being obtuse for a reason; he didn’t want to talk about
the root of his problem.
Hondo slid the plate of food over to him and began to eat. “I mean, e’er since your accident you’re
different.”
The faint Irish lilt never ceased to bring a smile to Ross’s face. It didn’t fit the first impression that
one got looking at the man who sat across from him. He stood six foot three inches and was an ex-football
player. He had dark skin and black eyes.
“How am I different, Hondo?” Ross asked his friend.
“Take tonight, for example.” He shoved more fries in his mouth and ate them. “You used to be out
with the men carousing for women, not sitting here in the corner booth of a bar alone.”
“I don’t want just any woman, Hondo. Not anymore.” Ross reached for his plate and yanked it back
to him and ate some fries himself.
I want my Firebird.
“Don’t you ever want something like Harrier and
Cade have?”
Hondo scoffed, “I’m a warrior man. I do war and blood. Not mushy love stuff.”
“Mushy love stuff, huh?” another voice said as two more men slid into the booth.
Ross looked at the two married men of the group. “Do all y’all think I have changed so much?” he
asked the three men.
“Yes,” they answered as one.
“So it’s a unanimous decision that I should go get laid?” he asked as his gray eyes moved to each of
them.
“I think you should follow your heart,” Harrier said.
“Me, too,” Cade added.
“Grab a hooker and get your damn jollies off, man; it’s been three months,” Hondo said bluntly.
“It hasn’t been three months, Hondo. But the last woman I was with, I called her Dezarae,” Ross
admitted. “Not exactly flattering.”
All three men just stared at him until the waitress came around and they all ordered beer and burgers
and fries. She was an attractive woman and she flirted with them all but no one bit.
“I dinna know you had it this bad, man,” Hondo apologized after the woman left.
Scott and Tyson just nodded in understanding. Ross looked between them, “Was it this bad for the
two of you?”
“Yes, but I think it was easier for me, since I was in the jungle with Jayde,” Tyson said. “And Lex is
Navy so that was another obstacle for Scott.”
“But neither of you gave up,” Ross pointed out.
“True, we got the women we loved. And from the way you were defending her when we got there
and touching her, your looks, it’s a safe bet your feelings are pretty strong for her,” Scott added.
“Nothing ever felt so right as it did being with her,” Ross said. “But I’m not exactly a catch of the
day.” At the men’s confused looks he continued, “I have a child, an ex-wife who makes every day of my life
a living hell. I’m the lowest ranking guy on the team, don’t make or have much money. Add onto that we
46
CONNELLY’S FLAME
Aliyah Burke
leave at anytime; it’s not precisely a winning combination. Oh, yeah, and I’m white with a rebel flag tatted
on my chest.”
The three men nodded their heads. “All that is true, Ross, but how do you know she cares about
that?” Scott asked.
He shoved his hands through his shorn hair, “I don’t, but I have a hard enough time seeing Charmane
now. If I were to add Dezarae into the mix, there would be no way. Joy wouldn’t allow it.” Ross fell silent as
their food and drinks were delivered. “I have to think of Charmane first, not my wants.”
His teammates stayed quiet. It was going to be hard for Ross to get custody of his daughter. Judges
rarely went in the direction of the father and even less so if he was a military man. Hondo looked at his
young friend, “It will work itself out, man, and you have to believe that.”
“I wish I could. She’s all I see, she’s everything I ever wanted in a woman,” Ross admitted.
“We kind of figured that out ourselves. You talk in your sleep, man,” Tyson kidded him.
Ross blushed, “Sorry.”
Taking pity on him, Scott jumped in, “Hey, don’t worry about it, Tyson can’t say a word. Remember
Belize, Tyson? Loud squeaking bed frame?”
Tyson burst out laughing. “How true. Okay, I will let it go.” The others joined in for they all
remembered hearing Tyson make love to his wife in the lone bedroom of the safe house.
Emotions lightened the men enjoyed a fun evening. They stayed late at the bar, eating and drinking.
By the end of the night the whole team had arrived and just had “guy time”.
Somewhere in the Indian Ocean
The men jumped off the helicopter and onto the flight deck of the aircraft carrier. They all headed
into the situation room, faces grim with their upcoming mission. The captain met them and waved them into
the room.
“Gentlemen, sorry your trip home has been delayed. But as you know there has been a situation
brewing over the border of Rwanda and Burundi. There is a peacekeeping mission down there and they need
extraction, immediately,” the commanding officer of the carrier said.
He brought up a picture on the overhead and said, “These are your objectives. All of them need to be
brought back safely.”
The members of the Megalodon Team looked at the fifteen people in that photo, committing each
person to memory. “What are the rules of engagement, Captain?” Scott asked.
“Expect trouble. Both sides want this group. You can fire if fired upon.” The CO fell silent for a
moment. “I have to tell you, the odds don’t look good here.”
The eight men looked at each other and grinned. “That’s why we are the ones called in, Sir,” Scott
said. “When do we leave?”
“One hour, you will have to hump it in to where they are being hidden. Go check your gear, grab
some chow or whatever.” The captain dismissed them with a salute.
Ross was grabbing a bite to eat when he saw an ensign talking to another sailor and pointing at him.
Eventually the officer walked over to him. “Petty Officer Connelly,” the somber voice came.
Standing at attention, Ross responded, “Yes, Sir.”
“At ease, sailor. You have a message,” the ensign said, handing him the paper the message came in
on.
Taking the folded paper, Ross said, “Thank you, Sir.”
“Carry on,” the ensign said before walking away.
Sitting back down, he opened the note and read the words over and over not believing it.
Charmane has run away. Have notified authorities.
Jamie riley.
He felt sick. Standing up, he made his way to his gear, not seeing anything but the eyes of his
daughter.
Two of his teammates were there when he arrived at his locker. “What’s wrong, Jeb?” The question
came from Ernst “Ghost” Zimmermann.
47
CONNELLY’S FLAME
Aliyah Burke
Wordlessly, he handed them the note and began to repack his gear. “Oh, hell. Man, I don’t know
what to say about this,” Ghost said as he passed the note to the other man there.
“There isn’t anything to say, but thanks, Ghost. Thanks anyway.” Ross spoke in a monotone voice.
“What are you going to do?” Dimitri “Merlin” Melonakos asked.
“The only thing I can do, pack for the mission and pray my little girl is okay,” Ross answered.
I can’t
believe that stupid woman let my daughter run away.
The whole team knew about the note by the time they were boarding the helicopter. Ross was
subdued but ready for the mission. Scott wasn’t sure if he should go, but Ross had said, “I will go home after
the mission.”
So as they took their seats and the door was closing Ross prayed that he would see his daughter one
more time. Suddenly the door stopped closing, slid back open, and that same ensign was running up to the
chopper.
“Commander,” he yelled to Scott. “I have another message for Petty Officer Connelly, Sir. It just
came over the wire.”
“Jeb!” Scott shouted into the interior of the chopper, not sure he wanted him to read it, but he knew
if the situation was reversed he would want to know. “Message is for you.”
Ross moved up to take it from the ensign and saluted him before the man stepped back and the door
was shut. Maneuvering back to his seat, he hesitated a moment before opening the note.
Please let Petty Officer Ross Connelly know that his daughter has
been found safe.
She is staying with one Dezarae Kerry and will wait there until his
return.
Gray eyes closed with relief and then flew open to read it again.
Dezarae? His Dezarae? Charmane
was with Dezarae?
A smile crossed his face as he realized that soon he would be with his daughter and his
Firebird.
The note was yanked out of his hand by another teammate who read it to everyone else. All the men
congratulated him and then began to tease him about seeing Dezarae again.
As the helicopter flew deeper into Africa, the men got ready to night jump. Even as the cold air
rushed past them as they fell through the dark sky, Ross had a smile on his face, for his heart was once again
beating contentedly. And he knew that soon, soon he would be able to hold Dezarae Kerry in his arms again.
It was three weeks later but they were finally on their way home. Eight men dozed as the transport
plane carried each of them to whatever awaited them upon their return. Ross waved goodbye to his friends as
he hopped on another flight that was taking him to Montana.
Taking him to his daughter and the woman he loved. A silly grin was plastered on his face the whole
flight.
48
CONNELLY’S FLAME
Aliyah Burke
Dezarae grinned at the child who ran past her yelling as she chased the dog that had her shoe in his
mouth. Turning her dark eyes to the handsome man next to her, she laughed, “Your dog is a menace, Tank.”
“He is, but what are you gonna do?” Tank said as he helped put the ramp up on the truck.