Craig Steele The Heart

By BK Thomas

Craig Steele has returned home from the Army and is settling in to a new routine. A new house and new job provide him with the downtime he needs to readjust from military life. One afternoon a Muslim family, celebrating the end of Ramadan, pays him a visit. The daughter captures his attention and soon they begin to date. The cultural differences are small at first, until the family steps in. When her father forbids the relationship, his demands threaten to pull them apart. Craig had seen combat in the military, but when the two cultures collide, he finds it may be the most dangerous battle he's seen.

• Language: English
• Publisher: BK Thomas
• Release date: Mar 10, 2019
• ISBN: 9780463040881

BK Thomas

I have spent life in a variety of places across the globe from the Mediterranean to Virginia and a few others along the way. I have settled back in Texas but still have the same response when people ask where I'm from. The Air Force. I am from a long line of service members who have served this country honorably. In recent history my grandfather fought in the South Pacific, my father was in the Air Force with the 6924th Security Squadron in Vietnam. My brother served his own tour as a medic in Desert Storm attached to the 197th Inf Bde. I deployed to Afghanistan with the 18th Airborne Corps during Operation Enduring Freedom rounding out the family's service. I take this wealth of experience and look at the world around me and create fast paced current event fiction.

Book preview

Chapter One

DIAMONDS AND HEADLINES

~~~

Craig Steele was headed to the hardware store when the doorbell rang on a bright Saturday morning. He smiled at the good timing as he grabbed his keys and walked down the hall. He opened the solid wood door to find, to his surprise, a Middle Eastern looking man. The man was dressed in blue jeans and a white long sleeve shirt. He had a medium build and thick black hair that glistened in the mid-morning light.

Craig noticed a young woman over the man’s left shoulder. The woman held a small pink and blue gift box. The woman’s hair was covered in a teal hijab. A lock of hair had managed to escape the wrap and snuck down near the girl’s left temple. Craig had seen plenty of hijab’s in his time but this one contrasted with the girl’s olive toned skin and piercing blue eyes and seized his attention. He took inventory quickly noting her tan blouse and blue jeans with matching tan shoes. She had a fashion sense from the way she was dressed he thought.

Their eyes met and the girl looked away quickly as they locked together.

My name is Rahim; I’m pleased to meet you. The man smiled and extended his hand.

Craig shook the man’s hand. The man’s grip was strong but they were surprisingly soft.

An office worker.

I’m Craig, nice to meet you, Craig responded warily and glanced back at the woman.

Welcome to the neighborhood, the man stated and motioned to the woman. She looked Craig in the eyes and presented him the pink and blue box. Surprised by the unexpected gift Craig took the box and looked back at her.

Thank you, Craig mumbled the platitude awkwardly.

The man continued, My daughter and I wanted to give you a gift in honor of the season.

Craig wondered what that meant.

I hope you enjoy it. I’m happy to meet you, Craig. Let us know if we can help you with anything. Peace be with you. The man gave a humble nod toward Craig and smiled. His daughter nodded as well and caught his eyes once again.

Sure, thanks, I’ll be seeing you, Craig managed to offer and cracked a half smile. They turned to leave and Craig stared as they turned and walked away. What season are we in? The fall?

He couldn’t help but think about how beautiful the daughter was. She’s got to be at least twenty. He thought it was a strange sight to see her flowing tan blouse and teal hijab walking away from his front porch in Texas. He had moved a few times over the years and he had been welcomed by blue hairs in Georgia, insurance reps in Kentucky and local church members at home in Texas before, but never by a Muslim, anywhere.

He went back inside the house and looked at the box. Sanskrit weaved around the box like an ivy on a house. A pulse of anger shot through his body. He shook it off and took the card sticking out of the box. He looked it over more closely and noticed the card’s beauty. It was decorated with a mosaic pattern with bright colors on one side and subdued ones the other.

Greetings it stated and went on to talk about the end of the Hajj or Pilgrimage Season, the fifth pillar of Islam. He sat the box on the counter. Ha, think I’ve done quite enough of a pilgrimage with Muslims to last for quite some time, but thanks anyway. He shook his head in disgust.

Craig noticed his chest was pounding. He knew it wasn’t from the blue eyes and laughed at himself. Craig had just moved to Texas from North Carolina after a hitch in the Army with deployments to both Afghanistan and Iraq. After ten years back and forth in the sandbox he knew all he wanted to know about the area and he was ready to leave everything related to Islam back there.

The job he took when he moved back to Texas didn’t pay very much, but he didn’t need a lot. His truck was paid for and his house was a foreclosure he had picked up when the economy was in a downturn. There wasn’t much in the house. He was the only one there and didn’t even have a dog yet. He wanted a simple life. Nothing complicated. He just wanted to do what he was good at and make a little money doing it.

He moved back to Texas to take an armed security job when his last enlistment in the Army was up. It wasn’t necessarily anything to write home about. He guarded things that no one cared much about. He was the new guy so he had the night shift guarding empty buildings and file cabinets full of papers. They were important things to some people, but the people in the fast paced city he lived in didn’t care about them, they were too busy chasing diamonds and headlines. The state was busy becoming the next California. The jobs were like the heat waves in summer and the people were coming in droves. The new people came in all shapes and sizes with license plates he had never even seen before.

Never a dull moment these days. He dropped the box off on the granite counter in the kitchen and hopped in his truck to head to the hardware store like he had planned to do before the doorbell interrupted him. He had a loose shower handle and he needed to get a new set of stems to match the new handles he had ordered off the internet.

Toby Keith played on the radio and he felt at home as he drove to the store but he couldn’t shake the surprise of the new neighbors. Should’ve moved to the country. Never guessed they’d be on my street. He had decided to move to north Dallas for a job out of the Army. He was from Texas but had never lived in the Dallas area. He had heard about the job growth in the area and liked sound of the opportunities it offered. The job he took was nothing complicated, an armed security gig with a company that liked his tactical background. It allowed him to keep using weapons and continue to serve a larger cause. He thought it was a good combination while he was getting ready for the police force. There weren’t any cities nearby offering any positions when he left the Army so he thought it would keep him locked in while he waited.

He entered the hardware store and made his way to the aisle with the plumbing. The options were endless but he finally found the set that would match his new handles. He went to pay for them and the self-checkout lanes were empty but he bypassed them to go to the lane with two people in line and a cashier. The cashier smiled, scanned the set and he paid with his bank card. As he was leaving the store he noticed another woman at the customer service desk with a head covering. They’re everywhere! He shook his head and headed back home. A few hours later and some new scrapes on his hands, his shower handles lined up perfectly and most importantly, there weren’t any leaks. Craig stepped back and folded his arms across his chest and smiled. He had never fixed a shower before but he was satisfied with his work.

He headed to the fridge to grab a beer as a reward for a job well done. The beer was just right after working his shower problem out. Odd jobs like that always seemed to take longer than they should and the reward was quite appropriate after all the aggravation of scrapped knuckles and lining up handles.

The college football season was just in swing, so he sat on the couch to relax and watch a game. Headed to the fridge for his second beer, the box from the neighbors caught his eye and he decided to check it out. He opened the box and saw a variety of delicate desserts. His brow rose and his eyes opened in delight. He noticed light fluffy dough dripping with what looked like honey and topped with pistachios and the other pastries that filled the small box. He was intrigued by the sweet fragrance. His appetite was encouraged as he reviewed its contents. He recognized the baklava but after that he was lost. He ate them all anyway and finished them off with his beer. The game on TV was about as exciting as his day and before he knew it he was asleep on the couch as the game played on.

He slipped into a dream and found himself running down a dark street. A solitary street light broke through the darkness in the distance. He headed toward it and had made it half way when he saw the Muslim girl from his neighborhood appear underneath it.

Then he heard voices shout behind him and he looked back to see what the commotion was. He saw shapes in the darkness moving toward him and heard the shuffling of feet. A gun shot rang out behind him. He ducked out of reflex as he heard the bullet scream through the air near him. He looked back over his shoulder with surprise. Another shot rang out and he pressed himself to run even faster. He looked forward searching for the blue eyed girl. He found her again and realized she was waiting for him.

She motioned for him to follow her then she turned and took off into the darkness ahead. He passed through the light and more shots rang out behind him. He heard one zip by him at close range motivating him to speed up even more. He entered the darkness for a moment then he saw another light ahead in the distance. He noticed the tan top and teal hijab wave ahead of him as the girl ran toward the next light. He continued on through the second light and entered the darkness once more. He looked ahead expecting to see her in the distance again, but this time she was nowhere in sight.

The footsteps behind him were overcome by the screeching of tires. Then a hail of shots came from behind him as car lights fell upon him. He recognized the tone of the weapon as the mounted fifty caliber machine gun rained bullets down upon him. As the shots rang out he felt a sharp explosion in his right side, he snapped over to his right in pain and fell to the ground. He scrambled to his feet holding his side. I have to find somewhere to hide or I’m dead. He noticed some cover near a building on his right and stumbled toward it.

Bullets chipped the building to the left of him as the truck flew by him. The driver raced by him then slammed on the brakes. Craig looked back as he ran and saw the gunner lurch forward causing him to hit the machine gun and his legs wobbled as the truck came to a stop. More shouting came from inside the truck and out in the darkness.

The brake lights gave the alley and unsettling red glow in the darkness. Suddenly, the clear reverse lights engaged and lit the alley like daylight. He felt naked in the shadow of light and staggered down the side of the building hoping for a chance to escape. The loss of blood and physical exertion was catching up to him. He began to lose focus and paused to steady himself on the wall. He slid down it as his vision grew blurry. He fell to his side only to see feet moving toward him. He wanted to shout a warning at them but no longer had the strength to do anything. His mind screamed for him to get up and fight. He knew what they would do to him. A figure appeared as he tried to focus on his surroundings. He tried to push the person away but he couldn’t move his arms. He tried to focus his eyes on the figure but was losing consciousness. For a moment he could see clearly and gave a slight smile. A pair of hands cradled his head. He saw the piercing blue eyes again. He breathed out heavily in acceptance and slipped into darkness. He awoke on his couch with a jump, breathing heavy and soaked in sweat. He looked around and instinctively grabbed for his weapon that was nowhere near. He scanned the living room to get his bearings then wiped his face and swore.

Chapter Two

A COLLISION COURSE

~~~

The guard shack stood outside of the razor wire fence line. It was Monday night and time for his next shift. The large facility inside the wire housed a government contractor. The company made technology and weapons that the government couldn’t get enough of. It looked like a government site, plain and gray with no windows. There were a handful of large buildings scattered across the property. They just looked like a bunch of ugly boxes. He liked the idea of protecting the place where the tools of his country's war fighters were developed. He felt connected to the warriors in a small way. The guard shack was located on the north side of the complex and was the only gate for vehicle traffic onto the property from the North. He parked in the asphalt paved parking lot near the shack and walked into the shack to be greeted by the sounds of Monday Night Football. The stadium noise filled the shack as he clocked in and retrieved his weapon and ammo from the safe. He signed for the equipment from the shift leader then heard Kelvin.

Hey Craig! Your Raiders beat up on my Frogs the other day. I thought you were going to come over!

Hey Kelvin, yeah, sorry about that. I had a shower that I was fixing that wiped me out and I fell asleep on the couch.

No problem, I was kind of glad you didn’t come so I didn’t have to hear it from you with the way the Red Raiders were running over my defense, Kelvin joked.

It was a good game. I guess you’re right. I should have come over! Craig said then laughed as Kelvin shoved him.

All right gents, the shift leader interrupted, here is the situation. The shift leader continued and briefed the incoming shift on the status of the site as reported from the outgoing shift and sent Craig, Kelvin and the other guards out on their initial rounds. They walked out into the night air and it was quiet.

Alright Kelvin, I’ll see you in a little while. Craig breathed in deeply and looked around. Time to get this shift started.

Gotcha brother, see you in a while, Kelvin tipped his cap and walked away to start his inspection.

They headed in separate directions into the dark space. The horizon was broken up by the lights along the fence line every so often. The lack of activity gave it a peaceful feel yet a low tension was always present with the business they were in. The defense contractor he worked for preferred veterans and retired police officers to conduct armed patrol around the site. The experience they came with provided a sense of professionalism and