Logan's Salute

Chapter 8

That same night, Kristin pulls her father aside and talks to him. "We need to speak," Kristin says, as he enters the room after supper. 

"Yes, my princess," he says, "What is seems to be the matter?" He makes himself comfortable on the dressing table chair.

"Logan was here today," Kristin says, stroking her active belly. 

"Oh?" Her father says. "Is he back?" 

"Looks like it," she says. 

"Didn't you talk?" He asks her, eyeing her curiously. 

"He left before I could," she answers, hopelessly. 

"Princess," he leans forward and takes her right hand in his huge hands. "What happened between the two of you? You never did tell me." She shrugs and flashes a fake smile. "Look, princess, I know he loves you. He told me that himself." She nods in agreement and he asks, "So, what happened?" Kristin, then, tells her father about everything that happened after the funeral at the church hall including why Jacques brought her home. He was upset that she did not speak to him first, but understood why things became so messy. "Would you like me to talk to him?" He offers to help. 

Kristin shakes her head, avoiding eye contact. Her father, then, slowly gets up and stretches out his hand towards her. 

"Let us put an end to all of this drama," he says. She looks at his hand for a while and then reaches for it in assistance to help her up.

When they reached the Logan house, Kristin refused to go up to the door. Her father then took the initiative and knocked on the front door. Mrs. Logan opened the door and smiled at the sight of Kristin's father. After her father entered the house, Kristin checks her reflection in the mirror, but a movement in the corner of her eye catches her attention. Her father has parked in front of the driveway and feels that his reason for doing so was staring at her. She meets Logan's gaze as his eyes seem to penetrate her soul. His hair was cut so short that it made spikes at the top of his head and was bald on the sides. He was dressed only in a tight training shorts, black, and a pair of running shoes. He hand tattoos down the side of his left shoulder and down the arm. His body was ripped. Dripping with sweat from head to toe, he looked like he just finished exercising. His chest was heaving and his pecks were gleaming in the poor lit garage.

He breaks eye contact and turns around to pick up the towel to wipe his face. Kristin then exits the car with great difficulty. When she eventually reached an upright position, Logan was beside her. His strong hands and arms were helping to steady her. His sweaty existence playing havoc with her senses.

"Are you okay?" He asks her, his voice was hoarse. 

The baby gives her a hard kick. "Ouch!" She exclaimed and grabs her belly. 

"What happened?" He asks her and looks down at her belly. 

She pulls a face and says, "He kicked me." 

His gaze lingers at her belly. "Maybe you should sit down again," he says and opens the car door. 

"Yeah, maybe that would be good," she says and with his help, sits back down. Logan climbs in the drivers seat beside her and for minutes they sit side-by-side in her father's car, in silence. 

"I'm sorry about this afternoon," he says softly. "I was...your condition took me by surprise." 

"Me too," she says twirling her ankles. "I expected you back only by next week." A short awkward silence follows as Kristin still twirls her ankles. "So, you staying?" She asks, focusing on her ankles. 

"Go home, Kris" he says, sounding agitated. "Your ankles should be up. Clearly that is why they are swollen." 

"They are swollen because I'm pregnant," she says with a chuckle but Logan does not share in her humour. Instead, his gaze goes back to her swollen belly. 

"I can see that," he says, his face sullen. "No, I am going back. Monday. I am only here for the weekend." He says. "It will be like I never was here." 

"But...?" Kristin says, in vain because Logan has already exited the car. He walks into the garage and switches off the lights. After he closed the garage door, he disappears into the house.

Her father eventually emerges from the house laughing up a storm. After greeting Logan's mother, her father joins her in the car. "Well, I had an interesting talk with Mrs. Logan," her father says, still smiling. "Logan has been making a huge name for himself in the force," he stops when he sees his daughters face. "What is wrong, princess." 

She glances at her father and says, "I think Logan might thinks I'm carrying Matthew's baby." 

"Yes, he does. His mother told me." Her father says, starting up the car and driving. "He put two and two together when he was over at our house earlier." Kristin sniffs as she sobs softly. "Well, anyway. I told her all that you told me. And she was thrilled, with the idea of becoming a grandmother." Kristin zones out and replays what happened. She remembers the way he looked at her, and found it very disturbing. 

"So?" Her father asks and she looks at him with a blank expression. "You were not listening to me were you?" Was a statement more than a question. "Well, I did not miss this. Whenever that boy is in your life, you seem to be on another planet. I told her to not tell Logan, as I believe that he needs to hear it from you. So, what did he say when you told him he is the father?" Kristin shakes her head and her father grabs his own with both hands. "What were you talking about when he was in the car?" 

"He did not give me a chance," She says, feeling defeated. 

"Well, we have two weeks to tell him." Her father says parking the car in their garage. 

"Two weeks?" She echo's and says, "He told me that he was leaving Monday!" 

"Monday?" Her father shakes his head, saying, "No, she said he is here for two weeks," her father pauses. 

"What is it?" Kristin asks, growing curious. 

"I will speak to his mother and find out," He says and exits to help her out of the car.

Kristin wakes up to the sound of someone calling her name. She sits up in bed and checks the time. It is 5:20 am. She wipes her eyes, as she gets up, feeling restless, then, walks to the kitchen and drinks a glass of water. When she returns to her room, she looks out the window. There was the silhouette of a young man in an army uniform. She watched his build closely. It is Logan. He stood, watching for a while, then walks to a vehicle with a military registration standing further down the road and they drive off. 

"Logan!" Kristin says his name aloud, waking her father up.

"Princess?" He says and turns on the light. "What is wrong?" 

"Logan, daddy," she says and he looks out of the window. "He is leaving us." Her father moves towards her and tries to calm her down. 

"Come, you had a bad dream," he says, coaxing her back into bed. "Get back to bed dear." Kristin eventually obeys, but struggles to fall asleep again.

"What do you mean he is gone?" Kristin wakes up to the sound of her father's voice. He was talking to Logan's mother, who has made her way to their house that morning. Kristin hurriedly waddles to where the adults were, realizing why she was unable to sleep after she seeing Logan earlier. 

"Here," Logan's mother says, "Read this!" She passes a letter over to her father. He reads:

'Ma,

I'm so sorry for what I am about to do, but I cannot stay here anymore, especially after I found them together. That is to much for me, therefore, I will go. I have already made arrangements with the HQ.

I don't believe I will come back soon. Don't worry about money. I will make sure that Gabriella can finish her studies at UCT or where-ever she wants to go. I do love you and feel bad for leaving you like this. Please take care of yourself.

Love always,

Johnny'

Kristin's father read the letter aloud to her and her mother. "Who is this 'them' he is referring to?" Kristin's mother asks. 

"Matthew and I," Kristin says, feeling some what discomfort in her back. 

"Matthew?" Her mother asks. Kristin looks at her family and sits down, to take the pressure off her back. 

"I never told anyone this but Matthew asked me to marry him," Kristin says. 

"What?" The adults say simultaneously. 

Kristin begins to rub her back as it begins to pain, saying, "He was so nice through my whole pregnancy and gave me all the support I needed, so I told him I would think about it." Logan's mother gives her a scowl. "I told him that I wanted to speak to Logan first," Kristin says, still rubbing her back, as the discomfort is becoming a persistent dry pain. "But Logan never gave me a chance to and now he is gone," She says, pants and goes down onto her knees with pain. 

"Princess?" Her father says making his way to her side. 

"Kristin, what is wrong?" Her mother is on the ground with her. 

"My back!" Was all she could say followed by a scream. Suddenly, the floor was wet all around her.

"I will get the car!" Mrs. Logan says and runs out the door. 

"Call Matthew!" Kristin says followed by screams due to the pain. "It is too soon!" She says and screams again.

Logan's POV

As they reach the base, Logan feels an excruciating pain in his abdomen, making his sweat as sits in the vehicle. 

"You look sick," the on-duty security guard says, as they pass him the clipboard to sign in. "He looks sick!" The man screams at the driver of the military vehicle. Both the driver and his passenger turn to look at Logan. Logan bends over as his stomach twists, causing even more pain and he lets out a painful grunt. 

"Hey, troop, what is wrong with you?" The driver asks.

"I don't know," Logan says, feeling like he is about to pass out of the pain. "Maybe it was the food on the aeroplane." Logan jokes and the driver smiles. "Take me to the infirmary, please," Logan says, as his abdomen twists again. The driver nods and does as he asks. 

Kristin's POV

They reached the hospital twenty minutes later and Matthew is already there. Kristin is wheeled in and soon a nurse start checking her vitals and placing her in a bed. The doctor appears in the room all calm and collected, like he is on a nice Sunday stroll through the park. 

"Let's see if you are dilated," he says and the nurse places her legs in stirrups. He takes a look at her and says, "Okay, Kristin. This baby is coming now." The nurse also takes a look. 

"But it's too soon." Kristin says, and pants again as another contraction begins to peak. 

"Tell that to the baby," The doctor says. "You are fully dilated." The doctor checks her pulse. Kristin gives another scream as the pain starts from her back and pushes through to her groin. 

"I am here, Kris," Matthew says, holding her hand and breathing with her. "I am going nowhere."

"I need Logan!" Kristin shouts, as another contraction creeps up on her. Matthew shakes his head at her words and repeats himself. 

"Are you married to her?" The doctor asks Matthew and he shakes his head. "Then you need to wait outside." The doctor looks at the nurse and says, "Please clear the room."

"I am going to need all of you to leave," the nurse says and ushers everyone to the door.

"Mommy!" Kristin shouts, adding, "please let her stay." Kristin's mother pushes pass the nurse and proudly walks to her bedside.

"Doctor," Kristin's Mother says, shooting him a look. "I am not leaving her." The doctor reluctantly nods. 

Three hours later, Kristin gives birth to a healthy baby boy. She names him Blake John Logan, after his father. The labour was rough and the birth almost killed her, but the doctors were vigilant, wheeling her into the operating room when she began to haemorrhage. She lost consciousness as she entered the highly sterilized room. 

Kristin wakes up the night, alone in a private room. Dazed and confused, she stares out the window for minutes, recalling what happened. Pangs of hunger overwhelm her body and she tries to sit up. A sharp pain shoots up from her groin to her back. Beeping sounds go off and within minutes a nurse comes rushing into her room.

"Oh, good, you're awake," the nurse says with a smile. "Hungry?" The nurse asks her and she nods. The nurse smiles and pushes a cart closer to her bed, then passes her a semi-hot plate of food. "I heated it about ten minutes ago. I had a feeling you were going to wake up this time."

"What time is it?" Kristin asks as the nurse helps her sit upright.

"It is just after twelve am," the nurse says. "Eat. You need your strength for that little boy. He is hungry too." 

"Where is he?" Kristin asks, and places a fish finger into her mouth. 

"In the nursery," the nurse says. "I will bring him when you are done here. Let me go and make some tea." The nurse leaves and Kristin finishes her food.  She returns, minutes later with the tea and removes Kristin's plate. Kristin sips on the warm, creamy liquid, allowing her mind to drift off.

"Here he is," the nurse returns with another trolley and a crib with Blake inside. "Want to meet him?" she asks Kristin. Kristin looks at her blankly for seconds and then nods.

Blake was tiny, with long fingers and long feet. He appeared hairless and blue. "Why is he blue?" Kristin asks as the nurse places him in her arms.

"He has been a bit fussy," the nurse says. "He won't take our formula, so, we were hoping your milk will change his skin colour." Kristin looks down at the boy and he looks up at her, displaying his dark eyes. Instinctively, Blake turns his head towards her breast and begins to suckle.

"Let me help," the nurse says and opens the gown for Kristin, exposing her breast to the child. He latches almost immediately and feeds. Kristin begins to sob, gently, feeling so much love for the little person. The nurse smiles happily back at them and leaves. Blake burped as she lifted him up and soon cried for more. Kristin places him on the other breast and they both fall asleep. 

Kristin dreams about Logan. In her dream she sees him walking into a building smiling back at her happily. The area is foreign to her but none the less follows him as he continues into the building. He begins to talk to her, like she is not there, saying random things that make no sense. Kristin begins to feel uneasy and calls him back, but he does not comply. She reaches for him and her hand is unable to touch him. When she blinks, she is further down the road and an explosion makes her turn back. The building Logan entered has exploded and she does not see him anywhere. Soldiers run in, calling his name and Kristin feels sad.

"Logan!" She shouts. "Logan! No!" She screams as she wakes up. Strong arms push her down onto the bed making her look up. She sees Matthew's face. 

"What happened?" He asks. 

"Logan?" She says tears streaming down her face. Matthew releases her gently.

"Baby, you know he left," her mother says and tries to calm her down. "You have to calm down, now." Kristin looks around the room and sees that her father, Logan's mother and her mother were there. Logan's mother was holding a sleeping Blake. 

"No," Kristin says and sits upright. "He is in danger!" Matthew gives her an odd expression. 

"He is fine," Logan's mother says softly. "I spoke with him earlier. He arrived there safely and he is fine. He had some sort of indigestion, but he is fine now."

"Indigestion?" Kristin asks. 

"Yes, apparently he was feeling sick yesterday," Logan's mother says. "but the doctor could not find anything wrong with him. He is better now, though." Logan's mother smiles down at Blake happily, rocking him gently.

"Does he know?" she asks her. "Did you tell him I gave birth to his son." Matthew turns back to look at her, anger in his eyes. Kristin looks back at him, meeting his gaze. 

"No," Logan's mother says, looking at Matthew and then at Kristin. "I felt it best that you tell him. He needs to hear it from you. I have convinced him to return on his next break." Matthew looks at Logan's mother and back at Kristin, then storms out of the room. 

"Wait!" her mother says, finally. "I thought the baby is Matthew's." 

"That is what he wanted everyone to think," her father says. "But Kristin, here told me everything two days ago. I told Mrs. Logan. Now the only person who does not know, is Logan."

"But that will change when he returns," Kristin says, stretching out her arms to Blake. Logan's mother places him in her arms as she says, "He will know about his son on his next visit." 

Logan's POV

"So you have no idea what was wrong with you?" Samantha asks as they make their way to the mess hall for lunch. Logan was unable to eat the day before, due to his aching abdomen and he felt particularly hungry now. 

"Not a clue," Logan answers. "Even my x-rays were clear, according to the doctor." Logan allows Samantha to enter first and he follows.  

"Huh, that is weird," she says, grabbing a tray and a plate of already dished food. 

"Intelligence is not going to know what hit them when the mighty Logan arrives on the scene," Samantha says as she sits down too eat. Logan sits opposite her with a bright smile on his face. "Kristin's loss, is the S.A. army's gain," Samantha adds and begins to eat. Logan does the same as he remembers the stop he made before coming to the base. 

He landed hours before he returned to the base, making a turn at the The Winston Hotel, in Johannesburg. That was where Steve, from the American secret agency was staying. Logan meets the man in the lobby and he invites Logan to the bar.

"So, I take it, you have changed your mind?" Steve asks him, lighting a cigar, after sitting down. Logan eyes the man curiously and clench his jaw. 

"May I?" Logan asks, gesturing to the cigars on the table and Steve nods, surrounded by a cloud of smoke. "Just take me away from here," Logan says lighting his cigar. "Far away." Steve smiles broadly and leans forward, extending his hand to Logan.

"Welcome aboard, son" Steve says, but Logan looks at his hand as if it was diseased. 

"I have one condition," Logan says. Steve pulls a face and smiles lowering his hand.

"What's the condition?" Steve asks, still smiling.

"My mother and sister is taken care of," Logan says. "What ever they may need."

"We will look after your family," Steve says, adding, "Even your sweetheart and your son." Logan gives him a confused expression.

"Kristin Stevens, and her new baby," Steve says, puffing on his cigar. "They will all be taken care of." All the blood drains from Logan's face at the mention of her name.

"She is not my girl!" Logan shouts angrily, causing everyone to look at them. He takes a breath and repeats, "She is not my girl and that is not my... It's a boy?" Steve nods with a "Yip". 

"How do you..?" He begins to ask and then stops himself. "You know what? I don't want to know."

"Fine," Steve says and extends his hand again. "Can we shake on it now?" Logan also leans forward and shakes his hand. "The necessary arrangements will begin this weekend."

Logan left shortly after, making his way in to the base. 

"I am still sorry that you could not sort things out," Samantha says, as she has been babbling while Logan recalled his meeting with Steve, not noticing he is unresponsive. 

"So am I," Logan says. "Drinks later?" He asks her as they leave the building. 

"Ja, we can, as this will be the last week we can actually let loose," Samantha says, taking out a cigarette. "Want one?" Logan reaches for one and lights it.

"Thanks," he says. "If I should head up a team of commandos, you are my first pick. Would you come?" Logan asks and Samantha shoots him a look of confusion.

"What are you talking about?" She asks him.

"Answer the question," he says, adding, "Would you come with me?" 

"To the ends of the earth, brah," Samantha says and they fist-bump.

The week goes by fast. Logan signs his contract with Steve and informs him of Samantha. Both of them were drafted to train in America the following week. Samantha and Logan quickly ace the training and make a name for themselves there as well. 

Another six months go by and Logan and Samantha are sent to Iran with a group of American soldiers. Samantha was his eye in the sky as he scouted the grounds for potential hostile situations. There was no threats in the area where he was as he infiltrated a small town called Mahabad. 

"What is the weather like up there?" Logan asks Samantha, with the smart radio attached to his throat. 

"Sunny and blue skies," She says. Logan signals to the team to move forward. "Cover your rear!" Samantha says and Logan glances behind him. He sees a little boy in traditional islamic wear with a soccer ball under his arm. He stops at the sight of Logan, then turns around and runs away. 

"It is a child," Logan says and moves forward, gun up. 

"Can never be too careful," Samantha says in his ear. 

"That is why I have you, Sam" Logan says with a smile.

"You guys need to be alone? You know I can arrange for a room out here with my connections" Stanley Rogers, an American soldier speaks over the radio. "You lovers can spend some quality time together."

"Shut up, Rogers," Samantha says and Logan chuckles. "Keep talking and I will take your woman when we get back. She probably has never experienced an orgasm with you as a husband. You need to focus on that goat heading your way." Logan shakes his head at the banter. 

"Guys! Focus!" Logan says, as Stanley opens his mouth to speak again. "We are on a mission here!"

"Yes, sir," both soldiers say dutifully.

"The area is all clear, Sergeant," Duane Jones, another soldier says over the same frequency. 

"Copy that," Logan says and walks towards the building where Duane entered. 

"Wait!" Samantha says and Logan stops, looking up at the spot where she is situated. 

"What is it?" Logan asks. 

"Oh, no, sorry," she says, "It's the same goat again." Logan looks around one more time before entering the building. He enters the building, gun up, looks around and hears a sound behind him. Logan turns around and sees Duane being kept at gun point. There was only one man.

"The goat is running," Samantha says. "Talk to me Logan. I cannot see you." Logan hears the panic in her voice. Duane looks back at Logan with fear in his eyes and sweating profusely. 

"They made me," he says. The man knocks Duane out with the back of his rifle. Logan eyes the man, unsure of his intentions. The man was dressed in similar Islamic wear he saw on the boy earlier, keeping his eyes fixed on Logan.

"What is happening?" Samantha asks again. "Rogers check it out."

"On it," Stanley says.

"No!" Logan says. "Stay where you are." The man in front of Logan opens his jacket and he is covered in C4 explosives. He runs towards Logan and shouts, "Allahu Akbar!" Logan tries to dodge him but the explosives go off, bombing both him and the man. The sound of Samantha shouting over the radio was all Logan heard, before Stanley and the rest of his crew storm into the building. Everything goes black, as Logan watches the little boy running away. 

Kristin's POV

Humming softly, she gently places Blake down for his nap. After kissing his forehead, she straightens back up, becoming dizzy. She reaches for the cot to stabilize herself. Blake stirs but remains asleep. Her vision becomes blurred and she grips the cot tighter. Her knees becomes jelly and give in, sending Kristin to the floor breathless. 

"Kris!" Matthew says, as he enters the room and runs to her side. "What happened?"

"I don't know," Kristin says and collapses as Matthew lifts her up. Matthew grabs her and places her on the bed. "Something is wrong." Kristin mumbles. Darkness envelopes her as she says, "Logan is in danger." Matthew stares down at her in confusion as she loses consciousness. 

"I still think we should call the doctor!" Matthew says and is shushed because of his volume. 

"Be quiet," Kristin's mother says. "You are going to wake Blake!" she whispers aloud.

"I am fine," Kristin says, and tries to sit up. This action causes her to almost fall off the bed. "What happened?" She asks as her mother catches her. 

"You fainted," Matthew says over her mother's shoulder. "I wanted to take you to the doctor, but she said no." Kristin chuckles at the way her mother looks at him. 

"How are you feeling?" her mother asks. 

"I am fine," Kristin says and moves to get up. 

After carefully watching Kristin for a few minutes, her mother leaves Kristin's room. Blake was still fast asleep.

"Kris, let's go out sometime," Matthew says, making her side-glance him suspiciously. Through the whole six months, Matthew has not tried once to make a move on her. His sudden boldness made her suspicious, as he normally has an agenda. "Just out as friends, that is all," he says, lifting his hands into the air as if she was pointing a loaded gun at him. "I promise," he adds, "Little Blake can join us, if that will make you feel better." Kristin eyes him as she considers his suggestion.

"Okay," Kristin says with a smile. Matthew's face brightens up as she agrees. 

"Okay," he echoes. "How does Friday sound?" Kristin nods in agreement. 

"Just friends," she says and he nods with enthusiasm.

Two days later, Matthew fetches Kristin. He takes her and Blake to the Victoria and Alfred Waterfront. The spend a glorious day together and Kristin feels almost like her self again, for the first time in months. Matthew focused mostly on Blake, giving Kristin time to just reflect on her life. Watching the males play on the empty amphitheatre Kristin feels a pang of sadness all of a sudden. Her eyes become overwhelmed with tears and her heart aches. She is so lost in her own feelings, that she does not realize that Matthew and Blake were beside her.

"Why are you crying?" Matthew asks, bringing Kristin back to reality.

"I don't know," Kristin says wiping her drenched cheeks. "I just feel sad all of a sudden."

"Maybe we should go home," Matthew says, eyeing her curiously.

"Yes," Kristin says and grabs Blake's bag. "It is getting chilly for him anyway." 

Within forty five minutes, Kristin, Matthew and Blake were pulling up in front of her house. Blake was fast asleep in the car seat, Matthew has purchased, as Kristin glanced over at him. Matthew grabs Blake's bag as Kristin carefully takes Blake out of the car seat. Together they walk to the house and find Kristin's father standing there, with a haunted look on his face. Kristin frowns at him in confusion.

"What happened?" Kristin asks, and looks pass her father over at her mother who was in tears on the couch. "Paula!? Is she okay?" Kristin asks walking into the house. That is when she sees Logan's mother sitting deeper in the living room, riddled with grief. 

"Give him to me," Gabriella appears out of nowhere and takes Blake from her. Gabriella leaves the room as Kristin looks around confused.

"Princess," her father says in a whisper, but Kristin flinches as if he shouted at her. "Logan..." Her father says and his voice breaks. Kristin looks at him and then at the women. 

"Logan was killed," her father says, and tears roll down his cheeks. "He was busy clearing out a city in Iran and a suicide bomber took his life along with his own." Kristin looks at her father, as if he has gone mad. "They declared him dead on the scene," her father finishes. Kristin looks around the room one more time and then back at her father in disbelief. Logan's mother is unable to speak as she cries continuously. Kristin begins to shake her head as the reality of his words set in and steps back. Matthew catches her as she collapses and sends out a soul wrenching howl. Her father rushed to her side and so does her mother. Kristin's last vision was Gabriella standing in a corner, crying bitterly. Then, everything went black.