Chapter 4
Link slowly opened the door, listening for any noise on the other side.
He was prepared for someone to rip the door open or maybe start shooting, but nothing happened.
No one was moving about or shuffling around.
He didn't hear any breathing or talking.
If someone was in that room, they were being awfully quiet.
“Stay here unless you hear someone coming up those stairs. I’m not going to go far, just far enough to get an idea where we are and what to expect.”
Ansley nodded. “Okay. I won’t move.”
He hoped she would keep her word. He believed she would, but people were chaotic. It was one reason there was conflict. He was convinced that if everyone would just calm the heck down, the world would be a much better place, and he would be out of a job.
He loved his job, but he didn't love the reason the job had to exist. It was a weird headspace when he started thinking about it, so he pushed away the thoughts and focused on the task of figuring out where they were.
He needed a break. Maybe after this mission, once he got home, he would head to Hawaii.
He had a few Navy friends he could visit, or maybe he could head to the mountains and just sit outside a tent and rest. Or he could go to the beach.
Watching the waves always calmed him, and his condo at the beach was empty this month.
The room was clear, and he relaxed a little. Then a noise sounded to his right and slowed as he approached the covered window. He took his time positioning himself so he could see out the window and not be vulnerable if someone came in through the door.
At first glance, he didn't see much because the sun shone so brightly that his eyes couldn't adjust. It took a moment, then he adjusted to the brightness. He was at street level. There was a busy market outside the door, which meant they could get food.
Could they stay in this place? It seemed to be an empty office building.
He'd passed a bathroom, so he assumed the place had running water.
Having food and water, even without a cooking surface, was nice.
He'd been stuck in plenty of places where the best food he could get was rats and snakes he killed.
This experience would be close to a vacation for him.
After checking the rest of the place, he headed back to the door that led to the stairs and the tunnel. The rooms weren’t spotlessly clean, but it was a perfect location for their situation.
He spoke before opening the door, letting Ansley know he was there. “Hey, it’s clear. I’m coming back in.”
She had her back against the wall, and her eyes wide.
He held out a hand, and she took it, pulling herself up.
She winced when she took a step, and he wanted to pull her close and hold her, but she needed to be able to stand on her own.
If she couldn't walk on her own, it would be harder for them to escape.
He watched her take a few steps, which were okay, but her limp was a little exaggerated. "You sore?"
“Very. It’s worse than it was before.”
"I can give you some painkillers, but I don't want you passing out."
She blew out a slow breath. “What is the pain medicine?”
“It’s a narcotic. It’s heavy, and the dose is for me, so it could be more than you should take.”
“I don’t know. That sounds like it would be an overdose.”
“It could be.”
“Why do you have something like that?”
He shrugged. It was another truth he was uncomfortable with. "If something happens, like one of our arms or legs is blown off, we need to cut the pain. It doesn't happen often, but it's a possibility."
She stopped walking and lifted her chin, meeting his gaze. “That sounds dangerous.”
“Yeah, but your job is dangerous, too.”
“True. That’s why I’m leaving in a few weeks.”
“Oh, really. Don’t like the Marines?”
They were in the hall and he looked to the left, wondering if they should settle in the room with the window close to the market, or the room at the other side. He chose the room away from the market.
“I like the Marines. I’m just ready for something else.”
“Really?”
“Yeah. And this adventure settled my thoughts on the matter.”
“It sucks being taken hostage.”
Her eyebrows shot up. “Have you ever had to deal with being held captive?”
One shoulder went up as he helped her settle on the ground. “Only for a few days.”
He held the shiver back. Those few days had left him with a few scars on his chest and some post-traumatic stress that probably would never go away. He might be able to sleep, but there were times the experience still haunted him, keeping him awake at night.
If Ansley still had her pack, she would have some mild pain pills.
She didn’t want to take the heavy opioids Link had offered.
Not that she had a problem with opioids, but they weren’t kind to her.
She ended up having issues anytime she took them.
She’d found it better to skip the heavy doses and stick to over the counter meds after injuries.
She decided to do a little stretching since there wasn’t much more she could do. The stitches on her arm hurt some, but the pain in her leg muscle was worse. Walking hadn’t been good for her. She would survive, but she hoped they didn’t have to do any running. There was no way she could keep up.
After she finished stretching, she turned to Link. "What do you do for fun when you aren't playing dangerous games or rescuing people?"
His laughter made her smile. Then he blew out a breath and sat back, resting his head against the wall. "Fun, huh? It has been a while. I like camping. Camping is fun. I have a condo at the beach, not too far from base. I also like Hawaii. It's chill."
She snorted a laugh. “You don’t seem chill.”
His smile warmed her. “On mission, never. But I know how to unwind and enjoy myself.”
“How? How do you unwind and enjoy yourself?”
He settled on the floor and positioned himself so she didn’t have to turn her head too much to talk to him.
“I like camping a lot. Not in a campground. I like solitude. I have the condo so I can slip away and be alone.”
She thought about his answer. "I don't know the last time I was alone."
“What about vacations?”
"I've hung out with other Marines. We've gone to Florida, New York, and once, when we were stationed in Italy, we vacationed there."
“Italy. Where?”
"Since we were stationed close to Napoli, we hung out there. It was early in my military career. We climbed Vesuvius, played on the beach in Amalfi, and went to Sorrento. We drank and hung out on the beach. It was fun."
“That’s cool. Sounds like you all had a good time.”
“What about you? Where do you go when you have vacation time?”
"When I get free time, I stay in the States for the most part.
There were a few times I got vacation time when I was in Japan or Germany, and I headed to the mountains there.
I don't like to spend time traveling, though, so I like vacations that are close to home.
That means Hawaii, though I love it, isn't on my list of places to go often. "
"How long have you been in the military?"
He shrugged. "I went in at eighteen and moved through the ranks. I was a Green Beret, and then I was invited to do more."
“Wow, Green Berets are badasses.”
“Yeah. I would have been happy sticking with them, but something special came calling and I answered.”
She looked down at the floor, rubbing her finger over a stained spot. Her life was in the air. She was leaving the military while he'd gone deeper.
She glanced up at him, her stomach going tight. "Do you think I'm wrong for wanting out?"
He shook his head. “No. I’ve thought about getting out.
It’s hard, this life. We need military, but we also need civilians.
You did more than most. Only about seven to eight percent of citizens have ever served.
The highest percentage historically was a little over nine.
So you should be proud of your service.”
“Seven percent. I didn’t realize it was that low.”
“It’s a tough life. A part of me believes everyone should serve for a little while. Then again, I think it would destroy the military if everyone in the US joined up and served when they were eighteen and nineteen.”
She cocked her head to the side, shocked by his statement. “Really? You think it would be bad?”
"Yeah. Just look at the numbers. Think about how many people would have to join each year.
There are roughly two million people in the military right now, if you add in the reserves.
More than four million US citizens will turn eighteen next year.
That would be double the number of people in the military.
We would be overrun by people who were forced to serve.
Even if they only served two years, that would mean another four point five million people would join the next year, so we'd have a total of almost nine million people in the military who don't want to be there.
We can barely manage two million people, and when I say we, I mean housing, food, and medical.
You know, stuff that keeps us operational.
Can you imagine how awful housing and feeding all those people would be? Not to mention medical incidents."
“Interesting. I haven’t ever thought about it.”
“Training and transportation costs would be astronomical.” He shook his head.
“I spend way too much time thinking about everything. If I have the data points, I think about them. It’s annoying.
I mean, it can be a good thing, but it can also be an incredibly annoying habit.
Sometimes, I just want to have an empty brain, but there’s always something to think about. ”
“So is that why you like vacationing alone? No extra noise, no conversations, just you and your brain.”
"Touché. My brain is enough to keep me awake at night. After three or four days alone with no one forcing input, it's heaven. It's just me and a fishing rod catching fish, or me watching waves from a balcony. I love the lack of questions, the lack of needing to know something."
“That would be nice.”
“You like to fish?”
She shook her head. “God, no. I like to eat fish.”
He threw back his head, laughter spilling out. “That’s great. I’ll remember that when I go out looking for food. But only if I can find cooked fish. I don’t think there will be a lot of cooking happening here.”
“So no kitchen?”
“No, it’s an office building.”
She leaned her head back against the wall and closed her eyes. They were stuck here until she could move. She needed to just buck up and tell Link they could move out, but she knew her leg wasn’t good enough for them to go far or to get there fast.
An explosion sounded close. Her eyes flashed open, and she glanced around, then met Link's gaze. She didn't like the panic on his face. They were in a shit position, and the way out was limited by her injury. He should leave her behind.