My Navy Specialist

Hand Over My Heart

LIAM

We are under heavy fire but we manage to keep the enemy at bay. I move like a leopard in the grass and shoot every enemy that is in my sight. Just when we thought we have cleared the area, another wave of the enemy moves closer. I throw a grenade and manage to take half of them out. Every few minutes, I look back to see if Mike is still standing. I just want him to hold on for a few more minutes.

"Mike!! You hold on man!!"

"Yeah man! Now go get em!"

We work our way deeper into the enemy lines and take them out as we do with every other mission we have ever encountered. We are the best of the best and there is nothing we can not do. I move in behind one of the enemy soldiers and easily get access to his neck to break it.

My attention is then immediately diverted to the explosion that comes from behind him. I have been trained to fall to the ground, with my hands covering my head when I hear an explosion but this time I go against all I have been taught. I stand up and runs back to Mike, who isn't standing there anymore but instead there is only dust, not the dust that I am used to but human dust. The team covers me against the enemy until there is no one left to shoot.

Everyone makes their way back to where Mike once stood. It is obvious what happened here. He sacrificed himself when the enemy came from behind to attack the team and ambush us. I just stand there and stare.

ALICE

Everyone quiets down and the Admiral speaks.

"I am sure all of you have seen what is going on with the ship at this moment and to confirm, the ship is indeed sinking..."

The crowd whispers between themselves.

"...settle down, settle down. There is an island close by and Bravo1 is over there now busy clearing the area for us..."

I turn and whisper to Nita.

"Who's Bravo1?"

"Oh, it's Liam's team. They are the best team that the Navy Seals has"

Oh, I didn't know he was that high up. I thought he was a big shot but this, this is big!

"...please gather your belongings. We will be settling in on the island until the United States can send us some help. I am not going to lie, it might be for quite some time. We have supplies on the ship that we could uses to set up some tents. Now, please stay calm. We will be leaving in two hours. Thank you for your co-operation in this matter"

The crowd starts to talk again and then I hear a bang sound not too far away. I stand still to listen a bit longer if the sound happens again but, nothing. I turn around and pick up all my belongings and then it hits me.

Oh my god! If Liam is on the island and the island is not so far away, then that sound is coming from the island. What if something happened to Liam? I feel the very existence of me flowing out of my being. The coldness that takes its place is indescribable. I feel lost at the thought of Liam not being around anymore. Through this entire disaster, he seems to have been my pillar of strength without me realizing how much I have been depending on him.

LIAM

I want to fall to my knees and cry out but I have my men looking up at me to be strong. I walk up to the guys and say.

"He sacrificed himself for us, let's not disappoint him. He was a good guy, hell, probably the best guy!" He will be forever in our thoughts. Now, let's finish the mission he sacrificed himself for"

Everyone nods and agrees, then returns to clear a perimeter. I walk closer to one of the enemy soldiers and it is clear that they are part of the underground drug lords found almost in every country. We must have walk in on their base of operations. There is probably much more of them but for now, this will have to do.

We walk on for a little while longer making sure to use our scanners for mines. If we find a mine we mark it clearly and built a small fence around it. I feel satisfied that this part of the island is clear and signal two men to go with me back to the boat. The other men stay and stand guard as we are ready to take the people to the island. I get to the ship and board it. We enter on the other side of the ship where the people aren't gathering.

"Jack, lead the officers to start lowering the boats and start with the evacuation"

"Yes, sir!"

ALICE

They start bringing the sick and injured patients up and I suddenly go into doctor mode, forgetting about myself. I help them set up the beds and I check their vitals. I look at the ocean for a moment and I spot a boat coming closer. I move a bit closer to the side and then I know who that is. It is the Bravo1 team. I quickly excuse myself and follow the boat to where it stops. They stop on the other side of the ship and it takes me a while to get there.

I stand on an upper level and I look down as they board the ship. I am holding my breath, hoping to see Liam. The first man board and then the second, then it is Liam but what I see on his face is total despair. My heart skips a beat and I know I need to be with him now.

I am about to make my way down to him when I see Helena walking up to him. I stop dead in my tracks and just stand there watching as she embraces him. He hugs her but his face is emotionless. Then he sees me.

LIAM

I dismiss my team and I am about to go to the Admiral to give my report when Helena walks up to me.

"Baby. You are back"

"Yes, I am here"

"Is everything okay on the island? Would we be able to stay there?"

"Yeah, we cleared a perimeter, all is good"

She gives me a hug. I return the hug but my heart is heavy. I can not stop thinking about Mike and how he will not be able to give his wife a hug or talk to her again. Misery shoots through my entire being and I feel hopelessness overtaking me. I am about to pull away when I see Alice. My heart fills with longing and the desire that I feel is not for the one I am hugging right now. Then I make sure to stare straight into her eyes.

ALICE

I see him looking at me and I make sure he sees me when I move my hand over my heart, nodding at him. I see his eyes intensifies and a slight smile appears on his face.

Dammit, I want to be with him so bad, right now...