It Begins

By Thom Nichols

Trading a bottle of tequila for a girl, K-bar didn't intend to fall in love. Melody has a mechanical problem and K-bar is destined to die in a battle with a dragon wizard. Together, they destroy the government, uncover a conspiracy, and abolish taxation. Chased by a cybernetic werewolf,K-bar mixes magic and science to leave his mark on the world before he is forced to fulfill his destiny.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Thom Nichols
• Release date: Oct 23, 2010
• ISBN: 9781452352015

Thom Nichols

Thom L. Nichols was born under a mountain in Mt. Shasta California. He grew up in Arizona, but has lived all over the United States. Starting out in the Marine Corps, he has had a multitude of jobs ranging from overnight security guard to UNIX Senior Specialist and everything in between. He married his wife of nineteen years (So far) two weeks after meeting her. He has three children and one granddaughter (So far). He has been writing since he was born, but always for fun. He wanted to get his degree in English so that he could become a writer, but with a family he decided to go the safe way and went into computers. Now that the kids are pretty much grown and moving out, he decided to follow his dream.

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It Begins – Three Become One part I

Thom Nichols

Published by Thom Nichols at Smashwords

Copyright 2011 Thom Nichols

Smashwords Edition, License Notes

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each person. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

Excerpt of the Book of Prophecy:

Excerpt from the chapter of the Wizard Nogar:

Nothing can contain the dragon indefinitely.

Upon his escape from the wasteland ‘Three will become one’.

The one will battle Nogar in single combat.

Quote from the lips of one of the victorious wizards at the end of the Great Wizard War:

K-bar, we must leave this world. Your wizard is trapped in the desert, but he will not remain incarcerated forever. When he is released, you are tasked to confront him. Live your life well until then, because you are the first of the three.

Part I

1. K-bar

Present day:

It was a long twenty-seven days. It seemed very likely that world war three would begin at any moment. An American commercial flight was shot down over the Middle East country of Saudi Arabia. The plane was carrying the major contributor to the sitting president’s political campaign. He, a group of American investors, and a little over one hundred private citizens were captured and detained.

An hour after the communiqué, condemning them of espionage was released, the Navy SEALS went in. The intelligence was good. The base they were held at was heavily guarded, but penetrable to a small military force. The assault plan was drawn up quickly and the execution was carried out by a team with years of experience.

Everything was going perfectly until the team reached the hostages. The SEALS and forty hostages were killed in the ambush. The terrorists knew exactly how the SEALS were coming in and exactly when. They didn’t have a chance. The rescue attempt was declared an invasion.

Immediately the borders were closed. Their borders and ports of entry were reinforced with battalions of troops and armament that appeared from seemingly nowhere. They initiated an at-ready air force, where at all times there were over one hundred war planes patrolling in the skies. The political leader under the Saudi King, Minister of Defense Khairi Shabaz issued another communiqué.

This communiqué stated that the American government’s unprovoked invasion was an act of war. They petitioned NATO to force the United States to stand down so that they could pursue peaceful negotiations. But, it also stated that they were willing to retaliate with their nuclear arsenal if further attacks were attempted. Along with the communiqué, they sent images of a series of nuclear warheads that were strategically placed throughout their country.

The President of the United States sent dignitaries and negotiators to lobby for the captives and a peaceful stand down of arms. They and the United States Ambassadors were all expelled. Minister Shabaz would only speak to the UN or the USA through the UN negotiator. All military bases in the United States were placed on high alert. All military personnel were recalled from leave. America moved the naval fleet and began dispatching troops. All hazardous duty Embassies were locked down. For weeks, no one seemed to breathe.

The hostages received a glimmer of hope the day the Red Cross was allowed to deliver care packages. The President’s friend and campaign contributor was allowed to send a message to his wife through the Red Cross. He begged her to raise enough money to buy his freedom. She raised one hundred million dollars from their personal holdings.

Taking the money, Minister Shabaz not only released him, but all the prisoners. They had stood up to the USA and the UN. They had shown the world that they were now another world power. They no longer needed the hostages. On the twenty-seventh day of the standoff, the world breathed a sigh of relief. The military bases partially stood down. The world was once again momentarily at peace. The Ambassadors were allowed back into the Middle East and renegotiations of trade agreements began.

This meant that weekend liberty was granted to half of the military personnel back in the USA. Ken Barr, K-bar to everyone that knew him, decided to use his liberty pass to get away from his friends in the Marine Corps.

From his first day in the Corps, K-bar had been inseparable from the guys in his platoon. He even took leave with them. About six months ago, ten of the guys took a thirty-day leave to Thailand. It was the best time in K-bar’s life. They spent most of the days at the topless beaches and all the nights at the local bars. Even though they were a great bunch of guys, K-bar needed to spend a little time away. Twenty-seven days stuck in the same room with them waiting to be deployed was just too much. He needed a little alone time, and the best place for that was in outer space.

Lying in bed, K-bar opened his eyes. The hologram was still there. It was hovering two meters over the bed. He smiled as his eyes scanned over the buildings and structures. The hologram was an image of a space platform. There was a city built on the top and bottom of the platform. It reminded him of a picture of a house standing beside a lake. In the picture, the reflection of the house could be seen just as clearly in the lake as it was in the air above it. K-bar liked this hologram. Whenever he could, he would work on it. Like a model, he would add structures or move them around. One day, he vowed he would build it.

Reaching up, K-bar’s hand passed through the city on the bottom. The scale was a representation of a structure one mile wide and three miles in length. There were thirty story skyscrapers in the center, like a business district. From the center, the buildings became smaller. There were sporting arenas, apartment buildings, grocery and department stores, convenience stores, schools, malls, and restaurants.

As K-bar sat up and scrunched to the head of the bed, he could see the top of the platform. It looked the same as the bottom except it was the right way up. Most of the buildings were different. On the top, there were motels, casinos, night clubs, amusement parks, golf courses, movie theaters and event stadiums. A huge circular holographic bubble was surrounding the whole thing. Sighing, K-bar slid off of his bed and put the hologram out of his mind. When he was younger, K-bar loved to build model planes and cars. Now, he spent more time creating holographic space stations and cities. They were more intricate and time consuming. But, they helped pass the time on long space flights.

Walking from his bedroom, K-bar made his way to the tactical room. Reaching up to the top of his head, he ran his hands through his hair. He found that a few strands were poking him in the ear. Grabbing his hair with both hands, K-bar pulled off the wig he was wearing. It didn’t come off easily. Struggling with it and blinking vigorously, he stretched it until it finally gave way. Holding it up in front of him, he shook his head. Long blonde hair fell down to his shoulders. Looking at the wig, it was a startling contrast. It was a short hair wig and there was a large rip in the side. With his free hand, he scratched his real hair vigorously.

While on the base, long hair was definitely not allowed. Going to great lengths not to have his hair shaved off in boot camp, K-bar began wearing a wig. It was made to look like a regulation high-and-tight, the preferred style of marines.

Yawning, K-bar threw the wig over his shoulder. As it hit the ground, a small robot appeared from behind a compartment in the wall. It scurried over and picked the wig up with a thin retractable arm. Then, it returned quickly to its cubby. K-bar didn’t acknowledge the little robot or even seem to notice it. He headed for the control panel near the center of the room.

P.I.N.S. K-bar said out loud. Can I have an update?

K-bar looked down at the monitor as small green letters began racing across the screen. He glanced at the display, but didn’t really read more than the first few lines.

Distance 150 km

Radius 696,000 km

Mass 1.99 x 10³⁰ kg 75% hydrogen 25% helium

Rotation center 25 days poles 35 days

Beside him, the holographic image of a woman appeared. She stood about half a foot shorter than K-bar. She had very long silky black hair that flowed down to the center of her back. She was dressed, nearly head-to-toe, in satin and silk scarves and veils. She had a thin see-through blue niqāb covering her nose and mouth. Bright red lipstick shone through and there were little pompoms dangling from the bottom of it.

Her eyes were covered in just a little too much makeup, and her ears were adorned with several large hoop earrings. The silks she used as clothing revealed the outline of her slender body suggestively. She was very shapely. She kept her stomach and her shoulders bare and she didn’t wear any shoes. It reminded K-bar of the dancing girl he was dreaming about last night.

The hologram of P.I.N.S. looked perfectly real. She was completely three dimensional and there wasn’t a visible projection. She was carrying a clipboard and, as she spoke, she ran a finger down it as if she were reading and indicating the relative passages.

I have continued to monitor the stream. She said in a very seductive voice. It’s progression is extremely slow. I have positioned the ship at exactly one hundred miles from the sun’s corona, so that we can track the stream as it enters the sun’s atmosphere. The hologram of P.I.N.S. turned the holographic page on the clipboard. The Nova Shield is at twenty-two percent and holding firmly. And, I have a visual if you would like.

K-bar turned toward her. She was very beautiful. He lifted his hand and reaching for her face, he touched the spot in the air where her cheek would be if she were a real woman. His ‘touch’ didn’t physically affect the hologram at all. Pretending to stroke her gently, he smiled as the hologram blushed. She lifted her shoulders timidly and pulled away, giggling. OK. K-bar said as she began to walk away from him. Let me see it.

Instantly, the room filled with a new hologram. This one was of the solar system. K-bar was standing half way in and half way out of the holographic sun. He looked out at the planets. Only five of them were visible. There were streams of what looked like thin white rivers flowing from the planets. To K-bar, they looked like comet tails.

These streams however, were not being pulled by the planets. P.I.N.S. set the planets in motion, and when the forward momentum of the streams began to fade, the gravity of the sun picked them up and pulled them toward it. The effect made the holographic solar system look like a huge spiral. K-bar moved over to the Earth as it passed. He placed his finger in the stream trailing from it. He swirled his finger through the hologram, but didn’t disturb the picture. He traced the stream all the way to the sun.

Ok. He said. The hologram of P.I.N.S. appeared beside him again. She was no longer wearing veils and silks. She was now wearing a long white lab coat. Her hair was also different. It was brown instead of black and it was pulled up into a professional looking bun at the back of her head. Let me get this straight. K-bar continued. If I got an empty jar, put a lid on it, took it underwater, and opened it. The air bubbles would float to the surface.

That is correct. P.I.N.S. said. She had her clipboard, but this time she had a pencil and made a big check as if she were following a checklist.

So, the solar system is acting with the same principles. The oxygen, or atmosphere, that is expelled from the planets is pulled toward the sun which is the center of the solar system. It acts like the surface of the water. K-bar walked back toward the sun. Can you enhance this? He said over his shoulder.

The sun became instantly bigger, the rest of the solar system disappeared. K-bar noticed a representation of his van beside the sun. He touched it with his finger and it went through the image.

The sun isn’t one big ball of flame. It has a molten surface, which feeds the phlogiston. The surface can get up to 8,000 Kelvin, and rotates at different speeds at the equator and the poles. These different rotational speeds cause huge magnetic fields to occur in the atmosphere. The sun also has a corona above the atmosphere. The corona is made up of an inferno that can reach 8,000,000 Kelvin. But, the magnetic fields open up areas in the sun’s corona called pores. The pores can be up to 50,000 meters in diameter. And, the streams of oxygen and atmosphere seep into the pores causing the temperature to cool down. The cool downs are called sunspots, and the oxygen that gets inside the atmosphere is what allows the sun’s fires to breathe.

K-bar took a few steps back away from the holographic sun. He saw a solar flare explode near the equator. When a stream of oxygen bubbles reaches the sun and doesn’t make it into one of the pores, it is consumed by the outer flames of the corona causing a spike or a solar flare. P.I.N.S. nodded her head smiling cheerfully.

Are we still parked inside the oxygen stream? K-bar asked as he turned away from the sun.

Yes. P.I.N.S. said pleasantly. She indicated to the window by nodding her head as she made another large check on her clipboard.

K-bar walked over to the window as the holographic sun disappeared behind him. He looked out as if straining to see the little bubbles of air. He couldn’t see them. The clearness of the bubbles was totally hidden by the darkness of space. He could, however, see the brightness of the sun around the edges of the window. Had the ship been turned the other way, it would have blinded him.

You know what? K-bar asked as he turned around. P.I.N.S. came up behind him. I have to be the dullest person in the world. He said shaking his head. I finally get back out into space, and the only thing I can think of doing, is finding out how it’s possible for the sun to be burning if outer space is a vacuum.

It could be that the sun doesn’t burn like paper does on Earth. P.I.N.S. stated placing the pencil in her mouth and rolling her eyes back as if she were thinking. It could be that it burns more like a nuclear reaction, and it has a few billion years’ worth of hydrogen and helium to fuel it.

I think I like my idea better. K-bar scowled at her. I don’t think space and fire should be able to combine.

Ok. P.I.N.S. said sweetly. At least we learned how some life forms live in space when we didn’t think there was any air out there for them to breathe. P.I.N.S. added helpfully.

Yeah, but Robin is having a party at the beach today. That sounds much more fun than doing a study on the sun.

It is only eleven twenty-four on base. P.I.N.S. said knowingly. Or, it’s eleven point forty in military minutes Her lab coat became a set of fatigues and a helmet appeared on her head. Then she put the pencil back in her mouth. But, we’re off duty. She held up her wrist and the fatigues turned into a bikini. An overly large wristwatch was now sitting on her wrist. Yep, it’s eleven twenty-four.

They probably aren’t even up yet. K-bar said shaking his head. P.I.N.S. can you be a sweetie and take us back?

I am putting in the course now. She said giggling. If you like, there is a news bulletin breaking into all of the television stations. I can turn it on in the recreation room.

That would be great. Thanks.

02. News

K-bar walked through the large room and out into the corridor. The corridor looked more like a house hallway, than a spaceship corridor. It was a large passageway lined decoratively with small tables. On each of the tables were small wooden statues of people from different alien races. Each statue was encased in glass. K-bar had visited hundreds of inhabited planets and whenever he met a new race, he liked to create a likeness of them. Strolling halfway down the corridor, K-bar turned into another enormous room.

The recreation room was layered into three sections. As he walked in, there was a guardrail about ten feet in that overlooked the other levels. The room was rectangular and the rail ran along the walls like a wide catwalk. The catwalk walls were lined with bookcases. Small tables and comfortable chairs were positioned here and there along the rail. K-bar took the stairs down.

The next level had videogame machines and table games like billiards and air hockey. K-bar skirted around a large table tennis table and jumped up the first few steps of the raised center level. This level had seats like a movie theater. In front of the seats were two rows of sofas. In the very front was a wall sized movie screen. K-bar sat in the first row and the screen came to life.

The inside of the White House appeared on the screen. It was not a very flattering picture. The President and the First Lady were present and they were in a compromising situation with another couple. This wouldn’t have been quite as bad, if they weren’t coupled together with same sex partners. K-bar immediately reached for the control and pushed the button to rewind. The wall screen clicked off for a second then came back on.

The picture was of the anchorwoman from the World News. Good evening. She said. We interrupt this broadcast with a special news bulletin. She paused dramatically and a video picture appeared beside her head. Last night, the local Washington D.C. news announced the death of Martin and Lacey Shelly. They died in a car crash near Rockville. The Shelly’s were on their way home from the White House where they spent the evening with the President and the First Lady. The crash also took out the side of an eighteen-wheeler and a minivan. The Shelly’s were the only fatalities.

Today, we have learned that the Shelly’s were actually shot to death before the crash. I have World News correspondent Jonah May live on the steps of the White House with a follow up. The picture of Jonah grew to fill the screen as the anchor spoke his name.

At eleven fifteen yesterday evening while returning from the White House, Mr. and Mrs. Shelly were thought killed by a fatal car crash. This morning the World New received an anonymous package. The package included photographic evidence that the Shelly’s were actually shot with a small caliber handgun before the crash. They both received one shot to the back of the head each, execution style. The evidence also suggests that the President was involved in the shootings. I have here a clip that we are about to show. It is graphic and should not be viewed by those under eighteen.

The film clip began and K-bar was shocked to see the Shelly’s setting up a secret camera inside Lacey Shelly’s purse. The film jumped, showing them entering the White House, and then again when they meet the President and the First Lady. They were barely inside the room a moment before they broke up into couples. At first, the President took Mrs. Shelly and the First Lady was with Mr. Shelly. Their grouping didn’t last very long before they switched partners. K-bar winced. He wasn’t homophobic or anything, but he knew that no matter what happened in regards to the murder, because of this, the President’s career was over.

During the last few Presidencies, there had been scandal after scandal. Either one President used a drug twenty years prior or he had an affair or a secret love child that had just come forward. K-bar wondered why anyone would put his or her life under that kind of scrutiny. But, being the most powerful man in the world probably did have its perks.

When the video was over, the correspondent came back. The President has been unavailable for comment, but representatives from the police department have been allowed to enter the White House. The President’s press secretary has issued a statement saying that the president has not had any involvement in the murders. There was nothing released about the video. This is Jonah May reporting from the steps of the White House.

Jonah, The anchor said as she came back on camera. I understand that this video has been sent to every major news media worldwide. Is there any word on the anonymous sender?

No Sally Jonah said as the screen split in two to show both of them. But, I have an advanced copy of the morning’s issue of the World Daily News here and they say in their cover story that they will be publishing exclusive information in Sunday’s issue. Jonah held up the paper and the headlines read Lawyers cheat, Politicians lie, and Presidents get laid.

K-bar turned the set off. He stood up shaking his head, and walked slowly down the steps to the second level. P.I.N.S. K-bar said slowly. The P.I.N.S. hologram appeared beside him. She had her clipboard and pencil again, but she was dressed differently. She was now wearing a pantsuit with a hat. There was a pencil sticking out from under the brim of her hat and a press card was inserted in the band. It reminded K-bar of pictures of old news reporters from the fifties. Can you do some investigating into this? See what you can dig up on the Shelly’s and anyone associated with them.

Right away. She said in her sweet peppy voice. I’ll make it a priority.

Don’t bother rushing anything. It’s probably a fake. But, if there are any updates, I would like to know. K-bar looked at his watch. How much longer do we have until touchdown?

One point two minutes. P.I.N.S. said sweetly.

It took light eight minutes to get from the sun to the Earth. K-bar’s normal operating procedure was not to exceed light speed while in the solar system whenever he could help it. There was no reasoning behind it. He saw it in a movie once and adopted the practice. He left the recreation room, and headed for the driver’s seat. It took him about half a minute to get there, so as he sat down, he could see the Earth coming into view. Although he couldn’t see it, his ship became cloaked.

K-bar watched, as the planet become larger and larger. At first, the clouds looked as if they were touching the ground. K-bar’s ship slowed down as it reached the atmosphere. The ride through the layers of atmosphere was smooth. That was K-bar’s favorite part. The way everything looked so peaceful, so enlightening. P.I.N.S. swooped low over the Pacific Ocean and slowed down considerably as they reached the California coastline. It was late morning and the beaches were packed. As they came onto a small beach outside of town, he didn’t de-cloak until he reached the street.

It was a long drive back through Oceanside, and K-bar hated having to drive. It was such a slow process. He asked P.I.N.S. to take over. Her hologram appeared beside him. He was very careful not to let anyone see him switch places with her. P.I.N.S. knew that she had to display her hologram at all times while she was driving. She sat down in the seat and over indulged as she waved and smiled to other motorists. K-bar made his way to the very back of the ship.

The ship P.I.N.S. was in the shape of a van. K-bar used pocket dimensions to make the inside much more roomy than the outside. At the end of the ship, outside of any of the pocket dimensions, he came to the actual back of the van. He looked at all the stored junk. There was a cooler, a football, some baseball equipment, a change of clothes, his shorts, a few towels, and a folded up blanket. The cooler was empty, so he would have to stop at the store and pick up some beer for the party.

Reentering the pocket dimensions, K-bar made his way back to his bedroom. He looked over at his bed. P.I.N.S. had already made it and placed his clothes on it. The hologram of his city platform project was gone. He gave the outfit she picked out for him the once over, then headed for the bathroom.

After showering and dressing, he picked up one of his short hair wigs and placed it on his head. Sitting down at the vanity, he put his head inside a small machine that looked like something from a beauty salon. The machine buzzed to life. When it finished, he removed his head. The wig was sealed to him seamlessly with latex. It looked as if the wig was his natural hair.

P.I.N.S. K-bar said as he stroked one hand over the buzz cut look of the regulation high-and-tight. Her hologram appeared beside him. This time, P.I.N.S. was in a sitting position behind a steering wheel. She had one elbow sticking out of a rolled down window and she was wearing a yellow tank top shirt. She smiled at K-bar. How close are we? He asked turning away from his hair in the mirror.

We will be at the front gate to the base in just under two. P.I.N.S. said sweetly.

Will you alter our destination? We need to go to the mall. I need to get some supplies before we get there. K-bar said as he headed out of his bedroom and down the hall to the dining room. It was another large room with a very long Cherry wood table in the center. There were fifty chairs around it. The chairs were hand-carved with exquisite Dragon designs shaped into them. The legs were carved into claws, the arms were carved into wings, and the back had a Dragon’s head coming out of it.

Moving to the back of the room, K-bar loaded up a plate from the buffet. It was filled with different types of breakfast items. He sat down at the seventh seating on the farthest side from the door. Whenever he was thinking about it, he tried to sit in a different chair. There was no purpose to it. It was just something to keep his mind occupied on long space journeys.

Eating heartily, K-bar noticed P.I.N.S. She signaled their arrival by projecting a hologram of herself on top of the table. This time, she wasn’t in the van, or carrying her clipboard. She was lying down on a section of the table resting her chin in her hands. She didn’t say anything as she watched him eat. K-bar smiled as he watched her eyes move with his fork. Taking the last bite of a biscuit with ham and egg on it, he stood up. P.I.N.S. came to life. She rolled into a raised position and announced. We’re here.

Whenever P.I.N.S. was driving, she always parked in the farthest parking space away from any other cars. K-bar got up. I shouldn’t be very long. He continued. Use the normal security procedures until I get back. K-bar headed back to the driver’s seat. The driver and passenger seats had the only normal looking doors. He opened the driver’s side and stepped out. The sun was bright and the day was hot. K-bar shut the door and he could hear the automatic lock click into place.

Stepping away from the van, he looked up at the sky. There wasn’t a cloud to be seen. He tried to look up at the sun, but it was too bright. Squinting, he turned his head away. It was strange knowing that he was up there just a few minutes ago. Smiling, he wondered if P.I.N.S. could out race a solar flare or a super nova.

Walking toward the mall, he sighed and then began to jog. The nearest entrance was quite a distance away, but he made good time. The doors swung open automatically and K-bar entered. A rush of cool air hit him and he shook off a little shiver. Every time K-bar entered a mall goose bumps ran down his spine, and it wasn’t from the cool air. About fifteen months ago, he swore to himself he would never enter another mall again.

This broken promise began on the day he returned from a three-year journey in outer space. K-bar enjoyed his time adventuring. But, upon returning, he realized just how lonely it was out there. He visited a lot of planets and interacted with a lot of different races. But, there was never that one person he could share it all with.

His first stop when he returned was the mall. K-bar had always had a way with women, and almost immediately he met a girl. They had a great time. But, most of the night she was talking about joining the Marine Corps. She even took him to her enlistment appointment. K-bar wasn’t sure what happened, but when he woke up the next morning, he was Private First Class Ken Barr.

The recruiter told him that the two of them were enlisting in the buddy program. He said that they would go to boot camp, their MOS training, and their first duty station together. Somehow, in the morning, when they went for their physical, he lost her. The girls went in one direction and the guys in the other. After the physical, he hopped on the bus and never saw her again.

Later, he found out that all women went to Paris Island North Carolina and men were split between Paris Island and San Diego. K-bar was sent to San Diego. He looked for her at his MOS training and first duty station. She wasn’t in either place. It was kind of funny. Most of the other guys told stories of how their recruiter screwed them. He just got screwed a little harder than the rest of them.

Letting out a breath to get rid of the goose bumps, K-bar went to the largest store in the mall, the liquor store. This was the only mall that K-bar had ever seen with a liquor store in it. But, this was a military town and that’s what Marines did. K-bar walked in and bought a case of beer, a bottle of tequila, a bottle of rum, some mixings, and two four packs of wine coolers. Tacho’s girlfriend only drank wine coolers.

Tacho was one of K-bar’s best friends. He, Tacho, and Robin were nearly inseparable. Tacho was the only one of them that had a steady girlfriend. They had been going out together for about eight months now. She had very wealthy parents and a house on the beach. They all played around saying that if he ever broke up with her, one of the other guys would have to step in just for the beach house.

The alcohol was a handful to carry out, but K-bar managed it awkwardly. As he returned to the parking lot, he had to zigzag through the aisles to get to his van. As he approached, he saw a homemade convertible Volkswagen bug sitting beside it. A girl, standing on the front passenger seat of the bug, was screaming at his van. There was a Marine sitting in the driver’s seat pulling at one of the girl’s arms. There was another Marine sitting on top of the back seats with his arms wrapped around two girls. They were all laughing.

Slipping to the next isle, K-bar quickened his pace. The people in the bug couldn’t see him as he approached from that lane, until he swung around in front of them at the end of the aisle.

03. Melody

K-bar made it to the end of the aisle before the girl in the front seat of the bug finished yelling. He set all of the provisions down on the ground beside a convenient car. Picking up one of the twelve packs and the bottle of tequila, K-bar quickly and quietly came out from behind the car. He made it all the way to the bug before he was noticed.

Hey! K-bar yelled as he slammed the beer bottles down on the bug.

Surprised, everyone turned around to look at him. K-bar took a step or two back. He could see the guy in the driver’s seat beginning to smile. Hey you back there! K-bar said before anyone could say anything. He held up the bottle of tequila. I’ll trade you.

The guy sitting on the top of the back seat stood up. He held out his hands. K-bar threw up the bottle. The Marine turned it around to look at the label as everyone else in the car stared at him. Smiling as if it was a good year, he unscrewed the top and took a big swig.

Growling a grunting howl, he shook his head from side to side vigorously as the clear liquid burned his throat on the way down. Smiling at K-bar, he dropped the bottle to the guy in the front seat. Then, he turned to look at both of the two girls with a calculating look on his face.

Ok! He yelled. He jumped up onto the back of the seat and reached down. Quickly, he lifted up the girl that was on his left. She squealed in surprise. Steadying himself quickly, he heaved the girl up into the air. She began to scream piercingly. K-bar steadied himself against the bumper of the bug, and caught her as she flew through the air. At first, she wrapped herself around K-bar in panic, trying to save herself. Then, realizing that she was safe, she gasped and began swearing loudly. As K-bar lowered her to the ground, she let go and started swinging.

Trying not to laugh, K-bar began to fend off her blows without hurting her. The girl didn’t stop hitting him until she realized that she only had on one sandal. She started looking around for the other while continuing her tirade. The girl in the passenger seat, still laughing hysterically, tossed the sandal to K-bar. It had landed inside the car.

Stopping her from looking under the bug, K-bar handed it to her carefully. I’m really sorry. K-bar said forcing down a smirk. I didn’t know he was going to throw you. The girl made a growling noise with her throat and grabbed the sandal. She held it up like she was going to hit him with it, but then she shook her head and started laughing.

As the others jumped out of the bug, K-bar shook hands with Tahco and Robin. Melissa, the girl from the front seat kissed K-bar on the cheek.

You must be K-bar. The girl that K-bar caught growled, still shaking her head.

Yeah. Hi. K-bar said still smiling.

This is my cousin Melody. Melissa said. She put her arm around Tacho.

And this is Michelle. Robin said pushing his girl up into the front of the little crowd. K-bar tried to say something to Melody, but everyone started talking at once. K-bar and Robin retrieved the rest of the supplies. Someone cracked open the beer. A bottle was thrust into K-bar’s hand. The three girls begin talking amongst themselves, as Tacho and Robin pulled K-bar aside.

Are you still going somewhere? Tacho asked. He looked back at the girls.

No. K-bar grinned taking a swig of beer. I was on my way back to see if you guys had hit the beach yet.

Great, because Melissa’s cousin just dropped in…

That’s ok. K-bar said quickly not letting him finish his sentence. I’ll take her.

Cool. Robin shouted loudly. You got the beer, Tacho got the girls, and I’ll get the food. We’re ready to roll?

The guys put the alcohol in the back of K-bar’s van. Each of the guys pulled out two bottles and they climb in the bug. Melissa and Michelle noticed them heading for the car and they jumped in as well. Melody and K-bar stood there for a second unsure if she was going to get back into the bug or go with him.

Come on. K-bar smiled and he opened the passenger door for her. Jogging back to his side, he climbed in. Before he could start her up, K-bar noticed that Melody was looking at him very strangely.

You didn’t use any keys. She said looking at his hands. When you opened the door, you didn’t use any keys. When we saw your van, we tried the doors. Melissa said that you were probably passed out inside. So, we went to check and they were locked.

I have the locks set to a switch. K-bar lied thinking quickly. I don’t even use keys to start the ignition, watch. He pressed a button and the sound of the engine turning over roared through the cab. The van didn’t actually need to be turned on. But, this had happened before. K-bar installed the engine button a year ago before Tacho sawed the top off of the bug. I have a little switch in the back. I opened the doors when I put the beer in the cooler.

Satisfied, Melody looked at the dashboard. She’d never seen one like it before, but she found the stereo and turned it on. K-bar always had it tuned to the classic rock station. Melody changed it to a more contemporary one and started bobbing her head to the music. She looked over at K-bar to see if he was going to protest. He didn’t and Melody began looking around. A curtain hid the back of the van. She reached around and took a peak behind it, but couldn’t see anything. There was very dark.

K-bar couldn’t stop watching her as he followed the bug. She didn’t look anything like her cousin. Melissa was very nice looking, but Melody was gorgeous. She had very long curly red hair. She was wearing a bright green bikini that had little red dolphins on it. She had a small towel wrapped around her waist that was covering her bikini bottoms. But, it was tied in the front so that when she sat, her legs were exposed. She had long thin arms and legs, and her tan was golden brown.

You aren’t a Marine are you? K-bar asked trying to start up conversation.

No. Melody giggled. I’m studying law at the university in San Diego. Melissa has been begging me to come up and see her ever since I got to California. I have a light term this time, so I figured I could use a little weekend excursion.

So you’re going to be a lawyer.

No. Melody said quickly. I’m going to be a judge.

Wow. K-bar said impressed. How far along are you?

I’m in my first year still.

Let me see if I do this right. K-bar said clearing his throat. Operor vos agnosco Latin

Melody looked at him almost speechless. Then, she thought about what he said for a second. Yes. They do teach us Latin. She said smiling. It’s a required subject in the first year.

K-bar knew he had impressed her. So how many years do you have to go to school to become a judge? He asked very interested.

Well. Melody said still a little shocked that a Marine could speak Latin. She paused for a moment, and then began to tell him that she did have to become a lawyer first and how the process worked. This kept the conversation going until they reached the grocery store. K-bar pulled into the parking space beside the convertible bug.

The other two couples were already out of the car and headed towards the store. They waved for them to hurry as K-bar and Melody climbed out of the van. When K-bar came over to the passenger side of the van, he noticed that Melody was looking back and forth at the two vehicles.

They wanted to turn my van into a convertible when we sawed off the roof of the bug. K-bar said as Melody stepped toward him. But, there was no way that I would ruin this paintjob. He slapped the side of the van and they both looked at the custom painting. It was a mural of hundreds of little figures posing as if ready for a fight. They all had masks and cloaks blowing in the breeze as they flexed their muscles and bared their teeth. Since they were all super heroes, they were all wearing costumes. K-bar pointed out some of his favorites.

I had it done by a kid in my hometown named Thom. He is going to be a famous artist when he grows up, and I have an original. K-bar led Melody over to the other side of the van. I had him put all the Marvel super heroes on one side and all the DC super heroes on the other.

They are very good. Melody said touching the image of Wonder Woman. I guess I’m not very up to date on super heroes. I only know this one and a few of the others.

K-bar began to point out some of the others and told her their names. He noticed that she glanced toward the supermarket. And, He said a little louder than before to get her attention. I’m a comic book nerd and we had better get going. If we don’t monitor Tacho and Robin, the only food they’ll buy is Captain Crunch cereal and double dip chocolate chip cookies.

When they caught up to the others, Melissa and Michelle were keeping the guys away from the candy aisle. They had hamburger meat and hotdogs, three different types of chips and four different dips, bread, lettuce, ketchup, and pickles. K-bar grabbed the roll of paper towels that one of the girls tried to place into the buggy and made a motion for the guys to go long.

Both of them took off at a sprint. K-bar heaved the roll into the air. It wasn’t anything near a spiral, but they both jumped for it. They collided in midair as they fought for control of the small roll. The wrapper came off and Tacho ended up with it as they crashed to the floor.

Two little kids near them raced to get a roll of towels so they could also play. But, their mother called them back. Standing up, Tacho chucked the roll back. K-bar caught it. He was about to hurl it again, when Melody snatched it out of his hand. She faked putting it back on the shelf, then darted around K-bar instead and sprinted down the aisle toward the guys.

K-bar, startled for a second, ran after her. She had a good head start, but he caught her mid-aisle. He grabbed her about her thin waist and lifted her into the air. She dropped the roll. Robin and Tacho raced for the now unraveling towels, yelling Fumble. Unfortunately, Melissa got to it first.

Don’t encourage them. She scolded Melody as she picked the towels up and put them back on the shelf. She grabbed a new roll, and placed it in the buggy.

I had a touchdown. Melody said slyly as she pulled away from him and rejoined the girls. K-bar smiled at her and watched as she walked around the corner. Today was definitely beginning to look up. K-bar was about to walk over to her, but the guys dragged him away to go look at the dog toys. They spent about twenty more minutes in the store before the girls pulled them away.

The ride to the beach was a quick one, but they didn’t stop in the main area by the pier. They continued down the beach road for at about ten miles. When they pulled off, there were no other cars around and no people walking along the water. There was a small trail leading down the large mountainside to the beach that a car couldn’t possibly get to. Everyone got out, and started unloading. They piled everything beside the path. No one forget anything. Robin said Because I’m not coming back up to get it.

The supplies were divvied up while K-bar changed into his shorts. The only things left were the two coolers. He groaned. He was always stuck with the heavy stuff. Grunting loudly, he picked them up. The beer and ice weighed a ton, but he managed. The beach was small and the waves splashed noisily on the shore. Melody went for the water at first, but she saw everyone else walking down the beach to a jutting of rocks that extended about thirty feet into the ocean.

The waves created huge splashes as they crashed into the rocks. Melody followed the others. When they got to the rocks, there was an almost invisible trail leading through. If they had not known it was there, no one would have been able to see it from where they came down. On the other side of the rocks, was an enclosed beach. It had the mountain they came down shutting off two of the sides. The ocean and the rocks blocked off the other two. There was a fire pit in the center of the beach with a metal grill over it.

Everyone began unloading near the fire pit. The girls laid out the blankets and the guys opened up the beer. Within minutes, the fire was going and someone broke out the football. Michelle didn’t play, so she began preparing the food. Since the teams were uneven, Robin had to be full time quarterback for both teams. K-bar got Melissa on his team and Tacho got Melody. They never went couples on the same team, for tackling purposes.

The game was fun and K-bar’s team was in the lead when Tacho accidentally tackled Melissa’s bikini top. He took off with it at a run. Screaming, Melissa chased after him. Melody decided to distract K-bar by pulling him into the water. It was cold, but felt good on such a hot day. They splashed and tried to dunk each other playfully.

Time seemed to slip away. It was late afternoon when K-bar finally made his move. He was helping Melody out of the water. They were waist deep. She was laughing and the late sun was glistening on her skin. He pulled her close gently and she pressed herself against his chest. She was shivering. K-bar looked into her eyes and she was beautiful. He reached down and their lips touched. K-bar kept his eyes open and watched as she closed hers. Their tongues meet and their first kiss was very passionate.

All shivering stopped and K-bar became very aware of every inch of her body as it pressed against his. He slowly let go of her hand and placed both of his around her back and waist. He rubbed them slowly over her soft smooth skin. One of her legs brushed the inside of his thigh.

Now, time began to stand still. K-bar moved one of his hands up her back into her hair. Her long curly locks didn’t tangle as he combed his fingers through them. A wave splashed up the side of their bodies showering them. Their lips began to part. K-bar watched her as she opened her eyes slowly. Their stomachs separated even slower. K-bar could feel a strange tickle inside as she inched away. He wanted to pull her back, but they both could hear the others calling from the beach.

Food’s ready! Michelle shouted. Melody kept her arm around K-bar as they walked out of the ocean. The fire felt great as they wrapped themselves in a large beach towel huddling close together. Robin handed K-bar a bottle of beer and Michelle handed a plate of cooked hamburgers and hotdogs to Melody.

With both of her hands occupied, Melody let the beach towel fall and K-bar didn’t bother to pick it up. It was a warm day, but now there was a cool breeze blowing and it would get cold in a few hours. But, moving around near the fire they couldn’t feel it yet. Melody made K-bar two hamburgers and K-bar got her a beer. Everyone ate and drank. The conversation was playful. It turned from sports, to the Corps, to movies, to college, and finally to drinking games.

The drinking games were done with the alcohol, so Robin broke out the bottles. The idea of a drinking game was to get the girls as drunk as possible without making it look like that was what they were doing. They played until it began to get dark. The bottle of tequila was the first to be drained. When Robin opened the rum, Melody snuggled up into K-bar’s arms. Why did you get that? She asked slurring her words a little, giggling and pointing at K-bar’s arm.

K-bar looked at his arm. There was a tattoo of a large knife on his shoulder and arm. The blade ran all the way to his elbow. It’s a KA-BAR. He said looking back at her. It’s my nickname.

Melody slapped him on his chest. I figured that out. She said not slurring as much this time. But, why did you get it?

Well. K-bar said looking at his tattoo again. I could have gotten something else. Like a Dragon or a…

No! She said louder, interrupting him. Why did you get a tattoo at all?

K-bar looked a little bewildered at the question, but before he could even think of something to say, Michelle stood up a little unbalanced. It’s because they’re guys. She said slurring much more than Melody. She grabbed Robin’s arm and held it out for everyone to see. He had so many tattoos that there was barely any unmarked skin left. They all have them. They’re all stupid. It’s some kind of Marine thing She let go of Robin’s arm as all the guys began to laugh at her.

What about you? Robin laughed and slapped her on the butt. He stood up and twisted her around so that everyone could see her backside. You have one.

Twisting and turning around, she tried to look over her own shoulder. She had a tattoo at the base of her back, just above her bottom. That’s different. She said as Robin swatted her on the butt again. She turned back to Melody. It’s like the cold. She continued slurring heavily. They all walk around without shirts, showing off their muscles and pretending that the cold isn’t bothering them. She started jumping up and down by bending her knees. Her feet didn’t leave the ground. I am freezing! She screamed shaking her arms.

Robin, who had partially fallen and partially sat back down, stood up again. He was also standing a little shakily. He had a beach towel in his hand. Here you go baby. He said tenderly as he wrapped it around her shoulders. She hugged it tightly, contently. Snuggling into his chest, she reached up and kissed him. You know. Robin continued with a sinister looking smile on his face. If you’re really cold, there is only one way to warm up.

How? Michelle said giggling playfully.

Well. Robin put his hand under the towel. We have to share our body temperature. Michelle’s bikini top fell out from under the towel, and she started laughing. She opened up the towel and closed it around both of them. Robin tilted his head back. I think we’re going to go for a walk. He said over his shoulder and they stumbled away from the fire kissing.

Hey K-bar. Tahco said as he and Melissa stood up. I think we’re going for a walk too. He bent down and grabbed the rum bottle. K-bar and Melody watched them as they headed toward the cliff face.

Are you going to take me for a walk? Melody asked as she gazed into K-bar’s eyes. He was about to say something, but a light in the sky attracted his attention. They both looked up to see a shooting star flashing across the sky. This one wasn’t off in the distance. It looked close, like a meteor crashing down on the Earth. It passed directly over them like an airplane, but it was moving much too fast. Melody reached up and touched his face. Well.

Nodding up to the sky, K-bar said. Only if you wish for it. Their lips were barely an inch from each other.

What if I just wish for a kiss?

That’s close enough. K-bar said as their lips touched. Caressing her gently, they make love in the moonlight by the fire. When they were finished, they snuggled side by side looking up at the stars. The waves crashed on the rocks rhythmically and Melody tried to keep control of his hands. K-bar was trying to tickle her pretending to point out star constellations on her stomach.

Hey. Robin yelled as he and Michelle appeared from the darkness. Michelle wants to go dancing. You guys want to go?

Melody and Melissa didn’t need to be told twice. Melissa came running from the water’s edge and they began breaking camp.

The trip back up to the cars was much more difficult. It took several minutes and K-bar had to almost carry Melody up. When they reached the top, everyone did their part in packing up all of the equipment. The girls each kept a blanket to wrap around themselves.

Oh. Melody said as K-bar helped her inside the front of the van. I’m going to get your seats all sandy.

K-bar smiled and waved her comment off. Don’t worry. He said as he closed the door. He quickly jogged around to the other side and climbed in. Melody looked at her hair several times in the mirror as they followed the convertible bug to Melissa’s house. Each time she looked, she ran her fingers through it trying to get it to perform a certain way. K-bar snuck a few quick peaks at her trying not to stare. It looked perfect to him.

04. The Barracks

Back at Melissa’s house, they all went inside. The three girls went straight for the master bedroom. Robin flopped down on the couch and pulled one of the pillows under his head. He stretched out his legs and closed his eyes. Tacho plopped down on the loveseat and propped his feet up on the coffee table. He reached into his breast pocket and pulled out a pack of cigarettes. He knew that K-bar didn’t smoke, but offered him one anyway. Lighting up and, as if in ecstasy, he threw his head back and blew out a billow of grey smoke sighing contently.

K-bar didn’t sit. He walked over to the kitchen and looked inside the refrigerator. There wasn’t anything he wanted to eat, so he closed it and leaned against the bar separating the two rooms.

The house didn’t look like a female lived there. It wasn’t neat and dainty. It looked as if someone had just thrown a party. There were beer cans and bottles all over. Several different types of clothing were tossed here and there. A pile of unopened mail had started falling off of a small table by the door.

Looking around at the mess, K-bar saw a cooler in the corner. There were several bottles of beer floating in the melted ice water. He picked up three and came back over to the sofa. He gave one to Tacho, but Robin had fallen asleep. As he was about to sit down, a voice from the bedroom yelled out. We are going to take a shower and get ready.

Tacho looked over at the bedroom door. It wasn’t closed all the way. He looked over at K-bar and sat up. Do you think they’re all going to shower together? He asked with a big smile on his face.

Holding a finger up to his lips, K-bar shushed him. He slowly walked toward the door. I don’t know. He said with a villainous looking grin. Let’s go see. Tacho got up carefully and stepped quickly behind K-bar. They made it to the door without making a sound. As they peered around it, they could see Michelle sitting on the corner of the bed holding up a dress. There was someone in the closet in front of her, but they couldn’t tell who it was. Tacho elbowed K-bar and nodded to the door.

K-bar barely pressed on it. The door made a loud creaking sound and they both jumped back. They waited a few seconds to see if anyone had heard, then moved back into position. Before they could actually see anything, the door slammed shut. Someone yelled Perverts from the other side and Tacho nearly fell down laughing.

We were just going to tell you that we’re going to go change too. K-bar yelled toward the wall. They didn’t hear anything from the other side, so they tried to wake up Robin. He was fast asleep and just grunted when they shook him.

We can get some clothes out of his locker and bring them back. Tacho shrugged.

They took K-bar’s van. The base was huge, but the beach gate was very close. They had to go all the way to the twenty-two area, but it still wasn’t that far. When they reached the gate, they saw a long line of cars waiting to get out. It looked like they were searching every car as it exited. That was unusual, but it did occur from time to time. Usually, it was the cars going into the base that were searched.

All cars that were allowed on the base had stickers on them. Officers stickers were blue and enlisted stickers were red. The guard at the gate saluted the officers as they came up and only rarely stopped them. K-bar and his friends were enlisted, so they were usually stopped. This was no exception. The guard came over and glanced in. They could tell that he was more concerned with what was happening on the other side of the street. Both K-bar and Tacho held out their green military ID cards. The guard didn’t read them. He just made sure that they had them waved them through.

The twenty-two area was off