Two Worlds

By Michael Adams

To young Staff Sergeant Susan Bennett it was just another mission, yet when her actions were transmitted to the world via a helmet camera she becomes an instant hero - especially to a young Ciara O’Brien.

Lieutenant Paul O'Brien was only thinking about getting home to his daughter and family when a common enemy decided an embassy in Cameroon was a good place to exact revenge. With the aid of Bennett they were able to extract themselves from an otherwise deadly situation. While their heroics saved lives, it also placed a bounty on their heads.

Now, in a race to save themselves and their family; Bennett and O’Brien must make sacrifices to save lives, including leaving the only family they have to travel to a colony on a far off planet. While there, it quickly becomes apparent that not all is the way it seems, and Bennett and O’Brien must rely on each other if they plan on coming out alive.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Wizards Keep Publishing
• Release date: May 1, 2015
• ISBN: 9781310102868

Book preview

Two Worlds

A Family Ties Novel

Michael Adams

Copyright © 2014 Michael Adams

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law. For permission requests, write to the publisher, addressed Attention: Permissions Coordinator, at the address below.

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All characters appearing in this work are fictitious. Any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.

Printed in the United States of America

E Book ISBN-13: 9781310102868

Cover Design: Artful Raven Studio

Editing: Schellinger Research

DEDICATION

For my sister Rosemary

Contents

Future Changing

Another Life Altered

Quantico

Timeout

Family Embraced

Trouble

Reunion

Nowhere Is Safe

Truth Revealed

Arrival

Checking In

Demon Wolves

Bully

Haven

Changes

Departure

New Friends

Death in Cargo Bay

Saboteurs

Hot Tub

Epilogue

About Author

Chapter One

Future Changing

Nigeria, March 2122

United States Marine Corps Staff Sergeant Susan Mollison ‘Molly’ Bennett was not happy. She had just received notification that her ex-husband David had cleaned out her account and she was making a list in her mind which of his bones she wanted to break and in what order when she heard her name called.

Bennett! Over here! called her platoon leader, Lieutenant Gerry Givens. Bennett put David and his bones out of her mind for the time being, got up and hurried over to Givens to find out what he wanted.

Bennett, at twenty-five years old was an experienced squad leader in Second Platoon, Alpha Company, 2nd Recon Battalion. Recently promoted to Staff Sergeant, Bennett was being groomed to move up to assistant platoon sergeant, then platoon sergeant once her unit returned home in a couple of months. The five foot eight, green-eyed blonde was far better looking than the average marine and was often under-estimated by those who just saw a pretty face until they learned just how quick and deadly she really was. She had earned the respect of her superiors and of the other Marines in her company who had witnessed her ferocity and her ability to lead in difficult situations.

Alpha Company had been tasked with keeping tabs on the movements of potentially hostile forces in the area of a nearby refugee camp. The UN peacekeeping forces in the area included two companies of Marines from the 2nd Reconnaissance Battalion as well as units from Canada, Norway and China.

Word came down shortly after noon that a large unidentified group of armed men was coming towards the refugee camp through the jungle from the north about two miles from the Marine’s position. With no air support immediately available Alpha Company’s commander sent out two platoons of scouts, including Bennett’s Second Platoon, to locate the unidentified group and report back what they found. The rest of Alpha Company and a mixed group of Canadian and Chinese soldiers would follow fifteen hundred yards behind ready to move in whichever direction they were needed. The two recon platoons spread out, with each platoon assigned to a sector five hundred yards wide. Bennett’s was the lead squad for her platoon and they were moving forward about one hundred yards ahead of the other two squads.

Moving quickly, but quietly through the lush jungle foliage, Bennett’s squad of seven Marines advanced over a mile through the heavy jungle until they came to a shallow stream. Bennett scanned the jungle on the other side of the stream, then told her assistant squad leader Corporal Rivera to stay there with the rest of the squad while she and Private Hanson went ahead. The two Marines crossed the stream, then clawed their way up to the top of a small hillock where they waited several minutes as they scrutinized the jungle ahead before calling the rest of the squad up. The sounds of movement in the trees ahead caught their attention and they spotted three armed men wearing jungle green, yellow and brown uniforms, and carrying automatic weapons moving carefully forward, checking in all directions except behind them. They were obviously scouting ahead of the main group. Bennett had her squad hold their positions and stay out of sight while she allowed them to pass. She reported their position and direction of movement so they could be dealt with quietly by the Marines coming up behind them.

The three scouts had just crossed the stream headed south when Bennett and Hanson found themselves looking down from their perch ten feet above the jungle floor at a large group of armed black and lighter skinned men advancing towards the stream almost noiselessly from the jungle, passing less than ten yards to the left of their position. Wearing jungle camouflage Bennett’s group was well concealed from view in the dense foliage at the top of the rise and on the other side of the stream. Even so the armed group was close enough that there was the danger that they would simply stumble into her squad’s position if anyone decided to climb up the little hill they were watching from.

###

New York

Nine year old Ciara McCord O’Brien was in the kitchen of the roomy one hundred fifty year old, two story house in Yonkers, New York getting a lesson in basic cookie making from her recently retired police captain grandmother Kelly Cassidy. Her tenth birthday was less than three weeks away. A shout from the living room caught their attention.

Mom, Chi! Come here! You’ve got to see this!

Her blue eyes lit up with excitement and the reddish blonde haired ball of energy took off at a run with a grinning Kelly trailing behind at a more leisurely pace. What is it, Nikki? the excited Ciara asked her aunt, twenty year old Nicole O’Brien. The dark-haired, hazel-eyed Nikki was home for a long weekend from the University of Kentucky.

Just watch! Robby! Close the blinds and turn off the lights then playback that last segment from the beginning, Nicole instructed the household Artificial Intelligence, or AI, that controlled the primary functions in the house, as well as the large 3-D display panel that formed more than half of one long wall of the large living room. With the interior lights off and all outside light blocked by the automatic blinds the viewer often felt as if they were looking at the visuals from a point within the picture.

Yes, my dear, the very sensual male voice of the AI crooned.

What’s this, Nikki? the auburn haired, green eyed, Kelly asked her daughter, the third of her four children.

Just watch mom! This is amazing! Come on sit down! The news report began with a view that showed a crystal clear three dimensional picture of jungle-like foliage and a large group of armed men moving around close by. Ciara and her grandmother sat down on the comfortable couch facing the display. Nicole was sitting sideways with her bare feet up on a love seat set at an angle to the larger couch.

The narrator began, "This scene was recorded about seven hours ago. The images and audio are from the visor cam of a young sergeant, the leader of a US Marine reconnaissance squad sent out to find a large group of armed terrorists heading for a refugee camp about two hundred miles north of the Nigerian capital city of Abuja. This squad leader and one other Marine had taken cover at the top of a small rise in the jungle. Be advised, the images are shocking, and those faint of heart and young children may want to look away."

Nikki? Kelly gave her daughter a glance with a nod toward her granddaughter.

Nicole grinned, It’s okay. Really! And she should see this with us. She’s going to see it anyway before long. Just wait. A wide-eyed Ciara looked at her aunt then back at the display. Continue the playback, Robby.

The playback had stopped automatically at Kelly’s question. It now resumed. They all listened intently as the Marine squad leader’s audio cut in.

"Scorpion, this is Viper. Do you see this?" The voice was a whisper, but Robby had automatically enhanced it so they could hear it clearly.

That’s a girl! Ciara said with a look at her aunt who nodded and grinned with a finger to her lips to signal the child to be quiet and listen.

"Roger that, Viper," a male voice replied. What’s the count?

"About seventy so far, but there’s more coming out of the jungle now."

"Hang tight, Viper. Wait for everyone to get in position. Figure ten mikes."

"Understood, Scorpion. We’ll just lay low where we are and hope nobody wants to climb up here. They’re all around us now."

"Keep it frosty, Viper. Out."

The view shifted to the right and the three watched as more of the mixed group of heavily armed Arab and African marauders came out of the jungle. The group was pushing and shoving several prisoners who were roped together neck to neck. The captives had their hands tied behind their backs and their mouths were gagged. Kelly let out an involuntary gasp at the sight, but said nothing as they watched.

This is real? Ciara asked anxiously seeing the mostly white faces that were covered in blood and dirt. Their uniforms were dirty and torn.

Yes, it is, Chi. Just listen! Nicole replied quietly.

"Scorpion, they’ve got prisoners. Looks like Canadians and Norwegians," the squad leader reported to her superior. "I count nine. Looks like seven males and two females."

"Wait one, Viper." A few seconds later the voice spoke again. "They’re the missing personal from that supply convoy that was attacked two days ago up north. Try to give them some cover when the shooting starts."

"Roger that, Scorpion."

Kelly, Nicole, and Ciara watched raptly as the prisoners were pushed and dragged directly towards a spot just below where the two Marines were hiding in the bush at the top of the rise. Their captors never looked up as they pushed them to the ground where they collapsed with a collective groan. The engrossed Ciara was holding her grandmother’s arm tightly.

The view changed as Bennett shifted around and looked in the opposite direction, then down at the stream that ran behind the little hillock. There were at least twenty raiders filling canteens or standing guard within thirty feet of the sergeant and her squad mate, also standing between the two Marines and the rest of their squad. The view shifted as the sergeant turned back to where the majority of the raiders were spread out, resting in small groups with a few standing guard. The view shifted again as Bennett turned to look at the other Marine; he pointed at the hostages. A shake of the head in the negative blurred the view momentarily, then settled as several men led by two heavily bearded Arab-looking individuals came toward the captives who were being given water one at a time by a guard who removed their gags just long enough for them to take a few sips before replacing them.

What’s going to happen? Ciara asked worriedly.

Shush! Kelly replied, mesmerized by the story unfolding in front of her.

They watched as the group came to a halt and the squad leader’s helmet cam zoomed in on the bearded men. Scorpion, looks like these two are the leaders. Any ID? Viper asked in a whisper.

A few seconds later the reply from Scorpion came, Jackpot, Viper. That’s two of the Gul boys. Umar and Abdul. Capture or kill those two, Viper. They can’t be allowed to get away. That’s your number one priority. Understood?

After a pause, "Understood, Scorpion." Umar and Abdul Gul were two of the six sons of Hassan Gul, the most wanted terrorist in the world. All six of his sons were high on that list as well. They were behind scores of incidents of murder and mayhem from Central Asia and southern Russia to the Middle East, Europe, Africa, as well as several deadly incidents in North America. The multibillionaire terrorist was the leader of an eclectic coalition of fanatics who held several enduring grudges against numerous governments.

Gul’s coalition blamed their enemies for marginalizing and impoverishing previously rich oil producing areas that had run out of oil and coupled with the widespread use of alternate energy sources had shifted economic and political power to other factions and regions. The coalition believed the west and the east for deadly plague and virus outbreaks that had killed millions throughout central Asia and the Middle East, disregarding the fact that radical factions in those areas had refused to accept the vaccines that would have saved countless lives until too late. In addition to virus outbreaks, industrialized nations were to blame for both water shortages that were making previously prosperous areas uninhabitable as well as rising sea levels which was forcing millions of refugees to seek new homes.

Some members of the coalition were religious fanatics who could not accept the fact of life on other worlds and wanted to stop the extra-solar colonization program by any means possible. They were taking advantage of the turmoil in Nigeria, one of the richest countries in Africa, to attack oil fields and other resource areas that the Nigerians contributed to the colonization program in order to force their withdrawal.

Kelly, Nicole, and Ciara watched the bearded men who were staring and gesturing at their captives. The audio wasn’t picking up their voices clearly, but it was obvious that they were angry about something. Suddenly the taller of the two brothers pointed at a tall, muscular African and motioned him towards the prisoners. He in turn gave an order to one of the guards standing over the hapless UN soldiers. The guard reached down and pulled one of the two female captives up by her shoulder length reddish brown hair. The taller African then tapped the machete held in a belt loop on his hip and gave another order to the guard then shouted at the captives in halting English, "You watch now! You next if you no obey orders!"

The guard dragged the captive by her hair over to the two leaders. The terrified woman, a Canadian officer, a captain, by the black double bar on the collar of her torn uniform shirt, was trying to scream through her gag as she tried to push with her legs to take the strain off her scalp. The other captives were below the squad leader’s view, but they could hear their muffled cries of protest. The taller African then stepped over to the Canadian, drawing his machete as the terrified woman tried to struggle against the grip of the guard who then pulled her to her knees by her hair.

Granma, Auntie Nikki, what’s going on? Ciara asked fearfully.

Kelly was holding Ciara’s hand now and looked at her daughter worriedly as the guard pulled the woman’s head forward, baring her neck for the machete wielding terrorist, Nikki?

Nicole gave her a grin, Just watch, it’s amazing!

The women listened intently as Bennett whispered targets to the other Marines, telling the rest of her squad to cover them from behind. They heard the clicks of confirmation come in from the various squad members.

The tall African was raising the machete for a killing blow when shots rang out. Kelly, Nicole, and Ciara could tell from the crosshairs that appeared in the center of her visor that the squad leader had targeted the taller of the two brothers and had fired two quick shots taking him down while the other Marine shot the man with the machete who flew backward. Both Marines had shifted their aim to the other two men standing over the captives before the first two had hit the ground. Bennett fired two more quick rounds and the second Gul fell on top of the captive as had his brother. The guard who had been holding the Canadian by the hair had also fallen in a heap.

Whoa! Ciara shouted as she jumped to her feet. They saved her! The display paused automatically again.

Keep watching, Chi. It’s not over yet! Robby resume display.

The AI acknowledged, Yes, sweetie.

As soon as the Americans began firing, other fighters nearby turned towards the hill and began firing at the two unprotected Marines. Within seconds others further away joined in. The women watched as the two Marines quickly cut down the ones close by and they could hear shouting as bullets tore through the light foliage all around them.

Kelly and the girls heard the squad leader say, Cover me! The view shifted quickly as Bennett slid down from the top of the little hill and began firing, running toward the three guards standing closest to the prisoners. The Marine shot one guard before he could react then slammed the stock of her rifle into the face of a second. The third fired at her and she cursed loudly as she cut him down, then turned back to the second guard who was now raising his weapon and shot him in the face. She ran forward and shielded the prone group of hostages with her body as other mercenaries began firing in their direction. She cursed again and glanced down at her left arm. They could see blood where she had been grazed by a bullet.

Ciara jumped as first one, then another bullet hit Bennett in the torso eliciting a loud ‘oopf’ and a groan as she was knocked onto her back. No! Ciara cried in shock. The Marine slowly got moving again, turning over and trying to get to her knees; the bullets had hit her in her armored vest, knocking the wind out of her momentarily. Yes! Ciara shouted in relief.

They could hear heavy firing begin in the background as other Marines opened fire on the band of raiders from all sides. Then things happened so fast as to be almost a blur. The view shifted as the young Marine turned towards the source of the shots that had hit her. Five terrorists, now just a few yards away, were running directly towards her. They were no more than two or three strides away and would be on her in seconds. She no longer had her rifle; she had dropped it when she had been hit. She was still on her knees when she pulled her sidearm and began firing at the approaching men. In seconds three of the terrorists went down, but the other two were on her before she could shift her aim again. The view through the helmet cam moved violently for several seconds while the Marine desperately fought her two opponent's hand to hand. The view stabilized after a moment and the women watched as the raggedly breathing Bennett pulled her combat knife out of the belly of one of her opponents. She then glanced down to her left; the other man was lying dead on the ground. They could hear her gasping for breath as she rose to her knees and looked around.

The UN soldiers were all lying helplessly on the ground trying to avoid being hit by the storm of flying metal. The view focused on the Bennett’s rifle a few yards away and she crawled over to it and picked it up. From a kneeling position she took aim and methodically cut down three more raiders before she ran out of targets. The sergeant gave another ‘oopf’ and was knocked on her left side from the grazing impact of a bullet that glanced off her combat helmet with an audible crack they could hear through the display’s theater-like speakers.

Ciara cried out in relief when with effort Bennett got back to her knees and looked around. They could see Marines and soldiers moving in from all sides, taking charge of the surrendering mercenaries and finishing off a few who chose to go down fighting rather than surrender. The huffing squad leader checked with the rest of her squad for casualties and they heard that although three of her squad mates had been wounded, miraculously none of the injuries were serious.

The squad leader rose shakily to her feet and began a hurried check on the captives. Seeing the group hadn’t suffered further harm, she hurried, stumbling a little along the way, over to the captain and pulled the two dead men off of her. The captain was lying face down and struggling to breathe. Bennett then used her bloody combat knife to cut the cord that bound the woman’s hands behind her back before turning her over and pulling the gag out of her mouth. The officer drew several deep breaths and coughed. It seemed to Ciara that the woman was looking directly at them all as she stared at the squad leader’s face through her one good eye and directly into the visor imbedded camera. She croaked a ‘thank you’ through her swollen and bleeding lips. One side of her face was bruised almost black and her left eye was swollen shut. Bennett said, "I’ve got you. Just rest here a while, okay? You’re safe now. Giving the woman some water and supported her head while she drank, she asked, What’s your name, Captain?"

"Naomi," the woman replied, a little stronger now.

"Okay, Naomi, everything’s going to be okay now." The Marine brushed dirt off of the officer’s name tag that was still in place above her left breast. The name had been digitally obscured and they couldn’t read it, You’re safe now, Captain. The medics will be here in a moment and we’ll get you out of here. Naomi began to cry softly and Bennett put her arms around her and held her until a medical team arrived a moment later. When she got up to check on her squad, a medic intercepted her to check on her wounded arm. At that point Nicole had Robby halt the video playback.

Wow! Wow! Ciara was standing now and had both hands up in the air, then she put them on her head in wonder. Wow!

Oh my god! Kelly said with an expression of awe on her face.

I told you it was amazing! a grinning Nicole told them. That was no movie; that was the real thing! And it happened just a few hours ago.

That was probably the bravest thing I’ve ever seen, Kelly told her daughter and granddaughter. We’ve got to show this to Bridget and Chloe when they get home.

Who was she? Did they say her name? Ciara asked.

I don’t know. Robby, Nikki asked the AI, is there any reference to the name ‘Viper’ from that video segment?

The smooth AI voice answered No, my dear, there was not. No doubt her name is being withheld to protect her from any attempt at retribution by associates of the people she killed. There is one interesting thing though.

What’s that, Robby?

They did mention the unit that her squad of Marines is attached to, and I believe that they are the same group that Ciara’s father’s ship is scheduled to bring back when they return to the States in a few weeks.

Really! Wow. Do you think daddy knows her? I want to meet her! Ciara said excitedly. Her dad, Navy Lieutenant Paul O’Brien, whom everyone called ‘Rick’ was a logistics officer on the USS Mount St Helens, one of the navy’s newest amphibious ship.

I don’t know about that, sweetie, Kelly told the youngster. Unless her unit has been aboard his ship before it’s doubtful that they’ve met already. Knowing your father, though I’m sure he’ll have his eye out for her, especially if she’s attractive, she said with a chuckle for her oldest child, and only son. Rick was a notorious womanizer who usually had several girlfriends at once and made a point of letting each of them know that there were others out there. He even introduced them to each other at times, yet the girls didn’t seem to mind as long as they each got their fair share of his time. Kelly thought he simply had never found ‘the one’. Or more likely he was having too much fun to settle down just yet. He was still young though, just twenty six. In any event he’d been that way since his father, Jimmy, a detective in the New York City Police Department, had been killed in the line of duty. Rick had become a father when he was barely seventeen and still an irresponsible teenaged boy. Ciara’s mom, Melanie McCord, was almost two years older and about to enter college when she had gotten pregnant despite having taken steps to avoid such a situation. Things had worked out though, and Ciara spent more or less equal amounts of time with her mom and her dad, and a lot of time at her paternal grandmother’s house when her father was at sea. Her mom lived just a few blocks away.

Did you see how she handled her side arm? Nicole asked her mother. She had less than two seconds; I had Robby time it. She got off three rounds and took out three of them before the other two were on her. She did the same with her rifle; she didn’t miss I mean. She had more time to aim and shoot, but that was awesome. Shooting accuracy was a point of great interest to all the members of Kelly’s family. After Jimmy’s death, she had made it a point to train all of her children how to shoot both real weapons and in Virtual Reality. All of them were expert shots with both pistol and rifle, with Rick being the best pistol marksman she had ever trained. The very youthful looking Kelly had retired from the force five months earlier. She had been hired back as a civilian in charge of all weapons training at the Police Academy. Kelly had overseen the training of thousands of police recruits and had observed and coached thousands of active police officers during their periodic required weapons qualification exams.

She definitely is an exceptional shot, no argument there. Kelly replied to her daughter. "Very few people could have made three kill shots in the little time she had, period! And she did it from her knees and it had been just seconds after getting hit in the protective vest, twice. That’s one real tough girl, I’ll give her that. I was hit in the vest a couple of times while I was a young patrol officer before I started having babies. The first time it knocked me out cold for a minute or two. The second time it sent me flying into a wall and I was down helpless for several minutes. Both times I had bruises the size of a softball and a couple of cracked ribs. Those were pistol shots from twenty to thirty feet away. Those hits she took were from automatic rifles with a much bigger punch. Those military spec vests are tougher no doubt, but how she got up again so quick I don’t know. She’ll be hurting tonight for sure once the adrenaline wears off." Right now she thought since all that happened hours ago. That crease on her forearm is going to sting too.

Granma, when are you gonna teach me how to shoot? Ciara asked her grandmother hopefully. Daddy says that I can start whenever you think I’m ready. I think I’m ready!

And what does your mom say about that? she asked rhetorically, knowing the answer. Melanie was not a great fan of guns, but she respected Kelly and trusted her. She was in no hurry for her little girl to get her hands on a real weapon though.

Well, she said I have to wait until you think I’m old enough, Ciara answered evasively.

Ha! Well nine is a bit too young and your hands are too small yet. Ask me when you‘ve been double digits for a while and then I’ll need the okay from both your parents.

Aw! Well, how about in VR? Then they won’t be real guns and they make smaller ones for kids.

Humm. Well, we’ll see. I might be willing to let you start on a basic VR program here at the house, but if we do that then there are safety rules that you will have to follow just like it was the real thing and if I see you breaking those rules I’ll pull the plug. Got that?

Yeah! Thanks Granma! the exuberant child shouted as she knocked her grandmother back into the couch and down with one of her famous tackle hugs. The girl was all of four foot six, but she was very strong for her age and size. She easily lifted her one hundred twenty pound aunt Bridget straight up and off her feet several inches.

Can I call daddy? I want him to see that video so he’ll know who to look for when she goes on his ship. I want to meet her! Ciara told them plaintively.

"Robby, what time is it where the USS Mount St Helens is?" Kelly asked the AI.

I cannot be certain of the ship’s position at this time, Mistress Kelly, the AI crooned apologetically. However, based on her known area of operations they are either six or seven hours ahead of Eastern Time, therefore it is likely either 1937 or 2037.

Thank you, Robby, Kelly told the AI. It’s still a bit early to call him, Chi. He said we had to wait until after ten o’clock at night where he is if we wanted to call him. It is Saturday, though, so he might call us before that. So let’s just wait a bit, okay sweetie?

A heavy sigh of disappointment came back. I guess I can wait, but I want to watch it again. Can I?

Bridget and Chloe should be back soon. Why don’t you wait and watch it with them? Bridget, Kelly’s oldest daughter and Chloe, her youngest, along with Nicole, had promised to take Ciara shopping for new clothes that afternoon and were due back from the gym shortly.

That works for me, I suppose, the intelligent Ciara replied.

###

Nigeria

Within minutes of being freed from captivity Naomi MacCaffrey, the Canadian captain, and the rest of the UN soldiers had been evacuated on a Marine anti-grav shuttle that had taken them for medical treatment in the Nigerian capital. Bennett was brought back to the Alpha Company aide station and treated for minor injuries. She had a grazing wound on her left arm, several deep bruises on her chest and ribs, a sore neck and a minor concussion. Over her objections, she was ordered to bed for rest.

Unknown to Bennett the audio and video images captured by her embedded camera would be on the news in the States within hours and the unidentified female squad leader behind that visor would become a national hero. All she wanted at the time that the recording was being replayed for an astonished nation was for an end to the ringing in her ears, for her hands to stop shaking and for the ache in her head, chest and ribs to go away. Bennett’s unit was scheduled to board ship in a few weeks and return to the States. She had no way to know it, but by the time the ship reached its homeport in Virginia her life would be changed forever.

###

New York

That evening Ciara received a video call from her dad. Hi sweetheart, how are you?

I’m okay, I miss you, daddy.

I miss you too, my love.

Daddy, did you see the news? the still excited youngster asked.

What news, baby?

Oh my god, daddy! The video of the Marine lady who saved those people! One of them was about to get her head cut off when the Marine lady stopped them. Then she jumped down to save the rest. She got hit a couple of times, but she got up again and fought some of them with just a knife, but she won and saved the other people too. It was wow, it was really real, not a movie! I was scared that they were going to get her, but they didn’t. Granma said she must have been wearing a vest otherwise there’s no way she could have won, but even so it had to hurt. Did you see it? It was all over the news; they showed it over and over.

No, sweetheart, I haven’t seen it yet. I’ve been pretty busy. I did hear that something had happened with some of the Marines, but not what it was. I’ll look for it as soon as we finish.

Good. Robby says that the Marine lady and the others with her might be going to your ship soon, but he wasn’t sure about that.

Really? That’s interesting. We will be picking up some Marines soon to take them home.

I hope you meet her, daddy. Tell her that we thought that what she did was very amazing.

Who is ‘we’? You and Granma?

"Aunt Nikki saw it first, then she called me and Granma from the kitchen where she was teaching me how to bake cookies. She sounded so excited so I ran into the living room. When Granma got there too Nikki had Robby play it again for us. Then when Aunt Bridget and Aunt Chloe got home from the gym we all watched it together three times. Then