Chapter 26


Her eyes traced the random curving lines of black hair, as they flowed out from the base of the scalp and on to the shoulders. (All this time, and yet there she was still doing the same thing she always did.) This persistent thought would always come to her in these moments. Looking to her right the digital clock read 3:12am.

Turning her head away from the clock she continued to trace the flowing lines of black hair, as if they where rushing currents of water, form an endless river. Soon the gentle grip of sleep embraced her in its arms, and she again returned to sleep.
When finally her eyes opened, already the sun was well over the sky. Light as well as a gentle summer breeze flowed through the open window, moving the silk white curtains, in its wake. Looking around she noticed the waves of dark hair along with the owner where already long gone. Besides her was a small note.

Picking it up with her left hand, she brought it up close to her face and read it. “Transport leaves at 1200 hours, make your self at home, just feed Mister Bubble. PS, I left the keys on the top drawer of my desk. Enjoy the house, also YOU BETTER NOT TOUCH that wine bottle I left in the freezer.”

“Ah hell. You think you just going to ditch me like this.” Natasha hurriedly dressed herself and ran for the door, picking up the house keys along with that of his car.

Outside the house a she finds a vintage Lamborghini, the car was parked on the driveway, and looked as if it had never been driven.

“Wow, this must have cost a fortune.” She hurriedly used the small remote on the car keys to open the doors, which slides upwards. Seating herself in the driver seat, she realized the car was petal shift, manual transmission. Hurriedly she inserted the key into the ignition and turned it to the on position. Immediately she was greeted with the sound of a V-12 supercharged engine, running on synthetic fuel. For a long time now fossil fuels had all but disappeared. All modern cars ran on electricity, or synthetic fuels made from distilled alcohol for heavy construction equipment, and cargo ships.

The car immediately rolled off the driveway and on to the main street. All around there was nothing but open shifting green fields. Small hills crisscrossed the landscape, to create and aura of almost complete and tranquil peace. Whoever would behold their eyes to this lush land, would never think humanity is tearing itself apart across the Sol System.

Using her ring hand, Natasha activates the cars inboard navigation system. Immediately an image is projected onto the windshield. She quickly switched it to audio mode in order for her to continue to drive with both hands on the wheel.

“Open direct link to TA-Military Command Office.” As soon as she gave the command she was greeted with a display of the TA MCO intranet website.

”Access, Military operation Class 6, code Alpha, Alpha, Zulu, Tango, Bravo, 43-56872.”

“Welcome to Army Command, special forces section, Class 6. We are sorry but, operations have already begun all data is now under code 12 access only. Data will be available in approximately 45 days. Access will now be terminated.” The TA-MCO intranet website automatically turned off. And the regular Internet access portal came back up.

“GOD Damn it, Asshole.” Feeling a rage at being left out in the dark she quickly shifted through the gears reaching 6th gear at a speed of 180mph. All around her the landscape seemed to all but become a blur of greens, deep yellows and oranges. Hundreds of leaves trailed behind the car as it zoomed by, the leaf littered road.

“Access com channel 243-6781.” Again the screen switched to that of audio communications software. Automatically the channel was dialed in and soon an ID and password prompt came up.

”ID is Natasha R53-56181, password is 022136-67d.” Instantly a load screen came up and within seconds she was connected through.

“What happen?” The voice of Arturo came loud and clear.

”What you mean What Happen? That asshole ditched me that’s what happen.” She felt her anger boil up even more. The one thing she despisedabout him was the fact that he almost always tried to do everything on his own, never putting the team in direct danger, or the line of fire. She could remember the countless heated arguments between all the 181st Pilots, including her and their commander.

“Only when you know it’s a assured victory will you ever give us any action. What the hell are we here for?” That was the same question all of them asked. All they ever got in returned was a flat non-questionable no.

The longer the vibrations of the engine transferred to her hand, through the steering wheel, the more it dawned on her, it wasn’t the fact that she was left out of the mission, it was that she new deep down this was a suicide excursion.

“Well that makes 4 of us. Drake and Vladimir are all up here, bitching as well. What can I say, he writes the checks.” She immediately picked up on the frustration in his voice.

“Well I don’t care I happen to know where the ship is docked I am on my way as we speak.” Natasha slammed down on the accelerator even hard causing the rpm to jump up to 8000.

“Mhh, why bother, well whatever, you a big girl, do what you want.” Saying this Arturo terminated the transmission. Natasha silently cursed at him for his lack of concern.

A million thoughts rushed through her mind as quickly as the wind outside the car. Anxiety and Fear all mixed within her, causing a furious storm. Suddenly tears began to flow from her eyes. No longer could she remain calm. The emotion of utter helplessness crushing down upon her. Pulling up her shirt she looked again to her scar. A scar that signified the death and the rebirth of her. She traced it across her lower abdomen.

Because of this scar her whole life had changed. Three years had passed sense that faithful night. In a surprise EAP attack, the base she had been stationed at had all but been completely annihilated. Shrapnel from a shell had managed to tear right through her lower abdomen and her uterus, ripping it to shreds. If it had not been for Marcus who found her and gave her emergency medical treatment she would have been added to the list of casualties. During that attack that’s where Marcus took three rounds while carrying her to the border of a neutral country at the time.
She remembered he had pumped her up with so much adrenalin and morphine she was fully conscious yet she had barely any feeling in her body. She remembered seeing the hole in his shoulder left by one of the rounds. “Don’t worry, it was a high velocity round, it went right through me. I did not feel a thing.” She remembered him saying that to her as he ran with her in his arms, all the while under hostile fire.

I lost my womanhood, I will never be able to have a family, and now I might loose you as well. God I can’t take that please don’t do this to me. I have paid enough for my sins. Please, I beg bring him home safe, I can’t live without him. She pleaded all the while breaking the local speed limit.