*5 years later*
So to catch you up to speed, Cass is an amazing teenager now. Already is studying college courses in technology, math, and sciences. He is graduating high school this year, HIGH SCHOOL. The kid is 13 and just blows us away at everything he's able to do. Mark and Mollie are very proud and he now calls them mum and dad. The hearts in my eyes every time I hear that .....AW!
John and I, we're still strong as ever and have been planning our wedding actually. We waited till some time (about 4 years) after his promotion to inform the office of our relationship and then a few months for our engagement.
While we waited for a response on the matter, everyone looked at each other and we ended up getting silence in return. Responses were a mix of :
"This is new?"
"Yeah, we know."
"Okay, tell me something we didn't know."
"It was obvious to all of us."
This was the general consensus but when I put on my engagement ring finally, that's when we got a more enthusiastic response.
"OH! YEAH!"
"Congratulations!"
"Set a date yet?"
...Me and him..... "Yes, that's why we're telling you, come by either office of ours to get your invite and RSVP card."
...
Later this afternoon, I was sitting in my office checking over some files that could not leave the building for an upcoming intelligence gathering operation I would be doing. I heard a knock and the Head Director came in and handed me some more files.
"Here's more information on the Erlking and an actual untouched copy of the agreement between the Fae Courts and the U.N. I also got you information on every known elderly fairy in France and the area around Omaha beach."
"Thank you Head Director Sir, I really do appreciate you doing this for me." I sincerely reply.
"I know that you're wanting to undo this because of your relationship with HSA (head security agent) John Lacroix, but do you really want to give up all the good you've done and could still do and live a normal boring life?" He had sat down in front of me and stared at me puzzled.
"Thank you for your concern Head Director Lewis Sir, but if I can, yes, I will give it all up to have a normal life. I think the past 76 years of dedicated service to our nation gives me some lee way to retire if I am able to do so. If not, I'll be here long after you're dead and gone. " I smile that knowing smile of why he had asked me this. It only meant more successful missions under his department for his own laurels.
"Sorry, If I've offended you Agent Sin. I hope that information helps. Enjoy the rest of your day." He gets up to walk out and I call him back.
"Sorry sir, but here's your invite and RSVP." I smile standing to hand it to him.
"Thank you agent, Sin."
....
Later that night at home, John and I are going over where we want to honeymoon. Our plans are getting closer to the wire and we have a mission before our wedding and then another soon after the honeymoon. The one before the wedding we will be in separate countries, but after we'll be doing a bigger operation that requires a few teams to work together which includes ours.
"So Maldives? Bali? We can go island hopping in the Bahamas? Or maybe you want to go to Norway, that'd different." I say looking at the travel sites and the places I'd saved that I would want to visit.
John looks at me, "Norway? That's sounds like it would be perfect to see how I can get your voice to bounce off those mountain tops." He stretched his arms and wrapped them around me.
I scoff, "Please, You want to make me start an avalanche on top of a mountain on our honeymoon. You're such a pervert." I push his him away gently.
"Oh? I'm the pervert now?" He laughed. His phone starts ringing, "Hello, Pervert speaking? Oh Hey Mom, no...no...no.. It's an inside joke between me and Mary, yes mom. Yes, I was just joking. Yes, Hold on." He pulls the phone from his ear, "Mom wants to know what time we're going to get fitted for our clothes tomorrow?"
"The appointments at 10 tomorrow, I can pick her up if she would like? It's only going to be her, Moll, Sasha and Grace there."
"Okay, you heard that mom? YES, please pick her up, thank you." He looks at me and points at the phone. "Yes, mom. She will. What?...." He looks at me and starts to walk off, "No of course mom, not until the wedding day. It's only a dress mom."
I just laugh as he handles her. She keeps thinking he'll steal a peek of me in my dress before the wedding since he'll be getting fitted at the same place.
He comes back into the room tossing the phone on the bed. "So where are we going on our honeymoon?" he runs his hands through his hair looking slightly flustered.
"Norway." I said smirking, "I'd hate to not satisfy your curiosity, Mr. Lacroix." I purr leaning over on the couch that we had been sitting at. "Care for some practice now?"
He looks up at the ceiling, "Don't mind if I do." He says before jumping onto the couch catching me off guard making me squeal as he 'roars' at me. I scramble off the coach and he chases me playfully around the house before he captures me and 'punishes' me for running away.
....
The next day at the bridal salon, I made sure that Moll, and two of my closest work friends Grace and Sasha's dresses were tailored to their liking. John's Mom, Cathy, was already done and happy with hers. She was patiently waiting to see what my dress looked like. While the girls were going over a few fit issues with the tailor, Cathy and I discussed the honeymoon plans.
"Yes we're going to visit Norway. It's different and it's beautiful there. We can go hiking or a day cruise on the fjords. Everyone speaks a little English there so we don't need to speak Norwegian to get around. I'd like to go see Reine there, it looks so majestic." I inform his mom, Cathy, while she just smiles and nods.
"Well that is different. Most people want to go somewhere warm and tropical for their honeymoon. I like that though not doing things like everyone else." She responds as the girls come out and she gets excited. "Oh it's your turn now. I'm so excited."
I blush and go back with the tailor and get changed. Before we head out we check for any minor adjusting after the last fitting, that may be needed. It fits perfectly and I can hardly wait for the day now. She grabs a veil for me to get the full effect from them when I walk out.
The reaction was what I expected. The 'oohhs' and 'ahhs' from my party. Even the other employees and brides gave me smiles and wow expression. I was blushing from the compliments and feeling ever so much the term of a "blushing bride" albeit far from one.
It was a fit and flare dress with a floral laced illusion neckline. The lace that covered the bodice, beautifully sculpted my curves and accented the flare down the cathedral train with lace cut outs. Everyone loved it with the simple veil that had very small crystals attached to it making it sparkle ever so lightly.
*Author pulls back edge of 4th Wall* (For those who'd like to see which dress inspired the look, check out Martin Thornburg Danielle) *I'm just going to put this wall back up*
Mollie was wiping tears that leaked out the corners of her eyes. "Oh Mary, I wish Gran could a seen this. You're radiant."
This niece of mine was going to make me start to cry. "Thank you."
We finished the fitting and I got changed and I took my dress home since it was finished. Cathy could not stop telling John how pretty I was and how it would be a miracle if he'd be able to talk at all. We both laughed at that.
"You know mom, I think she makes me speechless all time." Here comes those anime eyes again.....
"Oh you two. Now be careful on your work trip next week. Do not worry about a thing between Moll and I, we'll make sure everything is ready for your big day when you get back." She reassured us as we dropped her back home and headed home to pack our own bags.
......
***** A few days later*****
'How I wish I was home' is all I thought as I'm wipe the sweat off my face that threatens to sting my eyes again. I'm hiking through the Choco-Darien moist forest in Colombia near the Panama border with my pack digging into my shoulders. Me and the few other agents here were all hot, sweating profusely and tired from the constant up hill hike we have been doing since first light for a good location to do some spotting.
Our satellites imaging and information seem to confirm there's an operation of sorts going on here. It coincides with information on a narcotics lab here that's been loading directly onto U.S. bound ships and are able to sneak it past customs and onto the streets. We've been working closely with INL(International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs) and are to meet them at our rendezvous point in one week once we've collected the information and proof of what's being made and loaded.
It's been slow going because the river that they use for transport has lookouts and blinds posted all along the banks. Even the locals are often shot ,their bodies found days, weeks later if at all. Hopefully, we can find some smoke or movement that'll help us pinpoint their location better, but with all the haze from the humidity after the light rainfall yesterday, I doubt it. The GPS doesn't work great down in the valley either, so we were stuck doing a hike up anyways. The bugs have been eating at us even with the repellent we have, bite marks cover my team in the spots the repellent misses or the bugs just don't care.
The last morning before we are to arrive near the compound, I was standing watch with another agent, Rivera. I signaled to him and pointed at his 4, and we watched as a Jaguar strolled past our camp in the wee hours of the morning. It stopped and looked at us for a minute before continuing on like nothing. We got the others up shortly after and made our way through the thick growth and thorny, spider infested areas giving snakes a wide berth we had come upon. We move as quickly as we can, stopping only to scan our surroundings as we get closer to our destination.
I stop the group as I've taken lead. The forest has become quiet, too quiet. We all drop and maintain cover while making note of where each of us are and that our 6's are covered. I pull my rifle up and do a constant scan around us. Soon we here the sounds of footsteps and men yelling. It's about 15 foreign refugees, and immigrants and what looked like 5 coyotes. They're trying to make the trek through the gap to Panama. Poor souls, if they're lucky they might make it to a better life than where they're from. You can sense the desperation and fatigue in the way they move through the forest.
We stay still and quiet letting them pass without notice. We're about to start moving again ourselves about 15 minutes later once they're out of sight and we can no longer hear them, when the first shot is heard. Then the frightened yells and more gun fire. We don't know what we are up against, and with so few of us, we can't do anything to help them. We move quickly up hill, eyes constantly peeled for possible blinds and traps. We have to pause and take cover when a few of the coyotes and refugees start making there was back through the forest. Running wherever they can to get away from the shooters. We see a group of armed men coming over a slightly cleared hill around 600 ft down below us. They're laughing as they start shooting getting one of the coyotes in the leg, and two of the refugees in the back. The refugees were dead, but the coyote was screaming and cursing them to hell over his busted up leg oozing blood. One walked right up and just brought his gun up point blank to the mans face and blasted and hole out the back of his head. Blood and brain matter visible from where we were flew out and sprayed the surrounding floor as his body dropped and hit the ground. He went up to the refugees and did the same to them. They all turned laughing and walked back laughing all the way at the dead bodies they just left.
Anger and shock were on two of the agents faces, while the rest of us merely nodded. This was a daily occurrence in this part of world. We were lucky, that would have been us if we had kept going that same direction. From here on out we are on pins and needles, as we attempt to survey what is happening on the other side of this hill. When we are in a spot that we can see what is there we pause getting our recording gear out and begin getting everything we can.
The thugs on lookout that we saw earlier are sitting back under a tin framed area covered in jungle plants and leaves to disguise it from a birds eye view. Same goes for the the larger open tin framed and walled building where we can see cocaine and other items being made and put into containers marked Rice flour or starch after being weighed. I take pictures and Rivera takes video of them loading the shipment crates and boxes on to a boat tied up nearby on the river. We get the markings on the containers and every single face we can focus on. Doing our work and getting the intelligence we need to get the hell out of there. Rivera takes a device out of his pocket and sticks it in the hole of a tree before leaving.
I make sure were at least a few miles away before we stop to rest and take a drink. "Rivera what was that?" I ask kneeling down to offer him half of an energy bar.
"I was informed to leave a tracker near the compound, so if they need to they'll just send in an airstrike. If we don't make it to the rendezvous in three days or get to a location to send out our GPS signal, they'll be sending one anyways. Figured if they're going to send one, I don't need that on me. Jobs done, trackers there, and its good for a week, now I just wanna get home and have me a beer." He said dazing off into thought.
"Well lets get going then, the more distance between them and us, the better off I'll feel." We gather ourselves and head out north west from our location.
We still have to be careful and pay attention, not only for the drug runners, guerillas, and coyotes, but the jungles dangers as well. A slip and fall on this terrain could result in broken bones or death from the roll down hill. Reaching out to steady yourself could mean a bite from a snake, poisonous frogs, or other critters giving you a bad day. We also have to keep eyes peeled for the indigenous tribal people, if they take us as a threat to them, they'll get us with their blowguns and we'll all be twitching in ten minutes. I do not want to be the only person walking out of this jungle.
We've made it halfway to the rendezvous and we stop for the night. I'm woken up by one of the agents who's on watch gasping and slurring and the other on watch dumping water on his face.
"What happened I ask in a whisper as I pull my gun out and scan the perimeter."
"He was fine just a minute ago then he started moving around like crazy and I saw a gold flash jump off his face." He gives me a look. "I think it was a frog up near his eyes."
"Shit." There's no way to treat golden poison frog toxins. "Don't waste your water." He puts it away and we sit there with him until the toxins finish paralyzing him. "Grab his I.D. and take everything useful from his bag. and person. Put on gloves before you touch him though." I'm waking the others up and we're heading out early today."
We left Agent Grays body where he lay throwing some dead leaf and vegetation over his his body before leaving. It pained me to leave him there, but I marked the site on our GPS, if we could come and retrieve the body later we would. His personal effects were with me and the useful gear was divided between us. Agent Gonzalez red eyes said she was holding back the pain for now. We could mourn our fellow agent and friend later, when we were safe.
We were two miles outside the rendezvous when we heard yelling behind us and a crashing through the forest.