Chapter 10 - Return

Nick and his team are under heavy fire but they manage to keep the enemy at bay. Nick moves like a leopard in the grass and shoot every enemy that's in his sight. Just when they thought they have cleared the area, another wave of the enemy moves closer. Nick throws a grenade and manage to take half of them out. Every few minutes, Nick looks back to see if Mike is still standing. He just wants him to hold on for a few more minutes.

"Mike!! You hold on man!!"

"Yeah, man! Now go get em!"

Nick and his team work their way further into the enemy lines and take them out like they do with every other mission they've ever encountered. They're the best of the best and there's nothing they can't do. Nick moves in behind one of the enemy soldiers and easily get access to his neck to break it.

His attention is then immediately diverted to the explosion that comes from behind him. he's been trained to fall to the ground, with his hands covering his head when he hears an explosion but this time Nick goes against all he has been taught. He stands up and runs back to Mike, who isn't standing there anymore but instead there's only dust, not the dust that he's used to but human dust. The team covers Nick against the enemy until there's no one left to shoot.

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

KIM'S POINT OF VIEW

Everyone quiets down and the Admiral speaks.

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

The crowd whispers between themselves.

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

You turn and whisper to Nita. "Who's Bravo1?"

"Oh, it's Nick's team. They're the best team that the Navy Seals has"

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

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

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

(Oh my god! If Nick is on the island and the island isn't so far, then that sound is coming from the island. What if something happened to Nick?)

You feel the very existence of you flowing out of your being. The coldness that takes its place is indescribable. You feel lost at the thought of Nick not being around anymore. Through this entire disaster, he seems to have been your pillar of strength without you realizing how much you've been depending on him.

NICK'S POINT OF VIEW

Nick wants to fall to his knees and cry out loudly but he has his men looking up at him to be strong. He walks up to the guys.

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

Everyone nods and agrees, then returns to clear a perimeter. Nick walks closer to one of the enemy soldiers and it's clear that they're part of the underground drug lords found almost in every country.

(We must have walk in on their base of operations. There's probably much more of them but for now, this will have to do)

They walk on for a little while longer making sure to use their scanners for mines. Once they find a mine they mark it clearly and built a small fence around it. Nick feels satisfied that this part of the island is clear and signal two men to go with him back to the boat. The other men stay and stand guard as they're ready to take the people to the island. He gets to the ship and boards it. They enter on the other side of the ship where the people aren't gathering.

"John, let the officers to start lowering the boats and start with the evacuation"

"Yes, sir!"

KIM'S POINT OF VIEW

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

You stand on an upper level and you look sown as they board the ship. You're holding your breath, hoping to see Nick. The first man board and then the second, then it's Nick but what you see on his face is total despair. Your heart skips a beat and you know you need to be with him now.

You're about to make your way down to him when you see Helena walking up to him. You stop in your tracks and just stand there watching as she embraces him. He hugs her but his face is emotionless. Then he sees you.

NICK'S POINT OF VIEW

He dismisses his team and are about to go to the Admiral to give his report, when Helena walks up to him. "Baby. you're back"

"Yes, I'm here"

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

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

She gives him a hug. He returns the hug but his heart is heavy. He can't stop thinking about Mike and how he won't be able to give his wife a hug or talk to her again. Misery shoots through his being and he feels hopelessness overtaking him. He's about to pull away when he sees you. His heart fills with longing and the desire that you could be the one he's hugging right now. He looks in your eyes.

KIM'S POINT OF VIEW

You see him looking at you and you make sure he sees you when you move your hand over your heart, nodding at him. You see his eyes intensifies and a small smile appears on his face.

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