by Kylie Parker
“Marines dead in Baghdad sting operation”
Four US Marines were killed in a raid that busted up local crime rings allegedly dealing in illegal drugs, stolen military gear and cars, the Department of State announced on Monday.
The suspects had been videotaped selling goods to civilians, including cocaine, methamphetamine, bullet-proof vests, night-vision goggles, and more than 5,000 rounds of ammunition, said Department of State spokesman, Admiral Curtis Rockwell.
The four heroic servicemen are the following:
Bryan Connors (Colonel)
Marcus Donovan (Lieutenant)
Eric Humphreys (Sergeant)
Tom Hicks (Corporal)
Another, much lengthier article to the right read:
Real Estate tycoon grieves the loss of his son
Nearly twenty of the four troops’ closest friends and family members tried their best to say ‘goodbye’ to them at the Cypress Hill National Cemetery in New York. “My only wish is that my son is the last name of the list of casualties,” David Donovan told fellow mourners at the funeral on Sunday, June 12th.
Helen didn’t have to read the rest of the article. Slowly, she turned around to face Marcus.
“Your last name isn’t ‘Hurst’, is it?” She said, her voice barely audible, as she looked up at him.
“No.” Marcus shook his head sideways.
“Why did you lie to me?” Helen asked, clenching her jaw.
“That’s just the official version.” He pointed up at the article. “That’s not how things happened. The only one dealing drugs over there was Colonel Connors. I found out. I told those two guys. They agreed to help me expose him. We caught him red-handed. He pulled a gun on me. I…” He sucked in a deep breath. “I killed him. We all testified on the event. A couple of days later, we were returning from a routine mission outside Mosul, when those two told me that they had been forced to change their statements. They said I shot Connors in cold blood. I tried to ask them why, but then, Captain Simmons executed them, right in front of me. I jumped out of the truck. I got lucky. We were pretty close to the river Tigris. I jumped in.”
“Dear God…” She whispered: she dropped her face into her hands; tears welled up in her eyes.
“I lay low for a few days,” Marcus continued, his voice shattered. “I called my cousin David. He said they told my father I had killed Connors and that they had to take me out. A scandal would hurt the Corps and my father’s business. So, they came up with this…” he faltered, as a tear rolled down his cheek, “… bullshit story. Anyway, David came to Iraq after the funeral. He paid a local to hook me up with a new passport. I’ve been in hiding ever since.”
“Who did your father bury?” Helen wondered, sliding her hands down her face.
“They told him the whole thing happened right outside the barracks fuel storage tanks.” A bitter smile formed on his face as he replied. “They said a few bullets struck the tanks. My body was burned beyond recognition. My cousin said the body wore my watch and a ring with my initials engraved into it. My guess is they killed some unfortunate Iraqi and put my personal effects on him.”
“My God, Marcus…” She heaved a long, heavy sigh. “Have you talked to anyone about this?”
“No,” he whispered, squeezing his eyes shut. “I can’t prove anything. My country told my father I was a traitor. I know him; he’s a Gulf War veteran. He’d rather believe some Pentagon official than me.”
“What about your mother?” Helen posed yet another question, tension written all over her face.
“She died in a car accident when I was twelve.” Marcus informed. “Now, do you understand why you should stay away from me? If the government finds out we’re seeing each other, you’ll be in some serious danger.”
“Is it bad that I still want to date you?” She made her voice sound calm and sweet, raising her hands to his chest. “I’m sorry for what happened to you, Marcus. I really am, but…”
“Helen, don’t.” He interrupted, taking a short step back. “Just go.”
“I will.” She assured him with a nod. “Here’s a friendly piece of advice. Talk to your father. Maybe he’ll understand. Goodnight.”
Helen attempted to move around him, but Marcus blocked her path. Before she could speak to him, he grabbed her by the wrists and pushed her back, pinning her against the wall. Marcus let go of them, lifting his hands to her face as he tilted his head down. Their lips locked in a fervent kiss, as she circled her arms around his neck. His move had stunned her, but Helen would not say “no” to him, especially after his confession. She caressed the back of his neck, feeling his hot breath on his face, as he ran his thumbs across her cheekbones. Still, their kiss would not last long. Marcus slipped his hands up and into her hair, slowly leaning back as he opened his eyes.
“Thanks for understanding me, country girl,” he whispered, gazing into her eyes. “I’m sorry if I disappointed you.”
“You’re not making this any easier for me.” she complained, her lips still quivering from his intense kiss. “Why did you ask me out in the first place?”
“I liked you. I thought you wanted to have some fun,” Marcus explained, threading his fingers into her hair.
“I’m not that kind of girl,” Helen claimed, dropping her arms. “I wanted more from you. Get out of my way, Marcus. Please.”
This time, he obliged. He released her and took one step to the left, exhaling hard. Helen’s disbelief had turned into pure frustration, as she started forward. Her mind was filled with doubt, but her heart longed for more of him. Now that his motives were finally clear to her, she was desperate to go back and hug him again, but she had to respect his wish. After all, he had a very good point. Dating a wanted criminal could only lead to disaster for both of them.
Upon returning to her table, she came across a sight that put a small smile on her face. Michelle had devoured her salad and three slices of pizza.
“I couldn’t help it.” She spoke too fast. “It smelled so damn good.”
“At least one of us got to try it.” Helen’s voice was riddled with sadness.
“Sweetie, what’s wrong? Did you talk to him?” Michelle squinted at her.
“I did.” Helen squeezed her lips. “Can we get out of here?”
“What about the pizza?”
“Nah, forget that.” Helen waved her hand in front of her face. “I’ve lost my appetite.”
“Thank God.” Michelle laughed, getting up. “Now, let’s go get drunk.”
“I’m not in the mood for that, either.” Helen muttered, as the two friends walked alongside each other. “I need to think. I can’t do that while I’m drunk.”
“He didn’t hurt you or anything, did he?” Michelle inquired.
“No. He kissed me.” Helen added. “I can’t talk about this right now. Let’s just go back to the hotel, ok? I’ll tell you what happened, just not tonight.”
“Liv is coming tomorrow.” Michelle stated. “Guess what. She won’t be traveling alone. Gina and Rick are coming with her.”
“That’s nice to hear.” Helen commented. “At least, I won’t have to say the same story twice.”
Chapter Ten
The next morning, the annoying ringing of her hotel room telephone woke Helen up from her deep sleep.
“Hello?”
“Rise and shine, blondie; we’re in my balcony. Liv is here, too. We’re waiting for you.”
“I’ll be there in a minute.”
Oh, for crying out loud,” Helen thought to herself. “It sounded pretty good out there. I definitely heard laughter. Too bad I’m in the crappiest mood ever. Oh well… I’ve missed Liv. I’d love to see her again, although I’m sure she can’t be much help.
James let Helen in the suite and went to the kitchen with Rick. She could hear her friends’ loud laughter, long before she joined them on the balcony. And, incredibly enough, Gina was the one who seemed to be having the best time of the lot. Indeed, the slender redhead was e
cstatic. She didn’t resemble at all the stiff, cynical woman she had met a few months ago.
“Welcome to L.A. you guys.” Helen said, her voice still rather hoarse, as she stepped out into the balcony.
“How’s my sweetheart doing?” Olivia smiled up at her, arms open as Helen approached.
“I’m good.” Helen said, hugging her friend. “Hey, Gina.”
“Shandaken girl!” Gina’s squeaky voice and her huge hug baffled her even further. “It’s so good to see you!”
“Ok, this is weird. Gina never does that.” Helen remarked, seating herself across from Olivia.
“People change, sweetie.” Olivia winked at her.
“Especially when they have a new boyfriend,” Michelle teased.
“I am not going to comment on that,” Gina spoke, jutting her chin up as she averted her gaze from Michelle.
“I’m happy for you, Gina.” Helen smiled. “Can I get some coffee over here?”
“Thank you, my dear.” Gina returned the smile. “I never thought these words would come out of my mouth, but, for the first time in quite a while, I’m actually happy.”
“And Rick’s responsible!” Michelle taunted her again, as Olivia poured coffee into a mug.
“It is a little hard to believe.” Helen agreed.
“Personally, I don’t care.” Olivia voiced her opinion, handing Helen the mug. “He’s a little crude, but he is a nice guy. Who else would have tolerated James for so long?”
“Hey!” Helen exclaimed. “That’s your husband you’re talking about!”
“I know.” Olivia nodded. “But, let’s be honest here. Up till a few months ago, he was very, very high maintenance.”
“Sorry for asking, but what are you guys doing here?” Helen said, lifting the mug to her lips. “Liv, you said you had a few things to do in New York.”
“I did, but I missed my big brute.” A sly smile spread across Olivia’s face. “Plus, Rick wanted to discuss a few work-related issues with him.”
“And I wanted to visit L.A., at last.” Gina interjected. At that point, a song introduction filled the air. Before long, Rick emerged from the bedroom to the right, wrapped in a white sheet and a hairbrush in his hands, as the entire suite was rocked by Kiss’s “I was made for loving you”.
“This is going to be fun.” Michelle hummed. The four friends watched, as Rick danced around in the living room, eyes locked on Gina the entire time. Holding the hairbrush close to his mouth, he even pretended to sing it to her, pointing at her. Michelle, Olivia and Helen burst out laughing, but Gina was an entirely different matter. She focused her attention on him and would not take her eyes off her new boyfriend. Helen was laughing so hard that she pounded her hand on the table, as Olivia and Michelle collapsed into each other.
“You can laugh all you want.” Gina spoke in a snobby tone, as the song faded out. As the four friends quickly realized however, Rick’s performance was not over yet. He tossed the hairbrush across the floor and joined them in the balcony, with the same, silly look on his face.
“Great Lord…” He said, looking up into the sky, as he extended both arms. “It’s been a long time since you and I talked. I have not been your humblest of servants. I tend to swear a lot. I spend a lot of money on booze. I do not know if I am worthy of this huge honor to have this great piece of…” He paused, “… art in my life. Gina is…” Rick didn’t have time to finish his rant. Two massive arms emerged from behind him and pulled him backwards. “Hey, man!” He cried. “I’m not done yet!”
“Excuse us, ladies.” James said with a nod.
“Was he going to say ‘ass’?” Helen’s question made them laugh even harder.
“More than likely,” Gina replied. “He’s been focusing his comments on mine since Olivia’s wedding.”
“Is that why you’re dating him?” Michelle chuckled.
“You don’t have the least clue as to what kind of man he is.” Gina’s voice turned into a sweet, loving whisper. “He takes me to all kinds of fancy places, he introduces me to everyone, he’s a great listener, he pays attention to all of my needs, and the sex? Oh, my God. It’s just out of this world.”
“I’m intrigued,” said Helen as she raised an eyebrow.
“He gave me this amazing massage the other day.” Gina lowered her tone. “He’s got magic hands. They’re very soft. He was very patient with me. He rubbed me all over for more than two hours. All that pampering made me feel so good, so special… he spent more than twenty minutes massaging my butt. I couldn’t help but breathe hard and moan. We had the best time in bed.”
“God, that sounds hot…” Michelle commented. “I mean, can you imagine your boyfriend massaging you for that long? It’s got to feel good.”
“I was expecting that from him, really.” Helen spoke her mind. “The guy’s all about the ass.”
“Are you jealous, Shandaken girl?” Once again, Gina’s snobby tone reappeared, much to Helen’s annoyance.
“Damn it, what is wrong with you people?” She yelled. “James calls me ‘girl’ all the time, Marcus calls me ‘country girl’ and Gina calls me ‘Shandaken girl’. Helen! Ok? My name is Helen!”
“Whoa! Whoa!” Olivia exclaimed. “Calm down. First of all, who’s Marcus?”
“God…” Helen gave an exasperated huff. “He’s the biker from your wedding. He lives here.”
“What?” Olivia squeaked. “He…”
“That’s right, Liv.” Helen interrupted. “He lives here. We went out, a couple of nights ago. We had fun, we had sex and then, he practically kicked me out. Last night, Michelle and I ran into him. He’s a chef at this Italian restaurant in Glendale. I confronted him. I swear to God, I was this close to punching him in the face. But then…” Her voice broke, tears rising up in her eyes as she dropped her gaze from Olivia’s stare. “Then, he explained everything.”
“Oh, no,” Olivia whispered, rising from her seat. “Helen, what did he say?”
“He lied to me about his last name. He said it was ‘Hurst’, but it’s ‘Donovan.’ He’s some rich realtor’s son. He used to be in the marines. While in Iraq, he found out that some colonel had been dealing drugs. They got into a fight. Marcus killed him. There were witnesses, but they took them out, right before his eyes. The government told his father he was a traitor. He doesn’t know his son’s still alive.” A single tear rolled down Helen’s cheek, as she finished her short narrative.
“Sweetie, look at me.” Olivia urged, sitting down on her knees beside her. “Do you like this guy?”
“Very much;” Helen whispered; “Why?”
“We can try to help him.” Olivia declared, reaching up to cup her friend’s face. “Gina, tell her about Rick’s nephew.”
“Pete is a very skilled hacker.” Gina’s tone changed to an emphatic tone. “He’s the one who, um…”
“Say it, Gina.” Olivia commanded. “It’s all over, anyway.”
“He hacked into ‘Atlas Records’ database and retrieved the video of Olivia’s bribery.” Gina went on.
“We can ask him a favor.” Olivia spoke in her most comforting voice. “Don’t give up yet.”
“Liv, what are you talking about?” Frustration still lingered in Helen’s voice. “This is the Pentagon, for God’s sake. The level of security will be much higher, not to mention that hacking into a government agency is a felony. Honestly? I don’t think they’d be stupid enough to keep an electronic record of this.”
“Maybe,” Olivia shrugged. “But, I wouldn’t be wearing this ring on my hand if it hadn’t been for you. It’s the least I can do for my friend.”
“Oh, Liv…” Helen sniffled, reaching down. She put her hands on her friend’s shoulders and gently pulled her up, as Olivia wrapped her arms around her back. “Thank you. Thank you so much.”
“Anytime, sweetheart,” Olivia whispered, holding her tight, as Helen’s tears soaked her t-shirt; “Anytime.”
“Guys, I’m sorry to interrupt this emotional mome
nt, but, I have a rehearsal with James at six and it’s blazing hot. I haven’t been to the beach yet. Let’s go catch some rays.” Michelle suggested. “The redhead here could use a tan.”
“What a great idea.” Gina’s eyes sparkled with excitement. “That’s one of the reasons why I wanted to come to L.A.”
“I’m going to talk to the guys.” Olivia spoke, easing her grip on Helen’s back. “I like that idea, too. Helen, don’t feel like you’ve lost just yet, ok?”
“Ok.” Helen nodded, wiping her tears off her face.
It’s hopeless, Liv. I don’t know how good a hacker this Peter guy is, but that’s not the point. I doubt he’ll want to go to jail for some stranger like me. Thanks a lot, though. That hug made me feel so much better.
Chapter Eleven
James and Rick were delighted to hear Michelle’s idea. Still, when she told them exactly where she wanted to go for a swim, James was not as excited as before, whereas Rick was thrilled. Michelle had chosen Muscle Beach, maintaining that it was close and that the spectacle of dozens of people, working out in such short proximity would amuse them. Most of the time, the gorgeous, California Beach was full of aspiring athletes or just men who were simply trying to show off their muscles. In Michelle’s opinion, nothing could entertain them more. Olivia was able to change James’s mind and soon, they were on their way to the beach.
Upon their arrival, Olivia, Gina, James and Rick quickly stripped down to their bathing suits and went for a swim, whereas Michelle and Helen chose to lie down in sun chairs and relax. Happily for them, the beach was not so crowded and most of the people had gathered close to the gym, hundreds of feet away from them.
