by S. M. LITTLE
“What’s it gonna take to get into you, girl?” Stalker breathed out. Tina almost passed out from his breath. It was horrid, full of booze and rancid smelling.
“Excuse me?” Tina shouted. She was trying to draw attention to herself, so other people might notice what was happening.
“I said, what’s it gonna take to get inside you?” Stalker bellowed. The music was so loud that nobody paid any attention.
“Not on your life!” Tina shouted and tried to turn away.
“You don’t understand. I will get what I want, and I will get it from you,” Stalker said, as he grabbed her arm and turned her back around to face him.
Tina tried to wiggle free but he was too strong. She turned her head to search for her friends but they were on the other side of the dance floor, giggling with some guys. She was alone and about to have something horrible happen to her.
“I think the lady said no, mister,” an unfamiliar voice said. Tina whipped her head towards the voice to find an average-sized guy dressed in jeans and a t-shirt. He wasn’t huge, by anyone’s standards, but right now, to Tina, he was Andre the Giant.
“Help me,” Tina shouted to the new guy.
“Yeah, help her,” Stalker said, as he released Tina and turned to confront the new guy. Stalker reared his right arm back and swung for all he was worth. New Guy easily ducked under the typical drunk round house right, stood back up and jammed his right foot into the knee of Stalker. Stalker dropped to his left knee, howling in pain. That’s when the elbow of New Guy shattered Stalker’s nose. As blood exploded out from his broken nose, Stalker fell to the ground, unconscious.
“Ma’am, I think we need to get out of here,” New Guy said.
“Agreed,” Tina responded. They raced over to get her friends and leave before the cops showed up.
Tina smiled to herself while reminiscing. She never realized, on that night, that her knight in shining armor stood 5’10” and weighed about 185. She also didn’t know that night how madly in love she would fall with him.
They traded phone numbers after departing from the club. She at least had to thank him with a dinner or something. He wasn’t exactly her type, as far as appearances go. It’s not that he wasn’t cute, but she sort of had a thing for GQ types. New Guy was cute in a more rugged kind of way. His face spoke volumes about the man he was. It was weathered, even for his young age. That made him sort of handsome, at least to her. It was his eyes that did it for her though. They were a brilliant blue, and like his face, spoke volumes. They told her this man was caring and gentle. Those eyes warmed her to her core.
After that night, they spoke nearly every day. His name was Bob, and he was finishing his education to become a paramedic. He was also a volunteer firefighter, which made him even more attractive, especially to her friends. Many nights they would tease her about his firefighter suit.
Bob also wore his heart on his sleeve. He knew within days that Tina was ‘The One’. He even told her so. She remembered the day he told her they would get married. She nearly broke it off then but didn’t because he said it with such certainty and such charisma that she decided to hold off to see if it would be true.
Bob carried himself with such confidence that women couldn’t help but be attracted to him. He knew what he wanted from life and wasn’t afraid to go after it. The only thing that was a negative, if it could be considered that, was he hated to fly. She couldn’t get him near an airport even if that was the only thing that would save his life. Tina decided that if that was the worst thing about him, she could accept that.
As for herself, Tina could not complain. She stood 5’6”, 120 pounds, with flaming red hair just past her shoulders and an athlete’s body. She worked hard every day to maintain her figure, because when Bob complimented her on her ‘brains and beauty’, she had to keep from blushing. Tina liked the looks he gave her, and she worked to keep it that way.
Nature had given her enough up top to keep most men looking, even when Bob shot them his best death glare. She knew he didn’t really mind the looks others gave her, because he knew that at the end of the day, she was a one-man woman. Bob was hers, and she was his.
They finally arrived at the entrance to the park, paid the fee to enter, and reached their favorite camping spot. It was the same one they used every time they came here. A tall tree provided plenty of shade to keep the tent cool. A small, wandering stream was off to the side and the site had plenty of million-dollar views around it.
They settled in, pitching the tent, and getting their camp set up. It wasn’t long before night fell, and her girls needed to have that conversation with Bob.
CHAPTER FOUR
DULUTH, MINNESOTA
Dylan Dalton lay awake in bed. He had a big day ahead of him. He was going to meet up with his ex-girlfriend, April. She was his high school sweetheart, but their relationship wasn’t working any more. April couldn’t handle being with someone who was gone so often.
Dylan’s job forced him to be away for long periods of time. He was a Marine. Not just any Marine, he was a Force Recon Marine. Special assignments for him meant traveling overseas and doing things that he could never tell his mother.
Dylan had a passion for his country that many could not understand. It was a part of him from an early age. He learned about the Fourth of July and what it meant. He learned about all the wars that America had fought. Dylan learned about 9/11 and what it did to the country. He decided after learning about 9/11 that he wanted to join the military. He then dedicated his life to being ready for the day he could join.
Dylan was always in the gym at school, pumping iron and running. Anything he could do to be physically ready for his military career. He studied war manuals and bought gun magazines to read up on weapons. When the Military Channel came out, he thought it was better than sliced bread.
When the time came to enlist, Dylan was a brick shithouse. He stood 6’0” and weighed around 250. It was solid muscle. He was in better shape than a lot of guys coming out of basic training.
He attended every training course he could. Scout sniper, SERE training, everything. What sold him on Force Recon was the movie Heartbreak Ridge. He thought they were so cool after Gunny Highway made the squad into Recon Marines.
The only thing he didn’t count on was falling in love with April. She mattered almost as much to him as his country. It was the hardest decision he ever had to make. They tried to continue their relationship while he was in basic and in other schools, but it just wasn’t working. Maybe if he was a recruiter and in a stable location, but not while he was gallivanting across the globe. They still cared very deeply for each other and neither one could find the will to move on. He always looked forward to getting leave so he could go home and spend time with her.
Today was that day. He was home and ready to meet her. Nothing was going to stand in his way, not even the zombie apocalypse. He jumped in ‘Eleanor’, his 1967 Ford Mustang. He had spent some time restoring her, but she was a far cry from the car in Gone in 60 Seconds. Pulling out of his parent’s driveway, Dylan hit the gas, spun the tires, and screeched away. He loved doing that. He was a man’s man, after all.
It didn’t take him long to arrive at April’s apartment. He reached the entrance door to the building to find that she was already there, waiting. He stepped back in utter amazement.
She stood before him, all 5’1” of her. She wore her blonde hair down, as usual, but this time she had red highlights. It amazed Dylan that she had managed to maintain her figure from high school. She was always active, but now she seemed to have put on a little muscle as well. She still very much looked like the head turning, stunner he once escorted to the prom.
“My god, girl. What have you been doing?” Dylan said in amazement.
“My new job has me lifting all sorts of things. I guess it’s paying off,” April said.
“I would say so,” Dylan said while he stared at her.
“Ok, enough undressing me, let’s go. I’m hun
gry,” she said.
They hopped into the car and Dylan sped away. First on the agenda was to put some food in his girl’s belly. Red Lobster was always a favorite for them, so seafood it was. Being so early in the day, they ate a light lunch and then headed off on their next adventure.
There was always so much to do in Duluth that one never thought about being bored. Their favorite thing to do was hang out in Canal Park and watch the cargo ships come in and out of the harbor. There was a museum right next to the canal that had a complete history of the harbor and a chart displaying the times when ships would be coming through. All a person had to do was be there at the right time to watch the lift bridge go up and a ship entering or exiting. It was always fascinating to watch the massive ships as they were piloted through such a small canal.
There were also shops all along the road leading into the park. Some were famous, like the Duluth Trading Company, with its awesome commercials. Others were not so famous, but just as fun to visit, anyway. Toy shops, candy, clothing, just about everything you could think of.
Of course, there were also eateries and bars all over the place, trying to take advantage of the tourism that the city brought in. One such place even had a famous marathon named after it.
The two spent much of the afternoon wandering around the shops, buying this or that, and just people watching. Later in the afternoon then ended up at a local watering hole, enjoying Mojitos on the outdoor patio.
Dylan thought the day was just as gorgeous as his girl. Small puffy clouds, a slight breeze off Lake Superior and plenty of sun. He felt it was time to drop the bomb.
“So, I’ve been thinking,” Dylan started off. “I’ve traveled the world. Done my bit for king and country. Maybe it’s time for me to slow down a little?”
“What do you mean by slow down?” a shocked April asked. She had waited for this conversation for years. She never actually thought it would happen but had always dreamed about it.
“Ok, don’t get me wrong here. I am still very much a soldier and would do anything for my country, but maybe it’s time I focus a little more on us,” Dylan said hesitantly.
“Focus?” April asked. She didn’t know whether to be elated or pissed.
“Um…Yeah?” Dylan said, even more on guard.
“Focus? After all this time, is that all you can say? Focus? Don’t you think we deserve more than just focus?” April blasted out. Pissed had won.
“Ok, maybe it was a bad choice of words,” Dylan defended.
“Bad choice? I’ll say,” April retorted.
“Babe, can you just listen to me for a second? Please?” Dylan begged.
“Fine,” she growled out.
Taking a deep breath and trying to form the right words in his mind, Dylan just blurted it all out in one long-winded barrage.
“I am taking a new assignment with the Corps. I won’t be traveling overseas anymore and hoped that maybe we could think about trying to be together again. Only if you think you want to, because I wouldn’t want to push you into anything you don’t want to do, but I was also thinking that maybe we could think about getting married, if you think it’s a good idea?”
April sat there in a daze, trying to comprehend the words that had just flown out of Dylan’s mouth. All she got was ‘assignment’, ‘together’, and ‘married’.
“Um, can you repeat the part of the stuff where you talked about…things?” April blurted.
Dylan took another deep breath and tried to calm down.
“Baby, I’m not on active assignment anymore. I am still with the Corps and still a Force Recon Marine, but I can be home now,” he started. Dylan got out of his chair, got down on one knee and produced the ring.
“Will you marry me?” he said, trying not to let his nervousness show.
April jumped out of her chair and launched herself at Dylan, knocking him over. They landed on the ground with her on top of him.
“Oh, YES!” she screeched. “YES, YES, YES!”
The other occupants of the patio all stood up and started to cheer and clap. Loud whistling could be heard and April immediately turned nineteen shades of red.
“Shall I break out the champagne, sir?” the waiter asked him, laughing.
“Yes!” Dylan shouted, as he got up and picked up his bride to be. “Drinks for everyone!”
A loud cheer erupted from the peanut gallery as the party started. From somewhere in the crowd, both Dylan’s and April’s parents walked up to them.
“Did you guys know about this?” April asked.
“Yes. He’s had it planned for a while,” Dylan’s father said. “He wouldn’t let us show our faces for fear that you might think something was up.”
April raced to hug her parents and Dylan’s parents. She was as giddy as a school kid. She had always hoped that Dylan would ask, but the more time that passed, the more she doubted it.
“I love you!” she said to Dylan and kissed him. It was a passionate kiss, filled with all the joy and love she felt in that moment.
She finally broke off the kiss and stared into his eyes. “I’ve waited a long time for this.”
“I know, and I’m sorry. It’s our time now,” he promised her. “I just need to get back to Lejeune to do some final things. I won’t be gone long.” He was referring to Camp Lejeune, North Carolina.
“You better not be!” she said. “When do you have to leave?”
“Tomorrow. I need you to take me to the airport. I’ll be back within a week,” Dylan said.
“Ok, the Corps gets you for one final week starting tomorrow. Tonight, you’re mine,” she told him.
“Fair enough,” he replied.
CHAPTER FIVE
MANHATTEN, NEW YORK CITY
Brian Johnson was driving down FDR Drive with his wife Amy. They were late for work, and he was racing down the road as fast as traffic would allow. It was a terrible morning for the couple. The previous night Brian had gotten confirmation that Amy wasn’t exactly the faithful, loving wife he thought she was. She was having an affair.
In spite of that, Brian was willing to overlook the affair if she would agree it stopped now. He knew he was acting like a gullible fool, but he loved her. All he wanted was for them to live a long life together. She was all he ever wanted, and if it took forgiveness, then so be it.
This morning’s argument came from Brian not wanting her to go back to work. She had betrayed him and he felt the least she could do was quit her job and find another. It was her boss she was having the affair with, after all.
They were cruising down the FDR when they got to East 23rd street. They were still arguing, so Brian only had half of his attention on the road. He veered to the right as he was yelling at Amy, and the right front of his car plowed into the rear of another car. That car slid forward and hit a pedestrian, while the rear of Brian’s car swung around to the left and smacked a second car coming the opposite way.
When Brian’s car slid into the oncoming car, glass shattered and flew everywhere. One piece hit Brian in the neck, slicing his neck open. Amy’s head first hit the windshield and then bounced to the left as they collided with the second car. Brian’s body shielded her from a majority of the flying glass, but a piece of debris sliced open her wrist, nicking an artery.
The pedestrian, a woman named Jordan Stark, saved herself by jumping upwards to avoid most of the impact from the vehicle. Upon landing, she hit a piece of glass and tore open her leg. To her misfortune, she was on blood thinners, so for her any cut meant severe blood loss.
The man in the first car that was hit, Charles Evans, wasn’t wearing his seatbelt. After hitting Jordan, his car slammed into a light post, sending him headfirst into the windshield. He received a large gash on his head and had a large shard of glass embed in his shoulder. Charles began bleeding profusely from both wounds.
The ambulances arrived, and transported all four the several blocks to the Bellevue emergency room. The scene inside was absolute chaos. The nurses liked to
believe it was controlled chaos, but it was chaos, none the less.
Brian was the first one in and examined quickly. The ER staff determined that he had suffered a severe cut to his throat, which nicked his carotid artery. He was in danger of losing his life if the medical professionals couldn’t stop the bleeding and get him more blood. The ER doctor quickly repaired the damaged artery as the rest of the staff worked to stabilize Brian.
“What’s his blood type?” one nurse shouted.
“Doesn’t matter, give him the synth blood,” the doctor ordered. “They all get the synth.” The doctor wanted to get things moving so he could help all the victims.
One nurse, her first day in the ER, was so nervous she was shaking. She attempted to set up the blood transfusion but somehow ruptured the first bag when she attempted to start the IV. Synth blood flew all over the room, coating everyone there in blood. The nurses frantically continued to work and finally got a fresh bag of synth blood prepped for Brian’s transfusion.
Amy was in the room next to him, getting the gash in her wrist repaired. It didn’t take long for the surgeon to repair the damage and the staff got her hooked up with a transfusion of the synth blood to replace what she had lost.
Charles, the driver of the other car, was next. Looking at him, the nurses could tell he had lived a rough life. They could see track marks on his arms and knew they had a possible addict in front of them. Just because he was an addict didn’t mean that he deserved less treatment from them, but they were more cautious about the medicines they used around him.
The nurses worked continuously, stopping the bleeding and repairing the gash on his head. He howled in pain as they removed the shard of glass from his shoulder. It had penetrated deep and hit some nerves. Any movement sent waves of nausea through him. Soon, the glass was removed, the wound cleaned, and he was stitched up. They started replacing the lost blood with synth blood.
