...Isabella POV…
Now I am going to officially say that this day is just getting worse. Not only have Clayton had to risk his life to save me, but now he has gone and gotten hurt. Up until now, there was no pain reflected in his eyes, but the moment I mentioned it, I can see the fear settle over his face.
"Clayton, come with me; I need to have you checked out."
I look over to Clark and Galland; they are the closet by, the rest of the Marines have gone to secure the camp and its surroundings.
"Can someone please help me carry him?"
"Isabella, no! It is fine; I can walk."
"Clayton, it is not! Look at all that blood. It is a wonder that you have not passed out."
"Please, I can walk; if I pass out, then you can get someone to carry me."
I see him chuckle at me, find the very fact that he can pass out as rather amusing. I think he is more shit scared than he lets on to believe. But yes, trust Clayton to see the humor at
...Isabella POV…Sitting here next to his bedside, I cannot help but think how close Clayton came to his death. Out here, reality is real, the enemy is ruthless, and they shall not think twice about taking your life. Take how that man came into the camp the way that he did; it reminds me that we are not safe. We might be amongst the best trained Marines in the world, but catch you off guard only once, and it spells your end.They say that you should not be foolish when it comes to the danger you put your life in, but this is what these men live for. They thrive and live on the edge; the danger is what makes them push themselves to a limit. By all honesty, I can say that it was not a desire I had from the start, and I still do not have it. I am still here only for Clayton; yes, I serve a bigger purpose, and it is one that I do not take lightly. These men here need me, and yes, I need them to remind me that we are here for a greater good.But Clayton shall
I believe that we are whom we choose to be. Nobody is going to give you anything. You have got to go out and fight for it. Nobody knows what you want, expect you, and nobody will be as sorry as you if you don't get it. Nobody has the power to shatter your dreams, but you. So do I believe that I should give up on my dream?I have fought with every part of my being to get what I want. It takes a lot for me to give up. I can't just give up because of one thing that happened. I will keep on fighting and fighting until I have nothing left in me, and giving up is the only option left.Now, did I expect for this conversation to happen so soon again, not truly after everything that we have just gone through. I know that I had a very close call with death, but does this now mean that I wish to go back home?But what I also do know is that she lived her own horrible experience herself; I can not even begin to imagine how terrified she must have been. Therefore I can compl
Talk about imperfect timing at the perfect time. This man that stands here with an utterly stupid smirk on his face in the opening of the tent better has a very valid excuse for rudely interrupting me just as I am about to take Isabella in a way that will even make her blush. She is aching and ready to go; I can almost guarantee that she is the perfect wet mess for me as her body quivers in anticipation.But wait…"Lewis.""Yes, Sergeant?""Is someone dying?""No, Sergeant.""Is someone dead?""No, Sergeant.""Then why are you bugging me?""I…uhm…it."I hear him hesitate for more than a few seconds too long, and that alone says it all. He is wasting my time entirely unnecessary. If I can place it precisely, he has come across his own dilemma that he has no idea how to resolve."Lewis.""Yes, Sergeant?""Unless the camp burns down, do not dare come to disturb me again.
Walking out of the tent, I feel like a completely different man. I have just made love to the most beautiful woman I have ever set my eyes on, but I have also not wavered in my decision. Isabella is known to have the ability to bring me to my knees. I can, for certain, say that I shall do anything for her. Even though her decision to have come is clear, what does trouble her is if she should remain where there is nothing but fear surrounding her. I can almost say that she has what happened to Mark still very present in her memory.I do not blame her for feeling this way, we have not been here two days yet, and she has been attacked twice. And then I get myself stabbed in the process as well. So you can say that terror lies in every corner of her body.Now, what can I do to make her feel differently? Nothing. Isabella is very strong-willed, and do I even dare to say stubborn. It is that hard-ass attitude that made me fall in love with her in the first place. Do I wish t
I watch Isabella stand motionless while she watches me as I am about to disappear into the bushes behind the very far end of the camp. Just as we completely disappear, I turn to her one last time and mouth to her, 'I love you.' She waves at me, and seconds later, we are completely out of sight.I feel my heart skip a beat at the overwhelming thought that it might have been the last time that I would see her. It is absolutely absurd; that is not even a thought I need to entertain, for I shall always return to her no matter the circumstances.But I need to push this fear aside and focus on the mission at hand. So it is in absolute silence that we make our way into the forest, with Clark ahead scanning the floor and the surrounding to check for any fresh footstep. With each step, we are scanning every bush as we slowly creep our way past it.With the sun hanging low, there is a warning of rain that should become in within the next hour; if the present situation is
What terrifies me the most? The sounds of their voices getting louder as they are getting closer? Or the crippling thought that I have heard this voice before?Here, where I had felt safe only a second ago, I have an incredible fear that in only a few seconds, my trembling body shall be discovered and that I shall be ripped from underneath the thick brush.So, with a suffocating grip on my heart, I wait patiently as their feet passed me one by one. The sounds of their boots squashing as they disappear into the mud are even more horrifying than the deep laughter that is coming from their chest. The mere sight of their belt-fed machine guns brings so many memories crashing into my mind. For one moment, it feels that I cannot breathe.But my determination and the mission at hand snaps any thought from my mind. This has now not only become an urgency for the protection of the camp, but I shall bring down on him what he deserves. I am not a man for revenge, but a man
I feel let down that Harrison will keep something as important as this from me. I have now reached a point where I am beyond frustrated that everyone feels the need to treat me like a porcelain doll. I am a Marine, but even more importantly, I am a man. I am not a little boy that needs his handheld; I do not need anyone to fight my battles for me, and least of all, I will not let anyone tell me what to do.Life is too damn short to waste your time on trying to fix something that is not broken. Yes, my body might be broken, but it does not mean that I can not perform at the best of my ability. I, and I can proudly say it; I am even far better than your average Marine. Every single man in this camp has his own problems. Am I sitting here and judging him?Now talking about men, where is Isabella? I would have thought that she would be there to greet us. Well, I love the woman, but sometimes I do fear that she does not have her priorities straight either. She, after all, i
It is early morning, just before sunrise. We are all lining up, waiting for Harrison to brief us on the mission that lies ahead. I will be honest; my head is not in the game. I am still very much upset at Harrison and Isabella. I cannot shake the feeling of rage that I feel towards them both for betraying me. Somehow I can still accept Harrison, I guess he was just trying to protect me, but Isabella, that is a low blow. I keep on convincing myself that she is only feeling lost and scared, and yes, I understand that, but to leave and not say goodbye. If she had this in mind, why did she not tell me?I try to push this to the back of my head and listen to the plan of attack. Harrison is going over each detail twice and then wait for the third time. The plan is clear; we will attack them after sunset; we need to catch them completely off guard. MacKey will take them from the south; we will move in at the northside. The attack will be swift; there will be no one left alive; our i