Alex's Revenge Chapter one

“Thank you sir, I appreciate this opportunity and I will be the best Marine I can be;” Alex said as she stood from her seat, located across from the Marine recruiting officer.

                “I’m glad to hear that,” Officer Samuels replied, shaking Alex’s hand.

As Alex walked out of the office she couldn’t help but think about what everyone would say. Alex has never been the shy, quiet girl but never this daring either. *bzz bzz* the vibration of her cell phone pulls Alex from her flashback.

 It’s been four and a half years since the day she joined the Marines, and since then she has been assigned to the United States Marine Corps Forces Special Operations. Looking down at her phone, she sees that Lucy is checking in to see if her flight is still on time. Alex shakes her head and laughs slightly at her friend’s fourth text of the same question.

                “Yes Lucy, it’s still on time, I’ll be landing in Charleston in about three and a half hours” Alex texts back before shutting her phone down for the flight. Just as the flight takes off Alex zones back out into another flashback. Boot camp wasn’t exactly the easiest thing in the world, but she had to do it. This is where Alex met the rest of her Special Forces “crew.” As a Master Sergeant she was able to put her own team together.

             

   First there’s Staff Sergeant Timothy Jackson “T.J.” Andrews, he is her second in command and a real sarcastic pain in the ass when he wants to be. Surprisingly a quick and quiet moving person for someone so big built. T.J. stands about six feet four inches and has muscles popping out of his uniform.

                Then there’s Corporal Samuel Crawford, the guy always challenging Alex the most. He’s always so competitive, but he has a good head on his shoulders. He is the most rational thinking person on the team, and Alex often turns to him when in need of a clear plan.

                Now Corporal Connor Dunning, he’s the best damn sniper a girl could ask for on her team. He can take out anyone within three thousand yards give or take. He loves his Barrett M82A1; if he could he would marry it. Enemies don’t have time to know what hit them before they are already dead on the ground.

                Last but certainly not least are Lance Corporals Adam and Emily Bryant, the married medics. They often work side by side to save the lives of their fellow soldiers. It’s rare when they are separated, but they are just as strong apart as they are together.

                The last mission they were on together didn’t go as well as planned. The mission was an extraction, easy enough go in grab the guy and get the hell out of Dodge. The guy wasn’t there though, after double and triple checking all of their leads, he wasn’t there. “Where is he?” Alex says as she slams her rat against a wall.

                “I-I-I don’t know he was supposed to be at the church as always on a Sunday” Asim stumbles over his words, fearing for his life. He attempts to pull away, knowing full well he has been caught in his lie.

                “Bull fucking shit Asim, tell me the truth now, all of it” Alex screams pressing her M9 Beretta hard against his neck.

                 Suddenly something about Asim changes, his eyes grow darker, a sly cruel smirk appears on his face. “You will never find him, he was never here and now he is further than ever before,” Asim spits out very thick Arabic words at Alex.

                Alex punches him so hard he falls to the ground with a rigid thud. “Whoa Alex what the hell was that about?” T.J. asks as Alex pushes past her team out into the hall of the rundown apartment building.

                “That stupid jack ass in there played us, he played me” Alex says punching a hole in the wall. “He’s not even here, I doubt he ever was” Alex finishes, looking over at her team.

                “We are beginning our descend into Charleston so please fasten your seatbelts we will be arriving in thirty minutes,” the captain says over the intercom pulling Alex from her flashback. She yawns and stretches, looking out the tiny window to the ground below. As the plane lands, Alex looks at her watch noticing she is fifteen minutes early. “Well that will make Lucy happy,” Alex thought to herself.

                “Oh my god, you’re here” Lucy practically screams as Alex walks into the baggage claim area. Alex cringes slightly at the high pitched voice behind her as she grabs her luggage.  She smiles checking out her new surroundings, the Marine in her coming out.

                “Alright, let’s go we have a wedding to decorate for” Lucy says, pulling Alex along behind her.

         Roughly two hours later they are standing in the ballroom. Alex slowly spins taking it all in, trying to figure out the best way to boldly decorate without going overboard. The masquerade theme is a fun one, but not something easy to decorate calmly for exactly.

                Four and a half hours later the ballroom was ready for the festivities. As she walks out of the ballroom Lucy tries to peek in. “You know our deal, you don’t get to see it for five more days just like everyone else” Alex says as she pulls Lucy away from the door. Lucy pouts as they head off to get ready for Lucy to show Alex around town.

                 Alex has been on high alert knowing she could be pulled into another mission at any second, and it’s really starting to drag on her. Come the night of the rehearsal dinner, Alex hopes that the mission can wait one more day. From the start Alex thought Lucy was joking when she said casual for the dinner, but it turned out to be true. Alex gets to wear jeans like she wanted, instead of having to wear a dress two days in row.

                Lucy smiles as she saw Alex walk out of her hotel room a slight smile on her face. Alex is dressed in dark blue jeans not tight, but not loose either. Her red and black button up shirt is half open, revealing a white tank top underneath. Her hair pulled back into a banana clip, while her feet are covered with chocolate brown heeled boots.

           At the restaurant everyone is having a good time. Alex for the most part stays off by herself assessing the room though. Her phone vibrating occasionally which keeps her on high alert. It’s thankfully never a mission though.

     

When Alex arrives back at her hotel later that night, she crashes onto her bed, looking over at the couch. She has her uniform all laid out just in case she needs to leave on short notice. Glancing at the clock she notices she only has six hours before she has to be up again. Before she knows it Alex was fast asleep, continuing her dream about her last mission.

Alex storms back into the apartment and picks Asim up off the floor by his collar. “Asim, remember that deal we talked about? Where if you turn over Abdullah you go free, yeah that’s not happening, I don’t care what happens now,” Alex practically growls at him.

Asim simply smirks as Alex shoves him towards T.J. “Don’t worry I’m willing to die for my leader,” Asim proudly states.

Alex jerks awake at the sound of the alarm, and she groans rolling over to shut it off. “Why is it so early,” She moans, not wanting to get up. Just as she is about to doze back off someone starts knocking on the door. Before she has a chance to even get up she hears “Alex come on get up, it’s my wedding day.”

“Fine, I’m coming, hang on a sec,” Alex says heading for the door. As she opens it Lucy walks in past her, practically bouncing with excitement.

“Give me fifteen minutes to get ready,” Alex says heading for the bathroom. A short while later Alex emerges wearing a tank top and jeans, hair somewhat towel dried. She quickly slips on her sandals and grabs the small duffle bag and the dress bag before heading out the door with Lucy. As they enter the salon downstairs, Lucy quickly pulls Alex to the hair chair making her sit. “You’re up first tell them what you want,” Lucy says, skipping off to get her make up done.

Alex politely but fake smiles at the woman “Uh, can you just curl it then put it up in this banana clip, but not this chuck of bangs please,” Alex says, pulling the bangs she wants out in front of her face.

            The hair stylist gets to work on her hair doing as she requested. Once it’s done Alex smiles and thanks her, then bobby pins the hair to make it look like side swept bangs before walking over to Lucy. “Oh! It looks so good,” Lucy says grinning up at Alex, as the makeup artist puts the last touches on Lucy’s face.

“Thanks,” Alex mumbles, her mind preoccupied with a thousand other things. She hears Lucy speaking as if she is talking to someone else, simply in the background, instead of right next to her. All of a sudden she hears, “okay, your turn, I’m gonna go get my hair done now.” Alex smiles half-heartedly and climbs into the chair, not having to decide on her makeup, Lucy already doing that thankfully.

A few short hours later Alex is walking down the aisle, taking her place as the maid of honor. Glancing at all the guests she spots someone she never thought she would see again. Her heart starts racing, eyes staring straight at his before shifting back down the aisle to where Lucy is now walking from. She tries to focus on the ceremony, but she can see him out of the corner of her eye and it makes her nervous.

After Lucy and Andrew have their first dance, Alex pulls her aside, “you didn’t tell me he was coming.”

“Sorry! It totally slipped my mind,” Lucy says, giving Alex a puppy dog look. Alex sighs and shakes her head unsure of what to do. She knows she can’t avoid him all night long, but she knows speaking to him would be a bad idea. The anxious feeling still with her, she has yet to figure out if that’s a good thing or not.

As Alex aimlessly walks around making small talk with people she doesn’t know and conversing with those she does, she manages to absentmindedly keep tabs on a certain old “friend”. She smiles slightly without realizing it every time she catches him looking at her. 

Just as she finishes giving her maid of honor speech her phone goes off. She glances at the caller I.D. before answering it. “Yes sir, alright sir thank you, I’ll see you then sir,” Alex replies before hanging up. She looks at Lucy sadly before mouthing “I’ll be right back.”

Hurriedly, Alex heads up to her room and changes into her uniform, before packing the few items that weren’t already in her bags. She rushes back down to ball room and walks up to the D.J. asking for the mic. Everyone stares at her as the music stops. Scanning the crowd, her eyes land on him, he looks confused and sad almost. Alex closes her eyes for a brief moment inhaling deeply before turning her attention to Lucy and Andrew.

“Lucy, Andrew I really wish I could stay and help you finish celebrating this incredible and happy day, but unfortunately that call was my mission and I have to go,” Alex says before turning and addressing the rest of the room, “and for those of you who don’t know what I’m talking about, I’m a Marine and I have something very important I have to go and do right now.”

Alex hands the mic back to the D.J. before walking over to Lucy and hugging her tightly; whispering in her ear, “thank you so much for letting me be a part of today.”

Alex says goodbye to the other few people she knows well, all but him of course, before heading out of the hotel and catching a cab to the airport. Once there Alex quickly gets the ticket left for her and heads to the security line hoping they aren’t too busy.

Just as she nears the front of the line Alex hears her name being called. She turns to see him at the back of the security line not being let through without a boarding pass. She looks at the TSA guard motioning for her to step through the metal detectors and says “hold on, I’ll be right back.”

“Wha” Alex starts to say before a certain someone kisses her. She melts into the kiss allowing it to happen, as well as kissing back. Once they break apart Chase smiles softly at Alex before whispering “come back to me, okay?”

“I will” Alex says as she heads back towards the front of the security line. As she crosses through the metal detectors Alex turns and waves to Chase before heading off to find her gate.

Alex stares out the window of the plane, not paying much attention to the people moving around her, her mind being split a few different ways. She barely even hears the flight attendant giving the final takeoff announcements. Before she knows it, the plane is in the air, and she is heading towards Richmond, Virginia.

            Right after landing, Alex starts running through the airport and to the baggage area to meet the MP taking her to Quantico Base. They make it to the base in record time, the MP driving her right up to the General’s office.

            As she steps inside everyone is already there waiting for her. She salutes her commanding officer before he tells them their itinerary and informing Alex she will come up with their game plan once they are at Camp Dwyer.

            Once on the plane to Afghanistan Alex sits off by herself listening to music as the others read or sleep. Alex can barely sleep even though the flight is roughly twenty hours long. She can’t help but think about her family, her friends, about Chase and what he said before she left, about the kiss she has waited to have for years.

            After the plane lands the six of them are taken to speak to the General in charge of the base to see what’s available to them and to be briefed. Alex stands in the corner leaning against a shelf, arms crossed as she takes it all in, already formulating a plan of attack. After going over everything General Shaw takes the team into the command tent so they can begin working out the details of the plan.

            Alex leans over the table, looking at the pictures and maps of the mansion that Abdullah is hiding in. “Alright so we’re going to park a surveillance truck here, across the street from the gate, then there will be three teams positioned, one on each side of the house and one out back just in case we need them,” Alex says guiding her team step by step through the plan.

            “The six of us are going to stay close to these walls, walking up to the gate, and take out the guards in the front courtyard, then we will take out anyone in the windows while walking up to the front door, from there on we will just make it up as we go,” Alex finishes, looking at each team member. They nod in agreement as Alex stares back down at the pictures.

            Long after her team has left the tent Alex is still standing there staring at all the different data and pictures of Abdullah. Her hands gripping the table so tight her knuckles lose all color. Just as she’s about to flip the table she shoves off of it and heads to find her team, not wanting to lose her cool.

            Sitting in the mess hall, Alex watches her team goof off and laugh with some of the other marines, admiring them for being able to be so laid back right now. She tenses at the thought of the craziness she left back in the states with Chase. After a few more minutes of watching everyone she heads off to find a punching bag.

            The next day everyone heads out on the mission. Alex and her team set up along the front wall; her, T.J. and Conner on the right, while Sam, Emily and Adam are on the left of the gate. Alex gives the hand signal and Sam tosses a hand grenade over the wall. Their ears ring from the loud explosion, but they quickly move to the gate to take out any remaining guards.

            Once the courtyard and windows are clear the six of them head for the door, T.J. kicking it open. Alex gets a little too far ahead of her team and is grabbed by one of the enemy soldiers. Gun shots ring off in the background just as Conner and Sam walk into the room where Alex has a pistol pressed against her skull.

            “I suggest you put those guns down or I will put a bullet through her brain,” the soldier growls at them. Alex smirks at her team before quickly spinning, knocking the gun above her head, as a shot is fired and rips through the wall. She kicks the inside of his knee dropping him to ground before knocking him out.

            After clearing the first floor the whole team heads upstairs to find Abdullah. Checking every room, they work their way to the large double doors at the end of the hall. On the count of three Alex and T.J. bust into the room Sam and Connor right behind them, and Adam and Emily bring up the rear.

            As everyone is fighting off random soldiers Alex gets grabbed from behind by Abdullah. He presses the tip of a blade to the front of her left shoulder, and in one quick shove he sinks the metal deep into her skin. Her team watches in horror, as blood begins dripping from Alex’s new wound.

Alex manages to keep from screaming as the pain begins spreading throughout her arm and chest. Without even thinking she rips the blade from her shoulder and spins, shoving the blade into Abdullah’s throat. His body drops lifeless at her feet before she turns to face her team, pressing her right hand to her wound.

“Well that was interesting,” Alex says, panting slightly. Just as Alex starts follow her team out into the hall she gets lightheaded and blacks out, collapsing in a pile on the floor.  Her team hears the thud and rushes to her side, Adam and Emily quickly getting to work trying to stop the bleeding.

T.J. kneels next to his best friend, begging her not to die on him, while Sam calls in for a medevac. Within ten minutes the chopper lands in the street and Alex is put on a stretcher to be taken back to the base. Once back at the base they start working to get her stabilized so that they can transport her to Walter Reed Medical Center.