The Soldier Next Door

There is an echo of a gunshot that is traveling through the barracks.

My heart has come to an abrupt stop, and all I can feel is the suffocation I feel as I cannot breathe.

For a brief moment, I have snapped my eyes closed, but the fear of what I might see when I open them makes me not want to face the scene that has happened in front of me.

I will simply die if I have to open my eyes and see my wife lying on the floor. For one, I don’t know what I will do to Emma, and as for the next, I might just fucking die right there on the floor with Ana.

But next from the side of me, I hear the voice of Gibbs, “Ethan! Ethan! Ethan, can you hear me?”

By the tone of his voice, I am trying to understand what has happened without having to open my eyes, but then there is another sound, “Soldier!”

I immediately snap my eyes open.

“Ana!”

She chuckles softly at me, “Yes, last time I checked. Are you okay, soldier?”

“Boo, I was so goddamn scared that she had shot you.”

But as I look past Ana, I see one of the officers move closer to Emma that is still very much alive. Now I don’t know what I am presently feeling or even thinking, but I descend down on her and press my gun right into the back of her head again.

The entire crowd gasps and there is silence for only but one voice, “Soldier, don’t do it.”

Well, I wish that was Ana, but I have one rather nervous Officer standing in front of me with wide eyes and a fairly trembling hand.

I am a man with a purpose.

This woman will not come near my family again.

But this woman is also foolish, “You will not shoot the woman you love, now will you?”

I only but laugh at her, “You are right, I won’t shoot the woman I love because it is not you.” Pressing the gun even harder against the soft skin of her head, I continue to rumble, “You will not come near my family again; I am going to make sure of that.”

Then from behind me, I hear the voice of reason come over my shoulder, “Ethan,” Ray’s voice is nearly begging, “Please put that gun down.”

“Ray, this bitch tried to have Ana and me killed, and then she put all of your lives in danger. She does not deserve to be here.”

“It is not up for you to decide that, Ethan. Let the authorities deal with her. Somehow I don’t think that she will be back again.”

I only but burst out in laughter as I glance over my shoulder at Ray, “Did she not say that she is a woman of many talents?”

“Well,” Ray laughs between his worried breaths, “I don’t think she is that talented. Now please drop that goddamn gun. You are not a killer.”

Now it is me that needs to remind him, “You want to reassess that again?”

But before I even say another word to implicate myself in something that is left better unsaid, Ray comes and rests his hand on my shoulder, “Please, Ethan. You have a family. Don’t let this woman ruin your life. Don’t give her the satisfaction.”Còntens bel0ngs to Nô(v)elDr/a/ma.Org

Yes, Ray is right.

I cannot let Emma take away the only thing that is important to me.

So I pull my gun away from her head slowly, but not before I lean over and whisper in her ear, “This is not over.”

I hear as her breath increases by a fraction, “Oh, I am counting on that.”

“No, don’t get me wrong, Emma, it is not in the way you think. Next time, they will be taking you in a bag. So don’t ever set your feet near my family or me again.”

And just as she is about to say another word, I show for the Officer to take her away before I might just change my mind.

Then finally, I spin around on my heel and go back to Ana that has grown more nervous than she was before.

“Come boo, let me take you home. You have a rough few days, and I am sure that you must be hungry.”

She only but chuckles at me as we walk towards the car that is unfortunately right past the Mighty Might Truck that they are putting Emma in. And as we walk past, I hear her cursing underneath her breath. But it is not so much the cursing that is worrying me.

Next, I hear the Officer shout at me, “Ethan, get down!”

As I glance in an instant over to my left side, I watch as Emma has the Officer’s gun drawn on Ana and me.

“Fuck!”

I push Ana behind me and shield her away from Emma.

And so I stand with a gun coming towards at a very slow and alarming pace.

I think Emma has reassessed her options.

But this will not deter me.

“What?” I start to ask her, “Do you not love me anymore now?”

She growls through her teeth, “You have ruined my life, Ethan Hunter. I should have never allowed you into my tent.”

Ya, about that.

Though “Emma, you are a Raider, I thought you would have your head more together. Guess I was not your downfall, but you are practically your own worst enemy. Maybe you ruined yourself a long time ago. I am just the man that pushed you over the edge.”

She bursts out in a cackle while still approaching, “Oh, you did push me over the edge…”

And I so do not want her to finish that sentence.

Yet, “Can you remember…”

“No, Emma, I remember nothing. Whatever you think was between us, it never existed.”

From behind me, I feel as Ana starts to dig her nails in my back.

But, “You are just lying to yourself, Ethan.” Emma steps one step closer, “And you are lying to your wife.”

“Emma, whatever you think happened or think are going to, is all in that fucked up little head of yours. Now drop the fucking gun and let the men play with the toys. You are not a goddamn Marine; you are a fucking embarrassment.”

And that I should not have said.

There is a loud…

POP

I feel as my hands grow firm around the grip of my Ruger. With the reflex of an inch, I flick the trigger with the tip of my finger. Faster than the wink of a breath, the bullet slide through the chamber. Then in one slight jolt…

POP

The bullet pierces through her white shirt. Blood staining as it starts seeping from the wound that has just opened between her breasts.

She drops down to the floor.

Before Ana can see, I whisk her away to the car. Glancing briefly over my shoulders as I wait to see if Emma gets up from where she is lying.

Once we are safely back in the car, Ana turns to me, “Is she okay?”

“Boo, I am not sure, and I don’t care. I just need to get you and the baby home safely.”

With that, we wind our way back through the streets until we finally make our way home.

There is an incredible fear in Ana’s eyes as we pull into the driveway; I know what she is thinking, so I turn to her, “It is okay, boo, they are all gone now.”

So I lead her by the hand, and we go inside, where I take her straight to the room and let her lay down on the bed.

Then I stare deep into those beautiful brown eyes, “I will do anything to protect my child and my wife.”

“But soldier, look how many people you had to kill just to keep us safe. How are you…”

I place my finger softly against her lips, “Ssshhh, boo. I will be okay, I promise you.”

Her arms clasp around my neck as she needs to have my body closer. The moan that escapes her lips awakens an even greater longing for her body and soul. The touch of her skin sends a fiery passion throughout my core. My mouth finds her lips, and I prepare to take them, take every bit that I can have

Then for a brief moment, we pull away…

“Oh, god, boo, just give me one more minute.”

She whimpers in my ear, “I…”

My hand drifts to her hips and settles there for a minute before I pull her closer into me. She inhales sharply. She locks her arms around my neck again and runs her fingers through my hair. I begin to nuzzle her neck with soft kisses, so soft they felt like whispers. Her lips come closer to mine, and our breaths mingle.

For what seems like an eternity, we just stare into each other’s eyes.

She looks down at my slightly parted lips. We both lean into each other in slow motion, never breaking eye contact once. Then we begin to close the gap even more than before.

With a slight pull of her hair, I bend her head backward, giving me easy access to her lips. My warm breath lingers just for a second; I feel that I cannot breathe, I cannot move, my entire body stiffening.

Then she kisses me.

When she kisses me, my brain lights on fire and the warmth spread throughout my entire body. I am addicted.

As she wants to speak, I softly press my finger against her soft velvety lips…

“Ssshhh.”

But then I add…

“Do you want me to stop?”

She answers by loosening the buttons of my shirt slowly one by one; her hands are slightly trembling. I take her hand to stop it from shaking and let my lips seek hers instead; it is all she needs to take that edge off her nervousness.

In no time, she has my bare naked chest in front of her; she runs her fingers over the lines of my body. Then she slowly pulls my shirt off over my shoulders.

But then I stop her, “Boo, there is something that I need to talk to you about.