The Soldier Next Door

As we turn the corner to the front of the house, it seems to appear completely empty. My heart drops to my feet as I realize that we might have just decided to come to the wrong house. I so hoped that Ana would be here; it is fucking heartbreaking.

Yet, I am not ready to give up.

Now I have learned that do not always believe what you see; for all, I know that asshole is inside there with Ana.

I firmly believe that there is still a possibility for Ana to be in there, so we make our way hunched to the front door. Now you will either be getting a bullet in your head or, very much disappointingly, nothing.

I am leaning towards…the bullet in my head.

It is with…one…two…three…clear that we burst our way through the creaking doorway. We do not wish to come announced.

With a quick scan of the open area, it is safe to say that we shall not get a bullet in our head…yet.

As we filter down into the hallway, we split into a group of two, each taking a room up on our side. The air in the house is somewhat nervous as we have no idea what to be expecting. The adrenaline is running high, and the boys are pumped on a win here.

So as I reach the first room on the left, I immediately step inside and scan the room from left to right, not once keeping my gun down. With a sigh of relief, I turn to Gibbs and give him the all-clear, but yet with the relief, there comes even more disappointment.

But we have yet to search two more rooms.

So as we head towards the main bedroom, hunched low to the floor, stepping as softly as we can on the floor as it is creaking. We come to the bedroom door that is closed. I watch the eyes of Gibbs grow rather wide as he knows that one of us assholes is going to have to fling that thing open.

Now, there is no time for drawing sticks. The man that feels that he is determined needs to do it now and do it damn fast…

And that is me…

I grip the doorknob firmly. It is very cold to the touch, which does give me the impression that someone has not been here. Yet, with one…two… I do not even fucking three, for I swing that door wide open.

I gasp, and I nearly fucking die.

…Ana POV…

I have no fucking idea how, but I have come full circle.

In front of me is the very house that I have just escaped from. Now they clearly know that I am missing, for I can see him running around the place like a goddamn idiot. But that is not what scares me the most. Lying at his feet is the very man that was supposed to keep an eye on me; it seems that he has gunned him down.

Will I meet the same fate when he finally catches me?

Well, I am not waiting around.

So, this time I head off into another direction, sure to keep the moon at my back if that is even possible. I know, well, I believe that if I carry on walking straight this time that I shall reach some sort of a road or even another house.

But I need to find this fast. I can no longer take the cold rain that is beating down on my soft, exposed skin. It feels as if someone is attacking my body. My body is weak, and the hunger from not having eaten is making me even weaker than I am.

Where is Ethan?

Why has he not looked for me yet?

If he was looking for me, then I am sure this asshole will not still be standing there, or perhaps he is hiding in the shadows. Maybe I should go back and wait for Ethan to attack, but that shall be foolish, for I will be like a sitting duck waiting to be caught.

This is a fucking nightmare. I will find Ethan. I know that he is out there looking for me.

So, I set myself in a different direction, I will head of right, but then I hear a rustle of leaves behind me.

…Ethan POV…

This is becoming a fucking heartbreaking mess.

I need Ana, and I need her to know. What type of husband am I if I cannot find the woman that I am supposed to be protecting? Yet, even worse, I cannot find the woman that I love.

I hope this asshole realizes that he is fucking dead. I will probably die, but I would die with the satisfaction of knowing that the damn asshole has gotten at least a slight taste of his own medicine.

But he has got one hand over; it will take us at least another half an hour to get where we need to get going.

Ya, I am fucking mad, and I am ready to explode.

So with only a slight rise in the pitch of my voice, I burst out at Matthews, “You fucking led us to the wrong place.” He only but shakes his head, but I do not believe him, so I continue. “You knew that they were not going to be there here, yet you have misled us.”

He only but whimpers as I step but one step closer, “Ethan, you know that I would not fuck with you. You chose the direction yourself.”

Yes, the man does speak the truth, but I shall not admit my own defeat; instead, “Ya, like you have not already betrayed me.”

“Ethan,” he tries to convince me, “You know that I have only but helped you.” Now he has another thing coming if he thinks that I believe a word that he has been saying. And as my anger grows but an ounce, I walk closer to where he has been standing. And with only one retraction of my arm, I smash my fist square into his jaw. His face snaps to the left with force, and I hear him whimper as the pain shoots through his body, “You can be glad that I do not kill you.”

Though as he steps one step back, I advance only one step closer. I ball my hand and hit him with a fist of knuckles straight onto his nose. His face jerks back, and I can see the blood start to drip from his nose. He has betrayed me for the last time. He shall feel my wrath; without even hesitating, I take a firm grip of my gun and stick the barrel square into his face.

With only but grinding my teeth, I raise my voice with a growl, “Where the fuck is Ana.”

I move the walkie-talkie a fraction closer to Matthews, “Call him,” I see him hesitate for a moment. “I will not repeat myself once again.” He looks at me as fear sets in his eyes. “I said to fucking call him.”

He reluctantly takes the walkie-talkie, and we all listen on as he confirms that all is okay. My blood is near damn boiling as I listen to him saying those words to the man that I hate with every bone in my body.

Is my wife okay?

They probably have her tied up to a goddamn chair. I do not even want to think what the asshole has done to her.Text property © Nôvel(D)ra/ma.Org.

So, after leaving the first house, Gibbs sets the coordinates for the other house that should be coming up on our left.

The walk is just as endless as the first one. The damn wet leaves stick to your body like shit, and the mud only but sink you into a complete mess. I swear if we do not find Ana at any moment, I might just fucking die in these woods.

Who the fuck wants to live out here in any case.

It has been two hours since Ana has been gone, and we are not even closer to when we started. The boys are starting to look like they are losing hope and that we have been defeated. I, well, I am fucking blowing up in anger.

I stop the group for only but one second, “We need to get through this. Goddammit, we are Marines; we know how to do this. We do not give up. We do now show fear. We do not falter. We do not lose. Now get those fucking determination back in your feet, and let us go by what we do best now.”

With a newfound determination, we find ourselves pushing forward to the next house that Gibbs believes, according to what he has picked up from the signal of the walkie-talkie, that we are on the right path this time.

Then the next thing, there is the very distinct sound of a gun being cocked from behind me.