Riches to Rags to Riches Volume 3
May 31, 2022 21:57:13 GMT -6
texican, freebirde, and 12 more like this
Post by cutter on May 31, 2022 21:57:13 GMT -6
This one's way, way too short; but I need to try to do something to build some momentum. Hope it helps. Enjoy.
OH, and I'm sorry I've been AWOL for so long.
Chapter 58
(Wednesday evening, Waters’ homestead house)
“Dammit, Mark!”
“What?”
“Your suit’s hanging off you! You look like a scarecrow wearing a circus tent!”
“I’ve gained 5 pounds!”
“Yeah, but you lost almost 40 during that BS trial because you just flat wouldn’t take care of yourself! You just quit caring!”
“Quit caring!?! I killed a human being! You kill somebody and see how you take it!”
“Timothy Marcus, that’s not what I meant and you know it! For the last damn time, all you were trying to do was save my life, which I’m eternally grateful for, by the way! I love you. Now, hold still so I can pin this circus tent up and turn it into a suit again.”
“Okay, but what you said really hurt.”
“I know, and I’m sorry, but you needed to hear the truth…again. Mark, you did what you did because you love me. You took a world of hurt on your soul, again, because you love me. Don’t think you even begin to understand how much that means to me. Now, hold still.”
(Stacy pins up Mark’s suit for the alterations she will need to do.)
“Ok, I’m done. Go change clothes and bring your suit back to me; watch not to get stabbed by the pins. It’s going to take me a couple of hours to make the alterations, so you get to help Mom with supper.”
“I can do that.”
(Todd, outside Hayden, CO. He’s watching the camp and the “hide” that bluebell set up for him.)
(To himself, quietly) “Hm, that’s interesting. The base bluebell set up for me is way too well concealed for my friends there to find it accidentally, much less move on it like they’re expecting trouble. I hope you gentlemen are on very good terms with whatever god you serve.”
(The three man team approaches the cavelet that is supposed to be Todd’s hide with a professionalism that suggests someone who knows something about tactics, taught them. They form up on either side of the opening. One of the men throws a flashbang grenade in. As soon as it detonates, they rush in. A moment later, a violent explosion expels the contents of the small area, including the three men, out of the opening.)
“Bluebell, I told you I learned the language; I never said that was all I learned. There’s a reason insurgents and guerilla forces use booby traps; they work. Time to move.”
(Todd is packed up and on the move to his next position in less than five minutes.)
(Saturday, Noon)
“Family and friends all, we are gathered here today, to celebrate the long overdue marriage of Mark Marshall and Anastasia Waters. I have known Mark all his life, and Stacy has become like family to me in the four years I have known her. I’m grateful for both of them in my life.”
“We are in dark and difficult times. This day should remind us all that joy can be found, if we look for it. Like joy, faith too, is a wondrous blessing. I have seen times in the last four years, when faith in our Lord, and each other, was all that sustained these two tender aged, but very mature, friends of ours. My heart has often ached for them, with the trials and tribulations they have faced. They have survived those trials, and even thrived, because they had faith in our Lord…and in each other. It is definitely time, and past time, they are joined together in marriage, as they have worked toward for so long.”
“Mark, Stacy, join hands …”
(Major Alyssa Watts' office, cell phone rings for the third time.)
"I don't know who you are, but I'm not interested."
"Major, it's Reaper, don't hang up!"
"Reaper! What's wrong? Are you ok?"
"Negative. Star spangled banner, all over again. Grab the scotch in your bottom desk drawer and relax. Gotta go."
"Reap…"(click)
“What the hell’s he talking about? I don’t keep liquor in my…how the hell did he do that?
(Major Watts pulls a bottle of 15 year old Glenfiddich scotch whiskey out of the drawer, from under the sweater she keeps there. She examines the bottle closely, looking for clues, but finds none.)
“Todd, what are you trying to tell me?” (She looks back in the open drawer and sees an envelope with her name on it, in Todd’s handwriting.)
"Alyssa, if you're reading this, then I either called you or I am long dead and you're only finding this now. Either way, things have gone sideways on my mission.
"I’m going to assume I called you. Proceeding from that assumption, I need help. Doug’s going to go AWOL, if he hasn’t already. Keep it quiet as long as you can without jeopardizing your position. When you have to report it, go straight to General Grayson; he’ll know what to do. We talked about it for about 3 hours, after the mission was handed to us. Sorry I cut you out, but I needed you to not know, until I needed you to know, which is now. Don’t worry, the General will inform Colonel Veers that you are acting on his direct orders. If you hear of a couple of SEALS and Raiders also going AWOL, believe it.”
“There’s a list of things on page two of this letter that we need. It’s all highly irregular, completely illegal, and will land you in the brig if you’re caught; at least until the General sorts it out, but I need you to get it to the address at the bottom of the second page any way you can, that won’t draw attention, I don’t care if you have your grandmother drive it there in the back seat of that damn Pinto of hers; just get it there.”
“We might not all make it back; but I promise you, I’ll do my best to bring my team home and we’ll all share that bottle you just put on your desk. I’ll bring more glasses.”
“If it all goes south, please allow me to say that you are among the absolute best commanders I have ever had the pleasure of serving under. Thanks for everything, Alyssa.”
Sincerely,
Todd Marshall
(Alyssa looks at page 2 of the letter)
“Good God, Todd! You’re going to start, and finish, a war!”
OH, and I'm sorry I've been AWOL for so long.
Chapter 58
(Wednesday evening, Waters’ homestead house)
“Dammit, Mark!”
“What?”
“Your suit’s hanging off you! You look like a scarecrow wearing a circus tent!”
“I’ve gained 5 pounds!”
“Yeah, but you lost almost 40 during that BS trial because you just flat wouldn’t take care of yourself! You just quit caring!”
“Quit caring!?! I killed a human being! You kill somebody and see how you take it!”
“Timothy Marcus, that’s not what I meant and you know it! For the last damn time, all you were trying to do was save my life, which I’m eternally grateful for, by the way! I love you. Now, hold still so I can pin this circus tent up and turn it into a suit again.”
“Okay, but what you said really hurt.”
“I know, and I’m sorry, but you needed to hear the truth…again. Mark, you did what you did because you love me. You took a world of hurt on your soul, again, because you love me. Don’t think you even begin to understand how much that means to me. Now, hold still.”
(Stacy pins up Mark’s suit for the alterations she will need to do.)
“Ok, I’m done. Go change clothes and bring your suit back to me; watch not to get stabbed by the pins. It’s going to take me a couple of hours to make the alterations, so you get to help Mom with supper.”
“I can do that.”
(Todd, outside Hayden, CO. He’s watching the camp and the “hide” that bluebell set up for him.)
(To himself, quietly) “Hm, that’s interesting. The base bluebell set up for me is way too well concealed for my friends there to find it accidentally, much less move on it like they’re expecting trouble. I hope you gentlemen are on very good terms with whatever god you serve.”
(The three man team approaches the cavelet that is supposed to be Todd’s hide with a professionalism that suggests someone who knows something about tactics, taught them. They form up on either side of the opening. One of the men throws a flashbang grenade in. As soon as it detonates, they rush in. A moment later, a violent explosion expels the contents of the small area, including the three men, out of the opening.)
“Bluebell, I told you I learned the language; I never said that was all I learned. There’s a reason insurgents and guerilla forces use booby traps; they work. Time to move.”
(Todd is packed up and on the move to his next position in less than five minutes.)
(Saturday, Noon)
“Family and friends all, we are gathered here today, to celebrate the long overdue marriage of Mark Marshall and Anastasia Waters. I have known Mark all his life, and Stacy has become like family to me in the four years I have known her. I’m grateful for both of them in my life.”
“We are in dark and difficult times. This day should remind us all that joy can be found, if we look for it. Like joy, faith too, is a wondrous blessing. I have seen times in the last four years, when faith in our Lord, and each other, was all that sustained these two tender aged, but very mature, friends of ours. My heart has often ached for them, with the trials and tribulations they have faced. They have survived those trials, and even thrived, because they had faith in our Lord…and in each other. It is definitely time, and past time, they are joined together in marriage, as they have worked toward for so long.”
“Mark, Stacy, join hands …”
(Major Alyssa Watts' office, cell phone rings for the third time.)
"I don't know who you are, but I'm not interested."
"Major, it's Reaper, don't hang up!"
"Reaper! What's wrong? Are you ok?"
"Negative. Star spangled banner, all over again. Grab the scotch in your bottom desk drawer and relax. Gotta go."
"Reap…"(click)
“What the hell’s he talking about? I don’t keep liquor in my…how the hell did he do that?
(Major Watts pulls a bottle of 15 year old Glenfiddich scotch whiskey out of the drawer, from under the sweater she keeps there. She examines the bottle closely, looking for clues, but finds none.)
“Todd, what are you trying to tell me?” (She looks back in the open drawer and sees an envelope with her name on it, in Todd’s handwriting.)
"Alyssa, if you're reading this, then I either called you or I am long dead and you're only finding this now. Either way, things have gone sideways on my mission.
"I’m going to assume I called you. Proceeding from that assumption, I need help. Doug’s going to go AWOL, if he hasn’t already. Keep it quiet as long as you can without jeopardizing your position. When you have to report it, go straight to General Grayson; he’ll know what to do. We talked about it for about 3 hours, after the mission was handed to us. Sorry I cut you out, but I needed you to not know, until I needed you to know, which is now. Don’t worry, the General will inform Colonel Veers that you are acting on his direct orders. If you hear of a couple of SEALS and Raiders also going AWOL, believe it.”
“There’s a list of things on page two of this letter that we need. It’s all highly irregular, completely illegal, and will land you in the brig if you’re caught; at least until the General sorts it out, but I need you to get it to the address at the bottom of the second page any way you can, that won’t draw attention, I don’t care if you have your grandmother drive it there in the back seat of that damn Pinto of hers; just get it there.”
“We might not all make it back; but I promise you, I’ll do my best to bring my team home and we’ll all share that bottle you just put on your desk. I’ll bring more glasses.”
“If it all goes south, please allow me to say that you are among the absolute best commanders I have ever had the pleasure of serving under. Thanks for everything, Alyssa.”
Sincerely,
Todd Marshall
(Alyssa looks at page 2 of the letter)
“Good God, Todd! You’re going to start, and finish, a war!”