Chapter 10 coming to you loud and clear. Please enjoy this one.
Chapter 10:
"Morocco, certainly different from the classic film Casablanca and the stellar performance of Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergmann, of course it was on a film set. And those days were long gone. Inside this Marine and 4-year veteran of a NYPD Cop, I still knew how to blend into the surroundings of a city and how the people should look.
I haven't forgotten my Arabic which in Morocco is the official dialect, I just hope this doesn't let me down. I have not heard word from Angela, since I have left Cordonia, I'm not intending to give up on her, I won't do that to her, but I know, she'll come back, she did owe me a dance anyway.
In order to get to Casablanca, Morocco, we had to take a cruise-sponsored Charter Plane to reach the destination, time to enjoy the sightings of Casablanca and the Sahara Desert."
Casablanca, Morocco
Matt had walked into one of the cafés in Casablanca as he ordered a pot of black coffee and took a seat at one of the tables in the back as he looked around the restaurant, there he saw a man in a tan jacket, military issued, Ivy league style haircut, and a long beard, Matt recognised the figure as he murmured, "It couldn't be him, Lieutenant Anders."
In his mind he took away the man known as Anders' beard and it was him right to a T, brown hair, light eyes, average build of a Marine, though he looked a little skinny on the outside.
Matt flashed back to the mission, the only mission he had worked with Lieutenant Anders, one in which he further established his legend as a feared Marine Corps Scout Sniper.
Matt Flashback scene
Over 4 years earlier
May 3rd 2015
Unknown City in Syria
It was a clear day in Syria, the sun shined every day, A small squad of US Marines, among them was 1st Sergeant Matt Patterson, he was on overwatch looking out for his Marines.
Lieutenant Jackson Anders, was an ivy-league educated Marine out of the Naval Academy in Annapolis. This was his first taste of combat. Matt Patterson, like many other Non-Commissioned Officers was the muscle and the sinew of the Marines working from the ground up to achieve where he wanted to be. He was working alongside his good friend Joe Conti.
Joe Conti joined the Marine Corps 4 years ago, he was a Gunnery Sergeant, he joined the Marine Corps early at 17 having a high IQ, he volunteered for the Marines and made it to be one of the best operators in the field of Force Recon, Joe and Matt were best friends since Cordonia, not a day went by that either one of them had gotten shot, both men would go to the end of line, and they'd carry each other out if they had to.
The op was beginning as Matt said, "This is Echo-1. Spider-1, you in position?" "Copy, Echo-1, we've eyes on the area, maintain radio silence on your end, we're going in." "Wilco, be advised, once you enter the building, I have no eyes on you, Lieutenant, I know this is your first op, try to keep the noise until we're blown." "Echo-1, there's a helluva lot of static on this end, switchin' to different frequency, over?" "Copy that." Matt said.
Matt was holed up on the hill outside the area of engagement, he was using a M40A5. He was the ideal option to be on this mission, Matt was one of the best scout snipers in the Corps. His experience made him an expert.
He was watching through the scope seeing his fellow Marines as he saw them enter the building. Next to Matt, was his spotter Navidad Ramirez as he said, "This is nuts, we're stuck on overwatch, while they have the fun. Don't you wish you were down there, Master Guns?" "No, I like being a scout sniper, plus I like huntin' every day."
Navidad groaned as he said, "Luke Bryan, you're killin' my mood." "Says the man whose name sounds like a burlesque dancer, from the 40s." "Not my fault."
Matt chuckles saying, "Yeah, I blame your lousy taste in names." "And you know why the guys say you'll be a cop." "Yeah, I know." "How's Sarah?" "Tell ya the truth, she's hiding somethin' from me."
Navidad had then said, "Why'd you get engaged to her?" "She's fun." "Really, that what you call it?" "What'd you call it?" "A trap." "Smartass."
Soon they heard gunfire as Matt said, "Who the hell's kickin' off down there?" "Echo-1, do you read?" "Spider-3, I'm hearing a mess down there, what's goin' on?" "It was a trap, we're pullin' back but they're hittin' us hard, could use some help?" "Roger that, heat's comin'." "Send it."
Matt readied the rifle as he spotted a large force of enemy combatants as he said, "Oh jeez."
Matt began to open fire on the enemy ranging the enemy as he cut them down, some shots he took down 2 with one bullet. But the enemy kept coming as he heard on the radio, "Echo-1, I've callin' in air support to help us out, but they're tied up elsewhere! We're running low on ammo!" "Make your shots count, how many dead do we have?!" "2 dead, we're scrounging ammo, we don't know how long we've got." "Solid."
Navidad then said, "I'll go, you hold 'em here." "Alright, report in when you get there." "I'll leave the ammo." Navidad replied.
Matt nodded as he continued to open fire on the enemy as mortar fire began to bracket in the enemy.
Matt brought out the Barrett M82 as he scouted the opposite perimeter as he spotted 3 mortarmen as he killed them quickly.
For the next three days, Matt held the enemy until they had given up, but Matt was not aware of whatever the enemy was doing, he didn't know if they scouted his position or turned and hauled ass out of the area.
Matt moved from his position as he climbed down the cliff, there he saw the body of his spotter Navidad Ramirez who was lying dead in the dirt as Matt said, "Sorry buddy."
Matt soon saw more dead bodies and his fear heightened until he saw his buddy Joe as he said, "Joe? You okay, buddy?" "Matt…" Joe said coughing.
Matt said, "It's good to see ya." "You too buddy, I caught a bullet, think it hit my side." "You're goin' to make it, Joe even if I have to lug your ass home." "Funny, you lil' bastard."
Matt laughed as he said, "Where's Anders?" "I coulda sworn he was no more than a block right behind us." "Hang tight, I'm goin' to go look for him."
Matt keyed his radio saying, "Echo-1 to command, I need immediate evac, at my location. Be advised Spider-3 is wounded, requestin' stretcher." "Acknowledged Echo-1. Evac inbound in 30 mikes." "Roger, be advised, Spider-1's gone missin', moving to investigate." "Acknowledged, we have his tracker puttin' it 2 miles inside the city." "Movin' to investigate."
Matt picked up a fallen Marine's M16 as he said, "You'll be okay on your own?" "Don't worry I'll pop green smoke to mark location." "Tell them." "Leave no man behind."
Matt nodded as he moved to investigate the city, following the direction of the tracker, checking his flanks, even though the city was clear, he still knew there were surprises lurking around tight alleys. He was nearing the location of the tracker as he saw the tracker destroyed on the ground as he said, "What the hell?"
Matt headed for cover as he said, "Command, I've located Anders' tracker, somethin's wrong though, he ain't in sight, my theory is that he was injured and taken prisoner by the enemy." "Any sign of struggle?"
Matt looked around as he said, "Negative. There's no sign of his rifle, or his kit not even his body." "Then it looks like we'll have to confirm he's MIA, over?" "Roger, sir. I'm headed back to Spider-3's location, we're marking with Green smoke, I say again, Green smoke." "Acknowledged." The reply from command came.
Matt headed back to the tracker and turned it off as he returned to the evac site. Once he arrived, the rest of the Marines were laying on the ground side-by-side as Matt said to Joe, "No sign of Anders, I think he's MIA." "Dammit." "Guess we broke our promise." "Guess so." Matt said pulling out a green smoke canister as it ignited sending green into the air, soon a chopper came around as they got the dead and the wounded onboard.
Matt looked out at the carnage as one of the flight crew members said, "You killed a lot of the enemy, Tops. Guess they call you the 'Legend' for a reason, huh?" "Don't ever call me that name." Matt bluntly said.
Matt looked out over the field as he rested his head against the back of the chopper.
End Flashback Scene
Matt came out of the flashback, finally knowing the truth as to why his Commanding officer of just one mission finally went missing from his duties as an Officer of the Marine Corps.
Matt guessed that Anders couldn't cut it as a Marine. He knew men that only lasted weeks or a month in the Marines. He lasted longer than any man out of his graduation class in the Marine Corps.
Matt was also eating a meal that a waiter had brought him as he ate Chicken with apricots and Cinnamon, it didn't make him feel any better that he was not enjoying Casablanca with Angela, he still hadn't heard word from her, he just wondered if things were going to hell in a flash for Angela in terms of abdicating the throne, but he reassured himself with the promise of her being at the Gala in a couple days.
But all he could do was hope and pray.
After a while, Matt left the café as he took a cab to the Sahara desert, once he gotten out, he looked out at all the sand and its endlessness distance before looking over to see a guide who stood with a camel as Matt said, "Marhabaan, as salaam-alaikum." "Wa-Alaikum-Salaam." "Hal hnak mukhayam 'aqim?" "Bialtaakid yasdiqi." The guide replied.
Matt smiled as he nodded before saddling up onto the camel expecting the bumpiness of the ride as he smirked throughout the whole ride. Above them the sun begins to set as they arrive at the campsite.
Matt ties off the camel to the post before shrugging his pack off his back, he then sat down, onto the blanket looking up at the stars, he pulled out a flask of whiskey from his boot as he takes a drink from it.
He begins to take a walk around the campsite, taking in the splendour of the sights around him. The stars above him looked so bright, he began to take out his gun from the ankle holster as he began to disassemble it and put it back together several times. To Matt, weapon's safety was vital, especially for a former 4-year vet of the Marines and a current veteran of the New York Police Department.
Above him the stars continued to shine beautifully, it reminded of him an old song he used to listen to as a kid. Dream a little dream of me by Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong. There had been another version of the song that he remembered and it often helped him to fall asleep.
But all he dreamt about was the girl of his dreams, the one that helped him to challenge himself and explore different parts of the world. And he was thankful for her to be around.
Soon he felt like writing, as he began.
"Dear Nana,
It's been a while since I've written to you… knowing you'll never read this will eat at me the most. Even though I've tried to visit you when I could, I sometimes wonder if I could have changed my career from being a Marine and a cop and just had a normal 9 to 5 job…
But in any case, I know in my heart that if I decided on a 9 to 5 job, I'd probably be bored, by the end of the week. I'm grateful for the commitments that I have gone with…Being a Marine, I learned honor, valor, duty and held them in my heart, I hope I've been righteous and just…? Whilst doing the stuff for God and Country like many other heroes that gave their lives for their country.
Being a cop, I use my training to keep the city safe, protecting the people I swore an oath to defend the constitutions of this country and protecting my siblings as well.
I've met a potential suitor whilst on my travels, she's beautiful, I've been challenged to prove I can push myself and try things out of my comfort zone.
I'll be making a decision very soon…one that I know I want to make… I'm unsure as to where it'll take me, but I know with my heart that I'll seek the answer that I look for in this suitor that I have fallen in love with.
I thank you for raising myself and my siblings after…after my parents.
With Love,
Matthew."
Matthew folds up the pad as he heads back to his pack and lays his head on it. Thinking about the Tuscan Romance Gala soon to take place.
English to Arabic Translation:
Hello, Peace be unto you. - Marhabaan, as-salamm-alaikum.
And unto you peace. - Wa-Alaikum-salamm.
Is there a camp set up? - Hal hnak mukhayam 'aqim.
Of course my friend. – Bialtaakid yasdiqi.
The Tuscan Romance Gala beckons ever closer, what choice will Matthew make? What choices are to be made?
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