Chapter Twelve
The calm before the storm
The world seemed oddly calm one week before the world was set to go to war; traffic was minimal, what was on the roads tended to be of a military nature, most of the stores were shut as the proprietors of these establishments were preparing for the evacuation order that was due in a matter of days. The calm disturbed one man.
Danny sighs as he looks over the empty city that this base rested in. it was a deafening silence, one that had him on edge. A voice slides seamlessly in to the environ around him
'It's unusual for the world to be like this isn't it?'
'I'm so used to hearing the drone of engines, but there's nothing…just silence, like the world is dead.'
Mark chuckles slightly and says
'It looks to be like that, but just scratch the surface and it's bustling with life. In that house over there, a broken family has just worked themselves together, while over there, an old man sits with his wife and grand children as their parents ready for war. I know it is scary Danny; I'm worried I'll never see my nephew grow up. I'm worried for my family who, most of the time I hate. I want to go and visit them, before we get the order…to say goodbye.'
Danny looks at the young man besides him and says
'It just so happens Mr Spencer, that I am in need of flying to England to brief the SAS, you and Danielle are more then free to follow me over and visit your families.'
Danny flies with Sam stood on his back towards a small nondescript house on a small insignificant street, they land and knock on the door, a short brunette haired woman opens the door and Danny says
'Is Mark here?'
The woman confirms and guides the two inside to see Mark and Danielle sat with a blonde haired toddler sat between them, a big grin plastered upon his chubby cheeks, as he sits with the two people he has missed the most. Danny smiles at the sight and says
'Hey Mark, who's that sat next to you?'
Mark smiles and lifts the smiling child saying
'This is Jonathan, my nephew.'
Jonathan smiles at Danny and Sam and says
'Hello.'
The two Americans coo over the polite and ever cheery toddler, who Mark has set down, Sam smiles at Jonathan who walks over and raises his arms, pleading for a hug. Mark laughs and says
'That is typical of my nephew; he hasn't seen me in months and he goes straight to the pretty woman as soon as she shows up. First he goes to Danielle, and then he ditches me for Sam.'
Danielle laughs slightly and says
'What do you expect, you may be his favourite uncle, but you lack what Sam and I have.'
Mark chuckles slightly and says
'Well, I know it isn't long hair.'
Sam and Danielle just laugh as Jonathan wraps his arms around Sam in a friendly hug.
'He's a sweet kid, very friendly.'
Mark smiles as his nephew is put back on the floor and walks back over to Mark and says
'Uncle Mark, will you take me flying please?'
Mark kneels down in front of the smiling child with a sad smile on his face.
'I'm sorry I can't take you flying today, but next time I come round, I'll take you flying, how does that sound?'
Jonathan nods eagerly and Mark pulls the small boy in to a hug,
'Are you going to be a good boy and keep Grandma safe for me?
'Okay Uncle Mark.'
Mark smiles and slides up through the ceiling only to return a minute later with something small black and metallic clasped in his hand
'Mum, when the order comes through, I want you to get out of here and get safe, I know you have emotional attachments to this house, but you and Jonathan are more important, Am I clear?'
The woman just nods and watches with sadness in her eyes as they all walk out.
Danny looks at the young man next to him as they fly over the Atlantic Ocean.
'Where are your nephews parents Mark?'
Mark smiles and says
'Well right now, they will be on stand by, almost every person over the age of eighteen has enlisted. That's why he's with my mum right now. They're all worried, and they're all so scared of what loosing means.'
Danny nods and says
'I think we need to be in Texas next, I think Delta force is meeting up there and then Spetznaz in St Petersburg.'
Mark nods slightly and says
'I've got a friend in Texas, is it alright for me to check up on her and meet you on the way to Russia?'
Danny nods and the four rocket along.
Mark lands softly next to a young woman sat on a grassy hillock over looking a stretch of large empty road way.
'Hey, are you feeling well?'
Her long dark hair catches the rays of the sun as she turns while Mark raises his hood.
'I've been better, my parents have both signed up and I honestly wish I could join them.'
Mark crouches down and says
'I know you want to fight, and I'm glad you can't; we're going to see so much in this war. It isn't something to enter in to lightly. It is most likely when and if your parents return, they will be changed people. I don't want some one so young going through that, and I even wish I didn't have to; I'm a pacifist who sometimes hates humanity for its fickle ways. I don't want to fight a war let alone lead one.'
The young woman bows her head as her hair hides her face
'I feel so useless though Mark.'
Mark lies back using his hands as a pillow.
'This war is being fought on three fronts you know: we have the front line, where all the conflict happens, then there's the second line, were the war of intelligence goes on, and finally we have the home front. This front keeps all the other fronts operable. We get our supplies and our reason d'etre from the home front. If that falls, so to does everything else, similarly, if the front line falls so to does the home front. Do you still feel the same way about staying as your parents reason to fight?'
The young woman looks at Mark and says
'I know what you are on about Mark, but I still wish I could fight.'
Mark sighs as he sits up and pulls out a small black handle, pulling it open and locking it in place, Mark looks the semi serrated knife and says
'In World War One and Two, young boys no older then you lied about their ages to fight in a war that killed a lot of them, it was the "patriotic" thing to do, the difference from 1939 to 2009, is that I will know if you enlist, which would get you locked up. Your parents don't want an innocent to fight, and you are an innocent. Help out here, and I'll do my best to make sure your parents return.'
Danny and Mark lean back in some chairs with a speaker set up playing calming Bob Marley tunes out when Private Williams walks in
'Mark, I received a package for you from a Mr Temirbekov.'
Mark walks over and grabs the parcel
'Thanks, listen do me a favour and get all the Fentons, and Tucker here for me, and hang around a bit as well.'
The young private just nods and marches away leaving Mark to open the package and remove a bottle of dark amber liquid.
'Mark, what's that?'
Mark chuckles slightly as he removes the cap and takes a quick sniff of the liquid.
'It's a drink my granddad introduced me to on my eighteenth, it's a Canarian drink called Ron Miel Cocal and is a mixture of Canarian Rum and honey. A very sweet drink that helps calm nerves, I'm having a ration sent to all soldiers at the moment.'
Everyone enter the room as Mark stands up pulling out a number of small glasses on a table, as he begins to pour the drink he says
'We are all going to war soon, it is going to be the hardest thing we will ever face, and it is in the face of that challenge that I pass you a drink, and to propose a toast.'
Private Williams hands over the final glass to Danni and picks up his own. Mark looks around the room and says
'Let us drink…to Humanity!'
A chorus of "To Humanity", rings through the room as the people savour the sweet drink as it slides down the throat, gently radiating a warmth.
Authors note: I hope you enjoyed this chapter, the next chapter will be a little filler with some funny scenes to get away from the tense atmosphere of the escalating and impending war.
Ron Miel Cocal is a real drink and a very nice one at that, I became familiar with it when I went to Tenerife for my eighteenth birthday the mixture of Rum and Honey may not be appealing on paper but it is a very good mix and it's good to have for a little pick me up.
The two people Mark visited in this chapter are in fact real, as is the name mentioned for delivering the drink.
The Texan girl is actually Elodia Wolf, my most punctual (and currently my only) reviewer for this story.
The little blonde boy is my real nephew who was unfortunate to have been born on christmas day (2004 the first white christmas in quater of a century) and has an infatuation with planes and football like all four year old little boys, he is a very polite kid and surprisingly good with electronics (a skill he picked up off his dad).
Mr Temirbekov is a drinking buddy of mine born in Khazakstan, we went to college together and make a formidable team on Xbox live, he spots the enemy, I make them turn in to flying mince with IED's or paint a wall with them using a sniper rifle.
All real people were mentioned with their permission, or the permission of a legal guardian.
To all Americans, I do not advocate underage drinking, although by American law almost all the characters are underage, these are extenuating conditions and was intended to be an image of the first world war when the troops were given Rum before going over the edge of the trenches.
Next chapter:
Chapter twelve and a half: Talking
