Hey everybody! Here is chapter four! Reviews are always welcome! (In fact for a writer reviews can be a great source of inspiration) : - ) Also the song used is "I Miss My Friend,"
(Mark Nessler/Tom Shapiro/Tony Martin). Thanks to Alex for telling me about the song. ^_^ and thanks to Liz for giving me ideas.
Harm and Skates had been walking around for a less than day when they were approached by a nomadic tribe that was wondering through the dessert. Out of the two Harm spoke the most Arabic. Mac had been teaching him. His Russian was still bad but he was getting better at his Arabic And Farsi. His Arabic was really of no use. Being two American servicemen in the middle of the Iraqi dessert wasn't a pleasant situation. Harm thought for sure that were going to be killed. Instead the tribe took them as slaves.
Skates was used as a servant for the men of the tribe and Harm was put to manual labor. Thankfully no one had yet to take advantage of Skates. Harm had been watching out for her. They had tried though. One night, one of the men had stumbled into the tent that he and Skates were sharing. It was obvious that the man had had too much to drink. He made his way over to Skates with a predatorily look in his eyes. That's when Harm got up and told the man to stand down. Of course being drunk, the man paid no attention. He did however listen once Harm broke his arm. Thankfully the man was too drunk to remember how he'd broken it in the morning
Harm was currently in the middle of his nightly workout routine. He resolved that he better keep in the best shape he can in case they saw a chance for a possible escape. Their biggest problem wasn't so much escaping but where they would go once they did. Being stuck in the middle of the dessert they had no idea where they should go.
"Hey," Skates said as she entered the tent. "I think I might have overheard something good." They had been held captive for over eight months already. Harm ceased his push-ups and sat up to listen.
"What did you hear?"
"Well something along the lines of one of the men meeting a Turkish friend of his. He's supposed to meet him at the border. From what I heard that's not too far from here."
Harm suppressed the urge to smile. Their first bit of good news in months. Maybe he was going to get to see his family again after all. Every night his Sarah had been with him in his dreams. He only hoped that she was doing ok.
I miss my friend
The one my heart and soul confided in
The one I felt the safest with
The one who knew just what to say to make me laugh again
And let the light back in
I miss my friend
Harm knew that these past few months hadn't been any easier on Skates. She had family back home too, her husband and a set of twins that were turning twelve in a week. He only hoped they found a way home soon. He didn't know how much longer they could go on without one of them getting hurt. He saw the way the men looked at Skates, he knew what they were thinking. The last time he'd protected her he'd been lucky the guy didn't remember anything. He wasn't so sure he'd be that lucky the next time.
"Did you hear anything else?"
"Only that he was meeting him in three days. Harm if we can make it to the border it's our best shot at getting home."
"I know. Okay keep your ears open for anything else. In the meantime I suggest we get ready. We'll have to plan are escape for the nighttime. Best chance of us getting away undetected." And with that said Harm resumed his exercises. His mind was reeling. They might actually make it home!
'Hold on Sarah,' he whispered. 'I'm coming.'
I miss the colors that you brought into my life
Your golden smile, those blue-green eyes
I miss your gentle voice in lonely times like now
Saying it'll be alright
Two days later
So far Harm and Skates had been able to determine that they were approximately twenty-five kilometers, about fifteen miles from the border. They decided that tonight would be the night. They waited till everyone was asleep. Carefully they crept out of their tent. Their captors had assumed that basically there was nowhere they could go so they hadn't stationed anyone to guard their tent. Grabbing two carafes of water they were on their way. They tried to cover as much ground as they could during the night. The less they had to travel in the baking sun the better.
By daybreak they had traveled nearly ten miles.
"I just hope that the information we got is correct," Skates said as she took a sip of water.
"Me too," Harm said trying to sound optimistic. After nearly a year he'd been losing hope of ever getting home.
They lapsed into silence as each one of them thought about their families waiting for them.
I miss those times
I miss those nights
I even miss the silly fights
The making up
The morning talks
And those late afternoon walks
I miss my friend
The one my heart and soul confided in
The one I felt the safest with
By noon they had finally reached the border.
"Stop!" A border patrolman yelled out in Turkish.
Harm and Skates both froze.
"We're Americans," Harm called out in English.
The border patrolmen didn't move and still had his rifle trained on them. That's when Harm decided he better show him the only proof he had. Slowly he lowered one hand and reached into his shirt pulling out his tags.
"See," Harm said lifting up the tags. "We're American," and with that he threw the tags at the patrolman. The patrolman read the tags and noted that they were both in the US Navy. That's when he recognized them. They were the two pilots that had been shot down over Iraq. Originally they were thought to be MIA but later the US government had said that they were dead, after finding the wreckage from the plane.
"Commander Rabb?"
"Yea that's me."
"They assumed you were dead," the patrolman said.
"Dead?" Skates asked.
"Yes. Once they found the wreckage from your plane they assumed you'd died."
Harm got a sinking feeling in his stomach. If they thought they were dead that means his family thought the same thing. He remembered what it was like when he was a kid with his dad MIA. He never wanted his family to go through what he had gone through.
"Come with me. I will take you to people who can help."
By the end of the day, with their identities confirmed, they were headed to Incirlik Air Force Base. And from there home. Harm decided he would wait till he got back to Washington to talk to his family. There was too much to say over the phone. In less than two days he would finally be home. Home to his Sarah.
I miss the look of surrender in your eyes
The way your soft brown hair would fall
I miss the power of your kiss when we made love
But baby most of all
I miss my friend
The one my heart and soul confided in
The one I felt the safest with
The one who knew just what to say to make me laugh again
And let the light back in
I miss my friend
I miss those times
I miss those nights
I even miss the silly fights
The making up
The morning talks
And those late afternoon walks
I miss my friend
I miss my friend
A/N: Don't forget tell me what you think!