Title Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Author Dawn
Rating PG 13
Spoiler Info: We all know the CIA was very involved in our defeat of Saddam Hussein, and who else is going to be in the middle of it but our favorite ex-marine.
Chapter 10
Somewhere in an underground prison in Baghdad, four American soldiers sat beaten and badly injured. One of these men was Major A. B. Stiles. He was dragged out of the room by two guards. He was taken into an interrogation room. He looked around they had a video camera set up. He thought about this. While he hated the fact that they would be sending this tape back to the states, he could only imagine how bad he looked by how bad he felt. He didn't want Terri or his mother to see him like that, but he knew that having a video, they would know he was captured. If they made it known he was captured, they probably wouldn't kill him.
The guard picked him up and punched him in the face. Stiles head jerked back. Someone turned on the video, "Why have you come to kill Iraqi citizens?"
"My name is Major A. B. Stiles." The guard swung a big stick and hit him in the chest.
"What is your mission in Iraq?"
"My name is Major A. B. Stiles. United States Marine Corps." With this the guard hit him in the head with the stick. Stiles passed out. When Stiles woke up he was back in the cell with two of the soldiers, he could only assume they were interrogating/torturing the other soldier. Stiles tried to remember how they ended up in this cell. He didn't want to think about this. He reached in his pocket. He took out Terri's picture, and smiled at it. He bowed his head and prayed "Please God, get me out of this place. Get me home to Terri. Please look over her."
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Several hours had past. Terri went upstairs she said she wanted to lie down. When she got upstairs, she completely broke down. She held the teddy bear Stiles gave her as tight as she could. She looked at his picture on the night stand next to her bed.
Joshua rang the bell. Vicki opened the door. "How is Terri doing?"
"She just went upstairs to rest." Vicki brought Joshua in and introduced him to everyone. "Joshua is mine and Terri's boss at the State Department."
"I'm sorry about Stiles. There is still no news other than that he is missing." He looked at Terri's mom. "Do you think it would be alright if I talked to Terri? Stiles left notes to her for just about everything he could imagine happening. I have one to give her."
Jeff stood up "I'll give it to her."
"Stiles left very precise instructions. I'm to give this to her."
Hannah took Joshua by the hand and walked him upstairs, she knocked on the door, "Terri, Joshua Nankin would like to talk to you."
Joshua and Hannah waited, neither one of them wanted to intrude. Terri opened the door. "Joshua, any word."
"No Terri. Can I talk to you? Stiles left you a note."
"Joshua if he wrote me a note good bye, I..... I.... can't read it." Hannah put her hand on Terri's shoulder. Joshua put his arms around her.
"Terri, I don't know what the letter says. Stiles did tell me he wrote these to encourage you."
"Mom could you leave us alone for a minute." She nodded yes. She kissed Terri on the head and walked out. "Joshua please read it to me."
Joshua opened the letter. "Hey Mrs. Stiles. I guess I might be in some trouble. I need you to know I'm going to do everything I can to get back to you. Believe me. I'm not going to lose you. I love you too much. If you need to cry. Cry. Don't try to hold it in. Lean on the people who love you. Don't shut them out. I will always love you. Stiles."
Terri looked at Joshua. "I can't do this. I can't make it without him."
"Terri, you aren't going to have to. Stiles wanted all of these people to help you."
Pat knocked on the door. "Aunt Terri, could I talk to you?"
Terri wiped her eyes and opened the door. "Sure Pat." Joshua walked out. "What did you want to talk about?"
"I'm really sorry about Uncle A. B. I'm worried about him."
"Me too. Why don't we talk about your baseball team? That was something your uncle was very interested in."
"I'm going to be on the Yankees. It was my Dad's favorite team. Him and Uncle A. B. used to fight about it all the time." Terri smiled. "Aunt Terri, do you think he is ok?"
"I don't know, but I do know that he is doing everything possible to get home to us." Pat smiled at her. "Why don't we go downstairs. Lets see if we can get Jeff to go buy us some pizza. What do you like on yours?"
"Pepperoni." They came downstairs laughing.
"Jeff could you do us a favor?"
"Sure."
"Could you get some pizzas. One definitely has to be pepperoni." Terri went to get her wallet.
"I think I could handle it. The new job pays a lot more." She smiled at him. "Vicki you want to take the ride with me?" Vicki grabbed her purse and left with Jeff. Dorothy was still shocked that Terri would allow him to stay.
Joshua put his hand on Pat's shoulder. "Your uncle told me you were good. I believe him now. You made Terri smile. I'm glad." Pat smiled at Joshua. Joshua walked over to Terri. "I need to get back to work. If I hear anything I'll let you know. Jackson is probably going to come over as soon as he gets a chance." Terri kissed Joshua and thanked him again. As she was walking Joshua to the door, Jackson walked up. "Here he is."
Jackson hugged Terri. "Still no news, I'm sorry."
Terri took Jackson by the hand. "Everybody this is Jackson Haisley, he is a good friend of mine and Stiles." Terri introduced him to everyone.
"Terri do you need me to do anything?"
"Jeff and Vicki just went to pick up pizza, could you help me get the drinks." Jackson and Terri went into the kitchen. Jackson wondered if he had heard her right Jeff and Vicki. "I know what you are going to say about Jeff, but he has been really supportive. He took a job in New York. He will be out of our lives for good in a few days."
"I know Stiles loves and trusts you. If you think its a good idea then it will be fine." Terri smiled at him.
Kathleen came in "Do you guys need any help?"
Terri smiled "I won't turn down help." Jackson and Kathleen got a few bottles of soda out, and grabbed some beers. Jackson couldn't help but notice how pretty Kathleen was, Stiles had mentioned her and that she had lost her husband. Terri brought some stuff out into the living room.
Jackson was now alone with Kathleen. "This must be hard for you. Stiles told me about your husband."
"I'm worried about him. I'm also worried about my oldest son. He never really got over his father. If he loses his uncle." Kathleen started to cry. Jackson put his arms around her. "I don't know if he will get through this."
Pat walked in. Kathleen tried to wipe the tears away, but Pat already saw them. "Mom don't cry. Aunt Terri told me she knows Uncle A. B. is doing everything he can to get back here to us."
Jackson smiled "You're right. He is." Jackson knew Kathleen didn't want Pat worrying about this. "Stiles told me he was teaching you how to throw a fast ball. Well do you know the trick to a good sinker?"
It worked Pat was now telling Jackson all about little league and Jackson was talking to him about pitching. Kathleen smiled at Jackson and he smiled back at her. She was definitely going to have to find out more about him from Terri.
Jeff and Vicki got back with the pizza. Everyone was talking about happy memories with Stiles. Some of Terri's most precious moments she shared with him, she couldn't say out loud. Some because they were while they were on missions, some because they were just too personal.
It was almost midnight and no word yet. Terri was exhausted. Jeff was the first to notice. "Terri I better get going. Please let me know when you hear anything."
"Good luck in New York Jeff." she hugged him.
"Good luck to you too." he kissed her tenderly. This was good bye he knew he would never see Terri again. He put his lips close to her ear and whispered "Be happy, Mrs. Stiles." Terri held Jeff tight. Dorothy was not happy that Terri was close to Jeff. She feared Jeff would make trouble for her and Stiles. Terri let go and smiled at him. Jeff said good night to every one, then asked Vicki if she needed a ride.
Kathleen wanted to get the kids home to bed. Hannah thought it would be best if she stayed with Terri. Jackson offered to drive Kathleen and the kids home. Kevin had an early meeting, he was going to go home and would come by tomorrow as soon as the meeting was over. John and Dorothy were going to stay with Terri.
After everyone left Hannah and Dorothy straightened up the kitchen and John wanted to talk to Terri alone.
Terri was upstairs to her bedroom. John knocked on the door. "Princess, do you feel like talking to your old man?"
Terri opened the door and smiled. "I always love talking to you. You haven't called me Princess since I was a little girl."
"I miss those times Terri. When your biggest pain was a scraped knee. I knew how to make that better. I just don't know what I can do for you now?" John had tears in his eyes. It hurt him to see his little girl in so much pain. "Stiles is great. I know how much you love him, and how much he loves you too. I'm really looking forward to getting to know him better." He sat next to Terri and she just cried on his shoulder. She eventually fell asleep and John covered her with the quilt and went downstairs.
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Stiles and the other prisoners were trying to figure out exactly what was going on. Stiles was giving minor first aid to one of the soldiers that had a cut over his eye. "Jack are you ok?"
"Yeah Stiles, I'm fine." He looked at Stiles "How about you?"
"We need to figure out how to get out of here. I don't trust these bastards."
"Me either. Do you have a plan?"
"Not yet." He looked at Terri's picture. "I'm going to get out of here. I'm going to go home to Terri." Jack just smiled. Him and Stiles had been through some tough times. He knew Stiles for 6 years. He had never seen this kind of determination in Stiles eyes.
The guard came and dragged Stiles out of the room and brought him back to the interrogation room. They covered his head so he could not see what was going on. They hit him a few times then he heard someone walk in. "Major A. B. Stiles." The voice sounded familiar to him, but he didn't know why. The man told the guards to leave him alone with the prisoner. He took the cover off of Stiles head, Stiles looked in disbelief. He couldn't believe who was standing in front of him.
Author Dawn
Rating PG 13
Spoiler Info: We all know the CIA was very involved in our defeat of Saddam Hussein, and who else is going to be in the middle of it but our favorite ex-marine.
Chapter 10
Somewhere in an underground prison in Baghdad, four American soldiers sat beaten and badly injured. One of these men was Major A. B. Stiles. He was dragged out of the room by two guards. He was taken into an interrogation room. He looked around they had a video camera set up. He thought about this. While he hated the fact that they would be sending this tape back to the states, he could only imagine how bad he looked by how bad he felt. He didn't want Terri or his mother to see him like that, but he knew that having a video, they would know he was captured. If they made it known he was captured, they probably wouldn't kill him.
The guard picked him up and punched him in the face. Stiles head jerked back. Someone turned on the video, "Why have you come to kill Iraqi citizens?"
"My name is Major A. B. Stiles." The guard swung a big stick and hit him in the chest.
"What is your mission in Iraq?"
"My name is Major A. B. Stiles. United States Marine Corps." With this the guard hit him in the head with the stick. Stiles passed out. When Stiles woke up he was back in the cell with two of the soldiers, he could only assume they were interrogating/torturing the other soldier. Stiles tried to remember how they ended up in this cell. He didn't want to think about this. He reached in his pocket. He took out Terri's picture, and smiled at it. He bowed his head and prayed "Please God, get me out of this place. Get me home to Terri. Please look over her."
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Several hours had past. Terri went upstairs she said she wanted to lie down. When she got upstairs, she completely broke down. She held the teddy bear Stiles gave her as tight as she could. She looked at his picture on the night stand next to her bed.
Joshua rang the bell. Vicki opened the door. "How is Terri doing?"
"She just went upstairs to rest." Vicki brought Joshua in and introduced him to everyone. "Joshua is mine and Terri's boss at the State Department."
"I'm sorry about Stiles. There is still no news other than that he is missing." He looked at Terri's mom. "Do you think it would be alright if I talked to Terri? Stiles left notes to her for just about everything he could imagine happening. I have one to give her."
Jeff stood up "I'll give it to her."
"Stiles left very precise instructions. I'm to give this to her."
Hannah took Joshua by the hand and walked him upstairs, she knocked on the door, "Terri, Joshua Nankin would like to talk to you."
Joshua and Hannah waited, neither one of them wanted to intrude. Terri opened the door. "Joshua, any word."
"No Terri. Can I talk to you? Stiles left you a note."
"Joshua if he wrote me a note good bye, I..... I.... can't read it." Hannah put her hand on Terri's shoulder. Joshua put his arms around her.
"Terri, I don't know what the letter says. Stiles did tell me he wrote these to encourage you."
"Mom could you leave us alone for a minute." She nodded yes. She kissed Terri on the head and walked out. "Joshua please read it to me."
Joshua opened the letter. "Hey Mrs. Stiles. I guess I might be in some trouble. I need you to know I'm going to do everything I can to get back to you. Believe me. I'm not going to lose you. I love you too much. If you need to cry. Cry. Don't try to hold it in. Lean on the people who love you. Don't shut them out. I will always love you. Stiles."
Terri looked at Joshua. "I can't do this. I can't make it without him."
"Terri, you aren't going to have to. Stiles wanted all of these people to help you."
Pat knocked on the door. "Aunt Terri, could I talk to you?"
Terri wiped her eyes and opened the door. "Sure Pat." Joshua walked out. "What did you want to talk about?"
"I'm really sorry about Uncle A. B. I'm worried about him."
"Me too. Why don't we talk about your baseball team? That was something your uncle was very interested in."
"I'm going to be on the Yankees. It was my Dad's favorite team. Him and Uncle A. B. used to fight about it all the time." Terri smiled. "Aunt Terri, do you think he is ok?"
"I don't know, but I do know that he is doing everything possible to get home to us." Pat smiled at her. "Why don't we go downstairs. Lets see if we can get Jeff to go buy us some pizza. What do you like on yours?"
"Pepperoni." They came downstairs laughing.
"Jeff could you do us a favor?"
"Sure."
"Could you get some pizzas. One definitely has to be pepperoni." Terri went to get her wallet.
"I think I could handle it. The new job pays a lot more." She smiled at him. "Vicki you want to take the ride with me?" Vicki grabbed her purse and left with Jeff. Dorothy was still shocked that Terri would allow him to stay.
Joshua put his hand on Pat's shoulder. "Your uncle told me you were good. I believe him now. You made Terri smile. I'm glad." Pat smiled at Joshua. Joshua walked over to Terri. "I need to get back to work. If I hear anything I'll let you know. Jackson is probably going to come over as soon as he gets a chance." Terri kissed Joshua and thanked him again. As she was walking Joshua to the door, Jackson walked up. "Here he is."
Jackson hugged Terri. "Still no news, I'm sorry."
Terri took Jackson by the hand. "Everybody this is Jackson Haisley, he is a good friend of mine and Stiles." Terri introduced him to everyone.
"Terri do you need me to do anything?"
"Jeff and Vicki just went to pick up pizza, could you help me get the drinks." Jackson and Terri went into the kitchen. Jackson wondered if he had heard her right Jeff and Vicki. "I know what you are going to say about Jeff, but he has been really supportive. He took a job in New York. He will be out of our lives for good in a few days."
"I know Stiles loves and trusts you. If you think its a good idea then it will be fine." Terri smiled at him.
Kathleen came in "Do you guys need any help?"
Terri smiled "I won't turn down help." Jackson and Kathleen got a few bottles of soda out, and grabbed some beers. Jackson couldn't help but notice how pretty Kathleen was, Stiles had mentioned her and that she had lost her husband. Terri brought some stuff out into the living room.
Jackson was now alone with Kathleen. "This must be hard for you. Stiles told me about your husband."
"I'm worried about him. I'm also worried about my oldest son. He never really got over his father. If he loses his uncle." Kathleen started to cry. Jackson put his arms around her. "I don't know if he will get through this."
Pat walked in. Kathleen tried to wipe the tears away, but Pat already saw them. "Mom don't cry. Aunt Terri told me she knows Uncle A. B. is doing everything he can to get back here to us."
Jackson smiled "You're right. He is." Jackson knew Kathleen didn't want Pat worrying about this. "Stiles told me he was teaching you how to throw a fast ball. Well do you know the trick to a good sinker?"
It worked Pat was now telling Jackson all about little league and Jackson was talking to him about pitching. Kathleen smiled at Jackson and he smiled back at her. She was definitely going to have to find out more about him from Terri.
Jeff and Vicki got back with the pizza. Everyone was talking about happy memories with Stiles. Some of Terri's most precious moments she shared with him, she couldn't say out loud. Some because they were while they were on missions, some because they were just too personal.
It was almost midnight and no word yet. Terri was exhausted. Jeff was the first to notice. "Terri I better get going. Please let me know when you hear anything."
"Good luck in New York Jeff." she hugged him.
"Good luck to you too." he kissed her tenderly. This was good bye he knew he would never see Terri again. He put his lips close to her ear and whispered "Be happy, Mrs. Stiles." Terri held Jeff tight. Dorothy was not happy that Terri was close to Jeff. She feared Jeff would make trouble for her and Stiles. Terri let go and smiled at him. Jeff said good night to every one, then asked Vicki if she needed a ride.
Kathleen wanted to get the kids home to bed. Hannah thought it would be best if she stayed with Terri. Jackson offered to drive Kathleen and the kids home. Kevin had an early meeting, he was going to go home and would come by tomorrow as soon as the meeting was over. John and Dorothy were going to stay with Terri.
After everyone left Hannah and Dorothy straightened up the kitchen and John wanted to talk to Terri alone.
Terri was upstairs to her bedroom. John knocked on the door. "Princess, do you feel like talking to your old man?"
Terri opened the door and smiled. "I always love talking to you. You haven't called me Princess since I was a little girl."
"I miss those times Terri. When your biggest pain was a scraped knee. I knew how to make that better. I just don't know what I can do for you now?" John had tears in his eyes. It hurt him to see his little girl in so much pain. "Stiles is great. I know how much you love him, and how much he loves you too. I'm really looking forward to getting to know him better." He sat next to Terri and she just cried on his shoulder. She eventually fell asleep and John covered her with the quilt and went downstairs.
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Stiles and the other prisoners were trying to figure out exactly what was going on. Stiles was giving minor first aid to one of the soldiers that had a cut over his eye. "Jack are you ok?"
"Yeah Stiles, I'm fine." He looked at Stiles "How about you?"
"We need to figure out how to get out of here. I don't trust these bastards."
"Me either. Do you have a plan?"
"Not yet." He looked at Terri's picture. "I'm going to get out of here. I'm going to go home to Terri." Jack just smiled. Him and Stiles had been through some tough times. He knew Stiles for 6 years. He had never seen this kind of determination in Stiles eyes.
The guard came and dragged Stiles out of the room and brought him back to the interrogation room. They covered his head so he could not see what was going on. They hit him a few times then he heard someone walk in. "Major A. B. Stiles." The voice sounded familiar to him, but he didn't know why. The man told the guards to leave him alone with the prisoner. He took the cover off of Stiles head, Stiles looked in disbelief. He couldn't believe who was standing in front of him.