Always and Forever

[zydrate]

Name: Katherine (Katie) Archer
Age: 29
Occupation: Aide Worker/Nurse

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Graduation Night (12 years earlier)

“How could you do this Josh? You never even hinted at it...” Katie was doing her best to keep her voice steady, but there was no way she could look into his eyes as she spoke.

Joshua Michaels had been dreading telling Katie this since receiving the letter from the Army. He never told her because well…look at how she was acting. He knew she’s take it hard. “Katherine…” he started…but he couldn’t finish. Instead he took a deep breath and reached for Katie’s hand, which she promptly yanked away. Josh sighed, “Please Katie, don’t do this…we still have a month to spend together, plenty of—“

“NO! No Josh…” Unable to hold It in anymore, Katie started to cry openly, “You’re going away Joshua! And by not telling me makes me think that all we shared was nothing! What if you don’t come back? What if you forget me?” There were so many ‘what ifs’ that Katie couldn’t speak anymore, instead, she was overtaken by sobs and didn’t feel Josh’s arms wrap around her, holding her close to him.

“Katie… I’ve loved you for so long, there is no way I’m going to forget what we have. We can still have it Katie, please…”

She wrapped her arms around him and just buried her face in his chest, “Why didn’t you tell me you had signed up?”

The answer was simple “I was afraid.”

Katie could understand what he was saying but it didn’t make things easier. She had loved Josh with all her heart. She thought they would be attending college and then get married after and then… God, who was she kidding? These were things she had been assuming and not told Josh about…just like he hadn’t told her that he was going away in a month…

“Katie girl, don’t cry…please?”

Katie girl, he had always called her that as far back as she could remember. With a sniffle and a slight nod, Katie backed up, her watery eyes looking up into Josh’s, “Don’t forget about me Joshua Michaels…”

How could he forget someone so dear to his heart?

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Present day

The small convoy of military trucks made their way through the night, hopefully undetected and at peace. Civilian Nurse, Katherine Archer was in the back of one of the supply trucks, letting her mind wander aimlessly as the truck swayed, rocking the back. It had been a tough few weeks since coming to this side of the world.

A few weeks ago, Katie was working a nice paced life in Chicago as an ER nurse. What she saw in the ER was nothing compared to what she was seeing here. Gunshot wounds, stabbings, beatings…those were all mild compared to what she was seeing now…bombing victims, children sacrificed, starved… It all didn’t seem to end. She felt like she had grown up more here than she had when she was in college and nursing school… or even living alone with her two cats in her nice 2 bedroom apartment.

Now, her she was, her apartment had been taken over by her little sister while she was away…going through the desert in the cover of night…

She didn’t know why she had thought of Joshua…it had been years since they last spoke and eventually, lost touch. She had remembered their teenage years of being in love, her teenage dreams of them being together forever…if she could go back in time and talk to her young self, she would’ve knocked some sense into herself, telling herself that there was no such thing as happily ever after…

Katie smiled to herself. The first real smile she had in a long time.

Suddenly, the truck stopped, as did the rest of the convoy…why were they stopping? The soldiers readied their weapons, this wasn’t planned…suddenly, and the whirling of an incoming missile got their attention…

Shouting and followed by an explosion that rocked the truck Katie was in! One soldier slammed into Katie, knocking her down as another explosion rocked the ground! It was all happening so fast, Katie didn’t know how to react, how to feel…her head accidently slammed into the floor of the truck…she saw stars…then heard shooting, foreign words…shouting and yelling…

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Name: Joshua Michaels
Age: 30
Occupation: Army Ranger

Role taken

 

[Lightning_25]

Joshua Michaels spent years training in the Army. He became a Ranger, and became the best in his unit. He was often chosen for the most dangerous missions. He had turned down several promotions, because he believed it would take him out of the field, which was something he did not want. He spent many a day behind lines on a map where he didn't belong. During those endless days on Black Ops missions there was one thing that brought a smile to his face and kept him going in the face of adversity..... Katie. Katie Archer was his first and only love. He had never been able to find anyone that was anything like her. They had gone their separate ways when he enlisted in the army, and, despite several attempts, he was unable to reconnect with her.

He was laying in his bunk thinking about her when his cell phone rang. It was the unit commander. He was being called up for a mission. When he reported, he found out that a civilian nurse had been taken hostage, and several soldiers had been killed by a group of insurgents that had pretended to be allies of the Americans. He was told that he and his team would be dropped into the hills bordering Pakistan and Afghanistan and intelligence would be forwarded to them.

He mounted up, and with the rest of the team, boarded the military transport plane. After a mid-air refueling over Spain, they parachuted into the mountains. They had no idea what they would encounter, but their mission was simple.... bring home the civilian nurse.

 

[zydrate]

The situation was beyond intense. Katie had not felt anything like it since her first night shift in the ER when she was just a student.

The room was filled with armed guards, with the little training she had before being sent here, she could tell the guns were AK47s. The men. The men were all covered up with only their eyes showing...glaring at her.

The language. The language was familiar but Katie hadn't been here long enough to learn it. She could decipher a few words but that was about it. Her hands were tied in front of her and small gash on her forehead was visible. Inside, Katie's heart was pounding. Her eyes were wide with fear.

"Please...what do you want?" She asked, hating how her voice shook.

No answer. Instead one of the men grabbed Katie by the wrists and dragged her to a room. The inevitable entered her mind. Please, please don't do this... she thought over and over.

Instead she was tossed roughly into the room and the door shut behind her. Picking herself up from the floor, Katie looked back just to have the sound of the lock latching on the door.

What was she going to do? Where was the rest of the soldiers in the convoy? Were they dead? She couldn't remember. The last thing she could recall were explosions and someone shielding her, only to almost end up dead on top of her. She couldn't help him. She could do anything. She was going to run but just as she had moved the body off of her, the butt of a gun was struck to the side of her head, knocking her out.

Hopefully someone would find them...if anyone else made it.

 

[Lightning_25]

They landed on the side of the mountain. Joshua had been in this part of the world severl times before. It was not a pleasant place to be, and you never knew who you could, or could not, trust. They rolled up their parachutes and buried them under rocks.

The team moved toward cover and got their maps out. The communication guy got out the satellite phone and made contact with the command center. They received some intel on possible locations of the hostage, but there ws nothing concrete. In fact, the locations, despite being in the same general direction, were pretty far apart.

Joshua was the team leader and he decided to head toward the possible location that was the farthest east. They would then work their way to the west. They headed out and made great time under the cover of darkness. After moving for about 5 hours they received further intel that told them that they were heading toward the location where the hostage was being held.

By Joshua's calculations they would be there before sunrise. The team moved swiftly and quietly. They made great time and arrived about an hour before the sun was to come up. They spread out and did some recon. Then they reassembled and planned their attack. There plan was executed flawlessly..... almost. They found the location where the nurse was being held. They neutralized the guards and found the nurse locked in an isolated room. Joshua entered the room, saw the nurse, and stopped dead in his tracks.... it was...... "Katie? Is that you?"

As he stared at the captive there was gunfire from behind him. He moved to the captive and laid her on the ground. There was an incredible firefight outside the room. He covered her and as an insurgent entered the room he let out a blast from his weapon.... taking him out. The gunfire subsided. Joshua waited, and when another enemy combatant entered the room Joshua took him out. He grabbed the prisoner's hand and said to her, "Move.. NOW. Follow me." He dragged her out of the room... looked around and noticed that there were no signs of life. He found the communications guy and grabbed the sat phone and led the prisoner out of the building. The sun was up now, and he needed a place for them to hide and to be able to contact the command center to arrange for a pick-up.

 

[zydrate]

"Katie? Is that you?"

That voice. There was no need for light or a face. That voice was all Katie needed to know that was Joshua. She turned to him, thinking that this was all a dream but no, there he was, standing before her. Of what she could see in a quick moment, she saw that he had grown. No longer the boyish look she remembered but this time, a man.

"Joshua!" She cried and ran to him immediately! It wasn't a dream! He was real and in front of her!

Before they both could say anymore, gun fire errupted behind Josh and he pushed Katie down. He was still gentle in the manner in which he did it...always making sure not to hurt her... Katie would've hung onto him but her hands were still tied in front of her. Katie buried her face in his chest and her body jumped with each discharge of his weapon.

Commands. She heard Joshua yelling at her. And Katie didn't hesitate, obeying him and running behind him...every thing after that happened so face, Katie didn't realize it until she found herself being brought into another building, more of a warehouse. She didn't say anything. She was still in shock from all that had happened so far. What would've happened if no one came for her? What would have those men done to her?

With her body starting to shake from fear...she looked down at her hands, seeing them still tied, realizing the ropes had cut into her skin, rubbing it raw. She didn't notice the pain until now. Just then, all she saw was a blade from a knife appear, making her flinch and hearing Joshua say something to her then cutting the rope loose and tossing it aside.

Katie looked up, her eyes meeting Josh's. There was so much she wanted to say but then again, so much she couldn't because of all that happened. In a shakey voice, Katie tried to laugh but made a choking sound instead, the tears starting to flow, "Fancy meeting here huh?"

 

[Lightning_25]

Joshua found a large warehouse that apeared to be abandoned. He entered it slowly... making sure that Katie stayed close behind him. He looked around and aw nothing. Then he moved to find a lace that would provide two things...... the best vante point to see anyone coming and the best opportunity to escape if anyone did. He moved in and sat Katie down. Joshua took out his knife and cut the ropes from her wrists.

"Fancy meeting here huh?"

Joshua smiled down at Katie. He took his canteen and poured water over her wrists, and after the water dried he put some salve on them to help them heal. He still had said nothing to her. Seeing Katie here was perhaps the biggest shock to his system that he had encountered since being in the army.

He just looked at her. She was as beautiful as he remembered her..... even more so. She had matured, and every curve of her body was perfect. Her eyes were mesmerizing, and even in these less-than-perfect conditions her lips glistened. He smiled as he looked at her. "Well, I can see why they sent me in on this mission...... they needed the best to rescue their missing angel."

 

[zydrate]

How much she wanted to throw herself into his arms and cry but after a few deep breaths, Katie held it in as she watched him take care of her...like always. Even though the water stung and the cooling feel of the salve, she couldn't get over that it was really him.

He didn't talk so she didn't say anymore. She knew she looked a mess, her uniform, a button up brown shirt, brown khakis which were stained with dirt and blood..not her blood, she was sure it was another's from when they were ambushed and she was trying to help out.

When Joshua finally spoke, Katie's eyes finally met his, his voice was deeper than she remembered. It was that voice that sparked a recollection from their last night together, the night they spent in each other's arms and had just laid there, holding each other, knowing it was their last night together, not realizing it would a long time before they would see each other again...

"Missing angel?" Katie shook her head and gave him a small smile, despite the situation, "I--..." she couldn't speak. She couldn't talk but she wanted to say so much. Instead she pulled her gaze away from his and started to silently cry as the whole situation seemed to slam down on her.

After a few minutes she pulled herself together, refusing to let any more tears be shed, she quickly wiped her eyes and tried to laugh but it didn't work, "So...now what?" She asked.

 

[Lightning_25]

Joshua saw her crying and took her chin in his hand. He attempted to turn her face to him, but she resisted. He was not going to force her, so, he sat kneeled across from her and looked at her. She had alwas been in his thoughts, but seeing her now reminded him of just how much he missed her.

"So...now what?"

"First we need to get you something to eat. I am sure that you haven't had anything in a whwile. Then we need to find a way of getting you home. We will have to make it to the extraction point on our own. My team is gone." Saying that stopped him. He thought about the good men that he had left behind. It hurt. He shouldn't leave them behind, but he had no choice. He had grabbed their dog tags, but it just wasn't enough.

He grabbed a MRE out of his pack. "Are you hungry enough to eat this, or do you want to wait until we find some real food?" He watched her face. Was she hungry enough to eat the packaged meal, or would she wait a while? As he waited for a response he found himself staring into her beautiful eyes. He snapped out of it in a second. He couldn't let her beauty distract him from getting her home safely.

 

[zydrate]

"Are you hungry enough to eat this, or do you want to wait until we find some real food?"

Katie was well aware of Josh staring at her. She tried to not let it affect her as she took the M.R.E. from him and looked at it, 'Cheese Tortellini'... It wasn't that she wasn't hungry, she just didn't feel like eating but knew she had to in order to keep her strength up.

"I'll eat this because I know for sure there's no Olive Garden around..." she said in a half hearted attempt to make a joke...at least try to lighten the mood somewhat. "I bet you're wondering why I'm here..." she told him.

The last time they had talked, all Katie wanted to do was major in business management so she could work with her father and then perhaps one day, take over the family business in aviation. But something had happened along the way, she and her family had a falling out. Katie was in her 2nd year of college when she quit and entered nursing school.

 

[Lightning_25]

"Well, I didn't think that I would ever see you here. I expected that I would see you on the cover of Forbes. I didn't know that a degree in business and the running of an aviation business would put you in harm's way. They told me that I was coming in to get a nurse, not a corporate executive."

He couldn't take his eyes off of Katie. He couldn't believe that he had been laying in his bunk thinking about her when he got the call, and now here he was face to face with her for the first time in 12 years. It was incredible. She was incredible.

Joshua watched Katie devour the MRE. She would never admit to lowering herself to eating one, but, at this moment, it provided her body with sustenance and would give her the energy to keep up with him. He smiled at her. She had no idea how happy he was at the sight of her.

 

[zydrate]

Katie gave Joshua a small smile when he mentioned Forbes. She just shook her head and shrugged, "Well, you did get a nurse...I mean, I am a nurse Josh...things happened and my life took a different path..." she said as she finished off the MRE.

"A lot has changed, as I'm sure you're finding out." She told him as she tucked her legs under her and faced him directly. She felt better now. Her nerves weren't as jumbled as before and her nightmare was partly over. "I decided that I didn't fit into the business aspect of my father's company so I went to nursing school instead."

It wasn't a flat out lie, just a little diversion but she had a feeling he knew. Katie was always looking for her father's approval and it took living her life out on her own to find that she'd never measure up to what he wanted. So she decided to do things for herself...which brought her here...

"I was part of small aide group helping out some of the smaller villages with vaccines and such. The convoy I was with had made us evacuate so I stayed as long as I could to help a woman give birth to her first child...then I was rushed out and well...we were attacked and brought here.." she sighed, letting her head fall back as she stifled a yawn, "Where is here anyway?"

And how will we get out of 'here'...she thought.

 

[Lightning_25]

Joshua watched as Katie finished off the MRE and as she moved her legs underneath her. He heard her talking about a change in course and he knew that Katie had finally tired of trying to gain her father's approval. It was one of the things that drove Josh crazy when they were together in high school.

"Katie, we are in teh middle of nowhere. We are behind enemy lines. We have to travel to an area that is 100 miles from here in order to get picked up and the terrain we have to travel over is rough. We are only going to be able to travel at night, which will make it that much more difficult."

He watched for Katie's reaction. It wasn't what he had expected. He was expecting her to be very upset and to show how upset she was. However, there was no reaction from her. There was no facial expression that showed she was upset.... nothing.

 

[zydrate]

Over a hundred miles...

That was the only thing running over and over in her mind. Of course Katie didn't express anything.

"I see..." she said as she still refused to show any emotion. What would that do anyway? Panicking wasn't an option. There was nothing she could do about it. There was nothing Joshua could do about it either, except get her out of here...

Besides, she trusted Joshua...there wasn't a doubt in her heart or mind that he wouldn't do all he could to keep her safe and to get her to safety.

Deep down, Katie knew what sort of dangers they would or could encounter. Villages that didn't like outsiders, small groups that had formed their own militia and would have no qualms about killing anyone they thought would bring harm to them. It was all a gamble and so getting emotional or losing it wouldn't help...

Looking down, Katie nodded, understanding what Josh was saying, "I trust you Joshua..." she said and looked back up at him, her eyes locking with his as she finally wrapped her arms around his shoulders and pulling herself to him, "I've always trusted you..."

 

[Lightning_25]

Joshua wrapped an arm around Katie and held her close. He was worried. He was well trained... the best of the best, and part of the reason for that was that he was able to take emotionality out of the equation. When he went on a mission the only thing that mattered was the success of the mission. This mission was going to be different. He had to protect the only woman he had ever loved.

Joshua kissed Katie's forehead. "Listen, you need to get some sleep. I am sure that you haven't had any restful sleep in the last couple days." He released Katie and unrolled his knapsack. He laid it out on the floor. "Lay down and close your eyes. Use my bag as a pillow. You will need to get a few hours sleep. I am going to contact mission command and give them a status update."

He watched as Katie laid down. There was a hesitancy in her look. "It will be okay. I am going to stay right here, and I will be here when you wake up. I promise." He waited until Katie fell asleep before getting on the sat phone. He filled them in on what had happened..... his team was gone, but he had the phone.

They did not ask him questons.... that would come at the end of the mission. Joshua was told that if he headed west there was a village that was friendly and they would be able to be picked-up there. It was only 50 miles away. Through the terrain and travelling at night that would take several days, but it was better than the 100 miles he thought they would have to travel.

He signed off from the sat phone and went back and sat by Katie. This was a personal mission now. Katie would get home safe..... no matter what he had to do. He looked at Katie sleeping..... damn, she is beautiful.

 

[zydrate]

Katie looked around, she wasn't sure she could sleep. Each time she fell asleep in that little hole they were keeping her in, they would make loud noises, startling her back awake.

"It will be okay. I am going to stay right here, and I will be here when you wake up. I promise."

Of course Katie didn't doubt Joshua. Despite thinking she wasn't going to be able to sleep, she closed her eyes and in moments, fell asleep...
******
Not sure how many hours it had been, Katie woke with a start! She gasped only to realize it must have been close to sunset since it was sort of dim in the warehouse. She didn't realize she had woke with her head resting on Josh's leg and his arm on her shoulder.

She had almost thought all that happened was some sort of nightmare and that she'd wake up back home...alone...

But no, it wasn't a dream...at least Joshua was here. That's all that mattered now.

 

[Lightning_25]

While Katie slept, Joshua stayed alert and planned how they were going to move over the next several days. He wasn't certain about Katie's physical conditioning, but she looked great. He hoped that she was in good enough shape to keep up a decent pace. As he thought about it, he figured they would have to take some risks and start before total darkness and continue partially into daybreak.

"Well, hello sleepy head. You certainly had a nice nap." Johua ran his hands through Katie's hair and brushed it off her face. "How are you feeling?" He watched Katie as she looked around... trying to gain her bearings. He decided to wait until she had a moment to remember where she was before going into the plan with her.

 

[zydrate]

With a smile, Katie sat up straight and rubbed the sleep out of her eyes as she nodded, "It was...." she said, answering to his nap comment. She did feel more rested than she had in days...

Seeing Josh in his uniform only reminded her that all that happened before wasn't a dream, that it was real....Joshua was real.

Standing up, Katie stretched her back, "So I take it we're going to have to head out?" she said, it was more a statement than a question. She knew the answer, they had to head out right away if they expected to be rescued. The only thing she wasn't really looking forward to was the 100 miles.