My Story - Chapter 4

-------------------------------------------Somewhere, Sometime in Iraq-------------------------------------------

Khaled looked out the back of the truck. He watched as the sand flew up behind them, as they drove off back towards their base. He smiled as he watched the city disappear behind him. After completely wiping out an entire fleet of American militants, he was feeling very good.

Suleiman: "Khaled, you have done so well these last few weeks"

Khaled: "That you General. It was not easy, that's for sure"

Suleiman: "I'm proud of you for not blowing your cover"

Khaled: "I almost did. Well, I actually did, but I thought enough on my toes to solve it"

Suleiman: "Excellent. We never had any doubt in you my friend"

Khaled: "That you sir. I knew I could do it"

Suleiman: "And now you get to celebrate"

Khaled: "The girl."

Suleiman: "Exactly."

Khaled: "She is what has kept me going these past weeks. Just the thought of knowing I'd get to punish her when I returned"

Suleiman: "Of course. You have earned it Khaled"

Khaled: "She hasn't been touched, has she?"

Suleiman: "No. We have left her alone, just for you."

Khaled: "Great. After all of the pain she put me through, it's time for me to put some pain into her"

Suleiman: "Excellent Khaled. You must be quite excited"

Khaled: "I am. I can't remember the last time I've been inside a woman"

Suleiman: "I'm sure it has been a while. I haven't seen you with one in months"

Khaled: "It'll be good to finally change that"

Suleiman: "I'm sure it will Khaled"

Khaled smiled and rested his head against the wall of the truck. He looked around at all of the men surrounding him. They all looked extremely pleased as well. Suleiman must have told them what he had done. Khaled was proud.

The truck slowly pulled to a stop in front of the base. Khaled climbed out of the back, and quickly rushed to his room. He hopped in the shower, and quickly rinsed himself off. He pulled on some loose sweatpants, and a tank top. He walked outside of his room, where the General was waiting for him. He smiled when he saw Khaled, who smiled back.

Suleiman: "Ready?"

Khaled: "Of course I am"

Suleiman: "Let us go then"

Khaled followed behind Suleiman. They reached the small room that Khaled had seen a few weeks ago. He followed the General inside, and watched as he pushed in a brick, which opened a small passage. He walked inside, and saw Anna Macdonald, lying on the floor, looking up. When she saw General Suleiman, she scurried back to the wall. When she saw Khaled, fear appeared in her eyes. Khaled smiled.

Suleiman: "Hello Mrs. Macdonald. How are you this fine day?"

Anna: "F-f-f-fine"

Suleiman: "You sound scared. What's wrong?"

Anna: "N-n-n-nothing"

Suleiman: "You're afraid of what Khaled here is going to do to you?"

Anna: "N-no"

Khaled: "Well you should be, bitch!"

Khaled ran at Anna, who raised her hands over her head in fear. General Suleiman held out his arm and stopped Khaled as Anna screamed.

Suleiman: "Come on Khaled. That's no way to treat a woman. You'll have plenty of time to hurt her soon"

Khaled exhaled deeply and stared at Anna. He saw the fear in her eyes. He smirked at her.

Suleiman: "Well, I'll leave you two alone. You probably have a lot of business to attend to"

Khaled laughed as Suleiman began to exit the room. He turned back at the last moment.

Suleiman: "Oh. Before I get. Anna, I found something of yours. You should wear it"

He pulled out something from his pocket, and walked over to Anna. He bent down, and attached something around her neck. He stepped back and laughed.

Suleiman: "Perfect."

He turned and exited the room, smiling at Khaled as he did so. Once he closed the door, Khaled turned back to Anna, and saw what the General had put on her neck. A gold chain hung around her neck, with a gold, heart shaped locket at the end of it. When Khaled saw that, he felt a sharp pain in his head, as if his brain was being seared. He fell to the ground in pain. He began to see things flash through his mind.

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Reverend: “Alright then. We can continue. Do you, Brandon Macdonald, take Anna Stone, to be your lawfully wedded wife?”

Brandon: “I do”

Reverend: “Will you love, respect and honor her throughout your years together, in sickness and in health, through good times, and through bad times?"

Brandon: “I will”

The reverend turned back to Anna and spoke to her.

Reverend: “Do you, Anna Stone, take Brandon Macdonald, to be your lawfully wedded husband?”

Anna: “I do”

Reverend: “Will you love, respect and honor him throughout your years together, in sickness and in health, through good times, and through bad times?”

Anna: “I will”

Reverend: “Excellent. Brandon, Anna, if you would like to take this time to read the vows that you have written for each other.”

Brandon looked at Anna. He remembered what he had wrote, and what he had practised so many times when Anna wasn't looking. He spoke to her.

Brandon: “I, Brandon Macdonald affirm my love to you, Anna Stone as I invite you to share my life. You are the most beautiful, smart, and generous person I have ever known, and I promise always to respect you. With kindness, unselfishness and trust, I will work by your side to create a wonderful life together. I take you Anna Stone to be my lawful wife, to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health for as long as we both shall live.”

Anna smiled at him. She looked him in the eyes, and started to tell him what she had written, and practised all those times that he wasn't looking.

Anna: “Brandon Macdonald, I love you. You are my best friend. Today I give myself to you in marriage. I promise to encourage and inspire you, to laugh with you, and to comfort you in times of sorrow and struggle. I promise to love you in good times and in bad, when life seems easy and when it seems hard, when our love is simple, and when it is an effort. I promise to cherish you, and to always hold you in highest regard. These things I give to you today, and all the days of our life.”

The reverend smiled at both of them, and looked over at Rick.

Reverend: “May I have the rings please?”

Rick reached into his pocket, and pulled out the cases containing both Brandon's and Anna's rings. He handed them to the reverend.

Reverend: “The wedding ring is a complete and perfect circle with no end and no beginning. It is the symbol of both the universe we are all a part of and of your love and commitment to each other. The giving and receiving of these rings will bind you both to the vows you have made.”

He turned to the congregation, and asked them to join him in prayer.

Reverend: “Creator of All, thank you for blessing these rings. May they serve to always remind Anna and Brandon of the promises they have made to each other today. May your endless love and boundless wisdom surround these rings, these two before me and all of those gathered to witness this exchange today. In your name, we pray. Amen.”

He handed Brandon the ring for Anna. Brandon took it and looked straight into Anna's beautiful eyes. They seemed to go on forever. Such beauty that he could hardly comprehend. He cleared his throat.

Brandon: “Anna Stone, please accept this ring as an constant symbol of my vows,. I offer it with all that I am, all that I have and all that I will ever be. May I love you, honour you and respect you, for as long as we both shall live.”

He took her hand in his. He took one deep breath, and slowly placed the ring on her finger. Once it was on, he smiled again, and looked up at her. She was smiling just as much back at him. The reverend handed her the other ring.

Anna: “Brandon Macdonald, please accept this ring as an constant symbol of my vows,. I offer it with all that I am, all that I have and all that I will ever be. May I love you, honour you and respect you, for as long as we both shall live.”

She took Brandon's hand, and, just like Brandon, took a deep breath before sliding the ring onto his finger. Once she finished, she broke back into smile, and looked up at Brandon, who hadn't stopped smiling.

Reverend: “You have each received the blessings of your families. You have vowed to love each other. You have offered and accepted rings to wear as a symbol of those vows. And you have done this all in the presence and company of your dearest friends and most beloved family. It is now my most humble honour to declare to you and all those assembled here that you are now, legally and spiritually, husband and wife. You may now enjoy the first kiss of your long and fruitful marriage”

Brandon let out the biggest sigh of relief, and reached around Anna, who did the same too. He pulled her close and brought his lips up to her. Before he kissed her, he whispered 'I love you' to her, and she whispered the same thing back. Then he kissed her. It was the most beautiful, passionate, heartwarming kiss that he had ever been involved in. What lasted only a few seconds, seemed to Brandon and Anna like it lasted weeks. They finally pulled apart. Tears were flowing down Anna's face. Brandon could feel some welling up. But these were tears of joy. He had never been more happy in his life then he was right now, and he knew Anna felt the same way.

Reverend: “Ladies and gentlemen, please congratulate the newest married couple in this world, Mr and Mrs Macdonald.”

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Khaled grabbed his head as memories continued to flood into his brain. He yelled out as his brain flashed again.

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Brandon: "So, did you learn a lot?"

Anna: "Yeah, I actually learned quite a bit. Although you're still my favourite teacher."

Brandon: "Oh, thats nice to hear. Sometimes I thought I was your least favourite."

Anna: "Sometime's I wonder why I married someone so silly"

Brandon: "And then you remember that I'm the best?"

Anna: "Exactly."

Brandon: "Well, I never wonder why I married you. Because if I ever start, I just remember that you are the hottest, greatest, prettiest, best girl in the whole wide world"

Anna: "Awww. Thanks Brandon. You're so sweet."

Brandon: "Your welcome babe"

Brandon leaned over and kissed her.

Brandon: "Want to go out for dinner?"

Anna: "You know, I think I'd rather just have room service"

Brandon: "I'm just going to go ahead and take that as a joke, and ask our driver to take us to a restaurant."

Anna: "I need to change first!"

Brandon: "Why, you look sexy"

Anna: "I'm wearing a tank top and jeans. And you're just wearing a tight t-shirt shirt and jeans. We're not going to dinner dressed like this."

Brandon: "Okay, you win. We'll go change first."

They ran upstairs and changed into nicer clothes quickly. Then they got back in the limo, and drove over to a nice restaurant that had been recommended by their driver. Apparently there weren't many great restaurants in Oberhausen, but this was a nice Italian one, with English service. Neither Brandon nor Anna could speak any German, so they figured that this place would be great. And since Brandon had Italian heritage, he loved Italian food.

The restaurant was quite good, they had made reservations earlier, and so they were seated right away. A few people recognized him, but nothing over the top. They just got to eat their meals in peace.

Anna: "So what do you want to do for your birthday?"

Brandon: "Honestly, I don't really care. It's just a birthday"

Anna: "Well, it's your first birthday as a married man."

Brandon: "True. Well, all I want for my birthday is you. And to see my son"

Anna: "You'll get to see him. And we'll go out to eat together or something. And you'll get me, don't you worry"

Brandon: "Great. Did I ever tell you how much I love you?"

Anna: "Ummm. No, I don't think you ever did"

Brandon: "Oh. Okay. Well, I love you this much"

Brandon reached his arms as far apart as he could. Anna smiled.

Anna: "I love you more than that"

Brandon: "Darn. You win this time. But next time, I'll be ready. That's for sure."

Anna: "I'll always win. But I love seeing you try"

Brandon: "Well, as long as you love it, then I'm okay."

Anna: "Great. That's good to hear"

Brandon: "So. How does it feel to know that you are general manager of the biggest wrestling company ever?"

Anna: "Well, it feels great. Actually. "

Brandon: "It is a great thing. You're going to do great, you're already doing great."

Anna: "Your so nice. Well, I guess I'm happy?"

Brandon: "Yeah. It's kind of cool, isn't it? And we own a quarter of a wrestling promotion, even though it sucks, and we own half of a global company in WE."

Anna: "Yeah. That is pretty cool isn't it. What about Fight the World?"

Brandon: "I honestly don't know. I guess we'll see. Nick is sort of running things right now. He's been here longer, but he knows that we're here for support, since we have the experience in life."

Anna: "Yeah. Although we haven't had great lives full of experience"

Brandon: "No, thats true. But then again, has anyone?"

Anna: "Nope. Everyone makes mistakes, and we move on. Just like we did"

Brandon: "Exactly. We're a prime example of what happens when you put the past behind you. How many guys could leave a girl without saying anything, be gone for ten years, and then meet her in a bar one day, and marry her two months later?"

Anna: "Just one"

Brandon: "I'm glad that one is me"

Anna: "Me too"

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Khaled completely collapsed to the ground. Anna looked on in horror. She approached him hesitantly.

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Smith: "Don't even think about it Macdonald"

Brandon recognized the voice behind him.

Brandon: "What the fuck's going on here General?"

Smith: "Well, I think it's pretty clear, don't you? Take off your belt, and hand me your pistol."

Brandon slowly did as he was told. He could feel the butt of General Smith's gun pressed against the back of his neck.

Brandon: "Why me?"

Smith: "They wanted you Brandon. They wanted everyone. But they have special plans for you"

Brandon: "So you just sold out the American military?"

Smith: "Well they don't know that yet. And they never will. I'm getting paid a lot of money from these guys"

Brandon: "How long have you been with them?"

Smith: "Longer than you can imagine. This has been a long time coming. We've planned this for years and years. And now, it finally comes to fruition."

Brandon: "You dirty traitor!"

Brandon spun around and knocked the gun out of the General's hands. He kicked him in the legs, then punched him right in the nose, breaking it. General Smith fell to the floor, and Brandon tried to jump on him, before being tackled by the other terrorists. They got a hold of Brandon and lifted him to his feet. General Smith stood up, cracking his nose back into place.

Smith: "Now that wasn't very nice, now was it?"

He punched Brandon hard in the face.

Smith: "So yes, it was I who coordinated all of those attempts on your life. Mostly to send a message."

He punched Brandon again in the face.

Smith: "And it was I who organized the kidnapping of Anna. Oh, but don't worry. I'm sure they're taking good care of her over there. All those grown men, away from young women for so long. She's probably been real busy lately"

Brandon looked at General Smith, and kicked him as hard as he could in the nuts. As Smith bent over in pain, Brandon spit in his face.

Brandon: "Don't you ever talk about her like that. I swear to god, if you hurt her, I'm going to kill you. All of you"

One of the terrorists kicked Brandon hard in the back. They held him in place as General Smith stood up.

Smith: "Oh Macdonald. When will you accept it? You've lost. These guys have some real big plans for you. And I mean real big. So don't you worry. Oh, and before you go, I just wanted to tell you something. I'll take care of Anna when this is over. I'll take real good care of her."

General Smith smiled an evil smile, before looking down at Brandon, and bringing his pistol down hard on the side of Brandon's head. Brandon hit the ground hard. He couldn't move, but he could see General Smith bend down in front of him. He grabbed the locket around Brandon's neck, and ripped it off.

Smith: "I'll give this to Anna for you"

General Smith took his gun, and brought it down to the side of Brandon's head yet again. The last thing Brandon saw was the men moving over top of him, talking in a foreign language, before he blacked out.

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Suddenly, as if he was shocked by a bolt of lightning, Brandon remembered everything. All of the memories that had been locked away in the back of his mind by the doctor came flooding back to him. The locket had unlocked his brain. He could see again. He was Brandon again. His wedding, his love of Anna, his betrayal.

The door to the room opened and two guards ran in and helped Brandon back to his feet.

Voice: "Are you okay Khaled?"

Brandon: "Yeah. Must be sinuses or something. I'm okay now. I'll deal with her"

The two men left, as Brandon looked around the room. He saw two cameras at the top of the room, with red lights on. They were watching him. He couldn't just leave. He looked down at Anna, who was looking up at him, with a confused look on his face. He could not believe it. He had hit her, struck her with his hand. He was disgusted with himself. But then again, was it really him who hit her, or was it Khaled? Were they the same person, or two totally different entities? Brandon saw the cameras move a bit, and got an idea. It wasn't a good idea, but it was the best he had. He reached down and picked up Anna by her shirt, and pressed her against the wall, out of the view of both cameras. She screamed loudly as Brandon held her there. He quickly turned on a radio to make noise. He looked at Anna, who was crying. Brandon leaned in close and spoke softly.

Brandon: "Anna. Anna! Stop crying! It's me, Brandon!"

Anna stopped crying and looked into his eyes.

Anna: "Brandon? Are you back?"

Brandon: "I-I think so. I don't know if I was gone. I don't know what happened."

Anna: "Oh my god, I can't believe you're back. I was so scared. You were evil"

Brandon: "Yeah, I'm back. But I have some bad news"

He motioned to the cameras above them.

Brandon: "Look. If I don't 'rape' you, they'll know something is up, and we're both going to die. If we can pull this off, it will buy me some time to get us both out of here"

Anna: "B-b-but, how are we going to do that?"

Brandon: "Act. I'm going to be aggressive. Do you think you can cry and scream? We just need to make this look as realistic as possible."

Anna: "I-I-I-yeah. Okay."

Brandon bit his lip and quickly kissed Anna. He then took a deep breath, and lightly threw her across the room. Anna embellished the throw, by falling to the ground and beginning to cry. Brandon walked towards her.

Brandon: "You ready for this bitch"

Anna: "No, please stop!"

Brandon reach down and picked Anna up. He quickly grabbed her shirt at ripped it off. She wasn't wearing anything underneath. And after being trapped here for so long, Brandon wasn't surprised. He imagined underwear would not be comfortable. He began to caress her body, trying to do it as softly as possible while making it look like her was being rough.

Anna: "Please stop!"

Brandon grabbed her pants and ripped them down to her ankles. He forced them off of her legs. Anna was now fully naked in front of him. She looked a lot skinnier than she once was, but that was expected. Other than that, she didn't look too bad. He quickly ripped off his shirt and pulled his pants down and kicked them off to the side.

Brandon: "Knees now, whore"

Brandon pushed Anna slightly, and she fell hard to her knees on her own accord. She was crying now. He grabbed the back of her head, and forced it towards her groin. She was doing a great job of resisting. She was doing a great job of acting in general. Brandon forced himself into her mouth. She eventually accepted it, but made sure it looked like he really forced it into her mouth. He began to thrust into her face, picking up speed. Brandon whispered to her.

Brandon: "Breathe through your nose"

Anna was just sort of letting him fuck her face. She wasn't putting up any resistance, real or fake, but she wasn't doing anything either. Brandon made sure he was as gentle as he could possibly be, while still making it look like he was actually forcing this upon her.

After a few minutes of that, Brandon quickly pulled out of her mouth. Anna pretended to be gasping for air, even though she had gotten enough through her nose. Brandon quickly picked her up to her feet, and bent her over the table.

Anna: "Please stop, this is too much!"

Brandon: "Shut up!"

He slapped her ass hard. She yelped when he did so. He did it again, and her scream was louder. He looked up at the cameras. He did it again.

Brandon: "You look so tight. Get ready for this bitch!"

Brandon took a deep breath, before positioning himself behind Anna, and ramming himself into her fairly hard. He knew his way around her, so he knew her sensitive spots, which he tried to stay away from. She screamed loudly and cried more when he slammed into her, making it seem even more realistic. Brandon tried to hold back his emotions while he did this, trying to make it seem realistic. He couldn't imagine what was going through Anna's mind right now.

-------------------------45 Minutes Later-------------------------

Brandon pulled out of Anna, who was sobbing uncontrollably. Brandon almost started to cry when he saw her. He whispered to her without looking at the cameras.

Brandon: "I'll be back soon. I'm so sorry"

Brandon pushed her and she fell to the ground. She quickly pulled her pants on, and covered herself with what was left of her shirt. Brandon smiled for the cameras, and quickly left, leaving Anna to sit alone in the corner.

As he left, he made a mental note of where everything was. He needed to remember how to get to Anna, for when he made the escape. He still had no idea how he was going to do it. But if he could just think for a bit, he would figure out something.

Suleiman: "Ah, Khaled. You looked good in there"

The general laughed loudly. Brandon could feel the intense hatred building up inside of him, but he suppressed it for now.

Brandon: "Thank you. She was as good as I imagined"

Suleiman: "Excellent. You really showed her who's boss. Good work"

Brandon: "Thank you"

Suleiman: "Well I'll just go take care of her, and then we can celebrate some more"

Brandon: "No!"

Suleiman looked around at Brandon, with a puzzled look on his face.

Suleiman: "Pardon me?"

Brandon: "I don't want her dead. I want to punish her some more"

Suleiman smiled when he heard this

Suleiman: "Ah, excellent. And punish her you shall. For as many days as you'd like"

Brandon: "I wish to do it again in a few hours"

Suleiman: "So soon?"

Brandon: "I have a lot of anger in me towards that filthy thing"

Suleiman: "This is true. Very well, you may have her whenever you'd like. You know where she is"

Brandon: "Thank you general"

Brandon saluted General Suleiman, before making his way back to his room. Once inside he locked the door, and sat down on his bed. Something in his pocket hit the side of his leg. He pulled it out. It was a war medal. Sullivan's war medal. Brandon remembered how he had obtained it. He fell to his bed and cried. All those men, all of his friends. Killed by a man Brandon hoped would never ever come back again. Brandon didn't deserve to live, for being the bearer of that man. He killed his friends. Why should he live on while their lives were cut short so early.

But no. That's not what they would have wanted. They would've wanted Brandon to fight on, and avenge their deaths. To finish what they had set out to do on this mission. End this terror group, and save Anna. That's what he had to do. And that's what he was going to do.

Brandon walked over to his dresser and pulled out everything he needed. He stocked up his belt and guns with ammo. He swung his machine gun around his chest, and shoved two pistols inside his belt. He quickly grabbed a bunch of C4 explosive, and placed it beside the door. He rigged a small tripwire, that would set it off as soon as someone walked in. He grabbed some remote detonation devices, and stuck them in bits of C4. If he went down, so was this entire complex.

He quickly hurried out back to Anna's cell. He walked by the room where all of the security cameras were viewed. He got an idea. He pulled out a small piece of C4, and set a two minute timer. He walked inside. There were two men there, sleeping at the cameras. Brandon chuckled, and placed the explosive right inside a plastic garbage can beside them. It was silent, so they would not hear it until it was too late. He hurried out of the room. He ran into the cell where the secret doorway to Anna's cell was. He quickly set up the door to explode if someone walked in and tripped the wire. He pressed the brick in, and ran inside. He found Anna sitting in the corner. He quickly grabbed both cameras, and ripped them right out of the roof. He turned to Anna, and pulled out a small tank top out of his shirt, and tossed it to her. She put it on and ran over to him and hugged him, and gave him the biggest kiss she had ever given him.

Anna: "Oh my god, oh my god, thank god you're okay"

Brandon: "Thanks to you, and that locket"

Anna: "How long have I been here? How long have you been here?"

Brandon: "It's been two months or so since you got taken. I got captured the very next day."

Anna: "Brandon, oh my god, it's been hell. I can't believe that I'm still alive"

Brandon: "I can't believe we're both still alive. But it won't matter unless we make it out of here alive. Follow me"

Brandon grabbed Anna and helped her to her feet. Together, they slowly walked towards the door. Brandon heard an explosion and the ground shake. Time to move. He pulled Anna behind him and they stepped over the trip wire and walked outside. Brandon heard people coming, and he quickly threw Anna into a doorway out of sight. Three men ran around the corner.

Brandon: "They went into my room!"

Brandon didn't even know if they were looking for anyone. But sure enough, they quickly ran past him, and towards Brandon's room. Brandon handed Anna one of his pistols.

Brandon: "Just stick close to me, and you won't get hurt."

Brandon quickly pulled his M60E3 down from his chest, and held it in front of him. Quickly, the two of them hurried throughout the complex. Brandon pulled out some small bits of C4, and was sticking them where-ever he could. Each piece had a small remote controller on it. Brandon had the detonator in his pocket. He hurried with Anna. Surprisingly, there was no one to stop them. Brandon turned the corner at full speed, pulling Anna behind him, and ran right into General Smith.

Smith: "Khaled, where are you going with her?!"

Smith seemed to still think that Brandon was Khaled. He quickly thought of something.

Brandon: "The explosion interrupted me. I need to punish her more, and I won't let anything interrupt me like that. This whore needs to be taught her lesson"

Smith: "Very true. Alright, follow me"

Smith led Brandon and Anna into a small room off to the side. He closed and locked the door. He began to take his shirt off. Brandon looked at him.

Brandon: "What are you doing?"

Smith: "You didn't think I was just going to watch, did you?"

Smith began to take off his pants. Brandon looked at Anna, and nodded. He quickly threw her to the ground, and she pretended to fall hard. Brandon began to pretend to take off his pants, but instead, pulled out his Desert Eagle, and fired it right into both of General Smith's kneecaps. Smith screamed and fell to the ground. Brandon jumped on top of him.

Brandon: "Got'cha"

Brandon laughed as Anna stood up. Smith looked at both of them, trying to figure out what was happening. He screamed in pain, as Anna stomped on one of his knees.

Brandon: "Where is Suleiman?"

Smith: "You'll never make it out of here alive"

Brandon: "Where is Suleiman?!"

Brandon held the gun closer to Smith's neck. Smith laughed at him

Smith: "You'll never get anything from me. Just kill me now."

Brandon: "I don't think so"

Brandon pointed the gun down at Smith's stomach, and pulled the trigger. Smith screamed in pain as the bullet tore through his stomach lining, causing the stomach acid to begin to seep throughout his body.

Brandon: "Enjoy your last ten or so minutes General"

Brandon quickly exited the room with Anna, while Smith lay on the ground, holding his stomach in pain. He yelled at them before Brandon closed the door.

Smith: "Please Brandon! Don't leave me!"

Brandon: "What about Sullivan? Johnston? You left them all too!"

Smith: "As did you"

Brandon: "That wasn't me!"

Smith: "Please Brandon. Have mercy. Save me! I'm your general!"

Brandon: "Then I guess this is treason"

Brandon slammed the door shut as Smith screamed after them. He hurried with Anna, into a small room with a window. He closed the door behind him, and locked it shut. He could hear more explosions going off across the complex. They must have found the other tripwire rigged one's. It wouldn't be long until they found him and Anna. He looked around the room. He saw a phone. He picked it up, and heard a dial tone. He quickly punched in numbers, and waited for it to connect.

Patten: "This is Genral Patten"

Brandon: "General Patten, this is Major Brandon Macdonald of Task Force 88."

Patten: "Task Force 88? I thought you guys were wiped out?"

Brandon: "Not me sir. We were betrayed by General Smith, but he was taken out by myself. I'm the only one left"

Patten: "I was told there was one more with Smith. No name or identity confirmation though. What is his status?"

Brandon: "Dead sir. Long gone"

Patten: "Excellent news. What is your location Major?"

Brandon: "An underground military complex, in the desert just outside of Hit, in the Al Anbar province. Perhaps you know of it's location?"

Patten: "Yes. We have suspected that area to be housing a complex, but we had no confirmation. You can confirm that it is there?"

Brandon: "Yes. Track my phone for the exact coordinates. I am inside of the base"

Patten: "We've already done so. So what was the real purpose of your call?"

Brandon: "I need an airstrike. To those coordinates"

Patten: "Major, I'm afraid we don't have enough evidence to issue that"

Brandon: "General, with all due respect, fuck that. You need to send an airstrike to hit this. You have the chance to take out the entire division of al-Qaeda in Iraq. It needs to be done sir"

Patten: "Son, you do know that if this is a failed mission, than you will be going to jail, for a long time"

Brandon: "I'm aware of the laws sir, and I don't intend on being wrong"

Patten: "Very well. You have five minutes to get out of there, and get as far away as you can. We'll have a convoy waiting for you in Hit. Go now"

Brandon: "Thank you General sir."

Brandon hung up the phone. He looked at Anna, who was close to the window.

Brandon: "We have to go, now!"

Brandon helped Anna push herself through the window. He handed her his gun and all of the things he was holding. He began to pull himself through the window. He heard a click behind him.

Suleiman: "Not so fast"

Brandon hopped down and raised his hands. He turned around, and saw Suleiman, standing there, with a pistol in his hand.

Suleiman: "You think that you can just remember who you are, and then leave?! I think not"

Brandon: "Why me? Why did you do this all to me?"

Suleiman: "Because you were perfect. Famous man, lovely wife, but you were a pain in our ass for far too long. You killed our leader. You set us back years!"

Brandon: "I was just doing my job!"

Suleiman: "But you did it. You destroyed us. Everything we tried to be. So we decided to destroy you."

Brandon: "Yeah, and you did that. Congratulations."

Suleiman: "Not enough apparently. You raped your wife. We were hoping you'd kill her. But now you're fine? What happened?"

Brandon: "You. You gave her the locket. That locket has been with me forever. It brought me back. It was your fault"

Suleiman: "Interesting. Yet, not surprising. I guess that was my mistake"

Brandon: "Let me go. This is my last tour of duty, you'll never hear from me again"

Suleiman: "I'm afraid not. You killed Smith. You've yet again set us back years."

Brandon: "You made me do it. You made me kill my entire team!"

Suleiman: "I did not make you. You chose it"

Brandon: "It wasn't me! You and your stupid doctor made me believe I was someone else. How did you make that footage of Anna dying?"

Suleiman: "We didn't make that. It was really what they showed on television. Don't ask me how"

Brandon: "So the NLWF betrayed me too"

Suleiman: "You must have no one left. Come, join us, we'll let Anna stay too. You two could become full time members of this army."

Brandon: "Yeah right. I'd rather die."

Suleiman: "Suit yourself"

Suleiman raised the gun towards Brandon's chest. He squeezed his hand on the trigger. Brandon closed his eyes and waited for the bullet to crush through him.

Suddenly, the whole room began to shake, and Brandon opened his eyes. He could hear explosions going off everywhere inside the complex. Suleiman quickly looked away, and Brandon jumped at him. He heard a few gunshots go off as he tackled Suleiman to the ground. The gun spun away to the side.

Brandon began punching away at Suleiman's face, before he was thrown aside. Suleiman stood to his feet, and so did Brandon. Suleiman looked at him and laughed. Brandon looked at the ground, and saw a pool of blood. He looked at his right shoulder, and saw blood pouring out of it.

Suleiman: "My oh my. Looks like someone's in trouble."

Suleiman ran at Brandon and tackled him. He drove his hand right into the gunshot wound in Brandon's shoulder. He screamed loudly in pain. Suleiman punched him in the face a few times, before again driving his fist into Brandon's shoulder. The pain was unbearable. Brandon could feel himself losing consciousness. He tried to fight off Suleiman, but it was no use.

Suleiman pulled out a long knife from his belt. He held it up in the air. He laughed as he looked at Brandon. Brandon began to laugh quietly as well. Suleiman looked at him.

Suleiman: "What's so funny?"

Brandon: "You're already dead. It doesn't matter if you kill me"

Suleiman: "What do you mean?"

Brandon: "An airstrike is on it's way. You only have about three more minutes to live."

Suleiman: "Surely you jest"

Brandon: "I do no such thing. Believe me, don't believe me. I know what's coming"

Suleiman: "At least I can take solace in knowing that I ripped your life apart before I died"

With that, he raised his knife high in the air. Brandon closed his eyes yet again, and waited for the impact. Suddenly, he heard a single gunshot. He slowly opened his eyes, and saw Suleiman look down, to the hole that had just formed in his chest. He looked back up, and slowly fell down to the ground, off of Brandon.

Brandon looked up and saw Anna picking herself off the ground. She ran over to Brandon and helped him up. Brandon's eyesight was getting smaller. He knew he only had a few minutes of consciousness left.

Anna: "Those things are more powerful than I thought"

Brandon: "Anna. I love you"

Anna: "I love you too Brandon. Take your shirt off"

Anna helped Brandon take off his jacket, and the shirt underneath it. She wrapped it tightly around the bullet wound on his shoulder. She helped him to his feet.

Anna: "We have to go, now"

Brandon put his arm around Anna, as she helped him over to the window. She quickly pulled a table underneath it, and they climbed up it, and out the window. Brandon put his arm around Anna's shoulders, and she helped him walk. They began to run as fast as they could over to a jeep. Brandon hopped in and pulled out a key, and threw it to Anna. She started the jeep, and sped off in the opposite direction of the complex. Brandon lay his chair back and looked up at the sky, as Anna continued to speed away. He saw something fly by overhead, faster than anything. He heard it a few seconds later.

Brandon: "Anna, brace yourself"

Brandon held on, as he felt the wind begin to pick up. He was thrown out of the jeep, as it flew through the air. It was then that he heard the sound of the explosion, louder than anything he had ever heard in his life. He hit the ground hard, and rolled a few feet, before coming to a stop. He could hardly hear anything. There was smoke all through the air.

Brandon: "Anna!"

He couldn't even hear himself yell. He tried again.

Brandon: "Anna!!"

He looked around. He saw a figure slowly stand up in the dust. He ran over and saw Anna, coughing, saying something. He ran over to her and hugged her tightly. They kissed, and fell to the sand. Anna broke the kiss and looked at him, saying something. Brandon strained himself to hear what it was.

Anna: "Brandon. I love you so much"

Brandon: "I love you even more"

They embraced and kissed again, as the smoke around them began to settle. Brandon suddenly felt a sharp pain in his shoulder. He had almost forgotten that he had a bullet in there still. He looked at Anna, and pointed to his shoulder. She nodded, and helped him to his feet.

Using each other as support, they walked towards where the city might be. They weren't sure, but they figured anywhere away from there would be better. They walked for what felt like hours. Their hearing slowly came back. Brandon was slowly being able to see less and less. He needed a doctor, fast. He looked at Anna. She was staring off into the distance. He followed her eyesight.

What looked like at least ten trucks and a helicopter were fast approaching. Brandon yelled in joy, and hugged Anna.

Brandon: "We're going home"

Anna: "I love you"

Brandon collapsed to the ground. Anna sat down beside him, and held him in her lap. He knew he was fading fast.

Brandon: "How did, you know about the detonator?"

Anna: "I didn't. I was climbing down to help you, and I accidentally clicked it"

Brandon laughed slightly.

Brandon: "Well, you saved me life"

Anna: "You saved mine first"

Brandon: "I guess we're even"

Anna smiled at him.

Anna: "I guess we are."

Brandon lay his head back in her lap as she rubbed his head. The pain in his shoulder was unbelievable. He was going to pass out soon, or die of blood loss. Anna held him tightly as the trucks pulled up beside him, and men began running out.

Anna: "He's been shot! We need a medic now!"

Brandon heard voices, but he could no longer tell what they were saying. His eyes were like a tunnel. He heard people moving him around, picking him up, bringing him to the helicopter. All he could think about was Anna. He kept looking at her face, and she never left his side. He stared at her, and she smiled back at him. Brandon closed his eyes, and the last thing he felt was Anna's lips pressed against his tightly, and the sound of a helicopter taking off, before he passed out.