Invincible

15.

I was back on the ship, crammed next to my smelly men. One week had passed since I left Annie at the embassy. I’d followed my usual routine: gym, mess hall, brief on mission. Normally, I’d log on to the computer every night but I’d been avoiding the internet. Kyle and Vic had told me that she had been flown to the States, but I told them I didn’t want to hear the details.

I finally signed in once everyone else had dispersed so I could be alone. I clicked on Fox News.

“Missing American Analía ‘Annie’ Rose Hamilton Found Alive in Curaçao.”

I scanned the article, looking for any details regarding my participation in her rescue.

“Hamilton walked into the American Embassy on Friday, accompanied by a man, who left immediately. It is not clear what his involvement in her rescue was, but sources close to the embassy believe that he was in Special Operations.”

Great. Fucking great. That damn Jarhead probably fucking dimed me out. Now I was part of the investigation. I needed to tell my command what was going on, before they were contacted.

I found a video of a press conference on YouTube. It was a fucking circus: Annie, her parents, her douche bag boyfriend Chris, the police, lawyers, the press. So glad I didn’t have any part of that.

Annie didn’t speak. She stood at the podium in a fitted, white suit, clutching the cheap necklace I’d given her.

Her parents read from a prepared statement.

“We are so ecstatic to be reunited with our darling Annie. She is a testament to our faith in the Lord. To all the families with missing children out there, never give up hope. We ask for our privacy at this time.”

Faith in the Lord? The Lord didn’t find her, I did. I wasn’t an atheist. I believed in God, I’d been raised Catholic. I just hated the acceptance that everything that happened was part of God’s plan. Was it God’s plan for Annie to be kidnapped, forced to take drugs, raped every day?

Her boyfriend held her hand. I closed the website.

I found Kyle and Vic in the television lounge. “It’s all over the news. I need to tell Lt. Marshall before our names get leaked.”

Vic nodded and stood up, probably heading toward Lt. Marshall’s quarters when Kyle stopped him. “Hold up. We don’t need to tell him shit. Annie’s not going to sell you out. I’m sure she’ll repeat the story we told her, that she saw her opportunity to escape and asked a tourist for a ride to the embassy. She survived for five years—she’s not going to break when they question her. And it’s not like the pimp is going to rat us out since he’s dead. Why would she try to ruin our career? I don’t think she’s like that.”

Vic pointed toward the officer quarters. “We should tell Lt. Marshall.”

“No, Kyle is right. Let’s wait and see.”

Vic just shook his head. I had to remind myself that if I’d gone through the proper channels, like Vic had wanted to, Annie would never be saved. So that was that. I know I did the right thing. And I didn’t have any regrets.

Three more months. Three more months and I’d be back in sunny San Diego, California. Less than twenty miles away from Annie. I’d told her I’d never wanted to see her again. But I wasn’t sure that I’d meant it. For now, I had to focus on my next mission, and get her crooked smile out of my head.