His eyes and Gun pointing firmly towards the door, his eyes locked on mine as he turn his head and asked, "Babe, did you hear any strange sound or why did you push me away in such a fearful manner?" I shook my head, my gaze fixed on his phone. "Unlock your phone. I want to see the message that just popped in."
He swiftly unlocked his phone and handed it to me. "Here it is, babe."
I took the phone, glanced at the screen, and saw the message from MTN. My face relaxed as I realized the misunderstanding. "Oh, I'm sorry," I began, but he silenced me with a gentle touch, his hand wrapping around my wrist.
He pulled me into a warm hug from behind, his voice soothing. "It's alright, I understand the echoes of your past." As his arms wrapped around me, I felt my tension melt away. We settled into a comfortable silence, and soon, we drifted off to sleep.
I stood in a barren landscape, watching a fierce storm rage on. The wind howled, and rain pounded the ground. Buildings crumbled, debris swirling like autumn leaves. I felt small and powerless against the storm's fury.
But as I watched, my thoughts drifted to Bryan. I remembered the warmth of his touch and the sparkle in his eyes. A smile crept onto my face. The storm faded, replaced by the gentle light of morning.
I woke up with a start, my heart racing. "Oh my God, it was just a dream," I whispered, trying to calm down. As I sat up, the vivid images of the storm lingered, but my thoughts shifted to Bryan and our moments from the night before.
I replayed the intimate moments with Bryan, feeling a flutter in my chest. My mind wandered as I reached for my phone, and I saw his message: "Good morning, beautiful! Last night was AMAZING!" A soft laugh escaped my lips as I relived the moments we shared.
We spent the day exploring Dubai. At the Burj Khalifa, Bryan asked, "What's one thing you're looking forward to doing in the next year?" I thought for a moment before responding, "I'd love to travel more and experience different cultures. Maybe we can plan a trip together soon?" Bryan smiled, and we discussed visiting Japan.
As we rode through the desert on a thrilling safari adventure, Bryan asked about my favorite childhood memory. I smiled, remembering happy times at the beach with my family. We played "Desert survival," and Bryan impressed me with his knowledge.
The next day, we visited the Miracle Garden. Bryan asked about my favorite flower, and I said roses. We participated in a "Flower arrangement challenge," and Bryan's creativity impressed me. We ended the day with skydiving, playing "Adrenaline rush quiz" afterward.
Bryan drove me home, he received an unexpected message from the office of Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum. "You've been chosen to represent Dubai in the upcoming International Horse Race," he read aloud, his face lighting up.
Bryan was thrilled, seeing it as a chance to showcase his horse, Adbar's, talents. As we pulled up to my place, he turned to me with a smile. "Will you be my girlfriend?" he asked, and I agreed, feeling happy and excited.
Just as we basked in the happiness of our new relationship, Bryan's phone buzzed again. "It's from the US Naval Base," he said, his voice low. "Lieutenant Bryan, you are to report to base in the next 2 days. Operation Code Red." His eyes locked into mine, and he quickly checked the horse race details, realizing it was also scheduled for the same time.
I woke up with a start, my heart racing. The dream still lingered, and I worried about Bryan's conflicting obligations. I sent him a message: "Hey Bryan, how are you planning to balance the horse race competition with your duty calls?" He responded, "Both are duty calls, my love. I'll balance the equation. Don't worry."
The next day, I arrived at the venue, and Bryan drew cheers from the crowd. The emcee introduced the representatives, and Bryan smiled, waving to the crowd. His eyes locked onto mine, and I blew him a cheerful kiss.
The competition began, and after the first round, six countries were eliminated. The remaining three contestants - Bryan (UAE), Thembi Ngwenya (South Africa), and Luana Silva (Brazil) - moved on to the next round.
The second race was a challenging course hidden in the bush. As the riders charged into the bush, Luana threw a short blade at Bryan, cutting him severely. Adbar was also injured, but they quickly got back up and burst out of the bush, Bryan bleeding but determined. Bryan crossed the finish line first, and the organizers announced him as the winner, revealing Luana's foul play.
I rushed to Bryan's side, tears streaming down my face. I kissed him, relieved he was okay. Bryan handed me the medals, and I felt them settle around my neck. He pulled me close and kissed me, the crowd erupting in cheers.
As we broke apart, Bryan's expression turned urgent. "Wendy, I need to go to the airport now," he said. We sat in a quiet spot, and I told him about the mysterious dreams and echoing memories. Bryan's expression changed, and he took a deep breath. "Wendy, I have something to tell you... I'm your boyfriend from when we were little... Our families didn't make it in a house explosion. It's your 7th year birthday when we both went to supermarket and before we came back Gracious your house help forgot to put off the Gas after cooking and your little nephew mistake I light matches. I was taken away to the US by my only survival aunt. I tried to find you, but I couldn't."
Tears streamed down my face as I listened to his words. I felt a mix of emotions: shock, sadness, and finally, a sense of connection. I reached out and hugged him tightly, a goodbye hug. As we held each other, Bryan whispered, "I love you more."
I boarded the aircraft, receiving a message from Quarters: "Brayan, report to base in 8 hours. Code Red." I responded, "Roger that." I initiated a secure call to my team.
"Attention, this is Lieutenant Brayan. Rodrigo Martinez, Burrows Wilson, Rone Thompson, Scofield Jenkins, Jeffrey Lee, Lincoln Brown, and Scorpion Jackson, we've got a Code Red situation. Report to designated briefing location in 7 hours and 45 minutes. Prepare for deployment. Await further instructions. Move out, team. Hooah!"
I walked into Quarters, expecting discipline, but Scorpion was lounging against a wall. The team saluted in unison: "Shun, sir!" Scorpion said, "Welcome, sir." I cracked a smile as the team burst into laughter.
"Alright, let's get to the briefing room. Show some discipline," I said, shaking my head. As we headed towards the briefing room, Scorpion took a quick call from his wife. "Hey, babe... Just the guys, Lieutenant Brayan, Burrows..."
Just as he finished, Jeffrey spotted Commandant Nelson at the door. "Commandant Nelson, sir!" The room fell silent, and Scorpion quickly hung up. "Ah, sir... right on time."
"You're deploying to Sadam, effective immediately," Commandant Nelson announced. The room fell silent.
Scorpion whispered, "Sadam? Really?"
"No briefing. Depart within the hour," Commandant Nelson ordered, before exiting the room.
We scrambled into action, settling into the jet. Tension filled the air as my team vented frustrations.
Scorpion: "No briefing? What's the plan, Lieutenant?"
Rodrigo: "Flying blind isn't how we operate."
Burrows: "Potential firefight without knowing the layout... nothing."