That night, Max spoke in my ear. “Chopper is moving in.”
“What about the men?”
“They’ve pulled back. They searched the mountain and the path to the town square, but they started to disperse when nothing happened. Since the chopper can’t get to your location, you need to move down to the flat surface.”
“Got it.” I packed up my gear and moved out, taking the quickest way down to the flat section of land. I wanted to get out of there as quickly as possible, to end this final mission and put it behind me. I wanted my money and my retirement. “I’m in position.”
“Alright.” Max was quiet for a minute while he worked with the pilot.
Ten minutes later, I heard the sound of the rotors. All the lights were off, making it impossible to see. It could only be heard if you were close enough. The wind swept through my hair as the chopper landed on the sand, and once it was on the ground, I hopped inside.
The chopper rose into the air and flew away. The lights from the square were noticeable from this height, and as I watched the country slowly disappear, my heart rate started to slow down. I’d never been scared during a mission. I didn’t fear death or pain.
But I feared Vanessa.
That mission didn’t go as smoothly as all the others. On top of that, I lied to her.
I fucking lied.
But I didn’t have any other choice. If I’d told her the truth, she would have had a serious breakdown. Max told me Sapphire went into labor, and I couldn’t ruin this beautiful time in Vanessa’s life. I knew I’d made the right decision.
But she would tear into me anyway…as she should.
I put the headset on and relaxed when the sight of Morocco was no longer visible. Max spoke in my ear. “You alright, man?”
“I’m fine.”
“Need any medical attention or anything? Dehydrated?”
“I’m fine,” I repeated. “Just get me home. Tell Vanessa I’m on my way.”
I refueled my body on the plane, eating the enormous meal I bought at the airport. I drank water by the gallon, and after a few hours, I started to feel better. I slept the rest of the way, finally relaxing after four days in Morocco.
When the plane touched down on the ground, it was a bumpy entry, and the movement stirred me from sleep. I wiped the sleep from my eyes and felt the relief circulate in my bloodstream. I was officially back in Florence.
I got off the plane, grabbed my bag at the terminal, and finally drove home.
Vanessa would be there. Max gave her my flight information, and even though she had a new nephew to visit, she wouldn’t miss seeing me when I walked through the door. She would drop everything to see me, to make sure there weren’t any bullet holes in my flesh.
I parked my truck at the curb then took the stairs to the small apartment I shared with her. The sun had just gone down, but the late summer heat was undeniable. The front door wasn’t locked, so I stepped inside.
She was standing there, waiting for me. She was my t-shirt with puffy eyes, her hair stretched down her chest. She didn’t look happy to see me, just emotional that the turmoil was finally over. “Thank god…” She moved into my chest and hugged me, her face resting against my beating heart. “It’s over… I’m so happy it’s over.”
I rubbed her back while my chin rested on the top of her head. “Me too.”
“Never again?” she whispered.
“Never.”
“Promise me?”
“I promise, baby. Never.” Even if Max asked again, I would deny him. I finished my term because he asked, but we were even now. After what happened in Morocco, I could never do this to Vanessa again. I had no regrets about my decision. Work used to be my life, but now this woman was my life. I would gladly give it up to make her happy. “It’s over now. You never have to worry about it again. I’ll sleep by your side every single night as long as we live. I’m ready to give you the quiet life I promised.”
She stayed against me, clinging to the moment like she never wanted it to escape. She must be feeling so many things at once, relief as well as joy. She kept her hands around my waist and rested against me, using me as a crutch to support herself. She didn’t need me for anything, and that made her love even more pure. She loved me because she wanted to, because she had to.
I gave her all the time she needed to let the past go. She was probably still resentful she had to go through that turmoil for so long. It must be difficult to accept the fact that it was truly over, that it would never return again.