The Marine Bk. 02 Ch. 06

I didn't think I'd see her again.

*****

"In further news, the spate of arrests that continue after last month's attack in The Hague continue. Today, a further thirty-three people have been taken into custody across France, Germany, Poland, Croatia and Serbia. The testimony and evidence provided by the ex-wife of former General Zatkadlovic has many believing the Serbian ultranationalist will be found guilty on all counts and will likely face the rest of his life behind bars."

I switched off the TV, circling my still-hurting shoulder again. The wound to my side, which I hadn't noticed at the time, had healed nicely. The bruises in my chest had disappeared. Only the wound in the back still caused the occasional twinge of pain. Packing my things, I turned around at the cleared throat, Jennifer standing in the doorway. "Ready to go?" she asked.

"Yeah. Let's go."

I hadn't been kept in hospital under any known identity. I was basically a John Doe, and anything regarding my stay would be quickly deleted. She led me towards a nearby elevator, travelling down to the underground car park. Throwing my bag in the boot, I slid into the passenger seat. She remained silent as we exited the city. I figured we'd head west to Calais and the tunnel under the Channel. Instead, she had us heading towards Schiphol Airport. I glanced her way, though she didn't say a word until we arrived outside the departure's terminal.

Grabbing her bag, she handed me a small bag. "There are two tickets in there. The first is to Split, Croatia. The return ticket to London is in two weeks. There's also a set of keys in there. You'll find your car in the car park. It's the same model you had before. The car you wrecked wasn't a write-off. They've completely repaired it in the past couple of weeks."

"You organised this?" I asked.

"She doesn't know what happened to you, Nate. Plus, you need a little more rest and recuperation."

"You don't want to join us? I'm sure Marta would love to meet you." She smiled as I took her hand. "Come with me, Jen. You need a break too. Couple of weeks in the sun, some of it by the beach..."

She relented far quicker than I imagined. "Let me park the car. I bought tickets, just in case you invited me along."

Three hours later, we were walking through the arrival's terminal in Split, following a small crowd out towards the car park. Jennifer threw me the keys as I sat behind the wheel. Turning the ignition, the engine roared to life, and I could help turned towards her and grin. She laughed at me. "Boys and their toys."

The drive south was as peaceful and as scenic as I could remember. After a couple of hours, the small town I remembered came into view, turning off the main road and into the driveway of the villa. I didn't know if she would still have guards or not. I knew that nearly every news source had reported Marta Hrubcova as leaving to make a new life in the United States.

Stepping out of the car and grabbing our things, I rang the doorbell, the door opening within a few seconds. Mia noticed and hugged me immediately, hugging her back tightly. "It's good to see you again, Nick," she whispered, before leaning back, "And who is this?"

"Mia, this is Jennifer."

Mia greeted her with a kiss on each cheek. "Come in. Come in."

Following her inside, I dumped our bags in the ball before we ended up in the kitchen. She offered us a drink before I had to ask, "Where's Marta?"

"Garden."

I glanced at Jennifer. "I'd better go say hello."

Stepping outside into the backyard, I could see Marta hard at work. I watched her for a couple of minutes before she sat up on her knees, removing her hat and using a cloth to dry her forehead. She then seemed to sense someone watching her, amused as her head turned ever so slowly before her jaw dropped in surprise.

The speed at which she moved from her seated position to being wrapped up in my arms might have surprised others. All I could do was hold her tightly in my arms. "I said I'd keep you safe," I whispered.

"You saved me," she whispered back, "And you came back."

"I've got two weeks," I said, before letting her go enough so I could gesture. "Marta, I'd like you to meet Jennifer. She's as special to me as you are."

Marta immediately hugged her. "You help him?" she asked.

"I do. He's good at his job but needs help from time to time."

"You helped save me?"

"I like to think I assisted."

Marta hugged her again. "Thank you." Holding her by the arms, she glanced between us. "So... You both will be staying here?"

"That's the plan," I replied, "Two weeks of sun, sea, sand..."

"And sex?" Marta asked hopefully.

"Well, I'm game if you are, Marta," Jennifer replied, "And I have a feeling Mia would like to be involved too."

Marta looked between the pair of us as Mia joined us, looping her arm around the waist of her good friend. Then all three of them looked in my direction. Marta grinned. "Oh, I think we are going to have a lot of fun together for the next two weeks."

*****

Next chapter will be found in First Time.