Anchor Line (30 page)
Authors: Dawne Walters
“It’s not like I was dick in hand when we started talking, I’d at least go up to my room. Unlike Jeff who was fucking some girl before he opened the door for me when I came home. But, Addie’s a good girl pop. You’d like her.” Conrad smiled. “And with any luck, if I get the time for Carrie’s wedding set up for my mid tour, I’m going to have her come up to the Burgh and you’ll get to meet her.”
“Well son that would be a first for you.” Pop looked at Conrad with approval.
Father and son talked a until it was almost midnight when his dad went upstairs saying that he had to get up early and get Conrad to the airport. Conrad picked up his phone to see if he had any text messages or phone calls from Addie as he had put his phone on silent. But there were none. Going up to his bedroom he closed the door, looked around one more time to make sure that all of his stuff was packed, he took off his clothes and slid under the sheets naked.
Chapter Twenty
Addie couldn’t believe it had already been five months since she’d last seen Conrad. The loneliness wasn’t so bad while Conrad was home visiting his father in Pittsburgh because he was always texting or phoning her at night, however, when he’d first gotten over to Vicenza that’s when the loneliness really set in. She’d sit on her patio with her laptop and a sandwich and a bottle of water tooling around on Facebook and emailing friends and family that she had overseas. Occasionally she would look over to where Conrad’s apartment stood empty and she’d open his Facebook page just to look at his pictures. As the months progressed, her loneliness lessened more each day.
Her father had retired and she’d helped move him and her mother up to Pittsburgh where her father was from. As crazy as it seemed she looked in the phone book to see how many Renner’s she could find. Only finding ten, she wasn’t even sure what his father’s first name was. She knew not to expect to hear from him for a few months until he got settled in Afghanistan but that didn’t lessen her worry any as she helped her mother and father unpack and get settled in.
Her job kept her busy and her friends kept her entertained, until it was time for Talia and her husband to move to Germany. Even though she still had Jess, Talia was her best friend. Now, standing in front of Talia’s SUV holding her hands in front of her apartment building, she felt a profound sense of loss.
“Don’t you worry girl, there’s still Facebook and twitter, email and who knows what.” Talia smiled.
“I know but it’s just not the same.”
“Yeah well, that just means you’ll have to come to Germany and visit. Or get a job and stay there until it’s time for me to leave.” Talia giggled. “Because God knows I’ll need a level head for when I go into labor.”
“Oh my God!” Addie cried. “You’re pregnant? Why didn’t you tell me sooner? When did this happen?”
“Well we just found out this morning when I upchucked my Froot Loops.” Talia laughed. “It explains why I’ve been so tired and moody. So I sent Tam to the store to get a pregnancy test. And low and behold wouldn’t you know it, I’m pregnant.” Talia’s excitement was off the charts.
“That is all just so exciting.” Abby squeezed her friend’s hands harder. “Now I’m just so excited for you! And you better keep in touch.”
“Girl, you know I will.” Talia took her friend into her arms and squeezed her tightly. “We better get on the road to Texas so that we can see Tam’s family before we leave. So you take care and don’t get into any trouble.”
Addy watched as her friend climbed into the SUV and put her seatbelt on. Stepping onto the curb, Addie waved like a lunatic as Tam put the car in reverse and with Talia waving back, he put it in drive and they drove off. Walking back upstairs Addie shut and locked the door behind her. Grabbing her laptop and a bottle of water she went out onto her patio and decided to check her email. The noise of a moving truck in the complex across from her caught her attention. Looking up, she watched as a tall thin man walked into Conrad’s old apartment with two guys right behind him.
Opening her laptop she logged into her email and was surprised to find an email from Conrad.
Saturday, 12:18p.m.
From: [email protected]
RE: What’s up...
Hey Ad,
Just checking on ya to see how you are doing since we actually have internet. Wondering if you had any hot dates lately, or if you are still pining away for some bad ass mother fucker to steal you and take you away. Went on a couple missions and came back safe as you can tell. Hit me up and let me know how you’re doing. Same shit, different day here, nothing new. Miss me, miss you.
Conrad
What luck! This was written only twenty minutes ago going by the time on her computer. So she hit respond and jammed out a note.
Saturday, 12:39
From: [email protected]
RE: You still there????
Conrad,
I’m doing well, I guess. I can’t complain, it would do no good anyway...and i’m doing better than you are on deployment anyway. NO hot dates, however there is a guy that is moving into your old apartment as we speak, and he drives a BMW. So, I might be in luck! As far as pining away for some bad ass mother fucker, I don’t know any....so, I guess I’m still waiting for him too. Glad to see that you got back safe. Nothing new here either. Miss me, miss you.
Addie
She hit send and waited to see if he would write back. After ten minutes of hitting the refresh button, he’d finally written back.
Saturday, 12:49
From: [email protected]
RE: Yep...still here!!!!!
So from the sounds of it, you miss me don’t you?
Saturday, 12:49
From: [email protected]
RE: Answers...
I do miss you. You miss me?
Again, she hit send, but after another ten minutes she got nothing back. Moving on to other emails and cleaning out her spam because she wasn’t trying to get a bigger penis, or trying her luck in the lottery overseas or even a beneficiary to someone in the United Arab Emirates, she logged into her Facebook and chatted with a few of her friends. A half an hour later, she still hadn’t heard back from him so she closed out her email and went inside to figure something out for dinner. A grilled ham and cheese with baked chips on a plate, she went back outside to her little table and sat down to surf the net and eat.
Eyeballing the guy that was moving into Conrad’s old apartment while keeping an eye on her computer kept Addie busy until it was almost eleven. With any luck, after she’d put on the t-shirt that Conrad had left her, she’d crawl under the sheets and fall asleep to dreams of Conrad.
Chapter Twenty-One
The three MRAPs were making their way to the gates of FOB Dagger, loaded with his Platoon members that had just carried out an assault on their latest objective, ‘Stronghold’. Stronghold was a small little house that was walled, atop a part of the mountain that jutted out above the road that the coalition forces patrolled. Below Stronghold was a little village that, weeks after clearing out the last set of bad guys, new ones would resurface. Getting into Stronghold was up a very steep 100 foot path that wound up to the walled structure.
Conrad sat in his seat as he replayed the events over in his mind in a continuous loop and how he could have changed things or what they could have done differently, now that they were on their way back to the FOB, knowing things could have been different.
After walking to the village via the only road to it, they approached from the northwest side and were immediately engaged in a quick, but heated exchange with insurgents in the village that Conrad’s Platoon, the ‘Muldoon’ handled with precision accuracy. After an all clear, Conrad took his platoon and went up that steep foot path and were prepared for any eventuality that might happen.
But the additional surprises that awaited them once they got into the building that the walled structure housed was interesting enough. The walled structure was at least six feet high and the first set of wooden doors that were actually thick and not hanging off their hinges. After breaching the heavy doors to the courtyard, Muldoon spread out tactically and converged on the house that was made of the same material the walls were. Animal shit and mud and straw. Four Soldiers stacked by the door to breach the structure and with little resistance got in with only two rounds that went off. When the all clear was sent out, Conrad went inside.
There was a table with three chairs and a fireplace that had a few antique looking pans and a rather large tea kettle. A cot lay in another corner with a ratty striped blanket. Nothing was left overturned or moved by Muldoon as they cleared the only room that was the house. The huge hole that they found in the floor was covered by a wooden crate that housed all of the supplies. The cover was just some boards pounded together crudely. It was black as pitch down that fucker. The upside? A crude ladder was leaning up against the side of the tunnel that would make going down a hell of a lot easier. This could hide/house more insurgents in Stronghold though, and that in itself was troubling.
“Alright, let’s get this shit done. Kemp, you are coming. Time to get your feet wet kid.” Conrad looked over a quiet private that was standing near the window looking like he was ready to piss his pants. Terry Kemp was new to the Army, having gotten to Italy just a month before the unit was to deploy. This was the young private's first mission to volunteer anything besides using his own weapon. He was a below average infantryman, and knew he had to step up his game, or they were gonna push him out of the infantry and he certainly didn't want to be a truck driver or a cook.
“Sergeant...are you sure?” One of the Squad leaders asked.
“Fuck yeah, that pussy mother fucker hasn’t done shit. Besides...I’m going.” Schultz said with his trademark smile as he thumped his own chest. “Let’s go Kid Kemp. Time’s awastin’.”
“Alright princess, let’s get a move on.” Conrad said as he had another of the squad leaders tie a rope to his LBV. “You don’t feel me tug on this rope when I get down there you pull up, got it?” He looked at the guy who’d tied the knot.
“Roger, Sergeant.” He replied
Taking one more last look around at the Squad he was leaving on the inside, he took stock of the structure. Other than the one window, the only way in, was the door. A couple of Soldiers had moved the bodies that were dead outside and covered them with the ratty blankets from the bed.
He grabbed his flashlight and flashed it down in the hole. Nothing but dirt. He didn't hear anything either. Contemplating shooting a couple of rounds down the hole, he decided against it and put the small but ultra-bright flashlight in his mouth, slung his M-4 on his back, pulled out his M9, pushed off the safety and started descending down the ladder. It was a tight squeeze for Conrad not only due to his muscular physique, but he was made bigger by his LBV load. After about forty feet, He came to a flat area, a little six by six space, about five feet high that was carved out and housing crates of AK-47s. He pulled his flashlight out of his mouth, tugged on the rope to tell the guys above that he was ok, then took a good look around. The weapons were just thrown into the crates with no care what-so-ever. Ammunition was stacked on the ground in piles on top of some blankets. Along the crude hand carved wall were about 40 rounds for RPG's, stacked and spaced with pieces of wood. There were small rusted nine millimeter hand guns as well, and knives and other long blades in yet another pile.
