14

Theo's POV:

Its 2 p.m. and we still haven't gotten anything on Pravi't' Mirom, they are still AWOL as usual.Major has been yelling nonstop and this place has been on fire. Major is mad that we still haven't found Derek and when the General arrives he won't take it lightly.

The General was to arrive in an hour or so. Everyone has been working efficiently. Jess and her team have been on the computer for hours now without standing up.

We are at lab right now with Matt, order has been given by the president to make the antidote in case these people actually released it at least we won't be so helpless. Matt and his team have also been on duty making more and more of the antidote.

"The General's here" Oscar came in telling the Major and I. They arrived early. This is where the trouble starts.

"Where is Charles" we could hear the General's voice as he searched for Major. "Sir" the Major saluted as he saw the General as we all did the same.

"Now tell me, I thought you guys were better than this, I expected more from Alpha team and now you're telling me your Captain got kidnapped?" The General's voice echoed as he yelled at Major.

"Sir we thought we knew what they were planning but unfortunately they had other plans" Major explained.

" you thought you knew what they were planning? Aren't you all supposed to be ready for anything, Whatever, get to work all of you" General yelled glancing at everyone who was still in salute waiting for his approval. "So who's the new Captain"General asked.

"I am sir" I came forward as my both hands were behind my back and looked straight.

The General came with a lot of soldiers as back up and I could see new faces and also familiar ones I knew from days in Iraq but my eye caught one particular familiar face.

Lisa.

Melisa is the General's daughter. You're probably wondering why the General would allow his daughter to be in the army well let's just say maybe after days of running away from hometelling them she wanted to join the army and they never listened to her they had to at the end of the day. Now she's a lieutenant working side by side her father.

I glanced at her as she smiled at me before going back to soldier mode. I acknowledged her presence slightly so as not to be seen by the General. It’s not that the General does not know about our relationship but the situation right now would not permit that.

"Theo McCall" he says still remembering my name. "Yes sir" I answered.

"You and I have a lot to talk about, for now we have a gang to find so make yourself useful, Lisa here has some information that would help in finding these guys and when we do I do not want any more unaccomplished mission" General ordered.

"Yes sir" I replied as he left leaving Lisa and I. "Come here" she extends her arms as I go to hug her.

"I've missed you Lisa" I say honestly. I and Lisa have a pretty tight relationship, there was a time I pretended to be her boyfriend in order for these guy who wouldn't let her be and she askedme for a favor because her dad also wanted her to be with him. I agreed and so did we send the guy away and up till now get father still thinks we dated.

"I know you couldn't live without me, I missed you too doggie" doggie is the nickname Lisa gave me she says my loyalty is like that of a dog and that's why she became friends with me in the first place.

"So we're still on doggie huh?" I tell her as we move apart from the hug.

"Don't even go there I'm not changing it. So how have you been, with all these" she asks, that's one thing with Lisa no matter where she is she always finds a way to help and I'm really happy she's here.

"Honestly, it’s been rough with Captain going and these guys wanting to release a deadly weapon man I don't know how to do this"

"That's why you've got me. You didn't think I was going to let you do this all alone" Lisa is one of the best and courageous soldiers I have ever seen in my life.

"Thank you Lisa, do you mind" I gesture for us to keep moving as she understands.

"There's something else" I tell her. "Something I don't think you or the General know because Major was afraid if he did tell him he was going to be furious"

"What is it Theo" Lisa only uses my real name whenever we're serious about something.

"You see when we were at Astec, Vladimir said something, he knew Derek as in just not knowing him as Captain but also his name, he also said something that made me realized he actually knew him" I look at her as she nods for me to go on. "He said 'I see you've been doing your assignments now' those words were kind of personal to think about it. That's not all, when we got a lead on Vladimir and hisboys they knew we were coming before we arrived there. Which means"

"There's a mole" Lisa is smart and she knows how to handle tough decisions that's why I decided to let her in on this, also Lisa is the only one I trust completely to confide this to except from my team though but I don't want them getting involved into any ofthese.

"Yes. They already cleaned up well. Even if to say they heard us coming they wouldn't have enough time clean up as much as they did which makes me so sure we have a mole"

"I know what you mean Theo. Don't worry about it I'm here have you forgotten who you're dealing with. I got you covered okay? We'll get that little piece of shit in here" she uses her languages which makes me laugh and she does the same too.

"Did I mention how glad I am that you're here"

"Oh yeah like athousand times now" she laughs. "So acting Captain huh?" "Yeah, it’s just kinda happened" I say itching the back of my head.

"I'm proud of you Theo. Okay before you say anything else I didn't just come all

the way from Europe leaving my personal time just to attend to some terrorist, I came to check up on you" Lisa is like an elderly sister to me she has always been there for me and our bond is just too good." I heard you went to Nigeria for your leave" she ask.

"Well it’s not exactly a leave, would it coz I was packed up with those idiots called" I laugh as she laughs too." But it was good, really good" I say as my smile fades as I remember Haula. Oh God how I missed her. I haven't realized how big of a jerk I've been leaving her all alone after promising her I wouldn't, what would she think of me.

"So I guess something did happen?" Lisa stops me as we get outside.

"Yes, something did" I stopped talking for a while remembering what kind of a person I have been to the person I claim to love "I met someone" I turn to her looking at how her face lit up making me remember Haula when she first told me how beautiful my eye were.

"You're joking right" she looks at me and I nodded. "Oh my God Theo this is good, what's her name? What's she like?" She started asking bunch of questions.

"Chill okay? I was going to tell you anyway. Her name's Haula, and she's really pretty oh God Lisa you need to see her, when she smiles it's like I've never seen anything more beautiful than that in my entire life, oh and you need to hear her sing I swear she's better than Celine Dionand her lips they taste like strawberry. The way her face lights up whenever I give her a surprise or when I buy things for her and she starts to whine about how she doesn't want me spending too much money on her and... When" I stop talking as I look at Lisa to see her staring at me while she smiles in adoration.

"What?" I ask her.

"Nothing Theo. Nothing. It’s just that I've never seen anyone so happy and excited to talk about someone like this before, the way her eyes lit up, her smile. God you know her so well and I'm so happy for you" Lisa looked at me as her eyes starts to get watery. In my entire life I have never seen Lisa cry except from when her cat died and I had to stay with her every single day till she recovered and made me her new pet.

I drag her as I hug her tight and she holds me. "Lisa" I call her.

"I would really like to meet this Haula, seems like it's more than a crush huh" she asks.

"I love her Lisa, yeah I know say I'm whipped or anything but right now she's the only thing that keeps me going, the fact that I know that I'll find a way to go back to her is the only thing keeping me from hating myself right now"

"Idiot. You're not whipped, you're in love and I'm happy you are. Your face shows it all, not like when you were with Bella" yeah Bella. I think back to The time when I first kissed Haula and how it led to that it was all because of Bella and I promised to explain it to her.

I laugh at Lisa's statement, she's never been this emotional with me. "So when do you plan on going back" this is where the problem starts.

"I don't know I swear, with all these going on, I have no idea how I am going to see her, I miss her so much, I just want to hold her, to just... God it's killing me" I sighed frustrated.

"When last did you talk to her. It seems you haven't talked to her in a while if

not I don't think you'll be like this"Lisa notices my frustration and she's right if I had talked to Haula I would be calm.

"The day I left Nigeria"

"Ouch" she slaps the back of my head making me wince in pain. "Haven't you learnt anything, you don't leave a girl hanging it’s not gentlemanly. What is wrong with you. You say you love her and you haven't spoken to her, how do you want her to feel" Lisa scolded me like I was a child who ditched school.

"It’s not like."

"Oh shut up, I don't want to hear anything you have to say, here call her" she gives me her phone. It’s not like I didn't want to call Haula, but even if I did what was I to tell her, what would she think of me. I tried to call her but with everything that's going on I can't be selfish again and lie to her.

"What would I say" I ask her.

"Tell her how much you miss her, how much you love her Theo. I can't teach you what to say only you can" I guess all someone needed was a little hope and push. I took her phone and dialed Haula's number. It rang and rang but there was no picking.

I called again till she picked.

"Hau..." All I could here was someone sobbing and sniffing, I couldn't hear anything.

"Mrs. Matthews, it's Haula, I don't know what happened to her, I came in now, I met her on the floor and... And I think she's stopped breathing"I don't know who it was but the person thought I was Haula's mom.

I turn to Lisa looking at her like my walls have just collapsed within seconds I felt watery substance coming out of my eye.

Oh my God.

She can't be, she can't be dead.