18

Theo's POV:

"They have already booked their flight and it leaves in thirty minutes. They're going to Nigeria sir." Jess says.

You gotta be kidding me.

"Wait Nigeria?" I ask looking at Lisa and back to Jess.

"Yes," She replies. Oh come on. This is bad news and also good news. Good news is I get to see Haula, bad news is they are releasing a deadly chemical in Nigeria and where Haula is.

"Then what are we waiting for, pack your bags Captain, lieutenant, you're going to Nigeria!" General orders.

I'm excited to go because I've wanted to see Haula again ever since I got back, to hold her and to hear her voice.

I look back at Lisa as she smiles at me. "Well get ready Captain we have a long journey ahead of us," she winks as she leaves and for a moment I forget about the deadly weapon.

I inform my team as they all begin packing as do I. Lisa's team are also going too, which means we have back up and if anything is to go wrong, another batch will be dispatched for retrieval. Let's just hope nothing goes wrong.

Matt and his team are also going with us as we'll need them very much in assessment.

In war you always have this fear if you would live that day or the next, if you'll see the next morning light or If you'll live or die. But it's just hope that keeps us going.

We are all set to go as the plane is waiting for us, while we head there.

"Get in touch with the army over there, I've given Lisa everything you all will need, and we'll be in touch from here." General says as I am about to go.

"Of course sir," I reply before saluting.

"Be safe Captain," General says and I nod before going up the plane.

The plane is quiet as Lisa direct us on what to do when we get there as of right now, she's our boss while we travel for hours awaiting our destination.

"I hope you'll meet her right?" Lisa says breaking the silence. "I wouldn't miss it, and you also get to meet her," I smile.

"I definitely will," She smiles back. "So what do you think Major was talking about when he said you didn't know anything?" She asks me.

"Seriously Lisa I have no idea, but I just have this bad feeling about." The only thing on my mind right now is to see Haula and to stop this weapon that's just what I want so everything can go back to normal.

I want her to be able to comfort me, talk to me and for me to explain how I'm feeling right now, but I can't and I know eventually I'll have to tell her.

"I'm here okay, if you need to talk or whatever, talk to me I'm your friend," Lisa holds my hand assuring me of what she is saying.

"I know. Thank you." Really without Lisa here I don't know how I'm going to go through all these, learning that the people I've had to trust since the day I first got into the military are the ones plotting evil, those who are supposed to protect and defend the people, but they do otherwise.

Time seem to have gone by cause the pilot says we are almost landing which means, we are in Nigeria already.

The plane stops as we landed in Nigeria's navy base. The president has already talked to the government over here, and they have agreed to give their full support considering Vladimir is caught, and taken back to the place where he came from which we accept.

Truth be told the deal was pretty good, as they didn't fight us or disagree for us to come to their country.

"Good day, you must be..." A dark-haired man with beard speaks to us as we walk into the base.

"Lieutenant Blackwood," Lisa responds taking his arm before he comes to me. "Captain McCall," I reply taking his hand in mine.

"Welcome I'm Captain Steven, Captain of eagle 1, the General awaits you," Steven says. I decide to drop the formalities as we're both in the same rank.

We follow him inside seeing the place crowded with soldiers working here and there, as we proceeded to meet the General.

"Welcome, I'm General Ortega." The man says as his accent proves more from his dialect making it visible he belonged to one of the Major ethnical groups here.

He has bald hair, beard that seems to age well with him as it is neither black nor white but blend with him. I'm guessing he isn't too young.

"Thank you, I'm lieutenant blackwood and this is Captain McCall, I'm sure you know about the situation on ground?" Lisa speaks as she goes straight to business.

"Of course follow me," General Ortega orders as we do.

Good to know they have records showing Vladimir entering the country a day before, and his boys some hours ago. They've been tracking him ever since he arrived as soon as we called them, but unfortunately Vladimir is Vladimir, he seems to have gone under the radar again.

Their search team is still on trying to find Pravi't' Mirom, indeed they have also heard about Pravi't' Mirom and their ways of operating. Matt and his team are settling down while meddling with the other scientists here.

Right now we can't do anythingbut just sit and wait till Vladimir makes a move. I sit by the side and watch as they all work hand in hand as busy as they are, some are running errands, some are working on finding Vladimir, and so many things. My mind wonders off to Haula and how I need to see her.

"Hey," Lisa comes joining me.

"What's up? How was the meeting?" Lisa was in the board room with the other board members, like the General talking about the plans on Vladimir and what his plan is.

'I can't wait to get my hands on Vladimir." She chuckles. Lisa has this thing whenever she's frustrated about something, she chuckles unnecessarily.

"I doubt that, are you sure you're okay?" I become more serious.

"I am, um...didn't you say you wanted to see Haula, this is your chance," I could tell there is something bothering her that she didn't want to share and I didn't want to invade her privacy, whenever she feels like telling me she would.

"Yeah I was actually going to come to you for that, I'm going now." I stand up telling her.

"Okay just call me okay, if you're going to stay late or anything." She tells me.

"Sure, see you later," I hug her before I leave.

Here I am standing in front of Haula's front door not knowing if I should knock or not. I decide to knock but no one answers. I knock again for the second time and the door opens.

"Theo? You, what are you doing here?" Haula's Mom is the one to come out as she stares at me with so much anger.

"Good day Mrs. Mathews. I hope you've been well? Is Haula here, can I see her please," I ask as she comes out properly and shuts the door.

The thought of losing Haula is too painful for me to imagine, I just hope she's alright after what I heard on the phone.

"Oh no I don't think so, I think you've done enough already, its time you leave." Mrs. Mathews points her hand gesturing for me to leave. I don't understand we left on good terms, what happened?

"Mrs. Mathews I don't u."

"Mom who's t...that," And there she is standing at the door as she opens it widely stating at me, as I smile at her, but she doesn't return it back.

There is something wrong, something about the way she looks at me, with pain, hurt, tears filled, all in her eyes.

"Hey," I smile at her once more but she just stares at me with so much pain visible in her eyes. She hugs her thin long jacket around her body as she folds them against her hands.

"What are you doing here?" She takes me by surprise asking painfullyas she closes her eyes shut uttering those words. My heart sinks just hearing that.

I know I made a really big mistake by not telling her and walking away for so long, but hearing her speak like that makes me just want to drown myself in the misery of my world.

"I came to see you, can we talk please?" I asks calmly while I watch her carefully as her eye becomes watery. She bite her lower lip as she turns her face away from me holding whatever is inside her.

"Mom it’s okay please, can you give me a minute?" She speaks facingher Mom, as her Mom looks at her then back to me before heading inside and shutting the door.

"Haula I..." I try to say but she cuts me off.

"Don't Theo, don't make this harder than it already is please," She puts a hand over her face and runs it lightly as if she's tired.

What was I expecting? For her to open her arms widely and welcome me back? I knew it would take more than just this, but I just wished I didn't have to put

her in all these trouble.

"Are you okay? I was worried about you, when I called and they told me you weren't breathing, I was scared." I take a deep breath ignoring her question, as I ask her concerned, I only cared about how she is.

"I'm fine okay, you're back you fulfilled your promise. That good." Why is she acting this way. Well to be honest, I should expect worse. If Haula wasn't so calm am sure she would have thrown her shoe at me right now.

"I know I didn't call or text you since I left, but please you have to let me explain." I try moving close to her but she moves away.

"Please don't, just go. I'm not worth of any explanation you have right? So please just forget about coming here and go live your life Theo?" Her voice seems to break as she talks.

"No Haula, I can't just go, I can't just go because I risked everything coming here to find you, I can't just go knowing some days ago you were not breathing, I also can't go because you're the only thing that fills my mind anytime I try to think of something else, that's why I won't go." I look at her as tears seem to well up in her eyes, but she fights them back.

"Well maybe you shouldn't, maybe you should just go and don't look back, don't look to see if I'm breathing or not, if you love me or not, just go please." She tries to push the tears, but they end up coming out anyway.

"Haula, I don't understand why will you say that, what did I do? I swear if I did anything, tell me and I'll fix it," I come closer to her.

She laughs silently then sniffs. "Oh could you fix the fact that you lied to me for good three weeks without having the conscience to tell me that you're a Soldier?" She yells.

Oh my God, how did she find out? I didn't mean for it to be this way. I was eventually going to tell her, but I didn't mean for her to find out this way.

"It isn’t like that Haula, I wanted to tell you... I..."

"So it’s true huh? We dated for three weeks Theo, three good weeks and you lied to my face whenever I asked you,"

"I didn't lie, I would never lie to you." I protest but comes out wrong.

"Oh yes you didn't, you said you worked for the government, yeah you just forgot to mention the part that you work in the force," Tears roll down more. It is hurting me knowing that I am the cause of her tears, if I had just come clean.

"I swear to you Haula, I never meant for this. Tell me if I had told you I was a soldier the first day we met, would you have given me a chance? Would you?" I ask her as she remains silent.

"No you wouldn't, and I would have been dreaming and wishing for the day when you would give me a chance. Yes I take it I was being selfish, but there's nothing like being selfish in love Haula. Ever since the day I laid my eyes on you all I wanted was to meet you, to talk to you and to hear your beautiful voice again, I couldn't risk the fact that after I got to know you then you would slay me off, I couldn't Haula, because I fell in love with you the first day I saw you."

I don't even know where the words came from but they just did. I take her hand in mine, as this time she doesn't reject them, but doesn't hold me back.

"I know I can't expect you to forgive me so easily, but I want you to understand

me, I was desperate, desperate for you and thinking that you wouldn't want anything to do with me hurt me the most that's why I couldn't tell you, I wanted to tell you every single day that I could and I am deeply sorry because you don't deserve that." Her hand still in mime as I caress it.

How I was forgetting how soft they feel.

"But you could have told me still Theo, you made me fall fast for you and I did so well at that, and then you leave, you never called nor text. I was worried about you thinking something happened to you.

I called you, texted you but nothing. You just didn't care." Her voice rages in pain as she jerks away her hand.

"Do you know how I've been doing? How I missed you, how miserable I had been, but it wasn't your concern because if it is you would have found a way to talk to me,"

"That's not true, I wanted to call, text or talk to you but, there was no way believe me when I say this but you never left my mind even once, there's a lot of things I want to tell you, but I can only do that if you give me the chance to. Please Haula. I take all the blame here for I am at fault, but please don't throw me away, I can't do this without you."

"Theo... I don't know...I" I cut her off.

"You don't have to say anything, just be sure of one thing and never doubt that I love you so much and I'll never stop loving you no matter what your decision is, and I can't make that for you, but I will fight for you Haula till the last breathe I hold." I don't know what might happen tomorrow, I might live and I might not, but I had to tell her this, she needed to hear it cause it is the truth.

I look into her eyes as she stares at me before bowing her head down. I raise her chin up to look at me, as I want to feel her gaze on me too.

My hand rise to her cheek as they caress it feeling her smooth skin that a pimple wants to spot on.

I look at how beautiful this girl in front of me is, as my second hand goes up to her cheek also. I know I'm not supposed to do this, but I have to even if it means one last time, and without hesitation I rush down my lips onto hers as I devoured her savory lips, kissing her with all my might as my hands on her skin seem to tighten not wanting to let her go, making me drown in her sweet lips.

I pull apart looking at her with all the might I have for not going for another round. Although she didn't return the kiss, but she let me kiss her which is enough for me.

"I love you and I always will. I'll be in the country for some time, just thought you should know that. Goodnight Haula. Please don't give up on me just yet." I tell her dropping my fingers from her cheek and walking away.

I guess she didn't return the kiss cause she doesn't want me there any longer. And that is my cue to leave until I hear from her again.