Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of a Thing of Happiness [Completed]

Act I, Scene II

I blinked and rubbed away a couple stray tears. "I'm sorry, what was that last part?"

Lieutenant Allen stood up and began pacing. "It happened very early this morning," he began, clearly pondering how he was going to give me the rest of the information. "They were performing an overwatch on the estate of a very rich Saudi farmer. At 0210, they were spotted and attacked. As far as we are aware, all of them are still alive. However, the longer we sit here, the less I can guarantee that. That's where you come in."

I looked up at Colonel, then back at the Lieutenant. "What am I supposed to do?" I asked.

Colonel slid his phone across the table to me. On it was a picture of a girl that looked a little bit like me. "This is Madame Flora von Diesen. She is of Scandinavian royalty, specifically from Denmark. What Lieutenant Allen is suggesting, Iliana, is that you will pose as Madame Flora and sneak into the estate. While in there, we need you to figure out where the hostages are being held and how to get them out. You will have six Marines, including Lieutenant Allen, with you, who will be acting as your bodyguards."

Lieutenant Allen handed me a file folder. In it were six sheets of paper, one for each of the Marines tasked with accompanying me, another about von Diesen, and a final one about the Saudi farmer named Abdulla Abadi.

"What if I say no?" I inquired.

"Then this conversation never happened and you will continue on with your life. Are you planning on saying no?" Lieutenant Allen questioned.

I made firm eye contact and made probably one of the stupidest decisions of my life. "Of course not."

***

I was excused from school early and sent home. My home was an easy walk from the school, and I stumbled through my mom's perfectly manicured lawn. "I'm home, Mom!" I shouted as I threw open the bright blue front door. I then sprinted upstairs and confined myself to my room. Plopping down on my bed and kicking up my long legs to rest on my nightstand, I began to memorize all the information given to me. Inside the file was a biography of the people I needed to know, complete with an image of each. I started first with the Marines going with me.

2nd Lt Carlisle Allen
45 Years Old
Gray-Brown Hair
Gray Eyes
Commander

So that must have been the man I was talking to. Oh, and he's a West Point graduate. He's got to be mega smart.

Sgt Brayden Dockle
30 Years Old
Blonde Hair
Blue Eyes
Medic

Blonde hair and blue eyes? What is he doing in the military? By the looks of it, he should be a model. Thank goodness he's a medic, though. As shocking as this may be, I'm actually very clumsy.

PFC Louis Fischer
32 Years Old
Red Hair
Black Eyes
Infantry

Oh, I remember the days of being a private. Well, cadet private, but still... same difference. They rarely sent us to the bathroom by ourselves. How did this guy end up being sent on a covert operation? Then again, I could ask myself the same question.

PFC Patrick Dale
30 Years Old
Light Blonde Hair
Brown Eyes
Infantry

Another private? Wow. He looks nice, though. And his eyes look like chocolate. Great. Now I'm hungry.

PFC Toby Nolan
27 Years Old
Light Brown Hair
Green Eyes
Infantry

Another private? If I see one more, I'm going to throw something.

LCpl Raymond Tiller
39 Years Old
Black Hair
Brown Eyes
Sniper

Cool! A sniper! I've always wanted to meet one of them. I hear they're pretty introverted. He looks kind of friendly, I guess.

Then I looked at the girl I would be posing as: Madame Flora von Diesen.

Madame Flora von Diesen
17 Years Old
Blonde Hair
Green Eyes
7th in Line to the Throne

The picture included made her look really bratty. However, I could see the vague similarities between herself and me. Her blonde hair, fashioned into a braid, was draped across her shoulder; her green eyes, like mine, made her cheekbones and pale skin stand out.

Finally, I pulled out the sheet detailing the Saudi, Abdulla Abadi

Abdulla Abadi
53 years old
Black hair
Black eyes
Farmer/merchant

The image was slightly pixelated and only showed him from the side, but I could still see his eyes shining with hate. He looked tall, thin and intimidating.

A light knock sounded at my door. I quickly gathered up all of the papers.

"It's just me, sweetheart," said my mom's voice. She came in and sat down next to me on the bed, smoothing out the Semper Fi logo on my bed sheet, frowning when she saw my feet perched on the dresser, my shoes still on and caked in mud. I laughed nervously and removed my feet, kicking off my shoes. "They told me about it. Well, some of it, at least. The mission they're sending you on." She looked down at the file folder. "What's in there?"

"All the information I need to know," I told her. Though I tried to keep my voice level, I could hear it cracking "Who I'm supposed to be, who's going with me, how I'm supposed to act, how I'm not supposed to act, when we leave, when we come back, if we come back...." I trailed off.

Mom pulled me into a hug. "You'll come home, honey," she soothed. "So will your father. Everything will be okay." She let me go, and I could see the worry on her face. I took her hand into mine.

"Talk to me," I said. Mom nodded and sighed.

"Why you?" she whispered. "First your father, now you... there's only so much more I can take. Why couldn't they choose someone else?"

"I don't know why they chose me, Mom, but I know I have to do my best. I understand your concern, but they need me."

"I trust you, baby, I just don't understand why."

She pulled back the comforter on my bed and I crawled under the sheets, giving her a gentle smile. Even though we were leaving the next morning, and it was already so late, I didn't feel tired at all.

And so I spent the last few hours of what had started off as peaceful Tuesday sitting in my bed, staring at the ceiling, praying sleep would come. Finally, I drifted off.