Coming Home (#Wattys 2017)

13; Missing

Carrie joined Harrison in the spare bedroom. It was their first time spending the night in bed together since they left for Pakistan.

He lay sprawled out wearing his combat pants and a camouflage tank top. It was nice to actually have somewhere to clean up for once. They were both able to wash most of the dirt and grime off their bodies.

"I feel something," he told her.

"And what's that?" She asked, laying down next to him.

"We're going to go home tomorrow."

"What makes you think that?"

He shrugged. "I just know it."

"I hope you're right Harry."

"I'm always right."

That got her to laugh. "I don't know about that."

"This time I'll be right. I promise."

Carrie rested her head against his chest while forming her body against his as she normally would back home. Her fingers played with his long hair and traced down to his beard.

"You look pretty cute with a beard."

"I'll grow it out when we get back home," he said with a smile.

Now she had both her hands stroking his cheeks. "But I think you look cuter clean shaven."

Harrison laughed. "I'll do whatever you like sweetheart."

Carrie rolled on top of him. "I love you Harrison. More than I can ever say."

He laced his fingers with hers. "I love you more beautiful."

She laid against his chest. "I missed nights like these Harry."

Harrison wrapped her up in his arms. "There will be plenty more of these nights when we get back."

"How are you so optimistic?" She asked innocently. "Given our current situation?"

"Well I know that every time I pull the trigger over here I get closer to seeing Billie again. You know that too. But I know you and I will make it out of here. We both will protect each other until we get home."

Carrie placed a hand on her stomach. "And I'm going to do everything to make sure you and the baby get out of here."

"And you too."

"And me too. We're all going home."

She then kissed him. It felt so good to kiss him like this again. It had been so long since she last shared a passionate kiss with her husband.

✎✎✎

The next morning they were ready to go. Harrison discussed some last minute things with the man as his wife tended to Carrie's arm. It wasn't infected, but it was just very sore. After all, those were the second and third times she'd been shot in that shoulder.

"Thank you," she told the woman.

Harrison held out his hand which she happily took. "You ready to do this?"

Carrie nodded. "Let's go home."

They once again thanked the family for all they'd done for them before following the man to meet his contact which would help them find the American embassy.

She walked beside Harrison for a few miles until they journeyed into the real part of the city. Carrie was then asked to take overwatch for the end of the trip since they were getting to the rough part of town where people who spotted their camouflage uniforms wouldn't hesitate to kill them.

Harrison climbed the building with her before giving her a kiss and reassuring her he'd be back soon. "Keep an eye on my back okay?"

She smiled while setting up her sniper rifle. "I will hotshot."

Once he climbed back down, Carrie watched him walk down the rows of buildings with the man to meet their contact. She didn't take her eyes off him until he walked into another building.

Carrie took a deep breath and wiped the sweat from her forehead. She stretched out and backed up right into the barrel of a gun.

She immediately laid down flat once again as the barrel pressed harder into the back of her head. Dammit how could I be so stupid? Carrie asked herself.

Her hands were yanked from their place on her gun to behind her back. She was pinned. Harrison! Carrie screamed his name in her head.

All of the sudden she was yanked to her feet with her hands held tightly behind her back. Her hands were then tied very tightly with rope. If she tried to move, the dry rope would cut into her skin.

She had a knife tucked under her vest for this exact purpose. If only she could slide it out without her attacker noticing. "You Americans are not welcome here," a raspy man's voice said from behind her.

The man's hands slid around her waist and began searching her belt. Only Harrison could touch her like this. She decided to take her chance. Carrie slipped the knife out and cut the rope before the man could find the handgun she kept tucked in the front of her belt.

She spun around and punched the man. While he staggered back, he pulled out a large knife. He charged at her and was able to knock her to the ground. Before Carrie could roll away, he had the knife inches from her stomach before she stopped it with one hand.

"You are not killing my child!" Carrie shouted at him.

With the strength she had left, Carrie pushed the knife away before punching him again. The blow took him off guard. She was able to tackle him onto his stomach. Her body pinned down his and her arm was around his neck. The man struggled but couldn't escape her iron grip. Carrie then pulled the handgun from her belt, clicked off the safety and pressed the barrel to his temple.

"I'm sorry," she whispered before pulling the trigger.

Carrie let out a huge sigh of relief. She stood up and made her way towards her sniping position, but not before a bullet brushed by her head. She immediately fell to the ground.

After crawling over to where both her guns lay, she grabbed her assault rifle and slung the sniper rifle over her shoulder before peeking over the wall again. Another bullet passed by. She ducked down one more time before firing. More bullets still ripped past her head.

With that round being fired, she realized the shooter was two rooftops over. Carrie unclipped the last flash bang off her belt and peeked her head over the wall to throw it.

Once it flashed, she jumped from her rooftops to the next. She sprinted across the second one and jumped onto the third where the man was stunned by the sudden flash. Carrie tackled him and wrapped her arm around his neck until he stopped breathing and his body became still.

Carrie set up her sniper rifle again and looked for Harrison in the streets. He was nowhere to be found. That scared her. He should've heard the commotion. Where was he?