about 1600 words     James  Happiness Happens by James Foley  Martin Trent remembered crashing that Iraqi stone farmhouse—past midnight, March 2016. Inside, tapestries draped those stone walls. Four men: two at a table and two on a beat-up green sofa. Rifles? Low-voiced preparations for rocket-grenade strikes against Government forces? Like that?No, it shouldn’t have been like that. This was supposedly a routine patrol....

Chapter 3 Against the LawLowenna tapped her crystal to cancel the seeing spell, and the crystal stopped glowing. She quickly got dressed and grabbed her bags and placed them on her shoulder. Her heart rate was increasing again, trying to forget about the dream and concentrate on the new threat that was approaching very fast. She positioned herself against the wall, so she could just see out of the open window, trying not...

PROLOGUE DRAGO SAW THE two Americans from yesterday up ahead. They had their backs turned to him, as they stood at the base of a large medieval wooden gate that led into Predjama Castle. His shoes shuffled upon a smoothed-by-time gravel path that led from Predjama’s only local gostilna, the Požar, all the way to the castle's front gate. The Americans turned around almost in unison to face him. He watched them with a caref...

Her eyes were green.There was no denying that the woman sitting opposite was attractive. Her dark hair fell carelessly on her shoulders and framed her lean face. She was of a thin build and had spotless golden brown skin that looked as smooth as silk to touch. Her thin, closed-lip smile indicated that she was approachable and kind. It was her eyes that hypnotized him, though. They were green like emeralds but sparkled lik...

I stopped at the entrance counter, looking around and noting the guards and security cameras — just as I expected and knew would be here. The guard behind the counter looked up from his desk. “Yes? Can I help you, sir?” Reaching into my jacket, I flashed my identification badge. “Jarrod Fletcher. You should be expecting me. They told me I had to take a look at the elevators. There’s some problem with how long it’s taking...

Prologue Austin Mcshane sat in his truck at the intersection. His life was great. He looked at the beautiful mountain scenery. The sun was just cresting the mountains, turning the sky a magnificent purple. The town was just starting to come alive, but the traffic was still slow enough that he had sufficient time to take the kids for breakfast at McDonald's, and get them to the daycare before heading to the clinic.This was...

The InheritanceAlice Parker sat in the diner drinking a morning coffee that had just been poured by the departing waitress. She sat by the window that read Tommie’s Diner, she was peeking through the letter O as he walked by. He was tall and had broad shoulders. The man was in a suit that needed mending, a good cleaning, then given to The Good Will. He was carrying a guitar case in his right hand, he slowed his pace, turn...

Chapter Thirteen When I had our house built, I made sure there was a hidden room built into the basement, a room that only I knew about and could access. The room contained a cache of my favourite weapons and some gear used by Marines for special operations. I got dressed in a camouflage outfit, complete with a black bulletproof vest. I grabbed a pair of Uzis, a few extra clips, a standard army knife and a night vision go...

Chapter Eight The rest of the week dragged by without any excitement. I tried to stay strong and look unaffected for Sarah’s sake, but I knew the seriousness of the situation. If what Bryan said was true, it was only a matter of time before we were in a dangerous spotlight. Sarah went to work as usual and avoided Bryan as much as possible, I however, started to prepare for the worst. The weekend came and things were almos...

A man they called 'The Plague' Chapter One “Baby don’t, im not in the mood,” mumbled Sarah as her husband John tried to unbutton her blouse as she returned home from work. “Oh come on baby, you know today’s our day,” I pleaded desperately. “I said I’m not in the mood!” shouted Sarah as she stomped up the stairs and slammed our bedroom door shut behind her. Being married to Sarah, a 4’8” accountant with the beauty, hair an...

Personal note to the readers, this story is not for the weak of heart to read for the content of this story. By choosing to read it, you agree that you are over eighteen and mature enough to handle the content of this story, thank you. 4:00am Anthony smirked. He had one last man to take out. He single handedly took out an armada of his own traitorous friends. He turned and looked for his cowardice love interest. She ran a...

“Hey Rachelle!” Rachelle Wynberg, reporter for WBBK, NY, looked up quickly from the papers she had been lazily reading. She was at the moment bored to near tears. These last two weeks had been hell on her, having covered nothing more exciting than a domestic disturbance which, it turned out to be, a drunk old man lock out of his house. Sure he had been naked, but that was all. “What a fuckin' waste,” she grumbled. She loo...

Day Six: Sparks Fly Today was a different type of day; it was quiet and there was no drama or torture of any kind. It relieved me, but it also worried me. The disappearances of the guards I killed were stirring up suspicion, plus the doctor was dead, adding more fuel to the fire, but today it was quiet. Too quiet. Since it was normal, for once, I started to work on the bomb again. The time for escape was approaching, so I...

They were sailing in the Gulf of Aqaba with the fleet, supporting the super carrier George H. W. Bush. They were aboard an LHD amphib with a contingent of over one thousand fleet sailors and about 1,600 Marines. Gunny Atwater was responsible for a rifle company of Marines, with usually about 80 to 100 Marines under her supervision. She had been aboard for six months now and was starting to feel as lonely as she had ever b...

Day One: Initiation The first day was the worst. It started first as an ambush, then the start of a eternal nightmare. They led me down the entrance in the middle of no-man's land, where I thought I'd die. The entrance was dark and cold, like the hearts of the bastards who did this. The entrance shut, the light of day disappearing forever. The grip of the two male officers holding my arms was tight as the knot of a rope....