Karl's Last Flight, part 21
(c)2006, Basil Sands
The sun shone brightly through the soft white curtains, spreading its warm caress across Karl's body. He opened his eyes a little wider.
There was a familiar face floating above him. The most beautiful face he had ever seen. Esther was smiling radiantly. Her arm was in a sling, a large bundle of bandages wound around her shoulder.
"Good morning, sir." Her eyes glowed tenderly as she looked down into his face.
"You're alive." He started, "Or is this heaven?"
"Sorry to let you down buddy, this ain't heaven. It ain't Kansas either. And, praise God, it ain't Iran either! Of course, it probably doesn't matter where it is to you, since you seem intent on sleeping through the next century."
That mid-western voice was also familiar.
Karl turned his head towards it's source and stared in shock as he saw Kharzai grinning with that childlike mischievous look in his eyes.
"I saw you die. How are you here?" Karl asked.
"Funny thing about that. When Liam got hit, I reached over and grabbed the detonator from him. I hit the switch and all seven of those planes went up at the same time. It was a huge explosion and I certainly didn't plan to make it."
He continued, "The wind storm rolled through at the same moment that the planes blew up. The next thing I know, I am waking up, half buried in sand, with a bunch of crispy army critters spread out all over the place. Seems the wind carried the fireball forward and right into all those guys who were trying to hurt me. I got a few nasty little burns, but nothing a bit of Neosporin and a few beers won't fix."
"What about Liam?" asked Karl.
"Sorry to say, my partner is dead." He continued to smile, his eyes revealing his pain, "But he sure took a lot of them with him. The best way for a Marine to go. The way he wanted to go."
Karl tried to get comfortable, "So how did you get here?"
"I walked." Kharzai replied with a matter of fact tone, "It wasn't too far, and I needed the exercise. Actually, I only walked part way, then I 'borrowed' a truck and drove to the border, which is where I happened upon the guys who found you."
"How long have I been out?"
"Four days." Came a curt reply from across the room.
A Marine officer stepped forward, "Mr. Alexander, it seems your little adventure happened just in time. I'm General Arlington, USMC. The Marines who picked you up in the desert were an advance recon unit, probing a trail for the invasion force. "
He moved closer to Karl's bed, motioning to Karl's companions.
"Esther and Kharzai here told us what happened. Had you not stopped that nuclear jet, who knows what may have happened. He was headed straight for the port city Gwadar. Although we had scrambled fighters we had no idea what that plane was carrying. For all we knew he was a defector running from the coming fight. Besides that, the politicians refused us permission to cross into Iran just yet. "
The general paused, looking straight into Karl's eyes. "If that jet had crossed the border into Pakistan, tens, maybe hundreds of thousands of people, soldiers and civilians alike, would have died."
A voice came over the speakers in the ceiling. "Paging General Arlington, General Arlington please come to the CCO. General Arlington, please come to the CCO."
"Well, it looks like I've got to get back to the war." He reached out his hand to shake Karl's. "Good job Marine. Outstanding work."
"Thank you sir." Karl replied.
The general walked out of the room, and into the hallway.
Kharzai turned and said, "Well ol' buddy. I've got to be going too. Have to meet with some of my spooky spook bosses and see where and when I can get back into the game."
He put a hand on Karl's shoulder. "You did good. I'm really proud to have met you. " He paused, then added, "Oh, and uh, about what we said in the cave that first day... "
Karl looked up at him, "Yeah?"
"We probably wouldn't have killed you, had you not come along with us." He grinned. Taking a few steps, he stopped and turned back to Karl, adding, "Well, Gilles might have, but Liam and I would have protested fiercely…probably."
"Thanks." Karl replied. Kharzai walked out of the room, whistling the tune of "Holly Jolly Christmas" as he stepped casually into the hall.
Esther stepped closer to Karl. Tenderly gazing into his face. He stared up at her, unable to find a word to say.
She said. "You could have left me. Why didn't you? Why did you risk your life to save me?"
He reached out and took her hand. "I don't know why. I don't know how to explain it. I just know, that I had to save you. I couldn't leave you there. I am glad you let me bring you out."
"I heard some of the things you said in the plane, and on the ground, your prayers." She looked down at the floor. "How can you love a woman like me, full of scars and pain?"
"I just do." Replied Karl.
He looked up at her and smiled.
"Have you ever heard of a place called Fiji?"
The End...
The story you have just completed is but a 20,000 word rough draft of an 80,000+ word novel that is awaiting publication. If you liked this, you will really like the completed version which is filled with much deeper characters and an entire subplot not mentioned in this draft. Hopefully you will soon see it in a book store near you.
Keep your eyes on my stories by going to basilsands.gather.com.
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Comments: 8
Thanks for the awesome read.
P.S. I still think you should send this in to "24". As much as I loved reading this, which was a LOT - I'd love more to see Keifer Sutherland in action as Agent Jack Bauer rescuing the world and Esther.