The Love Trilogy: Book 1

It Comes Crashing Down

Mike was putting Dara to bed for the last time. They had showered and changed, book in hand wrapped up under the blankets together. They were staying on base and neither of them liked it very much; a short vacation was supposed to begin the following morning. Mike had promised to take her to see the Eiffel Tower again.

"I think after Paris we'll try Australia, you haven't been there yet." Mike told his daughter with a smile. 'Everything will be alright once we get to Australia' he thought to himself, ready to get out.

"Do you know anybody in Australia?" The eight year old looked up at her father wondering who they were going to meet this time.

"Only the second most important person in the world."

"Who's the most important?"

"Well you of course, silly bean." Mike kissed Dara on the top of her head. It had just been the two of them for the last six years, she was his whole world.

"Well who-" Dara got cut off by a distant explosion. Mike closed his eyes and took a deep breath before his phone started to ring and the sirens went off. They both jumped out of the twin bed, Dara ducking underneath for her emergency bag.

"Yeah I heard it. I'm getting Dara safe and I'll report." Mike barked while shoving his feet into his boots. "Well I don't give a damn, I'm only here because our flight got grounded and I'll show up to a fight when I damn well please." He hung up on whoever had called him. Dara was tying her boots with extra focus.

"Come on dear, let's get you somewhere safe." Mike scooped Dara up as another explosion went off a lot closer this time.

Mike set off at a jog through the now crowded hallways, pushing against the crowd that was going outside to defend the base. He had a bad feeling in his gut but his sense of duty pushed it away. As long as Dara stays safe everything will be alright.

He reached the stairwell that lead to the bomb shelter, family members of the other men and women were funneling down it in various stages of bedtime dress, sleepy-eyed children being carried by their parents, panic vibrating off of the crowd. Mike set Dara on the ground and crouched to eye level with her.

"It's all going to be alright. It will be over soon, I promise. Then we will go to Paris."

"And Australia." Dara supplied.

"Yes and Australia. Don't go anywhere with anyone until I come and get you. I will be right back." Mike pulled her into the tightest hug he could manage, her little hand gripping his shirt. "I promise you're going to be safe, I'll make sure of it." He finally pulled back from her, looking into the small face that reminded him of who he lost.

"Dad? Will we finish the book later?" Dara had picked up the novel they had been reading together. He looked at the book she held with a white-knuckle grip, he knew she had a bad feeling about what was coming too.

"Yes silly bean, on the plane to France." Mike hugged his daughter for the last time.

"I love you. Be safe. Do good." She kissed him on the cheek and he opened the door for the stairwell. Dara followed the others into the bomb shelter where they were all sentenced to wait for the end of the fight.

It was a small room with a kitchenette and a bathroom attached. People packed in around each other. All the seats claimed. Dara wiggled herself into a corner, book in lap and began to wait.

The adults in the room paced or made nervous conversation, trying to figure out what was going on. Some of the children that had been woken from their sleep had begun to cry much to the dismay of their frazzled parents. The chaotic energy from upstairs was less in the shelter but was still buzzing about. Finally someone made a radio appear from their bag so they could at least hear what was going on.