*Completed* The Darkhorse

Part 96- Trouble Being Away

They lay there for a bit and finally he gets up Ana sitting up. He undoes his belt and rolls it up setting it on the dresser taking his pants off tossing them in the pile. Then grabbing jeans a T-shirt and a jacket heading into the bathroom and getting in the shower. He stands in the hot water letting it run over him his dog tags dripping. He hears her walk into the bathroom and start messing with something turning the water off and pulling his towel over the curtain drying off wrapping the towel around his waist and stepping out Ana messing with her makeup bag. He places his hand over hers "Why do you bother with that stuff?" she looks at him and blushes "It helps me look nice" he kisses her head "Darling your drop dead gorgeous without it" he walks out leaving Ana standing there blushing. She walks in a few minutes later while hes putting his dusty combat boots on "Where are we going?" he smiles "Not sure yet" he slides his bayonet into the boot and pulls his jeans over the top holstering the .45 on his belt and covering it with the jacket. She laughs "Why are you always armed?" he looks at her "I take protecting you very seriously" she sits next to him "My guardian angel" he smiles "More like a Devil Dog in disguise" she just shakes her head and smiles. He stands up and she starts to get dressed while he goes out and sits at the table pulling out his cleaning kit cleaning the 1911 and the Mosin. He racks the Mosins bolt and looks the rifle over Ana sitting next to him looking over the weapon "Is this the weapon used to kill the Russian president?" he nods "I stayed in a church tower all night and when he gave his speech I cut him down with a single shot from 2200 yards away" he looks in her eyes "You realize you can never speak of this not even to our own children" she frowns "I know mom could never speak of what dad did either you and him are very similar he wasnt a sniper but he did what was right and cared alot more about his men than those medals" he looks at the table "War changes a mans view of the world suddenly the medals you yearned for as a kid are nothing more than tin and cloth and the names of the men you fought with are seared into your mind their faces burned forever in your conscience because your here and their not" he sets the rifle down and looks at it. She softly touches his shoulder as Sasha and Doug come back in Sasha setting a paper on the table "Congratulations Ghost" he looks at her confused and reads the headline "Russian and German special forces defeated by supernatural forces" he starts to read the story detailing their mission and how intelligence gathering units have heard the story of the survivor who recounts a battle where "They rose from the sand like super natural avengers in the night and slaughtered those around him then disappeared into thin air" the cover has a picture of himself and the others their faces masked by the sand his by the skeletal visage the shot taken when they were walking toward friendly forces. The story sickens him and he pushes the paper away Ana looking at it. He gets up "They should have written a story about those who died there" Doug looks at him "Its a moral booster death isnt good for that" he looks at Doug "And that is, we slaughtered them like animals I can still see their faces the pure fear in their eyes just before I killed them" he tenses and sighs "Im sorry I just see no moral in what we did we just did our jobs" Ana looks at him "Your up for the Medal of Honor" he sighs again "I know" she looks at him "Alex thats an honor" he closes his eyes "I survived I shouldnt get medals for that" she stands up and looks at him walking over and hugging his side "Why dont we all go to dinner" he nods "Yeah I could use an escape" Doug grabs his hat and Sasha goes and gets dressed. He puts his cap on and stands on the balcony smelling a slight hint of whiskey ignoring it. He looks over the city watching the traffic below all the people living their lives with no clue of what this war is. He pulls out his phone and calls the General "Sir how long till I can return to the front?" he hears the General laugh "Son Africa is basically ours the front is dissipating until the invasion of mainland Europe enjoy a bit of time off besides your needed at home" the line is silent a minute "You and the others garnered enough signatures for the Medal of Honor. You and the others are also being reformed into a new unit the Ghosts I need you to design a unit patch and start selections" he sighs "Sir I want those men thats it as men show promise Ill deal with selections" the General is silent a moment "Alright good luck kid say hi to Ana for me" he hangs up and looks at the ground below. The sky is a pale orange accented by purple clouds. He turns around and walks back inside Ana and Sasha sitting there all ready Doug flipping through the channels. He looks over them "Lets move out" Sasha laughs and gives a playful salute "Aye aye Gunny" he shakes his head and Ana laughs "Lets go is a better term babe" he sighs "Lets go" Ana gets up and he loops his arm for her holding the door the four headed out for what will hopefully be a good night.