Touched By A Marine (Book 1)

Prologue

Every bone in my body screamed in agony as I took another punch to the face. The sounds of laughter came from my captors reverberating throughout the tiny two bedroom apartment as I fell to the ground. Blood quickly filled my mouth as I spat on the floor and slowly looked up at the two men standing before me, each of them armed with a 9mm handgun tucked behind their shirts.

As I looked outside, I saw the sun just beyond the horizon. Darkness would be here soon. And it would be only a matter of time before I am killed. A bright flash of light filled the room as I shield my eyes with my arm and heard the thundering rotating blades of a helicopter as it swerved from left to right. The door behind me burst open as more gunmen approached the window, armed with AK-47’s and began opening fire on the suspecting aircraft. I could hear the helicopter swerving again before it pulled back and flew over the top of the building and out of earshot.

Below, I heard a man’s voice speak out over a bullhorn. “This is the NYPD. We have the place surrounded. Come out with your hands up! You have ten seconds to comply.”

A firm hand reached down and grabbed the back of my shirt, pulling me to my feet, and a gun pressed tightly against my throat. My captor whispered in my ear, his voice firm. “Move baby.”

I staggered forward as I moved from the bedroom into the living and then out the door, walking down a long hallway. It suddenly occurred to me that in a few moments my life would be over and everything that I have done up to this point would be for nothing. We moved into an elevator as I stood in the middle surrounded by armed men. When we reached the main floor, I could red and blue lights flashing up ahead just beyond the entrance. Inside, the lobby’s lights were taken out, possibly by the power company who supplied the building until it came under foreclosure. A hand grabbed my shoulder as I froze where I stood and watched as the men around me took up defensive positions around the lobby. This is it, I thought to myself. I never meant to start a war with the NYPD.

Guns were cocked, their safety’s off, it was time to get this show underway. My captor held me closer to him with his gun still pressed against my neck as we moved forward as one until he reached the double doors. Through flash lights and blinding headlights of the police cars I could make out the SWAT team that placed themselves around the perimeter of the building. Their orders were clear: Kill all who resisted arrest. Make every shot count. And leave no trace of what happened here tonight behind. My heart raised in my chest as the minutes passed, counting down to my demise. I was so close to the exit that I could almost taste it on my quivering tongue. The moment of truth had arrived as the officer in charge of the operation spoke into his bullhorn again.

“Release the hostage, immediately. In so doing you and your men stand a better chance of making it out of here alive. You have until the count of five to comply with this request or we open fire. Five.”

My captor pushed me forward as I stumbled slightly and grasped the door handle with both hands. I looked hard enough through the glass and saw that my captor had his gun aimed at the back of skull. The reason was clear: make any sudden movements and he would drop me where I stood. Try to warn the police and my life was forfeit. No matter how I looked at it, I knew I was seriously fucked.

 “Four.”

“Three”

“Two.”

“One.”

I closed my eyes. Here was to the end of a love. And the beginning of a nightmare.