Trouble, with a capital T. - Nestor Oceteva

28 November 2010 - 15th August 2011

We spent three amazing days together. It was so different just being the two of us, we didn't have to sneak around or risk getting interrupted. It seemed strange in this day in age that the first night we spent the whole night in the same bed was our wedding night.

I looked again at the diamond ring and the wedding band on my hand and at the thicker band on Nestor's hand. "It sucks we will have to give these back." He frowned and shook his head like 'what are you talking about?' "These were for the cover story, aren't they from the ops room?" He shook his head again. "I've had them in my room since your birthday."

We had only started sleeping together last Christmas and he's had these since February. I looked at him again and he looked shy, timid. Maybe he thought it would freak me out like the conversation about kids did. I took his hand and he relaxed slightly. "Hey, when you know, you know. Right?" He smiled and pulled me into his lap for another session of heavy breathing.

When we returned to the Liberty II everything was different yet the same.  Everything I felt was more intense, the connection we had before had only increased with marriage but we had to work harder to not get caught. For the first time since either of us joined the navy, we left the ship for Christmas. Both departing separately, we met at a bar by the ports and made our way to Rosarito.

I would like to say we saw the sights and got out and about but we didn't leave the room the whole week. I could barely walk to be honest. How that man could keep going was beyond me but I love him for it. We knew when we got back it was going to longer between our meet ups. Rumours were floating around that we were too cosy and that there was favouritism towards me but nothing serious had been said yet.

Valentine's Day was the closest we had been to getting caught when the fire system triggered a lock down. We were in a small storage closet by the engine room and all the doors locked to keep them airtight. Thankfully Nestor had done some training in technology for his covert ops. He got the door lock to release but not before our oxygen was wearing thin. That caused a dry spell for about 3 weeks before we got the nerve to sneak back.

In June, the ship docked for longer than normal and so most of the crew went into the small village on the coast of Peru. We ate at this street vendor and we all got sick from it. Half of the crew was out of commission for days and we used the years supply of antibiotics in a week. Nestor had only had a beer so he managed to avoid it and I hated him slightly. I also loved him because he stayed to take care of me since they were short on medics. We lied for a few day's saying I was still sick so we could have some alone time in my room.

Things started to go downhill soon after. I started noticing the only female LT Officer eyeing up my husband. Whenever she could she would run her hands along his arm and giggle at him. He never returned anything, I don't think he even noticed but I did and it pissed me off. She started requesting him on ops that should have been to other divisions. Then I was getting sent off to other teams instead of with my own under Nestor's command.

When I told him my concerns he tried to play it off as nothing. It hurt that he didn't believe me. I felt crazy but I wasn't crazy. It got it the point, that two months later, I wanted him to quit and we could leave the military earlier than planned. It lead to a huge fight and he stormed off. I had a messenger come by and tell me to suit up as we had an emergency to go to. Putting my feelings aside I got dressed and went to lower decks to launch the RHIBs.

A US embassy workers daughter had been kidnapped while visiting him in Istanbul, Turkey. We were currently off the coast of Turkey in the Mediterranean Sea so we were on a hostage retrieval mission. LT Officer Julia Matthews was leading the assault with two teams. Nestor lead one team and Officer Jameson lead the other. Julia had moved me into Jameson's team and I was absolutely fuming. I could see Nestor was concerned but he couldn't overrule her. We were going to be splitting up soon to take our separate positions.

I hoped he could tell from my body language that I was sorry we had fought and that I loved him. I wished I could be in his team to watch his back but I had to trust in his team to do that. He nodded to me from his boat as theirs went one way and ours went the other. When we beached the boat, we all dismounted and ran along the trees to the three story business office that was holding the hostage and militant group.

Daytona blew the loading dock door open while the second team came through the front of the building. We made our way along the corridors towards the other team. I saw Daytona drop to the ground in a spray of blood, then I felt a bullet hit my vest. I spun behind a concert post and grabbed my ear piece that had fallen out. "Three armed men on the south side of the building, no visual of the package. We have one casualty, two more needing urgent medevacs."

I wasn't the one to usually communicate over the comms but the man had been shot and it allowed me to tell Nestor I was fine. Between the five of us standing we took down the three men and moved further into the building. I could hear shots on the other side of the wall so we stayed low and made it to the door. Before we entered I heard his voice in my earpiece. "One casualty, one needing medevac. Marines are three minutes out." Good to know, would hate to shoot one of them.

It was a long three minutes but we were heavily outnumbered so we just contained them to the large office space they were in. When the marines arrived, we put small explosives along the wall to create extra entrances to the office. Everyone spread out and turned around kneeling down. "3. 2. 1." Small debris hit my back as the devices blew up. We all turned to face the enemy and entered the office space.

The marines had a few extreme sharpshooters with them and picked off the more hidden kidnappers. The girl was tied to a chair in the middle of the room and had a bomb vest strapped to her. Our bomb expert was intact thankfully and he went to help her out. I hadn't seen Nestor yet and I was silently panicking. I caught sight of his black hair and saw that bitch hand her hand on his arm again. I saw red as I started making my way to her.

Nestor finally looked up from her and gave me a small smile but I was still angry. His smile turned angry and I didn't know why, then I felt the burning in my collarbone. He ran towards me with his gun out and unloaded his magazine into the man that had looked dead. I couldn't talk. I tried to tell him I loved him but nothing came out. I could see his lips moving too but I couldn't hear anything. Everything went dark no matter how hard I fought. I just want to stay with my husband.