“That’s good. I wasn’t looking forward to you shoving that camera in my face again. But even without it, what about questions, Miss Top-Notch Reporter? Are we taking this walk because I’m too weak to resist and you’re hoping to ply me for information?”
“You can relax. There’ll be no interviews tonight. This time it’s strictly personal. I’ve only got one reason for being here. I’m doing this because I’m a woman who in the short time we’ve spent together finds you fascinating. So it’s really quite simple. I want to get to know you better, Samuel Erickson. And that’s all there is to it. I went off duty the instant I left Press City.”
* * *
—
Kicking up the sands as they went, the couple walked arm in arm along the crashing waves. Lauren had described the evening perfectly. Other than the distant rumble of artillery and the perverse smell of battle pervading every inch of the North African landscape, the night was heavenly. The winds had chased away the blanketing layer of smoke. A shimmering moon and multitudes of flickering stars filled the evening sky.
The only blemish in the sparkling heavens was the distant red glow from the fiercely burning Eisenhower. Even thirty miles distant, its great conflagration was there for all to see.
For the first few minutes, he was oddly silent. He seemed quite distracted. She didn’t know if this was his usual manner or if something was on his mind.
“Is something wrong?” she eventually asked. “Are you feeling all right?”
He stopped and looked at her. Her wondrous eyes sparkled in the Egyptian moonlight. “Why do you ask?”
“Because you haven’t said a word since we left the hospital.”
He looked upon the swirling waters. The tides were high and more than a bit furious.
“I’m okay. It’s nothing really. It’s just I’ve seen this beach before under far different circumstances and those memories aren’t exactly the best.”
“I’m sorry, Sam, that didn’t enter my mind when I planned this evening,” she said.
“Everywhere I look, I see things reminding me of the misery and suffering that happened here a few days ago. It’s all around us. As we wander along, I can identify the critical elements of the battle as if they were happening this moment. All the cries for help from the wounded. All the places where the dead took their final breaths. I’ll bet if you examine things closely you can still see the bloodstains on the sands. And if you look to the right about two hundred yards, you can see the spot where Sergeant Fife and I lay trying to figure out how to stop that final Pan-Arab tank.”
“Yes, I know. I’ve seen that spot, Sam. I’ve seen what remains of that tank. After I interviewed you, my cameraman and I toured the beach. I’ve seen it all. The dead Arab girls, the bloody sands, everything you must’ve gone through. But it’s over now, it’s in the past.”
“You don’t understand. No one ever will who hasn’t experienced it. For as long as I live, it will never be over. I can hear their screams, Lauren. I can see their faces. It’s as if they’re right here walking along with us. And that may never change. Those gruesome images might be with me the rest of my life.” He paused. A frown appeared. “I’m sorry. Why did I bring this up? I . . . I didn’t intend to ruin your evening. It’s just so damn hard to overcome the horror of that morning when it’s staring right at me.”
“You’ve nothing to feel sorry for. I’m glad you brought it up. It’s obviously something you needed to do. No one expects you to ever get over it completely. I certainly don’t. All I’m asking is with my help you try to move forward. One of the best ways to do that is by talking about what’s bothering you. And until you put all this as far into the past as you can, you and I have no chance of ever seeing if we can build a relationship.”
He looked at her with an inquisitive expression. “Is that what we’re trying to do here?”
“I don’t know. I hope so. But I also understand by being so bold and announcing my intentions, I’m probably scaring you to death. It’s much too soon for such talk, and I’m rushing things. And that’s not like me at all. I’m always Miss Cool, Calm, and Collected. Miss Always in Control. At least until I met you. Maybe it’s this damn war that’s making me want to hurry things to see where they might lead. Maybe it’s something else entirely. At this point, what’s going to happen is something neither of us can know. To tell you the truth, I’ve no idea if you’re the slightest bit interested in me. I’ve never asked, and you’ve never said. And you may not be. I’ve found in the past some men find me more than a bit intimidating and want nothing to do with a strong, independent woman like me. You might be one of those men, Sam Erickson. But I’m here tonight, willing to take that chance.”
“You certainly don’t have to worry about me being intimidated,” he said. “You’re obviously extremely smart. And unbelievably attractive. Just the kind of woman I’ve always enjoyed being around. I can’t imagine how any man wouldn’t find you fascinating.”
“There’ve been a few. Even so, even if you’re as interested in pursuing this as I am, there are no guarantees things will work out. There never is. We’ll just have to play it by ear and see what happens. Maybe there’s something between us, maybe not. Does that sound fair? Because if you look inside and find you’ve no real interest in me, that won’t change a thing this evening. We can take this walk as friends and let it go at that.”
“That’s more than fair, Lauren.”
“As friends, Sam?”
“As whatever, I guess. Friends, more than friends, whatever. I mean you certainly are an engaging woman. And I can’t think of a reason in the world not to pursue this further.”
“Then I’ll tell you what. Let’s turn around and walk down the beach in the other direction. Maybe when we’re far away from here, we can figure out what it is we’re really trying to do tonight.”
“Sounds good to me,” he said.
They turned and headed back toward the west.
“And besides, it’ll give you a chance to tour the beautiful tent-lined streets of Press City, my wonderful home away from home,” she added.
They trekked along the breakwaters. Sam’s horrifying visions faded as they moved away from the scene of the earlier battle. Nevertheless, he didn’t say much until they were a significant distance from where the initial landing had occurred. This time she let his silence go unanswered. The ground rules had been established and she was willing to do nothing more than hold on to him on this engaging night. So she walked on in silence, content to let him set the evening’s terms.
They were two miles down the beach before he decided to restart the conversation. “I know you’re off duty, but I’ve no idea what’s happened since we spoke early this morning. Got any updates on today’s events you can provide a curious Marine?”
They were now in her element and she immediately perked up. “Absolutely. My sources, both great and small, tell me other than the Iraqis and Iranians continuing to give us hell, things are going pretty well. In Egypt, most everyone I’ve talked to couldn’t be happier. The regiments sent west have fought their way to the Libyan border. At the moment, things are quiet there. They’re digging in and fortifying their positions. Still no sign of those seven million reinforcements Mourad told me he had. But so far, so good. On the front lines, the 1st Marines are under constant attack, but the fighting’s not as intense as it was when you guys were there. In Cairo, not only have things stabilized, but with the assistance of the French tank brigade and British mechanized units, the 82nd Airborne’s actually gained back some ground in parts of the city. With our help, the Egyptian army inside the capital’s continuing to rally. We’re definitely keeping the pressure on the Mahdi’s followers. And I wouldn’t be surprised if we counterattacked soon with the top-of-the-line French LeClercs to push them back across the Nile. I think we’ll make our big push inside Cairo in the next few days. I’ve not been able to confir
m it, but rumors are we’ve seen the first signs of the Pan-Arabs retreating.”
“You’re kidding. That’s a sight I’d love to see.”
“Intelligence folks believe it might be an indicator of things to come. There’s a school of thought gaining acceptance with our military analysts. Even though Mourad’s got millions of soldiers on the battlefield, many of the best, the most fervent of his followers, have been wiped out in the relentless attacks of the past few weeks. The majority of his elite units are gone. What’s left believes in him and his message. But not to the point where they’re eager to forfeit their lives without a damn good reason.”
“Sounds like the tide’s slowly turning.”
“Hopefully it’ll turn even faster, and this will be over before anybody knows it. Because now that I’ve found you, I’m not anxious to give you back to the Marines. And the sad part is because of my connections, I’ve already been told the exact hour that’ll happen.”
“I know too. I just hadn’t said anything. Guys from my platoon stopped by the hospital this afternoon.”
“When I met them they seemed like a real nice bunch. How are they doing?”
“They’re okay considering. Their spirits seem real good. Getting lots of sleep and eating their first actual meals in quite a long time. My platoon sergeant told me the British tank divisions are due to arrive in a couple of days. To cram all seven hundred onto the ships they had to leave their infantry support behind. So we’re going to be tasked with that mission. We’ll be heading out the moment the British are ready to roll.”