“Breathe!” Margie said to herself.  You can do this.  You’ve survived scenarios like this a hundred times.  But something was wrong this time.  She felt it.  How did they know that we would try now to retrieve the data? Only a few people even knew of the existence of this critical piece of information.  It was a last minute decision to even leave when we did. 

I had just finished my Quantico Tri and looked up surprised to see Robert at the finish line. I was looking for someone else at the finish line but he wasn’t there.  “We leave at 0500,”Robert said.  We arrived at our destination and proceeded with the mission. I encrypted and transmitted the info. Robert left as soon as I had secured the package.  Wait, Robert left.  We were instructed to leave together.  Ok Margie don’t panic.  You know this area.  You know people here.  Plan and execute.  

I did exactly that. I met with my new contacts and made all the arrangements for the new rendezvous site.  While waiting for transport to the airfield my travelling companion, Stefan, and I happened upon a young man in a ditch.  He was badly beaten and barely breathing. I recognized him from a report about a kidnapping in the area.  Evidently his kidnappers left him for dead when their ransom demands were not met.  Stefan and I gathered him into our jeep and made haste to the rendezvous site.  With Stefan and the young man on the plane, I prepared to enter when shots rang out.  I turned and a group of five men advanced on the plane with Robert leading the way.  Without hesitation we returned fire and took out all of the men, including Robert, but not before I received a shot to my side and another to my shoulder.  Stefan managed to pull me into the plane so that it could depart.  We took off.  

Medical staff on board tended to my wounds but I was losing blood so quickly.  It was a blessing that they had a sufficient supply of my blood type to stabilize me until we reached safer shores. Upon arrival at the nearest military hospital, staff there patched me up but my superiors had me on the first transport back to DC with a medical helicopter waiting for transport to Bethesda. It seemed strange that I remained awake and aware of my surroundings the entire time from the shooting until we arrived at Bethesda.  Once we arrived at the hospital, I lost consciousness.

A week passed and I have not heard from Margie.  One week turned into two weeks and I started to worry again.  Work kept me busy but I had a nagging feeling that something bad had happened.  At the end of the second week, just as I stepped into my house my phone rang. “Hello,” I said.  “Special Agent Gibbs, this is Lydia.  Margie is in Bethesda hospital. She’s hurt pretty badly.” I felt sick to my stomach.  “I’m on my way,” I replied.  I made it to the hospital and Lydia was there to meet me. She told me that Margie had not regained consciousness and that the doctors were worried.  At that moment the doctor came out to say that they had stabilized Margie again after having to conduct another surgery to stop the internal bleeding.  They said that she should rest for the remainder of the night and that they were not concerned that she had not regained consciousness.  It was her body’s way of healing itself.  I thanked the doctor for his care of Margie.  

Lydia and I settled ourselves in the waiting room. 

“Do you love her?”Lydia asked me. 

“Yes,” I replied without hesitation. 

“She loves you but she won’t admit it because she doesn’t think that you love her.” 

“I didn’t realize it myself until just now”

“What do you plan to do about it? 

“I don’t know.  I need to talk with her.”

“Don’t hurt her.  She’s the best friend that I have and I love her like a sister.”