Storm Of Pain

chapter 27

Joshua P.O.V

Jennifer had a look on her face that said she wasn't scared to get blood on her hands, that she wasn't scared to do what it takes to get answers. Calleb and I locked eyes, he had an expression on his face that I knew I mirrored. We haven't seen this side of Jennifer, and in all honesty, I didn't want to see it again after today. I looked over to Alex, but he had a blank expression on his face. When he caught me studying him, he shrugged and sat down next to Lieutenant Black, like he didn't have a care in the world.

I guess he was used to this side of his sister...

"I wonder how three bullets will feel? You think the first one will come out the other side if I shot a few more times? Or has it gone through already? Then I can always start with the other leg, then your arms, then-"

"Fine! I owed him money because I loaned a pretty big amount years ago to build up my career in the military. But I paid everything I owed him into another bank account for when he comes out of hiding or prison or wherever he was, I can just give him the account number,"

"And I take it the money isn't in there anymore?"

"No, someone took it,"

"Who took it?"

"I don't know. If I did that person would already be dead,"

"How much money was it?" Alex suddenly asked from his seat. Phillip glared over at him, but Jennifer just used her persuading method for him to talk. He ended up with a few bullet wounds in his knee caps before answered and gave the amount. My eyes went huge. Who the hell loans that much money from an organized crime boss!

"Wait, wasn't that..."

"The amount mom gave us to spend," Alex finished for Jennifer with a smirk stretching his face. Phillip's eyes went wide,

"What!?"

"Looks like your wife knew what you did. She gave everything to us."

"Well, where is it!?" He asked frantically,

"Gone." Jennifer laughed and Alex grinned at their father's expense,

"You brats!" He struggled against the restraints, trying to free himself so that he can probably kill the two of them, although he would never manage either of those things.

"Why'd you do it, Rose?" Came General Maree's voice,

"Cause no one would've given me the chance to work myself up. Besides, it would've taken too long,"

"So instead you bribed people?"

"Yep," He grinned, looking straight at him, with absolutely no shame.

"And the twenty-three bodies back at the lake?"

"There were twenty-three in the cupboard, ten outside and seven more in the lake itself. They either knew too much, pissed me off or threatened me," He shrugged like killing forty innocent people was nothing.

The rest of the flight was spent interrogating Phillip and just sitting around until we landed on the runway at our base back in the UK.

Noah had called us an hour into the flight, telling us that they had arrested the people holding them captive, telling us that whatever we did had worked because they now had full control over the base again.

When we got out with Phillip in restraints we immediately took him to the cells, locking him up. We sent people to Mexico to pick up the twenty-three bodies as well as Erick with the two kids; we also sent people to the lake house to salvage what they could for evidence and the other bodies we couldn't find and informed people in Greece about Ann.

Since we were back on base, nothing has been the same. Everything went by so fast. Weeks felt like days as it sped past. We recovered from our trip and got back to training. Calleb and I were promoted to E-8 and Jennifer as well as Alex to E-5 as soon as Lieutenant had all the paperwork sorted out. There was an entire ceremony where we got our new badges on our uniforms, where Lieutenant Black explained the need to know things to the rest of the base, he gave a motivational speech and how there might be even darker times ahead of us. The entire ceremony was nice, to be honest, and I was so proud of myself and the others for what we achieved.

Even General Maree got a new badge, getting a promotion from Major General to Lieutenant.

Jennifer and I were getting closer, just like I wanted, especially after we came back to base. Lieutenants Black and Maree sent me, Jennifer, Calleb, and Alex to spent some time with family before coming back in a few months time. Since Jennifer didn't really have any other family other than Erick, Alex, and the twins, I offered for her to come stay with me while Alex went to fully recover with Erick. Erick offered to look after the twins when he decided it would be better to retire from the army after he found out he won't be able to continue due to the severity of his internal injuries.

Surprisingly he didn't have a problem with that. Apparently, he's been wanted to retire for a while now and open a flying school. It would do him good, and there will be a secure parental figure in Angelique and William's lives.

While Jennifer stayed with me at my parents', she met my mom, dad, and little sister. After about a month, I asked her to be my girlfriend to which she said yes. I was the happiest man that I could ever be at that moment, she's truly gone from an annoying female to my rock. I can definitely say that I can't see my future without her, but I'm definitely not ready for marriage yet, and I know she felt the same way.

All in all, we were at the top of the world. The question was just when life will try to knock us down again...