Behind Enemy Lines

Every day he would sneak an half of hour of down time to wait and see if any word would come from his college friend back in the states. He had only talked to her a handful of times through their exchanges through letters and the one time he sent her the video through the messenger service that he had signed up for a few years ago when he had first learned his way around a computer.

Living in a place where the day to day routine was planned to a T gave more opportunity for the times when he hadn’t had to worry about duties and he could latch another level of training to his built for the real world.

Everything was real but he thought of it in the essence that he could use it maybe another time after he didn’t have this anymore.

After this tour he had the option to leave and go back home. He had been on two tours since his enlistment and neither being as fulfilling as the thought of having a place to go back home to. For all intents and purposes this was his home. Here in the barracks or here among his brothers in arms.

There was also this side of Cameron Caine that wished for what many of his brothers had, a life beyond all of this. He had thought very little of what that would be like because he hadn’t had much of a choice until a few months ago when he was called in by his superior and given a new mission. The exchange of letters between himself and a student from the states.

He hadn’t thought much of it, he browsed the file upon getting back to his compartment where he slept when he had the chance. He learned a small amount of information about the young woman who over the past couple months brought forth another choice for him. One he never thought possible. He still mulled over what it could mean.
If it meant anything in the slightest, that is.

She made him laugh with her interesting ways of phrasing things and her views about things that no one had ever discussed with him. Not only was she beautiful as he saw from the photo that was in her file and the short view of her before she had collapsed the one brief moment when he finally laid eyes on her and heard her voice, she was something different. She was an outlet for him that he never had with anyone here.

There were women of course. He wasn’t the type to just go out and grab a woman and do whatever he wished. Dating was an uncharted territory. Frankly it was very frightening to him. He had seen how painful it was for fellow soldiers who experienced the woes of what came with that. It didn’t matter if it happened here or outside of there. There was still something difficult about it.
He had never attempted to find out for himself. That’s not what this was about. Not in the slightest.
It didn’t mean he hadn’t gotten teased about the way he seem to get a bit more excited upon coming back to see an envelope waiting for him or when he got one handed to him out in the open. There had been lots of that but it took it all with a goofy smile on his face.

“It’s really nice though, Candy Caine that you get to have someone to keep you from getting mopey. Most people would think you’re getting laid, bro.” Stevens, one of the lieutenants told him the last time that he saw him reading through the last one he received. That had been about two weeks ago and he had sent out his reply.

The waiting was the interesting part.



I let out a sigh, getting up from my desk for a stretch. These finals were going to be the death of me. I had gotten several things sent to me or brought to me since I came back from the death as Addison had put it. I had nearly collapsed from exhaustion but that was all fine. I had been doing twice the work to make sure I was able to finish the year off and graduate on time. It was looking to be in my favor, thankfully.

It was nice not taking too many classes but that didn’t mean that I didn’t have quite a bit of work on my table. I had several web design projects that I had to submit from my laptop, as well as two presentations and another four papers to work on for Communications. I had just finished the last of it when I spotted something wedge under my bed.

I blinked, crouching down to retrieve it. I cursed under my breath as I read the name on top of it. It was an envelope that I had been customary of getting from Cameron. This one slightly on the smaller side. I couldn’t believe I hadn’t seen it in the past couple of weeks.

Mail was slid under the door unless it was a package. Perhaps it had slipped under there somehow. I didn’t know but I sat down on my bed, reaching over for my phone which had started beeping due to a call coming in. More than likely my mother. She had been keeping her distance for the time being because she knew how much I needed to concentrate on this last bit of work.

“Hello.” I answered the call, tucking the phone in my neck as I opened the letter. Her warm voice came through the speaker and I smiled. “How are things going, sweetie?”

“Good, I just finished the last of my Communications so all I have to worry about my exams for Graphic Design II and the write up exam for Communications about the pen pal assignment. It shouldn’t be too bad. Who should I expect to see next weekend?” I asked as I pulled the papers out. I hadn’t really mentioned much about the assignment where I wrote to someone I didn’t even know or my thoughts about it. I didn’t think it was necessary really.
“Your Auntie is coming with your new nephew and your cousins should be coming as well, and then there’s me. Most of them won’t be able to make it because of the traveling but it should be fine. As long as I’m there right?”

I giggled, “Of course.” We talked for a few more minutes before I hung up, I was starting to get distracted by glancing over the letter in my lap. It was more of a note than anything. Quite vague but endearing at the same time. He had been worried about me after my fall. I was fine but I suppose the whole he being all the way overseas probably played a part in why I had this.

I looked at the postmark and saw it had been four weeks now since I must have received it. A sense of guilt came over me as I sat there and read over it another time. I began to reach over to the drawer where I kept the stationery but suddenly I remember the fact that it probably was possible that I could talk to him on the computer even if it was a few lines.

I grabbed my laptop off my bed and logged onto the messenger which I hadn’t touched since the time that Addison had decided to pry into my little friendship I had going with whom she called the mysterious solider. I rolled my eyes every time she said it. She had talked to him for minutes, I was sure she probably got more than enough fill on who he was. He had gotten her stamp of approval, not that that really mattered.

He wasn’t online. I should have expected as much if I had one the time conversion it was fairly early morning over there so he was either sleeping or out doing guard or something like that. I didn’t really know much about what they did. I knew there was a war and that they were out there trying to protect all of us from something that I knew little about. I didn’t do politics or any war talk but it didn’t mean I hadn’t thought about reading up on it. Out of curiosity and I had asked him questions before about that, not that he could tell me much. There was a set out code for these type of things.

I chewed on my lip as I decided to send him a message regardless if he would see it or not. He would eventually, I imagined. I set my fingers on the keys and typed it out, pressing ENTER without really thinking much about it.

Hi. Sorry, I haven’t written you back or tried to get in contact with you. I just found your letter today. It was lost under my bed and it’s been a crazy couple of weeks. I am doing better, thank you for being concerned. It wasn’t really all that necessary. I hope you are well. – C. J.

I logged out just as my door was opened and I was greeted by the dramatic entrance of my best friend and her boyfriend, Rick. Great, just what I need to deal with. I closed my laptop and turned to face them.