《The Memorial Day Murders》Chapter 7 : Sense of duty
Advertisement
Lincoln Memorial (Present day)
The sky is in blue when I reached the memorial for my morning run. Last week's mission was a success but the only thing still bothers me since that day is the emergency message from the MI6 chief. I have relayed the message to Dominic, whom also showed concern. Harold Manchester, the commander in charge of the SAS unit who accompanied us back in Afghanistan, has offered help in case anything happened and Uncle Roland offered us shelter in his great-grandfather's bunker at the same time. Starting in a slow run I enjoyed the calmness of the atmosphere and the slow churn of the water in the pool. Out of all the available jogging routes in DC I still prefer here.
After the run I returned to my residence and took a shower. Five minutes later I sat down at the dressing table, looking at the ribbon bars that I will wear on my blue service uniform. Memories of the life overseas is still in my mind as I smiled when looking at the ribbon bars I have received for my service in the Army. I pinned the bars on, slowly and one by one, including one that represents the Presidential Medal of Freedom, with Distinction. Wearing on the black beret the sound of a vehicle pulling up to the driveway was heard. "Good morning Madam Vice President." the voice of my agent was heard when I stepped out to the porch. I gave him a knowing smile and approached the waiting limousine.
"Morning to you Timothy." I said as he held the door for me. Another agent is already sitting on the driver's seat when I slid into the passenger seat behind.
"Should we head to pick up your husband as well Madam?" he asked.
Advertisement
"He thought that he would be picking me up." I replied, looking at the recent text message showing up on the screen of my phone. "Guess that I have to tell him that I already have my own transport."
"Wouldn't that be awkward?" he asked. The limousine departs and headed to Bruce's location after I replied his text. We picked him up soon after and headed to the destination. The Memorial Day Gala is held at one of Gotham's exclusive hotels in the Diamond District of the city. As usual for red carpets every media outlet are standing by, their camera lens focusing on every potential guest that would be making an appearance. Nobody was prepared when a black limousine bearing Washington D.C. registration plates and the Seal of the Vice President of the United States showed up. But as I stepped out from the limousine they did not see my usual look on the papers. Instead of dressing in a sharp-tailored suit or an elegant gown I showed up in my blue Army Service Uniform, ribbon bars on display. Nobody except family members are allowed to get close to the Vice President, not even paparazzis. Refusing to answer any gossip-related question asked I strode into the elevator and the four of us did not engage in any conversation. Timothy, who has been with me after surviving multiple assassination attempts, stayed quiet because he knows what kind of reaction his boss normally gives out when faced with paparazzis which I have grown bothered to respond to.
The gala is buzzing with life when we arrived, the noises dying down soon after. I have to keep up appearances, maintaining a smile. Some of the socialite crowd were aghast upon noting my service uniform. Judging the fact that I know some of them did not bother to attend military camp as part of their duty as citizens I chose to ignore the glances thrown at me in a disapproving way. On the battlefield enemies never gave a damn about who you are, as long as you're their enemy you will be targeted. Although they have enough money to spend on lavish items they can't pay back the countless lives lost in battle. For me, serving in the military is an honor and my duty as a citizen of the United States. Seeing the tension Bruce offered to show me around and took me by my arm. "That was tense Isa." he said.
Advertisement
"Apparently they forgot what is the purpose of the gala." I replied, in a cold manner. Then I sighed and followed him around.
"But I can see your confidence, showing them what they lack." he said, glancing at the ribbon bars adorning my service uniform. I smiled at him and took out the dog tags in one of the pockets of my jacket, putting it on.
"I did my duty as a citizen, and I will not regret it." I declared.
Advertisement
- In Serial8 Chapters
Bloody Grass
Dorian had an accident, a stupid one at that, and he died. He thought it was the end, that only darkness awaited him. That was until he woke up, in a room full of babies, Orochimaru of the Sannin inspecting every newborn, to see his potential new recruits, that he knew his life was going to go from bad to worse. (Cover is what I picture Dorian/Jin to look like when he'll be 15, It doesn't come from me, the character on it is from Tokyo Raven, a nice anime that I enjoyed watching)
8 74 - In Serial23 Chapters
I'm a Veteran Adventurer in a World without Healing Magic.
It's a fantasy world just like any other, orcs, elves, monsters, adventurer's guilds... Just one catch, though: there's no such thing as healing magic. Get a nasty wound from the monster you're fighting? There's nothing to patch you up, not so much as a red potion or a cure light wounds spell! All you can rely on are mundane medical procedures to help you get back on your feet. And those don't come cheap! You can probably guess that injuries that in other worlds would be minor are rather costly in one where the priest class doesn't exist. What kind of dungeoneering community springs up in an atmosphere where a simple cut can mean lethal infection? How do dungeon crawlers find workarounds when conventional combat proves too dangerous? A veteran warrior who senses his time is near puts to pen a final record, a shocking tell-all about his adventuring career...
8 145 - In Serial70 Chapters
Re:Mento Mori
When Ryuji, a disgruntled salaryman, is supposed to reach an unfortunate end, he is instead thrust into a new world, inhabiting a body that isn't his own. Forced into a world filled with strife and death, can he claim freedom and happiness? Or will his turbulent new life only lead to suffering and pain? As with every time-loop story written by an amateur author, this is heavily inspired by Re:Zero. If I had to explain my book, I would say imagine Re:Zero, but the main character can actually fight people instead of just getting merked every time he meets someone with a weapon. The themes of this story are dark, so be forewarned. This is my first story so keep that in mind while reading it.
8 138 - In Serial7 Chapters
Family of Fiends
When the king of an infernal realm disappears, the palace guardians are charged with bringing him back. However, their target is devious and has plans of his own. Can a resolute swordmaiden, a shape-shifting assassin, a sorceress, and two oddballs cooperate long enough to find him? Or is their mission doomed from the start? Caution: While some parts of this story are funny and light-hearted, others are dark. This is a work in progress.
8 166 - In Serial55 Chapters
Divine Demon Goblin
Arnhale. Filled with mystery and magic. A world populated by different races and magical creatures. At the foot of the Misty Mountain Range, right next to the Witching Forest lived the Lost Tooth Tribe. A very poor goblin tribe that struggled for survival. In the midst of winter a man transmigrated into the body of Snarky, a member of the Lost Tooth Tribe. He was blessed with a golden finger: the Divine Demon System. Follow a man in a goblin's body who cultivates to reach the top of a magical world.
8 193 - In Serial12 Chapters
Beyond the Bridge
There are many worlds, many multiverses, and you can move between them via the Federation's Bridge network - magical gateways to other worlds. The world dubbed "C'thon" by its inhabitants - or Gamma-Theta-Nu-649, if you ask the Federation's bureaucracy - was deserted when the Federation found it. The "civilized" races had all died out centuries prior, and the wilderness had grown downright feral in their absence. Now, the lonely Federation outpost of Bridgetown is under constant threat from the hungry wildlife, malicious fey, territorial goblins, and wandering undead that surround it. The town's distance from the Federation's centers of power means that it gets precious few of the resources that it needs to stay safe and afloat. Enter the Guild of Adventurers, a plucky and disparate crew who do the Federation's dirty work in exchange for coin. One team, the first of many, crosses the Bridge to C'thon looking for fame, fortune, and (if they're lucky) the answer to a newly-discovered Prophecy. They'll get much more than they bargained for, although first they need to avoid being eaten by the local wildlife. Updates weekly on Wednesday. Chapters will be as long as they need to be for them to work, which means they can vary. If anything drops below 2500 words, I'll post an extra chapter if I have one ready. [PS: This is not a litRPG, but I do borrow heavily from TTRPGs for inspiration, and the general setting and storyline is from a TTRPG campaign I'm running.] [PPS: This is my first attempt at writing long-form fiction. I'm not trying to make a great piece of literature or have a multi-novel overarching plot, but hopefully it'll still be a fun story - let me know what you think in the comments.] [PPPS: Cover image is from a free-download wallpaper by Tyler Edlin; I do not own it, and will take it down immediately if requested.]
8 138

