Nehemiah's Story - Untitled

         Chapter 1
“Angel, Keep your eyes open. The informant said we'd know him when we see him.”
“Copy that Civic.”
Darkness filled the room, and smoke seeped from the vents. Someone was trying to make visibility near impossible. Nehemiah switched to his night vision goggles. He was perched just inside of the furnace room in the back of the hotel’s ballroom. He counted 22 hostages and four shooters. The smoke was making it difficult for Nehemiah to keep his eyes on the target.
“Angel, come in.”
“Go Civic.”
“We have a friendly to your 9 o’clock.”
Nehemiah heard her voice before all hell broke loose and shots rang out.

Nehemiah sat straight up in bed, drenched in a full sweat. Like every other night, the terrors woke him up at the same moment in the dream. He relived that tragic event, night after night. Why him? Why her?
Like clockwork, he went into the kitchen of his one-bedroom apartment in Portsmouth, VA and grabbed a beer from the refrigerator. He sat in front of his television but never turned it on. Nehemiah wanted to close his eyes, but every time he did, he saw her face, her eyes, and her blood.
Draining the contents of the bottle, he went back into his bedroom and sat on the edge of the bed. Face to palms, he sat there for a few minutes, feeling weary.
“Come back to bed. It’s cold under these sheets.” A soft feminine voice said.
Nehemiah needed to stop this philandering he was doing. His actions went against every principle and every value he was raised with.
“I’ll be right there.” He responded.
What was her name? He couldn’t remember her name or where he met her. Yeah, it was definitely time to change his lifestyle.

2 Years Later

“Where are you headed to for your leave?” Master Chief Petty Officer McEntire asked. Peter McEntire was the commanding officer of their unit. A unit covertly assembled to see things and not be seen. Unlike the Navy Seals or Army Rangers, their unit had no name, and no one outside of the Commander of Naval Operations and the Director of Defense knew they existed.
“Master Chief, I’m headed to San Juan for some relaxation. What about you? Any big plans?” Nehemiah asked.
“Nah, just spending quality time with Riolo.” Riolo was his German Shepard and best friend. McEntire rescued the dog from a frigid pond in northern Michigan one winter. Nehemiah often wondered if the reason the Chief wasn’t married was due to his job or his insane love affair with his dog.
Twenty minutes later, Nehemiah was in his sparsely filled apartment packing the last of his gear and heading for the airport. He kept the apartment in Portsmouth and a landing pad. Only using it when he was in Virginia for work or visiting his parents. There was no need to have anything other than a bed. He never invited people over, except the occasional woman to entertain.
Two weeks of beach and babes was the vacation he needed. The stress of his life was beginning to take a toll on him. His last assignment had him re-evaluating the important things in life. Nehemiah knew being in the military was temporary, in fact he had been contemplating retirement. Aside from being a career military man like his father, Nehemiah had also started a security firm in Virginia and Florida.
The security firm was his next great challenge. He hired only ex-military and law enforcement personnel. Men and women he knew could handle themselves under intense pressure. Their backgrounds had to be clean and perfect before Nehemiah would invite an applicant for an interview.
Jake Lewis ran the day-to-day operations of the security firm. They met at Great Lakes Recruit Training and had been close friends ever since. After only being in business for a year, they had a good clientele list thanks to his brother, mega pop-star Evolution. Entertainers and athletes were always in need of bodyguards or extra security for one reason or another. Nehemiah and Jake also dabbled into investigations. Though not the bulk of their business, they were intrigued by the adrenaline rush they would get after solving a mystery; even if the mystery was spying on cheating spouses.
Nehemiah scheduled a flight layover in Washington DC to check on things in the office before he continued to Puerto Rico. He flew into Ronald Reagan National Airport and caught a cab to his small office near the Fashion Centre at Pentagon City. The office was usually quiet for a weekday. He expected to see Jake or at least his administrative assistant. The office door was unlocked, so someone must have been inside.
“Hello? Is anyone here?” Nehemiah yelled. He heard bumping coming from the utility room in the rear of the office. “Come out now, I’m armed and I won’t ask again.” This time he yelled with more authority.
“Man you not armed.” Jake came out of the room zipping his pants. “I know better than that.”
Before Nehemiah could question him, his assistant exited the room adjusting her clothing. She didn’t bother to look ashamed. She quietly walked past them and gave Jake a naughty look.
“You couldn’t call before you stopped by?” Jake walked into his office with Nehemiah following behind him.
“I don’t need to call, remember I own half of this business.” He said taking a seat in front of Jake’s desk while Jake went into the attached bathroom to freshen up. “Besides, the door was unlocked. What if I were a client or potential client and walked in here to find you and the receptionist in the closet.”
“That’s not the norm. Besides, she needed some help getting some copy paper from the top shelf, and then one thing led to another.” Jake laughed. He left the bathroom, closed his office door then took a seat behind his desk.
“Whatever Jake. Don’t let it happen again. And what happened to the other assistant you had. You know the one with the big…”
“Yeah, Barbara or Brenda, whatever her name was. She didn’t work out.” Jake laughed again at his inside joke. “This one is working out great.”
Nehemiah thought she was working out great for Jake. Beautiful women were the one thing he and Jake had in common. Except now, Nehemiah was growing tired of multiple women. He had started thinking about retiring from the military and settling down with one woman. His older brother Aaron was married with four children, his sisters Naomi and Ruth were both married with two children each.
“I stopped by to check on you and the office.”
“Cut the crap; I know you get the monthly reports.” Jake laughed. “But I can tell you; I just contracted with Senator Greenhouse of Texas. Apparently there are a few women’s groups that don’t particularly care for his stance on women’s issues. While in D.C. he wants additional security.”
They talked for a few more minutes about a couple of clients and possibly a new investigative case. Jake thought it was perfect timing that Nehemiah was heading to San Juan. The new case involved a drug cartel and money laundering. While he was relaxing, he could keep his eyes open for any shadiness happening around him.
Nehemiah hadn’t wanted to take the case. Drug cartels was best left to the federal government, but they needed the clients and the money. The security firm was slow to take off. A few one-day jobs here and there, but nothing solid. He wanted to retire soon and was hoping that with retirement, the nightmares would also go away.
San Juan, Puerto Rico was a beautiful place. Nehemiah was planning to stay at a beach resort in Condado. He also planned to visit a few nightclubs and casinos while he was there. He walked into the hotel lobby causing quite a stir. Nehemiah was 6’8”, with the physique of a bodybuilder. He was wearing a sleeveless t-shirt and cargo shorts showing off his better assets.
The stares and whispers from women took some time getting used to, but Nehemiah accepted that it went with the territory. He watched his youngest brother go through craziness with his fans. He figured a few stares wouldn’t kill him.
He was able to check into his hotel room without too many problems. Only one lady made a pass at him. In the past, he would have invited the woman to his room for a rendezvous, but this time, he really wanted the solitude. There was a change happening within him and Nehemiah was ready to make the change. He no longer had the desire to spend time with multiple women and he was beginning to crave what his parents had, a stable home and a family.