Fall of the Seven Cities Saga (Book 1) by Jay Brenham Page B

pulled into their driveway. Across the street Sam could see his elderly neighbor, Jack, leaning over to inspect his yard for imaginary imperfections. He’d done the same thing every day for the past five years, even though the yard was so perfect it looked like it was from a 1950s sitcom. Jack considered dandelions and weeds to be the terrorists of the horticultural world; his lawn was a slice of Middle America. By comparison, Sam’s lawn was the Korangal valley in Afghanistan—a hot bed of dandelion terrorist activity.
    Sam gave Jack a friendly wave as he got out of the car. Jack and his wife, Theresa, had been the first to welcome Sam and Jill to the neighborhood. He was the closest thing Sam had to a friend on the street: Jack was a Navy man who’d stayed in Norfolk after he retired.
    Inside, Sam’s black work boots slid off easily as he pulled at the laces, watching his distorted reflection in their polished shine as Jill rolled her suitcase into the living room. Grant trailed behind her, a stuffed monkey in one hand.
    “What does the monkey say?” Sam asked, wiggling a finger under Grant’s chin until he laughed. Grant couldn’t say many words yet, but he loved imitating animals.
    “Ooooo oooooh ahhhh ahhhh.”
    “What does the cat say?”
    “Meeeeeeooooooow.”
    “What does the dog say?”
    “Dowga.”
    Sam laughed at how Grant pronounced dog with a W. “I wish you didn’t have to go right away,” he said as he hung his uniform and put his boots in the closet for the last time.
    “I know, but it’s my little brother’s birthday and you’re leaving in a few days anyway.” She smiled at him as she zipped up the diaper bag she’d packed for Grant. “I’ll miss you. We’ll miss you.”
    “I’ll miss you too. I guess it’ll be good for your family to spend time with Grant. They haven’t seen him in a while.”
    “I know. And this will be the last time we’re apart for any length of time.”
    “Only a couple of weeks. Nothing compared to deployment.”
    She smiled again and wrapped her arms around him. “No more of those. Ever.”
    It was a four-hour drive north to where Jill’s parents lived in southern Maryland, a rural area about an hour south of Annapolis.
    Sam picked up Jill’s bags and followed her out to the car. She stood for a moment, smiling up at him before turning to strap Grant into his car seat. Some people would find it strange that they were smiling and happy even as they prepared to spend two weeks apart, but they saw things differently. They’d spent a lot of time apart over the past five years; a few weeks was a drop in the bucket compared to a deployment. And spending a couple of weeks on the Appalachian Trail was something Sam had talked about before he enlisted, before they were married even. It was a good way to symbolically end his time in the military.
    Jill closed Grant’s door and slid into the driver’s seat. The wind blew through the window, pulling strands of brown hair away from her ponytail. Sam leaned in and kissed her, then opened the back door and kissed Grant on the forehead.
    “Don’t share your tent with any trail bunnies,” Jill warned, starting the car.
    Sam laughed and kissed her again. “No trail bunnies for this sailor. It’s 11:30. You better hurry up or you’ll hit beach traffic.”
    He pressed his face against the rear window briefly, contorting his face against the glass to make Grant laugh. Jill waved and shifted into first gear.
    His son’s laugh. His wife’s smile. Those were things he wouldn’t forget.

 
     
     
     
     
    CHAPTER THREE
     
     
     
    The alarm rang as Khalid’s watch switched from 11:44 a.m. to 11:45 a.m. He silenced the noise, drained the last of his coffee, and got up from his table. A young couple with three children walked past, carrying beach umbrellas and folding chairs. The woman had long hair and wore nothing but a two-piece bathing suit. Khalid’s eyes lingered on her for a moment before he looked away