Today was just aweek before her finals would start. She needed to get started with herstudying or she would fail and lose her academic scholarship. If...only herfriend, Paul, could save her right now. Correct that, she thought. I do not want my friend catching me in thisoutfit. That would more mortifying than what I had to do to my boss andthat stranger last night, Jess thought. The hours passed slowly. Despitebeing blindfolded, she could tell when daylight came. Jessica could hearthe stirrings. ‘It’s okay, Bess.’ The soldier in his fatigues never looked so appealing as he did then. ‘He’s dead.’ Speechless, I heaved myself up. I grimaced when I looked down at Miles. His eyes were wide and staring, seeing nothing, his mouth was open, wide open and blood trickled from the edge of it. There was an increasing pool of blood underneath him. I assumed he’d been stabbed. For a moment, I was tempted to kick him hard, my hatred for him overwhelmed me. I looked back into the soldier’s face, his. We left Wichita, Kansas heading south. My ticket would take me to Oklahoma City, Oklahoma but I didn't plan on going that far. I wanted mainly to get out of town so they couldn't find me or know where I went. So, I settled in and watched as the bus drove out of the city and into the surrounding openness. It was about an hour later when the bus stopped at a small roadside rest stop and I got out. I looked around, saw a fair sized road leading east and west and made my decision. This was it. This. Honestly, being around you, being with you, talking to you doing anything with you makes me happier than I have ever been in my life. But this is my job, and I don't know any other way to do it, really." Is that your way of saying you will commit to me exclusively, Mark?" Yes, I guess it is, Debbie." No, there are no guesses here. It's either a yes or a no; nothing in between."Mark took her in his arms, told her he loved her, and promised to be faithful to her.The next morning, as she sat.