A Day To Remember. A Day To Forget

           This was supposed to be the happiest day of their lives, but fate had other plans for the bride and groom.

           The weeks that led up to their wedding day were spectacular. Beth had been fitted with a beautiful silk and lace wedding gown, strapless and elegant, while her five bridesmaids were dressed in chiffon gowns with V-shaped necklines and a slit up the left leg.

           Graham was fitted with an Armani stretch-wool tuxedo, basic black, with a black silk bowtie. His groomsmen wore similar black tuxedos but with bowties to match the dresses of the bridesmaids.

           A caterer had been hired to provide a three-course meal to the 350 guests that had responded to the RSVP. A magnificent three-tier cake with banana filling had been prepared, and a popular DJ had been hired for the reception.

           All that was left to do, was to say, “I do,” when prompted to do so. A harpist strummed on the strings of the harp, creating a wonderful and calming sound for all of those in attendance. Instead of the traditional, “Bridal March,” Beth and Graham had decided on the song, “Here and Now” by Luther Vandross that was performed beautifully by a young man that they had grown up with.

           Everything about the day was going splendidly. Graham stood at the front of the church in anticipation as Beth slowly made her way up the aisle. His breathing felt constricted once he witnessed her beauty. It was as if he was seeing her for the first time.

           Beth too was feeling some anxiety. A tear began to form in the corner of her eye as she spotted Graham standing at the end of the aisle. Her walk seemed to take an eternity and her legs began to feel heavy as if she were walking through mud.

           When the two of them finally joined at the altar, Beth’s father had lifted her veil and kissed her on the cheek before taking his seat. The couple then turned to face the priest who was about to marry them.

           “Dearly beloved,” he began, “We come together today to witness the union of Graham and Beth in Holy matrimony.”

           When the priest reached the part of the ceremony when he asks those in attendance if there were any objections to the marriage, something unexpected happened.

           Loud explosions could be heard outside of the church. Sirens sounded soon after. The ceremony had come to an abrupt stop as the doors to the church flew open and several armed men entered, blocking the exit. Many people crouched low in the pews, while the priest left the altar and approached the gunmen alerting them to the fact that they were in a place of worship. A dark-haired man with a long black beard stepped forward and fired three shots into the chest of the priest. He fell to the floor with a pool of blood forming around his dying body.

           Everybody in the church gasped at the sight and began screaming in terror. Graham quickly grabbed Beth by the hand and pulled her down to the ground in front of the pews. They inched their way toward the rear of the altar where the doorway to the sacristy was.

           They successfully entered the priest’s private quarters and made their way toward the rear exit when gunfire erupted in the church. Shouts of protest and shrieking agony followed. Beth thought of her parents and tried to turn back, but Graham held her tight and insisted that there was nothing they could do to help. They made it to the exit and escaped to the rear parking lot.

           They could see fires burning all around the area including two police cars. The officers laid motionless on the ground beside them. Storefront windows had been smashed in and were also ablaze. Graham’s former military training had kicked in and his first course of action was survival until he could assess the situation.

           They headed down a back alley away from the destruction and entered an apartment building that overlooked the downtown core. Adrenaline now raced through his veins as they took the elevator to the top floor then climbed a staircase to the roof.

           At the south end of the building, they could see billowing smoke over a four-block radius. The terrorists had cordoned off the area. They seemed organized and well-armed. There was no way that Graham could handle this situation on his own and he knew it. He needed to get in touch with a few of his military buddies.

           He did not want to risk his conversation being overheard on his cellphone, so Graham asked to use the landline of one of the building’s residents. The elderly lady reluctantly agreed. She decided that a couple dressed as they were could not possibly be terrorists.

           “Harry? It’s Graham. Yes, it is good to hear your voice too. Listen, I need a favor. All hell is breaking loose downtown and I need you to round up some of the old platoon. Stay off the cellphones if you can or keep it coded, understood? Good. Meet me at 20:00 hours at Sharky’s. Be safe.”

           At 8:00 pm, Graham and Beth arrived at a small shack on the outskirts of the city. It was owned by one of Graham’s platoon leaders, Sergeant, Gus “Sharky” Sullivan. He was a little unorthodox, but also one of the toughest men that Graham had ever met.

           Sharky answered the door and invited them in, scanning the perimeter for anything unusual before closing the door behind them. Inside was a group of four other men and a woman. Graham made the introductions.

           “Beth, you already met Sergeant Sullivan. On his left is Corporal, Harry Watson, that is Corporal, Emma Jackson, Gunnery Sergeant, Brock Kellerman, Private, Joseph Lakehead (Fish Head to his friends), and last, but not least, Lieutenant William Baker. Everyone, this is my fiancée, Beth. As you can see, our wedding was supposed to be today, but it was interrupted by a group of terrorists. That is why I called you all here today.”

           Graham filled the platoon in on the details that he knew so far. They worked on various strategies to overtake the terrorists. Many of the scenarios could develop into a lot of collateral damage, however. There was one plan that could work, and they wasted no time getting started.

           Brock still had a storage unit filled with military-grade weapons and full-body armor. That was to be their first stop. They needed to be prepared for anything. With their combined skills, they might stand a chance in defeating this enemy.

           Lieutenant Baker, the communications specialist, and interpreter tapped into the radio frequency that the terrorists were using. It was not long before he discovered that they were an Islamic group out of Afghanistan, and they were targeting Christian-based places of worship and schools. The man in charge seemed to be an Al-Qaeda member by the name of Ayman.

           Corporal Jackson made her way to the top of a building in the downtown district with a Mk-12 sniper rifle and an M-107 .50 caliber long-range rifle. She calibrated and focused, making sure that everything was set properly. From where she laid, she could take out any given target within 7,000 yards.

           Graham’s specialty was cyber operations. Using drones, he could quietly scan the perimeter day or night to identify targets and guide his team to safe locations. The drones were equipped with refractive technology that made them virtually invisible from the ground.

           Gunnery Sergeant Kellerman placed C-4 explosives in designated areas around the perimeter in case the terrorists chose to expand their assault.

           Sergeant Sullivan was hunkered down in a café just outside of the fight zone waiting for his opportunity to start the assault.

           Private Lakehead was an aquatic assault specialist. He could spend days in the water if he needed to. Fish Head, wearing a dark-colored wetsuit and diving mask equipped with night vision and hands-free communications, would slip silently into the pond in the middle of town. A rebreather is also attached for emergency submersions. On his feet are Chuck Taylor Maritime shoes which allow him to make a quick exit from the water without having to change from flippers to boots.

           Corporal Watson’s specialty is in electronic warfare. His job is to knock out the electronic devices and communications in the area before the team moved in. He set up a device to let off an electromagnetic pulse just strong enough to affect the four-block perimeter.

           Graham instructed Beth to get out of town and warn the military about what was happening. She “borrowed” a bicycle that was leaning up against a storefront and pedaled as quickly as she could toward the city limits.

           When everyone was in position, Sharky gave the order to Harry to set off the EMP. The pulse knocked out all power within four blocks as planned. All enemy communications were down and with the streetlights off, the terrorists were left deaf and blind. It was time to move in.

           With stealth-like movements, the team crept through the streets like ghosts, silently eliminating their targets using night vision goggles and a Strider SMF folding knife to sever their throats. Fish Head fired at targets who neared the pond using a waterproof 9 mm handgun with a suppressor attachment.

           Beth had reached a police department in the next town and told them about what was happening. They immediately contacted the military who dispatched their anti-terrorist team.

           One-by-one the enemy had fallen. This group of vets had done what seemed like the impossible. The last of the terrorists had been eliminated. The team met back at Sharky’s house to celebrate the victory and Beth was there waiting. Graham, still dressed in his rented tuxedo, promised Beth that they would have their wedding once all of this was cleared up.

           Beth was grateful that they were still both alive and that they would still marry one day soon, but she wept for their family and friends who had perished during the attack. It was unlikely that anyone survived the ordeal.

           By the break of dawn, the military had begun to arrive, but by then it was too late.