The Soldier Next Door by Storm Savage

actually did have a noose and it was in his hands.
    “You don’t want this,” he muttered. “I’m not supposed to be alive. I should’ve died with my unit.”
    “No, no you shouldn’t have.” She squatted down and stared up into his eyes. “Who would I get to beat up the bad guys if you weren’t around?”
    He stared into her with that hauntingly sorrowful expression she’d seen the night of their first dinner. “I’m no good like this, too fucked up.”
    “Were they here again today?” she asked in a timid manner. “Is that why you drank?”
    A spark of connection flickered in his eyes. “Yeah. My Sergeant and Kool were here.”
    “ Kool …you’ve mentioned him before. Was he your best friend?”
    Mason nodded. His fingers traced the braided rope in visible agitation. “Me and Kool went through everything together, even basic training.”
    “Tell me about him. I’d love to know what he was like.”
    “I called him Kool because he was fucking crazy. We went into a bar in Seoul one night and got wasted.” He pointed to a huge brand name whiskey banner hanging on the wall. “Kool took that sucker right off the wall on our way out. A little Korean guy was chasing us, shouting something in Korean. We laughed our asses off and kept on going. He gave it to me, told me to make sure that banner made it home because the whiskey is American made. Kool never thought he’d make it back.”
    “Sounds like a brave and fun guy.”
    “He was the best. We had each other’s back, man, ya know?” Tears filled his eyes, but he choked them back. “All this shit down here, the flags, banners, souvenirs—all of it came from our weekend benders.”
    “You did what he wanted. You brought it back home.”
    “He was supposed to be driving the Humvee that day, not me. We rotated positions, but the day we got hit, he was in the back.” Mason whipped the noose against the wall. “It was my fucking turn to watch the back. Kool should’ve been driving. Everyone behind me got blown to fucking pieces. I was supposed to die that day! Not him!” He jumped up and shot out the basement door.
    Sydnie followed. “Mason, wait!” She grabbed the hem of his shirt, trying to pull him back. “You shouldn’t drive, you’ve been drinking. Please!”
    “I need to get out of here for a while. Let go, babe.”
    “No, please don’t!”
    He swung around and glared at her with a ferocity that stunned her, should’ve terrified her, yet she didn’t back down. She blocked his door, bracing her boots on the driveway to anchor her weight against the door. He simply picked her up and moved her out of the way.
    “I’m coming with you.”
    “Sydnie, stay home.” He slid behind the wheel.
    “No. If you’re going on a suicide mission, you’re taking me with you.” She jumped into the passenger seat before he could stop her.
    “You’re fucking insane, woman!”
    She gritted her teeth. “That makes two of us then.”
    He flashed a frustrated look before gunning the engine. She knew this would be hell on wheels, but for reasons that eluded her typical common sense rational, she couldn’t let him leave alone.
    Night had fallen. They sped down the road in the dark. He took bends on their country roads at a blazing rate of speed. She thought surely this would be her last night on earth yet part of her ignored the fear. Maybe she wanted to be as brave as him. Maybe the past seven years of lonely hell were worse than this. Perhaps the thought of going back to her bland existence before this soldier marched into her life was the reason she didn’t let go. She clung to the handles on the door with all her might.
    They hit the main road doing eighty and picked up speed. Is he running from something or really trying to kill himself this time? His only fear seemed to be the demons in his head that surfaced when he drank. Or did they haunt him beforehand and push him into drinking? Will I ever know?
    By the time he merged onto a major