Traveller Manifesto
86. Turkey

Turkey

Nuray stared at Osborne with her ‘eagle eyes’ as he called them. It was the look she gave when he was certain she would launch herself at him, like an eagle at its prey. In the past, it was a look reserved for any of the Traveller team, especially Hami and Chuck, but thankfully he had not been the recipient for some time.

“What?” he asked defensively.

“You said you’ll get out of the Special Forces! No more conflict!” Her glare was a blend of hurt and a hefty chunk of irritation.

“What are you talking about?” he asked.

“You had messages from Hurley. Tell me you did not!”

He stole a glance to his phone. “I did, but there was nothing on it about killing people! And what are you doing looking at my phone anyway?”

“What then?” she demanded.

Osborne sighed and realised he should know better than try to hide something from her. “He may have a job for me. Another in management of a Traveller project.”

“Oh,” she conceded, immediately mollified. She snuggled back into his good shoulder and he was aware, as he always was, of her delectable smooth curves and her arm across his bare chest. He had only been home from Israel for less than a week and he had been bombarded by messages, both by the Turkish military, who wanted to know why he was in Israel in the first place, and from other sources, mainly the scores of military contractors looking to enlist him for Traveller missions. Experts at war and security, the world’s largest military contractors, especially the UK’s Aegis Defence Services, America’s Academi, and Russia’s Wagner Group, has been particularly insistent. Despite the debacle that was Israel and the ongoing political shit-fight, he was still popular. He had to make sure he took advantage of the fame while he could. It wasn’t about money, he had plenty of that. But to be idle would drive him crazy.

Nuray glanced at the ring on her finger and looked up at him, aglow. As soon as Osborne had returned, he wasted no time. In Israel, he could have been killed, or worse. He had a constant fear that he would lose his good, right arm. He had immediately asked Nuray’s father for her hand in marriage, the traditional way. It had all taken place just yesterday. Couples in Turkey usually get engaged in a smaller, unofficial ceremony with immediate family and friends. At the evening ceremony, they were the two alyanses, tied to each other by a red ribbon. Rings were placed onto the fourth finger of their right hands by Nuray’s father. The ceremony was small, intimate, and joyful. Nuray’s mother had been a little upset that it was rushed, but the brave Colonel had to fly away on official business. How could anyone really complain?

Nuray’s mother was, joy of joys, now organising a wedding.

Osborne had never imagined he would be married. It was one of those things he thought would pass him by.

“So, where will you work?” Nuray asked quietly.

“Don’t know,” he replied thoughtfully. “You know how the military contractors are dying to get into the Traveller game. So, with so much opportunity, Hurley has become a broker for each of us, kind of like a manager of sorts. He has each of the Traveller team members from Saxon, New Zealand and Byzantium on his books, so he’s going to be busy. He now has a hand in future Traveller work for most of us. Leishman and Morris are also involved and are over in England now. Want to go?”

“England? Why should I go there?” she asked as she raised herself to rest her delightful breasts onto his chest and propped her chin so she could look at him better.

Osborne sighed. Well, he had better let her know. “We’re trying to consolidate a package of sorts, with trainers, management, and of course helicopter pilot support. We need to have the very best that there is and include experienced people we can trust.” She looked distracted, as the tip of her finger traced around one of his nipples. She really shouldn’t do that, he thought.

“Why are you telling me this?” she asked with a small frown.

“General Babacan knows all about it,” he continued. “He’s willing to let us both run off and engage in Traveller projects. That way he can still access our skills if and when Turkey looks at creating Traveller missions that incorporate more than one Transporter.”

“Another for Turkey?” she asked with a disbelieving frown.

“As your father keeps telling me, Turkey was the cradle of human civilisation, my love. After the Israeli situation, I can’t see anyone, especially cagey old Professor Taylor, letting such an opportunity go by.” He propped his head so he could look into her eyes. Thankfully, she was smiling.

“England. But I can’t yet speak English well enough,” she murmured with a frown.

“So?” he whispered as he slid his hand down her delicious back and then over her bare bottom until she gave a squawk.

“Colonel Osborne! What would my father say?” she cried out in a burst of giggles.

To be together like this was not entirely appropriate, not until they were married. But he would be damned if he would let love pass him by. “What the good Professor Kartal doesn’t know won’t hurt him,” he growled into the side of her neck to another eruption of giggles.