The cold bracelet felt right in the old jewelry makers rough hands. The
old stones soothed her aching fingers. For years, she had been making bracelets for when the young girls in the tribe reached 18. The silver wire and sea blue beads went with her where ever she went. Several years ago, they had been a gift from a white man she had loved. They went on long journeys by day and lay watching the stars by night. She loved his kindness and humor. He admired her courage and loved her smile. Sadly, her father soon found of their relationship and made him swear to never see her or it would cost him his life. His final present were the pale blue beads and wire. Some how, they lasted for so long.
Time was ending soon for the old woman, she knew that her sun was fading off and will not rise again. The earth had cradled her for many years. This would be her final impression. It would carry on long after she was gone. It would help change the world. She called over the youngest girl in the tribe. Without hesitation she came before her. The old women lifted the sparkling bracelet and told the girl "Run as far as you can and give this to a little girl." The girl ran off braids flying in the wind leaving the old woman to herself. She pulled her dark, thick hair back and loOKed out onto the sound prairie. It was time. The woman slowly laid down, shut her wry eyes, thanked earth and toOK one final breath...

Walking the usual route home wasn't the same as it used to be. She would walk slowly and loOK in shops or watch as dolphins jump in the rough surf. But the major difference was that Xavier wasn't there. He had always been pulling her into frozen yogurt and talking making the .4 mile walk home a hour ordeal. Rolling her eyes yet smiling they would walk through old flea markets and watch as tourists would roll in on weekends and holidays. Now that's all changed. Xavier's father started drinking and his mother left before anyone could remember. Soon, it was out of control. CPS had already threatened taking Xavier, but on a hot August night, the inevitable happened. Xavier's dad drank to much and crashed into a bridge on the way home from the bar with Xavier in the backseat. Xavier hung on by a thread but by the time he wOKe up, his dad was long gone and it was clear he wasn't coming back. Thrown into the foster care system, she hadn't seen him in months. LoOKing down at her pale hands, she saw the blue bracelet he got her at the flea market for her birthday. Smiling for the first time in a while, she walked home.

"We start by ..." She was no longer a little girl. She lived in a big world and played what others thought to be a mans game. With the US on the brink of a world war with North Korea, China and Russia, she never had her guard higher. Standing in front of a room filled with the most important military personal in the pentagon she explained a operation that would defiantly start a war, but could potentially win one. She never more important in her life. No longer were her well thought battle plans plan "OK," or "second choice." They were the ones that every one loOKed to first. They would change the course of wars, but this one would change world history. She finished her explaining and loOKed at a fleet of men staring at her questioning the risky yet well strategized plan. It was time to no longer talk like a marine, it was time to talk like a human. She loOKed at the blue beads and then put her palms flat on the table and said
"Gentlemen, we all know that what ever we do, there will be war. Now, all we have to do is choose: fight or flight. I do not know your instinct, but I will fight." A cold silence filled the room. She clutched her bracelet as Secretary of Defense rose to his feet. Ready for whatever he would say, she stood waiting with utmost fire in her eyes.

"We make our first move. Tomorrow. 22:00."

Watching on a flat screen in the most highly secure area in the US, she weaved the blue bracelet through her fingers. The hardest operation she had ever worked on came down to this. With so many lives on the line, the 3 minutes and 37 seconds till go time came down like heavy drops of water on her head during a summer storm. She sipped her hot coffee and thought about the days at the sea shore. About the day when she graduated the military academy with Xavier and the cool early spring morning when the two marine officers knocked at her door a week before their first anniversary. Wakened from her thoughts, the secretary straightened and told the room of anxious people


"45 more seconds."

"Every one here?" She asked.
Heads bobbled across the room as they sealed the vault door.

"30."

Head phones on.

"20."

Gear checked.

"10."

Building secure

"5."

The bracelet.

"3."

Hail Mary.

"2..."


This is it.

"1."

"Falcon to Phoenix: Commence mission Delphinus."