Chapter 15
"My parents and baby sister where supposed to go on summer holiday because they won the lottery, I couldn't go since I was still in training." He says with a trembling voice, "They won twenty million euro, what is about twenty six million US. If your wondering why I didn't use any of it, it feels like blood money to me." He says feeling his stomach turning.
Abby walks over and hugs him, "So what is the Dutch IRS doing here?" she says turning her head towards the two men, "IRS, kut! I new it was somefing with IR, but tell him Jan what dis is about." Jansen says giving his colleague a prod in his side. "Mister Halve, you did not tell anyone wat you wanted to do wif it, so you have to either accept it or it will all go directly to the state." He said taking out a sheet and grabbing a pen from the inside of his jacket.. "Which parties hold the current majority in parliament?" Anton said giving the men a look, "Err, that would be the PVDA, SP, D66 and the PVDD, so that would be leftwing." Kleinstra said waiting for his response.
Anton shook his head, "More like communist, I'm not going to support terrorism where do I sign." He said grabbing the pen, he quickly scans the page and sighs, giving Abby a look, "You are still going to marry me right? Cus I don't want a single penny if it means losing you." He said with a serious face. Abby rolls her eyes, "I will I have to think about it." She says pressing her index finger to her lips making taking on a tinkering pose, "Yeah, I think I can live with it." She says with a giggle playfully slapping him on the back of the head. "Hey where was that for?" he said giving her a kiss, "That is for pulling a McGee on me!" she said folding double laughing in the chair.
***
"Anton, tell me where the hell are we going? I want to know." Abby complained trying to peek under her blindfold, "Hey now no peeking, I tell you when we get there." Anton said driving his car to the airport.
"Okay where here, pull off your blind fold love." He says pulling into the airport's parking garage, she blinks here eyes and throws the blindfold to the back of the car. A plane is flying over real low, "The airport? Why are we at the airport?" she asks giving him a question mark look. He hands her two boarding tickets, she reads the information, "Amsterdam? Honey we can't go to Amsterdam right now, I have to go to work tomorrow!" she says shaking her head from side to side. "Don't worry, Gibbs said you didn't have a proper holiday in the last three years so he basically gave you a hall pass to stay away for a week." He says getting out of the car and walking around to open the door for Abby.
She realises they don't have any luggage with them, "What the hell are we going to wear?" she says giving him a angry look, "If you expect me to wear this a whole week your out of your mind!" she says grabbing his hand and getting out of the car. He cracks a smile, "Abby, we have twenty something million euros sitting pretty in the bank, I think that would buy us more clothes than we could ever wear." He kisses her, "Now come on, we are going on a holiday!" he says grabbing her waist and leading her towards the pneumatic doors of the airport.
***
A woman dressed in a blue suit gently shakes Anton's shoulder, "Sir, dinner is served." She says keeping her voice low, he opens his eyes and looks up towards the stewardess. "'owaya luv, what can oi chucker for yer?" he says still a bit sleepy, he glances to his left and spots Abby, who's got earphones plugged into her ears watching a movie. He slaps himself in the face, "Sorry mevrouw, euhm, wat is er." He states in Dutch, looking up towards the pretty brown-haired woman. The woman smiles and shakes her head pointing towards three badge with the French, German and British flags on them, "I don't speak Dutch sir. But your dinner is served, could you please pass the message to the woman besides you?" she says, already moving on a seat further.
He leans over towards Abby's seat and kisses her on the cheek, he gently tugs out one earwig, "Sorry I fell asleep, I'm just jetlagged to hell." He says rubbing his eyes. She shrugs her shoulders and whispers something in his ear, his eyes light up and he is suddenly wide awake, "Dinner will be served soon though." He says looking on his watch. She shrugs again pulls out the other earwig and moves him to stand up.
The stewardess spots the two empty seats and sees the toilet is occupied, shaking her head she whispers to her self, "What is it with young people and airplanes." Setting down the warm platters down on the chairs, she takes out a napkin and writes down:
Want it warmed up?
Give me a signal,
hope you ‘enjoyed' your flight.
Thank you for flying KLM.
As Abby and Anton come out of the toilet cabin three angry looking passengers are waiting outside, Abby walks over to there seats with a big grin. As Anton has scarfs down the now cold food he soon falls asleep soon after that, the stewardess comes by to pickup the platters. Abby hands her own plate and turns her head to watch the movie again, the woman sighs and shakes her head, as she reaches over to pickup his platter she feels something soft underneath the platter she raises the platter and yelps.
Abby turns her head towards the sound in annoyance, she spots the stewardess looking at the platter with a look of bewilderment. Abby pops out her earphones, "What's wrong?" she says keeping her voice down, as the woman points towards the platter trying to say something but just stuttering something inaudible. "Here you go." Abby says grabbing the plate and handing it over to the stewardess, she doesn't take the platter from Abby but keeps staring at the place where the plate was just a second ago.
Abby looks down and shakes her head, she prods Anton till he's awake, "Close your zipper, or else your bird may fly away." She whispers nodding towards his crotch. He opens his eyes and tugs it in his it's rightful place, the stewardess moves towards the next row of seats and stammers to herself, "More like an eagle." She shakes her head and puts on her fake smile taking the plates of an older couple.
***
"It is a quarter past nine local. Hope you enjoyed the flight and thank you again for flying with KLM." The pilot voice said over the intercom. As Abby and Anton exit the plane one of the stewardesses gives Anton an odd look, Anton turns towards Abby, "What's her problem?" he whispers in her ear, Abby giggles whispers back, "She's the one that spotted your zipper was open." He glances back towards the stewardess and cracks a smile, all she can think of is, ‘The eagle has landed.'.
***
After a few short phone calls, a blue BMW seven series stops to pick them up, as a man with curly blond hair wearing a blue military uniform steps out of the car Anton walks over and bear hugs the man. "Hey Nick! Hoe istie met onze raketgeleerde?" Nick looks over Anton's shoulder and spots Abby, "Wie is da mokkel?" he whispers in his ear.
Anton turns around and laughs, "Nick this is my fiancé Abby! Abby meet LT. Nick Hoetjes, he used to catch the baseballs I threw at him, now he's the man in charge of shooting down rockets." He said grinning from ear to ear. Abby shivers and rubs over her bare arms, Nick shivers as well, "Welcome in The Netherlands, hehe." Nick says shaking his head laughing at Anton, "He's the only one left in this country that isn't affected by the cold!" he says giving his friend a prod against the chest. Anton shrugs and opens the passenger seat door for Abby.
***
Nick's BMW speeds away honking the horn, leaving Abby and Anton in front of a medium sized detached house. "Okay so where are we now?" Abby says scanning the three story tall house. Anton walks towards the front door and flips thru his key chain, he slides in a key and turns the lock, "Hey, it still fits." He says with a smile. Throwing the door open he waives for Abby to get inside, "After you." He states, as Abby steps inside trying not to fall over the huge pile of mail she spots a family portrait photo.
Anton crouches down and starts gathering the mail, as he rises with a big stack of flyers and other junk mail he sees Abby looking at the picture, "Yeah that's them, it was taking about two years ago." He states with a uneasy voice. He dumps the unwanted papers in the trashcan and turns towards his fiancé, "I know this is going to sound weird, but, but I think you should meet them." He says hesitating, Abby gives him a big hug, "I would love to honey, but first I'm going to need something else to wear, I'm not going to meet your parents looking like this." She says looking at her wrinkled and damp clothes.
***
Walking across the cemetery dressed in a black suit holding a bundle of flowers in one hand, Abby holds his other, dressed in an all black dress. As they stop in front of a big white cross Anton kneels down letting go of Abby's hand he touches the marble stone, he closes his eyes and lets his fingers go over the engraved inscription, "Mom, dad, there is some one I want you to meet, this is Abby, we are going to get married, she is carrying your first grandchild." He says with a sad smile, as he lays the flowers on the grave he stands back up and jumps at attention and salutes. Abby not knowing what to do looks at the grave to the right and spots the name, she gasps making Anton promptly stopping his salute, "What's wrong?" he says following Abby's gaze towards the small tombstone next to that of his parents.
He walks over and kneels down, touching the stone he turns back towards Abby and gently tugs her hand making her touch the stone too, "Ellen, dit is mijn verloofde, Abby." he says giving Abby a happy smile. Abby kneels down next to Anton and places a black rose on the gravesite, "I promise to take care of him." She says smiling back at Anton.
As they both rise to there feet, Anton mumbles a short prayer as he looks up there is a ray of sunshine shining thru the dense trees radiating Abby and Anton.
***
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