Emily opened her husband's laptop for the first time since he had gone missing. She wanted to look through all the photos they had taken together over the last few years.
But instead, she found something strange. She discovered an eerie message that would turn her life upside down.
A Man Of His Word
Emily was married to a lieutenant in the United States Military. Mark was a man of his word who would do anything for his family and country.
He loved Emily and his daughter Brittany with all his heart.
Leaving For Afghanistan
One day, Emily learned that Mark was leaving for Afghanistan soon, and she would be left to care for their daughter alone.
She didn't want him to leave, but there was nothing she could do about it. Mark was supposed to only be there for six months. But his plan would change.
Terrible News
Mark and Emily spent the first few months FaceTiming when he had some free time. She couldn't wait for his return.
But on the day when he was supposed to fly home, she received the worst news of her life.
MIA
Mark called Emily to inform her that there would be a delay in his flight, and then he hung up the phone.
Emily could tell that he was nervous and wondered if he was lying to her. It was only a week later that she learned that her husband was MIA.
No Signs Of Mark
The U.S army spent two months trying to locate Mark, but all to no avail. So, they sent his belongings back to Emily.
She was in complete shock. Where was her husband? What happened to him?
No Luck
Emily called every agency she could think of, but no one was able to locate her missing husband.
It took her one month to finally find the courage to go through Mark's belongings. And soon, she would find the answer on his laptop.
The Letter
When Emily opened her husband's laptop, she saw a file addressed to her. It was a love letter full of grammatical mistakes and errors.
Then it clicked. Emily grabbed a pen and wrote down all the misplaced numbers and letters.
"Send Help"
It read, "Send Help." Emily quickly typed the numbers into google and got a coordinate reference. But it wasn't in Afghanistan.
She reversed the numbers, and the coordinates led her to one of the schools in Kandahar. But what was he doing there?
Investigation
Emily immediately contacted her husband's U.S Army base and told them what happened. They asked her to send them the file and promised her that they would investigate the matter right away.
Finally, after a few days, Emily received an update.
Prison
It turns out that the school was a cover-up to fool the American forces. It was actually a prison.
They had freed 12 soldiers who had been detained there, including Mark. But why did he ask Emily for help instead of the U.S army?
Last-Minute Mission
Mark received a last-minute mission on the day he was supposed to fly home.
He had seen the school in question a few times before and noticed that the enemy was patrolling it.
Smart Move
He knew if something were to happen to him, the enemy would get his laptop. He also knew that Emily was the only one who could decrypt his message.
So, he made sure the laptop would end up in Emily's hands.
Home
Once the U.S force figured out that the school was a front, they ordered a rescue mission, and Mark was freed.
He returned home safely after spending three months in jail.
Reunited
He was happy to be reunited with his wife and daughter after almost a year of living abroad.
He has quite a story to tell, that's for sure!