"Ok Z. There's two at the door and 5 more inside. You ready?" Mark whispered To Zachariah.
"Hell, yea I'm ready. We just need to get in, grab the hostage, and get out. Quick and easy." Zachariah replied giving a thumbs up.
Mark rolled away and put his hand up to his helmet. "Command we are in a position to infiltrate. Over" Mark said into his headset.
"Roger that Charlie Duo. You are to rescue the hostage while taking any lives as necessary. Over." Command replied over the comms
"Roger That Command. Over."
"Charlie Duo you are cleared to infiltrate. Over"
"Roger command. Charlie Duo out."
"Happy hunting Charlie Duo. Command out."
"Mission start, 23:43," Z stated.
"Ok Z. Let's sneak out and silently take out the two out front." Mark whispered.
Both silently get up and start to move around the top of the hill to the rear of the small house. Covered by the darkness they move down the hill and to the rear wall of the house. They press up to the rear of the house to make sure they aren't seen.
"I'll go around this way and take out the guy on my side. You do the same on your side." Mark muttered faintly.
"Roger." Z replied stiff and quiet.
"Hey just remember after we do this will be rewarded and well go out. It's your 18th birthday, soon right?" Mark said quietly while punching Z's arm.
"Yea. Ok. let's do it" Zachariah replied looking at Mark.
Mark nodded and moved away and around the corner of the house. Zachariah silently went around the other corner shaking his head to try and calm down. He moved silently against the wall of the house toward the front corner. As he did he stayed crouched and passed under the window to not be seen by anyone inside.
Finally, Z got to the corner of the house. Z set down his rifle and pack then drew his combat knife and poked his head around the corner. How am I supposed to know when to go? That's when he saw Mark slowly peek around the corner. Neither of the guards had noticed them. They continued to talk to each other in a language Zach could barely understand. Zach looked at Mark and made eye contact. Mark nodded to Zach. Zach nodded back as a sign or readiness. Then Mark broke to a sprint toward the guard and Zach did the same.
No thoughts or emotion just him and the now. He put a hand over the guy's mouth and pulled him down while putting a knife into his thought. The guard's arms flailed at Zach's arms then stopped as the man slowly died in Zachariah's arms covering his hands in blood. Zachariah looked up to see Mark had done the same to the other.
Zachariah threw down the dead enemy. 'God, I hate killing but it's for the greater good I guess.' Zach thought to himself while wiping the blood covered gloves on his pants. Zach grabbed his rifle but left his pack. Quickly Mark motioned for him to come over. Zachariah moves over to Mark and they both look in the window.
"They're all in there so I'll throw a flash through the window and you go through the front door when you hear it go off. The hostage is in the corner so watch your fire. I'll shoot through the window so I'll get the ones closest to me." Mark said while pulling out a flash.
Zachariah nodded back and moved to the front door and braced himself at the door. 'Ok, Mark I hope you know what you're doing.' Zachariah thought to himself holding the doorknob.
There was a crash of glass then a loud bang. Zach quickly pulled the door open and brought his rifle up. When he got through the door he put 5 rounds down, dropping two tangos before they knew what was happening. Zachariah heard shots from his right and turned to see two more enemies drop. When he turned back to the final guy he had a pistol to the head of the hostage. The hostage had a bag on their head and an arm around their neck.
Zachariah kept his rifle on the man who had the hostage.
The man yelled at Zach, "خپل وسلې وخورئ"
Zachariah kept his gun on the man.
"Drop the gun!" the man yelled.
Zachariah hesitated for a second then began to slowly put down his gun. He set the gun on the floor and slowly stood with his hands above his head.
"American Pig." The man said in disgust removing the pistol toward Zachariah.
Zachariah shut his eyes and turned away.
A single shot.
Not hurting he opened his eyes to see a dead man at his feet and the hostage lying on the floor with their hands tied behind their backs. Zachariah turns to the window to see Mark waving at him.
"Why didn't you do that sooner?" Zachariah yelled at Mark.
"Couldn't get a shot. Check the hostage." Mark replied.
Zachariah kneeled and removed the bag from the hostage's head. He had a shaved head, black eye, and a busted lip. The man looked at Zachariah but said nothing.
"I'm not going to hurt you I'm going to remove the rope from your wrists," Zachariah said to the man. The man nodded, and Zachariah cut the ropes with his knife. The man sat up and rubbed his wrists as Mark came through the door.
"The hostage is fine I'll call it in you can talk to him if you want," Zach said to Mark.
"Alrighty," Mark replied holding the door open.
Zach walked through the door back outside.
"Command. Come in Command." Zach said into his comms.
"This is Command. Go ahead Charlie Duo."
"The hostage is secured. We have taken down all Tangos in the area. Over"
"Roger Charlie Duo. Light a flare and a bird will be there within ten minutes to get ya'll. Over."
"Roger Command. Charlie Duo out."
Zach walked over to where he left his bag and pulled out the flares. 'I wonder why we were given 3 flares. It just seems like a waste.' Zachariah thought. He pulled one out, lit it, and threw it away from the house. He put his pack back on and went inside. The small house
"The chopper's on its way it'll be here in less than 10 minutes," Zachariah said to Mark and the rescued hostage.
"Nice then soon we'll be back home enjoying a cold one," Mark replied.
"Hey dude, got a name. I mean I did almost die to save you." Zach said to the man they saved.
The man looked up and said, "A."
"A. What kind of name is that?" Mark said to the man.
"Codename. Way above your paygrade to know more." A replied.
"We just risked our own skin to save your ass so the least you could do is tell us who we're talking to or at least how you got here." Mark angerly said to the A.
A just sat there quietly with a smug look on his face.
"Oh, you think you're hot shit because you're some special agent. You looked like you were about to piss yourself. If it wasn't for us, you'd be dead!" Mark Yelled at the smug man.
"Mark leave him alone. He's not going to tell us shit. Just drop it." Z said to Mark.
"Fine. I'm going outside. You have fun with Special Agent Asshole. I'll tell you when the chopper's here."
Mark made his way outside through the wooden door and I set my pack down and took a seat in a chair and looked out the window. There were no lights so you could see everything. 'I wish I got to see more stars back home in Georgia. The moon looks bigger and brighter than usual too.' Zachariah thought. Zachariah continued to rest and stare out the window at the stars.
Mark soon came back in, "Choppers here let's go. You too, asshole." Then Mark left, and the asshole followed.
I grabbed my pack and took one last look at the moon. Then made my way out the door to join them. I got out there to see the chopper land. When the chopper landed it kicked up dirt and whipped my face with the wind.
Zach got on first and turned around and yelled something but I couldn't hear it, but he motioned for me to hurry up.
"Ok, Charlie Duo and Company. We'll be out of enemy territory soon enough then you should be on the transport home soon after." The Pilot said to us.
"Thank God for that. Get us in the air. The sooner the better." Mark replied to the pilot.
"Roger that. Strap in and we'll head off."
A was already strapped in. Zachariah sat down and strapped himself in with his pack on his lap. Mark did the same with a big smirk on his face.
"What are you so happy about?" Zachariah yelled to Mark.
"Just thinking about how I'll see Lauren again. It's been almost four months since I last saw her and it's going to be our one-year anniversary soon." Mark replied excitedly
This caused A to laugh.
"What's so funny Asshole?" Mark yelled to A.
"Oh, it's just why would you buy the cow when you could get the milk for free?" A replied while laughing.
"Listen here you little Shit." Mark started when a loud beeping took over the cabin of the chopper.
"I swear if that's not the party alarm I'm gonna pissed," Mark yelled already being pissed off.
"It's target lock. Someone's locked onto us. Sit down and shut up I'll try to shake it!" The pilot yelled back.
The helli quickly veered to the left as a missile was hot on its tail. There was a loud beep followed but the sound of flares being released. The beeping stopped. Mark made to say something but then the alarm returned. The helli veered to the right and down. The missile started to get closer then more flares were released. The beeping fell silent again. Then as quickly as it died it came back. The helicopter dove once again to the right then to the left and once more to the right, but the missile was gaining on them.
"Brace for impact!" the Pilot yelled as the missile slammed into the tail of the helicopter. "Hold on boys we're crashing."
"Mayday! Mayday! This Bird Zulu-Echo-Whiskey! We are going down! We've been hit by a missile from an unknown assailant." The pilot yelled into his comms.
"Roger a rescue team is being dispatched as we speak hold on."
"We're so fucked, Mark! Were so fucked!" Z yelled to mark.
"We'll be fine Z. Just hold on and we'll be home before you know it." Mark yelled back.
Zach braced himself holding onto his necklace and whispered a small prayer as the chopper continued out of control.
"Mark you're the best friend I could ever have," Zachariah said looking at Mark.
"You too buddy," Mark said smiling back
Then a large jerk as the chopper hit the ground. There was an indescribable high pitched and loud sound when the metal of the helli folded in on itself like a ball of tinfoil. Then a loud noise and a sudden wave of heat. Suddenly everything was quiet and dark.
No sound. No movement. Just deafening silence.