Chapter 1: Bad things come in threes

Undetermined location- Kandahar Dessert.

The sand was scorching, the heat unbearably hot and somehow it was also humid. Everything was wrong. She felt a prickle of uneasiness in the back of her neck, something was off, and she felt it in her gut, the feeling just wouldn't go away.

-"Oi, ! We've got incoming!". Lexa turned to her left and motioned for her right hand woman to get in formation to defend their position against possible enemy combatants. A second later her unit was under fire. Bullets were coming in from all sides. They were badly outnumbered and there current location, stuck in the middle of an abandoned village, was perfect for an ambush. Thank god they weren't a regular unit but a group of badass men and women selected for their specialties and unusual abilities. If it were anyone else, Lexa would worry, but she knows her people and what they are capable of doing so she calmly relays orders and gets a gander of their vulnerable situation before coming to a decision.

She motions her unit to get cover and return fire. Everything was off though, She couldn't pin point why she felt that way but dam it ... she knew she was missing something. It didn't add up, how did they know they'd be here. It was supposed to be a simple in and out mission or reconnaissance, not this shit show it had turned into.

She motioned Aden to come over and relay their position back to their base for an immediate extraction and that's when she saw it. Or Him to be more exact; Elliot Henson AKA the second in command of Commander Pike, a new and improved terrorist group that targeted "heathens" or those the group considered to be lesser human beings. But what the Hell was he doing here.

"Major Woods are you seeing what I'm seeing?"

"Yes Gus, that's Henson. We have to radio it in, he's too high up the chain to just go in balls-blazing. We need Titus to green light an extraction or for us to clean house".

"Aden! Get me the General now!"

"Flamekepa this is nightblood over...We got a possible sighting of Elliot Henson...Target acquired! I repeat target in sight! Should we engage?" – Aden relayed back to the command station. "Woods! There's no answer!".

They were about to get pinned down by the terrorist group. They were receiving too much heavy fire. She needed to act now or her unit was going to die in the middle of the dessert. But shit, they couldn't engage with Henson until an appropriate order was given by General Titus.

"Try again Aden!"

"Sir, I repeat, we have Henson in our sights! What are our orders?"- Come on, come on she thought.

The General was taking to long to relay a message. She was losing position and any minute Henson could escape. She could no longer wait and put her people in any more jeopardy.

Lexa angrily took the comms from Aden and relayed "Sir, this is Heda, I'm moving in, taking out Henson!".

"Anya, Lincoln with me! Luna cover our asses, Gus make sure those cars go Boom and for Gods sake Aden get your stupid head below cover! Make sure our exit is clear. Everyone copy?"

The only response she got was "yes sir!" and a few head nods from Anya and Gus.

Her unit was small but it was compiled by the best of the best from around the world. Most of them she handpicked herself, although the upper brass selected Emerson and Aden. At the moment she really wished she had her complete unit. She was missing two of her people; Lt. Carl Emerson had sprained his ankle and been limited in his movements and Lt. Echo who had fallen sick yesterday with a stomach bug. Since this was supposed to be a simple recon mission on an empty village with no suspicious activity Gen. Titus ok'd the mission without a full squad.

Her day had started crappy with the news that she'd be going in understaffed on a mission and now with the chaos and bullets flying everywhere and the enemy combatants trying to ferret Henson away this day was just getting better and better.

With the cover fire from Luna she was able to crawl into position to allow Anya and Lincoln to move towards Henson. Little by little the 3 man squad got closer to Henson until only 2 tangos and Henson were left. She trusted Luna, Gus and Aden to take care of everyone else while they focused on Henson.

Anya took out the driver and Lincoln took out the other one with a single shot from his rifle, his SEAL training clearly not something to scoff at.

Lexa got in behind Henson and disarmed him. Idiot wasn't giving up and managed to dislodge Lexa from her position and throw her down on the ground, knocking the air out her, but alas, her fighting skills were too good to be one upped by this simpleton. She kicked out his legs making him fall and jumped on him. She started walling on him, throwing punch after punch until he was too dizzy to know what was happening. Once he was secure she called it in to Aden and Luna and made sure her team was safe and the tangos were down for the count.

"Alright ladies let's get out of this shithole! Aden call Titus and get us the Hell out of here!"

"They still haven't responded Major Woods, all I hear is static and I cant get through to command"

"Shit, alright, Aden rig us a vehicle, Luna cover him! We need two rvs. Common pronto people!"

"Ai Ai Captain! Don't get your panties ina bunch, the great General is just probably taking a shite while we do all the heavy lifting"- Lunas accent is as thick as always, her Liverpool brogue as intact as the day she joined the team.

"Oi more respect you nob! She is the commanding officer you know!" Came the quip from Anya, also British and Luna's long time friend. She readily defended Woods back but made no comment to defend Titus. For all Anya knew he was actually taking a shit while they risked their lives. Miserable little man that one, she truly did not like him.

If you asked her, it was a right waste of space and time to have such an elite team of people under the command of such a little waste of a man.

"Alright alright, I get it, were happy were alive but let's keep our eyes peeled for trouble" Lexa just hoped Aden and Luna can gather what they need so they can get the hell out of this place.

As soon as that thought went through her head she saw Henson beginning to stir. "Lincoln get him up, lets go into some shade and see what Henson has to say"...

-"What about just going into a house, better cover?" Lincoln asked.

-"No need to have better visibility, besides we're alone and Anya here is gonna be on the look out for Aden and Luna and any other potential tangos... Gus! Keep trying the command center!"

Lincoln just nodded, he trusted Major Woods, besides even if he didn't he wouldn't dare be insubordinate, she was after all SAS, (Australian Special Forces command) and you do not want to mess with those guys. "Got it. Let's go, I can't wait to hear what this dipshit has to say. I can't wait to get those bastard Mountain Men".

Yeah wouldn't they al want of piece of those cowards…thought Lexa, but she nodded in agreement with Lincoln while double-checking the perimeter. She still couldn't shake the feeling that they weren't in the clear. Aden and Luna needed to hurry; she had a bad feeling about this mission.

Joint NATO Base of Operations POLIS- Kandahar

"Target acquired! I repeat target in sight! Should we engage?"

"Sir, I repeat I have Henson in our sights! What are our orders?"

He knew then that this wouldn't end well for him. This wouldn't work, she was too good, and her team was too well trained to fall to those dumb ass second tier terrorists he had sent. After so long of maintaining this cover, his time was most likely up. But he had one more card to play and if Emerson were successful then Woods and her squad wouldn't be coming back to base. Emerson was the perfect double agent and better yet he was a trained Army Ranger and a world-class sniper, he could pin them down and Kill Henson before any of this got out of hand. He needed that unit out of the equation if his organization was going to succeed conquering this territory. And honestly he loved his cushy job as a General, he never got his hands dirty, he had people to take care of everything. General Titus knew and admitted he had his faults but he did consider himself a loyal man, too bad for Woods that his loyalties were to Commanders Pike and Wallace. It's sad, he thought, so much talent going to waste in the middle of the godforsaken dessert, but well… what choice did he have? It was either Woods and her team or him.

With that in mind he made the call - "Emerson come in…"

"Yah, I'm in position" – came over the radio in his office.

"Take 'em out son. They can't make it back to the base alive".

"Roger that, Out".

Such a shame… Titus did consider Major Woods as a surrogate daughter. Oh well...

Undetermined location- Kandahar Dessert.

" Alright Henson, I'm gonna give you one chance to tell me what you are doing in Kandahar." Lexa hoped he started talking; they didn't have time to get the information out of him by using other measures.

Henson shrugged "I'm sight seeing, love". He grins at her scowl and spits on the floor right between her feet.

Lincoln rushes over and punches him in the mouth. "Lets try that again, shall we? What are you planning?!"

"To kill you all"

"Yeah that we know, you idiot. Tell me, where is your base of operations? " Lexa hits him across the head "Common Henson! That's an easy one. Where is your base?!"

Laughing, Henson just grins back at her. "You stupid bitch... you really think I came alone? My people will kill you, and imma spit on your corps when that happens and I get out of this chair!"

"Your people are dead! We got rid of em all Henson! Come on! Were not amateurs Henson, you are all alone in the middle of the dessert with special trained forces, you're at our mercy. So I'd consider talking before I ask Anya to come in here and get the information out of you".

"You know what... you right" Henson looks at Lincoln and Lexa, then says "fuck it, you want information? Fine. Hey Anya! I'm assuming that's her outside right? Well...Anya you'll want hear this too sweet heart! Come on in!"

"Hey! Concentrate Henson... Tell me" Lexa grabs his face and makes him look straight at her. "Tell me...tell me where is your base and why are you in Kandahar".

"Did you report back your position to main command Major Lexa Woods of Australia?"

"How do you know my name?"

" Oh honey I know everything about you and the NATO base POLIS... yeah that's right your dear command center has a mole. Wait no, not one it has several. You see, this isn't me being trapped by a Special Forces group, this is me being bate so that we finally eliminate your stupid fucking team!"

"Wait what did he say?!" Anya can't believe what she's hearing. Lincoln just shakes his head " Its a lie Major, he's lying to save his own ass. He knows Intel like that can get him to a safe location and maybe even a deal with US government that runs the base".

"O yeah?, Tell me Lincoln how that girlfriend of yours... Octavia right? That's her name I think. Did you know she just transfered with a bunch of US Navy to provide support for the good people of the POLIS Hospital? I wonder who green lit that operation, huh? Well...guess you'll never find out after this"- Henson smiles his slimy grin, happy to be able to wipe that know it all expression from these superior looking asswipes, I just hope I get to put the final bullet in their brains he thinks.

"You bastard!" Lincoln grabs Henson by the collar of his shirt and smashes his fist into his face a few times and screams - "How do you know this?! Tell me now! Have you hurt a hair on her head and I will end you Henson!".

Lexa pulls Lincoln back "Lincoln enough!" – How fucked up is this -she thinks. If he's telling the truth we could all die and no one would know they had been set up by a traitor in their own camp. She has to figure this out now before it gets out of hand. She needs answers and Henson is the only one who can answer them, so for now she needs him alive. But of course he doesn't know that...

"Ah the major speaks..." Henson spits again at the dirt, saliva and blood trailing from his mouth. Lincoln definitely dislodged a few teeth with his fists.

"If you're right Henson, and this has all been a huge trap or ambush set up for my team. You must know that nothing is stopping us from killing you right now". Lexa grabs her glock form her thigh holster and aims it at his face. "You have three seconds to tell me the names of the traitors in our camp or I'm putting two in your head".

"You can't kill me"

"One"

"You stupid bitch, any second now they'll come in and kill you all!"

"Two"

"Your not gonna do it. You need me alive!"

"Three" Lexa pulls back the safety and brandishes it in front of Henson to make it more dramatic. If she has to pull the trigger she will. But she hopes he gets scared enough to blurt out the names before she actually shoots him.

"Oh well, bye Henson" as she pushes the gun closer to Henson's forehead she hears a "Pop!" "Pop!" "Pop!" sounds and bullets fly by. She gets hit in the arm, a flesh wound not much to slow her down; Lincoln gets one in his vest doing minimal damage but one of them catches Henson in his gut. Anya screams out "Sniper!"- They all try and get cover, entering an abandoned house to shield themselves from the incoming bullets. Problem is, it also blocks them inside without a way to get to the sniper.

They all drop to the ground and scramble for cover. Lexa reaches for her radio and yells outs "Aden, Luna come in! We need those vehicles now! I repeat whatever you have we need it now! We have a sniper on the roof to the east pinning us down and we need immediate backup". "Gus! Come in! Gustus! Report your location now!"- God is something were to happen to Gus...

"Lexa!" Major woods turns towards Lincoln who's yelling and trying to save Henson who has a bullet lodged in his stomach and is bleeding profusely. "I can't get the bleeding to stop!"

"Cover me! I'll get it!" Lexa drops Henson on the ground and puts pressure on his wound. "You need to tell me who did this Henson!" "You idiot, you were right, you were the bait but you were wrong that they care anything for you... look at you, you're dying for gods sake!"

Lexa shakes him trying to get him to focus. "Who is the leak"

"Ti...Ti..."...

"Common Henson concentrate you can do this".

"Two of em... Emor... Emerson and Ti..." Cough! cough!- Henson's body is wracked with a coughing fit and he can't finish the name off but Lexa already knows who it is and come hell or high water she's going to make them pay for this betrayal.