This is my first attempt and I hope you like it. This may become a one shot if my back brain continues to refuse to release the other chapters.
Day 0 - 0421 GMT – The Third World
She was grateful that the black and green of her jump suit blended so well as she risked a peek out of the shattered doorway. Her eyes swiftly scanned the derelict leaning houses of the abandoned village. She saw inanimate objects and nothing else. Pulling her head back she sank down against the wall grateful for what she hadn't seen. Flipping a stray lock of raven hair from her face she looked over at her blond partner as he finished applying another pressure bandage to his leg. When the sitch went West they'd run for it and were almost clear when a last burst from a militiaman had clipped him. He'd been moving well but his blood had completely soaked the first bandage. Swallowing hard she asked him the important question.
"Are you mobile?"
His brown eyes snapped up and locked on hers. "Yes." Leaning his head back against the rough surface of the mud wall he drew a deep breath then rose smoothly to his feet without using the wall for support while keeping most of his weight on his undamaged leg and most of the pain out of his face.
It's an important distinction between mobile and able to move he thought as they regarded each other across the small room. Mobile meant they were still a functioning team. Able to move meant either she would have to sneak away and distract the opposition so he could make it to the rendezvous or more likely he would wind up the distraction and he'd done enough of that in the past.
The two of them regarded each other across the room, her eyes questioning the truth of his statement and his face selling the lie. After a moment she too rose to her feet and he breathed an inward sigh of relief. The break had been short but it was past time to get moving before something nasty caught up with them.
As she checked the outside again he double checked that they hadn't left any traces. Standard Ops think; never leave any traces. Traces let the opposition know that they are on the right trail. "Be like moonlight." he thought recalling old lessons "Leave no sign that you've ever been there." Unfortunately this time the mission profile had been more like a brick through a windshield and by God somebody was going to pay dearly after they got clear.
Peek, peek, stare; she again checked the outside environment for threats. No people, no movement, just mud walls, flat roof tops and the dirt path with a sad looking little stream running down its middle. Her nose wrinkled in disgust at smell and the thought that the stream had been used for both drinking water and sanitation. Back when there were still villagers. Still watching she motioned to him with her right hand.
Moving to her side he gave her gloved hand a reassuring squeeze. "You know" he whispered, "this reminds me of the last scene of one of my Dad's favorite old movies."
"Really?" she asked as she took a moment to tuck her long black hair under her fatigue cap. Nervous habit really, sort of a last hesitation before plunging into cold water. "Which one?"
"Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid."
"I think I remember that one. It didn't end well did it?"
"No, it didn't." He had to grin at her. "Thank God this is real life. We're going to be fine. Let's move."
Quick and quiet the two of them left the cover of the hut and moved down the path toward the pickup point, one on each side of the stream keeping close to the walls. Neither had a weapon because it hadn't that kind of Op and now nothing short of an armored brigade would help. Stealth and speed were what would save them.
She checked him out of the corner of her eye; his leg didn't seem to be affecting him as he trotted along slightly behind her watching their six as he moved. He was pale but then most blonds are.
Focus she told herself. Recalling the map she knew they had to cover another 100 yards to the edge of the village, then two miles to the rendezvous. After the pickup it would be a short flight to medical support and then back home to air conditioning, debriefings, and
She didn't really see the militiamen just the muzzles of their weapons and time slowed to a crawl and then the red-yellow flames sprouted from the muzzles and then
Day 0 - 1042 GMT – The Center
File in hand Gray paused before the door, straightened his tie, knocked, waited for a count of five and then entered the office.
White wasn't at his desk. Instead he stood to the left of his desk hands clasped behind him staring at a blank white wall as if out a window.
Without turning his head White asked the first question cutting to heart of the matter. "Mr. Gray, what is their status?"
"We've lost them sir. The locals were on them as soon as they arrived. We have no product and the extraction failed."
White closed his eyes for a moment to digest the news and then spoke again. "What is the team's confirmed status?"
Gray hesitated for a moment, reluctant to pass on the news. "We were able to intercept the local militia commander's initial report, he included pictures of their…" Gray paused as he searched for a delicate next word, "remains sir. The extraction team was immediately recalled and has returned intact."
Gray laid the file on White's desk. "These are copies of the message traffic for the insertion team including their last transmission, all messages from the extraction team and a copy of the militia commander's report… with photographs. The event is hitting the wire services but there's no link back to us."
White sighed, dropped his hands to his sides and moved to his desk.
"Well, she had no one but he's left a wife and children. Have personnel break the news to the wife gently. Also have S… Miss Green's apartment collected and sanitized."
"Lord," thought Gray as he watched his superior seat himself at his desk and pick up the mission file, "she's dead yet he continues to refer to her by her work name."
As he began reading the contents of the file White spoke again. "Schedule the mission autopsy for 9 tomorrow. We will know why and we will know who and if we can, we shall return this favor."
Looking up from the file to his subordinate White managed a small smile "I know they were your friends and I realize this must difficult for you Mr. Gray. If you need some time, afterwards, I'll allow it."
Gray nodded but said nothing.
White's attention returned to the file. "Thank you Mr. Gray. That will be all for now." The memorial service was over because the world continued to spin and life would continue without Team Green.
Gray was headed for the door when his superior's next words stopped him.
"We should never marry Mr. Gray; it's cruel to do so."
Day 17 - 0732 GMT – Gray's Apartment
The telephone call caught Gray with a mouthful of toothpaste.
"Hgumph?"
"Sir, sorry to call you at home but there's a problem and the Director would appreciate your input before today's Board meeting. He's sending a car."
Swallow and answer with your voice normal he reminded himself "Oh, it's not a problem at all. Please tell the Director I will be there straight away."
"Oh God, a wheels come off something big!" Thought Gray as he dove for his closet "Today, not tomorrow – the code word for absolute priority." Gray briefly considered saving time by throwing on a sweatshirt and jeans then sighed and reached for one of his suits instead. Some things simply weren't done.
Day 17 - 0735 GMT – Upperton, Colorado
The storm was something out of Wagner, the rain had soaked her, chilled her to the bone and she was in too much pain to move. To distract herself from the pain a dispirited Shego focused on how Dr. Drakken had failed, again. This plan really looked like it was working until Kim Possible, her stupid sidekick and her even stupider Supersuit showed up to save the day. Damn that Supersuit, she and Kim had sparred many times but this time not only had Kim won but she'd really inflicted some damage. Some ribs were definitely broken, Shego could barely feel her left arm and every time she put weight on her left leg the shooting pain almost caused her to black out.
"It's time to fall back and regroup." Shego thought as she limped painfully through the storm and away from the site of the disaster. "No sense in hanging around waiting for the authorities to arrive. Focus on getting clear, then hide somewhere, and then…"
Shego didn't really hear the words Kim Possible said but knowing she was caught Shego spun to face her adversary and dropped into a fighting stance while thinking "Doesn't she EVER give up? Okay, if she wants me she is going to have to work for it."
The thunder subsided momentarily and Shego heard Kim's next words clearly.
"You know what I hate?"
Badly damaged, her hair plastered to her face and barely able to hold her fighting stance Shego reached deep for a smile and taunt her for her enemy. Her body might be on the point of collapse but her pride was a strong as ever. "What, that your boyfriend melted?"
"No. You." Kim stuck as she spoke. Shego simply couldn't move fast enough to block Kim's kick and then was lost in an ocean of pain as she sailed though the air until…
Blackness
The feeling of rain on her face, she could smell burning, where was she? What had happened to her? Shego could see out of her left eye but nothing from the right one. Was it damaged? She tried to lift a hand to explore her right eye and then realized that she couldn't move her arms or her legs and with rising panic realized she wasn't feeling any pain at all. She should be feeling excruciating agony but she felt nothing. Panicking Shego realized she either had major damage to her spine or that she was dying.
Shego heard voices in the distance and then her good eye saw lights coming closer. She tried to call out but could not, she could only wait.
Blackness
A light is shining down from above into her face and hurting her good eye. Shego moans in pain and shuts her eye.
"Hey! Sarge! Sarge! I've found a survivor, over here!"
Shego hears sounds and then the light gets brighter as another flashlight plays over her face.
"Cuff her, drag her to the wagon and throw her in with the rest."
"Cuff her? Are you crazy, look at her Sarge, she needs paramedics and a hospital!"
"No, YOU look. Look around, look at the damage she and the other terrorists have caused. Think what would have happened if Kim Possible hadn't stopped them. She was willing to kill us all so no mercy for her, no doctors, not on my watch. Cuff her and dump her in the wagon or I swear I will end her right here."
Blackness
Shego knows she is seated in the back of some vehicle but things are very foggy. She senses rather than sees Dr. Drakken next to her. He's yelling something but his voice sounds so far away. She wonders if this is what dying feels like. Sitting motionless Shego struggles to stay awake. The vehicle jolts, and she knows it's moving. As it rounds a turn she loses her fight to remain upright slumping forward and twisting she can barely see Drakken's horrified face and then sees his mouth open in a silent scream and him banging his head against the partition to get attention. He's attempting to get her help.
Shego is starting to feel giddy "It's sweet of him to care." She thinks as the darkness begins forcing its way between her and the light. "I wish I was going to live so I could tell him how much I appreciate his trying to help."
Realizing that she's no longer afraid of dying Shego directs a smile to where she hopes Drakken is and then lets the darkness blot out the last of the light.
Day 17 - 0943 GMT – The Center
Gray watched things wind down in the operations room. The crisis is over he mused. The conquest of the world by an army of giant robots has been stopped cold by two 16 year old American kids. "Perhaps," thinks Gray "we're no longer needed. Perhaps it's time to give it all up and drive a cab or shuffle papers as a clerk, or maybe fry…."
"There you are Mr. Gray. Have you a moment?"
Rising from the table he'd been sitting on Gray turned to face his superior suddenly very painfully aware that his tie in his coat pocket rather than around his neck.
"Sir?"
A smiling White advanced toward him with some printouts in his hand.
"Sorry to have you in for something that became a nothing. Saved by two American teens; children really. Makes one feel quite redundant."
White's eyes dropped down to the printouts as he mused over the past 4 hours but then his head snapped up and he grinned at Grey, his brown eyes bright with excitement.
"However, it appears there's something for us in all this after all Mr. Gray. Do you recall a Shego from our acquisition watch list?"
"Where is this going?" thought Gray before deciding to say nothing and let White continue.
"She's supposed to have special powers and several groups have expressed an interest in knowing how those powers work. She's been on everyone's lab rat list for ages, poor thing. Probably why she was with that Drakken fellow, figured he wouldn't lash her to a table and start cutting."
"I do recall her file sir. You have instructions?"
"According to this report she was gravely injured during the excitement and now she's in Upperton General Hospital and very much worse for the wear. She's not expected to live actually. There's a lot of confusion from all the smoke and noise right now and this is our chance to acquire her. Take Pink and a pair of minders and get to Upperton General. Get next to her before someone else does and bring her back."
Gray wasn't so much shocked by his instructions as stunned. Take a team into the ground zero of the biggest event since Pearl Harbor and make off with one of the major players? Perhaps they could stop off in San Diego on the way back and bring back an aircraft carrier too. It would have taken several minutes for Grey to recover his composure but White was apparently unwilling to wait.
"Go! Call Pink and your minders in and brief them for an extraction. Brown will bring the ops center back on line so your team will have a control. Expect your teams travel arrangements within the hour."
"Yes sir." But halfway out the door Gray turned and addressed White again.
"So I'm clear sir. After we get access to her and she's still alive…"
White's brown eyes went very hard. "If Shego is alive you will kill her Mr. Gray. Pink will sign the certificate. Kill Shego and bring her remains back to the Center."
"So it's hardball." thought Gray as he left the Presence. He then dismissed morality from his mind as he had far too much to do and precious little time. He'd probably wind up planning most of the mission while airborne and enroute and he hated that.