You would think that the amount of time she spent in the Middle East, she'd be accustomed to the constant dirt in her mouth, but that was never the case. Carrie had been in Iraq for four days now and wasn't wasting any time in trying to locate Quinn. She had tracked down one of her former assets from years ago, Aman. Aman had been shocked to see Carrie barge into his small shop and at first, tried to get her to leave. After some convincing and pleading, Aman finally agreed to help - for payment of course. Carrie didn't care, she'd give him whatever he wanted if that meant getting one step closer to Quinn.
Aman accompanied Carrie to the first location that Rob had given her. Quinn's former extraction point wasn't what Carrie had thought it would look like. It was a small outpost and not as quiet as she had assumed. There was no sign of Quinn; not a shred of evidence that he been through that area recently. Aman questioned a few locals and came up with nothing.
"This isn't it. He wasn't here." Carrie sighed and looked around her. Nothing but dirt, sand and darkness. It was all she could see through her eyes. "Let's go, we're losing time."
Aman was more quiet than Carrie had remembered and she didn't like it. He seemed nervous and uncomfortable around her and she wasn't sure why. Carrie shook it off as her paranoia surfacing once again. This happened pretty much every time she made the trip to the Middle East. Nine years ago she had recruited Aman as an informant, and he had given Carrie enough for her to obtain her target. What she didn't know is Aman's brother had been killed in the strike she ordered...but Aman remembered very vividly.
-
When Quinn was on a mission he had tunnel vision. He was fast, discreet and let nothing stand in his way. His mission now was finding Carrie. He knew she'd be more reckless than usual and couldn't imagine what Saul and Dar Adal had just put her through. His anger boiled from this thought, and made him more aggressive than usual, if that's even possible. Quinn tried to figure out what the fuck went on, but didn't dare make a call to Rob, figuring he had eyes on him and his line was tapped. He had to go strictly on his intuition and would figure a way to find her location. He had to.
Quinn made his way into Iraq from Pakistan, where he barely made it back into, to pursue Haqqani. As he traveled, he couldn't stop thinking about how they had told Carrie he was dead. How had she reacted? Was she alright? And most importantly, did she she receive his letter? Maybe she hadn't and had gone after him with selfish reasons, thinking of herself. SHE couldn't lose him. It was always about her, he thought. But maybe she did read his letter and she was going after him for another reason. Of course not. It was a mistake. He shouldn't have put himself out there like that. He had to stick to that, he thought. Regardless of whichever it was, he didn't even care at the moment. He knew he had to find her because he loved her. Whether she loved him back and whether it was a mistake or not, he did. He couldn't not.
-
Carrie drove aside Aman, feeling unsure of her current situation more than she had in the past but didn't care. She would do whatever it takes to get to Quinn. Her stomach was turning and in a way, she was terrified to find him. He's absolutely going to yell at me, she thought. At the same time, Carrie still prayed that Quinn wasn't hurt. She did know he had been shot and had no clue the extent of his injuries. She felt sick and for a moment thought she was going to vomit but was jolted back to reality when Aman made a sharp turn off the road. "Sorry." he looked nervously at her, "almost missed it...we're almost there."
The second extraction point was in a more desolate location than the last. How the fuck did Quinn pick these places? she wondered. It was a small village with only a few buildings with mid-sized cement walls. The roads were dirt and a few dogs wandered loose as a couple of locals headed inside for the evening. The sun had just gone down and Carrie had wished they had made better time getting there, when it was still light out.
Aman stopped the car off to the side of one of the houses. "This is it..."
Carrie leaned forward, looking out the front windshield, squinting her eyes, trying to get a better look. "This isn't what I thought it would be..."
She got out of the car and looked around, familiarizing herself with her surroundings. Aman got out too and slowly walked around the front of the car, stopping to see what Carrie wanted to do.
"I am going in. You stay here, I am serious, Aman. None of that shit like last time." Carrie looked him dead in the eyes, her tone was stern. The last thing she needed was to get Aman killed and have his death hanging over her. He had followed her - too close - at the first extraction point they checked. He nodded at her nervously and stayed in his position by the hood of the car.
Carrie walked towards the outside wall that surrounded the home and unlatched the metal gate. Maybe this was her lucky night, no locks, she thought. She pushed open the gate and walked slowly, her boots didn't make a sound on the dirt and the black pants she had on were dirty anyway, so she figured she probably blended in. She drew her weapon and held it at her side as she walked slowly and apprehensively toward what looked like a side door. The place was dark and there were no lights on inside.
Carrie pushed on the door... again, unlocked. Her heart beated fast, the adrenaline pumping through her veins as she raised her weapon and entered the house. She stepped in and immediately pressed her back against the first wall, trying to give herself a little cover - just in case. "Quinn?" she whispered, wanting to tell his name but knew she couldn't. He obviously isn't here anyway, she thought.
She walked slowly through the house, passing a small room that looked like a kitchen that hadn't been used in quite some time. Carrie turned down an adjacent hallway and immediately stopped, becoming rather tense. There was a light flickering in a room at the end of the hall. Fuck. This was it. Carrie tried to control herself from running back there. She was either going to find Quinn alive and hiding out, barely alive or dead. "Quinn?" she hissed again and heard no answer.
Carrie moved quicker than she probably should, weapon raised and her scarf still tucked around her hair messily. She stood outside the doorway of what opened up to a large room that she could make out. One more. "Quinn? You in there?" she asked, a bit louder this time. No response.
Carrie held her breath and spun herself into the room, immediately checking around her in every direction. There was no one. The room was empty, with the exception of a small wooden table with a candle and a scrap of paper. What the fuck.. She walked over slowly, lowering her gun to her torso, picking up the paper. 'Murderer' was scrolled across in bad handwriting. Carrie turned around quickly and there was a man cocking his rifle, standing to face her. Shit.
Two more men came out of the second entrance to the room, stood behind him and stopped, weapons in hand. Carrie's eyes darted from each and she kept her gun raised, steady on the first man, whom she assumed was their leader. There was shuffling from the hallway she had just walked down and Aman appeared in the doorway, armed. They looked at each other and she knew she had been betrayed. Shit, this is bad, she thought.
"What the fuck is this, Aman?" she yelled at him, her eyes large and she knew she was showing fear. Dammit.
"The drone strike you ordered...with the information I gave you... You murdered my brother!" Aman emotionally shouted at her, his voice full of anger and sadness.
Carrie stared at him in disbelief, unable to speak. This was worst than she thought and it was going to take a lot to talk herself out of this one. The other man said something to the other two in the room and they exited back out down the hallway, leaving Carrie alone in the room with only Aman and the other man.
"Throw your gun on the ground, now!" Aman yelled, raising his own rifle at her and motioned to the ground with his weapon.
She knew she had to, there was really no other choice. "Aman listen.. You don-"
"NOW!" he screamed and shot a round next to her, hitting the wooden table. Carrie jumped and raised her hands up, gun in the air, "Ok!...ok.." She crouched, lowering her weapon onto the ground in front of her, never unlocking eyes with Aman. She kicked it over into the space between them. The other man moved closer to Carrie and stood his ground, waiting for Aman to decide to kill her or torture her.
-
Quinn had watched the house closely and had seen a car pull up, but from his vantage point, couldn't see Carrie. He got closer and saw a man standing anxiously by the car, alone. A minute later another truck pulled up and four men got out. They approached the man who had been there, they spoke briefly, handed him a rifle and all checked their weapons. They were well armed. Quinn waited until four of them went inside and left one guy at the door. He moved quickly, getting closer, keeping the man in sight, and crouched behind the main wall. He was memorizing the man's pace in his mind, knowing which way he would turn next...waiting to strike. He stayed down when he heard two additional men appear, their voices in a whisper, and he could understand one of them say, "He has her."
Then Quinn heard the single gunshot and his heart stopped. They could have killed her. No, he couldn't be too late, he'd never forgive himself. Quinn swiftly left his hiding spot, and shot two of the men quickly, his gun silenced, and they dropped without a sound. The other man raised his weapon but Quinn knocked it from him and enclosed his hand over the mans mouth before snapping his neck.
He moved to the rear of the house, knowing not to use the main entrance. Quinn was in ops mode but all he could picture in his mind was finding Carrie injured, or worse. He moved quickly against the exterior wall and squeezed himself through an ajar window, dropping down silently into the house, gun raised.
-
Carrie stood with her hands up, mad at herself that she had been careless enough not to realize Aman's intentions. She slowly lowered her hands and started to try and dig herself out, "Aman...you need to understand that I had no idea. I was told that there were no civilians in that compound at the time. I would have never, EVER have made that call and you know it! You did the right thing, you helped shut down a key terrorism operation and I couldn't have-"
Aman had heard enough, "Shut up! I don't want to hear this! I helped you! I gave you everything you wanted and asked for! I put my life and my family's lives in danger! And for what?! There was someone who just picked up right where the the others left off. More terrorism, more death, more false promises!" Aman shouted at her, tears in his eyes and he raised his rifle at her "You are responsible for my brothers death and so am I. So we will die together."
Carrie looked at him and opened her mouth to speak and nothing came out. She shook her head and held her hands to face him, "Aman... it doesn't have to be like this...we don't have to die.." Carrie told him slowly and gently.
Aman stood his rifle against the wall . "Turn and get on your knees!" He yelled to her.
Carrie stared at him, shaking her head "Aman, please..."
"Turn around, do it!" He shouted, this time much louder.
She turned but didn't get on her knees, "Please...I have a daughter.. don't do this...please.."
Quinn had made his way to the back room adjoining the only room with light, and when he had seen Carrie, alive, his heart nearly jumped out of his chest. He only saw the back of her, as she was turned around, but could see that blonde hair peaking out from the dark scarf she had on. When he heard her pleading he felt a physically painful tinge in his chest and wanted to go to her, but he knew he had to be patient until the moment was right.
As Carrie pled, the other man walked over to her and pushed her to the ground roughly. Quinn immediately moved forward a bit, holding the man in his sight. I am going to kill him, he thought, but not yet.
She hit the floor hard, dirt sweeping up into her face, eyes and mouth and she coughed. Carrie dug her nails into the dirt and flung a handful back at the man, "Fuck you!" she screamed through gritted teeth. He kicked her hard, sending her back to the ground and she let out a moan. He then pulled her to her knees by her hair, "Stay." he growled at her.
Quinn swallowed hard, barely able to watch. Now maybe I won't kill him quickly, he thought.
Aman crossed the room to where Carrie was and kneeled down next to her, so they were facing the same direction. She immediately turned to look at him.
"Don't look at me." Aman said and Carrie didn't listen, holding their stare.
"I am begging you...as a mother...do not do this. No one else has to die as a result of this senseless violence." Carrie begged him, tears forming, as she heard the other man cock his rifle behind them, aiming at her head first.
"I will watch you die and then I can go in peace." Aman told her, "look ahead, Carrie...not back."
A tear rolled down her cheek and she looked away from Aman, shutting her eyes. Her body jolted forward as she heard the bullet whiz next to her and opened her eyes long enough to see Aman fall beside her, blood pooling from his head.
Quinn had shot Aman quickly, and the other man turned to return fire. Carrie scrambled on the ground, not knowing what was happening. She felt around for her gun and jumped to her feet, weapon in hand. A loud shot rang out and she twitched, her hands shaking. The man who had kicked her dropped to the ground hard, blood forming in the middle of his chest. She looked down and knew she hadn't shot him.
Carrie held her weapon in place, not moving, as Quinn stepped into the light, gun still raised, breathing hard.
For a moment, she didn't think he was real. Maybe she had died and this is what her afterlife looked like. Maybe she was hallucinating again, hoping that he would be there to save her. She wanted him to speak, to say something, so she knew he was real. Carrie didn't think she had ever been so emotional and overwhelmed to see someone in her life.
She lowered her gun, letting it fall out of her hand, onto the ground. She watched him carefully as he lowered his gun, allowing his arm to fall to his side. Carrie's eyes were big and full of tears, her voice shaking, "Quinn..."
