AN:Thank you all for your honest reviews. I've realized that my previous chapter was really far off from the characters we all know and love. So, I have rewritten it and taken out all of the hanky panky Team One would never engage in. I encourage you to go back and re-read that chapter before you continue with this one.
"I'm coming over and I swear to god I will use strip charges to open your door if you don't let me in." Spike said seriously when he heard silence on the line. He couldn't let Jules quit. She'd done so much good already. When he didn't hear anything but sniffling he hung up and immediately texted the Sarge, "Jules needs us. Meet her house ASAP."
He turned and locked his apartment five minutes later and hurried down the flight of stairs to the bottom floor of his apartment building. He heard his phone beep and looked at it. It was from the Sarge, "on my way. What's up?" He got in his car and closed the door. "Really rough day." He didn't want to worry the Sarge too much. He knew his first message had probably already sparked some worry. He pulled out of the parking lot and sped to Jules' house.
Jules laid in her bed and looked at the ceiling. She felt like she'd fallen in a deep dark hole and she didn't know if she could claw her way out. She scoffed at that thought and the irony of it. Wasn't she just feeling happy and content almost an hour ago when Steve was here? She sighed, stood and went downstairs. She knew Spike would be coming soon and that they'd probably be up late talking, better make some coffee.
She grabbed the sheets at the bottom of the stairs and walked to the kitchen where her laundry machines were kept. She opened the folding door and dropped the sheets. She walked to the coffeemaker and got it started, then put the sheets in the wash. When the coffee was done, she fixed herself a cup, walked through the kitchen to the dining room and sat down. Five minutes later the doorbell rang. She stood and walked to the door. She stopped, took a deep breath and opened the door.
##### Jules' yard ten minutes earlier #####
Spike stopped the car in front of Jules' house and turned off the engine. When he saw another car stop on the other side of the street he stepped out and walked towards it. He stopped and waited while the Boss got out of his car.
"What's going on?" Greg stood from his car, concern etching his face.
"Jules texted me. She's really having a hard time with those two calls today." Spike said worried. He'd been listening from the truck when Kayla stood on the ledge and let herself fall backwards. Sharp intakes of breath could be heard over the comms, but it was drowned out by Jules' yell of "NO!". As soon as he heard that he rushed out of the truck in time to see Kayla's body slap on the pavement and bounce a little. It was awful and something he found hard to forget.
Greg closed the car door and they started walking towards the house. He was a little confused as Jules had seemed fine in debrief.
"Boss." Spike put a hand on his shoulder and stopped him. Spike bit his lip.
"What's up Spike?" Greg stopped and looked at Spike, studying the Italian's face. He looked extra stressed.
Spike took a breath. "She said..uh, that she was done. She couldn't do it anymore."
He took a sharp intake of breath, then gathered himself. Greg nodded and turned towards the door. He would not let Jules just walk away. He would do everything in his power to prevent it. If he was honest, he was a little angry that Jules had lied to him. She'd said she was ok when he pulled her aside after debrief. He understood it was a tough day, but if she was feeling this way she should've said something. He was glad that she had reached out to Spike when she did. He quickened his pace and knocked as soon as he was close enough.
"One sec!" They heard from inside.
A moment later Jules opened the door. She looked at both of them then looked away. She put out a hand and invited them in.
##### Afghanistan, dune above tiny village #####
Sam heard them approach and looked up when they stopped next to him.
"How we looking Tod?" Hound asked as they took a break.
"Clear, but we shouldn't stay long. That smoke can be seen for at least 10 clicks." Sam stood, but kept his eye on the horizon.
"Great shot." Matt strode over next to Sam and smiled big. "What was that? Like 2 ½ kilometers?" He looked across the valley and smiled bigger.
"Thanks Crimson." Sam smiled at his friend and clapped him on the shoulder. "Yep. My best was 2 kilometers."
"Damn!" Zona commented as he pulled a power bar from his bag. "That's awesome!"
Sam smiled at the praise. "Thanks." He put his fist up and bumped it with Zona's, then fist bumped Hound, Trip and Peach.
They all ducked when a bullet zipped by them and pinged off the ground. It was followed by automatic fire, but those bullets were falling short, they could hear them clinging at the bottom of the valley. They knew that their weapons would do the same and saved their ammo.
"Tod." Hound said as they retreated from the top of the dune. It was good cover as their sniper could barely reach the dune.
"Copy." Tod nodded and climbed back up to the top of the dune. He knew it was risky, but this was his job. He put the rifle on top of the dune and out his eye to the scope. Unfortunately, this left the most vulnerable part of his body partly exposed, but he didn't plan on staying in that position long. He sighted the target laying in the back of the covered transport truck with only a rifle showing through a small lifted portion in the tarp. He knew he'd get one shot at this so it had to be perfect. He looked up the rifle and saw a very small darkened opening. He knew the sniper would have his eye to the sight, so he aimed for it and fired.
After the shot echoed across the valley and died off, there was only silence. It was deafening to those waiting for confirmation of the kill. After a moment, cries of anguish and hatred raced across the valley, but they were almost completely silenced by the cheers of Sam's unit. The cheers didn't last long though as the unit high tailed it across the desert. They knew they'd have at least a half hour head start as that was how long they had figured out it would take to get around the valley, but they didn't waste any time getting to a safe location for the night.
They knew as many hiding places as the terrorist cell did. They'd erased their tracks as they went so they couldn't be tracked and their hiding place had at least two different escape routes.
"Peach has watch. We move in four so get some rest ladies. It's gonna be a long night." Hound said after he spoke to command. He laid on the ground with his pack behind his head, his rifle by his side and closed his eyes
Five men answered, "copy" and four followed the Sarge's lead. Peach woke them in four hours and they moved carefully to the extraction point. They checked the area very carefully and finding no one they sat and waited for the helicopter.
##### terrorist cell stronghold, unknown location #####
Amale stopped the covered truck next to a two story house built into the rock face. It had only a small window and a hidden door so it was hard to tell it was actually a fairly large space inside. He looked at the house and sighed. He did not want to face his brother right now. The news about the slaughter at their headquarters would enrage his brother and he knew all too well what the result of that was. He stepped out of the truck and slammed the door closed. "Ishmael, put the truck away." He snapped at one of the men that emerged from the house when he drove up.
Ishmael moved quickly to do as his boss said. He looked at Amale's face and knew that he was in a terrible temper. He wondered what could've happened to put Ishmael in such a bad mood.
"Hurry up before a drone sees it!" Amale yelled before he went inside. He knew it wasn't fair to take it out on an innocent, but he didn't care. He walked through the house, past the heavily armed guards and stopped long enough to ask where his brother was. He walked up the stairs to the study and knocked before he entered.
"Amale! What did the General say? Can he send his troops?" Sanil smiled when he saw his brother walk in. He knew there had to be good news from headquarters if Amale was back already. He stood, but stopped when he saw the look on Amale's face. "What's wrong? What happened?" He asked anxiously.
"Brother, I come bearing bad news. The headquarters is gone. Taken out by the filthy infidels. We checked every house. No one was left alive. I'm so sorry."
He was shell shocked. Sanil stumbled back with the weight of the loss he felt. His wife and six children were in that village visiting her sister and her General husband. One of his men stepped forward and led him to a chair to sit down. "Myalia. The children." He put a hand to his head. "My sweet baby Jali."
"No, they're ok." Amale shook his head. "She and Raadiya had already taken the children to see her two other sisters in the next village before it happened. They should be back tomorrow."
Sanil sighed in relief and put a hand to his heart. He was sure he would've felt it if something had happened to Myalia. He looked at his brother. "Send Ishmael to get them. I don't want them out there anymore. Tell her sisters to pack up and bring the children. They're living here now until we can rid the region of the infidels."
"Absolutely Sanil." Amale smiled, but it faded.
Seeing it, Sanil leaned forward. "Who was there?"
"Ashqar, Shaqeeq, Nizaam and Quraish Naqvi, Taweed Tabet, Rushdi Toure, Abdar Begum, Fuaad Farra, Numair Hakeem and ten low level soldiers." Amale named. He knew telling Ishtar his cousin was killed would be painful for the young man, but he would handle it.
"Damn it!" Sanil pounded his fist on the wooden arm of the chair. "We'll need to lay low awhile. Fuck. We will not stay silent for long." He grit his teeth.
"Don't worry, we'll have our revenge brother. One of our scouts hasn't returned yet. It's been three days, but he was searching for their base. If he finds it we can gather our troops and lay siege. We can catch them unawares and slow them down for at least a month. That will give us time to recruit and promote more officers." Amale moved forward to stand next to his brother. He put a hand on Sanil's shoulder.
"Yes." Sanil smiled up at his brother. He was so proud that Amale was joining him in this fight. It wasn't until a mortar landed in the middle of their parents home and blew them to bits that Amale was convinced. Until then he was insistent that it was a lost cause, that Allah did not want them to fight. Now he knew the infidels wouldn't stop killing until every one of them was dead. Men, women and children, it didn't matter. And now, to Amale, it didn't matter either.
