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Aria "Alibi" de Luca
…
Day Five of Rainbow's out-of-country excursion. Just like yesterday, the sun was a scorching bright orb in a cloudless sky.
"Adjust for windage…", ex-GIS Adriano Martello spoke to his partner while peering into a spotting scope. "…Wind blowing west-to-east, quarter value... Fire when ready."
Wiping the moisture from her eyelids, Aria de Luca noted the change in wind direction and responded appropriately, turning the top-most knob on her rifle scope. The shemagh gave her much comfort against the heat, though not enough for the rest of her worries in this training exercise. Shooting a bipod-mounted M40 in arid mountain conditions was an entirely different ballgame, more so because she was trained as a pistol markswoman. Unlike the handgun speed contests she was more accustomed to, today's test would have her lying flat on her stomach, motionless. Here, she had to deal with humidity, wind speed, bullet drop, and not to mention the beads of sweat on her forehead. All of which were taxing to her concentration.
Commander El Fassi's high-altitude combat exercises had been designed to acclimatize the Rainbow's "Grim Sky" Urban Tac-Response Unit with unfamiliar territory. So far, they were proving to be quite the gauntlet for the boys and girls- even for Aria who had been to Afghanistan before. The desert marches in the Atlas Mountains were challenging by themselves, but the mock firefights across the slopes had been much worse. And this afternoon was supposed to be tame by comparison: a long-range marksmanship exam with practice targets and live ammo. There were ten dummy targets, spread across a staggered firing line over at the next mountain; taking out six out of them would pass the test. At first glance, it was a walk in the park.
Aria once again peered into the thin crosshairs to find her target in the distance, which was propped beside a few sandbags. 700 yards, give or take. After a paused breath to steady her aim, she squeezed the trigger with a quick motion, letting loose a 7.62mm out of the sound-suppressed barrel. The recoil kicked in, slightly rocking her view in the scope, and signaling her to work the bolt-action and eject the spent cartridge. She could not see the bullet's flight with her naked eye, so she mentally visualized its trajectory instead. The round would fly strong and true, pushing against the breeze. With the prior adjustments she had made, she was certain that it would find its mark…
…
"Miss...", her spotter reported.
The puff of smoke from the sandbags confirmed the result. The woman let out a quick sigh of frustration, then spouted a brief barrage of unladylike words her father would most definitely not approve of. She was immensely embarrassed, and she wanted to pull down the cloth over her head to hide her shame. A petty reaction, but an understandable one as well, since her most trusted companion was with her. Not exactly the person she wanted to see her less-than-stellar performance. Despite the failure, he still rooted for her.
"...a little closer to the target this time, but-"
"Tally: five out of ten.", Specialist Mallory wrote into his chart, shaking his head. Team Rainbow's acting-rangemaster was watching her the whole time, standing only a couple of feet away.
"My shots keep pulling to the left.", Aria complained to him. "I wish our ammo had a superior ballistic coefficient."
"Bring it up to Six next time we go on a field trip; I'm only here to grade y'all."
The American was rather unenthused by her excuse, though at least he was impartial. Still, the failure was quite aggravating for the woman, enough to make her rant on the spot if she only lacked self-discipline. It was like being asked by her teacher to showcase her talents in front of class, only to fail miserably during the attempt. Fuming with quiet rage, she wanted to pick up her rifle and toss it over the cliff they were perched on. Good thing dear old Adri understood her feelings, comforting her with much needed jest and a thumbs up. The tap to her shoulder was just the icing on the cake.
"Ah, don't listen to him. Farai meglio la prossima volta (You'll do better next time)!"
Aria scoffed at the man, giving him the evil eye.
"That's a wrap for you...", Mallory spoke again. "...Clear the action, switch to safe, then prop your rifle on the rack over there."
She nodded her head then pulled back the rifle bolt as a safety measure, right before flicking the little knob near the trigger guard as instructed. Then, she folded the bipod on her weapon as she stood up from her sniping perch, stretching her back a bit. The air was filled with more sound-suppressed shots from the other Operators, all of whom were being schooled in the art of high-altitude marksmanship. Some were performing better, while others were just as frustrated as she was. But none of that mattered anymore, as her chance had come and gone. She started the short walk towards their resting area, where the gun rack was located. Her spotter was not too far behind. It was a bit weird for him to tag along for this test, since he himself was a qualified instructor, though that could just be because he appreciated her company.
"Stai bene (Are you alright)?", he asked, using the language barrier for added privacy.
"..."
"Vuoi che ti tiri su il morale?" (Do you want me to cheer you up?)
She replied with another cold shoulder. If only she could see his magnificent smile, which was sure to lift anyone's spirits. Aria, on the other hand, was failing in that regard. Much as she wanted to hide the bitterness, she didn't want to sound like a sore loser. Her anger was exactly what she felt as an 18-year-old, losing at an air pistol contest in Rome. That was then. Carabiniere de Luca had grown up long ago, and there were a great many things that could describe her now. Not all of them would be flattering.
*buzz buzz*
Her eyes widened by her beeper, vibrating from front trouser pocket. She had completely forgotten that she brought it with her today. A quick look at the device confirmed her worry; she was a few minutes late for an important appointment.
"Vai avanti… (You go ahead…)", she bid Adri with a small grin. "…Ci vediamo dopo (I'll see you later)."
The big guy was shocked to hear she no longer needed his inane presence, pouting his lips as a joke. He did what she asked nonetheless; he went off to the resting area but not before wresting Aria's sniper rifle from her lithe hands. He would bring it to the gun rack in her stead. Always a gentleman, she thought; one of these days it would get him into trouble, or worse. The woman waited until he was out of view, to which she then pulled out the portable satellite phone from her other pocket.
...
"Hello?"
"You missed our timestamp. What's going on?"
It was a gruff male voice. Under-Secretary-General Barston, no doubt calling from his office in America. The tone had a marked sense of urgency to it; it was best not to waste his time. Aria looked over her shoulder once more, see if the coast was clear. To her frustrations, the other trainees were within earshot from her. Though they were engrossed with the test, Aria's cover would be blown if she opted to speak freely. If she sneaked away to find a more secluded spot, the rangemaster would notice her absence. It was time to use a different tactic.
"I still have a problem with my visa. The embassy said they will get back after eight working days."
She employed a cipher, similar to what she'd normally use when going undercover. 'My preliminary report about Team Rainbow is not yet complete; I want you to call again after eight hours'. The need for subterfuge was necessary not only to make her conversation sound normal, but also to mislead anyone who might be eavesdropping on her signal. The latter was a distinct possibility, given the talented tech-savvy individuals that Six had been recruiting recently. Much as she wanted to update Barston on her mission's progress, today's test had put a dent on her plans.
"I hope you've been making friends regardless. Are you close to them?", he asked.
The woman looked over her shoulder again. Her 'friends' were about 20 feet away.
"Very."
"*sigh* Say no more... I'll be quick."
"Go."
"The tall guy, Ben, got in touch with me earlier. The paperwork is clogged; he said the embassy should solve the problem by themselves..."
('Message from London. They are unable to provide further assistance; you are on your own.')
Aria was unnerved by that revelation, even though she had already anticipated it. She could personally confirm that it would be nearly-impossible to compromise Team Rainbow. It was a tightly-knit group, one that even the likes of the British Secret Service could not hope to tear apart. As the Brits would be sitting on their hands, it seemed that Aria was once again left to her own devices. She started to think about her next steps, how to remain covert in her coworkers' midst. How she could maintain a trustworthy face, while she pursued another agenda. She also kept tabs on the right excuse and escape plan to carry out should things go south. The more she thought about all this, the more she felt like a wolf hiding among sheepdogs.
"...I know you have reservations about this job, but I need you to hang on for-"
"A little longer? The longer I wait, the greater the chance for this whole thing to fall apart.", she blurted out. A risky move to briefly drop the masquerade, but she wanted to get her point across.
This mission was different from Operation Spider Wasp. Different from her famous takedown of the Vinciguerra Mafia. She was pitting herself against a clandestine counter-terrorism unit, one that genuinely treated her as a promising asset and a friend. Good and honest peacekeepers, whose only crime was running afoul one of the most powerful men in the UN for… reasons. In good conscience, she could not fully commit to a task that fundamentally opposed her morals.
"Look, you are a resourceful woman. If anyone asks about what you're doing, you have an alibi. Remember that."
'Alibi'. The name couldn't be more apt to a woman who had a knack for lies and deception. Catchy, yes, but it was something Aria was not completely proud of.
"…"
"Are you still there, Miss de Luca?", Barston asked.
"I... I'll call you back."
*click*
She returned the sat-phone to her pocket, sighing at the conversation's poor timing. The training exercise was still underway, with more than a dozen Rainbow troopers lying prone with sniper rifles. It seemed nobody paid attention to her call. A good sign, since the last thing she wanted was for her colleagues to bug her about non-existing problems she had with her travel papers. They had been so welcoming and friendly; it was a pity that she couldn't reciprocate their camaraderie in full. Heck, one of Rainbow's engineers even offered Aria to field-test an experimental, portable decoy system- an unusually great honor for someone with less than half a year spent with the Team.
Their trust was clearly misplaced, as any cynic would say, but that could still be changed. Or exploited. But would she? Could she forgive herself if she went that far? It would probably be better to tread lightly from this point on, to ease the pressure weighing on her conscience. So engrossed in thought, Aria felt the heat on her body rise up more. The shemagh on her head provided what little comfort it could, to no avail. She was getting anxious, and a part of her was starting to regret ever partaking in this little charade from the very start.
She understood why Barston might be wary of Team Rainbow. Rainbow was functionally a private force that would only answer to the authority that created them, and no one else. Technically, they had free rein to do anything necessary to protect the world. From their own ranks, they established dedicated urban operations and bio-chemical warfare units, siphoning even more resources from the UN. Such power would be very easy to abuse, even by those with noble pretenses. The honest cop in Aria understood the need to spy on these people and render some proper check-and-balance. But they weren't the scallywags and misfits she was led to believe; they were good people with ultimately noble hearts. Brave men and women who would gladly lay down their lives to protect the innocent. They deserved far better from those holding them on a short leash. Team Rainbow agreed to suffer through one of the toughest training programs on Earth and hone their skills to the fullest, yet this was the 'thank you' they got from Barston? A spy to keep them on their toes?
*thud*
"Ow! Hey!", Aria exclaimed to the slap to her shoulder, breaking her solemn rumination.
She turned around with a furious face, only for it to melt at the sight of Adri's boisterous grin. He was just done stowing her rifle away.
"I'm going to watch our friends. Care to join me?"
There was a witty rebuttal waiting in her head, but she nodded 'yes' out of reflex. The charm on this man was impeccable, much as she didn't want to admit it. Restraining herself from punching off that smile from his mug, she let him lead the way back to the range near the cliff-edge with the muffled gunfire. The other trainees' performance fell on a spectrum, as before, but there was one blonde man who seemed to be doing well. Erik Thorn, one of the "Grim Sky" unit's field leaders, who was also joined by Specialist Mallory. The rangemaster was kneeling beside him, peering into a spotter scope.
"Confirmed hit... Center mass, seven-zero-one yards. *scoffs* Now you're just showing off, Maverick. You already got eight targets down."
"Just tryin' to stay sharp, brother."
The two men exchanged laughs, to which Adriano decided to join in and have a chat. Aria envied him, as it was clear that he had nothing to hide, and in turn his teammates returned his trust in kind. She could enjoy the same sentiment if only she remained forthcoming with her intentions. Comfort and calm, the flipside of which would be widespread contempt if she decided to spill the beans. Her man would probably take it the worst, bringing an abrupt end to the GIS's credibility with the Team. This was a pivotal crossroads for Aria: Rainbow could either be her best chance to do some good in the world, or the biggest mistake she would ever make in her professional career.
Specialist Mallory then blew his whistle.
"Time! Actions clear, check your weapons…"
It was followed by sighs of relief from a few folks. At long last, the test was over.
"…Alright, you can rest up for a while. We'll march down for debrief in five minutes."
"How did we do, eh?", the Italian man asked aloud. "Did anyone else fail... or was Aria the only one who sucked?"
"Wow. Thanks for having my back, ciccio (baby)… I'm so inspired to do better next time."
"What? I was only being honest!"
The woman crossed her arms and frowned, but only to make way for a wry smile for her lips a second later. He, on the other hand, let out a worried laugh for fear that he had offended her much to the amusement of a few, more astute trainees. He looked so vulnerable. Gullible, even. All this levity was a distraction, one of many more to come for sure.
"We can have an extra session back at the Fortress.", Mallory said to her. "You ain't the only one who had a hard time."
"Ah. Y-You don't have to go that far for me… I can manage on my own."
She switched her tone to something a bit more serious.
"Don't talk like that; we're a team.", Erik Thorn chimed in. "We need you as sharp as possible if you're rollin' with us…"
The man then turned around the address the rest of the trainees.
"…Anyone up for another go this afternoon? We'll manage something easier- 600 yards, enclosed spaces... We won't have to worry about wind resistance."
Many of them looked at each other in silence, briefly, then bobbed their heads after a few words. All acknowledged the need to hone their skills further. Perhaps, it was also a show of solidarity for one of their own for failing to meet the cut. Aria smiled at the sentiment, while she made mental notes, yet more fodder for her ongoing assessment about Team Rainbow. She wondered how she would fit in moving forward, despite her reservations. Even still, Thorn's words echoed in her head. 'We're a team.' The words gave her a warm, pleasant vibe like the bright smiles of a certain beardy guy.
"Alright. Ethan, think you can bring this up with the Commander? Seems like we need to do a little overtime work today."
"I'll give it a shot. No promises though."
With that, they dispersed and grabbed their gear, eager to get the rest of the day over with. Aria looked on as they readied themselves for the trek down the mountain slope, unsure what kind of future awaited her with them. There would be a time when the truth would be laid bare: that she joined Rainbow not to represent her home, but rather to fulfill a mission given by another man. On that day, she hoped that Adri would understand. For all of them to understand. She wanted to clench her fists. Until the ruse was unraveled, she would have to play the part. More lies, more ciphers were to come.
Or she could just walk away from it all. There was still a chance to end the farce, if she only had the will to seize it.
…
*buzz buzz*
Her phone came to life again as they walked. It didn't take a genius to figure out that it was Barston calling, wanting to continue their chat. This was not the proper time.
"Aren't you going to answer that?", Adri asked her.
The man trusted her still. She gave him the sunniest smile she could, right before fumbling with the device tucked in her pocket.
*click*
…
Author's Comments/Notes: I'm a bit intrigued by Alibi since it's said in her bio that her addition to the Team is suspicious and unusual. She also answers to a guy in the UN named Barston, who has some sort of beef with Rainbow. I have zero idea what this whole deal is about, so I kept it ambiguous here, though I may explore the 'undercover spy' angle in the future. Speaking of which, I hope you've noticed I'm building up some lore-related stuff in my stories. I'm saving them for the 'Freedom Day' sequel I have in the pipeline.
Due to popular demand, I will dedicate a chapter for Dokkaebi. In the meantime, stay tuned for Mira. :)