Chapter 35
Author's Notes: A special thanks to Goddess Evie for her help with the forming of this chapter. Without her assistance this would not have turned out nearly as well as it has. Thank you!
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"This is the last one." Hadji announced the moment the stopper was inserted into the last vial. "Now we just have to hope that it works."
"It's the best solution we have," Doctor Quest patted the teen on the shoulder. "Good work, son."
Proud of his father's praise, Hadji nodded with a little smile. Picking up the rack that held the plague vaccines, Hadji carefully placed them into one of the lab's refrigerators. "I suggest we administer the vaccines sooner rather than later. Once they'd cooled in storage for the next two hours we can proceed."
"I'll let the others know." Agent Altine smiled then made her way towards the exit.
Benton returned to his own workstation. "You should try and get some rest, son. You've been working pretty hard non-stop in the lab."
Hadji watched his father take a seat, his eyes once again studying the information displayed on his tablet, scribbling notes as he interpreted the data.
The pain in his father's eyes, the slackness of his shoulders, the tiredness in his voice all tore at Hadji's heart. Hadji knew that Doctor Quest would work himself to the point of a complete breakdown if someone didn't tell him to take a break as well.
Stepping over to the scientist, Hadji lowered his voice and asked, "Do you think your formula will work?"
"I have to, Hadji," Benton replied without looking up. "Jonny's exposure to The Consortium's drugs has not been nearly as long as the two men in custody back in D.C. and that is a positive. However, the sooner I can get my formula to Jonny, the sooner it can begin to reverse the damage to his brain."
"Jonny never liked needles." Hadji chuckled as his eyes wandered to the liquid concoction that Benton had created.
Leaning back, Benton rubbed his hands over his face. Hadji heard him let out a deep sigh before his father's eyes found his. "No, he doesn't. And I can imagine that whatever condition he's in when we find him, he's not going to standby willingly and let me inject him."
Confusion, laced with sadness, burned on Hadji's face. "Why do you think that?"
"He's been brainwashed and manipulated for months. He tried to kill Race. His tormentor, Greg Temple, may be dead, but he's still under the influence of the drugs and probably still being fed lies from his current captor. Hadji, I'm afraid Jonny is going to fight us when we do find him. He's not going to want to come home willingly."
Hadji frowned. As the more level-headed of the two Quest boys, Hadji always strove to look at situations through the lenses of logic and reason. But his father was right. There would be no logic or reason in the upcoming days. Jonny; his brother, his best friend, had been changed into someone that Hadji didn't know. Yet, Hadji, just like everyone else, refused to believe that Jonny was permanently lost to them.
"Perhaps when he sees us, he will realize that everything he has been through, all the pain and suffering, was not caused by us, but by those that tricked him into believing they were his friends. Father, I cannot accept that Jonny would turn his back on us. I cannot explain why he did what he did to Race, but you are his father. I am his brother. He will have to remember us. Remember that we love him, won't he?"
"I hope so, Hadji." Benton nodded. The scientist looked back into his son's eyes and smiled. "You should really get some rest now, Hadji."
"I think we both should at this point." Hadji countered. "I do not think you can tweak your formula anymore at this point. Not without further data. Data we do not have nor will we have prior to departing."
He heard his father chuckled before he stood and stretched his arms over his head. "Yes, son. I could sit here all night tweaking and adjusting, however without any more information, there's nothing to say that it would improve what I already have."
Hadji was happy that his father agreed with his reasoning. Glancing at his watch, Hadji remarked, "It is almost dinner time. Should we check to see if the others are hungry?"
"I do want to stop by the conference room to go over a few details with Race and Phil, but honestly, son, I wouldn't mind enjoying a quiet dinner tonight, just you and I. We've been going on and on for months looking for Jonny and I feel like I've neglected you to some extent."
"You have not neglected me, father." Hadji shook his head as he spoke. "Jonny's safety and return is our number one priority."
"It is, but that doesn't mean I cannot give you some of my time too. I just want to talk with you. Find out how things back in Bangalore are going. School. Careers. Love life." Benton tilted his head and smiled at the last statement.
"I would like that too." Hadji agreed. At first he felt he'd somehow be betraying Jonny by not focusing all of his efforts on his brother, but when he answered his father, he realized that it wasn't a betrayal at all. He could still think about his brother, but he could take a little time for himself to reconnect with his father for a short time.
"Come on then," Benton placed his formula in the same refrigerator as the other vials, just on a different shelf before gathering up his belongings. Hadji went and did the same.
Less than five minutes later, they stood at the doors to the lab. Pushing through the double doors, Hadji flicked off the lights and fell in step with his father.
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"How's that head of yours feeling?" Dugger inquired.
The pair of I-1 agents were on the road, driving across Europe. They'd been traveling throughout the day and night, only making stops to refuel, grab food and alternate driving duties as they tailed Van Brandt and Jonny at a safe distance.
"Still hurts like a son of a bitch." Velk grumbled from the passenger seat. He popped a few aspirin and downed them with a chug from his water bottle. "First Bannon's daughter smacks me in the head with her handgun back in Ohio, then I take a round in the plate in Africa, and now this," He gestured at his head and forearm. "When we get home I'm asking for a raise."
Dugger laughed, "Good luck with that."
Velk smirk, "Well, maybe just some time off then."
"I think we'll all need some time off after this mission is complete." Dugger noted as he maneuvered around a slow moving semi-truck with plates from Poland. "Me personally, I'm gonna put in for a month off."
"And do what?" Velk asked.
"Travel around Europe." Dugger smiled.
"Now I have to wonder if you hit your head or something during one of those shootouts." Velk grinned. "Personally, I've seen enough of this side of the Atlantic for quite some time."
"Nonsense," Dugger waved a hand at the windshield, "There's more to enjoy besides highways and port gun fights. You should ask that girl in the signal intelligence office if she wants to take a trip with you."
Velk gulped, "What girl?"
"You know," Dugger teased, "the one with that just started working for us about a year ago."
"Megan?" Velk asked. As soon as he spoke the woman's name he knew Dugger had set him up.
The Cajun's laugh echoed through the SUV's interior. "Ha! I knew you had a thing for her."
"Maybe you should mind your own business, Dug." Velk joked half-seriously.
"One thing you need to learn, if you haven't already, is that everyone knows everyone's business in I-1. And even if we didn't, I'm pretty good at my job, hero."
"And you're arrogant too it seems." Velk replied.
Dugger shook his head, "Not arrogant. Confident."
"Same thing. And shouldn't you be worried about your own love life and not mine?" Velk shot back.
"Hey, now," Dugger grumbled, "I'm perfectly fine being unattached at the moment."
"Sure you are, big man. Maybe if you had your own girlfriend you'd stop worrying about the rest of us."
"Cocky you are, boy." Dugger responded lightheartedly.
A beep from the data pad that was sitting in the center console interrupted the men's verbal jabs. Picking up the device, Velk studied it for a moment, "Looks like they've stopped. Where the hell are we anyways?"
"Slovakia, just like Corbin assumed." Dugger grumbled. Increasing his speed to catch up to the targets.
"You think they've arrived?" Velk asked, pushing buttons on the data pad while at the same time calling up information on his smart phone.
"Probably." Dugger replied. "Any chance you can pull a grid coordinate?"
"That's what I'm doing now." Velk responded without looking up from his work. "We have to get closer to get a ten digit grid coordinate. We're still at least twenty or so miles away."
"Got it." Dugger said and increased his speed another five to ten miles per hour. "Call Corbin."
Velk nodded, doing as he was told. Placing the call and leaving it on speaker phone the two men held their breath until the call was connected.
"What have you got?" Corbin asked, skipping all pretenses of pleasantries.
"Sir, we think they've arrived at the hideout." Velk reported. "We're rushing to catch up now."
The two men listened to the conversation that bled through the phone; Phil and Race were conversing, probably studying the readout on their end.
"What's the terrain like?" Race asked next.
"We haven't seen a major city center for some time." Dugger replied while keeping his eyes on the road. "We're definitely hitting some mountainous terrain, gradually getting steeper as we go."
"They're in the mountains." Corbin grumbled.
"Yeah," Dugger nodded even though the other men couldn't see him. "And it's been snowing pretty steadily since we crossed the border. It looks like some pretty thick layers of snow the further we go."
"Dug, according the map we're looking at, there's a small village about five miles from where the beacon stopped." Corbin stated. "If they're still stationary by the time you reach it, stop there."
"Got it, boss." Dugger answered.
Roberts was the next to speak. "There is a castle in that area. Unoccupied from what data I can call up from Slovakia records. However, there is a problem."
"What problem?" Velk asked. They didn't need any more problems at the moment.
"It sits on the top of a hillside." Roberts responded. Either he didn't hear the frustration in Velk's voice or he didn't care. "overseeing a vast lake with a vertical cliff-side facing the body of water."
"We need eyes on, Dug." Corbin reiterated. "Get to that village, then proceed on foot, but keep a safe distance. Don't get spotted. We're ramping up now. You got enough cold weather clothing, food, and ammo?"
"We'll be alright till you get here with more." Dugger answered stoically. "Just don't leave us waiting too long. It's pretty damn cold."
"That Cajun blood of yours will have to make due." Race laughed into the phone. "Or else get snuggly with Matt."
"Asshole." Dugger and Velk both laughed at the same time.
"Report once you have eyes on." Corbin interrupted, his tone nothing but serious. "We'll be inserting hot."
"You guys get to have all the fun." Dugger snorted. "Just hurry the hell up."
"We're on our way," Race answered. "Just keep watching out for that kid, guys."
Velk hung up the phone, stowing it away in his pocket. "You get the feeling that shit's about to get real?"
"Yeah, brother, I do and honestly, it's not a great feeling."
Velk nodded. "Agreed."
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"You all ready to do this?" Race asked.
With the exceptions of Estella, Alena, and Colonel Martinek, the rest of the team had boarded the Air Force C-17. Strapped into the red jump seats, Race watched the people most important to him as they cinched down their belts, readjusted their gear, patted their parachutes; doing just about anything to take their mind off of what they were about to do. Kulhanek and his Commandos occupied the far side of the cargo hold. Kulhanek was busy speaking to his men as they checked and rechecked each other.
Corbin was speaking to one of the crew members of the aircraft, pointing between a map he held and the different teams, indicating which team would jump at which location.
"So we really have to jump out of the plane?" Hadji asked, readjusting his seatbelt. He was seated between Benton and Agent Altine.
"Yep." Race nodded. "It's called a HALO jump, high altitude low opening. Your wrist monitors," Race waggled his own wrist to show his, "will send a signal tone to your helmet's internal comms unit for when you need to pull your parachute. You also have a reserve chute. This method of insertion will allow us to essentially scream in before The Consortium's radars can pick us up."
"Just think of it as skydiving, Hadj." Jessie threw in as she stepped up next to her dad.
"Skydiving wearing combat gear and carrying weapons." Hadji gulped, but managed to smile a little in the process.
"You'll do great, son." Benton tried to sound reassuring.
Race doubled checked their gear. Both Benton and Hadji carried handguns, but no rifles. They'd stay in reserve with Reynolds. The I-1 Agent was armed with a rifle and handgun, so Race had seen no need for Benton and Hadji to have anything more than the pistols for their own protection. Benton had agreed.
"Kulhanek and his men will jump first then the crew chief will give us the signal. Just follow me and everything will be fine." Race gave Hadji a thumbs up. "Got it?"
"Got it. This is definitely more along the lines of something Jonny would excel at rather than myself." Hadji exhaled, concentrating on his breathing.
Phil came over and joined the group. "Don't worry, Hadji, you'll be on the ground before you realize it."
When Hadji nodded to the Director, Phil disappeared again and when Jessie moved towards her own seat Race took the opportunity to follow his daughter.
Jessie concentrated on getting comfortable and pulling the shoulder straps over her bulky gear. Race knew his daughter felt his presence, but for some reason she had been distant with him the last day or so.
Squatting down in front of his only child, Race helped her adjust the shoulder straps. Drawing her attention up to him, he asked, "What's going on, Ponchita?"
"Nothing, dad," Jessie's reply was immediate and curt, but she didn't look at his eyes. "Just nervous jitters I suppose."
"From what I've heard and seen, you've handled your nerves extremely well up to this point, honey."
She shrugged in response, "If you say so. Thanks."
"Jess, what's going on? I know you must have a million different feelings coursing through you at the moment..."
"It's nothing, dad," Jessie cut him off. She finally met his gaze as she clicked her shoulder straps into the lap harness. Race blinked, but caught the slight waver in her eyes. Her eyes that were so much like her mother's. In a flash Jessie's emerald green eyes darted towards Jade and then back at her father. A less intuitive person would have missed it, but not Race.
"Is that what this is about?" He asked. He didn't want to start an argument with his daughter right now, but whenever the subject of Jade came up, Race knew there was bound to be emotional turmoil from all parties. "Don't worry about Jade, Ponchita."
Jessie shook her head a little, looked at her hands and then finally at her father. Race could see the conflict, but also the strength and determination in his daughter's eyes. "Dad, right now all I care about is Jonny. I may not like Jade being with us, but that's not my decision. Just promise me that when this is all over you'll think about what she did."
For a moment Race felt like he was speaking to Estella and not his daughter. His two redheads had more than genetic traits in common, that was for sure. The thought made Race smile. "Jessie, at the end of the day, you are the most important woman in my life." Race soothed. Jessie's features immediately softened. "And you always will be."
"Promise?" Jessie squeaked. Race could tell his daughter was a bundle of emotions, but he kept reminding himself that Jonny wasn't the only victim in this entire ordeal. His daughter had been a victim and the healing was going to take time for everyone, not just Jonny.
Standing up, Race leaned forward to kiss his daughter on the forehead. "I promise, beautiful."
Jessie smiled warmly; genuinely. Race adored his daughter's smile. As much as she needed to smile, he needed to see her do it. Jessie swished her head from side to side, pushing the strands of her ponytail back from her shoulders so she could place her helmet on.
"Love you, Ponchita." Race told his daughter.
"Love you too, dad." Jessie responded in kind.
When he was satisfied Jessie was settled, Race shot the two Quest men one last reassuring look. He could see the uneasiness in their mannerisms. Agent Altine was speaking to Hadji and Roberts was nodding at Phil as the Director walked by the group. The rear ramp of the aircraft whirred closed and Phil moved to his seat, giving Race the chance to speak to Jade one last time prior to take off.
Plopping down next to her, Race grunted as the threaded fabric groaned beneath his weight. Placing a gloved hand on her knee, squeezing, he drew her gaze to his. "How you holding up?"
"My nerves are bundled in a knot in my stomach," Jade answered, exhaling slightly as she did. "This is a new experience. I thought I'd pretty much done it all, but I guess not."
Race laughed. Leaning his forehead against Jade's temple, Race lowered his voice so only she could hear, "Just remember, don't worry about the rest of these guys, alright."
"It's a little hard not to when I'm surrounded by agents that would love to arrest me at the drop of a hat."
"I told you before, babe, stick with me. Let's get through this, get Jonny back and stop The Consortium. Everything after that will work itself out."
"If you say so, handsome." Jade smirked as she placed a hand on top of his that was still firmly planted on her knee.
"I do say so." Race whispered into her ear.
With a smile, Race planted a kiss on his lover's temple, his lips lingering just a moment longer than normal as he took in the sweet, intoxicating scent that wafted from her pores.
He had been so drawn to the woman that he barely registered the aircraft rolling down the runway in preparation for takeoff.
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Jessie's scowl deepened. Crossing her arms over her chest, she glared in the direction of her father and Jade. All of her father's reassurances a few minutes before were wiped away when Jessie saw him talking to the insufferable woman. Watching the pair engage in their hushed conversation, Jessie could only imagine what they were saying and when her father planted a kiss on the side of Jade's head, Jessie resisted the urge to scream.
Her eyes and mind were so focused on what she was seeing, she completely ignored Corbin as he sat down next to her. She vaguely registered her godfather's actions as he looked between her and the objects of her annoyance.
It wasn't until he smacked the back of her helmet with an open palm that she turned her attention towards him.
"What was that for?" Jessie scoffed, giving him an irritated look.
Phil didn't appear bothered by his goddaughter's demeanor. Instead he smiled and said, "You ready for what's ahead?"
Jessie nodded. Flexing her fingers a number of times, she attempted to turn her mind's focus back to the mission ahead of them. "Yes."
"Bullshit." Phil answered which caused Jessie to pause and turn her nose up at him.
"Excuse me?"
"Stop worrying about Jade and your dad over there." Phil said as he reached for the pouches on the front of Jessie's vest, grabbing one of her thirty-round magazines and flipping it over. "You're so focused on those two that you packed your mags incorrectly."
"Damnit." Jessie mumbled a little. "But how can I not?" She gestured a little towards the duo before beginning to readjust her rifle magazines.
"Your dad and Jade are going to do what they do, Jess," Phil offered as he took her rifle from her. Opening the breach he started checking the functionality of the weapon as he spoke, "you should know by now that's just how they are."
Jessie sneered. "How can my dad even trust her after what she did?"
"That's between him and her." Phil stated. Reconnecting the upper and lower receivers of her rifle, Phil ran a functions check on it before attaching the sound suppressor to the end of the barrel and handing it back to her. Jessie noted that each rifle, to include the ones the Czech's had, even though they were different types of weapons, all had silencers to aid in the stealth and surprise of the operation.
"Look at me, Jessie." Phil said once Jessie had her rifle back in her hands.
Jessie's gaze lingered on her dad for another second before she turned towards Phil. The serious look in his eyes made her blink. "What is it?"
"I need to know you're focused, Jess. You're on my team and I'm going to keep you safe, but I also need to know you can function independently in the event some shit goes down. Right now, I don't think you're focused on that."
With a sigh Jessie realized he was right. She wasn't focused. She was too concerned with her dad giving Jade a little kiss when she should be concentrating on the mission and Jonny. "I'm sorry, Phil. I'll get my mind straight."
"We don't have much time before we're over Dugger's coordinates." Phil explained. "But until then, just relax and focus on the task at hand."
Jessie gave him a firm nod. "Got it."
"Good," Phil smiled. Leaning back, he removed his helmet and set it on his lap so he could run his hands through his hair, scratching his scalp. Leaning over towards her, he grinned as he jerked his chin at Race, "but for the record, I get your feeling, Jessie."
Jessie smiled at Phil's statement. As the C-17 turned then picked up speed, Jessie leaned her head back and closed her eyes, feeling the aircraft lift from the ground.
"So have you thought any more about what you said about Jonny?" Phil asked once the plane was airborne.
"I'm trying not to think about that, Phil."
"One step at a time, huh?" Phil smirked, pulling on his gloves.
As quickly as the topic arose, Jessie desperately wanted to change the subject. She blurted out the first thing that came to mind. "So...you and Alena, huh?"
Phil cocked his head, giving her an unreadable look. "I thought we covered that already. My relationship with Alena was a long time ago."
"You know she still has feelings for you, right?" Jessie teased, elbowing him in the side of his body armor, directly over his ribs.
"We're still friends." Phil replied.
"Right," Jessie laughed. "What's your wife's name again?"
"Sarah." Phil mumbled. From the sound of his voice, Jessie assumed he was perturbed, but looking at his face, she could tell he was playing along with her. "Why?"
"Does Sarah know about Alena?"
"Does Jonny know about your past boyfriends?" Phil shot back with a grin.
"Not all of them." Jessie retorted, wiggling her finger at Corbin.
"So that answers your question." Phil chuckled.
"Nice one, Phil," Jessie shook her head with a grin. "Nice one."
"Like I keep saying, you Bannons are going to put me into an early grave." Phil laughed. Holding up his right hand, he balled it up into a fist and held it out to Jessie.
With a grin, Jessie mirrored Phil's gesture and bumped her fist against his. The next time Jessie's feet would be on solid ground, they'd be assaulting The Consortium's lair and rescuing Jonny.
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"That was harrowing." Jonny stated with a loud exhale.
"I know how to drive." Van Brandt growled as he steered the vehicle through the castle's gate. But Jonny picked up on the man's nervous tone and a quick glance at his hands showed the Brit had been latched onto the truck's steering wheel with a vice like grip.
As mother nature continued to blanket the area with snow, the drive up the pass to the mountain had been distressful for both men. The wheels of the truck slipped a number of times on hidden ice while Van Brandt pushed the engine to its max to get the truck safely to its final destination. Jonny had spied a few steep drop offs along the route with nothing but a guardrail and a spattering of pine trees to prevent them from tumbling over the edge.
The castle had been chosen for a number of reason, with its location on top of the steep mountainside cliffs being ideal for defense against an assault. Jonny knew that any men foolish enough to attempt an offensive attack against the fortress would be forced to fight an uphill battle through thick forests, deep snow, and sharp cliffs with over three hundred feet drops to the lake below.
Drifts of snow had been pushed to the edges of the courtyard, but the snow continued to fall and a thin blanket of fresh powder was already covering most of the ground. When Jonny jumped down from the cab of the truck, his boots sunk slightly into the snow and mud. If it didn't stop snowing soon, the entire courtyard would be a quagmire of mud and snow.
"What took you so long?"
Jonny turned at the sound of the voice. Scowling he watched Doctor Zin and the rest of the board members, minus Ezekiel Rage, emerge from the heavy wooden doors of the main building.
Moving to stand next to Van Brandt at the front of the truck, Jonny observed the interaction closely. He could see the agitation in Anaya's behavior, but if he hadn't of known about her and Temple's relationship he may have missed picking up on the signs of a distraught woman coming face to face with her lover's death.
Van Brandt shrugged with ease at Doctor Zin's inquiry. Jonny smirked a little. Just like Temple, Van Brandt didn't seem to be intimated by Doctor Zin. Or if he was, he hid it extremely well.
"Driving this vehicle half way across Europe and through wintry conditions delayed our arrival."
"Returning Temple's body was unnecessary." Zin grumbled with a wave at the truck.
"Father," Anaya mumbled, but said no more. To Jonny it was clear that Zin still didn't know about Anaya and Greg or that Anaya was pregnant.
"Unnecessary to you, perhaps," Van Brandt shot back, "however I made the man a promise."
Zin snorted. "When you are done dealing with his body, come see me in the operations center. We have much to discuss."
"Where's Rage?" Van Brandt asked, making no move to indicate the conversation was over.
"He's putting the final touches of the next set of devices." Julia replied before Zin could answer.
Jonny gave the woman a disgusted look. It wasn't her statement that bothered him, but Julia herself. He hadn't forgotten what she'd done to him, his hand moving to run his fingers over the scar that was almost completely healed on his cheek.
"I need to speak with Rage before we attempt another attack," Van Brandt was saying, drawing Jonny's attention back to the conversation at hand, "there were some issues with the attack in Mogadishu that we should work to rectify in order to obtain maximum effectiveness."
"Very well," Zin growled, "I look forward to your full report. I will send for Rage to meet us as well."
Spinning on his heel, Zin departed. Melana and Julia did the same, but Anaya hesitated for a slight moment. Jonny caught the look that passed between her and Van Brandt. The Englishman nodded to the Mongolian woman. Anaya did the same then turned and caught up with her father, sister and Julia.
"What was that about?" Jonny asked as they moved to the back of the truck. A few men had already gathered there to help with the transportation of Temple's body.
"We'll discuss later," Van Brandt replied. Jonny knew David didn't want to speak about Anaya and Greg in front of the others. "For now, let's get Temple's body down to the morgue so the doctor can prepare him for cremation."
"Alright." Jonny nodded solemnly.
Since their flight from Mogadishu, Jonny hadn't really stopped to think about what had happened and Temple's resulting death. But now that they were back at The Consortium's hideout, the totality of it all finally smacked Jonny in the chest like a sledgehammer. While he did have Van Brandt, it was obvious the man had his own agenda that took priority over Jonny's protection. So without Temple, Jonny was on his own. He'd do what he had to do to help Anaya, he owed that much to Temple, but once that was done, Jonny was going to have to decide what was best for him. He assumed Zin had plans for him, but was Jonny truly prepared to do Zin's bidding? Especially if it meant attacking his real father? Killing him? Following Temple had been one thing, but following Zin...Jonny wasn't sure that was what he'd signed up for when he joined The Consortium.
"Hey," Van Brandt snapped his fingers, bringing Jonny out of his thoughts.
"Sorry, got a little spacey there for a second." Jonny mumbled as he reached into his pocket and produced his key for the container lock and handed it over to the Brit.
"Remember what I told you before, Jonny. This isn't the place to let your mind wander and get 'spacey' as you say. Watch your back. Do you understand what I'm saying to you?"
"Yeah, I understand." Jonny nodded.
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Inhaling and exhaling, Jessie sucked in the oxygen through her mask and watched as the Czech Commandos line up one behind the other on the left side of the aircraft. The ramp opened. A gust of wind blew through the hold, forcing Jessie to reach forward and grip the back of Agent Roberts' vest. Jessie was thankful for the darkened visors; while she couldn't see anyone else's expression they also couldn't see hers. She felt a shaky hand on her shoulder. Looking back over her shoulder, she nodded at the masked figure behind her. She knew it was Hadji. He gave her a thumbs up, which Jessie promptly returned. Facing forward again, Jessie continued to concentrate on her breathing as she kept her eyes planted firmly on Roberts' back once again.
A light in the upper corner of the hold changed and the Air Force crew chief, standing near the ramp but secured to the aircraft's interior frame by a long rope like strap motioned with his arms towards the Czechs. Jessie watched with fascination and dread as the crew chief stepped aside to allow the Commandos to exit. To the redhead it appeared to be just another day at the office for these men as they jogged to the end of the ramp, throwing themselves out into the air and disappearing into the darkness of the night.
When the last Czech soldier had jumped, the crew chief came over and motioned to Race who was at the front of the remaining column. Jessie knew they'd be jumping as soon as the crew chief gave the signal. The plan was for Kulhanek's Commandos to land south of the castle and traverse the treacherous cliff face, a duty the men actually volunteered for; reasoning that no one would be expecting an attack force to scale the cliffs. The remaining team members, split between her dad and Corbin, would link up with Dugger and Velk who were currently in a hidden position observing the castle, spread out, then assault the castle from both side of the road.
It was dangerous, but the plan was to use the cover of night to aide each team with stealth. Dugger had reported that sentries patrolled the castle walls, but he assured Race and Phil he'd have their timing down by the time everyone landed.
The assault plan itself was relatively simple. The Czechs would secure the wall. Race's team, consisting of Jade, Agent Velk, and Agent Roberts would breach and search for Jonny. Phil's team, to include Jessie, Agent Dugger, and Agent Altine would search for Rage's biological weapons cache. Doctor Quest, Hadji, and Agent Reynolds would remain in reserve outside the castle's perimeter, waiting on standby in case they were needed.
The light changed again.
The crew chief signaled.
Jessie saw her father step to the side, waving the column forward. Reynolds was the first out the back of the aircraft. To Jessie, the rest was pretty much a blur. They all shuffled forward and before she knew it, Roberts launched himself outside. She felt Race's encouraging hand on her shoulder. Jessie inhaled, set her jaw beneath her oxygen mask and stepped forward.
The next thing she knew, she was falling through the night. The distance counter rattled off in her earpiece as she plummeted towards the earth in an attempt to reach terminal velocity and come in under The Consortium's radars or other detection methods the evil organization might have employed.
Jessie thought she'd be scared, but all of her fears had vanquished the moment she exited the aircraft. The rush that accompanied the freefall was unlike any that Jessie had felt before. Even when she'd gone skydiving in the past, the thrill she felt then didn't match what she felt now. Maybe it was the circumstances, maybe it was the additional weight of her gear and equipment, maybe it was the camaraderie she witnessed between her companions, and maybe it was because she was risking everything to save the love of her life, to save Jonny. No matter what the reasons, Jessie couldn't help but grin.
When the tone beeped in her earpiece, Jessie reached towards her chest and pulled the ripcord. The parachute deployed, jerking her body upright. Hands finding the risers, Jessie manipulated her chute as it caught in the wind. Pressing her knees and ankles together, Jessie braced for contact and a moment later, she was on the ground, the impact jarring her bones and muscles.
"Damn, what a ride." Jessie breathed, ready to get to work.
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"Anaya," Jonny spoke softly as he knocked on the Zin woman's door and pushed it open slightly.
"What is it?" Came the response. Jonny took it as an invitation to enter.
Stepping inside quickly, he shut the door behind him and moved across the room. Similar in size and style to Jonny's own room, he tried not to think about the time Temple might have spent here with Anaya. To think about it made Jonny miss his mentor and right now he didn't have time to mourn, at least not yet.
"Anaya," Jonny said the woman's name again as he stepped closer to her. She was seated cross legged on the edge of the bed. Her face was drained, worn. She looked crushed. When he was close enough, Jonny reached out and took her hand. It felt like the right thing to do, but it was still a strange feeling for him, comforting a woman that had at one time been his enemy.
"Anaya, I know." Jonny kept his voice low.
Her eyes shot to his and she inhaled sharply. Jonny felt her try to pull her hand out from his, but he held her tight. "How?" Her lips quivered.
"I overheard Greg and David talking." Jonny confessed. "But I want to help. I know Van Brandt is planning to help. But I wanted to tell you that Greg fought to the bitter end. He really did. I know he wanted to come back to you."
"I wish he'd never gone. I wish he had stood up to my father right then." Anaya shook her head. "Now I don't know what to do."
"We'll get you out of here. Just stay positive, okay?" Jonny smiled a little. "We'll think of something."
Anaya stared at him for a few moments. He could tell she was studying him, wondering if he was sincere. He couldn't blame her, it had to be difficult for her, just like it was difficult for him. But if nothing else they were bound to each other thanks to Temple.
"Why are you helping me?" Anaya asked after a few seconds.
"I told you, I owe it to Greg. And honestly, Anaya, I can tell that you of all people realize that things are not going to get better around here. Get out while you still can."
"What about you?"
Jonny shrugged. Wearing one of his goofy lop-sided grins, he replied, "I'll figure something out. But for now, I better get back to the ops center before someone notices I'm not there. We'll talk more soon, okay?"
Anaya nodded. "I'm going to go see him. Temple I mean."
He nodded as he dropped her hand. "I understand."
When he reached the door, he heard Anaya call out his name. "Jonny."
Looking back, he said, "Yeah?"
"Thank you. I mean it. Thank you, Jonny." Anaya stated.
Without saying any more, Jonny nodded back at the pregnant woman. Seconds later he was out the door and heading down the hall to meet back up with Van Brandt.
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Once all the parachutes, oxygen tanks, masks and straps were secured and hidden, Phil waved the others to him. Everyone had landed safely in the small field. Kulhanek had already checked in via radio to report his team was on the ground and moving towards the cliff.
Moving into the wood line of the forest that surrounded the small field, Phil peered into the darkness for a second, then reached into a pouch on his vest. Grabbing his night vision goggles, he attached them to the mount on his helmet and lowered the optics over his eyes. From the corner of his eyes, he saw Race doing the same while everyone else loaded their weapons as quickly and quietly as possible.
Dugger's voice whispered into Phil's earpiece. "We see you. Approaching your position now from the north."
Phil kept his weapon tucked into the pocket of his shoulder as he knelt down into the snow. Leaning against the closest tree, he saw Race raise his rifle in the direction Dugger stated. Roberts, Altine, and Reynolds completed the perimeter of their little circle with Hadji, Benton, and Jessie in the middle.
Dugger and Velk were big men, but they moved with a cat like grace through the snow. Moments later, they were kneeling in front of Phil and Race.
Lifting his goggles, Phil greeted his two agents with a smile. "Good to see your ugly mugs."
"Likewise, boss." Dugger smacked Corbin on the shoulder. Then he turned towards Race and said, "You too, Bannon. Glad to see you back on your feet."
"Glad to be back on my feet, Dug. Now I'm ready to get this over with."
"We all are, brother." Dugger said. "We've been freezing our balls off out here."
Phil turned a little so the two men could enter the circle. They looked cold, but to their credit they weren't actually complaining. Reynolds pushed his assault pack towards Dugger, indicating the additional gear and ammo he carried for the two men.
Before they shrugged into their new clothing, Benton saddled up to them. Reaching into his vest, he withdrew the case where he carried the vaccines for both men. Setting it down in the snow, he carefully pulled the first needle, already filled with the serum, and removed the cap. Dugger grimaced, causing Phil to smirk. It appeared the big Cajun didn't like needles, at least the medical kind. His tattoos indicating he didn't mind hours of torturous pain under those types of needles. Dugger pushed his sleeve up and Benton injected him. Next Benton did the same for Velk using a new needle.
"To protect against exposure to the plague." Benton breathed. Replacing the caps on both syringes, the Doctor placed them back in the hard plastic case and stowed it away in his vest.
Injections received, Phil watched as the two men quickly donned some warmer clothing, white and black camouflage similar to what everyone else wore then put their vests back on over their new jackets. Next they strapped on their helmets, secured fully loaded magazines into their pouches and attached suppressors to the ends of their rifles. Finally, they took a moment to tear into a pouch of beef jerky Velk had pulled out of the bag.
"Alright, everyone gather around." Phil stated when the two I-1 agents were ready. "We move up together and wait till Kulhanek signals they've started their climb. Once we have the castle in sight we'll branch off into our separate teams. Dug, you're with me. Matt with Bannon. Weapons checks now. We want to keep surprise and stealth on our side as long as possible. Only use deadly force if you have no other choice, only exception is Jonny. If someone surrenders or is unarmed, use your flex-cuffs, secure them and move on. Once Jonny is secured and the weapons are located, we'll consolidate, regroup, and get Jonny back to his dad at the rally point. After that, we'll figure out what to do with everyone else. Any questions?"
When there were none, Phil gave each individual a firm look. Finally he said, "Alright. We move out in five. Let's do this."
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To Be Continued...