Chapter 29: The Calm before the Storm

September 9, 2018

1900 hours Hereford

"Contact! Left side!" A soldier shouted

"Watch the flank!" another called

The sound of rifles filled the air, smoke was covering the battlefield obscuring vision, bodies and spent brass littered the floor. It was a stalemate neither side wanting to give. Bullets made the air crack in protest as they flew by. The soldiers were covering a couple of suits from the gunfire.

"Get the extract here now!" a third soldier called

A round went through the left side of her chest. She fell to the floor with a hard thud.

"Fuck! Close that hole we can't have them getting through!" the first shouted

The second soldier quickly covered that angle gunning anyone down in his path. The enemy continued to push and overwhelm the group of soldiers. Finally the soldiers began to crack they started to give up ground until they were at the end of the corridor with no escape. They fought until their sidearms ran dry. The enemy tossed a frag into the shoddy fortifications killing everyone in the vicinity.

"Sonva Bitch!" Jordan shouted as the simulation ended

"Shitty performance, get over to the briefing room we'll discuss what went wrong." Mike talked over the group of operators.

Rainbow was still having problems they failed to extract their VIPs yet again. Mike had been pushing the team extra hard he was unrelenting. The ops were extra tired after running sims all day, Mike was basically holding them hostage. Most flopped down into the chairs of the briefing room. Even the more resilient members such as Elias and Meghan were feeling the fatigue.

"That run was better but it isn't hard improve on garbage." Mike started

"Mike, dude you have ran us into the dirt with this. We are all very tired and we need a break, I know you have to be getting tired just like us." Jordan replied

Mike was feeling tired but he and the team needed to get a strategy down before the meeting that was rapidly approaching. "After this we'll call it a night, from your perspectives what do you see as issues?"

"For starters we are entirely outmatched in numbers. We don't have enough man power to hold off long enough for extraction. Without fail we manage to run out of ammunition to fight just because of how many there are attacking the building." Lera was the first to comment

"Also you get us caught up in tight corridors for extraction and there not a lot room to maneuver around enemy. Unless you are wanting us to fuck up the building more and create our own flanking routes, then that requires everyone to carry det cord or even C4." Meghan stated her opinion

Mike nodded at the feedback from the team

"We need reinforcements from the military just so we can have a chance to somewhat even the numbers. Otherwise we will fail if there is an attack. As for the ammo issue, we could have ammo cans filled with magazines stashed by at each section that could help minimize the chances of running dry or at least stall it off for a little longer." Elena casted her opinion and then yawned

"On top of that what if we added some of our defensive shields at the ammo can stations so this way we are a little more fortified and can hold the sectors easier. I could have a couple of my barricades at each station in case we need to block a line of sight. It wouldn't be the best but it would buy time and it would relieve pressure off the shields." Miles spoke up

"We could also consolidate the teams a little more, right now we are really spread out trying to cover more ground than we actually can. Maybe teams of four or reduce our outside presence to reinforce the teams in the building." Mark chimed in

"Miles make up a diagram or a map and we'll figure out the fine print together." Miles nods to Mike's command. Mike looked to Morowa and Gilles. "What do you think Morowa and Gilles?" Mike asked

"The others pretty much hit the nail on the head, the only thing I could suggest is that we have all of us with shields to be in the building so we can push the hostiles back. I would also like for us using shields mainly Elias, to have a mod for his shield so he can have a machine pistol because a handgun isn't going to cut it." Gilles commented

"I have to agree with Gilles. We need more options to push the hostiles back. Whether that's through pure firepower or by tactics." Morowa added

"We will make some of these adjustments tomorrow. You all should get some rest. Dismissed." Mike replied to all of the criticism

All of the operators quickly left the briefing room wanting to rest. They all let out sighs of relief when they left the briefing room. Fletcher escorted Meghan to her room. Both were very tired, Meghan opened her door and offered for him to come in. He accepted and they both sat down on her bed. Meghan let out a soft groan as she stretched her body.

"I wish Mike wouldn't push us so hard, I'm stiff from sitting in the simulators all day" She complained

Fletcher smiled "I know, I really wanted to go for a run today and workout." Fletcher also stretched

"A run would be nice right now" Meghan replied and yawned

"You sound like you would pass out in the middle of it" Fletcher gave a small chuckle

She smiled and rubbed her neck trying to loosen up her muscles.

"I could give you a massage if you wanted"

Meghan took his offer into deep consideration, she didn't get her chance to work out today either. She felt like her entire body was locked up. "That would be nice." She replied

"Alright I need to grab a few things from my room, I'll be right back" Fletcher kept his smile

It wasn't long for Fletcher to come back with a foam roller that had some small studs on it, he was also carrying bottle of what looked like an oil. Meghan gave her usual warm smile.

"Okay, take your shirt off and lay face down and I'll get started." Fletcher smiled at her

She gave him a look of slight concern, she didn't like the idea of taking her shirt off.

"I'm not going to do anything without your consent you don't have to take off your shirt if you don't want to." Fletcher reaffirmed

"No funny business Fletch or I'll beat your ass" She replied sternly

Fletcher chuckled and smiled "I know, I wouldn't dare try anything you weren't comfortable with"

Meghan turned her back and took off her shirt before laying down on her bed. She rested her arms under her head as she carefully watched him from the corner of her eye. He carefully took in every detail of her, even her back had a lot of muscle definition. Her sleeves went all the way up to her shoulders, it was perfect symmetry. He found it unusually attractive. He focused on her back again, he could almost identify every muscle. He grabbed the roller and he put almost all of his weight on it and he rolled it down her back crushing all of her muscles. Her back cracked a lot at least ten times, he went all the way down her legs stopping just before her ankles. She let out a soft groan as her entire body felt decompressed.

"That feels amazing." She commented with a smile

Fletcher kept his smile as he performed smaller and quicker rolls on her upper back, relieving the pressure on her shoulders. She closed her eyes as he did his work, they were both unusually quiet. The tension in the room could have been cut with knife. Fletcher felt a little uncomfortable so he started whistling a tune. She opened her right eye and looked at him.

"Not tense are you" She smiled

He let out a huff of amusement "Yeah a little bit." He paused his sentence for a second as he moved to her lower back. "My trainer used to do this to me"

"Oh yeah?" she replied before closing her eyes again

"Yeah, if I had a rough match or an intense workout he would loosen me up and we would discuss my fight" Fletcher spoke as he took her one arm and stretched it out before running the roller over her triceps

She was loving this, she watched him as he tended to her tense body with care "You let another dude give you a message?" she asked with a teasing smile

"Yes I did, now it wasn't anything intimate like you are thinking of." Fletcher smiled and he started working on her other arm.

She kept her teasing smile "Did he give a happy ending?" she asked trying to contain her laughter

Fletcher smiled "no he charged extra for those" he started working on her hamstrings with the roller

She chuckled and she watched him, she hadn't seen him quite like this. His eyes showed great care as he worked her muscles over. She couldn't help but continue to smile, she thoroughly enjoyed this side of him over his more intense side. He was doing magic to loosen up her muscles. He finally finished with the roller and he put some oil on his hands and he started up by her neck, he pressed his thumbs into the back of her neck. She let out a soft groan as he slowly worked her neck muscles.

"What was it like to be in the MMA?" She asked

"It was different but it was kind of fun, I wasn't good enough to get into the UFC but it certainly was entertaining. Even if I lost it was fun, it was nice to learn how to be a competent fighter." He smiled and worked a lower on her neck getting closer to her shoulders. The room fell silent again and he didn't really like that so he kept the conversation rolling "What was like trying out for the Olympics?" he asked

"Difficult. I had no time for a social life aside from school and the swim team. If you even want to call that a social life. It kind of sucked, but I was so damn competitive. I couldn't let go." She replied

"You being competitive? There's no way, absolutely no way that you were being competitive." His voice was filled with sarcasm and a smile on his face

She just smiled "I was pretty good, I placed first at the national meet two times in a row and still hold the record."

"That's pretty impressive, why didn't you go to the Olympics?" he asked curiously

He could see some anger in her face "I was on the way to the try outs for the team and some jackass T-boned me, it fucked arm and I had to give up my Olympic dream. I don't think I have ever been so depressed in my life. I was so upset that I couldn't swim in the Olympics and I didn't leave my room for a week. Mom did everything she could, she enticed me with food, games, puzzles all kinds of stuff. She even found a way to make the house smell like chlorine" She chuckled "even then I didn't bother because I knew I would never be able to swim like I used to."

He looked at her with sympathy, he never had to give up something like that. He started working on her lower back. "Well you got a pretty shitty deal there. At least you were able to recover and join a new team that is way more badass" Fletcher smiled

She smiled "Yeah, I guess in the end it was better for me. I made a lot friends over my career it's nice to have a social life and a romantic one too."

Fletcher smiled and he got his hands on either of her hips "it is nice to be in a relationship again." He squeezed her hips and wiggled his fingers

She nearly folded in half and she grabbed his wrists out of reflex as she softly giggled "Sthahap" she squeezed out

She was lucky that he was in a merciful mood and he stopped. He had a smile on his face "I'm done so you can put your shirt on"

He grabbed her blue shirt and tossed it over her head as he put his roller and oil next the desk in her room. She felt much better and much looser. She almost felt like jello because of how loose she was. He sat down next to her on the bed with a smile.

"Better?" he asked

"Much" she replied and she felt his arm snake around her waist

She smiled at him and she kept her hand close to his to ensure she could escape his grasp if he were to try and tickle her more. She moved a little closer to him, she could see the fatigue on his face.

"How would you feel about staying here tonight?" She asked smiled

He looked at her with a rather charming and devious smile "You want me to sleep with you?" he asked

She shook her head with a smile "Just answer the question" she replied

"How about you answer my question first." He countered with his smile

She hit him in the gut "Just answer my question and quit being a dick" she was smiling

He flinched at the hit but he kept that smile "C'mon why don't you want to answer?" he continued to tease

She hit him again playfully "Just answer my question Fletch, or I'm going to beat your ass."

He chuckled "I'll stay here, since you desperately want me to sleep with you" he kept his smile

She shook her head as he left to change and get a few things. She went to her half bath and she looked at herself in the mirror and smiled. Her plan to get him to stay worked and she profited a massage out of it. She normally wasn't one to badger other people into doing what she wanted, but she really wanted to break him out of his shell. It was maybe five minutes before he came back in, wearing sweat pants and t shirt. He smiled at her as she walked out of the bathroom in her PJs. They both crawled into bed, Meghan smiled at him before turning out the light. She turned on her side facing him and she was out like a light. Fletcher on the other hand didn't have that same luck. He stared at the ceiling as he normally did before he fell asleep, however his mind wouldn't let him sleep. He stared at the ceiling waiting for his eyes to tire out and finally close. He stared for fifteen minutes before he got tired of looking at the ceiling. He had a feeling that this was going to happen. He shifted so he was on his left side and sigh. He looked at Meghan sleeping peacefully. The moonlight softly caressed her face, the golden strands of her hair glowed in the soft light of moon. He adored her. Her face looked ever so angelic in the moon light. He saw and ever so slight smile on her face. He returned the smile, he couldn't help but admire her. He softly stroked her cheek with his thumb making sure not to wake her. Part of him wanted to get out of the bed and go back to his room, but he didn't want to hurt her feelings or wake her. He tried to think of ways to sleep, the only way that he knew would be to sleep with his eyes open. Otherwise his mind wouldn't let him sleep. He flipped on his back and stared up at the ceiling. He took a breath and did his best to quiet his mind. He let his mind go blank and he interlocked his fingers over his torso and his mind finally went to sleep as his eyes continued to stare at the ceiling.

September 10, 2018

Hereford, 0730 hours

Meghan was the first to wake up of the two, she took a breath and stretched her arms before cascading into a yawn. She looked over to the other person in her bed. She was a little worried seeing his eyes open and that he wasn't moving an inch. She saw his stomach rise slowly and she relaxed. She nudged his arm

"Fletch it's time to get up" She spoke softly

He inhaled and blinked five or six times to get a little more moisture in his eyes. She gave him a concerned look.

"Did you even sleep?" she asked

"Yeah, I just slept with my eyes open." He replied calmly as he sat up and but his back to the headboard

"Why?" She asked slightly intrigued and a little worried, she doesn't like the fact that he isn't getting sleep.

"Well I wasn't going to be able to sleep otherwise, my mind doesn't like that I'm in someone else's bed with someone other than myself." He replied as he looked at her

She nodded quietly and she too sat up and put her back to the headboard. He looked at her expecting a reply.

"You're not upset are you?" he asked almost timidly

"No I'm not, I know you can't help it. It's just frustrating." Meghan replied with a soft smile

"I know, but I did it to myself by not taking a break between deployments." He replied

Meghan pulled him into a hug feeling somewhat sympathetic towards him. Both of their phones went off breaking the embrace. They got the same message, saying that simulations were called off for the day thanks to Gustave. They both had a look of relief on their faces as they both needed to make up for the physical activity that they missed yesterday. He smiled at her

"Well do you want to hit the gym now that our day is opened up?" He asked stretching his arms

"Let's start with a run, then we'll hit the gym and go for a swim after that." Meghan replied

"You really want to do an Iron man today?" he chuckled

"Why not? It's an excellent workout. You will enjoy it." she added with a smile before getting out of bed. "Now get changed I want to get started" She added before heading into the bathroom

Fletcher went back to his room to get into his workout clothes. Meghan had met him at his dorm, together they went outside to run the perimeter of the base. Surprisingly a large amount of the team was out there as well. They were all running in groups of two. Fletcher and Meghan started at a brisk jog. The land around Hereford was quite beautiful, the hills were covered in green luscious grass. The morning air was nice, it was warm and comforting there was still the slight chill in the British air. The sky was the typical grey overcast threatening to rain. They were running on a gravel path. They passed a platoon of SAS out for their morning run. Fletcher and Meghan kept a good pace both barely huffing yet. Both were enjoying the strain on their legs as they continued their run. They both heard some quick feet catching up to them Fletcher was the first to look back. It was none other than Mitchell running at almost top speed, just a step behind him was Eliza. It didn't take long for the two speedsters to pass them.

"Careful Mitch, she's going to catch you" Fletcher spoke up

He only saw a bird coming from his little brother which made him smile. They were only half way around the base, fatigue was starting to set in for the two. Tina and Sebastian were jogging together when Fletcher and Meghan caught up to them.

"How can you guys wear those beanies on a morning jog?" Fletcher asks between breaths Seb

Seb just chuckles at the question "How can you operate with that long ass hair?"

Fletcher just nodded in return satisfied with answer despite it being a question. Meghan and Fletcher jogged on past them. He was a little surprised that Meghan wasn't trying to race him to the finish. He figured that she didn't want to push herself incase if an op popped up. He knew that she would want to compete with him in the weight room once they got there. She really enjoyed this run, she normally wasn't the one for cardio but after being in a simulator for almost ten hours straight changed her thoughts on running. It was another thirty minutes before they got to the end of their course. Both were starting to pant, He smiled

"I was surprised you didn't want to race to the finish." He spoke between breaths

She smiled back "I would lose you got those damn giraffe legs one step for you is like two for me."

He chuckled and nudged her shoulder "c'mon let's hit the weight room" he replied

"How about breakfast then weight room." Meghan countered

"Sounds good" Fletcher replied


They went to the mess hall to grab some chow. Meanwhile Mike was in Six's office, he was visibly upset. They were talking about New York and the simulations.

"Mike how are the preparations coming along for New York?" Six asked as she was filling out a variety of forms

"Not good, we just don't have the numbers. I don't know if you can convince one of the military officers to station a garrison at the UN building or not, but we need the extra man power or something." Mike sighed "No matter how we rack our brains over it we still can't get ahead and get the VIPs out. We need something to help us out." He added

Six looked at him "I'll see what I can do about getting a garrison on standby. Just let them have their day away from the sims today then crackdown tomorrow with changes. What else do you have for me?" she asked

"Ma'am I'm genuinely worried about this, if the Masks pull off an attack to this scale we will lose people and New York will be lost again. I know I'm not the one to call for help but we are going to need it." Mike continued

"Mike I understand your concern, but the QRF on standby is going to be able to bail us out if we need it. Remember Mike this is a huge what if, we don't even know if there will be an attack. Keep that in mind Mike, I know we plan for worst case. But you need to consider that there may not be an attack." Six replied as she looked at him

Mike nodded quietly, digesting what was said. Six went back to her forms finishing them up.

"How badly are we losing?" Six asked

"Badly, we have gotten it down to two VIPs but we still can't hold it. There are too many variables at play. If we get the garrison we have a better chance of holding it and getting all of the VIPs out." Mike continued to repeat himself

Six nodded "alright Mike, you're dismissed."

Mike left the office, he was still uneasy about the whole ordeal. He had been working himself just as hard as everyone else trying to draw battle plans with a variety of the elder ops of Rainbow. He ran his hand back across his full head of hair and let out a sigh as he walked down the hall. He liked Six but he thought she was being a little naïve to think that the Masks wouldn't attack. He got back to the briefing room and yet again he was stuck looking at the layout for the UN building. He shook his head he couldn't find a way to keep the team and the VIPs alive. He rested his head on his hand and sighed as reexamined the layout for what felt like the billionth time.

1300 hours Hereford

Meghan and Fletcher had pushed themselves close to their limits in the weight room trying to outdo the other. Meghan of course was able to convince Fletcher to go for a swim with her. She was already changed and wearing her swim suit under a pair of sweats and a shirt. She wanted to talk to Gustave about her special friend. She made her way to the infirmary

"Hey Gus?" She called out from the lobby

She hear Gustave come out to meet her in the lobby of the infirmary. He had his usual glowing smile.

"What can I do for you today Meghan?" He asked

"I wanted to talk to you about Fletcher" she spoke in a somewhat soft tone

"What's going on with him?" Gustave asked taking a seat behind his desk

"His usual, no sleeping or having trouble sleeping. I was wondering if there was anything that you could do for him." Meghan added

"Hmm, there isn't much I can do to permanently rectify the issue but I can help alleviate some of the symptoms." Gustave continued as he looked to her

"Last night he had to sleep with his eyes open because I was in the room with him. I'm worried that if he can't sleep correctly that it might affect the team and how we perform. Could you prescribe him maybe? Or something?" She asked

"I'm not very keen on prescribing a sedative because they aren't sleeping well. I can talk to Harry to see if he would talk to Fletcher about his sleeping problems." Gustave continued

"Gus, come on you and I both know that Fletch is going to want to talk to Harry about his problems. Or anyone who is a pencil pusher for that matter." Meghan replied

Gustave chuckled "I guess you are right, I will only medicate him now and one more time before New York. It won't be nothing heavy, maybe a small dosage of Valium." He added

"Ok, we are going for a swim here in a few minutes. Maybe do it after, don't forget to take him off the active roster for today." She replied

"I won't, I must say you two are getting quite close." He smiled slyly "Is there anything I should know about?" he asked

Meghan smiled softly "That's none of your business." She wagged her finger at him

He just smiled and leaned back in his chair and folded his arms across his chest. "Have him stop by here after you two get done with your swim and I will give him a light sedative. Now he will be drowsy and feel loopy so maybe keep an eye on him to make sure he doesn't hurt himself. He should be pretty wore out with you taking him through all of those workouts." He smiled

"I'll do that Gus" Meghan replied with a smile

With that Meghan left the room and made her way down to the pool. She opened the door and looked in and surprisingly Fletcher was there before her. She could finally see all of the wounds he endured, most of the scars were faded she could see the skin around his ribs looked really rough she figured it was from all of the times he had his ribs broken or from his fights. He was wearing cloth shorts waiting for her. She walked over to him with a warming smile on her face. He smiled back and she stripped down to her swim suit and looked at him.

"Are you ready?" she asked

"Yup, tell me what we are going to do and let's get to it." He replied

She could tell he was tired or at least fatigued, she had put him through the wringer so far today. Meghan quickly explained what they were doing and how they were doing it. She put her swimmer's cap on and dove in. Fletcher on the other hand dropped in and they began their second aerobic exercise of the day. They swam back and forth repeatedly one lap after another. Fletcher was doing the best he could to keep up with Meghan. He was two or so laps behind despite his ability to swim he still wasn't nearly as quick as she was. He could have sworn she was a fish. Meghan was hoping for a bit of a challenge but she quickly found out that that wasn't going to happen she kept going and going making sure to keep a solid lead over her counterpart. She made it through her swim in around an hour, she pulled herself up out of the water and she watched him finish. He got up out of the water and sat next to her breathing heavily, his hair was more than drenched. She looked at his left shoulder and she saw the Airborne Ranger patch tattooed into it. She smirked

"You alright? I know you Rangers don't like the water all that much but you seemed to have done pretty well." She chirped

He flipped her off and smiled "piss off" replied breathily

She chuckled and popped off her cap and shook her hair loose as he collected himself. She took a good look at him she could see a lot of his wounds, he had two bullet holes right beneath his heart. He had a gash on his chest, she could just barely see the bullet hole on his leg. She looked at his back and she could see the exit wounds from his chest wounds. She thought about how lucky she was, and that she had only been shot once. She contemplated on some of her fallen brothers. She thought about how lucky she was that she was alive. She didn't notice how much time she spent staring at his wounds nor did she notice him looking at her.

"It's only because of luck that I am here and not rotting away in Arlington." He spoke softly as if he had read her mind

She looked at him and nodded "And fate" she replied

He nodded "You good?" he asked

"Yeah, where did you get all of these?" she asked looking at him

He chuckled "from all over the world." He smiled

She gave an unimpressed look "That's not what I meant, seriously how did you get these?"

"It's classified, on a need to know basis. You don't need to know quite yet Meg." He smirked

She sighed softly "can I feel one of them?" she asked skeptically

"Knock yourself out." He responded rather calmly

She timidly reached over to his chest, the room was dead quiet aside from the water softly washing up on the walls of the pool. Her finger tips softly grazed the old wound, the skin felt soft as if it were new almost. It was indented as well, she was fascinated by the texture of the wound. She ran her thumb across the gash on his chest, it was barely two inches wide. She scooted closer to him to the point their legs were touching. He was watching her carefully, her eyes were dilated. He secretly enjoyed this, he felt her hands go down his torso feeling his ribs. Her hands were so soft, he felt her lean in and he looked at her and she pulled him into a kiss. She could feel him recoil a little just before he melted back into her. She slowly pushed him down onto the concrete before she straddled him. She kept him down as they continued to make out. His hands travelled down her body and he softly gripped her ass. She gave a soft moan in gratitude, her hands travelled down his body taking in every inch of his skin. Meghan was thrilled to finally be doing this with him. Fletcher was enjoying as well but something in the back of his head was screaming at him. He managed to suppress this feeling in the back of his head. He was focused on the woman that was in front of him. He put all of his energy to focus on her. However that feeling in the back of his head came back screaming at him louder to the point he couldn't ignore it. He pushed up on her shoulders, she fought him for a minute thinking nothing of it, and he felt like he couldn't breathe. He gave a little harder of a shove and she finally realized that he was trying to get up. She quickly stopped and got off of him, he was breathing heavily. Her mind switched gears quickly she was immediately concerned.

"Are you alright?" she asked quickly feeling a slight tinge guilt.

He was breathing kind of hard, he was trying to breathe his body was fighting him. "Fletch, breathe. Look at me, relax."

He quickly got up and scampered off without a word. He was having an anxiety attack. He couldn't hardly breathe. He made it to the infirmary, Gustave was there in the front of the office. Fletcher walked in the door gasping for air. Gus was quick to take him to the back and get him sat down on a table. He started a breathing exercise as he took a small syringe of valium. He waited for Fletcher to calm down. Gustave looked at him and looked him in the eye.

"You good? Can you breathe?" Gustave asked in a calm matter

"Yeah, I have been through a lot of attacks but that's a new one." He replied breathlessly

"Well, it seems you had an anxiety attack. Just keep doing that breathing exercise and relax. I'm going to give a light sedative called Valium." Gustave spoke calmly as he pricked Fletcher with the needle. "Now avoid operating heavy machinery, strenuous physical activity, and alcohol for at least 12 hours. I also have to put on a temporary disabled list due to the side effects of this drug." He informed quickly

Fletch nodded in return and ran his hand over his head as he tried to calm his nerves. He getting air back in his lungs. Gustave sat down on a stool and looked at Fletcher with curiosity. "What were you doing before you came in here?" the good doctor asked

"I was swimming with Meghan and we after we were done we took a break and the attack just hit out of nowhere." He replied

Gustave knew he was lying "Well your attack had to have something to instigate it. Just tell me the truth. You know once you're in one of these room patient confidentiality takes over. I legally can't tell anyone. I'm also trying to avoid sending you to Harry because you're likely to rip him a new one." Gustave spoke in calm and demanding tone

He could see embarrassment in his eyes "Gustave I would rather not tell you about what happened." Fletcher replied again

Gustave wasn't happy that Fletcher wasn't going to tell him what happened. It was also his choice "Alright, this shot will help keep you calm and prevent another possible attack."

Fletcher was just happy that Gustave was dropping the subject. The doctor took a short breath "Now I know you suffer from night terrors and what not but seeing as this is new I really suggest that you talk to Harry about your issues and try to get them under wraps. I know you don't like psychologists or people who look, act, or even smell like a spook but you need to trust him and talk to him."

Fletcher let out an aggravated sigh "Alright I'll go see him soon, maybe not today but tomorrow or something"

"Good because I will be checking to make sure you do." Gustave replied

Fletcher nodded as he could feel the sedative start to effect on his mind and body. "Thanks Doc, I'll see you later"

With that he left the infirmary, he was kicking himself for having an attack. He figured that Meghan was feeling terrible about herself. He went back to the pool to grab his other clothes Meghan was long gone.

"Damn it" he sighed angrily

He walked off to get a shower, he was pissed at himself. He leaned against the wall of the shower with his arm acting as a pillow. He sighed again.

"Damn it Fletch, now what's wrong with you?" he asked himself again

The water pelted his body, he closed his eyes as the warm water flowed down his body. He could really feel the sedative now, he was starting to feel loopy and his thoughts were coming more slowly to him. Not to mention they were quite random, His eyes felt heavy. He quickly finished his shower trying to keep from totally succumbing to valium. After he got dressed he stumbled up to Meghan's room. He knocked on the door seeing if Meghan was there. She opened door and she could see the tired look on his face. She was holding a towel and drying her hair, she was wearing her typical sweats and a hoodie. Fletcher's hair was damp and it looked a little knotted. He was in a t shirt and shorts and wearing his old dirty tennis shoes. She had a guilty look in her eyes. She motioned for him to come in. He walked in the door and sat down on her bed. She sat down next to him.

"Are you ok?" she asked her voice riddled with guilt.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Gustave said I had an anxiety attack. Then he gave me a sedative." He followed with a yawn

"Fletch I'm sorry I caused your attack" Meghan apologized avoiding his look

"Don't be sorry, I honestly didn't expect it to happen. It's not your fault Meg." He wrapped his arm around her shoulders

"Well, I feel bad because I caused you to have an attack." She was forced to lean into him as he pulled her close, she continued to dry her hair.

"I know, but you need to quit worrying about it. I'm fine, just need to find the root of that problem and deal with it." He replied "Don't feel bad Meg, I do that enough for the both of us."

She gave a small huff "That's the truth." She took a good look at him, she could tell he was tired but she figured it was the drug. "Well the good thing is, is that you will be getting some sleep at least"

"Yeah that's true." He chuckled softly "Do you mind if I stay here for a little bit, I might crash out. That drug he hit me with is ridiculous." He yawned again

She gave a soft smile "Yeah that would be fine. Just relax."

"I will tell you what though, you are quite a good kisser." He smiled

She smiled as he pulled her close. He let her go after giving her a small hug and he laid out on her bed. His eyes finally gave in and he fell asleep. She still felt guilty about giving him an attack, she sighed and looked at him. She softly smiled before leaving the room and heading down to the mess hall.

Hereford 1500 hours

The team was thoroughly enjoying their time out of the simulators. Most were at the range shooting their real guns. Mike was also there surprisingly, working with one of the younger recruits. He was doing his best coach him and help improve his accuracy. Seamus couldn't help but chuckle at the old man, he was always helping the younger generation. He thought about when he went through selection and Mike didn't have a beard and was even more of a hard ass than what he was now. He enjoyed the old man's company as he did bring a lot of wisdom to the table and conversations. He cleared his L85 and walked over to observe the recruits shooting. It was good but still wasn't quite enough to get in Rainbow.

"FNG, you best be writing things down. That old guy knows what he's talking about." Seamus smiled knowing it would bring a reaction out of Mike

"I could still whip your arse despite my age." Mike rebutted

"You said that in selection and I put you on the ground mate" Seamus replied trying to irk the old man as much as he could.

"It's only because I let you lass" Mike replied with the slightest smirk "Now shut up and let me help this lad."

Seamus walked on and put his L85 back in his cage. He looked over to Mike's cage and saw his phone light up with a call. The name on the phone looked important, he quickly punched in Mike's code and grabbed the phone and he rushed back to the range. Mike was still helping the young recruit. Seamus tapped Mike's shoulder and handed him his phone. There were four missed calls from the same person. Mike took the phone and walked out of the room leaving Seamus to deal with the recruit and called his friend in MI-6.

"Mac what's going on?" Mike asked

"Mike, have you heard about some freighters that have gone missing on the coast of China?" Macmillan replied

"No haven't heard anything about, do I need to get my team together?" Mike asked

"No, we haven't found one, yet. I was wondering if your organization could track one down." Mac continued

"How many are missing? Have you check with the CIA or Interpol?" Mike asked

"Around 7 or so just up and disappeared into the pacific. No I haven't yet, news just hit us today. We have a lot teams working on tracking these boats down." Mac replied

"Jesus, how can one lose track of seven boats? Why are you interested in ships missing in the ocean anyway?" he asked

"Well one of them was ours they were hauling scrap or something and the crew was abandoned in China. They were arrested a couple of days ago for being in a restricted area. The Chinese filed extradition papers and the embassy took them in. Which is why we are just finding out about this." Mac replied

"I'll have my boss call you and have her talk to you about it." Mike replied and he hung up. He immediately called Six

"What's going on Mike?" She asked

"One of my old friends in MI-6 says that there are missing boats and you should call him to get the details." He quickly informed he fed her the number. "His name is Captain Macmillan."

"Alright Mike I'll give him a call" Six replied and hung up before making the phone call.

Mike sighed and shook his head. He knew who stole the boats, even if it was just a hunch it was pretty obvious. "Sonva bitch" he spoke quietly to himself.

He had never been so anxious and stressed in his career. This possible threat was terrible and looming. Ever since they started training for guarding the UN building he had this pit in his stomach that refused to go away. He strongly disliked being off balance and not knowing what's out in the mist. It made him feel insecure which was hard to do in the first place. He ran his hand through his hair. He leaned up against the wall and let out a long sigh, this was one of the few times in his career that he was behind the enemy and left in the smoke with little to no information on the next move. He did his best to shake the stress off before heading back to the range.

Hereford 2000 hours

Mitchell and Tina were in the mess hall eating a particularly late supper. They both had enjoyed their day out of the simulations. They were basically the only two in the room, the lights were easy on the dull institution grey mess hall. They were quietly enjoying their meal.

"The private jet was under repair and they couldn't take us to Paris tonight" He spoke in the stereotypical rich snob voice.

She giggled "Well then we should fire them" She replied in same voice

"Ah yes, such a wonderful idea. It's hard to find good help these days" Mitchell added with a scowl

They both laughed at themselves, they both went back to eating their really late supper.

Mitchell smiled as he took a bite of his salad. "Did you have a good day?"

She nodded "I did, got to go for a good run. I was able to work with traps a little. I was able to review a little bit of footage, I was able to hit the range. I finally was able to clean up the super ninety. Gah that thing was so filthy I'm pretty sure I went through an entire box of rags." She smiled at him before taking a drink of her soda.

"Yeah I can attest to that, it needed a lot of love." He chuckled

She nodded again "What all did you get done today?" She asked

"Basically the same things. I was able to get around to making a few more charges and just trying to rememorize my patrol pattern." He let out a sigh laced with stress and accomplishment. "Speaking of which, isn't the Canadian thanksgiving the week before?" Mitchell asked

"Yeah it's on Monday the 8th. I would really like to go home for the holiday but with the op being in the same week I won't be able to go" She too sighed in frustration

"How about me and you can go and get a huge meal from one of the local restaurants. Bring it back here and we can celebrate together. Seb can come along too" He smiled

"That would be nice" She gave a sweet smile, her face turned serious "What do you think about this op?" She asked a little uneasy

"What do you mean?" He asked with a raised brow and slight confusion on his face

"Do you think the op is stupid or a little odd?" She asked

"I think it's both, Why are the ones to be pulling security? Like what happens if there is an attack that we need to go to? We can't just up and leave to go wherever. I think it's odd that we are preparing for a huge attack, there is absolutely no way the Masks have a force that big. I think it's a waste of our talents to be doing something as trivial as this." He replied "Why did you ask?" he asked

"I was just curious because a lot of the others were thinking the same thing." She replied "I feel the same way. Just I don't know I've got this weird feeling about the op. like anytime it's mentioned it makes my gut wrench." She spoke softly

"Hey don't look at it any differently than a standard asset protection job, ok. I think you are nervous because we haven't had a successful run on the simulator yet. Just relax and we will be just fine, I promise." He smiled taking her hand in his and he ran his thumb across her knuckles with that dangerously charming smile

She just smiled and shook her head, that smile always made her smile no matter how hard she tried to fight it. "If only it were that simple"

"It is just don't over think it." He kept his voice light hearted

She let out a sigh and nodded, she looked at him as if to ease her thoughts a little. He kept his smile. He crossed his eyes and stuck his tongue out seeing if he could get a laugh out of her.

She smiled shook her head "Goof" was all that she before leaning over the table to share a kiss with him.

She was pretty stressed out by the fact that the team had yet to get a successful run on the simulator. She was glad Mitchell was so relaxed and confident that they would pull through with ease. She sat back down and they went back to eating and talking about their day and enjoying each other's company. They both liked having the mess hall to themselves and not being pestered by the others. Alex and Lera came traipsing through the mess hall, both Mitchell and Tina watched them. They were laughing as they grabbed a couple bottles of water. It was pretty obvious to everyone on the team that the two were madly in love with each other.

"I wonder if they know that we know they are a couple." Mitchell commented

"I think they know and they don't care." Tina replied "Unlike you" She teased

"I don't care either, I have no idea what you are talking about." He tried to deadpan his response.

"Mhm" She rolled her eyes "You liar"

"Alright, maybe I do care, it's mainly Craig. I would never hear the end of it." He smirked

"Pussy" she grinned

"Weeelll you are what you eat" Mitchell chuckled

"You're impossible" She just shook her head again with a smile

The two finished their meal and went back to Mitchell's dorm for the night. The couple had started to leave a change of clothes in each other's dorms just in case if they stayed the night.


Alex and Lera were in her dorm relaxing and chatting about the motherland. They eventually got to the subject of their homes.

"Yeah, my grandfather my built a cabin out in the boreal forests. It's rather nice and a good get away." he spoke softly

"I can imagine, I bet Maxim has been begging you so that he can use it" She softly chuckled

"He has a lot" A sly and annoyed grin worked its way on his face. "I was thinking maybe next time we get rotated for time off maybe we go there for a weekend after you meet my kids"

She chuckled "That does sound nice. My concern is that we won't have any communication in case something happens" She kept a smile

"Ha I have already taken care of that, I had a hotspot and a generator put out there to let us keep in touch with everyone we have to." Alex replied confidently

"Of course you have" Lera softly chuckled as she sipped away at her water "Maybe we can go there after the op and take a break."

"That would be good, Maxim said he has a bear skin rug for me to put in the cabin." Alex replied "Also my grandfather stocked it with plenty of vodka. It has been fermenting there for a long time, the strongest drink I have ever had." He gave a smile

She couldn't help smirk at the Russian bear, she shared a kiss with him. He smiled at her and he caressed her face. "You are a gorgeous woman Lera." He ran his thumb across her cheek

Her cheeks started to redden and her eyes darted away from his "As if I would believe such a terrible lie"

He gave her a hearty chuckle and wrapped his arm around her waist "You are too milyy" (Cute)

She elbowed his side with a smile "Shut up" She leaned into him

The two sat in silence for a minute or two. Lera was mainly trying to get the blush away from her face. She gave a soft sigh and looked at him "Where did Mike put you? Now that he's reformed the teams and patrols?"

"He put me in section 3, so this way me and Adrian aren't together and we can provide support in different areas" He replied

"So they put you at the extraction area instead of the front line?" She asked curiously, with confusion on her face

"Yeah, I tried to convince him of having me in the first line of defense, he said that I should be the last line of defense." He replied with slight frustration "I feel it would be better for me to be the tip of the spear and hold them back but Mike knows best" He replied with more agitation

"He knows something we don't, if we don't have a successful run tomorrow then bring it up to him." She replied in a calming tone

He took a breath "maybe you're right" he smiled at her

She smirked and kissed him the two sat right next to each other basking in the other's company. Lera turned her TV on and they started watching the Office that was recommended to them by a couple of the ops from the western hemisphere. Lera really loved him even though they hadn't said the words to each other. She was nervous about the upcoming op mainly because she knew if anything bad were to happen, her friend would have no escape route. She looked at him with worry, she knew he was capable of holding his own. She clutched him a little tighter as she watched the show trying to take her mind off of the subject. The two spent their time laughing at the jokes and staying close to one another. They spent their night snuggling each other before finally crashing out with the TV on.

0800 hours Hereford

Fletcher had finally woke up from his slumber. He took his time sitting up, he let out a long yawn. Before looking around to see that he was still in Meghan's dorm. Meghan walked out of the bathroom.

"Finally" She smiles

"How long was I out?" He asks trying to wake himself up

"Since like two yesterday." She snickers "You must have needed it. I tried to wake you at supper time and you refused to get up. I even hit your face a little and you didn't flinch." She had a huge smile.

He rubbed his eyes and smiled "My eyes still feel tired." he huffed "What's on the agenda today?" He stretched jutting out his chest with his arms over his head.

"More simulations, yippy" her smile feigns

He chuckles at her expression and sarcasm. "Were there any changes to us?" he asks standing up

"Not to us, other teams have been shaken up and readjusted." She informed

He nods and looks at the time "We better get going, before Mike thinks I'm building a bomb to kill us all"

She chuckles at the statement "I don't understand why he hates you so much"

"Neither do I"

They walk to the kitchen to grab a breakfast sandwich and a beverage. It didn't take long for everyone to gather in the simulation room. Everyone had a refreshed look on their faces, however they didn't look to excited to be heading to the simulators. Mike explained to everyone what was expected of them and how the teams were set up. Everyone strapped in for the day. The digital world loaded in around them. It wasn't long before they were walking around a digital New York City. As usual the simulation threw the Masks against them. Rainbow and the Masks battled for three long hours.

Miles was shot to shit. He only could use his right arm to fire his Meusoc. He had Adriano to support him, Adriano dumps his mag into the hallway keep the Masks back. He dips behind his shield to reload his lmg. An empty ammo can set by his knee. Miles fires two shots of his handgun into the hall. He grabs one of the suits he was covering.

"Keep covering! Alex, rotate set up a cross fire!" Miles shouts holstering his handgun, he pulls the VIP off the floor as the sound of the DP-28 filled the air. Miles ran as fast as he could with a limp. He grunts tossing the VIP into the extraction zone. He fell to the ground panting, the gun fire stopped on both sides. He racks his head back into the concrete in frustration. They all thought they had failed yet again. Silence fell over everyone the room was dead quiet.

"Operation Complete all VIPs extracted" the voice of the announcer fills the ears of the ops.

The whole room was in awe, they finally did it. One successful run finally complete. Tears nearly spilled on the floor with happiness. Feelings of relief fell over the team. Mike was the first to speak.

"Nice job, run it again and get it done better this time. We don't want losses on our side to be so high. Go!" Mike demanded as the stress rolled off his shoulders.

They ran the simulations over and over again, the only this time they're morale was much higher and every run they got better and better. Was there hubris within them? Yes, when you are the best of the best how cannot be. They had started developing strategies for almost every scenario. They ran themselves into the dirt again with setting their strategies, they were on the simulators for almost nine hours. It was another long day but a good day.

Hereford 2000

The sky was dark and the stars were starting to dot the sky. The sun was almost completely gone with a tinge of purple on the horizon. The team was reveling in their success down stairs in the base. Meghan and Fletcher were on the roof, he was in a reclining lawn chair wearing a grey hoodie and jeans. Meghan was sitting next to him in a more traditional lawn chair. Wearing similar clothing. They were basking in their success.

"The sky sure is beautiful tonight" He spoke softly

"Mhm, it is" She matched his volume

He could tell something was on her mind, He looks over to her. "What's botherin' ya?" he asks

"Why did you let me get so close to you? You push everyone else away but you let me in why?" She asks her eyes bearing down on him for an explanation.

He chuckled in reply "Well I've been trying to figure that out myself. I honestly think it's because you didn't give me another option."

"What do you mean by that?" She asks intrigued

"Well you kind of stalked me when I first arrived and I couldn't ever be out of your sight for more than a few hours. You also very easy tells that you liked me. Lastly that bit you played like a fiddle, when you asked me to spend the 4th of July with you. I couldn't say no to you and the whole puppy dog eye routine. That's what I mean. You forced way in and I had no idea on how to deal with it." He replies with a charming smile.

Her cheeks start reddening from the slight embarrassment. She didn't really know how to reply to his answer. Which earned a snicker from him. "Actually I'm glad that you did, I know I have had attacks and I haven't slept well or even opened up a whole lot, I haven't felt really happy since you started cracking me open. I'm really happy we met" it was his turn to blush

She smiles at him "I'm glad we did too"

They smile at each other and shared a kiss. Fletcher really wanted to drop the ILY but he didn't want to have another attack nor did he want to label them as lovers just yet. The two sat on the roof spending their time together. Fletcher really did adore her but he just didn't know how to express that without feeling weak doing so. That was one more project Meghan would have to take on. They spent their remaining time on the roof. They didn't have to say a word to one another as they had talked enough. They just wanted to be in each other's company.

Location Unknown Time Unknown

Taylor was on a boat fully outfitted with arms and ammunition, they were steaming for the east coast of the US. He sat in the bridge, his stomach was churning with anticipation just thinking about the op. His men were also feeling this anticipation but they were more than ready for the attack. Everything was going to go perfectly despite Rainbow being in the equation. John sat across the table from the leader of the terrorist organization.

"Are the teams ready?" Taylor asks looking at his cameras around the ship watching the men clean their rifles and a few cleaning up the mortars they had acquired for the support from their boats

"Yeah, they're foaming at the mouth ready to go. They'll be more vicious than ever before. We'll have our glory" John smiled slyly

"Good" Taylor replies quickly

"I will, we'll show those UN bastards who we really are." John replied

"How is their morale? Is Donny and his team in yet?" Taylor asks continuing to watch his monitors occasionally looking back to John.

"They are more than excited and in good spirits. They arrived this morning they will be in the stock exchange ahead of schedule they will wait until the first wave hits to fire up the jammer." John replied taking a drink of his water.

"Good, what about Keegan? Is he set up yet?" Taylor continues to interrogate

"Yeah, he and his teams have their hides and fortifications set up. The choppers are prepped fully loaded, the tank crews are ready their loading up as we speak. The reserve teams are prepping their kits. They will do their jobs to bitter end." John smiles at his employer.

Taylor gives a sinister smile "I'm glad to hear it, enjoy yourself while you can not everyone is going to make it out." Taylor was genuine with a smile.

"I will as will they, it's just the quiet before the storm right?" John asks with a smirk

Taylor answers with a nod. John leaves the office to join the men. Taylor was very happy with how everything had turned out he was more than excited for this attack. He threw the idea around that he was hosting the biggest attack on American soil. He knew his name would forever be infamous in world history right next to Bin Laden. "Well, go big or go home right" he thought to himself. While this wasn't for fame it was interesting to him that he would forever mark one of the worst attacks in history. He leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes, he needed all the sleep he could get. The next few days were going to be long and hard.

NYC was going to drown in blood.


A/N: Hey guys, I know it's been a while but the holiday season really screwed me up and kept me from writing. I also had to deal with a little bit of writer's block and a massive lack of motivation. I'm back now and i'm working on chapter 30 when things really heat up. I also want to let everyone know that thanks to my fiction writing class that I will be rewriting chapters 1 and 2 very soon, the other chapters will take some time but I will try to get them done after I'm done with a couple of chapters for the aftermath of NYC. I want to say thank you to everyone and Grim Gravy for being my beta reader. Seriously thank you!- S117