Bang ... Bang ... Bang ... Bang ... Bang ... Bang ... Bang ... Bang ...
Eight 9mm bullets tore the wind to find their way to the target about 20 meters away. The red painted metal steles would ring out "pong" every time they got hit and with every pong, the surviving chance of the person behind the trigger would increases greatly.
And if you consider those criteria, the gunner was just as good as dead. Kayle didn't hear a Pong after eight shots.
"What the hell are you doing, Mark?" Sergeant Gunny's roar were so loud and horrible that made the pistol slipped off from Mark's hands and fell to the ground. "Holy Mother of God, you brainless piece of shit! Pick it up now! Pick it up you idiot! "
Gunny was a average height man and who some might call him short behind his back but his deep eyebrows, bald head and fiery personality made him taller than anyone on the shooting rage.
"I'm sorry."
The young man named Mark said with his head down and looked pathetic in every possible way and it was like pouring oil into the fire to the man like Gunny. The Sergean furiously shouted at him.
"DON'T. EVER. SORRY. TO. ME." He stressed on every single word "you had to hit all five targets next time or else I would kick your butt until the two of your ball drop out. Is it clear? "The small man turned to the terrified crowd behind him and shouted" Next!"
The next candidate stepped up and looked unimpressive. Loyde was an entomologist with weak arms like rod beetles and glasses so thick that it look like two bottle bottoms.
"Look at what they give me." Gunny shook his head in disapointment then look at Loyde from head to toe. " What do you have every day, boy? Air and water? "
"I have breakfast with eggs and sausages, Sergeant Gunny." The entomologist smiled and replied, "I have lunch with raspberries and some egg rolls, but dinner….."
"That's a rhetorical question, you fucking idiot!" The Sergeant roared, his face reddened. "You will eat your shit for dinner if you fail to hit your target. Now pick up the gun, on your position, and ready to shoot as I instruct. Quick."
Bang, Pong ... . Bang, Pong ... Bang ... Bang, Pong ... Bang ... . Bang, Pong ...Bang, Pong
6 on 8 and Kayle had to pinch her face to make sure she wasn't dreaming.
"He is pretty good, isn't he" Emerson smiled wryly and turned to Hart. "It's not bad for the first try."
"It is outstanding." The Colonel said cheerfully. This morning he wore a black trench coat and a bowler hat instead of a military uniform. For some reason he looked happier than usual "I really want to see how well he does with the M4."
Kayle immediately threw at him a Are- you– fucking– serious look but said nothing . Hart outranked her, and if what they said about him was true, he was also famous for not liking other people criticizing him
The three of them stood under the roof of a makeshift shooting range - Hart simply let the bulldozer scoop up a pile of dirt as bullet trap wall and use scrap metal as shooting targets - witnessing an army of secretary, geologist, biologist, linguist and driver demonstrate their skill on firearms.
This was what the Colonel did after his demand for a reduction on the number of civilian staff in the convoy was denied by the U.S State Department. Washington emphasized that the delegation's negotiating function could only be guaranteed with the number of twenty-two staff member and when Hart sniffed that they would have the opportunity to negotiate with worms if they went to the Special Region with twenty-two bags of meat, a heated argument broke out on the phone.
Kayle was not sure who was genius behind this idiotic plan or how Hart convinced Dominic to bring his people to Shino to attend the course he called "Survival training" but she knew it would not have a good ending. Certainly Emerson had a role to play here, but whenever she asked him about it, her lovely gray-haired uncle just smiled to her and replied:
"You know me better than anyone, right Katty?"
"We will pick people with highest scores today then put them together into a group for advanced training with rifle, tatical shooting and teamwork." Hart said, "The rest will continue to be guided by Gunny in handgun and self-defend technique. I want you to make sure that they wont blow our men's head or their head off on the mission. "
"Some people will never get any better." The grey-headed man politely pointed out, "I'm sure Gunny will do his best but don't expect too much, Hart."
"Well, some people isnt born to be soldiers." He shugged his shoulder. "But I have high hope on the number 10." Then he turned to Kayle and ordered "You will train advanced techniques for the group, Wilson."
"May I know the reason why, Colonel?"
"Reason?" Hart laughed brightly. "Because I see you barely lift your fingers these day, because I hate you and because I think you will be more comfortable with your own people, dont you agree?"
Kayle did not fully understand the meaning of the last sentence. "With all due respect, these people will not become soldier for a few weeks, Colonel"
"That's right! They will not" The old Colonel replied, "But they will become something better than now. After Gunny finished recruiting people for the group, you can start right away. "
Hart Sayer handed everything back to his deputy and walked back to the main building. He said there was a tactical meeting with Jeremy and because Kayle wasnt an official member of the security team, she was exempted from participating.
"Can't your boss be more serious?" Kayle said irritably. "This isn't something that he can joke about."
"Unfortunate for you, he is completely serious." Emerson smiled. "And I think Hart is quite right on the matter"
She smirked "Don't tell me this is your idea."
"It's Hart's, but I agree that these people must be well prepared before going to the Special Region. Honestly, Kayle. How long do you think Jeremy and his men will hold out after watching the video they reccored in Ginza? "
It is best for them to pray that the delegation will not get caught in middle of the fight. As a member of Specter, Kayle thought she knew what the battlefield looked like, thought that nothing in the world could surprise her anymore, but that was just before Hart showed her the video recording the battle of Ginza. The enemy didnt have a concept of benevolent or fear, they fell on the civilian and the muzzle of Japanese rifles like madmen. Bullets didn't make them falter and death seemed more attractive than life.
In a video recording from a souvenir shop's camera, she witnessed a Japanese policeman standing against eight opponents with his pistol in desperation. He shot down three men who rushed up to him but wasn't fast enough for the fourth. The red-haired warrior uses his shield to knock the policeman to the ground then slapped his victim until his gut comes out of his abdomen. All over central Tokyo was full of such horrific scenes. On the pedestrian street, armored horsemen hunted down people trying to flee with their spears and pushed survivor into shopping malls, where Imperial infantry would do the the rest of the bloody job with short swords, axes and rope.
If this was what had happened in the world thousands of years ago, Kayle found herself s very lucky when she was born during the time of the automatic rifle and Kevlar vest.
And next came the dragons.
Big, fierce creatures stepped out from the legend and each time she closed their eyes, the former deputy commander of Specter could heard the sound of wings flapping in the dark. She had no idea on how Jeremy and Hart planned to deal with this type enemy because the JSDF reported that they had to use anti-aircraft guns to shoot them down.
"You have help us solve the supply problem." He encouraged her. "And I believe you will do well this time, considering that you've trained Aslan militants back in the day."
Kayle disagreed. First, those guys volunteered to fight. Maybe it was for money, for revenge or for some ridiculous reason, but they basically knew what they were into and were willing to take the risk. She couldn't say the same thing to twenty people in front of her and that was why Kayle thought this whole idea was a bad joke. It was true that any idiot could shoot a gun but very few people have mental power and the will to use it.
Secondly, if Emerson really knew what happened to her lions (In Turkish, Aslan mean Lion) , then he wouldn't bring it up.
About eleven o'clock in the afternoon, the grumpy Sergeant Gunny had completed his job of separating the bad ones from the worst. Kayle has four students to teach for the next few weeks. Geologist Howard Craig, tall and bulky like Rudy. Ambassador's personal chauffeur, Daniel Crossway with smooth brown hair and pretty face like a movie actor, Loyde Uzman, and the last one which was a complete surprise , Celie Gagnier, the only candidate who had the highest scores with eight shots all found their way to the target.
"I thought you were a Liberal. "
Kayle whispered into Celie's ear when they were on their way back to the cafeteria during their break. Gunny hated the the idea of shitting down and having some snack when there was only 1:30 AM and she was forced to pull her rank on him to set his reluctant students free, at least for the next thirty minutes.
"Yes, I am" The secretary replied, "What's wrong with it, Major?"
"Just Kayle please" She told her "It's my experience tell me that Liberal and firearms don't go alongside with each other. I just talked to Gunny and he said that you didn't hit the target with mere luck. "
"I used to be a member of a local gun club since high school, of course my father didn't know it about it." Celie said. "I could just be a silly Savannah girl, Kayle, but I'm not stupid. I dont think the world is always full strawberries and castle made of chocolate . Sometimes we need to sit down and talk in the garden, sometimes we need to fight on battlefields but I would rather be a warrior in peacetime than be a gardener in wartime. "
"You should have been the one joined the army, not me." Kayle laughed awkwardly at her early maturity "You can't imagine what I thought at that age. But you are different, you would become a good sold - "
Kayle paused. She should not say such things, especially during this time.
"Become what?"
The major shook her head violently:
"Nothing. Don't mind it. "
After lunch break with hot soup, biscuits and coffee, they returned to the shooting range. The weather was a little warmer with the sun was on their head but the surrounding background was still same gray that they got since the morning. The meteorological station predicts that it will be a cloudy day with sudden hail, so it was possible that this half-ass army would have to continue their training inside. Sergeant Gunny was a very stubborn person but hail was probably his limit but in case it wasn't , Kayle would use her rank again.
"You and your group are free to use the shooting range, Major" Gunny said. "I have to teach my monkeys the basic posture."
"You have done that this morning, Sergeant."
"And those idiots hold a pistol like holding a damn coc-" He stopped right there because he suddenly remembered that she didn't have that thing between her legs either. "Sorry, Major, it's just this job that makes me crazy. The targets are just about twenty meters away, but that Mark guy couldn't hit a single one. I cant believe such man exist and I have to train them."
"Please be easy on them, Gunny. These people are not us. "
Kayle glanced at the miserable people standing timidly behind the sergeant. Diana, the linguist who had tears in her eyes, had only one pong and suddenly became Gunny's favorite target for bullying all morning. With her big glasses, her freckled cheeks and clothes that had been out of fashion for a decade, Diana probaly thought the nightmare of high school was a thing of the past but Gunny had proven to the nerd how wrong she was. Norton breathed heavily through his fat neck, one more push-ups exercise they had to carry the fat man to the hospital with a helicopter. Kayle didn't think Norton would fit in the Humvee while the embassy's passenger car was too damn slow.
"I promised the Colonel that there would be at least ten people qualified to use weapons." The Sergeant declared with a determined gaze, almost fanatic. "And ten it will be, no more and no less."
With just that, Kayle knew she couldn't do much but pray.
The Major returned to his group. Howard, Daniel, Lindon, Celie sat in a line facing the barrier wall and in front of them was a 756 mm long, 2.8 kg in weight object, constructed from alloy, aluminum and hard plastic.
"This is an M4 carbine." Kayle picked up the gun and held it up to her chest. "The favorite weapon of many U.S soldier and me too. Lightweight, convenient, using 5.56 cartridge in semi-automatic and automatic mode. There are many M4 versions as well as guns that copy its design, but they are not fundamentally different. "
Kayle's eyes slid over each of her student. "Among you guys, who knows what this thing called?"
Three hands raised except for Loyde. Kayle nodded in satisfation and asked:
"So who has used it before? I mean the AR-15, civilian version of its"
No hands was raised.
"I'll show you."
Kayle approached the table next to the firing position, ten magazines which were prepared in advance were neatly placed on a rough wooden table. Kayle picked up a magazine and put it in the magwell.
"All guns operate on the general process. First switch the safety off then pull back charging handle. "She pulled the cocking handle backwards, her cheek pressed against the stock, her eyes fixed on the iron sight." Next is to select your target and pull the trigger. "
Thirty bullets left the barrel within ten seconds. Kayle selected four targets from low to high 20m, 50m, 100m, 150m and fast fire three-shot on each target. She then switched to the nearest stele on the firing range, firing two shots accurately at the head before switching the gun to automatic mode and raining all the remaining bullets in the mag into the body part of it.
Kayle's whole body shook with excitement. The feeling of the recoile hitting her shoulder after every shot and the burning sulfur smell was impeccable. She used to love them and forever. Kayle could hate the CIA and Specter, cursing America, the army and its stupid wars but swear to God, she loved this feeling, this taste, this moment. In a short period of time, everything suddenly returned to its rightful place, no more grumbling of the old colonel, no more Patt's hideous stare or the sniff of the Jackal clinging to her mind, only Kayle "Sheppard" Wilson and the job she did best.
Kayle put the gun back to safety, took a deep breath and waited for the excitement to pass.
"That's how to use an M4." Kayle said, "Is there any question?"
Loyde's sick hand raised up. "Did you say M4 was U.S soldier favorite weapon?"
Kayle nodded. "Yes. Am I wrong?"
"But the History Channel said that their favorite weapon is the Garand "
Is Hart planning to let this guy handle a rife? Kayle really did not understand how he was able to pass the preliminarie. Yes, it was true that some was luckier than others but no one could match his luck back then.
"We'll talk about this later, Loyde." Kayle ignored his stupid question. "Now each of you will have a try with the gun. Celie, you're the first one. "
Although she was good with handguns, the secretary performed quite badly with rifles, mainly because Celie could not control the recoil of the M4 with her slender body. The girl was small and could only weight around 130 pounds at best. Loyde was even worse. Every time he pulled the trigger, she was just afraid that his thin shoulders would break into piecies.
Howard was a little better. Geologists knew how to control recoil and his shots were relatively accurate, though still fumbling for standing in the wrong posture. The tall man smiled when he was praised by Kayle and proudly acknowledged that he had a Garand left by his grandfather back home.
"You know, its iron sight looks exactly like the Garand's, so I'm quite comfortable."
'Really?"
Kayle hadnt fired a Garand before. Although she was a professional soldier and the state of Virginia were soft on gun possession, her father only kept two hunting rifles and a few handguns in the house.
"I'm not mistaken. They are like twins. "He pulled the trigger again, the bullet left the barrel and flew straight into the target at a hundred yards. The bearded man whimpered and said, "See,."
If Howard was an improvement, Daniel Crossway was the embodiment of perfection. The undercut hairstyle was very suitable for the split chin and high cheekbones. His body was even more impressive than his face. She could see plenty muscles hidding beneath the mustard colored shirt and mink coat. However, the eyes were the main focus today. They looked like two clear, melancholy and mysterious lakes. It was so tempting that she had a feeling that it was inviting her to come and reveal its secrets.
"Am I doing it correctly, Miss Wilson?"
The handsome man asked her, a small smoke rose from the hot barrel of the M4.
"Yeah ... Good job, I suppose"
Kayle made the assessment for granted because she was actually sinking in that lake for about half a minute.
"Really?" Daniel stared at her in disbelief. "I don't think I have that many hit."
"That's true but it's… alsp good ... I mean ..."
What the hell are you talking about, Kayle Wilson? She could hear Celie's giggles behind her while Howard and Loyde stood there with a bewildered look. Have to find a way to get out of this quick or I would embarrass myself in front of everyone.
"That is all for now, ladies and gentlement. Next, I will show you how to assemble and clean every parts of the gun. "After considering, the former member of Specter, thought that this was the best option she had. She called out loudly "Sergeant!"
With the precision of a machine, Gunny immediately stopped the indignation of the poor Mark and turned around. The entire sergeant's body stiffened, his voice was full of pride:
"Yes, Major."
"I need three M4. Where can I find them?"
Kayle didn't explain much about her intentions and people like Gunny was definitely not going to ask them. Comssioned officers seemed to be a hybrid of a bulldog dog and a human, they understand the chain of commands and know how to lead but never question why they should bite.
"It will be done, Major." He said and scorn at Mark . "Run up to the armory and bring back three M4."
"I ... what ... sergeant?" He winced. "But ... I don't know the way."
Gunny smiled wryly and leaned forward, his voice ws suddenly softer but also razor sharp. "If I remember correctly, your surname is Reed right? An last name that cant be more American. It would be rude of me but I have to ask this. Do you speak English, Mr. Reed? "
"What?"
Kayle could see that the storm was appearing at the distance and unfortunately for Mark that she was absolutely right. Gunny roared to the top of his lung:
"English, you stupid donkey. Use it to read the road signs and if you could even do that then you offically admit that you're not an American. Believe me, you would regret it for sure. Perhaps you did not know, but this place was owned by the United States Army. "Gunny touched the Colt 45 on his belt." And I had the every authority needed to shoot you in the head for illegal trespassing. "
Although she really felt sorry for Mark, Kayle couldn't help laughing at the sight when he had to run for his life because he thought Gunny would actually do what he said. Five minutes later, Mark returned. The man looked terrible, trying to catch his breath while holding two M4 in his hands and another with a strap dangling from his neck.
Kayle thanked him gently and motioned Loyde, Howard and Celie to pick up their guns while she would use Daniel's M4 to instruct them first. It wasn't difficult to assemble or dissemble a gun honestly. Usually patience plus a little practice would do the trick but it seemed not to be true for entomologists. No matter how much she taught, Loyde couldn't remember the correct order of the parts in the bolt chamber.
"Hey, if you make mistake again, I will let Gunny be your instructor." Kayle hoped it would work because she really ran out of option. "Do you want that?"
Loyde looked up at Norton, the big fat man who was struggling to do a push-up with one of Gunny's legs on his back then shivered:
"No, Miss Wilson. I don't want to. "
After that, Loyde's memory improved even though it was still a long way to go. Daniel and Howard both assembled their guns while having a friendly conversation. The geologist explained to Daniel how minerals like iron and copper were formed below earth's surface and for some reason she did not understand, the handsome guy showed great interest in the boring story. that. Celie sits in her own corner and silently did the task with great determination. She tried to dissamble M4 and put every parts back as quickly as possible.
"What are you doing?" Kayle asked her.
"I don't do well in the shooting section so I will use this part to compensate."
"This is not a contest." She sighed
"To me it is." Celie pulled the bolt carrier and charging handle out of the gun in a masterful manner. "So when are you guys going to eat? I know a pretty good place on Fukuoka Street "
"I'm not sure if that's a good idea, Celie" Kayle said softly.
Celie nodded. "Why not? More than a week we will be in Special Region, who knows what happens out there. This may be the last chance. "
And there I spent a whole day to avoid saying bad things. "Why are you so excited all of a sudden?"
"Because I like love stories like most women in the world. You should accept the invitation if Daniel made the move unless you still loved your boyfriend. You don't have a boyfriend right? "
In a way, I used to have. But was it really love or it was just sympathy between the two souls, an admiration of a girl for an older boy? Kayle didn't know but she always reserved a place for that man in her heart. Previously, right now and perhaps until the last day of life.
"What's the name of that restaurant?"
"Bianca, a hotel with a restaurant on the ground floor."
It would cost a lot of money for sure but fortunately she would not have to pay for anything. They were right to say that in the end, a woman who went away with a broken heart but the man just went broke.
The first training ended at 4:00 pm, the practitioners dismissed under Gunny's orders and rummaged away together on the small dirt road leading to the top of Shino Hill, where the car was waiting to take them back to Tokyo. Gunny and Kayle lingered behind for a while. The sergeant wanted to talk to her about the training program tomorrow but he didn't know Major Kayle Wilson didn't hear a word he was saying. In her head right now, she was still busy thinking of the flickering candlelight, a wine-cooked fillet, soft lip that love to be kissed and Daniel's tanned arms.
The Major walked down the empty road, yellow leaves rustling at her feet. She had thought of the ideal menu for dinner. Don't start with oysters, she thought. Salads were much more interesting and for a person like Daniel, tenderloin beef was the most suitable choice for the main dish. Kayle wasn't sure how she knew he prefered beef but now was not the time to think about it. Situations like this one often demanded more premonition than logic.
Near the end of the road, she saw four of her students chattering under a leafless tree. In the thin fog and the dying light of the day, Celie stood next to Loyde, her hands wrapped around an M4 like holding a baby in her lap, Loyde unconsciously carrying his gun on his shoulders but Howard and Daniel ...
The former Specter member froze in a few second, her face turned pale as if she was seeing a ghost.
Howard and Daniel's barrels pointed to the ground, the body of their gun pressed against the chests, the stock leaned nicely against the dominant shoulder at a 45-degree angle, fingers on the trigger guard.
.
To reach Task force 22's base on Shino Hill, one has to go through three different sections. First they had to cross the fields of cabbage and purple sweet potatoes, then came the road running through the sparse forest and final section was a two-lane road that hung on the limestone ridge.
During the first time she went up here with Emerson, Kayle had realized the strange desolation of the surrounding landscape. There were no cars on the road except for their cars, there was no house outside the abandoned mansion on the hill, and there was no one there but her and the Lieutenant Colonel.
Somehow Kayle felt like this twenty kilometer long road was built specifically for that old mansion. Speaking of which, Although something like that was also possible, the question was who was both rich and ready to throw money out of window? Buying such big piece land in an expensive country like Japan was not a simple matter, not to mention the constructing a road and a huge mansion then abandoned them for ten years.
"Do you know who the former owner of the mansion on the hill is, Jeremy?"
Kayle asked her private driver and unsufferable companion this afternoon. The jackal came to Kayle when she was about to take the coach to Tokyo. He said Colonel Hart wanted her and him to go to the US. East Asian HQ to check the quality of the Humvees before they were delivered to the delegation tomorrow. Kayle abided by this order immediately even though she had to go with the nasty Jeremy on a moldy Mercedes. She had never had a chance to come to the Headquarters ever since she transferred to Japan and this was a rare chance on busy days like this. Furthermore, she was currently in no mood to be around near two liars Howard and Daniel, especially Daniel. Howard simply concealed his identity, but that handsome prick Daniel was ten times worse than his comrades.
He betrayed her, he ruined the romantic dinner at Bianca and Kayle would never forgive him for it.
Thinking about what had happened at the shooting range only made Kayle feel more disappointed with herself. She easily got tricked by his lovely eyes, smiles and friendliness and if not for that random moment, she wouldn't be able to find out who he really was. Either the two of them were so good at acting l or Kayle had to accept that her judgment had a problem since leaving Specter. In the past Kayle could detect a bomb under the Burqa only thanks to intuition but now even Daniel wore a nametag on his chest, she wouldn't know he had crawl out from some hole at Langley.
"I don't know." Jeremy answered behind the wheel, his eyes still focusing on the road ahead. "Only hear that he was some big guy in japanese industry who went bankrupt and hanged himself long ago. An aviation entrepreneur they said "
Could it be Shibafu 's boss? Ironically, the Air Force took over the airport while the Army took over the house and it would be even more ridiculous if the headquarters of the East Asian Headquarters were also located on the estate of the ill-fated man . Kayle could imagine the headline, "The US Army: scavengers of the world" on newspaper tomorrow if it was unfortunately revealed to the public.
"I heard people say that the former owner of Shibafu airport also hangs hi self on a tree. Is it the same person? "
"I'm not sure about the airport." He shrugged."But it is true that the owner of the mansion did hanged himself on a tree. To be more precise, that was the tree next to Hart's window."
"Does he not know that?"
If it was Kayle, she would move her room to another place. No! She would move the entire base to another place too. Just thinking of seting foot into the house where someone had hanged himself alone was enough to scare the shit out of her, let alone living in it.
"Knowing or not isnt a problem for Hart. You know what he is like, right? "Jeremy turned to look at her, chuckling." Don't tell me you're affraid of ghosts, Wilson "
"Why do you think I'm afraid of ghosts. Don't forget I was a ghost myself. "
"Really? In my opinion, you dont look like a ghost. You don't look like him at all, Wilson. "
"Him?"
"Your commander, as I remember, the guy's name was Lamb." Jeremy replied. "A strange name for a man but I guess that might be just a nickname, right? None are stupid enough to name his son Lambert."
The best warrior of Specter, the mind behind every operation, Leader of the Flock. CIA considered him an irreplaceable asset, soldiers under his command were inspired by him and enemies were terrified every time they hear sheep crying in the night. But for Kayle, he was more than that. Lamb was a friend, a comrade, a teacher, and the reason she tried her best to survive every shootout.
"You know Lamb?"
"Well, cant say know him. I have met him a few times in Kabul." Jeremy said, his voice was like being carried away. "A scary guy and I really pity those who confront him in battle. But what makes me curious is how could such a person like him let you be second in command? That's just idiotic to be honest. "
"You haven't see me in action yet." Kayle felt truly insulted. "I would show you If you like it. Just choose any fucking day ! I want to see if you could do anything else but bark."
If she wasn't sitting in a car on the middle of the mountain side, a fist fight would take place right now despite the high possibility that Kayle would be the one getting beaten hard. It was rumored that the Jackal had once found himself in a bar fight against three member of SEAL and came out victorious without a scratch and if it was the truth, there was no way Kayle could win against this bastard in had-to-hand combat.
However, that was no longer a issue. She had endured the spy's sarcasm as part of her job, ignoring Hart's bullying because he was just trying to do his job, but who was this asshole thought he was to insult her like that? To be fair, Kayle was hated because she used to work for Langley but no one liked him either. He was like her, both outcasts and black sheep in their own flock. But according to his opinion, even among those who got pushed to the edge of the village existed a difference.
"Thank you for your kindness but I have seen enough, dear" He laughed brightly. "In the afternoon, you missed six shots and took a whole day to realize that those two were sent by Langley. Howard and your dear Dan..Daniel, am I right? The one capture your heart must be Daniel because I don't think you are bearded type . "
Holy shit!
He had been watching her all day long. But how could he do it when he was at meeting with Hart? He couldn't unless ... Unless there was no meeting here. This whole "Survival training" was just a screenplay for Hart to lure these men out. Now she knew why he said those confusing words at the shooting range.
Damn you, Hart! Damn you, you old bastard !
"Why don't you tell me?" She snapped, "I can help."
"First you are very badly acting." The jackal replied coldly, "Secondly, we don't trust you."
Kayle had repeated many times the chorus of "They are not my friends", but until now her attempt was like the waves broke on rocky shore. There was no way to make these guys believe her and wash away the CIA's brand on her forehead.
"How did you know there were rats in the house?"
"Luck I guess, it was just when I was reading the profile then Howard's face appeared on the paper." Jeremy said straight away. "I met him when he was still working for Blackwater. That bastard has grown his beard to hide the scar caused by the incision left under his chin. Of course he have to, a biologist cannot have that scar. "
"Geology." Kayle corrected "But what about Daniel?"
"I don't know who he is." The Wild Dog's face darkened. "And he made me uncomfortable. Howard is a foolish guy, but his partner is different. People like Daniel are the most dangerous killer you know, so don't let his appearance fool you. "
Unfortunately, he had done it it. If thing went as planned, Kayle would be lying naked next to him in a hotel room in Tokyo. A prospect could be so bad, she thought shyly. Even though she was still angry, part in her was willing to forgive him. Maybe it was due to the weakness of women before beauty and to be fair, that guy was just a soldier who followed the order of his superior. Beside it was not uncommon for the CIA installed a bit of "Muscle" for Pat to order around. If there was something strange here, it must be why there are only two people and not ten.
Even Jeremy realized this.
"At first Hart thought that half of the delegation was CIA agents and you was nothing but an accomplice to them. However, after the incident at the shooting range, we now know that there are only two in our rank and you are truly innocent. And now Hart was frantic because he didn't know where the rest of them were. Although Emerson seem, the old man still didn't believe the CIA just installed two men into the delegation and they even weren't members of Specter."
"If Daniel or Howard were of team Charlie then even I don't know who they are ." Kayle said, "Most of Charlie 's members are in Afghanistan and I mostly operated in Iraq."
"How many teams do you have?"
"Three." Kayle replied, "In alphabetical order, Apple, Bulter, Charlie."
Apple was under Kayle for a few years before she left the position to Carrick and became as vice commander of the Bulter, Roland's unit. Charlie's captain was usually Fisher, but sometimes Roland flies over and takes leadership for a while.
"The majority of soldiers in Apple and Bulter except me if not killed or injured are prosecuted." Her mouth was bitter. "Charlie is the only team remain intact after 2014 so if you really think that there are Specter member in Japan, those people must belong to Charlie. "
Roland didn't allow Kayle to get involved in torture and interrogation and thus she avoided shameful trails. Perhaps he soon knew the outcome, how it would end and so he did what he must to save her, a final act of chivalry for the girl he love. However, Kayle thought her hands also soak in blood like their hands. She had known about those prisons and what they had been doing for years and didn't do anything to prevent it.
Jeremy suddenly stopped asking question and their journey went on in peace. It was possible that he was satisfied with the information for now and decided not to dig deeper or it could be because he saw Kayle's annoyance when talking about the past although she was a little suspicious of that. But whatever the reason, Kayle was glad that he shut his mouth for the time being. Although he didn't have the hideous glance that Patt had, his mouth was so toxic that made him ten time worse than Pattrick. The CIA guy was still a bit afraid of Kayle's rank and her fighting skill while the Jackal spit on it.
Jeremy Blackwood slowed the car down when approaching a turn. On Kayle's right was a steep limestone cliff, and on the left was a spectacular scenery of sunset. The sun was like a burning red disk hanging above the surface of Tokyo Bay, slowly shedding its red rays on buildings, three-stories houses with gentle canals curling around, making them look like they were covered in a layer of red dust.
"Beautiful"
Kayle puffed her head against the glass, the last light of the day kissed her blond hair lightly. She suddenly found herself in a classic film. The couple had a ride towards the sunset together in a Chevrolet. The woman wore cream-colored dresses , and the man in red tie and white shirt, His gesture was the languidness of a sun-sitting leopard.
But the more beautiful the dream was, the bigger the disapointment would be . Kayle glanced at her companion land sighed heavily. Jeremy's skin was as pale as a corpse and surrounded him, always an atmosphere as dark and grim as a funeral. If one looked closely, the Jackal wasn't an ugly man, but the angular lines on his face plus the two deep eye sockets made him become thinner and less friendly, while his mouth always spit out the harshest words that a women could imagine.
Honestly, Kayle didn't expect someone behind the wheel to be Brad Pitt or Ryan Gosling but after so many things she had endured, she thought she deserved a better man and especially a slightly better car. This Mercedes smells like cat urine mixed with bleach and it was unnaturally old. The interior was made of expensive leather and high quality wood. Although they were all old, she couldn't find any scratchs or flakes, as if they were not used for a long time.
"Where did you get this car from, Jeremy?"
Kayle asked but she really didn't want to hear the answer at all.
"The colonel found it when he moved to the mansion on the hill, in the basement he said," Replied the Jackal. "Rudy and I spent a few days adjusting the pistons, clean the interior before driving around. Thankfully, the carburetor still works well so we didn't have to throw the car away. People have stopped making parts for this type since 2000. What a shame "
How appropriate. A car of the dead man was driven by the driver who looked like a corpse. If it was in a different situation, then Kayle would have laughed to such joke.
"Can't you use a Humvee or Emerson's car?" She reprimanded, "Why on earth you have to use this shit to take me to the HQ"
"Military vehicles of all type are banned in the inner city of Tokyo, and the SUV is Lieutenant Colonel's personal property so I don't feel comfortable to use it."
" You don't feel comfortable?" She snapped. "But you feel comfortable using the car of the man hung himself right in his own home? What is wrong with you? "
"I used to wear the robes of those I killed then eat their food when their blood was still wet on the sand." Jeremy answered with amusement. " It didn't borther me before? Why it does now ?"
"I think everyone has their limits."
"There is no limit on the battlefield, Major." He lowered his voice and remind her, "I have learned this lesson from the first days and survived. I advise you to do the same if you intend to extend your life span. "
"But this is not a battlefield." They were in the most secure area on the planet, and those who they would fought against was in another world. "And I'm not you."
He laughed really hard at that "Really? That is what you are thinking"
When they reached the end of the mountain road, it was twilight. Kayle could see the small forest below. The trees were covered with a green and yellow color standing in a thin mist. The white trunk ,yellow leaf bircht trees lean against the tall oak growing at the end of the forest whose leaves were gradually turning red. A little further south was the small rice fields lied close to each other, forming a line seperating the suburbs and hilly areas. Having lived in Georgia as a young girl, where fields of beans and cotton stretched to horizon, Kayle could not help but be surprised at Japan's crampedness. The entire area was just as big as Stockworth and Stockworth just was a tiny county to begin with.
"When that Gate appeared, it was said that Japan had got for itself something more precious than gold, worth more than diamond." Jeremy seemed to read her mind. "Yes, it's land. Vast land that hasn't been touch or spoiled. Land is the only thing worth to fight and die for because it is the only thing that lasts forever. "
"Now you are talking like Mr.O 'Hara." 2
"I have some Irish blood in my vein, so I understand how important it can be . Believe me, many people have the same thoughts as I do. Japanese not only have to protect their bones before us. There are many other dogs in this cramped alley and they are all very hungry. By the way, have you ever wondered how we are going to get a piece of it for ourselves? "
Ourselves? Did he mean the U.S?
Kayle, like most professional soldiers, rarely cared about political issues, but even now she could not be indifferent any longer. Let say that Hart, somehow succeeded in bringing the delegation to Sadera so the ambassador could establish a relationship with Empire then what was the next move in their plan? America's craving for new lands, new market and resources were hard to deny, but no matter what they didd, it could change the fact that the Gate was still on Japanese soil and Japanese totally control what or who went in and out of it. Everything still had to be accepted by Tokyo first and the White House must be foolish to think that Japanese would let them poured into the Special Region.
But what if there were no plans? That' was what Kayle didn't want to think about. She really didn't want to think about the thirty of them was going to risk their lives for no reason at all.
The car was going down a short slope, the scenery outside the window gradually slowed down with the creaking sound of old brake. In contrast to the daredevil fighting style in Afghanistan, Jackal was a very careful driver. He never drove more than thirty miles per hour and always turned on signal lights whenever approaching a turn even though they were the only ones on the road.
But was this too cautious? The car went so slow that it's speed was now equal a speed of a bicycle and why were they so close to the barrier? Kayle intend to asked him, but the Jackal had read her mind again:
"There's something ahead."
Kayle looked up and there was something. In the middle of the slope, about a hundred and fifty meters away from them was a dark red object standing in the middle of the path down the hill.
"A car?" Kayle narrowed her eyes and observed. It was certainly not an embassy's car because everyone of them traveled to Shino by bus, not by car. But if it wasn't then who could it be? This was inherently a dead end and people didn't randomly come up here to see sunset.
"Maybe lost tourists." The Mercedes stopped, Jeremy pulled his hand up. "Do you speak Japanese?"
"Enough to say hello. You?"
Jeremy did not answer. He opened the car door and stepped outside, Kayle followed right behind. His footsteps were long and hasty, forcing her to make an effort to keep up.
"If you're afraid of being late, we can call the base to send someone down here" Kayle suggested "This will cost us a lot of time"
"I can handle it."
"You don't even know what they want. How can you be so sure?" This guy always was stubborn. "There has to be someone else on Shino? Rudy, for example. "
"I say i can handle it." He growled. "If you disagree, you can stay in the car."
I would rather die, Kayle could never sit in that Mercede alone. "As you wish but please remember that i have no part in this" She shrugged "If they are going to blame someone, it wouldn't be me."
"Fine, now be quite."
When she came a little closer, Kayle realized two important things. One was that they didn't need to worry about using body language to communicate anymore and the other was that she knew these people. Collena was still the same as when Kayle first met her in Tokyo, gray garter shirt, thigh-high boots, lovely and unexpectedly annoying. Standing next to her was John with a jacket that had seen the better day. His face was covered with sweat and there was a wrench on his right hand.
Oh man! He look even more pathetic than the last time, Kayle thought.
Upon seeing them coming, Collena immediately leaped and shouted something but Kayle didn't understand a word.
"You know them, Wilson?"
Kayle looked up at him with a surprised look. How the hell did he know that? She never told anyone about this and Emerson was definitely not the gossiping type.
"The woman greeted you in Gael" he whistled. "It seems they know who you are."
So he did not lie when he told me that he had half of Irish blood in his veins. "I met them in Tokyo, a newly wed couple"
" A newly wed couple?" He gave a smile that made her goosebumps "What a pity."
Kayle snorted, now she understood why he was so eager help them. Jeremy The Jackal, The Horror of the Hindu Kush was just like all other men, easily subdued by beauty. This made Kayle felt both disappointed and jealous. It was true that Collena was pretty, but in that perspective, Kayle
"Oh my God, Kayle! I was so happy to see you, we were going up the hill and this miserable car suddenly stopped on its track. See, I told John many times that a new car is much better but he didn't listen. And now he even want to fix it. Fix? Fix what? this junk belong to landfills? He didn't even know where to start and it was getting dark. Then he said we had to spend the night here."
As expected, the woman immediately jumped into her and hugged her so tight that she almost suffocated.
"No! I won't stay in a place like this. "She said in tears." Please help us, please, Kayle. "
"Okay, calm down, Collena." The major gently pushed the woman away. "My friend will look over it."
"Your friend?" Collena now noticed the existence of a man standing behind her. "Who is he?" She whispered.
"He is ..."
"Let me introduce myself, I am Jeremy Underwood, Captain of the United States Army." He stepped up and remove his cap "It is an honor to meet a beautiful woman like you today, Mrs… Collena right? "
Jeremy held out his hand to Irish woman. It was not a handshake because his gesture was so gracious that it looked like he was picking up a flower in the garden.
"Captain?" Collena's cheeks turned red instantly. The dream of having Military man and prince Charming came true in one day "Where have you been in my life so far?"
"Far away" A wry smile appeared on his grim face and it made her goosebumps "In places you had never heard of."
In her astonishment, the couple continued the flirting with kisses given by both side on the cheeks. And it was even more surprised when John did not have any reaction, even the smallest, to the fact that Collena was being taking from his hand by another man. The little man just stood there laughing and laughing when Jeremy kissed his wife's cheek and happily told her about the condition of the car.
"When we was in the middle of the slope, the engine suddenly let out a strange noise and then stopped eventually. Strange, when I rent it, I didn't see any wrong with it at that time. Refining gasoline, pipes, cylinders are in perfect condition. The car rental owner is a polite and honest man so I don't think he lied when he said this was the best Toyota in the store. I can't believe it. I changed the oil myself and drove few lap to make sure there wouldn't any problem. Indeed, there was no problem at all, i swear. "
John shook his head dejectedly. "I have to compensate for any damage anyway. The contract is very clear on that. But do you think I can convince them that this is not my fault? You see, this is definitely not my doing. "
What is wrong with this guy? Is it normal for a husband to talk about compensation while his wife was falling into another man's arms? It was true that the scary appearance of the Jackal could easily erodes the courage of any man, especially with a man who was both short and fat like John, but that couldn't justify this despicable cowardice. Even Jackal was not himself anymore. He almost turned into another person within minutes. He laughed more, talked more and shamelessly went on seducing a married woman.
"Jeremy!" Kayle wanted to leave this place as soon as possible "Are you going to fix that car or not?"
"Of course." He replied dryly and turned to Collena, "Just a few minutes then we will talk, ma'am."
But Jeremy's few minutes quickly went from five to ten, from fifteen to thirty and the sound of wrench which was thrown violently on the ground let her knew that they would not arrive at the East Asia Headquarters on time. The Jackal thought the gas pump had been blocked and demanded it removed but John refused to do so. He insisted the gas pump was still functioning normally and what Jeremy intended to do only made the situation worse. Kayle chuckled at that. If he cared about the wife as he cared for the car, she would have a good tv drama to watch.
"Can you hurry up?" The black-haired woman squirmed. "I want to go to the bathroom, John."
Lord have mercy.
"Looks like there is a toilet down there, near the forest." John pointed at the foothills. "I remember it was on the left side when we passed by."
It is true that there was a white object behind the pine leaves but Kayle couldn't tell what it was clearly at this distance.
"I'm not going down there alone!" Collena exclaimed and turned to look at Kayle ,pleading. "Can you come with me, please?"
Somehow women like to go to the bathroom together. A habit forming on the idea that women need to be tribalist to fight against men or was there a secret that they only dare to share in a private? If it was a secret, she had never had the honor to know and it was absurd that the place that was specialized for people to take off their pants be considered as private.
"Okay." Kayle nodded. "Just in time I'm tired of sitting duck."
The jackal heard that and pulled his head out of the cable. His face was covered with dirt and grease.
"Are you sure about that?"
Kayle was a little surprised by the question but when she remembered his impulsive habits, she gave him a look "If you think I'm afraid of ghosts, you're wrong."
"That's not what I mean."
"Oh, is that so?" Kayle crossed her arms and asked "So what do you mean by that then? Enlighten me, captain. "
He wiped his hand on a greasy rag and laughed wryly. "Nothing, I just don't like having someone compete with me. Beside I must warn you that I have no experience on having it three way."
Kayle didn't understand at first, but when she thought about it again, she let out a grunt "You would never give up, wouldn't you?" She said in disgust. It was clear that he was just trolling her but Kayle couldn't take it as a joke because she knew when it came to sex, men never made a joke.
"Don't worry, Jeremy my dear." Collena appeared behind her and giggled "We are just friends."
And so they went down to Shino Hill in the dim light and the murmuring sound caused by hundreds twenty feet tall trees. Collena held Kayle's hand tightly, shyly and nervous like a girl in her first date. The body of the Irish women smelled of Dior roses while Kayle's clothes had the smell of gunpowder, but that didn't stop the young woman from leaning on her whenever they heard the unknown noises coming out from the forest.
"This place was supposed to be beautiful." She looked up and stared at the swaying trees in the gray sky. "Somehow, John was so excited to get out of the city. He suddenly said he needed some countryside's air, get along with the greenery something. "
It really didn't sound like John at all. The man really did loved the green but that was the color green of the Dollar.
"Maybe your husband think Tokyo is a little too crowded for his taste."
"John lived his whole life in Dublin and London but I did not see him complaining about anything like that." Collena's voice was a little annoyed. " We planned to go to Ginza for shopping we have to board the train to Osaka and John insists on not canceling the ticket because the station has no refund policy. "
The Major laughed out loud. "Believe me, your husband does indeed find Tokyo a little crowded."
John Wilson must had a heart attack when he discovered a Coke in Ginza could cost five dollars. Speaking of money, Kayle still hadn't forgotten what happened at the convenient store. Louie used to laugh and said that it was their father's habit of counting every cooper, but she didn't care. Spending too much money on an item that didn't worth half its true value was a tremendous waste and there was nothing wrong with saving.
Thanks to the frugality of mine, you are about to have your own restaurant , my dear brother.
Public toilets, though small, was quite clean when considering its remote location. The floor was covered with green tiles and the walls were as white as the virgin flowers. Kayle had to give a compliment to the diligence of Japanese because even a public bathroom far from the city also recieved equal attention.
The Irish woman hesitantly look around for a while before picking up the bathroom at the end of the row, facing the enamel sink and a dusty mirror. A strange act because if it was Kayle, she would run right into the nearest one for convenience.
"Did they leave the light on all day? I thought Japanese people were very economical. "Collena's Irish sounded awkward in tight spaces." John praised them so much that it hurt my ears. He was like 'do you see the way they use leftovers food to feed the fish 'or' Watch them ride bicycles to save gasoline, that's great. He makes me feel like he is about to leave me to get a Japanese wife for real "
"Nobody turns them on. It's because of the Photodetector. "
"Photod ... what?"
" Photodetector " She repeated patiently. "The sensor will sense the light around it and automatically turn on the light when it's dark. Do you remember the small lights mounted on bicycles? They also work with a similar mechanism but less complicate than this one. "
"Oh!" The woman exclaimed admiringly. "You really are really smart Kayle. No wonder my man likes you that much. "
My man ? Although Colina said that, Kayle didn't think she was referring to her husband.
"You're wrong."
"I'm not mistaken. You could know a lot about shooting and photodetector, but here, in this field, I'm the expert."
This couldn't be. Kayle had been pursued by others before so she knew how it worked and only the idiot would believe the formula "I hate you, I love you" in romantic comedies was real. And more importantly, the Jackal was the most terrible male character that Kayle ever knew.
"Don't misunderstand him. The captain only make his move on me because he wanted to test you. A strange tactic but it can't blame him, men are always mysterious in their own way. "
Yet Kayle thought it was only true for women. "How could you be so sure?"
"Well, People like me always know a thing or two about it, "Colina replied with absolute confidence." You can think of it as a kind of skill similar to making egg mixes, but some people in my place like to call it the mistletoe's nature, the parasite that stick on the backs of men and drains their money. Do you think so? "
Collena is a gold digger but at least she is honest. "It is not my place to ask this but Collena, do you love John?"
"You're more straightforward than most people I met in my life, Kayle, and I thank you for that. The answer is yes but it is not normal love, at least it isn't like the thing between you and the Captain. In rural Ireland, the future of people like me only consist of the kitchen and a husband who stick his nose in cattle or Whiskey all day long. But that was the bright part of the story because when he got tired of both and he would stick his thing between your legs. The life of the peasant woman, they said. John saved me from that tragic fate. In John I saw Paris, New York instead of the swamp next to my house and in me, he saw a real woman instead of a silly old fat girl who would have become his wife. And for that reason we fell in love at first sight in the pub. "
Collena's story is somewhat like her. They both left their old lives and wagered on their fortunes to see the world but unlike her, the Irish woman did not regret her decision.
"Now that's just enough talk about me, Kayle. Why don't we talk about you and the Jeremy? Listen, men like him are a bit difficult to handle but not impossible. In my experience, they don't like women with hair bun. Don't be sad when I say that your hairstyle looks exactly like my great-grandmother. Too serious and boring "
Is it really that bad? Kayle touched the bun she liked the most with her hand. Why didn't I ever heard anyone say anything about it?
She found herself silly to ask such questions. Men in the army might notice a lot of things on her, but they would never comment on her hair. Annoyed, the Major approached the mirror next to the washbasin to make it clear.
"What kind of style do you think I should have?" Kayle said as she wiped the dust off the glass surface with her palm. "Short would be nice cause military standard wont allow my hair to touch my shoulder."
"Whatever you want, dear Major." The woman answered
Strange ... When did she know my rank?
In the mirror of the translucent glass, Kayle saw the bathroom door had been opened and Collena was not in it. The Irish woman now stood right next to her. Her face had the strange, creepy lines of a rotten fruit.
"Colina, why are you ...!"
Kayle's astonishment quickly turned into panic as she felt a sharp pain in her hip.
Did she just stab me ? It was the first thing she thought of then as fast as she could, Kayle turned around and pushed Collena backwards before pulling back toward the door. Her hand trembled to touch the top of her waist. No ! there is no blood. But why is it so painful?
"What the hell are you doing?" Kayle yelled at the woman"What did you do to me?"
The woman did not answer, she just smiled and slowly approached Kayle. Her gesture was a compilation of leisure and arrogance of a predator in front of cornered prey.
"Who are you?"
And those were the last words uttered from Kayle's mouth before she realized that her jaw and her left body were stiff like a stone. The former Specter commander lost her balance and fell to the icy floor. The pain had now spread throughout her body and her gut was on fire.
Anesthetic ? Kayle suddenly realized what had just attacked her but it was too late.
Kayle knew she had to do something right away, but the functional part of her body was too weak to help her stand up, let alone to resist Colina. She immediately thought of the Jackal and was about to call for help, but this place was too far from the car and if she was lying and fighting for her survival here, he could have been ...
"Maybe my husband has done with Captain." Colina said casually. Her voice was icy and cold and sounded like a person with a flu. "Boris said half of the dose was enough for you, but in fact, you are tougher than you look. So sad when it come to this, Kayle. This coat is quite expensive and it's also my favorite one. I hate getting it dirty "
After that, Collena bent down to pull Kayle up before wrapping her arms around Kayle's neck from behind and squeezed it like a python.
"I must be honest, Kayle. You're a wonderful friend that I ever have "she whispered." But I have my orders so don't blame me. "
Kayle couldn't breathe, couldn't move and couldn't scream. She could only helplessly look at the surrounding landscape fading because of lack of oxygen or because anesthesia began to affect the nervous system.
Am I going to die? It seems that was the case, the generosity of death was as dry as the lake on the outskirts of Bagdad that Roland showed her many year ago. God, I hope you let me see him again. Only once will be enough then you can banish me to any Hell you want to..
But the moment she was about to achieve her wish, a voice rang out:
"Let go of her!"
Kayle's eyes were too blur so she could only see a black shadow standing at the entrance but his voice was unmistakable.
Jackals were still alive!
"Oh look." Colina loosened her grip on her neck a bit and laughed dryly. "The Prince has come to for his princess."
"Let go of her!" The jackal snapped, the vibrato in his rage was like metal bars colliding. "Or I'll punch a hole in your head."
He had a gun. That's good, at least if Kayle died, this bitch would surely suffer the same fate.
"Where's Boris? Did you kill my husband, Jeremy? "She didn't seem to mind his threat." You surprised me. Boris is not easy to deal with. "
"Let go of the Major." He repeated impatiently. "Raise your hands above your head."
"Put down the gun or I'll cut your lover's neck like a pig she is." Colina retorted "Do you want to see her scearm?"
Kayle could see Collena's knife close to her neck but she could not feel the blade as well as the hot blood flowing down to her chest. Kayle knew what Colina was up to. She would use her as a human shield to escape or to kill Jeremy before killing her too.
Don't listen to her, Jerry! Shoot her and ignore me. She wanted to scream at him but could not do it.
"It's simple, handsome. Throw that gun aside and your Major will live. "Colina said with a fake sweetness." I asume you are very good with that Glock, but don't bet it on your lover's life. "
Don't do that.
A haughty smile flashed on Jeremy's lips and for some unknown reason, Kayle knew it was for her.
"The situation leave me no other choice. I must do it no matter the cost." He said "Sorry, Major."
Kayle closed her eyes and what she remembered was a... BANG