Chapter 3: Operation Rescue

A few months before

Tom watched his crew and the teenagers singing and having fun. It was nice to see them so relaxed and happy. Things had not been easy lately.

Now he was an Admiral, the President informed him of the change. Tom didn't know if felt comfortable with the situation, not that he doubted his ability, he just didn't like the bureaucracy. He would always rather action, and being in the midst of it.

The change might not be what he wanted, but maybe it was what he needed. The wound throbbing at his side, a constant reminder, he was no longer young and his family really should be his priority now.

He noted one of the women that had helped in the party preparations, she was serving the President and the Judge. He felt a strange vibe from her, but did not know why. She seemed nervous, tense, she didn't look into anyone's eyes. Tom knew that the presence of soldiers left some civilians uncomfortable; they could be intimidating, even if unintentionally…and it wasn't always unintentional.

"Commodore! Won't you join the party? I bet you know some songs." Tex said as he approached.

"I do not sing, Tex." He replied with finality, though allowing his friend a small grin that spoke of his admiration for the man and his happiness at all they had accomplished together.

"Nonsense, your voice can't be worse than mine." Said Tex.

"At least take a glass of champagne, Captain. I would like to suggest a toast to team work."

"Cheers." He acquiesced, taking a glass.

"Has Rachel already come down?" Tex asked innocently, conversationally.

"How would I know?" Tom replied defensively.

Tex raised his eyebrows with interest at his telling response, though he continued without comment. "The Judge's daughter delivered a black dress and heels." Tex confided with a smile. "Not that she isn't a knockout any day of the week, but she will be drop-dead gorgeous in a dress and heels!"

Silently, Tom couldn't agree more, but his relationship, or lack thereof, with Rachel was too complicated to put voice to the thought.

To distract from his thoughts of a certain Doctor, Tom observed again the woman who was serving the President. Every soldier develops instincts that are important to keeping him alive on the battlefield. They are trained to recognize the danger signs that the subconscious picks up on, and these instincts were screaming at him right now.

LSLSLS

Tex liked Rachel, but had already realized a long time ago that the beautiful Doctor only had eyes for the Captain, a Captain who at this moment was frowning, as if seeking an answer to a particularly challenging question.

Tex followed his gaze and saw a woman in her mid to late twenties, blonde hair, petite, serving the people who were with the President.

"What's wrong?" Tex asked, continuing to study the same subject matter that the Captain himself was in an effort to work out for himself what had got the man so concerned in what should have been a lighthearted moment.

"I don't know, maybe we have been at war for so long that I'm paranoid. Seeing more trouble around every corner." Tom answered after a moment of consideration.

Tom had already learned that Tex was actually very observant, and his playfulness lent people the confidence to confide in him.

"Tex, what do you know about that woman?" He indicated the one that Tex had already zeroed in on too.

"Well, I know she was the one who took the dress up for Rachel." Tex answered.

Rachel! Tom's heart froze. That was the answer he had been looking for. She was late. It was all starting to add up…and it wasn't adding up well.

The woman was acting suspiciously…she had been in direct contact with Rachel…Rachel was late…No!

Oh God, please let me be being completely paranoid!

Tex saw when his response clicked with something in the Captain's brain. If it were anyone else, he may even disregarded it, but the sharp instincts of the Captain...

Mike, who had been speaking to somehow not far away, noticed that Tex and the Captain both seemed restless, immediately on alert, he approached.

"Something wrong?" He asked quietly.

"Come with me Mike." Was all Tom said.

"Tex, keep an eye on everything down here. Mike and I are going to look for Rachel."

Tex nodded, but questioned. "Shouldn't we warn the others?"

"Not yet, might be nothing, but don't let that woman out of your sight." Said Tom.

Tom prayed that he was wrong, but during all his years as a soldier, his instincts had saved his life many times. They were impossible to ignore at the point, and frankly not advisable to.

Discreetly, he and Mike took the elevator up to Rachel's floor.

"What's going, Tom?" Mike enquired.

"Take out your gun." Was Tom's only and immediate reply, while taking his own gun from the inside of his own jacket.

"Rachel is late, and there is a woman down there acting suspicious who was the last person to see her." He went on to explain.

"Ok." Was all he said. As a police officer he had learned to value ones instincts. If Tom was saying something was wrong, he believed him.

The two men swept the hall to get to Rachel's room, the first and only clue that something was indeed wrong was the door ajar. They entered the room cautiously and swept it. Rachel was not there. She was gone.

Tom cursed out loud. While signs of trouble might be minimal, they all added up to calamitous for Tom.

Quickly examining the room for any trace of evidence that could indicate Rachel's whereabouts, Mike doing the same, he saw a black dress extended on the bed, a note laying face up on top of it that was a quick glance showed to be merely a note from the Judge's daughter that came along with the dress. Though he did raise his eyebrow at the last sentence of the woman's short note.

Continuing to scan the room, he gaze fell upon another piece of white paper, an envelope sitting on the table, in Rachel's handwriting, he noted his own name. Immediately picking it up and tearing it open, the harsh thought went through his mind that she had deliberately left them, left him. That this was her farewell letter to him, that he would never see her again and that was her choice.

It really could be true, the suspicious behavior of the woman downstairs, who had been the last person to see Rachel, could be because she had helped Rachel get out. She would have needed help. She couldn't have just walked out without being noticed. Where the hell were her guards anyway?

Making a complete mess of tearing the envelope open, he was not met with what he had expected…what he had feared. In his hands now he just held a small stack of scientific reports. He vaguely recognized them as what the President had asked him to get from Rachel. He had avoided getting them…well, because he had been avoiding Rachel. Stupid.

Absentmindedly manhandling the sheets of papers back under control and pocketing them.

But of course the realization that this development did not constitute a relief was fast coming. She was still gone. And there, in fact, was no evidence that that had been her choice. There was still the strange behavior of the woman who had last seen her. They had arrived to find her gone and her door left open.

This was enough to act and they needed to act now.

Though for a moment a part of him did briefly despair, the coldest sense of dread descending over him. He knew what their enemies were capable of and he was deathly afraid of what this could mean.

Tom took a deep breath and let his training and experience take over. Right now, Rachel needed the soldier, and that's what he would be. He knew he could not be part of the team that went after her, once the identified the direction to search. He was not fully recovered, not even close, he would be more a liability than help.

Mike saw the despair on his friend's face, though it was quickly replaced by fierce determination.

"Gather everyone one room. The President, the teenagers and the guests, post soldiers to protect them. We need to do the sweep the hotel, post guards at all entries, no one enters or leaves, we have to contact the ship, they may try to rescue their leader." Tom ordered, the Commander…no, Admiral, back in control.

In the lobby, the soldiers were getting anxious, working off months and facing danger together, they had learned to identify a situation by their Captain's demeanor. And right now, they could all tell that something was very wrong. Doctor Scotts continued absence had not gone unnoticed either…

Tom began to bark orders as soon as he arrived back in the lobby, all the soldiers rushed to comply.

LSLSLS

Sarah had noticed the change in the atmosphere of the room, all the soldiers were whispering to each other. When the Captain reemerged and started shouting orders, she panicked and tried to leave.

"Where are you off to in such a hurry, dear?" A bearded man asked her, coming to stand directing in front of her, blocking her escape.

Sarah despaired…she knew it was all over for her. The man's intense gaze told her very clearly that she was not invisible any longer. She had been caught. There would be no escape.

Her family…her baby…

LSLSLS

A sweep of the hotel and Tom's 'intense questioning' of the woman who had last seen Rachel, a woman who broke down in tears spilling everything almost immediately, unearthed exactly what everyone already knew, Dr. Scott was gone…taken. Though they now knew the woman, Sarah, had indeed helped in her abduction. She has distressingly retold that she had done it because the man had her son and sister also held hostage and were threatening to kill both of them. They did have a description of at least one of the believed to be two kidnappers.

Tom divided the soldiers into teams, to protect the President and the kids, and watch the perimeter of the hotel…the whole perimeter this time. While Mike questioned led another team to gather information in the city. He sent two rescue teams and a helicopter to search for Rachel. The teams used the radio to communicate and update information.

One of the city's inhabitants had offered to go along; he knew the area and could be very useful. Tom was reluctant to accept the help, but Elijah was retired military.

They didn't know it then, but Elijah would be very important to the outcome of these events…and not just those confided to this night.

One of the groups consisted of Tex, Green and Burk, and the other group consisted of Wolf, Cruz and Miller, along with a handful of other soldiers.

They found the two women that Sarah had tearfully told them off with their throats cut at Sarah's house. They found the bar they had been at that evening. The people at the bar told them that the kidnappers were not from the area.

The field teams Alpha, Bird and Tiger reported in the new information, Tom updated the President.

One of the larger ground floor rooms was temporarily converted into a place people could stay for the night, some mattresses were brought down, for those that needed them, the children and the elderly, but sleep was the last thing on most peoples mind. It would be a long night. Soldiers guarded the door. After updating all of them, Tom decided to return to command.

One of the few strokes of luck they had had was a couple arriving late for the event had seen a car screech out of the back parking lot of the hotel at exactly the time they now knew Rachel had been taken. The wife had been able to give little in way of a description of the car other than 'silver', but her husband, thankfully a 'car guy', had been able to give a much more thorough description of the vehicle they now knew must have been the one to carry Rachel from the hotel and supposed safety.

Over the last few hours, what had been a nagging pain in his side, had become an excruciating pain. And if he was honest, he had started to feel too hot as well. One of them many things Rachel had told him to watch out for following his injury. Not that he did share that with anyone of course. Rachel's current unknown and highly worrisome wareabouts was enough for Tom to fervently believe that anything going on with him was utterly irrelevant…but his body disagreed. As he was leaving the room, he suddenly felt very lightheaded, the world started spinning for him. He put a hand out on the wall to steady himself.

"Captain, are you all right?" One of the soldiers called.

He tried to say yes, but before he could everything went black and he passed out.

His last thought that he was letting Rachel down. That he could loose her simply because of his own and weakness and failure to stay the course when his actions were truly need. When she truly needed him.

LSLSLS

They led the Captain to another room. The doctors found that his stiches had ruptured, and he had a fever.

"We found tire tracks on a parallel road with Elijah's help. The kidnappers do not seem anxious to cover their tracks." Green reported by radio.

"Matches what we know about the immunes, they are arrogant." Answered Mike with disgust

"Elijah says we can use a detour to intercept the kidnappers, sir"

"Okay, the other teams will be informed."

"We will keep you updated, sir. Moving out."

Tom woke up in a bed. Dr. Rios and Mike looking down at him, worried.

"What happened? "Asked the Captain.

"You passed out, Sir. Your wound reopened". Said Rios.

"What news is there about the rescue, Mike?" Tom immediately questioned, seemingly completely uninterested in his own condition.

"At last contact with Green they were making a push to try and intercept the kidnappers."

Tom tried to get up, but was prevented by both Mike and Rios.

"You need to rest, sir"

"I am fine, Doctor."

"No sir, you need to allow time for your body to recover."

"Rios is right Captain; I'll keep you informed about the rescue operation."

Tom knew they were right, he did feel very tired and weak. As soon as his eyes closed he fall asleep. The last thing he thought was that he felt useless. Rachel was out there and he was not doing anything to find her.

"You sedated him!"

"No Commander, he did not eat or sleep properly for several days…and in the aftermath of an, as yet unresolved, serious injury. And the tension of the last few hours made it all the worse. He simply pushed of his body beyond its limits. He has a fever, likely sign of infection at the very least, I will need to do an ultrasound to see if the shrapnel has moved, depending on the outcome of that, I might have to operate tonight."

"He will not like that, not now." Mike stated the obvious.

"I realize that but we cannot put his life at further risk, Commander."

"All right, keep me informed of his condition."

"Yes, sir."

A few minutes later, Green's team spotted the kidnappers car on the road. The forms of two men were visible, and also two women that matched the descriptions of the Sarah's sister, and of course Dr. Scott.

"Rachel is with them?" Tex asked.

"I cannot see their faces, but they seem to be. We have to get closer," Shouted Green.

The chase began. The kidnappers began to shoot at them, but the soldiers could not do so for fear of hitting the hostages.

"We cannot let them get close, they will screw everything up, Jason." Said Nick.

"I have an idea to delay them." Said Jason.

Then he pointed the gun at Maya, leaded over and opened the door and ordered. "Jump!"

"What?" She exclaimed, sparing a terrified glance at the fast moving road mere inches from her.

She hesitated in terror but Jason pushed hard on her shoulder.

Maya fell from the fast moving vehicle.

Shocked at what he had just witnessed, and with practically no time to act, Green barely avoiding hitting the girl on the road but instead lost control of the wheel and slammed into a tree.

Elijah broke his wrist. The rest of the group was lucky, only bruises and abrasions.

Jason smiled manically when he glanced back and saw how well his plan had worked. So mired in his success was he that he failed to see a car parked on the track ahead of him. He swerved and tried to correct but failed spectacularly and the car flipped and rolled several times, a body was thrown out of the vehicle, and the car burst into flames.

While Green make contact by radio to warn of our situation, the others were checking the bodies on the road.

The woman was bleeding profusely from a chest injury, her leg was at an odd angle, and she had a head injury that also bleeding heavily. They did their best to try to help, but knew it was useless.

The other victim was one of the kidnappers. He was badly injured. The skull tattoo at his wrist was visible.

"She dead! You guys killed her! The bitch is dead!" He raved the words as he coughed up blood and moments later he too was dead.

It was Tex that made his way to the burning wreck and with horror gazed upon the highly charred form of the last female occupant of the car… Rachel.

Dr. Scott was dead. They had failed.

"The helicopter is on the way, the other team found the boy, hurt, scared, but alive." Said Green.

"Thanks God! At least some good news." said Burk.

"The Captain passed out, his wound reopened and is infected. And that's not all, the doctors think the shrapnel might have moved, they might need to operate again." Said Green.

"We cannot lose them both, dammit!" Tex was an effective soldier, but was always very humorous, even in the most difficult situations, now he was just steaming with unadulterated rage and it was not as any of them had ever seen the man before. But they all well understood the reason.

The others agreed. The Captain and Dr Scott had started this mission together. They all silently feared the Captain's reaction to this terrible news.

"Dr. Scott lives in every person saved by her vaccine; she lives in all of us." Said Burk.

The Captain's condition worsened and doctors decided it was necessary to operate to remove the shrapnel. For two days, they were afraid he would die. When he was finally stabilized, it was still another three days before he woke, and when he did he was mad as hell.

Upon waking, Tom immediately realized that something was very wrong, the doctors refused to answer any of his questions, just saying he needed to rest.

"I want to see Commander Slattery, now!" He barked.

"Captain, you need your rest."

"What I need is answers, get him now!"

Tom was very much afraid that knew he exactly what everyone's hesitance in answering his questions meant. He knew time had passed, knew Rachel's fate must have been decided by now. With horror he realized that it was not good news that everyone was guarding from him so fiercely. The news was bad, very, very bad, it was the only explanation… Oh, God…

"Get Slattery now! If I have to drag myself to him I will!"

"I'll call him, sir" The nurse relented.

It didn't long for the other man to arrive and when he did his eyes immediately confirmed the worst.

"How?" Tom demanded in a hard tone.

"Tom…"

"How, Commander?" Rage dripping from his every syllable, it was the only emotion he would allow forward right now.

"There was an accident, the car in which she was in caught fire and..."

Tom's face showed unadulterated horror, Mike halted his explanation.

"Captain...Tom…"

"Are you sure?" Tom interrupted.

"She was seen in the car just before the accident…and she was identified by her jewelry that was confirmed by several people as belonging to her…even I recognized it." Mike confirmed sadly.

Mike remembered what the Doctors explanation of how badly burned her body was, how any other forms of identification was utterly impossible. Tom didn't need to here those details.

"Maya and her nephew?" Tom asked blandly, his true emotions already sinking behind an emotionless mask. A defense mechanism.

"They killed Maya, but we found the boy."

Mike hesitated. "Tom, if you want to talk about it?"

"About what?" He returned, voice hard.

Mike nearly backed of. "About Dr. Scott…"

"She is dead, Commander, there is nothing to talk about." He spoke with icy finality.

Before Tom's eyes had showed pain, horror, anger… Now there was nothing, they were dead.