Authors Note: This will be my thirty-second (published) story. The story belongs in my Kick-Ass Forsaken universe and will use characters and events from that universe. The story fits in chronologically after Chapter 393: Birthday Wishes of Forsaken, as well as after Chapter 87: A Tale of Two Weddings – Part IV of Vengeance, and Chapter 15: First Time, First Love of Fusion: Los Angeles, following on from events in those stories.
As I often do, I will be scattering movie references throughout the story, either just small quotes, or entire reworked scenes – hope you can spot them. As usual, I look forward, with some trepidation, to any reviews. I promise to accept all criticism. In addition, I am still British, so my spelling and grammar may look and appear strange to some.
**** A WARNING: This story contains certain content which may upset readers. Throughout the story, there will be graphic scenes involving sexual abuse, violence, and torture. Characters within the story will suffer physical and emotional abuse which replicates real tortures and abuse used in the real world today. This story is intended to be dark and is intended to leave lifechanging emotional and physical scars on the characters. ****
As the story has scenes covering activities around the globe, many of the scenes will have a time notation, i.e. 03:04 GMT+7 (20:04 GMT May 2nd). The first time will be the LOCAL time while the time in brackets will be GMT or Universal Time to make it easier to keep track of what is happening and when throughout the story.
A sneak-preview of this story is available in Chapter 380: Advance Preview of Forsaken.
...+...
Synopsis: The countdown to ultimate terror has begun. The Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons has been breached on an unimaginable level. The world is moving towards a nuclear Armageddon. Hit Girl and her European allies must fight separate battles as they each begin a worldwide race against a ticking nuclear clock. Failure is not an option. Failure will see the end of the human race. A story from my Forsaken universe.
...+...
Preamble
The Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, often referred to as the Non-Proliferation Treaty, is an international treaty whose objective is to prevent the spread of nuclear weapons and weapons technology, to promote cooperation in the peaceful uses of nuclear energy, and to further the goal of achieving nuclear disarmament and general and complete disarmament. As of August 2016, 191 states have adhered to the treaty, while India, Israel, and Pakistan never signed. The treaty contained several secret protocols known only to very senior members of the signatory's governments.
One such protocol, prohibited non-conventional deliveries of nuclear weapons. 'Non-conventional' was intended to cover postal delivery of nuclear weapons, or the assembly of nuclear weapons close to their targets, as two examples. Conventionally delivered weapons were defined as those to be delivered by aircraft or by missile.
PART I: Fusion One
Sky News Excerpt
Trouble has quite literally exploded in Cambodia.
An oppressive regime from the late seventies – which caused the death of millions from execution, starvation, disease, and overwork – has made a dark return to the Asian country after almost fifty years. The Kingdom of Cambodia, with its fifteen million citizens, is bordered by Thailand to the northwest, Laos to the northeast, Vietnam to the east, and the Gulf of Thailand to the southwest.
In just four years, beginning in 1975, the brutal leader Pol Pot caused the deaths of two million of his countrymen. Forty-seven years after Pol Pot's deposition by Vietnamese troops, supporters of the Khmer Rouge have resurfaced and after a bloody coup which lasted three days, they overturned the government and the King of Thailand fled into exile.
Cambodia has always been seen as one of the most corrupt countries in the world. Despite tough anti-corruption laws, corruption is rife in the judiciary, the police, and most other state institutions. To complicate that matter, just as in the past, Russia has desired influence in the far east, just as history showed during the Vietnam War. As such, the President of Russia, Korzhakov, had pushed his people to intercede in the internal politics of desirable nations, in the hope of securing allies and military bases.
Outwardly, Korzhakov's actions were seen as 'humanitarian', but behind the scenes, he was actively supporting whichever side appealed to Russia's current and future needs.
Wednesday, May 3rd, 2017
Cambodia, Southeast Asia
03:04 GMT+7 (20:04 GMT May 2nd)
It was difficult going.
The marshy territory beneath the mangroves was very wet, very hot, and very miserable. So . . . what, you may ask, was Mindy doing wading through a leech-infested mangrove swamp in Southeast Asia with the rancid water lapping at her snatch?
For the past six hours, Mindy had been asking herself the exact same goddamn thing. She was hot. She was sweaty. She was being constantly attacked by gigantic mosquitos and God only knew what else. Mindy was also certain that she had a blood-sucking leech somewhere that she did not care to think about. Chloe appeared to be in the same frame of mind as she waded through the very same swamp, two feet behind her friend. Mindy knew that because Chloe had been muttering obscenities under her breath for the very same six hours.
As for the remaining female on their team and the male contingent of their merry band, they were apparently having the time of their lives.
..._...
To Joshua and Dave, it was all a walk in the park.
It was also a chance to pretend that they were fucking Rambo – at least Chloe thought so. As for Jennifer – she seemed right at home with the stroll through the mangroves . . . something which irked Mindy, no end. Each of them wore almost identical kit – British MTP. It was basically the same kit which the team had worn to storm Buck Island in the Caribbean at the beginning of the previous year. Atop the MTP, they wore Crye Precision AVS assault webbing which supported the majority of their kit, plus a webbing belt. They were quite heavily laden, with the boys carrying the lion's share, plus the heavier weapons. The intention was stealth, with firearms only to be used as the last resort. To that end, all five of them carried a custom Oneida bow as their primary offensive weapon. Their sidearms, though, had suppressors fitted, just in case they should be required. The stroll through the mangrove forest was the final leg of their transit to their destination which had entailed almost a full day of travelling, to that point, and they were bordering on exhaustion.
As for how they had got there, deep in the greenery of Cambodia, that was a story which had begun the previous week.
Almost a week earlier
Friday, April 28th
Glenview
Chicago, USA
14:00 GMT-6 (20:00 GMT April 28th)
Mindy was having a peaceful day, having endured a day of hell, just the day before.
Her eldest daughter, Stephanie, had just turned eleven and the celebrations had been epic, to say the least. As Mindy sat on the couch in the living room, reading her customary gun magazine, she heard the buzzer for the front gate.
"Can somebody get that?" Mindy yelled.
There was the sound of stampeding feet and Anne-Marie ran past.
"Can't . . . busy!" the nine-year-old yelled.
"For the love of..." Mindy growled as she threw down her magazine and walked out to where the intercom was mounted beside the front door.
"Hello."
"Mrs Lizewski?"
"Yes."
"I work – or should I say, I worked, with Commander Lawrence..."
"Come in," Mindy said as she pressed the button to release the gate and she pulled open the front door.
A short time later, a tall man stopped at the open front door.
"Who are you?" Mindy asked. "Has something happened to him?"
"May I come in, please?"
The man appeared agitated, so Mindy allowed him inside and she closed the door. The man passed over his identification. It was a Royal Navy identity card and it identified the man standing before Mindy as being a Lieutenant C. Montgomery, Royal Navy.
"Okay, Lieutenant," Mindy said as she offered the card back, pronouncing his rank as leftenant. "What can I do for you?"
"Commander Lawrence is in a spot of bother," the man explained, "somewhere on the other side of the world. My superiors believe him to be dead; however, I believe differently and so does my department. HMG are unable – actually, unwilling – to take any action to recover Commander Lawrence . . . so I came to you for help."
"Me?"
"I am fully aware of who you are, ma'am. Commander Lawrence took me into his confidence quite a while ago. I normally look after Vengeance, on a day-to-day basis, actually. We can give you every assistance with weapons, transport, reconnaissance, intelligence – we just can't put any of our own people on the ground or make any overt actions. I can get you just about anything . . . short of a Trident missile launch, I suppose. Mind you, the P.M. loves you, so you never know..."
The conversation was starting to get a bit off track, what with the discussion of strategic nuclear weapons and the British Prime Minister.
"Back to Commander Lawrence, what . . . the P.M. loves me?"
"She's a big fan of Vengeance, as you probably know, but she is also a fan of Fusion, and she demands regular updates on both organisations which she then passes onto H.M., another fan."
"H.M.?"
"Her Majesty the Queen."
Fielding Drive
After pulling Dave into a private conversation with Lieutenant Montgomery, Mindy and Dave had headed out to see Chloe and Joshua with the lieutenant in tow.
"Becky, could you go play, please?" Chloe directed as she recognised the looks on her friends' faces.
The conversation was animated, to say the least, as the lieutenant reiterated the problem. They all owed Commander Lawrence and they all owed it to him to attempt a rescue. However, the mission was borderline suicidal, to put it mildly, even by Fusion standards. It would be like nothing any of them had ever attempted, but they were all trained to a very high level and they were all fit enough for the task. It would be hard work, but there was a chance – a slim chance – of success. The mission would be covert with shades of Mission Impossible as the British Government would not acknowledge the mission in any way, should things go bad.
After two hours of intensive discussion, Chloe and Joshua both nodded their ascent to the mission – which just left the final member of their team.
Training Facility Echo
Level 1: Medical Centre
Jennifer had been really pleased by the request for inoculations.
"Wonderful!" she had exclaimed as the four victims had trooped into her subterranean office that evening. "I am so fed up with bumps, scrapes, bruises, and bullet wounds. I have a wonderful array of needles all ready for you."
"You what?" Chloe had demanded – she hated needles.
"Cholera, Hepatitis A, Hepatitis B, Japanese Encephalitis, Rabies, Tetanus, Typhoid – I think that should keep you all covered," Jennifer had grinned. "Normally, those would be spread over a number of weeks, but you four will have to suffer from sore butts for a few hours . . . and maybe a few side effects."
"Side effects?" Joshua queried.
"All of you, over the table and bare your left thighs, please, for the first four jabs," Jennifer ordered. "We'll stick the other three jabs in the right side."
"Is it too late to say no?" Chloe asked as she slid her pants and panties down several inches to bare her thighs.
Mindy simply grimaced as she felt Jennifer cleaning a part of her left thigh with an alcohol wipe.
..._...
Twenty-eight jabs later, a very pleased Jennifer asked Mindy and Chloe to stay behind for a few moments.
Once Dave and Joshua had left to visit the armoury, Jennifer turned to the two girls. She went very serious as she studied them both. Jennifer was very used to sending females into battle and she knew what may happen should things not go according to plan. As the girls' doctor, she knew their medical history better than they did. Both girls, she knew, were 'on the pill', but she figured that more might be required.
Both Chloe and Mindy left the room fifteen minutes later feeling slightly more uncomfortable than the boys.
Sunday, April 30th
Changi Airport
Singapore
06:30 GMT+8 (22:30 GMT April 29th)
The flight had been split into two, to allow for crew rest and refuelling.
The first leg was an extensive 5,439 nautical miles and thirteen hours of gruelling flight, landing at Tokyo, Japan. After a stop lasting three hours, they launched and headed on the final 2,862 nautical-mile leg, landing at Singapore, six and a half hours later. The five members of the team stepped out of the Gulfstream G650 and into the oppressive 27°C 89% humidity heat of Singapore Changi Airport. As they cleared customs, they passed through into the Executive Arrivals where they were met by the smiling face of Christopher Montgomery. The man seized the bags from Mindy, Chloe, and Jennifer and he headed outside to where a decidedly non-descript Land Rover 110 was parked. Dave, Joshua, and Christopher placed the bags in the rear door of the 4x4 while Mindy, Chloe, and Jennifer climbed into the back seat. Dave and Christopher climbed into the front, with Christopher driving – Joshua was left in the back with the bags.
They drove in a westerly direction, along the East Coast Parkway. Lieutenant Montgomery grinned when he glimpsed the wide-eyed faces as they took in the amazing scenery of the city-state. The drive did not take long, and they soon found themselves turning left off the Parkway, and towards the ocean. At the end of a concrete dock, a Royal Navy LCVP Mk5 sat in the water beside the dock, bobbing gently on the waves. The lieutenant handed the keys for the Land Rover over to a waiting Royal Navy sailor, while another grabbed all the bags from the back of the 4x4 and transferred them into the landing craft. A smirking Royal Marine stowed the bags before reaching up to assist Mindy, Jennifer, and Chloe into the assault craft – Dave and Joshua, plus the lieutenant, received no offer of assistance.
Mindy, Jennifer, and Chloe grinned as they were escorted to their seats under the retracted canopy of the assault craft. The ride out to their home for the next two days was exciting as the seas were moderately rough and the small flat-bottomed craft was bounced around. The steadily receding coastline was stunning, and Mindy sat with Chloe and Jennifer, all three staring out over the water. The ride out did not take long, and very soon, Joshua called the girls forward to where the giant 20,000-tonne Royal Navy assault ship was flooded down at the stern, her massive internal well-dock flooded down to allow her to receive her landing craft. The stern of the vessel towered above them; the gaping maw of her well-dock open before them. The entry-point was dark as they approached, but as their eyes adjusted, they could see lights illuminating the well-dock, which was split into two docks, port and starboard. The port side was fully packed with two of the larger Mk10 landing craft and a pair of 2000TDX LCACs or hovercraft. To starboard, three other LCVPs were present, although one stood out from the others as being of a very different design, not that anybody gave the craft much attention.
As they docked alongside a sister vessel, Lieutenant Montgomery waved his guests aboard.
Sunday, April 30th
HMS ALBION
08:15 GMT+8 (00:15 GMT April 30th)
The assault ship was a hive of activity, with almost eight hundred sailors and marines moving about the vessel as the working day began.
"I'll let you guys get settled, and I will be back in a few moments to take you to breakfast," Lieutenant Montgomery said.
Mindy and Chloe looked around the cabin, in which they had been deposited. There were six bunks, two per bulkhead, and each located above a desk. There was no natural light as Joshua had figured out that they were accommodated inboard and a deck or two above the well deck, but not within the main above deck superstructure. After a visit to the head, and a quick freshen up, they each sat awaiting the return of their guide. However, when the knock on the door came, it was not Lieutenant Montgomery, it was the familiar face of one Lieutenant Sarah Perrin.
"Hi, guys!" Sarah announced. "Good to see you aboard."
"Sarah!" Chloe exclaimed.
"I'm the Albion's assistant navigator and I am also your liaison aboard."
"Jennifer, this is Lieutenant Sarah Perrin, a friend from the U.K.," Mindy stated. "Sarah, this is Jennifer Staite, our medic, and she holds the rank of Lieutenant in the U.S.A.F. Reserve."
"Good to meet you, Jennifer."
"Jen, please."
"Come and get some breakfast."
..._...
The officers' wardroom on the 02 deck was large and busy.
Officers were scattered around the long dark mahogany tables eating breakfast in ones and twos. The uniforms varied from the tropical whites of the Royal Navy officers to the tropical khaki of the Royal Marines officers. Sarah, herself, wore a white shirt with rank epaulettes on each shoulder, white shorts, long white socks, and white boat shoes. Sarah waved them all to a table and they sat down, three per side with Jennifer on the end of the row. A pair of stewards appeared directly, one addressing Mindy first as directed by Sarah.
"What would you like, ma'am?" the steward asked Mindy.
"Er..."
Sarah chuckled before ordering for them all.
"Full, all around, please, steward."
"Coming directly, ma'am."
"Coffee or tea, ma'am?" the other steward asked as he placed a cup and saucer down beside Mindy.
"Coffee, please."
The steward poured the hot black liquid into the cup.
"Coffee or tea, ma'am?" the steward asked as he placed a cup and saucer down beside Chloe.
"Tea, please."
The steward dutifully selected a pot of tea from his tray and filled the cup.
"Coffee or tea, ma'am?" the steward asked as he placed a cup and saucer down beside Jennifer.
"Coffee, please, steward."
The attentions then turned to Joshua and Dave.
"Tea, please," Joshua said as the cup and saucer were placed before him.
"I'll go for the coffee, thanks," Dave added.
Another steward appeared, and he placed jugs of fresh milk and cream on the table, plus silver-plated containers of white and brown sugar, and some white sugar cubes. A few minutes later, two stewards appeared, their arms laden with six plates and two racks of toast.
"Wow!" Mindy exclaimed as a virtual mountain of bacon, eggs, sausages, black pudding, fried bread, fried tomatoes, and baked beans was placed before her.
Identical plates went down before everybody and they all dug in, after adding Ketchup to the pile – Joshua and Sarah alone added several large dollops of HP sauce. They all dug in, with Joshua enjoying lashings of butter and marmalade on his toast. Each was very happy to eat big as they figured they would each need the energy in the coming days. They chatted about their families and Sarah enjoyed having the time to catch up with her American friends.
After breakfast, Sarah returned her friends to their cabin, allowing them some time to rest after their mammoth flight.
Sunday, April 30th
HMS ALBION
14:00 GMT+8 (08:00 GMT April 30th)
After a lunch of soup and sandwiches, the team were wide awake having slept for two hours in their cabin before being awoken by Sarah and Lieutenant Montgomery.
At the end of the meal, they were led up two decks to the operational spaces used for planning beach and air assaults. The space had been cleared, except for themselves, four sailors, and two marines. Once the hatch was secured, a red light illuminated in the corridor outside to indicate that a secret briefing was underway. A large digital chart was displayed on a horizontal plotting table, centred around the Asian country of Cambodia.
"We got underway at 09:00," Lieutenant Montgomery advised. "We have a thirty-eight-hour transit to the drop-off point, here."
The officer indicated a point on the digital chart, about twenty-two miles off the west coast of Cambodia.
"You will board your modified LCM-8 and head inshore, passing to the south of Kaoh Kong Island to Point Alpha which is here. That will be a distance of about thirty-six kilometres. At Point Alpha, you turn north into Kaoh Kong Bay and you head up the east coast of Kaoh Kong Island. Twenty kilometres later, you will reach Point Bravo which is located at the entrance to the Prek Khlang Yai Estuary. Despite you having a shallow draft, you will still need to be careful as it will be very dark, and we have no idea what – or who – you might meet on the way."
"Sounds like fun," Dave commented dryly.
"Any bad guys to worry about?" Joshua asked.
"Plenty," Lieutenant Montgomery replied as he dropped a four-inch-thick file onto the table top.
"You just had to ask, didn't you," Chloe growled.
..._...
It was time for them to inspect their transport for the ride up the river.
Sarah led them down below with Lieutenant Montgomery for company. As they entered the large enclosed space in the vessel's stern, Mindy noticed a major difference – the stern door was tightly closed, and the well-dock had been pumped dry. Each of the vessels in the well-dock sat on their flat-bottomed hulls. There, in the well-dock of HMS Albion lay a very well-worn landing craft which stood out like a sore thumb against the pristine and much more modern Royal Navy LCVP Mk5s. The LCM-8, or Landing Craft Mechanised 8, was 73.7 feet in length with a beam of 21 feet. The draft of the craft was a little over four feet allowing the one-hundred-ton steel-hulled vessel to cruise shallow riverine waterways with relative ease. The vessel appeared dilapidated – at least from the outside.
"We pinched it from the Aussies," Sarah commented. "It was built in 1966 and you have an enclosed wheelhouse with galley facilities, a chart table, not to mention a proper head and shower. The paintwork and general state of repair has been fudged to make it look in a bad state of repair – just like everything else which plies the river."
"However," Lieutenant Montgomery added. "The engines are the very latest and should you need them, they will push you to fifteen knots."
"Afterburners?" Mindy asked facetiously.
"Not a chance!" Sarah laughed as Lieutenant Montgomery climbed down into the vessel's own well-deck.
"You have food aboard for two weeks – mostly carried in the hold below. We'll put fresh stuff aboard just before you sail. Enough diesel for about six hundred kilometres is carried which should be way more than you should ever need. There are hidden weapon mounts here and here – with two GPMGs stowed here and here."
"Air con?" Chloe asked.
"There was, but we trashed it for appearance's sake," Lieutenant Montgomery chuckled.
"This just keeps on getting better and better!" Chloe growled as she exchanged an unhappy glance with Jennifer.
"You have awnings which cover the afterdeck and half of the well-deck. It will be hot, I kid you not. There are four camp beds for you to use should the opportunity arises, and for appearance's sake."
"What's that smell?" Mindy wanted to know.
"We've been dumping gash aboard, for a few days now, then clearing it up. We needed the LCM to stink a bit – sorry."
..._...
The vessel's meagre accommodations were bleak, to say the least, but the small craft was never intended to be anything more than it was.
"Not exactly the Ocean Vigilante," Joshua conceded as he paced the decks of the craft.
"It will get us there," Dave decided.
All five received intensive instruction from a pair of chief petty officers concerning the engines, the radar, the controls, the electronics, and anything else which they considered important for the mission. The entire ship and its resources were behind them and anything they needed was provided. That included weapons which were all state of the art and brand new.
"Untraceable and virgin," Lieutenant Montgomery advised. "They are all in perfect working order and they have been serviced for use in this climate. I won't ask you to sign for them, but please return them if you can."
Mindy grinned.
"You have plenty of ammunition aboard the LCM – hidden, of course – but you will only be able to carry a limited amount into the jungle. Scuttling charges have been installed and configured so that the LCM can be destroyed when you are done with it. All being well, you won't need the heavier weapons – and it would not be a very good idea to get into a naval altercation while on the river as there are many choke points and places for you to run aground."
"So much good news," Chloe groused.
Mindy was not happy with any of the arrangements, but they were the best available under the circumstances, and she knew that her team could operate on their own very easily.
"Home from home," Jennifer commented for the first time.
"I've stayed in worse," Joshua said conversationally. "Mindy's apartment in New York, for example."
Mindy audibly growled.
"The one you burned down?" Chloe grinned as she saw her mentor's anger rising.
"That would be the one," Joshua confirmed with his own grin.
"Wasn't that when Mindy tried to cut your head off?" Chloe asked conversationally.
"You just can't let that lie!" Mindy exclaimed as she laughed.
"This sounds like a story I need to hear," Jennifer observed.
"It's a good one," Joshua confirmed as Mindy scowled.
..._...
Mindy lay in her bunk that night, staring at the deckhead, allowing her memory to drift.
Saying goodbye had been very, very difficult. Paige had volunteered to stay at Glenview to keep an eye on the kids – Curtis and Megan had insisted on going along to help. Marcus had been decidedly unhappy about what Mindy and her team were off to do on the far side of the world, but on the positive side, he knew that he could get one or two peaceful nights without the usual nocturnal antics of Megan and Curtis ruining his sleep. Mindy had struggled to fight back the tears as she had hugged each one of her children. Stephanie had been the worst. The girl had felt betrayed because Mindy had not been able to tell her where she was going nor why so she was leaving them behind. Dave had received the same unhappy look, but Mindy and Dave had both received big hugs, nonetheless. Stephanie could tell that it was something important and she recognised the look in Mindy's eyes that meant somebody, somewhere was going to die.
As for Becky, the poor little girl had felt totally bewildered as Chloe had been unable to hold back her own tears. Becky would stay with the Lizewski family for the duration under the watchful eye of Paige. So many bad thoughts went through Mindy's mind as her overactive imagination conjured up all sorts of nasty scenarios in which she might never saw her children or family again. From Chloe's pained expression, Mindy knew that the very same thoughts were going through her mind as well. They were quite literally vanishing to the other side of the planet, leaving everything behind them.
After they had walked out the door, Mindy had begun to shake, and it had taken all of her willpower to climb into her Jaguar F-Pace and then she had simply collapsed into Dave and she had sobbed for a few minutes before pulling herself back together again. In the back seat, Chloe was doing much the same with Joshua.
The trip to the airport had not been a lot of fun.
Monday, May 1st
HMS ALBION
07:20 GMT+7 (00:20 GMT May 1st)
The next morning had found Mindy standing at the stern of HMS ALBION.
She gazed down at the frothy, churning wake as the ship thrust ever closer to their destination. The Gulf of Thailand was vast, and they were just an insignificant dot on the ocean. As Mindy looked around, she could see nothing as far as her eyes could see – they were very much alone. She stared out towards the horizon and she thought through everything that was about to happen. The plan was programmed into her mind and she could visualise their route. Dave would be in command for the initial trip upriver with Joshua providing assistance where required. That would allow Mindy and Chloe to get some sleep before they both took over from the boys about six hours into the twelve-hour waterborne transit. Jennifer would sleep when she could and join either team and she would be in charge of the galley including the food and drink. At Point Foxtrot they would lay up for the daylight hours before all five of them would then trudge through over seventeen kilometres of humid jungle and over more than one hill for a further eight to nine hours – they were being allowed twenty hours to cover the distance. The plan was to arrive in the late evening and recon the facility at their destination before rescuing the Commander in the early hours.
After breakfast, all five of them had sat down together to go through the intelligence information, the reconnaissance photos, and the charts/maps. There was a selection of high-resolution satellite images to give a vague idea of the terrain ahead of them, including their intended destination. They discussed eventualities and potential problems, thinking up potential solutions to those same potential problems. Every twist and turn in the river could expose them to unexpected danger without warning. They would have to be able to react to anything and everything at a moment's notice. To be brutally honest, the whole mission was decidedly daunting. By lunchtime, they had explored everything, and they were hungry. Sandwiches and soft drinks appeared along with Sarah who was checking to see if everything was okay.
"Any problems?" she asked.
"Not really," Mindy admitted truthfully.
"Anything you guys need?"
"No, we're good, for now," Dave replied. "Thanks for the food."
"You have dinner arranged for seventeen hundred, and then you can all get some shut eye until twenty-one hundred. You depart at twenty-two hundred."
"Thanks, Sarah – I really mean that," Mindy said.
..._...
Once the young officer had left, the team went through the exfiltration details, including the extraction sites.
They had been provided with numerous methods for escaping with their rescued man, however, they were all filled with danger and Dave would make the decision on which extraction site was to be used depending on the situation at the time. The final hours of the mission would be open to change as events dictated, but that was what the team were trained for. They were able to handle almost anything that was thrown at them. Morale was surprisingly high amongst the five vigilantes. Even Jennifer was looking forward to the mission. The young woman was an experienced medic and she had endured some difficult training with Delta for her time in Afghanistan. Jennifer knew her way around a weapon, and she had satisfied Mindy that she knew what she was about – no mean feat in itself.
Nobody was lying to themselves; they all knew that the mission was fraught with danger and that there was the very real possibility that none of them would return from their river trip into Cambodia.
HMS ALBION
17:00 GMT+7 (10:00 GMT May 1st)
Each person had decided on their own final meal – all ultimately selecting the same dish.
The galley had come up trumps and all five tucked into steak, egg, and chips. Sarah and Lieutenant Montgomery were with them to keep them company while they ate in a secluded corner of the wardroom. The team were sombre as they ate, and even Joshua could not come up with a joke to release some of the tension. The meal was over quicker than anybody actually wanted, and they soon retired to their cabin.
"Get some sleep," Dave directed as everybody undressed and slid beneath their duvets.
HMS ALBION
21:00 GMT+7 (14:00 GMT May 1st)
Dave awoke to a hand shaking his shoulder.
The cabin was dimly lit by lights in the desks below the bunks. He could make out a shape with a white head. It took a few moments for his mind to recognise somebody wearing an anti-flash hood.
"It's me, Sarah."
"Nice look," Dave muttered as he swung around and dangled his legs out over the side of the bunk.
"We went to action stations an hour ago – the Captain's taking no chances."
Dave gave his wife a shake and Mindy sat up, growling. He moved onto Jennifer, Chloe, and Joshua in turn.
"You have fifty-eight minutes, guys," Sarah said as she headed out of the cabin, closing the door behind her.
Everybody moved as one and grabbed a towel, heading for their last proper shower for a while. On their return from the bathroom and head, they found a young sailor, also dressed in anti-flash gear, standing outside their cabin. He snapped to attention as they approached, addressing Dave.
"I'm here to escort you all aft, sir, soon as you're ready."
"Thank you," Dave replied. "At ease. We'll be out in a few minutes."
It was half past nine by the time they were all suitably dressed in their combat gear and boots. Each member of the team secured their civilian attire and placed their bags on their bunks. Beside each bag, each member placed a sealed white envelope which they hoped would never be opened. They each pulled on a set of anti-flash gear – hood and gauntlets – before they stepped out of the cabin and Joshua closed the door.
"Lead on," Dave directed the young sailor.
Three minutes later, they found themselves on the well-deck where the lighting was set to red and their LCM-8 was a hive of activity as sailors checked, double-checked, and then re-checked every system. The young sailor left them beside a long table which was laid out with their packs and weaponry.
"Here," Lieutenant Montgomery said. "Bacon butties, tea, and coffee."
"You angel!" Jennifer exclaimed as she seized a mug of coffee and a roll.
Everybody dug into the hot drinks and equally hot food.
"Everything is ready – we heave to and flood down in about thirty seconds."
True to his word, the huge vessel went almost quiet as the engine sound dropped to a mere hum. There was a succession of mechanical sounds from the giant aft door as it was released and the stern of the LPD sunk into the Gulf of Thailand. It was decidedly unnatural to see water flooding into a vessel and nobody doing anything about it, Mindy considered. Once everybody had checked their weapons and loaded themselves up, they seized their packs and made their way aboard their transport which was soon afloat beside the dock. With a roar, the engines were started by a chief petty officer and revved to check that all was well.
"All good, sir!" the Chief bellowed.
A sailor retreated from the galley.
"Fresh grub aboard, ma'am," he reported to Mindy as he jumped over the side.
"Anything else you guys need?" Lieutenant Montgomery asked.
"I think we're good," Mindy and Dave agreed.
Aboard the LCM-8
22:00 GMT+7 (15:00 GMT May 1st)
The moment had finally come.
Their mothership was stationary in the water, allowing Dave to expertly back the LCM-8 out of the well-dock and into the ocean beyond. The red lighting of the well-dock receded to be replaced with darkness. Once clear of the ALBION, Dave pushed the twin throttles ahead as he spun the wheel, turning them onto an easterly heading. The ALBION, showing dimmed running lights, soon faded from sight as the small craft dipped in and out of the steady swell which was running at about four feet from crest to trough. They were very much alone, and all five felt the same trepidation as they stared ahead into the gloom, their eyes straining to find the as yet invisible coastline of a foreign country. Somewhere ahead, Commander Lawrence was being held captive, and they were to rescue him from hell.
At least that was the plan.
HMS ALBION
22:02 GMT+7 (15:02 GMT May 1st)
Lieutenant Sarah Perrin peered through her binoculars at the steadily receding craft which was heading away with no visible lighting.
They were her friends and she feared for their safety. She knew how much was at stake, and she knew how important the mission was. Then, all of a sudden, the LCM was no longer visible. Sarah picked up the secure radio handset and she keyed the transmit switch.
"Fusion One, this is Alpha November – Godspeed. Alpha November out."
With that, Sarah replaced the handset and she turned to the Officer of the Watch.
"OOW, recommend course two-seven-zero at fifteen knots to clear the area."
"Thank you, pilot. Helm..."
