A/N Apologies for the delay in posting. Had some technical difficulties
getting this to my BR last night. It is a bit longer than normal
though, and I'm hoping to have 14 up fairly early tomorrow. Enjoy.
A Man Called Ghost
Chapter 13
"The target for this mission is located here." Webb said, as he indicated an aerial view of an industrial complex displayed on the wall.
"And it would be?" Harm leaned back in his chair watching Webb give his briefing.
"We have reason to believe this is where a terrorist faction is developing some sort of experimental weapon system."
"And what do you want me to do about it?" Harm struggled to stifle a yawn. His encounter with Jen the day before had left him unable to sleep last night. He had sat up thinking about what had been said, and what had not been said. For the first night in a long time Harm didn't drink himself into a semi-conscious state.
"I'm sorry we're boring you Rabb." Webb snapped bitterly. He was still sore about not getting Rabb fired when they'd gotten back from Spain. "Your job will be to infiltrate the facility, ascertain its function, and if it is indeed a development site for some kind of weapon, destroy it."
"Yeah, sorry. I forgot my pocket sized tactical nuke in my other pants." Harm raised an eyebrow at Webb's cold description of his next op. "How do you expect me to take out something that big?"
"I'm sure you'll be able to figure something out. After all you are the Ghost." Webb threw up his hands in exasperation.
"You will be given a great deal of support on this one, Agent Rabb." Kershaw said from where he was sitting at the back of the room. "Our intelligence indicates that a number of strategically placed explosive devices will destroy the complex quite completely."
"Well that makes it a little easier than 'go find something to destroy it with'. When do I leave?"
"Don't you want to know the rest?" Webb sneered.
"What else is there to know? It's a terrorist building. It is a threat to innocent people, and it needs to be destroyed."
"Aren't you in the least bit curious which group it belongs to?"
"If it was important you would have told me. Now when do I leave?"
"What's wrong with you Rabb? You're the one who's always asking questions, always wanting to know more."
"I don't need to know." Harm said hollowly. Ever since his argument with Coates he'd been thinking too much, had weakened too much. He needed to get out into the field, focus on a job. If he could focus on a job he could forget the thoughts of Mac, he could push them to the back of his head. He didn't want to think about Mac, couldn't think about her. Thinking about her made him remember the life he used to have, made the pain worse. "So when do I go?"
"In two hours." Webb snapped. "An agent will meet you at Dulles with tickets. Your in-country contact will have your gear."
"Good enough." Harm stood up and grabbed his leather jacket from the back of the chair where he'd tossed it. "See you on the flip side, boys."
After Harm had left, Kershaw turned to look at his agent. "Are you sure he can handle this alone? Our latest intelligence indicates a high number of terrorists in and around the target area."
"He's the Ghost, who are we to give him help." Webb said bitterly. It galled him that after only a year at the Company Rabb was respected by so many field agents. He'd never had that kind of respect even though he'd pulled off many operations that still couldn't be talked about. And that was just the professional aspect of his bitterness towards Harmon Rabb Jr.
Personally, it didn't help any knowing when he'd been with Sarah, she'd always been thinking about Harm, worrying about her precious flyboy because she didn't know what he was doing or how he was. Harm was a constant cloud over his attempt to woo her. Unfortunately she still wasn't returning his calls after that incident in Iraq when she found out he knew exactly what Harm was up to and how he was doing. Absently, Webb reached up to rub the part of his jaw that Harm had punched while they were in Spain. He'd be damned if he was going to let Harm beat him this time. He'd get Sarah back, and he'd get even with Harm for all the embarrassment Harm had put him through. Even the junior agents were calling him Spider behind his back, and it was all Rabb's fault.
An hour later Harm was walking through the doors of the departure terminal at Dulles airport. Looking around he spotted the young man wearing a dark suit, whose eyes darted nervously around the building.
Walking up to the agent Harm forced himself not to laugh. "Hey kid. You should relax a little bit, people are going to think you're a pedophile or something."
"Mr. Rabb?"
"No, I'm actually Santa Claus on vacation." Harm rolled his eyes. He hated dealing with these young kids right out of college.
"Mr. Webb said you'd think you're funny."
"Oh, I'm sure he did. Got my tickets?"
"Right here, sir. They just announced the final boarding of your flight." The young man said handing over a long envelope.
"Its not supposed to leave for another hour." Harm reached out and grabbed the young man's arm before he could leave.
"It leaves in twenty minutes. I suggest you get aboard." The kid said with a smirk.
Harm knew there was no point in arguing with the young agent. Even if he hadn't mentioned Webb, Harm would have smelled Webb all over this. It would be just the thing Webb would do to embarrass him; how would it look if Harm missed his flight in country? With a muttered oath he looked at his ticket to see what gate he was boarding at and took off running through the terminal.
He arrived at the gate just as the attendant there was preparing to close the door to the jetway. Handing over his tickets, comma Harm waited while the attendant checked them over and hurried him through the gate.
When Harm was finally seated on the plane, it occurred to him to take out the tickets and look at where he was going. Not knowing had made it a bit of a challenge in the packing department, but Harm had found that good trekking clothes stood him in good stead when he wasn't sure where he was going. Lightweight, layerable and for the most part convertible. Well, well, well, looks like he was going to Iraq again. He'd been spending so much time in Iraq he might just have to look into buying property there. Stretching out, he slid the tickets back into his jacket pocket and tried to relax. It was going to be a long flight and he needed to get his head in the game. He couldn't think about the party or Jen's unannounced appearance at his apartment. Those things would take his mind off the mission and agents died when their minds wandered. Closing his eyes he tried to use a simple meditation technique one of the Brits had shown him.
For the most part it didn't work, but he did manage to spend a lot of time thinking about what little he knew about this mission. Not getting more details from Webb and Kershaw was just plain stupid and he had no one to blame but himself. He was so damn eager to get back into the field, get back out somewhere where people were shooting at him, that he didn't bother following his own rules. The more he thought about what he did know, the odder things seemed. Why would they send in a single agent to destroy a whole facility? Sure it sounded like something James Bond or Jason Bourne would do, but those were just spook fairy tales. Maybe his contact would know more, perhaps a team was already in place waiting for him to arrive.
Finally after sixteen hours and two transfers, the last to a military flight, Harm was once again in Iraq. A sergeant greeted him when he got off the transport and informed him that the base commander wished to see him. After escorting him to the base headquarters, the officer on duty was informed that this was the man the commander wished to see. No longer needed, the sergeant went on his way.
"The Colonel will see you now, sir." The young lieutenant on duty announced.
Walking into the Colonel's office Harm nodded politely to the air force colonel behind the desk.
"Afternoon, sir. Thanks for letting me hitch a ride."
"Not a problem Mr. Rabb. I have a care package for you that your company sent. Besides, seeing as I haven't been able to get an answer from them as to what's going on, how about you fill me in?"
"Can't do that Colonel, you know how it is. All shadows and secrets, need to know, and all that."
"So, I am just supposed to accept a man with a heavy armament package flying into my base and walking off?"
"Looks that way, doesn't it?"
"Well damn it Mr. Rabb, I don't like it."
Putting his hands on the Colonel's desk and leaning forward to stare him in the eye, "You don't have to like it Colonel, you just have to do it." There were definitely some good things about not being in the military, Harm decided.
"You're package is in the armory. I'll have Lieutenant Sampson show you the way." The Colonel replied coldly. "Dismissed."
With a nod Harm wandered out of the office in time to hear the Colonel call for Lieutenant Sampson. A minute later the Lieutenant joined Harm in the outer office. "The Armory is this way, sir."
Five minutes later Harm was standing in a windowless room filled with all manner of firearms and ammunition. Sitting on a table in the middle of the room Harm saw his 'care package', the equipment the Company had arranged for him. The Sergeant Major in charge of the armory stood off to the side waiting to offer assistance with anything Harm might need.
"How many explosive packages Sergeant Major?"
"Six, sir." The sergeant major replied. He didn't know who this man was, but the Lieutenant explained the Colonel had directed that he be given anything he needed. "What weapons will you be requiring, sir?"
"I'll take an MP-5 with twelve extra magazines; hollow tip ammunition. I'll also require a sniper rifle, whatever you have available will be fine. I'll also need six magazines of armor piercing ammunition for the rifle, a 9mm with ten magazines standard ammunition, and a k-bar."
"That's a hell of a lot of ordinance for one man, sir." The Sergeant Major said walking around the room looking for the weapons indicated.
"I've got a hell of a lot of work to do Sergeant Major."
"What exactly are you doing, sir?"
"No idea Sergeant Major." Harm answered semi honestly. "And if I did know, I couldn't tell you."
Before he knew it the Sergeant Major was placing the weapons and ammunition he'd asked for on the table along with a rucksack to carry the ammunition.
"Think you could find me a set of unmarked cammos Sergeant Major?"
"I probably could, sir." After all, the Colonel had said give the man whatever he asked for.
While the Sergeant Major was out looking for the cammos, Harm opened the document folder included with the explosive devices. Inside he found the intelligence reports he expected and the details of his mission. This one was a Hamas facility apparently, though there wasn't anything on the type of 'experimental' weapon they were supposed to be working on. Didn't matter, they were terrorists, and he had a job to do. Looked to be pretty heavily guarded by the reports he'd quickly read over. Wouldn't be easy, but then again, nothing fun ever was. As he was securing the documents in the rucksack, after transferring the explosives, the Sergeant Major returned with a set of cammos.
"Anything else, sir?" the Sergeant Major asked handing over the clothes.
"MREs and water for six days, night vision glasses, field glasses, portable radio, and a fire team?"
"Well sir, I can get you the food and water, the glasses, and the radio. The fire team would be up to the Colonel."
"Then I guess I can do without the fire team Sergeant Major."
Harm quickly changed into the unmarked cammos while the Sergeant Major rounded up the last of the gear he'd requested. Shrugging the now heavy rucksack onto his shoulders, he nodded at the older soldier.
"Take it easy Sergeant Major."
"You too, sir." The soldier replied, shaking his head as he watched the unknown man walk out of his armory.
"Lieutenant, I could use a lift to the wadi forty seven miles north of here." Harm looked at the young lieutenant walking beside him.
"I'll get a vehicle and crew sir." The Lieutenant rushed off towards the HQ building.
Ten minutes later Harm was riding in the back of the Humvee heading north from the base. He'd given the directions to the driver and sat back watching the blowing sand rush by. He thought back to how Mac had looked at AJ's party before she'd found out he was there. Being with Webb must agree with her, she looked happy. No matter how much he wanted to, he couldn't begrudge her that. She'd said it would never work between them, and maybe she was right. She deserved to be with someone who made her happy, even if it wasn't him. Too bad he knew he would never find anyone else. Not like he had time for anything approaching a relationship with his job. He never knew when he'd be called out, or how long he'd be gone. And if he was going to be honest, that was just another reason he'd kept out of contact with people like Mac and Coates. They said they cared about him, so why should he burden them with the not knowing where he was or if he was all right. Why couldn't they just forget about him?
"Sir, we're approaching the co-ordinates you indicated." The driver said.
Damn, he hadn't been watching where they were going and he'd been lost to the world for longer than he thought.
"Right. I'll get out and walk now Corporal." Harm nodded to the driver.
"Are you sure, sir? We've had reports of insurgents in the area around here."
"That's why I'm here Corporal; to scare them all away." Harm said with a wink. As the corporal stopped the humvee, Harm got out and grabbed his pack from the back. Reaching into the vehicle after donning the pack, Harm pulled out the long sniper rifle the armory Sergeant Major had provided him.
"Water, sir?" the Corporal asked, getting out to stand beside Harm, holding out a canteen.
"Sure, you'll be back at the source long before I am. Thanks Corporal." Harm took a long drink from the canteen. Pulling out the insulated gloves that came with the cammos, Harm pulled them on as he looked thoughtfully at the setting sun. "Well, I'm off to see the wizard. Have a safe trip back boys."
"Stay safe, sir, whatever you're doing." The Corporal said with a quick salute.
Slinging the rifle over his shoulder and taking up the MP-5, Harm didn't bother answering the corporal and set off across the desert. If he was careful he could cover most of the distance to the target under the cover of night and then get some sleep. For the next four hours Harm made his was through the night and sand, careful to keep as low as he could and use whatever ground cover he could to cut down on the chances of someone seeing him. He didn't want to get stopped by either ally or enemy patrols.
Finally, Harm stopped near a wadi. Using his hands, he quickly hollowed out a depression into the sand and laid down inside it. It wasn't the best he could do for cover and concealment, but it was all he had energy for. A long flight, not enough sleep and the struggle to keep his thoughts off Mac had taken their toll. Reaching up, Harm pulled as much sand as he could over his body and rucksack careful to leave a bit of room for his head. It just wouldn't do for him to suffocate while sleeping. Once he was satisfied that he was covered Harm adjusted his hat to keep the sand out of his nose and mouth and closed his eyes.
Some time later Harm felt the air and the sand around him heat up. How he hated deserts, almost as much as he hated jungles. Craning his neck to look around as much as he could buried under a sand blanket, Harm decided it would be okay for him to get up and move his position a little. Once he had gotten himself out from his own private sandbox, Harm pulled out one of his canteens and took a swallow of water. He'd need to nurse his water to be on the safe side, and probably see what he could do about replenishing it when he could. Taking a look around to ensure that no one was around, Harm moved down into the wadi and followed it for about a half mile before stopping again. The temperature was rising and would only continue to do so as it approached noon. Squinting up at the sun, Harm hazarded a guess that he had a couple of hours before that happened. Squeezing himself into a natural depression, Harm tipped his hat over his eyes and decided to try and doze a little bit more.
Two days later Harm was perched on a rocky ridge as twilight settled over the target facility. He'd been watching the facility all afternoon through his field glasses making note of all the heavy security. Why didn't they just call in a Predator strike against this place? Why send in a single man to take it out? There was something about this that didn't sit well with him. And why was Mac crying? Swearing to himself, Harm forced himself to not think about Mac. He couldn't think about her while he was out here. Biting his lip Harm made the decision to get inside the compound that night.
After stashing everything he wouldn't need for the night, Harm checked his MP-5 to make sure that everything was clear and then started making his way down to the facility. Carefully, he walked down the ridge and approached the fence surrounding the buildings. While he'd been watching he'd noticed that the guards usually walked a set section of the fence in pairs, and if his calculations were right he'd only have five minutes to get through the fence and find some cover before the guards for this section returned. Taking care to ensure the fence wasn't electrified, Harm carefully used his k-bar knife to hack his way through a small section of the fence. Once an opening was made, he slid under the fence and picked himself up on the inside. With a bit of effort, Harm hid the gap he'd made from casual view and was making his way towards a row of storage tanks when he heard voices. The guards were a little early, and he was out in the open. With a burst of speed Harm ducked behind the tanks just as he heard the guards reach where he had entered the compound. Looking up at the tanks he saw the symbol for explosive materials. With only a quick thought to how convenient that was, Harm took out one of the explosive devices he had and affixed it magnetically to the bottom of the tanks. Flipping the switch on the detonator pack, he armed the explosives to wait for his radio signal.
After a few minutes he heard the guards move on with their patrol and looked out around the tanks. Not seeing anyone in sight, he decided it was time to take this show inside. As he made his way over towards one of the large buildings inside the compound, Harm couldn't help but wonder what Mac was doing right at that minute? As soon as he realized what he was thinking he stopped in his tracks cursing himself silently. He needed to keep his mind on the task at hand. Quickly he started moving again, keeping to the shadows. Soon, he was at the side door of the building and stopped to listen. He couldn't hear anything inside and reached out to slowly open the door. Stepping into the building, he heard the unmistakable 'click' of automatic weapons being loaded.
A Man Called Ghost
Chapter 13
"The target for this mission is located here." Webb said, as he indicated an aerial view of an industrial complex displayed on the wall.
"And it would be?" Harm leaned back in his chair watching Webb give his briefing.
"We have reason to believe this is where a terrorist faction is developing some sort of experimental weapon system."
"And what do you want me to do about it?" Harm struggled to stifle a yawn. His encounter with Jen the day before had left him unable to sleep last night. He had sat up thinking about what had been said, and what had not been said. For the first night in a long time Harm didn't drink himself into a semi-conscious state.
"I'm sorry we're boring you Rabb." Webb snapped bitterly. He was still sore about not getting Rabb fired when they'd gotten back from Spain. "Your job will be to infiltrate the facility, ascertain its function, and if it is indeed a development site for some kind of weapon, destroy it."
"Yeah, sorry. I forgot my pocket sized tactical nuke in my other pants." Harm raised an eyebrow at Webb's cold description of his next op. "How do you expect me to take out something that big?"
"I'm sure you'll be able to figure something out. After all you are the Ghost." Webb threw up his hands in exasperation.
"You will be given a great deal of support on this one, Agent Rabb." Kershaw said from where he was sitting at the back of the room. "Our intelligence indicates that a number of strategically placed explosive devices will destroy the complex quite completely."
"Well that makes it a little easier than 'go find something to destroy it with'. When do I leave?"
"Don't you want to know the rest?" Webb sneered.
"What else is there to know? It's a terrorist building. It is a threat to innocent people, and it needs to be destroyed."
"Aren't you in the least bit curious which group it belongs to?"
"If it was important you would have told me. Now when do I leave?"
"What's wrong with you Rabb? You're the one who's always asking questions, always wanting to know more."
"I don't need to know." Harm said hollowly. Ever since his argument with Coates he'd been thinking too much, had weakened too much. He needed to get out into the field, focus on a job. If he could focus on a job he could forget the thoughts of Mac, he could push them to the back of his head. He didn't want to think about Mac, couldn't think about her. Thinking about her made him remember the life he used to have, made the pain worse. "So when do I go?"
"In two hours." Webb snapped. "An agent will meet you at Dulles with tickets. Your in-country contact will have your gear."
"Good enough." Harm stood up and grabbed his leather jacket from the back of the chair where he'd tossed it. "See you on the flip side, boys."
After Harm had left, Kershaw turned to look at his agent. "Are you sure he can handle this alone? Our latest intelligence indicates a high number of terrorists in and around the target area."
"He's the Ghost, who are we to give him help." Webb said bitterly. It galled him that after only a year at the Company Rabb was respected by so many field agents. He'd never had that kind of respect even though he'd pulled off many operations that still couldn't be talked about. And that was just the professional aspect of his bitterness towards Harmon Rabb Jr.
Personally, it didn't help any knowing when he'd been with Sarah, she'd always been thinking about Harm, worrying about her precious flyboy because she didn't know what he was doing or how he was. Harm was a constant cloud over his attempt to woo her. Unfortunately she still wasn't returning his calls after that incident in Iraq when she found out he knew exactly what Harm was up to and how he was doing. Absently, Webb reached up to rub the part of his jaw that Harm had punched while they were in Spain. He'd be damned if he was going to let Harm beat him this time. He'd get Sarah back, and he'd get even with Harm for all the embarrassment Harm had put him through. Even the junior agents were calling him Spider behind his back, and it was all Rabb's fault.
An hour later Harm was walking through the doors of the departure terminal at Dulles airport. Looking around he spotted the young man wearing a dark suit, whose eyes darted nervously around the building.
Walking up to the agent Harm forced himself not to laugh. "Hey kid. You should relax a little bit, people are going to think you're a pedophile or something."
"Mr. Rabb?"
"No, I'm actually Santa Claus on vacation." Harm rolled his eyes. He hated dealing with these young kids right out of college.
"Mr. Webb said you'd think you're funny."
"Oh, I'm sure he did. Got my tickets?"
"Right here, sir. They just announced the final boarding of your flight." The young man said handing over a long envelope.
"Its not supposed to leave for another hour." Harm reached out and grabbed the young man's arm before he could leave.
"It leaves in twenty minutes. I suggest you get aboard." The kid said with a smirk.
Harm knew there was no point in arguing with the young agent. Even if he hadn't mentioned Webb, Harm would have smelled Webb all over this. It would be just the thing Webb would do to embarrass him; how would it look if Harm missed his flight in country? With a muttered oath he looked at his ticket to see what gate he was boarding at and took off running through the terminal.
He arrived at the gate just as the attendant there was preparing to close the door to the jetway. Handing over his tickets, comma Harm waited while the attendant checked them over and hurried him through the gate.
When Harm was finally seated on the plane, it occurred to him to take out the tickets and look at where he was going. Not knowing had made it a bit of a challenge in the packing department, but Harm had found that good trekking clothes stood him in good stead when he wasn't sure where he was going. Lightweight, layerable and for the most part convertible. Well, well, well, looks like he was going to Iraq again. He'd been spending so much time in Iraq he might just have to look into buying property there. Stretching out, he slid the tickets back into his jacket pocket and tried to relax. It was going to be a long flight and he needed to get his head in the game. He couldn't think about the party or Jen's unannounced appearance at his apartment. Those things would take his mind off the mission and agents died when their minds wandered. Closing his eyes he tried to use a simple meditation technique one of the Brits had shown him.
For the most part it didn't work, but he did manage to spend a lot of time thinking about what little he knew about this mission. Not getting more details from Webb and Kershaw was just plain stupid and he had no one to blame but himself. He was so damn eager to get back into the field, get back out somewhere where people were shooting at him, that he didn't bother following his own rules. The more he thought about what he did know, the odder things seemed. Why would they send in a single agent to destroy a whole facility? Sure it sounded like something James Bond or Jason Bourne would do, but those were just spook fairy tales. Maybe his contact would know more, perhaps a team was already in place waiting for him to arrive.
Finally after sixteen hours and two transfers, the last to a military flight, Harm was once again in Iraq. A sergeant greeted him when he got off the transport and informed him that the base commander wished to see him. After escorting him to the base headquarters, the officer on duty was informed that this was the man the commander wished to see. No longer needed, the sergeant went on his way.
"The Colonel will see you now, sir." The young lieutenant on duty announced.
Walking into the Colonel's office Harm nodded politely to the air force colonel behind the desk.
"Afternoon, sir. Thanks for letting me hitch a ride."
"Not a problem Mr. Rabb. I have a care package for you that your company sent. Besides, seeing as I haven't been able to get an answer from them as to what's going on, how about you fill me in?"
"Can't do that Colonel, you know how it is. All shadows and secrets, need to know, and all that."
"So, I am just supposed to accept a man with a heavy armament package flying into my base and walking off?"
"Looks that way, doesn't it?"
"Well damn it Mr. Rabb, I don't like it."
Putting his hands on the Colonel's desk and leaning forward to stare him in the eye, "You don't have to like it Colonel, you just have to do it." There were definitely some good things about not being in the military, Harm decided.
"You're package is in the armory. I'll have Lieutenant Sampson show you the way." The Colonel replied coldly. "Dismissed."
With a nod Harm wandered out of the office in time to hear the Colonel call for Lieutenant Sampson. A minute later the Lieutenant joined Harm in the outer office. "The Armory is this way, sir."
Five minutes later Harm was standing in a windowless room filled with all manner of firearms and ammunition. Sitting on a table in the middle of the room Harm saw his 'care package', the equipment the Company had arranged for him. The Sergeant Major in charge of the armory stood off to the side waiting to offer assistance with anything Harm might need.
"How many explosive packages Sergeant Major?"
"Six, sir." The sergeant major replied. He didn't know who this man was, but the Lieutenant explained the Colonel had directed that he be given anything he needed. "What weapons will you be requiring, sir?"
"I'll take an MP-5 with twelve extra magazines; hollow tip ammunition. I'll also require a sniper rifle, whatever you have available will be fine. I'll also need six magazines of armor piercing ammunition for the rifle, a 9mm with ten magazines standard ammunition, and a k-bar."
"That's a hell of a lot of ordinance for one man, sir." The Sergeant Major said walking around the room looking for the weapons indicated.
"I've got a hell of a lot of work to do Sergeant Major."
"What exactly are you doing, sir?"
"No idea Sergeant Major." Harm answered semi honestly. "And if I did know, I couldn't tell you."
Before he knew it the Sergeant Major was placing the weapons and ammunition he'd asked for on the table along with a rucksack to carry the ammunition.
"Think you could find me a set of unmarked cammos Sergeant Major?"
"I probably could, sir." After all, the Colonel had said give the man whatever he asked for.
While the Sergeant Major was out looking for the cammos, Harm opened the document folder included with the explosive devices. Inside he found the intelligence reports he expected and the details of his mission. This one was a Hamas facility apparently, though there wasn't anything on the type of 'experimental' weapon they were supposed to be working on. Didn't matter, they were terrorists, and he had a job to do. Looked to be pretty heavily guarded by the reports he'd quickly read over. Wouldn't be easy, but then again, nothing fun ever was. As he was securing the documents in the rucksack, after transferring the explosives, the Sergeant Major returned with a set of cammos.
"Anything else, sir?" the Sergeant Major asked handing over the clothes.
"MREs and water for six days, night vision glasses, field glasses, portable radio, and a fire team?"
"Well sir, I can get you the food and water, the glasses, and the radio. The fire team would be up to the Colonel."
"Then I guess I can do without the fire team Sergeant Major."
Harm quickly changed into the unmarked cammos while the Sergeant Major rounded up the last of the gear he'd requested. Shrugging the now heavy rucksack onto his shoulders, he nodded at the older soldier.
"Take it easy Sergeant Major."
"You too, sir." The soldier replied, shaking his head as he watched the unknown man walk out of his armory.
"Lieutenant, I could use a lift to the wadi forty seven miles north of here." Harm looked at the young lieutenant walking beside him.
"I'll get a vehicle and crew sir." The Lieutenant rushed off towards the HQ building.
Ten minutes later Harm was riding in the back of the Humvee heading north from the base. He'd given the directions to the driver and sat back watching the blowing sand rush by. He thought back to how Mac had looked at AJ's party before she'd found out he was there. Being with Webb must agree with her, she looked happy. No matter how much he wanted to, he couldn't begrudge her that. She'd said it would never work between them, and maybe she was right. She deserved to be with someone who made her happy, even if it wasn't him. Too bad he knew he would never find anyone else. Not like he had time for anything approaching a relationship with his job. He never knew when he'd be called out, or how long he'd be gone. And if he was going to be honest, that was just another reason he'd kept out of contact with people like Mac and Coates. They said they cared about him, so why should he burden them with the not knowing where he was or if he was all right. Why couldn't they just forget about him?
"Sir, we're approaching the co-ordinates you indicated." The driver said.
Damn, he hadn't been watching where they were going and he'd been lost to the world for longer than he thought.
"Right. I'll get out and walk now Corporal." Harm nodded to the driver.
"Are you sure, sir? We've had reports of insurgents in the area around here."
"That's why I'm here Corporal; to scare them all away." Harm said with a wink. As the corporal stopped the humvee, Harm got out and grabbed his pack from the back. Reaching into the vehicle after donning the pack, Harm pulled out the long sniper rifle the armory Sergeant Major had provided him.
"Water, sir?" the Corporal asked, getting out to stand beside Harm, holding out a canteen.
"Sure, you'll be back at the source long before I am. Thanks Corporal." Harm took a long drink from the canteen. Pulling out the insulated gloves that came with the cammos, Harm pulled them on as he looked thoughtfully at the setting sun. "Well, I'm off to see the wizard. Have a safe trip back boys."
"Stay safe, sir, whatever you're doing." The Corporal said with a quick salute.
Slinging the rifle over his shoulder and taking up the MP-5, Harm didn't bother answering the corporal and set off across the desert. If he was careful he could cover most of the distance to the target under the cover of night and then get some sleep. For the next four hours Harm made his was through the night and sand, careful to keep as low as he could and use whatever ground cover he could to cut down on the chances of someone seeing him. He didn't want to get stopped by either ally or enemy patrols.
Finally, Harm stopped near a wadi. Using his hands, he quickly hollowed out a depression into the sand and laid down inside it. It wasn't the best he could do for cover and concealment, but it was all he had energy for. A long flight, not enough sleep and the struggle to keep his thoughts off Mac had taken their toll. Reaching up, Harm pulled as much sand as he could over his body and rucksack careful to leave a bit of room for his head. It just wouldn't do for him to suffocate while sleeping. Once he was satisfied that he was covered Harm adjusted his hat to keep the sand out of his nose and mouth and closed his eyes.
Some time later Harm felt the air and the sand around him heat up. How he hated deserts, almost as much as he hated jungles. Craning his neck to look around as much as he could buried under a sand blanket, Harm decided it would be okay for him to get up and move his position a little. Once he had gotten himself out from his own private sandbox, Harm pulled out one of his canteens and took a swallow of water. He'd need to nurse his water to be on the safe side, and probably see what he could do about replenishing it when he could. Taking a look around to ensure that no one was around, Harm moved down into the wadi and followed it for about a half mile before stopping again. The temperature was rising and would only continue to do so as it approached noon. Squinting up at the sun, Harm hazarded a guess that he had a couple of hours before that happened. Squeezing himself into a natural depression, Harm tipped his hat over his eyes and decided to try and doze a little bit more.
Two days later Harm was perched on a rocky ridge as twilight settled over the target facility. He'd been watching the facility all afternoon through his field glasses making note of all the heavy security. Why didn't they just call in a Predator strike against this place? Why send in a single man to take it out? There was something about this that didn't sit well with him. And why was Mac crying? Swearing to himself, Harm forced himself to not think about Mac. He couldn't think about her while he was out here. Biting his lip Harm made the decision to get inside the compound that night.
After stashing everything he wouldn't need for the night, Harm checked his MP-5 to make sure that everything was clear and then started making his way down to the facility. Carefully, he walked down the ridge and approached the fence surrounding the buildings. While he'd been watching he'd noticed that the guards usually walked a set section of the fence in pairs, and if his calculations were right he'd only have five minutes to get through the fence and find some cover before the guards for this section returned. Taking care to ensure the fence wasn't electrified, Harm carefully used his k-bar knife to hack his way through a small section of the fence. Once an opening was made, he slid under the fence and picked himself up on the inside. With a bit of effort, Harm hid the gap he'd made from casual view and was making his way towards a row of storage tanks when he heard voices. The guards were a little early, and he was out in the open. With a burst of speed Harm ducked behind the tanks just as he heard the guards reach where he had entered the compound. Looking up at the tanks he saw the symbol for explosive materials. With only a quick thought to how convenient that was, Harm took out one of the explosive devices he had and affixed it magnetically to the bottom of the tanks. Flipping the switch on the detonator pack, he armed the explosives to wait for his radio signal.
After a few minutes he heard the guards move on with their patrol and looked out around the tanks. Not seeing anyone in sight, he decided it was time to take this show inside. As he made his way over towards one of the large buildings inside the compound, Harm couldn't help but wonder what Mac was doing right at that minute? As soon as he realized what he was thinking he stopped in his tracks cursing himself silently. He needed to keep his mind on the task at hand. Quickly he started moving again, keeping to the shadows. Soon, he was at the side door of the building and stopped to listen. He couldn't hear anything inside and reached out to slowly open the door. Stepping into the building, he heard the unmistakable 'click' of automatic weapons being loaded.