I live to serve you guys. Actually, I don't but I am deciding to be nice today. ;) Dont get used to it. ;)
Jackie
PART 16 - End Of A Heartache
December 30, 2010
0359 Zulu
USS Patrick Henry
Location Undisclosed
Removing the receiver from her ear, Mac glanced at it. News sure did travel fast. Especially when there was a definite rat on board with Lieutenant Commander oak leaves, a broken hand and a Commanding officer who was going to make sure that he paid for every little deed he'd ever done. She pressed the receiver back to her ear. "Colonel MacKenzie. . .Hello? Lance Corporal, are you absolutely sure that it was for me?" She was playing it for all she was worth, hoping it sounded real enough. What she really wanted to do was send the SECNAV to hell, but the ramifications would go up too many ladders and if she was going down, that was fine, so long as no one else suffered.
Mac shrugged her shoulders and replaced the receiver. "Let's get out of here." She was practically shoving the men out of the room, all other rings from the phone were ignored.
The team headed up the stairwells until they arrived at the flight deck. The COD was being taxied towards the area where they were to board. An Ensign without cranials was running to them, yelling at the top of his lungs for Mac. "Colonel, the SECNAV is requesting to speak to you."
Fields heard the man and glanced down at Mac. "I didn't hear that, ma'am." He smiled at Mac and helped her into the COD. "Let's go boys. . .Double time!"
Despite all of the previous times when she'd been shot off of the carriers, her body never really enjoyed it. "Ugh." Mac said out loud as she was pushed back into her seat. Moments like these, she could appreciate what pilots went through. Seconds later, the two Tomcats which would provide a distraction were shot off.
The ride, itself, sucked, though you couldn't tell that to Mac. She was happy to be onboard, ecstatic to be helping. She would find Harm, she knew she would. The only thought that saddened her was this nagging feeling that he was hurt. . .or worse. "No." She said softly and turned her head to look forward. There was nothing to see out of the windows. Nothing but the blackness of the sea on a moonless night.
As they were nearing the drop zone, the COD was shaking violently. "This is a mother of a storm." The plane's pilot said over the intercom. "We need to make the drop now."
Fields sighed, he preferred they got a little closer. "Alright, strap in, let's get ready to rock." He nodded towards Mac. "Ma'am, Sticky and you will be just fine. . .We'll see you when we rendezvous."
"Semper Fi, Lieutenant." Mac said adjusting her back and M16.
"Semper Fi, Colonel." Fields saluted her, then ordered Sticky to head towards the cargo ramp which was slowly lowering.
Mac's heart was thundering against her chest. Despite parachuting a few times before, those were all done in the day time, with her strapped onto the instructor. This time . . . "Jesus." She said softly as the blackness of the area seemed to engulf her. It didn't help that the light inside of the plane was an ominous looking green. "C'mon Marine, you can do this. . .You have to." She nodded towards Sticky. It was now or never.
"See you down there, Colonel. . .I promise, it will be alright. . .Just follow my light." He yelled, then took a few steps down the ramp, quickly disappearing.
If she wasn't so scared, Mac was sure she'd throw up all over the place. As it was, her body was shaking too much to do anything but shimmy forward. The drop was like a reoccurring nightmare in which she was free falling into the darkness. A hard jerk assured Mac the chute had opened properly. Quickly, she located Sticky's green glowstick descending just below her. Making the proper adjustments, she moved the risers and followed along. Thankfully, they were falling into the water, any thoughts of hitting hard soil and destroying her ankles could be put to rest. Drowning though, was a real fear and she couldn't help but think of Harm's ordeal in 2001.
Mac held her breath as she touched down into the water. She went down slightly, then began to bobble up. Hitting the clasp for the chute harness, she let it fall away from her as she swam towards Sticky who was yelling for her. "Helluva ride, huh?" He said, then pulled out the handles to inflate a small rubber craft. "This is not as nice as the other CRRC, but it'll get the job done. . .I'm hoping you can row. . .we want to go in quietly." He climbed onboard, then offered Mac a hand, bringing her up with him.
"I'm a fast learner, Sergeant. . .Hand me the oar." The storm was easing down some, the droplets barely falling as the pair took their seats in the CRRC, right in the center. Mac placed the oar between her legs, then reached inside her pack to retrieve two pairs of night vision goggles.
Sticky took his pair from her and then pulled out a GPS and made sure it was secured on the proper waypoint. "That way." He pointed just to the side of them, picked up his oar and started rowing towards that direction. "Alright, Colonel, row with me."
A camping trip to Vermont with Chloe familiarized Mac with the art of rowing. Of course, then it was a canoe, on a small river without tides, currents or hellacious waves. They were not getting rained on, the drops falling into your eyes so that you couldn't see. This was an exercise in muscle resistance. Sticky kept a furious pace which Mac matched, row by row. It was hell on her arm and back muscles, not even five minutes in and they were already burning, pleading for her to stop. She refused and kept pushing herself, the thoughts of rescuing Harm kept her going.
It wasn't until an hour later, when a distinct outline emerged from the blackness before them. "Mountains." Sticky whispered, checked his GPS again and began rowing towards the area with much more force. "When we get to the beach, we need to hide the CRRC."
If we're not shot and killed first. Mac thought with a grunt. True, it was obvious that they were coming in undetected. No aircraft or watercraft had been launched towards their direction. She assumed the storm was probably keeping them at bay. As they neared the island, the waves crashing on the beach resounded in their ears like a sweet song. They stopped rowing, allowing for Sticky to time their movements along with the waves. "Now, go." He ordered and Mac complied, moving at a much faster pace.
Before long, they had made landfall, the two ducking down behind the CRRC as they scanned the area, M16s in hand. "Over there." Mac pointed to the right and a rather large rock which seemed the perfect place to hide the rubber boat. They dragged the CRRC behind the rock and quickly removed their wet suits to find the BDUs beneath semi-dry.
Mac tied the ends of a black bandana behind her head and slipped the other portion through. It helped keep her locks at bay. She and Sticky looked more like mercenaries than Marines dressed in all black BDUs. "Let's radio the team before we head out." She said, pulling out a light weight radio and handing it to Sticky.
The other team was still in the ocean, quietly rowing until they found the ideal spot to make land fall. They had already radioed the Henry and one of the Marines had taken digital photography of the areas they had managed to spot. The rest of the mission was to commence and an agreed radio black out would be in place until further notice. "Radio blackout?"
(Fields sighed over the line. "Yes, Colonel. . .The LHA is late. . .so, from now on out, we wait.")
"Wait for what exactly?"
("For night to fall again.")
It wasn't light out, not yet, but it would be soon and that was dangerous for everyone on the team. A mission of this caliber needed to be done in the cover of night. "Roger, Lieutenant. . .Sticky and I are going to proceed as instructed. . .So far, no hostiles in the area. . .I haven't seen the hut yet."
("Good luck, Colonel. . .Fields, out.")
Mac placed the radio into Sticky's pack, shut off the jamming device and took a good look around. Even with night vision, she couldn't find anything useful. "Colonel. . .Eleven O'Clock." She turned slowly and made an adjustment to the goggles. Once she did the clear image of a man came into view.
"That's not the Captain." She whispered, knowing Harm's form utterly too well. Hell, she had spent nearly a decade pinning over him. "Cover me." Without warning, Mac bolted out from behind the rock and began moving up the beach, ducking behind vegetation.
She felt Sticky's gaze on her and was sure he was not pleased with the current situation. Too bad, she was the Senior Officer, he wasn't going to argue. "Damnit." He whispered his displeasure, then quickly followed suit, trying to keep up.
It wasn't too long before the pair came up on the elusive hut and its location partially inside a tropical forest. Mac hit the sand, crawling on her belly as the light from inside shone through the area she was headed towards. She could sense Sticky crawling up behind her. "See anything?" He whispered.
"The man just went back inside." She removed the night vision goggles, clipping them onto a strap on her pack. "Let's wait a few minutes and then we'll take a closer look."
"We don't know if they're armed. . .Go slow."
The longer she stared at the hut, the more she wanted to stand and run in recklessly. Mac knew Harm was in there, she could feel it in her gut, on her skin. The anticipation was killing her. When the lights inside dimmed, she knew it was the perfect chance to get in, deal with the others and get Harm out. "Now, Sergeant. . .It's time." She crawled through the sand some more, coming to stop at the ramp which served as the method to ascend towards the hut. With hand movements, Sticky signaled that he was to go in first and Mac was to bring up the rear. She didn't like it, but he did this for a living while her battles were fought only in courtrooms.
Ascending the ramp quietly proved to be too easy a feat. Whatever it was made of, cushioned the sounds of their boots. He's here. Were those his captors? It couldn't be. . .something was certainly out of sorts. Sticky placed his back against the wall just to the left of the door. Raising his hand, he signaled that it would be three seconds until they made their way inside. This part was crucial to the mission and detrimental to the others if they made too much noise.
3. 2. 1. He counted down, then turned towards the door, kicking it open. "Don't move." His voice was low and calm. His weapon immediately pointing towards Ella.
Mac was kneeling at the door taking aim at the man while Sticky took aim at the woman. "Keep your hands where we can see them." To her surprise neither the woman, nor the man yelled or seemed worried by their sudden predicament. They merely raised their hands, placed them behind their heads and then kneeled down, execution style, as if it were a normal routine.
This gave Mac the chance to scan the room quickly. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw him. "Harm." She whispered, then swallowed hard. Quashing her need to run to his side was one of the most difficult things she'd ever done. But until everything was secure, it was not safe for anyone.
"Sarah?" The woman was staring as if she knew Mac. But, that couldn't be. When she turned towards the man, "God has answered our prayers, Connor, that's Sarah." Mac was sure that things really weren't as they seemed. Harm wasn't a hostage.
"How do you know my name?" She asked, her voice a whisper. Something about this situation was truly awkward. "Tell me." Mac stood slowly, keeping her weapon pointed at the couple as she neared them. "How do you know who I am?"
The woman motioned towards Harm. "Mack calls your name in dreams. . . Search him. . .In his pocket he has a picture I drew for him when he described you."
"Sergeant, keep that weapon on them." She kept her own raised, not turning her back until she was positive they weren't going to try anything funny. "I'm going to go check on the Captain." Moving sideways, she traversed the hut, keeping the weapon trained on them. "No funny moves." Finally, she lowered her weapon and slung it onto her back. Coming to her knees next to Harm, she couldn't resist any longer. "Oh, Harm." She removed her gloves, tossing them to the side so she could press her hands to his face. "C'mon flyboy, wake up."
Connor removed his hands from the back of his head and kept them in front of him as a sign that he was unarmed. "Mack's been in and out of consciousness. . .Somehow he managed to cut his leg. . .He's had a fever. . .I'm sure it's infected."
"He's burning up." She winced, then turned to the pair which was still on their knees. Her hands brushed over his face and the stubble that couldn't be more than a few days old.
"We have helped him . .But, there's only so much you can do without real medicine." Reaching down, Connor helped his wife stand, both of them still keeping their hands where Sticky could see them. "We're not dangerous, I promise. . ." He pointed at Harm. "Mack's. . .well, he's had a few problems."
"Mac?"
"Yes. . .He kept saying Mack and Sarah. . .We just assumed his name was Mack. .. His dogtags, they said something else. . .Harmon. . .Rabb something." Ella said, cautiously nearing the pair on the floor. "We won't hurt you, I promise."
Mac nodded, then waved for Sticky to put his weapon down. "It's alright Sergeant. . .They're telling the truth." She could feel it in her bones, these were people she could trust. "His name is Harmon Rabb. . .My name is Mac." Reaching into her BDUs, she produced her dogtags and handed them to the woman. "I'm Colonel Sarah MacKenzie. . . Mac's my nick name, it's what he usually calls me." She turned back to him and frowned.
Without any words, she pulled the M16 off of her, placed it next to Harm and then removed her pack. Searching through it, she located the first aid kit. There wasn't anything in it that could really stop an, but the aspirin would help with the fever. "Do you have any water?"
Ella nodded. "Yes, it's one of the only things that we do have in supply. . .it's always raining here." She motioned for Connor to bring the water over and then handed it to Mac. "I'll help you. . .If you want me to that is."
The couple ended up being quite hospitable to the two Marines. Ella, with Mac's blessing, had helped get the aspirin down as well as clean and re-bandage the gash on his leg. "Now we wait." Mac said with a sigh, leaning against a wall, and remaining at Harm's side.
"Can you tell us what is going on here?" Sticky asked, curiosity finally getting the best of him. "This. . .all of this looks like a set to some. . .castaway movie. . .It's surreal."
Connor glanced around and grinned. It certainly would make a helluva set for a movie about castaways. "First, introductions are in order. . .I'm Connor Gerard and this is my wife Ella Gerard."
"Colonel Sarah MacKenzie. . .Or Mac." She half smiled and then pointed at Sticky. "That's Sergeant Richard Stone. . ."
"They call me Sticky." He said with a shrug and then added more for his benefit than anything else. "Don't ask. . .Not a good story."
The couple laughed nervously. "Well, I guess. . .we are castaways of a sort. . .On the other side of this island there is a military base. . . It's run by a group called Neroli."
Mac and Sticky glanced at each other sharply. Things were starting to blur again and the tension, which was vanishing, once again swooped into the room. "And they just allow you to share their island?"
Connor shook his head. "No. . .It's not that simple. ." Sighing deeply, he closed his eyes. Damnit, sometimes this made him want to cry. The predicament was awful and, worst of all, he'd sucked his beloved into it. "I guess, I'll start at the beginning. . .When I was just twenty, I was hired to work for building planes for a rather powerful company. . . I was one of the youngest avionic engineers in the world. . . We designed several planes for the US Air Force, Navy, Marines. . .I also did some work with planes in Sweden and the UK. . . That's where I met Ella, she was one of the youngest female avionic engineers." He smiled at his wife and took her hand.
"About five or six years ago, I became involved with Neroli. . .Not because of money, I wouldn't have taken it had I known exactly what they were doing. . . They threatened me. . .threatened my wife. . ."
"Why didn't you go to someone? The FBI, the CIA?" Mac asked, but she knew what the answer would be. Things were never really that simple.
Connor's face fell. "I was afraid of what they would do to me. . .to us. . .Neroli said they had the evidence to make it look like we were selling government secrets. . .I should have gone to someone, but I wanted to protect my wife and myself . . So, I sold my soul to them and made the group's leader promise that they wouldn't hurt Ella. . .That they'd leave her alone." He swallowed hard, tears forming in his eyes. "I didn't know that they'd taken her already. .. That they wanted the both of us."
"They took us away from the States and to wherever this is." Ella said, glancing around the hut. "The first time we set foot on this island was at that base, in a hangar with several MIGs that had been bought on the black market. . .They wanted us to fix them, make them better. . . When we refused, Connor spent a good week on a stretcher. . .They worked him over something good, broken a rib and threatened. . .God, they threatened to do worse to me. . .so we gave in for self preservation. . . We didn't know what they were doing. . .What they wanted to do until. . .until they began capturing pilots."
Mac didn't quite follow. "Capturing pilots?"
Connor nodded. "They would go to the ports of call, find pilots that were washing out for some reason or another and brainwash them. . .Have them join Neroli and fight for a greater good. . .Everyone in Neroli worked for the US Military at some point."
Sticky and Mac glanced at each other again, disgust evident by the looks on their faces. "How could someone do that? How could you just turn on your country?"
Ella sighed. "Easily. . . If you are kicked when you are down, it's sometimes easy to see things in another perspective. . .thought, that perspective isn't exactly the best."
"Why aren't you living on the base?"
"We were once." Connor stood, then leaned back against one of the walls and brought his arms across his chest. "That was until they realized we'd done all we could. . .They banished us here. . .to this prison of sorts. . .We don't know where we are, so they know we can't escape."
Sticky glanced around at the home once again. "You've been here a while if you could build this place."
"We have, yes. . .Too long, if you ask me."
Mac frowned, this was horrible. How could anyone just pick people up like toys? It was disgusting. "Do they ever come here?"
"For a while they would regularly drop food, clothing, medicine. . .Not anymore. . .Sometimes, I think they are hoping we die." He motioned towards Harm. "When Mack. . .I'm sorry, Harm. . .When Harm arrived, I thought for sure they would trek the island looking for him. . .apparently they don't know he's here. . ."
The back of her hand ran gently against Harm's forehead. The fever was going down some, though Mac knew, without real medication, it wouldn't go down permanently. "Thank you for taking care of him."
"Pardon the personal question, but are you two involved?" Ella asked, receiving a stern look from her husband and the Sergeant.
She didn't even bother denying it. "Yes. . .He was my best friend and working partner. . .We were both lawyers for the Judge Advocate General Corps. . .Now, he's a reservist, flying jets for the Navy. . . And we've become something more than just friends." Mac gave the three a shy smile.
Ella stared at her husband. If this woman was as close to Harm as she thought, then maybe it was time they revealed something else about his condition. "There's something else you should know. . .He. . ." Amnesia sounded like something out of a soap opera, it had to be phrased another way. "He doesn't remember anything."
"What?" The wind rushed out of Mac almost as if she'd been punched in the gut. "What doesn't he remember?"
At first, Ella sometimes wondered if Harm had been lying to them in order to protect secrets. But, as time went on, she would see the set of his jaw and that look of frustration in his eyes. He really didn't know who the hell he was. She wondered if he even cared to know. If he had a woman like Mac waiting for him, maybe it was time to get that memory back. "He doesn't remember a thing. .. he doesn't know who he is. .. He doesn't know who you are, except that he sees you in dreams."
"And nightmares." Connor pointed out with a frown. "Sometimes he'd told me that you were in his nightmares as well."
That didn't sit well with Mac. She wasn't too sure what she'd to if his only memories of their relationship were on past wrong doings – hers or his. It would be unfair and cruel to start at the beginning with him again. God, she just couldn't imagine him forgetting everything. What about his family? His friends? Mattie? Her? Did he really forget her too? She studied the countdown on her watch, which was thirty seconds slower than her internal clock, and sighed deeply. "As soon as we get him out of here, we'll get him help."
Sticky frowned. "Colonel, ma'am. . .Think we can get these folks out of here as well?" The Sergeant motioned towards the couple whose story had moved him. They didn't deserve to spend the rest of their lives on this god forsaken island, especially if they were caring as best as possible for one of their own.
Mac glanced up at a hopeful Connor and Ella. "That can be arranged, yes."
The hours they had spent in the home of the Gerard's were quite pleasant, despite the current situation. Rain had been an issue though, it really never stopped raining. Through the night and the day, the five of them had remained indoors, Connor being the only one who knew the woods well enough to bring back fruits for his new guests. Mac had never left Harm's side, save for two bathroom breaks. Sticky almost had to force her to eat something.
It was exactly an hour after the sun set when the Sergeant's radio came to life. "Colonel? Lieutenant Fields ma'am. . ." Sticky handed the radio over to Mac and then stepped back to his post by the window.
"Thank you, Sticky." She took the radio and pressed the button to speak. "Lieutenant this is Colonel MacKenzie, I've found the Captain. He's in need of immediately medical attention. . .How are things on your end?"
(The Lieutenant's response was so low she could barely hear. "It's busy, ma'am. . . There's a whole world over here. . .I've been in contact with the LHA, the teams should be here shortly. . .will you be ready to move in thirty minutes?")
Thirty minutes? Hell, she was ready to go now. "I wish it were sooner, but yes. . .We'll be ready."
("Good I'll call in the extraction for three. . .The helo will land directly in your area.")
"No, Lieutenant, it's a long story, but make it five. . .There are two people here who may be of help."
("I'll let them know. . .Be on the lookout. Right now there should be a landing party heading our way. . .We're going to contain as much of this damned island as we can.")
"You'll have no arguments from me there, Lieutenant. . .Let's just get this done and get our boys home." Mac put the radio down, leaving it and the jamming device on, just in case. She stared down at Harm, frowning. "Hold on, flyboy. . .We'll be home soon enough." His breathing had slowed a bit too much for her liking, but she knew he would make it through this, he always did. He had to. "Sticky, I'm going to need you to carry him for me. . .I will give you cover."
She didn't make it an order, but he still obeyed, trusting that she would keep them safe. "Aye aye, ma'am." He pulled out a pistol from his holster and handed it to Connor. "Mr. Gerard, just in case. . .Do you know how to use it?"
Connor eyed the gun suspiciously. Despite their work in military aircraft – potential war weapons – he wasn't a fan of arms. "I've shot once or twice. . .It's not up in my favorites list." He smiled weakly and glanced at Ella who seemed terrified. "It's just for protection."
"If they find out. . .We're never going to leave this island alive." She told him and was startled to find Mac handing over her own pistol.
"You're going to leave this island alive. . .And you're going to fight for your survival. . .for your future if you need to." Mac cocked the weapon, put the safety on and placed it in front of the woman. "Push that button on the side, that's the safety. Then, just point and shoot." She walked back towards Harm and reached over to the bed above him, grabbing the sheets. "Sticky, help me here, I want to keep that leg wrapped and as clean as possible. . .Ella, Connor. . .grab anything that you need, it won't be long now."
On the other side of the island, Second Lieutenant Fields and his team were thankful to view through their night vision goggles, five teams on five CRRCs heading towards the island. "Brenner, make sure everyone is ready, I want the team up here, ASAP. . ." They'd been hiding all night and day under the canopy of tropical foliage which rested adjacent to a high peak. There were guards in the area, men that his group had picked off one by one and replaced. With the aid of new gadgets, they managed to spot all of the surveillance equipment on the island. As good as these people seemed to be, they were no match for the Marines. Still, it shouldn't have been that easy.
He shut down the radio which had been used to communicate with Mac and opted to use the communication device on his throat which kept him in touch with his team. "Brenner, has the team landed?"
("Yes, sir." Corporal Leslie Brenner said, keeping his voice a low whisper.)
"Make sure they are all on channel 13, we move in three minutes." He was confident that the teams knew what to do. The people on the Henry had spent enough time going over a perfectly planned attack. There would be six groups, all going in different directions and, ultimately, surrounding the base. "This is Alpha Leader. . .Group Beta one is present and accounted for." He said over the radio, taking another look around to make sure his six men team was near him. "Beta two, check in."
("Alpha Leader, Beta Two, check. All present and accounted for.")
"Beta three, check in." The checks to each group continued until all six registered back. Fields glanced up at the base once more, it was a good four football fields away, but through his binoculars, he could almost reach out and touch it. "Alright men. . .move out." He waved an arm over his head and the group began moving.
This was the moment most Marines lived for, the thrill of the hunt, of taking back something that belonged to them. Taking out the bad guys. The terrain was almost as unforgiving as trekking through a South American rain forest. That would have been more welcomed than needing to stop every other two minutes to disengage the booby traps on the island. Fields knelt down next to a trip wire and unearthed the charge which was connected to it. "The charges aren't new. . .at best, ten years old or so." He disassembled it and waved his group to continue.
All in all, it had taken all six groups a good twenty minutes to arrive into position. He relayed that information back to the Henry and the LHA, asking that the helo's be kept out of sight until the mission was completed. Fields made a final check with all of the teams and then cut them loose. With a 'rat-tat-tat' sound, the war began. The teams had been ordered to change the ammo and use tranquilizers which had been specially built for the M16s. The juice would knock an average man out for a good two hours and then have him wake up with the hang over from hell. It was a governmental imperative to use newer "safe" methods of seizing certain places. You really couldn't stop mass attacks if the people you were going after were all dead. As for Fields and the others, they preferred real bullets.
The men guarding the base had no idea what hit them. One tried to remove the tranquilizing dart from his chest and passed out a second later. Another fell from the top wall of the base and certainly died on impact. Brenner managed to grab a man which held the keys to open the large metal doors. He held a gun to the man's head. "Open the doors or I'll kill you." Despite their want to fight for the dark side, most of the "men" were actually kids, no more than twenty two years of age, with a need for adventure, a hatred for their nation and a want to live. You couldn't buy bravery at any cost.
Groups five and six were heading to the other side of the base, running down the long runway and towards the hangar. They took enemy fire, one of their own was shot and killed. Vowing to return for the man's body, the groups continued onward, managing to stop a crew before a MIG was sent up in the air. "McMichaels, Howell, secure the hangar. . .I don't want any of those birds up in the air." The team leader, Staff Sergeant Collins, ordered as his team proceeded. They came to the edge of the hangar and a set of metal stairs which led up to a door. "Rivers, Aceveda, go skyward." He pointed up to the door and higher still.
The men shot off a set of hooks and expertly made it up the side of the wall. The rest of Collins' team headed up the steps, Collins using a small charge to destroy the door. "Let's go, let's go, let's go!" He yelled and the men filled into the room, shooting down three men that were sitting in a control center of sorts.
"Room secured, sir." One of the men called and they soon fell into formation, moving swiftly to the next room.
Downstairs, Fields' team as well as the three remaining teams had entered the compound and were, one by one, securing all areas. The place had the same feel of walking into the Pentagon save for the overly bright lighting and stark white walls and the doors which were made out of some metal of sorts. He came up to a door with a security pad attached to it. Grabbing the kid that Brenner had been using to get around the place, he shoved him towards the pad. "Open it."
"I can't!" The man yelled, deathly afraid of what was to come if he didn't comply. He was telling the truth, only a select few were allowed into selected areas. "I don't have the pass code."
Fields waved over one of his men. "Jeffries, Use the code breaker." The man pulled out a small device and set it over the pad. Within seconds the door slid open. The men filed inside only to find a room full of computers and a scared looking kid pointing a gun at them. "Drop the weapon." Fields said, pointing his own M16 at the boy. "Now."
The kid pulled off a shot, one that went long and hit their hostage. It was then that two team members rushed to the young man, knocking him to his feet and effectively disarming him. "Ah! Let me go! Let me go!"
Glancing around the area it was clear to just about anyone that this was the brains, the place where everything technological happened. Above the wall of computers was a row of screens, one of them showing what appeared to be a holding cell. "Where is this?" Fields said, pointing at the screen. When the kid didn't reply, he grabbed him by the hair, lifting him up despite the yells of pain. "Where the HELL is this!"
"Here. . .Just press that red button. . .You'll need the pass code."
Jeffries pulled out the code breaker once again and made quick work of the remaining doors. The group filed in behind, still holding the kid hostage. The pilots inside the room quickly came to their feet. They could hear the commotion outside, but never believed they'd live to see this. "I've never been so happy to see a Marine." One of the Navy pilots said with a hysterical laughter.
Fields tossed them each a weapon. "Sirs, let's get the hell out of here."
"You'll get no argument here, Lieutenant." The men walked out with the team which had met up with two of the other groups just outside the door.
"Let's get these zoomies out of here. . .Brenner, contact the helo. . .Todd, Cohen, O'Reily. . .With me. . ." Fields pulled out the map which the Aurora had managed to secure. Technology had improved to a ridiculous level when it came to missions, that was one thing he was grateful for.
Former Captain David Cage sat inside their situation room, watching the larger than life screens as the scenes unfolded. He would be killed for this, no doubt. When Admiral Hensley had left him in charge of the base, it had been with a great trust. Then again, they never expected to be found, there was no reason for the US military to be this far away. Slowly, he turned his chair around, staring at the other six members in the room. It was organized chaos, each of them contacting the other sector of Neroli which was located in Europe. At least they were trying to, communication wasn't working. "It's obvious they took our communications, people, stop trying." He stood up, glanced at the screen which had a camera pointed at their door. It would be a minute or two before the Marines broke in and took them all.
Former Army Major Zachary Tomes came up to Cage with a steely expression. There were contingency plans in effect for this, things that they needed to do to protect the rest of their group. "Sir, it's time. . .We have to push that button."
Cage stared at the man as if he'd lost his mind. 'The Button' was just that, a big red button, inside a bullet proof housing which could only be opened by Cage. It would destroy the whole building and the secrets that lay within, including the personnel. All members of Neroli had taken a blood oath – you had to be willing to die. For Cage, this was just a bit more difficult. He hadn't signed up for this, for killing innocent people just because he didn't agree with United States' politics. What the hell was this all accomplishing? "No."
Tomes just stared. "No, sir?"
"You heard me Major. . .I said NO." He stood, arms across his chest in a defiant posture. "It's over. . .all of this is over."
"Respectfully, sir. . .I relinquish you of your duties. . .Give me the code."
"No. . .I said no. . .You'll have to kill me and if you did that, you wouldn't have shit."
Tomes removed a pistol from his holster pointing it directly at Cages' head. "Give me the codes, Sir!" When Cage didn't, the man pointed the pistol at his leg and shot off a round. "Next shot, I'll take something a little more important."
Cage had stumbled up against one of the screens, using it to hold himself back up. "I'm a SEAL, I can take pain. . .I can take this. . .and you aren't getting the codes."
"I'll get them." The crazy look in Tomes' eyes prepared Cage for his attack. Despite the pain, he managed to side step, slamming Tomes into one of the screens, cracking his head open.
It was this that Fields and the Marine walked in on. "Hands up all of you!" He yelled, taking aim at Cage. "Corporal. . .Put a round in each of them." The youngest member of his team shot his M16 one round at a time, the specialized tranquilizer bullets putting each man to sleep. "Not him." Fields said, pointing at Cage. "He's coming with me. . .O'Reily, contact the Seahawk. . .All secure."
On the other side of the island, Sticky sat against the window, using the night vision binoculars. "Where are you?" He said to no one, waiting impatiently for the helo to arrive.
Mac consulted her internal clock, frowning. "They should be here by now."
"Here they come!" Sticky stood up and quickly moved over to where Harm was. "I'll use a fireman carry, ma'am. . .He'll be safe."
"I'll cover you." Pulling up Connor and Ella, Mac motioned towards the door. "Wait for the Sergeant to walk out first, I'll bring up the rear. . .Don't be afraid to fire."
The four set out, quickly covering the land between the shoreline and the hut. As the helo neared, the sound of a machine gun quickly got Mac's attention. She felt a bullet whiz by them, but couldn't quite spot where the shots were coming from. "Hurry!"
Sticky was having trouble with the wet sand and the weight of Harm's body, though he was clearly taller and more muscular. The sand gave him no traction with his burden. He ran as fast as he could, ignoring that Ella and Connor managed to pass him and arrive at the helo first. Not seeing a rock, he fell to the ground, but didn't lose his grip on Harm. "Damnit." The sand around him was riddled with bullets and that is when he saw Mac out of the corner of his eye. "Ma'am, run!"
Mac was waving her arms at the helo, trying to get their attention. "The forrest. .. fire at the forrest!" She ran towards Sticky and took hold of one of his arms, which she placed over her shoulder. "Let's go Marine! Leave no man behind!" With as much force possible, she stood up, allowing the Marine to come to his feet.
Sticky began moving again, huffing his way towards the helo. Mac remained behind, with her back to the Sergeant, firing her M16 into the woods. It was when they were just twenty feet away from the helo that she felt a burning sensation in her right shoulder. "Ah!" She yelled, suddenly losing function in that arm. She tried to raise her rifle, but it was no use. "Hurry!" Grunting, she managed to arrive at the helo, one of the flight crew pulling her inside.
The aircraft swung into action, the pilot pointing its nose towards the forest and taking aim. Everything towards that area went up in flames and it was the last thing Mac saw before they swung around and moved out over the open ocean. Sighing, she turned her head to the side, watching as the medical crew went work on Harm. One of them, a younger woman, turned to Mac with a half smile. "Ma'am, we'll get him stable and then patch you up. . .You'll need an IV yourself."
"Is there enough for him?"
The woman checked the inventory and nodded. "There should be yes."
"I don't want to hear the words 'should be.' Is there or isn't there?" Mac said in a commanding voice, yelling over the sounds of the rotors.
"Yes, ma'am."
Using her good arm she raised her hand and waved them on. "Carry on." Glancing to her left, she saw Sticky watching her with a gleam in his eyes. "Helluva night, huh, Sergeant?"
"Yes, ma'am. . ." All Sticky could do was laugh. "If you ever get tired of being a lawyer, we have an empty spot on our team."
Mac chuckled and shook her head. "Thanks but no thanks. . .too much excitement." She had what she came for, now all she needed to do was get him home.
