Daniel Folten: Cuban Forrest
March 14, 1981
Hours: Classified
It had been hours since their departure from their temporary camp site. The sun had already set, leaving them to depend on their eyesight in hopes they didn't step anywhere that would cause them trouble. It had to have been at least 2am by the time they ever thought about being close to the crash plane sight. All they had on them were their combat knives and the bloodied clothes on their backs. Somehow Bell's water canister managed to survive the day, and they took turns trying to drink as little as possible in an effort to conserve. As they journeyed through the forest Bell began to feel nauseous.
"Do you ever get Déjà Vu? I mean do you ever get Déjà Vu and begin to realize it lasts longer than it should?" Bell questioned.
"Not often, why?" Park asked.
"I've been experiencing it recently. It's gotten worse as I got further into the day. Back at the compound, when you were talking with Hastings…. Tell me you saw that TV flicker on and off too. Tell me I'm not going insane. It almost feels like I'm somewhere else, like I'm not real…." He trailed off. "And it terrifies me." He admitted, stopping in his tracks as he said that last sentence. "Park, I don't know what's going on with my mind." He said, sounding panicked and desperate.
She sighed feeling guilty. Adler would kill her if she were to ever tell Bell about who he really was…. what he really was. "Hang in there for a bit longer, we're almost there. Once we make contact with Adler, everything will be alright." She faked a smile trying to reassure him. Part of it she suspects was to reassure herself too.
They kept moving when they saw an odd figure in the distance. Bell had to squint his eyes so his vision could adjust to see it. "That's a piece of the plane! Come on!" He motioned for Park to follow. They stumbled upon two other pieces until they finally found what they believed to be part of the cockpit. Bell was about to rush to find the radio when Park interrupted him.
"Bell!" Park said quietly, pulling his arm back. "Enemies, I count at least three, there may be more, it's too dark to tell."
"You think you're up for some stealth?"
"I wouldn't be much help." She said motioning to her arm.
"I got this, stay low." He said, taking his knife out of it's pocket.
Bell watched as the two men went inside the piece of the crashed plane, one of them carrying a dimly lit flashlight. Unfortunately it wasn't bright enough to tell Bell who he was up against, probably the same Tropas who shot them down to begin with. As the other two disappeared, there was one left outside to keep watch. Bell began to creep up behind the man and managed to knock the Ak-47u he was carrying out of his hands, covering his mouth,preparing for a silent kill. However the night didn't serve in Bell's favor like he was counting on. The man quickly loosened himself of Bell's grip and spun around quickly whipping out his own knife and slashing Bell across the face, adding to the cuts and slashes he recently received. As Bell stumbled back in pain, he dropped his own weapon. He tried to knock his opponent off balance with a right hook to the temple, but ultimately left his ribs exposed. Dodging Bell's poorly aimed swing, his opponent landed a punch right in Bell's sore ribs, causing him to stumble even more and falling on his side, wincing in pain.
Knowing he blew his stealth, he heard the other two men rushing outside to see what all the rustling noise was about. This time they both had flashlights and shined them in Bell's face.
"Bell?!"
He knew that voice.
"Woods?" Bell asked, putting up a hand to block the light from shining in his eyes.
"Told you he was still alive, nobody can kill him." Woods said to Adler, who was also holding a flashlight.
"My bad, Bell. We've been looking for you and Park for hours." Mason said, offering Bell a hand up.
"If I wasn't so beat up already, then I definitely would have won that." Bell said with a smile.
"Sure." He replied letting out a laugh.
"So much for stealth." Park said coming from around the corner. "Adler can I have a quick word with you?"
"Where's Lazar?" Woods asked. Bell was about to tell them what happened when Adler interrupted him.
"I'll explain later."
"Team, we're far behind schedule as it is, get loaded on that jeep." Adler said motioning for the others. He waited till everyone else stepped away until he asked her what she wanted to discuss.
"It's Bell, he's gone too long without any dosages." Park said.
"Is he starting to recall?"
"He's only told me so little, there's no telling what he's experiencing in his mind. We need to get him back to the safehouse quickly, or he may begin to experience seizures."
"When we get there I want him prepped to go under. I'll contact Sims and tell him to have the script ready."
"Understood." Was all she managed to say.
Bell sat in the back along with Mason and Woods, while Adler took the wheel with Park right next to him.
"So what were you three still doing here in Cuba, I figured you would have escaped after we did." Bell asked Mason.
"We had almost made it to the rooftop when we saw your plane get shot down by an enemy RPG. Adler refused to abandon you so we decided to go find the crash sight and hope you guys would be there."
"Yeah, luckily you were because if you weren't I would have left you both." Woods teased with a laugh.
"So how are we getting back to base?" Bell asked.
"While we were looking for you, Adler contacted Sims to send a plane a few clicks from here, it's not far." Mason informed him.
Bell looked down at his uniform realizing it wasn't just his own blood that stained his clothes.
"I'm sorry I couldn't save him." The truth just seemed to overwhelm him, and he explained to everyone what happened.
"Lazar was a good guy, but we're going to lose a lot more than just him if we don't catch Perseus." Adler said looking in the rearview mirror of the jeep.
There was a moment of silence between them all and Bell realized he was right. Perseus had the freedom to detonate multiple nukes now. If he succeeded then Lazar would have died for nothing and Bell and the rest of the team would probably die trying. And in the end all of their deaths would mean nothing to the Soviets or to the Americans. If anything it would be just a few more numbers added to a list of casualties.
The rest of the ride there had been quiet until Bell started to experience another one of his recent "Déjà Vu" episodes. This time it was worse. At first he began to think it was just his battered body causing a killer headache, until he started to see things appear and disappear. It seemed with every blink one object would appear as another faded away. He saw a recording camera, stood up on it's wooden legs. He rubbed his eyes and opened then again, and this time saw a red metal door.
Bell cried out in pain. Catching everyone's attention, Mason was the first to ask Bell what was wrong.
"I don't know what's happening to me!" He said, clearly crying out in help.
"Hang on Bell, the planes right there." Mason said, as Adler parked the jeep. He and Adler rushed to help Bell to the plane.
Bell hesitated and pushed Mason's arm away. "Don't touch me! I don't know you!" Bell exclaimed, his head pounding.
"It's that bad." Park said to Adler, realizing what was happening.
"Mason, Woods, tell the pilot to get prepared for take off. We'll take care of Bell."
"Come on Bell, we have to get moving." Adler said to him motioning for Bell to get out of the jeep.
"Adler is lying to you, do not trust him." There was a faint voice in his head telling him to not go with this man.
"Stay away from me!"
"Don't fight me on this kid." Adler said grabbing him and forcing him out of the vehicle.
Bell was quick to respond with a right hook to the side of Adler's skull. Although his punch landed it barely shook Adler and within an instant he tackled Bell to the ground and knocked him unconscious.
He looked around to find that he was no longer fighting Adler in Cuba. Instead he was in a jungle, in Vietnam. Before him was a narrow path leading deeper into the jungle. He followed the path until he came across a flowing stream that led to a waterfall. Swimming across the stream, he reached a wooden drawbridge. He was caught off guard when he heard faint screams of what sounded like dying men resonating from the bridge. He didn't know what was happening to him. Why was he back in Vietnam again after 13 years?
His thoughts were interrupted when the scene before him changed just like in recent "dreams". He looked down to find that he was dressed in khakis and a normal dress shirt. He was seated in a brown leather chair, clearly in someone's office. Across from him a man, similar to the last man in his dream. He also wore symbols on his uniform that associated him with the military. He didn't know exactly whose military until he heard him speak.
"You have proven to others to be one of the best in your class, and might I even say the school itself comrade." The man spoke in a Soviet accent, Bell figured he belonged to the Russians.
"Thank you, Sir," Bell replied unconsciously. It's as if Bell was reliving a moment in time. The walls around him seemed to be made of what looked like polished shiny wood. However the details of his surroundings were blurry, except the man he was speaking with.
"Even if neither side has made it official, we are at war with the Americans. And someone with your skills could definitely help swing the tide of this bloodshed. You would be serving your Motherland for the greater good comrade. So what do you say?"
"I would consider it to be no higher duty than to serve my country. But I have a family I must help care for. My Papa was recently drafted, leaving my Mama and sister. It would break their hearts if they knew I got involved in this war."
"Ah, I see. Family first, I respect that comrade. But if we lose this war then we will lose even more than just family. We have kept tabs on your studies of cryptography, you are special comrade. If you were anybody else I would not be so insistent that you join us. I would at least consider our offer."
"Im sorry, but I cannot abandon my family."
"It is unfortunate that we do not see eye to eye comrade. But it was a pleasure speaking with you." The man shook Bell's hand and showed him out. As Bell walked through the door.
The environment around him was pitch black. He couldn't see his body, it was just his conscious.
"He is lying to you." It was that same voice from earlier, when he was fighting Adler. Only this time it was louder.
Authors note: I really appreciate all the follows and favorites, it lets me know I'm not writing this for nothing. Feedback is encouraged, it lets me know what you do and dont like and most importantly what I can improve on. So constructive criticism is welcome. Thank you for reading. Just a reminder I prefer you to leave reviews on wattpad instead of fanfiction, it just makes it easier for me.
