Chapter 7
July/4/2020: IDF Headquarters, Friend Island:
Austin took a swig from his bottle of cola as he gazed upon the Headquarters mustering field. Normally this is where the IDF military forces would gather for important military wide briefings and where they park the vehicles needing testing or maintenance. However today it was clear for the American descended to celebrate the fourth of July. Since half of the Islands inhabitants are American it seemed only right that the holiday would find its way onto these shores.
Austin, Mark, and Butch had been introduced to their new team a little over a year ago and immediately their was some tension. Though Butch was the one who smuggled in some supplies for the group and the tension went out the window. Except for Taylor Prince. He needed some extra convincing before he let loose. The whole squad, save for the non-present Sarge, were now dressed in civvy clothes, mostly shorts and those Hawaiian pattern shirts, and hats to cover their heads from the sun. most of the base was off hanging around and barbecuing food.
Austin remembered back to seven years ago. When he, Mark, and the rest of their friends celebrated the fourth of July with the girls. He smiled at the memory, and then remembered the whole dance game Mark spontaneously made on the spot. Those were good times.
"Hey Austin, how you want your Steak?" Mark said hanging over a grill. Austin kept his sunglasses over his face not bothering to look up to answer.
"The usual, you know how I eat it man." he said.
"You want the secret sauce?" Mark asked with a small knowing grin.
"NO! no, no, none of that anti-freeze. Are you trying to kill me?" Austin said.
"That secret salad? You crazy. Everybody on base knows that stuff kicks like a mule." Butch said.
"Nobody can make a sirloin like you Mark but I'm not one for dying." Austin finished.
"It's only partial paralysis." Mark clarified gaining a laugh from Carl and Darius, but a grinning shake of the head from Taylor.
"How can you even eat that?" Taylor asked bewildered.
"We Texans are different. I would have thought that a Virginian like you would understand that." Mark said
"I'm from West Virginia, completely different state." Taylor said.
"Not the point." Mark stated.
"God you're an ass." Taylor said leaning back into his chair and covering his face with his hat. Mark grinned and brought his attention back to the grill.
"Heard we'd be going on our first mission soon. Did the General pull strings or do you think it was the Sarge's work?" Carl asked.
"Oh, definitely the Sarge. General Sato would only pull those strings if it required less work for him." Butch said causing a laugh between the IDF members.
"Hey Austin!" A voice called out and Austin turned to see Azusa walking up to him.
"Azusa? What are you doing here?" Austin asked getting up and moving over to her away from the others.
"I'm here to drop off his cooler of drinks and sandwich meat. Nonna said you called and asked her to drop it off." Azusa said.
"Where is Nonna?" Austin asked already knowing the answer.
"She's still at home working on her man hunt for Kai. She said you probably wouldn't mind if I dropped it off." Azusa said. Austin sighed a little before commenting.
"She's been doing this a lot. I hardly see her anymore. All she's doing is hunting Adachi down." Austin said.
"I know, I've tried to talk to her but she doesn't want to quit while she thinks she's ahead." Azusa said.
"I'll have to talk with her myself then. Our squads new training period is starting and I'm going to not be home so often." Austin said looking down.
"You know she just cares. After everything that happened during the yearlong match she cant help but be reminded of what happened. We all feel that way." Azusa said.
"I know. But hey thanks for taking time out your day for this Azusa, it means a lot." Austin said bringing her into a hug.
"Anything for you Austin." She responded. "Alright I got to get back to the others before they get break the law again."
Austin said farewell and took the cooler back to his squad. He took his seat just as Mark came over and passed him his steak.
"What was that about?" He asked.
"I asked Nonna to bring some stuff and she then asked Azusa to do it. She's becoming obsessed with hunting Adachi down." Austin said.
"Talk to her, ask her to take a day or two off to be with you and Cody. You know she cant deny that." Mark said.
"Yeah, I'll ask her." Austin said. He tried to enjoy the rest of the day but things just don't ever seem to be as straight forward as he would want.
April/6/2022: Mayes household: 4.5 weeks before Peru:
Austin tucked Cody into his bed and kissed his forehead. Yet again he was late in picking his son up from school that the two barely got to eat dinner and work on Cody's homework for the next day. Austin quickly thought to himself about this. He couldn't keep doing this. His mission schedule with his team had changed again and he only just got back from El Salvador last week. He knew that Azusa and the girls would never go against watching over Cody but now it seemed like he was barely in his sons life since he joined this new team.
"Dad, is mom going to come home tonight?" Cody asked. Austin sighed, Nonna had tracked Kai Adachi down to possibly three south American countries and she had been working overtime to find him. Word had it that he was working with fringe elements in those countries to destabilize the whole continent.
"I think she'll get home late tonight. But don't worry, I'll get your mom to come in and give you a kiss goodnight ok." Austin said. Cody smiled and nodded.
"Yeah, but I wish she was here now." Cody said. Austin sighed again wanting that to.
"Me to buddy."
"When are you going to fight again?" Cody asked.
"I'm not going to fight for a while, but my commander has my team doing some extra work now, which is why I was so late today. But don't worry, after I'm done with this next mission I'm taking a break and we can spend some family time together." Austin said.
"With mom to right?" Cody asked. Austin hesitated if only for a moment before responding.
"Yes. With mom to. Alright time to sleep. Goodnight buddy." Austin said.
"Goodnight dad." Cody said.
Austin walked to the bedroom door and shut off the light and closed the door. He sighed again before walking downstairs to the kitchen and taking the time to make himself a very late night snack. Two peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and a glass of water later he was sitting on the couch flipping through the channels not watching anything and just letting his mind wonder. He wanted Nonna to come home, but he was getting ever more infuriated with her. She continued to reject to time off and hasn't even been home to see him this passed week. Yes, she was busy with her own work but god damnit couldn't she just take one day? One damn day to spend with him and their son, that's all Austin wanted.
Her increasingly stubborn obsession with finding Kai Adachi made him want to scream at her. Scream at her for neglecting her family for the sake of Kai Adachi. Scream at her for not even taking the time to tell him she loves him anymore. Scream at her because it sounded therapeutic.
Austin heard the sound of a car pulling into the driveway and froze. That wasn't Marks car, his engine was louder. The only other one who would come here this late was Nonna herself.
Nonna opened the front door and immediately encountered Austin watching her from the living room. She didn't even acknowledge him, she just placed her bag and coat in the closet and took her amount of papers into the kitchen.
"Bringing your work home again?" Austin asked.
"What makes you think I've done this before?" She rebuttled.
"Your routine was to natural for it to be the first time. Still cant take one night to even say hello to your husband?" He asked.
"I didnt expect you to be home tonight. I thought you would still be at the base." Nonna said. Austin squinted his eyebrows.
"For what?" He asked.
"For whatever it is Commander Sato has you doing now." Nonna said.
"I got back from El Salvador a week ago. I wasn't due to return to normal work until tomorrow. Could have at least came by the airfield to say hi then." Austin said.
"I was to busy with-" Nonna was saying before Austin interrupted.
"With tracking down Kai Adachi, I know. That's all you ever do now." Austin said. Nonna put her papers on the kitchen table and turned back to him.
"You don't understand Austin, I'm so close to finding him. I've tracked him to two countries now, a little more work and we'll have found him." Nonna said.
"And after that's done will you finally take a day off and spend time with Cody and I?" He asked. Her answer was not what he wanted to hear.
"We'll still have to capture him and it would be better if I was on the ground for that." She said.
"What!?" Austin asked louder then he thought.
"Whats that expression for Austin?" Nonna asked.
"Nearly three years you've been after this guy and once you find him your not going to take a break? Why would you continue with that, At least take one day for Cody, he misses you." Austin said.
"Once Kai Adachi is in custody we'll have all the time in the world. Besides I can finish tracking him from home now, so we'll have time to spend with Cody." Nonna said.
"I have to report tomorrow morning. All the time in the world is until five this morning when I have to leave again. Nonna you've obsessed over this for near three years, let someone else bring him in." Austin pleaded.
"I won't. Not after everything he did to our friends! Do you want them to be disappointed with us?" Nonna asked.
"I know they would be disappointed to see us arguing." Austin said.
"I want him brought In Austin, and I don't trust some leather neck to be able to do that. I can." Nonna said and Austin simple stared at her before saying something he would always regret.
"You sound just like Akari." Nonna's eyes went wide and Austin could feel that intense blizzard that she seemed to create seamlessly with her shift in attitude.
"Take. That. Back." Nonna commanded. She would NOT be compared to her.
"No." Austin said. Nonna's grew furious when she heard that word.
"Take. That. Back." Nonna commanded again, stepping right in front of her husband. "I will not be compared to her."
"Then don't act like her." Austin sneered at her, in a chillingly cold tone. Nonna's Blizzard persona works on those who have come to fear her. Austin never had, and never will. But she had feared him once. When he got so angry that she disrespected everything that his older Brother fought and died for. The tone In his voice and the rage In his eyes back on that mountain would never leave Nonna's memory. But even now she would not go down without a fight.
"I am NOT like Akari." Nonna said.
"She obsessed over finding Maho that she nearly killed her in the final battle. You have been slaving away for near three years to find this guy, Akari obsessed only for six months. You may even be worse then her." Nonna slapped him. Hard. Her hand print was visible on his left cheek, and Austin seemed genuinely shocked. This had been the second time In all their time together had she hit him. The first time? back on that mountain.
Nonna hid it well. But she was scared. She reacted before she even knew what she was doing. But it was out now, and she couldn't back down. Austin said nothing. But he did something. He moved away from her and went to the front door, where he grabbed his work bag and put his shoes on. Nonna blinked and was confused at this. She expected him to yell or hit her back. She would have been fine with either of those two, but this. She began to panic.
"Where are you going?" She demanded.
"I report tomorrow. Mark's place is closer to base. I'll just crash with him for some time. Might be good to get you to think for once." Austin said spitefully.
"You cant leave. Not after what you just said." Nonna argued trying to get him to stay.
"Do you want to keep fighting, or do you want to find your cool head? I'm done. I'm going to Mark's place. Don't try talking me into staying." Austin said.
"You said if I ever needed you, you would come in a heartbeat." Nonna said. That made Austin stop. He looked back at her, and his response shattered her heart.
"Last I checked you didn't ask." He opened the door and left leaving Nonna to cry tearless sobs as she collapsed and starred at the door. But her sorrow didn't last long. Only after she hear his car drive away she gritted her teeth and snarled at the door. Her eyes burrowing and her blizzard cold persona replaced by a fiery rage and anger. She didn't scream, or yell, or make any noise. She simply stood up and clenched her fists.
"I'll show you Austin Mayes."
May/7/2022/: Ancient Ruins, Peru:
Mark, Carl, Nonna, and Austin crept around a corner on the lookout for any other of the Terrorists. There was no sign of anyone, so Mark motioned forward. Moving in a line, Mark in front, Carl behind him, then Nonna and Austin.
Austin woke from his unconsciousness not long ago and was still rubbing his eyes, trying desperately to wake up. The news of who they were fighting against and that his older brother, the one who was supposed to be dead, was apart of their leadership shocked him. Yet he steeled himself and made sure he wouldn't falter again, not while Nonna's life was in danger.
"I'm guessing we'll be clear until we reach the Temple entrance." Mark said. The three nodded their agreement and continued following.
"Once we find our way out we make for the Humvee's and radio command. We have to warn them about Kai Adachi's attack." Nonna said.
New intel was found by Mark as he went back to scavenge more of the papers and things he found earlier. What he found shocked everyone present. Kai Adachi and the Jungle Devils were planning a mass attack on Friend Island. An invasion.
Gunfire caused the four to cease moving. It was loud and rapid, however not anywhere near them. It sounded like it was coming from outside. The four continued moving until they reached the exit and there they saw the large amount of chaos. One Humvee, equipped with a 30. Caliber machinegun, was driving around wreaking havoc. The best part was that Taylor was the one on the gun and covering the movements of the Humvee.
The truck made a sudden turn and started moving towards their direction, and Sergeant Johnson was seen to be the driver. Immediately the four ran down the stairs of the temple and took cover by some stone works when the gun fire began pointing their way.
The Humvee stopped just twenty yards away, hiding behind its own stone works with just enough space for Taylor to continue firing the 30. Cal.
"Come on!" Butch yelled opening the door. Carl ran first making it inside while Mark made his way stopping just shy to take cover from more gunfire. Austin grabbed Nonna's hand looked at her.
"Dodging gunfire together? reminds me of when we first met." He smirked. Nonna smiled, the memory of dodging all those tanks and tank shells back on that mountain in the snow, after they had wrestled each other which led to Austin's victory.
"Just don't fall down a mountain." She jabbed. Austin smiled and then the two ran for it, ducking behind what stone works they could with Austin firing as they moved. Taylor and Mark were firing where they could but even then it wouldn't help for long.
Austin ran ahead and opened fire killing another of the Terrorists as he motioned for Nonna to follow, however to her right, came another figure. One of the Terrorists seemed to come out of nowhere and tackle her to the ground.
"Nonna!" Austin screamed in surprise. He went to go help her but a second of the Terrorists appeared and fired at him. Weather it was luck, or by some mystic culmination of plot armor, Austin wasn't hit. He quickly fired back hitting the Terrorist while two more came out and fired again forcing Austin to back away and take cover.
Nonna had felt the impact when she was tackled and immediately went to raise her handgun but was stopped by the man who tackled her. The Terrorist tried to wrestle the gun away from her but with a little extra grit Nonna managed to point the gun at his chest and pulled the trigger. She shot him and moved to flee, but another two pairs of hands grabbed her and pulled her back. She lost her grip on the handgun and felt it leave her, all the while she saw Austin's eyes grow in perpetuate worry.
"Austin!" Nonna screamed trying to get to him.
"Nonna!" He screamed back moving to go to her, bit was forced back into cover after more gunfire was shot at him.
Nonna felt herself being dragged away and all she could do was watch Austin as he tried to and failed to run to her.
"Nonna!" Austin screamed again. He had killed another of the Terrorists before deciding to move again but was halted when Mark grabbed his shoulder. "Let go of me!"
"You'll die if you run out there now!" Mark yelled.
"I don't care!" Austin yelled back. "I won't leave her!"
"They took her to the opposite side of the temple! We'll get in the Humvee and drive to the other side and pick her up! Get in the damn car!" Mark yelled at him while forcing him into the Humvee.
Not even waiting for Mark to close the door Johnson sped off to get to the other side of the temple. Taylor continued firing the 30. Cal and Johnson even ran two of the bastards over. When they turned the corner to the temple what they saw shocked them. A large hole had appeared in the back of the temple. It appeared to be a garage like door, and all the vehicles that Mark saw in the lower levels were being moved out of the temple.
"Their on the move." Mark said.
"On the move for what?" Darius asked not quite sure what he was seeing was real.
"These aren't Peruvian Separatists, their the Jungle Devils. The largest and most feared Terrorist organization in South America, and their planning to launch an invasion into Friend Island." Mark explained. The whole Humvee was silent.
"There!" Carl pointed to an open field where a Helicopter was sitting. There standing off to the side was Kai Adachi alongside someone wearing a suit. But what Carl was pointing to specifically was Nonna. She was handcuffed and standing before the two men just as the helicopter starting powering up. Adachi, the man in the Suit, Nonna and three other Terrorists got into the helicopter, then it lifted into the air.
"Nonna." Austin said defeated.
"Now what Sarge?" Butch asked.
"We make it back to our own Humvee's and call command. Tell them whats going on get our asses back to the Island. It seems we're seeing the start of a war."
"I thought I ordered all of these people dead?" Kai asked over headset. The helicopter was loud after all.
"I asked our friends here to at least try to capture one that looked like they were in charge, and what a spectacular turn of events when we capture the actual commanding officer of these troublesome soldiers." The suit said.
"Wouldn't it be better to kill her?" Kai asked.
"Maybe, but I know something about this woman you'll like Kai." The suit said. Kai scoffed but humored the man.
"And what is that?" Kai asked.
"This is Nonna Mayes. Veteran from the Year long match on the island." He said. Kai's eyes widened and looked at the woman. This was 'THE' Blizzard Nonna? He never met her while they were on the Island but now he could say for sure that every rumor he heard was true. Especially the rumors of her figure. Kai grew a disgusting smirk as he spoke.
"Well then Mrs. Mayes, it's a pleasure to finally meet you, I had heard much about you all those years ago." Kai said.
"The pleasure is not mutual Mr. Adachi. I know all about what you did to my friends on the island. Know that you'll get whats coming to you." Nonna said.
"Charmed." He said before looking at the suit. "Maybe you were right. Capturing one of them wasn't a bad idea."
