Chapter 24

It was official. He hated the fucking jungle. He said it after receiving the order and he said it when they started trekking through the jungle. They were chasing after this Fantasma Muerta. Without a doubt it was that troublesome pain in his ass. He just had a gut feeling and screw his competition, he was right on this one.

"You sure that we'll find the HVP out here?"

Lt. Carter Reed looked at his right hand man with a look that would have lesser men cower. It was more to reflect his agitation being there rather than annoyance with his team. "I know it." He looked forward at the trail they were heading down. "I know she is."

Sergeant Paul Garrison looked at his CO with a slightly raised brow but said nothing. He knew full well who their HVP was. It wasn't too hard to remember the exchange that went on between Charlie Leader and Echo Three. He had been there nearly five years ago when they lost their medic over an incident that occurred during a sweep of the wall.

It was an incident that Reed never forgot. The two teams never met again on sweeps of the Wall but Garrison knew that his superior was often on the lookout. Reed always resented the fact that a mere sergeant managed to make him look bad and ordered him around in the field. Walker knew that wasn't exactly what went down but he wasn't going to argue with his superior. It wasn't worth it and Charlie squad had done some noteworthy work since then.

Nodding, Garrison looked at their one other man on this job and then at Reed. "Not doubting you, Boss. After all we do have the recording the Ghosts obtained for us."

"Always thought that Echo bitch was trouble," Reed murmured as he looked around after wiping his brow. "God, I hate this fucking jungle. The fucking humidity." He looked back at his second and gestured to the map, "So where are we?"

"Well we tracked activity to Maracaibo and questioning of the locals pointed us to this El Libertad," Garrison replied. He pointed at the map and added, "According to the last known transmissions and info from Command, we're heading in the right direction."

"Good because I don't want to let that bitch get one up on me again," Reed replied as he adjusted his grip on his weapon. "Let's move out."

Garrison sighed a little and followed after motioning for their other guy to follow. Maybe it was not a good idea to go in with only the three of them but Reed was confident that they could get their prisoner. Besides even if they did find the prisoner, they still had to contend with the possibility that the Ghosts were out there and on the same mission. It would not be a good idea to go against that team considering their reputation and the fact that the prisoner was one of them. It was a bias but Captain Merrick was fair like their previous CO and he would play by the rulebook.

The trek was long and it was obvious that they were going to be sweating like pigs. Ever since they managed to cripple the Federation months ago, it was easier to infiltrate. Mostly it was because the defeat caused the insurrectionists to rise up. Still they had to be careful in getting in. Getting out… well Reed didn't have a problem shooting his way out. In his view, the more Fed dead, the better. His chief motto was that the only good Fed was a dead one. He detested the fact that Echo Three constantly challenged his authority especially when it came to the mission parameters.

The last one was before the offensive at Fort Santa Monica. Intel gave Charlie and Echo teams the info that there were some traitors in Fed ranks and possibly from the civilians that were pretty much near the wall. Reed was all for executing them since traitors were executed. Echo Three insisted they milk out every bit of information they could. The last one was someone that used to worm their way around the base helping out and it was revealed that they were passing on secrets.

The biggest resentment on Reed's end was the fact that Echo Three called him out on leaving his men behind. He was reprimanded mostly for the fact that he had left them with no means of calling for help. He disliked it even more that she tried to be nice about it and asked Command to give him another chance. It led to an exchange of words outside and ended up in a fistfight which he was reprimanded for since he started it and she had tried to prevent it. You couldn't tell him that there were witnesses to back that up. He was firm in his belief that she was a menace and he was looking forward to bringing her down a peg.

They followed the map and intel they received. It led them into the jungle to the point that Reed was certain that the people they paid for the information screwed with them. He was about ready to give the order to turn back when their third man Lieberman said, "Contact eleven o'clock."

They turned to see a group of Federation soldiers facing a direction. There was also gunfire and mortar fire going on. Whoever they were firing on, it was someone that they were going to town on. There were shouts of Spanish but Reed managed to catch that they were talking about El Libertad. That was who they were looking for since they didn't like the Federation. It didn't necessarily mean that they liked them either but enemy of my enemy thing and so forth. Reed signaled for them to move forward towards the target.

They were waylaid by explosions as they managed to cross lines and try to find the members of El Libertad. It was confusion out there but Reed noted some clearly defined lines. He really didn't expect much from peasants so to speak but they looked highly organized as suggested by the reports of El Libertad. It was then that he spotted her… at least he was certain it was her.

She was running with another and it looked like… was that Echo Four? Reed wasn't sure but it did look like that asshole Harris and he was covering her. The thought of dealing with another traitor crossed his mind until he saw a third. He knew it was one of theirs judging by the uniform and he was tall… Reed ducked the moment the explosion hit and then peeked over to find that the group was not in sight but there was an ATV that he hadn't seen previously.

The sudden appearance of two more, one blonde and the other his target approached the area with guns pointed, looking for the Fed. Reed had her in his sight. It wasn't ideal but they could snatch and grab and the others were down. It would be easy. Reed relayed that he spotted her and Garrison confirmed it. They got into position to move forward.

Back away. Run!

It was all of a sudden that the ATV exploded. Reed and his men crouched to avoid getting hit. Debris was flying everywhere and he could smell the stench of burning fuel and brush. The smoke was fairly thick and choking as he looked up.

She was on her feet and she was trying to wrestle away a weapon from… Reed recognized him. He had heard that one of their own had been captured and supposedly made a tool of the Federation. It sounded like a load of crock but you couldn't discount it. Reed watched as she was pushed to the ground or rather received a nasty punch to the face and she was down. Then the one that punched her loomed over her and he was smirking as he pulled out a .45 and was pointing it at her.

The dog had Reed realize that he had Viking Six and Five on the scene. It was hard not to remember the dog that made a name for himself back at Fort Santa Monica. Reed watched as the dog leaped and latched itself onto the guy with the gun. It went off but Reed couldn't tell if she was hit or not since his team got a face full of Fed at the moment.

It was easy to dispatch them and they were taken care of like it was nothing. By that time Reed lost sight of his target but he went to the last known location. He came across three soldiers at various stages of getting up. The blast from the bombed ATV would have disoriented them. He also caught sight of the dog as he was getting to his feet along with another dog and the taller of the two men was getting to his feet and calling to his dog and then to someone named Logan. He didn't see the Feds coming up behind him.

Reed disliked the idea of shooting someone in the back. It was cowardly in terms of honor but in modern warfare, it had taken a different turn. Plus it was automatic watch the back of the man next to you and he brought his rifle out and shot at the Feds, taking them out. He was covered by Garrison and their third man since there was still Fed all over the place. Extending a hand he said, "Almost got you there."

"Almost," came the reply and the soldier began checking on the others as they were getting to his feet but all the while looking around.

Reed saw that there was no time for pleasantries but it was hardly fair to be rude. "You Viking?"

There was a pause and then, "Yeah."

Garrison was the one that intervened, "So you're on task for recovery too?"

Before it could be answered, the dogs barked just as someone burst through the brush looking like they fell down a hill. The person only spared a look and looked in a direction and started to take off. Reed knew who it was and bellowed, "Hold it right there." He leveled his rifle.

The dogs started growling and one started to attack. It leapt at Reed only to have a shot ring out and a yelp followed. Reed didn't care about the dog but kept his gun leveled at the newcomer. His men covered as they held their guns on the others. "You know why I'm here don't you? Echo bitch."

It looked like Reed was going to shoot her and he was. He hadn't missed the slight look she gave that indicated she was going to run. To hell with that. He was not going to let her run and he would take the shot. The order was to bring in dead or alive but preferably alive. From what he was told she may have valuable intel… bullshit.

She didn't move and the others weren't. It was a standoff obviously until there was a click of a rifle and two emerged out of the jungle covered in brush. They held there guns on Reed and his men and he could see that they were outnumbered since the one called Viking picked up his rifle and pointed it along with the other two. Still he had to say, "Stand down. You're interfering with my mission."

"No you stand down."

Reed looked at the two that had just arrived but didn't lower his weapon, "I don't have time for this and I'd rather not shoot you for insubordination. So stand down."

"Can't do that."

"And why not?"

"You're interfering with our mission."

Reed didn't like this. "And who is saying that your mission is priority over mine?"

"The Ghosts."

Logan had been hit in the head plenty of times. Mostly it was because he happened to be caught in the blast that knocked him off his feet or sent something flying at him. And in the case of his underwater adventure… a lighthouse fell on him and he was nearly eaten by sharks. The last one to the back of his head though… it was an addition to the nightmare that appeared out of nowhere.

First Little Charlie and now I've got you.

The voice was groggy but Logan recognized that southern drawl. Ever since the first time the man shown interest in him, he had come to dread and hate the man. He never really talked about things after Rorke killed his father but like his brother, he knew the man had to die and he was willing to give his life to make that happen. And it was more because he got the sense that Rorke wanted him for something far more sinister.

From the time he heard the Fed say that the boss wanted him alive, Logan felt like he had a weight over his shoulders. He knew that his best friend must have felt the same way and in the end got the full brunt of it. Now it was his turn and he found that he wasn't even sure if he even had the same kind of courage his friend had; to survive and still be herself mostly. Seeing that man in the jungle… he didn't know what to think.

Courage comes in many forms, Logan. Maybe even sheer dumb luck.

Logan opened his eyes and blinked blearily. His head ached but he remembered what his best friend told him before he went on his mission with Keegan. Yeah. It was sheer dumb luck that you were there Hawk. And now…

He knew something was wrong the moment he saw his best friend pause and look almost scared. Then Skye said that the ATV was rigged but it was ultimately Sequoia's early warning that told him to move. It must have done the same for Hesh because his brother started moving when he did. They were running.

He felt the explosion and felt himself being carried forward. He hit the dirt and he knew he was alive because everything frigging hurt. He was disoriented though and everything sounded muffled. He must have passed out because the next thing he saw was Rorke himself and it looked like he was about to grab him by the leg again.

It was déjà vu and like that beach, his best friend was on her feet and she actually tackled the man. He heard gunshots but it was muffled… at least he thought it was that. He did see her though and she was trying to wrestle something away from Rorke. His vision blurred and he thought he heard something else but he wasn't sure.

He did regain consciousness though when he saw Rorke pointing his gun at a downward angle. Before the man pulled the trigger he saw a dog charge and at first thought it was Riley but it wasn't. The gun went off and Rorke slung the dog away and there were more shots being fired. Logan got to his feet then and was prepared to fight. That was when he got the hit to the back of the head and now he was lying on something, probably a truck bed and he was tied up. He blinked as he tried to come to but his head was throbbing.

The next thing Logan knew was that he was being dragged and then dropped. The throbbing had lessened but it was still there. He blinked but he squinted since it felt better. The next thing he knew he was being shocked awake by being drenched in icy cold water. He sat up and gasped for air even though it was awkward and difficult. Gasping for air he looked around wildly, trying to make sense of what was going on around him.

"Finally awake aren't ya kid?" The drawling voice was followed by a chuckle. "I told Mateo not too hard but…"

Logan shifted, his hands tied behind his back. His legs were free but that wasn't going to do him any good. He looked up to see Rorke and immediately started to hate himself since he was certain his eyes were wide open with shock and hopefully not fear. The last thing he needed to do was show this bastard any sign of fear.

Rorke studied the younger Walker. Apparently what happened nearly seven months ago had some sort of effect. The look he was getting was not what he expected but it was satisfying all the same. It was a change up from Little Charlie. "Anything to say?"

Logan debated on that. If he didn't say anything, he would probably get beaten and if he did, the same thing could happen. Which was the lesser of two evils? He went with something easy, "What do you want?"

"I told you before kid. There's always room for one more. You remember that?"

Oh yeah I remember. I also remember… "I remember telling you 'fuck you'," Logan replied as he straightened himself up. He was not going to appear weak even though he was soaking wet and had a shock of his life.

His mouth got him a punch across the face and, "You show some respect."

Logan felt along the inside of his mouth as he turned to look at the guy that hit him. He felt the sanguine taste of blood in his mouth and on his tongue. He narrowed his eyes and replied, "Just a fond memory… asshole."

It was going to warrant another hit but Rorke stopped his man and was actually grinning like he was pleased. That sent a warning up Logan's spine and made him wary. Rorke looked at him and chuckled, "Still have the fire in ya? Learn a few things from Little Charlie?"

Logan had his eyes narrowed as he looked up at the man. The cut in his mouth was still bleeding and he toyed with a couple of ideas. All of them would result in a beating or something like that. It was better than any ideas that Rorke might be harboring. "I can handle myself," he replied.

Rorke kneeled so he was eye to eye with Logan and took a long hard look, taking in Logan's features. "Something's different about you. I don't know what it is but I like it."

"I'm not gonna help you hunt the Ghosts."

It was probably foolish to say that but Logan was determined to make his stand in things. He was not going to betray his team, his friends, his brother; that was something he was never going to do. His best friend resisted. He could too.

Rorke just thought that it was funny and laughed. "Actually you are gonna help me."

"No."

"Yeah, you will." Rorke stood up and started pacing. Absently he put a hand on Logan's head and ruffled the blonde locks. "You'll help me cause I know how she thinks."

Logan jerked his hand out from underneath Rorke's hand. Only two people could do that and Rorke was not one of them. He glared at the man and actually growled when he got a face pat. It was disgusting. He did freeze though when he heard of Rorke's intentions. He turned to look up at the man and stared.

Rorke grinned as he saw the expression on Logan's face. The kid was fun to play with. He couldn't help it. It was like playing with a puppy and it was amusing to watch this puppy glare and growl. The saying that there were more ways to skin a cat rang true and Rorke was certain that he found it with Logan. He saw the expression and nodded, "Yeah. You will help me hunt a Ghost."

Logan realized that he was to be bait for Sequoia. And knowing her, she would follow, doing anything and probably everything to get him back. She fought to prevent him from getting taken by Rorke the first time. It then occurred to him that Rorke must have figured that out; that she would come for him and decided to play it that way. But something didn't make sense to him. "Why didn't you take her then?"

Rorke turned to look at Logan. "What?"

"Why didn't you take her when you had the chance?" Logan knew that there was a possibility that Rorke wouldn't reveal everything but as a POW he was obligated to get some intel. Then when he was rescued he would give it to the team. The faintest hint of morbid curiosity was also in there. He shrugged his shoulders more from the fact that he was getting uncomfortable being tied up like that. "I mean we really weren't moving. The explosion knocked up out."

Rorke narrowed his eyes and bent low to take a look at Logan. He truly did like the kid and he did have plans but he needed something else first. Logan though was… "You really are a smart one?" He straightened up and shuffled on his feet as he looked down at his prisoner. "You really think I should have taken Little Charlie right then and there?"

Logan took in the look he was getting and got the feeling that it was a double edged question. He didn't like the tone of it and if it had been Hesh that heard that… He knew his brother pretty well but he always suspected that his older brother could be the worst nightmare possible. The hysterics when he had been injured was like a dress rehearsal. Still he knew that the best way to know the game plan Rorke had was to talk to him. He just had to be circumspect. "Well… you want her back right? I mean she escaped…"

"What makes you certain she escaped kid? She did learn a few things from me."

"She let me go." It was a big gamble but Logan was determined to get to the root of things. "That tells me that she let you think she joined you willingly and her escape only proves that she didn't. She was biding her time."

"Well aren't you the smart one. I knew there was something about you that I liked along with that fire." Rorke laughed and dismissed his man. He wanted to have a one on one chat with Logan. He pulled a chair over and straddled it while looking down at Logan. "Seems to me that you know Little Charlie quite well; what makes her tick."

"Maybe asking works."

"It does but Little Charlie is different from you kid. She's like Charlie in every way. That kind of person can't be forced. They have to willingly join."

"So holding me prisoner, beating, torture and then maybe I break and join you will convince her to join you? Sounds counterproductive."

"Do you always use such big words?"

It was an engrained habit. Logan had always been the bookworm. He liked to read and learn and was open to learning. Hesh would always tease him by playing with big words just to make him correct him and explain proper usage. It was not a trait one would expect in the army when he joined but it did garner him attention from some of the commanders who were big on proper manners and signs of intelligence. It certainly made him friends with the guys since he could be witty and when he met Sequoia, they had good times.

Thinking about it, Logan knew that his bookworm demeanor might count against him but it seemed to keep up the rapport with Rorke. He didn't really know the finer points of interrogation but he was willing to roll with it. He replied, "Had a good education as a kid." He shrugged his shoulders again. "So… you think that maybe your plan might backfire on you?"

Rorke chuckled and made a slight face at Logan's repeated query but dumbed down. He had a pistol here even though he was fun to play with. He leaned back slightly and thought about something. Abruptly he stood up and turned the chair around. He grabbed Logan by the shoulder and hauled him to his feet and plunked him down in the chair. He pulled out a knife and began to play with it and paced in front of Logan. "Let me tell you a story. You might be familiar with it since you were there. I just happened to know how Elias thinks and he would bring you all to Sin City."

Logan swallowed the anger that started to bubble up. "I remember," he replied in a cold tone. "You killed my father you son of a bitch."

"Got a mouth like Junior," Rorke commented, not perturbed. "He'll make an interesting addition once Little Charlie is under control." He picked at his nail with the tip of his knife. "Now where was I? Right. I get to Sin City and low and behold my old unit is there and the one thing I obsessed about since seeing her in Caracas was there, still fighting."

"It's what she does."

"Don't make light of how special Little Charlie is kid. I know you know that she is not like the others." Rorke waved the knife in a warning gesture at Logan. He went back to the pleasant demeanor and continued, "Now she was sitting like you are now though I left her hands untied. You just can't tie up a beautiful creature like that."

Logan wasn't certain if Rorke was just being what he was or if he was completely insane. It sounded like he was obsessed with his best friend and he now wasn't sure if talking about her was going to do any good. He sat there and tried not to think about where this could possibly go and listened and it seemed to work.

"She sat there so defiant. She didn't even flinch when I blew the fucker that tried to get cute with her away. That is why she will help me destroy the souls of the Ghosts."

Help.

A/N: So Carter Reed aka Charlie Leader drops in and looks like Logan is missing. What happens next? Stay tuned for the next time on The Hunt...