Chapter 28

"Riley's got her scent." Hesh bent to rub Riley's neck as he looked at the ground. He could make out slight disturbances. He looked at the slight depression; it was almost invisible and to an untrained eye they would have missed it and the most experienced would have a hard time seeing. "She was here, Keegan."

Keegan moved forward to take a look at what Hesh was looking at. He always thought that he knew Hawk fairly well after spending time observing her. He found that he was grossly mistaken about her at times, this being one of them. He saw the slightly broken branch. To the inexperienced eye, they would have thought nothing of it but an experienced one would have a hard time seeing it unless they knew what to look for.

Peering at the marker, Keegan nodded, "Nice work, Hawk." Looking forward it was easy to see that that direction was consistent.

Riley sniffed the ground looking for the scent. Hesh was kneeling by him waiting for a hit. Reed came out with the tracker and said, "Yeah well I got her and she hasn't moved for a while."

Hesh didn't say anything since he was close to wanting to punch the guy and do worse than what he did earlier. He could understand why his Hawk didn't like him overmuch and that was putting it mildly. He trusted Riley more than he did the tracker that Reed had been insistent she wear since she was technically a prisoner and not a comrade that needed rescuing and that was according to the bastard. He rubbed Riley and murmured, "Find her, boy. Find Hawk."

Riley, eager to work, gave a low bark and started sniffing the ground. His sensitive nose picked up the scent of the one that made his handler happy. And she was really good with the scratches. He knew her scent well; it was on his handler. With his nose to the ground, he sniffed out the trail and once he found it, led the way.

Hesh felt his lip twitch in pride at Riley. He and Logan both had trained Riley since he was a pup. It said something to train a Special Forces dog. They were a unique breed altogether. He followed Riley as the dog sniffed his way through the jungle. He tolerated the beeping coming from the tracker that Reed was holding and privately wanted to laugh since it was obvious the guy didn't like being in the jungle. Anything that made him uncomfortable was okay in his book. They continued tramping, and following Riley while picking up the subtle signs she left behind.

It wasn't until Riley gave a high pitched whine that the game changed. Hesh was there first and found a large covered mound. It looked like it belonged there since it was covered with leaves, dirt and everything that could be found in a jungle. Hesh dug and managed to dig out the pack that she had taken when she set out. "Keegan."

The gear was all there including the gun she had taken with. It had been hidden so that no one but a dog or someone with a really good eye would spot it. Keegan came over and dusted it off. "Looks like Hawk's pack."

That was confirmed when Reed came over with the tracker and it beeped loudly over the pack. Keegan dug in and pulled it out. When he did, Reed swore, "Sonofabitch. I knew it. That bitch."

"Hey," Hesh growled in a low tone.

"Shut up. This was your idea. This is on you." Reed stomped away to pace angrily. He was pissed since his prisoner now had no leash. He really hated her.

Keegan stood up and looked at the abandoned pack and the tracker in his hand. He then noticed that Hesh was strangely subdued about the whole thing even though he growled at Reed earlier. It had him suspicious. "You know something about this, Hesh?"

Hesh looked at Keegan and thought about what to say. He could lie and say no but given that he had really dished it out onto Reed earlier and now he was being subdued… It was erratic and any story would not likely be plausible. Besides they were on thin ice anyway since they pretty much told her to go back to Rorke and get back in.

It was a few moments before she was to set out. Hesh had been avoiding her tent the whole time since he knew that if he had gone in, he would have distracted her and the last thing he wanted was further ammunition for Reed to give command. And he was having a hard time coming to the fact that he had to let her go in order to get his brother back. It sucked all around but he trusted her. He trusted her with his life and his brother's life.

She was alone. Skye had left earlier; he saw them and let them have their girl talk. Skye was her family after all and it was special to be able to talk and meet with them especially in these times. Once Skye left, he watched as she finished. He then stole quietly into the tent and moved to stand behind her, putting his hands on her hips.

It was a mark of how much she knew and trusted him when she didn't react to the touch. He had seen her react to the crew members of the Liberator and it wasn't pretty. She had done the same thing to Keegan but it was more in jest. Again the mark of how much they, the Ghosts, trusted and looked out for each other. He breathed softly, "Ready?"

She leaned into his embrace and sighed, "As ready as can be. Reed will be happy that he has me on a leash."

"Compromise?" Hesh offered it, not intending to be cute with it. He knew that a lot of ass kicking had to be done in order for this to happen.

"More like ego stoking for that jackass," she muttered. She paused and then added, "Still, this is for Logan. Nothing is more important than getting him back."

"What about the mission? You know, taking care of Rorke?"

She turned to look at him. "It will come. Everything does at some point." She looked downward as if to think about it.

Hesh knew that look. He had observed her long enough to discern when she was thinking deeply. She did that when considering her choices especially when it was something important. He remembered when she had her nightmares. "What is it?"

"Just…" She shook her head while looking downward. "Just that… maybe… this won't be straightforward."

"Talk to me. I'm here Hawk. And I stand by you."

"I know." She gave him that smile she always seemed to give just for him. She reached up and caressed his cheek… another indicator that what she said next was going to be serious. "And I love you for it. It's just that… this may require a different approach."

"Like what?"

"That I go back not as a soldier… but a hunter."

Hesh looked at Keegan and knew the man was expecting an answer. He thought about their conversation and back then he thought he understood what she meant. Thinking about it, he really didn't or didn't see the full implication of her statement. He was an outsider after all and some things she said were in reference to her people. Still he could venture a guess and know that Keegan wouldn't outright dismiss it. "Just that Hawk said something and I only now just realized what she meant by it."

Keegan studied the elder Walker. The whole thing had been hard on all of them but he noticed it especially with Hesh. It didn't take a genius to see that there was something between the kid and the girl that could make a Fed piss in their pants. He could take it easy but not too much. "What did she say?"

"That she would have to go back not as a soldier but as a hunter," Hesh offered. He looked in the direction that Riley was looking at. No doubt the dog still had her scent. "I think she means to do things that… we only had a glimpse of. Freefall."

It was a reasonable explanation. Keegan, like the others, didn't believe she turned against them. It wasn't her. "Meaning that she would go back and pretend to be Rorke's right hand," he said more as a statement rather than a statement.

Hesh nodded, "Rorke wanted her from the beginning. At Vegas, I heard that she was to be taken alive and unharmed along with Logan." He paused and swallowed slightly, "Hawk told me that he offered her to go with him. He wanted her to join willingly. And he knew she was trained by her father though she wasn't sure if Rorke knew the colonel was her father."

"Knowing Charles… he would have done everything to leave out any ties," Keegan nodded in agreement. This was going to put them in a rough spot. It was already rough but Slayton and Ashford were their primary advocates and it seemed to have enough clout to make a difference. That and Sequoia was highly valued in this program. It only made sense on that end. "Still this doesn't help us."

"It doesn't hurt us either," Hesh pointed out. At Keegan's look, he explained, "If we weren't in this situation but we were still going after Rorke… it wouldn't be much different. Freefall would have sent her in to infiltrate. She would have to gain his trust."

"But she was taken Hesh," Keegan pointed out. "She was kept for five months or so and subjected to whatever Rorke put her through. You can't tell me that didn't have some effect."

"It would have been the same if command authorized it," Hesh countered quietly. He shifted to pick up the abandoned gear, namely the shotgun he had given her to use. "And I'm not saying that it didn't but she knows what to expect. She can help Logan."

Keegan nodded at that. Hesh wasn't wrong in that. Still this changed things and that meant changes to the game plan. "Alright. Get Riley into position. We'll move out and keep going." He waited until Hesh went to do as he was told before contacting Merrick and filling him in.

She did what?

Keegan knew that the whole thing sounded unlike her but like her. It was strange because they knew she didn't disobey orders readily. She was the kind to ask 'how high' when given the order to jump. She did have some moments like their first mission together. She didn't ask but stepped in. "I know, Merrick but this is Hawk we are talking about. She knows what's going on better than we do."

And the fact that this looks bad on all sides?

"You know she would have thought it out completely. We had her under house arrest for a time before coming up with this. She isn't stupid."

No. More like a pain in the ass. Alright, keep to the mission. Find the base and call it in. As for our missing man, do what you have to do.

"Copy all." Keegan turned to see the squad ready to go. Reed was looking like he was sucking on a lemon. No doubt he called it in and was told to follow the Ghosts' orders. The man had the potential to make this mission difficult but they would do what they had to do. "We keep going," he said and signaled, "Move out. Skye, you copy?"

Reading you loud and clear. Managed to secure a bird. The resistance can be surprising. We're ready to go.

"Stand by and be ready to come in."

Roger.

Keegan adjusted his rifle and followed the team in. Hesh was on point with Riley since the dog had picked up her scent. It also helped that she left a few signs to mark her trail. That secured in his mind that she wasn't a traitor. True it could have been pointed out that she was leading them into a trap but he didn't believe that. He paused to glance at Kick who gave a slight nod.

They pushed forward into the night getting closer to the base where Sequoia had gone. The place where Logan would have been taken. Hope you are okay Hawk.

"Looks too simple with just the fence" Harris pointed out as he turned to survey the area around their entrance.

Hesh was inclined to agree. He had seen heavier security put into place. It had you wonder if this was a trap or something. Or if it really was a place no one thought to get in. He was inclined to this the latter since they were on a side with thick jungle and they had come across some wild animals. Also the side they were coming on was near a cliff; a place where there wouldn't be a need for much in terms of security, except maybe air defenses.

They didn't have much in terms of specifics but they did have the layout of the compound as provided by Sequoia. So they knew where they needed to go to be in place for the plan. Hesh and Harris were to infiltrate and try to find the prisoners. Kick and Keegan were on security and exfil. Reed and his man were to… Hesh wasn't sure but it took some sweet talking to get the man to do anything since he was intent of getting her.

The simplicity of the fence had Hesh suspicious and he signaled Riley to go check it out. He watched as the dog did as he was trained to do. When Riley gave the all clear, they moved towards the fence and prepared to breach. Hesh pulled out some wire cutters to cut a hole when Harris tapped him on the shoulder, "Hey, over here."

Moving over, Hesh went to take a look at what Harris was pointing at. It was hardly noticeable unless you were looking for it. Or you were trying to find a way in. Hesh took a look and blinked slowly. It was obvious that the fence had been cut and ill repaired. Judging from the look of things, it was fairly recent and Hesh didn't have too many guesses as to the cause.

Riley had gone over and made his sounds of recognition. They knew that Sequoia had been by there at some point. Hesh figured that this was where she had made her escape from. Though he did find it strange that the repair job looked half assed. He stood there staring at it for some time thinking about it and he got that sensation that something was going to happen. He hadn't forgotten how Rorke seemed to know everything, gotten the best of them when they tried to bring him in and even defied death. Hesh was a little old to be believing in ghost stories but with everything that had happened, he was wary of what was going on.

"Hey, we going or what?"

Hesh blinked and cleared his throat to get himself back on track even though his thoughts were dominated by past experiences regarding Rorke. He looked at Harris and then at the fence and finally said, "Something doesn't seem right here."

Harris normally was a patient man. He had learned to be when assigned to Sequoia's team way back when there was an Echo team. He also learned that you didn't waste time debating decisions. The CO made it and you followed orders. Here he was seeing indecision, had been when concerning Hesh. To Harris, the man had been sitting out in terms of making a command decision. He left it mostly to his brother Logan.

True, Harris knew the cause. It was the reason for the tension between him and Hesh. He didn't like what they had done to her. He was more inclined to blame the elder Walker since he was in command. Logan, he knew had regret and the way how he referred to Sequoia as his friend… It was different. Right now though he wanted to throttle Hesh for being indecisive that he missed that Hesh's caution was anything but that. "There is light security here and we need to be in position when the signal is given."

Hesh knew that Harris disliked him and that there was the mission to think about. The problem was that the nasty feeling he was getting was telling him that to proceed that way could spell trouble. He glanced at Riley and so far the dog wasn't showing any sign of enemies or trouble and dogs were better at sensing that kind of thing. He trusted Riley.

Nodding, Hesh picked up the tool and began cutting, following the same path from the previous one. It was a small hole; enough for one person to fit through but passable. Hesh let Riley in first, and then Harris who gave him a slight look before going through. He looked around, concerned that this might be a trap and that they were going to get caught. He brushed it aside and focused on the mission. He tapped Riley, "Okay Riley. Go."

Riley took the lead followed by Hesh with Harris bringing up the rear. They stayed out of sight and paid attention to the dog when he signaled that someone was coming. The closest they came to getting spotted was when they were coming around one of the out buildings. One of the guards came their way and Riley let them know with that low growl.

It was Hesh that took the initiative. He waved Riley back as he advanced forward with his knife. He waited until he was in position and reached up and grabbed the Fed from behind. It was automatic to draw his blade across the Fed's neck. He pushed the head forward to reduce the risk of arterial spray and dragged the body to hide it behind some crates. He was wiping his knife clean when Harris said, "Finally."

Hesh looked at Harris with a slight frown. "I've always been here."

"Not lately."

Hesh sighed. It was against his better judgment but he knew that this wasn't going to go away until he and Harris came to some sort of understanding. "I know you're pissed at what I did. But I did what I did because I thought it was right. It's part of command."

"Bullshit." Harris took a couple of steps forward. He looked around before looking back at Hesh. "That wasn't a command decision."

"It was." Hesh rounded about to look Harris in the eye. His temper was starting to rise and he couldn't afford to lose it. He stared at Harris in the eye with a look that basically said he was in charge and he wasn't to be questioned.

Harris didn't flinch. He boldly stared back and replied, "And I'm sure you keep telling yourself that. But we all know that it's your fault."

Hesh glared angrily as he gave a hard shove to Harris and into the wall nearby. "You don't know jack shit," he hissed.

"All I know is that you could have used help out there and if you hadn't been so keen on getting this guy with that gung ho attitude then, we wouldn't be here doing this." Harris straightened out, not at all put out at being shoved into the wall. He wanted to vent and make his displeasure known. "We wouldn't be here fixing your mistake."

Hesh could have protested but deep down he knew Harris was right. If he hadn't tied her up, they would have had more manpower and maybe… She forgave him though and told him as such when he found her again. Rather she found him but he was hardly coherent at the time. The least he could do was stand by her and her decisions here but he knew that she wouldn't have been in this position if she hadn't been taken.

"Nothing to say?" Harris sneered at Hesh. "Thought you had an answer for everything."

Hesh turned away. As much as he would have liked to have gotten into a confrontation with Harris, now was not the time. They had to get into position to pull this off. He tapped Riley who let out a slight plaintive whine but continued to do his job. There really wasn't much to say on the whole subject so he was quiet about it.

Harris made a derisive snort as he followed Hesh. His opinion hadn't improved much and he wasn't one to disobey orders. He would challenge them yes since he had done so when he was first assigned to Echo Team. Since then, Sequoia had always asked for his opinion on certain decisions. She wasn't second guessing herself but merely wanted a confirmation of what she knew and what needed to be done.

The silent treatment continued as they pushed through the compound until Riley gave a whine of recognition. Hesh called for a halt and almost froze when he saw her along with Logan. He took cover to avoid being seen and pulled Riley close to him. He peered out to watch what was going on and was well aware that Riley wanted to go out as much as he wanted to.

She was not restrained but Logan was. Hesh felt his throat convulse as he watched his brother get shoved and hard by Sequoia. She looked like she didn't care what she was doing to Logan but Hesh knew that was a lie. She was doing what she had hinted at and Logan was the target of it. He just hoped that his brother knew that she was still on their side. What was he kidding? Logan was among the first to adamantly state that she didn't turn. Then again that act was convincing especially when Hesh witnessed her cuffing him hard across the back of the head.

"You have no idea how much I looked forward to this," she was saying as she shoved Logan forward as they followed Rorke.

Hesh swallowed any protests in his throat. He had a job to do and he couldn't let personal feelings get into it. It had already cost him and they were in this position. He had to make this right. He gritted his teeth when Rorke said, "Easy there Little Charlie. I know you have a personal grudge against the kid here."

"You have no idea."

Hesh and Harris let them pass into the building they were going into. He took a couple of deep breaths and felt the familiar twinge of an abdominal spasm. He forced it back knowing that he was overreacting to what he was seeing at the moment. He knew in his heart that his Hawk was only playing to Rorke and gaining his trust. To see it though, it brought an understanding of why she was and still is considered the best in what she knew how to do.

Making sure he could breathe, Hesh muttered, "Let's go."

Harris said nothing but had observed the whole thing. He still didn't like Hesh but respected the fact that the man was doing his job and he cared about what happened to Sequoia. Logan was a given since he was the younger brother. And he was a good soldier to brush his feelings about the elder Walker away and complete the mission. He walked drag as they continued to make their way towards their rally point.

There were no further pauses since it seemed that the compound was going about its business. Hesh and Harris passed by the dock area where crates of something were being loaded onto trucks. That was their cue. Hesh turned to looked at Harris and asked, "You got the C4?"

Harris gave a bland look and replied, "That and then some." He patted his pack to show that he had what they needed. "You sure that this is legit?"

Hesh glanced at Harris and studied the man for a moment before replying, "Yes. Hawk verified it. And I trust her." He studied the scene and motioned when it was safe to move.

They had to plant the C4 and wait until they were given the signal. They would give the Federation a hard blow and rescue their teammates. It was a tricky business but Hesh was determined to see it through.

A/N: Looks like the Ghosts found Hawk's pack but Hesh believes in her and that's good enough. He and Harris still don't get along but will get the job done. Stay tuned for more on The Hunt...