Disclaimer: None of the Benedicts belong to me – all rights to Joss Stirling.

Chapter Four – Vic POV

Suffocating heat. Cough-inducing dust. Nothing but sand and stone. Fine, slightly exaggerated but to me, right now, it doesn't look like a warzone at all. That is until I hear that American accent I missed after more than 24 hours of being cooped up in a military plane with an annoying newbie, whose constant optimism and cheerfulness makes me want to reach for the nearest bucket. Turning around, I find myself facing a strongly tanned, middle-aged face and a pair of steel-grey, cold eyes that are staring right at me. I try to do my best to hold the man's gaze and I have to breathe in my sigh of relief as he holds out his hand.

"First Lieutenant Russell. You must be Victor Benedict. And you have brought an assistant I see."

I grip Lieutenant's hand firmly, my masculine pride suddenly feeling threatened (Though Xav says my long hair makes me less masculine by nature).

"Yes, this is Jared Greenberg, my … assistant. It's a pleasure to meet you."

Greenberg just gives him a slight nod and backs away again quickly. Wimp.

"And I believe you need to speak to one of my protégées urgently."

Lieutenant Russell manages to make nothing he ever says sound like a question or anything indicating a possible insecurity.

"Which one?"

Focus, Vic. Remember the plot. Don't lose the plot!

"I'm afraid there was a problem with the correct identification of the woman back in the US and I have not yet received her registered name."

Lieutenant furrows his brow and cocks his head slightly to the left, evaluating my sincerity. I stare right back.

"Well, Mister Benedict, if she's female, that leaves a number of four possible candidates for your investigation." His voice is dripping in sarcasm and his lips form a superior smirk. Sensing my growing annoyance and frustration, Russell drops the expression and wipes the sweat off his forehead.

"My apologies, Mr Benedict. I haven't been feeling great today – one of my soldiers has gone missing. A couple of days ago."

I quickly glance around the soldiers that have gathered around Lieutenant and me and spot three of the four women at once. They all look much older than 26.

"What's his name? Perhaps we can assist in your search."

"Leah Andersson, one of the women. She was actually in the hospital wing up until Friday evening when Captain Belgrove and I saw her last, next morning she was gone."
Leah Andersson. Music to my ears. Something about that name makes total sense in my mind, creates a perfect harmony – Focus, Vic!

"May I speak to Captain Belgrove?"

"No. You and Mister Greenberg will be coming with me to identify your candidate."

"Sir, I have reason to believe that our candidate is Leah Andersson."

"And what reason is that, Mr Benedict, may I ask?"

I felt a pull in my heart telling me that this girl is the love of my life.

"I have already looked at the other females. None of them match the physical description of the woman we're looking for."

"What is that physical description?"

Beautiful, stunning, amazing.

"Blonde hair, green eyes, around 5'5''." At least I did enough research on female soldiers currently deployed in Farah.

"That'd be Leah for sure."

"So may I please speak to Captain Belgrove? I volunteer to assist in the search."

"What d'you think this is, kiddo, the freaking Hunger Games? We don't volunteer, we just do. Besides, it was pretty clear from the start that you would be assisting the search. She's your candidate. Got herself in enough trouble by volunteering as it is."

"What's that supposed-?"

"Lieutenant Russell!"

At once, Russell stands straight as if a pole has been shoved up his rear end and jerks his hand up to salute. I turn to see a stocky, tall man in his fifties marching towards us, equally stiff as Russell. This has to be Captain Belgrove. He turns to me in one swift move and gives me a hard stare as he asks, "Name?"

"Victor Benedict. I was sent by the FBI on investigation about Leah Andersson-"

"I have ears, boy. I could hear you from a mile away, you'd make a right lousy soldier. Stevens!" He turns away from me and points at a young man in his early twenties who looks positively petrified as he is addressed by Captain Belgrove.

"Get Agent Benedict a uniform. You know how to use M16 rifle, I assume." He hands me said weapon and leaves, throwing the words "Leaving in five" over his shoulder.

Sensing my ignorance with the rifle, Russell quickly pulls me aside to explain it to me before leading Greenberg and me to a small room where I could change into the camouflage uniform I was handed. If Mom could see this, she'd have a heart attack. Not even one hour in the warzone and already wearing uniform and carrying a M16 rifle.

It's almost dusk as we set off towards the village on the other side of the valley. Belgrove's guess is that she's being held captive in one of the local houses. I'm trudging along at the back of our group of around fifteen as I let my conversation with Russell run through my head again. "She got herself in enough trouble by volunteering…"

I jog forward slightly to catch up with Russell and nudge his shoulder to get his attention. He jerks to the side as if I've just woke him up from a daydream.

"What did you mean when you said that Leah's got herself in enough trouble by volunteering?"

"First of all, don't ever touch me again." The soldiers behind us snigger before Russell glares at them, silencing them immediately.

"Second of all, bit early to be on first name bases with Leah. What's this investigation actually about?"

"That is confidential. It would infringe her privacy. I asked you a question, I would like you to answer it." I say with as much dignity as I could possibly muster and have to hide my surprise as Russell actually starts saying something that sounds like a normal answer.

"Sergeant Andersson was – is – prone to overestimating her abilities or should I say, underestimating her importance for this team."

Seeing the look on my face, he sighs and tries again.

"You know how I said that Captain Belgrove and I had last seen her in the hospital wing before her disappearance? Well, she was in there for throwing herself in the direct line of fire during an attack on the base. She saved about five lives but was quite badly injured with slashes and bruises all over her body. She's done it before. Throwing herself in harm's way and thinking that counts as a sacrifice."

"Doesn't it?" I ask and feel the urge to hit him over the head for sighing again.

"Agent, in the army, the soldiers' job is to protect themselves and each other. But foremost themselves because if everyone sticks to doing that, we're mostly left with as little casualties as possible. However with Leah, the strange thing aren't the sacrifices. It's how she survives them."

I look up to see if his conspirative tone is a joke to lighten the mood but he looks dead serious.

"She always says she can't remember how she survived but it's still near impossible for the body to go through such physical pain and strain and come out of with the heart still beating intact."

His answer makes me wonder what her gift is. But before I can form another coherent thought, my mind goes blank as an ear-shattering, heart-breaking scream echoes through my head.

I'm expecting lots of reviews :) Next chapter of The Muppet Show will be up on Sunday if I get reviews from my favourite readers = all of you :)

xxx-benedictbrothersfan-xxx: I hope you appreciate the mention Jared Greenberg - Coach's two least favourite people :P Totally got inspired by Teen Wolf for once ;)