Warning! The end of this chapter is violent. You have been warned, so please don't attack me.
To better understand this chapter, I'm going to give a quick lesson in time zones. GMT stands for Greenwich Mean Time. The guys who came up with time zones lived in Greenwich, England, so the put they line right through there, making Greenwich GMT0. As you come away from that line going west it counts down; -1, -2 and so on. As you go east it's the opposite; +1, +2 and so on. If you don't understand, ask me in the review and I'll explain it better.
Chapter 3 - Blood on My Hands
2 weeks before rescue
Republic of the Congo
5:43PM GMT+1
BPOV
"Bella, I think we got something."
I looked up from my notes as Mike came into the tent.
So far, we had been in this fucking hot box of a country for a week. At first, I had admired the beauty all around, but now, I was just hot. I hope to whoever the hell was up there that Mike had something so we could do our job and go home.
"What you got for me?" I asked.
"One of the locals that was brought in was saying something about a camp about 6-7 kilometers from here, said they had guns, and lots of them."
I chewed on my lower lip in thought. There were several possibilities for groups with guns, but this was the first lead we'd had since arriving.
Since we didn't have a definitive location, we decided to pose as aid workers and play it by ear. Sooner or later, someone would come in who saw something. Everyone knows that sometimes gossip is the best source of leads. I had been hoping for more information coming from it, but I guess we would just have to go get the rest of the information ourselves.
"Alright, Mike. Spread the word, we go in for recon. The goal is, get in, get what we need, and get out. We'll plan out any attack, if necessary, in the morning when we know the layout and what we are up against. We move out at midnight when the rest of the camp is asleep," I said.
Mike nodded and headed back out of the tent to tell the rest of the team. About 10 minutes later, Rosalie came in and sat down on her cot to face me.
"I got the message," she said. "Eric and Alice are going to catch a few hours of sleep while Jacob and Mike start the prep work and maintain our cover. They'll switch out at about 9. What about you, do you want to sleep first or second?"
I thought about it for a second. "I'll take first. I want to oversee the final preps."
"Okay, sounds good," Rose replied. She stood up and walked out of the tent, dropping the flap on her way out. With the flap down, no one would come into the tent aside from Rose. She would come back in later after I was asleep.
I stripped down into my tank top and boy shorts and stretch out on my cot, pulling the thin sheet over me and the mosquito netting closed. I reached under my pillow and pulled out my ipod and slipped the ear buds in my ear. After setting Debussy on repeat, I closed my eyes and let myself be washed away into dreams of bronze hair and green eyes.
8:51 PM GMT+1
I woke up to Rosalie's gentle shaking. Without a word, I got up while she walked over to her cot and laid down. In the time it took me to pull on my jeans and re-braid my hair, Rose was snoring softly.
I walked to the next tent over and went inside. This was Alice's tent, and it was were we had been storing all of our gear. The boys all shared the tent on the other side of hers. Alice was seated on her cot with an array of communications equipment in front of her and Eric was at the table in the corner with his back towards me. Mike and Jacob stood off to the side, obviously waiting to report to me before hitting the sack. Prep work was one of those things that I liked reported to me first hand and not through Rose. Not that I didn't trust her to keep all the details straight, I was just anal retentive with this step of the process.
"How's everything coming along," I said to neither one in particular.
Mike spoke up first. "All weapons are good to go. Everything is loaded and separated so all we have to do is pick up our pile and go."
"Thanks Mike," I said. "Go get some sleep." He left without another word.
I turned to look at Jake. "The terrain here is fairly flat," he began. "We'll be able to pass pretty much straight through, with the exception of one small inlet that we'll have to go around. Should take us about 2 hours to get there, 3 at most."
"Sounds good," I said. "Why don't you get some rest and I'll see you in a few hours."
Jake smiled down at me. "Don't worry to much about this kid. I know you. Within 48 hours we'll be home enjoying a few shots down at the Ole Absinthe House."
I couldn't help but smile at Jake's easy going attitude. "Thanks man, I needed that." He left after that and I turned to face Alice.
The little pixie looked up at me and gave me the smile that never failed to light up a room no matter where we were or what we were heading into. "I'm just checking over the com equipment," she said without any prompting from me. "And Silent Eric over there is packing up the med stuff."
I looked over at Eric who had yet to say a word. Then again, I think I'd only heard him speak about a dozen words in the 2 years that I've known him. "Everything good over there?" I asked.
He responded by flashing me a thumbs up over his left shoulder. Some would take offense to his silent answer, but I didn't. He was like that with everyone, and as long as he followed orders and did his job, we would get along just fine.
I told them I would be back later and made my way back to my tent to get my gear together.
I had a good team for this mission. We were well organized and prepared. So why was there this nagging feeling in the back of my mind?
11:43PM GMT+1
I came to my tent after awakening Mike and Jake, and getting reports from Alice and Eric. Everything was a go and they we now suiting up.
I woke Rose by shaking her foot. She sat up and blinked at me for a second. "It's time to suit up," I said.
Now fully awake, she swung her legs over the edge of the cot and stood up while pushing her blond hair out of her eyes.
I walked over to my side of the tent and began to change. I put on a pair of black heavy duty cargo pants and strapped my Kevlar vest on over my tank top. Over those went my black utility jacket and weapons belt. It was empty, but I would get my weapons over in Alice's tent. Last thing on the list were my combat boots.
I met Rose at the pseudo-door. She was dressed pretty much the same, but for the knit cap that hid her blonde hair. Mike would have one too. For the rest of us, the fact that we had dark hair did the job just fine. Lucky Jacob could get away without the face paint too.
Making sure no one was watching, we jogged over to Alice's tent and went in. Everyone else was suited up and beginning to load their weapons. I went over to my pile on the table. I slipped a 9mm Berretta into my thigh holster and my knife into the other side by my hip. I slung my sniper rifle over my shoulder and tucked extra magazines for both guns into the various pockets of my jacket. Then I turned to face my team.
"Okay everyone, listen up," I commanded. "This is the way it's going to work. Alice and Jacob, you will hang back about a kilometer and we'll maintain communication through the walkies. There is no reason for you two to be up close. Mike, you got the shit job. I need you to get as close as you can and see what these guys are packing. Me and Rose will take whatever high ground we can find and cover you. Eric, you stay behind me and Rose. Stay down unless we need you. Comments, concerns, complaints?"
Everybody shook there head. I took my walkie from Alice and clipped it to my belt, attaching the ear piece to my ear and the small microphone to my collar.
With everyone set, I gave the order. "Alright. Let's get this done and get everybody back here with all parts attached and intact. Move out."
Mike lifted the back of the tent and we all walked out. Into the jungle we went, moving like the ghosts we were trained to be.
2:26AM GMT+1
"I see you Mike. Everything looks good." I said quietly into the microphone.
Rose and I were belly down on a large rock overlooking the suspected camp. Down below, Mike was silently ghosting between the tents, peeking underneath the flaps for weapons. I followed him with my scope while Rose scanned the surrounding area.
"Something doesn't feel right," I said to Rose.
"I know. There are only three guards down there and that looks like a fairly large camp."
"What do you think? Abort?"
"That's what I'm thinking."
I continued to track Mike as I spoke to him. "Mike, this isn't right. Get out of there. Abort mission. Repeat, abort mission."
Suddenly, I heard a voice behind me that made my blood run cold as much as the barrel I felt pressed into the base of my skull.
"It's a little to late for that, my dear."
As I watched below, Mike was seized by two men and his weapons were stripped from him. I looked out the corner of my eye to Rose who was in the exact same predicament as me. How did we not hear this guy coming? Were was Eric? What about Jake and Alice?
The voice behind me spoke again as he removed the 9mm and knife from my holster. "Now, I want you to push your rifle over the edge of the rock and roll over very slowly. You too, honey." I assumed 'honey' to be Rose. I was sure if she didn't have a gun to the back of her head she would have something to say about that.
I did as I was told and turned on to my back. Above me stood the man with the chilling voice. He was fairly tall, with long brownish blonde hair pulled into a pony tail. Next to him with the gun trained on Rose, was another man. This one had very dark skin and long dreads.
"Sit up," the blonde one said. I did and he squatted down in front of me. What he said next effectively scared the living hell out of me. "You are much prettier than I imagined you to be Miss Swan."
I was sure my eyes opened so wide that he was trying to figure out how my eye balls didn't roll out. But the surprises kept coming. "And Miss Hale, our lovely little consolation prize for our trouble."
I couldn't help but ask at this point. "Who the fuck are you and how do you know our names."
He smiled a sadistic sort of smile at me. "How very rude of me not to introduce myself." Yeah, cause shoving a gun into someone's head is all kinds of polite. "My name is James and my friend with the gun on the little blonde heiress is Laurent. As for how I know your name, well, I was sent to collect you. My boss wants you. Before you ask, no, I will not tell you who he is or why he wants you. As for Miss Hale here, I'm sure daddy will pay handsomely to have her back."
"What about the rest of my team."
"Well, your snooping friend Mr. Newton is on his way up here now, and as for the other one… Riley, if you will."
James leaned to the side, the gun never wavering, to reveal Eric being held by who I assumed to be Riley. Eric's eyes locked on mine and the fear there was tangible. I watched in horror as Riley raised his knife and slashed Eric's vulnerable throat. I heard Rose's sharp gasp at the same time I heard a grotesque gurgle come from Eric. His hands made a futile reached up to stop the blood at the same time he fell to the ground. Seconds later he was dead, his wide eyes still locked with mine.
I couldn't look away from those eyes, until I heard footsteps approaching. Mike was being hauled my two men with a woman with flaming red hair walking behind with Mike's 9mm in her hand. Mike was shoved to the ground next to Eric and his face went white when he saw what had been done. We all knew what was coming, Mike was next.
My eyes seemed to automatically tune to his, but Mike shook his head. "Look away, Bella. Don't watch, this isn't your fault." Silent tears came out of his eyes and when I refuse to look away, he closed them.
The red head raised her gun and the muffled shot rang out. Again, I helplessly watched in horror as Mike's face disappeared in a shower of blood. He fell forward, effectively hiding what had once been his adorable baby face.
I couldn't even begin to form a thought as Rose and I were hauled to our feet, and our hands were tied together behind us. I could only hope that Jake and Alice were high tailing out of here. I couldn't stand the thought of them dieing too.
I then remembered the feeling I had back at the camp. I should have listened to my gut. Now, Mike and Eric were dead and there blood was on my hands.
Location Unknown
4 hours after failed mission
Unknown POV
I was just about to fix myself something to eat when the phone rang. I turned back to the living room and picked it up. Putting it to my ear, I heard the tell tale beep that told me I needed to secure my line. With a sigh, I hung up the phone and pushed the button to secure the line.
Less than a minute later, the phone rang again.
"Yes," I answered.
"Sir, we have a serious problem that you'll want to be here for."
"I'm retired for a reason."
"General, sir. We have a dead USTSC operative that was delivered to an embassy in Africa. He was tortured, and we believe that at least 4 more operatives are being held or dead. A pick up is being made by the USTSC for two other operatives that made it out, but the rest are missing."
I felt my blood turn to ice. The man I wanted to be took a back seat, and the man I used to be stepped to the front. "Is it…"
"It is."
"I'm on my way."
I hung up the phone and grabbed the bag out of the hall closet that I kept especially for this reason.
With one look at the mantel above the fire place, I walked out the door.
Can you guess who the unknown is?
By the way, the Ole Absinthe House is real. It's a small bar in Pirate Alley in New Orleans.
So, PLEASE review. I've been getting a lot of hits but not many reviews.
