Well guys, ready for the next chapter?
And Valentine's Day is coming! I hope everyone has romantic plans for that day!
Chapter 3: Going Alone
Back in Afghanistan, First Lieutenant Alex woke up and gave his wings a good stretch and cracked his back from sleeping. He walked out of his barracks and covered his eyes as the sun was literally baking him with its heat. All the other U.S. soldiers at the base were doing their normal routine of the morning. Some were going to eat some breakfast, some going out on long patrols, and checking their weapons and vehicles.
While Alex sat down under some artificial made shade and was enjoying some coffee with a bit of milk and maple syrup, he saw Major Ralph walking towards him with a rather serious face on. Alex was wondering what his commander wanted with him.
"Sir." Alex put down his coffee and saluted Ralph.
"At ease lieutenant." Ralph saluted back.
"What is it sir?" Alex asked, curious.
"Come with me lieutenant." Ralph simply said and began walking away, Alex following him.
Ralph led Alex to headquarters and opened the door to the base's commander, Colonel Eduardo. Ralph and Alex stood next to each other and came to attention as they both saluted in front of Eduardo.
"At ease, you two and have a seat." Eduardo saluted back and gestured for Ralph and Alex to sit in the two chairs in front of him.
"You have quite a reputation for being reckless, don't you Lieutenant Alex?" Eduardo said, eyeing Alex.
"Sir?" Alex replied, confused.
"Major Ralph told me about the ambush yesterday, I am actually impressed." Eduardo smiled at Alex. "Which is why both me and Major Ralph agreed to recommend you to be awarded the silver star."
Alex looked at Ralph and Ralph gave him that look that told him he should take it.
"Oh no sir, I was only doing my duty as a soldier." Alex replied in an honest tone.
"Well we need more soldiers like you lieutenant, which I hate to tell you this next thing." Eduardo said and took out a picture of a white cockatoo and held it so Alex could see it. "I believe you know this bird."
"Yes, that's Victor the cockatoo, a Ukrainian terrorist that my squad killed a few months ago in Mexico when he tried to smuggle suicide bombers into the U.S., he almost escaped, but we managed to get him." Alex remembered the events. "But what does that have to do with now?"
"Watch this lieutenant." Eduardo told Alex and opened his laptop and turned it around and pressed play on a video.
It was a dirty looking room with a group of men wearing black clothing as well as black masks. The only two birds in the video that shown their faces was a white cockatoo and a female Scarlet macaw on a chair, her wings and legs tied up to it, as well a piece of duck tape on her beak.
"Lisa." Alex said under his breath as he quickly recognized his little sister.
The unmasked cockatoo spoke.
"Listen up you U.S. infidels, I have a message for you, you killed my brother, invaded our brothers' land and massacred them. Well I am here to do the same to you, starting with this one." And the cockatoo walked to Lisa and held a handgun up to her head, Alex clinging in fear.
"However I am not going to pull the trigger yet." And the cockatoo withdrew the gun. "No I demand for the U.S. to pull out of Afghanistan in a week or else your citizens will feel the same wraith you gave us."
The cockatoo then violently ripped off the duck tape from Lisa's beak.
"Now tell us again, who are you?" The cockatoo demanded, putting the gun up against her head again.
"My name is Lisa, sister of First Lieutenant Alex of Seal Team Six." Lisa said while crying out.
The cockatoo put the duck tape again to her beak.
"Now that rings a bell, I believe it was that team that killed my brother Victor in Mexico and I have a message for these so called super soldiers, the first citizens I kill will be your families and loved ones, starting with this one! Remember a week!"
The video ended and Eduardo closed the laptop.
"That cockatoo is Victor's brother, Nigel, and he is as unpredicted as he was." Eduardo told Alex.
"Son of a bitch." Alex said under his breath, rage filling him up.
"Now lieutenant, I am sorry to tell you this, but you and your squad are to stand down and let us handle it."
"I'm sorry sir, I can't accept this, this is my sister we are talking about, we have to go now!" Alex started to shout.
"I understand completely lieutenant, but we have to follow protocol here, we do have some intel on this. Satellite imaging of the area from where the video was broadcast showed us that this happened in a large warehouse outside your town of Moose Lake, Minnesota. There are around 20 to 30 hostiles with AKs', Dragunov sniper rifles, and RPGs', body armor, and grenades. Too much for SWAT to go and bringing the National Guard will attract too much attention."
Eduardo paused before continuing.
"I'm sorry lieutenant, it will take time to do this." Eduardo said sadly. "You two are dismissed."
"Yes sir." Ralph answered for Alex was too anger to say anything at the moment. "Come on Alex." Ralph told him while putting a wing on his shoulder.
As the day dragged on Alex could only think of Lisa in the hands of the people who sworn to kill to protect her and his country and now she was captured and could die any minute now and he was just sitting in a country half a world across. He decided he needed to do something.
As night fell and the squad went to sleep for the night, Alex made his move. As Alex moved out of the barracks, he accidentally made some noise and woke up Joe, he opened the door to his room and saw Alex.
"Lieutenant, what are you doing?" Joe asked.
"Go back to sleep, First Sergeant, it's none of your business." The talking between the two woke up the rest of the squad and they came out to see what was happening.
"Lieutenant, what is the meaning of this?" Ralph demanded to know while crossing his wings.
"I'm going to save my sister sir, and you can't stop me, respectfully."
"Lieutenant." Ethan spoke up. "Don't go, it's a suicide mission, you could die or worse get fucked up by these bastards."
"Yeah." Roberto joined in as well. "Even if you do live, you will get court-martialed and go to military prison, you really want that."
"And what! Let my only other family member die! I can't let that happen, either we both live or die, I can't accept anything else." Alex stood his ground.
Blu understood Alex completely, he had a wife and three wonderful kids, if anything happened to them, he would go and save them himself.
"I agree with Alex, he needs to go and I'm going with him." Blu spoke up and went besides Alex.
"No Blu, I don't want any of you to come with me and share the burden, this is my problem and mine only."
"But Alex…" Blu started.
"No Blu, you have your wife and kids still."
While Alex and Blu were having their conversation, everyone else began to understand Alex's position and one by one they gave their nod of approval. Ralph was still unconvinced that the risk was not necessary. Alex saw his commander and walked to him.
"Sir, don't you think Jameson would have went to save Kelly if she was in danger?" Alex tried to get Ralph to let him go.
Ralph sighed and finally changed his mind.
"Okay lieutenant, I'll arrange for some weapons and gear to be sent to your address and explain why you are going stateside." Ralph told Alex. "But I can't help you anymore when you get court-martialed."
"I understand completely sir." Alex saluted, Ralph saluting back.
Alex continued on his way and was just about to open the barracks door when Ralph called to him.
"One more thing lieutenant, good luck." Ralph said.
"Thank you sir." Alex replied and walked out, to go to a bus stop for the nearest international airport.
Oh boy…