Part 3 Chapter 8
The White Mask man kicked and hollered on Bandit's shoulder as the 3 operators ran through the city alley ways toward their base. Vanguard put a black hood over the man's head, so he couldn't figure out the location of their base. Despite being a fair distance away from the market, the operators could still hear gun fire and screaming. The city streets appeared to be a ghost town as people took shelter in their homes. After a few minutes of running through the intense desert heat they finally made it back to their apartment. They burst through the front door making Valkyrie jump out of her seat.
"Valk, get me a chair and put it in the bathroom." Bandit commanded.
Valkyrie found an old wooden chair and placed it in the bathroom. Bandit placed their hostage in the chair and tied him to it. Valkyrie studied the man from head to toe. She noticed his leg was bleeding and bandaged it. It was only a flesh wound. The man babbled nervously at them in Arabic.
"Where's that White Mask motherfucker?" Ela shouted marching toward the bathroom. Her vision ran red and she felt an uncontrollable rage inside of her. She shoved Valkyrie out of the bathroom.
She punched the White Mask across the face with so much force she knocked the man over while still attached to the chair. She began to punch him relentlessly in the side of the head screaming.
"CONTROL YOURSELF!" Bandit yelled yanking her out of the bathroom.
Tears welled up in her eyes.
"They… they… killed… they killed children… they killed fucking children. I'm sorry." She whispered as she broke down crying. Bandit embraced her. Ela sobbed in his shoulder.
"I know. I saw it. I know…" He said softly. It was all he could manage to say.
All Ela could see in her head was her niece that her older sister forbade her from seeing.
Thatcher and Thermite limped inside the apartment.
"Thatch? Thermite? Guys take a seat. What happened?" Valkyrie asked rushing over to help them. The two men took seats on an old dusty couch. They were covered from head to toe in dirt. Parts of their uniforms were shredded.
"Cobra took out our building in its first strafe. We ended up having to jump from a window to another rooftop." Thermite said between breaths.
"When we made it to street level we ran into some retreating White Masks. Had to take them out to ensure we didn't compromise our base of operations. Once we were clear we ran as fast as we could back here. Uniforms are patrolling the streets searching for anyone involved in the attack." Thatcher said stripping off his combat gear.
Thermite and Thatcher watched Ela walk upstairs to her room. Her face was still puffy and teary eyed.
"What's up with her?" Thermite asked once she was out of sight.
Valkyrie spun her laptop around to Thermite and played a video. It was a playback on one of her Black Eye cameras. They watched as a boy played with a ball in front of Ela at first and then unexpectedly detonated into a ball of fire sending Ela airborne. Thermite and Thatcher saw the explosion from their lookout point but they had no idea a little boy caused it so the footage shocked both of them.
"Put it away. I can't watch anymore." Thatcher said closing his eyes and looking away.
Thermite continued watching the footage. He'd seen plenty of suicide bomber attacks involving children when he was in the Marines during the Second Gulf War. He closed the lid of the laptop and slid it back to Valkyrie. He looked over to the bathroom where a man with a black hood over his head talked nervously in Arabic to Vanguard. He looked back at Valkyrie who was also staring at their hostage.
"That our VIP?" Thermite asked her.
"Yeah." She said still eyeing the hostage. Thermite could tell she was trying hard to act professional and hold back her anger.
"We squeeze every bit of information out of him. By any means." Thermite said coldly.
"I know." She said collecting her laptop.
Thatcher walked upstairs to find Ela.
Ela sat on her sleeping bag drawing in her old pocket-sized notebook. She had managed to calm herself down. She flipped past all the old pictures and maps she had drawn from years ago to a fresh page. She began to sketch a picture of her niece straight from her memory of the one and only time she ever met her. When the sketch was done she stared at it for some time. The sketch made her smile.
"Knock knock." A rough British voice said.
Thatcher leaned on the doorframe to her makeshift room.
"I hope I'm not intruding Miss Bosak."
"Not at all. Come in." She said closing her notebook.
Thatcher walked in and leaned against the wall in front of her. He let out a sigh and rubbed his face.
"You good?" He asked with a serious tone.
"Yeah I'll be fine." She said looking down at her feet.
Thatcher knelt in front her and placed a hand on her shoulder.
"Listen. I understand your pain. Just know that we're all here for you and you're not alone. We're family. Okay?" He said smiling at her.
Ela managed a halfhearted smile.
"Yeah." Was all she could manage.
"Good. I'll leave you be then." Thatcher said getting up to walk toward the door.
"Thacher…" Ela called before he turned to go down the hall.
Thatcher paused at the door.
"Yes?"
"I know you trained us on keeping our heads focused on the mission and what not, but do you ever think about your family when you're out on missions?"
Thatcher paused thinking about his wife and son. He missed them dearly.
He'd do anything to call them right now just to hear their voices.
"More than you know it. Don't think for a second that what I just saw on that computer screen isn't eating me alive right now. I want to punch that wanker downstairs just as much as you do." He said and walked down the steps.
After some time to cool down from the White Mask attack, the operators debriefed and discussed their next steps which was how they were going to interrogate their hostage.
"We interrogate him tomorrow 0600. Valkyrie, you lead the interrogation. I'll stand back and translate for you. Bandit, listen closely and document the information he gives." Vanguard said bringing the debrief to a close.
The operators agreed and prepared for tomorrow.
…
Valkyrie ripped the black hood off the hostage. The hostage squinted past the bright bathroom lights to look at her.
Valkyrie and Vanguard stood over the man in an intimidating fashion.
Vanguard translated the man's and Valkyrie's words in Arabic.
"Name?" She asked.
"Ali." He said nervously.
"Where are you from Ali?"
"Baghdad."
"Baghdad?! A little far from home aren't ya?" Valkyrie said mockingly.
Ali stared blankly at her.
Valkyrie paced around the room. If she would've known they would be conducting interrogations she would've asked Six to bring Tiana with them.
"So, how'd you join the Masks?" Valkyrie pressed on.
"Recruiter."
"Recruiter?"
"Yes."
"Tell me about the recruiter."
"You white pieces of shit think you own our country. March into our homes. Destroy our culture. Our family. You use our religion as a scapegoat for your actions. Fuck you!"
"Name calling? Really? That's not nice."
Valkyrie walked to the door and made a gesture for someone to come inside. Bandit walked into the room with his battery device. He placed the battery in front of Ali. Ali stared at it wide eyed. Bandit touched the two cables together creating a massive spark causing the man to jump in his seat.
Bandit gave the cords to Valkyrie and took a step back.
Valkyrie placed the cables on his chest. Ali screamed and thrashed around violently as the amperage from the battery flowed through him. The room began to smell of burning flesh.
Bandit closed his eyes and looked away with a painful expression on his face.
He couldn't bear to watch. The memories of his time undercover in the Hells Angels replayed in his head. It was where he had invented the crude device. He was surrounded in a garage by the gang after his identity had been compromised. He had no other weapons other than some car batteries and cables.
The rest was history. Bandit slipped out of the room and continued to listen to the interrogation.
Valkyrie pulled the cables off Ali.
"YOU FUCKING PSYCHOPATH!" The man shouted.
Valkyrie giggled at the remark and squatted down in front of him. She lifted the man's sagging head with her finger, so he'd look her in the eyes.
"Listen sweetheart, cooperate and it won't happen again." Valkyrie said with a glowing smile. The man looked terrified yet lost in Valkyrie's beauty all at the same time.
"So, as you were saying, because of the motivations of the allies against terror led you to join the Islamic State? I really don't care about your motive. That's just details. Just tell me about your organization." Valkyrie continued with the interrogation.
"Okay." Ali said.
"So where did the recruiter take you?"
"He sent me an a few others here."
"Here?"
"Yes… but not exactly." He said hesitantly.
"Give me an exact location."
"Where the Euphrates River feeds into Habbaniyah Lake."
"If I show you a map, can you point to it?"
The man nodded.
Vanguard brought in a laptop with a satellite image of Ramadi. Ali pointed to the location on the map with his nose.
"Describe the location." Valkyrie commanded.
"It's a training camp. We went to obtain weapons and train."
"Train? So, you guys are organized?"
"We try to be. How do you think we were able to launch such a coordinated attack on the market?" Ali sneered.
"Tell me about your trainers. Are they the White Masks?"
"Yes."
"Tell me about the Masks. Who's in charge?"
"I can't."
Valkyrie's expression darkened.
"Ali, you might want to rethink what you just said." She said reaching for the battery cables.
"IF THEY FIND OUT I TALKED THEY'LL KILL ME!" He begged.
"You revealed your stronghold to us. It's already too late for you Ali." Valkyrie said coldly and connected the cables to Ali's chest.
The man wailed in pain.
His body spasmed in his chair.
Valkyrie shocked Ali longer this time. For some reason she began to feel a twinge of satisfaction from her actions.
She removed the cables and let Ali catch his breath.
"We'll try again. Tell me about the Masks." Valkyrie said patiently.
"Okay okay. They live in the stronghold. They have so much combat experience. Made of different nationalities. Full of knowledge." Ali said between gasping breaths.
"They have previous experience?"
"Yes. All the White Mask troopers fought in various conflicts for different militaries previously. Learning to fight from mixed backgrounds has turned us into better fighters."
"So how many are there in Ramadi?"
"I don't know. Honestly."
"And who's the leader?"
Ali stood silent for a few seconds.
"His name is Captain Anderson. From the looks of him he's a Westerner. White. Mid-thirties. Long brown beard. High and tight haircut. You can't miss him. I don't think he's in charge of their whole operation. He reports to someone higher up frequently but nobody knows who he is. Not even the White Mask troopers." He finally mustered.
"Thank you for the information Ali you've been very helpful to us." Valkyrie said flashing him another charming smile.
"So, are you going to let me go?" He asked with a beacon of hope.
Valkyrie looked over to Vanguard. He shook his head frowning and left the room. She understood the message. She turned back to Ali looking him dead in the eye.
"I can't." Valkyrie said pulling out her Desert Eagle from her holster.
She aimed it at Ali's head and pulled back the draw.
"THE MASKS WILL KILL YOU ALL! GET AWAY FROM ME YOU WITCH!" The man screamed thrashing wildly in his chair trying to get away from Valkyrie.
Valkyrie squeezed the trigger.
Ali's head exploded splattering blood all over Valkyrie.
She stood in the eerie silence cover in his blood.
She felt completely different on the inside. She couldn't tell what the feeling was, but it felt strange.
She felt… like a new woman.
"That was for all the innocent men, women, and children your group has murdered." She whispered to the corpse.
Valkyrie spat on the body and left the bathroom. The remaining operators downstairs watched her leave covered in blood with expressionless faces except for Vanguard.
Vanguard gave her a nod of approval.
Thatcher, Thermite, and Bandit walked out of the room to get some fresh air. Vanguard walked into the bathroom to dispose of the body.
Valkyrie took in a shaky breath. She pulled down her shemagh dotted with blood letting her blonde hair fall naturally.
She fanned her face trying to get a grip on reality.
This isn't you Meghan. You're all fucked up. Get a grip. You could be court marshaled if anyone finds out about this. What would your father think of you? She thought to herself.
When the operators returned to the living room they talked over the information that Valkyrie obtained from Ali. The more they talked, the more a plan began to take shape and the closer they were to finding the next higher up in the White Mask involvement in Iraq. First, they'd have to find the base in the desert. Once it was located they'd observe and collect data about the base. Once they acquired enough intel they'd assault the base and find Captain Anderson. They'd interrogate him to find the leader of the entire White Mask operation in this corner of the world and steal any other intel they could find. By the time the operators were done talking it was getting late. The operators would need their sleep to prep for their next endeavor.
Valkyrie slithered into her sleeping bag and stared at the ceiling. She listened to the wind blow past her window. The events of today replayed through her mind. The more and more she thought about what she's done over these past weeks, the more and more she became convinced she was losing her mind. She took a breath and tried to calm her mind. She pulled out headphones from her rucksack and plugged them into an old iPod Nano. She placed the headphones in her ears and let the classical rock music on the iPod drift her off to sleep. She began to dream of happier times in her life. The music she was listening to played in the background of her dream as she found herself in the living room of her dad's house in California. She turned around and saw her dad behind her.
He was young.
Then she noticed that he was towering over her. Meghan looked at herself in a window reflection.
She looked like she was 10 years old in the reflection and was dressed in a nice little dress.
She felt all stress disappear. She felt no worries. She closed her eyes and swayed to the music feeling it through her entire body. Her stress felt as if it were melting away.
"Care to dance young lady?" Her father said reaching out his hand to her smiling.
Meghan took her father's hand and danced with him just like how they used to when they were younger. Her father smiled as she danced with her little girl to Dion & The Belmonts, "I Wonder Why" on an old phonograph they used to keep in their house. Meghan's father loved old time music.
Valkyries eyes lit up when her mother entered the living room dancing and smiling. She'd never gotten to know her mother. Her mother passed away when she was an infant.
Meghan felt total euphoria as she danced alongside her young mother and father. She felt at home. Her family together again. She felt separated from the hell she was currently living in.
As the song progressed she felt herself growing. Becoming older. Maturing. Her sleeve tattoos appeared on her body. Her muscles began to grow and felt raw strength flow into her. Soon she was back in her full battle dress.
Her father's expression changed to dread.
He pushed Meghan from him. She fell to the ground looking up at her father and mother.
"What have you done with my daughter?" He asked as his expression turned to sadness.
"Dad? What are you talking about? Its me. Meghan." She said reaching out to him.
"Don't touch me. You're not my daughter. You're just some sick freak. A murderer." He said turning away from her unable to bear the sight of her.
"Mom?" Meghan asked looking to her mother.
"Meghan, I never thought you'd end up like this. You've broke my heart." Her mother said and turned her back. Meghan could hear her crying.
As her parents said this, Valkyrie felt warm liquid on her skin.
She smelt pennies.
She looked down at herself to see she was covered from head to toe in blood that wasn't hers.
"Dad its me. Meghan. Don't go. Please don't go." She begged to her father.
"I don't have a daughter anymore." He said leaving the house. Meghan's mother followed behind him.
Meghan got up and chased after her parents, but it was fruitless.
It seemed as if she were running in place.
Meghan's father slammed the door shut.
The song and the dream abruptly ended.
Meghan woke up in a cold sweat ripping the headphones out of her ears.
Sunlight pierced through a nearby window.
It was time to get to work.
But Meghan didn't want to go to work. She wanted to go home to California and see her father. And remind him his daughter loved him dearly.