Chapter 8: Lifeline

It had been six months since SEAL Team Eight had rescued Leonid Constantinovitch. The scientist was debriefed and returned to his family, who were then put into protective custody courtesy of the Russian government. No intelligence had since been compiled about ISIS having nuclear weapons, nor of ISIS having any other connections to Sebastian Blood, the analysts figured it was a simple contract job of sorts that Blood had provided to the terrorists, they've since lost interest in him.

Team Eight had been following up on leads trying to track down Slade Wilson but the only new piece of information they had found was the rough location of another of his hideouts. Attacking his main base of operations was still out of the question, while some cities had been taken back from ISIS Falluja remained a bridge too far. As ISIS lost ground their forces became more concentrated and their resistance became stiffer, making progress against them was becoming more and more difficult with each step.

Richard and Roy were sitting at a table in the cafeteria. "It's unbelievable that we haven't made any headway on Wilson in all this time" Richard said in frustration.

Roy shrugged, "I don't know what to tell you man, we're doing our part, intel just isn't coming through."

"How is that we can know that he's been made the new supreme leader of ISIS but we don't know where he is?" Richard asked before taking a bite of his cheeseburger.

Roy shrugged again, "he's probably in Falluja, but it's going to take some time before we can really get in there."

Richard shook his head, clearly frustrated. "A simple airstrike would cripple ISIS, just send a damn drone... That's what we have them for isn't it?"

Roy leaned back and took a breath. "Rich... Have you ever thought about taking some leave?"

Richard looked up at him, almost offended. "I've been here less than a year, tour doesn't end for another month."

"I know, but you need to take some time off occasionally, clear your head."

"And do what?" Richard queried, "I don't have anybody to take time off with."

"You don't need to..." Roy replied, "but if you don't take some time for yourself this is going to drive you crazy."

"I'm fine" Richard said, taking another bite of his food.

Roy hesitated, then spoke again, "how many kids have you killed now?"

Richard immediately stopped what he was doing and looked Roy right in the eye. "What did you just say?"

"How many?"

Richard was clearly angry at the question. "Three... You know that, you were there for each one."

"Yeah I was..." Roy said, nodding his head, "and clearly it bothers you, as it should... You want to stay here and add to that number as quickly as possible or do you want to go home for a month and relax a bit?

Richard took a breath, then returned to his food.

Rachael was reading a book in her cot, reading seemed to be the only thing that kept her mind off combat these days. She had a brush with death far too close for her tastes on her last mission, while flying towards a heavy armor target the glass on the left side of her canopy spider webbed, causing her to flinch violently. When she examined the glass she noticed a fifty caliber bullet lodged in it that would have hit her square in the head had it not been stopped, she had nightmares both nights since. Sergeant Crockett entered the room and sat down on the cot next to her.

"Rachael... Are you okay?" He asked.

Rachael lowered her book. "A bit shaken up sir..."

"That's understandable... I read your report..." Isiah said, "your tour is almost over and I saw you put in for leave."

Rachael nodded. "Need to see mom and dad again... Need to be reminded why I'm here."

Isiah nodded. "I know the psychologists we have here are... Less than great... It's hard to build a relationship with them and put that kind of trust in them... But I hope you're talking to somebody."

Rachael nodded again. "My gunner, Karen put in for leave too, we live in the same city so we're going to hang out."

Isiah smiled, "Good... In the meantime if you need anything just ask." The Sergeant got up and left as Karen entered.

"Everything okay?" The gunner asked after the Sergeant had left.

"Yeah, we just had a little pep talk" Rachael informed.

Karen nodded. "My leave was approved, yours come back yet?"

"I haven't checked yet, probably should..."

"Any idea what you're going to do with the time off?"

Rachael leaned her head back and took a breath. "Get my mind off this craziness."

With a grunt, Richard did a twentieth rep on the bench with a four hundred pound barbell. "Taking a break?" The man standing behind him asked.

Slightly out of breath, Richard replied "yeah."

The man left the room as Roy entered, "you think about what I said?"

Richard sat up and paused, letting his breath catch up to him. "Say I take leave, what happens if they find Wilson while I'm away?"

"There's plenty of capable men on Team Eight Rich, they can handle it."

Richard sighed, then got up and walked over to a water cooler, pouring himself a cup. "It's not about if Team Eight... Or anybody else for that matter, is capable or not, it's that I want to be the one to put him down."

"Is that how your family wants to be remembered? Full of hate and killing?" Roy asked.

"If it wasn't for my hate... I wouldn't be standing here right now... I wouldn't have a baker's dozen notches in the stock of my rifle... I wouldn't be pulling my weight..." Richard took a sip of water. "Hell I might not even be alive."

Roy crossed his arms, "keep going like you're going and you won't be."

Richard glared at him, he wanted to tell him off but he knew he was right, all he could do is remain silent.

Rachael and Karen disembarked from their helo. "Well, that was exciting" Karen quipped.

"Hell yeah..." Rachael replied sarcastically, "when that convoy turned right it was game on..."

Their little exchange was interrupted by Kori. "How did the mission go ladies?"

"Dull ma'am, completely uneventful" Rachael said.

"Those are the best kind" Kori replied, "Corporal Roth can I see you in my office please?"

Rachael's face showed concern. "Yes ma'am... Is there a problem?" She asked.

"No, just want to discuss some things with you."

Karen chimed in, "I'll catch up to you" she said before heading into the barracks, Rachael followed Kori into the offices.

The Lieutenant's office was nicer than one would expect for a field location, hardwood floors, a large black desk and even paintings. Rachael was left to wonder what Kori's office on her home base looked like. "Please sit" Kori said, extending her hand to the two chairs in front of the desk while sitting in the chair behind it.

Rachael sat down, her flight suit made her feel very out of place. "I feel like I'm disrespecting you wearing this..."

"You're not..." Kori said, shaking her head, "you're fine, I wanted to talk to you about your prospects, where you planned to take your skills, where you see yourself in five years..."

"Why do you ask?" Rachael asked.

"It's my job, I'm responsible for you and your well being, I can't be effective at keeping you on the right path if I don't build a relationship with you" Kori informed.

Rachael chuckled, "wow... Nobody's ever really been interested in me like that before."

"Dating life not so great?" Kori queried with a smile.

Rachael couldn't help but laugh. "Ma'am I'm twenty two years old and been serving in the Army for the last three years, I haven't been on a date since I signed the papers."

"Well your standards should be high now, you're an Army pilot with combat experience, your pool of candidates should be narrow."

Rachael smiled, "if the right one comes along then the right one comes along... I'm not doing this improve my dating life."

"Why are you doing it?"

"As an able-bodied and sound-minded American citizen I have an obligation to protect my country to the best of my ability."

Kori nodded, then spoke, "you could have done that without becoming a pilot, what drove you in that direction?"

"Would you believe me if I told you a helicopter tour of the Grand Canyon?" Rachael asked, almost embarrassed.

"I would."

"Oh... Okay then, good" the two women laughed.

"So that's your history..." Kori began, "where does your story go from here?"

"Well I go on leave in three days-"

"Further ahead than that, what do you see yourself doing five years from now?"

"Hopefully... Still serving my country" Rachael replied.

"You plan to make this a career?" Kori asked.

"I haven't decided yet... My dad was a Marine for twenty-two years, only retired a few months before I enlisted, now he and a couple of his friends own a gun shop."

Kori nodded again, "I'm of course not trying to discourage you from making a career out of the Army... But consider your options, life has a funny way of presenting opportunities too good to pass up."

"I'm always on the lookout for them Ma'am."

The airplane Richard was on touched down smoothly onto the runway, he heard the reverse thrusters open and felt the plane slow down rapidly. After disembarking from the plane, retrieving his checked luggage and getting a taxi he found himself bewildered as he stood on the sidewalk in front of his parents house, which was legally his now and owned outright. "Whose been mowing the lawn?" Richard thought out loud, he hadn't been here in nearly a year and hadn't hired anybody to keep the place up, yet the lawn was mowed, leaves were minimal and the bushes were trimmed.

"Rich!" A female voice called out. Richard turned to his left where it came from and saw his best childhood friend, Toni Monetti.

"Toni?" He said, almost in disbelief.

"Yeah!" She said with excitement, "I would ask where you've been it's pretty clear from your uniform... Navy... Really?" Richard turned so his body was facing the young woman, showing the Trident on his right chest. Toni's eyes went wide. "The SEALs? You have got to be kidding!"

"Petty Officer First Class" Richard announced proudly.

"E-6 if I remember correctly..." Toni said, her eyes narrow, "I just got promoted to E-5."

Richard quirked an eyebrow, "When did you join up?"

Toni smiled, "two years ago, and I just re-enlisted."

"What branch?"

"Marines" Toni said, holding her jaw high, "Sergeant now... Even seen combat, I was part of the invasion of Tikrit, were you there?"

Richard shook his head, "no I was doing something else when that was going on... I heard about that invasion though, was it as chaotic as they say?"

"It's war Rich, chaos is a typical day at the office."

Richard smiled, "congratulations Sergeant... You just get home?"

Toni frowned and shook her head, "no unfortunately, I ship out in the morning."

"Ah that's a shame" Richard said, disappointed.

"It is... But you can make the most of our time by taking me out to dinner."

"Dinner?" Richard queried.

"You've been gone three years Rich, we have a lot of catching up to do."