Apology, Sam's Mission & A Father Knows
Six Weeks After Explosion – SRU HQ – Briefing Room
After Jim left the team started to clear up the mess they had made of the briefing room. Winnie had called maintenance and reported the need for a new glass partition. Greg, Ed, Spike and Jules all offered to split the cost of the new one. Wordy had declined but they insisted until he relented and accepted.
Over the last thirty minutes Leo had helped out with the cleanup but kept silent. So many things were running through his mind. The name associated with the rumor popped back into his head, Sam Braddock. He completely discounted the rumor. Probably started by some insecure pissant. There weren't many in JTF2 but occasionally one got through the selection process.
So Braddock reactivated too. The Braddock's were a military family through and through for generations. Although he never met Sam there were rumors he was always in the field, that he never took a break. That pissed some people off. Rumors floated around that he was show-boating or trying to earn points to rise in the ranks faster. Leo had never put stock in those rumors either. More likely he was just a good soldier doing as he was ordered.
Leo couldn't wait for the team to explain. The five people he saw interacting now were so different from the ones he'd seen the past three weeks. He almost wished he had not taken the vacation option. Maybe he could change that.
He still felt it was right to reactivate though. Leo knew he would never be good enough at reading people to be good at the SRU job and the normal police job just bored him. Special Forces is where he belonged.
As Wordy was taking the brooms and dust pans to the closet Greg looked at Leo "Thank you for waiting. We all owe you a huge apology and an explanation." Greg motioned for everyone to take a seat. Wordy came in and sat down.
Greg was about to speak when Leo put up a hand "Before you begin, I've figured a few things out. First, the guy I replaced was Sam Braddock. Second, you guys are not mad at him but worried for some reason. Third, it probably has to do with those two big incidents six weeks ago. But I have one question, what did I say to cause that explosion?"
The team looked to each other and found their spokesman. Ed stood up and paced a bit before stopping and looking at Leo "You said you have voluntarily reactivated to full duty and rejoined Special Forces. That's what Sam did. But we all know it was his only option to save his best friend's little boy. He would have never rejoined otherwise. Those words are at the root of our behaviors."
Leo was confused "But he's a Braddock, they are military. Never understood why one would leave in the first place. But why would he rejoin for some boy?"
Greg took over and explained what happened that hot summer day six weeks ago. He explained in enough detail so Leo would understand. But kept back too personal information and information they were instructed by the Army debrief teams that needed to remain secret. He explained that the team was out on medical leave and that is why Team Five did the selection process. Then every one of the team members apologized for their behavior and for making him feel unwelcome.
When they were finished Leo looked to each one "Apology accepted. No hard feeling. I'm truly sorry that you have had no word on Sam. It sounds to me like they implemented blackout protocol. It would have to be huge for them to do that; something beyond taking that woman and the boy."
"My old unit Sarge Trigger was once part of a blackout. We didn't hear a damned thing for near on three months. Never knew what it was about either. He was just there one day, then he was gone without a word. Three months later he showed back up just fine. I'm sure whatever it is, Sam will be fine."
Everyone one groaned. "What did I say wrong this time?" Leo asked.
Wordy explained what fine meant to the team. Leo laughed long and hard. "Geez, I like that one. Gonna have to remember that. Fucked-up, Insecure, Neurotic and Emotional. So let me rephrase my last statement. I'm sure Sam will be okay. He's a Braddock. You do know that his dad is called General Badass right? I suspect the son is much the same."
They all talked more about Sam and what a blackout protocol was and they asked some questions about Leo trying belatedly to get to know the guy a little. They regretted their behaviors that drove Leo to reactivate. Leo seemed like a likable guy and would've actually been a good fit to the team until Sam returned.
The team invited Leo out to the Goose for both a welcome and farewell drink. Leo agreed. As everyone was leaving the room to change out of their uniforms Wordy held back.
Leo stopped to watch. Wordy went to the chess set and repositioned all the chess pieces. Once he was finished Leo overheard Wordy say "Your move Sam. We'll resume when you get back."
When Leo was on his way to the Goose he called Holleran and told him that he planned to stay the two weeks before he had to leave. He told him that the team and he had worked things out. That way the team could also start the process to recruit another member but not be a man short on the team for two weeks.
As he hung up Leo hoped he would get a glimpse of the Team One that he had been told so much about.
Six Weeks After Explosion – Somewhere in Afghanistan – Home of Ali Radwan
Shit I should have kept the boot on, I should have known better. Sam was ranting silently at himself as he readied to leave Ali's home for the third location. He had wrapped the ankle tightly but it had still swelled. If he had just kept his boots on it would be better. Sam loosened the laces on the boot to accommodate the swollen ankle. Then slid the boot on and tightened it as tight as he could stand.
He tested it out. Crap, it hurt more than he planned. Sam dug into his small personal med kit and grabbed two ibuprofen pills and downed them. Running tonight is gonna suck. He donned the rest of his gear and started for the stairs.
Sam looked back once to make sure he had all. His heart skipped. He almost left without it. Sam strode over and reached under the pillow. He shoved it into his special spot then went up the stairs trying to ignore the pain with each step.
He entered Ali's small communal room. Ali, his son, three daughters and wife were all there. Sam avoided making any eye contact with the women. He shook Amjad's hand making brief eye contact. Then Sam went to Ali.
"Ali, barcha yaxshilik uchun rahmat. Bu sizni bilish uchun sharaf bo'ldi. Men tugatdim qachon meni orqaga kutmang."
(Ali, thank you for all your kindness. It has been an honor to know you. Do not expect me back when I'm done) Sam said as he placed his hand over his heart and nodded slightly. Then he shook Ali's hand.
"Sharafdir meniki. Allohning marhamati bilan borib. Agar yana tinchlik va nur topish mumkin."
(The honor is mine. Go with Allah's blessing. May you find peace and light again) Ali replied as he placed his hand over his heart and nodded slightly to Sam.
As Sam left the house he discreetly set the medical supplies and candy near the front door respecting their customs on gift giving. He wished he could have wrapped them but given the circumstances that small lack of etiquette could be overlooked.
Sam started at a slow jog, pain with each step.
Ali saw what Sam left and smiled. That man was honorable and respectful of their customs. He and Amjad went out the door to watch him leave.
"Ota, u shunday ayanchli ko'rinadi . Men yoshligimda esladi kabi emas . Men u baxt , bir kun topadi umid qilamiz."
(Father, he looks so sad. Not like I remembered as a boy. I hope he finds happiness one day) Amjad said.
"Amjad , o'g'lim , u o'lim juda ko'p ko'rgan va ehtimol uning hayotida zarar juda ko'p bo'ldi . Bu odamni o'zgartirishingiz mumkin. Men u bor ishonchim komil narsani dosh hech qachon umid qilamiz. Uni o'g'li uchun ibodat qiling. Onang kechki ovqat tayyor bor , kel . Bu kecha biz juda kichik shirin davolash kerak ."
(Amjad, my son, he has seen a lot of death and likely had a lot of loss in his life. It can change a man. I hope you never endure things I'm sure he has. Pray for him son. Come, your mother has dinner ready. Tonight we all have a small sweet treat too) Ali said.
Then Ali put his arm around his son and guided his son back into the house. He bent over to pick up the bag of candy. He would pray for Sam too. It was so sad to see the light gone from that young man's eyes.
Somewhere in Afghanistan – Third Location
It had taken Sam four nights of travel to reach the third location. He cussed silently the entire first night of travel. He was right running sucked. His ankle throbbed nonstop.
Sam had only two doses of ibuprofen and he took them both. He was mostly pissed because it slowed him down and the constant pain consumed his energy. He needed to get there quickly. He needed to recon, determine if it was there and destroy it.
He had been lucky to find the small stream on the third night. Sam had been running low on water because it was taking longer. He had drunk his fill then refilled all three containers.
Sam then washed up a bit. He felt gritty. He doused his head in the stream then shook it. Felt good, cooled him down. He dunked his head again.
He had run a hand over his head and face wiping off the excess water. His hair dried almost instantly with the warmth and shortness. It was almost a total military cut; the sides were shaved very close. The only concession was he left it a little longer on top then a normal military cut.
Shorter was easier to manage in the desert but part of him had rebelled a bit. He thought about how Jules would run her fingers through his hair and how good it felt. Sam couldn't shave it all off, so kept it longer on top.
It was near dawn the fourth night when he finally got to the tunnels. He had run most of the night. He couldn't afford for it to take one more night to reach here. Sam scanned the area and found a perch so he could recon. This was the largest of the tunnels. He remembered it had three entrances.
Sam was running off his four year old memory only; no maps were in the file. God damned Plouffe. He was screwing with him again. He pulled out his scope and began to watch the entrances.
He needed to decide which one was the best to use tonight to slip in undetected. Sam couldn't remember which entrance was closest to the room he was looking for or which had the most men in and out of it. All details he had included in his report four years ago. He cursed Plouffe again. Then he settled in and watched.
By late afternoon the heat was getting oppressive. He had tried to grab a few moments of sleep during the day but couldn't really afford much. Sam needed to keep watch.
But he was exhausted and reaching his limit. What he wouldn't give for a Timmy's iced capp or even horrible coffee that Winds always made right now. He rubbed his gritty eyes then went back to the scope.
He was lying on his stomach and the little bulge from the duck was pressing too tightly on his chest. Sam reached in and pulled it out. As he looked at the duck Sam thought of Ben and Blaze.
Sam wondered how Blaze was doing right now. He knew the hip wound was going to be a tough recovery for him. Might even be career ending; maybe not completely but field work quite possibly.
He squeezed the little duck, no bigger than his palm. He really should not have brought it Sam said to himself the thousandth time. But he had.
Sam had to admit it had been helpful. During the run when it hurt so much he had slipped his hand into the pocket and drew strength from it. It reminded him why he could not fail in this mission. Too many innocent people would die if he failed.
All because some damned idiots wanted some form of power over others. Be it religious, monetary or otherwise. It was always about power and control over others for some gain. And now Tahir had in his possession the power to wreak havoc and kill thousands or more. Sam could not let that happen.
He held the duck for a few more minutes then decided to slip it into the cargo pocket of his pants. He wouldn't be lying on it then. Sam took another drink and noted, down to one full container. One should be enough to complete the mission. Afterwards he likely wouldn't need it.
Sam doubted he would be able to get out after getting in. Every scenario he ran in his head said no to that possibility based on his previous time in these tunnels. Two men maybe; one man no way. He just hoped he could get in, find the room, identify if the material was there and set the charges.
He set the scope down and closed his eyes. A short nap was needed. Spike would call it a siesta for one of the amigos he thought as he closed his eyes.
Sam woke with a start. Crap, crap crap! He had slept really slept.
It was night time; fully dark. He checked his watch, holy hell it was 2300 hours. He had slept seven god damned hours. Shit!
He pulled out the night scope and checked the entrances. All three had two guards. The one on the far left would provide him the most coverage to slip in close before dealing with the guards.
Any one of the entrances was a crapshoot though. Sam didn't know which was closest to his target room. He had been asleep when he should have been watching.
Now he had no idea how many men went in each and what he might encounter. He really had lost some of his soldier habits. Two years ago that would have never happened. Sam slipped the scope back into his bag. He took one long drink then stood and relieved himself.
Sam adjusted his pack and weapons. Fast and silent. He checked his handgun then his hand settled on his k-bar. He tested his ankle.
Still hurt a lot, more than a twist or just because he abused it for four long nights of running. It didn't matter which right now, he couldn't let it stop him. Sam bent down and laced the boot tighter. His right side twinged again.
Oh hell, won't matter in a while anyways Sam thought. He was either gonna find bliss or eternal damnation. Earthly cares wouldn't matter soon.
Stealthily he approached the first guard. Luckily they were positioned were he could take one out without the other noticing instantly. One down. He crept behind the other. Two down.
Sam set them both to look like they were just sitting at the entrance. Then he crouched low as he entered the tunnel; stopping a moment to let his eyes adjust to the dimmer tunnel light. Slow and sure he made his way forward.
He accessed his mental map of the tunnels. If he remembered correctly this entrance was the long one. No rooms off to any side for quite a distance. As he approached the first room he heard three voices. There could be more in the room.
Squatting down, Sam peeked cautiously into the room. Three. All with their backs to him and sitting close. He slipped in and dispatched them all so quickly none called out. Sam wiped the blood off and exited the room.
Sam checked seven more rooms and eight tunnel offshoots. His kill total was rising quickly but he had no qualms about it. These men killed for pleasure. He killed because it was needed.
It was a fact of war. Soldiers had to kill. These men would not be dead by his hand if not for the choices they made. They choose to be part of a terrorist cell that killed indiscriminately. Sam killed selectively to save innocents.
He came to the room he was looking for. Sam was glad he finally located it. It had taken almost three hours. He was very deep into the tunnels now. It had been slow going having to check each pathway and room then hiding those he had to kill. The snapped necks were easier to deal with. He could prop them in a position like sleeping. The slit throats had to be hidden.
Sam scanned the room looking for the material. He found it in the far corner in a box still labeled Thruston Group Top Secret. He checked inside.
He could not tell if it was all there or if any was missing. They did not know how much of it there was in the first place. But the box was not full. It looked like at least two or three were missing.
Based on what the analyst had said there was enough here to wipe out thousands, if not hundreds of thousands depending on where it was used. He had seen first-hand what one small bit of this stuff could do.
Sam set to work placing the delayed charges. He placed one in the bottom of the Thruston box then he hid the rest of them all around the large room. Sam set them to the max delay, one hour. With his ankle he needed the extra time to try and make the distance needed to be away from the blast radius. He hoped he had enough time. The last charge was set.
He checked his watch. He had one hour. Sam set his timer on his watch and then activated all the charges.
Sam left the room and back tracked a more direct but still convoluted path as fast as he could toward the entrance. It was slow going; it was near 0400 and he encountered more men waking for the day. He tried to hide in the shadows and bypass as many as possible trying to get out fast. But he could not avoid all and left a trail of dead bodies not bothering to hide them this time.
He was nearing the entrance when he heard the alarm raised by the terrorists. At least one of his kills was found. Sam had to get out fast. At the entrance he stopped and crouched low. He checked his watch. Crap he only had ten minutes left to get as far away as possible.
Sam checked the exterior. The alarm had not reached them yet. He sprinted to cover. Then set off at a flat out run. He needed distance, lots of distance. As he sprinted he realized that he had beaten all scenarios he had run in his head. He had actually gotten out of the tunnels alive.
He started to have some hope this wasn't a suicide mission. Maybe he could go back eventually to the people he cared about. They would wait for him he was sure, they were his family.
It would be hard but it was only five years. Maybe he could even start a life with Jules while he was in the Army. When he was out he could go back to SRU. Maybe not Team One but he could go back to what made him happy. Be close to those he cared about.
His ankle gave out and he crashed to the ground. Sam bellowed in anguish at the sky "God dammit. Why did I start to hope? Everything I care about is always taken from me. Why does it always have to hurt so damned much? Why? Dammit. Why? Why? Why?"
Then he got enraged "God dammit I will not let you win. I will beat you."
With angry tears of pain flowing from his eyes he pulled himself up. He forced himself to continue to run even through the agonizing shooting pains that came with every pounding step.
For once he was not going to let this happen. He was going to fight for what made him happy. He would not let fate win. Fate was always cruel to him.
But as he ran Sam realized he was not going fast enough. He made it out of the tunnels alive but it was still a suicide mission. He could not make it far enough away at this pace.
Fate was so very cruel and would win again.
Sam roared out a long plaintive "Jules."
Jules was the last thought Sam had as his body was thrown into the air and slammed to the ground by the force of the explosive shockwave.
Seven Weeks After Explosion – Toronto Airport International Arrivals
He fidgeted moving from foot to foot waiting in line at customs. He glanced over at Donesh in the other line. He was cool and calm. How could he be so calm? Abdullah Nania wiped his sweaty palms on his pants. Two more ahead of him now; he pulled his passport out. One more now.
The customs agent said "Passport please."
Abdullah handed it over with shaky hands.
"Business or Pleasure Mr. Alibadi?" the agent asked looking at the name on the passport Peyman Alibadi and checking the terrorist watch database.
Abdullah tried to smile it came out awkward "Pleasure. Vacation. Always wanted to see the CN tower."
That answer got him a death glare from Donesh who was already through customs and waiting for him but appearing to be simply readjusting his bags. They were not to be seen as being together.
The customs agent looked at the shaky man "Are you okay sir? You look a bit unwell."
"No, no just fine, long flight. Just need a bit of sleep and to eat" Abdullah countered.
"Anything to declare, fruits, food items, valuables?" asked the agent.
Abdullah shook his head no.
The agent noticed his palms were sweaty and he looked nervous. "Sir I'm going to have you step over to that officer over there." The agent pointed and motioned to the officer. Agents had been alerted to be on watch lately for suspicious behavior. In her opinion this man clearly needed a second level search.
The officer approached and said "Peyman Alibadi, please come this way."
Abdullah picked up his passport from the counter and followed. He kept his head down so he didn't accidently look at Donesh. He was pissed at him for mentioning the CN tower. He would get several lashings for that if he successfully made it through customs. Donesh would kill him if he didn't, then commit suicide. Their boss Tahir did not accept failure and that would be the only course of action for them.
"Place your bag there and stand arms out and legs apart" the officer instructed.
Abdullah complied. He was scanned with a wand. Then he was sent to the full body scanner. Finally he was sent into the explosives trace-detection portal machine. He was asked to open his bags after they were sent through the scanners. They were searched meticulously.
The agent pulled out an orange plastic egg and asked Abdullah to open it. Then asked what it was. Abdullah said it was like silly putty that kids play with. He used it to calm himself on plane flights. He was afraid of flying. The officer bought his lie and Abdullah put it back into the bag.
As he was putting his shoes back on the officer took his passport and stamped it "Sorry about the inconvenience Mr. Alibadi. We all just need to be careful. Welcome to Toronto. Have a good vacation sir."
He grabbed his bag and nodded. He couldn't believe it. Tahir said it was undetectable by the scanners but he didn't believe it. They were the first test run and it was good. He scurried to find Donesh near the taxi station, their agreed upon meeting point.
Seven Weeks After Explosion – Special Forces Base – General's Office
Mason was waiting to see the General when Winds walked up. "What you doing here Winds?"
"Just reporting as ordered. You?" Winds replied.
"Same. Any idea why?" Mason responded.
Winds cringed "No idea really. Wonder if it has anything to do with Blaze and you know what…"
He didn't specifically say it aloud with the staff around but Mason would know he meant about Blaze hitting the General. They were all waiting for the repercussions from that. The fact that it had already been two weeks had them antsy.
No one had seen the General for nearly the same period of time. Blaze had finally started talking again. But not often and he seemed distracted most of the time.
"You two can go in now, the General is ready to see you" a young Private said.
Both strode into the room, stopped and saluted "Reporting as ordered Sir."
The General had his back to them gazing out the window. Before he turned around he said tiredly "At ease soldiers. Close the door then take a seat."
Mason and Winds looked at one another noting the tone used. Winds closed the door then both quickly sat down.
William's eyes were not really focused on anything out the window most was just a blur. He was drained from worry and his efforts of the last weeks. He had been subsisting on a few hours of cat naps here and there and coffee.
But he didn't care. He had to get this done and fast. His son's life was in the balance. It had taken a lot of pull and calling in favor after favor but he had finally done it. They were their only hope. The General turned to look at the two men.
Mason and Winds both suppressed a gasp. The General was beyond haggard looking. There where dark circles under his eyes. His face was sunken like he had not eaten in a long time. There was still faint bruising where Blaze had struck him on the jaw.
General Braddock walked to his desk and picked up two files. He held them as he said "Master Warrant Officer Nathan Simons and Sergeant Murchadh-Ailpein Srònaich'O'Naoimhín." Then he paused a long time as he looked at both men.
Mason was still impressed the General could pronounce his full name. He knew exactly where Blondie got his language skills from.
The General handed them the files that had their names on them before he continued "Your security levels have been increased to level five."
Shock rippled through both men. That rarely happened. There were only a handful of level five men in all of JTF2.
Winds said "Sir. Why?" suspicion starting to creep in.
"Our ranks of level five JTF2 field soldiers were annihilated in the last three months. We were left with only one active level five. Your service records indicate you are the right men for this position" he responded.
It was true. They were. They earned it of their own accord but he also couldn't think of anyone else that would willingly without hesitation do what he was going to ask them to do.
He cleared his throat "We have a situation. It requires level five. It is voluntary. I will not order you to do this. Let me stress again, this is voluntary. It is extremely high risk. The probability of success is low. It could mean your death or worse."
They knew what or worse was, it meant torture. But the look on General's face was hard to take; he was clearly distraught by something.
Mason interjected answering for both he and Winds "Sir, just tell us what it is you need done and it will be done to the best of our abilities."
Nodding his acknowledgement he opened the laptop that was on his desk the General typed away for a few moments. "Let me read you into the file first. Lay the ground work then I will define the mission."
Mason and Winds nodded.
William stated "It is in relation to a recent black ops mission. The mission was to locate and destroy a cache of new type of explosive material that was developed by the Thruston Group. This new type of explosive material only requires a small amount in order to level buildings. It is currently not detectable by scanners."
He opened a file and handed several photos to them "These are the photos taken by the police in relation to a corporate espionage case involving the Thruston Group. As you can see they show Daphne Blain in the forefront. But focus on the three men in the background."
Winds and Mason were astonished and their guts were starting to tell them this had to do with Blondie.
The General continued "The one on the left is Anwar Yassin, Mousa's right hand man. He was neutralized by SRU officer Wordsworth at the warehouse."
"The one in the center is Abdul Quddoos Tahir. He is a suspected associate of Mousa. He deals mostly in explosives and munitions. He is a major supplier to the Taliban and other terrorist groups. He operates out of Afghanistan. Both Mousa and Tahir used the same sick bastard Qasim as their bomb maker."
"The third man on the right is Christopher Alfred Thruston Jr., son of the CEO of the Thruston Group. Junior is a good-for-nothing that is constantly being pulled out of the fire by his father. He has a long rap sheet but has never spent a night in jail because of his father's pull and money."
Mason asked "Sir. Does this have to do with Blondie?"
William sat back in his chair "Yes. It is the reason he call the Priority 1. Samuel's mind started to put together pieces and connect dots. Samuel said enroute to the warehouse he had a high suspicion there was more to the Thruston connection and other associates of Mousa. So he called Priority 1 before all the pieces fit together nicely in his head."
"Samuel had some information we didn't and we had information he didn't. But his gut feeling was absolutely correct. As Samuel explained it, there were details in there warrant call file indicating that not only was there theft of intel on the new form of explosive but also a physical theft of a significant quantity of the prototype. We have since verified that one box was stolen."
General Braddock reached for his coffee cup but found it empty and set it back down. He continued "In his conversation with Ben talking about names, Ben told him he wasn't the only one with a Jr. at the end of his name. Ben gave him Thruston Jr.'s name. He then told him the names of the other two men that met with his mom that day. That boy is better than a recorder. At the time Samuel said it didn't trigger anything."
William stood and walked to his personal coffee pot and poured another cup. He needed it right now. After taking a drink he said "However after reviewing Mousa's associates and finding out that Yassin, Tahir and Qasim were all associates his mind started rolling."
"After reading Mousa's file he knew that many of the JTF2 units taken out were through explosives. The description of Qasim's bomb methods triggered memories of bombs he had seen at previous traps. Like the one when he was first injured in Kandahar. It seems they have been targeting JTF2 units for years but only recently refined their methods to lure them in successfully. We are investigating that avenue, but that is not paramount to this mission."
He paused to take another long drink needing the caffeine so badly. "When we added in the parts we knew things began to fall together. First the initial analysis of the bomb at the warehouse was mostly wrong."
"The final analysis showed that it was actually mostly the result of only one bomb in the supply warehouse basement. There was a very small amount of C4 in the three bombs that were in the command building. Even though defused they exploded due to the explosion of the main bomb. All that damage was actually done by an extremely small amount of the new explosive material. If all four bombs had been that material there would be a crater where the buildings used to stand."
"Second from Corporal Kostopoulos interview we ascertained that he overheard Mousa's instructions to Yassin. He was to contact Tahir so he could get the material needed continue their work. The targets were to include large public buildings in-country, airplanes and JTF2 units."
"Daphne corroborated this in her statement. She also added that she was able to falsify the intel before passing it on. She changed the details of the formula for creation of the material. If they try to make it they will end up with shampoo not explosives. So the original formula is still safe."
Draining the last of the cup of coffee he said "Our last contribution was the interview with Naseer Bandar. It yielded the information that Thruston Jr. had sold Mousa the explosive materials. Apparently daddy had enough and cutoff his allowance after Junior's last debacle involving underage girls. Mousa then sold them to Tahir. Bandar tried to substitute them before they were handed off but he was prevented when Mousa and Tahir entered the room. Tahir then took most of the material home."
"Samuel then recalled a black ops mission he and Blaze did years ago to recon Tahir's locations in Afghanistan. Everything clicked into place."
Winds stopped him "So Blondie was sent to destroy the explosives. When?"
The worried look increased a hundred fold as he said "Twenty-five days ago. He has not been heard from since. It was anticipated to be a twelve day op."
He leaned forward and tapped a few keys then turned the laptop towards them. "Samuel was successful. Satellite imagery shows two large explosions. One occurred thirteen days into the mission. A second extremely powerful one we believe was the new explosive material occurred on day twenty."
Both of them looked at the blast radius of the explosions. The first looked like a normal munitions explosion, large but normal. The second one was unbelievable. It was almost as if a nuclear weapon went off. There was a huge crater and looked like everything in a one to two mile radius was flattened.
Mason asked "You have heard nothing from Blondie since that second blast."
His gut was turning over. Could anyone survive that? Just one bomb had leveled two buildings completely and the severity of the shockwave had given every one of them concussions. Most were kept in the hospital for a nearly week due to them.
The General did not answer him, he couldn't, words would not come. He turned the computer back around and clicked a few times. William turned it back to them then clicked play.
A video played with no sound. It showed an unidentifiable soldier being badly beaten. He was curled in a fetal position with hands covering and protecting his head.
He was in only uniform pants and a tattered and blood stained tan t-shirt and no boots or socks. There was too much dried and fresh blood that you could not discern hair color, it looked rusty brown given the lighting in the video. The video ended with a screen that said 'He will be beaten daily until he dies for what he's done'.
Clearing his throat the General managed to get out "This was posted four days ago. Each day they post another video of a beating. It never shows a face. But I know it is Samuel."
"Sir. I don't want to disagree with you but it could be any soldier from what we see in the video. What makes you think it is Blondie." Mason was grasping his gut told him it was Blondie, but he didn't want it to be.
He turned the computer again and pulled up another video and played it for them. Again there was nothing to identify the soldier that they could see.
This time Winds spoke "Sir. I don't want it to Blondie. Hell I don't want it to be any soldier. But please Sir what makes you so sure?"
Pulling the computer back to him William ran the video to a specific time stamp and paused it. He turned it back to them "Because of this."
"Oh my god, it's Blondie" Winds said with a shattered voice.
Mason was still lost "How, why?"
Winds pointed to hand that was clasped over the head protecting it. In the same shattered voice he choked out "Because of this. See the little orange thing that looks like a duck foot just there sticking out between his head and his hand. That is Ben's Donald Duck toy. Ben wanted Blondie to have it. Blaze made Sutton get it to him."
Mason stood up his voice was strong and firm "Where is he? I'm ready to go now!"
Hearing the resolution in Mason's voice pulled Winds together and he stood too and added with a confident tone "Sir. When do we leave?"
General Braddock drew on the strength emitted by these two men. He stood "Plane's waiting on the tarmac. Your supplies have already been loaded."
He handed them another file "All the details of the suspected location you need are in this file. Come back safely. Bring my boy home. I don't want to have to face Blaze again and tell him I lost all three of you this time."
William rubbed his jaw across the bruises "Don't think I stand any more of his punches."
Mason said astonished "Blaze knows."
Winds interrupted "That's why he hit you."
Mason interrupted "But you didn't say anything to him. I was there in the doorway. How?"
The General looked at them and said "A father knows. That and I asked him to draw out the tunnels."
Blaze's silence and distraction over the past weeks were now completely clear to Mason and Winds.
When the men left the General slumped into the chair. When Samuel had not checked in by the eighteenth day he had read Blaze in on the mission details. He could not keep it from him any longer, it was too cruel. He had the right security level and he could justify it as needing his intel.
He had told Blaze of his plans to get Winds' and Mason's security levels increased to go look for Sam. Blaze had approved of the plan.
They had both been devastated when the first video had arrived. William was glad that he had confided in Blaze at that point. They worked long and hard to get the security levels increased and to gather all intelligence that might be useful for Winds and Mason.
William pulled out his phone and dialed "They accepted. They are on their way as we speak."
[Blaze replied "If anyone can find him and bring him home it is those two. Thank you Sir."]
Both men hung up. There was nothing more to say. The waiting game continued but now with a bit of hope.