CHAPTER SIXTEEN: THE COVER OF NIGHT
As Snake-Eyes led the teams forward, he couldn't help but wonder what they were to expect at their next rendezvous point – an old, abandoned building that would supposedly buy them enough time to wait for radio contact. Based on their operational plan, their point of contact would get in touch with them, either in person or – worst case scenario…if their contact was a no-show – they would get a message via SATCOM from The Pit. The latter would most likely mean their contact was compromised or diverted, meaning they would be unable to fulfill their part of the mission. Snake-Eyes crossed his fingers and hoped that it wouldn't come to that option.
The night was still young so far and they had the advantage of darkness, but they had to move quickly in order to make it to the building before the sun came up. Supposedly, the building was big enough to fit the tank inside, even though with its stealth and invisible capabilities hiding it was nothing more than an extra precaution.
Nonetheless Snake was grateful for Low-Lights extra set of eyes on this particular night mission in a foreign land. It wasn't that long ago that Low-Light was shot up… shot up bad, sustaining multiple bullet wounds, yet had somehow managed to survive. Snake-Eyes respected anyone that had the physical and mental toughness to pull through from a bloodbath like that – something that took pure will to survive from. In a way, the two had that common bond; both had stared Death right in the face and cheated it by somehow avoiding its dark, wicked claws just before the moment that it reached out to grab them in an attempt to drag them kicking and screaming to the other side.
No, not this time. Maybe another day, on another mission; maybe even this one. But for now, they were both still alive and had plenty of fight left in them. Time would tell.
As they continued to their rendezvous point, Snake-Eyes took a look behind him to make sure Echo Team was still safe and in position. Blowtorch and Barbecue followed at a safe distance behind the two point-men, followed by the near-silent Flagg Tank. If there was one reason that Snake-Eyes was glad he was at point and well ahead of Blowtorch and Barbecue, it was because he was far enough ahead of the Flagg that he didn't have to worry about not hearing it and getting steamrolled by the behemoth.
Recondo took up the rear position behind the tank. Based on the original mission plans and training preparation, Recondo was set to march side by side with Barbecue while Blowtorch took up the rear-guard position. However, Recondo – being the vocal matter-of-fact soldier that he was (often accused by others of "calling a spade a spade") – made it clear to the team leadership that he be the one to take the rear position since he was best suited for it, well before their first practice operation had even taken place. He argued that the team would benefit with him in the rear position since his time spent in the jungle had helped him develop something of a sixth sense.
No one argued. The jungleman's eyes in the back of the head would be a huge asset to the team and everyone knew it. General Hawk ordered Recondo and Blowtorch to swap positions, everyone saw benefits during their training operations in preparation for their current mission, and the rest was history.
Several hours had went by, and they were still making good time. Only a few more hours and they'd be at the building. Tango and Echo Teams had managed to avoid all hostile enemies up to this point. They did have two close encounters, though, that tested the silence of the team and the tank. Their first near-encounter consisted of a noisy band of renegade Borovians camping in the distance; Flash picked up their noise with the on-board audible sensor miles before they encountered them. Instead of ambushing them and drawing attention to themselves, Tango and Echo easily skirted around the Borovians – it was easier to avoid them than slaughtering them and leaving behind a pile of evidence or perhaps letting a lone survivor escape into the night. Minimal contact, as they were ordered.
The second encounter was a little closer to becoming a full-fledge conflict. Snake-Eyes had spotted a random patrol of soldiers ahead of their group. Passing a signal to Low-Light (who in turn passed it behind him to the rest of the team), Echo Team silently crouched and took cover in their positions. The Flagg held fast, blending into the dark forest.
Everyone was well clear of the patrol except for Snake-Eyes, who was maybe twenty yards ahead of Low-Light. With the utmost skill and caution Snake managed to duck behind a decaying, tall stump of what was once a large tree; pressing his back up close to it, he blended in with the dark tree as if he was part of it. His hand slowly moved to the hilt of his sword. His fingers carefully wrapped around it, pulling it up from its resting position in its sheath not much more than an inch. The enemy patrol marched right ahead, oblivious of the two American teams… but their path took them straight towards Snake-Eyes.
The enemy patrol, no further away from Snake-Eyes than a foot or two, walked right on by him to the very last man; they never knew he was there. Snake-Eyes, content that the small band of enemy soldiers had just passed by him with complete ignorance, relaxed his grip on his sword and slid it back into his sheath.
Now, after that close call several hours before hand, they finally had the building in their sights. Snake-Eyes had signaled the team to a halt.
"Ok, Tango, looks like Snake-Eyes has the building one-hundred yards from our position," Steeler said. "Can you get a track on it, Flash?"
"Roger, we're interrogating the building now. Looks like… looks like it's empty. No heat signatures bigger than a squirrel. No noise either. Our x-ray is showing nothing significant. A few concrete blocks, some overgrowth from the trees, but mostly its open space inside. We're good, Steeler."
"Ok, you guys heard Flash. Snake-Eyes and Low-Light, time to prove the Flagg wrong. Push forward and make sure the building is clear."
The sweep of the building and its surrounding area was quick but thorough. Snake-Eyes and Low-Light moved quickly and efficient as they moved inside the building, just like a smoothly operating well-oiled machine. Within moments, Low-Light gave the all-clear to the Flagg and escorted Tango Team inside.
Everything was on time, and on track. Just like clockwork. Then again, Snake reasoned, this was normally the time when something bad was about to happen. Missions that started with such an ugly premise never ever went smoothly, after all.