CHAPTER NINETEEN: CONTACT

"Steeler, we have contact. It's Jinx, believe it or not. Jinx and her team – Sierra Team – are in country." Flash said.

"Alright, Flash, patch her through to me." Steeler and the others had patiently waited for their go-ahead transmission, but they weren't expecting the contact to be someone that they had left behind in the states. Steeler wondered how Sierra Team had arrived in Borovia so fast and came to the conclusion that circumstances must have changed immediately after his team had departed; Jinx and the other had to have left the United States within the twenty-four hour period after they left the runway.

"Steeler, this is Jinx. We're showing secure communications on our end," Jinx hailed him.

Steeler did likewise. "Roger Jinx, we're showing secure as well. Go ahead with transmission and instructions."

Taking a deep breath, Jinx passed on Sierra Teams Intel information. "Alright, so far all is good with us. As you can guess, we are something of a Plan B; we weren't supposed to be here based on the original plans.

"However, we found the locations of both Whiskey Team as well as Dr. Bennett. There's good news and bad news attached to this, though."

"Ok, Jinx, let's start with the good news." By this time, the rest of the group had huddled around, in, and on the tank, trying to listen to the conversation between Tango Team lead and Sierra Team lead.

Jinx smiled, even if Steeler couldn't see it. "You know, in my experience, most people ask for the bad news first to get it out of the way, but you're the commander."

She continued, "So the good news, since you asked for it, is that each location is close to one of our teams. Still, since I know you're going to ask for the bad news next, here it is: Our target locations are in the opposite location. Dr. Bennett is closest to us, while Whiskey Team is closest to you guys. Yes, we know Dr. Bennett is your primary mission, but it looks like we are in better position to go after him. Steeler, General Hawk dropped us a good three hundred miles away from you guys. It turns out that when they moved the location of the original EMP program, they moved it on the other side of the country as well… which means it's fairly close to us, but real far from you."

Steeler realized where she was going with this. "This changes things," he said gravely. He paused for a moment, regretting what he was about to say… but a decision he had to make. "Well, I guess that means we go for Whiskey Team since we're closer to them and time is of the essence, and you go for the scientist. How is Sierra Team planning on egressing Borovia with Dr. Bennett?"

Shana told Jinx, after hearing Steelers transmission, "They don't trust us, do they? Just because we're the new kids."

Jinx nodded at Shana, rolling her eyes at Steeler, full well knowing he couldn't see her exasperation with him. "Same way Whiskey Team came in… along the south beach. Just a lot further to the east than they were. General Hawk is having a U.S. Navy vessel rerouted just to pick us up. I'm expecting they'll be running silent until we get to our rendezvous point. Talk about flexing military muscle, huh?"

Jinx continued to tell Steeler and his team about Wolken Prison and the likelihood that Whisky Team was being held there. "Be careful, Steeler," Jinx said, winking at the other three ladies… making a point to give him the same chastising he gave them. Still, special operations was all business and had a very serious element, so she explained with great sincerity, "Wolken has a large prison where they're holding our guys. It is well defended. Even with that tank of yours, it'll be a challenge. Better hope they don't find you first or else World War III might break out."

"Steeler," Flash interrupted, "Sierra Team is scanning us information on Wolken that they obtained. GPS satellite images, blueprint specs to the prison, and intercepted radio transmissions. This should give us a lot to work with – number of soldiers, points of entry, and so on. Looks like Hawk equipped them well."

Steeler nodded in approval.

Jinx wrapped up the quick brief by asking, "I imagine that you'll still be rendezvousing with the C-130 to pick up you guys and your tank, same place and same time as General Hawk briefed earlier?"

Steeler said, "That's affirmative. I guess if we're getting a ride with the Air Force and you're getting a ride with the Navy, then we won't see each other until we get back.

"Thanks again for the information Jinx. Look, I know we have to terminate radio communications, so do you have any last questions, since we won't be able to communicate after this?"

"Nope, we're good. Say hi to Snake-Eyes and the others for me," Jinx said.

"Umm..ok, will do. He says hi, too," Steeler looked at the others in the tank, hoping they might have a clue as to why she asked about Snake-Eyes. He was only was met with shrugs from Clutch and Grand Slam. "Good luck, ladies. Tango Team out."

"Sierra Team out," Jinx responded.

"So Jinx, I've been meaning to ask you," Scarlett asked as Jinx zeroized the codes on the radio, effectively making the radio a useless paperweight. "Are you and Snake-Eyes…" She trailed her voice off intentionally as if not wanting to finish the sentence, hoping Jinx would intervene and explain what was going on.

Jinx smiled. "Nope, but we could be," she said playfully, giving Scarlett a wink, knowing exactly what she had intended to ask well before she could finish her slowly drawn-out sentence.

Scarlett shook her head as a soft sigh escaped her lips. While she wasn't comfortable with what was going on, she did calm herself down and promised she would be rational. Ok, let it go, Scarlett. Maybe I do need to tell Jinx about me and Snake-Eyes. I'm probably misjudging things, like I did with Firewall and Snake. I know, I know… I need to grow up a bit here. After all, even if she did know about me and him and was acting like this deliberately – I doubt it, but if – it's Snake-Eyes decision who he wants, not mine. And right now he seems to be happy with me. And I'll do whatever I can to keep it that way. Still, he deserves to be with who he wants… especially after everything he's been through…