Ch. 2: Three Weeks Back
Ethan sat at a round table at the IMF headquarters. To his left were Brandt and Zhen. On his right were Jane and Benji. Director Hunley stood before the group and clicked through slides on a powerpoint.
"Three CIA agents have gone missing," Hunley was saying. "Director Carbone says they were deep cover in Scotland. Jason Rand, Thomas Clare, and Kurtis Isles. Their mission is classified. They were supposed to contact a handler two weeks ago. They haven't been heard from."
"No offence, Director," Benji began, "But...why do we care? I mean, what does this have to do with us?"
Hunley turned grave, "They were my men. They reported directly under me when I was at the CIA. They are the best of the best. If something happened to them, they need better than the best to get them home."
Benji frowned apologetically and nodded.
"Intel has tracked them to an old dock warehouse. The CIA gave us that much, but we don't know who we are dealing with. Whether this had something to do with their mission, or if someone is capturing CIA agents, we don't know. No ransom has been demanded, but intel suggests they are alive."
"All three?" Brandt asked.
"Yes."
"Well that's ballsy," Jane chimed in.
Hunley rose a brow, "In what way?"
"Keeping them all together," Ethan explained, "They have a better chance of escape together."
"So they must be very confident they can keep them prisoner," Hunley replied.
"Or stupid," Lei added.
"Yes, or stupid, but if they were caught in the first place, the former seems more likely."
The group nodded.
"Brilliant," Benji piped up, "Haven't been to Scotland in ages."
"Scotland...at night...in a van...by a dock," Benji grumbled from his com center, "Just as shitey as I remember…"
Ethan and the women snuck through the dark in all black suits, wearing night-vision goggles and brandishing machine-guns. The trio slunk their way to the walls of the warehouse.
Back at HQ, Brandt and Hunley watched the operation on multiple large screens.
"Come on, Benji, it's not that bad," Brandt chided.
"Oh really, are you here?" Benji retorted, "The van smells like old fish and oil lamps. Why is it we can never go on covert operations in Barbados during the day?"
"By 'covert operations' you mean reclining in a lawn chair with a stiff drink, right?" Lei whispered into her com, peering through a window.
"It wouldn't hurt."
Ethan switched his goggles to heat signatures. Three forms sat tied to chairs, facing each other in a circle. Five armed guards wandered around the building. Three at ground-level, and two up on platforms suspended above them. Ethan's eyes narrowed at the whole situation.
"Your best guys, Director?" Ethan whispered.
"The best," Hunley replied confidently.
Ethan watched again before signaling the women. They split off from him, circling around the building. Quickly, Ethan threw a smoke grenade through the window and watched the guards rush up to the noise. Ethan ran towards the nearest door as Lei and Jane burst in through two other entrances and the shooting began.
Benji watched the fight on a monitor on the dash and tapped his hands rhythmically on the steering wheel, waiting for any signs of a quick getaway.
The girls dropped a man each and Ethan shot the two men on the balcony with precision. Jane turned quickly, taking out a second and final man. When the shooting ceased, Ethan rushed to the prisoners. The women looked around then at each other.
"Well that was easy, too easy," Lei stated, looking around, waiting for more armed men. None seemed to be coming.
Ethan shined a light on the prisoners. The three were unconscious and wearing dock-worker uniforms. Ethan examined the faces.
"It's not them," Ethan called out. "They're decoys."
The women's eyes scanned the warehouse, ready for another fight. Still no sound.
"Benji, we're coming to you, have the van ready," Ethan called, untying the decoys and laying them on the ground.
No reply.
Ethan froze. "Benji?"
The sounds of fighting came over the mic. Ethan broke into a sprint, heading for the van. A man in the back of the van began shooting and Ethan had to dive behind a crate. The van screeched forward and skidded around a corner. Ethan ran into one of the warehouses, bolting up the steps and diving out of one of the windows, crashing onto the van with a thud.
He was nearly thrown off, but grabbed the edge at the last moment, hanging from the side. Pulling himself up quickly, the van began swerving from one side to the other, hurling him back and forth. His machine gun fell from his grip, clattering to the ground. The van veered around another corner and Ethan held on for dear life. As they reached the other side of the building, the two other agents began firing at the van's tires. The van screeched to the side, nearly tipping.
Ethan pulled a handgun from his holster as the passenger-side window opened and a man extended a gun out, blindly firing at Ethan. The agent laid flat against the roof until the shooter had to reload. Ethan took that opportunity to slide down and hang off the back. The shooter began firing again, unaware Ethan had changed positions. Ethan leaned around the side and took a well-aimed shot, hitting the gunner in the arm.
The van pulled a hard left and Ethan lost his grip with one hand, dangling off the back. He quickly regained his position crouched against the back and pulled himself back onto the roof. The driver slammed the brakes, sending Ethan flying across the front and onto the hood. Grabbing ahold of the windshield-wipers, he saved himself from being thrown before the wheels. The driver pulled up a gun, but Ethan drew first, firing a shot into the forehead of the driver.
The man fell against the wheel, and before the passenger could do anything, the van lurched to the left and towards a wall of a warehouse. Ethan rolled over backwards, landing roughly on the ground to the right of the van, the side-view mirror just missing him. He rolled a moment, his legs pounding from the impact. The van flew into the wall, crashing through and grinding to a halt.
Ethan ran to the van and opened the back, pointing his gun at the man in the passenger side. He was groaning, but otherwise no longer a threat. Jane And Lei caught up, pointing their guns at the passenger. Jane went to the side to retrieve him. Ethan's attention went to Benji, lying in the back of the van. Ethan was taken aback to hear the sounds of Benji laughing hysterically.
He grabbed Benji, checking him for injury, the tech laughed all the while.
"Benji, are you hurt?" Ethan asked.
"What? Benji asked between cackles, "Are you kidding? That was great," his words were slow, slurred. Ethan looked at him, puzzled.
Lei picked up a tranquilizer gun from the floor of the van and showed it to Ethan. Benji's eyes locked with it.
"They stuck me good," he told Ethan. Ethan let out a little laugh and shook his head, helping Benji out of the van.
"You're going to be okay," Ethan told him. "Brandt," he called to the analyst in his ear, "We were set up. This wasn't a rescue."
"You're my hero," Benji slurred.
Jane pulled the passenger from the car and let out a gasp. "Ethan, he's one of our guys."
Ethan's eyes widened in surprise. There he was, one of the missing agents.
"Zhen...go check the bodies," Ethan called before returning his attention to his earpiece. "We've got one. It's Rand. He's unconscious, but alive. I think he may be the only one."
Back at HQ, Hunley watched with wide-eyes. He remained silent. Stunned.
"Do you think Carbone could have set us up?" Brandt asked the director quietly.
"I wouldn't imagine it, but until this moment I believed nothing but the best of Rand. I just don't know."
In the warehouse, Benji swayed in his chair and stared at Ethan.
"You doing okay, Benji?" he asked him.
"Oh, I am a-okay," the tech replied with a giggle. He stood up quickly and swayed. Ethan reached to steady him.
"You should stay seated for now."
"You should stop looking like the most beautiful man on this world."
The team's attention turned to Benji. Jane stifled a smirk.
"Helo is on its way," Zhen replied, coming back over to the group. "The two on the balcony are the other two missings."
Ethan nodded solemnly, "I'm sorry, Hunley."
The team grew quiet.
"Take the chopper to the port and come back straight away," Hunley told the group before leaving the command center. Brandt stared after him, but didn't stop the man or follow him out.
The sounds of a helicopter cut through the quiet night, and the team stood up. The women waited for the cleanup crew to drop from the transport, but Ethan helped Benji up and began leading him towards the chopper.
"You are bloody handsome," Benji gushed.
Ethan couldn't help chuckle. "Thank you," he replied, humoring him.
"I mean it...you've got such a nice smile, don't let anyone ever tell you you don't."
"Very kind of you," Ethan added, leading Benji by his arm.
"Wait, wait," Benji pleaded, coming to a halt, forcing Ethan to stop and face him.
Without warning, Benji threw his arms over Ethan's shoulders and pulled the agent to him, pressing their lips together. When Benji finally pulled back, he let out a satisfied giggle and began to attempt to saunter towards the chopper.
Ethan stood still a moment, watching the other man stagger away from him.
I just kissed Benji Dunn, Ethan found himself thinking with a laugh. He was amused at the other agent, but as he watched the helpless man wobble towards the waiting medic on the chopper, Ethan surprised himself by thinking, I want to do it again.