Love Struck Eternal
Chapter 35 - A different girl.
Zeta's POV, Iraq.
I sat at the kitchen table with my sister and her husband. Both of them were helping me pick out some colors for the theme of the wedding Raptor and I had planned. Well I guess in truth it was more so me than him planning this. Even though he brought it upon himself to propose to me after all these years, I still saw how he was acting about really tying the knot. He was just indifferent and no one could blame him. He loved me and we all knew that to be the truth and I think at the end of the day that's all I really cared about.
Looking over a few color palettes I had lined out around the table, my sister asked me.
"How about this one? It reminds me of mom."
The color she was looking at was a simple yet slick looking dark brown and brighter shades of reds and oranges. Our mom was a mixture of all of these when she was still alive. So giving Pep a smile, I replied honestly to her suggestion.
"It does remind me of her, but I'd like to think Pep; that mom wouldn't want me to make a choice based on her behalf. She always wanted us to go our own way.
Nodding Pepper looked back at me to say.
"True, but I mean it would still look nice on you and Raptor. Not to mention Cody. You know how hard it is to get anything nice to match his fur?"
Cody who was just sitting down between us listening took a second to laugh and interject.
"I think I look good in most colors, thank you."
"I'm teasing hun." She then informed him as we all suddenly stopped to hear the front door open. In confusion I got up to see who it was and to my surprise it was Raptor and Yoga. Both of which looked tired. Yoga more so. Still confused however, I asked them as Pepper and Cody came to see for themselves who had entered the house.
"What are you guys doing back so soon? I thought you weren't gonna be back for another hour." Taking off his jacket, Raptor gave me a small smile to reply.
"I canceled the rest of my meetings for today. By the time we got done talking numbers with Hoffer, I had realized just how much of my life had been sucked out of me. And that man promised me he would give me a break when I needed it and I'm collecting for once. Yoga as my witness would agree with me that what we just went through was worse than any bullet to the head."
Looking at the ferret in the hopes that he would add something more to the explanation, I found myself laughing when he groaned to us.
"I never had a need to know about the money it takes to run Iraq's water filtration system, or the need to know how much money it costs for us to produce oil shale in Iran. I was trained to defend my country. Not die in a boardroom surrounded by financial aids and press cameras."
The ferret then proceeded to take off his rifle and rest it and himself on the couch next to my soon to be husband who just leaned back to shut his eyes with him. With my sister coming to my backside, she asked the hedgehog.
"When am I gonna be able to buy the new Timeshare magazine?" I laughed a little as Raptor chuckled and reopened his eyes to look over at us to reply.
"Another week. Jen is finishing up the last few articles then it'll get published and you can make more fun of me."
"Still crazy you of all people get put on a G.U.N global magazine. Why not your soon to be wife?" Pepper questioned playfully as I heard my phone suddenly start ringing from the kitchen table where Cody still sat. However once he looked at my phone I saw the look in his eyes change and instantly he looked at me in confusion for what to do. On the approach, I heard from Raptor who remained on the couch.
"She's a big part of it, Pep. Trust me when I say this to you. Zeta got a lot of showtime. I swear."
"She better have." She replied as I reached the counter to see that Sam was calling. Instantly I picked it up to answer and that got the attention of everyone but Cody who already knew how important this was to me.
"Hey baby. How are you?"
"I'm good mom." She replied in a calm voice as Raptor leaned up to look into the kitchen to see me on the phone.
"Who is it?" He asked in confusion as Pepper quietly whispered back.
"Samantha."
Raptor instantly widened his eyes, but remained on the couch as I proceeded to ask my daughter who sounded older just from her voice alone.
"What's going on? I haven't heard from you since the last time we talked. How's work?"
"Good." She replied as I took a seat at the table so I could put her on speaker for everyone to hear.
"Pretty good. I've been busy. Just trying to make some money and keep my head down." The moment Raptor heard her voice he stood up from the couch and came right on into the kitchen. He however stopped at the entrance alongside my sister who took it upon herself to notice his face. Raptor was sad. Clearly his whole mood had swung around and seeing that for herself she took his hand as a sign of comfort. I just wanted to keep my baby talking so I decided to ask her after hearing her response to my last question.
"Are you okay? Is money an issue?"
"No." She replied as I nodded and let her continue.
"Money isn't an issue mom. I'm doing okay. Nothing really is bothering me thankfully. How are you? How's the wedding planning going?"
"It's going great. Pepper and Cody are here helping me pick out the colors we want for the event. Your on speaker by the way. Say hi to them." I urged her as I looked right back at my sister and Raptor with a small smile in hopes that she would do it and thankfully after a moment she did.
"Hey aunt Pepper. Hi uncle Cody."
"Hi honey!" Pepper shouted back as Cody took his turn to wonder.
"Hey sweetheart. How's the US treating you? I haven't been over there for a few years now. Is it still a madhouse?"
"Very much so, but I'm getting used to it."
"What are you doing for work?" He then proceeded to ask as I still had my eyes on Raptor who kept himself silent.
"It's off and on. I'm bouncing around for now. I'm just trying to find something I like doing. It's not really worth discussing." Sam informed us as I jumped back in to state.
"Hey, it's been a long time since we got a chance to talk to you Samantha. Whatever you have going on is worth discussing. Are you at least happy?"
Raptor slowly came a step closer as she replied.
"Yeah, I'm happy. Like I said mom there isn't really anything going on that's messing with that. I'm okay and I just wanted to see how you were doing. I also wanted to ask you a small question about the wedding. Are you and dad having it in Iraq? I'll need to know so I don't book a wrong ticket on the way back. The last thing I want to do is ruin your big day by missing the ceremony."
I was thanking god himself that she was talking more than usual. By now I expected her to vanish again from my life, but here I was actually holding a conversation. So with a need to keep it going, I answered her concerns by informing her.
"It's gonna be in Iraq. We came to the conclusion that it's probably not a good idea to have it in Iran after what happened to your uncle. Especially since we plan to make the event a public one. We want this to be as safe as possible. For everyone involved."
"Private would be the safest thing if that's the case. Aren't you worried about the people who killed him?" Sam asked that in a way that made me concerned for her well being. She sounded as if she wasn't concerned at all about the situation. I had to ask her back before giving her an answer.
"Wouldn't you be?" Raptor and the rest of my family understood why I asked that. I could feel that everyone here in this room picked up on her lack of care. I wondered if it was because she might have grown away from her old self since leaving home, or if she was just being careless with her wording. I wanted to know which and I hoped I'd get a good read on her response to come. A moment later she said to me calmly.
"Honestly? I don't think these people care about you or dad."
"What do you mean?" I asked her back as her father looked absolutely enthralled by his daughter's response. He sat down at the table in front of me and just listened as she went on to state.
"I've seen the news of course. I don't know how real G.U.N paints the situation for the public, but just based on what I know; I'd say the people who killed Char just wanted to disrupt the peace signing and delay the border relations he had in motion. I mean they attacked the hospital Yoga was staying at right? Wasn't dad there with Ajex Marano?"
I nodded but kept silent as she went on stating carefully.
"They clearly were trying to kill Yoga so he couldn't potentially talk and give up any details of the attack. If they managed to attack then and there, why didn't they just try to kill dad or Ajex? It doesn't make sense to me. They have to be planning something more detailed. If they only cared about killing; I'm sure they wouldn't have tried to kill just Yoga. Keeping their identity hidden seems to be priority number one. How is Yoga by the way? Is he okay?"
Looking over at the ferret, I replied to my daughter calmly.
"He's doing well. He's a lot better since your father and him had a proper chance to talk about everything that happened. Give him a few weeks and he'll be back on his feet in no time to make the wedding."
"That's good." Sam sighed as I then decided to ask her.
"So you don't have any concerns about the wedding?"
"I do of course, but I'm just trying to think about it all rationally mom. I'd still have security just in case, but I don't believe they'll be aiming to try anything that stupid. They already had a chance to kill dad before right? Why wait till the new year to do it?"
Sam was right. She was so smart it made me proud. Yet it wasn't like her to think like this. My daughter would be terrified for my safety. What changed? I wondered as I then heard her ask.
"How's dad holding up?"
I hesitated to say anything as my eyes looked right to him as she asked that. Raptor just seemed all the more confused. He didn't know what to do. Was it a good idea to talk? I bet that's what he was thinking so I would have to make the choice for him by informing my daughter.
"Your dad just came home a few minutes ago Sam. He's here with us. He's just being quiet. Say hi hun." I urged the hedgehog who immediately said with a low and almost shy voice.
"Hi honey."
Sam took a second to say anything back, but after a few seconds she replied in the same steady tone.
"Hey dad. How are you holding up? Busy?"
"Yeah. Haha." He laughed back which also brought him a smile as he went on claiming.
"Very busy. I'm hanging in there though. There isn't much else to say about it. I miss your uncle deeply. I'm sure he missed you too."
"Me too." Sam replied sadly as I then asked her.
"He had a good funeral. Almost the whole city showed up to say their goodbyes. Did you maybe want to go see him once you get back? I assume you'll be coming a few days before the wedding right? We could do something like that if you're up to it."
"Maybe. I'm not too sure when I'll be able to fly down though. I doubt I'll have the time."
Her statement made my heart slightly ache. In confusion I questioned.
"What do you mean? Aren't you gonna be one of the bridesmaids?"
Pepper picked up on my heart's instant response to sadness and came right on over to grab my hand. I took it away from her in confusion still as my daughter replied to me.
"I don't know yet mom. Maybe a few months ago I wanted to, but ever since I moved I've been struggling to cling to what I once was. Back then the stupid kid in me wanted to be there for you like that, but now? It's safe to say I've disappointed you and dad with my rash decisions and my heartlessness while considering both of your feelings and to be honest I'd rather just be there watching the wedding. I can't picture myself being at your side right now. Especially in a dress."
Raptor and I exchanged looks. We were both lost and worried for our daughter. Enough so that I decided to say back to her a moment after hearing her response.
"Why? Your father and I aren't disappointed Samantha. Yeah we were hurt that you ran away without saying a word to us, but we aren't against you now. If anything we're both just worried. You haven't been talking to any of us about anything. We don't know what's going on with you."
Sam went silent now as Raptor took a chance and jumped into the conversation to whisper calmly.
"I know you left because of what I did Sam. It wasn't your rashness that caused that. It was me. I messed up. I should have been better. I shouldn't have made your decisions for you. I've gone through enough kids to know I should have learned my lesson. I know that, but please don't do this to your mother. You don't have to talk to me. Hell you don't even have to look at me, but please come home and be by her side for this. It's all she wants. It's all she's ever talked about since I proposed. Don't take this away from her because of my mistakes. Please Samantha."
Sam still wouldn't say anything back as Raptor and I were still looking worried. However after a minute or so she came back from her end of the line replying in an equally sad voice to match her dad's.
"I'm saying this because I want to. This has nothing to do with what happened dad. I just….I just don't want to."
"There has to be more to this Sam." Pepper stated out from my right side as Cody decided to ask.
"You've been on your own for a good bit now kiddo. I get that you must feel alone over there by yourself, but don't let that drag who you once were away from you. You're a good person. A good niece and an even better daughter. This wedding is for your mother. It's her big day and I'm sure you still love her deep down. Please don't deny her this now. You love her right?"
"Yeah." She replied as he then begged.
"Then please do this for her. If you can't, then do it for me. Hell, do it for Pep. In fact, why don't you just do it for both her and I? You owe us since you missed out on our wedding. It sounds only fair, right?" Cody had a good point. One I hadn't considered and I looked at him as if he saved my life when my daughter replied a moment later.
"Maybe. I just don't know yet."
"Then take your time and think about it baby." I urged her back as happily as I could as Cody seemed happy that he made a small difference in the conversation. With a few seconds passing, I looked back at Raptor who took a chance going forward. In a calm and steady voice he asked Sam curiously.
"What happened to school Sam?"
Now this subject was another topic he and I discussed beforehand. We had our concerns, but we were mostly just curious what changed. In the same somewhat sad voice, she replied to his question.
"Nothing happened to school. I'm just not ready right now for it. I'd rather work and work on myself while doing it."
"Okay." Raptor nodded back carefully as I then had to ask her.
"How's your venom holding up? Can we just assume you've been off the pills Zandro gave you for a while now?"
"I threw them away after the fighting happened. I've been perfectly fine without them in my life. My venom is no longer a problem. My anger as well. I haven't had any problems since leaving home and I don't plan to start now. I told you guys I could handle it."
"I never doubted that hun." I informed her as Raptor then stated.
"I should have come to you about the whole thing Sam. I'm sorry I didn't."
Sam hesitated to say anything back to him now. I figured she might be avoiding it, or maybe she just didn't have the words. Regardless I saw the look in his eyes lighten up when she suddenly came out from her silence to reply.
"You're fine. I shouldn't have attacked you like I did. You didn't deserve it. So I'm sorry too."
Never once in my life have I seen this man cry happily. The moment Sam's voice cut off he began to tear up happily and that left all of us feeling warm as Sam then said to us.
"I have to go."
None of us wanted her to do that, but it wasn't like we had a choice. Thankfully my sister was more than ready to start us off with our goodbyes by shouting from my side.
"Keep in touch more! Call your mother once you made up your mind about the wedding! We can't have just Maggie and I being the only bridesmaids!"
Sam didn't get any time to say anything back before Cody added in his two cents.
"Let's all just try to get along once the time comes around for it Sam. Clearly your parents aren't mad or upset with you now, so come back home soon and let's pick up where we left off. You still owe me a fun time out for missing my wedding anyway; so let's get even."
Sam chuckled once she heard that suggestion, but despite that said back in a still somewhat sad tone of voice.
"Don't hold your breath on that one. I still don't know what my plan is."
"Listen to your mother Sam." Urged Raptor back as we all looked back to him.
"Take your time. Don't rush anything if you don't want to, but please do us a favor and keep in touch more. I want to know what you're going through sometime and if you need anything I'd want to help in any way I can. I love you, okay?"
Sam didn't say anything back. Instead she skipped that part and said right to me before hanging up.
"I'll do my best. Goodbye."
The line went dead and with it the room we were in went silent for a few moments. I was just happy to hear from her again. Raptor on the other hand was ecstatic it seemed regardless of not getting an "I love you" back from her at the end. The fact that she accepted his apology made all the difference in his life just now and thanks to Cody and my sister; I had some faith she might still be at my side for the wedding, but god only knows till we get closer to the date.
Sam's POV.
Hanging up my phone, I took a moment to look at the seat in front of me in awe for what to feel. That conversation went well I think, but regardless of how it went I still had to question if I planned to attend the wedding at all. I have no clue what kind of time I'll have in the middle of all this shit I'll be doing and I still know for a fact I'm not looking to get dressed up in some dress.
At the least I gave my family some hope for it, but I still think my plan would be to wait. I'll figure it out somehow, but for now I was just glad to get that over with. I now knew the wedding would be in Iraq for sure and that made things easy when it came to planning my trip home. It was all just gonna be a matter of when I could slip away. G.U.N wouldn't be keeping tabs on me if I was meant to be alone for this mission and if I waited long enough to contact Royce during that month I'm sure he wouldn't notice a thing.
Taking a moment to collect my things, I put them all back in one of my bags and decided to kick my feet up and try to sleep some. I had plenty of time. Yet as I laid here my thoughts drifted to what Aunt Pepper said a moment ago on the phone. '
Maggie was gonna be a bridesmaid? I haven't seen her for a long time. I wonder what she's been up to. Might be nice just to get in touch again. She was like an older sister to me considering our age difference. She was four years older than me I think. Last time I saw her I was getting ready for my last year in high school. She went to the army and we just naturally drifted apart. Seeing her now would shake things up for sure. Considering how I acted back then. I was pathetic. She probably still thinks I am. I bet they all do. Yet here I was now wondering when I'd get the chance to kill again. What a strange feeling it was. Just the thought of doing it again made me shiver. Hopefully I could control myself, but I expect that to be a mute point once I know what I'm doing.
The following night.
You ever sleep a full night's rest on a plane? It wasn't the best feeling in the world, but here I was just waking up after another long drive from Iran's main airport. We just crossed into Azerbaijan and fuck if I wasn't excited to get started. Even with the weather being drastically different from what it was like back home.
This time of day the sun had set and we found ourselves drenched in cold winds deep in the mountains. I think the main city was a good distance away by car, so I'd expect to be out here in the wild for the full night at least. I wanted to take my time and search the area. If I had any luck on my side, I'd have a trail at some point to at least get me started.
I was in the front of a large jeep wrangler. Driving was this hedgehog who was tasked with me getting me to the location of the bird. Nice enough guy but he was just focused on getting me there and going on his way. Apparently he worked for the M.E.A.F. I doubt I had to worry about anything coming from it. I doubt my father and his men had any part in tasking this small favor. Regardless we were almost there and by the time we had reached the spot, I stepped out of the car with my bags on my back and my eyes on what remained of a standard chopper. Fenning was right. This thing was nothing more than a frame. How did they get this thing stripped and moved? I wondered as the hedgehog sitting across from me mumbled.
"Here at last. Good luck with whatever you're up to."
"You too." I replied as he began to drive backwards down the mountain.
Now left to my own devices, I sensed a few of the men around the site making their way towards me. Someone must have called them in. I thought to myself as I took my eyes off the bird and rested them on a human male about my size. He looked older than the other kids around here so I figured he was the man to speak to. However he started us off by asking.
"Lieutenant?"
"Yes sir." I replied as he offered me his hand. I took it and immediately he shook it and turned me back towards the chopper to say.
"Nice to meet you. I'm sure you're looking to get started so let's not sugarcoat anything for you. My name is Johnson. Sergeant Johnson and I've been tasked with keeping this sight on lock down till G.U.N got someone out here and you appear to be it. So let me inform you now that the men I got here are expert trackers and despite that we haven't found shit."
Nodding my head as I got approached by the rest of his small team, I noticed quickly that they weren't all G.U.N. Some wore brown and red uniforms and judging from the looks of some of them they had to be men working for the military here in the country. Nice to know what they look like in uniform if anything could be said.
After a moment more, Johnson began to guide me towards the front of the chopper. Pointing out the state of it, he said to me bluntly.
"The people who flew this baby in had a fun time pulling it apart. Expertly done, no scraps anywhere within our perimeter, and no signs of how they moved it all. Call me curious but I'd like to think they flew it out, but that doesn't make any sense to us. Why fly all this way just to break it down and transfer it using another bird?"
"No chance they drove?" I wondered as I had my focus mainly on him as he contemplated the idea. After a few seconds he said back to me.
"We searched two miles out. Ask anyone here. Did anyone here find tracks?"
I looked around the men and each of them shook their heads. Almost instantly however I realized no one here was a wolf or even a dog breed. Most of them were humans. A few echidnas but that was it. I thought to myself as I then was urged by Johnson who stayed by my side.
"You're more than welcome to search for yourself if you don't trust us, but keep in mind it rains constantly around here. Any tracks if they existed were surely washed away by now."
"What's the area around here like?" I then asked out loud as Johnson looked over his shoulder to urge one of his men to approach with the answer. Looking at one of the other humans who worked for G.U.N, the kid handed me a map and pointed out the areas which he had marked with a black sharpie.
"It's nothing but mountains around here. The entire area is covered in them. Driving off the main roads is not advised due to the terrain and the hostile wildlife living out there."
"Like what?" I wondered as he looked at one of the other trackers who was native to the country. It was one of the echidnas and nicely enough he said to me while clearly giving it some thought.
"Ahhh we have Asiatic wildcats, European badgers, stone martens, red and roe deer, chamois, Caucasian squirrels, field mice, Daghestan pine voles and…?" Cutting him off I restarted my question by asking in the middle of his list.
"What's dangerous though? What should I be aware of if I go out there?"
Giving me a straight face he replied.
"We have some wild Lynxes and Caucasian brown bears out there. There may also be some Syrian brown bears as well. Not that it matters much. They'll both try to kill you."
"Okay." I exhaled as Johnson came back into the conversation by asking me outright.
"You plan to stay out there?"
Looking back at him I replied.
"I plan to do whatever I gotta do to find a trail first of all. If it involves me having to spend a night or two out in the wilds then so be it."
All of the men looked at me like I was crazy. Johnson was the first however to inform me.
"That's not a good idea. The mountains are dangerous regardless of where you go from here. And it's not like the weather will be on your side. We got word that another storm will be coming in later tonight. It's supposed to be high winds and heavy rain. You won't be able to move out there on your own, trust me. You're better off staying here and working between the storm. We got food and heat in the trailers too. That's two other things you won't find out there unless you plan on killing a bear."
I could feel my head beginning to drive me in a direction that wanted me to tell this guy off for doubting my ability. I don't care what's about to go down. I need to get started regardless of the fucking weather and my training prepared me for this type of shit. I could live in the mountains if I had to and I knew how to get food. If I had to kill a bear then so be it. I'm not concerned with that. I'm only focused on my mission and that started a few minutes ago. I thought to myself as Johnson read my face to the ask.
"You think differently Lieutenant?"
Looking back at him, I replied bluntly.
"I think I just need to get started. Can I have some room?"
"Of course." He replied as he then ordered the others.
"Back to your stations everyone. Let the Lieutenant and I breathe. That's an order."
The men obeyed and slowly went back to their posts. I was now left with Johnson who then asked me as kindly as he could.
"You want me to get you anything? Drink? Ration?"
"No. Just give me some space and keep your men off me. I need time to think and look around."
"Understood. Well I'll be in trailer two if you need anything, but just let me say this now, but I doubt you'll fare any better than us. If there was something to work with here we would have found it. You're better off heading to Baku or one of the other cities."
"That's where you're wrong." I informed him as I took a step into the empty chopper to begin looking around the frame inch by inch. My nose was also working at a mile a minute and with that being my main tool I took a moment to kneel down in the chopper before looking back at the man to suggest.
"You and your men don't have natural selection on your sides. You can only see what's right in front of you. Me? Well I was born to do this. So like I just said…..give me some space."
It was clear Johnson didn't like my cocky attitude, but I didn't fucking care. I was better than everyone here and frankly it made me sick to think these men were trackers at all. Hounds like me should be the only ones given that kind of a title. Rain? Mud? It didn't fucking matter. I'd get a trail one way or the other and during this small altercation I already picked up on more than a few scents. Most of which I could already trace back to their sources, which were all of the people Johnson had on his team. Yet I could smell some others if I really focused and that got me to commit to my search.
Johnson at this point decided to fuck off and go to his trailer. By the time he was inside I was making my way around the chopper inch by inch tracing those smells around like they were potential meals in the distant future.
Stepping out of the chopper, I honed in on something small. A very faint scent. It reminded me of my father. I smelled tobacco. Or at the very least it was nicotine of some sort. It was faint but it wasn't part of the rest of this site. So with my attention grabbed, I began to walk off towards a small dirt path that seemed to go uphill. It had to go on for at least half a mile. It was too early to assume, but maybe these guys did walk. That still wouldn't explain what happened to the chopper though. I thought to myself as I sniffed my way towards the path.
Despite all of this it felt great to be out doing something with my life again. G.U.N was wrapped tightly around my finger and my family was none the wiser to what I really had going on. Part of me wondered how to handle the wedding if I managed to go to it. The scars alone would bring about too many questions from them. I could only imagine what everything else would bring. I mean just look at me now compared to when I left that place.
The military and all my training helped me form a body to be proud of. I gained twenty pounds of just pure muscle since joining and thanks to Roslin and my own efforts; my body was beyond anything I could ever wish for. I was more than fit. Even Royce told me so after we got to know one another. Compared to what I was when I left home, I'm completely changed in shape. I bet I outshined even my father at this point.
Only difference between us was the fact that my dad looked like a broken man. He had more scars than anyone I ever met. He just embodied a soldier. I was still fresh apart from my face. Yet that didn't matter really. Either way I'd draw a lot of attention and I don't have a good enough plan yet to approach my family with. I doubt I could lie my way around it and telling them I joined the army would probably be a bad idea. It would throw my whole operation off. I needed time to think and at the very least I had that much on my side for now.
In the middle of my train of thought, my nose had carried me probably about a hundred meters from the chopper and just off the main path I followed; I stopped to a much stronger scent now.
I had to focus now and that started by taking a good look around the general area. Nothing but bushes and tall grass surrounded me. It would be impossible to find a source without my nose and with that not being the case I soon found myself digging through a few patches of grass to find a half smoked cigarette buried in some dirt. The whole thing was nearly ruined in color and texture as I picked it up to get a better look. With some letters on the filter standing out, I read them to myself out loud.
"Lucky?"
Now I barely knew much about cigarettes, but I knew enough that only one brand had the word lucky in their name and that brand was called Lucky Strike. I didn't think anyone smoked them.
Throwing it back in the grass with a light flick of my fingers, I stood back up and began to wonder if I was on to something. I had to be sure of that, so I decided to go to each of Johnson's men to ask if any of them smoked. Some did and some didn't, but the ones who did I asked if they smoked Lucky Strike's and to no one's surprise they didn't. This had to be my first clue. Who knows how many people were on the chopper when it touched down, but one of them had to smoke these. Dusk? I questioned as I went back to the pathway where I found it.
Looking around the area some more, I had to wonder if they traveled this way. Maybe one of them just went over here to smoke, but judging from the landscape there wasn't anywhere else to walk to from here apart from the main road, which I'd assume they'd ignore if they were really trying to stay off the grid.
Now with my own ideas brewing, I took another look at the map I was shown by one of the trackers. If I traveled this path it led one of two ways. The path was carved to go right over the mountains; to soon be joined back by the main road once on the other side. Then it looked to be a short trip back onto the main freeway and into Buka. Which just by looking at this small map appeared to be twice the size of Iraq's main city where I lived. This was gonna take a lot of fucking time to map out if they indeed went there with the gear from the chopper.
The other path seemed to branch off once you nearly reached the top. It then appeared to go the long way around the mountain and away from the main road and freeways. Cars and trucks couldn't drive that way. The path was too small to risk it. If Dusk and his people drove the gear out of here then they could only go one way. My best bet would be to just follow the main path and keep an eye out for anything that could help me solidify my reasoning.
However when I looked up I could clearly see the storm Johnson mentioned a few miles out. The clouds were darker than what remained of the sky and that told me this would be a bad one. I could wait it out here, but I knew if I did I could be giving these guys more time to regroup. I'd take my chances. I said to myself as I decided to pocket the map into the back of my duffel.
Walking back to the chopper, I approached trailer two and entered to find Johnson sitting at a small folding desk with a laptop. He looked right back at me as I entered and with that I said to him bluntly.
"I'm gonna get a move on."
"Already?" He questioned as I nodded and replied a moment later.
"I can't let these guys get more time than they deserve. I have a few theories as to where they went, but I'm not gonna confirm anything sitting through the storm. I'd lose more than I'd gain if I did that, so I'm gonna get a move on."
Standing up from the desk, Johnson went over to a set of shelves where the food storage must have been held. Tossing me two bottles of water and a set of rations, he wondered.
"You want more? We'll be packing up if you don't need us."
"No thanks. I'll be fine."
Giving me two grumpy eyes, he then urged me.
"Well don't say we didn't warn you. You get yourself killed out there or trapped just know we won't be coming for you. So play it safe out there Lieutenant."
"Noted." I replied as I added the food and water to my bags and turned to leave the trailer. Johnson followed me up to the doorway and just watched as I made my way off on the path. I heard him then yell out an order towards his men, but I didn't plan to look back or see what it was. I knew my mission. With some more luck I'd be on the right track now, yet without evidence I knew it was all a gamble for now.
The walk would be a long one and I had to wonder how long I'd have before the storm hit the area. My best guess was maybe another hour and that wouldn't be enough time to set up shelter somewhere out here. I'd just have to work through it.
With my focus now in front of me, I took my time and decided to take my rifle out from my duffel. I was preparing for the worst if I happened to come in contact with anything hostile. Yet I settled not to directly hold it in my arms and instead I wrapped the sling I had around my neck and made it so my rifle laid horizontal above my backpack and once that was done I refocused on my eyes and nose to guide me. Hopefully I'd be able to hold onto the confidence I had.
Four hours later.
Johnson was right. This storm was bad. At times I was barely able to stay on my feet from the wind speeds alone. My hair was constantly getting sent back and forth and at this point I was completely soaked from head to toe. My boots were swimming in mud from the path I'd been walking and that only made matters worse. It was like walking in quicksand at this point, but at least I had covered a fair distance since starting. I wasn't even halfway there yet, but it was better than I thought considering the situation.
"Fucking hell!" I said out loud as I nearly lost my feet again from another strong gust of wind.
Growling to myself just to demonstrate my emotions, I took a quick minute to pull off the path just to check my laces. Both of them came undone and I knew losing a boot would be horrible in this environment.
Once I started tying my second boot, I caught something in the corner of my left eye to spot what looked like a metal sheet buried in the grass and drowned in mud. Instantly I got up after tying my last boot and approached the sheet to begin pulling it out of the ground. It was the size of a TV tray, but what made this important was the fact that it was military. I could tell just by the feel of it. That and it was the same color as the chopper that was stripped. My heart couldn't help but get warm as I realized I was definitely on the right track now.
"They must have dropped you." I said to the metal sheet in my hands.
Giving the plate one more good look, I put it back down and got back on the trail. I still had a long way to go.
What became new to me was how focused I became once I saw that sheet of metal. The rain became a mere nuisance as I focused most of my energy on just staying alive now. My sole goal was to reach that spot on the map where the trail broke off. I knew it would be a few more hours till I reached that distance, but I had more motivation now. I'd get through this. I knew I would. I just had to keep pushing.
Two hours later.
The storm had passed nearly an hour ago now. I was grateful it was over but it was still pitch dark out here and I was getting really cold. I had to warm up soon and my legs needed a little time to rest. Even with Roslin's power, hiking through thick mud for six constant hours was starting to drain me. However I was okay taking a break considering I saw the halfway point I wanted to reach coming up ahead.
The area I was in was now complete wilderness to me. No houses, no people, nothing that resembled humanity was within eye shot. I was also so far from the main road that I couldn't see any cars or even the main road from where I was walking. At the very least though I still had the insane ability to sense anything on me. If I wanted to camp out now I knew catching food would be child's play. In fact I think that made settling down for a few hours all the more worth it to me.
With nothing but the open range to work with to my right and the vast forest to my left, I chose to jump off the trail and go into the forest. Mainly because it would be easier to find dry wood under all those trees to light a fire with. It would take time, but I would get that working soon enough, and once I did I made myself a small camp under a few collapsed branches and a large boulder. I'd use the rock as my mattress for now. All I cared about was resting my legs. Then I'd hunt some real food. The rations Johnson gave me would simply buy me some time till then.
During my downtime I checked all my gear. My weapons were clean and in working order while the spare set of clothes I had were still dry. I even took a look at the map again just to see where things would take me. I had a strong feeling now that the helicopter parts were driven down the rest of this trail and onto the main road, then taken into Baku somewhere. No clue where they would go from there, but my mission wasn't to locate the parts. It was to locate the people transporting them.
I had to wonder if I was in their shoes what I would do to remain as low to the ground as possible. I'd assume these guys had this all planned out from the start. Which means that the people who transported the gear from the landing site were all probably prepared for the trip back. Which means they had legit transport that wouldn't draw any attention. No shot they had the helicopter parts uncovered while driving into the city. It would draw the law if that was the case. Could be construction vehicles they used, or it could have been simpler. A few trucks with some covers on them could have done it easily. Much easier to work with.
However that doesn't mean the actual assassins went with the gear. If they were smart they wouldn't chance being caught on any traffic cameras. The network has to have eyes on everything like that; and G.U.N and the M.E.A.F were paying for them to keep an eye out for anything and if Dusk was made then the assassins wouldn't drive back. They'd have to walk, like me. I thought to myself as my eyes took a look ahead at the spot on the map where the trail branched off.
If they walked that path they could have easily slipped all the way around the mountain without anyone noticing. But the path itself was a long one. It's not like this path I was on. It was more like actual rock climbing. Hint why you couldn't drive this way. But if they did take this path there was a lot of room to work with when it came to entering Buka without using any of the main roads. The city wasn't like Afghanistan, Pakistan, or even Iraq. There wasn't a giant fucking wall wrapping around the whole city. There wasn't a gate to check in at. You could just walk into the city without anyone asking any questions and if I had to guess these guys have a clever way of doing it. No chance they just walk into the city with all they're gear. Right? I asked myself as I quickly slapped myself in the face for even thinking that.
I bet they stowed all they're gear with the guys who transported the helicopter. That way they could just walk in without any fucking problems. Smart bastards. I thought to myself as I tore into one of the two rations I had.
As I ate I thought about how I would go about this now. I'd travel that second path and make my way into Baku. I'd have to stow my rifle back into my duffel at some point before reaching it and once I was inside the city I'd have to find a spot to stay at for the night. Assuming everything goes okay and I get into town without getting pulled over by some nosy cops. But a place to set up shop would be step one once I'm there. I need a place to coordinate at. Somewhere towards the center of town would work best. At least till I narrow down Dusk's location. Operating in the center of the city would save me a lot on travel times.
As I continued to brainstorm I suddenly sensed something entering my range. I knew immediately that it was one of those bears one of the trackers mentioned. It had no clue I was even here. It was just walking around I think and thankfully I hadn't lit a fire yet.
Grabbing my rifle and just calmly getting down within my hole, I focused my eyes on where I knew it was thanks to my blessing. It was just off to my right side, about two hundred meters and working its way towards me. I was hoping the storm was covering up my scent a good bit. The last thing I wanted to do right now was pick a fight with it of all the other animals that could be around this fucking mountain.
Bringing my rifle down to the base of the rock with me, I laid it down towards my side and just watched as the bear came within sight now. Fucker was huge and thankfully unaware. I held my breath and watched in silence as he walked right on by me and proceeded further up the path. Once he was gone I exhaled and proceeded to collect myself once more. I needed to rest a few hours now. Build up some of my strength for the rest of the hike ahead.
I gave my legs about two hours of rest and once that had passed I got moving again. My path was about as clear to me as it would get. I took the trail that wrapped around the mountain and didn't look back. My confidence was only bolstered when I came across a very unique scent. It took me back off the trail to investigate. What I found was a tree, but not just a normal tree. This tree was massive in size when compared to the others around the mountain. So massive that the area underneath it was almost all dry; even with the storm that just passed. What made this a priority however was the fact that my nose picked up on the scent of urine coming from its bark. I only had to get a few inches closer to realize that this belonged to a hedgehog.
Hedgehog urine smells completely different from human, fox, or even dog. There was no reason for someone to be up on this path in my mind, which made me wonder if one of Dusk's comrades was a hedgehog?
Taking a moment to note the scent, I soon continued on my path. During which I decided to text Minky using my main phone. I knew he could find me a good place in the city to settle down in that met my needs. Hopefully it would be something I wouldn't have to really think about. This cat was reliable and I wanted to keep him in the loop with where I was in the operation. He knew what I was up to and he wanted to know everything. I respected him enough to not lie and with trust between us built I expected him to do the same.
In about ten minutes or so the cat texted me back informing me that he would get something for me within the next hour. I also decided to see what he suggested for my main use of transport. I'm sure I could find a cheap enough car to buy in the city, but I thought I might as well just ask. However he just urged me to look around once I settled down and I was okay with that. I had the time to work with and enough cash in my back pocket to get whatever ride I wanted.
I wasn't planning to go all out. I wanted to draw less attention. Not more. So getting a high end sports car was the furthest thing on my mind when it came to the subject. In fact I wasn't really sure yet just how much time I'd spend on myself. I planned to keep in shape by maybe joining a gym or something while I was in town. It would be a welcome distraction. I'm gonna destroy this city with my OCD. I'd learn the ins and outs and figure out who was worth working with and who was worth avoiding. Hopefully with some luck I could piece together a decent move to make. Depending on what I learn I suspect my future would involve one of those closed protection contracts Minky mentioned. How else could I draw the attention of these guys that I was looking for? I had to ask myself as I thought about other possibilities.
If Dusk was here I'd find a way to draw him out. Hopefully the people he works for were hiring. If they weren't then all this shit would be for nothing. I'd be safer just gunning for the dog. Yet I couldn't assume anything one way or the other. I just had to stick to my guns and hopefully someone would notice after a while.
But I had to show no interest regardless of my true intentions. I want to join this group, but at the same time it would be too risky to go around claiming that to anyone that would listen. I'd have to lie through my teeth. Believe whatever story I come up with and make all my actions out to be selfish. I don't want to draw any unneeded suspicion. If I played it out right someone would come find me asking if I want to join up. Not the other way around. If that happened then no one could suspect anything from me. It would be their fault if they hired a spook. It would be their fuck up. I thought to myself as I began to put my rifle back in my bag.
My second concern followed the reason why I was now disarming myself. I needed to look like a tourist once I entered the city. Just a stupid tourist. Once the time was right I could show off my hardware. If fate followed my thoughts, I'd have to really commit to my act. A single solo contractor who doesn't work for anyone would surely seem attractive to a group like this. If they think I have no connections and I'm just in it for myself then they could easily approach me from the sidelines and when I thought about it a little more I had to really seem radical at the end of the day to these people. A talented contractor has to know how the network works and if I hunt down a closed contract for no good reason it would bring about too many questions; from both sides. My father has connections everywhere in the middle east and I'm sure this country is his ally.
Acting like a terrorist who only cared about staling world peace would support me well enough. Everyone has a personal stake in what they do for a living and I'd make mine surely seem personal. Lie right through my teeth. Lie so well that even I'd convince myself at the end of it all.
Adjusting myself when I got done stowing my weapon, I took a good look up at the sky. The moon was halved, but it made me feel good just to see it. I'm sure I'd need more mental support in due time.
mT Shadow.