The Guild, Secretive U.S. Intel Operatives
Chapter 9 - Mission Execution
LtCol. Kwan arrives on time. She had brought along a squad of CCP marines along with her boat and crew. The plan is to attack both the surface ship and submarine at the same to recapture the stolen nukes. Espo and Ryan were to lead a Strike Team1 with a number of CCP Marines to secure the surface ship. Strike Team2, Kate and Rick, were to join Kwan and the remainder of the CCP marines in the operation against the submarine. Their primary objective would be to recapture the two missing nukes. Their secondary mission to capture Jonathan Carter if feasible. They plan for a night ops to conceal much of their actions. Kwan's boat is equipped with electronic counter-measures to jam the instruments of Carter's team and aid in the approach to both the surface ship and the submarine. Kwan will remain on her boat to serve as MCC ( mission command center) to coordinate the overall operations.
It is pitch dark when they begin their ops and Kwan's crew is using infrared goggles to guide them to their targets. The underwater team, Strike2, is facilitated on their approach with Kwan's boat sending out whale sounds to be picked up by their adversary's sonar and mask the approach of the scuba team to the sub. The two teams synchronize their watches and begin at the same hour. The approach by the surface ship strike team, Strike1, goes unnoticed by Carter's men and they get close enough to release grappling lines to scale the ship and board it. There is a security watch on the ship as they breach it but the attack team quickly subdues them. They recapture and secure the first nuke.
Meanwhile, back with Kate and Rick, they are making an underwater approach using electric powered water scooters to propel them to the submarine. The whale sounds being transmitted by the command boat will cloak the sounds of their water ski's so they can get close to the sub undetected. They will breech the sub with underwater explosives, blowing the escape hatch, flooding it, and forcing the sub to surface. Then with Kwan's Marines, Strike2 will capture the sub crew and recover the missile. Kwan coordinates all actions of the op from her watercraft which is serving as the MCC.
What Strike2 did not know was that their nuke on the sub was being now to transferred to yet another boat for delivery to one of The Front's secret bases. This so the CCP crew could look at the guidance system for the missile and steal it's technology for future CCP missiles before the plan to explode it to initiate a major incident.
As the underwater team approaches the sub their instruments indicate the sub is surfacing. This is a fortunate break for Strike2, they will not have to use explosives to force the sub to surface. The team slows its approach to the sub to allow it to fully surface. Strike2 then sees a small tug coming to the sub. As Strike2 nears the sub, they observes the sub and small water craft preparing for a transfer operation. In minutes the one missing nuke tipped missile is being transferred onto the tug. The Strike2 splits into two separate squads, Strike2Alpha and Strike2Bravo. The squads commences to board both the sub and the tug concurrently to recover the last nuke. Rick, his squad 2Alpha, go for the tug, now loaded with the nuke. While Kate with 2Bravo had gone after the submarine. The tug crew puts up a fierce defense and repels 2Alpha but Rick manages to be the only one from 2Alpha to board the Tug.
Concurrently, Kate and 2Bravo manage to get to the sub and climb on to the sub deck, The sub crew on the deck puts up a fierce defense. The defensive stance by the sub deck crew gives them just enough delay time to secure the sub for submersing. As the sub begins to submerge, the remaining sub deck crew quickly reenters their boat. 2Bravo realizes their situation and starts departing the sub as it goes under. Meanwhile, Rick calls for help to capture the tug. 2Bravo realizes their situation and turns their efforts in trying to make it off the submerging sub and aid Rick to capture the tug which now has the last nuke. All of 2Bravo is now contending as sub goes under and take action to abandon the sinking sub. Each member of 2Bravo goes to oxygen as sub pulls them under. They all had gone to oxygen, except for Kate!
Kate's scuba tank had been damaged in the initial attack and she no longer has an operative one to use for a retreat. To make manners worst, Kates scuba harness is caught on a mooring cleat of the sub and Kate is struggling to get free while she is being pulled under by the sub. Kate thinks fast and grabs her emergency oxygen supply, a small cartridge with breathing mouthpiece, that will allow for about 10 minutes of air.
Rick sees what is happening and now has a choice to make. As the only one of his squad to make it on to the escaping tug, he can continue his action, delaying the Tug crew's escape, while waiting for an assist from 2Bravo to recover the remaining nuke….or… .he can go to help Kate in her escape. He makes an instant decision, no hesitation, and goes for the rescue.
He dives off the tug and goes for his water jet scooter now floating close to the spot he boarded the tug. He grabs for the water jet and immediately starts it at full throttle and heads for Kate who is now being pulled under by the sub. In the meantime, with no resistance to their escape, the Tug speeds away, leaving the remaining 2Alpha and 2Bravo members behind. Had Rick stayed, he would have delayed the Tug's escape in time to allow 2Bravo to board and capture the tug boat and the last nuke.
As she is drag under, Kate does managed to escape her entangled harness, but not after being dragged about 25 feet below. She is on emergency oxygen so manages not to drown as she is pulled down. As she escapes her gear, she ascends not knowing if she has enough oxygen left from her emergency cartridge to surface. She no sooner gets free from her entangled scuba gear when quick seconds pass as her air supply goes nil. She prepares for an ascent with no oxygen. As she rises, her lack of breathing air has her go unconscious.
Meanwhile, as Rick approaches the spot he saw Kate being dragged down, he aims his water jet for a descent. He sees Kates get loose of her entangled scuba gear and notes she is using an emergency air cartridge. Thank God, he thinks and notices there are air bubbles escaping from Kate's mouth piece. Rick knows she is getting oxygen, but then he sees also the bubbles quickly stop. He realizes Kate may have just run out of air for her ascent.
He heads full speed to intercept her ascent. As he gets to Kate, she is out cold, unconscious. Rick immediately removes her emergency mouth piece and replaces it with his own mouthpiece to give air for Kate. As she gets oxygen, Kate comes to awareness. Upon seeing this, Rick gives a Kate a thumbs up, which she returns with the same gesture. He points upward indicating they will ascend. Kate nods yes. As they ascend, they share Rick's oxygen.
As they hit the surface, Kate is the first to speak.
"Thanks Rick for saving my life, but what of the Tug with the nuke, did you get it?"
"No, it was either the nuke or you. I chose you."
"Rick, I am expendable, we all are. You should have gone for the nuke."
"I couldn't lose you Kate. I did not want to lose yet another member of my crew."
Upon hearing this, Kate nods an affirmative, and then gets on comms to Espo and Ryan, "Strike2 to Strike1, intercept Tug which now has the nuke."
"Roger Strike2 leader, we're on it", is heard back.
Espo and Ryan also are now trying to intercept the fleeing tug after having captured their nuke target.
"You should have just let me be, Rick, I am expendable. The mission is what counts. I understand I could die on a mission and fully ready to accept that!"
"Kate, I couldn't let that happen, for many reasons, but more so, as you must know by now, that I am falling for you."
Kate just looks into Rick eyes as he professes his feelings for Kate. She then responds by entering Rick's personal space and planting an affectionate and passionate kiss to his lips.
"Oh Rick, I feel the same", she tells him, not bothering to hold back her emotions to his proclamation.
"Well so much for remaining professional. I have once again abandoned that principle!"
"Ain't I the lucky one…..", Kate responds and gives him another lustful kiss with lots of tongue, "how are we to explain this action to Director Jackson."
"Don't worry about it, I have influence with him!"
"Really? Let's hope that influence is strong!"
"Full disclosure?"
"Yes, go for it Rick."
"Jackson already knows you're my type, and will not be surprised."
As they look around they notice the remaining members of both their squads floating in place threading water. The tug had left them behind in their failed attempt to board so they are now threading water. They all are doing this for the next hour or so. Then near the end of their floating scenario, they hear, "Strike Two, Strike One, we have second nuke recovered, prepare for pickup."
A loud cheer is given out by all the remaining floating team members of Strike Two. There will be much to celebrate later.
Debrief
Rick is making a verbal report to Jackson Hunt via satellite phone on their successful recovery of the missing nukes.
"Good job Rick and team, you have prevented a major nuclear incident. Now explain to me again Rick how you chose to rescue Kate instead of remaining on the Tug to stop it from fleeing?"
"It was a command decision on my part Director. I knew that Strike One had already secured the first nuke and was available to go after the tug. So I also called for backup from 2Bravo to go after the tug, then I went to rescue Kate. I was not about to lose a team member."
"I see, there was no personal bias that influenced that decision?"
"There may have been."
"Well in the end, the second nuke was recovered. So it was a good call on your part as Kate was pulled from harm's way. I can't help but to reconsider my position on personal interactions within your team. The thought in this business has always been 'make a friend and die', particularly if you are in a leadership role. The idea has always been that we are all expendable and thus becoming close with a team mate is a liability. The current doctrine is that such personal ties makes it difficult to commit people to an action that could mean their death. To hold back on such a decision could risk the success of the mission. In this case that did not bear out.
"Understand Director."
"No, I need to trust you on the matter and have confidence that in the end, that results will be successful."
"Thank you for the show of confidence and support Director, it goes a long way to encourage all of us to strive for synergy using those same close interactions to get there", Kate says.
"The current practice concerning fraternization may be outmoded. The assumption being that relationships often impede critical tactical decision making".
"Right on Director!", responds Espo and Ryan in sync.
"As team leader, Director Hunt, I will always go for the best mission outcome. But there are some instances where following one's intuition may be necessary over standard protocol. Certainly some of these gut decisions are made based more on 'feelings' rather than the norm of objective evaluation", reassures Rick to the Director.
"In the past we discouraged such a situation particularly the one you were in with Turner."
The mood of the Guild Team turns introspective as they hear Turner's name being mentioned.
"Director, I have as much responsibility for her demise as you. It is a hard lesson learned, she is my one and only team member loss to date. I will strive not to repeat that."
"I know. So let's put it behind us and make Turner's loss count. So rest up and then all of you have are on to the new mission".
"Roger that", Rick's team responds in unison.
They all retire without taking nourishment. The team goes straight to their quarters for some much deserved and needed recovery sleep from the mission. It had all of them drained both physically and mentally. It was time to bring down the combat stress generated by their now successful completion of the mission.
In due time they would get justice for their fallen team mate and bring her murderer in to atone for her homicide. One could sense the team's resolve to make this outcome happen. They would now seek justice for their dead team mate by bringing in her killer to face the consequences of his actions.