by George West
“Wait, what are you doing? Please, I don’t know anything,” pleaded Katherine.
Odin remained silent as he hooked jumper cables to one of the batteries. Katherine understood what was about to happen and she began to panic.
“Wait, wait!”
Odin pressed the jumper cables against Katherine’s exposed stomach. Her screams filled the room for several seconds until he pulled back the cables. Her insides felt like they were burning after the surge of electricity had left her body.
“Kat, I didn’t want to hurt you. Why are you forcing me to do this?”
Katherine continued to plead with her captor. “I’m not forcing you to hurt me. You don’t have to do this. I swear to God; I have never heard of Project Icarus.”
Odin pressed the jumper cables against her stomach again, holding them on her body for much longer than he did the first time. Katherine let out more screams. After Odin took the cables away from her body, she continued to shake uncontrollably. Odin questioned her again and proceeded to shock her, but someone knocked at the door. Odin put the cables down and opened the door. A man appeared in the doorway. He froze once he saw the naked girl hanging from the ceiling with burn marks on her stomach.
“What do you want?” said Odin.
“Has she given you anything?” asked the man.
“We’ve only just begun the process.”
The man continued to stare at Katherine’s lifeless body and became overwhelmed with fear. “I have just been ordered to redirect our course," explained the captain.
“Where are we going?”
“Louisiana.”
Chapter 8
The hills outside of the FOB were filled with fog. The sun began to rise and everyone at the compound were moving, cleaning weapons, and listening to radio chatter. Adam Dawkins woke up and felt like shit. He was confused and had no idea what just happened. As he looked around the room, he noticed bloody towels and bandages. He felt something sharp penetrating the skin of his arm. Adam noticed a small tube running from his arm to an IV bag next to his bed. Fuck me, he thought to himself.
Jessica lay on a chair next to Adam, fast asleep. Dawkins gazed at Jessica as she continued to rest. A partial beam of sunlight from the window glistened on her forehead. Adam smiled and attempted to sit up but immediately felt a jolt of pain. He glanced down and noticed the bandages wrapped around his stomach. The memories of the firefight in the swamp poured into his brain.
“Chief, it’s about time you woke up.” Hunter appeared in the entrance with a cup of coffee in his hand.
Jessica's eyes slowly opened as she heard voices. “Adam!"
“You miss me?”
“Actually, no. I’m pissed off. You ruined my favorite shirt.”
“Chief, you were touch and go for some time. You are lucky that Jessica brought you back to the medic. I would have just left your ass in that swamp.”
“Jessica saved my ass. Well, this day just keeps getting better.”
“You know what? A thank-you would suffice.”
Adam, Hunter, and Jessica walked down the hall to the TOC.
“It’s good to see you back on your feet,” said Major Gandler.
“The Global Alliance can’t put me down forever, major.”
“Actually, it wasn’t the G.A. that attacked us. It was those pussies from that militia,” interjected John.
“That was a bold move. They must know we found out about their friend, Landry” replied Adam.
Dawkins struggled to walk over to the table containing the intelligence briefs.
“Finally, some damn coffee.” Adam picked up the plastic cup and took a long sip. “This shit is awful. Who in the fuck loaded this up with cream?”
“Sorry sir, that’s... that's mine,” replied Clark Stevenson who sat at the table with his computers.
Adam stared down at the table and observed several pictures and maps. “What are these?”
“That’s the militia compound. Hunter and I went on a recon mission while you were passed out. We’ve started to plan a direct-action raid,” explained John.
“Walk me through what you got so far.”
“This is a pic of their main compound. As you can see, it’s basically a cabin in the middle of the woods, and these buildings appear to be the sleeping quarters and armory. The auxiliary structures are approximately one hundred meters from the main cabin.”
“Are those sandbag fortifications?”
“Oh, yeah. After their failed ambush two days ago, those wannabe soldiers decided to go full Desert Storm. They fortified the main cabin with sandbags, mortars, and sentries.”
“So, it's safe to say they know we are coming?”
“Who cares? They should have just run as far away from this place as possible," replied John.
Hunter walked over to the table containing more photographs. “We got eyes on the militia’s commander. His name is Jeremiah Fontenot. He’s your stereotypical gun nut that hates the federal government, but he’s also a former Marine—even deployed to Fallujah. Fortunately, this guy is the only one in that compound with any combat experience.”
“Did you get eyes on Landry?”
“Negative. However, the increased fortification of the main cabin suggests that our HVT is somewhere in there.”
“I assume one of y’all contacted the rest of our team?” questioned Adam.
“Oh, yeah. The rest of Reaper team has been waiting for that call. Their ETA is 24 hours,” interjected John.
“That’s too long. We need to breach this compound tonight. We have already spooked them, and it’s just a matter of time until Thomas Landry disappears underground,” asserted Adam.
“Chief, that's a bad idea. We need more time to vet our tactical plan,” explained Hunter.
“Brother, what do you think?”
“Sorry, Hunter, I’m with Adam on this one. Landry is a cockroach, and he’ll disappear for sure,” asserted John.
“Okay. We need to plan our assault by nightfall. We got seven hours,” declared Adam.
Major Gandler approached Adam. “I’m sorry, Dawkins, but I have been ordered by Central Command to stand down. They found out about my team’s intervention in the swamp. I won’t be able to give you any shooters for this op, not even Staff Sergeant Byron.”
“It’s not your fault, major. And I apologize for putting you in hot water with the brass.”
“Hey, don’t apologize for shit. I wasn’t going to let your team die in that swamp. And don't worry. I'll still have my men on standby as your quick reaction force if things get hairy tonight,” assured Major Gandler.
“Thank you, sir.”
Adam limped over to the table where John and Hunter were planning their upcoming op. “Hey, make sure to plan accordingly. It’s going to be a four-person op.”
“Wait, what? We got a whole team of SF operators at our disposal,” said Hunter.
“Not anymore. They've been ordered to stand down.”
“Fucking Central Command,” added John Dawkins.
“Wait—who’s the fourth person on our op?” asked Hunter.
Adam glanced over at Clark Stevenson, who was typing on his computer.
“Chief, you must be fucking with me. Is this a joke? We can’t take this computer nerd on a DA.”
“This computer nerd is the only guy in this room who understands coding. He's the only one who will know which intel to extract from the compound.”
Clark Stevenson looked over at Reaper team while Hunter started to shake his head at the thought of taking this guy on an op.
Four hours later, the members of Reaper team were finishing their tactical plans when Jessica entered the TOC. “Hey Dawkins, can we talk?”
The whole team looked up at the beautiful girl standing in front of them.
“Yeah, sure.”
Adam followed Jessica outside to the fire pit. Hunter and John looked at each other with grins. “Why does he always get the girl?” mused Hunter.
&nb
sp; “Speak for yourself. I do just fine,” replied John.
The sun was setting , its orange haze covered the sky. A light breeze blew the moss hanging from the cypress trees that surrounded the FOB while the fire continued to burn.
“So, what’s up?”
“Uh, this is hard for me to say,” Jessica hesitated, “but… thank you for saving my life in the swamp” she murmured.
“You mean twice,” corrected Adam.
“I’m sorry, what?”
“Well, I saved your life two times in that swamp. First, I stopped you from catching a bullet in the chest, and then I tossed a grenade into a boat of armed men before they unloaded a pound of lead into you.”
“Wow. Only you could be an asshole when someone gives you a compliment.” Jessica shook her head. “Also, I haven’t heard you thank me for saving your life from that shrapnel wound.”
“Well, that’s because the special forces medic saved my life.”
“You are unbelievable.”
Dawkins opened up a plastic cooler sitting next to them. “Now this is what I’ve been needing: two bottles of beer!” announced Adam.
Jessica and Adam clinked their bottles together before taking their first drink, while Adam chugged the entire beer within seconds.
“It looks like I’m out. Going to need a reload.”
“What are you doing? You just went through surgery!”
“Exactly."
"Are you okay? I saw you drinking from a flask as you pulled up for the meet last night."
Adam ignored her questioning as he reached for another bottle. “So, what’s the deal with the name of your bar—Polly's? Why not call it Jess’s or something?”
“Polly was my husband,” Jessica explained. “Well, his real name was Paul, but everyone in his platoon just called him Polly.”
“So, your husband was in the military?”
“Semper Fi! Two tours in Afghanistan.”
“So, where is he now? Hiding from his overbearing spouse?”
“He died over there. His convoy was hit by an IED.”
Adam suddenly stopped drinking his beer. He felt like a piece of shit for cracking that joke. “I am so sorry for your loss. He sounded like a good man.”
“Yes, he was a damn good man,” Jessica agreed.
They sat in silence for the next few minutes, gazing into the fire, watching the heaping pile of ashes left by all the past fires through the burning flames.
“Have you ever felt alone? I mean, really alone?” asked Jessica.
“Fortunately, I’ve been surrounded by my teammates since the start of this God-forsaken war. But there are times,” Adam admitted. “Being team leader means making the tough decisions, and I’ve had to live with those decisions."
Jessica smiled. “It’s been a while since I’ve met someone who feels alone.”
Dawkins then broke away from the awkward conversation and crawled to the cooler. He grabbed another beer and sat back down next to Jessica. However, he just focused on his beer and stared at the label on the bottle, avoiding any more eye contact.
Jessica scooted closer to Adam and leaned against his shoulder. Adam felt the hairs on his skin stand up. He hadn't felt this nervous around a girl since Katherine left for her assignment. As his heart beat faster, so did the blood that flowed from his wound. The blood seeped through his bandage.
"Shit, your wound opened up again," noticed Jessica.
She then started to pull up Adam's shirt. She shrieked as she stared at the nasty wound. However, she placed her hand on Adam's chest. Adam began to breathe heavy as he felt her soft hands on his chest.
.“Um...”
Jessica soon dropped Adam's shirt back down and scooted away.
“What!"
Clark Stevenson started to tremble as he couldn't find any words.
"Spit it out, Clark!" demanded Adam.
"Um... Your brother told me to come get you."
Adam marched into the TOC and threw open the door.
“What’s up, chief. I heard our little computer nerd just cock blocked you.”
Adam gave his teammate the bird.
“All right, now that we’re all here, let’s go over the assault plan,” interjected John Dawkins. “We are going to insert by SUV, then we’ll approach the compound on foot from the northeast. There is a fence that borders the whole property, so we’ll need to bring wire cutters to breach.”
“What are the details regarding their patrols?” asked Adam.
“They are light with their patrols. Only two-man teams walk the perimeter once every hour.”
“Once we breach the perimeter, Clark and I will split off from you and Hunter. I will find a position to provide overwatch while Clark stays next to me—with his mouth shut. Adam, you and Hunter will set up several charges on the southwest side of the property. After we have gutted their fortifications, we will advance on the main cabin and extract the HVT, A.K.A Thomas Landry," explained John.
“I love it when a plan comes together,” said Clark.
The rest of the guys looked up.
“Get it? The A-Team!” smiled Clark.
“Shut the fuck up.”
Chapter 9
“Bravo, this is Reaper 1. We are 2 klicks from the perimeter.”
“Roger that Reaper 1. QRF is ready.”
Adam Dawkins and the rest of Reaper team moved swiftly through the woods. It was dark. Moss hung from the trees while thick brush blocked every direction in which the guys stepped. The team had to make their own path without creating too much noise. Adam was concerned that the militia had set up booby traps for trespassers. Dawkins kept his eyes focused on the ground as he scanned for tripwires and other improvised traps the militia may have laid. Fortunately, pine straw and dirt were below their feet, softening their footsteps. Adam was forced to glance up periodically to make sure he didn't run into any hostiles while still making sure he didn't step on a land mine.
The moonlight barely pierced through the tree line, so the team's NVGs didn't pick up much of the surrounding natural light. Each guy wore camo and face paint. Adam Dawkins and Hunter carried M4s as their primary weapons while John carried his M110 Semi-automatic sniper rifle. John's weapon system consisted of a night-vision optic and suppressor.
Clark Stevenson followed behind the rest of Reaper team trying not to fall flat on his face. This was the first time he ever wore NVGs and was still getting used to the new type of vision. His field of vision was reduced, and he felt like a racehorse with blinders. He felt the constant strain on his neck from the added weight on the front of his head.
An hour later, the team approached the perimeter fence. Hunter and John both pulled out handheld wire cutters and went to work. It took several minutes to cut a hole in the fence large enough to crouch through.
As soon as the team breached the perimeter, they split off. Adam and Hunter headed towards the other end of the property while John and Clark searched for the perfect sniper’s nest.
Adam and Hunter moved quick across the property. The land was well-groomed without much underbrush. The militia must have cleared out the underbrush to create longer shooting lanes, putting Reaper team at a tactical disadvantage. Adam put his hand up to signal Hunter to stop. In the distance, he could see two men with flashlights and AKs patrolling the perimeter. Adam glanced back at Hunter and curved his hand to indicate that they would flank the two sentries. Reaper 1 and Reaper 3 approached the guards with their guns raised. As the two maneuvered behind the guards' position, Hunter stepped on a branch followed by a faint crackling sound.
The guards spun around and raised their flashlights. Adam and Hunter dropped to the ground. The guards became suspicious and crept towards the sound they had just heard. Once the guards were ten yards from Adam and Hunter’s position, they realized that they would be forced to engage the patrol. Adam crawled behind a tree while Hunter remained prone on the ground. The sentries were now less than five yards from Hunter. Before their flashlig
hts shined over Reaper 3's body, Adam sneaked up behind one of the sentries and wrapped his hand around the man’s face. He proceeded to stab the guard in his gut while keeping his hand pressed against the man's mouth. The guard began to struggle, but Adam continued to stab the man until he felt the guard's body collapse. The other sentry turned to his side and raised his weapon at Adam. Hunter immediately swiped the guard’s legs from underneath him. The man fell to the ground while Hunter pounced on top of him. As Reaper 3 landed on top of the guard, he slit the man’s throat. Adam and Hunter each grabbed a dead body and dragged their corpses into a pile of brush. They figured they had around fifteen minutes until other men would start to wonder where their fellow militia members had disappeared.
Adam and Hunter moved closer to the compound until they could observe the floodlights illuminating from the main cabin. They counted ten men standing around the perimeter. Hunter took off his pack and pulled several blocks of C4 from it while Adam provided security. Hunter pushed the blasting caps into the soft block of plastic explosives. He made sure that the blasting caps were wirelessly connected to the remote. Finally, Hunter tapped Adam on the shoulder, and they headed back towards the opposite end of the property.
John shined his infrared laser to signal his position to his fellow teammates, which could only be seen if one was wearing NVGs. Adam and Hunter saw the signal and headed over to their teammates.
“I spotted you without even seeing that IR laser,” said Adam.
“No, you didn’t. Nice try.”
“I counted ten guys,” asserted Adam.
“Well, I counted exactly twelve.”
“Easy guys—you all are on the same team,” whispered Hunter.
The entire team now lay prone behind a dead log and a brush pile. Clark's forearms shook uncontrollably as he rested the weight of his body on them.
“Don’t worry—you get used to it,” whispered Hunter as he patted Clark on the back.
The team leader slightly raised his hand and started to count down from five. Adam felt the anticipation as he got down to the last finger.
After his last last finger, flames ascended into the trees with vibrations shaking the ground beneath. Militia members scrambled to grab their weapons and began to fire rounds towards the explosion. However, their bullets only pierced the bark from trees. The real enemies were on the other side of the compound, starting their advancement towards the main cabin.