Now, as Tracy lay there -- limp and languid, yet still wide awake -- she realized just how spectacular the experience she’d just shared with John had truly been. Wow! This having sex was all so new to her but she was finding out just how special it could really be. And, as she had just learned that morning, apparently she was blessed with being multi-orgasmic. Ummm!
John sat up and said, “I’m ordering breakfast for us from room service and then I’m jumping into the shower. If you’re still unable to move when I get out …?” He laughed, knowing she’d never allow breakfast to be delivered while she was still looking so tousled and sated.
Sure enough, she groaned but said, “I’ll get up, as soon as you finish your shower. Order me some eggs and bacon and hash browns and orange juice and coffee. Maybe some muffins, too, okay?”
An hour later, as they finished enjoying their wonderful breakfast, both having showered and dressed for the day, John decided to continue a conversation they had started earlier in the week. “Tell me again how this witch stuff works. I know your Mom is able to move objects around. A little. Telekinesis. But you can’t do that. And, yet … why are you able to do what you do and why are you so powerful? I mean … fireballs and lightning bolts? Even Millie says you’re unbelievable. What’s her power, by the way? I don’t think you mentioned that.”
“She’s a finder. And, a very powerful one. She finds people. She’s helped the police on a lot of cases over the years. They think she’s a psychic but she’s not. She’s able to find people by feeling their energy and following that. She just needs to start out with something they’ve owned and have put some of their own energy, their essence, into. Any object they’ve found meaningful and have an attachment for. A keepsake or a memento. Like that.”
John said, “That almost sounds like the way Missy can always find Mike. Like that?”
Tracy laughed. “No, not at all. Your sister is totally off the charts, John. What she has with Mike is a really amazing connection. She experiences him all the time and doesn’t need to search for where he is. She just knows where he is. Millie is able to search for people, following their energy. She doesn’t always find them but she’s been very successful.”
“Well, why are you so different from your Mom?”
“From what I’ve learned, being a witch is something you inherit. It’s genetic and will often be passed down from one generation to the next, although sometimes it skips generations. But, the type of witch, the kind of power and ability? That’s where the genetics really matter. I’m probably doing what I do, and doing it with so much power, because of my Dad’s genetic contribution. Mom’s genes make me a witch but Dad’s genes make me able to harness and use so much energy the way I do. And, unlike my Mom being able to basically live her life as a latent witch? I can’t do that. I’d go crazy if I didn’t use my ability. I can go for a few months, maybe, but then I have to toss some fireballs around and send down lightning bolts. Especially now.”
“Okay. I think I can relate. It’s like how Missy says she has to be a cat every once in a while or else she might go crazy.” John paused and thought for a minute. “I guess I’m glad she got all the crazy genes in my family. Of course, who knows what genes I might be passing on some day? You know … if I have any kids.”
Tracy laughed. “I’m actually hoping I’m the one you have those kids with, John. You know that. Only, first I need to serve several years in the Army. A girl’s gotta do what a girl’s gotta do …”
John laughed and added, “And a witch has gotta do what a witch has gotta do. I know, I know. I get that. You and my sister. Jeez!”
“Oh, no. Your sister is way, way out there, John. The more I see what she’s capable of, the more amazed I get. And, she really has only started to tap into all her witchy powers. Until this past year, she thought she was merely a werecat. She really has no idea about just what she can eventually become. Or, just how much supernatural power she really might have.”
Chapter Twelve
Jan 1, 2019
Mike turned to Marsha and said, “She thinks she’s found them. She’s found a few doors, latched on the outside, and there are definitely some prisoners being held on the inside. Just their scent is enough … whoever the men are behind those doors, they’re not free. They stink a lot worse than any of the soldiers she’s been smelling for two days now.”
“How many are in there?” asked Marsha, with excitement in her voice.
Mike just listened for a minute to whatever Missy was telling him and finally looked up at Marsha. Then, speaking into his mic, he said, “There are four cave areas where prisoners are being kept. But, one of them is empty right now. Inside that one there are chains and shackles. The room is clearly for holding prisoners.” Mike listened some more and then continued. “Dimensions of this fourth cell are about six by ten and five feet high, maybe six feet high in some spots. It can hold four prisoners, each chained to the floor, out of reach from the doorway. Looks like food and water are brought in and left where the prisoners can reach them. No toilet facilities except for a few bucket containers … the prisoners must be relieving themselves in those buckets and leaving them for the guards.”
After another full minute of listening, Mike again spoke into the mic. “There are four men behind door number one, three behind door number two and only one behind door number three. She’s getting a scent from the three in that second cell that suggests they’re foreigners. The others are probably either Afghan or Pakistani.” Again, he stopped and listened.
“She’s going to keep going, finish describing whatever else there is … see if there’s an exit. She needs to get outside for a few hours and find something to eat and drink. She’s starving. Then, once she can get back in there again, she thinks she’s found a hiding spot where she can watch the prisoner areas. She wants to learn the routine … how often they are fed, when the guards check on them, etc.”
Two hours later, after dictating details and dimensions and descriptions of what were primarily more sleeping quarter areas, to include yet another primitive latrine, along with some more storage caverns, Mike finally set down the mic. Both Marsha and Les were now with him. He looked at them with a big smile. “She’s out. Wheh! They have this vent shaft going up twenty-five feet to the surface which can also be used as an escape exit, provided you’re not too big. She was able to climb all the way up and squeeze through that. Now she’s going higher up the mountain to hunt. You should be getting GPS signals again.”
Les checked and, sure enough, there was a strong signal coming in. They’d only been receiving an occasional rare signal, always weak, for the two and a half days she’d been inside. “Hey, she’s given us way more than we’d ever dreamed she’d be able to provide about this base. And, if those three engineers are being held in there? That agrees with all the Intel we had before, only now we know where this new base is. Marsha and I have been talking to our team back home. Everyone thinks this is plenty for now and that she’s done enough, Mike.”
Marsha asked, “Can’t you tell her to come on back? It’s time for Missy to come in from the cold, right?”
Mike had been hearing this from both Les and Marsha for a while now. They wanted her back out, safe. He did also. But, he already knew she wasn’t ready yet. “She said she wanted to watch the prisoner areas to understand the routine.”
Les said, “But, there’s no possible rescue. That A-Team standing by can’t do anything. She knows that, right?”
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Jan 2, 2019
Drew was talking on a secure line to General Blake. “Yes, our asset has been inside their cell and has confirmed the three prisoners are the missing German engineers. This was merely a visual check. No contact with them was made and, unless you can assure us those two helicopters are prepared to go in tomorrow night, no contact will be made.”
“But, if the weather up there …?”
“According to my asset, the weather up there will be clear then. With night go
ggles, your pilots should be able to reach that Hancock landing zone. Only one chopper can land at a time, but this is to be a quick pickup. Three passengers. That’s it. The second chopper won’t even need to land, merely be there for backup.”
“Drew, you’re saying this asset of yours can also predict the weather?”
“Oh yes. That’s why tomorrow night, sometime between two and four a.m. That’s the only window for the next week or so.”
There was a long pause. Then, General Blake said, “Okay. But, what about site security? We can’t have anyone shooting down our helicopters. You know that.”
Drew said, “Yes, of course, and our asset knows that. So, if it’s a go, these prisoners will be contacted. They can say no and that will be the end of it. But, if they are willing and say yes, our asset will bring them out. Only after they are clear, within reach of Hancock and without their escape having been noticed, only then will our asset call for those helos. If there are any bad guys within sight, the helos won’t be called. That’s why the decision is one these prisoners have to make. If they don’t make a clean, clear escape, your helos won’t be coming in to pick them up.”
“Will your asset be able to waive off our helos if, at the last minute, things change and the landing zone is no longer safe?”
“Yes, your pilots will be able to stay in open radio contact with our office in Kabul. And, that office is communicating with our asset. There won’t be any delay in communications. Our asset can’t really mark the landing zone in any way but your pilot will be getting directions from our office all during his approach.”
“So, your asset talks to your office and your office talks to our pilots?”
“Exactly. But, it’s all one way. Our asset can ask yes or no questions, which our office can answer, but that’s it. Our office can’t ask any questions or provide any information to our asset.”
General Blake paused while he thought about all that. “Okay, I can say it’s a go. Our team and those helicopters will definitely be there if called. One question, though. You said earlier the pickup was for three passengers. What about your asset?”
Drew said, “Oh, our asset won’t be coming out on your choppers. And, those prisoners will need to promise they’ll never reveal anything about our asset. Our asset will simply disappear. Anonymity. This also affects things for your A-Team. If this rescue does actually happen, your team will have to take full credit for everything, without ever mentioning anything about our asset. You do fully understand that, right?”
-----
Jan 3, 2019
Missy had been in and out of the upper chambers, using that convenient vent shaft, and she was certain there weren’t any sensors being used. Outside and further up the mountainside, she had located some caves which she figured the three Germans ought to be capable of reaching. These would be staging areas, allowing her to check back and make certain their escape had not been noticed -- or, if it had -- to deal with whoever might have noticed. Then, it would probably take about an hour to reach landing zone Hancock from the last cave. That was about the same as the flight time for those helicopters to get there from Kabul, so that’s where she’d be making her request for them to actually come on out, provided things were clear and Hancock was safe and secure.
She had really been glad to see the three engineers did appear healthy enough. Once she’d verified they were the ones she was looking for, that had been her biggest concern. If they were injured or too weak to make their escape, she’d have to just leave them there. Her plan would then be to get out and just go back to Kabul. She knew “P” Branch would be more than satisfied to have her simply do that.
While she didn’t want to be exposed in her human form, she was willing to give the Germans the opportunity to escape from what was obviously a hellhole. Since no one would ever believe she’d visited them, she was comfortable she wasn’t really compromising herself very much by doing this … making an appearance in there, in person. If they were willing to risk it, she believed she could get them out. She hoped they would agree never to reveal anything about her to anyone else. If they were not interested, she could easily just disappear; no one would ever believe any story they might tell about having any visitor in their cell. So, she planned to at least talk to them, explaining all the options and the risks.
During the day, guards brought in their meals and emptied the human waste buckets. But, that was only once in the morning and once at night. The rest of the time, they were left alone and it was rare for anyone to even come near. During the night, the tunnels and corridors leading up to the vent shaft that she’d chosen were mostly deserted.
Getting inside the cells would not be problem. The wooden doors at each cell entrance were merely latched on the outside. No locks. Since the prisoners were kept chained at all times, why bother? Fortunately, the chains weren’t that heavy; she knew she could snap them easily enough.
What had taken her the longest amount of time was locating some winter coats and heavy footwear for them. That, and a fifty foot length of rope which she had eventually found in one of the storage caves. Once outside, they would need to walk and climb for more than three hours in order to reach the pickup point at landing zone Hancock. So, they needed some appropriate winter gear. And, the rope was needed for pulling them up the vent shaft as well as for keeping them tied together, once outside, during their climb up the side of the mountain.
Fortunately, amongst the sleeping quarter areas in the upper levels, she had found one sleeping area consisting of several small caves connected together and, due to the layout, the men kept their boots and winter gear stored separately from where they were sleeping on mats. Conveniently, the gear was accessible from the corridor and she knew she could grab all she needed without waking anyone up. By the time any of the gear was noted as missing, she hoped to have her three guys already safely on that helicopter heading back to Kabul. She had a plan and this plan should work.
First things first, she needed to Change. She checked that everyone on this level was asleep and then went back to a storage cave that she had identified earlier. There was no one up and about in this area and, since this particular cave was located far enough from the nearest sleeping area, with enough bends in the connecting corridors to prevent any shimmer of light from being seen, she felt she could Shift without being noticed. She went back into the rear of the cave and Changed.
Then, stark naked except for her GPS collar, she made her way back towards the men’s sleeping area. Although her senses were not quite as good in her human form, they still were greatly enhanced. She could see in the dark well enough and could easily hear whether anyone was stirring or moving about. All was quiet as she quietly walked along the corridors, ready to dart quickly into hiding if that was needed.
Once she reached the entrance to the sleeping area she had identified earlier, she paused and checked again. No one was awake inside or heading towards this area, so she entered. Then, she silently rummaged through all the men’s belongings, grabbing the boots and winter clothing that she needed. It took her three trips in and out to gather everything she wanted and bring it all out into the corridor. She didn’t make any sounds while doing this and the men all continued to sleep. She clothed herself in one of the outfits and brought the rest of the gear along with her, quietly walking down to the lower level where the prisoner caves were located.
Once there, she paused for two minutes, allowing all her senses to work. No one was awake anywhere nearby and so she opened the door and went in to visit the three Germans. She left the door open, using the bundle of gear to keep the door ajar, allowing just enough light to enter so the men would not be in complete darkness.
She knew from the briefings that one of the men, Herr Walker, was fluent in English. She went over to him and, placing her hand on his mouth to avoid any outcry, she shook him awake. He reacted violently at first, but she shushed him and whispered for him to be quiet. Then, she asked him to call to each of the other men
, waking them but asking them to remain silent. She explained how she wanted to talk to all three of them and that he would need to translate her words for the others.
It took a few minutes, but finally all three men were awake. Then, it took several more minutes before they got over their shock at seeing her there and were finally ready to listen. Walker asked her, again, “Who are you? What’s happening?”
Missy whispered, “Please keep your voices low. If I hear anyone coming, I will leave. I’ll then hide out until I can return and continue this conversation. Do you understand this?” She waited for him to explain to the others and then she continued. “I’m here to offer you a choice. If you are willing to escape, I can get you out of here. And, I have arranged for your pick up by helicopter, tonight, if you say yes. It will take us about four hours to get to the pickup point but I’ve brought clothing and I can lead you there. Is there anyone here who cannot walk? Injuries, perhaps? Please say so now.”
While Missy let them discuss this for a minute, she pushed some of her healing energy into each man. Not enough where they noticed or actually experienced any energy pulse from her, but just a little bit. She figured it could only help. She wanted them wide awake and clear headed.
Walker finally said, “We can all walk okay. But, can you really get us out? And, protect us? We do want to escape but we will not take any foolish risks. Who are you? How is this possible?”
Missy's First Mission Page 10