Tangled Mark

by Becky Harmon

  The vibration on her headset signaled an incoming update. She felt Brad shift slightly and key the mic to acknowledge they were ready to receive their next directive.

  A digital voice, neither male nor female, came through her headset. “Alpha One. Mission follows.”

  Nikki listened closely as the message relayed from the operations center in Pensacola was disseminated to the rest of her team. Though the voice of Mission Control was digital, Nikki knew Josh Houston, the on-site leader for this mission, was giving the instructions. She didn’t necessarily need to know where the team would be headed once they all linked back up, but if anything occurred during the linkup, she would have to find the extraction point on her own. So she stored the details in the back of her mind. Beside her, Brad typed the coordinates into their GPS, in case they did need them. She heard Shawn acknowledge receipt of the mission.

  Then it was her and Brad’s turn for instructions.

  “Sierra One. Mission follows,” said the mechanical voice. “Lay silent support for Charlie Ten. Black Jeep approaching from the west.”

  Nikki took a deep breath and let it out slowly. Designator Charlie meant CIA agents were involved and, unfortunately, that meant even less information than normal.

  The mechanical voice continued, “Charlie Ten will approach village for package exchange. If mission is a success, you will receive two flashes of the vehicle’s headlights as it exits from the village. Return to the rendezvous point. If the flashes are not given, hold your position for further instructions. End message.”

  She felt Brad’s hand move slowly to the mic on his shoulder and double-click it to acknowledge that the mission had been received.

  Releasing a soft breath, Brad whispered, “So, all we have to do is ‘watch.’”

  “Yeah,” she whispered back. “Easy enough.” She was relieved there was more to this mission than there had been to the last couple. “Watching someone do something” was a step up from reconnaissance. It meant the possibility of needing to pull the trigger, and there was nothing she took more seriously.

  She slowly scanned the entire area below them again, taking a quick inventory of all fifteen bodies, each dressed in jeans or coveralls, still around the campfire. None of them looked like soldiers, but she knew from past experience that what might seem insubstantial, like men drinking and chatting, could quickly turn into a fight for her life. She hoped all of these farmers were as they appeared and that she wouldn’t have to fire upon them. She slid her finger back and forth along the trigger housing, remembering another occasion she and Brad had been on a mission to provide fire support only. A sheepherder, along with his flock, had stumbled upon their mark. He had looked harmless enough until the group of insurgents traveling with him emerged from the shadows. Luckily she had been able to take down enough of them for their mark to retreat.

  The thermal imaging of her scope didn’t allow her to identify faces or expressions and she was thankful for that. Her first kills had occurred under the cover of darkness, but the cover didn’t follow her home. Despite her intensive training, after the first one she had become withdrawn and sullen, remembering the loss of her parents. Flagler had forced her to a therapist who helped her learn to separate the two situations. Now she could identify the people she saw through her scope as targets or marks. She was sorry for her part in their demise, but her trust in Flagler outweighed her regrets. She studied the few men that were still awake by the fire, trying to identify which mark would pass the package. None seemed inclined to move, but when they did, Nikki would be watching and ready to act.

  It wasn’t long before she could hear the faint rumble of a vehicle in the distance.

  “There he comes,” Brad said.

  She didn’t respond but blinked her eyes several times to clear them. Readjusting her position to get a more secure grip, she flipped her safety off and rested her index finger along the side of the trigger housing.

  “Moving,” Brad said to let her know he was not spotting for her. Less than five hundred feet in front of them, a Jeep rumbled along on the barely broken trail. Brad used the cover of the noise to pull a gel pack from his rucksack. He bit the top off and spit it back into his pack.

  “Open.”

  Keeping her eye in the scope, she opened her mouth and Brad poured the entire container of energy gel into her mouth. She held the thick goo in her mouth, letting it blend with her saliva, before swallowing the strawberry sugar mix.

  She heard him take out another gel pack for himself as a flash of color moved inside her scope. “I got movement,” she said softly, alerting Brad.

  Brad stuffed the empty container into his pack and grabbed his scope, settling in beside her again.

  “Red shirt. Right side,” Nikki whispered.

  “Got him,” Brad mumbled around the gel still soaking in his mouth.

  They watched the man withdraw from the group around the fire and move into one of the surrounding huts.

  “Damn,” Brad whispered. “I wish we had eyes down there. How are we supposed to know what he is doing inside that building?”

  They continued to watch in silence as their thermal imaging scopes tracked his movements. After a few moments he returned with a manila envelope tucked tight against his side. He walked toward the edge of the village and the approaching vehicle. When he emerged from behind the last hut, Nikki could see him silhouetted by the lights of Charlie Ten’s Jeep. It was clear by the positioning of the vehicle that Charlie Ten was aware of the location of his fire support. He’d angled it to give them a clear view of the exchange.

  Nikki watched Red Shirt through her scope, scanning as much of the area around him and the CIA agent as she could see. She counted on Brad to watch a broader area and to let her know if she needed to shift her focus. Red Shirt approached the window and passed the envelope to the hand that emerged. The inside of the vehicle was dark, despite the lightening sky, and Nikki was unable to see anything more than the silhouette of the agent. The conversation was brief and within seconds the agent had turned the Jeep around and was headed back down the firebreak flashing his lights twice. They temporarily held their position and Nikki watched Red Shirt return to the fire to take a swig from the bottle that was passed to him. As soon as the Jeep was out of earshot, Brad got quietly to his feet, securing his spotter’s scope in his pack, and then turned to assist her. Switching the safety back on, she allowed him to steady her rifle on the ground while she moved into a sitting position and the circulation slowly returned to her muscles. Brad detached the bipod and ammunition magazine from her rifle, and with one hand dropped them into his pack.

  Standing, Nikki slung her rucksack onto her back and took the rifle inside its protected carrying case from Brad. Pulling the strap over her head, she attached the Velcro strips of the long case to her rucksack, compensating for the awkwardness of its length by carrying it at a forty-five-degree angle. If they came under fire, Brad would take the rifle, allowing them both to run faster, but otherwise his objective was to clear their path with his machete, as quickly and as quietly as possible.

  She quickly ran her hands over the tactical load-carrying vest she wore, conducting an inventory of all her equipment and checking that all straps were secure. The Five-seveN pistol strapped to her waist weighed less than two pounds and the pound of ammunition she carried worked for both it and the P90 dangling at her side. When she completed her check, she cradled her P90 in her arms and looked at Brad. His black and green tactical clothing and camouflage-painted face hid him in the shadows of the trees—until he smiled and his teeth gave off an eerie white glow. Knowing she looked much the same, she smiled back and gave him a nod to move out when he was ready. Punching buttons to pull up the coordinates on the GPS, he took off at a trot with her on his heels.

  Thirty-five minutes later, Brad slowed, allowing her to move beside him. He pointed into the tree line and she strained to see what he saw. Apparently the return trip in the daylight had been faster than their outbou
nd trek, which had been more cautious and after dark. Brad led the approach and, as they neared a clump of trees, they heard a faint “Halt” followed by “Pickle.” Nikki recognized Tyler’s voice and gave a little sigh of relief.

  “Relish,” Brad whispered in response as the two of them entered the perimeter.

  She heard Tyler chuckle before he stood and led them into the circle of camouflaged bodies. “Move out.” Tyler motioned for Mike and Jewels to take the lead while he and Shawn followed. Brad and Nikki brought up the rear. With packs on their backs, the six of them formed a staggered line and headed toward the extraction point.

  When they reached the coordinates that they had been given, Nikki waited for Tyler to direct each of them to a security position around the perimeter of the landing zone. Nikki’s number within the group was five and she would board in that order, the same as she had exited when they arrived the previous day. She took cover in the spot Tyler directed her to and scanned the area in front of her. She couldn’t see him behind her, but she knew he would be dropping chemical sticks to mark the landing zone before taking his position in the perimeter.

  Several minutes later, she could hear the wop-wop of the helicopter’s blades growing louder and then the wind began to whip as it lowered to the ground. Nikki counted in her head, allowing fifteen seconds for each team member to board in front of her before pulling her focus from her assigned area. She moved when her counting reached sixty. Jogging backward her first couple of steps, she gave a final scan of the area before turning toward the waiting helicopter. She grabbed the hand that reached down to her and allowed herself to be pulled into the helicopter, taking a seat on the narrow bench behind the pilot. She swung her pack around her body to rest in her lap, the rifle filling the space in front of her, as Brad slid onto the bench beside her. The helicopter’s engine roared and she felt them leave the ground, gaining altitude quickly. With the whipping of the wind in the open doorway, there was no possibility of talking, so Nikki relaxed against Brad and dropped her head onto her pack. She dozed until they landed at the airfield.

  Chapter Three

  Nikki awoke as the helicopter began its descent and she nudged Brad awake. In the tight space, she maneuvered her gear around her body, sliding her arms back into the straps. Through the open door, she could see the small commercial airfield they had arrived at almost twenty-four hours earlier. Nikki followed Brad out the door as the helicopter landed in front of the blue hangar that contained their travel boxes and provided a place where they would exchange the gear they wore for their travel clothes. Nikki dreaded the commercial flight they would return home on, but she was thankful that Flagler always handled their weapons and other gear.

  Nikki and Brad waited while the rest of the team ducked under the rotors and jogged over to join them outside the hangar. When the noise of the retreating helicopter began to fade, Tyler handed each of them a boarding pass. Before he could begin his briefing on the details of their return travel, though, the hangar door opened and two men in black tactical clothing emerged. They gave a nod to Tyler and walked toward the opposite side of the hangar, disappearing around the corner.

  Tyler was speaking quickly to disseminate the relevant information when the rumble of an approaching vehicle drew everyone’s attention. On the road circling the inside of the airfield, a black Jeep came into view.

  Brad nudged Nikki. “Isn’t that the Jeep from this morning?”

  She nodded but didn’t say anything as the entire team watched it draw closer.

  “Is that who we were babysitting?” Jewels whispered.

  Brad nodded. “I think so.”

  The two men in black tactical gear came back around the building and met the Jeep as it pulled to a stop in front of the hangar.

  Tyler resumed his briefing, but Nikki noticed everyone on the team was still watching the Jeep. When the driver exited the vehicle and turned toward them, Nikki’s brows shot up. Female. Brad nudged her again and she gave him a crooked smile. Tyler stopped talking as the three CIA agents approached the hangar entrance.

  Nikki appraised the woman as they got closer. Her shoulder-length, chestnut-brown hair was wavy and fell across her face as she moved. She was slightly taller than Nikki’s five-foot-seven, and her broad shoulders stretched the black T-shirt across her chest. Her right arm was bent to hold the tactical jacket she had slung arrogantly over one shoulder. Her gaze briefly flickered over the team and slowed as it crossed Nikki’s face. She seemed to find humor in being the center of attention. The three agents nodded to Tyler before disappearing into the hangar and letting the door slam behind them.

  “Asses,” Mike whispered under his breath.

  Tyler gave him a hard stare.

  “Well, they are,” Mike declared.

  “Maybe,” Tyler agreed. “But we still have to work with them.” He resumed his briefing again. “Normal protocols are in place. No contact once we leave the hangar. See you in Florida.” He pulled open the hangar door and entered with Shawn on his heels.

  Mike shrugged. “They didn’t even acknowledge us and you know they know who we are.”

  “It’s like we’re below them and only here to serve,” Jewels added.

  “My lady,” Brad said, pulling the hangar door open in front of her and bowing slightly at the waist.

  Jewels strutted toward the door and crooned over her shoulder as she stepped inside, “Now that’s what I’m talking about.”

  Nikki followed Jewels, pausing inside the door until her eyes adjusted to the dark interior. Under the muted glow of the fluorescent lights, she quickly located her lockbox in the far corner where she had left it. She scanned the room for the CIA agents, but didn’t see them. A ray of light escaped from under the door of the small office in the opposite corner, and she imagined they must be inside behind the closed window blinds. She stopped at the team lockbox and secured her personal weapons with the straps designed to hold them in place before stowing her rifle in the bottom of the box. Crossing to her own lockbox, she dropped her remaining gear inside and grabbed her clean clothing before heading to the bathroom.

  The shower was refreshing, but Nikki didn’t linger. She scrubbed her face and neck to remove the camouflage paint and quickly ran the washcloth over the rest of her body before washing her hair. Jewels came in as she was finishing and they passed at the shower entrance.

  “Perfect timing.” Nikki smiled at her.

  “So I’ve been told.”

  Nikki laughed as she crossed to the bench where she had left her clean clothing. Jewels was very flirty, even with the guys, so Nikki wasn’t sure which team she preferred. If she was honest, she liked not knowing. There wasn’t any tension or discomfort between them. She pulled on jeans and a cotton T-shirt, and quickly dried her short hair with a towel. She was lucky that her hair hung straight. Jewels would be another twenty minutes just fixing her hair.

  She grabbed her travel mirror to check for remaining camouflage paint on her face but was caught by her own reflection. She ran her fingers through her light brown hair, pushing it back out of her face. Almost time for another haircut. She had never been obsessed with her looks, but she knew keeping it short was key to avoiding styling time in the field. She studied her face. The bags under her eyes annoyed her. They made her look older and more tired than she felt. The rest of her body had adapted to the crazy hours Flagler required. Why hadn’t her eyes? Shrugging, she pulled a wipe from her bag, scrubbed at the few missed spots of paint on her chin, grabbed her carry-on and exited the bathroom.

  After stowing her towel inside a plastic pouch, she placed it and her tactical clothing inside another bag before securing them inside the lockbox. She knew from experience the sweaty clothing would be unbearable by the time they were unpacked in Florida. She dropped her muddy boots into a separate container and placed them beside her clothing. She pulled on a light Windbreaker and slung a backpack containing her iPad and cell phone over her shoulder before moving her lockbox closer to the d
oor. It would be shipped back to Florida with their weapons and any other gear they had left behind. Tyler was still in the shower room, so she gave Brad a wave to let him know she was headed out. The commercial hangar was about a half mile across the airfield and she followed the dirt road leading to it.

  Ticket in hand, she approached the security checkpoint inside the small airport. Her stomach gave a light tug as the agent closely inspected her passport and airline ticket. On a protective detail, she carried her real passport and traveled as an employee of Flagler Security, but on the dark missions, she could be anyone. For Nikki the thrill of using different identities would never get old, as her name was rotated with each mission. It was standard for the team to travel with no contact between them so it wasn’t necessary for them to identify each other by name. She had been briefed on every overseas mission to remain calm if detained and Flagler would provide whatever documents or representation were necessary to get her released from custody. She had never had any problems, nor had she heard of any agents who had. Flagler took their agents’ security and safety very seriously by producing professional government-issued documents. She gave the agent her best innocent look, and it must have worked, because he handed her ticket and passport back with few questions. She bought a bottle of water and moved to her departure gate to wait.

  She took a seat by the window with her back to the wall and within minutes she saw Mike take a seat in the gate area too. She made eye contact with him and then returned her gaze to her iPad. Unlike other male team members, Mike wore his hair a bit shaggy. He didn’t match the typical military profile. He, also, liked to wear baggy clothing that didn’t show off his physique.

  Out of the corner of her eye, she watched each of the other team members enter and take seats. Brad wore a brightly colored Hawaiian shirt and she knew she would harass him later about it. Probably a Father’s Day gift from his kids. Tyler and Shawn both wore skinny jeans with sweatshirts and running shoes. Of course Jewels was last to arrive with her hair perfectly styled. She also wore jeans and her favorite black Chuck Taylors, as did most of the under-twenty kids at the airport. Nikki was only a couple years older than she was, but she liked to tease Jewels about her ability to blend in with the average teenager. To the casual observer, all six of them looked like typical weary travelers. Neither she nor Jewels was a high-heels, dress-wearing kind of woman, but she liked that they didn’t look like soldiers ready for a fight either. Appearances can be deceiving, she thought with a grin. Either one of them could take anyone in the gate area to the ground in seconds, if needed.