by Steven Bird
“Nate sent the girl running. Jessie and I dragged Nate over there,” Daryl reported, pointing. “Jessie then ran off in pursuit of the girl. Nate needs help, bad. He just lost consciousness.”
“How bad is he hurt?” Q asked.
“I dunno,” Daryl shrugged.
Turning to the two UF soldier, who now sat on their knees with their hands behind their heads, Q shouted, “English!?”
“Yes. Some,” one of the soldiers answered.
“Do you have any medical gear? First aid? Medicine?”
“Yes. Master Sergeant Popov kept it in pack. Is over there,” he stated, pointing, and then quickly returning his hand to the top of his head in fear of the rage he could see clearly in Q’s eyes.
Gesturing to Daryl, Q directed, “Grab the pack. Tyrone and I will lead these two bastards over to Nate. We don’t know where the other two UF guys are or if any more of those furry bastards are still around. They seemed to disappear like ghosts. We can’t let our guard down.”
“You’d better take a look at that as well,” Daryl insisted, pointing to Q’s blood-soaked side.
Chapter Twenty-Six
Running through the woods, and attempting to follow Britney’s tracks as best he could, Jessie recognized the boot prints of a UF soldier heading off in the same direction. Damn it to hell. Those bastards never quit, do they?
Considering the fact that the soldier might be lying in wait ahead, ready to spring an ambush on whoever should come after the girl, Jessie slowed his pace and visually scanned the area intently.
Reaching a small stream, Jessie waded through the four-inch-deep water, pausing to cup his hand, taking several drinks before crossing over to the other side.
Inspecting the damp ground along the edge of the creek, Jessie saw that both sets of tracks led off together. Is he pursuing her, or does he have her and is forcing her along with him? If he’s pursuing her, I’m gonna have a hell of a time catching up to them. If he has her captive, I’ve got a chance.
Continuing to follow the trail left behind by Britney and her pursuer, Jessie resolved to not give up until she was found.
~~~~
Running frantically through the woods, Britney’s heart pounded in her chest, and her lungs burned with exhaustion. She hadn’t eaten a real meal since Jessie had fed her prior to her capture, and in her weakened state, her legs were quickly growing shaky and tired.
Stopping momentarily to rest, Britney brushed her long brown hair out of her eyes and looked around, terrified of the threats she might face next.
Hearing a twig snap behind her, Britney spun around to see Senior Lieutenant Romanoff standing there with a MP-443 Grach Yarygin 9mm pistol in his right hand, pointing it directly at her stomach.
“You little bitch! You have caused me more trouble than your life is worth. I should just kill you now,” he snarled, gritting his teeth with anger and rage. “Do you know how many UF soldiers died in pursuit of you and your insurgent trash comrades? I should just take your head back with me as prize.”
Shaking in fear, Britney wanted to turn and run, but she knew her tired legs could not carry her away from this menace.
Pointing with the pistol, Romanoff ordered, “Lay on ground. Face down.”
Doing as he asked, Britney began to cry uncontrollably. She had endured more than any fourteen-year-old girl should ever have to face. Her soul and her spirit were nearly broken.
“Hands behind back!” he ordered, taking a length of paracord from his pocket and hogtying her hands and feet together tightly behind her back with her legs folded.
Picking her up and throwing her over his shoulder, Romanoff looked at his wristwatch and muttered, “Is not too late for extraction. If you fight, I will kill you.”
~~~~
Still hot on Britney and her pursuer’s trail, Jessie came to a place where it appeared a scuffle of some sort had recently occurred. Both Britney and her pursuer’s tracks moved about, and there were signs that someone had been on the ground in the prone position. It appeared to Jessie to be Britney, based on the size of the imprints.
Moving farther forward, Jessie could only see the UF boot prints. Britney’s tracks had stopped at the scene of the scuffle. He spent a moment looking around in all directions to make sure her course hadn’t merely been diverted, but he could find nothing.
“That bastard’s got her,” Jessie snarled, and he took off running once again, following the soldier’s boot prints.
Running for what seemed like another half mile, Jessie felt an impact on the back of his left leg, squarely in the middle of his hamstring, followed by the crack of a gunshot and an intense burning sensation. Stumbling and falling to the ground face first, Jessie struggled to roll over as quickly as he could to face the threat that was clearly behind him.
“Do not move,” a voice insisted in a choppy, Russian accent.
Still lying face down, Jessie ceased his struggles and watched as the boots he’d been pursuing walked around and in front of him, then their wearer knelt down, holding a pistol to the back of his head.
“I have questions for you. If you do not answer, I will kill you as enemy combatant. Do you understand?”
“Yes,” Jessie begrudgingly replied, attempting to buy some time to think his way out of his predicament. “Where is the girl?”
“She is safe for now, although that is none of your concern,” the man answered. “I am Senior Lieutenant Romanoff of the Ground Forces of the Russian Federation, acting on behalf of the Unified Forces, the current governing authority of this area. I have complete legal jurisdiction over you. Do you understand?”
Playing along, against his true beliefs, Jessie nodded in the affirmative, muttering, “Yes, I understand.”
“Now. What unit are you with, and where are your insurgent comrades?”
“I’m with the Southern Alliance,” Jessie said, avoiding giving the man the actual affiliation of his friends. “I was part of a QRF sent to rescue the girl. An extraction force is on its way.”
“And how and when will this extraction force arrive?”
“They’re arriving from the north. That’s all I know. They give us very limited information in order to prevent our missions from being compromised in an occasion such as this.”
Thinking through Jessie’s statements, Romanoff looked to the north, which was his intended path of travel for his own extraction. “You lie,” he said, pushing the gun firmly into the base of Jessie’s skull.
Jessie sternly declared, “I’m not lying. I…”
Interrupted by a strange voice, Jessie heard another man with a Russian accent shout, “Romanoff!”
Stepping out from behind a tree directly in front of Romanoff was Junior Sergeant Yuri Kovalenko. “Where is the girl?” he demanded, pointing an AK-74 at Senior Lieutenant Romanoff.
“You traitor!” Romanoff shouted. “Lower your weapon immediately or I’ll have you hanged, or shot before a firing squad!”
“No! No, you will not!” Kovalenko insisted. “Tell me where girl is, or I will kill you.”
“Yuri!” Britney shouted, still bound and tied, hidden behind a clump of trees.
When Yuri’s attention was momentarily diverted to Britney, Romanoff raised the pistol from the back of Jessie’s head and fired a hastily-aimed shot, striking Yuri in the left shoulder.
Returning fire as he fell backward, Yuri’s rounds missed their mark, but sent Senior Lieutenant Romanoff running off into the woods to escape the barrage of bullets.
Picking himself up off the ground, Yuri ran toward Jessie, who scrambled to retrieve his own weapon, which lay in front of him. Prepared to engage the man, Jessie rolled to his side and raised his rifle, but the man ran straight past him to Britney, who was bound behind the tree.
Although he couldn’t see what was going on behind the trees, Jessie could hear in Britney’s voice that she was relieved to see the soldier, and that he, too, was happy to have found her, alive and in one piece. Struggling to his
feet, using his rifle to help him stand, Jessie limped over to Britney and the soldier.
Once the soldier cut the cord that held Britney’s hands and feet, she hugged him, and then she turned and ran to Jessie, hugging him tightly as tears of joy flowed down her cheeks.
“I’ll go after Romanoff,” the stranger said to Jessie.
“No! Yuri, don’t go!” Britney pleaded. “He’s still a threat,” Yuri insisted.
Looking Jessie in the eye, Yuri nodded and said, “Take care of her,” and then turned and ran off into the woods in pursuit of Romanoff, struggling through the intense pain of his now numerous wounds.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Tyrone began administering medical care to Nate using the medical supplies obtained from the master sergeant’s pack, while Daryl stood guard over the two UF prisoners and Q kept a keen eye out for threats.
Waving smelling salts below Nate’s nose, Tyrone mumbled, “C’mon, buddy. Wake up. We need you to keep up the fight.”
Inhaling, then wheezing and coughing, Nate’s eyes opened wide. “Hey, buddy,” Tyrone said, patting him on the cheeks to get him to focus.
“What the…?” Nate gasped, trying to catch his breath.
“Just relax there, buddy. We gave you some antibiotics and a few other things to keep you going until we get you home.”
Reaching up and putting his hand on Tyrone’s face, Nate said, “I’m so glad to see you guys. Britney? Where’s Britney?” he demanded, quickly snapping back into the situation at hand.
“Jessie went to find her,” Tyrone assured him.
“How long have they been gone? How long have I been out?” Nate asked.
“About a half an hour,” Tyrone replied. “Q and Daryl are here with me, too.
“Hey, Nate!” Q said with a grin, happy his friend was awake.
Turning his head and seeing Daryl’s large, bearded face, Nate mumbled, “Hey, Daryl. How did you convince Linda to let you in on this?”
“She was just as worried about you as I was,” Daryl replied. “She wouldn’t have forgiven me if I hadn’t come.”
Confused as to why there were only three of them, Nate wondered, “Just three of you? Why? We’ve never operated with less than five.”
“We started out as five,” Tyrone admitted solemnly.
Laying his head back on the ground, Nate sighed, “Awww, no. Damn it, no. Who? Who was it?”
“Sam and Carl,” Tyrone said with his eyes beginning to water. “They both went down swinging.”
With thoughts of regret and loss swirling around in his mind, Nate looked over to Daryl to see that he was holding his rifle on two of the UF soldiers. Still unsure of what exactly had occurred, Nate asked, “What the hell happened? How did it all go down?”
Q explained, “Just as we had set up what we felt was the perfect ambush, those furry bastards got the same idea and attacked the hunter patrol. They hit them hard, and luckily, they didn’t see us hiding in the bushes, also poised to attack. We didn’t go unnoticed forever, though, and ended up getting into the mix.”
Begrudgingly, Q continued, “Unfortunately, two of the UF guys got away. At this point, we don’t know whether they’re on the run, engaging Jessie, or watching us this very moment. We’re just sitting and waiting, for now.”
“How the hell are we gonna get out of here?” Nate lamented. “I’m jacked up. And you guys can’t carry me all the way back. If they send more hunters in search of yet another missing patrol, we’re screwed.”
Interrupting after overhearing the conversation, one of the UF soldiers offered, “If you let us go, we will lie and lead them in wrong direction.”
“Shut your pie hole!” barked Daryl.
“Sorry, comrade. That’s just not gonna happen,” Q added. “What I was going to say before we were so rudely interrupted, was that…”
“Shhh!” Daryl whispered. “I heard something. Uphill, to the south.”
As Q and Tyrone started scanning their surroundings through the sights of their rifles, Daryl kept a nervous eye on the prisoners.
From just uphill of their position, they heard a voice shout out, “Friendly! Hold your fire!”
A smile grew across Q’s face as he stood and said, “I’d recognize that old voice anywhere!”
Just then, Pastor Wallace and others from the Blue Ridge Militia appeared from the woods wearing camouflage and well-outfitted load-bearing vests, ready for a fight.
“Holy hell… uh, I mean, heck,” Q rejoiced, reaching out to shake Pastor Wallace’s hand. “What are you doing here?”
“Remember, I was Gunnery Sergeant Wallace before I was Pastor Wallace. I just couldn’t let them come without me. Especially knowing an innocent young life was involved. What kind of shepherd would I be if I didn’t do my part to protect the flock?”
Over the next half hour, Q, Tyrone, Daryl, and Nate caught Pastor Wallace and the others up on the events that had transpired. They shared laughs and tears as they detailed their victories, their adventures, and their defeats and losses.
“We’re gonna find Sam and Carl,” Pastor Wallace vowed. “We’re gonna get them home where they belong for the proper burial and final respects they deserve. I promise you that.”
“Thanks,” Q said, patting Pastor Wallace on the arm. “That’s important to all of us.”
Looking around, Q announced, “It looks like we’ve got enough guys here to hold down the fort. I’m gonna go look for Jessie and the girl.”
“Me, too!” shouted Daryl.
“You’re not leaving me behind, either,” insisted Tyrone.
“Are you sure you guys don’t need to rest?” Pastor Wallace asked. “There are plenty guys here that can go looking for them.”
“No, we’ve got this,” Q answered confidently. “You just keep an eye on those two,” he said while pointing to their prisoners, “and take good care of Nate. Also, don’t let your guard down. This is still a hot zone as far as I’m concerned. Nate can catch you up on anything we’ve not already explained about the threats we face.”
~~~~
Moving quickly through the woods in search of Jessie and Britney, Q, Tyrone, and Daryl moved in bounds, covering each other as they went. After having already suffered losses at the hands of their mysterious foe, they were determined to keep each other safe while carrying out what they saw as the final phase of their mission.
Crossing the creek and stopping to get a drink before reevaluating the trail and moving on, the men barely spoke a word. Their focus was intense. They’d gone through far too much to come up short now.
Looking down at the ground, Q found the same signs of a struggle that Jessie had, and, he, too, noted how Britney’s tracks no longer went on from here. One thing he did notice, though, was that Jessie’s did.
“Jessie was on the guy,” Q concluded. “Let’s move.”
Continuing through the woods and following the trail, Q, Tyrone, and Daryl passed by a fallen tree only to hear a familiar whistle, followed by the words, “Over here, guys.”
“Jessie!” Q blurted with excitement as he ran around behind a fallen tree to see Jessie and the young girl well hidden from view.
“You found her! What happened? Are you hurt?” Q asked with a barrage of questions.
“The UF officer ambushed me and shot me in the back of the leg. Luckily, it was just a 9mm and not a rifle round. Then, the craziest thing happened.”
“Yuri saved us!” Britney exclaimed.
“Who?” Q asked.
“The guard,” Jessie answered. “The odd man out. The seventh soldier. It’s a long story, but not only did he save us both from Romanoff…”
“Who?” Q interrupted.
“Romanoff, that’s the officer’s name,” Jessie replied.
“You exchanged names?” Q questioned with a puzzled look on his face.
“Let’s just say he’s proud of his title,” Jessie answered. “But anyway. The guard, who was on a hunter team that was ambushed by the troglodyt
es a few days ago, was taken captive as the sole survivor of his unit. He ended up in the caverns with Britney. That ordeal is a heck of a story all by itself, but to make the long story short, he fought and won their escape. According to her, he repeatedly risked his life to save hers.”
“Where is he now?” Q asked.
“He chased Romanoff into the woods that way,” Jessie said, pointing in the direction that Romanoff had fled.
“We have to help him!” Britney exclaimed. “He’s hurt!”
Quickly working it all out in his mind, Q said, “I’ll see if I can find him. Daryl, you and Tyrone get Jessie and Britney back with the others. Oh, and Jessie, the cavalry has arrived. Nate’s safe and sound with them.”
“Thank God,” Jessie whispered. “Thank you, God.”
~~~~
Tracking Romanoff as he worked his way through the woods toward a clearing on a high spot up ahead, Yuri knew he had to stop him before he got out into the open. If Romanoff was able to reach the extraction helicopter, a manhunt like he’d never before seen would be sent out after him. As a traitor against his own people, they would never relent in their search for him. An example would have to be made.
When he knelt down to inspect a fresh set of boot prints on the ground before him, Yuri heard the ominous sound of a horn blow up ahead.
His heart sank in his chest, and he resolved to take his own life before he’d let those monsters drag him underground again. From his perspective, he had no future anyway. He would be a wanted man in a foreign land where he was seen as an oppressor and an invader by the local population, and as a traitor by his own kind. No, there was no future left for him.
Catching a glimpse of movement up ahead, Yuri ducked down behind a large rock outcrop and surveyed the scene. It’s Romanoff! he thought as he saw how the once brave officer was now frozen in his tracks at the sound of the horn. He watched as Romanoff looked around frantically in all directions, trying to decide what move to make next.