Into The Rift

Alarming Circumstances (41)

"If we fail to turn up at any of the extraction points on the 2nd of May, consider my fireteam compromised and most likely captured... or maybe worse," I say, pausing to deliver a more serious tone. "If that's the case, do us a favour and don't send any more units to Visegrad, it's not worth it."

Dark brown eyes meeting her tired blue, I wait for her reply as the stale tension surrounds us. Meagan for her part stood firmly against my stare, mulling over my grim statement.

"I... I'll note that down Lieutenant," she says, averting her eyes from me, seeming to understand the context. "Let's hope it doesn't come to that, anything else?"

"No Ma'am, that's all." I offer her my gratitude with the curt string of words, unclasping both hands behind my back to rest them on the table. An audible sigh rushes past my lips, carrying the full extent of my exhaustion, both physical and mental.

"You should get some shut eye while you still can," she says, pulling me out of my musings. "Only four hours till 0500."

"I probably won't, but thanks," I decline her suggestion, making my way towards the exit after noting the Operations Officer's show of concern.

Exiting the Operations Wing, the worry seated deep inside me still festers like an infected wound. Deciding to stroll through the dimly lit borders of the base, I wander through the outskirts without an inherent destination in mind.

Knowing what lies ahead, sleep will be almost impossible to achieve. It isn't worth the attempt, even though this will be my last opportunity to sleep on a bed for some time.

The shimmering backdrop of stars immediately catches my attention in the ensuing serenity, my eyes rooted at the foreign constellations as I reflect on the circumstances that led me to this moment. As with anything involving the distant past, I keep these memories under a tight lid, only skimming through them when there is nothing else occupying my mind.

The random sea of thoughts continue to circulate, each never lasting more than a few sparse seconds, with the exception of one. A name, paired with a woman's face. The one person I considered the closest to me, even with the distance between us. My best friend above everything else.

'Catherine...' The disappointment reflected in her eyes, the forced smile on her lips as I relayed the news. The very last time we locked eyes with each other on that restaurant, our farewells left unsaid in my haste.

I know my sister worries about me every single day. That was a given, it's in her nature. Now, after years of being so certain down this path in life, I find myself burdened with regret knowing I may never see her again.

The Blonde haired inhabitants of the Archipelago, the constant ebb of salt water crashing against the shoreline, and the distant faces of those that are only recently listed as missing in action.

They were furthest from my mind, even though they will be more than relevant in the coming hours.

===Present Time===

-0252 Military Hours, 28th of April
-Visegrad Island, Local Settlement

It's best to be honest about it all instead of pretending it's something else entirely. We are being corralled against our will, removing even the most remote options of escape. The open hostility emanating from the locals did little to take my attention off the fact we are currently following the one person I least expected to come across.

The tension dangerously hovers at the breaking point, even breathing the wrong way may just tip them over the edge. On all sides, the soldiers pointed their weapons mere inches from our vitals, tense arms poised to deliver the strike at any given moment. It was not a pretty sight.