The night was cold as we laid down on the ground circling a small fire Lucas had made with nothing but scraps he had found on the barren land. We were on a mission, this time over at the border and we were bunking down for the night at the crook of a hilly mountain top, facing an embankment not too far out.
We had received intel that a convoy would pass through the mountain at dusk, and the convoy was transporting a priced item. We didn't know what item it was, but we have orders to retrieve it. All we know was that it was vital to the safety of the country and it was a highly dangerous mission.
And that was why Wolf was here.
Surrounded by the boys who were busy discussing about something I was not paying attention to, I laid down on the ground with my legs up and crossed over the other as I stared up at the starry sky. It was a beautiful night, and I could see plenty at this vantage point.
It was a good spot.
"Big Sister, can you please play a song for us?" one of the rookies asked, as he pulled out an acoustic guitar from his side. He gave a hopeful smile. "Please?"
The rest of the rookies echoed their pleading, and I let out a sigh as I indulged them. Sitting up, I took the guitar and set it on my lap. The boys began to huddle around me almost excitedly, even the older ones seemed to stop their chat as they waited for me to start singing. Testing the pitch, I stared down at my fingers as they moved on their own accord and knew what I wanted to sing.
Taking a deep breath, I strummed the first chord and began to sing.
I look up from the ground
To see your sad and teary eyes
You look away from me
And I see there's something you're trying to hide
And I reach for your hand but it's cold
You pull away again
And I wonder what's on your mind
And then you say to me you made a dumb mistake
You start to tremble, and your voice begins to break
You say the cigarettes on the counter weren't your friend's
They were my mate's
And I feel the color draining from my face
I paused for effect, my eyes locked with Tom's and I continued with the chorus.
And my friend said
"I know you love her, but it's over, mate
It doesn't matter, put the phone away
It's never easy to walk away, let her go
It'll be alright"
I sang those verses, the words seemed to flow within me smoothly as if the song was made for me. It was the moment about finding out about something you'd think it'd never happen to you. A moment that I had to find out. It was a horrible feeling. A horrible and devastating feeling. It lingers like a poison that never seems to go away.
The devastating moment that I found out Tom was seeing someone else behind my back, that the one thing that I had feared happening right in front of me, this song describes it in such brutal detail that when I first heard it, I burst out crying and lay in a pool of my own tears for hours.
Because when I was in that moment of pain, it was everything.
But nothing heals the past like time
And they can't steal
The love you're born to find
But nothing heals the past like time
And they can't steal
The love you're born to find
The song ended with me strumming and plucking the guitar as I moved to the next song that I knew would elevate their moods.
Singing the first few lyrics, the rookies began to join in and soon enough, the tension that was hanging in the air disappeared. After a few rounds of songs, my throat was sore, and Frank ordered everyone to shut up and get some rest.
.
"Amelia wake up!"
Jerking awake at the sudden shout in my ear, I looked up to see Marcus towering above me with a frown in his face. "You're up," he said. "The convoy is coming."
Annoyed, I glanced at my watch. "What the fuck? It's two hours early! I didn't get enough sleep," I grumbled as I got up to grab my gear. "Did Scott even get the correct convoy?"
"Hey!" Scott from Intel interjected. "That is what I got from Intel."
"Quit grumbling, and get your ass moving," Lucas scolded.
"Shut the fuck up or I'll put a bullet in your ass, and you won't even know it coming," I warned flatly as I got the helmet on and clipped it over my chin. "Check comm. Over."
"Over."
I swung the rifle over my shoulder and cracked my back, eased the knot on my shoulders as I warmed my body awake. The sun hasn't risen, and everything was dark and muted. The boys waited for me as I warmed up, keeping quiet before I shoot them in annoyance.
"ETA ten minutes," Scott stated.
I cracked my neck. "Let's do this," I said. "See you on the other side boys."
We had made camp on the surface of a rocky mountain top, hidden between an enclave of sorts. Far below us were winding roads that eventually lead to our border. This is the only stretch of the road where it is possible to intersect any unsuspecting convoys carrying important cargo.
This location is a prime spot for a sniper like me, and impossible for any aerial aircraft to spot. It was mainly due to the shape of the mountain, it's rocky surface and how it narrows around the road. It was a tough terrain, and well-liked by insurgents who'd most likely ambush the convoy as well.
I've climbed down the side of the mountain surface and hiked my way across my first roost spot. If I wasn't careful, I would tumble down to my death. The rock was uneven in some places, slippery and unstable. Cursing at the death trap below me, I resorted to lowering my CG and moved as slowly as I could dare.
"Report your location Amelia," Frank's voice appeared in my ear.
My breath was harsh against my ear. "Three minutes to the roost, boss," I gasped as I looked around. "This area is shit."
"Roger that, we're moving out."
"Be careful!"
I made a sound of annoyance and the rock beneath my boots disappeared, so I could see myself tilting to the right. Cursing, I threw myself to the left and tried to grab whatever I could grab as I fell. I landed awkwardly on the rocky terrain and I began to slide downwards, my gloves grappling on the smooth surface uselessly as my fingers tried to latch onto something.
Once they finally did, I had slid almost a fifth down the side of the mountain. My arms were trembling, trying to carry the extra weight of the rifle so I made the climb again before they give out. "Fucking shit!" I yelled, scolding myself as I hoisted over some sharp pointy rocks and lay on it, gasping for air.
"Amelia!"
"Amelia! Are you okay?"
"I fucking hate this mountain!" I yelled in fury.
"You need to hurry, convoy ETA is 2 minutes," urged Scott.
"Shut the fuck up, I know," I growled as I gathered myself off the ground and half-crawled and half-ran to my spot. It was still a few distance away, and I needed to set up before they arrive.
Struggling to maneuver over the terrain, I managed to reach my vantage point in time. I could see the convoy coming in from the farthest corner of the road, and I set up my rifle – looking through the scope as I assessed the situation.
"I got eyes on the convoy," I said.
"Shoot them down," Frank ordered.
As per the Intel given by Headquarters, it was a convoy with two armed vehicles at both the front and rear, with the trailer in the middle. The enemy was armed to the teeth and they will shoot to clear the way. Inside the trailer held our target and we were told not to cause damage to it.
Taking out the rear vehicles was easy, since I was using armor piercing incendiary rounds with a Barrett M82A1M. The downside to it was the incredible sound it releases after it's being fired. It sounded like thunder rolling off the sky, and even though I was initially against using this sniper rifle, it was necessary against taking out armored vehicles in one shot.
Hoisting the bloody thing over my shoulder, I scrambled up and went to my second roost since staying at the same position was incredibly dangerous.
"I'm going to the second position!" I yelled as I took a left and ran across a narrow, winding path that will eventually lead me to the second vantage point. The climb down would be as equally dangerous as climbing upward.
"Roger that, we're going in!"
While the team below took over the trailer, and tried to subdue the remaining two armored vehicles, I crossed to the next overpass where the next vantage point awaits. The boys will have to hold their position on the trailer while taking heavy fire from the armored vehicles who would've realized that their convoy has been hijacked.
Taking out the other two armored vehicles was my next task, and the boys were relying on me to take them out immediately.
As I scaled down the steep and slippery surface of the mountain, I could hear them swearing and yelling curses. I could hear bullets raining down on them, ricocheting off the metal surface and I could sense their determination, their fierceness and their loyalty to the country.
Hurry Amelia!
Grim and filled with determination, I crossed over the tough terrain and approached the second point without trouble. Gasping sharply while ignoring my body's idea to slow down as I set up my rifle, I took aim and took out the remaining vehicles with ease.
"I got eyes," I affirmed. "Area's clear."
"Roger that," Keith spoke. "We're going in."
"Don't fuck up, rookie!"
"We are to apprehend the target!" Marcus reminded. "Don't be a hero and run off first!"
Focusing on the mission, I tuned out their conversation as I watched them enter the trailer and ensured that the pass was empty from any enemy. We may never know if others had gotten wind of the convoy. Being absolutely sure has not gotten anybody dead yet.
Seeing them leaving the trailer with the target in hand, I followed them with my scope and once they got cover, I began to move away from my spot.
However, I realized too late that an enemy had spotted me at my nest and shot upward. The pain of bullet tearing through flesh made me grunt and I made him meet his maker before he could shoot a second round.
"Dumbass," I muttered under my breath and glanced down wearily at my left shoulder, making a face as blood poured out from the wound like a leaky tap. The bullet had gone right through my shoulder and I needed to seal it up quickly before I lose more blood.
The burning pain hurt a lot and I was sweating buckets, trying to have a hold onto the pain as I pulled out the IFAK from my waist pouch and applied the blood stopper gauze on the oozing wound. Keeping it secure, I pressed the foil packaging on it before wrapping duct tape clumsily.
Panting hard as I tried to stabilize my breathing, I wiped away the sweat on my forehead and took another deep breath before I hoisted the rifle on my uninjured shoulder. Cursing, I began my hike down to where I will meet up with the rest of the team.
Fifteen minutes later, I arrived at the meet up point sweating buckets and panting like mad. The boys turned pale with fear and shock when they saw me staggering to them.
I dropped the rifle to the ground and sank onto my knees in relief – eager to get rid of the extra weight before asking Wesley in a harsh whisper for a bottled water. Keith – our trained medic – immediately went to me and began asking questions as he checked the wound.
Welsey handed a bottle over to me with the cap already opened so I gulped down water gratefully and swallowed some ibuprofen to help cope with the pain, I noticed the target looking at me rather curiously. My eyes went wide with surprise when I realised that the target was a young woman.
Wait, didn't Scott say the target was vital to the safety of our country? I couldn't be bothered to think more actually.
Panting hard, I poured the remainder of the water on my head before throwing the bottle over to Wesley who caught it. Keith made me remove my vest and uniform, leaving me in my top as he assessed the wound. He made an impressed sound at my clumsy first aid and asked about the bullet.
"Bullet went through," I said.
He turned to the Captain. "She's fine, Frank."
"Good," he answered.
I pulled on my uniform and strapped on the vest, before getting back up on my feet. "Where's our ticket way out?" I asked as I gathered the heavy rifle off the ground and slung it over my shoulder.
"Scott is handling it," he replied.
"Isn't it supposed to be here by now?" questioned Lucas.
"The longer we're here, the worse things are gonna get!"
Frank gave us a look that we all know. Without him speaking a word, Tom, Keith and Lucas broke off into three different directions while bringing the rookies with them. I let out a sigh and lowered myself onto a flat stone while I watched Scott and Marcus working with the communication device that they had brought along.
It was just the four of us, plus the target.
"W-what are you ... going to do with me?" she asked in a frightened voice but with a British accent which made me turn to look at her with a surprised frown. "Aren't you ... part of the Police Force?"
She was very far away from home.
"We aren't going to do anything to you, but our higher management would," Frank replied with a sigh as he threw a bottled water over to the lady. "And frankly, we are surprised the target is a human. We don't do human targets. Most of them end up dead."
"You're ... Wolf, aren't you?" she queried. "I know a lot about you."
"How?" I asked curiously.
"It's best if you don't speak to her, Frank and Amelia," Scott interjected quickly before she could reply. "She knows a lot more than the government would want a citizen to know, which was why she's a target and vital to the safety of our country."
"What the heck does that even mean?" Frank demanded flatly.
Scott sighed as if he didn't want to continue with the conversation any longer but thanks to Frank's glare, he relented.
"She created a system that enables her to see everything," he explained wearily. "To know everything. With just one click, she can open a country's deepest darkest secrets and we don't have the capability to protect ourselves when shit hit the fan."
I was impressed and I wanted to ask more questions but since we were in the middle of a mission, we couldn't afford to be idle. Soon enough, we heard telltale signs of gunshots from the other end and with Marcus' feverish attempts to get communications working, we were in a tough spot.
"Lucas, Tom and Keith, report!" Frank urged. "How many tangos?"
"They've called in back up!" screamed Lucas. "Watch out, kid! Get behind me!"
Cursing at the statement, I looked at Frank and we both knew this spot was a bottleneck. Sooner or later the boys would be pushed back to where we were, and we had to hold our position here It was the worst place for a sniper – there weren't any good spots left and we needed to get our transport, or we were toast.
"Get it working stat!" Frank ordered and turned to the woman. "You need to hide yourself. The enemy will be taking you back. Amelia, get up that rock and shoot down anyone you see."
"I can't use this rifle!" I exclaimed. "It's too tight –"
"Use mine!" Marcus interrupted and threw his gun over to me. "I have a spare with me."
Catching the weapon, I ran through its model and specifications over my head as I checked the magazine, scope and climbed up the side of the rock wall where I headed to the spot Frank had ordered to. I wanted to be familiar with the rifle, and I was glad that I had trained with it before.
"We're retreating!" Keith yelled.
"They've set up bombs and throwing Molotov!"
"Back! Back!"
"Lucas!"
"Fucking shit, just go!"
"They're so fucking persistent!"
While Frank and Marcus were busy setting up a crude barricade across the narrow path, I lay on the spot hidden between rocks and saw the boys entering the narrow corridor. Seeing their familiar helmets bobbing up and down as they ran for cover, I waited for them to clear the way and started firing when I saw tangos appearing in my line of vision.
"Get to the barricades," I ordered firmly.
"Keep them there, Amelia!" Keith added. "Their rifles aren't long range."
I grinned. "Great."
The shootout didn't last long as I feared because they knew that their bullets weren't reaching us while ours were reaching them. Knowing that we were stuck, they retreated, and we all knew that they might attempt to circle the mountain to meet us in a pincer move, but we knew they wouldn't.
"Marcus!" Frank yelled. "Hurry the fuck up!"
"They said they're on the way!"
"Well, tell them to hurry up!" Lucas yelled in turn.
The radio transmitter buzzed once, and a feminine voice was heard. "This is Lieutenant Carol Smith, we are on our way to your location," she spoke. "ETA sixty seconds, get ready to jump."
"Jump?" Wesley asked.
I turned to the rookie. "It's a steep precipice at the end of this path, dude," I pointed out. "There's no way a plane can land here so that ahead is the only place where we can get out of here safely."
"But jump?!"
"It's a steep forty feet drop to your death," Lucas added slyly.
"It's Carol, you should trust her," I said with a wave of my hand. "She's a capable pilot."
We heard the whump of blades and the air lifted up all of the sand particles that were on the floor. I grabbed a hold of my rifle and slung it across my shoulder, feeling a grin appearing on my lips as the thought of jumping into an airborne plane excites me.
"Why are you smiling?!" demanded Quinn fearfully.
Frank turned to face us, a big grin on his face as he looked at us. "WHAT ARE WE?" Frank shouted.
"WOLF!"
"AND WHAT DO WE DO?"
"NO MISTAKES!"
"Time to jump," Carol spoke through the radio transmitter. "Go! Go! Go!"
We let out a fearsome war cry and ran.
Smiling, I ran alongside my brothers and grabbed the target by her wrist. I could see sunlight peeking ahead and I knew there was the end of the path. Gaining momentum from the run, I pushed off the edge of the precipice and landed on the plane's ramp.
Urging the lady to move, I yanked her forwards and into the belly of the plane where she collapsed onto the floor shaking with fear. Once everyone was in, the ramp closed up and the plane moved off.
Bubbling with adrenaline, we let out cheers and whoops before we collapsed onto the chairs, strapping ourselves in.
"That was fucking crazy," commented Lucas.
.
A/N: The song that was sung in this Chapter has been embedded in video.
Enjoy!