Chapter 12
CHAPTER
TWELVE
NOAH
I call the Commander on the radio and explain the situation.
“Captain Reyes, I have no other reinforcements to send. The other teams are also on missions. If you decide to follow through, you will be strictly on your own.”
“Roger, Sir. Out.”
I look over at Jessica and Rachel and they are both taking care of the five children. I shake my head, not knowing what we should do. Everything tells me to get these kids back to base, but then the other part of me says we need to rescue the others.
Jessica stands up and walks towards me.
“How are the kids?” I ask when she’s in ear shot.
“They are scared, but they are unharmed.”
“The Commander says there are no other reinforcements to send our way,” I tell her.
She nods her head in understanding, looks at her team. I can see when she’s made a decision, her lips tighten.
“What are you thinking?” I ask her.
“We send my team back to base with the kids and we go rescue the others,” she states.
“Are you sure?” I ask her, needing to know that she is in the right head space for this.
“Yes,” she says simply and walks over to her team as I call my team over to relay the new plan.
I can see Rachel is not happy with Jessica’s decision by the heated, quiet argument they are having. Then I see Rachel’s shoulders deflate and she nods her head. They give each other a quick hug and then Rachel and the rest of the medical team lead the kids back toward the Humvees.
“Keep her safe, Captain,” Rachel tells me as she passes by.
“I will,” I respond quietly.
I watch Rachel and the rest of the medical team disappear into the tree line. The silence that follows feels heavier than before. Jessica stands beside me, arms crossed, her eyes scanning the horizon like she’s already halfway to the hostages.
I step closer, lowering my voice. “You know this could go sideways fast.”
She doesn’t look at me. “It already has.”
I nod, respecting her clarity. “We’ll need to move fast. The longer we wait, the colder the trail gets.”
Jessica nods, then says, “We should go light and quiet. No heroics. We find them, we extract, and we get out.”
We move out, cutting through the woods with practiced silence. The sun is beginning to dip, casting long shadows through the trees. Every rustle feels amplified. Every bird call feels like a warning.
Twenty minutes in, Sergeant Mitchell raises a fist. We freeze. He crouches low, pointing to a patch of disturbed earth, boot prints. Fresh. Jessica kneels beside him, brushing leaves away. “Multiple sets. Heading northeast.”
I signal to fan out. We follow the trail, weapons raised, senses sharp. The forest begins to thin, revealing a clearing up ahead. A small cabin sits at the edge, half-hidden by overgrowth. No smoke. No movement.
Jessica whispers, “Could be a holding site.”
I nod and gesture for Mitchell to circle around. He vanishes into the brush like a ghost.
We wait. The minutes stretch. Then a soft crackle on the radio. “Two guards outside. Armed. No sign of hostages.”
Jessica looks at me. “We take them quietly. No gunfire.”
I tap my mic. “Mitchell, mark targets. We’ll move on your signal.”
The tension coils tight. I glance at Jessica, her eyes are locked in, focused, but there’s something else there. A flicker of fear. Not for herself. For the people inside.
I lean in. “We get them out. All of them.”
She nods once. “Let’s finish this.”
Mitchell’s voice crackles again. “Targets marked. I’ve got eyes on both. One’s pacing. The other’s smoking near the door.”
Jessica checks her weapon, then glances at me. “We go in pairs. You and I take the front. Mitchell flanks from the rear.”
I nod. “On your mark.”
She raises her hand, counts down silently—three… two… one.
We move.
The forest seems to hold its breath as we break from cover. I keep low, my rifle steady, boots silent against the damp earth. Jessica is a shadow beside me, her movements fluid and precise.
The first guard turns just as Mitchell grabs him from behind, dragging him into the brush with a muffled grunt. Jessica lunges at the second, her arm locking around his throat before he can shout. He struggles, but she holds firm until he goes limp.
We drag both bodies into the undergrowth and regroup at the cabin’s edge. The door is old, weathered, slightly ajar.
Jessica whispers, “We breach on three. You take left, I take right.”
I nod, heart pounding.
She counts again. One… two… three.
We burst in.
The room is dim, lit only by a flickering lantern on a crate, but empty. Mitchell storms in behind us, covering the rear.
“Clear,” he calls out as do the rest of the team.
“This must have been a decoy,” I state.
“Damn it,” Jessica mutters.
“We’ll find them,” I try to reassure her.
“I know, but soon we will need to bunker down for the night,” she tells me.
I nod. “Let’s go find somewhere safe to hunker down,” I tell my team and they all nod.
We find a cave, small enough that if you're not looking for it, you could miss the opening, which also means no one will find it in the dark.
I send the team in to scout it, making sure it’s safe.
“All clear, Captain,” Sergeant Mitchell whispers out and I let Jessica go in first, before I follow, making sure we aren’t leaving any tracks to be seen and found.
The inside of the cave is deeper and bigger than what I thought. There is plenty of room for everyone to spread out and be comfortable.
I can see the fatigue on Jessica, as well as the determination to save the hostages.
“We will find them, but you need to rest. You’ll be no good to anyone who needs you if you don’t. Especially since you haven’t gotten much sleep lately,” I whisper to her.
She sighs and then nods her head. She garbs a poncho out of her rucksack and lays down on the floor of the cave.
Sergeant Mitchell takes the first watch, I look at Jessica and see her body is relaxed and her breathing is slow and even. I know she’s asleep, so I close my eyes, allowing sleep to take me before it’s my turn at watch.
I was able to manage four hours of sleep before I was shaken awake. I look at the soldier who woke me and he whispered, “Sorry Captain, but it’s time.”
I grunt, letting him know I heard him and pull myself up. I look over to where I know Jessica is lying, but it’s dark in the cave and I can barely make anything out.
I grab my flashlight and quickly shine it around so I can see where everyone is at, and pray I don’t step on anyone. Jessica is still sleeping and I breathe a sigh of relief.
I know she is exhausted and I’m glad to see she’s at least gotten four hours of sleep so far.