9. Ace
9
ACE
Navy SEALs train for all kinds of, shall we say, uncomfortable situations. Extreme weather conditions being part of the training. But nothing can ever prepare you for the reality of those conditions. For the most part, though, we figure shit out to keep ourselves as comfortable as humanly possible.
The one thing I can never get used to is the torrential rain that we are sometimes sent into. The constant wetness that gets into every single damn thing, no matter how hard you try to stay dry. Thankfully, our backpacks are waterproof. Because nobody wants to finally find shelter, only to dig soggy clothing out of their bag.
We’ve been stuck in this fucking wet hellhole for three days now, and all I can think of is getting home to Sheri and dry — well, dry everything. I fully get why water torture is such an effective method. Most of the time, I feel like I’m losing my mind with this constant fucking drip, drip, drip of water. The surrounding vegetation is dense and overgrown because of the abundance of water.
When they said water is a valuable, life-giving resource, they failed to mention it’s not necessarily a sanity saving resource. Needless to say, tempers are frayed currently. While the foliage offers great cover, it also slows us down considerably as we need to find a way not to hack it down and give away our position. So, we slither and slide through the mud beneath our boots as we bend ourselves in pretzel shapes to navigate low hanging branches and other shrubs with sharp limbs.
At one point we thought we’d have to resuscitate Hot Sauce we he came eye to eye with a constrictor hanging out in a tree. Gratefully, he managed to contain a scream of fright, swallowing it down so that nothing but a tiny squeak came out. Either that, or fear held his voice box ransom and nothing louder could have come out.
Either way, the man was good and done with this godawful jungle we find ourselves miserably traipsing through. And I can’t say I blame him. We’re all pretty ready to be done with the place. All I can say is, if our target isn’t where they said we’d find him, we’re going to be way, way past pissed.
As day turns to night — not that it makes a ton of difference in this seventh ring of hell — Merlin calls a halt to our progress. The last thing we want is to be traversing this terrain in the dark. Any injuries incurred here will be one hell of a nightmare to keep from getting infected. We can’t afford a single man down.
“Guys, we should reach the farm within a couple of hours, but we need to wait out the darkness. So, I suggest you get any rest you can, while you can, and we’ll head out at oh four hundred,” Merlin informs us when we stop for the night. “Phantom, you and Blade take first watch. Ace and I’ll relieve you in two hours.”
“Copy that, Captain,” Phantom replies.
“Yes, sir,” Blade responds.
The two of them quietly melt into the brush, and the rest of us set about making camp for the night. Not that any of us anticipate getting much shut-eye tonight. The only one who’s probably going to sleep through this is Hot Sauce. That man could sleep through armed combat happening right on top of him.
Within twenty minutes, the camp settles down, and ninety minutes later, when Merlin and I relieve Phantom and Blade, Hot Sauce is sleeping like the dead. As predicted. I swear that man could sleep on hot coals, and it wouldn’t keep him awake.
I think the team, as a collective, heaves a sigh of relief when Merlin gives orders to head out. The sooner we’re on the move, the sooner we can go home. Make no mistake about it, I love my job. I have since my first day. But, for the first time since graduating Bud/s, I’m rethinking my choices. At thirty-five, I feel like I’m getting too old for this shit.
Maybe an instructor wouldn’t be such a bad thing. The brass has been after me to consider that as a career path when I’m ready to retire from active missions. Now that Sheri and her boys will be a part of my life, it’s a good time to rethink my priorities. They’ve already lost one loved one to the job. I wouldn’t want to put them through that again.
“Yo, Ace, you still with us, brother?” I hear Kansas ask from behind me.
“Yeah. What’s up?” I reply.
“Don’t know where those thoughts took you, man, but that shit’s clearly heavy,” Blade pipes up. “You frown any harder, you’re gonna give yourself wrinkles.”
Before I can reply, Merlin speaks up. “We’re coming up on the farm shortly. Have you earmarked a spot on the map to set up?”
Whacking Blade against his shoulder with the back of my hand, I step toward Merlin. I feel Blade tug on the bottom of my backpack and flip him the bird. His quiet snort of laughter lifts my spirits some. He’s not wrong. Those are some heavy thoughts. Because they’ll change the trajectory of my career and change the team dynamic.
“Yeah, there’s a good spot not too far from the farmhouse. Seems to be well sheltered by the looks of things, judging from the surveillance images,” I reply to Merlin.
“All right. Then let’s get you set up and then the rest of us will do some recon. If the gods smile benevolently upon us, we might be headed home as early as morning.”
“Well then, let’s hope we curry favor with the gods,” Kansas remarks.
“Amen brother. Your lips to God’s ears,” Phantom says.
Even though we’re not speaking loudly, silence falls over the group as we reach the point I’ve earmarked for our comms station. Thankfully, the rain stopped about an hour ago and will hopefully hold off long enough not to fry our equipment. Although it’s waterproof, I’d rather not subject it to this invasive rain that seems to find its way into even the tiniest gap it may find.
In no time at all, we’re set up, and the recon is a go. Merlin decides to leave Hot Sauce with me, and the rest of the team heads out to survey the lay of the land. Motion from the east pings on my radar, and I relay the info to Merlin.
“Merlin, you’ve got company on your left. Still flying under the radar, but best to continue to head west to stay that way.”
“Copy that. Will do.”
I watch as the guys veer more to the west to avoid discovery. Motion higher up on the screen catches my eye.
“Cap, you’ve got company coming in from northwest. Best plan of action is to fall back to the southwest. Find somewhere to lay low and I’ll give you the All Clear when your company moves on.”
“Thanks, Ace. Falling back.”
I continue to monitor the enemy’s movement while keeping a close eye on our guys as they hunker down and wait for a clear path. It isn’t too long before the paths of the two groups of unfriendlies intersect. For long moments movement ceases, as if they’ve stopped for a chat. Finally, they get back under way, and it isn’t long before the coast is clear.
“You’re clear to proceed,” I tell Merlin.
“Thanks, Ace.”
The radio goes silent as they do what we’re trained to do, and I continue to monitor my equipment while Hot Sauce has my back.
“Approaching the house now. It’s already a hive of activity. Makes it a little trickier to get in and out unseen, but we’re searching out the best entry point with the least risk now,” Merlin says a short time later.
“Be safe, yeah?” I reply. My eyes continue to scan the equipment, the team’s safety my number one priority.
Just as I’m reaching the point of holding my breath and Hot Sauce is pacing restlessly behind me, our comms activate, and what sounds like a running Merlin informs us they’re coming in hot, target acquired.
“Received, loud and clear,” Hot Sauce replies as I continue my monitoring.
“Hot Sauce, can you start to take down these?” I say, pointing out the pieces of equipment he can begin packing up.
Within minutes, there’s only the bare essentials that need to be packed, and those we’ll handle as soon as we have line of sight on the team. When I spot Cougar break through the bushes a little way away from us, Hot Sauce and I waste no time stowing the last of the gear.
Satellite phone in hand, I fall in with the rest of the guys and make the call we’ve all been looking forward to. The call for our ride out of here. Hauling ass, dragging a reluctant captive along, we’re just coming up on the pickup zone when we hear gunfire in the distance. Not distant enough.
I notify the helicopter to be on the lookout for our company, and we hunker down to wait on the edge of the clearing. And pray we’ll be going home today. Because if the helo can’t land, we’re going to be stuck in this hellhole until we can safely organize another rendezvous, and no one wants that.
Once again our comms engage, and Merlin murmurs tonelessly, “Bird’s coming in, let’s lay down some cover for them. Phantom, you’re over here with me. Cougar and Kansas, you’re over there. And you guys focus on that area over there.” He points where he wants Blade, Hot Sauce, and me. “Blade, Ace, if he twitches weird, shoot him,” he continues, pointing at our captive.
Vulnerable as it hovers over the landing zone, the pilot gestures for us to load up. From their vantage point, at least they can see where the threat is. Laying ground cover, two by two, we start making our way over to the ladder to board.
As the sniper on our team, Phantom will be the last to board. He and I just make it to the ladder when we notice movement in the brush straight ahead, but still a short way away. Still close enough to present a danger to us though.
“Move your ass, Cougar,” I say into my comm. “We’ve got company.”
My words are barely spoken when the sound of a bullet zinging past my ear galvanizes me to climb even faster.
Cougar makes it to the top and hands reach out to grab him. As another bullet comes flying past me, I hear the engines rev up to depart. Well shit. It’s never good news when they don’t even wait for the last person to be onboard before departing. As we bank to the left, I look down to find a grenade launcher aimed right at us.
Phantom close on my heels, we double time it up the last of the ladder, while the guys are hauling us up. Launching ourselves into the bird, Merlin slams the door shut, and we send a collective prayer up that we’ll clear the hot zone before they can get a clear shot.
It’s tense in the helicopter as we wait for the All Clear from the pilot and a loud cheer goes up as we make it unscathed. Our prisoner secured, I look over at Cougar and notice him grimace in pain as Kansas accidentally jostles him.
“Cougar, you okay, dude?” I ask, my question catching Merlin’s attention.
“Yeah, all good,” the man replies. “Why you ask?”
“You take a hit? I saw you wince when Kansas bumped you just now.”
He hesitates, and I give him a look so he knows not to bullshit me. “Yeah, but it’s just a flesh wound,” he eventually replies, reluctance clear in his voice.
“I’ll be the judge of that. Show me,” Kansas says.
“Yeah, I’m not dropping my pants for you to have a look. It’ll have to wait until we land.” Cougar’s words brook no argument.
But Kansas is having none of it. “Don’t make me ask you twice. If you don’t drop them draws, I’m cutting them off.”
Cougar bares his teeth at Kansas, but stands to do as he’s instructed. That’s when we spot the rip in his camo pants and a large blood stain. There’s a chunk of his outer right thigh missing, bloody and nasty looking.
“You’re lucky. It’s missed anything major, and it’ll be easy enough to suture. Hit the deck, brother. Let’s get you put back together.”
This time he doesn’t even bother to argue with Kansas. Cougar lays himself out on the floor, and Kansas gets to work. I send a prayer of thanks heavenward that things weren’t worse. We got off relatively unscathed this time. We were lucky, indeed.
As we fall silent, tired to our marrow, my thoughts turn to Sheri and our imminent weekend away. Thoughts of being with her, just the two of us, keep me company as we wing our way back home.