Chapter 22
There’s nothing like standing in a cemetery in the dead of night waiting for the green light to move, some would say that’s an omen, to me it’s a reminder to be patient and value the life we’re given.
Last night we hung back and watched Jackson and Cuddy move in to clear the HME which is always a high-stakes operation. The pair moved meticulously, utilizing our specialized equipment and techniques they’ve spent years developing to detect and neutralize the HME. I’m proud of my men, the precision and experience they have to carefully dismantle the explosive materials, ensuring the safety of themselves and the rest of the team is fucking awesome.
It’s been a long twenty-four hours of recon, even though we’ve seen no movement, Jackson and Cuddy are sweeping the area before we move in, with every step they make we wait, watching every deliberate, calculated step until they precisely execute any risk to keep us safe and undetected, we’re banking on the element of surprise.
:Joint Comms, all clear, move in, green light, green light.
The rest of us move forward slow and deliberate in following the path they took.
We enter the mausoleum and can see the well, we made a plan of approach today and know our plan of attack. Lowering down into a well to access tunnels is no easy feat, it adds another layer of complexity to our mission but this is not our first rodeo, in Afghanistan we had to do this shit often. Jackson and Cuddy have quickly assessed and secured the area, ensuring it’s safe for our descent while we stand guard.
We’re using ropes and a harnesses to lower into the depths of the well, Jackson and Cuddy battled it out this afternoon on who enter first, in the end they flipped Cuddy’s lucky silver dollar and he’ll be the first going in, he’ll carefully descend while we maintain support and keep lookout. Once he’s at the bottom, he will send the all clear for the rest of us to proceed down the well and into the tunnels, each of us are filled with anticipation and heightened adrenaline as Cuddy starts his descent, knowing we’re about to follow into a potentially hostile environment.
:Joint Comms, all clear, green light, green light.
One by one we all lower and enter the tunnel, it’s quite narrow due to people being a lot smaller in prohibition times only wide enough for single file through the stone passageway, we’re having to crouch due to the low arched ceiling.
We move swiftly and silently, each team member on alert and ready for any threat we face. Our strategy is to methodically clear each section, checking every corner and shadow for signs of Rob. Our communication is precise, our movements coordinated, as we navigate the labyrinthine of passage precisely and with extreme caution.
:Joint Comms, this is Alpha 2, I hear movement.
:Joint Comms, this is Alpha 1, do you have eyes?
:Joint Comms, this is Alpha 2, negative.
:Joint Comms, this is Alpha 1, copy that, any heat signatures?
:Joint Comms, this is Alpha 2, I’m picking up a small ball of heat possibly a pet curled into the back right hand corner of the space. It’s hard to tell from here whether there’s any other rooms off the space. I need to get closer.
:Joint Comms, this is Alpha 1, copy that, proceed with caution, we’ve got your six.
:Joint Comms, this is Alpha 2, good copy.
Inching forward each cautious step at a time is painful, but also necessary, ‘Slow is smooth, smooth is fast’ we live by this motto and it’s saved our lives many times.
:Joint Comms, this is Alpha 2, there is a heavy wooden door, gear up.
An explosion sounds as soon as Cuddy says gear up, and the walls rattle with debris falling on our heads.
:Joint Comms, this is Alpha 2, smoke grenade, door was rigged, move, move, move, vision compromised.
We all haul ass forward toward the doorway, was that a scream I just heard? Fuck.
:Joint Comms, this is Alpha 1, Do you hear that?
:Joint Comms, this is Alpha 6, Sounds like a female cry, Tiny replies.
As I go through the door and enter the room the ceiling opens up and it’s hard to get a clear visual but it seems to be set up like a living space. I’m looking through my scope for any movement when I hear another grenade go off and I move toward the back right corner towards the scream and find another door. I kick it in, sweep the room, and see no adult person but the crying is louder.
The sick fuck has another female down here, I hear the shot then the sharp pain in my right side, fuck I’m hit. I reach out and come in contact with a body and slam them into the wall.
“Ya not takin’ her.” A male voice says.
I punch him hard in the gut and send an upper cut to his jaw and follow through with a punch to his left temple and he drops.
:Joint Comms, this is Alpha 1, I’ve been hit. There’s a female back right corner and a male inside the doorway on the ground right side, I repeat on the ground.
I move my way toward the sound of crying coming from the top left corner and visualize a small figure and when I reach out, they scream, she screams, it’s a small child, Fuck!
Two more shots this time to my left side, and I roar.
:Joint Comms, this is Alpha 1, two more hits, taken three slugs, file in.
I lean forward and shield the girl the best I can, two more bullets ring out and my body is jolted with the impact on my body armor just as my brothers enter the room.
The bullet must have pierced something vital; I feel warmth flowing down my left side freely. I hear commotion and muffled yelling but it’s becoming more distant as the darkness takes hold.
“What the fuckyou napping for Chief?” Doc’s voice yells.
“Where’s the child?” I groan out in response as I come to, Doc is busy packing my side and I can hear her crying but it sounds muffled.
“We got her Chief; she’s not injured you protected her well, but I need to patch you up before we can move you. Tiny has the girl in the other room trying to calm her down.” Doc informs me.
“Rob?” I grind out, my right side is painful but fuck my left side is biting hard.
“Dead.” He spits out.
“How bad is it, Doc?”
“I reckon you’ll live Chief, but you need surgery and I suspect your left lung has been grazed, your breathing is labored and getting worse.” I hear his voice tinged with concern.
“Anyone else hit?”
“No, the guys were all spread out in other rooms searching for Rob. We’ve done a sweep for more bodies and there’s no one else here. Rob came through from the room next door, he’d made a precut opening ready to go in the drywall which was hidden behind the door when you opened it and he pushed it through once you were in the room, there was no way you’d have seen it even without night vision.” Doc explains.
“So, if the HME had of exploded he would have had more of a warning that we were coming and could escape, and the smoke grenade was his secondary warning system, essentially.” I deduce.
“Yeah, Chief, it appears that way. Jackson and Cuddy are doing a thorough search for any more explosives before we move you.”
“I’m solid, Doc, the girl was small about Alexa’s age. Do you think the child could be Caroline’s?”
“Yeah, Chief, the timing fits, I suspect Caroline had fraternal twins, a boy and a girl.”
“Fucking hell.” This is some twisted fucking shit.
“Right, I’m gonna help you up, let’s move, I want to get where we can get some light on the subject, it’s pitch black down here and I’m practically working blind.”
:Joint Comms, this is Alpha 7, Chief is ready to move, we clear?
:Joint Comms, this is Alpha 2, all clear, Blake, Reid and Jackson have gone ahead and hauling ass to get the SVD ready for extraction.
We enter the larger space and there’s not an ounce of light in here, my guess is they must have used lamps for lighting, I make out Tiny and he is cradling the small girl against his chest, Cuddy is ahead of us making his way through the tunnel. My sides are burning like a mother fucker and I’m noticing my breathing is definitely heavier on my left side, as long as I make it to the Hawk, we’re good. Ascending to the top is not going to be easy, once Cuddy and Tiny are at the top they’ll help pull me up and Doc will be below in case anything happens, but I’ll get it done.
On exiting the mausoleum,the moon is low in the sky with the dawning hour approaching. I can see a lot better than deep in the tunnel, Jackson is behind the wheel with Reid sitting next to him, Cuddy and Blake help Doc get me into the back and Tiny steps up easily still cradling the little girl to his chest. Blake is ready with space blankets handing Tiny a blanket to cover the little girl, it’s not cold but she’s most likely in shock after the ordeal, he hands me one too and I’m grateful because I’m noticing the loss of blood and my body succumbing to my injuries.
The ride to the Hawk is rough through the property, the little girl has been crying the whole way because we are being bounced around so much, Tiny bent his body over hers to make her feel more secure but she is scared and rightfully so. These big scary men have just invaded her home and taken her, who even knows if she’s ever seen the light of day, for all we know is she could have been down there since her birth. We just made it to the Hawk and Doc just sedated her because the bird is really loud and would only distress her even more.
She’s asleep now securely wrapped in Tiny’s protective arms and Blake starts the rotors while Doc shines a torch on the little girl to get a better look at her.
:Joint Comms, this is Alpha 7, She’s definitely Caroline’s child.
Doc steps away and we all see it, her facial features look just like Caroline but she looks to have medium length ash blonde colored hair, it’s hard to really tell in this light and could be full of dirt and she looks to be around four-years-old.
:Joint Comms, this is Alpha 1, how is Caroline going to handle this news, because this would rock anybody let alone someone in a fragile state, I know she’s really good right now but this could set her back.
This is something none of us expected and it’s a fucking huge deal.
:Joint Comms, this is Alpha 7, it’s definitely a concern but Caroline is doing really well, we will do a complete medical first and make sure this little girl hasn’t suffered abuse and that she’s in good health. But when we tell Caroline I’ll have sedation on hand just in case.
Doc informs us all.
:Joint Comms, this is Alpha 6, Caroline won’t believe this easily, so I agree with Doc, we make sure she’s healthy and Caroline’s so we have definitive proof, not that we need it she’s clearly her child but knowing for certain will allow her to accept her easier and I feel deep down she will be happy.
Tiny says with certainty. Tiny hasn’t let go of the little girl and I doubt he ever will, I know Caroline is special to him and he is already protecting this sweet baby like she’s his own. Not saying we wouldn’t do the same but I can feel it’s different for him.
:Joint Comms, this is Alpha 1, I agree, removing any doubt is the best approach, we all in agreement?
I ask the team because we need to all agree on a plan.
:Joint Comms, ‘Hooyah.’
Doc inserts the cannula into my arm and I feel the sweet relief when he administers the morphine.
:Joint Comms, this is Alpha 7, Spin ‘er up Blake, we’re good to go, full speed and alert LHH to have an operating room ready.
Doc helps rid me of my body armor and cuts open my shirt then hooks me up to all the monitors.
I use Doc’s frequency but don’t bother with formality.
:Doc, I’m starting to feel cold and can feel myself fading, you need to do everything you can to save me, I have a family to get home to.
:Shut the fuck up Chief, of course I’m gonna save your ass. I know you’re about to pass out, but I’ve got you, you hear me.
:You look after my family if shit goes south Doc, you know my wishes.
:You’re not gonna die man, not on my fucking watch.
:Tell Lily and Alexa that I love them with all my everything. Promise me.
:None of that shit, you’ll be telling them yourself soon enough. Now let me put the fucking oxygen on you and let me do my job big guy, Cuddy will take the lead, and you rest brother.
I nod because my left side is roaring with pain and feels like my lung is filling with fluid.
I’m fading and I know it, I just hope Doc will work is magic and keep from the stars. My last thoughts are of my angel and princess walking in the sun holding hands smiling bright, then I spot two black headed boys running full tilt toward me down the hill, boys, my boys…