Curtis Woodman Ch. 01

I used a codeword that only JoJo was going to understand. After all, we all knew Burka girl was a spook, but it wouldn't fit into radio traffic if I actually called her one over the air. "Seven (JoJo) leave the nun to me and help two (Freddy) back there. Since he seems to be having all the fun. Six (Lewis) and five (Bradley,) fan further out and make this pocket more secure."

Each of my team acknowledged with just one word and radio silence was once again resumed. The spook came up to my now kneeling position along with Judith Chapman who knelt and started signing her daughter. Whatever she signed back made her smile and nod once.

The spook tried that authoritative tone once again. "We have to move."

This time I glared at her before replying. "No shit Sherlock. I tell you what, why don't you just shut-up and be a meek and mild passenger in all this."

My comms clicked twice in my ear and I knew why, Jackson was now with Chad and were on the move. The noise behind me grew louder and let me know that JoJo had joined Freddy.

I touched my comms and said one word. "Moving."

We had drilled everything that happened next into ourselves over countless hours and days of practice on military training grounds, both over open ground and wooded areas, in so many different countries. We would stop and hold a committee meeting on what worked and what didn't. It was only when the consensus of opinion was unanimous did we try it again and again, but at speed this time.

The importance in this was keeping the pocket secure. Two in front to punch a hole, one either side to open up the hole if needed and two behind to seal it if they could. If that meant killing anything that followed us then so be it. Me in the middle as a last resort, and moral support for these three people we were sent to take back and return to a normal life, well for the Chapman family perhaps. The antics of this spook were already shredding my patience.

For the next hour we moved at an increasing speed, Chad and Jackson were doing an outstanding job, twice we had come across the bodies of people who were trying to stop or slow us down. My team must have been running on adrenaline alone; I had to keep passing up bits of candy to Trisha when I broke one down for myself and even handed Judith Chapman another candy bar, fuck the spook.

The heavy breathing voice of Jackson came over the comms next. "We're here. I see dots in the distance, get here in five minutes or miss the ride home."

It was time to pull the team in close again. I touched my comms button and said. "The two in front are on holiday already let's join them."

My people on either side and behind us picked up the pace and we became a tight little pocket. By the time we had all burst through the forest two helicopters had landed. I pointed to JoJo and she joined me. Freddy would take the rest of the team out of harm's way and back to our base while I handed these people over.

As both helicopters lifted off the ground JoJo set about unstrapping Trisha from her harness. When she was clear Trisha came around to the front and hugged me. There was no sign language of any kind that could replace that universal gesture. She then turned and sat on my leg and her fingers went frantic, even her own mom had to place her hand on her daughter's arm and sign that she needed to slow down. Trisha's eyes rolled at her own impatience and we all smiled back at her.

The spook sat in the corner with a look of total disdain on her face while Trisha and I talked the whole journey. As I suspected our bird landed on its own, two guys with shoulder rigs and dark glasses waited for the lady spook to get out and join them before even we could disembark. The door to the dark-windowed sedan opened and all three got in.

I looked at JoJo and smiled before saying. "You're welcome."

She smiled and followed my lead by putting the safety on every piece of hardware I had on me. Best not upset our cousins by wandering around with live toys that may go off. We were taken to the base commander's tent, and he offered us food and a place to wash up. We politely declined. Both the Chapman women hugged us, and I relayed Trisha's message to JoJo; she knelt down, pushed her personal weapon aside, and held out her arms. Trisha fell into them, hugged JoJo tightly to her and cried as the tension finally burst within her.

My partner just held onto her to let her tears be her emotional release from these last few days. It was a good way to get it out of her system, even more so now as she was in the hands of friendlies.

*******

Our boss was waiting for us when we got back. "Freddy took the boys straight to the canteen when he got here. The cook shit himself when they walked in covered in blood. I had to warn Jackson about his humor. I don't see the funny side of telling the cook you're a vegetarian when you have that much blood over your uniform."

JoJo was trying hard to stifle a laugh and pretending she wasn't listening to our conversation.

"And the spook?" I asked.

He shrugged his shoulders and said. "I've heard nothing."

We both knew he wouldn't take this further unless they did first. Our boss told us to get changed and cleaned up. We both nodded and headed for our tent. The boys were resting outside waiting for us.

"JoJo, hand over your weapons and we'll get them cleaned up while you take a shower. She knew better than to pull out the girlie card, she was running on candy bars and adrenaline; and, since I wasn't that far behind her, I knew how exhausted she was. The boys had her weapons stripped and were already cleaning them when Freddy stood up and went to see his friend the cook. Twenty minutes later he came back with two plates and a fresh-smelling JoJo tucked into hers like it was her last meal.

I went to see the boss the next morning. The speed we left our original target meant that task had been shelved; he'd also gotten the inside intel on the spook. It seems her own extraction had gone south for some reason. She knew of the house holding the kidnapped Americans and got a message out to her own people.

In the time it took for us to be withdrawn from our own mission and brought up to date on this one, the female spook had succeeded in infiltrating into the house as a maid and simply waited for us to turn up. She knew when we came for the Chapman women, all she had to do was hitch a ride home.

We were being sent home for now and out of harm's way in case the spooks took a disliking to one of their own effectively being told to drop dead. We were scheduled to leave in three days and head back home. My team packed as I sorted out a container for our kit.

Freddy took charge of all of our kit and we were at the military end of the airport waiting for our plane. The boys were feet up reading porn magazines. JoJo was on her cell doing Facebook or twitter or whatever she was into. She would occasionally lean over Jackson's shoulder and look at the naked women in the magazine; they even got into an argument about the nice lady on page five.

JoJo was adamant that her tits were a gift from the operating table; Jackson would move the double page picture from side to side for either a better look or to see if they moved when the page did. I noticed the smirk on JoJo's lips. She was at home with these guys and knew what buttons to push with all of them.

I was at the huge window looking out over the runway when a little hand went into mine and squeezed. Instinct made me reach for my sidearm as I turned and looked to my right, then down and into Trisha's sparkling eyes, quickly overriding my instincts with my personal weapon, and I smiled.

A familiar sounding voice came from the side of me. "I'm sorry sir, I had hold of my daughter but she suddenly broke away and I couldn't stop her from annoying you."

Judith Chapman sure looks really good when she gets dressed up, and didn't have the weight of being a kidnap victim on her mind. I knew why she didn't recognize me, a face covered in camouflage paint and both night-sights and then later in the morning, sunglasses covering the top half of our faces will do a lot to disguise a person's features. It worried me that Trisha had known though. I knelt down on one knee and looked directly at this cute little angel.

Out of the corner of my eye I could see my team had also instinctively taken up a secure defensive position in a half arc around all three of us. My hands asked her how she knew. She replied that she just did. Judith Chapman read both our hands and gasped, her own hand went to her mouth in an attempt to stifle herself. Trisha used me kneeling in front of her to prove her point and hugged me again. I lifted this little angel into my arms and just managed to hold back my own emotions.

Judith Chapman then turned and looked behind her. I don't know how she did it either but she walked up to each of my team standing amongst the crowd of people at the airport, hugged them, then kissed their cheek as she thanked them. These are all time-served and battle-hardened soldiers and yet each of them had something in their eyes right at that moment.

*******

The man from the embassy wasn't happy when he found Judith and Trisha Chapman talking to the rescue team. I reminded him that if he hadn't been late in getting to the airport then she wouldn't have. It's amazing how his objections came to a screeching halt when he realized how vulnerable his own position was right then.

Less than thirty minutes later JoJo and I watched from the big window as both the girls got into a very impressive private jet and took off.

To me, this felt like just another day in the life of God's brother's soldiers. There was no medal attached to this event, if anything we got something better than a medal to pin on our chests and brag about in later life. We got the hugs of a mother and daughter, and in a roundabout way, thankful that we were in the right place at the right time to return them to their own loved ones.

I've shared a hole in the middle of nowhere with each and every one of these people in front of me, and, although they would never admit it, when they get home, they're going to hug their own children just a little tighter I think.

*******

My team and I followed the rest of our troops onto our plane home. Freddy gave the thumbs up when he sat down so I knew that our container was on board and we all slept the sleep of the exhausted until the jolt of the landing woke us up.

Over the next month, the repercussions of both our original failed mission and the rescue mission came to light. Some I filtered down to the team, others I kept back, although I had little doubt that they knew that the rescue of the Chapman women was a smoke screen to get the spook out of what for her was potentially a very bad situation. In the end I lost the plot and took my team over to, the military training ground at the Brecon Beacons. We set up an impromptu meeting place at one of its highest sections while I went into my own rant.

I reminded them that they were all soldiers first and last.

"We got both the Chapman women out of what would have been a long term hostage situation. Deal with it. They are both in the arms of their family now and grateful to every single one of you for getting them home. Deal with that as well."

I paused, they all knew what was coming and they were good enough not to interrupt when I mentioned the spook.

"None of you are stupid; if you were you wouldn't be part of this team. We all know she was the original target for us, but you all have to let that go. You all did good and if I remember rightly you each got hugged by a very grateful seven-year-old and her mother. Hold onto that guys, grasp it and keep it close to your heart because I sure don't want to let my mind wander to how long both woman would have been there if we hadn't got them out."

They mumbled and grumbled for a minute or two, I felt I owed these guys that much before they came up for air once again. I then went on to tell them we had a hike to our next destination. As we all picked up our kit I went on to explain that I had booked the pistol range.

Chad just stopped dead in his tracks and asked. "So you dragged us up here to have a little speech therapy session and now we have to walk ten miles over these shitty hills to the place we're supposed to be at for the day?"

"Well I could have just got us transport to the pistol range." Came my reply before adding with a wave of my hand. "But you would have missed all this pretty sunshine, flowers and shit. I just felt that I couldn't do that to you."

The raucous jibes and banter lasted for a few miles before I once again added fuel to the flames.

"Besides folks. I am just so sure I will beat JoJo's winning score on the handgun range today."

That got a laugh from JoJo and the boys. When she first joined the unit, JoJo had scored the highest ever score. It was almost like any fire-arm placed in her hand became an extension of her. With her personal weapon she was way above average, with a handgun she was lethal.

The pause in the conversation was intentional; it was also now time to drop another rock into the pond. "And besides, we have to walk to the range so it will give the range marshal time to place some very well positioned holes in my targets for me."

The shriek of "Hey that's cheating; you all heard that, he's cheating." Came from JoJo.

As I picked up the pace and refused to look back, the banter between the guys kept them moving on. The guys had even pitched in with telling JoJo that they hadn't heard me say such a thing, which of course poured more fuel onto the conversation. By the time we got to the range JoJo was almost bent out of shape and promptly dropped her kit and went looking for the range marshal.

Her demand to look at all the range targets as she practically leaned over him got him smiling as they walked over to the waiting targets. JoJo went through every single one before she slowly shuffled back to the marshal and apologized to him. All the guys suddenly looked real busy when she came back, not one of these guys wanted her to see their smiles while she had a fully loaded gun in her hand.

*******

Two months later found us in sunny Scotland before a 'return to base' call came in. We made it halfway down the country before two police cars with lights flashing got in front and the rear of our three vehicle convoy. As one, we all pulled over and I got out, then watched as two got out of the rear police car carrying guns and looked ready to use them. Another guy got out of the lead vehicle and came over to me.

"My apologies Major Woodman."

It was easy to stare at him.

He seemed to wonder why I had said nothing until a smile of realization came to him and he said. "Where are my manners, I'm to tell you Braithwaite."

If he was waiting for a reaction, I couldn't think why, since the only thing he had done is tell me our authentication code. He did go on as though nothing had changed.

"I'm under instructions to escort you all to RAF Brize Norton. You will receive further instruction from the base commander."

I decided to stall and told him that we needed to fuel the vehicles on the way. This got me the feeling he wasn't expecting us to need to stop again. He shrugged and agreed before going to talk to the two officers behind us.

As I passed Freddy I told him to spread the word that I wanted everyone locked and loaded by the time we stopped for fuel. His shocked face amused me and a part of me still reveled in the fact I can still keep him off balance.

"Boss, you want to go up against armed Police Officers?"

I shook my head, glanced at the three of them in a huddle before I said. "I'm not planning on it, but the second their lights came on I checked my cell phone and it has no signal, Jo Jo pulled hers out of her pocket and that has no signal either. The sat phone is packed since I didn't think we would need it. So in effect Freddy we have been made blind and that is making me nervous, and, until I'm not nervous, then we prepare for the worst."

Freddy did no more than pull his own phone from his pocket and I watched his features tighten; I didn't need to ask, just watched as he put it back into his pocket and left to talk to the others.

The nod from Freddy came an hour later when we all stopped for fuel. The rest of the journey was as uneventful as a convoy racing along the roads of Great Britain with a Police escort can be. They peeled off at the gates to Brize Norton and we drove in. One of the security people pointed to an area already taped off. My people got out and tooled up while slowly walking around our own vehicles.

"With all due respect Sir, they can't do that."

I turned and looked at the duty security sergeant. "With all due respect Sergeant, being dragged here without being given a reason why has put us all on alert; and, until I know otherwise, we will look after ourselves; so I suggest you warn your people to stay away from us."

Watching the look on the Sergeant's face warned me that trouble was coming. He opened his mouth to say something, and then turned to see a car traveling faster than the base speed limit towards the gate. It stopped alongside the Sergeant and me.

My boss got out of the passenger side of the car. He talked to the security people for a moment and they both nodded and walked back into the gate-house. He then turned to me and I knew trouble was brewing.

"Get Freddy, I want you both to hear this."

By the time I had waved Freddy over, our boss had moved further away from everyone. We both joined him.

"Three days ago Rick's wife Brooke and her child were in what was initially thought to be a car accident. It was rigged to look like that, even down to the paramedic ambulance that was called to the scene. Eye witnesses say that both mother and daughter walked to the back of the ambulance and stepped inside. Nothing has been heard from Brooke or the child since then. Last night Rick went native and hasn't been seen since that night. Brookes' parents of course know what Rick can do if left to his own devices. Brooke's family has some heavyweight influence and they bent the President's ear, he of course phoned God's Brother."

He didn't pause for effect; Rick was with the unit long enough that we all knew his abilities, not only as a sniper, Curtis knew that back in the day he was well qualified to lead this unit, But Rick chose the solitary life of a sniper. Now all that knowledge would be turned towards those out there that have his wife and child.

Our boss turned and looked directly at Freddy before saying. "The plane is on the tarmac waiting for you, so get your kit checked and loaded."

He nodded and they all mounted the vehicles and followed the car that our boss came in. We watched them leave and I followed my boss over to a bench by the gatehouse. He sat and pointed to the spot next to himself.

"No one can get a handle on this case Curtis. We both know why Rick would go rogue, he loves that woman to death and she gave him that sweet little girl in return. What's worrying a lot of people is going to be the body count once Halo gets up a head of steam."

I was going to say something and then realized he was just thinking how next to say what he didn't ever want to say.

"This comes from Gods Brother, Curtis. Find Halo and get his wife and child back if you can. The President has assured us that all the three letter agencies will help in any way they can in this matter, as well as keep some space between your team and the local law enforcement."

My boss stood when he saw his car returning along with one of my vehicles, both stopped at a discreet distance from us and waited.

"I've got his late wife's parents and his two daughters who are visiting their grandparents in protective custody, they will stay that way until I hear from you."