Hush Little Baby

When my team walked in I was missing one. I must say when Charlie Mendez made an entrance she sure made an entrance. For the next hour she coached the team while I stood in the background.

Private Cooper went toe to toe with Corporal Mendez; she played with him for a few minutes while he showed off some Ju-Jitsu moves, but he got over confidant.

Private Boscombe took his turn; the man was a mountain on legs and believed brawn could take down Corporal Mendez. She was quick and very efficient and once she had taken his legs away from him the rest was only a matter of time.

Private Jacobs fared slightly better when he figured boxing was the way to take down Charlie Mendez. The trouble was that the Marquis of Queensbury hadn't met Charlie Mendez. She put her dukes up and seemed to spar with him for a round before she figured out Private Jacobs liked to lead with his left. Two of the fitness team helped Private Jacobs to the medical tent once they got the smelling salts to wake him up. I wouldn't have pegged Jacobs to have a glass jaw.

For the next hour she went from person to person, giving advice and showing how to improve the person she was talking to with their technique. I looked at my watch and decided to finish up, I hadn't taken into account that Charlie Mendez has some authority issues, namely me.

"Your turn, Sergeant."

When I looked behind me Corporal Mendez stood in the center of the matted area.

"I'll pass Corporal."

"Can't do that, Sergeant, Colonel Knowles says I have to pass everyone as proficient; you're the last."

Everyone in that tent watched and I would take a safe bet on a few holding their breath while this conversation went on.

"Just to be clear here, Corporal, Colonel Knowles said ALL my team and that includes me?"

Only background noise outside the tent was heard, everyone else and that included some of the fitness instructors, watched Charlie Mendez. Her smile just grew bigger; in her eyes she had the Colonels blessing to beat up on her Sergeant and she was going to savor every moment.

The nod of her head was enough, but she followed through with saying. "When I was told you had asked for this class, I went to the adjutant and asked about your proficiency in hand-to-hand, Sergeant, he then asked Colonel Knowles. Word came down that, and I quote, 'run him through a few moves and evaluate him.' Un-quote."

Everyone in that tent looked at me while I silently cursed Colonel Knowles. With a shrug and a small walk over to the furthest corner of the mat I removed my boots and jacket before joining Charlie Mendez in the middle; she was actually licking her lips at all this and enjoying herself way too much.

I was told some days later that large amounts of money changed hands over the so-called 'evaluation' that afternoon. Some would say I cheated, to me it was observation, watching Corporal Mendez put my people through their paces meant I got to watch her in action. She was hyped up and ready to settle some scores I knew nothing about at the time, and had, in her eyes, permission of the Colonel to beat up her Sergeant.

It just wasn't in her make-up to disobey THAT order. Charlie may have been hyped, but that didn't make her stupid; she needed to feel me out. I couldn't afford to give her that chance, so when Charlie Mendez bunched her hands into fists and put them up and ready, my hands came up as well.

Charlie took a swing with her left, she telegraphed it and that gave her away. I moved to duck under it and to my right, she was waiting for that and brought her knee up ready to catch my chin. As for me, I twisted to the left, and dropped to one knee, scooping her stationary leg in my hand and lifting her off the ground by a good two feet or more.

Being the instructor, Charlie knew she was in trouble and in desperation tried to pull her leg back so she could roll away. The fact I still had hold of her ankle meant that really was an act of desperation. She hit the mat a fraction of a second before I landed on her stomach, pushing all the air out of her body.

Meanwhile I was rolling over her and pulled her into a choke hold. She was like a cat caught in a trap, and she fought it to the very end.

When I sensed her weakening, my lips came to her ear so only she could hear me, "I'm sorry, Charlotte. I really am."

The tap on my shoulder from behind me was enough, the PT Sergeant knelt beside Corporal Mendez and I let go, walked over and picked up my boots and jacket before leaving everyone standing, watching and saying nothing. As I lay on my bunk trying oh so hard to apportion blame, I could only point at myself and the fact I was the one who put me in this shithole.

*******

Three days later ... Coming with you.

My team was deemed suitably rested when Colonel Knowles sent for me. I, in turn,

sent for Charlie Mendez and a whole bunch of us sat down for a briefing. My team and I were to establish a forward observation post that overlooked an old goat path that the intelligence people believed was now being used to ferry men and weapons. Charlie and I scoured the aerial photos with a magnifying glass and both came up with the only decent-looking area.

Two hours later, the Colonel signed off on the mission and Charlie and I went and sat down in our own quiet corner to sort out our own details before breaking the news to my team. The next morning, we were all kitted up and ready to leave, when I spotted her and did a double take. She must have begged, borrowed and mostly stolen what she was wearing. In place of insignia was the word 'Press.' In big black letters.

What also followed this odd sight was Colonel Knowles and his adjutant as back up. It seems somewhere after my briefing Dana Hoffmann found out through the grapevine that my people were going up country and she wanted to hitch a ride and when the Colonel asked, you just did. She didn't hide the 'my brother is bigger than your brother' smirk, either. In retaliation, I got Corporal Mendez to read her the riot act and be her shadow for this whole mission.

I'd seen Mendez pissed, but when I finished, she seemed to have found a whole new level of pissed. The looks I got from both women as they got on their helicopter reminded me, again, why I was still single.

*******

We got the imminent landing signal five minutes before both helicopters tilted one more time and started to descend; for what felt like the hundredth time I checked my weapon and my pockets. The people in my helicopter seemed to do the same.

We all lay flat as both helicopters tilted and took off down the valley, before eventually giving themselves enough altitude to get over the ridge and flew over the sand and dust ridden ground beyond.

Charlie Mendez's whisper was all that was heard over the stillness of the moment. "Hands off cock's, boys; Cooper and Jacobs you have the lead."

Both men were up at the call of their names, weapons ready. They looked towards me and I pointed to the area for which we were headed. Cooper nodded and Jacobs was already two paces ahead, his own weapon swung gently from side to side as his head scanned the area in front of him. Cooper took up a position two steps behind him and one to the side before both movements matched with well-drilled hours of practiced motion.

I followed with my signaler as Charlie and her new friend, plus the rest of my people, followed along behind.

We were on our third crouch down by the time the sky started to turn to night. We stayed longer this time, waiting as the darkness enveloped the mountainside and held us in its embrace. Our world went green for the rest of the journey.

It took us almost an hour of darkness to find the two dilapidated buildings. Time had not been kind there, since some of the stones that made the outer walls had eroded away or been removed, probably to make houses further down the valley. If there was one thing the country had an abundance of, it was rocks. Charlie Mendez immediately took her group and set up home in one building while my people set up position in the other.

Charlie left Dana Hoffmann in my care. I perched her with my signaler, although he was busy confirming comms between us and Mendez, as well as base; he still glanced over at her sitting in the corner. I went from man to man confirming their field of fire so it interlocked with the person next to them.

Then came the boring stuff: sit, watch and wait while trying hard not to be found at the same time. We ticked off what came past us, radioed it in when there where gaps in the procession of armed men and camels. Intel was right about this trail; what tipped me off that all was not right was a glance at the building Charlie Mendez was in from a hugely built Arab. As the rest of his group passed him, he snubbed out his cigarette and placed the butt into his pocket.

The Arab was clearly uneasy and kept looking between the two buildings before he seemed to take a deep breath and unstrapped his weapon to investigate. One of the others in the line barked an order in the local language and he reluctantly rejoined the procession. He looked back twice more before they all disappeared over the hill and down, once again, into the valley below.

I looked at my watch and made the decision; we had been there long enough. In an ideal world I would have liked to have left in the dark; sadly, my thoughts came to the usual conclusion: this wasn't an ideal world. If that guy managed to get more of his friends on his side and they came back to investigate his hunch, well, let's just say I wouldn't like to be in a position of having to fight my way out if he even only managed to get half of his friends to come with him.

I told those with me to put their gear together but be ready to run for it if it hit the fan, I looked over to my signaler and said. "Get Charlie on the phone, tell her to get her people ready to move at a moment's notice, but be ready to fight it out if need be."

He nodded and got on the radio, I used the time he took to look around and the aerial photo of our surroundings pushed itself to the front of my thoughts.

With a sigh I looked back at my signaler and said. "Radio control, we're going to need an emergency evac, now will do, yesterday will be even better." I see the worried look just before the professional in him took over.

I took a quick look at Dana, but she was already pulling her backpack towards her, twisting the lens off her camera and placing both inside. I was proud of my people; they were ready within minutes. It took my nosey friend a lot longer to persuade his friends to climb that hill again on a bad feeling.

*******

The amount of fire coming at us was way too much for the intel we had. When some of the incoming started to come at us from other angles, I made the decision to leave and quickly, before we were totally surrounded.

The Blackhawks came, we could have all fitted into one but two turned up and with back-up, two Apaches joined in and set about giving covering fire while I got my people out. We covered the first group to leave and within a minute I got the second group out of the hide and with only me, Dana and my signaler left to quickly check if we had left anything of significance behind.

And then things got... difficult.

The first Blackhawk had all of Mendez's team and her in it and took off, an Apache took up a defensive position next to it and moved out. The pilot of the second Apache moved closer to give us cover while my team and I made a break for the second Blackhawk. A hand movement from me sent my signaler after the rest of the group, I was still backing away from the firefight and keeping Dana behind me as we continued towards the helicopter.

The rebels changed tactics then and concentrated more of their fire on the growing gap between me and my group. We were now separated from my people, and thankfully the Apache pilot noticed and moved over to give us covering fire. The gap between us two and the rescue helicopter was impossible, even at a run. I grabbed Dana by her uniform and shoved her into the cave next to us, then used up what was left in my magazine before diving in next to her.

It was then the airburst shells started, the first one peppered the top of the Apache and the pilot looked up. He then adjusted his height and went back to laying down covering fire.

I pressed the button on my chest. "Hornet-one this is Sierra Tango; back away and protect my people to the Hawk."

I could see the pilot; he just shook his head. The helmet and visor hiding his face.

"Hornet-one, this is Sierra Tango. I say again, move away from this position and protect my people and the Hawk."

More airburst shells erupted above us causing the pilot to move even closer to the ground. Dana both watched and listened as she hid behind the same big rock I was hiding behind.

"What are you doing? He's protecting us and you're sending him away?"

My eyes still scanned the ground below us. "He's walking into a trap, I've seen this before, the airburst shells will push him closer to the ground and down there somewhere is a man with an RPG waiting to get him in absolute zero range of ripping the Apache to bits."

I had lost my temper, I stood on the rock protecting us both and shouted at the pilot over the radio. "Hornet-One this is Sierra Tango, I order you to break contact and protect my people and that fucking Hawk."

This time the pilot moved his head, I knew what he saw, one very pissed solder standing on a rock and pointing at the helicopter that was giving its own covering fire to the few people left getting into it. For the life of me, I couldn't understand why I was out in the open, other than a seething rage that this pilot was spending more time protecting the reporter and me, rather than the few still getting into the Hawk. It was then I got kicked by some invisible mule, the force of the kick took me to the back of the cave where I let out a grunt, and as I slid down the wall, a woman's scream followed me into the darkness.

*******

An hour later ... Getting to know you.

It was turning dark outside, she was leaning against the same rock that shielded the entrance to our cave, my Sig in her hand and looking out at the surrounding area.

"Is there much going on?" I asked.

"No. When you took the hit the Apache Pilot lost his blood lust and finally obeyed your order. Both helicopters left about an hour ago, the insurgents don't seem to think anyone's coming back because they have set up overnight camp between those rocks down there."

I smiled to myself at the bloodlust remark. Those guys are the best of the best.

It was easier for me to take short breaths. I rolled onto all fours and then used the wall of the cave to pull myself up. My vest still on the floor showed a single bullet hole drilled right into the middle of it. Dana was still watching the activities down the valley.

"You seem to have more luck than you have a divine right to have. That bullet got you right in the center of your chest plate."

Looking down between the gap in my open combats, the color of the bruise was coming along rather nicely. Man, did I feel both old and lucky at the same time: lucky to be alive and wheezing like an old man because every time I tried to take a deep breath I ended up with my head spinning and wheezing while I tried so hard to grab back some semblance of normalcy. Relenting to the fact I was human, I went on my knees and pulled my pack towards me before setting about pulling everything inside it out and placing it all on the floor of the cave.

By now curiosity had won out and Dana joined me on the floor of the cave. "What are you looking for?"

I shook my head. "I'm not looking for anything; I'm taking stock of what we have."

As I moved things around and placed my spare Sig into my empty hip holster, since Dana seemed to have taken possession of my other one. The radio was useless since it took the brunt of me and the back wall of the cave. The rest I decided to break down into two, Miss Hoffmann wasn't too thrilled when I turned her backpack upside down and a really high-priced camera and lenses hit the cave floor.

"Look lady, we're kind of in the shit here with no chance of any help. If you hadn't already noticed, we're no longer in friendly territory." I pulled my map out and opened it before pointing at one spot. "That's us." My finger then traveled over half the map before stopping at a blue line. "That's a natural boundary; our people would have strengthened their position along that line while they try to figure out how the fuck they got this so wrong."

I then proceeded to load her backpack with our food and water, the temptation to remind her we were both in the same boat wasn't high on my list. Hell, she only needed to look outside and down onto the valley floor below us and she would know that. She did pull the memory card from the camera before she went back to the big rock and watched the valley floor once again. As for me, I pulled my Sig out of its holster, took the safety off and placed it next to me as I stripped down and started cleaning my personal weapon.

The silence between us seemed to have become a challenge as to who spoke next. On the few times I looked up at her, Dana was watching the valley floor. Doing all this was pure time wasting on my part, it was the coward in me, I suppose. I've had to write letters of condolence for three members of my team on my last visit to this sandbox, now it was time to do it face to face.

*******

My inventory finished and pouring over the contours on the map, I had a working plan. That plan came with its own what-ifs and maybes. I called Dana over and she knelt across from me; she was only an outline since the day was plunging headfirst towards night so watching her features as we talked was now impossible.

I took a deep breath, winced once when my chest reminded me I had been such a dick, and with my mind made up, I started talking and wishing it just wasn't her, even as those first words left my lips I did wonder how much she really knew and how much was pure guesswork, perhaps clarity now would help. But then again.

"It had been snowing all day even when I left work, and as I joined the traffic it was still clear that they were struggling to keep the roads clear."

My hearing picked up on her gasp, but I had to listen really careful when she did.

"The car your father was traveling in started traveling way too soon for the conditions of the road. I was a local and knew this; your dad's driver clearly didn't."

She was fast, I gave her that, but I was expecting it, or at least something like it. Her hand came out and pushed the Sig she held into my chest, I winced. She picked the center of my bruised chest to plant the business end into. She must have heard me wince but I continued anyway; my mind's eye still watching the wall win over a car driven by a man in a hurry.

Keeping my voice as neutral as it was, I said, "I had to deal with the 911 first before I could even get to your father. It took a while, but I managed to get him out of the car, I held onto him and waited right alongside him, we both knew, Dana. His wounds were just too extensive."

I could feel her tremble through the Sig still touching my chest. I had said my piece and although willing to add to it, she needed time to absorb what had been said so far.

"You fucking killed him; if you hadn't been there holding up traffic, my father would still be alive."

The tone of her voice carried her hatred of me. I'm sure the only reason I was still breathing was that we were now behind enemy lines and that same enemy was no more than a thousand yards away.

"No, Dana, your dad's driver killed him. Overconfidence in his ability to handle a car in the snow and ice killed him. I was just the guy who saw it all happen and pulled your father from the wreck."