"Listen up!" the sergeant yelled, making sure that everyone's eyes were on him, "Once you touch the ground, the exercise begins. I will not help you or assist you in any way. You would defer to your platoon leader for any decision and carry out the mission as a team. If you fail, that is it for you."
Darkness engulfed the entire area as soon as he turned off his flashlight.
I could hear and feel the strong waves crashing against the side of the boat.
"Everyone off."
It took me a few seconds before my eyes could adjust to the darkness, and I could see our team leaders signal to converge to the nearest cluster of trees.
"We will have two teams - Daisies and Dandelions," the sergeant continued to yell. If this was not an exercise, the enemy camp would have already spotted us bobbling on the dark waters.
Why can't he just use the letters or even the Greek ones? I thought. I could see Leo roll his eyes at the names.
"Daisies take the plain, use the grass and bushes for cover. Fuller and Santiago, climb the trees to scout. The rest of the Dandelions take the ridges and hills."
As I climbed the rugged ridge, I felt the sharp stones scratch my side. I'm not sure if this is a good plan, but even if he is terrible at naming the team, Watson is one of the best in tactical strategy. Hopefully, this will be over before noon.
"Hey, princess, you OK?" here goes Hurley teasing Erica McGregor again, thankfully she doesn't take the bait as she glares at the hands offered to her from above the ridge. "What afraid you'd fall for me?"
"Zip it, Hurley," this command came from the coms, the order from Sgt. Watson, "go to your area."
"I can see the bunker," Santiago reported, "Five men. Two assault rifles, one launcher, can't see the rest."
"Three are walking the perimeter, two on the lookout. I can see the box on the bed bunk." Fuller added, "Twenty men in total."
"Out in the open," Watson murmured, "a bait. Look for traps."
Suddenly, a gunshot echoed through the silence.
"Who fired?!" Watson angrily asked
"Someone else attacked the bunker." Fuller sounded confused, "Eight are all out. Is there another team?"
"No. But this could be part of it." Watson sounded frustrated, "Give me the status so we can adjust the plan."
I was looking at the general area towards the location of the bunker when I heard a gunshot near my left, followed by a shout from Erica. Instinctively, I moved towards the bushes and aimed my gun. Erica is staring straight at a weapon, and Hurley is lying beside her. Bleeding.
This is not an exercise firearm.
"Who are you?" Erica is shivering. One more guy approached from the row of trees with a heavy firearm.
"Boss, there are two military-looking people here." the second guy talked to his wrist. They also have high-grade coms.
"Again, who are you?" the first guy shot Hurley in the leg, making Erica scream and Hurley whimper.
Good, he is still alive.
"Boss says to take them alive." the second man grabbed Erica, who dropped her firearms on the ground, "let's go."
After a few minutes, I was left in the darkness. It was a good thing that they didn't search the area.
"Fuller? Status?" This coming from Watson
"Four of ours are captured."
"I think we've stumbled into something serious." Santiago gave that comment, "Should we abort and call backup?"
"If we signal now, we would be found out." I could hear Watson doing something in the background, "First, we rescue the rest. Santiago, you look for a safe location to release the signal. Do it once the sun is up to hide the light. The rest of us will try to get the team. No heroics. Stay safe."
Too late. I am already walking near the camp.
"Smith, what are you doing?" Fuller gnarled, "Duck, two on your left." I immediately crouched down and peered up to see a set of feet walking by and another being dragged.
"Make sure to gag her." someone ordered before I heard a grunt and saw someone running. Five seconds later, I am staring at a pair of stunned lavenders. I'm sure if someone is nearby, they would hear my heart pumping, whether in a panic I would be discovered or something else, as I continued to stare back at her stunned lavender eyes.
She was dragged away before I can identify which was the cause.
"Smith, how close can you get without being caught?" Watson's voice somehow got my nerves to back down
"Try the left side, no one is there, and I can see Hurley near that area," Fuller suggested.
"If he can move, give him a knife," Watson ordered. Hurley is one of the best with the blades, he is always joking that it might be because his ancestors were Asian samurai and ninjas. "Yeats, take down the guards on the right. Fuller, can you take the two near the tower?"
"Just give the signal."
"Sunrise in 15 minutes." Santiago reminded us. "They have a boat docked at the east side. No one is here."
"Give me five to get to Hurley." I started to move
"Crap, Smith - " Fuller's curses got cut off the second I felt something hit my head and I blacked out.
Something wet touching my face woke me up, and I stared at those worried lavender orbs again. Then her pitying smile.
"Can you sit?" she asked as she moved the cloth she was using to clean my face away. I tried to push up, only to discover my hands were tied and so were my feet.
She went behind me and pushed me up, then I felt something pushed between my hands before she was pulled away.
"Enough of that," the burly guy pushed her towards the wall. "Tie your feet with this," he tossed her a zip tie, which she immediately used to tie her feet together - loosely. The guy jerked her hands behind her to tie her hands. Smart girl.
Her hair, which was tied before when I first saw her, is now hanging loose around her face. The thing she gave me might be an accessory from her hair.
Using it, I was able to release my hand, and she smiled as I maneuvered to release my feet. Her smile is filled with confidence and not an ounce of doubt.
"Close your eyes," I whispered before I snapped the neck of the guard when he turned to see why I said that.
I immediately grabbed his firearms and checked for anything else we could use. After pulling him away from the door and rolling him under the bed, I walked towards the girl and cut her ties using the beretta I found on the guard.
"Open them." her hug took me by surprise. And so did her tears.
"Sorry." she whispered as she pulled away, "Nerves."
I just gave her a crooked smile, "Do you know how to use a gun?" she shook her head and gave a helpless smile.
"OK," I adjusted the safety and showed her what to do, "pull the trigger if someone other than me enters that door."
"Can't I go with you?" she eyed the body under the bed.
"He's dead. He can't harm you?" she looks more frightened with that, "We will be easily spotted if we move together." I pushed the gun to her hand once again. "Rescue will be here in a few minutes," I assured her, although I don't know how long I've been out.
"What if I shot the rescue?"
"Just shot the legs," I squeezed her shoulder, "And I'll try to make sure that I'll be the one to be back for you."
I moved out and was sneaking towards one of the sandbag walls when I heard gunshots. Rescue.
Later, I heard that we accidentally rescued an heiress and that Fuller was shot in the leg by the girl when he went to fetch her. I never found out her name until a year and a half later.
When I married her.