Tales of the Forgotten (14 page)

18.

Brad
lay on a bed in the corner of the second story, his gear on the floor next to
him. He was feeling the frustration of their trip and was second guessing
himself about coming. They had strayed from their original mission to try and
get to the airbase and hitch a ride home, and they weren’t finding anything out
here but death and misery. Maybe he should have stayed at the compound. He
glanced around. Brooks was on a rack across the room methodically cleaning his
weapons. Sean was in a bed in the other corner sleeping.

“What
do you think of the colonel? Do you think he has a plan to get us home?” Brad
asked Brooks.

“I
don’t know, man, I’m sure to those folks we are completely expendable. I’ve
conditioned myself not to rely on the brass anymore,” Brooks answered.

They
heard the buzzing of the phone. Sean lifted his head and swung his feet into a
sitting position. He reached down and answered the phone, placing it on
speaker.

“Good
evening, Colonel,” Sean said.

“I
see you have reached the village,” Cloud said. “Can you give me your status,
Chief?”

“We’re
good. What’s the word, Colonel?” Sean snapped back.

“Well
gentlemen, your bypass away from the road and the loss of your vehicle has
delayed us quite a bit. Anyhow, your team has been selected for an operation,”
Cloud said.

“You
have got to be fucking kidding me?! Colonel, I don’t have a team, and we are
far from operational!” Sean yelled at the phone.

“Chief,
you just said yourself that you were good! And I know that conditions are not
ideal, but you are the only ground assets we have in country,” Cloud snapped
back.

“What’s
the op?” Brooks asked, shrugging his shoulders at Sean.

“Classic
snatch and grab,” Cloud replied.

“Are
you fucking kidding me, and who is the target?” Brooks questioned.

“His
name is Aziz, originally from Syria. He was a low level man before the outbreak,
but now we have reason to believe he was involved in the planning of these
attacks. Aziz may also possess advanced information on the origins of the
virus. We also believe he was involved in the weaponization of the virus.”

“Whiskey
Tango Foxtrot!” Brad said.

“That
is correct, Sergeant. We need Aziz. The Centers for Disease Control believe he
may be the key to cracking the virus,” Cloud said.

“Come
on Colonel, you know I would need a six-man team at
least
to attempt a
snatch. I have two operators, a grunt, and a local militiaman. You really think
we are the best for this job? Can’t you just drop another team in?” Sean
argued.

“I’m
going to be honest with you guys; the remaining joint chiefs don’t believe this
mission is worth the assets. Months ago they would have given us a team, but
now? The CDC has worked hundreds of leads and we are running out of resources.
You are all we’ve got.”

“Now
hold up, the joint chiefs? Who
are
you, Colonel? Who are you working
for?” Sean asked.

“Chief,
I already explained my position to you—I am with the Coordinated National
Response Team,” Cloud said.

“Which
means?” Sean snapped back.

“In
earlier days, I would have been considered a military liaison to the Central
Intelligence Agency,” Cloud answered.

Brooks
stood up and walked closer to the phone sitting on Sean’s bed. “So you are just
another spook hanging us out to dry. Does SOCOM even know we are alive?” Brooks
asked.

“Gentlemen,
we have strayed off topic. Your status has been reported up, and you are under
my operational control. I need you to prepare to copy the mission parameters. I
can assure you that if this mission wasn’t of the upmost importance we would
not be speaking. If you ever want to make it home you better start following
instructions,” Cloud said.

Sean
reached into his cargo pocket and removed a pad of paper. “Ready to copy when
you are, SIR!” he said.

19.

Brad
found himself sitting on the roof with the rest of the team. They were huddled
around a map of a small cave complex to the west of them. Hasan said he was
familiar with the area but had never personally visited that cave. The colonel
had said that Aziz was in a small group, hiding only with his wife and two of
his bodyguards. From the colonel’s rainbow-and-puppy-dog description, he should
be easy to take down.

If
they successfully captured Aziz, the colonel had promised them transport home.
That was Brad’s only motivation for this mission. He didn’t believe that one
man in a cave would be the solution to all of this, but if that was the ticket
home, he would give it his best.

Sean
had thoroughly inspected their gear. He advised the men that they were not
equipped for the mission but would have to make do. The hard part would be in
taking Aziz alive. They also didn’t know what the man looked like and he would
be with at least two other armed men who would most likely want to kill them.
It would be good times all around. Sean ended the brief and suggested the men
clean up and get some rest.

Brad
laid his pack and bedroll out on the bed on the second floor; he saw the bundle
of letters from his men. He picked them up and felt the weight of the stack
before stuffing them back in his pack. He wished he knew how the group was
doing at the compound. He wished there was a way to contact them to let them
know what was going on. He made a mental note to again ask the colonel more
about them.

He
visited the stream. Stripping out of his uniform, he stepped into the water and
was finally able to clean the days of dirt and grime from his bruised and tired
body. He knew he wasn’t supposed to drink the local water, but after being
chased by monsters and eating shit from cans, he barely cared anymore. He
dropped his head deep into the cold water and took a long, refreshing drink. He
lowered his full body into the clear water and lay against the bank, finally
relaxing for the first time in days.

He
heard a noise behind him and quickly stretched across the bank for his Sigma
pistol sitting atop his small pack.

“It
is okay friend. It is only me, Hasan,” Hasan said, walking from the shadows.

“Shit
Hasan, I thought you were a primal, buddy,” Brad said.

“It
is okay, I will not disturb you for long. Take these clothes, the women have
volunteered to wash our clothing. They will have it back for us in the
morning,” Hasan said.

“Oh,
okay,” Brad replied as he saw a woman pick up his clothing from the bank and
replace them with a white shirt and pajama pants. Brad blushed at the sight of
the woman and sunk deeper into the water.

“Damn,
Hasan! You could have told me she was there,” Brad said.

“Sorry
friend, I was not aware that you were afraid of women. They will have our
clothing cleaned and ready for us in the morning. Brooks already retrieved your
other uniforms from your pack. You and the others can rest tonight; I will
stand watch with the villagers. Good night Brad,” Hasan said, walking away.

Brad
climbed out of the cool water and stood on the bank, letting himself air dry
before putting on the clean cotton shirt and pants. The light material felt
good against his skin and was a welcome treat from the dusty uniform. He slowly
made his way into the house and through the empty room.

He
walked up the stairs and found bowls of rice, vegetables, and dried lamb
sitting on a table. Sean was wearing a similar pair of white pajamas and was
already digging into the food. “The elder said as welcome guests we were
entitled to a good meal,” he said.

“What
happened to that guy?” Brad said, pointing at Brooks snoring away on his rack,
also dressed in the pajamas.

“Looks
like a full belly and clean clothes knocked him out,” Sean said laughing.

The
next morning they found, as the women had promised, all of their clothing had
been cleaned and folded. Brad found his uniforms in a neat stack at the foot of
his bed when he woke up. He sat himself up and also found the food bowls from
last night had been replenished with bowls of dates and nuts. There was also a
tray of foot bread and a pot of tea. Brad was starting to feel guilty that
these people were giving up their valued food stores for them, but he also knew
it was the way in their culture and it would be rude to not accept the gesture.

He
found Sean and Brooks already stuffing their faces. “Try the tea, it’s not
bad,” said Brooks.

Brad
ate while he dressed. He was overjoyed with the clean uniforms, especially the
socks. He repacked his bags and loaded all of his items in the appropriate
places. It would be a half-day’s walk to the hiding place of the man they
called Aziz, and another two hours to climb up to the cave complex where he was
known to be hiding. The colonel said that satellite photos had confirmed that
Aziz was still there, so it would be up to them to grab him.

When
Brad finished dressing, he carried his gear down to the large entry room where
Brooks and Sean were waiting. “Have you seen Hasan?” Brad asked.

“No,
not all morning, he slept in the main house last night,” Brooks answered.

They
carried their gear outside and into the street. They were dressed in full
battle rattle ready for the day’s march. Hasan was outside waiting for them.
They went over the plan and Hasan drew them a large map in the sand. He
described to them how to reach the base of the mountain, and where the most
likely approaches to the cave would be found.

“Hold
up Hasan, are you not going?” Brooks asked.

“No
my friends, I cannot,” Hasan said.

“What
do you mean you can’t? We need you Hasan,” said Brad.

“Look
around you, Brad, these people need me. The elder asked me to stay, to help him
protect his family. I fear my family is lost after seeing the dead city in the
valley. I will stay and help to protect these people, they are my mission now,”
Hasan said.

“I
cannot argue with that Hasan, and I don’t blame you,” Sean said, reaching out
to shake the man’s hand. “If we ever have the means, I will contact the
compound and give them your location. Maybe one day they will have the ability
to come for you. We won’t forget about you, Hasan.”

“And
I wish you all good luck in your travels … Now go before you lose the light,”
Hasan said, obviously trying not to choke up on his words.

 The
men exchanged hugs and handshakes before lifting their heavy packs to their
backs and turning to face the road. They solemnly started their journey without
the assistance of their Afghan guide. Brad turned around to look at the small
group of homes one more time before they faded from his view. He saw Hasan
standing in the middle of the square and he waved to him one last time before
turning to walk away. Brad knew Hasan had made the correct decision, but he was
still sad at losing a valued friend.

20.

It
was late in the afternoon when they reached the highway again. The mountain
trail, as Hasan promised, had taken them around the dangerous primal-populated
valley. The men sat in the shade eating a light lunch as they consulted their
map. It was another two miles to the trailhead that led to the mountains, then
at least a mile’s climb to make it to the mountain trail that would bring them
to the cave. They wanted to reach the caves just before dark. They still had
night vision and that would give them the edge over Aziz.

The
team moved along the last two miles of the road in a staggered column. Brooks
was in the front taking point and Sean was on rear security. Brad walked in the
middle of the column on the opposite side of the road. Now that they were back
on a mission, they felt themselves become more tactical again, and with the
presence of the caves, who knew if there would be enemy nearby. The colonel had
misled them before and they didn’t want to take any chances.

Brooks
put his fist in the air and signaled a halt. They had reached the beginnings of
the trail that would lead them to the mountains. It wound up steeply away from
the road and cut into the side of the rocky terrain. They still couldn’t see
the caves, but they tightened their formation and slowly moved up the path. The
trail was very rugged and cut steeply up in several locations. Eventually it
leveled out high in a plateau-shaped formation near the base of the mountain.

They
took a knee while Sean scanned the rock face and stone slopes ahead with his
binoculars. “I can see the trail leading to the cave, and I believe I can see
the mouth of the entrance,” he said. “Let’s hide our heavy gear here. This is a
good open spot for a helicopter landing or whatever the colonel sends to
extract us.”

“I
was thinking about that. If the colonel could send a helicopter to get Aziz
out, then why didn’t he use that to bring a capture team in?” Brad asked.

“Maybe
they have more helicopters than SEALs,” Brooks said. “You know what, bro? We’re
already committed, so let’s just keep our heads on mission okay?” he said,
smiling over at Brad.

They
hid their heavy rucksacks in a crevice in the rocks and covered the opening
with brush. All they carried now were their light day packs filled with
ammunition and water, and all of their weapons. Brad missed his armored plates
for his vest. It had been a while since he had faced a human foe. He didn’t
know what scared him more—a terrorist behind a gun or the primals.

“Let’s
go silent and stay concealed,” Sean said as he indicated for Brooks to move
out.

Brooks
again led the way on point, with Brad close behind them. They moved with
stealth now, pausing often to just watch for movement and listen for the
faintest of sounds.

The
going was slow; even though the distance was short, it took them another two
hours to get within view of the cave’s entrance. They pulled up into a hide in
a broken rock formation just as the sun was beginning to set. Brad estimated
they had less than an hour of daylight left. He looked through his binoculars,
scanning the cave entrance while Sean looked through the powerful scope on his
rifle. Brooks was a few feet away in charge of rear security making sure
someone or something didn’t sneak up on them.

“There!
I have movement,” Sean whispered. From the mouth of the cave they saw a man and
woman walking together. They passed the entrance to the cave and kneeled in the
late sunlight. Two men came out from behind them and took up a position to the
left of the cave entrance. Only one of them was carrying a rifle slung across
his back and looked very relaxed. The two men looked to be joking with each
other, as one stopped to light a cigarette.

“Let’s
assume the male with the female is Aziz. The other two playing grab ass and
catching a smoke are the bodyguards,” Sean whispered. “Male wearing red is our
target. Bodyguards are in blue. All three are bearded; this should be fun in
the dark. OK, let’s get comfortable, we have confirmed the cave is occupied. We
should be getting a call from the colonel just after dark with the go order.”

Brad
adjusted his pack in front of him to pad the rocks that had started to cut into
his elbows—it wasn’t perfect, but it helped. He scanned all along the face of
the mountain with his binoculars but saw nothing else of interest. The rock
face was jagged and worn, but the trail itself looked well-traveled and
shouldn’t be very difficult. Brad hated walking on busted trails at night with
his night vision; the lack of depth perception always made for a clumsy trip.

As
the sun dropped behind the mountain, the cave entrance was quickly consumed by
shadows. They had to switch to night vision to see anything. Brad pulled down
the optics on his helmet to look at the cave; it was still too far away to get a
clear image. Sean had advanced optics on his rifle, and it was now his
responsibility to watch the entrance.

Right
on time the phone buzzed. This time Sean answered with an ear piece to observe
noise discipline. “Go for Chief … we are only three, Hasan opted out … we are
locked and cocked … yes, we have verified that the cave is occupied. We had a
visual on four individuals: one female and three males. I believe I have
confirmation of Aziz … Roger that, we will obtain the package and return to
flat ground … Roger, we will signal the aircraft with IR strobe … Roger we have
sixty minutes … Hooyah, Chief out.” Sean finished the call and stowed the phone
back in his pack.

“Okay
let’s move. Brooks, you have point. Brad, you have the rear security now. Keep
it tight,” Sean whispered.

 They
moved quickly and quietly up the trail. There was a full moon in the sky and
the night vision was functioning perfectly. The trail was well-traveled and
they could see that it had even been improved with stone steps.

When
they approached the cave entrance, Brooks raised his fist and they took a knee.
He tossed up hand signals indicating he was going to scout the entrance and he
moved ahead. Brad watched him walk slowly and hunch low near the entrance of
the cave. He stepped just inside the mouth and turned on the IR headlight
attached to his goggles. He sat and listened patiently before waving the rest
of the team forward. Sean and Brad fell in just behind Brooks, then they slowly
made their way inside.

They
found themselves in a long tunnel. The ceiling was just high enough that they
could stand straight up, even though they were already walking at a crouch.
There were benches at the base of the tunnel walls and old and battered ammo
crates, probably long empty. They moved cautiously down the corridor until they
reached a corner. They saw a dim light coming from around the bend. Brooks
again called a halt as he grabbed his goggles and tipped them up and away from
his eyes.

Brad
watch Brooks slowly move his way to the edge of the corner and peek around it.
He pulled his head back and let his silenced MP5 relax on its sling as he drew
his fighting knife. He looked back at Sean. Sean nodded and Brooks rounded the
corner. There were no sounds of struggle, but within minutes Brooks came back
into view dragging one of the guards behind him.

Brad
moved past the downed bodyguard and fell back in line with the two SEALs. They
stacked up on a battered plank door. There was a light coming from inside so
they removed their night vision optics. Sean peeked inside between the boards
and confirmed that the other three targets were there. Brooks removed a small
charge from his pack and placed it on the door. He looked at Sean and Brad and held
up ten fingers, then dropped to nine. They moved away from the door and looked
away, covering their ears.

With
a thunder clap and a bright flash the door exploded in. Sean and Brooks charged
in after the blast before the smoke had cleared. Brad was momentarily stunned
but quickly got his bearings and followed them into the dimly lit room. Brooks
had already taken down and was flex cuffing the second bodyguard. Sean had Aziz
in a headlock. Brad scanned the room and saw the female on her feet running for
the bodyguard’s rifle. He dove across the room and caught her in a flying
tackle that crushed her into the floor. He lifted himself off her while
maintaining pressure and put a knee in her back while he flex cuffed her hands
behind her.

In
under a minute it was over. They had Aziz cuffed, blindfolded, gagged, and
lying face down on one of the beds. The female and remaining bodyguard sat
against the wall with their hands behind their backs. The female was screaming
hysterically and there was no calming her down, so Sean put a strip of duct
tape across her lips when she refused to be quiet. Brooks lifted Aziz into a
fireman’s carry and started heading out the door.

“Don’t
leave us,” the man pleaded in perfect English. Brad stopped and turned back to
look at the man. Then he looked at Sean, who shook his head

“It’s
your call, Brad, but they can’t come with us,” Sean said as he followed Brooks
out of the room.

Brad
saw a large knife on a table; he took the knife and threw it on the ground a
few feet in front of the man. “Wait until morning, then cut yourselves free. If
you follow us, I will kill you,” Brad said as he turned to walk away.

Remembering
Hasan’s words about demons, he stopped and turned again. “There are other
survivors who can help you, but you have to join our fight against the
primals,” he said.

“Yes
… of course … anything,” the man said with tears in his eyes.

“Take
the woman; there is a village: Shurazar,” Brad said.

“Yes
please, I know this place,” the man begged.

“They
have a militia there; go to them in peace and they will help you,” Brad said,
walking away. “Do not leave this room until morning or we
will
kill
you.”

Brad
hurried out the door and down the hallway. When the light faded, he put his
night vision back on. He caught up with Sean and Brooks near the cave’s
entrance. Sean led the way to make sure it was clear, then stepped off at a
quick pace. Brooks followed him, carrying Aziz. They followed the path back to
where they had left their bags. Going downhill now and at a near jog, the return
trip didn’t take long. Brooks dropped Aziz heavily by an outcrop of boulders.
He checked Aziz’s bindings, then left him to prepare his own gear.

Sean
told them to turn on their IR strobes—small beacons attached to their gear,
which flashed an invisible light that only the extraction team would be able to
see through their optics. “It’s been forty-five minutes, prepare for the bird’s
arrival,” Sean said.

They
stacked and readied their gear, then took a knee facing out to watch the
horizon. They heard it first: the thumping of the blades coming in from far
away. The Black Hawk flew over them low and without lights before it circled
back and landed with the door facing them. A man dressed in a flight suit and
carrying a collapsible field stretcher jumped from the door and ran to them.

“Where
is Chief Rogers?” he asked.

“I’m
here,” Sean said.

“Good
evening, I’m Mr. Douglas. Do you have the package?” the man asked.

“Right
there,” Sean said, pointing at the body on the ground.

“Okay
then, follow me,” Douglas said. Running to Aziz, he dropped the stretcher on
the ground and quickly assembled it. Brooks took the hint, dumped Aziz on the
stretcher, and assisted in strapping down his arms and legs. Then Brooks put on
his pack and grabbed one of the stretcher handles. Brad took one last look
behind him in the direction of the cave before he helped Brooks carry the
stretcher laden with Aziz to the helicopter.

They
jumped on board, placing Aziz and his stretcher in a rack, then Douglas boarded
and closed the door behind him. Douglas squeezed past the crew chief’s seat and
fell into the co-pilot’s position. Sean yelled something but no one could hear
him over the roar of the now lifting helicopter. The man signaled toward the
ceiling, and Sean saw the headset and put it on. Brad and Brooks looked up and
did the same.

“Where
is your crew chief?” Sean asked over the intercom.

“We
are running short of those these days,” Douglas said. “We are lucky to even
have this bird; it’s one of the last ones in country.”

“You
Army, Mr. Douglas?” Brad asked.

“No,
I wish. I’m just a civilian. I fly ... well I guess I flew … for the oil
companies, but I’m on an indefinite government contract now. As long as they
feed me and keep me alive, I fly. This here is Captain Bradley. He’s retired
Air Force,” Douglas said, pointing to Bradley.

Bradley
raised a hand to wave but said nothing.

“They
pulled us out of Bahrain for this mission. Not that there was much worth
staying for once the survivors’ camp was overrun. The island has pretty much
been written off. Just small pockets of resistance held up in skyscrapers
mostly. There isn’t shit left of the place now,” Douglas finished.

A
flashing yellow light and the piercing beep of an alarm started to flash from
the console. “Get ready to exit, we will be landing soon,” he said.