by MLJ Quigg
Dave and I talked about me retiring completely, and even though he said it was up to me, and I believed him, I missed him constantly and wanted to be closer to him. Even though I still loved the military, and I was learning so much, the scales were tipping toward retiring as each day went on.
I spoke to Dave last night, and he was getting worried for Tiny. She’d been sent on a mission and had to go black, and hadn’t been heard from for three months. I knew that could happen, but I was starting to become concerned too. She would never go this long even if she were black. She would always find a way to contact her family.
I was told to report to my CO, Colonel Davis’ office first thing this morning. And as I was walking there, I couldn’t help but think this was it. Maybe I’m finished in the SASR, and they were gonna kick my arse out. I wasn’t sure if I was really upset about that, though. It may just be the push I needed to retire from the military and have a civvy life. I wouldn’t complain either way.
I walked up to my CO’s office and knocked on the door.
“Enter,” he called out.
I opened the door and quickly looked around me. Colonel Anderson and Captain Brooks and General Harris were in Colonel Davis’ office sitting around his table.
I walked in slowly and closed the door behind me saluting the officers in the room and stood to attention.
“At ease, Williams,” Davis ordered.
“Yes, sir.” I relaxed standing at ease.
“Take a seat.” General Harris motioned with his hand.
“Yes, sir,” I commented sitting on the only available chair in the room and looked to my superiors. They each appeared troubled, and I had no idea what was happening.
“We have something to tell you, Williams, and this is going to be hard for you to hear. We know you’re close to Lance Corporal Henderson?” Davis proclaimed.
“Yes. I am, sir,” I replied.
“Are you intimately involved with her?” Harris asked.
Was he asking if I’d ever fucked her?
“No, sir, she’s like a little sister. I’m seeing her best friend, though. She introduced us when we finished the SASR course last year. He and I have been together since,” I clarified.
Yes, I just admitted I was gay to my superiors.
They didn’t even flinch.
Not even an eye widened or anything.
What the fuck was going on?
“When was the last time you spoke with your boyfriend?” Harris queried.
“Last night, sir,” I declared looking at him.
“Did he mention Henderson at all?” he inquired.
“Yes, he did. He’s worried. She hasn’t called at all for three months. Not even her kids have had any contact. They are all concerned,” I affirmed.
“When was the last time you heard from her?” Brooks asked.
“Three months as well, sir. She couldn’t talk much, and it was only a minute phone call if that. She wouldn’t tell me where she was or what she was doing. Just wanted to check in. What’s this about, sir? You’re starting to worry me.”
They all took a deep breath, and Anderson looked at me with a sad smile.
No. No. No.
Please don’t say it.
Please, please, please.
“Oh, God. Please don’t tell me she’s dead,” I mumbled.
“We’re not sure. She was sent in UC to get intel on a drug pin. Three others were sent with her. She was to report to them. This string has been in the making for two years. Everything was going according to plan, and they would check in every week like clockwork. But for the past three months, we’ve heard nothing. We’ve sent scouts, and they have found nothing. They’ve all vanished. We were notified of three bodies found in the area, and it’s been confirmed it’s the three men who were sent in with her. They had been tortured and shot between the eyes and dumped in the river. From the coroner’s report, they had been dead at least a month. We were notified of their bodies yesterday. There’s been no word on Henderson,” Anderson relented.
I put my head in my hands and bent over my knees trying not to lose it. This is so fucking bad. I took a deep breath attempting to get my emotions on track. I looked up and meet their eyes. “What can I do?”
“We want you to lead a team for a rescue or recovery,” Brooks insisted.
“Why me? Surely there are others better suited for this?” I questioned.
“You’re the best recruit we’ve ever had, Williams. Fuck! Actually, you’re the second. Henderson’s the best we’ve had come through. She passed with flying colours. If we ever accept females into the SASR, she’d be our first pick, but she was handpicked for this mission. It’s been in the making for a long time. We know she was set to retire to be with her kids, and we will reluctantly let her go with our full blessing once she’s rescued.” Brooks sighed.
“You knew. All along,” I asked.
“Yeah, I did. It was my mission to push her to the limit. I had to make sure she could do it. She was a machine all the way through. I couldn’t have asked for a better recruit,” he advised.
“Okay, what do you want me to do?” I inquired.
“We want you to pick a team and lead them for rescue or recovery. Either way, bring her home, soldier,” Anderson insisted.
“I want the guys who finished the course with me,” declared.
They nodded their heads.
“Thought you’d say that. They’re on a transport and will be here today by fourteen hundred hours. You have until zero six hundred hours tomorrow to debrief and prepare for departure. We have the approximate location of her last known whereabouts. Track and find her,” Brooks commanded.
“Yes sir,” I replied.
“Take the day off, Mike. You’re going to need it. We have no idea of the condition Henderson will be in,” Anderson warned.
“What happens if she’s alive, sir, but badly hurt. Where do we take her?” I questioned.
“Stabilise and bring her home, son,” he commanded.
“What do we tell the family?”
“Nothing until we know her condition. I’m sorry. I know you want to, but it’s classified. Get in, get out. Kill without prejudice. Find her and bring her home, son, either way, you will be UC. If you’re caught, we will deny knowledge. Do you understand? We can’t have this getting out. We’ve only told you the basics, we will do a full brief when you are all here,” Anderson insisted.
“Yes, sir.”
“You’re dismissed, son. Get some R and R. Try to relax until this afternoon. We’ll call you once everyone’s arrived,” Brooks advised.
“Yes, sir,” I replied automatically.
I stood and made my way out of the building with blinders on. I had no idea what to do. I wanted to talk to Dave, but I knew I’d break if I did, and of course, I had been sworn to secrecy. I couldn’t do it, not yet. I made my way to the barracks and sat on my bed and put my head in my hands, exactly like I’d done in Davis’ office. I prayed for the first time in my life that she was okay, or at least alive and not too severely damaged.
I must have been there a while as I heard a knock on the door while I was still praying. “Enter,” I declared, my voice hoarse.
“Sorry to interrupt, sir, but General Anderson has called for you. He wants you to meet him in Comm. Room One immediately.”
“Thank you, Lance Corporal,” I replied standing and walking out.
I made my way to Comm. Room One and noticed all the guys were there. I nodded to all of them and took a seat at the front.
“What’s going on, Mike?” Bazza asked.
“A whole lot of fucking shit. This is going to be hard on all of us,” I stammered cryptically.
“Alright guys, now you’re all here we have a mission for you. We know you’re all going to be taking this personally. Let’s get through this and then questions may be asked,” General Anderson declared.
We all nodded.
“We need to ask a few questions first. Raise your hand
s if you’ve kept in contact with Lance Corporal Monique Henderson since your training course last year?” Brooks questioned.
We all raised our hands.
“Okay. Have any of you heard from her within the last three months?”
Not one hand was raised.
“Has anyone heard from her family in the last three months?”
We all raised our hands again.
Fuck. This was going to be so hard.
“Alright, you can lower them. Fuck! Give me a minute, guys,” Brooks commented. He turned and lowered his head taking a couple of deep breaths and turned to us again. You could see the sheen in his eyes, and I knew the guys were preparing for the worst. “Eight months ago, Lance Corporal Henderson, Sergeant Greg Daniels, Sergeant Fred Killian, and Sergeant Joseph Morgan were sent on a mission to Port Shepstone, South Africa to get intel on a drug lord. They were reporting to Base twice weekly for five months until three months ago, and nothing since then has been reported. We’ve sent contacts over there but to no avail. No one can find them. Last week three bodies turned up in the Mkambati National Park, one hundred and fifteen kilometres south of Port Shepstone. Yesterday, we received word that the bodies were identified as Daniels, Killian, and Morgan.
“We received intel an hour ago that a local was bragging about an Australian female soldier they had in custody. He was bragging about some pretty heinous things they were doing to her. From my understanding, it looks like she’s on death’s door. From the description he gave, we believe it’s Henderson. The informant is being kept in custody by our people.
“We would like you guys to go over there and retrieve her. This is either a rescue or recovery. I know you guys are close to her, and what you will find is going to be the hardest thing you’re ever likely to witness. This is a UC mission. You’ll be there by yourselves. If you’re caught, we will deny all knowledge of you being there. There’s more to this. We have to get the leader, and if we’re found out, it could put millions at risk. We just can’t do that. I’m sorry. It’s voluntary, and you don’t have to go if you choose not to. Raise your hand if you’re in?” Brooks asked.
Even before he finished that sentence we already had our hands raised.
“Mike’s lead on this. Intel and brief on the plane. We were going to send you tomorrow morning but given the intel we received, you’re to leave in an hour. Report to the Q Store immediately, they’re expecting you. You will have anything you need at your disposal. Good luck and godspeed. Bring her home, boys,” Brooks requested.
“Sir, yes sir,” we all replied.
As I stood up, I’m handed a folder by Brooks. “Study the area. I know you’ll get her out,” he murmured to me quietly.
“Yes, sir.”
We made our way to the Q Store. and I rounded up the guys for their assignments.
“Right, fellas, I want four snipers, four spotters, two medics, and two on transport. Everyone else is going in. Load up to go big,” I requested.
“Yes, sir,” they declared.
We were finished in the Q Store after fifteen minutes and on our way to the transport.
I took the folder and placed it on my lap. I took a deep breath and nodded my head, psyching myself up to read the contents. I opened the folder and started looking over the pages of information. The guy they had sung like a canary. They had her holed up in a shack in the national park one hundred and fifteen kilometres from Port Shepstone. From the looks of it, she was still alive but had been repeatedly raped and tortured. They’d routinely given her drugs to stop her from fighting them. From the intel provided, there were ten guys. I had a location of the cabin she was kept in, and it had been confirmed she was there. I had no idea why they hadn’t gotten her out. Fucking pussies were probably too scared. Fuck that. They were dead men walking. I finished reading and closed the folder and leant over with my head in my hands.
The guys were dead quiet, and when I got my emotions back on track, I took a deep breath and looked up. “It doesn’t look good. Whoever they have…” I paused then continued, “… which it does appear like it’s Tiny, has been repeatedly raped and tortured. They’re keeping her drugged as she’s fighting them too much. Apparently, they have a shack in the national park about one hundred and fifteen kilometres from Port Shepstone. We have location and numbers. Okay, guys, here’s the plan. I want snipers north, south, east, and west. I want every location covered completely. Give us numbers and locations. We have an MRH90 helicopter on standby in Port Edward. There’s a good extraction point by the river. Read the intel. Get acquainted with the location. Medics are coming in. We’re going to need you,” I commanded.
I passed the folder to Bazza, he read it, and passed it along to the next man. It went around until it finished back with me.
“Everyone got it? Any questions?” I asked.
They all shook their heads. I thought maybe they were in shock like I was. Would explain why they were all so quiet. Hell, I couldn’t stop thinking about it. This was fucked in more ways than one.
“Get some shut-eye, we’re going to need it. It’s gonna be a long fucking night,” I suggested.
They all nodded.
I leaned back my head back and shut my eyes.
Mike
We arrived at Port Shepstone at zero one hundred hours and met up with five SUVs with drivers waiting for us. We jumped in and took off for the hanger in Port Edward which was a fifty-kilometre ride. We were all pretty wired at this point, and by the time we got to the hanger, we were ready to go. I knew the guys were getting antsy. They were jumping on the balls of their feet. They wanted this over with. We wanted Tiny back with us right then and there. The whole fucking thing would be over in a few hours.
“Alright, guys. Transport. Get the chopper ready. We have an hour and a half ride ahead of us, then a five-kilometre trek. Give us two hours to get there. Be at the extraction point we discussed in two hours. It’s a one-kilometre walk from the cabin. SUV drivers, you’ll drop us at the location and immediately bug out. You were never there, and you never saw us. Got it? Everyone… night vision only. No lights. I want to get in quick and quiet. Get in, get her, get out. Kill all. And blow the place to fucking kingdom come,” I relayed.
“Yes, sir,” they all replied.
“Comm check. Ground one,” I grounded out.
I get comm checks from the rest of the guys, and we all checked our weapons and supplies one more time.
“Let’s get to it,” I instructed.
We slid back into the SUVs and started our journey. Once we arrived at the drop-off point and piled out, the SUVs immediately turned and left.
“Snipers and spotters. Get into position,” I instructed.
“Yes, sir,” they replied and all set off jogging into the park.
I took the lead as the rest of us started the trek into the park. We had a five-kilometre walk in front of us.
Thirty minutes later, the snipers and spotters let us know they were in position.
We had about fifteen minutes left of our trek.
Once we arrived at the cabin, I signalled the snipers. “Ground one in position. What does it look like in there?” I spoke clearly into the communication microphone.
“Spotter north. We’re looking at the front of the cabin. Thermal indicates all are asleep. I count eleven bodies in total. Back of cabin, there’s one alone, looks like someone’s asleep on a bed. Thermal is really red on them, sir.”
“Spotter south. Same here, sir. We have same positions.”
“Spotter west. We have movement, sir. Someone’s moving into the room. They’re hitting the person on the bed. Holy shit! Sir, get in there now. They’re climbing on top of them. Oh, God. He’s raping her, sir.”
“We’re going in. Positions, now. Move,” I grunted out at the end.
Seb, Benny, and Tweety followed me to the front door. Max and three others followed Bazza to the back door.
I was at the front door and waited for Bazza to tell me he was at the ba
ck. I heard a set of three clicks, and it was go-time. I kicked the door in and immediately shot one person on the floor. Benny was right behind me and shot another. I heard bullets firing all over the place while I started down the hallway to the bedroom.
As soon as I spotted a guy rushing out tying up his pants, I shot him between the eyes and walked into the room. I scanned for the enemy, and when I found none, I stepped over to the bed. I looked over the figure lying there.
Definitely a female.
Naked.
Long, tangled black hair clotted with dried blood.
She was lying face down tied to the bed by her ankles and wrists. Wounds were scattered all over her body, deep tears and rips, and there was blood everywhere. Her whole back had deep, infected lacerations, some showing bone. Both legs were at odd angles obviously broken. Bone sticking out of her left arm at the forearm. I walked closer and moved her hair from her face, and she had cuts everywhere. Her blue eyes opened, and she moaned.
Oh, Jesus fucking Christ. What the fuck did they do to her?
I didn’t even realise I was crying, but the tears were streaming down my face.
“Tiny, it’s Mike. You’re safe now, sweetheart. We’re going to get you home,” I cried with a catch in my throat. I wiped the tears raining down my cheeks.
She looked at me with a dazed look in her eyes. Like she didn’t even recognise me. She was shivering, but when I put my hand to her, she was burning up.
“Medic, now,” I bellowed.
They came rushing in and immediately assessed her.
“Oh, fuck. Tiny. What the fuck did they do to you? We have to get her to a hospital immediately,” Tweety revealed.
“Prep her for transport. We need to get her home,” I stated.
They slightly rolled her, and her front had cuts and dried blood, but nowhere near the damage that was done to her back.
“Slide the board under her. Don’t roll her. We have no idea of the damage. Looks like she can handle it better than on her back. Slide the neck brace on and set up a drip to start antibiotics and painkillers. Be better if we sedate her, too. She’s a fucking mess. This is going to fucking hurt her so bad, but we need to do it quickly.”
