by Addison Jane
The two Generals lead us inside the large hanger where The Agency’s plane is now parked, the sound of the engine winding down slowly. While the plane takes up a significant portion of the space, my eyes light up as I see five dune buggies—technically they’re called armored combat vehicles, but basically, they’re just dune buggies with big guns—lined up in perfect formation against the far wall. The beige color is precisely right for the desert, which is where we’re headed.
Noah and Everly found information that led us to a place in the middle of the fucking Mexican desert. There’s nothing there, or at least there’s meant to be nothing there.
“Shotgun driving,” I call out as I walk toward them, ignoring the way the rest of my team is beginning to pull their tactical gear out and prepare for our mission.
“One, you’re not driving. And two, get your ass back over here and get ready. We’re leaving as soon as possible. We aren’t fucking around with this, Luca.” I look over at Kace who’s staring at me with a warning in his eyes.
Fortunately for me, he knows this is just how I am. I like to let my mind wander before we go out there and kill people in the name of our country. It stops me from getting nervous, and it helps me to be somewhat okay with what we’re doing. I don’t like to focus on the fact that I might get hurt, or that I might end someone’s life today. I only want to breathe, and when the time’s right to go out there and do my job, I’ll be fucking great at it, but I won’t let it ruin me.
I take a deep breath and head back over to my team just as Kace tosses me my backpack. Not one of us flinches as we all strip down out of our civilian clothes. The number of times we’ve done this—in much more dangerous and less glamorous places—I couldn’t count if I tried.
It’s a meticulous process, putting on our gear, a process that I’ve memorized and that comes so naturally now. One piece of clothing after another, each purposeful and essential. The only difference with what we’re wearing today is that it’s also an off-beige color, a color we don’t get to wear too often. Usually, our gear consists of black on black on black, so we blend in with our surroundings. Our missions, for the most part, are always conducted in complete darkness and secret.
This time, we will be out in the open, the color of our gear is enough to make us blend into our environment, but not enough to make us disappear. The last thing I pull on is my desert combat boots. Why the hell they call them that I have no idea. We all know they aren’t going to stop the sand going inside them, and at the end of the day, I’ll be emptying enough out of them to build an entire castle.
I watch Eli and Axel haul over a large crate and wedge off the lid. Axel’s face stern and stoic, but his eyes like before are still glazed and vacant. I glance to Kace, and he’s watching Axel too. It’s our job to keep an eye on our team and to assess them, and right now both of us are watching Axel. I’m not sure he should be with us on this mission, but I should give him the benefit of the doubt. He might be stronger than I give him credit for.
“We have weapons here that you’re welcome to use,” General Murray offers.
Kace shakes his head. “We appreciate the offer, but we only use weapons that come from The Agency. It’s for our safety and for yours,” he tells them politely, without saying straight out what he means. And that is that we don’t trust anyone. We don’t trust their weapons or their ammo. We need our weapons to protect us and can’t risk them failing, and I also don’t want my damn prints on the gun someone else might use later on to do who knows what with.
“You have drivers for us?” I enquire as I gather my gun—a Colt M4 rifle—and look back over at the dune buggies. The plan is to have them drive us most of the way out, and then to continue on foot in order so as to not disturb or draw attention to ourselves. Surprise is our friend right now, and it might be all we have, given we have no idea what’s out there, whether there is anything out there, or what the fuck kind of power they might have.
The boys from the army would have to stay back and wait until we either call for them to pick us up, or we are in need of serious backup. Either’s a possibility with the very little intel that we have, but our team is the best there is. If we can’t get the job done, then it’s not meant to get done in the first place.
“Everybody ready?” Kace asks as he checks and double-checks all his gear.
I pull my earpiece from inside its container as Noah pulls out his laptop.
“Yup, just hooking up all the connection devices,” Noah explains.
“Testing, testing, testicles…” I say with a wide grin, making them all roll their eyes.
Noah chuckles. “Sounds like they’re all working.”
General Osmond moves over to an exterior door and pulls it open, disappearing for a moment, before returning with a driver for each of the buggies. They’re dressed much like we are in full gear, prepared for the worst. “They’ve been instructed and sworn in. Anything they see today will be held confidential and will not be spoken of to anyone. They will also not ask any questions relating to the mission unless given the information specifically by a member of this team.” Osmond looks to the line of men and one woman with a hard glare. “Isn’t that right.”
A resounding, “Yes sir!” echoes off the walls before each of them turns and marches toward their vehicles, not another word spoken, stern and serious looks on their faces.
“All right then,” Kace says, drawing our attention.
We all look at our leader, he stands tall and proud, holding his rifle tightly in his hands.
Kace is so many things to me—he’s my boss, my best friend, he’s also my conscience, and on the odd occasion, he’s the one to lift me up when I’m second guessing myself or what I’m capable of. I know he means something different to each of us, but I know for a fact, that every single person on this team would follow him into the depths of hell because we know he’d do the same for us without a second thought.
“Let’s fall out,” Kace announces as we head for the dune buggies. I climb in the front seat of one with a petite female driver, and she starts the engine. It idles as we wait for Kace to finish up discussions with the Generals who have graciously loaned us members of their teams.
The driver stares straight ahead, but I turn my body to face her. She’s wearing a helmet, her black hair perfectly twisted into a low bun that sits right at the base. She’s pretty, I have to admit that much.
“You know, usually I’d be all over someone like you,” I say, but she continues to stare straight ahead as if she hasn’t heard me. So I just grin and continue, “Usually, I’d be flirting, flashing you my best smile, trying to do whatever I can to get in your pants. Don’t get me wrong, I think you’re gorgeous. Like a solid eight and three quarters on the scale, almost a nine actually.” I catch the way her lips purse tightly, and there’s tension in her jaw. I’ve upset her.
Maybe she doesn’t like that I’m not going to flirt with her?
“No, no. It’s all me. Not you. You see, there’s this girl back home, she’s really great. I’ve never actually seen myself as a relationship type, but she… wow! She’s like fucking amazing. She laughs at my jokes, well… most of the time. And she’s really hot. A cheerleader. I mean hello, flexible much?”
The girl groans quietly, and I sigh. I take a peek at the name on her uniform. Riggs.
“Now, Riggs. I know you’re disappointed, but think about it, we would never work, we live so far apart and my heart, it just belongs to someone else.” Her head turns slowly toward me, her eyes narrowed. I reach out and pat her on the shoulder. “It’s okay, you don’t have to say anything. Maybe it’s just better if we don’t speak of this again.”
The buggy jostles as Kace hefts himself into the back seat. “She’s been told not to speak to you, but you know what, right now, I’m considering giving her permission.”
I look at the girl, and her eyes brighten as if she’d just won the lottery. “No, it’s fine. We had a great chat… I’m gonna get in the back now
.” I climb through the space in the seats. “Driver, to the lair of our enemies please, and make it snappy.” I chuckle to myself but am rewarded with a slap on the back of my head.
I rub the sore spot and look at Kace. “What was that for?”
He grunts. “That was me trying to help you remember that if we get balls deep in shit today, she’s going to be one of the ones that we want to come to our rescue… not to laugh and point as we’re being buried alive in a sand hill.”
“But I said she was almost a nine?” I argue.
Kace just shakes his head. “I apologize, he was dropped on his head as a baby.”
I hear light laughter come from her before she puts her foot down and we pull out of the hanger at high speed.
Kace and I both pull down our military balaclavas which are the same color as our gear, not only to protect our faces from the harsh wind and sand that we’re about to encounter but also to protect our identities. It isn’t too far to the border of Mexico, but we have to drive through some of the main streets where there will be crowds of people. Especially at the border, where people will be lining up to cross over.
I look around, letting my eyes wander as we drive through the city of El Paso. It really is like a different world down here, the buildings entirely different from those you find in DC or other major cities. They’re old, but well maintained, and hold character. It almost feels like you’ve stepped into history and at any moment, a cowboy might walk out ready to throw down in a duel.
“All right boys and girls,” Jack’s voice comes across my earpiece. “Everly’s here with me. She’s going to keep a close watch on the signals and video coming in from your body cameras. We’ll be able to see everything that’s going on as well as hear you. The drivers will take you about an hour into the desert, and from then you’ll have to walk. The location we’ve pinpointed isn’t as condensed as we’d like it to be, so make sure you keep your eyes and ears open and be on alert at all times.”
Knowing Everly can hear me, I look around at the city surrounding me. “El Paso would be a great place to come for a holiday, you know,” I comment with a grin.
Jack snorts. “Good to know.”
“That wasn’t directed toward you, oh great one, it was meant for the girl sitting beside you,” I confirm, unable to stop myself from smiling when I hear quiet laughter in the background, and it warms me. Everly might not be here, and for that, I’m thankful because I don’t have to worry about her, but she’s on this mission with me, and for some reason, that feels really good.
“Just get it done, pretty boy,” I hear her call out, and next to me Kace chuckles, shaking his head.
I smirk. “Yes, ma’am.”
My gloved hands clutch on to the bars that surround the buggy hanging on for dear fucking life. “Lord help me,” I scream. “Riggs! Who the hell gave you your license?” Everything’s muffled through my balaclava, but that isn’t stopping me. I’m horrified. Kace is laughing as we shoot up the side of another dune. I can’t see what’s on the other side, and that’s never a good sign.
We fly through the air, and I hold my breath for those few seconds. Why the hell did I think this was going to be fun? Oh yeah, because I didn’t realize Mad-fucking-Max was going to be driving us around. We hit the ground, bouncing several times and tilting side to side as the buggy tries to find grip on the loose sand.
“Riggs, I demand you pull this thing over right now. You’re crazy! Fucking insane! This is why you didn’t get a ten… actually, I’m taking off another quarter, you’re down to eight and a half, lady. Don’t make me take off anymore.”
The buggy skids to the side and I’m almost thrown out, but Kace grabs hold of my bulletproof vest, pulling me back in. I’m surprised he has the strength given that I can hear his laughter over the top of the revving motor.
We jolt to a stop, the others all pulling up beside us with their eyes alight. I can tell they’ve loved it. I, on the other hand, am desperate to get my feet on solid ground. I leap out, frantic to feel steady again but when my feet touch the sand, they sink in and throw me off balance.
“Motherfucker,” I cry out as I fall to the side and land on my ass.
Eli jumps out of the buggy beside us and wobbles a little as his boots do much the same. “Well, I hope everyone’s done their cardio, ‘cause walking in this shit is gonna be fucking hell on earth.”
“I hate cardio,” Noah mumbles, climbing out with a frown on his face.
“I thought you were looking a little tubby.” I laugh, reaching over and jabbing him in the gut. He slaps my hand away, glaring at me.
Kace jumps out as I’m finding my feet and shoves my gun against my chest, making me topple over again. He smirks down at me. “All right, drivers, you stay here. Someone will be in touch when we need you. It could be urgent, so make sure you’re ready at a moment’s notice.” Kace then turns to us as we crowd together. “Let’s move out. No slacking today, the sooner we get in there, the sooner we get to go home.” It’s always something Kace says before every mission. The sooner we’re done, the sooner we go home. He’s trying to keep our mind in the positive because that’s where we need to be. It’s when anxiety and fear creeps in we start to second guess our movements or actions.
Noah holds up a device in his hand, moving his body from side to side before stopping and pointing. “This way,” he announces, and Kace nods sharply, following his direction and walking off, the rest of us trudging behind him.
As we get closer to the area, Eli takes the lead, and we fall into a single file line. Eli is our resident bomb expert and is carrying with him a bomb detector that he swings from the side. The dull beeping noise is almost haunting, in the hopes that if these people have set up some kind of booby trap to protect their hideout or whatever the hell is out here, that we won’t be blown into pieces before we can actually get in and complete our mission. Won’t that be some sort of fucked up stupid?
Sweat is pouring off me, the heat of the sun belting down like the fires of hell are raining down on us. It’s intense, and we’re wading through sand that’s flying into our faces, filling our boots and being all out damn annoying. The pace is slow, and Eli was right, my heart’s beating rapidly, and my breathing’s heavy. It’s definitely one of the most intense workouts I’ve had recently.
My body aches, but I push through. No one’s complaining. We just do it, because this is what we’re trained for.
A loud squealing noise has us all pulling to a sharp stop, frozen and holding our breath. Eli looks over his shoulder at Kace and pulls down his balaclava to free his mouth. “Something live,” he says. “I suggest you all move back and I’ll scan some more of the area to see what we’re dealing with.”
Kace nods, and we all fall back. I watch on, my body tense and on alert as Eli first clears a space around himself and then steps to the side, scanning the area again. Once again a squeal fills the humid air, and I grit my teeth. It continues like this for a good fifteen minutes before Eli returns to us with a grave look on his face. “They’re spread out for at least twenty feet either way, which tells me they probably go further.”
“Which tells me that there’s something here that people are trying to hide,” Kace adds, a deep growl in his voice.
“That means that this is it. Right?” Axel blurts out with excitement in his voice as he looks between Kace and Noah, who are still frowning and looking down at the detection device.
“Well, we are inside the presumed area that Everly and I mapped out. So, this could very well be the exact spot we’re looking for.”
I look around, there’s sand to the left, dunes to the right, some very small mountains in the distance, but literally nothing around. “And where is this place exactly?”
Noah rolls his eyes and points down. It takes me a moment, but my eyes suddenly widen, and I stand very still. I lower my voice. “You think they could be under us right now? Like some kind of sand people? You saw Star Wars, right? Those people are savages.”<
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“You’re an idiot, Luca,” Tanner groans, but even she can’t help but smile.
I know some of the stuff I say is stupid, and fortunately, my team also know that I’m not actually as idiotic as I sound. It’s just a reflex, one that only comes out in times like these.
“Can we fucking focus, please?” Axel snaps, glaring at me, before turning back to Kace. “How the hell do we get in there?”
Kace steps forward. “Just calm down, will you. There’s a shit load of explosives sitting just five feet from where you’re standing, you need to get your head in the game, and we need to think this through. Otherwise, we’re gonna end up blowing ourselves up.”
Axel stares back at Kace, his eyes now intense, focused and hard. He seems frustrated and impatient. I understand. If that was Everly down there, possibly hurt and who knows what else they’ve done to her, I’d be ready to make a run for it through that fucking minefield and just hope for the damn best. Knowing my luck, I’d probably blow a hole in the roof of their lair and fall straight through into the leader’s lap.
I freeze. “Huh… maybe that’s not such a bad idea,” I say out loud, more to myself.
Tanner groans but Axel looks at me like I’m suddenly his lifeline. “Dare I ask?” Kace asks, with a worried expression.
“We blow ourselves up,” I reply like it’s the most normal sentence I’ve ever said. The rest of my team stares at me with varying expressions of horror. I wave my hands in the air. “No, just listen. We need a way in, right? And we figure that the sand is hiding something. Sooo… we remove the sand.”
Kace is the only one who stares at me with a look on his face that tells me he understands where I’m going with this. The others all shake their heads.
“I knew that one day he’d finally lose it,” Blair snickers.
“No, he has a point actually,” Kace comments, stepping forward and looking over to where the desert appears innocent, but we know holds enough power beneath it to destroy a large building at least. “Obviously, they’ve put these here for a reason… to protect from anyone that might come this way and stumble across something that they don’t want anyone to find. If there’s enough power in those explosives, it’s gonna clear the sand away, and we cross our fingers and hope that it reveals something we can use to get inside. Even if we have to blast through their fucking roof.”
