The Pilgrim Strain

by Edgar, C. P.

  Satisfied, Rainer held out his hand gesturing for Brewster to enter the cargo hold of the aircraft, “Please, let’s talk.”

  There was a small table and two chairs set up within the area closest to the rear ramp doors. Pallets of cargo strapped to the flooring blocked Brewster’s view to the front of the aircraft.

  Daggan was standing near the closest pallet of cargo with his arms folded over his chest. Keffer was leaning against the same pallet on the opposite side. Both were obviously spectators and not participants in the conversation, as their body language and cold stares indicated they were there for security purposes and shouldn't be fucked with.

  “Please have a seat,” Rainer said motioning to the closest chair. Rainer grabbed the other one and took a seat after Brewster took his.

  “Is there a problem with the merchandise?” Brewster asked wondering what all the theatrics were about. He understood Rainer and his team to be the best at what they did because they were absolute professionals and took things like security extremely serious, but he sensed that they were unusually amped up. He looked over to Daggan who returned a menacing stare.

  “The package is intact and ready to be handed over to you but I have a couple of questions for you before that happens,” Rainer stated.

  “Did you lose a man?”

  “No.”

  “Then what is the fucking problem?” Brewster said with a hint of aggravation creeping to the surface.

  “Why did you select the abandoned airfield as the extraction point?”

  Brewster stared at Rainer for a moment. He looked around the cargo area of the Ilyushin and swept his hands, “Because this aircraft is one of only four actively deployed in the world and we borrowed it from the Indian Air Force. The airfield we selected was the only flat surface in those mountains secluded enough to hide this thing. We selected it based upon satellite imagery and some HUMINT sources that indicated it had been abandoned for decades. Why? What was wrong with the extraction?”

  “Well for one, it was occupied by some fucked up lunatics that tried to eat us. Then we had an air-to-surface munition come screaming in on the area from an unseen platform. Lastly, someone blew it off the face of the mountain during our extraction.” Rainer said, clearly becoming agitated.

  “Someone tried to eat you?” Brewster chuckled uncomfortably. “Look guys we’ve worked together on projects here and there for years. I’ve never screwed you and you to my knowledge have never screwed me. If this is your play on negotiating up the contract I’m not biting.”

  Rainer looked to Kef who had shifted his position slightly making sure Kef knew to stand down. The tension in the interior of the aircraft was climbing rapidly.

  Rainer looked back at Brewster and met his fiery gaze with his own, “This isn’t about more money, it is about being set up. We infiltrated the research laboratory in Lae, PNG as planned and secured the research sample which we will deliver to you as agreed. The airfield, however, was a set up. Kef and the team that made entry into the hangar located there, while the rest of us were in a pitched firefight, reported that it appeared to contain some form of research facility. Kef?”

  Kef chimed in, “That’s correct. The doors were equipped with advanced locks and the construction materials within appeared modern. There were rows of what appeared to be cells and the center of the facility contained modern medical equipment and surgical tables. Oh yea, and the people in there were eating each other and tried to eat us in case you missed that part.”

  Rainer continued, “We managed to put down all hostile threats and evacuated. However, on our way out we witnessed the entire airfield being vaporized while we watched from the plane. So the question we have is: Did we stumble upon something completely by chance and get out just in time before its containment systems activated? The containment system being a big fucking explosion going off, vaporizing everything. Or were we supposed to be the recipients of that GBU-43 MOAB and that scene with all the crazies was just a distraction?”

  Brewster sat upright and placed his elbows on the table tenting his fingers under his chin, “Gentlemen, you sound like you have been through quite an ordeal and one that I can truly say I never expected to hear. The airfield went through a pattern of life analysis utilizing dedicated satellites capturing day and night activity over several weeks. We would have been able to identify movement in and out of that area and had noted none.”

  He took a dramatic breath but continued, “Based on our findings and the fact that we had some local people from the region state that it was abandoned, we felt very comfortable that you were going to have zero contact during extraction. Had we known it was occupied, I would have had you extracted via sea instead.”

  He glanced at his watch and then continued, “I can tell you with absolute certainty that having you dead does not benefit me in the least. I also very much want to receive delivery of the research materials that you secured for me during the mission. The mission which we funded and my corporation stands to profit heavily from. So, you can see that wiping you out mid-op wouldn’t have helped me or my shareholders.”

  Brewster paused letting his message set in before continuing, “I will request a post-operation analysis conducted on the airfield immediately after we wrap up this little group hug we are having and will get to the bottom of your accusations. I'm sure that after having been compromised the PNGDF thought you guys were either narco-trafficking in those mountains or some radical domestic rebels camping out and they just felt like lighting your asses up. As far as cannibals, well hell guys, you were in Papua New Guinea! If my memory serves me, aren’t there still tribes there that eat people?”

  He stood looking at the cargo, brushing off the team’s hostility, “Now, let’s get on with the deal. Daggan, if Rainer approves, would you please put my goods into the back of the Mercedes?”

  Daggan looked like he’d rather smash Brewster’s face in but relented and looked to Rainer for approval. Rainer gave a slight nod indicating to Daggan that it was ok and then Daggan slipped forward into the cargo hold to retrieve the hard cases.

  As Daggan began carrying the cases down the ramp, Rainer asked Brewster, “The mission briefing stated that we were to receive further mission instruction after the delivery of the goods. Are we cut loose or what?”

  Brewster, who had been intensely watching Daggan move the cases to the vehicle, turned to face Rainer, “We need your team here to provide surveillance within a refugee camp located in South Kurdufan and to report on the activities of a Dr. Merissa Manzak.” He reached into the interior pocket of his suit jacket and pulled out a letter-size packet and handed it to Rainer.

  Brewster continued, “This is just a basic pattern of life analysis for use on a future operation. Once complete you and your team are cut loose. You will find in that material all the background information you need as well as the reporting instructions which you can do after the completion of the surveillance.”

  He turned and watched as Daggan lifted the second case into the back of the Mercedes and closed the hatch. Seeing this, Brewster started down the ramp of the Ilyushin and made his way toward the Mercedes.

  His driver had started to open his door but Daggan, who was walking back to the aircraft mashed the door shut, rocking the SUV with the effort. He looked into the driver’s window, shook his head no, and continued walking past Brewster who had paused to watch the show.

  Brewster turned to Rainer when he finally reached the rear passenger door, placing his hand on the handle, and asked, “Do you have any follow-on questions Rainer? And if not, do I have your permission to leave this perimeter?”

  Rainer who had been listening to radio traffic through his earpiece looked down to Brewster, “No Brewster, we’re good. We’ll finish the contract as agreed. I appreciate the use of your logistics contact,” he said sweeping his arm into the bay of the aircraft. “You’re free to go.”

  With that, Brewster entered the Mercedes as the driver turned it over and without the
door even being fully closed the G63 sped off circling the Ilyushin once before heading off in the direction from which it came.

  “Did you get it on?” Rainer asked Daggan.

  Daggan looked up at Rainer and smiled through his beard. “Yes sir, when I bent down the first time to lift the case into the Mercedes I was able to find a nice little space in the frame to slip the GPS tracking unit in. I was actually surprised it fit through the gap in the frame and don’t think they will be able to locate it unless they torch cut the frame open.”

  Rainer looked pleased, “Good work Bro.” He depressed his mic button and notified the perimeter team that the Mercedes was outbound although he knew that they already knew as much from their observations.

  He told Einberg to bring down the Puma as well. “Make sure you guys keep an eye to the sky occasionally and see if you pick up on any more glint,” he stated over the net.

  Miller had reported during the tail end of the meeting with Brewster that he had caught a momentary glint from the sky south of their location but couldn’t pick up on any aerial platforms when he scanned the sky with his binos.

  Rainer hoped it was just an aircraft way off in the distance, but something told him based on recent events that he should assume the worse. He had been working with the use of UAV’s for the better part of a decade now and knew how prolific they were on the world stage.

  Daggan reading his mind asked, “You think Brewster has a drone up there?”

  “Maybe. Hell, we do,” he said thinking about the ramifications of a large drone with a weapons armament trolling the skies above and under the control of another government agency.

  Rainer continued, “Let’s get ready to get out of here though. If it’s not Brewster’s and they think we are up to no good they may decide to just send something wicked this way. Plus, you look like a terrorist.” He laughed while Daggan brushed his beard with his hand. He had a “who me?” look on his face.

  Rainer walked back into the aircraft and up front to the cockpit where the flight team was situated and were going through preflight checks. He told the pilot that they were ready to depart and return to Malakal Airport in South Sudan.

  By the time he returned to the rear of the aircraft, the rest of the team was already standing there in a circle with Daggan giving the play-by-play on the meeting with Brewster. It appeared to Rainer that they had even already managed to stow their weapons.

  Kef saw Rainer approaching and asked, “Where to, Top?”

  “We’re going to head back to Malakal Airport and ditch this huge billboard we’re flying around in for something a little more inconspicuous,” he replied while reaching down to open the lid of a cooler that had miraculously appeared on the ground in the middle of the group. He found a can of Coke hidden under some bottles of water. Snatching up the Coke, he kicked the lid shut and turned his attention back to the team.

  “Looks like we have a quick surveillance mission to conduct and then we can get the hell out of the Sudan,” he said as he cracked open the Coke and took a big swig.

  After a short moment of Coke induced satisfaction, he continued, “Let’s get the gear stowed and everything buttoned up and head out. Kef, you and I can review the background materials provided by Brewster and start working up an operations plan.”

  Before he had finished, the team was in motion gathering the last of the equipment and heading into the Ilyushin. Once inside, Miller put on the loadmaster headset stowed next to the ramp and notified the flight crew that all were inside and accounted for. He nodded a couple of times obviously listening to radio communications from the front of the aircraft and then utilizing the controls lifted the ramp. As the ramp closed and locked into position the aircraft's engines started to come to life. First on the starboard side, and then the port side.

  The team began to search for seats as the Ilyushin began to motion forward. In no time at all they had taxied to a stop, had turned right approximately ninety degrees and then the Ilyushin’s two Klimov turboprops began to thunder.

  The plane was firmly in place while the engines were brought up to full speed and then the pilot released the brakes unleashing the plane which sped forward on the unimproved surface. The nose of the airplane eased up and the Ilyushin IL-112 was airborne and banking hard in search of its next destination.

  ***

  Merissa awoke with a start and lay as still as she could manage. She stared at the ceiling of the tent and tried to discern whether she had actually heard someone knock on the door or whether she had dreamt it.

  She stayed there silently for a moment longer listening and then decided to get up and look. She didn’t like the idea of leaving someone outside just standing there if they needed help.

  She swung her legs off her cot and found her flip flops. It was almost pitch black in the tent. There was a small amount of light being cast from her cell phone while it sat charging and from the network router hooked up to her closed laptop sitting across the tent on her field desk.

  She reached up and clicked on the lighting system. Instantaneously the inside of the AKS Expeditionary Shelter System was illuminated. Merissa preferred more subtle light but the tent just didn’t come with a dimmer option and candles were a safety hazard because, although rigid, the shelter was made of fabric.

  WHO maintained more modern and accommodating living quarters for the doctors working within the South Sudan, but it was kilometers away and Merissa just didn’t feel abandoning the refugees for the sake of comfort was an admirable quality. Even if expected from the Americans. She preferred to live within the camp borders with the very people she was tasked with protecting and caring for. So, the WHO provided her with this shelter as a compromise.

  Merissa stood and stretched for a moment, her hands high above her head. She wore a pair of black yoga pants which she referred to as her “comfy pants” and a tank top. She looked over to the chair that sat next to her cot. Draped over it were a clean set of khaki cargo pants and a pullover as well as her bra. She grabbed the pullover adorned with the Boston University red and white, slipping it on while she went to the door.

  “Hold on,” she stated to whomever she believed may still be standing out there waiting for her. When she reached the door, she unlocked the deadbolt locking mechanism and cracked open the door.

  Outside the air was still very cool. The sky was clear and it was dark although Merissa could tell that the eastern horizon was brighter signaling that morning was fast approaching.

  The camp outside was quiet besides the occasional yelp from animals that were interspersed amongst the huts. Merissa had long ago tuned those out as simple ambient noises in this wild environment but at this moment she was fully aware of all the noises around her. Subconsciously, she understood that some of those noises were made by pets, some from wild scavengers, and some from today’s next meal of the desperately hungry.

  Merissa took a step outside looking left and then right. The area seemed void of people and she shrugged off the belief that someone had been knocking on her door. I must have been dreaming.

  It would not have been the first time that she leapt out of bed thinking someone needed her. The reactive nature of the environment and the constant state of medical necessity came with stress often manifesting itself during sleep. She longed for her real bed with her soft down comforter and loads of pillows and she was suddenly awash with the need for David. He made her feel safe and she missed his presence. She missed being held by a man.

  She turned and reentered the tent, closing and locking the door behind her. She had thought that the lock was kind of silly when it was first demonstrated to her. She believed that if anyone really wanted to get in they only needed to take a moment to cut through the tent fabric but it was a WHO security requirement.

  Also, there was that one time that someone had just walked in while she was getting dressed. Actually, she was planning on getting dressed but had just been in her underwear at the time. Luckily it had been a female worker a
ssigned to clean her living quarters, but the thought that it could have been a man with not so friendly intentions had been a concern.

  Merissa had seen so many casualties of rape in this part of the world that she supposed it had made her trust men from this land far less. That fact shamed her but she understood it was a by-product from this harsh environment. This more than anything drove her to lock the door behind her habitually.

  With David still on her mind, she sat down in front of her laptop and opened the lid bringing the machine to life. She saw that the document she had been reading on polio immunization risks to women who are breastfeeding was still up. She closed the report and hovered the mouse icon over the Skype shortcut but instead clicked on her email account.

  Her and David had resorted to using Skype only once per week now and had settled on Sunday evenings for Merissa which were Sunday mornings for David. It was Friday and it was also five o'clock in the morning in South Sudan. Although she really wanted to talk with David face-to-face albeit over video conference she thought that an email would suffice.

  She opened a new email and in the subject line typed “Sleep” and then in the body of the email she continued “I hope you don’t plan on getting lucky when I get back because I’m going to sleep for the whole first month! Ok, maybe I’m looking forward to getting lucky too but then we’re sleeping. Miss you!”

  She clicked on the send button and then thought about how David would receive that message. She smiled thinking about his response. Men were so easy to tease.

  Merissa thought about reopening that article that she had not finished last night but she just wasn’t interested in it at the moment. Today was going to be a busy and hectic day. She decided to throw on a sports bra, looking to the door once again to make sure it was locked. She would start the day with a nice run through the camp.