My thanks are many, to my technical friends who are always offering very helpful advice, I thank you so much. My Beta reader who is always showing me the end result of his work is so impressive. To my editor, thank you so much for all your hard work, even at the unsocial hours I'm sending you stuff to work on, many heartfelt thanks for getting your hands dirty on my behalf.
*******
Bang in the middle of nowhere Ville somewhere in Africa ...
The birds were still singing, that was a good sign, even the animals ignored me and I was grateful about that with some of those critters living around here. I was now just on my second hour following these tracks, it's amazing what you find when you're not looking. My original remit was to secure the advanced area while the Unit rested up, ready for when we got the green light on our own target.
I was in my allocated advance area of the Units holding position and feeling that everything was as it should be. Now I may be a healthy 'cup half full' type of guy, but that doesn't stop me attaching a healthy dose of paranoia to it, so out of habit, I took a knee. Sometimes I held my breath for a moment, my hearing adapted to the changes and analyzed every sense, from smell to sight. Feeling comfortable with my surroundings, I placed my hand on my knee and went to stand.
I glanced down at the edge of the track I was using as I did. Boots... I paused and then knelt down once again to get a closer look. I had read the intel report on this area before we came here, we were supposed to be alone in this area, and yet these tracks were relatively recent.
Following the tracks was going to be inevitable, unless the boss gave specific orders not to, but there were too many unanswered questions about what I was seeing. After twenty minutes I took a knee again and was 'figuratively speaking' scratching my head once more, these tracks had no real direction to them. They may as well be on a Sunday stroll, none of this made any sense. The boots were definitely British army issue. Yet they were, like the Unit was, way behind this country's enemy lines and yet these prints were not heading back towards the safety of our own people.
I knelt down and checked one more time, more out of total confusion rather than thinking I had made a mistake. This puzzle had already gone way beyond my own curiosity, all this needed fresh orders.
My hand went to my mike, even now I paused, I sighed once again and told myself that none of this made any sense. "Control this is Seven (Brendan). I have eyes on three sets of boots, our issue and heading in no real direction. Requesting information on any souls in, on, or around this location."
With Freddy on the radio, I got the standard, "Wait out."
Taking a knee since I wasn't sure how long this was going to take. My hand reached into my pouch and I munched on a candy bar while I waited.
I was about done with my candy bar when I got. "Seven, this is control. Confirm three souls."
Over the course of my following these boots, I had already surmised a great deal. It was time to put it all into words as I once again stared down at the tracks in front of me. Instinctively, my self-proclaimed paranoia meant I was also once again scanning the area as a matter of my own security before I made my report.
"Control, this is Seven (Brendan). I confirm three souls, one female; she's limping and has been assisted by one or both of the others. Two males, at the moment they are following the direction of the sun."
Freddy knew where I was. Or rather I was within a mile of his thinking were I was. It also felt like moments before my radio became active again.
"Seven this is control. Estimate how long to get eyes on souls?"
My hand extended and touched the soil, my fingertips ran along the impression the boots made in the mud.
"Control this is Seven. Estimate ten mikes at present speed and from current location."
Freddy's answer was almost immediate. "Seven, this is control. Urge eyes on three souls. Have one report of ambush, no survivors assumed, since no bodies found at your general location almost two days ago. Have had request from above to confirm eyes on souls to establish help needed."
Well, this was getting interesting. Not only the intelligence reports, but our own national papers were loaded with stories of this country that was also part of the commonwealth that had been having trouble with a faction that wanted to move the country to a more far right view. The majority didn't, so the leader of the government called on Great Britain to help. Our Prime Minister dispatched an infantry regiment to help with intelligence gathering and training.
Since the area of operation for us was only fifty miles from this regiments camp, we were taking things easy around here. Each day our own target moved closer to the British base, each day JoJo had to decide if she needed to make our presence known to them.
So now I'm looking at three sets of British boots and thinking I'm so glad I'm not my boss right now.
"Seven be aware, One (JoJo) has sent Three (Chad) and Five (Bradley) to assist you. ETA one hour. Confirm over."
Once I had coded my current position over to Freddy, I went in search of the owners of these boot prints. I also made a few clues for Chad as I went, so he knew he was on the right path.
It took twenty minutes at my own speed to get a visual, no point in accidently walking into an ambush. The woman was the worse for wear, her combat trouser leg had been torn up to her thigh, she had been bandaged but couldn't put any real weight on her bad leg. The shorter one of the two guys had his arm in a makeshift sling, he was holding the woman up via his good side.
The third one only seemed to help when requested to. He clearly didn't want to be here and yet gave little in the way of valuable help, what made things interesting was that he was also the one holding the map.
My comms clicked so I stopped once again and took a knee. Chad and Bradley caught up with me a few minutes later. Knowing the boss as I do now, it wouldn't have surprised me if these two hadn't been shadowing me for some time. We sat and watched all three for a moment, then looked at each other and shrugged.
Looking into the eyes of my friends we all seemed to have the same opinion, 'what the fuck?'
Two things were certain, we would help, after all, these were our people. But we had no intention of being shot by accident by any one of these people either. I sent Chad to one side of the track they were on and Bradley took the other. I simply walked behind the three of them as they walked towards the guys, not once did any of the three look behind them. All I got to hear was the guy with the map telling the others that he was given the wrong map.
As a matter of course, all three of us were masked up when we made our presents known, the woman didn't scream, the guy with the map made up for it though. Chad walked up to him and stuck his weapon into his chest, the urge to continue to scream came to a really abrupt halt. The guy holding the woman up gently lowered her to the ground, and then placed his good hand behind his head as he rested on his knees.
When the screamer recognized the uniforms and stopped, (screaming that is) he also became a little more belligerent. It seems the officer decided to take command about then and demanded that Chad remove his mask. Chad's answer was to place his weapon under the lieutenant's chin and in a voice that had a Texas drawl to it, Chad, told him in a whispered growl to sit down and shut the fuck up.
I knelt so I was eye height with the woman, this time taking a really close look at her. In the short time I followed them, she seemed to be the one holding onto common sense around here. "Name?" I asked.
She glared at me but said. "My name is Corporal Sharon Macalister; my number is..."
I held up my hand and stopped her there, then turned to her friend and said. "Name?"