A Fight For Life | Alex Mason

End of the Line

The chopper ride to Cuba was fairly quick. We were given the details on the way there so it went by fast.
We were to find a rogue scientist and get the green light nuke back. This very well could be our the last mission together. We'd worked so hard to get here but I wasn't ready to say goodbye to everyone.
Park, Lazar, Bell, and I were grouped together to do our part of of the mission. I had hoped to spend our last mission with Mason but it wasn't my call.
Once we landed the four of us made our way to the front of the building and waited for Adler's team to get into position.
"In position move out!" Adler called over Park's radio.
    "That's our cue come on!" Park urged.
We all took off running through an abandoned building. Bell and I ran side by side to the door.
"Bell. Fawn. Do the honors." Lazar called as he and Park got into position on either side.
Bell and I each kicked one side of the double doors wide open. We pushed forward right into Mason, Adler, and Woods.
"Fawn get those snipers!" Woods shouted as he tossed a tundra to me.
I jumped behind a crate and scanned for the snipers. As each one came into view I began to pick them off. Once I was sure there was no more Adler and Woods lead the team further.
I strapped the tundra to my back and opted for a M16 I spotted on the ground ahead of me. After familiarizing myself with the gun I caught up with the team. We cleared the courtyard to a large important looking building and headed inside.
Park lead my team to the right and Adler began running to the left. I was about to continue with Park when Mason grabbed my elbow.
"Be careful." He pleaded.
"I will I promise." I replied sincerely.
To my surprise he pressed a soft kiss to my lips. Our eyes stayed locked together for a few more seconds before Mason let go of my arm and jogged back to Adler and Woods. Taking that as my cue I ran to the right and caught up with Park. I reached up to my ear piece and switched it on so I could stay in contact with everyone.
We fought through a few soldiers to another courtyard. A frantic scientist began running toward us asking for help. I began to walk forward to help him when Bell pulled me back. I was confused at first but suddenly a proximity mine lifted off the ground, killing the scientist instantly.
"Shit! Sweep for mines!" Park ordered.
"Thank you." I whispered to Bell before pulling my tundra off my back.
I scanned the ground. There were countless prox mines scattered around so I got to work. Park, Lazar, and Bell covered me while I disabled the last of the mines.
"I got them! Let's go." I called back.
Without hesitation they all ran forward to the next staircase. I was proud of how much they trusted me but it scared me at the same time.
I lead the way to a computer. All of the surveillance cameras were broadcasted on the screen. My flicked over to Mason walking around a counter. There was a soldier waiting for him around the corner.
"Mason! There's one behind the counter." I warned.
Taking my warning, he overpowered and eliminated the soldier with ease.
"Thanks Fawn." Adler said flatly.
"Bloody hell! Zoom in on the lab camera." Park demanded.
I clicked onto it to see a shadowed figure opening fire on the scientists.
"Shit we gotta go!" I urged.
We sprinted up the steps where we were greeted by a sniper team. I thanked anything and everything holy that I hadn't put my tundra away as I quickly and precisely took them out. Had I not done so we'd all be dead.
"There's the lab." Lazar gestured to a large metal door.
Bell ran to the door and pulled it open to get us inside. Park ran over to Haystings, who lay on the floor bleeding out.
    "Why did Perseus leave the Nuke?" She asked frantically.
    "He doesn't need it." Haystings breathed.
   Park thought for a moment before her eyes went wide in realization. Perseus had more than one. This wasn't going to be our last mission
     "How many of the green light nukes can Perseus detonate?" She demanded.
    "All of them." He croaked.
   She shook him to get more information but he was dead.
    "Damnit. Fawn fill Adler in. We gotta go."
   We all followed her out of the lab and toward the roof. I touched my finger to the button on my ear piece to speak.
    "Adler! Perseus has green light. He has access to all of the nukes. We need to exfil ASAP! we're headed to the roof." I explained frantically.
    "Damn it all! We're boarding the plane right now. I'll warn you before we fly over. You'll need to clip in fast." We instructed.
    We reached the roof and we're greeted by a firing squad. We began to fight them off when the hook fell beside us.
    "Bell and Fawn clip in now. We'll cover you." Park shouted to us.
    Bell grabbed a hold of the chord and ran over to me. I clipped the both of us up and turned to get Park.
    "Get down!" Lazar warned.
   I glanced over to see an RPG aimed right at us. Before I could react I heard it go off then there was nothing. I was suddenly aware of a fuzzy sound in my ear.
    "Fawn! Fawn you need to get up!" It was Mason.
    My eyes shot open. Bell was pinned under some rubble, making me the only one capable of getting to Park and Lazar. I dragged myself toward Park. My legs scraped the ground painfully but I couldn't move them to stand up.
    I clipped Park and began my crawl to Lazar. My hand shook violently and I began to open the clip to attach it.
    "Fawn! We're flying over! It's now or never!" Adler shouted into my ear.
    I reached forward, mustering all my strength but I missed. The clip fell limp to the ground as we were jerked off the rooftop into the air.
    "No!" I screamed. Tears exploded from my eyes. 
    I'd failed. I watched helplessly as two soldiers approached Lazar on the rooftop. One of them pulled a pistol and shot him right in the face with no mercy.
    I couldn't hear anything but I felt the burning in my throat of my own screams. This was my fault. The heaviest thought in my mind was the knowledge that someone would have to tell Park, and she'd know it was my fault.
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