At What Cost?

Capture the Flag: Chapter X

A Month After Basic Training

13th March, 2012

As we were relaxing in our barracks, Alex walked in and addressed us all.
"Alright squad," he said in an authoritative tone, "we just got an order from the Captain."

"Sick, what's his order?" Isla sat up, clearly interested.

"We have to capture and interrogate one General Micháel Valentino. The intel we seek will help with a future mission." He looked pointedly at me. "Since this is your first deployment Karlos, I advise you to stay back and watch the rest of us." I nodded.

He proceeded to take a hilariously long 10 minutes trying to figure out how to display his PowerPoint to the rest of us. Through the whole thing, we were suppressing fits of laughter at his lack of I.T. skills. When he finally got it to work, we went serious again and let him explain.

"So," Alex began, pretending nothing had happened, "next Monday, on the 18th of March, General Valentino and his convoy will travel down Highway LO-103. They'll be moving from the town of Nauta to the capital of Iquitos for a meeting."

He shot a look at Miguel. "Miguel, I need you to plant an IED on the highway beforehand. You will be stationed on the nearby hill." He stressed the fact that the timing must be perfect, or else the whole mission will fail. Although he nodded firmly, I could see in his eyes that he was under a lot of pressure.

"After the explosion," Alex continued, "Pedro and Santos will give cover for Isla to snatch the General and haul ass." He pointed his finger at me. "Karlos, you'll stay with Santos. Be his spotter."
He
I saluted half-jokingly. "One-Eyed Spotter at your service!" Everyone giggled in amusement. He shook his head but I could see he was holding in his laughter.

"We'll run practices later today."

"Yes sir!"

18th March, 2012 11:30 AM

Alex's voice crackled through the walkie-talkie. "Are you all ready?"

"As ready as ever!" Isla confirmed, her voice replacing Alex's.

I was laying on the cold ground of a nearby cliff. Santos was beside me, getting ready.. He assembled his sniper as I prepared my equipment. Soon enough, Santos gave me the greenlight to confirm.

"Santos and I are ready, over." I radioed,

Suddenly, I saw Miguel run out and plant IEDs on the highway. My first mission! I thought. Everything is going according to plan!

"IEDs are set," I heard him say over the radio, his voice prickled with excitement. "Let's get this party started amigo!" He quickly ran towards cover as the sound of approaching vehicles closed in.

Valentino's convoy had just passed the 900m marker we set up. "900m and closing in fast!" I warned the crew.

"Get ready Warriors," Alex said. I could imagine him smirking in anticipation. "Let's do this." As everything unfolded, I stayed at the top, a guardian angel-in-training.

As the convoy closed in to our position, Miguel's IED went off, which resulted in Valentino's van being flipped like a pancake and a security van becoming a blown-up wreck, surely killing the people inside. Caught by surprise, guards rushed to the tipped vehicle in Valentino's aid, but Santos simply adjusted his scope and fired, gaining 4 headshots. I was in awe at his skillful marksmanship, but slightly unsettled at how his face didn't even flinch when he took their lives.

Isla then quickly sprang into action. Ninja was a fitting name for her, as she was smooth, slippery and deadeye; with a flick of her wrist, she could send throwing knives into the head of anyone in her way while hanging in mid-air. She was followed by Pedro, who was keeping an acute eye at their surroundings, gun at the ready.

Isla made her way to Valentino's vehicle with Pedro and ripped open the car door with so much force I thought the hinges would come off. Her face was flushed with effort and anger.

Isla confronted the general, who at this point was lying on the ceiling of the toppled van. His legs were bent in an unnatural manner, an enlarging pool of blood curling around his ankles.

"¡AFUERA!" Isla shouted as she pulled out her pistol, her mouth enunciating every word. Her eyes were angrily focused on the crippled general. "OUT. OF. THE. VAN." When he did nothing but smirk at her, she got incredibly annoyed and frustrated.

"I SAID," Isla reiterated at the top of her lungs as she cocked her pistol, "OUT OF THE FUCKING VAN!" Her hands were shaking; she was slightly unsettled by the general's nonchalantness and was wondering if it was a trap.

"Ninja," Alex hissed in her ear. "Don't kill him. Our orders were to take him alive." Isla internally rolled her eyes and silently agreed. For safety, her gun was still trained on the general's battered body.

Valentino just stayed there smirking, the pool of blood continuously growing.. They stayed frozen for a minute, as if time had stopped, until Valentino suddenly moved to grab his pistol.

"¡Ven a probarme! Come try me, you fucking Ameri-." he snarled, but Isla, enraged further by his comment, knocked him out cold with the rear end of her gun before he could say or do anything more. She and Pedro quickly restrained the unconscious man with a zip tie. Isla looked like she was restraining herself from strangling the man; her eyes were wild, unfocused and showed her rage.

With no time to waste, Alex quickly drove in with a van of his own. The duo—accompanied by the unconscious form the General Valentino—swiftly hopped in. Alex stepped on the gas and they zoomed out, leaving the wreckage to other authorities.

All this time, I was watching from our vantage point. I was entranced by everything that just happened and was stuck staring into the abyss until Santos worriedly shook me out of my stupor. I shook my head, a little disoriented, but gave Santos a thumbs-up.

"Let's haul ass," he signed. He promptly packed all his stuff and ran, with myself right behind it. Soon, we came across the abandoned warehouse where we were all supposed to meet. I barely kept up with him; partly because I was still a bit disoriented, partly because he's a pretty fast runner.

As we approached our rendezvous point, my mind was buzzing with anticipation for the result of our (apparently) successful mission, trying to ignore the gruesome events that I had witnessed my friends play a part of.

I knocked a specific pattern on the gate. Knock knock. Knock-knock-knock.

The door creaked open and a cold air rushed towards me. In front of me was the formidable figure of Pedro Alfonso. He cocked his head inside, beckoning us inside. We followed him inside.

The door creaked shut behind us with an echoing clang.

A/N: HI, SORRY FOR BEING ON A UNANNOUNCED HIATUS FOR SO LONG. Now that's aside, thank you for reading this chapter! Chapter 11 is coming real soon! Had to split this chapter it in half because the first one was too long. Many more are already along the way! Thank you for waiting so long, I assure you that these next chapters will be the best in this book. ¡Adiós!