My Soldier - Missing Home

Stay Calm

A/N ~~ Don't hate me! Please :(


~~Nigerian Army Base~~

Charlie Summers POV

The past few days here in Nigeria have been non-stop. I never like when my team are in two separate places, but with the need for training being the main priority here within the armed forces, we had no choice. No matter where we travel too, there will always be an urgent need for medical help, but thankfully we have one of the best with us in Captain Lane. She really is a cut above the rest and completely committed to her work. I know she hates missing out on being involved with the training and exercise aspect of being on Tour, but I also know she loves her work as a Medic and would never want to spend a day away from helping people. I have served with many medics in my time as a Soldier, and all of them have been incredible. But Harley has something not many people do. She is the most selfless person I have ever met. She puts everyone else before herself, no matter if she has known them for years or never met them before in her life. She does not hesitate when it comes to saving someone's life, even if that means putting herself at risk. I have witnessed this more than once from her, and each time it makes me burst with pride at how brave she is. I know I am not the only person who trusts her with my life without any hesitation. This team feels safe in her hands, which is something that does not come easy. We all feel very lucky to serve alongside someone like Harley. 7 Section would not be the same without her.

We ended up getting back to Base a little later than planned today, so we all dropped our gear and headed straight for some food knowing that the guys with Captain Lane were also on their way back so they wouldn't be too long. I decided on completing my paperwork in the food tent since I have barely had the chance to stop and take a look at it all day. I get lost in the papers as I made to sure to eat enough to keep me going, something I am always strict on with my team. I know how easy it can be to skip out on meals whilst we are out here, between the heat and exhaustion we all go through. But I have also seen first-hand what can happen without enough energy to get through the long days we endure. And any lack of concentration can end in disaster without any warning. 7 Section are being their usual selves, laughter and easy conversation filling the table as they all sit and eat together. It's great to see how close they all are, the best way to be when we are here together. They really are a second family. I feel very lucky to be part of that family, the bond between us all almost unbreakable. I get so lost in the papers and listening to my team that I lose all sense of time, until I hear some of the guys finishing up ready for some training before bed. I gather up my papers, discarding of my tray before bringing everything with me and heading towards my office. "I'll be in my office if anyone needs me guys, go light on the training today and get your heads down early. It's been a long day." I call out as I pass the guys at the table. I get a chorus of replies before I leave the tent and walk across the open space towards my office. I take in my surroundings like always, but something quickly catches my attention as I look out towards the main entrance. There is still only one truck parked up from today. Which means Captain Lane and her team are not back from the Medical Centre yet...

I halt my movements immediately, checking the time on my watch and realising that they should have been back by now. I take a closer look around, making sure the truck is not somewhere else, but I get nothing. No sign of any of them being back. I reach for my notebook as I feel my heart begin to race a little faster in my chest, checking to see what time I received Lane's message letting me know they were on route back to Base. Over two hours now. At most it only takes 90 minutes to get back from the Medical Centre, so something is definitely wrong. I rush over to my office, dropping my paperwork on my desk before taking my radio to try and make any contact with Harley or the truck. "Captain Lane, come in. Lane? Anyone come in." I try a few more times before slamming my hand against the desk. All I get back is static. I take out my phone, hoping one of them has theirs with them. I try Lane first, then Natalia, Kai and Tyler. Each one going straight to voicemail, letting me know they left them in their lockers. Great. I try my radio one last time before grabbing my bag and rushing outside to find the rest of 7 Section. Thankfully, they are all just leaving the food tent together. As soon as they see me, they all stop, sensing something is wrong. "Sir?" I hear Bones ask for the group as they all wait for me to reach them. "Captain Lane and her team are not back yet, and there is no response from any of them. We need to go track them down." I rush out, barely able to finish before they all rush to grab their gear. I rush to the second truck we have, deciding on driving us all myself. I get the engine started as I hear the back of the truck open for everyone to load up. I try and reach Colonel Abdu, but I get no response from him before hearing Miles call out from the back of the truck. "Loaded up Sir. Ready when you are." I turn my head, seeing everyone waiting to go, determined looks on each of their faces, flashes of worry between their eyes to match my own. "Gear up guys, we don't know what to expect. Eyes on." I call out as I pull away from the Base. "Yes Sir!" I hear everyone call back in reply as they all get their helmets on and take their positions in the back of the truck. I let my eyes scan every inch of road up ahead as I follow the route towards the Medical Centre. Hoping to catch a glimpse of something to let me know my team are okay.

As soon as I see the Medical Centre, I don't see any sign of the truck. My heart sinks knowing they aren't here like I hoped they would be. I park up out the Centre, not shutting off the engine as I turn to see Miles at the back of the truck still. "Miles, head inside and ask if they are here!" I yell out, seeing him already opening the latch at the back. "Yes Sir." He calls back before he jumps from the truck and runs inside. I watch his every move before he heads inside. My eyes then look around the area, hoping for a sign, anything to let me know where they are. "Eyes up guys!" I yell out, the team already searching with me. I watch every person walking by, looking for anything. My fingers twitching against the steering wheel, my growing panic clawing at my chest. I can sense everyone behind me is feeling the same way as we wait for Miles to return. Thankfully, he comes running back out the Centre after a couple of minutes, a defeated, worried look behind his eyes as he makes his way to the truck. He rushes to the seat beside me up front in the truck, pulling the door closed behind him before we all turn to face him. "They left a while ago Sir, when they contacted you. Nothing out of the ordinary." He informs us, instantly dropping his head in defeat. I nod my head before turning to take us back towards Base. "We'll take another look along the route, hopefully we can find something before we get back." I say, almost unconvincingly. I hate this. I need to know where they are and that they are safe. I take it a little slower this time, making sure we search every inch of road on the route back. "Eyes on! Stay alert, we need to find them!" I call out, getting a quick response as every moves into position to search the roads and streets around us, Miles opening his window to get a better look up front. We manage to cover just over half the route back before I hear Mile's slightly raised voice beside me. "Sir, on the left!" Instantly I stop the truck, following his eyeline out the side window. "Fuck! Everyone on me, now!"

I barely remember to shut off the engine of the truck as I call out to everyone to follow my lead. I grab my bag and jump out the truck, throwing my Burgan over my shoulders as I hear everyone doing the same at the back of the truck. I quickly make my way around the front of the truck, meeting with Miles and waving him to follow me as we join the rest at the back. "Alright guys, stay alert, we don't know what has happened or who might be here. Main objective, locate Lane and the team. Miles on me, everyone else fall in behind. Jake, take the rear. Understood?" I give my orders as everyone gets their weapons ready to move. "Yes Sir!" I turn and give Miles a nod before waving us forward. We cross the street, making our way up a small side road where the other truck is not too far ahead in the middle of the road. The side doors are wide open, no sign of any damage. I give Miles a signal to move to the right side of the truck as I go left. We sperate and search the truck, seeing no sign of anyone inside. "Bergens are here Sir!" Miles shouts as I search the front seats, seeing the ignition key on the floor. I turn my head, seeing an abandoned car, smashed up in the middle of the road. Then I see 3 bullet proof vests scattered across the road, my heart dropping at the sight of them being discarded this way. "Move up!" I shout as I lead the way towards the discarded vests near the car, my eyes finding red splatters on the road beside the car. "Eyes up!" I call out, hearing the rest of 7 Section behind me. As soon as I reach the vest furthest away from the others, I see Harley's name badge on the inside, my chest tightening at the sight. "Jones was here Sir!" Miles calls out, obviously finding her vest. "As was Lane. Fall in, on me!"

"Alright guys, we need to search the area, find what we can. Stay alert! Miles and Jake search the car. Sparky and Bones search the nearby area. Move out!" Everyone rushes off as I take a closer look at Harley's vest. Seeing the sides ripped from a small struggle of some sort. I find part of her radio and holster strap before going back to search the truck. Thankfully, I don't see any signs of them being injured. Once I have searched the truck, I come back to see Jake holding up some old, dinted pipes and a baseball bat he found in the car. "There's red stains all inside, but it's not blood Sir." Miles adds, making me nod. "Looks like it was made to look like blood, the same stuff that is on the road." Jake continues as I take a look around the car myself. "There is another set of tire marks too. So there must have been another vehicle here." I observe, talking out loud as Jake follows my eyeline to the road. "Looks like they were in a hurry Sir." Jake spots, seeing the skip marks on the road. I nod my head as I follow the track marks, seeing them lead off up the road, giving us something to follow. "Sir!" I hear Bones behind me. I turn my head, seeing him carrying a foreign weapon in one hand as Sparky is close behind him with another. "It was hidden off the side of the road, along with multiple boot marks." He tells me, handing me the weapon. It's loaded and ready to use, my heart pounding at the thought of this being an ambush. "Alright guys, we need to head back and call this in." I tell the team defeatedly. They all look between each other, knowing this is worse than we could have imagined. "We need to find them, safely. Without rushing in outnumbered. I know you'll all want to just go and find them here and now, but the last thing we want is anyone getting hurt and being put in danger." I explain, knowing they need to keep their heads with this. "Yes Sir." They call back, letting me know they understand before we make our way back to the truck.

"What happens next Sir?" Miles asks from the seat beside me as I drive us back to Base. "We call the Brig, who will no doubt call in Special Forces to lead the search and any rescue mission we need to carry out." I explain, already knowing the next steps in a situation like this first-hand. "We can still help though, right?" He adds, and I quickly nod my head in reply. "We will be working alongside Special Forces every step of the way Miles. We will bring them home." I assure him, knowing how close he is to his team, especially Harley. We make it back to Base, everyone defeatedly making their way from the truck as I wait for them to fall in around where I am standing. "I know this is hard guys, but we need to stay positive. Until we know anything, we know they are alive and safe. I will be in touch with the Brig, and we go from there as Special Forces will arrive with a day or two. Until then, get some rest. I will keep you all up to date with anything I hear." I look around, seeing the worried eyes of my team. 4 very noticeable absences between us. "Yes Sir." They all reply weakly. "Go get some rest guys. We're going to need it." I add, and they nod and make their way towards the barracks. I watch them go before making my way towards my office, knowing I have a very hard phone call to make. As soon as I sit down, I take the phone and call the number in London. "Captain Summers?" His voice instantly makes my chest tighten, knowing what I am about to tell him and what this means. "Sir. We have a problem." I go on and tell him everything that has happened over the past few hours. Covering anything we have come across in our search. I can hear the Brig taking a note of everything before I come to an end. I give him a minute to digest it all before his voice comes through sternly. "As you know Captain Summers, our next step is to call in Special Forces to assist 7 Section in locating Captain Lane and her team. Until then, I have no other choice but to declare them M.I.A. I will be making the necessary phone calls home to inform the families and will make arrangements to travel to Nigeria myself." He goes on to cover everything I already knew would happen, my heart breaking knowing those families will get the news they dread to hear. "We will find them Charlie." Are his last words before he says his goodbyes. I slump back in my chair, hands rubbing over my face. How could this happen? Why? My mind now filling with every scenario and outcome. "Where the hell are you Harley..."