Recon 6

Part 25 Ana: Mission Failed

Relentless pounding echoed through my dorm, waking me from a deep sleep.
"MAREK!" Phantom's voice screamed.
I rushed to answer the door and when I opened it Phantom seemed panicked.
"We're rolling in fifteen.. get ready!" He said breathlessly before rushing off. My head was fogged from my slumber as his words were still registering. I wiped the sand from my eyes as I started stripping my clothes and slipped on my tactical gear.
"Ana? You awake?" A soft voice came from the hallway as a hand poked it's way through my cracked open door.
"Kayo? Yes I'm almost ready." I said tiredly.
I clipped on my belt and lastly strapped on my thick armored vest. Kayo pushed open the door staring at me in the darkness.
"Don't worry I'm ready." I said waving my hand.
"Leibling, you're forgetting something." He said pointing his finger at his own face in a circular motion. I sighed to myself because he was right. I grabbed my new mask decorated in sharp metal teeth for the mouth and covered my face. I snatched up my rifle and walked with Kayo to the helipad as nausea started bubbling in my stomach again. I swallowed hard trying to get the feeling to go away but it felt like it was stuck in my throat.
Everyone on the roster for our mission was already waiting on Kayo and I.
"Sixty seconds to spare. Glad you made it." Phantom said annoyed. The aircraft was three times the size as the previous one. It was a cargo helicopter since our team for this mission was large. Everyone piled in and took a seat along its walls and quickly took off. Once level and en route to our destination Phantom was walking around the cabin barking orders at us through helicopter comms.
PHANTOM: Wendigo, Myself, Merlin and Wolf will be on bravo squad.
PHANTOM: Midas, Snowden, Kayo, and Scorpion will be on alpha squad.
PHANTOM: Is that clear!
Everyone in unison over comms yelled yes sir.
PHANTOM: Bravo squad is parachuting out five klicks to the west of our destination and alpha squad will be five klicks to the east.
I felt like I was zoning out during his instruction and I was focusing on not vomiting all over the floor.
PHANTOM: Marek are you listening!
WENDIGO: Yes sir.
He continued droning on with orders and I was only half listening.
* * * * * * *
PHANTOM: Marek with me! Merlin, Wolf together!
Bravo squad jumped out of the craft each member strapped to one another as we doubled up on each parachute.
I used my thermal scope on my rifle scanning the below area.
"Spot anythin'?" Phantom said guiding the parachute.
"No sir. Just sand." I replied.
We landed minutes later and Phantom unclipped us from the chute. He clipped a radio to the back of my belt giving me an ear piece for on the ground communication.
"All you have to do is touch it to talk. No buttons." He explained as Merlin and Wolf caught up.
"We will move in and wait for alpha squads landing to scope out what we're dealing with." Merlin said. I nodded and we began walking through the sand wasteland as lights emerged in the distance.
We walked for almost a mile before setting up behind a large sand pile. Merlin and Wolf watched the enemy base through their scopes, talking amongst themselves. The nausea inside of me was like a volcano preparing to erupt. I sat down in the sand and pulled down my mask vomiting everywhere. It just kept coming up in waves and Phantom took notice instantly.
"Ana, what's going on with you?" He said kneeling down next to me.
"I'm fine." I shook my head.
"You're fuckin throwing up Ana you're not fine." He was angry.
"I'm fine!" I yelled spitting on the ground.
Kayo's voice spoke in our ears cutting Phantom off from what he wanted to say.
KAYO: Phantom you copy?
PHANTOM: Copy.
KAYO: All ready to go.
PHANTOM: Move in.
We rushed towards the enemy base and snuck up around their Arabian architecture. Gun fire could be heard in the vicinity and alpha squad was spotted. Phantom signaled for us to push forward as Merlin kicked down the doors firing off several rounds and armor-less bodies dropped to the floor. Their guns were stolen United States military weapons from deceased soldiers and it fueled a hatred in me I hadn't felt in years. I flipped my gun to my back and pulled out my two daggers from my belt.
WENDIGO: I'm about to show you all how I earned my name.
I sprinted up the stairs quietly as enemies fired upon my squad mates and jumped on the back of one unfortunate hostile burying one blade in his lower back severing his spinal cord as I drug the other blade from his chest cavity to his lower abdomen, hitting him completely. I pulled my blades back rushing on without my team slicing one body after the next. I was zoned out forcing my way through enemies until Kayo's panicked voice brought me out of it.
KAYO: Phantom! Do you copy!?
PHANTOM: Copy.
KAYO: Midas is dead. They're fuckin' suicide bombing!
PHANTOM: Copy! ALL OPERATORS RETREAT NOW!
PHANTOM: Wendigo come back!
I turned and started to rush towards the entrance we came but was snatched backwards by my vest. I landed on my back against my gun grunting as a hostile climbed on top of me grinning as if he had won the lottery jackpot. He forced me up by my hair as I tried to sling my gun to the front of my body but he landed a punch so brutal to my orbital socket my vision went blurry. He was leading me away almost dragging me by the neck and sliced my weapon strap off my body claiming my gun as his.
PHANTOM: WENDIGO WHERE ARE YOU?!
My ears rang and my vision was practically quadrupled while blood assisted in clouding my vision. I touched my ear trying to get out any words I could.
WENDIGO: Help.
PHANTOM: Ana where are you!?
KAYO: ANA?!
The hostile snatched my ear piece and stomped it to pieces as he held the barrel of my own gun against my chin. I heard a helicopter overhead and knew it was near to pick up my team.
"You're not going anywhere, you're fucked." The hostile said as the barrel dug into my jaw. All communication was cut and lost with everyone. I heard the helicopter engine fade off in the distance and knew my entire team minus Midas had made it out alive. I was handed off to several armed hostiles where I was stripped of all clothing and weapons and tied to a circular metal ring bolted to the wall. I was punched and kicked over and over as I groaned and wailed. I knew this was just the beginning of the torture they had in store.