Recon 6

Part 28 Phantom: Rescue

How does a sane person sleep knowing they left one of their own behind to be tortured? I am not fucking sane.
My thoughts were all over the place and my mind would not shut off. I needed rest, the simplest task but as of now, excruciatingly impossible.
Kayo has not spoken a word to me in weeks and it had been just as long since I had gotten a decent, placid sleep. Wolf thankfully kept his mouth shut about Ana's secret. I knew it was hard for him since he was becoming close with her and Kayo. I pinched the bridge of my nose, sighing to myself as three rapid strikes resonated from my door.
"GRAYSON WAKE UP!" Merlin screamed.
I jumped up out of bed half dressed and quickly swung the door ajar.
"Fuckin' hell Charlie." I said squinting my eyes as the hallway light crept into my dark room.
"We're moving. Now. Bahar was spotted moving out with a convoy loaded with him and his men. We're going to rescue Anastasia." He explained.
I scrambled to get ready, slipping on all of my armor, and double checking my clips to ensure they're fully loaded.
I raced down the hall, running towards the landing zone. My heart was beating in my ears as I stepped outside and ran towards the cargo chopper. I was the last one aboard as Merlin tossed me a headset and seconds later we were airborne. I scanned the seats, noticing the empty space.
"Charlie." I said over comms.
"I didn't tell him." He said avoiding eye contact.
I sat with my head in my hands, letting my leg bounce up and down. I've never been this nervous for a rescue mission since we hardly completed them. Everything about this felt different or maybe it was my lack of sleep catching up with me.
No one said a word the duration of the flight. Comms were silent and I hadn't realized how long it had been until Hyde finally came over.
"Phantom, five klicks. Target is in sight." Hyde said.
"Drop us now." I replied.
"Ten-four." He said.
The helicopter descended and I already started barking orders.
"We all go in at the same time! Pair up and stick together once inside! If you find Ana, raise me!" I yelled over comms as the chopper landed.
The cargo door dropped and we all ran out, immediately raising our weapons scanning our surroundings. The structure was in the distance, dimly lit and, with minimal movement.
"Sir, I can't see much but there's two figures guarding what appears to an under ground cellar." Snowden whispered.
"Think you can take them out quietly eh Snow?" I replied peeking through my own weapons scope to see two young Arabic men trying to act as serious as they could.
"Aye, Snow, on the count of three, I'll take the right you take the left.." Scorpion said softly.
Snowden nodded and they both took their positions carefully.
"One.. two.. three.." Scorpion counted, and remarkably pulled the trigger at the same time. I watched the two bodies drop to the ground and I signaled for everyone to close in.
We crept up as silent as we could and made it to the cellar doors which were heavily chained. Wolf nudged me out of the way pulling out a pocket size pair of bolt cutters.
"Wolf I don't think that's going to work." I said.
Wolf wrapped both hands around his small bolt cutters as he used all of his strength to snap the metal. The chains finally gave way as Wolf dropped the cutters with a grunt kicking the chains off the doors in victory. He didn't even attempt to smirk or give me an 'I told you so.' He just wanted to find Ana just as much as I did.
We walked down the stairs coming to a long three-way hallway.
"Wolf, on me. Merlin, with Snowden. Scorpion, with Hyde." I whispered.
Everyone understood their place and each pair took a hallway to try and find Ana. Wolf and I cleared room after room, finding no living bodies but a lot of dead ones. It was a gruesome sight, especially seeing a fellow soldier body desecrated and mutilated.
"Let's move on." I turned away from the body and continued down the hall.
There was a locked wooden door hidden in a slim gap in the wall. I kicked it in hoping Ana was inside and to my surprise.. there she was. She completely out cold. Her arms were raised above her head and suspended so far the tip of her toes barely touched the ground. Her body was covered in fresh and old ranged stun gun punctures. The stomach was enlarged but not too much and crusted blood coated the insides of her thighs. Ana's head hung and I gently pulled it up and noticed her left eye was swollen and her orbital socket was either broken or fractured. They had stripped her of any and all clothing and her back was covered more fresh and crusted over gashes from knives. She was frail and obviously malnourished.
"Viktor I'm going to release this chain. Hold her up so she doesn't fall." I said as I unhooked the chain link from the wall, watching it quickly fall.
Wolf held onto Ana, clutching her gently. He gripped her like a newborn baby he was afraid to drop. I motioned for him to hand her over and he helped me hold her bridal style.
"Recon team, I got her. I repeat, I have her. Meet us at the entry point." I said over comms.
The chains dangled and dragged on the floor. The cuff links were bolted together and would more than likely need a saw to get off of her. I didn't really care having to lug the extra forty pounds of chain with me, I was just glad Ana was alive.
Even in her frail and horrible condition, she was still so beautiful.