Red Sand ✓

Welcome to Iraq

*Updated as of September 11th, 2020*

Day 1

2016, Location: Camp Baharia, [REDACTED], Iraq

26 year old Eden Summers stood at attention, eyes straight ahead as the helicopter landed on the soft red sand. Her sunglasses protected her slightly from the dirt and such that kicked up and hit her like tiny pine-needles, but she still had to resist rubbing her eyes. The Syrain desert behind the landing pad and beyond the wall sucked up the sun turning it a deep orange. She could already see the moon fighting to get up.

The supposed reporter finally got off after a good 5 minutes of Eden standing in attention ahead of the setting sun, it's golden light bathing the base. Eden was surprised to see a black-haired ponytail swing as the reporter came into view, ducking under the helicopter blades.

All Summers was told during her briefing a few days prior was that she was in charge of keeping W. James from getting shot. She was anticipating a middle-aged white male to be honest, not Ms. James that marched her way towards Eden with a familiar look of determination. One she's seen on herself before every mission.

Ms. James offered her hand to Summers when she reached the officer, which the sailor shook politely. The reporter was a pale thing that was sure to tan very soon under the land's bright sun, and a pair of sharp green eyes under her sunglasses. She tried to say something to the sniper, but the helicopter decided to take off at that moment, covering the pair in yet another layer of sand. Eden rolled her eyes but pointed towards the hangar with a silent 'let's go.'

Heading in past the hangar doors, their steps echoed in with the layers of voices already in the big space. As people walked all around them, they seemed to part though at the pair. Summers could already hear the curious mutters. Rumors and gossip spilt faster then in the high school hallways of their youth, and while it was a joy and all to hear what was going on in the gossip bowl, she hated it when it was about herself.

"So, Ms. James you have a first name at all, or should I just call you out as Ms. Reporter Lady," Eden questioned the raven haired reporter, choosing to silently ignore the notepad that the woman had seemed to pull out of thin air like Houdini.

"Willow, but I'll respond to virtually anything. All I got was a photo of you, mind if I get yours?"

They exited into the main hallway now, people heading to one place or another. But fortunately now, less foot traffic. "Petty Officer Castillo-Summers," Eden introduced herself as they made their way down.

"Very Italian last name there, the family from there?" James inquired.

Giving the question a second to hang in the air, Eden scanned her keycard and opened it. They were reaching the more secure levels at this point into the base where you need a I.D and the hallway thankfully had fewer people then the main ones tended to have at this time of the day.

"1st Gen American Citizen. Ma' didn't speak a lick of English either." Ms. James got a small laugh out of that, and soon they were in her room.

Finally at her door, Eden punched the pin in and shoved the door open. "Pin is 59437, the door likes to be stubborn so you have to put your back into opening it slightly," she explained as Ms. James glanced around.

Eden cringed at the mess, there was a care package just smack in the middle of the room, open and almost spilling from her friend Stephan's wife. The woman learned that the sniper usually just hogged off others' gifts from home and immediately started to send Eden her own.

DVD's laid in a messy pile on the desk and the top bunk to the bed to the right was a train wreck. That morning she had rushed out to make the first call, leaving the room a mess.

"I was expecting a guy so I didn't exactly clean up," Eden said embarrassed as she shoved the box under the desk and started to fix the stack of plastic cases.

Ms. James laughed as she placed her stuff on the unoccupied bottom bunk. "It's quite alright, I'm kind of a mess as well if I do say so myself."

She plopped down in one of the crappy chairs and shook out what of the sand that she could out of her uniform. "I'm off till tomorrow at 5am duty on the border. You have a choice on what you want to come or not come with but there are rules while being with me. Though I would rather not have a dead reporter to explain to my C.O." The sniper said, glancing up to the reporter.

She had taken out her ponytail and was now pulling out a camera, giving Eden the chance to look at the woman. She was a little taller then Eden's 5'6" frame. Pale skin that contrasted greatly against the reporter's raven hair.

Rifling through her plans for the rest of the week mentally, the brunette barely noticed the alarm she set for her meeting ring. The sniper huffed as she stood back up and fixed her gun holster that was shifting. "I have to go to a meeting for tomorrow's patrol so feel free to go on my PS4 or whatever if you want. I have plenty of offline games too if you want to as well," Eden offered as she attached her keycard back on her belt.

"Thank you, Officer Summers." Ms. James said as she smiled up from her camera, eyes twinkling.

She smiled shortly back and made her way back into the hallway, the AC blasting onto her face.

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2012, Location: Meeting room Alpha, Fort Worth, Texas

Master Chief Webber stared tight faced at her, all while the sniper still stood stuck straight in front of him in a defensive stance. The taller man just had it out for her, this Eden swore. Barely 4 months into being part of this high tier team and the man had managed to push every single one of her buttons.

"No offense sir, but what am I doing wrong that calls for that type of screaming in my face like I'm back at bootcamp?" Out of the corner of her eyes, the sniper could see the 2nd in Command Amato and Petty Officer Castillo trade looks and if anything that just fueled her fire.

Webber rubbed the point of his nose and sighed, rocking back into the chair he sat in. "The problem is that you are acting in your own accord, the whole point of us training together is so that we can work in sync, if one of us is a step off; the whole mission might as well be a damn bust!" The leader gruffed out.

Eden tore her eyes away from the wall behind Webber and met him face to face, "Acting on my own accord? I just tried to cover you guys at a different-"

"Without MY permission Summers! Believe it or not, you have to learn that we all," The Master Chief jabbed his finger at Atamto and ginger-haired Castillo then gestured between him and her, "-are a team. We work together. So whatever acts against authority or shit is resting up your ass, I recommend that you drop it or you aren't making it any farther into Delta."

The brunette just gave a stiff 'Yessir' and raced out the door the moment she was dismissed, the closing of the grey metal door only finalizing the tension in the room.

Amato let out a long whistle, kicking his boots up on the table. "Pent up anger much, Trunt?" He asked the man, waiting for another snap.

"Shut up, Dave," was all that their boss said staring at the door, their sniper long gone.

"Yeah! Shut up, Bones," the ginger copied as well, a wild smirk on his lips.

Dave swung one of his legs down and kicked Castillo's chair, the plastic thing rocking back with force in a titter tower till it just fell backwards taking the man with it.

Leaving Jacob to pick himself off the ground, Bones turned serious facing Webber "Trunt, in all reality, what do you have against freshie? I've had to do nothing but listen to you two back and forth since she joined."

Webber huffed and finally faced his two other men, arms crossed. "I have nothing against Summers and everything I said was true, she needs to learn what a team is."

"Yeah, Ok."

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