Solace & Taproots

2.2

She'd needed Ronnie's vastly superior experience with tactical doctrine, and Seb to fill in a few more details — did Black Tusk use their comms in voice-activated or push-to-talk modes? (Only PTT "on base" for security, he told them. Individual teams might go to VOX in "kinetic" situations.) What kind of locks did the doors have? (Either the existing latchware, or chains and padlocks with the occasional bicycle-style U-lock.) But soon, her nibble of a plan had been upgraded to an appetizer, and not long after that, a humble but hearty home-cooked single course meal (not comprised of ramen or cereal).

They checked Branner's bandages and gave him a top-off dose of Ketamine. Rhonda decided to set up a slow IV drip too, to keep him hydrated and unconscious. She did that after dragging him to a water/bloodstain proof foam sleeping roll and zip-tying a few of his joints to nearby pipework.

After confirming Seb was right-handed through observation, they removed the cuffs from his left wrist, and attached his right to a long run of horizontal pipe with a drain at one end, and a plastic chair, water bottle, and his part of the plan at the other.

They left Bex's bolt-action takedown rifle and the two Black Tusk issue carbines there, but removed the bolt from her rifle and the firing pins from theirs, stowing them in their packs. Those, in turn, were emptied of "quality of life" items - Bex ate her candy bar because a bunch of mercs sure weren't going to get it — and refilled with a purely tactical, lighter loadout. Ronnie helped Bex transfer pouches from her old equipment vest to the loops and velcro attachment points designed into her newly obtained armor, including some top-offs from the ammunition the men were carrying.

Before they left, Bex found that one of the tasers on the lieutenant's body looked pretty intact — just a crack in the plastic frame, and it still made the requisite menacing capacitor whine and lit the Ready LED when she checked it. Rhonda watched vigilantly as she approached Seb and pressed it into his hand — muzzle first, with the dart cartridge and battery separated, she was trusting, but not a moron!

She paused for a heartbeat, accepting for the moment that his fingers were touching hers, and looked him steadily in the eyes. "Look... I know I've been a little crazy on you so far. But this is really important. Please don't fuck us over on this. If it goes well... I can put in a good word for you somewhere. Not necessarily with us, but maybe a passing convoy or something, you know? We have to get those kids back, and you can make it work... or you could get Ronnie and me killed."

He met her gaze, not looking away, not checking her out this time, and simply replied, "This is the first obviously useful thing I've been able to do for a while. I'm in."

She nodded and backed away to where she'd propped her M4 against the wall. "Thanks, then."

Seb looked to Rhonda, and she said, in a voice that clearly accepted no reality other than his complete support, "Don't fuck up, soldier."

He made his right hand flat and twitched it upwards towards his head where it was restrained, as if starting a salute.

"Hooah. Good hunting, Gunnery Sergeant."

**

As he watched them leave, Seb knew Becca had been working him to get what she wanted — and that she seemed to scare herself a few times doing it. But, she'd been right. He was pretty confident she hadn't lied to him. Maybe left a few things out, but hey, operational security. He was still a lot of unknowns. She was trying to do a good thing. At least the guys from the old squad, before everything... wherever they were, if they were mocking him for being a dipshit for a pretty girl yet again, he couldn't hear it.

And then there was the enigmatic unnamed Gunnery Sergeant — not that decorum demanded he know her as anything but that. She'd treated him with caution, but tentative respect. Contingent on clear expectations continuing to be met. No fucking way he was going to let her down.