Page 6 of Signed, SEALed, Delivered

“Ghost get me an update on any activity.” Before he can respond, the flash comes from the left, along the side closest to us. “Havoc get an ID on who the fuck they’re signaling.” Using mirrors to communicate is a practice as old as time. If I were a gambling man, I would wager the first was a mistake, never meant to hit Reaper's face.

“If something's going down, they aren't talking about it.’ Ghost voices in frustration.

“Three points,” Reaper reports. “First one on the west ridge, second in the north and the third on the valley floor. My suspicion is they either know we’re about to move or they’re moving some product. Either way, this is about to be a long fucking night.” Reaper spoke what we all were thinking. Lucky for me, or maybe her, Barbie chose the last truck with Reaper. He was a hard faced man who didn't warm up to easily. With his face the way it was, he had begun to avoid people he didn't know at all. As the last of the daylight turned her head from the desert, I caught another flash of light from the North side.

“I got it, Viper.” Havoc whispered into his microphone. “No doubt this shit is about us.” The edge of nervousness began to creep into my chest, something I’d grown to rely on when trouble was brewing. When a SEAL became complacent and cocky, it was time to retire or move on as cocky will get you killed. “Everyone watch your surroundings and keep communications to a minimum.”

Our decent down the hill was filled with maneuvering over small trenches and over several dried out bushes. The motion of tackling these small hills jostled us around and with the rough terrain, the progress is brain numbing slow. Just after midnight, when I assumed our cargo would be fast asleep, the most annoying voice came over my earpiece. “Captain, can we please pull over? Some of us can't hold our bladders for an eternity.” How one tiny woman made me want to rip off Reaper's head and spit down his throat is beyond me.

“First of all, there are no Captain’s in this or any vehicle near us. Second, use the bags I told you about before we started and third, hand that earpiece back to Reaper.”

“Now you listen to me, we have been stuck inside this...”

“Reaper, you better shut her the fuck up or I will!” I barked through clenched teeth. Our job was difficult enough without this loud mouthed bitch telling anyone who was listening we were on the move.

“Viper, something just came off the back tire of your truck, stop where you are.” This was the last thing I needed. The more we stopped, the longer it would take us to cross, increasing the likelihood of an ambush by leaps and bounds.

“Ma’am, I'm coming back to get you. Don't you say a fucking word do you understand?” We traveled with navigation lights only, a small red light which gave you enough to see the person next to you and not much else, avoiding turning on the headlight to try and stay hidden. If Barbie opened her mouth, the mountains would carry the sound all the way to the people with the mirrors. A woman in their eyes was only good for one purpose.

Jumping out of my seat, I ran to the last truck, as Ghost got out of the second truck, passing him on my way. The temperatures had dropped to the thirties, making my heavy uniform less sweltering.

As I came up to the door of the final truck, Reaper was already out scanning the area. I jumped into the bed of the truck as Blondie jumps out, her finger raised as if to argue.

“Shut the fuck up,” I whispered as loud and harsh as I could.

“But...”

Slapping my hand over her mouth, her eyes widening in surprise. “I said shut up,” enunciating each word. “You and your bitching is going to get one of us killed.”

Blondie reaches up; pulling my gloved hand at the same time she turns her head. “Don't you threaten me!” She speaks in a raised voice, eyes flicking up and down my body, causing my irritation to break through its boiling point.

Just as I'm about to lay into her, loud voices are heard in the distance followed by rapid gun fire. Muzzle flashes announce the arrival of the people we’ve been trying to avoid. Several bullets ricochet off the edge of the road as the blonde starts to panic, screaming at the top of her lungs. I quickly shove her to the dirt, scooting her under the cover of the truck.

“Don't you move, do you understand me?” She nods her head, tears flowing freely mixed with the dirt of the ground below. “Not a word, not a single scream, no matter what the fuck you see or hear.” Not waiting for her decision, I crawl to the side of the truck to get an assessment of what was going on.

“Viper, we got eight up top, and four on our six.”

“They ain't here to offer us scotch and Cuban cigars, take ‘em down, take ‘em down.” Another benefit to being a SEAL, there was no calling back to base and asking permission to engage. This mission would never make the headlines or appear on CNN. None of us would earn a medal for bravery or be interviewed for a documentary.

My orders are carried out and the night is lit up with tracer rounds coming from Reaper's favorite toy, a modified M16. The sounds of wounded men, crying out their agony and firing the last of their ammo into the sky, draw a map for the others who were still coming at us. Firing off my rifle, I take down the two men charging at us. Just as quickly as it began, the quiet sounds of the desert night returned.

“Hold your positions.” This wasn't over, not this easily.

“Viper, we got three coming up on your left. You’re not gonna like this.”

Keeping my rifle drawn, the three images grew clearer in my night vision goggles. Ghost is correct as usual, my back teeth clenched as I recognize the smug bastard in the middle; Aarash Konar.

“No shoot, my friends.” His accent is heavy and humor filled. This cocksucker fears nothing and feels he can do whatever he wants. “I am unarmed and want only to talk to this Captain you have.” I avoid shooting a death glare to the loud-mouthed bitch under the truck. Standing not ten feet from me is the man responsible for the entire illegal drug trafficking in the region. We are imposing on his ability to continue to ship his product by occupying and destroying the fields and plants he has.

“That's far enough.” I command, our eyes locking in the moonlight. Aarash and I have met on several occasions, one of those resulting in the scar I have along the side of my hip. He has a fondness for American girls, feeding them a line of bullshit about living like a princess back at his palace. Two years ago, he found one who saw through his bullshit and told him to fuck off. Aarash took her crassness as foreplay, kidnapping her from her hotel room. Lucky for her, she was Skyping with her father when it happened. We knew the second we saw the recording where to find her. As we were leaving the compound, he took a cheap shot, slicing my side with his knife. I looked him in the eye and told him he had the strength of a newborn baby and to quit playing with the big boy toys.

“Now, turn around and head back where you came from.” Six sets of guns pointed in his direction. Chances are there was twice that many pointed at us. “Or don't, and see what happens.”

Aarash held up his hands in surrender, “No need for violence, my friend. We came to see what the noise was.”

“Aarash, save the bull shit for the cocksuckers you sell your shit to. You and I both know why you are here.” Raising my rifle to my shoulder, I have his bushy eyebrows in my sights.

“I won't repeat myself, leave and let us pass, or see what happens.” From my left, Reaper licks his thumb; shit is about to get real.

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