They walked for hours without seeing any evidence of a primal.
“So, Sean, I’ve heard all of the theories, but what do you make up these things, really? Are you still sticking to your lion idea?” asked Brad.
“I don’t know anymore. I thought eventually they would starve or something and die off. You remember all those movies with the zombies? These things don’t act like that; they don’t stagger around asking for brains, and they don’t rot,” Sean said. “They hunt, you’ve seen them. They gather in packs and sniff the air like hyenas.”
“It’s de-evolution, bro,” added Brooks. “I mean, we evolved from animals, and this shit is just taking us back. The virus backed us up a good ten thousand years of progress, back to the caves, brother.”
“They are demons. We are being punished for our actions,” Hasan said. “These days will not end until we learn to work together and stop fighting each other.”
“And if that never happens?” asked Brad.
“Then we all die,” Hasan answered.
They walked without speaking after that until Hasan called a halt at the top of a hill that overlooked the trail ahead of them. They all took a knee and sipped at their emptying bottles of water. “Past that bend is the village,” Hasan said, pointing down the road. There wasn’t much to see. The terrain was identical to what they had been following the entire day: a long dusty trail skirted by high walls on both sides. The trail suddenly went to the right at the bottom of the hill. They would be approaching blind.
“Brooks, you proceed with Hasan, Brad and I will shadow you off the trail to support your move,” Sean ordered.
“Sounds good, Chief … Let’s go meet your friends,” Brooks answered as he slapped Hasan on the back and started walking out down the hill.
Sean helped Brad to his feet and they made for the far rock wall. They cut the corner so that they could observe their two men on the road and still see the approaches to the village. They were in the shadows now, nearly invisible to Brooks and Hasan. Sean moved quickly so that they were parallel to the trail, but still out of sight. When they reached the turn in the path, they waited for Brooks and Hasan to clear the wall before, one at a time, they ran the corner to the far wall and again ducked into the shadows.
They could see the edges of the village now; there was no movement. Sean found a large ledge about eight feet off the ground that overlooked the approach. He used Brad to hoist him up, then reached down and pulled Brad up behind him. Lying flat on the ledge, Sean readied his large scoped rifle and observed the village. Brad took the cue from Sean and pulled his binos from his pack and started scanning the village for targets.
Brad watched Hasan walk the trail. When he had gotten to within feet of the first home he stopped and raised his hands. Brad could hear Hasan’s words echo off the walls of the canyon, but couldn’t make out what he was saying. Brad saw Brooks standing beside Hasan in a protective but relaxed posture. His rifle was slung and his arms were crossed. Brad continued to scan but saw no movement.
“You got anything, Sean?” Brad whispered.
“Nothing, my scope is clear,” Sean said.
They watched Hasan walk beyond the first house and stop in the street. Brooks followed and again took up a position beside him. From his high location Brad could see the entire village. It wasn’t much. It probably didn’t qualify as a village at all; this was a very remote place. It was more of a ranch or community farm by American standards. Brad counted maybe five homes and just as many out-buildings. If it was a farm, it was suspiciously absent of livestock and crops.
Hasan continued to call out as he walked further into the square that the houses lined up on. He received no answer. He looked back and spoke to Brooks. After a moment, Brooks turned to face them, put his hands in the air, and waved them forward. Brad helped Sean drop to the surface below before he dropped over the edge himself.
They met in the square. There were three small homes on the south side of the trail and two larger ones on the north side.
“The elder lived there,” Hasan said, pointing to one of the large homes. “I have been a guest in that home; I have slept on the roof in the cool night air.”
“Well, let’s clear that one first then,” Sean said as he walked toward the home’s front door.
They approached the house and stacked up along the far wall. Brooks was directly in front of the door, waiting to kick it in on Sean’s signal. They all had their rifles at the ready, and Sean held up five fingers and began to drop them one at a time. Before he could drop the last finger, the door handle moved and the door clicked open.
Brooks took a quick step back and readied his rifle. The door opened a good ten inches but it was dark inside, and they couldn’t see past the shadows. Brooks yelled in his best Dari for whoever was inside to come out. They stopped and listened but heard nothing. Brooks readied a grenade. Hasan raised his hand, stepped in front of Brooks, and quickly entered the house. Sean looked at Brad, shrugged his shoulders, and they followed Hasan inside.
With the door fully open the light filled the room. It was bare, just a dirt floor with a large rug laid in the center and no other furnishings. There was a small fireplace and just to the left of it was a long hallway that led to the back of the home. Brad went inside and took a position in the corner aiming down the long hallway. Sean and Brooks followed suit in opposite corners. Hasan, with his rifle low, walked down the hallway calling out in Dari. When he reached the end of the hall, they heard a child’s voice.
Sean lowered his rifle and down the hallway toward Hasan. Brad could hear the two men whispering.
“Room is clear, come on back, guys,” Sean called out.
Brad looked over at Brooks who just shrugged at him; Brad turned and walked down the long hallway. At the end, he found a darkened room with beds and chairs along all of the walls. It was filled with women and children and an old man in a corner. Brad counted at least twelve women and just as many children. Hasan was kneeling in front of the old man, holding his hand and whispering in his ear.
Hasan looked back at Sean and Brad before speaking. “This is the elder, his name is Sayed,” he said. “He says this is all that remains of their village. They live only in this house now, the others are empty,” Hasan finished.
“Where are the men?” Sean asked. Hasan translated the questions and Sayed spoke slowly in a hushed voice.
“He says his village stopped receiving visitors one month ago, so his men gathered the stock and took them to market but they never returned,” Hasan said.
The old man continued speaking. “He says they waited three nights, and then the rest of the men gathered and left to search for the missing, and they also never returned. Now it is only them. He thinks the Americans may have taken them. He says he has seen no soldiers or fighters in weeks, we are his first visitors,” Hasan said.
The old man stretched out his arms with his palms up and the women began to weep. Hasan grabbed the old man’s hand and softly spoke to him until he put his hands back in his lap. “He said he is ready for you to take him away, he wants to join his sons now,” Hasan said.
Sean stepped into the hallway and motioned for Brad and Brooks to follow him. “Well this is a real mess,” he said.
“They think we took their men away. Who wants to be the one to tell them we are the good guys and it was the boogey man that took them all away?” asked Brooks.
“Or better yet, that they are more than likely all dead or turned,” Brad added.
Hasan stepped into the hallway and leaned against the wall. He now had his rifle slung over his shoulder. He dug through his pack and took a long drink from his water.
“The elder remembers me. He believes me when I tell him we are not here to take him away. I told him we did not take his people,” Hasan said. “They have no idea what is going on outside of this canyon.”
“Hasan, I’m sorry but I am going to leave that work to you. These are your people, I’m sure you will think of something. Can you ask if it’s OK if we hold up in one of the houses here? And where is the water?” Sean asked.
“I already did. The elder says we may use the house next door, it was his oldest son’s home. The water flows from a spring located behind these homes. Go ahead and prepare yourselves, I will stay with these people for a bit longer.” Hasan frowned and put the cap back on his bottle and walked back into the room.
Brad followed Sean down the hallway and out into the street. They slowly cleared the large house next door and investigated its spaces. They found the house to be identical to the elder’s. There was a large entry room with a rug on the floor and a hallway leading to two smaller parlors. The stairs led to a large room on the second floor filled with beds. There was an entrance to a balcony that had a ladder leading to the roof. Brad climbed up it and looked out over the small village. He heard a noise and looked to find Sean following him up the ladder.
“Should we clear the other building?” Brad asked.
“Normally I would, but I think we’ll be OK. There’s the spring,” Sean said, pointing. “Let’s get some water together and start boiling. It’s probably clean here in the mountains but why take the risk?”
Brad lay on a bed in the corner of the second story, his gear on the floor next to him. He was feeling the frustration of their trip and was second guessing himself about coming. They had strayed from their original mission to try and get to the airbase and hitch a ride home, and they weren’t finding anything out here but death and misery. Maybe he should have stayed at the compound. He glanced around. Brooks was on a rack across the room methodically cleaning his weapons. Sean was in a bed in the other corner sleeping.
“What do you think of the colonel? Do you think he has a plan to get us home?” Brad asked Brooks.
“I don’t know, man, I’m sure to those folks we are completely expendable. I’ve conditioned myself not to rely on the brass anymore,” Brooks answered.
They heard the buzzing of the phone. Sean lifted his head and swung his feet into a sitting position. He reached down and answered the phone, placing it on speaker.
“Good evening, Colonel,” Sean said.
“I see you have reached the village,” Cloud said. “Can you give me your status, Chief?”
“We’re good. What’s the word, Colonel?” Sean snapped back.
“Well gentlemen, your bypass away from the road and the loss of your vehicle has delayed us quite a bit. Anyhow, your team has been selected for an operation,” Cloud said.
“You have got to be fucking kidding me?! Colonel, I don’t have a team, and we are far from operational!” Sean yelled at the phone.
“Chief, you just said yourself that you were good! And I know that conditions are not ideal, but you are the only ground assets we have in country,” Cloud snapped back.
“What’s the op?” Brooks asked, shrugging his shoulders at Sean.
“Classic snatch and grab,” Cloud replied.
“Are you fucking kidding me, and who is the target?” Brooks questioned.
“His name is Aziz, originally from Syria. He was a low level man before the outbreak, but now we have reason to believe he was involved in the planning of these attacks. Aziz may also possess advanced information on the origins of the virus. We also believe he was involved in the weaponization of the virus.”
“Whiskey Tango Foxtrot!” Brad said.
“That is correct, Sergeant. We need Aziz. The Centers for Disease Control believe he may be the key to cracking the virus,” Cloud said.
“Come on Colonel, you know I would need a six-man team at
least
to attempt a snatch. I have two operators, a grunt, and a local militiaman. You really think we are the best for this job? Can’t you just drop another team in?” Sean argued.
“I’m going to be honest with you guys; the remaining joint chiefs don’t believe this mission is worth the assets. Months ago they would have given us a team, but now? The CDC has worked hundreds of leads and we are running out of resources. You are all we’ve got.”
“Now hold up, the joint chiefs? Who
are
you, Colonel? Who are you working for?” Sean asked.
“Chief, I already explained my position to you—I am with the Coordinated National Response Team,” Cloud said.
“Which means?” Sean snapped back.
“In earlier days, I would have been considered a military liaison to the Central Intelligence Agency,” Cloud answered.
Brooks stood up and walked closer to the phone sitting on Sean’s bed. “So you are just another spook hanging us out to dry. Does SOCOM even know we are alive?” Brooks asked.
“Gentlemen, we have strayed off topic. Your status has been reported up, and you are under my operational control. I need you to prepare to copy the mission parameters. I can assure you that if this mission wasn’t of the upmost importance we would not be speaking. If you ever want to make it home you better start following instructions,” Cloud said.
Sean reached into his cargo pocket and removed a pad of paper. “Ready to copy when you are, SIR!” he said.
Brad found himself sitting on the roof with the rest of the team. They were huddled around a map of a small cave complex to the west of them. Hasan said he was familiar with the area but had never personally visited that cave. The colonel had said that Aziz was in a small group, hiding only with his wife and two of his bodyguards. From the colonel’s rainbow-and-puppy-dog description, he should be easy to take down.
If they successfully captured Aziz, the colonel had promised them transport home. That was Brad’s only motivation for this mission. He didn’t believe that one man in a cave would be the solution to all of this, but if that was the ticket home, he would give it his best.
Sean had thoroughly inspected their gear. He advised the men that they were not equipped for the mission but would have to make do. The hard part would be in taking Aziz alive. They also didn’t know what the man looked like and he would be with at least two other armed men who would most likely want to kill them. It would be good times all around. Sean ended the brief and suggested the men clean up and get some rest.