Mark and his team occupied a fraction of the seating capacity in the briefing room. The isolation told them a lot about the kind of mission they were about to undertake.
“We’re a little light on the ground, aren’t we?” Jacob said. “Where are the others?”
“It’s just us,” Mark said.
“Beautiful,” Jacob said, letting out a puff of air.
Major Edwards entered the room from the back. He pressed a switch and the flaps fluttered down over the glass walls. The projector flicked on and beamed the first slide:
CONFIDENTIAL. TOP SECRET.
“No doubt you’re all wondering what you’re doing here,” Major Edwards said, taking to the stage. “Especially after such a short period of leave.”
“Damn right there,” John said.
Major Edwards didn’t chastise him. The small team of four made the meeting more personal, and informality was acceptable.
“You’re here because you’re the most qualified individuals for this training exercise,” Major Edwards said.
Training exercise. Just what they needed.
“I thought we were done with training?” Jacob said.
“You are,” Major Edwards said. “But this will not be like any other training you’ve had before.”
That had their attention.
“As part of Group Three, responsible for operations with AFRICOM, and deployed in the Sub-Saharan desert region,” Major Edwards said, “you have first-hand experience of the Ebola virus, its effects and how a population reacts to it. You know what it’s like when the fear of a contagious disease grips a country tight. You know what it’s like to confront people panicking for their lives and those of their loved ones. For these reasons, you have been chosen to undertake a special mission – should the need ever arise.”
Major Edwards clicked a button and the projected image shifted. A map of a thick forest. Dust motes danced in the green-tinted high beam.
“Uwharrie National Forest,” Major Edwards said. “One hundred square miles of wilderness. You will conduct a mission into this forest, navigate to this compound and return with a vial kept inside.”
Major Edwards pointed to a grey square building in the middle of the image.
“You will then rendezvous here,” Major Edwards said, pointing to a section north of the compound. “For immediate evac. Your opponents will be fellow Special Forces officers who will do everything within their power to stop you, shut you down, and otherwise prevent you from achieving your goal. They will represent your enemy. Bear in mind it is likely our real enemies will be as well-trained, well-informed, and well-armed as ourselves.”
Mark sensed the vague details were intentional to replicate the lack of information they would have in a live mission.
Jacob raised his hand. Major Edwards nodded to him.
“I thought you said this training mission would be different to all the others we’ve taken part in?” Jacob said. “It’s the same so far as I can see.”
Major Edwards smiled. Everyone suddenly felt very nervous.
“This will be a mission to quell the potential for a pandemic,” Major Edwards said.
The four teammates exchanged wary expressions.
“Come again?” John said.
“You will be our first line of defense against a new pathogen that has the potential to sweep across the planet,” Major Edwards said. “To prevent it from reaching our shores.”
“This isn’t warfare,” Mark said. “This is clean-up.”
“The Green Berets were designed for unconventional warfare,” Major Edwards said.
“It’s not warfare either,” Mark said.
“It’s biological warfare,” John said.
“Correct,” Major Edwards said. “With terrorists screaming ‘We love death more than the infidel loves life’ at the top of their voices with C4 strapped to their chests, how long do you think it’ll be before they initiate biological warfare? Just one of them could deliberately infect himself before taking a stroll through a crowded place, say Times Square, happy in the knowledge he’s carrying out God’s will. Meanwhile, innocent people go about their lives, unwittingly spreading the disease, doing the terrorists’ work for them.
“We need to be ready to nip this in the bud before it has the potential to sweep across the globe. You’re going to put an end to it before it even begins. That’s your job, that’s your training. And it begins today.”
“How is us heading on a suicide mission into enemy territory meant to help anyone?” John said. “What is our objective?”
“Your mission,” Major Edwards said.
“Should we choose to accept it,” John mumbled.
“Your mission in a real-life situation will be the same as the one during training,” Major Edwards said. “To get to the compound and extract the virus. You are to get in and out and then head to the extraction point. All within eight hours.”
“Why eight hours?” Mark said.
“That, plus the sequencing time is the number of hours a virus needs before it can spread effectively,” Major Edwards said. “To get to an international hub like an airport or conference. After that, we will have a much bigger problem containing it.”
“That’s a lot of ground to cover,” Mark said, eying the map.
“It’s a big world,” Major Edwards said. “Try not to get lost in it.”
“How would us getting hold of the virus help, exactly?” Jacob said.
“With the recent outbreak of Ebola, the powers that be have decided the military ought to be trained to deal with such an incident,” Major Edwards said. “If there was ever an outbreak in a hostile region, they would send in the military to recon and get hold of the virus. They would then use digital sequencers to upload it to the internet. Scientists all over the world would have access to the virus’s genetic code. They would work to create an antidote before it can spread. All they would have to do then is hold the infected back long enough to facilitate creating the cure on an industrial scale.”
John raised his hand.
“Sorry,” he said. “Maybe I missed the geek fest, but what exactly is a ‘sequencer’?”
Major Edwards pressed a button and the image of a DNA sequencer came up on the screen. It was a fairly large machine, about the size of a complex coffee making unit.
“In 2001, the human genome was sequenced,” Major Edwards said. “The entire genetic map of a single man was revealed to the world. The essence of what makes you and every other living thing. We are, essentially, a program, and not a particularly well designed one at that. As we evolve, our code gets copied, overwritten, deleted, and transferred. We have bugs, like any other computer program.
“Some bright sparks decided to start sequencing other living things. Plants, animals, viruses. We discovered things about creatures no one had ever even considered before. The fact the hippo and whale are very close relatives. The fact horses and cows are further disparaged than you might think. Now we can sequence just about anything, and extremely quickly too. The US military has begun funding programs to create a global network of sequencing centers. Most recently, in Charlotte, North Carolina.
“This is why your mission is so important. You will get that virus so it might be sequenced and uploaded to the world for scientists in labs everywhere. By the time the virus arrives, we would already be inoculated against it. We could stop the infection in its tracks. We’re at the forefront of a whole new breed of war.”
There was a moment of awed silence.
“And you want us to go into an enemy base to recover this virus?” Mark said. “How do you even know they would have it?”
“That would be classified information and based on reliable intel,” Major Edwards said. “But we’d believe they do. Before I forget, there’s a note on the procedure of this exercise. If you’re tagged by one of us, you’re out of the game. You’ll be a danger to the rest of your team and their mission. Send them to find a patrol. They’ll get picked up and brought back to HQ.”
“What would happen to the infected person in the field?” Mark said.
“In the field, you will dispose of them,” Major Edwards said.
Wary glances all round.
“Dispose of?” Mark said. “How?”
“Any way necessary,” Major Edwards said. “Scientists suggest a double tap or fire. Anything that does not risk spreading the virus further.”
The reality of the situation settled deep into their bones.
“Now, if there aren’t more questions, you should contact whoever you need to, then get some rec,” Major Edwards said. “We’re pushing out in one hour.”
“No rest for the wicked,” John said.
“In which case we must have been the baddest motherfuckers in history,” Jacob said.
“To hear such words in your sweet voice…” John said.
Jacob punched John on the arm.
Mark looked at his cell. Five missed calls, all from Tabitha. He typed a message:
IN BRIEFING ROOM. NO TIME TO CALL. TRAINING MISSION. BACK IN A FEW DAYS.
He hit send, and then tucked the cell back in his pocket.
The phone was like a child’s toy in John’s giant hands. He had to hold it between his thumb and forefinger and dial with his pinky. The phone on the other end rang and rang. John felt self-conscious as a pair of soldiers passed by.
“There’s no one to take your call at the moment,” the impassive answering service voice said. “Please leave your message after the beep.”
John hesitated, and was about to hang up when he heard the beep.
“Katie?” he said. “Sorry. I thought I heard you answer. John here. I’m about to go into training for a few days. I’ll be out of contact in case you need to reach me.”
He scratched his eyebrow with his thumb. He had so much to say but lacked the words to express them.
“Well, I suppose I’ll be seeing you,” he said.
He hung up. Unspent coins spilled into the receiver. John pressed his forehead against his arm. He shook his head, eyes closed, already regretting something he knew he would later dwell on.
He picked the phone up and stabbed at the numbers with his pinky again. Before he dialed half the numbers he stopped, and slammed the phone down hard. He raised it and hit the receiver hook again, and then again and again. The handset snapped in half, its wire entrails hanging out. He threw the handset aside. It skittered across the ground.
A couple of soldiers caught sight of him, but daren’t approach a man John’s size. John turned and marched away, returning only to scoop up the spare change and stuff it in his pocket. Most of it spilled across the concrete.
“Mrs. Drew, please,” Jacob said.
The line bleeped a few times and was answered by a sleepy voice.
“Hello?”
“Mom?” Jacob said. “Sorry to wake you. I just wanted to tell you that I’m about to go on a training assignment. I’ll be away for a while.”
“Jacob?” his mother said. “Where am I?”
“You’re at the hospital,” Jacob said. “Don’t worry, there’s nothing to worry about.”
“How did I get here?” his mother said.
“You went there,” Jacob said. “You had a pain in your back, remember? You fell over and needed help.”
There was a pause.
“I’ve got something to talk you about when I get home,” Jacob said. “It’s about you going to a better place, a nicer place, than the hospital.”
“It can’t be worse,” his mother said. She lowered her voice. “I think they’re trying to poison me.”
Jacob pinched his eyes.
“They’re not trying to poison you,” he said. “They’re trying to help you.”
“No, they put something in my food,” his mother said.
“No, they didn’t,” Jacob said, leaning against a wall.
He might as well get comfortable. This was going to be a long call.
Fort Bragg was a hive of activity beneath a blood red sky. Soldiers marched in perfect lines, others jogging, led by drill sergeants. Most of them would puke out, failing in their training, just as most of Mark, Jacob, John and Roach’s training groups had. Only a handful would make it through.
Mark and his team had their bags packed and were heading for the chinook helicopter, its engine whirring and preparing for takeoff. None of them were looking forward to the training, but orders were orders.
“Hey, hey!” a voice said. “Look what we’ve got here!”
Mark’s team turned to find a soldier with a large handlebar mustache. His name was Eddie. He was flanked by a contingent of two dozen soldiers – some of whom Mark recognized as members of Groups One and Five.
“So you’re the rats in the maze, ay?” Eddie said. “The boys and I did wonder.”
“Now you know,” Jacob said, turning back to the chinook.
“I’ll make sure to tell the lads not to pack too much,” Eddie said with a grin. “We’ll be back before dinner.”
Eddie turned to Daoud.
“Sorry you’re with these losers, Daoud,” he said. “After you got the call, you should have called me. I might have been able to get you out of it.”
“I’m sure you’ll cope without me,” Daoud said. “Who’s taking my place?”
“Wachowski,” Eddie said.
“He’ll do fine,” Daoud said.
Eddie turned back to Mark.
“It’ll be a delight snapping the teeth of the trap around your necks,” Eddie said.
“There’ll be no snapping necks in this exercise,” Major Edwards said.
The soldiers stood to attention.
“If I hear of any unsavory actions taken by any soldier it’ll be his balls on the chopping block,” Major Edwards said. “Am I understood?”
“Yes, sir,” the soldiers said as one.
“Get in your choppers,” Major Edwards said.
Eddie’s lips curled up at the corners.
“See you in the theater,” Eddie said. He winked. “Back row. Catch you later, Daoud.”
John growled in the back of his throat and spat at Eddie’s feet. Eddie and his team headed for a second and third chinook. Major Edwards turned to climb into the chinook with Mark’s team.
“You know, spitting’s not a particularly charming hobby,” Major Edwards said.
“No sir,” John said. “But it is satisfying.”
They rose straight up before banking hard and peeling away.
Major Edwards turned to Mark.
“Riled?” he said.
“Of all the people,” Mark said, shaking his head. “Why did it have to be Eddie?”
That’s when he noticed the major’s superior smile. It had been his plan all along to rile Mark and his team up, to take their eyes off the ball. Mark and his team were solid, and worked well together, capable of carrying out any assignment given them. But now one of their number had been replaced and they were against Eddie and his band of idiots, they were offbeat and out of rhythm.
Just what kind of training was this going to be?