Chapter 2

My squad was moving out, so I was almost late. We were going out further north from another bombed town called Afar. Everything was going well then we were ambushed, they were obviously waiting for us. I shot everyone. I saw bodies piling up in front of me.

I had two men that were hit behind me as I kept firing, pissed off, I didn’t notice. A half hour later, there were forty or fifty dead around me.

Yeah, I was a killing machine, especially when you hit my squad. For a short time, it went quiet, that’s when I noticed all the bodies. I shook my head, what the hell?

I was just trying to cover, especially the two of my squad that had been hit. Most of them were undercover, though I was waving that I had two hit.

I got a confirmation sign that they were coming for extraction. It was not long after that, I noticed that I still had a hell of a lot of ammo. “What ther hell is going on?” I said to myself.

The voice that sounded in my ear damn near scared me to death. “I told you master,” it started.

I jumped when I heard it, “what the hell, where are you?” I asked.

“I am right beside you, master, I told you would not be harmed,” I heard Catherine say.

“I am, I didn’t mean to yell at you. I am still not used to all you can do,” I said, then dropped my voice as I saw more of the enemy approaching.

I thought I was dead when they started to fire at me again. I was shocked when the rest of the squad started to pick the enemy off.

Huh, I thought, might live after all. Suddenly, Catherine appeared next to me. “I will not allow you to be hurt, master,” she said.

“What the hell,” I said.

Catherine giggled, “you say that a lot, master. No master, they can not see me unless you want them to. I can feel that you do not wish that, master.”

“Thank you, it’s a lot better knowing that you are there,” I told her.

“You’re very welcome, master. I will remember to make sure you can see me before I speak,” Catherine said.

Again, I thanked her as I started to help my squad start to pick off the insurgents. Catherine stayed next to me though she didn’t watch the killing.

So, I guessed she had told the truth, she wouldn’t kill, though she wouldn’t let me get hurt. For a dangerous moment, I started to feel immortal, then squashed that idea.

I guessed that I was going to have to have a long talk with her after we got back. I heard one of the squad call in an air strike as we started to bug out.

We were going as fast as we could, knowing the fly boys they’d get here faster than we thought. Sure enough, less than ten minutes later, we heard them approaching. Not far from where we were, the sand started to explode.

I looked back as the last in the line, watching as bodies dead and about to be dead being tossed. Then we were loading up on jeeps speeding away.

I checked on both the men that I had protected ‘til help arrived. Thankfully, they were fine and were going to make it.

I was called in to the commander’s as soon as we off loaded. I walked in standing at attention.

He looked up a moment later, staring at me. “At ease, I heard that you had some heavy action. It’s good that we had no casualties. What can you tell me about the action,” he said.

“Sir, I swear that they were waiting for us, this is the third time in two weeks. Is it possible that we have a leak?” I asked him.

He sat back as he thought about it. “So far it appears that may be a possibility. We lost two squads this week, yours would have been the third. We are investigating this, so you are the only one we will tell ‘til you leave.”

“Yes sir,” I said as I saluted. “Am tired of being an easy target.”

“That’s all, First Lieutenant,” he said as he saluted, then I left. I made my way back to my squad’s hut, a little worried that we had a traitor in the camp.

I noticed that Catherine appeared as she was nodding her head. “Yes master, there is a leak as you say. Though I am afraid that there is more than one.”

“More than one!? Can you tell who they are?” I asked.

“No master, not unless they are near me, I...” I watched as Catherine froze when a local man walked by. “That one master, he is one of them,” she pointed out.

I didn’t really know who he was, though I had seen him around. I turned and followed the man, stopping to ask someone if they knew his name. I immediately turned for the commander’s hut.

I knocked, then entered. “Sir, I have a suspicion about someone in the camp. I then tried to make out that I had heard the man talking about plans for the next day’s mission.

I had already known what the man was going to pass from Catherine. The commander took immediate action, calling the squad leader.

The next day, my squad went out with the other squad. Neither of us were where we were supposed to be. For the first time almost since we had started all this, we brought back prisoners.

Unfortunately, no one was able to get any of them to talk. When the interrogators came out with nothing, I got pissed. we had a lot of missing men, many who were my friends.

I asked Cathrine to have them talk to me to tell whatever I wanted. Less than an hour later, I had the location of at least ten of our men.

Again, I went to the commander, who was staring at me like I had lost my mind. “You want to lead a small team in and rescue our men? Are you out of your mind? This sounds more like a suicide mission,” he said.

“Sir” I said. “I have the entire layout of their camp, I know where they are. I know their movements, if I can get them out, we’ll have an advantage.”

The commander stared at me for a few moments then picked up the phone. Less than twenty minutes later, he got the OK. “I still say that you can’t trust their information, though the brass says it’s a go. Be careful, bring’em back.”

I nodded as I saluted, then I left to pick out my men. There was a commotion as the man I had seen the day before was taken into custody. At least one less spy, I thought.

We were getting ready to leave when Catherine appeared, pointing to another local male. I shook my head no, this one I knew him, so we’d get him when we returned.

We started out across the border and kept going. We were almost thirty-two and a half klicks in when we came upon the camp. I thought to myself, I hope this is it, when Catherine appeared and nodded.

I was amazed that their security was as lax as it was. I guess they thought we wouldn’t do this. Getting the men out was easy, it was the trip back the whole way that was hard.

So far so good, I kept watching Catherine as we started to get closer to the border. I just hoped that the brass had that support they said they would.

We were almost across when everything went to shit. Apparently, not long after we left, those in the camp discovered their prisoners were gone.

As I said, we were right on the border when those following caught up to us. I looked for any cover then thought to Catherine that we needed some.

We topped the next large sand dune, finding a bombed out town with several walls intact. What the hell I thought we were obviously further away than we thought.

We barely made it to cover when the damn insurgents started to fire. Damnit I thought, we almost made it, that’s when an F-18 flew over, straffing the hell out of the insurgents. I managed to get the men up and moving, though the ex-prisoners were worn out.

If we just had one of the roving patrols out, I thought. A minute later, we heard approaching vehicles. I thought we were dead now. The jeeps crested the dunes had us all cheering.

Loading up, we high tailed it out of there, watching as two more F-18’s tore those behind us apart. I looked over to Catherine, thanking her.

“I told you, master, I won’t allow anything to happen to you. I will protect you no matter what,” Catherine said.

OK, I thought maybe, just maybe I was starting to believe. This thought got a feminine giggle from her.

I just rolled my eyes, trying to let no one see. This was starting to get ridiculous. I heard her giggle again. I guess she thought that this was funny.

Less than an hour later, we rolled into camp. A huge cheer went up as the ex-prisoners unloaded. The commander came out to congratulate us. For once, the team and I were feeling really good about the mission.

I went with the commander for our after report. I also had to make sure we were alone, as I advised him of the other spy. This had him going into action almost immediately.

Again, I watched with everyone else as the man was taken away in handcuffs. A moment later, the man broke loose trying to get away, the sounds of guns going off as he went out of sight.

There were a few more shouts then the man was dragged back to a holding area. I was walking by when the man started to yell and scream in another language.

I just shook my head as I went to my squad’s hut. I saw that the team was feeling pretty good about the mission. I laid down as soon as I got there, letting my body relax.

I was just starting to relax, when Catherine appeared. “Master,” she said, as soon as I saw her. “I am detecting people within the structure that you said was your old home.”

I sat up almost immediately, “can you tell who it is?” I asked.

“No, master, I cannot. As yet, nothing that is there has been removed,” Catherine started. “I am sorry, master, that I don’t have as much power as you require,” Catherine said, falling to her knees.

I sighed, “Catherine, I am not upset with you. Please stand up, you don’t have to do this,” I said.

“Master?” She said as she barely looked up at me. “It has always been this way with a Jinn serving her master.”

“Catherine,” I said, trying not to sound mad or disappointed. “I am telling you right now, you do not have to do this. I will not be mad or upset with you, I am learning myself. If anything, you should be upset with me.”