Chapter 1

“We are the in between, cast down as sons of war. Struck to the earth like lightning, on this world we’re born, We won’t cause the pain, of living out their law, Take joy in who you are we know our wings are flawed, We’re bored to death in heaven and all alone in hell, We only want to be ourselves.” Credit: Black Veil Brides

The place the War God send us to do battle was not worthy. The target a God, was not a worthy God, the Gods in this far away land are the elected of the weak. They choose peace as slaves over fighting for freedom. We, my brothers and I are the fallen Angels that are dropped from the wings of the C-23 Sherpa floating on the winds until the wings carry us to our appointed place. Free falling on light wings we float on the beams of the moons’ light until our feet tickle the earth yet again.

The enemy doesn’t hear us floating into their fields, mere clicks from where they lay their heads to sleep. We three angels given the image of the enemy God seared into our memory until he is dead, start to move to the compound where the enemy plots destruction of the world. Our training and experience let us move swiftly through the woods and fields undetected, the moon light guiding us. Patrols with dogs walk under us as we wait in a tree for them to pass.

Finely close enough for our planned strike with the Barret rod of thunder, that can reach out a mile away and take the life of our target, we take up our positions. I stand in over watch; making sure my team is secure in doing their job. Ace the shooter, Brovo the spotter and I am Charlie, the over watch and intelligence officer. This task the God in charge wanted done and confirmed with proof and no mistakes so he sent we three. The target a force of evil, a lesser God that serves the darkness of mayhem.

We three know that the lesser God of destruction must die for the balance of good and evil, but as we locate him in his lair, the presence of an innocent is clear. We the fallen angels, have orders from our God to destroy everyone in the compound. But how can we angels take the life of an innocent, one that has not yet pledged to one or the other.

The innocent, a beautiful woman would appear to not know the evil that stands beside her. Her long flowing blond hair tickles the belt of her skirt. Her legs bare from the knee down to her bare foot is alluring to the eye, such a difference from the stone cold tyrant that stood mere feet away. Knowing his atrocities against humanity makes it hard to imagine such innocent a creature in his presence.

Still the Gods have given the order that all should die at our hands, no living thing left behind. We three looked at each other, silently speaking the same thought “how could we the fallen angels kill purity”. We watched in silence each knowing we could be done with our task and on our way back to heaven, but for the hope that the innocent would leave so we would not have to destroy her too.

We were all too efficient at our jobs and surely would be asked about the delay in completion, but we persevered. Hoping against the odds, we watched as the blond beauty seemed to move about freely so we thought. It became clear that we needed to complete our task to make the window of opportunity to return home. The UH-60 Black Hawk was to pick us up no later than 13:00 Zulu, and if we didn’t make it to the extraction point by then, there was only one other opportunity 10 clicks away.

After the second extraction opportunity passed we would be on our own to evacuate before Hell fire would be unleashed and the sky would rain fire on our op. Still weighing our mission against the taking of innocence we began to feel the stress and then an opportunity presented, Blonde went out side to the pool and disrobed before jumping in. As a fallen angel I knew this was our chance to take her away and complete the mission.

We three watched with eyes wide open as she removed her Monki Kaftan revealing a tiny bikini, each of us as men appreciated her feminine form, and looked to each other confirming that we would go off script and extract innocent from the Evil that would surely die at our hands. Knowing the shooter and spotter needed to stay hidden and complete the mission, I gave them hand signals to coordinate the coming action. We were trained experts in hostage extraction, so this situation wasn’t new to us, save that we made the decision in direct conflict to the orders our God had assigned.

We were too valuable to God to really worry about repercussions, and we were following the path of the righteousness. Even though I knew shooter would complete his mission I understood as did he, that they would be watching over me. I skirted the perimeter of the compound to a point where I was close to the pool. I made eye contact with spotter and gave him the signal for 5 minutes, so they would know when I planned on taking her.

I was Fifteen feet from the edge of the pool behind a four foot tall stone wall when she got out and toweled off right in front of me. Karmic timing was perfect as I reached out and pulled her over and behind the wall with me. I assured her that she would be safe, as I covered her. The sound of thunder shot out, followed time and time again sending the darkness home. When the bolts of lightning ceased I raised up and saw the all clear thumbs up from shooter.

I uncovered the innocent and she raised up to hug me, thanking me for saving her. I told her to stay until we cleared the house. I waited as shooter and spotter came down from the tree and carefully made their way to me. As I waited I asked the innocent her name and she told me Cathy Harsh and that she’d been kidnapped 6 yrs ago. I asked her if she knew the man who kidnapped her and she said no but he had sold her to the man inside, motioning to the house.

When they got to us, I told shooter to stay with Cathy, while spotter and I cleared the house. We went inside and there were seven dead inside including our target. I used our inter unit com to tell shooter it was clear, a few minutes later he brought Cathy inside with him. I told her she could collect her clothes and she led us to the room where she had been kept. She dressed as Shooter stood outside, and we rendezvoused in the main entertainment room of the house.

I radioed in our status to the UH-60 pilot who gave me an estimated time to extraction. I left out the part about having Cathy so there would be no confusion. I told her we would be at the extraction point in 20 minutes which was a 10 minute walk just out side the compound. I confirmed the target’s death with a picture and documented the other dead and we left. I told spotter to keep Cathy out of sight on the edge of the extraction point until the UH-60 Black hawk had landed.

The op had not gone as planned but the helicopter was in sight and getting ready to land when the chopper pilot radioed me that there was another heat signature with us. I confirmed that he was clear to land no hostiles. The pilot landed and the door gunner kept trained just behind us and the wooded edge of the clearing we’d came from until we were on board. The rotors provided the thunderous roar that accompanied our assent to the heavens. I listened as the Pilot radioed into command that the “Assets” were on board with one unknown accompanying.