Chapter 57

Present - Ben and Destiny - At the cabin in the bunker

I ask Destiny to use some of her 'shaman' skills to determine the best location for the Tabasco bottles IEDs so I can get them the fuck out of my pack before I blow myself to hell and she surprises the shit out of me! Instead of going into one of her trances, she begins to sniff the air and then the crazy granola chick gets on all fours and begins to sniff the ground like a dog.

However, after my previous comment about shedding and her reaction to it, I decide to keep my mouth shut until a later time. I've already pissed her off enough today and I sure as hell don't need her being more of a RPITA the whole day.

She stands, smiles and states, "Ben, thank you for not insulting me again - one day I will tell you my secret but not right now. I will gladly show you the best places to locate the Tabasco bottle IEDs if you promise me they will not kill the greenies."

Normally I would have given her more shit for saying what she did, but I was interested as hell to see how close her revelations would be to mine so I bit my tongue and replied (however I couldn't help but to get a little dig in), "They will cause some damage to the greenies but unless they are crawling around on the ground like you have been, they shouldn't be killed."

She glared at me, put both her hands on her hips (shit just like Jens!) and complained, "I thought you weren't going to bother me about my methods?"

I smiled and shrugged my shoulders as she continued by pointing out the locations. Amazingly many of them were my first choices but there were two surprises so I ask, "Are you sure about those locations?"

She challenges with a logic I just had to agree with, "Why don't you put one in the location you are thinking of and one in the location I suggest, then we will come back tonight and see who's right."

I'm all over the suggestion like stink on shit (or on Mike after last night) and suggest, "Ladies first, so which of your two locations would you like?"

She laughs and shakes me with her answer (how the hell does she know what I'm thinking!), "I like that thought about Mike, just remember how fulfilling it is to insult him instead of killing him. And I will let you choose your preferred location."

I took the location that I felt was the best for me and heaved a sigh of relief after getting all the Tabasco bottle IEDs out of my pack without detonating one of them.

Destiny smiles and questions, "So what's next?"

I grin at her and answer, "We need to visit a couple more weapons caches because we're going to stink some things up and give the greenies some serious non-lethal hurt."

Present - Jens - In the equipment room

We hear some strange noises in the tunnels so Maria gears up and leaves to investigate while I continue to try to comfort Ivan. I guess our luck and his resolve have finally ran out as he continues to cry, "I no like tunnel trap, I want mama and papa!"

Even though having him on my chest hurts like hell, his wails brings out every maternal instinct I have ever had and I say, "Ivan, you're such a good boy I am sure they are doing everything they can to reach us."

Then I remember and say, "Why don't you and I hum the Russian song we were humming earlier? It will help you feel closer to mama and papa and might even help us find them in the tunnels?"

He asks, "You really think it help them find us?'

I stroke his head and answer, "Well it sure as he - heck can't hurt."

After we begin to hum the song, he's seems much better until we hear a crapload of gunfire in the tunnels.

He gives me a very astute question for a child of his age, "Why there gunfire in tunnels? Mama and Papa would not try to shoot woman that uses very many bad words?"

I get ready to answer when Maria bursts into the room, locks the door behind her and says, "Son of a bitch, there must be close to a full company of Special Forces in the tunnels! They started to shoot first before they even asked who I was."

I can't believe it so I ask, "If they were Special Forces, where the hell did all my Marines go?"

Once again she overreacts and delivers an ultimatum, "Who the hell knows but they're not going to take me alive!"

Amazingly Ivan interjects, "They are the bad men that Ben and wolf lady are puffing and huffing and blowing them down and they are not happy."

I look around the room, analyze the situation and know that cooler heads need to prevail so I order, "Maria, the three and a half of us against all those Special Forces don't stand a chance. Everyone put down your weapons because we are going to surrender."

No sooner had we put down our weapons than the door blows open and I can't believe what the fuckers did to us...

Present - Ben and Destiny - At the cabin

After blowing the wheel off another of Mike's wheelchairs and raining fifty caliber hell on the greenies camp, even setting the comm tent on fire, we haul ass away from our location. As we're running I notice something and swear, "Son of a bitch! Look what's happening at the tunnel excavation site."

Destiny follows where I'm pointing and states the obvious, "The Special Forces are swarming into the tunnels like ants into an anthill. What are you going to do about it?"

I am pissed as hell and swear, "I should have killed the fucker while I had the chance, now he's got Jens and I'm not sure what I can do."

Destiny tries to calm me when she says, "Ben this might be the best for her because now she will get the medical care she needs."

I concede but give an ominous warning, "You're probably right but if he does anything to her I will make sure he dies a long, slow and very painful death. Let's watch what happens."

We find a great overlook location; I pull out my monocular and begin to observe the fucking greenies...

Present - Jens - In the equipment room

Son of a bitch, the fucking Special Forces breech the door then throw multiple flashbangs and gas grenades (tear gas) into the room! I can't hear or see shit and begin to cough like crazy. Thank God Ivan gets off my chest. It seems like forever but finally the smoke dissipates, I stop coughing, and can see again. The first thing I see is a Captain standing over me. He speaks but I still can't hear him so I say, "I can't hear you because you flashbanged the hell out of us."

He leans down close to my ear and yells, "Jennifer Donaldson, you are under arrest for acts of domestic terrorism."

I don't understand so I complain, "What the fuck are you talking about?"

He leans closer again and states, "You assembled a privateer army on American soil and armed them with illegal weapons. Besides in your condition you're not in any position to fight."

I look around the room and see that the Special Forces have already hooded and handcuffed Maria, Liz and Bernie.

I dread seeing the private come toward me with a hood and further complain, "Do you really feel a hood is necessary for me?"

The Captain laughs, "Hell yes! You're the ringleader of a group of enemy combatants so we sure as hell don't want you sending visual signals to your army."

They put the hood over my head and I wonder about something...

Present - Mike - At the cabin

Fuck it all, this is getting expensive as hell! Ben blows the wheel off one of my new wheelchairs and I get unceremoniously dumped into the dirt again. Unfortunately, I land right in a red anthill which pisses them off and I barely make it out of there without being bit to hell. The bastard then proceeds to shoot the hell out of the camp even setting fire to the comm tent with incendiary rounds. This might be the break we were waiting for so I yell a command, "Follow the trail of those incendiary rounds and go get that bastard!"

I suddenly realize that no one heard me because the fucking Captain has taken all the men with him on his tunnel attack. I also realize that I am suddenly in a very precarious position: I'm immobile and have no troops at my disposal to protect me. I began to drag myself toward the closest tent...

Present - Linus – Taken prisoner

I can't believe it, what a huge tactical blunder! I see all the Special Forces leave the area and haul ass toward the tunnel excavation site. I look at Jack and declare, "Jack with all the fuckers gone, I'm going to get the hell out of here. Are you coming?"

Jack looks at Masha, turns to me and says, "Linus, good hunting to you! I wish I could join you however my place is here with Masha and the remainder of the men."

I look around and Jack asks, "Which men want to get the hell out of here with Linus?"

Damn I wish he had not said that! I wanted to make a quick getaway and I can't do that if the old fart Marines decide to come with me. I'm thankful when a small handful of the younger men volunteer, however I'm shocked when Stacy says...