Chapter 6

Chapter Six

Drew

T he army base was very tense, the air thick with anticipation and fatigue. This was partly due to the recent missions that had taken a toll on the soldiers, leaving them frazzled and on edge. Everyone was on high alert, ready to respond to the slightest signal and move.

The other reason was the next mission, which kept everyone on their toes. It was an EOD support mission, extremely dangerous and requiring skillful planning and execution.

Drew was back in her quarters just before lunch, examining a map for the mission. She needed to study the area carefully to decide where to land and areas to avoid.

During the briefing yesterday, they had been told by Lieutenant Colonel Patel and Lieutenant Colonel Oakley that the EOD (Explosive Ordnance Disposal) mission was one that could cost a lot of lives if anything went sideways. Their missions were often dangerous, but this one was extreme.

Drew listened as Izzy announced that the insurgents had planted explosives to terrorize the local population. Their role there was to invade the area undetected, diffuse the bombs, and save the lives of the villagers. It was truly critical, but nothing was too critical for them.

Yesterday was the first briefing, and they were to have another one just before they embarked on the mission. Drew sighed as she checked the time. She had just skipped lunch again, and it was soon becoming a habit.

She folded the map hurriedly, changed her uniform and headed straight to the command center. Yesterday, it was agreed that they should assemble there immediately after lunch to run through their plans, draw conclusions, gather supplies, and move in.

She heard a voice call out to her, “Good morning, Major.”

She turned to meet Jack, Smith’s co-pilot. He seemed a bit down. “Good morning, Jack. Is everything alright?”

“Yeah. It's just that Smith isn't feeling too well.”

“Smith isn't well? But she was at the briefing yesterday, right?”

“Yes, she was. She had a high fever this morning and was taken to the medical center. I wish I could stay there with her.”

“I'll excuse what you just said, considering this isn't a good time for you. But you should know no matter your ties or friendships with anyone here, it shouldn't affect your job as a soldier. You cannot let your emotions cloud your judgment, okay?”

“Yes, ma'am,” he said, trying to lighten up.

Drew thought about her own words. Here she was, dishing out advice to a lieutenant, advice that she couldn't seem to take herself. She gave a wry smile as she watched Jones walk away, his head bent.

“Jack?” Drew called out, smiling as she hurried over to the young man. Jones stopped, his forehead wrinkling.

“Yes, Major?”

Drew stopped beside him. “She's going to be fine. She's a tough nut to crack. Not even this can hold her down.”

She watched Jack's face lighten as her words chased the storm clouds from his face. “I know she will.” Drew nodded, and Jones walked off.

When she arrived at the command center, all the soldiers were already gathered and the supplies had been loaded in the Thunderbolt.

Isabel was at the podium talking all tall lean lines and beautiful dark eyes and dark hair. Drew felt her heart jump at the sight of her, but she pushed her feelings and desire for her back down. This was not the time to be thinking about fucking Izzy. Or about coming in her lovely mouth.

Both of those were sweet sweet thoughts she needed to save for late at night in her own quarters.

Izzy reemphasized the purpose of the mission, their different positions and roles, and lastly, their evacuation. She ended by saying, “We have to do our very best, officers. About five thousand lives depend on us. Let's do this!”

Drew watched her scanning the crowd until Izzy’s eyes settled on her. She tried to stay professional, but it was near enough impossible. Their eyes met for just a second, filled with emotion before Drew looked away.

She had to stay focussed. Everyone’s lives depended on it.

Soon the team was on their way. They flew fast and landed away from the village. This allowed them to go into the village quietly and stealthily. Izzy stepped down and beckoned to the EOD specialist and the rest of the team to come with her, leaving about four people in the craft for cover.

Just before she left, she called out to Drew, “Be very careful, Major.” Drew noticed her voice had a subtle tremor of worry.

“Yes, ma'am, I will,” she reassured. She watched as they moved quickly. The farther they went, the smaller they became.

Drew was supposed to wait for the signal announcing they were inside the village before moving. Jones was beside her, and he seemed scared.

“Major, we're positioned inside the village.” Izzy’s voice ranged over the intercom.

“I’m on the move, Lieutenant Colonel.”

Drew lifted the helicopter off the ground with ease, the rotors whirring smoothly as she guided the aircraft into the clear blue sky. The mission was simple, and Drew had flown on this route countless times before. She felt a sense of comfort and familiarity as she banked the helicopter to the left, following the winding river.

The flight was uneventful, with only a few scattered clouds dotting the horizon. Drew's co-pilot, Captain Samantha Lee, chatted idly with her, discussing everything from their favorite foods to their plans for leave. Drew smiled and laughed, feeling a sense of camaraderie with her fellow pilot.

But as they approached the extraction point, Drew's instincts began to twitch. Something didn't feel right. She scanned the horizon, her eyes narrowing as she searched for any sign of trouble.

Without warning, the helicopter shuddered and lurched to the side. Drew's heart skipped a beat as she saw the flash of gunfire from the ground below.

"Incoming fire!" Captain Lee shouted, her voice tight with urgency.

Drew reacted instinctively, banking the helicopter hard to the right as bullets whizzed past the cockpit. But what caught her off guard was the direction of the fire. It was coming from unexpected angles, as if the enemy had set up a perimeter around the extraction point.

"Where's it coming from?" Drew demanded, her eyes darting between the instruments and the ground below.

"It's everywhere!" Captain Lee replied, her voice strained. "We've got multiple hostiles, Major!”

Drew gritted her teeth, her mind racing with tactics. She knew she had to get Lieutenant Colonel Oakley and her team out, but the enemy was closing in fast. She flew the helicopter with precision, dodging and weaving between the bullets, but she knew she couldn't keep this up for much longer.

As Drew continued to expertly maneuver the helicopter through the hail of bullets, she could hear Izzy’s frantic voice crackling over the radio.

“Mitchell, this is Oakley. What's happening over there? Is everything okay?"

Drew's grip on the controls tightened as she heard the desperation in Izzy’s voice. She knew she had to act fast.

She had no time to answer as the enemy fire intensified, and she could feel the helicopter shudder as bullets hit the armor plating.

She gritted her teeth, her focus narrowing to a single point. She could hear the Izzy’s voice again, her words tumbling out in a panicked rush.

“Major, what's going on over there? Is there a problem?"

Drew's heart raced with adrenaline as she sped up, the helicopter surging forward in a burst of power. She could feel the engines roaring beneath her, the rotors whipping the air into a frenzy.

With a fierce cry, Drew unleashed a barrage of return fire, the helicopter's guns blazing as she tore through the enemy lines. The insurgents scattered, momentarily stunned by the ferocity of her counterattack.

As she flew closer to Izzy’s position, Drew could see the enemy regrouping.

With fierce determination, Drew flew straight into the heart of the battle, her guns blazing.

A few moments later, Drew banked the helicopter hard to the left, her eyes scanning the terrain below for any sign of Izzy' medical team.

As she flew, Drew's mind kept drifting back to Izzy herself. She had seen her composure during previous mission, and her intelligence, courage, and beauty had left her breathless. And that was aside from the exquisite pleasure of seeing Izzy come undone for her sexually and the easy intimacy they had shared in the safety of the night together. She had tried to brush it off as a distraction, but she couldn't shake the feeling that she was falling in love with Izzy.

“Mitchell, this is Apache-1. We have visual on the Lieutenant Colonel's team. They're going in from the north," Captain Lee called out.

Drew's heart raced as she pushed the helicopter to its limits, ready to swoop in to extract the team.

Her heart swelled with emotion as she saw Isabel’s team huddled together, ready for the next phase of their mission.

With the helicopter safe from enemy fire, Drew and Captain Lee held their ground, ready to fire at will to keep the enemy at bay, their eyes scanning the horizon for any sign of additional threats.

She took a deep breath before turning on the ignition. “Steady yourselves, guys.”

The next phase was the most dangerous part of their plan. She was to circle above the village, use imagery intelligence to locate the specific places where the explosives were positioned, and notify the team, which would, in turn, diffuse the bombs from below.

Beads of sweat trickled down Drew's forehead as she thought about the plan. Her breathing became shallow and rapid, but she composed herself.

She knew she was strong and brave, and the entire team depended on her to pull this off. She was going to make it work at all costs.

She reached the location and began to circle it. Visually inspecting the area, she noticed a change in the landscape in the eastern region of the village; it seemed the place had been dug up.

“Hell yeah!” she said, all riled up, then cleared her voice. “Lieutenant Colonel, there are improvised explosive devices in the eastern region of the village behind a white bungalow.”

“We are heading there now. Hold on!” Then, to the other soldiers, she said, “To the eastern region now!”

Drew watched as they moved fast toward the specified location.

“It looks freshly dug up,” a specialist said over the intercom before they began working on it.

With Jack’s help, they conducted a thorough sweep of the area, uncovering a cache of cleverly concealed explosives, including some buried just 12 inches underground.

Drew implored for the protection of Izzy and the entire team as they worked with precision and haste to defuse the deadly explosives. Just as it seemed like the operation was proceeding smoothly, a sudden jolt of tension shot through the air as Izzy's voice crackled over the intercom, her usual calm demeanor shattered by a frustrated yell. "Goddammit!"

The outburst sent a shiver down Drew's spine, and she wondered what could have gone wrong.

She suddenly became apprehensive. “Hello, Lieutenant Colonel. Do you copy? Is everything good down there?”

“Major Mitchell, there's a timer attached to a bomb here. The specialist just realized we have less than fifteen minutes to diffuse it or else it explodes.”

“Holy shit! What do we do now?” she said, concern etching in her voice.

“Stay put and do your part. We'll handle it!”

Drew let out a deep, exasperated sigh, her frustration palpable as she felt helpless watching from a distance. She longed to be alongside Izzy and the team, and her heart raced with every passing moment.

All she could think about was Izzy's safety, and her mind was consumed by worst-case scenarios. She felt like a bystander, forced to rely on the intercom for updates, her expertise idle and unused. The wait was agonizing, and Drew couldn't shake the feeling that she should be doing more to ensure Izzy’s protection.

Before she could conjure a plan, her thoughts were shattered by the sudden, sharp crackle of gunfire, making Drew's heart skip a beat. Then, Izzy's voice burst through the intercom, her words laced with urgency and authority. "We're under attack! Fire at will!"

Adrenaline surged through Drew's veins. Her mind raced with the implications. She could hear the bursts of gunfire growing louder, the team's return fire echoing through the comms system.

Drew's grip on the console tightened, her knuckles white with tension, as she strained to stay focused, her thoughts consumed by Izzy safety and the dire situation unfolding below.

Drew's mind reeled in confusion and dismay. The sudden attack had added a catastrophic layer of complexity to the already desperate situation. This can't be happening , she thought, her grip on the controls tightening as if she could will the chaos into submission.

With a deep breath, she shook off the paralysis, her training and instincts taking over. "We can't just sit here," she growled. "We're going in to assist them. Position yourselves for descent. We'll provide cover from above!" The words tumbled out, a battle plan forming in her mind.

Drew lowered the armored craft down, circling directly above the insurgents, and screamed, “Attack!”

As the insurgents realized they were no longer alone, they swarmed out of their hiding spots, a seemingly endless horde of armed fighters converging on the plane with a singular focus to bring it down.

Bullets ricocheted off the fuselage, echoing through the air as Drew struggled to maintain control. This gave Izzy and the EOD specialist an unforeseen opportunity. The insurgents' distraction provided a narrow window of chance, allowing them to make a break for the bomb.

With the enemy momentarily distracted, they seized the chance, fingers moving with precision as they carefully disarmed the deadly device.

Inside the helicopter, Drew gritted her teeth, fighting to maintain control of the aircraft as the relentless onslaught raged on. The insurgents' bullets continued to pound the chopper’s armor, threatening to breach its defenses at any moment.

The armored glass, once a secure barrier, now lay shattered, its fragments littering the cockpit floor. Drew's eyes darted anxiously between the instrument panels and windows, bracing for the next impact.

She knew the insurgents were targeting specific weak points, trying to exploit the plane's vulnerabilities. The question was which critical system would they hit next? The engines, fuel tanks, or perhaps flight controls? Each passing second felt like an eternity as Drew struggled to hold the fort, her skills and training stretched to the limit.

“Major Mitchell, I told you to stay put!” Izzy yelled over the intercom. It seemed like a combination of anxiety and anger.

“I'm sorry, Lieutenant Colonel, but now isn't the time to push blame around! Have the explosives been diffused?” She knew the obvious answer to the question.

“I think we would have all been dead now if the case was otherwise.”

Drew finally found a window of opportunity to escape the hail of bullets. She let out a deep sigh of relief, her tense shoulders sagging slightly. "Hang on, Lieutenant Colonel! I'm going to put down a few feet from your position in an open field. It's your best chance for extraction."

She continued, "Please make sure you and the soldiers get there quickly and safely. I'll do my best to cover you from above, but I need you to move now!" The words tumbled out, laced with a sense of urgency.

Despite the suggestion from Izzy that she should land a bit farther from the location, as mentioned earlier, Drew didn't budge.

With a final burst of engines, she set the plane down in the open field and swiftly turned to Jack, her voice low and urgent. "Take the controls, Jack. Keep her running, and be ready to lift off at a moment's notice."

As Jones nodded and slid into the pilot's seat, Drew gathered a few soldiers. They positioned themselves strategically, forming a defensive perimeter around the insurgents.

Just as they got into position, a burst of gunfire echoed across the field, and the EOD specialist, flanked by a handful of soldiers, sprinted toward the plane, the insurgents hot on their heels.

Drew scanned the crowd for Izzy but couldn't find her. Her heart plunged to the floor, punching through her stomach as it tightened. Drew felt she couldn't breathe as her eyes roved, her legs already moving forward without conscious thought.

She couldn't be missing; she just couldn't be. Drew approached the outlet mindlessly. Some soldiers tried to pull her along, but she resisted fiercely.

As she sprinted across the chaotic battlefield, her heart palpitating with every step, she suddenly collided with a figure and tumbled to the ground. Apologetic, she looked up to see Izzy's familiar face etched with concern and exhaustion.

But it was what Izzy was holding that made her heart skip a beat: a young lieutenant, his eyes glazed with pain, a bloodstain spreading across his uniform from a bullet wound to his ribs.

She felt sorry for him. Yet, amidst the ear-splitting gunfire, Drew felt an unexpected calm wash over her as she gazed at Izzy. It was as if in this moment of utter chaos, she had found a beacon of hope, a reminder that they were in this together and that they would get through it as a team.

Izzy's eyes widened in astonishment, her face pale with shock. For a moment, she seemed frozen, unable to speak or move.

Drew didn't hesitate, swiftly scrambling to her feet. With a gentle yet firm grip, she grasped the injured lieutenant's shoulder, supporting him. Together, they sprinted toward the waiting aircraft, protected by a defensive perimeter of soldiers who held off the insurgents.

The air was thick with the smell of smoke and sweat hanging heavy as Drew and Izzy rushed to escape the chaos, their footsteps pounding out a desperate rhythm.

With a gradual yet deliberate pace, the defense team fell back into the aircraft, their weary faces etched with relief. Though battered and bruised, with a few injuries sustained during the intense firefight, they had held their ground, protecting their comrades and securing their escape.

As the last of the team members boarded, Drew swiftly switched places with Jack, her hands moving with practiced ease over the controls. With a deep breath, she lifted the aircraft off the ground, soaring into the sky as the insurgents' frustrated shouts faded into the distance.

The team's exhausted silence filled the cabin, punctuated only by the soft beeps of the instruments and the steady hum of the engines as Drew flew them back to the safety of their base. Drew let out a breath she hadn’t realized she had been holding.

That was a close one. Too close.

When they arrive on base, Drew accompanied the injured lieutenant to the medical center to get a chance to talk with Izzy, but she was busy instructing her medical team to prep for surgery.

“I’ll be leading the surgery,” Izzy barked. “Prep my equipment, I’m scrubbing in.”

A few hours later, Lieutenant Colonel Patel summoned both of them to work on the mission report and corroborate their contributions and roles. Drew saw this as the perfect opportunity to talk to Izzy concerning their personal issues.

As they walked, she trailed closely behind Izzy, her footsteps echoing Izzy's steady pace. Upon arriving at the office, they entered in silence, the door closing softly behind them.

The familiar surroundings seemed to fade into the background as they settled in, their attention drawn to each other. The air was charged with a newfound awareness, and the intensity of their shared experiences had created a connection between them, making them overly conscious of each other.

Drew sat opposite her desk, watching her closely, but she seemed more engrossed in turning her laptop on, her expression stern and focused.

The air between them thickened with emotions and unspoken words, and Drew knew she was intentionally avoiding eye contact. “Izzy, say something, please,” she said, hating the tension that was engulfing the room.

“You will address me as Lieutenant Colonel, and I suggest we focus solely on why we're here. This report is a bit complicated, and we need to get our facts right.” Her tone was firm.

The words flew from Izzy’s mouth and stung Drew as sharply as a whip, leaving her feeling raw and exposed, the venom in her words lingering in the air.

She swiftly gathered her emotions like a stormy sea retreating from the shores. “I'm sorry, Lieutenant Colonel. I overstepped my boundaries.” Izzy looked at her, uneasiness stretching over her face like a thin layer of frost.

She knew her words had hurt her. Heaving a sigh, she said, “Professionalism is an important aspect of our job. This job requires unwavering dedication, relentless attention to details, and a commitment to excellence in every task, no matter the challenges, circumstances, or personal feelings.”

She paused, presumably to let her words sink in. “Never put a mission at risk because of your personal feelings. Do you understand?”

“Yes, ma'am,” Drew answered, but her head was buried in her own thoughts.

Drew knew Izzy was avoiding a conversation about their personal lives and using professional advice as a smokescreen to mask the underlying tension between them, a clever tactic that allowed her to maintain a sense of control and distance while also keeping her at arm's length.

She decided to let it go this time.

As they worked on the report together, she thought of the other things Izzy had said about feelings interfering with her job. Perhaps she wasn't the only one who was guilty of this.

The clear difference between her and Izzy, though, was that she was bold enough to admit her mistakes while Izzy shied away from it. This left her perplexed and struggling to reconcile Izzy’s tough exterior with the fragility that her refusal to face her fears revealed.

“Just face it!” She gasped. She didn't mean to say it out loud.

“Excuse me?”

“Nothing, ma'am.”

But Izzy’s demeanor changed. Perhaps she heard her after all, and those three words had struck a chord.