Their first mission was to take them to the Persian Gulf to gather information on an Iraqi general. Bashal Asam Makeish had recently overthrown the democratic republic in a bloody coup by killing everyone with the power to oppose his rise. He believed that any non-Muslim was to be considered a disease and needed to be destroyed.
His bloodthirsty terrorist philosophy was made clear when a large shipment of weapons belonging to the United Nations had suddenly been diverted to his home base.
They needed to gather as much information as possible and relay it back to headquarters. Mostly, they would only be there to provide backup to the main team that was in charge. Their responsibility was to retrieve the cache of stolen equipment or, if necessary, destroy it to prevent it from being used.
After electronically jamming the Iraqi radar system, the teams parachuted into the landing zone located five miles northeast of An Najaf. When the teams regrouped, they headed for the designated location towards the center of town.
“Sir,” Lee said to Thorn, “Bravo Team has established contact; they’ve located the building where Bashal and his men are holding up. Infrared shows twenty-five spaced throughout the site.”
“What are their locations, Sergeant?” He questioned.
Charlie interrupted, “Major, we have ten on the third floor; it appears they are sleeping. Second, there are eleven just sitting around; and the first floor has the last four guarding something. By their spacing, I’d say it would have to be very large, like a stack of crates, sir.”
When backup arrived, they started planning to destroy the payload and everyone in the building. Thorn’s team was to stay behind and document everything, while Major Jake 'Tag' Taggart’s team would quietly make their way in and neutralize any chance of the weapons being used against them.
“Our entry will be at this point, here.” Major Tag was pointing to the map on the ground in front of him. Then he spoke to the other officers, including Charlie, “We will set the charges and take out any resistance, while your team watches from back here provide support if things get out of hand. You all copy that?” Everyone agreed with his instructions.
He then asked Thorn for a word in private before everybody proceeded. “Jim, that little lady there has a good head on her shoulders; best keep an eye on her.”
“Yeah, Tag, I know. She really proved us all wrong; I haven't seen anyone as determined as she is in a long time.”
“J, we really need to get this guy. You do remember what today is, don’t you?” Tag asked.
“Yeah, as a matter of fact, there is no way I can ever forget.”
Tag ended the conversation and smiled. “Now, watch my back, Bro. You know what to do if anything happens to me.”
Returning the gesture with a grin of uncertainty, “I’ll watch your back; you just be careful and come back in one piece.”
Over the comms, everything could be heard as to what Tag’s team was saying and doing. Charlie tried to relax as everyone got into their positions. They all were serious about the job that needed to be done; they had the understanding that there was a strong possibility some of them could be killed on this mission. Charlie’s beliefs prepared her to die if necessary, but not to actually kill. She promised herself on the way there that she would not fire a shot at anyone unless it was truly a matter of protection.
Through her infrared scope, she watched as the team made their way down to the target, their silhouettes resembling panthers on the hunt. She then turned her focus on the men guarding the crates.
“Hamil, you three take the point and investigate the target. If it’s there, rig it to blow. You copy?” Tag’s voice echoed in her ears.
“I copy that, Tag,” Hamil responded.
“If you encounter any resistance, silence them. Don’t give them the chance to call for backup.”
Charlie sat there, watching the team closely, when, from over her shoulder, she could feel Thorn’s breath against her neck as he said, “Charlie, what can you see?”
Startled, she said, “They just took out the guards and now appear to be rigging the charges.” Just then she caught a glimpse of some activity on the other floors. “Hold on, something is happening.”
“What is it? What do you see?” Thorn asked with great concern.
“Oh, shit!” Charlie announced loudly, “Sir, one of the guards must have triggered the alarm. Major Tag and two others have rushed in, but the room is filling fast with bad guys. They’re in the middle of heavy fire.”
The team was pinned down, being slaughtered where they stood. Thorn called out, “Tag, pull out! Do you copy? Tag, damn it! Pull out and blow the fucking place!”
Charlie saw several figures running out, only to be gunned down by snipers. Just before the building blew, she witnessed Tag being shot in the head at point-blank by one of the guards’ AK-47s. She cringed at the sight of Tag’s brains splatter against the wall behind him. She didn’t even hear Thorn’s order to retreat until he grabbed her by the shoulders.
“Let’s get the hell out of here! Everyone, head for the extraction site! Move it! There’s nothing we can do for them now!” Thorn barked, dragging Charlie out of her trance.
As they started to pull out, the Iraqi guards that were not in the building began to search for them. Charlie could see about twenty heading towards them as they were grabbing their gear and hauling ass as fast as they could out of the area. Gunshots were heard; she felt the puff of air as a bullet whizzed past her face. Charlie finally made it to the chopper; Thorn yanked her in as they started to lift off. Once they were out of gun range, Charlie noticed they had lost everyone from Tag's team. They all bowed their heads when Thorn made an announcement.
“Let us bow our heads in silence and pray for our fallen brothers. Pray for the souls of Major Taggart and his team.”
Charlie couldn’t believe that he had actually possessed a human side. She understood his display more when later Van Doriff explained to her that Taggart was also Thorn’s brother-in-law and that the three of them had all grown up together. She suddenly began to feel sorry for him when told the story of how this was the third anniversary of his sister’s death. Also, the person responsible was none other than Bashal himself. She was traveling at the time through Europe while the guys were on a mission. Her train was blown up by a bomb that had been planted in its cargo compartment.
Upon their return to the aircraft carrier, they had to undergo a debriefing on what had happened. They all had to answer as to why everything had gotten out of hand, why so many men had lost their lives. Officers debriefed first; Major Thorn, Lt. Van Doriff, and Charlie had the honors of going before the enlisted per standard procedure.
“Come on, Lieutenant, we know what you stated in your report, and now we want to hear it from you. What did you see as Taggart's team entered the building?” Asked a very nosy Intel Colonel.
“Look,” She explained, “it is exactly like I wrote in my report. Taggart’s team entered the building. They had just finished wiring the explosives when suddenly a hell of a lot more guards than you told us there were began to fill the room and opened fire on the team before they could escape. Really, great fucking intelligence on that one, Sir.”
“Lt. Shore, this is not a trial; you don’t have to hide anything to protect the person who may have fucked up. All we are wanting is to understand why things went down the way they did.”
“Hey,” Thorn interrupted, his emotions spiking on the defensive, “she has already answered the same fucking questions numerous times now. Lay off; you don’t need to patronize my team for your fuck up.”
“Major, we are only trying to...”
Thorn cut him off. “Blah, blah. You are trying to cover your own narrow ass by blaming someone else. We are through here. De, Charlie, let’s go.”
The three of them walked out of the room, leaving the Colonel standing there shocked and dumbfounded by Thorn’s remark. Just before Charlie closed the door, he said, “Well, I guess we have to be satisfied with your report, Lieutenant. Dismissed.”
She looked into Thorn's eyes before they walked down the hall and said, “Thank you. Sir.” Then departed for her quarters to try and rest before chow.
Charlie sat in her private room while the rest of the team was debriefed. Trying to relax was very difficult; she just couldn’t shake out the memory of seeing Tag’s brains splattering against that wall. She figured she would attempt to meditate some to clear her mind. She just laid out some of her ritual items when a sudden knock at the door broke her concentration. Her tension was slightly released when she heard Thorn's voice through the opening door.
“Charlie, are you okay?” Asking with concern when he entered. He looked around the small room; he noticed what she had been preparing. He then inquired, “Charlie, what is all this?”
“I’m fine.” She responded, yet was very surprised by an actual attempt at a conversation. “Oh, I was just trying to meditate; maybe say a small prayer asking the Goddess for guidance.”
“You were?” He asked, “I didn’t know you were Wiccan, too.”
“Yes, I am, but...” She paused. “What do you mean, too?”
He sat down on her bunk and explained, “I was raised Wiccan; up until now, the team has been diverting my attention. You should know, this will have to remain a secret; others may not share in the acceptance of this. De, Tag and I had started a Coven back home, my sis...” He choked. “My sister and Tag were married by a traditional handfasting, as were my parents. Anyway, for your protection, keep this to yourself. The others may not understand; hell, you just barely got them to accept you as one of them to a degree.”
“Thank you, Sir.” She responded shyly to his comment, then she softly smiled.
He quickly changed the subject. “We are going to be a team for quite some time; let’s lose the formalities, please. Just Jim will suffice. That whole sir thing gives me the willies.”
“Alright then, Jim.” She smarted back, getting up from the floor to sit on her bunk.
“You know, Charlie, I read your file. Even though it has more holes in it than Swiss cheese, I know how you ended up at the D. It also mentions what happened to your family. This mission must have been difficult for you, knowing that Bashal was the one responsible.”
“So,” She said sarcastically, “what's your point?”
“I just can’t believe that you would kill a man twice your size. Sorry, but you don’t appear to be that strong; however, that right hook of yours showed me otherwise." He smiled, slowly rubbing his jaw. "Then, while you're serving your sentence at the D, your parents' plane is shot down over the Saudi desert. That is a lot for a teenager to...”
Charlie interrupted, “And my favorite color is yellow. What are you getting at, Jim?”
Frustrated, he attempted to explain, “I can’t believe you. My point is, even though you’re a woman, you are one of the best people I have ever trained and worked with. You have mastered all types of martial arts, swordplay, and know twelve languages. You just finished your field medic training and have a very interesting talent for electronics. Yet you never seem to be too comfortable being alone with anyone in the unit. Why is that?”
Charlie, for some reason she felt safe when Jim was around. She began to relax and proceeded to explain that the reason she kept to herself was that she feared that any contact may cause friction within the unit. Also, her limited experience with certain matters was sufficient reason for her to keep some distance.
“So, you’re telling me you’re still a virgin?” He asked with a puzzled look.
“Goddess, no!” She exclaimed.
When she denied his presumption, “Wait a minute, you were the first to undress and shower that day when you started training.”
Charlie went on to explain that she had been weakened by a man once; as a result, she ended up getting pregnant while she was at the D. She had to practically go into hiding while there, so none of the others there would find out, especially the father.
She didn’t want to be treated as if she were a threat to them. If they were going to be a team, then certain indiscretions should not be an issue as far as gender was concerned. Jim found her statement to be somewhat amusing and chuckled for a minute.
They continued talking for a while longer. Charlie started getting to know more about Jim as each minute passed. Learning little facts like they were both from the same area in Nevada, Jim had joined up during his second year at Harvard, and there was a five-year difference in their age. She never realized that he would be so concerned about her past or even how she felt about what had occurred during this mission. He explained to her that he knew what it was like to lose family tragically. Even more recently, his brother-in-law, Tag.
After saying goodnight, Jim was about to leave when he turned, placing his hand to her face; he said, “Let’s keep our conversation between us; it isn’t anyone's business but yours as to what is in the past. But, with you being the only woman on the team, I just want you to be more cautious than usual. I don’t know what any of us would do if anything were to happen to you, okay?” He leaned closer, brushing his lips against her cheek.
Charlie became overwhelmed as a result of Jim’s statement. Unable to withhold her appreciation for how everyone truly felt about her was finally out in the open. Charlie threw her arms around him, pressing her lips to his. His body quickly heated from the sensational feel of her mouth pressing to his. He suddenly forgot himself, giving in to the moment, holding her face in his hands, giving her a long, warm, wet kiss. They were just about to lose all control when they heard voices of people passing by the door. She quickly pulled away, looking deep into his blue eyes.
With a sudden sensation of awkwardness, Jim excused himself and proceeded to leave. Once he was gone and the door closed behind him, Charlie fell onto her bunk. Slamming her head into the pillow, she screamed in frustration. The comprehension of what she had just done- letting him see that she was interested in him. Made her want to crawl under a rock to live forever, but he is just so handsome. Her heart would race every time she thought of him. Her mind was swimming in a fantasy world, images of their bodies close together with the heat of their passion filling the air.
“Argh!” She yelled, trying to force the thoughts from her mind.
Later that evening at chow, everyone was discussing back and forth about when their next mission would be. When they were going to get to lead their own mission and not just provide backup to a group of old-timers. Charlie sat quietly, thinking about Alex and how he was doing. Wondering whether he made it through training, if perhaps he was on a mission at that very moment. Then the memory of her kiss with Jim flooded back up. Her train of thought was rudely broken by Jay.
“Shore, what do you think?”
She asked, “Call me Charlie, please. Think about what?”
“Charlie, weren’t you listening?” Jeff stated, “Jim has put in for us to get an all-expenses-paid R&R in Maui.”
She couldn’t believe her ears. They were getting two weeks in Hawaii, each getting their own room. This was great; her 21st birthday was just four days away, and she was going to live it up. The twelve of them were partying all night, fun in the sand and sun.
It was a perfect day in October; they celebrated Charlie’s birthday with drinks on the beach, watching the sun set calmly against the ocean’s horizon. Later that night, the guys decided that it would be cool if the entire team would get tattooed. Even Jim wanted to join in on the excursion.
They had nicknamed their unit ‘The Wildcats’; everyone agreed to get various styles of wild cats on their bodies. Some picked out leopards, others got cheetahs, and there was even a lion or two. Charlie, however, chose a tiger holding a pentangle for herself, to be placed on the center of her upper back at the base of her neck, between the shoulder blades.
Watching her as she helped De choose his design, Jim broke between them to ask Charlie if she would do the honors of helping him decide. She felt that he should get a Siberian tiger, because it better suited his natural attitude, on his right shoulder blade.
Each waited their turn for the torture that awaited them with the artist’s needles. Then giggled like children when anyone would holler in pain from getting inked in an overly sensitive area.
When everyone was finished, comparisons of each other’s tattoos were made as they departed back to the hotel. A couple of the guys would smack one another, where they would complain of having the most pain, knowing well that when they would complain, they would get their just deserts.
Charlie just smiled at their childish behavior and made no complaint at all about any discomfort she might have been feeling. However, the guys knew well that if she were to express any pain, attempts to increase the pain would result in her kicking their asses.
Charlie was just settling into bed when someone began to softly knock at her door. Gently, she pulled it open to see him leaning against the frame. His blue eyes gazed into hers. Without a word, she allowed him entry into the room.
"I know it's late, but I can't stop thinking about you." He said in a soft voice as she closed the door.
Confused by his statement, "Jim? I don't understand..." She had barely turned to say when he began kissing her, just as he had on the ship. Doing everything she could to maintain control of her emotions. He began placing soft, gentle kisses along her neck and collar, her body suddenly flushed with heat before she cautiously pushed against his chest. "Jim, we shouldn't be doing this." She said quietly.
"I know." He said, running a hand through his hair in frustration, "But I can't seem to get you off my mind, and I don't think I can hold myself back for long." He started to kiss along her neck.
The sensation caused her thoughts to race. Pulling away, "Jim. I can't, please. I can't get involved like this with anyone right now."
"Okay, I just want to be able to spend time with you; you know, get to know each other better. Please, just give me the chance. I can wait until you are ready." He gave her another kiss before leaving for the night.
The next morning after breakfast, Charlie lay on the sandy beach talking to Dietrich, who was making himself very obvious as he flirted with her. She kept getting the sense that Jim was watching her every move. She smiled at the thought of his high-school-like act of attempting not to be noticed.
“What was that little smirk all about?” De asked, nudging her shoulder.
Charlie replied, “Oh, nothing. I just had a humorous thought. Now, by what name do you prefer we use when addressing you? Should it be Dietrich or just De?”
“Just plain ol’ De will do just fine, Char.” He answered with a flirtatious wink.
They continued talking while they watched a few of the guys’ horses playing in the clear blue waters, as some others waved as they attempted to surf. Charlie felt like things were finally going right with her team; she was now a part of a family again.
“Yeah, that’s exactly what I mean. Those damn headsets we have to wear are just too fucking bulky. We need something more lightweight that will have a better signal when you are trying to transmit and receive information. I just hate it when…” De was interrupted as a shadow suddenly cast over them. “About time you finally decided to grace us with your ominous presence, Jimbo.”
“I just had a few things to do, De-man. Not all of us are so lucky to actually enjoy their time off.” Jim answered, “How is your back today, Charlie?”
Holding her hand to block the sun’s glare, she responded, “Just fine. How’s yours doing?”
Jim just nodded, then prompted De to retrieve the rest of their band so he needed to talk to all of them at once. He waited until De was down the beach, hollering to the guys, before kneeling beside Charlie and speaking softly, “Charlie, I know last night was out of line, and there are some things I think we need to talk about. But there is something more pressing.”
After everyone was assembled, Jim announced they were going out on assignment immediately. The where-to would be disclosed as soon as they returned to Virginia for their briefing with HQ. Apparently, it was something of great importance to have pulled them from R&R so early. Hastily, they gathered their things and headed back to their rooms to pack for the trip home. Their flight was leaving in three hours; they had to hurry.
When they boarded the plane, some of the guys were still a bit confused as to why there was such a rush for them to return home. The bombardment of questions plagued Jim and De right up until takeoff.
“Really, where are we off to this time, sir?” Brian asked.
De answered, “Wherever they fucking tell us to go, Bri. You all seem to be too damn anxious to get back to work all of a sudden.” All of them were kind of itchy to get back into the field. Now that they all had gotten a taste of the adventure and action, they couldn’t sit still when they hungered for more.
They had just barely stepped off the plane when they were escorted to a line of vehicles driven by Military Police and taken immediately to Headquarters. No one questioned their situation; they just followed Jim’s orders: “Guys, more will be explained once we get to HQ.”
They were gathered into a cramped meeting room while a gray-haired Colonel began giving the details. “We have received Intel that a small band of former KGB agents have gone rogue and are hiding out in the mountains in northern Kosovo. There, they have been attempting to make contact with General Bashal, in order to sell him information and weapons stolen from army convoys along the passes and roadways between Serbia and Hungary. Your mission is to track, isolate, and neutralize this threat. If you are successful, it may just be another cut into Bashal’s plans.”
Everyone assumed that he was finished and began to leave the room when he stopped them dead in their tracks, “I have here a promotion letter to present, if you all can spare a moment.”
Turning, they all glanced at one another as to who would be getting the bump up. Jose whispered that if Jim were to make Lieutenant Colonel, then he would have to leave the team. Charlie shrugged her shoulders and prayed that it would not be anything that could break up the team.
Handing the letter to Jim, he read it carefully, then looked up at his team. “De and Charlie, could you come here, please?” He asked.
Her heart was now pounding hard in her chest. Why her? She hadn’t done anything that she knew of to warrant such an honor. Cautiously, she approached them, De following close behind her. Jim then read out loud for the team to hear. “As of this day, the Twentieth of October, it is so ordered by the Secretary of the Armed Forces that Lieutenant Charlene M. Shore and Lieutenant Dietrich P. Van Doriff both be granted the rank of Captain. This shall be imposed as the result of their actions during hostile engagements. It is also ordered that…” He continued on, naming every member of the team and the new ranks they were going to receive.
Each was given a box that contained their ranks and commendations. After all of the formalities were dispensed, they hastily prepped their gear at the barracks and headed out of the hangar. All were ready, pumped, and eager to get this assignment done, so they could come home and celebrate their new promotions.
They had been home a month when Charlie decided to find a place of her own. A few of the guys expressed their unhappiness about her moving out of the barracks.
"Come on, Char. Who's gonna keep our asses in check if you leave?" Jose whined.
"I am sure you can handle yourself just fine without me. I don't think I can take another night, having to listen to you jerking off in the latrine." She joked.
Smiling, "Well, what else am I to do? I gotta get those naughty images of you in the showers out of my head somehow." He shot back.
Rob swung his arm over her shoulder to maneuver her from Jose's roving eye. "Well, just as long as you would be willing to give us a home-cooked meal once in a while. I guess the least we can do is help you haul your stuff."
Once she was all settled. Jim would constantly drop by Charlie's in the evenings, when they weren't about to go out on assignments, to spend time together.