Second week of August BF entry-Brave and Crazy
“Are you sure you want to do this, Ms. Ryan?” The voice was male, but that was all I could tell about the figure addressing me. The room was mostly dark. Not surprising, it being underground. I think.
“What do you mean? Of course I’m sure. Why?” This was sort of an unsettling question, now, when I had made my way past all their background checks, thorough their layers of security, to stand here in their headquarters.
“We need to make sure you’re not going to have a change of heart at an . . . inconvenient time. So, once again, I want to tell you: there is no returning from this task. Do you understand?”
I squeezed my eyes tight. There on the inside of my lids, were Jeremy, and Lia. Oh, God, Lia. “Yes,” I whispered.
“Good.” The man paused, and I could hear papers rustling. “Yes. You will be infiltrating an enemy barracks; I trust you’ve been fully briefed on the location?”
“Yes, I have.”
“Excellent. Your mission, then, is clear to you. If possible, wait until the majority of the enemy belonging to that barracks is present: approximately 7:00pm. However, if you are caught, you must execute the plan immediately.”
“Yes, sir, I understand.” I hoped this would be over soon; I was eager to get going. I was so ready for this all to be over.
“Good,” he strode out of his backlit corner, placed the heavy vest in my hands. I still could not see his face. “I’m sure you’ve been briefed on the operation of the vest. The detonator is in this pocket,” he tapped a small bulge on the vest’s front, “you just need to press the button when the time is right. Ms. Ryan, I don’t need to tell you what an important task you are performing for us. I want to thank you, not just for myself, or the Organization, but for all the innocent people, your countrymen and women, who are suffering under the rule of these invaders. Now, go to God, go to your family, your Lia, and send as many of those bastards to hell as you can.”
With a final squeeze to my arms, he pivoted on his heel, and strode out of the room, leaving me with my burden. I stumbled through the dark tunnels, led by another half-visible functionary out of their headquarters, towards my task, towards my final reward.
“What do you mean? Of course I’m sure. Why?” This was sort of an unsettling question, now, when I had made my way past all their background checks, thorough their layers of security, to stand here in their headquarters.
“We need to make sure you’re not going to have a change of heart at an . . . inconvenient time. So, once again, I want to tell you: there is no returning from this task. Do you understand?”
I squeezed my eyes tight. There on the inside of my lids, were Jeremy, and Lia. Oh, God, Lia. “Yes,” I whispered.
“Good.” The man paused, and I could hear papers rustling. “Yes. You will be infiltrating an enemy barracks; I trust you’ve been fully briefed on the location?”
“Yes, I have.”
“Excellent. Your mission, then, is clear to you. If possible, wait until the majority of the enemy belonging to that barracks is present: approximately 7:00pm. However, if you are caught, you must execute the plan immediately.”
“Yes, sir, I understand.” I hoped this would be over soon; I was eager to get going. I was so ready for this all to be over.
“Good,” he strode out of his backlit corner, placed the heavy vest in my hands. I still could not see his face. “I’m sure you’ve been briefed on the operation of the vest. The detonator is in this pocket,” he tapped a small bulge on the vest’s front, “you just need to press the button when the time is right. Ms. Ryan, I don’t need to tell you what an important task you are performing for us. I want to thank you, not just for myself, or the Organization, but for all the innocent people, your countrymen and women, who are suffering under the rule of these invaders. Now, go to God, go to your family, your Lia, and send as many of those bastards to hell as you can.”
With a final squeeze to my arms, he pivoted on his heel, and strode out of the room, leaving me with my burden. I stumbled through the dark tunnels, led by another half-visible functionary out of their headquarters, towards my task, towards my final reward.