Chapter 5- The First Tour

The plane made a hard contact with the Berlin ground, making Jay jolt out of his deep sleep. He yawned as he looked out the window and got his first glimpse of Europe. This was his first international flight and he mentally kicked himself for not taking the longevity of it more seriously. His neck was stiff from resting on the hard, minuscule headrest behind him and his legs fell asleep somewhere around hour nine. He tried to busy himself with a book but kept going back to the farewell at the airport. It was awful to say the least. No one spoke on the ride over to the airport and Kimberly couldn't stop bawling once they arrived at the drop-off zone. This wasn't a couple of weeks on a military base but six months on the battlefield. The dread was going to be present between now and when he got back and Jay absolutely hated putting them through this. The hug he and his mother shared was the longest and Jay didn't mind that at all. Will resumed his silent, upset attitude, only giving Jay a quick nod and 'be careful.' Pat was somewhere in the middle. He was quiet at first but offered the emotional farewell when it was time. The whole farewell ceremony took five minutes and Jay didn't think it should last much longer. The moment had come to put all his words, training, and skills into action. He scooped up his stuff, turned around, and headed straight for the entrance. This was final moment of normal life for awhile and he was ready to jump into the unknown. And now, as he stood in the aisle waiting to board another plane for his final destination, he couldn't help but sense it was him against the world.

The logistics of getting to an Army base in the middle of a war is a rather interesting follow. The itinerary was for Jay to fly out of O-Hare and land in Berlin. From there, he'd be picked up by military officials and spend the night at a safe house in the city before being driven to an airstrip where an Army plane would carry him and his team to their home for the next six months: an undisclosed location somewhere in Afghanistan. For security reasons, Jay was instructed to dress like a civilian and behave in that manner during his time in Berlin. War is a constant game of deception and advantage and you never knew who or what was watching you. Jay maneuvered his way through the gate and hallways and walkways before finally reaching the pick-up zone. He was told to look for a white Volkswagen SUV and a bearded guy, soon realizing this was just a small testing of his deciphering skills. Everyone matched that description. He opted to walk down the sidewalk till someone called him over, which worked out swimmingly.

"Hey, Halstead," someone whispered three cars down from the starting point. Jay threw his bags in first before settling into the back row and closing the door. The driver turned around and thoroughly scanned Jay, somewhat approving after a moment.

"Interesting choice," he muttered before turning the key in the ignition. Jay looked down at his jeans jacket, Chicago Cubs sweatshirt, joggers and sneakers before smirking. It was the perfect blend-in: dress like a tourist.

The drive was a hectic half hour journey, but soon they found themselves in a suburban-life street somewhere on the outskirts of town. All the houses were identical with brick fronts and steps and rod irons railings. It was nearly dark now and everything was dreary from the steady mist falling. Jay stepped out of the car and took his surroundings, feeling like he was in the middle of a Tom Clancy novel. Everything was silent and calm, so different from what he was accustomed to. The driver escorted him into the house before re-setting the high-tech security system. While the house appeared normal on the outside, inside, it was a state of the art intelligence department. The rooms were filled with wires, computers, and maps and several people running about. Jay quickly figured out this was a major hub in the European division and was likely the place where they'd be receiving info while in Afghanistan. They didn't notice him wandering about, looking in at what they were doing and he enjoyed it. Some rooms were set-up for wire tapping while others had large screens looping scans from satellites. It was a full functioning military intelligence unit and Jay was enamored by it all. He was amazed they pulled this off with none of the neighbors noticing. He walked into the kitchen and a figure bent over in a refrigerator perked up his attention.

"Mouse?!" Greg stuck his head out, milk jug and cereal box in hand.

"Hey, when did you get here?!" Jay chuckled while pointing at Mouse's loot.

"Just a few minutes ago. Hungry?!"

"Yeah. What kind of animal stores cereal in the fridge?!" Jay watched Mouse scrounge for a bowl and spoon before combining the ingredients and chowing down. He was nearly done with his serving before coming up for air.

"You want some?!" Jay shook his head, a little disgusted by Mouse's eating habits.

"This is all kinda nuts. How do they pull this off without people catching on?"

"Because this whole street is pretty much owned by the U.S. Federal Government. It's a lot of moving parts, but basically Germany sold them these residences years ago, allowing them to set up shop and run operations and intelligence missions out of here. As long as they keep Germany in the know, they play along that this is just some random suburbian lifestyle out here." Jay nodded while looking out the window, feeling a little creeped out by it now. So much mystery lay out there and he was just beginning to realize the magnitude of what he signed up for.

"How do you know all of this," he asked?

"I've got sources." Jay rolled his eyes, making Mouse smile.

"Where are we sleeping tonight?"

"They have these things called bedrooms. Yeah, and they're right up above us."

"Oh look at you being so smart." Jay trotted up the stairs with Mouse close behind. They both reached their assigned doors and headed in for the night. Jay held Mouse up before he slammed his door shut.

"Hey, does this mean we're working together?"

"No, we're now enemies. Sleep with one eye open." Jay groaned in frustration; this was going to be a long six months.

"Yes, and whoever else checks in before we head out which is in, like, eight hours."

"Sounds good. Look forward to it," Jay replied through a yawn, the jet lag really catching up now.

"Yes, see ya," Mouse replied before slamming the door and locking it. Jay followed suit and was soon falling asleep in a strange bed, telling himself this was probably the final night in a comfortable, secure place. The perfect thought to fall asleep to.

…

They woke up to pounding on the door sooner than any of them wanted. Jay arose to the pounding followed by the smacking of something hard against a door. Given his proximity to Mouse, he figured it was Mouse who threw something at their wake up call. Jay sat up and stared into nothing for a bit, still a little lost on where he was and the time of day. It was the sound of feet moving and the stairs creaking that made him jump back into reality. He showered in minutes and gathered his belongings before trekking down the stairs, ready to meet the rest of the crew.

He was greeted by familiar faces. Rev and New York must've come sometime during the night because they had that lack of sleep look on their faces. Sticks and Dalton were in the kitchen eating something, shouting a loud greeting with food in their mouth. Mouse rolled down the stairs moments later, massaging his temples while donning the greatest of bed heads. It was like a small family reunion and it put Jay at ease a little, knowing his little posse was sticking around for a bit.

"The band's back together," Dalton announced once they were all seated in the living room.

"They must've liked our success rate," Sticks replied.

"It was one mission," Rev commented.

"Yeah, that we passed. Which makes our success rate 100%." Mouse rolled his eyes, acting like he was too cool for their humorous banter. Jay just sat back and observed everything, trying to figure out his role in this new family dynamic. They all sat around for a few minutes talking about random things. Things that pertained to their time back home to who was single or dating. The guy that drove them all to the safe house stuck his head in the room a few minutes later, telling them the plane was ready and it was time to leave. The white Volkswagen was switched for a conversion van today and they all climbed in. Jay was the last to get in and took a final snapshot of his environment. He soaked in the silence and peacefulness of this part of the world, hoping to use it as a reminder sometime in the future. The van slowly backed out of the driveway as the sun was beginning to rise. People were busying themselves with their morning commute into the city. It's funny how similar people are. Even on different continents, people put make up on, sing in the car, and talk on the phone just like they do in the States. They didn't seem to notice the van of people staring at them oddly. It was just another day on their trip around the sun. The hectic, city driving pattern began to dwindle after a time and soon they were in a small, manufacturing town that looked to have seen better years. Things were run down and the streets were almost barren. The van turned down a road that went under a tunnel and wove around airplane hangers before arriving at a dimly lit building at the epicenter of the hangers, terminal, and runways. The driver told everyone to get out and head for the terminal to get checked in. The unit followed the instructions and were soon waiting on the runway, fully donned in their military gear and sitting on their bags, waiting for the plane to roll out.

"This is it," Mouse whispered, a smile growing on his face. Jay just nodded, not really sure how to feel in the moment.

"You ready," Mouse asked?

"Yeah, definitely."

"Well, try to hide your excitement better," Mouse jokingly replied. Jay smacked him, it was going to be fun having an older 'brother' to hang out with. There was this loud hum sounding from a hanger and few minutes later the large, creaky doors rolled open. The massive green plane slowly rolled down past the waiting group and lined up with its' assigned runway. The back door of the plane opened, giving the unit the green light to board. Mouse practically leapt from his spot and was halfway to the plane while the others stretched out and scooped up their stuff. It was like watching a little kid in a candy shop. Mouse was totally in his element. Eventually they all made it on board and were strapped into their seats. There weren't any tray tables or flight attendants, just seats and a metal floor under them. The plane rattled and roared for a few minutes before beginning its' swift climb to optimal take-off speed. Jay held his breath as he waited for the bottom of the plane to stop vibrating, indicating they were airborne. He wasn't the best flyer and was always a little uneasy during take off. But soon his uneasiness resolved as the engines and air took over. He closed his eyes as the plane made the south/south east turn. Next stop, the war zone.

…

It was hot, that's what registered first. Gone was the dreary, wet world he left. All he saw in front of him was sand and cloudless blue skies. Mouse wore his aviators as they walked off the plane, having a Top Gun moment, while the rest of them squinted like dorks. The base was massive. The walls surrounding it were at least fifteen feet tall with sniper perches every few feet. HumVees were constantly coming in and out while soldiers were scattered about the campus working out or relaxing or eating. There were so many people. It felt like you planted Times Square into the middle of the dessert. Aside from Mouse, the rest of the unit stood around a little dumbfounded, a little unsure where they were supposed to go. A older man strolled over to the them, looking very authoritative and aware of what was going on.

"Welcome to Afghanistan, boys. Try to keep your head out of the sand here. Follow me." The group walked with him to a waiting Hummer and they all climbed in, their training starting to kick into gear. He showed them the barracks and command center and briefing room before pointing out the common room areas and eating places outside. He instructed them on where they could work out and when, and warned about the dangers of going too far away from the base. As grand and protected the base was, the likelihood of the enemy finding and attacking them was great. The tour ended with each of them getting room assignments and instructions to be battle ready. War didn't allow for settling in days and they needed to be ready at a moment's notice. Jay worked his way to his room and closed the door, taking everything in for a moment.

There was a twin size bed in the corner on the left side of the room, a trunk for his things at the end of it. There was a bedside table next to the bed and a normal sized window across the way. To the right was a desk with a computer on it, a Skype camera and instruction placed on the desktop. It honestly didn't feel weird being here, not a whole lot different from being dropped off at a college dorm. Jay plopped his bags at the foot of the bed before settling into the chair in front of the desk. The day before he left home, he purchased a Skype camera for his parents and set up an account for them. With his personal phone not allowed, it was the best and fastest way to keep in contact with them while he was away. He typed the necessary numbers and letters into the computer and listened to the phone ring, hesitantly waiting for the other end to pick up. He then remembered he was now nine and a half hours ahead of home and hoped he wasn't waking them up. Soon however, the other side came through.

"Jay," Kimberly practically shrieked!

"Hey, did I wake you guys up?" Pat had now squashed into the viewfinder of the camera, waving as Kimberly spoke.

"No, not at all. We were worried since we hadn't heard from you yet."

"Sorry, it took a little bit to get here but we finally made it."

"How was the flight?"

"Good, long. I slept most of the time on the Berlin flight and the one today wasn't too bad."

"So where exactly are you," Pat asked?

"Um, I'm not totally sure. Other than Afghanistan, I don't recall the name of the town we're close to, which I'm sure is for security reasons." His parents just nodded, trying to hide the fear of not knowing where he was.

"Do you like it?"

"Yeah, it's great." Mouse knocked on the at this point and told Jay the commander wanted to brief everyone on the upcoming mission. Jay nodded without breaking his concentration on the computer screen.

"Do you need to go," his mother asked as Mouse closed the door.

"Yeah, just a meeting on what we're doing."

"Go do your thing. We love you and are proud. Be careful."

"I know, I will," Jay replied before signing off and heading out, feeling that twinge of homesickness whisper in the back of his head.

…

"Alright, listen up!" The briefing room was packed with varying battalions and divisions of the Army, resembling a school cafeteria. Units would sit with similar units while the newbies were in the middle, unsure where their unofficial spot was. Jay, Mouse, and the rest of the crew found themselves in that epicenter part of the room and felt a little out of place. So many voices talking about numerous things that it jumbled into gibberish. They'd occasionally comment on what was happening around them, but for the most part, they just listened and observed, hoping to fit in at some point. The commander of the base stormed into the room a few minutes later, his very booming voice and prominent presence made everything grew instantly silent. Those who were in the know stood and saluted the commander, Jay and his unit stood a couple of seconds later and followed suit, earning them a comedic moment.

"At ease." The chairs slid in unison as everyone returned to their relaxed state.

"First off, let's welcome the newest members of the third battalion, seventy-fifth regiment Ranger force." There was a combination of claps, cheers, and grunts as Jay and the crew waved, a little embarrassed over the attention.

"Welcome guys, we're glad you've made it and we look forward to helping you pop your mission cherry." That got a couple of smirks and laughs. The commander held up a collection of papers as a projector screen was rolled down and slides were displayed on it.

"Intel just came in on our targets and hostages. This is the latest satellite footage of the compound and according to local reports, most of the high level targets are still in and around the facility. The head guy hasn't been visually confirmed yet but it's very likely he's there." The commander clicked the remote a couple of times, proceeding to highlight out points of access, who was confirmed in the compound, and if the hostages were alive.

"As you can see, seven of the eight hostages were walked across the compound yesterday afternoon and brought into this building here. We have reason to believe the eighth hostage escaped or has been killed, we'll know more once we get in here." Everyone was quiet after that one, realizing the cruelty and severity of where they were headed. The high level target was a leader in a nearby unit of the Taliban. He'd been terrorizing small towns with little military assistance for months. Women and children would go missing in the night and men would be kidnapped and forced into this person's regiment. The hostages for this particular mission were believed to be two women and six children, ranging from four to twelve years old. A remote surveillance team back in the States witnessed the abduction a week prior and followed them to the Taliban leader's compound. From there, it was about creating a game plan and getting the right people on the ground. This high level target was known to interrogate his hostages for about a week before eliminating them, making this case odd because he'd gone over his timeline. Regardless, time was of the essence.

"We're sending into three teams. Charlie team will be responsible for creating a point of access and border security. You're our eyes and ears when we get in there. Bravo team will have defensive responsibilities while Alpha is assigned with rescuing the hostages. Targets are to be taken alive unless life preservation actions must be taken. Look over the game plan and get in sync with your team. We're rolling out in three hours. Good luck to everyone." Briefing packets were disbursed and the three teams clumped together. Jay and his unit were part assigned to the Charlie team, the seemingly easiest part of the whole thing. In the back of his mind, Jay wanted to be in that search and rescue role, but was excited to play some kind of role in this massive operation. They weren't going to be the one's breaking the door down, but they were responsible for calling in the exit strategy and they took up their roles wholeheartedly.

The room migrated from the briefing room to the tact gear room. It was awesome to witness. There was a large table in the middle of the room and cages housing their weapons along the walls. It was like watching robots. Everyone knew exactly what they needed and the exact pace necessary to load their weapons. No one spoke during this time, enjoying the snapping, clicking, and sliding of people readying themselves for battle. Jay couldn't help but be awestruck by it all, fighting the urge to geek out over how cool this all was. No longer was this an idea or far off plan, the words were finally being put into action and he couldn't wait.

A couple of hours later, the plane rolled down the tarmac and everyone crammed in. Jay found his spot near the entrance and watched as the setting sun disappeared behind the plane door. He looked to Mouse and nodded his head, mentally telling him he was ready to roll. He rested his elbow on his knee and placed his fist under his chin as the plane climbed into the sky. Next step, jumping into unknown.

…

The headsets crackled the command to jump an hour and a half later. During the flight, Jay was fighting sleep. The swaying flow of the plane's travel and the silence amongst the group was very trance-like. Jay's head would drop for a moment before he'd pick himself back up. A couple of times, Mouse or Rev would nudge him, making his face turn red as they laughed over his lack of intensity. It was odd because none of this scared him. The very real possibility of being shot or taken didn't scare him. It was all part of the job. As long as you kept alert and had a wing man, you were solid. Since they were the first step in the plan, Jay and the rest of the Charlie team jumped first. It was a group of fifteen and they all gathered at the back of the plane, waiting for the door to open. Fist bumps and head nods were exchanged as the quiet, cold air hit their faces. They got the green light and let gravity do its' thing. That odd dread crept back into Jay's mind as they fell. The sky was completely dark now and the night vision was staticky. Unlike in previous jumps, everything was live. Once his feet touched the ground, hell would break loose. The rounds weren't blank and it wasn't training officers disguised as the bad guys. This moment at whatever number of feet was the final moment of peacefulness. Jay swallowed the dread and forced himself to stare at the altitude monitor, reminding himself everything was going to be fine.

Some seconds later, he quietly made contact with the sandy earth under him and tucked his jump gear away. He secured his weapons and readied the long assault rifle, waiting for the cue to begin moving. It was cool at this position of the operation. You could look up and hear canvass fluttering in the wind, but had no clue where it was all coming from. Feet would quietly press against the ground and guns were drawn seconds later. No one spoke during this time, only using mic clicks and hand movements. The leader of Charlie team glanced down at his marked map before pointing a direction, using hand movements to tell everyone to move. Jay was situated about mid-pack as they moved. It was a fifteen minute hike but soon the compound loomed large. It was a massive walls were several feet high and at least a couple feet thick. Buildings towered above the wall and were multidimensional structures. It looked like a castle in a book, minus a moat. The crazy part was that this was in the middle of nowhere. Jay found his mind wandering to the logistics of how one builds something of this magnitude, his thoughts being interrupted by commands from the leader.

"Newbies, take your position on the southeast corner." Jay, Mouse, and the rest of them quietly and methodically worked they way to the spot, keeping guns drawn the entire time. They were about halfway down when they heard the first hints of movement. Shouts were sounding from the other side of the wall, running feet soon followed. They were made. Mouse pushed Jay a little, telling him to pick up the pace. They reached the southeast corner when the first gun shot rang out. It was booming, like a rocket launcher. They watched something careen over them and crash into the ground, exploding a few feet to their right. They felt hot sand hit their hands and faces but didn't move, keeping their guns pointed upward in anticipation of gunfire. Mouse saw the flash of a gun first and didn't hesitate, successfully hitting his target. The gun dropped out of the person's hands and hit the ground, Rev running out to acquire it. Jay was a little surprised at Mouse's easiness for killing, reminding himself it was them or him. Dalton moved a little further down the wall with Sticks in tow, each taking out snipers hovering on the top of the wall. Meanwhile, the shouting inside the walls had grown to a full on assault. The rest of the Charlie team breached the gate of the compound and had pulled back, letting the remaining teams flood in. Gunfire was constant and explosions from grenades and door breaching echoed across the dessert. People would shout commands and updates on the radio and it took everything in Jay to not head in. A couple of minutes later, the call they all wanted came across the channel.

"Hostages are acquired," a member of Alpha team calmly radioed.

"10-4," someone from Charlie replied.

"Newbies, call in the exit." Mouse reached for the briefing manual in New York's gear and quickly thumbed through the pages, muttering something about feet and coordinates.

"New York, Jay, go thirty feet that way and mark the spot. I'll call it in." The two of them broke free, each man watching an opposite direction. Gunfire was hitting around them, but they just kept running. They guesstimated the spot and threw the flares on the ground, creating a glowing red triangle for the helicopter. By now the rest of Charlie team had began their retreat to the landing zone, clearing the path for the other teams and the hostages. The helicopters blades could be heard seconds later, making the sand around the waiting soldiers blast them in the face. The hostages and Alpha team were loaded first, the rest climbed into the second helicopter. Jay remembered to breathe as the chopper ascended into the night sky. His hands were shaking from adrenaline as he returned his weapons to their holsters. There was shouting and cheering in the chopper as the crew celebrated a successful mission. The commander came across the radio to congratulate them.

"Nicely done, boys. All hostages were acquired and two targets were captured alive. See you back at the FOP." Mouse shook Jay's shoulders and shouted something in his ear. Jay doesn't recall the words spoken that evening but just remembers the jubilation of achieving a dangerous, high stakes goal. At the time, Jay didn't realize it was the first of many successful moments he and his team would achieve. For some reason, the flight back to the base was quicker than the flight out. Perhaps it was the anticipation or dread that dragged everything out. Soon though, safe ground was under their feet again. Jay and Mouse held back and watched the aftermath of everything. The hostages were smiling, crying, hugging each other as they stood in the helicopter hanger, free from the clutches of evil. Jay counted six children and only saw one adult female. He was about to ask something when the white body bag was carried out and gently placed on a gurney. Whatever mental celebration Jay was experiencing vanished. They didn't get there in time and now a family was without a parent. Jay didn't watched the two targets get escorted to a waiting plane because he was doubled over in grief. His hands were resting on his knees and his head hung low, everything shaking and his breath short. Mouse patted his back, letting Jay have the silence for a bit.

"We failed them," Jay spoke. Mouse hesitated before replying.

"At least they can have a funeral." Jay stood up and nodded his head.

"Yeah, let's go." It's odd because, in a way, he somehow forget that casualty is apart of war. He knew the risks for himself, but somehow overlooked the part where innocent lives were likely to be lost. Again, it's all part of the job, one of the many cruel aspects of war. He wished there was a way to avoid it all, but reminded himself that's why he and every other soldier was here. It was a two-prong thing: protect his country's freedom and keep other innocent people out of the hands of evil forces. He spent most of the night tossing and turning, wishing there was a way to rewind the hands of time for that grieving family.

So the next chapter will see more of the first tour. Obviously, more happened then this one mission but I wanted to really establish the beginning of the journey. Next chapter will be a littler faster paced and will finally include some hints from the shows. I hope you guys enjoyed this one. Let me know what you think! Thanks again for reading this!