BURDEN OF AUTHORITY
BY: DANI

Fortune is Merry

    Thinking back, what he had had to do to get this rescue mission off the ground wasn't easy. Flint had needed to pull every string, call in every favor, and even promise out a few favors in return, but as he glanced over his team as they were catching some much needed z's while cruising at 50,000 ft., there was really only one thing on his mind. The nightmares hadn't improved, even with the promise of a rescue mission, so he hadn't been getting as much sleep as he really needed, but it had given him ample time to think. He was starting to worry more and more that the phantasms haunting his dreams and even his waking hours were ominously portentous. Coupled with the disturbingly vivid images of her probable fate, Flint found his mind wandering to the more selfish recesses of his mind which he had, up until now, never wanted to admit existed. He found himself concentrating on that evening a week ago (had it only been a week!) with conflicting emotions, but mostly with regret. He had held her in his arms… so close to throwing all inhibitions to the wind and giving in to his desires… but fate had intervened with a phone call and he had been too stupid to disregard it. To hell with protocol… why had he been such a fool? He had a gorgeous woman fawning over him, he more than returned the sentiment and what had he done… pushed her away under the guise of regulations. Fear was what was really driving him away that night, and fear was what was driving him now—but this time it was not the fear of the relationship that spurned him to action, but the fear of losing it.

    Flint closed his eyes and tried to think of the mission ahead, which certainly wasn't going to be a cakewalk, but he couldn't focus. Ever since Lady Jaye had been captured, his thoughts of her had turned from a vague desire to intense longing. Graphic images of intimate moments trickled to the forefront and he pictured himself caressing her supple limbs as he helped her shed her uniform, eager to see what lie beneath; he imagined her just as eager as she stripped off the trappings of his authority, leaving him naked before her, absolved of rank, if only momentarily; he imagined what her breasts looked like… her uniform accentuated her body so well (which he always found incredible given that fatigues were not exactly form fitting) and the way she wore her shirt often revealed a provocative amount of breast leaving him salivating to see more. It was quite the situation… if she hadn't been captured, he probably would never have admitted his feelings to himself, never been willing to risk it all; having her in danger had brought his emotions to the forefront, but what if it was too late…

    "Flint, we're just about to the jump point," Lift Ticket radioed back, jarring Flint from his thoughts, "Might be a good time to wake up the kiddies."

    "Thanks," he responded blankly, still somewhat immersed in his thoughts. He turned to face his team, knowing that they held his future in their hands.

* * * * * * * *

    Accoutered in their HALO gear, the team stood poised for their jump.

    "This is your show, Ripcord," Flint encouraged, "You're in charge until our feet hit solid ground."

    "Well then I'll do my best to get us there in one piece, sir." Ripcord smirked.

    "And while you're at it," Alpine interjected in his characteristic sarcastic tone, "could you order ahead for some pizza? Just be sure to tell them it will be take out and that we're in a hurry." Alpine always tried to keep things light. It was one of the reasons (aside from his particular specialty) Flint asked him to join this mission. He took the edge off. This jump was by no means going to be textbook… their drop zone was metaphorically the size of a pin and in the middle of a rocky mountain range to boot! Flint knew that some of the guys were a bit edgy about the risks, but they would never show it. They were professionals and they would walk through fire if their commanding officer asked them to, but that didn't mean they had to like it.

    "All right, gentlemen," Ripcord gathered their attention and motioned for them to hook up their gear and switch on the O2. He then took a close look at his altimeter and stopwatch, "On my mark…"

* * * * * * * *

    Ripcord had been true to his word, and everyone had made it in one piece, but it hadn't been easy. The crosswinds in these mountains made precision landing a near impossibility, but training and skill prevailed; Ripcord had made it look like a drill.

    "OK, boss," Gung-Ho called, eager to get this mission underway, "Let's see that map."

    Flint pulled from his pocket a geographical map of their drop zone and the surrounding area. There was a circle around the area where the Cobra base was thought to be positioned. Flint was working off a hunch on the location; the information gathered from the Egypt mission files suggested a Mountain base somewhere in this area, but the recon on that mission had been shoddy to begin with and he wasn't even sure what Intel he could really trust. He was basing this entire mission on a snippet of a conversation that was logged during surveillance of a meeting between a supposed Cobra sympathizer and a probable Cobra Viper. Not exactly the kind of information he would normally organize a mission around, but this was no normal mission for him. He had to take what he could get and hope to hell that it was enough.

    "Alright, boys," Flint began his impromptu mountain top briefing, "we're here." He pointed to a spot on the map. He then dragged his finger along the map to the spot where the circle was drawn, "And we need to get here without attracting attention to ourselves… Alpine…"

    "Ok, guys, here's where the fun begins! There's no direct route that would provide us with adequate cover, so we're going to have to take the long road." He grabbed a stick so he could more easily trace their proposed path on the map. "We'll need to head south-east from here, along this cliff-edge, keeping as tight to the mountain as possible… we've already used up or daily parachute allotment, so no falling..." The others groaned, realizing that this trek was not going to be an easy one.

    Alpine continued, "once we get to this outcropping, we'll have to rappel down about 200 ft or so until we reach this ledge. It's pretty small so we'll have to hit it one at a time. Once there, we can shimmy down into this crevice which will put us inside the mountain. The caves should take us straight in… but it's definitely a possibility that Cobra might have a welcoming party stationed in the caves, and I doubt they'll believe we're from Candid Camera."

    "You certainly did your homework," Mainframe commented.

    "Hey, man, I didn't want this mission to end up like a FOX reality based TV special or something."

    "Alright, boys," Flint interjected, "We're on a timeline here… the faster we get going on this, the better or chances of getting Lady Jaye out of there in one piece." Those last words were the most difficult to say. He had worried about his tone. He didn't want it to seem that he had planned this mission for selfish reasons, regardless of how true it was. These men wouldn't follow him off on his own personal crusade, but he needed them. He wondered if his voice had wavered at the mention of her name. He glanced over their faces hoping to glean some sort of response, but all he could decipher was readiness; they were awaiting his orders.

    "You're on point, Alpine. Let's go."

* * * * * * * *

    Walking along the narrow edge of the crevasse was unnerving. He'd have to make a point to tell Lady Jaye what he had to go though to get her out of there. She would cringe at the thought of being that close to the edge of a sheer cliff face, but much to her credit, she had never let her fear of heights hinder her performance on a mission. Flint took that to heart here… he didn't have the same fears as Lady Jaye, but he certainly had his fears… they hadn't been out of his mind since her capture, but he couldn't let that cloud his judgment. That was actually his biggest fear… that he would make a decision on this mission that would cause her harm. He'd never be able to live with himself…

    "This is it," Alpine stopped, peering over the edge. "We need to rappel down here. Strap your gear on… I'll prep the ropes."

    "Are you kidding me," Mainframe looked horrified, "That's a straight drop!"

    "Jesus, Mainframe," Ripcord retorted, "What the hell did you join this team for?" Ripcord strapped onto the rope and disappeared over the side.

    Mainframe stewed at the comment. He hated the fact that most of the team members resented him because he wasn't as gung-ho as the rest of them. He sneered at his own pun as he watched Gung-Ho slither down the rope. OK, he thought to himself, he'd just have to prove to them once again that he could be just as good a soldier while still keeping a reasonable head on his shoulders. He double checked his gear, clipped himself onto the rope, and hurled himself over the edge with renewed vigor.

    Flint had to smile. Mainframe was always trying to prove himself to these guys. Flint knew that most of the members of this team were a bit jealous of the fact that Mainframe usually got what they considered the cushy jobs, but Flint certainly knew better. With Mainframe, the pressure was on to think fast while he maneuvered his way around computerized firewalls and technological obstacles far more daunting than most anything these boys faced in the field… sure his life might not be on the line, but Mainframe held the lives of his teammates in his hands—if he failed to decrypt a stolen code, or hack a security system, a whole mission and team was compromised. Sometimes that pressure was bigger than any physical battle or personal fear that occurred in the field. Plus, these guys tended to forget that even though Mainframe's job was to stay out of the way and bury his face in monitors and circuit boards, he wasn't a pacifist like Lifeline and was more than willing to get into the thick of it. Mainframe had the team's respect for his intelligence and problem solving skills; sooner or later they'd gain respect for him as a soldier too.

* * * * * * * *

    Gathering his team for a quick rest in the caves, Flint reviewed their options. It didn't appear that they had any serpentine company in the immediate area, but there was evidence of human presence. Ripcord had discovered a shovel and pair of gloves leaning against the cave wall; whether they belonged to Cobra was still a matter of conjecture. While he listened to the team suggest possible options, Flint started worrying that the information he had gleaned from the Egypt mission was indeed false. A shovel and a pair of gloves? Not exactly ominous signs of a terrorist threat… but then again, they might have been trying to fortify their position or create escape routes through the caves. Then, far in the distance, Flint caught the hint of sound…

    "Flint…" Mainframe began.

    "I heard it." Flint cut him off. He motioned for Gung-Ho, Ripcord, and Alpine to disappear into a dark recess while he and Mainframe quickly stowed their gear in a crevice and sunk low into the shadows… waiting…

* * * * * * * *

    "Why do we always get these crappy-ass assignments?"

    "Well, you're the one who opened your yap to the CO…"

    "Don't blame this on me. You're the one who was sleeping during your last watch."

    "I was not! That was a vicious rumor."

    "Yeah, well, rumor has it you were also shirking your duty to chase after that new chick"

    "Well… can you blame me?"

    "Hell no… she's a hottie!"

    The banter continued as the two Cobra soldiers came into view. Obviously they had been sent on some menial errand and were too busy yakking to notice Flint's team lurking in the darkness. All the better. The longer it took them to realize their presence, the better chance they had of taking them out quietly.

    Flint held his breath. The two oblivious Cobra soldiers were almost right next to them. Now was as good a time as any. With a deft movement, Flint struck the first soldier, sending the cartilage in his nose splintering into his brain and killing him instantly. Before the other Cobra soldier could even realize what was happening, Mainframe had him in a headlock and with a swift and silent movement, snapped his neck. The other Joes emerged from their hiding places with a look of awe…

    "Jeez-o, Mainframe," Alpine commented, staring at the Cobra soldier sprawled at his feet, "when did you learn how to act like a soldier?"

    Beaming with pride at the apparent compliment, but humble as always, Mainframe replied, "Just a lucky shot, I guess…"

    "Lucky my ass!" Ripcord countered; the expertise in which Mainframe had executed the maneuver was stunning. It was become apparent that this computer geek really might have more to offer this team than Ripcord had previously thought.

    Flint was pleased Mainframe had garnered a bit of admiration from the boys, but Lady Jaye was still a prisoner. Mainframe could make friends later… every second counted here. He hadn't expected to encounter a Cobra presence this early in the game, but at least it confirmed the location of the base. He just hoped that he was right in his guess that this was where they were holding Lady Jaye. The Intel suggested that this was where Destro was heading after Cairo, so it seemed logical that he would probably keep the Joe prisoner with him. As the others continued their surprised congratulations of Mainframe, Flint looked at the bodies of the Cobra soldiers… "Fortune is merry, and in this mood will give us anything," Flint mumbled, thinking aloud, mostly to himself.

    "What was that, Flint?" Gung-Ho asked with a confused look on his face.

    "It's Shakespeare, Gung-Ho," Flint explained. The men found it a bit awkward that Flint tended to quote literature on missions, but the guy WAS a Rhodes Scholar and had studied English Lit. at Oxford, so what did they expect? "Julius Caesar. After Marc Antony swayed the crowd to a murderous frenzy against the conspirators who had assassinated an ambitious Caesar, he felt that good luck was on his side and he could now set up his own selfish political aims."

    "So…" Alpine trailed off, clearly lost; and he wasn't the only one.

    "Fortune has smiled on us, boys," Flint explained as he reached down and grabbed the blue helmet, "but now it's time we made our own luck."

    Getting his meaning now, Ripcord grabbed the other helmet and the red mask, "All the world's a stage…" He put on the helmet and masked his face, "Let's make sure we put on a good show."

* * * * * * * *

    With Gung-Ho, Alpine, and Mainframe in tow as prisoners, Flint and Ripcord brazenly strolled up to the guard they saw posted at the underground entrance to the Cobra stronghold.

    "What the hell is this?!" The guard inquired in shock.

    Flint took up the cue, "We caught these Joe scum trying to sneak in through the caves."

    The guard obliged him, moving aside to open the door, "Take them straight to the brig and then inform Destro immediately. He should be pleased to have some other Joe prisoners to interrogate."

    So that confirmed it. Lady Jaye was here. But the word "interrogate" had made Flint's stomach churn. The vile thoughts began to enter his mind again and it was all he could do to push them aside as Ripcord began leading the "prisoners" inside.

    "That was too easy,' Gung-Ho commented as he surveyed the surroundings.

    "Well, we won't give Cobra any points for intelligence," Mainframe began, "but certainly for architectural layout… check this out!" He walked over to a diagram that was hanging on the wall. It showed the location of every vital area of the base. "Guess they know exactly how intelligent their own soldiers are, eh?"

    "You were saying something about Fortune, Flint," Alpine commented, amazed that Cobra could be so inane.

    "Yes, but we'll be Fortune's Fools if we hang around here much longer…" Flint surveyed the diagram and committed it to memory. Hopefully, this was going to be easier than he thought. Obviously Cobra believed this base was pretty well hidden; their defensive readiness was almost nonexistent. Maybe he could use this to the benefit of the team… gather some REAL Intel while saving Lady Jaye at the same time… "Gentlemen, how do you feel about pushing our luck?"

    "You want to see what's behind door number 2?" Alpine questioned.

    "Precisely. Gung-Ho, I want you, Alpine, and Ripcord to do a little reconnaissance… Mainframe and I will spring Lady Jaye."

    "Oh sure," Alpine quipped, "You get to be the dashing hero."

    "I wouldn't have it any other way," Flint smiled, trying to hide the real truth in that statement. "Meet at the rendezvous point in 2 hours…"

* * * * * * * *

    Flint and Mainframe had received nothing more than a casual glance from the Cobras they passed while making their way to the brig. It seemed these guys were pretty complacent, even upon seeing another Joe agent taken prisoner. No one was even the slightest bit inquisitive. It was almost unnerving. Flint thought that donning the Cobra uniform might make it easier to sneak in, but he hadn't thought it would be THIS easy.

    "You thinking what I'm thinking?" Mainframe read his mind.

    "You know, I almost wonder if they'd notice even if I wasn't wearing this uniform."

    "Certainly seems as if they've got other things on their mind…"

    They approached the door to the main prisoner hold and there wasn't even a guard. Unfortunately, the door was locked. "Mainframe…"

    "Piece of cake," he responded as he set to work on the electronic locking mechanism. The door was heavy iron with no windows. Flint found himself trying to look through it… straining his ears for some hint of Lady Jaye's presence. It seemed like Mainframe was taking forever…

    After a short click, Mainframe yanked the door open. There was nothing but darkness beyond.

______________________________________________________

Continued in Part Four
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