THE TIES THAT BIND
BY: THE BARD
Chapter Seven
Calm Before the Storm
"Despite COBRA's getting a substantial head start, it seems that they still haven't found the exact location on the canisters. I cannot stress enough that we have to work quickly in order to take advantage of the situation."
Duke stood in front of the white board in the ops room, addressing the Joes sitting around the crowded room. Lady Jaye scanned the familiar faces, her own face expressionless, revealing nothing of the turmoil inside. She stood with William and the British troops, taking in the information being dispensed from the podium.
She was not thrilled about being here, but knew before William even mentioned it that she would accept the job. She wanted to see this thing through to the end, and maybe in some way redeem herself in the eyes of her fellow Joes. However, what she hadn't anticipated was how bad it would be...uncomfortable to say the least. All these people whom she had counted as friends now looked at her with barely concealed contempt.
To tell you the truth, she didn't really blame them. If she had been in their place she would be just as angry. They had trusted her, put their lives in her hands many times over on the various engagements with COBRA, and she had betrayed them. That said, she wasn't going to take any crap from them either. Although she regretted the incident with Beachhead, she couldn't possibly have let him bring her down. She was, after all, still a soldier in her own right and quite high up in the hierarchy of both Her Majesty's Secret Service and the British Aristocracy.
"If they will not follow me through friendship and trust," she thought to herself, "Then respect through ability and fear will do very nicely". That was the advice her uncle had given her when she was having trouble during her initial training so many years ago. She had learned to use it, and use it well...
Nevertheless, she had never wanted to be in the same situation as she found herself before she joined mi-6 and the Joes. The walls she put up were pretty strong, but walking from the helicopter through all those angry faces, well...she nearly lost it.
She hated throwing her title and position around, and was especially tired of playing these silly political games that mi-6 found her so skilled at.
And that is what this whole bloody mess came down to essentially. Politics. She frowned as she reminded herself of the oath that kept her from clearing her name. Bloody hell, how in the world had she let herself get into this mess. She reflected that for someone who has been labeled as 'gifted' more times than she could count, she certainly lacked a dose of good, clean common sense.
"This is my last mission," she thought "William will have my resignation as soon as this was over."
She no longer cared what her father would say. She was going to try and rebuild her life where she left off so many years ago. She just hoped that they would let her go in peace. Somehow, she doubted it.
Jaye listened intently as Duke and William went over the maps of the island in question. It wasn't very large and not far from the main coast. It did present a challenge, given the steep cliffs that surrounded the beach. Not surprisingly, COBRA had positioned themselves perfectly to defend themselves in case of attack. Major Bludd must be involved in this operation, for Cobra Commander would never had had the foresight to put his troops on the defensive for what he would consider to be a minor operation. Bludd, however, takes nothing for granted. If GIJOE should attack, he would be ready.
Suddenly, Jaye felt a shiver go up her spine. She turned to see Flint staring intently at her from the back of the room. She hadn't seen him since he had left her home in a huff two days ago. Their eyes met and they stared at each other for what seemed like an eternity. For the first time since she met him, she couldn't read him at all. He looked very serious, as if he was considering her for the first time.
"I've lost him," she broke his gaze and looked at the floor. They had worked together so well in Britain last week that she had let herself believe that maybe she had a chance to win back his trust...his friendship...She had even thought at one point that he actually felt something for her...
"God! How could one man make me act like such a fool...", she chided herself in her head.
Destro, who had been standing near her, flanked by two of his own personal guard, put a hand on her back and whispered in her ear.
"Spéiread"
Strength.
She nodded. He was right. She was stronger than this...she was not some foolish schoolgirl with a crush. It was time to get serious...and this time nothing is going to crack these walls. I won't make the same mistake twice. She looked back up at Flint...her face cold, calculating, professional. This time it was he that turned away.
Good. He wanted the 'real me', let him see the 'real me'. Let him see who it is he is dealing with.
She turned and continued listening to the briefing.
"Fortunately, we have found a way through COBRA's defenses. William?"
"Thank you, Duke," William took his laser pointer out of his pocket and indicated a sheer cliff on the south end of the island. "It seems our opponents have neglected to watch their backs. It won't be easy, but if we can get a small group up this wall from the water while the main force engages them from the North, we can catch them off guard and encircle them, crushing them in a vice."
Alpine whistled quietly in the crowd. "You are right about it not being easy. That's a pretty big climb. Its do-able, but the physical exertion combined with the heat of day would render the troop useless by the time they reached the top."
"Which is why we are going to send you in at night." Duke replied, "You will rest when you reach the top in one of the many caves that litter the area. At dawn, when the main force arrives, you will be ready."
"Mi-6 has graciously provided us with modified Sea-Doos." A blueprint popped up on the screen above. "As you can see, they have an impressive array of weaponry. They are fast, maneuverable and run quite silently. They can bring you right up to the island without being detected."
"I don't know why we are going in so quiet-like.", Gung Ho stood up and looked at William, "Why don't we just send Ace in with the SkyStrikers and bomb the hell out of them. They are pretty exposed out there. Like sitting ducks"
At this, Destro finally joined the conversation. "The reason being, my good man, is that we cannot risk hitting those canisters. I have no idea as to what condition they are in after all these years. One stray bullet can cause them to explode and release a tremendously lethal dose of the chemical into the air..."
"Yes, thank you for reminding me.", William looked at the group in front of him, "we must be extremely careful around the chemical. We are too close to heavily populated areas...and I am certain you yourselves do not want to be exposed to it, now that we have told you what it is capable of. We must secure those canisters at any cost."
"OK..." Duke stepped forward and looked through the crowd, "As I mentioned earlier, we have been ordered to work in conjunction with the British on this task. We have been sent some of their best, under the command of Lady Ja...ummm...Agent Burnett and Agent Harcourt. They will be split up among out forces. Make them welcome...I don't want any more incidents like we had earlier." Beachhead scowled but nodded consent.
"Flint, you are going to lead the team going in at night along with Agent Burnett. Choose your men and do it quickly. We want you packed and out of here by sundown."
"Yes Sir. Alpine, Torpedo, Wet Suit, Shipwreck, Beachhead, Snakes, Leather Neck, Bazooka, and Low Light...you're with me. Get your gear ready, it's going to be a long night."
Lady Jaye approved. She looked at Beachhead and found him looking right back at her. He nodded. She nodded back...understanding. Any personal feelings would be put aside for the good of the mission. He might be a pain and his rivalry with Flint had often put them at odds, but she couldn't think of anyone else she would rather have watching her back.
"Agent Harcourt, Destro and myself will be going in with the main force tomorrow at dawn. We are going to hit 'em fast and hit 'em hard..."
Beachhead stood up. 'You heard the man...don't just sit there...MOVE!!! MOVE!!! MOVE!!!"
"YO JOE!"
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"Oh man...my shoulders are KILLING me.", Shipwreck groaned as he leaned against a rock. "I'm a sailor...not a mountain goat."
"The climb was worth it...just to be able to play around on those machines the Brits provided", Torpedo smiled, "Those things rocked. I wonder if they would let us keep them?"
"We have the SHARKs already...we don't really need anymore small watercraft", Wetsuit commented as he settled in next to his fellow SEAL...
"Would you guys keep it down! We are camped right on the outskirts of the COBRA force. Do you want to give us away to the first patrol that passes by?" Beachhead was right...they lowered their voices to a whisper.
Flint looked around at his troops. They had all changed out of their wetsuits and were now preparing their weapons and themselves for the fight to come. He looked at his watch...a little over 5 hours until dawn...
"Get some rest, men...we need to be in top form at Sun-up. We cannot afford any mistakes."
The Joes and the six British troops that Jaye had brought along had all been ready to go on time, and had traveled here under cover of darkness without incident. Torpedo was right when he said those Sea-Doos had been great. They were everything William had said they would be...and although they hadn't had to use any of the weaponry, Flint was confident that the small craft could hold its own in most situations...and when it warranted it, make a fast and agile escape when it was in over its head.
The climb had been another story. The cliff was a sheer wall of crumbling limestone...high and treacherous. It was no wonder that Bludd hadn't posted guards at the top. No one in his right mind would attempt to scale this...and to do so at night was a death wish. A death wish, that is...if you didn't have Alpine on your team. He managed to get them all up to the top exhausted but alive. No small feat.
He had been worried about Jaye during the climb...he knew she was terrified of heights, although she hid it well most of the time. He needn't have bothered. She was as cool with him as he was with the others. Had been so since he had approached her after the meeting. It seems that Destro had been right about her ability to shut off. He was just irked that she felt she had to use it on him as well.
"Beachhead...set up a schedule for watch. I'll be back shortly." The ranger nodded and watched him as he walked towards the cliff overlooking the water.
He knew exactly where to find her.
Every soldier has his own 'way' to prepare for an upcoming battle. Some pray, some read, some...like Shipwreck...sleep like a rock. Leather Neck, he knew...would be cleaning his weapons, Snakes would be meditating. He himself was in the habit of going for a short stroll, going over strategies for the confrontation to come. He went over every possible combination and permutation he could think of, preparing himself for the responsibility of leading these men into danger. He wanted each and every one to come out alive...and he knew he had to be on top of everything in order to realize this.
It was on one of these walks early in his partnership with Lady Jaye that he had discovered what she does to prepare, sitting close enough to the main force to be safe but far enough that she could be alone. She would sit quietly against a tree or rock, or whatever was handy, close her eyes, and listen.
Well...at first he thought she was resting...she looked so at peace lying there so still. It had been some time before he drummed up the courage to go and sit next to her. He still remembered that night. They were in the woods in the Yukon Territories of Canada. COBRA had been busy up there, illegally tapping in to the gas pipelines that ran through the area to help fuel their new TerrorDrome in Alaska.
She had been sitting propped up against a huge tree, looking down at a beautiful mist shrouded valley below, and as usual Flint had come upon her on one of his 'strolls'. It hadn't been a coincidence, as he had been doing this for quite sometime...
"Why don't you have a seat, Flint?", Lady Jaye didn't look up or open her eyes as she addressed him, "you are making me nervous pacing about like that."
"Sorry, I thought you were asleep," He stammered, startled and embarrassed at being caught watching her, "I'll leave you be..."
"No, don't be silly. I'd enjoy the company' She turned then and patted the ground next to her.
He paused, considering...then went and took the proffered place next to her and leaned against the tree.
"Shhhh...sit very still and be very quiet. I want to show you something." He nodded. They sat in silence for a few minutes, Flint enjoying her quiet presence more than he would like to admit.
"There...down by the water...look..." She whispered.
Sure enough, a huge stag was making his way down for a drink. He was a magnificent animal...graceful, powerful, and regal. His antlers shimmered in the moonlight as he cautiously entered the clearing. He held his head high, proud, and at one point seemed to be looking straight at him...his soft brown eyes considering him...trying to determine whether he presented a threat. Flint froze, not wanting to scare the creature off. He felt a hand on his. Jaye's...she was sitting a still as he, watching the animal intently. The warmth of her touch sent chills down his spine. But still he didn't move.
The deer looked away and bent down to drink.
"Magnificent..." Flint said softly, as to not disturb him.
"Cernunnos", she whispered, "The Horned One..."
Flint looked at her, confused.
She turned to him and smiled.
"My Nan used to tell me stories growing up, stories from the old time...from old Scotland and Ireland. The story of the Stag-God was always one of my favorites."
"I am a stag of seven tines,
I am a wide flood on a plain,
I am a wind on the deep waters,
I am a shining tear of the sun,
I am a hawk on a cliff,
I am fair among flowers,
I am a god who sets the head afire with smoke.
I am a battle waging spear,
I am a salmon in the pool,
I am a hill of poetry,
I am a ruthless boar,
I am a threatening noise of the sea,
I am a wave of the sea,
Who but I knows the secrets of the wild?"
She blushed, and looked away, embarrassed. "Sorry...I got carried away...I don't usually share these moments with others..."
"Don't be sorry." Flint smiled, "It was beautiful." He didn't want this moment to end. They sat in silence, holding hands, until the stag made turned and slowly disappeared into the woods.
"I guess you were curious as to what I was doing before every confrontation with COBRA. Am I right?" She laughed softly, taking her hand back, as he tried unsuccessfully to deny it.
"No, its OK. I noticed you hanging about of late." She laughed softly, "Its no big secret, really. I guess the best way to describe it is that I 'listen'. Every place we are sent has its own unique sounds. The sound of waves crashing against the beach, the sound of wind rustling through the leaves, of a storm coming in, rain falling, rivers flowing, the howl of wolves. If you sit quietly and listen, it becomes almost like meditating. It's really quite relaxing, it clears your head. And if you are quiet enough, sometimes you are rewarded with what we saw tonight. A glimpse into the wild..."
"It evolved out of something I learned during my intelligence training. One of the instructors wanted us to perfect the art of quiet observation. This was one of his 'drills'. He was a bit new age, I guess."
They sat in silence for a while. Looking down at the valley below. Flint was more relaxed than he had been in a long while. So much so that he drifted off. He doesn't know how long he was out, but he was awoken by Jaye's gentle nudge.
"Hey...I think we had better get back."
"Jeez, did I fall asleep?" He pushed himself up off the ground quickly, "I don't know what got into me. I had better get back to my duties." He turned to walk back to camp with Jaye not far behind. He stopped just before they entered the area around the fire.
"Thanks. Jaye. For sharing that."
She smiled. "Any time, Flint"
Well, needless to say he took her up on that last statement and from that time forward, before every major confrontation, after he finished his 'strategy stroll' and before he turned in, he joined Jaye outside the perimeter. It became one of the only times they ever were truly alone, one of the few times Flint felt he could truly relax...sometimes they chatted, sometimes they just sat together in silence. Listening.
He always looked forward to that time.
The sounds of the waves crashing against the shore grew stronger as he neared the cliff. Sure enough, sitting on a small rock a safe distance from the edge sat a lone figure dressed in black. He took a deep breath and went over to sit beside her. She didn't look up or acknowledge his presence, her face impassive in the moonlight.
They sat that way in silence for what seemed like an eternity, neither of the saying anything. Flint knew she was ignoring him. She wanted him to go away, he could feel it and it hurt. He wasn't about to go anywhere, though. There was no way she was going to throw up walls against him.
He sat for a while, and then decided it was time to do something. But how to begin without setting her off?
"So..." he began, "Destro tells me you are quite the pianist..."
That did it. She looked startled, surprised...and then turned to him with a look of confusion and suspicion on her face.
"Yeah...we had a bit of a chat this morning on the Flagg. Well, it was more him talking and me listening..."
"Not surprising, he was always a bit of a lecturer", she replied, her voice flat...revealing nothing.
Not deterred, Flint continued.
"Anyhow. He told me you were very good. One of the best to come around in a long time. I would have liked to hear you play..."
She continued to look at him, and Flint saw a slight shift in her expression. It could be the way the light was playing on her face, though...he decided to press on.
"You must miss it. It sounded like something you had a great passion for, and yet you never play. Or at least you never played while I have known you."
She turned to look out at the water.
"I..." she paused, "I was too busy with the Joes, with my job. I guess I grew out of it."
He looked at her. He knew when she was lying.
"Your file says you were an actress..."
She tensed.
"That file is...inaccurate..."
"I figured as much, seeing it also says you were born in Mass.", he said quietly, trying not to be confrontational.
"No, that was true. I was born in Martha's Vineyard. In my parent's summer home. The place was sold when my mother died."
He sat quietly, silently urging her to continue.
"When you work in intelligence, you learn that the best covers are those that are veiled in half truths. It's easier to maintain your persona that way. Lies are easy to forget...not so much those characteristics based in fact."
"My name was changed only slightly. The hyphen, dropping Sarah...which I didn't answer to anyways...I did take drama, I even spent a summer with the Royal Shakespeare Company as an intern. But it was all part of my schooling. The McCullen's are all big into the arts, as you have probably guessed. My great love was music."
"I did go to Bryn Maer, and Trinity for a little while. Intelligence is my specialty, although I work for another country..."
"How did all this get by our screening process?" Flint asked, honestly curious as to how a foreign agent was allowed into the ranks of a US special force.
She looked at him then, considering, and sighed. "It didn't get screened, Hawk knew who I was all along, as did some of the other higher ups. I was brought in to represent British interests...European interests..."
"Did he know about your relation with Destro?"
"No. No he didn't. I am sure there is going to be some fireworks when he finds out though."
Flint nodded.
"So how did a concert pianist and member of such a well to-do family end up in the military?"
She leaned back and looked up at the stars. "My father...he made it very clear that it was my duty as a Burnett to serve the country, to serve with the military as all Burnett's had done before. I could not fight him on it. I thought it would be a quick 4 years training and then out and back to school, to music, to horses, to home..."
"Unfortunately, my father also saw a potential tool for him to use for his own ends. I was strong, fast, and deadly and very quick with languages. I guess it came with the ear for music. I pick up accents, dialect, everything quickly and easily. I also knew how to play politics well, something you need when you join the secret service. I was 'convinced' to join. It wasn't so bad at first. It was interesting work, and at least William was there to keep me company."
Flint frowned when her heard the name, but decided to drop that subject for the moment. She was opening up. He didn't want to chase her off now.
"Your father must be a pretty powerful man to be able to 'convince' you to do anything you don't want too."
"You have no idea." She frowned and continued
"Anyhow, I was with the organization for a couple of years before they sent me to the US. You know the rest..."
No...he didn't. He still didn't know what happened last year, but before he could ask her about it, she put her head in her hands and whispered.
"Please don't ask me about last year Flint. I cannot tell you. Please...this is hard enough as it is. Give it up. I am a turncoat, a traitor. Leave it at that and get on with your life."
He couldn't take seeing her like this. Flint grabbed her hand and squeezed it gently, and with his other hand gently turned her face towards him. She looked so beautiful in the moonlight.
"You ARE my life, Jaye. I am not going to give up on you. So you had better get that through that thick skull of yours right now. I am NOT losing you again."
She stared at him, surprise evident on her face. He was a bit surprised himself...but he'd be damned if he was going to let her go without a fight. Destro was right...it was time to follow his heart.
He bent and gently kissed her on the forehead. Her skin felt soft and warm on his lips. He felt her relax next to him...He went to gather her into his arms...
"FLINT!"
Not now! With some difficulty, he pulled himself up and away from LJ and turned to see Leather Neck running towards them.
He stopped when he got to them, nodded at Jaye and saluted Flint.
"Sir, there is something going down over at Snake central, Snake Eyes and that English dude Duncan just got back from the perimeter. It seems that COBRA has been working into the night and have found what they were looking for."
"Damn!"
"Flint," he turned to see Jaye up and all business, "We cannot allow them to get away with those canisters. I don't think we are going to have time to wait for the main force...we are going to have to take them out on our own."
Leather Neck signaled his agreement, "I'm with Jaye. We have to stop them now. We are not going to get a second chance."
He stood considering. It was risky...they had less than 20 men. But it was dark, his men were highly trained, and they still held the element of surprise. It was doable.
"Right then, lets get moving. Leather Neck, go and tell Beachhead to prepare the men. We are going in tonight."
He saluted and ran back to camp.
When he was out of sight, he turned to the woman standing next to him. He could tell she was already planning for the confrontation ahead, but when their eyes met he also saw that the wall was down. He smiled.
"Ready....partner?", he held out his hand.
She paused, and then took it, smiling. "As always."
"Well then, my Lady...", his eyes narrowed and he grinned his famous lopsided grin, "Lets go and stomp on some snakes."
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Continued in Chapter Eight!
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