The Captain & Coyote (John Price Romance)

Chapter 25 - Lieutenant Burnett

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(Songs in for this chapter  -
Patience - LOW ROAR
A Thought Is Haunting Me - RAPHAEL LAKE & ROYAL BAGGS
Fools - LAUREN AQUILINA
Tethered - MOONWATER)

PRICE POV

Oh fuck, no, she wasn't. Please tell me she wasn't.

I can't type fast enough into the computer right now. I only met Captain Dallas a few times, but with his ego and the Wild Dogs reputation he was pretty well known. Known for taking on insane missions, doing things he shouldn't but some how always managed to pull them off, until he didn't.

Every SAS soldier heard the story. It was talked about for weeks afterwards. The Wild Dogs task force was sent into North Korea to retrieve someone or something classified only to be captured on their way out by the Chinese military. No one could find them, or no one went looking, not wanting open war to break out. They were all apparently tortured to death. All but one.

Don't tell me it was her, that she suffered through that, it'll break me.

Wilds Dogs comes up straight away although a lot of information has been redacted, even from me. The file says all members KIA. I look through the list of call signs for Jackal. There isn't any cover pictures, removed on purpose most likely.

I open the Jackal file, praying it isn't her.

Sure enough just as Ghost said, Lieutenant Al Burnett. I have heard stories about a Burnett, obviously assumed it was a man, idiot. Mind you her file suggests the same thing, done on purpose to make it look like she's a man either by herself or her CO. Spent two years in the army before it was requested she go through selection for the SAS. That doesn't happen often, two superior officers in the SAS regiment have to recommend you.

But her marks from selection are off the charts, up there with Gaz and Soap's. Hand to hand combat and endurance are her best attributes. I'm not surprised there. Spent three years in the 22nd regiment before she was recruited by Dallas, aka 'Dingo' as second in command of the Wild Dogs task force. One of the few captains at the time who wouldn't of cared that she was a woman. She was with the Wild dogs for over six years.

Awarded a distinguished flying cross medal.
For jumping out of an aircraft without a parachute to rescue two fellow servicemen who were unconscious. A General Service medal, Military Cross, Distinguished Service order, Conspicuous Gallantry Cross and a Victoria Cross.

Christ. This woman is crazy alright.

She never collected the Victoria Cross. Was awarded to her for selfless acts of heroism in operation Blue Cobra. No next of kin listed to receive it on her behalf either.

I sort through the many mission reports trying to find Blue Cobra. Found it.

Says the task force was assigned an unsanctioned mission, doesn't say where to or for what, not that i was expecting it to. This was their last mission, the one all the rumors were about.

Four days after the mission began the team hadn't returned or checked in and were considered KIA. No rescue mission, no sending them help, just buried and forgotten about.

Nearly two months later she was found carrying a deceased team member through the Kyrgyzstan hills near the China border.

There is photos attached.

The site of her makes me feel sick to my stomach and I instantly close my eyes for a moment. She's frail and thin, covered in bruises, cuts, lashes all over her back, and those electrical burns I've seen on her are fresh. But her face, God, she looks utterly destroyed. Nothing but death and torment in her blackened eyes.