Birds of Prey

Chapter VI: Decision

Jyromir, Ukraine

The sun was slowly rising as we approached the airstrip. The atmosphere inside was a little calmer. Most of us tended to doze off but no one was actually sleeping. Not even me. I still have lots of problems with nightmares. Eventhough we were trained so we could sleep in any condition possible, never got the chance to get some real rest. The only thing that could make my eyes shut down is probably a good beating or an insane amount of alcohol.

I looked outside the window and noticed the other squads exiting their vehicles, alongside small groups of refugees. Our main task wasn’t a rescue mission from the start. We had to get to those ammunition stashes before the russians but we saved whoever we could. Women, children and old people mostly. Every now and then I would set eyes on an injured man or some lost kid trying to speak to one of the soldiers. It’s a sad picture. Very sad. People forced to leave their country and their loved ones only because some assholes took their everything out of fun.

Once we finally landed, the aircraft door opened and we all slowly got up to exit. It was still dark and the wind was even sharper than before. I spotted the commander coming our way after the boys stepped foot ouside the helicopter. I was about to walk over to give him a full report on the mission as usual but i felt a hand grab my shoulder out of nowhere.

"Captain?" Maya said making me shift my attention to her.

"What is it?"
"I sat and thought a little more on the way back and I’ve decided."

"Decided on…?"

"I wanna join your squad" she finally affirmed. Um... excuse me, WHAT?

I let out a small laugh and frowned my eyebrows at her reply.

"You’re kidding, right ? Look now miss… Navarro, I know that you are scared and-"

"I am serious, captain. I have considered every other opportunity" She interrupted me "I don’t want you wasting your time with me like you do with the other refugees. I ain’t got nowhere else to go." What in the world am I hearing? Oh now she’s trying to convince me. What the hell now she’s just a girl who’s lost everything. Like the others here. I'm going to add that one to my 'That was so random' list. Does she even know what she's talking about?

"I don’t know if you are hearing yourself but you can’t just 'join' the army. Besides, refugees are not my job. I also have a superior, ya’ know" I replied trying to reason with her while keeping myself out of additional problems.

"Then let me speak to him"

"I’m sorry I can’t do that, I have my or-"

"I saved your life, sir" she said in a lower tone, never breaking eye contact. Can't believe this girl is using that statement against me. Goddamn, those eyes are gonna be the death of me. She was right. Maybe that sniper was aiming for my head instead of hers. But I also saved her life. But that’s my job. That’s what we do. We die for others. And she knows that. She can't take advantage.

A moment of silence fell upon us both until Jameson’s footsteps made me turn around and salute.

"Commander Hood" "Captain Turner, and uh… who do I owe the pleasure miss…" he reached out his hand and she shook it firmly.

"Navarro, Maya Navarro, sir. A pleasure to meet you" she seemed so professional about this. Was she trained in a military college or something like that? Or maybe just some strict parents.

"The pleasure is mine. Captain, could you please escort her to the others?" Oh, don't you mind that, sir.

"Actually we might have a problem here" I begun as I felt her eyes shooting daggers in my shoulder. "She wants to join the military, my squad more precisely." Hood’s eyes widened just like mine did three minutes ago.