Quiet Hate

The Mission

The week before the mission, I am close to tears with the stress. I've done everything right. I've surveilled the building, noted anyone who might be inside, and talked to the team as often as I've been able - they've been out doing their own thing, getting ready.

The day before comes. They're loading the plane with supplies. I stand out there, feeling out of place, as Price briefs me on their plan.

They'll get there, get in, rescue the four hostages, eliminate any enemy forces if they're able, and get out. They've added two half-days for travelling to the compound.

Get in, grab, get out, I keep telling myself. I've done my part. I can only wait.

Soap places a hand on my shoulder. "Flora, we've done this plenty of times before. Don't worry about us."

I try not to, but as we all gather in the conference room one more time before they leave, I feel sick with concern.

"Flora, we've spoken with our cybersecurity personnel," Simon says. "They've accessed the security cameras for both our protection and for you to watch over us, if you'd like."

"Sure," I say.

None of them have ever doubted anything I've said, which flatters me. Well, except for König, of course.

König sits, brooding, arms crossed.

Price begins to go over the plan again, a blueprint on the table. They ask me a couple of questions, and then Price stands up.

"Let's go get our gear on and then head out," he says.

I wait by the door to see them off, and one by one, they come out of their locker room, with vests, helmets, and weapons.

They each tell me goodbye on their way up to the takeoff point. Price gives me a smile, Soap squeezes my shoulder again, Farah blows me a kiss, and Simon, to my surprise, picks me up and swings me around.

"See you in a couple days," he says. "Good work, Flora."

I hug him back before he sets me down and waves goodbye on his way out.

That leaves one more. I begin to debate if I'll wait for him. Maybe I should just go back to my desk to finish up before I return to watch their mission.

In that moment, König emerges.

I've never seen him in full gear before. Up until this point, it's been just his uniform. No helmet, no vest, no knives strapped to his thighs, and no gun.

Time seems to slow as I watch him walk down the hallway. He hasn't looked up yet. Swinging his gun over his shoulder, I find myself gasping, quietly.

He looks fucking huge. No doubt, he's terrifying in the field. I know his history, I know he's capable, but seeing it this close is... scary. If it's scary, why are my cheeks getting warm?

At my gasp, he looks up. His eyes bore into mine as he walks towards me. He pauses in front of me.

Shoulders broad, eyes dark, his body clearly pure muscle. His strength is evident in the way that he moves.

I nod at him. I pray that he can't see the flush of my face.

Reaching out, he extends one gloved hand. I take it, shaking firmly, but his massive hand envelops mine. Looking down at me, our hands connected, the time stretches in this one, too-long-moment.

I pull my hand away.

"See you when you get back, sir."

König nods, and walks out. Shamefully, I watch him walk away, confidence radiating from his movements.

I close the door and hurry back to my desk, taking a drink of water to cool myself down. From what, I won't identify. I put away my things, speak to the cyber guy, and plan to return in twelve hours - they'll fly for three, camp out until the evening, and slowly make their way there.

I scrub my skin of any weird feelings in the shower. I fight for sleep.

I return to work at two in the morning. I've brought caffeine, but doubt I'll need it. The thrill, the excitement, and the ability to watch what I've been working on. I've never watched a mission before, not at my old unit.

The cyber guy shows up an hour later, rubbing sleep from his eyes. He seems relaxed. I feel silly for feeling nervous yesterday, and for feeling a bit nervous now.

His movements are agonizingly slow as he clicks around at the computer in the conference room and pulls up the feed. Once he does, he leaves me to watch.

Simon enters. The two guards standing at the door fall to their knees within seconds. Simon's shot them.

I watch another screen as Price enters. He knocks them out with the butt of his gun. Soap follows behind him.

Farah comes in behind Simon, and they all slowly work to what I know is the room where the hostages are being kept. I watch those hostages on the screen. They seem scared and hungry, and bruised.

To my shock, the west entrance that I deemed inusable because of the amount of guards likely to be there - more than the standard two - has sudden movement.

König. Within seconds, he's taken down the six men standing outside. Two, he shoots, one, he stabs, and the other three have their guns drawn.

He runs up on them, slamming one into the ground with his feet and shooting him. The second, he flips over with one arm against the pavement, and shoots him while reaching out to grab the third by his neck.

The third falls limp.

My jaw has dropped - ten seconds have passed, according to the clock on the feed.

König storms inside. I vaguely watch the others, but König has caught my attention. He conducts similar treatment of anyone else he encounters. The others are doing the same, but König is so confident, so quick, so violent, in ways that don't match up with the quiet man I've come to know a bit about in the past month. The one who I have never seen hang out with anyone.

König, Farah, and Simon make it to the room while Price and Soap keep watch.

They break into the door, gathering the hostages while shooting the guards, and begin to make their way out. König deposits his hostage to Soap, and I see a rapid flailing of arms while Price speaks to him. König shakes his head.

What is he doing?

As I remember the map of the building in my head, he walks down the halls, eliminating everyone that he sees in uniform.

I remember then, the entire situation. I remember the massive threat that this particular leader of the enemy force poses, and that this is his main compound. If you take out the heart...

He's killing everyone.