Afterlife: Reincarnation

4

May 19

LANE

"The base camp is going to be your home away from home, so get comfortable," the booming voice of the camp leader, a tall, refrigerator shaped man with his hair cut close to his head instructed. His eyes were hidden behind dark glasses, but I could tell he was sizing us all up from the moment we arrived. Within seconds his air of no nonsense was evident, and I found myself standing straighter as if I was in boot camp despite my exhaustion. "Anything you could need you will find here in some form. Its nothing fancy, so if anyone takes issue with showering outdoors, thin sheets and lumpy pillows, you may want to clear out now."

I scuttled after him, lost within the cluster of my new colleagues. We had only just arrived to our base camp, a primitive clustering of buildings in an open cleared area of field, flanked on every side by tall, sparse trees. The heat was overwhelming, even though it was already after eight at night here in Somalia. My hair clung to the back of my neck, a bead of sweat sliding down between my breasts. I was exhausted, dirty, and overwhelmed, and all I wanted was to sleep. I didn't even care if the bed was comfortable, just give me somewhere to lay down.

The last two days had been an experience in itself. My flight from New York or London was uneventful, giving me nothing in way of distraction from my mind tracing back to the airport, the feeling of Harrys lips on mine, and the last glimpse I had of him before boarding my plane. Same could be said, for the most part, of my flight from London to Istanbul. It had been slightly delayed, and spending the three hour layover in the airport when I was already tired wasn't the best experience, but it was one I could live with.

During the flight, I became better acquainted with the other members of my team. Clayton, the red haired jester who had taken to chattering to me on the initial flight seemed known by the others, myself being the only newcomer to such an assignment. Erin, a woman who was even shorter than I was, with jet black, short hair, took no shit from anyone; and Matt, a tall, dark, attractive man, maybe in his late twenties, with blue eyes that seemed almost translucent rounded out the photography team. Clayton was our equipment charge, and I was assured despite his playful demeanor, no one knew cameras and gear better than him. He had been on countless assignments such as this, and was known to make any setting work. Rounding out our group was Rob, our NG team leader. He was of medium height, but broad, his thick arms traced with tattoos that immediately made me think of Harry. His light hair matched his green eyes in tone, the square of his jaw defiantly masculine. He was attractive, there was no doubting it, and it didn't take long before Erin sent a glance my way, her expression clearly communicating her appreciation for our new liaison.

Our arrival in Mogadishu was thankfully smooth, and even more thankfully, all of our luggage had followed us without incident. I had heard stories from the others of the various disasters they had faced on other trips, there only half their belongings, or none of their equipment had arrived at their destination. When dealing with thousands of dollars of camera gear, this could be an issue.

Lugging our gear out onto a tarmac at the side of the small airport, we were met by two military guards in full uniform, complete with machine guns casually draped over their backs. My welcome to Somalia was eye opening, and immediate. Members of the team reached out quickly, hugging and clapping the SWAT members on the back, all chattering familiarly. After loading our gear, Erin leaned to me as I tossed my bag into the bag.

"Chet and Ariel have been on several trips with us here," she explained, securing her own items. "They are the best. We're in good hands,"

I merely nodded, trying to keep my nerves from my face. I had no doubt that my expression had prompted her explanation, having never seen such firepower up close, or been greeted in such a way. It made the gravity of the region we were about to deploy to that much more real.