Coming Home (#Wattys 2017)

7; Execute

{May 1st, 2011}

Carrie was not prepared for tonight. Tonight was the night they would go in and take out terrorist Osama bin Laden.

Everyone around the United States Army base in Pakistan was uneasy. Because all of the men and women tasked with killing bin Laden knew if they failed, he would now be alerted to the United States' very persistent efforts to locate him. And he would make it so much harder for them to find him another time.

Harrison found her pacing outside their barracks. Wearing her Navy Seal uniform, she was sweating as she paced back and forth in the hot sun of Pakistan. He walked up to her, wearing his combat pants and boots as well as a tank top.

"Carrie."

She spun to face him. "I hate sand," she told him, kicking at the sand with her tan boots.

"It's all over the place."

That was true. Most of the landscape of Pakistan that wasn't mountains made up a hot and dry desert. But sand just got everywhere.

"I still hate it."

He could tell she was just stalling, and trying not to talk about what was to come in just a few hours.

Carrie walked by him and down to the end of the row of barracks before coming all the way back. When she went to pass him, he put his hands on her shoulders and stopped her.

"Easy Carrie."

She pushed him away and kept walking. "I guess I'm just amped up."

Harrison was amped up as well, knowing something potentially historical was going to happen, and he was going to be a part of it. He wasn't excited, he just wanted to get his job done.

"Why don't we go get something else to eat?" He offered. "It might be our last chance to eat before we leave."

That was true. The flight to Abottabad was going to take about 90 minutes. They also had to gear up and meet at the helicopter a half hour before. They were scheduled to leave in 3 and a half hours when it was totally dark and around midnight here in Pakistan.

Carrie considered for a moment before agreeing. Maybe eating a little bit would be enough to calm her down.

✎✎✎

After finishing a late dinner, Carrie and Harrison made their way back to their barracks to change into their combat gear. First came the tan camouflage pants and boots followed by a matching shirt covered by a bullet proof vest. They both strapped on belts that held hand grenades and knives. There were also pistols in holsters that were strapped to their belts.

Harrison handed Carrie her helmet which she strapped on. Then she tested the night vision setting to make sure it worked, which it did. She put on gloves before grabbing a sling of ammunition that she could carry across her chest. Carrie then grabbed her sniper rifle and slung it over her shoulder before grabbing her assault rifle. Then they were ready to go.

It was very dark as they loaded the stealth helicopters with the other SEAL's. The stealth helicopters were painted black and were also very quiet. They flew close to the ground to keep from alerting the Pakistani military.

Once the helicopters took off, Harrison and Carrie settled in for the 90 minute flight next to each other. The inside of the helicopter was lit with dim red lights, allowing all the SEAL's to see each other's faces.

Harrison turned to his wife. "No matter whatever happens here, I love you." He then quickly kissed her.

"I love you too," she answered quietly. "We're going to pull this thing off."

Reassured by his wife, Harrison pulled out his wallet and they began looking through pictures of them and Billie. Seeing Billie was almost enough to make her cry. But Harrison nudged her. "We'll be home soon."

She smiled, taking his wallet from him and looking through more pictures of Billie. They started when she was a baby and led up to the most recent picture which was taken when they went fishing a week before they had to leave for deployment.

"Carrie we're going to be okay."

Carrie took a deep breath. "I know we will." She handed Harrison his wallet back and he tucked it deep under his bullet proof vest.

She rolled up her sleeve to look at the bracelet Billie had made for her and her daddy. Carrie smiled seeing the bracelet, picturing Billie's smiling face as she gave them to her parents.

But her thoughts were interrupted when the pilot announced they would be arriving at the compound in 5 minutes. Carrie and Harrison both had their weapons in their hands, ready to scale the large rope into the compound.

4 minutes.

3 minutes.

2 minutes.

As the pilot announced they would be in position in 30 seconds, everyone felt a thump as the rotor of the helicopter hit the compound. The helicopter began to spin and went nose down before it hit the front wall of the compound and softly crashed.

All of the SEAL's were unbuckling once they helicopter was on the ground. The orders, "shoot to kill," came across as they climbed out of the helicopter.

Carrie and Harrison were the first ones out, now throwing ropes over the compound wall to climb it. "You heard Admiral McRaven. Execute."