Operation: Healing Shadows

The escape

Mason's POV
I ducked under the tree limb as Luna and I ran through the thick swamp towards where the Airboat was left, I looked forward and saw the light of a fire on a small island. Luna saw it too since she lifted her FMG and pressed herself against a tree, I appeared next to her "How do you wanna do this?" She spoke calmly "There's two of them, one on each side of the fire. We'll take them out at the same time and then get to the boat." I childishly spoke "Dibs on the left" her veil ripped towards me "I want the guy on the left" I shrugged as I fixed my sunglasses "well too bad, I called dibs." She muttered under the wind "the rule of dibs is a mockery in and of itself" I gasped as if she had just slapped god as I hissed at the treachery "Don't disrespect the rule of dibs, the rule of dibs is a time honored tradition ever since Julius Caesar wandered into Rome and said dibs" she looked at me "Fine, fine, you got left I got right" I nodded before speaking "Bet I can reach mine first" she chuckled softly, the crack of thunder overhead brought the world back into focus as she spoke "You're on" I lifted my R5 and crouched, gasping light at the cold water as it rose to just above my waist "oh, oh god that's cold. Holy shit, my nuts, oh my poor nuts" I heard Luna laughing over the radio.
      I pushed my way through the tall sawgrass keeping my rifle up and occasionally pausing to listen for any splashes of a gator moving towards me or for some sound from the mask's Luna and I are hunting. I slowly crept up to the edge of the Sawgrass and waited until I heard one of the men "I'm gonna take a piss, I'll be back" followed by a reply of "I did not need to know that" I had my R5 sitting at a low ready while I waited for Luna to say she was in position until a barehand pushed some of the grass aside and ended up resting on my suppressor. I looked up and saw his eyes as wide as saucers, they stayed like that forever as I squeezed the trigger and held it for 4 seconds dumping half my magazine into his chest, I heard the second mask "Jim? What the fuck happen- ugh" as I emerged from the grass and saw Luna crouched next to him,

the tip of her suppressor still smoking, as she looked at me "I was almost in position, you couldn't wait 2 seconds?" I sighed before motioning to the dead mask at my feet "Well it's not my fault, he touched my tip and I did not consent" she chuckled as her veil shifted side to side in amusement.
      She joked as she stood "Well don't walk around with your tip out, I might get jealous." I nodded as she spoke seriously this time, rather angrily too "You have to be more careful, if I wasn't there you'd probably have gotten killed. Do you think I want you to die?" I realized I was in trouble for something I had no control over so I did the only thing I could think off, I shifted my weight to my back foot and spoke "You have an amazing figure, have I ever told you that?" She tripped over her words before she spoke "Don't try to throw me off" I raised my hands in surrender "no really, you do" she pointed out "while I appreciate the compliment, you have to be more careful." I sighed in exasperation before falling silent, I lifted my R5 so I was ready in case any other Masks came to the fire before walking off in the direction of the Airboat, leaving a confused Nøkk calling after me "Ozone, Ozone wait up. Ozone stop moving so fast" I simply continued trudging through the swamp listening to the storm and the helicopters overhead, I hummed a song as I moved seeing the occasional wild boar or gator but for the most part it was quiet. Luna managed to catch up to me, when she did she gripped my shoulder and tore me around so I was facing her almost making me fall in the process before she spoke sternly "you're going to tell me what's wrong, I can't help if I don't know" I looked around the swamp before she pleaded "Please, just talk to me"
       I looked at her, she squirmed under the intense stare before I spoke softly "You act like I'm a kid, like I don't know I could die. You think I wanted to get found by that guy and have to spring the trap early? You think I wanted to make the run across that bridge and almost get eaten by the gator? I know you're worried about me but I'm not a fuck up, I know what I'm supposed to do. It wasn't my fault the guy picked the spot I was waiting at to go to the bathroom but you berated me for it, you think I enjoyed that?" She recoiled with each barbed word before looking down as I shrugged her hand off my shoulder "don't worry, next mission I'll go alone so I can't fuck anything up for you" as I started walking through the thigh deep water again. I glanced back and saw Luna's head tilted forward before it straightened and she started following me again. It was a quiet walk until I saw a group of masks walking 30 meters ahead of us, I crouched behind a fallen tree and leveled my R5 at them while Luna wordlessly crouched next to me with her FMG, I counted as they passed it seemed like they never ended and then an opportunity arose, A mask stood to the side of the column yelling orders over the storm causing me to mutter to myself "Officer" Luna looked over before returning her vision to the Masks "Think we can capture him?" I replied in whisper "yea, but it's risky. A risk we don't need to take, we have files to look through." She nodded as we watched the convoy move, I tapped her thigh "Come on, let's get out of here. I need a drink" she nodded before turning away stopping halfway before she looked at me "I'm sorry I made you feel like I thought you were incapable, I'm just scared of you getting injured." I motioned to my leg, "I've lost one limb, it's not something I wish to repeat. Don't worry about it, I'll be fine. I forgive you, come on pretty lady, let's go home"
She nodded before wading through the swamp water heading around the convoy, we creepy up to a culvert and I pulled Luna aside "Let me go first, Gator's like laying in here" she sighed but nodded as I switched on my shoulder mounted flashlight and slowly crept through the calf high water, I saw the reflection of light in a gators eye and froze "Well hello there, I see you" the gator's hiss reverberated through the tunnel and I replied "Hey, none of that. Go on, get out of here" the gator backed away slowly as I shuffled forward leading with my left leg in case he attack he'd grab my prosthetic instead of my true leg. The gator was smaller about 5 feet but 5 foot gators are a lot more dangerous than a 15 foot gator, I kept creeping closer to the gator as he kept hissing louder and louder while backing away. Finally his nerves broke and he spun 180 and quickly retreated out of the culvert, I breathed a sigh of relief until I heard some gun fire ahead of us and saw jets of water shooting up as the Masks fired at the gator. I kept creeping through the culvert until we reached the other side and sat back on our calfs waiting for the masks to move from above the culvert, we watched the swamp ahead of us until one of the masks above us spoke "Hey Jay, I think we got the fucker. Let's go, it's almost time to go to the funeral" jay didn't respond but I saw the gravel fall into the water infront of us, I spoke to myself "time to go to work" as I slowly slid into the water making sure not to make any noise before I turned and helped Luna into the water, she leaned over to me "Airboat is 400 meters that way"
      I nodded and followed Luna as we started swimming across the open water towards the far bank, 40 meters away, I looked around for any gators while I swam until I noticed Luna doing the exact same thing except she was doing it much quicker and more frantically I called over the howling wind of the storm "Nøkk! Calm down, you'll be okay!" She looked back for a second before returning her eyes to her search only to receive a sigh from me as I accepted that for every second we were in the water she would be hunting for any sign of a gator. When we reached the far shore I crouched in the water looking back at the road we just passed under before I looked back at Luna standing in the waist deep water and then saw the choppers passing overhead still searching for the masks.... or us.

I saw Luna look up as she crouched slightly, watching the helicopters pass overhead she activated her gadget leaving me with my only option being to submerge and wait for the choppers to pass, I leaned back and slipped underwater holding my breath seeing their search lights passing overhead. By the time the 4th chopper was passing my lungs were on fire, I desperately fought my instincts in order to remain submerged only for the edge of my vision to grow dark as i lost my battle with the necessity for air. I woke up to Luna sitting next to me, her body language shone her worth which immediately was replaced by relief when I cough up some water and slowly sat up with her help as she rambled in Danish "åh herregud, har du nogen idé om det hjerteanfald, du gav mig? Jeg troede, du døde, du dumme. aldrig gøre det igen, jeg ved ikke, om det ikke er i stand til at redde dig næste gang(Oh my god, do you have any idea the heart attack you gave me? I thought you died you dumbass. Never do that again, I don't know if I'll be able to save you next time)"
      I looked over and rubbed my throat as I felt my voice scratch "Luna, Luna love, I can't understand you. I'm okay, just tired" she didn't reply instead crushing my rib cage in a tight hug before she stood "come, let's get out of here. We're almost to the boat" I climbed to my feet and looked around for my rifle Luna held it out to me "I didn't want you getting dirt in the receiver so I took it off you" I took it in my hands and inspected it while replying "thanks, I won't have to double check every nook and cranny when I clean it tonight now" she nodded before looking at me "I've got point, let me know if we need to slow down" I gave a thumbs up while reacclimating to having air in my lungs. We trudged through the dark swamps hearing bull frogs ribbiting in the distance until finally 20 minutes later we arrived at the airboat, I helped Luna into it before climbing in and rolling onto my back in the bottom of the boat looking up at the night sky only to have Luna hand me the headset and speak "I'll drive, take a load off." I nodded and shifted so I was in between her legs using her thigh as a pillow watching the swamp as she started up the engine, I pulled off my balaclava and helmet keeping my sunglasses on only to feel Luna's hand combing through my hair as she spoke into the radio "you're okay right?" I nodded against her thigh as she patted my head and removed her hand going back to steering the boat while I relaxed for a bit.