The Tiger's Eye

Final resolution

Mike's POV
      I looked at the team and listened as John spoke "We're redirecting you to the position the mask's convoy stopped, we've got a PID on both Valkyrie and King." I relayed the information to the team "Everyone listen up, I've got some clarity on a couple of issues. We've got the location the Masks have stopped, the choppers are redirecting to the coordinates now. We've also got a PID on both Valkyrie and King, we're going in" I heard Maverick "good, I wanna get them back" I radioed command "John, do we have and HVTs on target?" He replied after a second "we've got possible presence of mask lieutenant Deimos" I sighed as I stared out the Blackhawk window watching the forest below us pass beneath us. I heard Sledge "So whats the masks deal with wanting Lynn so badly? It's like they're targeting him" I sighed and replied "maybe he's just really unlucky?" Maverick joined in "he's definitely unlucky but this isn't being unlucky, they want him for something." Blackbeard spoke "do we have any word on potential damage to them? Do we need to get our medical supplies ready?" I answered "no word, guys were going in blind. We just got intel about them even being there"
      The pilot spoke "We're gonna drop you a klick off target, give you some element of surprise. We'll be back at base to retrieve Doc and Finka, call us for an extract" I pulled the door open as the crew chief looked at me and gave a thumbs up, I shifted my AR33 before shivering at the cold window whipping around the crew compartment in the rear. The pilot spoke "touchdown in 30 seconds" John spoke "Be advised you have a flight of F-16s ready to give ordinance. Callsign is Trace" I replied "rog" as I felt the helicopter jolt before I jumped out and pushed into the forest, the teams climbed out and rallied on me. I looked over the team of 9 highly trained operators who looked pissed about the fact two of our own were taken I spoke "let's keep this objective, we're here to retrieve our two operators. Not to kill the masks, we'll get our boys and then level the buildings with F-16 strikes. We clear?" They nodded as I spoke "let's move, we've got a klick to cover. Keep it tight and fast"
We started walking through the woods until 30 minutes later we arrived on the outskirts of the complex, I radioed "John, where are we in relation to King's location?" Harry replied "they're on the far side from you" I whispered to Sledge "Pass this on, we're looping around to the East and moving in to secure them and pull out" he nodded and spread the word while I slowly crept my way through the tree line before I got to where I could see a cage in the ground, I asked "Six, are they in the cage?" He replied simply "Yes" as I motioned the team forward with hand signals. We jogged our way across the open field trying to get to a position where we could work a defense if need be, I crouched next to the cage and spoke while scanning the buildings "Lynn? Meghan? You here?" I heard Meghan "Mike? Is that you?" I replied with a smile audible "Yeah mate, it's me" she asked "how'd you find us?" I replied "the nerds in the TOC picked up Lynn's phone signal when he texted Maverick" I heard her ask "Lynn, why didn't you tell me?"
He answered tiredly "I didn't want to get your hopes up, I didn't even know if it worked" I pulled on the padlock before calling over softly "Maverick, torch it" he walked over after lighting his torch as we aimed at all of the buildings until I heard the padlock drop into the muck at the bottom of the pit. I turned and grabbed the hatch yanking it up as I heard a rifle fire behind me. I sighed as I grabbed under Meghan's shoulders and pulled her up while Maverick did the same to Lynn, he groaned at the movement before I looked over as more gunfire was heard behind me. I turned on my flashlight and saw the damage the masks did to him, I looked meghan over and asked "why are you okay? What did they do to Lynn?" She answered "they tortured him, they want to finish the job they started by killing his team. The mask that lead the ambush is here" I spoke to Maverick "get him over your shoulder" I yelled to the team "Get already to exfil! HVIs have been secured!" I hoisted Meghan over my shoulder and started towards the LZ "Viper 1-0, were en route to LZ. It'll be a hot extract, how copy?" The pilot replied calmly "hot extract heard, see you in a bit"
The team flanked Maverick and I on both sides and the rear fighting the masks while we retreated, I focused on carrying the admittedly lighter Meghan through the rough terrain a klick back to the LZ. I heard Sledge on the radio "Keep going, we'll hold em here and rendezvous at the primary" I keyed my mic "you better fucking be there! Trace, deliver ordinance at target location. All friendly forces clear, over" the lead pilot answered "Wilco, warheads on foreheads in 15" even if the air strike didn't kill any masks I was going to deny them shelter, transport and ammo. I heard the detonation of the 500lbs bombs on the target as the birds shrieked from the trees and the gunfight was drowned out. I heard Maverick "Christ I need to do more cardio" I chuckled as the gunfight grew more distant. It didn't feel like it took 30 minutes until we arrived at the Primary extraction point, I radioed "All Rainbow units rendezvous on primary LZ" as Maverick and I set up a makeshift defense.
10 minutes later the rest of the team burst through the tree line as tracers shot past them, we laid down and aimed at the tree as the rest of the team did the same until the first mask came into view and paused, obviously expecting to see rainbow operators pulling back until I sent a burst into him dropping him as the pilot spoke "were on station, I need a mark on your position" I sighed and pulled out a crimson smoke grenade before tossing it behind me. The pilot spoke "got your position, wheels down in 30" I yelled "we're out of here in 30!" As we continued to fire just attempting to suppress the masks as the pilot made his final approach, once he touched down I grabbed Meghan and dragged her to the chopper before lifting her in, doc looked relieved at the lack of wounds on her before he saw Lynn. Half the team climbed into the Blackhawk before it lifted off and the door gunner opened up with his .50 caliber. The second Blackhawk quickly landed and pulled out the other half of the team before we headed back to base.
     We all waited until Doc and Finka got Meghan and Lynn out of the helicopters and had them on stretchers heading to the medbay only them did we disembark from the helicopters. We all stood around dumbfounded at the fact it was that easy as Yumiko asked sounding uncomfortable "did you see how much damage they did to Lynn in 6 hours? He must've been getting it near constantly." I heard Craig "I'd be willing to bet he was taking Meghan's hits for her" I sighed and spoke "go get some sleep, we'll debrief in the morning. I want to talk to Harry"
Lynn's POV 8 weeks later
      I walked through the halls to Harry's office, I wanted to know what intel he could give me. I knocked on his door and walked in seeing him glance up from his paperwork "what can I do for you?" I asked "what intel do you have for me?" He looked up confused as I explained "I know you've been keeping track of Deimos and I know he didn't die that night, what do you have for me?" He spoke "I don't want you on that mission"
       I slammed my fist on the table "don't give me that shit! I deserve to be on that mission! I need to be on it! That bastard killed my team! He tortured me!" He looked up at me and sighed "there's a briefing for a mission to bag him in 2 hours, be there" I flexed my hands on anger before standing and storming over to the door in a rage fueled hunger as Harry called "Lynn" I turned back and looked at him my eyes holding a primal hunger as he asked "will this help you get closure?" I nodded as I spoke "I'll definitely feel better knowing I'm the one who put him 6 feet deep" he sighed and tossed me a file "memorize this, it'll help you on the mission" I nodded before walking out into the hallway, heading back to my room as my grip tightened on the file as I remembered the hours of torture he put me through, all the pain all the anger resurfaced as I looked at my thumb. It was freshly healed and I was still getting it back to strength but I could shoot and do missions so it's good enough for now.
     I walked in and dropped on my bed opening the file slowly committing everything to memory as the day turned to a blur until I was on a helicopter in my gear. I blinked a couple times refocusing as I heard Capitao "This is your first time running with us, I hear you're an aggressive person. Just keep with us and we'll get through this" I looked over and nodded before replying "if I get a shot at Deimos everything else is secondary" he nodded and replied "I understand you want to be the one to pull the trigger, I'll try to support you but staying alive is most important" I nodded as the crew chief opened the door and clipped the rope to the bar before kicking it out and giving me a nod and a thumbs up, I gripped the rope and spun so I was facing the helicopter before I slid down it and waited until I felt my feet hit the roof top before I released the rope and lifted my M16 falling to a crouch next to the wall before I heard a whistle and Capitao gave the rally up signal.
      He spoke "you're up King, you're on point lead us in" I smiled and started down the rusty stairs to the window of the second floor seeing a mask looking at the door before he noticed me, I lifted my m16 and sent a burst into his head before kicking in the door checking corners moving deeper into the room checking the bathroom as a shotgun's pellets hit the doorframe next to me and I heard "Fuck off!" As I loaded a concussion round and launched it into the bathroom. I heard the bang and pushed in sending 6 rounds into the mask before I called "room secure!" As I reloaded my 203 and started down the hallway until I saw Deimos jump down the staircase, I radioed as I took off running "I've got eyes on, moving to execute" as Capitao yelled "King! No!" But it was too late I had already jumped over the railing and hit the lower part of the stairs before I chased the frame of Deimos, I heard gunshots and shouts behind me as I chased him into the forest until he spun and used my momentum to flip me. I smirked as I pulled my pistol sending rounds past him as he grabbed my wrist and I spun getting him in an arm bar as I slowly forced my pistol back towards him.
       He pulled his own pistol as I released the arm bar and kicked his wrist causing his pistol to go flying as I pulled up my blade and stabbed past him he grabbed my wrist causing me to flip my knife to an ice pick grip and rip it across his fingers chopping one off, he gripped his hand in pain as I lifted my m16 and started pulling the trigger while he rushed forward lifting the barrel which quickly burnt his hand, the air smelt of burnt flesh as he stabbed with his knife I spun and caught his wrist in my elbow before I twisted hearing a loud crack as he yelled in pain, I tried yanking up my m16 before he used his hands to stop my rifle before I could get it up until I smirked under my half mask and sent my concussion round into the dirt at our feet. He looked at me shocked as it detonated and I kicked him to the ground holding my pistol to his mask, I patted out "this is for my team, this is for me; this is for every innocent you've ever hurt. I hope you burn" he coughed out laughing "I'll see you there, don't you get it you're just as bad as me" I rolled my eyes and answered "no, because I'm walking away" as I unloaded the last 3 rounds into his face at point blank. I radioed "all units, be advised. Deimos is KIA, I repeat Deimos is KIA" as I started back to the building which had gone silent.

Heyo, it's me again. This is the end, I'm moving on to a much bigger project so stay tuned. Have a grand day.