0500, day 6. One hour from extract. Agent Stinson makes more tea. I replace the strap on the kit bag.
Approx. 0510, day 6. The Asset says, very clearly, that he could kill us all and just run for it. I tell him that we’ll fucking shoot him if he dares to fucking move, and remind him that we don’t like deserters. He says that some of those deserters are guys with a gal back home, and a family to hope for, and no wonder they’re scared. I say that he doesn’t have any of those things, and the only things he should be fucking scared of are mission failure and me, in that order. He and I have a staring contest. The Asset looks away first, but only because Agent Kawamura snores incredibly loudly right behind him.
0530, day 6. The Asset can hear the extract crew coming, and looks around for the aircraft. Agent Stinson wonders aloud if bears will attack helicopters. Agent Kawamura sneezes himself awake. I tell everyone to prep for extract, get their shit together and let me do the talking. Agent Rollins and questions whether this is wise. I ask him whether he wants to do the fucking talking - especially since some of the guys outside the team have never even heard him speak. He declines the invitation.
0540, day 6. We collect our kit and move to open ground. The Asset gets up and starts pacing again, with a small but noticeable limp. Agent Kawamura advises him to sit the fuck down, before he opens his wound. The Asset stares at Agent Kawamura as if he just grew horns. Agent Kawamura repeats the order. I repeat the order. The Asset does not obey, but doesn’t carry on pacing, either.
Agent Stinson suggests kicking the Asset in the fucking bullet-hole so he’ll sit down. Agent Kawamura says that, from a medical standpoint, this is inadvisable. I ask whether it’ll do serious damage. Agent Kawamura says it will not. I get up and kick the Asset in the fucking bullet-hole. He whines and drops on his knees. I grab his hair and ask him whether he’ll get up until the fucking chopper arrives, or fucking sit down like we fucking told him to. He says ‘no promises, pal’, which I judge to be an incorrect answer. I crack him across the face, and re-state the question. He asks whether the chopper will take long. I draw my stun stick and press it against the dressing covering his wound. He gives the correct answer - he’ll sit down like we fucking told him to.
Agent Kawamura says that jamming the stun stick in the bullet-hole and turning it on would definitely be medically inadvisable, and also probably smell of roasting, which would make us all hungry. I agree, but predict that it would be really, really fucking satisfying to see the stupid fuck get what’s coming to him.
Agent Stinson says he could really use a bacon sandwich right about now.
0600, day 6. The extract chopper finally fucking arrives. We load up and inform the crew that the mission was successful but the Asset is wounded. Agent Crabbe asks how that happened. I tell her that we’ll explain when we get back, in the presence of command personnel. The Asset receives medical attention without ripping anyone’s head off for once.
Post-extract, we are debriefed and the kill confirmed - the target missed his expected return date and the alarm was raised. A search by local forestry personnel and law enforcement is currently underway, which will discover the body at the foot of a rock face, having slipped and fallen.
I report before Secretary Pierce, who gets all the details out of me about how we ended up shooting the Asset in the fucking leg, then chews me out for it and orders a penalty for damaging the Asset. Because I am incredibly brave and also fucking tired, I offer to take it for the whole squad because those guys were just along for the ride.
Although at the time I didn’t know it was twenty lashes for each of them, so I’d end up getting eighty. Fuck that. I wouldn’t have done it if I’d known. Just so you know, it hurts like a bitch.
Fill: Make Your Puppet Dance 13/14
Approx. 0510, day 6. The Asset says, very clearly, that he could kill us all and just run for it. I tell him that we’ll fucking shoot him if he dares to fucking move, and remind him that we don’t like deserters. He says that some of those deserters are guys with a gal back home, and a family to hope for, and no wonder they’re scared. I say that he doesn’t have any of those things, and the only things he should be fucking scared of are mission failure and me, in that order. He and I have a staring contest. The Asset looks away first, but only because Agent Kawamura snores incredibly loudly right behind him.
0530, day 6. The Asset can hear the extract crew coming, and looks around for the aircraft. Agent Stinson wonders aloud if bears will attack helicopters. Agent Kawamura sneezes himself awake. I tell everyone to prep for extract, get their shit together and let me do the talking. Agent Rollins and questions whether this is wise. I ask him whether he wants to do the fucking talking - especially since some of the guys outside the team have never even heard him speak. He declines the invitation.
0540, day 6. We collect our kit and move to open ground. The Asset gets up and starts pacing again, with a small but noticeable limp. Agent Kawamura advises him to sit the fuck down, before he opens his wound. The Asset stares at Agent Kawamura as if he just grew horns. Agent Kawamura repeats the order. I repeat the order. The Asset does not obey, but doesn’t carry on pacing, either.
Agent Stinson suggests kicking the Asset in the fucking bullet-hole so he’ll sit down. Agent Kawamura says that, from a medical standpoint, this is inadvisable. I ask whether it’ll do serious damage. Agent Kawamura says it will not. I get up and kick the Asset in the fucking bullet-hole. He whines and drops on his knees. I grab his hair and ask him whether he’ll get up until the fucking chopper arrives, or fucking sit down like we fucking told him to. He says ‘no promises, pal’, which I judge to be an incorrect answer. I crack him across the face, and re-state the question. He asks whether the chopper will take long. I draw my stun stick and press it against the dressing covering his wound. He gives the correct answer - he’ll sit down like we fucking told him to.
Agent Kawamura says that jamming the stun stick in the bullet-hole and turning it on would definitely be medically inadvisable, and also probably smell of roasting, which would make us all hungry. I agree, but predict that it would be really, really fucking satisfying to see the stupid fuck get what’s coming to him.
Agent Stinson says he could really use a bacon sandwich right about now.
0600, day 6. The extract chopper finally fucking arrives. We load up and inform the crew that the mission was successful but the Asset is wounded. Agent Crabbe asks how that happened. I tell her that we’ll explain when we get back, in the presence of command personnel. The Asset receives medical attention without ripping anyone’s head off for once.
Post-extract, we are debriefed and the kill confirmed - the target missed his expected return date and the alarm was raised. A search by local forestry personnel and law enforcement is currently underway, which will discover the body at the foot of a rock face, having slipped and fallen.
I report before Secretary Pierce, who gets all the details out of me about how we ended up shooting the Asset in the fucking leg, then chews me out for it and orders a penalty for damaging the Asset. Because I am incredibly brave and also fucking tired, I offer to take it for the whole squad because those guys were just along for the ride.
Although at the time I didn’t know it was twenty lashes for each of them, so I’d end up getting eighty. Fuck that. I wouldn’t have done it if I’d known. Just so you know, it hurts like a bitch.