Page 113 of What I Should Have Done

Not much other than the silent footsteps of my teammates sounded around us. In a single file line, we crept around a building, heading straight for the underground bunker’s entrance. Scottie brought up the rear, right behind me as Duncan moved a step ahead of me. Dom led the way with Ford right on his heels and Bernie in the middle.

Goosebumps prickled on my skin, alerting me to the adrenaline coursing in my veins despite the calm patter of my heart in my chest. Simple orders for a not so simple ending. I couldn’t believe we were this close to finally getting our target. To finally shutting down Karim al-Jabari and his radical followers once and for all.

No more destroyed villages who protested him here in the Middle East. No more possible threats of a terrorist attack back home.

I knew I didn’t deserve such fulfillment in life, I hadn’t exactly led one that by any means brought me to merit such a reward, but here I was. A girl I was absolutely in love with who loved me back, headed to bring some peace with men I called family.

Inching forward, we paused at the edge of the building closest to the hidden escape underground. No wonder Karim had managed to stay off of our radar for so long. His compound was a literal fortress beneath the surface, affording him an extra sense of safety.

But no longer.

Peering over Dom’s shoulder, I scanned our surroundings. In the very middle of this town lay a circular courtyard with a single metal covering in the center labeled “water”. Disguised as a drainage system, Karim’s compound entrance waited for us.

“Phoenix, I’m not sure about an airstrike with how close these buildings are. There could be innocents,” Ford muttered into the comms.

Dom nodded once and sucked in his bottom lip. “New game plan.” He peeked around the corner through the scope of his gun once more as the stars above us twinkled brightly. Despite the full moon and clear sky, the night felt heavy and dark. Nothing unusual, but all the same, the weight of how important this mission was, clung to the curtains of Mother Nature herself. “First off, no matter what happens, preventing Karim al-Jabari from fleeing is top priority. Crow, once we’re clear of the door, once we’ve breached, I want you to pull out and find your vantage point where you can call in another squad to come clear the surrounding buildings for us without having your location compromised.”

Duncan snorted, and he shot a glance behind him at Scottie and me. “I bet Crow had to teach Viper how to properly pull out.”

A thwunk ripped through the air as Bernie chuckled in response.

Hot, red liquid misted my cheek and Duncan crumpled to the ground.

The pulse of life paused within me. My hands froze around the rifle tucked tightly into my shoulder.

Everything stilled as the Earth held its breath.

Of their own accord, my gaze drifted to the awkwardly collapsed man between Bernie and me.

I stared at Duncan’s glassy, lifeless eyes. “No.” I whispered. This wasn’t possible. Not like that.

There was no way.

He was unmoving. Unblinking. His chest wasn’t rising and falling.

“Matrix’s…” My voice caught in my throat as my gaze finally locked onto the gaping hole in the side of his head. Right below his helmet. Red stained the outer edges of the bullet wound, but there was no blood actively seeping out. And I knew what that meant.

“Matrix’s down,” I managed to croak out.

There was no way.

The three men in front of me whipped around.

A shaky exhale from Scottie whispered across my neck. “He’s dead,” she quietly gasped.

Bernie collapsed to his knees, quickly pressing his fingers to the side of Duncan’s neck.

I couldn’t find the strength to breathe. To move. To feel.

He’d been standing directly in front of me. Cracked a joke.

And then…

A slow shake of Bernie’s head told me that this wasn’t some cruel prank.

“Phoenix to command, requesting a medic evac. We have one down, over,” Dom radioed through the comms as I continued to stare at Duncan’s dead body.

“Command to Phoenix, ten minutes from evac point,” came the response through the comms.

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