Alpha's Ghost

Chapter 1

“Agent Washington? Ma’am? Here’s your water.”

“Gunny—just call me Jasmine.”

Jasmine raised her VR headset and took a deep drink from the gallon water jug.

“This heat’s crazy. How are you guys not passing out?”

“We’re Marines, ma’am.”

Jasmine looked around the command post at the Marines sitting at the monitoring stations, rifles next to them as they worked at their military-grade laptops.

“Oorah, Gunny. That you are.”

Jasmine put her VR headset back on and resumed tapping her gloved fingers against each other.

The sergeant glanced at her gloves, headset, and then her suit.

“Ma’am, are you wearing some sort of power armor? Does it give you special abilities?”

Jasmine chuckled.

“No Sergeant, no special abilities.”

“Is it body armor?”

Jasmine slowly looked around the room and up at the ceiling through her VR headset.

“Nope. Think of it like full-body athletic gear.”

“How much does something like that cost?”

“This one was around four million.”

The sergeant looked at the suit, confused.

“That’s…about the cost of an Abrams.”

Jasmine looked downwards, continually tapping her fingers against one another.

“To create one of these they have to do a lot of body scanning, motion capture, 3D modeling, fabricating, and hand-assembly so that it fits my specific bone structure, musculature, and range of movement. When you add up parts and labor, it ends up being pretty expensive.”

The sergeant looked at Jasmine’s suit more closely.

“Do all StratRec agents wear those?”

“The ones who do usually wear them as often as they can. They’re like a second skin once you’re used to them. I’ve had mine for a couple years now so it’s really well broken in.”

Jasmine continued looking around the room through her headset.

“We appreciate StratRec assisting in this matter ma’am.”

“My pleasure, happy to help. Hopefully we’ll grab this guy and be back in time for chow.”

“Yes ma’am. We’re also honored to have a Washington with us. I served with your uncle.”

“Which one? Uncle Marcus, Uncle Darius, Uncle Lucius, Uncle Cassius, or Uncle Demetrius?”

The sergeant raised his eyebrows.

“Oh…Captain Marcus ma’am. He told me stories about your family’s Fourth of July cookouts.”

“Yeah? What’d he tell you?”

The sergeant grinned.

“Captain Marcus claims he’s the best cook in the family.”

Jasmine snorted.

“Yeah…Uncle Marcus talks a big game. His briskets are amazing—you can cut them with a fork—but his mac and cheese is greasy, and his potato salad is too wet.”

Jasmine continued looking around the room through her VR headset.

The sergeant cleared his throat.

“We still tell stories about your grandfather to new recruits—about how General Washington won his Medal of Honor. I had the pleasure of attending one of his lectures on valor in combat several years ago. May I ask how he’s doing?”

Jasmine paused.

“Gramps passed a few years back.”

The sergeant looked devastated.

“Oh…I’m…I’m sorry to hear that ma’am.”

“It’s OK. He lived a good life, had a bunch of Marines, and they had a bunch of Marines. We all just try to live up to his legacy.”

“Based on the decorations, medals, and awards the Washingtons have earned over the years, I’d say you’re all doing a fine job.”

“I try my best, but going into StratRec kinda makes me the black sheep of the family since I can’t…”

Jasmine froze.

“Incoming. See it?”

The Marines in the operations center all fervently worked their laptops, typing and clicking furiously.

“No ma’am.”

“Nothing ma’am.”

“Radar’s clear ma’am.”

Jasmine held her gaze at the same point in space. The speed of her gloved fingers tapping against each other increased.

“It’s about two…no…one minute out. Cruise missile…Russia made stealth. That’s why you can’t see it.”

“Orders ma’am?”

Jasmine hesitated.

“Ma’am?”

“I think it’s a cyber payload. Power down everything.”

“Ma’am?”

“Now. Right fucking now!”

“Yes ma’am.”

The sergeant nodded at a Marine at their station. Seconds later the sound of an electric generator fell quiet outside of the command post.

The Marines each powered down their laptops, closed them, and picked up their rifles.

The sound of servos broke the silence.

Jasmine ripped off her VR headset and sprinted outside.

She pulled her sidearm and emptied the clip at an autocannon mounted on top of one of the all-terrain tactical vehicles.

Jasmine reloaded as she quickly walked back inside the command center.

“I disabled the Bushmaster’s ammo chute. Don’t panic if it tries to fire.”

Jasmine put back on her VR headset.

She quickly looked around the room until she locked her gaze on a single point in space. Her gloved fingers tapped against each other in a blur.

“About 10 seconds until it reaches us.”

Jasmine watched through her VR headset as the cruise missile approached their location.

The nose of the cruise missile broke apart, revealing a cluster of long rectangles.

Each rectangle deployed a tail fin, a set of long wings, and a small propeller, then began gliding away from one another.

The Bushmaster swung around and took aim at the command center.

It clicked repeatedly as it attempted to fire.

The Marines whipped around and pointed their rifles at it.

“Told you guys not to panic.”

Jasmine took off her VR headset and spoke quickly.

“The payload is an Iranian Shabgard 313 Sayyad, a prop-driven drone swarm that’s going to spread out and stay above us for a few hours. It’ll continually attack vulnerable software systems and cut off communications, so don’t trust anything electronic as long as you see them overhead. Expect a coordinated ground-force attack any second. Get to your posts—now.”

The Marines sprinted out of the command center, joining up with other units behind cover around the base.

Jasmine grabbed her backpack from a nearby table, unzipped it, and put her VR headset and gloves into pockets inside. She zipped it closed and put it on.

“Ma’am? Where are you going?”

She tilted her head back and drank her remaining water in a series of massive gulps. She burped loudly.

The sergeant looked confused.

“Ma’am?”

Jasmine wiped her mouth with the back of her hand.

“The sniper team must have gotten too close to the target, and they’re going to come under attack soon if they’re not already. As long as the jammers are overhead, we can’t contact them, so I’m going to check on them on foot. It’s about 10 miles over mountainous terrain that took them 12 hours with heavy gear while making sure they weren’t seen. I’ve got light gear, no need for stealth, so I can do it in about 3. I need more water.”

The sergeant handed her two nearby water bottles, and she shoved them into the pockets of her backpack. She adjusted her suit, rotating dials at her ankles, knees, hips, shoulders, and waist.

“Now let’s see if this thing is really worth 4 million.”

Jasmine sprinted into the jungle as the sound of gunfire exploded around the base.

Chapter 2

Jasmine tapped the wounded Marine on the shoulder from behind.

“Hey buddy—don’t shoot.”

“Agent Washington?”

“Yep. Call me Jasmine.”

The Marine kept his eyes and rifle trained on the jungle in front of him.

“You the cavalry?”

“I guess so. The base came under attack.”

“How long ago was the attack?”

“About 4 hours.”

“You got here in 4 hours on foot?”

“It was supposed to be 3.”

Next to him, another Marine lay on the ground unconscious, bandaged around the head and chest. Jasmine moved over to him and checked his pulse.

“Good. Still with us.”

Jasmine pulled a medical kit from her backpack. She removed a large two-chambered metal syringe and screwed on a thick large-gauge needle. She rolled up the Marine’s sleeve and pushed the needle deep into the vein on his arm. She slowly pushed the fluid out of the two chambers.

“What’s that?”

“This will stabilize him until we get him to a hospital.”

Jasmine put the empty two-chambered syringe back in her medical kit.

“Where are you hit?”

“Leg. Through and through.”

“Let me look.”

Jasmine pulled back the torn fabric of his fatigues and examined the Marines’ self-administered first aid.

“Not bad. You a corpsman?”

“No, but if I bleed out, he dies.”

“What hit your team?”

“Mechanized weapon system. May have been remotely piloted, maybe automated. We took it down, but it got the others.”

“Can you walk?”

“I can limp, but he can’t, so we’re staying put until rescue arrives.”

“Rescue’s not coming anytime soon, and comms are down. Don’t worry, I have a plan.”

“I’m all ears.”

“I reconned up ahead before I doubled back here. There’s a squad of what looks like Spetsnaz heading up the mountain, assisted by local militia. They left a bunch of technicals at the base of the mountain, so we have a ride out of here.”

“How do you know they’re Spetsnaz?”

“The way they move.”

“So your plan is to steal a truck?”

“Yep.”

The Marine looked Jasmine up and down.

“You up for that? You look like shit.”

“Gee thanks. It’s sweat and mud. You wanna wait for me to do my hair and makeup?”

The Marine grinned.

“No, I’m good.”

“OK. I think we’ve got about twenty minutes before they reach us. I need you to hold down the fort.”

“You still on mission?”

“Yep. I’ll be back in ten. Kill whatever comes over that ridge.”

“Roger that.”

Jasmine snuck away into the underbrush, crawling silently up the side of the mountain. She came upon the bodies of two dead Marines and the mechanical debris of the destroyed robotic weapons system. She took out her phone, took several photos of the scene, then collected the Marine’s dog tags. She gently closed their eyes.

She followed the robot’s tracks through the jungle until she came to a camouflaged metal hatch.

Jasmine carefully and quietly opened the hatch.

She lowered herself down into the hallway below, then drew her sidearm. Staying close to the wall she moved down the hallway towards a locked metal door with a keypad. She inspected the door, its keypad, its lock, and the door frame.

Jasmine holstered her sidearm, drew her knife, and used it to slice a long, thin strip from the aluminum door frame. She bent the strip to form a hook at one end and added a 90-degree bend in the middle. She slid the strip under the door, rotated it, hooked it onto the handle on the other side, and pulled the handle down to unlock the door. She resheathed her knife and drew her sidearm.

She slowly opened the door, revealing a brightly lit laboratory. Entering silently, she moved from room to room, finding no one.

The sound of shuffling papers and the opening and closing of drawers came from a nearby office.

Jasmine slowly pushed the office door open, revealing a man with his back to her, frantically stuffing papers into his briefcase.

Jasmine addressed the man.

“Doktor Orlov?”

“Da?”

He turned around. His eyes grew wide in terror as they met hers. Jasmine kept her sidearm trained on him as she gestured for him to come to her.

“Podoydi syuda, Doktor.”

The man leaned away from Jasmine and shook his head.

“Net. Ty amerikanskaya ubiitsa?”

Jasmine repeated her command more forcefully.

“Podoydi syuda, Doktor Orlov!”

The man whispered.

“Net. Net.”

He closed his eyes as he slowly shook his head.

“YA ne poydu s toboy. YA nikogda nichego ne skazhu.”

Jasmine paused.

A determined look fell across her face.

“Tvoy vybor.”

Jasmine shot Dr. Orlov twice in the chest. She crossed the room, took careful aim, and shot him in the head.

She quickly rifled through the research papers in Dr. Orlov’s briefcase, skimming the Russian titles.

Her eyes went wide in horror.

Jasmine looked down at the body of Dr. Orlov.

“I hope you rot in hell motherfucker.”

She took off her backpack, transferred the research papers from Dr. Orlov’s briefcase into it, then put her backpack back on.

Jasmine sprinted out of the office, back through the empty laboratory, through the metal door, and raced up the ladder out of the hatch.

The sound of Russian voices froze her in her tracks.

Jasmine carefully closed the hatch and made her way to the top of the ridge, staying low to maintain cover. She found a spot with a clear view of the approaching Russians and the local militia as they climbed the mountain towards the wounded Marines.

She reached into her backpack and retrieved a small case. She opened it and assembled a dart gun from the parts within by screwing the barrel into the receiver, inserting a CO2 canister, unfolding the stock, and attaching the scope. She loaded a magazine containing 24 long, thin darts.

Jasmine lay flat on the ground, the stock of the dart gun pressed against her cheek and cradled in her folded arms. She looked through the scope, exhaled, and relaxed her body. She put crosshairs on the neck of the nearest Spetsnaz and gently squeezed the trigger.

A soft puff launched a small dart.

Just before the dart reached its target it split apart, launching a needle.

The Russian slapped his neck.

“Chyortovy nasekomye! YA nenavizhu dzhungli!”

The other Spetsnaz chuckled.

Jasmine targeted each Spetsnaz, spacing the shots at random intervals, targeting different points of exposed skin. Some slapped the points of impact, some scratched, while others barely noticed.

She then moved her aim further down the mountain to target the local soldiers. She adjusted a knob on the side of the dart gun while looking through the scope at her target. She took careful aim, squeezed the trigger, and fired.

She missed.

Jasmine adjusted the knob on the side of the dart gun slightly.

She pulled the trigger and fired, hitting one of the local soldiers in the neck.

The soldier slapped their neck.

She continued to target the local soldiers until the magazine was empty.

Jasmine disassembled the dart gun and put it back in the case. She put the case back into her backpack.

Jasmine watched as the first Russian soldier began to scratch hard at his neck.

She slid backwards from the ridge and crawled back to the two wounded Marines.

“Hey buddy. How’s it hanging?”

“Peachy. You?”

“I’m good.”

“You got him?”

“Yep.”

“I thought we were supposed to capture him?”

“Capture or kill—he chose the latter.”

The sound of a loud Russian curse broke the silence of the jungle.

Jasmine removed her backpack.

“So here’s the deal. I shot two dozen of our friends down there with cellulose needles that are currently dissolving in their bloodstream.”

Another Russian curse rang out, louder and more alarmed.

Jasmine removed her medical kit and a coil of rope.

“The outer needle casing is an anesthetic, but as that dissolves, it releases a blend of Tarantula Hawk and Bullet Ant venom. That’s starting to take effect.”

Jasmine began tying the limbs of the unconscious Marine with the rope.

The Marine glared at Jasmine.

“What are you doing?”

“Trying to make this big bastard easier to carry.”

“I can’t carry him with my leg shot. I was barely able to drag him back here.”

“I’m carrying him.”

The Marine laughed softly so as not to give away their position, his rifle still pointed at the jungle.

“He’s about 250 pounds, you’re what, 150?”

“I’m 165, thanks. Way to give a girl a complex. Don’t worry, this suit gives me super strength.”

The Marine looked at Jasmine’s suit and raised an eyebrow.

“Really?”

Jasmine shook her head.

“No, not even a little bit.”

The Marine frowned.

“We should wait for rescue.”

Jasmine looked at the Marine.

“Look, that syringe I pumped into him will stabilize him temporarily, but it’s not magic, and he needs proper medical attention stat. If there is a rescue, it won’t be in time to save him, and that’s even if we do survive the bastards heading up here to kill us.”

“I thought you took care of them.”

“The venom is painful but non-lethal. I brought it in case I needed to disable a bunch of scientists while I arranged for their transport back to base—didn’t think I’d be taking on a mountain full of soldiers.”

He stared at Jasmine as she continued tying up the unconscious Marine.

“How are you going to carry him?”

“On my shoulders. I can back squat 300 on a good day.”

“Bullshit.”

“Seriously. Problem is, today isn’t a good day. I just ran 10 miles over mountains to get here, so my legs are toast.”

“So what’s your plan?”

Jasmine grabbed her medical kit, showed it to the Marine, and grinned.

“A little performance enhancement.”

Jasmine opened the medical kit and retrieved two empty syringes. She carefully added precise amounts from a variety of vials. She handed one of the syringes to the Marine.

“Assuming we make it down to the trucks, I’m going to be in rough shape, so I’m going to need you to inject me with this syringe here—through this port.”

Jasmine pointed to a tiny red dot on the inside of her left elbow.

The Marine looked at her for a moment, then shrugged.

“Alright—let’s do it.”

He took the syringe, tucked it in his breast pocket, and started standing up.

Jasmine held up a hand.

“Hold on.”

Jasmine drew her knife and cut down a nearby branch in one clean stroke. She quickly chopped off the smaller limbs leaving a straight limb with a Y at the top.

The screams of the Russians grew louder, now joined by the yelling of the local soldiers.

She handed the improvised crutch to the Marine and sheathed her knife.

“Leave your gear, keep your rifle and ammo, and try to keep up.”

The Marine braced himself with the improvised crutch and stood up, keeping the weight off his wounded leg while still pointing his rifle at the jungle towards the sound of the screaming.

Jasmine checked the number of rounds she had in her sidearm, then reloaded.

She adjusted the dials of her suit on her ankles, knees, hips, waist, and shoulders. She squatted, stood up, then did a minor adjustment of the dials on her ankles and knees.

She positioned herself carefully with the toes of her boots under the unconscious Marine bound with rope.

Jasmine paused.

She ran her knife through the laces of the unconscious Marine’s boots and pulled them off.

Jasmine paused again.

She took off her backpack.

“I need you to carry this and not lose it. There’s world-ending shit in there we need to get stateside. Are we clear?”

“Clear.”

The Marine put on Jasmine’s backpack.

Jasmine repositioned herself, resetting her footing under the unconscious Marine.

She stopped suddenly.

“Hey.”

“What?”

“You can drive stick, right?”

“Yeah.”

Jasmine exhaled.

“Cool. Almost put a hex on the whole damn thing. It’s straight downhill. Technicals are on the valley floor. We take whatever has keys and haul ass back down the mountain until we’re out of jamming range. Try to stay hidden. Only fire if we’re spotted.”

The Marine nodded.

“Roger that.”

She pulled the cap off of her syringe.

“You ready?”

A determined look crossed the face of the Marine.

“Semper fi.”

Jasmine nodded.

“Dulce et decorum est pro patria mori.”

She injected herself with her syringe.

Jasmine squatted down, back straight, head up, and grabbed the unconscious Marine by the rope around his ribcage and thighs. Taking a deep breath and holding it, she jumped straight up, the momentum carrying the Marine into the air. She threw herself underneath his falling body to catch him across her shoulders in a full squat. She took another deep breath, held it, and strained until she stood up straight.

The Marine’s eyes grew wide.

“Goddamn.”

Jasmine’s eyes watered from the exertion.

“Yeah…never…skip leg day.”

Jasmine turned around carefully to face the direction of the now-screaming soldiers.

“Let’s go…stay low and stay quiet.”

Jasmine began walking with short quick steps.

The Marine limped behind her, one hand on his crutch and the other holding his rifle.

Using trees and bushes for cover, they crossed the ridge quietly and out of sight.

Below them soldiers screamed as they clawed at their skin, eyes wide with panic and terror.

Jasmine and the Marine hurried past them, staying hidden in the underbrush.

Jasmine breathed in short quick breaths as they continued down the mountain. She grunted quietly as she stepped over rocks and logs, struggling to maintain balance while bearing the full weight of the unconscious Marine on one leg.

The Marine behind her whispered.

“Hold.”

Jasmine froze.

Several local soldiers ran past them uphill, carrying first aid kits and canteens of water.

“Go.”

Jasmine breathed hard, fighting to maintain her footing while moving down the mountain.

“You know…I…really thought…it was…closer.”

“Keep going. We’re about halfway.”

“Roger…that.”

Jasmine heard the Marine slipping.

He hit the ground with a thud and began sliding down the mountain behind her.

Jasmine bit her lip and closed her eyes.

The sound of sliding stopped.

The Marine whispered.

“I’m good. Keep going.”

Jasmine looked down to see the Marine’s legs between hers and noticed the bandage on his leg bleeding profusely.

“You said…it was…a through and through.”

“Might’ve nicked something. Go go go.”

Jasmine continued down the mountain, her legs now trembling as she took deep shuddering breaths.

She stepped on a stone and her knee and ankle buckled outwards.

Jasmine remained upright.

“Yeah…worth…every…penny.”

“What?”

“Nothing.”

They reached the edge of the clearing where the trucks were parked. Soldiers ran back and forth, yelling on radios. Some carried their comrades down the mountain while others ran back up with medical supplies and water.

Jasmine and the Marine stopped at the edge of an open clearing where the trucks were parked.

They waited as a constant stream of soldiers ran back and forth while they remained concealed in the bushes.

Jasmine’s legs trembled.

She dropped to the ground on one knee.

Jasmine swayed as she strained to keep the unconscious Marine balanced across her shoulders.

The sudden movement drew the attention of a soldier, who looked directly at Jasmine through the bushes.

The Marine looked at the soldier.

“Fuck this.”

He shot the soldier in the chest.

The Marine hobbled at full speed to the nearest truck, slamming into the hood as he dropped his makeshift crutch.

“WASHINGTON!!! MOVE YOUR ASS!!!”

Soldiers up the mountain looked back, raising their weapons.

The mountain erupted with the sound of gunfire.

Jasmine took a deep breath, then let out a bloodcurdling roar as she stood back up from one knee.

The Marine returned fire and yelled at Jasmine.

“GO GO GO GO GO!!!”

Jasmine emerged from the underbrush and walked past him on shaky legs towards the rear of the truck, her eyes bloodshot with fully dilated pupils, her labored breathing raspy and gurgling.

Jasmine dumped the Marine off her back in the bed of the truck and leaned against it shaking violently.

The Marine looked back at Jasmine.

“Jasmine? JASMINE! FUCK!”

Supporting himself on the truck and hopping on one leg, he grabbed Jasmine roughly by the arm, threw open the passenger door, and pushed her into the truck. He grabbed her legs, shoved them in, and slammed the door shut. Staying low and holding onto the truck for support, he hobbled around the rear of the truck to maintain cover as he made his way to the driver-side door. He jumped into the driver’s seat as the bullets hit the ground, truck, and flew overhead.

He looked through the open passenger side window to see a pair of soldiers running towards them firing their rifles wildly, peppering the side of the truck with bullets.

The Marine reached across Jasmine, drew her sidearm, and shot the first soldier in the upper chest.

He shifted his aim and shot the other in the head.

The Marine looked around frantically for keys, finding them still in the ignition. He started the truck and looked over at Jasmine.

Jasmine was foaming at the mouth, shaking violently, eyes rolled back in her head.

He took the syringe out of his breast pocket, ripped the cap off with his teeth, and yanked Jasmine’s left arm straight as bullets peppered the truck. Finding the red injection port on her suit, he inserted the needle and pushed the plunger until it was empty.

He put the truck in gear, wheeled around, and sped away. In the rearview mirror, he could see soldiers piling into the remaining trucks.

He sped down the jungle trail until coming upon a narrow wooden bridge crossing a fast-moving river. He drove across the bridge and continued a short distance up the hill on the other side.

He parked the truck and got out, bracing himself against the driver-side door to avoid putting weight on his injured leg, now soaking wet with his blood. Stabilizing his rifle on the truck, he took aim at a spot near the center of the bridge and waited.

The first of the pursuing trucks crossed the bridge. As the driver approached the Marine’s point of aim, he fired, killing the driver instantly. The truck revved and continued forward uncontrolled, crashing into the side of the bridge.

The Marine got back into the truck, put it in gear, and sped off. He looked over at Jasmine, lying unconscious.

“Jasmine! You with me?”

He grabbed her shoulder and shook.

“Agent Washington!”

“Mmmmmm.”

“Jasmine! You OK?”

Jasmine’s hand trembled as she groped for a dial on her waist and rotated it.

She inhaled sharply, then looked around the truck with bloodshot eyes.

“Where…”

“They’re behind us. I bought us a few minutes. No clue where we’re going.”

“S’ok. Keep…driving. Need to…clear jamming.”

Jasmine slipped out of consciousness with her face pressed against the door window.

“Washington? Hey! Wake up!”

Jasmine blinked and opened her eyes.

“What? Oh. Hey.”

Jasmine lifted a trembling hand to her neck.

“We’re clear. Radio’s up. One sec.”

She cleared her throat, pressed a button on the collar of her suit, and croaked.

“Washington. Danger close. Need immediate support and medevac.”

Her arm dropped limp to her side as she fell unconscious again.

The sound of explosions in the jungle behind them jolted her awake.

“Oh…hey. How are you?”

“You had air support this whole time??”

“Always. Never leave home without it. Just needed…to get clear of jamming to call it in.”

“How are you doing?”

“You know…I’ve been better. You?”

“I’m good.”

“How’s your buddy?”

The Marine looked back at the truck bed.

“Right where you left him.”

“Breathing?”

“Hard to say. Think so.”

“Cool.”

Jasmine slowly sat up straight, wincing in pain.

“Hey, I’ve been meaning to ask—you gotta name?”

“Yeah. Josh.”

“Hey Josh”

Jasmine closed her eyes and passed out.

Chapter 3

“Ma’am? Are you awake?”

Jasmine opened her eyes, her blurry vision only able to make out the glow of red light.

“Am I dead?”

“No ma’am.”

“Cool.”

Jasmine closed her eyes.

“Ma’am, I’m going to need you to sit up. It’s time for you to eat something.”

“No, I’m good.”

“Seriously—I’m going to need you to sit up. I’ll help.”

The nurse placed a gentle hand under Jasmine’s back.

“Hey! What the hell??”

“What’s wrong?”

“What am I wearing?”

“A hospital gown, ma’am. Please sit up.”

Jasmine tried to sit up, but dropped back, wincing in pain.

“Oh…what in the fuck was that??”

“Your injuries ma’am. The doctor will be over shortly to talk with you.”

Jasmine looked at the nurse.

“OK, so, I’m not used to feeling anyone touch my bare back—nothing personal, but let’s just get this over with.”

“Yes ma’am. On three: one, two, three.”

Jasmine strained, and with the nurse’s help, sat up. The nurse helped her turn so her feet dangled off the side of the cot.

“Am I butt-ass naked?”

“You’re in a hospital gown, but yes, that’s all.”

“Where’s the suit I was wearing?”

“The doctors had to cut it off. It’s in a crate next to you.”

“Oh no. Oh shit. Goddammit.”

“You were in rough shape ma’am, and they had to make sure you were OK.”

“It’s…fine. It’s fine. I can uh…”

“Get another one?”

“No…not anymore.”

“I’m sorry to hear that, but you are alive, so it did its job. Can you support yourself?”

Jasmine gripped the side of the cot, taking a sharp inhale from just the simple movement.

“I think so.”

“Just take it slow. I’ll get the doctor.”

“Groovy.”

The nurse left.

Jasmine blinked, trying to clear the blurriness from her vision. Her surroundings slowly came into focus. She looked around, seeing nothing but a privacy curtain and the metal of a high curved wall above.

She looked over at the crate next to her cot, and leaned over to lift off the lid, grimacing at the strain.

Jasmine looked at the remains of her suit.

“Oh no. What’d they do to you?”

She grabbed a fistful of material and dragged it back across the cot. She turned it over to take a closer look.

“Yep. That’s not buffing out.”

The doctor walked into the curtained area, closing the curtain behind him.

“Agent Washington?”

“That’s me.”

“Glad to see you’re still with us.”

“Super.”

The doctor looked at the tattered remains in Jasmine’s hand, then at Jasmine.

“It broke several shears, and we ended up using a bone saw to get it off. Was it some type of power armor?”

“Nope. Wish it was.”

“How are you feeling?”

“I’m fine when I don’t move or breathe. Or open my eyes. Or swallow.”

“That adds up. What happened?”

“You know how sometimes you go to the gym and overdo it?”

“Yeah?”

“That.”

The doctor flipped through Jasmine’s chart.

“You have pulled muscles, microfractures, and ligament tears all over your body. Were you crushed by something?”

Jasmine chuckled, then winced at the pain it caused.

“Yeah. Something like that.”

“You’re not going to tell me?”

“It’s classified.”

The doctor smiled and pulled back the privacy curtain, revealing a cargo bay full of Marines in various states of injury.

“Hey—she’s awake!”

The plane erupted in applause and hoots.

Jasmine’s nurse shushed them loudly, and the noise quieted down.

The doctor closed the privacy curtain.

“They’ve been bragging about your rescue the whole flight. It’s not classified anymore.”

“I guess not. So you know what happened?”

“I know what I’ve been told, but I didn’t believe it until we got that suit off of you.”

A look of sadness crossed Jasmine’s face. She placed the tatters of her suit back in the crate.

“Thanks doc. Sorry it was a pain in the ass.”

The doctor smiled.

“That’s our job. We’ll bill your unit for our broken equipment.”

Jasmine raised an eyebrow.

“So long as we can bill you for ours.”

The doctor laughed softly.

“I doubt we could afford it. How much was it?”

“Four million.”

“Four million what?”

“Four million dollars.”

“What was?”

“The suit. It was four million dollars.”

The doctor looked at Jasmine over his glasses, checking for signs of concussion.

“Can you stand?”

“I haven’t tried.”

“Would you like to try?”

Jasmine shifted her weight forward, then stopped.

“Nope.”

“Alright—you can relax. Among other things, you’ve got a severe case of rhabdomyolysis which is particularly dangerous considering your level of dehydration.”

“Seriously? I drank like a gallon of water.”

“Based on the state of your suit, I would imagine you sweat it all out.”

“Oh…was it stinky?”

The doctor smiled.

“Make sure you thank your nurse. She cleaned you up.”

“Will do. So…I’ve got a wee bit of tea-colored pee in my future?”

“Yes. And in your recent past.”

Jasmine looked horrified.

“Really? I brown-pee pissed myself?”

“Yes. Quite a bit.”

Jasmine gestured at the curtain.

“Did they see? I have a reputation to preserve.”

“Probably not. You were too covered in sweat and mud for anyone to notice, and we were treating a lot of other injuries at the same time.”

“What happened, and how’d I get here?”

“I’m not sure of the specifics, only that we received a group of injured Marines and an agent Jasmine Washington that needed to be treated and transported back to the US ASAP. Are you with the CIA?”

“That’s classified.”

“Really?”

“Nope. I’m with Strategic Technology Recovery.”

“StratRec? That explains the suit.”

“Yep. So wait—this is a C-17, right?”

“Yes it is.”

“How long was I out?”

“You were slipping in and out of consciousness for about 12 hours before you were stabilized. That was about 6 hours ago.”

“Wow. I don’t remember anything.”

The doctor flipped through his chart.

“Well that might be because you suffered from both a seizure and a mild heart attack.”

Jasmine looked at the doctor and grinned.

“Yeah...I uh…might have overdid it with a few pain meds too.”

“It wasn’t just pain meds.”

“Nope.”

“We’re double checking your blood test results because we didn’t believe them. You shouldn’t be alive.”

“And yet I live to pee myself once more.”

“You need hydration and bedrest, but based on what we think you put into your bloodstream we don’t want to prescribe anything for the pain.”

“That’s probably wise.”

“Want to tell me what you took?”

“I feel like you would judge me.”

“Try me.”

Jasmine explained to the doctor what was in each syringe.

“Jesus Christ.”

“Yep.”

“OK. So we’re not putting anything else in your system. I’ll have the nurse help you eat something.”

“Steak and eggs?”

“Jello and broth.”

“Yummy.”

The doctor left, and the nurse returned shortly thereafter with a tray of small cups.

“Ready to eat something?”

“Sure.”

Jasmine extended her arm towards the tray, then winced in pain and froze.

“Are you alright?”

“One sec.”

Jasmine took a deep breath, continued extending her arm, took the Jello cup, and brought it back to her lap.

“Do you need some help?”

“I think I can do it. I just need my feet on the ground.”

“Here, let me help.”

The nurse helped Jasmine slide forward until her toes touched the ground.

“Ah, shit—cold!”

“I’ll get you some slippers.”

“Perfect. That will round out my bare-assed hospital gown ensemble.”

The nurse reached under Jasmine’s cot, retrieved the slippers, and placed them on each foot.

“Oww oww oww—be gentle!”

“I am being gentle—I’m barely touching you.”

“Alright…sorry.”

Jasmine shifted her weight down until her feet touched the ground.

“Hey, look at that. Now I just need to bicep curl this here Jello.”

“Are you sure you don’t want any help?”

“Nope.”

Jasmine slowly lifted the Jello cup, tilted her head back, and slurped the Jello into her mouth in one piece.

“Hey! Take it easy.”

Jasmine spoke through a mouth full of Jello.

“Sowy, dats ow I ewit.”

She swallowed it down in one gulp.

“What flavor was that? Sadness?”

“We don’t want to put anything too heavy in you just yet.”

“Do you at least have hot sauce?”

The nurse smiled.

“We also don’t want you to have anything spicy. There’s a cup of broth here when you’re ready.”

“Goody, a sippy cup. All I need now is a diaper.”

“Would you like a diaper?”

Jasmine glared at the nurse.

The nurse smiled and held up her hands.

“Just asking.”

Jasmine looked ashamed.

“So…uh…thanks for cleaning me up…and cleaning my pee.”

The nurse smiled.

“It’s my job, and you’re not even close to the worst case I’ve had to deal with today. All of your fluids were on the outside.”

“Ah…right.”

“Can you handle that broth by yourself?”

“Probably.”

“OK, I’ve been told to bring you a headset so that you can call into your unit. Do you feel up for that?”

“Sure, why not.”

The nurse left.

A few moments later, the curtain slowly eased open. A set of eyes peeked around the corner.

“Hey fellas.”

The group of Marines crowded in, closing the curtain behind them.

“Bro…I mean girl, I mean Agent Washington.”

“Just Jasmine. Call me Jasmine.”

“Jasmine. What the fuck? You’re a goddamn superhero!”

A Marine clapped her on the shoulder.

Jasmine sucked in air through her teeth.

“Listen buddy, I know you’re excited, but if you hit me like that again, when I’m better I’m going to track you down and give you a swift kick in the balls. Got it?”

“Yes ma’am! Sorry ma’am!”

Another Marine noticed the open crate and poked at the tatters of her suit.

“Bro, look—it’s her power armor! It’s all fucked up!”

Jasmine shook her head.

“It’s not power armor.”

“Bullshit. Look at all these cables and rods and shit.”

Jasmine sighed.

“The cables constrain my range of motion and provide additional support. They can be…could be…adjusted with dials around the suit. Everything else is carbon fiber, polyester, nylon, spandex, Lycra, Kevlar, and Spectra. No motors, no electronics. So no—it’s not power armor.”

“Neat. So it’s like an exoskeleton?”

The Marines all waited, looking at her in anticipation.

Jasmine frowned.

“Yes…it’s an exoskeleton.”

“I fucking knew it!”

The Marines high-fived each other.

One of the Marines picked up a handful of the remains of Jasmine’s suit.

“Aww man, Jasmine—this thing stinks.”

“Thanks for the feedback.”

“I’m just playin’ girl—smells like victory.”

The Marines continued to poke around the remains of her suit.

“Hey fellas—what happened?”

“Right when you left we got attacked. Buncha locals with AKs, trucks with 50s, RPGs, all types of shit. They hit the command post hard. If you didn’t tell us to run and get to cover when we did, we’d be dead.”

Another Marine looked somber.

“Yeah man—you saved us.”

The Marines fell silent.

“Now now boys, don’t get all emotional on me. I’m a technical advisor. I gave technical advice. That’s all.”

One of the Marines shook his head.

“No ma’am. My daughter’s gonna grow up with a father because of you.”

Silence filled the little space behind the curtain.

Jasmine cleared her throat.

“So…the two guys I was with. Did they make it?”

“Corporal Hickson and Lance Corporal Thompson? Yeah, they both made it.”

“Uh…which one is the big one?”

“That’s Lance Corporal Thompson, ma’am—biggest dude in the whole platoon. Hickson said you carried his ass like a G, and you killed the sonofabitch we were after.”

The Marine raised his arm to clap her on the back, but thought better of it.

“So it’s Corporal Josh Hickson?”

“Yes ma’am. He lost a lot of blood, but he got you and Thompson to the medevac. They got him a transfusion and flew you guys out of there.”

“What’s Thompson’s first name?”

“Mike.”

Jasmine grinned.

“Big Mikey Thompson, huh?”

“Yes ma’am. They’re still working on him, but think he’ll be OK. Did you really give him some miracle shit that saved him?”

“Who told you that?”

“Corporal Hickson—he and Thompson are on the plane with us.”

Jasmine’s eyes widened.

“Oh. OK. Cool.”

One of the Marines spotted the nurse coming back.

“Hey—we gotta go. Bad ass Washington. I hope they give you a medal for this.”

The Marines slipped out of the curtain as the nurse walked in.

“Who was that?”

“Fanboys.”

“Here’s your headset, ma’am. The operator will connect you when you’re ready.”

“OK, thank you.”

“No problem, ma’am.”

Chapter 4

“Jasmine?”

“Yeah boss.”

“How are you?”

“Been better. We got ambushed when the snipers got close to the target. Orlov is neutralized and I recovered his…oh wait…can you hold on a second?”

“Sure.”

Jasmine pulled back the privacy curtain and waved for the nurse to come over.

“Yes ma’am?”

“Josh—I mean, Corporal Hickson—do you know if he has a backpack with him?”

The nurse smiled.

“Yes ma’am. Corporal Hickson has not allowed us to remove it from his person. We tried.”

Jasmine smiled, then returned to her call.

“Sorry about that—just confirming we still had Orlov’s research. I’ll scan it and upload it as soon as I can.”

“Well done. I heard that’s not all you did.”

Jasmine grinned.

“What’ve you heard?”

“Something about a StratRec agent carrying an unconscious Marine off a mountain under heavy fire that was twice her weight.”

“Not twice…just heavier than me. Plus, another Marine helped. I couldn’t have done it on my own.”

“I’m glad you’re OK.”

“How are things on your end?”

The phone fell silent.

“Boss?”

“Since you’re out of commission, I’d like you to focus on getting better. The rest of the team can pick up the slack.”

“What happened?”

Silence again.

“Elias—what’s going on?”

“An XAV is missing.”

Jasmine looked confused.

“Say again? It sounded like you said an XAV went missing.”

“That’s correct. I got word yesterday. I couldn’t contact you, so I gave Gabby point, and told her to get you to Davis-Monthan ASAP to meet up with her.”

Jasmine looked alarmed.

She checked to make sure the privacy curtain was closed and that no one was listening.

Jasmine spoke in a whisper.

“Gabby redirected the C-17?”

“It would seem so.”

“Boss! She can’t use a Globemaster like it’s a personal charter!”

“You can take that up with her. She’s booked a hotel near the base where you can rest while you advise her remotely.”

“Uh uh. No way in hell I’m sitting this out.”

“Are you sure you’re up for this?”

Jasmine hesitated.

“I…just need some decent food and a few hours’ sleep and I’ll be good to go.”

“Gabby’s already got things in motion, when you touch down you two work out who has point. Good hunting.”

“Thanks boss.”

The call ended.

Jasmine gave the operator a phone number to dial.

The phone rang over the headset.

Gabriella picked up.

“Hello!”

“What did you do??”

“Elias said, ‘Get her back ASAP,’ and there was a C-17 about to take off, and you were coming in on a medivac, so I made a few phone calls.”

“Where were they going before you redirected them?”

“Germany.”

“You redirected us from Germany to Arizona??”

“You do know what ASAP means, right? It doesn’t mean waiting 24 hours for you to make connecting flights. The XAV program’s yours and we need you here. Besides, all your new Marine friends get to visit home a day after a firefight on the other side of the planet. Win-win!”

“Fine. When I get there, I can take point.”

“Oh no you’re not.”

Jasmine looked confused.

“Why not?”

“Because I’ve been watching the video feed coming off the C-17 from the moment they loaded you on board.”

Jasmine looked around the ceiling of the cargo bay until she saw a surveillance camera pointed directly at her.

“Oh…uh…did you watch the whole thing?”

“I did…and I need to know something, and I need you to be honest—do you ever shave your legs? It was like they were peeling a hairy banana. That was traumatic to watch, on like, multiple levels.”

Jasmine closed her eyes and sighed.

“Did you see the part where I peed myself?”

“Which part? You peed yourself a lot.”

“Gabby!”

“What? I was worried and checked on you. You need to stop doing badass big-hero bullshit, especially if you’re going to be our fearless leader one day.”

Jasmine shook her head.

“Not this again.”

“Elias isn’t getting any younger, and when he retires, we’ll need a new director.”

“You know Vicky’s next in line.”

“And you know she doesn’t want it. Speaking of which...I…uh…have been updating the team on your status.”

Jasmine raised her eyebrows.

“Gabby…tell me you took Vicky off the list?”

“I…was rushing to update everyone and forgot.”

“Has anyone told her to not do something crazy?”

“You’re asking if anyone told Vicky she couldn’t do something?”

Jasmine sighed.

“Hopefully whatever she does doesn’t get her killed.”

“See! That just proves my point! Vicky may not live long enough to be director, even if she wanted to be. I need you to stay alive so you can run the division—no more big-hero bullshit please.”

Jasmine grinned.

“No promises.”

The phone went silent.

Gabriella broke the silence.

“Sooooooo…”

“Yeah?”

“Is he cute?”

“Who?”

“Josh.”

Jasmine grinned.

“Josh who?”

“Don’t play dumb. I pulled up his photos, and he looks hot to me. I’m asking you if you think he’s cute.”

Jasmine reached for her broth, wincing in pain. She took a sip of the lukewarm liquid.

“Have you talked to anyone at the Davis-Monthan research facility?”

“Oh no! No you don’t! This is the first time there’s ever been anything resembling someone you might even consider thinking about dating. I’m not letting this go this time. Agent Jasmine Washington, you will answer me—is Corporal Josh Hickson cute??”

“Gabby…”

“No! I’m sick of this! I’m tired of trying to hook you up! Every time they’re not your type, you’re too busy, they’re not interesting. You risked your life to save his, and he risked his life to save yours. That’s boyfriend material, Jazz! I can work with that!”

Jasmine sipped her broth.

“Yes.”

“Yes what?”

“Yes, he is.”

“Say it. I need you to say it!”

“Yes, he is cute.”

“And you’d date him?”

“Who says I’m into him?”

“Every movie I’ve ever watched where a man and a woman escape a high stakes life-or-death situation together.”

Jasmine chuckled.

“He’s a respected member of the armed forces. I wouldn’t want to violate inter-agency operational protocols.”

“OK, be like that. To be continued.”

Jasmine finished her broth.

“So…Elias said an XAV is missing. What have you found out?”

“Nothing other than that. I’m not even sure what exactly an XAV is. Elias told me to get to Tucson and to get you there as well ASAP—not the easiest thing to orchestrate with no notice! By the way, did you find Orlov?”

“I did.”

“And?”

“He won’t be experimenting on anyone anymore.”

“Good. Did you get his research?”

The phone went silent.

“Jazz?”

“I did but…my Russian’s not that great, so I may have misread it.”

“Alright, I’ll read it when you get here. Do you have it with you?”

“Josh has it. Please don’t start again.”

“Oh, no way. Bringing up Orlov ruined the mood. You’re on your own with Josh.”

“Thank you.”

“For now….mwwwwaaahahahaha!”

Jasmine smiled.

“You’re such a pain in my ass.”

“That’s what friends are for!”

The phone went silent.

“Jazz, there’s…actually something else.”

“Uh oh. What now?”

“Naomi…she asked Dr. Exum to be put back in the field.”

Jasmine frowned.

“Exum said no, right?”

The phone was silent.

“Gabby? She told her no, right??”

“Naomi begged, Jazz. Naomi doesn’t beg.”

Jasmine hung her head.

“No. No, she doesn’t”

“I asked Elias to have her assigned to us. Since you’re broken, we can use the extra hands.”

“Have you talked to her?”

“Briefly, just to tell her where to meet us.”

“How’s she doing?”

“She says she’s fine.”

“That bad?”

“Yep.”

Jasmine paused.

“Alright. I’d rather her be with us than on her own. How long until I touchdown?”

“I’m not sure—you’re somewhere over the Atlantic. Twelve-ish hours maybe?”

Jasmine glanced up at the security camera, then looked down at her bare feet.

“So…umm…when I get there…”

“Yes?”

“Since my CX is out of commission…”

“Yes Jasmine, my bare-assed beauty?”

Jasmine sighed.

“I’m gonna need something to wear.”

“Are you saying I have authorization to dress you?”

“No. Gabby no. Jeans. T-Shirt. Boots—no heels. Socks. Belt. Bike shorts. Sports bra. No dresses. Nothing frilly. Please. Tactical, not runway.”

“Can the T-Shirt be yellow? You look so cute in yellow!”

“Please Gabby. I lost my CX—don’t make it worse.”

“OK, OK—I’ll dress you like a tomboy. Can it at least be a low-cut V-neck? I can grab a push-up bra too. I want Josh to check out the merchandise.”

Jasmine grinned.

“I think I lost about 10 pounds over the last day. I don’t think there’s any merchandise left to see.”

“I’ll get you plumped back up—don’t worry. Also, we need to shave those legs of yours. No more La Cucaracha. There’s a good Brazilian place in Tucson we can go to when we’re done. Have you ever had a Brazilian?”

“You know I haven’t.”

“Oooo—girls trip! We can bring Naomi!”

Jasmine laughed, wincing at the pain it caused.

“OK…yeah. If you can convince Naomi to get a Brazilian, I’ll get one too. Totally.”

“I’m up for the challenge.”

“Alright, I’m going to try to catch some shut-eye. See you when I land.”

“I’ll be there with your clothes so you don’t have to leave with your ass out.”

“See you soon.”

“Bye!”

Jasmine hung up. She sat on the side of her cot.

Jasmine stood up slowly, wincing in pain. Taking small steps, she walked to the curtain and waved for the nurse to come over.

“Yes ma’am?”

“I need to get my backpack. Can you like…tie this thing up or something? I’m not trying to give the boys a show.”

“Yes ma’am. Can you turn around?”

Jasmine turned her back to the nurse.

The nurse tied up Jasmine’s gown.

“Alright ma’am, you’re all set. Just don’t do any cartwheels.”

Jasmine grinned.

“I’ll resist the urge.”

The nurse held open the curtain, and Jasmine walked out into the massive cargo bay of the C-17.

Jasmine whispered.

“Hey…uh…where’s Corporal Hickson?”

“I’ll show you.”

Slowly and carefully, Jasmine walked behind the nurse over to Josh’s cot.

Jasmine whispered.

“Hey. Josh.”

The nurse spoke.

“We gave him something to help him sleep. You probably won’t be able to wake him. There’s your backpack.”

Jasmine bent down and squinted her eyes to see her backpack tucked under Josh’s arm. She leaned over him, putting a hand on his cot for balance.

Josh shifted in his sleep and tightened his grip on her backpack.

Jasmine smiled.

She lifted his arm gently and removed her backpack.

The nurse raised her eyebrows.

“I guess he really wanted to keep that safe for you.”

“Yeah…I guess so.”

“Have you two known each other for long?”

Jasmine slung her backpack over her shoulder, wincing at the pain the movement caused. She looked down at Josh.

“Not long at all.”

“Well, maybe you two can get to know each other when you land.”

Jasmine looked at the nurse.

“You sound like my friend.”

The nurse grinned.

“Well…he is cute.”

Jasmine frowned.

“Not you too.”

Jasmine took a last long look at Josh, then walked back to her curtained-off area. She closed the curtain and sat on her cot.

She opened her backpack and checked the contents. The research papers, her dart gun case, VR headset and gloves, medical kit, sidearm, knife, and phone were all there.

Jasmine looked around to make sure no one was looking, then took out her sidearm and checked the action. The gun was perfectly clean, with no trace of dirt or mud, and was reloaded with a round in the chamber. She replaced her sidearm and retrieved her knife. She drew her knife from its sheath and inspected its blade, which had also been cleaned.

Jasmine smiled.

“Awesome. Thanks Josh.”

Jasmine slowly laid back in her cot, closed her eyes, and went to sleep.

Chapter 5

“Wake up sleepyhead!”

Jasmine blinked to clear her vision.

“Gabby? We landed?”

“No, I learned to fly. I have your clothes—get dressed. I need to check out Josh.”

Gabriella left the curtained area, her heels clicking loudly on the cargo bay floor.

Jasmine gradually sat up, then turned her body until her legs dangled off the side of her cot. She took a deep breath, then stood up.

“OK. Better.”

Looking down, she saw a plethora of shopping bags. Rummaging past the sundresses, blouses, and fashion accessories, she found bike shorts and a sports bra. She disrobed, then very cautiously stepped into the bike shorts while leaning on the bed to maintain her balance.

She picked up the sports bra and looked at it.

“Here goes nothing.”

Jasmine weaved her arms gingerly through the arm holes of the sports bra, until the band landed just below her elbows. Raising her arms as straight as possible, she used one hand to pull the thick elastic band over her head.

She paused, breathing heavily.

Jasmine wriggled until the straps were in their place on her shoulders. She closed her eyes, took a deep breath, grabbed the bra on both sides and pulled it down over her chest and into place, grimacing in pain as she did.

Jasmine rested against her cot, catching her breath.

“Alright…hard part’s over.”

Rummaging through the bags again, she found several pairs of jeans, each of a different size. She selected her usual size. She slowly put one leg in the jeans and pulled them up slowly until stopping at her thigh.

“Nope.”

She took off her usual size of jeans and found a pair that was a size larger in one of the bags.

Jasmine smiled.

“Thanks Gabby.”

Jasmine slowly put on the jeans, wincing as she zipped them up and buttoned them at the waist. She fished out a plain white T-shirt, put it on, and tucked it into her jeans. She found a pair of socks, sat down on the bed, and put them on.

She paused to take a few breaths.

She rummaged through the shoe boxes of fashionable sneakers, high heels, and leather boots, until she spotted a pair of tactical combat boots.

Jasmine grinned.

She carefully loosened the laces of each combat boot, then put them on the floor in front of her.

She put one foot into a boot, bent over slowly, and carefully tightened the laces, tying them off with a square knot. She repeated the process for the other boot.

Jasmine leaned against the cot as she wiggled her toes in her boots, wincing at the pain.

She weaved a nylon belt through the loops of her jeans, then buckled it. She unzipped her backpack, found her sidearm and knife, and clipped them to her belt. She then found her phone and put it in her front pocket.

Jasmine looked around for the crate with the remains of her suit, but it was gone. She looked frantically, then ripped back the curtain to find Gabby standing there.

“The crate with your suit is already in our ride.”

Gabriella stepped forward, reached into one of the shopping bags, and retrieved a baseball cap.

“Put this on.”

“Why?”

“Because your hair makes you look homeless.”

Gabriella reached into another bag and pulled out a light jacket.

“This too.”

Jasmine frowned.

“Also why?”

“Because we can’t have your gun and knife out for all to see.”

Jasmine put on the baseball cap. She winced as she contorted her body to put on the jacket.

Gabriella fished around in her purse, pulled out a small bottle of perfume, and sprayed it above Jasmine’s head.

“What the hell Gabby!”

“You smell like disinfectant, and I’m not smelling that all the way to the hotel.”

“Why are we leaving? The XAV research facility is here on the base.”

“I’ve got it handled. Don’t forget your backpack. I’ve told the crew to donate the rest of the bags to charity. Let’s go.”

Gabriella turned and walked towards the open cargo door in the back of the C-17.

She turned back.

“Jasmine. Come along. We have a schedule to keep. Chop chop.”

Jasmine smiled and gingerly shouldered her backpack. She walked after Gabriella, wincing in pain with each step.

“Hey…did you find Josh?”

Gabriella frowned.

“Oh NOW you want to meet Josh! I’ll have you know he’s already been transported to a local hospital. Since you don’t have a life-threatening injury, I signed for you to be released to me.”

Jasmine looked around, spotted the nurse at the other end of the plane’s cargo bay, and waved goodbye. The nurse noticed her and waved back.

“Who’s that?”

“The nurse who took care of me.”

“She must be a saint.”

Gabriella turned to the exit, walking briskly.

Jasmine struggled to keep up.

“Hey, slow down—injured personnel here.”

“Nope. The last time I tried to pamper you after you hurt yourself you complained the whole time. Your privileges have been revoked, so now I’m going to treat you like you’re perfectly fine. So let’s go.”

“OK…shit, Gabby, I’m sorry. But I actually am injured this time.”

“Nope—you said that last time. Keep up or I’m leaving you.”

Gabby walked off, with Jasmine hobbling along to behind her.

“Hey, why are you dressed like that?”

“Because I’m a professional and want to make a good impression. Why do you insist on always wearing jeans and t-shirts?”

“It’s comfortable.”

Gabriella rolled her eyes.

They walked towards a parked Range Rover.

“This is our ride?”

“No, we’re stealing it. Yes, it’s our ride.”

Jasmine frowned at her friend.

“Why are you being so mean?”

Gabriella turned and faced Jasmine.

“Because you scared the shit out of me! And you were mean to me the last time I tried to take care of you!”

Jasmine looked ashamed.

“I’m sorry Gabby.”

Gabriella looked at her friend for a moment, then smiled.

“Oh—I can’t stay mad at you!”

Gabriella gave Jasmine a big hug.

“Gabby. No no no no. Hurts. Hurts bad. No squeeze. Please stop. Please!”

Gabriella let her go.

“Get in. Are you hungry?”

“I’m starving. Can we stop somewhere? All they fed me was baby food.”

Jasmine opened the passenger side door on the Range Rover to see a greasy sack on the seat. She grabbed it excitedly, looked inside, and saw two cheeseburgers and extra-large fries. A massive fountain soda sat in a cup holder.

“Gabby! Thank you!!!”

Jasmine eased herself into the Range Rover while she stuffed her mouth with fries.

“Mmmmmmmmm nom nom nom!!!”

Gabriella hopped into the driver’s seat.

“Will you please eat like a human?”

Jasmine took several bites of cheeseburger and washed it all down with a massive gulp of the soda.

“No—I’m hungry. I haven’t eaten anything solid for 24 hours.”

“I figured, and I know you love eating that crap.”

“It’s awesome.”

“At least spread some napkins on your lap.”

Jasmine leaned back, eyes closed, chewing another overstuffed mouth of cheeseburger and fries.

“No.”

Gabriella drove off the tarmac towards the highway.

“Didn’t the doctors say to not put anything heavy on your stomach?”

“You put cheeseburgers and fries in front of me when I was starving. Your fault.”

Jasmine finished her food, slurped down the rest of her soda, and burped loudly.

Gabriella rolled down the windows.

“Jazz!!! I’m in the car too you know!”

“Sorry.”

“Are you really?”

Jasmine grinned.

“Not even a little. That was great. Nothing tastes as good as when you’re hungry.”

Gabriella merged on the highway, as Jasmine gazed at the Tucson skyline.

“So what—I’m just supposed to sit in my hotel room?”

“That remains to be seen. Naomi’s meeting us there.”

“Oh…you haven’t seen her yet?”

“No. Not yet.”

They drove in silence.

Gabriella nodded at Jasmine’s backpack.

“Is that Orlov’s research?”

Jasmine hesitated.

“Hey…let’s wait until we figure out Naomi’s situation before we talk about the research.”

“OK.”

Gabriella turned and drove down a picturesque cobblestone path. They drove past meticulously manicured gardens until she reached the elaborate fountain display at the entrance of the luxury hotel. She got out, smiled, and thanked the valet as she handed him the key fob.

Jasmine got out of the passenger side with her backpack.

“Gabby, look—Naomi’s bike.”

Gabriella walked around the Range Rover to stand next to Jasmine. She looked at the motorcycle.

“Do you think her 99 is in there?”

Jasmine shook her head.

“Probably not. She usually doesn’t ride with it because of the extra weight.”

Gabriella exhaled.

“Oh, OK—good.”

They walked up the decorative marble steps together, Gabriella clopping in her heels, Jasmine more slowly and gingerly in her boots.

The doorman smiled and held the door open for them.

“Welcome back, Miss Delgado.”

Gabriella stopped.

“Thank you, Carlos!”

Gabby touched him on his forearm, looking directly into his eyes and smiling broadly.

“How are Sandra and the kids?”

“They are very good! The children ask about you all the time!”

“They are so sweet! You need to send me pictures—I bet they are so grown by now! Will you give my regards to Sandra and hug those three little ones for me please? I’m on a tight schedule this trip but I want to stop by before too long.”

Carlos smiled.

“Yes miss—anytime!”

Gabriella gave him a little hug and kissed him on the cheek.

“OK, Carlos—see you in a bit!”

“Yes ma’am!”

Jasmine walked after her.

“I don’t know how you do that.”

“Do what?”

“Give a fuck about people.”

“You care about people too—they just have to be in uniform.”

Across the lobby, a lone figure sat on a bench, leaned forward, elbows on her knees, looking at the ground with her hands clasped together. Her right leg bounced rapidly. Greasy hair covered her face.

Jasmine and Gabriella walked towards the person on the bench.

Gabriella spoke softly.

“Naomi? Sweetie?”

Naomi looked up at Gabriella, then looked at Jasmine. Her leg stopped bouncing. She stood up, walked directly towards them, and locked the three of them in a hug.

Naomi burst into tears.

The sound of her sobbing echoed off the high walls and vaulted ceiling of the lobby. People at the check-in desk stopped and stared at the trio.

Jasmine and Gabriella put their arms around Naomi and hugged her back.

Gabriella brushed back Naomi’s hair to reveal her face and spoke in a comforting whisper.

“It’s OK.”

“It’s my fault!”

“It’s not.”

“It is. I killed him.”

“You did not. It was an accident.”

They held each other until Naomi’s tears subsided. She took a small step back, wiped her eyes with the palm of her hands, and wiped her nose on her sleeve.

Gabriella looked at the bags under Naomi’s eyes.

“Did you ride here straight from Seattle?”

“Yeah. I just stopped a few times for gas.”

“Oh Naomi.”

Gabriella held up her hand towards the front desk, and the hotel manager quickly crossed the lobby to stand by her side.

“Yes miss?”

“Is our floor ready?”

“Yes miss. Everything is prepared.”

“Would you escort us to our rooms please?”

“Of course.”

Gabriella walked alongside the manager towards the elevator with Naomi’s head on her shoulder. Jasmine walked next to Naomi.

Gabriella paused, turned, and looked at Naomi carefully. She then looked at the manager, smiled and touched the manager on the forearm.

“Actually, it might be better if we escort ourselves. We’ll just need the room keys.”

“Here you go miss.”

The manager handed over the room keys.

“Thank you.”

Gabriella pressed a button to summon the elevator, then stepped back and held Naomi’s hand.

The door opened, and Gabriella, Naomi, and Jasmine stepped in.

The elevator traveled to the top floor as the group stood in silence.

The elevator door opened, and Gabriella stepped out.

“This way.”

Naomi and Jasmine followed Gabriella as she led the way down the hall toward the penthouse. Gabriella unlocked the door with her room key, revealing a massive luxury suite with floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the city. She led them over to a set of plush couches and gestured for Naomi to take a seat. Naomi sat down, and Gabriella and Jasmine sat down across from her.

Gabriella took Naomi’s hand, looking concerned. Naomi stared at the floor.

“Naomi. You can stay here for the next few days while Jazz and I take care of this.”

Naomi was quiet.

“Naomi? Honey?”

Naomi took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. She wiped her eyes again, then sniffed loudly. She looked up at her friends.

“I’m OK…I can help.”

Jasmine and Gabriella looked at each other, concerned.

Naomi continued.

“OK…I’m…not OK, but I need to work. Please. I don’t want to be alone right now.”

Gabriella looked at Jasmine, and Jasmine nodded.

Gabriella replied.

“Alright. If you ever want to bail, just come back to your room and hang out—it’s just down the hallway on this floor. OK?”

“OK.”

Gabriella sat up straight, knees together, ankles crossed, and placed her hands in her lap.

“Here’s the plan for this evening. I’m going to pick up Captain Mitchell from Davis and bring her here for dinner. This floor has a private dining room we can use, and the hotel staff are known for their discretion.”

Gabriella sat up even straighter.

“Ladies. You know I love you, but right now you both look like hell. Naomi—how long have you been in your CX?”

Naomi reached up the sleeve of her suit with a finger, dug around, removed her finger, and smelled it.

“I dunno. A week. Maybe two. Maybe more.”

Gabriella gagged.

“That…is disgusting.”

Jasmine grinned.

“Gabby, real field agents can wear a CX for more than a day.”

Gabriella frowned.

“If my need for personal hygiene disqualifies me from being a real field agent, then so be it. As it stands, Jasmine, I will need you to help Naomi get cleaned up, and then make sure you clean yourself up too. When I return with Captain Mitchell, I want her to be focused on our questions, not how you two smell.”

Gabriella stood up, and smoothed the front of her clothes, then passed Jasmine and Naomi their room keys.

“You both have your own rooms up on this floor. Your room keys open both your room and the penthouse, so you can come in whenever you like. Everything is charged to my card, and you can call the front desk for anything you need. Naomi, I went shopping for Jasmine earlier and picked up some clothes for you as well. Make sure you both shower, wash your hair, and dress for dinner.”

Jasmine and Naomi both opened their mouths.

Gabriella held up a finger.

“No. I don’t want to hear it. Elias put me in charge, remember? Now go clean yourselves up and make yourselves presentable so we don’t scare our guest. We need her to like us.”

Gabriella looked at her watch.

“I’ll be gone for a few hours. When I come back, we will head straight to the dining room. I’ll text when it’s time for you two to join us. Understood?”

Jasmine and Naomi both gave defeated nods.

Gabriella smiled.

“OK. Good.”

Naomi reached to her collar, unsnapped a tab, and began to undo a series of fasteners.

Gabriella covered her nose and mouth.

“Naomi. Honey. Please, for all that is holy, for the love of God, please wait until I’m gone, and please do that in the shower—with scalding hot water. I’ll have the front desk send up cleaning supplies—please use them.”

Naomi dropped her hand.

Gabriella looked at Jasmine. Jasmine nodded, and Gabriella nodded back.

“Alright, I’ll see you both in a few hours.”

Gabriella turned and left, her heels clicking on the marble as she went down the hallway towards the elevator.

Jasmine looked at Naomi curiously.

“Has it really been weeks?”

“Yeah.”

“So…I’ve never actually gone weeks. How’s it feel?”

“Itchy and slimy. Help me get it off.”

Jasmine frowned.

“Let me see if these windows open first.”

Chapter 6

Jasmine stood in the hallway outside of Naomi’s room. She knocked on the door.

“Naomi? You ready?”

The door opened.

Naomi stood in the doorway with damp hair, wearing a T-shirt, jeans, and tactical boots. Her sidearm and knife were clipped to her nylon belt. She then put on a light jacket.

Jasmine smiled.

“You look good. You showered again?”

“Yeah…I took a quick nap and needed to wake up. Also…I still smelled.”

Jasmine chuckled.

“Well then, we followed Gabby’s orders. Is your CX dry?”

“No, not yet. The hair dryers are on full blast. Probably needs a few more hours.”

“OK—I’m pretty sure housekeeping won’t steal it. Seems like Gabby practically owns the place.”

“Seems like it.”

Naomi looked down one end of the long ornate hallway, then the other, before stepping out into the open. She closed the door softly behind her.

Jasmine led the way as the two friends walked down the hallway together in silence. They passed the elevators, then turned a corner in the direction of a sign directing them to the dining room.

At the end of the hallway stood a massive security guard in a suit and sunglasses, his arms folded across his chest. He stood unmoving as Jasmine and Naomi walked towards him.

Jasmine smiled and waved at the security guard as they approached.

“Hi there, we’re friends of Ms. Delgado—Jasmine and Naomi—she should be expecting us.”

The security guard looked down at them, unimpressed.

“IDs?”

Naomi yawned, scratching her neck with one hand. Her other hand slid to her hip.

Jasmine looked confused.

“Hey man, we don’t have IDs. I think she’s in there though. She just texted us and told us to come down—can I just take a look real quick?”

Jasmine leaned forward to look around the security guard into the dining room.

The security guard put a hand on Jasmine’s chest.

“Hey—no IDs, no…”

The security guard stopped mid-sentence.

Naomi had her sidearm pressed firmly against his throat.

He raised his hands slowly.

Jasmine frowned at Naomi, then looked at the security guard.

“Look—we work with Ms. Delgado, and she’s expecting us. We just got here and haven’t been issued IDs yet. It’s it cool if we go in?”

He looked at Jasmine, then at Naomi, then back at Jasmine.

He gave a slow nod as a bead of sweat formed on his temple.

Jasmine smiled and patted him on the shoulder.

“Thanks buddy.”

Jasmine walked past the security guard into the dining room.

Naomi kept pressure on the security guard’s neck with the point of her sidearm, both hands firmly wrapped around the grip.

“You almost killed yourself touching my friend. You know that, right?”

He nodded.

Naomi slowly withdrew her weapon from his neck.

“We cool?”

The security guard looked confused, then nodded again. He slowly lowered his hands.

Naomi kept her eyes on the guard as she followed Jasmine into the dining room. She closed and locked the door behind her, then holstered her sidearm.

Gabriella sat with her back to the entrance next to a woman in a flight suit at a circular dining table with four chairs.

Jasmine and Naomi walked across the spacious and extravagant dining room towards Gabriella and the woman.

The woman in the flight suit pointed to Jasmine and Naomi. Gabriella turned to look at her friends.

Gabriella stood up gracefully. She gestured to Jasmine, then to Naomi.

“Captain Andrea Mitchell, these are my colleagues Agent Jasmine Washington and Agent Naomi Tanaka.”

Captain Mitchell stood up and extended her hand.

“Nice to meet you both.”

Captain Mitchell shook Jasmine’s hand, then Naomi’s, then sat down.

Jasmine slowly pulled out the chair opposite Captain Mitchell. She winced as she gradually sat down.

Naomi walked around to the last available seat which had a clear view of the dining room entrance. She sat down unceremoniously with a thud.

Captain Mitchell moved her gaze among the three women with a raised eyebrow.

“Are all StratRec agents women?”

Gabriella laughed, putting a hand on Captain Mitchell’s arm.

“No silly—we have plenty of boys! You just got lucky with the all-girl squad!”

Gabriella gestured at one of the waiters who then walked over with a large bottle of artisan water. The waiter placed the bottle on the table in front of Jasmine and removed the cap.

Jasmine frowned at Gabriella.

Captain Mitchell glanced at the bottle, then at Jasmine, and finally at Gabriella.

“Everything OK?”

Gabriella smiled at Captain Mitchell.

“Oh yes! I’m making sure that Jasmine stays hydrated. She just flew in from the tropics and is still recovering from her trip.”

Captain Mitchell looked at Jasmine curiously.

“Were you on vacation?”

Jasmine took several gulps directly from the bottle of water, then burped softly.

“Something like that.”

Gabriella forced a smile, staring at Jasmine with raised eyebrows.

“Well…I’m glad I could get us all together! Andrea and I have been getting to know each other. Before we talk shop, perhaps we can order some food? I know I’m hungry!”

Captain Mitchell locked her gaze on Jasmine, then shifted to Naomi before returning to Jasmine. Her jaw clenched.

“OK. I get it. She’s the good cop and you two are the bad cops.”

Naomi leaned back in her chair and picked at her teeth with her pinky fingernail. “We’re all bad cops. Gabby’s just good at faking it.”

Gabriella threw up her hands.

“Naomi!”

Jasmine took several more swigs from her water bottle, emptying it. The waiter quickly replaced it with a fresh bottle. She nodded at him in thanks, unscrewed the cap herself, then looked at Captain Mitchell.

“Captain Mitchell, what do you know about StratRec?”

Captain Mitchell leaned back in her chair, folding her arms across her chest.

“You guys are technical advisors to the military. You’re part of DARPA, right?”

Jasmine took a swig of the new water bottle, and slowly wiped her mouth on the back of her hand while looking at Captain Mitchell.

“You’re not too far off. Our unit’s full designation is Strategic Technology Recovery and Neutralization Division. We oversee all DARPA funded projects and work in close collaboration with the military, CIA, and NSA.”

Captain Mitchell looked at Gabriella, then at Jasmine, then at Naomi, and back to Jasmine.

“OK…so StratRec is short for Strategic Technology Recovery?”

Jasmine nodded slowly, her eyes fixed on Captain Mitchell.

“That’s right.”

Captain Mitchel glanced at Naomi.

“So what does ‘Neutralization’ mean?”

Naomi folded her arms and looked at Jasmine.

Jasmine finished her second bottle of water. The waiter came over with a third bottle, and Jasmine stopped him.

“Hey buddy, do you have a sports drink or something? Like Gatorade?”

The waiter looked at Gabriella, and she nodded.

“Yes ma’am. Right away.”

The waiter hurried off.

Jasmine leaned back in her chair and stretched her arms, winced at the pain the movement caused, then relaxed and looked at Captain Mitchell.

“Sorry, what was your question?”

Captain Mitchell looked concerned.

“I think you just answered it.”

Jasmine tilted her head as she studied Captain Mitchell.

“‘Neutralization’ means we eliminate the potential of a technology to do harm to the interests of the United States and its allies. Sometimes, it means extracting a person or persons of interest so that they can aid the US in developing countermeasures to a technology, or to help us develop our own.”

Captain Mitchell glanced between Jasmine and Naomi.

“And other times?”

Jasmine tapped her finger on the table in front of her, her eyes locked on Captain Mitchell.

Seconds ticked by.

Jasmine broke the silence.

“Captain Mitchell. Where’s the XAV?”

“I’ve already told…”

Jasmine shook her head as she raised her fingers off the table, gesturing for Captain Mitchell to stop.

“We are willing to give you the benefit of the doubt that you are not a part of the XAV going missing—but only to a point. Our colleagues at the Air Force, CIA, and NSA all list you as their prime suspect. They turned you over to us because our unit has broad governmental authority on the recovery of missing technology, and they rely on our expertise in extracting vital information from suspects.”

A look of resolve fell across Captain Mitchell’s face.

“So you’re going to torture me?”

Jasmine shook her head.

“We would if torture would help us get accurate information, but it doesn’t—you’d just tell us what we wanted to hear. We want the XAV returned. If you can’t help us, we’ll give you back to the military and intelligence communities for further investigation and prosecution. That’s a privilege extended to you only because you are a US citizen and pose no clear and present danger to national interests. I need to take a piss. Gabby, where’s the restroom?”

Gabriella gestured over Jasmine’s shoulder.

“It’s just past the kitchen doors on the right.”

Jasmine stood up slowly, wincing, and walked with labored steps towards the restroom.

Naomi stared at Captain Mitchell unblinking.

Gabriella looked mortified. She turned to face Captain Mitchell.

“I…apologize for not being up-front with our line of work. We downplay the full scope of our organizational mandate as much as possible. A significant portion of the work we do is classified, as you might imagine.”

Captain Mitchell looked at Naomi.

“Yeah. I can imagine.”

The trio fell silent.

Gabriella spoke again.

“Also, please excuse Agent Washington. She just completed a challenging assignment and was flown in from the other side of the planet to be here.”

“Why?”

“Agent Washington is the agent who oversees the XAV program.”

Captain Mitchell looked skeptical.

“I’ve never seen her before.”

Gabriella glanced at Naomi, then back to Captain Mitchell.

“Agent Washington is very familiar with your work as the test pilot for the XAV program.”

Captain Mitchell closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and exhaled.

“OK—fine. Then she should know I have nothing to do with it!”

Jasmine returned from the restroom.

“Nothing to do with what?”

Captain Mitchell leaned forward aggressively and slammed both hands on the table.

“That I had nothing to do with the XAV going missing! I’ve been interrogated for the past 24 fucking hours, and I’m sick of this shit. Throw me in prison. I don’t care. I’m done.”

Naomi rolled her eyes.

“Calm down buttercup. Everyone’s last 24 hours has been a little fucked up.”

“Oh really?”

Naomi glared at Captain Mitchell.

“Yeah. Really.”

Jasmine put her hand on Naomi’s shoulder as she sat down slowly, biting her lip against the pain. The waiter returned with a large bottle of Gatorade and uncapped it. Jasmine nodded to the waiter in thanks.

“Much obliged.”

Jasmine looked at Captain Mitchell.

“Look, Andrea…”

“Alpha.”

“What?”

“My call sign’s ‘Alpha’. No one calls me Andrea.”

Jasmine sighed.

“OK…Alpha. I’m Jasmine, that’s Naomi, and that’s Gabriella. Now we’re all on a first-name basis. Let’s order some food.”

Gabriella gestured at the waiter, who came over with menus for the table.

Jasmine opened her menu, and her eyes grew wide. She waved the waiter over and pointed to the menu excitedly.

“This and this. Two helpings of this. One of those, medium rare—bone in. A side of this, this, and this.”

The waiter looked at Naomi.

“Coffee. Black.”

The waiter looked to Captain Mitchell.

“I’m not hungry.”

The waiter looked at Gabriella.

“Can you ask the kitchen for Tapas please? Chef’s choice. A pitcher of Sangria for the table as well.”

“Right away ma’am.”

An awkward silence fell over the table.

Captain Mitchell broke the silence and looked at Jasmine.

“So. You kill people?”

Jasmine took a swig of her Gatorade. She licked her lips.

“Yep.”

“Like who?’

“Like a piece of shit who experimented on children. That’s what I was doing before I got here.”

“Oh.”

Jasmine stretched her back and neck. She sucked in breath through her teeth as she stretched her arms overhead.

Captain Mitchell looked at Jasmine.

“Did he fight back?”

Jasmine exhaled as she lowered her arms.

“Nope. Just made it clear he wasn’t going to come peacefully, and I didn’t have time to persuade him otherwise.”

“So you killed him?”

Jasmine sighed.

“Look. It’s not our first choice. Had he surrendered, I’d have found a way to get him back to the States. He was an evil son of a bitch, but he might have known things that would serve the interest of the US government. As it stands, I was under time pressure, and the situation was deteriorating. I made the call all STRAND agents have to make if there’s a risk of dangerous tech falling into the wrong hands or staying with the wrong people.”

“STRAND?”

“Yeah. It’s how we say the acronym for our unit. Like the ‘SEALs.’”

Captain Mitchell looked around the table.

“Why am I here?”

Jasmine took another swig of Gatorade.

“Because we think you can help us recover the XAV.”

“How?”

“Captain Mitchell. Alpha. Tell us about your relationship with Ghost.”