Baroota- the Hunting Ground, page 9
part #1 of The Director Series
“So what do you do, Nõn?”
“I am a freelance journalist. Mostly I do humanitarian pieces to raise the public’s awareness of people who are being victimized.”
“Interesting. Good fit, I would guess, for this little trip.”
“And you, Nick? What do you do?”
“Recently, I mostly piss off Jay, apparently. Before that, I was a cop, pretty much all I’ve ever done.”
“And what does a cop have to contribute to a mission like this?” asked Nõn.
“Comic relief, that’s what all cops do, comedy. Haven’t you ever watched Reno 911? Police Academy?”
Nõn rolled her eyes, playing her part expertly. She said, “Fine, funny man. Don’t answer my question. I would guess you barely graduated high school as well. Keep this in mind while you amuse only yourself. I take my job seriously, so keep your funny man jokes to yourself.”
“No can do, missy, the jokes flow from me like water from a lake. You’re just gonna have to deal with it.”
Jay interrupted, “I can see you two are off to a great start. Seems you have the same effect on everyone you meet, Nick,” the hostility rolling off him in waves as he glared at Nick.
Nick shrugged his shoulders. “Heard it my whole life, Jay. I’m a world class asshole. Nothing new there.”
Jay and Nõn both rolled their eyes, and Jay said, “OK, well enough chitchat, let’s get on the road.”
Walking to the car, Nõn opened the front passenger door and got in, sitting next to Jay. Nick got in the back seat.
“This reminds me of the scene from ‘As Good As it Gets’. Ever watch that one, Jay? Jack Nicholson goes on a road trip with his gay neighbor and the hot waitress that serves him breakfast. Here we are just finishing breakfast. Nõn could be considered sort of hot, I guess. And here we are sitting in the car. Me being, well…me in the back seat and older. Guess that makes you the gay neighbor, huh Jay?”
Jay said nothing, but his face returned to the bright baby rage red it had the previous day. Nõn said nothing as well and looked out her window, shaking her head.
“OK, then, shall we?” Nick smiled, looking in the rearview mirror, matching Jay’s furious glare as he raised and lowered his eyebrows rapidly.
The mission briefing was held in a typical drab unremarkable building, left over from some previous government deployment. The building was typical of government construction. Poorly heated, bad plumbing, and flooring made of industrial grade floor tiles that had long since had any pattern or texture buffed out of them. Anyone in government service will tell you there is a nearly insane compulsion by the higher ups to have their floors shine like they were brand new. So the industrial grade tiles in every building that received any use at all are buffed until the original designs are completely removed. For Nick, this was old home week. This building housed Moses Hole’s Central Security Control, or C.S.C. The room the briefing would be held in was what had been the Guardmount room, the daily briefing room for security forces before they were taken to post. Nick whistled the theme song to “Welcome Back Kotter” as they walked through the hallways. No one appreciated his humor, or how ironic this whole goddamn mission was turning out to be.
Jay said, “What’s that you’re whistling, Nick? It sounds familiar.”
“Was I whistling? Hmm, I wasn’t aware of it, sorry.”
Jay, more frustrated, thought, I can’t wait to wipe that smile off your face, funny man. Your time is coming.
Nick and Nõn sat down; Nõn in the front row like a good student would, and Nick all the way in the back, as far from the front as he could be. In school, it drove his teachers insane to have students take the back row when there were plenty of seats up front. Teachers, however, didn’t live in his world. In that world, being able to see everyone in the room at the same time could mean the difference between survival and, well, not surviving. It was an observation point, tactical in nature. Teachers had no understanding of tactics or survival. Teachers loved the students in the front row.
A few minutes later, the room filled up with the tactical team, Jay, and the flight crew. Jay closed the door and immediately puffed up like a lion fish. His chest swollen with authority and his voice now boomed, filling the room.
“Quiet down, everyone, quiet down.”
Nick rolled his eyes as he noticed the room had been quiet, no one had been speaking. This speech had been well rehearsed and apparently made Jay feel like he was in more control.
“OK, we all know why we’re here. I’m going to go around the room and have each of you introduce yourselves, starting with the flight crew.”
Nick listened while the squeaky clean flight crew introduced themselves. James Muir was the pilot, John Allen the co-pilot, and the navigator’s name was Mike Hunt. The tactical team erupted in a wave of snickers and laughter at that disclosure.
Nick got the joke, who the hell named their child Mike Hunt? It was one of those names used in juvenile phone pranks. You called a business and asked them to page Mike Hunt, it was an emergency. If it worked and they actually paged that name, it sounded like “My Cunt” over the loudspeakers. “Paging My Cunt.” Nick had to admit, he’d pulled that one a few times as a kid, and honestly once at a staff meeting as a cop on the Chief of Police. That prank nearly got him fired from the department. The Chief had no sense of humor, who knew?
Anyway, the tactical team was next, and they were introduced by Rooney, the team leader. Nick watched from the back of the room as Rooney detailed each team member’s name and role on the team. Apparently, Fossum was their demolitions expert. Interesting. Every tactical team had one. The one crazy guy who liked to blow shit up.
Next came Nõn’s turn. She stood up and introduced herself. Green and Johnson started to make moaning noises, and Garcia pushed his tongue against his cheek, simulating a blow job while she spoke.
Nick thought, Once we leave U.S. air space, this is going to be a problem. These fuckheads really are gonna try to get her alone; hopefully, she doesn’t kill them before the mission is complete.
He made a mental note to keep close to her. She could handle herself, without a doubt, but six against one were odds that could only be beaten in the movies.
Nõn ignored the tactical team and sat down.
Next, Jay asked Nick to introduce himself.
Nick stood up. “Hi, I’m Nick Hudson. I’ve met most of you before this meeting. The tactical team and I hit it off well, and Nõn and I are besties. My role, as Jay has put it, is to act as a ‘Wild Card’, an unexpected element to fill in the gaps should the tactical ‘Zero Dark Thirty’ crew (raising his voice) FUCK THINGS UP! I’ll try to do my best.”
He formed the familiar hand position universally recognized as “the bird” or “Fuck you” and made a mock casual salute towards Rooney and his team. Rooney, glaring at Nick, returned the gesture, emphasizing it with a quick, angry snap of a salute. Nick smiled and sat down.
Jay said, “Yes, well now that we all know who we are, let’s get started on the mission briefing. James Muir, you have the floor.”
Muir stood up and began his briefing. Apparently, the plan was to stay within established flight corridors within the U.S. Muir explained flight corridors were like roads for aircraft. Once they left the United States, they’d be traveling well known flight paths that were used for illegal drug trafficking. The paths were well documented and commonly used. The plan would be to go dark, meaning no radio traffic unless necessary. The plane would fly out over the Pacific Ocean and then return to land once they approached the Darien Gap. Muir explained they’d be landing at the Sambu Airfield located in the Darien Gap. That concluded his part of the mission, and the mission briefing.
Jay stood up. “Yes, when we arrive at the Darien Gap, we’ll disembark the plane with our equipment. We’ll be traveling over land on rough roads to the base camp. The base camp is code named ‘Baroota’. It means ‘The Hunting Ground’.
Once we’re there, Team Leader Rooney will begin final planning for the extraction of 12-15 persons of interest. These ‘persons of interest’ are the reason we’re all here. Make no mistake, people, this will not be an easy extraction. Our objective is heavily guarded and protected by trained and armed personnel. It will be a fight, gentlemen, and lady. But we have the advantage of surprise and night vision equipment. We’ll overcome their force and return safely. I want this mission to go by the numbers, with no screw-ups. Any questions?”
The tactical team erupted in a well-timed and obviously practiced, “WHo-Rah.”
No one said a word.
Jay continued, “Good, we leave tonight at 2100 hours. I’ll be picking up Nick and Nõn, the rest of you will meet at the time and location we’ve already discussed. Dismissed.”
Nick got up and left the room, walking out ahead of the rest. This “WHo-Rah” shit got on his nerves. Nothing ever went like it was planned.
You can beat your chest all damn day, he thought. Doesn’t mean dick when the shit hits the fan. Nothing ever went by the numbers.
Already, the mindset was wrong. Flexible and fluid was the only way to survival in tactical situations. Only an admin prick like Jay spewed this Hollywood, “by the numbers” bullshit. Barely able to hide his disgust, a now surly Nick waited at the car for Nõn and Jay.
Back in the room, Nick sat and waited for an e-mail from Nõn. It took several minutes for her e-mail to finally show up on the smartphone.
“Nick, informative meeting, yes? I am going to the post office to send my computer back to my home. No point in bringing it along to such a remote area. I did some research on the Darien Gap. It is one of the most remote areas in the world and is nearly void of any real roadways. So it will be an interesting trip, no doubt. Hopefully, you and Rooney won’t kill each other while you are out rescuing the kidnapped victims. Do you really think it is wise to be so confrontational with them? Not my business, but you will be out in the jungle with them, alone. Jay has told me that I will not be included on any extraction operations. They don’t want to risk it. I explained that I have been in dangerous places before, but he would not budge.
I looked up Baroota, the name of the compound. It is an aboriginal word, and it does indeed mean the hunting ground. Interestingly, I found another word similar to it during my search, ‘Nokunno’. It is also an aboriginal word as well and is used as the name of a mythical being who went about by night killing people. The name describes an imaginary being, like a man, who prowls at night and kills, an assassin. After your disappearing stunt last night, melting into the shadows like you did, leaving me there talking to no one but myself, I thought it fitting. That is my nickname for you now, Nick-Nokunno the Assassin.”
Nick replied, “Nõn, Rooney and I have no disagreement, no worries, just a friendly testosterone contest. Nothing to worry about. Besides, I’ve never played well with the other kids in the playground, why try to change now? Nokunno, huh? I like it. At least you didn’t name me ‘Fred’ or something ridiculous. I’m going to get some sleep, and I would advise you to do the same after mailing your laptop. Things are likely to get very intense very soon, and sleep won’t be easy to come by. See you at the plane. Nick.”
Nick woke up at 6 pm to the sound of his smartphone buzzing. He’d received a text. Unlocking the phone, he saw that JoAnn had finally responded. The message said, “Good luck on your hunting trip, see you in two weeks. Knock them dead, Love J.”
He responded, “Sorry for how this has turned out. I’ll be back in one week, babe. I hope to make it up to you then. Thanks, and take care. Nick.”
She never listened. He told her it would be one week, over and over while they argued. It would only be one week. She was especially mad when he wouldn’t accompany her on the last trip she’d made to North Carolina. It was the week Jay had called to tell him the mission was a go. He knew time was getting short and tried to explain that to her, but she wouldn’t listen. After Jay had called, he was glad he’d refused to go. Every day he could train was critical. She’d barely spoken to him after that trip. There was a rift between them that was unbridgeable. He was glad to see the text message; maybe there was still hope for them after this mission was complete. He was hopeful.
Nick waited for a response to the text he’d sent. It never came. Nick fell back asleep, hopeful and also grateful for the sleep sans nightmares.
At 8 pm Nick woke, rested and showered again. Probably the last shower this week, he thought. Not much chance of running hot water in the jungle. Dressing in his Black 5-11 tactical gear, he looked in the mirror. Startled, he expected a younger face to be staring back at him; instead of the man he felt he still was, there was an angry grey haired old man looking back at him. Muscled, yes, fit as well, but wrinkled, old and grey. Funny how he felt twenty-five mentally and physically until he looked into the mirror.
“Fuck you,” Nick said angrily at the ridiculous image in the mirror. “Fuck you, motherfucker.”
Nick turned off the light and left the room.
Jay arrived a few minutes after Nick in the foyer of the building. Nõn was already waiting for both of them, dressed in her usual long-sleeved baggy shirt and denim pants. They walked quietly to the car and drove to the waiting plane, warming up on the tarmac. Nick recognized the aircraft as a C-130.
He took a deep breath, thinking, Well, this is going to be a bumpy and noisy ride.
Jay handed them both earplugs and told them to put them in now as he escorted them to the passenger door of the aircraft. The cargo door was also open, and aircraft parts were being loaded onto the back of the plane. The tactical team’s gear was already loaded, as were the six tactical team members. Everyone was ready to go. The loadmaster secured the equipment to the cargo tie down points and then walked to the front of the plane to let the flight crew know they were all set. Nick saw they would be sitting in jump seats, cloth straps sewn together in a mesh pattern.
Asshole Jay spared no expense this trip, he thought. Jump seats were going to be really uncomfortable but weighed almost nothing.
Jay took a seat next to Nõn, while Nick sat near the others on the opposite side of the plane. The loadmaster, still wearing headphones and safety glasses, went alone at the edge of the row of jump seats and lay down across the empty seats to sleep. Verbal communication wasn’t possible. The plane was loud, even with the ear protection. If they needed to communicate, he and Nõn would have to do it carefully.
Five minutes later, Nõn felt the vibrations of the engines of the aircraft increase and the plane began to move. Taxiing down the runaway, the vibrations of the cracks and spacers in the concrete runway came vibrating through the aircraft frame, slowly first, then increasing rapidly as the plane accelerated, and then they were off.
The vibration and noise of the aircraft were mind-numbing, and eventually Nick too fell asleep. It seemed wise; sleep would be a rare commodity soon.
An unknown amount of hours later, they landed; apparently the plane needed to refuel. The trip would be nearly five thousand miles as the crow flies, longer since they had to take the surreptitious route that had been chosen. They would refuel twice during the trip, where? Nick had no idea. It had never been discussed at the briefing. While they refueled, the passengers took turns in the rudimentary restroom facilities on the plane. No one was allowed to leave the plane under any circumstances.
At the eight-hour mark, the loadmaster came to each of them with an opened MRE and a bottle of water. Nick nodded, taking the food and water, and mouthed, “Thank you” as the loadmaster moved on to the next person. The loadmaster handed Rooney a large plastic bag and motioned to throw the garbage in after the meal was completed. The loadmaster then motioned a thumbs up. Rooney returned the thumbs up in acknowledgement; he understood. Once everyone was fed, the loadmaster returned to the jump seats and ate as well. The garbage bag went from person to person until all the used meals were inside of it. Occasionally, Nick would look at Nõn. She never made eye contact with him; she was either sleeping or reading the entire trip.
Eighteen hours into the flight, the loadmaster got up and began to hand out a third bottle of water to the occupants of the plane. The same garbage bag routine was done, and then the loadmaster went to the flight cabin and gave them water as well. Greeted with smiles and waves, the crew gratefully accepted the water.
Standing at the front of the plane, the loadmaster watched as the tactical team, Nõn and Nick all finished their water. Nick knew it had been a long flight; his legs and back ached from sitting in the jump seats for so long, so it wasn’t surprising when the loadmaster started to stretch and do some exercises to limber up. Nick was getting sleepy and decided to close his eyes for a moment. Odd, he thought as he started to drift off to sleep. He didn’t see the loadmaster give Jay a bottle of water. Nick thought the loadmaster probably didn’t like the prick either. Smiling, Nick fell deeply asleep.
Wind rushed through the aircraft, and for a moment Nick was aware of the feeling of extreme cold and noise. It felt like being in a hurricane; he couldn’t remember where he had been or how he got to where he was. The floor he was lying on felt like metal and was very cold, his head repeatedly bouncing off the surface. He felt no pain, just the impact of his cheek bouncing off the metal flooring.
Where am I now? Where have I been?
He couldn’t remember.
Finally, the wind died down and the noise lessened. He felt a warm rain sprinkling down on his face and turned to face the rain. It felt better than the cold floor. Then the darkness of sleep closed in around him.
At the exact moment Nick was giving Rooney the middle finger salute in the mission briefing, Pat had just arrived at Moses Lake. She checked into billeting and immediately went to her room to sleep. It had been a long flight from the east coast, with many layovers and plane changes. She was tired and had much to prepare for. Setting the alarm on her smartphone, she lay down and immediately was asleep. She slept until 4 pm and then woke up and turned off the alarm, showered and got dressed, and then went over the game plan Jay had set up.
