The Betrayal's End

The time: September 1994, my first day as part of The Elite Strike Force. A strong government military team.

The place: Base, classified location in the middle of a dense forest not far from coastal shores.

Enter the members of The Elite Strike Force. There were six of us. Six strong soldiers who are skilled killing machines. However, I haven't seen much out in the field recently and relied on the reports that made their way around the base like high school rumors. I am always ordered around and trained the hardest since I am one of the lesser ranks within the military forces. Nothing more than a Private. Meaning I am given orders and expected to obey like a mutt. No further questions. I put up with this bullshit for years now. Only put up with it because

I have the desire to protect the innocent, and those who cannot fend for themselves which drives me to improve my skills in combat. When I was recruited, these traits were seen the most by others and highly admired. It was the very reason as to why I was eligible to become a member of The Elite Strike Force in the first place. I was going to follow my father's footsteps. However, he was a Lieutenant at the time and nearly became a Sergeant. Not one day passes where I don't think about how my father never returned from his last assignment when I was merely a child. I came home from school that day and found my mother crying on the wooden porch of our house. She brought me into her arms and had to explain that my father was never going to come home. I went behind her back to read the telegram that was delivered to her. My father's status was MIA presumed KIA. I wasn't old enough to understand what those acronyms meant until I was well into my teens. I still have a long way to go before I get to his level. But we are all one and the same regardless of our ranks by serving our country. That is honor enough.

The base itself is surrounded by a dense forest. Everywhere I'd look there would be trees, followed by more trees, and even more trees. The only way to see over them would be the watch towers placed at each corner of the base. Each faced North, East, South, and West. The Northen tower overlooked the treetops, anyone could see anything coming for miles with or without military-grade binoculars. Eastern faced a series of mountain ranges which myself and new recruits are taken on regularly to help build our strength, resilience, and stamina. Down South, the tower looked over a large windy river that stretched for God knows how long. I assume it eventually met the ocean where the Western tower faces the coastal shores. It is a pretty view. I have seen many sunsets and sunrises over the past years at these towers and not one day passes where I haven't discovered a new hue pass over the lovely scenery. Then there is the barracks. A series of cabins where we all hunkered down after a long day, that is if you get an ounce of sleep knowing that tomorrow very well may be your last day to ever walk the Earth. Next to the barracks would be the mess hall, a place where we all gathered for meals.

Lastly, we have what we call the briefing room which is located adjacent to the training grounds.

The briefing room is a confined, tight, rectangular room walled with maps and bulletin boards of important intel. In the center of the room is a rather large oval table with chairs crowded around the curvature and oddly warm by the sunlight coming through the skylight ceiling.

The sole purpose of this room is for our Colonel to brief us on our assignments and missions. A place to turn in and store reports, intel, and data. A place to discuss formations, routines, rotations, and even future plans of attack when and if we needed to engage on the offense or defense. Luckily, we've never had to fight to that extreme. And I pray that we never will, however, war is upon us whether we like it or not. It's just a matter of when.

The clock on the wall struck 1200 and we all stirred to a seat at the table like school kids that entered the classroom one by one in a single filed line.

"Tis now midday" Lieutenant Chris announced.

"And by 0500 tomorrow, we must be on the road"

Sergeant Jake stated and shot a long and hard stare at Chris as if to tell him to be quiet and pay attention.

Lieutenant Alex curled up like a cat on her seat while I sat opposite her with one leg crossed over the other, toyed with one strand of her long Autumn hair as she asked.

"What for?"

Private Kai looked up from the report he was reading for The Elite Strike Force's next mission. His dark, thick, black curly hair covered most of his forehead, making it very difficult for me to read his expression without being able to see his eyes.

"Our sources state that The Resistance has been planning a major attack. We're given a choice to either capture or kill them before they can attack."

The Resistance. All that I know about them is that they are a rebellious force. Our enemy. I hear that some of our newly recruited scouts have gone missing because of them. Even our supply runs have been completely raided because of them.

"So let me guess,"

I finally spoke up, flipping through a second copy of the reports. "we'll be taking a lot of casualties? Our scouts go missing, our convoy of supplies and resources - looted. We don't stand much of a chance against them if they have the balls to pull such stunts."

Lieutenant Chris snorts at that but clears his throat and proceeds to regain a serious composure as Sergeant Jake shoots him another hard stare.

"We have traced them to the North West corner of the Southern outskirts of Nha Trang. They won't expect to see us there."

Nha Trang isn't too far away from our location, it'll still take a day's journey by transport. I've never been there myself, but the people living in the city are well known around here due to some recent events and rumors about a plague possibly spreading there. As I looked around the room, I noticed all of us were sitting silently, waiting for someone else to speak up. It is as if no one knows what to say to ease the tension, so Colonel Carter continued.

"If we do go to Nha Trang, we will not have the luxury to rest, the rebel scum are everywhere. It will be dangerous and the risk definitely outweighs the reward, so please understand why it is important for us to strike now." He spoke firmly.

"Firstly, why are they rebelling in the first place? Secondly, How do you plan to take them out?" Private Kai asked.

He's been a member of The Elite Strike Force since he graduated college two years ago, and the only thing about his personality is his curiosity and urge to question everything to get the unnecessary details. His eyes are a piercing blue and sharp as a scalpel as he brushed away a lock of curls, finally, I can see his face. He wears glasses and always carries a pack of cigarettes in his right breast pocket because he thinks it looks cool. I know that he smokes. He may be more talkative than anyone else on The Elite Strike Force, but I wouldn't consider him annoying or irritating like many others within the team. Colonel Carter begins his explanation once more while I turned back to my copy of the reports and flip through the stapled pages.

"They're trying to overthrow the government for a better future as they strongly believe the government is the cause of the unrest in the South as an unknown deadly disease started to decimate cities. They think that it is unfair for those who are not infected by the disease aren't welcome to enter another city of Vietnam due to an outbreak risk, and be left to squalor since nothing is permitted to get in, or out. So The

Resistance was formed and they have started small by raiding our supply chains. Food, water, weapons, fuel, clothes, and our tech gear too. And I am sure they're also the reason for our scouts to go missing too but that is yet to be determined. The question is, how are they even getting in and out of their territory if they're under strict lockdown."

"How do you expect us to sneak in without anyone noticing a large squad of troops invading into their territory?" I asked.

"No. I will not send a big calvary, only the six of us." Colonel Carters piped up again. "we can infiltrate undetected by helicopter. This job does require total trust between your brothers and sisters in arms, and an act of silent obedience. There is a village that is being held hostage by the rebels. It is our goal to rescue the villagers from The Resistance's hands and evacuate them to safety."

"How do you expect us to sneak in without anyone noticing a large squad of troops invading into their territory?" I asked and everyone except Private Kai nodded in agreement.

"No. Not a big calvary, only six of us." The colonel said calmly and continued. "We can infiltrate undetected by helicopter in the dark of night."

Luitenant Chris nodded while Private Kai smirked and shook his head. Everyone else went quiet again and listened attentively as they waited for further instructions.

"There's a village in the area that is being held hostage by the rebels. It's our goal to rescue the villagers. If necessary, we might even need to kill the bad guys depending on the situation." Luitenant Chris said quietly.

No one spoke in response, but they all knew this mission wasn't as easy as it sounded. Flying by helicopter will make a lot of noise, the dark is supposed to hide our presence, but, even we can't see in the dark either. A big disadvantage for us. They will hear us coming. "Once we are inside the village itself, we'll split up in groups of four and move in stealth."

I nod, thinking about what I just heard. We'll infiltrate, find, and rescue those villagers. It sounds like a suicide mission as we have no real idea as to what it is that we are up against. But people need our protection. My protection.

"But. In case someone gets separated...," the captain pauses, looking at each member of The Elite Strike Force, waiting for a reaction or at least making sure everyone is paying attention.

Nobody seemed ready to volunteer for this job, but I was one of the few exceptions. My mind raced with ideas, but I couldn't think of something that wouldn't attract unwanted attention. Then, it hit me. "...they'll be left behind..." Silence filled the room immediately, and I felt sweat starting to form on my palms. I know that it's a dumb idea. Luckily, the silence didn't last long.

"You want us to leave our own men to die? Are you insane?" I spat out harshly, leaning forward from my chair. Colonel Carter wants to risk us going MIA or KIA and suffer the same fate my father met. I will not let that happen on my watch. No one should suffer a loss like that. Some of us have families and friends waiting back at home for our safe return. vow right here and now that every single one of us will come back to base and return to our homes after this mission and any further missions we make. No one will get left behind for dead. "Private Casey, it's okay." Lieutenant Alex said softly and put a hand on my shoulder in an attempt to calm me down. But I jerked her arm off me violently, making it obvious that I didn't want to be held back or even try to accept what I just heard.

"Don't touch me!" I shouted angrily, fists balling as I slammed them on the table. "He's going to leave us all there to die!? For some civilians!? Sergeant, Colonel, Just how many more lives are you willing to lose?!" "Don't forget that you're just a Private, Casey! Don't you ever forget that! You're only twenty years old! You have no authority to lead an entire unit or question me! You're not capable of deciding what's best! What would your father think if he saw you acting insubordinate?!" He snapped in return, standing up from his seat.

"You don't know anything! None of you do! Because of you, Colonel, my father is dead! Because you decided he should follow your orders blindly like a mindless animal! I know how this goes, all the risks of serving in the military, but we are human beings! You don't just abandon your brothers and sisters-in-arms and lead them to their deaths!" I shouted back.

His expression changed from fury to confusion. His gaze then quickly softened in shock. "Casey..." he trailed.

I stopped and took a deep breath before continuing. "Your job should be keeping all of us alive and not feed us to the fucking wolves like you did to my father. Your best friend. Your brother in arms."

With those words, Lieutenant Chris slowly got up from his seat and walked toward me. I stood up quickly, but he grabbed my arms firmly and held them behind my back before forcing me to sit back down. I struggled but Lieutenant Chris didn't budge. After a couple of seconds, I was forced into submission.

"That's enough. Unless you want to be taken off this force. I suggest you behave and do as you're told."

"Yes. Sir." I seethed through a clenched jaw while grinding my teeth and hung my head low in a poor attempt to hide my reddened face. I don't agree with his orders, but I need to follow them to avoid being dismembered from The Elite Strike Force. "Good. Everyone, gear up. We leave at Ash." Colonel Carter added before dismissing everyone back to the barracks.

My alarm went off at 0300. Two hours before we were supposed to leave for the village, allowing me to enter the mess hall for a quick breakfast. I couldn't help but see Lieutenant Chris and Lieutenant Alex sharing a small round table. I roll my eyes when they wave me over, I'm still clearly upset about the risen tension between myself and Colonel Carter and simply keep to myself just for this moment. At least, that's what I thought before Private Kai joined me.

"Morning Private Casey" He chirps, full of energy and excitement from being selected to be on this mission.

"MORNING PRIVATE CASEY," I say mockingly back, trying not to let him get to me but it is far too late for that.

"Look... Private Kai, I just need a minute alone to recollect myself before I have to put up with Colonel Carter alright.. so please.. with all due respect.. Fuck. Off."

I give him the finger and watch him get up silently to join the Lieutenants at their table while I eat in peace. I noticed the others around me also looked in my direction confused. Only Private Kai seemed to have noticed what was on my mind and didn't show any signs of remorse. I rolled my eyes and finished eating my light and crisp salad before walking away with a huff and leaving them wondering where the Hell I was running off to. Private Kai followed behind me like always and tried to catch up with me. I realized that I would never hear the end of it from him. So I paused, turned around, and yelled.

"What do you want?! Aren't you going to fucking let me breathe for 5 minutes?!"

"You.. you've been in the military for years... yet... you're still scared of the idea of getting killed on this mission. What is it about the plan that scares you so much?"

Private Kai argued back with an angry tone in his voice. A lot of people were staring now, but we both ignored their watch and stared intensely into each other's eyes instead. I was the first to look away.

"It isn't fear. I'm tired. Tired of being controlled by someone I lost respect for years ago. Tired of being disrespected in return. I don't understand how you're okay with the way that they treat us. Even as Cadets they pushed us past our limits and ordered us to basically break our bodies through dumb training exercises." spoke calmly and ran my hands through my dusty blonde locks in frustration.

"Point made. But this isn't okay. We have a job to do. Let's save those hostages and bring down The Resistance as a team."

"Yeah... but not this way. Not in a losing battle. It doesn't matter who you are, or who you fight. What's important is that we all make it out in one piece. That's what my father promised me all those years ago yet he was the only one in his platoon who never made it back all because he lagged behind to protect each and every one of his men... I swear Colonel Carter wants us dead by sending us on this suicide mission."

Private Kai sighed and looked down at his feet. "We will be careful. But don't let Colonel Carter get to you, you can tell him to fuck himself" I let out a soft chuckle at the thought. Then gestured with my head to his quarters where he and I would spend a hot minute smoking and getting high. I could definitely use a buzz to help me get through the rest of the day or at least sleep through the flight that lies ahead of us. He seemed to catch on to what I meant and together we smoked a cigarette each. No one seemed to notice we were gone, even if they did they'd just assume that we're still getting our things together.

"So.. back to our conversation- you think this is a suicide mission? Why?" He asked.

"Think about it... this resistance has a whole village under their control... they must be a big organization to pull that off... not to mention, they were able to raid our supply chains and you know how tough our delivery and scout units are. If we go in there, there is a fair chance we will have to retreat and fail the mission or die trying to succeed. Plus, what more do we know about them? All we know is why they're doing whatever it is they are doing but even then that is based on Colonel Carter's and Sergeant Jake' hunches."

I explained while he looked at me wide-eyed as he saw that I had a fair point.

"No. No, no, no. They wouldn't send us out there if they thought it was that dangerous. W-would they?"

"I'm not sure.."

I took a long draw from my cigarette and watched Private Kai do the same. He probably did it as an attempt to calm his nerves. I have no idea how long we were in his barrack talking about the mission and filling our system with substances before Colonel Carter caught us.

"There you two are! Where the fuck have you been?! Wait-" He sniffs the air around us. "Have you two been smoking again?!"

"No, Sir. I'd rather keep my mouth shut. I mean... it is what you asked me to do after our 'discussion' in the debriefing room about how you intend to abandon your men if it comes to it"

I've never seen Colonel Carter's face turn as red from pure anger as it did now. "Private Casey, Private Kai. I think you owe me some laps."

I roll my eyes and give Private Kai a pat on the back before doing a slow jog around the perimeter of the base itself. It's only a mile lap. It isn't too bad until you have to run 'some' over and over again. Luckily Colonel Carter never specified a number, I took 'some' as three. One is a single, Two is a couple, three is some. I can't question that logic. We ran three laps each, I could feel my legs ache yet there was still so much stuff to do to ensure we were prepared for the mission. Not to mention our stamina has been used up.

"Guess it is a good thing that the mission is a long flight huh?"

Private Kai spoke between pants. I could only nod softly, while I caught my breath. But those laps were so worth running if it meant I was able to test the boundaries with Colonel Carter. My eyes then fixed on Lieutenant Chris and Alex who were helping each other with some simple shooting practice and combat techniques knowing that they'll most likely be needed. I watched closely, hoping to learn something new. That's how I developed my skills, through observation and practice. Not like I have much time to practice what they're doing. Lieutenant Alex moves so swiftly and effortlessly with her combat knives and hand-to-hand combat while Lieutenant Chris defends himself from her quick moves. Before I could process a thing, Lieutenant Chris had his back on the floor while Lieutenant Alex placed a foot on his stomach, claiming her victory.

"Nice try Chris. But not this time"

She said with a slight snicker in her voice.

"Yeah, yeah. I'll get you one of these days you know. Now c'mon. Help me load up the transport before we are accused of fucking around."

I heard Lieutenant Chris reply. Lieutenant Alex helped him get back onto his feet.

"Awe, but I like fucking around. It's my specialty."

She said jokingly and they continued with the preparations while myself and Private Kai took our sweet time to recover from our 3-mile run. Before I could join them, Sergeant Jake stopped me in my tracks. "Listen, kid, I know this isn't your first rodeo. But you need to listen and respect Colonel Carter. He's well above your ranks and knows what he's doing. If I hear either of you disrespect him again, major consequences will be laid on you."

Oh great. Colonel Carter tattle-tailed on us about what both myself and Private Kai said about him. And if we get caught doing it again we will have Hell to pay. Yeah. No thanks. I force myself not to roll my eyes and snap back at him. So I grit my teeth.

"Yes. Sir. May we continue helping the others prepare the transport?"

The minute he gave us a nod and dismissed us to continue our duties. I quickly gear up, a simple rifle placed into a sheath strapped onto my back and shoulders while I had a baldric full of loaded magazines. I kept a pistol at my waistband too, just in case I needed to make a quick simple attack. Lastly, I have a combat knife concealed in my boots if I ever need to make silent attacks or run out of ammo.

I was on the tools quickly and again I read over the mission reports to make sure I had taken in every detail possible but there is so little that we know about The Resistance and their plans despite what Colonel Carter said about their intentions and how they have a whole village under their control. They're clearly powerful, the six of us will not be enough to put an end to their madness but what other option do we have? I refuse to let those poor villagers suffer. Not a chance.

Once everything was packed, everyone climbed into the chopper and Sergeant Jake was at the cockpit. As the sun began to rise, I gazed forward into the distance and watched the sky transform into a range of different shades of purples, oranges, and yellows with a very dull stare.

We arrived at the border of Nha Trang, the minute we left the aircraft and continued on foot to the village, I couldn't help but get a sense of how quiet it was. No crickets chirping, no bushes or trees rustling, nothing. Just the sound of our footsteps squelching in the muddy terrain disturbed the silence. It didn't take long for me to smell blood, death, and smoke from what appeared to be abandoned or at least ransacked buildings stretching out for miles in every direction.

"Hello?! Is anybody out there?!" Lieutenant Chris called out.

"What are you doing" Lieutenant Alex nudged him with her elbow.

"Are you trying to give away our location? Because if anyone didn't know we were here, they definitely do now"

Colonel Carter added. He tried to keep her tone hushed, but he still sounded mad nonetheless. Sergeant Jake shot them a glare full of daggers as a way to tell them to keep their fucking mouths shut before we actually do get compromised.

They seemed to pick up on it pretty quickly as their bickering stopped instantly. Suddenly, we could hear loud noises consisting of gunshots, explosions, screams and shouts. We started moving towards it, keeping our guard up as we searched for any of the terrorists that may cross us. Everything falls silent again and the place starts to become eerie.

"This place is a goddamn ghost town! Why aren't people attacking us?!" Private Kai yelled out as he pushed back his black curls out of his eyes, his hands soon gripping tightly onto the straps of his rifle as we moved closer to the source of the commotion we heard moments ago.

"Shhh! They must be hiding somewhere... watching... waiting for us... they most likely heard us come in thanks to your loud mouths."

I suggested in an almost whisper. Private Kai looked around for the source then continued walking along the street, following behind me like my shadow.

As soon as the six of us reached where we thought the gunshots came from, it was obvious that the building wasn't a house, it was an abandoned factory. A building that had been completely destroyed, looks like it has been completely emptied out. The floors were cracked in some places, the concrete walls were crumbling apart and covered in graffiti.

Before I could take in the art, I could hear shuffling from further inside the building, almost as if someone was running. Towards us. I never reached for my .50 GS pistol so quickly before. I waited for them to pass so I'd at least have the advantage of having their back turned before I took the shot the moment I saw a uniform embroidered with the lettering The Resistance in bright yellow thread. A silent and deadly kill. "Nice one, Private Casey."

Lieutenant Chris commented before helping me hide the body behind some pallets that were scattered around the place. I couldn't tell if he was trying to compliment me or if he was being sarcastic as I could've easily compromised us if I missed the shot.

"I say we split up, cover more ground. People are definitely here. Terrorists or hostages. Stay alert."

Lieutenant Alex spoke and we all agreed. It is the best idea as we could easily surround them, evacuate the hostages, and take care of the terrorists once and for all.

We all separated into three groups, pairs. Private Kai and Lieutenant Alex, Lieutenant Chris, and Sergeant Jake, and with my poor luck I'm left with Colonel Carters.

I kept my head down and walked slowly through the ruins, keeping my ears perked out for any sounds of movement that weren't our own. Every step I took felt heavy.

I hated this feeling. I am a soldier, I have been trained to kill and have killed before when I was sent on scout patrol as a young, green Cadet. So why am I feeling like this? I guess it is the fact that we were outnumbered, or is it the lack of intel we have on the situation?

I glanced over to the side and saw Sergeant Jake walking alongside Lieutenant Chris. I could feel my heart wanting to leap out of my chest and my palms becoming sweaty. Soon after, my breaths became short and ragged as I gripped tightly onto my gun to regain a sense of security and take a minute to recompose myself. Something was wrong, I knew it.

This entire mission felt strange the moment we sat together in the debriefing room. This sense of unease continued to linger and continued to make my heart race. This couldn't be good. The longer I clenched my gun, the closer I felt like something big was going to happen. The hairs on the back of my neck began to stand on their ends.

We found a large doorway that leads into pure darkness. The floor creaked loudly from all the fallen debris that we had to walk through. I quickly glanced around and found two bodies. They weren't wearing a uniform of any kind, they were most likely from the group of hostages.

My mind instantly relapsed to the gunshots and screams we heard moments ago... they were their deaths. We weren't fast enough to get to them on time, we didn't save them. I know that I can't save everyone in this world but it still hurt and made me very aware of the time limit that we are on.

Who knows just how many more will die before we do manage to evacuate the hostages and relocate them safely. With that time pressure in mind, my eyes narrowed with determination as I turned to the group.

"Lieutenant Alex, Private Kai. Clear the area, find out if there is anyone else here"

I ordered in a hushed tone and was surprised they listened to me as they followed my instructions. After all, I am just a Private.

While they were doing that, I began to move through the remnants of the factory. The further I went, the quieter everything got. I kept glancing at every inch, around every corner, but I couldn't see any further than a few feet with this darkness. Shivers ran through my entire body and sweat began to form at my brows. I felt cold. The building had completely lost its warmth, meaning that anything living being here was most likely dead. Again I questioned if we really were too late. That is until I heard voices. Voices calling out for mercy. Voices that were pleading for help... but there wasn't a response to their cries.

Soon I heard Colonel Carter through our radio comms.

"Hostages found. Move to my location and assist."

Within minutes, we were all advancing. Then the silence was broken by the sounds of gunshots, we were taking fire, forcing us to take cover around corners and whatever pieces of machinery we could use to shield ourselves. We waited until the shooting stopped before we proceeded and used the darkness to our advantage to stealthily advance further. My grip never left my gun as I moved in with Private Kai and Lieutenant Alex, listening for anything that moved, or even a glimpse at the rebels that fired away while Lieutenant Chris, Colonel Carter, and Sergeant Jake scanned the area for the hostages to extract them safely as planned.

The second I entered the room, I spotted the rebel scum. Five of them.

Judging by their figures, three men, and two women. They all wore black jackets and dark navy pants. Their weapons were held defensively, ready to fire at anything that moved. I watched as their eyes darkened and we began firing at one another.

Neither of us was making any hits to injure or cause lethal damage. I was about to shoot one of them before I realized that I had used up all my ammo. "Shit!" I yelled in pure frustration and simply took cover to hide.

"Hostages obtained! Get yourselves the fuck out of there! Now!"

I heard Sergeant Jake shout through our comms. I turned to Lieutenant Alex and Private Kai and we all exchanged a nod. Private Kai passed me an extra magazine of ammo since I was the better shot out of the two of them and made a quick reload.

"Alright, on 3. You get behind me and run. Ready?" They all shared a nod and I started to count down. "3.2.1."

We all charged out from behind the pallets. They ran. I fired. Our plan of escape failed as my sight was blinded by a smoke bomb. I couldn't see a thing but I fired into the grey abyss aimlessly anyway. I heard Lieutenant Alex and Private Kai's footsteps fade out. I knew they had gotten away unscathed. I tried to follow suit but just as I was at the exit to leave the building.

**BANG!**