Love, war, and a fistful of dollars (Closed for Veroe)

[Veroe]

IC: Shane Ericson

"Hit Zain's shoulder," He told Scott, "I'm pinned down on the roof. They're going to get away."

More gunfire sounded from inside the warehouse. Shane assumed that was Scott and the others introducing themselves to the goons with the two AKs.

He took a chance and peeked out of cover to peer through the broken skylight to take his own shot. His colt was up at the ready, but he saw the two goons with the assault rifles stagger back peppered with fire from his team inside. He shifted his aim to the truck and Zain.

Why wasn't moving. There was a huge bullethole in the cracked front windshield and a red smear of blood and brains on the rear windshield. However the passenger side door had swung open and a trail of bloodspots ran of into the labyrinth of crates nearby.

"Shit," He swore and lifted his comm to talk to the team, "This is Shane. I have eyes on the truck. Someone bolted from the passenger side and ran off into the boxes, over."

 

[Asa]

Yeah Zain is dead she got him... Another truck was waiting for Santos and an unknown passenger.

Scott radioed back.

Lore is down. Jamison has her and Berto has this place set up to go off like 4th of July we have another vehicle. Be ready to jump in the back headed west exit should be close to you.

Jamison held onto Lore trying to keep her stable while this less than smooth truck bounced them around headed to get Shane.

 

[Veroe]

IC: Shane Ericson

"Shit," He swore and lifted his comm to talk to the team, "This is Shane. I have eyes on the truck. Someone bolted from the passenger side and ran off into the boxes, over."

He went after whoever it was winding his way through the maze of stacked crates and boxes colt in hand and ready following the trail of blood droplets to whatever other fucker had been in that truck.

"Yeah Zain is dead she got him..." Scott said over their radio. "Another truck was waiting for Santos and an unknown passenger."

"You have her," Shane halted speaking quietly into his radio. He paused before asking the question he was afraid to death of hearing the wrong answer to. "Is she okay?"

"Lore is down." Came the response and he felt an icy hand seize his heart, "Jamison has her and Berto has this place set up to go off like 4th of July we have another vehicle. Be ready to jump in the back headed west exit should be close to you."

Lore was down?

The icy hand squeezing his heart like tomato. No, no, he wouldn't believe it, couldn't believe it. She wasn't dead unless he saw her body. However, it did fuel his seething rage at these motherless fucking bastards that had endangered her in the first place.

Recklessly he rushed through the labyrinth of crates after the running wounded mother fucker from the truck. He started as he heard the loud squeal of protest from the rusted hinges as the back door in question.

Damn it, the bastard was getting away.

Throwing any degree of caution to the winds he barreled through the crates to the wide open door and into the street behind the warehouse. The street was empty. He looked left and right, but no one was there. He didn't see anymore of the drops of blood either.

After a moment a truck trundled down the bumpy road. Shane jumped onto the back of it without it making a full stop. What did stop was his heart.

There Jamison was cradling the unmoving body of Lore. He kneeled back down to look at her. "Is she hurt...Did those fucking-" He cut off trying to get control of his surging rage and fear.

He looked up to the others, "Someone else was in there. They got away though. Fuck it though. Blow that place to hell, guys."

 

[Asa]

Aye, she'll survive. She survived quite a number from that bastard. But she got him.

Jamison carefully shifted if Shane wanted to hold her.

Woke up long enough to call Jamison an overgrown gorilla put a couple of rounds in Zain then out cold again.

Berto added as he hit the button on the burner phone detonator. The truck blended in with the locals as they drove along to the docks to get to their ride home. Jamison helped Shane get Lore out of the truck as they tossed the keys to a random villager who was more than eager to accept it.

Let's get her home I will better be able to fix her up there. But can at least patch her up better in the plane than I could earlier.

Scott put a hand on Shane's shoulder.

I know you would have wanted to end him but... Maybe her doing it will help her. Not the first time she has endured that from him after all. We got one of them. Finally, we got one of them and we will get the others.

Scott then hopped into the cockpit and get the seaplane ready for take-off Berto stepping up as copilot for the trip back so Shane could be near Lore.

 

[Veroe]

IC: Shane Ericson

He looked up to the others, "Someone else was in there. They got away though. Fuck it though. Blow that place to hell, guys."

"Aye, she'll survive." Jamison told him shifting her in his arms for Shane to take her. He looked down at her unconscious and bruised body. He felt a torrent of mixed emotions. "She survived quite a number from that bastard. But she got him."

"Woke up long enough to call Jamison an overgrown gorilla." Berto said, "Put a couple of rounds in Zain then out cold again."

He triggered the bombs and the warehouse rapidly receding down the road as the truck rocketed down it the other way. They blended with other beat up trucks in the roads all the way to docks where their seaplane awaited. They gingerly carried Lore inside as Scott began to rev the engines. They were fast moving to put this shithole country behind them.

Shane helped fasten Lore into a seat and sat beside her as Scott got the plane casting off from the docks. He reached out taking her hand in his. Leaned back and breathed deep. By the time the plane set off and they were traveling over the open waters of the Indian Ocean he'd fallen asleep still holding her hand.

 

[Asa]

Jamison kept an eye on her but really both of them. She tried to wake up a couple of times but he kept her fairly sedated till they could get her home and stable. Scott looked back seeing him holding her hand and smirked.

No longer part of the team my ass kid.

He radioed pop to have the med room ready and inform Lane he required a word with him when they got back and that it was not a polite request.

 

[Veroe]

IC: Shane Ericson

Shane helped fasten Lore into a seat and sat beside her as Scott got the plane casting off from the docks. He reached out taking her hand in his. Leaned back and breathed deep. By the time the plane set off and they were traveling over the open waters of the Indian Ocean he'd fallen asleep still holding her hand.

They were over the waters of the Pacifiic when Shane was stirred awake by something. His eyes snapped open to find Lore awake as well looking at him and the protective way he had her hand held in his.

"Hi," He said to her quietly, "You okay? Need some water? You hungry? I think Jamison still keeps those dry as hell peanut-butter crackers he loves so much stashed away in here." He reached over to a nearby locker and began retrieving them and a bottle of water from the cooler inside it. "You remember those, right? From that night in the Yucatan?"

The Yucatan? Why did Shane bring that up? They'd had dined on only Jamison's crackers during missions many times before then, after all. So there were plenty of other examples to use here. So why bring up that night? Maybe because it was on his mind of late?

That night was the peak of when everything between him and Lore was working. So much so that he had even thought of buying an engagement ring once they got back to the states. Of course, that night in the Mexican jungle was the start of their relationship's self-destruction too.

"Hey," He told her handing her the bottle of water and the dry-as-hell crackers of Jamison's. "We're taking you back home. Pop, was worried about you out there by yourself...we all were."

 

[Asa]

Shane?



She was trying to focus taking the water. She felt weak. Jamison moved over to check on her and smiled nodding to Shane.

Might need to help her a little lad. We will be home soon.

--------
What in the hell? How did they manage to find you and manage to rescue her from you? This was not our agreement!

The woman on the other end of the line laid into Erinco as he sat there holding hisntongue for now.

Correction YOU were supposed to send them.fsr.from us yet you did not do so... why is that? We will acquire the soldier woman once more and this time keep them far from.us. we have already lost one of our own to thst bitch. Next time we get her... she dies when I decide.

Erinco hung up the phone and looked to his soldiers.

Find them... NOW!!! They will pay for ending one of ours and no one will stop us.

 

[Veroe]

IC: Shane Ericson

"Hey," He told her handing her the bottle of water and the dry-as-hell crackers of Jamison's. "We're taking you back home. Pop, was worried about you out there by yourself...we all were."

She blinked and looked around the old plane she knew well and then back to him, "Shane?"

Her voice was so weak and raspy, "Here, drink this."

He screwed the lid off the bottle of water and lifted it for to take. He put it to her lips and tipped it just so she only got a small amount to drink at a time.

Jamison came up and checked her vitals. She seemed a little loopy due to a concussion and some dehydration and malnutrition, but none of those things were likely to keep a very fit and healthy woman like Lore down for too long.

"Might need to help her a little, lad," He told him, "We will be home soon."

He still held her hand as he lowered the bottle of water to allow her to swallow it down. He looked into her eyes. "That's right, we're on our way back home. The old man will know what went wrong with your mission and probably know who you'll need to settle the score with later."

 

[Asa]

I... I was in Borneo... villagers... new warlord... Erinco

It was clear her mind was trying to make heads or tails of it all and was drawing nothing but empty air.

Home... yeah... Scott... home... Shane can go with me.

Not that home kid... Pops first...

Scott glanced back for a moment.

 

[Veroe]

IC: Shane Ericson

He still held her hand as he lowered the bottle of water to allow her to swallow it down. He looked into her eyes. "That's right, we're on our way back home. The old man will know what went wrong with your mission and probably know who you'll need to settle the score with later."

"I... I was in Borneo... villagers... new warlord... Erinco..." She was saying though Shane remembered this was often how she processed information to connect them together in her mind's eye.

She looked up to Shane and nodded, "Home... yeah... Scott... home... Shane can go with me."

Scott called back to them from the cockpit, "Not that home kid... Pops first..."

Shane took her hand in his, "Yeah, Pops will know what the hell went wrong, and whose ass we need to kick for it."

His thumb rubbed over hers, "That is...if you do want answers for how you got fucked over? But if you don't want that...Pops will be able to protect you, Lore. And I won't let anything happen to you either."

 

[Asa]

She just nodded sinking back into a somewhat medically encouraged sleep. Scott looked back.

Guess that confirms Erinco isn't dead either. So she should have been in Borneo... Intel on a new warlord in the area...

Scott fell silent as they flew thinking over what little she had tried piecing back together.

 

[Veroe]

IC: Shane Ericson

His thumb rubbed over hers, "That is...if you do want answers for how you got fucked over? But if you don't want that...Pops will be able to protect you, Lore. And I won't let anything happen to you either."

Lore nodded to that and leaned back in the seat closing her eyes for the blessed sleep of the truly safe after a long time of being entirely unsafe. Shane sat next to her trying to remember the last time he was able to just watch her slumber. Was it really valentine's day in Havana that last year they were an item? God how he regretted how the two of them blew apart like C4.

"Guess that confirms Erinco isn't dead either. So she should have been in Borneo..." Scott told him going over the piss-poor intel they did have on the situation. "Intel on a new warlord in the area..."

"The old man will know what we should do," Shane replied.

The plane flew throughout the night over the pacific and by the morning they were on the descent to land in their homebase, the rundown wharf off San Diego California. It was an old fishing cannery with it's own pier and boat house that housed the sea plane. The front had the old man's legit civilian business a popular tattoo parlor and inside was their supplies, bunks to catch 40 winks, an assortment of vehicles civilian and military, guns, explosives, guns, bullets for those guns, knives, a fuck ton of more guns-oh, and more of Scott's dry-as-shit damned crackers too.

Everything a somewhat extralegal independent black-ops operators like the crew needed.

Shane jostled Lore to get her to wake up. "We're here. Let's not keep Pops waiting, okay?"

 

[Asa]

Jamison carried her in as Pop got up and followed.

Good, you found her. Any word from her on what happened?

Scott related the bits and pieces she had said during various bouts of consciousness and how Santos's brother was at least dead finally. They both agreed that could make Santos even more deadly if Erinco doesn't keep right control over him.

What she told you all matches Lanes' story... She had to have been grabbed in Borneo. She is here with our doc and when she is able to travel under her own strength she is gonna take some downtime for now we have all the intel we need from her. Let her rest and make sure she is okay Jamison.

 

[Veroe]

IC: Shane Ericson

Shane jostled Lore to get her to wake up. "We're here. Let's not keep Pops waiting, okay?"

"I got her," Jamison told him bending down to lift Lore up in his arm. Shane followed after them. At the end of the dock to the warehouse stood Pops waiting for them.

"Good, you found her," He said crossing his still muscular and heavily tatted arms impatiently, "Any word on what happened?"

"We ran into a little bit of trouble," Shane downplayed but Scott came up and gave him the more in detail debriefing.

"What she told you all matches Lanes' story... " He nodded as they walked inside the warehouse. "She had to have been grabbed in Borneo."

"Did you learn more from Lane," Shane growled, "Like who the fuck set her up."

Scott shook his head, "Hey, we should focus on Lore first. She got the shit beat out of her and is suffering from dehydration and malnutrition. Probably a bad concussion too. Bastards didn't even try to feed her or treat her."

"Right," Lane agreed thinking on the colts in the holsters on his back, "Getting Lore right first and then we get some fucking payback."

"She is here with our doc and when she is able to travel under her own strength she is gonna take some downtime for now we have all the intel we need from her." Pops told them. "Let her rest and make sure she is okay Jamison."

Lore was taken upstairs to the warehouse's second floor and the waiting doc Pops knew. Shane went to his locker. He began putting away his gear. He should go take a shower...get cleaned up. Instead he slammed shut the locker door loudly and stormed back out.

Why was he still so angry? Making sure Lore was good was the smart thing to do here....but he wanted...no, needed...someone to blame....someone to punch in their fucking face...to shoot...to stab...to make them pay...and pay up big time. Shane wasn't a water under the bridge sort of guy. No, he was a man who kept a grudge the way African warlords misered over their drug money....and twice as violent towards anyone that threatened what he deemed most precious to him.

"Shane." Scott came up with two beers in hand. "You look like a man deciding if you should get drunk or find some poor sonmabitch to take it out on." He held out one can of Bud for him.

Shane took it popped it open and took a long swig of the cold frothy American lager. "Thanks....I was about to work myself up to going to some bar and picking a fight with the first punk that looked at me wrong....still might."

"Well, while whatever dumbass you beat the hell out of would probably have deserved it," Scott laughed, "I'd suggest saving the rage for whatever rat bastard hung Lore out to dry like that in Borneo."

He lifted his can and Shane nodded lifting his in reply. They touched in what between them was equal parts cheers and equal parts an oath that would be met come hell or highwater.

"Payback." They vowed.

 

[Asa]

Pops walked over and sealing a hand on Shane's shoulder looked him in the eyes for a long moment.

She got one of them... Even in her condition, she got one of those bastards we have all been chasing in some way for years. Take victory in that right now and focus on the one we all still know matters more than you wanna admit. Once she is cleared for travel you are BOTH going to one of her safe houses for some downtime and that's an order. Y'all got her back here now let Lane and me do what we do. Scott and Jamison are gonna head to Borneo and see what they can find out and you focus on her.