"Bounce"
March 6, 2008 Glacier National Park 0415 hours The last two days of evaluation had been particularly heavy duty. They had to endure more exercises that centered on strength and team work. The unit worked well together but Paige wasn't sure if that was because three of the four had the advantage of already knowing each other, or if it was just meant to be that way, that the four of them just 'clicked'. Whatever it was, it worked for the most part. They busted their asses and were allowed to bunk a half hour earlier every night as a reward. (Day 6) Cali. Cali. Cali. Paige heard the sergeant coming, his footsteps falling in a steady cadence mastered only by the military types. She was bumped and bruised a little but for the most part, physically, Paige felt great. Mentally, however, her mind was quite active. She had been fed a lot of information, and always, her mind absorbed it, chopped it, rearranged it, filtered it, categorized it, filed it, then sought more. It would be happy for a time, then the team would have to go out on a run or something leaving her mind wondering what to do. After memorizing all the trails in the surrounding area and working on that for a bit (including the most efficient way to build a huge heated waterpark should she ever need one) her mind was bored. These were the hardest of times. Now, as she lay wide awake after a heavy sleep of a couple hours, her mind started whispering again. Cali. Cali. Cali. Yeah, that game would be coming. They would have to play manhunt soon. It was inevitable and she knew it. What military training/observing would be complete without a fun game of hunt down your friends and kill them? Paint pellet guns, lasers, whatever...you had to kill to win. Just like before. Just like watching Him twist the hunter's neck...the way the bone had sounded...the way the body had slid lifelessly out of His hands (always these hands). Yeah, just like in Cali. She could do it...she WOULD do it. She had to. It was that or be sent back...to Them. The footsteps drew near as she already resolved herself to move out from the warmth of her blankets. She was sitting up by the time the sergeant banged the door open and the area was flooded with light. She merely arched an eyebrow at the man who was shouting (dramatically) way too loud at the others who bit the tongues that wanted to protest. The other unit was apparently playing as well, as they arrived at the Square at the same time. The reason the two had been kept separate from each other was now made abundantly clear. The teams would not know the others strengths and weaknesses. Most importantly, the teams would be highly competitive with each other. After all, winning wasn't just everything here...it was the only thing. The game was explained and the weapons handed out. The primary objective (nicknamed Tango House) lay 15 miles due south from where they stood now in the center of the compound. One team would be given a head start to get to that primary objective and properly defend it. The other team was to eliminate the first team and take Tango House for themselves. Paige saw the looks the others passed between themselves. Finally, they got to play an interactive game. The sick bastards were actually looking forward to this. And she might have as well had it been another time, had she not been hunted (like a fox) for real in the burning woods of Cali. Only a few had known about that particular day in Paige's life, and the three individuals on her team were not among them. They wouldn't understand then the building trepidation she felt. No matter. She would have bounce. She would have play. Not real bullets, she told herself...not real at all. "Heads...Alpha hunts, tails...Beta hunts," the sergeant said tossing a coin into the cold air that showed hints of dawn. Paige watched the coin flip and randomly worked out the properties of chance that would land that silver coin in her favor. "Tails," he said looking over to the other team, "Beta hunts." That was the problem with chance, you never had anything in your favor. The sergeant looked over to Alpha (the foxes). This was where he would tell them they had a 15 minute head start any direction and then he would release Beta (hunters). "Twenty minute head start to reach Tango House," he said briskly. Not 15 then? She furrowed her brow. Not 15. Not any direction either. Had to reach Tango House. Reach it while being hunted down and killed (not real bullets). "Foxes, foxes," she muttered turning and following her team to the edge of the compound. Why couldn't it have been Heads? She did not crouch but stood surveying the smug faces of the Beta team who, if they looked any more eager, would be foaming at the mouth. "Paige," Saf interrupted her morbid thoughts. Paige merely looked down at Saf and forced herself to speak, "fastest and easiest route I suppose?" "Yeah," Saf said returning to the map Enola (Jordan) and Baz were studying. She glanced one last time at the Hunters, seeing the foam now, seeing the young faces of the eager trainees that had hunted her. She had had bounce that day for a little while...until the smoke had been too much. She swallowed hard and knelt down between Baz and Saf. Her mind had already picked out a route, designed for speed and a few miles short of a straight line. "Here," she traced a finger across the route she intended to follow. The others nodded their heads in agreement. "Stupid game – they're gonna follow our tracks easy through the snow," Enola said. "I think that's the point," Paige answered flatly. "You lead and I shall follow," Baz grinned nudging Paige in the ribs. "Yep, I lead," Paige answered and got up walking into the woods. The woods that were silent except for the occasional snapping limb of a tree branch laden with snow. The woods that had a morning fog ghosting up from the ground (smoke). The woods where they would be hunted (and killed). Paige took a deep breath, squelched the fear and uncertainty down, "no bounce, no play," she told herself softly. The others followed quietly and closely behind. They had about 16 minutes to put as much distance between themselves and the Beta team (killers) before having to spread out and attempt to be elusive. It was a relatively easy route. One Paige chose to eliminate as much trail as they possibly could like Kihn (hunter) had shown her. Kihn (killer) always found the best trails. He (savior) always knew what to do out in these woods when he (betrayer) was hunting. Hunting her. "Guys, wait," Baz stopped them. The three women looked agitated at him. "We should turn it around," he said quietly, obviously thinking. "Turn what around?" Enola asked before looking at her watch. "The game...we should turn it around...we should hunt them," Baz said looking at them excitedly, "get them before they get us." Paige shivered at the comment 'get us'. Saf looked at him hard and Paige could already tell Saf was liking the idea. Paige felt sick. "That's not the objective...we can't...kill them," Paige said before correcting herself, "hunt them...I meant hunt them." Couldn't they see? They weren't being good foxes. Foxes don't hunt. Foxes don't have bounce. Do they? "That would be much more interesting," Saf said. "It's probably another test," Enola said, "see if we can secure the primary objective but not by the most obvious path. We don't even know what's at this Tango House. What if it's a trap and we go rushing in there because Beta's on our heels and we lose?" "That's true," Baz said, "and we're wasting time...we've got to decide." "We should just go to Tango House," Paige offered knowing full well the decision had already been made and three outnumbered one. "Where could we stage an ambush?" Saf said looking to Paige. Paige bit her lip and stared at the ground thinking. Foxes are sly, right? They might not have bounce but they're sly. Why couldn't they? "Paige come on," Saf urged her gently. "Yeah, ok," Paige said shooting her a look, 'gimme the map." Enola pulled it out as Paige marked her spot. "I saw this on a run, two miles east of here, little alcove cliff thingy or something. It would be perfect," she said softly. "We need to show Beta where we're going," Saf said looking at the trees. "Or bait them there," Baz said grinning. Bait? Did he just say bait? Saf grinned back, "are you volunteering?" "No way they can catch me," he said taking off his pack and handing it to Saf. "Ok Gingerbread Man, don't get lost," Saf said and nodded to Paige to lead. Paige glanced warily at the fox now turned Gingerbread Man before turning and walking away, Saf and Enola behind her. They were silent as they paced the two miles, to the cliff thingy. The woods provided much shelter from the snow and the ground was bare in quite a number of places. When they reached the cliff thingy they saw it was like an embankment of sorts, probably carved out by a mudslide during the spring thaw and almost two stories high. They surveyed it quickly avoiding the snow in front of it and on it resorting to going around it and coming up from behind. This is where they set up, all three, on top, in order to sniper Beta team (killers) as they came in after Baz. The adrenaline seeped in allowing Paige to ignore the cold wet ground she now lay on. Shortly after they set up, Baz came rushing in from the direction they had come. He couldn't see the three women until he was at the foot of the embankment. Saf clicked her tongue against the roof of her mouth letting Baz know where they were. He looked up and they all waved. He grinned and with half an effort tried to scale the snow cliff. He left no doubt that this was the 'intended' route he wanted to go, it was just added bait. It seemed the Gingerbread Man had some bounce after all as well. He then looked up at them and held up four fingers before taking up position on the ground out of view. Paige willed herself to relax scanning the woods for any movement. Four would be coming then, according to Baz's signal. Four would not be leaving though…who were the foxes now? Paige heard the killers coming. The three (former) Section ops would work together well. Each knew their role – pick the target relative to your position, wait until everyone had a clear shot, and fire all at once. This would allow elimination of as many targets as possible before the situation was realized and those left dove for cover in the woods. Neither team wanted to engage in a paint pellet fight as that would expend precious ammo. "Got left," Paige said softly as the four individuals came into sight. The Beta team moved quickly but deliberately. Unfortunately, for them, they were spread out making them very easy targets. "Left center," Enola said. "Right center," Saf added. Paige swore she could smell smoke. "On three," Paige said, counted silently in her head, and fired her weapon as the two others followed suit. Paige watched as her bullet ripped open the chest of her fox splattering blood everywhere and knocking him backwards. Enola and Saf took their targets out as well. The fourth, relative to Baz's position, stood there in shock as the three ops and Baz all opened fire on her. Saf smirked looking over to Paige and Enola, "that was easy." "Almost too easy," Enola ventured. Paige just got up, perplexed by many things, and scrambled down the snowy face of the cliff thingy, Enola and Saf following. They weren't supposed to be real bullets. Real bullets were for people, right? Fake bullets were for foxes. And where did the smoke come from? "Ladies," Baz said grinning like a little kid, "well done indeed." Paige just looked at him and walked towards the dead foxes. All that blood, and the one was still standing there. How was that possible? Paige chambered another round as she approached the fox that would not die. The fox looked to her as the pictures flooded her mind blocking out the thoughts even. She had been there, on that side, she had been the fox. Why was it that now she felt the need to kill? She should be helping the fox, should be trying to save the others (so much blood). Paige raised her weapon, the M16, the one she had taken from one of the dead hunters. Close range, it wouldn't be pretty once she pulled the trigger. "What are you doing?" the young man (fox) asked her. Paige balked for a moment her gun pointed at his head. How did he get here? Or was she there? How did she get back in Cali? This was the one that had finally caught her; the one that could have killed her had not her partner (Jaime) snapped his neck. "How dare you," she hissed at the fox/man. "Paige," Saf's voice, near her. Paige noticed then, the others who had been shot – who SHE had shot – they were moving. Standing up even, looking at her! Paige returned her attention to the man, the hunter. No, now it wasn't the man. It was a woman. From Beta team. And it wasn't blood, it was paint, red paint. She wasn't holding an M16 either, she was holding her little paint pellet gun. What had just happened? She sniffed the air, no smoke either. She wasn't back in Cali. Her mind had tricked her. Bad, bad, mind. Now the woman was glaring at her demanding an explanation. Paige lowered her weapon, "sorry...got carried away," Paige stumbled over her words, unnerved at the trick her mind had played on her. "Carried away?" another one of the Beta team, Bruce, came up to them. "I think you got more than carried away." "You guys can't do that," the woman Paige almost shot at close range said. "The hell we can't," Paige snapped back at her. "Ok, Paige, take a walk," Saf said grabbing Paige and moving her away from the Beta team. "Baz, go with her," Saf asked. He nodded and fell into place next to Paige who headed back to the original trail they had picked. "You totally weirded out back there," he said quietly. "Yeah, I know, I just got confused, carried away with the game and all," she answered giving him a nudge. She hoped she sounded like she was ok because what she really wanted was to go back and beat the crap out of that woman...just for giggles. "I know, its tough," he said sympathetically. "Hang in there, hopefully it's not too much longer." "Yep, not too much longer," Paige answered. Paige, satisfied they had traveled far enough back to the original path knelt down and leaned her back against a tree wondering where the hell the others were and still trying to analyze the mind trick. It was about 15 minutes before Enola, Saf, and the losers came trudging up to them. Saf and Paige just took the lead back a little bit. The other team headed back to camp as Alpha reorganized and moved on to Tango House. Tango House turned out to be not a house at all. In fact, it only had three walls standing and a partial door. It looked to be an old hunter's cabin of some sort, abandoned, and left to the mercy of the woods and whatever lurked in them for years. Once the area was thoroughly swept Alpha team moved in. Nothing was waiting for them except an envelope nailed to one of the floor boards that barely made up the little porch. Enola read it out loud, "Winning team will travel to river area marked on map." She then turned the paper over. "Alright, base camp is here," Paige pointed to the map, "and we're going here," she pointed to the red marked area they would be heading towards, "my guess is we're rafting back to base camp." "Or swimming," Saf scoffed. "Nay, too dangerous to swim, maybe canoes?" Enola asked hopefully. "That water has some stagnant areas which means we will be doing a lot of paddling. I don't think we'd be so lucky as to get canoes," Baz offered. They all agreed. "Alrighty then, let's go and see," Saf said walking away. Sure enough they weren't lucky enough to get canoes. The trainers had also been so kind to load the raft to capacity so it sat heavy in the water. It turned out to be a lot of paddling and a lot of pulling the stupid raft over barer areas of rapids. They returned to camp around 1900 hours and were allowed 30 minutes for hot showers and the rest of the evening to eat and actually hang out for a bit. Day 7 Usual mental and physical crap done, good dinner, and early to bed. Return