Moth(5)

They all nod and agree. I’ve repeated this a dozen times to most of them. I expect they have it memorized, but it’s important to stay on top of things. If they mess up it’s on me.

Renner chimes in like I expect him to. He’s the smart mouth of the group. They call him prettyboy because he looks like he’s going to some gay underwear fashion show on most occasions. He primps and worries about his appearance more than any man I’ve ever known. He’s also cocky, and doesn’t hold back when it comes to hooking up with random women. I’ve had to reprimand him before when he got a bit out of hand. Being held up in one place for long periods can do that to some people. “Listen to the boss. His anger issues come from a huge case of blue balls.”

I nod and roll my eyes. “Not in the mood to be tested, Renner.”

“You love it. No one else can get your blood boiling like me, boss. Face it, you want to be me.”

“Yeah, like I want the clap.”

When the vehicle comes to a halt everything is quiet. I can hear someone coming in on the radio. The other team is in position. The driver turns and looks to me for guidance. “If we get any closer we’ll be seen. We need to keep the vehicle in the jungle.”

I nod. “Alright people. You heard him. This is our stop. Gather your things and let’s get this show on the road.”



It’s too quiet.

We’ve surrounded the area and have our guns cocked and positioned. We’re ready to take action. Then we see the small aircraft coming in. It descends, the wheels coming down right before it makes contact with the ground beneath it. I wave my unit to follow me. We spread out and prepare to surround the area. The door opens and a small ladder extends. A man comes out with his hands on his head. He’s looking behind him and screaming. My group remains under the confines of the vegetation until I give them the okay to pounce. I know they’re all seeing what I am, but we’re too far away to make out exactly what he’s trying to say. Then I hear the word socorro, and I know exactly what it means. HELP.

A woman emerges from the aircraft with her hands behind her back. Her mouth is gagged and she’s trying her best to get down the steps. Just as I recognize it to be our informant Maria an explosion erupts from the plane, sending both adults forward before they tumble to the ground.

This can’t be happening.

I don’t wait to signal my team. I run full force in her direction, desperate to save her life. When I reach her, the legs of her pants are on fire, while the whole front of her is smoldering. I throw my body on top of her to put out the flames before flipping her over to check for vital signs. Her condition is bad. Tiny shards of metal are in her skin. She’s bleeding and unresponsive. Her heart isn’t beating. I begin CPR. She can’t die. I won’t let it happen.

While I’m struggling to save her life, I recall the last conversation I had with her. “If anything happens to me I need you to make sure my kids are taken care of. Get them to the United States and place them with a family who can give them a good life. Don’t let them know how I die. Just tell them I’ve gone with the angels.”

“I’m going to keep you safe. You’ve got nothing to worry about. I promise.”

She smiled at me when I said it, like she had all the trust in the world that I was a man of my word. “Thank you for helping me. I owe you everything.”

I keep counting as I blow air into her lungs in hopes she’ll begin to breath again. She is badly burned and covered in dark ash from the fire. Her hair is singed to her scalp in some areas. Pieces of her face are completely missing. This woman is gone and I have to come to terms with it.

Behind me I hear House ordering the crew to keep an eye out for an ambush. I’m too worried about these two victims to consider I could be right in harm’s way. While I struggle to revive the woman, a few of my unit members come to assist with the other person. Minutes pass. Neither survives.

I survey the scene and know we’ve been set up, yet again. Pulling out my radio to signal dispatch is unimaginably hard for me. I hate failure, especially when people have to lose their lives.

While I deliver the bad news, I hear House calling my name. I turn and see him pulling something out of Maria’s hand. It’s a balled up piece of paper. As he unravels it we discover a message.



Are you happy now? How does it feel to have their blood on your hands, Agent Douglas? This is what happens when you meddle. I know who you are. If you mess with my family, I’ll destroy yours one at a time. – Alizar



It’s like a punch to the gut. Not only did I get Maria killed, but now I know for sure someone is feeding him impertinent information from inside the agency. He knows who I am. My life is probably in danger, but all I can think about is the threat. He’s talking about my family. It’s obvious he’s speaking about my team. I can’t let anything happen to them. If I have to pull us from the case and have it reassigned, it’s what has to be done.

House and I look at each other and shake our heads. “God Damnit!” This can’t get any worse. I throw my hands in the air. Maria has kids. She was working with us to ensure they’d have a better life. Now they were going to be alone, all because of us. It felt like shit.

“What the f*ck, man?” Renner responds. “How could they know we’d be here? Only the people in our division knew about this raid.”