Book 38 of The Lyssa Kordenay Missions!   More training for the recruits   the field becomes the jungles and   the environment isn't the only danger!   WARNING: The Lyssa Kordenay Missions may be hyper-violent for some readers!

 

 

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CHAPTER 1

Tiffany slithered through the ferns and other brush across the damp floor of the Brazilian side of the Amazon trying to ignore the muttered curses of the two women behind her. Krystel hated the jungle. Shawna wasn't thrilled to be in one either but it was vital to their training and were sticking it out. Tiffany had already reminded them once that in no time at all they'd all be wishing for the heat and rain of the jungle instead of the freezing snow of the arctic which was next. She tried not to dwell on the last field exercise in the Balkans that brought them face to face with the horrors of the world. A black market baby-mill.

Comatose women forced to produce designer babies for a high paying market that ran the gamut from wishful parents trying to conceal infertility to sex slavery demands. Taught from childhood to practice every conceivable sex act without protest brought high prices from all over the world it turned out from the records they acquired. Records then passed on anonymously to Interpol, ICE, FSB, and various other entities with carefully selected tidbits released to world news organizations. The fact that a mission could and had cropped up during training wasn't lost on them. Krystel had already voiced worries about running into a drug cartel deep in the jungles. Shawna was more concerned with local wildlife as she had a fear of snakes.

Tiffany froze as her hand pressed down on a patch of litter and it felt springy. Slowly she lifted her hand away and used a stick to press on the spot. A crude mat gave way to reveal several sticks jammed into a shallow hole. The sticks weren't sharpened to points but they served their purpose none the less. Tiffany hand signaled back she'd found pungi sticks and they all began looking for secondary booby traps. Lyssa had a habit of making two or three in a group. If one is found or tripped the remaining force would then spread out and trip the other trap or traps.

Psy-war 101, convince an opposing force that pressing forward is more costly than circling around or back-tracking and make them go into a kill-zone. American troops trained with the mentality that the harder it is to go somewhere then its where they should be going. 'Tell me to go away and I'll come bust down your door.' Slowly they maneuvered around the cluster and continued forward.

"Tiff," Krystel whispered.

Tiffany looked back.

"how bad are we gonna get hammered by her this time," Krystel asked.

Tiffany held the gaze then muttered, "worse than anywhere else we'll ever be. SF started in the jungles, ramp that up several hundred times because she's a Delta and then a few more because she's a DemonWraith. Of all of us I stand the only chance, and it isn't worth shit. We're toast. Doesn't mean we hang it up. She's teaching us her way and it works."

Shawna tapped Krystel's ankle, "none of this is supposed to be a cake walk. We learn more from failure than success. If we don't spring her traps and blunder into her ambushes then we'd never learn how to make the enemy do it. She gets us, we get them the same way. Take heart Kryssie, we'll win when it matters most."

Krystel was quiet for a minute then whispered, "so 'The more we sweat in our training the less we bleed in combat.'a SEAL commander said that. He also said that if we 'hurt in our efforts and suffer pain then we are doing it right.' Or something like that."

"Boil it all down and yeah, that's about the measure of it," Tiffany answered," let's go."

Slowly they continued forward through the underbrush.

 

~o~O~o~
 

Rodrick watched the three dots on his screen. They were a hundred meters from an ambush. He had to admire Lyssa's skills even more than before. She was training the three deep in the jungles without even using live fire. In fact, only the three trainees would hear anything. More than an eighth of a mile away would hear nothing. The simulators gave off pops that weren't as loud as firecrackers. The trainees had no clue that they were about to go into a swamp. Swamps were his playground as jungles were Lyssa's. SEALs specialized in riverine warfare, many times their missions were limited to within a few kilometers of a waterway for their infiltration/exfiltration.

Of the three, Shawna would have the most problems. He and Lyssa knew of her fear of snakes and he'd use it against her. Rodrick began making his way into the muck and water when Lyssa called over the radio.

"Butterfly to Ramrod, you up," she asked.

"I'm here, got you five by five,"Rodrick answered.

"They should be all yours in four maybe five hours," she estimated.

Rodrick looked at his watch, "Copy that, I set off some charges underwater half an hour ago to clear out anything that'd get too nosy. they won't know that though."

Lyssa replied, "Roger that. I'll see you on the other side at checkpoint two-five."

Rodrick smiled. He knew Lyssa would be able to make her way around before the trainees made it halfway through the swamp and make a camp for herself along the riverbank leading into the swamp. LoneStar and Pete had dropped them all out using an old drug runner strip as a landing zone. Those two currently waited at their own concealed airstrip. The whole exercise would traverse two hundred miles. The first fifty had went quickly, but a sheer cliff brought the exercise to a crawl as they had all descended into the valley that spanned almost a hundred miles long and contained the swamp he now would use. Rodrick moved along occasionally stopping to set up a trap or distraction. He set up a snare that worked in reverse, instead of yanking the person up it dragged them down under water as if attacked by a crocodile or alligator. South America had its own version called Caymen.

The trick, when first used by SEALs in Panama against drug cartel soldiers, made them think that was what had happened and began shooting blindly; killing their own men. He chuckled to himself remembering a movie quote,' They're gonna save us to death.' He modified the trap to dunk them under once then release. They would learn quickly learn from it, also the tactic SEALs used by harassing an enemy into chasing them into a swamp which had been turned into a kill-zone. Prepare the swamp area with an ambush and booby-traps then go inland to provoke a superior force and lead them back into the swamp. Most thought the SEALs would stop and fight at the water's edge instead of going in. Those enemies never lived to regret that train of thought. Rodrick continued on through the night, he and the trainees would spend the next three days in this swamp.

 

~o~O~o~
 

Dannigan read the reports from the DEA in Brazil and the tri-borders area again. The local military outposts were finding entire villages deserted. The disturbing part was that the villagers were unaccounted for. They weren't migrating, just disappearing. A local colonel believed that a new drug producer was the cause. Dannigan knew from past experience that every so often someone would brave the jungle and carve out cocaine fields and begin press-ganging indigenous tribes' people into working them. Slave labor in short. The Brazilian army would eventually go after them and at least free the Indians but sometimes it took months and up to a year just to find them.

He chuckled to himself, woe be to the druggies if they called attention to themselves while Lyssa, Rodrick and the trainees were around. Though Lyssa still preferred to work alone as she usually did, the thought of turning the trainees loose to vent frustration might be appealing to her. Over ten months of constant training and harassment by Lyssa and company would drive a convent of nuns postal, much less three Operators in the making. For some reason Dannigan felt that was what was going to happen whether any party wanted it to or not.

His eyes drifted over and caught the tabloid on the coffee table that Madison had brought in. The headline proclaimed; Prima announces pregnancy to delight of dance and modeling world. Dannigan had thought it a stroke of genius, announcing pregnancy gave Lyssa freedom out of the spotlight and demand to devote to training Tiffany, Shawna and Krystel. She'd even found a viable excuse to not be seen which would be released via her friend Katya on their return from Brazil. Dannigan admired the fierce loyalty the young Russian dancer showed to Lyssa and had even danced with her at the wedding reception. She thought he had been Lyssa's sponsor when she first appeared on the scene. An illusion that now worked in his favor since she had slipped him her private cellphone number in case Lyssa wouldn't admit to being in distress. She didn't know it yet but Katya would be an integral part in Lyssa's greatest deception.

 

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Chapter 2

Humberto Carerra pointed at the old man slumping over. Immediately one of the armed men ran over and began yelling to resume working. The old Indian swayed in place then collapsed. Yelling louder the gunman began nudging then kicking at him. A loud snap was heard and he crouched down, a moment later he looked over and slightly shook his head. Humberto used his hands to signal shooting the dead man. The guard nodded slightly then stood back and emptied the magazine of his rifle in one long burst then reloaded and fired a single shot at a younger man close by, killing him.

"For every one that will not work, two must die. Now back to work filthy animals," the guard yelled at the group that had stopped picking leaves.

As many wept, the picking resumed. Carerra mentally calculated production and didn't like the figures. This group had come from deeper in the jungle and weren't accustomed to fieldwork. He'd have to send his men farther toward the jungle edges to get field workers next time. Fishing and hunting tribes didn't hold up as well as farming tribes. the problem was the fishing and hunting tribes were easier to capture after being found. It took longer to notice their absence as well. Farming tribes often interacted with the military patrols as they were stationary. A new importer had come to Brazil and his demands were high. A typical North American; demand a lot and expecting to get it for bottom cost or less. An old friend had done this before and even took three of the young Indian girls to keep in his bedroom, a mistake he'd not be making again. They had eventually gained an opportunity and killed him.

Humberto had went a different route and obtained two favela girls. They were happy to dress sexy and occupy his bed and not be put into the fields or turned out for his men's entertainment. The men occasionally dragged one or two of the Indian girls into their barracks for the night, initial struggle didn't last long. The next morning the girls would be very accepting of field work as they would be offered the alternative of permanently becoming the nightly entertainment. If things continued as they were he'd have several million dollars in just a few months and then be gone before the army found him. When it was time to shut down the workers would be killed and he'd give his men champagne to celebrate, poisoned of course. His goal of one hundred million dollars was not far off now. He'd be halfway there in eight more days if the pace picked up.

 

~o~O~o~
 

Rodrick stood waiting with Lyssa as Tiffany, Shawna and Krystel finally slogged out of the river and collapsed on the bank. Sometime during their first night in the swamp it had started raining and didn't let up until they found their way out.

"Who's hurt," Lyssa asked pointedly.

"Smacked my head on a fucking log," Shawna muttered.

Krystel answered grumpily, "water snare almost tore her leg off and drowned her."

Rodrick walked over and began checking Shawna over.

After a couple of minutes he asked them all, "you all know how the water snare works now and how to set one up, yes?"

All three nodded.

"Ok ladies. We're gonna take the rest of the day for you to dry out and recover then its back into the bush. Nothing untoward, we'll clear the valley in 48 hours. The weather will cooperate for the next 96 and then its anybody's guess. One thing of note; on the way here I passed two deserted villages," Lyssa informed them.

"Deserted like that village in the Balkans," Krystel asked snarkily.

"More along the lines of 'where the fuck are the people that are SUPPOSED to be here' deserted," Lyssa replied.

"Intel said the villages were hot so we took you through the swamps to bypass them and get in riverine training at the same time but Lyssa probed both villages on the way through and they're cold. Tribes like them do migrate but things are off about it," Rodrick explained.

"Define 'off' please," Shawna asked now very attentive.

Lyssa resisted the urge to smile at the investigator taking over within Shawna, "Belongings are still there. cooking pots, bows, blowguns, knives and machetes. clothing and various other sundries. It would have taken too long to determine possible egress from the village. The closest village is ten clicks east of us."

"You want to go check it out," Tiffany asked Shawna.

"Questions that have no answers bother me. There's supposed to be people there. They aren't. why? Where'd they go," Shawna asked.

Lyssa regarded them intently then said, "deviation of the training must be a group decision Shawna. Confer among yourselves. If yes then we move out in three hours, if no we move out on mission in five but we only take a look-see."

Three hours later all three reported to Lyssa and Rodrick.

"Ma'am we're in agreement and are ready to recon the village," Shawna said.

Lyssa looked to Tiffany and Krystel who both nodded.

"Very well. March order the camp and we'll move out," Lyssa instructed.

"Done and awaiting patrol order Ma'am," Tiffany answered.

"I'll take point. Krystel, Shawna, Tiffany with Rodrick on rear guard. Live rounds now," Lyssa pointed to each and led the way after picking up her rucksack and CAR-15.

Krystel watched in amazement as Lyssa moved through the brush and trees quickly. With determination she tried to mirror Lyssa's movements and began to ease through as well. Instead of hacking and slashing her way through the foliage, Lyssa found almost unseen weaknesses in the thick greenery and flowed through it like a river rushing through a gorge. Krystel became so focused on making headway she almost stumbled into Lyssa when she stopped.

"Head on a swivel little fish. See everything before it sees you," Lyssa said softly.

"We worked so hard and all this time; doing it wrong."

Lyssa looked at Krystel, "it works backwards. Stop looking at the trees and see the jungle. How its strong and where its weak and it'll open to you. You'll never overcome the jungle, you have to become part of it. Think zen and you'll move. Fight it and be brought to a crawl. Accept it and you can run. Clear all thoughts from your mind and fill it instead with what is around you and be accepted."

Krystel started looking around.

"If you think dangerous; you'll project and be perceived as danger. Become air, water, mist, ground. The jungle; and the jungle will accept you. This is what separates us from all others. We are MORE than just soldiers. We are warriors. Hunters of killers. Give up all that you WERE and become that which you must BE. Without that acceptance Krystel; my teachings are for nothing," Lyssa said looking off into the distance.

Krystel took that in and then said, "hide in my shell. Or swim free."

Lyssa nodded silently then nudged Krystel to the front. Krystel crept forward and closed her eyes, listening, smelling and feeling all around her. Slowly she opened her eyes and as a slight breeze picked up she moved forward. Her gentle footsteps muted by the sounds of the foliage moving with the winds. For almost an hour she moved through the green wall as if not there to be noticed by the birds, monkees and other canopy dwellers as they called back and forth to each other.

Finally stopping at the sight of the peak of a thatched roof peeking out, she crouched down and looked back. Lyssa, Tiffany, Shawna and Rodrick all looked back at her with a sense of deep satisfaction.

"Welcome Krystel, a whole new world awaits. See it now. With warrior's eyes," Lyssa said softly then nodded forward.

Tiffany and Shawna crept forward and waited.

Krystel looked back at them then whispered, "Tiff go left and circle around. Shawna go right, if its clear we'll probe inward."

They both nodded and moved out as she crept forward.

"Hot damn. She finally clicked," Rodrick said softly.

 

~o~O~o~
 

LoneStar listened as Pete put the satellite phone on speaker.

"We're on a little detour, investigating deserted villages in the area. People not where they're supposed to be is something that can't be ignored," Rodrick informed them.

"Bout how long of a detour Rod," Pete asked.

"Hopefully not long. Hold on, they're coming back now," Rodrick answered.

"Found a lot 7.62 casings with AK divots in them. All over the place," Tiffany reported.

"I found some blood spatter in a couple of the hooches," Shawna added.

"Tracks are everywhere but inside the village the tracks are really strange, deep and very pronounced but they change directions a lot. What looked like issue boot and hiking boot prints, all other prints look to be made by bare feet," Krystel finished.

Lyssa and Rodrick looked at each other as if speaking telepathically then Rodrick spoke to Pete.

Rodrick said, "I'll get back to you. Stay chilled, but ready to blast off at any time."

Pete replied, "got it boss."

The three trainees glanced back and forth still trying to make sense of the compiled information.

"Ma'am, Sir. What exactly does all this translate into? There's been auto-fire but no structural damage. A little blood but no bodies. What looks like people running around in every direction in a panic, but no exodus," Krystel listed.

"The villagers left Krystel. They walked out of here calmly and in an orderly fashion," Lyssa answered.

"Why would they leave so calmly after all that," Shawna asked.

Rodrick answered, "because the guys with the AK's told them to. If they went along quietly without trouble, they wouldn't be shot."

When the three gave them a blank look of still not understanding Lyssa clarified.

Lyssa said flatly, "It was a round up Ladies. Apparently there's a new coke lord in the area. First thing they do is round up slave labor from the villages in the area for field work. Hunter/gatherer tribes are prime for this. They aren't as noticable as the fishing villages."

Anger reflected in the eyes of all three trainees.

Lyssa finished explaining, "this is a very common practice. You three haven't done drug interdiction work before so its new to you. The Brazilian and Peruvian armies do what they can when they find out about the jungle plantations, but they crop up and fade away before any assault can launched usually. Most of the time its so deep in the jungle the only way to get there is to march in on foot like we are now."

"This happens a lot ladies but there's very little that can be done unless people find out about an operation so a force can be mobilized to take it out. Brazil, Peru, Columbia, Uraguay, Panama. They've all had problems with this. The U.S. military has sent support in from time to time, but down here anybody can become a coke lord with a little initiative and handful of thugs with guns," Rodrick elaborated, "Lyssa and I both have done drug interdiction work. I did Panama and Brazil, she did Columbia and Peru. LoneStar himself has done drug interdiction. He's waxed over ten gunships over the skies of Peru and Mexico alone."

Lyssa nodded but kept her eyes on Shawna. Eyes glittering with anger slowly became filled with hatred and rage.

"This isn't something to be treated lightly. Last time I did something like this I was in a full platoon of DemonWraiths. And we failed," Lyssa spoke with an eerie calmness in her voice, "six soldiers died along with the DEA agent we were going in to rescue."

Rodrick couldn't stay quiet even though he knew he should, "Lyssa spent a week strapped to a chair, another four in the hospital after they got her out. They did it right. By the numbers and it still went FUBAR. The lesson; fight what you can win. fight because there's no choice left."

He was testing them. Would they follow procedure or modify it to the circumstances?

"Somebody should do something for those people," Krystel said.

"We should," Tiffany agreed.

"Wouldn't be able to look at myself in the mirror if I walked away from this," Shawna said coldly.

Lyssa looked to Rodrick who gave her an almost imperceptable nod. They both knew this would happen. The moral argument wasn't unexpected.

"Ok. Decided. We go in, but let this be absolutley clear. I run this Op and you all will follow orders to the fucking letter or I pull the plug now," Lyssa said coldly.

Tiffany, Shawna and Khrystel answered in unison," Yes Ma'am!"

An hour later Lyssa picked up the outbound track and led the way deeper into the jungle.

CHAPTER 3

Humberto sat at his bedroom desk as the two girls lay in his bed waiting for him as he went over his figures. The payment for the most recent shipment had arrived into his account right on schedule. That pleased him to now reach his halfway mark of fifty million dollars. If he wanted to he could shut down now, kill everyone and retire to an island off the coast of Costa Rica with new, younger girls. He smiled to himself at that prospect. All was going to plan. His cousin in the Brazilian army knew nothing of any new drug fields so all was safe for now.

"Why don't you two start without me and I'll be along in a moment," he chuckled.

The girls looked to each other then hesitantly began kissing each other as he leaned back in his chair watching. They slowly began caressing each other then wandered their kisses. Finally he stood and began to undress as he walked over to bed and gave them instructions for several minutes, then joined in. An hour later they fell asleep.

 

~o~O~o~
 

"Make entry," Lyssa ordered over the radios.

Shawna eased into the tangle of barbed wire and slithered through. They'd watched the drug camp for forty-eight hours to learn its patterns and personnel. One by one everyone signaled with the usual clicking of their mics to signal their progression through the camp. Just as Shawna was about to round a corner a shadow loomed, approaching. She raised her fist, filled with the Fairbarn-Applegate knife and waited. The drug soldier gained the corner and Shawna's hand streaked to his neck.

Before he saw her, much less realized the attack, the serrated blade had sliced deeply through his neck, severing his carotid artery. Instinct made him turn away, spraying the side of the shed with blood as she leapt on him and clamped her hand over his mouth and nose to silence him. After two minutes he stopped struggling.

Shawna clicked her mic three times then moved inside the shed. Two silenced double taps from her pistol took down the two men packing dried powder into bags. She clicked thrice again then planted her incendiary charge on its timer. She saw Krystel approach the prisoners' pen.

 

~o~O~o~
 

Krystel lunged up from the ground, burying her Fairbarne-Applegate's blade up into the guard's head from under his chin using her momentum to power him to the ground and drag the knife's blade sideways out carving through his windpipe and artery. With her hand clamped down over his mouth and nose he thrashed only for a minute then lay still. She had noticed when they were issued their gear initally the knives were different. She and Shawna carried the Fairbarne-Applegate while Tiffany carried a new generation Fairbarne-Sikes. Lyssa carried one of those as well but the knife she preferred looked so strange to them all. Tiffany commented that the knife 'reeked of brutality'. They were told the name of it was Marauder. Krystel didn't know why, but the presence of that knife made Tiffany and Shawna both nervous.

Several of the indians began murmurring to each other in the darkness.

"Shhhhh! Please be quiet," Krystel told them in Portugese.

Immediately they began shushing each other.

Several others began whispering, "the night has come alive and killed him!"

Krystel tried to put authority to her voice, "Silence! Now, or I can not free you from this place!"

Instantly they all fell silent at her order. Krystel sprayed the gate's chain with a can of acid and snapped it.

"Quickly. Go into the jungle and hide. Make no sound or you'll be found by the evil men again," she directed them.

A woman crouched low and hugged Krystel's knees, "please Night Goddess, they have my girl in their house. I beg please do not leave her in there."

Krystel prized the woman from her legs, "She will be freed, but you must go with the others. Now, or all is lost."

The woman slowly began following the others into the tree line.

"Be advised; minimum one friendly in hostile barracks," Krystel whispered over her mic.

She was answered with a series of double-clicks prompting her to make her way to the location. Tiffany and Shawna joined her at the corner of the building followed shortly by Lyssa and Rodrick.

"All northern sentries down," Rodrick reported.

Tiffany whispered, "Roving guards on west side down."

"Roving guards on south side and packing shed personnel down," Shawna also whispered.

"Prisoner guard down and prisoners hiding in the treeline," Khrystel informed them.

"Main house secure," Lyssa told them, "definitely sounds like there's a friendly or two inside here. No need to be quiet about this. Get inside and we all open up at once."

Slowly they all crept inside to the gang-rape in progress. They slipped up to the group surrounding two beds with their backs to the door and leveled their CAR-15's. Lyssa nodded and all five opened up. Cheers and laughter died suddenly in the roar of auto-fire behind the group. All the men had been wearing only underwear or their pants, leaving their chests and back unprotected by vests when the hail of 5.56 rounds tore through them. Most died instantly. Of the twenty, only four were able to move and tried but when the magazines had run dry, pistols were drawn and now held steady aim at the remaining men.

"Freeze," Lyssa commanded in Portugese.

Slowly they raised their hands, the two rapists as well. One girl immediately curled up into a ball on the bed while the other lay still with her eyes tightly shut, both bleeding from between their legs. With a flick of Rodrick's Colt the men moved slowly away to the center of the room.

"Check 'em out," Lyssa ordered in Russian.

Rodrick tried not to smile. He knew why she was using different languages. Just in case there was some form of listening device, whoever heard them speaking would never know they were Americans. From past debriefings he knew this to be true. Drug lords knew it paid to be paranoid. Lyssa knew this as well.

Tiffany and Krystel went quickly to the girls and began looking them over. A sound drew Shawna's attention.

"I thought you said the prisoners went into the treeline," she said in Russian.

"They did. I guess these two backtracked," Krystel answered in Russian then switched to Portuguese telling the girl softly that it was over and she could open her eyes.

The two Indian women came over to the girls and began speaking gently to them, "they have stopped the evil men, we can go home. come, we are free now."

Within moments the girls began crying and slowly allowed their mothers to take them out of the building. One girl stopped at the doorway and looked back. Lyssa circled around behind one of the men and placed her hand on his neck. A minute later he fell and convulsed on the floor then lay dead. Lyssa knew the visual would look magical to the native, but it was merely just a sneaky trick. Pressure on the Carotid artery cut off blood to the brain, which would be immediately damaged from the lack of nutrients and oxygen. Rodrick stepped forward and slammed a punch into another's midsection. The rapist squealed then doubled over trying to catch his breath but slowly sank to the floor with a look of pure panic on his face then began to shake then lay still.

"Come child. Leave the night God and Goddesses to their vengeance. We will pray in thanks as we go home," the mother told the girl and guided her out into the darkness.

* Shawna approached the third man and rammed the heel of her palm to his nose, shattering the bone and making the shrapnel fly into his brain. He fell to the floor thrashing for a moment then died. The last man dove for a pistol and held it to his head pulling the trigger. He fell to the floor with bits of brain and blood pooling on the floor from the hole gaping on the side of his head.

"We got somewhere else to be," Lyssa said in Russian and led them to the main house.

 

~o~O~o~
 

Tiffany listened to Lyssa's instructions in Russian carefully, "Take those two down to the garage. Put them in any vehicle with their clothes and make them drive out. They can get dressed later. They leave now."

Tiffany nodded and took them both out of the bedroom. After the girls' SUV was out of sight she returned.

"Now Humberto, for your sake; you'd have better been telling me the truth," Lyssa said Portuguese with an icy voice.

Humberto stammered, "it is, I swear it!"

Krystel sat at the laptop tapping keys with lightning speed then nodded.

"Very good. Now what's the combination to that safe over there slick," Rodrick asked nudging him.

"How'd they get him to talk," Tiffany whispered Shawna.

"She told him it was her that fed that entire Columbia cartel to Komodo dragons. And described it in detail," Shawna smirked.

"Niiiiiiice," Tiffany drawled.

"The whole balance has been transferred Ma'am," Krystel reported.

Rodrick threw the lever over and pulled the safe open, "well now; smart boy. Told the truth on the first go."

Quickly Rodrick began taking out stacks of banded American and Brazilian bills, stuffing them into the rucksacks. Krystel packed up the laptop into her rucksack along with the money Rodrick handed to her.

Lyssa picked up the satellite phone and waved it casually, "not behind on the bill for this are you?"

Quickly Humberto shook his head.

"Oh good," Lyssa commented and began dialing a number.

When a voice could be heard on the other end she held it close to him then reached over and savagely twisted his genitals making him screech in pain.

"That's good enough for me," she dropped the phone, drew her pistol and said quietly,"Past the gates; before the Devil's throne. I've been to Hell...."

Rodrick leveled his pistol as well, "its your turn now."

Together they both shot him in the torso. The blood coming out looked black.Humberto screamed in pain and looked down as blood soaked into the bedding.

"We're done. It'll take us five days to hump it to the rendevous if we go full out," Lyssa said walking toward the door.

With one last look of anger each, the three followed Lyssa and Rodrick out the door ignoring the voice yelling over the phone for anyone to respond as Humberto went slack from the blood loss and whimpered to be saved.

 

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CHAPTER 4

Dannigan read the after-action report. Seemed that the ladies were indeed winning their spurs steadily. Even Krystel, whom only Lyssa had unshakable faith in. Often in the reports Lyssa stated that Krystel lacked the one true turning point or catalyst that would transform her into the warrior she believed lay hidden inside the young intelligence officer. Apparently that had finally happened.

"Madison," he buzzed.

She answered immediately, "Yes Major?"

"Inform Lyssa that Mission Designators are now approved, but limited to training cycles only," he replied, "Tiffany Davareaux- Steel Dove, Shawna Davies- Ghost Moth and Krystel Evanson- Iron Dolphin. They're approved for arctic training at first opportunity."

"Right away Major. Sir, I just got a message that Katya Taliyenko has a reservation for first class Air Moscow from Moscow to Nassau," she informed him.

"Thank you Madison. I suspect the ticket was paid by a credit card belonging to Lyssa," he replied.

After a pause Madison confirmed, "yes Sir, It was paid with one of her cards."

"Lyssa has a plan I suspect that Katya will be very critical to," Dannigan commented.

"Yes Major," Madison signed off and sent out the message to Kimberly.

 

~o~O~o~
 

Katya could hardly contain her excitement seeing the island for the first time as the black clad pilot known to her as Star spoke calmly over the static, "We're on final Approach Ms. Taliyenko. Welcome to Ram's Rock Island."

"Its so beautiful," Katya replied smiling.

Within moments he set the helicopter down gently on the tarmac in front of a hangar. A minute later Eddie opened the door and guided her out from the rotor span.

He stood up straight and spoke to her, "Ma'am. Lyssa is waiting for you up at the house. Kimberly will take you over in the cart, I'll get your luggage up there shortly."

She thanked him in Russian then caught herself and repeated in english. The mechanic nodded and gestured to the cart now pulling up driven by Kimberly.

"Hi Katya. Hop in," Kimberly called out.

Katya sat next to her smiling as they rode up to the main house.

"Ah! Hello puppy," Katya said when she saw Warlock.

"Wait..." Kimberly said then spoke in german to Warlock," friend. Remember?"

She gestured for Katya to stand still as the belgian shepherd came over and sniffed her then woofed once.

"I forgot, Lyssa's dog is not a pet," Katya commented.

Kimberly reassured her,"Its ok Katya. That's why I met you and brought you up. You can go in now."

Katya thanked her as Kimberly drove back to the airfield and went inside.

"Lyssa," she called out.

Warlock walked ahead of her and looked back then woofed.

"Ah, I follow you to Lyssa," Katya said and followed him.

The Belgian tactical dog went down a hallway then through an open door.

"Lyssa," Katya asked at the doorway.

"c'mon in Katya. Sorry, I had some things to finish," Lyssa answered then came around the desk to hug her friend.

Katya looked down at Lyssa's smooth belly, "Wait. You should show now. Three months, da?"

Lyssa led her out of the study then to the patio and sat down, "That's why I wanted you to come visit me Katya. I need a favor repaid."

Katya took in Lyssa's serious expression and replied, "Of course, anything you ask is yours."

"I'm not actually pregnant," she said flatly.

Katya's jaw dropped, "Oh no Lyssa! You lose baby? We were all so happy for you."

Lyssa shook her head, "no Katya. I didn't lose the baby. I was never pregnant to begin with."

Katya became confused, "but the article said. They said YOU said you were pregnant. Having to stop dancing. It is not true?"
Lyssa fixed Katya with her steel colored eyes, "the article is a lie but not their lie. The lie is mine. I lied to them."

The Russian dancer shook her head, "this is very confusing Lyssa. what is true? If you tell me, I will believe it. Favors you have done for me. Favors when I have none to ask for."

Lyssa looked at her friend steadily then said, "come with me Katya. Harden your heart and come with me."

Lyssa led the way into the infirmary. All the medical equipment and fixtures didn't go unnoticed by the Russian ballerina.

"You have hospital here," Katya asked suddenly apprehensive.

"We have to be prepared for anything so we have this in case of injury or sickness," Lyssa explained.

Lyssa took her further back to a closed door then opened it and beckoned her inside. Katya saw a woman lying on a bed surrounded by numerous machines and stepped closer.

"DEAR HEAVEN! HELENA," Katya screamed.

Lyssa said nothing as the Russian dancer looked over the comatose girl several times in shock. With shaking hands she reached out and gingerly touched Helena's forehead then pulled her hand back to cover her mouth.

"Yes," Lyssa said quietly, "its Helena."

Katya leaned down and stroked her hair, "Helena? Its me, Katya. Lyssa has brought me. Will you not wake up?"

After a few moments she looked to Lyssa who's eyes never wavered.

"She can't wake up Katya. She's in a coma and will never come back to us," Lyssa said.

Katya looked again and then she noticed the swelled belly.

"Oh God Lyssa no! Please tell me Helena is not pregnant. She can not be pregnant like this," Katya stammered.

"Recently we were in the Balkans. A village was supposed to be deserted. It wasn't. We found a building with many women. Helena was there, as you see her now. The others were too. She has no family to claim her and I refused to ignore her so we brought her here. She is pregnant Katya, with twins. She was surgically put into this coma and then impregnated. She didn't choose this," Lyssa recounted.

Katya looked up, "someone. Someone forced her this way?"

Lyssa looked deep into the pale blue eyes and nodded. Katya stood there for a minute staring at Lyssa in horror then shivered. Katya bolted for the door covering her mouth with her hand and ran outside to fall down the steps, landing in the sand. Quickly she crawled a few more feet and began retching. Lyssa rushed out and tried to hold Katya as the dancer tried to scream as the heaving continued and began choking.

"STOP KATYA! STOP IT! THIS ISN'T DOING EITHER OF YOU ANY GOOD," Lyssa demanded.

"Please Lyssa! I'll do anything for you forever! Don't let this happen to her," Katya begged crying.

Lyssa turned her and used her own blouse to wipe Katya's face, "it's done. I can't change it. This is one of those times I hate to admit there are some things I can't do."

Katya pleaded,"NO! Its not right Lyssa! Please do something. You help us all. You can do anything! Please help her. We'll raise money and find doctors. Everyone will do what you tell us to! Please Lyssa?"

Lyssa shook her head, "I've already paid a doctor. All that can be done for Helena has been and is being done."

Lyssa held Katya as she sagged against her sobbing.

"Ma'am? Can I help," Krystel asked.

"Get your cart. We'll take her back up to the house," Lyssa answered.

"Nyet Lyssa! I must know who did this to Helena and where they are. If money will not help Helena, then money will make sure they are punished for what they did to her! We will all give for Helena," Katya insisted.

"Spits fire, your hellcat there," Krystel smiled.

The smile dropped at Lyssa's cold look of disapproval.

"Escort her to the classroom, I'll be there in a minute," Lyssa ordered.

Khrystel stood at attention and saluted, "Aye Ma'am!"

As Lyssa walked toward the hangars Krystel helped Katya up and walk to the classroom trailer.

"I meant no disrespect Ms. Taliyenko," Krystel apologized as they went inside.

"Apologize to Lyssa. The look she gave you; disappointment, not anger. I have seen anger. A look you wish not to see ever again," Katya stated.

Krystel had no reply for that comment. Lyssa walked in a moment later carrying a disc.

"Out," she snapped.

Krystel saluted and bolted for the door, "Aye Ma'am!"

Katya sat silently and watched as Lyssa loaded the disc and slowly felt horror after the video started and was narrated by Lyssa standing behind her. Finally with tears streaming down her face Katya turned to look at Lyssa.

"I am STUPID girl," she choked out.

"Far from it. Why would you say that," Lyssa asked.

"I asked once that when we dance no more that you share secrets with me. Always I knew, somehow, you were dangerous. I pretend that I don't know you killed for Ekaterina. I pretend that you asked me to trade places in Zurich because you wanted to dance there to be seen. Do not tell me Lyssa! If you tell me secrets then I know you will never dance again," Katya said frightened.

Lyssa sat on the table in front of her and took her hands, "Katya I need to take time off. I have my reasons. This is the plan. I announced pregnancy. That will give most people the reason not to ask me to come. For others I need another reason. Pay attention because this is where you help me. You tell people that I am pregnant and very happy, but have a problem. Gestational diabetes. Its common enough that most people have heard of it. Sometimes during pregnancy the mother becomes diabetic but goes back to normal after the baby. That will stop people from asking me to come dance and walk shows but not so serious they try to come see me. Understand now?"

"Lyssa. why," Katya asked.

"The babies. They will be in danger if anybody finds out about them. Someone wanted those babies to be conceived and if they find out where they are they'll be in danger. No one must know the truth except us and the doctor. We must say that they are my babies Katya, not even they can ever know this secret," Lyssa explained.

"What about Helena," Katya asked.

Lyssa shook her head, "Katya she stopped being our friend. They destroyed her brain on purpose. She's dead, her body doesn't understand that. They damaged her brain and put her body on machines so they could make babies. To keep her like that after the babies are born would be the cruelest thing we could do."

"Helena will die," Katya sniffed.

Lyssa gave Katya a gentle look, "She died before they made her pregnant. All she needs now is to be told goodbye by her friend."

"Will it hurt her? Will she be scared," Katya asked.

Lyssa hugged her, "No. I promise it will be the kindest thing we can do for her. You will be their godmother. Their aunt Katya."

"Da Lyssa, I will do this. For the babies," Katya replied wiping her eyes," They will at least know that they are loved without doubt."

Lyssa nodded, "the plan is set then. Come, we have much to practice.And as for who did this to Helena; they no longer exist. What we didn't find out was who the people were that wanted the babies."

Katya nodded and followed Lyssa back outside as the sun's light faded.
 
 
 
 
 

~Lyssa Kordenay returns in Lost, and Found!!!