Upon a Pale Horse pt. 5

It was not the smell, the sounds, or the sights that made him flashback it was the image of a girl and her dog stuck in his mind. He could not place where he had seen it but when he started thinking about it more and more other memories came flooding back. First a search and destroy mission in Cambodia. The jungle was nice that day as it burned around the traitors. Then the scene London only a few years prior, he was stationed their to study SAS techniques, modify, and implement them in the new guard training. Then to a cold day in the year of 1988, he was only eighteen. Trained from a young age, an orphan chosen for what they said would become a true hero. He was given control of Celestial, the special ops in control of hostage situations for Traxis. A week prior the President of the Nation was kidnapped.

The CIA, FBI, and military could not do anything about it. Their hands were tied by recent sanctions in the country in which the president was held. Traxis could do it. No one knew who they were. Few if any even knew they existed but someone did and paid them highly for it. This was how Traxis made money hostage rescue situations. A country as big as the US happily would pay a quarter billion for the return of almost any of the upper echelon of the government. Today Traxis got half a billion. It was the president after all. Agent Messiah and Agent Savior had the most experience and were more than happy to follow Zaphiel in this mission. They recognized skills and leadership qualities. He had both. They had been dropped on shore of the small island nation only hours before.

Storming the citadel was almost too easy. They had been monitoring the channels of the guards. They knew the routes better than the guards did. Ten guards in thirty minutes, they could get off this island before sun up. Zaphiel finally picked up the main communications. He stopped for a quick second realizing the voices were those of Americans. His skin began to crawl at the thought of fellow Americans being behind this. He promised to himself he would bring swift justice upon them. They had reached the inner sanctum without a word. As they stormed in they stumbled upon a site only imagined. Bloodied bodies everywhere in the middle behind the president stood one lone man. His body clad in armor all to similar to their own. He kicked the president out the chair. Zaphiel motioned for Messiah and Savior to move forward and get the president. They did and slowly backed out with him. Zaphiel told them to leave he would take care of this unfinished business. As soon as they were out of sight the hooded figure pulled his pistol aiming it at Zaphiel while pulling off his hood. The face staring back was a sick twisted version of his.

It was the face of the Jackal. He was head of Hellion. Hellion was a tactical swat group created to eliminate terrorist threats at their base by infiltration and then destroy them with suicide if need be. Why was he here Zaphiel quickly thought to himself.

Jackal read Zaphiel like a book, "I kidnapped the president to save him. Or did you not know Traxis does this all the time. That's how we make our money. We wait till we are needed then make DAMN sure we are needed. The president would have died at the peace conference. A group of terrorist bombed it just today. But you were traveling so you didn't know all the world leaders their perished except our president. Now wipe that look of disgust off your face. Your ethics will get you killed one day Zaphiel that I guarantee. It was for the Nation's best. The president was merely a figurehead for the ideals we serve. His pain is a price we are willing to pain. Do you understand? HIS PAIN IS EXCEPTABLE"

Jackal turned and began to walk away. He stopped hearing a gun being readied to fire. He turned back to Zaphiel and mouthed the words, "you won’t shoot me cause you know I am right." Jackal spun and walked away. Zaphiel swore he stared at him down the barrel of the rifle for hours just trying to pull the trigger but never could. Jackal just walked away slowly and confidently. This time though the memory brought back something not noticed. As jackal walked a small girl with a dog joined him. She walked hand in hand with him. What did it mean? Could it be? Could the Virgin have been there? Could she have known about this all along? If so what was her place in all this. The more and more Zaphiel thought the harder and harder it became to continue on. His god was crumbling before him. A trial of faith was upon him.