Zero, how do you read me? 

JILL: loud and clear! Michelle? Is that you? 

Me (Michelle): Yeah, Jill (the computer guy), it's me... 

"Hey Colonel, we have a call from Michelle". Jill yelled, calling the attention of Colonel Alexandra as he puts the call on loud speaker... 

Colonel Alex: What? Sergeant Michelle? 

ME (Michelle): Sir! 

Colonel Alex: Where are you? What's your sit rep, sergeant...? 

ME (Michelle): I have not the foggiest clue sir... I'm using a phone booth in the middle of nowhere. I'm hit and it won't stop bleeding, plus my ankle is fractured... I replied, speaking faintly, having lost a lot of blood. 

Colonel Alex: and Steve? 

ME (Michelle): ********silence******** 

"Huff puffs" ... Colonel Alex took a deep breath as he bowed his head in pain and grief; he understood the meaning of my deafening silence... 

"Sir I've got a location on the call and its coming... from... right... there"... Jill quickly said as he pointed to the red node blinking on the big screen after he had finger-danced on the keyboard of his PC. (Jill is a badass computer guy) 

Colonel Alex: nice job, QWERTY (a nickname Jill got from the Colonel because of his expertise in computers)... hang in there sergeant, team DELTA is headed your way with a bird EXFIL (helicopter). 

ME (Michelle): Copy... that... sir... at this point I was left with little or naught strength... 

*******Over-the-shoulder View********

After I had jumped off the warehouse, fractured my ankle and dragged myself into the woods. Zaheed's dogs won't stop raining bullets at me so I took cover behind a tree; I literally crawled to the tree and leaned my back against it. My RETRIBUTION song was on repeat in my head, I still couldn't shake the fact that Captain Steve was gone and there I was, about to join him without avenging his death... 

I was still deep in thoughts, weighing my options of survival when they suddenly seized fire. But this could only mean one thing: they were coming to hunt me in the woods... 

I quickly crawled and allowed myself roll down the valley side of the woods until I reached the very below of the valley. It was a splash landing; I landed into a river! You should've seen the smile on my face... 

I sure I'm not a fish that breathe underneath water but I was trained in the marines on how to hold my breath under water for at least 60sec... 

The splash landing had blown my cover as Zaheed's boys advanced towards my direction, they could see the ripples on the river as they looked down from the hill, then they rained down bullets into the same spot where the ripples were... 

There, under water I was, I could see bullets pierce through the river round about me as they made quenching sounds, but I was lucky none of the bullets hit me. However, they seized fire as soon as they saw blood afloat on the surface of the river and then they retreated in conclusion that I was done for... 

Ten seconds later after they had left, I slowly emerged from the river, gasping for air... the blood afloat the river was from the gun wound at the end of my right arm, close to my chest... 

*********PRESENT DAY************

I felt a rather warm and strong breeze towards my direction as I sat helplessly beside the phone booth. It was team DELTA with the helicopter; my EXFIL... 

The bird landed right before me as the three-man team DELTA alighted from the helicopter, two of them ran towards me while one mounted OP on the entrance of the helicopter. They jerked me off of where I succumbed, put my hands on each of their shoulders as they literally dragged me into the helicopter. 

"Hang in there Michelle, stay with me"... one of the boys said, stroking my hair as we went airborne... 

*****************************

Thank you for reading this episode, stay glued as more are to come. Please do well to like and comment on this episode. It'll go a long way to help me serve you better. thanks plenty...