224: the extraction

There’s something serene about staring out the window as the train passes the skyscrapers and the people busy with life. It’s so serene it could almost lull you into the belief that life was that simple. It could almost make Annabelle Harris forget what she was going to have to do. What her mission is and how she couldn’t fail or her sister, Oakley, would die. And her sister is her everything. Oakley is only thirteen months younger than Anna but she mothered her baby sister like she was her daughter.  She raised Oakley since their mom and dad died in an apartment fire in queens when they were three and four. Once they began getting placed in one bad foster home after another, the girls learned quickly that they only had each other and needed to protect each other.  

The screeching sound of the train coming to a stop pulled Anna out of her bleak memories of the past and back to the present. She collected her belongings and waited for the elderly lady next to her to gather her belongings together.  

‘I’m sorry dear! My old body doesn’t move as fast anymore’  the lady said with an apologetic smile and a British accent. 

‘No rush ma’am’ Anna replied politely as she observed the woman’s perfectly styled salt and pepper hair and immaculately applied makeup with bright red lipstick. She pulled firmly on her huge Tori Burch purse, placing it onto her slim shoulder.

Anna watched as the passengers a couple of rows in front of them begin to exit the train and the two women followed.

‘Thank you for choosing scenic train travels! Enjoy your visit!’ the car attendant said politely as Anna and the lady slowly walked past. 

Anna hurried down the train platform and onto the streets filled with people and traffic. It was time to focus and get a plan together. A plan to get her sister back and kill the person responsible for taking her. For using her sister to manipulate her into doing what they wanted her to do. Anna could feel her eyes narrow and the muscles in her face tighten with concentration. The first step is to get in contact with Stanley ‘Ace’ Williams , her long-time friend from boot camp and IT genius, and see where he has gotten with that encrypted text she received. Anna shivered in disgust as she remembered the image of her sister beaten and bloody on a concrete floor naked.  She felt the burn of anger and hate pool in her stomach like acid fueling her resolve and determination. They will die tonight. And she will be the one to do it because this person doesn’t know who they fucked with. No one does, except the members of 224. No one knows that she was recruited by the seals while in basic training for the marines.  And not just the seals, but team 6. The best of the best. And she dedicated 10 years of her life to a special undercover operative team. This is where her and Oakley met the twins, Devin and Stanley ‘ace’ Harris. They were also team 6 recruits.  The sisters quickly bonded with the brothers over both being in the foster system.  The sisters placement scores were high enough that Anna went into the combat engineering program; Oakley into the 4th medical battalion, and both were sent to train with lieutenant colonel Rick Ward. This is where they were approached by lieutenant colonel Ward to join a group of women who were going undercover in Houston, Tx to infiltrate sex traffic rings and met Roland James.

‘So what have you got for me?’ Anna asked Ace through her Bluetooth earbuds as she unlocked her hotel room door.

‘It’s Roland. Sloppy ass’ Ace said in a low dark tone.  ‘The phone was bought by JC at a hole in the wall gas station in Brooklyn.  I found security footage.’ Ace growled out. ‘ I’m going to fucking kill that low life piece of dog shit’

‘We are getting her back and will deal with the details at that time.’  Anna responded hopefully.  ‘Oakley is skilled. She can handle herself…’ 

‘ SHE WAS NAKED ANNA!’ Ace bellowed as he interrupted her.  A sob racked his voice as his composure crumbled ‘I can’t lose her, I can’t’ He whispered into the phone receiver as his voice cracked with emotion. 

‘Me neither Ace , Me neither. That’s why we have to get to her.’  Anna said reassuringly,  ‘You still have her GPS, right?’ Anna asked Referring to the tracking devices Her, Oakley, Devin and Ace implanted in each other once the sisters had discovered a traitor in their midst while undercover in Houston.  They wanted to make sure they could always find each other if anything went sideways, so Devin designed a minut sized tracker to implant in each of them.

‘Yes it’s still active.’ Ace confirmed 

‘Then give me the coordinates so I can google the location .’ Anna instructed 

‘Already on it. I also sent you the building blueprints and the property description from the most recent taxes paid on it. The property is in JC’s deceased grandmother’s name. She leaves it to him in her will but he has never transferred the property out of her name as cover.’ Ace briefed ‘stupid mother fucker. He should have known I would find this.’ 

‘That goes double. I think it’s safe to say that he underestimated who he is up against but it’s time to show him and then kill him.’ Anna said emphatically.

‘Hell yeah’ Ace asserted 

‘I’m going to shower then go over these blueprints to get a lay of the building.‘ Anna stated

 ‘Ok. I’m already set up in a room a couple doors down and have your gps setup to alert me when you leave the hotel.’ Ace finished.

‘Then let’s get this fucking party started.’ Anna responded under her breath as she headed to the bathroom.  

Anna let the warmth from the water penetrate her skin and warm her blood that was running cold with fear and determination. Let it wash away the self doubt and the crippling dread of not getting to Oakley in time and losing her sister. The steam from the hot water and the soft fragrance of honeysuckles from her body wash relaxes her tense muscles as she listens to the music playing in the background and let her mind go blank.

‘To each other , to our family, and to the battles ahead. Semper fidelis’ Anna quietly repeated the Marines mantra to herself, ‘semper fidelis.’  She finished as she turned the water off and began to dry off. 

Anna walked out of the bathroom wrapped in a robe to see Devin Williams sitting at the desk building four hand-held bombs they were utilizing later.

‘Why aren’t you in your brothers room?’ Anna asked as she rolled her eyes.

‘I like your room.’ Devin grinned at Anna,  ‘better lighting.’ 

Anna’s felt that familiar tug at her heart as emotions caused her eyes to mist over.

‘We will save her, right?’ Anna questioned quietly

‘That shouldn’t even be a question, Anna.’ Devin replied 

‘I know, I’m sorry. It’s just a lot. A lot. I’m so scared that we won’t make it on time; that he has hurt her; that she’s dead; that I won’t survive if something happens to her.’ Anna finished, her voice thick with emotion.

‘I know baby. I know. She’s important to all of us and we will get to her on time. How many failed missions?’ Devin demanded as he hugged Anna tightly.

‘Zero.’ Anna responded quietly.

‘Say it like a marine Anna. HOW MANY FAILED Missions?’ Devin repeated sternly.

‘Zero. Sempre Fidelis.’ Anna emphasized with cool confidence that the marines instilled in her.

‘Sempre Fidelis.’ Devin repeated quietly as he tenderly kissed Anna’s heart shaped lips in an Attempt to release some of her fears.  ‘So let’s go complete our mission.’  

Thirty minutes later Anna, Devin and Ace piled into the rented black Camry and head to the alley where they are going to leave the car for their return. 

‘Once the warehouse is in site, Ace can kill the cameras.’ Anna directed.  ‘Then we go in through the back window. No one is left living.’ She finished as she pulled her long auburn hair into a tight bun atop her head.

‘2-4 boss lady’ Devin winked as Ace chuckled. 

‘Time to bring my sister home.’  Anna conceded as they began quickly moving toward the warehouse.

‘Cameras down.’ Ace stated as he pressed a button on his phone.

‘Then let’s move.’ Anna ordered as the three quickly got to the back of the building and into the storage room window.  Anna cracked the door quietly and peered out while clutching her weapon in her hand.

‘Coast is clear.’ Anna stated quietly 

The three flattened against the wall and swiftly moved into the stairwell and toward the basement. 

‘15 seconds before cameras come back .’  Ace directed as they swiftly moved while watching for surprises.

‘Why is this place so empty.’ Devin asked suspiciously 

‘I was thinking the same.’ Anna agreed as they left the stairwell and into the basement were they began to hear voices. 

‘I bet he’s fucking that bitch good right now’  a short, overweight man laughed as he smacked his friend’s chest.

‘Hell yeah!’ The tall well built friend chuckled. ‘Teaching her a lesson after the way she bite off JC’s ear off.  That son of a bitch gonna look ugly as shit in that casket!’  He laughed as he shook his head vigorously

‘He was already fucking ugly’ the other man agreed as he roared with laughter that abruptly ended as a bullet pierced through the center of both men’s foreheads effectively ending their conversation.

‘Don’t ever talk about my sister like that again.’ Anna mumbled as she lowered her gun.

‘This way.’ Anna directed as the three headed down the dark humid walkway, stepping over the men’s dead bodies. 

‘There.’ Anna motioned as they approached a closed door were you could hear muffled groaning.  They all made eye contact and nodded in unison as Ace kicked open the door and the three stopped in shared disbelief at what they were looking at. 

Oakley standing over a bloody, restrained, and gagged Roland. Her long dark hair with purple tips hung down her back; Her pale face was swollen and bruised with one grey eye swollen completely shut.  She had on a man’s  dirty suit jacket held together at the waist with a piece of rope. 

‘OAKLEY!’ Anna wailed as she saw her sister for the first time since this began.

‘ANNA!’  Oakley exclaimed as she dropped the small surgical knives she was using on Roland and ran to embrace her sister.

‘Glad to see you didn’t need our help.’ Devin joked  

‘I knew you would make the piece of shit suffer!!’ Anna stated proudly ‘how did you escape?’ She questioned as she embraced her sister tightly 

‘You know what Rick taught us. A weak man will always underestimate a woman. That’s why they used women to go undercover’ Oakley replied as the sisters slowly released each other.  ‘And this cunt bitch is weak.’ Oakley stated emphatically as she picked up the knives Devin designed for her and made a four inch laceration across Roland’s naked upper thigh.  Roland let out a muffled scream as blood gushed over his thigh exposing muscle and tissue.

‘Aw Baby did that hurt? I’m sorry, let me fix it!’ Oakley mocked sadistically as she set down the knife and replaced it with a needle and thread. Ronald eyes bulged and he let out a muffled whimper as his head shook back and forth 

‘Begging ? Where’s the tough guy who drugged me,  let four of his men strip me, then beat the shit out of me?  Let’s not start begging now.’  Oakley quietly taunted as she began stitching up the cut that she created. 

‘I told you she was tough Ace.’ Anna grinned 

‘My Baby’ Ace beamed as he walked over and embraced Oakley tightly causing her to leave the needle she was using imbedded in Roland’s skin.  

‘I was so scared baby. So scared’ Ace admitted as he clutched Oakley protectively.

‘I’m ok Ace. I’m ok,’ Oakley repeatedly kissed Aces angular face.  ‘I’ll explain everything at home but everyone who was involved is dead. I made sure if it. Except him.’ Oakley finished as she stared pointedly at Roland.  ‘He thought he could blackmail you to remove some of his competition.  Stupid fuck.’ Oakley concluded as she thrust the surgical knife through Roland’s temple. His eyes widen in surprise for a brief second before his body went limp.  Ace pulled Oakley away from the dead body and entwined his fingers with hers.  

‘Let’s head back to the room baby’ Ace cooed in Oakley’s ear,  ‘so I can pamper you like the queen you are.’  he finished with a mischievous smile.

‘That’s sounds Devine.’ Oakley grinned at Ace. 

‘Then let’s burn this mother fucker and get out of here.’ Devin enthusiastically agreed as he began pulling out the handmade bombs he had built earlier.  ‘These guys will do the job.’ He chuckled as he set up a burner phone timer and the group quickly exited the building.

Fifteen minutes later the group of four climbed into the black Camry and headed to their hotel in manhattan. As the car begins to move they all hear a deafening explosion behind them that rocked the car.  they watched as the build was obliterated into a pile of burning rubble.

‘I brought you clothes my love‘.  Ace sweetly offered as he wrinkled his nose and pulled a piece of bone fragment out of Oakley’s hair.

‘Thanks baby.’ Oakley chuckled as she accepted the clothes and began pulling them on. After parking the car in the parking garage,the four made their way to the side entrance and up to their rooms to finally rest.

The four members of 224 quietly wait for the approaching train to come to a screeching halt.

‘Hopefully my face doesn’t cause anyone to panic’ Oakley chuckled as she attempted to make light of the last 48 hours.

‘Still too early.’ Ace grumbled as he protectively pulled Oakley closer

‘The other guy looks worse’ Oakley shrugged nonchalantly

‘True that.’ Devin agreed jovially while lightly jabbing her arm.

Anna watched the three of them and smiled as they all began to board the train back to Louisiana.  Once finding their seats, Anna slipped in her earbuds and turned her music on to relax. Before she could lay her head back she felt a tap on her shoulder. She opened her eyes to see the elderly lady that she meet when she first got to New York.

‘Well hello dear! Fancy seeing you again.’ The elderly lady smiled as her eyes sparkled mischievously 

‘Well hello!’ Anna exclaimed then paused, ‘I just realized, I never got your name!’

‘Sharlene Castille’  Devin answered quietly beside Anna. 

‘You remember!’ Sharlene beamed.

‘HuH?’ Anna and Oakley said in unison 

‘How could we ever forget?’ Ace responded with emotion in his voice. ‘You took us in. Fostered us until your husband passed away and you had to sell your house.’

‘Yes dear’ Sharlene smiled as she reached out and touched Ace’s face,  ‘ and I would have until you two were 18 if it hadn’t been for the legal troubles my late husband left me with.’ Sharlene glared to herself as she remembered that time period. 

‘But that’s long gone now and I no longer have money or legal issues.’ She smirked confidently 

‘Why do you look familiar ?’  Anna asked still confused at the irony of this meeting.

‘Because we met when I lived in New York with my son.’ Sharlene beamed as she watched the four people’s faces waiting for them to connect the dots.

‘Wait, We lived in New York until we were 4.’ Oakley quietly ascertained.

‘Until the night our apartment caught on fire. The night mom and dad died and we became orphans.’ Anna remembered as she replayed the traumatic events.

‘Yes my love.’ Sharlene confirmed with tears in her eyes.  ‘Im your paternal grandmother.  I was living in Britain at the time of the fire and wasn’t notified of my son’s death due to my married last name.’  Sharlene explained as her face shadowed with regret and pain.  ‘By the time I came back to the states and found out,.’  She continued,  ‘ you two were In the foster system.’  

‘So I did my own research and learned that the last home placement was in river ridge, Louisiana. So I moved there, bought a house and began fostering children in hopes of finding you two.’ Sharlene finished quietly.

‘That’s were you fostered us.’ Devin verified 

‘Yes’ Sharlene acknowledged. ‘And I keep up with my boys , from a distance so that I didn’t disturb the adjusting to the wonderful new foster family that had already began with them; but when I saw the first group picture of your marine graduation team, I saw them!’ Sharlene eyes glistened with unshed tears as she reached out to touch Anna and Oakley’s faces with love. ‘They have my sons eyes.’ 

‘Damn.’ Ace muttered in stunned disbelief 

‘You’re our grandma’ Oakley stated in shock as she stared at Sharlene like she could absorbed all of the details of her aged face.

‘Yes I am. And we have a lot to catch up to do once we get home!’  Sharlene grinned as she made herself comfortable in the seat behind the group.

‘Home.’ Anna whispered sentimentally as Devin squeezed her hand, ‘yes let’s go home.’

He confirmed as they all listened to the train pull out of the station and head to Louisiana.