Under the cover of darkness the boat sped atop the water approaching the abandoned industrial zone. Dark, looming buildings dotted the area above the shoreline. I sat back and observed the other 4 members of the team. There was nothing to discuss with them, all of us were special forces, each with our own part to make sure this raid went smoothly. Some group of extremists had gotten it in their heads that it was a good idea to grab a senator’s daughter and try to ransom her for money to fund their cause. Our team had been tasked with rescuing her. It was my job to infiltrate the building and secure the girl before the 4 would rush in and clear the area of any hostiles. The intel given said that the girl was being held in the dilapidated factory closest to the shore. As the boat drew near to the shoreline the engine was cut and the boat drifted into a cove below the facility. Hastily we dismounted and advanced toward the building, weapons at the ready.

As we exited the brush that surrounded the water’s edge, I snapped my hand up signaling for the group to stop. I turned to the others, “When I’m clear with the girl knock the wall down and give ‘em hell.”

They nodded and faded back into the foliage at the water’s edge. This next part of the operation I would have to go at it alone. As I crept up to the building, it began to rain and quickly turned into a downpour. Withdrawing what was essentially a grappling hook, I fired a cable which buried itself into the top of the factory wall. Grimacing, I began to scale the wall, this wouldn’t have been as difficult but with the wall now slick with water, slipping was a constant threat. Reaching the roof of the factory I pulled myself over. Now on the roof I set about looking for the air duct. 

My plan for safely extracting the girl involved me entering the factory through the duct on the roof, and as the factory was 2 stories, I would follow the duct until I could exit onto the ground floor. From that point I could act as I deemed necessary to the situation. 

After locating the air duct I removed a pair of bolt cutters from my belt, cut the latch on the air duct and ducked inside. Crawling through the duct the air became stale, it was filthy, filled with dust and other allergens. Hopefully the sound of constant rain echoing throughout the duct masked any of the sounds produced by my crawling. Up ahead the duct made a sharp turn downward, as I crawled towards it I began contemplating how I was going to make the descent. 

Abruptly my body found itself in open air. The metal panel that was underneath me, gone. The ground was approaching rapidly but there was nothing I could do to stop. I slammed into the floor. 

Each part of my body lit up with pain. Dazed I lifted myself up. My pistol unholstered and up, my eyes darting around the room looking for the threat that would soon put a bullet in me. Nothing came. The building was abandoned, as it should’ve been under any other circumstances, the only noise was that of the rain pelting the rooftops. I glanced up at where I had just fallen from, the metal panel once supporting me was hanging by its edge from the duct. With my arms, legs, and ribs throbbing in pain, I staggered toward an elevator shaft connecting the ground floor to the basement level. There was still a job that needed to be done, someone’s life still on the line. 

The basement was the last place the hostage could be. Surely, the terrorists would have heard the crash, why was there no response? A feeling of dread came over me as I realized the girl could’ve been taken to another location or the terrorists, having grown tired of waiting for their demands to be met, killed her.  

 Now was the time to call in the others waiting outside, conduct a thorough search of the building. No, that would lose any element of surprise left and the firefight could end with unnecessary loss of life. Sliding down the short elevator shaft, I reached the bottom. Rifle at the ready I peered out the empty elevator doorway.

There was nothing. Only an overhead light illuminating a single chair in the middle of the room. Nearing the chair, I stowed my rifle and noticed a slip of paper sitting on the chair.  Grasping the paper, it read, “You thought you could just take back what you want? Soldiers, always fighting for someone else, following orders from some affluent politician back in Washington. We’re bringing an end to that. Unfortunately, you won’t be around to see it.”

I glanced up, in the far corner of the room a red light began to slowly fade in and out of existence.

“Damn it.” 

Then my world lit up.