Compassion

    

    Tears ran down the young agent's face, he sat on the passenger seat of the team's vehicle clutching a little girl. Tears of sorrow, tears of joy rolled down the agent's face. She was safe, nothing would harm her, not tonight, not tomorrow. Her innocence, her life, her future was now safe. She would see the warm sun again, hear the sound of sprinklers and lawnmowers that came with summer. She'd experience the soft sounds of snowflakes as they hit the ground. The holidays would hold cherish-able memories for her. She was safe, the agent looked out the window reminiscently, the little girl lay in his lap, head against the agent's chest, she breathed heavily from crying but she felt safe and comfortable, tucked safely away from the horrors that had taken place that night, and the evil that would have done her great harm.    

To the Last Breath

It was raining, and only a few street lights illuminated the desolate suburb streets, as S.S.A. team two made their way to check in to a hotel for the night. Suddenly the driver of the lead vehicle stopped. "What, what's wrong?" The agent next to him asked. "There, did you see them, in that alley way a man holding a little girl by the hand?" Jetz replied in a concerned tone. "No, but if you think we should check it out then lets." His fellow agent responded. Turning off the lit street and into a narrow alley way all four agents aboard the lead vehicle peered into the gloomy darkness. Upon exiting the alley way the agents spotted what Jetz had witnessed, sure enough it was a little girl accompanied by a tall male. "Looks fishy to me." Jetz muttered. Pulling up to the man the agent in the passenger seat began to question the man, "Excuse me sir, where you headed this fine night?" The man, paused and  replied in an alarmed and rather timid tone that he was walking his daughter to her grandmother's house. "Is this your father?" The agent asked. The little girl, who was about 7 with long blond hair and sky blue eyes nodded cautiously. "Alright sir, you have a nice night then," The agent retorted, "we might have overreacted huh? Maybe we scared 'em a little?" The team pulled up to an intersection that was only a few blocks away and the man and the little girl remained in sight until disappearing into another alley way one block away. Before turning on to the original route Jets grumbled, "I'm not convinced, not at all." "Recall that you often overreact, bud."
     His fellow agent countered. After arriving at the hotel and acquiring rooms the agents headed in for sleep, Jetz would not stop commenting about his personal distaste for that evenings escapade, even going so far as to say they should check the area again. However; his fellow agent reassured him that all was well. It was now midnight and all the agents had long since drifted off, save for Jetz. "What if I just leave?" He thought. "That's a big no, no though. Ha! Our policies sometimes. It's true I might overreact at times though. But what if this time I'm right?" He rolled his eyes and continued to ponder the same thoughts for a good twenty minutes. Rubbing his head he stood up. He looked around the room and without a word left. It was only a 15 minute ride to the place where they watched the man and the little girl disappear.  
   Parking in the alley way he cautiously got out fully equipped in his combat gear, but, none the less alone. As he advanced down the center of the ally way he scanned the area for anything that would seem out of place. To his left where houses, some inhabited some boarded up. On his right from the beginning of the ally way was a brick building that looked to be some sort of appliance store. Directly behind the brick building was a fenced in warehouse. Jetz briefly caught the noise of a child's voice. Without hesitation Jetz entered through an unlocked gate, gun raised, and ready to lay waste to the little one's captor. Jetz entered the warehouse with minimal effort and just caught a glimpse of the little girl's pony tail as her and her captor rounded the corner of a shipping crate. Stealthily the solitary agent pursued like a lion stalking its oblivious and under powered prey. Noticing the footsteps had stopped Jetz switched on his thermal imaging goggles as the few lights that were in the ware house gave little to no light around the corner. Jetz could now hear the little girl, through tears she asked to go home, that she was scared, and that she wanted to see her mom. The man scoffed, "Ha, the only place your going is overseas! Oh, and just think of the profit!". Jetz scowled, determined to apprehend the child's tormentor. Rounding the corner the agent growled, "Try being the prey for a change!" The little girl's captor was caught off guard as he attempted to pull out his gun, but it was far from too late, a flash of fire was followed by the lifeless body of the girl's captor falling to the floor. Grabbing the little girl by the hand, Jetz leaned down and in a hushed tone let the little girl know that he was there to save her. Hearing footsteps from the hallway he had just come from the agent turned and entered a door on the left. This door led to a larger portion of the warehouse but did not seem to offer any escape route, at least, not that the agent could see. He could hear numerous footsteps of pursuers behind him. 
    Jetz continued running, holding the little girl's hand. The two disappeared into a room at the back of the where-house. It was a dead end, no way up, no way out save for some windows that would take too much precious time to reach. Thinking fast the agent ducked behind stacks of shipping containers at the end of the room that would serve as  makeshift cover until his team arrived, if they arrived. "two entries, 8 or more targets, 3 mags, one handgun, two knives, one victim to protect, and one to stand in harm's way". The agent thought. The agent radioed to his fellow agents, "I, er, I seem to have run into some trouble. I'm in dire need of assistance, I have a child with me!" Seconds later two men came from the first entry, guns drawn. Instantly the agent dropped one of the men hitting the second but not fatally. Shots rang from the agents left with several pelting the steel containers he was using as cover. The agent fired suppressively toward the second doorway on the left. Behind him the little girl was whimpering, frightened and confused. Before Jetz could focus on the second door a round impacted his helmet sending him to the ground. Any closer to the agents skull and he would be down for good. Bleeding profusely the agent sat up  just in time to catch one of the pursuers attempting to flank him. A short burst dropped the man. The agent crouched again firing at the left doorway hoping to hit anyone hiding behind the doorwell. After reloading his M4, Jetz fired quick bursts in both directions. Suddenly two shots from one of the pursuers, who had entered while the agent was down, impacted the agent's vest again knocking him off his feet. The rest of the men filed in. Firing here and there the agent struggled to hit the approaching men who were now using other steel containers as cover. Seconds later a man rounded the corner on the agent's left firing but missing. Jetz dropped him, meanwhile the little girl was screaming through tears, "Behind you, behind you!" Too late. The other pursuer fired several shots into the agents back dropping him to his stomach. Spinning around the agent caught the man in the chest with a quick burst from his M4 before he could retreat. The man dropped dead. Jetz reloaded as he knelt, ready for the next volley of attack. Again he radioed for help in a fatigued, desperate voice, "This is agent Jetz I'm surrounded, I'm hit, requesting backup!" The agent raised his gun aiming towards the left where multiple footsteps were now approaching. Two men from his left, the agent unloaded dropping them both. Spinning around the agent  fired at another pursuer who simultaneously fired  three shots at the agent, striking him in the chest and left arm. His vest only stopped so much and the agent fell to the ground  gasping for air, his arm bleeding from one of the shots. Wincing the agent knelt on one knee. "This is it", he thought, "this may be the last breath  I breathe. This is it, I'll fight til my last breath." The agent raised his M4 firing at another pursuer as he rushed behind a shipping container. The man rounded the corner, the agent missed and several shots hit the agent's left shoulder dropping him once again. Dropping his M4 Jetz frantically retreated behind a steel container. Drawing his hand gun and pulling out a smoke grenade. He looked at the little girl who was now white with fear and motioned for her to keep quiet. The agent tossed the smoke grenade around the corner to his left , and seconds later peered around the corner firing at the man who had proceeded to advance through the smoke. To the agent's front another man rushed in, firing but missing the agent. Jetz emptied his handgun which failed to drop his assailant who was also wearing kevlar protection. The man reached the agent who had now pulled out his knife and was kneeling on one knee.The knife found its mark below the man's neck, and seconds later the target was no longer a threat. Breathing heavily, barely able to see through his own blood, Jetz stood up, loaded his handgun, and prepared to defend the little girl, once again, from the deadly onslaught of captors. The agent walked back to where the little girl was, paused, looking at her, and through heavy breathing in a hushed tone reassured her, "No one's gonna hurt you." The little girl half shook her head in acknowledgement yet still afraid. 
    The agent took a defensive position behind a container, his now destroyed radio hung from his badly hit vest, he swayed with the toll of combat, his tatterd uniform was nearly beyond recognition, and his vision faded as he continued to lose blood. Startling noises began to fill the agents ears , he raised his gun, hand shaking with exhaustion, with a last effort rush of adrenaline the agent prepared for another stand. "Easy, easy there agent! It's your team, where on your side, it's okay, relax Jetz, relax!" Came a voice in the direction the agent was focused on. A fully armed fellow agent came into view. With that, Jetz collapsed unconscious.

Are You An Iron Lion?

For those who cannot protect themselves... It is my duty to cherish and protect them, I strive to be both physically and mentally capable of defending their innocence, I will defend them, It is my aim to be a worthy adversary to those who may harm them. I will protect the innocent at all costs regardless of the cost to my person, I am willing to die for them if the need arises, I am their knight, their guardian, I am their iron lion...