Chapter 13

A/N: Here's a long one for you guys. ;)

When Johnson reached the rendezvous point he found Butch and Darius kneeling in the bushes constantly watching and observing the Weather Station. The two told him of the many patrols and how long the break was to each one, which was more than enough time to find a way inside the station. When Austin, Mark, and Carl showed up the five were then told about Taylors death. This news hit hard, but they would have to grieve later.

"So whats the plan?" Carl asked as he attached a silencer to his M4. Johnson took out a map of the mountains, which didn't really help but it was all he had and explained.

"No more splitting up. that's what got the Lieutenant captured, her two men killed, and Taylor dying as well. No, we all go in together. We breach here at the south east side and work our way up, take down anyone who gets in our way, find Kai Adachi and the Suit, and detain them, and find the Lieutenant and secure her. General Sato is already cleaning up in the city, we're ending this here." Henry said. His men, stern and focused looks on their faces, nodded in affirmation.

Once the team was finished getting ready, weapons equipped with silencers and stocked on ammo, they waited for the next patrol to pass. It came only a few minutes later, six guys in two-by-two walking around the station. Once they passed the team exited their cover and quickly moved across the way to the stations south eastern entrance. They moved with purpose, never slowing down, Henry and Darius in front, Austin and Carl behind them, and Mark and Butch bringing up the rear. Turning a corner the team ran into three Terrorists walking towards them, yet in quick succession Henry and Darius shot the three of them down before they could get a word out, never stopping their movements and still going forward.

A dead end with a door on the left was their only way forward, but voices could be heard on the other side. Johnson motioned for Carl and the young man pulled out a flashbang. The team stacked up on the door and Johnson opened it slightly giving Carl room to toss the Flashbang inside. Once the grenade went off Johnson threw the door open and the team rushed in opening fire on all who was inside. A dozen Terrorists both fell dead and dropped into cover trying to fight back against their new attackers, even though they couldn't do much under the effects of a flashbang.

Have you ever been hit with a flashbang? Its not pretty. The Flash Temporarily activates all Photoreceptor cells in the eye, blinding it for approximately five seconds. Afterward, victims perceive an afterimage which impairs their vision. The volume of the detonation also causes temporary deafness in the victim and disturbs the fluid in the ear, causing a loss of balance. Its not a fun feeling.

Across the room, which turned out to be a cafeteria, a door burst opened with more of the Terrorists coming in and opening return fire. Butch set up his SAW on an overturned table and opened fire shredding the feeble defenses the Terrorists were using. Not even fifteen seconds later did those who survived Butch's onslaught decided to retreat.

Johnson motioned for the team to regroup and move, they exited the cafeteria and went down a hallway, large windows on the southern side giving them a view of the city below the mountains, and a sight of the Suit running, with an armed escort, towards the helipad on the west side of the station.

"That's the Suit!" Carl called out. The team looked at the man running across a steel walkway outside and Johnson cursed.

"Damn! Looks like we're splitting up after all. Carl you're with me, we're going for the Suit. The rest of you, get the Lieutenant back." Johnson ordered. The team nodded as Carl and Johnson double backed towards the Suits escape while Austin lead the rest of the team to save Nonna.

"Report! Whats happening out there!?" Kai Adachi yelled into his radio as he heard gunfire within the station.

"Islander Scum have infiltrated the station, we're hunting them down now!" Said someone unimportant to the story.

"Find me that Suited prick and get my chopper ready, we're leaving!" Kai ordered switching off the radio and marching over to Nonna, still tied up, gagged, and glaring at him.

"Whats this? We're running now. I thought you still wanted to find that Edward Hill guy?" Cody asked playing with his handgun.

"Don't patronize me American! I cant get my revenge if we die." Kai said grabbing Nonna and tugging her along with him.

"What are you going to do with her?" Cody asked.

"Whats it matter?" Kai asked back but only getting a shrug in return. "She's just a hostage, we can get away with her."

"You're the boss." Cody said as he got up and joined the two.

the two men walked down the stairs as Kai needed to practically drag Nonna with him. She was still fighting him every step of the way, not giving him the satisfaction of letting him leave. Once they reached the level beneath the control room Kai and Cody ran into a four Terrorists manning their positions. Just standing there like there weren't intruders that needed killing.

"You four with us. We're leaving." Kai ordered. The men fell in behind them and they made their way to the next stairwell. Behind them gunfire and thudding halted their advance as a door to the stair well opened and out came Austin stabbing his knife into the chest of one of the Terrorists. Nonna immediately started making as much noise as she could, but the gag was tight, and she couldn't manage more then muffled yells. Austin did see them and began moving forward when Cody stood in front of him. Blocking his way to his wife.

"Go. I'll take care of this one." Cody said. Kai needed not be told twice. He left hurriedly. Cody and Austin just stood there staring at each other, Cody's eyes gazing with interest while Austin's gaze was filled with anger and hatred. Cody sighed at the look and pulled his knife out and held it readily. "Ok little brother. Let's dance."

Johnson and Carl made it outside in record time sprinting down the metal walkway and towards the western side of the station. The Suit was trying to get on a Helicopter and the two couldn't let that happen. The walkway ended with a small stair case that led up one level and through the station again until it reached the Helipad. Johnson body checked the door leading to the pad and saw the Suit with his three-armed escorts waiting for the helicopter to start up.

Johnson ran forward and wasted no time, he opened fire on the four men and struck on in the back. The Suit ducked behind cover as his two remaining guards took their own to fire back. Johnson hid behind some crates as Carl arrived on the other side. What happened next was a minute long fire fight between the two sides. Popping out of cover to fire a few shots then fall back into cover to not get hit by the return shots, then back and forth.

It wasn't long till the helicopter rotors started up and the Suit looked like he was going to go for the chopper. Carl took aim with his rifle and fired as the cockpit of the helicopter hitting the pilot twice. His body went limp, and the helicopter started to wind down, with no one to finish the start up the Suit was trapped.

Johnson poked out and fired again, hitting only the metal crate the Terrorist hid behind. He shook his head and scanned the area again. There had to be something they could do. Johnson, however, wouldn't have to worry as Carl took out a second flashbang, pulled the pin and tosses it over to where the terrorists were hiding. The explosion blinded the two men and they fell out of cover. Johnson poked out and popped the first one while Carl took the second. With his guards dead the Suit began to run to where no one knows, but Carl didn't have it. he sprinted off, even wearing all the military gear, and caught up to the Suit and tackled him to the floor.

"I don't think so asshole!" Carl yelled pinning the man to the floor. Johnson walked up and knelt down to look in the mans face. He was clean shaven, and his glasses broke, but he looked terrified.

"So. Why don't we start with your name?"

Austin, Mark, Butch, and Darius turned around a corner just after Carl and the Sarge split and came across another group of the Terrorists. A firefight ensued with Butch taking the lead and dropping four of them with a spray of his SAW.

"We got to get past these guys and get to the control room!" Austin said. Darius took a frag grenade from his belt and pulled the pin, chucked it, and watched it explode three of the Terrorists leaving two left. Austin and Mark stepped out and popped them both in their heads ending the fight.

The four moved on but heard one of the Terrorists radio light up with noise. The four stopped and listened, not getting much but understanding the gist of it.

"Whats it saying?" Butch asked.

"A whole lot of them are coming this way. We got to move." Mark said. "Stairs are that way, we can take them to get to the control room."

The staircase was just down the hall and when the four arrived Austin opened the door and saw no one inside. It was clear to advance, just as voices were heard behind them and down the hall. The Terrorists were coming.

"We're not going to get anywhere with those guys chasing us. What now?" Austin asked. Mark reloaded his M4 while trying to think of something when Butch spoke up.

"You two get going, I'll stay here and hold them off." He said hoisting his SAW in his hands to emphasize.

"That's suicide Butch, and you know it." Austin said.

"Yeah, but he wont be alone." Darius said. "I'll watch his back. You two get the Lieutenant and stop Adachi." Austin sighed and shook his head before he responded.

"You two are crazy you know that." He and Mark clasped both their hands before the two started up the stairs.

Austin and Mark ran up the stairs encountering no resistance on the way up. Once they reached the top level they ran to the control room and busted it open to revel nothing. Absolutely nothing and no one.

"Damnit!" Austin yelled kicking one of the chairs. He was so close. So close and now Nonna was gone. Taken by that piece of shit Kai Adachi to who knows where.

"Austin! Over here!" Mark yelled by the window. Austin ran over and saw what Mark was pointing to. Kai Adachi dragging Nonna towards a helipad on the eastside of the station and following behind them was Cody. "We'll split up. I'll head down the southern way and get behind them. You go follow them."

"Yeah. It's time Cody and I had some Brotherly talks." Austin said. Austin clasped Marks hand and brought him in for one of those bro hugs. The two clasped each other on the back before separating and going their own way.

Mark had it easy. All he had to do was get behind Kai Adachi and shot him in the leg or arm and he'd be startled enough for Mark to rescue Nonna and capture the guy.

Mark did that. He exited the control room and ran south to another stairwell. He ran down it and came out on the opposite side of where Kai and Nonna were. Mark saw Austin and Cody stare at each other down across the way, but he couldn't get distracted. Austin would do his duty, no matter what. Mark just needed to do his in turn and save his best friends wife.

Mark came out to the other side of the station and onto a steel walkway leading to the helipad. Mark saw Kai and Nonna, but he also saw the four Terrorists that he failed to see before. The six saw Mark and stared for a second before the four men raised their guns and fired on him. Mark ducked down behind what ever cover he could find and stayed there. Looks like Mark didn't have it easy after all.

Butch and Darius fired their guns as wave after wave of Terrorists came running down the hallway towards them. what little cover the two could build was a mess of filing cabinets and some desks from the offices nearby. It wasn't much but it was working.

Another wave of six ran down the hallway shooting at the two men while Butch mowed them down with his SAW, Darius reloaded his M4 and popped up to take pot shots at the men further down the hallway, forcing them to remain behind cover long enough for Butch to reload the LMG.

"Ve ahora, consigue a los bastardos!" the two heard one say.

"Was that a jab at us? I heard a swear word in there." Butch asked as he finished reloading.

"No, I think there ready for another attack." Darius said.

"Well let's not disappoint." Butch said as another attack, bigger this time, came down the hallway. He lit up his SAW taking many of them down as he could focusing on the ones closer while Darius worked on the ones further away. If things could hold out like this then they would be in the clear.

Butch felt it almost immediately. He got shot. He felt it in his right shoulder. He didn't need to check, he'd live so he needed to keep shooting. The grazing fire from the SAW was keeping them alive right now, so Butch fired again and took down more of the Terrorists until there was none left. Then another shot. This one in his right arm. This time Butch needed to duck down and check, he'd live but it hurt like an S.O.B.

Darius saw the shooter little to late to stop the second shot but he would not get a third. Darius fired and scored a kill shot through his head and then went to check on Butch.

"You're going to be ok Butch, hang in there." Just as Darius said that Butch saw his throat get explode from a bullet. Darius fell right besides Butch clutching at his neck gasping and suffocating. Butch saw the shooter running for them, so he picked up Darius's M4 and opened fire killing the man than grabbing his SAW and pulled himself into the stairwell. Butch saw more of them coming after him spent the rest of his magazine on keeping them behind cover. He looked at Darius, still alive but eyes filled with fear of the inevitable. Darius then reached for behind his head and took off his tags and tossed them to Butch. The man caught them and saw Darius reach up for the door handle to the stairwell, grab it and slam it shut before another noise made Butch think Darius took off the handle entirely. Then gunshots from a 9mm sidearm, and then shots from an AK, then silence.

Butch felt his eyes water just as fast as he began to reload his SAW. One last magazine for the thing before he was out, he would make it count. Butch leaned on the stairs as he set his SAW down for a moment before pulling his own sidearm and setting it on the step besides him. He was exhausted. Not even twenty minutes of fighting and running and he was already sweating like a hooker in church. But he had to hold. He promised Austin and Mark he'd hold the bastards off and he would do just that.

Thumping at the door made Butch pick up his SAW and aim it at the door waiting for it to open. Eventually it did, but just only enough for the ones on the other side to toss in a frag.

"SHIT!" Butch turned his back to the grenade and when it exploded he felt that in his whole back and legs. Butch screamed in pain but brought his SAW back up just in time for the door to burst open. He squeezed the trigger and a burst of gunfire from the barrel shredded the ones standing in the way. Immediately there was return fire but Butch held fast holding his trigger down even when he felt two more shots hit him somewhere in his torso, he kept the trigger pulled until the last bullet was spent.

"Ok little brother. Lets dance." Austin heard the words and felt his anger skyrocket. He charged at Cody, barely conscious of the choice, with the thought of giving his elder brother the beating he deserved.

Cody counter charged and when the two got close they both lunged with their knives and used their off hands to block the others lunge. Austin lifted his knee and slammed it into Cody's gut causing the elder Mayes to stomp on his brothers foot. Austin threw off Cody's off arm and swung at his brother main arm, Cody in turn lifted his main arm and used his off arm to punch Austin in the face. Austin stepped back before moving forward again and feigning a thrust only to kick at Cody's knee sending him off balance which gave Austin the chance to stab him in the shoulder. Cody felt it to, and body chucked himself into Austin sending the two of them onto the floor, both their knives lost, and causing punches to be thrown.

"Why!? Why did you fake your death!? Mom, Dad, Grandpa! We all mourned you! So why didn't you come home!?" Austin yelled punching Cody in the face. Cody retaliated by lifting his brothers body and slamming it back down.

"You wouldn't understand anything I did over there Austin! Nothing! The shit we where forced to do by people who had no right to lead us! It was all bureaucratic bullshit! I found a way out and I took it! That's all!" Cody yelled.

Austin grabbed Cody's main arm and brought it closer to his face only to bite down hard on it. Cody yelled in pain and smacked his brother, but Austin didn't let go. Cody smacked him again and again, but Austin's bite held firm. Once Cody went to smack him again Austin lunged his main arm up and punched Cody in the chin causing him to back off enough for Austin top push him off him and onto the floor. Austin then took the advantage and mounted Cody and unleashed a flurry of punches.

"My wife! You kidnapped my wife!" Austin yelled.

"Kai did that! I didn't touch her!" Cody yelled.

"You're still apart of this! Why!?" Austin yelled.

Cody jabbed Austin in his stomach and grabbed his collar pulling him down making Austin hit his head on the floor. Cody rolled out from under his brother and tried to stand but Austin got up faster and jumped on his brothers back dragging him back to the floor in a chock hold. Cody spat and coughed but managed to let out a laugh.

"You remembered everything I taught you. I'm impressed little brother." Cody said smiling.

"Shut up! You will get what you deserve one way or another!" Austin yelled and increased his hold on Cody's neck.

"But I didn't teach you everything." Cody said before reaching under him, grabbing Austin's left leg and pulled it out and rammed his elbow into his tendon. Austin felt his leg flair up and he let out a scream of pain. He had no choice but to let Cody go and grab his leg. Cody rolled and launched himself onto his feet before turning to look back at Austin. He was still writhing on the floor, his leg still being held, Cody was confused. "I didn't hit you that hard Austin! Quite whining, you always did cry whenever I beat you! I expected you to have manned up by now!"

"You don't know anything!" Austin said releasing his leg and forcing himself to stand up. "You think I haven't experienced what it means to man up!? Once you died everything went to hell for our family! Mom didn't come out of her room for months, Dad drank himself under the table twice and Grandpa was the only one who seemed to still have a head on his shoulders. He was the only one who kept our family together."

"And is that supposed to mean something!?" Cody asked.

"They wanted me to quit Tankery!" Austin yelled. Cody recoiled. Tankery was in their families blood. Grandpa did it in high school and then enlisted for Vietnam. Dad did it and it prepared him for the Gulf. Then Cody did it in preparation for the Middle East, and it did jack all. But if Mom and Dad wanted Austin to not do Tankery because of his death, what was that supposed to mean?

"Bull. Grandpa wouldn't have allowed that." Cody said.

"Grandpa was the one who recommended it." Austin said as Cody's eyes widened. "You and Me. The only two sons of Derek Mayes. If both of us died then our family was done. We would have been the last generation, but not the last of our blood to die. My leg was beat and partially crushed back during the yearlong game, I was whipped I fought off a Grizzly bear twice, I made MY family stronger while you hide and coward in the shadows! Don't you tell me to man up."

Cody squinted his eyes and glared at Austin. His words were easy enough to misunderstand but to Cody it was obvious. Austin didn't consider him family anymore. The two of them were no longer brothers.

"Fine." Cody said as he unclipped his handgun holsters strap. "let's see if you really have grown up."

Austin unclipped his handgun as well and the two stood there, glaring and sweating. To anyone watching, this would look like one of those cowboy duels straight out of a John Wayne movie. The tension was thick enough to be cut with a butter knife, and the two only stood there.

A tingle of sweat slipped down Cody's head and onto his nose, when it reached his nose point it hung there for a second, then it fell and smacked onto the floor.

*BANG*

Cody pulled his gun and fired hitting and clipping a piece of Austins right ear off. Austin on the other hand, pulled his gun and fired hitting Cody right between his sixth and seventh ribs on his left side. Cody felt it but couldn't believe it for a second. Austin had been a second faster.

Cody coughed and groaned before falling onto the ground, dropping his gun, and holding his wound. Austin holstered his handgun and checked his ear. It stung but it hurt a lot less then what Cody was feeling. Austin walked up to the wounded man and stood over him, watching him writhe, groan and gasp.

"Your not a Mayes anymore." Austin turned around and walked towards the eastside helipad leaving Cody to bleed and writhe on the ground as he chocked on a sob with tears coming down his eyes.

Mark stood up and fired again hitting the second Terrorist before he needed to duck into cover again. He had already taken down two of the bastards but the last had proven more difficult, But Mark managed to find a way to faint and got one of them. Now there was just one more between him and Kai Adachi.

Three gunshots from a handgun caught Marks attention, he peeked from cover and saw Austin walking towards the helipad with his handgun smoking and the last Terrorist guard dead. Mark stood up and was about to jog over to the chopper when his radio went off.

"Mark its Johnson we have no word from Butch or Darius, can you confirm their position? Over." Mark sighed as he looked over at Austin seeing he had overheard, Austin nodded his head back towards the station and Mark nodded. Austin could handle things from here.

"Sarge, I'm heading back into the station now to confirm. Call General Sato and see if he can get some people up here. We'll need medics and extra guns." Mark said running back into the station while saying a silent prayer for Austin.

Nonna felt a tear fall from her eye as she saw him. Beaten, bloody, and tired but he was coming for her. The man who she promised herself to since that day in Homedale. Austin stepped forward, his handgun in hand and a glare in his eye. Nonna knew it well, her Blizzard glare held no candle to his own Burning anger.

"Damn that man, couldn't even take down one Islander Scum." Kai Adachi said holding Nonna tight. He had no weapons, a fumble on his part, but he still had his hostage. "But I guess I do have to thank you. Prick was a thorn in my side for a while now."

"You've lost Kai. Eight years ago and today. You've lost." Austin said his gun still leveled. Kai only laughed.

"I haven't lost yet. You think this was the whole of the Jungle Devil force? This was only the Peruvian cell you nitwit. I can just go back and recruit more." Kai said proudly.

"Since when were South American Terrorists that forgiving for getting over a thousand of there men killed or captured? Think about it, weather or not you leave your either going to be arrested or killed. You still get the choice on how it turns out." Austin said.

"Not much of a choice."

"It's the only one you get."

The two stared at each other before Nonna thought of something. She was in the way, if she wasn't then Austin could take the shot. It was a quick and sporadic plan but hey, that's what the Americans did a lot eight years ago, why not try it now?

Nonna raised her foot and stomped hard on Kai's own. He yelled and jerked enough to loosen his grip and Nonna jumped out of the way. Kai Adachi glared but Austin kept his gun leveled at Kai's chest and pulled the trigger.

*Click*

Austin's eyes widened. Weapon Jam!? Now!? Kai realized his luck and charged at Austin body checking him to the ground and unleashing a flurry of punches. Austin blocked and struck where he could but Kai wasn't pulling nothing, he had Austin tied down and he needed a way to get out of it. luckily he had help.

Nonna may have been gagged and tied by her arms, but her legs worked fine. She stood up ran over and with all the strength she could muster she kicked Kai in the stomach. He was caught off guard enough for Austin to pull his collar down and give a sweet punch right in the chin. Kai fell off of Austin and rolled away as Austin jumped to his feet and ungagged Nonna.

"Austin!" Nonna said with a smile. Austin smiled back before he pressed his lips to hers encasing her in a kiss. He would have held it longer if not for Kai standing further away.

"You really think this is it? That I lost? You really have another thing coming!" Kai said as the moved to the helicopter and pulled out a box. Austin would have moved to attack him again but Kai was faster. Inside the box was a handgun and pulled it out and aimed it at the two.

Austin instinctively pulled Nonna behind him and faced Kai Adachi down. Kai simply laughed.

"You know, I remember something my sister once told me you said eight years ago. After she was defeated just outside this wretched city. You had her at your mercy and were glad she was captured since you were once her prisoner. What was it you said? Oh yes.

"Well, Well how the turn tables." Kai said with both a smirk and in a thoroughly sarcastic voice.

"Why do you want Edward?" Nonna asked surprising the both of the men.

"What?" Kai asked.

"Why are after Edward? Cody told me himself that you personally were here to find Edward. Why?" Nonna asked again.

"What do you mean why? He was the one who got my sister thrown in jail that's why!" Kai said.

"What!? Akari had me whipped! What makes you think she didn't deserve to go to jail?" Austin asked.

"She was my sister! She already suffered enough because of you Americans why don't you understand that!" Kai yelled.

"Edward told us about what happened to her. That Marine who left her, it was a horrible thing but Akari made her choices eight years ago. You cant pin that on us." Austin said.

"Cant I?" Kai said in anger. "I didn't care about Sensha Do, that was Akari's thing. She loved it, and I love her. she's my sister how could I not want to support her. When she realized Americans have their own sport and that they do it for early training for military service she was scared. Scared that someone like that man would make his way to Japan and seduce another young woman like my sister!"

Kai started screaming, his rage and anger blinding him to all around him except for Austin and Nonna. He was so angry he didn't even see the bushes moving behind him. He didn't notice, but Austin and Nonna did.

"She would never want some other young woman to go through what she did! How could she!? It was horrible! Losing your child before its even born is the most terrible thing any woman could go through!"

Kai continued to scream as the figure emerged from the bushed and made its way towards Kai. Austin and Nonna's eyes widened at the sight.

"Kai." Austin said but Kai ignored him.

"The only reason I came to this island last time was to stop you brats from hurting my people! You sick F***s never deserved to make a game called Tankery, and I was going to help my little sister save our people by ending your practice!"

"Kai." Nonna said as the figure came closer, but Kai ignored her to.

"Now! now I came back to this Island for my own volition! I came back to end what demeaned my sister! I came back to destroy all that destroyed my family! And I will not let you Island F***ers best me again!!!"

"KAI!" Austin said pointing behind him.

Kai turned to see, and fear encased his whole body. Behind him was the massive form of a Grizzly Bear standing on its two hind legs. Haulking one thousand pounds of meat and muscle, with a scratch over one of its eyes, and the other missing completely.

Kai could do nothing except scream as the bear roared and swung its right claw hit Kai in the head, his body flew several feet before his head his the side of the helicopter. A blood spat leaving evidence of the impact and Kai's body hitting the ground with an audible thud.

The Grizzly bear then turned to face the two and it seemed like it squinted its eyes and snarled a bit. Yeah, it definitely remembered the two of them. luckily enough the bear didn't attack them, it grabbed Kai's body by its leg and pulled it back towards the woods. Austin and Nonna could only watch as the Bear dragged Kai's body into the bushes, and then disappeared from sight.

Austin and Nonna let go of breathes they held instinctively and Austin finally untied Nonna from her binds.

"I hate that thing." He said.

"I know. But it was what brought us together in a way." Nonna said.

"Don't ever say that again." Austin responded quickly enough to make Nonna laugh.

"Well, aint that pretty." Austin recognized this new voice and reached for his gun on the ground. He quickly ejected the jammed bullet and turned to see Cody there. Bandage covering his bullet wound, and all his weapons off his body. "I can see you told the truth Austin, you did make your family stronger."

Austin stared at him. His eyes were so lifeless, and they had no color anymore. Austin wanted to pull the trigger, but something stopped him. Curiosity. Because Cody lied.

"Why did you really fake your death?" Austin asked. Cody chuckled.

"My team and I were liaison to work with this CIA kook. Some type of Agent Orange shit. You remember that whole thing about there being no WMD's in Iraq? Well, my team and I were sent in to plant one. Make it seem like the Chinese were funding middle eastern terrorists with nuclear weapons. Give America the excuse to drop the sun on Iraq and further the invasion." Cody said causing Austin and Nonna to blank and go wide eyed. "They wanted to further the weapons industry. Bastards were getting so rich off of selling weapons to the military and Paramilitary groups in the region. I told you half the truth Austin. The shit I did and saw there, that's why I left. The CIA kook is why my team faked our deaths."

"Jesus." Austin whispered. Nonna slightly trembled and clutched Austins arm.

"Live a good long live brother. Love your wife and your kid. Take care of them and tell the Feds the truth when they come to you. I joined up with terrorists, I tried to kill you, and you tried to kill me. Don't lose what you have trying to save me. Its not worth it." Cody said walking north into the mountain.

"Cody. If you run they'll find you!" Austin said. Cody only turned back and smiled.

"No they won't. Because the Feds and I are fighting each other, and a Mayes always wins their fights." Cody turned and walked into the woods disappearing from sight.

Austin holstered his handgun and turned to Nonna. She took her hand and caressed his face and used her thumb to wipe the tears he felt coming from his eyes. He sighed and leaned into her and kissed her again. This act caught Nonna by surprise, but she just kissed him back and was unbothered by the scores of military choppers coming in from Hoja City.