***PLEASE DON'T FORGET TO VOTE AND COMMENT IF YOU LIKED THIS CHAPTER!***

Note: Timeline. This story stars December 25, 2013 and overlaps with the timeline for TBDMC. During this time, Nikos and Cassia are in greece spending some time together. But it isn't the ending yet. To those who read the published version, the thing in the end doesn't happen yet.

To those reading the Wattpad version, this is the period where Nikos and Cassia are happy and before Hector kidnaps her.

CHAPTER 1- MERCENARY

-❈--❈--❈--❈--❈--❈--❈--❈--❈--❈-

April 29, 2003
Harvard University
Cambridge, Massachusetts

“The quarterback has the ball! Last thirty second folks. Would this be a win for Harvard this time or will Yale still bring home the bacon?”

The sports commentator turned to his partner who shrugged.

 “It’s a close call. I don’t even know who’ll win! Smith still has the ball-- And he avoided the tackle from Cruz of Yale! Last ten seconds, everyone!”

Both of them took a quick survey of the arena. It was the football finals for Harvard and Yale. It was Harvard’s home court and the place was packed. Students brought streamers, banners and balloons of every kind to show support for their team.

On one side of the court, cheerleaders danced and waved their pompoms.

“This game has already gone into overtime. Will Smith finally break the tie?”

“Nice jump there! Smith passed the ball to Rourke—“

“Ouch! That’s gotta hurt. Rourke is down on the ground but he passes the ball back to Smith in that split second!”

“Smith has it again and he’s running. Everyone in Harvard seems to be praying at this point. All breaths are held as we wait for the outcome—“

“TOUCHDOWN!!!” the two commentators shouted at the same time.

And the crowd went wild.

After that, everything they said was drowned out amidst the raucous cheers from the students.

Alex Smith couldn’t believe his luck. For a few seconds, he just sat there and stared as he tried to catch his breath. The ball slipped from his fingers.

Then all the breath was suddenly knocked out from his lungs as his team mates tackled him to the ground. Their shouts and the students’ shouts were still ringing in his ears as he was hoisted over his team mates’ shoulders and paraded towards the bench.

Everyone chanted his name as confetti flew down from the stands. The trophy was handed to him and he raised it high in the air. He didn’t know it was possible, but the noise increased further as everyone screamed and cheered.

He laughed and jumped down. Then, he raced across the stands to where the cheerleaders danced. They were all pretty and they threw themselves at him but he had eyes for only one: Isobel Clayton.

He rushed towards her and swung her up in his arms.

“Alex!” she hissed. She playfully smacked his shoulder as he swung her around.

He laughed and set her down on the ground. Then, he bent his tall frame and kissed her lips. He didn’t care who watched. He didn’t care that their kiss was caught by the cameras and that it was now magnified by the large screen for everyone to see. He didn’t care about how much noise the crowd made.

It was only her that mattered.

“I love you,” she sighed against his lips.

“Forever yours, babe.”

-❈--❈--❈--❈--❈--❈--❈--❈--❈--❈-

December 25, 2013 (0500 hours)
Somewhere over the Desert
Libya

“Wake up, princess. We’re here,” a mocking voice followed by a vigorous shake jolted Alex Smith awake.

Years of training along with sharp instinct kicked in and his hand immediately went to the knife strapped over his arm.

“Easy, chief,” another voice piped in.

Alex’s confusion disappeared and he looked at the smiling faces of his men. He rolled his eyes and let go of his knife. Then, he shook his head to clear it of the dream he just had. It was a dream but it was a memory as well.

He welcomed the dream for it was the only way he could have her. His Isobel. The only woman he ever loved. But she was the sky and he was nothing but dirt under her high-heeled shoes. He wasn’t worthy of her. She was the First Daughter of the US and he was a mercenary. They couldn’t be more far apart or mismatched than anyone else.

But dear God, he missed her. He missed those beautiful blue eyes. He missed running his fingers down her soft brown hair and smelling her exquisite scent every morning. He missed talking to her and having debates about nearly everything under the sun. She was a very smart woman and they never run out of topics for conversation.

When he was still in university, talking to her at the end of the day was his reprieve from all the stress.

“Hey chief, you’re spacing out again. Or did you just fall asleep with your eyes open?”

That snapped Alex out of his trip down to memory lane. “Thanks for waking me up gently, Dash,” he grumbled sarcastically.

“No problem, chief,” Dash grinned. He even winked before he settled back in his seat. They were aboard a stolen Chinook helicopter and were on their way to the middle of the fucking dessert. Alex sighed and rubbed his gloved hand over his eyes. He wanted to lean forward and stretch his cramped muscles but the safety buckles held him in place.

He’s been awake for almost two days now and just caught about two hours of sleep here on the plane. But work called.

“Merry Christmas!” Dash shouted.

Alex rolled his eyes and greeted his team a merry Christmas. But there were no gifts inside stockings or cozy dinners for them today. Work called and as always, it came first.

He reached up and pressed the communication device in his ear.

“Everything okay, captain?” he asked.

There was some static before a raspy voice replied, “Everything’s great, chief. ETA thirty minutes.”

“Thirty minutes to target, men. Suit up,” Alex told everyone. Immediately, the click of weapons being reloaded echoed around the small cabin.

Alex also checked his weapons and ammo before he reached under his vest for his phone and checked their coordinates. Then, he brought up their plan for this mission.

“Target: Eight-year-old boy named Kharim Adar. Black hair, about four feet tall. Son of oil tycoon, Fazul Adar. Kidnapped for political purposes over an oil dispute.”

Alex reached inside his vest for the picture of the boy, He then handed it to his men who passed it around.

“Why do people think kidnapping solves everything?” Hack asked.

Alex shrugged. His friends Nikos Demakis and Antonio Velez were kidnapped more than two years ago. This fact gnawed at him for until today, he still wasn’t able to trace the perpetrators.

“Beats me,” he replied.

He glanced at his phone again and looked at his men.

“Alright, run me through the plan. Start to end,” he ordered.

His men all rolled their eyes. They worked as a team for about three years now and it was always Alex’s prerogative to ask them to recite the mission plan. He always wanted to make sure that everyone knew and never wavered from the original plan.

“Captain takes us down directly above the target. We’ll have the element of surprise for we stole one of their own planes and they’ll never suspect anything right until we’re on top of them,” Dash recited in a bored tone. He raised his hand and ran it through his cropped, black hair.

Dash was the team’s runner. He was the smallest and fastest. He was a pickpocket Alex met during his trip in Spain. He can pick a lock in less than five seconds and hot-wire a sports car in less than a minute. Alex saw his potential and invited him to his team.

“We smoke the terrorist-infested camp and go in wearing masks. Kill anyone in sight but don’t engage anyone unnecessarily. No one breaks away from the group,” Tiny said next. He grinned as he said this and also flexed his muscles. Alex knew that he was truly itching for a fight. He was the largest and the most heavily-muscled in their group and he really put those to good use. His nickname, Tiny, was sheer irony.

Tiny was a former wrestler. He was the biggest and the bulkiest in the group yet he moved with some sort of fluid grace born from years of martial arts training. He knew almost every form of martial arts and he was an excellent combat fighter.

“Dash grabs our target and we run like hell before Sweeper detonates his bombs and turns everything to dust. While Dash runs with the target, we cover them.” Hack added. He spoke while typing away in his laptop.

Hack was the team’s IT guy. He was your average nerd before and he used his time hacking government websites while playing videogames with his other hand. He also hacked several slot machines in Las Vegas which got him arrested. Alex bailed him out of jail and offered him a job. During Hack’s free time, he developed security software for companies.

Next on the team was Sweeper. His name was short for Minesweeper which was the codename the team gave him for his specialty. He was their bombs expert. He could diffuse any bomb and make his own over simple household materials. Alex knew him when he worked for a time in the CIA.

“So far, I don’t detect any elaborate defense mechanisms on their system. They don’t even have much computers on their camp. There’s nothing to hack,” Hack said.

Alex nodded and placed his phone back inside his vest. He turned towards the last team member who was still busy checking his weapons.

“Sniper, everything ready?” Alex asked.

Sniper was the team’s weapons expert. During the time that Alex served in the military, Sniper was his partner. He was also the best sharpshooter and won several competitions. That was why he was nicknamed Sniper.

There was one last click as Sniper removed the safety from his rifle. “Ready, chief. As for my part of the plan, I’d stay aboard this chopper to provide cover for you guys,” he said. He batted his eyelashes towards Tiny who then smacked his jaw.

“Ow!” he shouted as he rubbed the sore spot.

“You hit much too heavily, you know? Make a difference between a real punch and a punch for your friends!”

Tiny grunted. “I know. There is a difference, That’s the hit for friends,” he replied and everyone else snickered. Even Alex found himself laughing.

These men had his back. They were his elite team. He knew their real names for he was the one who recruited them. But in this line of work, they needed to protect their identity. So no one knew the real names of the members except him. The team knew each other by their code names.

 Alex trusted each of his men with his life.The men in his team saved him countless of times and he also saved them several times over. That was where the bonds of their friendship were forged. But to Alex, it was something much deeper than friendship. He never trusted anyone easily but his team had his hundred percent confidence.

“And what happens when our plan fails?” Alex asked.

“We grab the target and run about five to ten clicks south of the desert to rendezvous with Captain,” Hack replied.

Captain was their resident pilot. He can fly any aircraft. Not only that, he can navigate ships as well. He was a former military pilot but he often took risks that the higher-ups didn’t like. He was fired and it was good because Alex definitely needed his skills.

“Please don’t get shot. I don’t want to get my hands dirty by stitching you up again,” Doc grumbled.

Doc served as a military doctor in Afghanistan before. He was an expert in trauma wounds and a great soldier as well. He was a little bit insane, though. Nevertheless, Doc was excellent in his craft. He was the best medic in the field and in a job like this, they definitely needed someone who could save lives in the middle of a battlefield.

“Not getting shot sounds nice,” Dash said.

Alex rolled his eyes. “Good and the last condition?”

“Leave no one behind,” everyone else said as they all rolled their eyes.

“Great.” Alex grinned.

“Boys, we’re approaching dropping point in five minutes. Prepare for the jump,” Captain announced over the intercom.

Alex released the buckles that held him in place and double-checked his weapons. He also made sure that his GPS and his smart phone was tucked safely under his Kevlar vest.  Then, he stood up and looked outside the window.

He saw the camp below them and there were several guards armed with heavy weapons. He counted about ten of them near the drop-off point and he memorized all their positions.

“Sniper. Take ‘em out as we drop!” Alex shouted over the roar of the chopper’s blades.

“Got it, chief!” Sniper replied. He took a long harness and tied it towards the wall. He hooked it around his belt and checked if it was secure. The others also started to hook their belts into the long rope that will serve as their way down.

Alex was the last in line.

All of them waited with bated breaths as the doors to the helicopter opened.

“Go!” Alex shouted.

All of them held on to the rope and used it to rapel downwards. Dash and Tiny slid down first. The moment they exited the chopper, Sniper began firing at the guards closest to their-drop off point. He never missed and Alex watched with pride as six guards that immediately surrounded Dash and Tiny drop dead.

Dash and Tiny grabbed the smoke grenades on their vests. They took out the pin and tossed it across the camp. The others waiting in the chopper also did the same. In a matter of seconds, the entire camp was filled with a heavy layer of smoke.

Alex and his men snapped their masks into place. Sniper, on the other hand, rained his bullets down the other side of the camp for there was no more visibility in the area near their drop-off point and he could easily kill his teammates.

The noise and smoke caused panic and uproar over the entire camp. Over the noise of the chopper and gunfire, Alex and his men heard the guards’ curses and their shouts alerting the other terrorists.

More armed men immediately poured out of the tents. Now they needed to be quick or they’ll have a hard time escaping with so many men on their tails.

“Go!” Alex shouted.

Hack and Sweeper immediately followed down the rope. While they rapelled downwards, Dash and Tiny were already taking cover behind one of the stacked sand bags. They fired at anyone who approached while Sniper took care of those that aimed at the chopper and at the men rapelling down from it.

 Finally, it was Doc and Alex’s turn to go down. It was about a twenty foot jump from the helicopter but he was already used to it. In fact, he relished the adrenaline high he got from these crazy missions. Besides, this mission wasn’t cheap. If they do this successfully, he’d be twice as rich and he’ll be loaded even if he didn’t get another mission for a few months.

With a wide grin on his face, he took hold of the rope and flung himself over the edge of the helicopter.

He controlled his descent with one hand while his other hand held his pistol. The moment his feet landed on the ground, he unhooked his belt from the rope and started firing at the two men who approached his team from behind.

“Dash, Tiny! Get the target now! I’ll cover you!”

The two men jumped over the sand bags and headed towards the tent in the middle. According to the pilot they stole the helicopter from and forced to answer their questions, this was where their target was being held. Alex watched them run and with Sniper’s help, provided cover fire for them.

The smell of gun powder permeated his nostrils and the noise of shots being fired echoed in his ears.

But this was what Alex Smith lived for. He was a mercenary. This was his job and he was damned good at it.

When they reached the tent, Alex also jumped over the sandbags and ran towards his men to protect their back. The smoke made it harder to see but at least he wasn’t coughing and heaving like the terrorists.

One terrorist stumbled its way towards him and Alex immediately lifted his leg and kicked. He hit the man on the chest hard which sent him sprawling backwards. He tripped over the sand bags and hit his head on one of the rocks.

Alex lost sight of Dash and Tiny over the thick smoke He decided to follow the sound of gunfire for that was where he supposed Dash and Tiny were.

“Chief! We got our target,” Dash said over the team’s communication line.

“Good! Back to the chopper immediately! Captain, prepare to leave!”

“Copy!” Dash shouted.

Alex reloaded his pistol and then started running back towards the chopper.

“Chief! They’re regrouping! Chopper’s taking hits!” Sniper shouted.

“Faster, boys! We’re going to lose this stolen baby if we stay any minute longer!” Captain replied.

Shit. Fucking damn shit of a luck.

Alex touched his earpiece. “Go! Now! We’ll regroup later. Can’t risk leaving us without a ride in this god-forsaken desert! Plan B, everyone! Respond!” he shouted.

“Copy!” Sniper replied.

“Copy, chief. Ten clicks north by the oasis. Captain over and out,” Captain replied.

Alex waited for everyone else’s acknowledgement before he took off running. He jumped over several sandbags as he tried to formulate a new plan. He didn’t expect them to just outrun the terrorists. Besides, running ten kilometres in a sweltering desert only happened in fantastical romance novels where the heroes were likened to gods.

And he wasn’t a god. Nor was he some kind of a hero.

Well, fuck me.

Sometimes, he was a hero. He didn’t like it but desperate times called for desperate measures. With another muffled curse, Alex stopped and ran back the way he came from. He distinctly remembered seeing vehicles near their drop off point.

He just wished that now that the chopper was gone, the men surrounding it were also gone or he’d have one hell of a fight in his hands.

“Chief! Is your GPS malfunctioning? You’re going the wrong way! Run North!” Hack’s voice echoed over the line.

Alex pressed his earpiece over and over again to mimic static. “Can’t hear you!” he shouted as he continued running.

Suddenly, he stopped because he felt a blow to his chest. He looked at his vest and a large bullet was lodged there.

“Son of a bitch!” Alex shouted before he ducked to avoid the next round of bullets, rolled and fired. While doing that, he thanked his lucky stars for the person who invented bullet proof vests. It saved lives but still, the impact of bullets felt like a solid punch to his chest.

But don’t get him wrong, he was thankful that it just felt like a punch that was just going to bruise instead of a hole in his heart.

Alex crouched behind one of the tents. He lifted his head slowly and scanned his surroundings. There were eight men ahead of him and two to his left. The ones on his left were easy pickings but the eight ones surrounding his target were a bit harder to dispatch.

Alex looked at his vest and inventoried his supplies.

Then, a huge smirk crossed his face.

If guns were unreliable at one point, then bomb the shit out of the enemies.

He grabbed a grenade from his vest, took out the pin and threw it wide across the field. At the same time, he prayed that he would not hit all of the vehicles and that there’d still be one for him to steal.

If not, well shit happens and he’d just have to be that romance-hero-slash-god who ran across the fucking desert.

He heard curses and shouts of warning before a huge explosion almost made his eardrums burst. He felt the ground tremble beneath his feet and saw tons of sand along with other debris shoot upwards.

When everything settled, he lifted his head he saw only one guard remaining. And he seemed to be disoriented from the explosion. Taking his chance, Alex leapt from his hiding position and ran towards the vehicles he saw earlier. The terrorist saw him but he had slow reflexes and Alex fired first.

He didn’t miss and it was even a damned head shot.

He grinned as he ran towards the vehicles. Five were severely destroyed, two were still burning. But there was one that was still standing: a small military jeep. It’d be nice if it was a bullet-proof Hummer but beggars can’t be choosers, right? Besides, this one had a fifty-caliber machine gun at the rear end and it’d be a great aid to their escape.

His grin widened as he slid himself into the seat. The keys were still there and the engine was even started.

Guess his luck is turning around now, he mused.

He hated hot-wiring cars and it wasn’t as damned easy as fucking Grand Theft Auto. Alex scanned his surroundings once more and when the coast was clear, he placed the vehicle into gear and sped off towards the North.

With one hand on the steering wheel, he used his other hand to retrieve his GPS from his vest and placed it on the dashboard of the jeep. He checked his team’s position and relief slid through him when he saw Dash and Tiny were already far from the camp.

He checked the nearest one to him and then tapped a button on his earpiece.

“Doc! Run towards me!” Alex shouted.

“Copy!” Doc replied. Again, the line went static and Alex checked his GPS. Doc changed course and was now running towards him.

“Are you fucking Roadrunner or something? You’re moving too fast!” Doc’s breaths were uneven as he said the words.

Alex grinned and replied, “I am a desert God.”

“What the fuck?! Should I check your mental health once we’re back?” Doc hissed. Alex just couldn’t stop himself, he let loose a bark of laughter at the joke only he knew and understood. He was still laughing as Doc burst from the smoke.

“Desert god, my ass,” he hissed as he eyed the vehicle. Alex winked as Doc climbed up behind the small jeep. He positioned himself behind the machine gun and aimed. He fired at the remaining terrorist running towards them. He even fired at the camp even when there was no one chasing them. Doc was like that and a long while back, Alex already suspected he had some mental issues. But he was a great medic, a great soldier and a very loyal member of the team. He just went a little crazy sometimes but who wouldn’t in this line of work?

Alex glanced at the side mirrors and saw nothing else but a camp that was in ruins and dead bodies on the ground.

“Did Sweeper plant the bombs?” Alex asked.

“Yeah! Saw him! The remote is with Hack though. He’ll detonate it when everyone’s clear of the camp,” Doc shouted over the noise he made as he continuously wasted bullets by firing at nothing.

Alex shook his head and rolled his eyes. He checked his GPS again and drove towards his team. He picked up Sweeper and Hack and then Dash, Tiny and the little boy next.

Alex removed his mask and so did his team. He let Dash drive and settled himself beside the boy who looked very much afraid. Alex glared at Doc who stopped firing into the distance with a heavy sigh.

“My name is Alex. Your dad sent me to get you and bring you back to him,” he said in a soothing tone.

“M-my papa?” the boy asked in heavily-accented English.

Alex nodded. “We’re bringing you back to your family. You understand?” he asked.

The boy nodded and some of the fear and tension left his features.

“We’ll ride in a helicopter and in a few hours, you’ll be with your father and mother again,” he said.

Again, the boy nodded and settled beside him.

“Chief, we’re clear from the camp. Will detonate now,” Hack announced.

Alex nodded and he turned towards the boy once more. “Cover your ears,” he instructed.

“Why?”

“We will blow up the men that kidnapped you along with their camp.” Alex winced after he said those words for he realized they would just traumatize the boy further.

Instead, the boy grinned. He sat a little straighter and looked at the camp in the distance.

“This is good! They were bad men! They said they’d kill my papa and my mama!” he shouted.

Dash’s eyebrows nearly reached his hairline. Alex grinned and took the remote from Hack. “Want to do the honors, little man?” he asked as he handed the boy the remote. The boy looked at it with excitement shining in his eyes.

“You press the button here and everything goes boom.”

Without further warning, the boy pressed the button and a huge explosion rocked the desert.

“This is good! I tell my papa! I tell him you all good men!” the boy shouted with excitement. The others grinned at the boy’s enthusiasm. Alex was glad that he still found a small measure of joy after everything he’d been through.

Now, he just couldn’t wait to return to Dubai and hand the boy back to his family—and also claim his money.

A few minutes later, they reached the chopper and strapped themselves in. The moment Alex was safely strapped to his seat, tiredness overwhelmed him. The adrenaline rush already faded and the aches and pains he didn’t feel earlier suddenly manifested themselves.

He sighed and closed his eyes. He’d catch a few more hours of sleep as they flew towards Dubai.

And maybe... just maybe... he’d dream of his Isobel again.

A few hours later, Alex was rudely awakened once more by Dash. He checked his surroundings and realized they were now in the desert where their target’s family arranged for them to meet.

In the distance, there were several black SUVs flocked by even more guards. Between those guards were the boy’s father and mother, the ones who hired their team.

Alex held the boy’s hand as they exited the chopper and when the boy saw his parents, he immediately ran towards them.

The boy’s mother sobbed as she hugged her son and the father knelt to the ground in praise. They conversed in their native language and Alex didn’t need to understand it to know the gist of the conversation being exchanged.

He smiled and continued to watch the very touching reunion. He felt his heart swell with pride.

He didn’t even notice as four of the guards approached their team. They were each holding two briefcases. He only paid them heed when Dash nudged him.

“My boss thanks you for returning his son safely,” one of them said. Alex nodded.

Suddenly, his phone rang. He retrieved it from his pocket and saw that it was the Shiekh calling him. In the distance, he looked at Fazul Adar and the man smiled and gestured for him to answer his phone.

Alex pressed the answer button and brought it to his ear.

“I thank you for bringing my son back. It is a debt no amount of money can ever repay. It is a life debt. My family owes you. If you need anything, call us,” the oil tycoon said. His voice was thick with emotion.

“Very generous sir, thank you,” he said and the oil tycoon ended the call. Alex watched him carry his son, hug his wife and enter the waiting SUV.

The four men who approached Alex and his team handed the briefcases to them. There was one for each of them. Alex opened his and his eyes widened when he saw several bundles of money inside.

It was more than the price agreed upon and the sheikh was truly generous.

“Again, we thank you Mr. Smith,” one of the men said before they walked back to their vehicles.

With a huge smile on his face, Alex snapped the briefcase shut. He watched the family drive away and again, he felt his heart swell with pride. Today was Christmas and even though this family’s religion didn’t celebrate that, Alex thought it was a nice thing to reunite a family during this glorious day.

Alex breathed in deep. When he breathed out, he forced himself to release all the tension in his body.

This was his job.

It wasn’t your usual job for whenever he accepted a mission, his life was on the line. His body was riddled with scars from knives and bullets. He’d seen and experienced things that would make lesser men piss their pants.

But he lived for the adrenaline and for moments like this.

He was happy that he was able to help a family. He would be a hypocrite if he said he didn’t love it for the money as well.

Hell, he fucking loved the money. The moment he retired, he’d have a very fat bank account waiting for him along with loads of connections between people he’d helped.

This was his job.

He was a mercenary.

And one more mission fucking accomplished.

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

Thanks for reading!

CAST: Alex Smith- Tobias Cameroon (pic on the right)
             Isobel Clayton- Miranda Kerr

Need a cast for Alex's crew

Dash- not really much of a tall guy, black hair
Tiny- I'm thinking Dwayne Johnson? Or Vin Diesel? Haha. help me pick!
Hack- Err. Benedict Cumberbatch? He's got that hot nerdiness nailed down.
Doc- someone with a little craziness.
Captain- someone hot please. hahaha.
Sweeper- someone rugged looking.
Sniper- someone blonde. haha.

Comment your suggestions below! Thanks!

And please also don't forget to VOTE!

Reach me here:

Twitter:                     http://twitter.com/AerithSage
Got questions?:     http://ask.fm/AerithSage
My Blog:                  http://aerithsage.tumblr.com
Facebook:               http://facebook.com/AerithSageWP