World of Change
Nicolaus focused on the blood trickling from his hands instead of the dead child cradled in his arms. Every time he glanced at the small, round face, his sister’s ghost appeared before him, blurred by the tears that streamed down his cheeks.
He had witnessed the carnage and the atrocities in Yemen, Sudan, Ukraine, Syria, and more. He’d seen the true evil of drug lords, human traffickers, and tyrants. The worst humankind offered ricocheted through his memories, a reminder of the four years he spent engaged in secret missions and covert operations. Yet, the weight of this child’s body cooling in his arms triggered more horror and heartache in him than all those memories combined.
Nicolaus wanted to make a difference. He wanted to save the innocent from the crusades of warmongers, who terrorized and threatened to rain hell upon the earth. But everyone had a limit. And he feared that, after four long years in these trenches, he may have finally reached his.
María, another in their elite squad, ran up to him, still carrying her assault rifle, and put her left hand on Nicolaus’s shoulder. “We did the best that we could.”
He nodded and took in the surrounding scene. The acrid smell of chemicals and decomposing bodies overwhelmed his senses, burned his nose, and stung his throat. Their “best” freed over forty human trafficking victims and brought down a notorious methamphetamine drug lord, so the mission was a success by most measures.
Nicolaus focused on Akari as she strode out of the Myanmar compound, silhouetted against the flames shooting out of the building. Her famous swagger and powerful posture dissolved his worries and reaffirmed his resolve.
Akari stopped in front of them, took in the young child, and recognized the pain in Nicolaus’s eyes. She scanned around the landscape, her eyes narrowing against the smoke.
“María, grab some of those lotus flowers in the ornamental pond.” As María hurried off, Akari lifted the little girl out of Nicolaus’s arms and laid her on the ground.
Across the driveway, an injured assailant pleaded, but Veton, otherwise known as Dodge, the fourth crew member, shot two rounds into the man’s skull. “Fuck you and your synthetic drugs.”
María returned, placed the lotuses on the little girl’s chest, and called Dodge over. Akari hugged Nicolaus tight before they all locked hands, closed their eyes, and said a prayer. “Amen.”
“Yo, we have to go lickety-split,” Dodge said, even as they moved out. “The dirtbag we exterminated has another facility like an hour away, and his brother will want retribution. We either face another sixty cockroaches or bug out and let the Federation clean them up.”
Nicolaus reloaded his gun while Akari unmuted her microphone to speak with the command center. “Four Shadows of Light, ready to roll out. Targets eliminated. Are all the friendlies safe and evacuated?”
“Affirmative,” replied the command center. “Everyone is aboard trucks, and air support is on standby for coverage. Follow the yellow brick road and get your asses to the extraction point now!”
Each member jogged to the field, their guns held tight against their ribcage, ready for any unexpected surprises. Nicolaus’s hands tingled, and he peeked over his shoulder just as the last adversary prepared to shoot him from a tree.
A rapid succession of gunfire erupted, followed by the sound of a body thudding onto the ground. Akari winked at Nicolaus as she sauntered by him, a silent recognition passing between them. All four of them sensed an instinctive and Divine power in the air, as if an ethereal voice whispered in their minds, helping them to save the innocent or showing them a precise back door route to surprise and eliminate their draconian enemies.
When they reached a safe distance, Nicolaus pointed his finger at María. “Do your thing and blow it back to hell.”
She pulled out the detonator. “With fucking pleasure, cousin.” The compound lit up the night sky as if the sun were hosting a surprise birthday party.
“Another asshole bites the dust.” María fist-bumped Dodge.
Akari gripped Nicolaus’s right hand, leaning close to him as she whispered, “I love you, and your tears only make you more irresistible to me.”
Dodge smirked at María and turned on his microphone. “Dude, a live mic. Don’t want to hear your cute little hormonal thing.”
Akari flicked him off.
“Queen Teuta over here,” Dodge said, referring to María, “She doesn’t kiss during battle because she’s loaded with head-ripping estrogen. You two are, like, so the opposite. Let me kill a guy, and then let’s kiss.”
Akari glared back at Dodge, raising an eyebrow. “Please confirm you have the trade documents and flash drive?”
“Yes, I do, mother dearest.”
“Good,” she grumbled, her tone sharp. “Now, zip it.”
María smirked. Dodge had always been the class clown of the bunch. “You’re lucky she doesn’t kick you in the nuts right now.”
In the distance, the military chopper sliced through the air, its powerful rotors creating a deafening roar and stirred up the musty scent of the swamp.
“Job well done,” said Veda Devi, the CEO of the United Federation of Enforcement over the microphone. “Your efforts and impact on both the country and the world have far exceeded our expectations. Mr. Zhao from the Coalition also extends his congratulations. Enjoy your retirement from special operations.”
Akari responded as she entered the helicopter. “It’s been an honor for all of us, and we’re happy to start our civilian lives.”
María climbed into the helicopter as her skin encountered the heat emanating from the powerful engines and tossed her gun onto the floor. After Dodge and Nicolaus jumped in the chopper, the pilot gave a thumbs up and the Four Shadows of Light felt the rush of wind and the sensation of weightlessness as they rose into the night sky. They peered down upon the last battlefield they had conquered as Green Berets.
Nicolaus stroked his goatee on their promise to unravel the mystery surrounding the true essence of their Divine power. With her eyes closed, Akari concentrated on her breathing and mapped out an approach to their own investigation into the Federation and the Global Reform Establishment Coalition or referred to as GREC.
Dodge strummed his hands on the gun in his lap, and he realized that was the last time they would use their super trooper abilities in the military. Dodge smacked his lips. “So that was it. No more doing our saving the world of military things.”
“Let’s not think of it that way.” Akari took a slow and steady breath. “It’s the start of the next chapter in our lives. That was only the beginning. We have so much to learn.”
Nicolaus moved his hand over Akari’s. “Now the fun begins—finding out the who, what, when, where, and why.” He winked at María.
María gritted her teeth, desperate for answers about her mom’s and Nicolaus’s families’ deaths. Although her mother, Julieta, played a pivotal role in starting the UFE, she couldn’t help but sense the ten year-long investigation was an orchestrated coverup. Suspicion coursed through her veins, directed towards Veda, the UFE, and the Coalition.
