The Shadow Fan Fiction Short Stories: The Shadow: Dark Mist Emerging by Jesse E. Jones

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Fan Fiction: Short Stories

The Shadow: Dark Mist Emerging
by Jesse E. Jones

Prologue | 1

Prologue

Afghanistan - Present day

  "So... Kent, it appears that we have no new work after our time here... in the war?" Said a slight man, lighting a cigarette.

  "There is always work to be done," replied a tall man in military garb. "One just has to know where and whom his employer is."

  "How many missions did we fly again? One hundred? More?" Said the slight man again, "Never any recognition. No mention of us at all."

  "That is war for you Matt...," said Kent, "Everyone becomes ungrateful during and afterwards."

  "There was an organization asking for recruits the other day," said Matt, "They promised payment and riches, beyond our wildest dreams man!"

  "Go on...," said Kent, "I'm listening. Can I have a drag off of that?"

  "Hmmm? Oh yeah...sure." Matt passed the cigarette to Kent. "It was some sort of mercenary group they were looking for and you could keep whatever riches you found."

  "Sounds promising. Go on."

  "The weird thing is... you have to give up your identity to join."

  "What do you mean?"

  "You'd have to appear dead to everyone else..," said Matt with a tinge of gloom in his voice.

  "I have no ties to anybody," said Kent coldly, "I only care about myself, anyway."

  "Yeah, but I have family," said Matt. "What of my wife and kids?"

  "They will be compensated by your death" said Kent, "Besides, weren't you talking of divorcing when you got back?"

  "Yeah...," returned Matt with some sadness in his voice, "I was hoping for us to make up. It's irrelevant now...I guess?"

  "I suppose...," said Kent,"...here finish this..." Kent handed back the cigarette. "Where do you go for this recruitment anyway?"

  "Well...I thought you'd never ask," Matt said back to him, "I already signed us up, they seemed especially interested in you after I mentioned your...expertise in being a cold S.O.B."

  "I have my reasons..."

  "Allard! Johnston!" boomed a voice from the distance, "Unless you want K.P. duty for the rest of your duration here, I suggest you quit your friggin' squaking and get to work!"

  "I can't wait to get away from here, so I can stop listening to that S.O.B. scream at us," said Matt.

  "I have a feeling, we won't hear from him in the near future..."

  "What do you mean?"

  "Nothing."

  The nights in a desert can be cold, not just in weather, but in attitude also. Kent and Matt, dressed in military garb, made their way to a cavern in the desert. Matt shivered from the cold.

  "Don't you ever get cold?"

  "It's not in my nature." said Kent flatly.

  "Man you have a friggin' black heart."

  Kent shoved Matt against the cave entrance. "Listen! You friggin' do not get it! I work for myself and by myself! I don't give two thoughts to you or your namby-pamby ideals! Comprende?"

  "I read you. I read you loud and clear soldier."

  Kent released Matt and walked in. There was little lighting in the cave, so he turned on his military-issued flashlight and continued as moisture fell from the ceiling and a scorpion crawled across his boot. Matt followed close behind. There were voices in the distance and a faint light could be seen.

  "...there is the place we will be landing."

  "How will we communicate?"

  "You will be given special laptops linked to a private satellite. Your coordinates will be given when you land."

  Kent and Matt walked into a larger part of the cave filled with halogen lighting, generators and a handful of other men dressed in similar military garb. There was also a man in a business suit.

  "Welcome gentlemen. I see you like to make a fashionable entrance..," said the well-dressed man. "I was just introducing the men to the particulars."

  "We had to keep up appearances to our superior officers," said Kent. "Did we miss much?"

  The well-dressed man stroked his chin, looking Kent up and down. "Is this the soldier you were telling me about?"

  "Yeah," said Matt. "This is Kent Allard... first class S.O.B."

  Kent spun in a lightning fast move and had both of Matt's arms locked behind his neck.

  "Owwwww!" was all Matt can say in his defense.

  The well-dressed man clapped slowly, "Well done. Well done. You see, gentlemen... this is the hardened sort that we want. No regrets. No emotion." He paused, "Just results."

  Kent released Matt and threw him to the ground. Matt spun around on his knees and glared at Kent. "Friggin' psycho," he muttered under his breath.

  "Anyway, back to the mission." said the man in the suit nonchalantly. "As I said... you will know nothing of your...benefactor. You will board the plane to take you home...it will actually be a decoy to be destroyed. Then parachute out of that one and board this other plane, in said coordinates." He handed them all a piece of paper as he continued, "Fly to Tibet, parachute at the coordinates, and meet the operatives there, after that you will be given more information and hopefully... become richer men."

  "What's this hopefully crap?" Matt replied hastily.

  "Where's your sense of adventure my boy?" asked the well-dressed man.

  "I just want to make it out of this in one friggin' piece and a load richer."

  "There is always danger involved on every mission though...I was just allowing for that, that is all," replied the well-dressed man.

  "Yeah…right…," said Matt backing out of the room. "I'll just be going now."

  He turned to run and ran into a man dressed in black, literally, from head to toe.

  "I thought it was made clear… once you join up… there is no backing out," said the well-dressed man, smiling.

  "Oh man, I do not like this one bit," said Matt.

  "Now you have been given your mission… if there are no more delays?" he glared at Matt. "I would just like to wish you gentlemen good luck and I'll see you all at the rendezvous point."

  "Indeed," said Kent.

  "Yeah… whatever man…" said Matt. "Now would you let me go?" He struggled with the guard. The well-dressed man motioned with his hand and Matt was released.

  "May I have a word with you?" said Kent to the well-dressed man.

  "But, of course," he replied. "I was hoping we might… chat a little bit."

  Kent turned to Matt, "Go on… I'll catch up."

  "No problem…," said Matt. "These guys are creeping me out."

  He left, as did the other soldiers.

Afghani Airspace - One Day Later

  "So what did you guys talk about after we left?" asked Matt.

  "That is none of your concern…," Kent replied.

  "Allard, Kent… come here, so I can talk to you!" An older man in military garb yelled above the plane engines.

  "Yes sir!" said Kent.

  Kent walked to the general, who is at the back of the plane.

  "General…" said Kent. "I have something for you."

  As he spoke, Kent pulled out his nine-millimeter, shoved it into the general's stomach and pulled the trigger -- all in one fluid motion. He then unlocked the airlock, threw his identification into the aircraft and jumped backwards out of the aircraft. Matt and the men looked out of the window in surprise…just in time to see the anti-aircraft missile coming for them.

  The blast from the aircraft rocked Kent a little on his descent. He guided his parachute towards a group of Humvees in the distance.

  As he landed, a group of men come up to him, lead by the well-dressed man.

  "I trust everything went well?" said the well-dressed man.

  "I just had some… unfinished business," Kent replied.

  "Good. I trust that we can now get down to business?"

  "Yes sir."

  "Follow me."

Prologue | 1

Fan Fiction: Short Stories The Shadow: Dark Mist Emerging by Jesse E. Jones

Fan Fiction: Short Stories

The Shadow: Dark Mist Emerging
by Jesse E. Jones