Lost in the Abyss

Deployment

"Today's the day," a familiar voice cried out from behind Ethan McCall. As he sat on a bench in the PCQ locker room, a plastic
vial filled with pills hovered in front of his face.

"You can thank me later. Carpe Diem!" the voiced continued.

Looking down at his wrist monitor, Ethan read 17:45 military time. As he stood up, he turned around and faced Private Gabriel Gonzalez.

"Seize the day, huh?" Ethan replied.

Dropping the vial into his lieutenant’s hand, Private Gabriel smirked.

"Yeah... but keep leaving your medication lying around... today’s gonna be the day I find you slumped down in a ditch somewhere."

Ethan held the vial high above his head. He gave the container a little shake. "I still don't know what's inside these things."

"Don't think about it too much," Gabe suggested, walking over to his locker. "I'm sure the President has more important things to worry about than detailing
Apex consignments. If I were you, I wouldn't want to know where my sausage came from anyways."

Ethan grinned as Gabriel passed him an unlabeled bottle of water.

"You're kidding, right?"

"All I'm saying is treat it like sausage, don't treat it like sausage... I don't care. Just take the damn pills... before I lose my freaking mind."

Ethan snatched the bottle of water from Gabriel's hand. Placing it on the bench, Ethan looked up at Gabe.

"Crazy vato! What’s the deal with you and these food metaphors... sounds like the misses isn't
feeding you back home."

As Ethan stood up and opened his lockers, he quickly glanced at a picture of himself as a child with his mom and dad. He tore the photo off the door and place it in his back pocket.
Glancing at a tiny mirror, he inserted in his ear wireless earbuds.

In his four years on the Apex Task Force, twenty-three-year-old, Lt. Ethan McCall started each mission with the same routine. After setting his wrist monitor to alarm every twelve
hours, he paid his respects to his parents then prepared for his operation briefing. As he prepared his load-out by his locker, he would always make it a point to prepare his gear in front of a photograph of her.

Old, severely faded, and at places creased around the edges, it was the only memory he had left to remind him she did exist. Among its flaws, Ethan saw it as perfection. Ambered in hair, curvy in figure, the woman in the photo laid arched back across his old motorcycle.

Angela, He thought. Today will be the day.

Peeling the photo off his locker, he turned it over and read the back: Thanks for the ride, Grim!

He endured this mental exercise for the past four years--ever since she disappeared. It gave him purpose. To him, success wasn't just completing the assignment, it was completing
the job and bringing everyone home. He knew someday, he would find her. Holding on to this routine made him feel closer to her... or at least until it was time for him to put her away.

Captain Hunter Belmont entered the Personnel Compartment Quarters aboard the Apex Carrier Delta. Ethan adjusted his ear-buds then sets the volume on high. He put the picture of Angela
in his back pocket.

"Alright fellas, you all heard the broadcast. We've been greenlit!" Hunter exclaimed as he stood in the center of the room.

Ethan continued to rummage through his locker until the locker door next to him slammed shut. Punching Ethan on his shoulder, Private Gabriel signaled him towards the captain’s
direction. Ethan pulled out his earbuds. Loud music saturated the room. Hunter shook his head as the music blasted.

"Change the frequency on that thing," he directed Ethan. "Act like you wanna be here."

Turning the headset off, Ethan held the earpiece in his hand.

"Listen up, you mutts!" Hunter directed towards Alpha Team. “Our orders are clear. We're descending the Abyss... Once we find the new water source, we test it out
and mark its location."

Using his hand, Hunter brushed the back of his short dark hair.

"As we all know, there have been reports of young boys missing in the Central District. HQ has received a tip that somewhere out in this area, they might be found. If we find
these boys... we secure them, take them back to HQ, then let brass handle the rest."

"You mean process them, right? Like us," Gabe heckled, turning his back on Hunter--still preparing his gear. "Not everyone was born into the high life of Advent City."

The rest of the team returned to their lockers in agreement. Ethan continued to look onward. Captain Belmont stared back at him.

"You with me, brother?" Hunter spoke.

Ethan said nothing. He put his ear-buds back in his ear and loaded his gun. He cocked the chamber then placed the pistol in his locker. Hunter walked up to him.

"Well, I guess my lieutenant is not communicating today!"

Looking in Ethan's locker, Hunter smiled as he glanced inside. "So tell me, brother... where is it? You got it hiding in the gun box, maybe?"

Ethan slammed his locker door shut. "You got something you want to say to me?"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Gabe interrupted, as he forced himself between the both of them.

Hunter threw up his hands as he walked out the personnel quarters. Ethan began to follow. Grabbing Ethan, Gabe held him back.

"He's an ass man. Don't get butt-hurt about it...” Flexing his left arm, Gabe continued. “Besides... the gun show is on tour and ready to pop off!” Holding
up his other arm, Gabe kissed his biceps. “She would have fallen for these cannon busters anyway!"

Ethan remained silent. Walking past Gabe, he went back to his locker. Picking up his assault rifle, he holstered his pistol at his waistline. Gabe approached Ethan and put his hand
on the lieutenant’s shoulder.

"I don't need your assistant, private."

Gabe shook his head.

"No problem, LT...” releasing his hand, Gabe continued. “Just looking out... No need to pull out the angry black man routine."

Ethan tensed up his muscles as he pulled his protective vest over his head.

"Is brooding the newest thing that’s poppin' these days?" Gabe sneered.

"Keep pushing it, private... and I'll show you an angry black man for real."

"My ass you will! Hunter got you beat in that department a thousand to one! Those baby blue eyes of yours ain't intimidating shit!"

Ethan stopped as he stared at Gabe. Simultaneously, they broke out laughing.

"Uh, huh... see what I mean." Gabe continued.

Ethan smacked him in the back of the head.

"Go on, go... Get outta here."

Ethan covered his mouth as he cleared his throat. Gabe looked at his wrist monitor as he started to walk away.

"Just a heads up too...” Gabe uttered. “there's no such thing as a little guy. We all need someone to watch our backs out there." He pointed down at his watch.
"Time for viejo to take his meds!"

Suddenly, an alarm rang off on Ethan's wrist monitor. Checking his watch, he reached into his chest pocket and popped two pills in his mouth. Putting the medication back in his
pocket, he reset the timer on his watch for 12 more hours. Looking around, he changed the frequency on his ear-buds: [Radio chatter. Landing confirmed.]

Hunter walked into the room and approached Ethan. Signaling the rest of the guys to prepare for exfiltration, he directed them to leave.

"Listen here, McCall, I need you to stay focus out there. I don't want any of your shit today."

Pulling away from Hunter, Ethan stepped back.

"If you think for one second I'm not aware of your thing with Angela..." Clearing his throat, he resumed. "Better yet, my wife... let me correct you on that. The
last time I saw her, the two of you were out here, doing who knows what, while I had my back turned."

Ethan didn't flinch.

"You remember that day, don't cha, brother?" Hunter continued. "Now... after all this time, here we are again."

Patting Ethan's chest pocket that held his medication, Hunter swung his shotgun over his shoulder. Ethan swatted his hand away and clenched his fist tight. "Get out my face,
Hunter."

Refusing to back down, they both stood in gridlock.

"It's been four years," Ethan protested. "The Abyss doesn't change anything. Angela's gone." Ethan gripped his fist tight. "We're doing this
the right way... with everyone going home."

Hunter put his shotgun on Ethan's chest next to his medication. "You've been listening in on my communications, haven't you? That's a direct violation of your
superior officer."

"Don't give me that shit, Hunter!" Ethan injected. "Our main objective isn't searching for those boys. We've been tipped about their whereabouts for weeks
now. The only reason we're out here is for that water... so your dear old man can look like a hero again."

"Fall in line, Ethan," Hunter demanded. "The fact that you're adopted makes this even easier. I will cut you down. As your Captain, I’m giving you an order."

Hunter headed towards the doorway. "Since there's nothing else to say... do your job like a good dog and locate that water. You're familiar with the area, right? So go
out there and figure it out."

Hunter left the PCQ as he proceeded to rendezvous with the group. Ethan picked up his last bit of gear and followed behind him.

Alpha Team Six exited the carrier and headed towards the edge of a huge canyon. As the sun beamed down on the barren wasteland surrounding them, the group began to set up their gear
for repelling. The transport took off.

Ethan looked around the canyon. He realized it's been years since he last been there. His eyes stopped short of a few yards ahead of him.

What a waste, he thought. Nothing grew from those seeds.

Ethan stood in silence for a moment.

"Snap out of it, McCall... you're up!" Hunter bellowed.

Seeds

While riding his motorcycle through the dusty desert, Ethan looked through his dark shades into the bike's side view mirror. He glanced at Angela
as she sat behind him. Looking at their reflection together, he didn't stare long. Angela wrapped her arms around Ethan's waist as the air whipped around her face. The wind blew briskly, as strains of hair obscured
it. She smiled as the sunlight beamed off her designer shades. She looked back at Ethan in the side view mirror. Ethan's mind wondered. He questioned his actions spending the day with her. She was his brother's wife,
but he couldn't shake the feeling that she was in need. Being married into the Belmont family was inherited with secrets. Angela's pain-staking marriage to Hunter was no exception.

Ethan skidded his bike as the road ended. His massive chrome chopper came to a stop a few yards away from a massive canyon. Taking off his shades, he
looked onward beyond the wasteland and into the Abyss. As Angela and he both got off the bike, Ethan pointed towards a location a few yards ahead of them near a coved recess. Together, they continued to walk along the edge
of the canyon,

"Right here," Ethan uttered as he halted abruptly. Following close behind Ethan, Angela bumped into him.

"You wanted to see how the flower was grown, right?” Looking up at Ethan, Angela nodded her head.

“Well... Here’s as good as it gets!”

Removing a sack of seeds from his coat pocket, Ethan held it in his hands..

"How long does it take for them to grow?" Angela asked.

"A few months, maybe? It all depends on how much sun they get. We won't go too far down, or else they won't get any light. They'll survive
here... even without much water. This place is good, cause they won’t be disturbed."

Ethan reached for Angela's hand. Putting the sack of seeds in it, he closed his fingers over hers. Connecting her eyes with his, Angela smiled as
she held on to his hand gently. With a slight hesitation, Ethan pulled his arm back releasing himself from her grasps.

“What's wrong, Grim?”

Without responding, Ethan continued to walk further down along the canyon. Angela’s chest heaved as she bit her lip and scurried up along beside
him. Holding tight to her stomach, she followed Ethan deeper into the Abyss.

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