Chapter 39: Marcus - Vietnam
JOURNAL LOG.
June 5th 1998
“Dear journal, Hanoi is cheap. Not just cheap, but ridiculously cheap. With the money I have on me, I feel like a king. Everything here is maybe 20 times cheaper. I can get some nice food for the equivalent of 5 krone. The only pricey part was the journey. My plan is in place, and my preparations are done. Father finished two massive pho bowls by himself, now he rests under the fan. Mother really wanted to go to some library-museum, but we all felt so tired after overeating that we went to bed. I’ve never seen my father filling his belly like that. Who is that man? Is he really my father, or an imposter?”
June 6th morning.
Morning:
“Dad is not an imposter. He woke up at 6:00 as always, without an alarm ringing. Jetlag is a joke to him and his routine. It’s admirable how nothing can affect him, well aside from pho. Sometimes I think about opening up to him, but I don’t want to risk it. Elliot, imagine your kid goes to you and tells you ‘Father, I am a reincarnating being, and you are potentially my hundredth father.’ I am not afraid that he would think that I am an aspiring fantasy writer, I am afraid that he won’t be able to look at me the same way, and that our familial connection will be gone. He noticed that I was not sleeping, and called me to do his morning workout. Ugh… Time to pretend that I have slept.”
Same evening:
“Went to historic cities today. As I expected, some things in the military museum invoked nostalgia. A nice tourist guy from the US showed us around. He felt a bit fake, but I think I am getting paranoid.”
“In the evening a prostitute approached me and offered her services. She did it while my parents were only a few meters away. I am 1.5 meters tall. Maybe she thought that I was older. Or maybe she saw how thick my wallet was.”
June 7th
“Mother and father conducted a proper sex-ed today, mainly for my sister, who didn’t know what that woman was doing on the street corners. It was so long that I almost forgot what I was here for, I just wanted for the next three days to finish, so we drove to the beach town on our tour list.
Today I bought a map and a compass for 20 krone, and I think I know where I have to go, sadly it will take me at least 10 hours to do a round trip. I need a plan, somehow my parents need to forget me for around half a day.”
Same evening:
“Told my sister that I needed some time to do some things. Now she thinks I want to do things with a prostitute for that long. I had to convince her that no, I was not an underage pervert. She is an impressionable kid. Oh… I feel like an old man again. Anyway, I bribed her with 200$. That little girl will one day become a great diplomat or a crime boss.”
June 8th
“Sister’s acting was terrible, but still my parents fell for it. They left to see a doctor, while I sat in the first proper car-taxi near the hotel and ordered it ahead….”
“The driver feels strange. Maybe he also thinks I am an adult because we are the same height? Nope, no chance. He doesn’t speak, but he looks at me from time to time as if he wants to ask something. I guess “Hey kid, where are your parents?” or smth like that. I am jotting things down, as the ride is too long for my liking.”
“I think I remember some of these hills, but seen from another perspective. He stopped in the middle of the road and told me that this is the closest place he can get to my point, as it’s in the jungle. He then asked if he should wait for me. I told him to do so.”
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“I moved through the first few trees as I heard the sound of the car’s engine, as he rode away. It looks like I am about twenty kilometers away from the closest town all on my own, great, amazing. Driver stopped a couple of hundred meters before my original drop point, but this one is even better, as it starts with a clearing.”
“This might be the last note in this journal. I am being watched. There are a lot of footsteps in this part of the jungle. A route was cleared with machetes maybe a day or two ago, and my compass and map tell me that they lead where I have to go. This is some kind of a trap, made for me. This explains the strange driver's behavior. I feel over 20 people in a hundred-meter radius.”
RADIO LOG (CLEANED)
D-1
0900 CHARLIE: Connection check. Team Letters status? Over.
0901 ALPHA: Team Letters in position. All observers are ready. Over.
0902 CHARLIE: Team Numerals status? Over.
0903 EYE: Numerals in position. Surveillance equipment is active. Over.
0903 CHARLIE: Target arrives tomorrow. Maintain discipline. Out.
1800 CHARLIE: Letters, status report. Over.
1801 ALPHA: Area secured. Route prepped. Over.
1802 CHARLIE: Numbers, report. Over.
1803 EYE: Trail cleared 80%. Artifacts positioned. Timeline update required. Over.
1806 CHARLIE: Target arrival 0800. Expected trigger window D0 to D3. Out.
D-Day
0800 ONE: Visual on target. Moving with family group. Over.
0845 TWO: ONE, you're too close. Fall back. Confirm. Over.
0846 ONE: Adjusting distance. Out.
1009 NINES: Target settled at the hotel. Over.
1145 CHARLIE: NINES, move to Entry 1, maintain observation. Confirm. Over.
1145 NINES: Moving to position. Out.
D+1
1600 CHARLIE: Target moving to Zone 5. SIX, ready for observation. Over.
1602 SIX: In position. Visual confirmed. Going silent. Out.
2111 NINES: Local contact approaching the target. Request guidance. Over.
2112 CHARLIE: Maintain observation. ALPHA, assess the threat. Over.
2115 ALPHA: Contact removed. Local criminal. No compromise. Out.
D+2
1200 CHARLIE: All units: Critical phase approaching. Numbers team to assembly. Detach three for Letters support. Out.
D+3
0840 ALPHA: Target has taken the bait. Out.
0841 SIX: [CROSSTALK] He's actually here--
0842 EYE: Clear comms. Out.
1440 ALPHA: Target reached Position T. Out.
1445 GAMMA: Target on approach vector B. Out.
1530 GAMMA: Target down. Snakebite suspected. Moving to assist. Over.
1531 OMEGA: GAMMA, hold position. Do not approach. Observe only. Over.
1535 GAMMA: Holding position. Out.
1538 GAMMA: Lost visual on target. Over.
1538 EYE: [CROSSTALK] How did you lose him? Find him!
1539 ALPHA: EYE, maintain comm discipline. Out.
1645 EYE: He's here. Over.
1646 ALPHA: All teams to the gathering point. Confirm. Over.
1647 ALL UNITS: [Multiple confirmations] Moving. Out.
[End Radio Log]
VIDEO LOG
The target approached the crash site. He looked exhausted. The point of interest, the dog tag was placed on the artifact rifle, in the middle of the clearing. The sun's rays cinematically fell on the crashed plane.
The target laughed out aloud for about a minute, after which approached the rifle, and took the dog tag. The target started floating in the air, the rifle gleamed with purple light. A few seconds later, the target collapsed and shook in convulsions.
The medical team was stopped from advancing by Alpha.
Team Letters and Numerals have arrived at the site. They are waiting, one knee on the ground their heads up.
The target stopped convulsing and stood up.
“We are ready to serve my lord, the Stormbringers are at your command,” Alpha proclaimed.
The target took out the gun from the ground, checked if it was loaded, and shot Alpha in the leg.
“Thank you, but don’t you dare to lie to me again. ‘Alpha’s Name known to the target’,” Target replied.
“I apologize, my lord, I never meant to offend you,” Alpha bowed.
“Same goes to you, ‘Five’s name’,” Target stated.
“Thank you for your kindness. My lord,” Five replied.
“Rise my flock. I’m back in the game, I know you missed me. At ease, Dismissed!
JOURNAL
“I just shot Elliot in the leg. I got so pissed that he lied to me. Well, both my doctor and my closest friend were from a cult worshipping me! When I grabbed the dog tag, It was just as if had turned into a different person, the previous me.
I should apologize to Elliot, but I feel ashamed now. Considering all he did was for my good. I just feel like my worshippers shouldn’t act like they know better than me without consulting ME!
I am writing this, and when I read it it looks like I am insane, but I know I am not.”