~Winter Hell~

By DeLeah

"Snow, snow and more snow" DeLeah grumbled. "I am so sick of seeing all of that white stuff on the ground!"

Raine snickered. She'd grown up with the stuff on the ground for more than 4 months at a time.

DeLeah glared at her. "This is hell! I hate being snowed in...I hate winter period!"

Raine, DeLeah, Antonio, and a trainee operative, Nicholas had been in the cottage for the past month together. Sherry had sent them out here into the cold winter of North Dakota to gather Intel on red cell activity. They hadn't been there 2 weeks when they got snowed in which Sherry and Rita were not happy about at all.

All four of them wanted to be back in the familiarity of CLHQ. They missed their friends.

Word had it that Sherry was getting antsy. She wanted Intel and she wanted it now. Rita was the same way but she was getting bored too. DeLeah and Raine hadn't been around for a whole month and so there had been no pranks or excitement for awhile.

Raine laughed as she saw DeLeah's far away look. She knew exactly what her friend was thinking about. She was missing all the fun that was probably going on in CLHQ right now.

Just then the guys came in from shoveling snow. They'd been out there all morning trying to dig them all out.

"We're hungry" Nicholas complained.

"The kitchen is that way" DeLeah said sarcastically.

"But...you're the woman. You're suppose to feed us!" Nicholas added.

"That's it! I've had it with him!" DeLeah announced as she pounced on Nicholas. But before she could have her say with him she found herself being pulled off of him.

"What the hell!" she exclaimed angrily. "This is not a babysitting service and I'm just gonna teach him that!" DeLeah said aggravated.

"Take her upstairs Tony" Raine instructed. "Try to get her to lay down for awhile"

Antonio nodded taking hold of DeLeah's waist and leading her up the stairs to their room with DeLeah protesting all the way that she didn't need to lay down.

"Now," Raine said as soon as they left. "Let's get a few things straight Nicholas. You're lucky Antonio was here because if she had jumped you while I was here I would have let her do it. I wouldn't have been able to pull her off you even if I had wanted to so you better thank you're lucky stars that he was here. Secondly, we are NOT your babysitters. We are section operatives and we are supposed to be training you to become a better operative. Though, what good it's going to do I don't know cause you're one hell of an egotistical jackass moron. And if you ever pull that stunt again you can be sure it won't be DeLeah that gets to you first. I will and there won't be much of you left."

"Understood?" she asked.

Nicholas nodded mutely.

"Good." Raine said and she stood up to go see how Antonio was faring with Deleah.

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

"I don’t need to lay down Tony! I am just fine!" she said a little louder than normal.

"DeLeah, honey, please just for a few minutes. You jumped Nicholas down there." he pointed out.

"and he damn well deserved it too" she pointed out as she saw a smirk come across his face. She knew he agreed with her.

Just then a knock was heard and Raine peeked in. "Everything ok?" she asked.

DeLeah nodded. "I need some exercise. Care to spar?" she asked Raine.

"Sure. We could show Nicholas some new moves." Raine grinned with a glint in her eye.

"Now that's my girl!" DeLeah laughed as the girls high fived before leaving to get changed.

10 minutes later the ladies had changed and rounded up Nicholas and were ready to begin.

Antonio popped his head in saying, "Don't have too much fun without me now?"

"Never" DeLeah laughed as she pecked him on the lips.

"Wait a minute...you're leaving?" Nicholas asked getting a worried look on his face.

"That's right" Antonio grinned as he popped back out of the room.

The girls started with some easy hand to hand combat but soon they were both into it giving each other round about kicks. Both were so immensely concentrating that they didn't even notice that Nicholas was still there. Raine swiftly took DeLeah's arm swinging her full force on to the ground getting ready to take the final move to take her down but DeLeah turned the move into roll getting back onto her feet easily.

DeLeah smirked, "you didn't think it was going to be that easy did you?" she asked.

"Eh so so" Raine smiled teasing back.

"Oh really?" DeLeah asked with an arched eyebrow as she kicked Raine's feet out from under her and twisting her arm behind her back in a move that she couldn't get out of without breaking her arm that was restrained.

Suddenly a cell phone began ringing. "Saved by the bell." Raine murmured as DeLeah went to answer her phone.

"Yes" she asked.

"Get ready to move" Sherry instructed. "We're sending a team from section 8 to get you out. You'll be moved to a temporary remote location for now."

"Did I ever tell you how much I appreciate you Sherry?" DeLeah asked laughing.

Sherry laughed, "about as much as you appreciate being out in that snow I'm sure"

DeLeah laughed "So what is the ETA?" she inquired.

"0600" Sherry said as she hung up the phone.

DeLeah glanced at her watch. It was 5:15. That gave them 45 minutes to be ready to go.

DeLeah peeked back into the room, "Pack up we're leaving in 45 minutes. Sherry took pity on us" she ordered smiling as she went off to find Tony.

40 minutes later the noise of a snow plow was outside and all 4 operatives were out the door and loaded up in the van.

"Curlly what's the status of the mission? Any new Intel?"

"Some. I'm downloading to you're panel now. But you might have a slight problem" Curlly informed her.

"Slight as in what? As in not the right mission wear?" DeLeah teased.

"Ha ha you're a laugh a minute" Curlly smirked. "Slight as in as soon as you find red cell you're going to take them out"

"You call that slight Curlly? I hate to think what's major in you're book" DeLeah said sarcastically.

On the other end DeLeah could hear Curlly and someone else snickering.

"So how am I suppose to storm a red cell base with only 3 full fledged operatives and one annoying and very conceited trainee?"

"Oh that's the fun part. You get to pick a team of 8 to come out and assist you" Curlly said.

"With what restrictions?" she asked knowing that was coming.

"You can't have Rita, Sherry, North, Roarke, or Michael." Curlly explained.

DeLeah rolled her eyes, "Figures" she muttered. "I'll work up a profile and then call you with who I need and when" DeLeah said as she signed off.

"Have fun and make a snow angel for me" Curlly laughed.

Raine smiled as she heard Curlly's last comment. "Hear that?" DeLeah asked her. "That's your detail." and both girls laughed.

*******

Over the next few weeks the operatives did what they were suppose to with surprising speed. They were able to locate Red Cell's base and were even able to get operative numbers and security Intel from a local informant. It was about time though. The four operatives had left on the mission in January 5 and today was February 2. It was time to check in.

"Yes?" the aggravated voice on the other end answered.

"I'm sorry. Did I cut into you're Mikey time?" DeLeah asked sarcastically.

Sherry smiled slightly to herself before focusing once again. "DeLeah you were suppose to check in 6 hours ago" Sherry said sternly.

"It couldn't be avoided. I had an informant meet" DeLeah explained.

"Was it worth it?" Sherry asked.

"Definitely. I not only got security details but blueprints as well" DeLeah informed her.

"Good" Sherry said. "How long until you're ready to move in?"

"I'm working up a profile and team now. What are my restrictions with team members?"

"Other than the mom's and Michael the section is at your disposal but I want that base destroyed" Sherry ordered.

"Ok I'll have the profile and team requests to you within the hour" DeLeah said as she disconnected from the call.

An hour later Sherry received the email containing the Intel, team request, and profile.

Sherry frowned as she looked at the team request. "Why on earth does she want all male operatives?" As she looked over the Intel she saw why and she agreed. She was sure that the few females that were on the team would be able to easily overpower those oversexed red cell operatives. An hour later Sherry sent approval for the profile with minor changes with the team consisting of the following operatives:

DeLeah (Team Leader)
Raine
Jack
Jonathan
Damien
Dylan
Roy

Brenna (2nd in command)
Avi
Sinjn
Xavier
David
Sean
Alexi

Jace (on site medical)
Curlly (on site Comm)

*****

The team arrived by noon the next day. Brenna and DeLeah ordered everyone to get a goodnight’s rest. The mission would start tomorrow. Brenna and DeLeah escaped into the study to talk. "It's so good to see you Bre," she said as she hugged her friend. "You too DL" The ladies smiled at each other as they caught up and then moved to finalizing plans for the mission.

Both finally quit at 3am deciding to get a little bit of rest before the mission.

***

"Everyone out and move to first position" DeLeah ordered as the van came to a halt. She herself was the last one out but before she left she had to do something. She leaned down into the floorboards and grabbed the extra gun and clip and loaded it
slamming it down on the table by Curlly.

"If someone comes in that door before I or Bre says so you shoot them! I say this as you're friend Curlly...you're life will depend on it."

Curlly nodded numbly. DeLeah knew she hated guns but she did know how to use one. It was one technique that Sherry and Rita required of all operatives no matter what their job within section was.

"Team two is in place" DeLeah heard Brenna check in as she approached her team.

"Team one in place proceed to 2nd mark" DeLeah ordered.

The operatives scattered covering each other.

"We have contact" she heard Brenna say just seconds before her team made contact.

Suddenly, DeLeah saw her team going down one by one being picked off by a shooter above. She put herself into a double tuck roll taking out the shooter not realizing there were 2 of them until one from the east side shot her in the arm. She quickly recovered though and shot the 2nd sniper as well. There were only 3 of her team still standing as they approached the last mark to set a charge.

"Team 2 status," DeLeah ordered.

"2 injured, last charge set," Brenna reported.

"Good incineration in 2 minutes, everyone out." DeLeah ordered.

Jace was ready and waiting when they got back. Raine being one of the ones not injured began helping him with her nursing background before section.

"Everyone alright?" DeLeah asked an hour later.

Jace nodded. "The most serious is a chest wound on Alexi. Most were just flesh wounds."

DeLeah nodded relieved. If anything happened to anyone she would be blamed. That was one thing about CLHQ. If you lost anyone on a mission it would be someone's boyfriend, someone's friend.

Back in the van Curlly was replaying the incineration tapes for DeLeah so she could make sure the base was totally destroyed. "Everything looks in order Curlly. Tell the driver to get us to the flight carrier." DeLeah said.

The trip back was a silent one. Most were injured including DeLeah herself she'd just not had time to attend to it yet.

12 hours later they were back at CLHQ where Sherry and Rita met them at the door.

Sherry smiled, "Good work" she congratulated. "We have confirmation that the base was totally destroyed with no survivors"

"Thank You" DeLeah said with Brenna at her side as she fell to the ground.

Jace and Raine rushed over to her. "Damn she was shot" Raine swore. "I'm gonna kill her"

"You might not have to if we don't get this bullet out. We've got to operate immediately."

*****

DeLeah woke up the next day groggily. She looked around and knew she was in Medlab. She looked over and saw Raine sitting with her.

"How long have I been here?" she asked.

"24 hours" Raine said.

DeLeah's eyes brightened, "24 hours? Ok that's enough for me" she said with a determined look as she sat up.

"What do you think you're doing?" Raine asked.

"I'm leaving. I can rest in my quarters" DeLeah said as she began dressing. "I was only shot in the arm not the heart"

Raine rolled her eyes but didn't try to stop her. She knew it would be useless.

She was just about dressed when Rita came in. "What do you think you're doing?" she demanded.

DeLeah looked at her wryly, "I'm leaving. What does it look like?"

"Oh no you're not. You get you're butt back in that bed" she ordered.

DeLeah folded her arms stubbornly across her chest and glared at Rita, "if you make me get back in that bed I'll ensure the next time you're in Medlab that you stay there for a week" she threatened.

Rita rolled her eyes, "then you are to go to you're quarters and stay there for the next week unless someone is with you"

"Deal" DeLeah, said as she practically ran out the doors. "Having someone with her at all times for the next week wouldn't be too hard. She had Antonio, and then Raine was usually around during the day, then there were the rest of the ladies. DeLeah grinned,
no this week wouldn't be bad at all...no work but plenty of play. Time to get things back to normal around here.

The End!

This story ©DeLeah, January 2001