The sun blazed down on the parched streets of Bamako, Mali, as Captain Vasili and his team of soldiers held their weapons steady, and trained on their target. Before them stood Ralf Hietela, a notorious arms dealer, and his gang of mercenaries whose weapons are lowered.
Suddenly, a crackle came over his radio, and Vasili's heart leaped into his throat. It was Ivan, his second-in-command, calling from Hanseong with urgent news.
"Captain, I just had a word from the guys in Hanseong," Ivan said, his voice crackling with static. "They are telling me that your wife and daughter are not in your house."
Vasili's heart sank. He had left his family behind when he was deployed on this mission, and the thought of them being in danger made him feel sick.
"Is that confirmed?" he asked, his fingers twitching on the trigger of his weapon.
"It's positive, Captain," Ivan confirmed, his tone grave. "We're still trying to track them down."
Vasili gritted his teeth, his eyes fixed on Hietela, who stood before him with a smirk on his face.
"You took them, didn't you?" Vasili growled, his voice low and menacing.
Hietela shrugged nonchalantly. "What did I say, Captain? You are making a huge mistake. Now I think you realize the situation we are having here. If you want to see your family again, you either let me go or you'll go see them at their funeral."
"You piece of shit!" Vasili's face contorted with rage. He wanted to squeeze the trigger really bad but he couldn't jeopardize the safety of his wife and daughter who is held captive by Ralf Hietela's men.
"Captain, calm down, we are reaching the Command Ops and inform them of our situation…" Ivan said even he was also infuriated at Ralf Hietela.
"Get on it," Vasili said, his voice firm. "And tell them to hurry."
Ivan nodded, his fingers already moving over the radio controls. Vasili could hear the urgency in his voice as he relayed the situation to Command Ops, requesting instructions and guidance.
While Ivan made the call, Vasili kept his eyes fixed on Hietela, who still stood before him with that infuriating smirk on his face. He wondered what the arms dealer was thinking, whether he was confident that he would come out on top or whether he was starting to feel the first twinges of fear.
"You leave my family the fuck alone, they have nothing to do with this," Vasili growled, his voice low and menacing. "If you hurt them, I swear to God, I will make you pay."
Hietela chuckled. "Oh, Captain, we don't have to go there as long as you let me out of here in this place. You have fifteen minutes to decide because I couldn't bear the heat of the sun."
"Captain, we cannot let this man go," one of Vasili's men said on the radio. "Our government has been chasing this man for six years, we let him go now he'll go dark again and we are back to square one!"
"I know…but my family…my family…" Vasili's voice broke, his mind racing with fear and desperation. He couldn't bear the thought of his loved ones being hurt, but he also couldn't let Hietela go free. It was a terrible choice, one that would haunt him for the rest of his life.
Just then, Ivan's voice crackled over the radio. "Captain, we've got a connection from the Command Ops. Defense Minister Alexei is on the line."
"Captain Vasili, I have heard the situation."
"Sir…the bastard in front of me took my wife and daughter."
"I know, but the mission is still a go, capture Ralf Hietela, we can't let this chance slip, we let him go due to your family and we will never have another opportunity to apprehend him again."
"No…no…we can still find this motherfucker, we have tracked him down here in Mali, we can track him anywhere in the world. So please, retract the order, for the sake of my family and I swear I will be the one to track him."
"Captain, you are not to disobey a direct order," Alexei said sternly, "Take Ralf Hietela and eliminate his guards."
Vasili's heart sank as he heard the order. He knew what he had to do, but it felt like a betrayal of everything he held dear. He glanced over at Hietela, who still wore that infuriating smirk on his face, and he wondered how the arms dealer could be so callous, so indifferent to the lives of others.
"So what is it like to be captain? Are you going to be a slave to your government who sits comfortably in their offices following orders while you and your men follow orders blindly? Or you can let me go, and see your family again?"
Vasili's mind was racing, torn between his duty to his country and his duty to his family. He knew that letting Hietela go would be the easier choice, the choice that would ensure the safety of his loved ones, but it would also mean betraying everything he stood for, everything he had worked for his entire career.
He looked at Hietela, who stood there with a smug grin on his face and felt a surge of anger and disgust. This man had no regard for human life, no empathy for the families he destroyed, and yet he was willing to use Vasili's love for his family against him.
Vasili took a deep breath, trying to calm his thoughts and focus on the task at hand. He couldn't let his emotions cloud his judgment. He had to make the right choice, no matter how hard it was.
"I am a captain, and my duty is to my country and my people," Vasili said, his voice firm. "I cannot let you go, no matter what the cost."
Hietela's smirk faded, replaced with a scowl. "You're stupid, Captain."
The tension around them was palpable as the mercenaries were eyeing their weapons, hesitant to confront the Special Forces.
"Captain, give us a call and we will put a lead in their brain," one of his men said.
"Do you really choose your country over your family? What would your daughter and wife think of you?"
Vasili couldn't take it anymore and his mind went blank. All he saw was red, and seconds later, he turned his rifle toward the mercenaries and opened fire, killing them mercilessly. One of the mercenaries tried to contest but Vasili was quick to react.
The Special Forces around were stunned at Vasili's sudden action and ended up following him up, exterminating Ralf Hietela's securities.
And once they were all cleared, Vasili charged toward Ralf and grabbed him by the collar, slamming him against the body of the White SUV.
"You think you can play with my family's lives?" Vasili growled, his eyes blazing with fury. "You think you can manipulate me? You're nothing but a worthless piece of shit."
And there he started punching him in the face repeatedly.
Hietela grunted as Vasili's fists connected with his face, blood splattering from his broken nose. He tried to fight back, but Vasili was too strong, too furious. He was like a man possessed, driven by the need for revenge and justice.
The rest of the team watched in shock and horror as their captain beat the arms dealer to a pulp. It was a side of Vasili that they had never seen before, a side that was raw, primal, and dangerous.
"Captain, that's enough," one of his men said, trying to pull Vasili away from Hietela. "You're going to kill him."
Vasili ignored him, his rage fueling his actions. He didn't care if he went too far if he broke Hietela's bones or even killed him. All he cared about was getting revenge for what had been done to his family.
While he was punching him in the face, Ralf was laughing maniacally. "Remember…Captain…you had a choice…you had a choice…HAHAHAHAH!"
Vasili finally stopped, breathing heavily, his knuckles bruised and bloody. He looked down at Hietela, who lay on the ground, his face a mess of blood and broken bones.
"You had a choice, Captain," Hietela wheezed, his voice barely audible. "And you made it. You chose your country over your family. Was it worth it?"
Vasili didn't answer. He felt numb and drained as if he had used up all his energy in that burst of violence. He looked around at his team, who stared back at him with a mix of shock and admiration.
"Captain, what do we do with him?" one of his men asked, nodding toward Hietela.
Vasili didn't know. He couldn't bring himself to care. All he wanted was to see his family, to make sure they were safe, and to try to forget the dark part of himself that he had just revealed.
"Take him into custody," he finally said, his voice flat. "And let's get out of here…"
"Captain…we have received another transmission from the Command Ops, the situation had reached the Emperor's ears, and wanted to speak with you."
"The Emperor?" Vasili repeated, surprised. "Put him through."
There was a moment of silence before a deep, authoritative voice sounded in his earpiece. "Captain Vasili, this is Alexander Romanoff. I have been informed of the situation and I wanted to speak with you directly."
"Your Majesty," Vasili said, his voice respectful. "I just captured Ralf Hietela…"
"I know, but at the expense of your family. I want to assure you that I have assembled a team in Hanseong to locate your family before his men can make a move on them. I will use every resource available in the country and make sure that you get your family back safe and sound."
"I appreciate it…Your Majesty…"
"I understand that this is a hard decision that you made…As a father, I understand your pain, and the emotion that you are going through now. I am conflicted as to whether to congratulate you on capturing him as it would be insensitive to the situation with your family. But I want you to know that I respect your dedication to your duty and your country."
Vasili nodded, his heart heavy. "Thank you, Your Majesty."
"I will keep you updated on the situation with your family," Alexander said.
