Okay this is a teaser chapter of a story that's been playing out in my head for a few weeks now. Hoping to add to it people out there want to read more?

Chapter 1 - I hate this Place

There's a constant fizzing whurr and incessant whooshing of heavy rain coming down. The drumming sound of it drowns out even the chirping squawks of the jungle. Silencing the birds and millions of clicking insects they've been listening to up until now.

The floor is alive, a crawling mass of critters crunching under BRAVO teams feet as they trudge along, making slow headway, in the dense thicket of jungle foliage. The trees around them feel like they're alive and moving. But among the teaming crawling life on the wooden pillars around them, there is also a stench of death. The piles of fallen foliage making the path they're trekking slippy and difficult.

Walking is slow, the branches have a strangling hold around them and they're having to continuously chop them back with machetes just to be able to inch forward in the thick dense terrain. The jungle's lush, beautiful and awe inspiring but by no stretch of the imagination is it a fun place to be . Neither is the sound of feet squelching in water-soaked boots. Their feet a wet swelling mess of wrinkled skin as they pound slowly in single file along the steep muddy pathways.

The air is heavy, it's almost like it's trying to suffocate them. The oxygen sapping humidity makes them feel like they're drowning in their own sweat each breath hurts their lungs as the warm heavy air forces itself inside their chests. The hot moisture each time they inhale is like walking with a blow drier on full in your face and if all that wasn't bad enough, there's the rain.

The rain is constant. Noisy, skin soaking and relentless. The rain has just not stopped since they got there.

The coolest and driest they've been this op was at thirty thousand feet when they halo' d in over the Guatemala border. The cylinder gas was clear and clean but the minute they put feet on the ground the humidity hit them. And as the first fog cloud of bugs stuck to their sweaty foreheads, Sonny knew he'd hate this.

The truth is, hauling ass through a jungle for hours is like walking through hell on earth. If they're honest not one of them can say that they like it. The jungle is suffocating, a toxic swamp, infested with every living nightmare imaginable and now the heavy tropical rain is making it so much worse .

"Someone up there hates us for sure" Sonny looks to the sky, wiping the large drips of water from his eyebrows "Ray you need to get on the hotline and have a word!" His face is bright red, hot with sweat and wet from the large droplets of rain. It hasn't let up since they touched down "Oh man... does this rain ever stop here?"

It's coming down heavier now, soaking them through to the skin. Clay can feel his undershorts are wet around his groin, making them chaff in intimate places. It's not pleasant and when they eventually rest he's going to have to sort the problem because he can feel how sore it's becoming now. His mind is being taken off the problem now by listening to Sonny's constant moaning and complaining.

Urrrrrghhh! "Oh man! Do you know how wet I am?" Sonny sighs groaning out loud again. He's not even talking to anyone in particular just making continual observations about the situation, an unstoppable whine-fest of complaints. "The fact I can't even sweat now. This heat is killin me man! It's like it's steam cookin me from the insides out" Jeeez! "Oh hell! Man this place stinks."

He's right it does smell, a funny putrid, damp. A sweating smell of rotting leaves and trees mixed with a heavy dewey pollen smell.

"For god sake Jason get us out of this hell! Oh no wait! " he sighs "I need to stop. My feet ache. Man, I can't walk my foot is killin' "

"Sonny... will you shut the hell up!" Jason snaps. The ongoing noise from his whining is adding to the pressure and stress that they're all feeling.

"Yeah man, we been humping ass for nearly seven hours and you've not stopped whining the whole time." Clay frowns, stopping in front of him he stares him in the face "Sonny, what the hell is wrong with you now?"

"Yeah well it's okay for you Goldilocks, cos you might like being wet. Me on the other hand I don't. Look all I'm tryin to say, is I hate this rain. It hasn't stopped, and my foot hurts!"

"Yeah bit like your whining then Sonny, cos that hasn't stopped either! And it's not like you're tellin us anything we didn't know for ourselves" Trent sighs angrily.

Clay pushes on the branch he has held back and then he lets it go. It suddenly flies back hitting Sonny full in the chest Awww! " Shit man! What the hell Clay?!" he frowns "Why the hell'd you do that?"

"Cos..." he laughs " I thought it might shut you up. Doesn't seem like it worked though!"

Tensions are running high and Sonny grabs at Clay's sleeve "Hey golden boy, you want me to shut up ? Fine then ... " he now lets go of the branch he's holding and it hits Clay in the face, knocking him to the ground. Watching him sit there on the wet ground Sonny bursts out laughing.

"Fuck you Sonny!"

Jason can feel the tense atmosphere and he puts his hand up, signalling for them to stop. "Take a break for a minute. Hydrate!" He and Ray stay up front, discussing their infill plans. "Sonny's right we do need to stop but it will be dark soon. I want us up over that ridge, before nightfall. We have a good couple more hours of walking ahead"

Ray sighs, looking back at the others. He can tell Sonny and Clay are starting to lose concentration "Hey you two ... " he shouts back "time to focus!"

The target location is not far on the map but the pace they're making, in the green claustrophobic hell, is making it slow going. Every step sapping their energy more and more . They're having have to cut their way through every foot of dense undergrowth to move even inches forward and as soon as they cut one bit they lose the path and have to do it all over again. The jungle growing back over covering their tracks instantly. Cloaking them in the camouflage of vegetation.

"Why the hell would anyone choose to live out here?" Sonny's whining soon begins again after their impromptu break "Let alone bring hostages to this god forsaken hell hole!" OH FUCK! Sonny shrieks loudly, bringing them all to a sudden halt "SNAKE! Oh my god! There...there's a fuckin SNAKE!"

He points his arms flapping around. Clay grabs at them keeping him still. He's right there is a snake. A huge hissing slithering python, partly curled around the base of a tree. It's moving, tongue flicking in and out testing the air as they try to pass.

As it moves again Sonny panics FUCK! he squeals stepping back away from it, as he does he loses his footing in the thick orange mud, the wet weight of his rucksack pulls him backwards down to the ground "Get me up!... GET me the hell up!" he yells still petrified about the snake.

While Brock deals with the snake dispatching it back into the undergrowth. Clay's unable to move. He can't stop laughing as he watches Sonny squirming on the ground, getting more and more caked in the thick orange slick.

Trent trudges back to try and help him, while Jason and Ray watch from the high point of the ridge, where they've now climbed. The stare down at the scene unfolding below them.

"Get him the hell up!" Jason calls down, he's annoyed "Sonny get a grip here man and start concentrating. We're gonna be getting close our target soon. They're bound to have perimeter guards so start focusing up!"

Technically he's right. Distance wise they will soon be close, but he knows with the vegetation they still have to get through that they have another good hour of hiking especially as the path drops away and they have to zig zag their route to the compound.

As Sonny gets helped to his feet the heavens decide to unleash an almighty god-fearing torrent of rain and as the cloudburst befalls them they try and gain shelter under some thick leaves. They're joined on the leaves surrounding them by a chorus of weird looking creatures. Clay and Sonny are both flapping and slapping their arms at the various ticks and bugs that land on them. Crawling and biting at any exposed damp flesh that they can, making it itch.

Ray looks up as they stop. He checks his hand. Flexing his fingers, they're sore from holding the machete he's using to cut their way forward. The large blisters are starting to break open and he looks at them slightly worried. He's going to need to sort them before they get any worse. Worried also how they might affect his weapons handling later on "Jace... let's take a break brother. We need to hydrate and clean up!"

"I wanna keep moving Ray, get up and off this ridge before night fall!"

"Yeah I know that brother.. but we need a rest. We need to look after ourselves. Man we've covered a lot of ground today!"

Yeah..."Jason sighs "yeah you're right! Alright heads up everyone! Take a break. Do what you need to clean up if you can. Trent you good with that?"

Trent nods "Yeah .. yeah!"

Huhhhh! Clay sighs still smiling at the sight of the orange colored, mud-soaked Sonny "C'mon man let's try and clean you up."

"I need some water" Sonny sips from his canteen and sitting himself down on a large boulder. As he settles down to rest he suddenly leaps forward, fast, from his makeshift seat, brushing the weird looking bug from the back of his hand. Fuckk! " Fuck, I hate this fuckin place." He pulls his hat off, running his hand through his sweat dripping hair "Jace... how much further till we get out of here man?"

"We got about two clicks to go, west" he points " but we gotta trail around, stay up on this ridge as long as we can. It's gonna add another click to the hike but give us more over watch on the situation below and avoid the river!"

"Shit man!" Sonny continues to rub his head then he sits down again, taking his boot off to the look at the blister on his foot. The skin is white and wrinkled. It's split in a red open line where, what was, a huge liquid filled blister has burst.

"Sonny, let me look at that before you put your boots back on." Trent frowns taking his medical kit from his rucksack. The supplies all sealed in a watertight bags. The medical stuff about the only things that are not wet through. " Last thing we need is that getting infected out here." He looks up in Sonny's face. Touching gently the sore on his foot.

Awww! He squeals as Trent starts to put some antiseptic cream on it.

"You did get all your shots up to date right?"

"What ?" Sonny frowns "Of course... what the hell .. wait, what ..ya think I'll end up with some sort of jungle fever? Is that even a thing. What ya think I might get sick?"

"No Sonny you're not gonna get sick. Just I don't want ya to get an infection". Trent rolls his eyes and sighs as he starts cleaning the wound on his foot. He dresses it, for all the good it will do in the wet. Until they get dry nothing is going to heal out here.

Suddenly and as quickly as it started the drenching rain stops.

The sun breaks through the canopy with an intense burning heat and suddenly there's noise everywhere. Now it's not the sound of rain but a sense overloading noise of creatures busying themselves all around. Chirping, clicking, growling and screeching, not loud just intense. A wall of sound that surrounds them from every side from the upper branches to their feet below.

The heat on the wet now brings a smell of damp which fills their nostrils and it's mixed with the sickly-sweet smell of plant pollen and rotting vegetation.

Sonny watches as Clay staggers his way up the incline towards Jason and Ray, he wants to find out their positioning but first he stops at the base. He needs to pee, desperately. He also needs to relieve the itching soreness in his groin. Trent's given him some cream and he takes it with him and finding a patch of foliage turns his back to relieve himself.

As he unzips his fly the heavens open again Oh shit! He groans as the little bit of warm dry they had managed to achieve, when the sun came out, is now gone and the material of his combats once again become wet against his skin.

Fuck! Sonny sighs as he pulls on his boots and shaking his head in despair he laces them up. "You know what, I'd rather be in an ocean full of sharks than here right now!" he moans as flicks another, unknown, bug from his forearm, scratching at the small red bump in his skin that it leaves behind. "Jeeezus man! Get me the hell outta here!"

"We need to get movin " Jason shouts down to them "We need out of here by nightfall!" Jason knows that no matter how uncomfortable they are now, that the dark and their tiredness will only bring them many more problems. "Up!" he gestures towards the ridge that he and Ray are standing on.

They look up to the vast bank of rugged rocks, the foliage sprouting in every direction. There's a gap in the trees and river of orange mud has started to stream down like a miniature waterfall. It means getting a grip on the ground without slipping is virtually impossible.

Sonny and Clay are the last to start the assent and getting their balance holding each other they have to keep their weight in the right position as they slip and slide in the mud trying to climb the path to the top. Clay's legs are caked and several times he loses his footing and now even he's starting to complain.

Sonny slows, his legs heavy and weary, the heat sapping his remaining energy from his muscles with each step "Oh man!" he moans taking another drink from his canister. He stands still, his feet wide apart to keep his balance. He stretches his aching back and then, without warning, he finds himself tumbling backwards to the ground. Clay losing his footing, sliding, fast, down the bank straight into him knocking them both off their feet.

"You two okay down there?" Ray frowns as he shouts down from the top of the ridge.

Clay and Sonny sit in the muddy water looking up at the others. "Yeah great!" Clay puts his hand up. Picking his weapon up as he hauls himself to a standing position. As he wipes his face he can hear a gushing sound as the rain gets heavier so does the waterfall coming over the edge cutting a wider channel to find its way down the path that they need to climb.

"Give us a minute!" Clay sighs. He can hardly see the rain pouring over his face. He takes hold of Sonny's hand to pull him up. They stand there covered in mud, wet through and really unhappy. But then Clay suddenly starts to laugh. It's a hyena sounding laugh from his gut he can't stop as he looks down at his clothes, the mud, the wet, the hopelessness of the situation Sonny standing there in the same sorry state. It's infectious and Sonny also bursts out laughing.

Brock smiles as he looks down exhausted from the climb. They can all hear them laughing and for a moment standing there it really does seem funny and they all start to laugh. Even Jason smiles as he continues to check the map.

Then there's an ear-splitting bang from a huge clap of thunder. A bright streak of electricity lights up the sky which silences them all.

Shit! Brock gasps in awe at the lightening. He wipes the wet from his face. Trent stares at Ray as the rain starts to fall in sheets of water drenching them through.

"Hey! Sonny... Spenser!" Jason calls out "Get your ass's up here now! We need to move ASAP!"

"Yeah... yeah, sure. We're coming!"

They start the long arduous climb up the steep embankment to the ridge where the others are waiting. The ground is soddened and spongey, large clumps of the earth are coming away in Clay's hand as he tries to haul himself upwards. He looks down at Sonny behind him, he's struggling, the mud from Clay's movements making his climb even more of a problem.

Clay stops taking a breath and reaches his hand up towards Brock and Trent at the top as they lean forward ready to pull him up over the edge. As he stretches they're all suddenly aware of loud rushing sound. The water and mud in the channel starts to pour over the side in a thick sludge. It causes Clay to lose his grip, his feet slip into the slick mud soup pouring under him.

"Sonny... watch out!" He manages to call out but it's too late for Sonny to do anything or move and the whole bank gives way under them.

Trent and Brock tip backwards as the ground under their feet breaks away. Luckily, Jason and Ray react quickly, grabbing at their backpacks before they topple over the edge.

The mud slick is smooth as the water continues to stream over the edge. And then thankfully the rain stops shutting off like a tap. They gather themselves, standing precariously at the edge, they check the scene below. All they can see is a smooth incline of orange mud heaped at the bottom of the now steep cliff like drop.

Shit! "Sonny...Clay!" Jason calls into the still silence below. They listen but all that can be heard is the screeching of parrots above their heads "SONNY!... SPENSER! C'mon on stop messin' around now!" Jason turns his head to try and listen. Still nothing.

He looks, worriedly, at Ray who's peering into the abyss below. The whole ridge has collapsed, and they can see nothing, but the pile of mud mixed with the trees and foliage that it took with it. The stream of muddy water is still pouring down over the edge.

Shit! Jason gasps, a panicked dread comes over him and his heart beats hard in his chest. He looks around at Trent and Brock also stood there staring below "Where the hell are they?"