The Former Marine

Derek Rogan adjusted his helmet as he stared out into the vast night sky somewhere in the mountains of the Middle East. Beside him, his team of MARSOC operators stood silently awaiting the arrival of a group they had yet to directly operate with: the Intelligence Support Unit, or ISA, one of the United States' most covert operations forces.

The ISA—better known simply by its acronym—was shrouded in mystery, even to seasoned operators like Derek. While special forces like DEVGRU and MARSOC handled tactical, direct-combat missions, the ISA specialized in intelligence, communications interception, and surveillance. This combination made the collaboration between the two teams a high-profile, high-profile operation.

Derek sat on a rock, checking his gear one last time as he thought about the mission. They were hunting a terrorist financier who had eluded capture months earlier. Now, with the ISA's intelligence work behind them, they had a new chance to catch him. The mission was to infiltrate a heavily guarded area, gather information directly from the terrorist's headquarters, and extract the target alive, if possible.

The sound of a vehicle approaching caught everyone's attention.

"That's them," whispered one of the MARSOC team members next to Derek.

Two black Humvees approached, and out stepped four operators with firm postures and calculating looks. Their clothing and equipment were discreet, with no visible insignia, making it clear how clandestine the mission was. The ISA leader, a man with short, graying hair, walked toward Derek and extended his hand.

"You must be Rogan," he said in a grave but cordial tone. "I'm Shepard, ISA."

Derek shook Shepard's hand, assessing the man in front of him. "That's right. We're ready for the mission. We've got your details, but we want to know exactly how we're going to make the entry."

"No problem. Let's sit down and review," Shepard replied, gesturing for everyone to come forward.

The briefing took place in a makeshift tent by flashlight, where maps and satellite imagery of the enemy compound were spread out on a table. Shepard pointed to strategic points as he spoke.

"The primary target, Kareem al-Rashid, is located here," he said, pointing to a fortified house in the center of the compound. "He has armed security at all entrances and a rudimentary but effective surveillance system. Our team will disable his communications and alarm systems. You go in, recon the perimeter, and eliminate the primary threats."

Derek was watching everything closely, and when Shepard mentioned the silent invasion, he knew the ISA had already done its thorough work. "What's the time window for this operation?" he asked.

"We have exactly twenty minutes to infiltrate, gather the information, and get out before the local militia realizes we've gone too far into their territory," Shepard replied.

One of the MARSOC operators, Mitchell, glanced at Derek. "That doesn't give us much room for error, Rogan."

"We have to be quick and accurate," Derek replied, turning to Shepard. "We're ready. I just hope you are."

Shepard smiled slightly, the smile not reaching his eyes. "The ISA always is."

The next few hours were spent in preparation and complete silence. Derek and his team were used to operating in extreme conditions, but working with the ISA brought a new level of tension. Not only were they dealing with a heavily guarded target, they had to trust that the ISA would do their part.

Just before midnight, Derek and the MARSOC operators made their way to the infiltration point, about a kilometer from the compound. The terrain was uneven and dark, but they moved with the precision of ghosts. Shepard and his men stood nearby, setting up their communications intercept equipment. Derek could hear the faint hum of the ISA's devices as they cracked enemy radio codes.

"Communications neutralized," came Shepard's calm voice in the headset. "You have a clear path to enter."

Derek nodded to his team. They approached the outer wall of the compound, moving from shadow to shadow. Mitchell was the first to climb, setting up ropes for the others to climb quickly. Once everyone was inside, they spread out across the courtyard, approaching the main house where their target was hiding.

The ISA kept electronic surveillance active, informing Derek of every movement they detected. "Two guards approaching from the north entrance," one of the ISA analysts radioed. Derek signaled to his partner on the left, and together, they took out the guards silently, with precision shots using silencers.

As they approached the house, Derek activated his thermal camera to check for enemy presence inside. "Two on the ground floor, one on the second floor," he whispered to his team. They split into two teams, with one infiltrating the ground floor and Derek leading the way upstairs.

When they reached the second floor, he saw Kareem al-Rashid sleeping in his bed, completely unaware that his last day of freedom had arrived. Derek entered the room silently, and with a single swift movement, immobilized the target.

"Al-Rashid down," Derek radioed.

"Good job. Commence extraction," Shepard replied calmly. "Meet us at the extraction point in two minutes."

The escape was as quick as the infiltration. With Al-Rashid in custody, Derek's team and the ISA were out of the compound before the remaining guards realized what had happened. The extraction vehicles were waiting about 500 meters from the compound, hidden in a small valley. Derek threw Al-Rashid into the back of one of the Humvees and climbed in.

As the engine roared in the darkness, Shepard turned to Derek and gave him a small smile. "You and your team are efficient, Rogan. I expected nothing less."

"You didn't disappoint either," Derek replied, though his voice was thick with weariness.

Back at the secure base, Derek watched as Shepard and his men led Al-Rashid to a makeshift interrogation room. Though his mission was technically complete, he knew the ISA's work had only just begun. They would use every tactic they had mastered to extract information from the captured terrorist, and Derek was pleased to know that Al-Rashid would not get away with it.

Before saying goodbye, Shepard approached Derek one last time.

"Working with you was efficient and discreet. We may need you again in the future."

Derek nodded. "We'll be ready when you need us."

The two shook hands, and with that, another successful operation was complete. The collaboration between MARSOC and the ISA had proven effective, and Derek knew that their partnership had only just begun. The world of covert operations was vast, and with allies like the ISA, he felt even more prepared for whatever the future held.