Enough of a SEAL remained inside his former friend's head to understand that Claire had to give a debrief of this il. Claire told of her soldiers, an African brother from America, had lead them through Rwanda and into the DRC. He and Paul had trained these soldiers to fight, adults versus the kids of the LRA. The scouts reported a LRA position, Claire (then Charlie), had done the recon and brought forward the soldiers in his platoon.
They had mostly Russian junk, gone were the days of Afghan plenty. Battered Ak-47s and copies of M-60s, they dumped their packs leaving the gunners with extra rounds. Then implemented a fire and movement, their machine gunners laying down rounds to keep the LRA down and then Charlie bringing the rest of their operators into a flanking position.
Charlie with his flare pistol shooting off a red flare, telling the gunners to stop shooting, then ordering them in French to charge. The men found themselves caught in a trap. RPGs exploded all around them, men with cheap Russian sniper rifles took pot shots. Trees were shredded by heavy gun fire, RPGs, hand grenades and machete.
Claire told how, Charlie in the third person, was pinned and about to be overrun when a mist as thick as a milk surrounded them and gagged both sides into unconsciousness. Charlie could fight any man, but this mist knocked him out like nerve gas and then he stopped...
"What happened next?" Paul asked.
"I became what I am, and I was sent to warn you. il won't want me saying more..."
Paul tried in different ways and different languages but Claire wouldn't put out.
"Do you remember that IED I stepped on? The look in my face? The relief after I was saved?"
Paul nodded solemnly.
"This time the bomb went off, instead of losing my legs and dick or worse...I got this..."
She ripped open the buttons to her shirt exposing her pregnant breasts. Engorged and firm with dark chocolate nipples leaking what might be drops of milk. Trying to be a gynecologist for a bit Paul tried to play hearts and mind.
"Does the baby move? We can organize an ultrasound."
"You don't get it, I think I ain't carrying no baby, I think I have to replant the trees I destroyed. Paul, my friend, stay the fuck away or join me. This il is smart, instead of just killing us it has robbed me of the power to be a man, I know what I used to do, I can remember the head exploding off that suicide bomber in Kabul. This thing is more sophisticated, it turned me into a woman and knocked me up for the damage I did...you want to find out ignore my warning and go into the jungle."
Paul ordered Claire detained but when they checked on her she had vanished leaving her shirt and shoes behind. Paul had to make a decision, he believed Claire (kinda) and he wanted to give a report. His salary and position was such that he had to earn his bonus to retire. That meant humping into the heat and the heart of the darkness that Claire had been sent to warn about...