When the War Came

Prologue:

Northern Egypt

December 1941

"Kat, get the hell over here and let me take your money!" Bright green eyes sparkled as Samuel Jameson launched an empty cigarette carton at the tall brunette, who sat in the doorway of the tent, keeping watch over the gently blowing sands. The cigarette carton bounced off the back of her head, sliding down the long brown braid and onto the warm sand.

Said brunette turned to glare at the stocky redhead, mismatched eyes burning. "I told you that I'm never fucking playing poker with you again," she hissed, before whipping her head back around to the desert night.

"C'mon Kat, it's not his fault that you've finally found someone who's actually better at poker than you," Branson Tollward drawled out, the Mississippi twang more than clear in his voice.

Kat just huffed, annoyed, pulling her sniper rifle towards her and beginning to disassemble it with swift fingers, rubbing new oil in with an already dirty rag. "Sorry boys, looks like my rifle needs some attention. Guess I can't play," the smile was more than evident in her voice, shoulders moving as she buffed the cool metal.

"You cleaned it this morning you fuckin' sneak!" Sam heckled her, quickly dropping to dodge the handful of sand she'd flung at him.

"Fine, fine. One round, you assfaces, then I'm going to bed." Kat quickly reassembled her rifle and scooted across the sandy floor of the tent, joining her squad of five at the makeshift poker table they'd set up. Their faces glowed in the light of the lantern, and she smiled to herself. She'd gotten five damn good soldiers.

Kat was the commander of a special covert ops team, specializing in quick in-and-out missions for intel, prisoners, etc. She herself was their sniper, but was more than capable of hand-to-hand combat. Samuel Jameson was her muscle and pretty boy, Branson Tollward her munitions exert, Marshall Levinsky her radioman, Giovanni Accosi her intelligence man, and Mackey Bartosz was basically a translator, fluent in almost five languages.

Lady Luck seemed to be on her side that night, as a runner slid through the doorway, his heavy combat boots failing to find purchase in the shifting sand. "Captain Taylor, you've been requested on the line," he gasped out, bending to catch his breath.

Kat leapt up, the mood in the tent no longer playful as she shoved her arms through the sleeves of her O.D jacket. "Who, soldier?" She demanded, rifle cocked and ready on her shoulder.

"Colonel Matherson, ma'am, and he needs you right now because there's a whole German Panzer squadron approaching from the east, and they look like they've got a half a company of SS with them, too."

Kat smiled grimly, following the Private into the cool Egyptian night. "Let's go kick some Kraut ass, boys."

She saw heard the thunder of the Panzers before she saw the barrel flashes, the blasts kicking huge clouds of sand into the air. Her squad zigzagged across the sands to the half-fallen brick wall that sheltered her commanding officer. "Captain Taylor and Omega reporting for duty, sir. You called?" she smirked, and the good Colonel just gave her a relieved smile and told her, "Go get 'em, Kat."

"With pleasure, sir. Let's go!"

It always gave her a little thrill to feel the kick of her rifle butt against her shoulder, and to feel the reassuring warmth of Gio beside her, knowing that he'd always have her back. A loud ping sounded next to her, and she turned to check and see if Gio was alright, only to find him slumped on the ground, eyes wide and vacant as blood oozed down his cheek from the hole in his helmet. Kat barely had time to register the death of one of her best friends before she was flying through the air, pain ripping through her abdomen and a sharp slash across her face. Her body hit the bricks hard, and everything went black.

AN: Y'all, this is my first story, so please be kind, constructive criticism is appreciated, but if you're an asshole about my writing I will not hesitate to delete your stupid-ass comments. I'm gonna see how people like this story before setting up a update timeline, so read it, review it, etc etc.-Damask