"Loose Ends"

Day 6 - 15:36:13

SSG. Mike 'Archer' Wallace

Task Force 141

Georgian-Russian Border

"Snipers in position", "strike team go…engage Makarov on sight". "Roger that", "Solid Copy". "Lets Go" Archer kept his breath steady as he gazed through his scope listening to the fading footsteps of his friend and the squad. He focused intently on the mansion before him. "where are you, you bastard" he thought to himself. An explosion sounded to his left and he jumped startled." Targets! Left side!, Left Side!" Archer switched his view from the mansion to the smoke rising. Screams from wounded echoed like the sounds of dying animals. Gunfire ended some of their pain. He saw Russians spring from their hiding place. He smoothly pulled the trigger, drifting into the Zen like state that snipers were most known for. He dropped one mercenary with a round to the chest. Then another with a shot to the neck lacerating his carotid artery which spewed blood into the air. He ignored his companions screams of pain and distress and put his full will into giving them support. He was zeroed for 700 yards so he aimed low to get the bullet were he wanted it. A few men carrying Rpg's on the ridgeline stopped and took aim. "Toad we got Rpg's!" he yelled to his fellow sniper. "on it mate". They took aim and dropped them before they were able to fire off their payload.

"were through!, but we got vehicles leaving the compound" Ghost's voice came through their com. Gunfire sounded off. " Bloody hell!' those vehicles are bullet proof". Archer swapped his M-14 for a Javelin and took aim. "clear the area". Two on the way". The lock on chime sounded and he fired the missile arcing high before flying down to rain hell on its target below. The bright explosion could be seen from their faraway position on the ridge. He ditched the Javelin and took aim again with his rifle. " toad anything" He asked, "We got hostels around the house but strike team is mopping up" Archer looked around listening off and on to their com. " All right Roach attach the DSM , and be ready Makarov's men are going to do their best to stop us from leaving with that DSM. Archer turned, he keyed the mike' Ghost you got helicopters to the west moving up the trail next to the boathouse, recommend mining the driveway we will try to thin them out before they make it up there over". "Roger Archer " Ghost replied firmly. Archer looked through his scope. " a sun whitened banner flapped lazily in the wind, most didn't see what he saw…a wind flag

"we got a strong wind blowing left to right Toad" Archer commented adjusting the targeting dials on the side of his 2-12 tactical scope. "Recommend keeping the same up to down but adjusting 4 clicks right or holding to the 3rd mil-dot.". "Affirmative Archer" Toad kept reached up and adjusted the dial on his scope. Archer saw a fleeting gasp of a soldier disappearing under a treetop. HE was wearing a brightly colored beret. Must be an officer he waited patiently for him to run out of cover he led him quite a bit as he fired watching the bullet hit the man right in the ass. "Right in the arse mate" said Toad. "keep cool they might come for their wounded buddy, pick em off" Just as he finished his sentence another merc tried to grab his wounded leader. Archer held steady as he coolly pulled the trigger the kick almost non-existent as he was so focused. It was a sight, the 308. 567 grain round traveled from his barrel to his target in a second and a half impacting the left side of his skull, blowing chunks of brain matter and bits of skull onto the already freaking out merc. "I'm hit!", "scarecrow is down!" yelled Ghost. "Jesus Christ scarecrow" said toad. " its getting pretty hairy down there" Archer said in between his shots. Suddenly bullets cracked all around their position. A helicopter swung overhead raining down lead. Archer bit his lip as hot shell casings rained down on them burning his flesh when they got in between his ghillie suit. "were displacing your going to have 30 seconds without sniper support standby!" Archer yelled into the com as they picked up their rifles and moved to a better position and out of sight of the helicopter.

"Hurry up Toad!, Ghost and his boys are counting on our help" "r-roger" was all Toad could gasp out as he followed Archers grueling pace through the ravine. "15s seconds mate" he said through the com. Finally he stopped at a broke over tree and rested his rifle on it he had a different view of the house. Toad sidled in beside him and Archer worked to control his breath as he took aim through his scope once more. He could see through a window were Ghost and Roach were fighting for their lives. Smoke erupted through a tree line by the farmhouse. " they popped smoke by the farmhouse , recommend switching to a thermal weapon" Archer advised. He looked over Toad was cranking off shots with almost no pause. The younger more inexperienced sniper had got caught up in the blood rush. "Oy!, stop that fucking racket keep your shots accurate" Toad turned looking surprised his Sgt would tell him something like that. He only nodded and returned to calm controlled firing. Archer returned his vision to the situation. A Russian merc boldly raised his rifle and fired his clip into the air as he strutted towards the house. "good night" Archer whispered. He held left for the wind and fired the bullet impacting the mans upper body slamming into his chest and being caught by the ballistic plate on the mans back. You saw all the destruction you wreaked through your scope. That's why it was hard on snipers they saw what they caused with one pull of the finger. The man he had just shot had blue eyes and not even old enough for a beard. His eyes were still open and blood leaked out of the corner of his mouth. But Archers years of experience had de sensitized him to the horrors of war. He put his crosshairs on another mans face wanting to drop him without pause. Just like hunting only it was people. He fired sending another screaming hot piece of lead into the Russians face blowing half of it off and his brains out of the back of his head. " we got the DSM Archer, get out of here get to the rendezvous point". Affirmative Ghost keep the engine hot for me". " Ill keep the beer cold t for ya too mate" Ghost replied, Archer smiled as he tapped Toad on the shoulder and they got up making sure their gear was secure before moving out.

"Holy shit there's Russians crawling all around that house" Toad said. Distant mortar strikes shook the ground. "We're never getting out the way Ghost and Roach made it" Archer said. Distant talking made them turn. "Get down now" He told Toad. They dropped to the ground, hopefully they had taken enough time on their ghillie suits for them to blend.. A squad of Russians walked out. One of said something in Russian but they kept walking , unaware of the two snipers beneath their feet. He was about to getup when he realized there was one Russian left. A trickling sound next to him made Archer realize the man was taking a piss. Toad grunted and Archer realized the man was taking a piss right on top of him. HE stifled his laughter as they waited, the man walked away. Quietly they got up, "don't say a word, not a fucking word" Toad said looking at him. They hopped over an old forgotten rusty fence to bypass the Russian merc and mortar fire. "we better hurry mate" said Toad. "Yeah, wouldn't want Ghost and Roach to down all the booze without us" Archer replied. "too right mate"