Riding in the back of the Black Hawk at sea top level was normally a comforting experience for Captain Anders, the safety and security of the mighty Sikorsky HKP 16 piloted by its skillful crew was always reassuring before and after a mission. Tonight, though, was another story. As they skimmed across the waves in the dark of night en route to their target, Anders scanned every member of his platoon as they prepared for the evenings shenanigans. The eight combat hardened veterans showed neither a sign of fear nor anxiety as the Blackhawk skipped just above the waves, all except the FNG.
Private "Ducky" Duckbutt was new to the unit, just transferring in two days earlier to replace their radioman after he suffered a serious bout of explosive diarrhea and a 5.56 mm round to the forehead. Private Ducky was only three weeks out of basic training, which meant he had very little real-world experience, and had never had another human being shoot at him in anger. Sweating profusely in his seat, Ducky's eyes danced back and forth between the others while his hands fidgeted over the Bofors Ak 5C in his lap, his lower lip beginning to show the redness of his constant chewing and the blackout grease starting to matte under his eyes.
Captain Anders had seen it before, the FNG had never seen combat which was to be expected. But, just like the freak snowstorm that had thrown his country into turmoil five weeks before, things had change suddenly and drastically. Magic was real and his Queen yielded it with expert control. An ally and frequent trade partner was now a sworn enemy that wanted nothing more than to see the Queen's lifeless body burning in the town square. The youngest ambassador from the Southern Isles had tried to gain control over the kingdom by pressuring the Queen's sister into marriage, but that had run afoul when the ambassador attempted to kill the Princess and the Queen. Anders' team had personally returned the ambassador back to his realm, listening with feign interest as the ambassador swore his revenge the entire trip back.
Now as the storm clouds of war built upon the horizons, Anders couldn't sit back and let some punks attempt to teabag his country and his Queen. He also couldn't sit back and let this FNG's nerves screw up a very important mission. He fished out a stick of bark from his shirt pocket and passed it to the FNG.
"Chew on this, Ducky," Anders ordered. His hands had skipped over a photograph of his lover in the same pocket, the lipstick kiss on its back nestled against his heart.
"Yes, sir." The bark tasted horrible, but Ducky started to chew it. After a few minutes, he felt himself relaxing with every movement of his jaw. "Thanks sir that really helped."
"Don't mention it, Ducky." Anders replied before radio chatter in his earwig drew his attention away. Second later he unleashing onto the FNG and the rest of the team. "Thirty seconds to target. Square yourselves away and prepare to board the boat."
"SIR, YES SIR!" A fury of movement enveloped the helicopter as each man checked his gear and prepared his weapon. Gunnery Sergeant Jones, who had been napping next to Ducky stirred just enough to raise his cover.
The nose of the Black Hawk pitched up violently as the copilot flipped a switch, turning on the spotlight mounted under the helicopter to illuminate a cargo vessel beneath them. The co-pilot's voice crackled over a load speaker as he ordered the vessel to stop and prepare to be boarded.
"That's your queue," the crew chief remarked as he slid open the side door. He and his partner kicked out two ropes as the pilot maneuvered the Hawk around the slowing ship's superstructure.
"Just like we rehearsed, Ladies," Captain Anders called as the closest men hooked up to the ropes.
"For Queen Elsa and Arendelle." A thumbs up from the crew chief signaled the first two men to begin their fast-rope to the ship, and within thirty seconds all ten men had made the twenty meter plunge to the metal deck below.
The team spread out from their landing spot as the ropes fell away from the Black Hawk, which transitioned to provide suppressive fire with the portside Uncle Gazpacho.
Captain Anders began walking towards the bridge, his Ak 5C carried at the ready position, just resting across his chest. At the bottom of a ladder, a member of the ship's crew was waiting for him.
"We have done nothing wrong."
"Take me to your Captain!"
"No, we have done nothing wrong." The crewman remained in his position of defiance. "We have a right to sail these waters just like every other nation."
"Alright, high speed, let's try it this way. You take me to your Captain, or I drop you here and now."
"No. You don't have a right to be on this ship."
'"Fine, have it your way," CPT Anders replied as he raised his rifle to the ready position, the barrel pointed squarely in the crewman's face. "Say hello to the Duke for me."
"ENOUGH!" The shout from above drew everyone's attention, and confirmed that the vessel's captain was still in charge. "Gandalf, lead those men up here."
"Aye aye, sir." Gandalf wiped the sweat away from his forehead, but he couldn't do anything with the stain at his crotch.
Before ascending the ladder, CPT Anders turned to chat with Gunny Jones. "Gunny, I'm counting on you to secure the engine room quickly if things go sideways."
The wicked smile that crossed Gunny's lips made Anders' stomach turn.
"Jesus, Gunny, I'd hate to see your happy grin." CPT Anders shock his head as he turned to Private Duck. "Up the ladder, son." Moments later both men were standing on the ship's bridge.
The Captain of the vessel leant against his chair, a portly man with a grisly face marked by years of sun and sea, stroking his beard. Besides the helmsman, Gandalf stood off in a corner by the ship's navigator and his plot. The bridge crew watched their captain nervously while the old bastard stroked his graying beard, summing up his new arrivals.
"Can you explain why you have boarded my ship in international waters?"
"Well, Captain, by orders of Queen Elsa of Arendelle, all ships transitioning Arendelle territorial waters and its economic exclusion zones are subject to boarding and searches to confirm compliance with all treaties." CPT Anders withdrew a folded decree from a shirt pocket and handed it over to the captain. "As you may know, radar aboard the guided missile cruisers, HRMS King Adgar, determined that your vessel crossed the economic exclusion zone thirty mikes ago and radioed you to change course or be boarded."
"Economic exclusion zones, what will they think up next?" The ship's crew began it fidget while their captain reviewed the papers.
"Captain, I need to inspect your logs and, if necessary, inspect your cargo."
"Fine. I keep them in my cabin, walk with me."
"Ducky, stay frosty." CPT Anders' order left Ducky to watch over the bridge crew as he followed the ship's captain lead. The hallways of the cargo vessel were dirty and grimy, a condition of poor maintenance and reflection of the aging vessel's time at sea.
"Don't let her appearance fool you, Captain Anders, the Majestic Duchess is still one of the finest trading vessels in the Weselton fleet." The ship's captain stopped outside of his cabin door, John Critten boldly emblazoned in gold leaf on the dark maroon placard. "This only private place on this ship where my crew cannot overhear my conversations. After you."
"Thank you, Captain Critten." The room was small and well-kept by comparison to the rest of the ship. Everything had its place, and nothing was out of place as far as the Arendelle Royal Marine could tell.
Critten closed the door and offered the only chair to Anders. "Shall we begin, Mr. Anders."
"Please, Captain Critten, explain to me why I am here tonight."
Critten sat on his bunk and removed a fifth of scotch from his bunk. With shaking hands, he unscrewed the pressed the bottle to his lips. "I am committing an act of treason, so please bear with me while I calm my nerves. Our countries have enjoyed years of peace and trade until recent events severed all communications between our countries. Thankfully, I still have friends in your country that are willing to avoid the war that is coming. Such a sad thing war, and all because your queen can control ice with her mind."
"I promise you, my country wants to avoid war at all costs. No blood has been shed, and we want to keep it that way."
"Yet they send a dog of war to board my boat under the cover of darkness to make a deal with me, all in the hopes of this preventing war. Thick is the irony."
"I am a man of many talents, Captain Critten," Anders replied without a change of emotion. "Queen Elsa trusts me unconditionally. I have given her my personal word to seek out a resolution before there is any bloodshed."
"Fine." Captain Critten took another swag of liquor before continuing. "It is no great secret that my Duke and the exiled Prince Hans have formed an allegiance." Anders nod was confirmation that the information had reached Arendelle and been vetted. "What is not widely known is that they have developed a device that will right the wrongs that they deem have been committed."
"What type of device? Is it a weapon of mass destruction? A Nuke?"
"Mr. Anders, there are things in this world that are much more sinister than a nuclear weapon."
"A biological weapon?"
"No. This is a weapon of pure evil, it will destroy everything that we know and care about in this world."
"Do you know what exactly it will do?" Anders was beginning to fidget at the possibilities that could be unleashed. The probability of a chemical weapon attach was much greater, but evil could be anything. "I need to know what it will do, where it is, and how to stop it."
"What it will do or how to stop it, I do not know those answers." Crittens replied as he ran his thumb over the scotch bottle, caressing it just like he used to do his wife. "The weapon will arrive at your castle by diplomatic courier by the end of the day today."
"What does it look like?" Anders had to get as much information as he could, he had to fight the panic that was building inside.
"That is easy. It is a simple mahogany box with a gold plaque, about the size of a cigar box."
"Which embassy is sending the box?" The obvious answer of Weselton was unthinkable, all diplomats and packages were turned away from that kingdom without question. Queen Elsa knew better than to trust the Duke, but she would trust the rest of her allies. Someone had to be cooperating with this madman, and Anders needed to know who that was. "Tell me who is delivering the box."
"Corona."
"Impossible."
Critten chuckled. "Nothing is impossible for the exiled prince."
"Alright." The bits and pieces together. "You're telling me that an evil weapon that can fit inside a cigar box is going to be delivered to my Queen by emissaries from Corona, our most trusted trading partner. If we don't find that cigar box of death, the world as we know it will cease to exist."
"You are fairly bright for a trigger puller, Captain."
"Well, you don't become an officer for Queen Elsa without being able to think." Anders was pacing the small room. "Is this some kind of joke, Captain?"
"No, Mr. Anders. This is not a joke." Captain Critten replied as he took to his feet as well. "The fate of both of our nations depends on you finding a cigar box."
"On behalf of her majesty, Queen Elsa, thank you." Ander's hand extended across the compartment. "Unfortunately, now I must take my leave and inform my command of this immediately."
The two quickly made their way back to the bridge, where PVT Ducky was standing quite still, cradling his Ak 5C at the low-ready position. "Pack it up, Ducky, the manifest checks out and we'll release these gentlemen to return to their cargo route." A quick look around the room indicated that not all was well. "Ducky, where's Gandalf?"
"He said he needed to take a leak, sir."
"And you let him?"
BOOM
A fireball erupted from the bow of the vessel. Pieces of containers lifted into the air and shrapnel showered the bridge, peppering and shattering the glass. The entire ship shuddered and started to lean to port, a sign something seriously wrong had occurred.
"What was that?" PVT Ducky asked as he picked himself up from the deck.
"Fire in the forward hold, fire in the forward hold. All damage control parties to the forward hold!" The ship's navigator called over the loudspeaker while Captain Critten lay lifeless on the deck, a large piece of shrapnel sticking from his neck.
"Sandy Mack to all Sandies, status report." Anders called over his radio. The replies came quickly, everyone was in one piece, all except Gunny Jones. "Sandy Guns, what's your status?"
"Sandy Mack, heading to the fantail now. Time to get off the boat, skipper."
"Roger that, Guns. We are heading your way now," Anders replied on the radio as he picked his way to the exit ladder. "Ducky, let's move."
"Yes sir."
"Jolly Green Two-Two, this is Sandy Mack, requesting hot exfil, over?" The ladder swayed with the sinking ship as Anders climbed down it.
"Sandy Mack, Two-Two has deployed the SPIE rope. You've got sixty seconds to link up or my pilot is leaving without you."
Another explosion rocked the front of the shit, sending more shrapnel into the formerly occupied bridge. The deck pitched violently, throwing Ducky to the deck and breaking his right ankle in the process.
"Roger that Two-Two, you better give me the full minute, otherwise you'll be buying the pints tonight." Anders crawled over to Ducky and wrapped his arm under the kid's shoulder. "Get on your feet soldier, we've overstayed our welcome and need to get off this tin can."
"My ankle sir." Overwhelming pain shot through the young soldier as he realized his death was imminent. "Leave me sir, get to the chopper and save yourself."
"No one dies on my watch, Private." Anders shifted under Ducky's right shoulder and lifted him to his feet. "Now move your ass before the damn pilots make us swim back to the boat."
Forty seconds.
With a scream that could wake the dead, Anders supported Ducky's weight as the two made their way to the fantail. The deck sloped up at ten degrees as they climbed past loose equipment and cargo that was heading to the sea behind them. The deck pitched even more as a bone chattering whine was released as the ships keel twisted under the strain, making the last six meters to the rope a treacherous climb. Ahead of them salvation awaited as the rest of the team was hooking up to the rope.
Thirty seconds.
"We'll never make it, sir."
"Not with that attitude, Ducky." Anders could hear the despair in the FNG's voice. "Now man up and kick the fat lady in the throat."
They were just two meters when shrapnel from the continuing conflagration stuck Anders squarely in the back. He fell to the deck, every muscle in his body screaming in agony. Fire raged in his lungs as fought to extract oxygen from the thick, billowing black smoke enveloping him and the cargo vessel. Death was near and his salvation was only a meter away.
Fifteen seconds.
As he laid their on the deck, the beautiful face of his lover flashed before his eyes one last time. Her pouty red lips begged to be kissed, her brilliant blue eyes that he had lost himself in for hours, and the pleasant aroma of Iberis danced across his mind. A million reasons to keep on living flooded his thoughts, but none more powerful than the beating of her heart against his. As the fire raged on, his allowed his own heartbeat to slow to hers, knowing that he could never again be one with her.
Five seconds.
"I screwed up, my love. Please forgive me."
Four.
Three.
Two.
Anders eyes fluttered one last time as the final seconds ticked away. Smoke obscured his vision as a blur of movement passed him by. The last thing he would ever see was that dastardly grin Gunny Jones always carried. The whine of the Black Hawk changed as the pilot pulled back on the collective and weightlessness overtook him. Shock overwhelmed his body and he welcomed the blackness that enveloped him.
One.
"I love you, Elsa."
Zero.