Author's Note: This is my first attempt at fan fiction writing. I hope not to disappoint, and this story will be an ever-evolving piece centered on action. I'll try not to take too many liberties, and the occasional use of colorful language will be used.
Hasbro owns the characters and other creative pieces used in the story.
Chapter One, Part One of To catch a Firefly.
Time Now
Tracer rounds begin to light up the night underneath the canopy of the South American jungle.
"That's not what I had in mind, Bazooka!" Recondo shouts over the gunfire now pouring through the jungle towards their position. When discussing the options for creating a diversion to gain entry into the building One Hundred and Fifty feet in front of them, Bazooka acted while the others discussed the various options available. The result was a hole in the building where the door used to be, with flames all around it, and bullets travelling into and out of it.
Bazooka was the only one in his three-man team that caught the hand signal that Firefly was on the move boarding the Cobra Water Moccasin to the rear of the building. That signal meant that Cutter had the Hovercraft and his team ready to intercept. The objective to capture the building and all occupants inside now became critical.
What Bazooka lacks in emotion in his speaking voice he makes up for it with volume. "We got the signal to engage!" he said.
"Why didn't you just say so?" Gung-Ho asked.
"I did." Bazooka pats his Anti-Armor shoulder fired weapon, "With this."
As Recondo, Gung-Ho and Bazooka maintain a defensive position with a visual on the targeted building, the natural noise of the jungle began to become more audible than the sounds of small arms fire. When the gunfire finally stops, radio silence is broken.
"This is Team Alpha 6. Building is Secure. Status Green. All teams report. Over." It was Stalker; his team was inside the building.
"This is Team Bravo 6. Status Green. Over." Beachhead reports, positioned on the flank of the building.
"This is Team Charlie 6. Status Green. Over." Mutt reports, positioned on the other flank.
"This is Team Delta 6. Status Green. Over." Gung-Ho reports, positioned to the front of the building.
After a moment, Stalker responds "Echo, what is your team's status?", but receives no reply.
Stalker barks into his comms piece, "Beachhead, move your team to Cutter's location! Mutt's team move to the building to handle all prisoners! Gung-Ho, secure the perimeter with your team! All teams go!"
A Tele-Viper team at an outpost two clicks from the Joe's position at the building prepares to break their own radio silence.
Back inside the building, Mutt's team is securing six enemy prisoners while Breaker is preparing to receive data taken from the prisoners back at the Joe Operating Center located at an airfield several clicks out.
"Six prisoners. Anything back on any of them yet, Breaker". Stalker says with all attention focused on the captured group.
"Nothing so far in terms of known Cobra operatives, and a couple are linked to Drug Cartels here locally with nothing tying them back to the States".
"This was supposed to be bigger than some out-of-jurisdiction covert DEA operation. Keep me posted."
The last prisoner being secured by Mutt as this takes place, motions a clenched fist with a single twist of the wrist towards Stalker. This, before his hands are bound. Stalker then radios for another status update, and all teams report back 'Clear' except for Cutter's and now Beachhead's.
Back at the airfield, Breaker was still waiting to report back to Stalker. Joes there were still analyzing the intel collected on not only the prisoners, but the enemy KIAs back at the building and its surrounding area. Back in the building, Mutt informs Stalker the prisoners were prepared to be moved. Beachhead and his team were still moving towards Cutter and the Hovercraft – in radio silence. He then gets a visual of the silent and motionless vehicle on the water.
Beachhead motions to Shipwreck and Torpedo to investigate the Hovercraft while he secured the location from the bank. The noises of the jungle are now overwhelming in the otherwise calmness of the area. Beachhead's focus is more visual than audio because of it. There are moments when his trust in his fellow Joes comes into question, even during a mission. But not this time, there is something at stake here, and he knows his team is acting accordingly because of it. The mission – to this point – has only been a partial success, with the primary target not secured, and a portion of the operation now unaccounted for with Cutter's team. Beachhead is only glancing towards the Hovercraft, until he gets a visual on his guys. His focus on the entire area around him is the due vigilance needed to ensure their successful movement.
He saw something, maybe even heard something in the darkness across the water. It was brief, and it could have been a god-forsaken creature of the jungle moving in the water. But it was gone, and he affords himself a moment to glance back at the Hovercraft. He sees his team begin to board it. What was that in the water? – He asked himself and he goes to look again.
From the direction of the building, Beachhead turns suddenly with his weapon drawn in response to hearing approaching footsteps. His right index finger begins to squeeze the trigger when his weapon is stomped down and his body is lifted from the prone position to a standing position. In a loud, whispered, commanding tone, he hears the sound of Stalker's voice where he had just heard the approaching footsteps.
"If I had brought anyone other than Snake Eyes with me, I'd be dead right now, Beachhead."
With his knife clutched and held at Snake-Eyes throat and the Commando's hand holding Beachhead's arm from reaching his throat, Beachhead turns to respond.
As he lowers his knife, "I'd say so. But you outta be more cautious than to send me on a mission and then try to get a front row seat without a ticket". Then Beachhead re-secures his rifle.
"Next time you engage in radio silence, you tell people first".
That didn't sit too well with Beachhead. But this wasn't the time to address it. But at least it came from another Ranger, he thought.
Beachhead, Stalker, and Snake-Eyes all with a visual on Shipwreck and Torpedo are awaiting those two to return to their position on the banks of the blackened jungle river.
"Not a sign of any of them, they're just . . . gone" says Shipwreck, short of breath from the effort. "If Cutter had her runnin' in silent mode, he shut her down completely for some reason".
Cutter didn't shut the Hovercraft down, they all knew that. At best, Cutter and his team are on someone's ass. The worst they could hope for was someone was on their ass. No one wanted to think that something worse than that had happened.
Flint was walking into the main cell of the Joes Operating Center at the airfield, and exclaims "Duke! The air units are ready to deploy!" Duke acknowledges Flint's status update and turns to Breaker seated in front of him and orders: "Breaker, tell Stalker I want the mission to move forward to the Rally Point for extraction. It will be faster if they can get there in the Hovercraft, preferably with Cutter's team. But the priority is to get the captured as well as themselves back here in one piece"
"And what if Cutter's team is not with them?" Flint asked.
"Flint, you're going to escort the Extraction Team and take field command with a unit to locate them, if they are not with Stalker's group."
"Let's get Stalker and his boys back here; they've been in the field long enough. If there needs to be a team formed to sweep that area, let it be our fresh Joes." states Lady Jaye.
"I was thinking the same thing, Duke. Once the extraction is complete, if Cutter is not there – we'll find them, while Stalker and those prisoners make their way back here." Flint never sounded so assured, but he always sounded that way.
"Breaker, inform Stalker of the mission. Flint you're launching the Extraction Team in five mikes. Add Airborne and Ripcord to you and Lady Jaye . . ." and before Duke could finish what he was about to say he was interrupted.
"And Me! Now let's get moving!" says Scarlett as she makes her way out of the room with a purpose.
"Stalker! This is Breaker! Over."