There and Back Again: The Beginning of the End.
It was three days after the battle at Saratoga, Ukraine. The massive battle had ended with 5,000 soldiers wounded, missing, or K.I.A. The battle was intense with thousands of empty bullet shells lying scattered amongst the ground. The Battle when somewhat like this. It was 0700 hours when the battle had begun. Sergeant Ayers had just come in from his jeep with Private Johnson and Colonel Keyes. It was a bright and sunny morning and the morning dew was still on the grass plain as day. Sergeant Ayers had just come from the mess tent with the rest of the squad going for their morning run. All was going well. Just a little too well, since the past month was nothing but hell on Earth.
They were just completing their daily morning jog when all of a sudden the enemy had popped out from around the corner and had taken one of the new recruits hostage. Now this recruit was a tad sloppy with his wrestling skills. It was a simple hold and the enemy was holding him without a weapon; but no one else knew that. Ayers then tried to talk to the extremists. First off, Ayers asked what the soldiers name? He got the answer Fred.
Ayers: "Sir what is your name?"
Unknown Soldier: "My name is Fred, I don't want any trouble."
Ayers: "Well you're holding my squad partner hostage, no trouble there." There was sarcasm in Ayers voice. He was pissed. After a few minutes of talking Ayers got Fred to leave freely which was all fine and dandy; until… When Ayers had a hold of the new recruit; the recruit knew he was going to face hell again. And hell was exactly what he received.
Ayers barked to the recruit we will spar daily until you beat me because no one in this platoon will be lazy and not know their combat skills on my watch. The recruit who we now know as Fergerson responded sir yes sir; I look forward to these spars.
As punishment the new recruit had to spar again Ayers in a no holds barred match on a daily basis until he could beat Ayers. It took a few days to get the Fergerson back up to par with the rest of the squad and had gotten lucky by beating Ayers. Since it was a no holds bar match; meaning no holding back, anything goes meant that using a few cheap shots to gain an advantage and then the pin is how the match was won. It took some grass and dirt to the eyes, then a hit to the adams apple and then a tree splitter to win the match. Thirty seconds easily. Cheap yes but in battle the rules of engagement are usually shoot first ask later. Either you die and your opponent lives or you live and the opponent dies.
So the next day was when the extremists had returned ready for a fight this time. They came equipped with weaponry while Ayers and the new recruits had come with just combat knives. They had then taken hold of Ayers since he was battered from the previous days spar with the recruit. . Once Ayers put up a good fight. He managed to hold himself off for five whole minutes while the other recruits new to the whole battle experience; were standing still in shock with freight on their faces. Ayers still ended up losing but had taken out an estimated 20 extremists and the recruits ran away in fear as fast as they could go. They were cowards although it was not 100% their fault. This was truly their first combat experience and they were un armed. The extremists figured since Ayers was a sergeant after all; they may or may not be able to get some ransom out of him and possibly some intelligence on the next battle.
Of course the extremists had not counted on one thing while demanding ransom for Ayers safe return. They were being tracked from the phone call they had made to the Navy Base stationed a few miles away. The tracking was really an interesting thing. From the satellite above in orbit. But beside the point you were able to hear others chatting the background. From the coffee shop across the street they could hear the manager of the store talking. They also heard another extremist mention how they were on the corner of 47th n Archer. A dead giveaway really. But as you know the snitch then Fergeson say Fergerson reporting in and saying out loud what's all that equipment with a radar on it and a satellite pointing out in that general direction that was a giveaway; and once again hell he was about to face. A truly devastating mistake that would cost many lives in the day to come.
The extremists were down in a building reinforced with steel and concrete for maximum protection. You can't ever be too careful in war time. But the United States had something in store for the extremists; and that was revenge. Revenge served cold on a platter of death. The United States military had not only traced the phone call to the new headquarters of the extremists but they had also refused to give in to terrorists demands; seeing as the United States does not negotiate with terrorists; and had set out to unleash a massive assault to retrieve Ayers.
Unluckily for the United States they had not known about the snitch in the group. Secretly trying to get out of the war or his own personal safety in exchange for Intel on the next mission. This recruit that was taken hostage by the extremist a few days prior to this incident was the snitch. The plan had worked almost all to perfection. A little bit too easy for them to complete… so they thought. But they had not counted on what was fully in store for them. Since the U.S. kind of had a feeling about a snitch in the group they questioned everyone thoroughly. So the other sergeant in the group Keyes told the rest of the platoon to gather around or else. They knew by the tone of his voice and he was irate and like a nuclear war head about to go off. Keyes had privately talked to each and everyone and could tell when they were lieing. Once Keyes got to Fergeson the last had to be it. He said what you know of the situation we are in. Fergerson looked away and got pale on the face. Thus he had yet again another giveaway. They eventually found who it was but did nothing but plant false information into his weak mind. They then tossed the poor fool out of camp to deal go to the extremists. He was dishonorably discharged and marked a traitor by the U.S. The platoon was given the order to kill the snitch on sight.
Now what the U.S. was planning was a massive aerial and land invasion that no one had planned on it taking the lives of so many people and it being so difficult. The war of the world was beginning but the battle for sergeant Ayers was just beginning.