The Bodyguard.
An FMP fanfic by;
geordiedynamo
Chapter 1 – Jump
The engines droned. Different drone from what the old C-130 Hercules that he had grown used to back in England, but it still bored into his skull. Military transports were the same no matter who you worked for, even a company as powerful and well funded as Mithril. It had to be a jump didn't it? He thought to himself, I hate jumping. He'd always hated jumping out of planes ever since he'd first started so many years ago, especially ones out over the ocean.
'5mins to drop zone mate.' The corporal said to him over the microphone. He just nodded in reply and got up. He checked his kit, made sure it was water tight. Then checked his Desert Eagle pistols one on each of his legs, he had a full magazine in each and one bullet in each chamber, a bit naughty but he's done this for years since he first started using the FN5-7 and then with the Sig and the Glock. He also had another 4 full magazines for each Eagle strapped to him along with his trusted knife. Attached to his Bergen was his rifle, an H&K 416, wrapped in a polythene bag to protect it from the salty sea water. He put his legs through the straps on his Burgan and attached himself to it using the carbineer and a long strengthened fabric strap. He gave it a good old tug and it stayed were it should have been.
There was a loud buzzer and the 'jump light' went to red. He waddled over to the opening rear tailgate and the thunderous noise of the engines and wind roar assaulted his ears through his helmet and headset. Bloody hell its cold out there, he thought looking out into the slivery moonlit night. The corporal showed him 3 fingers then all ten, 30 seconds to go. The realisation of what he was being asked to do hit him. A HALO jump, at night, into the ocean and to find the most advanced submarine in the world that was invisible. Why the hell did I take this job again? He pondered standing right on the lip of the tailgate of the plane. He was tapped on the shoulder and saw ten fingers, 10 seconds. He looked at the red light above him as soon as it turned green he'd go. Taking deep breaths through the oxygen mask he was wearing to make sure it worked and to calm his nerves. Another buzz and the light went green and he flopped forward out the back of plane into the night. He allowed his body to do a full front flip before settling into plummeting towards the sea, a habit he'd picked up from being 1st man out for so long so as to check everyone behind him. Where the hell is the sodding plane? He thought startled; even if it was flying without lights he should be able to see it silhouetted by the moon but it wasn't there.
He continued his drop to the sea below. His altimeter read just under 7500ft, another 5000 and he could pull his parachute and begin looking for this submarine that was meant to pick him up and meet his new boss. He wouldn't be surprised if they'd dropped him 20 miles of target. RAF had done it many times before and came something of a tradition, being dropped miles off target. He used to think the buggers did it on purpose.
2500ft his altimeter read, time to pull his chute. It deployed perfectly, followed by the bone shattering thump as he decelerated from 160mph to 20mph in a matter of a second or so. 'Echo Romeo 1.1 this is the 'de Danaan. Come to a heading of 230 degrees magnetic we will surface for 30seconds only. Land on our top deck and we'll let you in.' Said a female voice over the radio.
'Have that 'de Danaan. Coming to 2-3-0 degrees, Echo Romeo 1.1 out.' He turned until the GPS on his wrist matched the heading he was given. There was nothing there, and how the hell was he meant to hit the top deck? It would be 3ft wide if he was lucky. He had a distinct feeling he was going to get wet. 'de Danaan I am on heading 230 degrees and height of 300ft waiting for you to surface over.'
'Drop to 100ft or you'll over shoot Echo Romeo, land on the top deck asap.'
100ft? Over shoot? What the hell was going on here? There is nothing on the surface for me to overshoot! Then it happened. Shit the bed! Out of thin air a craft appeared on the water's surface, like an aircraft carrier but much lower.
'Echo Romeo, flare chute now!' the female shouted in his headset. He yanked the handles on his chute and dropped into a tight corkscrew dive, he dropped 250ft as fast as he could before levelling out and trying to land. He slammed onto the deck with a thump, his Burgan still in between his legs not 6ft below him as he had planned; he skidded along the deck as he couldn't use his legs to stop him. The wind tugged him along the slippery deck, then he fell again slamming into more sold objects. He noticed artificial light as if he'd suddenly moved indoors and was on a raised platform. He fell again and this time came to a stop.
'Bloody typical.' Commander Mardukas moaned, 'you always knew how to make an entrance.' He got a middle finger as a reply. 'And still as decedent. You are a character Delaney. How the hell you haven't died yet I'll never know.' 'That hurt.' He wheezed. Taking off his helmet and mask 'Get up. We have plenty to do before we return to base day after tomorrow.' He ordered. 'You're going back to base? Why the hell did you make me jump to get here?' Delaney asked. 'I know you hate jumping and it was perfect pay back for Chechnya.' Mardukas smiled as he turned and walked away. 'You're not still holding that against me are you?!'