Chapter 3:Blood Upon The Risers

Sgt. Evan Locke 1st Combined Coalition Special Action Unit (Rainbow Unit)

En Route to Kabul,Armed Republic of Afghanistan

Friday,May 19,2034

1500 hours


"Alright everyone listen up,we're going to storm Al-Mahaz's 'll be working in cooperation with other international operatives from both national special forces,agencies and private organizations so be friendly ."Captain Jones explained in their briefing room. "So here's the plan,we're going to HALO into different zones,oh and our company will be divided and merged with each countries corresponding division...simply put...you'll be working with your counterparts."The Captain then divided the rangers into squads of five,to split the company up...Miles,Kousaka,Locke,Banks,Smith you'll be in Team Echo,grab your stuff and get your asses out there.." The squad of five then affirmed him then left the room for the Echo Team briefing room for the detailed plan...


Entering the Echo Team room they were amazed,pretty much the whole world was represented there. "You must be the United States' echo squad,please do come in."

A brunette man with desert fatigues greeted them, "I am Staff-Sergeant Matthew Parker of the Canadian Lumberjack Commandos,a pleasure to meet you."After hearing this Emi went fangirl mode and asked all the Canadians for a autograph,and the soldiers granted her requests,albeit confused.

"My apologies...it's just that she got saved by one of you guys before..."

Miles apologized for his squadmates' were just chatting around when another squad came in,five of them had masks,but Locke recognized one of them...not for the looks...but rather the weapons...Two Desert Eagles on either side of the waist,with a belt of HE and Frag grenade belt,What caught his attention however...was the rifle...it was a modified Dragunov II rifle refitted with a..."Oh,this?...it's a 4x24 PSO-5 Modified scope,it can switch between Infared,Night vision and Normal sights...The bullet's 7.62x80...a little larger than standard..."The,now revealed as a woman answered. Evan's eyes widened...


"E-Eri!?"he half shouted,as to not disturb the others..."Harasho..."Eri took her mask off revealing long,wavy,blonde hair that poured down her back."Evan?"At first she was questioning him,then her eyes filled with tears of joy as she realized that she had met her old highschool kouhai and then hugged Evan,creating a commotion and causing half the room to stare at them,she ignored the attention she gained."It's been almost nine years since we last met!,we missed you,you know."Eri said with tears still rolling down her face. "We thought we'd never see you again"She sobbed. Evan was happy too,then he realized that Eri didn't know it was him two weeks ago,and he decided not to point it out,for the sake of savouring the moment. "It's fine,it's fine,there,there...here have a hankerchief."The Ranger handed the Blonde a hankerchief. "Gomene,thank you,Evan" The quarter ruskie accepted his offer. "So,Eri...how's Hono-"Locke's question was cut out by six men in black,surrounding another man wearing a shirt under a kevlar vest. "Good afternoon ladies and gentlemen,i'm Flynch of the Central Intelligence Agency of the United States,and i'm here to discuss to you the details of this mission...

"First of all,i would like to give you the intro,unlike the other teams...Echo team will not be storming the palace to capture Al-Mahaz." Almost no reaction was given,although Evan was sure that everyone was shocked.I wonder what our team is going to do the- "Eh!?,then what are we doing here!?"Emi cut off Evan's thinking by expressing her shock,thus causing the rest of the congregation to laugh,in effect dealing another blow to the United State Army's already tarnished reputation. "Miss Kousaka,i was just about to explain that."Evan thought it couldn't go any worse,but then..."How does he know my name!?"Emi honestly asked,causing another round of laughter Damn it Emi! Locke thought as he Agent just ignored her and continued. "Al-Mahaz is the coalition's primary target,yes,but our sources suggest that there is an massive military research complex under the to an accidental find about a month ago"Wait,you don't mean.."we now know that not only are they producing chemical and biological weapons,but are developing new ones which our,and the rest of the coalition's detectors cannot mission is to secure the complex until reinforcements arrive...Any questions?" A moment of silence arose. "Good,the operation begins in two hours"The Americans decided to stay with the Canadians and Eri's group to discuss their plan for breaching...


Two hours later as they were flying to Kabul,Emi was humming a happy sounding tune. That is,of course,until Evan remembered the lyrics...

He was just a cherry trooper and he surely shook with fright
as he checked all his equipment and made sure his pack was tight
He had to sit and listen to the awful engines roar,
And he ain't gonna jump no more.

"Is everybody happy?"cried the Sergeant, looking up.
Our hero feebly answered "eyes," and then they stood him up.
He leaped right out into the blast, his static line unhooked.
He ain't gonna jump no more.

He counted long, he counted loud, he waited for the shock;
He felt the wind, he felt the clouds, he felt the awful drop;
He jerked his cord, the silk spilled out and wrapped around his legs.
He ain't gonna jump no more.

He hit the ground, the sound was splat, his blood went spurting high;
His comrades were then heard to say, "A helluve way to die";
He lay there rolling around in the welter of his gore.
He ain't gonna jump no more

There was blood upon the risers, there were brains upon the chute;
Intestines were a-dangling from this paratrooper's boots;
He was a mess, they picked him up, and poured him from his boots
He ain't gonna jump no more.

Gory, Gory, What a helluva way to die
Gory, Gory, What a helluva way to die
Gory, Gory, What a helluva way to die
He ain't gonna jump no more

Fuck you Emi...


It was finally time,it's been two years since Evan's last jump,so he was nervous,Emi on the other hand looked completely fine...if not excited. "Drop-Zone's in five minutes,standby for deployment"one of the crewmembers announced over the VA as the "backdoor" opened.

"Remember,we're only opening below radar level,Too high and our target may escape,too low and...well...HANO..."Miles reminded while they all put their oxygene masks on. "Echo team A,we are go..." the crewman said over the VA as they all started jumping out one by was looking at the others when, "Evan,Eri let's go together!" Emi pulled Locke and a certain quarter russian sniper free falling the ranger looked around at the scenery,hell broke loose,there was flak and missiles everywhere,planes were exploding and his comrades,the other jumpers were being hit with up in te sky he saw Kabul...or rather what's left of the poor city,he saw it flickering like a switch on the sides,realizing it was looked up and suddenly the plane he just jumped out of exploded in a ball of flame,and debri shooting out,hitting Emi and rendering her unconscious...


Evan dived towards Emi,dodging the debri and anti aircraft fire on the way. "Guys Emi's hit,she's fine but unconscious,do you have a visual?"Locke then dodged another piece of metal,if it was just a normal sky he would've gotten to her right away,but not in one filled with hellfire and brimstone,not one in an apocalypse. "negative,i don't see her",Five people answered. Another paratrooper overheard him and how he was trying to get to Emi and decided to help out "I'll get her,don't worr-" The man was only 10 metres away from Emi when suddenly a flak shell exploded on him,causing a brief but terrible scream on the intercom.

"Shit,what the hell went wrong,there wasn't supposed to be any heavy high altitude anti air."

Locke said as he was able to get to Emi. "Gotcha",he said to a sleeping beauty...falling 16,000 feet above ground level. "Damn,wasn't D-day the last time this happened?" Banks remarked,"Yup",smith chained Emi to him and then checked hi altimetre,then got hit by more debri causing him to balck out...


"Locke...Locke!...Evan Damn it! Come in!"Evan woke up to shouting,he recollected what happened and immediately checked the altimeter...Holy Shit...He pulled the cord causing the parachute to open,and then landed roughly,with a splash into the palace's then woke up Emi,who,as it looks like,didn't really give a damn she was about to die. "270 feet above ground level,you just broke the world record for world's lowest jump...congratulations Evan"Eri sarcastically congratulated him,which he just rolled his eyes killed a few guards then regrouped to find only 15 out of 45 of them made looked at the palace's roof,there sat a comrade,a paratrooper,or at least what was left of him...

There was blood upon the risers, there were brains upon the chute;
Intestines were a-dangling from this paratrooper's boots;
He was a mess of flesh and meat,blood pouring from his boots
And he ain't gonna jump no more...

Again,Fuck you Emi...