Chapter 8:

Stone walked into the cockpit of the Antonov AN-124 which had been charted from a civilian operation, but was flown by pilot of Forlorn Hope. It carried all the vehicle and equipment for the Spartan group, four RASV and two Humvees. Plus the thirty-two members of the team.

Looking out of the cockpit, Stone saw the airfield they were deploying from in front.

"It is not much to look at!" The pilot, said. "It was build during WWII, as a part chain of airfield that were used to bring in supplies from the US to the Soviet. It is old but still viable."

Stone kept looking as they approached the airfield.

The AN-124 came to a halt at the end of the runway; it turned and opened its rear ramp.

The four RSAV and the two Humvee came down the ramp, as they drove away the AN-124, was already on its takeoff.

Stone was in the lead RSAV, the passenger seat, with Kristiansen driving, Murphy was on the fifty cal, Steiner, Grant and Tolinev in the rear, with Atkins manning the radio.

They approached the airfield building, where two GAZ-66 trucks stood, with eight men standing near the trucks, they were all armed with AK's.

Murphy kept the 50 cal on the men, as did the gunners of the other RSAV's, with another 50 cal and two 40mm grenade lauchers.

The convoy of six vehicle stopped about hundred meters from the two GAZ-66.

Stone stepped out. "Tolinev, you're with me!"

One man walked towards them, they meet halfway.

"Forlorn Hope?" The man asked with a heavy Russian accent.

"Lieutenant Titov?" Stone asked with his hands on the 416.

"Da, Victor Titov. Russian Spetsnaz." Titov replied.

"Stone, this is Lt. Tolinev!" Stone indicated the Russian officer besides him.

"Russian?" Titov seemed surprised.

"Da!" Tolinev replied.

"Titov, lets walk to my vehicle and look at the maps." Stone said before turning and walking to the RSAV.

Stone spread the map on the hood of the RSAV. Titov stood at his left. "How long does it take to get from here to the camp?"

Titov pointed at the airfield on the map. "We are here!" Dragging his hand slowly over the back roads, to show Stone the route they would be taking. "We are travelling to here! It is about four day's travel."

Stone nodded, as he looked at the route and saw that there were no villages marked on it. "So there are no people living anywhere near the roads or the compound?"

"There are no villages or such, near. But there are people living in the woods, hunters and such. Surveyors or prospectors are often travelling these areas, but none that live here." Titov replied.

"Alright, why don't you two trucks take the lead? Two of my people will travel in them; you and one other will travel in my vehicle." Stone said as a suggestion, but meant it as an order.

"Da, that is fine!" Titov said, then went back to his team.

Stone folded the map back, and tossed it to Kristiansen, then turned and watched as Titov talked with his men.

Kingston came from his RSAV, and stood beside Stone. "What do you think?"

Stone kept looking at the Russians. "We will see, Patrich says they are loyal. The truth is I don't know."

Titov walked back with one member of his team. "This is sergeant Lanov, we will ride with you."

"Grant, Tolinev, you in the GAZ!" Stone called out.

After Grant and Tolinev were onboard the GAZ, the convoy of eight started their journey.

Stone took out a harden computer, and called up the information on the Russian Military base. "Titov! Is the information about this base accurate?"

The Russian Lieutenant read the file, over Stones shoulder. "Da, it is. My superiors had me check the base out for you Forlorn Hope!"

"What about the base commander?"

Titov spite out of the vehicle. "That bastart deserves what is coming to him!"

Stone turned around in his seat. "You two have history?"

"DA, we have history." Titov replied. "I served with his command in Chechnya, I commanded an eight man Spetsnaz team attached to a Infantry Regiment, where Colonel Andreev was in command. We were scouting ahead of the regiment, two teams of four, in the hills overlooking the road. Myself and three of my men were on the north side and the other four were on the Southside. Andreev was in a lead BMP, he spotted the team on the south side and opened fire killing three and the fourth died as the medic's were working on him. Andreev claimed that my men had fired on him and he retaliated. I hit him, got arrested for striking a superior officer. My commanding officer was able to save my worthless ass, so I got posted here in lovely Siberia. Andreev's father is a important businessman in Moskva, so he used his influence to get the charges dropped, and him the command of this lovely little base. He does not know that I am assigned to this region."

Stone understood the man's anger. "What about the rest of the military personnel stationed there?"

"They are scum like Andreev, they sold they soul to the Syndicate. So we take their lives!" Titov replied.

"Alright, I want you with the team that is going to take out the military. Who will you assign to the compound assault?" Stone asked.

"Lanov, is good man! He is a sniper, did most of reconnaissance on compound." Titov said grinning.

"Do you have any Anti-Tank weapons with you?" Stone turned to face the road.

"We have two RPG-29 launchers and ten rockets."

Stone took out the satellite photo of the road between the Military base and the Syndicate Compound. "What is the best ambush point between the two?"

Titov looked at the photo. "Here!" He pointed at the midpoint between the two. "The road here is set between two steep hills, on one side it is barren, the other is barrel to about two hundred meters from the road, and from there the woods are growing. It provides cover and we can set up a kill zone if they try to escape to the other side."

Stone took a long look at the area Titov indicated. "Alright, you will work with my number two. I will take two of your men, Lanov and one other." Stone turned again in his seat to look Titov in the eye. "Kingston is in command, you advise him, understood?"

"Da, I understand!" Titov replied.

For the next three day the convoy of eight vehicles travelled the roads of Siberia, closing the distance with its targets.

On the morning of the fourth day, the forty man team woke up at dawn.

Stone called all the team leaders in for a one last briefing, Kingston and Stilwell would lead the half that was going to ambush the Russian Military response. Stone and Arrson would lead the first assault on the compound.

Watching as the group under Kingstons command headed off, Stone got into his RSAV. The two RSAV and a single Humvee headed towards the Syndicate Compound.

It was approaching the afternoon when Stone and his team came to the clearing where they would base the operation from, it was five kilometers from the Syndicate compound.

After spending an hour getting the gear out, and setting up camp. Stone took Kristiansen and Lanov, on a recon of the compound. As they were walking from the camp. "Do they have any patrol's out?" He asked Lanov.

"No patrol's, them lazy!" The Russian sniper say. He was carrying a Dragonov SVD rifle.

Stone let the Russian sniper lead the way, this was his turf.

Walking behind the light footed Russian; Stone was forced to admire the movement and alertness, Lanov showed as they moved towards the Syndicate compound.

After walking for an hour, Lanov stopped and hunched down as Stone and Kristiansen came to him. "Camp over ridge!"

Stone nodded, from here on alertness was all that mattered. There could be patrols out.

The three men moved up the ridge, slowly, taking time to check every step, so not to make any sound.

The last two hundred meters took close to an hour to travel.

As he crawled the last meter to the edge of the ridge, then Stone could see the compound with his own eyes. He had studied it on satellite photos, he could recognize every building, walkway and defensive position.

Taking a high power binocular, Stone studied the defences, they were just like on the photos, two SA-19's and two SA-17's. They were the priority target of tomorrow attack, plus the satellite communication building.

After studying the compound for close to an hour, Stone was finally satisfied with his observation, and pulled back.

The hour's walk back to camp was spent mostly by Stone going over the plan.

Kingston walked to the edge of the woods overlooking the road that the Russian response team needed to use. It was a good spot, a secondary road ended fifty meters back, so they were able to get the gear into position without having to carry it long ways.

Titov came to a stop beside Kingston. "It a good spot, yes?"

"It is close to perfect." Kingston admitted. "We have a clear killing zone, and we will be firing at them from an elevated position, plus we have cover firing positions."

Titov nodded his agreement.

Kingston turned to look at his men putting up two 50 cal machineguns and an Mk.19 grenade launcher; they had also two FGM-148 Javelin Launchers and ten missiles, twenty more M72 LAW and the Russian RPG-29 launchers and missiles.

"Moore, you and Tanner, get down there and plant the anti-tank mines!" Kingstone yelled at the US Ranger.

"Yes, you lordships!" Moore called back as he picked up two of the Italian VS-1.6 Anti-Tank, along with Tanner, headed down towards the road, which was about four hundred meters from the position of the team.

With a half an hour Moore and Tanner were back, having placed the four mines they had carried to the road, in a pattern that ensured that the first vehicle would be destroyed.

Stone came to the camp behind Lanov, and went straight to Atkins, to contact Kingston.

"Arcus One, this is Kopis One, Over!"

"Kopis One, this is Arcus One, we read you five-by-five!" Kingston's voice came back clear.

"Arcus One, how are the preparations for the barbecue going? Over!"

"Kopis One, all is ready! At what time will you guest be arriving? Over!"

"Arcus One, the invitation will be received at first light! Over!"

"Kopis One, understood, they will receive a warm welcome from us! Over!"

"Arcus One, have a good party! Kopis One, over and out!"

"Kopis One, you too! Arcus One, over and out!"

Stone handed the mike back to Atkins. Looking up at the sky. "Better get some sleep! Tomorrow will be a long day."

"Right, boss!" Atkins replied as he placed the radio besides his sleeping bag and lay down.

Stone turned and walked around the camp, to see that those that were on watch duty were alert and that those that should be resting were in fact resting.

After going two round around the camp, Stone settled down on his own sleeping bag and got down to sleep.

At daybreak the next morning, Stone came to the edge of the ridge overlooking the Syndicate compound. He was carrying two missiles for the FGM-148 Javelin Launcher, each weighing twelve kilo's. This was in addition to his regular gear and weapons.

Laying down the two missiles, Stone looked at the compound through the binoculars. There were three guards walking inside the parameter fence. They were lax, smoking and not keeping a look out at the surrounding area, but on each other and the building of the compound.

Taking out his range-finder, Stone got the distance for each of the Anti-Aircraft vehicle.

Murphy came up to Stone carrying a FGM-148 control unit, in addition to his Mk.48, Steiner was behind him carrying a single FGM-148 missile, Atkins was trailing with his long-range radio.

"The SA-19 is six hundred and fifty meters from this position, it is the priority target." Murphy nodded as he sat down, and placed the control unit on a missile tube. "Secondary target is the SA-17, it is nine hundred and fifty meters from this position." Stone said as he kept a lookout at the compound. The woods covered the four men, which were just inside the edge of the woods. The Syndicate had cleared an area around the compound so it would be impossible to sneak in it. It now worked against them as it got the Spartans a clear line of fire on the Air-Defenses.

"Ready!" Murphy said.

"This is Kopis One, Hasta One, over!"

"This is Hasta One, Kopis One! We are in positon, waiting you order!" Arrson's voice came back, on the tactical radio in Stones ear.

"Kopis Seven, this is Kopis one, over!" Stone called for Kristiansen.

"Kopis One, Kopis Seven! In position, ready to go on you mark!"

"Hasta One, on my mark!" Stone looked at Murphy, who nodded. Stone waited a moment. "Mark!"

Murphy pulled the trigger on the control unit, and the FGM-148 missile shot out of its tubes. The missile was hardly on its way, when Murphy was disengaging the control unit from the used tubes and setting the next tube on the control unit.

"Kopis Seven, mark!" Stone gave the order to the snipers that they could open fire.

"Kopis Seven, copies!" Kristiansen replied.

Stone could see through the binoculars that the two SA-19's had been impacted with missiles and had exploded. "Secondary targets!" He called to Murphy and over the radio.

"Acquired!" Murphy called out before firing again.

"Hasta One, copies!" Arrson replied.

Through the binocular Stone could see that the three guards were laying on the ground bleeding, most likely dead.

Turning his attention to the two SA-17's, Murphy's missile had already impacted his target and then as he watched the missile from Hasta impacted the second SA-17.

"Murphy, target the communication building!" Stone ordered, taking his eyes from the binocular, see that the Irish Ranger was placing the last missile on the control unit. Clicking his radio on, Stone ordered. "Hasta One, target the communication building!"

"Hasta One, copies!"

Taking a look through the binoculars again, Stone could see the mercenaries used by the Syndicate to guard the compound were running out of the building that housed them, they were harassed by the snipers and machine gunners of Stones group.

"Target acquired!" Murphy called out, then fired.

Stone watched as the missile impacted the building and exploded. It did some damage, not enough to bring it down though. As he was watching it, a second missile impacted the building, it was from Hasta team. It brought half of the building down, destroying the satellite communication disk.

Mission accomplished.

"All callsign Kopis and Hasta, retreat, repeat, retreat!" Stone called over the radio.

Just as quickly as the attack had started it was finished, and the eighteen men, faded into the woods. Leaving behind, the ruins of four anti-aircraft vehicles and one destroyed building, plus at least three mercenaries' dead, plus a number wounded.

Stone took the mike of the long-range radio from Atkins. "Arcus One, this is Kopis One. Expect our guest, imminent arrival!"