Warm, Caribbean air met Lowlight's face as he, Shipwreck, and Beach Head sailed in a small, non-descript black speedboat towards the dreaded COBRA Island. It was a warm night, and the winds were calm. Shipwreck was at the helm and Beach Head was manning a mounted machine gun, the craft's only armament. Lowlight was peering through a pair of night vision binoculars. The sea was a bright green, and a small dark land mass was rising on the southern horizon.
"Avast landlubbers, we'll be dropping anchor soon. Is everyone ready?" Shipwreck asked.
Lowlight began making an inventory of his equipment. His sniper rifle was slung over his back and a pistol was held in a holster at his waist. A trio of magazines was on his belt. His surveillance equipment was in his backpack. "Affirmative," he replied.
"Beach Head?"
"Let's go," Beach Head said as he loaded a magazine into the M-16 he had slung on a belt over his shoulder. Like all of the other guns the team had brought that night, his was silenced.
Shipwreck removed some bungee cords from a black four-person inflatable raft tied to the rear of the ship and dropped it into the water. He also threw in two wooden oars which had been spray-painted black. He jumped from the deck and landed in the raft. He took one of the oars in his hands. "I know it won't be a pleasure cruise, but we'd better start soon if we want to give Lowlight a chance at finding the KGB scum defecting to COBRA."
Beach Head and Lowlight both jumped in. Beach Head took an oar and Lowlight, at the front of the raft, had his rifle pointed in the direction of the island. They were still about two kilometers from the island, but the speedboat rested in international waters. The raft, undetectable because of a special polymer developed by the NSA and put into the black rubber that made up the small vessel, coasted gently towards the island.
Searchlights became visible and scanned the black, calm waters that surrounded COBRA Island. Shipwreck, who knew the patterns well, avoided the lights by sailing in a crisscross pattern towards the beach. Lowlight looked through his scope at the lone COBRA trooper who was stationed as a sentry at their landing zone.
"He's got that look on his face again, Beach Head. I hope COBRA offers good life insurance, because one of those snakes is about to take a dirt nap."
"It's the same look he gets when he sees a pair of Bazooka's dirty underwear on his bunk," Beach Head said and smiled.
Just then the sound of air being torn apart by a small metal cone propelled by a tiny amount of black explosive powder interrupted the conversation, and on COBRA island the white sand was stained red.
"The first of many," Lowlight said, and as the raft approached the beach, Shipwreck could see a rare smile on Lowlight's face.
* * * * *
The trio tied some stones onto the COBRA trooper's feet and placed him into the surf. The current gradually took him out to sea and he sank towards the bottom. Sharks began the decomposition process. Shipwreck commandeered his weapon, a standard issue AK-47. He slung it over his back and took out twin pistols. His black snowcap matched Lowlight's and he had black face paint in a diagonal pattern in the spaces not covered by his beard . He also had a long sleeved black shirt with a few grenades tied onto a bandolier over his chest. A savage looking knife was in a sheath tied to his waist. Gray cargo pants completed his uniform. Beach Head and Lowlight were both in their standard field uniforms, except for the fact that Beach Head was wearing a black and white urban camouflage pattern.
"It's time to move," Lowlight said to his companions, and he took the lead with his rifle in both hands. Lowlight was at point, as this was his mission. The trio had to take a path through a savage jungle up to a peak so that Lowlight would have a good vantage point to record the meeting between former KGB agent Aleksy Vilnakov and Cobra Commander. He was sent to assassinate the defector, even though he would rather take out the king COBRA himself. Hawk's orders, however, forbade any assassination of the terrorist leader, as it would cause too much instability and chaos in COBRA's ranks. Better to have him fall in battle or be captured.
Aleksy would be installed as a commander in the upper echelon of the Viper Corps if Lowlight was unable to successfully complete his mission. Lowlight did not plan on letting this happen.
"…right through a hot dog stand and into a huge brick warehouse. I heard from Una the city even had to repair the damaged wall. He must have been going about 90 miles an hour when I shot out his tire," Beach Head said to Shipwreck as the pair followed Lowlight through a trail in the jungle.
"I could go for a hot dog right now," Shipwreck replied, his stomach full of C-rations the three had shared on the boat ride.
Lowlight stopped suddenly his fist in the air. Beach Head and Shipwreck both stopped as well. His hand motions silently communicated to them: two vipers, a patrol, 35 meters ahead.
Beach Head put his hand on Lowlight's shoulder. "Make sure nobody sneaks up on us. Shipwreck and I can handle this."
"Remember Beach Head, be silent and deadly. I don't want to be shooting any of Croc Master's old pets escaping through swamp land and swimming two kilometers to Shipwreck's boat."
"We can handle a couple of chrome dome's finest, Lowlight." Beach Head said grinning.
Beach Head and Shipwreck walked silently through the brush near the edge of the trail.
"…working on a new BAT prototype in his workshop. Dr. Mindbender's so moody. Sometimes he'll show you some nasty virus he's about to use to infect the Pentagon's computers, but today he just took his coffee and gave me a really nasty look telling me he wanted me to get out."
"I've heard the Commander is working him really hard, ever since that fiasco in Chicago. In fact--"
The Viper's words were caught off by 9 inches of fishing line as Shipwreck drug him into the brush by his throat, made sure he was unconscious, and then began bounding his wrists and ankles in some rope. He put 3 layers of tape around the Viper's mouth.
The second Viper looked around, but couldn't find anything. Just then, he felt a sharp pain in his right side and crumpled to the ground.
"Thanks for that extra training session, Snake Eyes," he said to himself as he drug the Viper into the brush near Shipwreck and the COBRA's unfortunate companion.
Lowlight caught up to his friends and looked at the captured Viper. Beach Head was struggling to remove his helmet and Shipwreck was binding his wrists. He took out his pistol, and it's laser sight created a crimson dot on the Viper's pale forehead. His short red hair was sweaty, and his bright blue eyes were enormous in terror.
"Tell us what we need to know," Lowlight told him. "Where's the meeting between Vilnakov and the Commander taking place?"
"I don't know, I've only been here six months. They don't tell me anything!" the Viper replied.
"Shipwreck…" Lowlight ordered.
The Viper's head was pulled back and a gleaming steel knife was brought to his neck. "I can give you a real close shave, snake breath," Shipwreck said, his eyes gleaming malevolently in the moon light.
"Ok, ok. I think I heard one of the CG's speaking about a rally at the new temple. It's next to the Terror Drome. All of the Vipers are supposed to be there tonight, so I don't see how you're going
to--" His words were cut off by the butt of Lowlight's pistol.
"Good work," he said to his friends. "Make sure he and his buddy don't wake up any time soon. Give Scalpel a couple of new patients."
"Much obliged," Shipwreck said as he and Beach Head added a few new bruises to the pair of Vipers, so that they would be unconscious for the next hour or so as Lowlight and his teammates headed deep into the jungle.
"Enough," Lowlight said, after a few moments. "It's getting late, and I'm getting anxious."
"Avast landlubbers, we'll be dropping anchor soon. Is everyone ready?" Shipwreck asked.
Lowlight began making an inventory of his equipment. His sniper rifle was slung over his back and a pistol was held in a holster at his waist. A trio of magazines was on his belt. His surveillance equipment was in his backpack. "Affirmative," he replied.
"Beach Head?"
"Let's go," Beach Head said as he loaded a magazine into the M-16 he had slung on a belt over his shoulder. Like all of the other guns the team had brought that night, his was silenced.
Shipwreck removed some bungee cords from a black four-person inflatable raft tied to the rear of the ship and dropped it into the water. He also threw in two wooden oars which had been spray-painted black. He jumped from the deck and landed in the raft. He took one of the oars in his hands. "I know it won't be a pleasure cruise, but we'd better start soon if we want to give Lowlight a chance at finding the KGB scum defecting to COBRA."
Beach Head and Lowlight both jumped in. Beach Head took an oar and Lowlight, at the front of the raft, had his rifle pointed in the direction of the island. They were still about two kilometers from the island, but the speedboat rested in international waters. The raft, undetectable because of a special polymer developed by the NSA and put into the black rubber that made up the small vessel, coasted gently towards the island.
Searchlights became visible and scanned the black, calm waters that surrounded COBRA Island. Shipwreck, who knew the patterns well, avoided the lights by sailing in a crisscross pattern towards the beach. Lowlight looked through his scope at the lone COBRA trooper who was stationed as a sentry at their landing zone.
"He's got that look on his face again, Beach Head. I hope COBRA offers good life insurance, because one of those snakes is about to take a dirt nap."
"It's the same look he gets when he sees a pair of Bazooka's dirty underwear on his bunk," Beach Head said and smiled.
Just then the sound of air being torn apart by a small metal cone propelled by a tiny amount of black explosive powder interrupted the conversation, and on COBRA island the white sand was stained red.
"The first of many," Lowlight said, and as the raft approached the beach, Shipwreck could see a rare smile on Lowlight's face.
* * * * *
The trio tied some stones onto the COBRA trooper's feet and placed him into the surf. The current gradually took him out to sea and he sank towards the bottom. Sharks began the decomposition process. Shipwreck commandeered his weapon, a standard issue AK-47. He slung it over his back and took out twin pistols. His black snowcap matched Lowlight's and he had black face paint in a diagonal pattern in the spaces not covered by his beard . He also had a long sleeved black shirt with a few grenades tied onto a bandolier over his chest. A savage looking knife was in a sheath tied to his waist. Gray cargo pants completed his uniform. Beach Head and Lowlight were both in their standard field uniforms, except for the fact that Beach Head was wearing a black and white urban camouflage pattern.
"It's time to move," Lowlight said to his companions, and he took the lead with his rifle in both hands. Lowlight was at point, as this was his mission. The trio had to take a path through a savage jungle up to a peak so that Lowlight would have a good vantage point to record the meeting between former KGB agent Aleksy Vilnakov and Cobra Commander. He was sent to assassinate the defector, even though he would rather take out the king COBRA himself. Hawk's orders, however, forbade any assassination of the terrorist leader, as it would cause too much instability and chaos in COBRA's ranks. Better to have him fall in battle or be captured.
Aleksy would be installed as a commander in the upper echelon of the Viper Corps if Lowlight was unable to successfully complete his mission. Lowlight did not plan on letting this happen.
"…right through a hot dog stand and into a huge brick warehouse. I heard from Una the city even had to repair the damaged wall. He must have been going about 90 miles an hour when I shot out his tire," Beach Head said to Shipwreck as the pair followed Lowlight through a trail in the jungle.
"I could go for a hot dog right now," Shipwreck replied, his stomach full of C-rations the three had shared on the boat ride.
Lowlight stopped suddenly his fist in the air. Beach Head and Shipwreck both stopped as well. His hand motions silently communicated to them: two vipers, a patrol, 35 meters ahead.
Beach Head put his hand on Lowlight's shoulder. "Make sure nobody sneaks up on us. Shipwreck and I can handle this."
"Remember Beach Head, be silent and deadly. I don't want to be shooting any of Croc Master's old pets escaping through swamp land and swimming two kilometers to Shipwreck's boat."
"We can handle a couple of chrome dome's finest, Lowlight." Beach Head said grinning.
Beach Head and Shipwreck walked silently through the brush near the edge of the trail.
"…working on a new BAT prototype in his workshop. Dr. Mindbender's so moody. Sometimes he'll show you some nasty virus he's about to use to infect the Pentagon's computers, but today he just took his coffee and gave me a really nasty look telling me he wanted me to get out."
"I've heard the Commander is working him really hard, ever since that fiasco in Chicago. In fact--"
The Viper's words were caught off by 9 inches of fishing line as Shipwreck drug him into the brush by his throat, made sure he was unconscious, and then began bounding his wrists and ankles in some rope. He put 3 layers of tape around the Viper's mouth.
The second Viper looked around, but couldn't find anything. Just then, he felt a sharp pain in his right side and crumpled to the ground.
"Thanks for that extra training session, Snake Eyes," he said to himself as he drug the Viper into the brush near Shipwreck and the COBRA's unfortunate companion.
Lowlight caught up to his friends and looked at the captured Viper. Beach Head was struggling to remove his helmet and Shipwreck was binding his wrists. He took out his pistol, and it's laser sight created a crimson dot on the Viper's pale forehead. His short red hair was sweaty, and his bright blue eyes were enormous in terror.
"Tell us what we need to know," Lowlight told him. "Where's the meeting between Vilnakov and the Commander taking place?"
"I don't know, I've only been here six months. They don't tell me anything!" the Viper replied.
"Shipwreck…" Lowlight ordered.
The Viper's head was pulled back and a gleaming steel knife was brought to his neck. "I can give you a real close shave, snake breath," Shipwreck said, his eyes gleaming malevolently in the moon light.
"Ok, ok. I think I heard one of the CG's speaking about a rally at the new temple. It's next to the Terror Drome. All of the Vipers are supposed to be there tonight, so I don't see how you're going
to--" His words were cut off by the butt of Lowlight's pistol.
"Good work," he said to his friends. "Make sure he and his buddy don't wake up any time soon. Give Scalpel a couple of new patients."
"Much obliged," Shipwreck said as he and Beach Head added a few new bruises to the pair of Vipers, so that they would be unconscious for the next hour or so as Lowlight and his teammates headed deep into the jungle.
"Enough," Lowlight said, after a few moments. "It's getting late, and I'm getting anxious."
