Of Ice and Flame
By TouchedByDarkness
"What the hell was that?" yelled Frostbite into the comm. mic. The ground shook as the after effect of an explosion rocked his Snow Cat.
The answer was, of course, obvious. Snow, dirt, and small rocks fell in a hail all over the armored skin of the white vehicle. Checking his monitors, Private Benson cried out, "We lost Willis, sir."
Frostbite swore. The troopers riding on the outside of the Snow Cat did not have the protection of the armor, and as such were in greater risk. Cold Front, driver of the lead Avalanche, crackled over the comm. channel as he spoke. "We have an ambush situation here Frostbite. Opposition heavier then expected. Avalanche 3 down, looks like the crew didn't make it. Avalanche 2 is smoking pretty heavily, not sure how long she will last."
That left only two Avalanches left in full operating condition, as well as Frostbite's three Snow Cats.
"Sir, I thought this was supposed to be an easy run," grumbled Pvt. Benson.
"When it comes to Cobra Benson, nothing is ever easy."
Benson was right though. During the briefing everything was outlined as a pretty simple and straightforward mission. Cobra had secretly been financing an artic research station somewhere in the northern expanses. The reason for the facilities existence was unknown, but according to the reports it filed it was dedicated to the development of an antipsychotic medicine. No one questioned it until it was slipped that one of the primary backers was Arbco, a business front for Cobra. Upon further investigation, many damning inconsistencies were found.
The secret facility was thought to be relatively undefended. The only reason that four Avalanches and three Snow Cats were dispatched to the sight was that they were in the area doing training maneuvers. Blizzard was working with the new recruits, weeding out the ones that couldn't take the cold weather and the unforgivingness of the terrain and of Blizzard. The call came in for a small squad to go check out the station, and led by Blizzard himself, they set out four days ago. They had not been heard from since.
Another explosion rocked the Snow Cat as it charged across the frozen terrain. The last of the trees were starting to give way to the open spaces of the plains. Just as Frostbite, in the lead Snow Cat, burst from the tree line, another explosion engulfed the already wounded Avalanche. "Where the hell is that fire coming from?" shouted Cold Front into the comm. mic. Frostbite started to reply, but the comm. channel was instead filled with the anguished screaming of the men of Avalanche 2. Benson blanched, color draining from his face. Frostbite just clamped his jaws shut tightly and swerved around the smoking ruin that was both the tomb and pyre for those five men. Suddenly the voice of the driver of Snow Cat 2 blasted over the comm.
"I see hostiles coming from the woods north by north-west. So far there are six Wolfs and three Ice Sabers. Shit, they are firing at me. Two missiles. Brace yourself for evasive maneuvers. Fuc..." the comm. went dead with the screech of static.
"Attention all remaining tack force. Concentrate fire at incoming hostiles." Cold Front's voice was clinched from fury at the death of his fellow Joes. Fire started pouring out of the remaining two Avalanches, a deadly rain of scorching metal and flying death. The turret on Frostbite's Snow Cat turned toward the oncoming enemy and fired two of its four missiles. The missiles spiraled and connected with the lead Wolf, and it went up in an orange and red blossom of fire. Slamming on the accelerator, Frostbite sped past a ski missile just before it could detonate on the rear treads of the Snow Cat. The missile remote detonated only a few feet from the fast moving armored vehicle, nearly blowing loose the remaining three men holding on for dear life on the back of the Snow Cat.
Benson targeted an Ice Saber as it turned to take aim on Avalanche 1. The cannons that replaced the out of date ski missiles boiled the ice that had formed on the barrels in a blast the shot forth and just grazed the rear tread, causing it to careen out of control and roll over several times. A missile from its back rack blew, sending the vehicle and it's passengers in many different directions, and all in pieces.
Snow Cat 3 took an abrupt turn, going a little too sharp to the left. Two of the troopers went flying, landing in the soft snow and rolling to their feet. The Cat ran forward, intent on the Wolf that was closing on Avalanche 1. However, the driver didn't notice another Ice Saber drawing a bead on it. With a burst of flame, the cannons lit up and nailed the Snow Cat right behind the canopy, blowing the glass off in a burst of fire. Secondary explosions ripped through the engine and blew the armor off the vehicle in a burst of hot metal and flame, roasting all the troopers as they leapt from the vehicle. Scorched remains of the Snow Cat and the people manning it fell about the battle field in a grotesque rain. Frostbite cursed bitterly, the names of the four men that just died burning into his memory as four more reasons that the GI Joe team had to defeat Cobra, and soon.
Two Wolfs veered off toward the Joes that were thrown free of Snow Cat 3. Instead of wasting their missiles or cannon ammo, the two Snow Serpents on the back of each Wolf started pouring in small arms fire. The Joes ran for the cover of the still burning husk of Snow Cat 3 in desperation. Frostbite turned back toward them with the intention of trying to pick them up. The three troopers on the back of Snow Cat 1 opened fire at the charging Wolfs. One Serpent went down, but the other three kept firing mercilessly. Behind them another Wolf exploded, compliments of Avalanche 4. One Joe went down, taking a shot through the chest, dead before he hit the ground. The other trooper stopped to pick his fellow back up, and in reward for his bravery and dedication, took three shots, each one fatal.
"Those dirty fuckers!" Benson swore. Using the controls, he fired the cannons again, connecting with a Wolf solidly in the front missile rack. The Ice Viper driver was vaporized, and the two Snow Serpents were blown to pieces.
Frostbite tried to raise Cold Front on the comm. to suggest a retreat, but no one answered. Cursing, Frostbite opened a comm. channel and ordered a retreat back toward the woods. Only the driver of Avalanche 3 responded with a "yes sir."
Both of the armored vehicles turned tail and ran at full speed back toward the forest. The Snow Cat was somewhat faster then the Avalanche and started to pull ahead a little. Easing off the throttle, Frostbite slowed down to match the speed of the larger tank.
"Sir, you have got to get out of here. Those Cobra bastards are right on our tail." The crew of the Avalanche, the driver and the backup gunner in the Scout Craft, both urged Frostbite to get him and his crew far enough away. Two Wolfs and one Ice Saber were hot on their tail. The Wolfs, being the slowest of the vehicles on the field started to fall a little behind, but the Ice Saber gained ground rapidly. A Snow Serpent rode on the side of the Ice Saber, peppering the tail end of the Avalanche with small arms fire. The cannons took aim, and a blast of fury impacted the back of the Avalanche.
Grimly, the backup gunner in the Scout Craft turned the mine launcher around and fired the last remaining mine at the tailing Ice Saber. It sailed wide and skipped on the snow several times before being hit by the front ski of one of the Wolfs and blowing the ski and a good part of the Wolf into shrapnel. Cursing with anger, the gunner flipped a switch and the controls of the Scout Craft lit up. "Prepare for break away," he said.
Frostbite cursed again. He ordered the pilot not to launch, but knowing that there was no other way for the rest of the team to escape pursuit, he launched into the air. The Craft moved ahead of the Avalanche, and at first Frostbite thought that the Joe meant to flee the battle. Somehow he couldn't blame the man. But, instead of fleeing, he turned the Craft around and targeted the Ice Saber with the Craft's light missiles. With a slight jar, the missiles fired and streaked into the air and back down. Before impact, the Craft took a cannon shot in the belly. Fire burst from the Craft and it started to loose altitude quickly. One of the light missiles connected with the Ice Saber, knocking it into a looping crash that ended in a fireball. The Scout Craft veered out of control and vanished into the woodland. Seconds later, smoke could be seen.
The tailing Avalanche started bleeding fire from its exhaust vents. One fire blew some armor off the side, and the tank started a turn and skidded sideways for a moment. Before the driver could even try to regain control of the ailing vehicle, a barrage of cannon fire and two missiles connected with its side. Even in the cockpit of the Snow Cat, Frostbite could hear the explosion.
After the destruction of the Ice Saber, the remaining Wolf turned away and started heading back the way it came. Frostbite continued into the wilderness for almost an hour, and then pulled behind the cover of a fallen tree and the snow that created a mound about it. The engine of the Snow Cat had started to make a lot more noise then it should have, and excess smoke was shot out of the exhaust ports. When the Snow Cat came to a halt, the engine misfired when Frostbite killed the ignition. Taking a deep breath, Frostbite looked over at Benson. He was ashen and shaking a little. "Benson," started Frostbite, but he didn't get a response. Sighing deeply, and remembering his first taste of action, Frostbite popped the latch and the canopy rose. A burst of cold air rushed in, almost turning the sweat on his face to ice. The cold air made Benson stir and he looked over at Frostbite.
Frostbite took a deep breath and nodded slightly. That subtle acknowledgment stiffened Bensons resolve to be strong in battle, and he nodded back. They both then exited the Snow Cat and Frostbite started to assess the damage to the vehicle. It was not hurt badly, but it would take some work. The armor was scorched and the engine sounded like it was missing in one of the pistons. Also, there was some damage to the control module that moved the top mounted missile turret. That was all the damage to the front half of the vehicle. When the troopers that were riding on the back of the Snow Cat jumped down, each called off their name and fighting status.
"Private Hodges, combat ready."
"Private Jackson, combat ready."
"Private Dawson, combat ready."
Private Willis, the fourth rider, was lost in the initial stages of the ambush. The men started to chatter for a moment, and walked toward the front of the Snow Cat. Frostbite did not mind the lapse in discipline. After all, after the adrenaline wears off, the only comfort for those that have lost friends is the presence of other friends. They walked evenly around to the back of the Cat, also checking for obvious damage. However, all chatter stopped abruptly. Curious, Frostbite walked around the Cat and saw the men staring intently at the side of the vehicle. Instantly Frostbite knew what the men were staring at. At that moment, Benson stopped by his fellows, started to ask what was wrong when he saw exactly what stopped the men in their conversation. Frostbite saw it too.
Smeared along the back side of the Snow Cat were the charred remains of Willis. It was almost perceivable as human remains, flesh torn into chunks and singed around the edges. Also, several pieces of shrapnel were lodged into the corpse, showing a shiny glint among the darkened black and red. Frostbite had seen death like this before, but the new recruits had not. As always, it hurt to see a living, breathing person reduced to so much smoking remains. However, that is one of the faces of war.
Taking a deep breath, Frostbite ordered the men to clean off the corpse and to bury it somewhere under the snow. The ground was far too hard this far north, but the body couldn't be left out. For one, it would attract scavengers and for another, Willis deserved some kind of dignified burial.
The men didn't move, just stared at the cooling remains. "Now!" Frostbite barked. The troopers jumped. "Benson, stay with me. We need to get the Cat running as soon as we can. I don't know if we can still go through with the mission, but having the Cat running and battle ready will certainly increase our chances of survival. You certified? No? Damn. Oh well, just do exactly as I say and don't touch anything that I tell you not to. Come on."
Dawson muttered something and pulled his field pack off, retrieving his shovel and he stalked into the woods quickly. Jackson and Hodges looked at each other and tried not to shudder. With mechanical movements, they started the process of removing the remains.
Frostbite went to the storage compartment right behind the now closed canopy and lifted up the cover. He removed the tool kit and closed the door, latching it securely. Handing the tool kit to Benson, Frostbite lay down and slid himself under the Snow Cat, cursing at the damage.
An hour later, the three troopers returned, grim faced and shivering. A snow storm was brewing, and by the looks of the clouds, it was going to be a nasty one. Putting the tools away after wiping the off, Frostbite looked to the sky. Tiny flakes were starting to float down lazily. 'This is not good' Frostbite thought. However, he knew that it would be a mixed blessing because it would blanket the earth with new snow and erase his tracks completely. It would also however, make the next several hours quite difficult.
"Alright guys, think back to your training. We have a white shit storm coming our way fast." That was all he had to say. All four of the other Joes started to dig out a section of the snow, packing it into sloped walls that stood almost four feet up. The back of the small sides rested against the Snow Cat. Each man carried two tent stakes, and attaching the stakes end to end dug then about two inches into the ground, running in a line front to back. Then, using the attachment ties connects all the parts of their separate tents into a large square. Frostbite took out his tent material, removed his knife, and cut the fabric in half. He then attached each half section to the front of the small enclosure to serve as a front.
By the time the shelter was finished, the snow was pouring down and visibility was nearly zero. Frostbite set watch, starting the first watch while he ordered the men to eat sparingly from their rations and to get some sleep.
Absently, he chewed on some of the dry meat that was part of his rations. For this mission, they had chosen not to carry the standard MREs, and instead chose smaller portions that had no preparatory time. Dried meat, a hardtack like bread sealed in plastic, and water from the small plastic canteen that each soldier carried inside their winter gear to keep it from freezing in the harsh northern climate. While eating, he reflected on the mission and missions past. Many a good soldier had died that day, and many more in the fight against Cobra. It would be a great day when the organization of evil and corruption fell, and with luck and tenacity, Frostbite would be there to see it come down.
Frostbite again looked into the scope of his weapon, the only weapon equipped with the ability to nearly pierce the white wall that surrounded them. The other troopers carried more standard issue weapons, superior in design and performance then the modified assault rifle, but this was a weapon that Frostbite had carried since his induction to the Joe team way back in '85. It was accurate, had rock solid reliability, and could handle the freezing cold weather without a single jam or misfire. He wouldn't trade it for anything.
Benson rose into a kneeling position, slowly working his way toward the front of the makeshift tent to where Frostbite held watch. The snow had begun to pile up in front of the white fabric, only aiding in the camouflage of the Snow Cat and the troopers it helped to shield. Frostbite looked over at Benson when he sat down next to him. Benson smiled lightly. "It's your turn to catch some shuteye sir," Benson said. Frostbite nodded. Indeed he was quite weary after the fight and the flight.
Frostbite handed over the rifle to Benson, nodded once, and said, "Wake me at the first sight of anything out of the ordinary. Do not fire unless fired upon, and only then after waking us all. Be silent, and move as little as possible. Most importantly, flex your muscles every few minutes to keep them from stiffening up in the cold." Benson smiled and nodded politely. The orders were of course familiar, anyone who had survived Blizzard's Artic survival camp knew them by heart.
Frostbite grinned, knowing that each one of these men knew their duty, and would do it without hesitation or doubt. He then moved back from the opening, taking his place among the other men. With his last thoughts before sleep claimed him, he thanked the men that had fallen that day, and added them to the list of great men that he had known.
It was several hours later when Hodges woke everyone with a quietly spoken word. Frostbite slowly and with all deliberate quietness moved to the front of the tent. Hodges handed him the assault rifle and Frostbite peered through the sights. It appeared that a huge bear was slowly moving their way, weaving through the trees. Of course, the constant wall of white snow obscured the view, but something was strange about the movements the bear was making. Its walk was uneven, leaning strangely. Also, it would take an even six paces, and then look around slowly. What was even odder was the fact that the beast was even out in the storm. In normal circumstances such a beast would be sheltering from the storm in some cave or pine bough. Suddenly Frostbite smiled.
"Hodges, can you tell me what is wrong with that bear?" asked Frostbite, handing over the rifle. Hodges looked carefully into the sight, his face clinched in thought.
"It appears to step somewhat clumsily with its front feet. Also, it takes only six steps before looking around again. It is too lean, even the hard winter here would not make it so trim. And it is short for its length." He looked over to Frostbite, still somewhat confused. Frostbite nodded, his teeth showing from behind his black beard in his grin. At that point the bear was only a few yards from the snow banked structure.
A whistle broke the silence of the tent. Frostbite waited a second, and then heard a whistle in reply. The bear moved yet closer to the tent slowly, then with a sudden movement shed its skin and showed Blizzard, looking more then a little annoyed. The two men backed away from the opening, Frostbite holding the tent flap open for Blizzard to make his way in.
Blizzard stared hard at each man in the tent, and his gaze stopped on Frostbite. His expression did not soften in the least. "You are careless, I could have blown you all into hamburger easily." he said simply.
Frostbite, somewhat taken aback by the comment, did not reply. He met Blizzards gaze openly, not giving ground to the other man. It was well known in the ranks of the team that Blizzard was a hard man, a man not inclined to excuses. "I thought I trained you better then that."
Frostbite bit back a reply, and instead said only, "The men are tired, and we watched the pursuing Snow Serpents quit the chase. I looked the Cat over, and I didn't think it was safe to take it any further without risking permanent damage."
Blizzard was not having any such excuses. "Better to have left the vehicle here, and rested somewhere with better cover. For all you know this storm will continue for the rest of the week."
"And will it?" Frostbite challenged.
"No," admitted Blizzard. "It should break in the next hour or so."
"Then?" countered Frostbite.
Blizzard only grunted. "The Cobra presence here is much larger then we suspected." Frostbite nodded, having lost nearly all of the convoy to the larger Cobra forces. "How long will it take for you to get the Cat back in running order? We need orders to see if we are to continue with the mission, or scrub and go home."
Despite Blizzards known skill at winter survival, even he had to bow to the mechanical knowledge and skill when it comes to the Snow Cat vehicles that Frostbite possessed. No member of the team knew it better, and unlikely the engineers the designed it knew it any better.
"No more then an hour or so, but I am going to need some parts that I don't have in order to make it run the way it should. It has a miss in the fifth piston, and I think the gear ring for fourth gear is fried. It should be a simple fix, but I simply don't have the parts."
Blizzard nodded slowly. "When the storm breaks, head back toward the ambush site. I have already been there and seen the damage and the bodies. All three of the Avalanches were reduced to nothing but scrap, and one of the Snow Cats, but the other is structurally still somewhat intact. You might find what you need there."
"All three Avalanches? There were four in our group."
Blizzard nodded. "When I got to the ambush site the snow had already started. I tried to find the route that the last Avalanche went; it obviously did not go into the woods, as the path would be strewn with broken branches and other signs of their passing." At that point Blizzard looked sternly at Frostbite before continuing on. "But their trail was already hidden by the falling snow. It was coming down so heavily that even if I had found it, I could not have stayed on it."
With that Blizzard turned toward the entrance of the tent and pulled open the flap. The wind drove a blast of icy air and snow in before Blizzard let the flap close. With a hard look at Frostbite, he said, "You get these boys killed without finishing this mission; you better hope that you go down too. If you don't, then I will personally see you court marshaled and in so deep you couldn't get a job cleaning up penguin shit for Sea Planet."
With that, Blizzard left the tent and again donned the skin of the polar bear, becoming one with the woods and the snow.
"Asshole," muttered Frostbite.
With the storm having blown its self out, the men broke camp and ate a quick meal. Frostbite ordered the men to clean off the snow from the Cat and set about hiding the remains of their camp. He again checked the Snow Cat over, looking for anything he missed in the initial inspection. Once the Cat was clear, Frostbite hit the hatch release and the canopy rose. Taking the drivers seat, with Benson once again in the gunner's seat and the three troopers in their position on the back of the vehicle, Frostbite started the trip back to the ambush site.
They stopped before breaking the shelter of the woods. Using the comm., Frostbite ordered Hodges and Dawson to take the lead on foot. They dropped from the side of the Snow Cat and started forward in an easy jog.
Frostbite gave them about half an hour, time he, Benson, and Jackson spent changing the control module for the missile rack. With voices filled with static, Dawson reported that they were at the ambush site and everything looked clear. Firing up the Cat again, the engine sputtering and the transmission missing fourth gear, Frostbite set off for the site.
It only took a few minutes for them to reach the site. Most of the wreckage was covered in mounds of snow, looking like small hills. Dawson and Hodges have already cleared the shell of Snow Cat 2 and were tearing into it while keeping a watchful eye out for trouble. Frostbite pulled up beside the damaged Cat and exited his vehicle.
Walking to the front of the Snow Cat, he saw the canopy nearly shattered. The both the driver and the gunner were still inside. The driver had several wounds, and was badly burned. The gunner had a body full of shrapnel from when the consul exploded. Both were quite dead.
Of the four troopers that had been riding on the back of the Cat, only one was found. His body lay not far from Snow Cat 2, and was riddled with holes. The corpses of three Snow Serpents were near by. Apparently the man had sold his life dearly.
Hodges stepped in front of Frostbite, somewhat pale from the grotesque scene. "Sir, I request the honor of burial detail for these men. They deserve it, and deserve better then to be left for the scavengers."
Frostbite sighed. He knew that Hodges was right, but also that they did not have the time to bury all the dead on the battle field. "I'm afraid that can't take that time Hodges. We have a mission."
"But sir," started Hodges, "we can't just leave these men like this."
"And what would you have me do? Put the mission at risk for the sake of a few dead men?"
Hodges' face started to turn red. "You cold hearted bastard. Each of these men would have done you the honor of a decent burial. Is this how you repay their dedication? Is this what the Joe team is about, abandoning the fallen?"
Something deep down in Frostbite snapped. All the pent up anger and grief that came with loosing those under your command came bubbling up to the surface. "Listen here, you ignorant prick, each of these men knew the risks when they signed on. I don't want to leave them like this, but I don't have a choice. We were given a mission to fulfill and I'll be damned if I don't see it until it's through. And you have no idea what it is like to loose men under your command.."
Benson stepped between them at that moment, freezing Frostbite in mid sentence. They both just looked at Benson. As the youngest and most inexperienced of the group, it was obvious that he was hit the hardest by the carnage. His normally cheerful face was gaunt and haggard, his eyes bloodshot and sunken with weariness. When he spoke, it was low and slow, the voice not of a boy barely out of his teens, but of a wise and battle hardened man.
"We came here to accomplish a task. There will be time for a proper burial when the mission is through. Frostbite is right, we just can't take the time or the risk. We are exposed here, and vulnerable to attack. We have to get things fixed and get out of there as soon as we can. Hodges, you are right that these men deserve a hero's burial, but the time is not now. Each of them would understand that. If I fall in the action to come, then leave me lay until the time is right."
The calming words flowed over both Frostbite and Hodges, and both relaxed. With a last stare, both men turned and left for their duties. Benson sighed.
Hodges was checking over the Cat for usable ordinance, and found that the missile rack was full, and the ammo container for one of the cannons was still intact. He, Dawson, and Jackson carefully moved the missiles and mounted them on the working Cat's missile rack. Frostbite was busy pulling parts from the engine of Snow Cat 2 and checking them over carefully. The ones that he could used he handed to Benson and the others he tossed over his shoulder into an ever increasing pile of scrap.
It was nearly an hour and a half later when they finished reloading and retooling the engine of the Snow Cat. The repairs were at best adequate, and Frostbite hoped that she would hold together through the action that was to come. The targeting system for the missile rack was back working, but would blink out for a second before coming back on at random times. The vehicle was hardly combat ready, but it was all they had.
The five men gathered together, sitting beside the Snow Cat. Frostbite had been thinking of what to say and what direction they should head. It was obvious that they needed to radio in before attempting to go ahead with the mission, but also obvious was the fact that there was something major going on here if there was that much resistance. The team had to know what was happening in these cold and forbidding lands.