"In War: Resolution. In Defeat: Defiance. In Victory: Magnanimity. In Peace: Good Will."

- Winston Churchill

CHAPTER SIX

"How are you shaping up?"

"We're ready."

The Boss had helped train Lucius, mostly in field-work. Big Boss wondered why Lucius was chosen for this job, but only time would tell.

"Flying over Loc Ninh. Drop-off in two minutes."

Boss turned the volume on the radio frequency down as he looked toward his team, he could only hear the faint voice of Lucius. Reaching into his pocket he pulled out a cigar, chewed off the end with ease and slid open a box of matches. His fingers clenched the match as it glided across the side of the rough surface. A flame lit and brought the end of the cigar to life. Hawk smiled as he also lit a cigarette.

"It could be our last…" Hawk interrupted the silence and looked at Boss with an expressionless face.

"The way I see it…" Boss laughed and dragged the cigar with joy and breathed out a billow off smoke. "It's our first."

Hawk began to laugh. However, the oxygen mains were turned on, and the laughter faded as they put out their cigarettes. The crunched ash and tobacco glided through the air as the rear hatch was opened. Boss looked to Ocelot and nodded, and was granted with the same movement. He looked to Vixen and she bowed her head not to look at him. Boss grunted and pulled down his gas mask. As did they all. It was go-time. They edged toward the hatch and looked out willingly. Vixen, first to jump, dove into the multitudinous clouds below. The eyes of the FOXHOUND operatives soon lost her figure through the haze. Hawk edged toward the hatch and looked back to Boss to speak.

"You know, I think you're right." He grinned, as he fell into the sky. Campbell walked toward the rear hatch and peered back at Ocelot. His eyes met his, before he also dove into the clouds below.

Ocelot moved toward the hatch and stood awhile. He peered back to Boss and then fell back slowly through the opened hatch. Boss pulled his backpack on under the parachute, and started to move to the hatch. The plane shook violently and began to siren. Screams were heard from the pilots in the cockpit and gunshots followed. It was going to crash. The hatch soon began to close as the plane started to steady once more. His heart raced and thumped at his sternum as he could hear the loud footsteps and angry chatter of Vietnamese attackers. He scanned his area. This was not going to be short and sweet, but long and noisy.

The room was soon patterned with the attackers, wearing masks and holding AKs. Boss pulled out his knife and Colt. They pointed their weapons at Boss and he repaid the gesture as they shouted angrily in Vietnamese, until one edged forward and spoke in fluent English.

"Surrender now and you will not feel our wrath."

Boss grunted and edged backwards toward the hatch as they began to edge closer. He was cornered, and all he could do now was fight. The room blinked from red to black, as the siren continued to pulse.

"No one's going anywhere." Boss retorted, holding his weapon more distinctly this time. They all looked toward their ringleader and laughed. The ringleader laughed also, and started to clap. Boss didn't move but simply stared at their leader. His mood eerily twisted from enjoyment to anger.

"Then you will die!" The scream became an echo, and he ran forward spraying bullets from side to side, which was soon interrupted with a sharp crack of the attacker's arm and a leg sweep, letting his head crash to the ground and pierce the skin releasing a trickle of racing blood. The FOXHOUND operative moved toward the next and pulled his head down into his knee, breaking teeth and cutting his tongue. While holding the head, he pointed his gun toward the rest, and made a head count while restraining his hostage. There were five more. How did they get on the plane?

Using his knife, he pushed it through leather, cotton and flesh until he hit the rib cage, and pushed the hostage toward the others. The knife jerked out of the tissue and was soon returned to the butt of the gun. Three shots soon fired out, catching three in the head. Two remained, not including the already paralysed victim. One fired bullets blindly, and hit his own comrade in the foot, and damaging the oxygen valve on the wall. Steam began to billow out, and choke him. Boss saw his chance and ran toward the injured soldier with the shot foot. A flying kick connected sharply with the hostile, snapping the nose and causing a certain concussion. Blood tangled through the air and sputtered onto the ground. Boss looked to his left, and the choking attacker was slumped against the hatch door, reaching for the release switch. He marched toward him and took him by the throat, lifting and slamming him onto the wall.

"I said no one was going anywhere. Who sent you?" Boss spoke with a pulsing breath, although it was steady, it was battering his throat. The attacker didn't answer, so he pulled the mask off and pressurised his choke on him. Sweat dripped off his face and he squealed nervously.

He was only a kid.

He realised he was Vietnamese so decided to speak in his language. Boss dropped him to the floor and snapped the AK he owned across his leg. Using the nozzle of the weapon he lodged it into the oxygen pipe that had been pierced. The vapour soon cleared and the room became lighter. As he turned, he watched the kid try and press the release button again. However, Boss walked toward him once more and pulled his hand behind his back in a hammerlock position.

"Don't scream, kid. You'll only make it worse." The teenage boy who had been sent nodded and started to steady his breathing.

"I'll ask this only once. Who sent you?"

"His name is…Manco."

"Who the hell is Manco?"

"We never see his face! All I know is that his name is Manco." Boss looked up and took him to the cockpit. Blood dripped off the controls and sparks began to fly, the coffee that formerly sat on the top had been spilled, mixing with blood to create a thick, dark, crimson substance that began to drip to the already bloody floor.

"Why have you come here?" Boss said, throwing him to the floor and pointing the colt toward him.

"We…we were ordered to…"

"Ordered to what? How did you know we were here?"

The teenager began to sob and wiped his face with his sleeve. His tears came rapidly.

"I'm here because they've taken my Brother hostage. He's ten years old. That's why I'm here." Boss looked at the kid and began to sigh. He lowered the weapon and took out some 'Calorie Mate' from his backpack. He threw it to him, and the kid looked confused. He opened the box quite quickly and pulled out the contents.

"What's this?"

"It's a thing we eat in the US. Eat it, you'll feel better."

The kid began to chew at the Calorie Mate, then started to eat it quickly. He was as skinny as hell and he must not had eaten a decent meal in weeks. Boss lit a cigar, dragging at it strongly. Clicking his radio transmitter on his shoulder, he tuned into the frequency of Ocelot, however, Hawk answered the call.

"Boss, are you alright? We thought you were for the can there." His British accent was as strong and relieving as ever.

"Yeah, I was ambushed by some gooks in uniform. I took care of them easily, but one of them was a kid. He's with me right now."

"Let me handle the little toss-pot."

"No, it's fine. He's eating some of my Calorie Mate right now."

"The thieving little bastard! I'll have his arms off…" Boss laughed more distinctly this time and looked at the kid, who seemed to be enjoying himself. "Well, the good thing is you're safe."

"Yeah, but where's Ocelot?" It was quite perplexing that Hawk answered to Ocelot's frequency. The frequencies must have been mixed up.

"We didn't see him land…we thought he was with you." Vixen had tuned in to the frequency and sounded quite calm. It sent a shiver down Boss's spine.

"Well, he can certainly handle himself I imagine. Listen, we've looked around and this ghastly jungle is all the same. We don't know where to meet up."

"Boss, there is a cabin to the North of your current position. Head north and rendezvous with the others there." Surely enough, Lucius had tuned in as well. He knew everything about the surrounding jungle. The operation had been handled quite poorly; they hadn't even been briefed about how the area was set up.

"Hold a second, Paulman. Where is it from where we are?" Hawk exclaimed.

"You are to head west, and do not address me as 'Paulman'. It's Weasel."

"Why did they call you that?" Boss asked, as Lucius was being hit by all angles here.

"Listen, if I call you by your codenames, you will call me by mine. Understood? Weasel out."

There was a small silence thereafter, but it was soon broken when Hawk began to sigh.

"What's wrong with him?"

"No idea. I'll meet you at the cabin, anyway."

"Roger that. Commencing the operation."

Boss got up from his crouching position and sat in the pilot seat, moving the former pilot to one side. Flicking off the 'auto-pilot' switch he began to turn the aircraft around, and then switched it back onto auto-pilot. From his position, he stood and began to make his way back to the rear hatch. He casually flicked his cigar to one side and walked past the teenager.

"If you come with me, I'll help you find your Brother." Boss said, as he re-attached his parachute and backpack. "All I need you to do is give me information on how the base is set up." Boss continued to prepare for his second attempt of making the drop-off, and the Vietnamese adolescent walked beside him, looking quite happy. He nodded and pulled on his parachute. Beside his foot, one of the attackers was still alive, and twitched while blood rubbed off of him onto the floor. His words were muddled and were hard to make out.

"Treacherous…luttle…bustarb…" Boss turned and could see his companion was quite disturbed of the condition of the slumped soldier next to the oxygen valve. As the hatch began to open, Boss moved toward the attacker and looked at him with disgust.

"You'll…never…make it alive…you'll regret…this…"

"Luckily, you won't be around to find out." Boss said, pointing the gun toward the dying man before him.

"You'll never…destroy us…the weapon is ready…you will all die…" And with that, he died as blood poured out through his lips and slimed onto his lap. Boss lowered his gun and stared blankly at the wall, then turned and looked back at the adolescent.

"You've got a lot to tell me, kid."