Fly Past Chapter 3
Team Leader 1 silently signalled his squad of marines to proceed up the back and head for cover on the lower side of the Granite ridge he had spotted as his black painted inflatable beached. His two following squads were instructed to go higher.
3 men would be left in cover to guard the boats for any accelerated return to the Sub.
The undergrowth was deep with many entangling roots, some seem to move even as they stepped through them. However they had been briefed fully and this was likely to be the least of their problems. Team leader 1 concentrated through his night vision goggles, selected a route and proceeded forward. He thought to himself, that as dangerous as their target was, Team 2 could actually face more intense opposition; He couldn't shake the fear that not matter how covert they had been, someone was watching them.
Some one was watching them.
Above the woods, protected from sight by the dense growth, and also the Helicopters 'Stealth-Mode' Rotors, Flt-Lieut Susan scanned the ground. "Now what do you suppose these guys are up to? Bit late for camp songs and marshmallows"
Inside she was concerned; this looked like a long thought-out well planned mission. A submarine running in the Shadow of an Aircraft carrier, supposedly on a distress call. Damn, I've been reading too many mystery stories. She needed someone to talk to and her co-pilot was currently running interference back at the Carrier.
"Missing helicopters you say, Hmm, haven't seen any round here, by the way just because they call it a Mess doesn't mean it has to be". – Yes Susan knew she would be covered by a full-on, fists at 10 paces, diversion.
What are they after?
Team Leader 1 felt a shift in the air and dived to the right just as a flaming ball of intense heat seared the ground he had just stepped on, and incinerated one of his men.
The squad acted on instinct and many years close quarter training, some gave covering fire, others scouted cover positions, then they gave fire for the others to get into their cover. Strangely enough it was their leader who was left to his own devices. Team Leader 1 didn't reach that position lightly; a few barked commands and he had the second squad bearing down from their high ground, third squad were to hold a retreat position.
Then their target came barrelling out of the woods. An unforgettable bulk of talons and horns, a great lizard shape, bigger than a bus. Oh and it breathed fire as well.
Susan immediately had all groups entered into her targeting computer, but the question was what was going on? She really needed that friendly word, time to break radio silence; she paused momentarily then switched the ICnet back on
"..at once. Message repeat, to the un-named pilot who –"
Susan cut in, "I'm not un-named this is LGAT1, I am transmitting my I-dent codes now, patch me through to Commander Kerr's cabin now please."
"The only person you will be talking to is the Master-at Arms" A rather testy voice from the carrier replied
"I am sure Commander – " Susan began
"The Commanders orders madam"
"Pretty please…?"
Team Leader 2 acknowledged that contact had been made by team 1 and continued up the staircase. His group consisted of only 5 Marines, but they were easily worth 3 three squads. Already men 2 and 4 awaited his signal, perched outside an ornately glazed window, held against the high stonework by the slenderest of steel spikes in the mortar. 3 and 5 had taken a different route in, after their motorised submersible had beached, now they controlled a doorway directly opposite the side of the room he was about to enter.
Time to proceed, as he raised his boot to the door, Team Leader 2 smiled and remembered his favourite TV line "Stoke me a Flipper"
A slim comms phone began to ring on Commander Kerr's desk.
Susan lowered the chopper, it was a risk but maybe if the ground teams could see her, someone may get in contact. She easily analysed their entrenched position. The Fire-Lizard thing, "okay call it a Dragon" Susan corrected herself was advancing to the waters edge, cutting off the first group to be attacked. Susan sent a line of tracer fire across the front of their position, heads turned up.
Inside the small Library room a group of six targets gathered, they began to run away from his door as team Leader 2 and the two 'window washers' entered with a hail of splintering wood and broken glass. Their flight was halted by the crash and entering of 2 men from the opposite door. One of the targets proceeded forward, a tousle haired boy with glasses, his arm raised holding a stick. But man 4 passed left as Man 2 brought his assault weapon around in an unorthodox but effective clubbing motion.
"My sticks bigger than yours" he growled, as the youth scrambled across the floor to reach his cracked glasses. The boy put them on just in time to see Team Leader 2's weapon come forward and press it's barrel into his forehead.
"Well?" The voice although brief was welcome and familiar to Susan's ears.
"Kerr, look there's something going on here"
"You mean apart from all these security reports of stolen armaments, blatant code violations, and insults about our cooking, Oh and the theft of a Helicopter. That is piling up my desk"
"Er Yes."
"Susan, how bad is it?"
"Same as always"
"Oh, That bad".
"Look there is some action going on down here that you may not even know about…" but Susan's communications were cut short, either the line was down or being jammed.
Team Leader 1 tapped the side of his helmet to disconnect the ship-to-shore feed,
"Oh I know alright". He sent a short flash light signal to the woods behind the dragon. Squad 2 launched their rocket controlled razor nets. Fire breather it may be but its skin would still be cut by weapons that could slice a tank in half. The Dragon was down.
The tableau in the library seemed still forever, but it was just seconds before it all became madness. Team Leader 2 was staring deep into the eyes of the tousle haired boy, his barrel pressing hard against an older scar on the lads forehead. The youth seemed to be daring him, or was it something else. A flicker on the right, Team leader two reacted as a primal beast, drawing and firing two shots behind him from his hip holster. Without looking behind he got confirmation of the kill from his men in front of him. 2 shots and some blond haired, thin faced boy was down.
"Malf – " began a scream.
Almost immediately two other youths moved, a tom-boy looking girl to his left and another boy, ginger with freckles, on his right, for a moment it was like some macabre dance. These 2 new protagonists waving their arms as if throwing invisible snowballs at Team Leader 2. He felt nothing for a moment, and was about to laugh and pull the trigger on the weapon held against the boy with glasses head. When suddenly he felt it all, his whole body burning from the inside.