Chapter 5: Best Laid Plans
Nathan Owen woke with a groan, he vaguely remembered a weird dream that he had, involving some oddly dressed Combat Dolls, and a woman with cat ears. He heard female voices talking in hushed voices, and assumed it was a few nurses at the field hospital at his base, DuLaney must have pulled his ass out of the fire again.
'I guess I owe him another case of beer' he thought to himself as he settled his head deeper into the pillow. It was the most comfortable pillow he had ever remembered a military medical facility issuing. Then a hand began stroking his cheek gently.
His eyes snapped open, and there she was, closed eyes, a content smile on her face, the picture of peace and serenity. Nines had cradled his head in her lap after he had passed out.
"So uh, hello again." He said awkwardly.
Nines' eyes opened in surprise, they stared at each other for a few seconds before he heard someone clear their throat. Owen slowly turned his head to face the person, and saw Makarov sitting in a chair, her pistol in her lap.
"If you're done with your nap, we have a situation we could use your help with." She snapped at him.
Owen groaned, got shakily to his feet, and retrieved his weapons. He then turned to face her, "I'm sorry, who are you?"
She gave a small tsk, before beginning, "My name is Makarov, team lead of Logistics Team 2."
She gestures to the entrance, now more of a giant, crumbling hole in the wall, "The others are out looking for the fifth member of my team, they should be back soon."
Owen walked around a bit, stretching, "Do you need help with the search then?" He asked.
The petite doll shook her head, "Nyet, I need your help getting us out of here."
Owen stared at her, waiting for her to continue.
"We barely survived that last attack, and even then, only with your help. Our Commander is unavailable, we need someone to take tactical command on the ground and help us get back to base. I've been told that you are soldat, da?"
Owen nodded, "I am. But, why do you need me?" He asked.
She closed her eyes and rubbed her temples, one hand still holding her weapon, the gesture struck Owen as being extremely human. It surprised him, the Dolls he had worked with before had been of Sangvis models and devoid of any emotions.
"As T-dolls, we lack the," she paused, searching for what to say, "flexibility needed for advanced tactical decision making. I may be able to lead my team during missions, but I lack the proper equipment needed for anything more than basic commands. If we run into any heavy opposition while we exit the city, then we probably would not survive." She explained impatiently.
"Makes sense, I guess." He conceded.
She gave him a nod and stood, "Good, we should go find my team, then we can rendezvous with our transport home."
Owen stepped out onto the sidewalk and froze. The city had changed, in his mind at least, overnight. Militia members and the Soviet military had been everywhere, battling it out in brutal urban combat. Before that, the streets had been packed with cars, and the sidewalks were over crowded with people going this way and that.
Now, it was a crumbling and abandoned ruin, left behind by the rest of the world.
Makarov frowned, "My team is a few blocks over, but they're not moving."
"Think they're in trouble?" Owen asked.
Makarov nodded, "It is a possibility, we should proceed with caution."
Owen checked his rifle, and made sure the Winchester was secure, "Alright, y'all stay on me, we go single file. Nines you're on our six, Makarov you take center, and I'll be on point. If you see something, say something. If you're not sure, shoot first, we'll figure shit out after that."
He looked the girls over, both gave him determined looks, he nodded, pleased, "Let's go."
They made their way at a brisk pace, scanning rooftops, checking alleys, and staring down everything that could hide an enemy. As Makarov guided them closer, the small team began to see dead Saving littering the street. The closer they got the more bodies there were. As the small makeshift team rounded a corner Owen threw a hand up, he had heard something. The two dolls watched him anxiously.
He took a quick peek and saw a group of dolls standing around in a loose cluster, an old commercial van and a rusted pickup with a mounted gun parked in the street. The gun was pointed up, and no one was manning it. Owen ducked back around, and described to Makarov what he saw, as he did, relief washed over her.
"That's the combat team," she explained, "They must have linked up with AK and the others already."
As they approached the group Makarov called out to her team, one of the dolls waved her over to the back of the van. She ran over, leaving Owen and Nines alone. A tall blond doll with a G3 slung over her shoulder gave them a friendly wave as she approached.
"Guten Tag, I am G3, leader of the combat team from Outpost 17, do either of you require assistance before we leave?" She gave them a warm smile as she looked them over.
Owen looked over to Nines, who shook her head, he turned back to G3, "Nah, we're good, Miss G3, thank you though." he said as he offered her a smile.
G3 couldn't contain her surprise, and gave a laugh, "Oh, you're very polite."
Before he could respond, a doll carrying a Garand came over, "We're good to go G3, the casualty from Team 2 is loaded up in the van, also SIG and Spectre came back off of recon, they report no Sangvis in the area."
G3 nodded, "And what of MP40?"
Garand rolled her eyes, "In the van, monitoring the radio, and giving Team 2 a safety brief on casualty transportation."
"Thank you Garand, let everyone know we will be leaving soon." Garand turned to leave, but hesitated.
"Is there something else?" G3 asked.
"Well, as for seating, we're a bit over capacity, someone will have to sit in the back of the truck with M2...I mean with..." Garand trailed off, grief on her face.
G3 comforted Garand, and turned to Owen and Nines with an apologetic smile, "We've had a rough few weeks."
As they stood in awkward silence, MP40 came sprinting over, "Frau G3! A call came in on the emergency channel! The outpost is under attack!"
G3 swore, and turned to Owen who waved her off, "Go, we'll ride in the back of the truck, I'll man the .50 if it comes to it."
G3 nodded and took off to ready her team. Owen and Nines made their way to the truck, where an old but perfectly serviceable M2 was mounted. There was even a spare barrel strapped down in the bed of the truck. Owen helped Nines into the bed as G3 came over, holding a headset.
"Herr Nate, this is for you. It's already tuned in to our team's combat channel, please lead us as you see fit." G3 said as she handed the headset to him.
Owen shook his head, "This is your team, you know them better than I do."
G3 gave him a confused look, "But Makarov said you are our acting Kommandant, ja?"
Owen looked back at the van, Makarov was sitting in the passenger seat, a grim look on her face, she gave him a single nod.
Owen nodded back and turned to G3, "Compromise, let's co-lead. You know your team best, I'll handle overall command and you can maneuver the dolls as you see fit."
G3 gave him a smile, "Very good, Kommadant, I look forward to this arrangement."
The truck bounced along the cracked road as Garand pushed the engine as hard as she could, trying to make it back to the Outpost.
"Can we trust him?" She asked G3, speaking for the first time since they left the city.
G3 stared out the window in thought, "I don't know, but at this point, I fear we don't have much of a choice."
Garand nodded, her eyes glanced to the rear view mirror, she saw the doll known as Nines leaned against the man's shoulder, fast asleep as if they weren't bouncing off the asphalt every few seconds.
"What about the doll he's got with him, what's her story?"
G3 shook her head, "I don't know much, just that she was supposed to guard him, according to Frau Makarov."
Garand shook her head, "Guard him, from what?"
G3 gave a half shrug, "I don't know, but Makarov told me that they had been in that city for a long time."
Garand eyes flicked back to the mirror, Owen was staring off, occasionally grabbing Nines whenever she almost fell over.
Her eyes went back to the road, and they drove in silence.
Owen's combat headset crackled to life as G3 spoke, "Ok everyone, please pay attention, MP-40 is going to inform us as to the situation at the Outpost."
A new voice cleared her voice and began speaking, "As you all are aware, we received a call from the Outpost on the Griffin Emergency frequency. They came under heavy contact not long after our team left. This suggests they were watching us. I spoke with Frau M3 shortly after we started moving, and she informed me that they were holding on but just barely. I tried contacting her again, but the base has gone silent. Without the Commander there to coordinate defense.." MP40 let her sentence trail off.
G3 stepped back in, "We've ran missions with Logistics Team 2 before, so we all are familiar with each other, however, we will have a temporary Kommandant on the ground, Herr Owen, who will be in charge of us," she paused and looked at Owen through the truck's rear glass, reassuring smile on her face, "Is there anything you wish to say to us before we begin?"
Owen adjusted his headset, "Not much for me to say, you all know each other and you know your shit. I've been in combat before, so y'all don't need to worry about holding my hand through this. We cover each other, we kill bad guys, and we all go home.
"He's a master at motivational speaking too." Someone deadpanned.
Laughter erupted on the comms, then abruptly ended when G3 shouted on the radio, "Vehicle on the side of the road," followed by, "It's the Kommadant's!"
Both vehicles pulled up next to it, and both teams got out to investigate, G3s team set up a perimeter while Owen, Nines, and Makarov went to the vehicle. It was empty, Makarov ordered her team to spread out and look for clues.
It was a sleek black car, kept in immaculate condition, with the exception of a single bullet hole centered in the windshield, with an exit hole in the rear glass. Owen looked inside, and retrieved a cell phone, the keys were in the ignition, but the car was off.
Nines placed a hand on the hood, "The engine is still warm."
"No blood inside, and he had time to turn off the car. If this was a snatch and grab, it's one of the cleanest ones I've ever seen." Owen said.
Makarov narrowed her eyes, "You suspect something?"
Owen shrugged, "Just stating a fact." He scanned the surroundings, they were surrounded by open fields, with no buildings in sight. He waved G3 over to them.
"He's your Commander, so I'll leave the decision up to you, we can either stay here and look for him, or move on."
"SVT is far from stable, and there is an emergency repair and resupply building in the village not far from the Outpost." Makarov cast a meaningful glance G3s direction, "I know what I would do, but technically Sergeant Owen is in command right now."
G3 chewed her lip, deep in thought for a moment, then nodded slowly, "While we are under standing orders to protect our Kommandant, we technically transferred command to Sergeant Owen. Who, as far as we know, is still an active member of an allied force. He is well within rights to take over operational command of our forces in this situation." She turned and beamed a knowing smile at him, "I also know what I would do, but seeing as you are the now acting Kommandant of Forward Outpost 17, the decision is, ultimately, up to you."
Owen just shook his head with a smile, "If it's save one versus, save an outpost, with the added bonus of resupply, and medical help, I choose the latter."
Both dolls positively beamed at the news.
"We'll mark this area for investigation later, then." G3 announced happily.
"Your orders, Commander?"
"We make tracks to the village, while we're enroute draw up a map of the Outpost. I don't need schematics for every building, but a detailed layout and which areas to focus on would be nice."
Both dolls nodded and went to the van to plan, SKS took G3s place in the truck. Everyone mounted up and the two vehicle convoy began moving again. Owen sat down across from Nines, looking her over. She had her beret in her hands, bunching it up nervously. She looked a thousand miles away.
"I never did thank you." Owen spoke.
Nines looked up at him, surprise on her face.
"For what?" She asked.
"Looking after me, ten years is a long time." He said.
"It was my job." She said simply, dismissing him
"You could've left at any time, no one else was around, and it wasn't like I could stop you."
"No," A sad smile touched her lips, "I couldn't." She whispered.
Owen said nothing, and Nines didn't explain any further.
As they neared the village, Owen could have sworn he had seen it before. Sure most villages in the country looked similar, but there was something about this particular one, he couldn't put his finger on it. The vehicles rolled to a stop in the middle of the village, and a group of curious onlookers gathered. Makarov sprang from the back of the van, Nagant in tow. She went up to one of the villagers and began speaking to him quickly. The villager nodded, grabbed someone next to him, and made their way to the back of the van. They emerged seconds later, carrying SVT off to a building.
The rest of the team milled about, talking to people they knew, or making sure their equipment was ready for the coming assault.
"Miss G3, Miss Makarov!" a voice called out.
Owen hopped down from the bed of the truck and turned to see who it was. A Doll came running up, waving as she went.
"Frau M3?" G3 called in surprise and made her way over. Owen followed, Nines in tow.
M3 ran over to G3 and threw her arms around the German dolls neck. "I-I'm sorry." She sobbed.
"I t-tried, I did!" The poor doll was in hysterics now.
"T-there weren't many of us l-left, the Commander was gone, and I couldn't find anyone. All I could do w-was s-s-send the distress signal." She collapsed, sobs wracking her body.
G3 knelt down, petting her head gently, and whispered to her.
SIG came over to Owen as he watched the scene unfold. They stood in silence for a moment before she finally spoke."Can I ask something?"
Owen nodded.
"Why are you helping us? Not that I'm against it, but I don't know why?"
Owen looked at her in confusion, "What do you mean?"
SIG shot him an annoyed look, "I mean, you're not with Griffin, and there's not any humans left at the Outpost," she gestured herself, "Just us dolls. There's no reason to stick your neck out for us, and there's definitely no reason to risk your life for us."
Owen nodded, finally understanding, "Makarov and G3 both asked me to lead y'all back to your Outpost. So as far as I'm concerned you're not Dolls, you're soldiers. Soldiers under my command, and that means your safety is my responsibility."
He scratched his chin, "True, I've never had this many fighters under my command. But I'm nothing if not flexible."
He turned to SIG, who was watching him, judging his every word, "Look, if you're worried about me sacrificing your teammates, don't. I don't send people, or dolls, off to die for no reason, and I'm not going to sit back while y'all do all the fighting either. I'm going to be there with the rest of you, and if you see me trying to turn tail and run in the thick of it, I order you, as your Commander, to put me down yourself."
Sig's eyes widened with surprise at that last part, she nodded. "It's a deal."
G3 came over, M3 in tow, ending the conversation. The German doll looked worried, while M3 just looked exhausted at this point. She stared off at nothing and didn't say a word.
G3 gave her a reassuring smile, though it didn't quite make it to her eyes, "Tell him what you told me." She said gently.
M3 stared hard at Owen, tears in her eyes again, before nodding to herself, "W-we were completely decimated. I sent all non essential personnel here before the attack began, but...there was a...a..." She trailed off, tears streaming silently down her cheeks.
Owen patted her shoulder, "It's ok, go get some rest, you've earned."
M3 nodded and allowed herself to be led away by Sig. G3 stood staring at the road leading to the Outpost, knuckles tight as she clutched her rifle, she ground her teeth, and her eyes were hard. It was a complete one eighty from the G3 he saw moments before
"What's up?" He asked.
G3 swore in German before turning to him, "I was hoping Frau M3 would tell us more, but..." She paused, listening for something.
Owen strained his ears, but could only hear the sounds of villagers bustling around.
G3 shook her head, "M3 said there was a ringleader who commanded the attack. They are extremely dangerous. I've seen one tear through an elite combat team like tissue. Even the military has trouble with them."
Owen stared down the road as well, "What do you suggest?"
G3 shook her head, "We leave, call HQ and ask for a Commander that's equipped to deal with a ringleader and get these people out of harm's way." She gave a sad shake of her head, "that's the best we can do."
"Did M3 say if there's anyone still at the Outpost?" Owen asked.
G3 gave a hesitant nod, "Ja, there was a small group defending the server room." She levelled her gaze at him, "However, there are only dolls there, and there's a very good chance that they're already dead."
Owen rubbed his hand over his face in frustration, "I'm not gonna lie G3, I'm getting a little tired of everyone expecting me to leave dolls to die. It doesn't matter to me if you're dolls or not. I. Am. Not. Going. To. Leave. Them. To. Die." He stated bluntly.
G3 just watched him, as he paced, he looked around the small village, it bothered him how familiar it looked. He knew he had been here before. He walked around in a circle, taking everything in, before..."Oh holy shit." He exclaimed.
G3 gave him a confused look.
"Find whoever's in charge of the village and bring them to me. Then gather up anyone from your company who can fight." He ordered.
G3 nodded and turned smartly on her heel and walked off. Owen watched her go, then sat down, his thoughts drifting. Of course he knew this place, it was the village where DuLaney found the SUV they had used before the attack. He also remembered that the residents of the village had been running a sort of underground guerilla war against the Soviets when they first set foot in the area since the early days of the war.
Nines appeared beside him, seemingly from thin air. She sat down beside him, not saying anything, just looking off down the road that led to the Outpost. They sat in amicable silence before she spoke.
"Are you worried?" She asked.
Owen shook his head, "Nah, are you?"
She paused before answering, "Yes and no, are we really going to kill a ringleader? They sound tough."
He turned to face her, a grin on his face, "How hard can it be?"
The village leader was a weathered man in his fifties, and was also a blessing for the upcoming battle. Apparently, he absolutely adored the Griffin dolls stationed at the Outpost, and doted on them like a loving grandfather. When asked if he had any weapons available to Owen and his team, his response was a partially toothless grin.
"Hell, I've saved so much shit from my days killin them damn Reds you'll have trouble pickin which goodies ya want." He said in a thick drawl.
Owen guessed he wasn't from the area, but when asked, the leader just gave him another grin.
He then led Owen and Nines to an absolutely massive old barn, with a wink he swung the doors open.
"Oh holy shit." Owen said in awe.
One wall of the barn was lined with weapons, and on the ground were rows of ammo cans. There were mortars, RPG launchers, light machine guns, but in the middle of the barn was the real kicker.
"Where the hell did you get a Hind?" Owen asked.
The bulbous helicopter loomed over them, its olive drab paint faded with age with the exception of a shark's mouth painted on the nose that looked fresh.
"I found her, myself, along with my assistant, got her fixed up." He said proudly.
"Assistant?" Nines asked.
He nodded, "Yup, she should be around here somewhere, probably sleepin." He told them before shouting at the top of his lungs, "Colette! Git yer scrawny butt out here, we got guests!"
"Shut your damn mouth old man, I'm napping." A voice called from the rafters.
"If you're not down here in thirty seconds, I swear I'll kick you out of this village!" He hollered.
A rope dropped from the rafters and a petite woman with chestnut hair in a pixie cut and wearing a black t-shirt with green cargo pants descended.
She landed, brushed her hands against her pants, then glowered at the village leader. "Keep your shirt, you old codger, I'm here."
He nodded, then motioned to Owen and Nines, "This is..."
"Sergeant Nate Owen, call sign Raider, or at least he was." She said, peering at him curiously, "you look exactly the same."
The village leader's head whipped back and forth between Colette and Owen, "You two know each other?" He asked.
A grin crept over her face, "Oh yes, we know each other very, very well."
Nines unconsciously moved closer to Owen, her face in a scowl. Owen's brain went full stop for a solid five seconds, trying to figure out who Colette was before, "Wait, Archangel?!"
The woman nodded, her grin becoming predatory.
"From Ukraine, but...you were shot down, right? And wait, your real name is Colette?"
Colette pouted, "You don't remember me? Does that mean you also forgot that night in the Blackhawk?"
Owen let out a nervous chuckle, and opened his mouth to speak, but was cut off by Nines loudly clearing her throat.
"I believe we're getting off track." She said coldly.
"Ah, right." He turned to the village leader. "We're going to need some serious firepower if you don't mind sharing. Apparently the Outpost was attacked by a Ringleader."
The old man's face darkened at the news, "If that's the case then the Outpost will probably be wiped out completely, if it's not already. Which means they'll be comin here next." He looked over to Colette, then back to Owen.
"Take the Hind," he said, "It's already been fueled, and we can get rocket and gun pods loaded up."
"We'll need a pilot." Nines pointed out.
Colette raised her hand, "That would be me."
Owen nodded, "She flew my team through some really nasty shit all around Ukraine. I'll vouch for her."
"Gee thanks." Colette snarked.
Nines gave a stiff nod, and briskly walked away despite protests from Owen.
The village leader chuckled, "I think you're in trouble young man."
Colette fixed him with a stare, "He shouldn't be a young man though."
Owen sighed in frustration, "Neither should you, but we'll talk details later."
He motioned around the barn, "So you're really ok giving up some of this stuff to help us out."
"Nope!" The old man replied cheerfully, "Yer gonna pay me back after you clear the Outpost."
Owen rubbed the back of his neck, "About that, I don't actually work for Griffin, they just kinda put me in charge temporarily."
The old man regarded Owen with a twinkle in his eye, "Trust me kid, yer gonna be runnin that place within the week. Especially after I talk with ol Kryuger."
Owen rolled his eyes, "Yeah sure, let's just get me geared up, ok?"
The sun began to set when Owen called the G3, Nines, M3, and Makarov over to discuss the assault. The plan was to insert Owen plus seven other Dolls into the base and beeline it to the server room to try and save the Dolls who stayed behind to defend it. M3 assured everyone that, because everyone was still connected, that meant they were still alive.
Though Owen had doubts, he didn't voice them.
G3 and Makarov had made contact with any other Commander in the nearest sector, and she had scrambled her combat teams and their arrival would sync up with Owen's team's arrival. The rest of the Dolls would be driving to the Outpost in the vehicles G3's combat team arrived in.
They were discussing the assault when a tall blonde Doll came up to Owen, a happy Garand trailing behind her.
"So, I heard you're our new Commander." She said, face blank, voice guarded.
Owen nodded slowly, "For now anyway, what can I do for you?"
She snapped to attention and gave a crisp military salute, "IOP Tactical Doll designation M2HB, ready for orders!"
Owen blinked, then smiled and held out his hand, "No need for salutes Miss M2, I'm just a lowly Sergeant."
She slowly lowered her arm, and stared at his hand, she didn't shake it. Owen withdrew his own.
'I swear to the gods, if I ever meet this Commander of theirs, I'm going to beat his ass, if for no other reason than making all these introductions way more complicated than they need to be.' He thought.
Owen cleared his throat and regarded M2, "I'm Sergeant Owen, technically with the US Army, but right now I have assumed temporary command of the G&K Outpost nearby. I've been told that there are still dolls stuck at the Outpost, and there's a Ringleader who's set up shop at my temporary outpost." He jerked a thumb over to where the truck sat, its mounted fifty cal pointed to the sky. "I would sure appreciate it if someone would man that fifty during the assault."
M2HB looked at the mounted machine gun like someone looked at a long lost lover, she turned to Garand, "Is that..."
Garand nodded happily, "Yup! We made sure it got repaired and cleaned up after your, well...the..." Her voice cracked
Finally, M2 cracked a grin and gave the smaller doll a hug, lifting her off of the ground and spinning her around, "Thank you!" she exclaimed.
"Sis, sis wait, you're crushing me- ack!"
M2 sat Garand back down, who stumbled around a bit, "So, this new Commander, how is he?"
"He's right here." Owen stated.
M2 didn't look at him, "I didn't ask where he is, I asked how he is." she stated.
Owen was about to say something else, but she cut him off, "-And, if he cuts off my little sister again, I will crush his head like a grape."
Owen snorted, "You can try."
G3 and Makarov took a cautious step back, M2 whirled around, fire in her eyes. "What was that?"
Owen stood his ground and matched her stare, "We don't have time for a pissing match, you want my credentials, get them on the way to the damn Outpost, we got shit to do and I don't have time for this, are you my gunner or do I need to find someone else?"
She held his gaze for a moment longer before sticking out her hand, "Fine, but after this is over, we settle this."
Owen felt a headache starting to form, "Fine." he said and shook her hand.
She squeezed, he squeezed back, she squeezed harder, a wicked smile on her face. He matched her grip, she put more pressure into the handshake, Owen rolled his eyes and squeezed as hard as he could, and she let out a surprised yelp and released his hand, staring at him in confusion.
Owen flashed her a cocky grin, "Ready up, we leave in ten."
He then turned back to Makarov and G3, to finish planning the assault.
M2 looked at him, then back at her hand, "The hell?"
Owen called all of the dolls together in front of the Hind, which had been pulled out of the barn and was sitting in the large area in the center of the village that served as the meeting area, it was time to go. A large group of villagers appeared as well, curious as to what was going on. He felt the eyes of everyone on him, he hadn't felt this much pressure since he first made NCO rank and got his own group of guys. He felt someone gently squeeze the back of his arm, in an odd but reassuring gesture, he turned and saw Nines standing there, a confident smile on her face, she nodded to him. He nodded back, swallowed, and turned to the crowd.
"Alright everyone listen up, for those of you that don't know, I am Sergeant Owen, and I am temporarily in command of all G&K dolls attached to Outpost Seventeen. Now, I've gotten word that there still may be some dolls left trying to defend the servers at the outpost. They need help and we're the cavalry. However, I won't take anyone who doesn't want to go. Some of you came from the outpost during the attack and had to fight your way here. As far as I'm concerned you've done more than enough just by surviving a ringleader, so this is a volunteer only op. If you can still fight, and still want to fight, put your boots on the line and we'll get you sorted into fire teams."
He paused, and took a look around, the faces staring back at him were a mix of emotions, some looked determined, others grim, but mostly they looked tired. The kind of tired one sees in soldiers who had been in shit conditions nonstop for months. They wanted to be done, they wanted peace. Despite that, most of them stepped forward, the rest glanced nervously at the Village Leader who was standing nearby. He gave them a fatherly smile and a small nod. One of the dolls who stayed behind, timidly raised her hand, it was M3.
He nodded to her, and she spoke, "We want to go fight for the Outpost, b-but..." she stuttered, lost her voice, then her face set in determination, she looked Owen in the eye. "We need someone to guard the village here, they've always been good to us, even when others haven't. We owe them that much, and I request that we stay here as a defense force to help protect them!" The rest of the dolls nodded in agreement.
Owen hadn't thought of the village in all of this, he admonished himself for overlooking their safety. "Approved, and you're in charge of the defense group."
M3 smiled, relief in her eyes.
"Anyone need to add anything else?" Owen looked around, no one did.
"Alright then, just so you all are aware, the plan is for myself and six others to fly ahead of the main group, link up with reinforcements, and blitz our way to the server room to save the dolls still there. You all will hit them as soon as you make it to the Outpost. We grab the survivors, load them into the van, and have the van bring them back here. After that, it's a cleanup operation, if it's not friendly, it dies. If it's a ringleader, fall back and let the Hind do the heavy lifting. Don't take any unnecessary risks out there, if any of you get hurt, fall back and get help. I don't want anyone trying to pull some hero shit, understand? " A few nodded.
"Good, everyone get yourselves squared away, the helo is leaving in five, and I want the rest of you leaving soon after." he dismissed them and they scattered, getting ready for the fight ahead.
He turned to Nines, "So, how'd I do?" he asked, mock concern in his voice.
She giggled, "Terrible."
Owen nodded, "Perfect."
He made his way over to the Hind, Nines in tow. There the rest of his team stood waiting. SKS and Garand were discussing how they were going to support each other, with Nagant constantly trying to give them unneeded advice. Sig and Spectre were rehearsing CQC drills that they had been taught, and Colette was sitting inside the cockpit, legs hanging out of the cockpit door, fast asleep with what looked like an ancient faded playboy magazine covering her face.
Owen slapped her on the boot, "Wake up lazy ass. We have work to do, look at naked girls on your own time."
Colette sputtered awake and glared at Owen, "You're just jealous I can look at a naked woman any time I want." she snapped.
"Yup, you got it, now let's get this show on the road."
Her face immediately lit up, "It's time?" she asked excitedly.
"If you hadn't fallen asleep when I was trying to talk, you would know what your job was."
She gave him an innocent look, "You're going to tell me again, because I'm pretty."
Owen gave her a stern look to match her innocent one, "I'm going to tell you, because you are literally the only pilot here."
She flashed him a grin, "Also true, so what's my job?"
"Fly a helicopter to Outpost, land it without crashing, and then when we're on the ground, fly in circles and shoot bad guys. If a ringleader shows up, shoot it extra good." He said.
Colette nodded along as he spoke, "My god, you're a tactical genius." she said as he finished.
"Thank you."
With that, she carefully stashed the faded Playboy into a document holder mounted in the cockpit, and put her flight helmet on. She handed him a headset, "Plug it in back in the troop area so we can communicate."
Owen nodded his thanks, and she started flipping switches, and lights came on in the cockpit. Owen made his way to the troop area, where his team sat waiting. He gave them a nod and started one final check of his gear as the Hind's massive blades began to slowly turn. He had a variety of shells for the Winchester, including his personal favorite, Dragon's Breath, along with slugs, and buckshot.
He also had a few high explosive grenades for his 40mm, and some star cluster grenades as well. His M16 had a few additions as well, a PEQ-18 mounted on the launcher tube, which was basically an infrared pointer that could only be seen with the dual tube NVGs he now had mounted on an old Kevlar helmet he acquired from the old man.
He kept the iron sights, simply because he knew those were sighted in, and didn't have time to sight in anything else. He also had two frag grenades, and two Willie Pete grenades.
He sat down in one of the seats as the Hind began to lift off and plugged his headset in.
"Yo, Archangel, you hear me?" he spoke into the mic.
"Loud and clear Raider! Just like old times, eh?" Colette answered cheerfully.
"Yeah, a little too much like old times." he said, and settled in for the short trip to the Outpost.