Chapter 2: Foothold
(Eric's P.O.V.)
Setting the last items on the countertop and grabbing my bag of coins, I looked towards the shop keeper who in turn gaped at all the items I had placed in front of him. I knew it was more than the average shopper bought, but me and Sakido didn't have average needs and haven't been through the average person's ordeals.
With a glance up, the weathered man seemed to study me, before he said, "This is worth seventy coins, you sure you can pay for all this?"
"I wouldn't have grabbed what I can't pay for."
The man looked back down at the assorted materials, and I grabbed my money bag and quickly counted out seventy coins. I felt a bit of joy for multiple reasons. One, Sakido apparently got something she wanted, and secondly, I myself was relieved that I could finally travel a bit more comfortably with my love. We may be experts on what we do and how to survive with very little to nothing, but it was still a struggle for me to do so after all that has happened. It got easier as time went, but I still found myself occasionally reminiscing on the easy days where I was back in the states.
Shaking my head lightly, I couldn't help but grin as I heard a giggle over my mental link, "Hurry up Eric, I got something for you!"
Handing the shop keeper the money, he nodded his head, before he asked, "Is there anything else I can do for you sir?"
"Yes, I need to get to St. Curtis, but I don't know the way. Do you by chance know directions?" Yet, just as I had expected, he shook his head, before I nodded with a slight frown, before I asked, "The next question I have is, where would one go to perhaps buy a sword? Or perhaps even something like a crossbow or similar?"
"Son... what are you getting yourself into?"
Smirking a bit, I merely started to pack both sets of backpacks as I looked into the shop keeper's eyes and began, "I'm sure you heard rumors that demons roam these lands, performing heinous acts against medians and being generally evil. And I am certain it is safe to assume refuges have been coming into surrounding towns with tales impossible to believe." Looking down as the large roll of bandages refused to fit into the bag how I wanted, I saw I had to twist it a bit before it would fit perfectly. Shifting my gaze back up to see that the shop owners was pale, I continued, "Well, as I was saying, tales that may be impossible to believe may have reached your ears by now, and I know better than anyone else that the wilderness is a dangerous place. I however, know that it isn't being caused by demons... so for now, I'm simply better preparing myself."
Hefting the two backpacks onto my shoulders, I was careful about my sniper on my back, before turning around and making my way towards the door. "Have a good day sir, and remember, the wilderness isn't dangerous because of demons."
Chuckling as I left the shop, I knew it was wrong, but I couldn't help but mess with the occasional person. I know it wasn't as dangerous now that the rebels were all dead, but paranoia kept me always wanting to be better prepared.
Further down the street I saw Sakido walking towards me with a happy smile and a twinkle in her eyes. She held something in her hands as she spoke to me mentally, "What did you get Eric?"
Heh... stuff that will make our travelling easier.
(Jonathon's P.O.V.)
As I raised my hand and pushed a branch out of my way, I kept my other hand holding my gun with my finger still on the trigger. The two soldiers flanking me watched my back and our surroundings as we continued to walk around the inside of the forest to make sure nothing would provide a threat, along with placing the occasional motion sensor on the snow covered ground. We wouldn't be here for long, but it would be essential to be prepared rather than with our pants down while we were at camp.
We have been walking for thirty minutes now, and as we were now making our way towards the edge of the forest, I made sure to keep a sharp ear out for anything that would alert us to danger or perhaps even Eric if he was still in the area; though that was merely hope when I knew he would've moved on by now. Two months have passed since his mission, and if he was alive, he certainly wouldn't have remained in one area for long.
"Sir, unknown helo ten meters from tree line." Quickly looking to my side as I brought the barrel of my rifle to bear, I saw that indeed through the tree line appeared to be a Russian made attack helicopter, albeit buried in snow. Everything from the canopy and up was visible, but it almost appeared abandoned. Something that looks like a trap is almost always a trap...
Remembering the training from the drill instructors during War Game training, I made sure to look around the surroundings as I said just as quietly as the other soldier that spoke, "Roger. Keep an eye on the surroundings as we move in. We will stick out like sore thumbs. If we come under fire, hit the deck and fire in bursts." Two acknowledgments later, we slowly began to creep towards the buried helo...
-Back at Camp-
The two BTR's stood at opposite sides of the small makeshift camp at forty-five degree angles of each other that would provide as much protection to the small task force as possible. The two Humvees however sat further off to the sides near the rear of the camp in case anything came from the far tree line, also at forty-five degree angles to each other. The majority of the soldiers were milling about the perimeter to make sure they were safe as those inside the camp were quickly setting up communication equipment, survey equipment, and a radar station for any hostile air. This was an unknown world with unknown variables and unknown inhabitants with an unknown technological level. To be underprepared could and would most likely hold unwanted consequences.
Scientists were busy getting equipment up and running while a few allocated soldiers were helping with the heavier lifting; such as raising the high powered lights from the tops of the BTR's, moving heavy equipment from the back of the Humvee's and to where the scientists wanted, and keeping busy in general. The top priority that concerned the scientists was establishing contact with the main force on the other side of the portal, and with this need at the forefront of half the scientists minds, they were working on powering up communication gear built for long range communications as neither the BTR's or Humvee's radios could reach the other side; only each other.
The soldiers walking the perimeter were on alert as the briefing was still fresh in mind, and despite the curiosity many of them felt to explore, all of them knew that orders were orders. To go simply explore would be begging danger to rear its hideous head, and it would be careless for even a single troop to go off by himself as the unknown dangers that represented the entire area wouldn't only endanger himself, but weaken the base camps overall integrity.
High above, the sun was starting its downward descent towards darkness, and the first discovery that the scientists would make would be an astonishing one at that. Surveillance gear was already set up along key positions of the camp that wouldn't only record anything that would come from the surrounding forests, but also record any strange sights that should occur when nobody else was around to view it themselves.
(Jonathon's P.O.V.)
Now that it was confirmed that the entire area surrounding the downed helo was empty of life and any possible threats, I had the two men with me stationed on each side of the cockpit so that they could cover me as I began to wipe at the glass. Snow and small droplets of ice fell away to reveal the inside of the glass was just as frosted as the outside, and that was a problem as I wanted to know what was inside.
Reaching down and picking my rifle up from where it was resting on my chest, I brought it above my head, and brought the butt down on the glass canopy. Glass that was normally resilient to small arms fire shattered from the butt of my assault rifles butt due to it having sat outside in frigid temperatures for obviously a long time. The sound of shattering glass rang out and echoed back to me from the tree line, and I shifted my attention around just to make sure none of the local wildlife took too much notice.
When no animals or people emerged, I went back to uncovering the cockpit, and once I was done; my gut clenched tightly. All around the cockpit were red crystalline shards, and I knew what they were as I store at the preserved face of a deceased man. His uniform wasn't Russian, so it was safe to assume this was one of the rebel pilots that had defected from the Russian military.
His cause of death was obvious, and it showed how painful it must've been, and then to have frozen to death. A metal supporting pole must've come loose during his crash, and it had penetrated his back and was now protruding from his stomach at a thirty-five degree angle. I didn't need to be an expert, even though I already was, to know that alone prevented him from escaping as it held him down. If any of his allies had come by to try and save him, a fact I knew was false as his body was still here, he would've died from blood loss before they could severe the pole and patch him up.
Looking past him, I saw four other rebels had apparently died from similar causes, except instead of impalement, heavy cargo had flown around and killed them. One had a nasty gash over the side of his frozen head, another was leaning forward, and all I could see of the third was his legs sticking out from underneath a massive crate. What interested me though was the inscription on the crate. It was in Russian, but from my vantage point and my understanding of the language, I could clearly read the label of 'Plastic Explosives' along what must've been the top.
Those may come in use... we will need to come back later for that though. Jumping down from the cockpit and into the soft snow, I looked around as I brought my rifle up and scanned around, before I spoke with a volume I sure wouldn't pass my men, "We are returning to camp, but when we reach camp, I want you both to prep a Humvee with welding cutting equipment."
"Yes sir." Came both replies, and with a final glance at our surroundings, we were making our way back towards the trees. This time however I had us walk a route along the edge of the tree line to better assess the route that I planned to take the Humvee...
-Base Camp-
"Strange..." A scientist leaning over a computer muttered as he continued to go over all the data he was receiving from the sensors set up around the camp. Further off to the side of where he sat, a soldier sealed his canteen after a minor sip and looked over at the scientist with a weary look.
"Find something interesting sir?"
Without looking away from his computer, the scientist started to tap away at the keyboard as he spoke, "We have a powerful signal that should be able to penetrate the portals interference and give us an easy communication with those on the other side, but there is an ambient energy reading throughout the land that is acting as an interference as well..."
The soldier cocked an eyebrow, before shaking his head and resumed staring off into the distance between the vehicles in search of an enemy or possibly something of interest that he would be able to fully understand. As he did though, something caught his eye that made him grip his rifle a bit tighter, yet before he was fully in defensive mode, he made it out as the three man reconnaissance party that was led by Jonathon himself.
Getting to his feet, the soldier was about to leave and go greet his comrades, until the scientist quickly interrupted his plans to return to those that spoke true English. "No no, I need you to stay. I'm going to run a few tests that will require a soldiers touch..."
With a silent and annoyed sigh, the soldier sat back down as he said half-heartedly, "Yes sir." To himself though, he cursed his luck that he was one of the few that was a low enough rank to have to obey orders from the scientists that seemed to somehow outrank his Petty officer rank...
...
(Jonathon's P.O.V.)
Leaning over the paper that I had a trooper place on the table, I quickly drew basic scratch outlines as I debriefed the three squad leaders, "There is a downed and abandoned Russian attack helicopter here, and if the box that I had seen inside was correct, then there is possibly C4 inside the cargo area. Tomorrow I will be taking three men with me to receive the cargo, as it may prove to be in our benefit to collect those munitions for later on in the mission. Even if we don't use them, it would be better than risk the rebels coming back and possibly regaining that asset." Sliding the pencil over the paper and through a rough route where the Humvee would be going, I then switched my attention back to the base camp and gestured towards the forest, "I need five men from any of your squads to escort three scientists around the forest as they run tests. Keep alert and on the lookout for anything of interest."
"Permission to speak sir?" Looking up at the squad leader that spoke, I set the pencil down as I nodded towards him, and he continued, "Protocols for any inhabitants we may run into during the patrol route sir? Should we remain a detached position, attempt to make contact, or anything else of the sort?"
Looking towards the others, I saw all them looking towards me with that question in their eyes, before I said, "Protocols are worthless here soldier, there are too many variables that can affect a first contact, and that is if the rebels haven't ruined that for us yet. Still, if you run into any locals, observe, but don't attempt to make contact unless they approach with obvious intent. If they seem hostile, warnings shots, if that doesn't dissuade them, I will leave the call up to you to either withdraw or hold your ground; but remember to make a choice that won't have ill effects on your men or our overall operation here. We don't know what the locals are capable of, and we have no idea if they are human or otherwise different, but treat everything you and your men see with caution. We don't want to start a fight we can't handle."
They all nodded, and I looked around them to make sure that there were no further questions or concerns. When I was certain there was no more, I stood up and looked off into the distance, before looking back down at the map and doing some rough calculations, before speaking again, "The head scientist has informed me that we have full radio communications, but that is only between us, not back on the other side. So while you are out, have radios ready and on. Exercise dark comm's unless something of urgent importance or interest is to be found. Am I clear?"
Nods were my answer, and they all nodded. Nodding myself as I scratched a chart at the top corner of the paper that I had purposely left blank, I left the pencil on the paper as I said, "I know we don't exactly have proper commendations, but sleep rotations will be in effect until we know there is nothing we need to worry about for our safeties. A fire watch of six men will be in place for every six hours for two shifts. One man in a Humvee turret at all times with four walking the perimeter. The rest of the men will need to sleep in the BTR's or somewhere comfortable, but within the camp. I myself will be awake for first watch along with the original six men." Standing up fully, I nodded to the men, before I finished with a crisp, "That is all for now. I will be compiling a report to send back to command, so don't disturb me unless it is necessary."
The all nodded, before they looked amongst themselves. Before they began to talk about the arrangements I had left for them to figure out, I turned and made my way towards one of the scientists so that I could get a few more of my questions answered. As I walked though, the work lights snapped on, bathing the entire area in powerful light and I looked towards the forest on sheer instinct and froze. I couldn't make out what it was, but something with large orange eyes seemed to be staring back at me from the forest tree line, before it quickly disappeared. Turning around and quickly making my way back to the squad leaders.
Stopping at the table, I was instantly given their full attentions as I grabbed my rifle from where I had left it, before I said sternly, "Finishing that list should be quick. Up the count of men to eight... I'm going to go do some quick... reconnaissance."
"Jonathon, one of the motion sensors registers movement in the tree line."
Looking over at a scientist that was standing behind me with a worried look as he wrung his hands together, I nodded towards him as I said, "I know... it's probably just an animal, but I'm going to go check it out right now."
"Sir, do you want me to go with you?" I didn't bother to look at the squad leader as I started to walk away, but I did call back, "Negative, I will be fine..."