Author's note: Scottusa1, thank you for the reviews. Glad you are enjoying it so far!
Chapter 8
Baikonur Cosmodrome,
Southern Kazakhstan.
GDI forward operating base
September 23rd, 2011
1100
A cool breeze managed to sneak its way into the tent, causing the sides to flap slightly. The inside smelled of freshly fertilized fields mixed with poor quality coffee. Mark Lancaster tried to not let the smell bother him, but it was an increasingly daunting task. It was his fault, he supposed, for setting up a forward base in some farmer's field. But it served as the most optimal place to prepare for what could be the most desperate battle of Mark's career.
His victory in the capital had been short lived, when General Granger reported that the mastermind behind the Beijing bombing was not only here in Kazakhstan, but was also preparing to launch a nuclear missile. Where he planned to strike, InOps could only guess, but it was clear that he needed to be stopped, and fast. It was because of this race against time, that Mark had decided to divide his army. The main bulk of his forces would attack the Cosmodrome head on, and make it seem like the main push. Meanwhile Mark would lead a smaller strike force and attack from the rear. This did however mean he had to trust someone else to lead his forces, and he had been forced to choose between either letting the still injured Major Wilson lead the main attack, or trust Lieutenant Sergio to lead the strike team. And while he had the utmost confidence in Sergio's capabilities, the fact that time was working against them prompted Mark to take command of the strike team himself.
Regardless, Mark found himself glued to his laptop, watching the battle unfold and wishing he could take command. But he had to trust his subordinates, and he knew the Major would do him proud. He watched as Raptors sped overhead the Nod defences, dropping bombs and flying off in the blink of an eye. More than a hundred Crusader tanks then slammed against the veritable wall of enemy forces, engaging with Nod Scorpions. Mark watched it all via satellite image, and one could be mistaken for thinking the two armies looked like waves crashing against each other. The reality of course, was men fighting and dying amid a hellscape of blood and fire and screaming. Despite what GDI propaganda said, war was not glorious, and to command men into battle was not easy but unfortunately necessary as war was ingrained into the human condition.
Mark forced himself to look away from the battle. For as ferocious as the fighting was, it was the smaller battle that would be remembered as the defining moment in history. He turned to regard the rest of the tent, stretching his aching muscles as he did. Around him, officers were busy working at terminals or talking with field units. There were only a handful in the tent, helping coordinate the task force. The bulk of Mark's command staff was with Major Wilson in the main GDI base.
The entrance to the tent opened and Sergio walked in, a scowl on his face as he came up to Mark. He gave a brisk salute before Mark quickly waved him to ease up.
"Thankfully the enemy doesn't seem to have noticed us yet. But unfortunately there is a sizable force defending the train yard." Sergio reported.
"How sizable? This was supposed to be a lightly used supply line?"
Mark's plan had hinged on using a secondary, smaller train line that ran through the rear of the Cosmodrome, cutting through a tiny village. InOps had determined that Nod's forces were focused in the Cosmodrome itself and the train was lightly used. He planned to use the train to infiltrate his task force to the rocket yard, and destroy the nuclear missile.
"At least a full brigade. A lot of equipment has been brought in and looks like its waiting to be transported by rail." Sergio finished.
Mark cursed out loud. His task force was much smaller than a full Nod brigade. He couldn't afford to be bogged down in a long fight. General Juhziz could launch his missile at any time. He needed to get close to the missile in order to deploy an ion cannon beacon. The Ion Cannon was GDI's space based super weapon, and had only been used once before, to end the Tiberium War. The decision to use it had been a drastic one, and one Granger had been adamant to inform him had cost quite a bit of effort. But with the fate of millions hanging in the balance, Mark would use whatever he could.
Of course nothing could be simple. Because the Ion Cannon wasn't in geosynchronous orbit over the Cosmodrome, it didn't have line of sight on the target and thus, Mark needed to plant a beacon inside the Nod base in order for the satellite to obtain a lock.
"We will just have to push through them. That train is our only ticket into the rocket yard."
Mark began to think of how best to use his forces against a numerically superior force. History quite frequently proved that larger numbers did not always guarantee victory.
Mark moved to a small table to consult a map of the area. Several village buildings cradled the river and a small scattering of hills, creating a choke point. No doubt Nod troops would occupy these buildings and wait for them. A path led through an abandoned mine, discarded after the Soviets had closed the entire facility. No doubt the enemy would expect an attack from there as well.
Sergio also stepped over to study the map, and Mark stopped to study him in return, having already formulated a plan.
"What do you suggest we do sir?" Sergio asked.
"Normally I would give you the opportunity to derive a solution yourself. We do not have that luxury today. We split the task force, half through the village, half through the mine. You lead the team to flank around the enemy, I'll lead the men in the front."
Sergio nodded his head as he continued looking at the map, committing it to memory. Mark moved to the rear end of the tent, where he retrieved his M8 rifle, as well as plenty of spare ammo. Most GDI battle-commanders would stay in the back to command their armies, but Mark had always preferred to be on the front whenever possible. It was risky, but it inspired his men to fight harder, and he would never ask those under his command to do something he himself would not do.
"Are we ready to begin sir?" Sergio had an expectant look in his eyes. He was ready for a fight.
"Get everyone ready. We move in ten minutes."
Sergio saluted then exited the tent. Mark issued a few orders to his officers then exited the tent himself. He stood outside and surveyed his troops: all the brave men and women who had been handpicked for this operation due to their courageous willingness to charge to their deaths in order to stop a madman. And it would take courage for they would be going in light: aside from three X-0 powersuits and a couple of M113 APCs for fire support, they would have no armor and no air support, only their wits and their skill.
He took another deep breath, then made his way towards a smaller tent nearby that housed the squad of GDI Rangers tasked to be his personal bodyguards. He pushed his worry and doubt deep down: all that was left to do now was win. He would crush these terrorists and bring their leader to justice. Mark was the man who killed Kane after all; the Demon, as he had heard himself he be called. Nothing would stand in his way, because as General Granger had bluntly put it: the fate of the free world hung in the balance.
… … …
Robert McCoy stared out a window on the second floor of the farm house, looking down the road towards the village. Behind the farm house, the GDI force was camped in a wheat field, something the irate farmer was still going on about despite their arrival hours ago. McCoy gritted his teeth as he clenched and unclenched his fists, as King argued loudly with the farmer.
Unable to take the noise, McCoy got up and hastily made his way outside, passing by Reed as he cleaned his sidearm at the kitchen table. Once outside, he started taking deep breaths to try and calm himself, holding the air in his lungs for a moment before exhaling. He did this for a few minutes before he finally felt the shaking go away.
"Someone's coming up to the house, Sarge."
McCoy nearly jumped as he turned to see West standing a few feet away. He hadn't seen the young man standing there earlier.
"How long have you been there for?" McCoy asked when his heart stopped trying to burst from his chest.
"Half hour. On guard duty." West didn't look at him when he spoke.
"Oh. Right."
McCoy turned to watch the newcomer approach. He was still a ways off, but McCoy could tell it was an officer. McCoy then shot West a look, but the kid still refused to look at him. Things had been tense with the squad since Rodriguez's death, and McCoy's melt down. He still cursed himself for that. He just wanted his squad, his family, to be back to normal.
"I've put in a request to be transferred to another unit." West suddenly said.
"What! Why?" McCoy felt panic and anger flash through him, before settling on sadness.
"I did it awhile back! Before we got deployed here to Kazakhstan. I…I just didn't know how to tell you. You've been so nice to me Sarge I…I requested to be transferred to the 22nd, where my brothers are. That's all." West looked down at his feet sheepishly.
McCoy felt all the emotions drain away and relief flood through him. He was sad to hear West would leave, but glad it wouldn't be because of what happened.
"You could have told me Tony. I completely understand your decision; makes me wonder why you never got deployed with them before. I just…I'm just glad it's not because of me."
"Of course not! You're the best squad leader I could have ever hoped for. I know you've got, uh, issues. But that's no concern for me. Or even the others."
"Really? I thought everyone was bent out of shape about it."
"You kidding? We totally thought the Lieutenant deserved it, and more. We're just tense."
"About?"
"Nod launching a nuke at our homes."
McCoy felt like an idiot for sulking about the last few days, thinking his own men would turn against him. He was relieved, but also felt guilty that he hadn't been helping his men with their worries. He had failed in his duties as a squad leader, as a friend.
"Thank you Tony. I'd hate to see you go."
"I sort of regret my decision. But I'm not going back on it, I want to see my brothers."
"Good on you. And don't worry about a thing. We'll march up there and take that nuke, and send it down to Hell where Kane can shove it up his ass!"
West finally turned to face McCoy, a smile on his face now. The sight made McCoy feel better as well: no matter what demons ate away at him, he had a responsibility to his men. Any further conversation ended as the newcomer arrived, it wasn't an officer like McCoy had thought, but a sergeant. One who spent most of his time around officers though, based on the way he carried himself.
"I'm looking for Sergeant Robert McCoy, 5th Platoon, Alpha Company." The sergeant said in a formal manner.
"I'm Sergeant McCoy."
"Sergeant I'm here to inform you that you and your squad are being reassigned from Alpha Company. You are to report to Lieutenant Davis over at Charlie."
"Can I ask why?"
"Orders come down from the Commander himself. He says in light of your…relationship with Lieutenant Andreas, that it would be best to separate you two."
"Ah, I see. Understood Sergeant, thank you."
The Sergeant nodded then turned on his heels and walked away. McCoy watched him walk down the gravel road for a moment before heading back inside, West right behind him. He found Reed and King sitting at the kitchen table, the farmer having given up his argument and left. Both men looked up at him as he entered.
"What's up Sarge?" Reed asked as he finished putting his pistol back together.
"We are being reassigned to Charlie Company. We are to report to Lieutenant Davis ASAP."
Both men looked to each other before shrugging and standing up. The four men proceeded to grab their gear and leave the farm house, the farmer gaining a second wind and shouted at their backs. They made their way towards the small cluster of tents, searching for Charlie Company, passing by other squads as they waited for the order to move out.
Eventually they found the tent of Lieutenant Davis. He was a dark skinned man, well-toned but not muscular. He wore a pair of wire thin reading glasses and was in the process of writing something when McCoy approached him. He gave a salute and waited for the Lieutenant to notice him. Davis quickly finished writing something on the stack of papers in front of him before standing up and returning the salute.
"Sergeant Robert McCoy reporting as ordered sir. My squad is with me as well." McCoy said as professionally as he could.
Davis looked him up and down, as he clasped his hands behind his back and gave a deep frown.
"I heard about what happened with Lieutenant Andreas. Tell me Sergeant, are we going to have a similar problem?" Davis' voice was deep, and he spoke with a hint of concern.
"Depends sir, on if you're an asshole."
Reed and the others looked shocked that McCoy had just spoken that way to a superior officer. They looked even more shocked when Davis nearly doubled over laughing to the point a tears appeared in his eye.
"Good man! Wish I had been there to see you deck that arrogant bastard. Glad to have you here Rob."
The two men shook hands and shared a laugh, leaving McCoy's men trying to understand what was going on.
"You and you're boys will stick with me. Hang tight here, orders are bound to come down soon."
"Thank you sir." McCoy turned to address his men. "You heard the LT: hang tight, and Reed, stay out of trouble."
"Why do you just assume I'll get into trouble?" Reed asked.
"Because it's you we're talking about."
"Hey, I'm not the one who knocked out a superior officer."
Reed and McCoy stared each other down for a moment, before McCoy laughed and lightly punched Reed on the shoulder. The four men then found a seat next to another squad who were talking amongst themselves. The two groups began trading war stories or memories of home. It created a sense of calm, but McCoy could easily tell people were anxious. The waiting could sometimes be far worse than actual combat. He had drifted away from the conversation and had gotten lost in his own thoughts, so it took him a moment to realize that someone was talking to him.
"Sorry what was that?"
"I was just wondering about what you did during the war. Never heard you talk about it before."
The question had come from West, innocent curiosity gleaming in his eyes. Reed and King shot a quick look to McCoy before focusing on the ground.
"Uh Tony, that's not a good question to ask the Sarge." Reed said, voice barely above a whisper.
"No it's alright. He's earned the right to know." McCoy took a deep breath, feeling his hands already beginning to shake, but he pushed himself to speak anyways. "I was nineteen when the war started. Just a dumb young kid, looking to find his way in the world. I signed up with the U.S. Army, but got transferred with everyone else to serve with GDI. Anyways my first deployment was with Commander Lancaster to Estonia. It was my first time being deployed and because of that, I was scared shitless, so scared to even know how to fire my gun."
West looked enraptured by the story, the soldiers from the other squad had also leaned in to hear McCoy's tale. He smiled briefly at his eager audience, then resumed.
"So I meet this big guy, named Steve Gale. Me and him stick together for the rest of the war, I'm glad I met him, saved my ass more than a few times. So we fight our way through Europe, all the while the world slowly goes to shit. The world gets split in two, either you're with GDI, or with Nod, but while we were busy killing each other, Tiberium spread out like a cancer. Bloody pointless war, lost a lot of good friends. Some of the things Nod used, it…it was stuff you wouldn't believe Tony."
"Like what?"
"Laser weapons, weaponized Tiberium. Stuff of nightmares."
"Lasers? Really? Like out of Star Wars or something." West started to laugh but stopped when McCoy shot him a look of pure anger.
"This wasn't some sci-fi bullshit kid! You didn't see people be burned alive! Or have their limbs melt away! You didn't see it, you didn't…you didn't smell it."
Everyone fell silent at that. McCoy gripped his right hand, as it was shaking uncontrollably. West opened and closed his mouth a few times before he finally spoke.
"I'm sorry Sergeant. I didn't mean to offend you."
"It's okay kid. You didn't know. I just hope we never have to fight another war like that again."
McCoy looked up at the others as they nodded their heads in agreement. But he could see their moods had soured, even more so then before. McCoy pushed down on his own emotions and stood up, gaining confused looks from then others.
"We aren't going to let another war like that happen. That's why we're here, why we keep fighting. Because even though the Brotherhood claims to fight for the betterment of mankind, all they do is bring death and destruction. We will stop the Brotherhood! Right?"
"Right!" Everyone shouted in unison.
"I said right!"
"RIGHT!"
McCoy smiled as a new vigor coursed through him and those around him. They would stop Nod and whoever claimed to lead it, no matter what. In all the years he had been fighting against the Brotherhood, with all the different squad members he had served with, he was never more proud then of these men. He just wished that despite their new motivation, that his bloody hands would stop shaking.
As McCoy had been giving his pep talk, soldiers had starting running around the camp. McCoy's men and the other squad all got to their feet, anxiety giving way to excitement. Lieutenant Davis came jogging by and spotted them.
"Mount up people, let's go!"
McCoy and the others jogged after him, quickly grabbing their gear. They eventually fell in with the rest of the task force as they all ran towards the front of the camp, where the vehicles were waiting. Commander Lancaster was already standing by the lead Humvee, surrounded by his Ranger bodyguard. McCoy also spotted Lieutenant Andreas, who shot him a quick look of disgust before pretending not to notice him. McCoy ignored him and stood behind Davis, the entire task force having gathered and ready to roll out.
"Listen up people!" Lancaster started. "We are going to be splitting the task force into two teams, One and Two. Team One, which I will be personally leading, will push up through the village into the train station. Team Two, led by Lieutenant Andreas, will take the APCs and go around the enemy defences. Our objective: take the train, use it to infiltrate the rocket yard, and activate the Ion Cannon. The rest of the army has just broken through the outer defences, so now is our chance. Load up people!"
Everyone quickly piled into their assigned vehicles, moving with discipline and barely contained energy. McCoy and his men followed Davis into a waiting Humvee, cramming into the back while Davis sat up front with the driver. King took the gun as usual, and McCoy did more breathing exercises to calm his nerves. He looked out the window to see the Commander climb into the lead Humvee; apparently he wanted to be the first into the fight. McCoy had always respected that man, having lead him through countless battles and always coming out victorious. He just hoped that the Commander could do that again here.
The three X-0 powersuits at the vanguard of the task force moved forward. Their heavy mechanical feet left deep footprints in the muddy dirt road that led from the farmhouse to the village. Slowly the vehicles of Team Two, comprised of three Humvees and the two APCs, followed behind. Last to leave the camp were the remaining five Humvees that contained the soldiers of Team One. They rolled down the road and passed underneath a large train bridge that connected two mountains over the small valley which contained the village. McCoy moved to get a better view out the front window, and spotted two houses that marked the edge of the village.
"Team Two you have green light. Proceed with caution." Lancaster said over the radio.
"Copy that sir."
The three Humvees broke off from the small convoy and took the dirt road towards the mine. They simply drove through the rusted chain link fence and moved out of view, with the APCs close behind. Team One then continued on its way into the village, the X-0s passing the first few buildings.
"Keep your eyes peeled and your trigger fingers ready. Eyes on the street and the rooftops."
The order came from the lead X-0, and McCoy decided to relay the same order to King. McCoy became very tense as soon as they drove onto the paved road that led through the village. Each and every window now became a possible sniper's nest, and every alley a potential place for an ambush. The others inside the Humvee likewise looked tense, West more so then anyone.
The three powersuits moved down the street, their footsteps sounding like cannons in the silence. It was when they reached the first intersection that all hell broke loose. Sniper and small arms fire bounced off the powersuits and Humvees' light armour, coming from a dozen different directions. Confused chatter exploded over the radio as people frantically tried to find the source of the incoming bullets, while the Commander yelled for people to calm down.
It all seemed to stretch on for hours, but in reality it was only a few minutes. The X-0s began to fire back, spraying wide arcs across the buildings in a blind attempt to hit something. Entire sections of wall were blown apart, leaving gaping holes in the buildings. McCoy could see figures running across those holes now, and they wore the unmistakable black and red uniforms of Nod soldiers.
"King! Don't wait for the order, just pick a target and shoot!" McCoy bellowed.
King replied by opening fire with the heavy machine gun, tearing apart a small corner side café that housed a heavy weapons team. The Humvees had come to a stop in the intersection, ripping into the buildings as the X-0s shifted their focus onto squads of Nod troops emerging from alleyways. Their bullets did little to nothing against the armoured vehicles, and the powersuits cut down the enemy like a scythe through wheat. For a moment, McCoy thought they would blow through this ambush and claim the train station with little effort. Those thoughts were dashed when an RPG streaked down from a rooftop and destroyed one of the X-0s.
More rockets rained down from the roofs, narrowly missing the Humvees. The vehicles quickly scattered down the streets in different directions in a mad bid to avoid being hit. King was still firing as their Humvee raced down a street heading toward the river. McCoy could just barely see him hit Nod soldiers on the roofs.
"Team One regroup at the next intersection! We need to push through!"
Lancaster's call cut through the panicked confusion, and Lieutenant Davis quickly ordered the driver to turn in the right direction. They bounded up a one way street, before cutting across a main road that connected to the second intersection. The two X-0s had already pushed their way forward, though one was badly dented and scorched, while the other was missing half of its canopy. They continued to fire at targets on the roof, though the amount of RPG fire had already slackened. McCoy's Humvee rolled out to meet them, just as the other four did.
Things grew eerily quiet as the shooting stopped, and the only sound now was King swiveling the gun around, looking for a target. The small convoy waited for something to happen, unwilling to move. Davis was speaking with the Commander over the radio, but McCoy paid it no mind, as he heard a faint noise growing louder. Someone else spotted it first as a bone chilling shout erupted from the radio.
"Scorpion tank!"
Before anyone could even react, the aforementioned tank came around a corner. It fired at one of the X-0s, obliterating it, and showering its partner with flaming pieces of metal. The Humvees opened fire with their heavy machine guns, but it was a wasted effort.
"Everyone out! Take cover in the buildings! Drivers, get out of here once everyone is clear!"
No one waited for Davis or McCoy to repeat the Commander's order. They all piled out of the Humvee and bolted for the closest building. McCoy quickly kicked the door in and did a sweep of the room. It was a halfway decent looking bar with wooden fixtures and cheap furniture. The rest of the squad made their way inside before taking positions around the windows. McCoy was about to ask Davis what to do, when six more GDI soldiers barged into the bar, including Commander Lancaster himself.
Outside the Humvees began to speed back towards the base, knowing they'd be useless against the tank. The third X-0 likewise tried to limp back to safety, but was too slow and collapsed to the street in a disjointed heap of metal. The Scorpion then rolled down the street, seemingly to give chase to the Humvees. It rolled passed the bar that McCoy and the others had taken refuge in. It hadn't rolled more than two feet away before Commander Lancaster began barking orders.
"We need anti-tank weapons. Anyone in this squad equipped?" He directed his question to Davis.
"Yes sir. Private Reed, take the AT-4 and head outside. We'll cover you." Davis ordered.
"My Rangers will give support from here." Lancaster added.
"Yes sirs!"
Reed quickly removed the AT-4 launcher from his back. McCoy and West moved back outside, behind the Scorpion tank, and scanned for any foot targets. Reed came running out to the middle of the road, where he then crouched down and took aim.
"Rocket!" Reed yelled.
He fired the missile and it raced down the street, slamming into the exposed backside. The missile exploded, tearing open the tank's rear and causing it to grind to a halt. Reed discarded the weapon, as another soldier armed with a rocket launcher came jogging up the road. At first it seemed like Reed's missile had no effect, and the Scorpion's turret slowly rotated to face them. But mere moments later, a second explosion from within destroyed the vehicle, and sent burning debris through nearby windows. McCoy patted Reed on the shoulder, but they both whirled around as men began shouting out in warning.
McCoy turned around to see a heavily armoured tractor moving up the street the Scorpion had come from. One quick look at the vehicle told McCoy that it was bad news. One of the GDI soldiers armed with another AT-4 kneeled down to take aim at the vehicle, but the weapon dropped at the same time his body did, a hole through his forehead.
"Sniper! Take cover!"
Soldiers scrambled back inside as sniper fire rained down from the rooftops above. McCoy and his men retreated back into the same building as before, narrowly missing sniper rifle rounds as they impacted in the street. McCoy moved to the window, careful to keep low to avoid being spotted by the snipers. He noticed the tractor continued to move closer to them. It stopped in front of one of the buildings that the GDI soldiers were hiding inside. Bullets bounced off the armour as the men inside the building tried desperately to fight back. The tractor then sprayed a torrent of green liquid into the building, literally melting the front wall, and the men inside. McCoy's hands began to shake again as the tortured screams rang out across the street, even Lancaster seemed horrified by the sight.
"Sir, we can't stay here. We need to move." One of the Rangers urged.
Lancaster stared at the tractor as it moved to the next building. The men inside knew what was coming and ran back into the street, where they were then cut down by sniper fire.
"We need to destroy that thing! Private, do you have any rockets left?" Lancaster asked.
"Negative sir!" Reed replied, nervously eyeing the approaching tractor.
Lancaster cursed, then turned to look back outside. His eyes resting on the fallen soldier who still clutched the rocket launcher. McCoy could already tell what the Commander had planned, so he pre-emptively readied a smoke grenade. Sure enough, the Commander turned to face his men and said.
"Sergeants McCoy and Tanner. I need you to provide suppressive and keep those snipers pinned down. Private Reed, go grab that rocket launcher, I'll cover you."
Everyone nodded their heads, then readied to run back outside. By this point, the tractor was nearly on their position, other GDI squads had retreated farther down the street. It was better to risk being killed by sniper fire, then to die an agonizing death by the toxic spray. Just as another squad managed to make it to safety, Lancaster gave the order, and McCoy's squad and the Rangers surged out into the street.
McCoy tossed the smoke grenade, then immediately opened fire at the top floor of the closest building to them. Others fired randomly at open windows or balconies, hoping to at least keep the Nod snipers down. Reed bolted for the AT-4 and quickly took aim. The smoke screen was already blowing away, just as the tractor rolled towards them, its turret aimed directly at them. McCoy fought down the urge to run and kept shooting at random, just as Reed shouted.
"Fuck you Tib' head!"
The rocket shot out and exploded against the front windshield. The tractor exploded in a brilliant fireball, that was quickly consumed by black-green smoke. The GDI troops backpedaled away from the toxic fumes, careful not to inhale them. The street grew quiet, the Nod snipers having either been killed or they had ran off.
GDI troops regrouped on the street, watching the green flames as Lancaster called for the Humvees to circle back to them.
"Lieutenant Andreas, what's your situation?"
"We had to fight our way through the mine. Light resistance; it was just a token force sir. We have a visual on the train station now, just awaiting your orders."
Lancaster nodded to himself before noticing that McCoy was standing close by, staring at the burning tractor like everyone else.
"How you holding up Sergeant?" Lancaster asked in a paternal tone.
"Good to go sir." McCoy replied a bit too mechanically.
Commander Lancaster just nodded again and turned as the Humvees moved up the street. They drove in a single file line, having to move around the ruined Scorpion tank.
"Alright people, let's mount up!" Lancaster shouted.
Everyone began to pile back into the Humvees, which were now scorched and dented.
"King, get back on the gun." McCoy ordered.
"Copy that."
McCoy and his squad got inside their original vehicle, with Davis still sitting in the front. The convoy again made its way through the village, passing the destroyed Tiberium Tractor, and away from the combat zone. The buildings began to grow further apart, before abruptly coming to an end. A large train yard now sprawled out in front of them, crisscrossed by a dozen rails. Warehouses and factories were tucked away by the river, and the main road led towards the large train station, before continuing on to the rest of the village beyond.
Two Stinger sites defended the yard, along with three Scorpion tanks and twice as many Attack Buggies. McCoy could also see Nod infantry defending the station, or working on securing equipment to waiting train cars. The Humvees stopped just out of range of the Nod forces, and McCoy could hear the Commander's voice over the radio.
"Team One is in position. Team Two, be ready to attack on my signal."
"Copy that, Team Two ready."
"Okay everyone, our main objective is to secure the train station. EVA reports that the resupply train is due to arrive in ten to twenty minutes. Let's make this quick."
McCoy took a deep breath as he exchanged a look with Reed and West. He had made a vow to himself that he would get all of his men home, no matter what. He already failed Rodriguez, he would not fail anyone else.
"Major Wilson, what's your status?"
"We've taken control over an auxiliary command post sir. Enemy is putting up one hell of a fight. We still have to push through the main compound before we can even get close to the control building." Major Wilson's voice sounded strained; clearly he was under a lot of pressure commanding the entire army.
"Copy that. We are about to assault the train station. Just make sure you divert as much attention to yourself as you can."
"Understood, but sir, we have a problem. A countdown just popped up on screen here. Nod's going to launch the nuke in less than sixty minutes."
McCoy's heart dropped, and cold fear flowed through him. They knew it was only a matter of time, but now that there was a countdown, it made it all the more real. There was silence over the radio for a moment, and McCoy became painfully aware of every second that ticked by. Finally the Commander responded.
"Major Wilson, I need an immediate air strike on my position. Target is enemy armour." Lancaster's voice was calm, no hint of panic.
"But sir. Won't that be giving you away?"
"You said it yourself Major. We're out of time."
"Copy that Commander. Raptor strike inbound. ETA two mikes."
"Okay everyone. You heard the news, we are on the clock now. Which means we need to work faster. As soon as those Raptors take out the armour, we rush in."
McCoy took deep breaths to calm his beating heart, and noticed the others likewise trying to distract themselves. West was checking over his rifle, while Reed tapped his foot to some kind of rhythm, and even King nervously drummed his fingers on the roof of the vehicle. McCoy kept his gaze forward on the Nod defences. They had clearly taken note of the GDI force, but seemed content on waiting for them to make the first move.
The Nod troops wouldn't have to wait for long however, as two GDI Raptors came flying low over the river, in an attempt to avoid Nod SAM sites. The two Raptors quickly flew over the train yard, firing self-guided missiles that quickly sought out their prey. The three Scorpion tanks defending the entrance were destroyed in an instant, along with most of the Nod soldiers defending the station.
Before the smoke could even clear, Lancaster gave the order to attack. The Humvees surged forward, and the gunners opened up on the disoriented enemy. The two Stinger sites were ripped apart as high calibre rounds tore through the camouflage netting and sandbags. Nod soldiers inside were likewise cut down before they could resist. King let out a viscous laugh as he fired the machine gun in long bursts. McCoy looked out the window to see the other Humvees and the APCs of Team Two had entered the fray.
McCoy's Humvee pushed through the smoke and into the train yard. The driver had to swerve to avoid hitting a Buggy that had survived the air strike. It turned its heavy machine gun on them, but King was faster and tore through the light armoured vehicle. The GDI force sped towards the station, blowing past the remaining Nod soldiers. They were almost at the station when several Attack Bikes came racing towards them from the warehouses. King turned to fire at them, destroying two, but not before one managed to fire a missile. The driver tried to avoid it, but the missile impacted against the underside of the driver's side, almost flipping the vehicle over. It crashed down hard and skidded for a few feet before stopping, tossing everyone around violently.
McCoy shook his head clear and noticed that the driver had been killed, but everyone else seemed fine. He tapped on King's legs, as the man was still firing the heavy gun. McCoy then kicked open the door and motioned for everyone to get out.
"We need to find cover! Come on people, move it!"
McCoy and Reed took up defensive positions as the others climbed out. Lieutenant Davis clutched at a cut on his head as he stumbled out. McCoy scanned their surroundings. Things were in chaos: burning vehicles were strewn about the train yard, and GDI troops were engaged in a desperate firefight with Nod forces inside the station. More Nod forces were making their way up from the warehouses by the river, while the GDI APCs had deployed their occupants.
McCoy couldn't see where the Commander was, but the GDI forces were pushing hard for the station, while the Humvees were engaged with the few remaining Nod vehicles.
McCoy spotted a squad of Nod troops in cover behind a train car carrying a SS-25 Sickle ICBM launcher, clearly trying to flank friendly forces.
"Lieutenant, hostile targets. By the launcher."
Davis looked around for a moment before he spotted what McCoy was pointing out.
"I see them Sergeant."
"Sir, suggest we neutralize them and use that position for cover."
"Agreed. Move it, go!"
The squad dashed across the train yard, leaping over train tracks. So far they hadn't been noticed by any Nod forces, but that changed in an instant. They were nearly upon the squad of Nod soldiers when an Attack Bike rounded a corner and came hurtling towards them. West, Reed, and King all snapped up their rifles and fired on the bike, but most of their shots missed as the vehicle swerved and maneuvered to avoid them. McCoy took aim with his own rifle, and tracked the Bike as it did its maneuvers. He fired a single, extended burst and managed to shatter the thin canopy protecting the driver. The Bike then fell to its side and skidded well past them, crashing farther off.
The brief firefight had attracted the attention of the squad they were trying to outflank, causing them to turn and fire on McCoy and his men. They ran for cover behind more train cars loaded with Rocket Buggies and their ammunition. It was obvious that the Brotherhood had been planning on fortifying the Cosmodrome, perhaps even planning on making it their new capitol.
McCoy reached cover and immediately turned to fire back against the Nod troops. His bullets missed, but he did drive a soldier back into hiding. The others began to trade fire with the enemy, bullets bouncing off the metal train car or off the ICBM launcher. McCoy fired another burst, but again failed to hit any target. He took a moment to survey the rest of the battle while he reloaded, and saw that the GDI forces were locked in a stalemate with the Nod defenders.
McCoy returned his attention to the fight at hand. West and Reed were laying down a wall of suppressive fire, while King attempted to fire more accurate and precise bursts. They managed to kill and wound two Nod soldiers, but were forced back into cover from the hailstorm of return fire. Lieutenant Davis was preoccupied yelling into his radio, so McCoy decided to climb onto the train car to try and gain an advantage.
He climbed over and around the Rocket Buggies that were tied down to the car, and carefully avoided the racks containing ammunition. From his new vantage point, he could see the remaining four Nod soldiers huddle behind the train car: they were cut off from the station and any remaining reinforcements from the warehouses. McCoy smiled as he loaded a grenade into his underslung launcher. He fired, and watched as the grenade arced towards the enemy. The explosion sent men flying into the air, and caused the train car carrying the ICBM launcher to rock slightly. Seeing their cue, McCoy's men rushed forward and took positions where the Nod troops once stood. Reed fired two bullets, killing the two wounded men who survived the grenade. McCoy hopped down and joined Davis as he walked over.
"We're taking too long here. We don't have much time." Davis said distractedly.
"It will take a long time to fully secure the station, sir." McCoy added.
"Agreed, but we don't need the station. Just need the train."
McCoy and Davis joined with the others and they all stared out across the train yard. The GDI APCs had moved to form a barrier for the troops to use as cover as they continued to battle it out with the Nod defenders. The vehicle battle had ended with Nod Buggies and Bikes scattered across the train yard, and only a handful of Humvees left functional. At the rate they were going, it would take too long to secure the station. The Brotherhood would fire the nuclear missile by then, and millions of civilians would die.
"We need to regroup with the Commander." Davis said.
McCoy nodded his head in agreement, and they all jogged over to the GDI forces in cover behind the APCs. The sound of bullets pinging off the transports armour was deafening, forcing people to shout just to be heard. Davis ran over to Lancaster and was practically yelling in his ear but despite that, McCoy could barely hear him, even though he was just a few feet away.
"Sir how are we going to take the station?" Davis asked.
"I haven't figured that out yet Lieutenant. I'm all open to suggestions."
The race against time was clearly taking its toll on the Commander, as his tone had grown far more agitated.
"Can we call in another Raptor strike?"
"Negative. We can't risk damaging the tracks. But that does give me an idea."
Lancaster turned to face Lieutenant Andreas, who was crouched nearby.
"Sergio, take your grenadiers and neutralize those shooters. Davis, take everyone else and cover them."
"Yes sir!" Davis and Sergio said in unison.
Davis rallied the GDI soldiers around him, as Sergio readied the two squads of grenadiers. McCoy took a deep breath and exchanged a look with each of his men. Then the Commander gave the order and the GDI troops surged out from behind the APCs. McCoy immediately began firing at the train station, not bothering to find a target. Nod troops were in every single window, and had set up sandbag barricades around the front entrance. Several GDI soldiers fell in the initial push, but the others quickly gained the upper hand.
McCoy ducked down behind a forklift sitting in the open, and his men crowded in with him. He peeked around the forklift and spotted a Nod soldier manning a mounted machine gun in a barricade near the front. He was guarded by three other Nod troops and they were keeping the GDI grenadiers from getting a clear shot.
"West, Reed suppressive fire! King, take out that gunner!"
They all nodded, then McCoy stepped out from cover and fired a concentrated burst at the enemy. The bullets ripped at the barricade but nothing else. The Nod troops turned and fired at him, narrowly missing him as he ducked back into cover. West and Reed then opened fire and together managed to kill one of the enemy soldiers. King had used the distraction to aim his rifle, and fired a three round burst, killing the man operating the machine gun.
One of the other Nod soldiers attempted to take control of the gun, but King just fired another burst, killing him. The final soldier manning the barricade attempted to flee towards friendly lines, but was cut down by Reed before he could get too far. With the Nod defences now beginning to break, the GDI grenadiers moved into position. Eight men armed with grenade launchers began lobbying grenades into the train station. High explosive grenades ripped apart walls and blew apart barricades, while incendiary rounds were launched into the upper floors, causing fires to quickly spread and forced the Nod soldiers to flee.
The grenadiers fired a third volley of grenades just as the Commander called for them to cease fire. The eerie quiet that followed the end of a battle descended on the train yard, broken only by the roaring fires that now ate away at the station. McCoy let his shoulders sag, feeling the exhaustion from the day creep up on him. He led his squad back towards the APCs, where the Commander was now issuing out new orders.
"Thirty minutes. That's how long until the nuke launches. We need to work fast. Lieutenant Davis, take a squad and get the wounded loaded onto the transports, get them back to camp. Everyone else, as soon as that train pulls in, we hop on. Understood? Good."
McCoy and his men found somewhere to sit for a moment and rest. They watched as Davis loaded the wounded GDI soldiers onto the APCs, and then watched as they drove back through the village. The others had gathered their weapons and supplies and were now simply waiting, anxious of every minute that passed by.
By the time they heard the train horn in the distance, the clock had run down to just under twenty minutes. The GDI soldiers tensed up as they readied themselves to storm the train. The train appeared around the bend and began to slow down. It was a single engine that pulled five cargo cars behind it, as well as a single flatbed car carrying another SS-25 Sickle. As the train slowed down to a crawl, Lancaster's Rangers leaped onto the lead engine car, and forced their way into the driver's cabin. Lieutenant Andreas then gave the order for the others to storm the cargo cars, only to find them empty save for crates of ammunition and other supplies.
McCoy hopped back out in time to see the Rangers pulling two train conductors out of the cabin. Judging by their frightened looks, they were just civilians, not Nod soldiers. The Commander exchanged some rapid and terse words with the conductors, before they got back inside the cabin. The Commander then hopped into the lead cargo car and shouted,
"Mount up! Mount up! We are oscar mike!"
McCoy got back inside his own cargo car, and was soon joined by several other squads, including one of the grenadier squads. It took less than five minutes to get what was left of the task force and their gear loaded onto the train. Then it slowly lurched forward before gaining speed. McCoy stood by the open door and watched the ruined train yard turn into a winding mountain pass as the train made its way up into the mountain itself, plunging the car into darkness.
The darkness abruptly ended for a moment as they left the mountain tunnel and wound up on the train bridge. McCoy glanced down to see the GDI camp far below, only to have his line of sight blocked as they entered another dark tunnel. He tightened his grip on his rifle, and took a deep shuttering breath. Getting his men through this, getting them home, that was all that mattered now.
The train emerged from the second tunnel, and after taking a moment to adjust his eyes, McCoy could see they had arrived in the Cosmodrome's Rocket yard. The two missile scaffoldings were now in view, as was the nuclear missile.
The train stopped by a small platform where large cargo containers were strewn about, and Nod soldiers were busy loading and offloading cargo trucks. Several of them turned to face the newly arrived train, confused as to why it was so early. Those confused looks were replaced with terror, as the GDI troops opened fire on the unsuspecting men. They were cut down before they could raise their weapons, and one of the grenadiers lobbed a grenade into a cargo truck, destroying the vehicle and sending burning crates raining across the platform.
The GDI troops jumped off the train and rushed to secure the platform. Between them and the launch site was a large field, and it was defended by Stinger sites and an entire battalion of Nod infantry and vehicles.
"Push forward! We need to deploy the beacon! Push forward!" Lancaster shouted his orders as he and his Rangers took the lead.
McCoy and his men were close behind, moving quickly with their weapons shouldered. The Nod forces responded and moved to meet the GDI task force, infantry rushing ahead of Attack Buggies. There was little cover in the field, save for a few sparsely scattered rocks, and the uneven terrain itself. McCoy and his men took cover behind a small hill, laying prone as they opened fire on the approaching enemy. They fired in tight, controlled bursts, and each man killed or wounded a Nod soldier with each burst.
Commander Lancaster and his Rangers were still far ahead of the rest. He and his Rangers were in cover behind a large pile of loose rocks and other debris. The GDI Rangers cut down the enemy like a sharpened blade to grass. The Nod forces suffered heavy losses from the initial push, but it wasn't long before their numbers began to take a toll on the GDI troops. Several squads were decimated as they were overrun, and the rest of the task force would have been as well had GDI rocket troops not expended their ammunition to deter the Nod Buggies which had tried to circle around them.
McCoy could tell that they would not be able to push through, at least not in time to stop the missile from launching. He reloaded his rifle and kept shooting at the enemy, but they just kept coming like a wave. More GDI soldiers fell, and soon the screams of wounded and dying men grew louder than the sounds of gunfire.
McCoy sighted a squad of Nod soldiers trying to cover three men wearing green hazmat suits and red helmets. McCoy instantly recognized them as Nod Chemical troopers, and remembered the horrible effects their Tiberium sprayers had on humans.
"Target those Chem troopers!"
McCoy didn't wait for any acknowledgement from his men. Instead he took aim at one and fired a burst. One of the other soldiers however got in the way, going down in a spray of blood as the bullets tore through his upper chest. McCoy cursed and fired another burst. This one hit the Chem trooper in the leg, sending him crashing to the ground, clutching at his ruined leg. The others Nod soldiers began to fire back, their bullets ripping out chunks of earth from the hill. West and Reed both concentrated on the enemy squad, but King focused down on the other two Chem troopers.
One of his bursts missed the trooper himself, but must have hit something vital on the sprayer, as it exploded in a cloud of metal and green sludge. One of the regular Nod riflemen began to thrash about violently as some of the Tiberium got on him, and quickly ate through his flesh. McCoy fired a burst that put the man out of his misery. The final Chem trooper was killed by West, his bullets shattering the protective helmet.
McCoy took a moment to reload again and see how the rest of the battle was going. His heart dropped when he saw how many GDI soldiers had fallen, and the fact they had yet to claim any ground; in fact, they were losing it.
Lancaster and his Rangers had fallen back from the front, and McCoy could see they had taken cover with Lieutenant Andreas. More Nod troops were advancing towards them, along with more Buggies. McCoy knew they were running out of time, but all he could do now was focus on his breathing and taking down any Nod soldier that came into his sights.
"Fall back! All units fall back! Retreat to the platform."
McCoy could feel his blood go cold upon hearing the Commander's order. He sprung to his feet and yelled for the others to run, firing three extended bursts before he too turned and ran. The GDI force ran as fast as they could back to the platform and the relative safety the cargo containers could provide.
The Nod forces were pushing harder now, seeing victory was within their grasp. McCoy could see smoke coming out from the launch pit as the missile was getting ready to launch. McCoy began to feel himself getting overwhelmed: bullets were pinging off the container, men were screaming as they died, Lancaster was yelling for support that wouldn't come in time, and McCoy's men themselves were looking scared and desperate. It all caused his hands to shake, and his breathing to be short and frantic. They were going to fail. The nuke would launch, millions would die, and McCoy wouldn't be able to get his men home, nor would he be able to see Steve or his family.
"The Commander is down! Medic! I need a medic! The Commander has been hit!"
McCoy snapped up to see the squad of Rangers lying dead on the ground and Commander Lancaster writhing in pain. Three full squads rushed up to cover him as Lieutenant Andreas shouted for a medic. It was hard to see from where he was, but McCoy could see the Commander's leg was a twisted mess of blood and bone. He searched for what could have taken out Lancaster's elite bodyguard, only to fight down a scream of terror. A Scorpion tank slowly lumbered towards them, ahead of even more Nod troops. It fired another shell that exploded against a container, killing the men behind it.
"Everyone retreat! Get behind the train." Lieutenant Andreas' voice was filled with fear.
McCoy again covered his men as they ran back towards the train. He fired sporadic bursts at the advancing enemy, but couldn't take his eyes away from the tank.
"Sarge come on!"
Reed ran back to him and grabbed him by the shoulder. They both ran towards the train, jumping over the connectors between the cars and taking cover behind the train with what was left of the task force. McCoy spotted Andreas with a team of combat medics, frantically working on Commander Lancaster's ruined leg. Men were firing random bursts back towards the enemy, but most stared towards the Commander, unsure of what to do.
"Sarge?"
McCoy turned to see Reed and the others looking at him with concern. He turned away, unable to face them knowing he failed. His eyes fell on a large metal object, about the size of an American football; it was the Ion Cannon beacon.
A strange sense of serenity suddenly passed over McCoy. His breathing slowed before evening out, and his hands abruptly stopped shaking. Time seemed to slow as men fought and died around him, and without thinking, McCoy ran and grabbed the beacon that was lying next to Lieutenant Andreas.
McCoy took a deep breath, before dashing out from behind the train and towards the enemy. He sprinted as fast as he could, ignoring everything except the launch site directly in front of him. At first, Nod soldiers seemed to ignore him. Or maybe they were too dumbstruck to respond. But it wasn't long before bullets started whizzing passed him, and McCoy could hear the crack of near-misses fill his ears, and he could feel the heat as bullets grazed his body.
But none of that mattered. All that mattered was the beacon in his hands, and the launch pad that rose out from the ground in front of him. He was close. So close.
Ten meters.
Eight meters.
Five meters.
White hot pain abruptly erupted from his right shoulder as a bullet finally found its way home, causing him to stumble. Clods of dirt were thrown into the air as bullets chewed up the ground around him, but McCoy ignored the pain, ignored the fear. All that mattered was that beacon. All that mattered was that launch pad.
Come on!
Almost… there…
CRACK!
A gasp of pain slipped through his gritted teeth as a burst of bullets suddenly smashed into his left leg, tearing it to shreds. McCoy tried to stay on his feet, he really did, but with the bone shattered into a thousand pieces, it just wasn't physically possible. McCoy was sent tumbling to the ground where he was just barely able to keep his hold on the beacon as he hit the ground.
He was so close.
So close.
Just a bit further…
The sound of his ragged breathing filled his ears as he started to claw his way forward across the ground, dragging his dead leg behind him, but then a pair of hands grabbed him and flipped him over, and McCoy suddenly found himself face to face with the business end of a Nod rifle. He could see the Nod trooper raise his rifle and start to take up the slack on his trigger, and McCoy suddenly knew this was the end.
But not for him.
With the last bit of his strength, McCoy grabbed the barrel and jerked it to the side. As the rifle went off right by his head, he lifted the beacon and hurtled in the direction of the launch pad. Immediately, he felt his body get perforated with bullets, but at that point, it no longer mattered.
As the beacon flew through the air and disappear from his sightline, a cold sense of serenity filled his mind.
High above him, in the bright blue day sky, a star had formed and was growing brighter. Robert McCoy smiled and closed his eyes, and let the darkness take him.
… … …
Mark Lancaster thrashed around on the ground, letting out tortured moans of pain as medics worked on his leg. Sergio Andreas knew that there was no hope of saving it. The tank shell had killed all of Mark's Rangers and ripped apart his leg. It was nothing short of a miracle that the leg was all he would lose. Sergio looked up to see the GDI soldiers fighting against the encroaching enemy troops. Many looked afraid and he couldn't blame them. They were out of time. Any second now the missile would fire and there would be no stopping it. They had failed.
"Ion cannon beacon activated. Target locked. Ion cannon moving into position. Firing in T-minus thirty seconds."
Sergio stared down at Mark's tacpad in confusion. The EVA unit had just reported that the beacon was active, but that was impossible because the beacon was right beside him…
He looked down to find the beacon missing, and he frantically looked around until he noticed the GDI soldiers were shouting and pointing at something. Sergio stood up and looked around the train car to find a lone GDI soldier running towards the enemy before collapsing to the ground, a small metal object flying away from him as he fell: the Ion Cannon beacon.
The beacon failed to reach the missile, but landed close enough that the blast would still be able to vaporize the warhead. Sergio wanted to cheer, had he not realized a moment later that they were at risk of being vaporized themselves.
"EVERYONE GET DOWN! INCOMING! I REPEAT, INCOMING!"
Sergio placed his back against one of the train wheels, pressing himself as low as he could. The medics huddle together over Mark's body as other GDI soldiers tried to get into cover. Sergio could hear one soldier crying out a name, McCoy, but all sound disappeared. All Sergio could hear was a ringing white noise in his ear as the world seemed to stand still for an eternity.
A sound like a thousand people screaming assaulted his ears just as a wave of heat washed passed the train and over the GDI soldiers. It was so intense that he felt he would burst into flames. The train cars rocked violently as the force of the Ion cannon blast hit them. It felt like it would last forever, as the force and heat kept washing over them. Then it ended and silence fell over the Rocket yard.
Sergio stood up and looked around the train car. Laying before him was a blackened field of scorched earth and glass. Beyond that all that remained of the launch site was a half melted launch scaffolding, with the missile nowhere to be found. Of the Nod forces, there was no trace.
Sergio stepped out from behind the car, and found the other side was scorched from the heat, with small fires licking away at the train cars. Sergio Andreas looked around at the devastation, awestruck at the destructive force GDI could unleash. He couldn't believe his eyes. Somehow, despite all odds, they had won.
The world was safe once more.
For now…
… … …
Epilogue
Washington D.C
U.S.A
May 17th, 2012
1400
"…Global Defence Initiative Peacekeepers have been deployed to the Canadian-American border, to aid with the ongoing refugee crisis. Tens of thousands of people continue to flee into Canada, leaving the Midwestern States currently infected with Tiberium. GDI Director-General Joseph Liang has stated the Initiative's continued efforts is to ensure the crisis is resolved peacefully.
In other news, the search for the man responsible for the 2001 Beijing bombing continues. GDI Commander in chief General Granger had assured the public that the Nod terrorist known as Rhodall Juhziz no longer poses any threat, following the GDI victory in Kazakhstan. The famous Battle-Commander Mark Lancaster saved the world from a nuclear attack during-"
Mark pulled the earbuds out of his ear, cutting off the news report. He stumbled over to a park bench and all but collapsed into it. He then hastily retrieved his water bottle and greedily gulped down its contents, not caring that most dripped down his chin.
The weather was hot today, and he had been pushing himself extra hard today with his routine run. He massaged his leg where it connected with his prosthetic, the skin red and raw from the run. The doctors had advised him to take it easy and rest, but he would be damned if he stayed in bed. He kept up a physical routine, to try and keep busy in his early and forced retirement. GDI had wanted to promote him to a general, but he didn't want some desk job. So he was honourably discharged and given a dozen different medals and honours.
Mark leaned back and tried to calm his racing heart. He didn't deserve any of those honours, they belonged to Robert McCoy, who had given his life to save his fellow soldiers. Writing the letters to McCoy's family and friends had not been an easy thing to do, and it was a burden of command he did not enjoy. It was one of the last things he did before his discharge. Sergio had offered to do it, but Mark felt it was his duty.
Sergio Andreas had been promoted to Battle-Commander and had even taken command of Mark's army unit. The young man would do a good job, and with the help of Colonel Wilson, the army would be in good hands.
Mark leaned forward and rubbed his leg again, barely remembering the tank blast that cost him his limb. He was getting ready to finish his run through the park when he heard a woman yelling. It was his only warning before a blob of gold leaped up and attacked him, assaulting him with a wet and slobbery tongue. Mark couldn't resist the attack and burst out laughing as the golden retriever finally relented. Mark patted the friendly dog as its owner ran over.
"Oh my God I'm so sorry! Bad girl!"
The woman appeared to be in her late thirties, was in great physical shape with blonde hair and green eyes, and large…maternal attributes. The dog whimpered slightly and retreated to her side, as Mark wiped off the slobber from his face.
"It's okay, she is very friendly." Mark said.
"A little too friendly. She didn't hurt you did she? Your leg I mean."
The woman tried to be respectful and not look. But failed as she glanced down at it.
"No I'm okay, thank you. I'm Mark by the way." He held out his hand which she took.
"I know. I recognize you from the news. I'm Emily."
The two exchanged a longing look with each other, and for a moment the world seemed to melt away. All the troubles, all the fighting and sickness, gone for a brief moment.
"Would you like to have lunch with me?" Mark asked suddenly.
"Sure, that sounds nice. When?" Emily replied with a knowing smile.
"Right now."
Emily laughed, a sound that made Mark's heart skip a beat.
"Bossy aren't you? Used to ordering around soldiers huh? Okay sure, lunch right now. If you can catch me."
Without warning Emily ran off down the park trail, her dog in tow. Mark just stared at her for a moment, before laughing and giving chase.
Maybe retirement wouldn't be so bad after all.
… … …
Alexandria
Egypt
May 20th, 2012
1745
The smell of fish was overpowering, and it made Hassan want to vomit. He was standing in the middle of a warehouse near the docks of Alexandria. In front of him was a crate of salted fish with a map pinned to its top. The map displayed a small chain of islands off of Cyprus, home to a GDI naval base. Hunched over the map was the haggard and beaten figure of General Juhziz. The man looked ten years older after his narrow escape from the Cosmodrome.
The defeat had cost the Brotherhood dearly, not just in manpower and equipment, which were both valuable, but in unity. The Brotherhood was close to unifying under Juhziz's banner, but with his failure, it fractured once more into dozens of petty warlords and splinter factions.
"We can infiltrate a small force here, on this island. From there they can make their way through to the other islands and work their way towards the base. I'm thinking Jarmen Kell can lead this force. We can try to deploy heavier forces to the larger island here. Destroying this base and all the ships docked there will cripple the GDI Navy's presence in the Mediterranean. This will work Hassan." Juhziz had gone from confident to pleading.
Hassan noticed a dark figure in the corner of his eye. He quickly looked away and back to the map, studying the General's latest plan doomed to fail.
"Are you even listening to me?"
"No sir."
Juhziz sighed deeply then looked at Hassan with desperate eyes, like that of a man about to lose everything.
"Please Hassan, do not lose faith in me. This will work, I promise you."
"Of course."
"Good. Now as I was saying-"
The dark figured leaped from the shadows and grabbed Juhziz, slamming him into the crate and pulling his arms behind him. A second figure emerged and handcuffed Juhziz, then pulled him roughly to his feet. Both men wore non-descript black armour and masks that covered their faces. More dark clad soldiers emerged from behind stacks of crates, armed with silenced weapons.
Juhziz struggled against his captors before looking up to see Hassan, completely unmolested by the soldiers
"Hassan help me! Help…wait, no. No not you. You traitor! You heretic! How could you do this to me!"
Hassan didn't reply, he just watched as the soldiers gagged Juhziz and placed a black bag over his head. They dragged the former Nod general away, deeper into the warehouse and out of sight, his screams fading away. Soon Hassan was left alone for a moment, before another dark clad soldier emerged from the shadows. This one removed his mask to reveal the dark skinned face of Commander Solomon.
"Good work Hassan. You delivered on your promise and handed him right to us." Solomon said smugly as he rolled up the map.
"I upheld my end of the bargain Solomon. You will do the same?" Hassan tried to sound in control. He could only hope it worked.
"Of course. You keep your house in order, and GDI will stay out of your affairs. We have other things to worry about then Nod splinter groups."
"Very good. What will happen to him?" Hassan nudged his head in the direction Juhziz had disappeared.
"He will answer for his crimes. After InOps is done with him." Solomon turned to walk away, but stopped and turned back to face Hassan. "We'll keep in touch."
"I thought you said our business was done?"
Solomon didn't reply, instead he walked off into the darkness. Hassan was alone once more, before Jarmen Kell emerged from his hiding place, his signature scowl on his face as he glared at Solomon's retreating form.
"I could kill him right now you know." Kell said, deadpanned.
"No, I may have use of him yet. I have other targets for you to deal with."
"As you say."
The two men stood in silence for a while, waiting for the GDI black ops team to leave. For the first time in a while, Hassan no longer felt doubt: he knew this was the right choice.
The Brotherhood of Nod would live on.
… … …
Unknown Location
May 21st, 2012
2000
Grand Confessor Julius hurried down the long, dark metal hallway, passing by strange pulsating tubes and wires set into the walls. The only illumination coming from faint lights set in the high ceiling. His black robes fluttered behind him as he walked at a brisk pace, eager to get his business done with.
He eventually reached the end of the long hallway, at a massive door marked with the insignia of the Black Hand: a raised fist clutching the globe. A single Black Hand soldier stood guard, and he bowed in respect towards Julius.
"Grand Confessor." He said in a deep voice.
"Brother Higgs." Julius replied breathlessly.
Higgs entered a complex series of codes into a keypad, and the door slowly slid open, revealing a darkened room beyond. Julius left Higgs at his post and kept up his brisk pace down the next hallway. This one grew more cramped, as the tubes and wires and pipes extended further out from the wall.
He finally reached his destination, a large room filled with massive computer cores and coolant systems. The room was damp and muggy, and hummed with a thousand different sounds mixed together. Julius stood in the center of the room and waited, somewhat impatiently. He knew this man, this thing… loved his theatrics.
Several moments later, a blue humanlike head appeared before him, suspended in the air so it looked down upon him. CABAL sneered indignantly, as if his time was being wasted. Why the Messiah would create such an arrogant and prideful machine was beyond Julius' understanding.
"You have something to report?" CABAL's voice was deep and masculine, but distinctly mechanical.
"Juhziz has been captured. The Brotherhood has once more fractured into half a dozen splinter cells. The Black Hand must respond; we must reassert unity."
CABAL seemed to think to himself for a moment before saying, "No. The Black Hand is not ready, we must remain in the shadows. There is however someone else we may use. Hassan."
"Hassan? He…yes, I suppose he could do. He's smart at least."
"Indeed. Go, aid Hassan. The Brotherhood of Nod needs time to heal."
"As you say. Kane lives in death."
Julius bowed then made a hasty retreat from CABAL, eager to be away from the damned machine.
Once he had left the room, CABAL smiled to himself. Plans were in motion, and soon the Brotherhood would emerge once more.
Kane lived in death, indeed.
… … …
Author's note: And that, ladies and gentlemen, concludes the short story Project Genesis: Operation Final Justice. Thank you everyone for reading and I hope you enjoyed.
This was a fun side project to bring the Generals and Tiberium universes together. I always felt that Generals would serve well as a bridge between Tiberian Dawn and Tiberian Sun.
A huge thank you to Ian Otter for editing several chapter.
And thank you to Augustrad for reviewing and offering insight.
Check out their awesome stories!
So up next will be Project Genesis Part 2: Sun. And I am excited to work on novelizing Tiberian Sun.
Until next time.
Kane lives in death!