Frontline News.
This chapter is rated PG-18.
At the same time, Gen. Abernathy is walking up to a porch in Columbus, Ohio; he knocks on the door and hears footsteps from inside. "Hello... Something happened to my son, didn't it." A man his age says to him.
"I'm afraid so, Mr. Weems." Gen. Abernathy admits, and the homeowner lets him in to have a seat.
"You won't need to beat around the bush if that's what your planning, General." Mr. Weems tells him before pointing to an old photo of a man in a Silent Drill uniform.
The General looked back to him. "Very well, Mr. Weems. I've been informed that your son was killed in action last night, but exactly how is classified..."
While that is going on; after "killing the Springfield penitentiary's warden and family", 2688 is tossing something on the floor while a woman with short blond hair is resting against him. "That... That's some initiation you regular's have." She says to him as both catch their breath when they hear the intercom. The "ritual" in question being how quickly after graduating Cobra's bootcamp a female underling ends up sleeping with one, or more, man from each branch.
"Cadet Demming, report to the..."/"...Springfield medical center..."/"...as soon as possible."
"Good thing we're already done here." She says while sitting up.
2688 nods. "Yeah, that gets old real fast." He adds as she puts her uniform back on.
"Don't go anywhere, stud; I'll be back for another injection." She said while walking out to the hallway.
In the Flagg's brig section, Alpine is washing his face when Torpedo and a random crewman show up. "Can i put in a request for better accommodations? This suite's too bland, and there's a problem with the T.V." Alpine asks them.
The crewman leans over to Torpedo. "Think he's been in there too long?"
"Nah, he knows." The Diver tells him.
"And that's the problem; I'd settle for one of Mutt's doodles at this point." Alpine added before asking what he missed. A few minutes later, the two join the other Joes in the galley. "I see what you mean." He told Torpedo when he found them still being affected by the mission's outcome.
In the assembly room of Joe H.Q., Col. Sharp is announcing their next move.
"Joes, i know you are all still deeply troubled by the blow we took last night, but Cobra won't sit on it's hands for us to recover from it, so we must get back on track." He says first. "There's a slim chance that they have Shipwreck and are doing everything they can to get Mullaney's formula out of him, so we need to move first. Stalker has managed to identify a Cobra platoon in an old German fort in central Cameroon; close enough to reconnoiter and far away enough not to seem like retaliation... but to ensure the latter we will unfortunately need to wait a day and a half." He says next, then turns to Stalker and motions to the audience once they stop their shouts of irritation. "Take your pick."
Stalker nods and chooses Recondo, Tripwire, Footloose, Tollbooth, Rock & Roll, Crankcase, Thunder, and Lift-Ticket, who points to himself.
"You, uh... you sure you want to pick me so soon?" The letter asked while glancing around, only to smirk and grind a fist against a palm before Stalker could reply. "Heh, just messing with ya; let's go mash up some snake-breath!" He added, and he and the other 7 were walking out toward the shooting range as Deep Six secretly observed.
After all the practice and the flight over the Atlantic, Stalker's team and some Green-shirts exit the transport planes alongside the 2 Sluggers, 2 V.A.M.P.s, a Bridgelayer, and a R.A.M. cycle they're taking.
"That's all of 'em; how long till we move?" Crankcase asks.
"Not quite, there's still one more piece of equipment for this." Stalker tells him.
"One more? Like what?" Thunder asks, and the team leader points over Recondo's shoulder.
"Like that." He says, and they all look to see a light-brown and green helicopter with two 5-bladed main rotors a dozen yards away from them.
"A flying tater-tot?" Footloose asks while they head towards it.
"If you must know, it's called the Tomahawk." A man wearing a tan and green uniform, a black beret, and with a radio on his back says. "And I'm Cpl. Morelli; Gen. Abernathy sent it and me to break into Cobra's systems in the likely case that the enemy troops won't talk."
Stalker's team turn to him to complain about having to babysit some dweeb from the puzzle palace, but back down when Morelli mentions that both The General and Beachhead are listening. "Let that be a lesson to all ya, ya cocky little shits. We're gonna go over the plan again before we move out." Stalker says, and lays out a map on the ground. "Thunder, you and Tollbooth man the Sluggers a mile back... Crankcase, you take the R.A.M. and lead any vehicles they may have to where the Sluggers can knock them out, got it?"
"Will do."/"Right, Stalker." They reply, and he continues.
"Footloose, Rock 'n Roll; you two take the V.A.M.P.s and wipe out whatever's left while Tripwire, Morelli, Recondo, and i break in to find any intel. Once that's done, we just wait for Lift-Ticket; understood? Then let's get this show on the road; Yo, Joe!"
"Yo, Joe!"
The group makes it's way to their vehicles, but unaware they're being watched. "Capt. Moore, Rockmover was right. They just got on the road." A random M.P. says into a mini-radio in his collar.
Two miles from the target, the Bridgelayer is extending it's gear while Footloose goes on about comicbook heroes. "-having your superpower be living flame is the worst ever; any sprinkler system would get in the way."
Green-shirt Beck rolls his eyes, causing him to see movement on the right. "Aw shit, take cover!" He yells after 4 strange looking vehicles with three wheels and two double-barrel guns burst out from some fake hills. "What the hell are those!"
"Someone ratted us out!" Tripwire yells as he and Footloose jump behind one of the Sluggers as both start shooting back with the .30 cals.
"I can see that!" Stalker yells back as a pair of Green-shirts start one of the V.A.M.P.s, only for it to be blown up. "Fuck; Morelli, call Lift-Ticket right now! We need air cover!"
"Sure, we figured this'd happen; so there's a couple birds that have been following us." Morelli tells him, and gets a hand-set out. "Dial-Tone to Bravo Tango, execute Plan B!"
"...What the hell's goi-" Stalker asks himself before being interrupted by the sight of one of the Cobra vehicles being struck by a rain of bullets from somewhere above, the source soon revealing itself to be one of the forward swept-wing jets Airborne "introduced" them to. After a second jet hits a second three wheeler, the remaining two bid a retreat.
While the other Joes celebrated the sudden save, Stalker pulled Morelli up by the arm and shoved him against the remaining Slugger. "Not to be an ingrate, but i want some goddamn answers and i want 'em now; who the hell are you?!"
Chapter twenty-seven.
