And here's chapter 8. With the story's more serious tone, I wanted the action to feel a lot more visceral and chaotic, though I'm going to try and keep it from going overboard. Anyways, ENJOY
Chapter 8:
Ptelvoisky trudged through the woods towards the gunfire alongside the other members of his squad. "Our other teams have called it in." The Major said. "Four US Navy SEALs. We have them pinned down some way down the mountain." Ptelvoisky nodded in acknowledgment, looking across to Nevski. He could tell the man was riddled with guilt. The way the younger soldier hung his head low, avoiding eye contact with anyone was one of many signs. It was obvious he felt responsible for the Americans getting so far undetected, and how many people they had killed.
"Hey." He said to him. "It's all right, we're going to get our own back on them." He said confidently. "There's only four of them; there's no way in hell that they can hold off against all of us." Nevski shrugged timidly. He had regained some of his colour from when he first burst into the Safehouse.
….
"So we have four SEALs in contact behind enemy lines?" General Garret asked, folding his arms. Turning to the man beside him, the officer spoke quietly. "Captain, I want you to lead the Quick Reaction Force. Prep your team and get off the ground ASAP." He ordered. Captain Morton responded with the traditional Yessir and walked out of the operations centre as Garret turned back to the others in the room. "Inform them that the QRF is getting ready to leave and will be there within the hour." The junior lieutenant shook his head. "I'm afraid we can't, sir. We've already tried contacting them and have had no response. Their radio may be damaged." Garret mumbled something in response, slumping down into a nearby chair, resting his head on a fist.
Son of a bitch.
...
Teams Alpha and Bravo were part of the 160th Special Operation Airborne Regiment, putting them under the nickname of Nightstalkers. They were already mostly geared up in preparation for an escort mission for new arrivals to the base arriving later in the afternoon. Private First-Class Cody Yates sat hunched over, quietly spinning a combat knife around between his fingers. He had learned the trick with a pencil in highschool and it had stuck with him ever since.
"Give it a rest, man…" Another member of the team spoke up after a while. "You're just showing off."
"Shut up, Joe." He replied and the man, Private 'Joe' McCawell, went quiet. "If it's annoying you, quit watching me and do something else." Going back to the knife, he twirled the blade a few more times when Captain Morton entered the armory. Instantly, Cody stopped and sheathed the blade, launching to his feet.
"Gentlemen, we've been re-tasked for a rescue op." The Captain explained. "Four SEALs are pinned down by Russian ground forces on the southern side of one of the eastern mountains. Our job is to lay down covering fire as we get them out of there." He looked around at the handful of men. "I want two teams, one in each chopper. We're off the ground in ten."
….
Cody jogged across the tarmac with his M4 slung as he, Captain Morton, Joe and another squadmate, Corporal 'Frag' Floyd, made their way towards one of the two helicopters. "I am ready to get it ON, man!" Frag whooped. "Bout time we get a combat op!" He was one of the more lively members of the team, being known for his eagerness to see action and overly-cocky attitude. Aside from the Captain, he had the longest service record out of the whole team with a few tours of duty in Afghanistan under his belt. As the teams' support gunner, he was beyond the definition of lethal. Joe and Frag butted heads as they approached the Black Hawk.
One of the vehicles pilots, Johnson, slid the side door open, welcoming the Nightstalkers aboard as the rotors slowly began to spin up. As the four men took their seats, Johnson shuffled back to the cockpit, sliding into his seat as his co-pilot worked the controls.
Meanwhile, Captain Morton watched the other helicopter with the other members of the team take off. "Alright, this is the plan." He spoke into the local comms. "Team One is to insert onto the mountain to extract the SEALs. Team Two lays down cover fire to keep the Russians off of our backs." He switched off the comms and looked to the pilots. "Johnson, Rumsfeld! Take her up!"
Its' rotors whirring faster, the Black Hawk lifted off of the ground, turning as it began to follow the path of its counterpart. It would be some time before they reached the mountains.
….
"Shit! I can't see outta my fuckin' eye, man!" Dwight cried out, rolling about behind cover as Lee rushed to his aid. "Medkit, NOW!" Lee barked to Tommy, who tossed him a small pouch as he reloaded his M4. Holding the stricken sniper down, Lee examined the injury. The bullet had hit just above his eye and cut through to his temple as it went through, leaving behind an ragged wound from which blood poured. Lee grimaced at the sight. Even with surgery, Dwight would be permanently blind in the left eye after this, and the scarring would be immeasurable. Wrapping a bandage around Dwight's head, Lee compressed the wound as much as he could to reduce the blood loss before giving him a shot of painkiller.
After a moment, Dwight was regaining some of his senses. "Where's my rifle?" He asked. Lee handed him the MK.12 and the SEAL went straight back to shooting. "Jesus, you're one tough motherfucker, Dwight. You know that?" Tommy asked, astonished "You took one to the goddam face!"
Charlie sat up, holding her hand against the wound in her shoulder as she looked at the radio pack. Several round had torn through it and it was now useless. She silently hoped that the QRF Team would arrive soon. They had to, otherwise all four of them would be overrun and die. Grabbing her carbine, she reloaded the launcher. Charlie had three grenades left for the M203 and a few mags for the M4. Firing one of the grenades at the approaching Russians, she took out a small cluster of them with the shot.
Lee reloaded his rifle as an enemy charged right at him. Fumbling with the magazine, he slammed it home just as the Russian leapt up onto the log. Putting a few rounds into his stomach, Lee rolled aside as the body slumped next to him. More Russian shouting as a second figure launched himself at the sniper. Butting him with his rifle, Lee dodged the bayonet attack and grabbed the man by the back of his collar, slamming his face into the log over and over before throwing him to the floor. Kicking his rifle back up into his hands, Lee quickly finished him off.
The situation was growing desperate as Tommy looked for a way out. While most of the Russians were coming from the centre, they had both right and left locked-down, leaving only behind as a way of escape. Except behind them was not more cover but a steep drop off of a jagged ledge. "What are we doing, Tommy?" Charlie asked him as she used up the last of her M203 Grenades. "We're gonna fall back." The Lieutenant replied. Charlie's face screwed up as she eyed the ledge. "You mean fall off!" She retorted. "Do you have any better suggestions!? Cos now's the time I'd like to hear them!" her brother roared back.
Charlie pumped herself up, "Dwight, Lee! Get over here!" She said as an uneasy feeling crept up her spine.
Dwight was still firing his rifle at the Russians, quickly kneecapping an older looking man among them. "Come and get me you mother fuckers!" He called out. "Dwight, come on! We have to go!" Lee yelled at him, dragging the sniper to his feet. The two left the cover of the log as they approached the ledge. It was at least a fifteen foot drop straight down. It would be almost impossible to climb down, made worse by the closing enemy meaning the team only had one option: jump.
"They're closing in!" Dwight shouted as he looked behind them. "Come on, we can do this!" Tommy said. "On three!"
"One." Lee swallowed hard as he readied himself.
"Two." Legs shaking, he bent his knees.
"Three!" Lee jumped.
For a split second, time itself seemed to stop as the snipers' feet left the ground. The world fell silent and for a moment, he felt completely weightless. Then gravity came hurtling back. Falling, Lee loosened his legs and anticipated the impact as the ground came closer and closer. He hit the ground hard and faceplaneted into the dirt. Still rocketing down the slope, he tumbled end over end as the world spun violently. He heard a crunch as Charlie disappeared behind him, slamming into a tree trunk. He saw glimpses of Dwight skid face first through some bushes before he himself collided with a large rock, stopping his fall at last.
Everything hurt. On aching hands, Lee lifted his face off of the ground, the world still spinning. Throwing his head down, he vomited. Emptying his stomach onto the ground, he looked about for the others. Dwight and Charlie weren't too far behind him, slowly getting to their feet, the latter clutching her side from where she hit the tree as she staggered towards the SEAL. Tommy had ended up further down the slope, coming to a stop entangled in some branches of a fallen tree.
"Everyone alright?" He heard the Lieutenant call out, coughing. Fan-fucking-tastic! Lee thought, forcing himself upright. There were voices at the top of the ledge. Russian voices. The SEALs had to get moving again. Fast.