Well, it's back. I FINALLY finished chapter 3. I added a little bit more than I originally set to, so this actually makes this chapter one of the longest in the story. In terms of the machinima, I reckon it probably takes this chapter about 10 - 15 minutes in length if the chapter itself is anything to go by.

Anyway, hope you enjoy it. Chapter 4 should be up soon, since that's already done and dusted and just requires posting here.

Chapter 3: The Pillbox Stronghold

Static filled the Pillbox air, but other than that there was silence. It wasn't a comfortable silence though, as there was an air of tension so thick that you could cut it with a knife. The only thing that was piercing the silence and static however, was the occasional call from someone on the radio trying to get through to someone who didn't answer.

Footsteps gently echoed down the main corridor of the Pillbox. On either side of it were doorways leading into other rooms, and corridors that led outside. The footsteps made their way down the corridor, to far end where the leader of Cold Justice, Krait, was stood in front of crackling radio equipment. He had taken his beret off and looked flourished despite his neatly kept self.

A beautiful, young-looking woman stood in the radio-room doorway behind Krait. Wearing DPM combat trousers and army boots, her red bikini-top contrasted with the rest of her uniform. Anyone outside of Cold Justice would have thought that she was a joke, but her cold eyes set in the soft face told of her military personality. She watched Krait as he stared at the radio equipment – an expression of anxiety on his face.

"Is something wrong?"

Krait turned around and spotted her in the doorway.

"Huh? Oh, it's you Guilt. We've lost contact with that pyromaniac in the warehouse."
"Flare Commando?"
"Yes. There's been no word from him for the last hour."

The Guilt walked into the room and checked the transmission log.

"Have you sent someone to investigate?" She enquired, riffling through the papers.
"I sent out a platoon not to long ago to check up on him."

The Guilt looked up from the transmission logs and straight towards Krait, an expression of concern on her face.

"Well on a similar note, I've just come to inform you that one of the mountaintop guards found one of other others suspiciously asleep, as if he'd been drugged. They're also missing a rifle and some other equipment."

Krait looked at her thoughtfully, then turned away from the radio equipment for the first time in almost an hour. He looked up at the ceiling as if trying to find the answers that he was looking for and sighed heavily.

"I see. I fear that the Soviet government has acted quicker than we had anticipated."
"Should we move things ahead of schedule then?"

"No." Krait responded almost as soon as The Guilt had finished talking. "If we do, it would mean having to sacrifice some preparations. That is something that I am not willing to do. Get prepared just in case we do have intruders. It's always better to be safe, than sorry."

The Guilt nodded her head in compliance and moved towards the doorway to prepare herself as Krait had ordered.

"As you wish."

Just as she reached the doorway, Krait called out to her.

"One more thing." Said Krait.

The Guilt stopped and turned to face him.

"What is it?"
"Is the experiment ready?"

The Guilt hesitated, as if she knew that the question was coming, but feared answering it. She swallowed hard, clearing her throat.

"It's hard to tell. It looks and acts convincing enough, but I'm not sure if it will be able to keep up the charade for long. Besides, I don't think we've thought about all the variables to programme into it."

Krait nodded.

"Very well. Tell the men at HQ to get him ready anyway. I'll be moving the microfilm within the hour."
"Understood."

With that, The Guilt finally left Krait alone with the radios once again.

14:15 30th June, 1976

The breezes in the jungle were much cooler than those at the top of the cliffs. It was a nice reprieve for John who had faced a guy with a flamethrower not too long ago.

He was coming up to the Pillbox where the microfilm was supposedly being held. He had to get into a different mindset to infiltrate a bunker such as this. Upon reaching it he dropped down from the jungle foliage and lay down on a mound at the rear of the Pillbox.

The place was surprisingly quiet for somewhere that was holding something important. Using his binoculars he spotted two sentries on the outside – one was stood behind a wall, overlooking the jungle and the Pillbox, and the other was stood just outside a doorway. John suspected that more were inside. He wouldn't be able to inside without a uniform. He had to steal one.

Slowly, he made his way to the sentry overlooking the jungle. Stalking him, like a predator upon its prey each step as light and quiet. His MK-22 came up behind the sentry, who heard nothing and felt only a wave of dreariness come over him before he fell to the floor asleep.

John dragged his body to behind the boxes and began removing the sentry's clothes, and began slipping them onto himself. He stuffed his own clothing in to the pockets and webbing of his new uniform. It was a bit snug, but he wasn't going to be wearing it for long.

He walked over to the doorway that the other guard was stood in front and walked inside. The other guard clearly took no notice, as he seemed to be too busy sleeping. John walked down the corridor where another guard was stood. He marched right up to John and looked somewhat threatening.

"What do you think you're doing?" He demanded in Russian.

John froze, unsure of how he should tackle the situation.

"You're not supposed to leave your post until one of us relieves you!"

John decided to act on instinct. He punched the guy twice in the face and kicked him over. The sentry crumpled on to the ground, out cold. John dragged the unconscious man into a long corridor with lots of different doorways. He found a room nearby and hid him inside there, before making his way back into the corridor.

John checked all the rooms, but found nothing. He knew the microfilm had to be around here somewhere, but he couldn't see it at all. Even more suspicious was the fact that the three sentries he had knocked out seemed to be the only ones patrolling the area. It finally dawned on him that perhaps he was too late.

"Shit." He mumbled to himself. "I need to find out where it is."

He spotted another sentry come in through another exit and walk into a room at the end of the corridor. John followed him in. As soon as John entered the room, the sentry turned around to face him. John had already pulled out his M1911 and was aiming it directly at the guy's head.

"Freeze!" John whispered harshly. "Drop your weapon!"

The sentry stared at John, refusing the order stubbornly. John's grip tightened on the trigger, showing the guard that he meant business.

"Now!" He growled through clenched teeth.
"Alright!" The sentry realised his situation and dropped the AKM to the floor. "Don't pull the trigger."

John moved forward cautiously, eyes pinned on the sentry at all times. He quickly kicked the assault rifle to one side and stepped back to keep his distance from the sentry.

"Where's the microfilm?" John demanded.
"The what?"

The sentry was trying to play the fool, but it wasn't working on John. He knew that something had happened to it, and was going to get the answers he wanted. Psychological battles were necessary to obtain information.

"Look, I know it was here earlier smartass. If you don't tell me, I'll just get one of the other guys to tell me."

Realising that his options were quite limited, the sentry gave a look of disapproval of John before he answered.

"They moved the microfilm."
"Where to? When?"
"It was moved from this facility about two hours ago, to a small town nearby. No one lives there anymore, so we use it as a base of operations."
"How come nobody lives there?"
"Would you live there if it was war-torn and near a bunch of nuclear testing sites?"

John began feeling alarmed. If this was true, then it was possible that these terrorists had nuclear capabilities. He had to gleam as much information as possible from the guy.

"Are you telling me that there are nuclear weapons near your headquarters?"
"No. Not anymore. They abandoned the testing in the late sixties, but nobody has moved back into the area through fear of radiation. They had nothing to worry about though. The place is clean, and all of the nuclear weaponry was moved."

There was slight relief for John – he didn't need to worry about any sort of a nuclear attack. However, the microfilm was obviously still important enough for them to be guarding it at their base of operations and he had to get it back. John felt that time was of the essence now.

"Ok, turn around."

Hesitantly, the sentry obeyed John and faced the wall opposite. Expecting anything, the sentry stared at a single crack whilst all of his plans of escape swirled around in his head. He didn't have long to contemplate it though, as a dark cloud of fatigue descended over him.

John put away his MK-22 tranquilliser gun. Killing the guy wouldn't have helped his situation. At least now he's have some time to get some distance before the other sentries could get any information out of him. He knelt down against the wall and called his support.

"Zero, this is HOUND. Over."

The familiar voice of Major Braxton was his reply.

"HOUND this is Zero, have you found the microfilm?"
"Negative. According to one of the guards they moved it about two hours ago."
"Do you know where they moved it to?"
"Well the guy said that they moved it back to their base of operations which was set up in a nearby town. I didn't get a name though. Any idea Natalie?"

There was a slight pause before she answered.

"I've got it. Raikovnya. It's a small town about fifteen kilometres to the West of your location. It was near a testing area for nuclear weapons in the late sixties according to the information I have here, but I don't think that you have to worry about the radiation now, especially since Cold Justice are operating from there."

The next location had been verified. Braxton made it official an order.

"Ok then, you know what to do. Get there as soon as possible and retrieve the microfilm."
"Understood. Out."

John stepped out into the corridor and started to make his way outside. It was strangely quiet in the Pillbox, which made John slightly anxious. True, the microfilm had been moved from the area so there was no need to keep a heavy guard, but surely they must have left more than the four guards he'd seen. Perhaps they had all left when the microfilm was moved, and these guys were simply a distraction to give the impression that something was still here.

If that was the case, John realised that he needed to hurry. Time was ticking, and if the microfilm was as important as the briefing had suggested, then he had to find it fast.

Please R&R, since only one person has done so (thanks AngelaSky!), and I'm really looking for feedback on the story to see whether my machinima idea is really worth it (although it's in produciton anyway).