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GI JOE Season 3: episode 2
"Invincible Shield"
Chapter 4
Vietnam – April 10, 1975
In the early morning hours, a Huey came up silently over the tree line of the black sky. The men of K Company rappelled off the chopper and immediately took cover in the tall grass. The chopper flew off, and the men fanned out, staying low to the ground as they penetrated the dense jungle. Once inside the safety of the trees, they advanced their position using a cross-cover formation.
Duke was impressed with the speed and efficiency with which the team moved. Rock n' Roll took point, and Preacher brought up the rear to cover their tracks. No longer the brash grunts he met yesterday, they seemed to operate as one mind. Individual personalities where replaced by a group collective that communicated via hand-speak; not once did they break silence.
By sunrise, he reckoned they had covered over six clicks. They settled in an open area of the forest littered with decaying logs. Beyond the edge of the tree line was a small ridge that was buffered by a marsh. He stayed hidden in the bush since the area had not yet been secured. The forest was deathly still—not even a breeze to sway the leaves.
The sweat dripping down Duke's face was thinning out his insect repellent. The quiet backdrop of the forest made the mosquitoes buzzing around his ear sound like 747's landing in his head. A bead of sweat dripped down from his forehead and landed in his eye—causing it to involuntarily snap shut from the sting. He wanted to move, but he resisted the temptation—detection could mean a death sentence out here. He scanned his surroundings with his good eye.
After a few minutes, Snake-Eyes stepped out of the bush and gave the all clear. The rest of the team stepped into the open. Duke took notice when Snake-Eyes signaled silently to Stalker, who then sprinted ahead out of sight. The rest of the unit sat down and took out their C-rations. Duke crouched next to Snake-Eyes and wiped his face.
"What kind of hand-speak is that you guys are bandying about?" Duke whispered.
"Standard Army signals mixed with good old-fashioned American Sign Language," Snake-Eyes said. "We pride ourselves on silence. It's saved our bacon more times than I can count."
"That's unorthodoxed... And all of your men just happened to know ASL?"
"No, but we had a good teacher." He then nodded in Preacher's direction.
"Ah, the linguist."
Breakfast was eaten in silence. By the time everyone was finished and packed, Stalker sprinted back into camp. He started to sign to Snake-Eyes, but the sergeant stopped him.
"Verbal reports for the benefit of our FNG," Snake-Eyes said.
Duke snorted.
"All's clear up ahead. But there's a village less that a click over the ridge," Stalker said.
Snake-Eyes arched an eyebrow. "So what?"
"It's been razed."
"Why would Charlie waste a village?" Zap said.
"Sympathizers?" Rock n' Roll offered.
Zap shook his head. "That doesn't make any sense, given we're under a cease-fire. They've won, and we're pulling out."
Preacher grinned. "And, yet, here we are behind enemy lines."
"This is different, gringo."
"Why?"
"We can debate politics later," Snake-Eyes said, interrupting. "We need to get moving-"
"Wait a minute," Duke said. "It might not be a coincidence that we have a razed village on the way to Destro's meet-n-greet. I recommend we at least check it out."
Snake-Eyes looked to his right hand for an assessment.
Stalker did not disappoint. "No threat of detection: whoever did this is long gone. I agree with Duke, the tracks lead in the same direction that we're heading in. It's worth a closer look, if anything for a tactical assessment."
Snake-Eyes shrugged. "All right. It's your dime, Duke. Let's move out."
With Stalker now on point, the team made it to the village. They split up and inserted themselves at opposite ends to meet up in the middle of the square. Most of the huts were destroyed; amid the smoldering buildings lay the decaying bodies of the inhabitants. There was nothing left alive—not even the livestock.
Duke placed his boonie over his mouth and nose in order to filter the smell of burnt, rotting despair. He tried in vain not to breathe as he swatted at the flies who buzzed around angrily, caught up in the frenzy of the pestilence. He struggled to keep his attention focused on the task at hand, but humanity makes some things impossible to ignore. Pasty red mud caked his boots as he walked by corpse after corpse. Shell casings littered the ground. Not even the children were given quarter. His heart sank at the sight of the mangled appendage of an infant as it stuck out from behind its mother, who tried in vain to shield it with her body.
"This was an execution," Rock n' Roll said. He gripped his M60 tighter.
"No," Stalker said. He took off his boonie and wiped the sweat from his brow. "Sanitization."
"No matter how many times you see it, you never get used to the children," Preacher said.
"This ain't right, amigos." Zap kissed the crucifix tied around his neck. "I got a bad feeling about this one—"
"Let's keep it together, ladies," Snake-Eyes said. "I want two three-man teams: standard search and clear. Keep your ears on."
The team split up and searched the rest of the village. Duke teamed up with Preacher and Snake-Eyes. As they made their way to the edge of the village, Duke noticed that the ground was no longer red and mushy, although there were still bodies scattered around. There was a scavenger hovering over a dead girl; it attempted to gnaw off a foot that defiantly held on by a thin string of sinew. Duke kicked it, and the animal scampered off.
Preacher separated in order to sweep a clutch of empty huts, while Duke and Snake-Eyes continued to investigate along the main path.
"AK-47," Snake-Eyes said, holding up a shell casing he found on the ground. "Consistent with Vietcong ordnance."
Duke's brow furrowed at how Snakes-Eyes systematically inspected each of the dead bodies they came across. "Something wrong?"
Snake-Eyes merely grunted in reply as he kneeled over one of the bodies to turn it over. "I've seen enough dead bodies to know that blood don't pool upward."
Duke grimaced. "You're talking about post-mortem lividity."
"Whoa, we got an Einstein here."
Duke curled his lip at the comment, but he shrugged it off. "Now that you mention it, the ground isn't right either."
"Come again?"
"In the middle of town, the ground is saturated with blood, turning it into red clay. There's also an over-abundance of shell casings. There should be more bodies over there to justify that amount of saturation and gunfire. Everywhere else, the ground is dry, even though the distribution of bodies around the entire village looks random."
"So, you're trying to say the bodies were killed in a central location, and then moved outward." Snake-Eyes pursed his lips while he drew the obvious conclusion. "This whole area has been staged."
"Inviting the question, for whose benefit?"
"The more I think about this mission, the more I realize that it stinks."
"CHARLIE!"
Duke and Snake-Eyes' ran in the direction of Preacher's voice. They came upon five men armed with machetes advancing upon Preacher. Preacher held his ground and signaled for Snake-Eyes to stay back. Snake-Eyes obeyed and lowered his rifle.
"What are you doing!" Duke questioned, aiming his weapon.
Snake-Eyes motioned for Duke to stand down. "No, let him handle it."
"But, it's one against five—with machetes!"
"Yep," Snake-Eyes responded calmly. He retrieved something from his pocket, rattling it in his hand. "He'll let us know if he needs help."
Preacher discarded his gear so as not to be weighed down as he danced around, moving constantly, never allowing himself to become surrounded. When two of his attackers rushed him, he sidestepped and ducked certain death. He rolled past the next two attackers and engaged the last who he perceived to be the youngest and least experienced.
Grabbing the youth's sword-arm, he twisted behind him and used him as a shield against the other four. All the while he talked to them in a calm tone. After a tense exchange in Vietnamese, he released the boy. The attackers lowered their weapons just as the rest of the team arrived. Cooler heads prevailed, and Preacher retrieved his gear.
Snake-Eyes approached and handed his linguist a canteen. "What was that all about?"
"Apparently, this isn't the only village that's been attacked," Preacher replied after taking a swig. "According to our... welcoming party, everyone in the outlying hamlet is living in terror. These guys are part of an informal militia from a neighboring village that came to bury the dead."
"What can they tell us about the attackers?" Snake-Eyes said, simultaneously beckoning Stalker to bring the map.
"It's hard to say; I'm still working through translating our tête-à-tête."
"What's the problem? They were speaking Vietnamese, weren't they?"
"Yes, but it seems to be a blending of Northern and Central dialects, and some of their pronunciations appear to be borrowed from Muong... It's fascinating..."
As Preacher droned on, Snake-Eyes' thumb an index finger pinched the ridge of his brow to stave off the headache he felt coming on. At the end of his patience, he cut his subordinate off. "Give me the short version, please."
So rebuked, Preacher averted his eyes. "Sorry, boss. If I understood them correctly, the attackers were armed with Kalashnikovs and wore Black Pajamas."
Snake-Eyes stroked his chin. "VC guerrillas..."
Stalker arrived, presenting a map of the region as ordered. "Can they give us the locations of all the villages hit?"
Preacher, with the aid of the eldest militiaman, pointed out several areas that Stalker in turn plotted with a marker. When he finished, everyone gathered around.
"Look at this," Stalker said, tracing an outline on the map with his finger. "These attacks follow a path that point straight to the weapons drop. We're going to have to abort."
"Why is that?" Duke said.
"We'll never be able to make it in time for the exchange; we'll have to move slower and stay off the trails with active guerrillas out there."
Duke looked at the plot. It seemed to veer around a bare area that led directly to their destination. He drew a line through the area, saying, "What if we take this shortcut?"
"No, that's no good," Snake-Eyes said. "There's a reason why the paths steer clear of this area; it's called The Badlands."
"Yeah, quicksand and crocs," Stalker added. "Not to mention it's a death-sentence if you get caught in a fire fight; it's littered with natural methane emissions."
Duke frowned. He then started talking to the militiaman in Vietnamese.
Preacher didn't seem to care for the exchange. "Are you insane, Pilgrim?"
"What's with all the jaw jackin'?" Snake-Eyes demanded.
"He said they can guide us through The Badlands," Duke replied.
"That's not what he said!" Preacher interjected.
"Look we don't have a choice!" Duke shot back. "The clock is ticking; if we drop the ball, central command doesn't get another chance. Now, those guys grew up here, and they can get us through. No one will expect a contingent coming out of the Badlands, so we'll have the advantage!"
Snake-Eyes gave a moment's pause. He rattled something in his hand, as was his habit, opened his palm and examined its contents. "Duke's right. Pack it up, ladies; we're hitting the Badlands."
Kilo Company was under way in less than three minutes. The mood of the team had understandably changed since the grizzly village encounter. Having led many missions himself, Duke understood the importance that morale played in keeping the integrity of the unit. Although K Company was well trained, even the most battle-hardened soldiers could crack when confronted with such atrocities—coupled with the impending feeling of doom that even he was not immune to. He knew that, as a leader, Snake-Eyes must be aware of this also, even if he didn't outwardly show his concern. Any good leader knows not only how to maintain discipline, but also how to foster morale.
"Preacher... give us some religion," Snake-Eyes said.
With a pinched brow Duke regarded Preacher, nonplussed, as the junior soldier continued to walk in silence, failing to acknowledge the order. A Katydid landed on Preacher's arm; he was content to allow the insect to crawl up his shoulder, where it jumped off on its own accord. The linguist removed the reed that he had been chewing on, and he rolled it between his thumb and index finger in reverie.
Effortlessly, Preacher spake thus:
...for we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God (1).
o-o-o-o-o-O-o-o-o-o-o
By dusk, the team had made it through most of the Badlands with little incident. The end in sight, the militiamen leading them went their separate ways with the team's gratitude. Stalker scouted ahead as the team broke out their C-rations for an evening repast.
Duke groaned as he sat down for the first time in hours. He was by no means out of shape; however, it had been a while since he put his body through such exertion. He closed his eyes and let himself drift...
He was jarred, brusquely, back into the moment when something hard bounced off his temple. He looked to the single-pipped dice on the ground, then to their owner, Snake-Eyes, crouched behind a bush with his index finger to his lips, preemptively shushing him. Duke then looked about and noticed that everyone else was quiet and hidden behind cover with their weapons drawn. He brought his rifle to bear and rolled behind the nearest tree.
Shit!
It was still. The thirsty mosquitoes had no sympathy for his predicament. Nevertheless, Duke didn't dare move a muscle, vowing instead to hunt down every single one the bloodsuckers in this godforsaken jungle if he managed to survive this.
Thunk. Thunk.
Duke's eyes widened as two grenades landed loudly mere feet beside him. His instincts took over, and he broke cover, retrieving the two grenades and tossing them away. The ensuing explosion was no less deafening. Snake-Eyes charged, and tackled Duke; they both hit the dirt as the grounds around them became drenched in metal rain.
Rock n' Roll popped off his safety and took aim. Without batting an eye, he answered the assault with a hundred rounds from his M-60, giving Snake-Eyes and Duke time to crawl behind a felled log. The gunner took cover and reloaded; the trees around him splintered violently.
"I didn't expect to eat dirt for dinner," Duke said after the last volley.
Snake-Eyes smirked. "How does it taste?"
"Best meal I ever had," Duke replied, grateful to be alive. "I thought you said a firefight out here was a death sentence."
"Yes, but our friends out there don't seem to appreciate that. You got any ideas, Einstein?"
Duke smiled. "Yeah. Those grenades I tossed were NATO ordnance."
Snake-Eyes chortled in understanding. Friendlies! "You gotta be kidding me!" He then commanded loud enough for everyone to hear, "US ARMY! CEASE FIRE! CEASE FIRE!"
Then, as quickly as it began, the shooting stopped. It was still again. Snake-Eyes was the first to rise, joined shortly after by Duke. The rest of the team stayed behind cover, when a voice was heard from the "enemy" position.
"SOUND OFF!"
Snake-Eyes scoffed. Idiots! "Kilo Company... Long Range Recon Patrol!"
The same voice replied, "Special Forces 3rd Battalion... We're coming out."
Snake-Eyes signed something to Stalker. Stalker nodded, grabbed his gear and disappeared out of sight. Both units came out from cover and cautiously squared off. Snake-Eyes and Duke met the 3rd Battalion leader who introduced himself as Firefly.
Snake-Eyes sneered. "Well don't you all look adorable in your Green Berets."
"Didn't anyone tell you lurps that the Rangers pulled out two years ago?" Firefly said, matching Snake-Eyes' sarcasm. "When we saw those slopes leave your camp, we assumed that you were Charlie."
Duke pursed his lips as he regarded the sigil on Firefly's upper sleeve. "I've heard of these guys... Panther Force, stationed out of Ft. Bragg. They're supposed to be the best."
"Hooah!" Firefly replied. He then introduced the rest of his men: Mendez, Stokes and Beretta.
Snake-Eyes, likewise, introduced the men of K Company—with the exclusion of Stalker.
"Isn't it about time you boys told us what you're doing so far from home?" Snake-Eyes said.
Firefly hesitated. "You first."
"We don't have time for a pissing contest, soldier," Duke interjected. "We're obviously heading to the same location. We were sent by DIA, and no one told us you were going to be here."
"I guess some REMF back home screwed up," said Firefly finally. He slung his rifle over his shoulder, and the tension in the air abated. "We're here to take out Tho."
Duke narrowed his eyes. "The Tiger is here...?"
"What in the hell is a 'tho'?" Snake-Eyes asked.
"General Tiger Tho," Duke began. "He trained as a Kamikaze pilot during World War II. He defected to China when Hirohito surrendered back in '45 because he saw the surrender as weakness on the part of the emperor. Disenchanted with his homeland, he became a major force behind-the-scenes in Asian politics for the last twenty-five years."
Firefly sighed loudly. "May I now ask what you grunts are doing here?"
"We're here for Destro," Duke said.
"The Tiger is meeting with Destro?" The apprehension in Firefly's voice now matched Duke's. "I think we need to compare notes."
o-o-o-o-o-O-o-o-o-o-o
As the sun sank lower into the sky, Panther Force and Kilo Company made plans to assault General Tho's encampment. Using Panther Force reconnaissance, they were able to put together a makeshift scale model of the compound.
"Tho is holed up here in this abandoned POW camp protected by about thirty NVA troops," Firefly said as he started pointing out corresponding areas on the model. "They have guards posted at these three locations. Lucky for us it was designed to look out for people trying to break out; not for people trying to breaking in. As soon as Destro arrives, we have to take these guards out first before we make a run at the command bunker."
"What about these barracks?" Snake-Eyes said. "Most of his troops will be in there."
"There's a corridor between the helipad and the bunker that is relatively unprotected. If we punch straight through, the barracks will be a turkey shoot."
"No, that's too easy," Zap interjected. "This lane is probably lined with claymores. As soon as you set foot in this zone, they'll set them off, and you're FUBAR'd. It's the old bait-and-switch."
Firefly narrowed his eyes at Zap. "How do you know?"
"Because that's what I would do."
"So, what do you propose?"
"You've got the right idea; it just needs some tweaking... As long as you grunts have the cajones for it."
"We have," said Snake-Eyes, and they went to work.
o-o-o-o-o-O-o-o-o-o-o
By sunset, Kilo Company and Panther Force were poised to engage the compound.
"This is team Alpha: Snake-Eyes, Preacher and Firefly. All units radio check."
The squelch of the walkie-talkie's receiver was loud as they waited for each unit to respond.
"Team Bravo: Duke and Mendez standing by to take out guard tower one."
"Team Charlie: Zap and Stokes standing by to take out guard tower two."
"Team Delta: Rock n' Roll and Beretta standing by to take out guard tower three."
No sooner had the teams set in position when a transport gunship came up silently over the tree line. A small jet-powered vehicle escorted the helicopter.
"What in the hell is that?" Rock n' Roll said over the comm. "It looks like a lazy-boy with a rocket strapped to the back!"
"Cut the chatter, Delta," Snake-Eyes said. He cut the audio and regarded Firefly. "Have you ever seen anything like that before?"
"No. It looks like some kind of flight pod."
When the chopper landed, Snake-Eyes gave the order to begin, "All teams go. Terminate with extreme prejudice."
Snake-Eyes waited patiently; what could be measured in minutes seemed like hours. Eventually, the squelch of silence was broken.
"Team Bravo: guard tower one is clear."
"Team Charlie: guard tower two is clear."
"Team Delta: guard tower three is clear."
Snake-Eyes gave a sigh of relief then responded, "Copy that. Alpha team is going in."
o-o-o-o-o-O-o-o-o-o-o
Once the gunship touched down on the helipad, a team of mercenaries disembarked and secured the area. As the rotors slowed, the mercenary leader stepped out of the co-pilot seat and walked to the main cabin to escort his VIP out of the chopper.
The VIP stepped out slowly. He was a tall thin man dressed in a burgundy suit. He wore a shiny steel mask and carried a cane, although it did not appear he needed it to walk.
"Major Bludd, I would like you to accompany me to bunker," said the man in the steel mask.
"As you wish, Lord Destro," Bludd said with a bow.
Destro and Bludd left the helipad to meet the pilot of the flight pod that escorted them.
"How did the prototype handle, my son?" Destro said.
"Better. There's still too much yaw, but I think a second engine will give it the stability we need. I also recommend adding a plexi-glass bubble around the seat to protect the pilot."
"I'm glad to see how adept you've become in research and development, my son. Come with me to the bunker... it's about time you participated in this aspect of the family business."
o-o-o-o-o-O-o-o-o-o-o
"All right, Zap, this is your ball game now, where are those claymores?" Snake-Eyes said over the comm-link.
"I'm spotting them now from my perch," Zap replied "Just as I figured: twelve mines along the path between the helipad and the command bunker. Claymores have a directed blast radius of sixty degrees; all you gotta do is place the front toward the enemy—Watch it, Firefly; there's one right next to you."
"Roger that, I see it. I think we got it from here. All teams commence radio silence."
Zap turned off his mike and continued to watch Team Alpha work on the mines from his post in tower two. Suddenly, he heard a 'click', and then a 'splat' sound before feeling wetness on the back if his neck. He looked up from his binoculars to see Stokes slump to the ground—the hole in his head spewed brain tissue. He felt the back of his neck and brought his hand about to see it covered with blood—it wasn't his. He had his weapon at the ready when he saw Stalker appear over the ledge.
"Did you just kill Stokes?" Zap whispered, nonplussed.
"Yeah," Stalker replied.
"Why?"
"It's usually customary to say thank-you when a buddy stops someone from putting a bullet in your head."
"I thought Snakes ordered you to shadow us—"
"Just a sec..." Stalker shouldered his rifle, aiming his scope at tower one.
PAMF!
Mendez's head burst, just before he was about to plunge his knife into Duke's back. Stalker swung his scope toward the last guard tower, and he squeezed the trigger.
PAMF!
A geyser of blood erupted from Beretta's temple as he was choking Rock n' Roll with a wire. He collapsed on top of him.
Satisfied, Stalker shouldered his rifle. "Snakes said to make sure Panther Force never saw me, because he didn't trust them. After you guys left camp, I went through their gear... Wanna guess what I found?"
"Comic books and bubble gum?"
"That, and Kalashnikovs with Black Pajamas."
"Dios mio!" Zap kissed his crucifix. "So, Panther Force has been raiding villages disguised as Charlie?"
"Looks like it. I figure they were on a Zippo mission: no witnesses. Still, I had to wait until they made a move on you before I could be sure."
"Snakes and Preacher are down there with Firefly. He's gonna smoke them if we don't warn them now!"
"I agree. But Firefly has ears, so we can't risk warning them over the radio." Stalker made his way down the tower. "Come on... we'll fill the guys in on the way."
o-o-o-o-o-O-o-o-o-o-o
Back at the enemy camp, General "Tiger" Tho opened the door to the command bunker to greet his guests. He shook Destro's hand and introductions were made.
"I hope you're not wasting my time, Tho," Destro said. He followed Tho to the desk situated at a place of prominence and sat in the chair made available to him. His son and Major Bludd opted to remain standing.
"Is that any way to talk to your most loyal customer," Tho said. He ordered one of his bodyguards to pour Destro's tea
"Business is business; this little conflict of yours is winding down, so I'll soon be forced to explore other prospects."
"Then, by all means, let's talk business." Tho casually sipped his tea. "Is that vehicle I saw the prototype that you promised me?"
"Yes, the TB-1 Flight Pod," Destro replied. "What she lacks in firepower, she more than makes up for in speed and maneuverability. You'll find her more than a match for any modern battle chopper."
It was then that a voice interrupted the parley. "What a remarkable achievement."
Everyone regarded the mystery man who had heretofore gone unnoticed, standing pensively in the back of the room.
Destro was not impressed. "And who might you be?"
"An associate of General Tho's, and a long time admirer of your work," the stranger said.
"Is that so?"
"Yessss."
"My rather theatrical associate here has generously agreed to supply the funding for this meeting," Tho said. He slid Destro an invoice from across the table. "I would like to place an order for some of your experimental technologies."
Destro took the order form and started reading it aloud. "One hundred High Speed Sentry Tanks, fifty Fully Armed Negator Gyrocopters, Two hundred Assault System Pods... Are you planning on taking over a country, Tho?"
"Of sorts." Tho grinned. "The Americans grow weary of war. Once their army pulls out, a private militia under my command will topple the provisional government, and I will install a puppet regime loyal to China. "
"That's quite a gamble. Are you sure NATO will let that stand?"
"Quite. If I succeed, Chairman Mao will welcome this regime with open arms. Our show of strength will cement our alliance with Warsaw. Without American involvement, NATO wouldn't dare interfere. And Vietnam is only the beginning. With these new weapons, and Warsaw's tacit approval, we will march throughout all of Indochina. Asia will once again be of one heart and one mind."
"With you as one of its viceroys?"
"For starters," Tho said; his grin curled into a smile.
"Normally an order of this size would take several months—if not a few years. Some of these items are still on the drawing board. I'll need to upgrade my production facilities, hire new contractors—"
"I am prepared to cover all of your expensesss as a down payment," the stranger said. He presented Destro with a briefcase, and he opened it to reveal the diamonds and other precious gems inside.
Destro examined one of the stones. "These are flawless." He eyed the masked stranger warily. "What did you say your name was?"
"I didn't. Ssso do we have a deal?"
"Yes."
"Excccccellent!" the stranger said with an excited hiss. He then noticed that this behavior garnered strange looks from the others in the room. "Forgive my accent. It is an inflection normal to my native tongue. I have not quite massstered your language yet."
o-o-o-o-o-O-o-o-o-o-o
Team Alpha had since reset all the explosives and moved them to locations that would maximize enemy casualties. They worked their way unseen to Tho's command bunker. There were two guards standing outside. From the shadows, Snake-Eyes came behind one, hitting him in the back of the head with his rifle. Before the other guard could react, Firefly ambushed him, slitting his throat and stabbing his chest. They stood guard while Preacher headed for the entrance.
Preacher knocked on the door.
o-o-o-o-o-O-o-o-o-o-o
"Dude, why are you using all of our C-4?" Rock n' Roll asked.
"Hey this is our last mission," Zap replied. "Who knows when I'll get the chance to blow stuff up like this again. Besides, don't you want to go out with a bang?"
"The only thing I like to 'bang' is poon."
Zap put the bricks in place and then set the timer.
"Is that going to be enough time?"
"Yeah, more than enough," Zap said. He took out his radio. "Duke, Rock n' Roll and I made it to the armory; the explosives are in place."
"Good. Get back here on the double. Once this goes off, we'll draw their fire. That should give Stalker enough time to track down and take out Firefly."
"Roger... Is the guard still standing outside?"
"Yeah, but as long as you go out the back, he shouldn't see you. Stalker will keep you covered just the same."
All the while, Rock n' Roll had been exploring the far side of the tightly-packed room. Scanning the shelves with his flashlight, he saw a box of grenades and decided to load up—you can never have too much ordnance. When he bent over, he bumped into a large object covered by a tarp. He removed the tarp and gasped; bricks of C-4 lined the entire wall all the way to the ceiling four bricks deep.
"Er... Zap?"
"I'm busy."
"But, dude."
"Not now, Rock, I have to concentrate... Once I set this, there's no going back." Zap flipped the switch, and the timer started to count down.
"Dude!"
"Dammit, Rock, what is it!"
"Did you know that all this stuff was here?"
Zap turned to see Rock n' Roll's flashlight illuminate the wall of C-4. He gulped. "Er... no, Rock, I did not."
"Isn't this gonna make the explosion mucho bigger."
"Considerably."
"Well, did you set the timer for long enough?"
"Er... no, Rock, I did not."
Zap and Rock n' Roll burst through the main door of the armory building. They inadvertently knocked over the lone guard and ran as fast as they could to the ditch where Duke and Stalker waited.
The guard rolled to his feet and screamed at them in Vietnamese as he raised his rifle.
PAMF!
The guard's head jerked back, and he collapsed to the ground.
Rock n' Roll was the first to arrive, landing next to Duke in the ditch.
"What the hell were you two thinking?" Duke said.
It was then that Zap arrived; however, he jumped over the ditch and kept running.
"Too close! Keep going!" He said, speeding off.
Rock n' Roll obeyed. Stalker, without asking questions, slung his rifle over his shoulder and followed.
Duke scrambled to get his gear together. "Aw, shit!"
o-o-o-o-o-O-o-o-o-o-o
There was a knock on the door of Tho's command bunker. A guard opened the door and was greeted with a kick to the face that sent him flying across the room. Preacher stormed the room with his rifle raised.
"Put your hands in the air! US Army! You're all under arrest!"
Tho's bodyguard instinctively went for his gun. Preacher shot him in the forehead before his hand reached the holster.
Tho screamed.
"Shut up!" Having made his point, Preacher continued, "I want each of you to throw all of your guns out of the window one at a time."
Everyone in the room obeyed, and one-by-one threw their guns out. Major Bludd was last; he tossed his handgun.
Preacher aimed his rifle at Major Bludd. "I said all of them."
With a grimace, Major Bludd took out his backup pistols and threw them out of the window as well.
Tho, having kneeled next to the felled bodyguard, gently closed the youth's empty eyes. He glared at Preacher. "You will pay for this transgression, boy... in blood."
"Take a number and get in line."
Destro pointed his cane at Preacher. "Do you have any idea who I am?"
"Yes: an asshole." Preacher walked over to the window and signaled to his teammates with a whistle.
o-o-o-o-o-O-o-o-o-o-o
When Snake-Eyes heard Preacher's signal, he took out his radio. "The bunker is secured, Firefly. I'll call in the rest of the team—"
CLICK!
The distinctive sound of a hammer being cocked prompted Snake-Eyes to drop his radio and put his hands up over his head. He turned around slowly. Firefly had a pistol aimed point-blank at his head.
"So, you finally show your true colors," Snake-Eyes said calmly. "Special Forces, my ass. Who do you really work for?"
"Wouldn't you like to know," Firefly replied. "But, like the rest of your unit, you'll be too busy being dead to care!"
Just then, the armory exploded. The earth shook. Munitions shot into the sky, like a roman candle, and colored the night in red and orange.
Firefly instinctively jerked his head in the direction of the explosion, and Snake-Eyes used the distraction to rush him. He managed to grab Firefly's gun arm.
A wave of NVA troops ran out of the barracks to investigate. When they saw American soldiers on the grounds, they approached, and the claymores cut them down. The alarm sounded.
o-o-o-o-o-O-o-o-o-o-o
The explosion outside rocked the bunker, and Preacher was momentarily distracted. However, a moment was all Tho needed; he unsheathed a short-sword hidden under his jacket and leapt toward preacher. Preacher was surprised, as Tho moved considerably faster than his bodyguard. He raised his M-16 just in time to block the blade aimed for his neck.
The sword cut deep into the rifle shaft, causing the bayonet to pop off, where it fell to stab the floor. The force of the strike bent the rifle shaft, so Preacher abandoned his weapon and rolled to the side, picking up his bayonet on the way. He vaulted to his feet and pulled out his Bowie knife with his free hand, just in time to block Tho's skull-splitter from above.
o-o-o-o-o-O-o-o-o-o-o
Exploding ordnance continued to turn night into day. Snake-Eyes and Firefly's struggled for control of the weapon. An NVA trooper rushed their position. Both men instinctively worked together to fire the pistol: Snake-Eyes aimed while Firefly pulled the trigger.
Once the trooper was dispatched, Snake-Eyes flipped Firefly over his shoulder, causing him to drop his weapon. Firefly did not resist, rather he rolled with the flip, landed on his back, and he kicked Snake-Eyes in the face. Snake-Eyes stumbled backwards while Firefly scrambled to his feet.
Both soldiers shouldered their rifles, but as they were assailed by more NVA troops, they stood back-to-back, working together as Firefly covered their forward position while Snake-Eyes shot down a small team that tried to flank them.
o-o-o-o-o-O-o-o-o-o-o
Bludd dove at Preacher from behind. Preacher was able to side step him by rolling on top of the table. As he rolled over the tabletop, Tho stabbed at him—missing him by inches and causing his sword to get stuck between the planks of wood. Preacher somersaulted under the table and kicked it off its legs.
Tho stumbled, while Bludd charged with his knife. Preacher twisted out of the way, although the knife managed to cut a gash down the side of his uniform. Preacher reversed his grip on his bayonet, and he plunged it into Bludd's hand. Bludd screamed when Preacher pulled the bayonet out and mercilessly 'walked' his bayonet and knife hand-over-hand up Bludd's extended arm, ending with his knife in Bludd's eye. The mercenary writhed on the floor.
o-o-o-o-o-O-o-o-o-o-o
Firefly dispatched the last of the NVA troops. Their tacit truce over, he spun in Snake-Eyes' direction and pulled the trigger. The shots missed, as Snake-Eyes had already charged to tackle him low at the waist. Firefly twisted with the charge, causing Snake-Eyes to whip around him.
As Firefly flipped his rifle forward to reacquire his target, Snake-Eyes grabbed the barrel and used his momentum to jerk Firefly off-balance. Firefly stumbled forward, and Snake-Eyes drop kicked him, causing Firefly's head to whiplash. Both men lay flat on their backs, exhausted.
o-o-o-o-o-O-o-o-o-o-o
Bludd's screams continued to drown the sounds of the hell outside. Against Destro's protests, his son picked up a pipe and charged Preacher. Destro pulled out a dirk hidden in his cane and joined the fray, just as Tho pried his sword out of the table.
Preacher blocked the pipe then ducked Tho's kick just as Destro lunged with his dirk. Tho's foot sunk into Destro's abdomen, causing him to double-over. Preacher rolled over Destro's back to evade another swing of the pipe. He pushed Destro into his son, causing them to both fall to the ground.
The stranger merely watched from the back of the room.
o-o-o-o-o-O-o-o-o-o-o
Snake-Eyes trained his rifle on a barely conscious Firefly when he noticed that another wave of NVA troops, that had survived the initial blast, were about to overrun them. Snake-Eyes hit the dirt and rolled as he shot into the enemy. He cursed when he ran out of ammo and ducked behind cover. He prayed as he searched his pockets—all he needed was one more magazine. His prayers were not answered with bullets, but rather when Kilo Company charged the enemy's flank, clipping them in a crossfire.
Ducking low to stay out of the line of fire, Snake-Eyes doubled back to Firefly. He drew his knife just as Firefly staggered to his feet.
"Looks like you were wrong about my men," Snake-Eyes said, bringing his blade to bear. "I guess you didn't read the chapter in the Black Ops manual that says, always keep an ace up your sleeve."
With a bloodied smile, Firefly took out a remote detonator hidden in his pocket. "The manual also says, you don't need an ace if you stack the deck!" He glanced at the command bunker, and he flipped the switch.
Snake-Eyes cursed. "PREACHER! FIRE IN THE HOLE!"
o-o-o-o-o-O-o-o-o-o-o
The masked stranger retreated behind a communications cabinet. It was three against one, but who would eventually triumph remained unclear. The calculated frenzy continued as Preacher kept his enemies off balance and in each other's way. The fight seemed like it would continue indefinitely, when suddenly he heard someone yell, fire in the hole. An explosion rocked the entire bunker, and then there was darkness.
When the stranger came to, he noticed that half the roof had caved in. Smoke filled the room and the sound of gunfire could be heard outside.
"Bloody Hell!"
He crawled over to the voice to find Major Bludd—his left eye was bleeding heavily, and his right arm hung lifelessly at his side. With is good arm, he tried to drag Destro's unconscious son out of the bunker with little luck.
The stranger rose to his feet and approached the mercenary. "If I carry him, will you take me with you?"
Major Bludd curled his lip. "Agreed."
"Lead the way; I'll follow as sssoon as I can."
Bludd staggered out of the bunker; adjusting a tourniquet he had tied around his dead arm to stop the bleeding. The stranger hoisted the unconscious body over his shoulders. Once he was steady, he noticed someone had grabbed his ankle. He looked down to regard Destro.
"Wait," Destro said weakly. "I still live."
The stranger sneered. "Wanna bet?" And he kicked the communications cabinet on top of the prostrated Destro. He laughed maniacally as he watched Destro's twitching arm jut out from under the cabinet. A pool of blood seeped out from under the heavy equipment, and the hand went limp.
Once outside, he caught up with Major Bludd. They used the smoke from the smoldering ruins of the barracks to conceal their escape to the gunship. Bludd's mercenaries were well trained. Rather than join the fire fight with the NVA, they knew it was their priority to keep the helicopter secured as a means of escape. Once their leader was in sight, they immediately formed ranks to aid his escape. A browning M-2 blanketed the area around them. Kilo Company was forced to run for cover.
o-o-o-o-o-O-o-o-o-o-o
Duked peeked around the mason pillar as he reloaded. "We gotta stop that chopper from taking off!"
"Not with that 50-cal pinning us down!" Rock n' Roll said, covering his ears.
Duke cursed. "Stalker, do you have a shot?"
"Negative, zero visibility."
They watched in vain as the gunship took off under a cover of suppression fire.
"That bird has got us out-gunned; why are they pulling back?" Rock n' Roll said.
"From what I can tell, they've got wounded," Stalker replied.
Kilo Company broke off and found their leader, Snake-Eyes, standing outside the remains of the command bunker.
"I'm guessing you found out about Firefly?" Duke said.
"Yeah," Snake-Eyes replied. "But, the bastard got away. Let's stay sharp; the area is not secure, and Preacher is down in the command bunker."
As if on cue, a familiar voice cut through the smoke. "YO KILO!"
"Preacher, is that you!" Snake-Eyes replied to the darkness.
"Affirmative."
Preacher stepped out of the smoke carrying Destro's lifeless form over his shoulder. He was covered in grime, and smoke stained his uniform. He coughed heavily as his lungs tried to expel the soot he had inhaled. Relieved to see their team mate alive, the team replied with an energetic, "YO KILO!"
"Anyone left alive in there?" Snake-Eyes asked.
"No."
"What about Tho?"
"He's not in there." Preacher dropped the corpse and fell to his hands and knees.
Zap came to his aid, offering his canteen. "Can you walk?"
Preacher took a swig. "I'll do back flips to get out this hell hole."
"I think we've attracted enough attention to ourselves for one night," Stalker added. "Those explosions were, no doubt, seen for miles."
"Let's bag the body," Snake-Eyes said. He helped Preacher to his feet. "We'll rest in the Badlands before heading for the LZ."
Stalker took point, leading the way back into the jungle, followed by Snake-Eyes and Preacher. Rock n' Roll and Zap carried Destro, while Duke brought up the rear. He scanned the area to make sure they weren't being followed, and he disappeared into the bush.
o-o-o-o-o-O-o-o-o-o-o
"I'm so sssorry for your loss. Your father was a great man... a true visionary."
The son clenched his jaw. "Yes, he was." He looked out of the hatch to the jungle below. "I will have my vengeance."
"Sssuch anger. Take care not to lash out blindly lest you destroy yourself."
He angrily regarded the stranger. "Are you trying to tell me to exercise restraint?"
"On the contrary, I'm telling you to dessstroy, maim, and project your pain onto the world."
"I will make the world burn."
"Tell me, do you share in your father's philosophy on chaosss?"
"It is our family creed: chaos is the only true motivator for political change."
"Then fulfill your father's pledge, but make your machines of war for me. Follow me, and together we will rain chaosss on the tribes of man such that the gods in heaven will tremble."
"I don't care who I make the weapons for, as long as I receive payment," he said. He slapped the back of his neck angrily. "Damned mosquitoes!"
"And you, Major Bludd... Will you raissse me a mighty army?"
"I'm not an idealissst like you," Bludd said, mocking the stranger's accent. "I have enough to retire on, and I'm getting out before I lose any more body parts."
"You disssappoint me, noble Bludd."
"Raising a mercenary army is gonna take years. This little piece of dirt isn't worth the trouble."
"I agree, Tho had the right idea, but I see now that he sets his goals too low. Indochina is much too small a theatre for men of our talentsss."
"What are you proposing, Monsieur?"
"Follow me, Bludd, and you will require two lifetimes to count the gold that will line your pockets."
"I'll say this for you... you drive a hard bargain," Bludd said, scratching the back of his neck with his able hand.
(1) Ephesians 6:12