Boots on the Sand
I hope you've been enjoying the story so far finally some combat though, it's only taken what about a year to get to this point lol but anyway on with it I hope you enjoy and as always I don't own COD but I do own Anchor.
The airframe creaked as the vehicle transitioned back into the VTOL format, the engines revved up as we started our descent onto the USS Zumwalt. We felt it jerk as we must have been hovering mere feet above the flight deck, I looked out of the window seeing the Zumwalt's escort on the horizon back lit by the sun set.
The ramp on the back of Osprey dropped and we all stood up but before we could walk towards the edge an officer stood on the tailgate of the ramp.
"Officer on deck!" One shouted over the sound of the powering down engines.
Everyone straightened up, I didn't know how the officer would react if we didn't, "At easy, gentlemen," The officer said as he led us off the craft, "I am Captain Rodriquez US Navy SEALs, I'll be in command of your back up on the mission," He said as he opened the door leading into the superstructure, "You know the drill right?" He asked us as we filed into the structure.
"Yeah we've been briefed," One told the Captain.
"Good," He replied as we walked down into the belly of the ship, "Have you been briefed on what happens if things go south?"
"No we hadn't planned on that," One told him as we walked past sailors just going about their business, we arrived in a mess which had at least twenty SEALs inside all with their weapons and kit ready to go.
"Alright boys, you know the drill, you'll be pulling security for these boys to eliminate a HVT," He paused as he looked around the room, "However if things go south, we have a good asset just on the horizon, as of six eighteen, USS Peleliu is now within strike range of Eritrea, they have the asset of a whole company of Marines, ready to go on our whistle and they will come in hard."
"That's what she said," One of the SEALs said sarcastically.
"About a Marine?" The Captain questioned, "Said no woman ever, more like," He grinned from ear to ear knowing his men were the best and more than capable of completing this mission. "You think it's gone too far south and say the word, and we'll bring seven bells of shit down on those fuck faces."
"Roger," One said simply as he looked around the room at the SEALs some of them he obviously knew.
"Gentlemen, get this shit done, now!" The captain bellowed through the room.
Within minutes we were back outside and on the V-22, it was in the air as soon as we had all managed to get sat down and buckled in. The Captain stood on the rear of the ramp and was speaking to the Commander in charge of the SEALs, he just nodded as he stepped off and we started our assent.
"Boys, let's get to it," The Commander said as he sat down next to me with One on my left, "Yo, Mich," He then shouted over to One who was just the other side of me.
One turned and looked at the Commander, "They actually promoted you, Jesus they must be fucking desperate!" He shouted over the engines as they roared pulling us up higher off the deck of the Zumwalt.
"Yeah I made Commander, thank you very much," He grinned back over to One as the engine groan died down.
"As I said desperate!" One shouted as the airframe hummed with us now in horizontal flight.
The radio hissed into life, "Mike One Juliet, Mike One Juliet, this is Strike Fox command," The crackled voice of the Captain came through the radio, only our team received the traffic but the next part was on the broad channel which everyone in the aircraft received, "Strike Fox actual, this is Strike Fox command, we'll be waling you into the AO, we have you on predator cam."
"Roger that Strike Fox command, Strike Fox actual out," The commander told command over the airways.
"Ten minutes to insert," the pilot declared over the intercom to us in the cargo bay.
"Ten minutes!" The commander shouted as we all sat on the airframe which was suddenly plunged into darkness.
"Entering Eritrean airspace," The pilot informed us.
"I would kind of want to see if we were going to be shot down," Grommit said sarcastically I could only see the faint glow from his trijicon.
"Yeah but that would mean that we would have to see your fuck ugly face," Porthos shouted back over to him as we shook slightly from the winds tearing off the desert.
"Pipe down," One ordered as the tension inside the craft increased as we readied for insert.
"One mike to boots down," The pilot declared as we re-entered VTOL and descended down onto the desert floor.
The ramp slowly opened and the hot air, which had been baked by the sun all day, rushed into the cool airframe, it hit me like a freight train filling my nose and mouth with dust and sand. We all rushed out of the V-22 into the cooling air, the desert was dropping in temperature very quickly and due to the clear skies there was too much light for NODs so we were going with the MK1.
"Everyone out," One ordered as our squad left the airframe and started to take up a perimeter next to the SEALs who were laid down in the desert. The VTOL covered us all in a thick layer of sand and dust but we also knew that the sound of the engines would carry for miles, so with us only being two miles from the AO, our target would have most definitely heard it.
Through the night I could make out the rough shapes of the SEALs who were now humping it through the desert towards our objective.
"Strike Fox actual, this is command, we've got visual conformation of boots on the ground, how copy over?" The radio buzzed into my ear.
"Command, Strike Fox actual, we have boots in the sand, I say again, boots in the sand."
"Command copies all, proceed north to way point bourbon," The replied to the Commander who was in the mid ranks of the SEALs.
"Roger, proceeding north to way point bourbon."
"Solid copy Strike Fox actual, Command out."
"Right boys we've got a half click hump to way point bourbon, then onto way point rum one click from the AO, then we'll be set up at the vodka ring around the AO ceiling the village off whilst these boys take down Ivan," The commander told his men over the radio on the wide comms channel, we could hear all traffic but the SEALs couldn't hear our traffic unless we went onto the broad band comms which Syrup had.
We continued to proceed into the desert for about thirty minutes when we reached way point bourbon, it took us a further thirty to get across the terrain which had some steep hills but we did eventually arrive at way point rum.
"Command, Strike Fox actual, passing way point rum, over?" The commander said quietly over the radio, we had heard several vehicles roaming the desert, we had no clue if they were Ivan or just a farmer trying to see what the fucking noise was but we avoided contact just to be sure.
"Roger that Strike Fox actual, we have you on predator, proceed to village and the vodka ring, out."
The vodka ring was a sentry line to be set up within two hundred meters of the village, the SEALs would man this position whilst our team cleared the town and took down Ivan. It took about an hour of scaling rocky outcrops and coastal cliffs to reach the village; it was surrounded on two sides by the sea so the marines would have plenty of room to help if they were needed.
"Strike Fox, get into your teams," the commander ordered to his men who then hastily organised themselves into four five man teams, "Command, Strike Fox actual, we have our four elements ready for cordon on village, moving to Ops now." He spoke clearly into his radio.
"Roger that Strike Fox actual, Mike One Juliet are to accompany your team, designation Strike one zero, to the OP and insert from there, over?"
"Solid copy, Strike one zero out." He turned to look at One who was now in amongst his team blended in so he didn't stick out like a sore thumb, "You heard command, tag us until we reach OP Russian standard and then you will break off inot the town to flush out Ivan, we'll prevent any escape."
"Rog," One said simply as we followed the small five man squad out towards the OP, which laid on the nearly kilometre long ring around the village.
Once we arrived one of the SEALs pulled open his small day sack and pulled out a magwell and new barrel, "Get up on that rock with the Beowulf," The commander ordered to the SEAL and sent a sniper with him, "You boys ready?"
"Ja, let's get to it," Jaeger told him before One could get his things ready.
"All Strike Fox elements," One began to say clearly over the radio, "This is Mike One Juliet, we are starting our assault on the village, I repeat, we are beginning our assault, do not fire unless you feel it's absolutely necessary for the survival of the mission," One stressed as we as brass checked our weapons and moved down a dirt track towards the village.
The highest point in the village, what looked like a mosque with its minaret towering above the rest of the buildings, everything was back lit by the moon light reflecting off the sea which stretched mere metres from the village. The track had small bushes at either side so we moved cover to avoid any chances of an enemy sniper spotting us from the village.
I saw Jaeger take aim with his PSG-1 sniper rifle which a thermal scope poised on the top picatinny rail, he dialled in the range and peered through the sights.
"Eyes on two targets, roof top, drei zero zero metres," Jaeger told us calmly as he continued to get on scope with the rifle.
"I see them," Grommit said as he got on scope with his trijicon.
"Do not engage," One ordered as the two men lined up their shots, "Can you see any NODs?"
"Nah they're clean," Grommit declared as I pushed past him up to a small rock, I was sat on my arse with my back pushed up against the rock, I felt the pouches on my back push into me as I shuffled around to look around the rock to peer down range.
"Good, Syrup, Porthos push past Anchor and get up close on that village," One ordered as two figures pushed past me and moved up on the first building of the village.
"One door, two windows on our side," I looked at the building which Syrup and Porthos were stacked up on.
"Roger, Jaeger eyes on," One demanded as he also pushed past me and stacked up behind Porthos. "Go, go, go," One said quietly over the radio, to which Porthos opened the door and Syrup charged in with his suppressed C7, I could only hear what sounded like twigs snapping but to the trained ear I knew it was shots fired.
"Building clear," One said over the radio as I spotted a figure stood by the door that they had entered the house from, "Strike Fox actual, be advised we have now got a foot hold in the town, so do not engage unless you deem it necessary," One continued on the open channel, he switched back however and then addressed our team's closed channel, "Team move up on this building, we will clear this town enforce."
"Roger, Grommit, Jaeger push up past me, I'll cover," I sent over the radio as I continued to observe the town, I spotted Syrup and Porthos moving up on the next building in the town to try and expand our little breach point that we had created. It was followed by several twig snaps but by that point Grommit and Jaeger were stacked up covering the new house.
"Anchor get over here," Grommit demanded over the radio.
I sprinted up behind him pushing my back up against the wall with my L22 kept low, I then received the nod from Grommit who pulled out his modulated Mk23 pistol as his minimi wasn't supressed. He nodded to me as we pushed forwards moving to a new building which got us one step closer to the target building. We edged our way closer to the floor we could hear voices, "That's not Arabic," I told Grommit.
"Tak, you don't think I know that," He grinned at me as I reached across for the door but he shook his head, "Wait let's find out what they say."
"Rog," I whispered back as we continued to listen in.
"That's definitely Kazakh," Grommit told me as we continued to listen, "They're pretty fucked," He laughed to me, "but they say the boss is getting ready to move on soon."
"Shit, how?" I whispered to him.
"No idea but I'd guess by helicopter but I can't be too sure," He told me as we continued trying to get more information but as we sat there we heard a massive shot it could have only been from the Beowulf.
"What the fuck was that?" I asked over the open comms. However the whole village had already come to life by that point and the men inside the building were scuffling around. "Fuck it, Grom let's get in," I ordered as I ripped open the door and Grommit charged in with his minimi, the 7.62mm shots from AKs and PKPs masked the burst that Grommit put down. I burst into the room firing over Grommit's shoulder I hit the second man in the room in the chest, however his body armour took the shot so I aimed higher shooting through the shoulder strap of the armour but he was finally put down by a second burst from the minimi which tore through the armour like a hot knife through butter.
"Mike One Juliet, this is Strike Fox actual, we are engaging a hostile convoy moving into the AO, Beowulf took out the lead victor now we're mopping up, so for the overt switch," The leader of the SEALs told us as we were now in heavy contact within the village.
"Anchor, Grommit!" One shouted over to us as we took up positions in the windows of the building and started to engage the targets that were in the village square infront of the house.
"Yeah!" I shouted back hoping for a reply.
"Keep engaging here and we'll flank left to provide a double arc," One ordered as I heard their gunshots get further away but their tracers were cross linking ours like little green fireflies.
One by one the hostiles pulled back into the mosque where the target was hiding, but before I could reposition to cross the street into the building, I heard a crack. It was definitely a high velocity round but I was confused as to where it had come from but it knocked me to the floor.
"Man down!" Grommit shouted as he continued to empty the belt of his minimi.
"No, I'm alright I shouted as I looked down at my chest which had a large hole in, the weaved Kevlar had blown open and the ceramic plate inside was clearly visible with a deep indentation where the 7.62x54mmR splinters had embedded themselves.
"Like fuck you are, you're bleeding from your fucking face!" Grommit shouted as I stood up at a new window and continued to fire the warm blood trickling down the right hand side of my face sticking me to the cheek rest of my L22.
After five or so shots I couldn't see through my right eye as the blood sealed it shut, I heard the unmistakable sound of the minimi running dry, "Grommit take this while I sort my eye out!" I shouted over to him throwing my L22 to the huge Pole.
"Get it over with fast then," he shouted at me as he fired the rifle off, I pulled out all of my remaining magazines and placed them at his feet before taking off my rucksack and laid it on the floor infront of me. I pulled out a roll of gauze, a set of iodine wraps and some tape. I mopped up the blood with my sleeve which quickly became saturated with blood so I placed an iodine wrap on my eye brow and my cheek, I then removed my helmet and wrapped the gauze around the whole of my head just leaving enough room for me to see out of my right eye.
"Back up!" I shouted as I placed my helmet over my head not doing up the straps and drawing my FN 5-7 taking repeated shots at the few remaining targets which presented themselves on the mosque. Each shot felt like the wounds on my face were tearing open eventually I felt the blood start to run down the side of my brow again, so I wiped it up and took my rifle from Grommit.
"Jestes dobry?" Grommit asked me as he loaded another belt into the minimi.
"I'm good," I replied as I couldn't feel any more blood flow down my face.
"Grommit, what's the problem?" One asked over the radio.
"Anchor's been hit he's up but I'm not sure how?"
"I'm up, fucked up, but I'm up," I told him as I opened the door to cross over into the mosque.
I could see One, Syrup and Porthos stacking up on the door to breach into the building, "I have eyes on you," Jaeger said calmly over the radio as I heard the crack of his rifle fire above us, "Sniper down," he added.
"Roger, have you got eyes on the tango?" One asked as Grommit and I stacked up opposite them.
"Negative, but there's heavy activity in a room up on the second floor."
"Got it, ready to breach?" One asked me as I was stacked up exactly opposite him. I just nodded so he readied a flashbang as I placed my hand on the door knob, as I twisted it he pulled the pin on the grenade. The door flew open followed by a barrage of gunshots, the rounds cracked as we were pinned away from the room. "Fuck it, flashbang out!" One shouted as he stepped back and threw the grenade into the room causing the gunfire to stop instantaneously.
In the break Porthos and I charged the room letting off an entire magazine each cutting down some of the soldiers who were still dazed by the flashbang blast. As we both took a knee to reload our rifles a second barrage flew over our shoulders from Syrup, One and Grommit. The few remaining hostiles in the central atrium were cleared out and we proceeded to a stairwell leading to the second floor.
"You hear that Grom?" I asked as we stacked up outside the Mullah's office where we could hear Kazakh voices once again.
"Tak, Kazachski," He replied as we stacked up on the door but as we did shots pierced through the walls of the mosque, "Fuck, they know we're here!" Grommit shouted as the splinters of the wooden and mud wall crumbled with each passing round.
"Do not shoot!" One demanded as we were pinned to the floor.
"Flash out!" I shouted as I quickly pulled the pin on a flashbang and let it off just outside the door knocking it off its hinges and into the room, "Room breached," I shouted as I aimed my rifle into the room and fired at one of the targets who was spraying from a PKP into the wall.
"Go get in!" Porthos shouted as we all stood up and charged into the room where a man with an MP-443 holding a man in a black dishdasha hostage, I assumed he must have been the Mullah.
"Drop the gun!" One shouted at the man but he just pulled the Mullah in closer.
"Qazir qaldırıñız!" The man shouted trying to duck down behind the Mullah.
Grommit shouted in Kazakh at the man which caused the Mullah to start struggling, "No!" I shouted as the Mullah attempted to throw the man over his shoulder which exposed the man's left side which was just covered by soft body armour.
I didn't know what happened in that split second but I heard several shots followed by the dropping of two bodies.
One was the hostage taker, the other was the Mullah who had been shot in the shoulder, "Syrup, Porthos secure the HVT, Anchor make sure the Mullah is OK, Grommit and I will pull security." One ordered as we all got to work.
I checked the Mullah over he had been fucked up pretty bad, his shoulder had been pretty much destroyed, he was in a lot of pain, "Boss we can't leave him here, we'll have to treat on the Zumwalt."
"Rog," One replied as he radioed Strike Fox, "All Strike Fox elements move up on the village, we have the village secured, over?" One declared as he then radioed the Zumwalt, "USS Zumwalt, USS Zumwalt, this is Mike One Juliet, we have secured the HVT but we have one civilian down and in need of immediate assistance we can stabilise here but we need to get them aboard the Zumwalt for further treatment, how copy over?"
"Mike One Juliet, this is USS Zumwalt, solid copy on all we have scrambled the Marines for evac, warning we have spotted heavy Eritrean movement close to your location, it is unknown at this time if you are compromised," Command echoed back as the SEALs started appearing all around us in the mosque, I was still trying to stabilise the Mullah but he was loosing blood faster than I could manage.
"Hey, SEALs you got a medic?" I shouted out into the corridor.
"Coming up!" Was the reply I was given as a burley SEAL blasted through the door and knelt down beside me. We struggled to keep the Mullah still enough to actually keep him stable.
"Where the fucking hell are the Marines?" I asked One as I continued to try to keep the Mullah alive.
"I don't know, they should be here by now!" One replied as we continued ot work on the Mullah.
"He's fucking fadin…" I was cut off by the worse thing possible at that time, my heart sank as the words were shouted out.
"Contact!" Grommit shouted at the top of his lungs, as he let rip the minimi for a solid three seconds, by which time we started to receive heavy incoming rounds.
"Grommit what we got?" One shouted as the pieces of mud and wood fell down bouncing off my head.
"Four technicals, several troop carriers and a T-72, so we're pretty fucking outnumbered!" Grommit shouted as he continued to try and melt the barrel of his minimi.
I kept trying to make sure the Mullah was okay, "Stay with me," He was faintly shuddering whispering in Arabic, "Fuck he's going into shock!" I shouted as I placed a drip into his arm but his blood pressure was that low now that it wasn't taking.
"Shit, second round in coming!" One of the SEALs shouted at us as the building shook and started to crumble forwards. I saw the front of the building fall away and I lost balance and started to roll out, the SEAL medic grabbed the Mullah to stop him rolling out too. I grabbed hold of the edge of the floor with my legs hanging off the edge, I tried to claw my way up but there wasn't much to pull up on so when the next tank round collided with the building I just dropped to the floor like a stone.
I hit the ground hard, a dust could was hanging around me as I was sat on the floor but as I tried to look around I felt a lump of debris fall onto my chest but luckily my destroyed ceramic plate helped to deflect the debris and it crushed my rifle which had landed next to me still attached to my sling.
I pulled my pistol out and took aim where I saw the tank suddenly explode in a fire ball, the heat and pressure wave pushed me into the ground. I looked up to see an AH-1Z firing its turret at the now retreating hostile forces, just after this several UH-1Y venom helicopters started to circle the area blasting everything with their miniguns. They did eventually touch down and marines piled off taking up a defensive cordon around the town.
I unclipped my crushed rifle and went to help the SEAL get the Mullah down off the building he was passed down to me where several marine medics helped me place him on a chopper and he was swiftly lifted out of the combat zone.
Soon after our small team piled onto another venom Syrup had the tied up HVT in one hand and placed him in between Grommit and me.
I hope you enjoyed the chapter and have been enjoying the story so please review and tell me what you thought and think where the story should go next and how I can improve it I really do appreciate the feedback but anyway until next time…..PEACE!