Liberian Heat

I know it's been a very, very, very, very, very long time since I've updated this one so I'll get right to it. As always I don't own COD but I do own Anchor.

The rotors of the V-22 kicked up one hell of a dust cloud as it touched down in the hard dry land which had been specially cleared by the Liberian army for the use of NATO training operations in jungle warfare. It was location just five hundred metres through dense jungle from lake Piso where the USS Oregon was based just at snorkel depth so it would not leave a huge signature for someone to locate the base.

The ramp dropped letting the rush of hot humid air into the hold of the V-22, it instantly made me start to sweat out, the helmet made me feel sick so I plonked it down on my lap, the bandages I had wrapped around my head were now saturated with blood and had collected extra sand and dust turning them a nice brown.

"Anchor shouldn't you be chasing a man with a moustache around the sphinx," Jaeger back handedly commented about my headdress and he scooped up the HVT and carried him out of the building by the scruff of his neck.

"Fuck you," I told him as I stood up holding my helmet and what was left of my L22, which was the foregrip back to the mag well everything else had just been destroyed. I slowly walked down the ramp behind Jaeger and Grommit, who was being surprisingly quiet for the journey home. As the two men limped away with the HVT in tow I saw a rather distraught looking Captain Price and Soap, I wandered towards them as I saw Ghost performing weapon drills at a makeshift firing range just on the other side of a new HQ.

"What the fucking hell happened to you?" Soap asked me as I passed him the remaining guts to my rifle.

"I got a fucking 7.62 face lift, I heard it was all the fucking rage," I started as I took my Osprey off and passed it to Soap, however as he lifted it up the plate which had been struck with the rounds fell out onto the floor, "I think the cunt fucked mine up though." I finished as Price just shook his head.

"You muppet," Price said as he looked at the plate rested on the ground, "Come on, lucky for you the Med Corps are based here on R&R from Sierra Leone, unfortunately reamy is also based here."

"REME, those fuck tards, I think I'd rather keep my face like this," I told him as he led me over towards the set of medical tent which were set just a couple of metres into the tree line. I could feel the insects starting to bite and break into their flesh, I tried to swat most of them away but I couldn't get them all and I could feel them winding themselves into the wounds.

"Well they are the only bastards who can keep our equipment running when we get stuck," Price told me as he opened the tent up exposing the medics to daylight.

One of the medics placed his hand up to the light, "Ah I forgot it's the first time these boys have seen daylight since they left their mother's loft," I said calmly as I walked into their lair.

"Oh goodie a new body to cut up," An upper class voice spoke clearly across the room to me, however as it was on my right side I couldn't hear it too well due to the saturated bandages.

"I'd rather not be butchered," I replied looking towards the dulled voice.

"You have nothing to worry about, we've get anaesthesia to make it painless," She told me as I looked at her, she had very short brown hair and looked very innocent, too innocent to be in the Army.

"Fucking great," I told her as I spotted her tab in the middle of her chest, it had the crown and a single Bath star.

"Lieutenant Pact, sort the WOZ out," She smiled at me knowing she towered over me in rank.

"Thanks, ma'am."

"Just don't fuck up again," She told me as the new medic came over to me and started to unwrap my head, they had a blue swab ready to kill any little bastards that had entered the wound.

I winced as the man pulled out the remaining fragments from the wound, he then doused it in an antiseptic spray which firstly stank and secondly it burnt like hell, I could feel the cold liquid seep into the cut as he dabbed it to mop up the excess. He then pulled out a curved needle and thread.

"This might hurt," The Lieutenant told me as I simply gripped my knee hard.

He slid the needle into one side of the cut on my cheek, I gritted my teeth as he threaded it across the wound pulling just below my eye, I could feel the blood seep down my cheek and run into the corner of my mouth it still tasted of the antiseptic, it made me wretch but I tried to keep still whilst the needle was so close to my eye.

"That's one down," He then told me as he sat back whilst I recovered from the battering.

I just nodded at him as I relaxed. I glanced over to the entrance of the tent where Syrup just wandered into the massive canopy, I looked at the man as he nodded at me as he walked through the tent.

"Ah Mary-Ann, I was looking for you," Syrup spoke out into the tent, I couldn't see who he was talking to until they replied.

"Yeah, what's up Sergeant Deuvea?" The head medic said to Syrup.

"Erm…" Syrup stumbled which was my chance to go on the attack.

I looked over my shoulder feeling the pull on my cheek from the stitches, "Aww Syrup you stumbling for words now a woman is speaking to you," I smiled feeling like I was tearing the cotton from my face but it was worth it to watch the man blush.

"Lieutenant don't you have some butchery to do," She told the medic as I turned back to face him as he started to stitch up my forehead.

"Yes, ma'am," He replied as he plunged the needle into my face.

I winced again as he pulled the thread across the wound, "Ha, dickhead," Syrup shouted over to me as he continued to talk to the officer. "Did you want to go and get a coffee from the mess hall?"

"In the NCO mess?" The officer said in disgust.

"Fuck no, SFU mess," He told her with a distinctive excitableness in his voice.

I kept feeling the needle pulled at my forehead but I just closed my eyes and took the pain, "I'd like that," The officer told him as I made an attempt to relax but the constantly feeling like my face was being zipped up made it difficult as each pull made me wince more and more until I finally felt the cotton get tied on the top of my head just into my hair line.

"So what do you think?" The medic asked me as he passed me a small dental mirror to look at my face.

The blue and green cotton really did contrast against the pale whiteness of my skin but the deep running almost black closed wounds contrasted even more. I looked at the image in the mirror but I watched the medic place a patch over the wound and place some tape over the patch to make it stick.

"Well you look like fucking Frankenstein," Porthos entered the tent looking for me, his dark skin glistened with the sweat that was rolling off his face and onto his arms and body, he had his regular combat trousers on but only had a wife beater on top which had been stained already by the dirt and his sweat.

"Oh thanks," I told him as I stood up.

"Don't do anything stupid for a few days just until the stitched bind," He nodded at me to which I barely acknowledged as I walked over to Porthos rolling up the sleeves on my UBACS and in the process of doing so released a torrent of sweat.

"Well you look like something Soap would stick his knob in," Price said over to me as I walked under the tent cover and was almost blinded by the sun which was beating through the treeline.

"Aye, fuck off," Soap shouted back at him as he came over with Ghost.

"What it's true," Ghost sarcastically told him as he held out his hand to me. "I don't think we've been properly introduced, Lieutenant Riley, or Ghost to those who I don't want to know my name, probably because they're a cunt."

"Well then I guess I'm not a cunt," I told him as I shook his hand.

"I wouldn't go that far mate," Price told me as he pulled off his giggle for a split second to wipe away his sweat, "I hate the sun."

"Captain Mactavish," One shouted as he sprinted over to us and continued speaking, "General Shepherd wants to see you," He looked around our little school circle, "We've just got something from the informant."

"Really what?" Porthos asked him as he started walking back over to the HQ building.

"I don't know yet, has anyone seen Syrup?" One asked as he opened the door to the HQ.

"He was flirting with the Lieutenant Colonel, the last time I saw him," I told him as we walked into the very dark HQ.

"Fucking hell cant he just let her go?" He asked me as we walked into the room where Shepherd was stood with his arms crossed like always.

"Welcome gentlemen, where are the rest of the team?" He asked us as Grommit and Jaeger were not here either.

"They're doing something important I'm sure," I told him as I looked across at the whizzwo who was stood in the corner holding onto a clip board.

"Well I really only wanted the CO and 2IC, but seeing as you're all here," He nodded over to the whizzwo, who had his clipboard at the ready.

"Alright boys," he started in his heavy southern states accent, "the intel we got from the Rusky was good, it appears that there are a few of the inner circle's top guys next door in Sierra Leone. Apparently they are using the place as a stopover when transferring weapons and equipment from the far flung corners of the world, they have a variety of things in country but the latest estimates are that they are attempting to set up a permanent base about fifty miles north east of Freetown."

"We got any imagery on the base?" Price asked him whilst I took in the news.

"Not at this time, that's why we are not letting you guys rip before we got a proper eyes on," The whizz replied.

"So we're not going blind that's good," Porthos blurted out, I don't think it was even consciously he just had a way of rubbing people the wrong way.

"Yeah we thought you guys might need some eyes in the sky before you go in, so you will be stood down for that reason and you boys will need some time after that last op to recover," He said looking at me with my nice new patches, "Also they can't get us a constant UAV cover and air support if needed, for a few days so you'll be given some relaxation time for around ten days now so we can verify the images from the predator."

"Roger, so do you know when we will get briefed to go in?" I asked him as he was about to hand back to Shepherd.

"I don't know yet, when it comes to it I'll get you all in here and we'll sit down ready for the operation brief," He replied just as Shepherd started talking.

"Dismissed," Shepherd told us abruptly before turning and leaving us to it as he walked upstairs in the HQ building, we were left in silence as he walked off which made me realise that we were in an air conditioned building, the air conditioning was the only thing that was breaking the silence of the room before Price walked towards the door not saying a word just the sound of his boots crashing onto the floor broke the sound of the air conditioning.

I followed him and as he opened the door I was blasted by a barrage of heat causing sweat to roll down my forehead and to saturate the patch on my forehead. I could see the patch on my cheek was turning yellow from my sweat. I looked around the camp and spotted Syrup walking back over to the medical tent with the woman who he had gone for a drink with.

I then felt Porthos tap me on the shoulder and pulled me over towards Syrup, "Come on give the guy a break," I told Porthos as he continued to drag me over towards the man who was now stood outside the tent talking to the woman.

"Nah, he needs it," He replied as he brought me before the man and woman.

"What do you want?" the woman asked as she looked over to us.

"I just wanna talk to Syrup," Porthos told her as she looked past him at me I just shrugged at her not wanting to get involved.

"Why?" She continued to stand in the way of him actually getting to him.

"Just get out of the way woman," He then blurted out which was a bad move.

I saw her grit her teeth which was followed by her clenching her fist, 'Oh this will be good,' I thought as he stepped towards Syrup. Porthos placed his hand on Syrup's shoulder which made him recoil when Porthos reached into his pocket with his free hand.

"Mate do you want one of these," He asked Syrup as he pulled out a small silver wrapper, "Need one, she could be contagious."

"Right that's it you Welsh sheep shagging bastard," The woman told him as she grabbed his arm which was placed on Syrup's shoulders, she twisted his elbow around his back and smashed her foot into the back of his right leg. Porthos then crashed into the ground with a thud which made me cringe but it didn't as much as when she turned his wrist towards her chest causing his wrist to crack and Porthos to screech in pain. "Shut the fuck up, it's not broken or even dislocated just locked up, you pansy."

"Come on I think he's learned his lesson," I told her as Porthos continued to wince on the floor.

She threw his hand down onto his body in disgust and just walked into the medical tent, "Is the bitch gone?" Porthos asked in a muffled voice now clutching his elbow. Syrup took a step towards the tent but then took a run up and dived on top of Porthos and rained a series of blows down on him.

"Syrup, get off," I ordered but he just kept on raining blows down, "Oit, get off!" I shouted at him but he still continued he was in a state of almost blind rage. I took a step towards them to break them apart but before I did I saw a huge frame charge in and tackle Syrup off Porthos, I only reacted by checking Porthos over he had sustained quite the barrage but he was just bruised nothing too serious.

I looked up at who had Syrup pinned down, it was Grommit, he had his huge right hand placed over his face pushing it down into the dust Syrup's arms were still flailing around trying to get Grommit off. "Grom, let him go," One ordered as he walked over slowly with his M4 slung underneath his armpit.

Grommit slowly opened his grip and stood to one side, Syrup stood up and brushed the sand off his clothes his UBACS had been coated in a red dust which took a fair bit to shaking to remove. "Now what was this about?" One asked calmly, he spoke to the men around him like a friend rather than a commander, yet he still gave off an aurora of authority and benevolence.

"I think we both got too hot and things boiled over," Syrup replied calmly as if he hadn't been smashing seven bells of shit out of Porthos just seconds earlier.

"Right, well just so we can all cool off, Porthos get into that tent, the rest of you get on the range and get ready for live fire in ten," He turned to walk in the general direction of the range but paused, "Anchor go over to the armoury and get a new rifle, try not to fuck this one up," he then ordered as he walked off.

"Ah yeah I forgot you fucked up your rifle," Grommit told me in his normal joyful tone like he hadn't just tackled a grown man to the floor.

"Yeah I know it sucks right," I told him, "Atleast this thing is in one piece though," I said pulling my FN 5-7 from its holster, it seemed okay just choked full of dust still, I would have time to clean it later though.

"Clearly the Belgians like it dirty," Grommit told me as I put it away again.

"Yeah they do, where is the armoury?" I asked Grommit as we walked over to the range where I could see One and Jaeger firing their rifles down range.

"It's over there next to the HQ building, that tent," He pointed across the central parade square past a group of Liberian Army soldiers who were casually smoking more cigarettes than I think they had brain cells.

I double timed it over towards the tent but I could hear a set of heavy footsteps behind me, I looked over my shoulder to see who it was, their blonde hair was bouncing as they ran towards me they had a keen eye on where I was heading too.

"Yo, Anchor," they shouted as they caught up with me and jogged alongside me.

"Sup' you off to get your C7?" I asked him as I threw open the entrance to the tent and let them in.

"Yeah I put it in for a servicing, I think the dust in Eritrea thoroughly fucked it," He told me as he walked up to the desk which had a solitary soldier set behind it, they had a set of papers on the table which were all signed and authorised by General Shepherd.

We stood over the soldier who was busy writing off more ammunition and weaponry which would need Shepherd to sign off on again, I coughed getting the soldiers attention.

"Name?" The soldier simply questioned.

"Staff Sergeant Deuvea," Syrup told him simply as the soldier looked up his papaers in the stack on the desk.

"AH, you in for the Charlie 7?" the soldier asked being met by a nod from Syrup, he turned around to look inside a large green plastic crate, he then pulled out the rifle, "We made a few upgrades to this one, I think you might like it." He passed the green and black rifle over to Syrup who took it and grinned, "We've put a nice Fortis Rev rail up front it's a nice little keymod rail which only weights nine ounces, we've also fitted a newer version of the spectre scope which gives you a better sight picture at ranges greater than two hundred metres. It's also got a harder recoil spring and an improved butt pad which absorbs the recoil more efficiently."

"Nice, I'll give it a go at the range," He smiled at the armourer.

"Now onto you," He turned to me, "Name?"

"Warrant Officer Jacks," I told him, slightly nervous of what he was going to give me.

"Ah you, don't destroy this one please," He laughed as he looked back into the crate which the C7 came out of, "Right we've just given an L22a2 the go over, its got a new butt pad in the same style as the C7 to reduce the recoil, we've also added a longer handguard with the AFG and a new PEQ-16 to the left hand side to give you some illumination in a pinch and to give you a laser if you need to have NODs on."

"Good," I replied as he passed me the rifle, I clipped it onto my sling which I had over my shoulder, "Cheers mate, Syrup let's get to the range we're already late."

"Shit!" he replied and hurried out of the door towards the range, I just nodded at the soldier and left behind Syrup who was well on his way to the range. I looked past him and saw that Grommit and Jaeger were firing their rifles and moving up on the targets down the range, I could see that One and Price were stood looking at the pair as they made it to the firing line and took out the targets.

"You're late," Price told me and Syrup as we stood recovering from our run.

"Well they're here now," One said calmly as he nodded for us to get into position on the range, "Right you two will be doing fire and manoeuvre. Captain Price will explain."

"You'll move on position one and Anchor you will fire then Syrup you'll bunny hop further to position two and fire, then you'll repeat until you get to position nine and then take out the targets." He paused to take a puff on his cigar, "Off you fuck."

I hope you enjoyed the chapter and have been enjoying the story I know it was a slow one but it had to be for the next few chapters (No spoilers). Anyway Please leave a review and tell me what you've thought of the story so far and how it could be improved anyway until the next time…. PEACE!