The Drop
Hello peoples, I know I haven't updated in a while but here we go we're almost there with this one the pinnacle of the story is almost here how will it evolve you will have to read to find out. As always I do not own COD but I do own M1J.
I was on my way back over to the tent where Price was chatting to Jaeger, I couldn't make out much but Price looked serious much like he used to when we were preparing for the drop in the regiment. As I got closer I could hear a few snippets of the conversation but before long Price snapped onto my presence and started to stare me out.
"You ready for this," Jaeger asked me as I nodded to them both.
"Aye, you never know it could be fun," I told them as I stood in their new circle, "I'm not too keen on the Rusky involvement though."
"Ja, they don't play fair huh?" The German joked as he sparked a cigarette.
"You've never played with them have you?" Price asked him as he pulled out his box of cigars, "Bollocks only one left."
"You want one of these?" Jaeger asked holding out his box of Marlboro, Price just shook his head, "Nein I'm Deutsch, I spent my life chasing down Mossad trying to kill of the elderly population," He joked.
"Sins of our fathers," Price said putting his cigar box back in his pocket.
"Ain't it a bitch," Jaeger replied blowing out a puff of smoke.
"Team, in the tent now," One ordered from across the parade square not getting the attention of the cracked out Liberian soldiers. He charged over to us and closed the tent behind everyone. "We've had a few developments on the ground," He told us solemnly, "Right we've had some intel from the ground, our informant, her village and several other villages around the AO have been massacred by something new."
"Bugger, what was it?" Price asked him as I watched One pull out a revised map of the AO.
"Something we're yet to encounter, we believe it could be a Sarin based chemical but we can't be too sure at this time," He told Price as he pointed down at a building which previously not been marked as target by command.
"How was it delivered?" I asked him as I looked over the pictures displaying the aftermath of the attack, an area about three square kilometres had been wiped off the face of the planet and our initial point of entry had now been annihilated.
"We believe by arty, but we can't rule out an aerial delivery," He shot back.
"What could deliver something like that that we didn't detect?" Syrup then asked.
"That's the thing, we don't know," He paused briefly, "it could be a result of the new Russian advancements in modernising their military."
"Fucking great so we could have something dropped on us when we go in?" I outburst causing the situation to become that little bit more tense.
"We're training the sub to give us a ten minute warning on a breach over the airspace up to seventy five thousand feet, so we shouldn't get caught off guard," One replied sharply hoping to calm the atmosphere.
"Well that is reassuring," I replied, I was nervous about the op due to the nature of who we were there to grab, I didn't have much to go on only Soap's words that it would be worse than Russia.
"We don't believe that it was dropped by air, we believe that the artillery that we mentioned earlier is the true source of the weapon, that's why we've got some Liberian Air Force jets marked ready to strike the arty essentially rendering them useless."
"How are we getting in now?" Price asked changing the atmosphere with his authoritative voice, he simply oozed a commanding domineer.
"The insertion point has been relocated to the south of the camp where there isn't a single human contact for miles around the target is a river and then a creek which leads up to the camp," One pointed out following with his finger the long snaking river that we were going to be heading down towards the insertion point.
"How are we getting there? HAHO or HALO?" Grommit added his large frame to the conversation.
He looked up at all of us, "We're going in through drop off from a CH-46 Sea Knight with a RHIB in tow, were hoping to touch down in a spot on a widened area of the Moa river."
"Which is where we'll head up stream and brass the fuck outa that camp," Porthos almost shouted with joy.
"Not so fast, we're still going to try and get this done cleanly, no noisy contact, keep it quiet," One ordered trying to hush the excited Welshman.
I looked around the room waiting to see who would be the first to speak, I saw Price inhale deeply as if he was about to talk. However I thought that I knew what he was going to say so I simply got there first, "When are me mobilising?" I asked watching Price exhale rapidly and with force. I could hear the distant sounds of rotor blades.
"As soon as that thing lands," Price told us as the sounds became louder and louder. I could tell it was a tandem rotored helicopter just through the sounds of the blades cutting through the air, it sounded much like a raging firefight only from the air. I felt the roof of the tent move as the helicopter came in low, we exited the tent watching the thing get lower in the air whilst a truck barrelled towards the makeshift helicopter landing pad in the sand.
Just as the landing gear of the chopper impacted the sand the comparably small framed General Shepherd climbed out of the truck in his ACU coloured fatigues. The man in the back who had been guarding the briefing room clambered clumsily out of the rear driver's side seat and tore open the tail gate of the truck exposing our arsenal of weapons but there was one which I didn't recognise.
It was an M4 fitted with a series of laser sights and a suppressor, Price scooped up the rifle from the tailgate and walked towards the helicopter which maintained its rotor spinning. I picked up my L22 ahead of Syrup and headed over to the chopper behind Price.
"You ready for this one?" Price whispered to me as the ramp dropped on the chopper and he watches as I climbed aboard.
I nodded to him still apprehensive about where we were going I knew that across the border was a hot zone but with Russian Spec Ops there I didn't want to get to heavily involved. "It unnerves me that we don't know enough about the target, do we even have maps of the AO?"
"No we just know to head up stream and get to the camp, if you want my opinion Shepherd is pushing his luck on this one," Price replied as he took a seat next to me on the left side of the fuselage with the RHIB at our toes.
"Well we're the best there are so shut it and get on with it," One put me in my place which didn't do much to ease my fears.
I just sat back in my seat listening to the shaking of the helicopter as it lifted into the air, my head bashed against the head restraints which sent an almost ear shattering sound through my helmet which conducted down my ear and felt like it ruptured my eardrums. I checked my flashlight to make sure that it was still attached to the side of my head, it was which was lucky as the impact had made my left ear ring.
The frame buffeted as it kept through the air, out of the opposite window I could see the tree tops only a few feet below the aircraft. I felt the souls of my feet bounce off the floor as the huge frame bumped up and down. I continued to shake feeling more apprehensive, time was slowing the rotor blades were no longer a consistent hum, I could actually differentiate each individual swing of the blades. I could almost feel the displaced air from the rotors brushing my hair under my helmet like it was whipping past my face. The smell emanating from the forest was strong it resembled excrement or burning flesh, it stuck to the back of my throat like tar.
"Oh shit," Grommit stood gazing out of the window over my head.
"What is it?" Price ordered over the silence which existed within the airframe.
Grommit pointed which made Porthos stand up next to me and look out of the adjacent window, "Well I presume that was the village that received the bombing."
"That would be it," One said as he remained seated next to where Grommit should have been, Syrup and Jaeger kept their eyes on the floor as we drifted past the burnt wreckage of a village that remained.
I turned on my seat and looked out of the port side windows the burnt out buildings had still had the remnants of drapes hanging from their windows; they drifted effortlessly in the breeze a solemn reminder about what had happened.
"Sit back down," Price snarled but I ignored him and kept gazing out of the window. However after a few seconds I felt someone pull me backwards, I didn't look at who it was I just felt the metal plate of the seat ram into my arse causing a jolting pain to shoot up my coccyx, this was met by a swift jab in the face. "Do what you're fucking told next time," Price exclaimed into my face as I tried to see if I had a bloodied nose. I looked past Price and saw that everyone else had sat back in their seats, Grommit had his head rested on the butt plate of the machine gun which he had sat with the barrel situated inside one of the gaps in the floor.
We continued to bump through the air towards our new LZ yet in the back of my mind I yearned to go back to the burnt village, the smell of burnt flesh and decaying bodies still clung to everything in the air frame. I could almost taste it in the lump which had grown in my throat. I kept my eyes fixated forwards not looking at anyone or anything in particular just waiting for the horrific ride to be over.
A crackle came over the intercom within the helicopter, "Five minutes to splash down."
One stood up and moved into the centre of the walkway up the aircraft at the nose of the RHIB, "Five minutes get in the boat, Price you take the tiller, Anchor you take up front with me seeing as how we've had the most experience with water born warfare."
"Well if you insist," I replied as I climbed over the edge of the boat and sat up front with One who balanced his bore on the ropes with were strewn across the upper edge of the boat's inflatable pontoons.
I felt the huge frame of Grommit press up against me as he placed his minimi on the pontoon next to me at the 3 o'clock position, I heard him pull back and then release the bolt on the gun. Jaeger was planted in the centre of the group with his PSG-1 and his head on a swivel, Syrup took up the rear next to price who was hunkered down next to the tiller waiting for us to be dropped in the river.
"One minute, Mike One Juliet, One Minute," the intercom crackled as the whole frame shuddered, I could feel my body being lurched forwards as the huge vehicle stopped and hovered over the river below. After a few seconds the ramp at the rear of the aircraft dropped.
I felt my heart pound as the boat dropped off the ramp. I felt almost completely weightless as the craft sank through the air. It seemed to take minutes when in actual fact it probably wasn't even a second that we were in the air. I had enough time to look back at Price who was hunkered down next to the tiller but he obviously spotted me as he gave me a quick wink which was followed by the splash down of the boat. Breaking the surface tension of the water sent it splashing into the boat and coating the occupants in a layer of water.
"Check your weapons, we don't know what's waiting for us up here," One ordered which sent an array of metallic clacks and clinks throughout the craft breaking the sound of the noisy rotor blades, which seemed to hang around forever yet I knew that it was racing away trying not to get us compromised at this very early stage of the mission.
"Why hasn't he fucked off yet?" Porthos asked in his very welsh accent.
"He has it's just so damn flat here that the sound carries for miles," I replied which was concurred by a sound for Syrup who was covering an ark directly overlooking the treeline on the bank.
"Price get us moving I don't wanna be stuck at infil for too long," One ordered to Price who hurriedly got the outboard going and we slowly crept up the river towards our target.
I knew it was approximately twelve nautical miles to the AO but I had no idea the direction that this river would lead us on all I was told that six clicks away we would have to disembark to get there on foot.
Thirty minutes down the river on the boat we were approaching the drop point when Syrup suddenly sprang into life, "Two contacts our direct three, one male, one female, I don't see weapons," He whispered across to us.
"Have they seen us?" One asked as he turned a few degrees to look at his contact.
"I can't tell, but they've frozen."
"Fuck," One exhaled as he stood up on the boat peering through his scope to look over the contact. He rocked the boat as he jumped out I followed with haste, he scrambled up the bank with his rifle held in just his right hand.
I just reached the crest of the bank when I spotted that One had the man pinned down with his rifle in his face but the woman was still running so I sprinted to catch up with her grabbing her by her waist and rugby tackling her to the floor.
"Stay down," One ordered to the man who was attempting to struggle to get free.
"Don't shoot, don't shoot," the woman shouted terror stricken as she stayed perfectly still underneath me. I stood guard not pointing my barrel at her because I could see she was unarmed, however I was about to put a cable tie around her wrists but he voice stopped me. "We're friendly no threat," She said still remaining motionless.
"One stand down," Price said calmly over the radio, "Give them the challenge."
One sighed as he hauled the man to his feet, "Tropic."
The man brushed himself down and looked One in the eyes, "Thunder." He hissed whilst looking towards me as I helped the woman to her feet. "Why are you always so rough with the locals, we did not attack you why is the need for force?"
"My apologies Sir, we couldn't take any chances, my colleague was simply following our rules," I told him holding out my hand to give him a hand shake.
"Ah a British Officer, now I am in my own company, not these Americans," The man said as he pointed at my slide.
"No Sir, I am merely a Warrant Officer 2nd Class," I replied shaking his hand.
"Ah now I see, it's been a while since my time in the Royal Armoured Corps," He explained. He looked past me seeing something coming up the bank, "Lieutenant Price," He exclaimed with a smile, "It's been too long, you were last here what in two thousand? Why have you not come back as you said?"
"Major Kuti," Price said as he took the man's hand shaking it violently, "It's been too long mate, Op Barras was a long time ago now, I am back now anyway." He paused looking at the woman, "Is this Elizabeth?"
"Yes, my daughter has grown since your last visit hasn't she?" The man said parading the woman around proudly, "Are you heading to the camp?"
"Yeah we're on the way there now," One said butting into the conversation.
"Okay I'll take you to a better OP than you had planned I feel that route is no longer viable," The Major told us setting off into the dense jungle.
"I'm assuming command of this mission now," Price ordered as he walked forwards up the river followed by Syrup and Jeager, "Grom, scuttle the boat…Quietly."
I covered Grommit as he punched a hole in the keel of the boat with his knife causing it to slowly sink into the river. I helped him up the edge of the bank pulling him by the drag handle on the rear of his body armour. He nodded to me as he regained his balance on the apex of the bank to which we continued to follow the rest of the squad.
It took about an hour and a half of trudging into the jungle, trying to leave everything intact as if we hadn't even been there.
"Here we go my friends, I have to leave or the refugee village will become suspicious of our leave," The Major told us as he grabbed Elizabeth by the arm and pulled her away.
"Jaeger crack out the rifle, Syrup you spot," Price ordered as he sat down next to a tree, so I climbed under a small banana bush, Grommit took up over watch with his machine gun next to the tree that Price had sat up next to and One simply crouched down next to Syrup who was dialing in his rifle.
Another hour passed when Jaeger suddenly broke into action, "Sir, I've got eyes on two times armed men with one hostage, exiting the main site building," He calmly read off as he continued to track the targets whilst One and Syrup trained onto them.
"Ah shit that's the Major," Syrup said as he continue to observe.
Price and I scrambled to the precipice of the ledge which was overlooking the camp, I peered through my scope and spotted the Major being held with an AK to the back of his head. "Shit, do we escalate?" I asked Price who had his own rifle trained on the spot.
"Not yet?" He replied keeping his sight trained on the target.
"I got a man in a black suit in green body armour moving left to right, ten metres from the POI," Jaeger told us as he moved slightly to get on the new target.
"That's our man," Price told us as I watched the man, I continued to follow his as I spotted a silver weapon get draw from behind Makarov's body armour. "Hang on," Price had just managed to get out before a shot rippled through the jungle, "Right, now we're escalating," Price said as he lowered his weapon and broke his radio silence. "Haymaker, Mike One Juliet, we're escalating early due to the VIP being in the AO, we will attempt to snatch, out?"
"Shouldn't we wait for them to confirm?" One asked Price before he could set off down through the jungle towards the camp.
Price waited for a second for the radio to crackle and as soon as it did he pressed the kill switch and hot micked the frequency, "I think that's the authorisation."
I hope you enjoyed this chapter hopefully the final chapter will be out quickly but I wouldn't hold up many hopes as I have a lot going on with the Summer Break going on, for those who care I have now finished my BSc in Chemistry with a 1st and will be doing my MChem year starting in September so I will be hopefully updating regularly from then until the next chapter…PEACE!