Thank you cheryl, bugsy, and whiteknight for your support. And thanks to blackops warfare for helping me with the proper names of weapons. I don't know squat about the military, which is why it's taking me so long to write this. I have to research everything but it's easy to miss things. So I humbly ask that everyone gives me grace in regards to the details. If it bothers you and the document is still in my manager, let me know and I will try to change it.
I do not own GI Joe.
"We've been out here for hours." Shipwreck complained. "Do we even know what we're looking for?"
"Intelligence suggests that Zartan's base is located in the Florida Everglades." Dusty answered.
"That could be anywhere!" Shipwreck groaned. "Like looking for a needle in a haystack."
"Needle in a haystack, awk." Polly agreed.
Cover Girl did not say anything. She knew that Shipwreck was right. When she was in the medical room, she had been confident that they had to go after Beach Head. Now that they were actually out there, she was feeling decidedly less confident, especially since they were technically disobeying orders. Just as she was about to suggest that they go back, something unusual happened. The swamp below them flickered.
"Did you see that?" Cover Girl gripped Wild Bill's arm.
"Sure did. Not everyday the terrain blinks at ya." Wild Bill commented.
"We should land." Cover Girl said.
"Landing now." Wild Bill was all business.
Within minutes they had landed several feet away from where they first saw the anomaly. They quickly exited the chopper. Wild Bill pulled a camouflaged tarp over it as Dusty did a quick reconnaissance.
"It looks like it's a hologram." Dusty announced when he came back. "Anything can be behind it."
"Well, we can use whatever darkness is left as cover." Shipwreck said looking toward the slight pink glow in the horizon. "We'd better hurry."
"Better hurry, awk." Polly squawked.
"You stay here, bird." Shipwreck said gruffly but gently lifted his pet off his shoulder. He let his bird fly to a tree. Polly settled in the branches out of sight. The group, however, didn't notice the pair of eyes watching them.
The small group minus Lifeline got their weapons ready as they passed through the hologram field. Once inside they were greeted by a wooden shack surrounded by Cobra vehicles and planes.
"Jackpot." Shipwreck whispered.
The door of the shack burst opened and a man came out shooting.
"Hey, it's Beach!" Lifeline exclaimed.
Cover Girl squinted. It was Beach Head. The Cobra soldiers returned fire. Beach Head hit the ground. "Give him cover!" Cover Girl shouted. The small group opened fire. Lifeline charged ahead to get to Beach Head. When Lifeline reached him, he pulled Beach Head's arm around his shoulder. Lifeline pulled him along as bullets whizzed over their heads.
"I've got him! Go! Go! Go!" Lifeline yelled as he reached the group. Dusty slipped Beach Head's other arm around him. Lifeline and Dusty together carried Beach Head away. Wild Bill, Cover Girl, and Shipwreck held back the enemy.
Once they were sure that Lifeline and Dusty had Beach Head safely out, they slowly fell back as well.
They pierced through the hologram. Wild Bill quickly pulled the tarp off his chopper. Lifeline and Dusty loaded Beach Head onto the Tomahawk.
"Wait! Where's Polly?" Shipwreck asked looking around.
Polly flew from the hiding place and into the opened copter.
Cover Girl was the last to get on, offering cover. As soon as she hopped on, the copter lifted off.
"That was almost too easy." Wild Bill mused.
Gunfire erupted around them.
"You were sayin'?" Shipwreck asked sarcastically.
"Now we're talking." Wild Bill smiled wickedly.
"You're enjoying this, aren't you?" Shipwreck asked incredulously.
"Yee-Haw!" The Tomahawk started doing a barrel roll.
Everyone inside braced themselves as everything shifted back.
"Awk, just like a blender." Polly observed from the middle of the copter.
"It's a good thing I tied Beach Head down already." Lifeline noted as he held onto the sides of the chopper.
Cover Girl but a bracing hand on Beach Head as the Tomahawk moved in ways that only Wild Bill can coax out of it. She heard more gunfire but this time from their aircraft. Explosions answered on either side of them.
"Wild Bill, how about you hold this thing still so I can get some of these snakes off our tail?" Dusty called as he edged toward the doorway.
"A big ten four!" Wild Bill answered easily.
"Much obliged!" Dusty slid open the door and pulled out his M-16. He shot at the planes behind him. One burst into flames.
"Woohoo!" Dusty cheered as he let out another barrage of gunfire.
More planes erupted in flames as the rest pulled away.
"Hey, the snakes are retreating!" Dusty said surprised.
"Cowards." Wild Bill scoffed.
"I'm not complaining." Shipwreck said.
"Don't look a gift horse in the mouth, awk." Polly replied.
A groan brought everyone's attention to the injured man.
"How's he doing?" Cover Girl asked with concern.
"He's lost some blood but he's going to be okay." Lifeline said as he wrapped his injury.
"Can he talk?" Wild Bill asked from the front.
"He's not fully conscious yet." Lifeline said.
"Whatcha mean I'm not fully conscious? Let me loose and I'll show you fully conscious." Beach Head said weakly.
"Yeah, he's going to be fine." Shipwreck observed wryly.
Cover Girl placed a hand on Beach Head's chest. To her surprise, his hand reached over and gripped hers. He didn't let go until they landed.
0o0
"They bought it." Dr. Mindbender rubbed his hands gleefully.
"We may have lost one spy but now we have two." Zartan agreed.
"Awk, you'll never get away with this, awk!" Polly squawked angrily. A Cobra soldier held the parrot tightly.
Beach Head was still unconscious on the floor albeit in his underwear.
"I think we already have. "Dr. Mindbender said smugly. "Now that everything is set in motion, we can get rid of the garbage."
"I thought you needed us?" Flint was trying to buy time.
"Now that your friends have taken in the fakes, we have more than enough spies to finish what we have started." Mindbender sniffed.
"Joes already know you have planted a mole." Flint protested.
"They think they've found him already… you! And since your clone has been compromised you are useless to us. Zartan…"
"Finally," Zartan smiled wickedly. "I've been waiting a long time for this." He aimed his gun at Flint. "Don't worry, I'll take good of your little girlfriend."
Flint glared at him as Zartan pulled the trigger back.
Polly pecked the Cobra agent's hand.
"Oww!" The startled soldier let go of the bird. Polly flew at Zartan who opened fire. But because of the distraction his aim was off.
Flint took a chance. He twisted around so that his bound hands caught the misfire. Feeling the ropes grow slack he pulled hard freeing his hands. He saw the Cobra soldier going to grab the bird. He swung out his legs. The soldier fell on his face. Flint used his elbow to knock him out. Grabbing the man's gun, he shot off the shackles on his legs. Polly was clawing and flapping at Zartan's face. Mindbender was trying to halfheartedly help. Flint pistol whipped Mindbender on the back of his head, taking him out. Polly flew out of the way. Zartan looked up to see a fist in front of his face. Then he saw nothing.
Flint rubbed his knuckles.
"Thanks! Remind me to tell Shipwreck to increase your cracker ration." Flint said to Polly.
"Awk, more for me." Polly whistled.
Flint removed the bonds around Beach Head's arms and legs. Beach Head moaned. "Come on, Ranger. We gotta go." Flint's ears caught the sound of returning jets. "Looks like they're returning."
Beach Head immediately pushed himself off the ground.
"Why am I in my skivvies?" He glanced down at himself.
"Taking care of that now." Flint stripped the Cobra soldier of his pants, shirt, and boots.
"I ain't wearing that… travesty of a uniform!" Beach Head protested.
"Look, if you want to wander around in your underwear, be my guest but this is the best we got. Beggars can't be choosy." Flint threw the clothes his way.
Beach Head caught them in midair and with much grumbling put them on. Flint noticed that he was a little unstable on his feet.
Flint caught his arm and flung it around his shoulder.
"I don't need help." Beach Head was offended.
"Sure you don't. But humor me anyway." Flint half led, half dragged him to the door. Looking around he saw the first Cobra jets landing. "Come on!" He and Beach Head bolted out of the shack and into the swampy marsh away from Cobra. Polly leisurely flew out after them.
You can skip this part if you're not interested. Someone said Polly is a girl but when I looked it up, Polly was referred to as a boy. I always thought it was a boy but then again what do I know. So if anyone has a definitive answer let me know otherwise I'm trying to keep it as neutral as possible.