JTF Base of Operations
Briefing Room
Two Weeks Later…
"Okay people." Manny begins, looking around at the Agents and soldiers around the room. "This is the big one." He points to the Capitol Building on his map, represented by a toy nutcracker. "The True Sons are the last ones standing between us, and a liberated and cleansed D.C."
"This won't be easy by any means." Alani explains, stepping forward. "The True Sons have heavily fortified the whole place. We'll be walking into a meat grinder, especially if we go during the day. There are mortar teams and heavy machine guns on the roof, with pillboxes here, and here. If we go at night, it'll be harder for them to target us."
"What about stealth?" Kelly asks.
"Our team is too large, and the roof gunners have spotlights. Not to mention that this can't be done with a smaller team." Alani says. "Our plan is to use the Air Force One crash site as a springboard. From there, the Militia will give us covering fire with mortars stolen from the True Sons in one of the earlier raids. Flare rounds, HE, you get the idea. Defenders will likely try to return fire, so they'll have to be highly mobile. Fire, then move, repeat. The assault team will hop the fence here, and use ISAC to mark the first mortar targets. Ours won't have the range to reach the roof, so keep that sniper handy, Jay."
My companion nods confidently.
"Kelly, I'd stick with her as well. Faye tells me you've gotten the hang of that RPG."
"Just warn us before you fire it." I comment. "My ears are still ringing from the Arena." I make a show of rubbing my ear and snapping my fingers next to it, earning a slap on the shoulder from Jay and a light chuckle from everyone in the room.
"Once you're over the fence, get to the entrance by any means necessary. Find President Ellis' briefcase, likely in the control room, and get it to the roof for helo extraction."
"We know for certain that General Ridgeway is there." Manny says. "He'll likely make an appearance, since you are storming his castle."
"Rules of engagement?" Roxwell asks.
"Kill every True Son in sight." Manny replies flatly.
"Simple tastes." I say with a grin. "I knew I liked you, Manny."
"Agents, I cannot stress to you how important this is. Clearing the Capitol Building and recovering that briefcase are essential to securing D.C.. Make any necessary preparations, then head out. The attack will commence after sunset. Dismissed."
Our rather large group files out of Manny's office and splinters in several directions. Some go to the armory, some to the Quartermaster, some to the barracks. Jay, Faye and I are among the latter group. I move to my rack to pick up my Go-Bag.
"Hey Sarah." I hear Faye pipe up behind me. "Got a second?"
I turn around to see her standing somewhat sheepishly in the middle of the room.
"Sure thing."
"I...I owe all of you an apology. Dragging you down here without a second thought, then making you out to be the bad guy when you protested." She directs that last part at me. "For lack of a better word, I was a dick. And I know you like to wear your feelings on your sleeves, and you're very direct about things you don't like. That's something no amount of arguing is ever going to change."
I find myself in some sort of trance. I've never heard Faye say anything remotely like this, let alone to me. She looks down at the floor, then up to me with an unsure expression.
"Hey, apology accepted." I say, offering a handshake which she gladly accepts. "Water under the bridge."
"Thank you, Sarah. I've been meaning to say that for some time now."
"It's all good. Besides, I'm sure you had your reasons."
Air Force One Crash Site
East Mall
Several Hours Later…
"Christ, look at that place." My companion says as her, Kelly and myself sit on the wing of the destroyed plane. Directly ahead of us stands the Capitol Building. Alani wasn't kidding when she called it a fortress. The lights on the dome are still on, assisted by the last remnants of sunlight, all of which reveal how fortified the place is.
Several watchtowers guard over the grounds, giving the men inside an unparalleled view of the downward slope below them. Small pillboxes dot the landscape, and a large CIWS cannon sits imposingly on the roof, daring us to attack. Combined with the small trench network and rows of anti-vehicle obstacles, it worryingly resembles Omaha Beach.
Kelly watches the True Sons wander around inside the grounds through her binoculars. Sarah is on the other side of her, starting what has to be her fifth cigarette since our arrival less than an hour ago. The breeze blowing past, the crickets singing all around, and the creaking metal wreck we're seated on creates an eerily peaceful ambience, considering what is about to unfold.
"I don't know about this." Sarah says nervously after letting out a shaky breath. "I mean look at it."
"I hear that." Kelly replies in a similar tone. "How are the twelve of us supposed to take this place down?"
"Sarah." I begin. "Remember the U.N. raid?" At my partner's nod I continue. "That place was just as fortified. And there were Rogue Agents runnin' around. Raptor? Tarantula?"
Sarah lets out a sigh at the memory, taking another long drag.
"Plus, the True Sons don't have an attack helicopter."
"But they do have a pretty solid recreation of Normandy." Kelly murmurs grimmly.
"We'll get through." I reply, trying to inspire optimism in my friends. "Our boys there did. Right?"
"I guess they did." Sarah says finally. "Besides, these guys have numbers, but we have tech and the element of surprise."
Kelly and I turn to see Faye arrive down below.
"The Militia is here. It's time." She passes her gaze over us. "Get your weapons and all the ammo you can carry."
Sarah tosses her finished smoke into the pool of water below us and slides down the broken plane wing. I stand up and offer Kelly a hand. She very reluctantly takes it and slowly rises to her feet, slinging her rifle over her shoulder and placing her helmet on her head. I snap the chin strap into place and pat the helmet encouragingly. My guardsman friend takes a deep breath and nods, taking the lead to the inside of the plane.
On the street, the Militia quietly sets up their mortars. Finnigan hands out the rest of the ammunition and weapons inside the control point. Miller and Lazka help each other with their chest rigs and helmets. Upton looks over his medical supplies one last time. Alani stands between Roxwell, Thomas and Dima, looking over a hand drawn map of the battlefield and directing them on where to go once we're past the fence. Everyone carries with them a sense of dread as to what we will expect.
To call the group 'tense' would be a gross understatement.
After laying several belts of ammunition around my neck, I begin loading the last box into my SAW. Jay arrives at my side, looking over her ACR.
"Ready?" She asks.
"Is anyone ever truly ready for this?"
"I'd say Roxwell is." We both turn to see the mountain of an Agent in question. He has stepped away from Alani and lightly bounces on his feet, giving his machete a few practice swings.
"Should we be worried about how 'ready' he seems to be?" I ask my companion. I continue to gaze at Roxwell as he stows his weapons and cracks his knuckles rather loudly.
"I'd say someone has to be ready, and it might as well be him." Jay replies.
"Alright, folks." Alani announces. "Form up at the fence. Mortar team, get ready with that first shot."
"And for all our sakes, don't miss." I quip as I pass, following Jay to the fence. She climbs up onto the concrete barrier and helps me up, and as a 'thanks' I give her a light slap on her behind as I pass, not looking back for her reaction. Our group slowly makes its way to the hole in the fence, only big enough for single file. Once we're there, Alani looks everyone over, then down at her watch.
"Last call for bathroom breaks!" Finnigan whispers, earning a slap on the helmet from Miller.
"I've never been very religious." I think to myself. "But any Gods who are out there, please watch over us. Let us get across this battlefield safely."
My silent prayer is nearly interrupted by Alani signaling to the mortar team, and them firing.
"GO!" Faye screams as the mortar shell whistles over our heads.
"Here goes nothing, comrades!" Dima calls out.
I step through the fence hole just as the mortar shell impacts with a pillbox, sending sandbags, chunks of concrete and wood splinters in every direction. Jay follows me in, followed by Kelly's team, the guardsman herself, and Roxwell taking up the rear.
The True Sons appear to have been taken completely by surprise, as many look at the exploded bunker with confusion, only to be cut down by Faye, Dima and Alani as they blaze a path forward. Roxwell jumps up onto a footbridge above our heads and quickly cuts down any foes in his path, quite literally. I find myself following Thomas to the right, the latter taking out an Mk21 MSR and diving behind a concrete obstacle. We quickly and wordlessly create a team system, myself suppressing targets and him taking them out when they emerge again.
"I'm an idealist." Thomas jeers after a few successful shots. "...with a sniper rifle."
"And I'm a pessimist." I follow up. "With a machine gun."
"I knew I liked you, Sarah." He says with a chuckle.
On the other side of the battlefield, I see Jay, Kelly and Roxwell moving to the left. My companion has her 'Sharpshooter' rifle ready, letting it lean against their cover. Kelly aims her RPG at the watchtower in the center, just behind the destroyed bunker. Before I can see her fire it, ISAC chirps in my ear.
*WARNING. HIGH EXPLOSIVE PROJECTILE INCOMING* The AI suddenly highlights a large area near Thomas and I bright red, the whistle of a mortar round quickly getting louder.
"Move!" I shout at him, and we desperately scramble out of the way.
Our entire offensive stops as the concussive blast from a massive explosion slams into us. I'm the first to look up, and I'm greeted by large chunks of dirt raining down all around. Instinctively, I look to where Sarah last was, only to see a smoking crater.
"There's the artillery!" Lazka shouts from somewhere behind me. "Right on queue!"
"Sarah?!" I cry over the short range. "Sarah!"
"I'm good!" Comes the reply a few moments later. "So is Thomas. Fuckin' shockwave is gonna make me puke, but we're good."
"I saw where that round came from!" I announce to everyone, lifting my rifle. "Keep an eye on the roof edge for some fireworks!"
Meanwhile…
Capitol Building Roof
Pvt. Jessie Olivier
True Sons Mortar Crew
"Hangin'!"
"FIRE!"
Pvt. Olivier quickly pulls her hands away and plugs her ears as the massive mortar shell drops into the tube and fires. Almost immediately afterward, she opens the ammunition container nearby and preps the next round.
Pvt. Neal quickly corrects the tube, aiming at the slowly advancing Militia, or Hyenas, or whoever is unlucky enough to be down below. He plugs his ears as Olivier returns with another round, struggling to lift the massive shell. Nearly fumbling it, she finally lifts it high enough to drop the tail into the tube.
"Ready!" Neal calls to her. The round shakily slides lower.
"Hanging!"
"FIRE!" The crew chief Sgt. Alenko barks. Olivier lets go and the shell fires.
This repeats several more times, yet the invaders keep advancing, cutting down the helpless gunners in the trenches. The defenders begin to question who exactly they're fighting, as several mortar rounds land in the grounds, targeting friendly positions.
Pvt. Olivier is quickly becoming exhausted. The mortar shells used by her unit are easily heavier than she is, but her small stature is earning no sympathy from the rest of the team.
"Next round! Get it up!" Alenko screams angrily at the young, scrawny Private. "Today! Hurry!" With all her might, she lifts the shell up and into the tube.
Yet the sound that followed wasn't the mortar firing, but the shot from a rifle somewhere in the distance.
It was the last thing Private Jessica Olivier ever heard.
A cascade of explosions ripple across the roof of the Capitol Building. A shockwave of dust flies over the heads of my compatriots as Jay cycles the bolt of her rifle. The massive shell of a .50 BMG round lands in the dirt at her feet.
"Great shot!" Roxwell calls, jumping down from the bridge and squeezing off a burst at a True Son who is about to throw a grenade. A round hits her and she drops it, trying in vain to scramble away before it detonates.
"Kelly!" Faye calls over the radio. "We're pinned by that watch tower on the right! Can you get a shot?"
"I'm on it." I reply simply. My last shot at the tower missed when the mortar round landed earlier. Roxwell pulls a rocket out of my pack and passes it over, pulling off the contact fuse cover.
"Make it count, kiddo!" He says warmly. I slide the rocket into the tube and take aim at the tower. Two men, one ISAC has named 'Lieutenant "Doc" Simpson', fire at Faye and Sarah's positions.
"I've got target!" I call to my teammates. "Backblast?"
"Clear!" Jay confirms, covering her ears.
"Fire in the hole!"
*FWOOSH!*
Moments later, the tower blasts apart into thousands of pieces, the men inside nowhere to be seen. I kneel back down and stow the empty tube, picking up my M16 off the ground.
"Ideal'no vystrel!" Dima cries happily.
"Great shot, Kelly." Says Faye much more professionally. "Everyone move up! We have to get off this damn hill!"
Finnigan and company quickly pass us, each giving their own compliment on the rocket shot. The small celebration is interrupted as we dart away from an incoming mortar round. On the right flank, Sarah is emptying her belt fed into a True Son trench. Thomas runs past her and vaults over an obstacle, disappearing into the fray. Up ahead, the defenses quickly collapse under the advancing Agents. Dima, Alani and Faye have already reached the stairs, leaving a bloody trail of destruction. Miller and Lazka take the lead towards them, easily mopping up any survivors.
"More hostiles headed to you!" A voice on the radio announces. Thomas and I glance up at the sound of tiny rotor blades to see a drone passing overhead. It was likely sent from the White House, probably ordered by Manny, to monitor our progress.
"An eye in the sky." Thomas observes. "Manny spared no expense I see."
At the top of the small flight of stairs, a security door opens. Faye and company scramble away as more True Sons pour out, many throwing grenades or charging with shotguns.
"How many of these guys are there?!" I shout, mostly to myself. My partner doesn't answer, instead switching to his AUG A3 and blasting the first enemy he sees, just as the man was about to reach us.
"Consider yourself Peace Corps-ed!" Thomas cries enthusiastically as I ready my shotgun, fully loaded with slug rounds. I unload a shell into a Thrower who tried to sneak up on us. She keels over, letting out a pathetic sounding whimper as she falls to the ground in a heap. An idea presents itself as I pick up the True Son's belt of grenades, wrapping it around my waist.
"These ought to come in handy."
"That was the last of them." The drone operator announces as we regroup at the bottom of the stairs. "You should have a clear approach to the entrance." Jay jogs over to me and pats my shoulder.
"You okay?" She asks as Faye orders the Militia to cease fire.
"Yeah." I look down at myself, making a show of counting my fingers and limbs. "I think so. You?"
"She's the one who silenced that mortar crew on the roof!" Roxwell boasts.
"I thought so." I say as my companion shrugs modestly.
"Did we really just do that?" Kelly asks in disbelief. We all silently share that feeling as we glance around at each other.
Other than a near miss from an artillery shell, Thomas and I were unscathed in the assault. Dima went through a few body armor plates, as did Roxwell, and Finnigan took a hit in the arm, which was quickly patched up by Upton. Kelly looks down the hill at the now eerily silent battlefield. As the dust and smoke clear, the moon, and the few surviving spotlights, shine down on shell craters of various sizes, scattered debris, and fallen True Sons. Overhead, the JTF drone quietly buzzes around as it orbits us, it's operator likely wondering why we've stopped.
"That was the hard part." Roxwell says reassuringly. "Now, we just have one objective left."
"Two." Alani corrects him. "The first is the easiest. Find the briefcase."
"And the other?" Kelly asks.
"Kill Ridgeway."
"Then let's get in there and finish this." Faye declares.
Finishing with our gawking at the view, we begin to, somewhat reluctantly, follow her to the large double doors.
"This'll all be over soon." Jay says quietly in Kelly's ear.
A/N
Holy smokes this took a long time to post. Apologies to anyone who thought this fic was forgotten or I was somehow incapacitated. Worry not!
So Faye finally apologizes to Sarah for one of the earlier events, like the entire story so far, and we are seeing the beginning of the end for the True Sons. But as we all know, they are not the last faction...
Hopefully, my writers block will pass now that this chapter is finally finished. See you all next time!