Cliffhanger

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"Look well, gentlemen. I got some good news."

"If you ignore over a 100 countries pointing their toys at each other? Yeah, that's some good news." A grizzled and old voice replied to the first one.

"What happened this time?"

"Americans got hit. Our naughty girls tried to hijack America's brand new IS in development."

"They stole it?"

"Tried. The American test pilot was a match to them. Send them packing. No casualties on the terrorist side sadly." They let out a dissatisfied grunt.

"Then that's good news in addition to what I have. Where's the rest of the crew?"

"On a job. An American ACS module was downed and currently under Kazakhstan territory."

"Feet wet?"

"Try freezing."

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7:35:55

Sgt. Gary 'Roach' Sanderson

Cpt. John 'Soap' MacTavish

Tian Shan Range, Kazakhstan

The mountain range of Kazakhstan was a freezing hellhole, a cold and deadly place for any inexperienced climbers.

But for two climbers currently perched on a cliff, the cold wasn't a bother nor a deterrent to their mission.

An IS unit flew over them suddenly, a patrol unit, dispersing snow and blowing violent winds at it past their position. Cold winds crashed into the two climbers, glad they are wearing warm winter camo for this mission.

"Break's over, Roach. Let's go." The captain flicked his cigar off the deadly drop and stood up. The Sergeant followed suit as they began to walk on the cliff edge.

That was the scheduled patrol unit and it would be a few minutes before they rotate back, giving them little time to do their work.

Shimmying themselves on the cliff's edge, they moved slowly. One wrong move and they're dead by a hundred foot drop or more. Nasty way to go.

"Stay here and spot me. Wait for my go." The captain said as he found a spot where ice had formed on the cliff. Perfect for ice climbing.

Bringing his tools up, a pair of ice axes, he began testing the ice by hitting the ice, wenching the tool deep. With a grunt, he repositioned himself facing the wall as he brought the other axe. His spiked boots soon followed suit in climbing the ice.

"Alright, the ice is good. Follow me." The captain grunted as he began to climb up. Roach didn't say a word as he followed the Captain's footsteps, using his own axes to climb up.

It was a slow but steady climb as they both moved. The high altitude is also not helping, draining their breath away at each swing of their axe. As for the ice, it held strong fortunately. Looking close, the ice might be water once and the cliff was possibly a waterfall before winter. Must be a sight in spring.

As the captain approached the peak, an IS unit flew over.

"Shit!" MacTavish bit back a curse as the tailwind picked him up, almost throwing him off the cliff if he wasn't holding on to his pick for dear life. Below, Roach froze as the unit flew by.

Both of them stayed motionless for a few seconds, hoping that the patrol unit didn't see them.

"Alright, back to work." MacTavish sighs in relief after a few seconds and resumes the climb. That was a close call.

It wasn't soon until he reached a proper landing point. Sadly, it wasn't their entry point as landbound patrols would probably see them if they climbed up further. Looking at the side, the captain saw another overhanging cliff with a possible route to their mission. Unfortunately, it was further away with a deep chasm between them. Not to mention the icy fog covering the landing point if they ever jump to it.

Good enough. Nothing ventured, nothing gained.

Turning to Roach as he made the climb, MacTavish backtrack a bit for a running start.

"Good luck mate. I'll see you on the far side."

And with that, he left the clueless Sergeant in his dust as he ran straight to the edge before leaping with all of his might.

Roach can only watch with a gobsmacked behind as he watches the captain disappear in the fog. Only the telltale sound of ice cracking as his sign that the captain had found a foothold on the other side.

Roach sighed with a downtrodden look.

'Why did I join this crazy fucks?' He lamented before taking his turn, going for a similar running start before taking a massive leap.

Unfortunately, his leap fell short as both men's eyes met each other. Captain MacTavish was hanging on a piece of ice on a ledge. A ledge that is so far away for Roach to reach.

"Fuck!" The Sergeant cursed as he slammed on the icy wall. His body immediately slid down to the deadly drop. Roach brought up his axes, digging deep into the ice to stop his fall in a desperate attempt for survival.

"Hold on! Don't let go!" MacTavish screamed in alarm on seeing his partner in the jaws of death.

Bad luck turned to worst as one of Roach's picks broke the ice, dislodging the tool. The Sergeant immediately held on to his remaining axe, gripping on it for his dear life.

His savior didn't waste time. Captain MacTavish slid on the ledge and hooked himself on one axe before grabbing the poor Sergeant before the ice broke under his pick.

Roach was saved.

Both looked at each other in relief before MacTavish turned his head to the ledge. Roach understood the unspoken order and prepared himself. In a feat of strength, the Captain swung him towards the ledge, practically throwing him to it. Ice axes immediately dug deep, this time the ice holding Roach's weight as he began his climb.

Roach breathed a sigh of relief after climbing and his near death experience. He then began to inspect his gear as the Captain followed right behind him and did the same.

The real mission is about to start.

Grenades, Flashbangs, ACR Heartbeat sensor, and the sensor itself.

Pretty high-tech stuff. With IS flying around, it was needed.

"Roach, check your heartbeat sensor. You should be able to see me on the scope. Blue dot is me. The rest are unknowns." MacTavish explained as they fiddled their heartbeat sensors.

The sensor itself was just a simple but useful tool. A simple screen attached to their ACR constantly pinging what's in front of them and getting heartbeat feedback. With today's early morning winds and snow, it's a useful tool in locating tango's in low visibility environments.

The mission then began as Captain MacTavish signed the Sergeant to follow him. Slowly, both men began to traverse on a small hill leading to their target.

A Russian Base.

"Roach, these muppets have no idea we're here. Let's take it nice and slow." MacTavish said in their comms as they soon found a pair of guards patrolling far from their position. Unfortunately, they are blocking their way.

"You take one on the left. On three." Roach aimed his sights on the unsuspecting guard.

An IS patrol once again passed over them but due to the weather, it didn't see them. Its passing was also an opportunity as two gunshots were muffled as it flew by. Not like anyone can hear their gunshots. Their ACR's have silencers afterall.

Both men then continued on, leaving behind a pair of dead bodies.

They repeated the same process on another pair of guards before they finally entered the edge of the base.

"The storm's brewing up." MacTavish commented as the weather turned for the worst. Snow began to whip wildly and visibility began to lower.

Perfect for the two in their infiltration.

Both men pulled their goggles on their eyes in preparation.

"Let's split up. I'll use the thermal scope and provide overwatch from this ridge. Use the cover of the storm to enter the base. You'll be a ghost in this blizzard, so the guards won't see you until you're very close." MacTavish said as he began climbing the said ridge. Roach nodded in return and began his way deeper into the base, confident enough with the Captain watching his back.

"Keep an eye on your heartbeat sensor, good luck."

With some last words of encouragement and advice, they both separated.

Roach's approach into the base was slow and tense. His sensor is constantly pinging multiple tango's all around him. The only reason for his outmaneuvering and staying out of sight from said tango's was through the Captain picking up enemy locations before he encountered them. Just one crucial mistake would lead to possible death. A fact that kept Roach's heart pounding as he navigated the base as if it was a labyrinth. With the ongoing snowstorm, might as well be as he is having trouble himself in finding his way inside.

Absently, he listened on the PA as it began to speak in Russian about a stolen sandwich.

Finally, he began making his way into the runway before MacTavish pulled him back.

"Roach, hold up. Activity on the runway." Roach immediately hid under a parked jet, laying low.

"IS patrol's have been pulled back due to the storm. Looks like we got twenty plus units on the base. Bad luck." Roach can hear the man curse through the comms. Dealing against IS units is troublesome.

Against twenty or more with limited options? Might as well fight a bear with a stick. The mission just got harder.

"Take it easy. The fueling station is near the northeast corner of the runway. On my signal."

Roach clenched his gun, biting his lips as a tense wait began. He can't just willy nilly march across the runway with IS units around. Their sensors would immediately pick him up. It's already a miracle he wasn't caught yet in such proximity to one, let alone twenty of them. It was thanks to the fact none of them are actively looking for him.

"Our gals are walking away. Probably going for some hot chocolate. You're on." Roach immediately made a run for it towards the fueling station. Better seize the chance before it passes. He immediately planted a bomb, a plan B of sorts of things got dicey for them.

"You're on it. Hold on. Picking up radio traffic about our satellite." Roach paused as he hunkered down behind the fueling station. His eyes peeled on the runway, watching for any stragglers unlucky enough to see him.

"Got it. Sounds like our satellite's in the far hangar. Race you there. Oscar Mike. Out." Roach then began to make his way towards the far hangar slowly. There aren't many heartbeats in his sensors but caution isn't bad. It wasn't long until he found his way to the hangar and found his captain waiting in the back entrance.

"Took a scenic route, eh?" Captain MacTavish mused with an easy smile before nodding towards the door.

"Let's go. That storm won't last long and it's our only way out of here against those gals." Roach nodded as they took position on the door for standard breaching.

Captain MacTavish went in first as Roach covered their six. Entering the hangar, they found themselves in a small hallway filled with lockers.

Then a man appeared on the next corner.

MacTavish went to action, charging and smashing the man on the wall. Too surprised to even shout, he was silenced by a knife to the gut, courtesy of the Captain's.

Entering the next room, lo and behold.

The downed satellite.

"Roach, go up and find the ACS module." The captain ordered as he checked the satellite. The thing was basically scrapped apart by the Russian's for information. Valuable information that they needed.

Up in the office, Roach began to look through various computers in search of the module. He immediately found the damn thing hooked on a computer. As he was about to pull the plug off it, he noticed something disturbing on the computer screen.

Something that the boss needs to know.

"Roach, I have been compromised. Hold your fire and keep a low profile." Captain MacTavish suddenly called into the comms, causing Roach's heart to drop to his stomach.

They have been caught.

Silently, he immediately began to backtrack outside the office to find Captain MacTavish being held at gunpoint by about ten IS units with a commanding officer yelling at the captain.

"This is Major Petrov! Come out with your hands up! You have five seconds to comply." The officer screamed.

So they know that Captain wasn't alone. Roach's position is also compromised.

Plan B it is.

Without any hesitation, Roach pressed the bomb trigger.

A massive explosion echoed across the base as the fueling station was turned into smithereens as well as any surrounding structures in its range. Chaos engulfed the base's personnel at the sudden unknown attack and sirens began to wail. As for the man and women holding the captain at gunpoint, they were also surprised. A moment that MacTavish seized as he threw every single flashbang he had.

Screams of pain and surprise echoed at the sudden ocular attack. Due to IS sensors, pilot eyesight is enhanced while piloting a unit. What happens when they take about five flashbangs to the face.

Temporary blindness.

Meanwhile, the officer was spitting curses as he stumbled around in blind fury. He too was blinded with his own IS units who are also stumbling around and disabled.

"Run for it!" Captain MacTavish yelled to Roach as they began to book it.

Amidst the chaos in the base, they run past the confused soldiers and female pilots. They didn't bother fighting. No point for more bloodshed and wasting time when there's about more than twenty women that can kick their asses.

"Roach, take those snowmobiles! Captain MacTavish yelled as gunshots began to follow them, forcing him to hide behind some boxes.

They are still at the runway and the base forces are catching up to the gig. So far, ten pilots are still down and the others are not in sight.

Bad omen.

Meanwhile, Roach took command of a nearby snowmobile after returning fire to the soldiers chasing them down. Captain MacTavish soon took command of him while he provided cover.

"Let's go. Leave it! We're taking the fast route!" They immediately floored it, racing the snowmobiles off the base down the mountain.

Soon the telltale sound of IS units began to catch up behind them as they raced against time and death.

"Kilo Six-One! Primary exfil is compromised and we got multiple IS units hot on our tail. We need backup!" Captain MacTavish yelled in desperation in the comms as missiles and gunfire began to rain on both men.

Roach swerved to the side, dodging a missile, barely moving out of the way as it passed by from behind and hit a tree in front, reducing it into ashes.

"Fuck!" MacTavish screamed as he ducked underneath a sword slash from a persistent pilot that managed to keep up to him. He has to find a way for them to survive this clusterfuck.

"To the trees!" Turning the snow mobile, the captain drove into the thicket of trees which Roach immediately followed to break off from the IS units chasing them.

The pilots backed off in particular due to the IS size being too large to go through the gaps of the trees and a crash wasn't something they wanna experience in the cold.

They instead followed from above, using their heat sensors to follow the infiltrators.

Roach looked up and followed the enemy IS unit's movements while Captain MacTavish cursed at the units following them.

Then they began to bombard the forest.

"Pin it to the throttle! Go! Go!" Both men put the metal to pedal to escape the hell these women are bringing to them as missiles and gunfire continued to rain from above without no end.

"Kilo Six-One! Where the hell are you?! We're getting cooked like bacon here!" MacTavish screamed on the comms through the explosions around them.

In addition to the munitions being unloaded to their sorry hides, the entire forest had turned against hazards as they weaved through various debris blocking their way, slowing them down considerably. It won't be long until one of them gets shot down dead.

And by the looks of these girls, they're gonna do it ugly.

"Bravo Six, sending in Predator One!"

From above, a missile came out of nowhere and exploded in the middle of the IS unit formation in a massive flashbang. What followed was a lot of curses and tearful screams as these women crashed on the mountain face, snow or trees after being blinded by a Modified Missile as Flashbang to overload IS sensors.

"Bravo Six, we're here now." A massive chopper arrived not after the pilots crashed, dropping a ladder for the men to climb on.

"Bloody hell took your time."

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"So what's the good news we are bringing today, Blondie."

"Let's just say I found a way for us to even the odds."

Multiple folders are thrown to the table as a scarred pair of hands opens them. A pair of eyes narrowed as they skimmed over the files.

They are all designs.

IS designs.

"When?"

"Before the end of the year, we are striking back. Full force."

"Hmmm, about time."

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Task Force:

Trojan Horse