01-16-2014, 10:21 PM
I wrote this waaaay back when, and was told to repost it, so I am
anywho, critiques, and comments always welcome :)
The ruins near Denver, 1800 hours
"Spring, the season of new life, HAH," the man thought to himself as he gazed across the barren wasteland. A fierce gust of wind suddenly blew past him, causing the large man to stumble. "Son of a .." he attempted to say as he widened his stance, "How long am I supposed to wait for these morons to show up," he asked himself, but he already knew the answer, "As long as needed." A slight cackle came over his earpiece, causing his left hand to reach up and cover it slightly. "Look alive Alpha, rendezvous in T- minus three minutes." The lone man looked from side to side, and noticed a small group of men closing in as planned, his hand automatically reaching to the butt of his 5-7 USG. He looked to his rear again before bending down and lifting the two duffel bags he had been charged to look after until delivery. He then began slowly picking his way down the slope to the remains of a former road where he was to wait for the pickup to arrive.
Placing both bags on the road he swiftly walked over to the ditch, dropped into the prearranged spot, and crawled the rest of the way to the safety of his foxhole, where his silenced M-4 rifle and other "supplies" awaited. Looking down the scope of his rifle he spotted the first of the group breaching the perimeter. When all of the armed men are finally in position around the bags he made his move. Reaching over and flipping the small toggle, he closed his eyes as the blast ripped through the air.
As he opened his eyes he immediately noticed that the remaining eight men were taking up defensive positions around the area as they realized they were led into a trap. Quickly he adjusted his position and took aim on the leader of the group, zooming the scope in on the man's forehead and exhaling as he tapped the trigger of the compact tactical rifle twice. The two bullets made a small noise as they spat out of the end of the silenced barrel, each hitting their intended target, and dropping the man to the ground as his legs folded under his lifeless body.
The group of men looked around, searching for the shooter as another man fell prey to the unseen ambusher. One of the men saw the flash of the attacker's weapon and unleashed a volley of shots toward it while shouting orders to the other men. Quickly rolling out of the way of the incoming fire, he crawled out of his compromised position and waited for the enemy's fire to subside. Hearing the last shot ring through the air he drew his rifle up and checked his ammo, already knowing how many rounds he had fired. Twenty –five rounds in the clip, one in the chamber.
He looked up over the small knoll and checked the enemy combatant's positions. They had begun moving towards his foxhole; bringing themselves into an almost perfect setup to be flanked. Reaching up to his tactical vest he pulled off a small, cylinder shaped object. Pulling the pin he tossed the smoke grenade a few meters forward between him and them. As the smoke hissed out of the grenade he stood up and lets his rifle drop against its strap, letting it sway to the side as he pulled his tactical knife out of its sheath. He surged forward quickly finding the first of the men with his enhanced vision, sprinting up behind him and taking him out silently. He quietly lowered the corpse to the ground. Crouching he looked to his right and spotted a man stumbling around through the smoke towards him. Moving to the side, he dropped to the ground swung his leg behind the combatant, causing him to fall onto his back. The man quickly dropped his hands down like a cutting edge against the man's throat, silencing him efficiently.
But as he looked up he saw the smoke beginning to clear. "Crap" he thought to himself as four large armed men noticed him and begin firing their extremely lethal 7.62mm rounds at him on full auto. Rolling over to the other side of the man he had just dispatched, he tilted the corpse up and between him and the incoming fire. Suddenly another eruption of rifle fire starts from behind him. He turned his head around to see his guardian angel returning the enemy fire with her own.
As the newcomer fires the specialized M-4 rifle, he drops the corpse, plants his hands flat on the ground using his strength to lift his body over it towards his targets. He landed in a crouching position and drew his 5-7 from his thigh holster. Taking quick aim he began to fire, aiming for the head of the first man and doing a quick double tap before rolling to his right and firing another double burst at an incoming foe. He lept quickly to his feet and sprinted to the side and straight toward the remaining members of the opposing faction. They couldn't help but notice the man running towards them shooting with deadly accuracy, and they unleashed a flurry of fire causing him to drop. As he fell he noticed the figure to his rear hurl something toward him. He watched as the small, round object flew over his head and he instantly dropped face first to the ground lifting his arms over his head just as a loud explosion ripped through the remainder of the opposing force...
Highway at the Ruins of Denver, 1900 hours
As the dust settled and the ringing in his ears subsided, he remembered his rescuer and tried to roll over, but was stopped by a tearing sensation in his back. "Umm… A little help please?" he cried out to his colleague.
"We need a med evac at our location" a voice says over his headset and behind him. "28 years, five feet eleven inches, around two hundred and twenty pounds, blood type A positive, he has a shrapnel wound in his back and other minor cuts and scrapes everywhere else, looks like he had lost a lot of blood, I will keep him stable until you get here, over and out." He cringed as the call for help was made, and the description of his condition was given. A hand grabbed him and he was rolled over to see the smiling face of his guardian angel hovering over him as he blacked out. "It's okay Rusty, I'm not going anywhere, stay with me, you're gonna be alright," she told him as he lost consciousness.
By the time the helicopter arrived there was almost nothing left of the brave man. The only thing keeping him alive was his strong soul, and his resolve to see this war through to the end. "Hey, death isn't so bad." He said to himself as he looked around. There was no nuclear dust to hurt his throat, nobody was shooting at him, no pain. No… nothing. He began to walk forward, looking around for signs of anything. Then suddenly he was thrust into a gun battle, he was dropped right into the middle of it. Bullets were everywhere, he could see the actual bullets flying all around him, even through him like he was nothing. They were all heading in the same general direction, and as he turned around he saw a lone figure lying in the prone position in a small foxhole on the far side of the road. Instantly he knew that he was looking down the barrel of his own rifle, at himself… Once again he was fighting the group of men he had already killed, except it wasn't him, the gun battle had already happened. He watched as the image of himself repeated his former movements and rolled to the side to avoid the incoming fire. He wandered about the scene watching the events unfold. He noticed something he hadn't the first time. The the enemy warriors were protecting one of the men specifically. It was almost like he was the reason they were there; like he was a commander or he was carrying some important secrets. After the grenade went off and took out the men, riddling his own body with shrapnel he walked over and stood in the middle of a tangled web of bodies. The first man he had shot, he assumed had been the leader. But he saw that once that man had fallen, no role of leadership had been transferred to another soldier.
"What do we have here" he said to himself as he bent over to examine the body of the man that had caught his interest. A duffel bag. As he reached down to go through the contents of the corpses belongings his vision began to blur, he heard screams, the sudden pain he felt was excruciating. Then suddenly as he had been thrust into that dimension, he was thrown back out… into the real world.
Medical bay 260 Liberation Army Base of Operations, 2200 hours
"Rusty, are you okay?" a blurred figured asked him as he opened his eyes and tried to get a feel for his surroundings.
"I have to get back there, we need to get that bag," he exclaimed suddenly as he realized he was at his home bases infirmary.
"What are you talking about Sergeant?" another voice said from the other side of the room. He blinked his eyes a few more times trying to get things to focus. Taking a deep breath he sat up and began to turn towards the sound of his superior officer's voice, but falling back in the bed as a sudden sharp pain ripped through his back.
"Well Captain Weathers, it's a long story, but I have reason to believe that one of my tangos was carrying information. I need to go back to retrieve it," Rusty said desperately.
"Sergeant, we have it all here now. As soon as Sergeant Forest had you evac'd she organized a retrieval op. Everything from that site is currently in Hanger Bravo, but with you in your current state it will be awhile before you go anywhere. Would you mind explaining to me what makes you believe that there was anything there that is more important than you recovering from your… inclusive wounds?"
"Sir you should know that…" that was as far as he got when the doctor rushed in and began ushering the people out
"This patient needs rest, once he gets it than ask all you want but for now leave him be." As his commanding officer left he felt most of his stress dissipate. Jessika was the last to leave, his wife and savior giving him a smile and wink as she closed the door behind her on the way out.
Looking over at his doctor he smiled, "Thanks Doc, I was about to tell him something I would have regretted."
"Don't worry kid; I saw it in your eyes. Like I said though, you need rest, get some sleep and I will check in on you every couple of hours. If anything happens, I will make sure you know, just get some sleep." Realizing his unfortunate position he had no choice but to agree with the doctor.
Shaking his head, he gave him a frown "Doc, I really have stuff that I need to do, and I need to get it done quick."
"Sergeant, this is an order, you are to remain in this room, in this bed and get some sleep. I will be here every couple hours to make sure that you are fine, and I will give you updates, you need to trust me." With that the older man exited the room, and the hydraulic doors slid shut with a small hiss.
"You have got to be kidding me" he said to himself as he laid back and closed his eyes. He let images of his beautiful wife go through his mind as he slowly drifted into a restless sleep...
Officers Quarters, 2300 hours
"We need him on the field ASAP. We cannot afford to take any more chances."
"NO, he needs to rest. Give the doctor some time to work his magic, and we will both finish the mission. Captain, give us time."
"Time is something we don't have, Sergeant. At this very moment everything we have worked so hard to build could come crashing down on us. If the enemy is planning what we think they are, then God help us all. We need you and Sergeant Lambert out there now, we need to get those plans and get it done before them. Get him better now, get him ready. I want you both prepped to leave, bring everything you need."
"How about half the army?" the female voice joked sarcastically.
"Very funny Sergeant; now get ready, as soon as he wakes let him know what's going on. You are dismissed, Sergeant Forest."
"Yes sir," she responded with a snap of her right hand to her brow, giving her commanding officer the proper salute, before turning around and leaving the room for her quarters, leaving the nervous Captain behind her as the doors hissed closed.
Watching the woman leave the Captain shook his head. "That couple is going to be the death of me yet," he said smiling to himself as he thought of all the trouble they had both caused, and saved him from.
Medical Bay 260, 0200 hours
The springs in the mattress creaked as he rolled over on his bed, swung his legs over the side, and sat up. As the loud noise filled the room he cringed "If I keep making noises like this there ain't no way I'll ever make it out of here," he thought to himself. Grimacing from his wounds as he stood up, he turned and began to take inventory of what he had. Whoever had brought him here had removed all his tactical gear, and all that was left was his black pants and a black button down shirt. Slowly he walked over so as to not make any noise as he got dressed, but as soon as he bent over to pull his pants on he heard the quiet sound of a throat being cleared.
"You really do have a habit of not following orders don't you honey," his wife said as she got up from her chair across the room. "Really though, I should thank you for the show, it was really thoughtful of you."
As he stood up buckling his pants, he turned to look at his colleague, "Hey no problem babe, any time. So has there been any news from that strike team the Captain sent over to Manhattan?"
"Well first of all, neither of us is supposed to know about that, second yes, the report came in this morning from our UAV's. The mission was a complete loss. The entire team was eliminated as they entered the ruins."
Turning around to get his shirt he was able to conceal the expression that crossed his face. "You gotta be kidding Jess, those men were some of the best we had, how could that have happened?"
"Nobody knows. The word going around is that someone leaked the information and they got ambushed, with all that wreckage it wouldn't have been difficult, but the thing is that no one knew about the op except for you, me, Captain Weathers and the guys on the team, and they were all killed. I know that we didn't say anything to anyone, so… I don't know. The Captain thinks that the enemy might have the prototype finished and they somehow infiltrated our territory, but with the time scales we have its impossible, it couldn't be operable for another two years."
With a frown he looked at his wife. "Has anyone gone through that bag I mentioned? I have a feeling that that is the key."
She looked at him, not understanding. "What are you talking about? The key to what?"
"Honey, I have to get out of here, we need to check that bag. Don't ask me how I know I just do, trust me."
Gazing at her husband, she stood up and walked towards him. Standing just an inch away, she ran her hands up his arms and neck, tracing her hands around his jaw, letting her gentleness cradle his face. Looking directly into his eyes, she leaned closer and whispered in his ear "Of course I trust you Rusty, I love you." Feeling her hands on his face, he put his hands on hers. "I love you to Jess." With that he leaned forward and kissed her softly on the lips, an effort to show how much he loved her.
Usurper Government Hideout, White House Ruins at 0500 hours
"Come on guys, we need to finish this, it's taking too long." Looking at his men as they scrambled to assemble the delicate machine. "We need this done now!"
"Sir we are working as hard as we can. This is something we cannot take the risk to rush building. One mistake and it might just end us all. It's almost finished, just give us some time," the small man with glasses said as he looked at the burly General.
"I know that Private Turly, but it doesn't matter, if this isn't finished and the enemy finds us, we are up a creek without a paddle."
"Sir it will be finished by then. The closest hostile forces are at least four states away, and we will know long before that if they know about our plans."
Getting more and more angered by his soldiers feeling of being invincible he pulled out his 9mm Beretta, aimed for the small mans head as he turned away and pulled the trigger. As the man fell to the floor the General looked at the shocked workers. "If you do not have this operational by 2300 hours tonight, he won't be the only one," pointing towards the man he had just murdered, a pool of blood cascading across the floor, "Now someone clean this mess up."
Corridor 3A , Liberation Army Base of Operations 0600 hours
Rusty went over and hit the switch on the wall, causing the door to the medical bay to swiftly open. Looking in the corridor he signaled to his wife that it was all clear and they quickly ran across the hall, heading south towards the armory. About 50 meters down the corridor a door opened up on the side and a groggy soldier walked out. Jessika quickly stopped for fear of alerting the man, but her husband silently walked up behind him and wrapped his large arm around the man's neck. As the man gasped for breath and began to lose consciousness Rusty held him tight, and when he sagged to the floor he quickly dragged him back into the room leaving him unharmed on the floor. Stepping back out into the corridor he looked up and down the hall. He punched the locking mechanism on the wall and the sliding doors to hissed closed. He began to cautiously move south again, his wife on his heels.
As they finally reached the last intersection he held his hand up again. As Jessika walked up beside her husband in a low crouch she saw the men at the door guarding the armory. Quietly she leaned close to Rusty and whispered, "Okay, honey I think that going under them is the best option. If we take the maintenance tunnel in the floor back there it should lead us right to the armory and we can deal with things from there."
Smiling he looked at his wife, "That's why I married you baby, you're always thinking on your feet." He leaned closer to kiss her but she pulled away.
"That better not be the only reason you married me big boy!" she stated as she scampered back down the hall in the direction they had come. When she got to the grate in the floor she lifted it up to allow him to crawl in. As he slithered his body into the small opening he reached up and grabbed his wife by the shoulders, drawing her lips to his in a quick kiss catching her off guard.
"No, honey that was the reason I married you, this is the reason I love you." With that he disappeared down into the floor leaving his wife with a smile on her lips as she followed him inside.
As he slithered his way down the narrow path he could faintly hear the men above the floor talking amongst themselves, and the footsteps on the floor as they paced. As quietly as he could he continued to crawl forward into the next room. Lifting the grate up, he pushed it to the side as he lifted himself out of the floor. Hearing his wife coming behind him he turned around and grabbed her wrist, helping her out, onto the floor beside him. He smiled as he looked around his surroundings. Jessika raised herself to her feet and walked over the side of the room, grabbing a pair of thigh holsters. She turned and threw one at him, testing his reflexes. As he saw the holster coming at him he grabbed it and frowned at his wife. "What was that for?" he asked quietly.
"Just making sure my place in your life was known baby. I thought for a moment that the 5-7's over there," she pointed to the shelf of pistols he had been staring at, "Turned you on more than I do," she teased. As she bent over and strapped the belt around her thigh she looked up at him and smiled, "Quit your staring Rusty. we don't have time for it, let's get the stuff and get out before someone figures out you're not where you're supposed to be." Standing up she grabbed another thigh holster from the rack and straps it to her other leg, before heading to the next rack and picking out a black leather strap shoulder holster. Lifting it over her head she looked over at her husband who had just finished buckling on his thigh holster and was reaching for the 5-7 USG with laser sight attachment. Turning towards him she purrs, "Baby, what do you think of your girl in leather?" The look on his face after she said that was priceless and she almost laughed out loud, but caught herself in fear of alerting the men outside.
"Lets just get the stuff and get out of here honey" he said as he walked past her and grabbed his own shoulder holster and slid it over his shoulders.
"You know baby, I've always thought you looked better in a vest, but I think this is okay for now," she told him admiringly as she turned to the next rack. Pulling the MP-5 submachine gun from its spot, she pulled the strap, lengthening it, giving her more room as she brought it over her neck, the compact weapon dropping to her side. She picked up a handful of magazines. "Here honey" she said as she tossed them to him one at a time. As he caught them he put them into the duffel bag he was loading with supplies. Wandering over curious of what he was packing she asked "So whatcha got there baby?"
"Oooh not much" he responded, "just the usual. I got yours packed over there, with a tactical vest, your M-4 along with all your gadgets, an extra sidearm, a few grenades, the medpack, and some MRE's."
"I know what's in mine baby, but what's in yours?" she asked as he pulled back the slide on his 5-7 USG.
"Pretty much the same. I have the satcom and a couple of devices that will make a nice boom. I was thinking about bringing a bag of popcorn too so that when it's over we can just sit back and enjoy the show."
"You are such a smart-alec, Rusty," she told him with affection in her eyes. "Just make sure you got ammo for all that, baby," she said as she turned back to the crate filled with loaded clips and magazines of ammunition. Picking it up she turned and put it next to the bag he was loading. "I don't really like the idea of running out when we need it the most, and I know how much you love wasting ammo" she said smiling. She thought about the time when they were younger and he would takes boxes of bullets outside and drop a flaming piece of cloth inside just to hear the popping and see the small explosions as the bullets went off.
He looked over when he finished zipping the bag full of goodies, "I know what your thinkin Jess, I'm not that stupid anymore." He told her with a smile.
"Of course you aren't darling," she said as she looked up into his eyes.
"Are you ready?" Rusty asked as he hoisted the strap of his duffel bag up around his neck, letting it rest on his side. Doing the same she stood next to him and grabbed his neck, lowering his mouth to hers, stealing a quick kiss.
"Now I am" she stated as she walked to the door.
The guards in the hallway were having a deep discussion about the last game of Griffball that had been able to see, when suddenly the door they were supposed to be guarding opened and the two figures appeared. The first man went down without a sound as the bigger of the ambushers sent a quick punch into his temple, knocking him out. It was just after the next man went down that Corporal Livingston recovered from the shock and hit the button next to the door. As he turned back around the last thing he saw before the lights in his head went out were the red lights on the ceiling flashing.
"There goes any idea of surprise," Jessika told her husband after letting the man who had just hit the alarm fall to the floor.
"I know, we need to get to the hanger, come on!" Rusty shouted over the blazing siren. The two ran down the corridors towards the hangers as fast as they could. As soon as the large sliding doors came into view Rusty sensed something off to the side and grabbed his wife as he dropped to the ground, pulling her with him. Just as they hit the floor several loud bursts rang out as bullets flew through the air where they were just standing.
Looking over as Jess he said "Stay down honey, I'll take care of them." She watched as he rolled to the side of the hall and got into a crouching position. He looked around the corner and saw the group of men waiting in ambush. Reaching into the side pocket of his duffel bag he grabbed the familiar shaped canister from inside and tossed it down the hall, smoke hissing from the end. Running back to his wife, he grabbed her by her upper arm and helped her stand. They sprinted to the end of the hall to the hanger doors. Standing next to the wall on the side with his wife, he hit the switch behind her and waited for the doors to fully open before sliding around the corner into the large brightly lit room, hitting the switch to close the doors behind him as soon as he felt his wife beside him.
Hanger Bravo, 0700 hours
As he looked towards the middle of the room the only thing he could mutter was "Oh crap," as Captain Weathers and his four armed guards walked towards them, weapons drawn and aimed towards him.
"I had a feeling you would head here, Sergeant," Weathers said with a smile on his face. Looking to his escorts: "Lower your weapons boys."
"So lemme guess Captain, this was another one of your tests?" Rusty said to his superior officer.
"Of course it was, but the real test hasn't even begun yet. I needed to make sure you were ready, after suffering as much damage as you did from your last mission."
"So now what, Cap?" Jess asked Weathers.
"Well, I have another mission for you." Looking to Rusty he said, "We went through that duffel bag, and just like you thought, it had some highly sensitive info inside. If you two will now follow me, we can start this briefing," he stated as he walked to the side of the large room and into the office in the corner.
When they stepped into the large room, Captain Weathers locked the door, and walked to the end of the table in the middle. Bending over he grabbed something off the floor, and Rusty stared in anticipation at the duffel bag. "Here you go you two, the grand finale," Weathers said as he opened the bag and pulled out several thick folders, full over documents. "I still don't understand how you knew Rusty, but you were right." Rusty reached over and picked up two of the folders, passing one of them to Jessika as he opened the other. "Apparently the general upstairs is planning on using a time machine to go back before the bombs started going off, and change history, by planting himself, and some of his more unique officers into top official positions, and control what they can, in a less devastated time.
"According to the notes in the folder they have several of these machines being built at the same time, making it next to impossible to stop them all. So instead what we are going to do is send over a five man team to the main machine in Washington. That team is going to get through the defenses, eliminate all hostile forces, protect any civilians, and eliminate General Simmons. Than they will proceed to dismantle that machine."
Rusty looked up from the folder and at Weathers, "So lemme guess sir. You want me and Jess to go through and see that the problem is no longer a problem."
"No Sergeant, what I'm saying is that you and Jess are going to be leading a team of SEAL's to make the problem go away. It is imperative that they are not allowed to go back, we cannot let them change the future. Who knows, he might even have a list of soldiers here, and his plan is to go through that list and make sure that fifteen years from that time no one on that list is no longer around to form an army."
"Captain, we work alone and you know that," Rusty said.
Looking at Rusty, Weathers replied, "Well, you don't have a choice. You and Jess will lead that team in and you will succeed. Everything depends on it. If he makes it through, then you will have to stop him on the other side. If you do have to go through though you have to remember that there are no reinforcements, and if you tell anyone what's going on they will not believe you. I do have a small list of soldiers here that might believe you, but it's just a best guess. I also have a list of operatives that you might be familiar with. Go through that list and pick the five you feel will be best suited for the mission. A Blackhawk helo will bring you just outside the city, where you and your men will fast rope down and proceed to the target. Just make your way through and complete the mission. Be at the runway for departure by 1800 hours. Dismissed."
As Captain Weathers left the office, the couple stood looking at the information piled before them. Looking at his wife Rusty said "Well honey, looks like we got our work cut out for us." Leaning over he picked up the list of operatives they had to choose from. "Jess, are you familiar with any of the SEAL's on here?" he asked as he leaned over, showing the list to his wife.
"Well, they pretty much all work well together. Umm… I think we should go with Hendricks, he is really good with close quarters combat, also Wicker is amazing with a rifle, and he would have to be the best sniper I've ever seen. As far as the others… I would ask Wicker and Hendricks who they would want to finish it."
"Sounds like a plan to me" said Rusty as he closed his folder and stacked it on the others on the table, before dropping them all in the duffel bag. "Let's go find Wicker and Hendricks and fill them in Jess" he said as he walked toward the door, the duffel bag draped over his other side.
Special Operations Barracks 0800 hours
"So you're Wicker and you're Hendricks?" Rusty asked the two men standing before him.
"Yes sir, whatcha need?" asked Wicker. Standing at only a little over five feet tall this sniper didn't look very intimidating, but the man towering beside him made up for any size the shorter SEAL may have been lacking. Standing at a little over six feet and weighing just under two hundred pounds, Hendricks may have been mistaken for the fabled Bigfoot.
"Well we have a job and we need your help. You up for it?" Jessika asked as she watched the men try to steal glances at her body.
"Well Ma'am, in the end do we really have a choice in the matter."
Rusty took this as his cue, "Well boys, you really don't, but I thought it best for you to think you might have an option. So, down to business--" suddenly Rusty stopped talking as he stared at Hendricks who was very openly checking out his wife. "First of all soldier," he said as he quickly closed the gap between he and the larger Hendricks, "You will stop undressing my wife with your eyes, and you will put any thoughts of her being a woman out of your mind."
"Or what?" Hendricks interrupted, his eyes glaring blades of steel into the man looming over him.
"Or I'll kill you," Rusty said menacingly.
Hearing that Jessika walked forward and pushed her husband back, looking at him with a scowl, "I will not have this fighting in here, and especially not over me." Looking Rusty in the eye, "Honey, I think I can handle myself," she said as she suddenly turned around grabbed Hendricks' shoulders and brought her knee up into his groin, pulling him down as she did. Letting him drop to the floor in pain she stepped back and asked all three men, "Any questions boys?"
Both Hendricks and Rusty shook their heads no, as Wicker took in the situation, "Yes Maam, what is it exactly you want us to do?"
Looking at him she grabbed the a piece of paper from her pocket, "First I need you and numb nuts here to find us three more men for a very important operation. We need them to be able to cooperate, and listen to orders; also they need to work well together. Than after you do that, relay the message I gave Hendricks," pointing to Hendricks as he staggered back to his feet with a pained expression on his face, she continued, "Then bring them to Hangar Bravo, the briefing will be in the office there at 1200 hours." Looking at both men as they nodded, "Do you understand gentlemen?" she asked.
"Yes Ma'am," Hendricks and Wicker said in unison. "Good, we will see you at 1200 hours than dismissed." With that Jessika and Rusty turned towards the door and exited, making their way to the one thing that they needed the most.
Mess Hall, 1000 hours
As they walked into the cafeteria Rusty smiled as he saw the stacks of MRE's in the corner and the soda fountain standing right next to them. Quickly he walked over and grabbed a pair of meals, and passed one over his shoulder to Jessika who was standing right behind him. Than taking a couple steps to the side, he grabbed a plastic disposable cup and filled it to the brim with Mountain Dew. As he walked to the nearest table his wife grabbed a cup and filled It with Dr. Pepper, before walking over to join him at the small table. When she got there, he had already opened the package and was about to open another, smaller one inside. Sitting down opposite him, she opened her own meal, and squeezed some of the cool food into her hungry mouth. As she finished chewing she looked over at Rusty, who was downing his drink, "So honey, what do you think of Wicker and Hendricks so far" she asked when he put the cup down.
"Well, Hendricks is all brawn and no brain, but at least it seems that Wicker has enough brains for the two of them, and with what you did, I don't think we will have any issues with insubordination." He said before he picked up the crackers and popped them into his mouth.
"Rusty," Jess asked as she looked at her husband, "Do you think this will turn out all right? I have a really bad feeling about this. I know we have been through really hairy stuff before… but this, it really scares me."
Swallowing his mouthful of food, he looks at her with love in his eyes, "Jess, you know that I will die before I let anything happen to you. Everything will be fine, and we will finish this just like we do all the others."
Standing up and walking to the other side of the table, she sat down next to her husband, resting her head next to his, "Maybe it's you I'm worried about hun," she said turning her head up, looking into his eyes. Rusty was speechless, he loved her more than anything, but he could see the fear in her eyes. Leaning down, his lips brushed hers for a moment, before resting his head on top of hers, "I love you Jess. For now, let's finish our dinner, than we will talk about a backup plan if this whole thing goes south."
Hanger Bravo, 1200 hours
When the five men finished filing into the large room Rusty looked around, "Time for introductions boys. Nothing fancy, just names and specialties, starting with you," he said pointing at the man standing closest to the door.
"Corporal Chesanek, I specialize with things that go boom, usually the bigger boom."
When he finished the man to his right immediately began "Corporal Fuller, I'm the corpsman, if someone gets hurt, I'm the one that's there making it not hurt anymore, getting them back into the action."
"Thank you Corporal," Jessika said to the man when he finished. "We already know both you and Wicker" she said looking at Hendricks, who was standing to the right of Fuller. "Do the rest of you understand what your job is?"
The response was a resounding "Yes Ma'am" as the five men answered her.
"Good" she said, "now what about you?" she asked the lanky man standing at the end of the semi circle.
"I'm Corporal Livingston, Ma'am, I think we met earlier outside the Armory." He said, pausing for a moment as she shook her head, remembering the events from that morning. Seeing the recognition on her face he continued, "My expertise is Communications and tactics, Ma'am."
Rusty waited until the man finished, "Ok boys, be seated, we got a lot to cover and even less time to cover it," he said as the men took chairs around the table. As Jessika took the folders out of the duffel bag, he began the briefing, outlining what Captain Weathers had said earlier, before going into specifics. The men looked over the folders, memorizing the details of the mission. Jessika and Rusty laid out the plan, asking for input along the way to fill in any gaps. When the couple finished Rusty asked "So boys, any questions?" As all the men shook their heads no he continued, "Good, because we are moving out at eighteen hundred hours, so I suggest you all go through the plan, and memorize it. None of you are leaving this room due to the fact that the only people that know about this mission are all of us and Captain Weathers, and this is the best way to keep it like that." With that he stood, and proceeded out the door, Jessika right behind him. Letting the words of the last four hours briefing sink in to the men in the room.
Walking to the center of the hanger the couple began to inspect the large Helicopter that was charged with bringing them to their destination. Even though the HH-60 Pave Hawk Helicopter was old, it was well made and one of the best designs created. As the pilots entered the hanger and walked towards them, Jessika made her way towards them. "From what I understand you two will be in charge of our flight tonight?" she asked the lead pilot.
"Yes Ma'am. I'm Lieutenant Hayesand this is my co-pilot Staff Sergeant Williams; and from what I hear its going to be a long ride so don't forget to remind your men to bring their salted peanuts. Also the inflight movie should make for a enjoyable ride. It's a classic you might recognize." Hayes said questioningly, inviting her to play along in his charade.
"Let me guess, Behind Enemy Lines?" she said sarcastically.
"BINGO, we have a winner" Hayes said laughing. "Okay, so there is no movie, and I don't particularly enjoy flying into a hot zone, but hey it's the job, and I assure you, that is one thing that we" Hayes looked over at Williams as he continued, "are great at." Looking at his watch he saw the time falling away. "Well, Ma'am, sorry to cut our little chit chat short, but it's time to get rolling. I will take a few minutes for the preflight bologna so take your time and make sure that you're all ready to be in the air by eighteen hundred hours." With that Hayes and Williams walked over to the large Helicopter and began their inspection. Jessika looked over at where her husband knelt next to the landing gear, looking up inside.
"Hey Rusty" she shouted at him, "Its time to get them moving." Moving towards the officer on the side of the hanger Rusty got up and ran to catch up to her. When they opened the door and got inside the men were all leaning over the table studying the maps.
"Well Gentlemen," Rusty said, "Its time to get this show on the road, lets get suited up and get on that bird! You have twenty minutes." When he finished speaking walked back out of the room to let the men file out to the locker room to change into the black tactical gear that he and his wife already wore.
Looking to his wife he softly told her "I guess it's time for us to get loaded up to darling."
"Not just yet" she replied, "There is still two more things we have to do."
"And what is that?" a familiar voice said behind them. Turning around they saw Captain Weathers walking briskly towards them. Without a word of warning Jessika suddenly started walking towards him and stopped less than a foot away.
"What can I do for you Sergeant?" he asked questioningly. With that she brought her left fist back sharply and swung it forward hitting him in the nose with a loud crack as his nose broke.
"Now that SIR, is for always shoveling off your dirty work to us" she told him as he stepped back holding his bleeding nose in his hands. "-- and this--" she said stepping forward again and lifting her leg and snapping it into his stomach "Is for being an arrogant brat, with no respect for anyone but himself." As the Captain fell to the floor she turned around and walked back to Rusty.
"Wow honey, I knew he got you mad, but I didn't know it got you that mad. So that was the first thing to do, what was the next?" He asked her as she smiled up at him.
"Oh you should like it a lot" she said as she brought both her hands up around his neck bringing his head down a few more inches. "And this darling," she whispered into his ear, "Is because I love you more than anything." With that said she brought her lips across his cheek and kissed him deeply. The kiss only lasted a few seconds though, as the sound of the incoming SEAL's brought her back to reality. "More for when we get back, what do you say baby?" She asked him smiling.
He looked at her and smiled back, "You always were a tease, weren't you Jess?" He asked,
"Well not always, but since we met, I may have changed for the better in that way. It's okay though, I save the best for last," she said as she turned away and walked to the helicopter whose engines started blaring and the propellers started turning.
"Wow" he said to himself as he watched her walk away. Quickly he focused and ran to catch up to her focusing on the task at hand. When he caught up to her at the chopper the SEALS's were already in formation next to the side of the large machine, all clad in black and each carrying a large black duffel bag. Jessika stood at the end of the line with a small plastic bag in her hand
"Ok boys, you know the drill, leave anything personal that might be used as identification if you get caught by the enemy." With that she started walking down the line and each man dropped his dog tags into the bag.
"Okay gentleman I guess that's it, let's get this show on the road," Rusty said, and each man turned and boarded the Helicopter. When the five men were finally settled inside he looked over to Jessika, "Ladies first Miss," he said, and she smiled at him and boarded, quickly followed by Rusty.
Pave Hawk Helicopter, 1800 hours
When Rusty got inside Jessika closed the large door on the side of the Pave Hawk chopper and he moved towards the cockpit. Tapping Lieutenant Hayes on the shoulder, the pilot looked back at him. Pointing his hand forward signaling that they were ready to go, Rusty made sure that the pilot nodded before going back to his seat. As the large transport helicopter rose off the ground, the ceiling of the hanger contracted to the sides, revealing the hazy, red and yellow sky above, as the sun began to sink over the horizon. Putting his new headset on he signaled for the others in the back to do so as well. "Might as well sit back and relax boys. We're in for a long flight, maybe catch a couple Z's because you aren't going to have that chance for awhile. Trust me I'll make sure you're awake well before we get into the hot zone," he said as soon as they all had adjusted the small devices over their heads. Looking to his right he smiled as Jessika slowly leaned over and rested her head on his shoulder. Looking at his watch, he noted that they would be in a hot zone for about an hour, which gave him thirty minutes of R+R. Letting his arm fall to his side, he let his head rest on his wife's as they flew through the early evening to the dangers that await.
Outskirts of Washington, HOT ZONE, Pave Hawk Helicopter, 1700 hours
"Okay boys, lets get this done," Rusty said over the lip mic that hung right below his mouth. His words caused all the men to jerk awake instantly, and he watched as they checked the safeties of the various rifles that they carried. He looked to his right and noticed Jessika standing near the front of the helicopter, looking out the front windows at they began to fly over destroyed buildings, and charred wreckage.
Turning around she said "Look alive boys, we will be there in 2 minutes. Take the safeties off and make sure your weapons are Hot" Flipping the safety of her own M-4 rifle as she told the others. Moving to the side she slid the door all the way open until she heard it lock, than as the chopper began to slow she hooked her rope to the hook above and made sure her harness was secure. Around her the other men did the same.
Rusty made his way next to her and said "I'll be right behind you. Lets get this done and go home sweety" As the loud helicopter came to a complete stop Rusty shouted "Go!" over his microphone and Jessika dropped from sight. Quickly he dropped just a few meters behind her, fast roping his way down, but he looked to the side as he heard a loud whistle go through the air. Suddenly the large Pave Hawk helicopter swerved to avoid the missile, but only to be caught dead center by another.
Jessika watched from the ground in horror as she saw Rusty falling through the air as the flaming helicopter tore through the air. As Rusty fell he saw burning debris falling around him, instantly his training and instincts took over and he pulled his knife from the sheath to cut the thick rope holding him to the chopper looming over him. As he fell to the ground the he saw Jessika standing fifty feet below him getting closer by the second until he hit the ground. The last thing he saw before fading into unconsciousness was the familiar sight of his guardian angel standing over him, telling him that he was going to be alright.
anywho, critiques, and comments always welcome :)
The ruins near Denver, 1800 hours
"Spring, the season of new life, HAH," the man thought to himself as he gazed across the barren wasteland. A fierce gust of wind suddenly blew past him, causing the large man to stumble. "Son of a .." he attempted to say as he widened his stance, "How long am I supposed to wait for these morons to show up," he asked himself, but he already knew the answer, "As long as needed." A slight cackle came over his earpiece, causing his left hand to reach up and cover it slightly. "Look alive Alpha, rendezvous in T- minus three minutes." The lone man looked from side to side, and noticed a small group of men closing in as planned, his hand automatically reaching to the butt of his 5-7 USG. He looked to his rear again before bending down and lifting the two duffel bags he had been charged to look after until delivery. He then began slowly picking his way down the slope to the remains of a former road where he was to wait for the pickup to arrive.
Placing both bags on the road he swiftly walked over to the ditch, dropped into the prearranged spot, and crawled the rest of the way to the safety of his foxhole, where his silenced M-4 rifle and other "supplies" awaited. Looking down the scope of his rifle he spotted the first of the group breaching the perimeter. When all of the armed men are finally in position around the bags he made his move. Reaching over and flipping the small toggle, he closed his eyes as the blast ripped through the air.
As he opened his eyes he immediately noticed that the remaining eight men were taking up defensive positions around the area as they realized they were led into a trap. Quickly he adjusted his position and took aim on the leader of the group, zooming the scope in on the man's forehead and exhaling as he tapped the trigger of the compact tactical rifle twice. The two bullets made a small noise as they spat out of the end of the silenced barrel, each hitting their intended target, and dropping the man to the ground as his legs folded under his lifeless body.
The group of men looked around, searching for the shooter as another man fell prey to the unseen ambusher. One of the men saw the flash of the attacker's weapon and unleashed a volley of shots toward it while shouting orders to the other men. Quickly rolling out of the way of the incoming fire, he crawled out of his compromised position and waited for the enemy's fire to subside. Hearing the last shot ring through the air he drew his rifle up and checked his ammo, already knowing how many rounds he had fired. Twenty –five rounds in the clip, one in the chamber.
He looked up over the small knoll and checked the enemy combatant's positions. They had begun moving towards his foxhole; bringing themselves into an almost perfect setup to be flanked. Reaching up to his tactical vest he pulled off a small, cylinder shaped object. Pulling the pin he tossed the smoke grenade a few meters forward between him and them. As the smoke hissed out of the grenade he stood up and lets his rifle drop against its strap, letting it sway to the side as he pulled his tactical knife out of its sheath. He surged forward quickly finding the first of the men with his enhanced vision, sprinting up behind him and taking him out silently. He quietly lowered the corpse to the ground. Crouching he looked to his right and spotted a man stumbling around through the smoke towards him. Moving to the side, he dropped to the ground swung his leg behind the combatant, causing him to fall onto his back. The man quickly dropped his hands down like a cutting edge against the man's throat, silencing him efficiently.
But as he looked up he saw the smoke beginning to clear. "Crap" he thought to himself as four large armed men noticed him and begin firing their extremely lethal 7.62mm rounds at him on full auto. Rolling over to the other side of the man he had just dispatched, he tilted the corpse up and between him and the incoming fire. Suddenly another eruption of rifle fire starts from behind him. He turned his head around to see his guardian angel returning the enemy fire with her own.
As the newcomer fires the specialized M-4 rifle, he drops the corpse, plants his hands flat on the ground using his strength to lift his body over it towards his targets. He landed in a crouching position and drew his 5-7 from his thigh holster. Taking quick aim he began to fire, aiming for the head of the first man and doing a quick double tap before rolling to his right and firing another double burst at an incoming foe. He lept quickly to his feet and sprinted to the side and straight toward the remaining members of the opposing faction. They couldn't help but notice the man running towards them shooting with deadly accuracy, and they unleashed a flurry of fire causing him to drop. As he fell he noticed the figure to his rear hurl something toward him. He watched as the small, round object flew over his head and he instantly dropped face first to the ground lifting his arms over his head just as a loud explosion ripped through the remainder of the opposing force...
Highway at the Ruins of Denver, 1900 hours
As the dust settled and the ringing in his ears subsided, he remembered his rescuer and tried to roll over, but was stopped by a tearing sensation in his back. "Umm… A little help please?" he cried out to his colleague.
"We need a med evac at our location" a voice says over his headset and behind him. "28 years, five feet eleven inches, around two hundred and twenty pounds, blood type A positive, he has a shrapnel wound in his back and other minor cuts and scrapes everywhere else, looks like he had lost a lot of blood, I will keep him stable until you get here, over and out." He cringed as the call for help was made, and the description of his condition was given. A hand grabbed him and he was rolled over to see the smiling face of his guardian angel hovering over him as he blacked out. "It's okay Rusty, I'm not going anywhere, stay with me, you're gonna be alright," she told him as he lost consciousness.
By the time the helicopter arrived there was almost nothing left of the brave man. The only thing keeping him alive was his strong soul, and his resolve to see this war through to the end. "Hey, death isn't so bad." He said to himself as he looked around. There was no nuclear dust to hurt his throat, nobody was shooting at him, no pain. No… nothing. He began to walk forward, looking around for signs of anything. Then suddenly he was thrust into a gun battle, he was dropped right into the middle of it. Bullets were everywhere, he could see the actual bullets flying all around him, even through him like he was nothing. They were all heading in the same general direction, and as he turned around he saw a lone figure lying in the prone position in a small foxhole on the far side of the road. Instantly he knew that he was looking down the barrel of his own rifle, at himself… Once again he was fighting the group of men he had already killed, except it wasn't him, the gun battle had already happened. He watched as the image of himself repeated his former movements and rolled to the side to avoid the incoming fire. He wandered about the scene watching the events unfold. He noticed something he hadn't the first time. The the enemy warriors were protecting one of the men specifically. It was almost like he was the reason they were there; like he was a commander or he was carrying some important secrets. After the grenade went off and took out the men, riddling his own body with shrapnel he walked over and stood in the middle of a tangled web of bodies. The first man he had shot, he assumed had been the leader. But he saw that once that man had fallen, no role of leadership had been transferred to another soldier.
"What do we have here" he said to himself as he bent over to examine the body of the man that had caught his interest. A duffel bag. As he reached down to go through the contents of the corpses belongings his vision began to blur, he heard screams, the sudden pain he felt was excruciating. Then suddenly as he had been thrust into that dimension, he was thrown back out… into the real world.
Medical bay 260 Liberation Army Base of Operations, 2200 hours
"Rusty, are you okay?" a blurred figured asked him as he opened his eyes and tried to get a feel for his surroundings.
"I have to get back there, we need to get that bag," he exclaimed suddenly as he realized he was at his home bases infirmary.
"What are you talking about Sergeant?" another voice said from the other side of the room. He blinked his eyes a few more times trying to get things to focus. Taking a deep breath he sat up and began to turn towards the sound of his superior officer's voice, but falling back in the bed as a sudden sharp pain ripped through his back.
"Well Captain Weathers, it's a long story, but I have reason to believe that one of my tangos was carrying information. I need to go back to retrieve it," Rusty said desperately.
"Sergeant, we have it all here now. As soon as Sergeant Forest had you evac'd she organized a retrieval op. Everything from that site is currently in Hanger Bravo, but with you in your current state it will be awhile before you go anywhere. Would you mind explaining to me what makes you believe that there was anything there that is more important than you recovering from your… inclusive wounds?"
"Sir you should know that…" that was as far as he got when the doctor rushed in and began ushering the people out
"This patient needs rest, once he gets it than ask all you want but for now leave him be." As his commanding officer left he felt most of his stress dissipate. Jessika was the last to leave, his wife and savior giving him a smile and wink as she closed the door behind her on the way out.
Looking over at his doctor he smiled, "Thanks Doc, I was about to tell him something I would have regretted."
"Don't worry kid; I saw it in your eyes. Like I said though, you need rest, get some sleep and I will check in on you every couple of hours. If anything happens, I will make sure you know, just get some sleep." Realizing his unfortunate position he had no choice but to agree with the doctor.
Shaking his head, he gave him a frown "Doc, I really have stuff that I need to do, and I need to get it done quick."
"Sergeant, this is an order, you are to remain in this room, in this bed and get some sleep. I will be here every couple hours to make sure that you are fine, and I will give you updates, you need to trust me." With that the older man exited the room, and the hydraulic doors slid shut with a small hiss.
"You have got to be kidding me" he said to himself as he laid back and closed his eyes. He let images of his beautiful wife go through his mind as he slowly drifted into a restless sleep...
Officers Quarters, 2300 hours
"We need him on the field ASAP. We cannot afford to take any more chances."
"NO, he needs to rest. Give the doctor some time to work his magic, and we will both finish the mission. Captain, give us time."
"Time is something we don't have, Sergeant. At this very moment everything we have worked so hard to build could come crashing down on us. If the enemy is planning what we think they are, then God help us all. We need you and Sergeant Lambert out there now, we need to get those plans and get it done before them. Get him better now, get him ready. I want you both prepped to leave, bring everything you need."
"How about half the army?" the female voice joked sarcastically.
"Very funny Sergeant; now get ready, as soon as he wakes let him know what's going on. You are dismissed, Sergeant Forest."
"Yes sir," she responded with a snap of her right hand to her brow, giving her commanding officer the proper salute, before turning around and leaving the room for her quarters, leaving the nervous Captain behind her as the doors hissed closed.
Watching the woman leave the Captain shook his head. "That couple is going to be the death of me yet," he said smiling to himself as he thought of all the trouble they had both caused, and saved him from.
Medical Bay 260, 0200 hours
The springs in the mattress creaked as he rolled over on his bed, swung his legs over the side, and sat up. As the loud noise filled the room he cringed "If I keep making noises like this there ain't no way I'll ever make it out of here," he thought to himself. Grimacing from his wounds as he stood up, he turned and began to take inventory of what he had. Whoever had brought him here had removed all his tactical gear, and all that was left was his black pants and a black button down shirt. Slowly he walked over so as to not make any noise as he got dressed, but as soon as he bent over to pull his pants on he heard the quiet sound of a throat being cleared.
"You really do have a habit of not following orders don't you honey," his wife said as she got up from her chair across the room. "Really though, I should thank you for the show, it was really thoughtful of you."
As he stood up buckling his pants, he turned to look at his colleague, "Hey no problem babe, any time. So has there been any news from that strike team the Captain sent over to Manhattan?"
"Well first of all, neither of us is supposed to know about that, second yes, the report came in this morning from our UAV's. The mission was a complete loss. The entire team was eliminated as they entered the ruins."
Turning around to get his shirt he was able to conceal the expression that crossed his face. "You gotta be kidding Jess, those men were some of the best we had, how could that have happened?"
"Nobody knows. The word going around is that someone leaked the information and they got ambushed, with all that wreckage it wouldn't have been difficult, but the thing is that no one knew about the op except for you, me, Captain Weathers and the guys on the team, and they were all killed. I know that we didn't say anything to anyone, so… I don't know. The Captain thinks that the enemy might have the prototype finished and they somehow infiltrated our territory, but with the time scales we have its impossible, it couldn't be operable for another two years."
With a frown he looked at his wife. "Has anyone gone through that bag I mentioned? I have a feeling that that is the key."
She looked at him, not understanding. "What are you talking about? The key to what?"
"Honey, I have to get out of here, we need to check that bag. Don't ask me how I know I just do, trust me."
Gazing at her husband, she stood up and walked towards him. Standing just an inch away, she ran her hands up his arms and neck, tracing her hands around his jaw, letting her gentleness cradle his face. Looking directly into his eyes, she leaned closer and whispered in his ear "Of course I trust you Rusty, I love you." Feeling her hands on his face, he put his hands on hers. "I love you to Jess." With that he leaned forward and kissed her softly on the lips, an effort to show how much he loved her.
Usurper Government Hideout, White House Ruins at 0500 hours
"Come on guys, we need to finish this, it's taking too long." Looking at his men as they scrambled to assemble the delicate machine. "We need this done now!"
"Sir we are working as hard as we can. This is something we cannot take the risk to rush building. One mistake and it might just end us all. It's almost finished, just give us some time," the small man with glasses said as he looked at the burly General.
"I know that Private Turly, but it doesn't matter, if this isn't finished and the enemy finds us, we are up a creek without a paddle."
"Sir it will be finished by then. The closest hostile forces are at least four states away, and we will know long before that if they know about our plans."
Getting more and more angered by his soldiers feeling of being invincible he pulled out his 9mm Beretta, aimed for the small mans head as he turned away and pulled the trigger. As the man fell to the floor the General looked at the shocked workers. "If you do not have this operational by 2300 hours tonight, he won't be the only one," pointing towards the man he had just murdered, a pool of blood cascading across the floor, "Now someone clean this mess up."
Corridor 3A , Liberation Army Base of Operations 0600 hours
Rusty went over and hit the switch on the wall, causing the door to the medical bay to swiftly open. Looking in the corridor he signaled to his wife that it was all clear and they quickly ran across the hall, heading south towards the armory. About 50 meters down the corridor a door opened up on the side and a groggy soldier walked out. Jessika quickly stopped for fear of alerting the man, but her husband silently walked up behind him and wrapped his large arm around the man's neck. As the man gasped for breath and began to lose consciousness Rusty held him tight, and when he sagged to the floor he quickly dragged him back into the room leaving him unharmed on the floor. Stepping back out into the corridor he looked up and down the hall. He punched the locking mechanism on the wall and the sliding doors to hissed closed. He began to cautiously move south again, his wife on his heels.
As they finally reached the last intersection he held his hand up again. As Jessika walked up beside her husband in a low crouch she saw the men at the door guarding the armory. Quietly she leaned close to Rusty and whispered, "Okay, honey I think that going under them is the best option. If we take the maintenance tunnel in the floor back there it should lead us right to the armory and we can deal with things from there."
Smiling he looked at his wife, "That's why I married you baby, you're always thinking on your feet." He leaned closer to kiss her but she pulled away.
"That better not be the only reason you married me big boy!" she stated as she scampered back down the hall in the direction they had come. When she got to the grate in the floor she lifted it up to allow him to crawl in. As he slithered his body into the small opening he reached up and grabbed his wife by the shoulders, drawing her lips to his in a quick kiss catching her off guard.
"No, honey that was the reason I married you, this is the reason I love you." With that he disappeared down into the floor leaving his wife with a smile on her lips as she followed him inside.
As he slithered his way down the narrow path he could faintly hear the men above the floor talking amongst themselves, and the footsteps on the floor as they paced. As quietly as he could he continued to crawl forward into the next room. Lifting the grate up, he pushed it to the side as he lifted himself out of the floor. Hearing his wife coming behind him he turned around and grabbed her wrist, helping her out, onto the floor beside him. He smiled as he looked around his surroundings. Jessika raised herself to her feet and walked over the side of the room, grabbing a pair of thigh holsters. She turned and threw one at him, testing his reflexes. As he saw the holster coming at him he grabbed it and frowned at his wife. "What was that for?" he asked quietly.
"Just making sure my place in your life was known baby. I thought for a moment that the 5-7's over there," she pointed to the shelf of pistols he had been staring at, "Turned you on more than I do," she teased. As she bent over and strapped the belt around her thigh she looked up at him and smiled, "Quit your staring Rusty. we don't have time for it, let's get the stuff and get out before someone figures out you're not where you're supposed to be." Standing up she grabbed another thigh holster from the rack and straps it to her other leg, before heading to the next rack and picking out a black leather strap shoulder holster. Lifting it over her head she looked over at her husband who had just finished buckling on his thigh holster and was reaching for the 5-7 USG with laser sight attachment. Turning towards him she purrs, "Baby, what do you think of your girl in leather?" The look on his face after she said that was priceless and she almost laughed out loud, but caught herself in fear of alerting the men outside.
"Lets just get the stuff and get out of here honey" he said as he walked past her and grabbed his own shoulder holster and slid it over his shoulders.
"You know baby, I've always thought you looked better in a vest, but I think this is okay for now," she told him admiringly as she turned to the next rack. Pulling the MP-5 submachine gun from its spot, she pulled the strap, lengthening it, giving her more room as she brought it over her neck, the compact weapon dropping to her side. She picked up a handful of magazines. "Here honey" she said as she tossed them to him one at a time. As he caught them he put them into the duffel bag he was loading with supplies. Wandering over curious of what he was packing she asked "So whatcha got there baby?"
"Oooh not much" he responded, "just the usual. I got yours packed over there, with a tactical vest, your M-4 along with all your gadgets, an extra sidearm, a few grenades, the medpack, and some MRE's."
"I know what's in mine baby, but what's in yours?" she asked as he pulled back the slide on his 5-7 USG.
"Pretty much the same. I have the satcom and a couple of devices that will make a nice boom. I was thinking about bringing a bag of popcorn too so that when it's over we can just sit back and enjoy the show."
"You are such a smart-alec, Rusty," she told him with affection in her eyes. "Just make sure you got ammo for all that, baby," she said as she turned back to the crate filled with loaded clips and magazines of ammunition. Picking it up she turned and put it next to the bag he was loading. "I don't really like the idea of running out when we need it the most, and I know how much you love wasting ammo" she said smiling. She thought about the time when they were younger and he would takes boxes of bullets outside and drop a flaming piece of cloth inside just to hear the popping and see the small explosions as the bullets went off.
He looked over when he finished zipping the bag full of goodies, "I know what your thinkin Jess, I'm not that stupid anymore." He told her with a smile.
"Of course you aren't darling," she said as she looked up into his eyes.
"Are you ready?" Rusty asked as he hoisted the strap of his duffel bag up around his neck, letting it rest on his side. Doing the same she stood next to him and grabbed his neck, lowering his mouth to hers, stealing a quick kiss.
"Now I am" she stated as she walked to the door.
The guards in the hallway were having a deep discussion about the last game of Griffball that had been able to see, when suddenly the door they were supposed to be guarding opened and the two figures appeared. The first man went down without a sound as the bigger of the ambushers sent a quick punch into his temple, knocking him out. It was just after the next man went down that Corporal Livingston recovered from the shock and hit the button next to the door. As he turned back around the last thing he saw before the lights in his head went out were the red lights on the ceiling flashing.
"There goes any idea of surprise," Jessika told her husband after letting the man who had just hit the alarm fall to the floor.
"I know, we need to get to the hanger, come on!" Rusty shouted over the blazing siren. The two ran down the corridors towards the hangers as fast as they could. As soon as the large sliding doors came into view Rusty sensed something off to the side and grabbed his wife as he dropped to the ground, pulling her with him. Just as they hit the floor several loud bursts rang out as bullets flew through the air where they were just standing.
Looking over as Jess he said "Stay down honey, I'll take care of them." She watched as he rolled to the side of the hall and got into a crouching position. He looked around the corner and saw the group of men waiting in ambush. Reaching into the side pocket of his duffel bag he grabbed the familiar shaped canister from inside and tossed it down the hall, smoke hissing from the end. Running back to his wife, he grabbed her by her upper arm and helped her stand. They sprinted to the end of the hall to the hanger doors. Standing next to the wall on the side with his wife, he hit the switch behind her and waited for the doors to fully open before sliding around the corner into the large brightly lit room, hitting the switch to close the doors behind him as soon as he felt his wife beside him.
Hanger Bravo, 0700 hours
As he looked towards the middle of the room the only thing he could mutter was "Oh crap," as Captain Weathers and his four armed guards walked towards them, weapons drawn and aimed towards him.
"I had a feeling you would head here, Sergeant," Weathers said with a smile on his face. Looking to his escorts: "Lower your weapons boys."
"So lemme guess Captain, this was another one of your tests?" Rusty said to his superior officer.
"Of course it was, but the real test hasn't even begun yet. I needed to make sure you were ready, after suffering as much damage as you did from your last mission."
"So now what, Cap?" Jess asked Weathers.
"Well, I have another mission for you." Looking to Rusty he said, "We went through that duffel bag, and just like you thought, it had some highly sensitive info inside. If you two will now follow me, we can start this briefing," he stated as he walked to the side of the large room and into the office in the corner.
When they stepped into the large room, Captain Weathers locked the door, and walked to the end of the table in the middle. Bending over he grabbed something off the floor, and Rusty stared in anticipation at the duffel bag. "Here you go you two, the grand finale," Weathers said as he opened the bag and pulled out several thick folders, full over documents. "I still don't understand how you knew Rusty, but you were right." Rusty reached over and picked up two of the folders, passing one of them to Jessika as he opened the other. "Apparently the general upstairs is planning on using a time machine to go back before the bombs started going off, and change history, by planting himself, and some of his more unique officers into top official positions, and control what they can, in a less devastated time.
"According to the notes in the folder they have several of these machines being built at the same time, making it next to impossible to stop them all. So instead what we are going to do is send over a five man team to the main machine in Washington. That team is going to get through the defenses, eliminate all hostile forces, protect any civilians, and eliminate General Simmons. Than they will proceed to dismantle that machine."
Rusty looked up from the folder and at Weathers, "So lemme guess sir. You want me and Jess to go through and see that the problem is no longer a problem."
"No Sergeant, what I'm saying is that you and Jess are going to be leading a team of SEAL's to make the problem go away. It is imperative that they are not allowed to go back, we cannot let them change the future. Who knows, he might even have a list of soldiers here, and his plan is to go through that list and make sure that fifteen years from that time no one on that list is no longer around to form an army."
"Captain, we work alone and you know that," Rusty said.
Looking at Rusty, Weathers replied, "Well, you don't have a choice. You and Jess will lead that team in and you will succeed. Everything depends on it. If he makes it through, then you will have to stop him on the other side. If you do have to go through though you have to remember that there are no reinforcements, and if you tell anyone what's going on they will not believe you. I do have a small list of soldiers here that might believe you, but it's just a best guess. I also have a list of operatives that you might be familiar with. Go through that list and pick the five you feel will be best suited for the mission. A Blackhawk helo will bring you just outside the city, where you and your men will fast rope down and proceed to the target. Just make your way through and complete the mission. Be at the runway for departure by 1800 hours. Dismissed."
As Captain Weathers left the office, the couple stood looking at the information piled before them. Looking at his wife Rusty said "Well honey, looks like we got our work cut out for us." Leaning over he picked up the list of operatives they had to choose from. "Jess, are you familiar with any of the SEAL's on here?" he asked as he leaned over, showing the list to his wife.
"Well, they pretty much all work well together. Umm… I think we should go with Hendricks, he is really good with close quarters combat, also Wicker is amazing with a rifle, and he would have to be the best sniper I've ever seen. As far as the others… I would ask Wicker and Hendricks who they would want to finish it."
"Sounds like a plan to me" said Rusty as he closed his folder and stacked it on the others on the table, before dropping them all in the duffel bag. "Let's go find Wicker and Hendricks and fill them in Jess" he said as he walked toward the door, the duffel bag draped over his other side.
Special Operations Barracks 0800 hours
"So you're Wicker and you're Hendricks?" Rusty asked the two men standing before him.
"Yes sir, whatcha need?" asked Wicker. Standing at only a little over five feet tall this sniper didn't look very intimidating, but the man towering beside him made up for any size the shorter SEAL may have been lacking. Standing at a little over six feet and weighing just under two hundred pounds, Hendricks may have been mistaken for the fabled Bigfoot.
"Well we have a job and we need your help. You up for it?" Jessika asked as she watched the men try to steal glances at her body.
"Well Ma'am, in the end do we really have a choice in the matter."
Rusty took this as his cue, "Well boys, you really don't, but I thought it best for you to think you might have an option. So, down to business--" suddenly Rusty stopped talking as he stared at Hendricks who was very openly checking out his wife. "First of all soldier," he said as he quickly closed the gap between he and the larger Hendricks, "You will stop undressing my wife with your eyes, and you will put any thoughts of her being a woman out of your mind."
"Or what?" Hendricks interrupted, his eyes glaring blades of steel into the man looming over him.
"Or I'll kill you," Rusty said menacingly.
Hearing that Jessika walked forward and pushed her husband back, looking at him with a scowl, "I will not have this fighting in here, and especially not over me." Looking Rusty in the eye, "Honey, I think I can handle myself," she said as she suddenly turned around grabbed Hendricks' shoulders and brought her knee up into his groin, pulling him down as she did. Letting him drop to the floor in pain she stepped back and asked all three men, "Any questions boys?"
Both Hendricks and Rusty shook their heads no, as Wicker took in the situation, "Yes Maam, what is it exactly you want us to do?"
Looking at him she grabbed the a piece of paper from her pocket, "First I need you and numb nuts here to find us three more men for a very important operation. We need them to be able to cooperate, and listen to orders; also they need to work well together. Than after you do that, relay the message I gave Hendricks," pointing to Hendricks as he staggered back to his feet with a pained expression on his face, she continued, "Then bring them to Hangar Bravo, the briefing will be in the office there at 1200 hours." Looking at both men as they nodded, "Do you understand gentlemen?" she asked.
"Yes Ma'am," Hendricks and Wicker said in unison. "Good, we will see you at 1200 hours than dismissed." With that Jessika and Rusty turned towards the door and exited, making their way to the one thing that they needed the most.
Mess Hall, 1000 hours
As they walked into the cafeteria Rusty smiled as he saw the stacks of MRE's in the corner and the soda fountain standing right next to them. Quickly he walked over and grabbed a pair of meals, and passed one over his shoulder to Jessika who was standing right behind him. Than taking a couple steps to the side, he grabbed a plastic disposable cup and filled it to the brim with Mountain Dew. As he walked to the nearest table his wife grabbed a cup and filled It with Dr. Pepper, before walking over to join him at the small table. When she got there, he had already opened the package and was about to open another, smaller one inside. Sitting down opposite him, she opened her own meal, and squeezed some of the cool food into her hungry mouth. As she finished chewing she looked over at Rusty, who was downing his drink, "So honey, what do you think of Wicker and Hendricks so far" she asked when he put the cup down.
"Well, Hendricks is all brawn and no brain, but at least it seems that Wicker has enough brains for the two of them, and with what you did, I don't think we will have any issues with insubordination." He said before he picked up the crackers and popped them into his mouth.
"Rusty," Jess asked as she looked at her husband, "Do you think this will turn out all right? I have a really bad feeling about this. I know we have been through really hairy stuff before… but this, it really scares me."
Swallowing his mouthful of food, he looks at her with love in his eyes, "Jess, you know that I will die before I let anything happen to you. Everything will be fine, and we will finish this just like we do all the others."
Standing up and walking to the other side of the table, she sat down next to her husband, resting her head next to his, "Maybe it's you I'm worried about hun," she said turning her head up, looking into his eyes. Rusty was speechless, he loved her more than anything, but he could see the fear in her eyes. Leaning down, his lips brushed hers for a moment, before resting his head on top of hers, "I love you Jess. For now, let's finish our dinner, than we will talk about a backup plan if this whole thing goes south."
Hanger Bravo, 1200 hours
When the five men finished filing into the large room Rusty looked around, "Time for introductions boys. Nothing fancy, just names and specialties, starting with you," he said pointing at the man standing closest to the door.
"Corporal Chesanek, I specialize with things that go boom, usually the bigger boom."
When he finished the man to his right immediately began "Corporal Fuller, I'm the corpsman, if someone gets hurt, I'm the one that's there making it not hurt anymore, getting them back into the action."
"Thank you Corporal," Jessika said to the man when he finished. "We already know both you and Wicker" she said looking at Hendricks, who was standing to the right of Fuller. "Do the rest of you understand what your job is?"
The response was a resounding "Yes Ma'am" as the five men answered her.
"Good" she said, "now what about you?" she asked the lanky man standing at the end of the semi circle.
"I'm Corporal Livingston, Ma'am, I think we met earlier outside the Armory." He said, pausing for a moment as she shook her head, remembering the events from that morning. Seeing the recognition on her face he continued, "My expertise is Communications and tactics, Ma'am."
Rusty waited until the man finished, "Ok boys, be seated, we got a lot to cover and even less time to cover it," he said as the men took chairs around the table. As Jessika took the folders out of the duffel bag, he began the briefing, outlining what Captain Weathers had said earlier, before going into specifics. The men looked over the folders, memorizing the details of the mission. Jessika and Rusty laid out the plan, asking for input along the way to fill in any gaps. When the couple finished Rusty asked "So boys, any questions?" As all the men shook their heads no he continued, "Good, because we are moving out at eighteen hundred hours, so I suggest you all go through the plan, and memorize it. None of you are leaving this room due to the fact that the only people that know about this mission are all of us and Captain Weathers, and this is the best way to keep it like that." With that he stood, and proceeded out the door, Jessika right behind him. Letting the words of the last four hours briefing sink in to the men in the room.
Walking to the center of the hanger the couple began to inspect the large Helicopter that was charged with bringing them to their destination. Even though the HH-60 Pave Hawk Helicopter was old, it was well made and one of the best designs created. As the pilots entered the hanger and walked towards them, Jessika made her way towards them. "From what I understand you two will be in charge of our flight tonight?" she asked the lead pilot.
"Yes Ma'am. I'm Lieutenant Hayesand this is my co-pilot Staff Sergeant Williams; and from what I hear its going to be a long ride so don't forget to remind your men to bring their salted peanuts. Also the inflight movie should make for a enjoyable ride. It's a classic you might recognize." Hayes said questioningly, inviting her to play along in his charade.
"Let me guess, Behind Enemy Lines?" she said sarcastically.
"BINGO, we have a winner" Hayes said laughing. "Okay, so there is no movie, and I don't particularly enjoy flying into a hot zone, but hey it's the job, and I assure you, that is one thing that we" Hayes looked over at Williams as he continued, "are great at." Looking at his watch he saw the time falling away. "Well, Ma'am, sorry to cut our little chit chat short, but it's time to get rolling. I will take a few minutes for the preflight bologna so take your time and make sure that you're all ready to be in the air by eighteen hundred hours." With that Hayes and Williams walked over to the large Helicopter and began their inspection. Jessika looked over at where her husband knelt next to the landing gear, looking up inside.
"Hey Rusty" she shouted at him, "Its time to get them moving." Moving towards the officer on the side of the hanger Rusty got up and ran to catch up to her. When they opened the door and got inside the men were all leaning over the table studying the maps.
"Well Gentlemen," Rusty said, "Its time to get this show on the road, lets get suited up and get on that bird! You have twenty minutes." When he finished speaking walked back out of the room to let the men file out to the locker room to change into the black tactical gear that he and his wife already wore.
Looking to his wife he softly told her "I guess it's time for us to get loaded up to darling."
"Not just yet" she replied, "There is still two more things we have to do."
"And what is that?" a familiar voice said behind them. Turning around they saw Captain Weathers walking briskly towards them. Without a word of warning Jessika suddenly started walking towards him and stopped less than a foot away.
"What can I do for you Sergeant?" he asked questioningly. With that she brought her left fist back sharply and swung it forward hitting him in the nose with a loud crack as his nose broke.
"Now that SIR, is for always shoveling off your dirty work to us" she told him as he stepped back holding his bleeding nose in his hands. "-- and this--" she said stepping forward again and lifting her leg and snapping it into his stomach "Is for being an arrogant brat, with no respect for anyone but himself." As the Captain fell to the floor she turned around and walked back to Rusty.
"Wow honey, I knew he got you mad, but I didn't know it got you that mad. So that was the first thing to do, what was the next?" He asked her as she smiled up at him.
"Oh you should like it a lot" she said as she brought both her hands up around his neck bringing his head down a few more inches. "And this darling," she whispered into his ear, "Is because I love you more than anything." With that said she brought her lips across his cheek and kissed him deeply. The kiss only lasted a few seconds though, as the sound of the incoming SEAL's brought her back to reality. "More for when we get back, what do you say baby?" She asked him smiling.
He looked at her and smiled back, "You always were a tease, weren't you Jess?" He asked,
"Well not always, but since we met, I may have changed for the better in that way. It's okay though, I save the best for last," she said as she turned away and walked to the helicopter whose engines started blaring and the propellers started turning.
"Wow" he said to himself as he watched her walk away. Quickly he focused and ran to catch up to her focusing on the task at hand. When he caught up to her at the chopper the SEALS's were already in formation next to the side of the large machine, all clad in black and each carrying a large black duffel bag. Jessika stood at the end of the line with a small plastic bag in her hand
"Ok boys, you know the drill, leave anything personal that might be used as identification if you get caught by the enemy." With that she started walking down the line and each man dropped his dog tags into the bag.
"Okay gentleman I guess that's it, let's get this show on the road," Rusty said, and each man turned and boarded the Helicopter. When the five men were finally settled inside he looked over to Jessika, "Ladies first Miss," he said, and she smiled at him and boarded, quickly followed by Rusty.
Pave Hawk Helicopter, 1800 hours
When Rusty got inside Jessika closed the large door on the side of the Pave Hawk chopper and he moved towards the cockpit. Tapping Lieutenant Hayes on the shoulder, the pilot looked back at him. Pointing his hand forward signaling that they were ready to go, Rusty made sure that the pilot nodded before going back to his seat. As the large transport helicopter rose off the ground, the ceiling of the hanger contracted to the sides, revealing the hazy, red and yellow sky above, as the sun began to sink over the horizon. Putting his new headset on he signaled for the others in the back to do so as well. "Might as well sit back and relax boys. We're in for a long flight, maybe catch a couple Z's because you aren't going to have that chance for awhile. Trust me I'll make sure you're awake well before we get into the hot zone," he said as soon as they all had adjusted the small devices over their heads. Looking to his right he smiled as Jessika slowly leaned over and rested her head on his shoulder. Looking at his watch, he noted that they would be in a hot zone for about an hour, which gave him thirty minutes of R+R. Letting his arm fall to his side, he let his head rest on his wife's as they flew through the early evening to the dangers that await.
Outskirts of Washington, HOT ZONE, Pave Hawk Helicopter, 1700 hours
"Okay boys, lets get this done," Rusty said over the lip mic that hung right below his mouth. His words caused all the men to jerk awake instantly, and he watched as they checked the safeties of the various rifles that they carried. He looked to his right and noticed Jessika standing near the front of the helicopter, looking out the front windows at they began to fly over destroyed buildings, and charred wreckage.
Turning around she said "Look alive boys, we will be there in 2 minutes. Take the safeties off and make sure your weapons are Hot" Flipping the safety of her own M-4 rifle as she told the others. Moving to the side she slid the door all the way open until she heard it lock, than as the chopper began to slow she hooked her rope to the hook above and made sure her harness was secure. Around her the other men did the same.
Rusty made his way next to her and said "I'll be right behind you. Lets get this done and go home sweety" As the loud helicopter came to a complete stop Rusty shouted "Go!" over his microphone and Jessika dropped from sight. Quickly he dropped just a few meters behind her, fast roping his way down, but he looked to the side as he heard a loud whistle go through the air. Suddenly the large Pave Hawk helicopter swerved to avoid the missile, but only to be caught dead center by another.
Jessika watched from the ground in horror as she saw Rusty falling through the air as the flaming helicopter tore through the air. As Rusty fell he saw burning debris falling around him, instantly his training and instincts took over and he pulled his knife from the sheath to cut the thick rope holding him to the chopper looming over him. As he fell to the ground the he saw Jessika standing fifty feet below him getting closer by the second until he hit the ground. The last thing he saw before fading into unconsciousness was the familiar sight of his guardian angel standing over him, telling him that he was going to be alright.