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07-03-2015, 09:17 AM | #1 |
Barty's Right-hand Man
Join Date: Nov 2013
Location: Ohio
Posts: 7,138
|
Sorry it's taken so long. Finally got my laptop fixed. The story isn't done, but im going to post what i have, and im going to do it as suggested, with each chapter being a post, that way there aren't so many 'how the movie should have been' threads. Hope you guys enjoy!
“Hey, it’s all right, nothing needs to be said,” Lonzo stated, putting his hand on his friend’s shoulder, “Things haven’t been easy on you, I know, but I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t feel this was right. I didn’t come here strictly because we need you…I came here because I know you need us. This isolation isn’t the life for you, trust me. This isn’t a whim. I believe this in my heart, you know that. I would not have come otherwise, I swear to you.” “I…I think this is what Terri would have wanted me to do.” “Pal,” Lonzo said with a big grin on his face. “I was thinking the same thing. Welcome to Delta.” The two shook hand, then the man hopped into the back of the jeep and shook hands with Col. Abernathy. “Uhh, is he just going to leave that poor animal here all by himself?” the Colonel asked, looking over his shoulder at the wolf standing in front of the cabin. “Sir, that poor animal is a wolf,” Lonzo answered, as the trio drove back down the mountain. “Trust me, he’ll be just fine. And so will you,” he added, turning and bumping the blonde-haired young man on the leg. “You’ve forgotten enough for one lifetime, my man. It’s time to go home.”
__________________
http://www.hisstank.com/forum/g-i-jo...-bst-list.html http://www.hisstank.com/forum/buy-se...-feedback.html THE LATE NIGHT CREW |
07-03-2015, 09:21 AM | #2 |
Barty's Right-hand Man
Join Date: Nov 2013
Location: Ohio
Posts: 7,138
|
CH 13
“So this is where you found him?” General Austin asked, looking into the utility closet that now sported caution tape across it’s doorway. “Affirmative,” Lt.-Col. Colton answered, looking in at the blood-stained floor. “As I said, I didn’t personally find the body, but this is where it was discovered. “Any leads?” Gen. Flagg asked. “We’ve turned it over to the M.P.’s, and local police,” Colton answered, “But I’d bet my next promotion it was a Cobra plant.” “What?” Gen. Flagg immediately asked in astonishment. “Colton, be serious,” Gen. Austin scolded. “Do you honestly think that they could get some spy in here under our noses?” “Sir, I hate to say it,” the Lt.-Colonel began, looking into the dark confines of the utility closet, “But the proof is before our very eyes. “I don’t believe it,” Gen. Austin adamantly stated. “If this was a Cobra plant,” Gen. Flagg began, deciding to play devil’s advocate, “Then why is he dead? Did someone catch on, and do him in without telling anyone?” “I think Cobra killed their own man,” Colton boldly offered, looking up at Gen. Austin, then over to Gen. Flagg. “That doesn’t make any sense,” Gen. Flagg stated, a confused look on his face, “Why kill their own man?” “That I don’t have an answer for,” Colton admitted, “But, who knows how these terrorist cells think and operate. Maybe he outlived his usefulness.” “If I may, sir,” Col. Abernathy spoke up from the back of the group. All three men turned to look at him, almost as if they had forgotten about the young man, so he continued. “Maybe he wasn’t getting as much info as they wanted, so they killed him, and placed another plant in his place.” “This is all getting too ridiculous for me,” Gen. Austin stated, shaking his head. “Well, with all due respect, sirs,” Colton began, looking from one General to the other, “What if Col. Abernathy is right?” “Colton-“ “I know, sir, I know, but I’m just speculating…what if he’s right? I mean, can we honestly take that kind of a chance? Can we just assume that Cobra can’t touch us in here, and go about our business?” The four men exchanged glances with one another, then Gen. Austin sighed, as if in surrender. “I’m not saying I believe it, but…if they did get one of their guys in here-“ “Two,” Gen Flagg interrupted. Gen. Austin looked at his colleague, as if he didn’t understand what the man was referring to, or why he was interrupting him. “If Col. Abernathy’s deduction is accurate, and this dead man was a Cobra plant, then there’s nothing to say that they got another one in here, as well, meaning they’ve now inserted two men into our operation.” “And if they’ve gotten two under noses…they’ll keep planting them until they overrun us. We’ll be in a literal snakepit.” “Like hell we will,” Gen. Austin defiantly stated, placing his hands on his hips as he straightened his posture. “If they’re snuck two, or even one of their people in here, then it stops, right now. Get someone to start digging, and find out everything we can about this man who was killed. Then find out who took his place, and who the newest additions to the base are. Hell, do background checks on everybody. I want this rat…or snake, as it were, flushed out. We are this close to releasing Delta out into the wild. We cannot jeopardize that, not in this stage of the game.” “I’ll take care of it, sirs,” Lt.-Col. Colton assured the two Generals. “I promise you, we’ll get to the bottom of this, and Delta will be riding high by the time they need to be.” “That’s good to hear, Lt.-Colonel,” Gen. Austin began, turning and slowly heading down the hall, away from the enclosed crimescene. Gen. Flagg walked behind Gen. Austin, while Col. Abernathy took up position next to Flagg, behind Colton. “Because we were on our way to see Delta’s progress, firsthand, when you took us on a detour to show us this unfortunate turn of events.” “What ol’ Iron-Butt Austin is trying to say,” Gen. Flagg began, “Is how are our boys doing?” “You’re welcome to see for yourself,” Lt.-Col. Colton answered, as they walked through a set of double doors, out into the morning sunlight. “Oh, I think I will,” Gen. Flagg replied with a smirk. “Don’t want you trying to pull a fast one over on us.” “Heard you recruited a hell of a soldier, Col. Abernathy,” Gen. Austin said over his shoulder, as the group made their way across the vast parking lot. “Yes, sir,” the young Colonel answered, “But I can’t really take any credit, seeing as how Specialist Wilkinson brought the young man to my attention. I just drove the jeep.” “He’s still under your command,” Gen. Austin stated, matter-of-factly. “His idea becomes your idea, and his credit becomes your credit, just like the rest of us get credit for your find, as well. Follow me?” Col. Abernathy gritted his teeth, debating on how to react, then chose the better part of valor, and answered, “Yes, sir.” “No, you don’t,” Gen. Flagg said with a chuckle, looking over at the young Colonel. “He just fed you a load of b.s., and you know it.” “Yes, sir,” Col. Abernathy admitted. “Relax, Col. Abernathy,” Gen. Austin called over his shoulder. “You’re doing a hell of a job, and I have the utmost respect for a man who won’t take credit for his subordinate’s success. Flagg and I won’t do it to Colton, and we don’t expect him to do it to you. Same goes for you and you team.” “Yes, sir,” Col. Abernathy replied, relieved to have cleared the air. “You’ll be fine,” Gen. Flagg said softly to Col. Abernathy as he patted him on the back. “We all wouldn’t have chosen you, otherwise.” “Thank you, sir,” the young Colonel replied, unsure what to say, as he was taken aback by his superior officer’s kind words. “Sirs, if you don’t mind, I have something else I’d like to discuss that’s a bit off-topic,” Lt.-Col. Colton began, stopping in front of the motor pool. He opened the door, allowing both Generals and Col. Abernathy to go inside, then followed. “I know this isn’t on your list of priorities, Generals Austin and Abernathy-“ “Just spit it out, Colton,” Gen. Austin interrupted. “I’m old. I don’t have all day.” “It’s just that…some of the members of Delta have been wondering about the name…the team’s name, that is. Counter-terrorist force Delta isn’t very catchy, after all.” “No, you’re right about that,” Gen. Flagg agreed, as all four men made their way across the motor pool area, towards a bathroom at the far side. “Hell, if you’re going to shout out some battle-cry, you’ll have to ask the enemy to wait a minute so you can yell the whole name.” All four men chuckled as they entered the bathroom, then shut the door. “Um, anyone have to go while we’re in here?” Lt.-Col. Colton asked sheepishly, looking at the other three occupants. “Sorry, Colton,” Gen. Flagg replied dryly, “That’s not an order I’m willing to give.” Again, all four men chuckled as the Lt.-Colonel pressed a hidden switch, causing the back wall to swing inward, revealing a hidden elevator car. “So, back to your name-change,” Gen. Austin began, as all four men stepped into the elevator car, “What did you have in mind?” “No real suggestions yet, sir,” Colton answered, as the secret wall swung shut. As soon as it did, a light lit up above the group, eliminating the darkness. “Nothing flamboyant or extravagant, mind you, just…something simple.” “Why not just use your old ‘Screaming Eagles’ title?” Gen. Flagg suggested, as the elevator began to descend down the shaft. “No offense, sir, but I’d like to leave that with the Eagles. This isn’t the same team, and I wouldn’t want to disrespect their memory in any way shape or form.” “Well, I don’t know what you want,” Gen. Austin stated, a tone of exasperation in his voice. “I mean, they’re government-issued. They’re G.I.’s, Joe.” “Trust me, sir,” Colton countered with conviction in his voice, “Once you see the members of Delta in action, you’ll agree that they’re anything but general issue.” “Here’s hoping they’re tougher than galvanized iron,” Gen. Austin said, as the elevator reached the bottom of the shaft. As the top brass of the Delta team entered the Pit, the members of the team’s roster were getting ready in the community locker room. “Man, I love me some rock-and-roll,” Specialist McConnell called out, as he vigorously played an air guitar as his phone blared Avenged Sevenfold’s ‘Hail to the King’. “Yea, but not the rest of us,” Specialist Melendez stated, from the other end of the ailse, where he was pulling his socks on. “So turn it down or get zapped.” “Man, Col. Abernathy sure hit a grand slam with us, didn’t he?” Specialist Barney asked as he watched Specialist McConnell turn his phone’s volume down. “That may be your opinion,” Specialist Graves stated gruffly, as he placed a pair of shoes in his locker. “I still say we’re all just grunts.” “You can be a grunt,” Specialist Gambello said to his fellow soldier as he walked behind him. “I, on the otherhand, have too much flash for that low of a profile.” Specialist Graves kept quiet as Gambello continued on down the aisle, choosing to simply glare at him, instead. “What do you think, Pulaski?” Specialist Freidstadt asked, folding his t-shirt before setting it in his locker. Specialist Pulaski just shrugged from where he sat on the bench in front of his locker, then offered, “Go Steelers.” “Wanna know what I think?” Specialist Steinburg asked, flexing his biceps while checking his reflection in a mirror. “No,” the team all responded in unison. “I’m thinking,” he went on, ignoring his teammates’ disdain, “Is that I should try and get Miss Scarlet O’Hara in here with me.” “I think,” Specialist Freidstadt began, poking his head around the corner from where he was getting ready, “You try that, and you’ll be K.I.A.” A round of laughter erupted from the members of Delta, but it didn’t seem to phase Steinburg in the least bit. “Aw, you guys are just jealous,” he stated, as he continued to examine himself. “I wouldn’t go making her mad,” Specialist Pulaski advised. “In case you didn’t notice earlier, that girl has a short fuse.” “No, I’m the one with the short fuse,” Freidstadt corrected, “She just has the redheaded temper. And her name’s Shana, Lance, not Scarlet.” “Yea, Scarlet O’Hara was the character from ‘Gone With the Wind,” Specialist Barney added, coming over to the group. “No, I like Scarlet O’Hara better,” Specialist Steinburg stated, running his fingers through his hair. “It fits her better, kind of the best of the both of them.” “You need to hit those brakes, Specialist Steinburg,” a voice called from the doorway to the locker room. Everyone turned to see Specialist Wilkinson standing there, arms crossed, a scowl on his face. “Naw,” Steinburg replied, turning back to the mirror, yet again. “More like I’m letting the clutch out.” “Maybe you ought to keep the clutch in,” Wilkinson quickly replied, his voice becoming more aggressive. “Man, Lonzo,” Specialist Gambello began, coming up to the former Ranger. “How long have you been standing there?” “Long enough to hear Steinburg make a fool of himself.” “That only takes a couple seconds,” Specialist Kibbey stated, joining the group. A round of chuckles resonated throughout the locker room, then Kibbey added, “Seriously, Lonzo, I can’t believe the way you snuck up on us like that.” “Almost like you were stalking your prey,” Specialist Gambello declared, joining the others. “Lonzo the stalker,” Specialist Barney added with a smile on his face. “And my man Alvin, here, is my little circuit breaker, isn’t that right, Specialist Kibbey?” “Whatever you say, Lonzo,” Specialist Kibbey replied with an indifferent shrug. “Everybody present and accounted for?” Wilkinson asked, looking around to make sure he spotted all the members of Delta.” “Miss O’Hara’s not here,” Specialist Steinburg stated. “No shit, Sherlock,” Specialist Graves replied, “This is the men’s locker room.” “Hey, we’re a team,” Steinburg pressed, “We should dress as one.” “I’m starting a pool to see how long it takes for Specialist O’Hara to relieve Mr. Steinburg of his genitalia,” Specialist Wilkinson declared. “I’m in,” Specialist Freidstadt immediately offered. “Me, too,” Specialist Pulaski added. “I’ve got a twenty here somewhere,” Specialist Barney stated. “All right, in all seriousness,” Specialist Wilkinson began, the playfulness leaving his face, “Colton, Abernathy, Austin and Flagg are on their way, and the Lt.-Col. has tasked me with gathering you ruffians together and making you look presentable.” “Fat chance of that,” Specialist Barney commented. “Trust me, Specialist, I was put in charge of this task…I got this.” “Hey, whoa, we’re missing somebody,” Specialist Steinburg stated, looking around. “Lance, I told you,” Specialist Wilkinson began, his patience running severely thin. “No, no, not her…the new guy.” “Oh, yea, the quiet blonde-haired guy,” Specialist Melendez added. “He’s already out in the training room,” Wilkinson added. “What?” Specialist Kibbey gasped. “Already?” “He don’t mess around,” Wilkinson replied, turning and leaving the locker room, with the rest of Delta following suit. With the former Ranger in charge, the men made their way from the locker room, out into the training facility, where they lined up next to each other along one side of the room’s sparring mat, from one end to the other, ready to greet the upper brass, as it were. No sooner had they all settled in, than Generals Austin and Flagg entered the room, followed by Lt.-Col. Colton and Col. Abernathy. “Atten-hut!” the Lt.-Colonel bellowed, as he crossed the room towards his team. Generals Austin and Flagg slowly made their way over to the middle of the room, so they were directly across from the middle of the lineup, while Colton stood directly in front of them, so he could get a closer view of the twelve individuals that were standing in the attention stance, shoulders square, chins up, chest out, legs straight, and eyes ahead. To Colton, they looked ready, but as he viewed the lineup, he secretly, desperately, hoped that Generals Austin and Flagg felt the same way. “Delta, I’d like you to meet General Austin and General Flagg,” Colton began, as both General’s eyes poured over the twelve specialists standing in front of them. “Generals, allow me to introduce you to Counter-Terrorist Force Delta.” Well,” Gen. Austin began, taking a step forward as he eyed each member in the line, “Do they have individual names, or should we simply call them Delta?” “No, sir,” Colton proudly responded, “Delta, sound off!” The first man on the far left side of the line immediately stepped forward, out of the line, and in a firm, confident voice, stated, “Specialist Anthony Gambello, laser rifle trooper.” The young man took a step backwards, placing himself back in line, just as the blonde-haired young man next to him took a step forward, and said, “Specialist Eric Freistadt, mortar soldier.” “Specialist Robert Graves,” the third man in the line said, stepping forward as Freidstadt stepped back into line. “Infantry.” “Specialist James Barney,” the next man said, as he and Graves basically switched places. “Laser Artillery Soldier.” “Specialist Craig McConnell,” the blonde-haired young man with a beard began, stepping forward. “Machine Gunner.” “Specialist Rafeal Melendez, bazooka soldier.” “Specialist Ralph Pulaski,” the Pittsburgh native began, stepping forward, “Tank Commander.” “Specialist Lance Steinburg,” the bearded man with an accent said, stepping forward, much to the dislike of Scarlett. “Heavy Ordinance Operator.” As he stepped back into line, the next member of the team stepped forward, and introduced himself. “Specialist Alvin Kibbey, communications officer.” “Specialist Lonzo Wilkinson,” the next man in line stated, stepping forward, “Ranger.” “Specialist Shana O’Hara,” the team’s only female proudly declared, stepping forward, “Counter-Intelligence.” Just as the redhead stepped back into line, the last and final member of Delta, the friend of Lonzo’s that he and Col. Abernathy had recruited from the young man’s mountain hideaway, stepped forward drawing to himself the attention of everyone in the room, including Col. Abernathy, who, when he laid eyes upon the young man, realized he’d gone clean-shaven, and buzzed off his hair. It was also then, as the young man stated his name, that the Colonel recognized him, and, upon the realization that they had previously met, remembered when that time had been. “…Commando,” the young man finished, before stepping back in line. “All right,” Gen. Austin began, taking in the roster once again. “I’m well aware that Lt.-Col. Colton and Col. Abernathy have previously gone over the basics with you, so I’ll spare you the details to avoid boring you to death. “The world is changing, which means protecting and defending this country that we love so much isn’t as simple as it used to be. This also means that our enemies have changed, altering their plans of attack, alternating methods, becoming more ruthless, more aggressive. Well, so are we. We are going to change, morph, and adapt our methods in order to stand toe-to-toe with our enemies, so that when they come knocking on Uncle Sam’s door, we’ll be the ones who answer. “And that’s why you’re all here…because you are the best. The very best, and the very best are what this team is made up of. This elite unit is just that- elite. You were all specifically chosen, and you were chosen well, so that, instead of waiting for some ruthless, terrorist organization that wants to rule the world knocking down our door, we’ll go out and kick in their door, and give them a good old American ass-kicking! “This team, this Counter-Terrorist Force Delta was formed with one goal in mind: to build a close, organized team of specialists that can act, think, and fight as one, with one body, and one mind. A mind to step up and protect this country. You all are the future of American defense, and thanks to you, everyone across this great nation will sleep better every night, thanks to you Delta members who will protect them from the monsters who would do them harm.” Gen. Austin remained in front of the roster, eyeing each member as he let his words sink in. Gen. Flagg broke the silence, however, by saying, “Well…they look good. But can they fight?” “Absolutely,” Lt.-Col Colton answered proudly. “Col. Abernathy, would you like to do the honors?” “Actually, sir,” the Colonel replied, eyeing the roster carefully. “I’d like Miss O’Hara to do the honors.” “What?” Gen. Austin gasped in shock. “O’Hara?” Flagg asked in bewilderment. “Yes, sirs,” Col. Abernathy repeated, unfazed by his superior officers’ doubtful reactions. Both generals looked at Specialist O’Hara, who kept her hard, focused stare straight ahead, although it was clear that the comments made by the upper brass were getting to her. “Um, no offense, ma’am,” Gen. Austin began, trying to figure out a way to both have his way, yet not offend Delta’s only female member. “But, I think Gen. Austin and I would prefer to see Col. Abernathy demonstrate this part of the tour.” “Yes, sir,” Specialist O’Hara replied, coldly and stiffly. “Generals, do you trust my judgment?” Lt.-Col. Colton asked Austin and Flagg. “Of course,” Gen Austin answered, “That’s why we gave you command of Delta in the first place.” “Good, because that’s how I feel about Col. Abernathy. You trust my judgment, and I trust his. Specialist O’Hara, the floor is yours.” “Thank you, sir,” the redhead said, stepping forward. After a few steps, the Georgia-native turned to face her team, placed her hands on her hips, and added, “All right, boys…you wanted to get your hands on me. Here’s your chance.” “Don’t worry, boys,” Specialist Steinburg said, heading towards his female teammate, “I got this.” Specialist O’Hara watched her teammate saunter over to her, all the while remaining calm and cool. “Don’t worry, babe,” Specialist Steinburg began, placing a hand on her shoulder, as he looked into her eyes with an arrogant smirk on his face, “I know you’ve been waiting for this.” “Got that right,” she replied with a smile. Before Steinburg knew what happened, Specialist O’Hara flung her leg out, striking her teammate right between the legs, causing him to immediately go rigid, grab himself, then drop to the floor, and curl up into the fetal position. “Hey, that isn’t right,” Specialist Barney called out, stepping forward. “You next?” O’Hara asked, turning towards her other teammate. Specialist Barney suddenly stopped, appeared to consider his decision, then answered, “No,” and stepped back into line. “I am,” Specialist Freidstadt growled, stepping out of line, and walking with a purpose towards the redhead. The young blonde man with glasses reached his teammate and took a swing, but O’Hara blocked the blow, spun while interlocking her hnds around the arm, then dropped down as she wrapped her legs around the man’s arm, and pulled. “Ow, ow, ow!” Freidstadt howled in pain, fighting to get loose. “Tap out,” Specialist O’Hara advised, a smirk on her face, as she held onto her teammate’s arm with a firm grip. “Yea, how ‘bout you kiss my- ahh!” O’Hara pulled back on the arm more, instilling more pain, and finally causing the young man to slap the mat. She immediately let go, then rolled backwards and got to her feet, only to have Specialist Gambello put her in a chokehold. “Got’cha, babe,” Gambello growled in the young woman’s ear. “Don’t,” O’Hara began, tensing up, “Call me…” She feinted to the right, then spun down and behind, placing the Specialist’s arm behind his back. “…babe!” she finished, putting more stress on Gambello’s arm. “All right, all right!” he shouted, trying to escape the hold, to no avail. Feeling as though she’d made her point, Specialist O’Hara loosened her grip and got to her feet, however, unbeknownst to her, Specialist Pulaski was right behind her, waiting his turn. As soon as she got to her feet, Pulaski grabbed her, and picked her up, intent on slamming her to the ground. The young redhead was able to counter the move, however, and allow her momentum to roll out of her teammate’s grip, then land behind him. Before Pulaski could turn around, O’Hara unloaded with a series of kicks, connecting with the man’s knees, ribs, and finally, his face. The Delta member collapsed to the ground, heavily dazed. “Anyone else?” Specialist O’Hara asked, moving a loose lock of fiery red hair out of her face. All of the members of Delta looked at one another, but no one moved, or even said a word. “No one?” she pressed, looking at each member in the line. At the end, she noticed the good-looking blonde she had been standing next to. He seemed relaxed, as though the show she had just put on was no big deal, which made her decide to choose him for her next target.” “You,” O’Hara stated, pointing to the young man. “You’re next.” “Me?” the young man asked, still calm as ever. “Come on, attack me,” she insisted. “Swat her one for Pulaski, pal!” Specialist Kinney shouted in encouragement. Without another word, or even a shrug of the shoulders, the quiet loner made his way out towards the middle of the sparring mat, and took a swing. The young man’s speed caught Specialist O’Hara off-guard, and she wasn’t able to get out of the way in time. The man’s fist caught her on the chin, but he didn’t hit her square or full-force, so she wasn’t as effected as she assumed she would have been. Everyone else in the room was surprised when the man’s fist made contact, but they were even more surprised by what O’Hara did next. “Not bad,” she said, turning and taking hold of her teammate’s arm. Ducking down, she allowed the man’s momentum to carry him forward, then she pulled him over her shoulder and threw him to the mat. “But next time, don’t hold back.” “Okay, okay,” Gen. Austin called out, “We’ve seen enough.” “Enough?” Gen. Flagg scoffed, looking over at his compatriot. “All I saw was one woman beat up five men.” “General Flagg,” Col. Abernathy started to say. “He’s got a point, Colonel,” Gen. Austin interrupted. “I mean, no offense to Miss O’Hara, but, this is supposed to be a team comprised of the best specialists that the United States Military has to offer. The best of the best, and all that. And the best of the best just got beat by a woman.” “Um, Generals, can I have a word, please?” Lt.-Col. Colton asked, hoping to halt their current conversation before it got out of hand. The team watched as Colton led the upper brass across the room, and out of the training facility, much to the relief of everyone that remained behind. “All right, Delta,” Col. Abernathy began, “Hit the showers.”The members of Delta grumbled amongst themselves as they headed back to the locker room from which they came. “Specialist O’Hara,” Col. Abernathy called after the young woman. She stopped, and turned to her commanding officer, who came up to her as the last of her teammates disappeared into the locker room. “Miss O’Hara, I hope you don’t take what was said here too personally,” Col. Abernathy began. “No, isr,” she replied stiffly, “I’m used to men being sexist jerks. I’ve dealt with it all my life.” She looked at the Colonel, who just stood there, staring at her. “No offense, sir.” “No, I had that coming,” he replied with a sigh. “Just…don’t pay attention to what the Generals said. You were excellent.” “Thank you, sir,” she said, turning to go. “Specialist O’Hara,” Col. Abernathy called out a second time, halting the young woman once again. “What did you mean earlier, about that young man holding back?” “Just that, sir,” she answered, looking at him. “He was holding back.” “How do you know?” “I’ve been involved in martial arts all my life, sir. So has my family. Trust me when I say I know if someone is holding back or not, and he was certainly holding back.” “You’re positive?” “Yes, sir.” “Why would he hold back?” “Because he’s that good,” she replied. “He doesn’t have to prove anything to anybody, which leads me to believe whatever he knows, or whatever abilities he has, it’s light-years ahead of any of us.” With that, Specialist O’Hara turned and headed off towards the women’s locker room, as Col. Abernathy stood where he was, staring at the floor, the young woman’s last words resonating through his head.
__________________
http://www.hisstank.com/forum/g-i-jo...-bst-list.html http://www.hisstank.com/forum/buy-se...-feedback.html THE LATE NIGHT CREW |
07-03-2015, 09:24 AM | #3 |
Barty's Right-hand Man
Join Date: Nov 2013
Location: Ohio
Posts: 7,138
|
CH14
“Hey, Pulaski, how you feeling?” Specialist Barney called out in the locker room. “Yea, well, I didn’t see you too eager to try her,” the young man spat, as chuckles resonated through the locker room. “Of course not,” Specialist Kibbey interjected, poking his head around the corner, “He and I aren’t that stupid.” “You calling us stupid?” Specialist Freidstadt snapped, coming over to the aisle that Kibbey and Pulaski were in. “All right, guys, cool it,” Specialist Wilkinson instructed, coming up to the two men. “We’re all on the same team here, so there’s no need to fight amongst ourselves.” “Especially with Miss Scarlett,” Barney quipped. A round of laughter erupted throughout the locker room, although the five members of Delta who had tangled with her out in the training room didn’t find the comment too funny. “Look, she got the better of you guys, so what? That just goes to show how good this team is.” “By getting whipped by a girl?” Kibbey asked, giving Lonzo a perplexed look. “I know it’s degrading,” Specialist Wilkinson admitted with a sigh, “But you guys should be proud to have a woman with that kind of skill on your side. I mean, I’d rather have her on y side, than on the other side.” “She sure knew what she was doing,” Specialist Gambello stated, rubbing his sore shoulder. “She ought to,” Wilkinson stated. “She’s been studying martial arts since she could walk, so don’t beat yourselves up.” “She-“ “No comments!” Lonzo quickly snapped, cutting Barney off. “Let’s just get cleaned up, and go have an enjoyable evening.” “Hey, Lonzo, how do you think Lt.-Col. Colton felt about all that junk out there?” Specialist Kibbey asked. “I’m more interested in what Col. Abernathy thought,” Specialist Graves said, as he headed over to the showers. “I mean, Colton may be our officer in charge, but the Colonel’s our field commander, and, from what I understand, he’s the guy that personally picked all of us for this roster…isn’t that right, Lonzo?” “Affirmative, Robert. You guys got your egos bruised, and act all huffy about Miss O’Hara, but just remember- Col. Abernathy is the one who put this team together, and before any of you say anything, or voice any doubts or concerns, I for one think he knew what he was doing when he chose us. Even the redheaded specialist.” “The ‘Tomahawk’ certainly has a reputation,” Freidstadt stated. “He should, Freidstadt,” Wilkinson stated, “He’s earned it.” “I remember the first time I met the ol’ ‘hawk,” Specialist Barney stated, leaning on his locker, while sporting a smile on his clean-shaven face. “I was with my squad out on the mortar range, the Colonel showed up to observe. The D.I. gave us the task of eliminating the enemy before getting to us, using azimuth, trajectories, and the like, only we had no electronics. He told us an e.m.p. had hit us, and we had to figure it out the old fashioned way. So I did. Hit the target smack-dab in the middle, and did it in record time.” Barney paused, then added, “He chewed me out for not double-checking my math, in case I was off, which would have struck my own guys.” A round of laughter rode through the locker room as Specialist Barney just shook his head. “God, I remember when I first met Col. Abernathy,” Specialist Kibbey began, sitting down as he recalled the situation. “I’d gotten busted for decrypting top-secret transmissions.” “What?” Steinburg gasped. “Why?” “Just to see if I could.” Kibbey smiled at Steinburg, who simply shook his head and looked away. “The Colonel came into the interrogation room I was in, two full packs in his arms, and proceeds to tell me we’re going for a run…up a mountain.” “Yea, that sounds like the Colonel,” Wilkinson commented with a smile. “He had the lead for a while, making him think I couldn’t hang. He smarted off about it finally, so I took the lead, then took off. I guess I must have impressed him.” “Bobby has a nice story,” Specialist Wilkinson stated, looking over at the young man as he emerged from the showers. “Ahh, they don’t want to hear that,” Specialist Graves stated, heading to his locker. “Sure we do,” Freidstadt insisted. Graves sighed, then began, “It’s not anything glamorous, or exciting. He just happened to be impressed that I went to visit a former training member who bought it in an accident.” “God, let me tell it,” Lonzo sighed. “Mr. Humble here, used his own leave time, and paid for the trip with his own money, to visit the young man’s mother. He hadn’t known the young man very well, if at all, but he still went to visit the man’s mother, out of respect for her loss.” Everyone in the locker room was silent, and the specialist could feel their eyes on him as he got dressed. “And you know why he did it, gentlemen?” Lonzo asked, loudly. “I did it because we take care of our own,” Specialist Graves said. “You’re damn-right we do,” Wilkinson agreed proudly. “What about you, Pulaski?” Graves asked, hoping to divert the attention from himself. “When did you first meet the Colonel?” “Just recently,” the man answered, standing up to stretch. “I didn’t meet him awhile ago like some of you. The reason I got picked is kind of like Robert’s.” “How’s that?” Specialist Barney asked. “I was in Trucial Abysmia, on a peace-keeping mission, only it didn’t turn out so peaceful. My squad got ambushed, so I used a fifty-cal. to even the odds. I was the only one who survived. My gunner was alive when I pulled him out of the tank, but he didn’t last long, so I carried him to the nearest base.” “I didn’t meet the Colonel until recently, either, Specialist Gambello stated. “Gen. Flagg chose me.” “Wait, I thought Col. Abernathy chose the members of this roster,” Specialist McConnell interjected, poking his head around the corner. “He did,” Gambello responded. “More accurately, Gen. Flagg recommended me…the Colonel chose me.” “Ah,” McConnell said with a nod, “So what did you do that was so impressive?” “The general originally found me because I had made some improvements on a laser rangefinder. He asked me to give him some yardage, but he broke the rangefinder. I would’ve been able to piece it back together, but he then broke it beyond repair…so I simply told him the yardage he wanted.” “You guessed?” “No. I was quarterback for my high school team. I’m really good at estimating yardage.” “What about you, Lonzo?” Specialist Steinburg asked the Ranger. “When did you first meet the ‘hawk?” “At a U.N. refugee camp a few years back, over in Borovia. Some lowlife snuck into the camp and set up a bunch of bombs.” “That’s normal for Borovia,” Specialist McConnell stated. “True,” Lonzo agreed, pausing, “But there were a bunch of women and kids inside the camp.” “What?” Specialist Gambello exclaimed. “That’s a new kind of lowlife,” Specialist Pulaski stated in disgust. “Yea,” Specialist Wilkinson agreed. “I thought so, too, which is why I was very…aggressive with him. “Anyway, the whole situation went public, and the two-star general in charge at the time went nuts. He was going to rake me over the coals, except Col. Abernathy happened to be the officer-in-charge, so he took the heat, so I didn’t have to. He got court-martialed and everything…but I didn’t, all because he was willing to put himself on the chopping block. I’ll never forget it, either.” “Wait a minute,” Specialist Melendez began, in confusion, “If he got court-martialed, then why isn’t he locked up, instead of locked into this unit?” “Haven’t you seen this group?” Specialist McConnell asked. “Being in charge of us is punishment enough.” “To answer your question, Rafael, I’m not sure,” Lonzo answered, as the laughs from McConnell’s comment died down. “Must be above my paygrade.” “I don’t know if this has anything to do with it,” Specialist Steinburg began, looking over his shoulder at Wilkinson, “But it certainly was the first time the Colonel and I met.” “What are you talking about, Lance?” Lonzo asked, unsure of where the young man was going with his story. “After the Colonel’s trial, I drove him to Fort Holabird, although I didn’t even know he was in the car until I started driving.” “Wait…” Lonzo interrupted, trying to piece the vauge story together. “What?” “I was ol’ ‘Iron-Butt’ Austin’s personal driver for a short period of time,” Steinburg explained. “One day, I’m assuming right after Col. Abernathy’s trial, the General told me to take his personal jeep from McGuire to Fort Holabird. I got in, and checked the rearview mirror, and there was the Colonel, all tied up in the back, blindfold and all.” “Wait, tied up?” Lonzo repeated in disbelief. “Blindfolded?” Specialist Melendez?” added. “Yea. I didn’t know what was going on, but I figured it’d be best to keep my mouth shut, so I did. Started driving, and minding my own business, same as the Colonel, except halfway there, a van loaded with three mercenaries, and mac-tens pulls up and starts messing with me.” “So what happened?” Specialist Freidstadt asked, leaning forward with interest. “What do you mean?” Steinburg asked, as if he were insulted. “Didn’t you hear me say I’m the team’s Heavy Ordinance Operator. Driving is my thing.” “Yea, but getting to the point is not,” Specialist Gambello stated. “Get on with it.” “Long story short-“ “Too late,” the group said in deadpan unison. “I went into defensive driving, exhibited a little skill, and they bit it. We went on to Holabird, but what happened to the Colonel inside is beyond me. Or I should say above me. The Colonel himself will have to take it from there.” “What about you, Freidstadt?” Specialist Graves asked his short-tempered teammate. “How’d you meet the ‘hawk?” “When I washed out of Ranger school,” Specialist Freidstadt answered. “They were running us through the escape and evasion portion, but I withstood it.” “Nobody is supposed to make it through E and E,” Lonzo stated, eyeing the young man. “Yea,” Specialist Graves added, coming up behind Lonzo, “You mean to tell us you lasted all three days?” “Seven,” Freidstadt corrected him with a grin. “They called Col. Abernathy after seven days. They didn’t know what to do with me.” “No wonder he picked you up,” Specialist Kibbey stated, “Anybody that can last that long deserves to be in an elite unit.” “Why didn’t you just give in, and call it a day?” Specialist Barney asked. “Didn’t you know you had flunked out at that point?” “Oh, yea, days prior.” “Then why not just quit, man?” Specialist Pulaski asked in amazement. “Didn’t want to give them the satisfaction,” he replied with a shrug. Everyone just kind of looked at their short-tempered teammate, unsure of what to say. Just then, their newest member, Lonzo’s blonde-headed friend, came by. “Hey, pal,” Specialist Gambello began, causing the man to pause next to the group, “You haven’t joined into this lively conversation yet. So how ‘bout it? You remember the first time you met the Colonel?” “Yea,” the young man answered softly. When he answered, Specialist Gambello saw a pain in the man’s eyes, a deep hurt that he couldn’t remember seeing in anyone ever. It caught the Specialist off-guard, so he was reluctant to delve into the reason. The young man looked away, then continued, “It was at the-“ “It was at the airport,” a voice interrupted. Everyone turned to see Col. Abernathy standing in the locker room’s doorway. “Several years ago, after the war.” The Colonel and the young man locked eyes, as if they seemed to be speaking with their minds, or maybe just their eyes, since the looks they were exchanging seemed to be on a much deeper, personal level. “Hey, Col. Abernathy, sir,” Specialist Steinburg began, a hint of uneasiness in his voice. “We were, uh…well, we weren’t talking about you… but we were talking about you.” “Not a problem, soldier,” Col. Abernathy replied. His gaze was still locked onto the young man’s, and acted as if whatever Specialist Steinburg had said wasn’t of importance. “Gentlemen, I’d like a word with our newest recruit, if you don’t mind,” Col. Abernathy informed the group. “No problem, Colonel,” Wilkinson replied, standing up. “Let’s go, team. We’ve got watering holes to hit up.” With that, the members of Delta filed out of the locker room, single file, each man saluting their commanding officer as they passed him. Finally, the Colonel and the mystery man were all alone. “Sir?” the young man asked, obviously wanting to get the show on the road. “At ease, son,” the Colonel began, taking a few steps forward as he placed his hands in his pockets, and his gaze on the ground. He paused for a moment, trying to gather his thoughts, then finally looked up, and said, “I’m sorry I didn’t recognize you at first, young man, when Lonzo and I came and picked you up.” “Think nothing of it, sir.” “I’m going to go out on a limb here, and say you recognized me right away.” “Yes, sir.” “Earlier, out in the training room, when I arrived, and saw you clean shaven, and with your hair cut, I recognized you.” The Colonel paused, but the young man said nothing. He seemed to be a man of few words. “You were the young soldier I met at the airport six years ago, when you got back from the war. I believe it was after your second tour had ended.” “Yes, sir,” he answered with a nod. “You were…you were the officer that showed up to tell me that my family had died on the way to pick me up from the airport. They died in a car crash.” “Drunk driver,” the Colonel confirmed. “Head-on collision. That was one of the worst days of my professional life. I was pushing a desk when the message came through, and, although I did everything I could to pass the buck, I ended up stuck with the unfortunate task of relaying the news to you. And on top of all that, I was four hours late.” The young man didn’t say anything, he just stood there and nodded. “Listen, son,” Col. Abernathy began, “I don’t know what you’ve been through, but I’m sure it was hell. But I do know that you have a home here, and a family. It might not be much now, but Lt.-Col. Colton and I are bound and determined to turn this team into the best damn tactical unit this country has ever seen, and I have a feeling that you’re going to be one of the best soldiers this country has ever seen. You seem pretty quiet, that you like to keep to yourself, and that’s fine, but let me just say one more thing…if you ever need a friend, or someone to talk to, just come find me.” “Thank you, sir,” the young man said, reaching out and shaking the Colonel’s hand, “I appreciate that, I really do.” “No problem. Now why don’t you go on and join your teammates at those watering holes, maybe get to know each other a little better.” “Thank you, sir,” he replied with a nod. Col. Abernathy nodded back with a half grin, then stepped aside as the soldier walked by, heading for the door. “Actually, son, if I can just ask you one more thing.” “Certainly, sir,” the young man replied, stopping in the doorway, and turning to face his commanding officer. The Colonel thought there would be some aggravation in the young man’s voice, or possibly even some anger, yet his voice was soft, almost monotone. “If you don’t mind, I was just wondering why you chose the codename you did…Snake-Eyes?” “Because that’s how I see my life, sir,” the young man answered. “Seems like every time I roll the dice in my life, they come up snake-eyes, and I crap out.” With that, the young man turned and walked out of the locker room, leaving Colonel Abernathy standing there in awe, wondering what exactly that soldier had been through to make him so pessimistic. As Snake-Eyes was making his way towards the front gate of the base, Specialist O’Hara caught sight of him, and hollered at him to wait for her. “Specialist O’Hara, right?” the young man asked, showing his military I.D. to the M.P. on duty. “Yea, but we’re off-duty now,” she answered, presenting her I.D., as well. “You can call me Shana.” “Okay, Shana,” Snake-Eyes replied, stepping off to the side of the M.P. gate, so they he was out of the lane of traffic. “What can I do for you?” “Well, I hate to be nosy,” she began, coming around yo yhe side of the gate, as well, “But I have to know something…where did you get your training from?” “My training?” he repeated, a little hesitant. “Yea. You let me throw you back there during our little sparring session. And your punch was weak.” “Shana-“ “Don’t try to deny it,” she said, flashing him her best smile. “I know what I saw. For whatever reason, you held back in there. So, in return, I’d like to know where you got your training.” “Actually, I was just on my way out…” “Great. You can tell me on the way.” With that, the beautiful redhead turned and walked away, with Snake-Eyes looking after her, wondering how, and what, exactly he’d gotten himself into. “All right,” Specialist O’Hara began, as the waiter took she and her dinner companion’s plates away. “I’ve been talking all night, about who I am, where I came from, and how I joined the team…and you haven’t said a word.” “I’m not much of a talker,” Snake-Eyes confided. “But you can talk, right?” she teased, grinning at him. “You’re not some mute?” “No,” he answered, looking down as he blushed, slightly. He had to look away, for fear she would realize he’d been staring at her. She was so beautiful, inside and out, being with her just did something to him, something he hadn’t felt in a long, long time. “Well, I’m all talked out,” she continued, leaning back, “So it’s your turn.” “I actually liked hearing you talk,” he admitted, looking back up at her. He stared into her green eyes, until he looked away again, once more not realizing he’d been lost in her physical perfection. “Nope,” she refused, crossing her arms over her chest, “You go.” “There’s not much to tell,” he began. “Well,” she began, slipping the waiter her credit card as he came by, “I just paid for dinner-“ “What?” he almost exclaimed, embarrassed. “-so now, as repayment, you need to tell me all about yourself.” “I told you-“ “Okay, I’ll settle for a little bit,” she interrupted dryly, as she began to think she really never would get any useful info out of him. The young man was about to erect another wall of defense, but he was tired of fighting his feelings, and she had bought him dinner, so he sighed, and said, “Japan.” “I’m, I’m sorry, Japan?” “It’s where I studied,” he answered, “Japan.” “All right,” she replied happily, leaning forward, “Now we’re getting somewhere.” Shana continued to lean forward expectantly, an eager look on her face, but after several seconds of not only silence, but of Snake-Eyes rubbing his right arm due to nervousness, the young woman realized he wasn’t going to elaborate. “Thanks for opening up,” she said sarcastically, sitting back against her chair, disappointed. Specialist O’Hara was about to simply throw in the towel, when she noticed the red dashes on his right forearm. “That’s a nice tattoo,” she commented, although it was honestly one of the blandest pieces of body art she had ever seen. “Oh, thanks,” eh responded, looking down at his arm, as if he’d forgotten it was there. “Does it mean anything specific, or was it a bad decision after a long night of bar-hopping?” “Umm…it’s a family thing.” “Wow,” she commented, “We’re really on fire here.” “You know what I just realized?” he asked her out of the blue. “That you’re a really boring date?” she snapped. “Sorry,” he replied, hanging his head. Upon seeing his reaction, she realized she’d hurt his feelings, although unintentionally, which made her feel bad. She was mad at herself for letting her temper get the better of her, like usual, and she knew the comment certainly wouldn’t help him open up, if he had any intention of doing so. “No, I’m sorry,” she insisted, leaning forward. “I shouldn’t have snapped. Go ahead, what did you just realize?” “Well, it’s just that, you remind me of someone.” “Really?” she said, getting her hopes up as she sat up straight, and smiled, slightly. “Who?” “My sister.” The young woman’s smile instantly left her face, as she just stared at him in disbelief. She certainly had not expected him to compare her to his sister. “Your sister?” Specialist O’Hara asked, hoping he’d elaborate. “I remind you of your sister?” “Yea, you look a lot like her.” “Thanks,” she scoffed, looking away. “I think.” “I meant it as a compliment,” he explained, a little embarrassed again. The two of them were quiet again, and Shana could see his mood had changed, not for the better, so she decided to take hold of the opportunity, and hoped that maybe he would open up about his sister, so she could get some kind of personal info out about the young, handsome stranger that was sitting across from her. “So, tell me about her,” Specialist O’Hara suggested, “Are you two really close.” “Yea,” he answered, looking down at the table, as if he were deep in thought. “Yea, we used to be really close.” Shana was about to comment on the way he had phrased the answer, but he started talking again, much to her surprise, and cut her off. “I always felt like she was the only person who ever understood me, you know?” Snake-Eyes actually looked up from where he had been staring, and focused his eyes on Shana’s. When he did, she could tell there was something different in them, like he was opening up to her, not only about himself, but inside of himself, on a deeper level than just talking about his sister. She also saw a darkness in his eyes, a great pain; not something that scared her, like he would attack her, but something that scared her because it made her feel like he had been through a tremendous amount of suffering, and she could almost feel it as she met his gaze. “What..um…what was her name?” Specialist O’Hara asked, looking away to avoid the young man’s stare. “Terri,” he answered, softly. “Her name was Terri.” “That’s a pretty name,” Shana commented, not sure what else to say. “We were twins,” he continued, looking up at her again, this time with a slight smile on his face. It was obvious that talking about her brought him both joy and pain, making her wonder how someone could evoke two vastly different kinds of emotions in a person. “I always felt…that she looked out for me. In fact, before I left for my first tour, she gave me a wallet-sized photo of herself. I carried it through both tours, kind of like a good-luck charm. I guess I figured if nothing happened to the photo, then nothing would happen to me. That didn’t exactly work out for either of us, though. Maybe if the photo had been her good-luck charm, instead of mine…” “What…happened?” Shana asked softly, afraid of the answer she would get. “Why do you keep talking about her in the past-tense?” “She…she died,” he answered, causing Shana’s heart to sink. It was evident by the pain in his eyes that the trajedy still haunted him. “My folks, too,” he added, much to the redhead’s disbelief. He took a deep breath, then let it out and said, “The three of them were on their way to get me at the airport. I was coming back from my second tour. I got pretty banged up over there…so did Terri’s photo. In fact, if it hadn’t been for one of my L.R.R.P. buddies, Tommy, I would’ve died.” “How…how did it happen?” she asked. “Head-on collision,” he answered, looking up at her. “They were on their way to get me, when this stoned-out, drunk vet drove right into them. No one survived. That’s actually how I met Col. Abernathy. He was the one who came to tell me. He didn’t have to, though. It was like…like I already knew.” “How?” she asked, intrigued. “As crazy as it sounds, sometimes it seemed like Terri and I had some kind of psychic bond growing up. I think, when it happened, the whole grisly scene flashed through my mind. I’m sure the same thing happened to her when I got hit over there.” Shana wanted to say something, or do something, but she knew nothing she said or did would be of much comfort. Even though, it hadn’t happened recently, it was plain to see that the hurt still affected Snake-Eyes strongly, so the young woman simply reached across the table and placed her hand on top of his. “Look, I’m really sorry,” she stated, “Really. If there’s…if you ever need to talk, or just need an ear, I’ll be there, okay?” “Thank you, Shana,” he replied, giving her a half smile. “That means a lot to me.” It was well past dark when Snake-Eyes and Specialist O’Hara came strolling through the front gates at the base, hand-in-hand. Neither one were really saying much, especially Snake-Eyes. They were just looking around, gazing at the stars, feeling the slight breeze. Once they got inside, and went down into the pit, they were about to say goodnight and part ways at the barracks, when someone asked, “Where have you two been?” Both Specialists turned around to see Lt.-Col. Colton and Col. Abernathy standing there, arms crossed, scowls on their faces. “We were off base, sirs,” Snake-Eyes informed them. He wasn’t sure whom had spoken, so he talked to both of them. “We just grabbed dinner,” Specialist O’Hara added, wondering why they were questioning them. “We didn’t think-“ “Suit up,” Lt.-Col. Colton interrupted the young woman. “We’ve got our first mission.”
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http://www.hisstank.com/forum/g-i-jo...-bst-list.html http://www.hisstank.com/forum/buy-se...-feedback.html THE LATE NIGHT CREW |
07-03-2015, 09:37 AM | #4 |
Barty's Right-hand Man
Join Date: Nov 2013
Location: Ohio
Posts: 7,138
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CH15
Lt.-Col. Colton and Col. Abernathy stood in front of a transport helicopter, waiting for the members of Delta to meet them on the Pit’s Tarmac. Col. Abernathy stood in the at-ease position, hands behind his back, feet shoulder-width apart, while Colton anxiously paced back and forth, repeatedly checking his watch, and sighing heavily. “Abernathy, how long does it take to get into a pair of battle-togs?” Lt.-Col. Colton asked the Colonel, putting his hands on his head. “I’m sure they’ll be along any second, sir,” the Colonel answered, calmly. “This isn’t the Miss Universe pageant,” Colton declared, turning and pacing back towards his associate, “They don’t need to be putting on make-up! Just get your gear, and get on the horse!” “Just be patient, sir, I’m sure they’re finishing up.” Colton stopped, scowled at Col. Abernathy for a moment, then returned to pacing, at which point the Colonel grinned once his superior officer’s back was turned. “Don’t talk to you commanding officer like that, Colonel,” Lt.-Col. Colton instructed, stopping in front of the young man before resuming his pacing. “Yes, sir,” Abernathy replied, trying not to allow his grin to metamorph into a full smile. On his way back towards the Colonel, Colton stopped, took a deep breath, held it, then let it out and asked, “Do you think they’re ready for this, Abernathy? You think they’ll be okay?” Just then, the song ‘Shinedown’ by Godsmack suddenly ripped through the otherwise silence of the Pit, causing both Colton and Abernathy to look towards the barracks, where all twelve members of Counter-Terrorist Force Delta were coming from, in full field-gear. “Something tells me,” Col. Abernathy began, taking in the team, “They’re going to be just fine.” The eleven men and one woman, all clad in similar green military uniforms marched towards the tarmac, where the helicopter, Col. Abernathy, and Lt.-Col. Colton waited. Specialist Wilkinson was out in front, leading the group, with the others in a side-by-side line directly behind him. “What is that God-awful sound?” Lt.-Col. Colton asked, thinking his ears would start bleeding any second from the heavy metal music. “Oh, sorry, sir,” Specialist McConnell responded, quickly pausing the song via his i-pod. “Figured a little inspirational music was in order for our first mission.” “Maybe we should just play that really loud,” Colton suggested. “The enemy could just surrender.” There was a chuckle throughout the group, then everyone was silent, and serious, so Colton continued, “This is it. Your first mission. Are you ready?” “Sir, yes, sir!” the group shouted in unison, causing both Colton and Abernathy to smile. “Delta…” Wilkinson shouted. “Oo-rah!” the unit shouted back in unison. “Sound off!” “Specialist Kibbey, Alvin R.,” the Tennessee native began in his thick twang, “Communications Officer. Codename: Breaker. Reporting for duty.” The eyebrows on both the Lt.-Colonel and the Colonel shot up in surprise and confusion, as they glanced at each other, then back to the team. “Specialist Melendez, Rafael,” the next Delta member in line began, “Bazooka Soldier. Codename: Zap. Reporting for duty.” “Specialist Pulaski, Ralph W.,” the Pittsburgh native proudly said. “Tank Commander. Codename: Steeler. Reporting for duty.” Specialist Graves, Robert W. Infantry Trooper. Codename: Grunt. Reporting for duty.” “Specialist Gambello, Anthony S., Laser Rifle Trooper. Codename: Flash. Reporting for duty.” “Specialist Barney, James J., Laser Artillery Soldier. Codename: Grand Slam. Reporting for duty.” “Specialist Steinberg, Lance J., Heavy Ordinance Operator. Codename: Clutch. Reporting for duty.” “Specialist Freidstadt, Eric W., Mortar Soldier. Codename: Short-Fuze. Reporting for duty.” “Specialist Wilkinson, Lonzo R., Ranger. Codename: Stalker. Reporting for duty.” “Specialist O’Hara, Shana M., Counter Intelligence. Codename: Scarlett. Reprting for duty.” “Codename: Snake-Eyes. Commando. Reporting for duty.” As Lt.-Col. Colton took in the team, Col. Abernathy walked around his superior officer to stand with the members of Delta, and said, “Colonel Abernathy, Clayton M., Delta Field Commander. Codename: Tomahawk. Reporting for duty.” The Colonel grinned at the Lt.-Colonel, who grinned back, then asked, “Codenames, huh? So, what, am I supposed to have one, too?” “You are part of the team, sir,” Col. Tomahawk replied. Colton sighed, then gave in and said, “Oh, all right. Lt.-Col. Colton, Joseph B., Delta Commanding Officer. Codename…oh, hell, I don’t know…how about…codename…G.I. Joe?” “I like it,” the Colonel replied. “Me, too, sir,” Scarlett stated. “Very appropriate.” The others quietly voiced their agreement, but the team’s leader cut them off. “Okay, okay, we’re not here to be appropriate. We’re here to defend this great country, and our enemies won’t know who to fear unless we kick down their door, and scream our codenames in their faces. Agreed?” “Oo-rah!” the team shouted in unison, while pumping their fists in the air. “Yo, joe,” Rock-n-Roll added. Everyone stopped and looked at him, as Lt.-Col. Colton glared at the young man. “Excuse me?” Colton asked. “Umm, I mean yes, sir, Lt.-Col. Colton, sir. Oo-rah.” The man codenamed G.I. Joe continued to stare at the young man, until he finally added, “Sorry, sir,” and hung his head. “All right, Delta, the pleasantries are over,” Col. Tomahawk declared, stepping aside, so he was out of the team’s way, “Get on the chopper so we can go introduce ourselves to our enemies.” Colton watched as each member turned and headed over to the awaiting helicopter, especially Rock-n-Roll, who sheepishly kept his head down, and refused to glance in his commanding officer’s direction. The Tomahawk grinned at the Lt.-Colonel, then followed the last member in the line. “Hmmph,” Colton scoffed, before heading after the group, “Yo Joe, indeed.” “All right, Delta, listen up,” Lt.-Col. Colton began. The team had been in the air roughly fifteen minutes after taking off from the Pit. The team’s commander was standing up in the doorway to the cockpit, facing the thirteen members that were sitting shoulder to shoulder, on either side of the chopper. As he took his team in, quickly glancing at each individual member, they in turn took him in as well. “I know this is our first mission, but it’s important, nonetheless. We’re headed to a small, off-shore island where a supposed laboratory has been set up by Cobra.” “We’re chasing a snake?” Steeler asked, skeptical. “We don’t know what we’re chasing,” Colton admitted. “All we have at this point is speculation. From the brief intel we’ve gathered, Cobra is a ruthless, terrorist organization determined to rule the world. We don’t know much about them. We don’t know who they are, what numbers they possess, or even where they come from.” “Any positive I.D. on a leader?” Stalker asked. “Negative. Rumor has it that they’re led by one man. Who that man is, though, remains a mystery. It’s been said that he’s a former used car salesman who got tired of being bullied and buried by big corporation, and decided to start his own corporation. Another version says that he’s ex-military, but, after being caught in a blast in the middle-east, went off the deep end, and started considering himself some kind of doctor expeirementing in chemical warfare, and nano-technology. Another variation states that he was a member of some sort of secret, bio-organic race, that got disfigured in a horrible lab accident, and ended up with a bunch of eyeballs all over his head.” The members of Delta just looked at their commander, unsure if there would be a follow-up punch-line. “I know,” he continued, wanting to move along, “Like I said…rumors. “The island we’re headed to isn’t on any map,” Colton continued. “Which leads me to believe what we’ll find may be what we’re looking for.” “And what exactly are we looking for?” Clutch asked. “Cobra,” the Lt.-Colonel answered, matter-of-factly. “Anything that will deliver valuable information about this terror cell that can be useful in our war against them.” “And where exactly is the island?” Breaker asked. “Off the Florida coast. Not so far out that it’s in the middle of nowhere, but not so close that it’s considered U.S. territory.” “In other words, a perfect place to establish their headquarters,” Scarlett stated. “We believe so,” Colton replied. “But keep in mind, nothing is guaranteed. This may be a wild goose chase. Odds are, though, is we’ll find something. Whether or not it’s the man behind the snake remains to be seen, but no matter what we find, or what happens, remember this- be careful, and be at your best. Do not…I repeat, do not… treat this as a routine training exercise, because this is anything but that.” “Man, you mean we graduated already?” Zap asked. “You specialists graduated when you joined this team,” Colton replied. “Col. Abernathy and I think you’re all ready, so you’d better be. And just to be perfectly clear…everyone comes back when you’re under my command.” With that, Lt.-Col. Colton motioned to Col. Tomahawk, and the two of them went up front into the cockpit, leaving the members of Delta alone with their thoughts, and each other. “What’re you thinking about, Rock-n-Roll?” Flash asked, after staring at him for a moment. “You look deep in thought.” “Just…wondering how I got here.” “It’s called a helicopter,” Grand Slam answered, causing a slight round of chuckling to pass through the group. “No, I mean, in life, how did I get to this point? Riding a chopper on my way to risk my very life against an enemy I don’t even know, for a country who doesn’t care.” “So, in other words,” Grunt began, “You’re having second-thoughts.” “No, not second-thoughts,” Rock-n-Roll countered, “Just…wondering. You know how it is on these rides. Heading to war, facing certain death. Plenty of time to think, do some soul-searching.” “Look, I don’t care what you do here,” Short-Fuse began, “Just as long as you kick ass and take names once we get there.” “So what did you come up with?” Stalker asked. “As far as what?” “As far as how you got here?” “Well…actually I’m here because of a Ranger,” Rock-n-Roll answered, sitting up straight. “Yea, we’re an inspirational bunch,” Stalker commented, nodding with a grin. Rock-n-Roll nodded, then continued. “When I was a kid, I used to surf all the time, out at Malibu beach. One time, a buddy of mine wiped out, and hit a nail that was sticking out of the pier. Gave him a sucking chest wound. Another surfer, this guy who was a legend up at Huntington Beach, used a potato chip bag to cover the wound, in order to keep him alive until the ambulance got there. He was an Airborne Ranger, and since that day, I knew the military was my destiny.” “Anyone else?” Stalker asked, after the group was silent for a moment. “Yea,” Zap answered, “But it’s not as glorious as Rock’s story. It’s actually pretty simplistic. I joined because I wanted to make a difference. You know, help people out.” “I used to be a local gang-lord,” Stalker admitted. “One day, I realized maybe I should do something positive, and, kind of like Zap said, fight for the little guy.” “I got tired of doing the ordinary, nine-to-five,” Scarlett chimed in. The group was silent, once again, and as Steeler looked around, his gaze fell on Snake-Eyes, who was on the very end of the opposite bench, looking as if he were asleep. “What about you, Snake-Eyes?” the tank commander asked, causing everyone to look at the quiet Commando. “You’ve been awful silent down there. What’re your thoughts?” “I’m just waiting to hit the ground,” Snake-Eyes answered, shoving a magazine into his uzi. “Get in, get out, get home. Take care of business in between.” “Okay,” Steeler replied, unsure of exactly what to say. “My man Snake has the same reasons for joining up as the rest of us,” Stalker offered, knowing his old L.R.R.P. teammate didn’t want to elaborate any more than necessary. “He wants to make a difference, and to help out the little guy. The people that can’t defend themselves, that’s where Snake-Eyes goes.” The team remained silent for the rest of the trip, each member of Counter-Terrorist Force Delta stewing in their own thoughts, mentally facing their own fears, calming themselves down, or psyching themselves up. Finally, as the chopper approached the island, Lt.-Col. Colton appeared in the doorway from the cockpit, with Col. Abernathy in tow. “Look alive, Delta,” he began, drawing everyone from their personal daydreams. “Target is dead ahead, and you’re about to hit the drink.” “What? They serving whiskey on this flight?” Clutch asked, licking his lips. “Col. Abernathy,” Lt.-Col. Colton began, turning to the young man standing behind him. “Since this is your team, and you will be leading them in the field during this mission, why don’t I let you take the reins?” “Um, okay,” the Tomahawk nervously responded, swallowing hard as he stepped forward and took in his team. “Delta! I’m giving command to Col. Abernathy. Do as he says, or you will answer to me!” The team all nodded in silent response as they gave the Tomahawk their undivided attention. “They’re all your’s,” he added in the Colonel’s ear. Col. Abernathy glanced around at each member of the team, took a deep breath, let it out, then cleared his throat, and said, “Pay attention, because I’m only going to say this once. As soon as we get the ‘all clear’, we’re unloading out of this helo. We’ll touch down on a small, unoccupied island that’s as close to the suspected Cobra island base as we can get. There will be three inboard-powered boats beached on the first island. That’s our transportation to the other island. We board four to a boat, with one of them holding a fifth person, unless one of you feels like swimming the entire way.” No one volunteered, so the Colonel continued. “We hit the Cobra beach nice and quiet. From there, it’s supposed to be a straight shot to their bunker. We get in, we get whatever we can find, we get out. Any questions?” Again, no one spoke up, so the Colonel finished by saying, “Be at your best. Keep your eyes and ears open, and your mouths shut. This isn’t a training exercise, this is real, so I want every single one of you to pay attention out there. We’re unloading with thirteen, and I can guaran-damn-tee we’re reloading with thirteen. Now gear up, and buddy up, make sure everyone checks out.” As the Delta members began loading their weapons, and choosing a teammate to check out, as well as be checked out by, Lt.-Col. Colton came up behind Col. Abernathy and said into his ear, “I couldn’t have said it better myself. Well, done, Colonel, you’ll be fine.” “Let’s hold that until the end of this mission,” the Tomahawk replied quickly, turning to look his superior officer in the eyes as he loaded his own guns. “We’re here!” the co-pilot yelled back from up front in the cockpit. “Tell those boys it’s showtime!” “That would be the ‘all-clear,’ boys and girls!” Lt.-Col. Colton shouted over the noise. “Load up and bail out!” One-by-one, the members of Delta maneuvered themselves into position at the edge of the cargo ramp that had opened at the rear of the chopper, and one-by-one, they all hopped out into the cool night air. The chopper was hovering only a few feet above the sandy terrain of the island below, as low as the pilot could get it without actually touching down. The short elevation made it safer and easier for the members of Delta to land, then quickly make their way to the beach no more than one-hundred yards off. Col. Abernathy was the last one to hit the beach, but once he was out of the chopper, it rose back into the night, heading to a hovering position until the time when it would be required to retrieve it’s former occupants. Sure enough, when they reached the beach, three black inboard-powered boats were waiting for them. “Man, what is this?” Steeler asked, looking at the size of the boats. “I’ve been in bathtubs bigger than these.” “You wanna see how big your coffin is?” the Tomahawk snarled, grabbing the young man by the shirt, and pulling him forward so they were face-to-face. “Maintain a little noise-discipline, and get in the damn boat.” “Yes, sir,” Steeler replied sheepishly, knowing he had messed up, and that he had done so early on in the mission. “Here’s how it goes,” Col. Abernathy began in a harsh whisper, “Zap takes the lead in the left boat, for firepower with the bazooka, Stalker takes lead in the middle boat for suppressive fire and advance. Rock-n-Roll takes lead on the right side with his machine gun for heavy firepower. Grunt, you’re behind Zap for support, and Flash and Grand Slam take up the rear. Steeler, you support Stalker, and the rear for that boat goes to Clutch and Breaker. Third boat is Short Fuse for support, with Snake-Eyes and Scarlett riding caboose. I’ll be in the middle boat, if you guys can squeeze me in. Any questions?” No one voiced in, as usual, so the Tomahawk added, “Then let’s go. Middle boat noses forward, left and right spread wide and cover us.” To the team’s credit, they did exactly as they were told. Each member moved into the spot they were instructed to, and did so in a timely manner. Mere seconds after Abernathy had finished his instructions, the middle boat putted away from the beach, shortly followed by the remaining two boats. As they silently sped across the dark, yet open waters, Col. Abernathy’s stomach began to do somersaults, his nerves beginning to get the better of him, as fear started to creep through his body, convincing him that he wasn’t the man for the job, that he had no business leading this elite team of specialists into who-knows-what. When the Cobra beach came into view, however, his fortitude kicked in, and his training overrode any fear and doubts that had been swimming in the lake of uncertainty that had been his mind. Abernathy cut their motor, then motioned for the other two boats to do the same, which the immediately did. The three boats coasted to a stop up on the intended beach, then quickly unloaded all their occupants, putting all thirteen Delta members in a group, ready to strike at the first command. “It’s supposed to be a straight shot north,” the Tomahawk informed his team. “Can’t guarantee it, though, so keep your eyes peeled. We advance in three teams again, one up the middle, the other two out to the sides.” “Same roster?” Stalker asked. “No, so listen up. Right side is Stalker’s team. Snake-Eyes, Grunt, and Breaker. Left side is Scarlett’s team. Rock-n-Roll, Clutch, and Short-Fuse. I’m leading the middle. Move out.” Without another word, the thirteen members quickly split up, grouped themselves together according to their field commander’s instructions, then headed off into the thick foliage of the jungle. “All right,” Stalker began, pausing off to the side once he and his team had entered the jungle. “I’ll take pointe. Grunt, then Breaker, Snake brings up the rear. Any questions?” The three men shook their heads as they got a firmer grip on their weapons. “Just like old times, huh?” Stalker asked Snake-Eyes. “Let’s hope not,” Snake-Eyes answered, solemnly. The Ranger looked at his friend for a moment, then nodded, and headed off deeper into the jungle. “I want two guys up front instead of one,” Col. Abernathy informed his group. “Flash and Steeler take point, with Flash on the left, to back up Steeler. Pulaski, you’re the gun, so stay sharp.” Yes, sir,” Steeler replied, getting a two-handed grip on his M-16. “I’ll take second, then Zap, so have your bazooka ready. If we run into a spot, I want you to clear us a path.” “You got it, Colonel,” the man replied, confidently. “Grand Slam, you know where that leaves you,” Tomahawk stated, turning to the young man. “No problem, Tomahawk.” The Colonel sighed, then said, “Just call me Hawk.” Grand Slam nodded in silent response, then brought his weapon up as he turned to the side and looked behind them. “All right, move out,” Hawk whispered. “Clutch, you take pointe,” Scarlett instructed, looking into the jungle. “Then me, then Short-Fuse, then Rock-N-Roll. Be careful, but be effective. Let’s go.” “Does anyone know what we’re looking for?” Clutch asked, as he carefully made his way deeper into the jungle. “Does anyone know what noise discipline is?” Scarlett retorted in anger. Her pointeman shut up, allowing them to continue on in silence. Stalker’s team hadn’t gone very far into the jungle, when he suddenly felt a hand on his arm. He quickly whirled around, to find that the hand belonged to Grunt. The soldier nodded back to Breaker, who nodded back to Snake-Eyes, who put his fist up, meaning to stop, then put a finger to his lips, meaning to be quiet. “Snake hears something,” Stalker whispered to Grunt, who had a look of confusion on his face. “No way something could have circled around behind us,” Grunt whispered back. Snake-Eyes pointed past Stalker, who explained, “Not behind us. In front of us.” “What? How would he-“ The man was cut off, however, by Stalker. The Ranger saw Snake-Eyes suddenly hit the jungle floor, so he yelled out, “Down!” just before bullets tore through the silence, and the foliage, of the surrounding jungle. “Get to cover!” Stalker shouted, scooting back under some low hanging branches as a hail of bullets flew overhead. As Grunt and Breaker found cover, Snake-Eyes dove forward, grabbed Breaker’s M-16 he had dropped, rolled and came up firing off a long burst, much to the surprise of his comrades. “That man hasn’t missed a beat,” Stalker said with pride, smiling. Scarlett stopped short when she heard the gunfire, and looked off to her right from where it had came. She looked to her other teammates, who looked at her, then shook her head. “The Colonel’s team is closest. They can support them. We press forward.” “No way,” Clutch argued. “We gotta help ‘em. For all we know, the Colonel’s tem may be in trouble, too.” “Clutch, will you shut up?” Scarlett hissed in exasperation. “Do you have any idea what-“ The redhead stopped, however, when the sound of a twig snapping up ahead echoed towards them. “…noise discipline is?” she finished. “We’re not alone out here, red,” Short-Fuse stated, coming up behind her, as the group began looking around, wondering if they were being surrounded without realizing it. “What was your first clue?” she asked sarcastically. Just then, gunfire rang out a second time, except this time, it was near Scarlett’s team, not Stalker’s. All four individuals hit the dirt, as bullets tore into trees and plants all around them. “I’d say that’s a good indicator!” Short Fuse shouted, finding cover. “Get to cover, then dig in and prepare to return fire!” she shouted. “McConnell! I need you to be ready! We’ll get it started, then you step in and give ‘em the rest!” “Ready when you are, red!” Rock-n-Roll shouted back, his fifty-caliber machine gun in his hands. Hawk flinched out of natural reaction when the first burst of gunfire broke through the night. Flash and Steeler had stopped, as well, and were now looking back at their commanding officer, with wondering looks on their faces, awaiting further instructions. “That wasn’t one of ours,” Flash stated. “That was,” Hawk said, referring to Snake-eyes’ returned fire. “The first one sounded like an AK-forty-seven,” Steeler said. “But the second was an M-16.” Just then, a second round of gunfire began off to the left, as the first exchange continued off to the right. “That was another AK,” Flash stated, getting worried. “Everybody find cover and dig in,” Hawk ordered, moving off to the side, as several fearful thoughts suddenly raced through his head. He was worried that his team was getting torn to shreds in the middle of the night in an unfamiliar jungle. He was worried no one would survive, and he’d end up as a failure, instead of a leader. He was also worried that he was going to die, but he wanted to make sure his team was all right first. “Any time now, red!” Rock-n-Roll yelled above the gunfire, as he began to worry, feeling like a sitting duck. “Okay, Clutch and Short-Fuse, pop up and lay down cove fire, so I can lob an explosive arrow on them. That should be enough for Rock-n-Roll to mow ‘em down!” “Why am I up front?” Clutch shouted in protest. “Because I don’t like you!” Scarlett shouted back. “Now do as you’re told!” The man swore, looked at Short-Fuse, who nodded, then both men rose up and opened fire, as Scarlett found the arrow she had been seeking in her quiver, and loaded it into her crossbow. “Yow!” Clutch bellowed, dropping back down as a hail of bullets hit all around he and Short-Fuse. “Your turn!” Clutch shouted angrily. “Don’t worry, boys,” Scarlett replied, mentally preparing herself. “A woman will do the man’s job.” The redhead ignored Clutch’s remarks as she turned and rose just enough to take aim with the cross-bow, and let it fly. There was a brief pause between her letting loose the arrow and the explosion that erupted several yards away afterwards. “Now, Rock-n-Roll, now!” Without any hesitation, the bearded man stood up in the middle of the path they had been making and let loose on his fifty cal. The noise was deafening and the flash of the muzzle was disorienting as the man held down on the trigger, repeatedly spraying from side-to-side as he slowly advanced several steps, until he was up front, near Clutch and Short-Fuse. “That ain’t no AK,” Flash stated, hearing Rock-n-Roll let loose. “Hell no, that’s one of ours,” Hawk proudly replied. “So if the other two squads can fight back, then so can we. Oo-rah!” “Oo-rah!” the squad shouted back as they got up and began advancing further into the jungle. Col. Abernathy didn’t see a point in blindly shooting into the jungle, lest it give their position away, or hit some of their own teammates. His squad would simply wait until they caught sight of the enemy, or received more evidence that someone was indeed in their way. Snake-Eyes stopped firing and dropped for cover. Stalker watched him roll under some foliage, but lost sight of him, so he figured it was the rest of the sqaud’s turn. All three men popped up and opened fire, just as the sound of Rock-n-Roll’s fifty-caliber broke through the jungle. Stalker’s unit suddenly got overpowered, however, forcing all three men to drop back down for cover. The gunfire eventually faded, but the Ranger could hear footsteps softly approaching. Turning quickly, but ever-so-quietly, Stalker spotted eight soldiers dressed in blue fatigues with yellow ammo belts and red bandanas covering the bottom-half of their faces. The red Cobra symbol was displayed proudly on their chests. Stalker quickly glanced over at Grunt and Breaker, who looked back expectantly, obviously unsure of what they should do. The Ranger put a finger to his lips, and the other two men nodded, slightly. As he glanced back towards the front, Stalker realized the soldiers were almost on top of them, which made him very, very nervous.
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07-03-2015, 09:39 AM | #5 |
Barty's Right-hand Man
Join Date: Nov 2013
Location: Ohio
Posts: 7,138
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“All right, boys, let’s press the advantage,” Clutch called out arrogantly, after Rock-n-Roll emptied his machine gun.
“What?” Scarlett almost exclaimed. “Are you nuts? We barely survived that attack. “ “Hey, we did the heavy lifting,” Rock-n-Roll stated, high-fiving Clutch. “Yea, now we’re gonna reap the rewards,” Clutch added. “You’re gonna reap a funeral, you idiots,” she argued, feeling that she was losing control. “Now stand down.” “We got this, red,” Rock-n-Roll stated in a cocky manner. He and Clutch had only taken a few steps when suddenly, the ground went out from underneath them, and they dropped down, through the jungle floor. Scarlett saw them suddenly disappear from sight, but she couldn’t tell how or why. She looked over to Short-Fuse, who shrugged, then back to where the two men had been only seconds ago. As Scarlett stared at the empty area, a nauseous feeling suddenly hit her as the realization that she was now two squad members short overwhelmed her. Both Clutch and Rock-N-Roll slid down the unlit tunnel, bumping and bouncing off of the walls as gravity, along with their weight and the downward slope carried them to an unknown destination. Finally, after what seemed like forever, although in reality it had only been about ten seconds, the pair of soldiers fell out of the tunnel, landing hard on a cement floor. Dazed, yet determined to make it to his feet, Clutch struggled to upright himself to his knees, and took in his surroundings. The young man discovered he and his teammate were in a small cell, about the size of a normal jail cell, with the traditional bars, and lack of a window. The only light they did receive, which wasn’t much, but more than they what had been in the tunnel, came from beyond the cell, in a room filled with numerous Cobra soldiers operating various computers, radar, and other equipment. The dark-haired soldier noticed there was no bed or toilet in the cell, but as a soldier approached, armed with a gun, Clutch figured the accomadations were the least of his worries. The Cobra soldier, clad in the traditional blue fatigues, with yellow webgear and red bandana, turned and motioned over towards another soldier seated in front of a computer monitor. A second later, the cell door was unlocked, allowing the armed soldier entrance to the two Delta members. As the armed Cobra stepped inside, Clutch tried to fully stand, but the off-balance trip down the hidden tunnel left him too groggy and disoriented, so the enemy soldier was able to get the drop on Clutch. The butt of the Cobra soldier’s AK-47 was slammed into the side of Clutch’s head, knocking him out and dropping him to the floor. Rock-N-Roll, meanwhile, was getting to his feet, but the soldier quickly subdued him, as well, via the same method he had used on Clutch. Both unconscious Delta members lay at the feet of the Cobra soldier as a man in a white lab coat entered the cell. “Well, well,” the man began in a pleased tone, rubbing his hands together with glee. “What do we have here, Scarface?” “It appears we have a couple of intruders,” the Cobra soldier answered, looking over at the man in the lab coat. “I figured you might have some use for them.” “Yes, Scarface, I believe I have just the thing for them,” the man replied, a maniacal look in his eyes. “Take them to the brainwave scanner.” “Yes, Dr. Venom.” Stalker’s grip on his M-16 tightened out of fear as the Cobra soldiers edged even closer to he and his quad members’ positions. The Ranger was about to go for broke, but suddenly, the foliage up above the eight Cobras rustled, causing them to stop and look up. Before Stalker knew what was happening, he saw Snake-eyes drop down from out of the trees, right into the middle of the Cobra soldiers, who had formed a circle. None of the blue-clad baddies had a chance to even raise their weapon, since, as soon as Snake-Eyes hit the ground, he brought his Uzi up and spun around in a circle as he let off a long burst. All eight Cobras shredded bodies hot the ground at Snake-Eyes’ feet, leaving his enemies dead, and his teammates in awe. Risking exposure, but desperately seeking answers, she motioned for Short-Fuse to cover her, which he nodded in response, but not confidently, and she crawled across the jungle floor to the spot where her two missing teammates had been seconds ago. When she reached the area, the redhead quickly discovered why Clutch and Rock-n-Roll were no longer in eyesight. A square hole was cut into the ground, with a trap-door down into the hole. Their weight had obviously triggered a mechanism, causing it to open, and swallow them. She shone a light down into the hole, but the tunnel curved out-of-sight, leaving their fate to her imagination. Relieved that she knew why they were no longer visible, yet frustrated that she had no idea if they were still alive, or even where they were, the woman crawled back to where Short-Fuse was to relay the good news. “Well?” the mortar soldier demanded. “There’s a trap door in the ground,” she explained with a sigh of frustration. “Their weight must have triggered it, and away they went. Literally.” “We going after them?” “Not the same way they went down,” she answered. “But I bet if we get inside wherever their base is on this island, we’ll find them.” “You think we’ll see any more opposition?” “Not right away,” she answered, looking over her shoulder to where the gunfire had come from moments ago. “I’d say Rock-n-Roll’s little outburst took care of them. However, I do hope there’s more where that came from.” “You do?” the man asked incredously. “Yep,” she answered, snapping a new magazine into her gun as she tromboned the slide then looked at her teammate. “Because now I’m pissed, and if I don’t release this redheaded temper on them, I’m gonna release it on you.” Short-Fuse just sat there, staring at her, as he swallowed hard. “Did…did you guys see that?” Breaker asked in shock as he came out from where he had been bunkered down. “I saw it,” Grunt replied, joining his teammate, “But I still don’t believe it.” “Aww, that’s no big deal,” Stalker commented, joining the group. “That’s just his opening act.” “His…his what?” “His opening act?” “Exactly,” Stalker calmly answered, smiling at the two men. “Now…are you boys ready?” “He takes pointe,” both Grunt and Breaker said in unison. Steeler was the first to stop short and raise his fist, which Flash did the same thing shortly after. “What is it?” Hawk whispered, tightening the grip on his handgun. “A clearing,” Steeler replied, looking over his shoulder at the Colonel. “There’s a bunker of some sort about fifty yards out. I figure that’s where we need to go.” Hawk nodded, then asked, “See any guards?” “Two,” Flash replied, looking from the bunker to the Colonel, then back to the bunker. Suddenly, to Flash’s surprise, he saw something come out of the jungle and strike one of the soldiers in the chest. As the dead guard fell, his associate took notice and stepped forward, aware that an enemy was out there in the dark. A second later, however, that guard was struck down, as well. “Both guards just got dropped,” Flash informed the Colonel. “By who?” “Not sure, sir,” Steeler replied. “It might have been one of the other squads. Might be someone else on this island altogether.” “Great, Hawk griped, his stress level rising yet again. “Well, we gotta get to that bunker. If whoever’s out there is on our side, then we should be able to find a common ground.” “What if they’re not on our side?” “What do you think?” Hawk replied, giving the young man a dumb look as he walked past him. Colonel Abernathy carefully stepped out of the foliage of the jungle, and into the edge of the clearing, just as Snake-Eyes appeared several yards down on the right. The Colonel took aim with his gun, but upon seeing the commando, followed by Stalker, the team’s leader lowered his weapon. However, just as Flash and Steeler came up behind the Colonel, a sound of slight rustling came from several yards down on the left. All three men turned and took aim, only to find Scarlett walk out of the jungle, with Short-Fuse right behind her. “Who dropped those two guards at the door?” Hawk asked, once Scarlett’s and Stalker’s squads joined Hawk’s in the middle of the treeline. “I did, sir,” Scarlett answered. “Two arrows, one each. That’s the benefit of using a crossbow…quieter.” It was then, after having had a few seconds to survey the group, that the Colonel noticed two members of Scarlett’s squad were unaccounted for. “Where are Steinburg and McConnell?” Hawk demanded, stepping closer to Scarlett. “I don’t know, sir,” she regrettably informed her superior officer. “Excuse me?” Abernathy replied, raising his eyebrows. “I don’t know,” she repeated. “There was some trap door out there, and when they both stepped on it, they fell through it.” “Why didn’t you order them back?” the Colonel demanded. “I did, sir,” she replied, although the guilt on her face clearly made her feel responsible for the loss. “I told them to wait, but they disobeyed orders, and advanced. A second later, they were gone. To where, I have no idea.” “Maybe we should go knock on the door and find out,” Stalker suggested. “Screw the knocking,” Hawk replied, looking over at Zap. “Blow it open.” On the other side of the front door to the island’s bunker, twelve Cobra soldiers filled the hallway, armed with loaded AK-47s that were aimed at the doorway. “So,” one of the soldiers in front said to the soldier next to him in a quiet tone, “The guy says, ‘I don’t care if it takes all night, we’re gonna get there by morning.’” “Heh,” the soldier replied with a chuckle, “That’s funny.” Before anymore jokes could be shared, however, the front door was blown open, throwing the first six Cobras down the hall, while the rest of the soldiers were thrown off-balance amidst the cloud of dust, and shards of rubble. “Go, Delta, go!” Col. Hawk shouted, as Stalker and Steeler burst through the smoke-filled doorway. Gunfire erupted from the two Delta members weapons, taking out the six Cobra soldiers that hadn’t been killed by the explosion. “Clear!” Stalker shouted, once the he and Steeler had released their triggers, and made sure no one was still moving. He and the Pittsburgh native inched further inside the bunker hallway, making sure to keep their eyes on the hallway for any other opposition, as the rest of Delta crowded inside behind them. “Nice work on the door, Zap,” the Colonel said to the man proudly holding the smoking bazooka. “Stalker, Steeler, same to you.” “Don’t congratulate me until we find Clutch and Rock-n-Roll,” Stalker stated, looking from the Colonel to the hallway. “Understood,” the Colonel replied with a nod. “All right, looks like we’re gonna have to split up. Stalker, take a team and head down the left hallway. I’ll take the right. Be careful.” “Oo-rah,” Stalker said, before turning and heading down the hall. “I’ve got your back, Stalk,” Breaker stated, turning down the hallway’s left wing. “And I’ve got our six,” Steeler added, joining the pair. “Let me and Flash in here somewhere,” Short-Fuse said, as he and his teammate appeared in the hall. “All right, boys,” Stalker began, pausing to look each Delta member in the eye. “I appreciate your faith in me. Now let’s go get our teammates back.” “I’ll take pointe,” Hawk stated, as he stopped in the mouth of the hallway that led off to the right of the main hall. “Scarlett backs me up, then Grand Slam and Grunt, side-by-side, followed by Snake-Eyes. Zap takes the six.” “Sir, if you’d like me to take pointe, I’d be happy to,” Scarlett offered, “After all, I feel that Clutch and Rock-n-Roll’s disappearance is my fault, so I should be up front-“ “We’ll deal out the blame later,” the Colonel informed the redhead, cutting her off. “Right now, follow orders. We’re not leaving here until all thirteen of us are together. Let’s go.” The agonizing screams from Rock-n-Roll were deafening, as the brainwave scanner took it’s toll on the young man. The Cobra soldier known as Scarface, due to the badly healed marks around his eyes, stood off to the side of the room, watching on with satisfaction as Dr. Venom controlled the machine from the other side of the room. After a few more moments, Dr. Venom momentarily shut the machine off, so he could speak to his captive. “ Now then,” the man in the white lab coat began, approaching the half-conscious Rock-n-Roll. “Are you ready to talk yet? Or would you like to go another round in the brainwave scanner?” The good doctor received no response from the scanner’s subject, save for the labored breathing that had been developed due to the harsh treatment the Delta member had suffered. “If you don’t wish to give me any information,” Dr. Venom continued, coming up so he was right next to Rock-n-Roll, “I’m sure my ingenious machine can do the trick for me. Or, shall we let your friend have another turn first?” Both the scarred soldier and the mad doctor looked over to the corner of the room, where Clutch sat unconscious in a chair, head slumped against his chest. Stalker’s team cautiously made their way down the hallway in disciplined silence until two Cobra soldiers appeared from around the intersecting hallway at the end. “Contact front!” Stalker shouted before letting loose on his M-16. Breaker did the same, eliminating both soldiers, which allowed the group to continue. Once they reached the intersecting hallway, Stalker took the left side, while Breaker took the right. Flash and Short Fuse stayed in the middle, while Steeler watched behind them to make sure no unpleasant surprises arrived. Stalker motioned towards the intersecting hall, to which Breaker nodded, then both men moved out into the open and fired. The chattering of the pair of M-16s was deafening in the hallway as two more Cobra soldiers were cut down. A sound from behind the pair drew their attention, but before either Stalker or Breaker could maneuver to the rear, Flash appeared and opened fire, eliminating two more enemy soldiers. “Contact rear!” Steeler shouted before his assault rifle opened up. Stalker had thought he and his squad were doing well until his teammate had ruined that hope, but he quickly pushed the thought aside, and joined the firefight. Rushing up to the right side of the hall, while Breaker took the left, and Flash returned to the middle, the group fired back, only to see a squad of ten soldiers opposing them at the other end of the hall. “Take cover!” Stalker shouted, laying down cover fire so Steeler, Short Fuse and Flash could move back to the intersecting hallway, between he and Breaker. The three Delta members made it safely out of the enemy’s range, but they were still drawing heavy fire. “Maybe this’ll even things up,” Flash suggested, tossing two grenades towards the opposition. The two orb-shaped weapons bounced several times until they exploded, simultaneously, right in front of the Cobras, sending every single one of them out into the main hall. Before Stalker could give any more commands, however, the door at the end of the intersecting hall opened, revealing four more Cobra soldiers. “Down!” Short Fuse shouted, lunging out into the middle of the hallway and taking aim with his bazooka. He let loose, and the four Cobras, along with the doorway, disintegrated on contact. Stalker looked down towards the main hall from which they had come, then to the smoldering remains of the doorway. “Only one place our boys could be,” Stalker stated. “We go down.” The Ranger led the way, pausing amidst the smoke to check for any more opposition, then, upon finding none, disappeared through the vaporized doorway, with his squad members right behind him. Blam! The Cobra soldier fell from Hawk’s handgun, which he lowered to his right hip, then proceeded on down the hall. Scarlett looked down at the trickle of blood oozing from the dead soldier’s forehead, then refocused and continued on. “Sir, again, if you’d like me to take pointe-“ “What I’d like is for you to shut up, Specialist O’Hara!” the Colonel snapped as he spun around to face her. She stopped short, taken aback by her commanding officer’s abrupt response, then swallowed, straightened her posture, but kept silent. “You do not, I repeat, do not, call the shots around here, young lady. You will do as-“ “Get down!” Grunt and Grand Slam shouted simultaneously as they raised their assault rifles at opposite ends of the hall. The other four members of Hawk’s six-person squad hit the floor as the remaining two opened fire. Two four-man teams, one at either end of the hall, were cut down by the two Delta members’ bullets, while taking none. “No disrespect, Colonel,” Grunt began, straightening up, “But we maybe you two should continue this later, after we’re all safe and sound at base.” “That’s no way to talk to your commanding officer, Specialist Graves,” Hawk replied, wiping off his upper lip, “But point taken. Let’s go.” Rock-n-Roll’s nearly unconscious form dropped onto the floor after being released from the brainwave scanner. His labored breathing continued from the scanner’s harsh session as two guards picked him up under the arms, and drug him over to a chair across the room. After basically dropping the blonde-haired young man into the chair, the same two guards took hold of Clutch and drug him over to the brainwave scanner. “Steinburg, Lance J.,” the Delta member managed as he was strapped into the scanner for another dose of torture. “RA757340802.” “Still nothing more than name and serial number, hmm?” Dr. Venom asked, bending down so he was level with Clutch. “Nothing else to say, have we?” Clutch managed to raise his head enough to meet the doctor’s gaze, growled, then said, “Go fuck yourself.” “I see,” Dr. Venom replied, standing up. “Turn it on.” The scanner began, cutting the Delta member’s proud moment short, as his screams of pain engulfed the room. “Hold up.” Stalker had been starting his descent to the lower levels in the stairwell, but had only made it two steps when Steeler spoke up, causing the Ranger, as well as the rest of his squad, to stop and turn to him. “There’s no guarantee that our boys are holed up down below,” Steeler began, “Maybe they’re upstairs.” “Haven’t you ever watched a movie?” Short Fuse asked. “The prisoners are always in the basement.” “Yea, except this ain’t no movie,” Flash snapped. “In case you haven’t figured it out, this is real life.” “Maybe we should split up,” Breaker suggested. “We already did,” Stalker hissed, beginning to grow nervous. The longer they stood around, discussing their options, the longer Clutch and Rock-n-Roll were at Cobra’s mercy, not-to-mention he and his squad were sitting ducks in the open stairwell. “We’re not splitting up again,” Stalker continued. “Then let’s go up,” Steeler urged, taking two steps towards the ascending set of stairs. “I don’t believe this,” Stalker groaned, putting his hand to his face. “We could do both,” Breaker said. “First, we could go up, then, if we don’t find anything, we can go down, that way everybody’s happy.” “Enough!” Stalker hissed in anger. “We’re not discussing pizza toppings! We are in an enemy stronghold, and I am in charge, and I am going down, and you five are going to follow me. Is that clear?” “Come on, Breaker, let’s go,” Steeler said, before bolting up the stairs, with Breaker chasing after him. “This is unbelievable,” Stalker said, shaking his head after the two deserters were out of sight. “I hope the Colonel is having better luck with his team. “Hold,” Hawk whispered, while throwing up his fist simultaneously. He abruptly stopped in the middle of the stairs, and listened, as the rest of his Delta squad members did the same. The Colonel could faintly make out a man screaming, as well as the sounds of a machine, and what sounded like electricity. “Sounded like Clutch,” Grand Slam whispered. “How do you know what Clutch’s screams sound like?” Zap asked his squad mate. “I don’t know,” the young man replied, “I just, sort of imagined that’s what he’d sound like.” “Can I imagine you two shutting up?” Hawk hissed, glaring at the pair before turning back to the stairwell. “You can imagine it,” Scarlett chimed in, “But it probably won’t happen.” Hawk gave her a disapproving look, then continued on down the stairs. He barely made it to the next landing when he suddenly shouted, “Contact front,” and fired his handgun three times. Grand Slam shoved his assault rifle over the railing and squeezed the trigger, eliminating the rest of the soldiers that the Colonel had noticed at the next landing down. Before they could advance any further, however, Snake-Eyes shouted, “Contact rear!” and opened fire on the two soldiers that had snuck up behind the group. “This is getting dangerous, Colonel,” Zap stated, a nervous tone in his voice, as he looked around, waiting for the next attack. “Getting?!” Grunt exclaimed. “I agree,” Hawk stated, shoving a fresh magazine into his gun. “Let’s double-time it down these stairs.” Reluctantly, the group did as they were told, and followed their commanding officer down into the deeper levels of the Cobra bunker. The six Delta members trudged down the next couple of flights until they came to the last landing. Just as Hawk hit the first step on the last set, the door at the bottom was flung open, revealing two Cobra soldiers. “Down, Colonel!” Grunt shouted, as he and Grand Slam came up behind Hawk and Scarlett. Both the Colonel and the redhead ducked, allowing the other two Delta members to mow down the enemy opposition standing in the doorway. “Contact rear!” Zap shouted all of a sudden. Snake-Eyes took care of the two Cobra soldiers coming down the stairs. Once the Commando’s bullets tore into them, their lifeless bodies fell the rest of the way down. “Zap, blow the door!” Hawk shouted. The Latino hurried to the forefront, got down into position, took aim, and pulled the trigger. The blast obliterated the door, filled the hallway with smoke, and gave the six soldiers access to the area beyond. “What was that?” Dr. Venom asked after he felt the ground shake. “Sounded like an explosion,” Scarface replied, stepping forward, waiting for the good doctor to give him instructions. Before Dr. Venom could utter another word, gunfire suddenly sounded outside the brainwave scanner room. “Check it out,” the doctor ordered, a look of uncertainty on his face. Scarface hurried over to the door and cracked it, then, after gazing out at the chaos beyond, quickly shut it. “Somebody’s out there,” the scarred officer reported, as gunfire sounded out in the hallway. “Thank you, Captain Obvious,” Dr. Venom snapped. He paced around for a minute, then turned back to Scarface and said, “Okay, here’s what I want you to do.” Before the good doctor could give any further instructions, however, gunfire ripped into the door. Venom and Scarface hit the floor, as the two guards moved to then side, with wide-eyed looks on their faces. “Okay, new plan!” Venom shouted. Hawk fired off four shots as he advanced down the hall towards the door that contained the brainwave scanner, while Grand Slam and Grunt followed behind him, unloading with their assault weapons. The Cobra soldiers fell, lifeless, as the six squad members closed in on the room holding their two comrades hostage. “You two!” Scarface shouted to the guards near the room’s door. “Get out there and stop whoever it is!” The two guards looked at each other, then back to Scarface. “Go!” Dr. Venom bellowed. The two guards released the safeties on their AK-47s, then went over to the door and opened it. They saw the Delta members advancing, and froze. “Contact front!” Hawk shouted, when he spotted the two guards emerge from the brainwave scanner room. The two guards looked at one another with fear-filled eyes, then immediately spun around on their heels and went to rush back inside the brainwave scanner room. “Ohhhhh, no!” Scarface yelled, rushing over and shoving the two guards back out into the hallway. After the two guards were out of the room, Scarface shut and locked the door, then turned to Dr. Venom and said, “Let’s get out of here.” When the two Cobra soldiers realized they had been locked out of the brainwave scanner room, they looked at one another, wide-eyed, then slowly turned their attention to the other end of the hall, where the six Delta members were stationed. Knowing they had no choice, they raised their AK-47s into position, prepared to fight to the death. “Heads up!” Hawk shouted. “I got it!” Scarlett shouted back, firing an arrow from her crossbow. The arrow flew down the hall, and struck the locked door, behind and between the two enemy soldiers, causing an explosion that flung the pair of soldiers down the hall, while blowing the door completely off its hinges, and inside the scanner’s room. “What? I’m not leaving,” Dr. Venom said to Scarface, as the disfigured Cobra soldier grabbed his AK-47. “What about our prisoners?” Before Scarface could respond, Scarlett’s arrow obliterated the door, throwing both the doctor and the scarred officer across the room, as dust and debris filled the air. “Fine,” Scarface coughed as he staggered to his feet, “You stay here. I’m leaving.” “Out of my way,” Venom snapped, getting to his feet and stumbling towards the rear wall.
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http://www.hisstank.com/forum/g-i-jo...-bst-list.html http://www.hisstank.com/forum/buy-se...-feedback.html THE LATE NIGHT CREW |
07-03-2015, 09:42 AM | #6 |
Barty's Right-hand Man
Join Date: Nov 2013
Location: Ohio
Posts: 7,138
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“Careful,” Hawk advised, slowly moving towards the smoke-filled doorway of the room containing not only Clutch and Rock-n-Roll, but the brainwave scanner. “I see something moving in there.”
“I can do a sweeping shot,” Grand Slam offered, as he and the other squad members advanced down the hall after their commanding officer. “No, no,” Hawk replied, carefully eyeing the doorway, as the smoke began to dissipate. “If Clutch and Rock-n-Roll are in there, you might hit them. Just everybody stay close, and stay alert.” As the group closed in on the torturous room, the view through the doorway suddenly cleared, allowing Scarlett to recognize a familiar face. “I…I think I see Rock-n-Roll,” the redhead stated, peering closer, locking her green-eyed gaze on the machine gunner’s blonde beard. “I see him, too,” Hawk replied, tightening the grip he had on his handgun, although he felt that if his grip got any tighter, he’d break the weapon in half. “Cover me. Scarlett directly behind me. Grand Slam and Grunt take either side. Snake-Eyes helps me retrieve our buddies, and Zap covers the six.” Dr. Venom flipped a hidden switch on the rear wall, which activated a secret door, giving he and Scarface a place to hide. The good doctor ducked inside the secret passageway first, then Scarface followed suit, but only after he paused to look at the doorway when Hawk appeared in it. “Freeze!” Hawk shouted, taking aim. He had no time to fire, however, as the secret door swung shut, saving the pair of Cobra operatives, and ensuring their survival, as Hawk had no way of getting the door open once again. “Hawk!” Scarlett shouted from outside. “You good?” “Affirmative!” the commanding officer shouted back, returning his attention to the situation at hand. He didn’t like the two Cobras sneaking off, but his first priority was retrieving his two captive comrades. He looked over at Rock-n-Roll, then over at the brainwave scanner where Clutch was still secured. “They’re both in here!” Hawk relayed. “They’re unconscious, but alive. Snake-Eyes, you get Clutch, I’ll grab Rock.” “Scarlett, help Zap watch the six,” Snake-Eyes ordered, squeezing past her as he shouldered his Uzi. “Oh, great, so now you’re giving orders, too?” “It’s a smart order,” Hawk stated, helping Rock-n-Roll get to his feet. “If our retreat gets cancelled, so do we. Help Zap.” The redhead scowled at the Colonel, but did as she was told. Rock-n-Roll couldn’t support his own weight, so Hawk had to lift the man onto his shoulders, in a fireman’s-carry maneuver. Snake-Eyes unhooked Clutch, then hoisted him onto his shoulders just as Hawk had done with the machine gunner. “There’s no way they can support their own weight,” Hawk stated, as he and Snake-Eyes met in the middle of the room. “We’ll carry them halfway, then transfer ‘em to Grand Slam and Grunt, so we can provide support?” “Whatever you say, sir,” Snake-Eyes replied solemnly, shifting Clutch a bit to get the perfect balance. “You good?” Hawk asked, eyeing the young man. “I won’t stop if you don’t,” the commando answered. “Good enough for me.” Hawk went to the doorway, looked out to see no sign of trouble, then said, “Listen up. These two can’t walk out of here, so we carry them. Halfway, Snakes and I will hand them to Grand Slam and Grunt, and then he and I will provide support. Zap takes the constant six, and Miss O’Hara, you finally get pointe.” “Umm, thank you, sir,” the redhead replied, taken aback. “Don’t thank me, just move,” he instructed, shifting Rock-n-Roll a bit. “So what now, Stalk?” Flash asked, as he and Short Fuse came up to their squad leader. The man sighed, then said, “We have neither the time, nor the energy to chase after them. I’m in charge, they disobeyed orders, then deserted. We go on without them.” “We’re with you, Lonzo,” Short Fuse told the Ranger with a nod. “Glad somebody is,” he replied in a tired tone. Stalker turned and headed down the stairs, his assault rifle held out in front of him with a two-handed grip, just in case. Flash followed behind his squad leader, and Short Fuse came last. They had only made it to the next landing when gunfire rang out, and the three came charging back up the stairs. “Aren’t you guys glad you stayed with me?” Stalker asked his two comrades as they desperately bounded back up the stairs. “Shut up, Lonzo!” Short Fuse shouted over the noise of the gunfire. “Do we stand and fight?” Flash asked, stopping on the main floor landing. “Hell, no, we run!” Stalker shouted, dashing past the Delta member. Flash and Short Fuse followed suit, heading back down the side hall that led to the main hallway the Delta members had all come in on originally. A few seconds after the three Delta members hit the side hallway, the squad of Cobras that had been firing at the trio reached the main landing, as well. “I got ‘em,” one of the soldiers snarled, as he stopped and took aim at the retreating intruders. Gunfire rang out, but none of the three Delta men were struck. Instead, Stalker looked over his shoulder to see all four Cobra soldiers laying in a pool of their own blood on the landing, at the top of the stairs. Perched on the upper staircase were Breaker and Steeler, who had a smirk on his face, and a smoking assault rifle in his hands. “See?” Steeler called out, as the Stalker, Flash, and Short Fuse headed towards the dead soldiers. “Told ya you guys should have gone up.” In response, Stalker suddenly, and without warning, brought his M-16 up in a firing position. “Hey!” Steeler shouted in fear, as he and Breaker dropped. Stalker’s assault rifle chattered, but the only people that were hit were the four Cobra soldiers that had snuck down the stairs behind Breaker and Steeler, unbeknownst to them. Wide-eyed, Steeler slowly looked up at Stalker, who was the one grinning. “You could have just warned us,” Breaker said, as he and Steeler got to their feet. “And miss you guys pissing yourselves?” Stalker replied, ejecting his spent magazine, and injecting a new one. “Where’s the fun in that?” “It’s not pee, it’s urine,” Steeler insisted, coming down the remaining two stairs to the main landing. “Delta members, this is Hawk,” the Colonel’s voice came through via the com-links that everyone had. “We’ve got Clutch and Rock-n-Roll, and are bringing them out. Meet at the main entrance, then get ready to run like hell.” “You heard the man,” Stalker said, cocking his weapon, “Let’s move.” The five soldiers took off down the hall back the way they had originally came, eager to meet the rest of the team, and make a hasty exit. “Contact!” Scarlett shouted, when she spotted the two Cobra soldiers up ahead. Grand Slam and Grunt squeezed off a burst on their M-16s, then the group continued on. No sooner had they entered the stairwell, then gunfire erupted from several floors above, narrowly missing the redhead. “You forgot to yell ‘contact’” Grand Slam told his female friend, as the group all huddled together. Scarlett smacked the young man upside his head, then looked at him, and said, “Contact.” “Think you two can stop flirting with each other, and clear us a path?” Hawk asked angrily. “These boys aren’t exactly light, you know.” “Sorry, sir,” Scarlett and Grand Slam said in unison. “Red, get ready with your crossbow,” Snake-Eyes said, edging towards the stairs. Scarlett gave her teammate a funny look, wondering how he’d moved behind she and Grand Slam without even realizing it. “Don’t leave him hanging, O’Hara!” Hawk practically shouted. “The man’s got a plan, and I’d like to get out of here alive.” Scarlett and the Colonel locked eyes for a moment, neither individual speaking, but their visual language speaking volumes. The redhead then gave Snake-Eyes a dirty look as she joined him, although he neither noticed, nor cared. “Ready?” Snake-Eyes asked. “Ready.” Snake-Eyes thrust his right arm up into the air and fired off a long burst on his Uzi, which enabled Scarlett to move into position at the base of the wall, and fire an arrow up towards the origin of the enemy gunfire. As soon as Scarlett’s arrow was let loose, both she and Snake-Eyes jumped back out of the line of fire, which picked up for a split-second, until the redhead’s arrow struck it’s desired target up above, taking the cadre of soldiers out. “Haul ass!” Hawk shouted. Scarlett double-timed it up the stairs, with Grunt and Grand Slam literally right behind her. She had hung her crossbow over her shoulder, in favor of a handgun due to the quickness and firepower. Grunt and Grand Slam’s M-16s chattered off-and-on the whole way back up the stairs, every time Scarlett laid eyes on a blue-clad Cobra trooper. “Contact rear!” Zap shouted halfway up the stairwell, before the sound of his bazooka joined the symphony of noises. “We gotta go!” Hawk shouted. “We’ve got company!” Grunt shouted down from the edge of the main landing, where he, Grand Slam, and Scarlett were dug in. A group of six Cobra soldiers were out in the main hall, in a fortified position, that none of the Delta members could get to. “Stalker, where are you?” Hawk demanded into his com-link. “We’re taking heavy fire in the stairwell, and any minute now, we’ll be overrun. We need support.” Gunfire ripped through the air, as bullets ripped through the Cobras, causing all of them to collapse onto the floor. Stalker and his squad came through the billowing smoke, much to the relief of Hawk and his squad. “Ask and ye shall receive, Colonel,” the Rnager said proudly, as he helped Scarlett to her feet. “You helped us out,” the Colonel replied, coming up onto the main landing. “You’re not Jesus.” “Then how ‘bout we run like the Devil?” Zap suggested, coming up behind the group. “Here it is,” Hawk began, raising his voice to be heard over all the noise. “Snakes and I are in the middle. Grunt and Grand Slam cover us in front, Steeler and Breaker cover our rear. Zap behind them, Short Fuse in front of the two G-men. Stalker leads us out, with Scarlett covering him. Flash has the six. I’m not asking for questions, just allegiance, let’s move!” With renewed vigor, the group of thirteen moved fluidly, as one large body. They met various amounts of opposition, from various directions on their way out, but the Delta members were in good form, and refused to stop. Some two-man squads came from the rear, which Flash, Steeler, and Breaker dealt with. The rest came from the front, but Grunt, Grand Slam and Stalker dealt with them. They reached the charred remains of what had been the bunker’s front entrance, without a scratch, and Rock-n-Roll and Clutch were unscathed atop their teammates’ shoulders, to boot. “See anything, Lonzo?” Hawk asked as the Ranger glanced out at the shadowy ground beyond. “No,” the Delta member answered. “Which is what worries me.” “Well, then let’s make a break for it,” the Colonel stated, “Fire at anything that moves.” “What about the forest?” Steeler asked. “That’s how Clutch and Rock-n-Roll got in this mess in the first place.” “Short Fuse, Zap,” Hawk began, “Light that place up.” The two Delta members came to the front of the group, and, with Grunt, Grand Slam, Stalker and Scarlett covering them on all four sides, began to unleash blast after blast into the forest, creating a path for the group to use, with any boobie traps uncovered. “Look good to me,” the Colonel said, after the two Delta members had gotten a good head-start.” “I thought you said we were going to switch,” Snake-Eyes said to Hawk, as Breaker cautiously headed out of the bunker’s doorway. “If you’re getting tired, be my guest,” Hawk replied. Snake-Eyes shifted Clutch slightly, then turned and headed off after Breaker. “Kind of wish he was getting tired,” Hawk grunted as he shifted Rock-n-Roll’s body, then headed off after the commando. “I’m out,” Short Fuse stated, after three-quarters of the forest had been cleared for the members of Delta.” “Me, too,” Zap added, stopping next to his teammate. “That’s okay,” Hawk said, stopping and letting Rock-n-Roll slide off of him. “We should be good from here on. Snake-Eyes, I don’t care of you’re tired or not, I’m switching.” “Here, I’ll help you set him down,” Grunt offered, assisting the commando in sliding Clutch onto the ground, as well. “You know, I’m surprised we don’t have an army chasing us,” Breaker stated, as the group all stopped to rest. “Which means they’re either really scared of us-“ “Not likely,” Stalker cut in. “Or they rigged that bunker to blow and took off.” No sooner had the communications officer finished the accented sentence, than the bunker suddenly exploded violently, sending a flaming cloud into the air, along with chunks of debris. The Delta members hit the ground flat, covering their heads and waiting for the eruption to pass. The explosion seemed to go on for an eternity, although in reality it only lasted several seconds. By the time it had subsided, however, the bunker was no more. In it’s wake was a large, flaming crater, and the frustration that the members of Delta were no closer to putting an end to Cobra than before. The soldiers slowly raised their heads to look around, and take in all the damage. Breaker, however, spotted Hawk glaring at him. “I know, I know,” the communications officer stated, as the Colonel seethed. “I shoulda kept my mouth shut.” Without another word, Breaker slowly lowered his face back down to the ground, and placed his hands back over his head.
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http://www.hisstank.com/forum/g-i-jo...-bst-list.html http://www.hisstank.com/forum/buy-se...-feedback.html THE LATE NIGHT CREW |
07-03-2015, 09:45 AM | #7 |
Barty's Right-hand Man
Join Date: Nov 2013
Location: Ohio
Posts: 7,138
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CH?
After the bunker had been reduced to ruins, the team regrouped, and safely made the rest of the trek through the forest, without any form of opposition whatsoever. Thankfully, their boats were right where they had left them, so they piled inside, being careful to lay Clutch in one, and Rock-n-Roll in the other, then backtracked to the first island where they had originally landed. The same chopper that dropped them off was able to pick them up, although they had to climb a rope ladder to get back in the chopper since it couldn’t land on the beach, and both Clutch and Rock-n-Roll had to be lifted on backboards, even though they were starting to come around. “I saw the explosion from three miles away,” Lt.-Col. Colton said to Colonel Hawk once he’d plopped down next to the Senior Ranking officer. “I’d feared the worst.” Hawk didn’t respond, he simply sat back against the wall of the cargo bay and looked upwards, a defeated expression on his weary face. Once the rest of the team were seated and secure, the chopper gained elevation, then banked left and headed for home. “Talk to me,” Colton encouraged Hawk. “We were a mess,” the Colonel informed his commanding officer. “We’re supposed to be an elite, counter-terrorist military force, and we’re lucky that we got out of there alive.” “Yea,” Colton commented flatly. “Then, to top it off, two of the guys got put through the ringer, and we gained no valuable information on Cobra, except that they can definitely kick our ass.” Hawk sighed in frustration as he leaned forward and placed his head in his hands, a weary look on his face, and a defeated aura around him. “Come up front,” Colton said, clapping the Colonel on the back as he stood, “I wanna talk to you.” Reluctantly, the Colonel got to his feet, and followed his superior officer through the doorway to the cockpit. There was a small area between the doorway and the cockpit itself, just big enough for the two men to sit down in tiny, uncomfortable chairs, facing each other. Lt.-Col. Colton slid the door shut to the cargo bay where the members of Delta remained, brooding and sulking, then sat down across from Hawk, leaned back, and said, “Spill it.” “I don’t know what to say,” the young man replied, sighing as he looked down at the floor. “Well, it’s a long flight back, so you’d better think of something to keep me entertained,” Colton explained. The man codenamed ‘G.I.Joe’ folded his hands behind his head and waited, patiently, while the Tomahawk shook his head in silent response. “So, what, you have one bad mission, and now all-of-a-sudden, you’ve got shell-shock?” “No, sir, it’s not that…” “Then what is it?” “I just… I thought I’d do a better job,” Hawk finally explained. “That’s all.” “You got your ego bruised, is that it?” “No, sir, I just…” Colton eyed the young man, who then finished by saying, “Yes, sir.” “Colonel, you’re not going to win them all. You should know that.” “I do, sir, it’s just that… well, everyone held me in such high regards.” The Colonel got to his feet, and turned away, looking out the cockpit window as the chopper flew through the night sky. Apparently, the young man wanted to pace while he talked, but given the cramped quarters, that wouldn’t be happening while they were still in the air. “They did?” “Yes, sir, they did…including you. Hell, including myself. I just thought I would do better, that’s all. I felt I could’ve down better.” “So why didn’t you?” “I don’t know.” “I do.” “And?” “Because you’re human,” Colton answered, standing up. “You’re not perfect. You’re going to make a mistake now-and-then. The goal is to learn from those mistakes, not repeat them.” “I can’t afford to make mistakes out there,” Hawk countered, “Not on the battlefield.” “You’re right. But just because you can’t afford to, doesn’t mean you won’t.” “You make it sound like it’s okay if I make a mistake.” “It’s not okay,” Colton replied, “But it happens. So instead of beating yourself up about it, analyze it, and fix it.” “But what if-“ “Oh, but what if Santa Claus married the Easter Bunny? Who gives a flyin’ fig? You can what if all day, and second-guess yourself the rest of your life. Know where that’ll get ya? A mental ward. Analyze first, then act, then reanalyze once you’re done. Know where that will get you? My position. “I’ve been there, Clayton. I’ve had rough outings. I’ve second-guessed myself. I’ve flat-out screwed up. But I learned from it, and I didn’t do it again.” “Okay,” Hawk began, apparently deep in thought, “Let me ask you this…did you think I would fail tonight?” “Who cares what I think?” Colton practically exclaimed. “Well, you are my commanding officer, sir.” “Yea, but out there on that island tonight, you were the commanding officer, not me. I wasn’t there. Tonight, it was your team, and your call. You were the man. It’s not right for me to sit back, drinking Jack and smoking a cigar, while you’re out in the thick of it, then rip you a new one when you get back to H.Q. for not taking a left when I felt you should have taken a right. You get me?” “You’re not like most superior officers, are you?” Hawk asked with a grin. “You’re just now figuring that out? Colonel, I am here to help you, not throw you to the wolves, not hang you out to dry, not second-guess you. I’ll give you my advice, I’ll give you my instructions, but once you’re out on that battlefield, it’s you. You’re it. Now, if you’re not comfortable with that-“ “I should step down? I know.” “What? Step down? Hell, no, I was gonna tell you to get over it, because you’re commanding Delta whether you like it or not.” Hawk grinned sheepishly as he looked down at his black combat boots. “I chose you, and I chose you for a reason. I know you have what it takes, I know you can do this. The question is, do you know that?” The two men locked eyes, and Hawk nodded, slightly. “Clayton, there is no guarantee that I would have done any better out there tonight, and I mean that. You guys had no idea what you were up against, you had very little intel, and it was Delta’s first mission. The lot of you aren’t used to working together. It’ll take time and practice. Hell, you would’ve gotten it if we hadn’t been able to get what little info we had. You kind of got thrown out there due to the timetable. “Listen” Colton began, going over and placing a firm hand on Hawk’s shoulder, “It wasn’t all roses when I led the Screaming Eagles. It took us awhile to get comfortable with each other, and we weren’t going around chasing terror cells with next-to-no information and background. You did the best you could, you lived to fight another day, and trust me, the thirteen of you will fight another day. You gave Cobra the opening salvo tonight; now they know we’re here, and they have an idea of what we’re capable of. That might just make them think twice about screwing with the good ol’ U.S. of A.” “Yea,” Hawk said with a chuckle, “Spoken like a man who didn’t see the mess out there tonight.” Both men laughed, the pressure starting to release, as Colton patted the Colonel on the shoulder. “You’ll be fine,” the Lt.-Colonel assured Hawk, “And remember, I’m here if you need me. It’s my job. I’m a part of this, too.” “Thank you, sir,” Hawk said, looking into the eyes of his superior officer while firmly shaking his hand. The members of Delta trudged into the sleeping quarters of the Pit once they had returned to the base, and plopped down onto their respective bunks, a defeated aura hanging in the air. Clutch and Rock-n-Roll had been taken to the infirmary by Hawk and Lt.-Col. Colton immediately upon return to have them checked out, which left the rest of the team members to impatiently await the results. The remaining ten members of Delta sat on their cots, hunched over, shoulders slumped, resting their heads in their hands, with their arms on their knees. The scene was a depressing, defeated picture, which resembled a waiting room where a very close family member’s life hung in the balance, that accompanied a grim outlook. “Well,” Steeler began, looking around at his teammates, “We sure are a lively bunch.” “Well, let’s think about what happened,” Scarlett replied. “We just got tore apart by a bunch of mediocre upstarts, and two of our guys are in the infirmary right now, possibly on the verge of being vegetables.” “Hopefully next time will be different,” Breaker suggested. “Next time?” Short Fuse exclaimed. “Are you seriously thinking that there will be a next time?” “Well, we can’t just quit after one time,” Breaker answered. “We can if we just got our asses kicked!” Short Fuse shouted. “If there is a next time,” Scarlett began, “I sure hope you guys listen a lot better than this go-round.” “Maybe leadership was the problem,” Short Fuse stated, matter-of-factly. “Are you kidding me?” Scarlett exclaimed, jumping up off of her cot in anger. “I had everything under control-“ “You didn’t have squat under control!” Short Fuse interrupted, standing up as well. “Atten-hut!” Scarlett and Short Fuse both immediately silenced themselves when the command was given, which came from Hawk, who was standing in the barracks’ doorway, flanked by Lt.-Col. Colton. “Everybody shut up!” Neither Scarlett nor Short Fuse spoke a word; they simply stood where they were, their gaze focused on their Commanding Officer, who did not seem to be in a pleasant mood. “We just got utterly embarrassed, two of your teammates are in the infirmary right now, trying to get their brains unscrambled, and you two are playing the blame-game! Are you kidding me?!” “Sorry, sir,” Scarlett and Short Fuse said, sheepishly. “You guys are a team!” Hawk continued. “Whether you like it or not. You knew that when you signed up. So, if you lose a battle, you lose as a team. You don’t blame a few members, then let the rest take credit. Same way as a victory. You win as a team. No one takes the credit for themselves.” “Col. Abernathy, sir,” Flash spoke up, tentativley, “You speak like we’ll have another chance.” “Yes?” Hawk asked. “I just kind of figured after we got trounced like we did, there wouldn’t be any other chances to even the odds.” “It was one battle,” Hawk explained. “You mean to tell me that after one fight, you guys hang your head and quit? If a sports team loses one game, do they hang it up for the rest of the season? If a pro fighter loses a match, does he walk away?” “So then if we’re not done,” Grand Slam began, “Where do we go from here?” “Yea, Colonel, we have no way of knowing what Cobra will do next.” “Or where they’ll strike,” Steeler chimed in. “Well, if we can find out which communications tech is Cobra’s spy, and where exactly Springfield is, we might be able to head them off,” Stalker suggested. “That’s a lot of ifs,” Grunt stated. “Maybe not,” Snake-Eyes spoke up. “Son?” Hawk asked, giving the Commando a perplexed look. “With your permission, sir,” the young man began, stepping forward, “I might be able to help us out on that front.” Hawk eyed the young man, unsure of how to react at first, but looking deep into the trustworthy blue eyes of the Delta member, then after a nod from Stalker, the field commander gave in. “Give it your best shot,” the Colonel stated, stepping aside so the Commando could leave the barracks. Colton clapped the young man on the back as he walked past, then returned his attention to the rest of the team, as did Col. Hawk. “Okay, so the Commando gets us a location,” Zap said. “But what happens if we go after them again, and we get trounced even worse? Maybe being a vegetable isn’t the worst that happens. Maybe some of us don’t make it back.” “Have you all forgotten that your soldiers?” Hawk asked. “Have you forgotten that you’re a military unit? An elite military unit? We are an anti-terrorist task force, and it is our job to fight for freedom wherever there is trouble. It’s in your job description to go to war. It’s in your resume to fight. Your duties are to do what is necessary. And to be perfectly honest, if you didn’t realize that, you’re in the wrong damn place. “I cannot promise you that we will always make it back in one piece,” Hawk continued. “But if you think about it, there were casualties in the Revolutionary War. There were heavy casualties in the Civil War. We lost men in both World Wars, Vietnam, and the Gulf Wars. It’s an unfortunate part of the job, but at the end of the day, it is our job, plain and simple, and if you’re not willing to risk your life, then I’m sorry to say you don’t belong here. “And as far as winning, if we don’t win, then we pick ourselves back up, and try again. We keep fighting and trying until we either win, or until we can’t fight anymore. Sad to say, but if you don’t win, you at least give it your best effort, every time.” “I’m willing,” Scarlett stated. “Me, too,” Stalker agreed. “Of course, it’d be easier if people listened to their field commander,” Scarlett added, looking over at Short Fuse. “Well, if the field commander knew how to command in the field,” Short Fuse immediately countered, stepping towards her. “I know my foot will fit square up your-“ “Alright, alright,” Hawk interrupted, having had his fill of the pair’s bickering. “You have a difference of opinion. That happens. Maybe next time, I’ll pair you two up with other teammates.” Scarlett and Short Fuse nodded at each other without saying a word, choosing to instead let their visual stares do the talking for them, which at that moment, spoke volumes. “Of course, you might get put in a drastic situation in the field where all you have is each other, and you have to rely on each other for your very lives, literally.” The two Delta members exchanged glances once again, this time softer, realizing that what the Colonel was telling them was indeed true, but their bickering had made them too blind to see it. It was then that Scarlett came to understand just how good of a leader Clayton ‘Tomahawk’ Abernathy really was. “So maybe you guys ought to kiss and make up, and try to draw closer as a team.” Short Fuse made a kissing face at the redhead, who quickly responded, “You either put those lips away, or you can kiss the end of my crossbow.” “That goes for all of you,” Hawk continued, looking at the other members of the team seated before him. “You all are a team, so it would be in your best interest to act like it, both for your safety and survival in the field, as well as your safety and survival with me.” The Colonel grinned, trying to alleviate the situation, which did release some tension from the team, causing a few of them to grin as well. “I know you all haven’t been together long, and I’ll be the first to admit, it does take time to acquaint yourselves with each, and feel each other out. Normally, you would get an average, expected amount of time to do that, before we send you out into the field. “However, in case you haven’t realized, yet, nothing about this program is normal. This is not a normal operation, and you are not normal operatives. So don’t accept the normal status-quo. Rise above it, get in front of it, and take the bull by the horns…or, the cobra by the fangs, in this case. “Lt.-Col. Colton told you all you were the best when he offered you positions on Delta, so I need you at your best in the field. I want every single one of you coming home after every single mission…but, if for some reason, that doesn’t happen, then I at least want your sacrifice to mean something. I don’t ever want it to be in vain. Not once. So if one of you fall in the field because you can’t co-exist, you can’t help each other, or be there for each other, you and I are damn-sure going to have a problem. You specialists don’t have to like each other…I’d prefer that you do, but I won’t make it mandatory, as long as it doesn’t transfer over into the field. I don’t want you risking each other’s lives in the field; I wouldn’t risk yours, I sure as hell don’t want you risking mine. You guys will have to figure out how to make it as a team, and you’d better do it fast, because I don’t plan on letting Cobra rest for long. I want to take it to them, and take them down before they have any kind of a chance to regroup.” “Well, we may have longer than you think, Colonel,” Zap stated, “Seeing as how we don’t even know which Springfield they’re in.” “We do now.” Everyone turned to see Snake-Eyes walk through the barrack’s doorway. “We do?” Steeler asked. “What do you have, son?” Hawk asked the Commando when he stopped in front of him. “I had a talk with Cobra’s spy in the communications room,” Snake-Eyes explained. “He gave me everything we needed.” “Do I even want to know how you came to acquire this information?” the Colonel asked, afraid of the answer the Commando would provide. “No,” Snake-Eyes answered flatly, before walking past the Colonel. “Wait, what?” Breaker asked, watching Snake-Eyes head over to where Scarlett was standing. “You were gone like, what, five minutes? How in the sam-hill did you-“ “Let’s not get into that,” Hawk interrupted, running his hand over his head. “I don’t have time to fill out all the reports.” Snake-Eyes stopped next to Scarlett, then turned to face the Colonel, waiting the field commander’s orders, while his teammates all stared at him in awe, as well as fear. “Well,” Hawk finally began, taking a breath as he looked at the members of Delta, who now looked at him. “I guess Snake-Eyes went to the trouble of finding out what we needed to know…so it would be awful rude to not pursue that lead. Wouldn’t you all agree?” “Oo-rah!” the team all replied in unison. “Oo-rah,” Hawk repeated, nodding to the team. “When do we leave?” someone asked from the doorway. The Colonel turned to see Rock-n-Roll and Clutch standing in the barrack’s doorway, a little worse for wear, but standing on their own, none-the-less. “What’re you guys doing out of the infirmary?” Hawk asked, turning to fully face the pair. “We’re all better,” Clutch answered. Hawk eyed the young man, who then added, “Well…we’re still alive.” “Yea, but you won’t be if you go up against Cobra with us so soon.” “Sir, no disrespect,” Rock-n-Roll began, stepping forward, although it was apparent that he was a little off-balance. “Those assholes put us through hell, and we wan to even the score, so if you think that we’re just gonna sit this one out, then you don’t know either one of us at all.” Hawk eyed the blonde-haired young man, who then added, “Sir,” in a sheepish tone, before looking at the floor to avoid the Colonels’ gaze. “We want in, sir,” Clutch stated. “And we want them in,” Scarlett chimed in, coming up next to Hawk. The Colonel looked over to the redhead, a surprised look on his face, but nowhere near the surprise that Clutch had on his face from his redheaded teammate’s unexpected support. The rest of the team came up and joined Scarlett, showing a visual solidarity that took the Colonel by surprise. “I’ve got some hard feelings for these two for disobeying orders in the field,” Scarlett stated, “And it’s no secret that I don’t care for Clutch at all…but you told us we need to start acting like a team. So here we are. Acting like a team. I’ll watch their backs, and trust them to watch mine.” “We got you, red,” Clutch stated, matter-of-factly, nodding at Scarlett for emphasis. “We’ll follow orders, and stick with you the whole way.” “Yea,” Rock-n-Roll added, standing up a little straighter. “This time, we won’t let you down.” Hawk looked at the pair of injured specialists, then to Scarlett, and finally, to Stalker. “What do you think, Lonzo?” Hawk asked the Ranger. “They seem sincere. So does Scarlett. I say if we’re going to go after Cobra, we do it as a team.” “You wanted us to act as a team,” Steeler stated. “So let’s start right now.” “None of us want to go without them,” Flash stated. “Agreed,” Grand Slam added. “Sir, I say we go as a team,” Zap said. “All of us. The thirteen, not the eleven.” “It’s unanimous, sir,” Breaker stated. “If they don’t go, we don’t go.” “All or none,” Short Fuse said. “Snake-Eyes?” Hawk asked, looking over at the Commando. “I’ve got faith in them,” the man solemnly responded. “Alright,” Hawk replied, looking over at the pair in the doorway. “Looks like you two are in. But before we head out, I want to make sure you guys want this. I want you to want this, but if you all don’t want this, then that could cause problems in the field, and problems in the field could cause soldiers to lose their lives.” “I say there’s no need to put this to a vote,” Snake-Eyes stated. “We Charlie-Mike.” “Charlie-Mike?” Scarlett asked, looking over at him. “C.M. Charlie-Mike. Continue the mission,” Stalker informed her. “We Charlie-Mike,” Snake-Eyes stated, loading a magazine into his Uzi. “We always Charlie-Mike.” With that, the Commando flipped the Uzi’s safety into the on position, and left the barracks, with everyone staring after him. “Like the man said,” Stalker began, heading after the Commando. “We Charlie-Mike.”
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http://www.hisstank.com/forum/g-i-jo...-bst-list.html http://www.hisstank.com/forum/buy-se...-feedback.html THE LATE NIGHT CREW Last edited by Yojoe77; 07-03-2015 at 09:48 AM.. |
03-16-2016, 06:59 PM | #8 |
Cobra Viper
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: Italy
Posts: 206
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so... this is the end, or just writer's block?
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10-09-2021, 06:20 AM | #9 |
Barty's Right-hand Man
Join Date: Nov 2013
Location: Ohio
Posts: 7,138
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Bump
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10-09-2021, 08:39 PM | #10 |
Banned
Join Date: Feb 2019
Posts: 10,010
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🪣🪣🪣
Last edited by Yeet; 07-18-2022 at 04:28 PM.. |
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