{"sf1_id":142877,"sf2_id":"Xek9xLzn","title":"Task Force - Two if by Air","author":"SrA havenofimage","words":3105,"posted_at":"2010-05-01T21:29:00.000Z","tags":["Bear","Falcon","Fox","HAHO","Military","Snow Leopard","Spec Ops","Story Series","Suicide","marten"],"url":"https://fse.anthro.fr/stories/142877-task-force-two-if-by-air","original_url":"https://sofurry.com/s/Xek9xLzn","image_url":"https://cdn.sofurryfiles.com/submissions/thumbnails/6e/db/6edb866f-669e-4952-b4b1-ec683c6f9fa8","description":"#14 of Task Force","content":"\u0026nbsp;\n\n\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp;I sat in my seat, being bounced around by the turbulence.\u0026nbsp; I had just finished triple checking my teams gear for the jump.\u0026nbsp; There was absolutely no room for error tonight.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; \"Alright.\u0026nbsp; Let's review the plan one more time.\u0026nbsp; We can't afford any mishaps.\u0026nbsp; Trestan, you're the most suited for this.\u0026nbsp; Take the lead and we'll fall in behind you.\u0026nbsp; We'll use thermal until we break cloud cover and then switch to night vision.\u0026nbsp; Trestan, get us lined up and below the clouds and then break off at 10,000. \u0026nbsp;We need you in position early.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; The copilot turned to us from the cockpit and gave the two minute signal.\u0026nbsp; I began my final preparation.\u0026nbsp; Taking one last draw from my mask, I removed it, placed it back under my seat and switched to my personal O2 tank.\u0026nbsp; I checked the gauge to ensure oxygen was traveling to the mask.\u0026nbsp; I tugged my harness to verify proper fit and checked all the connections on my armor making sure there were no leaks in the air tight system.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; \"Is every one go?\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; I received four okay gestures in return.\u0026nbsp; We had mikes built into the oxygen masks, but hand signals had been drilled into us from day one.\u0026nbsp; Teague, Jessica, and Tank all had identical setups as mine.\u0026nbsp; Trestan, lucky bastard, was built for this and didn't need the air tight protection against freezing, parachute, or even supplemental O2.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; An orange light clicked on and I heard the sound of hydraulics as the rear door descended.\u0026nbsp; The noise of rushing air filled the cabin.\u0026nbsp; I motioned for the team to prepare to jump.\u0026nbsp; They lined up and clipped onto the static bar.\u0026nbsp; The light turned green.\u0026nbsp; Trestan was the first out. \u0026nbsp;He dove from the plane.\u0026nbsp; I counted off the seconds then motioned to Tank.\u0026nbsp; He followed and the static line pulled his drogue chute which quickly detached.\u0026nbsp; This process repeated for the other two.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; After Teague had disappeared into the darkness I walked to the edge.\u0026nbsp; I turned and signaled to the pilot who waved back.\u0026nbsp; I jumped.\u0026nbsp; The wind grabbed me an pulled me away from the aircraft.\u0026nbsp; I could feel the slight resistance of my drogue using it to get my bearings and proper body position.\u0026nbsp; Five seconds after leaving the fuselage the tinny parachute detached allowing me to free fall.\u0026nbsp; I counted off another ten seconds before pulling the ripcord.\u0026nbsp; My canopy pulled from the pack and I was jerked backwards from the drag.\u0026nbsp; I was about to switch to my thermal when I noticed that I could see everything clearly without it.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; Trestan, Tank, and Jessica were already stacked and Teague was pulling up behind them.\u0026nbsp; I quickly grabbed the airfoil's handles and maneuvered into position.\u0026nbsp; The cold air tore at my clothing but I couldn't feel it beneath the airtight layers.\u0026nbsp; Without them, I would have frozen in minutes.\u0026nbsp; The oxygen prevented us suffering from hypoxia.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; I keyed a tab on my HUD and a GPS overlay of our flight path appeared.\u0026nbsp; I watched as Trestan approached the first turn and bank right.\u0026nbsp; I pulled my right handle and the corner of the parachute dipped, pulling me in that direction.\u0026nbsp; I checked my air speed and altimeter.\u0026nbsp; We were right on course.\u0026nbsp;\n\n\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; After another correction we sailed into a cloud.\u0026nbsp; Now I did switch to thermal because not even my enhanced eyes could cut through the dense water vapor.\u0026nbsp; This is when things would get tricky.\u0026nbsp; If any of us got split up, they could end up miles off course and be out of commission for the entire operation.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; Soon however we were out of the clouds.\u0026nbsp; We were at 18,000ft above ground level and coming in a little fast.\u0026nbsp; Trestan would have to correct that at the next turn.\u0026nbsp; A series of maneuvers and we were on the final line that would take us to the LZ.\u0026nbsp; Trestan broke off, his powerful wings driving him away, leaving Tank in front of the line.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; The dim lights of the compound came into view.\u0026nbsp; There were no spotlights watching the sky.\u0026nbsp; These people were too trusting of radar.\u0026nbsp; With our limited amount of metal and minimal profile, they'd be lucky if one of us showed up as an error.\u0026nbsp; That left only visual detection.\u0026nbsp; Our suits, packs, and canopies were all colored to match the dark black sky perfectly.\u0026nbsp; Unless a guard was looking in the exact right position at the exact right time, we would be no more visible than the air we were moving through.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; After what seemed like an eternity of hanging in the air, we silently sailed over the outer perimeter.\u0026nbsp; I magnified my view.\u0026nbsp; The space on either side of the fence was brightly lit.\u0026nbsp; I saw guards posted, watching the trees and surrounding fields diligently.\u0026nbsp; An anti air turret sat motionless behind a tower.\u0026nbsp;\n\n\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; The ground was coming up fast now.\u0026nbsp; I checked my airspeed and saw that I was coming in too fast.\u0026nbsp; I pulled both handles and the chute faired.\u0026nbsp; The stack stretched out as each of us slowed for touchdown.\u0026nbsp; I braced mentally and physically for the impact.\u0026nbsp; My jump boots hit dirt.\u0026nbsp; I rapidly recovered and unhooked from the harness.\u0026nbsp; The others were doing the same.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; I stowed the mass of fabric into my combat pack and retrieved my ASMAR squad marksman variant assault rifle.\u0026nbsp; Quickly scanning my surroundings, I determined that there were no immediate threats.\u0026nbsp; The other three soon arrived at my position.\u0026nbsp; I gave a series of hand signals and we formed ourselves into a loose diamond formation.\u0026nbsp; We began moving through the sparse trees towards the compound, our boots making no sound over the frozen ground.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; Teague who, as always, was a point held up his hand.\u0026nbsp; He motioned for me to join him.\u0026nbsp; I moved forward to where he stood.\u0026nbsp; We had reached the interior fence.\u0026nbsp; I scanned the length that I could see and the spotted what I wanted.\u0026nbsp; There was a spot which looked recently washed out.\u0026nbsp; It had only been blocked with a pair of hay bales.\u0026nbsp; I gestured towards it.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; We moved to the entry point.\u0026nbsp; Tank stepped forward and pushed the obstacle out of our way.\u0026nbsp; I slid underneath, remembering the first time I had done this back at the Academy.\u0026nbsp; When the others were through, Tank pulled the two bales back into place.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; I checked our surroundings.\u0026nbsp; If my map was correct, the structure in front of us was a maintenance building.\u0026nbsp; Just then Trestan's voice filtered in through my enclosed com system.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; \"Heads up.\u0026nbsp; Two bogies moving in from the east.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; I acknowledged by clicking my com once.\u0026nbsp; We slid into the shadow of one of the building's large overhead doors.\u0026nbsp; I watched the northeast corner.\u0026nbsp; Seconds later, a bull and a raccoon walked into view.\u0026nbsp; They scanned the area as they walked closer.\u0026nbsp; I stayed crouched, nearly invisible in the dark.\u0026nbsp; They passed in front of our position.\u0026nbsp; As one, Jessica and I sprung forward.\u0026nbsp; I bashed the bull in the back of the head with the butt of my rifle.\u0026nbsp; He collapsed from the blow.\u0026nbsp; I caught the body and lowered it slowly to the ground.\u0026nbsp;\n\n\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; I pulled a dart pistol from my holster, similar to the ones we had used in training.\u0026nbsp; The difference was that, rather than sedating the victim, these darts were loaded with a lethal injection.\u0026nbsp; I had a quick flashback of standing over an upperclassman coyote and shooting him without second thought as he lay at my feet.\u0026nbsp; With the same cold indifference, I shot the killer at my feet, the gas powered weapon making no sound.\u0026nbsp; I turned to see Jessica already dragging the body of the raccoon into cover.\u0026nbsp; I did the same and deposited my victim next to hers.\u0026nbsp; We regrouped and moved on towards the west.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp;Teague halted us.\u0026nbsp; He pulled a small device from a pack and placed it on the side of the building before moving on.\u0026nbsp; We had all taken packs of explosives which he had built for this mission.\u0026nbsp; As we moved through the compound, we would place them at strategic positions.\u0026nbsp; In this way we soon had rigged the maintenance shop, barracks, armory, primary training center, utility building, and power plant.\u0026nbsp; When we left, there would be on hell of a fireworks show down here.\u0026nbsp;\n\n\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; We moved along the building which housed General Davis's quarters.\u0026nbsp; Teague raised his hand again.\u0026nbsp; I crept forward and looked.\u0026nbsp; There was a secure door along the adjacent wall.\u0026nbsp; One guard was standing outside, rifle in hand.\u0026nbsp; There was also a camera panning above the door.\u0026nbsp; The camera moved in our direction slowly, reached its range of motion, and began turning away.\u0026nbsp; I aimed through my rifle's scope and pulled the trigger.\u0026nbsp; The silenced weapon coughed once and the guard fell.\u0026nbsp; We dashed to the door and were in before the camera finished it's turn, Tank dragging the body in behind us.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; Jessica forged a card key access on her data pad.\u0026nbsp; I switched to thermal and scanned the room beyond.\u0026nbsp; There were four guards in it.\u0026nbsp; I stood to the right of the door and Tank moved to the left.\u0026nbsp; Jessica and Teague crouched below us.\u0026nbsp; The sliding doors opened and each of us shot one of the guards.\u0026nbsp; I moved into the room.\u0026nbsp; There was a security desk with a bank of monitors, showing camera views.\u0026nbsp; A dead zebra sat behind it bleeding from a hole straight through his heart.\u0026nbsp; I recognized Jessica's handy work who always preferred to go for the center of mass and vitals.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; I checked the views.\u0026nbsp; I found the one I was looking for, a third floor hallway.\u0026nbsp; An arctic fox and a grey wolf stood in front of an unmarked black door.\u0026nbsp; That was our target.\u0026nbsp; I signaled to the team and we headed for the stairwell.\u0026nbsp; Four landings later we were on the top floor.\u0026nbsp; I slid a fiber optic probe beneath the door to scan the corridor beyond.\u0026nbsp; There they were, 25m to my left. \u0026nbsp;I gave Jessica the kill gesture and She hit a command on her data pad and the power went out to the building.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; Teague opened the door.\u0026nbsp; I saw the two guards looking around wildly.\u0026nbsp; Their confusion was soon ended as Tank and Teague quickly and quietly snapped their necks and lowered them to the ground.\u0026nbsp; I stood in front of the door while Jess overrode the security system.\u0026nbsp; There was a silent click, which would have been inaudible to any normal soldier.\u0026nbsp; The door swung in slowly.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; I moved forward, sweeping the room for any bodyguards or booby traps.\u0026nbsp; Finally I entered the bedroom.\u0026nbsp; General Davis was sitting up in his bed, staring at the entrance, a calm expression on his face.\u0026nbsp; I had to admire him for not showing fear, knowing there was no way he would live.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; \"Ah, you came.\u0026nbsp; I had hoped you would.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; \"How do you know who we are?\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; \"I do not.\u0026nbsp; But perfection has it's signs just as flaws do.\u0026nbsp; Three separate jobs, each pulled off by a small team, never leaving any trace of their presence.\u0026nbsp; I suspected it was the same group each time.\u0026nbsp; The Phoenix seemed to think your military had built an elite army.\u0026nbsp; He would think that.\u0026nbsp; He has no taste for subtlety.\u0026nbsp; I on the other hand quite admire your work.\u0026nbsp; Very impressive.\u0026nbsp; We could use some soldiers like you in our organization.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; \"We would never support what you're doing.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; \"Think of it though, complete world cooperation, like in the time after The Great War.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; \"You can't force piece on society.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; \"Perhaps not.\u0026nbsp; So what now, you kill me and leave?\u0026nbsp; I do not think so.\u0026nbsp; You see, I was just the bate.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; Before I could react, Davis pulled the trigger of a hidden gun and the top of his head exploded, splattering the wall behind him with blood and gore.\u0026nbsp; Seconds later, alarms began sounding throughout the complex.\u0026nbsp; They must have had bio monitors on him.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; \"Shit!\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; \"Teague, blow the barracks and armory!\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; He pulled out a small pad and tapped two glowing keys.\u0026nbsp; A series of explosions was heard from outside.\u0026nbsp; The overpressure shook the building we were in.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; \"What's the plan Harper?\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; \"Air pad.\u0026nbsp; There's no way we're getting out of here on foot.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; I thought of our exit options.\u0026nbsp; There were sure to be guards flooding upstairs this second with the sole purpose of filling us with lead.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; \"Teague, get a charge on the door.\u0026nbsp; Some smoke wouldn't hurt either.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; He began rigging a booby trap on the entrance to the General's room.\u0026nbsp; I walked to the far side and wrenched open a window.\u0026nbsp; I attached a length of cable to the sill.\u0026nbsp; Teague rejoined us and I ushered the team out.\u0026nbsp; Finally I clipped on and repelled out the window just as the door opened.\u0026nbsp; The soldier's who were unfortunate to be standing near it were engulfed in a fireball.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; I hit the ground and straitened myself.\u0026nbsp; The compound was in chaos.\u0026nbsp; The space between buildings was lit\u0026nbsp; by flashing signals and there was a fierce orange light of fire in the background.\u0026nbsp; She sound of gunfire filled the air from the far side of the facility. \u0026nbsp;These soldiers were very poorly disciplined. I checked my map for the location of the air pad.\u0026nbsp; I found it and flashed a waypoint to my team.\u0026nbsp; We began running towards it.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; We turned a corner and were met by group of enemies.\u0026nbsp; Jessica was the first to react and opened fire.\u0026nbsp; They quickly fell beneath the twin onslaught.\u0026nbsp; I saw a goat taking aim at us from an ally.\u0026nbsp; I swung and fired a burst, catching him in the gut an bringing him to the ground.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; \"Let's keep moving.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; Another explosion racked the compound as fire engulfed the ammunition in the armory.\u0026nbsp; I could hear yells in the distance.\u0026nbsp; We began moving in the direction of my marker which led parallel to the mayhem luckily and not into it.\u0026nbsp; Teague had done an exceptional job of planting those explosives.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; Finally I could see the air pad.\u0026nbsp; There were two helicopters sitting on the ground.\u0026nbsp; One was a large cargo carrier.\u0026nbsp; The other was the genera's personal transport.\u0026nbsp; Since he was dead, I figured he probably didn't need it any more.\u0026nbsp; We scanned the area.\u0026nbsp; Tank lobed a grenade across the space.\u0026nbsp; There was a blast, a yell, and I watched as a body flew out from cover, it's fur still smoldering.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; \"Alright, keep me covered.\u0026nbsp; The less I get shot at, the sooner we get out of her.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; \"Roger that.\u0026nbsp; The sooner we get out of here, the happier I'll be,\" responded Jessica.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; I sprinted to the chopper and opened the pilot side door.\u0026nbsp; I climbed into the seat, strapped in, and studied the controls.\u0026nbsp; We had gone through flight training back at Center 17.\u0026nbsp; Now it was finally paying off.\u0026nbsp; I powered the craft on and heard the buzz of the starter.\u0026nbsp; The turbo shaft engine came to life and I could feel the slow rotation of the rotors beginning to spin.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; \"Alright, we have power,\" I said silently to myself.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; Small arms fire pinged off my windshield.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; \"Keep them off of me!\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; Teague shot a series of bursts and the shooting stopped.\u0026nbsp; I looked over the gauges.\u0026nbsp; Fuel, good.\u0026nbsp; Hydraulic pressure, good.\u0026nbsp; I ran through a mental checklist, ensuring that the aircraft was flight worthy.\u0026nbsp; Luckily it was.\u0026nbsp; If it had needed anything, we would have been screwed.\u0026nbsp; By now the rotors had reached the RPMs I was looking for.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; \"Alright, get in.\u0026nbsp; This is the last call for passengers.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; Jessica climbed in next to me.\u0026nbsp; The other two pulled themselves into the back.\u0026nbsp; I watched as a pair of rockets streaked down from the sky.\u0026nbsp; Two anti air cannons detonated.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; \"Get that thing off the ground Harper!\" Trestan called over my earpiece.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; \"Sorry, this 'thing' isn't quite as agile as you are.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; I slowly raised the collective feeling for the familiar sign that the skids were becoming light on the ground.\u0026nbsp; I pushed the left petal, compensating for the rotation with the tail rotor.\u0026nbsp; We yawed slightly and I reduced pressure.\u0026nbsp; I adjusted the cyclic to keep us level.\u0026nbsp; Starting to get a feel for the controls and raised the collective more.\u0026nbsp; The angle of the blades now created enough lift and we rose of the ground.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; \"Okay, let's go.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; I increased power and pushed the stick over. The rotors angled downward and we swiftly left the ground behind and sped forward.\u0026nbsp; Rifle fire peppered the hull but I was soon out of range.\u0026nbsp; We circled the compound, steadily climbing.\u0026nbsp; When I felt that we were at a safe height, I put the craft into a hover.\u0026nbsp; I could just spot Trestan out of right window, reloading his launcher.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; \"Hit it Teague.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; He scrolled his finger over the pad.\u0026nbsp; I watched as one by one, the last four big buildings of the NWO training facility were leveled by explosions.\u0026nbsp; Well, we had killed Bantano, and destroyed the compound.\u0026nbsp; Unfortunately, we hadn't had time to secure any files or information.\u0026nbsp; At least the enemy would be short a general and over three hundred recruits.\u0026nbsp; As I began to move off scene, I let out a sigh.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; \"Well two out of three isn't bad I guess.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; \"What are you talking about Harper?\" Jessica asked.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; \"We never secured any data like we were supposed to.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; \"What the hell do you think I was doing while you were jack jawing with the general?\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; I turned, not believing my ears, \"What?\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; \"I hacked the network on my pad.\u0026nbsp; I've got all sorts of goodies on these guys.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; \"You know Curry, you truly are amazing.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; \"I know.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; Teague called from the back, \"Quit flirting up there and let's get back to base.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; I went slightly read as the others laughed.\u0026nbsp; Well, mission accomplished.\u0026nbsp; I pushed the nose over, and we sped across the frozen landscape.\u0026nbsp; For miles, the tundra was lit by flickering red orange light, reflected from a billowing smoke cloud.\n\n  \n  \n\n","series":{"name":"Task Force","previous":"https://fse.anthro.fr/stories/142435-task-force-bunker-alpha.json","next":"https://fse.anthro.fr/stories/143578-task-force-divide-and-conquer.json"}}