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Carry on.

CHAPTER 5.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

"Alright Ohio, here they come! Clear to engage Russian armor onsite! We have to break through to that highway, over."

"Target, gunner identify!" Staff Sergeant Jake Keat yelled over his M1A1 Abram's intercom just as the first wave of Russian tanks crested the berm about one thousand meters in front of his position.

The armored division had been on the move all day, and after several probing attacks on their picket, they were finally ready to throw down. The twenty four year old tank commander watched the Russians attack in a combined arms fury that only they could surmount.

The armored helicopters, Hinds to be specific, flew over the lumbering tankers at an uncanny speed, only to be met on the approach by stinger missile launchers and various other pieces of Anti-Aircraft equipment. The helicopter's normal countermeasure suite didn't comprehend the rockets even locking on as they struck a third of the machines just forward of their wing weapon pylons. Several of the machines went down in a swath of flames, raining down around the tanks of Ohio element like hail from hell.

It was only a matter of seconds later that the artillery that was supporting the offensive began their rain of high explosives. The heavy Russian shells landed all around them, sending gouts of dirt and flame shooting skywards in dazzling fireballs. Jacob could see that three Old Ironsides M1A2s had already suffered artillery damage and sat immobile and aflame. His M1A1 was sure to hold up, as long as it didn't take a direct hit from one of the heavy guns in their thin roof armor. Keat silently prayed that they would all miss. The guns fell silent for a moment, and everyone knew that it was time. It was time for the Ohio element to get their baptism of fire.

"Identify T-80 command! Sabot index, range, one thousand." The gunner's cool, quick and methodical reply came over the headset as he kept his face pressed to the Gunners Primary Sight. The thermal unit buzzed annoyingly above him, sitting in standby. Sergeant Fred Sacke kept his left hand clasped around the Cadillac and watched as the Russian tank filled his sights. The T-80UK, betrayed by its long attack radio antennas, trundled towards them at a high rate of speed, throwing thick German mud in every direction. In a moment, it would cease to exist.

"Up!" Came Specialist Wag's reply from the loaders station, having just heard the gunner's response. He thrust the main gun armed lever into the up position as he yelled out, watching as his indicator light went from white to yellow. He threw himself against the turret wall, clearing the main gun's recoil path. He'd seen helmets and heads get cracked before.

"Fire!" Sergeant Keat yelled, feeling the sweat already beading on his forehead and running down his back as the word escaped his mouth.

"On the way!"

Jake watched as the main cannon leaped back, spitting a hot aft-cap onto the floor of the turret. He switched quickly to his sights, just in time to see the depleted uranium sabot tracer as it lanced downrange, striking the T-80 right in the joint of the turret. The sabot had missed the Russian heavy tank's Kontakt-5 reactive armor by mere inches and sent the turret skyward in a ball of flames. The tanks powerful sights made sure that he viewed it at the highest level of detail imaginable.

"Hit!" He yelled, already searching for more targets as the four Ohio National Guard Abrams platoons abreast of him opened fire with their combined might of sixteen 120mm main cannons, sending sabots downrange and destroying the corresponding amount of Russian vehicles.

Keat looked up from his open commander's station hatch just as a flurry of fast-moving Apaches flew in for reinforcement, nailing several more Russian vehicles before they met a similar fate to the Russian Hinds. Anti-air missiles streaked overhead as the helicopters took to themselves, being virtually ignored by the ground troops, save for the Shilkas that brought up the rear of the Russian lines. The battlefield became swathed in dust as the Russians returned fire with their five inch tank cannons, the 125mm guns sending sabots into the American positions, striking several effective hits. Calls went out over the radio of damaged laser range finders and tanks with no hydraulic pressure, but they still continued to fight.

Sergeant Sacke switched the thermals off of standby, watching as the battlefield became clear in green, gray, and white. He could see the tanks by their exhaust plumes as they maneuvered against each other, even though the smoke reduced visibility to almost nil. One vehicle in particular drew Keat's attention.

"Zeus at ten o'clock, range two thousand!" He called to Sacke, whom already had a solution set.

"Fire when ready, range two thousand. HEAT!" The commander answered in turn, getting the ZSU aligned in his own scope. Out of the corner of his eye, Keat watched Wag reach into the ready ammo compartment and produce a long black tipped HEAT round, identifiable only by its distinct flat spike. He rammed it into the dropped breach and pulled his fist away just as it slammed shut. A quick movement placed the gun back into armed.

"Up!" Came the usual, robotic response from Wag. The main gun was armed, and there was no stopping the death and destruction that was about to spit forth from it.

"HEAT index, On the way!" Shouted Sacke, checking the index and ensuring it was indeed set to HEAT. Not even a second later, he squeezed the primary triggers, keeping the ZSU in his sights. A click was the only response from the cannon, and Sergeant Sacke did not hesitate in the following shout of misfire. He grasped the blasting machine and gave it a quick twist, getting about an eight of a turn before the main cannon leapt back, once more discharging an aft cap onto the floor of the turret.

The thinly armored ZSU detonated like a microwaved egg, exploding in a colorful expanse of exploded ammunition.

"Load Sabot!"

"Up!"

"Sabot index!"

"Driver, move out! Breakthrough!" Keat yelled as he held on, feeling the tank lurch into reverse. He already heard the identical commands as the other tanks on their defensive lines prepared to circumvent the combat area. So far, thirty-four tanks and assault guns lay burning in the Company's wake. He felt the tank pivot, shifting him quicker than normal into drive and nearly causing him to fall down as the tank's transmission lurched into gear. He heard the engine switch it's telltale wine, then rev as his driver, Private First Class Rivers, kicked the throttles and took off, heading around their berm and out onto the battlefield. The tank jerked as it slid into second gear, going about twenty as it swerved around a dead T-72 whose coaxial ammunition was cooking off from inside the separated turret. The whole crew heard the rounds zipping off the outside of their own beast, and they really did appreciate the added protection that their tank offered.

"Sacke, the next target you see, give it to 'em!"

"Gotcha Jake!"

"TC! Here they come again!" Rivers yelled over his CVC intercom to Keat, seeing the second wave of Russian tanks come over the ridge to their twelve o'clock. Sacke already had a bead on a T-80, and once more the on the way was heard from the gunner's station. The 120mm tank cannon belched flame once again, but the T-80's ERA absorbed the hit, going off in a dazzling display of sparks and smoke.

"Up!"

"On the way!"

Six seconds later, a second round pierced the tank's turret, sending it up in a ball of flame. Already, another round was on its way into the gun's breech as Wag kept the hungry piece fed. Jake saw a T-72 bring its 125mm cannon to bear as he advanced through the smoke. Fortunately for the tank crew, Rivers saw it too, and threw Wag against the armrest protecting the radio as he slammed the seventy ton Abrams' steering yoke to the left. The beast went into a power slide just in time as the T-72 loosed a round at them. Keat looked out just in time to see the sabot tracer fly about three meters away from the vehicle's turret. Sacke answered with a Sabot straight to the turret's side, sending the kinetic-energy penetrator straight through the tank's turret, watching as it went up in a flashing fireball.

Keat acknowledged the kill as he heard the frantic sounds of the battle over his multiple radios. It seemed that things were going well.

"Got him!" Cheered Sacke as Rivers swerved back right, taking on his swerve drills and maneuvering around the wrecked remains of enemy tanks. Meanwhile, Sacke found yet another target, a T80UK command tank that had already launched a round that soared just a little bit high, missing the turret by a scant meter. He swung the Abram's formidable gun on target, lasing the tank quickly and keeping the Cadillac palm switch depressed.

A short 800 meters away, the T80's crew drew a similar bead on an Abrams that had already once avoided destruction at the hands of the beast's 125mm main cannon. The Russian gunner, already having three hits to his name, lased the American tank just as it began its swerve drill. He listened as the autoloader rammed another round into the breach, followed by its separate powder charge. The tank lurched noticeably, and the entire crew felt the main gun realign itself with the sights shortly after. The Russian Sergeant loosed a round after the computer returned the range, feeling his tank lurch at the 125mm cannon's massive recoil. The gunner visually tracked the round through his independent sight as the gun elevated for the reload sequence. The KE penetrator flew straight and true, only to strike a wrecked T-90 just before the Abrams made contact with it.

The gunner yelled a curse, tracking the Abrams for a follow up, only to watch as the American tank brought its own gun in line, and fired. The Russian opened his mouth to shout, but was killed instantly as the round connected with the gun mantle, striking the autoloader carousel a fraction of a second later. The Russian tank exploded in a shower of molten metal and jet fuel as the round penetrated all the way through to the engine.

"That one was close!" Wag yelled, poising by the knee switch for the next reload.

"We're going to cross the hill!" Rivers yelled up once more, breaking through behind the Russian tanks just as Sacke found his mark on two T-72s, one exploding and killing its partner in a shower of burning fuel that had found its mark down open hatches.

"Keep going Rivers! Break all the way through! We are only twelve hundred meters from that highway!" Keat yelled as the crested the hill. He looked out his side viewports and saw only two other Abrams rolling with him. Where the hell were the rest?

"Ohio Two-Two, through the Russian assault, over." Keat called in, just as they fully crested the hill and came face to face with a gathering of five BMP APCs. Behind those APCs, the division's entire supply column lay in wait for their call to action. They began to scramble as the American tanks came into view.

"Targets, twelve o'clock! BMP! Fire, fire HEAT!" He yelled, grabbing the controls for the commander's weapons station .50 caliber machine gun, bringing the reticule to bear on a group of mechanized infantry dismounting their BMP. He pressed the trigger, hearing the heavy thumps of the machine gun. The rounds flew true, striking the exposed infantrymen and literally tearing them to shreds. He wanted to close his eyes, to separate himself from the gore on the other side. Unfortunately, however, the ten power .50 cal sight showed all too much detail. He could literally watch the life drain from their faces...

Three main guns fired at once, striking three clean hits on the BMPs, sending them all up in flames. Sacke watched through his primary sight as the sabot penetrated right through the personnel carriers and into the ground beyond, coming extremely close to striking a fleeing supply truck.

"HEAT up!"

One of the surviving BMP-3s swung its cannon in line and loosed a 100mm round point blank into Ohio 2-2's turret. Keat was knocked off of his feat and kicked Sacke in the back of his helmet on the way down, yelling and cursing all the while. Wag smacked the main gun armed lever down into safe as he fell to the floor of the turret, knocking his knee on the guards for the main cannon. He also yelled a curse as sparks shot from his dome light as it blew out. Not to be outdone, the radio emitted loud static out through the entire tank's intercom system as it died. Sacke had already flipped the fire controls to emergency as a hydraulic line bled FRH all over his head, making the controls slick to the touch.

"Wag! Arm me!" Sacke yelled, fighting to bring the gun around while he still had hydraulics to use. The specialist regained his footing and slapped the gun into armed, throwing himself clear of the breech as the turret shakily turned, emitting a loud grinding squeal. The auxiliary hydraulic pump whined sharply over the malfunctioning intercom as it fought to build sufficient hydraulic pressure. The turret turned, struggling to traverse and allow Sacke to get a bead on the BMP.

"C'mon whore!" Sacke yelled at the machine, Cadillac jammed all the way to the left. It came within a few feet of the BMP and stopped, with the entire hydraulic line coming loose from its bracket and spraying FRH all over the gunner's station and further covering Sacke. Through the chaos, he grabbed the manual traverse and settled the cannon onto the BMP.

"On the way!" He yelled one last time as the triggers depressed, sending a HEAT round through the BMP's front Glacis plate at almost point blank range. The vehicle flipped over from the force of the impact, helped by the detonation of its ammunition racks.

"That's a kill. Crew report!" Keat said as he drug himself back up into the TC's station. Outside, the two friendly tanks that had driven over the berm with him assumed positions on either side of their wounded comrade, tearing into the supply trucks with their Coaxial M240 machine guns. As he heard the shaken voices of his crew, Jake stuck his head out just enough to see the sparks and smoke as the trucks took hit after hit. They stood no chance.....

"Driver ready, engine appears to be running okay. That fire sensor is malfunctioning again. The halon hasn't gone off and the engine temp is normal."

"Loader okay."

"Gunner okay, primary hydraulics down and operating on manual only. Shouldn't take too long to fix if that fitting was all that came loose." Sacke reported last, looking at the damaged line over his head.

"Glad to hear. TC okay. Wag, get up on that '240 and keep security." Keat popped up, watching as the last of the supply trucks were destroyed by their friendly tanks. There had to be at least thirty .....

The loader on the tank adjacent to them gave them the thumbs up, which Keat promptly returned. They were damaged, but they were alive. He turned away from the wreckage and the dead to see three more friendly tanks crest the hill and take up position next to the two that were already standing by.

"Where are the rest?" He heard Ohio two-three ask over the company radio.

"This is it."

+++++++++++++++++++++

"Jericho, I need you to run a goose chase south of my square. Let me know what you find, over." The call came over the radio shortly after the sun crested the horizon. Jericho was desperately trying to analyze a scent that had turned up on his snout after Learn had run her hand across it. The odor was fleeting, and he could have sworn he had smelled it before.

"Roger, out."

Not five minutes later, Jericho brushed silently through the overgrown forest, assaulted by the smell of recently upturned foliage as a result of his passing. He moved with the all silent grace of a predator, from the light bob of his head, to feeling the contours of the ground beneath his feet. His mind multitasked this information all at once, not unlike a computer, and told his muscles how to behave in relation to the terrain. The male pressed onwards, all senses pushed to maximum alertness.

Jericho had to admit, it was quite a change from the exhaust-filled military outposts, of which Jericho had been cooped up on for the better part of the last month, ever since they had been active status. He enjoyed it out here, most definitely, but he never forgot his primary purpose. The male had a duty to protect Learn, almost more than he did to keep his own life intact. And now, that duty had him tramping through the underbrush looking for an enemy threat that Jay suspected was there. Meanwhile, in the back of his mind, he had come to the conclusion that the scent on Learns hands had indeed been his own...

A sound emanated from further ahead of Jericho, forcing him to nearly melt into the thick brush at a moment's notice. All thoughts of Learn were pushed away from the front of his mind and back into their proper place as he crooned his head. It was the low rumble that could only mean vehicles, and in such a low tone that it could only mean lots of vehicles. Jericho doubted that the Army could have moved anything but raiders up this far into enemy territory, so the chances of it being friendly were almost nil. However, it would also mean that he would need to move up in order to even begin to see something. His snout rose to the sky, and his chest expanded underneath his armor as breath was inhaled.

Go figure! I don't have anything. The wind was blowing away from him, a situation which could not be avoided due to the proximity of Russian forces, and only served to hamper his ability to detect anything ahead of him.

Jericho might as well have been blind. However, he still had his ears. The sound of a gasoline turbine engine's high pitched wine assaulted his ears as he moved about a hundred meters forward, appearing on the edge of a clear cut hill overlooking a freshly paved German road. The small artery intersected with the Autobahn about six hundred meters ahead, and after that, the junction lay just a mile away. Below, a grey snake stretched as far as he could see with his limited eastward line of sight. They looked to be Russian trucks, recalled by Jericho to be Urals after searching through his mind for the correct designation. With his eagle eye vision, he could pick out small details of the convoy. Jericho pressed the PTT pad on his chest. While he waited for the COMSEC to kick in on his net, the male made note of the explosive and flammable warning identifiers present on the vehicle's sides.

Excellent, a supply convoy

"Guardian two-two, it's Jericho. Come in, over." He called quietly, watching as the Russians moved a recovery vehicle to the head of the convoy. Apparently, they were stopped by what looked like the ruins of their brethren. Further investigation confirmed this as Jericho shifted to a better position, observing the still smoldering remains of a five vehicle ammunition convoy, with four trucks and a T-80 tank blocking the road at a beautiful choke point. It would take the Russians at least an hour to move the wreckage with the recovery vehicle they had. No doubt they would just dump it into the steep ravine on the right side of the highway. After all, they had supplies to deliver, at least a division's worth, if Jericho figured the math out correctly. He would, however, let Jay ponder it, for it wasn't his place.

"I found something you should see, near the Autobahn onramp, three hundred meters from the OP. We got a division's worth of supplies sitting right in the open! But hurry, it looks like this opportunity isn't going to hang around much longer.... " Jericho called out eagerly, watching as the first of the five vehicles was given a shove with the ARV's dozer blade, tumbling into the ravine with a great crash.

"Gotcha, be there in a few, out." He could hear Jay's excitement even over the radio waves. These chances didn't come very often. Jay might have been able to hear the roar of the convoy, but Jericho deemed it doubtful given the hill and the dense forest. This was going to add yet another complication to the plan.

There had to be something that they could use.....

The male's eyes moved along the road even further, scanning every detail and looking for an advantage that the RSH could exploit.

"Perfect."

++++++++++++++++++++

"Roger Pirate, Charlie two-two out." Jay clicked the radio to standby and replaced the handset in its proper place, making sure that it was secure before turning back to Meryl. The female was eyeing him, listening silently. She had been this way ever since the events of the night before, and Redfield was beginning to wonder whether certain lines that shouldn't have been crossed had been. He dismissed the thought and addressed her, no different than before. There was no way that he could let their personal lives intervene with the mission, so he made it exactly so. He gave her a quick nod, which Redfield knew was unnecessary, because she had already listened to the entire conversations. So she knew we had to hit the supply convoy, good...

"Are you ready?" He asked, praying for a response. The female smiled, drawing her eyes up in the only way that could make Jay smile back. At least she was still coherent, no doubt scrutinizing him, at least that would attribute the silence. After a rebutted smile, the two reverted back to business at hand.

"What do you have in mind Jay?" She asked, noticing the visible tension in Jay as he looked at her.

"I won't know until we have a look. Pirate said they could get us some air support within the next hour, so this shouldn't be too complicated." He looked at his watch, reading 2030

"Shouldn't." Meryl said with an evident hint of sarcasm, followed shortly thereafter with a smile. Jay just rolled his eyes in response.

+++++++++++++++++++++++

That night, all started off according to plan, with the pack reunited and air support on the way from Ramstein, all they had to do was watch and wait. The night was dark, with no moon and only stray highway lights on below; visibility without night vision was slim to none. The pack was well entrenched along the edge of the rise, about seven hundred meters south of the village adjacent to their checkpoint.

Jay checked his watch nervously as the Russian recovery vehicle pushed the last piece of debris off of the ridge. After several unexpected mechanical problems with the heavy wrecker, and an hour or so of waiting, it wasn't long before the pilot's warning was broadcast over their radio. The convoy began to move out as the BREM-80 pulled off to the side, making room for the never ending snake of tanks and trucks.

"Charlie, this is Buccaneer, inbound in three-zero seconds, over."

"Roger Buccaneer, we are clear, commence when ready, over."

The four low flying A-10s swooped in about fifteen seconds later, blowing past the pack's position with GAU-8 chain guns firing at full tilt, sweeping the length of the armored snake. Trucks burst into flames, seemingly quiet over the fabric-tearing sound of the 30mm destruction raining down from overhead. The ground shook as even more trucks burst into flames, with the Utahraptors catching faint glints off of the fuselages of the Thunderbolts as they continued their attack runs. In another few seconds, the convoy's entire anti-aircraft battery had been obliterated, and handheld Strela SAMs tore through the night sky in a dazzling display of rocket-exhaust lit contrails. The third plane in the sortie deployed four of his Mk-84 cluster bombs, raining their 2,000 pound death on the entire front convoy echelon. In the rear, the remaining vehicles fled in reverse, running into their stopped bretheren and adding to the general pandemonium. A panicked private behind the controls of a T-80 main battle tank kicked it into reverse and plowed right through an ammunition resupply truck, sending both vehicles up in a large, multicolored conflagration.

"Cover your eyes Charlie, it's about to get a little hot." Came the adrenaline filled voice over the radio. If only the pilot could see the humans and their Utahraptor partners dig themselves deeper into the ground, for it would give him a true grasp on the destruction that he was delivering on the convoy that night. The strike leader brought his A-10 on line in a high speed dive, trimming out and releasing a pair of 1,000 pound Mk-77 napalm canisters. The two weapons flew straight and true, carving swaths of fire down the length of the snake and cutting the last of the vehicles off from escape. Before the strike leader could take pride in his work, however, a large white contrail streaked forth and blotted him from the sky.

"That wasn't a fucking handheld!" Learn yelled over the deafening din, looking up at the flaming wreckage of the lead Buccaneer unit as it fell to the ground.

The A-10s suddenly found themselves in the middle of giant air search radar net from which they could not escape. Lock threat alarms whined in their cockpits as ground based radar came online and drew a clean picture of the area to the SAM battery in the village. Several more of the large contrails appeared, and all but one of the Thunderbolts were reduced to nothing more than meteors. The last A-10 shot skywards, jet engines roaring at full throttle. A SAM tracked it, and after a failed set of chaff, detonated directly behind the port side engine. Jay keyed his headset to avoid listening to the dying wail of the trapped pilot as he spiraled to the ground.

"Bastards!" Richter stood and yelled, shaking his fist in the direction of the village. The air attack, though successful, came at a high price. All four Buccaneer elements were complete losses, however, a division's worth of supplies and a third of a Russian reserve armored division lay in complete ruin, choking the highway with their charred remains.

"Pirate, this is Charlie Two-two, over."

"Go ahead Two-two."

"Delivery is successful, repeat, delivery successful. Be advised, heavy anti-aircraft activity in area, Buccaneer force destroyed, over." Jay warned, hoping to delay any aircraft that might be entering the area.

"Roger Charlie, be advised, Air Raid inbound over your sector in three-zero mikes. Find and destroy the anti-aircraft battery, over."

"Roger, out."

"All right ladies and gentlesaurs, lock and load! We have to find those launchers and destroy them. There is a bomber raid inbound within a half hour, so let's get it done." Jay said, loading up one of his three remaining magazines and taking one last look down to the burning remains of the convoy. Russian soldiers, some grotesquely wounded by the aerial attack and others miraculously unscathed were heading into the woods at the top of the ridge in swarms. Some of them appeared to be armed, dragging their battered service rifles along with them. They all ran for their lives, fearing more aircraft. Unfortunately for the Russians, they had bigger things to worry about....

"Jericho, Meryl and I will clean out that infantry, Aud, Richter, cover Jay when he hits those launchers." Learn spoke up, seating her M16 back up in a proper low ready and gave Jericho a nod. The entire pack made eye contact at this point, silently confirming that they were indeed ready to go. Each pair moved fluidly, taking to the woods at a jog. The time for stealth had passed, and as the ammunition cooked off in the convoy fire, Meryl and Jericho made contact with Russian infantry. Jericho thrust his snout towards the sky and loosed a roar that shook the trees around them, contrasting against the explosions. Air rushed through his resonating chamber, and a low warble echoed through the forest. The terrified Russian soldiers, unsure how to react to the sounds of 'monsters'. So, the rumors were true after all....

Meryl was hidden, crouched motionless under a large pine tree, listening to Jericho stir up the Russian infantry with his powerful battle cry. His commotion worked, as the Russian infantry immediately shifted course towards Meryl. The raptoress waited until the first soldier, a Russian tanker with a carbine, was almost upon her before she sprung up and slashed the soldier across his neck with the claws on her left hand. He screamed and clutched the wound, blood evident as it seeped through his fingers. Ignoring the man's death throes, Meryl didn't hesitate, leaping on the man immediately behind him and clasping her jaws over the man's head. The soldier screamed and flailed his arms, fruitlessly trying to escape the skull crushing clamp. She gave Jericho a confirming chirp and moved forward, closing the distance to her partner.

Jericho broke into a run when he heard Meryl, leaping onto the trunk of a split tree. He used the trunk to launch himself into a third soldier, breaking his back with a sickening Crack! As Jericho crushed him, he roared once more as the remaining soldiers turned and ran, trying to put as much distance between themselves and the Utahraptors as possible. The two were quick to respond, running full tilt into the group, slashing and stabbing. Someone fired off a pistol wildly, striking Meryl in her front armor plate. The raptoress barely felt the round, and promptly silenced the soldier with a tail whip to the side of the head, breaking his neck. As they attacked the rest of the group, no more weapons appeared....

"I guess they don't need me after all." Learn said under her breath, catching up with Jay in less than a minute.

Jay and Learn were moving at a fast jog, trying to keep up with the murderous rampage of their Utahraptors. They leapt over the bodies of several Russian soldiers, slashed beyond recognition, and approached the village from the east side. The soldiers that had not yet entered the wood instead took to the village, trying to get away from the aerial carnage and not worrying about the basics of security. The two NCOs moved across a small garden and took up position next to a brick wall just as more soldiers entered the town from the northeast side. Pandemonium erupted across the village as Meryl and Jericho entered from the southeast side, blowing past their Guardians and running right over a pair of Russian soldiers. The men didn't even have time to react.

"Well, it looks like we shouldn't miss out on the fun!" Jay yelled, sliding his AN/PVS-14 onto the mount on his helmet. A quick turn activated the unit, and the trio was illuminated by the familiar green sun. He caught sight of Meryl's distinct gait right before she launched herself up onto the roof of a building, disappearing from sight.

"Indeed!" Learn yelled, stacking up behind Jay and giving his body armor a firm hit to confirm that she was ready. The pair moved out from behind the cover of the wall at a run, systematically barreling down the village's main street. A Russian soldier emerged from a doorway directly in front of Jay, only to meet the butt stock of his M4 directly to the face before he even knew what hit him. The two quickly ducked into the doorway, surprising three Russians that were on their way out. The M4 was already up, and Jay cut them down with three accurate bursts, squinting as the white flashes played hell with his night vision. The two conducted a fast clearing drill, replaying the countless hours of MOUT training that they had received. Not a minute later, they found themselves back out on the street, listening to the screams and gunfire as the trio picked off soldiers one at a time. Jay ran past the disemboweled remains of a Russian sniper, stopping only to grab the man's rifle and three extra magazines. With his M4 in one hand, Jay carried the Dragunov in the other, breaking through another house and running to the top floor.

"Shit!" He yelled, tripping over personal objects strewn about the steps. Someone had obviously been in a hurry to get out.

"Jay, cover us! We'll hit the missile battery from the rear!" Jordan yelled over her radio, moving up to the last house in the set. Meryl, Jericho, and Aud were nowhere to be seen as she braced herself to go. Richter was behind her, rifle in hand and scanning the far right hand side of the battery's arrangement. He settled his crosshairs on a Russian facing his direction and squeezed the trigger. The man's forehead perforated, and the round signaled an impromptu start of the attack. Jay drew the Dragunov's odd illuminated triangular reticule over a group of Russian soldiers and cycled the trigger, jumping as the loud cracks sent 7.62mm rounds through each one of the soldiers.

Learn nearly tripped as a shadow flew over her head, no doubt her Jericho in mid leap. The shadows multiplied, landing amongst the weapons and stirring up the hornets' nest of Russian soldiers. In the confusion, Jay witnessed a Russian officer shoot one of his underlings point blank, mistaking him for one of the shrieking wraiths that was killing his soldiers.

"Learn! The radar! Get the radar!" Jay yelled as he shot another Russian straight through the gut. The Sergeant watched as Learn clambered aboard one of the Gainfuls and stuffed her only AN-M14 thermite grenade right through the driver's viewport. The weapon system was destroyed in a matter of seconds, with a hole eaten right through the bottom of the hull by the 3000 degree molten iron. She shot him an affirmative hand gesture and dove off of the vehicle. From his position, he could hear the high pitched wail of the crew as they cooked in the steel coffin.

Learn didn't stop there. The Sergeant jumped up on the front of the Straight Flush radar, letting her M16 fall on its three-point sling. In a smooth motion, she produced the pistol from the SERPA holster on her hip just as the vehicle commander tossed a grenade out from a partially closed hatch. It rolled directly under Learn and over the front slope just as Jericho landed not three feet away.

"Jericho! Grenade!" Learn yelled, reaching out in a futile effort as if to push the male away from danger. He just began to acknowledge as the grenade detonated, throwing him to the ground in a violent flash of sparks and shrapnel. Learn gasped as if the wind had been knocked out of her, freeze framing for a moment on his motionless form. As the image of him motionless dominated her vision, she screamed so vehemently in anger than Jay could hear her over the din of gunfire. She leapt onto the track, getting atop the vehicle and fighting to get the hatch open. The track commander was fighting back, pulling on the hatch from the inside in an attempt to lock it and prevent the imminent retaliation. Learn soon overpowered the vehicle commander just enough to allow the hatch to be opened about an inch. That inch was just enough for her pistol to squeeze through and pump three rounds into the TC's skull in a swift act of retribution. Sergeant Learn felt the pressure cease and took the opportunity to pump rounds into the rest of the vehicle's crew. Only the driver begged for mercy, but a well-placed nine millimeter round silenced his pleas. She dove down from the radar track, running to her partner's side.

"C'mon Jeri, talk to me!" She yelled, bending down and looking into his eyes as he coughed. Pockmarked scratches permeated his body, drawing red streaks all across his skin. Blood seeped from the hundreds of tiny lacerations, however, to Learn, he seemed cognisant.

"I'm alright." He said, getting quickly to his feet and wincing in pain as a wave of agony as a result of his wounds hit him like a dump truck. The male staggered, then fell back against the vehicle. Learn brought her hand around and maneuvered his head so that she could stare him in the eyes. One look told her all she needed to know.

"Guardian Two-two, Jericho is out of action at this time." Learn called over her radio, peeking around the armored vehicle just in time to see three Russian soldiers emerge from behind the battery command track. She brought her hands back to her rifle and aligned the ACOG's reticule. Two full bursts flayed the tightly packed trio, sending them down screaming. She turned back automatically to her partner.

"Jericho, stay put. You need medical attention." She ordered him, waiting for the acknowledgement before she turned back. She noticed Redfield appear off to her right side, M4 in hand and Dragunov nowhere to be seen.

"Cover me!"

He ran to the next launch vehicle, pumping an entire magazine through an open viewport, only imagining the carnage as the military ball ammunition ricocheted off of the interior like some kind of crazed hornet.

"Mag!" Jay yelled, dumping the magazine on his M4 and digging his last fresh stick from its pouch. With a satisfying click, he slapped the bolt release and chambered the first round off of the top. The Sergeant brought the weapon up to his shoulder and waited for the next target, only to realize that the battery lay in ruins. They had hit the Russians with such force that they had no time to react to the new threat. Jay keyed his handset.

"Learn, how is Jericho doing?" He asked as Meryl took up her position by his side. Aud and Richter were split up to his front, watching for any signs of a counterattack.

"I think he'll be okay, but we need to get that evac in here as soon as possible. If the AMS fails, he could be in some trouble." Learn answered with obvious worry, much to her partner's dismay. Jericho was alert, but definitely affected by the wounds he had received.

"Pirate, Guardian Charlie Two-two, We are ready for evac. Medivac Priority two for shrapnel wounds to a Uniform, over." Jay hurriedly called out, getting a confirmation not a moment too soon.

"It's about time we get out of here." Richter muttered over the radio, making his presence felt even from the far side of the smoldering remains of the missile battery. No doubt the past few days had taken a heavy psychological toll on the entire pack. However, just because Jericho was down his judgment could not afford to be clouded.

"Richter, take Aud on a sweep through that strip of woods, make sure that we are alone." Jay ordered almost immediately, glancing at Meryl as he did so. The female stared back, moving off in the opposite direction before Jay could open his mouth to order her to do so. The Sergeant gave one last checkup to Jericho and Learn before turning and walking in Meryl's direction, intent on taking the three o'clock position by his female's side.

A wounded Russian soldier lay next to a shattered launch vehicle, clutching his stomach and calling for help in silent, mouthed Russian. The man deterred Jay as he walked past him, causing the Sergeant to stop and stare. Jay took it upon himself at that instant to help ease the man's suffering. Redfield knelt down beside the soldier, speaking calm Russian in low tones. A morphine syringe found its way out of his Advanced First Aid Kit and into the soldier's leg, which almost immediately stopped his frantic pleas. At least the man would die calmly, detached from the pain of his eviscerated abdomen.

"Jay, why do you do this?" Meryl asked, coming up on him from his right hand side. She stuck her snout over his shoulder and stared at the man as he lay on the ground below her. The raptoress saw the results of her handiwork as she made eye contact with the man whose fate was sealed. She averted her eyes with a snort of discontent as the soldier coughed up his own blood.

"Meryl, sometimes it is necessary to show compassion for one's enemies." Jay said as he stood and walked away with the female following close behind. For the next half hour, they sat instead an eternity in silence. Meryl returned from her rounds only seconds before the radio call came in.

"Jay, I think you need to see this." Richter called from the north side, breaking the surreal silence that came with the surroundings. The German's normally smooth accent had taken up a halting tone, a sound that Jay did not like one bit.

"Be right there." Jay confirmed, range walking through the ruins towards the woods in which Richter was currently deployed. As he pushed his way through the thicket, an incredibly putrid smell assaulted his nostrils. Meryl's head shot up, nostrils drawing the foul air in for analysis. The two moved forward about ten meters before coming to a screeching halt on the edge of a pit.

"Be careful, there is probably enough disease in there to take out half a city." Richter said from the other side of the trench, a cloth pulled over his mouth and nose. Jericho stood upwind, scanning the pile. Laid out in front of them was a pit, probably three meters across and twenty meters long, filled with the rotting remains of the villagers. Jay remembered the manner in which their houses had been left, and came to the conclusion that the civilians had been ordered out by the occupiers and shot in one long mass grave. The men, women, and children lay side by side, with no preference made to health or age. The Russian bullets didn't discriminate either. Jay noticed Meryl falter and drop to one knee, clutching her head in a three-clawed hand.

"Meryl? Are you okay?"

"I can see it. I can see everything that happened here." She stuttered, gasping for air as a flood of images stampeded through her mind. The images of a soldiers ripping children from their mother's arms proved to be the breaking point for the raptorress. Meryl jumped up and rose to her full height, releasing an ear-splitting roar into the fire lit sky. She held it in an impromptu tribute to the lives which had been needlessly ended by this conflict, stopping only when the silence surrounding her reentered her mind. The female lowered herself, turning wordlessly away from Jay and walking back towards the battery. Aud and Richter deserted the area as well, leaving Redfield to stare in silence at the product of evil.

"I promise I won't let this injustice go unpunished." He muttered to the corpses before turning and following the path of his compatriots. After a minute of pushing through the foliage, he came to the center of the destroyed battery. After witnessing the needless destruction that they had wrought upon the innocent, he no longer felt sorry for the soldiers that had died here. He closed his eyes as Richter went to put a bullet to the wounded Russian soldier, making no move to prevent its occurrence. Meryl looked to Jay, then to Richter as he thumbed down the safety on his pistol and fired point blank into the Russian man's head. Her weariness seemed to show even more than it had before. As a matter of fact, so did everyone else's.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

The Chinook cargo helicopter touched down sometime in the dead of night, barely staying in occupied territory long enough to notice the six RSH operators as they scrambled up the black, red-lit cargo ramp. As they climbed into the belly of the beast, the Chinook lifted off and headed for home. Jay Redfield slammed hard against the netted seating of the chopper and looked across the bay at the Utahraptors. Even in the spacious bay of the Chinook, they were fairly packed in, with most of the room taken up by their tails. More than once Jay had to push them from his face, lest he risk bruising. No doubt the trio was as exhausted as their human counterparts, because it didn't take long for the three of them to pass out.

Eventually, Despite the roar of the turboshaft engines, he joined Richter and Learn in sound sleep. Apparently, the events that had taken place had a more fatiguing affect that was only now beginning to show itself as the adrenaline high of constant fight or flight began to wear off.

The German border, the genocide, and Autobahn Eleven were now faint memories left to the tail end of the aircraft, and the more populated areas were soon being viewed through the portholes on either side of the helo. These areas weren't lit by lights, but by the fires undoubtedly caused by a few days worth of horrific Russian aerial bombardment. This was the way it was all the way to Berlin. More than once through the flames, a steady trail of refugees was visible, snaking away from the ever-approaching sounds of the battle.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Almost a full hour later, after circling and waiting for clearance to land, the Chinook touched down on a wet stone pad somewhere just east of the Brandenburg Gate. The RSH team piled out, once more seeing the fires that raged across the city only as a glow that lit the sky and created a degree of surrealism that didn't normally show itself. Jay gathered himself and fell into step next to Meryl, leading the way across the antique cobblestone courtyard towards a waiting Utahraptor. The Utahraptor, with a split-square pattern rank that showed him as a Beta, came to a stiffer stance and tensed. Surely the attacks were unnerving even to him. He moved out quickly to where the pack was standing, nervousness evident despite his calm demeanor. This beta watched as their heads jerked from side to side, no doubt observing the archaic structure before them. It reminded Learn of a castle without the crenels, and that is exactly what it looked like. So far, minimal bomb damage had been sustained. RSHCOM-EE had certainly been lucky up to this point.

"Sergeant Redfield, welcome to RSH Theater Command. My name is Cale, and I am in charge taking care of you while you are here. Your team and you have orders to report to command before your debrief." The Utahraptor bowed his head in salute, and got an answer from both Meryl and Jay. As Redfield watched, Cale keyed his radio by pressing the small square pad on his armor and called the security center.

"Alright Oracle, open south side six." The steel blast door swung open, revealing a very old, rustic building. The heavy oak trim and supporting beams made this place look very much like some medieval retreat, possibly even a bed and breakfast, thought Jay. There were actual fireplaces lit and going, and the heavy oak was accompanied by stone. A look at the ceiling showed the reinforced steel girders in place, no doubt to protect against near misses, and also speaking a great deal about the building's sturdy construction

"Follow me please." Cale turned and spoke lightly, indicating through three more sets of open blast doors to a large, steel freight elevator. Redfield, Learn, Richter, and the three Utahraptors all piled on at once, surprised that the weight warning meter wasn't anywhere near overload. The Utahraptor put in several commands and the elevator started downwards.

Amazing! This facility is very Utahraptor-friendly. Jay thought as he looked Cale over, wondering just how much information he had access too.

"So, Cale, are you in charge of a lot here?" He offered, watching the way Cale manipulated the special computer on the elevator. He worked over the touch screen with an almost medical precision, using his strong handclaws in the same style as one would use a stylus on a Personal Data Assistant.

"I am the commander's partner, so I generally handle all of the facility's organization and oversee operation. It seems to work well."

"I'd like to find out a little more about that, if you wouldn't mind explaining it to me later." Jay responded, actually interested. Surprising, judging that he usually used that statement to terminate a conversation. Cale's eyes lit up in a smile.

"Of course Sergeant Redfield."

"So why did you bring us here?" Learn asked,

"We would normally never bring you here, but we really didn't have a choice. All of the field units aren't doing too good right now. Of our assets in the field, the ASC and five sector firebases have been destroyed. We don't have any KIAs yet, but we have several MIAs and have sustained massive losses in material." Cale answered as the elevator came to a stop. Jay shuddered at the sharp memory of Charlie Nine-Six. Jordan came up to stand next to Jay, excitement evident on her usually calm demeanor.

"So, you think they'll send us out again soon?" She stated out of the blue, no doubt worried and excited at the same time to be getting back into the fighting.

"Undoubtedly." Came the subdued reply as the elevator doors slid open, leading the team to their new home for the next few days. A small, wiry-haired colonel approached them, a smile crossing his small face as he saw Jay and the others. Redfield introduced himself as the colonel came to rest on the stone step in front of the entrance to what Jay guessed was the command center.

"Sergeant Redfield, I'm Colonel Estes." The colonel said, grasping Jay's hand in a firm, confident handshake.

"No doubt you have already met Cale. He is my second in command."

"Yes sir, we did meet Cale, and we are glad to be back among friendly forces. The border was extremely hot." Jay answered, hoping to entertain the colonel's good side. He had heard rumors about Colonel Estes from his service in the first Gulf War, where he received the Congressional Medal of Honor. It was rumored that Estes had killed three enemy tanks on foot and saved four whole platoons from annihilation to get that award.

"Yes, indeed it was. Your area of the border got it pretty easy, fortunately for you. The Russians didn't hit there in combination with all of their equipment, just with a few MLRS and a large contingent of armored units on the first night. Every where else got the attack choppers first, along with tanks, artillery, and Spetsnaz sappers. We weren't really ready for any of this to happen I suppose. The only thing stopping the Russians from taking Berlin is a combined force of National Guardsmen from Ohio and California, along with Old Ironsides taking the brunt of the armored spearheads. The National Guard Bureau is placing all of its forces on alert, and the US has already declared war on the NSO. They are shipping over as many soldiers as possible right now. The Navy is working on keeping the Atlantic open, and the Russians are playing one hell of a sub game out there. Other than that the Russians have us on our feet, but we are holding." The colonel said as he led them into the command center, which was a flurry of activity. Maps and charts were lain out on various tables and chairs, and officers ran to and fro to various pieces of equipment, gathering data for continuous operational changes to the maps.

"I must leave you now, but Cale will answer any questions and give you a briefing about the current state of affairs in detail. If you need anything, anything at all, don't hesitate to ask." The colonel said jovially, and after shaking hands with the entire team, and a bow-salute for the Utahraptors, he departed. Cale appeared a moment later, walking confidently and swaying with a lightness that reminded Jay all too much of Meryl.

"This command center is in charge of all the RSH pairs operating in Europe right now." Cale spoke as he sauntered up next to them, looking out over the floor of men hard at work.

"Wow, that must be a lot of radio traffic." Jay observed, looking at the ready board at over sixty operational pairs in the field.

"Every mission and operational detail runs through the officers here, and all developments are handled in real time. Still, this place is a vacation compared to CinC-EU. They have been getting hit by Badgers all night."

Jay shuddered at the thought, knowing that even bombers as antiquated as the Tu-16 still posed a threat. Apparently, the once vaunted anti-aircraft defenses were nearly nonexistent. After all, the cold war had ended nearly twenty years earlier, right? From the operations board, a Specialist approached the group.

"Sergeant Redfield, are you part of the Charlie Two element?"

"I am."

"Sergeant, one of our OPs just picked up visual on the fire from that air assault." He reported, earning a confused look from the group of NCOs.

"They are forty miles away."

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

"Jay, did we do well?"

Redfield looked at Meryl's silhouette in the darkened room, imagining her features as best he could. He'd been thinking of the question ever since they had gotten out of the border zone. Jay knew the answer.

"Meryl, you did excellent. Why do you ask?" Jay said slowly, smiling and leaning his head back on Meryl's chest. He knew that she was still frustrated and angry at the way things had developed, but he also knew that he was the only one there that could change that.

"I wanted to hear it from someplace other than in my head." She jested, arching her back and bringing her snout around to look Jay straight in the face.

"It is good to see that I am an increase to your self esteem." Jay said, laughing.

"Yes, I suppose you are worth something after all." Came the retort from the female's direction.

"Meryl, you are spending too much time around us humans. You are starting to become proficient in insults."

"I can give you a few in Russian too, if you so desire." Jabbed the female, getting a laughingly playful poke from Jay.

"I don't think it'll be necessary just yet."

"Don't worry about your performance the past few days Meryl; it is only going to get harder. On your first mission, you saw me kill another human. On your second mission, you killed many men by your own claws. It is always hard, and you never get used to it."

"I suppose you are right." Meryl muttered with a sigh.

"Killing a living, breathing human isn't the same as your average deer hunt. My advice to you is not to think about it. That kind of stuff will tear you up." Jay yawned, riding Meryl's chest in its sweet rhythm. Satisfied, she returned to her original position.

"It seems like they all have a story that the world could benefit from hearing. I despair at the thought that I will never know the ones that I have killed" The female stated, staring off into space as she had a habit of frequently doing.

"Don't worry about it; I know that won't happen to you." Jay yawned once more, adjusting into a more comfortable position to go to sleep.

"Goodnight Jay."

"Goodnight Meryl, sleep well."

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Meryl felt the comforting presence of Jay weighing against her side, sighing as she laid her head upon the floor. She thought it very noble of Jay to give up his nice, comfortable bed to come and lay with her on the mat. How good it felt also to be in someplace secure. And, how good it felt to have a full belly again! The RSHCOM mess really was a miraculous place.

She heard Jay move in his deep state of rest, sliding off of her chest and onto the floor. The female reached out with her fast, powerful arms and caught the human before his head bounced off of the stiff mat. Meryl noticed the softness of Jay's closely shaven dark hair as it brushed across her skin. Excited by the new sensation, she reluctantly eased him gently onto the floor, being careful not to awaken the Sergeant. Taking just a moment for herself, Meryl caressed his head with the back of her hand. The feeling of his delicate skin drove Meryl up the wall almost instantly. The raptoress yearned for the day where she could caress him as much as she wanted....

Meryl nimbly got to her feet and paced silently around the chamber, thinking about the human that lay asleep on the floor and the softness of the part that had contacted with her. Jay had lain on her many times, but very rarely was any skin brushed on a sensitive area. Usually, all the female got was tactical nylon and metal.

She saw Jay shiver, no doubt from the high air conditioning in the complex. The female padded over to his rack and opened her mouth to free the blanket from it. As her teeth closed over the item, she heard the tearing of the coarse fabric. There is another thing she couldn't do right, she thought. Meryl's eyes closed in frustration, bottling up the temper that she knew was welling within her. After a moment to compose herself, Meryl walked to Jay and draped it over him, hoping that he didn't wake up. She might not need that much sleep, but she knew he did. After all, he would need all the rest he could get for their coming deployment.

Meryl turned and walked towards the door, but hesitated for a moment. She turned to Jay and just looked. Her eyes drew up in as much of a smile as she could muster, and the female approached him once more. As Sergeant Redfield slept, dreaming of things far off and alone, Meryl looked him over, processing all of the information in her mind. How lucky she really was.....

The Utahraptor stood above him, looking down with her alluring yellow eyes, pondering over the human. Then, with one smooth motion, she bent down gave Jay the most minute of licks. Her heart fluttered as she exited the room with all available speed.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Meryl walked silently through the park, an underground section RSHCOM headquarters that had been constructed out of the remains of an unused subway system. The park was dark, quiet and peaceful, with only the faint rumble of bombs above as a reminder of the war raged far overhead. The female relished the time she could spend here, safe and comfortable, a place where she could think. Think is exactly what she did on this particular night, running through the events of the past few days in her head. All of the death, flights of fear, ambushes, ghastly images, and pleasures played back as does an outdated movie. The patchy memories formed a complete picture in Meryl's mind, and she saw everyone and everything with unbelieving clarity. As she reviewed those memories, they fragmented, and certain parts began to fade, with images of Jay forcing their way to the front of her consciousness.

"Why do I feel this way about him?" She asked into nothingness, focusing on the image of a Smiling Jay, dirt and grime smeared over the entirety of his face. The likeness separated itself once again from the rest.

"Think about it Meryl, you daydream of him every moment that you are awake, and even your dreams are not untouched by his presence."

"I don't know how I should feel."

Meryl heard some commotion off to her left. Naturally curious, the raptoress moved off to have a peek at what was taking place. Upon closer investigation, she noticed the telltale signs of a couple in love. The female crept closer, keeping to the shadows in the direction of the pair. She was close enough to hear their conversation whilst maintaining her stealth.

"Rachel, it is finally time to do what we've always wanted to do."

"What if we get caught Dave?" The female asked, obviously worried. Curious as to the happenings, Meryl stuck her head through the trees to get a better look. What she saw silenced her. Lying in an inconspicuous spot amongst the foliage, the Guardian had his arms around the neck of his Utahraptor, caressing her snout with his lips. His fingers traced lines along her prominent features, passing an unusual gray eye to stop at the tip of her snout.

"That tickles." The female said with a laugh, butting her protector playfully in the stomach, playfully pushing him away. Rachel took the offensive, running the tip of her tongue over the sensitive skin of her Guardian's stomach. The huntress seemed an expert, purposely dragging her tongue across a nipple.

"Gah!" Dave nearly shouted, recoiling away from her tongue, only to be pursued with the threat of more torture. He batted her snout away before forcing his hand past her leg and underneath her tail. She exhaled, sprawling out across the grass next to him and positioning herself to be more easily rubbed.

"You found my weakness." She stuttered, opening her mouth wide and taking in a deep breath. Her male spread her lips apart, bringing his member up to enter her. Rachel moaned loudly as he slid into her, forcing himself into places that had never been filled before. He pleasured her with his hands as he started to thrust, feeling her powerful muscles contract and tighten the walls of her sex.

Meryl felt herself aroused as she watched the couple, sensing the side effect running down her right leg. Embarrassed, she crossed her legs, only to squeak as her sex rubbed together as a result of that action. At that instant, Meryl had an epiphany. She lowered her tail and clenched her pussy down, imagining that Jay was within her. She rocked back and forth, rubbing herself together as she watched the Guardian forcefully thrust into his Utahraptor. She imagined Jay as he had been in the forest just hours before, skillfully working her to a powerful climax.

Her thighs glistened from her juices as she sped up her gyrations, feeling the burn in her calves and thighs but too overwhelmed with pleasure to stop. She watched as Dave pinned his Utahraptor's head to the ground and hilted within her, letting a powerful climax envelop him. Meryl's was not far off either, and she brought the image of Jay and her together to mind just as she had for many nights before. The resulting excitement was too much, and Meryl lost her balance as a result of the explosion in her hindquarters. A squeak of surprise punctuated the act, as well as a flustered scramble that took place in utter silence, lest she disturb the couple mid-orgasm. After another minute, she turned her attention away from the pair.

The raptorress listened to the sounds of the running stream, undulating over a miniature waterfall that formed the keystone of the gardens. The sounds from the couple died away as Meryl's own orgasm faded. She hung her head, attempting to catch her breath.

"You know how you do feel, not how you should. Stop thinking and admit it to yourself."

"Admit what?" She asked, puzzled.

"Face it, you love him."

++++++++++++++++++++++

Colonel Nymev let his AK-74 assault rifle fall on its sling as he forced open the destroyed door to the similarly destroyed base's lobby, bringing it up again to check through the ruins for any possible survivors. Not likely, though, he thought. The cold war era structure hadn't taken to the Rocket strike very well, and several pieces were hanging by their rebar reinforcements. He glared at a body that jutted from under a concrete pile of rubble. Not too many people made it out, either.

Fortunately, it is the hardware that matters, thought Nymev as he moved over to the reception desk. He found the remnants of the computer still active, left in a rush to escape the artillery shells that had befallen the base on his order. That had certainly caused some commotion.

He could still hear the frantic radio chatter from his command net, with that fucking mule Katov wondering which unit had indeed attacked the ASC. Like he would even know what the real prize was. It most certainly wasn't his freak science experiments either, no matter how special or expensive they were. What Katov doesn't realize, is that what I am searching for makes his freaks look like old news, thought Colonel Nymev as he swung his pack from his shoulders. A small laptop-like device was produced, and promptly spliced into the system. Thankfully, the Centre had thought Nymev well in the arts of electronic espionage, and he utilized all of his skill now. As Nymev typed in various command lines, he watched his progress on the small screen, analyzing the data as it scrolled across his screen.

"Okay, time to see if it does indeed exist." Nymev said as he highlighted a basic word file. One click on the acknowledgment button gave the GRU colonel the results he was waiting for. The image on his screen flashed and disappeared, and a small whisp of smoke exited from the device, followed shortly after by the smell of ozone. Nymev smiled, evil rolling from his person in sheets.

"I finally found you."

To be continued.....