Chapter Four

"This is Oscar Tango Actual, over." A voice came over a static filled frequency.
"You are now in command Oscar Tango Actual. Out." Ripcord leaned over and said into the microphone. He then turned to Myer, "Myer open up the frequency, our people are getting cut to pieces because of that dumb motherfucker." Ripcord said, his voice dripping with scorn as he pointed at the prone form of Gridiron. "Maybe between Steeler and being able to coordinate resources we can hold out." Myer nodded and pressed a series of buttons on the panel. Suddenly everyone's radios came alive with overlapping transmissions. It didn't sound good. Requests for support. Cries for help. Static and gunfire laden transmissions. From what filtered in Ripcord was able to get a picture of what happening outside. The skies were almost free of Cobras but the ground still crawled with them. After everyone on the channels realized the main frequency was open they started coordinating. Steeler's voice began to come in over the frequency.
"Command Three here, uhh...okay...We need to consolidates our forces. I want everyone to fall back into the complex and take up defensive positions. Their advantage lies in speed and maneuverability, if we can draw 'em into the tight spaces of the facility's buildings then they'll lose that advantage, out." A little shaky at first Ripcord thought but judging by the way his voice rose in firmness and volume by the end of the command, he'd do fine. Then a new voice came over the airwaves.
"Command One, Command One, this is Alamo, do you read, over." The voice called out over the channel. Myer looked up at Ripcord then over to Gridiron, then back to Ripcord. Ripcord leaned over and keyed the microphone again.
"Alamo, this is India one-seven, Command one is hit, I say again, Command one is hit, over."
"India one-seven, we need to extract command one, way point is outside of Command Center, can you comply, over."
"What ever happened to the Captain goin' down with the ship?" Ripcord grumbled to himself, not intending to get answer. Myer answered.
"Look, I know he's a dick and a sorry excuse for an officer but he's got operational knowledge. He can't be taken prisoner." Myer said in a defeated tone.
"Greer can he be moved?" Ripcord asked as the Ranger finished wrapping the battle dressing around Gridiron's shoulder wound.
"Yeah, his collar bone is broken, no exit wound so he's carrying the five-five-sixer in him still, he's taken a butt-stroke to the head, might lead to a concussion but yeah he can be moved." Came the reply from Greer. Ripcord nodded and keyed the microphone once again.
"Alamo, this is India one-seven, we can comply, stand by over." Ripcord didn't wait for a response. He called Zap and Smith back in. Taking a look at the four soldiers in the room he began to speak, "Okay, we have to get Gridiron topside for evac, a team is waiting just outside to pick him up. Greer grab Gridiron. Let's move." Zap obviously shared Ripcord's thoughts on Gridiron as a deep exhale was let out. Greer leaned down and scooped Gridiron up in a fireman's carry, with that the four soldiers headed back towards the first floor. As they reached the top of stairwell Ripcord inched carefully into the main corridor, his gaze stopping momentarily on the prone Frag Viper. Shaking off the memory he eased out into the corridor. The first thing he noticed was that the fires around the twin HiSS wreckages on the ends of the hallway had died down to passable levels. Good he thought. That made getting out a little bit easier. Ripcord spotted the dark green shapes of a Mauler and a MOBAT outside of one of the holes. With a final visual sweep up and down the hallway he looked back into the stairwell and waved the others out. The paratrooper began to head towards the hole as Myer started to exit the stairwell. The sound of wood splintering cut through the air as Ripcord spun around. He couldn't stop it. A Viper had burst through an office door just behind the stairwell door. The Cobra fired two quick shots from his G-41. Ripcord saw Myer fall forward letting out a sharp grunt. Ripcord yelled out as he raised his rifle and fired a three round burst right at the Viper's head. There was a shattering sound as the three rounds punched through the Viper's reflect plexiglass faceplate. The Viper fell backwards, the rounds and the destroyed plexiglass turning the Viper's face into an unrecognizable mass of twisted flesh. Ripcord didn't even concern himself with checking the Viper, he immediately rushed to Myer's side as the others poured out of the stairwell and also surrounded the injured Ranger. Ripcord reached down and flipped Myer over. He could feel the communications soldier shaking under his grip. Ripcord didn't see an exit wound or large blood splatter on his torso as he had expected to. Then Ripcord noticed the trail of blood flowing from Myer's mouth and the blood dripping out from under the Viper's ballistic vest he wore. Ripcord reached down and tore open the vest. There it was. The bullets had struck Myer mid-abdomen. Blood was everywhere. Ripcord saw Myer looking up at him.
"I...I...I'm n....not...gon....gonna....ma....make...it..." Myer fearfully said as his lips and eyes trembled.
"You're gonna make it man, hang in there." Ripcord said, squeezing Myer's hand. He turn to the others. "Zap, Smith pick him up. Get him outside now. He'll evac with Gridiron." As Ripcord moved away from Myer to let the others pick up the fallen soldier, his gaze drifted outside the other hole where another HiSS was coming to a halt. The wreckage of the HiSS destroyed by Zap's LAW blocked it from bringing it's machine guns into play but more Vipers began to deploy from the rear ramp of the Cobra APC. "Move! Now! I'll cover you!" Ripcord called out has he aimed his M-16 down the corridor.


Zap and Smith each grabbed one of Myer's arms and threw it around their shoulders as they began to half-carry half-drag Myer outside, Greer was already ahead of them, carrying Gridiron. Zap heard M-16 fire open up behind him. He didn't dare look back. He just jogged towards the opening moving as fast as he could while carrying the wounded Ranger. "Vaya con dios mi hermano." Zap said under his breath as he stepped outside. The scene outside was horrible. Before they had only caught glimpses of the destruction through the holes in the wall, now the full impact of the damage was seen. Bodies, vehicle wreckage, and destroyed buildings littered the once proud facility. Zap looked around, he spotted a Mauler and MOBAT standing sentry. What he saw next confused him. He had seen plenty of strange vehicles and uniforms from fighting Cobra but never anything like this group. But their vehicles were marked with UNITED STATES and the Mauler and MOBAT weren't firing on them. That was good enough for Zap. He shot a glance at Myer. The kid was getting worse by the minute.
"Mama...Mama...Help me mama..." The communications weakly wimpered out, the small voice distorting from the blood that trickled from out of his lips. His was quaking almost violently. There were tear lines running down his cheeks. The blood wasn't stopping either. Myer was dying. He needed help right now.
"Don't worry man, It'll be over soon. We're gonna get you to a nice medic." Zap reassured as he approached the odd vehicles and looked up at a man in a strange bulky orange and black camouflage suit, standing in of the vehicles. "I hope to God you're Alamo." Zap said.
"Where's Gridiron?" The man asked. Greer moved up and laid Gridiron on one of the vehicles, a four wheeled vehicle with a two large machine guns on the back.
"This one goes too." Zap said, not willing to take 'no' as an answer. He and Smith then gently set Myer up on the same odd vehicle as Gridiron. Zap then turned to Greer and Smith. "You guys go too. This is gonna get ugly. You guys never signed on for shit like this." The two Rangers reluctantly nodded and climbed abroad the a strange tank-like vehicle that had a large machine gun and radar assembly on the back of it. The leader of 'Alamo' got back on his jeep-like vehicle and the group sped off in the direction of the helipad. Looking back towards the hole in the command center, Zap unslung his M-16 and sprinted towards the opening. "I'm comin' for ya bro."


Ripcord was running low. He had 15. Make that 12, rounds left in his current magazine. And only two more magazines left. No way he could hold out much longer alone against these odds. Too bad the Frag Viper had only blown through to the Stairwell, otherwise he might have been able to pull the same flanking maneuver on the Vipers, the paratrooper thought as he fired another burst at the Vipers. "The Frag Viper!" Ripcord suddenly said out loud. In a swift, dangerous move he left the relative safety of the body of the Viper, the one that had shot Myer, that had been prone behind and dove down the hallway towards the body of the Frag Viper. He turned the body over and saw a backpack full of 40mm grenades and a HK-69A1 grenade launcher. Breaking the breech he loaded a grenade. He aimed the weapon at a slight angle down the hall and fired. There was a high pitched pop as the seal on the grenade broke, followed by an explosion down the hall. The Vipers that weren't hit scattered. Ripcord loaded another round and fired again. Two of the Vipers were smart. They dove forward both times. The two stood up and ran, now inside the minimum safe range of the grenade launcher. Ripcord dropped launcher and scooped up his M-16. He sighted and pulled the trigger. Nothing happened. 'JAM!' Ripcord screamed out in his mind. He began reaching for his M-1911 pistol when shots rang out. Ripcord saw the Vipers fall backwards. Spinning around he saw Zap, still aiming his M-16 towards the direction of the Vipers. Ripcord stood and cleared the jammed round out of his M-16. He also grabbed the grenade launcher along with a bandoleer of 40mm grenades. He then jogged towards Zap, who still stood watching the other hole. "Thanks man, I owe you one." Ripcord said as he too turned towards the hole and the two carefully backed out of the corridor. Thankfully the Mauler and the MOBAT still stood guard and a third vehicle was pulling up, a Wolverine with two infantry men sitting on the top, scanning the alleyways. As the Wolverine came to a stop Ripcord saw the turned-out driver. He couldn't resist grinning. "Covergirl!"


The Wolverine was mainly a one person ride, but Covergirl knew the Command Center could use all the back up they could get, so Fast Draw and Repeater took either side of the craft. Pushing ahead, the gunner's proved useful in taking out stray soldiers. She flinched the first few times the guns went off after having to turn-out when a lucky hit damaged her front periscope, but as the Wolverine pressed on, she became more habituated to the noise. Fast Draw who was closest to her, seated on the right, tapped her on the helmet, pointing to the right, towards the smaller complex of buildings, but Cover Girl shook her head 'no.' He tapped her helmet again, then leaned in and shouted "THEY GOT A MAULER AND A MOBAT, HERE, WE SHOULD GO CHECK FOR HOSTILES!"
"WE'RE ON THE COMMAND CENTER!" She shot back. She had made a promise.
"Command Three here..." A shaky voice came over the radio, and she put her hand to her helmet com-link."Uh... okay, we need to consolidate our forces. I want everyone to fall back into the complex and take up defensive positions. They're advantage lies in speed and maneuverability, if we can draw `em into the tight spaces of the faculty's buildings, then they'll lose that advantage. Out." She looked again towards the smaller buildings. They'd soon be crawling with armor. No need to leave the Command Center unguarded. Getting closer, she could see the Command Center had gotten hit worse, and winced. She looked up to see a lone 'med-evac' chopper lift off, not sure if that was a good sign or not. She chewed on her bottom lip, trying to keep her mind off the possibilities. 'He's a big boy, lass, I'm sure he'll turn up just.....' Her gaze dropped downward to a hole in the side of the building, and she smiled a full smile for the first time that day. Her eyes met his, and for a second, she flashed back to the C-130, seeing him in full HALO gear, as he shot a thumbs up sign and a smile, 'you'll do fine.'
"Ripcord!" He was all right! Sort of. Her smile faded. His face was banged up, obviously from a fight, and the bandage on his arm, torn and bloody. Crazy Skyboy should be up on that med-evac, she thought to herself. He looked like hell. She dropped her eyes, hardly noticing the soldier standing next to him, who simply nodded in their direction. She again pictured Ripcord shouting reassurances when she was getting set to make her first high altitude jump. No matter how cool she tried to play it, he had known she was scared, he walked her through it, by the numbers. She figured he might need a little reassurance of his own. She jammed a thumb into her chest, then a sideways fist to her shoulder area, pointed at him, and tapped the back of her shoulder blade in an 'I got your back' gesture, finishing off with a thumbs up sign.

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