Chapter Six

Ripcord ignored Fastdraw's show boating, his mind was focused on more important things. He knelt down and scooped up the fallen Range Viper's G-41 assault rifle and pulled its nine magazines from the Range Viper's gear. After replacing his M-16 magazines with the G-41 ones he inspected the rifle. Everything was in order. He was fully armed again. Now it was time to finally get started on this mission. He waved everyone in. Once they were all gathered around he passed out his M-16 magazines as he spoke. "Okay folks here's the deal. Me and Heavy Metal are going to take the first shift watching the MARS factory. We've only got half the equipment so we'll have to improvise a lot on our surveillance." Ripcord didn't have to say why they only had half of the equipment. Sudden sullen look on the faces of his squad meant they knew why. The equipment had been split between Heavy Metal and Hotseat. Hotseat. Ripcord shook the thought of the NCO away. They'd already lost two people. If he didn't focus on the task at hand he'd lose more. That was unacceptable. As the thoughts of keeping his team alive pressed ahead of memories of the lost, Ripcord mentally recomposed himself and continued. "Zap, Covergirl, Fastdraw, I need you to hide these bodies. Make sure you disconnect their radios, I don't want somebody to find them by playing 'Marco Polo'. After that catch some sleep. One of you will always be on watch. You'll rotate in and out on hourly shifts. Fastdraw, you've got first watch. The recon element will rotate in and out every six hours. Covergirl and Zap will have the next run as the recon element. Let's move." Everyone gave a nod, except for Fastdraw who let out a heavy exhale. The group then broke and headed off to do their respective tasks. Ripcord and Heavy Metal crouch-walked as close to the tree line as possible. After the jungle started to bleed into the huge clearing, the two soldiers dropped prone and began to low crawl towards the edge of the jungle. Ripcord winced with every movement as the low crawl strained on his battered and bruised chest and abdomen. Finally after what the pain made feel like an eternity, Ripcord and Heavy Metal stopped just over a meter from the tree line. Ripcord's eyes scanned the complex as Heavy Metal went to work on setting up the equipment they had. An infrared video camera, a normal video camera, and the data transfer parabolic antenna. They were missing the laser range finder, parabolic microphone, and the starlight camera. Ripcord pushed away those thoughts of what was missing. He knew the direction the thoughts would take him in. His attention was pulled away as the soft whine of servos filled the air. He glanced over to Heavy Metal who had just finished setting up the two video cameras. The two cameras used small motors in their tripods to pan across the complex in slow arcs. His gaze then shifted to the small fold-out parabolic antenna which Heavy Metal had just plugged his radio's headset into.
"Control, Control, this Jaguar we are at the target site and are recording and transmitting data, over." Heavy Metal spoke into his microphone. A moment later, he narrowed his eyes as if listening to someone then nodded and slipped his headset off. "They want a sitrep." Heavy Metal said as he handed the headset over to the Ripcord. Ripcord slipped the headset under his kevlar then keyed the microphone.
"Control, this is Jaguar Three, over." Ripcord spoke, keeping his voice low.
"What's your status Jaguar, over." Came back a voice over the line after a brief pause due to the satellite relay.
"We are at target and conducting recon, however have only half of our equipment. Be advised we have two men down, one wounded. Enemy knows we are in operational area, over." Ripcord spoke, his voice dropping even lower as thoughts of his fallen comrades came to mind.
"Roger Jaguar, you are ordered to stay on station and continue to observe the target. Do not engage any other units. I say again, do not engage any other units, over." The voice returned after a pause that was long enough to be more than just the satellite delay.
"Affirmative Control." Ripcord returned.
"You're a bit late for that asshole." Heavy Metal shot out before Ripcord could finish his transmission.
"Say again, Jaguar." A different, more familiar voice came over the radio.
"Nothing Control." Ripcord responded while he shot a look at Heavy Metal.
"Jaguar, Continue to observe the target, Do not, I say again, Do not engage any other units, do you copy?" The voice said forcefully. Ripcord didn't respond. Heavy Metal was right, what was this asshole thinking? He'd already lost two people. He refused to lose another because he wasn't allowed to fire back. "Do you copy Jaguar?" The voice asked again, with more irritation this time.
"Yeah...Yeah control, we hear ya." Ripcord said in an almost defeated voice.
"Control out." The voice said in a grumbled tone.

Ripcord was starting to get restless. His and Heavy Metal's shift as the recon element was stretching into its fourth hour. Ripcord had always hated just waiting. He was a man of action. That's why he went airborne instead of regular infantry, the travel time into the battle zone would be highly irritable to him. He looked at his watch for about the thousandth time. At least he was gathering a lot of intelligence on the factory. Apparently even with his squad taking down patrols left and right, it was business as usual. Transport trucks were coming and going around the clock. They would drive up to the massive outdoor storage area and load up a vehicle or two into cargo containers then lift them onto the trucks. The storage area in itself was impressive. There had to always be at least a hundred or more Cobra vehicles in row after row. HiSSs, Stingers, STUNs, and other vehicles swelled the ranks, with an equal number rolling out of the factory as the number that was being taken away. All around the complex men and women in blue jumpsuits were going from one place to another, workers, Ripcord assumed. Then there was the security of the installation; it was heavy to say the least. In addition to guard towers and ADA emplacements there were roving patrols; six STUNs with full crews that kept an equal distance between each other and made orbits of the complex. The gates were the hardest points of the defense of the perimeter fence. Both of the reinforced gates on opposite ends of the complex were guarded by multiple Crimson Guardsmen with the sizable support of a HiSS and four ASP pods. Then every hour a flight of two Cobra Transport Helicopters and four FANGs would fly out then come back. More than likely searching for him and his team Ripcord guessed. Ripcord dropped the binoculars from his eyes, taking a moment to rub them. That's when it happened. There was a brief, feminine scream from a distance behind them. Covergirl! "Stay here!" Ripcord said to Heavy Metal as he shot to his feet and sprinted off in the direction of their encampment.


Zap was awakened with a start as he was thrown forcefully against a tree. As his mind started to fade back into reality, he processed the facts. There was a Viper in front of him leveling a G-41 assault rifle at his chest.
"Don't Move." The Viper growled. He looked behind the Viper to see another Viper kneel down beside Covergirl, forcefully grabbing her throat and pulling a VP70 pistol on her. She woke with a start and let out a scream of shock before the Viper pistol-whipped her, which sent a small gout of blood flying across her face as the action opened up a gash on her temple. The scream caused Fastdraw to shoot up into a sitting position, only to be kicked back down as the third Viper flashed out a kick that connected with the side of Fastdraw's face, sending blood flying from his mouth. The Viper then forcefully pressed the muzzle of his rifle into Fastdraw's chest. Things ran through Zap's mind. How did three Vipers get so close? Then it occurred to him. He had the second shift. He had never been awakened. Fastdraw had fallen asleep on guard duty. That mistake had just cost the team their lives.


Ripcord sprinted forward, praying it wasn't too late to save his team. His chest and abdomen were on fire with pain. He ignored it. He couldn't allow himself to be slowed down. As he rushed towards the group, his eyes took in all the details he could, his mind processing the situation within seconds. He couldn't fire first. Still was still a somewhat covert operation. He leapt towards the Viper that was on top of Covergirl tackling the Viper off of her. As Ripcord struggled with the Viper he'd tackled, he saw Zap out of the corner of his eye. As Zap's Viper spun to look at Ripcord, Zap's leg flashed up, catching the Viper in the crotch. As the Viper sank to his knees Zap shot forward, withdrawing a knife and drawing it across the Viper's throat. Ripcord and his Viper wrestled on the ground, each with a strangle hold on the other. The Viper shifted his weight, rolling himself on top of Ripcord. The Viper suddenly went limp. Ripcord pushed the Viper off of himself to see Covergirl standing above him with a bloody knife.
"Nobody move!" A voice shouted out. Ripcord turned to see the last Viper using Fastdraw as a human shield, one hand head-locking Fastdraw while the other held a VP70 pistol to his head. "Now, you're all going to listen to me or thi-" The Viper was cut off as a massive hand grabbed the Viper's wrist and jerked it back as loud snap was heard. The Viper's following scream was cut short as the figure behind him snapped the Viper's head around. As the Viper fell to the ground, the figure behind him was seen.
"Repeater!" Covergirl shouted. Ripcord let a smile play across his face. The big machine gunner was alive.
"Nice timing Repeater." Ripcord said as he nodded at his teammate. As the joy of seeing Repeater alive stopped dominating his thoughts he turned to Zap. "What the hell happened?"
"Fastdraw fell asleep on guard duty." Zap growled as he stared at Fastdraw.
"That's the last draw." Ripcord hissed out as he stormed over towards Fastdraw. "What the fuck were you thinking?!" Ripcord yelled at Fastdraw as he took hold of his ALICE gear and shook him violently. "First you almost get half the team killed on the jump! I hate to tell you, you may be good but you're not infallible! Without you knowing what to do your neck would've snapped like a dry twig when you hit the canopy! Then this! Falling asleep on guard duty! What if those Vipers had just wanted to kill you!? Huh!? What if they just shot you right off the bat?! This is the last mistake you're gonna make asshole!" Ripcord yelled as he started to pull his M-1911 from it's holster.


"Whoa, whoa, whoa, buddy, EASY!" Zap said, grabbing Ripcord's right arm. He stood once again between the two men, one ready to fight, one still looking like a roach caught in the middle of the floor when you flip the kitchen light on. Dressing down the big lug was fine, pulling a weapon on him was something else. "C'mon, Cool down." He attempted to push Ripcord back into the tree line, get him away from Fast Draw, but the paratrooper had him in size and strength. "He's not the enemy we're supposed to fight, amigo. You don't want to do this." Ripcord shifted his weight so Zap couldn't push him backwards, then stared hard at Fast Draw. Slowly he pulled back the hammer.
"Give me one good reason motherfucker...one reason." Zap holds his grip even tighter, not believing the scene before him.
"Holy Shit Ripcord! Pull it together!" Zap cried as Repeater forcibly grabbed Fast Draw by the shoulder, not wanting to make any sudden movements, ready to pull the stunned man away. Ripcord didn't budge, didn't lower his weapon.
"Repeater, move." He forcefully ordered. Repeater stood protectively by his teammate, shaking his head in a 'no' gesture. 'He's gonna kill him… literally kill him….' Her mind screamed. Stepping besides Zap, she looked into Ripcord's furious eyes, shaking her head no.
"Ripcord.... He's not worth it." She said, softly, carefully. "You don't want to do this… he's not worth it…" She slowly put her hand on top of his weapon, gently trying to push it from aiming on its mark. "Don't, Wally, Please? Don't do this?" He shifted his eyes briefly to hers, before shifting them back. Seconds ticked, no one dared exhale, no one dared breath. Finally, Ripcord eased the hammer forward and let the pistol drop to his side, walking away. "He ain't worth the bullet." Covergirl muttered under her breath, exhaling and glancing Fast Draw's way. He was still white as a sheet. She and Zap exchanged glances, a kind of what-the-fuck-just-happened look, before she swung her eyes to see Repeater. "Never thought we'd see you...." She started with a warm smile, then added "again" as he silently turned and went back to his vigilant post, watching over his team. She resisted the urge to make a comment to Fast Draw, though she had several in mind, figuring almost getting killed twice in one day was enough punishment. Sucking in a deep breath, she walked over to where Ripcord stood alone, his sidearm still in his hand, hanging by his thigh. His left arm rest up against a tree, his posture for the first time less than perfect. Touching him lightly on the shoulder from behind she whispered… "Are you okay?" She was almost afraid of the answer she'd get. He couldn't make eye contact, couldn't even face her. Looking down, he said just as softly…
"I don't know…… I've never lost it like that before."
"Everyone loses it once in a while. Was just your turn is all," She tried reassuringly. He nodded slowly, still not turning to face her.
"I know that but I was ready to kill him...one of my own troops...that's not something everyone does once in a while."
"You wouldn't have done it. You couldn't have pulled the trigger." She told him. "You're not a murderer."
"Tell that to that Viper at the stream last night." The Viper. She knew that was getting to him. She wished there was something she could do, some way to fix this.
"Hey..." She said, softly, "You said it yourself, that had to be done. Us or them, remember? That wasn't murder. You were protecting your team. You were protecting...." she cut herself short.
"Well a lot of good killing him to keep our mission covert did." He said, rubbing at his ribs. She winced, knowing he was hurting, not just from the physical injury.
"What were you going to do? Take him prisoner? Have him alert every Viper in a 10 mile radius? He'd have killed any one of us in a heartbeat."
"I know it had to be done. I wouldn't have done it different if I had to." He turned for the first time to look her in the eyes. "But that doesn't mean that kid's face doesn't still burn away in my head."
"That kid would have killed you. He would have killed me." He brushed his hand gingerly though her hair, pushing aside loose strands that were sticking to the coagulating blood, wincing himself. She grabbed his hand, holding it between both of hers. "You have to let it go. I wish I could take it away...."
"You can't take it away." His green eyes suddenly looked more worried. Removing a bandage from her ALICE, he started to dress her wound. As gentle as his touch was, she couldn't help but flinch. "But you can help. Stay alive, Courtney, promise me you'll stay alive?" She looked down, letting him finish with her forehead, then softly put a hand on his ribcage.
"You need more tape."
"Courtney?" She sighed, looking back up at him, scared from the reality of what he asked. She needed him to hold it together, the team needed him to hold it together, but who were they to put that kind of pressure on him? No, she thought. He'd done enough for them. It wasn't fair. But she couldn't make a promise to him she couldn't keep.
"I can't. Just like you can't promise me you're going to stay alive. As much as I want you to… you can't. You don't know for sure what's going to happen. I can promise that I'll be careful, and that you'll be careful, but when it comes down to it, I just can't." Their eyes locked for a second
"You have to Courtney because....because I.....I ." The approaching footsteps stopped him from finishing his sentence.
"Everything okay, buddy?" Zap asked, putting a hand on his shoulder.
"Fine." He said, staring at her for one more soft second before putting his game face back on.
"We have to move around to another position. They'll know where we are because of the Vipers. Get Heavy Metal and lets move it out." Heavy Metal almost actually looked relieved as she helped him pack up the equipment to relocate. She wasn't sure if it was from the fact that they were moving, or the fact that he'd missed the action back in the jungle. She couldn't figure him out. Smart guy, he seemed to be. Seemed to know about the computer equipment and stuff, but there was something she couldn't quite put her finger on. He was armor, a tanker, driver like her, but not like her. He seemed almost… skittish, something you tend to lose when around exploding shells for a while. "Zap, point, Fast Draw, cover." She gave him credit, half expecting an 'if you can stay awake long enough' comment that never came. "Repeater, good to have you back, big guy, you got your slot. Let's go." Ripcord acted like nothing had happened, like the whole thing never took place. Covergirl guessed that was yet another SOP for the team. Fast Draw was avoiding him wisely, avoiding her, avoiding the team. A cold chill through the hazy air made her shudder. They had seriously almost died. Twice Ripcord had said, once during the jump, she hadn't known it was that serious. Yes, he'd been pissed, but now she fully understood why. Then again tonight... It was the first time she let herself think about it, let the scene replay in her head. She winced, feeling the pistol connect with her temple, feeling the hand close around her throat, shaking off the image. Repeater was back. He wouldn't let anything like that happen. He wouldn't talk to them, wouldn't say what took place, just that he was unconscious, and didn't know what happened to Hotseat. He stood there stoically, their watcher. Repeater was alive, causing her to smile. That meant there was still a chance for Hotseat. They fell back into the jungle for moving, the deeper cover providing more protection from being seen. "Remember!" Ripcord told them. "Keep your eyes open for…." Gunshot, single rifle, Zap went down, crawling for cover, the rest of the team followed suit, frantically searching the trees for a sniper. She had thought he had just taken cover, until she heard the yelp.
"FUCK!" A few meters behind him, she could hear Fast Draw cursing, still face down, not having moved for cover. "FUCK! I'm hit! I'm hit!" Her mind instantly flashed back to one split second, wishing it was him and not Repeater. She hadn't said it out loud, but she wanted to take it back. Zap started to low crawl on his belly back to where Fast Draw lay, which only helped the sniper take a clearer shot at him, so he pulled back. "Sonuvabitch… Sonuvabitch.." Fast Draw continued with his tirade of swears. She couldn't see where he was hit, but it sounded bad.
"HOLD FIRE, HOLD FIRE!" Ripcord called, before Repeater had the chance to raise his weapon. "Automatics will bring every Trooper this side of the perimeter!" Where the hell was he? Looking upwards, nothing, but the second any of them moved, a fresh shot would ring out. Minutes ticked. He was toying with them. Trying to draw them to their wounded man. Firing a shot close enough to Fast Draw to kick dirt up. "STAY DOWN!" Ripcord shouted from his position, also scanning frantically for what he'd hoped was a lone, not several gunmen.
"Hold on buddy, just hold on!" Zap called, but Fast Draw was already on a succession of "Oh God, Oh God, Oh God…".then silence. If he went into shock, no doubt they would lose him. Only one thing played out in her head.
"HEY Hotshot!" She called out…. No response from him. "HEY, FAST DRAW, HOTSHOT!" She tried again. "FLORENCE NIGHTENGALE, `MEMBER? GONNA LOOK INTO YOUR EYES, RALLY YOUR STRENGTH?" C'mon… C'mon… don't die Hotshot… She repeated to herself. I don't hate you, really, I don't hate you, just hold on….
"Mouth to mouth?" Came the weak cry back. Another gunshot rang out, once again close to where he lay. Relieved, she smiled.
"Mouth to mouth, with you?" She shot back. She thought she could see him shake, almost as if he'd laughed. "You just hold on, Hotshot, we're coming okay? You hang on!"

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