We Each Owe A Death

Captain Meg Nakamura: I knew that we were going to be parents when he took me in the shower. In my heart, I knew it...because there were explosions going off in my head. There's no easy way to say it but I know. He told me that he had to send his men out to recon the area...and he stated that he wouldn't put the lives of his men at risk unless he was willing to do the same. He leads by example; a tough as nails commander

Captain Harmon Rabb Jr.: We started out that night with a contingent of five. Private Marty Keaton, Sergeant Jared Frio, Commander Phil Burrows, myself and Vice-Admiral Nakamura.

Our recon route was along the same route that RADM Chegwidden and Sergeant Frio had taken the night before, and VADM Nakamura took point...

It didn't appear as though the Russians or the Chinese had aircover tonight. And we were able to make it to our first checkpoint without much event. At least we had M-16A3s on us this time around.

I could hear the vice-admiral saying to Jared. "I'll continue to take point until third checkpoint, then you take over...and let me see what you got..." The Marine in Jared took over and he said, "Sir, Yes, Sir..." softly so that his voice would only carry as far as the vice-admiral's ear. We didn't want to let the Russians know that we were snooping around.

Everyone gathered around the admiral as he pointed out certain key points on the map and visually around us. "I want you to write a report, Captain Rabb, we need to make certain that CINCNORAD knows exactly what's going on. Whatever we see...whether it's an Anti-Aircraft Missile Emplacement or a tank or troop movements...everything."

I nodded, "Aye, sir..."

It was an unsettling quiet. We ran from checkpoint A to checkpoint B...knowing that at any moment, we could end up being on wrong end of artillery fire or be spotted. So our pace was quick...and we tried as best as we could to be quiet. But we heard Russian and Chinese voices...so we came quickly to a halt behind some cover.

We don't know if they heard us or not, but we made sure that we were as still as church-mice. And...the vice-admiral made a bee-line for Checkpoint Charlie.

Hostile territory involved precautions, so those of us not wearing headgear, donned our combat helmets.

Checkpoint Charlie was where Sergeant Frio took over point...and he sprinted for the next checkpoint.

"It's quiet...way too quiet..." the vice-admiral stated as he looked around, up at the sky...watching for aircraft. We didn't need a wayward Russian Mil or a fast-mover (a jet) coming over head and the pilot spotting us. So it was good that it was clear.

"Looks like it's all clear...next checkpoint" VADM Nakamura ordered. And we obeyed. We just all wanted to get home in one piece.

"We didn't get a good look at the situation...I'm going back..." Tosh stated to me as I protested. "You guys, if things go south, RTB and I mean it... didi...got it? That was Viet pidgin for di di mau.. It meant get the heck out of Dodge if we heard gunshots. Little did I know that it would prove to be prophetic.

It was about ten minutes later that we received the heartbreaking news...by means of a gunshot.

The admiral wasn't coming home with us...

Through angry tears...and whispered oaths of revenge; that we were going to slaughter the no good flarks who did this to Tosh, we returned home. The one thing that weighed on my mind was...how was I going to break this to Meg? How could I tell her that her husband was never coming home...ever.

Gathering Information

Under orders handed down the line from General Fletcher, VADM Nakamura ordered RADM Chegwidden to assemble a group of four for a recon mission. Dwayne Price, Jack Keeter, Jared Frio and AJ himself drew the short straws and kitted themselves up for the mission. Once out there, Sergeant Frio took point.

They hadn't checked the readings, but the UV index though elevated was not as high as it used to be. Continuing along the tree-line, they headed towards the Conservatory by the Science Center.

There had been no aerial overflights so far, so they were lucky in that regards. All it would take would be one fast-mover to sight them on the ground and they'd be the targets of several well-placed KAB-250s which would make life really fun to be around the area. On top of that, those KAB-250s were laser guided too for pin-point accuracy.

"What do you see, Sergeant?"

SGT Frio nodded as he gazed out at the horizon. "I'm not seeing a whole bunch, sir...if anything, the Sovs are keeping a low profile..." Gone was the rebel; in that place was a United States Marine Corps Sergeant dedicated to keeping his men alive and the rear admiral could see that clearly. Sergeant Frio's eyes were moving around, making sure that there were no enemies in the tree-line, his eyes moving from left to right and back again taking in the view and assessing it for any threats.

There were birds chirping in the trees, the first few to come back to the area. Jared knew for a fact that birds tended to go silent when there was what they perceived as a threat in the area, whether it was a cat or a snake or a human. And birds were well-aware of the bang-sticks that humans carried and that they could deal death from a long way off. At least the helmet provided them with some idea of what was going on around them in their environment.

With that, Jared moved off quietly motioning the rest to follow him. It was that they nearly crossed paths with the Spetznaz and Chinese SOF...but by sheer luck managed to avoid them. Jared drew a finger up to his visor near his lips and shook his head. That meant to keep silent as they watched the opposition from the treeline.

"Měiguó rén bù yuànyì cóng yǎntǐ zhòng chūlái." one of them stated. "Zuò zhèxiē xúnluó shì yīgè shǎguā de chāishì. Wǒmen liǎng tiān xúnluó, shénme yě méiyǒu kàn dào" AJ caught the last of it. "Two days we've been patrolling and we have seen nothing."

"Yěxǔ měiguó rén shīqùle jǐzhù, líkāile" said the Chinese SOF soldier as they headed off in the direction of their patrol. AJ raised his eyebrow at the last...after all, it was an insult.

Turning to Keeter and to Pride, he said, "I think they just called us cowards..."

Shouldering his M107A1, AJ grinned evilly behind the visor. "Well...let's go pay them a visit. Moving off towards the ridgeline behind the Chinese/Russian base, they looked down to see two 2K12 Klub missile emplacements on tracks and a T-90. Loading an explosive .50BMG round into his M107A1, Chegwidden carefully sighted down the length of the barrel of the Barrett and exhaling his breath, squeezed the trigger.

A resounding KABOOM echoed across the ridgeline as the round impacted the Klub missile emplacement blowing the missiles sky-high...and hitting the men with the concussion of the blast wave. "Lock n' load..." whispered Chegwidden...and loaded yet another round into the chamber. "bye-bye missile emplacement number two..."

Knowing now that the Russians and the Chinese were probably more than aware of their efforts, they knew that it was time to get the you-know-what out of Dodge and they didn't bother sticking around to see the results of their handiwork.

Returning to base with their recce info, they notified Tosh of the fact that the Russians and the Chinese had taken over Sunset Valley.

Evidently word had gotten back to the Co-Prosperity Sphere headquarters, because that afternoon, Il-76s had flown over Sunset Valley dropping in two more missile emplacements and several more T-90 tanks as well as a GAZ Tigr Russian Armored Vehicle.

Life was going to get really uncomfortable from hereon in.

Crossroads

Knowing that the enemy was out there was a revelation for most of the Russian and Chinese soldiers who had only previously experienced drilling and other training exercises. Knowing that there were Americans up on the ridge that were on the opposition side; that any of those enemy had them potentially in the reticle of their gunsights was a sobering reality, that these soldiers had to face. Would they be able to conceptualize the fact that they could potentially be wounded, maybe even killed in combat by those very Americans that they were seeing on the ridgeline to the north? But the generals in command of the New Co-Prosperity Politburo were seeking revenge on the Americans for the annihilation of the Kremlin and the Chinese Politburo. And they were following orders.

The Americans were ensconced in their bunker as well. Knowing full well that they had heard jet engine noises the night before. They were well-aware of the fact that their country had been attacked and were making preparations. Although it didn't seem at the time that any preparations that they were making were anything out of the ordinary of what bunker-life had been for the past six and a half months.

Reading skill books, cooking, making sure everyone was well-fed were the primary things that Tosh and the rest of the bunker occupants were having to do. Having not done an external bunker recce for at least a week, they had no idea of what sort of preparations and equipment were facing them in opposition. Unfortunately they would have to go out and see exactly what they were up against.

Harriet was being her usual pain-in-the-rear self and started an argument with Tosh based on what he should or shouldn't be doing as far as bunker management. She was pretty close to getting thrown in the brig for insubordination.

Jack Bunch avoided all conflicts, even though he was a Marine, by going downstairs to milk the cow.

It was at about this point that VADM Toshio Nakamura received word from Cheyenne Mountain that part of the leadership did survive. General Mike Fletcher, Commander of North American Air Defence (NORAD) had survived and gave a whole new meaning to the word hotline. "Vice-Admiral, your town is on the verge of becoming a new Warsaw Pact State. What are you doing about it?"

"Sir, we've heard Russian MiGs conducting Combat Air Patrols over the region. We're in a very exposed section of terrain and any activity would be observed by Warsaw Pact aerial assets, sir. We're monitoring the situation...and will send out recce patrols." Tosh knew that the General was all fine and dandy in his secure bunker designed to withstand a 5MT blast right at the front blast door of the bunker that was under the triple-peaked Cheyenne Mountain but wasn't willing to come out. Just another matter of leadership doing a Do what we say; not as we do.

"Vice-Admiral, you and your leadership had better do something about the foothold that those Soviets have got on our land...do you understand?"

"Aye-aye, sir..."

"I want significant progress on this by the time that I call next. Do you understand me? Vice-Admiral?"

"Yes, sir..." Tosh replied.

I'm sending my people to their deaths... Tosh thought to himself as he hung up the phone.

Research would have to increase, especially in the creation of guard-plumbots. Perhaps a technological advantage would erase the numerical advantage that the Russians and the Chinese had. But who knew what the tide of war would bring. The Russians had ships anchored in the harbour just beyond the range of the island that had been shelled and the lighthouse had been blown up. Whether technology would be their savior remained to be seen.

All they knew was that a recce patrol was a high-risk venture, but they needed the information on what they were up against. And whether battle was worth engaging in or whether the human cost would be too high.

The object of war is not to die for your country but to make the other bastard die for his. ~George S. Patton (Author's note: Had to clean up his language for the forum);