The distant sounds of popping and muffled "fooming," or the sound an explosion makes, were what woke me up. I groggy glanced at my water proof watch.
0307 hours.
They let me sleep in.
I pulled myself from my cot and reached underneath for my boots and overcoat. After zipping the jacket I went for my M11 Sig Sauer P228. My pistol. The blue painted HK416 assault rifle and monochrome M14 Sniper Rifle both lay besides me. Ever since things in "Poppy Town" got hot, the Sergeant decided that storing the rifles every night led to too big of a risk. We could get dressed down and suited up in just a matter of minutes. But an attack on the base as proven a few months earlier gave you only seconds before the shots starting ringing.
I crawled through the tent door and stood up, breathing in the air smelling sulfur.
Far out in the distance one could make out the ramblings of a overly populated African city. Black clouds of smoke covered the star lit sky. This was the one thing I loved. Amidst it all the chaos, blood, tears, and pain, gruelling pain, you could never beat out the view of this place. Because Poppy City didn't have electricity, you could see the full Milky Way.
The guys were by the fire, trying to warm up as best they could while the rain took its break. It figured. The one part of Africa we get shipped out to is the part that just happens to have rain and cold weather. Beats the heat though. Just like I always said, "You can dress up, but there's a limit to how far you can dress down." Don't get me wrong I love cold weather, and especially the snow, but out here, when it rains all day and night while the stars only appear if your lucky doesn't really help morality.
I started to the mess hall for breakfast, but detoured to the team when my friend saw me, I started heading his way.
"Hey hey, Snow, your awake you lazy pass."
"Dean why the fuck did you let me sleep in man?"
Dean grinned. "As if you don't need the sleep, you were at it all day yesterday! It still fathom me how you can sit in those positions for hours at time."
"Comes with the job Dean. I don't see how you can stand hearing all those explosions gnawing in your ear all day."
Dean was part of the EOD, Explosive Ordinance Disposal.
Dean shrugged his shoulders. "Eh, you get used to it. Comes with the job right?"
"Yup." I said. "Words of the wise."
"Yeah? What else you got Wiseman?"
"I'm a better aim than you." I countered.
"Barely. That sniper of yours doesn't count, aiming at a Jocky a time guarantees a hit. When you get out in the live field that is-"
I cut him off. "Hey now, I'm in the field as much as you are. Not to mention how much I've covered your asses time and time again. Remember Dubai?"
Dean looked out in the distance. "Yeah, I remember. Crazy shit huh?"
"Crazy shit." I agreed. "Don't you forget it."
Dubai was one of the first operations that I ever traveled on. Dubai was like a nest of hornets filled to the brim with its drug infested-gang ran-and sewer smelling streets, and we got the honor to go in there. It was bad at first, and only got worse. On one of the particular days that appeared like we wouldn't have to go running for cover with our tails between our legs, shell broke loose. And the best thing was, we were ordered to stand our ground. While I covered Dean on the streets, I lay high above the streets in my lite makeshift shake on the rooftop. Over and over again the 'Drugies' would charge forward, hoping to break the thin line that Dean had on the streets. Time and time again we repelled them. Two hours would pass before they even thought about the sniper. Drugies suddenly were crawling all over my position, and Dean no longer had his eye in the sky to warn him of advancing attacks. Things started to fall apart pretty quickly after that. I desperately tried warding off the Drugies while they practically flooded Dean from all sides of the street. I had no choice but to abandon my spot and I made my way down to street level. Where once stood twentyish men now stood only Dean. He was cornered up against a wall taking on all the Drugies in the city it seemed. I was in direct line with Dean. My sniper rang out numerous times, but from such close range I missed a majority of my shots. I ran closer for a better position on the opposite end of the street and grabbed a dead man's rifle. Who's I never will know. All I remember from that point on is while Dean shot, I shot; our own bullets that missed the Drugies would zoom past and pound against the wall at our backs. Drugies continued to pour into the street and were mowed up. At the end of the day, the rain was coming down hard, and all was silent. Dean and I looked at one another and nodded. We would pull ourselves from the rubble and make our way back to base through the thickness of the night. None of the other groups in surrounding area made it. Dean and I never left one another's side from that day on.
"I had only my pistol by the end of the night." I gravely.
"And I was out of ammunition. But at least I still have my rifle." Dean proudly heaved the M4A1 with its Close Quarter Battle Receiver. "And besides, sniper rifles can't blow up tanks or knock down buildings. So that's a one up for me."
"Can you walk silently in the shadows? Throw a knife more accurately than a RPG? What about-"
"Alright hot-shot I get it, you have some pretty good one ups on you."
Better fucking believe it." I punched him on the shoulder.
He returned the favor.
The Sergeant came by the fire and called for attention.
"Men, we have contacts coming in hot on the south perimeter. So get your asses up and get marching!" He ran off to the other fire pits.
Dean and I stood up and started walking to The Wall
"Guess I won't be getting breakfast today." I grumbled.
"Hey man, I figured we wouldn't get lunch so I snuck a few pieces just in case, but here." Dean held out his hand with a foiled up sack.
I took it and opened the roll. The smell drafted with the wind and my mouth started salivating.
"Oh man thanks, you know how much I love this shit!" I started to tear into the ham an' mayo sandwich. It was plain as simple a sandwich could get, but I had developed quite the taste over the years.
"Yeah, I'm pretty sure that settles of any debts I may have owed you." Dean laughed
Mouth full of food I said "Ill bay you ack in the fild, howl dus tat sund?"
"That sounds like shit when your mouth is full of food Snow."
I chuckled. Oh Dean I thought, Only you.
We continued walking.
The Wall towered an average of seventeen feet high; the lookout towers were twenty-four. It was nine feet thick at the base and narrowed to six at the top. Thick wire barbs covered the battalions of the walls. Fort Bugle had been built decades ago for prisoners, but was abandoned years ago. It's walls had been built so the prisoners couldn't get out. What the builders hadn't anticipated were people trying to get in. That's where we came in. When the other marines weren't out in the field, they were guarding the wall from the Jocky's. Dean would help out on the battlions while I had the honor with lookout.
Notice how I mentioned "they." Dean and I weren't part of Fort Bugle. We only came out here because we were on a quick pit stop to our real interest: Dyatlov Pass. Coming from the Cape of Africa, our next ride was supposed to pick us up, but had to be redirected elsewhere for a top secret operation. We didn't bother asking what it was all about.
So we were stuck here. No telling how long we'd have to wait. Not much longer I presumed, as we had been here for over a week already. Jocky's as the marines here called the aggressive locals were always beating on their front door. The marines would return the favor by knocking on the Jock's sky the next day.
We reached the wall. I nodded to Dean and he nodded back.
"See ya Dean. Happy hunting."
"Happy hunting Snow."
-Radio Transmission-
-Nine Zero Nine, we have confirmation of Jocky's in your position, do you have visual?
-Station this is Nine Zero Nine we do not have visual. Repeat, negative on that visual.
-Zero Nine Zero you have three groups of reds coming hot on your position on the southern wall, you may want to alert the other groups in your area.
-We confirm that Station, ah, do you have any precise whereabouts the Jocks are coming in?
-From the radio scan it looks as though you have reds on your 10:30, 1:00, and 2:15 o'clock, groups ranging from ten to twentyish."
-Station this is Tower I have visual of the 11:00 o'clock group, I have their heat signatures on my scope, do I have permission to engage?
-Confirmation temporary denied Tower 4, let the reds in close enough so the south wall can help.
-Understood Station.
...
-Tower 3, this is Nine Zero Nine, does our eye in the sky have visual yet?
-Haha, Your funny Niner, no I do not. Station, is the two other groups further out from group 11:00 o'clock?
-Negative Tower 3, based on their position you should've seem them by now.
-Wait a minute...
...
-Tower 3 you were just sa-
-Okay Station I see them now. Groups 1 and 2.
-Tower 3 what was the issue?
-Scope was misaligned.
-Is it fixed now?
-Affirmative.
-Well keep it that way, we don't need any mistakes to made.
-Understood.
...
...
Alert to the Towers and Walls, we have bogeys coming inbound from multiple directions, please be advised. There's another group coming right behind the first Towers 3, 4 South Wall. You are free to engage whenever ready.
-Understood. Towers open fire.
*Mutliple sounds of thumping*
-Station this is Tower 4 what's the other groups looking like.
-Coming at your direct 12:00 o'clock, three truckers, plenty of Jocks.
-Understood. Groups 2:15 and 11 have been terminated, and 1 o'clock are running.
...
...
...
-Contact! Group 12 returning fire! Their trucks are armored!
-They have mounted RPGS!
-Nine Zero Nine Wha-
-ENEMY RPG AWAY!
*explosion sound and debris crashing and crumbling*
-Fuck they just wiped out Tower 4!
-The sergeants been hit!
-Station can we get medical out here?
*Second RPG hits and another explosion heard*
-The Wall's been hit-
-Sending medics out-
-Ray's been hit!
-Two Twenty where's he hit?
-He doesn't have a fucking leg!
-Station what's the holdup on those medics?!
-Medics are spread our out throughout the wall-
-Tower take out their truck!
-Their armored Niner! Tower 4 had the Dets!
-Fuck!
-Nine Zero Nine this is EOD specialist Three Seventytwo, I can take out the truck.
-You have Dets?
-Better, a SMAW.
-Where the hell did he pull that from his ass?
-Stow the chatter, Thirtyseven take the shot!
-Loading-
*Crashing sounds of fireball*
-Did you shoot?!
-That was me Nine Zero Nine, hit a sweet spot!
-Where?
-From Tower 3.
-Rocket away!
*Second rush of a fireball*
-Two trucks down Station!
-Station this is Tower 3 what's the situation with the other Wall sides?
-The North Wall is taking a heavy beating but besides them the other Walls are clear.
-Understood Station.
-ENEMY RPG AWAY! TOWER 3 WAT-
-FUCK!
*Shaking boom sound*
-What the bell just happened-?!
-Why'd it-?
-It detonated midair!
-Tower did you-
-Last truck terminated.
*Boom*
-Tower this is Station, what the hell is going on up there?
-I shot the RPG before it could hit the Tower.
-I'm sorry did you just say you hit the fired RPG?
-Affirmative Station.
-ENEMY is in full retreat.
-Yeah look at them Jocks run! Woo!
-Keep firing guys, let's not-
-Cease fire Wall! Don't waste your ammo, they'll be coming back soon, don't you worry.
-Just like they always do...
-Good shooting boys, make sure to-- Okay. Yes sir, understood sir.
-Station I'm sorry were you saying something?
-Yes, Three Seven Two and Tower 3 Sniper Specialist, Commander Sagen from Omnipresent Base is having a ride delivered for you to his base first thing on the morrow. 0800 Hours.
-Understood Station-
-Confirmed order Station.
Walking down the hallway to Commander Sagen's office was more nerve racking than facing down a VT A1 Tank. Commander Sagen was known for his pristine, punctuality, and above all, strictness with following code regulations. Not that I had done any wrong, yet it was hard not to leave a meeting without feeling shaken.
I walked into the room. Dean was there, along with some other older buddies of mine who were still among the living. Richard there, who actually was the first guy I met in combat training. Twitching Mitzi was siting in the corner, tapping his finger against the desk impatiently. Dean leaned on the back legs of his chair in the far corner, trying to get away from everyone yet see them all the same. A personality I related with. As I slid silently into the room I noticed another guy whom I saved, on the same night I was crested my nickname. Gabriel was his name I think. Micah lounged besides Gabe, the two were brothers. The rest of the people I didn't know. I took my seat next Dean.
"Look at all the fresh meat." I whispered.
"I know right? You see Mitzi over there?"
"Yeah ha, I saw him, heard him first."
"Right on that, same here." Dean smiled.
"Where's Sagen?"
"He'll be coming in soon, he's on a call. "
"Ah."
I fumbled for a second.
"So how was the flight man?" I whispered in a vain effort.
"Well I was besides you the whole time so I'd think you'd know." Dean rolled his eyes.
Absolutely terrible. I couldn't make small talk to save my life.
"You were asleep, I was just wondering if you were having any dreams." I started to smile.
"Don't you go there-"
"Maybe about your girlfriend eh?" I joked.
"Oh fuck you you ass, you wouldn't be saying that if you had a girlfriend to think about every night before you went to bed."
"Maybe that's just the problem, you think about her every night, and because of that-" was all I got out before Dean suckered me in the arm. I stopped but continued to laugh.
"Yeah keep on laughin' Snow, tell you what, first thing you get a girl, I'm going to take your picture fucking with her and hang up all over the campus."
"Haha, that's be the day." I snorted.
"Okay listen up sissy's," A booming voice echoed throughout the room- The Commander -"As we told you earlier, you'd all be traveling to Dyatlov Pass, an infamous piece of land stretching across about three hundred miles of the Russian vast land-."
Dean elbowed my side. "Snow man." He whispered.
I nodded.
"However," The Commander continued, "We've had a change of plan. The plan was to meet near the north apex of the Pass, and congregate near the center. We've found the specific location of our target. Desiray Scholvich is hiding near the lower half of Dyatlov, by the base of the mountains. Desiray is what you might call, a silent-but-deadly terrorist. He had an direct line to Osama Bin Laden before Operation Geronimo, and has been in a very far-fetched communication with Al Queda. Currently it's believed he's in line with North Korea in some ploy to envelop their nation with unfathomable power. Our data specialists have decoded every bit of the messages sent by the both nation and terrorist, and not a single one has made sense so as to what their exactly looking for. One things for certain though, Desiray has been getting excited. Just last week he sent message: 'Nearly there, traveling capacity up 92 percent, will begin Operations ASAP.' Your job is simple. Capture or kill Desiray, and kick his little operation on its ass. Normally we would send the Seals in, but as it turns out were a little short handed. This means that the next best are up for their turn in line. Each of you have been hand selected for this mission. Any of you may refuse as the mission is measured as a high risk level. Does anyone not wish to participate?"
Not a soul raised their hand.
"Very well. More information can be found in these packets,-"
An associate started to hand them out.
"-you leave the next night at Oh One-Hundred." He nodded curtly. "Good luck Marines. Ooo Rah."
"OOO RAH!" We saluted in return.
"Oh, and Storm, one more thing."
I perked up suddenly alert for anything unusual.
"Yes Sir?"
"Great shot yesterday, I heard all about it."
"T-Thank you sir." I stammered.
"Better save them up though. Your going to need them." Sagen left the room.
