Author's Note

After a long break and some thought, I have decided to reboot this story and attempt to make something a bit better this time around.
I believed my previous version was a failure and have decided to reformat the begining and hopefully be able to carry on the story further than last time.

I hope you enjoy this story,
Tac.

Judgement day

"Sir, wake up, we're ten minutes from dismount" the trooper next to me said, kicking me lightly from the mounted gun position.

"Thanks Corporal, any news?" I ask, hoping that HQ had managed to scrounge up some air support.

"No sir, HQ claims that all our air support units are already tasked with other ops" the corporal explained.

"Shit, we'll have to do without, hopefully we won't need it" I cursed, we were expecting to face a well defended forward operating base and HQ was fucking us over with no air support and nothing but SA80s and GPMGs.

We didn't even have armoured vehichles, just some old armed land rovers borrowed from the local reserve base. These old cars were dusted off only a few hours earlier, having sat in the garage for years with little to do but small parades and maintenance runs.

Five Minutes later...

"Contact Front!"a stattaco of gunfire sounded off as I began to shout orders to my platoon, responding to the hail of lead coming from the mounted gun ahead of us.

"1 section, give covering fire! 2 section, prepare to move, move!" As the section west of my position began to provide covering fire, my section and I maneuvered around the dead ground running along the hillside.

We soon slowed to a crawl as we reached the wall of sand bags that marked the Russian defences. My section was lined up with their rifles trained on the enemy position. I flipped my personal role radio from shout to talk and said "shift fire". The section providing covering fire shifted their fire away from the defences as I switched my radio back to shout and prepared my grenade along with the other designated grenadiers within the section.

On the count of three we all lobbed our grenades and waited for the deafening explosions that followed. As the grenades detonated and ripped through those unfortunate enough to be caught in the blast, we fixed our bayonets and prepared to fight our way through the now broken defences.

"Fight through, fight through!" We lepts to our feet and charged the enemy, arms presented and ready to fire upon the invaders, in this moment we were fearless, screaming as we unloaded our rifles into the disoriented Russian forces.

Clouds of brown and red were illuminated by the fire erupting from the burning remains of a crate of supplies, rushing through the dust and dirt I impaled a soldier with my bayonet, covering my face with arterial spray. I ignored the blood and charged on, shooting down another two as they tried to run, the fight was almost over.

As we began to clear the tents myself and two other troopers headed towards the centre of the camp, reaching the considerably larger tent, we entered to find the bloody remains of two officers and a burning pile of maps and orders. As the fire began to spread to the rest of the tent we exited and reloaded our rifles, preparing to move back to our vehicles just 200 metres south of where our platoon was.

As I ran I passed the gored and bloodied bodies of the Russian infantry, my breath misting against the frigid air of the early morning. The dark red blood was a stark contrast to the green pastures of the Devonshire countryside.

"re-org at the vehicles and prepare to move out to the final rendezvous point" I ordered, running with the rest of 2 section towards the parked landrovers, where 1 and 3 section were awaiting our return.

"Good to see ya didn't get slotted again silence!" Called out the masked man leaning on the side of one of the landrovers. This was reaper, the platoon's weapon specialist come joker, a man I trusted with my life and my rifle. He had been my spotter and best mate for years, working with me on almost every operation I took part in.

"I don't just go around asking to get shot you know!" I joke, jumping inside the land rover and starting the engine.

"Nah, they just seem to want to shoot your ugly mug!" He retorts, shouting over the sound engines as we pull away from the scene of carnage behind us.

"Yeah yeah, whatever Reaper, i'm not the one wearing a mask here" I quip, listening to the roar of typhoons fly overhead as we pass the wreck of a troop transport truck.

"Sir, we have possible enemy contact im seeing multiple... SHIT RPG FRONT" The radio cuts off as an explosion blows the vehicle in front off the road and into the river adjacent it. I immediately disembarked the vehicle, grabbing both my rifles and moved to the rear in order to find some cover.

As I reached the back of the car I dragged out my bergen and pulled out the command radio. "Zero this is Sierra two five Contact wait out!" I shouted, shouldering my bergen and L115a3, preparing to move out of the area as the vehichles began to get pelted by small arms fire.

An ominous whistling filled the air as everything began to slow, in my peripheral vision I spotted the smoke trail of an RPG headed towards my vehicle, I tried to dive away but efforts were futile. I was blinded by the intense flash of golden light that followed...

There was nothing but silence after the numbing explosion, no pain, no sight, just darkness...

After what seemed like hours I finally awoke, or... least I think I was awake, the only indicator being the return of my senses.

Looking around the room I was in revealed it to be filled with bookcases and expensive looking paintings. In the centre of the room was a king sized bed covered by dark purple velvet curtains, I avoided the bed and attempted to open the large arched doors that were behind me, only to find they were locked.

The rustling of bedsheets alerted me to another presence in the room, I turned around and was greeted by a flash of blue light, I was knocked to the ground as I began to lose my senses yet again. Slowly I accepted the embrace of sleep and lowered my head to the soft carpeted floor.