Defending The Downed
Excerpt from Master Corporal James Moore's Journal
The governments of either nation haven't directly confirmed what happened that day, but I know what happened, I was there and I witnessed it all from the first gunshot. The operation was executed according to doctrine but as any good soldier knows, every plan changes at the first sign of battle.
Moore was one of ten people who had been rapidly rushed into an un-armed UH-60 Blackhawk helicopter. He and three other of his fellow soldiers had been tasked with rescuing the Ambassador, his wife and four other high ranking diplomatic staff from a nation which had overnight, erupted into chaos. As the helicopter lifted into the night air, fires burned brightly below. In most areas of the city, rioting and looting occurred, however closer to the political district,this rioting became fighting as rebel groups and citizens clashed with the government's police and soldiers. Many embassies in the district had been attacked and several overtaken. Eight soldiers and many staff members remained at the Fordykian embassy, these people would be rescued in roughly an hour by a group of Fordykian special forces soldiers operating off of the FNS Blue Water.
Moore looked over the scared faces of the civilians in the helicopter and turned his glance to the hard, steadfast faces of his comrades. He fully trusted the abilities of his comrades, despite their lower ranking, he knew they were more than capable soldiers. He turned his attention to the window, looking back over the city. The helicopter now lurched forward and began the long journey towards the FNS Blue Water. He was in awe as he spotted large fires coming from many buildings and streets. He also saw muzzle flashes, large ones issuing from tanks while smaller ones issued either from heavy machine guns or other small arms. It was an eerie feeling to be above the battlefield, just watching.
Something caught his eye, many people gathered on a nearby building. Though dark, his night vision goggles allowed him to see that these men were armed with heavy machine guns. Before he could give warning, he heard the sound of machine gun fire. He pushed the Ambassador down, putting himself between the door of the helicopter and the Ambassador. Bullets began peppering the side of the helicopter as warning sounds erupted from the cockpit. The pilot and co-pilot screamed to each other, as the pilot took evasive action, diving away from the building. It was too late, several bullets had damaged the engine and was causing rotor drop. The helicopter began falling as the pilot desperately searched for a safe area to crash. Moore struggled to push himself back into his seat, rapidly bucking his belts and ordering everyone else to do the same. The pilot cursed as the helicopter began to fall and he watched as it spun, pointing the helicopter towards a six storey building. The pilot held on as he watched the building become closer and closer and he ordered everyone to brace for impact.
The helicopter's front end crashed into the fourth floor, smashing both through window, plaster and heavier wooden structural supports. As it passed through the first wall, the front end crumpled, firstly pushing back onto the pilots and then forcing the cockpit back into the passenger compartment. The rotors had easily been broken and their pieces tossed onto the street below. As the helicopter further entered the building, the top ripped apart the fifth floor, sending plaster, wood and furniture crashing down. The bottom of the helicopter smashed apart the fourth floor's actual floor, sending debris crashing down below and greatly weakening the floor. If not for the forward movement, the floor would have caved in, taking the helicopter with it. The helicopter slid deeper into the building, taking less damage than before, instead being slowed by the constant assault of walls and furniture. The helicopter finally came to rest in a horizontal hallway and two apartments.
Inside the helicopter, the pilot and co pilot had both been killed, the helicopter had crushed them. Behind them, two embassy staff members had been killed, their heads had been rapidly bounced off the metal wall behind them during impact. One of the other two had suffered a fatal head wound, the other was bleeding from a laceration but was not in serious condition. The Ambassador had cracked two ribs, however he, his wife and the soldiers were all uninjured.
Moore couldn't function right away, he was shocked from what had just happened and it took him several seconds to become re-aware. He looked around, three of the embassy staff members in front of him were either unconscious or dead, a third was conscious but bleeding. The didn't have much hope for the pilot or co pilot, through the doorway to the cockpit he could see that it had been crushed, almost every part of it pushed back as far back as the passenger cabin. To his right he saw the ambassador was ok, as was his wife. He threw open the door, which was made much harder by the furniture blocking it's path.
''Clarke, proceed down the hall, ensure it is safe, Martin, follow him, both of you clear each room, see if you can locate an undamaged one. Make note of any fire extinguishers.''
He turned to the Ambassador and his wife.
''Mr. Nelson, are you and your wife ok?''
The ambassador nodded, looking over to his wife who did the same. Moore turned to the other conscious man.
''Are you ok?'
''I think so but I'm bleeding''
Moore unstrapped a first aid kit from his tactical vest, opening it, he removed disinfectant, a gauze pad and tape. He poured the disinfectant on the man's head wound, the endorphins in the man's body blocking out the pain. He placed the pad over the man's cut, taping it down as best he could. It was a quick job, he could fix it later. He checked over the other three men, feeling for each man's pulse before realizing they were dead. He called out for the pilot and co pilot but received no answer.
He looked down the hallway as Clarke and Martin checked the floor and ceiling and clearing rooms. As they reached the end, they gave Moore a thumbs up and spoke to him through their headsets.
''The hallways and rooms are clear, the first two or three are badly damaged and should be avoided, the forth and fifth have some damage, the sixth, seventh and eighth appear fine. There are three extinguishers in the hall, I spotted tiny ones in the apartments.''
Moore weighed his options. It was dangerous to remain close to the helicopter, in case it caught fire or in case the floor became weak and caved in. On the other hand, it was also dangerous to move through the building. The building was weakened and hadn't been fully cleared yet. He decided to move, motioning for the Ambassador and his wife to follow, Private Brown taking up the rear. He proceeded down the hallway, stopping at the sixth floor. He motioned for the Ambassador to enter and the others to follow. He ordered Clarke and Martin to stand guard at the stairwell, Brown took up a position at the doorway.
He looked out upon the city, he could see people in the streets below running about, a flaming building a block away and many flaming cars.
OOC:
I'm looking for someone to play the part of the rebel force who are going to attempt to capture the Ambassador and his wife. I'm not going to make too many restrictions, but please make your force an appropriate size. You will be facing four soldiers, possibly more of the embassy staff and eventually a group of special forces. This is meant as a RP to build several characters and as such, they must survive, so I must win
Debris from the crash fell to the street below, hitting several of the rebel fighters who wasted no time in getting to the building. Unable to get the door open even when firing rounds into it one of them suggested trying to find a way in through the back which a few went to do. One shot out a ground level window hoping to climb in through that only to cut his arm and chest badly. Fuck this. said one of the rebels who ran down the street and flagged down a technical which was rolling toward him. We need your help. he said motioning the driver to follow him. When they arrived he pointed to the wall and told the man to fire. He did not.
I'm not wasting the little ammo I have on a wall. said the gunner of the .50 cal. The man only shook his head and snickered. He pointed up toward the building See that big fucking hole up there. he said a little annoyed We just so happened to shoot down a helicopter that was, most likley, carrying weapons. So shoot a hole in the god damn wall so we can get those weapons. The gunner then thought for a second and began to fire at the wall, blowing out several bricks at a time before there was a hole big enough to climb in through. Wait here and stay guard. said the man to the driver and gunner as he climbed into the building with several other rebels.
(OOC: So is this happening in your nation?)
OOC:Sounds good minus the helicopter.
Alive? *Pokes with stick*
OOC: My apologies, I didn't subscribe to the thread.
IC:
Moore heard the gunfire erupt from the street below. He could tell by the sound it made that it was a heavy machine gun. He became slightly worried, as embassy soldiers, they were restricted by the host nation on what type of weapons they could carry. This meant that they didn't have heavy machine guns, or even fireteam level machine guns. This also meant they carried no fragmentation grenades for room clearing, instead they carried a higher than normal amount of flashbangs and a type of grenade known as a hornet's nest which utilized rubber pellets packed with pepper spray.
The Ambassador, his wife and the staff were clearly shaken by the ordeal. He ordered them to stay away from the windows. He also ordered them to pull furniture into the center of the room, creating a sheltered area which would provide them cover.
Moore attempted to contact headquarters with his headset.
''Sunray this is embassy security detail Whisky, our chopper has been shot down while attempting evac, we have lost several staff members but our two principles are uninjured. We are currently holed up in a building roughly five blocks from the embassy, surrounded by fighting, over.''
''Understood Whisky, we have a secondary evacuation team on route to the embassy, we will reroute a group to provide rescue. How hot is your location?''
''Sunray this place is on fire, way too hot for an evac, I'm not even sure we could get roof access.''
''Understood Whisky, we need you to move to a safer evac point, I'll have our embassy contact others in the area and also the government and find out if there is an area we can move you too. Until then, protect the principles at all costs, out''
Moore turned his attention to Brown who appeared at the doorway.
''Sir, this hallway is beginning to fill with smoke, we've either got to move or seal this room up as best we can.''
Moore knew that if they sealed the room, it would almost guarantee they wouldn't be reached by the enemy. He also knew that if he couldn't keep the smoke out, they would easily die. Also, if his team was trapped in that particular room, they would have almost no idea about the structural integrity of the building or if and how bad any fire was spreading.
''Brown, get Martin and Clarke to stack up on the stairs, we're going down.''
He ordered the principles and the other staff member to their feet. Meanwhile, Martin and Clarke ventured further out onto the stairwell, one training his assault rifle up, while the other looked down. Brown provided cover to the rear as the group entered the hallway with Moore in the lead.
Using hand signals, Moore motioned to Clarke and Martin to take the lead. Both men were nervous as they began down the stairs. They reached the entrance to the third floor and Moore motioned for them to stop. They did so, stacking up on both sides of the door. Moore ordered Brown to join them.
Moore gave a hand signal and Clarke pushed open the door. Brown and Martin entered the hallway, weapons trained forward, searching for any sign of contact.
Once inside the rebels began to search for a way up. Damn the elevators don't work. said one who was repeatedly pressing the up arrow. Then it looks like were taking the stairs said another. Mike climbed in last, making sure the technical he asked to stay put stayed, it didn't instead quickly driving off toward the bulk of the fighting going on a few blocks over. He quickly moved over to the stairwell door and opened it, motioning for a few rebels to move in ahead of him. Only one carrying a shotgun did, Cowards. Mike thought to himself. He moved in behind the man followed by 3 more rebels. Once they got to the second floor Mike looked to the rebels following him You three stay here, if you hear gunfire come running. he said lightly. Surprisingly they listened, moving into the 2nd floor hallway closing the door behind them loud enough to cause an echoing bang throughout the stairwell. Idiots. he mumbled. The rebel infront of him pulled out a cigarette and lite it up as they headed up the stairwell. As they came to the third floor they could see the smoke bellowing out from the 4th floor hallway above them. Alright. Mike said Wait, I'm seeing if we can find a way up through here. When he entered the hallway he could see the bottom of the helicopter through the ceiling. He moved over to it to see if there was a safe way up. There would be if we stacked some furniture he thought. He moved into a room to grab something to use but was attacked by a Pitbull, it bit his arm and started shaking violently with no sign of letting up. The only option he had was to kill it, which he did with a single shot to the head. The rebel outside on the stairwell ran into the hallway and nearly tripped over the dead dog, he then found Mike trying to stack several chairs with a bleeding arm. On the second floor the gunshot alarmed the rebels, who only peaked out of the door instead of coming to help for fear of death.
Time Until Rescue: 40 Minutes
The men entered the third floor, training their rifles first down the hall. They could see the belly of the helicopter protruding about five feet into the hallway. It was much less smoky as smoke rose, however a wispy grey fog remained, making visibility slightly reduced, this prevented them from spotting the rebel on the other side of the helicopter.
Brown and Martin moved slowly through the hall, Clarke and Moore remained in the stairwell. Brown and Martin needed to clear a room before Moore would determain it safe to enter the hallway.
''AH FUCK! BANG! BANG! BANG!''
Brown and Martin froze in their tracks, the sound echoing from the other end of the hall down towards them. They raised their weapons, still unable to see much past the helicopter. Even if they could, they wouldn't have spotted the rebel as he was inside of a room. Brown spoke through his headset to Moore.
''We have an unknown contact at the end of the hall, not visible, please advise.''
Moore spoke with urgency in his voice into the headset.
''Do not engage as per ROE, fall back.''
Martin held position, training his rifle down the hall while Brown rushed for the doorway. Once in the stairwell, he took up a position at the doorway, training his rifle down the hall while Martin ran towards him. Once in the stairwell, Moore ordered them to head down another flight.
Once again they headed down the stairs, this time to the second floor. They again stacked up around the door, again they twisted the nob and pushed it open gently. This time they had a clear view down the hallway and could see a couple of rebels standing by the door, very anxious and jumpy. Brown slowly closed the door, trying to make as little noise as possible so they wouldn't be heard.
Moore motioned for them to move, this time they hurried, as quietly as possible, by passing the first floor and heading down to the basement. Brown pushed open the door, finding the area empty. Moore signaled for Brown and Martin to enter. The group moved through the basement, finding the first door marked Garbage. Brown and Martin entered rapidly, weapons ready, searching for any sign of contact. Finding it empty, they rushed inside. The principles and the staff member were rushed the opposite wall, far away from the door and behind a large metal cart. The soldiers took up positions back from the door, training their weapons at it and waiting. Suddenly Moore received a message through his headset.
''Whiskey this is Sunray, the embassies aren't looking good, most of them are compromised, luckily ours hasn't been yet. The government has provided us with a location, the Royal Arthur Hotel, its about two kilometers away, the government has informed us that most of the fighting is concentrated just north of your position, the hotel should be clear.''
Moore felt his temper rise, how was he expected to get his team and those he was trying to protect through two kilometers of street fighting and chaos. He calmed as Sunray spoke again.
''I've ordered your Bravo team to break out, they will be bringing two armored SUVs to your location to pick you up, wait out.''
The Embassy
Inside the Embassy's underground garage, the four members of Bravo team quickly prepared their kit. Master Corporal Harris would drive the lead SUV, while Private Hall would navigate and shoot if needed. Corporal Blane would drive the rear SUV while Private King would navigate. The men were nervous, they had seen the fighting from inside the embassy, it was fierce and they weren't looking forward to seeing it from the outside.
The men climbed into the bulletproofed vehicles. The garage door began to open. Both drivers turned on their vehicles. As Harris pulled out of the driveway, the gate opened. He pushed the petal down, making the SUV accelerate rapidly, through the open gate and onto the street, quickly followed by the rear vehicle.
OOC:
Order Of Battle
Master Corporal Moore's Section (Alpha Section)
Team Leader:Mcpl Moore: 1 x AY-143 Assault Rifle, 1 x MP5 Submachine Gun, 1 x Pistol, 4 x Flashbangs, 4 x Hornets Nest Grenades, 4 x Smoke Grenades
2IC:Cpl Brown: 1 x AY-144 Assault Rifle, 1 x MP5 Submachine Gun, 1 x Pistol, 4 x Flashbangs, 4 x Hornets Nest Grenades, 4 x Smoke Grenades
Pte Martin: 1 x AY-144 Assault Rifle, 1 x MP5 Submachine Gun, 1 x Pistol, 4 x Flashbangs, 4 x Hornets Nest Grenades, 4 x Smoke Grenades
Pte Clarke: 1 x AY-144 Assault Rifle, 1 x MP5 Submachine Gun, 1 x Pistol, 4 x Flashbangs, 4 x Hornets Nest Grenades, 4 x Smoke Grenades
Mcpl Harris's Section (Bravo Section)
Team Leader: Mcpl Harris: 1 x AY-144 Assault Rifle, 1 x MP5 Submachine Gun, 1 x Pistol, 4 x Flashbangs, 4 x Hornets Nest Grenades, 4 x Smoke Grenades
2IC: Cpl Blane: 1 x AY-144 Assault Rifle, 1 x MP5 Submachine Gun, 1 x Pistol, 4 x Flashbangs, 4 x Hornets Nest Grenades, 4 x Smoke Grenades
Pte Hall: 1 x AY-144 Assault Rifle, 1 x MP5 Submachine Gun, 1 x Pistol, 4 x Flashbangs, 4 x Hornets Nest Grenades, 4 x Smoke Grenades
Pte King: 1 x AY-144 Assault Rifle, 1 x MP5 Submachine Gun, 1 x Pistol, 4 x Flashbangs, 4 x Hornets Nest Grenades, 4 x Smoke Grenades
1st Raider Platoon/7th Air Assault Platoon (15 soldiers - 4 Blackhawk Helicopters)
Alpha Section
Team Leader:1 x AY-144C Assault Rifle, 1 x Pistol, 3 x Frag, 2 x Flashbangs, 2 x Smoke Grenades
2IC:1 x AY-144C Assault Rifle, 1 x Pistol, 3 x Frag, 2 x Flashbangs, 2 x Smoke Grenades
Grenadier:1 x AY-144B Assault Rifle w/M203, 1 x Pistol, 3 x Frag, 2 x Flashbangs, 2 x Smoke Grenades
Gunner:1 x M249 SAW, 1 x MP5, 1 x Pistol, 3 x Frag, 2 x Flashbangs, 2 x Smoke Grenades
Breacher:1 x AA12 CQB Shotgun, 1 x MP5, 1 x Pistol, 3 x Frag, 2 x C4 Charges
Bravo Section
Team Leader:1 x AY-144C Assault Rifle, 1 x Pistol, 3 x Frag, 2 x Flashbangs, 2 x Smoke Grenades
2IC:1 x AY-144C Assault Rifle, 1 x Pistol, 3 x Frag, 2 x Flashbangs, 2 x Smoke Grenades
Grenadier:1 x AY-144B Assault Rifle w/M203, 1 x Pistol, 3 x Frag, 2 x Flashbangs, 2 x Smoke Grenades
Gunner:1 x M249 SAW, 1 x MP5, 1 x Pistol, 3 x Frag, 2 x Flashbangs, 2 x Smoke Grenades
Breacher:1 x AA12 CQB Shotgun, 1 x MP5, 1 x Pistol, 3 x Frag, 2 x C4 Charges
Charlie Section
Team Leader:1 x AY-144C Assault Rifle, 1 x Pistol, 3 x Frag, 2 x Flashbangs, 2 x Smoke Grenades
2IC:1 x AY-144C Assault Rifle, 1 x Pistol, 3 x Frag, 2 x Flashbangs, 2 x Smoke Grenades
Grenadier: 1 x AY-144B Assault Rifle w/M203, 1 x Pistol, 3 x Frag, 2 x Flashbangs, 2 x Smoke Grenades
Gunner: 1 x M249 SAW, 1 x MP5, 1 x Pistol, 3 x Frag, 2 x Flashbangs, 2 x Smoke Grenades
Designated Marksman:1 x M14 Designated Marksman Rifle , 1 x MP5, 1 x Pistol, 3 x Frag, 2 x Claymore Mines
As the men climbed up into the helicopter the site of two crushed men with innumerable cuts, gashes and all manners of deformation on their bodies caused Mike to nearly vomit. He turned away as the other man searched the wreckage for anything that could be used There is nothing in here. he said, backing up from the helicopter. As Mike was about to enter the helicopter the men from the second floor rushed into the hallway weapons ready only to find the two men searching the helicopter. Its empty, no weapons. said mike, his voice showing the anger and annoyance he felt. He knew that if it wasn't carrying supplies then it was carrying people and those people would still be in the building. Well then what next? asked an annoyed rebel who had been hoping for a better weapon. We're going to burn this bitch. he said, following it with a snicker to himself. He took one of the molotovs he had and lit the rag atop of it, throwing it in the room below the helicopter. Follow suit on each floor, this buildings going down. he said. The rebels listened and moved to the lower floors throwing molotovs into rooms randomly on each floor.
One of the rebels ran to the ground floor and told the remaining rebels what had happened. This pissed off the majority of them, causing them to leave the building but a few stayed behind. Of the three two ran up to higher levels of the building, using their molotovs on rooms randomly, while one ran towards the basement. He made his way to the closed doorway and lit his molotov, he arched his arm back to throw and pushed open the door but the molotov slipped from his hand and broke at his feet engulfing both the man and the doorway in flames. He began to scream and fire his weapon wildly as he ran into the basement full of panic and in immense pain.
A technical was rolling down the streets slowly, the driver and gunner both examining the street before them looking for an easy engagement. The gunner was the first to see the two SUV's rolling across the street a few blocks down and he opened fire. This prompted the driver to floor it, soon they took a turn and were close behind the SUV's.
Time Until Rescue - 30 Minutes
Moore listened intently, waiting for any sounds that would inform him that someone had given chase. At first he heard nothing but water dropping from a crack in the ceiling into a puddle and the occasional rustling noise in the corner which he assumed came from a mouse.
Suddenly he cocked his ear almost comically like a dog. He swore he could hear glass breaking above him. As his listened, the sounds became closer as motlovs were broken on the floor above. Combined with this noise were the footsteps and voices of the rebels above. Among this he made out a slight creak as a rebel pushed open the door to the basement. He checked to make sure his team had heard it.
Rather unexpectedly he heard a thud as the rebel fell and the sound of glass breaking. Seconds later he heard the man yell and he ducked slightly as he heard weapons fire. It was a lucky thing he did, bullets from the man's AK tore through the paper thin walls of the room, however they came at such an angle that they pierced somewhat high up on the wall and went through the room and then through the ceiling.
As he waited and listened, the man continued screaming and Moore could smell a wretched stench. He recognized it, he had smelled it before in the helicopter, it was a mixture of an accelerant and burning flesh. He put two and two together, the sound of breaking glass plus the smell of gasoline told him the man had likely dropped a motolov cocktail and lit himself ablaze. The rules of engagement allowed Moore to decide whether to render aid. He decided against it due to the gunfire.
As the man ran wildly through the hallway, Moore ordered his men back, if the man opened the door, there would be less of a chance they would be injured by the fire.
On The Streets
Harris expertly navigated debris and the odd person on the street, sometimes driving straight while other times required him to swerve and weave violently at several times putting him right on the curb. He slowed down slightly taking a left onto a much wider though more debris filled street. He knew the street, he had traveled on it many times both as a civilian and while driving in convoy.
As he crossed an intersection he jumped in his seat at the sound of machine gun fire before him. Luckily the rear SUV had managed to cross in time and avoided being hit. Harris pushed the petal down further and watched as the digital speedometer jumped from 60 to 83 kilometers. He cranked the wheel, avoiding a pile of burning tires by jumping the curb onto the sidewalk, nearly flipping the vehicle.
Behind him he could hear the sound of screeching tires as the technical drifted onto his street. He needed a quick exit. He spotted an alley a few buildings up. He turned first to the left despite the fact that the alley was on the right side, as he did he spoke through his headset.
''Alleyway, 3' oclock.''
He cranked the wheel and used the wide angle to give him more room to turn, allowing him to do it at a faster speed and less sharp angle. He turned into the narrow alley, only a few feet wider that the vehicle. He checked his rear view to see if the rear SUV had followed. It had and he spoke through his headset.
''If the technical follows, flash bang him and have someone in the rear left seat, window down. When we turn up ahead, fire.''
The man fell to the ground in flames as he died, his last thoughts going back to his family. His wife and beautiful baby girl who he would never see again. In his last feat of strength he pointed the barrel of his AK to himself and fired. The only sounds after that were the thud of him hitting the ground and the occasional crackle from the flame, which had engulfed his entire body.
Another rebel had heard the gunfire and ran toward the basement only to see the burning man lying in the middle of the hallway and smell the stench which filled the air. He turned quickly and ran away. He knew would never forget this moment.
The rebels inside the building hurried out as the flames took it over. It wasn't long before several floors were spewing flames from almost every window, then the building was rocked. The helicopter exploded, sending shrapenel into the street below and causing the fourth floor to collapse onto the third, then the third to collapse onto the second. This caused the rebels to start cheering and firing their weapons wildly into the air, attracting more attention from other rebels. This lasted for only a moment as reality gripped the rebels minds, soon they were rushing through various alley ways looking for anything that peaked their interests. Mike however knew, he knew there were people in the building and now that the building was aflame he knew they would have to escape. He waited, hiding from view, for them to come out.
The Technical tried to keep up with the SUV's but it couldn't. If it weren't for the second SUV waiting for the first to turn the Driver wouldn't have known where they went. He however wan't as good a driver as the ones in the SUV's and he decided against turning down the alley, instead he stopped alloying the gunner a perfect line of sight down the alley. Soon he began to fire his gun directly at them, the flash from the weapon lighting up the darkened alley with each round is spent.
Time Until Rescue - 25 Minutes
As the last shot was heard, Moore waited. He was almost positive someone would come running to see what had happened. Sure enough he heard a familiar creak, this time however, no footsteps came close and he heard the door slam shut. As he waited he heard the explosion from the helicopter above rip through the building. Before he could order his team to move, a massive roar came from above, followed by a crashing sound which rivaled that of a jet engine. Above them, several floors had come crashing down upon the first. Lucky for them, the first had managed to stay intact but Moore knew that it wouldn't be for long.
''Brown, Martin, clear the hallway.''
Brown and Martin opened the door entering into the basement hallway. They spotted the burnt remains of the rebel clutching an AK-47 which had been pointed just slightly behind his chin. Martin opened the door back up and motioned to Moore that it was ok to move. The group rushed into the hallway while Martin and Brown waited at the door to the stairwell.
The staff members were quite disgusted at the sight and smell of the burnt rebel, so disgusted in fact that the ambassador's wife gagged, coughed and threw up in a nearby laundry cart. Moore pulled his combat t shirt up over his mouth and nose and winced. He approached the body, bent down and pulled the AK from the dead man's hands. The rifle didn't have a sling so he tossed his AY-144 over his back instead. He backed up, ordering the staff behind the cart while Brown and Martin entered the stairs.
Upon entering they were surprised to see a massive amount of debris covering the floor and the absence of any floor above the first. Through small cracks in the destroyed stairs above they could see yellow, orange and red flames burning brightly in the darkness. Brown spoke to Moore through his headset.
''Stairwell is clear, there is nothing left above the first floor, over.''
Moore and Clark lead the group up the stairs stopping behind Brown and Martin. Once again Brown and Martin went in ahead. As they entered they noted more debris covering the floor including lots of soot made by the plaster. Although the first floor remained intact there were lots of cracks and holes in the ceiling which had allowed debris to fall through. Brown spotted and glowing red exit sign headed for it while Martin beaconed for the rest of the group to follow.
Once the group had reached the door, Moore kept the staff back. Clark went past the door to a large but shattered window. He needed to find them another safe building to hide in. Peering outside he checked the buildings directly across the street. There was a small department store, a grocery store and directly across from the door was a small restaurant. All three buildings had been broken into or at least had their window smashed. He decided on the restaurant because it had a front patio lined with thick three foot cement walls which would offer them more cover.
''I've spotted a building, a restaurant, 12' oclock.''
Moore responded.
''Clark, Martin, cross the street and secure the first room of the building, Brown, provide cover fire from the window.''
Brown moved to beside Clark. Clark jumped through the window which no longer had glass while Martin tossed open the door. Both men scanned down each side of the street for a split second before turning their attention to the restaurant in front of them. Brown looked left, then right and then at the various windows, doors and openings of the nearby buildings, searching for a contact.
Streets
Harris prepared to turn again as he had nearly reached the end of the alley. Behind him, Private King had jumped into the rear left seat of the SUV and pulled a flash bang from his vest, watching in the rear view mirror to see if the technical would follow. He watched as it screeched to a halt, at first thinking that it had been able to make the turn and had to stop. He realized that wasn't the case as he watched the gunner spin the machine gun to point it at them.
King screamed out warning his driver but there was nothing the driver could do. The machine gun began chanting death's song, spitting out round after round as it did. Although the SUVs were armored, they couldn't protected against .50 caliber rounds. The rounds smashed through the armor entering into the rear SUV. Bullets flew everywhere smashing apart all of the windows. King could do nothing as several rounds entered his body. However, due to where King had sat he had so far shielded the driver from being hit.
Harris entered onto the street again, turning the wheel and increasing his speed again, once again nearly flipping. He had heard the gunfire and knew he needed to get away quickly. By turning down the alley he had put himself three blocks east and one block south of Moore's position.
The driver of the rear SUV, Corporal Blane had ducked when the shooting had started so although King's body was now slumped forward in the seat, Blane still had his head down protecting him from being hit as bullets continued to enter the vehicle. He stepped on the breaks, squealing the tires as he turned very sharply onto the street. Luckily he had slowed down, otherwise he would have likely flipped.
''The tango didn't follow, we've been hit though.''
His heard this and developed a plan. He was confident the technical would head up the street and fire at them from the next intersection up and continue to do so, blocking the vehicles from heading west. Harris slammed on the breaks and spoke through his headset.
''Turn around and follow .''
Harris put the vehicle in reverse, spinning it around and heading the opposite way down the street. As they passed the alley, Hall looked out his window to see if the technical still sat at the end of it.
Mike seen the two men preparing to leave the building Got you. he wispered. He was now faced with a choice, either stay behind and take only sure shots or stand up and unleash his Kalashnikov's fury unto the men. He chose the first and began to crawl, once under a car he took up aim at the man and fired his rifle several times.
Two of the rebels who just watched the building collapse were running in a nearby alley when they heard the shots from Mikes rifle. Did that come from behind us? one asked, not sure where it came from. Ya I think. replied the other rebel. They decided to go back and check but they were 3 1/2 blocks away now and they needed quick transportation. When they ran into the road they seen a police car driving toward them. One of the rebels dropped his weapon while the other hid. As the police car got closer the man began to wave it down, it stopped and one of the cops got out Help, help me please. said the rebel My daughter is burned badly, she is going to die he pretended. I can't help you replied the cop, he was on orders to get to the capital building to help fight. Then die. said the rebel as the other came running from hiding, shooting the 2 cops. They took the police car and began driving.
The technical gunner cheered, knowing at least one of the men had been hit. The driver continued down the road and waited again for the SUV's to pass but they didn't. He then turned onto the road in which they were driving but they were lost now. Fuck. mumbled the driver as they drove off.
Neither of the men had spotted the rebel until it was too late. Gunfire erupted from under a car just down the street. Two bullets entered into Martin's leg and as he fell, two more entered into his torso. Clark feared the worse and ran even faster towards the restaurant bullets which had missed Martin skipped across the road behind him.
Brown hadn't seen the rebel either but after the first two shots he'd turned and spotted the rebel, he wasn't far away but it would be a little tricky to hit him having hid under the car. Brown raised his weapon and began firing in semi automatic mode.
Clarke reached the cement wall and ducked behind it pulling a flash bang from his vest. He pulled the pin and tossed it into the restaurant through the shattered window, waited a second and hopped the wall and rushed in. The dining area had been completely torn apart, tables and chairs strewn throughout the room. He raised his weapon higher, searching the room for contacts before turning to see where Martin was.
Martin lay in the middle of the street in a large pool of blood and he appeared dead. Martin spoke through his headset.
''Dining area is clear, Martin is down.''
Moore didn't reply, there wasn't much he could say or do, he had to wait for the contact to be eliminated before they could cross.
Street
Hall let out a sigh of relief, the enemy had fallen for it. The SUVs sped even faster down the street making a right turn. The technical was gone, Harris suspected he'd either went looking for them or gotten bored. They were now on the same street as Martin lay in but three blocks down. As they headed down the street Harris saw the rebel's gunfire first and then Brown's. He had a feeling it must be his comrades so he tried contacting them through his headset.
''Alpha this is Bravo, we are heading down the street towards you, is that you firing.''
Moore replied quickly,
''Bravo that is us, we have a contact under the red car, do you see it?''
Harris looked and spotted the car.
''I see it, hold your fire over.''
Brown stopped firing, the lull allowing him to hear the roar of the SUVs engines. Harris began to slow down finally stopping about twenty five feet from the car.
Time Until Rescue - 20 Minutes
Mike smiled when the man fell, he pumped another round into the man to make sure he was dead. Just as he was about to rush out from under the car he came under fire. Several rounds hit the road and side of the car, each one making a different noise as it impacted, but only one had hit him. The round bounced from the road and hit the top of his right sholder close to his neck and now it was bleeding badly. Under immense pressure from both the shooter and a SUV which pulled up he panicked, rolled out from under the car and stood to his feet. As he turned around a bullet hit him in the thigh, droping Mike to one knee, but it had shown him the location of the shooter, which he soon began to fire at.
Streets.
In the stolen cop cars the rebels found two bullet proof vests, both of which were covered in blood, a shotgun, which one of them traded his .22 for, and a single smoke grenade. The drove slowly through the streets looking down both directions when they seen the flash from a rifle down one of the streets. They turned and as they got closer they seen the firefight. Stopping infront of a restraunt they got out and both started firing at the SUV, yelling for the man to run to them.
As the man got to his feet and staggered onto his feet, Brown watched, trigger finger itching wanting desperately to pump the man full of lead. He held back knowing that a stray round could injure or kill his comrades on the either side of the man. The rebel fell to one knee and began to fire. Bullets flew dangerously close by, forcing Brown to take cover.
Harris and the team members jumped out, opening the doors of the SUV and using them as cover like police officers often did back home. The difference being that their doors would protect them against assault rifle bullets. Harris yelled out as the man dropped,
''Drop your weap....''
He was interrupted as the man began to fire. Harris raised his AY-144 peering down the scope and fired two rounds at the mans head. After doing this he spotted two police cars roaring down the street towards them. He held position, unsure of what the officers wanted or if they had come to assist. He was surprised when the doors opened revealing two blood soaked rebels who began unloading on them.
Private Hall felt a hot pain as a bullet entered through his right shoulder which was exposed on one side of the door, allowing him to train his rifle towards the enemy. He nearly dropped his rifle but managed to keep his grip, ducking behind the door. The others did the same, suppressed by the heavy fire.
Brown reappeared at the window, spotted the two rebels outside and began firing, as he did he spoke through his headset.
''Clarke, contacts to the 12 of the restaurant, I'm taking cover, fire at will.''
Brown stopped firing, ducking back into the building. Martin pulled two Hornet's nest grenades from his belt, tossing them out onto the street near the rebels. The grenades would explode sending hundreds of pepper spray filled balls shooting towards them. He waited to hear them go off.
Time Until Rescue - 15 Minutes
Boom. The grenades went off very close to the rebels feet and they fell hard unto the ground, both in immense pain. Don't shoot. screamed one of the rebels. The other remained silent, he wasn't letting himself be taken by what he thought was goverment soldiers. Unable to see and in pain he quickly thought up a plan. He began to move, making it look as if he were writhing in pain while subtly moving his hands to the concealed smoke grenade. Once his hands were on it he rolled onto his stomach and pulled the pin. He then pulled it from the hiding place and dropped it just under his chest. Help. he yelled, pretending to be scared. Once the smoked covered him he held his breath and moved his hand to the knife he had on him.
As the rebels stopped shooting the members of Bravo section cautiously peered out from behind the doors just enough to expose their rifles and heads allowing them to peer down the sights at the now grounded rebels, incapacitated an writhing in pain. It was against Fordykian doctrine to kill a wounded combatant unless otherwise engaged.
It was important that they react quickly and detain the men, the effects of the pain were short lived and the pepper spray could also easily wear off. Harris called out in an official tone, watching one of the rebels writhing in pain,
''Don't move, don't reach for your weapons! Now slowly roll onto your stomachs! Failure to comply will result in death!''
Harris watched as one of the men complied, crying out for help as he did so. At first, Harris thought nothing was up until he noted he white wisps of smoke that began enveloping the man. Before he could react the man had disappeared into a cloud of smoke which began to envelope the street. Fearing that the man might now be able to reach the location of the Ambassador he called out,
''My vehicle, inside now, rear vehicle, pull up in front of the restaurant and rescue that soldier.''
He and his navigator jumped back into the SUV, putting the petal to the floor, jumping the curb, passing the police vehicle and coming to a neat stop in front of the window Brown had been firing from. The rear SUV shot forward, the driver cranking the wheel right and in the smoky haze jumping the curb, smashing into one of the police cars slightly as he pulled the vehicle just in front of the restaurant.
Harris ordered the injured Hall to provide watch and Hall stood, facing into the plume of smoke searching for signs of a threat. Harris jumped out of his door, calling for Brown
''Brown, get them out here and into the truck.''
Brown motioned to Moore, who led the Ambassador, his wife and the staff to the window. Brown took up a position facing down the street, using the SUV as cover. Harris rushed the principles into the vehicles, the three climbing into the very back seat. He then barked more orders,
''Hall get into the back with Brown, he can patch you up.''
Moore didn't need to be ordered, he joined Harris up front as the men piled into the vehicle, slamming the doors shut.
On the other side of the street, Blane waited in the SUV, speaking to Clarke through his headset.
''Clarke I'm directly out front, heavy smoke though, make your way to the vehicle, it's your only chance out of here.''
Clarke hoped from the window into the patio and into the white smoke, he staggered through the patio, bumping into chairs and tables as he felt his way for the vehicle.
Unexpectedly, all of the headsets of the soldiers crackled to life,
''Whisky this Hammer Four Niner, have you reached the evac point, we are coming in hard and fast and can't wait around, it's pretty hot down there.''
The transmission came from 2nd Lieutenant Jacob Black from the lead Blackhawk. The helicopter had thus far managed to dodge several rocket attacks and had picked up speed, approaching the hotel quickly.
Time Until Rescue: 10 Minutes
Once the smoke cloud had enveloped the rebels they stood up, one ran as fast as possible away and once outside the smoke cloud he managed to run into an alley and take cover behind a large dumpster, hopefully out of sight. The other however pulled out a large combat knife and began to search hard for a contact coming into the smoke. It was to thick at first and he couldn't see more than 1 or 2 feet ahead of him but as it began to clear he started to make out the shape of a man slowly moving through the padio of a nearby restraunt. The rebel began to slowly move trying not to alarm the man with the sounds of his footsteps but the smoke was clearing quickly and if he didn't hurry he would surley get shot down. Now the smoke was thin enough for him to make out the small concrete walls surrounding the patio and he began to run. Once close enough he hopped onto the wall using it as a stepping stone to jump. knife in hand, at the man.
Harris knew he couldn't wait any longer. He stepped on the gas, speaking through his headset.
''I'm sorry guys, we can't wait any longer, catch up if you can, if not, head back to the embassy, a second evac team is on its way.''
Harris turned the vehicle onto the main street which lead to the hotel, watching as the speedometer
rose.
Blane cursed, he counted to ten..1...2..3.
As Clarke neared the opening in the wall that lead to the street, he swore he could hear the sounds of boots. He looked up and seen the lower half of the rebel's body and at first, he wasn't sure what it was. Before he had much time to decide the figure came flying off of the wall and Clarke spotted the glint of a knife in his hand.
Clarke's reflexes made him put his arms up to shield his face and since he was holding a rifle, the rebel crashed into him, but his rifle prevented him from getting close enough for slashing or stabbing. Clarke was knocked far backwards, smashing into several tables and chairs and again loosing the man in the smoke. He also lost his grip on his rifle, it was sent sliding behind him and he couldn't see it in the smoke. As the smoke cleared further, he spotted the man and went for his pistol.
(OOC: Sorry for the delay family and such, you wouldn't believe how much one person can eat, anyways I'm back and here's my post)
The rebel hit the ground hard, his momentum making it unable for him to catch himself in time before he came crashing down on his side. His breath was instantly knocked from him and he began to wheeze and cough, though with each inhale the smoke made it worse. He tried to speak but the mixture of smoke and breathlessness made him unable to and now he was feeling a sharp pain in his leg which was probably broken. He knew death was near he could feel it lurking, watching, and he began to pray hoping his god would answer.
Down the street 2 technicals were rolling, one behind the other, each one with several fighters in the back. This one was different however as the men in back were in uniform and well armed, soldiers loyal to the rebels cause. The first noticed the smoke and stopped, causing the second to do the same. The driver of the first one, the groups commander, told the second force to check it out over his radio. The soldiers were unloading from the technical as first drove off. Soon the four of them were heading down the road, with the .50 cal's gunner overwatching their advance.
Harris drove the vehicle as fast as possible, finding it much easier now as he saw less and less debris. As he got close to the hotel he realized he had gotten there pretty much just in time.
One of the Blackhawk helicopters had already touched down on the roof, unloading a section of soldiers. Alpha section immediately took up positions facing the door in case any rebel from inside decided to burst out. As the first helicopter lifted of from the roof, a second descended allowing another section to dismount, this time taking up positions on the rooftop overlooking the buildings and streets below. As the final loaded helicopter replaced the second and unloaded, the three helicopter began rapidly circling the building high in altitude, ready to provide support with their guns.
Although they weren't supposed to be armed according to the government, the Captain had found a loophole. He managed to get permission to bring in a full loaded team which carried machine guns. He just happened to bring along a few more guns which weren't mounted to the helicopter. The forth helicopter landed on the roof, ready to evacuate the embassy staff.
On the street, Harris drove the vehicle up on the sidewalk, up a large cement staircase and through the glass doors right into the foyer of the hotel. Quickly the soldiers dismounted, training their weapons in all direction while shutting the staff members inside the vehicle just in case they were attacked.
Above, two sections stacked up outside the roof door, booting it open and entering into the forth floor hallway, weapons ready.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Clarke watched as the man fell. Due to the rules of engagement, he couldn't shot the man. Instead he rapidly approached looking to ensure he was unarmed. Satisfied he turned and went through the almost diminished smoke cloud, picking up his rifle and holstering his pistol. He he ran for the SUV he watched in horror as a technical rolled onto the street and uniformed men dismounted. He was almost positive they were working with the rebels but he couldn't shoot without confirming it. He through open the door of the SUV and the driver put it into reverse, sending the vehicle lurching backwards as fast as possible.
There weren't many rebels inside the hotel but the speeding SUV's caught the attention of many along the streets. All along the road they began running toward the hotel which the SUV just drove into. Five rebels reached the hotel first and began running up the stairs, with at least 8 more not to far behind them. When they seen the men they moved for any cover near them, many hiding in the brushes but a few hiding behind a small ledge toward the left of the entrance. They were shooting blindly from their cover, hoping the men would hide while more of them ran inside.
The second technical, armed with a recoiless rifle and a squad of soldiers, was driving around the block dodging debris, burning cars and tire fires in the hopes that they would surround anybody who was in the smoke fog they had just seen, but when they spotted the SUV, which was obvisouly govermental because almost no one could afford that nice a vehicle within the nation, crashed into a hotel which was under seige they headed there instead. As they got closer to the rebels they stopped and the soldiers dismounted. A couple of rebels aimed their weapons at them but the soldiers quickly showed their allegince by ripping off the national flag from their uniform. Soon they began running toward the entrance as the technical driver floored it, hoping his vehicle could make it up the stairs so they could use the recoiless rifle.
______________________________________________________
As the soldiers advanced towards the smoke they faintly seen a figure moving, running toward a indistinguishable vehcile. When this vehicle started up and moved they began to fire at it, their AKM's and RPK's making little impact upon the armor of the vehicle however the .50 cal soon began firing, shooting the vehicle several times.
As Moore and the others ensured the foyer was clear they could here all sorts of yelling coming from behind them. Before they had crashed into the building they had spotted several rebels not nearly enough to make that much noise. Suddenly gunfire rang out forcing the men to duck down as bullets peppered the lobby walls and the SUV. Moore also heard the roar of a vehicle engine and tires squealing. He spoke calmly through his headset.
''Hammers, we are requesting support outside the front of the hotel, over.''
He didn't have to ask, already one of the Blackhawks turned allowing one man lying prone in the back to fire his machine gun at the soldiers below. It wasn't as effective as a mounted weapon but it did the trick.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
As the vehicle sped backwards numerous bullets impacted against the front of the vehicle. Both men were very worried. Without warning the .50 cal bullets began striking the front grill of the vehicle, not able to pass through but doing enough damage to the vehicle to cause it to stall. More bullets forced their way through the windshield, easily killing the two men inside.
__________________
The technical made it to the stairs and was nearly up them when several rounds hit the roof and the back, one of the rounds entered the drivers sholder and another in his gut and he fell unconscious. Another round hit the ammo container holding several 110mm warheads causing a very large explosion which killed many of the nearby rebels. The gunfire coming from above took out the remaining ones who tried to hide and a tempory peace occured.
Down the street the soldiers were checking the bodies of the dead men in the SUV, taking their weapons and ammo, when they seen a large explosion erupt from down the street. Immediately they rushed back to the technical and began moving. As they got closer several soldiers noticed the helicopter flying overhead and they stopped on the street just before the hotel. The men inside the helicopter must have noticed the group because several rounds began to hit the vehicle, even killing one of the soldiers with a head shot. Still the gunner managed to aim the .50 caliber at the helicopter and shoot while the soldiers who were still alive dismounted and headed for cover.