It was the year 2050. The war in Europe had been going on for 20yrs. Twenty years of madness, of murder, of rape, and destruction, more than half of Europe was a burnt out shell. All because those stupid bastards in South East Europe could not get along with each other, with ethnic groups choosing up sides and drawing in more and more and more countries until half of the continent was ablaze. As more and more countries were drawn into the conflict, the mayhem became even more intense. The backpack nuke used in L.A. was the last straw.
Now her she was in a cesspit called the Balkans, but what the hell, that were the price of promotion. Kathy Caitlin aka Cat was a Major in
The US Army, an expert in Intelligence & counterinsurgency.
At the age of 30 Cat was well on her way to being a General Officer by the time she was 40.
However, none of these thoughts had any bearing of the work of the day. Command & Control had given her new orders, bring in some prisoners & find the new gas factory that was giving command and control fits.
CHAPTER I THE MISSION
Cat was in command of a company of Counterinsurgency and Intelligence; this consisted of 6 helos and 200 to 250 troopers. For the coming insertion, she would only be using 2 helos and 50 troopers.
Cat turned to her executive officer, "Hey Red get the fifty troopers next on the duty list a get 2 birds warmed up. We are going for a little ride." Red said, " OK skipper. You want I should go along." " Nah, can't have you and I on the same OP, someone has to watch the fort. Besides you would have to lead any rescue mission, if my mission should have any trouble."
Red's shoulders slumped. Red, who was actually Capt. William Early, was a 6ft 10in monster of a man was always up for action. Even if the possibility of said, action was slight. Being the true professional he was the said, "Birds and troopers will be on the tarmac in 20".
Thirty minutes later the two helos were flying over the war blasted landscaped that was modern day Balkan's. Cat was speaking into her helmet mike. "Ronni, turn to a NE heading over this next mountain and get lower we won't be able to see a fucking thing at this altitude. This fucking fog doesn't help anything either." Autumn in the Balkans was notorious for fog and today was worse than most, Ronni was first Lieutenant Veronica Early sister of William Early, Cat's executive officer and pilot of Cat's helo. Ronni said, "Not a good idea to go lower skipper, theses fools on the ground don't have many missiles left, but they have plenty of small arms. It only takes one round on the big nut that holds the rotor on to make you have a bad day." Cat said, "Down please Ronni". "Ok Skipper, down it is."
Fox 1 and Fox 2 swooped down to tree top level and started to pass the top of the mountain. A burst of auto rifle fire hit Fox 1. The armored sides shrugged if off with only scratches, then six rounds hit the large rotor nut. That was three rounds more than it could take. A piece of the nut fractured and hit the rotor. Then the rotor itself flew apart, Fox 1 dropped like the rock it now was, and ahead was a small clearing. Ronni was screaming into her mike, "Mayday, Mayday, Fox 1 we are hit, going down at map ref-----". CRASH, BANG, BOOM, Fox 1 was down.
Chapter 2 WALKING
Fox 2 was not hit by the first burst of auto-fire, but on circling back to the wreckage of Fox 1, they came under a storm of small arms fire. Some of this fire hit the tail rotor causing the aircraft to bounce and shudder, they had no choice they must return to base.
Meanwhile on the ground, there were signs of life in the wrecked aircraft. When the aircraft was hit, Cat was firmly belted in the right hand seat, events moved so quickly she never had time to be afraid. In any case, she could not fly a helo; in fact, Ronni could not fly this one, because rocks can't fly.
In the seconds before they hit cat though, "What a stupid fucking way to die, shot down by someone Militiaman with an AK-47. Then the aircraft smashed into the clearing, the rear of the craft hitting a giant boulder while the nose smacked into giant mud hole.
The mud hole saved Cat, Ronni, and the two troopers in the jump seats. The other 21 troopers were crushed between the boulder and the frame of the aircraft. As soon as Cat got here wits about her she yelled, "Out, get out this fucker may burn." That proved a small problem, the doors were buckled and jammed, by now the smell of fuel was overpowering. Cat reacted quickly, pulling her 10mm pistol she swapped mags for one with AP rounds. Yelling, "Cover your face", she put three rounds into the front windscreen, then raising a booted foot she kicked the remainder of the windscreen onto the ground.
Turning to Ronni and the two troopers she said, "Hurry up this damn thing is going to blow any second. First Ronni, the two troopers, and finally Cat herself un-assed the smashed remains of the aircraft. They promptly found themselves ass deep in sticky brown mud, struggling and falling the finally made there way to somewhat dryer ground. Fifty yards from the aircraft, they were slammed to the ground by a deep-throated explosion. The helo had become a funeral pyre for the 21 dead heroes still aboard. As the four lay panting on the damp ground, they looked back at what had been one of the highest tech weapons in America's arsenal. Now only so much burning scrap metal.
Cat took rapid stock of their general situation. Ronni had her 10mm pistol and her map case. Each of the troopers was armed with their standard machine pistols, plus 2 frag grenades, and two smoke grenades, plus all had their own GPS device. The troopers themselves one male, one female were a plus, they at most times served as Cat's bodyguard. This meant they were hardened veterans with at least 5 yrs service. The male was of average size, 5ft 10in and slender build. He looked somewhat harmless until you looked into the deep blue eyes they seemed to have no spark, or life. His name was Carl (Snuff) Calvin, a stone cold killer if there was ever one. The female trooper was 5ft 5in with a girl next-door look about her, her brown eyes wide and innocent looking. Her name was Rene (Trigger) Ames; her looks were belied by her nickname Trigger, because that was what she was quick on the trigger. That left ronni (Fox), for hers looks, hence her call sign. At 5ft 8in and a centerfold figure she was not really a ground trooper, but she had been in a few ground firefights and was fearless in any case.