Death Mask

"This is dragon 04, we are ETA 2 mikes out from target. Saddle up boys." With that the COM went silent as the 22 Army Rangers readied themselves to disembark. Two men were still. Each one stoic as possible. They were the door gunners, one gave a thumbs up to the Rangers who nodded in turn. The other just gave one look at the men. A painted skull on his mask and the black visor pulled down intimated them all. But the voice that followed was hallow. Giving them shivers.

"Give them hell. Remember. Rangers move mountains." He looked forward just as the AWACS overhead came on.

"This is overlord. Wardog 01-04 will be doing their attack runs shortly. Dragon's, stay nap of the earth. Warrior actual report on troop readiness." One of the Rangers towards the ramp lips moved in line with the words the gunner heard.

"We are green, and very, very mean." The Rangers all yelled as one. "OH-RAH!" The gunner grinned, masking his lips just like the skull in its death grin.

The sound of sparks and bullets rifting through the thine metal of the side of the helicopter brought him back to his job. Quickly undoing the safety and unloading towards the flashes. "Contact! Right hand side! Small arms fire in 5-no!-13 spots!" The recoil rolled through his arms and he spared a look to his right. Two Rangers were falling down and another three were already down. That's when they lost power to engine 1. The helicopter shook violently and everyone was thrown up, were they stayed Suspended in midair. Glass was shattering and spraying everywhere, followed with Sparks and bullets. Men were thrown all about, crashing into the side then into the roof. With a crash and grinding metal they were all thrown about. Rolling as the helicopter landed in a small stream in the very middle of the valley.

"If your breathing sound off!" A ranger called out and soon some life returned to the living. "Warrior 2 up..."

"Warrior 03 still kicking!-warrior 05 my leg is pinned!-warrior 10, helping 04!" After some seconds pasted 12 rangers still moved. The rest to badly hurt or dead. Slowly the gunner climbed up, supporting himself against the hull, "death mask, still up." A ranger said coming over and patting him down. "No broken bones." He said and moved on to the other gunner. After a quick check he spoke over the COM. "Gunner 02 is dead... Same with the pilots." The gunner looked over at his dead friend but ducked as sparks went flying again. Flashes came from the village as small arms fire came to life again. 'Death mask' moved back to his minigun and picked it up. The sound of damaged gears filling the air as he tried to aim. Then the gun roared to life to drown out the small arms fire.

"This is dragon 01 coming in to EVAC the wounded and surviver's. I still see movement at the crash site."

"This is overlord fact. Gunslinger 07 and 04 are in-route." The Rangers started to pull back, out a large hole in the left side of the helicopter. The gunner Stayed in his place. A rope still attaching him to the helicopter. He saw a cloud of red mist and a flash had stopped. So he moved his aim onto the next target. His mini gun roaring until the barrels were red hot. He let go of it and removed his small M9 pistol. Were he continued to fire. Until finally M4, and M16 fire filled his ears. His helmet having been broken in the fall allowed him to hear. A arm grabbed him and pulled him back.

"Come on! We got the last of our boys!" Sprinting after the ranger that had come back for him. He ran and ran. The boulders the Rangers we're using as cover came closer and closer. He would never see the other side. Nor the lives that he had saved by putting down supporting fire. As a loud crack came and he spun on his heel. He could see the village, then slowly the sky came into view. After a very long moment He saw another chinook, a dragon painted on the side with a 01 next to it flying overhead. It was going so slow. He could slowly see it get more into his view. He left weightless, until his back hit the rock. Then a roaring he had never heard before. He saw two Apache gunships come in close to the chinook. Unloading deadly 20mm cannon fire and rockets into the attackers.

Soon he felt hands grasp his shoulders. Then he was starting to be pulled. "Rangers move mountains, but you move the men to do such actions." A voice that sounded all fuzzy and distant filled his hearing.

"Medic! Medic!" Was the last he heard as the chinook finally landed. His eyes closed as he breathed.

"I'm just one man."