Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War - Operation Red Star

Perseus strikes

The bombardment seizes and we can hear battle cries coming from downhill and soon enough, a small army of Mujahideen start an all-out frontal attack. Most are on foot, but some are riding horses, whielding AK-47 assault rifles.

Portnova is the first to open fire. "For the Soviet Union!" she shouts. The rest of us follow suit and cut down one after another. The horses partically are an easy target for our MG-gunners.

"Those people are crazy!" I remark while reloading.

"They are fanatics. Ready to die for their god." Woltschak remarks with hatred. "Keep shooting men!" he shouts at his soldiers.

"Fight to the last breath!" The colonel shouts from the wall, having joined the fight.

The battle is little more than a slaughter. When the attack is over, only a few of us are wounded and as they are evacuated to the first aid station inside the camp, the rest of us catch our breath.

"Does... does that happen often?" I ask Woltschak while trying to catch my breath.

"No, not since the beginning of the Intervention. They only attack patrols and supply convoys. This is highly unusual."

"Well... that's certainly one way to start the day." Vargas remarks. Before we can discuss what the hell just happened, another barrage of mortar fire comes in, this time even closer than before. One of the shells hits one of the foxholes and kills all the soldiers inside, leaving nothing but bloody chunks of flesh and uniforms behind.

In that moment, I'm glad I didn't eat breakfast.

"Spetsnaz, take out these mortars!" the colonel shouts at us. "Grab a motorcyle! The rest of you, secure the area. I don't want any stragglers."

"Yes, Sir!" we shout, rush back inside the camps vehicle park and find two M-72 motorcyles with sidecars. Portnova and I jump onto one of them, Woltschak and Powers on the other. The rest of our team and the other Spetsnaz members secure the surrounding areas with regular soldiers.

"Do you know where to go?" I ask Woltschak.

"I know a few locations where they could be. Follow my lead and watch out for columns of smoke." he tells us.

While driving through the valleys of rock formations, we finally see such columns in the distance and drive towards them where we find indeed a handful of mortars which are barely defended.

Portnova halt and allows me to jump out of the sidecar. The rebels are taking off guard and I manage to take them out quickly with the help of Sergeant Woltschak. These bastards were using soviet mortars! They must have stolen them. But two bandits manage to escape into a narrow mountain pass.

Woltschak turns to us. "Powers and Portnova, secure these Mortars. Ivanov, follow me. We can't let them get away." Then we run off into the pass.

The rocks around us go high into the air. Gunfire erupts before me and I double my speed. Damn, that man is fast.

When I turn around a corner, I'm getting hit by a rifle butt in the face and before I can regain my orientation, someone grabs my AK and pushes me to the ground.

"You should have stayed on our side."

Woltschak? No...

I look up and see Woltschak pointing my AK at me. The fleeing rebels are lying next to me, both dead. "Sergeant, what is the meaning of this?" I ask.

With one hand he pulls out a chain from beneath his shirt. It has the symbol of Perseus on it. "You... You're one of them." I whisper in shock. I remember the words of Chairman Andropov and wish I would have listened. "Trust no one."