Another World at War

Chapter 23: Overwatch

Location: North-Western Oregon, USA

Unit: Detachment–Delta/GOU, Alpine Group

Date: July 24th, 2021 CE

The small unit of soldiers carefully crept beneath the trees, Jackson was in the lead. He analysed his surroundings; everything was silent. There wasn't a sound in hearing distance nor did he see the presence of the abnormal. He spun around looking at the soldier behind him, it was still dark so he couldn't make out the face but he saw a signal, the okay sign.

He repeated the signal indicating he was okay before turning back around and facing the eery darkness. Carefully avoiding the sticks beneath his feet he trod lightly through the forest. The incline of the ground suddenly started to increase rapidly. Immediately he noticed and made a circular movement with his left hand above his head before placing his hand on his helmet. The soldier behind him turned approached him and repeated the movement to the soldier behind him. Jackson carefully organised the rest into a circle around him, letting everyone cover a specific angle, more commonly known as an all around defence. 

Two soldiers approached him, one was noticeably feminine while the other masculine, the male carried a radio and a H&K417 while the female carried a Hecate II anti-material rifle.

Jackson nodded at them before slinking away to join the protective circle leaving them to operate the radio.

These two unidentified soldiers were GOU operators Zeller and Turner.

Turner sat the radio down on the floor and knelt next to it while Zeller watched; he pulled up the antenna and pulled a cable from the side connecting it to his earpiece, "This is Alpine 1-2, we have reached our primary coordinates and are ready to begin making it to the secondary point, over,"

A voice came through his earpiece, "This is Eagle, we hear you loud and clear Alpine 1-2, arrival ETA 20 seconds."

Suddenly a buzzing sound filled the atmosphere, Zeller looked to the skies seeing a small shape fly above. Immediately she turned around to see Turner switch off the radio completely and switch on the internal cooling system. 

The sound stopped. Nothing happened. Was it a dud?

Suddenly the area high in the sky exploded with a flash of light but no sound. 

Turner tapped the switch on his radio, "Eagle do you copy, over?"

A response came, "I copy, Alpine 1-2, get moving."

Turner nodded to Zeller before she turned around and kicked Jacksons boot; immediately he got to his feet and kicked the persons next to him before continuing up the hillside. The small group of Operators continued on foot. A few more minutes of walking passed and the hill started to even out.

Jackson repeated the same thing he did before, putting everyone in an all around defence but this time he left the side they didn't approach from unguarded. Zeller approached the open side of the formation before taking another step forward. A gust of cold wind blew past her face sending a small chill down the back of her neck. Immediately she pulled the rifle from her shoulder and laid on the ground, twisting a suppressor onto the front she pulled open the bipod and waited.

Turner lay down next to her drawing a range finder, "Base at 1000 metres, closest point."

Zeller pulled something out of a pouch connected to her waist and hooked it onto the side of her helmet before flicking it open, a small blue panel appeared in front of her right eye. Flicking a switch on the side of her helmet the inside lit up. Suddenly the enemy base was obvious, the targets were shining, both wind and distance appeared on each side of her eye.