I had no clue what they were. They were long and well built whatever they were. They consisted of various colors,brown,yellow,silver,orange and bright red. There were five of them,flying in a V-shape formation like birds migrating south for the winter. I didn't understand what I was looking at.
"Been in the field to long",I said handing Jackson back his rifle,"all the junk food we ate is playing tricks on our heads."
Jackson smiled,"your probably right."
"Grab your stuff",I said,"were going."
Jackson went over to the others by the zipline and began preparing his rappelling gear as I go onto my com lines.
"Base this is Raven 2-2",I said,"prison complex in sight,requesting location of HVI's how copy?"
"Rodger that Raven 2-2",Holland replied,"a drone has confirmed that the HVI's are being held on the first
floor,exact location is unknown,you are go for insertion,be advised though,a local rebel group has an attack planed on this prison,advise you stay low,how copy?"
"Loud and clear command",I called back,"Raven copies all,out."
I turned back to my team.
"Let's get this done."
I walked over to the zip-line that the Cuban's had set up. It was rusty and wasn't tight at all,it didn't look safe,but we didn't have a choice.
"I'll go first",I said slinging my rifle over my shoulder,"that way if it breaks it gets me."
"No way brother",Hudson said stepping in front of me,"we all go together."
I didn't like when Hudson would ignore me when I gave him an order,because usually when I tried to take point,it was because things were too dangerous for all of us to go at once.
"Step aside solider",I said,"that's an order."
"No sir",Hudson replied,"if that zip line brakes,you fall to your death and there's no way we can pull you out,look down there."
I peered over the edge and saw nothing but crashing waves and jagged rocks. I sighed,I didn't think the zip line could all of us,and the added weight of our gear,but once Hudson got an idea in his head,that was it. I'd once tried to go against him,and I ended up spending twelve straight hours buried up to my neck in sand. I got a nasty case of sunburn and was infested with sand fleas for three weeks.
I sighed again,"Okay brother,we go together."
We attached to the zip line and began our descent. I could feel the rusty old cable creaking under our weight and
I was certain it was going to snap and send us all to our deaths. It didn't,thank god. We landed in a small,walled off section of the court yard. From where we were,I could see a guard on a radio as well as one standing in the door way.
"Two tangos",I whispered to Hudson,"you take the one in the door,I got the one on the radio."
There was a faint click as I unclasped the buckle that held my knife in it's sheath and a soft sound of metal rubbing on Kevlar as I drew my custom made M85 combat knife from it's sheath. It was about the size of a belt knife,with holes in the blade and spiked knuckle handles,in the right hands,they could bring down a Juggernaut. Hudson and I crept into the small radio room. I could hear the man speaking in Spanish over the radio and the one in the door way was having a smoke. As we crept in,we slowly stood up to avoid being heard. Like clockwork,Hudson and I plunged our knives into the men's necks,tearing their throats to shreds with quick flicks of our wirsts. We dragged the bodies out back and covered them with a blue tarp that was being used for wood. Unless you gave it a close look,you'd never know that there were two dead bodies underneath it.
"Everyone go silent",I said screwing a suppressor to the end of my AR.
Issac and Hudson did the same while Jack switched to his sidearm. Frank,being the guy that he is,had a suppressor built into his MP-5 as well as his B32.
"We need complete quiet guys",I said quietly,"this mission is over if they spot us,you keep your safeties on unless I say otherwise and you don't fire unless I give you the go ahead."
My team nodded their replies and we started into the radio room. Whenever it came to stealth,my mind would click off and something else would take over. It was hyper aware,alert to every little detail,I would see everything,changes in lighting,moving shadows,everything. We crept from the radio room and crouched behind some barrels as I gave the order to halt when I noticed the snipers in the two front most towers by the gates were starring right at us.
"Jackson,Wyatt",I whispered,"snipers in the front tower,they'l rasie the alarm if we try to pass,drop them,get your shots off within two seconds or less or we'll be cracked wide open."
Jackson and Wyatt set their rifles up on the barrels we were hiding behind and began dialing in their scopes. I listened as both of them steadied their breathing. For a split second everything clicked off,then two low thunks left Jack and Wyatt rifles and the men fell out of sight.
"Good kills",I whispered,"let's move."
The court yard was mostly open expect for a few small two story buildings in the middle and a large razor wire fence between the entrance to the actual prison building. Guards tooled the entire area,trying to cross with out thinning them out would be a suicide mission.
"We need to thin their ranks",I whispered,"follow my lead."
I picked up a decent sized rock and chucked it at a building about a hundred feet away. The building was next to a table of two guards who were playing poker. The rock hit the metal wall with a loud thunk and by a stroke of luck,both guards got up to look. Hudson and I steadied our rifles as the men walked behind the building. I took in three deep breaths and exhaled once,before slowly beginning to depress the trigger on my AR. Low cracks echoed out and the men face planted in the dirt without so much as a grunt.
"Flawless",I said in a whisper.
We quickly rose from our trench and sprinted across the court yard,sliding in behind the two buildings.
"Get rid of those bodies Hudson",I said motioning to the bushes,"I can see them from here."
Hudson grabbed both corpses by the shirt and tossed them behind the bushes,doing the same with their weapons.
"Jackson",I said,"counter snipe,guard in the tower dead ahead."
Jackson sat down and steadied his rifle on his knee,I watched as the man's head flew off and his corpse tumbled from the tower and into the seas below.
"Good kill",I said in a whisper,"I see another guard headed for the radio room,drop him behind the barrels."
Jack followed the man with his rifle before cracking off another round,sending the man behind the barrels.
"Clean kill",I said,"were clear,stay close to me."
We moved from the dead end alley way and into another space between two buildings,one of which was built in a right angle,and another that was built next to it,leaving a blind spot to the guards at the prison entrance. As we turned into the alley way,our advance was halted by a lone guard sneaking a cigar. He was to far away for a knife,he'd see any of us long before we got him. Even though our weapons were suppressed,they would sound and even louder alarm.
"Frank",I said,"you got any throwing knives?"
"Always",Frank whispered back.
"There's a single guard sneaking a cigar,I want him gone."
"Got it boss."
Frank pulled one of his small pocket knife like blades from a pouch on his chest and threw it in a way most
people would call insane. It flew like a bullet from a rifle,striking the man in his neck and embedding itself deep in. The man gagged and choked before he slumped back,motionless.
"Good kill",I said,"Issac get rid of that body."
"Got it little brother."
Issac grabbed the man by his collar and stuffed his corpse in the small alley between the two buildings. I hugged the wall as I peered around the corner,the two guards who were there were armed with big RPKs with drum magazines,I could also see a final sniper in the tower above them,we'd have to take him out of the picture first.
"Wyatt",I said,"sniper above the prison doors,get rid of him."
Wyatt peeked around the corner and let off a single round,I heard the faint thump of a body hitting the ground.
"Kill shot",I said,"Hudson,Issac,get rid of the two at the gate."
Two muffled cracks pierced the air and the men at the gate fell dead.
"Clear",I said,"move up."
We sprinted from the alley way and to the gate,it was locked tighter than a bank vault.
"Anyone got thermite?",I asked looking through my vest.
Hudson felt around his kit,producing a red canister about the size of a M18 smoke bomb.
"I have one",Hudson said,"and it'll make noise."
"It's a price to pay to save our guys",I said taping the canister to the door.
"Command",I said getting on my coms,"this is Raven 2-2,objectives nearly complete,requesting evac at our
location,are their any birds in our area?"
"Negative Raven", Holland replied, "there are no birds currently operating in your AO, but I'll hit up Overlord and see what I can send ya, proceed with current mission and navigate to a safe zone, stand by."
I sighed, "Raven copies all, out."
"That didn't sound good", Hudson said.
"No EVAC birds in the area", I said, "Holland needs to find one, mission is still a go, we'll grab our guys and then blow this popsicle stand, light 'er up Issac."
Issac nodded and pulled the pin from Hudson's Thermobaric grenade and we all turned around. There was a loud hissing sound,like what a firecracker might give off and the door creaked open. We quickly moved into the prison. As we did,we were met by at least a dozen,SMG packing Cuban's.
We acted first,raising our rifles and dropping them as fast as we could. Somehow,we managed to get our shots off in time to keep them from returning fire,thus preserving our element of surprise. We pushed deeper into the prison,dropping the guards as we found them. As we entered a long hall way,I could hear a Cuban talking down the hall,I stopped my team,hoping to hear some information about where our guys were.
"If you will not give us the information",he said in English,"then you will have no life,your people denied you are even here,so no one will know when your dead,so what will it be American? Will you speak like the dog you are,or would you like a bullet instead?"
A gunshot echoed through the hallway,causing us to take off towards the back of the hall. We went through the door,finding our agent posed over the Cuban with a Markov in his hands. Blood was pouring from the Cuban's forehead.
"That was for Riley asshole",our guy said.
The Agent turned and saw us,instantly raising his pistol,my team and I quickly lowered our weapons as a sign of submission.
"US Marine's sir",I said,"I'm Major Johnathan Alexander Mason,were Strike Force Raven and we've been sent to rescue you and your partner."
"My partner Riley is dead",the Agent said,"they murdered him."
I placed my hand on his shoulder,"Solider,what is your name?"
"David",he said.
"Listen David",I said,"I'm sorry about your partner. We have an EVAC bird waiting four clicks out and have about seven minutes to get there,are you combat capable?"
"Sir yes sir",David replied.
"Excellent", I returned, "let's move", I handed him my suppressed B32, "keep it quiet. David, how well do you know the prison?"
"I was awake when they dragged me in", David answered, "do you have any EVAC choppers in the air?"
"No", Hudson said, "our Commanding officer told us to secure you, then bug out to a secure location to radio for EVAC."
"Then I can help", David said, "I overheard two of these fuckers talking about another compound that they sized from rebel forces. If we can get there and secure it, you should be able to radio for EVAC there."
"Then your on point", I said, "our best bet is to find a map of the area, your on point."
We slipped out of the cell, David in the lead, we made it all the way down to the end of the hallway when I heard a metal door open up a stair well. Problem was that there was a curve in the stairs and I couldn't see what was going on past the corner.
"Stay put", I said holding up my fist, "return fire only."
"What's up boss?", Hudson asked.
"Possible contact above the stairs", I said, "I'll go have a look."
I shouldered my AR and slowly walked up the stairs, peeking around the corner, finding a single Cuban in a small, ten by ten locker room with his back to me. I exchanged my AR for my knife, slipped up the stairs and stood up quietly behind the man, who I realized was smoking a Cigar. I flipped him around and shoved the knife at angle into his neck, up through the base of his skull and into his brain, holding it for about two seconds before twisting it and yanking it back out, splattering blood all over the floor and walls.
"Back on me", I said sheathing my knife.
I waited for the others to come up stairs and then gave the lead back to David. We walked up to another door in the locker room and David flipped the safety selector on my 32 from full to Semi. He put off two shots and then stepped just outside the room, allowing us to funnel safely through the door way. I took note of two men who were laying behind a crate with bullets in their heads
The hallway branched off in 4 different ways. One of them was a dead end that held the crates which hid David's fresh kills. The other lead into what looked like a locker room, the third was back the way we came and the fourth lead down a long hallway that took a sharp corner.
"Back the way we came?, Hudson asked looking at David.
"No", he answered, "we need to push through the prison and go out the back, before we got caught, Riley and I found out it was an old military base, there's a pipe line that leads under ground and out to a drainage ditch that leads to an unguarded highway, we can follow it the entire way to the rebel base, especially if we can get a car."
"Lead the way", I said.
David turned and started down the hallway. As I followed behind him, Hudson tapped my shoulder.
"Yeah Hudson?"
"Can we trust this guy?", he asked, "all of this intel he has seems just a little too convenient, what if he's leading us into a trap?"
"We cross that bridge when we get there", I said, "for now, we follow him out and keep our guard up."
David lead us down the hallway and through the corner. We traversed another hallway that ended in three ways, one to a storage room and the other down what looked like an atrium. There were two pictures of past Castro family members on each side of the walls and there were two small tables that held single, pink flowers in them. There was a single, tan shirted guard in the hallway with his back turned to us. Before I could think about it, my rifle was in the air and the shot was off. The man's head split in half just in time for two more, PPSH packing Cubans to come around the corner and see us at the edge of the hallway. Hudson and I put the shots off almost faster than you could think to raise your rifle. The men fell like bags of concrete.
"I bet all hell just heard those rifles go off", Frank sighed.
"No point in being quiet now", I said unscrewing the suppressor from my AR, "you are weapons free."
David handed me back my 32 and picked up a PPSH off one of the dead Cubans. We walked down the hallway and came to a stop near the edge of the wall. I gave the order to hold and pulled my knife out of it's sheath. I held it around the corner and could see in the reflective metal four men in an entrenched position with a 30-30 machine gun and AK 47's as well as Mosion Nougats as well as a single shotgun.
"I count four guys with rifles and shotguns", I said putting my knife away, "gas masks on."
Hudson and the others put their masks on and I handed David my spare. I strapped my own mask on and set down my rifle. I pulled two tear gas canisters out of my vest and pulled their pins, tossing them around the corner.
"Gases lacrimógenos!", one of the cuban's shouted.
The cans popped and the hissing of the gas filled the corridor along with coughing, gagging and choking.
"Double time!", I shouted as I turned around the corner, "target the MG nest!"
I rasied my rifle, just barely managing to see through the cloud of weaponized garlic and vinigar enough to target the man behind the MG nest, the bullet tearing through his neck and sending his head clean through the air. Jackson's Remington tore through the air and ripped off one of the men's arms and a blew a chunk out of the back of another, while Frank through a knife at the remaining man, pinning his arm to the wall. Whe the gas finally cleared away, we weren't met with regular prison guards, but with well uniformed, well armed PMCs. The were wearing Spanish and African flags on their shoulders and their weapons were higly customized.
"What the actual fuck!", Hudson said, "what are PMCs doing here!"
"Let's ask", David growled as he walked up to the man that Frank had pinned, "Habla usted Inglés?"
"Yes", the man said.
"You got two seconds to tell me what you and your friends were doing here", David said, "two of your friends are responsible for the death of a Centeral Intigence Agency recuirt, if I were to hual you back to America, that's a death penalty case, but at least you'd get a trial, me in their way is the only thing keeping those Marines from popping a cap in your ass. TALK!"
"Prison hired us to guard the rebels under lockdown", the PMC stated, "it was supposed to be an easy job."
"Bullshit", David said, "your men tourtured and killed CIA Agent James Connor Riley, what are you after?!?"
"I don't know what they want!", the PMC stated, "I'm just a grunt! I've been on the job for a week now!"
David stepped back and yanked the knife out of the man's hand, who promptly fell to the ground. He tossed the knife back to Frank who wiped it off on his pants leg and placed it with his others. Jackie went to the man's side and bandaged his hand while I pulled my mask off and went to David.
"Mind telling me what the fuck you and Riley were sent out here to do in the first place?", I asked.
"Investigating claims of WMD use by the Cuban government", David said.
"There's a surprise", the PMC said.
"Can you walk?", I asked walking over to him.
"Got my hand, not my leg", he said standing up.
"Go out through the front of the prison", I told him, "leave your kit behind, radio, guns knives, everything. Understand?"
"Si señor", the PMC said as he took off his vest and headed back the way we came.
"Let's move before that guy rasies an alarm", I said turning back to David.
He lead us down a few more hallways that were crawling with Cuban guards. There were bullets flying every which way and a constant alarm that was ringing so loud it made it near impossible to fight effectively. In the middle of a fight, David shouted.
"There! That barred door will take us out into the back!"
"Then lets go!", I shouted popping off my last round and dropping a Cuban solider behind a box.
"Raven 2-2", Holland's voice chirpped over my coms, "Overlord 1 Actual, how copy.
"Solid copy Overlord", I said, "send traffic now."
"Staff Sargent James Nathaniel Greyson is inbound on his Blackhawk Mk21 Attack helicopter for your exfill, callsign Blackflag 4-2.", Holland said, "Id number 22012 confirm."
"Raven confirms all", I said, "I'll try and hail him now, Raven 2-2 out."
"Attention Blackhawk 22012", I said getting on to my radio as David unbarred the door, "callsign Blackflag 4-2 this is Major Johnathan Mason hailing you on all stations."
"Rodger that Raven", a young sounding man came back, "this is Blackflag 4-2 inbound from Fort Tahoe Florida, estimated time of arrival on your AOD is a half hour."
"Rodger that Blackflag", I said, "be advised, we are in the process of securing enemy transport to a rebel base, from their we will proceed on foot to the coast line. The LZ will be marked with purple smoke, confirm your understanding of this."
"Blackflag 4-2 copies all", Gresyon said, "out."
"We got a half hour to make that Rebel base", I said, "Blackflag 4-2 is inbound from the Florida keys."
"Then let's move", Hudson said as he kicked the door open.