by Cory Mccoy
“Positions!” Sombers screamed over a megaphone. “This is not a drill! Everyone into position!”
January 11th a phone call came from Rigalio, breaking the long radio silence. The PLA ground force had mobilized the night before, they were headed straight for us. We reacted like clockwork, everyone pouring out into the central street through town, preparing for battle. All of them ready to see if our training had paid off.
“All non-combatants are to proceed immediately to the extraction point.” Sombers continued, “I repeat, All non-combatants must immediately proceed to the extraction point for evac.”
“Come on,” Liz shouted, herding them north “There's no time to pack, if you didn't have a bag ready then you'll have to do without.”
“Jesse!” I yelled searching the crowd, “Where is Espinoza?”
“He just left.” JoAnne said, tears streaming down her face. “He took one of the quads.”
“Someone get me a radio, now!” I yelled as I started heading toward the docks to grab another four wheeler and move to my position.
“Here, sir!” Sarah said as she caught up, tossing me a radio.
“Espinoza, do you copy?”
“I copy, go ahead.”
“Remember,” I said “You rendezvous at my position, no exceptions.”
“Yes sir,” he came back, “I’ll be there.”
“All teams in position,” I said over the channel, “we need complete radio silence.”
I abandoned the quad half a mile from my position, having to hike the rest of the way. Salinger and Sarah were with me to provide cover from helicopters while I found my targets. We had nine other three-man sniper teams dotting the basin. We were the highest up. Two were in position in town to provide cover fire for the mortar and heavy guns. One team was trained on the path toward the extraction point, just in case any soldiers made it to town.
I watched a hand-held monitor intently, Jesse had an identical one. It was a modified GPS showing the check points in the ravine. Once they had hit the center, he would blow the walls. He had to time it perfectly or half of the enemy caravan would be unscathed on one side of the blast or the other.
“Connor,” Salinger said, nudging me “We've got something coming over the southern ridge.
“Fuck me,” I said grabbing my binoculars. “Those aren't our helicopters.”
“Should we break silence and warn the others?” he asked.
“No, not yet.” I said “They won't proceed into the ravine if they know we're here.”
“They'll be here long before the ground troops are.”
“They will,” I said, now watching the choppers through the scope of my rifle. “But by that point, it'll be too late to go back, there's no room to turn around.”
“I hope you're right.”
“So do I,” I said. They were on the far side slowly making their way toward the town. They seemed to be holding a slow formation, probably keeping just ahead of the caravan.
Soon the sound of their propellers filled the air, they were closing in on us and our extraction team had not yet arrived. The civilians were as good as dead if the enemy choppers found their position.
“Be ready to open the radio up,” I said training my rifle on the foremost helicopter in their V formation. “As soon as I fire, you give the orders for the other teams to do the same.”
“Yes, sir.”
“Sarah,” I said, “be ready for them to return fire on our position.”
“I am,” she said lugging a rocket launcher onto her shoulder.
The wait a sniper endures before taking his shot is agonizing. Your nerves start acting up and your body wants to jump the gun, but you have to stop yourself. You have to force yourself not to move. You lie there, waiting, stalking your prey until the moment when you find your shot and the bullet races toward them like a hawk hurtling toward a rodent.
I could almost see the pilot's eyes as I drew a breath in and pulled the trigger. My aim was precise, the incendiary round ripped through the window of the chopper and his skull exploded with the impact. The force of the bullet yanked his body sideways, sending the helicopter careening into the far end of the lake.
“Open fire!” Salinger shouted into the radio, “All units open fire!”
The volley of guns and mortars opening up was deafening, the explosions echoing through the basin. The remaining four helicopters scrambled, trying to avoid the same fate as the first. A rocket from the west side of the lake connected with another helicopter, sending debris through the air. After only a few moments, their gunmen began to retaliate. Blindly shooting into the woods, unable to hit the mortar teams with rockets while attempting to avoid incoming fire.
A team southwest of the docks was hit, indicated by an explosion that could have only been caused by their munitions. Sarah tried to return the favor, drawing the attention of two helicopters.
“Incoming!” Salinger yelled, scrambling for cover as a rocket headed straight at us. I clambered to my feet, grabbing my rifle and a box of shells.
“Move Sarah!” I yelled as she stood there, watching the rocket headed straight for us. It was too late, she sent an RPG back at the helicopter mere seconds before impact. I hadn't made it far when I was thrown from my feet, the rifle breaking my fall and probably a rib in the process.
Salinger had landed only feet away, his body mutilated. As I struggled to find my footing once more, I realized I had taken a large piece of shrapnel through my right hand. It didn't really matter, that hand was useless anyways. I hurried to the box of ammo, placing my gun over a low tree limb, my tripod lost in the blast.
“Zulu team is down,” I said over the radio. “Zulu team is down.”
As I trained my rifle back into the air, looking for another pilot, the earth shook violently underneath me. The tremor jolted me so hard that I missed my shot, leaving just a hole in the windshield of my target's chopper. I looked south as the earth began to crumble and fall upon itself. Trees being swallowed by the earth and the mountain coming down ,sealing the only exit by land. Within it, presumably, hundreds of dead soldiers.
With only one good eye, I hadn't noticed the helicopter converging on me. As I looked up, it opened fire splintering trees just down the hill. I ran desperately for cover, knowing I wouldn't have the time close in on them again.
“Zulu leader,” said a voice over the radio. “This is Terra 1, your escort has arrived.”
“Copy,” I said still running, gunfire ripping the hillside apart. “Get them out of here. Where the fuck is the dragonfly?”
“the dragonfly is in route, Zulu leader.” Sombers said over the radio.
“Tell them to hurry the fuck up, we're getting slaughtered.” I yelled back, than I heard Terry over the radio.
“We have more company inbound,” he said sounding frightened. “I repeat more company inbound, at least two more birds.”
The chopper had stopped shooting at me, it was following me with only a gunman hanging out the side trying to hit me with a rifle. I dropped the sniper rifle, pulling out a hand gun with my left hand. I wasn't as good of a shot with that hand, but it paid to be ambidextrous. My third round hit him in the throat. Men had started dropping down from the far side of the copter, they were going to come after me on foot. I kept firing, hitting two as they rappelled down.
They were closing in on me and I was fast running out of clips. I slipped on something, sending me sprawling. This was it, or so I thought. I turned myself back over, what the fuck was happening? The soldiers were jumping out, not even using zip lines. That's when the attack chopper exploded, killing the men on the hillside below me.
“It's my turn to save your ass.” A voice yelled, muffled by the ringing in my ears. I had hit my head hard, I was disoriented as I was dragged to my feet. “Come on, you heavy mother fucker.”
“You are pretty damn good with those,” I said looking up to see Jesse. I fo
rced myself to my feet once more, powering through my disorientation. As we started to run I saw two jets streak by, our air support had arrived, the Viper attack choppers would be here soon.
“Are we headed to the extraction point?” he yelled
“What?” I asked
“The extraction point, are we evac'ing?”
“No, head to the top of the ridge.” I said ripping the hunk of metal from my hand.
“You're fucking insane.” he said, as I wrapped my hand in a piece of cloth while we ran.
“This is Zulu leader,” I said trying to hail the air support, “I need a hornet at the top of the east ridge, do you copy?”
“Copy, this is Leopard one,” came a voice, “what is your location?”
“Two hundred yards above the enemy bird that just exploded.” I returned, “Bring a friend.”
“Roger that sir, we are en-route.”
Three birds converged as we reached the top of the ridge, the other two drawing fire while we were pulled in.
“Zulu leader, this is Terra 1.”
“Go for Zulu leader,” I said
“We've lost a package, Zulu leader.” Sombers came back, delivering the worst possible news.
“What do you mean you've lost a fucking package?”
“It's the girl, JoAnne,” he said “she never made it to the extraction point, Jeanine went back for her.”
“We're on the way,” I said “Find them asap and we'll pick you up.”
“You're the best pilot in the marine corps right?” I said as I went to give the pilot directions.
“I'm a good pilot, General.”
“No, today you ARE the best pilot in the marine corps, don't let me down.”
“Yes, sir!” he said enthusiastically.
“Get us in the air,” I told him “We have a handful of high value targets that need to be picked up in the town.”
“Yes, sir,” he said, wasting no time, “strap in.”
“You, off the gun.” I ordered the gunner.
“Sir?”
“Off of the god damn gun, now!” I barked, “You're going to have to drop in, I can't manage the zip line with my hand in this condition.”
“Aye, aye sir, but who's going to operate the gun?” he asked perplexed.
“I am,” I said grabbing a strap from the side of the wall. “Jesse, secure my hand on that side.”
“Connor, that isn't a good idea.” he said
“Fucking do it!” I said, “If you want to save your girlfriend, get me strapped to the god damn gun and do it fast.”
“Alright,” he said after tying my hand to the handle of the machine gun. “I need some binoculars.”
“Pilot, get us higher.” I said “Above the fire fight. Tell those two birds to flank you no matter what.”
As we he pulled us higher into the air Jesse surveyed the town looking for any sign of movement. The enemy choppers saw us and two turned to fire.
“We've got incoming!” the pilot yelled, jerking the chopper sideways. As we yanked back, he dropped down and to the left, pulling us to the side of the Chinese birds. I opened fire filling the first chopper with bullets until it erupted into a fireball. Our flankers had taken care of the second.
“Terra 1,” Jesse said into the radio, “I’ve got something in town, it looks like Jeanine's house.”
“Copy, we're on the way.” Sombers said
“Take us toward the houses,” I ordered the pilot.
“Sir, I can't get in there,” he said frantically “there's too much mortar fire.”
“Zulu leader,” Sombers radioed “We have PLA pouring down from the west side of the ridge.”
“Echo teams, redirect fire toward the west wall of the basin.” I ordered
“I can find an opening as soon as they recalibrate.” The pilot said
“I knew you could,” I responded, “Get us in there, co-pilot call in more air support, everything we've got. I want every mother fucking bird on the west coast scrambled.”
“The entire coast?” The Co-Pilot asked, his mouth gaping for a second.
“All of them.” I said, “We're going to wipe them off the map.”
As we flew toward town, the PLA had made their way toward the docks. The mortar teams were taking heavy fire from inside their range. One of the machine gunners had been hit and his gun was left unmanned, a replacement couldn't reach him. I opened up on the troops making their way down, cutting a line through them. As they fell back, it gave us enough time to get a new gunner in.
“Ridge teams, concentrate your fire on the ground, I repeat fire on the ground troops. Air support will occupy their birds.”
We were now just above the lake, taking fire from the ground as well. I could see Sombers running toward Jeanine's, Liz by his side. I watched helplessly as they were ambushed, Sombers beat back three fighters and Liz collided with the fourth, both falling to the ground. He was trying to pin her, but she was fighting him hard. Sombers took a bullet in the thigh, trying to get to her. The other three started closing in, when the soldier on top of Liz slumped to the side. In an instant she was up and firing on the others.
My heart had frozen, certain they were going to die. She was pulling Sombers to his feet, on the move once more. The had come out on top, but it had drawn attention.
“Get me as close as you can.” I yelled at my pilot, who swooped the chopper down toward the street. “We need to buy them five minutes.”
As they disappeared into Jeanine's front door, we hovered only a few feet above the street. Our escorts had not caught up, they had sustained heavy fire and had to veer off.
“Get down there, now!” I yelled at the gunner and Jesse, both dropping to the street. Jesse hadn't been allowed much practice, he ended up rolling as he hit the ground trying not to break his leg. As they made a break to retrieve the others, I did my best to hold off the soldiers in the street. Praying that no one else had stayed behind as my bullets ripped through the other houses. I ordered the pilot to pull up, allowing me a better shot at the people on the ground.
Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, our escort arrived. With that Jesse, Liz, and the others burst outside making their way to the chopper.
“We can't carry you all,” the pilot said to Sombers over the radio.
“Understood,” he said moving toward the second chopper with Jeanine and the gunner.
“Alright,” I said “get down there and pick them up and let's get the fuck out of here.”
“Zulu Leader,” came a familiar voice over radio, “Zulu Leader come in.”
“This is Zulu leader,” I said as Jesse helped Liz and JoAnne aboard.
“Your request for support has been received.” the voice said , “I would recommend that no friendlies are within a five mile radius in approximately twelve minutes.”
“Affirmative,” I said still wondering where I had heard that voice before.
“Good luck, General,” he said “Rigalio, out.”
“Holy shit,” I heard the co pilot say, “The Commandant is relaying orders from the general. I knew it.”
“Alright, boys and girls,” I said over the radio, “You heard the man, get those birds to the docks and let's get the fuck out of here. As soon as we're in the air, you keep those motherfuckers boxed in, do not let them retreat.”
“Leopard one, you have company” The pilot and our escort all got into the air as quickly as possible. Two birds were headed toward us. These two weren't birds built to carry personnel, they were meant for dog fighting.
“Make some room,” our pilot ordered to the others, “Don't give them an easy target.”
Our escorts veered to the sides, we dropped sharply slipping under the PLA choppers. Suddenly, both pulled hard to the right chasing the bird with the others in it.
“Leopard two, they're on you.”
“Take them out, fast!” I
radioed, firing on the choppers as they tailed Leopard two. I hit one near the rear propeller, smoke began billowing but it didn't go down. I kept firing, finally a rocket from the other chopper hit it.
“We're taking fire.” Leopard Two's pilot came across, “they aren't letting up.”
I could see the gunner slouching out the side of his chopper, the Chinese pilot was closing in on him. He was getting close
“What the hell is he doing?” The pilot asked “Why hasn't the Chinese bird pulled up?”
He had stopped firing, either their gunner was dead or they were out of ammo.
“Leopard two, dive!” I bellowed “Dive! He's going to ram you!”
Leopard two dropped sharply, trying to get out of the way. He hadn't reacted in time, the PLA chopper tore through rear propeller, it was now a fire ball careening into the side of the ridge. We watched in terror as Leopard Two exploded on the snowy lake shore.
Chapter 31
