UNSCDF2 Chapter 15- A Vengeance

San Francisco, California, USA

UNSC San Francisco Outpost

April 14, 2001

1045 Local Time

            “Sarah, I hate to tell you the news…” Fields walked to a busy Sarah doing some paperwork.

            “Yes?” Sarah turned her head.

            “Um, Lieutenant Reid escaped the Pelican transporting them to the Alaskan facility with the aid of his squad.” Fields scratched his head.

            “What? How?” Sarah’s jaw dropped.

            “It is unclear at this moment, but the only information I was able to get was that Reid’s men hijacked the aircraft’s pilots and crew.” Fields reported.

            “So much for security.” Sarah replied sarcastically.

            “Well, I’m assuming the UNSC didn’t expect this level of threat from this transport.” Fields guessed.

            “What now?” Sarah crossed her arms.

            “For now, we have to assume he’s armed and dangerous. Wait, not him, his whole team. You be careful Sarah, I remembered Reid talking about making you pay and suffer.” Fields cautioned.

            “Aww hell.” Sarah stared blankly as she was thinking.

            “It was a threat and now that he’s no longer in our hands, the threat seems more likely to occur.” Fields answered.

            “What are my options?” Sarah asked.

            “Well, you’re safe. This UNSC Outpost is heavily defended. I don’t think they would dare come back here just to get you.” Fields answered.

            “Ok…that doesn’t seem so bad. There’s something else to it isn’t it?” Sarah looked at Fields’ eyes.

            “Um…it’s a possibility.” Fields replied.

            “Tell me.” Sarah demanded.

            “Your husband…he’s not here…” Fields’ voice trailed off.

            “No it can’t be…Mike’s in Afghanistan.” Sarah replied.

            “I know, but it’s a precaution. We’ve already sent a transmission to them notifying of rogue UNSC marines. So far we haven’t got a reply back. Perhaps they are real busy or the communications over there is junk.” Fields explained.

            “Afghanistan is pretty far for Reid to get there if his last known location was in North America.” Sarah assured herself.

            “I’m just assessing the risks and all probable factors.” Fields shrugged.

            “Thank you Fields for telling me this info.” Sarah gave her thanks.

            “Not a problem Sarah. I’ve got to pass this message on to the other folks.” Fields smiled as he walked out the door.

            Sarah walked to a table and picked up a photo lying beside her pistol. She picked up the photo and examined it. It was a photo she had taken with Mike back in New South Wales, Australia before they had left.

            “Reid better not find my hubby.” Sarah prayed as she looked at her husband with a soft smile.

            There was nothing she could do, but to hope for the best. She walked to her desk and continued to do her paperwork.

Erazi, Kandahar, Afghanistan

Russian Communications Outpost

April 15, 2001
1400 Local Time

            “How’s the communications going Reid?” Dimitri asked.

            “Sir, we’re patching into the RaidComm frequency. It might take a few hours.” Reid looked at Morgan.

            “We already jammed their long range communications.” Dimitri pointed at a metal box on the wall beside Morgan.

            “That’s nice.” Reid smiled as he connected two cables together.

            “Short range is impossible to jam, so it would be nice to overhear their comms.” Dimitri clapped his hands as a machine beeped in the background.

            “Working?” Reid hollered.

            “Almost LT.” Timothy called out from a computer.

            “I’ll leave you gentlemen to it. I will report to Sergei of our progress.” Dimitri looked at his watch.

            “Ok.” Reid nodded.

            Dimitri walked off with another Russian soldier and exited the room.

            “I see the Russians are working with the local militia.” Morgan concluded.

            “My thoughts exactly.” Reid pulled out a pair of pliers.

            “I think the Russians are using the locals as grunts. Only the Russian soldiers guard the high valued targets.” Morgan explained.

            “Then what are we? Expendable?” Reid raised an eyebrow.

            “I hope not…” Morgan shrugged.

            The two marines continued to work busily connecting cables and cords to an electrical panel. After half an hour, the pair stood up and stretched their arms in exhaustion.

            “It’s online!” Timothy yelled.

            The marines rushed over to Timothy as he turned on the speakers.

            “Fire Team Kilo, this is Jackal Squadron. Nothing going on except a few zombies in Sector Alpha Kilo.” a man spoke on the speakers.

            “Base, this is Captain Zyrok here. Sector Bravo Mike is clear.” another man spoke on the speakers.

            “Zyrok, think we’ll beat you in finding that base?” a woman spoke.

            “Frederick, is that a challenge?” Zyrok asked.

            “The Aussies are good…” Frederick laughed.

            “No doubt. You saved us once. So respect to the Aussies.” Zyrok replied.

            “Wait a second.” Reid looked at Morgan.

            “Yeah?” Morgan asked.

            “Australians…Jackal Squadron?” Reid raised an eye.

            “What are you suggesting Reid?” Morgan asked.

            “Isn’t that the squad back in the San Francisco Outpost?” Reid questioned.

            “There might be many squads with the same names…” Morgan replied.

            “Zyrok, we know why you like the Aussies…” Frederick spoke on the speakers.

            “No you don’t.” Zyrok laughed.

            “Guys, can you stop talking about my wife?” a man interrupted.

            “Sorry Mike, I didn’t mean to upset you.” Zyrok apologized.

            “It’s fine Charlie. Let’s not talk about Sarah while we’re working okay? I don’t want the whole world to know.” Cookson replied.

            “I knew it!” Reid blurted out.

            “Sarah’s husband is here?” Morgan asked.

            “Looks like it.” Reid smiled evilly.

            “What are you going to do sir?” Timothy asked.

            “We’re going to get Mike and make her suffer like I did.” Reid snickered.

            “I’m down with whatever you want.” Timothy turned the speakers down.

            “Revenge is so close now…” Reid grinned.