UNSCDF3 Chapter 18- Into the Wasp's Nest

Erazi, Kandahar, Afghanistan

Russian Communications Outpost

May 15, 2001

1100 Local Time

            “Are the UNSC nearby or not?” Dimitri shouted at a soldier monitoring the RaidComm channel.

            “I don’t know sir. We dispatched two teams to search for them, but it appears to be a wild goose chase.” the soldier gulped.

            “Look, did you or did you not intercept a transmission soldier?” Dimitri demanded.

            “Yes we did sir.” the soldier replied nervously.

            “Then find them before they find us.” Dimitri hit his hand on a table.

            The chatter in the room reduced to nothing as the soldiers stopped to look at Dimitri. A second later, everyone resumed to their duties and the noise level was back up.

            “Dima!” Dimitri waved.

            “Sir?” Dima walked up beside Dimitri briskly.

            “Relocate all prisoners as a precaution.” Dimitri ordered.

            “Where to sir?” Dima asked.

            “Hmm…somewhere the UNSC would not find them if they are still alive. I don’t care where, just move them.” Dimitri replied in annoyance.

            “Understood sir.” Dima walked out and waved at two soldiers sitting nearby at a desk.

           

*          *          *

            Carroll sat on the ground fiddling her cell lock with a paperclip she had found. Being tired and dizzy from the lack of nutrition she had been getting as a prisoner was beginning to take a toll on her. Everson had already passed out a couple of times and she had become submissive to the Russian captors.

            “Hey Everson, wake up. You have to strong.” Carroll whispered.

            “Uh huh.” Everson nodded blankly.

            To Carroll’s surprise, the door suddenly swung open with two soldiers.

            “No more…no more.” Everson begged.

            “Dima…” Carroll stared as Dima walked in.

            Carroll had a hatred for that man because Dima had no heart. She begged for mercy, but instead he brought more soldiers to harass her.

            “We’re going, let’s go.” Dima shouted.

            “What’s going on?” Carroll questioned.

            “Shut up.” Dima slapped Carroll across the face.

            One soldier picked Everson off her feet and slung her to his back while the other dragged Carroll out of her cell. Everson was not even struggling as she had become almost frail. Carroll, however, was putting up a fight with the remaining energy she had left.

            “Look, obey and I won’t punch your face.” Dima squeezed Carroll’s cheeks tightly together.

            Carroll nodded and gave in to Dima with a sigh. She’d rather stay awake and conscious if she found the opportunity to escape.

            “Dima, what about the others?” a soldier asked by pointing down the hall.

            “No orders from Dima so I’m guessing the Captain and the girl is staying behind.” Dima yanked at Carroll’s arm to keep up with their pace.

            Carroll had overheard their conversation and began to think if the Captain that Dima was referring was Blake or someone else. One thing she knew was that the only surviving marines were Everson and herself so it was unlikely that it was Blake. AS the Russians led the prisoners out of the hall and into a service corridor, Carroll had a quick glimpse into a room that was open. Blake was tied to a chair passed out with a pool of blood.

            “You’re not supposed to see that.” Dimitri popped out of the room and closed the door.

            “What did you do to him?” Carroll shot a deadly glare.

            “Take her away.” Dimitri waved the Russian soldiers off.

Downtown Kandahar, Kandahar, Afghanistan

British Embassy

May 15, 2001

1120 Local Time

            “You think they saw us?” Daniels crouched under a sedan.

            “Negative, no signs of alertness.” Dau peeked through the scope of his sniper rifle.

            “Marines, we’ll need to be fast. Once the bird is fired up, it will draw all the attention.” Johnson explained his plan.

            “Got it.” Daniels acknowledged with a smirk.

            “Let’s move.” Johnson waved for the next cover.

            The marines quickly scattered to the next cover which was a destroyed military truck. Johnson pointed at an open window beside the main entrance to the embassy and the marines quickly moved about. One by one, the marines quickly hopped inside and took cover just in time as a Russian patrol turned around a corner.

            “Where’s the Pelican?” Dau asked quietly.

            “According to Hariprasad, three levels down.” Johnson pointed at the ground.

            “Man, I better hope it’s fuelled up.” Daniels wished.

            “Let’s stop worrying and let’s get moving.” Johnson ordered.

            “Sure thing boss, I want to get out of here as soon as possible. It’s like we’re going into a wasp’s nest.” Dau replied gladly.

            Johnson took point and opened the door to the halls. A Russian soldier was talking to two local militia studying some posters on the wall.

            “Quickly, let’s go.” Johnson whispered.

            The marines turned right and tiptoed down the halls into the next available room. Dau pushed the door open and saw a militia with his back to the door. He quickly lunged from behind and placed his hand over his mouth to prevent him from crying out for help. In a swift motion, Dau twisted the head sideways and assassinated the militia.

            “Hide him.” Johnson suggested as he pointed at a closet.

            Dau dragged the body into the closet and closed it gently. Johnson picked up the radio from a table and studied it.

            “Looks broken.” Johnson tossed the radio to the ground.

            “Let’s move before they find out that one of them is missing.” Daniels replied.

            The marines agreed and proceeded out the room and into a stairwell. At the bottom of the stairs, there was a locked security door with an access panel.

            “Hariprasad said the code was 19971.” Johnson punched the numbers.

            The panel lit green and the door hissed open. The dark hall lit up one by one as the fluorescent lights turned on.

            “Looks like nobody is home.” Dau remarked.

            “Spread out and watch your sectors.” Johnson ordered.

            “Aye sir.” Daniels took point.

            At the end of the hall was another sealed blast door.

            “Code is 29911.” Johnson told Daniels as he studied the access panel.

            Again, the door hissed open and a hangar was revealed. A Pelican with a troop pod was docked in the center.

            “Hey!” a shout was heard from behind the marines.

            A pair of militia had entered the first door and began to run at them.

            “Shit, they found us.” Daniels dashed for the Pelican.

            “Seal the door!” Johnson aimed his gun and fired.

            Dau rushed to the inside panel and slammed on a button. The blast door closed shut and a few faint gunshots were heard.

            “It won’t be long before the systems get overridden.” Johnson patted the heavy door.

            “Dau, get the fuel cables attached!” Daniels shouted from the cockpit.

            “On it!” Dau placed his gun on the ground and began to roll a barrel of fuel.

            Johnson climbed aboard the Pelican and noticed a lot of weapon and food crates.

            “Get the crates off. The lighter we are, the more agile.” Daniels exited the cockpit and picked up a metal crate.

            Dau linked the fuel lines to the Pelican and pressed a button to begin pump. Once the fuel began to be pumped into the aircraft, Dau quickly assisted the others in removing the crates.

            “Mostly food rations aboard this Pelican.” Daniels threw a small crate off.

            “Guys…they are cutting through…” Dau pointed at the blast door.

            Sparks were flying off the metal door frame and parts of the door had turned scorching red as the metal melted.

            “Any weapons on this Pelican?” Johnson quickly shoved a food crate off the ship.

            “Only a GAU-19 mounted at the nose with a couple of countermeasures.” Daniels inspected.

            “Will this be of help?” Dau removed a fully loaded M60 from a weapon crate.

            “Yes, but we better get airborne.” Johnson nodded.

            “How?” Dau looked up at the metal ceiling.

            “Hangar door controls…there!” Daniels pointed at a small office adjacent to the blast doors.

            “I’ll get it. Daniels, get the Pelican fired up!” Johnson ordered while running.

            Johnson looked at the blast doors and noticed that a quarter portion was still remaining before the Russians and militia came crashing the party. It was going to be a one-way trip for the marine; he’ll have to defend until the Pelican got to safety. As he ran past a crate, he picked up a loaded M60 and dashed into the office.

            “Controls…where are they?” Johnson frantically looked at the panel of buttons.

            From the window of the office, the Pelican had already lifted a meter off the ground and the blast doors had been cut open.

            “Get it up higher!” Johnson shouted on the RaidComm as soldiers came pouring in.

            At last, Johnson found a lever marked “Hangar Doors” and flipped it. The roof shook a little as it began to slide open.

            “What about you?” Daniels spoke on the RaidComm as the Pelican reached to the top.

            “I’ll buy you enough time. Good luck marines.” Johnson bashed the office window and mounted the M60 machine gun.

            A sea of bullets peppered the unaware soldiers and took them down by surprise. Suddenly, a Russian soldier crouched to the ground and fired a RPG.

            “Holy…” Johnson watched in terror as the RPG flew towards him.

            “God damn it.” Daniels watched below as the RPG destroyed the office into a ball of fire.

            The Pelican flew out of the open courtyard and was shot by small arms fire.

            “RPG!” Dau looked at a soldier firing from the roof with precision.

            “Evasive maneuvers. Hang on!” Daniels shouted and cranked the flight controls upwards.