slash maraud
Times
Journalist
Registered:
12-2006
Location:
West Coast US
Posts:
157
Helpfulness-Gauge
2 (+2/-0)
|
|
Reply | Quote
|
|
Combat Jump Part 3
Title: Combat Jump
Author: Slash Maraud
Rating: 18+
Disclaimer: None.
Summary: A short story that is within the Up From the Depths Universe. It takes place during the first week of the Zombie Infection. To get a chronological timeline to the Up From the Depths story, this event would have happened during the Claggett’s test of new deployment methods for SOF units. It does not contain any of the characters from UPFTD. There is some violence and language as expected in these circumstances.
__________________________________________
Just like Iraq, Sikorski thought. But I felt a little sorry for the folks in the wrong place at the wrong time there. Not here. He watched zip body parts descend with splashes into the Harlem River.
A sudden thump beside Bones startled them all. A man’s right forearm had plopped down two feet behind him.
It was a light gray color. That caused a ghastly contrast to the gold and orange Syracuse class ring featured on the hand.
Kemp looked as if he were about to vomit.
Bones let out a long breath. “Guess I get the first souvenir…”
Sikorski was already back to work. “Adams! Line up the next bridge to the south. Eagle says to mark the farthest span to the east.”
“Roger.”
The buzz in the auditorium sounded like a microphone had been stuck in a beehive. Ordinarily, the junior officers and their NCO assistants played it cool. But these were not ordinary times. The noise softened as a major approached the podium.
“TEN-HUT! General Miles will now brief you.” An older man, very fit looking with extremely short gray hair entered from the right. His uniform was rumpled; the general brushed his pocket as he stepped to the mike. He nodded at the assembled group.
“Be seated.” He paused for a few seconds as the men did as told. A small tic began playing at the corner of his right eye. The general did not seem to notice.
“As you know, our CO, General Truitt, was in DC when this crisis erupted. He immediately left the Pentagon to return to his men. General Truitt’s helicopter made a forced landing near Richmond due to mechanical problems. Contact was established.
What you don’t know is that communication was lost within the hour. General Truitt has been declared missing and presumed dead.” The hall, already quiet, took on a very somber atmosphere.
“I am now acting Commander. General Miller is now your Deputy Commander. I left him in New York several hours ago to get things rolling here and to speak to you personally.
Two days ago the President and the Joint Chiefs came to the conclusion that, whatever the hell is happening, The United States could not afford to lose New York City, specifically Manhattan, to the Infection. Operation Apple Jack was quickly pieced together from some extreme contingency plans Homeland Security had devised.” General Miles paused to take a drink of water.
Operation Apple Jack is proceeding. Yesterday, elements of our 2nd Brigade were dropped in Central Park and on La Guardia Airport. The rest of the 2nd is on the way now.
La Guardia is proving to be a tough nut. Tougher than we thought, but who the hell knows what to expect... pardon me men, shouldn’t have said that. The zeds are thick, there. And everywhere.”
The tic was becoming more pronounced. It was being joined by another tic to the right of his mouth. General Miles rubbed his face and continued speaking. He now looked to be openly winking as he looked back and forth at his audience.
“You men of the 3rd will be jumping on Manhattan later tonight as a follow-up force. Now, you were scheduled for La Guardia, but that fire had to be put out quickly, so we scrambled things up a bit. We will adapt, improvise, and overcome.
The situation in Manhattan is somewhat more promising. For one thing, a lot of live humans remain on the south part of the island. Your DZ in Central Park will be permissive. Still, be alert for immediate action, as we are possibly facing… a great number of the enemy.
Our very basic plan is to let the zeds come to us. They do so readily, and in turn are destroyed. This is quite literally kill-or-killed.
The United States is once again depending on the 82nd Airborne. That’s fine with me.
I know you will do well. I have some matters to tend to, so I now turn this briefing over to Major Hugh. Good luck and good hunting.” General Miles seemed to sag a bit as he walked off the stage.
A large screen silently glided down from the ceiling. Major Hugh began his power point presentation.
Tango Three’s men were becoming more uneasy. Dusk was upon them, and still no extraction. Their insertion had been easy enough; two other Black Hawks loaded with the other Tangos had lowered themselves to traffic light level, each a block or so in opposite directions. Their rotor noise and obscene messages over the loud speakers had attracted thousands of zombies. The gunners had chopped quite a few as well. Tango 3 had landed without notice.
They had quietly remained in place all afternoon, accomplished their mission, all the while exercising fairly decent noise and motion discipline. Now the strain was rising. Sikorski knew his men were good, but enough was enough.
He put his cigarette out and went over to Brooks. He had quit a couple months ago, but always carried a couple packs in his gear, just in case. Now Sikorski was wondering why not keep on smoking, what difference did it make? He sat down, quietly crunching the roof top gravel.
“I thought you quit smokin’?”
“I did. Started again five minutes ago. Shut up about it. Any word?”
“Nope, nada. Hope those zips don’t react to the smell of smoke.”
“Kiss my ass. Most of the Bronx is burning.” He held out his binoculars. “You wanna watch Yankee Stadium burn? If they can make out one cigarette with all that crap in the air, well, I’ll let ‘em eat you. Hand over the radio.”
He switched channels. “Tango 2, this is Tango 3, over.”
“This is Tango 2. Wait one.” A different voice came on. “Steve, this is Benny. What’s the latest? Over.”
“I called to see if you guys heard anything…over.”
“Hellfire, no! Oscar 10 jumped my butt about 5 minutes ago for reminding them we were still waiting for their Bravo units to come get us. Over.”
“Tango 2, Tango 3, all Tango units, this is Oscar 10. You are advised to exercise radio discipline and keep our main channels free of unnecessary traffic. You are also putting yourself and your units at risk by making noise. We are aware of your situations. When Bravo units become available, we will get back to you. Expect to remain in place overnight. Oscar 10 out.”
“Dragon Shield, Benny. Out”
“Roger that. Out.”
|
|
Mar/24/2007, 6:02 am
|
|
Powered by AkBBS 0.9.5b - Link to us
- Blogs
- Hall of Honour
- Chat
Click here to get your own free message board
|
****Copyright 2004-2007****
All stories, articles, pictures and posts on this site are the copyright of the author (unless stated otherwise). If you wish to reuse any material that falls under the aforementioned categories, and reuse away from the forum/website, please seek written permission from the author beforehand. By agreeing to post your stories, articles, pictures and general writings on this forum, you agree that FWU Forum can showcase your stories, poems, articles, pictures and posts on its website/forum indefinitely.
|
|
