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Combat Jump Part 4
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.
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Dragon Shield had been an exercise from the previous year. The two units had thought up a way to circumvent the usual radio monitoring the inspectors did. They would soon be at it again after their mutual RTO's did their tricks.
“Brooks, do your deed. That jackass Oscar 10 talks like a zed sympathizer.”
“My, ‘Ski, soundin’ a bit tight aren’t we?” Bones looked up from attaching his night scope onto his silenced rifle. He had an easy grin. Most of the time the men didn’t call Sikorski “Ski” unless they had a few beers down them. But snipers were a different breed.
“Now you’re pullin’ these comm. shenanigans. Probably get us stuck on some **** detail like sitting on top of some building surrounded by a hundred thousand cannibals. Oops!”
“I bet there’s more than that. Maybe half a million.” Terry Kemp spoke for he first time in hours.
“Terry, welcome back from the wherever you’ve been, boy.” Bones smiled at him. “Keep that SAW oiled buddy, you hear?”
The thrum of the C-130 engines had eliminated the possibility of small talk. Nobody felt much like visiting anyway. The paratroopers had just stuck earplugs in and leaned back, thinking about the mission that lay ahead and the families they left behind.
Second Lieutenant Chris Smith was trying to maintain a poker face. His men were all combat veterans, and he had never heard a shot fired in anger. Unless those sounds that drifted over Fort Bragg from the surrounding area counted.
A light colonel that had served with Smith’s dad in Germany ages ago had caught a ride with his company as they were being trucked to Pope Air Force Base. He had gotten on at the last minute, violating all sorts of protocol. Nobody seemed to care.
These were unusual times.
Colonel Parks was dressed in his class A uniform and certainly looked out of place when compared to the BDU clad warriors that occupied the bus. He clumsily walked past the bulky soldiers until he came to an empty seat across the aisle from Chris. Smith vaguely knew him and was aware Parks was a logistical officer of some sort. Smith nodded at Colonel Parks.
Parks leaned over. He motioned with his head for Chris to get closer. The smell of bourbon emanated from his mouth as he spoke.
“Hey kid, don’t worry you’ll do fine. If you’re anything like ol’ Paul, you’ll be better than fine.” Colonel Parks looked back and forth to see if anybody was listening. They were not.
“Listen, here’s the good news and the bad news. Apple Jack is all the sudden turning out okay. At least on Manhattan, that’s where you’re going. Glad you’re not dropping on La Guardia…” Parks seemed to look off into space.
“That the bad news? La Guardia?”
“Huh? No, no, sorry ‘bout that. My guess is La Guardia will work out, at least short term. But it won’t make any difference.” He stifled a belch and looked around again.
“Our airlift is going right down the crapper. Gotta be down at least 60% since yesterday, and I’m talking about the capacity of the whole Air Force! A week from now we won’t have an air force!” Parks had gotten a little loud. Heads were starting to turn.
Chris spoke softly, “Sir, this probably isn’t the proper place to discuss…”
“Like hell! We’re gonna drop you 1500 men into New York tonight. In three days we’ll be lucky to drop a thirty round magazine to you boys! I’m headed over to Pope to see what I can do, but I can’t pull aircrews and aircraft outta thin air…” Parks then began gnawing on his right index finger’s knuckle while he covered his eyes with his left.
A couple minutes later, he dropped both hands. He had regained his composure. “Lieutenant, I’m sorry about that. Know that we will do all we can to make sure the success of Apple Jack continues.”
As Smith’s bus rolled to a stop, Parks touched Chris’ sleeve. “Don’t know what they told you in the briefings, Chris, but know this. Make sure you and your men don’t drift north. If you do, you’ll be eaten alive.”
A very loud, very irritating buzzer interrupted the lieutenant’s thoughts. The red jump light was blinking. Chris took out his earplugs and stood, along with several dozen others. The jumpmaster opened his mouth as soon as the green light came on.
“GO! GO! GO! GO…”
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Mar/24/2007, 6:07 am
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