//------------------------------// // Unwelcome Memory // Story: Displacement // by hornethead //------------------------------// Chapter 63: Unwelcome Memory "Hey buddy, wake up!" A boot kicked James lightly in his side a few times. His eyes snapped open, hand grabbing for the rifle laying beside him as he sat up. "Huh, what's up?" "They're on the move again, L.T. want's your eyes." Jackson told him. "Alright, alright," James groggily stood up from the dusty ground and brushed himself off, "any change in numbers or are we looking about the same?" Jackson led him across the cave floor, towards a bright opening in the rock, "A couple of shipments came in, with it some baddies, but not many of them." "Cool." Together they walked out into a muggy jungle of an island somewhere in the south china sea, the air heavy with heat and humidity. The team was situated high on a tall hillside, the slopes steep and rocky, though that didn't stop the jungle from trying to climb it. Below them, about three hundred yards, was a smuggler's encampment. They had been staking it out for almost three weeks now. The smugglers that operated there mostly dealt in drug trafficking and black market arms deals, humans as well if their information sources were to be believed. These were major crimes, but it was not why James had been sent there with the rest of his teammates. It had come down from top brass that they might also be dirty dealing in chemical agents. Lt. Bellis' team was there to obtain evidence and stage a raid if necessary. James ran the situation again through his head as he and his friend, Jackson, ducked into some bushes and began low crawling to the position of their team leader. They came to a rocky out cropping on which Bellis, Nix and Feng were laying concealed from unfriendly eyes. Bellis propped himself up on one arm and turned to greet the two new comers, "Good, you two are here. Nix, Fungis, head on back and catch some Zs, I want you both fresh later. Rocka, Ghengis, you come take up their posts." Nix and Feng slid out from their position, a 98 Bravo using a .338 Lapua round and an accompanying spotter's scope. James put his rifle aside within easy reach and slid up to the sniper rifle as Feng removed himself and headed back to the cave. Jackson took up position next to him and looked through the spotter scope a few times, making a few adjustments here and there. Bellis was just a few feet away, binoculars in hand and up to his eyes. He reached over and tapped James a few times to get his attention. "Hey hey, what do you see down there?" James sighted through the scope and focused on the camp below. A couple of big trucks were moving in through the main gate. Both were laden with cargo, but it was impossible to see what as their backs were covered with thick tarps. James looked hard at the trucks, trying to catch a glimpse of the goods. The trucks stopped and some armed smugglers moved in to unload them. They went to the rear most truck first and drew open a flap in the tarp. One of the smugglers reached in and began tugging on something. For a minute, it did not seem to come loose, but the smuggler tugged harder and out popped an emaciated young man in shackles he was followed by four women and five other men, all seemed to be young. "Guess Intel was right about the human trafficking." James said. "Bastards." Jackson muttered beside him. "I'd love to go in and get them, but command's telling me they're a secondary priority." Bellis commented. James returned his attention to the trucks and watched the activity going on around them. The smugglers were herding their captives away into a cramped wooden shack some distance from the road. After shoving them all inside, the smugglers locked it up with a heavy padlock and let it be, beside it a small generator chugged away. James made a note of the shack's position and went back to the trucks. The cargo of the first one was still covered, but then one of the smugglers removed a section to check on the goods. James caught a glimpse of it, a row of silver metal cans. There was writing, he strained to read it. "Shit. Sir, they have phosgene." James reported. "Not surprised. Stuff is super easy to make. Ok then, we have our in." "Sir?" "We're going in tonight." ===================================================================== Rain started to fall in thick, fat drops. It was transitioning into monsoon season in this small corner of the world. Bellis, Jackson and James were silently wading up a small muddy stream in the darkness towards their goal. Back up on the hillside, Nix and Feng were providing the overwatch. James usually would have, but it was Feng's turn to man the rifle and they were all trained to use such weapons for flexibility. The three moved against the current, water ripe with the stink of refuse swirling around their legs. It was run off from the smugglers' compound, an unfortunate path, but the only one that wasn't heavily guarded, probably because of the smell. Soon, they came upon a chain link fence that ran into the tepid water and continued into the silt of the stream. Beyond, the idle conversations of bored men could be heard, though not entirely understood, at least not by James. Here Bellis would do any talking, having studied both Mandarin and Tagalog. Bellis made a signal with his left hand, motioning Jackson to move up. Jackson waded to the fence and whipped out a pair of wire cutters from his pack. Quickly, he set to cutting a man sized hole in the fence as quietly as he could, the entry team tensing with every shake and clink of the metal. Once he was done, they all swiftly moved through and into the camp. The layout was mostly comprised of ramshackle buildings made of old corrugated steel and sheet metal. It was behind one of these that the team took cover, out of the river of garbage, and settled in for a sitrep. "Fungis, we're in, how we looking?" Bellis whispered. The radio crackled a bit before there was a response, "You guys are good for the most part, no hostiles in your immediate vicinity. You have a few ambling around, but most are on guard at the entrances or in the mess hall. Weather wise, I suggest you get moving, looks like we're about to get hit." Lightning flashed and crackled above their heads as if to emphasize his point. The rainfall began to take on a heavier mode. Bellis turned to Jackson and James, "Ok, you both know the deal. We move in and plant a marker on the goods so Big Navy can send a ship to seize them when they move off island. We gotta try and keep a low profile, I don't want to get in a firefight and risk a stray round puncturing one of those containers. Having your lungs liquefied is not a good way to go." "Sir, what about the neutrals?" Jackson was referring to the prisoners that had recently arrived. "We'll get to them if we can and get them out of here, but first thing's first." "Yes sir." "Heads up," Nix warned over the radio, "you got a curious George heading your way." "Looking for us?" Bellis asked. "Nah, he's smoking. Looks like he's just walking around, bored." They could hear footsteps slowly approaching, boots squishing in the mud. "Anything you can do about him?" "Wait one." The footsteps came closer and closer to the corner they were hiding behind. They waited tensely. James took out his pistol and slowly stood, keeping his shoulder against the wall. He trained the sights on the corner, ready to take out the threat as soon as he rounded the corner. The smuggler came right up to the threshold of discovering them, but then a slight whiz cut through the air, followed by a wet impact, a spray of blood and brain matter into the mud before them and a small muddy splash. Bellis reached around the corner and grabbed a fist full of the smuggler's shirt, dragging the body into cover. A neat hole was in the back of his skull and the now dead man was missing a good portion of his forehead. "Good shot Fungis. We're moving now, keep your eyes up." Said the team leader. "Roger that." Bellis checked around the corner again. Seeing it was clear, he waved James and Jackson on, who took up position at the next building and covered Bellis as he moved to join them. Some smugglers walked aimlessly around the camp, but with Nix and Feng's help, they were easily avoided on the way to the storehouse the cans of phosgene had been loaded into. Most of the camp's inhabitants were eating in the mess hall or sleeping in their huts. The team circled around to the back of the store house, the front had three guards and was highly visible. They found a back entrance with only two guards that was mostly out of sight. Unfortunately, this also meant Feng didn't have a clear shot, they would have to do it the old fashioned way. James and Jackson stacked up on the corner while Bellis watched their backs. The two slung their rifles and both drew their suppressed sidearms. Kneeling down, James picked a good sized rock from the mud and chucked it around the corner into some bushes, creating a distraction. As the guards turned their heads towards the sound, James and Jackson broke cover and moved on them. Jackson fired and took out the first guard, the sound of his weapon further muffled by the rain. James pulled the trigger, but all he got was a click. The second guard turned around at the sound of his partner hitting the ground. James thought fast drew back his arm for a throw, hurling his sidearm at the second guard, striking the man in the face. With two swift movements, James drew his knife from where it was sheathed on his shoulder, stepped in and shoved the point straight into the man's throat, ripping it back out with a wet squelch. After wiping the blade on his pant leg, he returned it to it's sheath and went to retrieve his weapon. "Really?" Jackson said, cocking an eyebrow, "You threw your fucking firearm?" "What? It didn't fire." "What you sayin', you forget to loa--" *pop* The pistol discharged, the round launching into the mud near Jackson's foot. James shrugged, "Hangfire." "Man, you better not accidentally shoot my ass." "I'll try, but sometimes it's hard to resist the urge." "You two ladies done chatting?" Bellis crept up behind them, "Let's get in there and get the hell outta here so we can get a hot meal." "Aye aye to that." Jackson agreed. James peered through cracks and creases in the thin walls of the store house to see what was inside. All he could see was darkness. Hopefully it meant the space was vacant. There was only one way to be sure. "Ok, you two keep an eye out while I get us in." Bellis ordered. James and Jackson stacked up on opposite sides of the door, facing out and rifles up, while Bellis went to work on the rickety door knob with the butt of his weapon. After a few good strikes, he knocked the knob off, the door slowly creaked open. Both Jackson and James spun around and entered, rifles ready. Bellis followed close behind, scanning the room for hostiles. Fortunately there were none. Jackson spotted the canisters they were looking for in a corner and ran over, taking his pack off as he went. Bellis went to go help him attach the transmitters while James kept a lookout. In a few minutes they were done. "Fungis, Nix, we're finished here, what's our exfil looking like?" Bellis asked. "Well, your entry point is still clear and the neutrals are unguarded, but I got some bad news." "Shit. Well, shoot." "Looks like the boss man is coming in for a look at the goods, you guys got about a minute to get out of there." "Thanks for the heads up." Bellis looked between James and Jackson, "All right boys, time to kick rocks, let's move." Stealthily they moved out the back door, replacing the knob as best they could. The bodies they dumped in a nearby ditch filled with trash. Silently they ghosted around the buildings towards the wooden shack holding the prisoners. Everything was going smooth as they reached the building until they turned the corner and ran into a smuggler pissing on the side of it. For a split second, they just looked at each other, dumbfounded. "Kaaway! Kaaway! Halika mabilis!" The smuggler hollered, taking up his rifle from where it was leaning on the building. On reflex Bellis put two in his chest, but the smuggler managed to pop off a couple rounds before he went down. The bullets went wide, but the damage was done. "Dammit!" "Sir, what's going on down there? We heard gunfire." Nix asked over the radio. "We've hit a snag, dogs are barking, we're pulling out." "Rodger that." "What about the civvies?" Jackson complained. "Fuck. Ok Rocka, we'll try to get 'em out." Bellis keyed his mic, "Nix, Fungis, keep their heads down and their attention off us." "We got your back, sir." The three maneuvered around the side of the building, keeping their eyes peeled for hostiles. A couple came around the corner. "Ikaw, itigil! Huminto o patayin namin ka!" One of them shouted. His chest exploded out wards as a sniper round exited and buried itself in the mud. His comrade only had a second to register shock in his brain before it to suddenly ceased to exist. Bellis, Jackson and James continued on to the padlocked door. Their hearts sank a little when they saw what they were dealing with. The lock was one of those heavy duty industrials that would require monster bolt cutters, which they didn't have, or a skilled lock picker, of which neither of them were. They didn't have much time, the shouts of angry men were rising through out the camp. "Shit, what're we gonna do?" James thought aloud. "Uh, fuck, shoot the lock." Jackson suggested. "Shoot the lock? That only works in movies." "Just try it!" "Ok, ok." James stood back a little and put the barrel of his rifle close to the lock, angling it so the round wouldn't go into the building and kill someone should it pass through. *POP, twang* The bullet punched a hole in the lock. Jackson tried to pull it loose, but it still wouldn't budge. "Dammit, we need the key!" Jackson yelled angrily. "I don't think the key is gonna work any more, the thing's trashed." James tried to explain to him. Indeed, even though the round had carved a ragged path through the lock, it remained firmly affixed. "Fuck it!" Jackson went to work on the lock with the butt of his rifle. A stream of bullets suddenly pockmarked the wall of the building above their heads, "You two better hurry the fuck up, we're running out of time!" Bellis shouted as he returned fire. James turned and knelt next to the lieutenant to help provide cover fire while Jackson worked on the lock. Hostiles were beginning to pour from the mess hall now, taking up arms against the intruders in their stronghold. James and Bellis did their best to repel them, but even with the help from Nix and Feng, it was clearly a losing battle. "C'mon Rocka, get it open!" James yelled over his shoulder. "I can't, the damn thing's too thick!" "Fine, we'll find another way in," Bellis started saying, "let's get around the back, maybe there's a--" "GRENADE!" James bellowed as he saw it get lobbed through the air towards them. The trio sprinted and dove behind the mass of random parts and machinery surrounding the generator seconds before the explosive detonated. With a loud crack, it sent shrapnel flying everywhere; into walls, sheets of scrap metal, and especially the generator. The machine began to sputter and cough, black smoke belching from it's every orifice. A slick liquid began streaming out of it's bottom, the odor unfortunately familiar. "Fucking Avgas!" The fuel started leaking out at a hurried rate, pooling on the muddy ground and spreading. After chocking and struggling to stay alive, the generator finally died, taking half the lights in the camp with it. Fuel continued to pour out from the ruptured gas tank. The three got up out of the mud and took what cover they could and began returning fire. The smugglers returned in kind, bullets pinging off the generator and old metal barrels, plunking into wood. The Bellis saw something he didn't like, "Ghengis, hot cocktail to the left!" James swiveled his rifle over and spotted a man lighting a good old fashioned Molotov cocktail. He fired a burst at him. *Pa Pow click* The first round grazed the man's ribs, the second missed, the third jammed in the chamber. "Fuck!" James rotated his rifle and took a look. The bolt didn't cycle all the way closed, most of the rifle was caked in mud. "EVERYONE BACK!" Bellis commanded. The man with the Molotov cocktail had recovered and lobbed the incendiary device at the operatives. Bellis, James and Jackson retreated around the corner of the building as it exploded all over the generator, splashing onto the wooden shack and setting the fuel aflame. With the help of the generator fuel, the fire spread quickly, swiftly chewing up the the side of the shack. Inside, the people began screaming and coughing as their prison filled with poisonous smoke. "Shit, we need to get them outta there!" Jackson hollered as he began kicking in the wooden boards that made up the wall. The fire was quickly spreading around the whole shack, heat intensifying as the smugglers advanced and began to close in. "You guys gotta get outta there, you're not gonna have an exit soon!" Nix warned, "They're brining in some heavy shit, looks like fifties." "That's it, we need to leave, now!" Bellis shouted. *BOOM* *BOOM* *BOOM* *BOOM* *BOOM* *BOOM* "C'mon Rocka, we have to go, man!" James pleaded as large caliber slugs began ripping through the air. "No, we gotta get at least one!" Jackson replied, furiously trying to create a hole for the captives to escape. "If we don't go now, we're fucking dead!" Bellis shouted at the frenzied warrior. The lieutenant wrapped an arm around Jackson's torso and began dragging the kicking man away. James un jammed his rifle and began spraying bullets back at their attackers to cover the retreat. The sounds of the screaming and suffocating prisoners set a haunting soundtrack over the flames and gunfire as they made their escape. It was a sound James would never forget. ===================================================================== "Hey buddy, wake up!" A hoof kicked James lightly in the side a few times. On instinct, he popped up, hand drawing his sidearm, the pistol shaking slightly in hid grip. He relaxed a bit after his brain suddenly registered where it was, but his body still remained tense. "Whoa, whoa, relax. You ok?" Flash was standing on the ground next to him, a worried look in his eyes, "You were fidgeting a lot, mumbling in your sleep." James put his pistol away and rubbed his eyes with a hand, a little embarrassed, "Shit. Sorry about that." "Bad dream?" "Bad memory." "Oh." "Don't worry, I'll be fine." "You sure--" "I'll be fine." "All right, ok." "What time is it?" James asked the pegasus. "Almost sunrise. It's still early, but Shining should be here soon." "Yeah, yeah. Well I'm up now. I'll take watch from here, catch some sleep." "You sure?" "Yeah." Flash shrugged and headed for his tent. Meanwhile, James got up and pulled on his top. In the eastern sky, a warm glow slowly began to build and spread across the horizon. It was the arrival of a new day, the last they might have before the shit really hit the fan. After using the water from a canteen to wash up a little, James looked at himself in a small mirror one of them had brought. His eyes were a little bloodshot, under them were dark circles. His short hair was still messy and he was in dire need of a shave, the stubble growing past a shadow and entering beard territory. He made a mental note to find a razor when he could. Gathering up his weapon and some equipment, James marched down the small hill the had made their camp on to the nearly finished fortifications down on the beach. Climbing to a rampart, he looked out to the strangely peaceful sea, then turned and studied the land of the shore. The slope the assault teams had crawled down the night before extended quite a ways up north. To the south was the wide mouth of the long river that ran all the way back to Canterlot. The sun had broken free of the horizon now and was beginning it's long climb into the sky. In the distance, the human thought he could hear the low rumble of thousands on hooves moving across the ground, Shining had finally arrived with what army Equestria could muster. After a moment, the rumbling stopped. A chariot drawn by two pegasi suddenly crested the ridge of the eastern slope. On it was Shining Armor, Captain of the guard, and an unexpected guest. James descended from the rampart and ran to greet the two ponies. In no time, the transport was pulling up in front of him. "Captain, good to see you again. Princess Celestia, this is a bit of a surprise." "She insisted she come." Shining informed the human. "Yes Commander, I thought I would come see the place where the fate of my country might be decided. I assume you've drawn up a defense plan?" She asked. "Yes I have." "About that," Shining started, "I thought your mission was to destroy all this, why does it still stand?" "I've made a few changes on the fly. I figured we could use these structures to our own advantage." "Oh? And how would that be?" Celestia asked with interest. "Garth told me of a certain weakness his people have. In water, they are sluggish and weak in their resolve. They don't like the wet stuff very much." "So? How does that help us when they land?" Shining challenged. "Easy, we don't let them land." "Easier said than done." "Actually, I know of a way. We just need a lot of logs and wait for low tide. Then we'll install them. Traditionally, landing ships will wait for a high tide so they can get closer to shore, the water will cover the trap and effectively ground them, forcing the occupants to bail while still offshore. While they're struggling to get to the beach, we'll use archers stationed in this beach head and my sniper teams to pick them off before they have a chance to set foot on your land." "Very ambitious Commander," Celestia complemented. "Captain, please see to it that our Engineers get to work on the project at once." "Yes, your Highness." "As for you, Commander, I think we should have a chat."