Chapter 1

The sound of choppers filled the air as the nighthawks came closer to their LZ. But then BOOM, BOOM, BOOM! The pilot of the Nighthawk yelled “Flak” over his radio. By the time he had said it I witnessed three of the five choppers shot down. By then the pilot told me (Captain Peters), to get my squad of five ready for an emergency drop. My crew consisted of two seals, Halen and Groves, one communications specialist, Rivers, and two army rangers, Gallvan and Middleton.

As we descended to the ground I was doubting the missions chances of success. But it was too late to second guess. But then the two nighthawks that were left dropped their men off and then disappeared into the dark Russian sky. 

My crew and I heard the sentry guns firing. I quickly yelled "Everyone hit the dirt!” The light coming from the sentry gun barrels was bright enough for my crew and I to see the outline of five bodies ripped to shreds by the deadly machine guns. I wondered where was the sixth man of the squad. But suddenly, we heard the sound of someone crawling through the cold snow. 

I told my men to hold their fire. We saw a dark figure start to come up out of the snow and took a knee. "Private first class Bradley” he said. “Sniper, one shot one kill.” Then I said "How did you survive!?" He replied, "I tripped coming out of the Nighthawk sir.” “I guess I'm just lucky.” Halen quickly snapped "Can we please remember why we’re here, to surprise that snake Romanov and capture him before the second Armor division is chrono'd into the middle of Moscow tomorrow.” Rivers quickly added, "Yes, and let’s not forget if we don't radio the USS Harry Truman aircraft carrier in 2 hours they will assume we’re dead.” “Instead of sending a Nighthawk and two Comanches to extract us and Romanov, they’ll send four F-117 stealth fighters to blow the Russian Kremlin sky high!”

Now I said to myself....... “The mission begins.”

As my team reached the Kremlin wall the two seals, Halen and Groves, said in unison "Meet us at the front door.” Quickly they launched a modified hook and rope out of the grenade tube of their M-16's. They scaled the wall lightning fast and suddenly gunshots were fired. We heard a fatal scream from inside the Kremlin walls.

My squad quickly moved towards the doors of the Kremlin and engaged the two Kremlin guards.

We screwed on our silencers developed specifically for our M-16’s. The guards saw us and quickly fired upon us. I ordered Bradley to put bullets in their heads. Bradley quickly recited a prayer and squeezed his sniper rifle trigger twice and the two guards dropped to the ground. Dead.

But just as the guards fell Helen opened the Kremlin doors. Middleton asked, "Hey Halen, where’s Groves? Halen replied slowly, "Did you hear the scream?” “That was Groves, but the guards didn't see me so they think Romanov’s safe.” 

I looked at my watch. One hour left.

We quickly ran inside the Kremlin and found the building where Romanov sleeps. Just as we walked in we encountered two guards. I quickly ordered my men to take cover. As we did the guards fired on us and we immediately returned fire. I heard two bodies drop. But just as that happened, we saw Gallvan rolling around on the ground clutching his gut. We quickly rolled him over and administered first aid.

By this time Gallvan was faintly saying "Cap... Captain, please give this letter to my family, but rewrite it first because it has blood on it.” Gallvan added, “Hey Captain do me a favor get that ba..s..t." Then Rivers said, "That’s it...he's gone."

Middleton broke down into a cry just as we came under fire from a hand full of conscripts. Middleton then said, "Captain please, I don't wanna die.” “I'm just nineteen years old and I have a family,” he said with tears were streaming down his face.

I yelled to him "If you don’t get up and start fighting you ain't gonna see your family again!” After that he quickly jumped up with a look of insanity on his face and took on all of the conscripts by himself. He took at least half a dozen hits before he went down, but he killed every one of those commies!!

I quickly ran over and checked him out. He was dying but he looked at me and said, "Get Romanov and the men out of here and forget about me." He then pulled out his Colt .45 and started firing into the reinforcements of Russian troops that were coming.

I got back to the doors of Romanov's building where my squad was waiting. I said "Lets go get Romanov and Yuri... NOW." We now had fifteen minutes to radio the carrier or else.

We started running up the four flights of stairs to Romanov's bedroom. We could tell the Kremlin wasn't expecting a covert infiltration mission at night. The tesla coils was not online and there were not too many guards around Romanov’s Building.

By now we had reached Romanov's room. We were ready to burst in and take out any guard in the room and snatch Romanov out of his bed where he thinks he's safest.

I started counting down “3..2..1..go.” Just like that we took out the two guards and grabbed Romanov. We then proceeded to the roof top so we could get a clear transmission to the carrier. As we reached the roof, Rivers radioed the carrier in code. "Bird nest this is stray eagle, please send in mother bird.” With that Rivers said "Good job, Captain.” I simply said to him, "A Good job would be no casualties, and besides, were not out of the woods just yet.”

Just then Russian soldiers burst through the roof door and Romanov yelled, "Kill the Allied pigs!” I quickly ordered my men to fire at will. Rivers and Bradley went down and Halen and I were the only ones left.

We kept the Soviet troops at bay, but I thought this was the end for us. From behind me I heard the roar of twenty millimeter machine guns firing. It was the Commanches and the Nighthawks giving us cover fire! Five seals combat units dropped and took Romanov onto the waiting Nighthawk.

Then another Nighthawk landed and we loaded up and headed back to the carrier. The intended task force of twenty was sent out to do this mission, but was reduced to seven when we got to the Kremlin. Only Halen and I are all that’s left of that seven.

The Generals and political figures will see this mission as a complete success. I don't know about Halen, but I see this mission as a complete failure. A failure because we lost eighteen men to get only one.

But I can only think, “Where's Yuri?!?!”

To be continued...

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