Roach

Chapter 23

"Sixth Fleet's mopping up. Time to move in," Soap glances over those of us in the chopper. He's been listening in, nonstop to the radio chatter around all of this. 

The copilot hands him a tablet that's displaying the location we'll be going to. He glances it over then hands it around. Ghost takes it and holds it in the middle of everyone so that we can all see what Soap's talking about.

"Long history of this building. Not much of it pretty..." He pauses, seeming to recall something or other from secondary history class. "Started out as a castle. With an actual dungeon. Built to withstand any siege. Building survived every brutal winter. The occupants... they weren't so lucky... The Monastery... Didn't survive the purges. Over the last century it's played host to anyone the government didn't want, but couldn't kill. Place is filled with living casualties of the last war... which I swear I thought we'd won. But I suppose it's all a day at the races: you back the losing horse, and this is where you end up. Six-Two-Seven is the piece of meat Makarov wants, so let's cut him loose."

Some of the others cheer. Ghost hands the tablet back. "We'll finally get him back. I think we owe him a drink for taking so long."

"Damn right..."

As we get closer, jets start to get closer. The sun looks as it's just properly filled the horizon, rising as we start a new day. One new day that's closer to having Him back. I look over my weapon as the jets fly past. Chatter over the radio divulges simple commands and information; where we are, who's able to engage:

 "Hornet Two-One, this is Jester One-One, flight of two F-15s, four HARMs for the section. Standby for SEAD, over."

"Solid copy, Jester. Go get 'em."

"Good tone. Good tone. Fox-Three. Fox-Three."

The jets fire onto the land as we approach, knocking out a radio tower that was just out of sight.

"Good kill. Good kill. Hornet Two-One, you're clear all the way. Good luck. Out."

"Hunter Two-One copies."

We start over the tree line, kicking up dust and snow from the explosion. The jets part, leaving us in the choppers to move forwards alone. Three of us, both not enough but more than enough. This mission is too expensive, too valuable to lose, yet only three choppers. No doubt they're all filled with me, but it doesn't feel like it's enough for him. I hope he's not disappointed.

"Two-Three, solid copy."

More chatter, yet it's almost distracting from the mission at hand. Then, there it is.

- 14th August 2016 -

- The Gulag; 40 miles east of Petropavlovsk, Russia -

"Two going in hot."

"Roger."

"Guns, guns, guns."

One of the choppers pulls more forward, quickly taking out a watch tower. Sirens quickly start to blare from the fortress, and Russian enemies move to their defensive positions. They won't give him up without a fight, and we won't lose him to any others.

"Two-Two, Two-One. Good effect on target."

"All snipers," Soap starts, "this is MacTavish, standby to engage." 

I raise my weapon, like some of the others getting ready. Rockets whiz past us, missing yet frighteningly close.

"Stabilize." Soap calls to the pilot.

"Roger." Hornet Two-One acknowledges.

"All snipers--clear to engage."

We rain down fire on anyone we see, anyone with rocket launchers are targeted first. Those with normal guns second. We don't want our chopper getting blasted from the sky before we can do anything.