War Spirit - Lead Leopard

#1 - The Valley of Death

CHAPTER 1

July 4th, 2018
The Valley of Death, Afghanistan.

The low rumbling of diesel engines could be heard from a distance. Two soldiers stood guard at the watch tower of Combat Outpost (COP) Romeo. The past week had seen very little Taliban forces attempt hit and runs on Allied convoys coming in and out of the base. Rok Jekai, a twenty-four-year-old army combat engineer in the Australian Defence Force (ADF), was stationed in COP Romeo alongside his best friend Marcus Chevalier, a twenty-six-year-old infantryman. They were both better known by their nicknames Rocky and Chevy. They scanned the horizon for any possible incoming ambushes.

"Rocky, the convoy's inbound." he pointed. Rocky took one last puff before chucking his cigarette out the watchtower and grabbing his F89 Minimi, with Chevy doing the same. This was the norm with friendly forces coming in and out of COP Romeo. The Taliban would hide in the treeline up West, firing on soldiers and vehicles in the open. Rocky and Chevy aimed their weapons ready. The supply convoy, led by an MRAP armed with a 50.cal heavy machine gun and two trucks following closely behind, carried ammunition, food, medical supplies, weapons, as well as mail. They rolled in steadily and the two men stood in silence waiting for a possible ambush, but surprisingly, nothing came. The boom gates to the base opened and the trucks safely entered.

"We haven't seen any enemy activity in the area for the past week." Rocky said. Chevy turned to look at him,

"Now that you bring it up, that is pretty weird." He agreed.

"Combat outpost Romeo is the most frequently ambushed outpost. It doesn't add up." He stated puzzled, before something grabbed his attention.

Look over there" Rocky pointed, to a girl getting out of the MRAP from the convoy.

"What's a bird like her doing in a place like this?" wondered Chevy. The girl wore a red flannel shirt, jeans, aviators and black boots. She had a blue bulletproof vest and helmet that read 'PRESS'.

"She's a reporter." Chevy observed

"From here, I can tell she's a C cup." Rocky shook his head, smiling.

"Why is that the first thing that comes to your mind?"

"You can't blame me. She's the first hot woman we've seen in months." Chevy justified, to which Rocky shook his head again, chuckling. Two soldiers called from below the tower, interrupting the two.

"Jekai! Chevalier! Your section commander is asking for you. Report to him immediately." Rocky and Chevy looked at each other.

"After you bro" Rocky nodded and walked to the ladder, placing his foot on the top step and beginning his descent. The two walked over to the briefing tent where the squad, six men total, were waiting for him.

"Good afternoon." said his section commander, Sergeant Davidson.

"Good afternoon, Sergeant." They replied,

"Take a seat" Rocky pulled a chair in the front row sitting beside his best friend Leon Zidarich, a twenty-three-year-old combat engineer in the ADF. Rocky and Zidarich had known each other since high school and by some slim chance, were deployed together. The Sergeant began drawing a layout of a village map on the whiteboard, using his laptop as reference.

"This is where we'll be headed tomorrow. The nearby village, Qarya Sakhra. We have reason to suspect a Taliban high class official by the name Qasim Wardak, to be hiding there." Rocky raised his hand.

"Yes Rocky?"

"I thought this was dealt with by special forces. Why are we doing it, sergeant?" He asked.