Grey

Grey Part 2

It has been 10 years since my decision to join the British army and it was by far the best decision I could made. However I have come to somewhat regret doing it. This muddy trench is filling with water and soon we will have to pull out if we can't liberate the civilians in Bkorin. Like Simms said they run off a hive mind and are getting smarter. Their "leader" has apparently told them to hold the civilians hostage and kill as many of us as possible. The fog and smoke make everything hard to see and just seems so...grey.

(Mortar whistles overhead)

"DUNN...DUNN WHERE ARE YOU" I screamed into the haze

"OVER HERE SIR...ON THE OTHER END OF THE TRENCH"

"DUNN DO YOU KNOW WHERE GRIGGS IS I KEEP YELLING FOR HIM BUT I CAN'T FIND HIM"

"YA HE WAS SENT TO THE INFIRMARY WITH LEG TRAUMA"

"THANKS DUNN"

"NO PROBLEM"

(Explosion sounds in the distance)

"Daniel what happened"

"They're gettin' smart Joseph they've learned how to use guns"

"F*CK...how long have you known this"

"Just since I got shot an hour ago"

(sigh)"How does the leg feel"

"Hurts like hell and the nurse told me not to move it"

"Alright...well get the nurse back in here and tell her to start packing up because we have to leave"

"Why do we have to leave"

"The trenches are flooding and the mutants are shooting back now...we need to fall back, regroup, and plan an aerial attack"

"Ok...NURSE"

"Yes"

"Sergeant here says it's time to go back to post"

"Ok I'll start packing up"

"See you back on post Daniel"

"See ya"

(Massive explosion hits behind our lines)

"WHAT THE HELL JUST HAPPENED"

"THEY HAVE ROCKETS"

"DAMNIT...EVERYONE FALL BACK WE NEED TO REGROUP"

A couple of hours later everyone arrives and we get the wounded to the hospitals and start the repairs on what vehicles we have left. Looking at the aerial pictures of the battlefield I see the of carnage that both we and the mutants caused is absolutely devastating. Burning trees not going out even in the rain serve as thermal camo for the mutants. The network of trenches we dug now serve as defensive lines for them. What do we have...we have a tank with two giant holes in the armor, 3 humvees all riddled with bullets, and an APC missing one of the middle wheels. However we do have 14 F-22 Raptor jets, and two huge stealth bombers. I think that this is when I really turned this battle in our favor.

"Dunn get me Simms and Gomez"

"Yes sir"

(couple minutes later)

"You needed us Sergeant" said Lieutenant Gomez

"Yes I need you to for Operation Sting"

"Which is..."

"It is an aerial assault operation requiring you two"

"What do you need" said Simms

"Simms I need you to do recon and scope out their positions as soon as the trees stop burning"

"Gotcha"

"Gomez when he gives you coordinates I need you to pick out 4 soldiers to get as close as possible and mark the targets and then send the Raptors, which will be armed for the task, and the Titans, armed with1000 lb bombs"

"Ok I can do that"

A couple of days later Simms notifies me that he has given Gomez the coordinates who was currently selecting the splinter squad. Several hours later the main part of Operation Sting begun and I started monitoring the radio.

(radio crackle)"This is Raptor 2-0 we are two miles from target zone please mark targets at half mile"

"Roger that Raptor 2-0, but you guys might wanna hurry they look like they're about to move"

"Say again Splinter 1 did you say targets are prepping to move "

"Roger targets are packin up an prepping to leave"

"Copy Splinter 1 we are at one mile be ready to laze targets"

"Roger"

"We are at half mile mark targets, I repeat mark targets"

"Lazing targets"

"Rockeyes away"

(Sounds of explosions come over the radio)

"Good effect on target...Titan 3-2 what is your distance"

"We are coming up on target in 3...2...1 bombs away"

The ground shook from the 1000 lb bombs and over the radio all I heard was celebration. Operation Sting had been a success.

"Good effect on target, I repeat good effect on target"

"This is Titan 3-2 heading home first round is on me boys"

The night following the operations success the soldiers partied and celebrated. The next day we sent a convoy to retrieve the civilians. When they got back only 100 of the civilians had survived the battle earlier in the week.

They grieved their dead and we tended to the wounded while we found a place for them to safely stay. A couple of days later Simms ran into my office panting like he had been running a marathon.

(panting)"I...Mutants...Here"

"Catch your breath first"

(heavy exhale)"I saw on the satellite a massive mutant movement on their way here"

"That is really not good"

"However, our scientists have discovered that their leader is the only one of his kind and the only thing keeping them from killing each other"

"How did they do that"

"We captured a couple of 'Blades' and they cut of the link to the hive mind and they attacked each other"

"Ok well there is still a problem here...he is in Moscow"

"No he isn't he is coming with them and I don't think he knows we can cut them off from the hive mind by killing him"

"Good then this is where we could end this"

"Yes it is...and I hope you don't mind but I deployed snipers outside the base so we can take him out early on and kill any stragglers that survive the slaughter"

"I'll let it slide this time but next time let me know"

"Ok I'll remember that"

"Now go get ready for battle"

"Yes Sergeant"

...To Be Continued...