Ghosts: Blood Ties

Chapter 6: Tip of the Spear

David's POV
I sat there with the rest of the team as Merrick debriefed us on the situation and our next missions. He stood next to a presentation of a detailed map of South America with highlighted positions in Colombia.
"Our push through Central America and the taking of Panama has taken us closer to the Federation and to ending this war. We have info that an informant is being held in a high-security prison near Bogota. It is being guarded by a small military base a few clicks away from it. Ghosts, our objective is to take down the base's comms tower and assist the special forces and military in taking the base and opening the path to the prison. We will land near the comms tower while a combined force of SEALs and Deltas will storm the base. We will rendezvous with them and take the base. Once that's done we will take a chopper, alongside the other teams, to the base."
He dismissed us and we got our gear ready. I slipped my gear and put on the skull mask. It had been a week since the battle at the oil platform but, I was still thinking about it. I saw Logan and the hesitation in his eyes. I saw recognition in them and I hoped to God he was still in there. My train of thought was cut short with a tap to the shoulder as I turned and came face-to-face with Keegan. He nodded to me and signaled at his watch. It was time. We got on the plane and sat there for a few hours before we heard the buzz again as we were nearing the drop zone.
I was in the air again as I looked down at the sprawling jungle below me. I heard the familiar signal and pulled my chute. I landed and slipped on the night vision goggles, seeing green once more, and moved to the rest of the team. We moved through the dense jungle as we saw the top of the comms tower peeking out of the trees. We neared the clearing and stopped. We observed the patrols scanning the forest and picked our targets. I aimed down my sights and depressed the trigger. I felt the familiar kick and muffled pop followed by other muffled pops as the guards fell. Keegan and I proceeded to place the charges on the tower as we heard more muffled shots and thirds of bodies hitting the ground. I handed the detonator to Merrick and we backed into the trees as the special forces teams sounded off.
"This is Ghost Team charges are set."
"Copy that. We're almost in position. Meet up with us and let's get this show on the road."
We decided to take the guards armored car as I manned the machine gun. We drove through the path and began to near the base.
"Ghost Team this is Metal 0-1, we have primed explosives around the base's fuel lines and vehicles just give us the signal and hit it."
Merrick replied, "You'll hear it." He depressed the trigger and we heard the distant explosion as the comms tower was destroyed. We neared the entrance and I pulled the trigger and felt the chatter of the machine gun as the guards at the entrance fell or took cover. I heard a closer explosion as balls of flame erupted around the base. We slammed through the gate and I continued to fire. I watched as Federation soldiers collapsed and were launched in the air as the explosions ripped the base apart. The spec ops teams fired from the tree line and jets flew overhead dropping bombs on the base. We stopped the car and fired at the remaining Federation forces as the spec ops teams joined us in battle. I heard bullets ping off the car's armor and the shots of assault rifles.
I watched as reinforcements in the form of Marines landed to deal with the remaining forces while a chopper touched down to pick us up. I hopped off the car and followed the rest of the team into the chopper. We lifted off and watched the destruction happen from above as gunshots and explosions were brightened in the night. We were accompanied by 2 more choppers as we proceeded towards the prison. I saw more jets pass us by and parts of the prison go up in flames.
We neared the prison and heard bullets slam against the chopper's armor and the roar of the door miniguns as they ripped through the prison forces' cover and we jumped onto the ground. We fired at the guards and made our way into the base.
Logan's POV
I was jolted awake by the roar of explosions and the sudden shaking of the walls. I heard the sounds of footsteps and I felt myself being lifted onto my feet. I saw the silhouettes of the guards as one of them slammed his rifle stock into the back of my head. My vision went white for a second as I felt myself being dragged through halls and being lowered. The explosions and gunshots sounded off closer as one of the guards raised his rifle at my face. I realized I wasn't tied up as they were under the pretense that I was still weak. I tackled the man to the ground grabbed his knife. I rolled away as his partner fired hoping to hit me and instead the other man. I twisted and hurled the knife at the other guard. I saw the blade bury itself into the guard's throat. I slipped on the guard's uniform and picked up his rifle. I ran through the halls until I heard a shot and pain arch through my back as I fell forwards. The Kevlar saved my life but, the pain was no walk in the park. I heard the sounds of footsteps as one guard lifted me up and the other pressed his sidearm into forehead. I heard 2 muffled gunshots as the guards dropped to the floor, blood pooling beneath their heads.
I looked up to find Boa standing there with his suppressed pistol lowered and two shell casings on the ground. He offered a hand which I took and nodded to me.
"What are you doing here?" I asked.
"Saving you." He replied. I looked at him as more gunshots and explosions could be heard in the courtyard.
"I saw what Rorke did to you Logan. I served the Federation believing a greater idea. All I've seen is death."
I nodded and offered a hand in thanks. He took it with a smile and a nod. I felt him slip something into my hand and turn around.
"Where're you going?" I inquired. "Back to Caracas. I'll protect her."
I knew what he was talking about and grabbed him by the shoulder. He had his own wife and child, I couldn't leave that pain in his wake.
"No!" I cried. "What about your family? If Rorke finds out what you're about to do he'll torture them and send you their heads!"
He looked at me with eyes I've seen on myself and may others, eyes full of grief. I saw a single tear drip down his cheek as the implications sunk in.
"He already did." He confirmed. "I was one of the ones who rebelled against the Federation and fought. He tracked me down, turned me, and killed my family as a warning to others. I'm not gonna let him take any more loved ones from you."
I embraced him as a brother and placed a hand on his shoulder in a sign of good luck and gratitude.
"One more thing..." he said reaching into his pocket. "I believe this belongs to you."
He handed me my skull mask and ran the other way. I slipped the mask on and moved to the prison control room. I ran to the control and saw a guard raise his rifle. I slid down and fired up eliciting a yell and a thud as his dead body hit the ground. I reached the control room and peeked in to find the warden and a few guards yelling into their radios. I took out a grenade and removed its pin. I rolled into the room and held the door closed as I heard a cry of terror and a sudden blast which blew door I was bracing on off its hinges and knocking me off my feet.
"Ow." I remarked and walked into the room. I fired into the body of a guard who struggled to use his sidearm. I went to the control panel and flipped the switch to release all the prisoners. I turned around to see two masked soldiers leveling their rifles at me. One I knew as Keegan and the other was Hesh. I dropped my rifle and raised my mask.
"This uniform is just for convenience okay?"
Keegan didn't seem convinced and raised his rifle to my head. Hesh looked unsure. ' Oh boy' I thought.
David's POV
I stood there with my rifle raised as Logan looked at us nervously. I decided to speak.
"We're looking for an informant. Do you know where he is?"
Logan nodded, "Yeah I think I already met him. He handed me this." He held up a USB. I lowered my rifle while Keegan kept his up. Logan seemed unperturbed by this and walked towards me. He handed me the USB and gestured to the chaos outside.
"You got an evac?" He asked. I nodded keeping a close grip on my rifle.
"We gonna stand here or we gonna get out of here?" I nodded to Keegan and we moved out. We went to the courtyard as the spec ops were locked in a firefight against the remains of the guards. We entered the chopper and handed the USB to Merrick as Logan put on some gear and armed himself with a Honey Badger.
"You going somewhere?" I asked. He looked at me and answered, "Caracas. There's someone there I have to exfil."
"Who?" I asked as Merrick and the rest of the team looked just about ready to put a bullet in his head. Logan looked at us as the chopper gained altitude. He finally replied, "Another American. A...doctor. She's a friend of mine and if I don't get her, Rorke will."
We all looked at Merrick as he weighed his options. He looked at Logan and gave him a smile.
"Let's do it."