Lost Sight - NATO-Russia Conflict 2018

Chapter 3: Night Raid

November 1st 2015

1900 Hours

“Romanian Scouts identified a company-sized group of reinforcements heading to Foxtrot Pass. Of course, if they wanted to take this crossroad, they would’ve sent two or three companies, even a battalion. But it don’t seem like that. Ivan wants to standby for the winter, and have this position firm in their hands.” said Lieutenant Salvade to the squad leaders, including Sgt. Hernandez, Sgt. Waters, Cpl. Andrei, and Sgt. Mackie. LCpl. Schmidt, as he is the platoon’s explosives expert, was already summoned by default. “But either way the Russians are tough sonsofbitches, so we gotta do something about this. Stand closer,” he said and pulled out a piece of paper. It was a small map of several routes they could take tonight. “So to our left flank, according to Andi here, there’s a broken sewer that leads to the other side of the street. As you know, both sides of the streets are heavily guarded. A stalemate. What this small team is going to do is to go under those sewers and go to the other side of the street. We have a bit too many plastic explosives to spare, and we also know, thanks to aerial surveillance, that every new company that guards these crossroads will go through the same passage as before. Now I don’t want to think that they’re safe on that passage, and we’re going to do this, tonight.” He said. “I need four men and one who can speak Russian.”

“I can go.” Said Andi. “I speak Russian like a Russian boar.”

“Alright. We got our linguist. Squad leaders, I need you to pick three guys on your squad and get their asses over here not later than 2300 hours tonight. Whether they are good enough or not, it’s up to me and Papa. Oorah?”

“Oorah.” The three squad leaders said.

“Alright. Dismissed.” He said. The three men about-turned and went away without any salutes, as officers were ripe targets for snipers. The death of officers would cause major confusion within the ranks.

Salvade, Papa, and Andi continued making their plans, deciding on how many explosives were needed and on what position that they would ambush the Russian company. It was decided that they would move into position and mark targets with their PEQ-2 IR lasers fitted on their rifles. Then, Marine attack helicopters stationed at the soccer field-turn-airfield would then light it up. Unlike the daytime the sky was depraved of the appearance of aircraft. By 2000 Hours the sky was pitch dark, and for the next one and a half hours the three men planned the raid as good and as clean as possible. Salvade contacted command profusely to get air support.

“Roger, 2300 Hours, but we’ll be moving into position by then. Over.” He was talking to Captain White. So far Captain White’s company was the foremost forward Marine unit in Targu Mures and therefore had an abundance of CAS privileges.  Supposedly.

“Roger that. Vulture 22.” Salvade said in reply. White relayed the radio to Vulture 22 and the mechanical voice of a female came into burst.

Salvade slept for a couple of minutes to save himself from being to sleepy during the raid. When he woke up it was 2230 and he called the men. About ten men came to the building. The building where Rick had his command post was now known as Zulu Building and the other being X-Ray. Zulu used to be a four-story apartment which was abandoned in a haste when the Russians came south. Some of the drawers still had a lot of civilian materials; canned food, soda, coffee sachets, instant noodles. The soldiers and marines emptied their bowels at still functioning civilian toilets. Hell, there was even a coffee machine.

The Marines were quite glad because of that. Private First Class Dave McMartin of 2nd Squad used to work as a barista at the time he was going through college (which was cut short due to the war and his enlistment). So as per orders from Sergeant Hernandez, who was a big fan of coffee and thick cigars himself, Dave McMartin began working on the coffee machine and by 2000 Hours that day the men manning Foxtrot Pass had a running coffee stall.

From the ten men who came, four were selected. Namefully Lance Corporal Schmidt, Lance Corporal Arkey, and Sergeant Hernandez, and non-other than Private Mircea ‘Kiwi’ Ormenisan. Kiwi and Andi would be their guides that night, and by 2245 Hours the Raiders were ready to go. Overall command of Foxtrot Pass was given to the second-highest ranked, which was none other than Platoon Sergeant ‘Papa’ Hughes.

The team of six men – two Romanian enlisted, four enlisted Marines, and a Marine officer – set out towards the sewer in the dark, wet, and cold nights of late-autumn Targu Mures.

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