Operation: Pointed Spear

A new directive

So your boy fucked up, I accidentally skipped over this chapter not realizing it so merry Christmas in November 2 chapters today

Alik's pov
      I was walking with Corey as he asked "what are you and Monika going to do for the 6 months we got off?" I looked at him and whispered hauntingly "I forgot about that" as he asked "so what's your plan?" I shrugged speaking "I'll probably ask Harry to keep me on base so if something comes up I can go and deal with it" Corey looked at me "you'd go on missions alone?" I replied simply "if it meant saving Gunther and Reinhard yes" just for me to hear Monika behind us "if what meant saving my family?" I listened as Corey answered "he's gonna ask Harry to keep him on base during the six month break your team has so he can handle any calls about your parents" she looked at me and jokingly asked "gonna be the hero while we relax?" I chuckled and replied "that wasn't the plan but hey, if it works" she laughed as she took my hand and Corey asked "so how do you plan on getting Harry to allow you to stay?" I replied "I don't know, I'll probably ask Bird, Thatcher and maybe Wendigo to run the missions with me"
      Corey asked "but that's only 4" I replied by staring at him in shock as Monika asked "do you really think I won't run those hits?" As Corey sighed "I was worried you'd say that, you two are fucking destructive together" I laughed and replied "feel bad for Monika's family, they live with us" he shivered before we stopped infront of Harry's office. I knocked and walked in with Corey and Monika, Harry looked up and asked "what can I do for you 3?" I stepped forward "you know how our 6 months on duty ends next Saturday, I want to stay on base with a team specifically dedicated to the missions to recover monika's family" Harry looked at me and asked "why should I allow a team on base to handle one specific mission type?" I replied simply "because feral wants me, Monika and I want to recover her family and you want the masks to lose their bargaining chips" he nodded and pulled out a document before speaking "if I allow this, I will expect you to work as QRF for any active teams" I nodded and replied "alright, I'm okay with those terms" as Monika spoke "me too"
     Harry signed the paper before asking "who do you need me to hold for this team" I replied "I could use Bird, Thatcher and Rodion if he's willing" Corey looked at me in surprise before nodding "I'll go" as Harry called bird and thatcher to the office. They walked in surprised to see Monika, Corey and I as Harry asked "would you two be willing to stay on base acting as QRF for active teams and handling the missions that have to do with Monika's family?" Thatcher answered instantly "aye" as Bird nodded "of course mate" as Harry finished signing the paper and spoke "now here's your new mission directive, from this Saturday out you will act as the Quick Reaction Force for all Team Rainbow assets. Missions containing the development of Operator IQ's family will be deferred to your team unless rejected by your team in favor of a more concrete objective. We clear?" We all nodded as Harry spoke "you have your next set of orders, finish out this week and then you'll take over as QRF, I expect good things" as Thatcher spoke "we'll get it done sir, the masks won't know what hit them"
       Harry nodded and replied "thatcher muster your current team and get ready for a recon, I trust your judgement" thatcher patted Monika and I's shoulder "let's go" as we turned and started walking back to our dorm. I looked at Monika as she smiled "danke for keeping us on the hunt" I replied simply "I told you we were going to save your family, I'd do what I needed to to keep us on target" she gave me a hug "you need to learn to just say you're welcome sometimes" I chuckled as I returned the hug before we started walking again. When we reached the dorm i saw Zara but no Anna, Monika asked "Where's mama?" As Zara answered "she's gone to get food" I nodded as I grabbed my fatigues and gear heading into the bathroom and changing before I sat on my bed and slowly loaded my magazines as Zara asked "why are you two getting your uniforms on?" I replied "we've got a recon, hopefully it's just an in and out but." She nodded slowly and spoke as Monika walked out of the bathroom "so I started talking to bird" Monika asked "how?" As Zara spoke "I'm flirting, I don't know if he's picking up on it"
        I asked "aren't you 34?" She nodded as I laughed "Bird is 25, You're in luck though. Bird likes older women, he's dated a woman about mine and Monika's age when he was 18" Monika looked at me surprised "how old are you?" I put my hand on my chest and asked feigning hurt "what kind of indignant question is that?! 41, I'm 41" she shook her head and spoke "I thought you were older" I asked "is it the gray in my beard?" She nodded as I chuckled and Zara asked "so I've got a chance with Bird?" I nodded as Monika asked "why are we calling him by his callsign?" I replied laughing "his name is bird, Bird Parks. We just used his name as his callsign because it seems so out there of a name" Monika shook her head as I heard Zara "I like it, it's a nice name" I laughed as Monika replied "you're already in love Jesus" Zara replied defiantly "nein, I am not!" As Monika replied "you're getting defensive" and Zara replied "alright fine, maybe I am falling for him" I laughed "he's one smooth motherfucker"
       I stood as I heard a knock at the door as I walked over and opened the door seeing Mike "we've got a brief in 10" I nodded and replied "we'll be there" he started walking away as I turned and walked back into the dorm "brief is in 10" Monika nodded as I holstered my pistol and slid a magazine into my MCX before letting it hang loosely at my side as Monika grabbed her G8a1 as I asked "why do you have a gun that's almost as big as you?" She replied simply "because I like big things" I heard Zara cough as she asked "was?(what?)" I gave Monika an odd look as she smiled innocently before I shook my head and spoke "come on compensation, let's get to our brief" she asked "are you calling me flat?" I replied "no, just teasing. We both know you're anything but flat" As we walked through the halls until we reached the briefing room and walked in seeing Thatcher sitting in his seat as I sat next to him "so where are we reconning?" He shrugged and spoke "I know as much as you do" as IQ sighed "so fuck all, great"
We sat down and waited until Pulse and Finka walked in, finka was holding her 6p42 which got my attention as I asked "why do you two both have your LMGs?" As Finka replied "Achilles, I have a bad feeling about this mission" IQ nodded and replied "it's never as simple as go and recon" I sighed and muttered "that makes me nervous" as Thatcher nodded "I don't like this either" just as Harry walked in "good to see you're all here, now this mission is to recon a mask stronghold in the mountains of the Alps. Pack warm clothes it is December, we're going to land you at the peak of the adjacent mountain you're then to proceed to the next peak and monitor the Mask activity for a period of 12 hours. Once you have completed your monitoring you'll egress to the initial insert and be extracted via helicopter. Any questions?" Mike raised his hand "if we're compromised?" Harry replied "break contact and call for extraction" I listened as Finka asked "do we any data on the terrain?" Harry answered "it's pretty steep, most of the soil is loose so you have to watch out for any slipping. We've got reports of rock slides so that's something you've got to keep an eye on"
      I listened as Pulse asked one last question "do we have any supporting units?" Harry replied "just one of our QRF teams" I sighed, I really wasn't liking how this mission was setting up. Harry asked "Achilles, you've been quiet" I replied honestly "just a bad feeling sir" he asked "what don't you like about this mission?" I shook my head "I don't know sir, just a bad feeling but if the job stopped every time someone had a bad feeling we'd never get anything done" he nodded and asked "does anyone else have any bad feelings?" Finka, Thatcher and IQ raised their hands as Harry asked "do you want to decline the mission?" As we all shook our head no as Pulse spoke with determination "we'll get it done" as Harry smiled "I knew I could count on your team, the helicopter is finishing it checks now" we stood and filed out heading to the hanger. I saw the maintenance crew running around the helicopter as we climbed on, I gripped the loop as I sat down and waited, soon enough the helicopter started rolling out of the hangar.
Once we reached the runway the pilot turned the helicopter 90 degrees to the left and lowered the angle of the helicopter blades before the RPM started to increase and the helicopter slowly climbed into the dusk sky, I heard Thatcher on our comms "well be at the LZ in 4 hours, everyone get some rest" I replied "get some sleep old man, I'll make sure everyone's awake when we get there" he grumbled to himself before speaking "alright sergeant, you got your wish" as they all got comfortable and i felt the air push on my legs as we flew towards the alps. I watched the city pass beneath us as we headed for the coast, I pulled off my headset and plugged in my earbuds and then pulled on my noise canceling headphones and playing my music avoiding the feeling of dread the mission gave me. I hummed along as we flew, I wondered how Reinhard and Gunther were doing, I'd hoped Feral had kept his word and not harmed them. I looked at Monika while she slept and thought 'she'd be devastated if something had happened to them, hell, Harry would have to run for cover she'd try killing him'
I looked out the open door of the helicopter and watched the English Channel pass, until the coast of France appeared. I watched the beach pass and then the Eiffel Tower appeared on the horizon and I voiced my surprise "we're near Paris? Why?" Just as the helicopter banked away and headed to a new direction, I grew continually more confused before sighing and slowly exhaling all the air from my lungs allowing myself to slow my heart rate and start to stable my mind. I opened my eyes a couple minutes later having fully calmed my nerves watching the french countryside pass as we moved towards Switzerland, I sighed before laughing as I saw a calf chasing it's mother around the farmer's field. 'I miss being that young and carefree' I looked over at Monika as she jumped causing me to pull on my headset and ask in comms "how'd you sleep?" She replied stretching and yawning before replying "I had a nightmare" I asked "what about?" She replied "all of us dying" I looked around at the team and spoke "so the bad feeling persists, son of a bitch" Monika nodded and asked "think it'll go that badly?" I shook my head no and replied "I doubt it severely" I listened as she spoke "I can't help feeling worried about this" I rested my hand on her forearm "well be okay, our team can make it through anything. We survived Chernobyl for Christ sake" she nodded and replied "you sound oddly confident" I replied as my accent slipped through "Lass, I'm always confident. You just don't fookin' see it" she chuckled and replied "your accent is there again, it's kinda cute" I laughed before replying "only ye find it cute, I find it annoying" she patted my shoulder and leaned back "how much longer?" I replied checking my watch "45 minutes" as we settled in for the last stretch of the flight.