Chapter 2 - Time And Rescue

Chapter 2 - Time And Rescue!!

11th September 2004
Time: 0025
Hawaii Airbase


'Bzzzt..'
"This is the Captain Speaking.. You are now on board the 'Lockheed - Martin C-5 Galaxy'. Please put on your seat belts, as the plane is taking off...NOW!" Joked Sam the Pilot.The 'Lockheed - Martin C-5 Galaxy is a large cargo plane consisting of the top holding the passenger compartment and the lower, the cargo hold.
"Oh.. Shut the Hell up, Sam!! This ain't my first time taking the plane" Shouted Dom to the cockpit as he is seated strapped to the side like the others.
"Don't be an idiot.. Dom.. Your knuckles ain't pink already..." Laughed Sam walking out of the cockpit.
"Why you little dim wit.. i show u pink knuckles..!!" Glared Dom unstrapping himself.
"Ok ok.. Cool it guys.. Get ready for take-off, Sam." As Zaph walked into the passenger compartment.
"Yess.. Sir..!" Saluted Sam and hurried back to the cockpit.
"Bah.. Little squid.. Get you when i get back.." Spat Dom.
"Haha.. you're always so fidgety in planes.. It's Just a short ride anyway.." Laughed Snake.
"I ain't fidgeting ok.." Retorted Dom. "I just feel planes are just useless unreliable pieces of crap.. I rather swim or run to the destination then to sit a plane man.."
"So where are we headed to sir?" asked J ignoring the conversation. Being his first mission with the team,he was pretty excited about it be it big or small.
"Hmm.. Before I start briefing.. Everyone.. check your equipments and weapons.. make sure everything is proper." Everyone was dressed in their full battle dress consisting of a olive green kelvar helmet, Jungle fatigues, a Beretta and an M-16A1.Last but not least, A Vibramike. The Vibramike is a piece of equipment that is strapped around the throat, and instead of picking up spoken words, it has vibration-sensing microphone which picks up the reverberations of the voice box. With the GSX-9 - the most advanced communications system in use in the US military driven by a satellite uplink system. It could broadcast a clear signal halfway around the world with crystal clarity using the portable GSX-9 unit they are carrying. The M-16A1s each were equipped with a Silencer, a PAC-4C laser sighting device and a M-203 grenade launcher.
"Sir! We are ready to take off.." As Sam peeped into the passenger compartment.
"Ok.. Proceed.." said Zaph. The plane took off steadily within a few moments into the night.
"Mic test.. Report In.." Zaph asked.
"Dom here.. Snake here...." Reported everyone one by one through their mic.
"Ok! Now listen up." As Zaph passed some photos around. "Our mission is to rescue four scientists held captive in their laboratory located in the Amazon Forest by some unknown terrorist organisation. Refer to the photos distributed which were just taken by our spy satellite as to how the area looks like." Zaph paused a moment as the crew scanned the photos before continuing.
"In the last photo which was taken not long ago by our satellite, we have roughly about thirty terrorists dispersed around and in the building. 2 'Bell Textron UH-INs - Hueys' have also been reported around the parameters. In short, our job is to.."
"Fucking kill the fucking pansies and fuck off" Interrupted Dom grinning.
"No.. Not this time Dom.. Our piority is to rescue the scientists out of the area, So we are not going on an all out confrontation.." Said Zaph. "And the grouping are.." continued Zaph. "Snake, I want you to position yourself, and feedback to us all enemy positions, do not fire until i give the order."
"Roger that"
"Ken and Ryu, secure the left route.."
"Yes Sir" they said almost together, like they had read each other's mind.
"Bor and Cat, Clear the right..."
"Piece of cake.." Said Bor winking at Cat.
"Dom and J, We going for the back.."
"Oh right!! We are gonna give them a good time!!" Said Dom.
"Affirmative!!" Gleamed J."We shall inflitrate the building into the building, hopefully with minimal contact. Anyone got any questions?" asked Zaph.
"No Sir!!" Replied everyone."Ok.. No more questions..We have approximately 10 minutes to drop off point. Last minute checks and be in the cargo hold in 5 minutes. Dismiss!" said Zaph looking checking his watch.

"Dammit! I hate this!! grumbled Dom. As everyone prepared for their HALO jump which stands for "High Altitude, Low Open" Parachute Jump.
"30 seconds to designated drop point." Said Sam over the speakers.
"Ok guys, see u all at the landing point." said Zaph behind his oxygen mask as Sam count down.
"5, 4, 3, 2, 1... Go go go!! Good luck guys.." said Sam, and he activated the green light. Slowly, the cargo hatch opens.. exposing the night sky, with the moon like a giant spotlight shining over them. One by one they jumped off the plane. At 30,000 feet, the temperature is somewhere around 25 to 35 degrees below zero. Without oxygen, One can expect to be conscious for about 30 seconds.

Strong and cold air streams cut past their bodies as they descended rapidly.
"14,000 ft! 2000ft to go" said Cat through the mic, staring attentively at the altimeter.
"1500.. 1000.. 500... Release parachutes..!!" said Cat.
Zaph watched his crew released their parachutes one by one.. Jerking and halting everyone to a near stop. Zaph reached for his cord and opened his parachute. Then suddenly...
"Shit! My parachute is entangled!!!" As J desperately reaches for his knife in vain. Cutting the ropes in quick successions, the tangled chute was released. J quickly reached for the emergency cord. Yanking on the cord as his life depended on it, a second chute was suppose to be deployed. However, nothing happened.
"Oh shit!" J clearly was in a predicament.
"Hold On.. I am coming!!" As Zaph quickly detached from his parachute and dives towards J's direction wasting no time.11000ft.. as both descended closer to the minimum safety mark for release.
"Zaph.. quickly!!" said Cat worriedly. Everyone looked at the two descending nearer to the 10,000ft mark.
"Got you!" As Zaph reaches out and grabs J. Instinctively and quickly J couples on to Zaph's strap as Zaph pulled his emergency parachute cord. 'Swoosh!! Fwoom!!' As they heard the wind rushing in to the open parachute halting their descend.
"Phew.. That was close.." said Zaph in a more relaxed tone.
"Thanks Sir.." J looking really relieved.
Stealthly, everyone descended quietly, not knowing they were being watched silently by someone.

Manuveuring their way past the trees, the group manage to descend onto their landing point, a small opening with just infant trees and bushes, among the endless canopy of trees.
"Finally.." said Dom as his boots touched the ground.
"Everyone quickly assemble" As Zaph emerged from the bushes with J.
"Any injuries?" Cat ran quickly towards them.
"Nope.." Smiled Zaph.
"Er.. Nope.. Thanks Cat." said J before realising Cat wasn't even looking at him.
"Ok.. Everyone synchronise your watches.. Time now is 0210HRS." Zaph said looking as his watch as everyone starts clicking their watches. As Zaph checked the handheld GPRS device. Everyone else rolled up their parachutes and buried it into the soil.
"We are about 3km from target point.. we have approx 25 mins to reach the area.. Move!!" said Zaph as he headed into the darkness with everyone following behind him.
The Amazon Basin the world's largest forest, home to the ancient tribesmen plus about thousands of species of animals, plants and insects known by man and maybe thousands more yet to be discovered. Trees towering as high as 100 metres with their branches spreading out forming the continous canopy, letting only minimal light through.Further more, there are some exotic plants found only in the Amazon. Mankind have so far only manage to find a small portion of them. These plants could be turned into a vaccine for various diseases.The ground and the moist leaves sinked slightly as the team trodded heavily and quickly through the forest. The forest seems alive with the sounds of the insects and animals activities echoing through the forest bed.As they run through the forest, the building appeared before them from a distance.
Zaph stopped in his tracks and gave the 'stop' signal to the rest.

The building seem strangely quiet, not a single soul was sighted.
"Snake, get into position first. And report what do you see." Said Zaph.
"Immediately." As Snake scambled off. Snake chose a tree and scaled to one of it's sturdy branches. Activating his nightvision scope on his sniper rifle, he surveyed the area carefully.
"Zaph, There seems to be only 2 guards standing at the door. The rest of the area is clear." reported Snake.
'Something is not right..' Thought Zaph.
"Ok people, change of plans. We are all going through the back. Snake, Keep a lookout and report any happenings."
"Roger tat." said Snake.
"Yes Sir" said the rest.
Swiftly they bashed through the undergrowth towards the back.
"How's the situation, Snake?" Asked Zaph.
"Clear as can be, the guards ain't moving from their positions." Said Snake.
"Roger tat." Replied Zaph. Turning back to his team.
"Ok people, We are gonna take out the 2 front guards and enter the building. Bor, Cat, Ryu and Ken move by the right. The rest follow me to the left." Everyone nodded. They split and moved to the front of the building quietly. As they neared the 2 guards, Zaph overheard the 2 guards were talking in German.
"Warum eskortieren wir jene Person, während der Rest verlassen hat? " said older looking one.
"Jene Person ist von großer Wichtigkeit oder deswegen ich habe gehört." the other scratched his head.
"Damm Zeitverschwendung, die ich sage.." spat the older one.
"Huh? Germans? What are they doing here? What are talking about?" Zaph thought. Speaking through his mic. "Bor, Did u catch what they are talking about?"
"Yeah, kind of.. something about escorting someone with great importance and the rest of the soldiers seem to have left his area" replied Bor.
"Great importance.. hmm.. maybe we can get something out of the person." Thought Zaph.
"Dom and J, You got a clear shot of them?" Zaph turned to the two pruning figures aiming with their M16A1.
"Anytime Sir." Grinned Dom.
"Dom take out the younger one. J the older one." As Zaph Instructed.
"Ok.. Now." Immediately Both fired their weapons, each guard's head exploded into a bloody mass as a bullet entered into each of their head.Giving the signal. Zaph proceeded to the door cautiously with everyone covering his back. Opening the door, Zaph walked into a dark hall.
'Hmm.. everyone really left? Well.. fine with me then. Now to find that very important person.' Thought Zaph.
"Ok. Ken and Ryu take the left. J and Bor Right. Dom and Cat check out the basement. I am going to check the back. Hold the person in custody and don't kill him." Whispered Zaph. Everyone nodded and dispersed in to their designated areas. Zaph quietly trodded to the back of the building. The building housed a eerie silence with furrying shadows. Carefully as he opened the door at the back, he heard a sound.
"Fucking bitch! If you are not going to speak, I will have to cut that pretty face of yours." said the voice. Zaph reacted quickly and stormed into the room. Only to see a guy in full black combat fatigues with a mask squatting unsheathing a knife with a frightened lady figure on the floor.
"FREEZE AND DROP YOUR WEAPON!!" Shouted Zaph as he aimed at the black soldier. Sensing a smile from the enemy, Zaph tensed himself.
"Enemy engaged at the back, Everyone to the front" reported Zaph through his mic. Then suddenly the black soldier flung the knife towards Zaph. With quick reflexes Zaph dodged the flying blade and opened fire at the black soldier, the soldier jumped and crashed through the window and disappeared. Zaph rushed towards the window only to see a LCD screen light up on the floor displaying 0:45 as it started to countdown!
"Holy shit.!!! TNT!!" exclaimed Zaph. With the time clicking, Zaph grabbed the female scienctist and ran through the door.
"Everyone get out of the building NOW and move as fast possible!!! This place is planted. You all have exactly 30 secs!!" shouted Zaph through his mic.
Everyone rushed out of the building with blinding speed into the forest. Just as the timer hit '0:00' "BOOOMM!!!!" As the the bomb went off, blowing rubbles and debris into the air as the whole building begin to collapse inwards.Shielding the female scientist from the falling debris.
"Report in team." asked Zaph. One by one everyone reported through the mic. Relieved everyone is safe, Zaph asked everyone to gather.
"Man this Mother Fucker means business!! As Dom looked at the burning ruins of the building.
"At least you are all safe." smiled Zaph.
" Cat check if everyone is ok." As Zaph gave the female scienctist a hand off the ground. Looking at her face as she turned to face him.
Zaph couldn't believe his eyes and blurted out. "Clara!? Is that you?"


To Be Continued Next Week - ' Old Acquaintance? '