User:Mattias Nilsson/Story Time
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| Peace and prosperity be damned, my brother. | |||
| TALK | STORY TIME 2 | SANDBOX | AT WORK |
Mattias's Story Time is a place where the adventures of Mattias are shared. They take place from before the Malton Outbreak.
Biker Heist:
The roaring of a hundred engines can be heard for miles as the gang pulls into the downtown area of Stockholm. The Wolfpack Brotherhood have planned something big and everyone is on edge. The cops all watch nervously, knowing what damage these men can do. A black SUV and a black van drives in the middle of the pack, not a common occurrence but also not unheard of. Mattias Nilsson is not in the front of the pack but they all know where to go and are following the same route. The bikers all pull to the side of the street in front of the Swedish National Bank while the van and SUV park in front of the entrance. As the two vehicles are parked a squad of men rush out, guns ready and run into the bank. Mattias Nilsson throws the stump of a cigar away as he follows the group.
That one man turned a handful of bikers into over a hundred of the deadliest criminals in Europe. He walks casually behind the group of men who have stormed the bank, yelling and waving their guns in the air. Not a shot has been fired yet, allowing them time before the cops show up. Mattias carries a revolver in his right hand as he approaches the counter. The terrified woman simply looks at him, waiting for his demands.
"Bring me to the people who can open the safes." He says simply. The young woman is very nervous and fumbles about as she comes out from behind the counter and leads the biker up to the offices. The door to the first office is locked. The woman tells him that both men are needed open the safe. The door splinters where Mattias kicked, sending the door flying open.
"You 'are' coming with me." He said as he pointed his gun at the man. The man fumbled around and nearly fell down as he came out from behind his desk. The moved to the next office, which was also locked. The two hostages in front of him. "Open the fucking door right now or the poor girl dies because you are too much of a pussy to face me." Mattias said as he raised the gun to the woman's head. The door didn't open right away, making Mattias wait. After a few seconds he pointed the gun to the ceiling and pulled the trigger. The man flung open the door to see that he was tricked and his face met the backside of Mattias's hand.
"Don't fuck with me and make me wait ass hole." Mattias warned the man. He dragged the three down the stairs back to the lobby. Everything seemed under control. Soon enough the cops would come and the Mattias would have to worry.
"If anyone acts up, gets smart, or plays hero, she dies. To the safe, boys." Mattias said as he guided the trio to the safe. After a few minutes the safe was opened and shooting had broken out outside. A few of the other men came in and bagged up the money. They quickly made their way outside and soon enough everyone was mounted on their bike or in the van or SUV. Mattias sat in the back of the black van that sat behind the Suv and all of the bikers.
They quickly made their way towards the outskirts of the city. Mattias had a mounted gun placed in the back of the van. He opened the door which locked open and he swung the gun in place. Mattias opened fired on the police cars behind them to hold them off. After a good amount of shooting one of the cars lost control and flipped. They needed to reach the outskirts to make sure they escaped. Mattias continued firing on the police until the bridge was in their sights.
Mattias swung the gun away and searched the skies. The helicopter was catching up with them. He reached back and grabbed the anti air bazooka. He made sure he was locked onto the helicopter. The rocket connected with the helicopter's tail as it tried to avoid the rocket. As soon as they were on the bridge, Mattias pulled the detonator's trigger.
The van raced across as each section blew up, and the section of the bridge was destroyed and fell into the river below. Mattias let out his victorious laugh as the gang made their way to their hideout.
Middle East:
War has torn apart the Middle East for centuries. Whether it be Catholic crusaders coming to "liberate" the Holy Land or well meaning soldiers getting sent into battle by not-so-well meaning governments wanting to gain hold of the oil rich land. And it's only gotten worse. A small Middle Eastern country named Ledran discovered one of the largest oil deposited in world history under its soil, quickly becoming one of the richest nations in the world. The Middle East quickly found itself in another power struggle. Iran and Lebanon both tried to gain political control of the small nation, but met strong resistance from the Allied Nations, who has had a large interest in the small, now powerful country. Both groups postured and threatened, but didn't move.
Meanwhile, to the North, after decades of a dwindling economy, seemingly inept government officials, and constant infighting, Russia found itself on the brink of total collapse. It all changed one cold winter morning. After years of calling for a change in Russia's direction, General Dimitri Stadigov, an extremely popular, tactical leader, launched a military coup, capturing Moscow and many of Russia's key cities. With the support of a number of the country's top military officials and a large number of Russia's civilian population, Stadigov quickly seized control of Russia's government.
The Allied Nations publicly condemn Stadigov's takeover, throwing their support behind Russia's former leaders. In response, Stadigov publicly executed the former President and his cabinet on national television. Soon after, the Allied Nations voted sanctions against Russia, putting pressure of Russia economically. Stadigov quickly retaliates by signing peace agreements with Iran, Lebanon, and Pakistan, known as the United Arabic Coalition, putting incredible strains on the West's oil supply, creating an even greater need for Ledran to stay under the wing of the Allied Nations protection and security.
Early one morning, a spark finally ignited the explosion. A combined force of the UAC armies crossed the border into Ledran, taking several small border towns and villages within a matter of hours, plowing through the small Ledranese armed forces. From bases in Turkey and Iraq, the Allied Nations quickly responded, pouring troops into Ledran, escalating the conflict into an all out war. Russia slowly begins to place "military advisers" within Ledran, drawing the conflict closer and closer to becoming the next World War.
The modified C-17 cargo plane roared high in the sky, cutting through the cloudy night sky. The plane painted completely black, bare of any mark or number apart from a single insignia that was painted on the tail, an all white image of Pegasus, his wings out stretched, with two swords crossing underneath him.
Mattias Nilsson lay on the hood of the ExOps jeep sitting within the cargo plane's hold, heavy metal music playing in his earpiece loud enough to drown out the loud, dull hum of the four plane engines. The sudden shake of turbulence caused the plane the shake, the dome lights flickering slightly. The music in Mattias' earpiece suddenly cut out as a feminine voice came on.
You know you are entering Ledran airspace, correct?
"Yep."
You might want to get to a chair and buckle down. It is a war zone down there.
"Eh…"
Mattias sat up on the hood of the jeep, looking around the cargo plane. The cargo hold had been remodeled for the purposes of ExOps. Two tables with computers sat in the center of the plane's hold, while gun racks lined both sides of the cargo bay. The bay was big enough to hold two jeeps or one large vehicle. Mattias slid of the jeep hood and walked over to one of the tables, sitting at one of the computers.
I've got the new files loaded up on the network for you. This place is turning out to look worse than Korea.
Mattias let off a small chuckle.
"A war's a war…doesn't matter. I'll still get my pay day."
I hope so. This is a big one. The AN are definitely out to get the UAC's leader, General Adib Kuras.
Mattias grinned.
"What is it they call him? The Toad or the Gecko…or something?"
"Uh…that would be the Desert Viper. Seems like he doesn't have a problem sacrificing a large number of men to take positions, even if it means having to kill a ton of civilians to do it."
"I hate it when they have nicknames…just means they think they're that much better than the other guys. Up until the bullet hits them in their head."
"I'll take your wo-"
Fiona was cut off as an explosion rocked the plane hard.
"What was that?"
Mattias pulled himself up from the floor of the cargo plane. Looking out one of the windows he saw that the left wing of the plane was on fire.
"Guess I should have put that seat belt on."
The pilot's panicky voice came over the intercom.
"We've been hit! I don't think I can hold it!"
Calmly, Mattias pulled a parachute out from and overhead compartment and started strapping it on. The copilot and navigation officer ran down from the cockpit of the plane and hurriedly started trying to put parachutes on. Mattias walked to the back of the cargo plane and tore off the thin layer of nylon that covered the emergency release switch of the cargo door. Twisting the key and slamming down the lever, Mattias stepped back as the cargo door's hydraulic locks, released and a small explosive charge detonated, blowing the massive door from the plane. The pressure inside the plane suddenly dropped dramatically, causing the plane to jostle violently. Picking up an emergency pack from another compartment, pulled the cord on it, then threw it out the back of the plane, then jumped quickly behind it.
The air rushed past Mattias as he kept himself down. A streak suddenly shot past near Mattias. Turning back up to see the plane, Mattias saw the copilot and navigation officer start to jump from the cargo hold, but were suddenly caught in a fireball as the next surface to air missile slammed into the plane, erupting it into a massive fireball. Mattias spun back around and saw the timed parachute had gone off on the emergency pack, so he grabbed his own rip cord and pulled, coming to a sudden jarring stop as the parachute popped up above him, slowing him immediately. Mattias suddenly realized that Fiona's voice was yelling at him over the earpiece.
"Mattias! Mattias! Are you there?"
"Quit yelling…I can hear you."
"Oh, thank God. I thought you might have gone down with the plane. Did anyone else make it out?"
Mattias looked around the night sky, trying to spot another parachute.
"Nope."
Fiona stayed quiet as Mattias slowly floated down. Mattias landed on a sand dune, rolling forward to break his fall. Standing up, Mattias quickly unhooked the parachute while staying low. Looking around the dark desert night, Mattias quickly moved forward up a sand dune. In the distance he heard a roar, and stayed low to the sand as he reached the top of the dune. Reaching the top, Mattias watched as headlights cut through the dark. A parachute floated in the breeze as the jeep and two dirt bikes braked to a stop in front of it. The four UAC troops climbed from the vehicles, aiming their AK-47's at the parachute. Moving around the parachute, they pulled it back revealing the emergency pack that Mattias had thrown from the plane. Dropping their guns down, they moved to the pack, opening it and rummaging through it.
Mattias quickly moved up and over the dune, sliding his combat knife from the sheath at his back. He heard the four soldiers talking in Arabic as he snuck up behind. One of the men pulled a meal bag out from the pack, smiling, but his face immediately went blank as he saw Mattias moving up on them. Standing up behind one of the men, Mattias slammed his knife into the man's neck, and then tore it out, throwing it through the air and driving it into another soldier. Dropping the dead soldier, Mattias lifted the AK-47, opening up on the other two guards, dropping them to the sand dead.
"No one messes with my stuff."
Standing up, Mattias slung the rifle over his shoulder and moved to the pack. Tossing all the emergency supplies out, Mattias tore the bottom out and looked down at the weapons that were hidden there. Lifting a pair of grenades, he slid them onto his combat vest, and then pulled the pistol out, attaching its holster onto his thigh and sliding it in. Lifting another pack up, he slid that over his shoulder with the assault rifle.
Did you make yourself a care package again?
Mattias just smiled as he walked over to one of the dirt bikes, climbing on top and kicking it started.
"So where's the AN Op-Center?"
Jukasa City, three miles to the north. There's a road a quarter mile to the east that leads right to it. I'd be careful through. This country is quickly becoming the Wild West.
Mattias just gunned the bike, spinning the back tire before catching traction and driving it to the east. Roaring around another dune, Mattias rolled out onto solid pavement, sliding to a stop. Looking to the east over the desert, Mattias saw the sun's rays suddenly peak up over the horizon. Pulling a pair of shades out from his vest pocket, he slowly slid them over his eyes.
Just got an email from Field General Irving White, he's waiting for you.
Moving the bike around, he lifted the front wheel off the ground as he pushed the throttled down. Wind zipped through his Mohawk as Mattias guided the bike through the few cars that drove on the road. A number of bombed and burning wrecks sat along either side of the road as he drove into Jukasa, riding through the streets quickly. People moved around quickly, not wanting to be out in the open for too long in this violent environment. Sliding around another corner, Mattias rolled up to a roadblock. Two AN Humvees sat behind massive concrete walls, the soldiers in the turrets aiming their .50 cal machine guns aimed down the street. Four other soldiers stood around the roadblock their M-16's held loosely in their hands. Mattias slowly rolled up to the roadblock as one of the soldiers stepped forward.
"Sorry, sir. This is a restricted zone."
"Here to see General White."
The guards kept their eye on Mattias…mainly the weapons he carried.
"And may I ask who you are sir?"
"Ex-Ops."
"Well, I'll have to-Hey!"
The guard didn't even get to finish as Mattias gunned the bike, roaring through the roadblock and past the soldiers. The soldiers all turned, aiming their guns at him, but didn't get a chance to fire as Mattias swerved the bike through a grouping of AN vehicles. Mattias slid to a stop in front of the center tent of the compound, jumping off of his bike. Mattias moved towards the entrance of the tent, but soldiers suddenly swarmed around him, their guns aimed at his head.
"Freeze!"
Did you do something stupid already?
Mattias looked around the soldiers and grinned.
"Hey, cut this crap out!"
A big booming voice cut through the soldiers. Pushing through his men, General Irving White strode towards Mattias, a cigar clutched tightly in his mouth. The man looked like something out of a John Wayne movie. His camo uniform was dirty and wrinkled, an old Western revolver strapped under his right shoulder. Looking the mercenary up and down, White stepped forward, pulling the cigar from his mouth.
"You this Nilsson that Garret told me to look up?"
"Yep."
Turning around, White started to walk away.
"Well, come on."
Mattias walked behind him, smiling at the soldiers who stared at him. Walking into the tent, Mattias was suddenly surrounded in chaos. Soldiers moved throughout the huge tent, moving from computer to computer, streaming the nonstop flow of data from all over the country into one point. A tech moved to White, handing him a sheet of paper before moving quickly back to a computer.
"Damn it. UAC armor is pushing toward Dubari. Red flag a message to the USS Lincoln. Get some air up and moving."
"Yes, sir."
White tossed the paper down onto a desk and tuned to Mattias who was rolling a quarter across his fingers.
"This country has turned into one giant mess. I've got the UAC pushing at me from the West, the Ledranese running away just as fast, and Russian 'advisers' popping up all over the map. Not to mention the fact that everyday I get another communication from the idiots in Washington wanting to hear that things are going just dandy even when I have artillery explosions going off all around me."
"War is hell."
White stared at Mattias, reaching into his pocket and pulling out a small pack. White tossed the card pack over to Mattias who caught it easily, flipping the top open and pulling the pack out.
"Got a whole mess of fellas for you. Take which ever ones you want, but the Aces are the majors."
Mattias flipped through the pack, glancing over the faces that were printed on the cards.
"I'm letting you run lose in this country. But, stay on track. The more favors you do for me, the more I'll do for you. I've gotten some information about one of the targets; I'll email it to you. Now get out of here."
White turned back to the chaos that surrounded him as Mattias slid the pack of cards into his vest and walked back out of the tent. Walking back over to his bike, he saw that the tires on it were both slashed. Mattias slowly cracked his knuckles and looked around. A group of three soldiers stood around a Humvee staring at him, laughing slightly. Mattias grinned and walked over to them. One of them quickly walked up to face him.
"You got a problem?"
Mattias just stared at him.
"Well?"
Mattias suddenly shot forward, slamming a punch across the soldier's jaw. The soldier dropped to the ground unconscious and the other two quickly ran at him. Dropping down, Mattias ducked under one soldier's punch, bringing his knee up and slamming it into the soldier's gut. The soldier doubled over in pain, and then dropped to the ground as Mattias slammed his elbow into the back of his head. The last soldier stared at Mattias, ready to attack. Mattias slowly walked towards him, then laughed as the soldier turned and bolted, running away.
"Loser."
Climbing into the Humvee, Mattias turned the vehicle on, dropping it into reverse and pulling it backwards, spinning it in a 180 turn, then slammed it into gear and drove off. Passing through the roadblock, Mattias lifted his PDA up, bringing up his email.
"Glad you're making friends fast out there."
"I try."
Mattias tapped the email, opening it.
"Looks like the 3 of Clubs has been sighted in an artillery convoy that's been wreaking havoc on General White's Operations Center."
"Sounds like fun."
Driving out of the city, Mattias spun the vehicle right, roaring off the road and driving through the sand of the desert.
"I've gotten the latest satellite feeds. Looks like there are a few vehicles off to the South. There aren't any towns around, so I'm guessing that's where you need to head."
Mattias drove through the desert, opening the music file on his PDA and starting his music again, bobbing his head slowly.
"Did you put music on your PDA?"
Mattias stayed silent.
"You know you're not supposed to do that."
Three jeeps tore through the desert, cutting a path in the sand as they moved into a small, flattened part of the desert floor. Four Russian-made 130 mm field artillery guns sat under camouflage netting, hiding them from any air attack. Crews moved quickly around each gun, loading, firing, adjusting the guns, then repeating the process. They would fire for more no than an hour, then displace, moving to a new location to rain their shells down on AN positions within Jukasa.
The small convoy of jeeps slid to a stop and Major Hassan Rahaman, known to the Allied Nations as the 3 of Clubs, climbed out of the middle jeep, his men quickly moving around him. Rahaman smoothed out his uniform, adjusting the UAC red beret on his head. Looking around, he began yelling at the artillery crews, ordering them to begin the disbursement.
A quarter mile away, Mattias laid on the crest of a sand dune, looking through a pair of binoculars he found in the Humvee he 'borrowed'. He quickly scanned through the troops that he saw. Total of twenty-five. Six bodyguards on Rahaman and four gun crews of five.
"So how does it look?"
"Eh…"
Mattias slid down the dune, pulling the AK-47 from his shoulder. Lifting the satchel he pulled from the emergency pack when he landed, he opened the flap, checking the connections of the three bricks of C4 within.
"So any ideas?"
"Kill them all."
"I suppose that can work. But General White wants Rahaman alive for interrogation."
"OK…kill all but one."
Rahaman looked on as his gun crews quickly collapsed the netting, rolling them up and placing them into trucks along with all of the unused artillery. Five more minutes and they would be rolling through the desert, always on the move to keep his guns from being hit by the annoying AN air power. Two of his bodyguards manned the heavy machine gun turrets on two of the jeeps, keeping an eye out for anyone who might try to surprise them. His radioman walked up, handing him a communicator.
"General Kuras, Major."
Rahaman took the com unit.
"General."
The voice over the unit was quiet and calm, but there was an air of violence deep within.
"Yes, General. The guns will be moving within moments…yes, sir…I understand, sir."
Handing the com unit back, he started barking orders again, yelling at his men to quicken their pace. He suddenly spun as the two men on the machine guns began to fire. An AN Humvee roared down from over a sand dune, driving straight at them, bullets tearing holes into it as it continued to roll. The Humvee slammed into one of Rahaman's jeeps, grinding to a stop. His men moved forward, their AK-47's firing into the vehicle. Running up, they tore the door off from the vehicle, but there was no one inside. One of his bodyguards looked into the rear of the vehicle and saw a small satchel. Grabbing it, he started to pull it out. Another soldier yelled at him to stop, but it was too late.
The explosion tore through the men, the Humvee erupting into a massive fireball that sent shrapnel tearing through anybody in its way. Rahaman dove down to the sand as his radioman was impaled through the chest by a long sliver of metal. Looking up from the sand, Rahaman saw that all three of his jeeps were in flames. A lot of his men were dead, but some were starting to move around, standing up from where they dove for cover. A man suddenly leaped from over a dune, the AK-47 in his hands firing off rounds.
Mattias ran over the dune, keeping the AK at his shoulder and moving with speed and precision. Four men stood from cover and started firing at him wildly, their shots kicking up sand around him, but Mattias calmly pulled the trigger on his rifle, dropping the men to the sand with three round bursts. Moving quickly behind one of the burning jeeps, Mattias slid to the edge, spinning around the corner and picking off three more men.
Rahaman saw the unknown man taking down his men easily and cursed, crawling over to try to get to cover. Mattias saw Rahaman crawling away and started to move at him, but a line of gunfire tore through the sand in front of him causing him to dive back behind the jeep. Pulling a grenade from his vest, he popped the pin and lobbed it up and over his cover. He heard the men yell something in Arabic, but were cut off as the grenade exploded tearing them to pieces. Dropping the empty clip from his rifle, Mattias slammed a new one home, then moved out from behind his cover.
Mattias moved over to the line of trucks against a sand dune, moving between them. Staying low, Mattias scanned under the trucks, then slowly moved forward. A soldier leaped down from the cab of a truck, knocking the rifle from his hands and shoving him back. The soldier pulled a knife and slashed at Mattias, but Mattias grabbed the soldier's wrist as it came at him, and then stepped forward, slamming his elbow across the man's face. The soldier stumbled back, and then jumped forward again. Mattias knocked the knife shot away from his body, then grabbed the man by the collar, pulling him backward and slamming him face first into the door of the truck. Mattias lifted the soldier, tossing him up and over his shoulder backwards. Mattias rolled over onto the soldier's back then grabbed him by the head and twisted, snapping the soldier's neck.
Mattias reached for his fallen rifle, but had to roll to the side, diving under one of the trucks as Rahaman appeared around the corner, firing his own AK-47 at him. Rahaman ran forward, firing wildly at where Mattias rolled under the truck. Diving down to the sand, Rahaman aimed under the truck, expecting to find Mattias there, but Mattias was nowhere to be seen. Standing back up, Rahaman pulled the empty clip from his rifle, and pushed a new one in while he moved out from the trucks.
Looking around, Rahaman saw that all of his men were dead. His jeeps continued to burn, black smoke pouring into the clear desert sky. He quickly moved towards another jeep that sat at the end of the line of trucks, hoping that the keys were there. He moved quickly, but his left knee suddenly exploded as a bullet impacted into it from behind. Rahaman screamed in pain as he dropped down to the sand. Rolling over, he aimed his rifle at Mattias, but Mattias fired his pistol again, putting a bullet into Rahaman's shoulder. Rahaman started to lift the rifle again, but Mattias stepped forward, kicking it out of his hand. Mattias spun around again, kicking Rahaman across the jaw and knocking him out. Sliding his pistol back into its holster, Mattias grabbed Rahaman by the ankle and dragged him out into the open, rolling him over and locking him into a pair of handcuffs.
"So did you get him?"
"Don't I always?"
"Is he alive?"
Mattias checked his pulse.
"Pretty much."
"Pretty much?"
"Yep."
"Well, I'll alert General White. He's got a helicopter in high orbit near you. Pop smoke and they'll come pick you up."
Mattias reached into his vest pulling out a small silver canister, pulling its pin and tossing it into the sand. The smoke grenade suddenly popped, bright purple smoke spewing out from its bottom and billowing out into the air. Mattias stood with his boot planted into Rahaman's back as the distant sound of a helicopter's blades slowly echoed from through the air. A Black Hawk helicopter appeared over a sand dune moving towards Mattias. Ducking his head down from the sand kick up, Mattias grabbed Rahaman, lifting him easily up onto his shoulder. The chopper slowly dropped down, rocking as it landed on the sand. Moving forward, Mattias stayed low as the door to the Black Hawk slid open. Dropping Rahaman into the chopper, Mattias climbed in, sitting on the floor.
The chopper slowly vibrated as it began lifting up off the ground, rising into the sky. Mattias stared out the chopper door as the chopper circled around the artillery sight. The jeeps sat on fire on the ground and dead bodies littered the sand. He heard the pilot radio something over his headset, then leaned out from the door when he heard two more choppers. Two Apache attack helicopters roared out from the East, streaking over the desert. The rocket pods under their wings suddenly erupted with smoke, trails of gray streaking out and down to the desert floor. The rocket impacted into the artillery site, massive explosions erupting throughout it. The two attack choppers swung around, firing off another barrage of rockets. More plumes of fire and smoke erupted in the explosions. One truck body flew out from the site, caught in an explosion and landing in the sand near where the artillery site once was. Mattias slid the door of the Black Hawk shut, leaning back against the wall of the chopper.
"Just got an email you might be interested in. Seems that someone else found out that we have a presence in this country and have a need for our services, if you are interested."
"Who's the contractor?"
"Burton Industries."
"Where?"
"Tabali International Airport. Alister Burton has decided to come himself."
Mattias leaned up next to the pilot.
"Land."
"But-"
Mattias stared at him through his shades.
"Land."
The pilot glanced at the co-pilot for a minute, and then started dropping the chopper to the ground below. Mattias slid the door to the chopper open and leaped out of it while it was still five feet up from the sand. Landing on the sand, Mattias walked forward to an abandoned road, watching as the Black Hawk lifted back into the air, flying off towards Jukasa.
"Well how are you going to get there now?"
"I still have friends."
Pulling a satellite phone from his pocket, he quickly dialed a number held the phone up to his ear.
The cargo helicopter appeared over the horizon, a black crate being carried underneath it, swaying gently as the chopper cut through the air. Mattias stood on the road as it came to a hover over him. Giving a slight salute to the pilot, the crate suddenly disconnected from the chopper, slamming into the ground.
"Thanks for the favor, Josef."
Clicking the phone closed, Mattias moved to the crate.
"The Russian Mob is out there?"
Mattias smiled, pulling a latch on the crate. Stepping back, he watched as the walls of the crate collapsed down, revealing the black Ford Mustang convertible inside. Jumping into the car, Mattias turned the car on, revving the engine. Slamming down on the gas pedal, Mattias roared down the deserted road.
Siberia:
Mattias hated working with other people. They always got in his way. Mui wasn't impressed with the pairing either, knowing the Swede to be over-keen to call in airstrikes and carpet bombings without a second thought, even when small arms were more than adequate. Jennifer Mui had been with ExOps for 6 now, and though Matt Nilsson had gained his reputation last year during the Song Initiative, where he decimated countless villages and outposts with his zealousness. Polar opposites they were. Jennifer Mui, small, stealthy and MI6 trained while Mattias Nilsson was essentially a thug, a efficient and brutal thug but a thug nonetheless. Why ExOps command had paired them together was a mystery to them both, and neither of them were pleased with the decision.
1200 GMT. 2100 Local Time Somewhere over Siberia
They sat in the typical ExOps aircraft. A Hercules that had been modified for their use. Mattian and Jennifer sat opposite each other, on opposite sides of the hangar bay. They avoided even acknowledging each others presence up until the dispatcher ordered them to kit up. Things came to a halt when both attempted to get into the Humvee at the same time, both reaching for the driver side door. Nilsson pushed past and forced himself into the drivers seat. Jennifer hid her annoyance and got in the back, hoping this idiot knew what he was doing.
The locks came off the wheels and Mattias slammed the Humvee into reverse, giving it all the gas he could. The car accelerated to fast and the fall from the hangar to the surface of Siberia was botched. The vehicle slid, spun then rolled a number of time before coming to a halt on its roof. Mui and Nilsson crawled out from the upturned transport. "That was pretty cool" Murmured Mattias, surveying the trail the Humvee's flawed descent had made. "You realize" said a cold voice "That was our ride to the nearest A.N. Base" "I didn't pay for it, I'm not too worried about it" "How can you be so callous?" said Mui, her voice rising.
Mattias just glared at her, and once she was sure that's all the answer she was going to get, she shouldered her suppressed SMG. Mattias followed suit with his AK and they both set off silently to the A.N base.
Jennifer and Mattias had been walking for over an hour, and dawn was starting to break, the fingers of orange light could clearly be seen on the horizon. Mui cursed Mattias in her head. If he had only let her drive, they wouldn't be in this mess. They would be asleep in the A.N base until the commander woke up. But no, this Swedish Neanderthal had been over enthusiastic on getting out of the plane, dropping them right in it. She was so engrossed in her thoughts that she hadn't realized that Nilsson had stopped a few dozen meters back. He had his PDA out and was fiddling with something. "What are you doing?" She almost yelled at him, "You'll see"
"I cant believe that you still have contacts in the Russian Mafia" Jennifer shouted over the roar of the BMP's engine. "They were, are, good men, and I've known Josef from Afghanistan anyway. And what are you complaining about, where almost at the A.N base now, just in time for Breakfast" Nilsson was right, they were coming up to the guard station on the bases perimeter.
Their BMP roared through the guard post, almost killing a number of soldiers under its armored hull. Mui swore at Nilsson, reminding him that it was the A.N who were employing them, and that killing them wasn't a good first impression. Nilsson just laughed at the chaos that he had caused, listening to the bullets ping of their transports armored hide. Mui didn't understand this guy. Did he really enjoy such carnage? It was no wonder his profile had labeled him as an unstable character, but his skill couldn't be argued with. He DID take down North Korea's dictator, President Song, single handedly. She forced her thoughts to the back of her mind as the BMD slid to a stop, almost flattening the A.N HQ guard. Nilsson's Swedish accented voice rung down back into the carrier, where only his lower half could be seen. He was yelling to the guard to park the carrier, the hired help had arrived.
0056 GMT. 0956 Local Time Near Tannu-Ola Mountain Range, Siberia
"So this Mikhail guy is trying to take Russia?" said Nilsson, blunt as ever. "Well to put it simply yes, he has the training, he has the contacts, he just needs more support and Russia will be taking a dive back into the bad old days." said a Colonel, who was the ranking officer on the grounds "So where is Sergeytov?" interned Mui, already knowing the answer. As she predicted, his presence was unknown at this time. She and Nilson would have to do recon in the area that he was last suspected to be in. "Great" she thought "I have to go out into the middle of no-where with this thug, just fucking great"
They got in a days sleep after the briefing, planning to leave once night fell. They had a new ride waiting for them. A lightly armed and armored Scout jeep, much to Mattias's disgust. The engine had been reworked by the American mechanics, making it significantly quieter than what it was. They had also been issued with rations and ammunition. The moment night fell, they're near silent jeep could be seen leaving the compound. The Colonel watched them leaving from his window; hoping that they were worth the money that had to be spent to get them.
This time Mattias was happy to take the passenger seat, as it allowed him to get a good look at what they had been given. Mui couldn't care less about what he was fawning over, as long as there was a change of warm clothes and enough food for a week or so, and some 9mm ammunition for her SMG she was content, she didn't expect to have to use it this early in the mission anyway.
1628 GMT. 0128 Local Time Location unknown, Siberia
"You just had to say it" yelled Mattias over the roar of gunfire. Their Scout had been totaled and he and Jennifer were taking cover behind its wreckage. Swearing at him, how could this be her fault but she was cut short as another RPG of some sort fishtailed by, barely a foot overhead. If Mattias had heard her, he made no effort to acknowledge the fact, instead spraying another dozen or so bullets from his AK blindly around the corner of the jeep. A cry of pain went up, he must of hit one, but it was doubtful that it was fatal. Another volley was the response and a stray bullet caught Mattias in the left arm, tearing a bloody swathe in the flesh. He cried out in pain, dropping his rifle to grip his wound. Biting back a curse, Mui's mind sprung into action. This wasn't supposed to happen, it was supposed to be a straight forward reconnaissance mission to start with, not a blown out fire fight with who knows how many soldiers. She looked at Mattias, his attention was elsewhere, she reached for his belt, she took a grenade, and hurled it over the wreck. A few seconds later an explosion and a crescendo of screams reached the mercenaries ears. She had obviously scored some casualties. After the screams nothing was heard apart from ragged breathing from Nilson and moans of pain from the soldiers who were only wounded.
1912 GMT. 0412 Local Time
"Look if you stopped moving I could get these stitches in faster" scolded Mui. Nilson paid her no heed, and flinched with every puncture of the skin. He had taken wounds before in Korea, sure, but those had been just shrapnel, and anything serious he was med-evaced out. This was his first experience with field surgery and he disliked it intensely. Jennifer had an odd sense of enjoyment, making this thug squirm. They were still at the wreckage of their jeep, the moans of what remained of their assailants had died down not long ago, leaving Jennifer and Mattias to themselves.
Mattias pulled on his jacket after Jennifer had bound his stitches in gauze. He moved off with only a muttered remark. He scrounged through the remains of the dead and threw what he deemed useful into a pile. Quarter of an hour later he felt that he was finished. Jennifer thought it was odd. He was a baby when it came to having stitches, but when it came to looting the dead he was fine. Shaking her head she surveyed the pile that Mattias had made. An assortment of ammunition, rations and other odds and ends lay there, including the firing tube from and RPG and a rocket. Grimacing she looked from him to the pile to him again. There was no way that they could take all this with them now that they had no means of transport. She voiced these views to him. She received a chuckle as a response. "Whats so funny?" she asked, not slightly annoyed at him. "You assume these guys were out here with the only means to get back to where they came from is their feet? Your ignorance is amazing." This comment was one push too much. She exploded at him, and continued to do so for five minutes without pause. During this time the grin that was on Nilson's face slid to a scowl. "Look, are you done" Mattias asked " Because if you are, its my turn." This could of turned into an argument of new proportions, but for once his life, Mattias didn't start throwing his fists. "You need to lighten up" was all that he said. He turned his back on Jennifer Mui, a fellow ExOps operative. He slung his assault rifle over his shoulder. Grabbing the RPG he walked off into the night, not giving one look back.
2029 GMT 0529 Local Time
Unknown Location, Siberia
Mui's anger had subdued to little more than simmering annoyance. She walked alone through the cool night air. It wasn't her fault that Mattias was so immature. Hell, his psych report had labeled him as an unstable and dangerous individual. She would be fine without him. She let out a long slow sigh, glancing about the valley. Seeing no signs of activity she proceeded down the slope to the valley's floor. Her quarry was ex-KGB, First Directorate. If he didn't want to be found, it was likely that he wont be unless a very determined person was doing the looking. Jennifer smiled to herself, lucky for her that she is a very determined person. She checked her SMG for the umpteenth time, going over every detail. She couldn't afford to have it jam or have some other problem at the wrong time. Shouldering her SMG, Mui proceeded onwards, if only they hadn't been ambushed by those private militia soldiers, she would be riding in some semblance of comfort. A heavily accented voice came from behind her. "You stop now"
She spun about and rammed the muzzle of her gun right between the mans eyes. He fell to the ground with a thud that was barely audible over the drumming in the mercenary's ears. She quickly gagged and cuffed him. He was dressed in the same attire as those that had attacked Nilsson and her earlier. The clothing was probably what passed for uniform amongst them. She dragged the man into a patch of rocks and left him. He would die out here anyway, so it was best that he be concealed to some extent.
Mattias was pissed off to say the least. He strode without caution with his AK in one hand and his newly acquired RPG in the other. He walked with purpose and was rewarded. He had finally come across the vehicle they had used. It was a Scout, similar to the one that had been issued to him and Mui back at the A.N. base, though this one was much more battered and weather worn. He threw his gear into the tray and clambered aboard. It didn't have any keys, it didn't need them. The ignition had been torn out and all that remained was a pair of wires one with crocodile clips. It was obvious how this thing started and the moment Nilsson brought the wires together the jeep rumbled into life. Despite its appearance the vehicle must have been tended to with much care. Grinning to himself Mattias tossed his PDA onto the dashboard, put it into gear and floored it, leaving plumes of dirt and stone in his wake.
2059 GMT 0559 Local Time Unkown Location, Siberia
Jennifer heard a engine in the distance, but in the still night air it was hard for her to tell its distance, she quickened her pace through the base of the valley, hoping that he footsteps wouldn't be heard. She hit the treeline and promptly disappeared into it. She continued through the intense darkness of the semi forested area, with her firearm brought up and off safe. No one was going to catch her off guard this time, and if there was one man on the crest of the valley there was bound to be more. She crept onwards with all the skill she could muster. Her habit of traveling light paid off. Jennifer came to a clearing, and in it a camp had been set up. It only consisted of a trio of average tents and a pair of jeeps, Scouts, like the one that had been issued to her and the pig earlier that night. There were two sentries sitting on the hood of one of the Scouts. They were also dressed in the "uniform" of the others. Drab brown and green fatigues and a balaclava. These two didn't have their balaclava's , they were pulled up allowing them to smoke with ease. From the little light cast on their faces Mui could tell that they couldn't of been older than their 30's, both looked like they had seen action before, unlike the guy that Jennifer had dispatched earlier. She grimaced. They probably had some vital intel that she could use. But disabling them without making too much noise, or getting herself killed in the process wasn't going to be easy. She doubted that it was even possible. The harsh sound of static broke the silence. One of the soldiers leaned over the windshield and grabbed what must have been a radio, but from this distance Mui found it impossible to tell. Mui couldn't tell what was being said, seeing as she didn't speak a word of the language, but the tone was unmistakable. One of the pair dived off the hood of the jeep and ran to the tents. After a brief amount of shouting a dozen or so soldiers emerged trying to put clothing on, run and hold onto weapons and packs at the same time, but within minutes they were all piled onto the Scouts and they roared off down a dirt track into the night.
Mui entered the camp quietly, just in case anyone had stayed behind, however upon further inspection the camp had been emptied. She went to work, going from tent to tent looking for anything intelligence related. She came across a large UHF radio in one of the tents with the radio codes and other papers lying about it. She recorded the codes into her PDA, glanced through the papers, then set about her next task. She strapped a block of C4 under one of the center most cots in every tent. She then retreated back into the trees to await her prey.
2134 GMT 0634 Local Time Unknown Location, Siberia.
They returned not long after. They seemed to be in high spirits, with loud choruses of laughter to be heard often as they rolled up the dirt track. The sun was rising in the east, and though it hadn't plied its path over the tree tops yet, it wouldn't be long till it did. The early morning light made it near impossible to make out who any of the people were. Jennifer blinked her eyes hard trying to force them to adjust The militiamen disembarked and three of them could be seen talking and joking about. She then saw who the men were as her eyes finally accepted the brightening light. Two were the same officer types from earlier but the third was obscured by the other two, and Mui wasn't going to attempt to move to another position to get a view for fear of being heard.
Mattias had been taken completely by surprise by the oncoming vehicle. Heavy caliber shells struck the front of his stolen jeep, killing the engine almost immediately. He slid it to a stop. He dived from his useless vehicle, immediately moving to use it as shelter but before he had taken a few steps, he was looking down the barrel of a number of AK 47's. One ordered him to stop in halting English. He complied, knowing that there was no hope. His weapons were in the tray of the Scout, which was only feet away. Before he could even try to lunge for his weapon, two large figures stood before him. They approached with menace, but both tore their balaclava's off and Mattias broke into a smile.
The pair were old friends, who he had served with in Afghanistan. They embraced him and he was not a little taken aback. They walked him to their Scout after allowing him to retrieve his arms from "his" Scout. He sat with them and learned much of what was going on. Apparently after the wall came down there wasn't a lot of work for ex-special forces around. So they had taken to being freelance mercenaries, who had been dealing with only the small fry up until now. A Sergeytov had contacted them to train up a private militia that he was recruiting. After training up the heads of the army they stayed on to act as field supervisors who reported to Sergeytov and Sergeytov alone. Upon hearing this, Nilsson knew he may have to kill his friends. This didn't bother him, he had seen friends die and had been the cause of some of the deaths. As they arrived at their camp he felt an odd feeling, as if there was something amiss here. He shrugged it off for the time being. Eventually the conversation shifted to Mattias and what he had been doing. He told them no lies, though never mentioned that he worked for ExOps, just in case.
Mattias grumbled as he woke up. It had been a hard night drinking with old friends. He felt as if he had eaten a pile of sand and washed it down with an ashtray. He opened his eyes slowly, not wanting to let too much of the harsh morning light in too quickly. Instead of the Siberian sun, he was greeted by a gun barrel inches from his face, and a scowling Jennifer Mui holding it.
"I was considering just leaving you here with this lot" she gestured at the bunks, each with a recently deceased militia member laying there, as if asleep.
Mattias was slightly taken aback, where the hell had she come from, last he saw her was when he left her near the smouldering wreck of the AN issued Scout.
"So kind of you not to kill me in my sleep I guess" yawned Mattias, the bodies nearby not phasing him the slightest. "Saved me the trouble of having to kill them myself, and now there's no witnesses of me getting drunk under the table by some kids playing soldier. So when do we leave?"
It was Jennifer's turn to be shocked. Did he really not care that the men he was merrily drinking the night away with were now dead? She shrugged it off. It didn't really matter. When they got back to the AN base, she could send a special request to ExOps to be able to go it solo.
"The moment you douse this place in gasoline"she said, dropping a gallon drum of fuel on his lap. Ill warm a Scout up, were heading back to the AN, we have enough intel to do an initial report."
Mattias glared, but it was too early in the morning to really give a damn what she said, to be honest all he wanted was for her to not talk so loud. And maybe some hash browns. Mattias' stomach churned at the thought, even the thought of food made him feel unwell.
Without argument, he stood up and began dumping fuel about the tents,
He chucked at lit rag as Jen drove them down the gravel track from the camp and promptly tried to catch a few more hours sleep in the passenger seat while he could.
"You seemed pretty buddy-buddy with those thugs last night" commented Mui. Looked like Mattias wouldn't be getting any sleep after all.
"I knew them from Afghanistan" He said simply.
"Still, by the way you were talking last night, looking at the family photos and what not.."She trailed off.
"Purely business" He said simply again, then a light clicked on in his still addled brain. "How do you know what we were doing, or talking about?"
"I was there" It was her turn to give short answers.
Mattias shrugged and closed his eyes again. It was still too early for this sort of thinking, especially after sch a big night.
As the pig fell asleep, Jennifer pondered what she had overheard last night. Obviously this Sergeytov was well connected. And had access to serious money. Those mercenaries he had hired to train his militia didn't sound like the sort that comes cheap. Like some ex Cambodian rebel or something. They were something else. They were good. Mui smiled, Were. But she was better. The mercs Sergeytov had hired were sloppy and undisciplined. In the same mold as Mattias she thought. It was no wonder Afghanistan was such a shambles for the Russian Army. If they were sending men like that into combat like that, it was surprising they managed the small successes they did.
Lost in her own thought, Jennifer missed a turn for the AN base, and the Scout was running low on fuel. She muttered a silent curse. This is just what she didn't need. She kept driving as she fumbled about her jacket looking for her PDA. She managed to wrestle it from her pocket, and switched it to display a local map. She was in luck, there was a town a few clicks ahead and towns meant petrol stations. Well, it did where she was from. But in these backwater parts of nowhere, perhaps not.
The Scout rolled through the town, if it could be called that. It was little more than a general store with an attached service station and a stopped the Scout in front of one of the pumps. She got out to start pumping gas, when a man on the wrong side of middle age appeared in the doorway of the store brandishing a shotgun, yelling a stream of what Mui assumed to be curses. The commotion woke Mattias. Being awoken abruptly for the second time that day, his mood was even more foul. He climbed out of the passenger seat and made his way over to the man, who must of owned the store. Seeing the Swede approach, the mans tone got even more frantic, and he pointed the gun at Mattias. Unphased he grabbed it by the barrel, and rammed the wooden stock into the mans chest winding him. Ripping the gun from his hands, Mattias Nilsson, veteran of Afghanistan and the Song Initiative, clubbed the old man over the back of the head with his own gun. A sickening crack went through the air and the man slumped to the ground, unconscious or dead, Jennifer didn't want to know. Mattias climbed back into the passenger seat and closed his eyes.
"Hurry up and do whatever your doing Jen, I'm getting hungry".
The nerve of it all, this thug. This pig in a human body had the nerve to order her about even after assaulting, possibly murdering a civilian? She would remember to include this in her ExOps report. This was just too much. She silently put the fuel in the Scout, while the man sat slumped in the doorway of his own shop, blood dripping from his receding hairline. She started the jeep and made for the AN base without a word.
Kazakhstan:
ExOps Briefing Room, Undisclosed Location
1000 Hours
Mattias Nilsson edged into the briefing room, trying his hardest to be stealthy after sleeping in from a hard night of partying. Actually, ever since North Korea, Nilsson's entire existence seemed to be one huge party, followed by a long string of hangovers. And as much he loved that kind of life, Mattias could not wait for the insertion date when he learned about the unstable violence in Kazakhstan. Now, he was sure this was his next destination.
The room was dark, as always, except for the giant screen showing an empty chair. Usually, the Executive Operations president, Carl Osborn, was there in the room, but a recent trip to Chile meant that he had to broadcast from Santiago. The edge of the screen showed that something was moving, and a moment later Osborn was back in his chair, his face so close to the camera that it showed off his less comely features. Mattias was standing by Fiona Taylor, who was readying a briefing presentation on her laptop to show.
"Mattias, what took you so long," inquired Fiona, who seemed to be the only level-headed person to work with ExOps' ragamuffin lot.
"The usual, celebration," Mattias replied, in a cool Swedish drawl that belied his chaotic and intimidating nature.
"It's been a year since Song!"
"So? I've had nothin' to do anyway."
"You could have at least saved the money for this mission…"
Mattias was slightly taken aback. "Oh, I could have done that. But it doesn't matter, I don't need any damn money to have some fun. I heard that it's Kazakhstan this time, is—"
ExOps President Osborn butted in. "Yes Mattias, the mission is in Kazakhstan. Now if you could please let Fiona and I brief you and the rest of the team…"
Mattias looked to his left to see four faces illuminated by the screen. Two he recognized: they were from North Korea as well, he had seen their dossiers. Christopher Jacobs, former Delta Force; and Jennifer Mui, former MI6—Mattias knew they had to be decent after surviving the hellhole that had been partially created by Mattias himself. The others must have been new, but then again there were many employees of ExOps who Mattias never saw.
"As you all know, the situation in Central Asia is chaotic...at best," Osborn continued, "Kazakhstan has split into a near civil war, between those who want to sell the rights to a recently-discovered oil field, and those who want to develop and sell the fuel themselves. Outside influences, chiefly Russia, China, and Iran are pressuring the government, and a coalition of Central Asian states is planning to invade. Trust me; they won't be the only nations to attack."
Mattias interrupted. "So, you're saying that Kazakhstan is just fucked?"
Osborn shook his head. "Ugh...well, it might look that way, but the Kazakh military has been seriously retooled in the past decade, and the Central Asian Alliance will certainly be held off for now. As for Russia and any other country...I can't say. But, the government has hired us to...well...do anything to keep the country from disappearing off the map or becoming a puppet. That means fending off armies, making alliances, breaking them, playing nations against each other, and even working for Kazakhstan's enemies. Fiona, it's your turn now."
The audio from the president stayed on, but the screen changed to the ExOps logo before showing a fancy topographical map of Kazakhstan.
"Kazakhstan is the largest landlocked country in the world. To the north and west lies Russia, to the east China, and the south contains Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, and Turkmenistan, which make up that Central Asian Alliance I had mentioned. The Aral Sea, on the border with Uzbekistan, has mostly dried out in the southern end, and it's pretty much a desert. With the exception of the southeastern mountains, Kazakhstan is almost completely dry grassland and desert. The government loyalists have the most influence in the center of the country, while the western and eastern areas—where most of the oil is—are nearly controlled by hardliners against foreign influence. The Kazakh military is excellent in terms of equipment..."
Perfect, more goodies, Mattias thought.
"...but, in training they're a very mixed bag. The air force and armored corps are excellent, but I wouldn't trust the infantry by themselves. The Central Asian Alliance is nothing to worry about, but I've heard rumors about Kyrgyzstan's Special Forces, and all say they're pretty good. I think you know about China and Russia enough, plenty of numbers, fair training, both stinking rich. I wouldn't be surprised if the Allied Nations and the Russian Mafia join in, so you won't be alone in this at any time."
The President chimed in. "I suggest that you stay as a team on this mission, and stick together. I don't want ExOps operatives firing at each other, Jacobs... and Nilsson."
There was an incident in Pyongyang a year earlier.
"So that means taking the same contracts. This is a very complex situation; even more so than in Korea, so don't spark a Third World War."
"You will depart at 2100 hours tonight," Fiona continued, "your insertion point will be 100 Kilometers West of the Aral Sea. It's the desert, and the snows have just melted; dress appropriately."
"Good luck."
Kazakhstan Over the Mangghystau Desert
1500 Hours Approaching Insertion Point
Everyone could tell that the plane delivering the mercenaries to Kazakhstan was old. It was an Antonov An-26, a relic from the Seventies, and no one would feel comfortable inside the rusted and groaning aircraft. For the first time in years, Mattias was reminded of the fact that he was over 2,000 feet in the air, but he certainly was not alone in that respect. Obviously, the wonderful Kazakhstani military did not grant much priority to mercenaries.
Mattias looked to his right. Sitting on top of the red fold-out seat on the side of the fuselage were the two new faces from before. In the better light of the plane, he could tell they were likely in their twenties, and one of them had a particularly nasty scar running sideways just below the eyes. They seemed to know each other well, as they would speak to each other often. Mattias caught himself being so nosy, then realized it was a natural attempt to distract himself from the nearly perilous position everyone was in.
This brought Mattias's mind to Chris Jacobs and Jennifer Mui. Throughout the Korean job they learned about each other's existence, and they even met each other, though on less-than-friendly terms. But the three of them had kept silent throughout the journey, except for some responses to Fiona. Now they were forced together, no matter how loosely, and none of them wanted that sort of assignment. Only the obvious pay-off from such a military clusterfuck would entice them to stay on this.
Then everyone's earpieces came to life with the voice of Fiona. "Wake up everyone, its time for your drop-off," she announced, "You'll be coming in low, so get your equipment ready and board the vehicle in an organized manner." Fiona tried to sound as much like an airline attendant as possible on the last part.
Like anyone could sleep on this piece of shit; Chris, Jennifer, and Mattias thought.
The vehicle was a Sungri Scout, like the ones used by the North Koreans, except this one had a more fitting paint job for Kazakhstan. It no longer seemed so roomy with five fully-loaded mercenaries trying to board. Mattias already had all of his equipment on him or packed nearby, so he quickly harnessed himself up before taking his favorite position at the swivel-mounted PKM of the Scout.
It took a few minutes for the rest of the team to equip themselves and board the truck. Jacobs took the driver's seat while Mui sat to his right. The two others crammed themselves in the back.
Mattias looked down at the two newcomers. He was usually not the person who sparked a conversation, but working with two people whose names he did not know was starting to become unnerving.
"Hey," he said to catch their attention, "what's your names?"
The one with the scar on his face answered first. "I'm Tarif Moreau, from Algeria." Mattias nodded as he noticed the man's green eyes and brown hair along with his accent.
The other one spoke up just a moment later. "Dietrich Manning, from Germany." This man had dirty blonde hair, and his eyes were hidden by sunglasses. He had hair clinging to his chin which seemed just too long and too deliberate to be stubble. Dietrich's accent was more English than anything else, but it did not surprise Mattias in the slightest. The man was probably a linguistics expert.
There was a slight jolt as the Antonov began its descent to nearly ground level. Mattias was caught off-guard; he almost fell out of the Scout.
"It might be a good idea to strap yourself down somewhere."
Mattias looked down to see Mui. She was still looking down, fumbling with her equipment harness.
"Oh, so you're into that," replied Mattias in an intentionally perverse tone.
Mui paused for a second. "On second thought, just go ahead and fall to your death. The rest of us might get a bigger paycheck."
"Alright you two," chimed in Fiona, "Mattias, there should be a loop on the gun mounting somewhere. Hook yourself up to that."
Mattias found the loop opposite himself and clipped his harness to it. Now his body was wrapped uncomfortably around the PKM mounting.
"How much longer until we're dropped off?" he asked through gritted teeth.
"Just a few minutes." Mattias could have sworn there was a touch of humor in Fiona's voice.
Jacobs turned on the engine and revved it a couple of times, pressing firmly on the accelerator. This served absolutely no practical purpose, but it seemed necessary to make some kind of flamboyant gesture with the car, and there was no room in the cabin for a doughnut.
There was another jolt as the back door reluctantly folded out. Almost immediately below the desert whizzed by in a red blur. Jacobs switched gears, and the vehicle lurched before he slammed on the gas. In the blink of an eye the Sungri was in mid-air. Mattias felt weightless for a moment, then held on to the mounting desperately as the truck slammed into the dusty ground.
For several seconds, it was too dusty for Mattias to see anything from his awkward position. Brown dust had been thrown everywhere from the plane. Then, as the sky cleared, Mattias could hear Jacobs' panicked voice.
"Oh, shi-!"
There was the brief sound of crushing metal, and Mattias' vision went black.
