Contract Free Arulco: The Bitch Must Die!

Day 48 Meduna’s Royal Palace

Sheila sat in the Communications Room, in the chair that would have been previously used only by the Queen of Arulco.

Leaning forward, she picked up the red phone that she knew was a direct land line to Alma and the military installation there.

Only when a voice answered the other end did she speak, “Get me General Alvarez.”

The phone was muted for thirty sections, than a gruff voice she knew to be native to Arulco sounded, “This is General Alvarez, who may I ask is this?”

With the rioting that had been going on in the streets of Meduna, Sheila was certain that he had heard of the news. The Queen was dead.

“It doesn’t matter who I am I, I am nobody.” Sheila wasn’t trying to be cryptic at all with the General.

The General’s gruff voice wasted no time sounding irritated, “Then how shall I address you Miss?”

“Miss will do.”

“Very well, ‘Miss’, why are you calling me?”

Sheila was tired, the last week seemed to last forever, “You don’t need to know who I am, but you need to acknowledge what I am.”

The venom from the General’s voice dripped, “And what is that, ‘Miss’?”

“I am a mercenary, hired by Enrique Chivaldori to liberate Arulco.”

“So are you some witch as well, who talks to dead men?”

“Tell me General, did you see Enrique’s dead body?”

“I did not.” The General admitted.

“And has everything the previous Queen told you turned out to be true?”

“What does that matter, I am a General.”

“Exactly, which is why I want you to continue to do your job.”

The General laughed, it sounded like sandpaper scratching a metal flag pole, “Trust me, ‘Miss’, I am coming for you with the whole Arulcan Army!”

Sheila snapped back, “THAT, General, is not your job. Your job is the defense of Arulco!”

“And so now you are claiming to be the Queen?”

“No, General, I am not. I am just reminding you of your responsibilities of the General of the Arulcan Army. Enrique Chivaldori will be in country within the week. He will resume his previous position as President of Arulco. Pro tem.” Sheila paused for effect, “He will assume that position to ensure stability. In six months a new election will be held to vote in Arulco’s next President.”

The General snorted, “It is that simple?”

“Yes General Alvarez, that simple. You do your job, continue training your men and protect the borders of Arulco. From outside, not within!”

“And what about that armed mob you have running around fair Arulco?”

“The militia will be disbanded shortly.”

“Why shortly? Why not now?”

It was Sheila’s turn to snort, “Let’s not play games here General. Arulco was just relieved of one despot, we are not going to let another take that bitch’s spot, and that General Alvarez, includes you. The militia stays, for now. But I will concede to you that they will need to be kept on a tight leash. Tempers will undoubtedly flair and there has already been way too much blood shed. So, to reduce temptation, I am requesting that you call in all of your patrols and keep them within your garrisons at Alma and Grumm. Most of the Queen’s guard here in Meduna has already fled their posts. Those that haven’t have been instructed to march to Grumm.”

“And what about the reports of rioting in the streets of Meduna, as protector I feel I must keep Arulco safe, even if that is from itself.”

“There are no riots in the streets of Arulco, only celebration; celebration because the hated False-Queen is dead. The militia while as expected is joining in on the celebration and the militia will help keep the peace during this festive occasion.”

Sheila paused again, General Alvarez said nothing but his deep breathing confirmed that he was still on the line with her.

She continued with her demands, “The Children Warriors of Arulco are to be disbanded and the children, with the proper provisions and protection, sent home. There will be no more killing of the children of Arulco!

“I will coordinate with your office and the militia to make sure that all of the dead bodies strewn about the country are properly taken care of, both the honor the fallen and to make sure no disease breaks out.

“One more thing General, the Arulcan Slave Trade has officially been disbanded. All slaves that are in Alma are to be rounded up and trucked to the hospital in Cambria.” Sheila pitied the General if he could not hear the final resolution in her voice as she spoke of Arulco’s most despicable practice.

Covering the mouth piece of the phone she held, Sheila took a deep breath, it would not be good for the negotiations for her to loose her cool.

Sheila began to worry when the General still did not speak up. “General Alvarez, are you still there.”

“I am here, ‘Miss’. Sarcasm still dripped when he referred to Scope.

“Then I need to hear that you acknowledge what I have said and whether or not you will abide by those instructions.”

That was too much for the General who blew up at Sheila over the phone, “ABIDE! ABIDE? Abide the half witted instructions of some two bit military wannabe?! I think NOT!”

Scope shook her head, wishing that the General was more reasonable, “General, do you really want the alternative?”

His anger was not abated, “ALTERNATIVE?! Let me tell you missy what the alternative is! I am going to mobilize the whole Arulcan Army and we are going to march on Meduna! The Battalion in Grumm will cut off all any excuse that you may think you have because you don’t! You are trapped! Trapped like a cornered animal and I am going to slam into you so hard, you will gladly throw yourself off the cliffs of Juarez over looking Meduna to escape my fury!” Scope could hear the General saliva spatter against his mouthpiece.

Scope listened as the General depleted her vigor at her, with the phone cocked away from her ear, she ignored his ranting and did not put the phone back to her ear until he was done.

“Finished General?”

Sneeringly, “No bitch, I am just getting started!”

“Well General, let me open your eyes a bit. WE control the air in Arulco. You do not. We control both airstrips and the aircraft located there. I have been told that there is enough fuel for the Jaguar Short Range Attack Craft, whose capabilities I am sure you are familiar with.” He was. “If you do not take a more reasonable tone with me General Alvarez, I will have not choice but to order a strike on Alma. I know that you have been mobilizing your forces already General, you have been pulling in your patrols in preparation for your march on Meduna, but the Arulcan Army is not a Blitzkrieg unit and you are a couple of days away from commencing your operation.

“That Jaguar is prepped and ready, loaded with five three hundred pound bombs. How much of your beloved military installation in Alma is going be standing after the Jaguar is flying back home to Meduna.”

Scope was lying to the General. The Arulcan Army did have three of the close support craft and there was fuel for at least one sortie, but there were no pilots to be found nor did any one know how to load the bombs aboard one of the Jaguars. Skyrider could be corralled into flying the sortie but only after some intense negotiations, something Sheila didn’t have time for at the moment. But her threat and that is what it was to General Alvarez, General of the Arulcan Army, was on the up and up. A Fuel Air bomb was found and it could be loaded on Skyrider’s helicopter and dropped to massive affect onto Alma from twenty thousand feet. Sheila didn’t care if Skyrider had any compunction to doing the deed, because she did not.

The General was again silent, “General, what is you answer.”

Sheila smiled as she heard the gritting of teeth through the phone, “The Army will stand down. IF by the weeks end, Enrique Chivaldori does not arrive in Arulco, then I will have no choice but to march the Army to Meduna to free Arulco from usurpers.”

Wanting make sure that the General didn’t conveniently forget something, she prodded, “And the Children Warriors?”

“They will be sent home.”

As a career military man, Sheila was sure that the General had no stomach for having children in his army.

“And the Sex Slave Trade?” Sheila knew that the General kept two boys for himself as ‘Cabin boys’.

“The Sex Slaves will be abolished and those that want will be sent to the hospital at Cambria.”

“Not good enough General. All of them.” The General really liked his Cabin boys.

“VERY WELL! All of them will be trucked to Cambria. Though I have to tell you, there may not be enough gas for all of the vehicles to make it to Cambria.”

“That is fine General, President Pro-Tem Chivaldori has already made arrangements for a shipment of fuel to be delivered to Arulco.” In fact Enrique hadn’t, but Sheila was certain that as soon as he arrived back in Arulco, that would be the first thing he did do. In the mean time, she would send for a shipment from Grumm since the factories were to be shutdown, at least temporarily.

Robber could not stand the Rocket Rifle the Queen had cooked up, he called it an expensive waste of crap, essentially an RPG but holding a magazine of much smaller reloads at the cost of explosive punch, but Sheila had a nagging feeling that the Arulcan Rocket Rifle would be the countries second largest export now that the Sex Slave had been disbanded and the silver regained it’s crown as Arulco’s number one export.

Day 45 Meduna Airport

Sara ignored the subsonic thrashing of the air above her as Skyrider brought his eggbeater back one more time to the Meduna airport, this time instead of cargo, she knew that it carried a passenger. Big Al’s replacement. Scope had changed her mind, as soon as word had reached her of Big Al’s demise, she had logged into the AIM website to see who was available. Instead of releasing Ice to the forefront, she was going to keep him with her in Cambria and some joker by the name of Grizzly was to replace Big Al. Scope had tried to tell Sara that the change had taken place because they would need someone to replace Big Al’s skill set.

Sara quit listening to her, she didn’t care. Big Al was not a skill set. He was a man. Loyal, stoic, even laconic, he was not a skill set. He was a brother in arms. He was a brother.

Sara sat against a tree, not far from where Big Al had fallen, her KR-25 across her lap as she watched the road into Meduna for movement. For the last two days, it had been like that. She stood watch during the day for twelve hours and at night, before dusk, Gillie and Terror would take over. The Army probed, but only two man recons.

Terror made it a game as she waited with Gillie to see who could take out the most scouts. Only three scouts were actually killed, all by Terror with her FN P-90 with its AET ammo was just too much for the modern armor worn by the soldiers. Gillie actually surprised more patrols but his HK G11 4.7mm just did not have the power of the 5.7mm AET of the P-90 and his prey would sulk off into the darkness.

Throughout this, the liberators healed, if not mentally than at least physically. Maddog, after being eviscerated by a mortar round was on his feet, adding more to his mystique of being hard to kill. His daily constitutional was full of blood, but that just gave him one more color to finger paint with. MD knew of the miracle-like properties of Regen, but even he had not seen anything like Maddog’s recovery.

The first of two supply orders from Bobby Ray had arrived, via Skyrider and Robber had to spend most of one day transferring the 5.56mm NATO rounds from the 30 round magazine clips they arrived in to the C-Mag’s he had intended on using them with. Robber did not seem to mind the arduous task.

In the two days since they lost Big Al, another one of the liberators of Arulco had perished. Dynamo quickly grew disillusioned with the role that Scope had intended him for. He wanted, he needed to kill the Queen with his bare hands, and the thought that one of the other mercenaries was going to do the job was not good enough for him. After confronting Scope again and again, he decided to take action.

Skyrider had left Red and Dynamo in San Mona for the night with instructions to call Skyrider back after they had sold the latest batch of weapons to Tony the arms dealer when Tony received his latest batch of money from the Kingpin at 9am.

Red put the time to good use, by visiting the bar across from Tony’s. Red maintained some decorum as he only imbued two shots of whiskey. However, it had been over a month since his last drink and so those two shots were enough to let him sleep well. When Red woke up, it was 11am and Dynamo was gone.

After making his sale to Tony, he called for Skyrider and waited in the bar. Scope, as he had expected, chewed his ass royally and told him to search for Dynamo from the air with Skyrider.

Red went back to the bar to wait for Skyrider who was close to two hours away in Estoni. He chose the bar with the thought of drowning his sorrow, if not completely, than enough to make him forget about the telling off Scope had given him. He sat dejectedly at the bar, looking into his glass of whiskey pondering his fate when he was interrupted.

“Excuse me, I was told that you are one of the mercenaries.” The thick Russian accent immediately caught Red’s attention. Red liked Igor, thought he was a good kid. But Red had served twice with his Uncle and thought Ivan was one hell of a drinking buddy. Turning, he grimaced at the face he saw and remembered that Ivan, like Buns, had perished in some op in the Philippines. “What do ya’ want?” He barked.

“I came here with the mercenary Mike, but I can no longer stand working for the Queen. Mike was going to give me connections to AIM. If I work for you, will you do the same?”

“Mike? That bastard? He is dead.”

“Da. And da, he was a bastard and I am glad he is dead since he brought me to this cesspit. Will you, can I work for you?”

“Me? I am not any one special.”

“But you are a mercenary, da?”

“Yeah, that is me, glorified pack mule.”

“Why would you pack a mule? There is no mule’s in Arulco.”

Red looked at the bespectacled Russian and laughed, “Ain’t that truth and good thing because then they would be pissed at me too.”

When the man looked blankly at Red he chuckled again, “Alright lad, I will call the boss and see what she has ta’ say. What is your name?”

“You can call me Iggy.”

Scope had known of Iggy; Mike had recruited him for AIM and then when AIM and Mike had their falling out, Mike took Iggy with him, Sheila scoffed, if just to have a friendly buddy in the fox hole.

Having okayed Red in hiring Iggy, the two of them joined the search for Dynamo. It didn’t take long. Less than five miles south of San Mona, on the road to south to Meduna, Dynamo’s body or at least remains of his body was seen from the air. After having Skyrider land, Iggy and Red were able to determine that Dynamo ran afoul of Bloodcats. Dynamo was able to kill one of them before he succumbed to his wounds and the Bloodcats feasted on him for an early breakfast. Most of his right leg and left hand were missing. Souvenirs for the cats.

Red insisted, ignoring Skyrider’s complaints who hated keeping his eggbeater grounded anywhere for an extended period of time except for Estoni or Drassen, as he buried Dynamo and Iggy fashioned a grave marker using part of a fallen tree.

None too soon for Skyrider, they were back in the air and on the way to Drassen for the second supply run from Bobby Ray.

Sara heard the three talk as they walked closer to her tree, she kept her eyes to the distance and did not deem to look their way.

“Sara, these two gentlemen are your replacements for the final push…”

Sara lifted her KR-25 and scanned the horizon through the Leopold 10x scope; meticulously scanning from left to right and back before looking at the newcomers.

Grizzly was like she had heard, a giant of a man that she was sure had an adequate personality, but she did not care.

The other man Sara knew nothing about other than what Scope had forwarded after Red hired him. If heavy weapons was his skill, she thought he was trying to hard to show it. Grizzly had a M248 60mm mortar strapped to his back while holding a FN2000, Iggy had an RPG16 with three reloads on his back and all of his pouches on the front of the man were loaded with mortar rounds. In his hands, Iggy didn’t carry a rifle but a Commando 60mm mortar. Looking closely she saw that at least he carried some sort of firearm, a pistol, FiveSeveN by the looks of it, in a holster hanging from his neck.

Looking back at Scope, “So our number is now lucky thirteen?”

Scope maintained her poker face, “No.”

Sara was not surprised. “Who do I lose now?”

“Hamous.”

Hamous made sense to Sara. He had no real axe to grind against the Queen, he had no real reason to want her dead. He wasn’t a great soldier, he had no skills that stood out, but like Big Al, he was reliable, especially in a firefight. Looking back at the newcomers, these two to Sara were unknowns, she would rather have Hamous.

But Sara was too tired to argue, “Alright.”

Scope looked to the two heavy specialists, “Go met up with the rest of the squads. They may be new to AIM, but they have earned their stripes.” Scope waited until they were gone before she turned to face Sierra. “When are you going to move out? You have been here for over two days; Maddog is already up and about.”

Sara went back to staring in the distance, “We are not ready yet.”

“We? Or you?”

Sara looked through her scope before she answered, “If you don’t like how I am doing my job then please feel free to take over and do it the way you want it done,” looking up, Sara saw a slight crack in Scope’s poker face, “if not, leave me the fuck alone to do the job. We, I, have been here for FORTY FUCKING FIVE DAYS, if I want to make it Forty Six, then that is MY choice.”

Scope measured her replied carefully, “Very well. I have had your Squads restocked. Between Iggy and Grizzly, you have fourteen mortar rounds. Robber has his match ammo in abundance and scattered throughout your two squads you have two RPG’s with twelve reloads, seven single shot anti-tank launchers and three multi-shot grenade launchers, unfortunately, the two clips of HE that Grunty is carrying for the Milkor is all Bobby Ray’s had. There is a third shipment from Bobby Rays that was due in Drassen tomorrow but the supply plane it was being ferried on suffered a mechanical failure and had to be fly back for repairs. It is due here the day after tomorrow.”

Scope suddenly wished that bastard Gus was still here, he would know what to say to get Sara motivated, but Gus was not there and neither was Big Al. She wanted to tell Sara that she was sorry for her loss but didn’t know the words so she left Sara to her solitude, “I return back to Cambria within the hour, if there is anything else you want to talk about, just say so.”

Sara did not. She stayed at her post until relieved by Gillie and Terror. After washing her face with murky water, she wondered why the Army didn’t suffer from dysentery due to the conditions they had to live and work in being so atrocious, and she lay back on an empty rack.

She didn’t sleep, but she wasn’t awake, she dreamed a dream within a dream and woke neither confused nor refreshed. Gillie and Terror had intercepted three more recon patrols they had reported to her when they were relieved by Igor and Grunty. No KIA for the two gamers, Sara didn’t care if they were disappointed or not, but she did find it interesting that the recon patrols stayed back further, like they were just getting close enough to confirm that the liberators were still in there.

Sara let Gillie and Terror sleep for two hours before she had them woken and the word was passed that they were moving out in fifteen minutes. The Ice Cream truck and Hummer were already loaded and after minimal scrambling, the small mechanized assault force was moving towards their next stop in Meduna, the airport.


Day 46 Meduna Airport
0846 Local



Sara jerked, that had come from behind her, not from the fence line in front of her. Where? There, Kilroy was man-handling a lance of a weapon, that was the Gepard M1 Anti-Material weapon system, when had she switched out to that weapon?

“Tank, exactly where it where the surveillance photos showed, take them out.” One plus to taking the Meduna SAM site was that they were able to shut down the ECM Jammer that had been playing havoc with their encrypted comms, they were free to go back to communicating as they wished.

“Roger that Kilroy, on the way,” came Iggy’s reply.

Sara simplified their plan of attack so it had a better chance of surviving contact with the enemy; the two squads were to deploy around the defenses of the airport with Iggy and Grizzly dropping 60mm mortar rounds on the three tanks defending. The two squads were to position themselves to take on whatever the defense threw at them.

Sara was surprised at how long it took her to recognize the pattern of the Arulcan’s military training. It was definitely geared towards offensive maneuvers; when contact was made, roughly 80% of the soldiers would attack and hope to overwhelm their opponent with the remaining 20% staying back and defending. The reserves didn’t necessarily snipe, no the snipers and support personnel were part of the rush, the reserves instead hunkered down and held their territory. Sara was fine with that; they would eliminate the attackers and then wipe out the defenders.

The battle went quickly; Iggy and Grizzly quickly neutralized the three tanks before switching to the grenade launchers they carried. Iggy was especially effective when the army tried to flank through the trees, where Igor, Terror and Maddog did not have clear shots. Kilroy was quite enthused about the effects of the Gepard, only once did she have to fire it twice at a target, an All Black who resembled Grizzly in stature, she hadn’t had time to aim at his head which left a smear on top of a torso. The All Black’s armor must have deflected the rounds slightly; Kilroy saw her targets torso twist to the side as he flew backwards four feet. She was astounded when he stood, very slowly, back up. Supposedly it was against a treaty somewhere to fire a round the caliber of 12.7mm at a human target, Kilroy thought that was stupid rule and that in war there was no rules. Warfare is not a gentlemanly conduct.

Soon no more soldiers were rushing out of the gate towards them and Grunty blew two holes in the fence line for the liberators to enter. Maddog lead the charge, only to be stopped as a short burst slammed into him as he neared the front gates, of course he survived and of course Sara wished that the defender had fired a longer burst. Iggy saw where the shots rang from and launched an RPG rocket into the sandbags next to the burning tank.

Two soldiers remained in the sandbag bunker in the middle of the airport. Sara did not rush them but slowly positioned her forces around the defenders, but none to close. Then with a signal from her, Iggy lobbed two HE 40mm grenades directly into the bunker. The two soldiers survived long enough to stagger incoherently out of bunker were they were cut down.

After patching up Maddog by way of a Regen shot, Sara gave the order to continue the assault into Meduna proper. She wishes she hadn’t.


Day 46 Meduna Gardens
0937 Local

The order was given to leave the Ice Cream truck and Hummer at Meduna airport, after taking what supplies were needed out of it.

The recon photos’ showed two more tanks defending the road through the Gardens. The Gardens was the Queen’s tribute to the royals of Europe who had built such gardens in the shape of mazes. It was one of her private retreats that were open to the general populace of Arulco only rarely. Sara didn’t care about that, thanks to Gus’s informant, she knew the secret of the Gardens!

But first they had to remove the defenders.

Kilroy’s squad was to maneuver through the north side of the maze, flanking around to come up behind the defenders. Sara’s squad was going to split in two; Sara, MD and Ira was going to hold the road and whatever defenders stuck their head out while Iggy, Grizzly and Robber were to clear out whoever occupied the maze. It went badly immediately.

While moving south west around the maze, Gillie picked up a rock and commented on how it was odd that a rock like that was found laying above ground, it was a sedentary rock that held within it possible fossils of the past. Terror told him to stuff it and drop the rock. Gillie did so, or at least he lobbed it to the ground in front of him. It hit a buried mine and blew him back ten feet. His armor protected him mostly from the blast, but he was incredible shaken and more importantly, had given away their position. The only positive side of his ignominy was also a negative; he had shown that Kilroy’s squad was in the middle of a mine field. Gus’s informant made no mention of a mine field.

A squad of four rushed up the road towards where Sara and company were waiting, two were dropped, but the other two fired back, very effectively. Sara did not feel the 7.62x39mm bullet fired from the Dragonov strike her treated Spectra helmet, she felt nothing because she had passed out from the pain.

Robber was walking crouched, leading the two heavy gunners, their smoking mortars strapped to their back after quickly dispatching the two tanks with them, Grizzly armed with a FN2000 and Iggy a FiveSeveN. Two female soldiers met them as they turned a corner just one hundred and twenty meters into the maze. The first of the females, someone who Robber had quickly assessed had imbued too much testosterone, raised and fired a monstrously Grizzly Lar point blank at Robber. His treated Spectra vest blocked most of the powerful pistol round as he fired two quick bursts back. The butch female was down, her intestines a goo and just as the female behind her was down from a long burst by the FN2000 and a carefully placed headshot by Iggy.

Kilroy went from cursing, to laughing. She couldn’t see them but somewhere around the bend more and more explosions were going off, each one followed by screams. It seemed that Gus’s informant was not the only one not informed about a newly placed minefield.

The two remaining soldiers were taking cover and continued to fire at Sara’s group with another squad coming around the bend to rush them. MD called for help and Grizzly fired two of his 40mm grenades from the lower portion of the FN2000. Robber was bleeding from the .50AE round but he that didn’t stop him from listening to the chaos around him. Sniper fire just on the other side of the extremely thick maze wall, muffled explosions coming from behind him and to his right in the distance, a female screaming a one way conversation. No, not a conversation, she was screaming coordinates for a mortar attack.

“SIERRA, ROBBER, INCOMING!” Sara did not respond. “SIERRA COME IN!”

Ira was the one who responded, “We’re kind of busy here! Sierra is down for the count.”

Robber didn’t wait for clarification, “KILROY, did you hear…” Robber stopped in mid sentence as he heard the telltale scream of light artillery falling, on top of him.

Kilroy heard the unmistakenable ‘whummp’ of a mortar round hitting and she decided, “All units, throw smoke and pull back, I say again, throw smoke and pull back!” This op was FUBAR, Fucked Up Beyond All Recognition.

Kilroy fired her Gepard twice, both times was pleased to see her tango fly back and not get up before the smoke thrown by Igor and Gillie blocked her view, with a grunt, she lifted the monster weapon and followed Grunty’s lead back the way they came, Terror and Gillie took up the rear. Her squad’s retreat was easy and she knew that. Just as she knew that she couldn’t help Sara’s squad. If they were to make it out alive, it was up to them.

MD and Ira both threw smoke; the soldiers stalled their rush while their snipers fired blindly into the smoke. Harnessing their rifles, they each grabbed a handhold inside Sara’s Spectra vest and dragged her away.

The mortar round did not land directly on Robber, but the maze wall in front of him. The explosion shredded the thick mangled bush wall while knocking Robber out before he slammed against the maze wall behind him. Iggy and Grizzly were lucky in that Robber and the maze took the brunt of the explosion, even though it landed less than fifteen feet from them. Both were knocked to the ground and dazed. Grizzly recovered quick enough to comprehend that what he was hearing in is ear wasn’t ringing but Kilroy ordering smoke and retreat. Pulling the smoke canister from his vest, he lobbed it over Robber.

Shaking his head, he saw Iggy stagger to his feet, “Fall back man, I got our buddy!”

A massive hand grabbed Robber’s collar and dragged him. Iggy fired an RPG to discourage pursuit and they were soon caught up with Ira and MD.


Day 46 Meduna Airport
1003 Local

Sara woke when she felt a prick to her left buttock, “MD, what the fuck are you doing to me?”

“Regen, works best if delivered to the aorta arteries, outside of a shot to the heart the next best place is the neck or buttock.” MD when to continue his bedside manner when he noticed that she had passed out again.

“Okay, sit-rep!” Kilroy had taken command. “Gillie?”

Gillie nodded, “I am fine, just a scratch.”

“Ira?” Kilroy watch MD patch a new bandage on the scarred New Yorker.

“Fine, never better.”

“Robber?” Robber, was like Sara, passed out. “Anyone else hit?” No one was. Grizzly and Iggy were only shaken up by the explosion and had recovered.

Looking around at her surroundings, Kilroy frowned. There was no high ground for her to snipe from. The soldiers, if they followed through, and she fully expected them to, would come from the south. All of the defenses placements were facing the north. Not good. She looked at the two vehicles.

“Everyone mount up. We are pulling back further.” No one argued with her.

Day 46 Meduna SAM
1009 Local

“Move Robber and Sierra to the control building, Ira and Grunty, join me on the roof. Grizzly, take the north side with Iggy, grenade the crap out of them Terror watch the south side of that fence. Gillie, Maddog and Igor, get behind that burnt out tank.”


Day 46 Meduna SAM
1033 Local

“There they are!” Ira screamed in warning before she fired. Over twenty rushed towards the front gate with eight more rushing around the southern edge of the SAM site. Terror was able to pin those two squads with the help of the mine field that had was buried there.

Soon both sides were expending round after round. Three soldiers had managed to get inside the fence and one of the lobbed grenade after grenade into the sandbag wall that Igor and Gillie were using as cover, stunning them.

Sara and Robber woke from the firing above them and join in the defense; Robber with Maddog behind the left side of the tank and Sara with MD on the north side.

Robber suddenly realized being next to the bullet magnet that was Maddog was not a smart thing and was hit by a bullet from a long burst as he was trying to move away from the crazy Arulcan.

Sara was hit by a sniper round; it didn’t penetrate her armor but still threw here five feet backwards into the sandbag bunker. “Fuck this shit!” She screamed, “Iggy, use the rest of your mortar rounds and then drop every grenade you have on those son of a bitches!”

Iggy complied and everyone knew that it was his actions that saved the day.

“This is the last dose,” MD told Sara as he administered Igor. Gillie and Maddog had already received their dose. Maddog was giddy every time MD approached him with a needle.

Sara played the numbers in her head. Five walking wounded. No more mortar rounds. Seven LAWs and two RPG launcher with thirteen reloads. Half of their armor needed serious repair; Robber had to replace his it was so damaged. The only good news is that all of the weapons were cleaned and fully loaded. Robber, having been out of the action hadn’t had a chance to expend very much of his vaunted Match grade ammo.

Her body was telling her rest and refit. Her mind was telling her get the job done.


Day 46 Meduna Airport
1613 Local

“THE FUCKERS!” In a few scant hours the Army of Arulco had shown their resources, they had patched the armor of the first tank it was back to being an operational pillbox with a 90mm cannon. Kilroy confirmed that the second tank outside the airport was functional as well. That meant the third one probably was as well.

The second battle of the Meduna lasted only a portion of the first. There was only two squads defending plus the three tanks. Kilroy came to love the remains that her Gepard left when it hit her intended target, with her pulling the trigger, it always did. Four shot fired equaled four dead soldiers. Gillie and Terror took out the two remaining outside the airport while Sara and Ira played bullet tag with the two remaining inside the airport proper.

Grizzly didn’t like to crouch walk, he was to big to do something that reminding him of duck walking like he did as a kid, but it kept his head down which meant his head wasn’t shot off. Using the scope on the FN2000 he was able to guide Iggy to the ideal location. When the turret was facing the opposite direction he signaled and Iggy stood up and fired his RPG-16. Sara told him to get the job done but to not take unnecessary risks. To Iggy that meant fire at the longest effective range of the RPG, around 300 meters. He fired three rounds at each tank and was while he knew he could of done better, he was happy with that result since it took two hits on each tank for them to be rendered inoperative.


Day 46 Meduna Garden
1653 Local

With a small metal detector in hand, Igor, Grunty and Maddog quietly crouch walked and put a small blue flag down every time the little machines beeped, not caring if there was a mine underneath or not, better to be safe than sorry.

Gillie, MD and Grunty took up position on the north side of the maze and waited.

Kilroy chuckled as she followed behind the three sappers; the Queen’s Army stepped on five of the mines, with one mangled body still decomposing.

They were lucky; they did not come in contact with the first enemy until after they had cleared the minefield. Igor raised his hand indicating that he heard someone on the other side of the maze wall; their recon photo showed that the southern entrance to the maze was just around the corner. Igor, Robber and Terror quietly crouch-rushed the entrance but saw no one.

Sara pointed out a private solarium just inside the south entrance, “Maddog, get in there! You will find an old cabinet. Break into it and on the underside of the bottom shelf you will find a remote, get it and bring it to me.” Maddog smiled at being released to cause destruction of private property.

There were two ornate guard buildings, a step up from a shack, though it served the same purpose, and Kilroy was able to discern that they were empty. Sara motioned Iggy to follow her as Kilroy took Ira and MD to watch the south wall of the maze.

At the west guard shack, Sara had to stifle a chuckle, both of them were concrete block square buildings dressed up with fake molding and purple curtains on them. Purple! Peering around the corner, she saw no one, which made her happy but when she peered through her scope, she was not happy. The bastards had repaired this tank too. Which meant the second one around the corner was operational as well. Going prone she scanned again before giving Iggy the ‘A-okay’.

Again it took Iggy three shots to destroy the tank a second time, but Iggy wasn’t happy with himself this time. His first two shots went wide and the only reason why only his third shot was successful was because it hit the lightly armored rear of the tank. Sara smiled when she saw the gasoline ignite.

To her left, Kilroy’s Gepard sounded and she was sure that meant a dead soldier.

Sara ran across the road while Iggy followed Kilroy and Ira along the outskirts of the maze to the corner. Before she could give the order for the second tank to be taken out Sara had to dispatch two soldiers hiding in front of the tank.

“I got it, wha’cha want this for?” Sara looked at the idiot Maddog as he stood behind her. From the barking of her KR-25, she didn’t hear him approach until her was literally standing above her, a thought that sent a shiver down her spine.

Gillie and MD combined to take out the one soldier that rushed to the north side of the maze and Terror head-capped the one that they had originally heard inside the maze. Sara knew that the sector wasn’t clear and she didn’t care, because the way was clear.

Calling everyone into the maze she directed them to a smaller, private garden inside the larger garden that held three large stone bases in a row. On the two outside bases stood the warrior statues of Queen Diedranna, right arm raised holding a sword. The middle base was bare except for the words engraved on it, ‘Abandon Hope, All Ye’’, just as Gus had told her it would.

“Alright everyone, switch to your short range gear.” And she smiled at the questioning looks she was given. Holding up the remote, she pressed the green button on it and the middle stone base slid back revealing a hidden stair well under it. Her feral grin was soon matched by everyone else. They were going to go in the back door!

Day 46 Meduna Palace
Sub Level 1
1740 Local

The tunnel below lead to the underground facility that Sara was told to expect; what had started out as an underground bunker, the Queen expanded on. The first guard they encountered died with shocked look on her face as Terror’s P-90 coughed three rounds into her.

At a junction, the dirty dozen made their stand. Ira decided to forgo her Steyr Aug Para in lieu of continuing to use her own KR-25; zooming down the long south eastern hall she fired. That shot brought out the rest of the defenders.

Sara was glad of the headset they were all wearing because Grizzly let loose of his 40mm launcher in the FN2000. Rounds after rounds were met with scream after scream while everyone else took their targets of opportunity. All went well until three soldiers rushed from the perpendicular hallway. Terror, Iggy and Gillie cut them down but not before the third one was able to throw a grenade.

Sara watched the grenade sail towards them, wondering if she was seeing death in front of her because of the enclosed space. The noise that grenade made upon impact was not the scream of violence to be brought upon them but a ‘poof’. The soldier had died trying the throw a tear gas grenade at them. She started to laugh when she realized that she didn’t have a gas mask on and soon fell to the floor wracked by coughs like most of the rest of her squad. Only Grizzly, MD and Ira had the foresight to don their gas mask and the three of them stood guard over their fallen comrades until the smoke cleared.

Sara didn’t know what to think. Nine of their twelve were incapacitated for over five minutes and the defenders did not strike.

Gillie found out why, there was only two defenders left in the facility and they were barricaded behind a desk in an office. Terror nodded to him and he threw a stun into the room and Terror ran into the office and but a burst into each of them before they could recover.

The rest of the facility contained the Queen’s private chambers and the entrance to the Palace proper above.

Gillie found wry mirth in the fact that the main door to both the Queen’s chambers and the entrance above was protected by a lock that even Maddog couldn’t defeat but the bathroom that passed through to both rooms was unlocked.

Grizzly found no humor in the floor mine he stepped on in the hallway to the Queen’s chambers.

The Queen’s chambers held more of the decadence that they had seen elsewhere in Meduna when it came to the Queen. Artwork and statues that many wondered if they were real because they appeared to be the work of artiste’s long dead.

Robber made the only discovery of interest; the Queen’s personal combat gear. A full kit of treated Spectra armor and something no one had seen before but something Gus had shared with Sara, an Arulcan Rocket Rifle. This one was unique in that its feed mechanism was improved to give the Rocket Rifle the capability of unloading its entire clip of five rockets in ten seconds.


Day 46 Meduna Palace
Ground Level
1759 Local

Crowded in the narrow dark and narrow stairwell, everyone whispered.

“Okay, here is the situation; we don’t know what is on the other side of that door. We don’t know if they heard Grizzly’s grenades going off back there…”

“Yeah, thanks Grizz, try to be a little louder next time.”

“You know, I think I will.”

“…We don’t know if we tripped an alarm or if the alarm was sent up but I feel that it was, that is why those last two were hiding behind that desk, they were waiting for reinforcements. Reinforcements which we have not seen. This stairwell empties into a secret door behind the fireplace in the West Room.

“Iggy, you and MD watch the rear…”

“Da.”

“Gillie, Terror the two of you are out first, confirm the room is empty and then move to the door and wait. Yes, you are the bait. Sorry. Grunty and Maddog, you two are next. If all is quiet than move to the windows and keep look out. If it is not quiet, light up the room with your LMG and Milkor.

A grunt was heard followed by, “It will be my pleasure.”

“Ira and Igor next…”

“NO!”

“Shhh, keep it down. What do you mean no?”

“I need to go first; I have to kill the Queen. I have to!”

Sara’s jaw clenched, “Listen to me Ira, I don’t give a flying fuck who kills the Bitch, all I care about is that her reign of horror ends here and today! If you start acting crazy on me I will shoot you down! Do you understand me? DO YOU!”

Ira said nothing but Sara was able to see her head nod, weakly. Robber and Grizzly were followed by Sara and Kilroy. The two of them had seen enough death the last five lifetimes, too large of a share was by their own hand. Let the others go first, they didn’t care so long as the job was done.

The stone door slid back effortlessly and Gillie was thankful that it slid back silently as well. The room looked like a room you would find in a European castle, the façade was very ornate and gilded but to Gillie all the more tacky and fake. No movement caught his eyes and looking at Terror, he confirmed she saw the same thing. Effortlessly they glided to towards the door, Grunty and Maddog scampered behind them towards their assignment.

“You shouldn’t be here.” There was someone in the room waiting for them!

Ira and Igor had just started to exit the fireplace when they heard the voice and stopped short as the owner of the voice stood up. He was sitting in a high back chair that was facing away from the fireplace and he was armed with an HK 21E.

But the weapon was not aimed at the infiltrators. The fact that the six mercenaries that he could see were aiming their weapons at him gave him no pause.

“Life is inevitable. Let’s do this.” Dropping the weapon at his feet, he walked towards the only door in the West Room, “I think I hear my Queen.” Gillie cocked his head to the side, was that someone calling?

No one moved to impede the man with greased back black hair as he reached for the handle of the door. Ira followed Igor’s lead and exited the fireplace completely and knew that Robber and Grizzly were taking their turn entering the fireplace.

The door was very solid, with it open just a crack, they all could hear a voice calling out.

“Joseph, where are you!”

Joseph answered, “Here my Queen.” The door was opened enough for Joseph to be seen.

“Where the hell have you been? What is the word on the mercenaries? My Guard said that they just up and disappeared! Have you heard anything?”

Joseph coolly opened the door the rest of the way, “Do you mean these mercenaries my Queen?” Moving to the side so that she could see in clearly and those inside could see her. Facing the mercenaries, if any of them would have looked at him they would of saw him mouthing quietly, “For Gus.”

The Queen still suffered from delusions of grandeur, “HERE! THEY ARE HERE! YOU WILL DIE! YOU WILL ALL…”

The Queen saw two barrels raised and flash, the silenced Heavy 9mm blew through her right breast and torso like it was tissue. The Queen did not fall, falter or look down at the gaping hole in her chest. Her eyes were mesmerized by the second flash. She knew that it was so beautiful that one tempted death to gaze upon it.

The 7.62mm NATO round ignored Diedranna’s left eyeball and the soft brain tissue behind the eye as it exploded out the back of her skull. Diedranna fell dead.

The Queen’s Guards did not come running at the sound of her screaming or even the gunshots, they were use to such things at the Queen’s Palace.

Ira lowered her KR-25 and rushed towards the fallen Queen, the intent of striking her with the butt of her rifle was clear; Gillie stopped her. “She is dead. She is dead Ira, the time to heal starts now. Do you hear me Ira?” She did not, her wailing prevented her. Gillie took her back into the West Room and Iggy, the last one out shut the door.

MD rushed to the fallen Queen. “Uh, kid, you aren’t thinking about trying to revive her now, are you? Cause if so, I just might have to pump a full clip of full metal jacket into your scrawny ass.” MD ignored Grizzly as he examined the fallen usurper.

Finally, he looked up, “No, just making sure the bitch is dead.”

Sara was satisfied to hear that, “Good, Grizzly, drag her carcass in her, the rest of you fan out while we try to figure out what the Queen’s Guard is going to do once they figure out we off'd their boss under their nose.”

“If I may,” Joseph spoke up, Sara looked at him, so this was Gus’s informant. Scope said that she hadn’t been able to get in contact with him after Gus died.

“What do you have planned?”

“Just this,” Joseph walked to the throne and pressed a button located on the side. Shortly a uniformed officer entered from a secret door behind the thrown.

“Yes.”

“Pass the word Captain, the Queen is no longer.”

The Captain snapped to attention, nodded at Joseph said, “Long Live the Queen.” And exited the way he came.

Joseph turned back to Sara, “And that is it.”

Kilroy spoke, “We are missing three of our own. Have you seen them?”

Joseph nodded his head solemnly, “Yes, this way.”

Sara directed Grunty, Iggy, Grizzly and Maddog to stay in the throne room and the rest of them followed Joseph out the front doors of the palace to the gate. There on top of the gate wall was three heads, Gus, Flo and Biff.

Terror growled and turning she pulled the wicked machete from the scabbard that MD carried on his back and marched back into the palace.

Sara and Kilroy joined Joseph in climbing the palace walls to remove the heads of their fallen comrades.

Within the hour the word had spread all through Meduna and was making its way quickly through the rest of the country, the Queen’s head could be seen on a pike outside the palace. The Queen was dead!