Chapter 32: That's a No-Go

Location: Sendai, Japan

Unit: GOU, Coalition forces

Date: 8th April 2022 CE

Mclaw sat in the dented Husky's passenger seat. He had his rifle hooked into the side with his pistol clipped to the dashboard. He looked back as they entered the city, lines of civilian cars lining the road, completely stationary.

Mclaw leans back, holding a balaclava and a set of goggles in his hand, "Wear these. The cameras will be on us."

Mclaw pulled a helmet from beneath his seat. Placing it on his lap, he pulled a balaclava from the inside. Pulling the balaclava on he swore. He clipped the helmet on and pulled down his goggles. He pulled a set of patches from a small box, "In the centre of each vehicle are a few badges, each take one flag and one of the other patches, replace your flag with this one and then place the patch below."

York stopped the car, grabbing two patches, "SAS patches?"

Mclaw nodded, "Who dares wins."

York chuckled, "So these are the benefits of having the leader of a secretive organisation as your commanding officer..."

Pulling up to a roadblock, a group of guards stopped them. Mclaw rolled down his window and looked out. The first guard walked up, noticing the badges on their arms. He looked at them and nodded. Indicating for the others to raise the barrier, they passed straight through.

Driving into the base, Mclaw narrowly avoided several sections rushing around the base and treating the injured. Then he pulled over to the side of the road before stepping out of the vehicle.

Several civilians and soldiers watched the GOU as they exited their vehicles, each equipped with identical clothing and blacked-out goggles they escorted James down a line of tents. Everyone watched in awe, scrambling to grab a video of the unit. A man tried to get close before a fire team of Japanese soldiers dragged him away.

Mclaw entered a building followed by James and a few GOU members, the rest guarded the entrance.

The room was bright. Several layers of tables, each lined with computers, covered the floor. Behind them were several operators watching the battle move up and down streets and forests. Each giving tactical advice to their units, many of them watched as sections would be wiped out in front of their eyes. Cut down by merciless machine gun fire. It was a horrific sight to behold for many of them.

Kyton turned around, coughing, "Afternoon GOU."

Mclaw nodded, "Get me in contact with HMS Sutherland. I need a helicopter here ASAP."

Kyton shook his head, "Not possible, Captain."

Mclaw glared through his goggles, "Why?"

Kyton nodded at him, "The enemy has anti-air and anti-ship guns lining the mountains. If we launch anything, it will be immediately blown out of the sky."

Mclaw stroked his chin, "Not in range for the AC130Js?"

Kyton sighed, "There is a 100% chance of it being shot down, and before you ask, we've tried the I variant and the missiles were shot down before they destroyed anything."

Mclaw pulled his goggles up, "How many soldiers?"

"It's not many..." Kyton paused, "However, we are getting interesting readings, similar to those recovered from the enemy aircraft's pilot."

Mclaw looked at the GOU, "Guess we have a termination mission."

A small chuckle came from the crowd before immediately quietening down.

Mclaw shared a glance with James, "Stay with Kyton."

James opened his mouth to speak, but immediately closed it again knowing he wouldn't win any way he put it.

Mclaw nodded, "Let's get moving."

***

"Fireteam Alpha to other fireteams, radio check, over," Mclaw spoke over the radio.

Zeller spoke first, "Fireteam Bravo, connection good, over."

Then Turner spoke, "Fireteam Charlie, connection workable, over."

Mclaw nodded, speaking into his radio, "All fireteams carry on, out."

Mclaw let go of his radio as he stood up from behind a bush. Three more figures followed him. Mclaw raised his rifle as he heard ruffling in a bush further ahead. He raised his rifle, suppressor fixed.

Just then a small animal walked out no more than a few metres in front of him. It looked at the small group and stared straight into Mclaw's eyes. Mclaw immediately sensed something was off. Suddenly, a barrel emerged from the bush.

Mclaw shot once and the weapon fell forward. The small animal scattered into the trees. Taking a few steps forward, Mclaw had his rifle pointed, looking at the bush closer he noticed it wasn't a bush at all...

It was a steel dome covered in greenery and he turned the corner he noticed a red smudge covering the side. Looking closer he saw a limp body, laying against the side. It was NZA.

Mclaw waved to the rest of his team.

Gibson knelt, "Fucking hell."

Mclaw nodded, "Fireteam Alpha," he paused, "We just encountered an NZA OP disguised as a bush, look closely and be careful, over."

A few mountains over, Zeller was listening in to what Mclaw had just said, "Roger, out."

She heard Turner confirm it and go radio silent as well.

Climbing up the hill, she kept her sidearm close to her chest. She noticed she was just about to go over the brow, so she stopped. Laying down on her stomach she crawled slightly over the top, peaking nothing more than her head.

She analysed the gun position. This one looked to have three heavy Anti Air cannons and about a platoon of infantry and gunners along with a few of the steel figures, Humanoid Robots. She noticed a pile of large batteries sitting next to one of the guns. Knowing exactly what the NZA used to power their rail guns she started to load red-tipped rounds into the rifle. She pulled it into her shoulder before chambering a round, aiming she pulled the trigger.

Hearing the explosion from across the mountains, Turner stood up, "Fuck, they beat us."

Richards rubbed his eyes, "Not everything's a game, Turner."

Turner rolled his eyes, "That's what the loser usually says," he paused, "Hey you have that C4 by any chance?"

Richards nodded, "Tactically acquired loads from York," he held a small satchel out in front of him.

Burt grabbed it from him pulling she started to pull out the blocks and connected the wires to a piece of technology, "It's armed, lets get this done," Burt handed Richards the pack, "I'll provide overwatch, Oza will support me while you two will take the guns head on."

Richards and Turner looked at each other, "Why do we have to in?"

Burt rolled her eyes, "We both use 762, you both have your 556 weapons."

Turner rolled his eyes, "Fuck it."

He walked into the forest with Richards in tow, he pointed at a small hillside and Burt and the Indian soldier named Oza followed.

The Indian and Canadian stopped just behind a hill, crawling on their stomachs they noticed three guns and about a platoon of enemies.

Looking over the side of the base they noticed two figures move and a reflective surface shines behind a tree.

They aimed in as three NZA soldiers and one Humanoid Robot approached where the shine came from.

Burt spoke softly, "I'll take the robot, you take the humans."

"Roger," Oza replied.

Burt carried on, "Three, two, one. Mark."

Burt fired twice as Oza fired three times. All shots connected as the NZA members hit the ground. Immediately emerging from the forest, Turner dived on top of the robot before shoving his pistol between the head and the neck and pulling the trigger several times. As his pistol flashed several times, Burt noticed the robot stiffen as it fell to the ground.

Emerging from the forest, Richards carefully trod through the bodies.

They both had their M4s raised, pointing them at the nearest group of gunners.

Slowly approaching the group, they came up unnoticed. Then one of the enemies turned around. Staring straight at the two masked figures their eyes widened.

Attempting to pull their sidearm, the gunner was gunned down along with the rest of his crew. Suddenly the camp erupted in gunfire as the GOU members dived for cover.

"Fucking hell," Richards yelled.

Turner looked at him, "You hit?"

Richards shook his head peaking above the cover before pulling the trigger twice. One NZA drops as his bullets hit. Crouching back into cover he looked at him, "I thought Burt and Oza were on overwatch?"

Suddenly, yells come from the enemy positions and the gunfire slows.

Turner sighed, "Fuck it!" He looked at Richards, "Chuck me some C4!"

Richards nodded, "What's the plan?"

Turner smiled, "Win."

***

Suddenly, a black blade impaled an NZA robot. Pulling the blade out, Mclaw slashed through two more before plunging it into a gunner behind him, York emerged pressing down on his rifle's trigger. He gunned several more NZA infantry as Mclaw shoved a grenade down the barrel of the gun.

Moving onto the next Anti Aircraft weapon he noticed it wasn't an anti-air gun, but rather a multi-rocket launcher matching descriptions of what destroyed the Chinese Navy's fleet. Mclaw stopped in front of it, in the middle of the firefight.

Then he covered his head as the first gun crumpled in on itself before shooting a pillar of flame into the sky.

He called Gibson over and the two of them knelt, "Get me General Kyton."

Gibson nodded pulling the PUURS from his back, "Golf 1-3 to Zero, we believe with have encountered a Shipwreck, over."

Shipwreck was the proposed reporting name for the anti-ship launcher.

A voice came over, "Roger, Golf 1-3, Zero says you have permission to destroy it due to it interfering with mission parameters, out."

Gibson looked at Mclaw who heard it all, "Looks like we have to destroy it then..."

Gibson turned back to York, "York, how many explosives do you have."

York dived into cover checking his backpack, "Uh... yes."

Mclaw shook his head, "Plant some plastic explosives on Shipwreck and that one over there, I'll break their lines, I count two more robots and a shit tone of infantry, 1-4 and 1-3 will cover. That good with you lot?"

A noticeably southeast Asian voice spoke, "All good here, 1-1."

Mclaw nodded noticing two muzzle flashes from a hill behind them as he heard two cries from the NZA.

Mclaw stood up, raising his M16. Pulling the trigger, his rifle started to spew bullets as several NZA dropped to the floor.

Mclaw moved forward as gunfire from both sides passed inches from his head.

One by one the enemy dropped, not hitting a single one of their shots.

Mclaw watched over lifeless bodies as York finished up planting the explosives, pressing his radio he spoke, "1-4 bring the Husky around."

'1-4' or his real name Lochan Abhay was a member of the Indian Gorkhas with Soman. Specialising in battle tactics and precision shooting, he naturally caught Mclaw's eyes.

"En route," Abhay spoke through his radio just as he blasted through the treeline, kicking the door open he spoke, "Heli's nearly hear, we have to be back by then!"

Mclaw climbed into the passenger seat, "Woh, have the other's taken out their guns."

Gibson jumped into the gunner's position, "Yes, I've been listening over the long-range frequencies."

Abhay turned around, "You can do that?"

Gibson nodded, "Yep the communication pad on your wrist has a limited range, so this on my back extends it, and I can tap in whenever I want."

Abhay smiled, "Oh interesting."

As soon as York closed his door, Abhay hit the accelerator as hard as he could driving down the road, York opened a window and sat on the window frame. Noticing Gibson was staring back as well they exchanged a glance, "Excited?" York asked.

Gibson chuckled, "Not as excited as you I'm guessing."

York cracked a smile, "Well of course, everyone knows..." he pulled up his detonator, "Explosions are my thing." He pressed down the activator as two loud explosions pierced the sky. York laughed witnessing the huge fireball.

Mclaw turned his head, "Bit overkill, don't you think?"

York pulled himself back in, "No such thing as overkill sir!"

***

Zeller sat on a set of crates as the Merlin Helicopter landed in the middle of the base, as it landed the ramp dropped open and two crewmen rushed out, "Are you the GOU?"

The first man walked over to Zeller, who spoke, "That's us, the Captain is a minute out."

The crewman shouted over the loud blades, "Do you have Delta Priority?"

Zeller looked at James and nodded, "He's right there."

The crewman looked back, "Good get him boarded along with the rest of you, we are late already."

Zeller shrugged, "Shit happens."

Just as she climbed aboard the helicopter a Husky TSV ground to a halt just outside the landing platform.

Mclaw and his team quickly exited the vehicle, running towards the Merlin they quickly boarded. The rest of the GOU followed taking their seats.

The helicopter started to raise into the sky.

Mclaw took off his helmet and balaclava along with several other members of the GOU. Others quickly fell asleep while York pulled out a book. Mclaw immediately noticed smiling, "Isn't that the same book Ghost was reading?"

York chuckled, "Yep, tactically acquired it from right beneath his nose."

Mclaw smiled, "Just don't let him find out."

York sighed, "That's the plan."

James looked out the door as he saw parts of Japan burning, he wondered why they chose to start another front in Japan when they had fronts in both South Africa and China going on. Why he was taken to Niigata if they were just going to Sendai... was he the target? Was this invasion because of him?