Charlie Team - Search and Rescue

Foreword
This story is set in the Russo-American War and follows the story of Charlie Team, one of the Red Army's elite units. Well, elite according to their combat record, which lists a number of unlikely victories. In this case, they are tasked with a search and rescue mission in Virginia to ensure vital intel and the unit currently in possession of it reaches friendly lines. If they can pull it off the Russians will have a definite advantage in much of the war on the East Coast. If they can pull it off.

The Story
“Attention Charlie Team,” Viktor began, “we have a high-priority target due for extraction approximately two kilometres to the north! Speed is critical, we’ll have to move in fast and hard-“

“-What is this ‘high-priority target’?” Dmitri interrupted.

“To be precise, the target is a friendly team with high-value intelligence. The Americans have them pinned down and surrounded in a golf course, that’s where we come in. We are going in to clear a way out for them.” Viktor replied unfazed, Dmitri nodded his understanding.

“Oh and one other thing,” he continued, “We are going to extract the friendly team. We are not,” he looked pointedly at Nikolai, “going to shoot them,” his gaze moved to Mikhail, “blow them up,” he nodded to Vladimir, “pick them off one by one,” his stare arrived at Tanya, “or waste time chatting to them. Am I clear?”

“Of course sir, what do you take us for? We haven’t failed yet and we won’t start now!” came Nikolai’s enthusiastic reply, accompanied by the general affirmative of the rest of the team.

“I was afraid he’d say that.” Dmitri muttered under his breath.

“Good.” Viktor smiled, “Then let’s move out Charlie Team!”

--

“Command? This is Charlie Team.” Dmitri could barely hear Viktor’s voice over the incessant chattering of automatic gunfire and blasting of grenades, “We are en route to the golf course but have encountered heavy resistance! Over!”

It was true. The Americans were firing from houses up both sides of the road and didn’t seem prepared to give up easily. What really made the situation troublesome was that the team’s advance had begun a full twenty seconds ago.

“Man down!” Tanya yelled from behind an upturned car.

“Let me guess, Sasha?” Dmitri shouted over the noise of battle.

He didn’t need to see Tanya giving him thumbs up in reply to know that their medic had fulfilled his customary role of being the first one to get shot. He turned to Nikolai, “I have an idea, suppress the house to the left so Ivan and the others can move up to the yellow house opposite.”

“Sounds like plan to me! What do I shoot?” Nikolai grinned in reply.

“Dmitri sighed, “The house to our right, Nikolai. That way Ivan can lead an advance to the house to our left-”

“You want me to shoot the house to our left?” Nikolai asked.

“No no no! We need to- look, just shoot the one to our right, ok?”

“Sure thing!” Nikolai roared, turned to the right, and opened up full blast from his microgun at nothing in particular. Half of Charlie team screamed in alarm and leapt for cover as bullets stitched holes randomly into the road and debris around them.

“Nonononono! Stop stop! Shoot the house to our right Nikolai!” Dmitri gasped.

“Well why didn’t you say so?” Nikolai grunted as he turned to the house in question and resumed firing.

Dmitri sighed, then pulled out his radio, “Alright Ivan, you’re clear to advance-“

++Roger that! URAAAA!++ Ivan broke from cover and sprinted headlong up the road, where he was promptly sent tumbling to the ground as about fifteen bullets struck his body armour, before an AT4 shell blasted into the road and sent the unfortunate man flying onto the kerb.

“...to the yellow house to our left.” Dmitri finished slowly as these events unfolded before him.

“Command?” Viktor tuned in, “We have another man down. No... the first one down was our medic... Yes we could use some help here.”

--