Nuclear Oktober

Russia

November, 1995

The ‘Yastreb’ attack helicopter cruised through the Russian skies five thousand feet above and three miles behind the trucks it stalked. The attack helicopter, a heavily modified version of the MiL-28, was tracking its prey thanks to a telescopic camera in the nose. Together with the forward-looking infrared camera, the Yastreb could track targets from miles away and direct its weapons on to them easily. The two-tone grey striped paint scheme marked it out as an Oktober Guard helicopter.

Seated in the rear pilot’s seat, Daina maintained a loose grip on the controls. A repeater screen showed her what the TV camera was aimed at. In the front seat, her new co-pilot/gunner was watching the trucks like an eager bird of prey. Volga was one of the newest members of the Guard, recruited specifically to work with Daina in flying the Oktober Guard’s helicopters. General Iron Bear had insisted to Red Star and Daina it was high time they had a proper co-pilot for Daina, instead of using people cross-trained from other roles. It hadn’t taken any time at all to persuade Daina herself. The recruitment process had taken much more time as many of the male Russian helicopter crews were, in Daina’s words, sexist pigs that wouldn’t serve with a woman pilot. This meant they’d instead recruited Aliona Rhianoff, one of the first women to complete attack helicopter training for the Russian Army. Taking the codename ‘Volga’ from the river in her home city Volgograd, she had become Daina’s new ally in providing helicopter support to the Guard.

“You know, I could easily destroy those trucks with one of our missiles, even from here,” Volga said.

Daina grunted, “Yeah, but we don’t want to scatter nuclear material across the countryside, do we?”

“There is that,” Volga agreed. “We could take them out with the gun turret,” she added.

Daina shrugged, “I know, but Red Star’s hoping these Skull Squad mercenaries are going to meet Coil troops.”

“I would think stopping them getting away with the warheads was more important,” Volga replied.

“There is that,” Daina agreed, “But Red Star’s concerned about why these mercs stole the warheads. After the intelligence we received from Action Force about the attempt to smuggle chemical weapons into Europe, Red Star’s concerned the Skull Squad mercenaries might hand the warheads to the Coil and cause chaos detonating the warheads in Europe and point the blame at Russia.”

Volga grunted. “I hate politics,” she commented.

“It’s not really politics, it’s more about making sure we don’t get blamed for a terrorist attack and a war starting with the West,” Daina replied.

“I suppose,” Volga agreed. She checked the clock on her console. “Time to report in.”

Volga switched from the intercom to her radio, “Yastreb calling Kuvalda One, do you read, over?”

“Kuvalda One copies, Yastreb,” came the reply from Katya, the Oktober Guard’s radio operator and signals intelligence specialist.

“Target vehicles still proceeding along highway as reported, Kuvalda. No change in situation at this time.”

“''Copy that, Yastreb. Report in again on schedule or if situation changes, Kuvalda out.''”

Two miles west of the town of Chernygory, the vehicle with the call sign ‘Kuvalda One’ was rumbling along the highway, trailed by Kuvalda Two. They were new vehicles in the Oktober Guard’s armoury; eight-wheeled armoured carriers with a pintle-mounted triple-barrel rotary machine-gun and four anti-tank missiles on the roof. They carried seven personnel; driver, gunner, radio operator and four troops in a separate rear compartment.

Kuvalda One was being driven by Sergeant Misha, with Red Star manning the gunner’s position. In the rear troop section were Ruslan, the EOD specialist; Big Bear, the anti-armour specialist; Wong, the sniper and Sergei, the covert ops specialist.

Kuvalda Two was being driven by Yuri, the paratrooper. Lt. Gorky was commanding the second Kuvalda from the gunner’s seat. Nikolai, the recon specialist was at the radio position. In the troop section were Akula, the commando frogman and the other three new members of the Guard: Pasha, the desert warfare specialist; Artem, the Arctic warfare specialist and Dr. Vladimir Chigvintsev, the medic. Shortly after the Guard had rescued Sergei from the Black Dragons, the previous month, General Iron Bear had informed Red Star they needed to have a doctor on the team. The colonel had gone along with the idea quite willingly, given the state the undercover operative had been in when he’d been rescued.

Artem and Pasha had joined around the same time, with Iron Bear reasoning that specialists in those environments would help the team’s training and capabilities.

The two Kuvalda assault vehicles entered Chernygory and rumbled to a halt, just as Volga radioed another update.

“''Kuvalda One, this is Yastreb. Trucks are entering Chernygory from the east. Probable destination at this time is the train-yard. They’re heading north-east toward that part of town.”''

Katya relayed the report to Red Star.

“Head for the rail-yard, best speed,” Red Star ordered, “Relay that to Two.”

Ten minutes later, the two armoured vehicles rumbled into the car park next to the rail station. The Guard members debarked from the vehicles and assembled with Red Star.

The colonel took a quick look around. “Wong, you’re Team One. I want you up on the water tower on over-watch. Big Bear, take Artem and Pasha and get to the roof of the terminal building. You’re Team Two, on fire support.”

The four soldiers headed off.

“Sergei, Team Three. I want you in civvies loitering in the northern freight loading area. Nikolai, Team Four. Same for you, but over in the south freight loading area. Gorky, take Yuri and Misha and secure the terminal. Stand ready to reinforce as needed, you’re Team Five. Akula, you and I will be here with Katya, Vladimir and Ruslan. We’re Team Six, the command post.”

The commando frogman didn’t look happy at the news, but said nothing as Red Star inspected his PKM light machine-gun.

Katya set aside her AK-74 and set down her radio pack and began setting up her equipment. Vladimir set down his medical pack and leaned casually against the armoured vehicle.

Five minutes later, Volga reported that the trucks were approaching the train yard from the north.

Red Star immediately ordered Nikolai and Team Five to the northern freight loading area.

Sergei watched as the trucks came into the area and pulled up next to a freight car already sitting on the tracks.

“Team Three to all teams, I have visual on trucks,” he reported over his radio. “They appear to be planning to load the warheads on to a freight car.”

“Roger that, Team Three,” Katya replied. “Confirm warheads and Skull Squad troopers when you have visual.”

Sergei didn’t have long to wait as six Skull Squad troopers, dressed in tan uniforms with tan helmets on, dropped from the back of the first truck as the driver got out. Moments later, more Skull Squad troops climbed down from the second truck.

Then Sergei recognised the man climbing down from the second truck, Sergei Eduardovitch Kamarov, the Alpha Group soldier turned mercenary the SVR had confirmed was working for Major Bludd’s small army.

“Alpha target spotted, repeat, Team Three has Alpha target in sight,” Sergei whispered urgently.

“This is Team One, I have a clean shot on Alpha target,” Wong reported

 

“All teams, hold fire, we want him alive,” Red Star ordered.

“Team Four is moving to Three.”

Sergei hoped Nikolai didn’t draw any attention to them as he crossed the rail yard.

As Sergei watched, Kamarov directed his men in offloading the first of the nuclear warheads they’d stolen from the decommissioning plant.

“Team Three has visual on warhead.”

“Team One confirms, warhead identified,” Wong agreed.

The Skull Squad troops began to move the warhead on to the freight car.

“Team Three, Team Four is at your six, approaching,” Sergei heard Nikolai report as he kept his eyes on the mercenaries.

Nikolai appeared next to Sergei, standing in the shadows of a broken down passenger car on a siding.

“Team Five, move up to join on Team Three. Stand by to move in.”

Both Nikolai and Sergei were watching the Skull Squad troops through the iron sights of their assault rifles as the mercenaries moved the warhead further into the freight car.

Moments later, the two soldiers heard Lt. Gorky over the radio. “Team Five moving in from the south, standing by to capture.”

“Move in and apprehend targets.” Red Star’s terse order was followed by Gorky, Misha and Yuri moving around the freight car, weapons up.

“Halt!” Gorky shouted. “You’re under arrest!”

A Skull Squad trooper in the back of the truck immediately grabbed his AK47 and opened fire.

All three Guards dropped to one knee, barely avoiding being hit.

Nikolai and Sergei both opened fire with their AKM rifles, cutting the mercenary down.

More of the Skull Squad began drawing sidearms or grabbing Kalashnikovs and opening fire.

The Oktober Guard troops returned fire, dropping four of the mercenaries in a hail of fire as Kamarov ducked between the trucks and ran for it.

A sniper shot rang out, taking out a Skull Squad trooper as he leaped from the second truck, with a RPK in his hands.

Next Big Bear cut loose with his PKM from the roof of the terminal building, hosing the engine block of the first truck. As Skull Squad troops tried to return fire at him, Artem and Pasha dropped them with their own weapons fire.

The gun battle continued for a few more moments as the Oktober Guard cut down the Skull Squad mercenaries.

“''Yastreb to all teams, we have a visual on Alpha target. He is running east toward the parking lot across the street from the train-yard.”''

“Roger that, Volga,” Sergei replied. He sprinted from cover, Nikolai close on his heels, heading toward the gates of the freight area.

Kamarov disappeared into the car park as Sergei and Nikolai ran out the train yard gate.

“Team Three, Alpha target is crossing the car park, east-southeast,” Volga reported to them.

The two soldiers sprinted across the road and into the car park.

On board the Yastreb helicopter, Daina checked the radar screen as she kept the helicopter in hover high above the area.

“Damn,” she cursed, “Volga, we’ve got four slow-moving targets coming in from the west. Low altitude, looks like FANGs or Flight Pods.”

Volga’s head came up from peering at the TV monitor relaying the camera view of Kamarov running across the car park.

“We better intercept them, then,” Volga said. “Arming gun turret.”

The Yastreb pivoted around and sped away.

“Yastreb to all ground teams, we have inbound airborne targets. We’re moving to intercept, you’re going to be without air support,” Daina reported over the radio.

The big attack helicopter raced east above the town and crossed into the open countryside.

Ahead of them were four FANGs; Volga identified them with the TV camera.

“Green FANGs,” she told Daina. “Gold stripes on the rotors, gold guns and gold coloured rockets.”

“Sounds like the reports we had on Coil vehicles from the Joes,” Daina commented.

“Gun is mine,” Volga said, making sure Daina knew she was taking control of the weapons systems. “Monocle is on, gun armed.”

Daina nodded to herself as Volga used the helmet-mounted sight to steer the gun turret and readied the weapon.

“You’re clear to fire,” Daina told her.

The other woman wasted no time, as soon as her crosshairs flashed red with a lock, she fired two ten round bursts from the 30mm gun. The bullets punched a series of holes across the side of the lead FANG, hitting below the pilot’s seat and across the rear-mounted engine before striking the rotor blades. The FANG immediately began trailing smoke and plummeted toward the fields below.

Daina whipped the Yastreb around in a tight turn, climbing slightly as she did, to put the FANGs below and in front of the helicopter. Volga steered the turret toward the trailing FANG and fired another ten round burst, smashing holes in the compact helicopter’s tail boom. The destruction of the tail boom wrecked the FANG’s anti-torque capability and sent it into a flat-spin before crashing.

Volga lined up the cannon on the third FANG. The pilot was savvy enough to start S-turns to try and throw off her aim, but Volga simply switched over to full automatic fire and sprayed the FANG with thirty rounds, leading the target so that the FANG simply flew straight into the line of fire, killing the pilot, shredding the engine and hitting the tail boom.

The fourth FANG pilot pulled his craft around in to a turn, before climbing into another tight turn, trying to come around toward the Yastreb. Daina chopped back the throttle, pulled back on the cyclic stick and kicked the pedals to slide the helicopter around at an angle, lining the FANG up in Volga’s sights straight ahead. The Russian immediately fired, the cannon blazing out ten rounds that shredded the pilot, engine and rotor mast. The FANG plunged from the sky.

“All targets destroyed,” Diana reported. “Skies are clear.”

In the car park across the street from the rail-yard, Sergei and Nikolai had Kamarov cornered.

Kamarov was backed up against the chain link fence at the edge of the car park. The two commandos had split apart and were covering him with their weapons.

“Surrender, you traitor,” Sergei ordered him. “You can’t take both of us out, you can’t escape.”

Kamarov’s eyes flicked from one to the other. Both were aiming their AKMs at him with steady arms and unblinking eyes. Kamarov realised the Guardsman was right, there was no way he could shoot both of them, it would take at least three seconds for him to turn from firing at one to hit the other and these two looked so cool that they were just as likely to fire first and panic at their team-mate being shot second.

Swearing inwardly, Kamarov safed his Makarov pistol and then ejected the magazine before dropping both. He slowly raised his hands.

As he put them atop his head, he saw more of the Oktober Guard rushing into the car park. Two of the Guard, he noted, were carrying light machine-guns. Definitely no way out of this he mused to himself…

Overlord’s base of operations

Location: Unknown

Overlord was looking over his plans for the attack he’d been plotting for months, simultaneous strikes on six European capitals with weapons of mass destruction. Paris, Berlin, Madrid, Rome, Brussels and Vienna. All would be struck at the same time. If only he had the damn weapons.

He turned at the sound of running feet outside the ops room. One of his Commo-Snakes charged in the open doors. Overlord had insisted on his Coil troops adopting new names for their roles, not aping Cobra’s ‘Viper Corps’. Commo-Snakes were the communications and signals intelligence operatives.

The Commo-Snake wore green fatigues with black belt and holster like most Coil troops, but his green Tele-Viper’s helmet marked out his role.

“Sir!” the Commo-Snake shouted, “We’ve just intercepted a message in the clear from an Oktober Guard team in the field!”

Overlord raised his hands, palms down. “Calm down, Specialist. Lower your voice and deliver your report with some decorum.”

The Commo-Snake took two deep breaths before continuing. “Intercepts by a Coil group in Russia, sir. Four of our FANGs have been destroyed responding to a request for assistance by a Skull Squad mercenary. The Oktober Guard have captured someone they called ‘Alpha Target’ and report the nuclear warheads stolen by Skull Squad have been secured at Chernygory rail-yard. It seems Major Bludd’s men have failed again.”

Overlord swore under his breath. “No doubt ‘Alpha Target’ was the Russian member of Bludd’s so-called elite cadre. That’s four of his six ‘elite cadre’ he’s lost in two months since we intercepted reports of the capture of Lyle and Shaw and Lukaas’ death.”

Overlord turned away from the Commo-Snake for a moment. This would necessitate a change…

“Contact the leader of the Black Dragons,” Overlord said, turning back. “Let’s see how HIS organisation fares in supplying my needs.”

To be continued…