Operation nomad operator.., p.32
Operation Nomad (Operator Chronicles Book 3), page 32
"Stick me with something!" Jimmy called out to Raptor, as he slammed his back against the bulkhead to avoid the enemy fire.
"Stick you with what?" Raptor asked in a panic.
"Cocktail!"
Without specifying what kind of cocktail, Jimmy had faith that Raptor would figure out the details. He tilted his helmet away from Raptor to expose his neck, and she stuck him with the module's needle.
Instantly, he felt like a human freight train. His pulse raced and his vision cleared. His lungs began to pump air, and the pain from his aching ribcage disappeared.
"Fuck yeah!" he shouted with renewed vigor before turning his weapon on the approaching troops and opening fire.
Raptor began to fire, too, and soon the operators formed a skirmish line across the breadth of the corridor. The enemy troops fell back, dragging their wounded as they fired wildly to suppress the onslaught. Jimmy ignored the impacts against his armor, confident his suit could take the hits. He dropped his empty magazine, slapped in a new one, and then glanced over to Bossman as if he was expecting orders.
Bossman sounded off: "Advance by fire!"
Together, the operators moved as a unit with their weapons trained forward. They quickly reached the end of the corridor and stacked up in a column before rounding the corner.
Jimmy, not taking any chances, pulled out a stun grenade and slung it around the corner.
Pop.
The grenade exploded, sending its concussive force echoing through the ship. Jimmy rounded the corner and saw confused enemy troops with their heads down. He wasted no time in unleashing a prolonged burst of fire into their ranks at point-blank range. In seconds, the enemy was mere corpses.
"Clear!" Jimmy called out behind him, as the rest of the operators filtered into the kill zone. "Four tangos down."
"Let's secure this intersection and reload," Bossman said.
Empty magazines littered the deck as they all reloaded. Jimmy checked his HUD and saw the nano cloud was expanding, allowing him to see through walls.
"I've got three heat signatures hiding in the next chamber on the left," Jimmy called out.
"My turn," Boomer said, as he brushed past Jimmy and pulled out a grenade with one hand and a combat knife in the other.
Boomer then skulked over to the closed hatch where the enemy was lying in wait for them. He turned to lock eyes with the others before turning his attention to the hatch mechanism.
Jimmy stacked up on the bulkhead next to the hatch and nodded to Boomer. With a flick of the wrist, Boomer deftly snatched the hatch's handle and jerked it open a few inches before depositing the grenade within and slamming the hatch closed once more.
Boom.
The muffled explosion sounded, and within a split second, Boomer snatched open the hatch and rushed inside. By the time Jimmy entered the confined space, it was already over. The enemy troops not killed in the explosion were rapidly dispatched by Boomer's combat knife.
"Clear!" Boomer called out.
Then the overhead speakers roared to life with Milton's voice: "Ladies and gentlemen, the ship belongs to me. Nemesis is en route. You have no hope of victory. Stand down or be neutralized."
53
The enemy soldier came out of nowhere, gripping Nomad's shoulders and slamming him against the bulkhead, leaving an M-96-shaped dent in the panel. Jimmy's mind was overwhelmed by the abrupt action, but his instincts didn't fail him. He reached backward and pulled the enemy's shoulders in, while his knee came up to impact the soldier's torso.
A primal cry of pain sounded from the enemy as he or she doubled over and stumbled backwards. Once clear of Jimmy, the soldier fell under the onslaught of M-7 fire that Raptor brought to bear.
Jimmy recovered his fallen rifle and gave Raptor a friendly thumbs-up in approval.
"Look." Raptor pointed towards the downed enemy. "Sergeant stripes. We must be getting close to the enemy leader."
Jimmy knew she was right. The Apex Imperial military relied heavily on NCOs to perform many roles typically assigned to junior officers in other military organizations. Had he not harbored so much disdain for the enemy, he might have respected their organizational philosophy.
"Right you are. Now, where is the ringleader of these asshats?"
"CIC." Milton's voice came over the PA system. "He's moderately armed and accompanied by an equally equipped staff NCO."
"I almost forgot you were on the ship, Milton. Thanks for the situational awareness."
"Can the enemy hear you, too?" Raptor asked.
"The whole ship can. Reginald is the catptain’s name, and right now he's very confused as to how his ship has been taken over by little old me and a team of highly trained killers."
Bossman walked up to Jimmy and placed a hand on his shoulder. "You've gotten us this far, Nomad. Take point, and let's finish this."
Jimmy nodded, smiling under his visor. With a quick visual inspection of his M-7, Jimmy slid the charging handle forward and then gestured for the others to follow.
While they moved, Bossman keyed the TACNET. "Mama, what's your status back there?"
"Six tangos down, four surrendered, and Ghost has a cracked visor, over!" Mama replied.
"Copy that. We're taking the CIC. Hold your position."
Jimmy barely paid attention to the exchange as he was laser-focused on every ounce of space before him. He scanned around corners and viewed everything through his gunsights.
The mapping data from the nano bots showed the way, and soon Jimmy arrived at a large circular vault-like door.
"I'd bet dollars to doughnuts that this is the CIC, Boss," Jimmy said.
"Raptor, can your module hack this door?" Bossman asked.
"We're about to find out, Boss," Raptor replied as she pulled out her nano module and inserted the tip into the latch mechanism.
Jimmy's adrenaline disallowed patience, but he had no choice but to wait for the bots to do their thing. But he kept waiting.
Raptor shook her head and turned to Bossman. "Nothing's happening."
"Of course not," Milton said. "The door is completely mechanical. Even I can't open it."
"Looks like my Q-course training is about to be tested," Nomad declared, as he reached into his cargo pouch and pulled out a breaching charge.
Applying the charge to the mechanism, Jimmy motioned for the others to step back. In seconds, he gripped the remote detonator and called out: "Fire in the hole!"
Boom.
The door made a clunking sound, and smoke filled the air. Jimmy then grabbed the handle and pulled with all his might, and the circular door finally opened. Raptor, Bossman, and Yeti rushed in with their weapons at the ready and were met by a hail of bullets.
Jimmy rolled around the vault door, swinging his muzzle inward towards the enemy fire, and unleashed a burst of fire of his own. He then shuffled in behind Raptor and found a dead body lying on the deck.
"Freeze!" a voice sounded. All eyes shifted to the source of the sound. Standing to the side of the command console was a soldier in powered armor. One hand gripped something while his other hand was raised with the palm facing outward. "One step closer and I'll remotely detonate the nukes."
"Milton says he's not bluffing, Boss."
"Listen to your NCO, Major Hawthorne," the soldier said.
"And who are you?" Bossman snarled, keeping his rifle trained on the man's head.
"I'm not important. But this detonator is. I demand you leave this ship and release my men,"
"You do realize, if you press that button, you'll be dead a split-second later, right?" Bossman asked knowingly.
"And you're in no position to judge my resolve."
Jimmy had an advantage; he knew. With Raptor in front of him, the enemy leader couldn't see his off-hand move down to his cargo pouch. He thumbed the nano module and released a swarm of hacker bots.
He then marked the detonator with a waypoint to provide the bots with a target. Now it was simply a matter of delaying until they had a chance to do their job.
"I think he's serious about it, Boss," Jimmy said.
"I think you may be right, Nomad."
"I think he's an asshole, personally." Yeti shrugged.
"I think he's a pussy, and won't do it," Raptor added.
"Are your troops deluded, or just stupid, Major?" the soldier growled.
"Probably both," Bossman said. "But you and your men just got your asses kicked by idiots, so what does that make you?"
"Enough! Your juvenile banter suggests you don't grasp the seriousness of your predicament. Explain to me why I don't just push this button?" the soldier snarled.
"I thought he was pretty clear when he mentioned he would kill you," Jimmy said.
"And who are you to speak so boldly on your commander's behalf?"
"I'm the guy who just hacked your detonator."
The soldier tilted his head, seeming to freeze with indecision. "Impossible."
In truth, Jimmy had no idea if the nanobots had done their job. But sowing seeds of doubt played into his plan. Jimmy then tossed the nano module onto the deck in front of him. "This is your one chance to stand down and save yourself."
Then a klaxon sounded.
"That sounds like a proximity alert, fella," Bossman said, as he pointed at the main display. The enemy turned to glance at the screen.
The display materialized with the visage of a massive battleship with an eagle-like beak for a prow and bristling with a gnarly array of weaponry.
"You know what that is, don't you?" Bossman said knowingly. "You have lost your ship. Lost your troops. And now you've lost any hope of escape. Put the detonator down, or pressing that button will be the last thing you ever do."
Then the soldier began to laugh.
And pressed the button.
Jimmy didn't hesitate to squeeze the trigger. The soldier's head snapped backward as the heavy slug smashed into his visor, penetrating it.
"Clear!" Jimmy called out.
"The rig!" Raptor called out.
"The rig is safe!" Milton's voice called out over the speakers. "You can thank Nomad for his quick thinking."
"Wait, so you actually hacked the device?" Yeti asked incredulously. "I figured you were bluffing to buy time."
"To be honest, I didn't know it would work," Jimmy shrugged.
"Son," Bossman said, placing his hand on Jimmy's shoulder. "You'll never have to buy your own beer as long as I live."
Jimmy could hardly believe the mission was over. What seemed like an impossible task was completed in a matter of days. The team's resilience and determination had prevailed, and Jimmy felt a calm he hadn't felt in several weeks, whether it was Raptor's cocktail or a surge of dopamine.
He stood upon the flight deck of the mining rig as Chartean warriors from the emperor's forces were guiding the former slaves into their dropships. Jimmy glanced into the blackness of space above and took in the sight of three hulking Chartean dreadnoughts alongside the battleship Nemesis.
Somehow, the Imperial forces were alerted to respond to the rig, and they'd arrived while the team was assaulting the enemy shuttle. Human Marines worked side by side with their Chartean counterparts as the liberated captives were given medical screenings and fresh clothing.
The team, for their part, was assisting wherever they were needed. Raptor was busy helping conduct the medical screenings, as her training had included Chartean physiology. Yeti was operating a mech loader, unloading pallets of rations and clothing from a Chartean dropship.
Mama and Ghost were handing out clothing, while Top, Bossman, Wraith, and Jimmy stood in the center of the flight deck, a united front, watching the operation unfold. Their bond was stronger than ever.
"So, what's next for us, Boss?" Jimmy asked as he watched Raptor examine an emaciated Chartean.
Bossman shrugged. "I'm afraid we're victims of our own success, Nomad. We're being redeployed to the rear until the big Army in the sky finds a new mission for us."
"Do you think they'd actually disband us again?" Top asked.
"I think we've proven ourselves to SOCOM, so I doubt it. But I guess we'll see. At my current rank, I'll probably get stuck in a staff position and sidelined for a while. As for the rest of you, I have no idea," Bossman explained.
"I've been meaning to tell you, sir," Top said. "I've accepted a position as Company Sergeant Major in the fourth group."
Bossman shook his head and chuckled. "How many times have you turned down Sergeant Major already?"
"Three times, now. I didn't want to get promoted out of field duty, but I feel like it's time to hang up my hat and move on."
"What about you, Nomad?" Bossman asked. "Where do you want to go?"
Jimmy had no clue. Outside of the regular Army, he'd only known the 29th. He hadn't considered his future within the special forces community.
"Well, to be honest, I started this journey by trying to go to Ranger school, and never thought I'd make it this far. I guess the Army will tell me where to go from here."
"We're special forces, son," Bossman said. "You may not always get the assignment you want, but you always have a say in the final decision."
That was a dynamic Jimmy never considered. He was accustomed to following the regular Army's format and just accepting whatever he was given. But the thought of having a choice in his next adventure was alluring to him.
"I don't know. Maybe I'll just try my hand at a conventional team and learn the ropes."
"If you want my advice, aim a little higher, son," Bossman said. "You're one of the finest operators I've ever worked with, and watching your journey from a regular soldier to a first-class operator has been inspiring. You have real talent, son. I'm glad we didn't lose you to the Ranger regiment."
Jimmy wasn't sure what Bossman meant. How much higher could he aim when he was already Special Forces qualified?
"It looks like I have a lot of thinking ahead of me," Jimmy said. "Maybe I'll take a few weeks of leave and think long and hard about my next move."
"Speaking of next moves," Bossman said, "I've got one more task to complete before we leave this system."
54
The skyline of the cityscape was eclipsed by the setting sun. The human quarter of the urban sprawl stretched out before Jimmy as he stood in his fatigues by the terminal. Raptor stood next to him and gently placed her hand on the small of his back.
Then Bossman's voice cut through the ambient noise of the city, a cacophony of honking vehicles, distant sirens, and the chatter of the city's inhabitants. "All right, maggots, let's move out!"
Jimmy and Raptor, fellow soldiers, turned to walk over to the rest of the team as they disembarked from the umbilical. Surprisingly, Ramus, a former enemy turned ally, joined them and was the last to step out.
"To what do we owe the pleasure of your presence, Ramus?" Jimmy asked.
"I have no fucking clue. This planet is the last place I want to be right now," Ramus grumbled.
"Come on, Ramus," Bossman called out, beckoning him over with a gesture.
"What now?" Ramus huffed, shaking his head. He then walked over to where Bossman stood as a car pulled up to the terminal.
Bossman walked over to the car and pulled the door handle. The door opened, and a lithe redhead stepped out wearing a flowery sundress.
"Ellie!" Ramus called out, rushing forward while knocking Jimmy aside.
Father and daughter reunited and embraced each other with tears flowing from their eyes.
Jimmy felt a pang of regret, considering Ramus would have to return to prison, but he decided to take in the moment.
"I'd hate to burst your bubble, Ramus," Bossman said as he walked up and placed his hand on the former enemy's shoulder. "But this moment must come to an end. I made you a promise, and I kept it. Miss Ellie, here, has been released. But I'm afraid I have one more thing to ask of you, Ramus."
Ramus's face went pale, and his lip quivered in frustration. "What? Do you want my blood this time? What else could I possibly do?"
"Get in the car," Bossman said sternly, as he held the door open.
"Wait. What?" Ramus froze with confusion. Ellie blinked and glanced back and forth between the two men with fear in her eyes.
"Go. You're free. Admiral's orders. On behalf of a grateful nation, I thank you for risking your life to rescue my people. And, as it turns out, the emperor is thankful for the liberation of his people. He insisted that we release you under your own recognizance as a thank you for service rendered."
"I don't understand. I just... I'm free? After all I've done?" Ramus was beside himself with shock, but a wave of relief washed over him.
"Oh, daddy! Shut your big mouth and get in the car!" Ellie said, with a happy smile and tears rolling down her cheeks. "Thank you, Major! Thank you so much!"
Ellie stepped over and hugged Bossman, taking him by surprise. She released her grip, smiled broadly, and then climbed into the car.
"Something tells me you're full of shit, Bossman," Ramus growled.
Bossman offered a rare smile. "Get in the car, Ramus. Don't make me change my mind."
Ramus sighed and shook his head. "I owe you everything, Major. Thank you."
"Go, damn it!" Bossman snarled playfully, a half smirk on his face, reinforcing their bond.
"All right, all right!" Ramus said, as he scurried into the car. "But what about the prefect? Won't he come for me?"
"Oh, him?" Bossman smiled. "That's my next mission."
Bossman closed the door and turned to walk away.
Jimmy watched as the prefect was escorted by a squad of armed Chartean warriors. The team came along in force to watch the fruits of their labor. And the sight of the broken man being sent to his fate made Jimmy feel like profound justice had been served.
