"Arrive onsite but no sign of Blackbeard over" Said the Leader of the DAT (Damage Assessment Team). "Them Top guns need to actually hit their targets" Staff Sergeant Williams commented to his men.
"Target was danger close though boss and it was at night" said the teams radioman.
"An Apache would have been a little more surgical but wouldn't have got his in time" Williams moved closer to the old legions barracks structure. "There is where the men would've tried to get some kip" it was collapsed, nothing but rubble. "Get on the blower to command mate, its a lost cause coming out here." Staff Sergeant Williams' team didn't typically undertake these sorts of assignments so wanted to leave as soon as possible.
A piece of rubble shifted then fell down the steps that were situated behind the DAT which scared the Radioman. "Fuck was that" He said as he checked if he touched cloth.
"Looks like we struck gold men" The Staff Sergeant stepped towards the remains of the mess building. "two other men with me, then you take the others to count up the Russian troops" the other lads got straight to it without hesitation. The best way to identify a body whilst out on a mission like this was to find the weapon as each one is biologically locked to one user which came in handy if it was misplaced.
"AR15 found Sarge" The radio said over the teams comm system. "Lance Corporal Seth Macbeth over"
"This scene didn't strike me as anything Shakespeare would've written about" Williams heckled in response. The two lads with him had also seen the humour in what their boss had said.
"Another found, two privates"
"Do we know how these three died?" Williams asked.
"SARGE COME LOOK AT THIS!" Williams moved like the wind and as he was about to ask what he was looking at he became unable to speak. "Records show this is Corporal Vernon Brace, Level 36" one of the young men read from his wrist computer. "3rd Company of the Reconnaissance Commandos." Staff Sergeant Williams recognised this mangled up soul from basic training many years ago. He got down on one knee to further inspect his battle buddy.
"Got yourself in a right state haven't you mate" He spoke in a sympathetic tone. "Lets get you back to base.
The status of Corporal Vernon Brave was touch and go from the moment the DAT moved him into the truck and with the bumpy dirt roads it didn't make him any more stable. With every jolt Vernon's eyes would periodically open then close back up again, this was a good sign.
"Rest mate, we'll patch you back up and you can get back out there" The truck halted abruptly. "What's the hold up?, we got a man bleeding out back here." the driver opened the hatch, looked back with is finger over his lips. There was an abundance of checkpoints set up by local militia groups all over the region and the problem with them was that no one knew whose side they were on today as it changed that the direction of the wind.
Outside the vehicle was a makeshift gatehouse with four militiamen stood behind a red and white barrier that they'd most likely stolen.
"ID please sir" One of the militants ask. The driver didn't utter a single word, simply handed them pass which should still be in date. One indicator of who they were helping today was by how they wore their uniform or if they had anything new that they couldn't have obtained through the west. The British Military Convoy was waved through. the men bundled in the back of this truck let out a shy of relief.
Again Corporal Brace's wounds seeped through his bandages and he continued to bob in and out of consciousness but with the medical expertise of DAT's Medic He was in good hands.
The Teams FOB (Forward Operating Base) was within sight.
"Fuck me!" Staff Sergeant Williams Exclaimed. "Thought we'd hit a few more of them "checkpoints" on the way." The first of the convoy was waved through the gate, then the truck followed by the follow car.
As Williams knew the wounded man so well he ended up taking him all the way to the medic.
"Name?" The medic asked.
"Corporal Vernon Brace, Level 36 you say?" The medic used his scanner on the Corporals chip located at the top of the spine. "And from the third commando group too" He howled before continuing the assessment. "I'll tell you something right now Williams, if you'd brought me someone from any other units I'd tell you that he's beyond repair"
"So what will you say now?" The medic made their way around to the other side of the table.
"56% of his body covered in scars Staff Sergeant" The Medic traced the largest of the several scars on Brace's chest. "Over fifty surgeries" The medic almost seemed turned on by the sight of the Corporals ruined body.
"Almost like a Zombie right?"
"Almost being the key word here" the medic cackled like a witch.
The Staff Sergeant left the medic to play with himself and his thoughts as he needed to log the missions completion no matter how many people they had actually recovered.