CF-02 Extraction and R+R

[Lord Pouchlaw]

Cosmic Furlough

CF-02 Extraction and R+R
By Darrel James Vanwinkle (Ratseye/Pouchlaw)
Co-written by (Darquirrin)
October 22nd, 2015

Chapter One

:Early 20th Century; Somewhere behind enemy lines; Planet Furth:

Cosmo pats Longshot's shoulder. "Looks like they have bonfire plan made, bunny boy! Let's hop on board and hope to get to our Ghost!" And he climbed on board the flying craft where he had already loaded the rifles and ammo.

Magnus got on board with Aero, the squirrel taking a position near the cockpit where Nightwing was preparing for flight. The Sea Otter was making sure the Bat-Ladder was ready in case they couldn't land to pick up the dogla agent.

Longshot grinned, "Just remember... One paw, one shot." He winks. He hops into his seat... which happens to land on Cosmo's lap, "oopsee..." Then he gets in his real seat with a laugh.

Nightwing said, "Freedom One to Tower. EVAC route plotted, all status green, awaiting load out and clearance to proceed."

The tower responded over the radio, "Roger, Freedom One, stand by."

Nightwing winked to Magnus and Aero.

Illa climbed on board next, in full command mode. She glared at the laughing Longshot who quickly shut up as Tracker took a position on the side most seat, rifle pointed out the door. Mom then said, "Listen up. We're taking a long route. This is a dangerous trip. Longshot, Cosmo. Your on sniper duty. Get into the braces and prepare for dead air duty." She pointed to the harnesses that allowed snipers to mount onto the sides of the aircraft, "If it moves and it isn't Ghost, it doesn't move. Got it? There WILL be RPGs and there WILL be men down there wanting us dead. You need to buy us time to make the pick up."

Cosmo nodded his head. "Yes, Ma'am." He gets up to move into position. He was about to be scared again. If he lived through this, he would reward Longshot later for helping to calm him down. He was also worried about the bunny now. His orders were... if it wasn't Ghost, kill it. He finally secured the last strap into place and got the weapons and ammo ready.

Magnus double checked the straps, then he said to Illa, "Cosmo and Longshot are ready, Captain, ma'am!"

Illa nods and fingers the radio, "Tower. Captain Illa and team are ready. Clearance?"

The tower radios back, "Freedom One, this is Tower. You are go for EVAC mission. Winds are favorable. Repeat you are go for take off."

Nightwing nods, "Roger tower, Freedom One taking air." He maneuvered the craft up carefully, checked the gauges, "All system green. Freedom One, Proceeding on mission." He sent the craft forward on it's way.

Captain Illa takes a breath and smiles, keeping a confident face to the world.

Cosmo could feel the thrum of the engines through the harness and from his position he got a VERY good view of just how far away the ground was... and just what would be heading their way.

Two soft thuds echoed through the forest as Cel stepped out from behind a tree. The two guards falling dead where they stood, blood leaking out of the holes in the front of their skulls. Cel looked down at the two men he had just killed. The mouse and otter's vacant eyes glossed over in the last moments of their deaths. Cel shudders and looks away, 'I just killed two people...They would have killed me just the same but... I just murdered two people...' He stumbled and barely caught himself as he grabbed the tree, retching badly as his empty stomach tried to void it's contents. It took him nearly an hour before he could get control over his body again as he forced himself to reach over and rip the dog tags from the dead bodies and shove them into his pocket as he systematically searched each corpse for usable items. 'This is war... This what it's really like. Any other day, if I had met them, we might have been friends. Is this what we do...Cosmo and I? Force these people to kill and kill for the sake of...what? Entertainment?' He found two candy bars which he immediately devoured, needing the energy, and a canteen which he added to his own. He also found various documents but he couldn't make heads or tails of them an simply stored them away for delivery later.

Cel panted a little, wiping his eyes with the back of his paw, and sat back on his haunches and looked back at his map again, "Almost there... Just a little more." Leveraging himself up and forced himself to start jogging again. His whole body was complaining now. He had another wound now; this one his left leg from where he almost missed a razor wire trap. 'Not even Ghost is invincible... and even less so with me in control. But we're making a decent team.'

Cel finally found the open area that would serve as the landing zone. He could almost cry, "Ha! I did it in two days! And HQ said it couldn't be done!" He wasn't sure why he remembered that but he was so relieved at the moment, he really didn't care! He dug into pack and pulled out two smoke flares placing them in the center of the clearing. 'This is going to draw everyone's attention when I light these... The enemy is going to know right where I am.. If they don't show up...' He lit the green and amber smoke flares, sending billowing clouds of the highly visible smoke into the air.

Not ten seconds later, Cel was under fire with only his pistol to defend himself with more advancing. 'Common guys... please get here soon. Damn it, I'm not going to die here! I refuse to die here!!'

As the Helicopter lifted off, Cosmo reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a black eye mask and put it around his head, securing it in the back and straightening the eye holes in the front. Then he grabbed a hold of his rifle. The Black Sniper was now on duty. During the flight, Cosmo got to use his rifle several times. Wearing the mask made him a far better shot than normal. He only needed one bullet per enemy to cause them death or intense injury. We're coming, Cel! Don't give up the Ghost!

The helicopter banked a graceful arc as it narrowly avoided another rather well aimed RPG. Captain Illa shouted, "Cosmo, RPG in Tree, 10 O'clock, Range 400 meters. Take him down!"

As the vtol craft finally crested it's destination, the green and amber smoke was still easily visible. Manning the binoculars, Tracker shouts, "Target's engaged. Count 12 Tango's approaching from east and north. Watch your fire, Danger Close."

End of Chapter One

[Lord Pouchlaw]

Chapter Two

Longshot spun around in the harness, taking aim and putting a bullet through the skull of one of the enemy snipers, yelling over the voice, "Watch for Counter Snipers!"

Nightwing brought the chopper down close, turning it on a dime like a prof as he banked over the battle field and started trying to get into position over the flares.

Cel was locked in a rather intense firefight, with a wound on his thigh that clipped by a bullet but thankfully it's only a flesh wound. One of the enemy soldiers rushed him and the tired cat was grappled by the larger, bulky bear. Cel twisted and rebuked him with a sharp strike to the leg but the bear wouldn't give up, grabbing at him again before the dogla was able to use his flexibility to escape but this time Cel lunged first with a roar, catching the Kodiak by surprise, taking another deep gash to the forearm but his claws managed to remove the bear's throat. Cel pants, lifting his gun and taking another three soldiers, 'I... am not...going to die here! YOU WILL NOT KILL ME!' Then the sniper round went through the enemy sniper, Cel looked up at the copter and grinned.... Relief washed through his body as well a huge surge of adrenaline. He shot a bunch of random shots in the direction of his pursuers and high tailed it toward the rescue.

Cosmo begins making rapid fire shots at targets, one bullet striking the heart of each target he aimed at. Black Sniper was definitely in charge for this battle; totally focused.

Magnus threw down the 'Bat Ladder' and shouted, "Leap for it, Ghost! We're only gonna get one shot at this, so make it count!"

Aero was now taking important photographs of the target zone so the brass could look it over later.

Ghost made it count. He ran and he ran like the wind, grabbing the ladder and using the momentum to swing himself around and practically throw himself inside the helicopter bay.

Nightwing hit the gas and took off as fast possible, fleeing the LZ as more and more furs begin to flood in, shooting at the retreating transport.

Longshot continued to fire, focusing on the high caliber snipers and RPGs who posed the highest risk to the copter and it's cargo.

Captain Illa smirked, "Well, Ghost. You look like hell. The job getting too much for you?"

Cel panted hard. "Oh fuck you, Ma'am. I left a hundred bodies back there before you guys even showed up." He half-laughs, "Oh am I ever glad to see you."

The sheila kicked Cel lightly, "Cause we just saved your ass, I'm going to let that one slide. Only warning."

Cel flopped back on his back, panting, "Yes, Ma'am."

:Back at the Border Field Refueling Stopover:

Cosmo released a sigh of relief as he removed the mask and put it securely back into his jacket pocket. Then he felt Magnus unstrapping him from the harness.

"Good job, Cosmo. Let's get you, Longshot, and the rescue dogla to the showers. Um... you're not going to believe this, kid... but you took a hit. It's not bad, but we need to get you to the field medic before anything else. War is Hell, right?"

Cosmo didn't even notice the strike, but once he was on his feet, it really became noticeable. Then he found himself in the medic tent having the bullet removed and his leg being patched up.

Aero hummed. "He must still be stressed if he let himself get hit like that. At least it wasn't a fatal shot."

Magnus replied, "He said he never felt it until we got him upright."

Cosmo wasn't the only one in the medic... Cel was there as well. His many injuries need immediate care as well as well as to stop any more blood loss. He had been just placed on a stretcher for transport to the medical center back at Furlough City for a full examination despite his grumbling and growling that he was fine.

"Relax, Cel; conserve your strength," said Cosmo. "Longshot and I will check on you after they get you patched up back in the city."

:Furlough City the following afternoon:

Cosmo, Longshot, and Tracker were visiting Ghost in the hospital after the top brass finished visiting Cel to get the official report.

"Not quite the mission we thought it would be, eh Ghost?" inquired Cosmo as he held Longshot's paw in his own. "How are you feeling?"

Cel grumbled, "I feel fine. I don't know what they're making a big deal over. It's just a few cuts and a bullet hole. It's not like I haven't been hit in combat before." He sighs and looks over at Longshot and Tracker, "At least you two are alright. And you too, Cosmo." He scratched at one of the bandages irritably. "I swear I'm going to back on my paws in a day... They're not keeping me cooped up in here for three."

Cel looked over at Cosmo, looking a little surprised to see him and Longshot holding paws. "So... What's up between the two of you?"

Longshot was enjoying it and had enjoyed giving Cosmo a 'celebratory victory kiss' earlier.

End of Chapter Two