Ice Queen Ch. 03

First up i must apologise for the long break. Life in general got in the way with a lot of dips in the bumpy road of life.

This is Chapter 3 in this story. It is advisable to read Chapter 1 and 2 to see how this all starts.

These ideas run through my head everyday.



I have read many, many stories, there are some truly amazing authors here.

I hope this goes over well, and if it's well received Ch 4 will be forthcoming.



Regards



Chris

*****

I slowly woke, I could feel the crisp sheets against my bare skin. I open my eyes to see a camouflage tent top and white screen either side of me. I heard a voice.

"Oh good your awake." A woman said.

I just looked at her and tried to speak but my mouth was too dry.

The woman got a cup of water with a straw and I tried to drink deeply but she pinched the straw telling me to sip gently cause my body would reject it. The Doctor came around and filled me in about my condition. Severely dehydrated and some severe sunburn. I found out I'd been listed as KIA and was gone for 32 days. God I hoped mom and dad had been told I was alive and ok.

I asked if the Blitzed Angel had made it back. I was informed she had limped back to base and delivered her cargo safely before breaking her back during shut down. She had completed her mission by saving her crew and passengers by fighting till her dying breath to save them. I had a run of visitors over the next few days and a call home was arranged. Mom was beside herself and I'd never heard dad choke up before. Tears from my big brother and my sister managed to visit as well. But not the person I wanted to see the most, I was feeling down when JJ turned up.

"Well ain't you a site for sore eyes." He said as he clasped my hand and squeezed gently. "So how did you manage the impossible?" He asked.

He told me of their view of what happened. It scared me to realise how close it really was. We talked about that mission but we avoided the elephant in the room again.

"So has everyone been in to catch up with you?" He asked knowing he was pushing me to face the elephant.

"You know one person hasn't been in and now I'm asking is Heather ok?"

"The answer is no, she is not truly ok. She does know your back, but the Major had her reassigned to be his pilot as he wants to get more hands on. So he dragged the best back to be his show pony, and with that he doesn't like you at all or the implication between you and Heather. I had to fly back to base as she was incapable of doing anything, almost comatose not feeling. Seeing you salute and then cut the safety strap she effectively watched her world ended right then especially since you both haven't told the other how you feel. She was devastated the Major pulled such a shitty trick on her with the flowers and you didn't give her a chance to explain."

I told JJ what I had witnessed and heard from her room that day. JJ was shocked and pissed that the Major took advantage of the flowers for his own gain. But he did admit he understood why I did what I did.

"Can you get a message to her? Let her know I regret hurting her and I think of her every day. I wish we could get past this fraternising shit but I know the Major would love to get me slammed in Leavenworth."

"I will do that just for you. I won't take a letter just telling her should be enough."

As soon as I was discharged I tracked down my CO and filled him in on the gun emplacements and true location of the village. The intelligence was good and now they had a whole new idea of how to get things done.

I didn't get to see IQ for another couple of weeks. The intel I had passed on was well used and the guns were taken out prior to the village getting raided. The Special Ops guys got their target and were extremely grateful.

Another day, another mission, another day closer to getting home. This was big like real big. Like the three Pave's loaded kitted and spurred and six Apache's for support. I did notice the Apache that had the IQ tag on the pilot position and Grouper on the front seat.

"Right we are all going to wear cameras for this mission." our CO informed us. Seemed some beauracrat wanted to see the action from a personal perspective. "So it's gotta be all by the book. So saddle up and let's bring them home!"

We came in swiftly and hit the ground with a shudder. The Troops rushed out and as soon as the last one left we clawed our way back into the air. We took up a position 10 miles south of the landing zone in case of any emergency.

"Heads on a swivel boys an Apache has gone in hard!" My flight Capt informed us. We were re tasked to go get the crew. We belted towards the crash site. The Apache had speared in at the edge of a cliff near the insurgents compound. Using our Flir (Forward Looking Infra Red) we spotted a heat signature fleeing the wreckage site. We hit the ground running, leading the way I was directed towards the running signature.

It was Major Williams.

"Where is your pilot!" I yelled at him.

"Dead the bitch is dead. She fucked up and nearly killed us both." He sneered.

"Where is her body then!"

"I fuckin left it in the chopper I didn't have time to get it out! Now I'm ordering you to get me outta here!"

Right then the second door gunner caught up with us. I called it in to my Capt.

"I'm going after the pilot. They are still trapped in the chopper! Get me top cover!"

"Rodger that you've got cover already!"

I pushed the Major towards the gunner. "Get him back on board, and stand by for my call."

He dragged the Major away from me realising who the pilot was he grimaced,"I hope you get her out alive," he said. As he turned and pushed the Major towards the Guardian Angel.

I ran as fast as I could, my legs were burning and my lungs were screaming for air. I found the Apache a twisted shell but no Heather. Fuck fuck fuck I muttered. I looked for signs and found some of her flight suite torn and discarded on the ground. I followed the foot steps away from the wreckage and found more of her flight suite. Fearing the worst I took off after the trail.

Shortly I could hear screaming and the sounds of someone getting hit. Not stopping I belted around the rocks in my way to see about 15 armed insurgents and the crumpled form of Heather naked on the ground. I'd like to say I was rational and clinically engaged the enemy, but however that wasn't the case. I lost it, I was uncontrollably angry and didn't care if I was hit or not. The first to die was the big fellow with his pants around his ankles between Heathers legs. Pop his face disappeared. He fell sideways away from her as I dealt with the rest. When the M4 ran out I used the M26 now that really gets you noticed. It felt like hours but in reality lasted seconds. I kicked the fat fuck off Heather and held her in my arms. I stripped off my own jacket and wrapped her up tight.

I called for pick up only to be told I'd have to hump it 5 miles away to a suitable position. I stripped fat boy of his pants and dressed her as best I could. I didn't want the others to see what had potentially happened. I was raging the whole time cursing loudly at the Major, myself and life in general as I was a helpless cause. I reloaded my weapons, picked her up and carried her the 5 miles without stopping. Reassuring her the whole way. I think I even told her how long I'd been in love with her and I was sick and tired of the Military getting in our way. I kissed her but she didn't respond. Being unconscious and all. I didn't realise I had top cover the whole 5 miles till I saw the Guardian Angel land about 500 yards in front of me with the door down. I ran straight inside and started to tend to the Captain. Major Williams was furious that we had disobeyed his order about getting him out of there. But he had no control over our command, so fuck him. We sped off back to the base landing at the hospital instead of the usual hard stand. I carried Capt H Osbourne into the hospital as everyone watched and placed her on a gurney so as to get the treatment she needed.

I turned to see the Major yelling at some MP's to arrest me for Insubordination, disobeying an Order plus Fraternisation. They turned and saw the look on my face. Turning the LT told the Major an investigation would take place after my wounds were tended to. Hmm seems it wasn't just Heathers blood on me but I was leaking some as well.

I got patched up and returned to my Sqn. I'd forgotten all about the camera mounted on my helmet till I got back to base and the CO asked for it. I reluctantly handed it over knowing if the Major saw it I was going to jail. Fuck it I thought she was worth it.

I didn't see Heather for nearly 6 months as she was whisked away from the conflict zone and spent time in Germany then was sent home to re cooperate. In that 6 months I did some really stupid shit like really stupid. Going after the Capt was my job but flying the Guardian Angel was the top of stupid. Oh the charges were never raised as Major Williams was prompted to Lieutenant Colonel and shipped back home to a cushy desk job. The joys of having a well connected family I suppose.

Two months later during a routine patrol we were called in to conduct a Medivac in a remote location. Really all locations out here are remote but this one felt strange, however a request was never denied. We flew the LZ and the right colour smoke was popped. As we touched down all hell broke loose. It seems we had been duped by a shonky radio call. I have to give the flight crew credit they managed to get us away from the LZ just far enough to hit the ground again really hard. That's when the rear crew something was amiss. The crew chief went forward to check the cockpit to find both the Pilot and Co pilot severely wounded. Most of the gun fire was directed at the front of the aircraft.

We were still turning and burning and the crew had passed out from their injuries. We dragged them into the cargo area and started treating their wounds. I jumped into the pilots seat and started the shut down procedure. After calling for medical assistance. Suddenly it started again.

"HANG ON IN THE BACK," I yelled as I pushed the throttles past the lock outs for full power. I pulled the cyclic giving full power and pulled back on the stick. Guardian Angel clawed her way into the air. I could feel the rotors protesting with every revolution. "COME ON BABY, COME ON FLY, FLY OR DIE BABY COME ON," I yelled. The engines screamed in protest but slowly but surely we clawed our way up. I could hear the pock marks and ricochet's of small arms. I felt a solid impact on the pilots door and felt something in my lap. I looked down to see the head of an RPG smoking merrily on my lap and effectively now my seatbelt holding me in place. I turned and headed towards base. This was the second time I've ever flown the Angel. It was a slow bumpy and tense flight back.

I called up the base informing them of the issues at hand and that I would try to land at the far end of the base away from all facilities to minimise any casualties. See I had flown the Angel before but never did the landing. I've done a lot of reading about the Theory of Flight and all about ground resonance etc but reading and doing, are two different things.

I cautiously tried flaring and hovering a couple of times at height. That I managed to pull off. Next it was make or break time. I made the crew secure themselves at the rear of the aircraft just in case the RPG decided to shorten my life span. I came in low and slow approaching from the least populated end of the base. The control tower was talking me through the situation with another Pave pilot helping me along. They reported that the RPG looked wedged in the door. Ahhh no shit Sherlock the bloody thing was my seatbelt.

I slowly flared the Angel and hovered about 50' above the ground slowly winding down the power on the Cyclic and trying not to fight the ground resonance too much. I flinched when we touched down and I yelled for the crew to get the Capt and Lieut out and off the Angel. Now came the scary part. The shut down, one wrong move and I could be pink mist good night the fox. The Capt in the tower relayed the order in which to shut down the Angel safely. It was a very intense few minutes. Finally silence.

Now to get my seat belt off. I couldn't move as the IED disposal team moved in to remove the warhead. It took another 20 excruciating minutes and I was shitting myself the whole time. Finally it was gone, I breathed a huge sigh of relief. Then the debriefing started. The pilots were in bad shape but would survive god willing if no complications set in.

In the hours afterwards I couldn't believe I'd managed to pull of the near impossible. I sat quietly on my bank and started shaking, I buried my head in my hands and started to cry unashamedly. I loved my job, my life and friends but I was missing Heather. Not a word from her in months, here I was on the other side of the world and I still couldn't tell her I loved her.

With the Blitzed Angel written off and the Guardian Angel severely shot up we were down to 4 aircraft but 6 crews. Good for easy rotation bad for numbers. With that the Guardian and Blitzed Angel crews were given orders to return home.