Kiss of death

"Robin, what's the update?"

Picking up his rifle, Reece asked, in a low and urgent tone.

"Unusual movement at the basket zone. Can't pinpoint the number, but I assume hundreds."

He answered while tieing the laces of his shoes.

"This bustards got no chill, attacking on the new year's eve!"

Joe snorted from beside, "Reece, you've got a close competitor. They're exactly like you, don't know how to have fun."

Reece sighed. "Focus, Joe!"

Even in this serious moment, this boy didn't stop joking!

"Take your positions, faster!"

The announcement came in their comms device. Everyone rushed towards the gate.

Reece's mind was racing with possibilities. Were they going to deal with a group of insurgents, or a full-blown enemy battalion?

He glanced at the team, Jenkins was adjusting his helmet, Joe was checking his rifle, all the other teammates stood seriously, mentally prepared for the upcoming battle.

Before them, stood Captain Michael Collins, the in-charge of the Northern frontier's base camp.

"Movement at the basket region. Be ready for anything."

The Northern frontier was divided in four different zones, among them, the most difficult one was the basket zone. It was basically a comparatively smaller area from the other zones, but the terrain here was very difficult for battle. The total area looked like an empty basket from afar.

The forest here was the densest, the whole area was snow covered, hiding the deep creeks and chasms. One wrong step — you'll be doomed to death. It had a pretty well place for enemies to hide, making it the toughest region to control.

"Basket region!" Someone from the troop exclaimed.

"Well, what else would be the perfect place for them to hide!" Reece grinned.

"Looks like someone is finally decided to crash the party." His voice was dripping with sarcasm.

Captain Michael Collins looked at him. Reece Vaughn, since his training, he claimed a special place in his heart. A dedicated, calm and ruthless soldier like him — he rarely saw.

"Let's go! Let them taste the afterparty then."

Jenkins chuckled beside him.

....

Present time:

"Liam reporting. Sixteen finished. Over!"

"Hold the place, keep an eye. Over!"

Reece looked around.

Just sometime ago they took down a group of soldiers, their bodies were scattered throughout the territory. There was pin drop silence in the horizon.

But Reece's eye were frowned. His sixth sense was sending alarms continuously — the battle was not over yet.

The troop was scattered throughout the territory in small groups, hiding behind the icy boulders and trees. The were using a gerilla technique to spot and take down the enemies.

"Any movement?"

Reece spoke in his comms device.

"Negative Reece. Should we fall back?"

"No! Hold on."

They trudged through the terrain. Sometimes, their feets were sinking where there was knee deep snow. The frozen crust was being crushed under their boots.

He squinted through the swirling snow, his eyes scanning the horizon for any sign of enemy movement.

"Reece, we've got movement."

Jenkins yelled above the wind.

Reece spun around. His rifle was ready. He spotted a fresh cluster huddling behind a snowbank very slowly.

"Incoming!" He yelled, "Jenkins, Joe, Robin, take cover!"

The enemy opened fire, their bullets whizzed past Reece's head. He jumped behind a boulder, returning fire with precise, controlled bursts.

Jenkins and the rest of the team joined in, their guns firing in tandem. Reece, meanwhile, was focused on picking off enemy soldiers one by one, his rifle was scanning the terrain for targets.

The snow-covered ground was quickly becoming a bloody, churned-up mess, littered with the bodies of the fallen.

"Reece, they're outnumbered. We need to take the chance before another cluster appears."

Joe whispered.

Reece nodded. "Forward. We're taking over." He signalled.

"Sure, Reece!"

Together, they all launched a flanking maneuver, catching the enemy off guard.

The enemy lines wavered, and Reece's team surged forward, their guns firing steadily.

"Bloody swines, the sons of..."

Jenkins murmured while his rigfle muzzle flashed continuously.

The enemy troop started retreating, finally their team held the ground. The dead bodies of both their and the opponent had piled up on the ground.

"Ahhh!"

A scream was heard amidst the sound of cross firing.

"Third." Jenkins sighed.

The enemy troop killed one of their team again, for the third time.

"Reece! Look there!"

Robin shouted pointing in front of them. His eyes were wide opened.

All of them looked before. They were standing at the core of the basket zone — sinked in the knee-deep snow, surrounded by a couple of dozen enemies!

"What the fuck!" Joe gritted his teeth.

"It's a trap!" Jenkins answered from behind.

Reece stood still, scanning the surroundings calmly to calculate the situation. The enemy troop actually never retreated. It was their trap, to place them inside the basket, where it was even difficult to move.

And they, just stepped into their trap like a fool!

"Robin, how many of us?"

"Tweleve."

"And they're about fifty. Good!"

He turned around. "Four per person, what you say!"

Joe chuckled. "Sure!"

Reece whispered. "Take positions."

""Ready!"

"Fire!" He shouted, and all the rifles roared together.

The battle became fierce now. There was no place to hide, no cover. The sound pf cross firing was deafening. The muzzles of their rifles flushed continuously, most of the soldiers of enemy troop was taken down.

Soon, the battle finished. There was no more enemies, they lost three of them, several injured.

"Reece! We need to return now."

Jenkins said, panting.

He nodded, glancing at his teammates' deceased bodies. They were brave, they gave their life to save the land.

The wind has started to blow quite strongly, after a while it might start snowing, before that they have to return to the camp.

"Retreat." He instructed. All the soldiers started moving towards the base camp. Reece was behind of all.

Suddenly, his ears caught a sound. Behind all of them, there was someone! The sound was of cracking of a ice plate under his boot.

An enemy was still there!

Reece turned around slowly, then without making sound, trudged forward. His eyes were fixed on the trunk of a tree in front of him.

The team went ahead a long way by then. Suddenly, Joe looked around. He couldn't spot him around with the team.

"Where's Reece!" He asked. Everyone shook their head. No one saw him going.

"Reece! Reece!" They shouted. But there was no answer.

He spoke in his comms device.

"Reece! Can you hear me? Reece!"

No response! The comms device wasn't working!

"Joe, none of our comms device is working!"

Someone screamed in surprise.

"What the fuck!"

By that time the wind speed had increased tremendously. Snow began to fall, quickly covering their clothes with white snow.

"Joe, we need to return. Now!"

Robin shouted. In this rate, they all will die in the middle of the snow covered plane.

"Without Reece!"

Jenkins said, puling him forward.

"If he is alive, he'll come back, he's way more experienced. But if we don't return to the base camp now, all of us will be dead."

He shook his head without seeing any other way. The team quickly moved towards the camp.

....

Reece looked around very carefully, but found no one.

"Must be in Camouflage" he muttered.

The snowfall had started already, and there was no sign of the enemy.

Even if one is still there, he couldn't stay more. Otherwise, death by freezing will be the only option. Thinking carefully, he decided to go back.

But...

As soon as he turned around, he felt something piered his skin, and in a fraction of second, his whole body ached in pain!

He was shot! The bullet piered his body, passed touching his heart!

"Ahh!" He screamed in pain.

The second bullet struck in his heart. He gasped in agony!

That tango! He was waiting to attack from behind!

"Bloody rascal, not gonna let you off."

He gritted his teeth, despite the unimaginable pain, he went ahead. He was going to die, but he wouldn't let him slide.

He pointed his rifle to the bushes before him.a

"Hiding, huh!"

He started firing. The man sprang out if the bushes and shot in his head.

One bullet, and it's over! He crumpled to the ground.

The battle was now finally over. All the enemies were swept away. The troop twenty one of Northern frontier emerged victorious.

Reece couldn't stand anymore. He fell on the ground, his body started rolling, and got stuck in the groove of a snow covered ditch, blood bathed.

The body had no more strength, the breath was stopping, vision blurred. Unable to keep his eyes open, he closed them. "Happy New Year, Reece."

He couldn't know, the solar storm had already begun, and with it, a thin golden line appeared in the eastern sky!