The Cold Wars

( I started this on another site, so i thought i'd just move it over here.... hope you guys like it!)


Prologue



It was a cold, crips autumn morning in the famous Arlington Cemetery in Washington DC. The sun was rising, creating a perfect sunrise on this clear morning.The leaves were the colors of autumn itself, and it was quiet. The An old man limped down the sidewalk with his two grandchildren. The small grandchiled skiped and jumped over the cracks in the sidewalk, while the older grandson listened to his iPod.

"Papa, why are we here? We don't know any soldiers" The eight year old, Ellie, said as she skipped along. "yeah, i got stuff to do..." The thirteen year old named Jacob said. The old man turned to them. "I want you to meet someone who meant a great deal to me... come on, it isn't that far now!" The old man had thinning gray hair, with baggy skin and droopy eyes, but his crystal blue eyes were of a young man, wild and free. He balanced on his good leg and his cane. His other, on the other hand, couldn't keep him up no matter what.

They walked a little bit farther until they reached one of the many white tombstones. The old man stared at it for a while. It read: "Benjamin Todd Stone.Captain. U.S. Army. Vietnam Nov. 20 1927. March 18 1975" Ellie had difficulty reading it out loud, but she managed. "Who is this guy, Papa?" "This, kids, is the man responsible for saving my life. If i died, you and your Daddy wouldn't be here." "which means we wouldn't be here!" Ellie squeeled. The old man laughed a bit "Yes, you and you're brother wouldn't be here either..."

"Well... how did he save your life, Grandpa?" Jacob asked, looking at the tombstone then at him. "Ahh... you guys don't want to hear any boring war stories..." The old man said. "Well, we're saying thanks to this guy... might as well tell us..." Jacob replied.

The old man smiled and turned to his grandchildren "Well, it all started in 1950. The beginning of the Korean War..."

October 18, 1950
South Korea
1500 hours


The heavy iron doors of the aircraft opened. Soldiers of all ages marched out in single file, waiting for orders. An 18 year old stepped out, as his crystal blue eyes scanned his surroundings. He was in the middle of a dense jungle. The concrete floor of the airbase was the only thing interrupting the nature of it. Three large air bunkers were in the back, with other smaller buildings surrounding.Soldiers were doing their thing here. Driving by in jeeps, walking, running, training, you name it. A large built man walked over in front of the lined up soldiers.

"Alright, listen up! i'm Colonel Woods! I run this hell hole of a base! I'm going to keep this really short. If you're apart of the Marines, go to the right! If you're Army, to the left!"

Everyone ran to their sides, except for the blue eyed man. Woods looked at him quizically, then walked over to him. "What part of that didn't you understand, Private?" He yelled. "Sir, I'm the special unit you asked for, Sir!" The blue eyed man replied, staring straight. "Ah, you're the Ranger... You're squad is waiting for you in the middle bunker. There's a room in the far back corner." Woods said. They saluted, and the man picked up his bags and started over for there.

The blue eyed man ducked under jet wings, and slid past mechanics working on them. He reached the room in the corner, and knocked. "Its open!" A man yelled from inside. He opened the door.

The small room was humid, and filled with smoke. Rock music played in the background. The room consisted of a desk, and a bunch of chairs. The window was open to help bring in what little cool they had. The room was filled with five people. A man at the desk, and the four people were in seats. The muscular man with his feet up on the desk looked over at him.

"This is our replacement?" Someone asked in the corner.

The man at the desk got up. He wore green camo pants, black, muddy boots and a army jacket with the sleeves cut off. The front of his shirt had all the standard patches, including the curved bar that said "Ranger". He wore a green bandana around his arm, and had a tattoo of a skull with two guns for the crossbones. He was covered in dirt and cuts. He had a square jaw, messy short brown hair, and steel grey eyes. He also had a scar across his cheek. You could tell that this guy was confident, strong, and stone cold. His eyes seemed like they went through you, seeking your weaknesses and strengths... but odly enough, the blue eyed man felt a sense of safety and confidence around him, like he was giving it off.

"Sir!" the blue eyed man said, saluting. "At ease. What's your name?" The man at the desk asked. "Private Cole Baker, Sir." "Welcome, Baker. I'm Captain Ben Stone." Captain? at his age? Baker thought to himself. "Its an honor, sir." "Private, you don't need to kiss my ass. its going to be a loooong service with each other if you do." Stone sat back down and put his legs back onto the desk. "Tell Baker who you guys are, boys."

"Sergeant Todd Rowley." a tall blonde haired man said, holding a sniper rifle. "Corporal Will Peterson." Another man with curly brown said. "Sergeant Joseph Duke." a man giant man said next. "Private second grade Zach Pope." A short asian man said.

Stone nodded as they finished. They were all athletic men. And Baker felt like the safest man in the world. They look like they could be ready for anything. "Welcome to the best family there is, Baker. A Ranger Family."

--------------------------------

"Mr. Stone seems like a nice guy" Ellie said as she watched her grandfather place some flowers on the white grave. Baker nodded. "He reminded us that were were human. a family. and that we were lucky to have each other... But he was stubborn. I wasn't sure if that was a good thing, or bad thing. He looked death straight in the eye, and always won..."

"Everyone else sounds cool, too." Jacob said, taking out his ear phones. "They were excellent men, ready to fight at the most unpredictable situations... we found that out later tonight."

Cole Baker heard footsteps. He shot upright, looking around. The bunker was dark, with only the flood lights from outside illuminating parts of the barrack. He listened closely in the darkness of the top bunk. The noises of the jungle were confusing and loud enough, but through those noises, he heard the unmistakable sounds of footsteps from outside. He looked around. Everyone else was sleeping soundly. Another sound. This time, a scream. It sent chills down Baker's sweating back. Then suddenly, a large explosion. An orange light illuminated the room. Everyone was awake now. "What the hell was that?" one man screamed. "Holy shit!" another man. "Are we being ambushed?" someone said through the murmurs.

Baker jumped out of bed, putting his uniform on hurridly. The door burst open. "Get the hell out of bed you sorry excuses for soldiers!" the colonel yelled. "Get your damn uniforms, take your thumb out your ass, and get out there!" Everyone scrambled around. Baker grabbed his helmet and headed for the door. "Private Baker! Stone is looking for you in front of the bunkers!" "Yessir!" Baker replied as he sprinted out.

The starless, black night was now illuminated by the orange glow of explosions. the trees around the base were lit like candles. Baker stumbled, and fell a few times due to the close explosions and gunfire. He found his teammates behind a crate.

"Good morning, Cole." Stone said with a hint of both sarcasm and seriousness in his voice. "Alright, here's what's going to happen. Rowley, take your fancy gun, find a high spot, and blow some brains out." "With pleasure, Sir." Rowley said. "Peterson, Pope, I need you to take these medical supplies to the doctors, and to anyone who needs it. When you're done, help kick some ass." "yessir!" they both said. "Duke, Baker, go to the armory, stock up on as much as you can, then come back here." "You got it, Cap" Duke said.

"Alright. Rangers, lead the way!"

Everyone got up and went. Baker and Duke sprinted across the base, shooting their pistols only when necessary. They reached the semi-circular bunker. "I'm Joe, by the way." The very muscular man said. "Cole." Baker managed to say through breaths. "Ready to kick ass, Cole?" Duke said, kicking the door open.

"Lets do t his, Joe." Cole replied. They walked inside, stuffing grenades in their pockets, slinging ammo over their shoulders along with numerous pistols, SMG's, and Rifles. They both had flamethrowers strapped to their backs. They waddled back to Stone, who was yelling into the radio.

"I! Need! Some! God! Damn! Reinforcements!" Stone yelled into the radio. "...No, i don't know where my commanding officer is... probably shooting the people ambushing us!....Fine, you don't send reinforcements. But it won't be our funerals you'll be attending. It'll be yours!" The put the radio away, and turned to them, smiling. "Good job, gents. Pick your guns, and we'll head out into the front lines." He said with a completely calm voice.


They handed Stone some weapons, and charged out.

The three men charged towards the front line. Men hid behind anything they could, firing blankly into the dense tree line. Many bodies from both sides were on the ground. The orange glow from the fires were the only way people could see, Baker had no idea who was winning or not. "You! Soldier! what's your name?" Stone yelled. A young man stumbled toward them. "Private Smith, Sir!" "Private, take as much as weapons and ammo as you can, and pass it around, understood?" "Yessir!" Smith said, taking some weapons from Baker.

They started throwing weapons to other soldiers. They were left with a few pistols, rifles, and the flamethrowers. "Duke, get Pope and Peterson, Baker, cover me while I talk on the radio!" They both went to work. Duke charging into the battlefield, and Baker firing his rifle. "Colonel! Come in! Woods!...." Stone let out a small sigh "Looks like I'm top dog around here now..." Baker kept firing. concentrating on his left side, trying to keep his Captain safe.

Thunk! Baker fell to the ground. He looked up to see a Korean soldier. Baker said a silent prayer as the soldier raised his gun and aimed. Bang!

Baker opened his eyes and saw a red dot on the Korean's forehead. He toppled to the ground. Rowley. A guardian Angel. Baker got helped up by Stone. "Good work, Rowley" Stone said in the radio. "Thanks, Boss" A voice crackled. Peterson, Pope and Duke came running back.

"Alright, Boys, I'm in charge of this chaos we call a battlefield. Pope, I need you to put on those clothes." Stone said, nodding to the Korean that almost shot Baker. "Yessir." Pope said. "Duke, Peterson, Baker, you're coming with me. We're gonna cause a distraction with these flamethrowers, while Pope comes in from behind."

"Whoah, Boss... Our guys will shoot at me!" Pope said, pulling on the pants.
"Lets hope to God you can sneak around." Pope wasn't satisfied with the answer, but he nodded anyways.

"Alright, Rangers.... Lead the way!"

---------


"What happened?" Jacob asked.
"We won."
"Did Mr. Pope die?" Ellie asked.
"We found him that morning under a bunch of leaves, covered in all sorts of dirt."
"So Mr. Stone wasn't so crazy..." Jacob said.
The much older Baker shook his head. "He was amazing. We all were. After that, we all became friends for life, watching each other's back, knowing everything about each other..."

"What about that Woods guy?" Ellie asked. Baker sighed a bit.
"He didn't make it that night... We got a new commanding officer a little bit after, and our Company was assigned to a very special mission..."

Chapter 4

October 31st
South Korea
2100 Hours


Six men huddled around a small fire in the thick jungles of South Korea. The only light was from the orange glow of their fire, and everyone was on high alert. "Alright, Joe, you can spend a night with Lauren Becall..." Zach Pope said, smoking a cigarette. "What's the catch?" Duke said, leaning on his rifle. "Joe Louis has to punch you in the face one time." Duke moaned and rocked back and forth. "Can i have sex, then get punched...? Okay... spend the night with a beautiful woman..." "Be in a coma, DURING that night..." Pope added. Everyone laughed quietly.

"Alright, since we're gonna be together for a while, I thought it'd be nice to tell everyone their stories." Stone said, leaning on a tree. "What are we, Cap? Boy Scouts?" asked Joe Duke. "Alright, Big Guy, you can go first."


Joseph Duke wore a army jacket with the sleeves ripped off. His dogtags hung out of his shirt, he wore leather gloves with the tips cut off. His face was squared, his blonde hair was styled in the crew cut fasion. His arms were as big as tree trunks. He could probably kill a whole army with his bare hands. He sighed a sat up a bit. "I grew up in Boston. My dad was an alcoholic, my mom didn't give a shit on what my dad did to me." he shrugged. "I took a job as a mechanic when i was 14. Did that for a few years, and when i found out that i can fly here as far away from my old man as possible, and to kick some ass. And here i am."

"How'd you lose a piece of your middle finger, Joe?" Pope asked. "My dad cut it off... On accident. He was drunk, as always. One night he walks in. He heard that i wanted to Join the military... 'You're leaving your mother and I, to go fight in a useless war?' He keeps goin' on and on, then he takes out his knife and..." He pretends to cut off the top of his middle finger. "My ma took me to the hostpital. a month later, i leave to come here."

Stone nodded. "How 'bout you, Pope?" Pope sat up, and grinned. "Sure, boss. I'll give it a shot."

Zach Pope was a medium height man. He wore a red bandana over his head, he had a cobra tattoo on his forearm, and he wore the ranger uniform fully. His sleeves were rolled up, and he had a smile that could make anyone happy."I was born in a small town in South Carolina.... Yes, I'm American... my grandparents, aren't. They're Korean ironically... Anyways, i was a small kid. Always the last to be found in Hide n' Seek. There was this giant tree in my backyard. My friends and I tried to see who could climb the highest. Guess who got to the top?" He said with his chest puffed out.

"The taller, more muscular kid?" Duke asked. "Nope. Me. You should've seen that coming, Duke. I had my chest puffed out and everything. Anyways, I always wanted to join the military. Graduated high school, then joined the army. Here i am."

Stone smiled. "Thank god you did. You're the best mole i've ever seen, Zach." Pope smiled " Thanks boss, glad i'm of use to you."

Todd Rowley was in the full uniform. His blonde hair was damp from the humidity and the rain that appeared a while ago. When he's in battle, he had a helmet with leaves, twigs, and branches. His ice cold eyes looked in every direction. Some would say he had some issues, most people would agree. He's been through a lot for only a 25 year old man.

"I was orphaned when i was 7... saw my paren'ts die right before my eyes through a small crack through the closet." Rowley said in his deep voice. "I got adopted by an amazing family... but, i ran away to find my parent's killer when i turned 16."

"Did you find him?" Duke asked? Rowley nodded. "I found him after a few months. went to his place, caught him off guard. Stabbed him with a knife, but he jumped out of the window... i found his gun on the table. He was already hauling ass down the street... i took aim and fired. only needed one shot. in the middle of the forehead." Zach Pope whistled. "How'd you learn to shoot like that?"

Rowley shrugged. "It was a gift. We had those little BB guns, i shot tin cans from neighbor's fences, i once shot a bird.. But, once i shot him, i went back to my family. They never suspected nothin'. I lived a pretty normal life after that, went to the shooting range with my dad once a week. Even the pro's were impressed. Thought the military might need me, so i joined after i graduated college."

"Glad you could join us, Todd... Will, tell 'em your story." Stone said, carving a piece of wood with his commando blade.

"Eh, i was born good ol' New York City. I had an interest in uh, technology. when i was 9, i took apart our radio, and put it back together. Wouldn't even notice. I started to get into more advanced stuff. I fixed some planes at the air port, lighting, you name it. I heard they needed some technicians over here, so i joined." Will Peterson had curly brown hair, and wore cheap glasses, and had a radio strapped to his arm.

"Hope to see you in your prime time, Will.... even though that would mean we would have to be attacked, but..." Stone trailed off. Duke looked over at Cole. "What's your story, Rookie?"

Cole shrugged. "Not much to tell. I was born and raised in Baltimore. I was a smart kid, everyone loved me. I always dreamed of serving our country... i heard stories of the Wars. I went to the barber shops to listen to stories of the guys who were in it... I never shot a gun in my life until Ranger Training... but everyone said i would be a hell of an assault. Anyone would trust me of taking down the enemy. I plan on going to college after the war..."

"Yeah, i saw you out there with my scope... you have a pretty good shot. i should know." Rowley said, leaing back on a tree. "Thanks" Baker said, looking around the dense forest.

---------

"All of these guys sound like bad guys, Papa..." Ellie said. Baker shrugged and patter her head. "Sometimes, the worst bad guys make the best good guys...anyways, where was I? Oh yes!"


------------


"You guys got a sweet girl waiting for ya?" Peterson asked. "I have this sweet girl back home. I was fixing her lights for her when i got electricuted... She 'treated' my wounds..." "Eh, i have a crush... I was too busy making jokes than to actually ask her on a date..." Pope muttered. "I don't have anyone special... Just some girls i dated..."Rowley commented. "I have one. Sweetest girl in Baltimore...She's waitin' on me." Baker said. "I have a girl.... She's probably fucking everyone else in Boston right now..... but I love her..." Duke said. Peterson smiled and looked over at Stone. "What about you Boss?" Stone stared into the jungle and smiled. "Yeah.... I got one..."

He went on about her. He made her sound like the most beautiful woman in the world; a goddess trapped in human form. "I'm tellin' ya Boys, she's a looker. Beautiful. Gorgeous. Stunning. I remember the first time we met. Two years ago. the summer in my hometown, right on the beach. The sun was setting and a bunch of my buddies were surf boarding. I don't mean to brag, but I'm one of the best in all of Florida. I was going in a tunnel, watching the waves, when all of the sudden, something hits me. I fall and black out." Stone smiled then. "That's when i saw her. Her black hair all wet, those crystal blue eyes... and that suit she was wearing... I go 'I'm sorry...' She looks at me confused. 'what?' she says. 'for my sins... this is heaven right? You're an angel, right?' and that started it all boys.

"We walked along the beach, telling me I apparently hit my head on somethin' while going down... I don't even know how long we talked, but the next thing i know, the sun is rising. She's a fighter, a lover, a thinker... she's everything...We haven't split for two years. I asked her to marry me before I left for this place... 'Make it back in one piece, then yes.' she says... I plan on doing just that, boys."

"I'm touched boss. I think i'm tearing up." Duke said, pretending to sniffle. "At least he knows that his girl ain't banging every man she sees." Baker said. Everyone laughed, even Duke chuckled a bit.

"All joking aside, Cap, You are going to make it back. You have a mole, a tank, a sharpshooter, a technician, and an assault... And we got the best leader America has seen since Washington." Rowley said, sitting down with the group after looking around for a few minutes. "We're gonna win this."

((Just to let you know, not EVERYTHING will be historically correct... Like this mission they are about to go to... Its a few months off to this guy's legit death))



Nov 1st
Border of North Korea
0200 hours

Two North Korean soldiers sat in a small building guarding the border. The dirt road was like a ghost town, only the lone lamp post and the bare light bulb hanging from the ceiling. A heavyset man was fast asleep in a chair, while the other couldn't. The humidity was drenching his uniform. The man sighed and listened to the many sounds of the jungle.

He heard something. A truck. He tensed, grabbed his weapon, and walked to the front of the border. The truck stopped and the guard went up to the driver's seat. He did the regular routine he did a dozen times a day. Checked his ID, asked his name, etc. He tooked in the back of the truck full of soldiers.... all were good to go.

He motioned the driver it was all clear. The truck drove away in a cloud of dust. The toung soldier looked around, wiping the sweat off his forehead. The man saw something on the ground... A beer? No... A cold beer! He hesitated. Drinking on the job was prohibited... but it was so cold.. He pressed it up to his face and smiled.

***

Sergeant Joseph Duke knelt behind the small bulding. Judging by the sound of pleasure coming from the soldier in the street, the plan was a go. The team packed up and walked a few hours until they got here. Duke looked into the jungle and tapped his nose. Seconds later, he saw a very quick, sudden flash. It was a signal. Go time.

Duke climbed silently into the building, and waited. He saw Cole Baker rush out of the jungle, in a crouched walk towards the man holding the beer. He raised his rifle and hit him in the back of the head. Just as their leader suspected, the large sleeping man came to life.

Before the soldier could to anything, Duke wrapped his giant arms around the man's neck, and leaned back. The man kicked, grunted, and clawed at Duke's arms; Duke had him. A few seconds later, both men walked back into the jungle line.

***

"Good work, Rangers." Stone said as Duke and Baker walked back into the group. "It would've been easier just to kill 'em, Cap." Duke said as he knelt down. He knew better to question Captain Benjamin Stone's decisions... Everyone knew that. "It would have been now, but later... Anyways, lets get movin'. I don't want Pope hanging around with those Commies any longer than needed." Stone said.

Their assignment was to kill one very powerful, very protected man. Kim Chaek. This guy was going to be a problem later on for their side... So they assigned the best Company they had in Korea. This was a 'succeed or die' mission. They have to get it done quickly, percisely, and effeciently.

And Captain Stone and his men were going to do just that.

The ancient style of Asia set the design for this three story mansion. Dragons at every corner. It had multiple windows, and two doors. It had the classic tiled roofing you would expect... but it was crawling with guards. It was surrounded by a matching landscaping. Sculptures, ponds, temples surrounded the back of the mansion. The front had multiple trees, and hedges. Guards also surrounded the outside. The main gate had four men in front of it. Floodlights also hung in front, illuminating even the darkest of corners. The whole mansion was surrounded by a thick concrete wall with barbed wire on top.

It took two hours for Captain Benjamin Stone and his men to reach this place. Sergeant Todd Rowley looked through binoculars in the thick forest line a few hundred yards away. Stone talked quietly to his friends. "Alright. Zach is now a guard on a routine at this place we have about..." He looked at his watch. "Five minutes before he meets us there. Once we get in..." Stone put together a small map of the mansion with some sticks and other objects. "Peterson, you and Duke are going to go to the side of the mansion to the main electrical system." He pointed to the piece of rope. "While Baker and I walk to the basement." He indicated to the piece of bark. "Since there's so much security out here, I don't think there will be much security inside." Duke said. "Exactly. Alright, Peterson and Duke create a distraction, Baker and I go in, and kill Chaek. Rowley, i'll ask for a status report every five minutes. If i don't ask for one within that time, do NOT try to contact me. Once we kill them, Rowley will shoot his fancy gun, we escape, and go back to the border for extraction at 0700 hours. It is now 0300. We have four hours left. Everyone understand what to do?"

Distant thunder and a flash of lightning illuminated their face for a second. They all nodded. "Alright, Rangers. Let's go."

***

"Hey! you!" Private second grade Zach Pope yelled in Korean. A young man, his face covered in acne, looked up. Fear spread into his eyes as he was just caught smoking. "What the fuck do you think you're doing?" Pope yelled. "Shhhh!" the young man whispered. "You are a disgrace to this army!" Pope yelled even louder. That got someone's attention. Another man came over. "What do you think you're doing? Mr. Chaek will be awoken!" the man whispered. "I caught this boy smoking on duty!" Pope replied in a harsh whisper. "What do you want to do with this boy...?" He said curiously. "I'll think of something... in the meantime, I'll take care of his shift..." The other man nodded and started to walk off quickly

Once the man was out of sight, in one fluid motion, Pope took his rifle, and swung it like a bat towards the young man's head.

***

"Welcome, gentlemen, to hell." Pope said as his partners jumped over the cut fence. "Nice show, Zach... how did you like your ride over here?" Duke said, picking up his rifle. "Well, all they did was talk about kicking America's ass, and how many women they raped...my kind of crowd." He said sarcastically. "Status report" Stone said into the radio. "all clear. Everyone is on their front shifts... Men on the roof are turning... you might want to take cover and sneak around those statues so you don't get spotted." Rowley's faint voice said. "Copy. Alright, Zach, go back to your routine. everyone else do what you're supposed to do."

With that, everyone nodded to each other, and ran off. Duke and Peterson went to the circuits, and Baker and Stone to the basement.

Damn this is awesome dude, keep up the good work

Private Cole Baker and Captain Ben Stone knelt next to the pad locked door. Baker looked around for the steel cutter Pope buried around while on his routine. Once successful, they broke the chain and waited in dead silence. Straining to hear anyone whispering, or shouts, or footsteps; indicating that they were goners. Seconds felt like minutes. Once they thought it was safe, they opened the door, and crawled in.

***

Joseph Duke sat in silence as his friend Will Peterson started unbolting the circuit controls. "Ah man... state of the art tech over here..." Peterson whispered. "Master bedroom, front gate, hallway, bathroom, everything." "that's real nice, Will, but we gotta distract some guys and get rid of the lights near the windows. "Yeah yeah yeah... we still got time." He glanced at his watch. "We start messin' with people in exactly... four minutes.

***

Cole Baker climbed down the cold cement stairs. The room was damp and cold with the most horrible smell they have ever smelt in their lives. They reached the bottom, and stood there, waiting for any alert sounds... There were none. "Baker, shine some light..." Stone whispered. Baker took out a match, and ran it up on the wall.

What they saw sickened them.

Chained to the walls were very skinny, very afraid men, women, and children. They looked like living skeletons.They all looked at them with complete fear. Some started whimpering. Baker was honestly questioning if they were actually people. They knew what the smell was now. Feces, Urine, and sorrow. "Jesus..." Baker whispered, holding the urge to vomit. "Probably some people who disagreed with Mr. Chaek's political ways... That sick bastard..." Stone replied, looking at all of them. "What should we do...?" Baker asked. Stone hesitated. "We have a mission to complete, Soldier... " Stone finally said hoarsely. Baker nodded, and they both started walking past the whimpering men and women. Some talking under their breath... probably a prayer.

********

"Why would they do that to people, Papa?" Ellie asked. "Because they were bad guys." Jacob said, trying to dumb it down for his little sister. "Why do that to anyone? Bad guys on TV don't even do that!" Ellie exclaimed. This made the much older Baker full of sorrow, but he was proud of his grand daughter. "Sometimes, bad guys make really bad descisions on how to treat people..." Baker said softly. Of course, Cole didn't tell his grandchildren everything that happened, but he made the important details. "Anyways... Mr. Stone and I both walked up the stairs, into the man's house..."

********

The Basement door was in the kitchen. It was dead quiet. The only thing they heard was the ticking of a large clock somewhere. Stone went first, crouching and walking silently through the kitchen. He obviously memorized the layout of the house. He stopped at the door, opened it very slowly and stuck his gun between the crack. He gave the sign to Baker that it was clear, but they had to wait for Peterson now.

Getting really excited to read more.

"Status Report." Stone's voice cracked through the radio. Todd Rowley kept the scope to his eye and checked the surroundings. A little drizzle of rain started, but that wont be all. The lighting was getting brighter, and the thunder kept rolling. "All is a go boss. Peterson and Duke are at their station, and Pope is coming in a few seconds." "Good. When Pope is ready, give Peterson the signal."

***

Zachary Pope walked around the circle again... for the hundreth time. He sighed a bit and kept walking, wiping the sweat off his forehead. He looked over in the darkness, knowing Peterson and Duke were eyeing him... which made him feel weird. "Hey!" someone yelled. Pope turned to see who it was. It was the older man he met earlier. "What happened to that sorry excuse for a soldier?" He asked. "I cannot say... but let me assure you that he is being taken care of." That made the old man laugh a bit, Pope was forced to follow suit.

The flash of lightning illuminated everything, including the dark corner where his friends were hiding. He had to give Rowley the signal now! He grabbed the man by the shoulders, and faced him away from the view of the corner, and talked quietly. "Listen. While I was telling the officials of the young man's actions...They told me to give you a special message from Mr. Chaek..." The old man's eyes widened. "Really? what did he say?"

"Go fuck yourself... Oh, and God bless America." Pope said as thunder exploded, just like the man's head. Pope caught him before he fell to the ground, and dragged him in the dark corner that Peterson and Duke were in. "Its a go, Will." Zach said as he got up, straightened his suit, and started walking his shift again.

Duke looked over at the decapitated body, then at Peterson. "Rowley's a really good shot..." Peterson nodded, and unlatched the circuit box, and looked at the circuits. "Alright... show time."

***

Cole Baker and Ben Stone watched the windows go fully dark. Distant shouts and panics were heard from both outside, and inside. Stone motioned toward the doorway that lead to the main hall. They crouched at both sides, and waited. Two men walked through the doorway. Stone crossed his forearms, then pretended to slit his throught. A silent kill. Stone grabbed one man by the neck, kicked his knee in, then poped his head up. He fell limp. Baker grabbed the other man's neck, and twisted. They put them down silently to the floor. Stone signaled to the large staircase. Time to take out the target.

The walked silently up the stairs, checking every room, gun at the ready. They reached the master bedroom. "You go first, Baker..." Stone said, barely audible. Baker nodded, opened the door, and quietly walked in.

The room was empty. The darkness was illuminated by a candle. He was awakened by the distraction. Both men sat up and started looking around. "Check every square inch of this room. Stay alert. They started searching. Under the bed, behind the curtains, in the closet, nothing. They were about to leave when a figure launched at Baker. He fell to the ground hard.

It was Chaek! His face was illuminated by the flash of lightning. Hatred was in his face, and in his hand, a large blade. His hand stabbed down, but Baker stopped it, centimeters from his face. Chaek was kicked off of Baker by Stone. The blade flew into the air, and fell onto the floor. Baker and Chaek looked at each other, then at the knife. Both crawling desperately to get it. Chaek punched Baker in the face, and got the knife in his fingertips. It was kicked away by Baker. Stone dove for the knife.

Instead of fear, Chaek was still angry. He got up, and ran toward his desk. "Stop him! He's reaching for something!" Stone whispered harshly.

***

Will Peterson and Joe Duke both grinned as they saw the soldiers frantically running. Peterson messed with the floodlights, the main gate system, and the computer service. "This is too funny... hold on a second..." Peterson said, looking closely at the circuits. "What?" "I found a new little wire... I wonder what it does...?"

***

Chaek got to the desk, and pulled something out. Stone tackled him to the floor. All three of them were in silence. The only sound was them panting."Its over, Chaek..." He started to laugh. "Fools... This is the best our enemy has to offer...? I admire your ability to get in here... but soon, you will be dead."He said in a thick accent. He lifted up his hand to reveal a button.

"Shit..." Baker said. That made Chaek only laugh louder. He pressed the button, waiting to hear the sirens. The smile faded, and it turned to fear. "No... NO! The connection! What did you bastards do?" Stone smiled and brought the knife up to his kneck. "Courtesy of the West, motherfucker." With one fluid motion, he slit his throat. His face was frozen, he started to gurgle, and bubble. around his mouth, and throat.

Stone got up, and wiped the blood off the knife and gloves with his pants, then turned to Baker. "Lets get the hell out of here."

***

"Target is neutralized, Rowley. Go to work." Stone's voice said through the radio. "Roger that, Cap. I'll wait for ya." Rowley put the scope back to his eye, shot a man near Peterson and Duke. The noice was loud, and the soldiers started to look around frantically. He got up, picked up his equipment, and started to meet at the rendezvous point."

********

"Did you get caught?" Jacob asked. The much older Baker shook his head. "We made it all the way back at the exact time we were supposed to... I told you kids, Mr. Stone wasa great leader." "What did you guys do after that?" Jacob asked. "Well... we directed small groups into battles... There was actually one last mission, just before the war got over... It was June of 1953... Koreans had hostages in a small city right by a huge river... We had to save the hostages, and get out of there, with no evidence that we were there..." "How did you manage not getting caught?" Ellie asked. "Well, people knew we were there... they just couldn't find any evidence to prove that we actually were..."

June 22nd, 1953
0700 hours
North Korea

"Alright, listen up. We have exactly fifteen minutes to get to Point B. Marines are going to be on the ground to keep them distracted on them, so we can get behind the lines." Captain Ben Stone stood in front of his team. They were in an aircraft that will fly over the small town and dive in. "They will hopefully take down their AA-Guns. Once in the area, we are to find prisoners, and take them to Point C, by the river." Stone gave them all a small map on where to go. "Memorize it. Once you have, burn it."

All men have changed over the years. They have all become stronger, both mentally and physically. They were all grim from war, but still had emotion, still cracking jokes, they were all the same... but different. They all examined the map, what they were supposed to do, then burned the paper.

"Sick Bastards... They probably torched some of the prisoners already..." Duke said. "They'll have their turn in Hell, buddy... Don't worry..." Peterson Replied. The Pilot turned to the crew. "Alright, start jumping boys! God Speed." Stone nodded and turned to his crew. They were all ready with parachutes, they'll need to get their weapons from fallen soldiers. The red light turned green, and one by one, they all jumped out.

Air rushed through Baker's ears. He couldn't talk, all he could do was look. He could see fire along the tree lines, and people that looked liked dots. Some of the small town's houses have been burned, or are starting to burst into flames. This was Baker's first real jump, besides Ranger school. The sensation was like no other. It felt as if you were just floating there.

They pulled their parachutes, and slowly started to descend. Once they landed, they all regrouped at the point Stone instructed them. "Alright, find a weapon, and watch your backs! Baker, Peterson, go to the first hostage building. Duke, Pope, Go to the second. Rowley and I will help out the Marines will go to number three. Rangers, Lead the way!" Stone yelled. They all got up, drew their pistols, and went to their goals.

Private Cole Baker and Will Baker went into action. They swiftly slit two solders' throats, and grabbed their guns. Three soldiers ran out of a house. Baker and Peterson jumped over a log and fired in the air. They all went down. They hit the ground rolling. Peterson stayed down, and Baker got up, looking the other way for anyone else. "Clear!" Baker yelled as they got up.

the small hut was still intact. They went to either sides, looking at each other. Peterson held up his fingers, and counted down to three silently. The kicked open the door, weapons drawn. The room was full of people, all shoulder to shoulder with each other. They looked at them with pure fear. "Watch for anyone coming in, Cole..." Peterson said. Baker went to the door.

Peterson lowered his weapon. "Does anyone here speak english?" Silence. "Yes..." A small voice said in the back. It was a middle aged man. You could practically see every bone in his body. He got up weakly. People helped him up. "Hello, Sir. I'm Corporal Will Peterson from the United States Army. And that is Private Cole Baker. I am here to get you and the others out of here. Do you understand?" He nodded slowly. "Can you tell everyone else, please?" He cleared his throat, turned and spoke in Korean. Some smiles lit up, eager to leave this hell hole.

"There is a river a few hundred meters from this town, correct?" Peterson said. "Yes, I know of it." "Good. I need you to direct these people to this river. Then walk the bank for a few meters up north."
"Yessir. I know a short cut."
"Excellent. Do you know how to work a gun."
"Yes... but i haven't touched one in years."
"That's alright. You might not have to use it. Tell others to grab guns on the way if they know how to use them, understood?"

He nodded, and told the orders to the other people. They all got up quickly, each saying something to the two Rangers that saved them. Probably a prayer, or a thank you.
"Alright... Cap, first building was clear." Peterson said through the radio.
"Good job, Boys. Get to the rendevous point, and stand by."

****

Sergeant Joseph Duke and Private second grade Zachary Pope easily got their weapons. Duke twisted a man's head backwars, while Pope kicked them down and stabbed them. The walked quickly and carefully. They came across two men. "I call right!" Duke yelled as he charged for them. They spun around, shocked to see two men charge towards them. Duke threw his gun at him, the man dropped his and grabbed Duke's. Duke then jabbed him in the nose, he flies back, and the gun goes into mid air. He catches it.

Pope ran at him and kicked his knee in, putting the muzzle to his head and squeezed off shots. "Not too shabby, Joe." Pope said, grinning. Duke smacked him against the head. "Stay focused. Lets get to 'em." They found the building with ease. The kicked open the door, and squeezed off shots at three men in there, in the middle of executions.

"Cover me, Duke." Pope talked to the people in Korean. They all looked happy to get out as well. They all ran out of the hut, Pope and Duke came out last. "Boss, Building two is clear."
"Good job! Rowley and I just got done holding back some fire, we're on our way to three now. Meet Baker and Peterson at the rendevous point."

They both looked at each other. nodded, and ran to the meet up point.


****


Baker, Peterson, Pope, and Duke all met up a few hundred meters away from the town, and and a few meters away from the river. They waited for their leader and Rowley. When Rowley came back alone, everyone was worried. He was covered in sut. "What happened?" Peterson asked. "Where's Cap?" "He's still inside building three... He pushed me out just before the door broke...He's trying to save the rest of the people..." Rowley said through pants.

********

"Don't worry, he doesn't die yet..." Baker said. That eased both children. "How does he get out? Who gets him?" Ellie asked.

********

"I'll get him." Baker said. They all looked at him. "We don't need to lose two friends, Cole..." "Look, you guys said I know my way around an assault rifle. I can get in there quickly, get him, and get out. You all have to help the civilians... I'll be back in a few minutes..." Baker said quickly. Peterson handed him his radio.

********

"Wait, you went into a burning building to save this guy?" Jacob asked. Baker nodded. "This is when we become friends for life. We did everything together, and we were always there for each other, not matter how little the action was."

********

As soon as he got it on, he started to sprint back towards the town, Ranger Buddies got each other's backs. No matter what! is what the drill sergeants always yelled at the top of their lungs. In Ranger camp, they always had a Ranger Buddy. They told them that if their buddy fails, he fails as well.

Baker wasn't going to let Stone fail. He won't fail.

"Come on, you sick pieces of shit! I ain't going no where!" Captain Benjamin Stone yelled in the burning inferno of the building. He would get up and get the hell out of here, but there was a large log on top of his leg. All he could do is sit there, yell, and shoot whoever tried finishing him off. Another man ran in, and got shot instantly. Stone reloaded, and laughed to himself. "Well, Stone... at least you ain't going to hell without some friends..." Another one shot. "You sick fucks!" He fired his gun. "Stealing famlies!" He threw a grenade out the window. "And killing them like dogs!" He tried to fire again, but heard a click. He was out of ammo.

He started to laugh quietly. He pulled out a cigar, leaned over to a fire, and lit it. "You did good, Benny Boy..." Before getting his leg stuck, he saved the people trapped in here. Rowley was getting out when Stone heard something under a bed. A little girl, barely old enough to walk. He brought the girl to Rowley, but just before he reached the door, the house exploded from being shot by a RPG. The foor caved in, blocking the doorway. He handed the girl through the small opening, and tried to find another way out. Another explosion caused him to fall, and the other half of the roof. It landed on one of his legs, probably breaking it. He's been shooting ever since.


***

Private Cole Baker got to the village. He ran through it, looking for the third building on the map. He found it. It surrounded by a small group. Baker pulled out a grenade, and threw it in the middle of them. Before they could react, the explosion sent them flying. Baker ran to the door. Caved in, and on fire. He heard yelling from inside. "....Commie bastards.... rot in hell..." It was his Captain alright. Baker started kicking the fragile wood. It went down after a few good kicks. His leg was hurting, and part of his boot was burnt, but he charged through. "Captain! Its Baker!" He yelled as he ran in. "Baker? What he fuck are you doing here? You were supposed to leave!" Stone yelled. He was covered in ashes, and his leg was under the large log.

"I'm not going to leave my Ranger Buddy." Baker replied, trying to push the log off his leg. They both rolled it off. "Can you stand, Cap?" He attempted, then cussed. "Its not good, Cole... you should have just left me." He ignored that. Cole picked up his officer, put him over his shoulder, and started rushing out of the burning house. "Hold on tight, Captain..." Baker said as he started for the pickup point at the river. "You're one hell of a soldier, Baker... If they don't promote ya after this... "

They both laughed as Baker trudged on toward the river, and through the thick jungle.

"We made it back safely. Ben broke his leg, but we got him to the hostpital."
"What happened next, papa?"
"The war ended before we could get back into action again, so... we went home. We all stayed extremely close. Every month, we'd fly over to someone's house and spend the weekend togetheror something like that... but the one person that i connected to the most was Mr. Stone."


********

March 8th, 1954


The beach sunset reflected off the water, creating an orange glow across the horizon. Chairs were set up in rows, with a stage in front. Everyone The chairs were filled with people. All wearing hawaiian shirts, shorts, and flip-flops. They talked quietly to each other, anxious to see the bride and groom. Suddenly, a band played with caribbean instruments. Everyone turned to see the bride walk down the alley. Anna looked absolutely stunning.

Her jet black hair fell on her shoulders perfectly. She couldn't keep herself from smiling. She wore a white wedding gown, she had bronze skin, and her blue eyes twinkled, staring at the man she will mary.

Ben Stone stood on the stage, grinning. He actually cleaned up nice. His brown hair was gelled lightly. He wasn't covered in grime, dirt, or blood. He stood straight in military fashion, staring at his soon-to-be wife. He glanced over to his best man, Cole Baker. He nodded and grinned, holding up a thumbs-up, mouthing "wow!" Joseph Duke, Zach Pope, Will Peterson, and Todd Rowley were in the front row, all nodding at their friend.

***

"I do." She said, smiling wide. "With the power invested in me, I know pronounce you, 'man, and wife' you man no--" He dipped her, and kissed her for a few seconds. The front row went crazy. Ben and Anna Stone laughed, and kissed again. Stone lifted his wife up, and headed for the ocean. She yelled, and laughed as they dove in. Everyone followed suit.

***

The party was perfect. The pier was filled with family from both sides, dancing, talking, eating, and having a good time. The caribbean band kept playing. The boys were all huddled together. "Damn... Ben's wife is H-O-T hot!" Pope said quietly. They all nodded in agreement, laughing a bit. They all looked the same, except clean. It was surprising, to be honest, to see each other this way. "Cole, I hear you're going strong with your lady... where is she anyways?" Peterson asked. "She's using the restroom... I have to drink all the beer I can now, boys... I owe her a dance, and I need the alcohol's dancing powers to help me with this." They laughed again.

Benjamin Stone walked over to them. "I said get a date, gentlymen! Geez, you're like the awkward kids at the prom!" Stone said, smiling. "Hey, Will and I brought someone, Ben. Its these two who didn't." Baker said, smiling. "Maybe they are dating..." Stone said. Pope and Duke looked at each other, then laughed. "Yeah, right. I date people who are at least half my size." Duke said. "And i like to date people who don't make children scream..." Pope countered.

They all laughed and leaned on the rail of the boardwalk, watching the sunset. "We're all happy for you, Ben." Cole said, patting him on the back. "Yeah man... very very nice catch, by the way." They all looked back at his wife. She was sharing a dance with her father. "Yeah... She's one hell of a woman..." They all took a sip of their drinks. "To friends, family, loved ones, and Ranger Buddies..." Stone said, raising his glass. They all toasted, and took another sip. "Now if you'll excuse me, boys... I have a beautiful wife giving me the 'come over here' gesture... damn, thats hot." He finished his drink, and walked toward the dance floor.

"So... you're in between a gay guy, and a female model. Which one do you turn your back to...?" Joe said. They all burst out laughing. Just like in the Korean Jungle.

((Sorry I haven't been on much... that will change though! I have more ideas to come for these stories!))


Vietnam
September 14, 1956
1300 hours


Cole Baker knew he'd be in this war one way or another. He prayed that he didn't have to leave Baltimore a year ago, when the war started. But he was asked to join again. He didn't want to leave his wife. He had enough war. But he climbed the ranks by joining again... Srgt. Cole Baker, now. He climbed out of the aircraft, and looked around. They were in a very low densed forest. There were trenches everywhere, and fires burned in the distance. The bunkers were full of injured soldiers. People ran around, getting ready to go into battle.

Here we go again, Baker thought in his mind as he moved out of the way of running privates. He wondered who is ranger leader and team was.... He walked toward a bunker, and was shocked on what he saw.

Joseph Duke, Zach Pope, Todd Rowley, and Will Peterson were playing a card game in the stuffy hut. Joseph glanced over at the entry way, A huge smile creeping up on his face. "Ho-ly Shit." He said. Everyone turned and grinned, getting up to meet their friend. They all caught up, they haven't seen each other since they all went rock climbing in Utah a year and a half ago. "What are the odds?" Baker smiled as he embraced all of them. "Hey, we were heroes back in Korea. We were a hell of a team!" Duke yelled.

"Whose in charge?" Baker asked. they all shook there heads. "We haven't had one yet. We all got here a a few days after each other. They keep sayin' he's fighting at another base. He's gonna come soon. Come on! I haven't won money from you in years!" Pope said, gesturing towards the card table.

**

They were all talking like the good old days. "Read it and weep, boys!" Peterson said as he put down his cards. They all whistled at the cards. "That's a nice hand, Will... but not as good as this." Rowley said, putting down a full house of aces. "holy shit.." baker said, patting Rowley on the back. He was goin to collect the money, when a large hunting knife hit the cards. They all looked up and laughed as they saw Master Sergeant Ben Stone standing over them, his white teeth gleaming. "Damn, you guys look to clean to be here." He said.

"We weren't event here for a day, and we were in the front line of battle... in the most ridiculous way imaginable." Baker said.

"What did you guys do?" The grandson asked. "We took Jeeps and drove through the jungle to weaken the defenses for our troops."

"No way! that sounds like something from a video game!"

Baker laughed a bit. "Where do you think they got the idea from? It was me Duke and Stone in one Jeep, and Peterson, Pope, and Rowley in the other..."


********

Vietnam
September 15, 1956
1400 hours


"2 O'clock!" Baker screamed over the engine and branches brushing by them. Baker was in the passenger seat, Stone was driving, and Duke was on the turret on the back. A small group was getting an RPG ready for them, but thanks to the turret skills of Joe, and Baker's eyes, they mowed them down before they could fire. "KillJoy this is RoadRage. What's your status, over?" Baker said through the radio.

"We're a-okay, RoadRage. Just trekking our way to the rendezvous point, over." Pope's voice staticed through the radio. They were going incredibly fast, but somehow not getting hit by anything. "Alright, boys, we're going to be crossing a river, i hope you don't mind getting we-- Shit! Check our Six!"

Another vehicle has joined them. vietnam soldiers. "Fuck!" Joe yelled spinning around and firing. "Hold on, Boys!" Stone said, slamming on the brakes and spinning around a tree, and skidding. Baker almost barfed, but held it in. They were now behind the confused soldiers. Baker and Duke both fired at them. "Baker, you know what to do!" Stone yelled, getting side by side to them after shooting the turret operator. Baker fired at the driver. The vehicle steered into a tree trunk. They all cheered, but stopped as they got to the River.

On the other side was a whole battalion of vietnam soldiers. Stone steered to a stop. "Holy... Fuck..." Duke said quietly, looking at the scene.

"yeah... RoadRage... we got a problem." Pope said through the radio.