(unfinished project, updates as we post new chapters
update 11 Jan â20: Chapter I t/m III posted)
#JMR: A RIDE TO HELL
76 Commando, Royal Marines Special Operations.
Team E.O.A. (Echo Omega Alpha)
HMS Dragon
Coast Horn of Africa (Bereeda, Somalia)
A RIDE TO HELL
I.
She stared at him, her own husband, what did he just said? Did she even understood his words or was her English failing after so many years that she was unable to make her own conclusion? âSirâŠâ she asked nearly in a whisper when she saw her own teammates shake their heads, she knew that she would get the same explanation as before and it would hit them again just like before. They sat at the AIC while the ship was just outside the coast of Horn of Africa, again. Dragonâs Royal Marines had to bring the peace between multiple groups, again. But this time without the backup of Dragon.
âCRSM dâEste.â The Admiral stated while he looked at his wife, he saw the fear in her eyes, in all of their eyes and to be honest, he felt it too. Leaving their Marines on their own wasnât something he was quite happy to do, but higher command ordered Dragon to move on to the next mission while the E.O.A. would make sure that this problem was to be solved only to be picked up again in four weeks. âThis is from higher command, I wish I could say no, but then I bring all of us on this ship in jeopardy.â She knew he was right and she knew he couldnât do anything against it, how badly he wanted it.
A soft cough filled the room when the screen showed that theyâve reached âportâ, which in real life wasnât more than a hidden spot for the ship to moor. Everybody stared at it, knowing this would their goodbyes for a long time, there was never a chance that either of the two would be done within a month. âGear up.â Was everything she said and everybody nodded before walking out, formalities didnât matter anymore. As everybody had left, Mary looked at James who, suddenly looked about 10 years older due what he just had to tell them. âWeâre going to be fine.â She whispered when she stepped a bit closer and they would be fine, it was their job, they got the training, theyâve done it before, many, many times.
âItâs not about you being fine.â His voice sounded raw and even more deeper than it normally was. The Admiral bit his lip, trying to control his own emotions, this was why you donât go on deployment with family. âI canât give you backup if you need it, i canât get you out of there if everything goes wrong and that just terrifies me.â He admitted and it showed that he had changed from once being the fearless Lord High Admiral in the 17th Century to someone who actually cared about his own wellbeing and those of others. He couldnât lose her, he wouldnât lose her, there was nothing in his being that would accept that fate. She looked up at him, seeing her life partner, her commanding officer, the Admiral suddenly as a vulnerable man, something she had seen before, but never at sea. âJames.â She whispered, knowing their time was about to run out and she had to gear up and walk off ship for at least four weeks. âNothing will go wrong, we will be managing it, I will be managing it.â Coming quickly to the conclusion that she was the one in charge of the entire Marine team, she shrugged that thought away. âI promise, we will be okay.â They both knew that they couldnât promise that to each other and yet they said it each time one of them went of deployment, there was no foreseeing of the future to be a 100% sure theyâd be fine, there was no guarantee that they would see each other, or the children, ever again. But strangely that thought kept them going, those simple words of âIâll be okay.â.
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He didnât speak, he listened to her words and he knew he had the best Marine team in the world, they worked perfectly together, with each other and with Dragon, but something he couldnât put his finger on, a strange feeling in his gut that told him to be careful. Sometimes wishing he had still the same mindset as he had back in the days, fighting or dying, when it came to Navy Battles, but maybe he shouldnât never gotten married then.
Pulling her close, he forgot about formalities now, he forgot about the difference of their ranks, he never was âallowedâ to be with Mary as long as she served under his command, but strangely nobody actually cared when they did. Not the crew, not the First Sea Lord, not his/their Commanding Officer from then. Maybe it was history repeating itself, allowing things to happen. Cupping her cheeks, he softly kissed her before letting go again, then they just looked at each other trying to find the words but their hearts already had spoken and the final words he said before she really had to get ready were just a simple âGear up, Marine.â Which, on her call, made her chuckle and she replied with a formal, yet informal âAye, Sir.â
Walking out of AIC towards the armoury to grab her stuff, she let out a long sigh, she knew what was about to happen, everybody knew, everybody knew they had to trust each other more than a hundred per cent and more than with âjustâ their lives. Walking in, seeing her team gearing up, she knew that theyâd be fine, but she also knew that this would be a ride to hell.
II.
âReady to engage.â He heard her voice through the com and he let out a silent sigh. âCaptain, ready when you are.â And he heard Victor mumble something towards his bridge crew. âSir, ready in 5, CRSM, stand-by.â James confirmed Victorâs answer and he just leaned back in his chair in AIC, seeing the ship coming closing to land on the radar system, there was nothing he could do, even there was a lot he wanted to do. âEcho Omega Alpha ready to dispatch.â Mary said with a voice that nobody really could describe, it was a voice of fear, anger but mostly, a voice of being ready to roll into action, James had to be honest, that voice scared him, every single time he heard it, it always ended with them being engaged in a dangerous operation and each time, they nearly lost their lives. What made her keep doing this was something he didnât know, was something he couldnât understand, but it was something also that lived inside himself.Â
âE.O.A. Good luck.â Were his last words before the Marines set foot on African soil and they had to sail out again. Hearing a confirming âFair Winds, Dragonâ in reply to his words, he choked up, closed the com line and looked at the some of the crew in AIC, who looked at him questioning. âWe are going to back up to Yemen, NATO asked our help in protecting the interests.â And before anyone could even ask him, he added. âOur Marine team will be fine, they are the most trained people on this planet.â They were, but it was difficult to believe it, because everybody knew the situation in Somalia. Some of the crew nodded, while others started whispering with each other, the Admiral was aware that if he would make one slip considering going to back for them, it was the end of his career and the trust the crew had in him.Â
Seeing the ship sail out of their small hidden spot (for as small as it couldâve hid a Navy Vessel), Mary focused on her breathing as she nearly got herself into a panic attack, most of the times the ship sailed out they just stopped a couple of miles before the coast to give them support when needed, but now they disappeared out their sight. Turning around to her team, the 7 Marines looked at her, awaiting her command. âRight, letâs get to base camp and meet up with the 68 Commando.â Looking at her Flag Sergeant, he confirmed her idea by a simple nod, even he rather be picked up by their comrades to be quicker at the place of arrival, it was about an hour walk, through the village, filled with members of the different groups. âChange into local clothing.â Mary ordered the team when she walked to one of the hidden boxes in the sand where their colleagues had hidden clothing for them, opening the boxes she picked out some clothing and changed herself. While the others did the same, she looked around to see if there was no-one around to make their first steps a hard one.
As the coast of Somalia disappeared and Dragon was entering the Yemen waterâs, the Admiral immediately regretted ever agreeing on going on this deployment, the struggle they had to get access by the Yemen government was a promise that this would be a long and hard fight, knowing that the Russians were near as well, as well the Yemenâs Navy was following their movements precisely. âItâs almost terrifying.â He heard his Captain say when they noticed one of the Yemenâs Navy ships on their tail, it suddenly became a tensing situation, forgetting everything of that morning, James connected the com to the all-round system and ordered everyone to their stations. âAll Hands to Action Stations. I repeat; All Hands to Action Stations.â Geared up in their anti-flash gear the entire Dragon was ready for when it went wrong and the entire AIC was filled with people who had multiple functions, but everybody had to listen to the one in Command and James his skills were about to be tested.
III.
Making their way up to the base camp of the U.S. Armed Forces, the team did enjoy the beautiful views that Somalia had to offer, even knowing that at any minute there might be breaking out a war at the place they were walking, the Marines didnât stopped admiring the views and telling each other jokes about earlier deployments. The 76 Commando was a fairly new task force, even though the entire Commando was filled with 20 of the best Royal Marines the United Kingdom ever had to offer, it was still new to work with each other and mainly to trust one another with everything you had. Mary had been one of the 6 women that joined the Royal Marines in the past 30 years and she was only one of the 3 women left that were still in active service, she was the only one in this Commando Task Force. She didnât hate it, she just had to struggle with some of the men who had trouble listening to a woman whoâs been a higher rank and thus in command, the beginning was hard and difficult and she begged James many times to have her admitted to his Navy crew, to have her transferred to the Navy, but he refused, just like how he refused to claim the Duchy of Modena back in the 1690âs, she hated him for that, but to be honest, she was glad he did push her to keep on going.
His eyes did hurt from the green bright lines on the radar system and the sound of the beep was stuck in his head, the past hours all he, they, did was just staring at the screens to see if anything would happen near them or even better, against them. Somewhere inside him he had the need to go into a heavy Naval battle, it would give him the adrenaline kick he longed for, the kick he loved, but it would also give them a chance to end up dead. But then, he needed to stay alive, he needed to get her back. Resting his head in his hands, James let out a sigh while rubbing his eyes, maybe it was time to actually start wearing his glasses. âSir, Iâve got some coffee for ya.â The Midshipman stood next to him and the smell of the black caffeinated drank did him good. âBless you, mate.â He took gratefully the hot mug, it wasnât allowed to drink near the systems, but since the ship was on a straight course he took that risk. âGet something to eat, weâre not done yet.â He ordered his personnel in the AIC, the night was going to be long, very long.
Mary had regretted every decision she made up to this moment, the moment when they walked through the town on their way to the U.S. camp and the people knew, they knew but they kept quiet because if someone made a sound that sounded like âAmericansâ, even though they were the British, they would fight their way through the city and they will lose that fight. When a man walked towards them, the CRSM quickly looked at her FL.SGT. who warned the others, their orders were clear; keep the peace, but when they got shot, they shoot back. She rested her hand on the handgun she kept in her pocket, it was a quick way out, maybe not the most smartest way, but at least she wouldâve be able to protect herself for a second. Stopping when the man slowed his phase, Mary looked towards Jack again, her Flag Sergeant, who answered her look with a simple eyebrow raise and stepping aside to let that man pass if he had the desire for that. Holding in her breath, the group watched the man fully stop in front of them, or better said, in the middle of them.
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