Heroic Commandos

**Rio de Janeiro, Brazil**

**1990**

The rotors of the Tomahawk helicopter beat the air with
their steady rhythm as the Argentine pilot, codenamed Glenda, thought to
herself, *‘This was supposed to be an easy mission,’* for the third time
in ten minutes.

Fifteen minutes earlier, she’d dropped off four of her
fellow members of the secret special ops unit known officially as Task Force
282, a joint Brazilian, Argentine, and Chilean group. The mission had been
simple; to move through the slums of Rio, to a target building identified by
the unit’s undercover specialist, Sparta, and stage a raid on the building.

Five minutes later, the mission plan was in the toilet as
the squad, lead by Sergeant Manleh, had been ambushed by a group of Cobra’s
Invasor troops and a large number of civilian criminals, all sporting Cobra
sigils.

Glenda turned in her seat to look back at Topson, the unit’s
communications specialist.

“Anything?” she asked.

“Nope,” Topson answered. The former criminal was trying to
spot the team as they battled their way through the alleys and streets of the
favela.

At the side of the helicopter, Sokerk, the Brazilian machine
gunner, was leaning out the open door, scanning the streets.

“They are so screwed,” he commented. “I knew we should’ve
deployed the team in the VAMPs.”

“Quit your bitching,” Topson told him. “Manleh over-ruled
you. Just live with it.”

In the narrow streets below, Manleh was running full-tilt
towards the landing zone where the Tomahawk was supposed to pick up the team.
His sub-machine gun clenched tightly in his hand, he risked a backward glance
to see Condor, Shimik and Fuego, the other three members of the team, were
still close on his heels.

Manleh could also see a dozen of the Cobra militia members
pursuing them. He turned his attention back to where he was going and saw an
intersection of alleys ahead. He swung to the left, slowing slightly.

Halfway down the alley, he slowed even more when he saw a
group of Cobra Invasors running toward them.

Cursing in Spanish, Manleh dived to the left, crashed
through a wooden door into a shanty house and ran straight through the two
rooms of the house. He dove through a window, crashed on to the roof of another
house and picked himself up before running on. Condor, close on his heels,
yelled, “You’re completely loco, Manleh! You’re gonna get us killed!”

“Save your breath for running, Condor!” Fuego called as he
caught up to them.

Shimik keyed his throat mike and called to the helicopter
overhead. “Glenda, this is Shimik. We’re on the rooftops. Can you see us?”

Overhead the Tomahawk was now circling around as Manleh
leaped from one rooftop across an alley onto another. Bullets whipped past the
team as the Cobras opened fire with their assault rifles.

On board the helicopter, Sokerk called out to Glenda, “I see
them! Two hundred metres west of the LZ. Cobras on their asses!”

“Give them some cover fire!” Glenda snapped back as she slid
the Tomahawk into a sideways drift and dropped the altitude.

Sokerk responded by opening fire with the helicopter’s 20mm
machine gun.

Glenda dropped the Tomahawk to near rooftop level and held
it steady as the four commandos sprinted across one building, dropped onto the
corrugated tin roof of another and ran toward her.

Topson helped the four soldiers scramble aboard as Sokerk
gave more cover fire.

Glenda shoved the helicopter into a rapid climb as the
Cobras opened fire.

The Tomahawk raced away, gaining altitude as it did so.

**Headquarters of the Brazilian 1st Special Forces Battalion**

**Half an hour later**

The commandos trudged into the ready room they typically
occupied at the Brazilian barracks, to find their commanding officer, El
Coronel, was waiting for them. Shimik, Condor, Fuego and Manleh struggled to
pull themselves to attention; they were so tired.

El Coronel waved them to the seats. “Relax, Commandos, take
some time to get your breath back.”

The colonel turned his attention to Glenda. “What happened?”

The pilot shrugged. “We got to the drop-off point without
any problems, I inserted the team at the DZ as planned. I moved up to the
pre-planned orbit track over the favela, and we got a call from Shimik that the
team was taking fire. He reported that they were under attack from civilian
gunmen.”

Shimik nodded, “They were gang members. All wearing Cobra
sigils. Armed with AK-47s. We fought them off and pressed on to the objective.
Then more of them started showing up everywhere.”

Manleh cut in, “I ordered Shimik to call for extraction, but
we couldn’t retreat to the DZ, we were cut off. We tried to press on to the
agreed upon landing zone, but we were under attack from civilians and uniformed
Cobra Invasor troops.”

Manleh went on to explain their pursuit across the rooftops
and final extraction.

“We didn’t expect so many Invasor troops to be there,”
Manleh concluded. “Or for there to be civilians working with them.”

Condor spoke up, “Sir, as we were passing the target
building, I’m sure I saw Cobra de Aco being bundled out of a side door. I saw
his yellow body armour.”

El Coronel raised his eyebrows. “The Steel Cobra? Really?”

“Positive,” Condor answered.

El Coronel silently thought this news over. Finally, he
looked up at the soldiers once again. “I think we’re on to something important.
I’m going to speak to the general and see if we can have support from the 1st
Battalion and raid that place again.” The colonel smiled, “In the meantime, get
some rest all of you.”

An hour later, El Coronel returned to the ready room.
Sokerk, Manleh, Shimik and Topson were playing cards for pocket change. Condor
was reading a Tom Clancy novel, whilst Fuego and Estopim were playing a video
game. Glenda was reading a helicopter manual.

Shimik spotted the colonel and leaped to his feet, snapping
out, “Attention!”

“At ease,” El Coronel responded as the soldiers leaped to
their feet.

The group relaxed into the easy stance.

“The Brazilian government and the general have agreed to the
Special Operations Battalion assisting in another raid on our target in the
favela. Wheels up in four hours,” El Coronel informed them.

**Four hours later**

The six helicopters flew toward the favela in the increasing
darkness. It was two hours after sunset and lights lit the windows of many of
the shanty buildings. Glenda held the Commandos’ helicopter away from the
target area as the other four flew to specific positions forming a square
around the building. The sixth helicopter was circling at higher altitude
overhead.

Topson received a message on his radio moments later.

“All four teams are down and holding position,” he reported.
“We’re clear to move in.”

Glenda nodded and shoved the throttle forward. The Tomahawk
swept in toward the target building and then hovered over the narrow street
outside.

Redmack quickly tossed the ropes out the helicopter’s doors,
before Condor, Fuego, Manleh and Shimik fast-roped down to the street. As they
moved away, Estopim and Redmack slid down to the street, whilst Sokerk manned
the Tomahawk’s gun to cover them.

In the distance, the clatter of automatic weapons fire was
just audible over the helicopter’s rotors beating the air, before Glenda pulled
back.

Most people don’t realise just how damn loud a gunshot is.
Enclosing the weapon and its report in a building or a narrow street amplifies
the noise. It was for this reason the Brazilian soldiers and the commandos of
Task Force 282 were using suppressed sub-machine guns. Only Estopim was using
an assault rifle, his M4 carbine fitted with an M203 grenade launcher, which
held a single tear gas round.

Manleh and Shimik moved to the left of the door as Topson
reported over the team’s headset radios, “*Alpha and Beta teams are under attack from civilian gangs. They’re holding the perimeter, but only just*.”

“We’re on it,” Shimik answered as Condor and Fuego took
their places at the right.

Manleh nodded to Redmack who shouted in Portuguese,
“Attention, Cobras! Come out with your hands up and no weapons or we’re coming
in!”

For a moment there was no response. Then a burst of gunfire
shredded the thin wooden door. Luckily, no one was in the line of fire.

Estopim fired his tear-gas grenade into the rundown
building, the grenade shattering the window as it smashed in.

The four members of the assault team had their respirators
in place and charged in.

Six Cobra Invasors were on the floor choking on the gas, as
was another figure, one clad in a red martial artist’s outfit.

Manleh and Shimik immediately grabbed him and hauled him out
into the street.

Once outside, the red-clad figure with the silver Cobra
sigil on the left side of his tunic was recognisable as the notorious ninja
known as Satan.

Redmack quickly stepped forward and shoved Satan’s wrists
into a plastic flex-tie. Estopim covered Redmack, as the intelligence
specialist quickly removed the ninja’s sword, shuriken, knife, nunchucks and
longbow from his body.

Condor and Fuego dragged out and restrained the other
Cobras.

In moments, the team bundled the still blinded and stumbling
prisoners across to another building, guiding them on to the flat roof.

Glenda brought the Tomahawk down to the level of the roof
and the six soldiers guided the prisoners into the helicopter. Topson, sitting
in the co-pilot’s seat, gasped when he saw Satan.

“Holy mother of God,” he commented. “Is that who I think?”

“Sure is,” Manleh answered.

Glenda quickly sped the Tomahawk away from the favela as
Topson reported into the command helicopter that they were exfiltrating the
area and that the Brazilian soldiers could now disengage and pull out.

**Headquarters of the Brazilian 1st Special Forces Battalion**

When the Commandos’ Tomahawk landed back at the Brazilian
base, the captured Invasor troops were swiftly off-loaded and handed over to
the Brazilian Special Forces troops who met the helicopter. Satan was left on
board with Redmack, Condor and Fuego. The others disembarked to report to El
Coronel, whilst Glenda lifted off to head for the team’s base in Argentina.

**Task Force 282 Headquarters**

**Argentina**

**Two days later**

Attempts to interrogate Satan had got the commandos nowhere
fast. Despite Redmack’s best efforts, the ninja wouldn’t speak. He’d tried
everything short of torture and the Cobra assassin had said nothing. El Coronel
had alerted G.I. Joe and Action Force, the American and European counter-Cobra
teams, to the capture of Satan and both had dispatched teams to South America.

El Coronel and Redmack were conversing outside the base’s
prison block when the thudding beat of helicopter rotors split the air. Both
looked up to see two dark blue transport helicopters descending toward the
camp.

“Is that the Joes and the Action Force team?” Redmack
wondered.

His reply was the sudden eruption of gunfire from the two
helicopters as pintle-mounted machine-guns blazed at the ground.

El Coronel and Redmack charged into the prison building as
the bullets stitched a line across the base’s airstrip and shredded one of the
commandos’ transport helicopters.

Sirens began wailing across the base as the two helicopters
touched down and twenty Invasor troops leaped from the two helicopters. One
squad headed straight for the prison block, the other for the barracks.

Redmack lead El Coronel into the small prison’s armoury room
and the pair withdrew an assault rifle each.

Once they returned to the doors, the ten Invasors were only
a few feet away. Both sides opened fire.

Three Invasors were cut down before El Coronel and Redmack
dived for cover as bullets slammed into the walls of the building. The two
soldiers ducked behind the desk in the lobby as the Invasor troops sprayed more
gunfire at them.

Through the open door, Redmack could see the gunmen getting
ready to storm the building.

Sure enough, a flash-bang was thrown in seconds later and
detonated, blinding and deafening the pair. The Invasors charged in, passing
the two men as they ran along the narrow corridor that led in to the cellblock
itself. One of the Invasors unslung a shotgun from his shoulder and fired three
times, destroying the lock and the hinges.

Another Invasor kicked the door down, but was shot dead as
the two guards, members of the regular Argentine Army, opened fire.

The Invasor troops opened fire, liberally spraying the
cellblock with automatic fire. Then three strode in to the block. Seconds
later, the group charged back out.

Outside, Estopim and Manleh were attempting to flank the
Invasor group outside the barracks as they pinned down Shimik and Sokerk
inside. Estopim fired a grenade into the group, sending several of the Invasors
flying as the grenade blew apart a jeep they were using as cover.

Before the commandos could capitalise on their success, the
two Cobra transport helicopters dropped back to the ground and collected the
survivors. The two helicopters lifted off and raced south.

Inside the cellblock, Redmack stood looking down at Satan’s
dead body. He turned to El Coronel.

“I can’t believe they’d be so incompetent as to shoot the
guy they came to rescue,” he said.

The commanding officer shrugged. “Certainly looks like they
were.”

An hour later, an Argentine Army transport helicopter landed
at the base and dropped off the visitors. Redmack and El Coronel greeted them.

Clean-up crews were still working as the colonel exchanged
salutes with the four men and two women.

Redmack stepped forward, “Nice to see you again, Scarlett.”

The American woman looked politely blank as she stared at
him. “Sorry, have we met?”

“Only once and only briefly,” Redmack answered. “I was only
with the G.I. Joe team for a few weeks and you were part of the team that
briefed me on my special mission down here before I got permanently seconded to
the Two-Eight-Two.”

Scarlett smiled, “Redmack. The mission in the Andes. Now I
remember.”

She turned to the two men with her, “Let me introduce you to
Chuckles and Law. They both joined several years after you left.”

Redmack was slightly intimidated by Chuckles, who was a
large bear of a man. He wore a loud Hawaiian shirt with plain tan coloured
trousers. A large pistol was holstered on the left of his chest. Law on the
other hand, had friendly demeanour and was wearing a blue sleeveless jacket
over a red t-shirt and green trousers. A police badge on his jacket and an MP
armband confirmed what his job was with the Joe team, military policeman. What
Chuckles’ role was, Redmack didn’t know.

The other woman stepped forward and shook Redmack’s hand.
“Hello,” the blonde said, in a Germanic sounding accent. “I’m Quarrel and these
are my colleagues; Stockade and Sentinel.”

Redmack shook hands. Quarrel’s short boyish hairstyle was a
contrast to the fiery red ponytail of Scarlett, but otherwise, the two women
looked oddly alike. Quarrel, however, wore a green and black outfit which
contrasted with Scarlett’s tan and purple ensemble. The two European men were
dressed in British style camouflage trousers and jackets. Both wore a red cap
and an MP armband. Like Law and Chuckles, they carried side arms, but their
pistols were in holsters at their right hip, not shoulder rigs like the
Americans.

“Well, I hate to say you’ve arrived at a bad time, but we’ve
just had an Invasor raiding party blow in and out. Satan was killed in the
attack,” Redmack explained.

“What’s an Invasor?” Sentinel asked. He spoke with a British
accent Redmack didn’t recognise.

“It’s the name given to the basic Cobra grunts locally,”
Quarrel answered. “Didn’t you read the briefing?”

“Not the background guff, ma’am,” Sentinel answered. Quarrel
rolled her eyes.

“Satan was killed?” Law asked, getting to the heart of the
matter. “How?”

“At first we thought it was accidental, when the Invasor
team attacked the cell-block and they killed two Argentine Army guards,”
Redmack answered. “But playing back the security camera footage shows they were
deliberately firing into the cells. It looks like the point of this attack
wasn’t to spring this guy, it was to kill him.”

Stockade frowned, “Why kill their own man?”

“That’s what we’re trying to work out,” Redmack answered.

The intelligence specialist led them to the infirmary, where
the Commandos’ medic, SOS, was waiting for them in the mortuary.

“Our ninja friend here was killed by multiple gunshots to
the chest,” SOS explained as Chuckles folded back the white sheet over the body
and studied his face.

“Anything come up in the examination?” Chuckles asked as he
studied the corpse’s face.

“Yes,” SOS replied, “I only just found this.” He held up the
dead man’s right arm. A large scar was visible along the skin.

“Looks like someone tried carving his skin off,” Sentinel
observed. “Training accident?”

“Possibly,” Chuckles said as he looked closely at the arm.
“Or possibly someone wanted to remove a tattoo.”

Quarrel and her colleagues exchanged blank looks.

“A tattoo?” Quarrel asked.

“Yes, there’s a certain ninja clan which has a tattoo on
their right forearm,” Chuckles said. “I take it Storm Shadow never operated in
Europe?”

“Not that I know of,” Quarrel answered. “Cobra Europe’s
principal assassin is a Snake style Kung Fu master called ‘Shadow Snake’. He’s
bad enough.”

Chuckles turned his attention to Scarlett. “I want to head
back Stateside and speak to Storm Shadow. See if he knows this clown.”

“We have faxed the guy’s prints and a photo to the FBI,
Interpol and the Japanese security service, see if any of them know who he is,”
Redmack cut in.

“Good,” Scarlett said. “But if Chuckles is right and this
guy’s from Storm Shadow’s clan, he might have more info.” She turned back to
the investigator. “Talk to El Coronel, see if he whistle up a jet to get you
back there. I’ll call the P.I.T. and get them to send Storm Shadow to meet
you.”

Chuckles nodded and left.

“In the meantime, I guess we can carry on trying to figure
out who this guy was,” Scarlett added.

Once Chuckles was on his way back to America, Scarlett,
Quarrel and Redmack closeted themselves in Redmack’s intelligence office and
began going over all the files the commandos had on Satan.

With nothing better to do, Stockade and Sentinel went to the
firing range, where they met Glenda, Estopim, Manleh and Condor.

Stockade was struck by the uncanny feeling Glenda, Scarlett
and Quarrel looked similar. Considering one was Swiss, one Argentine and one American,
it was an odd thing to think.

The two MPs discussed some of the missions they’d been on
with the South Americans, who also discussed some of their operations.

Law, meanwhile, went to visit the Argentine Army guards and
their dogs, since he was missing his own canine partner, Order.

The following morning, Stockade and Sentinel met Estopim at
the firing range for a friendly shooting competition to see who was the best
shot.

They were halfway through the match when alarms began to
sound, before a voice began announcing something in Spanish, which the MPs
didn’t understand. Estopim turned and charged out the door without an
explanation. The two British soldiers raced to the headquarters building to
find Scarlett, Quarrel and Redmack conversing with El Coronel and a Chilean
Army officer.

Quarrel took them aside and explained that a vehicle depot
belonging to the task force was under attack from Cobra.

“The commandos lit out of here in a hurry. Redmack got
detailed to baby-sit us, so don’t expect him to be too cheerful,” Quarrel
explained. “They’ve taken a pair of their VAMP jeeps and an APC with Glenda
giving them air cover in a captured FANG.”

“What’s a VAMP?” Stockade asked.

“Vehicle: Attack, Multi-Purpose,” Redmack explained as he
approached. “The original GI Joe jeep. The US government sold a load of
vehicles to the Brazilian and Argentine governments to use. VAMPs, AWE
Strikers, RAMs, APCs, a few Wolverines, a couple of Dragonflies and a
Tomahawk.”

“We use the VAMP in Action Force,” Quarrel cut in. “Only
ours are called Panthers. The US gave licenses to several European companies to
manufacture Joe vehicles, others they leased to us. We’ve got licensed copies
of the VAMP, RAM, APC, Striker and Armadillo. We lease Wolverines, MOBATs,
Dragonflies, Conquest X-30s, Devilfish and a few Tomahawks.”

“Wow,” Redmack said. “Do you actually use any of your own
stuff?”

“Sure,” Quarrel replied. “Z Force uses our own design of
jeeps, as well as the AWE Striker. Q-Force uses nearly all European-built
boats; only a few Devilfish are imports. Space Force also use European built
craft, the Triad, the Satellite Defence and the Cosmic Cruiser. All our
spacecraft are European built.”

“Yeah, and we ripped off the Cobra FANG as the SAS Force
Hawk helicopter. Stole the designs, Quarrel did,” Stockade put in.

“And the Stinger jeep,” Sentinel added. “Only SAS Force
calls it the ‘Puma’.”

“MARS must love that,” Redmack said.

“Yeah, there’s a court-case going on. Of course it didn’t
help when Ironblood flipped out and gave us all the locations of his bases and
we sent him to jail. MARS lost the sales of SNAKE armour suits and Hyenas.”

“What’s a SNAKE armour suit? Do you mean Escape Armour?”
Stockade asked.

“Yes,” Quarrel answered. “MARS sold it to Ironblood as the
‘Escape Armour’. Cobra calls it the SNAKE.”

“What’s a Hyena?” Redmack asked.

“A HISS tank with better engines and a few other
modifications,” Quarrel answered.

“How does an American wind up in a South American
counter-Cobra unit, any how?” Sentinel suddenly asked.

“I joined G.I. Joe,” Redmack replied. “One of the few people
who spoke Portuguese and Spanish, they deployed me down here on a special
mission. Just after that, Brazil, Chile and Argentina finally signed the
co-operation treaty that founded the task force. I was asked to stay on and
wound up with a permanent secondment.”

“Oh, was that the special mission in Brazil, I heard the
Joes ran?” Quarrel asked.

“No, I was up in the Andes. Some other guys handled the
Brazilian op. Both were contributing factors to the team being formed,” Redmack
replied. “Along with Ironblood stealing weapons from an Argentine Army arsenal
and some ops Action Force ran down here.”

**Task-Force 282 vehicle depot**

**The same time**

While Redmack was conversing with the European visitors, his
teammates were busy racing toward the base under attack.

The depot was little more than a group of warehouses a few
miles outside the nearest town.

A guard force of thirty Argentine Army soldiers was assigned
to the depot. When the commandos arrived, they found the guard force were
out-numbered and out-gunned, as the Cobra force included six HISS tanks, four
STUN assault vehicles and a dozen Ferrets.

Glenda immediately opened fire with her helicopter’s rockets
and destroyed two of the HISS tanks and a STUN.

As the Cobra forces reacted to the sudden air attack, Glenda
was forced to back off as the HISS tanks fired their 90mm guns at her.

Unfortunately for them, it left them vulnerable to Sokerk
manning the 50mm cannon on the APC’s turret and the twin 7.62mm guns of the
VAMPs. The combined firepower destroyed one of the HISS tanks before the others
could evade their fire and split up.

With the HISS tanks distracted by the vehicles on the
ground, Glenda brought her helicopter in for a strafing run with her
helicopter’s 85mm cannon.

Glenda pulled out of her attack run, leaving another HISS as
a burning wreck.

The STUNs began swarming the commandos’ vehicles as the HISS
tanks returned to blazing away at Glenda in the helicopter.

As Manleh swung one of the VAMPs around to avoid a STUN’s
30mm guns, Condor leaned out the roll-cage door and threw a C4 charge at
another STUN. As the jeep sped clear, the Brazilian paratrooper detonated the
demolitions charge, destroying the three-wheeled vehicle.

In the second jeep, Estopim was using the VAMP’s remote
control unit to steer the gun turret as Fuego weaved the jeep between two STUNs
and a Ferret. Estopim used the guns to shred one of the STUNs before spraying
the assault quad with a short burst that killed the Invasor soldier driving it
and hit the fuel tank. The Ferret exploded into a small fireball.

Whilst Shimik was driving the APC, and Sokerk used its gun
turret, Sparta and Topson pulled back the canvas cover on the vehicle’s rear
and braced a pair of M-60 light machine guns on either side and opened fire.
The guns couldn’t compete with the armour-piercing rounds the VAMPs’ fired, but
they were enough to take care of the Invasor troops on the Ferrets and the quad
bikes themselves.

Suddenly, the surviving HISS tanks broke off from trying to
shoot down Glenda and instead sped toward the largest of the warehouses, with
the surviving STUN racing behind.

The three vehicles sprayed the warehouse doors with gunfire
and crashed through. Inside the warehouse were ten captured FANG helicopters,
the two American Dragonfly helicopters and one of the Wolverine missile tanks.

The three vehicles opened fire. The Wolverine was ripped
apart by the heavy calibre rounds, before they shredded four of the FANGs. The
Cobra troops were too target fixated. They failed to notice the APC rumbling in
behind them.

Sokerk sprayed all three vehicles with a sustained burst
from his gun turret, killing the Cobra troops.

Outside, the surviving Invasor troops on the Ferrets saw
their heavy support wiped out, they exchanged looks and then turned and ran.

The commandos helped the guard force to tend to their
wounded and begin clearing up some of the wreckage. The commandos soon found
that they may have lost a Wolverine and four FANGs, but they’d collected a half
dozen Ferrets.

**Task Force 282 Headquarters**

**Minutes later**

Scarlett joined the three Europeans and Redmack as El
Coronel took a report from Manleh.

“Cobra forces either killed or driven off. Numerous Invasor
troops killed, as well as several Motor-Vipers and HISS drivers. No personnel
wounded or killed,” El Coronel repeated to the ops room. “Four of our captured
FANGs destroyed along with one of our Wolverines.”

“Material losses we can handle,” Redmack said. “I’m just
glad we didn’t lose any of our team.”

Sentinel snorted. “These days we seem to lose at least a
couple of people every op.”

Redmack frowned. “Follow me,” he snapped.

The others exchanged glances before following the American
intelligence operative out of the ops room, along a corridor and into the
headquarters building’s main lobby. None of them had actually passed through
the lobby, instead using a side entrance, during their time at the base.

Off to one side of the lobby, four portraits hung from the wall.
Redmack led them over.

“This is our memorial to our fallen,” Redmack informed them.
“It’s not just you Europeans and the Joes who lose people.”

He indicated the first picture, which showed a dark skinned
man in camouflage and a beret. The small plaque beneath the photo identified
him as ‘Triton’.

“The sergeant here was killed not long after the unit was
formed. Killed by Cobra de Aco, the Steel Cobra, during a Cobra attack in
Buenos Aires,” Redmack explained.

He next turned his attention to the next photo, a dark hair
man in green utility clothes. “Dragon, our anti-armour specialist. Assassinated
by Ninja-Ku, the other assassin the local Cobras employ. That was two years
ago.”

The final two photos showed a pilot and a sniper, both
looking ready for action.

“Pegasus, one of our pilots, and Sureshot, our sniper. Both
killed in an operation a couple of months back. Sacrificed themselves to take
out Black Vulture and Flying Scorpion, two of Cobra’s worst killers. The same
op left two other guys, Leontor and Tigor in hospital. Leontor may not survive
and Tigor needs to learn to walk again, before he can ever rejoin the team.”

Scarlett spoke up, “We know it’s not just us who’ve lost
members. The Oktober Guard lost two thirds of their roster a few weeks ago in
Sierra Gordo. Colonel Brekhov, Schrage, Horror-show and Stormavik all
sacrificed themselves to stop Cobra and its allies. Daina and Dragonsky are
still trying to help put the unit back together.”

Quarrel spoke up next. “The Canadians lost a member last
week, as well. Their unit’s barely been around a year.”

Scarlett looked shocked. “The Canadian Joe team?” she asked.
“Who’d they lose?”

“Gray Jay,” Quarrel replied. “We had a report on it. They
were investigating something called the Osiris Egg, which they thought was a
warhead. It turned out to be a bio-weapon. Gray Jay was killed after being
infected.”

“Damn,” Scarlett said quietly. “I never got a chance to meet
him.”

“I didn’t know Canada had a team,” Redmack said softly.

“It’s still pretty new,” Quarrel answered. “Barely a dozen
operators, but they’ve had some good success stories; not least of which was
destroying most of Cobra North’s HATE tanks, capturing another four and the
theft of the only extant Hailstorm jet and its blueprints thanks to a
high-level defector.”

“What the heck is a HATE tank?” Stockade asked.

“HISS Assault Tank Elite, a new upgraded HISS, using
technology stolen from a stealth aircraft,” Quarrel answered. “The point still
stands, though, Redmack. All of us counter-Cobra teams have lost people; we’ve
lost several in the last year alone, our Greek tank crew, our Italian radio
operator, our Icelandic jeep driver, all killed. And that’s without losing
several dozen others battling Ironblood as well as Cobra.”

Sentinel spoke up next, “Speaking of successes, you
mentioned taking out Black Vulture and Flying Scorpion… Any other big wins for
your team?”

Redmack nodded, “Yes. We’ve captured the local Cobra
commander, a guy known as ‘Werewolf’, a sniper called Gatilho, a motorcyclist
called Relampago and an urban warfare expert called Armadilha. They’re housed
in a special prison. Cobra de Aco took over as leader after we caught
Werewolf.”

He looked at the Europeans, “So, other than capturing Baron
Ironblood, you guys got any big wins?”

“Sure,” Quarrel replied. “The Red Shadows are barely even a
threat these days. Okay, Black Major and Red Laser are out there somewhere, but
we took Red Jackal out and captured Red Vulture. A few of the Shadows defected
to Cobra, like Bombshell, their anti-armour specialist, but most of them have
given up or been captured.” She shrugged, “We stopped Cobra from destroying oil
tankers in the Straits of Hormuz with mines, thwarted their attempt to seize a
Mid-East oilfield, stopped most of their Italian ops, disrupted their North
Africa ops, which included the death of a guy named Farouk. Saved the Eiffel
Tower and London’s Wardour Street from bomb attacks, thwarted a major arms deal
in London. Saved a space rocket from being blown up by Diamondback the Cobra
saboteur. Smashed a Cobra ring in China with local help. I could go on.”

Redmack nodded. “Lot of success then, even if you haven’t
captured their commanders.”

Stockade laughed. “Believe me, mate, our prison, the
Dungeon, ain’t empty. Plenty of Shads and Vipers caged in there. Even if we
ain’t bagged the Head Snake herself or her pals.”

“Head Snake herself?” Scarlett asked.

“Anna Conda,” Quarrel replied. “Cobra’s European commander.
Her deputy is a mercenary and arms dealer who goes by the name ‘Hades’.”

“Oh, yes, I remember reading a report on them. I just got
thrown for a moment by you calling her ‘Head Snake’, it’s what the Joes often
call Cobra Commander,” Scarlett explained.

**The next day**

**TF 282 Headquarters**

The commandos assembled in a briefing room with the two Joes
and the three Europeans. Redmack and El Coronel were at the front of the room.

“Alright, commandos,” El Coronel began. “We’ve got a mission
for you. Thanks to the failed Cobra attack on our depot, we’ve been able to get
a lot of intel from the corpses of the Invasors. Intel which indicates the
Cobras are planning something at an abandoned factory in Punta Arenas. We’ve
got a plan of attack and we’re going to crash their party. Redmack will brief
you on the details.”

Redmack went on to explain which team members would deploy
with which, how the team would get in to the area – by VAMP jeep and APC, with
a pair of RAMs for support – and what opposition was expected.

The briefing over, the team left and headed for the armoury.
Manleh led the visitors in selecting weapons; Law took an Uzi, his favoured
weapon; Stockade and Sentinel took MP5 submachine guns; whilst Scarlett and
Quarrel both opted for M16s.

The group filed out to the vehicles and Quarrel quickly took
her place on one of the RAMs, whilst Stockade and Sentinel joined Redmack, SOS,
Condor, Fuego, Topson, Estopim and Sokerk in the APC. Law rode shotgun in one
of the VAMPs with Manleh, Shimik and Scarlett took the other VAMP, whilst
Sparta rode the other RAM. Glenda was flying air cover in one of the commandos’
captured FANGs.

The convoy of vehicles left the base and headed for Punta
Arenas.

As the vehicles sped through the city toward their target,
several pedestrians shouted something in Spanish Scarlett didn’t catch. She
turned to Shimik.

“What are they shouting?”

“Viva los Commandos Heroicos,” he answered. “The Argentinean
media call us the Commandos Heroicos, the Heroic Commandos, after some of our
high-profile missions were on TV. In Brazil, they call us ‘Commandos em Acao’ –
Action Commandos.”

As the convoy arrived at the gates to the abandoned factory,
the APC took the lead and smashed through the flimsy barrier. Once they’d
entered the car park, Sokerk took up the gunner’s position in the APC to cover
the rest of the unit as they dismounted and moved to assault the building.

Estopim planted a shaped charge on the main doors and then
at Manleh’s signal, detonated it.

The doors flew inward in a cloud of smoke. The team moved in
behind them.

Quarrel stuck close to Sparta as the Brazilian woman led the
way in on the left. Sentinel and Stockade close behind. On the right, Condor,
Fuego, Shimik and Law were moving in.

With no immediate threat, Scarlett, Manleh, Redmack and
Topson moved in.

The team moved quickly through the building’s lobby toward
the doors leading into the factory floor. Estopim moved up from covering the
team’s backs and planted a second shaped charge.

As the doors blasted inward, gunfire erupted from inside the
factory.

Fuego and Condor threw in flash-bangs before using the
deafening boom and the blinding flash to dive in the doors and find cover.

“Multiple hostiles!” Condor shouted. “Invasors and
Toxo-Vipers!”

The two paratroops began to lay down suppression fire
allowing the team to move in and help them drive the Cobras back.

For the next two minutes, the commandos battled it out with
the Cobra troops, killing several Invasors and Toxo-Vipers.

Manleh saw one Invasor trying to get around a rusted
machinery bench and shoved Scarlett aside as he tried to stop the Invasor from
hitting her.

A bullet sliced through his thigh and he fell back with a
curse. Scarlett dropped the Invasor with a burst from her M16.

She ducked down next to Manleh and examined him. “You’re
lucky,” she informed him. “Bullet’s gone clean through the fatty part of your
leg.” Keeping pressure on the wound, she pulled a dressing from one of her
though-pouches and slapped it onto Manleh’s leg, before retrieving a second
from the Argentine’s own pockets and using it to cover the exit wound.

Sentinel was moving up to cover Manleh and Scarlett when a
round hit him in his left arm. Swearing, he fired his sub-machine gun one
handed as he dropped to one knee.

“I’m hit,” he called out. “Could use a hand here!”

Shimik and Redmack unleashed a hailstorm of automatic fire,
dropping the Invasor who shot the MP and another three Cobras as they moved to
help the Briton.

With the tide of the battle turning against them, the Cobras
soon surrendered.

Whilst SOS tended to the two injured soldiers, Sokerk, Fuego
and Condor set about restraining the Cobras; Shimik, Estopim and Law collected
the weapons and Redmack, Quarrel and Scarlett began going through the documents
they’d found in an office at the back of the factory. Law, Stockade and Manleh
searched the rest of the building for more surprises.

Sparta and Glenda were now covering the factory entrance and
waiting for the Argentine Army to arrive and help move the Cobras out.

All in all, everyone agreed it was a successful operation.

Redmack turned from the document he was studying as one of
the Toxo-Vipers started mouthing off at Fuego. The soldier punched the
terrorist and the Toxo-Viper shut up.

“Funny there’s so many Toxo-Vipers here,” Redmack commented.
“We don’t see many of them. Most of Cobra’s forces are Eels, Invasors and
regular Vipers.”

“I think I’ve found out why,” Quarrel commented. “Unless my
Spanish is worse than I think, this document is a plan for shipping spent
uranium fuel rods from Brazil’s nuclear research labs to a freighter for
transport to Russia for disposal.”

Redmack cursed in Portuguese as he stood up and moved to
Quarrel’s side. Looking over her shoulder, he saw that the document did indeed
describe the plan for transporting the fuel rods to Rio de Janeiro and thence
to Russia. Muttering a quick apology, Redmack took the card folder from her and
quickly looked through the other sheets.

“Madre de dios,” he cursed, “We’ve got two of our team
working on this mission with the Brazilian Army. We need to get back to base
and tell El Coronel and warn them.”

Scarlett and Quarrel exchanged confused looks.

“Who have you got working this?” Scarlett asked. “I thought
we’d met all of your team.”

“No,” Redmack answered. “Athena and TNT are on assignment to
the Brazilian Army for the escort mission.”

The intelligence operative led the way out of the office and
headed for the doors. The two women followed him.

Back outside, Redmack climbed into the APC and grabbed the
radio and began reporting in.

**TF 282 Headquarters**

**The following morning**

Redmack was sitting in the base cafeteria drinking coffee
when Stockade came in. The British MP walked over and sat down.

“Morning.”

Redmack nodded a reply as he swallowed some of the coffee.

“I’m confused,” Stockade said. “How many of there are you in
this outfit? I thought we’d met you all.”

Redmack shrugged. “TF 282 was chartered with 21 principal
operatives including El Coronel. He doesn’t get out into the field much,
though. We’ve lost four operators and have two medically unavailable.”

Stockade mulled this over. “I’m coming up three short.
Leontor and Tigor are in the med bay; Sureshot, Pegasus, Dragon and Triton are
deceased; El Coronel, Glenda, you, Shimik, Manleh, Condor, Fuego, Estopim,
Sokerk, Topson, Sparta… SOS?”

“Yes, he’s counted as a principal.”

“Who’re the other three?” Stockade asked.

“Athena, our counter-intelligence specialist, and TNT, our
bomb disposal expert are the other two. They’ll be here later for the briefing.
They’ve been on detached duty with the Brazilians for the mission to deal with
the fuel rods.” Redmack took another drink.

“That’s still one short.”

Frowning, Redmack said, “That would be Electron. We don’t
discuss him.”

“Why the hell not?” Stockade asked.

The frown turned to a scowl. “We don’t.” The American took
another drink.

“So,” he said, changing the subject, “How many members has
Action Force got?”

Stockade shrugged. “Several hundred. That’s in the
front-line forces, not counting the ground crews for the aircraft, the majority
of the medics, the armoury staff and so on. There are two tiers to Action
Force, you see. Tier One is the principal force of one hundred thirty…”
Stockade stopped. “Sorry. One hundred twenty-nine members. That’s split between
the four forces; Z Force, SAS Force, Q Force and Space Force.”

Stockade paused, thinking. “Thirty countries represented.
Sorry, twenty-nine. Fifty-five of the main force are Brits, like me. Thirteen
Americans. Eight Spanish. The other countries being between four and one
member.”

“You’ve got thirteen American members?” Redmack interrupted.
“I thought you were a European outfit.”

“Principally, but we’ve operated all over. Asia, Africa,
Australia. South America.” Stockade shrugged. “We’ve got members from all over.
Australians, Canadians, a Zimbabwean, a Fijian, who was in the British Army. A
Ghurkha. A Singaporean. A Russian. Few New Zealanders.”

“How’d you get Americans?” Redmack asked.

Stockade shrugged again. “Mainly by head-hunting them before
the Joes can get them. A few volunteered. Some we got before the Joes. A couple
we got under their noses. We’ve got several volunteers from all over. One’s a
girl, barely twenty, who’s from Tawaichu. She was in high school in Japan when
the Baron invaded, living over there with her dad. When she graduated, she
didn’t go to uni, like she was supposed to. She went home, signed up for the
local army, such as it is, and spent a few months with them before joining AF.
She’s a black belt in Kendo, Ju-Jitsu, Japanese staff fighting and some other
martial art I can’t pronounce. She’s in SAS Force now, Eagle took her in as his
resident ninja or something.”

Redmack went to drink from his mug and realised it was
empty. Putting it aside, he asked, “So what’s the second tier?”

“Tier two consists of the crew of the Q Force submarine, *Nautilus.*
That’s a hundred and twenty more right there. Plus, SAS Force’s Hawk pilots,
besides the principals, and a sixty-strong unit of Attack Troopers besides the
eight in the main force. Z Force also has a back-up force of a hundred infantry
troops, plus an extra nine tank crews and an assorted group of extra helicopter
pilots for the Dragonflies and Tomahawks. Another five countries represented
there, including a South Korean and a Turk. There’s also another five or six
Space Force Conquest X-30 pilots if we need them.”

Redmack gave a low whistle. “That’s a lot of people.”

Stockade shrugged once more. “Aside from the *Nautilus* crew,
most of them don’t see a lot of action… Well, other than that thing in the Mid
East where we had to save the oil field. That was our biggest op lately.”

Several hours later, the commandos and their allies arrived
at the Brazilian nuclear power plant. Two Brazilian Army jeeps and an APC were
already at the plant to form part of the escort group. Manleh introduced TNT
and Athena to Law, Quarrel and Stockade. Sentinel and Scarlett were flying over
the plant in one of two Dragonfly helicopters being used to cover the convoy.
Sentinel was a qualified helicopter pilot and had volunteered to fly the
Dragonfly, despite having no experience of flying attack choppers. Scarlett was
seated in the front, in the gunner’s seat. Glenda was flying the second
Dragonfly with Sokerk as her gunner.

The convoy formed up, being led out by Estopim driving a
VAMP Mk. II, with Stockade manning the jeep’s rocket launcher. Shimik and Fuego
followed in a VAMP, then came the first Brazilian jeep, then a TF 282 APC,
which Condor was driving, with Manleh, Topson, Redmack, Law and SOS aboard.
Next was the cargo truck, flanked by two RAM cycles, which Sparta and Quarrel
were riding. The Brazilian APC and the second Brazilian jeep followed the
truck, with TNT and Athena bringing up the rear in a second VAMP.

High overhead, a Cobra Mamba helicopter was orbiting the
convoy. A high-resolution video camera was aimed at the convoy as it made its
way out of the plant and headed for the highway to Rio.

The Mamba’s pictures were being relayed to Cobra’s Brazilian
base of operations.

“There they go,” commented a Tele-Viper as he and Cobra de
Aco watched the convoy. “I sure wouldn’t want to hit a convoy with that much
firepower.”

“Which is precisely why we aren’t going to,” the Steel Cobra
growled in reply. “Far easier to attack the freighter at sea and seize the fuel
rods than to try stealing it from under the noses of 282 and their North
American allies.”

The black clad terrorist strapped on the yellow padded body
armour he typically wore, before picking up his polished steel helmet and
strapping it on. “Let’s get to the boat-yard and get ready to set sail.”

The Tele-Viper nodded and followed Steel Cobra.

It was nearly midnight by the time the convoy arrived at Rio
de Janeiro’s docks. The commandos watched as the shipping container carrying
the fuel rods was loaded aboard the freighter, with more creates being loaded
around and atop it.

The massive cargo vessel was guided out of the harbour by
tugboats before heading out into the Atlantic, still being shadowed by the two
Dragonfly helicopters.

The freighter finally crossed into international waters
around three o’clock in the morning and turned to head north-east toward the
Canary Islands, on it’s long trek to Russia.

As dawn broke over the ocean, Glenda clicked her radio on.

“Dragonfly lead to freighter, we’re near to bingo fuel.
We’re RTB in ten minutes.”

A radio operator acknowledged the message as Glenda brought
the helicopter around to head back to the coast.

“Wait a second,” Sokerk said. “I’ve got something on the
surface search radar. Lots of something.”

“What is it?” Glenda snapped.

“Multiple incoming fast-moving boats. Air-search radar has
six airborne contacts also.”

“Contact Dragonfly Two, make sure Sentinel’s awake over
there. I’m radioing Brazil.”

As the pilot began hailing the Brazilian base of Task Force
282, Sokerk radioed Sentinel.

“*We’ve got them on radar,”* Sentinel replied. “*I’m going to swing out and take a look.”*

“Copy that, standing by.”

The second Dragonfly sped across the ocean towards the
contacts on its radar.

Sentinel asked Scarlett, “You see what they are?”

“Sure do,” the American replied. “Cobra FANGs, Morays and
what look like red Moccasins.”

Sentinel cursed and reactivated his radio. “Dragonfly Lead,
this is Two. We have a major Cobra assault force here. Thirty, repeat
three-zero, Cobra naval craft and six FANGs.”

Glenda relayed the information to headquarters, the reply
was swift and clear: destroy them.

The two helicopters closed in and Sokerk and Scarlett
coordinated their actions to lock on to four of the FANGs, which they shot down
with the Dragonflies’ four air-to-air missiles. The Dragonflies then closed in
on the remaining two and the gunners opened fire with the 20mm chain guns in
the chin turrets, shredding the small aircraft.

Glenda then brought her Dragonfly around and allowed Sokerk
to launch the two air-to-surface missiles they carried, destroying two of the
Moray hydrofoils.

Scarlett had had similar success with her missiles, before
engaging another hydrofoil with the skid-mounted 40mm gun. The large calibre
shells punched through the speeding craft’s hull and destroyed it in two shots.

The Invasor troops manning the gun turrets on the boats and
hydrofoils began to elevate their guns and open fire, trying to shoot down the
two helicopters.

“This is getting hairy,” Sentinel said as he slid the
Dragonfly clear of one Moccasin’s line of fire, whilst Scarlett returned fire
with the 20mm gun. The bullets punched through the boat’s gun turret and
smashed apart the engine, detonating it.

“You’re doing well, so far,” Scarlett answered.

“Yeah, great for my first combat situation in an attack
bird,” Sentinel said through gritted teeth as he lined the helicopter up on
another Moray, which Scarlett destroyed with a 40mm shell.

Glenda and Sokerk were doing well, having sunk several
Moccasins.

Suddenly, the odds caught up with Sentinel and one of the
Moray’s stitched a line of bullets across the Dragonfly’s tail-boom.

“Dammit, we’re hit.” Sentinel said, wrestling with the
controls. “I’m losing control. We’re out of this fight, Scarlett.”

“Okay, Sentinel, just don’t panic.” Scarlett activated her
radio. “Dragonfly Two is hit. We’re out of here.”

Trailing smoke, the green helicopter headed back toward the
Brazilian coast as Glenda’s helicopter shredded another Moccasin.

Glenda checked her fuel state. “We’ve got about two minutes
before we need to bug out,” she told Sokerk. “We’re already past bingo fuel.”

“Roger… What the hell is that?!” Sokerk shouted as a yellow
and blue blur raced past them.

The strange looking craft launched a pair of small missiles
at one of the Morays, which promptly exploded. It had a yellow main fuselage,
with an open cockpit and a windshield at the front, and blue swept-back wings.
The pilot was visible behind the windshield in a bright yellow flight-suit and
a blue helmet. Another man, wearing a similar yellow flight suit was seated at
the back of the craft, manning a gun turret.

“*Dragonfly Lead, this is Flying Fish, suggest you RTB. Q-Force is on the case.”*

Before Glenda or Sokerk could reply, four small missiles
erupted from the sea on columns of smoke and blasted apart a pair of Moccasins.
Glenda could see the surviving Morays were moving close alongside the freighter
and two speeding boats were racing in from the northeast. Both fired large
anti-ship missiles at two more Moccasins and destroyed them.

“Roger, Flying Fish, we’re RTB. Looks like there are
boarders on the freighter.”

*“Copy that, Dragonfly, we’re on it.”*

As the helicopter sped away, the Flying Fish craft sped
across the freighter and sprayed a stream of bullets at the Invasor troops. One
returned fire, but Glenda didn’t see any more as she raced back to the
Brazilian shore.

Albatross, the Q-Force pilot of the Flying Fish brought the
craft around for another pass as Mollusc prepared to cut loose with the 120mm
ack-ack gun once more, but a bright beam of light flashed out from the
freighter and hit his starboard engine. The engine exploded, prompting him to
immediately shut it down and reduce the power on the port engine.

“Hang on back there, Mollusc,” he shouted to the saboteur.
“We’re switching to naval mode!”

Albatross flicked a series of switches. The wings swept back
into the fuselage and then two hatches popped open and a floatation ring
rapidly expanded out and inflated. The Flying Fish hit the ocean swells as the
two Q-Force Sea Lion submersibles surfaced and opened fire with their small
pintle-mounted machine guns.

The two Swordfish boats had already accounted for another
pair of Moccasins, and now, three of the Morays were pulling away from the
freighter and speeding into attack.

On board the lead Swordfish, Broadside the pilot turned to
Shark, his aquatrooper gunner, and snapped, “Get ready with the anti-torpedo
hydro-jets!”

“Ready, mon Capitan!” the Frenchman answered.

The Moray launched its ‘Black Ray’ torpedoes and Shark
waited for the few seconds it took for them to reach the right distance, then
fired the two hydro-jet cannons which sprayed high-pressure jets of water into
the torpedoes’ casings, detonating them a safe distance away.

Next to Shark, Tempest had his MP5 sub-machine gun at the
ready and fired a long burst of automatic fire into the speeding hydrofoil as
it flashed past.

“Forget that,” Broadside hollered to the third crewman, “Get
ready to board the freighter!”

The Dutch aquatrooper saw that the other Swordfish, piloted
by Mako was already pulling alongside one of the Morays. Manta and Riptide, the
other two aquatroopers on the mission, had leapt from the Swordfish to the
hydrofoil and were now scrambling up ropes to the freighter’s main deck.

Dolphin sped by, firing at another Moray in his Sea Lion as
Broadside brought the Swordfish into the back of the Moray attached to the freighter
with ropes. Shark and Tempest scrambled across, shot the Lampreys pilot and
then made for the ropes.

As the four aquatroopers raced up the ropes, Mako looked up
from piloting his Swordfish at the sound of helicopter rotors beating the air.
It was a Tomahawk, hovering low over the freighter’s bow.

The large 282 numbers painted in white on the helicopter’s
side identified it as belonging to the South Americans and the New Zealander
felt better about leaving the aquatroopers when he saw the commandos beginning
a fast-rope descent from the helicopter.

Law stuck close to Redmack as they hit the top of the
shipping container the commandos were dropping on to.

“This is pretty hairy, mano,” the MP commented.

“Yeah,” the American intelligence expert replied, “Tell me
about it.”

Both opened fire and cut down a pair of Cobra Eels before
scrambling down a ladder built into the side of the container. Shimik and
Manleh were already on the deck, moving aft on the starboard side. Fuego and
Estopim were heading forwards, on the starboard side, so Redmack led Law
forward on the port. Quarrel and Sparta were down next and headed aft on the
portside.

The two women moved forward slowly and carefully, keeping
their M16 assault rifles up and ready, checking the narrow lanes between
containers and looking up at the tops of them. Halfway along, they met Shark
and Tempest coming toward them, MP5 sub-machine guns at the ready.

“Fancy meeting you here,” Quarrel said, smiling.

“Indeed,” Shark answered. “It’s a coincidence, non?”

“Friends of yours?” Sparta asked.

“Meet Shark and Tempest,” Quarrel replied, gesturing to each
in turn. “Two of Q-Force’s aquatrooper contingent.”

Sparta frowned. “What’s an aquatrooper?”

“Basically, a navy commando,” Shark told her, “But with the
emphasis on the frogman role.”

“We’ve swept forward from the ropes where they came aboard,”
Tempest interrupted, getting to the point. “Riptide and Manta have moved aft.”

“Law and Redmack headed forward from where we dropped on to
the containers,” Quarrel said. “We want to either move into the centre or drop
a deck and see what we can find.”

The clatter of automatic weapons fire, echoing off the
crates cut off any further conversation.

Shark pointed toward the source of the gunfire and the group
moved off, constantly checking around themselves.

The foursome dashed along a narrow passage between crates
and came out into an open area around a large hatch in the deck. Five Invasors
and three Eels were huddled behind what cover there was, engaging TNT and
Athena.

The three Europeans and Sparta had popped out perpendicular
to the Cobra troops, and they immediately opened fire. The Cobra troops were
cut down in a hail of bullets.

As TNT and Athena moved to join the others, Sparta and
Athena’s radios crackled.

“*All teams check in,”* said Manleh over the staticky
channel.

“Athena here, we’ve just taken down eight Cobras. We’ve
linked up with Quarrel and Sparta and two guys in yellow wetsuits.”

Sparta keyed her radio mike. “It’s two of Q-Force’s aquatroopers,
Shark and Tempest,” she informed Manleh.

“*Roger that,”* Manleh answered.

“*This is Redmack, we’ve taken down four Eels. Moving to the bow.”*

*“Fuego here. We’ve taken down two Eels and four Invasors. Standing by near the superstructure.”*

*“This is Condor. We’re aft of the superstructure. Four Invasors down.”*

*“Regroup at the superstructure,”* Manleh ordered. *“We’ll head below decks.”*

Shark was frowning as Sparta led the group toward the large
building-like construct that was the superstructure.

“What’s wrong, Shark?” Quarrel asked.

“Just wondering what happened to Manta and Riptide since
none of the other teams reported meeting up with them.”

Once the commandos had gathered at the superstructure, they
moved inside and began slowly making their way down to the first cargo deck
below the hull.

They reached the door leading to the upper catwalks to find
Manta and Riptide waiting for them.

Shark pushed forward, “Report.”

“We took down a pair of Invasors on our way here,” Manta
replied. “We moved down here and we can hear a lot of talking going on inside.”

Shark exchanged glances with Manleh.

“Let’s get inside,” the commando said.

Riptide opened the hatch as slowly and quietly as he could.
Then Shark and Tempest moved in first.

The two aquatroopers moved quietly forward, two Eels were
standing further down the catwalk, with their backs to the door.

Across the hold, was another catwalk, with four Eels
standing on it; they were too intently watching the activity on the main floor
of the hold to notice the commandos.

Shark gestured toward the door, beckoning in Manleh and
Shimik. The two soldiers moved in and took up positions, crouching and ready to
fire. Fuego and Estopim came in next.

The six commandos took aim at the six Cobra frogmen and at
Manleh’s nod, opened fire.

All six Eels fell to a three-round burst of gunfire to the
head.

On the hold’s main deck, Cobra de Aco and several of the
Invasors looked up.

“Get them!” the Steel Cobra screamed in Portuguese to his
troops. They immediately opened fire, bullets clanging off the catwalk as the
commandos returned fire.

Shark thought he saw a black-clad figure dash from the hold
toward the door leading out into the main gangway but wasn’t sure. He
concentrated on firing at one of the Invasors who carried a light machine-gun.

Cobra de Aco unslung his particle weapon and fired the
so-called ‘laser rifle’ at the catwalk.

The bright beam sliced through the catwalk inches from
Shark’s foot.

The French frogman shifted aim and fired at the strange
figure with the yellow body armour.

The bullets pinged off the Steel Cobra’s steel helmet,
staggering him, but not killing him.

Movement from the corner of his eye caught Shark’s attention
and he looked across to the other catwalk to see Condor, Quarrel, Redmack and
Sparta on the walkway, firing at the Invasors.

Shark fired again at the Steel Cobra, this time one of his
rounds bounced off the mirrored lenses of the helmet’s visor.

Cobra de Aco reeled back from the impact before firing
blindly back at the soldiers.

In the passage outside the doors to the catwalks, Athena and
TNT were standing guard with Manta and Riptide when a black clad figure
suddenly somersaulted through the doorway from the stairs leading down to the
hold. Standing before the four commandos was Ninja-Ku, wielding two short
swords.

“Surrender now, and I may spare your miserable lives,”
Ninja-Ku demanded.

“Not bloody likely, mate,” Riptide answered, following his
words with a burst from his MP5.

Some how, Ninja-Ku deflected the bullets but when TNT,
Athena and Manta followed suit, the ninja was forced to dive back into the
stairwell or be shot.

“Don’t just stand there like bloody lemons, after ‘im!”
Riptide shouted as he charged to the stairs.

The others followed him down the stairs and along the
passageway to the main hold.

Inside, Cobra de Aco was crouched between two crates,
seeking what cover there was from the crossfire above.

Ninja-Ku suddenly appeared next to him.

“We need to get out of here, Master. There are more of them
following me.”

The Steel Cobra pulled his polished steel helmet off with a
wordless snarl. He grabbed his radio.

“Cobra de Aco to any Moray surviving. Come in,” he snapped.

Outside the freighter’s hull, two Morays had survived, along
with a Moccasin, and had managed to cripple Mako’s Swordfish.

On board the lead Moray, an Eel received the Steel Cobra’s
message.

“Bring us about and arm the J-180s,” he ordered the Lampreys
pilot. “Lock on to the freighter and fire halfway up the hull.”

The Lampreys complied, the small retractable missile
launcher box flipping up as the hydrofoil sped around to face the freighter.
The Lampreys nodded to the Eel and a single J-180 missile streaked away from
the Moray and detonated against the hull, blowing a large jagged hole in the
hull.

Inside, the explosion threw the commandos and the Cobras
alike off their feet.

The Steel Cobra was quick to recover and before anyone else
could react, he sprinted across the hold, glancing up briefly toward Manleh and
Shimik before leaping out the smoking hole toward the sea below.

Seconds later, Ninja-Ku followed him.

“That was him wasn’t it?” Shimik said to Manleh as the pair
struggled to their feet.

Manleh shook his head, as he grabbed his radio, “Manleh to
Q-Force, you need to stop that Moray. Fast!”

“*Dolphin to* *Manleh, sorry boyo, but we’ve got our hands full with the other Moray and the last Moccasin. That hydrofoil lit out of here like his ass was on fire!”* came the reply.

Manleh cursed.

“Who was that?” Tempest asked. “You said ‘that was him’.
‘Him’ who?”

“Electron.” Shimik answered as he turned to see the other
commandos disarming and restraining the surviving Invasors. “Our traitor.”

“Traitor?” Shark asked.

“Yes. He was one of the Task Force once. Until he stole the
laser rifle you saw him using and joined Cobra.”

Shark frowned. “That weapon looked a lot like the one that
Joe, Flash, uses.”

“It would,” Shimik answered. “It was a copy. The Americans
let us borrow it.”

Shark snorted. “They wouldn’t let Action Force have one. We
had a guy lined up to use it and then they pulled the plug on the agreement at
the last minute.”

Several hours later, the freighter limped back into Rio de
Janeiro’s port, escorted by the Q-Force craft and with the now-refuelled
helicopters hovering overhead.

The prisoners had been airlifted off by Tomahawk, but most
of the commandos and the aquatroopers had remained on board.

As the freighter came alongside, the commandos gathered on
the deck.

Manleh shook hands with the visiting Europeans and Law.
“Good luck and may God be with you,” he said to each.

“What happens now?” Riptide asked Manleh as the gangway was
brought up to allow the soldiers to disembark.

“The spent fuel rods will be taken off this freighter and
put on another one for transport to Russia. This vessel’s going to be spending
a few weeks having its hull repaired.”

“Pleasure working with you, mate.” Riptide said. “Just a
shame Albatross and the Flying Fish were shot down, or we might’ve been able to
get your traitor for you.”

Manleh shrugged. “We’ll keep trying to bring him down.”

Manta stopped next to them. “I just wish Razor and River had
been around with the new Osprey jet,” the Norwegian said. “That thing could’ve
sunk the Hydrofoil…”

“What’s an Osprey?” Manleh asked as the aquatrooper headed
down the gangway.

“Modified F/A-18 Hornet,” Riptide replied. “New addition to
Q-Force’s arsenal. Razor’s the pilot and his back-seater’s River.”

Manleh shrugged. “If we’re going to wish for anything, I
wish the Joes had had their aircraft carrier around…”

Riptide snorted. “We did okay without them.”

Manleh silently agreed as the British aquatrooper walked
off, but he knew with the *USS Flagg* escorting it, the freighter would
never have been attacked.

**Three days later.**

The second freighter pulled out of Rio’s harbour and turned
to head northeast across the Atlantic. This time, it was hoped, its cargo would
make it to Russia safely…

To be continued…

## Notes

This was my first story in the combined verse, which I think
shows as I was trying to do a lot of world building, hence there’s a lot of
info-dumping. I also didn’t have a particular plot in mind beyond the
characters meeting. Which is why it shifts gears partway through. The
references to Quarrel, Scarlett and Glenda looking alike was a joke on them
being redecos of the same figure. The references to the ‘special mission’ in
Brazil is a nod toward the Special Mission Brazil set from 1986. The scenes set
in the Favela were intended to evoke the missions ‘Takedown’ and ‘The Hornet’s
Nest’ from Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, which I also homaged with the name
‘Task Force 282’ – 282 is 141 doubled. TF 141 are the good guys in MW2. The
Flying Fish and Albatross the pilot are based on customs by ‘Red Baron’ of
BFTB. Mollusc is based on a custom by BFTB member Monkfish. I’ve also altered
some bits of this story since I first wrote it, notably removing an erroneous
location and removing the reference to Sky Patrol vehicles. The references to
the task-force employing captured FANGs is a nod to the original Brazilian
toy-line’s use of the FANG as a helicopter for the good guys and the 2009 Joe
Con exclusive redeco of the FANG as a ‘Commando Heroicos helicopter’.
Stockade’s description of the Action Force set-up isn’t entirely accurate as he
‘forgot’ to mention the Space Force Skystrikers, the Q-Force Skystriker and
Osprey squadrons and Special Weapons Force. (Forgot, as in, I added them in
later) The reference to the AF guy who was going to use the ‘laser’ rifle is of
course referring to Bombardier of Special Weapons Force, a figure which was
never released.