Jessica Brown

“Mayday, mayday, mayday! This is Hellfire One. We are hit, and are going down! North side of Bagarah. Repeat northside of Bagarah!”

As the pilot screamed into his microphone Jessica began casting. The world was tilting all around her making it difficult to concentrate. Then, as suddenly as it had started, the helicopter's wild fall slowed.

You have cast Cloud Drift 1. Area of Affect: 50 ft. Everything within the A.O.E. that is airborne drifts safety in the direction chosen by the caster.

“Where are we going?!” Jessica demanded over the now dead silent radio. “I need a direction!”

“Down, set us down.” Max’s voice came through and she opened her eyes just enough to see a good landing spot. She selected it, and the aircraft began drifting towards it.

The pinging sting of small arms fire filled the cabin of the helicopter as dozens of combatants from below tried to take them down. That pinging sound was answered by their escorts. The Zip and pop sound of two sets of 7.62mm machine guns unloading on the ground forces attacking them, and the anti-air battery that had attempted to use old world war 2 flak cannons to take them down drowned out the enemies comparatively pathetic fire.

Two rocket launches from those same escorts cleared the surrounding streets of the last of the enemy holdouts near them just a few seconds before the helicopter touched down safely in the grass field.

“Bail! Bail! Bail!” the pilot ordered, but Jessica hadn’t yet released the spell. Powerful arms grabbed her and pulled her out of the aircraft and towards safety. It wasn’t until they were nearly halfway across the open field towards a set of buildings on the outskirts of the city that she was able to release the spell.

Peep peeped in anger at the hands that gripped her, but as soon as she was back on her feet they released her. Quiet Peep, Uncle Max was helping.

Okay mother. I didn’t like how he just grabbed you though.

We’ll talk about it later. For now, help please.

A petulant mental equivalent to a teenage eye roll came from the dragon. But he huffed out a small ring of multi-colored energy. His version of ‘fine.’

Good. It shocked her just how much he had grown in a single night. But Jessica didn’t have time to think about that right now. Her friend was in danger, hell, she was in danger.

As she rounded and started following Max, Jessica cast a shield around them. She made it as translucent as possible, a meta magic skill she had been working on recently, but some of her purple and blue aura still leaked into it. Making the shield visible to anyone paying attention.

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At least it's not a neon sign anymore, she thought as they finally made it to cover.

It was an old house made from mud, adobe brick, and a little timber that gave it its frame. It was little more than an empty shell now though, abandoned by the former owners for what was no doubt the better and safer homes in the more central parts of Bagarah.

“Okay, what now?” one of the other soldiers asked.

“Radio.” Max took the offered radio from the man and clicked it on. “Brimstone, this is Hellfire Actual. Do you read over?”

“We read you loud and clear Hellfire. What is your status?” It was Major Cranton, not one of the generals.

“Brimstone, we are on the ground. Bird three is inoperable, we have taken no casualties, and are mobile. South of target destination. Hostiles that took the bird down have been fully neutralized. Moving to the target now.”

“Copy that Hellfire Actual. Spinning up some Rangers to give you some support for the exfil. They’ll be there in thirty. Do you think you can secure the target before they arrive?”

“Can’t say Brimstone. Will advise once we have eyes on.”

“Roger that. Keep us apprised of your situation on the ground Hellfire. Good hunting.”

Max went from soldier to soldier, and checked their kit. He moved a few of them around in the line of battle, those with skills he thought they might need, or who had better equipment or specializations. He left Jessica near the center. A standard choice she knew, keep the magical last resort artillery piece safe until you needed her.

When he was done he kneeled down in front of them, while two soldiers and the helicopters ran overwatch.

“Okay look. We’re four blocks south of the target. Not far, but those blocks are potential nests of vipers. Every building could be housing hostile forces setting up an ambush. Now we have eyes in the sky, and some deadly hail we can bring down on targets as we see them. But that’s the rub. We need to see them first. And these assholes knew we would be coming. So they’re dug in like a tick on a dog's ass.”

“Probably a spotter,” another soldier said. “Just like in Mogadishu.”

“Shut up Stone, you weren’t at Mogadishu,” the sergeant said. “Besides, Los Angeles was ten times worse than that shit sandwich anyway. Fucking tweakers with magic, and Russian made AK’s around every dam corner.”

“Yes. Thank you sarnt’.” Max said with a glare at the older man, who just shrugged. “Point is we’re going to have to run and gun. If they move the targets before we get there, we’ll have to fight the entire city looking for this guy. Understood?”

“Uh, what about our people?” Jessica asked. She couldn’t get the idea of leaving Isaka here in this hell hole out of her head.

Max smiled wickedly. “We get this HVT, and then we get our people. Hell, he might even tell us where they are. If not though, then we go reaping. And there’s nothing more that Rangers love more than reaping.”

Two of the soldiers with the group were rangers. “Hell yeah captain.” One of them said. “Maybe you’re not so bad for a marine after all. Sir.” The second Ranger nodded along with his buddy's assessment.

“Alright, let's move out. Johnston you’re on point.”