Chapter Five

Forest Run

Chechnya
Groznensky District
Nokovko Forest
August 8, 2001
22:43 hour

" Come in, headquearter, this is Nate."

" Come in, headquearter, this is Nate." Reports Nate at his radio.

" This is headquarter. What's your status?"

" Rose is safe. I repeat, Rose is safe."

Nate's report greeted with sense of relief on the CIA war room.

" Accepted. What's your perimeter status?"

" The area is overrun with Charlie (Chechen rebels ) and Tango (Russian Forces). We need a safe corridor to pass through them."

" Understood. Open escape route."

" What did the headquarter say? Asks Agent Rose while having her MRE (Meals Ready to Eat) ration for dinner in darkness. Both of them are hiding on a small hill top within the forest.

" We're on our own, Rose. We got to make our own escape route." Answers Nate.

Nate sits down and opens his MRE dinner. " I wonder why the Russians and Chechens don't come up here." Says Agent Rose.

" Perhaps both sides fearing their enemies have gained foothold here. Casualties risk is higher when a force wants to capture a higher place occupied with enemy." Says Nate while chewing his dinner.

" It seems strange I keep calling you Agent Rose. May I know your real name? I'll tell mine." Continues Nate.

" Okay, you seem to be nice. I come to trust what you said about not shooting me with your gun when you chased me." Says Agent Rose.

" I'm Nate. Nathaniel Toshiyuki Kato."

" I'm Shiori. Shiori Ito."

" From New York?"

" How do you know?"

" Your accent."

" I see you're a ninja, Nate." Says Shiori. " What school are you from?

" Iga-ryu. Actually, that's my ancestry. My greatgrandparents came to US in 1886. They were Issei ( First Generation). And you?" Answers Nate

" I'm of Koga-ryu. That's my ancestry too."

   

Suddenly, sounds of popping gunshots and grenades blasts are heard. Russians and Chechen rebels begin to engage again. From the hill, only parallel muzzle flashes and genade blasts are seen from the forest darkness. Tne flashes are formed on two sides facing each other. 

" Stay here, Agent.. I mean, Shiori." Tells Nate

Nate looks through his Night Vision Binocular. Green figures and yellow flashes are seen from far behind trees. Each side shoots at their enemies. Sound of people coming from another side of the mountain is heard. Nate tells Shiori to hide. A sillhouette of group of six armed of PKM Machine guns and RPG-7 arrive at the hill top. Nate and Shiori, who are watching them behind rocks are not sure who they are, Russians or Chechens rebels till they speak and lit matches. Chechen language and civilian clothes. It's unlikely for undercover Russian Specail Forces to speak Chechen among themselves when they are alone. Nate's analysis is strengthened when one of them speak in Russian, " Don't let Russians take over this hill." Nate unsheates his sword and crawls under darkness reaching them followed by Shiori. In high speed, both of them charge the six Chechen rebels and cut them down in double formation. The rebels' AK ammunition are taken.

As fighting escalates and it seems for Nate that the hill will be overrun anytime, Nate decides to go down the hill and continue his run north under cover of dakness and foliages. Guided by his Nightvision Goggles, Nate slips through and evades from heavy fighting. On their painstaking run, Nate and Shiori occasionally meet Chechen rebels and kill them. The Russians have flanked rebels from the left that make parties from both sides mixed in chaos with no line dividing them. Both fighting sides don't know two ninjas are slipping through and bypassing their pockets and individual defense. Nate stays to his order, avoiding Russian soldiers and kill Chechen rebels if needed. The ninjas are now inside the rebels' pocket of defense in the forest. They have to break through it to evacuate from the forest. A wheezing sound is heard. Nate shouts at Shiori, " Watch out!" followed by a blast not far from them. Nate and Shiori take cover on ground. The blast is followed by other simultaneous explosions.

A new trial comes. Russians bombard the rebels pocket with ground attack aircraft and artillery. " It's artillery!" Shouts Nate. " Shiori, follow me! Cover your head with anything you find!" Another barrage comes. Their explosions shake the ground and collapse several trees. " Keep running! Run through a crater to crater!" Shouts Nate. The two run at crates resulted from previous explosions. Explosions blast far and near them. The rebels are overwhelmed with the artillery shelling. Many are wounded or killed by sharpnels from hit trees and grounds. A rebel is thrown 10 feet separated from his feet by a shell explosion in front of Nate and Shiori.  The rebels are retreating at the same direction with Nate and Shiori. Everywhere figures of men shouting in Chechen run away in route on the ninjas' left and right.

Meanwhile, a group of six heavily armed and camouflaged Spestnaz is checking the dead six rebels on the hilltop. A private addresses the commander, " Poruchik (Lieutenant), the rebels were killed by blades. No gunshot wounds are found." Lieutenant Petrovich, the Spetsnaz commander mutters, " They were here. The man on the bus and the woman the rebels are looking for. We'll find them."

To be continued

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Disclaimer: All contents are fiction.