RSH- Spiral

Story by SGTRedfield on SoFurry

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#6 of RSH


************SEXUAL CONTENT WARNING**********************

This story contains consensual sex between a male human and a female utahraptor. READ AT YOUR OWN RISK.

CHAPTER SIX.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++

Days turned into months, summer giving way to the chilly embrace of fall almost without notice from the pack as they waged their own detached war in Europe. The Russian onslaught did not relent, unleashing a war so violently swift that soon, the only things left in Northern Germany were the two armies locked in a constant struggle to survive that did not abate. The reformed army of the New Soviet Order had moved farther and faster than ever before, establishing half of their strategic objectives in just less than three weeks. Whether they admit it or not, the great tank armies would have been able to move even closer to complete control over Germany had it not been for the early actions of the RSH and their Special Forces counterparts.

The Americans were not without victories, despite blow after blow that sent them reeling in retreat. Thus far, the RSH 'Hunter' packs have succeeded in keeping the Russians from advancing even further, forcing them to concentrate on their objectives from multiple angles, and causing such a confusion with battalion supply lines that entire formations were halted for days. As the nights got colder, attacks increased fivefold, with multiple patrols being completely silenced by unseen foes. Certain areas were so inundated with casualties that entire divisions were rerouted by their commanders for fear of catastrophic losses. Russian soldiers found themselves being attacked by monsters from the darkness, monsters which had eluded the clutches of the best of the NSO....

Until now.....

+++++++++++++++++++

"I am afraid your conclusions are inadequate, Comrade Colonel. There is no evidence to suggest that the hardware is indeed at this facility that you have placed in your report. It is also not possible to declare this project a secondary objective to our occupation. You cannot even prove that these creatures exist, let alone also prove that their existence is only possible through this technology." General Fedot Ambrosiov declared after what seemed an eternity of silence, closing the lengthy report that Nymev had taken the time to prepare for the council over the course of the last five weeks. Much had been learned by the Colonel since the summer invasion, but apparently that wasn't enough for the Centre, as they were in the middle of what was shaping up to be his third rejection to date.

"Comrade General, might I advise the committee of the frequency of attacks on NSO personnel in the gruesome style of these creatures? Have our units' claims of monsters in the night gone unheeded?"

"Colonel Nymev, I would almost think that the council would see it fit to have you lumped in with the minority in our armed forces that believes that creatures like these actually exist. These attacks are merely an American cover up, a means by which to frighten us into thinking that they have something that they do not. Don't you think that with our best troops working to uncover their existence to the eyes of the world that we would have found something by now?"

"Comrade General, even a conscript knows that nothing in war can be maintained on a timetable. Army Spetsnaz is too bogged down by the chain of command to get a full handle on the situation in Germany. Your Colonel Revedov cannot perform a mission without first going through his superior's command staff, and by the time approval makes it back down, the Americans are already gone."

"What do you propose in this case, Comrade Colonel? You seem to be educated about matters at the front." The General asked, putting his pen down on the table and looking up at the Colonel.

"Let me bring the monsters to you." Nymev uttered with a dark, evil smile.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Redfield glanced through the scope on the M21 at the skipping shadows of the Green Berets as they slid under the wire on the north end of the base, right under the noses of the Russian guards. A further adjustment of the weapon showed Meryl and Aud skirting the barracks to the southeast, already in the perimeter and getting ready to attack the troops inside. Jericho was on top of a small concrete building, moving slowly and deliberately towards the end of the roof to intercept a sentry on patrol below. Richter was waiting just around the corner with his suppressed G36 assault rifle, making sure that no one would make it out of the building alive.

"Guardian Two-two, this is Serene lead, all elements in position. Ready to go on your command." Jay heard the call from the Special Forces leader, and further saw their readiness even in the low light. All of the soldiers were in position.

"Guardian Two-two to Jericho, execute when ready, over." Redfield kept the Utahraptor in the corner of the crosshairs, watching him crouch low, counting softly and preparing to leap. After a few seconds, the guard moved under him, and Jericho came down swiftly and silently on the man. The soldier was relieved instantly, and Jericho quickly dragged him into the shadows.

A lone Special Forces operative finished cutting through the last of the barbed wire fence to the base's power plant, coming in right next to the noisy diesel generator. The soldier gave the Russian generator an impromptu lesson in how important it was to keep large wrenches out of the working parts. As the noisy machine seized, the base lights flickered and went out as residual power drained from their power lines. A well placed grenade under the operating cover would ensure a nasty surprise for anyone attempting to repair it.

"All elements, that's a go. Move on your objectives and get out of here." Redfield observed the Special Forces as they stacked up at the entrances of the many storage buildings and prepared to enter. Right on cue, Jay saw several flashes from the base control room, followed soon after by the sharp, resounding cracks of M16 fire. With the power out, no alarms sounded, nor did any of the bright halogen lights greet them. Jay watched Meryl and Aud, side by side, use their body mass to break down the door to the barracks. The wooden portal splintered and flew from its hinges after being hit by the combined one ton weight of the Utahraptors. Meryl and Aud promptly charged inside, ready to perform their slaughter. Screams and shouts of anger resonated through the concrete building, and several cracks of gunfire pierced the night once more.

"Guardian three to Guardian Two-two, the barracks are clear." Jay heard no more than forty seconds later, and he confirmed it as Meryl and Aud stepped out of the building and immediately went to cover behind it.

"Roger that three." Jay replied, moving the rifle closer into his shoulder and sighting the McMillan crosshairs over a Russian in cover. A pull of the trigger sent the man sprawling, a gaping wound in his chest. Near where the now-dead soldier lay, gunfire echoed from the storage garages.

"This is Serene Six to Guardian Two-two, we have the objective in sight, but be advised, the dogs are not in. Repeat, the dogs are not in." The Green Beret commander radioed in, giving Jay the bad news. The Hind helicopters that the joint attack teams were after were not on their pads. Another Intel screw up.

"Roger that Serene six, be on the lookout." He answered, now needing desperately to talk to Jordan."

"Learn, did that tower get a message out?" Jay asked, frightfully analyzing the consequences if they did.

"Affirmative, I got the long range array beforehand though; I don't think Russian Command will know that this base is out of commission before the helicopters return." She answered back, meanwhile resting her M16 on the edge of the tower railing. She crouched behind it, taking out several Russian soldiers with well aimed shots. The American-manufactured rifle's snap could be heard over the din of gunfire. The noise of battle died out entirely as the last Russians were eliminated and flushed from their holes.

"Serene Six to Guardian Two-two, units report all clear. It seems like there is an entire transport company housed in these buildings. They got Urals loaded to the brim with crates, and artillery shells. There are also some strange pieces of equipment, but we don't know what they are. They look expensive, over."

"Roger that Serene, good job. Attention all Guardian and Serene elements, line leader reports all clear."

"Guardian Two-two, Jericho, copy?" Jericho jumped on the com from nowhere, calling Jay.

"Roger Jericho, what do you have?"

"I found the commandant in his quarters, blubbering like an idiot about demons and the like. I have him secured. In case you are interested, there is a wealth of documents here, but the maps and codebooks have been destroyed." Jericho reported, coming out of the base of the control tower and looking up towards Jay's position. Redfield knew that the male could see pretty much every detail from where he was.

"Roger Jericho. All units police............" A faint sound in the distance caused him to pause, letting the push to talk button on his radio release. Jay stood up, peering to the south. He thought he heard a helicopter......

"Two-two, is everything ok?" Learn chimed over the radio, wanting to know the reason for the sudden termination of his transmission.

"Learn, get out of that tower now!" Jay shouted into the mic, taking off for the base perimeter in a run that nearly caused him to tumble down the hill that he was on.

"They're back! The Hinds!" Jericho flashed over the radio frequency, running for the concrete command bunker no too far from his position. The male did not want to be outside when the flying tanks appeared.

"All units take cover!" Jay shouted into the receiver as he ran through an opening in the barbed wire, bringing the M21 back into the ready position. As he looked back over his shoulder, he saw four Mi-24 Hind helicopters come over the trees in what was quickly surmised to be a flying skirmish line.

Spotlights beamed down from the behemoth choppers, highlighting the base in bright white rays of sunlight, searching for the interlopers on their turf. Redfield ran to the first blockhouse and dove behind it just as the searchlight swept over the position where he had been just seconds before. The helicopter had him pinned, with no place else to go.

The helicopter crew, checking for the source of the short range burst mayday that had echoed from their control tower just a moment before, thought they saw a figure tuck behind a building to their two o'clock. The pilot of the lead Hind F glanced over his illuminated control panel for the built-in forward looking infrared, and upon finding it, switched it on. Nothing happened.

"FLIR system malfunctioning, Comrade Captain." The co-pilot's voice came over the intercom, earning a sharp curse on the part of the Captain. The Mi-24 he was currently tasked with had already received the FLIR and titanium rotor caps that the whole of Armed Helicopter Reconnaissance had been promised, but the three other Mi-24s that were in his care at this point in time had not. This left them to resort to the older and more primitive spotlights. If there is anything here, I am going to find it, with or without FLIR! The captain though angrily. He wrestled the helicopter's stick, bringing it down low and fast around the back edge of the building. Nothing was there. Inches away from the searchlight beam, Jay Redfield was praying they didn't see the bodies.......

"Greek, this is Eagle. Requesting helicopter support on the south end of village two-seven." A frantic transmission boomed over the pilot's radio. The support would mean moving his formation of Mi-24s near to twenty miles north.

"Exactly so Eagle, repositioning in progress." The pilot responded, returning to 125 feet. I'd better make sure, just in case. The Captain thought to himself, moving his machine to look into the tower, highlighting the darkened equipment with the powerful spotlight. A man wearing a blue beret inside shielded his eyes, looking back at the darkened gunship.

"Is everything okay here comrade?" He asked over the intercom, knowing that the set in the tower had its own power source. The man picked up the radio headset and answered back in hoarse, but correct Russian.

"Our generator seized, those fucking Motor Rifle rats didn't repair it correctly. Everything is normal."

"Nothing is normal anymore, comrade."

Jay shook with a combination of fright and adrenaline as the Hind rejoined its pack and pointed away to the north. The twin 2,200 horsepower Isotov turbines roared, and the Mi-24s accelerated away from the base as quickly as they arrived. The Sergeant took a deep breath, clearing his senses.

The Hind F's pilot, and the leader of the squadron, shrugged his shoulders and opened the Hind's throttles, pointing the nose at the ground and placing magnetic north on his compass header. One more motor rifle screw up to test our nerves.

In a matter of minutes, their business was complete....

Jay Redfield watched as the helicopter base's massive fuel storage tanks went up in a fireball, waiting a moment before throwing a yellow marker smoke. The shockwave passed over the LZ as the Chinook pilot identified yellow, swinging the huge machine in, making sure to keep the side-mounted mini guns in a position where they could cover the treeline. The RSH teams materialized from all around, glad to finally pull out to an area less hostile and regroup. They had been on a sleepless combat rotation, and everyone was on the verge of collapse.

+++++++++++++++++++++

The first scent of an autumn morning reached Meryl as she stirred, sending a chill down the female's spine. A yawn punctuated the event, exposing her rows of sharp teeth to the cold air as the nights of little sleep and little food caught up with her. She was glad that they finally had a little three day break to gather themselves and rest, since the combat rotations had been going strong for almost a month straight.

The Raptoress looked at Jay, still sawing logs on his cot, mouth hanging open and sleeping bag pulled up to his neck in an effort to block out the cold. She bent down, ready to nudge him awake, catching herself at the last second. Jay always took her watches, sacrificing his sleep for her comfort. Maybe I won't wake you early today..

She shifted and searched his improvised ammo crate nightstand, passing the pictures that he had of her until she found the alarm clock. Meryl brought a claw to the off switch on the device and clicked it, making sure it wouldn't awaken him. She hovered over him for a bit longer, pushing back a corner of his sleeping bag with a mischievous grin. The Raptoress exhaled silently, breathing down the back of her Guardian's neck. She contained her laughter as a visible chill ran down his sleeping form, and a quick tug on the sleeping bag returned it to its original position. She turned away, smiling to herself.

The female walked to the other side of the GP Medium Tent to her personal area. Her armor was stretched on an array of sawhorses, waiting for the tedious task of putting it on to be undertaken once again. Meryl did a quick check of the armor, manipulating her front neck protecting V-plate with her three clawed hands, awkwardly closing the fasteners in place. A quick duck under the sawhorses brought her hundred and fifty pound modified outer shell in line. She pressed one side of the Velcro against a sawhorse, and manipulated the other side with her hand, getting the armor closed in a perfect line. A quick programming of her personalized code into the radio unit on her flank brought the pack's assigned frequency of the day online. The Raptoress did a final check of herself, making sure that everything was secure. She released a satisfied sigh, glad that she had a purpose in life.

"Meryl, you're up early this morning." Aud commented as the female's head exited the tent flap, followed shortly thereafter by the rest of her body. She smiled her Utahraptor smile, looking at the trees changing to their fall colors in the morning sunlight. The bright colors stimulated her already-overloaded senses, causing another chill to go up her spine. Aud looked to her with a sideways expression, laughing at the simplicity of her pleasure.

"I felt rested." She answered, giving him a good morning nuzzle just as she did every morning. Ever since their meeting, she had grown closer to him, not as a mate, but as a friend. She still relished the memories of that night, but she had come to the realization that another male dominated her life.

"And Jay?" He asked, returning the affectionate contact without hesitation.

"I let him sleep in, since he doesn't get nearly as much rest as us." She said, glancing up to the sky once again as the sun rose even higher, throwing more bright reds on the amber colored leaves. Three swooshes distracted the female as a trio of Tomahawk cruise missiles jetted by overhead, no doubt heading for yet another RSH designated target deep inside Russian territory. Meryl herself had called in seven of these strikes in recent months, with devastating effect.

The two shared each other's company for a few minutes, making light conversation until the male had to move along.

"I must go, Richter demanded to be awakened at this time." He said, breaking their meeting. The male gave Meryl a more serious nudge of affection, which she hesitantly returned. She watched as he departed, analyzing him as she always did. He had such a perfect gait, she thought. Aud possessed every quality that a female could want in a mate. The female stared at the ground with sad eyes. What could she do? Though, the fact that a male desired her company was enough to entitle a bit of happiness. In Meryl's eyes, too much of it could not be attained.

The female walked alone, looking out over the uppermost end of destroyed Route Eleven North, closing her eyes as memories of the first few days of the war flooded back all at once. She could still hear the whine of the Thunderbolts as they blew past low overhead, and the ripping vibrations of their cannons as the convoy went up in flames felt as if they were right there once again.

On top of all these memories Jay's image was ever present, making the Raptoress' mood sink. Her Guardian was the most important person for her in the world, but the boundaries of species meant that nothing could happen between them. That meant that Meryl couldn't have the chicks that she so desired once a safe time approached again. Then there was Aud, a male that actually showed interest in her only an arm's length away. Her eyes closed in quiet frustration, and curses were once again whispered through clenched teeth.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++

"I'm sorry Colonel, but your inability to produce any results from this project has influenced our decision to terminate your involvement with it. Colonel Nymev will be taking it upon himself to deliver results while you are shifted to more important matters." The General stated in his monotone voice, showing no emotion as he tore the heart out of Revedov's personal pet project.

"Comrade General, I do not understand. My group has been training almost nonstop for the past three months in order to track and deal with this new threat. To take us off of this project at this time is with all due respect, unadvisable. Without a dedicated hunter team, these creatures can and will lay waste to our tactical and strategic assets with ease."

"Colonel Nymev is organizing a new group as we speak, Gabriel Antonovich. You are to report to Colditz until we reassign your patrol sector. Consider your date of orders today. That is all, Comrade Colonel." Revedov returned a salute as the General left the room. He was absolutely furious, sweating under his perfectly arranged dress uniform. The Spetsnaz Colonel dropped his salute, leaving the room almost at a run, fists that were clenched around his document case turning white with the pressure.

"Comrade Colonel Revedov, we will be departing soon." His personal guard for the duration of time in Moscow said smartly, saluting him at the entrance to the Council of Ministers building. Revedov returned the salute, staying quiet as he approached the idling Mi-24 gunship. The snow, extremely uncharacteristic for this time of year, swirled around the massive rotors.

"Ready for takeoff Colonel." The helicopter pilot called back over the headset as the Colonel took his seat, buckling the seatbelt and settling in for the long ride back to the front. Inside, he was deep in thought.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++

"Remember comrades, the success of this operation depends very much on your level of aggression when attacking the target. A downfall of closing the distance with these creatures is that they have extremely good close quarters agility, able to duck out of the way from your attack and take you out with multiple strikes. These include attacks from multiple angles, including the Jaws, the hand claws, as well as slashing and pinpoint hits from the killing claws on both feet. Do not forget that their tails are pure muscle, and can strike with enough force to kill instantly. All of these attacks can be fatal, so you must act quickly." Nymev instructed, indicating to the pictures of Russian soldiers eviscerated by combined attacks over the past months. Colonel Revedov's entire operational folder lay sprawled out on the desk, the stolen information mixed with his own into a compilation briefing for the GRU teams he had received from the Centre.

"How do we get around their defenses?" A voice asked from the back of the room.

"You introduce a factor that makes them vulnerable to attack. Give yourself the advantage of surprise and a force so intense that they are not able to react. This tactic will work only until they adapt, and they are extremely adaptive. We are disadvantaged in almost every way, they have a better sense of smell, better vision, better agility, and strength. Also, you need rifle rounds to kill them. Pistol rounds will not penetrate from farther than point blank." Colonel Nymev noticed a tall blonde man enter the room from the rear, guessing that it was Revedov. He had probably realized that his file cabinet had been raided.

"Please review the packets that I have provided you." He finished, excusing himself from the podium and moving to the rear of the makeshift briefing room. He met a very angry Colonel Revedov, who shuffled him into the hallway.

"Colonel Nymev, why have you taken my files?"

"I needed the information if I was going to take over this assignment, and I was obligated to brief my team before we go out on our hunt." Nymev responded, seething voice echoing down the empty passage.

"You had merely to ask Comrade Colonel, I would've gladly furnished the materials for you."

"I did not have enough time to ask, Colonel. I must find and exterminate these creatures before they cost the Order even more men and equipment."

"Colonel, perhaps there is a better way, we should research these creatures and find out how to better counter them."

"Colonel Revedov, I intend to capture one of these creatures alive. We will have ample opportunity to study it."

"I hope so Comrade Colonel. I want to remain involved with this project."

"I shall make sure that you remain on it, Comrade Colonel Revedov. You need not worry."

++++++++++++++++

The fog rolled in before dawn, greeting the already awakened RSH team in their drowsy state. The pack was fully assembled, mostly noting the cold temperature as they awaited their go code for deployment. As she waited, Meryl's ears were picking up the sound of a distant artillery battery as it pounded out fire support against a Russian unit somewhere in the countryside. The Raptoress was awake and alert despite the cold temperatures, and she shared Learn's sentiment that it was time to go.

"I wonder how easy they'll be to find this time." Jericho commented, sniffing the cool morning air, anxious to get moving.

"No doubt it'll be just like the last few we chased out." Richter commented, breaking his concentration away from the quick pre-combat inspection that was being performed on his gear. Aud was present on his left side, getting inspected at the same time.

"However it is, you can bet that they won't go down without a fight. You remember how the last group responded to our presence." Jay laughed as he reseated Meryl's AMS computer on her armor.

"Charlie Two-Two, green to green over." HQ broadcast on the pack net, receiving an acknowledgement from Sergeant Redfield. He shrugged his shoulders and picked up his ruck, throwing it over his shoulders just as he had many times before. The weight of the assault pack went unnoticed.

"Here we go again, same old shit again...." Learn sang the lines of the cadence as they began to walk, snow lazily from the dark sky. A heavy coat of frost had come down the night before, leaving everything gray and white.

As soon as the group was far enough away from the FOB, Jay called the halt. He moved his operators in from the circle, producing the well-used map and giving it a quick double check before starting his briefing.

"Okay ladies and gents, listen up. Our mission on this beautiful, god-given freezing morning is a nest of forward observers about three clicks from the chateau, right next to MSR Seaside. These particular FOs are calling in a lot of fire on our troops as they move through, and we've lost two convoys right before the bypass on Route Eleven in the last three days. They are thought to be on this hill. We're supposed to be getting a hell of a snow storm this evening, and you can bet we'll be in the beginning of it." Jay pointed to a dot on the map marked as OP254. To the north, a gigantic chateau commanded view of the valley, with the highway just barely visible over the forest. The building, abandoned since the start of the war, wasn't in a very strategic spot for the purposes of either army, and thus had been spared extensive damage.

The pack nodded, paying attention even though this type of mission had been fairly common in the past few months, with several sets of observers and one full battery of artillery destroyed. In reality, it had become almost routine. The observer points didn't stack up well, appearing measly compared with the infantry kill results, which totaled five companies. Those results did not forget that this pack was responsible for the hit that is said to have saved the entire west side of Germany.

"Snow? This time of year?" Learn asked Richter, confused as the white flakes started falling with increased frequency.

"The last few years, we've had very bad winters. They were predicting a very bad winter this year." He answered, hopping over a fallen log. The German was uncharacteristically quiet today, Jordan noted.

They moved for two hours, covering eight miles while breaking brush across country, guided mainly by Meryl's navigation and the DAGR GPS unit that Jay was beginning to carry. The snow was still coming, and a thin layer was starting to collect on the ground as the team began the long climb to the top of hill 254. Jay looked at his map compared with the DAGR, then uphill through the forest. Several sets of contour lines meant that the climb would be everything but fun.

Meryl moved to the middle of the column, finally getting a break from point. The Raptoress opened her mouth in an attempt to catch snowflakes on her tongue as she walked. Redfield looked back to her and rolled his eyes, smiling at her almost childish actions as the snow fell faster. She abated as the climb got steeper and steeper, reverting to silent laughter as Jay lost his footing and ate snow on several occasions.

A sound from up ahead suddenly triggered the halt, Jay's hand coming up before he even realized as he took cover. Meryl immediately moved up to him, hearing the snapping of twigs without actually seeing what was causing them as her acute senses were brought in line. She nodded her head, looking at Jay as he responded with an ambush order, clicking his Aimpoint down to a dimmer setting. Meryl broke right, getting under the tree cover and off the deer path. It didn't take long for two Russian soldiers to come into view, walking with their weapons at the ready and keeping a close eye on the woods to their left and right.

"I don't like coming out here Radim, those things could be out." One of them spoke in quiet Russian, nervously throwing his head in each direction. Meryl was in predator mode, head locked dead still and eyes tracking on the man that she had marked for death. One set looked to Aud, who returned the stare with the quiet knowledge of what was about to happen. He knew what to do. With that, Meryl launched herself silently into the air, coming down right on top of the rear soldier and crushing him against the ground. Aud hit the other just as he turned around, snapping his powerful jaws over the man's head to keep him from screaming out.

"Indeed we are." Meryl answered the Russian in his own language, just before putting all of her weight onto one foot, crushing the man's torso into the ground. He died in a matter of seconds with nothing more than a series of violent twitches.

"Clear." Jay called quietly, giving his map a quick glance. Their uphill climb had paid off, for the summit of hill 254 was quickly approaching. The command for move out was given, and it wasn't long before they were on top. Fresh booms from the distance, almost on cue, dropped rounds on the highway far below. Jericho's acute eyes spotted the observers around the bottom of the crest, calling in a fresh volley of artillery on a passing convoy through their oversized observation binoculars. Sergeant Redfield saw the necessity of speed as a HEMMT fuel truck down on the highway detonated like a small sun as it took one of the rounds.

"Alright, all pack elements move in and attack!" He called, watching as his three Utahraptors moved down the slope in a trident. Jericho struck first, catching an observer with his killing claw and splitting him down the center. A second soldier screamed as his comrade was eviscerated, diving backwards while fighting with the leather holster for his pistol. The piece was finally wrenched free, and the Russian fired the weapon wildly, which did little more than earn him a tail whip to the face for the annoyance. Meryl came in the opposite end, cutting down several with her handclaws. The female roared in rage, shaking the forest around them and frightening the rest of the Russians out of the back of the trench. Aud came down right on top of them, using his extreme agility to slice two men from neck to groin with his killing claws. A third tried to run, but Meryl nailed him to the ground with a precise strike from her own killing claw.

"Clear Low." Jericho called up, maintaining a lookout for an expanded threat. That expanded threat came a moment later as an infantry squad broke from the cover of the forest and put the trio under heavy fire. The Utahraptors were quick to seek cover, hearing the snags of high velocity rifle rounds passing overhead.

The Guardians came next, returning fire and dropping three Russians right off of the bat. Both sides moved for dotted pieces of cover, advancing upon one another through the falling snow and wall of steel. Bullets tore through the air around them, hitting the ground and sending gouts of snow and dirt skyward with their impacts. Jay let his M4 drop on its sling, sliding a grenade from his pouch. He popped the safety catch with his finger, pulling the pin a millisecond later and throwing the egg through the air at a moderate angle. It sailed right towards a machine gunner that was trying to clear a malfunction, throwing its spoon in midflight. The sphere detonated as soon as it made contact with the ground a few seconds later, shaking the snow from the branches of the trees with the concussion. The man and his weapon went up in a cloud of earth and shrapnel, and allowed enough time for the pack to close in from the left flank of the conflict. The last two Russians alive put up stubborn resistance, spraying on fully automatic in incredibly accurate bursts. Learn brought her M16 online and glanced through the ACOG, putting a round right through one of the men's skulls as he exposed himself from cover. A round from the soldier's wingman bowled Jay over, sending the team into a frenzy as everyone reacted just as if it were a training exercise. Richter nailed the last Russian with a three round burst, tracing a line with the gunfire up the man's back without remorse.

"Jay!" Meryl yelled, covering the thirty meters separating them in about four seconds. She bent down over her Guardian, trying to see if he was okay. Worry flushed across her consciousness as Jay reached down to feel the wound, a shaken expression present on his face.

"I don't think it went through." He said, reaching into his far left double magazine pouch. He pulled out two snarled pieces of metal that were two of his M4 magazines, destroyed from the impact of the round. A horrendously deformed bullet was lodged in the second one, stopping it from hitting a spot that was not covered by a ballistic plate.

"Damn, that was close." Learn commented, peeking in on him, then returning to security once she saw he was okay. A laugh was all he got after that as he threw the two magazines into his assault pack.

Meryl nuzzled him, glad he was okay. He pulled off a glove, touching his hand to Meryl's snout in an attempt to respond to her contact. The female jumped, shocked by the sudden warm sensation in retrospect to the freezing temperatures. She pressed her head into it, savoring his warmth for a moment longer. She may have been resilient to the weather, but it was still a jolt like she had never experienced. She didn't need to say anything for Jay to know she was thankful for his life. The Raptoress remained silent as she moved off to back up her other two partners, breaking eye contact with her Guardian.

Jay regained his footing, watching Meryl poke through the infantrymen as he began heading down to the observer's nest. He intended to look around for any useful information, as the Russian FOs tended to have extremely well marked maps. He was disappointed to see that they had fallen victim to thorough destruction. Meryl made eye contact with him as he jumped into the trench, staring for only a second before moving to check the woods for more infantry with the other two Utahraptors. This left Redfield and Richter alone on the position, save for the still warm bodies of the Russian soldiers.

"Richter, I'm starting to worry." Jay spoke quietly when he saw that the others were out of earshot, not wanting to confide his feelings to them.

"Why are you worried?" The German asked, looking at him with concern as he placed his G36 back on safe.

"Every time something of this sort happens, bad things seem to multiply. I have a strange feeling that something big is about to take place. Something bad" Jay said, watching as the amount of snow coming down slightly increased.

"I don't think you should worry Jay, nothing bad is going to happen." He said, just as the radio on Jay's back clicked twice.

"This is Charlie Two-Two, send your traffic."

"Two-Two, Pirate Six. Tracking a major snowstorm through the whole of your AO. Redirect to shelter at EH 4560 8740 and stay put until the storm blows over. Weather expected to clear 1000 local date following. Over."

"Charlie Two-Two, roger out." He said over the radio, looking to Richter with a raised eyebrow. The German just stared back at him, shrugging his shoulders. To the Chateau it is...

+++++++++++++++++

Colonel Nymev sat at the brigade CP, listening to the radio sets as they received all of the messages being transmitted in throughout the area. He was listening for those particular messages that triggered the uneasy feeling that one gets when something isn't right. The GRU operative had been there only a little more than an hour before one such message made its way through the airways.

"Watch commander, be alert, contact has been lost with Tsar, a forward observer element assigned to the most advanced sector. Their infantry escorts have also been out of contact for some time as well. Preliminary reports of enemy activity indicate no presence in the area. Last contact band 1030 local, current time 1830 local." He heard the orderly call to the CQ, and a red tack was placed over two green ones in that sector.

_ That's the one._

Nymev stood, walking from the command post to a Ural Command truck. He entered, closing the big metal door behind him as the heavy snowfall really hit, winds gusting and making it extremely unpleasant to be outside. The Colonel picked up his phone, spinning up the net to his Attack team.

"Sergeant Tomilov, prepare for the operation."

In thirty minutes, three Urals loaded with his finest snatch teams left the Brigade CP, using their six wheel drive to navigate through the piling snow. It was near a whiteout now, but that was all the better for the teams, who were about to use the storm to their advantage. The patches on their shoulders betrayed to whom they belonged.

Osnaz.

+++++++++++++++++

"What is this place?" Meryl asked as she raised her head, staring in shock at the raised two story ceiling of the Chateau, admiring the ornate artistry of a caliber which she had never before seen. The female could also see her breath in a foggy cloud as it exited her nostrils, swirling through the cold, stale air.

"This house used to belong to some very influential people." Jay said, looking about the ground floor. He figured this was as good a place as any to stay the night, as the storm would bog down any roving patrols for the evening.

"They owned a good deal of enterprise in this area, apparently. The civilians fled with the war, and now their stuff sits unused." Learn put in, keeping her rifle at the ready and examining the ornate artistry that lined the walls while simultaneously checking for anything out of the ordinary.

The Chateau hadn't been opened in months, and dust stirred as the operators walked over the once-bright red carpet. After examining the house and confirming it was clear, the time came for a very important military event. Chow. They sat in the den downstairs, with the Guardians eating their heated MREs in a relatively good mood.

"You know, I wasn't expecting an impromptu day off." Learn laughed, sitting against Jericho's stomach and dissecting a beef stew MRE. Jericho curled his nose at the smell of the water-activated heaters, watching as the steam rose above head level and disappeared into the darkness.

"Yeah, at least we aren't sleeping out in the woods tonight." Richter interjected, laughing as Jay irritated a particularly sensitive area underneath Meryl's jaw. The female bared her teeth, growling at him playfully as she pressed her head against her neck in an effort to scratch it.

"What are you going to do about it?" Redfield prodded, evidently not learning from the first time as the hands made the approach once again. Jay struck home, earning another agitated response. He turned away, laughing at his success and going back to his dinner of chili macaroni. Seconds later, Meryl's long pink tongue graced the length of his face in perhaps the most wet kiss ever imagined. Jay grabbed his throat, dropping his meal and collapsing on the floor in a mock death spasm. Meryl smirked, watching as her Guardian flopped about.

"You asked for it." She responded, settling back down innocently after watching the spectacle for a moment. Jay sat up, wiping his face on his blouse and shooting Meryl the stink eye, which she returned without hesitation.

"Hopefully the weather is bad enough to keep the Russians off of our backs for the evening." Richter said, his already finished meal lying beside the chair he was sitting in, waiting for burial with the rest of the trash. The German's boots were propped on the table, and a rag was being run through the bolt of his G36.

"Speaking of Russians, we are on rotating guard tonight. Three hour shifts. It is Meryl's and my turn for first shift, so we'll be on that right after chow. Keep alert, because you know that Spetsnaz doesn't recognize foul weather from good weather. Not only that, but winter is pretty much home for them."

"Ain't that the truth? Hopefully that 'no enemy present' status holds up." Learn spoke, settling in deeper against Jericho's stomach, pausing only to throw her blanket over him. The Sergeant closed her eyes to sleep as Jay and Meryl got to their feet, assuming their roving patrol of the Chateau a few moments later.

The hours passed, and the snow continued to pile outside as the command pair finished their sentinel duty. With a quick wake up of Jericho and Jordan, they made their way upstairs to the master bedroom for the night.

"Damn, these are the nicest accommodations we've had in a while, don't you think?" He said, turning to the female with mock seriousness. She looked at him with a sideways expression, making him loose his composure with a simple cross of her eyes. For some reason, the female was in a giddy mood tonight.

"Pillows and everything." She laughed, swinging her tail through the doorway and inspecting the space before her. The Utahraptor saw movement out of the corner of her eye, and dodged as a rogue pillow was propelled at her. She watched the vinyl-wrapped missile impacted the wall behind her.

"Pillows indeed!" Jay shouted, running at her with one elevated over his head. He struck her in the snout, losing his balance in the process and crumpling in a heap as his combat booted feet slid across the floor. Meryl leaped over and dove to the couch, grabbing one of the vinyl covered cushions in her jaws.

"You asked for it!" She said through the mass of feathers that filled her mouth as her teeth penetrated the fabric, diving at her Guardian a moment later. The Sergeant realized his mistake too late, running for the opposite end of the room as Meryl pursued without mercy. She leapt, coming down right behind him. The Raptoress saw her window and swung her neck in a wide arc, taking out his legs and making the Sergeant faceplant into the bed. He ricocheted off, falling to the floor for the second time in fifteen seconds. Meryl stood over him, growling at her prey before she struck with the lethal force that years of training had perfected.

"Ah! Shit!" Jay yelled as the Raptoress brought the couch cushion pillow down in a sweeping motion, striking with the same ruthless precision that she always displayed. Feathers exploded everywhere, making the scene look like a massive fowl massacre as the assault continued.

"Okay okay I give! Seriously, those things probably cost about four hundred dollars apiece." Jay said, panting from the sudden exertion, holding his hands in the air to protect himself. The Utahraptor allowed him to rise, dropping her feather-filled instrument of destruction He opened his blouse, pulling it off seconds later and tossing it atop his rucksack.

"Well, that was entertaining." He laughed, trying not to notice Meryl as she stared at him. He turned away, still feeling the female's eyes grilling him. Jay turned, noticing her gaze shift almost instantly across the room.

"Is something wrong Meryl?" The Sergeant asked, seeing her eyes slowly move back to him.

"Do you remember what happened the last time you asked me what was wrong?" She turned away from him, staring out the window as she pulled aside the Velcro on her armor. The heavy outer shell slid off easily, leaving the female in nothing but her chest plate and harness. The Sergeant approached her, putting his hands over her tense shoulders.

"I do." He whispered into her ear, beginning to gently massage the female's strained muscles.

"I didn't want it to stop the..."She began, interrupted mid sentence by a hand as it ran softly underneath her tail. She sank to the ground in Jay's hands, feeling his sweet massage as it worked its way between her legs. His hands were skilled, just as she had always imagined, working over her solid hip muscles in patterns that drove her excitement through the roof. With her heightened senses, even a touch at close proximity to her sex was enough to excite the female further.

"Good thing for that snowstorm." She gasped as he found his objective, running the tip of a finger along the edge of her lips. He laughed as she jerked, not used to being touched in such a way. Jay lay next to her, spreading her taut lips apart with one hand as he examined her sex. Two fingers from his other hand found their way inside, feeling the difference in body temperature as they explored her. Jay enjoyed the way his Raptoress felt, and every little movement of his hands earned some kind of jolt or rumble of ecstasy from her. The female smiled, mouth hanging open slightly as she milked the smooth caresses of her Guardian. Meryl arched her back as she lay on it, spreading her legs so as to give him better access. He took advantage of her compromising position, driving his fingers in deep, forming a curve with them. She nearly lost her balance, throwing a leg out to keep from rolling onto her side.

"Not nice." She gasped, giving a look of disappointment as he withdrew his fingers. The displeasure lasted for only a second as he moved his head between her legs, using his hands to spread her wide open. The deep pink was his target, and his tongue was definitely experienced in aiming as Meryl gasped in excitement. The female could barely contain herself as his tongue penetrated her, and the floor suffered the punishment as six claws forced a secure hold upon it. They sank in, holding the female in place as Jay clouded her mind with new sensations. Meryl groaned, shifting her rump to the side in an effort to mask the roar that she knew was coming. Jay sensed her proximity to orgasm and stopped abruptly, earning bared teeth from his female.

"Don't stop." She commanded, spreading her legs wide in a silent plea for continued attention. Looking down, the Raptoress could see how wet she really was, both from herself and from Jay's tongue, but her attention was soon focused on other things as Jay unbuttoned his pants. He brought himself down to her, manhood in hand to align himself in her. The Raptoress leaned back, resting her head on the ground as she felt the very tip of him enter her. She gave him a little resistance with all the strength she could muster, feeling every detail of his flesh within her. Her Guardian lay his weight upon her, wrapping his arms around the front of her muscular thighs as he began thrusting in and out. Jay could see the female's muscles rippling underneath him, causing pleasurable contractions around the already plenty-aroused male atop her. She was so tight, that he couldn't resist giving her a little torture by shifting his hips in different directions. The thrusts were slow and deliberate, with Meryl being rewarded underneath him far sooner than he would have expected with her size. Jay felt his female cum with a gigantic spasm that rocked her body, whereas he had only begun.

"Somebody comes easy." He taunted, maintaining his rhythm of thrusts as Meryl cleared the spots of pleasure from her eyes.

"I do no...!" Meryl's eyes went wide with a gasp, throwing the sentence to the wind as Jay drove himself to the hilt inside her, earning another orgasm that wet Jay's crotch in her sweet fresh-cinnamon scent.

"You were saying?" He asked, panting as he increased his tempo within her. He moved his hips with a good amount of force, rocking Meryl's body as she closed her eyes in satisfaction, enjoying the feeling of her Guardian moving back and forth within her. With each gyration, she let loose a quiet peep of pleasure as her body went into sensory overload.

Jay felt another orgasm rock her body and drove himself to the hilt once more, letting loose his own flow of seed into her depths. It took everything in the female's being to contain the roar that she knew had welled within her, and she looked to him with a strained expression. He collapsed off of her, coming to rest on the ground in his usual spot. Meryl looked down upon him with a sweet, seductive glow in her eyes. All her Guardian could do was lay there, reluctantly buttoning his pants as he stared at Meryl's immobilized position. She couldn't bring herself to close her legs.

"You're still loud." He turned and blurted, earning him another lick for the evening.

"You're no slacker yourself." Was the only response he got.

Before long, sleep took hold of the finally fully united Pair....

++++++++++++++++++++

Meryl snorted in mock anger as Jay tackled her from where he was sitting just moments before, catching the female in a playful attack that she hadn't been expecting. Furious, Meryl rolled onto her opposite side, taking the still kicking and pawing human with her and forming a tangle of legs, claws, dust, and feigned attempts at cursing each other's very existence. The Raptoress quickly recovered her composure from the uncalled for attack and pushed Jay off, sending him tumbling through the air. Her throw had come within inches of Richter, who was in the process of moving more timber to a pile that he had been working on as reserve fuel for the pack's already well-tended campfire.

"Damn it Meryl!" He yelled out, dropping the firewood and dodging out of the flying soldier's way. Jay landed in a dust-ridden heap, and could only begin to wipe the tears of laughter out of his eyes and brush the dust stain off of the rear end of his ACUs. His coordination, after all, was just a tad lacking in his current state.

"Yes?" She asked, eyes full of fake innocence and head cocked to one side. After all, how could she be responsible?

"You could have propelled me in a different direction you know. " Jay answered for him, no doubt saving the group from the harsh language that would've soon escaped Richter's mouth. He moved back towards her, still sporting a mile wide grin as he sat down in his usual place at her midsection.

"So, now you patronize me for a place to sit? I see how you are Jay Redfield, and it makes me incredibly angry." Meryl said in her best serious voice, watching the reaction of her Guardian. It didn't surprise her that he stuck his tongue out right back, but she damn near made him choke on it when the gesture was mimicked.

"Okay, fine! You win!" Jay said, looking back to the rest of the pack, staring back at the two and trying to figure out what had just happened between them. They stared with the same sideways expressions, except for Richter, who was still muttering curses in his native language. He disappeared into the woods again on his quest for suitable burning lumber. Aud was nowhere to be seen...

"What?" The two said in tandem, earning a shoulder shrug from the rest of their party as they looked at one another.

Meryl lowered her head onto Jay's shoulder, from which he took hold and clutched her in his hands. The Utahraptor let out a soft purr as Jay rubbed above her eye ridges, relaxing her muscles and letting him take full control. Learn turned to Jericho, who was overshadowing her and shielding her from the cold that was trying to creep in from out of the fire's safety zone, and then looked back, opening her mouth as if to speak.

"I still don't understand you two." She said as she wrapped herself in the spacious wool blanket before she noticed her male's slight shiver. Without any further thought, she pressed herself against him and threw the open corner over the majority of his midsection. Almost immediately, the heat of his belly warmed the air underneath the blanket and she smiled wider than she had in a long time. A thought brushed over her mind, only to be suppressed in one quick second. It soon resurfaced, and Jordan's eyes widened with the realization of what it was. The feeling of him........

At that instant, she knew what drove the antics of Jay and Meryl, and what drove her ever-present worries and thoughts of Jericho.....

Love.

What would Jeri think? Learn thought, rationalizing that he would never accept a human as his mate, provided he didn't break into a fit of rage at the thought of a human mating with him. Soon, as her thoughts took wing, the answer was clear.

She muttered it so softly that only her male could hear it over the crackling of the fire, and the soft, enchanting conversation of Jay and Meryl.

"Jeri, I love you."

No response....

She immediately regretted saying those words, because a silent Jericho was a sure indication that she had tipped a small point of contention. She glanced up towards his head, trying to figure out a complex series of Utahraptor emotions. Only then did she realize that he was already asleep. At peace, and with the determination to let the Male know in some way, she joined Jericho in his dreams.

Across the fire, Meryl looked up at Jay, observing the amber glow and milking the massage that her head was receiving. She spoke to Jay in the quiet way they always did, and Jay answered back with his own whispered tones. After everything was said, and sleep was on the verge, Jay Redfield muttered his usual evening message to the raptorress.

"Meryl, I love you."

The corners of her mouth extended in a quirky smile, just as they always did as Jay moved in on her. Before she could say anything, his mouth pressed against hers in a passionate embrace.

The sound of an automatic weapon from somewhere down below jarred the female from her dream.....

+++++++++++++++++++

"All Sentinel elements, this is Sentinel Lead, proceed with operation. Time now 0200." Nymev whispered into his microphone, creeping through the whiteout with his AN-94 at the ready. The Colonel was beside twenty four of his best troops, armed with a variety of different weaponry that only the elite would have access to. Snipers covered the building, infrared sights cutting through the bad weather as if it didn't exist, ready to protect the Osnaz from hostile fire.

"Affirmative Lead, moving in." The Osnaz team skirted the house 360 degrees, taking up position underneath the windows on the ground floor. One of them bumped the house with his rifle.

"What was that?" Aud wondered aloud just as seven cylindrical grenades broke through the ground floor windows of the Chateau. CS gas instantly permeated the room at such a high concentration that the male was on his knees almost instantly. Gunfire erupted throughout the building as Richter, in nothing but pants and a t-shirt, promask already donned, sprayed his G36 at shapes moving in the darkness. The German, dead set at protecting Aud, downed two enemy soldiers as they came through the foyer, spraying blood across the polished hardwood and carpet. Answering automatic weapons fire echoed throughout the house, searching him out through the cloud of gas.

Upstairs, Meryl and Jay were awakened by the sudden sound of gunfire from downstairs, and scrambled to their feet to help. Meryl brought her head up only to get it almost taken off by twin high-caliber rounds through the window to their rear. Both hit the floor, powerless to help those downstairs until the snipers shifted their attention elsewhere.

"Jordan, what is happening?" He called over the radio, trying to find the rest of his team.

"We're under attack! The ground floor is filled with some kind of gas; we can't get down there to help the other two!" She answered back, posted at the top of the stairs. The female Sergeant threw her PVS-14 on as the M16 went to semi. She peered over the balcony, watching as the strobe light effects of gunfire danced through the fog.

Nymev walked through the house, AN-94 at the high ready sweeping for targets. The pulsing of gunfire gave the entire scene a surreal image, and the Colonel watched it all through the rounded lenses of his gas mask. The orchestration was perfect, to say the least.

The Utahraptor named Aud roared, shaking the house with the deathly loud noise, causing a moment's hesitation from the Osnaz troops. It took only a second to wear off, and ten men dove upon him, lashing out with fierce blows. One trooper caught him in the back of the head with a full bodyweight rifle butt, dropping the half-ton male like a pallet of cinderblocks. The extraction team came next, wasting no time to get close to the Utahraptor, whom was out cold on the floor. Ten men collectively gripped underneath him, lifting the half ton weight across the foyer to the front door.

"Aud!" Richter yelled, muffled by his promask.

The German abandoned his cover, switching the weapon to automatic and laying fire into the white moving shapes of the Russians. The ghastly figures fired back, covering the extraction team as they pulled Aud's unconscious form through the doublewide front doors. Several rounds went sailing in that direction, blowing chunks out of the woodwork directly to their left. He couldn't get a good bead on them given the still thick cloud of CS gas mixed with the darkness of the house, so he pushed even farther forward, dropping the magazine on his G36 for a fresh stick.

Colonel Nymev saw a soldier run out of the cloud, weapon firing towards his troops. His AN-94 was already up, and the Colonel didn't think twice about tapping the trigger.

Richter let out a cry of pain as two rounds entered his chest. The soldier fell to his knees, rifle skittering away in the darkness.

"Jay, Richter is down!" Jordan yelled over the comms, seeing him get hit from the second floor balcony. She flipped her selector switch from semi to burst, emptying the rest of the magazine at the fleeing soldiers. She nailed one in the throat, seeing the man go down almost instantly. The Sergeant was on her feet almost immediately after, changing mags as she moved, half-running half falling down the steps.

The CS cloud was dissipating, and the scene of destruction was visible through the beam of an accidentally discarded flashlight. Learn ran to the still open front doors, seeing the silhouette of three Urals pulling away through the storm in the green sun of her night vision goggles.

"Jay, they're gone." She said, turning back to try and find Richter amongst the still lingering fumes of the gas. The Sergeant coughed, bumping a CS canister with her booted foot, sending it skittering across the floor. Jericho came up behind her, tears running down the side of his snout from the irritant. Meryl appeared beside him, beating Jay down the stairs.

"They've got Aud!" Learn yelled, pointing to the opening. Meryl headed through the open double doors, Jericho following silently behind.

Jordan moved quickly to his body, checking for a pulse. There wasn't one.

"How is he?" Jay asked as he slid down the banister, catching himself at the bottom. He was immediately by her side, watching and silently praying. Two exit wounds on the top of his spine forced the harsh reality into their heads that he was probably dead.

"No pulse." She said quietly, rolling the German soldier onto his back. They both took a collective gasp upon seeing the extent of his wounds. Two rounds had pierced the center of his chest, exiting through his spinal cord after piercing several internal organs. A pinkish fluid oozed from his lips, pooling on the floor below.

"He's dead." He said, turning away and going to the open doors. The snow was shin deep by now, a far cry from the clear ground of the morning before. Redfield stared into it, noticing the temperature drop as well. It had to be in single digits by now. He saw the two shapes of his Utahraptors as they jogged back to the house.

"What is going on?" They both asked, coming up the steps to Jay. He gazed into Meryl's eyes, seeing the nervousness that was never present there. Redfield did not answer, letting only his sadness show for her. She slowly stepped past him, keeping an eye turned back to follow him as she moved.

Jay heard her gasp, and went back inside. Learn stood next to his body, which she had covered up with a sheet. Tears were falling off of her face, dripping down her uniform top. Meryl turned, and Jay saw that look in her eyes. Pure anger.

"We have to go get them." She said, looking to her partner to give the order. A slight tilt of his head was all that was given before the radio handset came up.

"Netcall netcall, RSH Charlie Two-Two, one Golf down, one Uniform capture. I say again, one Uniform capture. Position EH 4560 8743, request assistance immediately, over."

It didn't take long. The radio, usually silent, hummed with activity as seven available RSH teams moved in to help scour the area for their missing comrade. Once they were done, the Russians would never know what hit them.

To be continued.....