Storymania - Harbour Hell by S M Murray

Harbour Hell
S M Murray

His call sign was Jinx. His call sign was aptly named since for the past three missions something totally out of his control went wrong. But that wasn’t important now. All that mattered was his present mission. He looked down onto the Sydney harbour. It was a beautiful sight. From his position he could see the City and the Opera House from here. But he had no time to admire the view- he had to continue the Bridge Climb and at the same time co-ordinate the teams movement. “Sail boat ready for launch” a voice screamed into his mike. “Newt” was an expert in demolitions and scuba diving as his job in this mission would require- hence his call sign. “Newt, have you got all the explosives?” Jinx whispered into his mike. He wanted to be entirely sure that everything was fine. “Yes” Newt answered. “Alright then, launch boat”. Jinx looked down again and saw to his left a tiny sail boat launch from the dock. “You okay?” asked a voice behind him. Jinx spun around and saw Ziplock one of his fellow paratroopers. “Before Jinx could answer a feminine voice cried out “Come on, don’t want to keep the others waiting” The voice came from the bridge climb instructor. Jinx, Ziplock, and three other Paratroopers called Chicken, Mantis and Flash weren’t climbing the world famous Sydney Harbour Bridge for the view- or the exercise either. It was vital to the success of the mission.

His call sign was Bear. An odd name considering that Bear was an expert in long distance combat. He casually walked through the crowds of the Opera House. He looked totally ordinary in a typical Australian jacket and shorts. But underneath his jacket was a Kevlar vest, a Sig Sauer pistol and a MP7 machine gun. Bear put down his backpack and pulled out a tripod. He mounted it by the railing of the Opera House. He then put a special modified camera on it. He still looked like an ordinary tourist.

His call sign was Doodlebug- named after the torpedo bombs that blitzed Britain in the last moments of World War 1. He drove his van to the edge of the cliff and went into reverse. His position as a tourist was a bit odd. Nearly everyone in the area of the harbour had gathered into good viewing spots to watch the HMS Melbourne return from its successful battle in the Pacific. But the fact that Doodlebug could hardly see the Melbourne didn’t matter. Only that the explosive torpedo in his van could track itself to the sensor that was to be placed on it did.

A week earlier the Melbourne received a distress signal from a Pacific island saying that it required military assistance with a mercenary army. The Melbourne automatically changed its course and went after the stolen battleship that housed the Mercenaries. The Melbourne however soon sailed into a trap. Two other battleships soon engaged it and the third arrived later. A blocking device was used so that no help could be called. The trap was set up by the mercenaries who were paid to eliminate the Melbourne as the person who hired the mercenaries thought the Melbourne had too much control over the Pacific. So for one day Australia was blind to the fate of the Melbourne. Then to the horror of the Patron but the joy of Australia, Sydney received a transmission from the Melbourne confirming that it successfully eliminated the mercenary army.

Despite the fact that it was outnumbered and outmanoeuvred the Melbourne sunk two the battleships due to the fact that on its last stop it had picked up about 100 of the Elite Australian SAS. Unfortunately the mercenaries carried erasers (equipment used to wipe out all trace of the army) so that as soon as all three command centres in the battleships decided the battle was lost the remains of the three battleships exploded and every single mercenary had chlorine explosives wipe his own face and fingerprints. Since there were no live prisoners and limited evidence the Melbourne didn’t know who hired the mercenaries. However they had collected enough evidence so that experts could identify who the Patron was. The Australian Government demanded the Melbourne sail through Sydney Harbour before the evidence was unloaded and examined. So the Patron gathered its elite troops and gave them the mission to destroy the evidence and preferably the Melbourne at the same time. And that was what Jinx was doing right now.

The Melbourne was about to pass under the Bridge. Jinx started to shout things into his mike and he ordered his paratroopers to get ready. In the next few minutes Sydney Harbour was going to hell.

Bear looked through his camera lens and saw the Melbourne glide past the Opera House. He then received the signal he was waiting for. “Bear let’s do this” from Jinx. The second he heard it Bear pulled out his MP7 and jammed it through his specially modified camera. It fitted perfectly and could rotate in any direction. As soon as it was in Bear began to fire. The MP7 has a clip size of 40 bullets and fires at a rate of 950 rounds per minute- which is 15 rounds per second. The machine gun roared to life and soldiers on the Melbourne started dropping dead. The first soldier hit was a relatively new recruit in the Australian navy. His chest literally exploded. The guy next to him has his back facing the gun. The bullets went right through his spine. The third soldier spun around to see the source of the noise and was literally cut into halves. The fourth casualty ducked down but when he rose again to shoot off a couple of rounds his head exploded like a watermelon. This all happened in a couple of seconds and the remaining soldiers at the stern ducked down to avoid the gunfire. The crowd around Bear started running away. Perfect.

Jinx stared down at the pandemonium below and smiled. The gunfire at the left side of the stern was drawing soldiers from the bow and the right side. He drew his Sig Sauer and fired it into the air. The bridge climbing instructor and the other climbers ducked for cover while Jinx and the other Paratroopers threw off their jackets to reveal combat suits. They drew their square shaped P90’s, used some hydrofluoric acid to eat throw the tether that held them together and in a synchronized movement jumped off the bridge top.

At that same moment Newt yanked the rudder of the boat to the right and the boat veered left. All the soldiers on the right side of the Melbourne were drawn away to the left side which meant that nobody was watching the right side. Newt started laying explosives on the side.

As Jinx and the Paratroopers were flying through the air they pulled the pins of their stun grenades and dropped them on the bow. The few remaining soldiers that were watching were instantly blinded by the explosions. They then dropped smoke grenades that clouded bow in smoke. The paratroopers were falling and were going to hit the stern in less than half a second when- plop they got jerked upwards as their J7 jetpacks activated and allowed them to hover the last remaining metres onto the bow where they started running. The J7 jetpack was an attempt to reduce the time that a parachute left soldiers in the air. The J7 only activates when the wearer is a couple of metres from the ground. The J7 then slowly hovers them to the ground. It was truly a wonderful sight to behold: Flashing lights smothered with smoke and in the centre of all of it five military soldiers unaware of their surroundings running through the smoke their P90’s blazing.

Bear was enjoying himself. His tripod was specially modified so that not only could it randomly jerk to the side to avoid gunfire but the camera holder always pointed in the same direction so that the aim was unaffected by the sudden jerk. Bear suddenly heard a beep. It was one of his proximity sensors that he had previously placed around the area. Anytime anyone crossed it- and was carrying something metal like a gun- it would beep. Bear spun his MP7 around and waited. A squad of policemen soon turned the corner and due to such close range were literally ripped apart. The front two had their chests, heads and muscles explode. The injured survivors jumped out of the way into some nearby ledges while Bear continued to pound them with bullets.

Back on the ship the Australian soldiers were at a loss. Should they use their artillery to fire on the MP7 soldier but risk damaging the Opera House?. The policemen had hardly helped the matter.

Back at the bow Jinx and the Paratroopers were making mincemeat of the blinded Australian soldiers. One who was writhing about on the ground copped it first with his chest being hit with 900 bullets a minute- or 15 a second. The second Australian heard the gunfire and tried to get up but was shot down. The third actually got up and was running away but got cut down. The Paratroopers then split up. Mantis opened one of the window hatches when- blam blam blam- the windows exploded around him. Coming around from the side of the ship was a squad of SAS. Mantis panicked and leapt through the hatch running away from the elites when a fragmentation grenade soared over his head and caused Mantis to leap out of the way- right into the path of the SAS who used their MP5’s to send a dozen rounds into Mantis’ stomach. Mantis quickly whipped up a stun grenade and in the blinding light crawled away to die.

Newt had laid half his explosives when bang- Newt saw an Australian soldier looking down at him. Newt quickly whipped up his Sig Sauer but the Australian soldier was gone and shouting to his comrades about the man laying explosives. Newt sighed, pulled a chest of C4 from under the seat of the boat and dived under the Melbourne.

Jinx rushed into the kitchen of the Melbourne. He surveyed the scene and planted a remote mine in the cutlery drawer. He then heard a transmission from Newt “Had to dive under. Setting C4”. At that precise moment every single window in the kitchen exploded, shattering shards of glass everywhere. Jinx dived down behind a counter and saw the combat boots of someone enter the room. Two more followed. Jinx’s heart started pounding. The Australian troops didn’t wear those sorts of boots- SAS had just entered the room. If he jumped up he would be shot, if he stayed he would be found and shot. Then a brainwave hit him. While still staying under cover Jinx rushed through the mazes of the kitchen. The SAS heard the footsteps and rushed after him when bang. The drawer next to them exploded. While it wasn’t a large blast it launched hundreds of forks, spoons and knives onto them. While it wasn’t a particularly damaging blast it distracted the SAS for a second and Jinx was able to rush up and send 100 rounds of ammo into the SAS soldiers. Their battered and bruised bodies collapsed. That remote mine that Jinx had planted had worked.

Bear was laying waste to the police squad. Every time one jumped out of his hiding spot it was cut down. He had just loaded his MP7 again when a young policeman jumped from his hiding spot and while flying through the air released some rounds. In exchange Bear blew his head off but not before a bullet entered his shoulder. Bear howled.

Flash rushed onto the stern and found it a battleground from hell. Soldiers had found what ever cover they could from the MP7’s bullets and dead bodies littered the ground. Flash leapt into action with his P90 slaughtering the hiding soldiers. He rushed over towards a missile battery, shot the guy in it in the back and jumped in. He blasted the stern with explosives and sent the soldiers running for cover. He then turned the battery around and started firing on the policemen attacking Bear. The first shot killed three instantly and the others jumped for cover as the second shot killed a fourth. The policemen’s hiding places were unable to help them and just as Flash was about to shoot his third missile he heard the sound that would signal the end of his life. The unmistakeable beep of an RDX grenade which one millisecond after blew the missile battery to oblivion. The RDX grenade is 6 times more powerful than C4. Flash never stood a chance.

Chicken ran through the dining room when suddenly –blam blam blam blam- splinters from the table were flying everywhere. Over 10 Australian soldiers ran into the hall with their guns blazing. Chicken ran through the exploding chairs and tables. He swore under his breath. He decided to run for it. Just as he got up a dozen bullets entered his back. Chicken crumpled to the floor. The ten Australian soldiers saw his barely alive body and looked with horror at his hand. In it was the pin of an RDX grenade. The dining room exploded and set the fire alarm off.

Bear was starting to lose his focus. His shoulder wound was a lot more serious than he thought. His tripod did another jerk but Bear wasn’t ready for it. His hand slipped and Bear was sent tumbling. The policemen decided that this was their chance. They ran out of their hiding places and started shooting at Bear. He knew he was screwed but a strange tinge of self preservation came over him. He rolled under the railings into the water where he started to swim towards the Melbourne. Police bullets kept on drilling into his back but he kept on swimming. Finally he reached the Melbourne’s steel ladder and started climbing it. He had reached the top when –click- an Australian soldier had his gun levelled at Bear’s chest. Bear smiled and said “allow me” and pulled the pin on his RDX grenade.

Ziplock ran through the hallways of the Melbourne. Water was gushing from sprinklers which had been activated by the explosion in the dining room. He then opened a door and was met with fresh air. He was on the side of the ship. He turned to his right and saw some SAS in scuba gear. He guessed what they were doing. He pulled out his P90 and tried to shoot them but they slid off the side and into the water. He pulled out his mike and screamed into it “Newt, SAS coming, set off the explosives. I don’t care if they’re not enough to sink the ship just do it”. Ziplock ran back into the ship and braced himself for the shaking from the explosion but oddly enough it didn’t come. Ziplock entered the meeting hall when the light blacked out. He dived down just as bullets whooshed by and put on his night vision goggles. The lights turned back on again blinding Ziplock and he tore his goggles off when blam. The lights turned back off and Ziplock was not only blinded with little stars dancing around his head but was also in the dark. He had no way of knowing that a bullet was coming his way and about to blow his head apart.

Down below Newt listened to Ziplock’s transmission. He pulled out a specially modified taser stick and as soon as a SAS in scuba appeared he jammed his stick into his costume. The rubber and the water conducted the electricity and so that SAS’s chest exploded. Blood was floating everywhere. Newt thinking the danger had passed swam back to his C4 explosives about to set a five second timer. But before he did a taser entered his own back and caused his spinal cord to explode.

Jinx as team captain had a transmitter attached to each soldier’s heart so that when their heart stopped beating Jinx would know. He was staring at the coloured lights on his wristwatch with amazement. His entire team was dead. He shouted into his mike “Doodlebug launch the Torpedo now” He then rushed to the bow where he had dropped his backpack which carried a … hydro engine. The hydro engine resembled a rocket which you can launch underwater and would zoom at incredible speeds. It was built for quick movement underwater. Jinx pulled out his Hydro Engine and jumped off the bow into the water. He activated his immediately and zoomed towards the cliff where Doodlebug and his van were.

As he was zooming through the water he saw the torpedo pass him underwater. When he arrived he pulled out his grappling hook and scaled the cliffs walls to the parking lot where Doodlebug’s van was and climbed into the passenger seat. They were about to drive off when the bottom of the cliff exploded.
There was no they could have known that one of the reasons that the Melbourne had won the battle against the mercenaries was that the Melbourne was equipped with a special radio transmitter that messed up the workings of a mechanical torpedo and redirected it to whoever had fired it. Although nobody knew it- not even the Australians on board nor Doodlebug or Jinx, the torpedo underwater went haywire and sped towards the cliff from where it had been launched. It arrived only moments after Jinx did by which time he and Doodlebug were strapped in. The cliff collapsed and the van tumbled backwards into the sea where it was crushed by a massive rock fall.

The next day the Australian government kept what really happened as classified. They told the press that it had been put on show. The media believed this as the only people to see people get shot were threatened with 20 years in prison. Australian experts examined the evidence and told the media that the patron of the mercenaries couldn’t be found. However after a conference of the Coalition of the Willing the American president opened up a much more beneficial free trade agreement towards Australia. He also banned the tariffs that American holds over Australian meats. Certain media reporters in America are curious over the disappearance of a crack SEALS team that apparently died in a messed up training exercise despite the fact that they were the finest soldiers in the country.