"Alright. Let's go rejoin the armada and get this fucking asset."- says Adler on the radio.
Sims and I go out of the room with the red door. Now we're in a backyard full of Vietnamese lamps.
"Look. Another box full of ammo." - I say noticing a lot of bullets on the ground.
"These Russian are full of surprises." - replies Sims reloading his weapon.
"We need to go ahead." - I say reloading my weapon. The cold contact with the bullets makes me shiver.
"Leave the way."
I think we need just go straight, so I enter in a house to reach the principal yard.
Adler is waiting for us there.
Suddenly two Viet Cong come out behind a wall. I didn't even hear them coming.
They're so close. I need to do something immediately. I take my knife and stab them in the heart. They open their mouth and widen their eyes. Then the two Viet Cong fall on the floor with blood around them. My military shirt gets dirty.
"Jesus! That was close! Two enemies in one time!" - exclaims Sims.
"Yeah th-".
A big explosion interrupts my words.
We run in the balcony outside.
The scene is so epic: Adler, on the chopper, kills every enemy in the principal yard and made explode an inflammable barrel.

The fire around seems scared to touch him and the wind moves his hair.
He has come for me. And for Sims, of course.
My hero...
"Go! Back to the bird!" - Sims cries.
"What? Oh yeah, sure."
I was too focus on Adler. How I couldn't?
"Badger Niner-One, this is Ripcoard. We are still under heavy fire. VC are breaching the perimeter. What is your status?" - Ripcord says on the radio.
Sims and I jump from the balcony and proceed through the court.
Adler's chopper land on the ground.
"We're inbound now, Ripcord. Get that asset ready for transfer." - replies Adler.
"Roger that, Niner- One. We'll keep the asset safe long as we can. Ripcord out."
When I reach the chopper a young soldier takes my hand and pulls me on the board.

But... where is Adler?
Suddenly two big hands cover my shoulder from the behind.
I don't have to look at his face to recognize him.
"Adler!" - I hug his muscled body.
He smells as mint and cigarette.
"Woah! Did you really miss me so much?" - he laughs.
"Wait... Are you hurt?" - he looks at the fresh blood on my shirt.
"No men, she has just stabbed two Viet Cong at once."- Sims boards the chopper.
"Not bad, kid." - says Adler. "And what about your wound on your leg?"
"Oh you don't have to worry. It's okay."
Adler isn't convinced.
"Seriously, Adler it's noth-."
But he has already took the bandages and some alcohol.
"Let me see."
Adler gently takes my leg and rolls up my military pants.
His big hands slowly go around all my skin.
My heart start to beat faster.
He disinfects the wound and applies the bandages.
"We're ready to go." - says Adler.
"Bell."- he adds. "Would you mind take control of this big boy?"
"W-what?" - I ask confused.
"Would you mind drive this chopper?" - he repeat with a smirk.
"Yeah- I mean, it's okay. I've done this before. But... you're sure?"
"Let me see how you drive this bird." - he winks.
My face turned all red and I slowly reach the pilot seat.
The chopper takes off and goes up till we can see the tops of the mountains.
A rich vegetation made by palms, trees and tall grass covers a big part of the territory.
"Adler, there is so much vegetation, how we can see the enemies? They can hide everywhere they want." - I ask to him.
"You see, that's the biggest part of being the leader; you have to think as your enemies and only in this way you can find them." - he replies with a smirk.
The mysterious aura around Adler is so attractive.
"Badger Niner-One in the air." - says Chalk One when we reach the right height.
"VC are all over the mountains. No civs here!"- cries Adler.
In front of us there are many mountains but no VC. That's what I can see, at least.
Then I see a construction and suddenly I can hear bullets fly over our chopper.
"All targets are valid."- says Adler.
"Tear 'me up, Bell!" - exclaims Sims. "Target the huds!"
I start to shoot at the house wich explodes.
Going ahed I light another construction above the river.
"Fuck yeah!" - Sims incites me.
Now the mountains open to a bigger space and in the river I can see four boats full of RPG.
I immediately kill them.
"Good shooting, Bell." -compliments Sims again.
Adler doesn't say nothing but I know he's smiling.

"Badger Niner-One. We have confirmed visual on an enemy bird ahead your way." - says the base commander trough the radio.
"Fuck, a chopper?" - I ask confused.
"Since when did the Conf have birds?" - asks Sims more confused than me.
"They don't. Fucking Soviets." - says Adler angrily.
Suddenly a big shadow appears on our chopper and covers the visual of the sun.
It's the Soviets' bird.
"Take down that Hind!" - cries Adler.
I start the fire.
"Yes! We got your ass zeroed!" - exclaims Adler.
After a few seconds the bird takes fire and falls down in the river.
"I think you got him." - says Sims.
"That was easy." - I reply.
"Yeah. You got him. Good job, Bell." - Adler says proudly.
And now I feel again this strange feeling in my stomach. It always appears when Adler compliments me.
"The fact they sent that Hind after us tells you how pissed they are that we snagged the intel." - he adds.
"Ripcord base twenty seconds out." - says Chalk One.
"Ripcord, this is Badger Niner-One. We're on final approach."- replies Adler while I kill other enemies on our way.
"Roger that, Niner-One. The base is still hot, so watch yourselves." - advises Ripcord. "We'll do what we can to clear an LZ- and get the asset ready for transfer."
"Roger that, Ripcord."
The conversation end here.
"Do they have trouble, huh?" - I ask.
"Yes. We need to help them to clear the area." - he says.
"Watch the caves! Bastards are dug in!" - Sims alerts us.
A missile flies over our bird but fortunately it's too high.
"Open fire!" - screams Adler.
I avoid the other missiles and kill them shooting on the mountains wich fall on the enemies.
"Multiple ground targets!" - Adler advises.
"Geez, they never end!" - I sigh.
"Pick 'em off, Bell."- says Sims.
After ailing them all I proceed.
The river divides in two and in front of us there is a big mountain with a long road that conduces on the top of it. I can tell our soldiers are already fighting because of the three colons of smoke in the air.
The base is there but it's full of enemies and trucks going along the way.

"VC convoy on the road." - Sims says.
"Take out those supply trucks. Every one of them rearms the enemy!"- Adler orders.
"Badger Niner-One, this is Ripcoard. You need to push back the VC reinforcements before we are overrun!" - Ripcord cries. "Be advised: we have multiple birds in the air. Watch your fire."
"I got this."
I go ahead and start to fire with the other birds on my side. Together we're invincible.
"Enemy's dig in all around the hillside!" - Sims observes.
"We don't have a hope in hell of landing if we don't take out those positions. Light 'em up"- Adler says.
I shoot all the truck in front of me in a few time: they exploded along the road.
"Badger Niner-One, our scouts have identified a significant enemy force approaching from the south!" - Ripcord cries again in our radio."Divert to intercept!"
"Roger that, Ripcord!" - replies Adler because I'm too focused to talk.
"I need to change position!" - saying this I immediately reach the other mountain's side.
Here they are, hiding between those threes.
I light the first truck.
"Keep it up!" - Sims compliments.
"Take out those AA trucks!"
I can feel in Adler's voice a sort of excitement.
"Badger Niner-One, they're breaching the main gate! We can't hold out much longer!" - tells the Ripcord's voice through the radio.
"Hold on, Ripcord. We're in our way!" - Adler says for me. "Ripcord's taking a beating! Take out those targets!"
In front of us there are eight trucks near the gate. Hell, how they could reach it?
Right. I was too focused to fight on the other side.
"Time for the best part." - I wishper with a smirk.
"What do you mean?" - Sims asks confused.
"You'll see."
I can feel Adler smiling behind me.
I push the botto and some rockets fly in the air for a long time before fall on the ground.
Sand and dust cover the area for a few minutes before disappear and when it does the trucks are gone.
"Wow..." - Sims is wordless.
"I knew you are suitable for this. Nice job." - Adler says with a large smile.
"Badger Niner-One, you're clear to land."
"Copy that Ripcord.Badger Niner-One setting down." - replies Chalk One.
The sky is clear now and I can still admire the dawn's colors. I take a moment to admire the view.

Adler cover my hand with his.
I turn around and look at him.
He doesn't say a word but down deep we both know what the other is thinking: we're happy to be alive and together again.