ALL NOVEL Chapter 125 – The Reclamation of San Francisco Part 2
0836 June 19th, 2020 CE
Northern part of Ocean Beach, San Francisco
White smoke spewed out the turrets of the AAVs as they got closer and closer to the shore. LCACs followed right behind as smoke covered their approach. Although there wasn’t anything on the beach, it was a safety precaution in case there were some monsters hiding somewhere.
The AAVs smoothly went from the sea onto the land, their tracks making marks on the sand. The AAVs stopped on the beach and the back door opened. US Marines wearing gas masks piled out of the back and onto the sand. Some kneeled as others took up positions behind their AAVs. A command was shouted. “Beach is clear! There’s no resistance. Move into the city!”
Marines rushed forward on the beach and lined up against the sandy hills that separated the beach from the road. Behind them, M1A1 Abrams rolled onto the beach from the deflated LCACs that had let down their gates. Osprey tiltrotors touched down on the open areas of the beach and more Marines with gas masks came running out the back of them.
Intersection between Upper Great Highway and Lincoln Way
The first Abrams cleared the sandy hills and was able to get onto the road. The turret turned towards a lone humanoid monster when the commander of the tank noticed it. “Gunner! Target in front! HEAT!”
“Up!’
“Fire!”
“On the way!”
The M830A1 HEAT round smashed into the monster and decimated it. Marines rushed onto the road followed by the AAVs and more Abrams.
Minerva Street, San Francisco
Eric looked up to the sky as a pair of jets roared through the sky. His second lieutenant’s eyes followed the aircraft as they zipped through the sky in a low pass. “Seems like we finally have air support again.”
Eric nodded. “This should make this job so much easier.”
“We still have to clear everything house by house though.”
Eric sighed. “There’s literally nothing in the houses. The monsters don’t go in them at all.”
“Seems like Command is not taking any risks. We still need to clear them just in case. Don’t want our logistics to be randomly attacked in the back. Besides, more marines are landing in order to clear San Francisco from the other side. Should make the job faster. Also why are you still wearing your gas masks.”
Eric perked up a bit. “Huh?”
“Don’t you see that none of the green stuff is in the air anymore? It dissipated an hour or so ago.”
Eric looked around and what he had been told was completely true. The air that once had a green tint to it had become completely clear. Eric took off his gas mask before he spoke. “I guess we were so focused on liberating the city that we didn’t notice it clearing up.”
1150 June 19th, 2020 CE
Washington D.C.
“The situation in San Francisco is all but clearing up. It is turning into a clean up and mop up operation of the monsters left there.”
“That means we can turn our attention to that island if I’m correct.”
“Yes Mr. President. The Navy already has ships heading there in order to blockade it. On board them are a team of Navy SEALs as you requested and are outfitted with CBRN protection. They will be inserted onto the island to clear it and check the portal.”
“What about the scientists?”
“We have contacted scientists who study wormholes, other dimensions, and portals. We aren’t certain about what insights they could give us if any but we are hopeful for anything.”
A few hours later
Somewhere in the Pacific
On board the USS Hopper, an Arleigh Burke-class destroyer, 16 men of a Navy Seals team prepared their gear for the duty. “Listen up, at exactly 0900 Hawaii Time, we will board the RHIBs and make our way onto the island. Make sure your CBRN gear is fit on tight. The island got nuked so it's irradiated. Don’t let your guard down, we have been given information that the portal, which the higher ups expect was what brought these monsters, is still active. Be cautious and expect possible hostiles.”
“Sir, yes sir!”
1155 June 19th, 2020 CE
San Francisco
Hidden behind a building, Eric looked out into the street. He swished his head from the right to the left and stopped. They were becoming fewer and fewer in number but he was staring at one of the humanoid-type monsters that was directly to the left. The others in his platoon also noticed what he was staring at. He started quietly backing away until a deafening boom
He heard the mechanical whirr and tracks of the thing before he saw it. An Abrams rolled down onto the street followed by a platoon of soldiers. Eric waved out at them and they waved back. Eric turned to his second lieutenant.“Seems like we met up with the marines that did the amphibious landing. San Francisco will soon be fully retaken.”
Eric shook hands with what he supposed was the commanding officer of the platoon. The woman in question answered what he was speculating. “Second Lieutenant Wendy Frisk with the 5th Marine Regiment. We are part of the amphibious assault.”
“Corporal Eric Lu with the 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit. We were the initial response force. My second lieutenant is busy with getting clarification from our captain right now. Didn’t really expect to meet you guys here.”
“Resistance on this side has been light so we have been advancing extremely fast.”
Island in the Pacific
The SEAL team squad of 8 men quickly slid out of their RHIBs and kneeled on what had been once a sandy beach. Black gas masks obscured their faces and they were all wearing heavy CBRN gear. Trinitite, sand that had been fused into a glassy residue, covered the beach. “I’m not seeing any form of life on the shores. The nuclear missile has done a number on the environment of the island. Cautiously move up. Bring the TALONs with us just in case we find the portal.”
Three of the SEALs each carried out a heavy rectangular object from one of the RHIBs.