[center][h1][b][color=8dc73f]Charlie “Chuck” Simmons: AKA Boomer[/color][/b][/h1]

[H2]Aurora Australis, Kaitiaki Homestead, Raven HQ, Aotearoa / New Zealand[/H2][/center]

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[center][H2] Callsign: [color=8dc73f]Boomer[/color][/H2][/center]
[center] [url=https://ibb.co/8N0t8dH][img]https://i.ibb.co/TYkdhbs/Team-Chuck.png[/img][/url] [/center]

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[color=8dc73f]Chuck[/color] had spent some time recovering after Raven Squad pulled him out of the Middle East. He had almost died on a op where his unit had been betrayed and set up. He had been standing in the way of someone using the Marine Corps as their personal hit squad. After he had recovered from his injuries, he had spent some time regaining his strength before going through the long application process and the gauntlet to join Raven Squad. Chuck was pissed off about what had happened to his unit. He had a new mission to remove the rot that had taken hold of the US Marine Corps. When good men who were serving their country were thrown into dangerous situations and dying simply to line someone else’s pockets, it was time for a change. 

Chuck and Duke had finally been given the green light and called up for duty with Raven Squad. He was hoping he fit in well with his new team. He was used to being the man in charge of his unit. He was used to the chain of command. He had never been on a team like Raven Squad before. He certainly knew the work but it would be different than the corps. Marines knew they could trust their fellow soldiers in action. He was sure he would get used to the new team but it would take some action and time before they were used to each other. 

Chuck jumped out of the Osprey and was careful to watch his head. He used a hand signal motion to let Duke know to jump out of the aircraft. He grabbed his large duffle bag and swung it up on his shoulder. He was assured that his armor and weapons were already at the base. Duke wore a collar and work harness. Chuck didn’t have him on the leash though. He knew Duke was trained well enough to be off leash. The harness was in case of emergencies. He could easily grab the handle on the back of the harness if he needed to control his dog. He snorted at the idea though as Duke was an exceptionally well trained and intelligent dog. He only used a leash on his canine companion when forced too. Duke was bred and trained for action. Duke loped at his side panting slightly with his tongue hanging out. His body posture was relaxed but his ears twitched showing he was curious about this  new space. 

Chuck looked around what was going to be his new home. It looked like a wealthy landowners homestead. The compound had a large building built into the side of a hill. His trained eyes noticed the large hidden doorways that led to the vehicle garage and noted the guard posts around the perimeter of the gated compound. The scenery reminded him of home with the greenery and beaches. The area around the hidden base was greener though and the native plant life was different. He had never been to New Zealand before joining Raven Squad. He was stopped by a security checkpoint. He went through the whole procedure of presenting his and Duke’s credentials. Chuck was amused that Duke could care less. He plopped down into a sitting position waiting patiently for him. Chuck reached down and rubbed his ears. He could feel the slight tension in Duke’s head that told him he was relaxed but alert in this new environment. The security guard gave him his paperwork and badge back. Chuck nodded to him. [color=8dc73f]“Thank ye kindly.” [/color]

Chuck continued on into the main facility with Duke at his side. He sighed as he still had to duck to get through the door. He was seven foot ten inches tall after all. A standard door in America was only six foot six foot eight inches tall. He made his way further into the main building of the complex. He was directed to an office on the upper floor. He knocked lightly on the open door as he looked at the red headed hellion that sat behind the desk. He had yet to meet Skye Lyons in person but she was the reason he had been recruited. He had not expected to get called up quite so quickly. He expected that something had hit the fan which is why he had been called up and had spent the last day and a half traveling to the base. 

He took off his battered Marine Corps hat that was broken in just right and tucked it into his waistband. He paused briefly as he met Skye’s eyes. He had seen enough action that he tried to never startle a veteran. You never knew what might trigger someone. He stepped into the room after ducking under the door. [color=8dc73f]“Boomer and Duke reporting as ordered.”[/color] He gave Skye a grin full of southern boy charm.[color=8dc73f] “I am here to help you exterminate some vermin with extreme prejudice. M’am.”[/color] He shrugged, [color=8dc73f]“Or something like that.”[/color] Duke sat at attention with his gaze focused on Skye at Chuck’s side. His tail wagging slightly behind him. 

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[center][h1]Isla Langosta / Lobster Island, near the coast of Cartagena, Colombia

Retribution

Fireteam Piranha

1000 Hours, Two Days Later[/h1][/center]

Chuck was grateful for the upgrades Sam had added to his suit when she repaired it for him. The suit had a built in environmental system to help it dissipate heat. That meant he was not suffering the humidity and heat of the muggy swamp. Sam had built some canine armor for Duke that was flexible but would take a heavier caliber bullet than the simple kevlar vest that had on him before. He even had a little helmet to protect his brain. Chuck would never admit it but he thought Duke looked like a canine superhero from Saturday morning cartoons. 

Duke was suffering though. He was panting pretty heavily which is one of the ways dogs deal with heat. He had made sure to give Duke some water just before the action kicked off. He didn’t need the heat sapping Duke’s reflexes and skills at an opportune time. This was one op where Duke’s skills would be beneficial. He could find the drugs but since they made it here, who knows how much of that shit was saturated into the surrounding environment.  Chuck had grown up in South Carolina and was acclimated to humidity and heat. He was in position and waiting for Mateo to let him know what he wanted him to do. Chuck was prepared to be a distraction and make some noise or infiltrate as quietly as he could with Duke to sniff out which buildings were manufacturing sites. Skye had made it clear that he would be following Mateo’s orders on this op. He heard Talia over the radio. [color=8dc73f]“Boomer and Duke are itchin’ for a fight. We done find us a nice hidey hole.” [/color]