Suicide—easy to say, hard to do.
Sarayev hesitated for a long time, then finally clenched his teeth, turned the muzzle, and pointed the gun at his own head.
But just as he was about to pull the trigger, a powerful shock jolted through his hand—the MPL was struck by a bullet and sent flying, the force cracking the skin between his thumb and forefinger.
Owen lowered his rifle, its barrel still warm. Thankfully, he had kept his eyes on Sarayev and fired the moment he saw the man show suicidal intent.
The other SEALs rushed forward. One smashed the butt of his rifle into Sarayev's face, instantly rendering him unable to resist. He was promptly zip-tied.
"Package secured. B-Team returning…" Owen reported their status over comms, and the team prepared to retrace their steps.
But just as they turned the corner, a hail of gunfire erupted. The incoming fire was intense, forcing the five-man squad to fall back. Owen returned a few shots as he retreated, while the remaining three SEALs laid down suppressive fire.
"Heartbeat, he's yours!"
"Got it."
Owen handed Sarayev over to Heartbeat and led the other three in a fighting withdrawal.
Judging by the ferocity of the fire, going back the way they came was no longer an option. The enemy's firepower was overwhelming, and the complex layout of the ship made it impossible to neutralize them quickly.
"Cowboy, reinforcements just arrived on their side…"
A SEAL called out as the gunfire from the corner intensified. The three suppressing shooters were beginning to lose control of the situation.
Boom!
The enemy, emboldened by their firepower, began to advance. Several got dangerously close—until a grenade from the SEALs blew them all away, stalling their momentum.
"This way~~"
With their original route cut off, Owen decided to find a new exit.
They fired as they moved. Spotting a diagram posted on the wall, Owen tore it down and scanned it quickly, soon identifying another route.
"Follow me~~"
Owen led the way, with Heartbeat dragging Sarayev behind him, and the other three SEALs covering the rear.
Pfft pfft pfft~~
Two Chechen fighters suddenly appeared, only to be mowed down by Owen before they could react.
"This way…"
Following the diagram, Owen found a hatch. Behind it was a stairway leading up. He held position at the hatch to provide cover as the others passed through.
Pfft pfft, pfft pfft~~~
Tat tat tat~~~
Sporadic gunfire sent sparks flying near Owen. He returned fire while urging Heartbeat to hurry with the captive. At the same time, he keyed his comms: "B-Team moving to deck via west side. A-Team, prepare to cover."
"A-Team copies. West deck…"
Owen continued firing. Once Heartbeat and the rest were up, he signaled for the rear guard to follow.
Clatter—BOOM!
Before leaving, a SEAL tossed his last M67 grenade at the pursuers, momentarily halting the enemy advance. Owen and the remaining two SEALs shifted focus to the other corridor.
Enemies packed both hallways. If not for the narrow confines, they'd have already been overrun.
Boom!
Owen threw a grenade down the second corridor. In an enclosed space like this, the explosive was devastating—shrapnel aside, the blast wave alone could incapacitate.
"Move!"
Owen and the last SEAL pulled back, sealing the hatch behind them. He quickly scanned for something to secure it, jamming a short metal rod into the sealing wheel. The enemy would surely find another way up, but this would buy precious time.
With everything in place, the two hurried up. When they reached the deck, Travis and A-Team were already outside.
But the situation topside was no better. Dozens of Chechens were firing from the shipping containers on the dock, exchanging fire with A-Team. Red tracers lit up the night sky in crisscrossing streaks.
This was their stronghold—dozens of fighters poured in. More vehicles arrived by the minute. As soon as they stopped, Chechen gunmen jumped out and took cover behind the cars, opening fire.
The situation was dire. The SEALs were outnumbered, and if not for the terrain delaying the attackers, they'd have been torn apart already.
Pfft pfft pfft~~~
Behind them, Heartbeat fired into the stairwell. The men Owen had delayed were now finding alternative ways up.
Whoosh! A rocket, trailing an orange tail, shot in from the dock. Thankfully, it veered off-course, missing both personnel and the ship before soaring into the sky.
"Fuck!!!"
Everyone cursed internally. They were already outgunned—now the enemy had anti-armor weapons. If extraction didn't arrive soon, they'd all be dead.
Bullets peppered the ship's hull. The Chechens outnumbered them by several times, and although the SEALs shot more accurately, each of them faced a dozen barrels.
"Where the hell is extraction?!"
Travis shouted into the comms, barely holding back his fury.
"Thirty seconds out…"
Pfft pfft~~
Two A-Team members were hit. Luckily, only superficial wounds, but it was proof of how desperate the fight had become. Even if SWCC arrived, boarding the boat safely was another challenge.
"A-Team, cover fire. B-Team, get in the water!"
Travis gave the order, and without hesitation, Owen and B-Team holstered their weapons and dove overboard.
Heartbeat dragged Sarayev to the rail and kicked him off, then jumped in right after.
A-Team continued suppressing fire. Once B-Team was confirmed to be off the ship, A-Team followed suit and dove into the dark sea.
Underwater, the SEALs used their ASDS units and rebreathers to hide beneath the ship. Bullets still rained into the water from both the dock and ship's railings, creating countless streaks through the water.
Diagonal trails came from dock gunmen; vertical ones from those shooting down from the ship. Sarayev, hands bound, was held by Heartbeat. A small device in his mouth—similar to one Owen had obtained from the CIA—provided ten minutes of oxygen.
Unsurprisingly, the latest tech always goes first to the military and intelligence sectors.
The barrage lasted more than ten seconds and was only intensifying. If the SEALs had remained at normal depth, they'd have been shredded.
Suddenly—tatatatata—the roar of heavy machine guns cut through the water. The volume of incoming rounds visibly decreased. Simultaneously, the comms crackled: "Extraction has arrived…"
Damn—SWCC finally showed up…
Travis signaled, and the SEALs began surfacing.
Breaking the surface, they saw two assault boats exchanging fire with the Chechens. SWCC had deployed two 33-foot riverine assault crafts, formerly known as SOC-R boats—descendants of the Vietnam-era PBL patrol boats.
Owen was familiar with these. Heavily used in SEAL missions, they were ideal for helicopter transport and rapid behind-enemy-lines deployment and recovery.
On deck, the boats unleashed a hellish wall of fire. Each boat was armed with a GAU-17A six-barreled minigun and twin-mounted M240G machine guns, forming an overwhelming fire grid that pinned the Chechens behind cover.
These boats were known as mobile gun platforms, "armed to the teeth." Each carried five weapon stations: two 7.62mm GAU-17A miniguns on either side of the bow (capable of 6,000 rounds per minute), two 7.62mm M240Bs amidships (650 RPM, sometimes twin-mounted), one 12.7mm M2HB heavy machine gun at the stern (600 RPM), and two optional 40mm Mk19 grenade launchers.
Running full tilt, these beasts could pump out 15,000 rounds a minute. In this firestorm, the Chechens had no chance.
Guided by one tracer every three rounds, the gunners adjusted aim constantly. Red metal storms chewed through cars on the dock, splitting them in half before they erupted in fireballs.
One boat veered toward the SEALs, slowed to a stop. Two gunners kept the enemy pinned while the team clambered aboard.
Once all were onboard, the pilot turned the rudder and sped off. Before leaving, Travis pressed the detonator—every ASDS unit left underwater exploded behind them.
War was a money game. Just like that, ultra-expensive special gear was sacrificed without hesitation. Owen's boat sped farther and farther away, while the other one continued unleashing metallic fury.
"B2 safely extracted. B1 retreating."
Came the command from ops. After one last volley, the remaining assault craft turned and sped into the night.
------------------
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I Am Thalos, Odin's Older Brother (Chapter 336)
Reborn in America's Anti-Terror Unit (Chapter 542)
Solomon in Marvel (Chapter 924)
Becoming the Wealthiest Tycoon on the Planet (Chapter 1284)
Surgical Fruit in the American Comics Universe (Chapter 1289)
American Detective: From TV Rookie to Seasoned Cop (Chapter 1316)
American TV Writer (Chapter 1402)
I Am Hades, The Supreme GOD of the Underworld! (Chapter 570)
Reborn as Humanity's Emperor Across the Multiverse (Chapter 660)
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