Chapter 10
A full magazine. A bulletproof vest. Military uniform on his body. A knife and a gun in their holsters. A determined spirit.
He went outside the cave.The soldiers were ready to move with their equipment. Three vehicles and a helicopter, sitting on its pad, ready to lift off. A pilot sat inside the helicopter.
John went to Simon:
· Everything is ready, sir.
Simon looked around and said:
· Good. John, you go with the vehicles. Take Leo with you. You drive one vehicle, and Leo the other. Ambush them along the road as we planned. Notify us when they pass by.
John nodded in agreement and with a loud voice and hand signals,gave the order to prepare to move.
John got into a vehicle,and likewise, Leo got into the second vehicle.
Soldiers sat in the back of the vehicles,and one of them stood behind the vehicle's machine gun.
John's vehicle moved,and the other two vehicles followed. They entered the rocky road and disappeared from view.
Simon and Caesar waited inside the helicopter for John and his men's radio call.Simon had lit a cigarette and was enjoying it while he had the chance.
Suddenly,the radio crackled to life:
· We are in position.
Simon said:
· Roger that. Standing by for orders.
John said over the scratchy radio:
· Roger that.
Caesar said:
· Sir, do you think we can save Victor?
Simon said:
· My gut says yes. But I don't know why I feel Victor is going to be negative energy.
Caesar said:
· What do you mean, sir?
Simon said:
· I don't know. I feel like bad things are going to happen.
Caesar said:
· Because of Victor?
Simon said:
· No, not him. It's not related to Victor. I meant in general.
After a moment of silence,Simon said:
· We must not let the enemy turn the virus into a chemical gas. Otherwise, we won't be able to stop it.
Caesar said:
· You mean we'd have no chance left?
Simon said:
· We mustn't let them turn it into chemical missiles. If they succeed, we've lost the war.
Caesar understood.Simon took a drag from his cigarette and exhaled:
· Sir, we see them!
Simon picked up the radio and said:
· Go after them. Don't lose them. Weapons free.
John again said in his scratchy voice:
· Roger that. We're going after them.
Simon threw his cigarette away, checked his safety harness, and gave the order to take off.
The helicopter started.The blades spun wildly. The storm created by the helicopter made the trees tremble. Animals fled in fear of the helicopter. They lifted off and gained altitude.
So high that the majestic and immense mountain now seemed small to them.The cool, sunny air, with the resulting wind hitting Simon's face, was a sign of the approaching autumn. Patches of clouds showed off in the sky. Simon tightened his safety harness and said into the headset:
· Prepare for combat, friends. We're going to knock them all down.
He readied his rifle and sharpened his gaze.Suddenly, the pilot said:
· I see them!! I see them!!
Simon looked ahead.
5 enemy vehicles were speeding down the road,and 3 Atlas force vehicles were alongside them, firing at the vehicles in an attempt to stop them.
The wind slapped Simon's face. Simon said:
· Get closer to them.
The helicopter approached the Sensrif vehicles.Simon aimed his rifle and started firing.
Two vehicles in front,two in the back, and one vehicle in the center. Simon said over the radio:
· Victor is probably in the center vehicle. Be careful with it.
Then he aimed his rifle,intending to take out the driver of the rear vehicle.
(Shot)
Simon couldn't get a clear shot at the driver from that angle. He aimed for the tire and fired.
The vehicle's tire made a loud noise,and after skidding a bit, it flipped and started tumbling.
John said over the radio:
· We need to cut off the center vehicle to stop it.
Simon said:
· No, Victor's life might be in danger. We have to be careful.
One of the Atlas vehicles,moving alongside the enemy vehicle, rammed its front bumper into the rear fender of the enemy vehicle.
The enemy vehicle's rear swung out,and after 2 seconds of skidding, it started tumbling.
From the other side,one enemy vehicle came towards the Atlas vehicle and started firing from the window. The soldiers fighting in the back of the vehicle couldn't withstand this fire. It was as if they were all gunned down at once.
Simon,watching this scene from above, ordered over the radio:
· Stop quickly. Hold position.
The Atlas vehicle stopped and fell behind the convoy.
Simon raised his rifle and started fighting again.
Caesar said over the radio:
· Sir, how do we stop it?
Simon said:
· First, clear out the escorts.
Suddenly the pilot shouted:
· RPG!!!!
Simon looked ahead and saw a lot of smoke rising from one of the enemy vehicles.
The helicopter performed a violent maneuver.Suddenly, Simon lost his balance and fell from the helicopter towards the ground.
Caesar shouted over the radio:
· My God, the Commander fell! He fell!
John said:
· What do you mean, fell?
Simultaneously,several bullets hit the vehicle's fender.
Caesar said:
· He fell from the helicopter.
John said:
· Is he alive?
Caesar said:
· I can't see him!
The ground was rushing past like the wind. The sound of plants and trees whipping by rang in his ears. Simon was dangling. The safety harness had done its job.
Simon said over the radio:
· I'm dangling, you idiots.
Caesar said:
· Oh my God, sir, are you okay?
Simon said:
· Yeah, yeah. Get me over the center vehicle, quick!
The helicopter sped up towards Victor's vehicle.Meanwhile, Simon, whose rifle had fallen, drew his sidearm and continued fighting upside down. They came alongside a vehicle. Suddenly, one of the Atlas vehicles slammed very hard into an enemy vehicle, and both veered off the road. Simon saw the enemy vehicle start tumbling, and the Atlas vehicle hit a tree and stopped.
John said over the radio:
· Leo! Leo's off the road.
Simon said:
· He hit a tree. We have to continue.
They were passing by one of the enemy vehicles when Simon saw the driver.He raised his weapon, and simultaneously the driver turned and made eye contact with Simon. Simon aimed and fired. The bullet hit the driver in the eye, and the driver's head hit the steering wheel. A soldier sitting in the passenger seat grabbed the wheel and managed to control the vehicle, but it gradually came to a stop.
Finally,they reached the vehicle carrying Victor. Simon took out his knife and cut the harness.
He was stressed.One mistake meant death. Falling at over 110 km/h meant death. He took a breath and cut the harness. He slammed hard onto the roof of the vehicle and, by sheer misfortune, managed to hold on. Suddenly, the roof was punctured and a bullet passed by Simon's ear.
A soldier inside the vehicle was firing through the roof to kill Simon.Another shot was fired and missed Simon. Simon's full concentration was on maintaining his balance. Suddenly, a bump ruined everything. Simon was thrown into the air and was falling from the left side of the vehicle when, at the last moment, the side mirror saved his life. He grabbed it tightly. He must not fall. With great effort, he pulled himself up. He raised his head and suddenly made eye contact with the driver. Victor was struggling with soldiers in the back seat.
The driver pulled out a sharp knife and stabbed hard at Simon.Simon dodged with a evasive move, losing his balance, avoided the knife, and, while still dangling, punched the driver hard. The vehicle swerved a bit, and the driver tried to control it. Simon adjusted his position slightly, grabbed the driver's head, and slammed it into the steering wheel, dazing him, then reached for the handle and opened the door.
With the door open,Simon's balance was disrupted. The dazed driver hit the brakes, and the vehicle's speed decreased sharply. The door, which was open with Simon hanging from it, swung shut, and Simon punched the driver again, grabbed the steering wheel, and turned it.
The vehicle turned,swerved to the right, and Simon fell to the ground and started tumbling.
His body was being pounded against the ground so hard he felt his bones were being crushed.
He finally stopped.He was dazed. He just barely lifted his head. He saw. The vehicle landed just 1 meter away from him, jumped over his head, continued tumbling, and went on. An Atlas vehicle stopped next to Simon, and Simon, still lying down, signaled:
· Go after Victor.
The vehicle moved towards the overturned enemy vehicle.
Simon got up.He could barely stand. He wasn't even sure if he would survive these impacts or if he was going to die in the next few minutes. He ran slowly towards the vehicle.
John got out of the vehicle and went to the overturned vehicle.He opened the door and saw the Sensrif soldiers bleeding inside. Victor was among them. He was coughing.
John and his men pulled Victor out.Victor, with a bloody head and face, stood up and said, coughing:
· I knew you'd come. Thank you.
John said:
· We don't leave you, Captain.
Simon arrived.He was in terrible shape.
Victor,seeing Simon, went to him and gently hugged him:
· Commander, thank you. Are you okay?
Simon said:
· Yeah, yeah. What about you?
Victor said:
· Sir, they succeeded.
Simon kept looking into Victor's brown eyes,and Victor continued:
· They succeeded in turning the virus into chemical gases. They've gotten one step closer to their goal, sir.
Simon was lost in thought.But now wasn't the time for thinking; they had to pull themselves together:
· Caesar, come down. Let's take Victor to the cave. John, go after the other vehicles, but be quick. We need to clear the road.
John,with a vehicle and several soldiers, went after Leo and the other vehicles, and Simon and Victor headed towards the cave in the helicopter.
××××××
Calm and quiet. They were approaching the tower slowly by boat. Liz in one boat and Joe in another were camouflaged along the riverbank.
· From Team Bravo 002 to Team Alpha 001. We are in position.
+Team Bravo 002,roger. We are initiating the operation.
××××
Jake, Mack Millan, Steve, and Will, with 5 other soldiers, quietly approached the half-finished building in two vehicles.
Jake said:
· Okay, Mack and Will, you're with me for clearing. Steve, bring the soldiers to the roof when I give the order.
They got out.Weapons ready, they carefully approached the building.
Will said:
· This place has 5 guards.
Jake said:
· Mack, watch the gate. One for you, one for me.
Jake and Mack both aimed at the guards and
(Shot)
Both were killed stealthily.
They entered the building.They went up the stairs, and one guard was looking at the city. Will aimed for the head and
(Shot)
The guard fell from the top of the second floor to the ground. They advanced further up. One floor from the top, two other guards were sitting on a chair, drinking. They were clearly very drunk.
One guard said:
· Bro, you wouldn't believe it, yesterday we went to our neighbor's party. His wife is so beautiful. You know what I did?
The second guard,slurring his words drunkenly, said:
· What did you do?
The guard said:
· I hit on her and we went to a secluded spot. We had a great time together.
The second guard said:
· Out of her husband's sight?
The first guard said:
· Yeah, out of her husband's sight.
The second guard said:
· What about your wife?
The first guard thought for a moment and said:
· My wife? Oooh, yeah, you're right. I have a wife.
They both burst into raucous laughter.
The first guard said,laughing:
· And you even have two kids, you idiot.
And laughed harder.
The first guard said:
· Woooow, you're right.
He was also dying of laughter.
In an instant,the brains of both guards were scattered on the ground, and the sound of their disgusting laughter was heard no more.
Jake and the others went towards them.
Mack said:
· To be honest, I'm really glad we killed them.
Will said:
· Yeah, felt good.
Jake said:
· Their poor wife and kids don't know who to laugh for now.
Will said:
· Let's go.
Jake ordered Steve over the radio to come to the roof,and they themselves went to the top of the roof.
Mack said:
· Will, look.
Will said:
· My God, how beautifully huge it is!
Jake stood next to Mack and looked at the view.
The city was very beautiful.Like a black tablecloth with golden glitter. The city's lighting was dazzling. Suddenly, a sound caught the attention of all three of them.
Steve said:
· Sir, we've brought the equipment.
Jake said:
· Alright, get ready for the operation.
Within 3 minutes,everyone was ready to jump. Everyone was on the edge of the building, ready to leap.
Jake said:
· Listen. You have to land on the roof without making a sound. Jump when I jump.
Jake looked at the target building. Took a deep breath and jumped.
He spread his arms and legs and glided through the sky,speeding towards the target.
The cold air hit his face at speed,and the sound of the wind echoed in his ears.
He was stressed.He was scared. If he had a bad landing, the operation wouldn't go according to plan.
He was close to the target.He had to slow down. He said over the radio:
· Approaching target. Deploying chute.
He put his hand on the trigger and pulled.The parachute opened with a sound and reduced Jake's speed.
He slowly approached the roof and landed on it.He gathered his parachute and hid it nearby. The others also managed to land successfully.
Will came to Jake and said:
· Well, where's the secret entrance?
Jake turned to Mack and said:
· Mack, we need to find a circular hatch with a ladder underneath.
At that moment,a strong wind came and started pulling one of the soldiers, who was gathering his parachute, towards the edge.
Jake and Will quickly ran towards the soldier.The soldier was lifted off the ground and fell, but Jake arrived in time and grabbed his hand. The weight of the parachute and the soldier was pulling Jake too, until Will came to their aid, grabbed Jake's legs, and held him steady.
Jake said with difficulty:
· Will, pull!
Will used all his strength,and Jake, after being pulled up a bit, also strained and they managed to pull the soldier up.
Jake sat on the ground and said to the panting,thankful soldier:
· You were about to ruin everything.
The soldier said:
· Sorry, sir. It won't happen again.
Mack came over to them and said:
· Sir, I found a way!
Jake stood up.The whole team prepared themselves and moved out with weapons ready to fire.
Jake said to Team Bravo 002 over the radio:
· From Team Alpha 001 to Bravo 002. We found the entrance. We're entering now.
Liz said over the radio:
· Roger that. Good luck.
And Jake was the last one to climb down the ladder.
A place filled with the smell of rust and cement. Dark, barely lit by dim yellow and white lights.
Jake said:
· I think all the building's pipes run through here.
Mack said:
· Yeah, sir.... Wow, when was the last time anyone came here?
Will said:
· It smells heavily of rust.
Jake said:
· We have to move.
Jake took the lead,and the team followed behind him, moving quietly and silently. Jake reached a narrow corridor that led to the stairs. On the wall opposite was written: Floor 90.
Jake said:
· We need to get to floor 80.
×××××
Liz and Joe were in their boats, ready for the order to escape. They were hidden in a corner of the large river, in the darkness.
Joe said:
· Do you really think we can escape after the operation?
Liz said:
· Commander Jake drew up this plan. We must be able to.
Joe said:
· What if he's wrong?
Liz said:
· The Commander's plans haven't failed so far. Trust him.
Joe said:
· Maybe I'm pessimistic. I don't know. But I have a bad feeling. I'm stressed.
Liz said:Don't worry, it's natural. I am too.
Suddenly,someone came out of a back door of the tower and came to the river's edge.
Everyone in the boats lowered their heads.
The soldier pulled his pants down a bit and started urinating.
Liz,seeing this, said quietly:
· Don't they have bathrooms in that damn tower?
Joe said:
· I don't know, they must, but doing this feels really good. You wouldn't understand.
Liz gave Joe a look and shook her head in dismay.
×××××
The concrete staircase was filled with the sound of boots. Adrenaline boiled in the soldiers' blood.
Hands tight on their weapons.Pupils dilated. Senses alert. Breathing rapid. Hearts restless.
Jake led the way.They reached a hall that was somewhat maze-like. At the entrance of the hall was written: Floor 80.
Jake said:
· This is it. The meeting is here.
They moved forward.Lines were visible on the floor. In some places, there were vents through which sounds slightly passed.
Mack said:
· Sir. This more prominent line leads to the General's office.
Jake looked carefully.Yes, Mack was right. Right at the start, the prominent line was labeled: General G. McDavish.
They followed the line.They passed small vents and finally reached the General's office.
Jake signaled with his hand to prepare.
Everyone took positions and prepared to assault.
Steve placed a charge on the vent and waited for Jake's order to detonate it,but Jake was listening.
· We need to finish Greenland. If Greenland is destroyed, one of our goals gets much closer.
· It's not possible. Ruritania has given us an ultimatum. If we don't stop the war within 5 days, they will officially go to war with us.
A deep voice said:
· That's right, General, we are powerful, but the war is becoming one of attrition. We have to consider our resources too. Ruritania is a powerful country. We can crush them, but we're engaged in another war.
The General's voice:
· We must finish Greenland within the next 5 days. That way we can easily handle Ruritania.
· But, sir, we'll become very weak. Forget the superpowers. If, suppose, we achieve our goal, we'll be so damaged that smaller countries will attack us.
The General said:
· No. They won't. We can use our colonies. But we must finish these two. Otherwise, they will do it. Death once, mourning once.
Jake pressed the button.
Boom
The vent exploded, and its pieces rained down onto the middle of the table. The soldiers entered and aimed their weapons. Everyone present in the meeting raised their hands.
Jake entered the room through the vent.
He looked at the General and walked towards him.
The General,his black eyes bulging in surprise, said:
· Jake Walker?? H... H... How is this possible?
Jake said calmly:
· What, surprised?
Jake looked into the General's eyes and said:
· We are closer to you than your own jugular vein, General.
The General was scared.As if he'd seen a ghost. He said:
· You must have lost your mind to come here!
Jake said:
· Death once, mourning once. Those are your own words, General.
The General said:
· You can't get out of here alive, Walker!
Jake raised his weapon and said:
· Neither can you.
(Bang)
He aimed for the General's head. With Jake's shot, the other soldiers also opened fire and massacred everyone in the meeting. A river of blood flowed in the room.
The alarm sound engulfed the entire tower.
Will said:
· Sir, we have to go.
Jake said:Follow me.
He went to the door and opened it.He looked around and saw all the guards staring at them. The soldiers came out of the room. They started a barrage of fire, killing all the guards present in the hallway.
Jake headed towards the stairwell,simultaneously taking down anyone he saw.
The sound of the alarm and the red lights made the atmosphere terrifying.
The soldiers moved professionally,following Jake. Casualties were low, but they were increasing as time passed.
Jake cleared the way and reached the stairwell.
He ran quickly.The team followed behind him, chasing after him.
At the same time,Mack shouted:
· Commander, below!
Jake looked down.
An army of guards was coming up the stairs.The sound of their boots sent shivers through the team.
Jake said:
· Get onto the floor!
(Floor 50)
They entered. Right at the entrance, the guards on that floor put heavy pressure on them. The team moved towards the windows and took cover between the rooms.
Guards from the floors below and above rushed towards them.
Steve said:
· Sir, what do we do?
Jake said:
· Hold position for now, until the right time.
Will said:
· Sir, casualties are getting very high.
Jake stuck his head out and,by aiming, took down several soldiers, but several bullets landed near his feet, frightening him.
He had to find an escape route,or they would all be killed.
In an instant,Mack shouted:
· The window!!
Jake's eyes fell on the windows.They had to jump. That was the only way. Only Jake, Will, Mack, Steve, and one soldier remained from the whole team.
Jake said:
· We have to jump. It's the only way out.
Steve said:
· Sir, we're on the 50th floor. We'll definitely die.
Jake said:
· It's the only way. We have to jump into the river. It's very deep; maybe we'll survive.
Will said:
· Maybe?
Jake said:
· Coming here in the first place was a 'maybe,' Will. Go, I'm giving you the order.
Will,the soldier, and Steve prepared to run towards the window.
Jake and Mack started firing,and at the same time, the others ran towards the window and jumped.
The sound of shattering glass pierced their ears. Jake said:
· Mack, go!
Mack said:
· Sir, what about you?
Jake said:
· Mack, go! I'm coming. Just go!
Mack and Jake were under heavy fire from the Sensrif forces,facing death. This was their only chance.
Jake started firing,and Mack went to the window frame and jumped.
Jake was the last one.He pulled the pins from two grenades, ready to throw them. Stress had weakened his legs. His knees were trembling. He was about to experience a 50-story fall. His cover was being shredded by the Sensrif gunfire.
He took a deep breath and threw the grenades.He threw them with all his strength.
He waited one second and ran.
(Boom)
He ran with all his might. Bullets whizzed past him. The sound of the bullets passing by made his heart sink.
He took the final step and jumped.