Chương 20: Encounter
'We're in town,' hidden inside a broken-down house on the outer edge, the map displayed blue and red dots. "A lot of blue dots."
"That's the Allied-nation, check out the North East, I'm predicting a full out assault in 15 minutes. Sadly, I don't have any idea where the hostages are."
'The estimated total for ANC is around 60 soldiers with the most concentrated at the middle flyover. It's going to be a tough battle for the allied nation, the IG-4 outnumber them 2 to 1,' crouched facing the West, "-any recommendation?"
"05, I told you, I'm here to assist, but the decision has to be made by you. I'm not going to calculate and predict all their movements."
"Come on, show off again," a smirk had Cess frowned.
"Don't you mock me," she pouted, "-I'll give you the most probable outcome. Going by the Data, IG-4 is going to charge the front. Cutting off the supply route for the ANC might be another objective. The hostages as well, there are too many factors to consider – one thing is certain, there's going to be a fight, and very soon."
"I didn't expect you actually predict the future," stood, "-we'll circle around the North."
"Roger, what sort of operation will this be?"
"A search and rescue."
[Operation Recognized]
[Configuring the suit to best fit the mission]…[Complete]
[Augmented movement, Heightened Reflexes, Sensors and Thermal vision active]
[Recommended weapon: Jewel-SR]
"05, the suit has been configured, good luck."
[Cess going into passive mode]…[Overriding the Autonomous AI]
Cluttered to clear and direct, the UI had trackers all through the walls – heat signatures and wire-frames that abled to see 3 meters inside any wall. 'Cess is passive, which means that I'm in complete control. She'll operate the suit's system on my behalf.' Stood with a weapon in hand, the load of the DLS-40 on the back felt as if nothing. The movement grew easier, '-around 4 kilometers between me and the first Flyover. Peaked outside a smashed window, '-1.5 meters till next floor,' *poof,* dust scattered and he jumped. 'Keeping to the roof-tops will be advantageous. There are four snipers around 7.6 klicks to the right.' [Time: 16:25]
'Better get a move on,' sprinted across multiple roof-tops, 05 took the high-ground to approach closer to the target. Carefully staying out of sight from fighters, as if a cat, '-I'm here,' stood with a clear view of the inside of the flyover, '-not that many people around here.'
"-Sergeant Miles, they've launched an all-out attack," came through the radio.
"Retreat, scouting team, get back this instant."
"Negative sir, we've been cut off."
"GOD DAMN IT," crackled into silence, gunfire was heard in the distance.
'18 men to defend the middle,' the map expanded, '-an assault of 32 IG-4.' One by one, the numbers dwindled. 'Is Cess tracking their heartrate?'
"Sergeant Parker has been shot," screamed a lady across the radio with the harshness to break a glass of wine.
"Second Lieutenant Rashford, we need backup."
"Negative Sergeant, do not lose ground. I don't care if you're the only one standing."
"We've lost Parker, if backup isn't sent, forget about tomorrow, the town hall will fall at sunrise."
"Negative, Miles. I won't send any forces," the transmission cut.
"Sergeant Miles, the trapped scout unit's dead," reported the relay.
"Teargas, grenades, block off Point B."
"Sergeant Malley is still trapped behind enemy lines."
"Don't care, block off access." From 18 to 9, the numbers kept lowering by each passing moment. Without the need to see the battle, from the coms alone, a mental image of what happened could be drawn.
"Damn this shit," covered by smoke, bullets flew from out every corner, grenades thrown inside had a finger land beside the last of Squad 2 under Parker's command. Two ladies who kept a strong aim down the corridor, *bang, bang,* automatic, it landed all around.
"Miles, we're running out of ammo."
"Julia and Kiera, I'm sorry, but you'll have to hold out a little more," returned Miles. Intensified, the bullets came close to hitting their mark. Ducked behind sandbags, the smoke faded.
"Miles, are we going to abandon Parker's men?" asked another in a differing frequency.
"Yeah, we can't spare to continue defending from such a close position. We're retreating to B2, the snipers should be able to cover our retreat."
"Those fools," came another voice from another channel, "-Platoon 039, the only reason headquarters sent you here was to be decoys. The real operation starts at 18:00, the advance recon unit from the southern division should be here soon."
"Rashford, your methods are still less than ideal," unknown, the exchange of words happened through a filter.
"Please don't use my name on this channel, we need to abide by protocol. In any case, my team will move in after three or less of Platoon 039 remains. War is cruel."
"Glory to ANC."
"Glory to ANC."
Back to the contact zone, left alone, knowing that they were abandoned, Parker's men held out for thirty-minutes. Alone, they managed to get the number from 32 to 20. A squad each, "-the special-ops training came in handy," laughed Kiera with their radio empty.
"Who would have known that we'd be the last standing," a moment of silence broken by the marching of men.
"How's ammo?" asked Julia with a dusted face.
"Last magazine, you?"
"Got ammo for my side-arm, guess it ends here."
"Yeah, we did take a squad each," grinned Kiera.
"I guess."
'The people fighting this war are idiots,' laid 1.75 kilometers away, farther than the snipers on duty, '-this is a good spot. A bit far away but it will be plenty,' scoped, "-Cess, could you get me in contact with the people in there?"
[Acknowledged]
[Establishing connection…] [Connected]
"Both of you, duck," shouted, the quiet radio channel raged into life. Instantaneously, they obeyed without realizing.
[Range-finders active]
[Calculating bullet drop]…[Complete]
[Ready to fire]
Aided by multiple information, the UI showed what path the bullet would travel. 'Let's get to work,' focused, *bang,* shot in between his heartbeat, one fell. Whistled across, those in front were left speechless. *Bang,* one by one, the corridor emptied with blood smeared across the floor and walls. A tiny stream flowed itself across from the growing pile of corpses. 20 to 9, the advance stopped.
"Retreat to point B2, I'll cover your escape," voiced 05.
"W-who are you?" asked Kiera not recognizing the user nor the voice. No response, the mysterious voice simply vanished. Obliged, they quickly climbed without hassle.
'The display of marksmanship should have them think twice before walking.' Stood with the cartridges returned to the bag, he leaped across and dashed towards the center of town.
"Clean up duty," he smiled.
[Command recognized]…[Configuring to middle-range]
Assault-rifle in hand, he landed at the foot of Point B. Snipers on watch were taken by surprise, ordered to only shoot when given the permission, they monitored. Climbed, the display changed to one more detail. Wireframe through walls and cover, sensors monitored the environmental changes. Processed by Cess, the influx of information had him on edge.
'There's three hidden in the building to the right,' scanned, '-the wall doesn't seem that sturdy.' Down into enemy territory covered by buildings and alleys, the gun turned to semi-automatic, three press had the men fall without knowing who shot. '6 more to go,' making way inside the buildings opposed to the street, the Ai worked tirelessly. Arrived in what seemed to be a bakery, footsteps were heard across the street. Dressed in normal clothes and not marked by the radar, the man wielded a gun. 'I knew it, there are more fighter's unknown to Cess.' Posited and ready to fire, he waited a few seconds before shooting. *Pfft,* Blood sprayed across the wall behind with the man falling. 'That's one more. The six others on the radar are to the left, I can't see them through walls. Grouped, I suppose they're having a meeting,' opening a door to a small alley, he jumped and climbed till on the rooftop of a three-story high apartment. The street below curved to the right after a few meters. Deciding the pay the remaining six a visit, 05, jumped across to the next block. Parkouring here and there, '-there they are,' spotted inside a restaurant, the wireframe showed everyone. 'If I use my sniper, I risk alarming the enemy. Remaining stealthy is the best choice.' Taking a few minutes, he jumped onto the ground level to then sneak into a bookshop opposite the enemy.
'Damn it, the angle isn't right. I need them all in the same spot,' resting against a bookshelf, he peered out a small gap, '-why are they separated?' Peculiar, the wireframe scanned every few seconds to update their position. 'Three on the ground floor, two on the first and one as overwatch on the second. He's watching the middle of town.' Turning back, he jumped out the other side and made way around to not be spotted.
[Audio Heightened] flashed across, '-must be Cess's doing.'
"What happened to the others?"
"I don't know, we had intel that point B would be easy to take."
"That sniper did a number on our forces, he took out so many."
"Why did we retreat, we should have continued to fight."
"Are you dumb?"
"The leader told us that a few of the hostages made a run for it."
"Yeah," amidst the discussion, whimpering and cries were heard faintly.
"So beautiful,"
"Aye, don't lay a hand on her."
"Shut up, we had orders to shoot them on sight."
"I guess it goes against our beliefs to do anything to her,"
"Goodman, stand down, we'll shoot her and the kids as a message to the ANC."
"Is the camera ready?"
"Yeah, on the way."
*Whoosh,* left open, the window to the second floor had the wind blow in. A boy and girl gagged and tied to a chair with another few curled in the corner.
"I've brought the camera," rushed in the doorway, the wall splashed with blood. Three shots from what seemed to be out of nowhere, '-that's them handled,' dropped to the street, a silent fire had the window broken and the rest killed. 'Why do I have the feeling that killing these people is as if a game… a game?' Walked up the stairs resting against the edge of the room, the remaining six dots disappeared out of the map.
[Visible enemy neutralized].
Shocked expression, 05 walked into the hostage room. Toggled to safety, he untied their mouths. "Is everyone ok?" asked, the black-helmet didn't allow them to see his face.
"Y-yes," said the boy nervously, "-who are you?"
"A hero," he said in a joking manner, frowns and crinkled forehead echoed across the room.
"A hero?" repeated the girl.
"Yes," adamant, a giggle escaped from one of the children.
"I overheard them saying you escaped, are there any more?"
"Y-yes," said the boy with light-brown hair, black eyes, dark-skin-complexion, and a wound as big as a thumb on the neck.
"Can you tell me where?"
"It's over there," pointed the girl with a black-short hair, a rather sharp nose, small eyes, and a scar near her temple. There were also bruises on her hands, arms, and face – most likely from being beaten. Her long dress that scraped the floor was torn in multiple places with a giant footmark near her left leg.
'To the North-East.' Taking a strong stance, "-alright," he turned to the boy, "-since you've made it this far, I'll help you escape. We're very close to the flyover, what do you say?"
"Mister," said a girl aged around 8 with a shrunken body to the point of skin and bones, "-a-are you r-really a h-hero?"
"I suppose I am," walked over, "-why, do you doubt me?" he knelt.
"N-no, it's just that Rusty always say a hero would come to rescue us," innocent, her face was dirtied by congealed blood from wounds.
"Well, a hero is here now, where's Rusty?"
"Over there," she pointed behind, "-Rusty has been sleeping for a few days now."
Flies went around the lifeless corpse of a boy aged around five, an action figure of a hero stood not that far away. A clean gash down his neck pointed to one thing, an execution.
"Don't worry," glancing the boy and girl before turning to the kids, "-Rusty's hero is here. I'll make sure that you're taken to safety."
"Is t-that a promise?" struggled, she painfully lifted her arm which seemed to have been fractured.
Holding out a pinky, "-yes it's a promise," opposed to locking pinky, he held her arms warmly, "-I'll make sure you're safe, all of you. Rusty was the one who called me."
"Will Rusty wake up?" she asked.
"No," caressing her head, "-Rusty is off to the world of dreams."
"Can we go there?" she asked with an oblivious smile.
"One day."
Faint cries could be heard from the girl behind; the boy tried his best to comfort her. They were old enough to know what death meant as opposed to the kids aged 8 and below.
'A hero,' stood, the eyes laid upon the action-figure, '-if I can't save these children, then saving the world may well be drinking the ocean.'
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