The hunter's bow

The evening of the 14th

Aksel's pov
       I fell to the ground as the mortar fell on the other side of the wall, I coughed and asked "everyone okay?" I looked behind me and em saw Valkyrie staring at her leg in shock I moved next to her and saw the large piece of shrapnel next to her calf. I clapped her on the shoulder "you've got a guardian, Let's go! Zofia needs our help" I radioed "Zofia were moving into the area, north east side" she replied quickly breathing heavily "rog" the team shook off the force of the blast and headed deeper into the shot show that was this battle. I looked back as Nomad suggested "if we get covered we can set up an impromptu L ambush" I replied "I can cover you, but you'll have to move fast" they nodded before taking deep breaths getting their nerves calm as I leaned around the corner unloading my magazine at any mask sappers that dared to move. I looked up and saw an Apache coming to a hover above me, his 30mm cannon tore into the mask line before the pilot came over comms "Rainbow this is Spooky, I've been attached to you by Nøkk. Mark targets with IR strobes and I'll prosecute"
     I replied "Spooky, this is Onyx. If you can get a 20 on that mortar I need it destroyed, over." He chuckled and spoke "on it, I'll let you know when he's done" I reloaded my 416 before I had to turn and fire back down the road as Masks tried hitting Rich and his jeep. That Jeep was keeping a lot of people alive, it needed to keep doing so. I saw Rich come flying past me, his leisurely pace long gone as I fired into the masks stepping into the road trying to hit him. Once I was sure the threat was gone I spoke into the radio "Rainbow rally on the jeep" we jogged over to where Rich stopped and spoke. "Zofia any casualties?" I looked over her team Glaz, ying, fuze and Castle. It looked like they got out unscathed. She replied "nie, we're good." I heard Buck in comms "Nøkk where are we needed?" She replied "there's a reported influx of Mask Sappers on the eastern line of barrack, there's some last known positions of allied forces there too" I looked at zofia's team and asked "you running with us?" Zofia nodded as I ordered "let's get moving, before those boys holding out in the barracks get hit"
We started making our way there before the whistling of a 120mm mortar was heard, our training took over and we all fell to our stomachs as I got lifted off the ground from the blast. We stood only to come to a freeze as we came face to face with a group of sappers with their baskets. We fired after our second of shock continuing to fire as they fell until one round hit one of the grenades setting off all of them. I heard a yell of pain behind me as plumes of dust were kicked up by shrapnel, I stood quickly and looked behind me seeing Glaz bleeding profusely from multiple gashes. I looked at Maverick and ordered "get him to Rich or the TOC. Stay there and help defend it" another monstrous blast tore through the air as a bomb was set off near the northern wall. I sighed and continued moving towards the barracks, my group continued to grow in numbers as we found more pockets of resistance.
      I heard my sister on my headset "what's your progress? ETA?" I replied "we'll be there in 2 mikes, if we're lucky. If we get more contact it could be anywhere upwards of 5" she sighed and spoke "one of the soldiers in the barracks got a radio, the masks are rigging them to blow. You need to get there and stop them" I sighed swearing "fuck, ok. Let's go, we need to be there now. Don't stop fire on the move" I looked at the group of about 20 men and women of assorted branches and nationalities all fighting to save one another, it made me proud to be here. Just then Spooky came back "Onyx, Mortar is done for. Heading back" I replied "affirm, be advised masks have breached the north wall. Divert there and help defend, I'll call if we need your fire" he replied "Wilco, stay safe." I slammed a new magazine into my 416 and continued forward coming around the corner seeing the line of barracks. My hopes rose as a groups of masks reconverged, I looked to my left and spoke "We kill them and then anyone with EOD experience will try to disarm. The rest of us are evacuating survivors" they nodded as we prepped to assault.
We came around the corner and started firing the firepower from several SAWs and rifles massacred them as I spoke "phase 2, Let's go!" As we all ran to different barracks and made our way inside. I lifted my rifle to a low ready and slowly walked deeper into the barracks before a shot from a pistol rang out and I felt an excruciating burning in my shoulder. I fell to the ground holding my arm before I pulled my pistol and aimed seeing a young soldier holding his smoking m9 shaking in his room. I called "I'm friendly, we came to extract you guys" he looked terrified as I slowly pushed myself up holding my shoulder before I crouched infront of him and asked "first deployment?" He nodded shakily as I got him to look at me "Were gonna get you home but I need you in the game." He looked past me causing me to turn and see a dead mask, a heavy, one of their newer units. I asked "did you kill him?" The kid nodded as I realized why he was so shaken up, he's watched his friends die and witnessed death at an intimate level.
     He stood and I checked the wound he mumbled "I'm sorry about shooting you" I chuckled and spoke "it's fine kid, stay close" as we headed back out I stepped over mangled corpses and lost allies before walking out. I saw the team holding perimeter I noticed 6 young soldiers standing around, I asked "this all we managed to save?" Fuze nodded and replied "The sky is filled with Apaches, they've been working over the masks but reports are the masks are still infiltrating from the northern wall. That mortar did a number on the defenses, the walls gone" I looked at the team and then up the road, the stream of tracers meant combat meant enemies. Enemies that needed to be dealt with. I looked at the team and yelled "we're moving out, on me!" As I turned and started moving up the street. I looked at the corpses strewn about the road, I sighed. A lot of people have died tonight, a lot of combat too. I checked my magazines as I called "last 100" several other voices confirmed they were low on ammo too.
We moved quickly before I heard something fall behind me, one of the young soldiers had fallen. I didn't blame him, he's terrified. Motor skills leave when you're in combat for as long as we've been. I checked my watch, 23:31 "almost 5 hours" I rotated my shoulder wincing at the pain before I focused my mind on the battle. I could get fixed my the docs later, we need to retake this base. I radioed "Spooky, you still up?" He came back "rog, whatcha need?" I asked "can you apaches focus on the enemies coming through the north breach? If we can stop them coming in we can retake the base" he replied "on it, by the way. You got ops in contact to the south east end of the base" I replied "we're on it, stay safe I'll need your air support again" I kept moving before Nomad asked "are you wounded?" I waved her off and spoke "we have to pull the others out of this gunfight" she pushed "no, you're wounded" I looked back and hissed "Sanaa, this base is more important than me. We keep this base, we kill the enemy, we survive" she looked at me in interest and replied "don't let your pride get you killed"
       I shook the comment off and continued, we arrived to see the Masks literally stacking bodies trying to get to the operators. Our group set up several rows and began shooting like it was a 18th century battle. The masks didn't have time to react to the new threat and fell in droves, we fired as they pulled back to launch another assault. We moved over to the group and I saw Bandit's squad, "how're we doing?" Was bandits first question, I replied "Nøkk hasn't told me about any casualties so, I think were doing good" he nodded as I heard one of the soldiers "hey, hey, heyheyhey, they're coming back!" I looked and saw he was right as I yelled "Shoot the fuckers!" and rested my heat guard against the wall of sandbags and fired into the amassing unit of masks. I watched the fanaticism as they threw man after man at us just to try to wipe out the coalition. I watched geysers of sand get kicked up, at first I thought it was Spooky or another Apache only to see the AC-130 gunship firing it's 25mm.
I smiled as I felt my shoulder ache from the shot, I stood as the gunfight stop and ordered "head count, check for wounded" I looked around as Castle, Nomad and Buck walked to me. Castle asked "what's our next move?" I held up a finger and radioed "Nøkk, have any good news?" She replied "the breach on the north end has been secure, our forces are starting to organize a clear. Rally at the TOC, we'll figure out where we need you." I asked "any word on the rest of the teams?" She replied "They're on the way with ground vehicles, Harry has decided heavy armor will be useful to halt any further assaults." I looked at the team as they checked bodies for any wounded masks or friendlies. I spoke to the three next to me "once we figure this out," I motioned to the search and continued "we're heading to the TOC, we've got a clear getting organized." They nodded as Buck asked "any word on the other half of our unit?" I answered "they're mobilizing with armored cav, well have to clear this and hold it until they get here." He sighed and spoke "lot of caskets" I heard Nomad "lot of sacrifices"
I sighed before calling "let's go, we're moving to the TOC!" Everyone started moving as I looked around, scattered bodies and mangled buildings. The base looks nothing like it normally did, the sappers did their job horrifically well. This new unit we had only heard rumors about their deadliness had proven their effectiveness as Hunter with horrific results. I breathed in and smelt burnt flesh, the smell never became easier to smell as we moved. The occasional round snapping off but the base was silent, a startling contrast to the last 5 and a half hours. The darkness of the night make the creeping feeling settle in as dark corners covered the dangerous secrets. Suddenly the base became brightly lit as illumination rounds slowly fell from the sky. My mind questioned what the point of it was just for another assault to begin, this one was more brutal and crude but it was tearing our medics apart as they tried to treat our wounded. Suddenly the whistling of 120mm Mortar rounds was heard causing my eyes to widen as I yelled "go! Go! Get to the TOC! Now!" As we started running. The mortars detonating around us as I saw our soldiers running for cover while the masks threw their all at us even under the pressure of their own mortars. Spooky spoke once more for the night "were bingo fuel, all apaches are heading back to the airbase to rearm and refuel. We'll be back on station in 45 mikes" I sighed and replied "Wilco, see you in 45"