Operation: Indigo Oasis

Infiltration

Giada Island, Italy

April 25, 2022

Rea gasped. "It's like a ghost town..." 

"Yeah, that sounds about right," said Tiago. 

Meanwhile, Dominic was tapping away on his modified laptop, checking the satellite feed over the island for unusual activity. He was reluctant to tell the others that everything about this place was unusual. Tourists came here in droves every year, and yet, it was now abandoned. 

Horatio stared at the shoreline from the railing of the Panther C-16 speedboat. They had a window of about three hours before the stolen blueprints were downloaded and out of their grasp forever, but one detail made him realize that they had even less time to finish the job. Over the center of the island stood a massive plume of smoke, all of it venting out from the mountain with resorts and vacation homes etched into the slopes. 

He was looking at an active volcano with the naked eye. He certainly didn't want Jian Squad (the official designation to his merry band of mercenaries) around when it erupted. The compound was straight ahead, close enough to make extraction a breeze. 

"Rea, are you sure you want to go through with this?" Horatio asked with genuine worry, his gaze still fixed to the ashen skyline. They had gone on dangerous missions before, but something about this struck him differently. It was as if their boss wasn't giving them the full story about the mission. 

Rea was unfazed. "I have to. Wilder is counting on us."

She snapped a magazine into her rifle and pulled on the bolt handle, determined as ever to get the job done swiftly. She was the best of Jian Squad, there was no doubt about that. August Wilder trusted her the most because of that. To give up now was unthinkable. 

"I can't stop you, but..." Horatio sighed. "Be careful, Rea. Stick to the plan and Tiago will take the boat down to the dock once you have the blueprints." 

The plan. Rea recalled every minute detail about it. It was up to her to infiltrate the compound, deactivate the security systems, and retrieve Wilder's designs. Tiago would stay with the boat, Dominic would keep communications around the island jammed - in order to slow down enemy reinforcements - and Horatio would disable the hidden artillery installations on the shoreline.

Everyone had a job to do. Rea took in a deep breath, and she knew in that moment that she was ready. Tiago put his hand on the throttle, sending the boat rushing over the waves before coming to a gentle stop. Rea nodded to her squad and leaped over the rail, landing her feet squarely on the dock before breaking into a sprint. Horatio did the same before they split up at the beach, with Rea set to infiltrate the compound where the plans were being stored. 

Horatio sprinted west, over to the grey pillboxes that dotted the shoreline. Rea knew from the mission report that the secret compound was disguised as an Italian villa, but she couldn't help but admire it from afar. The building was mostly white and supported by four long rows of columns, while the roof was covered in red tiles. There were plenty of windows and balconies, or in simpler terms, sniper's nests. 

Rea listened as the boat's engine churned in the distance. It sped back out of the artillery's range. Good, she thought. It was one less thing to worry about. She then hid behind empty cars and street stalls, her eyes peeled wide for any guards still prowling the area. 

Yet, there were none. She advanced to the compound at a steady pace, weapon in front at every step. The villa was halfway up the mountain's southern slope. She spotted a stone wall that led to an unguarded, outdoor lounge. Knowing that she had no choice but to climb it, Rea suddenly felt her ammo belt become a bit heavier than usual.