Operation: Explosive mirrors

Finding the others

Shawn's pov
I ran through the foggy forest just heading towards the grid zone command had sent me, hoping to run across the team or the transponder. My nerves were starting to fray, being alone behind enemy lines was getting to me. I double checked my rifle for the 10th time in 6 minutes before I found a tree and crouched under it pulling a hydration pack from my bag cutting a hole in it and drinking as much as I could. I pulled a camo net sleeve out of my bag and pulled off my plate carrier. I fed the camo cover over my shirt and around my upper arms before pulling my chest plate over my head and securing it. I looked around before I noticed masks walking through the fog, their silhouettes immediately made my skin crawl as I hit the deck and hid behind my bag, resting my 416 on it and waiting. Dreading the moment I heard "hey! There's one!" But it never came. The mask patrol passed by and I slowly stood, before rabidly stuffing things back into my bag before throwing it over my shoulder and heading in the direction of the rv.
I made my way deeper into the unknown before my mind started to wonder what happened to the team, there's no way we got that off course right? I questioned myself before realizing I got steered by the rounds. I sighed as I walked for 2 or 3 hours, I sat under a tree and broke into my MRE. I jumped when I heard Mira's voice on my comms "Tombstone, tombstone come in over" I thumbed my radio "I hear you" I heard the sigh of relief as Mira replied "we were beginning to think you didn't make it" I asked in reply "where are you guys?" She replied "what's the grid? Zs9420" I checked my map and was shocked by what I found as I asked "how the fuck did we put 2 klicks between us?" Sledge commented "seems you took a detour" I replied sourly "didn't have much of a choice" Mira asked "what's our rally point?" I did a quick assessment and replied "rally on kd9532-echo" I heard Mira "well see you there, stay safe tombstone. We don't want you becoming your callsign" I replied "don't worry bout me Mira, I'll see you there" as I stood.
I finished my mre as I moved before I heard a twig snap, I froze and dropped the package grabbing my 416. I fell to a crouch and waited until I saw the mask step through the brush, he mustn't of heard me since his gun was laxly in his hand and not at all in a ready position. He didn't get to lift it as my rifle barked three times and he dropped I walked backwards into cover until I heard the familiar voice of the mask officer who had captured me "you're a long way from home tombstone!" I yelled back "the usual these days!" He laughed before turning serious "I'm going to kill you tombstone, then the rest of your team" I replied "you know I can't let that happen" he countered "I don't think you have much of a say in this" I laughed before replying "I don't think you understand the situation" he replied like a businessman "then you should appraise me of the situation" I said in question "and show my hand? I think not" he replied "I'm sure you have a great plan, you always do. A plan to fight gravity, a plan to fight nature, always a plan"
I laughed before saying "knight to f5!" As I leaned around the tree and shot the mask trying to sneak up on me. That kicked off the gunfight, unbeknownst to me I had accidentally transmitted that entire conversation. I heard Overlord "be advised, Strike Eagles are en route. They'll be overhead in 10 mikes, over" i heard footsteps as I leaned to my left and swapped hand positions firing 3 rounds into the masks rushing me. I radioed "hey guys change of plans, I don't think I'm making it to the rendezvous" I heard archer "don't do anything stupid" I replied "I've got a mask unit advancing-" I paused as I fired a burst before finishing "on my position, you're still a mile away. I'll be dead by the time you reach me" I heard archer with an unusual tone "you hang in there, we'll be there in 2 mikes" I sighed before saying "we both know you aren't making it in time. I'll give em a good fight but you're probably reaching a corpse" as I stepped around the tree and unloaded my magazine. I heard Mira "Tombstone? Tombstone, come in! Where are you!?"
       Overlord gave them my coordinates as I shoved another magazine into my rifle and pulled the charging handle I leaned around the corner and unloaded the magazine at the squad of masks rushing my position. 30 rounds left my barrel as the 6 masks fell forward, I heard the shout of pain "I'm hit! The fucker shot me!" I leaned around the edge of the tree and pulled my pistol firing 3 more rounds into the mask as he clawed his way away. I holstered my pistol and grabbed my 416 before slipping another magazine in and cocking the rifle. I heard the mask officer as everything fell silent "You know it's quite rude to kill my men!" I yelled back "I could say the same thing, you've killed 4 of mine!" He yelled "well you definitely made us work for them, I'm down 130 some odd men!" I laughed before yelling back "maybe, just maybe it's not worth trying to kill us! You'll lose another 180 before you kill the last 5 of us!" He replied with determination "those are acceptable loses! We will hold this country" I just laughed before firing some rounds as the masks opened fire again and slowly advanced on my position forming a wall of fire.