What needs to be done for a better world

Chapter 7

A few hours prior to General Sinclair's conference with Anders, in the building where Gamma Squad 1 was reportedly killed, the sound of gunfire and bullet impacts filled the air. Ray was in a desperate situation. He had taken down seven targets, but his HK416 was nearly out of ammo. The surprise attack on the first group had forced him to use more rounds to eliminate the others. Now, he was disoriented after trying to evade his pursuers. He had ascended a flight of stairs, crossed several rooms, and now stood at the end of a corridor, facing what looked like a fire exit. He had no clear idea of where it led.

He couldn't just take the exit and leave Julie behind. She was still down there, likely still bleeding from the hastily made bandage he had applied. She wouldn't last long without help. Yet, the sense of dread enveloping him was urging him to think otherwise. It whispered for him to go, to save himself in this desperate situation, where the number of enemies was unknown and his main weapon was about to become dead weight.

He shook his head, banishing the creeping thoughts from his mind. He would save her, make things right, and then he would quit. He didn't have to do it anymore; he had fulfilled his obligations, served his years, and was now free of his past. There was no need to remain in a place where he wasn't wanted.

With renewed determination, he resolved to make the most of the time he had left before his adversaries inevitably found him. But where to begin? As the gears of his mind spun furiously, the outline of a plan began to take shape. They didn't know his whereabouts any more than he knew theirs at this moment. He would ascend to the top of the building cautiously, avoiding contact with the enemy while meticulously mapping out the layout. Every stair, every room, he would leave no corner unchecked as he ascended, ensuring he remained undetected until he was ready to execute his plan.

His plan was simple, rooted in the reflection that, if he were in their shoes, he wouldn't assemble a single large group to hunt him down, but instead deploy smaller squads to encircle him. He would tackle each group methodically, swiftly dispatching them one by one before moving on to the next.

'Simple as that. Yes. No problem,' he thought to himself, striving to convince himself of his own resolve.

And so he began his ascent. It didn't take long before the distant echo of footsteps reverberated from a nearby staircase. Choosing caution over confrontation, he swiftly veered in the opposite direction, moving with the silent precision honed during his scout training. With each room he passed, he meticulously scanned for signs of a staircase leading upward. The building appeared to consist of only four stories, yet each floor sprawled wide with numerous rooms. Upon discovering the stairs that led upward, a pattern began to emerge.

Recalling his earlier ascent, Ray remembered taking a left turn from the entrance, placing him on the right side of the building. Glancing out a nearby window, he confirmed his suspicion, he was now on the left side. Reasoning that the pattern likely repeated with each floor, he surmised that the stairs leading upward on the next floor should be on the right side. To confirm his theory, he turned left upon reaching the top of the staircase and traversed the rooms leading to the right side. As anticipated, the stairs awaited him there.

Now on the highest floor, Ray meticulously searched each room, scouring for any sign of his adversaries. In one room, he discovered a surprising cache of supplies left behind by those he had faced. Ammunition, explosives, and medical supplies lay neatly arranged, offering a glimmer of hope amidst the chaos. However, the absence of weapons hinted that his foes had made off with their primary armaments. "Guess they took all of the weapons with them," he muttered to himself, his disappointment palpable.

Determined to bolster his arsenal, Ray selected two grenades and three claymores from the cache before resuming his exploration. The grenades served as a precaution, a last resort in case his stealth mission faltered and he needed additional firepower. As for the claymores, planting them at each staircase exit leading upstairs would effectively cover his rear, preventing any pursuers from ambushing him as he descended by the opposite staircases. However, his hopes of finding compatible ammunition for his weapon were dashed as he surveyed the available supplies.