War: A Business

Chapter 42: Ambush

   I took cover under the command vehicle. The anti-armor submunitions detonated. Some of the shrapnel pierced my back causing me to scream in pain.

  Luckily, the nanomachines in my body pushed the shrapnel out and repaired my wounds.

   I crawled out of the APC and I saw the corpses of my comrades added to the pile of corpses on the snowy ground. Only a few survived, but horribly injured. Some ran out of their vehicles in panic.

  I heard gunshots and explosions in the air.

   I ran to the inside of whats left of the command vehicle and I grabbed my weapons and armor.

   I ran to the side of another destroyed vehicle and I turned off the safety mode of my assault laser. I peeked at the corner and I saw one of the insurgents donning a monk's white robe over their military-grade body armor.

   I got back to cover quickly, dodging a bullet. I shot the insurgent with a beam of light from my laser gun, but I missed. I looked again but I saw a arrow in his head. I turned to my right and I saw Robin with his bow and arrow. He ran out of cover.

   I ran to another position and I lay prone on the cold snow. I saw Terminator laying suppressing fire on the enemies with his huge gatling gun behind the cover of a few trees and the twin riflemen picking them off when they got out of cover.

   Then I shot 3 of the insurgents standing on the snow.

   I ran to another position behind a destroyed tank and I scanned the area in front of me, looking for enemies.

  A bullet whizzed just inches by my face. I took cover. I saw Quebec taking care for a fallen mercenary. I saw Soviet and Nomad rallying the remaining troops with the other members of the Extreme Operations Unit to combat the insurgents from either side.

   I saw enemy APCs and IFVs at approaching from the distance.

   I saw Psyche levitating her metal spears, walking to the approaching enemy vehicles. Then the metal rods suddenly disappeared in midair. The enemy vehicles exploded.

   The P-types are people that should be feared.

   Bomber fired his grenades over the enemies cover. Some of the insurgents ran away and some just got killed by Robin, who decided to maniacally charge to the position of the enemy despite having a high risk of getting killed.

  That's the Extreme Operation Unit for you.

   The firefight lasted for about a hour. There are casualties on both sides, adding to the pile of the bodies on the ground.

   Soviet, Nomad and I did a headcount. 39 mercs left. Somebody came out from a broken APC.

  Its Vince, strangely alright despite the furious fighting earlier. Nobody informed me that he is with me.

"40." Nomad corrected Soviet.

"Whats up?" I yelled to Vince.

"Just another day at work." he replied.

"Can you fix the command pod at the command vehicle? I think it is broken." I asked a favor.

"Sure." He answered. He had always fixed things with ease.

   Minutes later, the Vince and the technicians fixed the command pod.