Guiltless

Chapter 8

Cathy doesn't make any noise as we move into the more complex part of the operation, not that I care to give her a thought. With Beta injured and the high chances of reinforcements ambushing the team in the next seven minutes (if the intel is reliable or else the time is actually much less).

"Everyone staying outside, seek cover immediately. You'll be picking off anyone who attacks from the inner compound while also keeping track of any reinforcement that may arrive. Alpha, Hope and Foxtrot need six hundred seconds to do this correctly." I order into the mic, seeing them distribute themselves all over the compound while keeping each other in line of sight.

"Hope, scale the walls of the inner compound but know that the walls are booby-trapped. Be prepared to respond as situation rises. India and Beta, you are to take out any automatic guns that may pop out as compound's defence mechanism. Radio, disable the inner compound and living quarters security as soon as you break through the firewall. And I need those maps the moment you break in."

"Foxtrot, you'll be entering the compound with Alpha. I repeat, the alarms are sounding, and you must prepare for the welcoming committee. I estimate about 500 soldiers inside, with a wide variety of toys. You need to resort to guerrilla warfare, if needed you can even lure them to the outer compound for the team to take them out. Prepare!" I command as I see the door begin to open for the inner compound. I wonder why the small space was present between inner compound wall and living quarters even as gunfire sounds all over the compound.

"I'm in. Sending you the maps." Radio reports and the moment the maps add to the present intel, Radio sounds again. "Hope, move away. Get down from the wall! Now!" Hope's cam shows that the wall had just been scaled but upon Radio's yell, Hope fell back and suspended herself on the wall by the fingers. It was a smart move considering the height she would fall if she simply jumped. It was too late though.

The laser that fired from the living quarters' wall just above the top of wall of inner compound cut through her hands and she fell. Her scream broke through the silence of the air and I mentally curse her training for being weak enough to not keep her quiet in this moment.

"India!" I commanded and he moved, maintaining the fire while heading to Hope rapidly. "Hope, get to cover as soon as you can move. Be in line of sight of India and Beta." There was a pained grunt but no other response.

"Oh my god!" Cathy whispered from behind me and I ignored her distress at the unexpected defense. But then, my eyes moved to the map and I felt like repeating her words. Oh my god!

Beneath the entire outer area was a buried web of remote-activated mines. And as the laser kept firing at a predefined interval, I saw some soldiers spreading out into the small space between the walls. "Everyone, move out of the compound, now! Including you, Radio! Move!"

And time slowed down as one of the idiot soldier activated the trigger by stepping on the sole landmine that was not meant for remote activation. He blew up before he could even realize what was happening. "Mark!" From behind me, Cathy shouted in extreme distress (and strangely, grief) and in the chaos when all the feeds were unclear to tell exactly what was happening, we both stood in that room listening to gunfire and grunts of pain.

Then, as the blasts deafened us all, the feed began to clear up as everyone ran from the dust and I saw that, thankfully, all were outside. "Status!" I bark. As I suspected, it was not good.

"Radio is shot, I repeat, Radio is shot. Hope and Beta are KO'ed. Alpha and the rest were too close to the blast. Their senses are not at 100%." Delta reports. "Charlie and Omega have taken up the duty to move the disabled to the extraction zone right now. What are the orders for the rest of us?"