As Long As I Have You // A. Ghale

The Sleeping Saints

We began to head up the mountainous cliff and figure it would be easiest to just use a grapple to climb up rather than trying our hand at free-range rock climbing. Out of the corner of my eye, I spot two very large, ancient, and beautiful statues looking like they were praying. 

Ajay and I continue our way up the mountain, trying our best to remain as stealthy and quiet as possible. It wasn't until I hear a loud boom, that I was starting to get worried...

One of the statues began to collapse and create a very large cloud of debris, making Ajay head straight for the detonator.Conventional wisdom would usually recommend a slow and steady approach to this attack due to the significant number of enemies, but an immediate dash up the stairs seems to work wonders for us. 

We began to quickly head straight up the middle of the base, through the cloud of the fallen statue. We rush up many flights of stairs, which will lead us to a very advantageous position. One that will hopefully grant us success.

"Here!" Ajay yells, reloading his gun. We decide to use the two full pillars and one broken pillar as cover from the enemies that are shooting us up. Many rounds are made before a wave of silence sweeps over the hills.

"Do you think it's over?" I look over at Ajay, who isn't panting, sweating, or showing any signs of fatigue.

"No, they've only just begun." Ajay laughs and he recoils his gun in the air. He was a badass. Really, nothing could stop him.

We then spend about a minute clearing out the troops from here.  Just below me, there is the sniper, and the detonator. I see a ladder leading up to that level in between two columns. There are two or three soldiers up there, so I get ready. I  manage to take them out.

Ajay uses his rocket launcher to take out the jeep, and other enemy vehicles. Right before...

"HELICOPTER!" Ajay yells at me, from above. Holy shit. And it should be known that, that is just the first helicopter. 

We clear out any would-be assassins that have made it up to our level of the ruins, are perched at a distance and have a clear shot at us. Soon following the first chopper, an attack helicopter arrives with a heavy machine gun. I was getting very nervous, it was like a never ending battle. 

We manage to clear out any remaining troops and soldiers from the statues. Ajay's radio starts to beep, and it's Amita. 

"Alright, I'll do it." Ajay, puts his radio back in his pocket and reloads his guns. Amita and Sabal were treating Ajay like he was some kind of toy, like a puppet. They could be so needy when it came to him. 

"What now?" I ask him, giving him some space. I. didn't want to make him feel like he was always being watched or looked after. I knew what that felt like, and it wasn't very fun.

"We've got to block the entrance..." I nod, and we began to head to the path to our left and I find a grapple point to climb to. Ajay follows behind me, and we see the rocks Amita wanted us to blow up.

"Take aim at the shiny rocks and let 'em have it." I say, Ajay just laughs and blows the rocks up, causing them to fall and block the entrance to the statues.

"That's a wrap."