Into What Is Impossible (Hiatus, Re-write In-progress)

Part IV

Bravo one composition:

Team Leader - Captain Richard 'Fly' Hoyer

Assistant TL/ Comms officer - 2nd Lieutenant Joseph 'Hobo' Corley

Medical Sergeant - Master Sergeant Anton 'Romero'

Weapons Sergeant - Sergeant First Class Kwang-jo 'Jackie' Min

Marksman - Sergeant Fred 'Chappy' Holt

/-/-/-/

[Three months ago, Somewhere in Colombia, 1856 Hours]

The smell of rotting leaves, swampy water and mud emanates from the ground as me and my team carefully move closer to our objective; a seemingly abandoned stone building that is the only remains of a fort used by the Spanish against a tribe of natives that are now long gone.

The jungle is an unpleasant and unforgiving place. It is filled with toxic, deadly flora and creatures that will kill you- or, as in our case- people who will shoot us dead.

"Target building is in sight, scanning for hostiles." Hobo says from his position behind a mud-mound while Chappy re-zeroes his scope beside him.

I lift the bottom of my balaclava and spit out the horrible taste that the dank jungle air left in my mouth. I then lift my head to look at Romero who is in kneeling right beside Jackie, who has his mark forty-six trained on the building.

"I see movement on the second floor, third window from the right." Hobo reports, which cause me to turn my head back to our objective.

Chappy had already finished setting up, so he turns his rifle carefully to the designated position.

I see three figures behind the window, seemingly talking.

"Tally three... on target." Chappy reports.

Hobo looks to me "We're in place sir."

I look to him and nod. Then turn my head to look at my watch to make sure that we are on time.

"Nobody radios unless completely necessary. They likely have equipment for eavesdropping and we cannot afford to blow our cover until it's time." Major Degarmo told us during the briefing of the mission.

The second hand ticks and circles around once... then twice...

"Engage on my mark." I say to Chappy.

I could see him focusing on his target from my peripheral- but I know that as the second hand ticks away, he's already planned out a sequence- from first to last- on who to shoot first.

I fish for my binoculars and then put it in-front of my eyes. There seems to be no other enemies on our direct line of sight for now, but I see a makeshift bridge over a hole into the ground right beside stairs that seem to lead to a basement or lower levels of the fort.

I look to Jackie. "Jackie, keep your eyes on that hole at the ground floor."

"Affirmative." He responds and shifts his weapon.

Sweep my eyes across the building one more time before looking down on my wristwatch and wait as the tiniest hand seem to crawl past ten... eleven... and finally reaching twelve.

Nineteen-hundred.

It's time.

I put my binoculars in-front of my eyes. "Mark."

Immediately after I finish speaking, Chappy pulls the trigger of his EBR- his rifle letting out a suppressed report and nailing two of the three targets in the head.