Operation: Pointed Spear

A new attack

Corey's POV
I woke up to Thatcher banging on the door "we've got a brief in 5!" As myself, Alik and Monika scrambled to our feet changing into our combat gear before following the signs to the briefing room seeing Harry standing there holding a TV remote and waiting as he spoke "I'm glad you're all here, if you'd direct your attention to the screen you'll see what your mission is" we all looked at the TV as it turned on and the news was covering a hostage situation at a bank. It changed to a helicopter camera as we saw a huge sign "Send Achilles, or we kill a hostage" Harry spoke "I'm aware the deal was you'd only act as QRF unless it was a mission to recover IQ's family. However since we recovered all of them, I'm changing the directive to missions involving Feral" we nodded as Harry spoke "a littlebird is on the airfield waiting for you. Plan in the air, rescue these hostages, clear?" Thatcher asked "do you have a schematic of the bank?" Harry tossed a file "here's everything you'll need, move out" as Thatcher nodded and we spun, I pulled the priming handle on my Mk18 and followed the team out to the little bird.
We climbed on board as Thatcher gave the pilot a thumbs up which the pilot replied before we lifted off and I sighed in content "I love these helicopters" as Achilles asked "What do we have thatcher?" He replied "2 story building, a vault in the back of the ground floor. Bank managers office on the second deck above the vault. Several small cubicles, luckily no elevator. A large customers lounge in the front" bird asked "so a lot of kill zones, what are our breach options?" Thatcher replied "we've got a stairway from the roof, we can rappel in from the north side and there's a window we can breach from the neighboring building. Votes?" IQ spoke "neighbor" followed by bird "rappel" I replied next "rappel" as Achilles answered "neighbor" and I spoke again "tie breaker up to you old man" he grumbled in reply "just for that, neighbor. Look what you did" I chuckled as the pilot spoke "we got you, gonna set up for a fast rope on the neighboring building" as I asked "Watcher, think you can get the news agencies to delay their cameras by 15 seconds? If it's in real time we'll get nailed by the masks"
He replied "I'll try to get it done before you arrive, but I make no promises" I sighed before I heard Achilles "nothing like giving the enemies the advantage to make things exciting" I heard bird reply happily "we did it before, that was a fun mission. I almost died" I chuckled before asking "you sure you're not a Unit guy kid? You sound like some of my buddies" he looked down and replied "ah fook that, I'm happy staying as a cop mate. I'm not tryna go outside of England" IQ pointed out "bird, you're outside of England right now" He paused for a second before replying "ah fuck that!" We all laughed as Harry spoke "I'm glad you're all in good moods, just be aware that Feral's right hand man code named Bull is on target. Do try to capture him if possible" Achilles spoke "my Taser is ready, just let me at him" I heard Thatcher "easy killer, the hostages are the priority" I saw Achilles slump before IQ muttered "don't mind him, thatcher's just a buzzkill" as he cried indignantly "I heard that"
Achilles jokingly yelled "flee!" As the pilot came over comms laughing "we'll be at the target in 2 minutes" I heard Bird "game time" as I double checked my gear and Thatcher spoke "god I could go for some tea" Achilles and Bird sighed longingly "tea" as IQ spoke "when we get back you can have some tea, let's finish this fast ja?" I pulled the rope out of the middle of the chopper behind me and hooked it to the anchor bar  before I pulled the rest into my lap as the pilots spoke "good to fast rope" as I pushed the rope off my lap and gripped it scooting off the bench and quickly roping down onto the roof, I saw Bird was the first one off on the other side before Achilles and Thatcher appeared in my view as IQ slid down the rope and thatcher spoke "let's go" as the ropes dropped to the roof behind us and we started to the edge of the building and I saw Bird level his shotgun "did someone say vandalism?" As he fired and the glass shattered as buckshot tore through it painting holes in the drywall on the far side of the window.
     Achilles asked as he climbed through the window "are you just a juvenile delinquent that joined the police?" Bird just laughed as Achilles scanned the room with me coming in behind him, I leveled my Mk18 and spoke "this place sounds dead" as IQ replied "sounds can be deceiving" as thatcher spoke "let's drone this out, we find the hostages and work our way to them" Bird and I aimed at the door as Achilles pulled his taser just incase as I saw thatcher's drone roll past my foot. I joked "Christ I could've booted that thing further than you threw it" as Thatcher replied "piss off" as we heard footsteps before a mask walked around the corner and got blasted back by Bird's shotgun, a quarter of his head was eviscerated with the shot. Bird pumped his shotgun with indifference as I watched chuckling "one mean kid" he nodded while Achilles replied "definitely just got the masks attention" I looked up as I saw a flash of red light above me and saw a camera, flashing red occasionally. I sighed and spoke "they know where we are" as IQ asked "how?" While I pointed up only for IQ to pull her pistol and shoot the camera.
      I tucked in as shattered glass rained on me, I shook as I asked "couldn't of let me move?" Until thatcher spoke "got em, they're split between the Manager's office and the vault" I listened as Achilles asked "who are we hitting first?" Thatcher spoke "Manager, we can breach into the vault from above" i sidestepped as Achilles spoke "bird, on you" bird nodded and sidestepped into the hallway aiming his shotgun down the walkway as the rest of us formed up on him and Achilles. As we moved I heard Achilles "I need eyes left" as I replied "on it" while IQ spoke "scanning, if it runs on batteries. I'll see it" she spoke "we've got a nitro cell room to our 3 o'clock" I saw a thumbs up from Achilles before a mask stepped out in my sights getting a burst from my Mk18 before I shifted my aim to his body as it impacted the floor. IQ spoke behind me "we have a bomber moving down the hallway to our 12" bird replied "on it" as Achilles stepped out from behind Bird and took aim. The mask came around the corner only to recoil as a long burst from Achilles laid the mask out before we moved on to the next room.
     I heard bird "eyes right" as Achilles replied "got it" while thatcher spoke "it's too quiet" just for an unknown voice on the PA to speak "Achilles, I'm so glad you could join us. We were beginning to think you wouldn't show" I heard Achilles quietly "who the fuck?" Before the voice explained "ah where are my manners, call me hunter. But you know me as Bull" I heard thatcher "Feral's second" as we kept pushing before Bull spoke again "if you're wondering where my forces are, we're going to let you regain control of the hostages. Then the fun begins, you get to try to keep them alive as the full force of my 40 man platoon pushes you" I heard IQ "good thing I've got my LMG" as we reached the first group of hostages, I undid their bindings before I spoke calmly "you need to stay close to me, we'll make sure you go home" the civilians nodded as thatcher spoke "let's get moving, the sooner we get to the next group the sooner we can start this gunfight" I heard IQ "I think you mean slaughter"
      Bird asked "for who?" As Achilles replied hatefully "whoever gets infront of my muzzle" Bull spoke "I'll give you 2 minutes to prepare before we kill you, don't worry Achilles. Feral isn't mad that you shot him, he respects the ruthlessness. He's proud you did that" as I heard Achilles' rifle bark to life and the PA speaker dropped to the ground in a sparking mess. We moved through the building quickly, before we reached the vault. I saw the group of hostages before the lights got cut. Bull spoke once more "did I forget to mention it would be in the dark? Oops" I groaned "his voice is really starting to piss me off" as Achilles, Thatcher, Bird and I flicked on our shoulder mounted flashlights, I looked at IQ "you don't have one?" She shook her head no as I spoke "Achilles, you need to get IQ some flashlights. She's gonna be blind" as Thatcher spoke "alright everyone without a gun I need you in this corner. The rest of us, set up a defense. Focus on the door" as Bull spoke "ready or not, here we come"
     I saw Achilles and bird shove money off the table before crouching next to it as thatcher took the corner to the right of the door while I took the left before IQ crouched next to Achilles. I heard the barking of a dog as I sighed "dogs, I fuckin hate dogs" just as a dog went flying through the door only to get nailed by bird's buckshot. I heard footsteps getting closer as IQ leveled her machine gun just to start shooting then thatcher and I's lights reflected off the shiny white mask. She was recreating D-Day as Achilles and Bird popped up firing laying down even more masks as the masks threw a frag in which Achilles managed to catch before yelling "Fook! You!" As he threw it back before we braced and the grenade detonated followed by shouts of pain. I chuckled before I leaned around the corner firing bursts into any masks our flashlight illuminated before the ceiling above us erupted. Bird, Achilles and IQ were thrown down from the overpressure before thatcher and I started engaging the masks around the breach while Achilles and IQ started engaging the masks in the vault entrance again and bird helped cover the breach.
      I heard Achilles ask "does this count as another date?!" IQ replied chuckling "not the time!" While we continued to engage the masks. I fired into a mask watching him crash to the ground next to Achilles while the civilians screamed in terror before Achilles asked "oi bruv, can you watch were you drop those masks?!" As he fired another burst. I replied stifling a laugh "I wish!" As thatcher yelled "cut the chatter!" Before suddenly the masks stopped appearing. I looked in the doorway and saw mask corpses piled up causing me to whistle as Bird spoke shocked "fookin' 'ell" as I heard Bull "you win this round, don't worry Achilles. I'll keep making our play dates more fun" I heard IQ ask "does he think that's scary?" As thatcher cut Achilles off "let's get the hostages out of here, I don't want to give Bull a chance to bring more masks" as I walked over to the scared civilians and spoke soothingly "come with us, we'll bring you to safety. I promise you'll be protected" they slowly were brought back to being calm as Achilles and Bird made a path through the pile of mask corpses leading us out to the police lines. I heard Harry on comms "well done everyone, while I wish the banter wasn't as prevalent, you did save everyone. I'm putting you in for medals" I heard Achilles ask Bird "do we get medals?" As bird shrugged "fook would I know?" As Thatcher explained "you do now, you're part of rainbow" they nodded slowly as the littlebird slowly lowered onto the street as we walked over climbing on before the pilot expertly lifted the bird back into the air bringing us back to our new base.