Chapter 20: R-32, 2

Four years ago

Davis was unconscious. Amarillo was wounded, his leg looked like it'd been ripped apart. Han was bruised and beaten but not too bad.

Han treated Amarillo and Davis best he could. Davis seemed to be physically fine but couldn't be roused. Amarillo was bad. Han pulled and cinched a belt around Amarillo's left thigh to slow/stop blood flow to the wounded area. He cleaned and dressed the leg as best he could, but knew it was probably going to be removed if they ever got out of there.

After 2 hours, Han started to worry. Amarillo said to wait, but Han was bad at trusting the higher ups. He didn't think they were getting an evac.

After 4 hours Han used his directional mic to see if anyone was digging them out. That wasn't in the cards. He and Amarillo talked it through. They had their end of the cave lit by a single flashlight to conserve battery.

“I can limp but that's about it,” Amarillo said. “I ain't running to safety.”

Han nodded towards their squad leader. “Yeah and we're not leaving Davis behind.”

“So?” Amarillo asked.

“So I gotta clear the cave.” Han said it matter of fact.

“And how are you gonna do that?”

Han checked his rifle and made sure his knife was sheathed, strapped to the chest piece of his body armor. “Look, I may be the tech guy but I'm just as much a Ranger as you are.”

“Uhh-huh.” Amarillo said. “How many?”

“Kills?”

“Yeah, kills,” said Amarillo. He was sitting down and held his sniper rifle in his lap like it was his favorite child.

Han shook his head. “I don't play that game. Doesn't matter. There's no XP in real life.”

“XP?” Amarillo asked.

“Yeah, experience points. Points for kills. Like in video games?”

“Yeah I know, just didn't know you played RPGs... The good kind.”

Han shrugged, trying to keep a smile off his face. After months of being on this squad, someone was finally talking to him, and it was about nerd shit. He should get trapped in caves more often.

This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

They heard a scuffling and low murmuring. Amarillo immediately switched the flashlight off and they both pulled down the night vision scopes on their helmets.

Four men were stumbling around in the dark while only one had a flashlight. They were dressed in typical Afghani garb, loose robes, linens. They all had handguns.

Amarillo understood a little bit of the local tongue, enough to tell when someone was feeling murderous or not. These guys were talking about “the Americans.” Not good.

Amarillo raised his rifle and aimed down sights at the man in front, but Han held up a hand. Amarillo saw Han indicate the flashlight, not the man. Interesting.

The tunnel was basically a straight line, but it curved downwards from the cave entrance where the Rangers were holed up. They could take out all four with a burst of gunfire, no problem. So what was Han's plan?

Amarillo saw Han slide his knife into his left hand and grip his Glock-19 handgun with the other. Both hands were together in front of Han in a mixed weapon stance. His knife hand supported his gun hand, but was forward enough to easily and quickly stab.

Han mouthed “one, two, three” at Amarillo and the expert sniper fired a perfect shot right into the flashlight. As soon as the flashlight hit the ground Han was already on the group, cutting or stabbing each man once, pushing his way to the last man, who got a knife buried in his neck. A spray of blood shot across the third man's back but there was little time to worry about clothes. The third man in line felt the knife across his throat as he died. The second man in line had already collapsed from the first stab which punctured his kidney. Han skipped him and swiftly thrust his blade into the heart of the first man in line.

The whole fight took less than 15 seconds. And aside from the sound of the shattering flashlight, it had been very quiet. Han knew to cut vocal chords and throats to keep targets from alerting others. He had injured all four in seconds, then only after he'd stunned them did he take his time in ensuring their deaths.

This guy, thought Amarillo, this guy is scary.

Han collected handguns, ammo, a shitty cell phone and some other odds and ends the four men were carrying. Nothing of much use.

Amarillo asked what their next step was.

“You're asking me?” Han replied.

“You've got the two working legs.” Amarillo said, waving his hand at his own mangled appendage. They had to apply a tourniquet above the knee and everything below was useless.

Han thought it over. There had been a party sent to check this end of the cave. He knew that further in was a mining operation. And this far north, considering the hazmat suits he'd seen in the drone's vid, they were possibly mining Uranium.

“I'll push ahead, then come back when I get the room cleared out. If I don't come back...”

Amarillo said confidently, “you'll come back.”

“Anyway, don't let them have Davis alive. She... She wouldn't want their treatment.”

Amarillo nodded and watched Han disappear into the tunnel below. He switched off his NV and let the darkness consume his senses. All he had to do was stay awake and wait.

Han crept down the tunnel, knife and gun still held ahead of him. As he approached the end of the tunnel he flicked off his NV. The first chamber in his path was well lit. Han stayed in the darkness to observe.

The mining operation seemed to be going well, judging by the dozen men at work down here. Eight men had pickaxes and seemed to be just randomly prodding the walls to see if nuclear weapons would spontaneously show up. The other four men were crowded around a folding card table and a couple of laptops.

The expendable miners wore normal clothes. Only the chiefs around the table had hazmat suits. As always, the important people get the good equipment.

Han waited for an hour. He checked his watch. It was close to lunch time. He waited to see if the men would clear out. Half of them did, but three men with AK-47s showed up. They were shouting and gesturing towards the tunnel Han was currently perched in. This was probably bad.

Han hoofed it back to Amarillo and Davis. He explained the situation to Amarillo, who had just one piece of advice.

“You probably gotta kill our way out of here.”

Han nodded. In the tunnel the bodies of the men he'd killed were starting to stink anyway.