“Hey…hey Allen wake up. Ops about to begin.”

I hear a voice softly whisper beside me while a hand shapes my soldier.

“I told you Aiden, call me Thomas.” Grunting I roll over and try to sleep some more.

“Sargent Allen. Get up, it’s time to move.” This time a stricter voice came to my ears. “I don’t know who this Aiden guy is but you can dream about your boyfriend when were not in the middle of an operation. So get up soldier.”

Soldier? I was just talking to Aiden in my room at the inn before I laid down to sleep.

Sitting up I rub my eyes and stretch a little bit. After I finish I look around but was greeted by darkness. To my right someone throws something hard at me and it lands in my lap.

“Here, It's your NVG’s. Get them on and pack up, were moving in five.”

Confused I grab the object that was in my lap and feel it.

It's my battle helmet from my time in the CTFS….what’s going on?

I put on the helm and turn on the night vision goggles to look around. Around me are four other guys, all geared up in the usual gear for an infiltration mission.

That’s Private Kingston, next to him Staff Sargent Vincent and Second Lieutenant Brown, Corporal Nicholson…It's the old Raptor team…Just what the hell is going on?

“Allen stop day dreaming. Gather your stuff and get over here, were going over the plan one last time before the op starts.”

“Rodger.” I decide to not think much for now and gather my stuff. Taking less than three minutes to get my stuff together I walk over and join the other four around an elevated rock with a map on it. On the map was a single compound and its surround area with markers placed around it indicating patrols cameras and animals.

“Alright this will be the last time we go over the op before its show time so shut up, listen up, and you’ll live to see daylight. This compound here is owned and operated by the Peoples Liberation Force, the up and rising terror organization that’s got a foot hold in this region. After last month’s embassy bombing and the raid on the local government buildings that was claimed by them they have been put on our target board. We were given some Intel indicating that the leader of the PLF is in this compound as we speak. Our job, as it’s always been, is to make sure they don’t leave this building alive. We’ve observed twelve roaming guards around the compound moving in groups of two, three on the rooftop and at least two K9s by the front and rear entrance. We’re going to enter through the east side of the compound here…” Brown circles an area with a small group of buildings. “…There’s a hole in the parameter wall with a pump house, storage and small garage around it that doesn’t seem too guarded so we will wait until the roaming guard passes and use that to enter.”

“Any idea on the interior layout or the forces inside the building LT?” Nicholson spoke up when Brown took a second to think.

“No, once we get in the building were running blind, but It's not like that’s It's the first time we’ve done it. The main target for this operation is the leader of the PLF Sandit Mirnad, Call sign Kingpin. His four generals have been given the call sign Pillar 1-4. There is no backup for this operation, if we fuck this up were on our own to dig ourselves out. Understood?”

“Yes sir!”

A quiet but strong response followed after the quick briefing and then everyone picked up their things. I grab my weapon, a suppressed M4A1 with a simple red dot optic, and moved over to Vincent and got his attention.

“Hey Staff, got a sec?”

“What do you want Allen, we don’t have a lot of time for idle chatter so make it quick.” Not even looking up from what he was doing Vincent replied blunt and straight forward.

I forgot how much of an ass this guy was.

“Just…be careful on this one. I don’t have a good feeling about the situation.” It's like a burning hot iron jabbing in the back of my head. I feel like I’ve see this whole situation before but I just can’t put my finger on it.

“What are you a fucking fortune teller, don’t worry about me. Worry more about keeping your own ass alive.”

“Geeze Staff what’s up your ass? Did another girl skip out on a date before the op? What is this, four in a month?” Nicholson piped up and walked beside me. “Good old Sargent is just expressing care for our one and only old man that’s all.”

“Ah shut it Corporal.”

“Thanks Nic.”

Patting Nicholson’s shoulder I go and group up with the rest of the team and we begin to make out way to the compound.

Once we get to the edge of the area we stop to catch our breaths and observe the situation.

“Patrol just passed, we have about 10 minutes before the next one comes.”

I take a seat beside Kingston and pass the report.

“Don’t get too comfortable, we move in three minutes.” Brown whispered as he passed a canteen to me.

“Rodger that, when we move again watch your footing. The path is dirt so they could have places some I.E.D’s in the parts they aren’t patrolling. I don’t want to have to tell Mary why her fiancée isn’t coming home. She’ll send me over the river Styx after you.”

“Thanks, I’ll be careful.”

“What about you Sargent, when you gonna find yourself a girl. Being the lone bachelor of Raptor team is a cool title but It's gotta be boring.” Kingston took a jab at my side and brought up the painful fact that I was indeed the only single person on the team.

Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.

“Less people to worry about me, maybe after I get out ill start looking again. But for now I don’t need the extra worry. Unlike you I didn’t have the luxury of finding a girl right out of high school to hook up with, but that also means I don’t have to clear my email every three days because someone keeps forgetting to do one thing or another back home.” Jabbing back I bring up the fact that multiple times a day back on base Kingston would get emails from his wife because he forgot to lock the garage so the dog got in and destroyed the trash cans or he forgot to set up the freezer so all the meat they had went bad and stunk up the entire house for a week when his wife opened It to get some steak for dinner later that day.

“Yeah yeah yeah, whatever.” Kingston took the canteen from me while laughing softly.

“That’s enough bullshitting, were moving out.” Vincent stood up in the middle of us and indicated we get ready. “I’m on point, LT is behind me, Allen and Nicholson take our sides with Kingston watching our rear, understood? Good, let’s move.”

Taking a look around the corner Vincent indicated area clear and we move forward to the infiltration spot at the wall. Looking through we see two guards smoking by a door they have propped open with one of their guns.

“Allen, Nicholson take them out.”

“Rodger, I’ll take the guy on the right, Nic you have the left.”

Positioning ourselves on either side of the hole I count to three. On three both me and Nicholson fire at the same time killing both guards without giving them a chance to sound an alarm.

“Good shooting, move up.”

Making sure the area is clear I dash across the yard to the bodies and scan the area making sure no one will pop up out of nowhere. One it’s clear I give the signal and one after another shadows cross the opening and we stack up on either side of the door getting ready to go in.

As the last person was crossing I started to think we were in the clear, but I remembered why this situation felt familiar earlier.

This is just like the last mission I did with the CTFS before I get out… if that’s true then that means…SHIT

“Kingston stop!”

[Click]

Such a small sound was herd by all five of us. Just a small click to some, we knew that small click meant one thing. Landmine.

Even in the dark I could see all color drain from Kingston’s face.

“Sargent….im sorry”

With those final words the mine went off. Throwing pieces of him in all directions i was knocked over and shocked from the concussion of the blast. All around us alarms started to go off and lights kicked on as the guards came running to the source of the noise.

“Let’s go Allen! We’re going loud!”

Pulling me to my feel Vincent threw a grenade in the direction where a group of guards were gathering. I go to pick up my rifle when I see a torso with a pair of tags on it thrown against the wall of the building, it was Kingston’s. I snatch the tags from around the neck, or what’s left of it, and shove them in my pocket.

“Inside now!” getting dragged inside the building Brown closed the door and locked it with a bar beside the door.

“Plans changed, everyone in this build is now a hostile, fire at will. Let’s move.”

“LT, shouldn’t we pull out. Were compromised, they know were here.” Nicholson leaning against the door with his pistol drawn. Voiced his concerns.

“It’s too late for that now Corporal. We were too far in to just leave.” Brown stated the fact with a shaken voice. He’s only been with up for a couple of months so he hasn’t been on an actual op yet, this was his first lead and he’s already lost one man.

“Hall ahead is clear, rooms are empty of people.” Vincent went and scouted ahead while we were still gathering ourselves. He’s the oldest and most experienced, so it didn’t take long for him to get the mission mindset back after the initial shock.

“Thanks Staff. Let’s move forward. Remember check your corners and clear your areas we don’t want any more mistakes.” Brown charged his rifle and started moving forward.

At that moment the guard got to the door we barred shut and started trying to ram it open.

“We’re fucked man.” Scared Nicholson backed away from the door keeping his pistol pointed at the center.

Not being successful with opening the door a guard outside shot through the door with a shotgun creating a fist sized hole in the center of the door.

“NO!” After the sound calmed Nicholson fell to the ground. The round from the shotgun went through the thin sheet metal door and straight to his face. I pull the pin on one of my grenades and shoved it through the hole and dive away landing beside Nicholas’s lifeless corpse.

After the grenade goes off the noise stops on the other side of the door. I slowly get up and take Nicholas’s tags as well adding them to my pocket with Kingston’s.

“Let’s move Allen!”

Prompted by Vincent I get my weapon and we move forward. Clearing the rooms as we go we were able to find the stairs to the second floor.

Holding up a fist Vincent stops and kneels by the door to the stairs.

“Voices on the other side.” Keeping his voice low Vincent pulls out a flashbang and motions for me to get ready.

I nod my head and get on the other side of the door frame.

“Three…two…one…go.” Giving us a countdown Brown opens the door enough for the flashbang to go in and we wait a second for it to go off.

[BANG!]

“MOVE!”

Kicking open the door Brown moves out of the way as I rush in and fire at the three guys standing blinded behind the door.

After those three go down Vincent and Brown follow me in and we begin moving up the stairwell.

We stack up at the door on the next floor. Vincent in the front, Brown center, me behind him. Using his fingers to count down from three, Vincent opens the door and rushed out clearing to the right, Brown follows clearing the left and I follow behind supporting the both of them.

“Right clear.”

“Left clear.”

“All clear.” I tap on browns shoulder as Vincent stands and we begin to move down the hall to the right.

Making out way through and clearing rooms we get to the last room on the floor.

“I'm down to 5 rounds for my rifle. Last mag for my pistol too.” Checking my gear I whisper to Vincent and Brown as they check their gear.

“Only have my pistol left, half mag.” Vincent racked his pistol and looked at the door.

“I only have one frag and flashbang left.” Dropping an empty mag on the ground Brown gripped the grenades in both hands.

“Alright I'm going to open the door, sir you’ll thrown the flash in first, wait a second, then the frag, after they go off we go in. Allen you clear center to the left, I’ll take the right. Got it?”

“Understood. Here sir take this.” I remove the full ma from my pistol and give it to Brown.

“What about you Allen? You’ll only have 5 rounds left.” Confused Brown racks his pistol and holsters it.

“I still have my knife, just have to make my shots count.” I pull back on the charging handle on my rifle and check to make sure I was good.

“Alright, get in position.”

I take my position on the right of the door while Vincent takes the left and Brown beside him. Pulling the pin on the flashbang and frag Brown nods at me and I crack open the door.

The moment the door opened a single shot was fired through the crack and struck Brown in the center of his vest, knocking him to the ground and causing him to drop the frag.

“Run Allen!” Vincent threw his pistol magazine to me and jumped forward landing over the grenade just before it exploded, killing him instantly. I catch the mag and slide it in my pistol as I jump to the right to get out of the kill zone.

Brown started to get up using the wall as a brace but when he got up another shot was fired hitting him above the right eye, instantly dropping him back down to the ground dead. The flashbang in his hand dropped and rolled towards me and went off blinding me while I was still laying on the ground.

As I slowly got my vision back I see a single person walk out of the room we were about to rush. Still stunned by the grenades I wasn’t able to do anything but watch the man. Speaking softly to the point where I can’t hear him he points his gun at Brown and shoots him in the head again to insure he was dead. He repeated The soft talking and shot Vincent in the head as well before walking over in front of me.

“Farewell and be free. May god bless your soul and lift you from this world.” Looking me in the eyes he aimed the pistol at my head and pulled the trigger.

[Click]