The streets are eerily quiet, the lights flickering faintly, and since they left the bar, nearly ten minutes have passed without a sight of the terrorists. Rather than moving with the focus of an elite team, the group starts to relax, almost treating it like a casual walk as they head toward the Empire State Building. They stick to shadowy alleyways to avoid detection by either the terrorists or the recon drones.

"Honestly, this doesn't feel like a life-or-death mission. It feels more like a hang-out." Brent comments.

"Don't let your guard down, Brent. Bad things happen to those who aren't prepared for them." Neil says, his voice calm but carrying the weight of experience.

"But seriously, if we keep hiding in dark alleys like this, there's no way they could find us. What could possibly go wrong?" Brent grins, clearly trying to lighten the mood.

"Yeah, keep bragging," Chad retorts. "Let's see how confident you are when you're face-to-face with the terrorists."

"Remember, guys, we're going to disguise ourselves as them and avoid engagement unless we're exposed or attacked, alright?"

"Yes, sir..." The others mutter in agreement.

...

"Wait!"

"What's going on?"

"Shhhhh!!"

Although none of them fully understood what was happening, the entire squad fell silent at Neil's command, instinctively lowering their heads, trying to remain hidden. With everyone holding their breath, the sounds around them grew sharper. Besides the wind's howling, there was another, far more ominous noise. The engine roared, and the tires scraped against the pavement, sending chills down their spines.

It didn't take long for them to realize: a terrorist truck was driving by. Every one of them tensed up, caught between fight and flight. Summoning all his courage, Neil slowly peeked outside to assess the vehicle. From his vantage point, Neil noticed that the truck was slowing down, about to stop near the alley. He instinctively wanted to step further out to see the driver's face when it came to a halt.

However, as the truck's headlights suddenly flashed into their alley, Neil quickly retreated back into the shadows, his face narrowly escaping the light. After a few moments, the truck's lights shut off, and Neil could hear the unmistakable sounds of footsteps crunching on the ground, mixing with the low rumble of the vehicle.

"Are you sure there's something in this alley?" One of the terrorists asked.

"Absolutely! I'm telling you, I heard laughter coming from here."

It seemed like only two terrorists were approaching. Although the squad could hear the terrorists' conversation, most of them couldn't understand it, as none of them spoke English. However, judging by their intonation and accent, it sounded somewhat like Russian.

Nick, however, had taught himself Russian for unexpected "emergency" situations. As he listens, his expression darkens, and he glares at Brent, because it was Brent's laughing and talking that drew the terrorists to this alley in the first place. Brent, noticing Nick's intense stare, grimaces. 'WTF man?'

"Come on, man, we're wasting time here. The leader's gonna beat our asses if we don't get him fed on time."

The terrorist who stopped the truck did so out of pure curiosity: who in the world would dare to laugh and wander outside this late, especially with the city under curfew? However, after hearing what his companion said, he pictured their leader's furious face if they didn't bring him his food on time.

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"Fine... let's get back in the truck." Changing his mind, he turned away, and both of them climbed back into the vehicle.

Neil's squad couldn't understand their Russian, but from the sound of footsteps fading into the distance, they could tell the terrorists were leaving. As if by instinct, they all exhaled in relief. But just as the tension eased, Ben shifted his stance, and his foot landed in a small muddy puddle. He slipped sideways, crashing into the water, sending a loud splash echoing through the alley.

"Who's there?!" The terrorists, now certain that someone was hiding in the alley, switched to English, demanding whoever was inside to come out.

Everyone froze in terror, their minds racing over what would happen next. Ben, his face full of regret, clamped a hand over his mouth, he had messed up big time. But while the others panicked, Neil and Nick snapped into action, their training kicking in as they prepared to engage.

Despite their best efforts to avoid a fight, it was all in vain. The two terrorists, growing impatient, decided to stop waiting and rushed into the alley. Neil raised his rifle, ready to engage. The terrorists, assuming they were dealing with unarmed civilians, let their guard down, a fatal mistake. The moment Neil saw a head emerge in front of him, he swiftly adjusted his aim and pulled the trigger twice. Two shots in less than a second.

It all happened so fast that the terrorist didn't even register what was going on. The bullets tore through his face, one entering through his mouth, the other through his nose, before blasting out the back of his skull, leaving two gaping holes. He was dead before he hit the ground.

The moment the second terrorist heard gunfire and saw his comrade collapse in front of him, he froze. Despite his training for situations like this, he was too slow to react. Fresh off his first kill, Neil instinctively sprang from cover in less than a second. The shocked terrorist barely had time to process what was happening before Neil pulled the trigger again, without hesitation.

This time, a burst of three rounds drilled straight through the man's forehead. In less than five seconds, the first terrorist was dead. The second followed right after. After confirming that the terrorists are dead and that he hasn't missed, Neil calmly dusts off his suit and stands up.

"Everyone okay?" His voice is calm and focused, as if nothing out of the ordinary just happened.

"... Yes..." The students respond hesitantly. After everything they've witnessed the day before, they still haven't gotten used to things like this. Seeing it unfold right before their eyes just seconds ago makes them realize it will take a long time for them to adjust to this new reality.

"Good. Then let's keep moving. And you." Neil points at Brent.

"Shut up."

Brent nods frantically, terrified both by what he just witnessed and by Neil's cold demeanor. With everything now settled, they continue toward the Empire State Building. From now on, silence falls over the group.

...

...

...

Half an hour later, they arrive at the Empire State Building. However, the squad stays near the building and decides not to enter just yet. If they do, they'll be killed immediately by the dozens of terrorists guarding every door. Instead, they find a nearby building where they can do recon before carrying out stage 2, which includes disguising themselves and infiltrating.

"Nick, what do you see?"

"They have four guards at the main entrance, a couple more inside the building, about five of them. And based on this kind of formation, there could be snipers around."

"Good. Guess your skills didn't rot after spending years mastering the art of making beverages, huh?"

"Is that a compliment or something?"

Neil and Nick lie low, spying from the rooftop of a nearby building, while Chad and his friends wait on the ground floor for the two men to finish their recon.

"Honestly, I don't like this. Sticking my head out just to count how many of them are there is freaking scary," Nick complains.

"Why?"

"Isn't it obvious? The second I make eye contact with just one of them, we're dead."

"Didn't you tell me you're a master at playing hide and seek with the enemy?"

"That was a long time ago, back in Afghanistan. I never said I liked it."

"Me neither."

"So... how do we get inside?"

"Hmm... Look at that, isn't that the underground parking?"

"Yeah, I didn't notice. Look! There's a truck coming out from inside." Neil moves closer to the balcony for a better look, but he also risks exposing his head.

"Get your head down!" Nick slaps Neil's back, pulling him back to safety.

"Sorry."

"The truck seems to be loaded with food, water, and other necessities."

"Look. There's another truck coming too, but it's loaded with... nothing?!"

"Oh, I get it. Trucks come in empty and leave with food and water. If I remember correctly, the terrorist we killed earlier did mention he was heading to the State to do something before stopping for us."

"So that's what the trucks are for. They're bringing supplies to the areas where they're holding hostages."

"Wait. If you look closely, it seems like no one's bothering to check who the driver is, or even what's being carried on the trucks. Probably too many trucks coming and going for anyone to keep track."

"I think... I know what to do."