The sun had barely set when Nara’s team gathered in the shadows of a derelict building, strategizing for their next move. The air was thick with tension as they decided to reach out to potential informants within the nearby village. Just then, a ranger and a tourist guide from Lar National Park signaled them with Morse code using a flashlight from the rooftop of a hotel.
“Must be our informant,” 622 said, his voice low and firm. “Move out.”
The team cautiously entered the hotel and made their way to the top, where the ranger awaited them on the balcony.
“I can help you find Nigel,” the ranger said, urgency lacing his voice. “But you need to assist us first. Red Nation soldiers have taken most of the villagers hostage, including my wife, at the town center. You must free them!”
622’s brows knitted together, frustration evident. “We don’t have time for that. Just tell me where Nigel is, and the coalition forces will liberate this village.”
“You don’t understand!” the ranger insisted, desperation creeping in. “The Red Army wants to slow down the coalition by taking hostages. You have to help us!”
Nara noticed 622’s grip tighten on his dagger, anger flaring in his eyes. She realized he was torn; while he wanted to rescue Nigel, the ranger made a valid point.
“Alright,” he relented, his tone shifting. “Where and how many?”
The ranger sighed in relief. “Just a few blocks from here. There are about 22 of them, armed with rifles, and one jeep parked at the town center.”
“Great. We’re just five, including one bait,” 622 said, glancing at Nara. “Ranger, you’ll be the bait. The rest of us will flank the building.”
The ranger nodded, quickly arming himself. Nara felt a rush of adrenaline as they devised a plan. The stakes were high, but the urgency of their mission pushed aside any doubt.
Once outside, they took positions, with the ranger drawing attention to himself near the town center. The rest of the team concealed themselves, ready to block any escape routes.
“On my mark, we breach the door,” 622 instructed, and together, they began their ascent.
After taking down a few guards, they breached the rooftop door and descended the staircase. The sounds of chaos filled the air as they approached the hall where the hostages were kept.
“Bring the lights out,” 622 commanded, and the team outside cut the power, plunging the building into darkness. “Kill anyone carrying a gun.”
A flurry of gunfire erupted as they cleared the room, adrenaline pumping through Nara’s veins. She felt a surge of relief when the last armed soldier fell, but the tension remained thick in the air.
Suddenly, a female voice broke through the chaos. “They took my sister! She’s in the bathroom! You have to help her!”
Nara’s heart sank at the urgency in the woman’s voice. “622, there are still hostages in the bathroom!” she exclaimed, glancing at him.
“Alright, let’s do this,” he replied, drawing a flashbang. Nara’s stomach churned at the risky move, but she trusted 622’s judgment.
Without hesitation, 622 kicked the bathroom door open and tossed in the flashbang, which detonated with a blinding flash and deafening bang.
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“Go!” he shouted as he rushed in, but a soldier was waiting, wrapping his arms around 622 in a chokehold. Nara’s instincts kicked in; she aimed her weapon at the soldier and fired before he could tighten his grip.
The soldier dropped, and the blood splattered across 622’s uniform. A girl emerged from the bathtub, wide-eyed and terrified. Nara rushed to her, attempting to offer comfort.
“Don’t be afraid! We’re here to rescue you!” Nara said, her voice soothing.
622, wiping blood from his face, added, “You’re safe now.”
The girl, still shaken, ignored Nara’s outstretched arms and instead hugged 622 tightly. He was taken aback but wrapped his arms around her, offering silent comfort. He didn’t understand why she chose him, but he didn’t mind.
At 04:00, the situation was under control. The ranger informed the team about Nigel’s location, a remote villa nearby.
622 waved goodbye to the grateful girl, who tried to hug him again, but he pulled away, donning his balaclava. “We’ve got to move,” he said.
By 06:00, the team adjusted their plans for the assault on the villa, using diversionary tactics to create an opportunity to advance.
When they launched the assault at 08:00, the air was thick with tension. They took down Red Nation guards strategically, minimizing civilian casualties as they pressed forward.
After an intense firefight, they found Nigel’s hiding place but discovered he was injured and unconscious.
“It looks like they were in a last stand. If we had gone sooner, we might have saved everyone,” 622 said, frustration evident. “At least the VIP is still breathing.”
By 12:00, they secured the villa and provided medical aid to Nigel, preparing for extraction. Red Nation reinforcements were closing in, forcing them to retreat quickly.
At 14:00, they fought their way back to the extraction point, covering each other and protecting Nigel.
When the helicopter arrived at 16:00, they embarked under heavy fire, taking off just as the Red Nation forces drew near.
Back at base, Nara looked at 622, who sat silently, staring at his untouched meal. She took a seat across from him, the weight of the mission hanging in the air.
“What if we had forced the ranger to locate Nigel sooner?” 622 mused, his eyes distant. “We might have saved more lives.”
Nara considered this, a frown creasing her forehead. “If we had, we could have avoided all of this chaos. It’s a good thought, but we did what we could.”
In the days that followed, the coalition forces marched through Mandaran, moving to link up with the Emerald League in Tehran. However, 622’s absence was palpable, and unease settled over Nara’s team.
Then, out of nowhere, a dirt motorcycle zipped past their Humvee, and the team’s eyes widened in disbelief. It was 622, back in action. Relief washed over them as they waved at him, their spirits lifting.
After a few kilometers, the convoy stopped in a quiet area, a perfect spot for a debrief. 622 seemed troubled, his brow furrowed as he spoke.
“I pray to Allah that we have no regrets. We saved lives yesterday, which is a good deed. But it will haunt us if we let the villagers be massacred.”
Nara nodded, understanding the weight of his words. They had fought bravely, but the shadows of war loomed large, reminding them of the lives still at stake.
meanwhile in tehran. At serpent division. During the planning stages of the next course of action, Major Yu, Captain Patrick, and Adam were discussing the plans for the next move. The crew of tanker, who are now without the guidance from the leader, are watching a puppet show near the refugee camp with a group of children. It is a small event to entertain the children but this small group of soldiers watching it seems to enjoy it as well..
The puppet show is telling the story of the brave and intelligent young woman "Malak", who was being tested by a mischievous jinn. As the story goes on, the girl outsmarts the jinn in various tasks and the jinn, desperate to win her affection, played a cruel trick on her.
The Jinn, frustrated by Malak's constant rejections, decides to play a cruel trick. He transforms himself into an old peddler, carrying a basket overflowing with gold coins. He approaches Malak, pretending to be lost and seeking help. He offers her a single gold coin as a reward for guiding him home. Malak, known for her kindness, agrees to help.
As they walk, the Jinn, still disguised, keeps dropping more and more gold coins, pretending clumsiness. Malak, despite the temptation, doesn't pick up any of the coins. Finally, reaching the Jinn's supposed home, the Jinn reveals himself, expecting Malak to be dazzled by the scattered wealth.
But Malak, with a mischievous glint in her eyes, points out that the Jinn dropped exactly 100 coins, the same number as the steps they took to reach his house. She accuses him of testing her honesty, not needing help at all. Faced with her sharp deduction and unwavering integrity, the Jinn is forced to concede defeat, his trick backfiring spectacularly.”
The soldiers, who were watching the puppet show, seem to be unsure about the true meaning of the story. One of the soldiers asked, "What meaning of this story?" in a puzzled tone, as if the moral of the story is still unclear to them.
The puppet is continuing to perform its act in front of the children and the soldiers, but the soldiers seem to have difficulty understanding the true meaning of the story. However, their enjoyment of the puppet show still remains even despite the confusion of the story being unclear to them.
Patrick, who was wandering on a mountain at the north of Tehran when he was not joining the raid, happened to come across a village where he found a vet treating a wild animal. most of them is can seen in cage because the red mist things
This was an unexpected sighting as the vet was not only treating the wild animal but also providing much needed care to it,
Patrick, curious about the current situation of the vet and his work, asked, "Who pays you while doing this?" The vet who is an old man replied, "No one." Patrick was surprised by this answer, as this meant that the vet is doing this purely out of his kindness and good will, without being paid or funded by anyone else.
Patrick, still unsure about the vet financial situation, asked, "where did you get those med at first place then?" The vet, who is an old man, replied, "Before the war, I used to have a pet shop at the south of Tehran. After the bombardment, all is gone, so here I am. I am surviving by using my medicine spare and skill to treat those poor creatures that got caught between the crossfire of the war."
Patrick, being curious about the vet's situation and why he is not just waiting until after the war so that he could use his spare medicine and skill to make business again, asked the question, "why not wait until after the war is over and then use your spare medicine for making business again later?" The vet, who is an old man, just laughed at the Patrick's question and went back to treating a small bird with broken wings. The vet, though being amused by Patrick's question, remained focus on his work and dedicated to the treatment and healing of the wounded animals.