Inside a dark and filthy dungeon barely illuminated by the night sky through a tiny slit. Groaning from multiple bruises while chained to the wall with shackles on his wrists and ankles was James. Minutes later, the same man wearing a dark blue uniform from the market enters the dungeon with two other men, carrying lanterns while wearing similar uniforms with patches on their shoulder signifying rank.
"How is the rat doing today? Is the accommodation to your liking?" Sneering at the bound figure of James.
"Oh yeah, I can feel how your shitty cell reflects on you," James said mockingly.
"You dare insult Lieutenant Luis Barchus!?" Shouted by one of the men of Barchus, before proceeding to beat James with kicks and punches.
After a minute of beating, Barchus ordered him to stop.
"Uuurrgghhh, was that a love tap you gave me?" Grunting, he spits his bloody saliva on the guy's face. "Why you!?" Clenching his jaws, James gets ready for another hit.
"That's enough, Second Lieutenant." With a commanding voice, he ordered his subordinate.
His fist suddenly halted in front of James' face, inches away before hitting. He retracts his fist to face his superior.
"But sir! He insulted you!"
"I don't really care. We need information." Walking past his subordinate, he crouches in front of James. "Do you want to stay alive?"
"Obviously, but I'm ready to die anyway."
"Yes, you will die. But If you tell me who sent you, I'll stop the execution."
"I prefer to have my head chopped off than tell you anything."
"Pity, I'll have my subordinates take care of you then."
"What are you going to do? Give me love taps?"
"No, we have a much better idea." With a snap of his finger, his men brought a bucket of water and a piece of cloth.
[Outside The compound}
Perching atop the same spot yesterday, I scan the area again with my binoculars.
"I guess most of the guards are asleep in the tents," Kat explained as she scans the area using the binocular I made for her.
"I'm gonna use something else to scan the area."
"Something else to scan the area?" She asks me curiously.
"You'll see." I then held my palm out. "[Create]"
Then it appeared, a black, slick remote-controlled drone. I place the drone on the ledge of the building. Using the controller, I activate the drone. With a built-in screen, I can use the camera of the drone. After checking out the controls, I slowly push the throttle forward. Four of the drone's blades whir to life, buzzing as it takes off.
"Amazing! It's flying!" Kat excitedly says.
Chuckling from her reaction, I look at the screen of my controller as I fly it around the compound. Scanning using the camera, I observe each of the windows from the ground level to the second floor. Noticing that a section of the wall has slits instead of windows, I investigate it. Kat, keenly observing the video.
"Look, one of them has lights." She pointed on the screen.
Following her direction, I pinch on the screen outwards to zoom in.
"Thanks for pointing that out Kat." I smile.
"Don't thank me, Master! I don't even know what I'm doing!"
Before I could even reply to Kat, my blood boils at what I'm currently seeing as I position the drone to get a better angle. They're waterboarding someone, judging by the buckets of water, water splashes, and the struggling. Seeing my expression change, she looks at the video. Grimacing, she clenches her hands tightly.
"What the hell are they doing to James!?"
"Are you sure that's James? It might be someone else."
"Yes!" She stands up, heading to the ladder.
I then firmly grab her arm.
"Master! Let go of me! We have to save James!" Struggles as I held her arm.
Without a second thought, I slap her.
"Ma-Master, why?" Shocked, her eyes welled with tears.
"Are you an idiot!? Do you want to barge in there full of fully armed soldiers with no plan at all? Instead of helping your brother, you're trying to get him killed!" I let out a sigh before wiping Kat's tears. "Look, I didn't slap at you because I was angry, I did it cause I care about you..."
"You care about me?" A shade of red glows on her slightly wet cheeks.
"Yes, you and your brother."
"Oh, of course." She tilts her head to avoid my gaze.
"Kat, look at me in the eyes."
With slight hesitation, she looks at my eyes.
"Do you think I can save your brother?"
"Y-yes."
"But do you think I can do this alone?"
"Eh?"
"I need your help, Kat. I can't save your brother doing this alone. It's too risky. That's why I need your help."
"Really?"
"Of course."
"Thanks, Master."
After scouting the perimeter of the compound, I sent the drone back before packing it in my backpack. Using the drone's video as our guide, we plot out the best infiltration and exfiltration routes. Confident with the plan, Kat and I nod to each other.
Stealthily approaching the gate from opposite directions, both our NVGs giving us a clear, green view of the darkness. My suppressed M9 pointing at the two guards with its infrared laser and Kat's dagger gleaming under the moonlight as we approach our unsuspecting prey. Reaching our optimal distance, I signal Kat to get ready.
"Like always, this is so damn boring." One of the guard's yaw as he leans on his spear.
"Hey, stop that. Do you want the commander to hear you say that? We might get in trouble."
"Nah, we won't. The commander is at his tent drinking while playing with some bitches. Lucky bastard."
"But still…"
Signaling Kat to commence, we bolted at the guards. Completely unaware, we surprise them as we choke them to sleep, quickly bounding with zip ties and gagging them with cloths before they regain consciousness. After that, we head to the building using the cover of darkness.
Approaching behind the building, we used the backdoor that we managed to find using the drone. Guessing that the front is full of people, we opt for the least-used way. As I was about to open the door, someone opens it from the inside. Holding my breath, I hid behind the door. After a tense few seconds, the figure closes the door, passing by without noticing me. Sighing, I signal Kat that was a few meters in front of me before entering together.
"That was close." Kat whispers.
"Yeah, let's find those stairs."
"Ok."
Slowly passing through the torch-lit rooms, we found the stairs, but we ran into a problem. Kat and I have to pass through a lobby that is full of soldiers.
"What should we do?" Kat asks while crouching beside a wall, peeking on the doorway.
"Knowing that we don't have much time, get ready to fight."
"I'm ready."
"First, wear this." I pass Kat an electronic hearing protection earmuffs from my backpack, the same thing I'm currently wearing, but slightly modified for my fox ears.
"What's this?" She examines the headset I gave here.
"Something that will stop you from going deaf from loud sounds."
"Now that you mention it, I notice that you put something in your ears when you use your guns before. I guess this is it."
"Yep, I would have my eardrums blown out like an old man if I don't use hearing protection."
She then places it over her ears.
"Is it comfortable?" I ask Kat.
"It's a bit loose." She says while adjusting it on her head.
"Let me." After checking the doorway for a few seconds, I crouch down to adjust the strap on Kat's earmuffs. Without me noticing due to the green hue of my NVG, she was blushing. "Is it too tight?"
"No, it's good." Kat shakes her head.
"Good. In my signal, run."
She stands up, giving me a thumbs up.
Grabbing an M84 from my belt, I tightly squeeze the handle before pulling the two safety pins, arming it. Looking at Kat, I nod at her, which she nods back. Without getting out of cover, I quickly throw it towards the guards.
"What th-"
BANG!
Without having time to react, a bright flash and a loud bang resounded in the building, disorienting all the people on the other side of the wall. A second later, we charge into the group of soldiers who are holding their heads, kneeling, and some even lay unconscious on the ground.
THUMP! THUMP! THUMP! THUMP! THUMP!
As Kat and I ran towards the stairs, I shot the soldiers who were still disoriented as I ran past them while Kat stabbed and sliced the few remaining.
"Mrhhhggmmm!!!" James struggles as they pour his cloth-covered face with water.
"Tell us anything that you know or were going to do this for hours!"
After emptying the bucket of water on James, they removed the soaked cloth.
"I would..." While talking, he quickly gasps for air. "Do this for hours, you fuckers. Is this how you interrogate people, shitheads? How disappointingly tame."
"Oh yeah? Let me show you something tame. Grab it." The subordinate nods as he walks to the door.
"When he gets back, I hope you're ready not to bite your tongue off."
"But first, let's get back to bus-" BANG! Interrupted by the loud bang, he quickly turns towards the door as he draws his sword, his subordinate also drawing his sword outside the cell while holding a lamp.
The subordinate who was still on the hallway draws his sword as well before yelling. "Who the hell are yo-!" THUMP! THUMP! Before he could finish his sentence, he collapsed on the ground after staggering for a few seconds. His shirt slowly turns red as blood soaks his clothes.
Quickly running up the stairs, Kat and I reach the second floor. Multiple soldiers shouting can be heard as they climb the stairs. I then grab an AN-M14 TH3 incendiary grenade from my belt and throw it down the stairs.
'I hope they're not stupid enough to pass-through thermite that can burn up to 2200 celsius that will easily burn through metal.' I thought to myself.
After a few seconds of running, I notice someone going outside from the cell carrying a lantern while holding a sword on his other hand. After we got closer to him, he shouted a warning at us.
THUMP! THUMP!
I then shot him two times in the chest. Kat and I then enter the room to see James with a sword placed under his neck.
"Don't you dare fucking move if you don't want his neck like a butchered chi-!" THUMP!
Without letting him finish his annoying threats, I shot a single bullet in his head, quickly killing him. Flipping our NVG up and holstering my M9, Kat bolted towards her brother.
"James!"
"Hey, Ka- Oooowwww! What are you doing!? Did you come here to rescue me or replace their jobs?" Instead of hugging her brother James, she smacks his head with the handle of her knife, surprising both me and especially James as he rubs his head.
"James, Kat, no matter how much I like to see your reunion, we need to get out of here."
Grabbing the keys from the body, I tried to open the shackles while Kat tended for any possible injuries on James.
"Other than your bruises, you should be fine," Kat said to James.
I then remove all his shackles.
"Can you stand?" I ask.
"I'm a bit sore, but I can walk, Master." He says while Kat supports him.
"Here." I pass James' an earmuff, which Kat places over his ears.
"What's this?" He asks, tapping on the earmuff.
Knowing that soldiers are hot on our tail, I skip the explanation.
"No time to explain! We need to go now!" Kat and I flip the NVG back on our eyes before escaping with James.
As we ran out of the door, multiple soldiers are coming towards us with swords drawn.
"Over there! Get them!"
Reacting to the danger, I grab whatever grenade I just took from my belt and throw it at the enemies. After a split second, bright, red hot, flames were spewing out from the fuse.
'That's not going to be pleasant for them.' Watching the grenade flying in the narrow hallway.
One poor guy caught the grenade directly on his chest, the spewing thermite catching on his chest plate while the canister bounces under his feet. Patting the flames out using his hands, he invertedly spreads the thermite moreover on his body and his allies. Screams of agony resounded in the building.
"Get it off! Get it off me!!!"
"Fuuuckkkk! It burns! It fucking burns!!!"
"Help! Help! Somebody help me!!!"
While the thermite burns off the skin, meat, and quite possibly the bones, the onlookers are stunned from the scene. I open fire.
THUMP! THUMP! THUMP! THUMP! THUMP! THUMP! THUMP! CLICK!
Emptying my mag, I ejected it and inserted a fresh new one. Firing bullets after bullets as we head back towards the stairs. As we arrive, soldiers carrying shields with spears block the way heading downstairs. But instead of going through them, we head to the second stairs, leading to the next floor above.
After two more flights of stairs, we arrive at the rooftop of the building. As James and Kat rested for a bit, I took out a square-shaped plastic dough from my backpack, placing it on the wall of the staircase and inserting tiny metal rods. I quickly ran out of the stairs.
"Get away from the stairs and take cover!" I shout at James and Kat, which they quickly hid behind a stack of crates.
Remote detonator on hand, I squeeze the button.
BOOOOOOOM!
Violently rocking the building, the stairs collapsed from the tremendous explosion as debris flew.
'I think no one got caught in that.' I peek from behind the crate until a severed arm fell on the rooftop. 'Nevermind…'
Having gained the advantage, I grab 60 meters of rope from my backpack and three climbing harnesses. I then securely tie it on one of the heavy crates, before throwing the length of rope off the ledge. Taking the harness, Kat and I wore it on our waist. After that, we help James in wearing it.
"Uhm, Master? What are you doing?" James nervously asks me while I attached the harness to the rope.
"We're going to use this harness and rope to climb down the building," Kat replies instead.
"Wait, seriously?"
"Yes. I'll go first while you go second."
"W-wait! Why do I have to go second! Can't Kat go ahead of me!?"
"You need someone to guide you from above, while I make sure to watch the perimeter on the ground." James groaned after hearing my reason.
After three minutes of rappelling on the rope, everyone is on the ground without being spotted.
"I-I'm not doing that again," James said while shakingly trying to remove the harness.
"Chicken. I managed to get used to it in three tries."
"Three tries!?"
"We only got a few hours to rescue you. So obviously, I have less time to practice."
While I was listening to James and Kat's conversation, I saw multiple soldiers going inside the building while reinforcements are pouring from the gate.
'Good thing we rappel down a blindspot.'
When they finish removing the harness, we sneak towards the wall.
"How do we get out? The gates full of soldiers entering." James asks.
"Simple." I grab two blocks of C-4. "We make our own way out."
BOOOOOOOM!
Using the hole we made, we escape into the darkness.