The other mercenaries in the forest were drenched in cold sweat from the close gunfire. "Enemy attack, take cover," they shouted, quickly hiding and carefully observing their surroundings.
After searching for a few minutes, they couldn't find any enemies. As time passed, they began to panic. Although they were a temporary mix of three teams, each member had been in the mercenary business for many years. Now, someone had silently taken down two of their members without leaving a trace of their presence.
The earlier gunfire had made it clear the enemy was nearby. The veterans recognized the sound of an M1911, yet they couldn't find the shooter after searching thoroughly.
After a few minutes of stalemate, the mercenary captain reluctantly ordered, "Hunter, Rob, it's up to you two now. Be careful, we're dealing with a pro."
A few seconds later, two responses came through the captain's earpiece: "Understood."
Hunter and Rob were the fastest in their team. Everyone knew the captain's plan was to use them as bait to lure the enemy into shooting.
Understanding their role, Hunter and Rob didn't hesitate. After carefully observing their surroundings for a few seconds, they said, "I'm ready," and "Me too."
"Good. The enemy might be an assassin, likely alone, or they wouldn't be using an M1911 at such close range. Once we pinpoint their location, we can eliminate them.
Hunter, move towards Hunter; Rob, head east. Mark and Stan, see that small hill in the distance? Once Hunter and Rob move, head there. It's a good vantage point for sniping the enemy. Everyone else, provide cover. Shoot on sight. Understood?"
"Understood," everyone responded.
"I'll count to three, and we move. One, two, three, move."
Hunter and Rob immediately crouched and moved swiftly. After two seconds, the two snipers headed towards the distant hill.
However, when Hunter and Rob reached their designated spots, the enemy still hadn't fired a single shot. This unnerved the mercenaries in the forest, as it meant the enemy hadn't taken the bait.
"We're in deep trouble," the captain thought angrily. The enemy was clearly an experienced pro, unaffected by such simple tricks. Thankfully, Mark and Stan were still heading towards the hill.
They just had to wait for Mark and Stan to get into position to scout the enemy from the high ground. If they still couldn't find the enemy from there, they'd have to retreat. This mission was a disaster.
William and Harry were already on the hill, watching through binoculars as two figures with sniper rifles ran towards them. "William, looks like these guys are pros. This terrain isn't favorable for Carlos. We need to help him."
William understood. Carlos, the unassuming guy, was undoubtedly a top-tier assassin. Shooting bullets around corners was something he'd only seen in movies. Suddenly, a thought struck him: did this guy have a son named Wesley?
If so, did that mean the Assassin Brotherhood was real? "Got it," William said, quickly setting up his Barrett and adjusting the scope, loading a bullet, and aiming at one of the snipers running in an S-pattern.
Before he could fire, he saw through the scope that the sniper he was aiming at suddenly had his head blown off. With instincts honed by special combat skills, William immediately adjusted his aim and saw the second sniper also take a headshot and go down.
Seeing the two snipers down, William felt a chill. This was beyond the effective range of a handgun. The snipers had fallen over 50 meters away from the forest, in the direction he was facing. The shots had definitely come from the forest. How had Carlos managed this?
Harry crawled over to William and patted his shoulder. "Stop staring, William. Support Carlos. The enemy is surrounding him. I'll spot for you."
Hearing this, William quickly refocused, aiming his Barrett at the mercenaries moving towards where the shots had been fired.
Harry asked, "Ready?"
"OK."
Harry observed the mercenaries through the binoculars. "Wind speed 2, distance 780 meters, blue beret, holding an AK."
William adjusted the scope. "Target locked."
"Steady, 770 meters, just entering the line of sight. Shoot at any time."
William held his breath, recalling the sniping knowledge and experience from the system. He adjusted the scope and, seeing the blue beret enter a clearing, gently squeezed the trigger.
A second later, the blue beret was hit, and its owner fell to the ground.
The mercenaries surrounding Carlos, hearing the sniper shot, quickly took cover. They were veterans, instantly recognizing the sound of a distant sniper.
Carlos, hearing the shot and seeing the enemies take cover, knew his backup had arrived. He crouched, aimed his gun at a mercenary hiding behind a tree, and fired a shot that curved around the tree, hitting the target's head.
Without checking if he had hit, Carlos used the cover to reposition.
As he moved, he heard a mercenary shout, "Take cover, take cover, Hunter is down! Hunter is down!"
Soon, another voice urgently called out, "Spotter, where's the sniper? Anyone see the sniper?"
William, unable to find an angle as the mercenaries hid, scanned through his scope.
A few seconds later, Harry said, "786 meters, adjust by 2 centimeters, lower the barrel by one degree, behind the rock, exposed head."
Following Harry's directions, William quickly located a head peeking out from behind a rock. The man was cautiously observing the slope 30 degrees to William's side.
"Got him, Harry," William said, adjusting the Barrett. From his elevated position, he lowered the barrel slightly, aligning the crosshairs with the mercenary's neck, and fired.
A second later, the mercenary's head was gone.
Harry, watching through the binoculars, cheered, "Direct hit, excellent job, William. Now, 773 meters, no need to adjust, behind the third tree."
The Barrett could penetrate trees and walls within 1000 meters. William adjusted his aim and fired again, hitting a mercenary hiding behind a tree. The bullet, though slowed by the tree, still hit the target, who fell forward, screaming.
Though the tree had reduced the bullet's power, the mercenary, covered in splinters and wounds, probably wished for a quick death. After several seconds of agony, he finally succumbed.
With William taking out three and Carlos another five, the 16-member mercenary team was now reduced by half. The remaining eight were terrified. The captain, hiding behind a large rock, muttered, "God, what kind of mission is this? Two million isn't enough for the compensation. We're losing big. I have to demand more money from the employer, definitely more money."
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