"Cameras are now ours." The voice of the fifth member of the team came back crackling over the team's earpieces, the words a welcome relief in the darkness of the compound. "Move in, but stay alert. I'll guide you through."
The team moved forward, their footsteps muffled by the soft earth beneath their boots. Marcus was in front, his senses on high alert as he scanned the surroundings for any signs of danger.
As they moved along the open field between the building and the East entrance, the voice on the comms came through the earpieces once more, guiding them with calm assurance. "Two guards up ahead at the fountain," he murmured. "Three are approaching from the east side of your position. Silenced handguns at the ready. Take them out quietly."
The team pressed forward.
—
Sophia and Charlotte cut off from the group, her Barrett M82 held steady in her grip. Sophia crouched low in the tall grass of the open field, her Barrett M82 sniper rifle cradled in her arms. She reached for the suppressor attached to her belt, affixing it to the muzzle of her weapon. Charlotte crouched beside Sophia, her keen eyes scanning the horizon for any signs of movement.
Sophia narrowed her eyes, looking through the rifle's scope, focusing intently on the three approaching guards on the east side. They seemed to have been drinking or discussing because they weren't moving with purpose across the field, their movements seeming more harphazard than coordinated. She could still hear the footsteps of Marcus and Willy as they had continued moving.
"Targets inbound," Charlotte murmured, her voice low as she peered into her Leupold Mark 4 scope. "Three hostiles, moving right to left. Distance, 110 meters."
With a steady hand, Sophia adjusted the scope of her rifle, her eyes scanning the landscape for the perfect shot. The wind whispered through the grass, carrying with it the promise of imminent danger.
As the targets drew closer, Sophia's heart pounded in her chest, her breaths coming steady and controlled.
"Wind at 5 knots, coming from the east," Charlotte continued, her eyes never leaving the targets.
With a quiet exhale, Sophia steadied her aim, the crosshairs of her scope settling on the first target.
"Target one, fire when ready," Charlotte whispered. In one fluid motion, Sophia squeezed the trigger, the gunshot muffled by the suppressor as the bullet ripped off the right side of his head with deadly accuracy. The first target dropped to the ground, motionless.
"Target down," Charlotte confirmed, her eyes already scanning for the next threat. "Target two, fire when ready."
Quickly, Sophia shifted her aim to the second target while they were still stunned. Another shot rang out, the bullet blowing out his neck as the head of the second target fell off, the body crumbling to the grass.
"One more," Charlotte murmured, her voice a steady anchor in the midst of the chaos.
With only moments to spare, the third guard already shouting and reaching for his radio on his belt, Sophia lined up her shot. Time seemed to stand still as she pulled the trigger, the crack of the rifle echoing all around her as the bullet hit the third guard in his shoulder and flung in a few feet from where he once stood.
"Targets neutralized," Charlotte confirmed, her tone calm but triumphant. They got up immediately, Sophia loosening the suppressor off the muzzle of her weapon and they began sprinting to catch up with the men.
—
As Marcus and Willy got to the fountain, the guards noticed them. Marcus and Willy sprang into action, to quickly catch the guards off before they could reach for their weapons or call for backup.
Marcus squared off against the first guard, his muscles coiled with tension as he dodged a flurry of wild punches. With a swift counterattack, he landed a powerful blow to the guard's midsection, sending him reeling backwards. Marcus quickly closed the distance, unsheathing his OKC-3S Bayonet and planting it in the guard's neck in one fluid motion. He then quickly caught him by his belt and let him down slowly into the water to avoid a splash making noise.
Meanwhile, Willy was faced off against the second guard, his agile movements looking like a dancer's as he sent a well-placed kick that knocked the guards rising weapon to the ground. Willy then took out his stiletto while the guard took out his too. The guard lunged at Willy first, his right arm swinging wildly at Willy's head. Willy ducked under the arm, flipping the stiletto from his right hand to his left and planted his stiletto into the open armpit in one swift move. The guard gasped. Willy took out the knife as the guard crumbled into his arms like an embrace and planted it into the back of his neck, wiggling it to the left, then to the right. Then, he lowered him gently to the floor.
He turned to Marcus who was mouthing, "In the water." He nodded and lifted the body into the water.
"Targets neutralized," Marcus said, his voice calm but filled with quiet determination as he glanced at Willy. "Let's keep moving. We're not done yet."
Just then, Charlotte and Sophia fell into step beside them as they pressed forward towards the building.
—
The team got to the western wall of the building. There was stairs attached to the wall leading to an entrance door. "Two hostiles approaching from the north," the fifth member's voice crackled over the radio, the words clear and concise.
Marcus raised his Beretta M9A4, the silencer attached to the muzzle muffling the sound of the gunshot as he sent out two bullets, one right between the eyes of each of the guards. The bodies slumped to the ground. Willy and Sophia quickly moved forward and dragged the bodies under the stairs.
They climbed the stairs and Willy retrieved his lock picks from his belt. He jiggled the lock of the door at the top of the stairs and it opened. They entered. The passage was dark and smelt mouldy as they switched to night vision goggles and moved forward.
"One hostile approaching from the south of your position," sounded over their comms.
Charlotte made up the rear, so she spun around, her SIG Sauer M18 held steady in her grip as she spotted her target and took aim, the suppressed shot ringing out like a whisper in the night as the hostile fell backwards with a thud.
At the end of the seemingly unending passage, they got to the main stairs. "Al-Mazari is in the lounge at the top of the stairs with eight heavily armed guards," the voice said over their comms.