A sharp crack echoed through the air, followed by the unmistakable sound of a sniper rifle. A voice buzzed over the radio—Williams.
"They're here! Snipers in position. Hold your ground!" Williams barked.
Lester's heart raced as he whipped his head toward the battlefield. "They're coming!" he shouted to his team and the local soldiers. "Start shooting, now!"
Chaos erupted. Gunfire rang out from both sides, filling the air with a deafening roar. Bullets tore through the space between them and the advancing J'avo. The air was thick with tension, but Lester kept his focus. He saw Ali rallying the local soldiers, trying to keep them from losing their nerve as the fight intensified.
"Keep shooting! Don't stop!" Ali shouted, his voice rising above the noise of battle. "Aim for the heads! We can hold them off until the reinforcements arrive, but you need to stay focused!"
The locals, though visibly shaken, followed Ali's command, firing relentlessly into the swarm of J'avo. Some of the soldiers were clearly on edge, their hands shaking, but their resolve was holding—for now.
Frederick's panicked voice cut through the comms. "There are too many of them, Captain! We can't hold them off much longer!"
Lester gritted his teeth, firing off round after round into the advancing horde. He could see the sheer numbers pressing in on them, J'avo pouring from every direction. "Just keep firing!" he shouted, his voice raw with urgency. "We have to hold until backup arrives!"
Then Jason's voice came through the comms, his tone grim. "Captain… they're mutating. Some of them are transforming into the advanced forms! If we don't stop the mutated ones, they'll breach our lines in minutes!"
Lester cursed under his breath. The mutations meant the J'avo were getting faster, stronger, and harder to kill. They'd tear through their defenses like paper if they weren't stopped. He glanced over at Frederick, who was frantically reloading.
"Frederick, focus on the mutated ones! We need them down before they can get close!" Lester ordered.
Frederick nodded, lining up a shot through his scope. "Got it, Captain!"
A few seconds later, his rifle barked, and one of the mutated J'avo went down, its grotesque, twisted form collapsing under the weight of the shot.
Jason chimed in again. "Williams and I will keep the snipers busy, but we can't hold them forever! We need to focus on those mutations before they overwhelm us!"
Lester's mind raced as he scanned the battlefield. The government support was still minutes away, but he wasn't sure if they could last that long. He took a deep breath, trying to keep a level head.
"Ali! Get those locals to focus on the mutated J'avo! Everyone else, aim for their weak spots—arms, legs, heads, whatever will take them down!" Lester shouted, trying to coordinate the chaos.
Ali nodded, relaying the orders to the local soldiers. "You heard the Captain! Focus on the ones mutating! Take them down fast, or we won't stand a chance!"
The battlefield was a mess of gunfire, screams, and the constant roar of the advancing J'avo, but despite the overwhelming odds, Lester and his team held firm.
The intensity of the battle escalated after just a few minutes. The J'avo had pinpointed Alpha Team's and the locals' positions, unleashing a barrage of heavy gunfire. The sheer force of it forced the soldiers to duck behind cover, barely able to return fire. Only Williams and Jason, well-protected in their sniper nests, were able to keep up a steady stream of shots.
Lester's frustration boiled over as bullets ricocheted off the crates and barricades. "We can't stay pinned down like this!" he yelled over the comms. "Does anyone have heavy weapons? We need to stop this J'avo assault!"
A local soldier, crouching nearby, shouted back. "There's an RPG in the hangar! We've got ten missiles for it—if you can get to it!"
Lester's eyes widened. That RPG could turn the tide of the battle. "Of course it'll help! That could save us!" he shouted back. "But how am I supposed to reach it with all this fire?"
Ali's voice crackled over the radio, calm despite the chaos. "Captain, I'll create a diversion with the locals. We'll draw their fire for a few seconds. Get to the hangar fast, and grab that RPG!"
Lester took a deep breath, nodding to himself as he readied his rifle. "Alright, Ali. Do it. Everyone else, stay low and hold on until I get that RPG!"
He glanced over at Williams and Jason. "Keep picking off those snipers! We need their fire on you while I make a run for it."
"Copy that, Captain," Williams replied. Jason simply grunted in acknowledgment as he sighted his next target.
Ali quickly rallied the locals, urging them to pour fire onto the J'avo's position, hoping to create just enough chaos for Lester to make his move.
"Go, go, go!" Ali shouted through the comms.
Lester didn't hesitate. The moment the J'avo fire shifted toward Ali and the locals, he dashed from behind cover, sprinting across the open ground toward the hangar. Bullets whizzed past him, but the J'avo were momentarily distracted.
His heart pounded as he neared the hangar entrance, diving inside just as another wave of gunfire erupted behind him. Inside, the dimly lit space was cluttered with old equipment and abandoned crates, but his eyes quickly locked onto the RPG, resting against the wall.
He rushed over, slinging it over his shoulder, and checked the missile stock—ten missiles, just as the soldier said. Lester grinned, adrenaline surging through him.
"Got it!" he called into his comms. "I'm on my way back with the RPG! Get ready to light these J'avo up!"
Ali's voice crackled through the comms, filled with excitement, "Hell yeah, let's do some fireworks!"
Lester, crouching low as he made his way to the hangar door, felt the weight of the RPG on his back. The heavy gunfire outside kept his every movement cautious. He ducked behind a large steel crate, taking a quick breath before reaching for his comms.
"Williams, I'm in position," Lester whispered sharply. "Where do I aim?"
Williams' calm voice came through with precision, "Hit them at 3 o'clock, 11 o'clock, and 12 o'clock. After that, get to cover with the soldiers, then take care of 10 and 1. You'll have just enough time to make it."
Lester's eyes scanned the battlefield, visualizing the angles. "Got it. We need this to be quick and clean," he muttered.
Ali, still holding his position near the entrance, chimed in over the radio with a smirk, "No pressure, huh, Captain?"
Lester grinned briefly, despite the gravity of the situation. "I always aim for perfection, Ali."
He turned his focus to the task at hand, knowing every second counted. His comms clicked again, this time to Frederick. "Frederick, we need a bigger distraction. They're too focused on our position—give them something else to shoot at."
Without hesitation, Frederick's rifle roared to life, sending a barrage of shots toward the enemy. The J'avo, momentarily confused, shifted their fire toward the new threat. Frederick ducked and repositioned, keeping the snipers engaged.
"That's your window, Captain!" Frederick called out through the comms.
Lester took a deep breath and moved swiftly, sprinting the short distance toward the hangar door. He could hear the echoing gunfire all around, but the distraction had bought him just enough time. Reaching the hangar, he slammed against the wall for cover, heart pounding, but ready for the next move.
"Ali, prepare to open fire when I make the first shot," Lester ordered, steadying the RPG.
Ali responded with a determined, "You got it, Captain."
With his targets lined up in his sights, Lester aimed carefully at the designated locations Williams had pointed out.
Lester steadied himself, took a deep breath, and fired the first missile at 3 o'clock, just like Williams had directed. The loud explosion echoed through the battlefield, and within seconds, the gunfire intensified, now focusing on his position. Bullets ricocheted off the crates and steel beams around him, forcing him to duck for cover.
"Need more distractions!" Lester barked into his comms, urgency in his voice as the enemy fire pinned him down.
Ali's voice boomed over the radio, "On it, Captain!" Without hesitation, Ali unleashed a storm of bullets toward the J'avo, his rapid-fire echoing through the hangar. "Go, Lester!" he yelled, adrenaline fueling his voice.
Seizing the moment, Lester shifted positions quickly, ducking low as he moved to a new vantage point. His heart raced as he aimed the RPG again, this time lining up the shot at 11 o'clock. He squeezed the trigger, and the missile streaked toward its target, the explosion forcing the J'avo to retreat and take cover.
"Nice shot!" Williams' voice cut through the comms, but Lester was already lining up his next shot.
A sharp crack echoed through the air, and in an instant, Lester felt a burning pain tear through his left arm. He stumbled back, gritting his teeth as he clutched his arm, the warm sensation of blood trickling down. A sniper had found its mark.
Lester dropped behind cover, his breaths ragged. The pain shot up through his body, but he wasn't about to stop. "Damn it!" he growled through clenched teeth.
"Lester! Are you alright?" Williams' voice crackled through the comms, filled with concern.
Lester winced but forced himself to respond. "Yeah! I'm good!" he yelled, his voice strained but determined. "But I need those snipers taken out before I can fire again!"
Without missing a beat, Jason chimed in. "Roger that, Captain. Williams, we've got to give Lester the cover he needs. Use every round you've got. Keep those snipers pinned!"
Williams nodded, quickly scanning for the snipers' locations. "On it," he replied, his voice steady despite the chaos.
Jason and Williams positioned themselves, unleashing a relentless barrage of fire. Bullets whizzed past, slamming into the J'avo snipers' positions. Jason's aim was precise, his shots calculated to force the snipers to keep their heads down.
"We're keeping them suppressed! Lester, you've got a window, but it won't last long!" Jason shouted over the comms, his voice firm.
Lester gritted his teeth against the pain, shifting his position despite his injury. "Just keep them off me for a bit longer!" He positioned the RPG again, determined to make the next shot count, even with his injured arm.
Seeing the J'avo momentarily disoriented, Lester wasted no time. He adjusted his aim, locked onto 12 o'clock, and fired. The missile roared through the air, smashing into the enemy's position with devastating force. The explosion scattered debris, causing the J'avo to scramble for safety.
With the third missile fired, Lester exhaled sharply, gripping the launcher tightly as the battlefield briefly quieted.
Lester steadied his breathing, forcing himself to focus despite the searing pain in his left arm. He lined up the next shot, aiming carefully at the J'avo position at 1 o'clock. His arm trembled slightly, but he held firm, taking a deep breath to steady his aim. With one final pull of the trigger, the missile shot out, streaking toward its target. The explosion rocked the battlefield, sending debris flying and forcing the J'avo to scatter.
Gritting his teeth through the pain, Lester quickly moved to another position. He couldn't afford to stay in one spot for too long. His vision blurred slightly, but he ignored it, focusing on his last target—10 o'clock. His team was depending on him.
"Come on, you've got this," Lester muttered to himself. He adjusted the RPG one last time, aimed, and fired. The missile soared through the air, landing with a powerful impact, and the J'avo were once again forced to retreat behind cover.
The momentary silence that followed allowed the team to catch their breath. The constant gunfire had eased, but Lester knew it wouldn't last long.
Jason's voice crackled over the comms. "How much longer until reinforcements arrive?"
Lester checked his watch, his heart still racing from the intense firefight. "Ten minutes! Just hold out a little longer, team! We can do this!"
The team readied themselves, knowing the next wave would be just as fierce, but with each minute that passed, they were one step closer to backup arriving.