*WARNING*

The content in this chapter is about war and has heavy foul language, blood, and death. All is apart of war... 

Sergeant Ryan Mitchell's hands were steady as he loaded his rifle, his fingers moving the cold metal bolt with the calm efficiency born of years spent in battle.

The air around him was heavy, thick with sand and the tension that always came before the storm of combat.

His team was deep in enemy territory, a covert mission to neutralize a high-profile target.

They had been briefed a dozen times on the risks, but no briefing ever fully prepared you for the moment before everything went to hell.

He adjusted his tactical vest and glanced over his team: four soldiers, battle-hardened and fiercely loyal special operators like himself.

Private Carter, the youngest, was barely out of training, his face still carrying the hopeful eagerness of someone who hadn't yet seen the worst of war.

Corporal Davis, the goofy medic who was always quick with a joke to cut the tension, had a quiet look of focus on his face now.

Then there was Specialist Rodriguez, their communications specialist, already double-checking the gear with precision.

Ryan's eyes moved from one to the other, memorizing every detail.

They were in a desolate region of the Middle Eastern mountains, miles from the nearest friendly base and approximately 500 meters east of Alpha Squad.

The landscape was jagged and unforgiving, with rocky outcrops and narrow paths that wound through the valley like veins through flesh.

The enemy stronghold they were tasked with infiltrating was just over the next ridge—an abandoned village repurposed into a fortified camp by insurgents.

Intelligence had marked this as the location of their target: a warlord who had become very powerful, gaining both governmental and religious support in the region. 

He was causing massive mayhem to both ally nation's affairs and to the innocent civilians and local infrastructure and it was finally time to take him out. 

Ryan's instincts screamed danger.

Something felt wrong, a familiar sensation that had saved his life more times than he could count.

But this was the mission, and there was no turning back.

"We're good to go, Sergeant," Davis whispered, breaking the silence.

Ryan nodded, his voice low but firm.

"Alpha squad, this is Bravo 1," Ryan whispered over the radio, "We've successfully reached the rally point red and have eyes on the stronghold. Over."

"Roger Bravo, Alpha is in position at rally point blue and have overwatch. Alpha 1 says air support is on standby. Over."

"Roger. Over."

"Alpha 1. Bravo 1. This is Crimson Talon. Over." 

"This is Alpha 1. Over."

 "This is Bravo 1. Over."

"Alpha 1, your squad is to keep overwatch and support Bravo. Over."

"Roger. Over."

"Bravo 1, you're cleared to advance to the OP. Over."

"Roger that. Over"

"10-4. Over and out." 

Ryan motions for his squad to pick up and begin moving.

They advanced in silence, keeping to the shadows as they approached the ridge overlooking the enemy camp.

Ryan's heart pounded from fear, but outwardly, he was the picture of calm.

Years of experience had taught him that fear wasn't the enemy—hesitation was.

And he would not hesitate.

Not this mission.

As they reached the top of the ridge, the enemy stronghold came into view.

The camp was smaller than expected, a cluster of low stone buildings surrounded by makeshift barricades.

Armed guards patrolled the perimeter, their rifles slung casually over their shoulders, unaware of the danger creeping toward them.

Ryan motions for his team to lay down and prep.

Ryan quietly creeps over and lays prone beside a boulder and covered himself in a camouflage drape. 

He lays his rifle onto the ground and deploys the bipod.

He opens the rifle's scope protectants and looks through the crosshairs. 

Private Carter lays down beside him with his binoculars, a range finder, and a computer device in his hands. 

"Target 800 meters, with a crosswind of 3 miles per hour northwest west." 

Sgt. Mitchell adjust the knobs on the scope and readjusts his vision. 

The target was there, standing in the courtyard surrounded by his lieutenants, drinks in their hands.

A cruel smile twisted the man's scarred face, the very embodiment of the ruthless violence he had sown across the region.

The insurgents were laughing, celebrating something—perhaps the success of their last raid, the one that had cost the lives of innocents.

"Crimson Talon. This is Bravo 1. We're in the OP and we've got eyes on the target," Ryan murmured into his radio. 

The team fanned out, each soldier taking up a position along the ridge.

"Bravo 1. This is Crimson Talon. You're cleared to engage. Good hunting. Over and out." 

Rodriguez sets up the comms gear, ready to call in extraction the moment the target was neutralized.

Carter, his hands shaking slightly as he adjusted his hands on his binoculars.

Ryan felt that gnawing sense of unease again, like a storm building on the horizon.

He takes one deep breath, and readjusts the butt of the rifle on his shoulder. 

Flexes his fingers and bolts the rifle, loading a large cartridge into the chamber. 

"Target is now in the open," Carter whispered. "Range still 800 meters, but the wind is now 5 miles per hour northwest. "

Ryan reaches up and turns one of the scope's dials two ticks and readjusts his body just slightly and gets the target in the middle of the crosshairs. 

"Set," Ryan says. 

"Your clear to engage, three, two, one, take the sho-"

"HEY! WE GOT CONTACT!"

The world explodes.

Gunfire erupted from every direction, the ridge line lighting up as bullets tore through the air.

The enemy had been waiting for them, hidden machine gunners opening fire from concealed positions and small pickup trucks with machine guns pull up.

Ryan reactively rolls himself behind the large boulder he was beside as bullets pinged off it around him.

"RETURN FIRE!" Davis shouted, returning fire. "RODRIGUEZ! GET ON THAT GODDAMN MIC AND RADIO AIR SUPPORT! NOW! "

Ryan's mind raced. They had been compromised. 

He sees Rodriguez dive behind a near by boulder and tapping away at the radio. 

"O-6 actual! This is Bravo squad we need immediate air support now! We've been ambushed and are pinned down! We need them birds in the air! Over!"

The radio buzzed and you could barely hear anything said. 

"YOU MOTHERFUCKERS!!"

Rodriguez preps a grenade and then throws it at the enemy.

"FRAG OUT!"

A huge explosion happens and Ryan's ear are left muffled and ringing. 

"Alpha squad! This is Bravo! We need backup now! We've been pinned down! We got birds incoming! We got 3 MG trucks and dismounts! Over!"

"Roger that! We're on our way!"

Ryan didn't know how, but the enemy had known they were coming.

"CONTROL YOUR FUCKING FIRE," Ryan mangages to scream out, as he unslings his m4 from his back. 

Ryan takes a few shots at the enemy but then dives back into cover. 

He looks over at Carter, who is shaking in fear. 

"CARTER! HOLY SHIT! GET YOUR HEAD OUT OF YOUR ASS AND RETURN FIRE!"

Carter seemed to snap too and shakily picks up his rifle and takes shots at the enemy.

This mission had gone sideways in an instant, and now they were fighting for their lives. 

"DAVIS! WHERE'S THAT FUCKING AT-4!"

"IT'S WITH ALPHA," he manages to scream back over the gunshots. 

Ryan curses loudly at hearing that.

"SARG! THEM BIRDS ARE 5 MINUTES OUT!"

"FUCK! THAT'S TOO LONG! FALL BACK!" Ryan shouted over the din of gunfire. "WE HAVE TO GET BETTER COVER!"

"SARG! WHERE AT!"

"SHIT!"

Ryan hastily surveys the battlefield and sees an old abandoned shack 75 meters to their east. 

"THERE'S A SHACK 75 METERS EAST OF US! POP BLACK SMOKE! ALL YOU GOT! AND THEN FOLLOW ME!"

Ryan reaches on to his tactical vest and grabs a smoke grenade and pulls the pin and throws it. 

The rest of the squad follow the orders and throw their smokes. 

Several loud pops are heard and smoke starts leaking out getting thicker by the second.

Ryan waits just a moment and then charges out from behind 

Carter hesitated.

He was exposed, standing in the open, his wide eyes looking at the enemy.

"CARTER! MOVE!" Ryan roared.

Carter takes a shaky step back but is unable to break his fear.

Without thinking, Ryan surged forward, tackling Carter to the ground just as the bullet whizzed past his head.

"MOVE YOUR ASS CARTER! NOW!"

Ryan picks himself and Carter up and they start running. 

The rest of the squad had made it to the shack and are trying to give Ryan and Carter coverfire. 

As they got to the shack, Ryan kicks open the door. 

"RPG!"

Davis screams as he ducks behing the wall. 

Ryan turns his head to see an insurgent mg truck, sitting on top of the hill they just came from, and an insurgent in the truck bed pointing a rocket launcher at them.

He fires and Ryan's eyes widen. 

He had no time to think, only react. 

He grabs Carter, jerks him over in front of him and front kicks him into the shack. 

Just as soon as Ryan did this, the RPG projectile hits the ground just a couple of meters to the side of Ryan.

The procussion of the rocket launches Ryan a couple of meters away. 

He grits his teeth as pain exploded all over his body.

Ryan's ears are ringing and muffled.

He hurts all over and is numb at the same time. 

He finds himself unable to move. 

"Sergeant!" Carter's voice was distant, muffled, and panicked. 

Ryan gasped, unable to get a good breath.

"SHIT! RODRIGUEZ! CARTER! LAY DOWN SUPPRESSING FIRE!"

Davis starts to exit the shack. 

"SARGEANT! ARE YOU ABLE TO RETURN FIRE! ARE YOU ABLE TO PERFORM SELF AID!"

Davis screams out at Ryan while he takes a few shots at the enemy, trying to suppress them. 

Ryan is unable to comprehend what is going on.

He tries to roll over but can't. 

He cries out in pain as his nerve endings finally register the pain of his injuries. 

He coughs up blood and screams more in pain. 

"GODDAMNIT! SARGE IS DOWN! YOU TWO KEEP SUPPRESSING AND RODRIGUEZ GET A GODDAMN MEDIC EVAC NOW!"

Rodriguez jumps on the radio and starts to set out for a medical chopper. 

Davis sprints to Ryan and finds him struggling to breath.

Ryan's legs are gone and he's bleeding profusely from the stubs and he can't breath. 

"HOLD ON MITCHELL!" 

Davis grabs the back of Ryan's plate carrier, where there is a handle and drags him as hard and fast as he can back to the cover of the shack. 

Once in cover, Davis starts barking orders. 

"CARTER! YOU KEEP SUPPRESSING MOTHERFUCKER! RODRIGUEZ! GET YOUR ASS OVER HERE AND HELP ME!"

Rodriguez throws Carter 3 magazines of ammo and runs to help Davis. 

Davis pulls the emergency pull cord on Ryan's Plate carrier, loosening it from his body. 

He pulls it off his chest, trying to help Ryan breath. 

Davis looks up at Rodriguez. 

"THE RADIO GODDAMNIT! DON'T FORGET THE RADIO!"

Rodriguez turns and quickly grabs the radio and then heads back to Davis and Ryan. 

"GET YOUR TOURNIQUET OUT OF YOUR IFAC AND PUT IT ON HIS LEFT LEG! I GOT THE RIGHT LEG!"

They successfully put the tourniquets high and tight on Ryan's legs, trying to stop the bleeding. 

Davis finally calms down but only slightly, as he furiously starts cutting away at Ryan's uniform with his scizors. 

The radio buzzes and Rodriguez listens in. 

"They're wanting a 9-line!"

"Fuck a 9 line! We don't have time! Tell them to send a chopper now, he's critical, and we need a litter! Once you do that get back to suppressing with Carter! We have to hold out until Alpha gets here!" 

Rodriguez does what he's told and Davis gets to work at what he can do for Ryan.

The world around Ryan seems to slow, the sounds of the firefight fades away and once the excruciating pain he had is slowly going away as his strength ebbed away.

Ryan starts shivering from being cold due to his blood lose. 

"I know buddy, I know," Davis says as he packs a blanket up under Ryan, that he got from his assault pack, trying to seperate the ground from Ryan's body. 

He then reaches into his medical bag and takes out field gauzes. 

The pain in Ryan's chest was unbearable but now, with each breath a battle he was rapidly losing.

His vision blurred, the edges of his world going dark.

For a brief moment, he thought of home—of the people he would never see again. He once had a wife, until she left him. His loving mother and father who supported him. His little brother, who was just a new private. All his friends from back home and even the ones he has in the service. 

Then, with one final breath, everything went black...