When misfortune strikes, even drinking cold water can get you choked.
Just as Clay had recklessly disobeyed orders and acted on his own, selling out Jason and his three teammates, a new problem arose on Team A's end.
A Black Hawk helicopter, hovering over the target building and preparing to deploy a suspension ladder for extraction, suddenly started to wobble uncontrollably.
The pilot was forced to ascend to regain stability, temporarily abandoning the area near the rooftop.
This maneuver compelled a second helicopter, stationed nearby for cover and monitoring for ground-based fire, to take evasive action as well.
In the blink of an eye, the helicopters, which had been nearly in position, were now hundreds of meters away from the extraction zone.
"What the—? What's going on here?"
On the rooftop, Dragon, who was about to help Brock escort Marshal to board the helicopter, was momentarily stunned by what he saw.
The two helicopters designated to extract them had suddenly flown off at high speed, leaving Brock visibly enraged.
"Damn it! What the hell are those idiots in Team A doing?" he cursed furiously. "Are they showing off their flying skills, or are they still drunk from last night?"
Was Team A really showing off their piloting skills?
Of course not.
They were forced to act this way because the helicopter had encountered a severe malfunction.
"This is H2, calling Operations Center. My control stick is malfunctioning badly, causing severe instability. I can't maintain the helicopter's position and must temporarily move away from the extraction zone," the pilot reported urgently.
The emergency report echoed through the operations center, and Commander Eric's face darkened immediately.
Everyone in the room, including senior intelligence officer Mandy, felt their hearts tighten upon hearing the news.
Just a minute earlier, ISR surveillance systems had detected significant thermal activity in the Lionheart troops' camp.
Clearly, the occupants of the target building had called for backup, and the Lionheart forces were now mobilizing to provide support.
Given the distance between the Lionheart camp and the target building, plus the time needed to assemble their forces, Team B had no more than five minutes to complete their mission and evacuate.
Under normal circumstances, completing the mission and retreating within five minutes was entirely feasible.
Jason's report had even confirmed this.
But now, with one of the evacuation helicopters malfunctioning, the situation had become dire.
The MH-60M Black Hawk helicopters used for this dual-operation mission were specially modified for special operations, equipped with heavy-duty machine guns for enhanced air support.
The addition of the Gatling gun reduced passenger capacity compared to other Black Hawk models.
One helicopter alone could not possibly evacuate everyone.
If the helicopters couldn't handle the evacuation, even if Team B managed to complete both objectives, there wouldn't be enough time left for a safe retreat.
This meant some personnel would have to find their own way out on foot.
But this area was controlled by the Lionheart forces. A ground-based retreat would inevitably lead to direct confrontation with the enemy, with no guarantee of survival.
Eric understood the gravity of the situation. Picking up the radio, he sternly asked, "H2, I need an honest assessment. Can you still complete the mission in your current condition?"
"No, the helicopter is too unstable to carry personnel. The malfunction could worsen, possibly resulting in a crash. I must abort the mission and return to base for repairs," the pilot responded decisively.
Eric and the others, who had held onto a sliver of hope, felt their spirits sink at this response.
Fortunately, as an experienced special operations commander, Eric had faced similar emergencies before. While concerned, he did not panic.
He quickly refocused and asked, "H1, I need confirmation that your helicopter is still operational. Respond immediately."
"Roger that, five by five," came the swift reply from the H1 pilot.
"Five by five" was military slang indicating perfect communication clarity and strength—essentially a confirmation that everything was functioning smoothly.
"H1, is the rescue target in position? Can you see them? I need your confirmation," Eric pressed further.
"They are in position on the rooftop. I have a clear visual and can approach for extraction at any time," the H1 pilot confirmed.
Eric frowned and turned to Mandy, the intelligence officer. "How much time do we have left?"
Mandy tapped a few keys on her computer, projecting the drone's thermal imaging feed onto the large screen.
Through the display, Eric could see dozens of red and yellow thermal signatures rapidly moving out of the Lionheart camp.
"The Lionheart forces are on the move. They'll reach the target building in no more than four minutes," Mandy reported gravely.
As B Team's primary intelligence support, Mandy had grown deeply attached to the team over time. Watching them face imminent danger was even more nerve-wracking for her than it was for Eric.
"Less than four minutes…"
As the highest-ranking officer on-site, Eric now bore the full weight of the situation. He had mere seconds—perhaps half a minute at most—to make a decision.
The situation was clear.
With only one operational helicopter, the original plan was no longer viable. Some personnel would inevitably be left behind.
The rescue target, Marshal, was non-negotiable—he had to be evacuated by helicopter. He was the core of the mission.
The remaining options were stark:
- **Option One:** Abandon the secondary objective of capturing Samir and immediately lead Team B out of the target building before the Lionheart forces arrived.
This was the safest choice, ensuring the survival of all team members.
- **Option Two:** Proceed with the original plan to capture Samir and find a way to evacuate him on foot.
This option carried enormous risk and guaranteed confrontation with the Lionheart forces.
Preserve the mission? Or protect the lives of his team?
Safeguard Team B's honor? Or prioritize their safety?
This was the agonizing choice Eric now faced—a true test of his ability as a commander. One wrong decision could haunt him for the rest of his life.