Nine black, elongated mushrooms drifted silently in the night sky, blending almost seamlessly into the darkness as they effortlessly crossed the Syrian-Iraqi border undetected.
Guided by individual GPS terminals, they eventually landed precisely at the designated coordinates.
The southeastern region of Syria was an expanse of barren desert and arid wasteland, a seemingly endless yellow horizon. Even the occasional hill was a desolate and stark outcrop, devoid of life.
This inhospitable terrain was unsuitable for agriculture, making life here arduous and sparsely populated. Villages with a population of only a few dozen were considered thriving, and a gathering of one or two hundred people could elevate the area to the status of a small town.
For individuals like Long Zhan and his team, however, such a landscape was an ideal parachuting and landing site. There was no need to worry about snagging on trees, accidentally landing in a lake or swamp, or being discovered upon descent.
Long Zhan drifted through the sky for nearly 60 kilometers. Upon landing, he noticed no teammates in his immediate vicinity. Fortunately, their GPS terminals showed that everyone's drop points were within a 100-meter radius of the designated coordinates.
Using the handheld screens, which displayed red markers representing teammates, Long Zhan quickly regrouped with Jason and the others.
The first task upon regrouping for Team B was to change out of their thermal suits and into protective gear. The unknown toxic gas leaked from the hospital had already killed a significant number of nearby animals, and there was no guarantee it had completely dissipated.
Although each team member carried a gas detector, by the time any toxins were detected, it would likely be too late. Wearing biochemical protective suits in advance could prevent unnecessary accidents.
Their second task was to hide their parachute systems and discarded thermal suits in a concealed location and attach a GPS signal transmitter. These sets, each costing tens of thousands of dollars, were impractical to carry into battle but required proper retrieval measures.
Whether the logistics team could retrieve these expensive military assets later was no longer Team B's concern.
With their post-landing procedures complete, the team followed their GPS terminals and set off under the cover of night toward the hospital, the target of their mission codenamed "Nighthawk."
The hospital was located in the center of a small town. Its abandonment had turned the town into a ghostly, desolate place. The sand-brick buildings starkly underscored the area's poverty.
As the team entered the town, they felt no signs of life. Not even the sounds of animals could be heard.
This eerie silence was highly unusual, and Jason, along with Ray and the other core members of Team B, immediately noticed it. However, they weren't overly concerned.
The prior large-scale gas leak at the hospital would have prompted the local government to evacuate nearby residents for safety, regardless of their reasons.
Given that the hospital and the town were part of the same area, the lack of inhabitants was to be expected—or so they thought.
Reality, however, would soon prove otherwise.
Using the ghost town's buildings for cover, the team easily approached the hospital.
All other entrances to the hospital had been sealed off. With only six guards stationed there, Team B opted for a direct assault on the main entrance.
The formation was straightforward: assault operatives and scouts took the lead, with the firepower team providing immediate support from behind. Two EOD specialists and the biochemical expert brought up the rear.
As the operation was confined entirely to the hospital's interior, sniper Ray switched out his usual rifle for an HK416, assuming his secondary role as a scout.
Ray teamed up with Brock to form the assault duo at the very front. Jason, as the squad leader, stayed close behind them to oversee critical intel in real time.
This trio constituted the vanguard of the operation. Long Zhan and Sunny followed closely, ready to deliver heavy fire support if needed.
The last member, Trent, guarded the rear, ensuring the safety of the EOD specialists and Dr. Lucien, the team's biochemical expert.
The team soon arrived at the hospital's main entrance. The Arabic lettering spelling out "Akhil Hospital" was clearly visible.
About 20 meters away, two armed guards stood at the main gate, stationed on either side behind sandbag barricades, casually smoking and chatting.
"Command Center, this is B1. We've reached the target. Two guards spotted at the hospital entrance. Preparing to engage," Jason radioed in.
At that moment, Eric and Mandy, along with other intelligence personnel, were operating a makeshift command center at a U.S. military airbase in Iraq.
Pressed for time, they hadn't managed to fully establish all operations but could handle basic functionalities.
Hearing Jason's call, Eric immediately responded via satellite phone, "Command Center acknowledges. You're cleared to proceed with the operation."
"Any updates from our Syrian contacts?" Jason asked.
"Still working on the connection. I'll notify you the moment we have news," Eric replied.
"Understood."
Jason ended the call and issued his command: "Alright, team, let's get to work."
At his signal, Ray and Brock moved swiftly. Staying low, they each positioned themselves on opposite sides of a broken wall near the entrance.
Raising his weapon, Ray whispered, "Left, upper quadrant."
On the other side, Brock softly replied, "Right, upper quadrant."
Their laser sights crossed as they each locked onto their respective targets, with the laser dots pinpointing the guards' foreheads.
Oblivious to their imminent fate, the guards continued their conversation, each leaning on a mounted heavy machine gun while enjoying their cigarettes.
Ray and Brock prepared for synchronized shots. Through his helmet's night vision goggles and the holographic sight on his rifle, Ray aligned his laser dot and began a quiet countdown.
"Three, two, one…"
"Pew, pew."
The moment the countdown ended, the two operatives, long accustomed to working together seamlessly, fired in unison.
The suppressed shots struck their marks with deadly precision.
The guards' heads burst like watermelons, signaling the start of Bravo Team's mission.