The Attack

Delta storms the war torn town looking for the missing troops

Chapter 2: The Attack

Once we reach the bottom of the hill we silently take position behind an overturn school bus with flames licking through the windows. A light layer of ash rains from the sky, simulating snow with its whiteness but darkens as it hit’s the bloodstained ground. We emerge from the bushes surrounding this ghost town to be met with a disturbing sight. Four main roads that lead into the center square are littered with burning corpses, annihilated cars and trucks wait hopelessly on the sides of the road and the once proud apartment buildings are now on the verge of collapse. In the town center wait a single hovertank with enemy troops patrolling around it. Sandbag barricades with mounted turrets are encompassing the central fountain, which has ceased to flow, on all four sides. Sean signals the team to stealthy sneak into a deserted apartment building to the left, behind the troops in front of us. We do as he commands, being sure to crouch out of sight. A sudden crack fills the air. I turn back to see Tony standing in plain sight looking down at his foot, which just crushed a porcelain doll’s head.

“ Oh sh..” whispers Tony as we hear,

“ Enemy troops to the south! Open fire!”. A barrage of bullets skim through the air toward us as Tony dives through the door hole and Jake pushed a bookshelf in its place.

“ Good work dumbass,” says Nick

“ I’m sorry sir,” replies Tony to Sean, his head hanging low over his rifle.

“What’s done is done its time to act,” says Sean, “Jake, you stay here and give us cover with that gun of yours. Jack and Tony on my six, we’re gonna jump over some rooftops,”.

“Are you sure that’s such a good idea?” questions Tony, with his rifle shaking in his trembling hands.

“ If everything men did was a good idea would we be here right now?” I respond with a reassuring pat on the shoulder, “We’ll be fine just try to stay as low and fast as possible. With Jake’s crazy aim they’d think we were all over here!”

“Ok, thanks brother,” and we fist bump each other.

“Let’s get moving,” says Sean as he waves up the stairs. As we trudge up the falling stairwell, Sean pushes his ear piece and begins talking,

“Connor, our sit is pretty bad down here we have Jake on the bottom floor ready to supply cover fire and we need you and Nick to give us as much time as possible, copy?”

“Buzz- Loud and clear sir and we have located the troops. Em’ cowboys are holding them in some kind of bar in the northwestern side of town. I’m looking through the scope here and it looks like they’re drinking, should I engage?”

“No, if you kill one of them then the hostages are as good as dead. Hold your fire and keep and eye open for the cowboys in the town square,”

“Yes sir and the two Anti-Air Turrets are on the top of the same building sir,”

“Rodger,”

We slowly ascend the hole strewn building in hopes of it not collapsing beneath our feet. I feel a bead of sweat form on the tip of my hairline. It slowly trickles down my face to the corner of my mouth where I taste its salty offensive. The floorboards creak beneath our weight as gray sunlight beams through the wounds of this building. After what seemed like eternity we reach the door to the roof. Slowly, Sean squeaks the rusty, metal door open with an unsatisfying noise. We crouch and move to the front of the building where the guard rail protects us from enemy sight. Sean whispers to us,

“ Jake will draw their attention once I give the signal. Our objective is to get as far down this row as possible and give Connor a clear shot of any troops. Once they are in cover from Connor and Jake we’ll finish them off as silently as possible. This is a rescue not an invasion our objective is to save lives. Understand?

“Yes sir,” we reply in unison.

Sean nods at us and whistles a common bird call over the railing. This soothing melody is followed by a rampage of noises coming from below. I peak over the railing and see two bodies drop to the ground as the rest take cover behind the west facing barricade. Quickly they return fire and the sound of Jake’s mini-gun slows to a stop. For a minute the enemy seemed confused but then joyful at the destruction of their foe. As they look over the sand bags a thunderous crack is heard and three bodies fall down to their right, from the power of the sniper shot that pierced all three of their skulls.

“Move!” orders Sean as he runs to the left and clears the gap between the two buildings.

Tony yells a battle cry as he goes and also makes the jump with me closely behind. The mini-gun begins flaring again as more troops come out from the surrounding buildings in the square. As I clear the second jump I notice that the soldiers are streaming from the building below us. So I quickly detach a grenade from Tony’s back and hurl it at the base of the building. A large explosion with a crackle of thunder ensue as I confusedly looked at Tony.

“Nick said I could have anything I wanted from the armory,” he shrugs while keeping up with the ever-fit Sean, “so naturally I got some plasma grenades,”

“Dumbass,” I reply.

We continue leaping and landing across half a dozen building until Tony slips at the edge of one and misses his mark. Swinging his arms for dear life he manages to grab hold onto the edge of a windowsill on the top floor. I jump over his falling body and immediately swerve around to help my squad mate

“Tony!” I yell, “ Jump and grab my hand!”. I lean as far over as possible without falling and extend my right hand.

“I can’t reach!” he replies. He feebly throws one of his hands up to catch mine.

“Pull yourself up marine!” I yell back, with a more harsh tone.

Suddenly, I hear from behind me,

“Jack! Tank!”

An explosion tears through the building in front of us, luckily far away enough to only send particles of debris into our faces

“Jump!” I yell, covering my face with my free hand.

“Go with out me Jack! Hat tank will kill us both!” I hear through the dust cloud below me.

Soon another explosion rocks the ground and chunks of cement and brick fall all over me, knocking me to the ground, almost unconscious.

“Tony!” I call out in fear.

“I’m here but go!”

“Jump up you p***y!” I yell back, “ I won’t die on a f*****g rescue because a rookie hasn’t grown a pair yet so JUMP!”

Through the dust cloud I see the struggle in Tony’s bloodied face as with all his might he pulls up from the ledge and extends his arms out to me. A third explosion happens as the building next to ours is hit again and this time closest to us as possible. Still I grab both his hands and pull back on to the rooftop.

“Thank you so much man,” says Tony, heavily breathing

“Ah screw you let’s move before that tank loads again,” I reply as I get back up and continue after Sean, who is invisible in the dust. After clear two more gaps I realize he has disappeared and take cover on this building’s railing. Tony finally catches up and collapses next to me,

“Where’s Sean?” he asks.

“I lost him. Just stay here until I figure out what to do,” I reply as I peak over the railing. I notice eight guards left surrounding the tank which is currently blasting away at Jake’s building although the mini-gun is still going.

“Look!” says Tony in awe pointing at a figure hopping over the northern barricade. A silver crusted Sean emerges from the cloud with his rifle at the ready. Landing he runs towards the enemy company and fires, taking down two instantaneously. His empty weapon swings to his side on a strap as he takes out dual pistols and shoots two more, one on his left and his right. He rolls over to the other side of the fountain and mercifully executes two more hiding behind cover. With that he drops the guns and gracefully take out his battle knife, sparkling in the morning sun and plunges it into the neck of another as he turns the corner around the tank. As if a delicate dance he plucks the blade out of his victim, spins quickly and hurls it at the last survivor standing with his readied rifle near the east facing barricade. With the foot troops taken care of he jumps on top of the hover tank and opens the hatch. Jumping feat first into the dark hole a terrifying scream is heard then an unnaturally loud crack. A sudden silence fills the air as Tony looks down dumbfounded at what he has just seen. A buzz rings through my ear followed by Sean’s tired voice, “ Jack, Nick and Tony assemble near the tank. Jake and Connor will hold the square as we save the hostages,”

As Tony and I emerge from the war-torn apartment, we are greeted by the rest of Delta.

“ How will we do this sir?” asks Nick.

“You will arm the front door with minor explosives and Tony as well as yourself will draw their fire. Jack and I will use out superior close combat skills to stealthily assassinate the cowboys inside. A caution, the hostages may be rigged with bombs themselves so be extra careful. Jake and Connor, I am most worried about reinforcements coming from their fort to the West so keep a sharp eye. Delta out!”

Author's Note

This chapter was actually together with the next chapter as one big chapter so I divided it up into two parts