11 The Rescue Operation Begins
Eleven thirty in the evening, July 20th, 2023. Command Center.
"Man, what a pain," Richard grumbled as he slouched onto the sofa, gulping down water from a bottle.
The sweat of securing two Pave Hawk helicopters had finally dried, and the helipads on Buildings A and B were primed for action.
"Alright, now that we've got these flying machines, what's the game plan?" Richard asked, shooting a weary look at Graves.
"Sir, we can kick off the operation," Graves replied. "Let's hash out the final details so that everyone involved knows exactly what's what."
Richard rose to his feet and walked over to the table, joining the other special forces.
"Before we begin, sir, I would like to ask you, sir. Why do you want to come to this operation? Because to be honest sir, you don't need to come."
Richard pondered for a moment. Graves was right, he doesn't need to come in this rescue operation as Graves and his men are capable enough to handle this mission. But this is personal to him. Saving his little sister personally would be a satisfaction for him. He also wanted to look cool to his sister, whom she'll wrap her head around trying to understand how her brother became a leader of a militia.
"I get where you're coming from, Sir Graves. So here's my answer. It's simple: I want to save my sister with my own two hands, and I want to test my abilities in the field. Believe it or not, I'm at level 2 in weapons proficiency, so I can handle myself in a firefight."
Graves nodded, his expression showing understanding. "Understood, sir. If that's your motivation, I won't object. Now, let's delve into the operational details. This will unfold in three phases. But before we proceed, let's establish the callsigns. Jolly 1 and 2 will refer to the helicopters. You'll go by Eagle, as the commanding officer. The Delta Forces will be Specter 1 to 8, with myself as Specter 1. As for your sister, she'll be known as Angel."
"Eagle, you'll board Jolly 1 alongside Specter 2, 3, 4, and 5. Meanwhile, I'll be on Jolly 2 with Specter 5, 6, 7, and 8. Now, onto Phase One: the landing. Jolly 1 will touchdown on Building 9's rooftop, while Jolly 2 provides aerial cover."
"Phase Two involves infiltration. Once on the rooftop, Eagle and his team will methodically descend to the fourth floor, reaching Angel's classroom. Our primary objective is to extract Angel and her classmates. Finally, Phase Three signifies extraction. After securing Angel, your team will return to the rooftop where Jolly 1 awaits for the pick-up. Time is of the essence; we need to wrap this up before the situation escalates further. Any questions?"
Everyone shook their heads, indicating that there was none.
"It's all clear huh? Okay," Graves flickered his gaze to Richard. "Sir, is it possible if I can make a request?"
"What is it, Specter 1?" Richard asked.
"We have to prepare for the worst, the monster that we saw earlier might make an appearance. We need a weapon that can pack a punch."
"What weapon are you referring to?"
"A Javelin missile," Graves replied.
"Let me check," Richard browsed his system and searched for the Javelin. There, he saw one. It cost ten thousand gold coins a piece. "How many?"
Graves smacked his lips as he contemplated for a number. "Can we acquire ten pieces?"
"No problem."
***
Eleven thirty in the evening, July 20th, 2023. At the rooftop of Building A.
Specter 2 and 3, and Specter 4 and 5 were lifting the Javelin launcher crates and their gears, and placing them in the cabin of the Pave Hawk helicopter.
Richard watched the process of the Delta Forces walking to and fro to secure the Javelin launchers in the helicopter.
"That's the last one," Specter 2 said.
"Oh, that feels good. It's a heavy one," Specter 3 grunted as he wiped the sweat from his brow.
"Great job guys," Richard praised and the Delta Forces simply gestured a nod, acknowledging their commanding officer's praise.
"Okay, let's board the helicopter now," Richard suggested and one by one, they hopped into the helicopter cabin, securing their gear and strapping themselves in.
The pilot and the co-pilot of the Pave Hawk began their pre-flight checks.
"Specter 1 to Eagle Actual, Specter 1 to Eagle Actual. Do you read?"
Richard's radio crackled to life, and he quickly responded, "This is Eagle Actual, go ahead, Specter 1."
"Just confirming that all teams are ready to go, sir. We're all set here," Specter 1's voice came through the radio.
"Copy that, Specter 1. All teams, stand by for takeoff," Richard replied.
With a nod to the pilot, the helicopter's engines roared to life. The helicopter rotors began to spin faster, and the aircraft lifted off the rooftop with a controlled ascent. The feeling of the helicopter leaving the ground was a mix of excitement and tension for Richard as this was his first time riding a helicopter.
As they gained altitude, the city's landscape stretched out below them. Thick black smoke billowing from the burning houses, buildings, and cars. Zombies roaming the streets. Despite the hellish landscape below, the city is still bright with street lights and indoor lighting from the skyscrapers. It's going to be a luxury in the future as electricity will be a rare commodity due to power plants shutting down.
Jolly 1 and 2 were flying in a tight formation. Jolly 1 led the way, and Jolly 2 followed closely behind.
"Jolly 1, how long until we arrive at our destination?" Richard asked through the radio.
"Three minutes out," Jolly 1 Pilot answered.
"Okay, I have plenty of time," Richard said as he pulled out his phone from his pocket. He wanted to tell Lisa that he was on his way but just like earlier, there was no signal.
"Lisa, I'm coming for you, just hold on tight," Richard muttered under his breath.
***
Three minutes later, eleven-fifty in the evening. July 20th, 2023. Four hundred meters above the ground.
"Angel Actual to all stations be advised, we are approaching our destination," Richard announced through his radio as he gazed at one of the buildings of the Technological Engineering Institute.
'Oh my god…I'm sounding like a real soldier now.'
"Copy that Eagle Actual," Specter 1 acknowledged.
"Jolly 1, can you point your lights at the rooftop? I am seeing movements…" Richard observed.
"Copy that, Eagle Actual. Lights are on," the pilot of Jolly 1 responded.
As the helicopter's powerful landing lights illuminated the rooftop of the buildings of the university. And there he saw a group of survivors waving their arms, mostly students, signaling for help from the rooftop.
They were shouting.
"Here! Here!"
Their shouts were muffled by the sound of the rotors of the helicopter but it also attracted the attention of the zombies down the school grounds. Richard could see zombies flooding into the building as they had anticipated.
"Jolly 1, you're clear to land on the Building 9 rooftop. We'll provide cover from the air. Good luck," Specter 1's voice crackled over the radio.
Jolly 1 began its descent toward the rooftop of the university building. The wind from the rotors stirred up debris and dust.
As the helicopter's landing skids touched down on the rooftop, the Delta Forces inside Jolly 1 sprang into action. The cabin doors opened, and Specter 2 and 3 quickly established a defensive perimeter. The survivors, mostly students in tattered clothes, rushed toward the helicopter,
"Stay back! Stop right there!" Specter 2 shouted, his weapon trained on the approaching survivors.
The atmosphere shifted in an instant. The students, eager to escape the dangers below, hesitated as the barrels of Delta Forces' M4 Carbines were pointed at them.
"Sir please help us!" One of the students pleaded as he got into his knee and begged with tears in his eyes.
Richard counted the survivors in his head. There are eleven of them, some were college students while others are senior high.
"Specter 1 to Eagle Actual, we are ready to unleash hell on the zombies on the school grounds. Cover your ears, this will be loud."
"Everybody cover your ears," Richard shouted.
The survivors complied with Richard's orders and then suddenly, the GAU-2 minigun from Jolly 2 started to roar to life. The deafening sound of gunfire filled the air as the minigun unleashed its deadly payload upon the zombies, entering Building 9. Tracer rounds streaked through the night, tearing through undead flesh and sending sprays of blood and gore in every direction.
The survivors flinched at the sudden onslaught of noise but they held on.
The once-dense crowd of zombies thinned out considerably under the barrage of gunfire, but more continued to pour in from the surrounding area.
The gunfire continued for several minutes, the minigun's barrels glowing red-hot from the sustained fire. Finally, with a sharp hiss of steam, the minigun ceased its assault, its barrels smoking as they cooled down.
"Specter 1 to Eagle Actual, the zombie corpses have piled up in the entrance. We've created a temporary barricade. You won't have to worry about the zombies inside to have reinforcement," Specter 1 reported over the radio.
"Thanks for the assistance, we will move in now. Specter 5, you are to remain here, watch over the survivors."
"Understood, sir," Specter 5 nodded, acknowledging the order.
Richard, Specter 2, 3, and 4 approached the door leading downstairs. As they got there one of the survivors spoke.
"Sir there are zombies behind that door!"
Richard doesn't have to be reminded as it was to be expected. He can hear the snarling sounds coming from behind the door. He knew that once he opened it, a horde of zombies would come pouring out. He looked at Specter 2, 3, and 4, and they nodded in silent understanding. They were ready for this.
Richard took a deep breath and grabbed the doorknob. He glanced back at the survivors huddled behind him, fear in their eyes. He gave them a reassuring nod before turning the knob and pulling the door open.
