Jason led Trent and Brock toward the entrance of the alleyway, rifles ready, setting up an ambush for the Lionheart troops on their way in. Meanwhile, Sonny and Long Zhan had already reached the outside of a two-story residence.
“Battering ram!” Sonny held out his hand expectantly, his old habit kicking in before he remembered that everyone was traveling light for this mission.
“I’ve got breaching rounds, but no battering ram,” Long Zhan said with a half-smile. “If you want one, you’ll have to hike back to base.”
“Fine,” Sonny muttered, recovering quickly from his mistake. He tilted his head with mock nonchalance and swung his weapon around to unstrap the breaching shotgun on his back, a cut-down Remington M870, customized for forced entry with special rounds.
“Hold on.”
Long Zhan stopped him, lifting a brow. “No need for that. I’ve got a faster way. Step aside.”
“Oh?”
Sonny didn’t hesitate. With no time to argue, he backed away, curious to see what Long Zhan was about to do.
This time, Long Zhan didn’t waste energy on theatrics. He stepped back three paces, took a short run-up, and drove his boot straight into the lock.
Clang!
The thick wooden door, a full three centimeters of solid timber, exploded into splinters. It tore free from the frame and shattered into several pieces that crashed inward.
The power! The sheer force! Judging solely by the sound, you would think it was a bull that crashed into that door.
Inside, a woman who looked as if she had just gotten out of bed gasped, her mouth opening for a scream. She didn’t get the chance however, as Long Zhan was already on her, his hand chopping sharply at her neck. She lost consciousness before a sound escaped her lips.
Sonny blinked. He’d missed the chance to see Long Zhan in his earlier evaluation, and this was his first look at the man’s true capabilities. First that terrifying kick, now this lightning-fast takedown, for a big guy, Long Zhan moved with startling speed. Sonny’s eyes lit up and he silently congratulated himself for pushing Jason to recruit him.
“Nice work, buddy.” He gave Long Zhan a thumbs-up.
Then, signaling upward, the two of them fell into a textbook CQB formation and started clearing the narrow staircase with precision and speed.
This was Lionheart territory, and in a place like this no one could afford to assume civilians were unarmed. However urgent the mission, a lapse in vigilance could mean catching a stray bullet from a “bystander.”
The building was nothing more than an ordinary two-story home, with a living room, a kitchen, and a small utility room.
It was their first time working side by side, but Sonny and Long Zhan meshed quickly. In under a minute they had swept the second floor, clearing each room.
In the bedroom, they found a young man clutching an old Nokia phone. He was standing near the window, clearly a lookout.Since the man was unarmed and just passing intelligence, Long Zhan didn’t kill him. He came behind him and knocked him unconscious just like the woman downstairs. He knew there was a small risk the blow might prove fatal, but there was no time to worry about that now.
Jason would have done it differently. He would’ve restrained them with ties, kept things safe and by the book. But Jason wasn’t here, Sonny was.
Sonny, the man who was infamous in Bravo Team for his reckless ideas and explosive temper, the one Jason always kept in check.
Seeing Long Zhan's reckless use of violence, his disregard for the rules and regulations, and his willingness to do the things he normally wanted to but wouldn't dare, Sonny didn't see anything wrong with it and instead warmed to Long Zhan.
Birds of a feather flock together, or so the saying went.
They finished the sweep and moved onto the roof, finding a position along the lower wall. From there, they had a clear line of sight.
Lionheart’s men had arrived.
The armed pickup truck with a mounted .50 cal heavy machine gun blocked the entrance of the alleyway, its black muzzle pointed directly at Jason’s team. Forty to fifty foot soldiers fanned out in support, moving with the coordination of men who had at least some military training.
One group forced civilians out of nearby houses, setting up firing positions in windows and doorways. The others clustered around the truck, listening to the officer barking out orders.
From their posture, it was obvious that they were about to storm the alleyway, using the truck and infantry in tandem to pin down and wipe out Bravo Team.
By the time Long Zhan finished scanning, the enemy had completed their deployment.
“Move in. Kill them all. Go!” the officer roared.
Twenty soldiers surged forward with a collective shout. Some charged directly toward the alley’s entrance, while others veered toward the nearby houses, planning to cut through and come at the alley from behind.
Long Zhan and Sonny kept their eyes fixed on the armed truck. That truck had to be taken out in one decisive strike. Firing too soon would only give away their position and ruin their shot.
So they stayed low, crouched behind the roof’s wall, patiently waiting.
In the alley below, Jason, Trent, and Brock braced themselves. Their job was to draw the enemy’s fire, hold the enemy at bay, and buy the time Sonny and Long Zhan needed.
Lionheart’s troops launched their assault. In an instant, the firefight erupted.
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