would reveal his position to the other group of attackers. Sure enough, bullets strafed the metal above his head an instant later.
He heard more shooting below; he low-crawled along the walkway to a different spot, hoping to throw off his opponents.
The exchange of gunfire momentarily subsided; Ethan approached the rail and swept the room with his scope again. The original two tangos were down. He advanced further along the balcony, keeping his eye to the scope, continually sweeping the first floor. He concentrated on the west side.
There.
Another tango, crouched behind a machine containing several horizontal spindles.
Ethan lined up his reticule and squeezed the trigger.
The man dropped.
"Clear?" Doug said over the comm.
Ethan swept the room one last time, and then the balcony across from him. He spotted a group on the southwest.
"Confirm your position," Ethan said.
"The four of us are on the southwest," Doug sent. "Behind the machine closest to the wall."
"I see you," Ethan said. "Everything else looks clear. But there are a lot of doors and hallways down there where muj could be hiding."
"Get down here," Doug sent.
"Make sure your resistance friends don't fire on me," Ethan said.
He made his way along the walkway at a crouch, pausing occasionally to sweep his rear vector and to peer over the rail. He took the steps to the ground floor and approached the four figures that were crouched behind one of the machines.
"Coming in from your two o'clock," Ethan whispered.
In moments he'd joined up with William, Doug, and two of the resistance members. He was relieved that the latter pair hadn't opened fire on him. He didn't have to ask where the third man was—obviously one of the bodies lying on the stone floor belonged to him.
The group made its way between the machines. Ethan took the lead, followed by Doug and the two resistance fighters, with William bringing up the rear. The moonlight didn't penetrate the shadows there, so they used the infrared lights mounted on their Picatinny rails to illuminate the darkness.
Ethan did his best to follow the route the doctor had laid out for them. He approached the open doorway that was supposed to lead to the mechanical room.
He sensed motion inside it. "Take cover!"
He ducked behind a large machine.
Gunfire erupted from the doorway; bullets dinged off the two horizontal spindles at the front of the apparatus.
Ethan leaned past the edge and tossed one of the M84 flashbangs Doug had procured for them. It landed inside the entryway.
"Bang!" he told his companions. He looked down and away.
The pyrotechnic charge detonated. He hardly noticed the hundred and seventy decibel bang, which sounded more like a pop to his ears by that point in the gunfight. The flash faded almost instantly, but the grit kicked up by the grenade whipped at his cheek.
Ethan leaned past the edge of the machine, scanning the doorway through his scope. One man stood stunned and blinded in plain sight just inside. Ethan took him down.
Ethan hurried forward and pressed himself against the wall that bordered the doorway. William did the same on the opposite side.
Ethan rolled another flashbang inside. "Bang!"
He averted his gaze and exhaled slowly. When the pyrotechnic detonated, he swung his torso to aim the A4 into the mechanical room. He went high, William low.
He spotted another militant running deeper into the room, and opened fire. The man fell with a soft thud.
"Tangos down," Ethan said softly. However there were several more machines in that room where enemies could be hiding. Boilers. Heat exchangers. Water tanks and pumps. Air handlers.
The group cautiously proceeded forward; Doug and Ethan searched behind each machine and cleared them in turn while the others provided cover. The operatives encountered no one else.
As he passed the bodies of the two he had taken down, Ethan noted that these latest men possessed thick jihadi-style beards. Ordinary mujahadeen after all. William was
He heard more shooting below; he low-crawled along the walkway to a different spot, hoping to throw off his opponents.
The exchange of gunfire momentarily subsided; Ethan approached the rail and swept the room with his scope again. The original two tangos were down. He advanced further along the balcony, keeping his eye to the scope, continually sweeping the first floor. He concentrated on the west side.
There.
Another tango, crouched behind a machine containing several horizontal spindles.
Ethan lined up his reticule and squeezed the trigger.
The man dropped.
"Clear?" Doug said over the comm.
Ethan swept the room one last time, and then the balcony across from him. He spotted a group on the southwest.
"Confirm your position," Ethan said.
"The four of us are on the southwest," Doug sent. "Behind the machine closest to the wall."
"I see you," Ethan said. "Everything else looks clear. But there are a lot of doors and hallways down there where muj could be hiding."
"Get down here," Doug sent.
"Make sure your resistance friends don't fire on me," Ethan said.
He made his way along the walkway at a crouch, pausing occasionally to sweep his rear vector and to peer over the rail. He took the steps to the ground floor and approached the four figures that were crouched behind one of the machines.
"Coming in from your two o'clock," Ethan whispered.
In moments he'd joined up with William, Doug, and two of the resistance members. He was relieved that the latter pair hadn't opened fire on him. He didn't have to ask where the third man was—obviously one of the bodies lying on the stone floor belonged to him.
The group made its way between the machines. Ethan took the lead, followed by Doug and the two resistance fighters, with William bringing up the rear. The moonlight didn't penetrate the shadows there, so they used the infrared lights mounted on their Picatinny rails to illuminate the darkness.
Ethan did his best to follow the route the doctor had laid out for them. He approached the open doorway that was supposed to lead to the mechanical room.
He sensed motion inside it. "Take cover!"
He ducked behind a large machine.
Gunfire erupted from the doorway; bullets dinged off the two horizontal spindles at the front of the apparatus.
Ethan leaned past the edge and tossed one of the M84 flashbangs Doug had procured for them. It landed inside the entryway.
"Bang!" he told his companions. He looked down and away.
The pyrotechnic charge detonated. He hardly noticed the hundred and seventy decibel bang, which sounded more like a pop to his ears by that point in the gunfight. The flash faded almost instantly, but the grit kicked up by the grenade whipped at his cheek.
Ethan leaned past the edge of the machine, scanning the doorway through his scope. One man stood stunned and blinded in plain sight just inside. Ethan took him down.
Ethan hurried forward and pressed himself against the wall that bordered the doorway. William did the same on the opposite side.
Ethan rolled another flashbang inside. "Bang!"
He averted his gaze and exhaled slowly. When the pyrotechnic detonated, he swung his torso to aim the A4 into the mechanical room. He went high, William low.
He spotted another militant running deeper into the room, and opened fire. The man fell with a soft thud.
"Tangos down," Ethan said softly. However there were several more machines in that room where enemies could be hiding. Boilers. Heat exchangers. Water tanks and pumps. Air handlers.
The group cautiously proceeded forward; Doug and Ethan searched behind each machine and cleared them in turn while the others provided cover. The operatives encountered no one else.
As he passed the bodies of the two he had taken down, Ethan noted that these latest men possessed thick jihadi-style beards. Ordinary mujahadeen after all. William was
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