Chapter 2 Cold Metal

 Chapter 2

Cold Metal

At the same time, far from the beach, in a building in a distant area, long-barreled rifles, pistols, automatic weapons, grenades, and various types of equipment hung in neat rows on shelves lining the walls of a room. The cold gleam of metal combined with the room’s white lighting, creating a sharp, sterile atmosphere. Everything was arranged flawlessly; not a single weapon had been left haphazardly.

Nathan Langford, in his mid-thirties, stood in front of a rack and picked up a rifle. He tested its weight, checked the barrel, then glanced at another model right beside it. A few steps away, Salih Ahmed, a dark-haired man in his forties with closely cropped hair, was examining another weapon with the same level of care. Both men were fully geared up: bulletproof vests, knee pads, shoulder guards… Only their helmets were still off. The visors of those helmets were capable of detecting even the slightest movement behind 15 centimeters of concrete.

Looking at the new-model weapon in his hands, Salih called out to Nathan:

“Have you seen this? I’ve never seen anything like it before. Must be new.”

At that moment, the team leader—a dark-haired man in his mid-thirties—approached them. The gear he wore was heavier and more professional than the others’; his leadership was evident even in the way he looked.

“Yes,” he said, examining the weapon. “Its firing system is different from the others. It’s a very recent model.”

Salih asked curiously,

“So… can I use it in the operation?”

The team leader shook his head in refusal.

“No. You haven’t been trained to use it. I wouldn’t recommend it. Besides, we should have integrated it into your gear beforehand.”

“Then why?” Salih said, still staring at the weapon.

“So I won’t be able to use it?”

The leader replied in a firm tone:

“We don’t have time. In two hours, we’ll encounter the opposing faction group. You’re not going to experiment with an unfamiliar weapon now.”

Elsewhere in the room, the other three were also making preparations—tightening their vests, checking weapons, swapping magazines, adjusting their knives. In total, there were five of them: Nathan, Salih, two other special operations soldiers, and the team leader.

Nathan silently slung the weapon he had chosen over his shoulder. Salih placed the one in his hands back on the rack and picked up a more familiar model.

The preparations were nearly complete.

Metallic sounds echoed through the room:

the click of magazines locking into place, the pull of charging handles, rifles being secured to shoulder straps…

All of it pointed to the same reality:

an operation was approaching.

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