Chapter 4 The Fall

 Chapter 4

The Fall

Positions had been taken. Everyone had readied their weapons behind whatever cover they could find—vehicles, piles of scrap, chunks of collapsed concrete. Gunfire echoed intermittently, ricocheting off metal surfaces and filling the area with sharp, biting noise.

Gideon shouted loudly enough for the entire team to hear:

“Nathan! Arch! You’re with me! We’re flanking from the rear!”

Then he continued quickly:

“Salih! Neil! You stay here! You’ll provide cover!”

At those words, a faint smile appeared on Nathan’s face. In moments like this, his composure was almost habitual.

Salih, on the other hand, immediately protested, clear displeasure on his face:

“Damn it… why am I staying here? I can flank too!”

Gideon’s voice hardened instantly; he spoke in a tone that allowed no argument:

“Don’t get on my nerves, Salih! I have no intention of carrying your dead body back to base. Focus on staying alive and support us!”

That was enough to silence Salih. Suppressing his anger, he settled back into his position.

Gideon gave a brief hand signal to Nathan and Arch, a dark-haired man in his early thirties.

All three burst out of cover at the same time.

Ignoring the bullets whizzing past them, they advanced while firing, quickly disappearing into a narrow corridor between the heaps of scrap.

The operation had now begun in a way that left no turning back.

Salih and Neil, firmly dug into their positions, poured continuous fire toward the direction of the enemy. The exchange of bullets, the metallic clangs behind the scrap, and the rising smell of gunpowder turned the area into a full-fledged battlefield. Both men were out of breath, maintaining their defense without taking their eyes off the dark shapes ahead.

Meanwhile, Gideon, Nathan, and Arch were advancing from the rear. They moved silently but swiftly through narrow corridors, weaving between overturned metal blocks.

As Nathan rounded a corner, a silhouette suddenly appeared in front of him.

Without hesitation, he fired.

The figure collapsed to the ground.

It was the first time Nathan had ever taken someone down.

A strange mix spread across his face:

ambition…

rage…

and a peculiar thrill.

Gideon had already neutralized two or three enemies ahead of them, while simultaneously keeping an eye on Arch and covering him. His pulse was racing, yet his movements were firm and controlled. He was running the operation with cold precision.

But at that moment, there was a danger no one noticed.

As Nathan stood over the person he had just shot, trying to steady his breathing, he failed to see the shadow approaching from behind. He didn’t register how exposed he was. Suddenly, a gunshot rang out from close range.

The bullet slammed into his back.

Nathan’s body lurched forward uncontrollably and crashed to the ground.

His world fell instantly silent.

The shock of the moment Nathan was hit still seemed to hang in the air. The instant Gideon saw it, he lunged toward Nathan’s position. Just as he was about to crouch beside him, another unexpected shot rang out. Gideon was thrown backward by the impact of the bullet striking his chest and fell to the ground. A few more rounds followed, hitting Gideon’s body.

Arch, advancing behind them, saw both of his teammates collapse. The shock in his eyes gave way to instinctive reaction. He raised his weapon and began sweeping the area. Firing nonstop, he did everything he could to protect the spot where Nathan and Gideon had fallen. With every shot, every movement, there was a determined effort to suppress the panic threatening to take over.

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