Underground Warfare

Encountering nobody on our way back up, Sebastian gave the rope and the man to Lennox and Mary, both still posted outside the door.

"Tie him up to a tree near here. Keep an eye on that bastard." Sebastian ordered.

Both bringing the man to a nearby tree, they tied the rope around his chest to the tree. The man sat there, silent. Weird he isn't struggling much, just accepting it.

"Alright, back to clearing out the mine. Already have a hostage to give, and he does look higher in rank. Let's go." Sebastian walked back down.

We returned down. With a different task in mind, clear out the mines.

"Let's move to the other section." Sebastian passed the left section, cautiously approaching the 2nd one. As we got closer, I can hear chattering, people talking.

"Sounds like 2 of em." Sebastian led by the front again, now nearing the corner to the section.

In quick succession, Sebastian leapt out of cover, firing 2 suppressed shots. Yelps followed after the shots. Entering the section, two lifeless bodies lie on the ground, a bullet hole to their heads.

"Nora you got the map right?" Fumbling paper followed after Sebastian's question, behind me Nora held the large map. Studying it.

"If I'm not wrong this section just goes forward to a dead end. The one we went through earlier is also a dead end."

"Alright. Thalia, Stephen, Marcel, and Luna head back to the section we first went to earlier. After sweeping both areas we'll reunite here and advance deeper into the mines." All 4 immediately left the main group, heading out to sweep the area we just went to earlier.

"Ok, follow me." On the move again, I readied my weapon.

A door opened in front of us, screeching as it did.

In just a second the person who emerged collapsed, shot in the head.

"SHIT THERE'S SOMEONE HERE!" Someone shouted.

"Get ready." Sebastian ordered. I aimed my rifle to the front, my eyes beaming at the door ready for em to get out.

A figure jumped out, spraying us with his rifle. Bullets dinged around, hitting the dirt or us. I fell down, a few bullets slammed directly into my chest. But I felt no bleeding except a blunt pain.

The rest immediately returned fire, firing at the man who sprayed us.

I get up, the man now looked unrecognizable. His body torn up by shots on all parts of his body.

"Let's move faster, stay together." I readied my weapon, now at the front next to Sebastian. Gripping my rifle tightly, finger on the trigger.

Moving more and more into this mine, 2 intersections greeted us, one going to the right and one going to the left.

At the same time, two people peeked from the intersections, opening fire directly at us. I fell to the ground, still no pain except the bullets slamming into me. This armor is far better, or their guns suck.

On our backs, we returned fire at them, slowly getting back up, stopping only to reload.

"KEEP FIRING!" Sebastian shouted.

Me along with Alina slam our backs near the corners of both sides, we aimed our rifles opposite of one another. Ready to kill, the insurgent looked at me, before he can raise his rifle. I fired, he fell to the ground, but wasn't dead. Alina took a shot as well, ending this quick fight.

The man grabbed his neck with his two hands, gasping, choking for air as blood spat out. I pointed my rifle again, this time making sure it's aimed at his head.

A pull of the trigger, he fell silent. Now dead, and no longer in pain. A small square object fell out of his pocket. A drop of blood staining the top, i picked it up. It's a picture, showing the face of a woman on the front, "My love" Scribbled in black ink at the back of the photo....

"What are you looking at?" Alina approached me. She took the photo from my hand.

"Oh.....Sorry to say this but were in a mission right now, better to finish it. Then you can reminisce more on it." Alina placed the photo on the corpse, walking away.

Swallowing my thoughts for now I return to the main group, ready for another firefight, leaving the corpse with his picture.

"Do these two intersections go anywhere? Or were still sticking to the main path." Sebastian approached the route i entered, glancing over the corpse and picture, but he kept walking deeper till we can't see him anymore, the light no longer showing his location.

The noise of something heavy or solid clattering around followed, similar to the sound of rocks falling or pebbles moving around.

"Nothin, looks to be caved in. Coming back out now." Sebastian relayed the information.

"Damon check the other tunnel."

Following his orders, I walk to the other section.

"Stephen, how's your team holding up there?" Sebastian asked Stephen through the comms.

"We reached a dead end, but found some rooms with loot or intel that can be used. Our bags are almost full right now, what about your team?"

"We stumbled upon some hostiles, they died though. We also found 2 paths going to the left and right. Place is huge, sounds like the map was either outdated or these tunnel sections are new." The two conversed on the comms.

My hatchet swayed around. The light became dimmer and dimmer the deeper I traversed here.

Moving more into the tunnel, I came across another door. A metal one. Past the door was a pile of large rocks, burying whatever was there in it, perhaps an old route. Looking back at the door, wonder what's in this one. I moved up to it, on the side with the handle. I turned the handle quietly, trying to not make a noise. Unlocked as well.

Wish I had that device we used back at the house raid, would make room clearing a lot more easy.

"Damon see anything there?"

"A metal door." I replied to Sebastian.

"Alright, Alina go to Damon and help to clear the room."

I stood by, now in front of the door. Looking around the area first, here i thought the most underground they can go is a tunnel, no they even got an entire mine system for a base of operations. They're crafty, wonder if burnwick also has alot of funding put to em.

I turn back to the door, it suddenly swung open. A figure too fast to recognize dashed directly into me. Ramming my body to the dirt wall, I groaned in pain, looking at the figure again, a masked insurgent, wearing some gas mask. He threw me down, preparing to aim a compact smg at me. I struggled to get up, using my legs I hit him in the shins, forcing him to kneel down. Adrenaline hits my veins soon I can no longer feel the pain. Where's Alina? No matter, I can just fight him off till she comes or I kill him.

I take out the hatchet, and prepared to swing, eventually we both struggled to hit each other with our weapons. Moving his arm about firing bullets around the place. He had a firm grip on my hand, I can't hit him with the hatchet.

Struggling for some time, we both threw each other onto the dirt. I turn to look behind me, see if Alina arrived yet. Instead of Alina though, I can see my rifle. On the ground with the strength I had I got up. Moving to get the rifle, I hear a loud bang, a blunt pain hit my back. Back to the dirt, I reached to grab my weapon. Turning fast I had no chance to aim right, just pointing at the insurgent with his smg also aimed directly at me. I pulled the trigger, after I fired I felt a sharp pain, this time in my right arm. Grabbing my arm I feel myself losing control. Control over my body, is it taking over again?

Without control, I feel my right arm retrieve the hatchet, my body walked slowly towards the man, still on the ground.

I raised my hatchet up, the man extended his arm, trying to fire one last time. In a swift strike, the hatchet slammed directly at his skull, going through the mask as well. My arm started removing the hatchet, slamming it back down again. Just like before, slamming, again, and again, and again.

Control finally returned. My hand still gripped the hatchet tightly, putting it back on, I turn around. Alina stood, her weapon lowered. Must've saw me just bludgeon that guy.

"Holy shit, that was brutal." Alina commented.

"What happened?" Sebastian asked, hearing Alina's comment.

"Damon got into an altercation, found him just cleaving a guy's head with his hatchet." Alina walks to the corpse.

"Wow," Alina looks back at me. "This is one brutal aftermath of a fight. Also I can see you have a wound on your arm, I assume your virus will heal that, but once were done clearing out the area. I'll patch it up for good measure. Let's see what's in the room." Alina enters the room.

The man, lifeless, bloody, his head unrecognizable stayed on the ground, in a pool of his own blood.

As my senses returned I remembered the picture the insurgent earlier had, maybe this guy also had a family or wife. No I need to finish this mission first, and talk about this later. I entered the room, unzipping the bag, ready to get any info we can find.