The only downside of the makeshift ballistic shield was its weight. Aubrey had to use both hands just to lift it with difficulty. Coordinating between two people—one holding the shield in front and the other dragging the injured officers—would leave too much room for error.
Jack clearly wasn't planning to do it that way. Just because Aubrey, as the "weakling" of the group, couldn't handle the shield didn't mean Jack couldn't. He stepped forward, single-handedly hoisted the shield, and strode confidently into the house through the back door, crossing through the rooms to reach the front entrance.
The sturdy wooden floor groaned under his heavy steps, but Aubrey, following closely behind, showed no surprise at Jack's strength. During their regular training sessions, Aubrey had taken the most hits and witnessed Jack's raw power firsthand.
Clay, who had thought of himself as a monster in terms of physical ability thanks to his special forces training, had been astonished to discover that the strongest and most skilled fighter among them was actually Jack.
Feeling someone approach from behind, the officer crouching near Clay turned to look at Jack, his expression a mix of surprise and confusion.
"Fall back. I'll cover you. We've got this now," Jack said as he planted the shield firmly on the steps and motioned for the officer to retreat. The officer, as if awakening from a dream, crouched low and slipped into the house under the shield's cover.
Clay shot a quick glance over his shoulder. Seeing Jack's stance, he immediately understood his plan and shouted, "Reloading!" Upstairs, Hannah responded with a few concise shots to maintain suppression.
Clay ejected the magazine, which still had five or six rounds left, and grabbed two 30-round magazines taped together from his tactical vest. He began firing rapid, precise bursts.
This "jungle style" method of taping magazines together allowed for quick reloads and sustained fire.
Meanwhile, Jack moved forward with the shield, circling around the bullet-riddled police car at a steady pace toward the two fallen officers.
Seeing this, one of the two gunmen, frustrated by the combined suppression from Clay and Hannah, abandoned his position at the heavily monitored attic window and moved to a ground-floor window.
Two gunshots rang out. Jack felt the shield tremble slightly. The next second, Hannah, now with a clear view, fired a single shot, producing a spray of blood.
"Ah!" The gunman screamed, clutching the wound on his shoulder and neck as he leapt out of the window. Just as he prepared to spray bullets wildly with his rifle, Clay fired a controlled burst, hitting him square in the chest. The gunman collapsed to the ground.
Much like how the officers' standard ballistic vests had been powerless against the high-caliber rifles used by the gunmen, the gunman's vest was no match for the .300 Blackout (BLK) rounds fired from the Noveske N4 assault rifle.
The .300 BLK round, though relatively new, had evolved from a "wildcat" cartridge, originally handcrafted by American gun enthusiasts. It involved cutting down the case of a 5.56x35mm round, widening it, and fitting it with a 7.62mm bullet.
This modification gave the round ballistics similar to the 7.62mm AK rifle round while retaining the compact size of NATO-standard 5.56mm rounds, allowing it to fit into standard AR magazines.
The "Advanced Armament Corporation" (AAC) refined this wildcat round, producing both subsonic heavy bullets and supersonic variants. Jack's team used the supersonic version in their Noveske N4 rifles, the same model favored by Navy SEALs. The shorter 8.5-inch barrels of their Maxim Defense MDX rifles were also optimized for subsonic rounds with superior stopping power, perfect for CQB (close-quarters battle).
One reason Jack had Clay replace the officer with the empty M16 was that the officer's standard NATO rounds could not be safely loaded into their modified rifles. A misstep could cause a catastrophic malfunction.
With one gunman down, the gunfire briefly ceased. Hannah took the opportunity to reposition upstairs, while Jack reached the two injured officers. He set the shield down to protect them.
One of the officers was still breathing, though barely. Severe blood loss had rendered him too weak to speak, but being found by Jack meant he now had a chance to survive. Unfortunately, his comrade, whom he had valiantly tried to protect, had already succumbed to his wounds.
Jack carefully gripped the injured officer's tactical vest and gently hoisted him onto his back. Maintaining his crouched posture, Jack continued to hold the shield with one hand while slowly retreating.
Despite his composed appearance, the weight Jack was carrying was immense. The injured officer was nearly as big as Clay, meaning Jack was essentially carrying the equivalent of one Clay on his back, dragging another Clay, all while holding the heavy shield and staying crouched.
Thanks to his exceptional physical condition and relentless training, Jack managed to sustain this awkward position, but even his face turned red from the effort. He couldn't lift his head—doing so would expose the injured officer above the shield's protection.
Gunfire resumed as the remaining gunman, now cautious, refrained from exposing himself. Instead, he resorted to "blind firing," raising his weapon above cover and spraying bullets aimlessly. This ineffective tactic was quickly countered by the combined fire of Clay and Hannah, forcing him back into cover.
Several other officers, armed with handguns and shotguns, had been exchanging fire with the gunmen from various cover points, displaying admirable bravery. However, at nearly 100 meters, their weapons were as good as useless—this wasn't a movie, and not everyone was a "John Wick."
Now that Clay and Hannah had taken over the firefight, the conflict centered on the line between the rectangular house and the police car, allowing Jack to make his move.
Hannah's G28E, equipped with a suppressor, left no visible muzzle flash in broad daylight, making it difficult for the remaining gunman to pinpoint her location. His retaliatory fire focused on the police car instead.
As Jack, carrying the shield and the injured officer, emerged, the surrounding officers paused their shooting, watching him in awe. Many silently prayed for his success.
When Jack finally retreated into the house with the injured officer, some officers couldn't help but cheer in excitement. Nothing could better embody the term "heroic feat" than this.
(End of Chapter)
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