Chapter Five
After the meeting, Michael showed each of the captains and commanders to their rooms. Before going to his room, Simon decided to go outside. He wanted to patrol the entire base to get to know it better. He was inside the command building. As he exited the building, he saw John. Simon told John he wanted to take a walk around the base, and John asked for permission to accompany him, which Simon accepted. They started from the command building, walking and talking together. John explained everything he saw to Simon:
· "That building is the troops' rest area, and over there is the firing range. If you look to your left, Commander, you'll see the weapons depots, tactical gear, and the repair shop." After patrolling the western section,they headed to the eastern part of the base. On the way, Simon said:
· "Your equipment is very good. We can use all of it." John said:
· "That's right. But the only downside is that it's getting close to the border. Originally, we were 30 kilometers from the border, but with the war against Sensrief and losing our borders, that distance has been reduced to 10 kilometers." Simon said:
· "Yes, unfortunately. But we can retake those borders. The operation we have planned can deal a significant blow to Sensrief. It will definitely slow them down." "And you must also consider that this is a hidden base.Even if the enemy gets close, we can still strike them like an invisible soldier." John said:
· "I hope you're right, Commander." After a brief pause,John said:
· "Sir, I had a question for you?" After Simon nodded,John said:
· "In Ruritania, something happened where you told Nadia, 'You were just following orders'?" Simon stared into John's eyes for a moment.He felt a hint of regret, and a sense of defeat was transmitted to him. He recounted the story to John.After telling it, Simon said:
· "I was angry, but I apologized to her later. I think she forgave me." John thought for a moment and then said with a smile:
· "Yeah, maybe even more than forgiving." Simon said:
· "What do you mean?" John said:
· "I've been serving with Nadia for a long time. She's always very rigid, stern, and ready for self-sacrifice. But when she talks to you, she's not herself at all. I was thinking that... never mind." Simon said:
· "I hate it when you leave your sentence half-finished. Tell me." John said:
· "I'll tell you later, sir. Ah, we've reached the eastern section. This is the specialized and technical sections. Medical and treatment facilities are here. That building over there is the security section of the base." John was explaining when something occurred to Simon. Simon said to John:
· "John. You said Sensrief's intelligence is very good, right?" John said:
· "Yes, why?" Simon said:
· "We're dealing a heavy blow to Sensrief. They won't sit idle, John." John said:
· "Well, we're safe inside the base." Simon said:
· "Just as they identified the Ghost soldiers and planted wiretaps, they'll find the base too. We need an escape route. You know this area well. Investigate and find a place we can retreat to if we're attacked and can't defend ourselves." John said:
· "Okay, I'll arrange it." Simon said:
· "You just have to be quick. Find that place and set up basic facilities there." John said:
· "Yes, sir. I'll do it. Although we should also consider that if there's an attack, we can go to the bases near here, Commander." Simon said:
· "When you consider that possibility, they do too, Johnny."
×××× ×
Jake was resting, thinking about the plan he had devised. He said to himself:
· "Did I leave any gaps?" "Did I miss anything?" "Maybe I shouldn't have made the plan so risky." All these thoughts were interrupted by the sound of a door knock.Someone was knocking. Jake adjusted himself in his chair and said loudly:
· "Come in." The door opened .It was Liz. Jake smiled upon seeing her. He told her to sit down. Liz came forward and sat on a chair. Jake said:
· "What's up? Why did you come here?" Liz said:
· "Sir, I've received news from Commander Simon." Jake's attention was caught.He leaned towards Liz and said:
· "Well, what happened?" Liz said:
· "Sir, he and the Ghost team are preparing for a calculated and dangerous operation. They plan to attack one of Sensrief's bases that the Ghost spy team told him about." Jake thought for a moment and said:
· "Well, Simon must have a plan. He knows what he's doing. How many nights until the attack?" Liz said:
· "Approximately 5 more nights." Jake said:
· "Hah. Even when Simon isn't with me, he still helps us. Excellent. We can bring precise intel to General Sensrief. Without getting hit." Liz said worriedly:
· "Sir, do you think Commander Rheek can handle this operation?" Jake said:
· "Don't doubt it. He's Simon Rheek." Both fell silent.Jake said:
· "What are Alex and Mac doing?" Liz replied:
· "I don't know about Mac, but Alex is getting into Sensrief's building systems. His head is steaming more than the computers." Jake said:
· "Yes, he knows what to do. I'm glad he's here." After a moment of thought,Jake looked at Liz and said:
· "Liz... what kind of drink do you like?" Liz,surprised, answered with a smile and a bit of embarrassment:
· "Uhh... well, I... something sweet, I think, would be nice." Jake said:
· "Do you want to go out?" Liz said:
· "Out?" Jake said:
· "Yeah, out. We came to an enemy country, but we're not going to play spy. We're supposed to appear like ordinary people, so I don't think it's a problem. We'll go out, have something sweet. Together. What do you think?" Liz said:
· "What about the others?" Jake said:
· "Well, we'll go secretly." Liz said:
· "Alright, okay. But if the others find out, I'm blaming everything on you." Jake looked at Liz with an eager expression and said with a smile:
· "Thank you. It's good to have you on my side." Liz laughed and said:
· "You're welcome." Jake said:
· "I'll let you know, okay?" Liz smiled at Jake and left the room,saying "Okay." After Liz left, Jake leaned back in his chair. His smile didn't leave his lips. With this proposal, it was as if his heart had lightened. But it was beating faster.
A few days had passed. Jake had completed all the preparations for the operation. From surveilling the agents in the building to eavesdropping on them.One day, he went out under the pretext of buying groceries, but only he knew he had gone to find a suitable cafe. When he left the house, he took everything into account from the start: the people's comings and goings, all the shops, and the streets. About a block up, there was a small, very cozy cafe. He noted this cafe and, after buying a few food items, returned to the nest. He entered,and after several hours, he went to Liz. Liz was standing next to Alex, talking to him. Jake approached them and heard their conversation:
· "Well, what are you going to do now, Alex?"
· "Well, I think it's better to enter with a hidden IP. Their work is really good; I didn't think I'd get banned by them."
· "Well, you're banned. Do you think they can find you?"
· "No, I thought about that part. They can't." Jake announced his presence.He said to Alex:
· "Is something wrong, Alex? I heard you talking about getting banned?" Alex said:
· "No, just a problem. I'll fix it." Then Jake turned to Liz and said:
· "Come, I need to talk to you." They went to one side of the hall,and after making sure no one would hear them, Jake said to Liz:
· "Well, look, I found a cafe a block away. I think you'll like it. Do you want to go?" Liz,her face showing she was excited and thrilled, said with a smile:
· "Yeah, I'll come. Just when do you want to go?" "How about tonight?" Liz said:
· "Okay." Jike smiled at her and went to his room.
×××× ×
Over the past few days, Simon, along with a Granland team, had surveilled enemy bases using many drones. Now he was resting in his room. After a short nap, he left his room. He went to the base grounds. He wanted to take a walk to clear his mind.The sky was cloudy. A cool breeze was blowing, and the leaves of the trees rustled, their melody soothing Simon's ears. After walking for several minutes, Simon saw Nadia sitting in a corner. Simon went to her. After reaching her, he greeted her. Nadia saw him and wanted to stand up, but Simon didn't let her. Then he sat down next to Nadia. Simon said:
· "Why are you sitting here?" Nadia said:
· "Oh, well... nothing. I was just thinking." Simon said:
· "Well, you can tell me." Nadia remained silent. Simon said:
· "Alright, no problem. Think or whatever, shake it off; this way, your brain can relieve its stress." Simon was about to get up when Nadia said:
· "I talked to my father on the phone." Simon returned to his seat.He said:
· "Well, that's very good." Nadia said sadly:
· "My mother is very sick..... It's very hard for my father to take care of her. He's a veteran of the Ruritania-Granland war." Simon became thoughtful.He replied:
· "Oh. I'm sorry." Nadia said:
· "I'm here, and I can't help them. My mind is very preoccupied. I don't know what to do." Simon said:
· "Request leave, then." Nadia said:
· "They won't allow it. The country is at war. I can't go." Simon became thoughtful.He stood up and knelt on his feet, facing Nadia. He said:
· "Nadia." Nadia looked at Simon,and Simon continued:
· "I'm going to tell you something; listen. Right now, you just need to focus on the operation so you can perform it perfectly. After we return from the operation, I can do something for you." Nadia looked at Simon and said:
· "You can?" Simon said:
· "Yeah, don't worry, girl. I've got your back." Nadia said happily:
· "Thank you, sir. Thank you very much." Simon also smiled and extended his hand to help Nadia up.
×××× ×
After checking the equipment and finishing the remaining tasks, Jake put on his coat and went out. As he came down the stairs, he saw Liz waiting for Jake across the street. Her very beautiful coat had multiplied her beauty, and her golden hair shimmered. She saw Jake. She smiled and waved. Jake crossed the street. When Jake reached Liz,he said:
· "That coat looks really good on you." Liz said happily:
· "Thank you. You look handsome too." Jake smiled and guided Liz towards the cafe.They walked down the street together. The sky was cloudy,and a light drizzle was sweeping the ground. Liz said:
· "The weather is so nice." Jake said:
· "Yeah, I really like cold weather. You know, in cold weather, you can wear clothes to get warm, but in hot weather, there's nothing you can do." Liz said:
· "Yeah, but the weather now is neither cold nor warm." They talked like this together.They reached the cafe, but Liz suggested walking, and Jake, seeing that walking with her was very pleasant, agreed. They had come a long way.The pleasure of being together had distracted them from the path. They talked and laughed the whole way. Suddenly,Jake said:
· "Look. We've reached the city square." They looked at each other and laughed. Liz said:
· "It seems you weren't paying attention, Commander." Jake laughed and said:
· "Yes, honestly, I had a great time." Liz said:
· "Look, there's a bench over there. Let's go sit there." Liz took Jake's hand and pulled him towards the bench.They sat down. Pigeons landed in front of them, picking up seeds from the ground. Liz said:
· "One of the hobbies I really wanted to do but couldn't was jet skiing. I think it must be so fun to speed on the water. You know, even if you fall, nothing happens to you." Jake said:
· "Yeah, it's awesome. I love it. I've been before." Liz said excitedly:
· "Really? Wow, I'd love to go too." Jake laughed and said:
· "That's good. I promise to take you after all this is over." Liz looked into Jake's eyes.Liz's blue eyes sparkled. Jake was thinking about something. He said to himself:
· "Can I kiss her?" Liz broke this chain of Jake's thoughts:
· "Thank you, sir. I think I really needed this." Jake said:
· "I'm glad you liked it." Liz turned her face away and said:
· "Well, it's getting dark. We'd better go back before anyone notices we're gone."
×××× ×
Simon and the other commanders and captains were in the command center building. Simon was sitting on a chair, asking John for reports on the operation preparations. John said firmly:
· "Sir, we have prepared the operation equipment, which includes Team Alpha, the main team, and the infiltration team. We have equipped all teams with helmets equipped with night vision cameras, and all rifles are equipped with silencers." Simon interrupted John and said:
· "The main team is divided into two groups; it's better if you equipped the first group, which is supposed to deliver the initial blow to the base." John said:
· "That's right, we did just that. Team Alpha, under the leadership of Captain Caesar, is equipped with all sniper rifles, silencers, and thermal cameras. And we come to the infiltration team, which has all the necessary equipment, including silenced rifles, night vision goggles, grenades, flash and smoke grenades, and impact bombs." Simon said:
· "Excellent. Very well, just remember the main team delivers the first blow. We infiltrate after you attack the base." "As we said before,the main team attacks from the west, and the infiltration team attacks from the southeast." "Team Alpha must be sharp-shooters.Very well, Caesar, pay attention." And Simon used his fingers to show Caesar the location of the enemy's radar and anti-aircraft sites and added:
· "This radar is the most central compared to the others. You attack here." "Me and the infiltration team will attack the southern radar,and the northern radar must do the same. Caesar, choose someone to command the attack on the northern radar." "After capturing the radars,our infiltration team goes down, and you also deploy for shooting. Understood?" Everyone confirmed. Simon turned to Nadia and said:
· "Nadia, when the main team starts the attack, be ready to stand by for the attack." Nadia confirmed,and Simon said: "Let's go for another blow against Sensrief."
All the soldiers boarded the radar-evading helicopters that Granland had prepared. Equipment ready. Determined. Fearless and ready to die for their homeland. Two transport helicopters, each with a capacity of 15 people, and three attack helicopters for support. Everyone was ready.The helicopters lifted off the ground. Their blades created a storm on the ground. After gaining altitude,Simon watched the darkening sky. In a few hours, they would once again, as always, get their hands dirty with blood. But was it worth it?
×××× ×
The leaves of the trees were rustling against each other. The clouds had swallowed the moon, and a gentle breeze was blowing. The forest was in complete darkness. The helicopter landed after approaching the radars. All the soldiers disembarked and prepared their equipment. They separated and headed to their positions. Simon, along with three members of Team Alpha (snipers) and his four-person infiltration team, set off through the forest towards the enemy's radar and anti-aircraft sites on top of the mountain. Their helmets had night vision goggles, through which they saw the world in green. They moved cautiously upwards. Their footsteps made no sound. They reached a fence. The guards were visible. Simon ordered Michael to open the fence,and then he ordered all soldiers to be ready. All the soldiers and captains aimed their rifles at the Sensrief soldiers. After the fence was opened, Simon said to John:
· "Take half the soldiers and go to the left." Two groups entered.Simon, along with Victor and the soldiers, moved forward. He ordered the soldiers to spread out. All on standby and aimed. Simon said over the radio:
· "Fire." All the shots were fired simultaneously,and within a second, all the guards fell to the ground. Now the soldiers advanced and killed any remaining guards.The enemy's southern radar was captured in less than 5 minutes. The northern and western radars were captured in the same way. The hackers disabled the radars, and now the sky belonged to Team Atlas. Simon looked down at the base from the high ground. The enemy soldiers and lights made it look ominous. In the ruthless darkness of the forest, only the base lights shone. Simon said over the radio to Leo:
· "The main team has captured the radars. The radars are disabled, I repeat, disabled. Begin the attack." Leo said over the crackling radio:
· "Received, Commander. We're going in." Victor,Michael, and John came to Simon, ready to go towards the enemy base. Victor said:
· "Shouldn't we move?" Simon said:
· "No, it's too early now. We wait." All the snipers were in their positions.Weapons ready. Simon, seeing a vehicle from the main team approaching the base, said over the radio:
· "All snipers, fire at will." The vehicle was rapidly approaching the base gate.The enemy soldiers noticed the vehicle and began shooting. The snipers began their shots, and the soldiers on the base walls were killed one by one, falling from the walls. Finally, the vehicle crashed into the gate, breaking it. The main team entered the base. Enemy soldiers moved to defend against the main team, but the snipers gave them no chance to reach them. At that moment,Simon said:
· "Now we have to go. Quick." They set off towards the steep slope leading to the base.They moved quickly. Finally,they reached the base wall and climbed it using grappling hooks. They entered.Simon reported their entry over the radio to the snipers. Now the sniper teams' focus was on Team Bravo. The team was advancing rapidly. There were no soldiers, and if there were, they were quickly taken down. They reached the command building. Simon said:
· "Stay alert; this place has many guards." They advanced and reached a metal door.Michael came forward and placed a device on the door. Simon and Victor stood on the right side of the door, and John and Michael on the left. Simon was waiting for the explosion, but the device didn't explode; instead, it made a small noise, breaching the door and breaking it off its hinges. They entered. The inside of the building was very bright and clean.They continued moving; whenever a soldier came out of a room or hallway, they didn't hesitate for a moment and killed them. They were quickly heading towards the control room when they reached a bridge. This bridge, which had no roof, connected the command building to the control room. But on the way, a large bunker had been built. Sensrief soldiers had blocked the path. The engagement began. The four-person Atlas team was halted. Under heavy enemy fire.Team Bravo had no chance to enter. Simon contacted Nadia over the radio and said:
· "From Team Bravo to Air Support. We've encountered an enemy bunker and are under enemy fire. We need air support, I repeat, we need air support. For red smoke." Suddenly,Victor put his hand on Simon's shoulder and said, his voice lost in the sound of bullets and explosions:
· "Sir, if this bridge is destroyed, we can't cross." John said:
· "He's right." Simon thought and said to Nadia: "Request canceled,I repeat, request canceled." Michael said:
· "Sir, 13 minutes left until Sensrief's bombing!" Simon,still under enemy fire, was thinking when he saw the grenade on Victor's vest. Simon said:
· "Prepare your grenades." Everyone was ready and pulled the pins from their grenades .At Simon's command, they were thrown, and with the explosion, the entire enemy bunker was destroyed. There was no more fire or bullets. The explosion of four grenades was so powerful that even the shockwave damaged Simon and his companions' bunker. They advanced towards the door.They passed through the enemy bunker. The other side of the bunker was hell. The dismembered bodies of enemy soldiers were everywhere. The ground and walls had turned red with their blood. They all saw this scene, and their hearts ached, but they swallowed it inside. They reached the door. Like the previous one, it was metal. Michael placed the device on the door. Simon saw a mutilated soldier who had lost everything from the waist down,but the soldier was alive and looking at Simon with open eyes. Simon made eye contact with him. Simon saw the pain in his eyes. He raised his rifle and, with one shot to his head, freed him from the pain. Simultaneously, the door exploded, and Team Bravo entered. They entered very quickly,aiming their rifles. They killed all the soldiers in the room. Simon swallowed his saliva and said with a dry, dust-covered mouth:
· "Michael, extract any data you can from the computers. Victor, the launch codes are your responsibility. John, you and I stand ready." Everyone acted on Simon's orders. Michael was dumping enemy data onto a hard drive,and Victor was hacking the launch codes when suddenly Michael signaled John to come to him. Simon didn't pay attention, but their conversation and strange looks caught his attention. Simon just looked at them. Then, out of curiosity, he stepped towards them and asked:
· "John? Is something wrong?" In a completely unexpected move,John and Michael, who had stood up from their chairs, aimed their weapons at Simon. Victor was stunned when he saw this. Simon's eyes were wide with astonishment. Simon said with complete seriousness and anger:
· "What are you doing, soldier?" John said:
· "Maybe I should ask you what these are doing here?" Victor,who had stood up and raised his hands in a gesture of being unarmed, said:
· "What do you mean?" Michael said:
· "Aren't you enemies of Sensrief? Why are Ruritanian missiles in the base?"
Simon couldn't believe it. He said in disbelief:
· "It's impossible." John said:
· "Yeah, we're crazy to point guns at you in the middle of an operation." Simon wanted to go and look at the monitor,but John and Michael warned him not to come closer. Simon said:
· "John, don't go crazy. At least let me see." After saying this,Simon went towards the monitors and couldn't believe his eyes. Not only were they there, but out of all the short-range and tactical missiles, only one was Sensrief's. Simon said to Victor in disbelief:
· "Vic. They're all Ruritanian." Victor went to the monitor,and after seeing it, said:
· "It's impossible. How did they get here?" John became suspicious of Victor and Simon's reaction.But he still couldn't be sure. John said:
· "Explanation?" Simon turned and said:
· "I have no explanation. I don't know how they got here, but I want to see if you can judge or not?" "Are you going to ruin everything in the middle of the operation?" "Do you doubt that I've fought against Sensrief all these years and seen my comrades die?" John stood still.He lowered his weapon. Michael looked at John and, with doubt and hesitation, lowered his weapon. While looking at them, Simon told Victor to continue his hacking. John,looking into Simon's bright green eyes, said:
· "I hope you're right, Rheek." Simon said:
· "I haven't fought alongside you all this time to betray you now, Johnny. I'll look into it." John confirmed with a nod of his head. At that moment,the hard drive finished downloading all the data, and Victor reported from the other side that he had hacked the missile system. Victor said:
· "Sir, we have to turn these switches simultaneously." Simon ordered Michael to finish his work,and he himself went to the switch. Simon gave the order to retreat over the radio.And while preparing to turn it, he said loudly:
· "We are the last ones leaving this base." Michael said loudly:
· "Sir, Sensrief's air force will arrive in 7 minutes!" Simon and Victor turned the switch with a signal and,by pressing a button, launched all the missiles in the base towards Sensrief's two refineries and a base on the Granland border. The missiles,Ruritania's latest ground technology, shook the earth and roared towards their targets. Michael said: "5 minutes!" Simon and his team exited the command building at full speed.They were climbing the mountain when Simon saw the missiles becoming stars, going farther and farther away. They reached the enemy radars.They quickly ran down the mountain slope and reached the helicopters. Everyone was ready to go. With Team Bravo boarding, the helicopters took off and moved away from the base. Simon watched from a distance as the Sensrief base was bombed and destroyed. A base that had turned into hell in 30 minutes.
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