Back at the base, Eddie listened intently and gave a clear order, “Markus, wait for backup.” But Markus had already shut off his radio prior to entering the store. Neither he nor his men heard the command.
--------------------
Danny and Cameron watched as the two large white men raced across the store and one of them went down with a bullet in his back. The other made it to the gun cases and began loading a rifle. Three men in dark uniforms were closing in on him. There didn’t appear to be anyone else with them. Danny tightened the silencer on his R11 and slowly stood. Cameron followed suit. Danny motioned to Cameron he had the guy on the left, and indicated Cameron should take the guy on the right. He showed Cameron three fingers, and pointed at himself. Cameron nodded. Danny tapped his foot once, then twice, and on the third tap they both fired—suppressed but still audible ‘thwomps’—easily taking down two of the soldiers. The third soldier clearly heard the discharges and instantly became aware he was in trouble, but it was too late. Three seconds later he joined his comrades, dead on the floor.
Danny grabbed Cameron and pointed at the rest of the group. “We’ve got to go,” he whispered, maintaining watch over the man behind the gun case, who by now had realized he wasn’t being hunted anymore and was heading towards the stairs. Danny kept him in his sights.
Then the man spoke. “Who’s up there? I know someone’s there. You have to help me. We’ve got to get out of here.” He was climbing the front stairs towards Danny as Cameron was leading everyone else down the back staircase.
Danny shook his head. He had to make a choice. Take this guy or leave him behind. “Put the guns down and raise your hands,” Danny ordered.
The man stopped and did as he was told.
“All of them,” Danny emphasized.
The man pulled out two handguns and set them on the floor with the others.
“Okay, you’re good. Stand at the back door and don’t leave. Got it?” Danny ordered him.
The man nodded and followed the instructions. Danny hurried over to the fallen soldiers and searched their pockets but came up empty. The dark uniforms turned out to be red, but he found no other identification. Danny hurried to the back door. Outside, he unplugged the large THIRST screen and radio from the soldiers’ jeep and then raced down the block toward our trucks. The man from the store, Mark, lumbered after Danny and hopped in the first truck with him and Cameron. If there was one jeep of troops out here, there were probably others, and that was confirmed by the back and forth on the radio Danny had grabbed. They had to be part of the army described in the coded message heard at the cabin.
It was clear the troops in the Grand Forks area knew one of their patrols wasn’t responding. Accordingly, several patrols were now closing in on the site of the last radio contact. Apparently one of the men killed was a close friend of one of the men yelling on the radio. He was frantically asking for the man named “Markus” to respond, or for someone else to relay any news related to him. Must have been related to each other somehow. Danny led us north and west through the back streets and out of town. Cameron believed the troops had probably come from the Air Force base west of town, so we skirted the base a few miles to the north, mere minutes before a drone was launched towards Grand Forks. Radio communication told us several jeeps had arrived at Cabela’s and reported back on the casualties of the Americans and their own Qi Jia men. They didn’t yet know where we were.
--------------------
Back at the base, Eddie was reluctant to admit to the other officers he’d sent scout troops out, and he definitely didn’t want them to know some of his men had already died. He kept the news to himself and his troops on a different radio frequency. He figured the perpetrators had to be close by, and he knew he could
--------------------
Danny and Cameron watched as the two large white men raced across the store and one of them went down with a bullet in his back. The other made it to the gun cases and began loading a rifle. Three men in dark uniforms were closing in on him. There didn’t appear to be anyone else with them. Danny tightened the silencer on his R11 and slowly stood. Cameron followed suit. Danny motioned to Cameron he had the guy on the left, and indicated Cameron should take the guy on the right. He showed Cameron three fingers, and pointed at himself. Cameron nodded. Danny tapped his foot once, then twice, and on the third tap they both fired—suppressed but still audible ‘thwomps’—easily taking down two of the soldiers. The third soldier clearly heard the discharges and instantly became aware he was in trouble, but it was too late. Three seconds later he joined his comrades, dead on the floor.
Danny grabbed Cameron and pointed at the rest of the group. “We’ve got to go,” he whispered, maintaining watch over the man behind the gun case, who by now had realized he wasn’t being hunted anymore and was heading towards the stairs. Danny kept him in his sights.
Then the man spoke. “Who’s up there? I know someone’s there. You have to help me. We’ve got to get out of here.” He was climbing the front stairs towards Danny as Cameron was leading everyone else down the back staircase.
Danny shook his head. He had to make a choice. Take this guy or leave him behind. “Put the guns down and raise your hands,” Danny ordered.
The man stopped and did as he was told.
“All of them,” Danny emphasized.
The man pulled out two handguns and set them on the floor with the others.
“Okay, you’re good. Stand at the back door and don’t leave. Got it?” Danny ordered him.
The man nodded and followed the instructions. Danny hurried over to the fallen soldiers and searched their pockets but came up empty. The dark uniforms turned out to be red, but he found no other identification. Danny hurried to the back door. Outside, he unplugged the large THIRST screen and radio from the soldiers’ jeep and then raced down the block toward our trucks. The man from the store, Mark, lumbered after Danny and hopped in the first truck with him and Cameron. If there was one jeep of troops out here, there were probably others, and that was confirmed by the back and forth on the radio Danny had grabbed. They had to be part of the army described in the coded message heard at the cabin.
It was clear the troops in the Grand Forks area knew one of their patrols wasn’t responding. Accordingly, several patrols were now closing in on the site of the last radio contact. Apparently one of the men killed was a close friend of one of the men yelling on the radio. He was frantically asking for the man named “Markus” to respond, or for someone else to relay any news related to him. Must have been related to each other somehow. Danny led us north and west through the back streets and out of town. Cameron believed the troops had probably come from the Air Force base west of town, so we skirted the base a few miles to the north, mere minutes before a drone was launched towards Grand Forks. Radio communication told us several jeeps had arrived at Cabela’s and reported back on the casualties of the Americans and their own Qi Jia men. They didn’t yet know where we were.
--------------------
Back at the base, Eddie was reluctant to admit to the other officers he’d sent scout troops out, and he definitely didn’t want them to know some of his men had already died. He kept the news to himself and his troops on a different radio frequency. He figured the perpetrators had to be close by, and he knew he could
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