LIGHTNOVELONLINE Chapter 20: R-32, 5
Four years ago
“We're getting out of here alive, all of us!” Davis had to shout over the cacophony of rifle fire. The enemy had gotten word of the evac and were swarming the cave entrance. Bad guys sprayed the cave with near constant gunfire, making it impossible to move forward. There had to be dozens of hostiles.
Han had to sprint back into the cave and collect ammo for Davis and Amarillo. He kept running back and forth, having to go further in with each trip. Davis was on crowd control while Amarillo was on kill shots. This was by necessity. Davis sprayed down enemies who got too brave, often missing but forcing them back into cover. At these ranges, 100 to 300 yards, the unscoped AKs weren't accurate enough for Davis to make kill shots predictably. That was fine, because Amarillo had tested 10 different AKs and found a good one. He fired single shots and made kills.
The fighting was beyond desperate at this point. The only possible evac site was right in front of the mine entrance and there was zero chance that command would allow choppers to try and land under that heavy of fire. Davis, Amarillo and Han had to fight. They had to run the enemy out or kill them all. They had to kill to protect the ones coming to protect them. That was what Rangers did. They fought impossible situations.
The hostiles had an RPG or two. This led to an almost comical situation where someone would bring in a RPG, aim it, and get shot by either Davis or Amarillo. The next closest guy would go for the RPG only to die the same way. Then yet another would go for the rocket launcher and get killed.
One of Davis's shots actually pinged an RPG tube and caused the whole thing to explode, killing 5 men. The bright orange cloud of flames was almost entirely washed out by the impossibly bright sun beating down overhead.
Everyone was drenched in sweat. The Americans were exhausted, wounded, thirsty, hungry and battle shocked. They'd run through their stores of adrenaline several times over by this point.
Han made it back to Davis just as she emptied her last clip. This time Han had brought back plenty of bullets. He'd torn the clothes off a dead man to make a bag. A bloody, sand covered bag. He dumped the ammo behind the large rock Amarillo and Davis were crouched behind. Davis grabbed a clip, reloaded, and immediately popped out and opened fire.
The barrage of bullets that came back at her punched small holes in the rock and cave behind them. One bullet pinged off her helmet but she retained her control and kept firing.
Men screamed as they were wounded and lay bleeding out. Shouts could be heard as the hostiles tried to coordinate. The smells of gunpowder and death swirled around the wind swept mine entrance. Five minutes of straight gunfighting turned into ten. Ten minutes of the rattle of AK-47s turned into fifteen. The Rangers killed. The hostiles died. The Rangers were pinned behind cover. The Rangers fired back and regained control of the battle. Bullet casings flew by the hundreds, by the thousands. The white-tan dry desert was painted with blood that dried quickly in the arid heat. Flies swarmed the newly dead, looking for anything to eat and lay eggs in. The buzzing of wings became the undertone that accompanied the staccato of gunfire.
More men with RPGs came in. Amarillo killed two but one got a rocket off. The rocket sailed low but still made contact with the rock the Rangers were taking cover behind. The rock exploded, stone fragments went flying, and the Rangers were blown backwards.
Davis and Han took minor cuts and scrapes. Amarillo took a large cut across his brow that gushed blood into his eyes. He cursed. It was the first time he'd given any sense of his injuries getting to him. He desperately wiped his eyes.
The Americans heard the charge of dozens of men but there was nothing they could do at that point. The three Americans heard only a ringing in their ears as they tried to recover from the shockwave.
Within seconds they were surrounded. A man shouted Pashto at them. To their surprise Davis shouted Pashto back at them. Two men moved forward to grab her. They dragged her back into the cave. She was screaming and yelling and struggling until another man put a bullet in her shoulder. A hostile put the barrel of his gun to Han's head. Amarillo was on his back, with four men's guns trained on him.
Amarillo and Han lost sight of Davis as she was dragged into the dark of the cave.