Toxic gas was everywhere, but there was no pungent smell to warn people to flee the area.
The faint, sweet scent was like the gentle palm of a lover, causing those trapped within to let down their guard.
FBI, Army, and special police forces deployed on the outer perimeter fell to the ground in agony, yet no one came forward to rescue them.
The sound of gunfire shattered the former silence, ringing out like New Year's firecrackers non-stop, drowning out the cries and screams.
Sometimes, the combatants couldn't even see each other as a stream of bullets poured out indiscriminately, hitting the enemy by sheer luck.
The occasional roar of a rocket launcher or grenade added to the cacophony.
But those sounds would eventually be overwhelmed by the drone of low-flying combat aircraft and the earth-shaking bursts of incoming missiles, assaulting the eardrums of both sides of the fight.
