After the landing, we closed our parachutes, took out our weapons, and began to advance towards Michaela and his convoy. We were 300 metres apart and could clearly hear the gunshots. At a distance of 100 metres, the convoy and the enemy came into view. We joined them and began to fire.
"Oh, you are here…" Michaela spoke, but upon seeing me, he stopped. "Who is leading you?" He asked.
"I am the leader," I responded. He was shocked, and I was happy.
The enemy numbered nearly 19, and as we have joined, our forces now numbered 17. We began to neutralise the enemy one by one. The special corps was skilled. They were missing less and killing more. The fight dragged on for six minutes, and in that time, the enemy was reduced to 6. They began to retreat, and of course, we didn't follow them.
I opened the map given to me by the major. It mentioned five paths that led to the extraction point.
"We will take the shortest path," Michaela said as he saw the map.
"Sir, General Yarna chose me to lead the mission. So, it is my humble request that you let me decide." I looked at him.
"I am the supreme commander…" He was interrupted by the remaining brigadier.
"Sir, we don't have time for this. We both know how capable he is; we should let him lead."
He looked at the brigadier and then at me. And that stubborn supreme commander finally accepted.
"Fine…" He wasn't happy for sure.
"Thank you," I said and then looked at my map. "We will take the northwest road. The terrain gives us cover." I said and placed the map back. I had decided to go with the possibility that Argen is present here. We couldn't take the long route as we didn't have enough resources for it. And the shortest would be crawling with hostiles, so it's suicide.
On my signal, we began to move. The soldiers from the convoy surrounded Michaela and the brigadier. The sniper of the special corps and Ferry were behind, and the rest of us were on the front. We moved rapidly; the situation demanded only speed.
"Movement in the south. Multiple hostile vehicles are moving towards our path through the northern road." A sergeant spoke.
"Ignore them; they are either decoy or bait," I responded.
"Hostiles at 2 o'clock," Ferry reported.
It was two soldiers. I killed them with my suppressed HK416."
The fake convoy, and only two soldiers. It was Argen.
"Lieutenant…" I called the special corps's lieutenant.
"Yes, sir."
I took out my map "Take the brigadier, Alfred, and three guards of the supreme commander, and move through the southern path. The rest of us will go through the northern path and join you here." I said as I pointed to a plain two kilometres ahead.
"Okay, sir…But shouldn't we avoid splitting up?"
"The enemy wants us to, so we would go with their script."
He nodded, and then we split. They were 6 and we were 11. I was amazed that Michaela didn't speak till now. But as the brigadier has left, he would speak for sure.
We moved rapidly. Five minutes later, a bullet came from the bushes on the left and killed one of the guards of Michaela. We scattered, Ferry on the right with Michaela and me on the left. I went behind and killed that soldier.
"There was only one," Ferry said as he scanned the surroundings through his thermals.
"Be on your guard and remain close to the supreme commander," I ordered, and the soldiers nodded.
"What about him?" A soldier asked me, pointing at the dead soldier.
"Yes, what about him?" I asked.
"We are leaving him?"
"What are you thinking? That we take the burden of this corpse and then move? Are you out of your mind? I am very much questioning your audacity to ask this stupid question."
He was still looking at me.
"Of course, we leave the corpse. Now move!" I ordered, and we resumed our march.
We faced very little resistance, which was very odd. I asked Alfred about his situation.
"Alfred, what is your status?"
"We are facing heavy fire. It is hell! Two of the guards are dead."
I was about to send some of our men, but I understood the trick. They were trying to reduce the men guarding Michaela.
"Alfred, listen to me."
"Speak!" His voice blared as I heard heavy gunfire.
"They want to reduce our numbers, so I won't send any men to you. You have to overcome it yourself."
Then there was a pause, and he spoke.
"Okay, fine…We can fend them off, but we will be late."
"Roger…Just be safe."
"Copy, over."
"Shouldn't we help them?" Ferry asked me.
"They are receiving heavy fire, but the enemy is luring us. And make us give an opening to take out the supreme commander. We have to take the risk."
Ferry understood the situation; he wanted to object, but he suppressed his words.
The way they are moving and their strategies are simple, but it was either Argen or someone else who is acting on his orders.
It was only a battle of the brains.