Chapter 84 Online Friends Are More Professional

Daniel wasn't sweatin' the Novarian militia. Sure, they had numbers, but his crew was nimble. If they couldn't win, they could at least hightail it outta there, right?

Daniel set up the mortar to cover their butts after they made their move.

Without chopper backup, Daniel had to count on artillery. If things got hairy, they could use the mortar to slow down the enemy, making it easier to bounce.

Of course, they weren't pros with the mortar, so hitting bullseyes was a long shot. But the Novarian "estate" was big enough.

Whoever came at Daniel, Nis and Natalie in the back could lob all the shells into the estate, where the elite town militia hung out. Blocking that spot would ease up more than half the heat.

Daniel and his crew set up the mortar, and Donovan started fiddling with a rangefinder and jotting stuff down.

Finally, Daniel saw Donovan was kinda shaky, so he pulled together the mortar model and info and posted it on a military forum back home.

Donovan thought Daniel was just goofing off, but surprise, surprise, someone hit him back with an "accurate answer" in ten minutes.

Seeing Daniel tweak the firing settings based on the online tip, Donovan grumbled, "Daniel, I studied this stuff."

Daniel made a tiny adjustment to the mortar and grinned at Donovan, saying, "Now I believe you studied it 'cause the online answer ain't much different from yours.

Just for knowing how to fire the mortar, I should toss you an extra $200 in your paycheck."

Mentioning cash got Donovan's attention.

"Daniel, if I work for you, what's the pay?"

Daniel glanced at Donovan and smirked, "Natalie's pulling in $3,000 a month, with a $500 daily rate when we're in the thick of it.

How much do you think your Shadow Ops Unit should get compared to her?"

Donovan was caught off guard for a sec and then cautiously asked, "How many 'combat days' do you have in a year?"

Daniel waved his hand and chuckled, "Our crew's a bit different from your usual PMC gig. If you roll with me, as long as you're packing heat and out there with me, it's 'combat time.'"

Donovan thought it over and nodded eagerly, saying, "As long as you cover gear and medical, I can roll with a lower base pay."

Then Donovan looked at Daniel carefully and said, "I'm an assault trooper, always in the thick of it. Is it too much to ask for medical coverage?"

Daniel was a bit surprised and nodded seriously, saying, "I hadn't thought of that before, but I can tell you it's not too much!

You're top-tier. Why do I get the feeling you're pretty happy with this pay?"

Donovan shrugged and said, "Why wouldn't I be? Base pay plus combat bonuses, even if I only have five combat days a month, that's over $60,000 a year, and it's tax-free. What's there to gripe about?"

One of my buddies went to Rhinefield to work for a military contractor, pulling in $300 a day for six months before an IED took his leg."

Daniel couldn't believe it, "Shadow Ops Unit goes to Rhinefield for just $300 a day?"

Donovan shrugged, "What else? Official military contractor companies pay that rate. Most of the work there is just security. How much do you think you'd pay a guy patrolling the streets?"

Daniel was still in disbelief, "Aren't there higher-paid mercs? That's not what I heard."

Donovan pulled an energy bar from his pocket, took a bite, and tossed a few more to James.

Seeing James grab one and chow down, Donovan plopped down on the ground and grinned, "Private mercs are out there, but it's not easy for them to rake in the big bucks.

The ones making bank are those big groups with national contracts.

Elite mercs make money, but without solid connections, it's tough to land those high-paying gigs."

Daniel thought it over and realized it made sense.

A $100,000 annual salary is high in any country!

Of course, there are small merc groups that make a killing, like the "Fox Mercenary Group" that once tried to recruit Natalie.

While they were chatting, Natalie wrapped up her recon.

"Daniel, there are over twenty people in the hotel, and I've found a good route for getting in and out."

Natalie showed her tablet to Daniel and hesitated, "Daniel, if you're gonna hit them, it's best to do it now.

Most of the Novarian militia is hanging out along the highway, about a mile from the hotel.

If we wait until they get tired and head home, you might face random attacks during your retreat.

But if we strike now, we can use the mortar to block the highway and buy time. After the mission, you can use vehicles to retreat from the north side of town."

Daniel hesitated and then shook his head, "But that would make you the target of the Novarians. They're militia, not idiots."

Natalie looked Daniel in the eyes and said, "Daniel, if you're quick enough, Nis and I can safely get back to the truck and drive to meet you.

We're snipers; we can find a way to hold off those militia."

While Daniel was still on the fence, Donovan checked out the detailed route on the tablet and clapped his hands, "This route is solid. We can sneak in quietly. I know the Mori Family well and get their security setup.

Based on your combat skills this afternoon, three minutes. If you follow my lead, we can take them out and snag a vehicle in three minutes."

Donovan looked at Daniel seriously, "Those guards are just gang thugs. Some have military training, but their gear is way worse than ours.

We have night vision. If we cut the power to the hotel, we can totally dominate."