Chapter 85 Special Operations Squad

Daniel grabbed Natalie’s laptop, mulled it over for a bit, then gave Donovan a nod. "Yo, go tweak the mortar’s spot. Make sure when Natalie and the crew fire, they nail the main road to the south."

Turning to Nis, Daniel got all serious. "You’re not needed for the inn hit. If the Novarians make a move, blast all the mortars and then bounce, no second thoughts. Got it?"

Nis frowned, like he wanted to argue, but after locking eyes with Daniel, he just nodded.

Seeing Nis fall in line, Daniel gave a satisfied nod, then turned to James, who’d been quiet. "Komodo, got any thoughts?"

James shook his head. "Nope, no beef here. We got drones, they don’t. No need to overthink it."

He paused, glanced at the pitch-black town, and shook his head again. "Actually, we don’t need to split up to retreat. The Novarians aren’t as gutsy as you think. In this darkness, they’ll move slow.

Boosting a car to bail isn’t smart. The Novarians might chase us in cars, and the guards up north will definitely block us. They’ve got RPGs."

James wasn’t super clear, but Daniel got the gist.

There were a bunch of armed pickups hiding on both sides of the southern road, ready to pounce.

No matter how fast they moved, as soon as the shelling stopped, the Novarians would probably chase them in cars, cross the two-mile town road, and then break through the northern guards’ blockade. Not the best plan.

The terrain around the hill was tricky, and with the darkness, those armed pickups weren’t as big a threat.

To the northeast of the hill was a semi-dry riverbed, and their truck was parked on the other side.

If they bailed that way, they could dodge the Novarians. Once they hit the grassland, James was sure he could get them to safety.

But there was a catch: Daniel and his team had to move fast and flawless. Mess up, and they might not make it out, especially with limited mortar shells.

According to James’s plan, they had to hit and run within ten minutes.

Daniel was new to this, so he was open to everyone’s input and nudged them to speak up.

Compared to Natalie and Donovan’s plan to split up, James’s plan fit Daniel’s newbie mindset better, even if it was a bit risky.

Nis was the first to back James’s plan. Nis said coldly, "We can use the mortars to block the road and cover you. In this darkness, the Novarians' pickups can’t get close. Even if some hotheads try to charge, I can stop them halfway.

Crossing the town means a two-mile narrow road, and there are Novarians to the north. Not many, but still risky."

Daniel ignored Nis and looked at Donovan.

Donovan shrugged. "I’m cool with it. Doesn’t mess with the inn attack."

Retreating separately has its perks, but sticking together has its upsides too.

Going solo is risky, but doable.

Staying together means we gotta be on point, but as long as we don’t screw up, it’s safer.

You’re the boss, your call!"

Daniel got what Donovan was saying. If he had the chops, retreating together was the best bet and less of a headache.

After a few seconds of thinking, Daniel nodded firmly. "We’ll stick together."

Turning to Natalie, Daniel got serious. "You’ve got a lot on your plate. Any issues?"

Daniel wasn’t sure if he imagined it, but he saw a spark in Natalie’s eyes.

Natalie was solid and determined. "Daniel, I won’t let you down."

Daniel nodded, eyeing the AK74 on James’s back. "Let’s swap guns. Donovan, hand the MP7 to Komodo, and you take the P90.

Slap silencers on all the guns to buy us some time."

Looking at James, Daniel asked, "Komodo, you cool with that?"

James didn’t waste time. He grabbed the MP7 from Donovan, checked it out, and nodded. "No problem. In close combat, it’s all about speed. This gun might not pack a punch, but it’s got plenty of bullets and fires fast."

Daniel felt relieved. James was rock solid. If he said it was good, it was good. His shooting style was more about instinct than aiming, making him quicker than most.

In close quarters, with a submachine gun, whoever shoots first wins.

Watching Donovan expertly attach a silencer to the P90, Daniel nodded slightly. "Put on the night vision goggles. Owl, you lead the way. Let’s roll."

Donovan quickly grabbed a monocular night vision device, swiped from a Sea Hounds member, and fixed it to his helmet. But when he was ready and looked at James, he was surprised to see him pull out the latest four-lens panoramic night vision goggles from his bag and, with Daniel’s help, attach them to his helmet.

Thinking that night ops were special forces’ bread and butter, Donovan compared their gear and said gloomily, "GPNVG-18 panoramic night vision goggles. Can I get one too?"

Daniel shook his head with a grin. "That’s a perk for full-timers. After we clear the inn, I’ll get you one when we’re back."

Watching the short James put on the night vision goggles, looking like a big-headed small body, Donovan said, "I definitely want one. I dig it."

Flipping down the monocular night vision goggles, Donovan started down the hill. "Daniel, don’t you need one?"

Daniel put on his tactical glasses and smiled. "Don’t worry about me. Just watch your own backs."

As Daniel spoke, James quickly overtook Donovan to take point.

James had a unique way of moving, like he had a sixth sense for finding the best paths in tricky terrain.

Watching James lead them swiftly through the junkyard, Donovan, feeling a bit out of sorts, muttered, "OK, OK, it’s all thanks to the night vision goggles. It’s true, you should always find a generous boss."