Chapter 78 Explosion
What’s Daniel got cooking?
Daniel’s plan is pretty straightforward: having an undercover agent and not using them? Total waste.
So, they’ve got drones buzzing around, giving them the full scoop on the enemy’s setup. All they need now is for Donovan to kick off a tactical explosion, stir up some chaos, and let Daniel and James swoop in during the confusion.
Daniel’s already got the explosion part down. The Mori Family hooked the Sea Hounds up with two mortars, fully loaded.
If Donovan can blow those mortar shells at the right moment, it’ll not only mess up the enemy but also turn the tables, making them the hunted.
Jungle fights aren’t about numbers, especially if Donovan nails it—there might not be many bad guys left standing.
Daniel and James’s job now is to pinpoint the enemy’s outer guards using Natalie’s intel and find a quick way in.
As for blowing up the mortar shells, Donovan’s ‘Shadow Ops Unit’ has that covered.
Once the PMC chopper gets near the mine, their first move is to arm the shells and get ready to rain down fire, giving Donovan plenty of chances.
After laying out the plan to James and letting him scout a route, Daniel took a breather for about an hour until James got back.
James got the plan but still played it safe when it was go-time.
With the drone’s help, James quickly spotted the enemy’s hidden guards and mapped out a fast attack route.
James might not have formal training, but his combat chops made him sharp enough to know the drill. In familiar turf, he’s got it down.
James plopped down next to Daniel, who was tinkering with his HK416. After a pause, he said, “Daniel, maybe you should hang back a bit. Let me take point later.
There are 21 enemies, only 6 are pro mercs. The rest are just gang shooters. As long as Donovan can blow the shells…”
Seeing James finally looking out for him, Daniel grinned and waved him off, saying, “In this damn jungle, if we’re 150 feet apart, I won’t even see you. How can we cover each other then?
Let’s stick together. Honestly, I’m better up close than at a distance. If I’m the best shooter you’ve seen, I can handle what’s coming.”
James nodded, pointing to the not-so-dense woods on the hill, and said, “When we move, stick close to the big trees and avoid open spots.”
Daniel nodded back, “Got it, I’ll be careful!
I think this place isn’t too bad. You told me you’ve been to Starhaven. What’s the jungle like there?”
James thought for a sec and said, “Hard to describe. In short, avoid it if you can.
No roads there. If you can’t stick to the river, you’ll get lost in the jungle if you’re more than 60 feet apart.
Snipers are useless there ‘cause bullets can’t cut through the thick jungle. Most of the time, shooting beyond 150 feet is just wasting ammo.
In that kind of wild jungle, grenades and landmines are way more useful than guns.”
James had that serious look on his face, and Daniel knew Starhaven wasn’t exactly a vacation spot for him.
James might not be the best at summing things up, but Daniel got the gist: he wasn’t cut out for jungle warfare.
In those places, it’s not about who’s the best shot but who knows the jungle and has the patience to wait it out.
And patience? Yeah, that wasn’t Daniel’s strong suit. He liked his fights quick and dirty.
Daniel admired Natalie because she made the battlefield feel like his playground, pushing his aggressiveness to the max.
After grilling James about the upcoming mission, Robert took notes and got the plan down. Then his phone buzzed.
Checking the message, Robert nodded to James, “Time to roll. The support chopper’s hitting the mine’s airspace in 20 minutes.
They’ll fake a landing to grab attention. Once Donovan sets off the boom, we’re in.”
James got up and did a gear check: tactical vest, ballistic plates, mags, grenades, pistol, AK74, combat knife, throat mic, and that FAST helmet he was still getting used to.
Daniel’s loadout was a bit more hardcore: same vest and plates, two M9 pistols, an HK416, six paired 30-round mags, two defensive grenades, two smoke grenades, a hand axe, and his prized multi-functional tactical goggles.
Daniel didn’t skimp on safety. He had a custom helmet, tougher than the standard FAST ones, and top-tier ballistic plates that were light but twice as strong as the best Level IV armor out there.
Geared up, Daniel looked like a beast: 6’2”, built like a tank, and decked out in top-notch gear.
But Daniel knew his limits. He was a crack shot, but James had him beat in combat skills. So, when James was ready, Daniel fell in line, keeping pace as they moved toward the Sea Hounds’ camp.
After a few minutes, Daniel noticed James was slowing down, using the environment to shield him.
Daniel didn’t take it as an insult. Instead, he mimicked the special forces he’d seen in movies, slowing his pace and keeping a 30-foot gap, his HK416 always aimed at James’s weak side.
With Daniel covering the rear, they formed a tight two-man team with overlapping fields of fire.
James was pleased with Daniel’s approach. Having a gun covering his blind spot made him feel a lot safer.
After leading Daniel for about fifteen minutes, James suddenly raised his fist, signaling a stop.
Daniel naturally leaned against a big tree and squatted down. Then Natalie’s voice crackled through the comms.
“One o’clock direction!”
Daniel instinctively looked that way and spotted a sentry 450 feet out through the trees.
“Daniel, I’ll go first, then you follow.”
Daniel adjusted his flip-up sight, peered through the 4x scope, and said, “I got this. I’ll take out that sentry.”