The target compound was bathed in light. There was one building with two floors in its centre. Sentries had been posted to strategic posts above the gates and fence, others walked the perimeter along with dogs that were probably well trained. The place was a fortress.
Sergeant Akin and his alpha team kept studying the layout. They observed the guards to find out their chinks after observing the house for almost twenty minutes, a plan of assault formed in his head and he proceeded to deploy his men accordingly.
“Snake,” he used the code names “you will crawl up to ridge opposite the compound and take out the two sentry posts. Bull, you have to double to the rear and make sure there’s no resistance from that part of the building. Scorpion, you play the drunk tonight! And I,” he smiled, “well, I just will have to earn my sprint title again.”
“Once the hostiles have been taken down, proceed into the compound with caution. We have friendlies in there and they would be well secured. It’s our job to bring them home alive.”
The men roused and silently got to their feet and moved away. Sergeant Akin aka viper hunched as he watched his men go. He studied the house some more pondering on the nagging question, would they be able to locate in time the hostages and set them free? He shrugged off the thought, checked his ammo and started moving into position.
He waited a full ten minutes before a car driving and swerving dangerously appeared on the horizon. The driver seemed some sort of maniac, only this was no maniac, it was Scorpion at the wheels. When the car got within fifty meters of the house, it suddenly lurched sideways and for all intents and purposes, it seemed as though the driver lost control. It turned over, glided across the road, till it was stopped by a tree across the house.
The sentries became excited, reporting the accident and sending out two men from the perimeter to save the driver from a certain death. Snake watched through his night scope as the lead sentry dropped the radio and watched agitated as his comrades rushed to the overturned car.
The acute disadvantage to the sentries was that they could not see into the darkness as Scorpion had already gotten out of the car and moved into the bush, guns ready as he waited for the hostiles that were supposed to be his saviours.
Bull, had gotten into position just in time to see the sentries at the back get excited. He clicked off dryly as he practised the shots that would end the men thereby eliminating their resistance. He waited. “Patience,” he muttered.
Sergeant Akin was in the blind spot of the sentries down the road. They were also distracted by the accident and were perfect targets in his scope. Any minute now he told himself, and then, the madness started.
Snake squeezed his trigger five times, re-adjusting the scope after every pull. Five men went down, just within three seconds, they never had a chance. The two sentries on their way to save Scorpion were caught in no man’s land before they could sense the danger. They never responded as trained fire ended them on the spot.
Sergeant Akin had also squeezed off two rounds just to be sure Snake wasn’t abandoning anyone, he shouldn’t have. The soldiers were dead before his bullets hit them.
He sprinted across the road and leaped over the fence. As he was doing that, Bull fired off six rounds effectively ending the men at the rear of the building. The compound had been irrevocably breached and Sergeant Akin was already at the door guns at the ready as he made his way into the house.
A cursory scan showed him that the floor was clear. He had to move fast he told himself, his men were providing cover and making sure no hostile was still on the premises. It was his job to finish off those in the house. He moved up the stairs cautiously.
He heard faint noises and movement as he reached the first floor. Quietly, he moved towards the noise and spied the room where it was coming from. There were three hostages there, all safe at least for the moment. The guards were far away from them, and no one seemed overtly interested in the tied hostages.
Sergeant Akin saw his chance then, and took it. He rushed into the room and firing at the guards with pistols in both hands. There was little resistance and moments later he was untying the hostages ready to release them. Then the bizzare happened.
One of the guards who had gone off to sleep had awakened and was on his way to relieve his comrades, when he heard the gunshots and ducked. He Waited patiently, knowing that escape was almost impossible, if there was someone inside the building, there were probably more outside. He prepared himself.
The hostages passed by him frightened and eager to get out of their captors lair. Then Sergeant Akin came into view, the guard wasted no time as he squeezed the trigger of his machine gun trained on Akin. Sergeant Akin did not stand a chance, he heard the shots, lost control of his reflexes, and froze.
I jerked awake covered in sweat, startled and confused. Then it gradually came to me, NEPA had restored the light and my air conditioner had made its usual hideous noise to startle me awake…
So, twas just a dream…
Very well written, tho d story wasn’t too riveting.
@shadiat thanks for the positive feedback. I gotta grouse with you though, how come we can’t comment on your posts
You mean my recent post? Comment is back on on it, do check it out again.
@shadiat, (y) although, it’ll be distilled thought now, since my initial thought of the post has passed. On it.
thank God it was a dream, well written
@ifiokobong I dey tell you. I’ve been seeing too many action movies, need to slow down on them.
I have never had a dream so filled with action, so vivid. Haba!
Nobody dreams like this without waking up, and in such full details. It had no dream quality at all.
@kaycee, rolling on the floor laughing myself hoarse! I have no excuses or riposte sir, you just called me out.
Thanks for stopping.