Rich transmitted over the radio. “OVERWATCH, this is RIFFRAFF. We’ve been engaged by automatic fire originating near the center of camp. Mike is KIA. Need a SITREP.”
“Copy. I’ll have a SITREP for you in a few seconds.”
Another long burst of bullets kicked up dirt in the gap and tore into the cabin behind them, leaving Devin with the distinct impression that Rich’s pep talk with Emily was more wishful thinking than reality. The drumbeat of nearby helicopter rotors reinforced that feeling.
CHAPTER 47
Graves watched in horror as the team’s situation shifted within a matter of seconds. Several automatic weapons had opened fire on the team, all located near the center of the camp. The hostile muzzle flashes did not correspond with human heat signatures, suggesting that they were firing from inside the cabins or well-concealed positions he had been unable to identify with the drone’s sensors.
The dozen or so people gathered around the firepits had rushed into action, sprinting to the nearest building, where they disappeared for a few moments—before reappearing with rifles. And now they had two helicopters landing in the fields north of the camp. The team’s arrival had obviously been detected, most likely at the shoreline infiltration point, given what he was seeing at the landing fields.
“I’m taking positive control of the drone,” said Gupta. “We only have another minute on this glide path. They’re going to need uninterrupted coverage.”
“Yep,” said Graves, taking a few moments to assess the scene before contacting the team. “RIFFRAFF, this is OVERWATCH. We’re taking active control of the drone to pass you continuous information. SITREP follows. A dozen or more armed hostiles are headed toward the concealed gun positions near the center of the camp. From what I can see, they’re bringing rifles to the fight. I also have some activity inside the southwest wing of the camp. Small groups forming. No weapons present. How copy?”
“Copy all. Are you seeing helicopters nearby?”
Gunfire on Rich’s end of the radio call made it hard to decipher what he had said, but Graves caught the gist of it.
“Affirmative. Two Bell 400-series helicopters landed in the rectangular clearings north of the camp. One in each clearing. Seven hostiles in total exited the helicopters. They’re headed east, away from RIFFRAFF, at a rapid pace. My guess is they’re going to set up an ambush along your exfiltration route.”
“Any more good news?”
“The team dropped off by the helicopters looked like serious types. Helmets. Night vision. Body armor. Rifles with suppressors. Moving like professionals. I do not recommend returning to the boats.”
“Copy. We’re still weighing our options here. Looks like we might be swimming out. Keep the information flowing.”
“We can meet you somewhere along the eastern shoreline. We’ll squeeze everyone on board. I’m sending Berg to the marina just south of the conservation area. The boat pickup is looking more and more like the only way out of there.”
“We’re not out of the fight yet. But I concur. Out.”
A quick look at the IR camera view suggested otherwise. They couldn’t possibly advance toward the center of the camp without sustaining more casualties, and making a run for the boats would prove catastrophic. He tapped Anish’s elbow.
“Prepare an autonomous drone pattern over the camp,” said Graves. “My guess is we’ll be on a full-speed run to pick them up within minutes.”
CHAPTER 48
Marnie sighted in on a muzzle flash through the 4X ACOG scope and pressed her trigger twice, the suppressed rifle biting into her shoulder. Like the other nonsnipers on the team, her rifle scope was not compatible with night vision goggles, so she’d switched from NVGs to the naked eye, which limited her to targeting muzzle flashes or the occasional silhouette. The gunfire at the receiving end of her bullets stopped, but it was impossible to tell if she’d hit the shooter or momentarily discouraged them.
Either outcome accomplished her goal, which was to reduce the level of incoming gunfire to a point where the team’s snipers could focus more on shooting and less on hiding behind cover. The two snipers had higher magnification and thermal scopes, which made targeting unfair against opponents at night. The more time they could spend behind those scopes, the better chance the team had of getting out of this intact.
Return fire from the camp continued to snap past the corner of the cabin at different heights off the ground, many of them passing well over her head. She got the impression that the hostile gunfire wasn’t well aimed. More of a quantity-over-quality situation—though equally deadly if you got caught out in the open at the wrong moment. They’d managed to advance only one set of cabins since the shooting started, the team miraculously suffering nothing more than a few grazing hits like Emily’s. Only sheer luck had prevented another casualty, a reality not lost on Rich. He halted them to reassess the situation.