Chapter 134: Victory without Casualty
"Stop!" Marcus shouted, his voice echoing through the dense forest as he raised his rifle, locking his sights on the shadowy figures moving ahead.
The four elements froze in their tracks, their bodies tense and still as the sudden command cut through the air. The sound of the Apache helicopter hovering above them made it clear they had no chance of running.
"Raise your hands!" Marcus ordered, his rifle steady, eyes narrowing as he watched the figures closely. There was no room for negotiation.
Slowly, with the reluctance of cornered animals, the four men raised their hands, fingers spread wide in surrender. They knew the Apache could rain hellfire down on them if they made one wrong move. Marcus's team, rifles trained on the captives, moved in swiftly, forming a tight perimeter around the men. The soldiers advanced in perfect formation, their boots crunching on the dry forest floor, every step deliberate and threatening.
The four elements were now completely surrounded, standing in the middle of a small clearing with no cover, no escape. Their eyes darted from Marcus to the soldiers circling them, fully aware of the lethal firepower surrounding them.
"On your knees!" Marcus barked, his voice cold and unrelenting.
Without hesitation, the four men dropped to their knees, hands still raised in the air. Sweat dripped down their foreheads, the fear evident in their eyes as they glanced nervously at each other. They were trapped, and they knew it.
Marcus stepped forward, his rifle still aimed directly at the group. He signaled to his men with a sharp nod, and immediately two soldiers moved in closer, their weapons raised, ready to react to any sudden movement. One of the soldiers reached forward, grabbing one of the men by the collar and roughly pulling him to his feet.
But little did they know, among those elements had a glowing object in its pouch.n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om
Gritting his teeth, Marcus tried to push himself upright, but his body betrayed him. His limbs were heavy, trembling uncontrollably from the lightning's brutal attack.
"Marcus... Marcus, do you copy?" a voice crackled through his earpiece.
It took all his effort to lift a trembling hand to the comms device at his ear. He managed to press the button, his voice hoarse and barely audible. "Copy... I'm here... What's the status?"
"All of the elements in the northern sector are eliminated," Vincent reported. "What's your status?"
Marcus took a deep breath, his voice still shaky as he replied, "Took a direct hit... lightning spell... most of my team is down. I'll need medics-ASAP."
"Understood. Reinforcements and medical teams are en route."
Marcus tried to sit up, but the pain that shot through his body was overwhelming. His muscles still twitched from the residual electrical charge, and every breath felt like a struggle. He forced his vision to focus, glancing around at the remnants of his fallen men. Some were motionless, others groaning in pain, all victims of Garrick's devastating attack.
It took them casualties but at least, they have killed Garrick and his men.
Five minutes later, four Blackhawk helicopters arrived at the scene, hovering above as they couldn't land. Medics rappelled down with their stretcher and immediately after their landing on the ground, they quickly went to the wounded and injured soldiers that were lying on the
ground.
Marcus watched as his men were receiving medical attention. He would need it but he was the only one conscious so he'd have himself checked later.