AN IMPOSSIBLE BATTLE
It was a four-level closed pit mine with around 500 miners working under forced labor. Only two elevators were available at opposite ends of the surface-level storage building, each guarded by ten armed guards. The miners toiled day and night in the lowest levels, searching for minerals. Logan and his fifteen companions cautiously approached the mine entrance around 2 am. With just five shotguns, a direct infiltration seemed impossible without alerting the guards below. They needed a strategic plan.
Rescuing 500 individuals from soldiers with only five guns and fifteen inexperienced farm laborers posed a significant challenge, even for the courageous Logan. Despite the daunting task ahead, he could not turn away from the risky mission. As he gazed at his men, he sensed fear in their eyes. Their hopeful yet naive expressions hinted at the peril they were about to face. The weight of their trust and reliance on him added to Logan's burden. But making necessary sacrifices was a concept he clearly understood.
Logan pondered greatly on how he was going to successfully accomplish that seemingly impossible task with the least amount of casualties as possible. After weighing his options, he concluded there was only one viable solution: Use what he was good at best and confront his adversaries head-on. Equipping himself with a gun, he distributed the remaining four among men familiar with firearms.
Observe! We are fifteen but armed with only five guns. The sole access to the lower levels is through the two elevators. According to Sid, each elevator is guarded by five sentinels. Using the firearms to eliminate them would trigger alarms on the lower levels, prompting a lockdown and reinforcements. Here is the strategy we shall employ..."
Designating four men as decoys, Logan’s plan was for him and the rest of the men to incapacitate the guards discreetly while they were distracted. Subduing them with swift blows to the head, and assuming their attire and badges, to proceed stealthily into the depths of the mine.
Sid, well-versed in the mine's operations, interjected, "May I suggest? Every day at 10 am, five individuals transport provisions from town to the mine via carriages. Overpowering the supply team and adopting their guise would facilitate bypassing the guards effortlessly," he proposed.
It was a plausible plan. Logan agreed with Sid, and they planned to carry it out in the morning. They made a surprise attack on the guys who came to bring provisions and successfully accomplished the first step.
As Logan and his comrades disguised as supply carriers approached the mine entrance, they carefully observed the guards, ensuring not to raise suspicion. Once they arrived, they were ordered to leave the supplies in the storeroom and go back. But they had to enter the elevator and go down to the lower levels, and time was running out. Logan quickly realized that while things were not going as planned, the circumstances provided a good opportunity for a surprise attack. So he modified his plans and made a diversion team.
The diversion team successfully drew the attention of the guards, creating an opportunity for Logan's group to incapacitate them. Swift blows to the guards' heads left them unconscious, and the team quickly donned the stolen uniforms, taking their badges and weapons.
Using the elevators, Logan's group descended to the lower levels. The dimly lit tunnels echoed with the sounds of mining equipment, and the air was thick with dust. As they ventured deeper, they stumbled upon a group of miners taking a break. Logan approached them cautiously.
"Quietly now," he whispered. "We're here to help. Follow us, but be careful not to attract attention."
“Save us, please!” they quietly cried out. Their legs were shackled, and one look at their faces clearly revealed the brutal hellish nature of that place. The queen forbade the use of women and anyone under the age of eighteen or over the age of fifty under forced labor in the mine. Disregarding the law, Major Fred Wellington forced women, old men, and even underage children under forced labor at his mines. Upon looking at the sight of countless children and other people worn out crying for help, Logan’s heart burned with anger.
“Please! Get us out of here! This place is hell!” one man cried out.
“Don’t worry, we’ll get all of you out of here,” Logan assured them.
“What do you think you’re doing?” an elderly man shouted. “You’re going to get us all killed!”
“We have a plan. We have enough guns now to overpower the guards in the lower levels,” Logan reassured them.
“Guns! You don’t know what you’re dealing with. Their machines…they can’t be defeated with guns! If they work up… forget the others, let’s get out of here now!” the elder persisted
“No! We’re getting all of you out of here!” Logan left a few men on the second level and descended further with the rest of the men to the lower levels.
They reached the lowest third level and navigated the labyrinthine tunnels. With good teamwork, they successfully overpowered the guards who were stationed there. They encountered a mine manager overseeing operations.
"Who are you? What's going on?" the manager demanded. Logan, quick on his feet, explained that they were inspectors sent by higher authorities to assess the mining operation.
“Inspectors? I didn’t receive any notice about inspectors coming,” the manager questioned.
A tense standoff ensued. The manager attempted to confirm Logan’s claims via a phone call. Logan's group saw an opportunity and subdued the manager and his guards.
"Just stay quiet, and you won't get hurt," Logan warned the manager as they tied him up.
As they moved deeper into the mine, they were met with gratitude from the miners. Logan took a moment to speak with some of them.
"We're getting you out of here," Logan assured them. "Stay close, and we'll make sure you see the light of day again."
The miners, who had endured forced labor and harsh conditions, looked at Logan with a mixture of disbelief and hope. The group pressed on until they reached the heart of the mining operation, hoping to free more miners and put an end to the exploitation.
They encountered another guard. In the middle of the dispute, he was shot and before he could breathe his last, he took something from his pockets and pressed some buttons. Just as they thought they had succeeded, a door opened, revealing a human-like machine they had never seen in their lives.
One look at its eyes, and they knew they stood face to face with death itself. Their feat trembled, and they all pointed their guns at the monster with haste. They made their shots at the demon which stood unscratched. Logan was busy unshackling the miner when he saw the deadly monster advancing with ruthless efficiency, overpowering his team. Bullets bounced off its armor, and attempts to overpower it proved futile. It was not armed with guns. Its blades effortlessly cut through his men’s bones like nothing.
Even to the brave Logan, that sight was a complete nightmare. He stood still trembling in fear with no idea what to do next. He knew one step further towards the monster meant death.
“Logan! Logan! Logan!” Sid, one of his men, kept calling out his name. Logan was out of wits. The man slapped him to get him back to his senses. That’s when he heard a faint voice calling out his name.
“Logan! This is not your fault! You need to get out of here. We’ll stay behind and hold out for as long as we can!” Sid continued.
Chaos arose. The enslaved miners were running about in chaos trying to overload the elevator.
“After witnessing everything that you and your friends did at the farm and here today…I know you guys are the only last hope for our country,” Sid made his standing. “You gladly put your lives on the line to fight for people you don’t even know. I can’t let you die here! However much this pains me, I’ll bathe my hands in blood to help you succeed in your mission. Let what happens here today lift you up.”
He then went past Logan and fired his gun at the people who were fighting, trying to save their lives. In just one wave, dozens of people lay dead before Logan’s eyes. Sid then took Logan by the hand and pushed him into the elevator and sent it up, sacrificing himself.
He reached the surface and found the others he left behind had successfully retreated through the tunnels to the top using the elevator that was on the other side. During their escape, the men prodded him for his plans, but Logan, haunted by the horrors, remained silent. With newfound resolve, he understood the battle was far from over. In that land, reckless courage equated to demise.
As they fled, he wondered how to overcome this seemingly unbeatable obstacle and save both himself and his friends who were walking right in the middle of its claws.