9 Chapter 8: Treachery

All geared up and prepared, Lieutenant Alfonso's men are ready for the assault. Supporting teams also formed up with their weapons and equipment, waiting for the signal. The outside gates of the City Hall was manned by five terrorists armed with assault rifles. There are also snipers that are hiding in strategic spots in the rooftop.

The plan was for Task Force Praetor to lead the assault in the east and west wing of the City Hall. They are going to take it with a pincer attack, supporting teams are to follow while others are to secure the main gate.

"All teams form up!" said Lieutenant Alfonso near the west wing of the City Hall

"All ready!" all of the teams replied.

"East wing what is your status?" The Lieutenant asked the other teams.

"We are prepared and waiting for your orders!" a sergeant replied.

"Sanders and Holland are your team ready? Take out the sentinels on the rooftop."

"Roger!" The two replied to the Lieutenant.

The Snipers spotted in the rooftop fell after being hit by two simultaneous fire. Deafening shots from their rifles was heard outside the compound. Knowing that they lost the element of surprise, the Lieutenant decided to launch the assault. He orders for the swift breaching of the east and west gates of the City Hall. Firefight ensues as the enemy notices their movements.

The Greyhounds with power armor charged first delivering overwhelming firepower at their enemy while deflecting their attacks. Behind of them are the operators from the S.A.U. and the R.R.F. giving them supporting fire.

The terrorists inside the City Hall noticed of Luis' men who are using power armor. He decides to take a general purpose machine gun with 60 caliber rounds. He placed the gun at a strategic location where he could hit them. After setting it up he calls for another terrorists to man the gun and barked orders. "Hit them at their weak spots, aim at the joints and the neck!"

Machine gun fire rained on the operators with power armor. Some rounds were able to penetrate on the weak spots of their armor, taking down two of them.

"We got wounded, take cover!" One of Lieutenant Alfonso's men said.

"Focus fire on the men with power armor, the rest pick on the unarmored ones! Snipers, hit the fools in power armor in their limbs and joints!" The terrorist manning the machine gun said. The enemy is determined to hold their position as relentless fire from heavy caliber weapons rained on the Government forces.

Luis and the others retreated to cover and asked the progress of the other team in the East wing.

"We are fine here sir, progress is good. What about yours sir?" A sergeant assaulting from the east wing of the City Hall asked the Lieutenant.

"We are pinned down!" The Lieutenant replied taking cover with his men. "Pop up smoke, that should conceal our position!"

The men of the Special Actions Unit grabbed their smoke grenades and throws it into the open area between the building and the wall where they are located. They waited for the smoke to fill the area before they made a move.

"Wait for the smoke to fill!" Lieutenant Alfonso said as he prepares to charge.

"Assault!!!"

As the smoke fills the air around the area the Lieutenant along with his men charged forward to the entrance of the City Hall. As they arrived to the walls of the City Hall's lower ground Lieutenant Alfonso ordered his men to grab an explosive charge to breach the doors.

"Breach the doors!"

"Roger that!" A soldier replied placed a breaching charge on the door of the East Wing of the City Hall. "Charges are set, clear!"

A loud bang exploded and disoriented the terrorists from inside. The Lieutenant with a Grey Hound operator in power armor went first picking off targets one by one in disciplined fire. Others went inside providing support to the two Grey Hounds in front of them.

"Clear, hold your fire!" The Lieutenant said after killing off all the enemy in the room.

"East wing, what is your status?" The sergeant leading the assault wing on the west wing asked.

"All clear, the enemy is fleeing as we speak. They are heading towards the second floor." The Lieutenant replied reloading his weapon and said, "Rendezvous with me at the hallway."

"Roger!" The sergeant from the west wing replied.

Additional reinforcements from the government arrived to the area moments later. A General took over the Colonel's command and contacted Luis Alfonso and his men inside the City Hall.

"Good job securing the site Lieutenant. What is the news of the hostages?" The general said.

"They are still held in the second floor sir. We are proceeding there now!" Lieutenant Alfonso replied coordinating his men to assault the enemy upstairs.

"You need reinforcements, I shall send a team from the rooftop. Hold your position!" The general replied.

"Negative sir, the enemy is desperate and may kill the hostages!" The Lieutenant insisted.

"Do as you are told soldier! We do not need any gung-ho commando rushing in and killing everyone in the place. You are to hold your ground and wait for orders!" The general said ordering him to stand down.

Lieutenant Alfonso sighed and replied after receiving the order, "Understood sir!"

Alfonso told his men to hold out and secure the perimeter. They cleared every room in the ground floor of the City Hall. While the Grey Hounds, S.A.U. and the R.R.F. were clearing the ground. Helicopters were on their way to insert the men of the 31st Air Commandos. These are teams that is specialized in airborne insertions. They are under the jurisdiction of the Air Force.

While the firefight is going on, a secret negotiations was made by the leader of the terrorists inside the City Hall and the General in the field. They were planning to extract the leader of the terrorists and his cronies leaving the unimportant behind to be killed.

"Our escape for the lives of the hostages!"

"Our team will extract you out. Blend in with the hostages!"

"I am not fond of games General. You know what happens if you do not do what we have agreed on." The terrorist leader points his gun to a hostage.

A bang from a pistol has heard downstairs with the hostages squirmed and shouted in response from the top. Looking at his sergeant Lieutenant Alfosno decided to disobey the order took two of his men with him. Moments later the men of the 31st Air Commando stormed the second floor of the building. Gunshots were heard everywhere and the hostages were shouting in fear. The leader of the terrorists have blended with the civilians. After the gunshots radio chatter filled the room and the hostages were taken in to safety in the choppers.

After firefight in the second floor the Lieutenant entered the room where he found the men of the 31st Air Commandos transporting the hostages and taking in their prisoners with them. There were at least seven terrorists taken under custody and fifteen dead.

"What took you so long?" A commando from the 31st asked.

"We are told to stand down by the General."

"What do you mean stand down? We are expecting you to secure the place. We are sent because you cannot be contacted by any means!"

"I would like to speak to that general!" Lieutenant Alfonso said angrily however was stopped by the commando.

"There's no need sir, the situation is under control!"

While they were talking, the leader of the terrorists dressed in civilian clothes went with the hostages as they were transported to safety. He smirks at Alfonso who figured him out and tries to tell the commandos to check him out. He was ignored and was told to stand down. He realized that it was one of the notorious terrorist leader el-Rashid. A sabotage and bomb expert that is hiding in the region. He boarded a helicopter along with the hostages and went back to the base.