Being a Mercenary

We ran and fought our way to Wardi Health Center, sustaining a few casualties but, we keep pushing on ahead, knowing we have support units behind us that will take care of the injured and clear out buildings. I could see our drone in the sky watching over us, must be nice to be a drone operator, just sitting at a desk spectating the battle from above.

"Incoming!"~Osiris soldier.

A huge explosion accrued near us suddenly. I was disoriented, my ear ringing, I pick up my rifle and slowly back on my feet and notice two Humvees burning nearby us. I could see Ajax, dragging an unconscious Somalian soldier to cover.

"Jackson! Are you ok?~Gaz.

"What the fuck was that?!~Jackson.

"It's T-72! There are two of them!"~Ajax.

We then immediately got hit by another explosion, I could hear the whooshing sound produced by the tank shell, luckily this time it went over us.

"Are you good? Is everyone good?~Ajax.

"Uh, I need to check wound."~Jackson.

"Everyone check your wounds if you have any, a medic will patch you up."~Gaz

I check my arms and legs to see if I have any holes or not. In combat, adrenaline kicks in at the moment, and I have to make sure I don't have any holes in my body, thankfully I don't have any holes, except minor cuts, but that can be disinfected by medics.

"Echo 0-1, requesting support and eyes on two T-72 in front of us, we are currently pinned down. Over."~Gaz.

"Affirmative, our drone will take care of it. Echo 0-1, out."~Lt.C. Harris.

After the radio, two missiles rain down from above, eliminating both T-72 with insane accuracy, blowing the turret of the T-72 off in the air.

"Two tanks bite the dust."~Lt.C. Harris.

"Thanks for the assist, Lieutenant."~Gaz.

"No, problem boys, just doing my job."~Lt.C. Haris.

We continued, and I had to use the enemy Aks because my main rifle ran out of ammo. I hadn't dropped my main rifle, I just sling it at my back, it's heavy but I have to bare with it. Even tho the objective is just 408.90m (1,341.54ft), it feels like forever to get there with all the firefights going on.

While in cover, Lt.C. Harris radioed us in.

"Gentlemen, good news, manage to make contact with the people at Wardi Health Center. You would believe this... "~Lt.C.Haris.

Lt.C. Haris then connect us to Wardi Health Center radio.

"Guys? Hello?~Wardi Health Center radio.

Once we heard the voice, I could see Ajax and Gaz's faces lit up.

"Elsa is that you? Where's Leon?"~Gaz.

"Is Leon, all right?"~Ajax.

"Leon is not in good shape right now, well basically both of us aren't in good shape, but we are still holding on."~Elsa.

"Keep holding, we're coming!"~Gaz.

"Quickly! We got civilians in this Hospital, and we are surrounded by Al-Abdukadir forces, they try to break into the building, but we manage to arm ourselves and denied them entry into the building."~Elsa.

Then the radio cuts.

"Shit, let's go!"~Gaz.

"I'll provide drone support. Echo-01 out."~Lt.C.Haris.

The situation now, it's more serious than ever, I notice Ajax and Gaz swap their main weapon for AKs. We move cover to cover, this is the most times I got shot at, more than training. After, a few minutes later we reach the hospital building encountering a lot of resistance. Gaz decides to call in air support.

"Echo-01, requesting air support, we got multiple hostiles and a few technicals on the streets firing machine guns at us."~Gaz.

"Affirm, drone on the way."~Lt.C.Haris.

A spectacular explosion erupted, eliminating multiple technicals, I could see burnt bodies on the ground and pieces of gun barrels melted. The enemy wiped. We walk slowly through the rubble, the smell of burnt metal mixed with rubber and the sight of multiple civilian cars broken, burning, or left out on the road, it saddened me that this town during peacetime was bustling and full of people doing everyday stuff.

"Echo-01, I think we manage to push them out of town."~Lt.C. Harris.

"What do you mean? You sure?"~Ajax.

We look around us, and our surroundings feel eerily quiet all of a sudden except for the sounds faded a firefight in the distance. Suddenly a sound of a door creeks open, and we all fix our weapons in the direction of the sound.

"Hey! Hey! Hey!"~Osiris soldiers and Somalian soldiers.

We are in a standoff, men and women all holding AKs, their faces with cuts and bruises.

"Elsa!~Gaz and Ajax.

I looked at Gaz and Ajax, then look at the woman I quickly realize it was her. I immediately lower my weapon.

"Where's Leon?"~Ajax.

"He's inside, we need to evacuate, we have civilians who are injured and need a medivac."~Elsa.

"On it, Echo-01 requesting immediate extraction of civilians and the injured, at Wardi Health Center. Over."~Ajax.

"Affirmative, extraction, and medivac team on their way, well done liberating the town, gentlemen."~Lt.C. Harris.

"We'll secure the area and clear the road to make way, for your helicopters to land."~Captain Hassani.

"Affirm, Captain."~Gaz.

While we wait, we went into the Wardi Health Center building, and I could see men, women, and children scared. My heart aches as I see the current situation they have to go through, Imagine hearing the sounds of artillery and mortars pounding, night and day while wondering when the shells might hit them. I wish this war ends early, so the children can feel safe again.

"Wonder when you guys would show up."~Leon.

Finally, I meet Leon and Elsa for the first time, not in their best condition at the moment, Leon got shot in the leg, so now he's currently sitting while talking to us.

"Leon, you know our policy."~Ajax.

"Yeah, yeah. Anyways so, you must be Jackson Osiris, huh."~Leon.

"Yes sir, nice to finally meet you both."~Jackson.

"Nice to meet you too rookie, welcome to the squad, guess, Elsa was right."~Leon

"Told you we got a new member in our squad, Leon. A pleasure meeting you too, Jackson."~Elsa.

We were then interrupted by three Ospriri-27 Tiltrotor helicopters, landing in front of the building.

"That was quick."~Jackson.

"That's Osiris's pilots, I tell you. They are always on time. Now let's help with the evacuation."~Gaz.

It's currently 4:55 in the morning, we are helping with the evacuation of civilians from the hospital. We have secured the town, and the situation in the town is calm, finally, I can relax a bit. A minute later the last people to be evacuated are Elsa and

Leon, since both of them are injured they are forced to evacuate.

"You two have to go, your mission here is done, you can't even walk Leon."~Ajax.

"Yeah, Leon go and I'll stay!"~Elsa.

"You too, Elsa your arm needs a medic check."~Gaz.

"But, I can still fight."~Elsa.

"No, you can't, both of you went missing for almost a month or two, you guys need some rest."~Gaz.

"You three not coming with us?"~Elsa.

"Negative, we stay here for a while, to set up another HQ in the town. The both of you have to go, don't worry about us."~Gaz.

After a few minutes of arguing later, they were finally evacuated. Me, Gaz, and Ajax meet up with Captain Hassani for a chat.

"Thank you, Captain."~Gaz.

"No, no, I should be thanking the three of you and your company, for your selfless act for my country. I want to thank each Osiris personnel for being willing to fight side by side with us, we are grateful."~Captain Hassni.

The Somalian soldiers and Captain Hassani bow their heads to us. I was surprised.

"You don't have to do that, guys."~Jackson.

"Yeah, It's a team effort, Captain."~Gaz.

"We can't do it without the Somalian army too!"~Osiris soldier.

"Yeah!"~Osiris soldiers.

As everyone cheers and celebrates the liberation of the town, I look around me, at the devastation and destruction of the town. I thought to myself this is what war is there are moments only of death, and despair, but at that moment there is a bit of joy like we are experiencing now. That small victory that I feel now, is like the feeling of achieving something just for that moment only. I know that feeling won't last long.

"Hey, Jackson you alright? What are you thinking now?"~Ajax.

"Nothing, just thinking about how we managed to survive all this."~Jackson.

"Well, good training and a will stay alive I guess, I mean, you almost killed yourself several times today but, look at you now still alive and kicking."~Ajax.

"I think I'm just lucky."~Jackson.

Gaz suddenly interrupts our conversation.

"Quit talking, you two, supply just dropped in, load up we need to move at dawn!"~Gaz.

"Where are we going?"~Jackson.

"We'll assist the Somalian army in retaking Wanlawayn Air Strip 12.53 km (7.78 mi) from here."~Gaz.

"I thought our objective was over. Our mission is just to rescue Elsa and Leon, then that's it."~Ajax.

"This Echo-01, sorry to break it to you, gentlemen, Somalian President wants you three to join Captain Hassani to assist in retaking Wanlawayn Air Strip and wipe Al-Abdukadir forces at all costs. The Somalian government doesn't want them to

escape over the Ethiopian borders."~Lt.C. Harris.

"Understood."~Gaz.

"Looks like we'll be here for a while, Jackson."~Ajax.

"*Sigh.*"~Jackson.

I am a member of Osiris, they said. I serve Osiris and its clients they said. Looks like we have no choice, but just to serve the client, this is what being a mercenary is like.