Chapter 78

**- Narrator -**

"What do you mean we gotta scout ahead?" One of the group asked angrily, as he neither appreciated that a few of them would be exposed to more danger than the others, nor the implications of the necessity of such actions.

"I've said it already. I don't like that it was only Randall who spoke to us. Dave didn't." James tried his best to explain patiently to his rather hot-headed allies. He was a cautious man and could feel there could be something wrong with this situation. "Listen, we got nothing to lose. A few of us go check the situation ahead. If it's bad, we cover their escape."

"Then who's gonna go in? Cuz' I ain't going." He still shook his head vehemently, refusing to put himself in more danger than necessary, making a vein pop in James' temples.

"I'll do it myself, just shut the fuck up." James said, knowing full well this was neither the place nor the time for such debate. "I need a few to come with you though." Having already volunteered to place himself in danger, a few of them agreed immediately... after a reluctant game of rock-paper scissors.

"Alright, let's do this." James got in the car, prompting the others to do the same. He was painfully aware of how selfish every one of them was, and he couldn't exactly blame them. It was in their nature, the very thing that made them compatible as teammates in the first place.

Sure enough, the front gate was awaiting their arrival wide open, as Randall promised them. Yet the deathly silence did nothing to ease their anxiety, as they clutched their weapons fiercely, ready to start shooting at whatever started moving in their line of sight.

"Where the hell is Randall?" One of the passengers commented as they got out of the car once they stopped.

"Keep it down!" James hissed. "Keep your guard up and look around for anything." They nodded grimly before doing as asked. The darkness was not helping their case; their visibility at that time of the night was dramatically reduced. They could not use flashlights because it would also tell their enemies of their presence.

**- Xenon -**

"They've separated into two groups. Only a single car is coming through the gate." Rick told me through the talkie I had with me. While the main group has occupied different positions inside the prison, Shane, Daryl, and I have opted to go on the offensive instead. We had our doubts that some of them would prefer to stay behind because of how suspicious the situation would seem from their perspective. "Many of them stayed back there, maybe you should abort the plan to go around them."

But we didn't expect only a single car to go through. A three-man party can hardly deal with what I assume is three-quarters of the group. However, it was too late to pull back now. We cannot allow them to escape, they'll be an eternal thorn on our side.

"No. We go through with the plan. Wait for the signal and engage them. Rick, when we begin, take the machine gun and aim it at the cars. Once those inside are dealt with, switch the focus on those on the back. We'll be engaging them first." I answered back before I turned towards my two teammates.

"Once we get in position, I will circle around them to have a better angle to shoot from. The sound of gunfire will be our signal to attack." We wasted no time arguing as I was the fastest among us. I activated [Sprint], and ran in a different direction than them to get into position. We each had a hand grenade with us to make things a bit easier, but I doubt Shane and Daryl will get the opportunity to use them; the trees are blocking their way, yet also providing good covers for them. It wouldn't be the case for me though, as that was the whole purpose of my circling around them.

"The car's parked inside now, they are getting out." Rick updated me again. I was running out of time, but we were already close enough. I could see Daryl and Shane waiting for the signal, ready to open fire any second. I had to slow down, as I'd reached dangerous territory. The sound of my steps can easily be heard if they are paying attention, which they definitely are. Thankfully, most of them seem to be focused on the prison, rather than on their surroundings.

"Ready?"

[Detect Presence] was out of range, so I couldn't do a headcount very accurately, but I could see about seven hostiles. I reached a tree about fifty meters away from them right next to the road, giving me an almost unhindered angle to shoot at them.

"Yeah."

"Open fire." I uncorked a grenade a second later and held it in my hand. I aimed it straight at the cars, hoping to disable their means of escape first. The sound of gunfire was heard as soon as the grenade left my hand.

* BANG BANG BANG *

"FUCK!" We heard someone curse, but the words died in his mouth as bullets rained down on them from their right. A few reacted accordingly, but three were not as lucky. They fell screaming to the ground as their bodies were pierced by dozens of bullets.

Just when they thought that bullets were the extent of their troubles, the rear car exploded, rolling on the side in the process, sending glass shrapnel in all directions. And while no casualties were suffered as a result, it did create a new problem for them: their retreat path was blocked.

"We gotta get out of here!"

Daryl and Shane were hiding behind large trees, doing their best to avoid getting shot. They could no longer open fire at their overwhelming numbers unless they started reloading. Which means it was my time to shine.

I aim my HK417 at the closest exposed enemy I could spot; they haven't noticed me yet. I took my time and placed his head right in the middle of my x6 scope, before pulling the trigger.

* PSHT *

The result was a spectacular splash of his brain matter all over the place as the bullet impacted his skull.

"Fuck, there is someone there!" Even though my gun was equipped with a suppressor, it wouldn't do me much good at this distance.

* BANG BANG BANG *

They shifted their focus to me now, so I had to take cover and wait it out, as Shane and Daryl started shooting again. I could hear gunshots further on the prison, it seems they were experiencing some difficulties if they haven't finished them off by now.

I aimed again, yet the moment I did so, I felt a bullet impact a tree next to me, prompting me to take cover again. It was hard to tell who was aiming at you and who wasn't, even though the gunfire provided temporary light in the middle of the dark, but not enough to get all the details. Not to mention, I was terrified of the situation I found myself in, [Gamer's Mind] or not.

Yet not to the point where I could no longer move. I peeked again, changing the firing mode to full automatic and taking less time to aim. I opened fire as soon as I could, hoping to one of them off guard. But the difference in experience was showing, as I hardly hit anyone. I took cover again and repeated it a few more times as we exchanged fire, with no results.

I waited until the focus shifted away from me again before I uncorked another grenade since my attempts to shoot them were proving to be futile. I threw the grenade at them while it was Daryl and Shane's turn to fire at them.

Perhaps it was a terrible mistake on my part or merely a result of my luck that the momentary exposure of my body was the window of vulnerability a bullet was looking for to pierce through my right shoulder.

I grunted in pain, before taking cover behind the trees again. The pain was surprisingly bearable, most likely a result of the adrenaline coursing through my body.

The situation was not looking well for us. Three of us against about five of them were not odds in our favor, but we had to bear with it. Shane and Daryl still looked to be unharmed as they exchanged fire with them. But there was suddenly a change in the situation.

* BANG BANG BANG *

I heard bullets impacting the ground with more intensity than before. The sound of the machine gun in the distance was music to my ears. It seems Rick had finished with those inside the prison and turned his attention towards us. The different angle he was shooting from meant they had nowhere to hide anymore. Even worse, the machine gun's caliber was enough to pierce the vehicle's carcass like a hot knife through butter; they didn't stand a chance. Some futilely tried to charge at Daryl and Shane, but they were swiftly killed by the latter once they were out of their covers.