Heads or tails?

Amazonian forest, Summer 2020 French Guiana

"Come on guys, the game begins!" They were all there, looking at me, smiling. They really like these missions. And why not? It was their choice, right? It was mine too at one time, so... "Good, good, good! Go! Everyone in training! Listen to me!" I eyed them warily. I observed their behavior, their position. I noticed each facial expression which was a good indicator of their physical condition. They were ready for battle! Backs straight, legs slightly bent, arms relaxed beside their bodies, ready to jump, heads turned almost imperceptibly in my direction. "I'll call you one by one and you will move to a spot on my right and form the first team: Dylan, Conrad, Taylor, Mike, Kevin, Hugo, Nick..." I watched their slight movements. I had taught them mental resistance so they could push their limits to the maximum. Their physics, too, had changed: running like a cheetah, approaching their adversary like a cat in a deadly silence, attacking like a puma after chasing their prey for a long journey without weakness, attentive to any change. "Good. The Colonel wants to see you in action. He has charged me with creating a simulation... A very tough one." I grinned. Their faces showed that they understood, but I could not go into details. This time, they would have to manage by themselves. I held out my arm behind me toward the forest. "The match will be played this time in another area. You will have maps and fifteen minutes to understand where you are and to make your plans." I paused, still keeping my arm tight. "You choose if you want to attack or defend yourself. The choice is yours, as is the plan to follow. But you'll have to stick to your original plan, because you won't have time to change strategy. Either you attack or you defend." I looked as their faces turned on me, watching their emotional changes. Some seemed very sure of themselves, others skeptical. One looked at me curiously. He understood the issue. My eyes changed and became black. My muscles were stretched and I scolded them. "You will fight to save your life! You will enter into this forest and do everything to stay alive! You will be hunted down and you will have to prove that you can get away, ladies!" Ah... They did not like that! They began to wonder. They did not dare question me. I stared at them, my hands in my pockets. I taunted them with my eyes. "Let's see!" They were watching to me with dread, and someone cleared his throat - a sign that he wanted to talk to me, but he didn't want to interrupt me. Without turning my head, I addressed him quietly: "Soldier Conrad, please ask the question that burns your lips."

I closed my eyes and I smiled. Some of them realized that there was something wrong.

"We are all part of the first team. Where is the second, sir?"

"I am the second team. You are all going to fight against me!" My smile faded.

I took three maps from my pocket. All were folded in quarters; the back of each one was a different color.

"Shit!" said Nick.

I called them one by one.

"Dylan!"

"Yes, Sir!"

"Take this map. Conrad!"

"Yes, Sir!"

"Take the second map! Taylor!"

"Here, Sir!"

"Take his last map! You have three maps but none are complete. You will have to find the place where the match will be held! Whoever arrives first will have the advantage of field reconnaissance and will be able to prepare his strategy. It will be the strategy to be followed by both teams. Prove that you are able to change the original plan and make your own, or not. By finding the key to the puzzle, you will find the position. Your tactics will depend on the location, do not forget that! But if you arrive late, you will deliver yourself to your enemy. The green hell awaits you!" I stared at them again. I articulated forcefully. "Don't worry; I do not know the position. I did not make these maps. They were given to me. Now let's get started! Choose! Heads or tails?"

I flipped the coin into the air.

"Tails!" Conrad said fervently.

The coin rose in the sky and became smaller and smaller until it was nearly invisible. Sparkling flashes reached us from time to time, the golden texture of the coin reflecting sunlight. All eyes were on it, monitoring its track attentively and their faces were covered with anxiety. I saw the coin rotate a final time, remain suspended, and then come down like a bullet.

Conrad's face was so concentrated that without realizing it, his lips opened slightly, his eyes dilated and I saw his arm rise. He grabbed the coin. The whole company looked at his fist jealously guarding the coin responsible for this advantage in this mission.

With a superior smile, Conrad looked at the others and said sharply, "Ready, guys?" He opened his fingers and the gold coin sparkled in the bright light of the morning sun. "Ha! What did I say?"

"Tails!" they replied in chorus.

"... For once," said Taylor, speechless.

"Yes, as you say, Taylor." Hugo laughed in his turn.

"Go, Children!" Dylan said, but he could not abstain from bursting out laughing and then they joked again.

They looked at me and my face lit up briefly, thinking how their youth and lives were much easier than mine. Then my face became a mask, and with malice my voice became a whisper.

"Airsoft, ladies! What color do you prefer? No one chooses? Too bad then, I'll take the red!"

The smiles vanished one after another, as if an artist with an eraser decided to change the structure of each face.

"Oh!" Dylan replied.

I closed my eyes. They knew that I was not expecting this and the calm moment was over. I headed for the Safe Zone. The R & D P.D.W. was there, and I chose the one with its MP7A loader full of red paint. It was ready. I pushed it to the ground behind the three filled cases.

"The Respawn is in 10 yards in front of you. It will be the starting point, but it is subject to a time limit: one minute if you are outs3! No need to specify that the mission will be an OPEX. Not a Close Quarter Battle! The Orga decided so! Remember, sometimes a voice tag will prevent someone from shooting you - so you can get back in the game after spending one minute to Respawn! We do not want Highlanders! Do not forget to play fair!" My tone became pensive and I opened the last two boxes. "Let's see what we have here... an AEG an AEP of course, and several PDW and SMG. All replicas are equipped with Rail Interface System and the accessories are here: MALICE, Double or BB Loader, Drums, High-caps, lamps, optical sights, canons, grips, silencers, Power Boost for a better kick, plotters, um... you will not need it, the game will be over well before you need any of this. You can upgrade your toys! Come on guys! 10 minutes for that!"

"Oh, H & K MP5, H & K G3 MC51, Ingram Mac11 A1, Steyr TMP, H & K UMP," Taylor said with a smile. "That's all good—" His fingers caressed the RD's.

"Yes but all these SMG's are for close combat," Dylan replied, grinning. "Do you think you will be able to use one of them?"

"Hey, the FN P90 and H & K MP7," Hugo said as he took a FN and began to customize it. His fingers were skilled, fast and even with closed eyes he could do it so easily.

"Yes," said Conrad, "it has an effective range of 200 meters, small size, versatility, ballistic protection piercing."

"Yes," Dylan said, "it could work better."

They looked at each other in turn and a smile appeared on their faces.

"A Glock 18C."

"Shut up, Nick! What do you want with an EPA?"

I did not interfere. I was familiar with their fragile points and their team strategy: Conrad would be in front, Hugo was great in coaching - their weakness in paintball - Dylan will fall in with Nick, Mike and Taylor in the middle, there will not be any pit crew.

The 10 minutes were up.

"And you? Colonel?" Hugo looked at me and cleared his throat. "Your weapon?"

There remained only a few accessories; the weapons were all gone. I narrowed my eyes.

"There is a toy, right there at your feet! I'll take it, thank you Hugo."

He discovered the MP7A1 which was lying behind the open. It looked like a normal MP7, but it was not yet approved by NATO. It should be used with caution - I use weapons only in case of major force - this time it would only be to mark them, one after the other, and I preferred to take it in the case of technical failures.