1. Ambush

Gunfire echoed through the square. Paul was out of bullets. Despite his careful usage, the prolonged firefight had depleted his ammunition.

He scanned his surroundings, his eyes landing on the weapon of his friend David, who had died about twenty minutes ago. He needed to retrieve that gun.

Paul couldn't ask the other soldiers for covering fire since they were also running low on ammunition.

He was behind a wall, which belonged to a house that had been demolished in an air raid. Only a few walls remained standing. Paul knew he was out of time. As a last resort, he stood up from his spot. He would have to sprint to the gun's location from behind the wall.

Bullets from outside struck the walls as Paul suddenly started running. Knowing there would be no cover once he reached the gun, he leapt onto it and used his fallen friend's body as a shield.

Bullets intended for Paul struck David's corpse instead. Even in death, David was protecting him. Paul grabbed the rifle and waited for the right moment to fire.

When his comrades started their assault, Paul joined them, firing his M16. After hitting a few targets, a bullet struck his arm, forcing him to stop firing. He continued to take cover.

Paul wasn't sure if he could fire again after changing the M16's magazine. His right arm was bleeding.

Suddenly, something unexpected happened. The wall he had just used for cover exploded with a loud bang.

Not fully understanding what had just happened, Paul felt stone fragments hit his body, causing immense pain.

Paul's ears were ringing. The explosion had been close. He tried to make sense of his surroundings. He noticed that the wall was gone. He began searching for his comrades but couldn't see them.

After a moment, he saw a severed arm and, in another spot, a leg and a few bodies.

As he regained some composure, he heard the terrorists outside shouting. He could make out some of their words; they were talking about retreating, while a few were cursing.

Then there was a massive explosion outside. To avoid danger, Paul hid under David's body. The explosion was not near his location.

Listening carefully, he recognized the sound of a helicopter. He stayed hidden.

Soon, a few men entered. The helicopter continued to fire bombs at the house.

"Shit," Paul muttered a curse quietly. He prepared to take down two terrorists who hadn't seen him. Both were trying to hide in the ruined house. Paul pulled out his pistol and stood up to fire.

Caught off guard, the two men were killed before they could return fire.

The helicopter outside kept firing. It was clear it wouldn't stop until the house was destroyed.

Paul exited from the back of the house with his hands raised. His military uniform was visible, and he held no weapon.

"Don't shoot!" Paul shouted, trying to make himself heard.

The helicopter stopped firing and began circling. Soon, a rope descended from the helicopter, and soldiers began to rappel down. Some scanned the area while two approached Paul.

"I'm Captain Paul Anderson. I'm with the friendly forces. We were ambushed here," Paul said, struggling to stay upright due to his injuries.

"We received your distress call, Captain. Where's your team?" The speaking soldier looked around, fearing the worst.

Paul winced as if struck by a bullet. "They're inside," he said, gesturing towards the ruined house.

"Damn it, we thought there were enemy units here." One of the soldiers regretted the shots fired at the house.

Paul limped back into the ruins. The smell of blood was everywhere. He searched for any signs of life.

Near the exploded wall, he found a soldier whose body was mostly intact. As Paul checked the man, the soldiers who had entered with him were disturbed by the scene. Blood was everywhere, with body parts scattered around.

Paul checked the pulse of the soldier leaning against the wall.

There was a pulse.

"Quick, help me!" Paul called out to the other soldiers. The medic among them began examining the wounded soldier.

"He seems stable, but he needs to get to a hospital for X-rays. There could be internal bleeding," said the medic, administering first aid.

They wanted to move the soldier, but a large piece of debris was pinning his left leg. Two soldiers lifted the debris.

The soldier's left leg looked in bad shape.

While they worked, Paul scanned the area but found no other survivors. He looked again at the wounded soldier. This young man had recently joined the team; it was his second field mission.

As the medic tended to the wounded soldier, Paul and the others began carrying the fallen soldiers to the helicopter.

"Captain, you're exhausted and injured. You need to rest," Lieutenant Martin observed that Paul didn't look well.

"I'm fine," Paul replied shortly, continuing to help. Shortly after, everyone had boarded the helicopter.

As the helicopter took off, Paul looked through the window at the house where they had been ambushed.

____

A few hours later, they arrived at the military base. Paul had been treated for his wounds, but it would take months for him to fully recover and regain his former condition.

The other soldier was in worse shape. His left leg had to be amputated.

Paul, smoking a cigarette, looked up at the stars. He had written a report about the incident and submitted it to the major.

After finishing his cigarette, he flicked the butt away, not caring about the regulations at the moment. He slowly closed his eyes while sitting in the chair.

When he woke up in the morning, his body ached both from his injuries and from sleeping in the chair.

He stood up and took the painkillers the doctor had given him. There was no difference. The damn pain was still there.

Since he had refused to stay in the infirmary, he had to get his own food. He limped to the mess hall.

After breakfast, he needed to see Colonel Adams.

One of the soldiers in the mess hall noticed Paul struggling and brought him food. Paul thanked him and ate quietly.

After breakfast, Paul went to see the colonel.

The door was closed. Paul approached and knocked.

"Come in," said a voice from inside. Paul entered. Inside, besides the colonel, was General Rainey.

Paul saluted the general and the colonel.

"At ease, soldier," the general said.

At the general's command, Paul lowered his hand.

"Captain Anderson, I've heard about what happened. You've served well here," the general said, rising from his seat.

"Sir—" Paul started to speak, but the general cut him off.

"I'm not finished. As I said, you've served well here. If you agree, we have another assignment for you. This mission is voluntary. If you don't want it, we'll find someone else," the general said seriously.

"What is the mission, sir?" Paul wanted to know what the assignment entailed.

"It's a covert operation. If you accept, your life will change. You will no longer be Paul Anderson," General Rainey said, picking up a file from the desk.

"If it involves spying, I'm not sure I'm the right person for the job, sir," Paul preferred staying on the front lines.

"It's not espionage, but it's similar. A new identity. A new face. A new background. A new life," Rainey said, looking Paul in the eyes.

As the general finished speaking, the door opened, and a man Paul recognized entered. The man wasn't in uniform.

"Mr. White, are you involved in this?" Paul asked, looking at the new arrival.

"Yes, my student. I will be coordinating this mission. We need you," Alexander said, placing a hand on Paul's shoulder. He noticed Paul's wounds.

Paul considered refusing, but Alexander White was his mentor. Paul was no ordinary soldier. Alexander White had trained him since he was a child. Paul had completed several of his missions.

"I accept, sir," Paul said, trusting his mentor.

"Good. We'll return to the United States. Once we arrive, you'll have 36 hours to say goodbye to your family," Alexander said, removing his hand from Paul's shoulder.

"Yes, sir."

General Rainey, holding the file, spoke. "You may go now. We'll discuss the details later. Everything will be top secret."