Chapter 9: In sight

Major Dexter's voice was sharp and demanding. "Search the area! Find them!" His soldiers moved swiftly, scanning the smoky battlefield, unaware of the ambush waiting to unfold.

Major Dalton crouched low behind a barricade, his heart steady but his mind racing. He wasn't afraid, but the weight of responsibility pressed down on him. He knew that if they failed, it would be because of his leadership. His team trusted him, and he couldn't let them down.

In the tense silence, Miguel crawled over to Dalton and whispered quietly, "I have an idea..."

Dalton looked at him, his eyes narrowing. "What is it?"

Miguel glanced toward the enemy lines, his mind working quickly. "I'll sneak closer. When I throw my glove near them, it'll distract them. That's when you tell the team to attack."

Dalton nodded, trusting Miguel's instincts. "Be careful."

Miguel nodded back, his face set with determination. He moved slowly, staying low to avoid detection, inching closer to Dexter's soldiers who were just on the other side of the barricades. The thick smoke made visibility almost nonexistent, which worked to their advantage.

When Miguel got close enough, he quietly counted down. "1, 2, 3..." He tossed his glove—a weighted piece of gear—into the smoke, where it hit the ground with a solid thud.

The enemy soldiers immediately turned, their attention drawn to the unexpected sound. Confused, they scanned the area behind them.

"Attack!" Major Dalton's voice rang out, cutting through the chaos.

The Dalton team moved as one, emerging from the smoke with weapons blazing. The enemy soldiers, now caught off guard, scrambled to defend themselves. The ones who had ventured up the stairs were the first to fall, taken out in a hail of gunfire before they even knew what was happening.

Linda was in the thick of the fight, her rifle trained on Major Dexter. She took aim, her finger hovering over the trigger, but Dexter was faster. He saw her just in time.

Bang, bang, bang, bang!

Dexter's shots found their mark. Linda staggered backward, blood pouring from her wounds. She was nearly dead, her character's health bar rapidly depleting. Mason, fighting nearby, screamed in desperation, "Where's the medic?!"

But the medic had already been eliminated earlier in the game, leaving no one to save her. Linda, her voice weak, looked at her teammates through the pain. "You better win this... program."

Her character's avatar began to flicker and fade away, disappearing into the digital ether. The team was down one of their best, but there was no time to grieve.

The battle raged on, gunfire and explosions filling the air. Dalton's team fought with everything they had, pushing the enemy soldiers back. But in the midst of the chaos, Dexter saw an opportunity. While the Dalton team was focused on the firefight, Dexter slipped away, retreating through the smoke and back toward his base.

"I need a better strategy," he muttered to himself as he ran, determination etched on his face. He wouldn't let this loss define him. He was already planning his next move.

Back at the battlefield, Dalton and his team stood victorious, but the cost of that victory weighed heavily on them. Linda was gone, and they knew the hardest part of the war was still ahead.