Chapter 41 – The First Command
Sinjar Region, Northern Iraq – Night Operation
The MH-60 Black Hawk helicopter sliced through the night sky, gliding silently over the arid landscape of northern Iraq. Below, small villages and dirt roads were illuminated only by the faint glow of the moon.
Grant Tucker-Pritchett was in command of this mission.
He looked at the five Delta Force operators under his command, each completely focused and mentally reviewing the plan. In addition, two CIA agents and three British SAS operators were on board.
The target was a fortified compound in a remote area of Sinjar, where ISIS leaders were reorganizing recruitment and financing operations.
Grant touched his headset and spoke over the internal radio channel:
"Operators, final equipment check. No failures."
Immediately, the men began checking their weapons.
He looked at his second-in-command, Staff Sergeant Cole.
"Cole, plan review."
Cole nodded and began:
"Alpha Team, led by you, Cine, infiltrate from the east. Bravo Team, with me, from the north. Charlie Team, SAS, covers our perimeter. CIA confirms there are at least six primary targets inside the compound and over fifteen armed combatants."
Grant looked at the CIA agents.
"Confirmation that the HVT is still in place?"
One of the agents, a stern-looking man named Mason, replied:
"Yes. Drones and intercepts indicate he's still there. But you know how it is, if they spot anything unusual, he'll try to escape."
Grant clenched his fists. He wouldn't let that happen.
"No mistakes. We'll have him before they know it."
The pilot spoke into the radio:
"Two minutes to infiltrate."
Grant looked at his team.
"Let's do this."
The Black Hawk hovered a few feet above the ground, and the teams quickly descended on ropes, landing softly on the dry, dusty ground. The only light was the greenish glow of the thermal scopes on their helmets.
Grant gave a hand signal. Silent movement.
The team began to move, maintaining formation. The outer perimeter of the compound was protected by two armed guards, who were calmly patrolling.
Grant signaled Watkins, the silenced weapons expert.
Watkins approached one of the guards and, with a silent burst from his suppressor-equipped HK416, took down the target.
The second guard noticed something and started to turn, but Cole was faster. He advanced and used his knife to slit the enemy's throat before he could alert anyone.
The coast was clear.
Grant radioed.
"Alpha Team, moving in."
Bravo Team followed suit from the north, while the SAS positioned themselves for external cover.
The compound was a cluster of three concrete buildings connected by a central courtyard. Intelligence indicated that the HVT—one of the region's top ISIS commanders—was in the middle building.
Grant looked at Cole.
"We have to catch him before he runs."
Cole nodded.
"Time to raid."
The operators positioned themselves at the entrance to the main building. Watkins planted a small explosive charge on the door, while Grant monitored the radio.
"Bravo Team, ready?"
Cole's voice came steady.
"On your signal, Cine."
Grant took a deep breath.
"Go!"
Watkins activated the explosive. The door exploded inward, and the operators stormed the building at full speed.
Inside, chaos erupted.
ISIS fighters were caught off guard, but reacted quickly. Bullets began to fly.
Grant swung his HK416 around, firing short, controlled bursts. Two insurgents fell before they could even raise their weapons.
Cole and another operator used flashbang grenades, blinding the enemy in the adjacent room.
Bravo Team entered the other side of the building, surrounding the fighters. The resistance was brutal, but in less than a minute, the operators had control of the ground floor.
"Going up to the second floor!" Grant warned.
The HVT was fleeing.
He and two bodyguards were trying to escape via the rooftop.
Grant and Watkins ran up the stairs.
One of the enemy bodyguards rounded the corner with an AK-47, but Grant was faster: a single, well-placed shot to the chest knocked him to the ground.
The other tried to fire, but Watkins hit him in the head with a precise shot.
Now the ISIS commander was alone.
He tried to run, but Grant raised his gun.
"FREEZE!"
The terrorist turned, his eyes wide with fear. He was about to pull something from his pocket—maybe a gun or a detonator.
Grant didn't hesitate.
Two shots.
The enemy fell to the ground, dead.
Silence.
"HVT down."
The radio confirmed.
"Understood. Mission complete. Prepare for extraction."
With the mission accomplished, the team quickly exited the compound. Apache helicopters began circling overhead, ensuring there were no would be retaliation.
The Black Hawk landed, and Grant helped his men board.
On the radio, the CIA confirmed:
"Good news, gentlemen. With this commander dead, ISIS in the region will take some time to reorganize. Nice work."
Grant took a deep breath.
His first mission as leader had been a success.
But he knew that was just the beginning.
Chapter 42 – Hunt in Enemy Territory
Forward Base, Sicily – Mission Briefing
The operations room was lit only by the bluish glow of screens and tactical maps. Grant Tucker-Pritchett, now a Delta Force Sergeant, sat with his team, listening intently to the CIA officer in charge of the briefing.
"Our target today is a group of former Ansar al-Sharia militants directly involved in the 2012 attack on the American consulate in Benghazi."
The agent, a middle-aged man with graying hair named Ryan Keller, pointed to the holographic map displaying the city of Misrata, Libya.
"We've confirmed that at least three key individuals are in a fortified compound in this area. They believe they got away with it, but tonight, we'll prove them wrong."
Grant exchanged glances with his team. Everyone knew the weight of this mission. The Benghazi attack had resulted in the deaths of four Americans, including the US ambassador to Libya. The country never forgot that.
"What's the protocol?" asked Cole, his second-in-command.
Keller continued:
"The primary objective is to capture the targets alive for interrogation. But if there's armed resistance..."
He paused and looked directly at Grant.
"...you know what to do."
Grant nodded. It was a capture mission, but they wouldn't hesitate to eliminate any threat.
"We have air support?"
Keller nodded.
"Two Reaper drones for reconnaissance and an AC-130 on standby in case they need heavy support."
Grant's team consisted of five Delta operators and two CIA agents. They were ready for covert infiltration.
Grant took a deep breath and looked at the faces of the men around him.
"We'll bring those bastards back."
The C-130 Hercules streaked across the night sky at high altitude. Inside, Grant and his team sat, equipped with HALO infiltration parachutes.
"Ten seconds to jump!" the pilot warned.
Grant looked at his team.
"We're at the extraction point. Good luck, gentlemen."
The lights turned green, and one by one, the operators launched themselves into the void.
The wind bit their faces as they descended rapidly, the city lights of Misrata flashing below them. At the right moment, the parachutes deployed.
They quickly grouped up and began advancing silently through the city, moving through narrow alleys, avoiding hostile patrols.
On the radio, one of the drones confirmed the target's location.
"Compound 300 meters north. Three armored vehicles at the entrance and at least ten armed hostiles on the perimeter."
Grant whispered into the microphone:
"No alarms. We're in and out unseen."
Breaching the Complex
The operators positioned themselves around the perimeter, using thermal imagers to identify targets.
Grant assessed the situation. Two guards stood at the main entrance, smoking and chatting.
"Watkins, you cover the entrance. Cole, take the rear."
Watkins pulled out his silenced MK-17 rifle and aimed at the first guard.
A precise shot.
The second guard looked startled, but before he could react, another shot silently felled him.
The way was clear.
The team moved quickly and used an explosive breaching device to open the main door.
BANG!
The door exploded inward, and the team rushed in, taking down the enemy as they tried to grab weapons.
The complex was a maze of narrow corridors and dark rooms.
Suddenly, gunfire echoed from the second floor.
"Contact! Second floor!"
Grant and Cole crouched behind a pillar as bullets ricocheted around them.
"Stun grenade, now!"
Watkins threw the grenade into the room.
FLASH!
The intense light blinded the enemy.
The team rushed in.
Two militants tried to raise their weapons but were cut down before they could fire.
In the corner of the room, the primary targets were handcuffed by two CIA agents.
"We have the bastards."
Grant looked to Keller, who confirmed over the radio:
"Ghost team to base. Targets captured. Requesting immediate extraction."
The team quickly exited the compound, carrying the prisoners. The enemy noticed the attack and began to respond.
"Contact! Armored vehicles coming from the south!"
Over the radio, the AC-130 operator's voice rang out firmly:
"Ghost, we have you in our sights."
"Go all out!" Grant responded.
Seconds later, a burst of 105mm rounds fell from the sky. The armored vehicles exploded instantly, sending debris flying everywhere.
The city woke to the explosions, but the team was already leaving.
The extraction Black Hawk landed, and everyone quickly boarded, with the prisoners bound and blindfolded.
Grant looked at the captured militants.
"Get used to this, because the rest of your lives are going to be in a cell."
The helicopter took off, disappearing into the darkness.
Mission accomplished.
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