BXBX NOVEL Chapter 47 - 47 The Extraction
Chapter 47: The Extraction
Marcus and Eleanor were right behind them, covering the rear as more guards swarmed in from different entry points. The mercenaries seemed desperate, their precision breaking down in the chaos as their comms systems failed. But Dominic knew they couldn\'t rely on confusion to save them. Reinforcements were coming, and they had precious little time.
"We\'re close," Marcus yelled over the roar of alarms. "Exit\'s just ahead!"
Laura\'s voice crackled over the earpiece. "I\'ve rerouted the security gates. They\'ll open, but you have to hurry. There\'s an incoming helo squad ETA two minutes."
"Understood," Dominic replied, urgency sharpening his tone. He felt the pounding of his heart in his ears. There was no time to think, only to act.
They sprinted through the final stretch, their footsteps pounding on the slick metal floor. As they neared the exit, the massive reinforced doors slowly slid open, revealing the stormy night outside. Wind and rain lashed against their faces, but the sight of freedom made Dominic\'s pulse quicken.
"Go, go, go!" he yelled.
Alyssa led the charge, her eyes scanning the area ahead as they broke into the open. The boat was docked just off the shore, hidden in a small cove that had shielded them from detection so far. They ran for it, the rain soaking through their clothes as the sounds of helicopter rotors grew louder in the distance.
"Choppers are inbound!" Laura\'s voice crackled. "One minute!"
Dominic glanced over his shoulder. Through the storm, he could make out the faint silhouettes of helicopters cutting through the clouds, their lights piercing the night sky.
"We\'re not going to make it to the boat before they\'re on us," Eleanor said, her voice tense as she looked at Dominic.
He cursed under his breath. "We need to hold them off until we can reach the boat."
Marcus, always the tactical mind, assessed their position quickly. "We\'ll set up a defensive perimeter here. We have the high ground on this ridge. It\'ll slow them down."
"Then we move fast," Dominic said, already scanning for cover. He spotted a series of large boulders and gestured toward them. "We hold here."
The team moved quickly, setting up behind the rocks just as the first helicopter came into view. Gunfire erupted from the chopper as it approached, sweeping the area with high-caliber rounds. Dominic ducked, the deafening sound of bullets tearing into the ground around him.
Alyssa fired back with precision, her shots hitting the cockpit of the helicopter. It veered off course momentarily, but more were coming. Dominic saw the second chopper approaching from the right, and the mercenaries on the ground began moving toward them, taking advantage of the air support.
"We\'re pinned down!" Marcus shouted, firing in short bursts at the advancing soldiers.
Dominic gritted his teeth. "We need to disable those choppers, or we\'re done."
Eleanor pulled out a small RPG launcher from her pack, a look of grim determination on her face. "I\'ll take care of that."
She stood, aimed, and fired. The missile streaked through the night sky, slamming into the tail of the first helicopter. The explosion lit up the sky, and the chopper spiraled out of control, crashing into the ocean below.
"One down," she said, loading another round.
But the second helicopter wasn\'t slowing. It hovered above them, preparing to unload more soldiers onto the ground. Dominic knew they had seconds before they were overrun.
"Marcus, cover fire!" Dominic ordered.
Marcus popped up from cover, laying down suppressive fire as the mercenaries tried to move forward. Alyssa was beside him, her movements swift and precise as she picked off soldiers one by one.
Eleanor fired another rocket, this time hitting the chopper dead center. The explosion ripped through the sky, and the second helicopter dropped like a stone, crashing into the ridge in a ball of flames.
"We\'ve got an opening!" Dominic yelled. "Fall back to the boat!"
The team didn\'t hesitate. They sprinted down the ridge, bullets whizzing past them as the remaining mercenaries tried to regroup. Dominic fired over his shoulder, covering Alyssa and Eleanor as they reached the shoreline.
The boat was just ahead, bobbing in the rough waters. Laura\'s voice came through their earpieces, filled with relief. "I\'ve disabled the facility\'s last defense systems. You should be clear once you\'re on the boat."
"Almost there!" Alyssa shouted.
They reached the boat, jumping aboard as the mercenaries behind them continued firing. Dominic hit the throttle, and the boat roared to life, speeding away from the island just as reinforcements swarmed the shore.
The team collapsed in exhaustion, their breaths coming in ragged gasps as the distance between them and the island grew. The storm raged around them, but they had done it. They had struck a blow to The Falcon, dismantling his network and crippling his reach.
But Dominic knew it wasn\'t over. Not yet.
As the boat cut through the waves, Dominic stared out at the horizon, his mind already racing. The Falcon would retaliate. He would regroup, rebuild, and come back stronger.
But Dominic would be ready.