I Have Returned, but I Cannot Lay down My Gun

Chapter 699

"…I don’t suppose you predicted this and packed drinks and food in advance, right?"

"It’s like catching a rat while backing up, but you’re not wrong. Honestly, it's just part of the routine. New tasks always get added... They probably took that into account when they made the supply list."

"Even so, it’s still a little surprising."

"Let’s focus on getting ready for the transport. Drink some water first. What did the rookie bring?"

"Just Gatorade."

"Mix an energy drink in there, and it’ll be really effective. Try it next time."

"Got it."

2:00 AM, New Haven.

There wasn’t an explosion of light as if the night turned into day after the firefight, but a new energy stirred through the dark city. Whether or not people wandering around could be called lively was hard to say, but that was how it felt.

But that’s exactly how it had to be described. Civilians captured while wandering around New Haven, first-wave Icarus Connecticut branch operatives, the captured submarine crew, and Sword operatives from Kings Bay.

Around 300 people, at least, gathered in a building overlooking New Haven Harbor and the two submarines. Originally a state government office—similar to a welfare center in Korea.

What other way could it be described than "bustling" or "full of energy"?

Naturally, the mood was lively, except for the captives.

"So, these tied-up guys are the… ones who lost their homes because they couldn’t even protect their own? A sight to behold. Their incompetence will be written into history."

"We think so too, ha ha ha. Luckily, most of them don’t understand English. Even if they did, what could they do?"

"Still, I must say, good job. It's unbelievable. How did you manage to capture two of the enemy’s latest submarines? You’ll definitely go down in history books in a different way. Impressive."

"If we head back now and get a medal, I’d be satisfied, but unfortunately, we need to be sent to the Bronx ASAP. I hear the prisoners there are about to boil over."

"…That’s a tough job."

The reactions of the Russian and Chinese splinter forces varied, but one thing was certain: once they spilled all the information they knew, they would spend the rest of their lives mocked and despised.

Of course, it was entirely their own fault. They fought desperately, but they weren’t outnumbered; they simply failed due to their indulgence in looting, pleasure, and drugs, neglecting their duties.

And the American operatives present had no intention of treating these fools with any kindness.

"Get out, idiots! Move! Tell me where you’re keeping the manuals!"

"…I’ll tell you everything you need to know. Please treat us humanely."

"Humanely? You think the ones who invaded without a declaration of war deserve humane treatment? If you keep talking nonsense, I’ll give you a chance to dismantle the mines you’ve planted in New Haven Bay, unarmed. Understand?"

"…"

At the interpreter’s cold words, everyone quickly shut their mouths.

The 50 or so prisoners were now silent, while the Sword operatives from Kings Bay and the first-wave operatives from Icarus Connecticut were deep in conversation, gathering as much information from the prisoners as they could.

The goal of the Sword team was clear: extract as much data as possible in the next few days, or even a week, so they could operate without the help of the prisoners.

Icarus Connecticut was obligated to provide accommodations, food, and interpreters for this process, requiring coordination between the teams.

Meanwhile, about 11 Icarus operatives, stretching and preparing, made an agreement to cooperate with Icarus Connecticut. The transport planes would be ready soon.

"Maybe it’s because we haven’t gained much from the grand mission, but I’m starting to feel more excited. What’s the upper command saying? I don’t think they’ll be watching from Central Park."

"…Actually, I need to tell you something. The cleaners pulled out from the Bronx area, and at the same time, they handed over the enemy distribution data they gathered. We’ll use that data to begin a strike operation."

"Now that’s good news. Looks like we’re leaving right now. What’s our escape plan?"

"Helicopters. Or maybe on foot."

A low chuckle echoed through the room as all eyes turned to Lorentina.

After this operation, another one would follow. The situation was far beyond what even operatives with 10-20 years of special forces experience had ever faced.

But no one paid much attention. They boarded the transport. Their destination was the Riverbank Park soccer field, just 3-4 km north of Central Park, where they would strike at the Liker gang’s flank.

No one spoke about who would kill the most.

But everyone agreed on one thing: they had to kill them all.

The first target was City College of New York (CCNY), about 800 meters east of their landing point in Upper Manhattan.

"Shark 1 and 2… Did you guys actually fire any shots?"

"Surprisingly, we fired more flashbangs than real bullets. Ollie and Eagle team, looks like the rookie had a pretty busy time. We’ll need more ammo."

"There’s a crate of ammo in the transport. That should be enough. We’ll reload on the way. It won’t take long. We only used about three mags."

"Then we should check the recon data sent by the cleaners. The university alone has at least 500 people. Given the size of the building, it's reasonable to expect that many gang members are holed up there."

The tilt-jet was flying at over 600 km/h, crossing the Long Island coast toward Manhattan.

Only about 10 minutes left to their landing point. All members of Task Force Dagger had a gut feeling that they were about to make history, and that their blood would be written in the history books.

How so many gangs were still around was a mystery, but whether it was possible or not wasn’t something for them to worry about. Anything could happen now.

While the gangs were trying to fulfill their desires amidst the chaos, whatever the reason, once the bullets were lodged in their heads, they wouldn’t be able to do it again.

And these operators were the best at placing bullets where they belonged.

As they neared the landing point, the pilot spoke to Eagle team, who had just finished reloading.

"One minute to landing. Current time, 2:12 AM. It’s a perfect time for a walk, operators."

"Just as you said. It would be perfect to tidy up the environment while we’re at it."

"I heard there’s a lot of garbage piling up in northern Manhattan due to the Omega Virus situation. Good luck. The cleaners have pulled out, and there are no friendly forces left. I think you know what that means."

"Good. Let’s go tickle their flank. If they all die after a little poke, don’t blame us."

And just as expected.

As one of the transport planes slowly decelerated, its engines turned, and it descended toward the ground. The operators checked their weapons, confirming how many rounds they had left.

Dozens of Seeker mines, capable of rolling across the ground, and pulse systems that could pinpoint the enemies, alongside a variety of combat support equipment and skills.

The rear ramp opened, and the operators deployed, scanning for enemies. The surroundings were eerily quiet, so still that it seemed not even a rat could pass by.

But everyone knew. Places like this, apparently empty, were perfect for escapees to set up camp.

"Shark 1, eliminate Shark 2 and integrate into Shark 1 call sign. We have 300 meters to Point Alpha."

• "Copy. Treat everything within the operation area as an enemy. There are no innocent people."

"Understood. We’ll return before dawn. Contact in 45 seconds."

Five hours remaining in the operation, enemy numbers unknown.

The side of City College of New York came into view.

It was almost time to weave the bloody carpet of the escapees.

CQB, the method for urban warfare, had not evolved since World War II.

John McPhee, who served 20 years in the U.S. Army, with stints in the 75th Ranger Regiment, Green Berets, CIF Special Task Force, and as a Delta Force Master Sergeant, explained it like this.

As he said, since World War II, through the Vietnam War, Middle Eastern conflicts, and up to modern times, the challenges of urban warfare and proposed solutions had not changed.

Finding the positions of enemies, IEDs, and booby traps.

Neutralizing these threats after pinpointing their locations.

For nearly a century, countless strategies and ideas had been proposed to solve these two critical objectives in urban warfare. Some were included in training manuals, but none were perfect.

Even special forces soldiers, trained at the cost of billions, could still die from a bullet, whether fired by a child, an elderly person, or anyone in between. Bullets don’t discriminate.

That’s why even the U.S. military shies away from the term "urban warfare," because of the enormous risks involved.

But—

"Shit, shit, what the hell is going on?! Where the hell are the sentries, what are they doing, gah…!"

"Push in, push in! Go faster! Don’t give them a second to recover!"

Even without entering directly, if you can pinpoint the location of threats...

If you can neutralize those threats from outside...

In that case, the entire situation changes.

Urban warfare, where numbers play a huge role, could be turned into a highly effective tactic with overwhelming force—especially with 500 enemies, at least five squads.

But—through exceptional technology, the disadvantages of urban warfare were completely wiped out.

"We can’t stop them! Help us, help us—!"

"Oh, they’re coming! Aaaah—!"

The sound of high-speed motors echoed menacingly through the halls, as five tracking mines sped through the building, obliterating anything in their path.

It didn’t matter if they hid in a room or closed the door. The first mine, closest to the door, exploded, shattering the door. The second followed, blasting into the room and finishing the enemies off.

It didn’t end there. The so-called "pulse" spread through the facility, and within a minute, bullets or drills were tearing through walls, coming for the enemies.

"…What the hell happened to get us into this situation? You useless bastards! Can’t even defend your position properly!"

"Enemies are slaughtering our guys! We have no idea what’s happening!"

"You’re saying that now? Stop them, you idiots!"

The reaction of the Liker gang occupying the university—who had chosen the Crips gang’s symbol as their own—was nothing short of disastrous.

Panic and chaos, so intense it seemed like the whole situation could collapse any second.

Only the gang leaders, who were strategically keeping their distance and observing the chaos from safety, remained somewhat composed.

"Prepare the vehicle! We need to leave now!"

"Understood… gah…!"

At that moment, the sound of breaking glass was heard clearly. A drone, equipped with a sniper rifle, hovered outside and shot through the window, hitting one of the enemies, pinning him to the wall.

The drone’s large caliber sniper rifle shattered the glass as easily as breaking sugar art, then pinned the enemy to the wall with a fatal shot. This was just the beginning.

The enemy positions and movements were perfectly tracked, and escape attempts were blocked by turrets placed on the roof. The result was inevitable.

"Hang in there! With all this noise, our brothers outside will come to help! Contact Salvaturcha nearby!"

"Understood!"

They waited for reinforcements, but deep down, they knew it was a hopeless cause. Their communication equipment was down, and their hope was futile.

For the gang members, the only choice left was to decide where they would die.

And the Crips had no idea that all their communication devices were rendered useless.

The result was simple.

"Please, help us! Save us—!"

"These fucking idiots, every gang around here is going to hunt you down…"

Some cursed the world, others begged for their lives, but Task Force Dagger watched indifferently and added:

"Then we’ll just kill the ones chasing you too."

Bang!

Lorentina drew her pistol, pulled the trigger, and put an end to a Crips gang member’s life, sending him into eternal rest.

Looking at the body, she muttered softly:

"So… is it about 200 out of 14,000 now?"

"After the Omega Virus crisis, I’m already scared to think about Dagger’s kill count."

The operators laughed bitterly.

For some, it was a horrific ending, but for others, it was just the beginning of a long journey.

Spring was filled not with the scent of fresh grass, but the stench of blood and rotting corpses.