Everything was set for the operation. As everyone geared up, the tension in the air was heavy but focused. John stood before us, his voice calm and commanding as always.
"We move fast and cover each other's backs," he said. "There'll be a lot of armed men inside, so no mistakes. We go in teams."
There would be three teams:
Team A – a full SWAT unit.
Team B – John, Logon, Jenny, Second Lieutenant Reacher, and me.
Team C – the rest of the 101st unit, covering the perimeter.
Reacher was a quiet man — around 6'5", muscular, built like a tank. He was about twenty-eight and had earned a Purple Heart and several other medals during his five years in the Army before joining the 101st. He didn't talk much, but when he moved, you knew the job was going to get done.
John went over the plan once more. "Team A enters from the back. Team B hits the front. Team C holds the perimeter and ensures no one escapes. We take control clean and fast. No room for error."
After clearing our weapons and checking comms, we rolled out. It took us about thirty minutes to reach the target building. Once there, we surrounded it and waited. As soon as the meeting inside started, John gave the signal.
We hit the place hard.
John and Logon were first in, silently taking down two guards at the entrance. I followed with my rifle up, covering each corner while Jenny and Reacher moved in sync behind us. Every movement was calculated — quiet and deadly. We neutralized several armed men without firing a single bullet, making sure no one inside the main hall noticed our approach.
By the time we reached the main hall, all three teams were in position. The plan was to surround the buyers and force a surrender. John raised his hand to signal readiness — but before he could speak, chaos erupted.
Gunfire exploded between the buyers themselves.
"They're fighting each other!" Jenny shouted over the comms.
John's voice cut through the noise. "All units, take down armed hostiles — from the shadows. Keep the C4 secure!"
As we moved into cover, Team C reported over the radio, "Two SUVs filled with armed men heading your way! Engaging a third now!"
The fight escalated fast. Bullets ripped through walls as we picked off shooters from the shadows. In the middle of the chaos, I spotted a man sprinting toward a truck — the one loaded with C4.
Without waiting for orders, I broke from formation.
Reacher noticed immediately and followed me. But by the time we reached the truck, the driver had already started the engine and was plowing through anything in his path.
"I'm not letting that C4 slip away," I muttered, spotting a nearby car. I jumped in, started it, and hit the gas. Reacher slid into the passenger seat, no questions asked.
We tore down the dirt road after the truck. The two SUVs we thought were coming to attack were actually escorting it — a moving wall of gunfire protecting the C4 shipment.
As we raced past Team C's position, I threw a grenade toward the third SUV they were fighting. It exploded, giving Team C the upper hand to finish off the enemy and move in to back us up.
"Reacher! The wheels!" I shouted.
Without hesitation, he climbed halfway out the window, aimed steady, and smiled before firing. His shots hit true — one SUV's tire blew out, sending it crashing into a barrier.
"Nice shot!" I yelled, pushing the accelerator to the floor. "Hold on tight!"
We tried everything to stop that truck — ramming it, blocking it — but the driver was relentless. Finally, Reacher leaned out again, took careful aim, and fired a single shot through the windshield.
The bullet hit the driver right between the eyes.
The truck swerved, slowed, and finally rolled to a stop just before reaching the highway.
I grabbed the radio. "Captain, this is Alpha. The C4 is secure."
"Copy that," John's voice came through. "Bring it home."
When we returned to SWAT headquarters, the same soldiers who had once laughed at me — the "50 Davids," as they called themselves — now looked at me with respect. No more jokes. Just silent nods of acknowledgment.
In the locker room, John turned to me. His expression was firm but calm.
"You disobeyed a direct order," he said. "There will be consequences for that — later. But tonight, you made the right call. You saved lives and secured the objective."
He paused, then cracked a rare smile. "So… tonight's on me. My treat. The kid did good on his first mission."
Everyone laughed — even Logon.
For the first time, I felt like I truly belonged