Realistic or Modern Project Syndicate: Seitenwind IC [CLOSED]

[Rielaix]

WARDEN

"Gratzi." Warden replied with a raised brow.

Warden was surprised by Salient's odd practice with words and preparation for their job. The way the girl nonchalantly grabbed the duffel bag out of the dumpster and then loading her guns while going over their prescribed details was almost stunningly absurd. Maybe she had been doing this for a long time to brush off the tensions. Even among the crowd, Warden had to constantly look over her back as part of their training, but Salient was a case of a positive vibe, albeit weird. Warden can't help but be amused by her trying to brief themselves. While Salient seemed out of place for a military operator, she did not seem like a bad person. Definitely a bonafide drinking buddy, Warden thought.

Warden did not waste anytime, and quickly got her guns working like Salient. Unlike Salient, she only hand a handbag to conceal her gun. Luckily for her, the MPX was just the right size for concealment. As for the M9, Warden tucked it inside her pants. Maybe Agent Summer planned this as well. A scary, but a welcoming thought that Summer was watching over them, Warden contemplated as she looked towards the sky.

After being briefed by Salient, Warden reached out her hand to help Salient up from her crouched posture.

"Heh. You're an odd one, Salient. I go by Warden. We haven't got time to waste, let's get moving. I've got your back."

Warden followed Salient towards the bazaar to meet their contacts. She kept her long steps to keep a certain distance between her and Salient, while focusing on the faces around them. This time, she will find the answer to her glooms. She had Salient's back, as they would hers. The first step to any battle was to find someone who had your back. At least Aquila boards knew that. The reason for Crosswind's existence, so that no one has to fight alone, a poetic endeavor. Warden shook these reasonings off with a grin. Pilgrim59

​

 

[Pilgrim59]

Salient
Muttrah City, Oman
Rielaix​

Salient donned a smile when Warden helped her up. Warden seemed like a nice person and was not a frigid refridgerator like that hunk of meat that Void was. But even then, shw wondered how everyone else was doing aside from Warden and herself. Even if she called them, their SAT phone was going to be picked up by Summer anyways. At least with Warden, things would be a little less grim. It was nice to know that she had someone to look after her six.

The two made their way into the bazaar, trying to act discreet, but not so secretive - not when they were lugging a bag full of cash and armed with forty S&W and nine mills. Before long, Salient mad eye contact with a certain gentlemen at the cafe. He had a local getup and a keffiyeh, while sipping on a cup of espresso. What caught Salient's attention the most was his coyote combat boots and what looks like a bulge by his thigh that she could only speculate to be a handgun. She had a long face, seeing that she and Warden had tried to conceal their firearms, and here this guy was, sipping on his coffee with a strap blatantly mocking her. Other than the fact that he was eyeing the duo since their entry, Salient was positive he was their contact. The two made their approach, as Salient greeted the man.

"Ah salam aleikum." Salient greeted the man smiling.

"Wa aleikum salam. You need to work on your Arabic, my lady. Tell, me, what business do you and I have this day?"

"I was told to meet Osman here about some trucks?"

"I'm afraid I can't help you, my lady. But my friends here can."

Emerging from behind Salient and Warden were a couple of gunmen with an array of AKs pointed at the operators. The man finished his cup of coffee then stood up, just as a van took a hard break behind them.

"I'm sure we can discuss about those trucks of yours. But first, how about a nice ride?" he said playfully, handing Warden and Salient a potato sack to put over their head. He then twirl his fingers.

Warden and Salient were checked and stripped of their weapons, before being tossed into the van. About fifteen minutes into their ride, the van abruptly stopped. Warden and Salient, now bound and blinded by the sacks over their head were marched into a certain room, where a brief silence befell them.

"Fifteen mikes from bazaar at the speed of
... hmm, maybe twenty miles per hour. There's a light breeze, I can hear the seagulls. We're still inside the city, I think. Prolly by the beach somewhere. Oh! Oh! Gunpowder! They have a cache about two levels past when they dropped us off. Maybe we can-" Salient said softly to Warden who was standing next to her, before being interrupted.

"I can hear you, you know? Allah... Karim, pull the plugs, this one seems to be immune to that with all the rambling."

The two had their hoods removed after a distinct conversation took place between what seemed to be the leader and his aide. Salient eyed the man that she met prior that was sipping coffee. On his desk was a gold-plated sign that read "CEO of Black Crescent".

"Look at your face! Hahaha. Sorry, I've always wanted to try that hollywood kidnap thing, you know? Like the CIA spooks that does all that. Have you seen Thirteen Hours, The Super Soldier of Benghazi?" he remarked, laughing maniacally, before turning towards Salient. The latter would nod slowly, as the other gunmen in the room still had their guns up and ready.

"Secret Soldiers of Benghazi." Salient corrected the man.

"Ah that's right. Perfect! Haha! Well, you see, I'm a huge fan of Michael Bay. So you see. I have this thing for explosions. So tell me, who are you working for? Hm? Before I send you into the bunker and strap an old American bomb to both of you. Boom!" he continued, drawing his Desert Eagle and shoving it against Salient's head.

"Um. You might wanna load your gun first, but that would be counter-productive to your whole plan of blowing us up. I mean, you could kill us first, and then strap us with explosives, but I dunno your preferences about blowing us while we're alive or when we're dead. Also, M16 guy, your bolt is jammed. Press the forward assist to bolt it properly. Oh hey, Lee Enfield man, your sight is set to two hundred yards, we're only five feet from you, genius. Oh there's also som-..." Salient began going on and on until she was interrupted by the man again.

"Enough! Enough! Unbelievable. You Americans are insufferable."

"Actually. I'm Austrian. She's... Italian I think. We have strict confidentiality policies, so I can only guess from her accent."

The man sighed heavily, before loading his Desert Eagle properly with a magazine.

"One last time. What does your Syndicate want? I already ceded my radio tower to you."

"Actually we're here to deliver the cash to you and hopefully you'll point us in the direction of the incoming gun convoy and we'll be on our way to rob it. You know... the exact opposite of what you just claimed about us. Salient replied, shrugging slightly while being bound.

"Oh. Wait that bag was full of cash? Rasheed! Why didn't you check the bag?"

"I was going to let you know, boss. But you were in middle of your interrogation recording, so..."

"Well... this is embarassing. Um. Come on! Untie them. Yallah! Yallah! My apologies, ladies. Normally it's that Korean kid that deals with me. But hey, if you got the cash... no hard feelings? Karim! Order some food! Ladies, you love McDonalds? They just opened down the road. Only five blocks away from my estate. Nice plac-..."

"Jo had to go off the grid for good after we booked him a flight in Korea. We need the intel. Do you have it or not?"

"So Korea was your handiwork. Hmm. Come. My men reported five vehicles convoy coming down this highway along the coast about an hour ago from Saudi. I would love to help you, but we have some complications. A few days ago, a man came to me about smuggling goods. Claimed he was with the Syndicate. I thought he was just some nobody. Turned into a firefight. Killed most of my men and took over my personal radio tower. The guns are still there, but I can't risk my men again. Not against those guys. But!"

Osman went over the map with Salient and Warden on his desk, using his Desert Eagle as paperweight.

"Here's the layout of the radio tower. About twenty gunmen. What you need for the convoy is in there. Guns, shipment details, possibly their own stamps. Probably. But my men remains here. Anymore involvement and they'll send their entire company after me. Do this small job for me and yourself, and maybe, just maybe you'll have a shot at the convoy." Osman leans back with a smug look.

"We don't have much of a choice do we? We still need your help to haul the guns after we stop the convoy. Welp, come on Warden, let's go capture that radio tower." Salient turned over to Warden with a grin. She welcomed the challenge, stepping over to the gunner with an M16, pressing his forward assist twice as the bolt went forward.

"I look forward to our future business. Karim, give them back their guns, and get your group ready! Go kick some ass for us, Austrian." Osman exclaimed, shaking hands with Salient.

As Warden and Salient left their room to rearm themselves, Osman turned on his stereo and put on his shades. A shot of whiskey and a cigar in his hand.

"Go get them, spooks." Osman said softly beneath his breath, taking a puff then grinning.

"Tell me you got that recorded. Yes! I am going to be a movie director one day, and this is going to be my first step. Hahahah!"

Meanwhile, Salient and Warden headed off towards the radio tower, with their guns in tow for a frontal assault. They had little time until the convoy arrives.

"Well that was fun. You ready to kick this off, Warden? Right. Los los los!" Salient said, as she sashayed in a low profile manner towards the entry point with Warden behind her. She then pulled out her half-finished Snickers bar and threw it over the wall to distract the guards. She selected her weapon's mode to full-auto then ran forward towards her next cover behind a rock.

"Covering fire! Move!" Salient yelled, letting off a few bursts at the first two guards at the entrance to catch their attention, while Warden pushed forward. She managed to wound one, while pinning the second guard behind his entrance post.

​

 

[Rielaix]

WARDEN

Warden followed Salient's lead when the two were at the bazaar. Before she could draw her weapon, what seemed like the entire marketplace were already onto them. Was this what every Crow had to experience everyday? Warden thought to herself, with a hint of annoyance that the gunmen outnumbered them. She was inclined to start letting off rounds, but based on Salient's nonchalant reaction, Warden just followed suit. Maybe the girl has a plan. It was hard to tell since the Austrian was a bit eccentric in her personality to begin with. While posing as a happy-go-lucky operator with no concerns, she was a smart one. Perhaps one of them technical ones. Only time will tell, Warden thought, reflecting on the nature of their background confidentiality. She then surrendered herself alongside Salient, placing the hood over her head, then onto the van.

When the two were escorted to what seemed like an office, Warden kept quiet throughout. Part of her training was not giving anything. As a law enforcement officer prior, Warden had it drilled into her personality to never waver in the face of danger. Salient on the other hand, was a tweeting bird. Where Warden picked up on the stoic role, Salient was relentless with her reply, like a typewriter going off every five seconds. Part of Warden wanted to call Salient off before she gets them both killed. They said silence was a virtue, but even Warden was amazed by Salient's unusual method of coping with the situation.

"How are you even doing this with a bag over your head? You know what, nervermind." Warden replied to Salient's rambling about their escape plan, before their captor interrupted Salient.

When the hood over their heads were removed, Warden looked around then over to Salient with a long face that said 'This kid is unbelievable.' as the man pointed a gun to Salient's head. It got tense for a few seconds before Salient called the man out on his plan. On closer look, Salient was right, his handgun wasn't loaded. Then the gunman with the M16 and the curious lad with the outdated bolt-action rifle. Their whole kidnapping scenario was cardboard cutout ripped straight from a low-budget action movie. Warden would laugh, but they had guns pointed towards them at the moment.

Salient corrected the man again about their nationalities, and Warden can't help but be persuaded to play along.

"She's right." Warden remarked, shrugging at Salient.

"Whoa hey, easy!" Warden said as the mastermind loaded his handgun proper this time.

The rest was a comedic aftermath. It seemed that the man was Osman, their contact. His dramatic kidnapping scheme turned out to be a misunderstanding. At least they were on the same page at the end. Osman recalled his involvements a few days ago, and asked Salient and herself to do the dirty work for him. He would be able to collect his things, and they get the proper equipment to take on the convoy. The catch was that it was Salient and Warden that would shoulder the responsibilities for the assault on the radio tower. If this was necessity to secure their deal, then so be it, Warden concluded.

"We don't have much of a choice do we? We still need your help to haul the guns after we stop the convoy. Welp, come on Warden, let's go capture that radio tower."

"Right behind ya, girl!" Warden nodded with a determined smile.

Warden refitted her gear and gun. She jacked a smoke grenade from the armory as they were gearing up. The two took a brisk jog through the city towards the radio tower. They took a knee to catch their breath, double checking their equipment once again, before commencing the attack.

"Well that was fun. You ready to kick this off, Warden? Right. Los los los!" Salient asked, not before running off anyways. It seemed like everything was as Warden expected of her new life as a Crow. High speed low drag. Sure, it wasn't exactly the poetic justice she expected to avenge her friend's death, but this was a start.

Warden stayed behind, lining up her sights to pick off the guards that were trained on target, as well as the one investigating Salient's Snickers bar.

"Covering fire! Move!" Salient roared, letting Warden move forward to take down the guards at the entrance.

"Bounding." she replied, and got on her feet with her MPX pointed forward and switched to semi.

Warden's legs paired in sync with her steady stance. She took a sharp breath, then let off two rounds at the wounded guard that Salient landed a hit on. Thak! Thak! One to the neck, the other to his head. Warden stacked up at the walled entrance, tilting to the side to check the opposite side of the entrance. Then veering in. She popped another shot at the second guard's foot throwing him off, as he falls over to reveal his torso and apex. Warden took her chance to let off two headshots. The guard distracted by the snicker's bar was around the corner, suppressing Warden's position. The constant stream of ricocheting shrapnels riddled the wall full of holes, to the point of tearing down the wall itself. But Warden can't flank him. She had no way in other than running into a hail of bullets. Judging from the constant rate of fire, she can only speculate that their assailant had a drum or box magazine. Thankfully, his caliber was not enough to tear up the sand wall.

Warden wasted no time to wave Salient over. Over the loud constant dispense of bullets, Warden could only hand signal Salient for a boost over the walls to flank their opponent. Tap tap finger towards the top of the wall, shoulder, index and middle finger protruding, and a curled fist projecting into a pointed wing.

(I'll give you a boost over the wall to flank) read Warden's hand signals.
Pilgrim59

​

 

[Pilgrim59]

Salient
Muttrah City, Oman
Rielaix​

Salient peeked over the rock at the absence of the guard's rifles, and noticed Warden had taken care of them. The next problem was the stream of bullets that kept Warden at the wall. Salient noticed Warden's hand signals, and quickly crossed the road. She stacked up beside Warden, making sure no one else was on their tail, before nodding at Warden's offer. Salient slung her MPX over her shoulder, after safetying it, then drew her Beretta, high-porting it to make sure it did not went off at Warden beneath her. Warden interlocked her fingers as a platform for Salient to vault over her shoulder. Thankfully, the Austrian was lean on her recent diet, accompanied by the fact that they were not in full chest rigs, only ammunition webbing.

Salient crawled over the top of the sandwall slowly, taking a peek at the lone gunner, before jumping down on him. Salient wrapped her legs around his neck and forced him into a chokehold. The gunner relinquished his drum magazine HK416 and tried to reach for his knife. Salient turned fro and forth to force him off his balance. The man tumbled to the ground, just as the Austrian unwrapped her legs and had her handgun trained on his head. Rather than letting off a headshot, she knocked him out cold with the butt of her handgun. She then restraint the man with a ziptie to his leg and hands behind his back.

Salient then peeked out of corner of the entrance gate with a peace sign and a smile at Warden.

"Secure. Hehe. Come on in." she said nonchalantly.

The two made their way into the courtyard, then jogged towards the main building. Osman mentioned twenty gunmen, but there was only three at the gate. Even as they pass the courtyard, there was not a single soul. It did not feel quite right. They passed a red truck that was parked beside the building, checking it for occupants, before entering the building via the side door.

"My Salient senses are tingling. Keep your eyes peeled, Warden. There's seventeen more hostiles unaccounted for. Let's see here..." Salient remarked, as she stopped before an electronic vault door. For a radio tower, this place seemed more than that.

High profile reinforced steel door for a communications room was the first red flag, with about seventeen gunmen out there. Salient examined the electronic panel briefly, before popping it open.

"It's over Syndiekin, I have a Tech Degree. Hehe. It's a reference to Star W-... Anyways, sorry, I get excited when it comes to this stuff. And... done! Easy peasy!" Salient remarked jokingly, bringing out her nerdy side, as she quickly rewired the mainframe with speed. The vault door began turning and pivoted open.

"Let's see... oh right! Commence sensitive site exploitations!" Salient said, as she holstered her handgun and going through a pile of papers on the desk.

A candid lists of future shipments, the contents, some deployment plans that was gibberish to Salient. Maybe Summer and her associates could decipher it when they return. For now, Salient kept on shuffling through the files before her. She had learnt to compartmentalize and sorting things was her forte. Everything was organized into proper documents of relevance, as Salient whipped up her camera from her backpack to snap some pictures on the pin-up boards. She took the liberty of cross-referencing the phone records from the radio station to text Osman's cell.

[RADIO TOWER LIBERATED. CAN'T FIND GUNS. MEET AT MCDONALDS.]

After the text was sent, Salient eyed the monitors, only to see four SUVs parking up front of the building. Its crew disembarked like a swarm of angry hornets. Some of them had McDonalds napkins strapped to their pockets.

"So that's where the other seventeen were. Scheiße!" Salient remarked, packing up the last of the documents then turning over to Warden behind her.

"Warden. I got Osman's intel but we have company. The other seventeen hostiles just got back from McDonalds. We need to egress." Salient said, shoving the intels into her backpack alongside her camera. She noticed a Syndicate medal on the desk and took it with her, alongside some nine millimeter magazines on the desk.

Salient stormed out of the vault with Warden, as she contemplated on their escape plan. By protocol, Summer would be the one that called her. Should Salient broke radio silence, it could compromise their operation. Not a single drone overhead for this entire theatre of work, but Salient digress. Drones were prone to being manipulated. If Summer had Crosswind piggybacked on a military operation, they were liable to be noticed. Even now, the Program does not have the slightest of how deeply rooted the Syndicate was. This was the criteria of their job - to be shot at and to raise hell without taking credits. But with her last job in Korea, Salient learnt that Summer was always watching, even if she was not physically present. That was more than enough for Salient to go by doing her job. But she was not alone. Perhaps it's time to get some creativity from Warden.

"Any ideas?" Salient asked Warden, tossing the latter three magazines for her Beretta.

 

[Rielaix]

WARDEN

All Warden heard was the sudden silence of the roaring rifle, a few audible thuds, then Salient's face emerging on top of her iron sights pointed at the entrance.

"Secure. Hehe Come on in." was all that was needed for Warden to lower her gun and chuckle.

Despite her frail physique, Salient was capable of manhandling a full-grown man. She had to be a part of special forces, Warden thought. But cutting edges with recruitment process seems detrimental for the mass. Not everyone was sane enough to make it through extreme conditions, let alone retaining their individuality. Salient was a walking example of the other side of the spectrum of the recruitment poster. They never showed the humane side of those that serves. Only the big burly men full of testosterone for the magazine posts. But all in all, Salient was good at what she did, and that was more than enough to reassure Warden that her eccentric Austrian partner had her back. Truth be told, she was inspired by Salient's nonchalant approach that got them out of Osman's captivity and so far - proving herself capable in combat.

Salient mentioned Osman's intel on the radio tower compound. She had a point, maybe the man's intel was wrong? But even so, a three-man garrison was a huge downgrade from the story he told earlier. If the Syndicate could coerce a local head smuggler that was surrounded by a lot of gunmen, it was highly probable that they were walking into a trap. Warden kept her head on a swivel, checking corners and the likes. Before they enter the building, Warden made sure to check the red truck. She unlocked the car and jacked the key, while making sure they had enough fumes for a getaway. A habit of a pursuit policewoman. Where rules usually apply, Warden and Salient was now in a wild frontier with the only rule being survival. So it did not bother her the slightest.

"It's over Syndiekin, I have a Tech Degree. Hehe. It's a reference to Star W-... Anyways, sorry, I get excited when it comes to this stuff. And... done! Easy peasy!"

"You are a walking reference box, aren't you? I've got you covered." Warden sighed, shaking her head slightly, then kicked a table over as makeshift cover. She laid her submachinegun on top of it for stability.

Salient stormed out the vault with a concerned face, just as Warden heard a couple of vehickes pulling up on the building.

"Warden. I got Osman's intel but we have company. The other seventeen hostiles just got back from McDonalds. We need to egress."

"No kidding. They're coming in through the main entrance." Warden commented, as she received Salient's extra magazines for her pistol.

"Any ideas?"

"Si. Red truck we passed? I'll drive." Warden replied with a smirk on her face, dangling the truck's key from her free hand.

Warden took point, making sure the side door was clear, as she hugged the side of the truck. She then propped the door open and inserted the keys. Revving the engines, then signal Salient to hop in the back. It did not take long for the armed personnel to converge on their vehicle and began to open fire.

"Hang on, Salient!" Warden shouted over her earpiece, then nudged the shifter back and stepped on the pedal.

The truck went in reverse just as Salient hopped in the back. In her path, Warden managed to run over two gunmen behind them, knocking the two back and incapacitated them. Warden shifted the gearbox forward, and drift-throttled the truck towards the gate. She stepped on the gas and kept her head low, as they drove past the small platoon that rained fire on them. Warden was betting on Salient to keep her covered as she drove away.

"Just like old times, except we're the ones in pursuit and this isn't a Ferrari. Where to, Salient?" she asked, somehow managing to drift and merge onto the main road skillfully. The truck maneuvered its way past the oncoming traffics.
Pilgrim59



​

 

[Pilgrim59]

Salient
Muttrah City, Oman
Rielaix​

As expected no less of a hand-selected candidate for Crosswind, Salient was glad to have Warden with her. She followed Warden out the side door, covering her partner as the latter got the truck started. Salient hopped in the cargo bed, just in time for Warden to go full reverse. Warden managed to knock two gunmen behind them back. Salient followed up with two shots to neutralize them for good. The abrupt stop bumped her head slightly, but Salient did not complain. Based on her experience in Korea, this was to be expected. At least this truck had enough room for her to lay down fire as Warden sped out the entrance.

"Hang on Salient!"

"To what? There's no seatbelt back here, you know!" she replied, while lining up her sights to let off two long bursts as they made it out the compound.

Salient was surprised to see how skillfully Warden handled the truck like it's a race car. The vehicle drifted into the main road, but Salient managed to hang onto her prone posture. She laid on her back and kept watch behind them.

"Just like old times, except we're the ones in pursuit and this isn't a Ferrari. Where to, Salient?"

Warden said it without a stutter. What was she? A former racer and gunner? Salient's amusement quickly dispelled as two black SUVs made it out the compound and began to trail them.

"Head north down the seaside highway. Heads up, we got two vehicles on our six!" Salient called out to Warden via her earpiece. She then ejected her empty magazine and replaced it with a fresh one. Sliding it into the magwell then bro-fisted the mag-catch on her MPX.

The first SUV gained speed and closed in behind their truck, nudging their truck. The passenger gunner popped his head out the door and lined up his sights. Luckily, Warden managed to swerve onto the opposite lane giving Salient time to figure a plan to take care of their company. There was no choice but to do something a bit reckless, she reckoned. She took fire laying down, trying to minimize her profile, while waiting for the gunmen to dispense his ammunition. Salient was on her last magazine before she had to switch to her sidearm. The SUV seemed to be armored up front, so it would prove unwise to fire off all her rounds.

"Keep 'er steady. I got this one." Salient told Warden, as the latter remarged into their lane and let the SUV gained speed on them.

Salient waited until the shotgun-riding gunman to reload, just as the SUV went in for a second tailgate bump. Salient got up just as the gunner went for a reload. But the backseat gunner emerged from their doors and began to fire. Salient had no other choice but to make the jump. She hopped onto the SUV's hood, gaining a high ground over the gunmen, and let off a few tight groups left to neutralize the right door gunner, then the left. The driver attempted to swerve her off the roof, but Salient quickly let off another burst against his windshield to briefly covered his line of sight with bullet holes riddling the windshield. The Austrian felt the click on her MPX, and knew she was out of ammo. She hopped back onto the truck upon spotting the second SUV pairing alongside the truck in an attempt to veer her and Warden into the water beside them. The passenger gunner got out again, to take another shot at Salient. Warden took a hard break, feinting their speed as the second SUV rammed into the railing before them. They have yet to be thrown into the sea. But their speed was slowing down. For a brief moment, Salient had a very limited window to take care of the SUV behind them. The little maneuver threw the gunner off his precision, but Salient needed to act before he lined up his sights on her again. She drew her Beretta and fired. Her first consecutive volley were one-handed, with her other hand reaching for a second mag.

The first volley of fifteen rounds were to suppress to buy time. As she expended the first fifteen rounds, the mag followed gravity at her thumb's command upon the mag release button. Her other hand, already armed with a new magazine, slid it into her magwell with haste, prompting the cover to slide forward and ready to fire again. This time, she had both her hands stabilized, accompanied by their decreasing speed.

"Yippie kai yay, mother trucker!" Salient exclaimed as she fired again, his time knocking the submachinegun out of the gunner's hand, then two shots to the head.

The driver then drew his own sidearm and took aim. Salient quickly laid on her back again, fire off the rest of her magazine at the tire. The driver went off course just as a container truck passed them and crashed. The big truck bulldozed the SUV over the railings and into the sea.

Whats left of their red pickup truck was badly battered from the hail of bullets, as well as the SUV in front of them. Salient did not have time to breathe, they still had one more vehicle to take care of.

"First vehicle down. Can you shake them? I'm down to one mag." Salient reported to Warden, as she dispensed her third magazine at the SUV infront of them in an effort to keep the gunner from shooting out her driver.

The car chase was reminiscent of Jo's extraction. Once again, Salient had to partake in a car ride and getting shot at. But this time, it was a two-person job, with time opposing them. The Syndicates were relentless. Whoever trained these guys had some military background. Ever since Korea, Salient had been taking note of her opposition. Their equipment were better than what Crosswind was receiving, let alone their training. On paper they were goons for hire, ruthless mercenaries, and the likes. But on the field, they had proven themselves to be well-trained and well-equipped. It was almost as if Salient and the rest of Crosswind was going up against an army. But there was no time to dwell on such thoughts. First and foremost, they were almost at the rendezvous point that Salient texted Osman, as well as an SUV to deal with. Hopefully Warden had something up her driver's sleeves.

 

[Rielaix]

WARDEN

Even when they made it out onto the seaside road, the Syndicate hired guns were relentless in their pursuit. Before Warden joined the not-so-discreet Program, she was the designated driver that pursued getaway vehicles and she was damn good at it too. How ironic it was to have the roles reversed. Her right hand worked the gear shift, and her left on the wheel. Warden headed North as instructed, gunning straight for the opposite lane then back onto theirs. She steered back and forth after rear-mirroring the SUV behind them initially, trying to throw them off their aim.

"Keep 'er steady. I got this one."

And steadied she did, Warden kept her head low as the bullets whizzed over her head, painting the canopy and the windows with holes.

"Mio Dio! Any steadier and we're sitting ducks! This thing doesn't handle like my Lambo you know?!" Warden shouted under fire.

She was used to taking stockpiled race cars for optimal drifting experiences, courtesy of her department's inventory. But this bootleg Mitsubishi wasn't exactly built for breaking sixty miles per hour.

"Yippie kai yay, mother trucker!"

Even under fire, with a slight chance of being thrown off the truck and probably terminated by a rank of gunmen shooting at them while in the water, Salient managed to slip a Die Hard reference in there. The Austrian was nuts. Exactly the right partner for the job, Warden grinned at the thought, as she picked up on speed after the passing truck rammed their rear assailant into the sea.

"Gratzi, Salient." she thanked Salient.

Ammunition was of another concern when Salient reported her situation, while she dumped an entire Beretta magazine at the SUV in front of them. It was time for Warden to show off her driving skills, she thought.

"Try not to fall overboard! Here we go!" Warden jerked her wheel left abruptly, as she shifted into reverse.

She paired alongside the SUV for Salient to get a shot at the driver, while Warden drew her pistol and opened fire as well. While in reverse, Warden's driver side met the Syndies', close enough for her to wound the driver, and then the gunner behind him. They managed to neutralized one gunner on the left, but more started popping up. As the situation transpires, Warden shifted her gears again, and broke right into the opposite lane. About two to three seconds in, she was able to turn the truck around and resumed their course. The wounded driver slowed down slightly, and the SUV was now behind them. The other gunners shot at Warden and Salient, but only managed to mess up heir rear tires. But even that posed a problem. Warden knew then and there, that they had to ditch the truck soon enough. She fastened her seatbelt and shouted.

"Brace for impact!" Warden yelled, knowing she lost control of the truck as the screeching of the inner rims skid-marked the road.

Warden turned the wheel all the way to the left. The least she could do was make sure they didn't ram into a light post or building. The truck did several spins, as Warden aimed her Beretta at the SUV coming straight at them. She fired off her entire magazine to block the driver's vision with the cracks on his windshield. The truck eventually came to a stop infront of a building, knocking a light post over. Warden felt the full impact, as the truck's windshield shattered and cut her left arm.

"Ow ow ow!" Warden muttered softly, kicking the truck's door open, then tumble out of it like a potato sack.

She crawled towards the back with her Beretta in hand and her MPX strapped to her back. Hopefully Salient didn't get thrown over the side and squished.

"Salient! You up, girl?" Warden asked, as she sat herself upright behind the crashed truck. There were glass pieces embedded on her left arm like some sort of ornamental tattoo. It was not as bad as it seemed, but it was still painful. Pilgrim59


​

 

[Pilgrim59]

Salient
Muttrah City, Oman
Rielaix​

Salient followed up with Warden's stunt, and unleashed the wrath of her nine millimeter upon the backseat gunner. When prompted to brace, she laid on her side and hugged the side of the truck bed. The vehicle went straight into a light post, knocking Salient back towards the other side. The concussive force rendered her dazed for a minute, before she could reorient herself. The ramp was dead-bolted in by the ram, persuading Salient to climb over to the side, just as Warden crawled around the back. For what its worth, Warden did better than Salient could with a hands-me-down pickup truck. All things considered, Salient shrugged it all off with a couple of bruises and scrapes. Nothing a few bandaids could not fix. Warden on the other hand had her arm all cut up, but still somewhat in shape from the looks of it.

"Salient! You up, girl?"

"A bruised apple, but I'm up. What a ride huh? Ehehe. Come on, let me patch you up real quick." Salient responded with a chuckle, as she lent Warden a hand, pulling the latter into cover behind the rest of the truck.

Salient ripped a field dressing from her backpack and poured some hydrogen peroxide onto Warden's arm. After cleaning the scrapes, she pressed some gauzes over the afflicted area, then wrapped it all up nicely with some rolls of bandages from the kit. Salient tied up Warden's arm, then leaned over the side of the truck. She spotted five gunmen dismounting the SUV and encroaching on their truck from the road. She broke the truck's side mirror and placed it on the ground where it reflected the gunmen coming at her. She then checked her handgun, of which had two remaining rounds and one in the chamber. Salient turned over to Warden.

"Three rounds. It's up to you now, Warden. Here's the plan, Imma create a distraction. You nail-..." Salient tried to lay down a tactic before a familiar looking van rolled down the road, running four of the gunmen over. Some were tossed into the water, the others laid lifelessly.

Salient took her chance and fired her last three bullets at the last hostile. Two landed squarely center-massed, the last through his neck. Salient inspected her drawn-back, empty Beretta, before tossing it aside. A familiar voice reached out to them, prompting Salient to turn around.

"Heyyyy! You made it!" sat Osman, in his sandals, cargo shorts, a hawaiian shirt, a baseball cap and a pair of shades to boot. He was barely a few meters from the truck, calmly enjoying his Happy Meal.

They had arrived at their rendezvous, the McDonalds corner where Osman was sipping on his soda. He nonchalantly sashayed over to Salient and Warden. Where the others panicked and ran, the man remained composed amid the chaos.

"Whatever happened to no involvement?" Salient asked, shouldering Warden up.

"What are you talking about? All I saw was a van with malfunctioned breaks. You ladies hungry?" Osman laughed it off. He was in total denial, despite using the same one that he kidnapped Salient and Warden with prior.

"I'm a generous man. You scratch my back, I scratch yours. I'm not dumb enough to take on the Syndicate, but I can still kick their foot, right?" Osman shrugged with an impish grin on his face.

Salient took his fries, dipped it in ketchup then consumed it.

"Your intel was off. Where are the weapons we need for the convoy?" Salient said, while munching on the fries.

"Perspectives, Austrian. Besides, I need to know who I'm dealing with. No hard feelings. Come." Osman said, hinting that he already knew that the weapons that Salient wanted was not there in the first place.

Osman then led the two inside the McDonalds, and into the kitchen.

"Like I said. I'm a generous man. Take your pick." Osman laughed, as he opened up the meatlocker.

The entire room was filled with guns, munitions and ordnances, with a peculiar Brown Bess musket that sat in the corner with "Scarlet Company" enscribed on its stock.

Salient settled Warden down on a chair, then withdrew a folder from her backpack. She handed it to Osman, but firmly grasped it as Osman tried to take it from her. The contents were hard copy of the future shipments coming into Muttrah. With it in his hands, Osman would be able to coordinate with Jo's successor. It seemed that Summer preferred to have Salient and Warden underwent trials by fire, while also earning Osman's trust. In the end, it was the Program that pulled the strings and its Crows danced along. Besides, it was the Crows' uncredited efforts that slowly pieces things together for the Program.

Full-deniability, while subtly dismantling the Syndicate's influence were their policies, and what better ways to go about it than a couple of unknown operators going around guns akimbo with no attachments to any government-ran agencies? Surely, they could have spent decades to get this whole operation going, but bureaucracy among other things would hinder such prospects. The Program's ultimate enemy was time. But for Crosswind, they were under the impression of making the world less crappy one mission at a time. Salient hoped that the endgame was worth it.

"So we're squared now, ja?" Salient asked, relinquishing the doxuments over to Osman.

"We are. You two have earned my respect. There's a motorcycle in the back when you're done. I will see you when you're done tagging the convoy, Austrian. Godspeed. Ciao." Osman nodded, turning over to say farewell to Warden, as he left a set of motorcycle keys in Salient's hand.

Salient eyed him off then glanced at Warden. Salient took off, putting the patties over the grill briefly to get it heated, emptied the fries and hashbrowns of pil, then served it on a tray to the meatlocker. She placed it on the shelf next to Warden, then

"You know, with all the commotions outside, we could probably grab a burger or two before we ambush the convoy. Hehe... Thanks for having my back, Ward. You good for a second round? Hehehe..." Salient asked gently, donning a bright smile on her face, despite her roughed up attire. Even when she went through hell, Salient kept her awkward sense of humor in an effort to cheer her partner up. It will not be the last time. She thanked Warden, knowing that their dangerous line of work could be unpredictable. Might as well express her gratitude while she had the chance. Although Salient was not joking about the burger part. She was famished.

The Austrian glanced over the meatlocker's inventory, as she lit a cigarette and took a few puffs. The nicotine intake hits her just right, particularly after a long ride. After drawing half of her cigarette, Salient stomped it out, then started munching on her burger, while going through the arsenal next to them.

[MEATLOCKER INVENTORY]
Primaries: FN L1A1, HK G3, INSAS, SIG SG540/542, M16A3.
Secondaries: Browning Hi-Power, SIG P226, HK MP5.
Specials: SMLE No.1 Mk.III, Bren Mk.I, MP40, Beretta M38, Walther P38, Mauser C96 Carbine, Luger P08.

~Choose 2 from any category~
​

 

[Rielaix]

WARDEN

Warden winced as Salient poured some hydrogen peroxide onto her wounds. She gutted it up, clenched her teeth as Salient patched her up. She unslung her MPX and listened to Salient's proposal, just as a van rammed their assailants into the water. Salient took the brief second to fire her remaining ammunition. It did not took her even a monent to let the gunner react. As expected of her partner. Warden raised her brow at Osman. The man was sitting there enjoying his meal while a shootout was in progress. She noticed the van that crashed into their pursuers was the same one that he had kidnapped her and Salient prior. In a way, he saved their lives.

As Salient helped her up to follow Osman, Warden was surprised at her adaptive her partner was. She was able to cope with the situation, switching in and out of her gleeful demeanor, then her serious one. It became clear to Warden that Salient was not a naive girl. Despite her cheerful tone, Salient flared an objective-driven personality. She was as dangerous as she was when dealing with the SUV. Not a single grain of remorse. She was chaos when the situation demanded it, but remains placid towards her comrades. Not so much for Osman, though. After all, he was the one that put them in this situation. It was later revealed in the meatlocker that he was testing their mettle as a measure of trust. Luckily, Salient and her came through unscathed, earning his trust. While Warden did not approve of his method, she understood that it was necessary in times of distrusts. She would have done the same in his shoes.

"You know, with all the commotions outside, we could probably grab a burger or two before we ambush the convoy. Hehe... Thanks for having my back, Ward. You good for a second round? Hehehe..."

In a blink of an eye, after Osman left them a motorcycle and a room full of guns, Salient reverted back to her happy-go-lucky soul. Warden herself was troubled by it, aside from trying to recover the car crash. She did not feel like she had broken anything in her body, but that was for the medical staffs to judge when they get back. Warden nodded slightly, followed by a smile. Salient had proven herself both to Osman and to Warden that she was a capable and reliable operator.

"Barely felt a thing. Besides, you need someone to cover your blind spots, sister." Warden giggled, as she took a glance over the arsenal while dipping the fries that Salient borrowed from the kitchen. Salient had a point. They needed to get something for brunch before taking on an entire convoy.

"Look at these relics. Wouldn't it be badass to just rob a convoy with a Mauser?" Warden said jokingly.

When she was done with her hamburger and fries, Warden got up from her seat. She tightened her bandages, then grabbed a G3 from the rack. Placing it on the nearby table, Warden began modding her rifle with an ACOG, mounting it onto the rifle. She then made sure to check the actions and cocking levers, as she inspected one last time, before slinging it over her shoulder. Keeping in mind its weight, Warden only took three mags for the G3. She needed another rifle for medium-ranged purpose, and resolved with an SG540 chambered for 5.56 x 45mm. Warden grabbed five mags, fitting it into her pouch slots.

"See you outside, sister." Warden said, taking the keys from Salient's hand, then checked on their new ride, while waiting for Salient to arm herself.

Warden liked driving. Even when she was in pursuit of her suspects in Italy. The sensation of going fast gave her the thrills of living. She felt most comfortable with vehicles, but most importantly, someone to share it with. So far, Salient has not disappoint. If anything, the Austrian made her felt at ease. The brief firefight they shared was enough to poke Warden out of her shell of reclusiveness. Sure, she didn't have the cold-shoulder methods towards others, Warden was nonetheless a victim of her past. Getting too personal with her teammate will only be disastrous should she fail to keep them safe. But even if its a brief moment, Warden was lenient enough to let Salient in as her ride-or-die partner. It was better to have someone watches over your back than none at all.

Pilgrim59


​

 

[Pilgrim59]

Salient
Convoy Ambush Point, Oman
Rielaix Midrick​

Salient nodded at Warden's remarks, particularly one about the Mauser. Salient scoffed at the reality that an Omani smuggler preserved a piece of history far better than the efforts of the world. One peculiar detail was the Brown Bess musket that had "Scarlet Company" inscribed on it. Surely the gun had a certain history behind it, but like Warden said. It is a relic of the past. It was best not to dwell on it, especially when they're on a tight schedule.

Salient grabbed an M16A3 from the rack, and began reconfiguring it. She mounted a reflex optic on top of he carry-handle. She made sure to set the co-witnessing height of the optic proper to line up with the front tritium-post. Salient reached for the MP40, strapping it to her backpack with extra magazines. She took Warden's words to heart and sought to try out an antique weapon. German engineering was one of her bias when it comes to weapons.

The Austrian closed the meatlocker behind her, as she exited the McDonald via the backdoor. Behind the motorcycle was an RPG-7 with a sticky note next to it that says "Happy hunting, Austrian." alongside a coordinate of their ambush point. Salient grabbed the RPG, slung it over her back, with two warheads strapped to Warden's back. Salient hopped onto the motorcycle, plugging the coordinate into her phone.

She tapped her designated driver's shoulder to take off. The two zoomed past the wreckage in front of the McDonald's then westward. It seemed that Osman had the local police in his pockets. Their response to the scene were more or less indifferent, as the rest of his men began to clean up their mess. It was a good thing to have local assets take care after them. After all, going in gun-blazing with just her partner was less-desirable. Maybe this was Summer's trial to see if Salient and Warden were up to the task. Or perhaps a warm-up exercise for future missions. One thing is for sure, it will only get more dangerous for Crosswind.

After an hour of riding, Salient and Warden arrived at their destination. It seemed that by taking the radio tower, they managed to shake loose possible reinforcements, as well as earning Osman's trust. A lesson to take heed, albeit unspoken. Other than an objective to be accomplished, Salient knew that they were also shaping the balance of local power. Summer's plan thus far had proven fruitful, despite their lack of ground intels. All that was left was the convoy.

"I'll hit the lead vehicle, then the rearmost. Based on Osman's intel, the truck will be dead center, so we'll close in to neutralize the stragglers. Once the front and rear are out of commission, you hit the truck, I'll swing around their left through the front." Salient went over the plan with Warden, as she grabbed the warheads from Warden's back.

Salient threw down her backpack near to the road, half-burying it with sand, barely enough for her to see it. As she stashed one RPG rocket there, alongside her MP40 and spare five-five-six magazines. She then doubled back about a hundred meters up the sandy hill for higher grounds. After her first shot, Warden would provide cover fire, while Salient moves up to her backpack for a second shot. With ammunitions stashed there, they would have a forward resupplying area, while not carrying too much weight initially. Movement and speed were vital to their attack.

Salient buried herself in the sand alongside Warden, as they waited for the convoy. After fifteen minutes or so, a column of vehicles appeared upon the horizon. Salient whistled to let Warden know of their impending target. Their motorcycle was parked on the empty road. Rather than a blockade, it served as a measurement point for Salient, as she flipped her RPG's sight to two-hundred meters.

"Clear backblast. Four hundred... three hundred... two fifty..." Salient muttered softly, as she loaded the tube with a warhead.

The vehicles smashed through their motorcycle, just as Salient's trigger finger applied pressure. A distinctive shriek echoed across the valley, turning the first vehicle into sun-baked charcoal. Salient made her hundred-meter sprint shortly after her first shot towards the convoy. She counted her steps, as she did when she threw down her backpack. The rear-most vehicle propped their fifty-cal Browning and began opening fire. Salient slid down the hill where her backpack was, and loaded another round with haste. She fired again, the rocket spiraled past the other vehicles and knocked over the rearmost one with a fiery explosion. The car tipped over, as a secondary explosion caused the center truck and two other transport vehicles to stop. With the front and rearmost vehicles destroyed, the convoy was boxed-in by the wreckage. They could neither reverse nor advance. Salient unslung her rifle and began to open fire, while Warden moved up behind her.

The crew quickly dismounted and began opening fire, pinning Salient down, as she layed prone in the sand. It seemed that the other two vehicles carried more men than expected. The truck began to move, but before they could turn off-road, a loud crack went through windows, killing both the driver and his shotgun-rider. Salient turned towards the high grounds behind them to make sense of who fired the shot. The round was fired from a high-caliber sniper rifle. Only the precision of a fifty-cal rifle could have made that sort of penetration through-and-through. This caused the other gunners to take cover, as the initial suppressive fire quickly became reticent, sporadic bursts.

"Warden, you didn't happen to have a fifty-cal on you, did you? If not, heads up. We got an unknown shooter some five-hunnid meters behind us. New plan, swing to the right with me, I can't color them friendly or hostile." Salient reported to Warden through her earpiece.

Grabbing her backpack, Salient sprinted towards the burning frontal vehicle and veered off to the other side. She raised her M16 and covered Warden's rear. Adrenaline filled her veins. While she could not confirm it yet, the shot was as lethal as their well-concealed presence. For now, only time will tell if their mysterious sniper was on their side or not. The best thing to do right now was stay in cover and take care of the stragglers around the truck.

Two gunmen began converging to the front of the column, as Salient laid on her back, with her rifle pointed towards their direction. As they make their turn from the corner, Salient let off two bursts that dropped them to the ground. She then selected semi-auto and fired two more rounds - each round to their heads to confirm the kills in case they drew their sidearms on her.