Police in Los Angeles

Schebek's words left Jack even more confused, as Jason and Sonny were clearly the SEAL Team Bravo members he had briefly worked with before. "But aren't you PMC?" Jack asked.

Schebek smiled, revealing a set of white teeth. "Yes, we're retired SEALs. Jason and Sonny are old friends of ours." He tossed a bag to Jack, who opened it to find a full set of tactical gear identical to what he had used before: a Fast tactical helmet, a Comtac-I headset, and a pair of Gatorz tactical goggles. There was also a HK417 with a 16-inch barrel, equipped with a Schmidt & Bender scope and an additional holographic sight for close combat. Additionally, there was a MK24 pistol, a .45 ACP with a 12-round capacity, fitted with a red dot sight and a silencer.

The PMC team had clear roles: Isaac was the machine gunner with a paratrooper version of the FN M249, and Lake, the sniper, carried both a G28E and a Barrett M107A1. The others, including the team leader Schebek, were armed with HK417 designated marksman rifles, and two of them also had M320 grenade launchers. They had ample ammunition: 20-round magazines and some 50-round drum magazines for the HK417, 200-round drums for the M249, .50 caliber rounds for the Barrett, armor-piercing incendiary rounds, and 40mm grenades, along with defensive grenades.

Jack took some machine gun bullets, as his captured CQ-A5 assault rifle also used 5.56x45mm NATO rounds. The rifle was in good condition, but the ammunition they had seized was of questionable quality, with tarnished copper casings. He strapped it to his back as a secondary weapon.

The airdrop included not just weapons but also bulletproof vests and tactical gear. Every passenger received a bulletproof vest, while Jack, Gaspare, and Ingersoll got full tactical gear. Schebek praised the group for their preparedness, boosting morale, though some questioned why helicopters from nearby military bases couldn't just extract them. The response was that even the C-130 airdrop was risky, and no one wanted another "Black Hawk Down" scenario.

The hard work continued, with even the women helping out. The padding inside the airdrop boxes was sandbag covers. Although there was no sand at the abandoned mine, there was plenty of copper ore. Everyone pitched in to fill the sandbags. Using the pickup truck to transport the copper ore to the building, they set up a simple pulley system to lift the bags to the roof, building fortifications. The roof had several sniper positions, while the other floors had fewer sandbags, with the second floor having the most as the main machine gun position.

They were unsure of the "Abu Sayyaf" group's weapons, but based on what the Philippine government forces had, RPGs or 40mm launchers were likely. The sandbags would be crucial if a few shots were fired inside. The concrete building could withstand some RPG hits, but inside, without cover, grenade shrapnel would be a nightmare.

The fourth-floor hallway, where the passengers were sheltered, was fortified with sandbags. The women and the four rescued local girls were placed inside, with the men on the outside. The crew members, who had basic first aid training, were prepared to act as a medical team under Jie Jie's lead if anyone was injured.

Jack was stationed on the roof, temporarily operating the Barrett M107A1. The guerrilla leader Jun Ma was reportedly a skilled sniper, and the best way to deal with snipers was through firepower or numbers. Jack had used his accumulated points to max out his sniping skills and demonstrated his proficiency with two precise long-range shots, convincing Schebek.

Ingersoll and Gaspare defended the first floor, where the pressure was lowest. They were to deal with any stragglers who got past the machine guns. Isaac, the machine gunner, and Mo, his assistant, were on the second floor, while Schebek and Wells, another team member, were on the third floor, coordinating the defense.

No firepower was stationed on the fourth floor, where the civilians were sheltered, to avoid attracting enemy fire. As the rain started to let up, tension inside the building grew. Jie Jie comforted the passengers as they moved into the sandbagged corridor on the fourth floor. The weather was quickly becoming clear, signaling the potential start of hostilities.

Schebek's voice came through the team channel, "Predator drone is in position, spotting a convoy of six Nissan pickups about 5 kilometers out, moving towards us. Numbers unknown." The guerrillas had apparently noticed something was wrong or had been tipped off by locals, and they were now approaching.

The PMC's use of the Predator drone, launched from the nearest military base in northern Mindanao, demonstrated their capabilities. The drone fed data directly to the team's military-grade tablets, integrating them into the U.S. military's command chain.

"Visual on the convoy," Jack and sniper Lake reported, spotting the approaching vehicles. The mine's location was advantageous, with the north side against a mountain, making an approach from that direction unlikely. The south had a wide dirt road and several paths leading out, directly connecting to the road where they had landed.

This limited the enemy's approach to the southwest, south, and southeast. They would need to dismantle the seemingly decrepit wire fence around the building, all while under fire.

The guerrillas, having likely received training, spread out their vehicles and took cover, preparing to engage. One truck with a mounted heavy machine gun, which Jack recognized from yesterday, stopped about 200 meters away, aimed at the building. The long-haired man, possibly the leader Jun Ma, wielding a NSG-1 sniper rifle, took cover behind a parked pickup, setting up his weapon.

Without hesitation, Jack requested permission to engage, "Schebek, request to fire. Heavy machine gun and sniper spotted!"

Schebek quickly asked his sniper, "Lake?"

"I can't penetrate the truck. Leave the heavy machine gun to me," Lake responded, allocating targets.

"Snipers, open fire. Everyone else, hold positions," Schebek ordered. The two hidden snipers fired almost simultaneously. The G28E's shot was sharp, unlike the Barrett's deep, chest-rattling boom.

At 200 meters, the sound and bullet arrived nearly together. A 12.7×99mm NATO round from Jack's Barrett punched through the thin metal of the pickup's bed and continued with lethal force, tearing through Jun Ma's chest just as he peered through his scope. He fell, unaware of what hit him, leaving a gaping hole in his chest. The heavy machine gunner on the same truck also collapsed, his head exploding into a mist of blood.

Chaos erupted among the guerrillas. In the confusion, Jack quickly switched magazines, loading armor-piercing incendiary rounds, and fired at the now unmanned M2 heavy machine gun, disabling it.

The PMC team had performed admirably, supported by the civilians who had adapted remarkably well to the dire situation. They had completed fortifications, organized supplies, and even prepared meals. Schebek was astonished at the civilian cooperation, contrasting sharply with his usual experiences.

As they braced for the impending assault, Schebek warned, "This is the calm before the storm. Rest up, because we'll be facing them soon."

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