The Assault on Harriot Beach

Chapter two

One of the boat mates started throwing up over the boat, which was responded with hushes by his friends.

Thomas was still squinting at the glaring beam that tore through the dark sky, fixing its rays on the east bank and away from the impending fleet that was about to hit the shores.

However, as if sensing certain danger, the light was slowly turning towards one direction. Their direction.

Thomas's heart began pulpitating faster and faster, as the beam gradually inched towards the battalion's direction.

"Pfffft."

A muzzled shot broke the silence, followed by the sound of glass shattering in the distance as the light cut off, the darkness coming back to life.

Surely we would have lost our stealth now.

Tom thought ----- almost out loud.

His chain of thoughts was suddenly broken by the blare of an alarm sounding off somewhere in the forest behind the watchtower.

"GO, GO, GO! Speed the boats up and land! Gather at the rendezvous point!" The battalion commander screamed.

"You heard him! Let's go boys!" Thomas riled the guys up as the other section commanders shouted orders, any signs of the previously quiet night now gone.

Things were definitely not looking good as the surprise attack was now compromised into a straight out assault.

Thomas continued watching the forest for enemy movement while also looking for the right moment to get his mates out of the boat.

Blurred outlines started forming in the treelines, their silhouettes showing no hints of movement unless one strained his eyes to see. Which Thomas did.

"Now!"

As his section mates jumped out of the metallic boat, the rest of the assault team had slowly followed suit.

"Clank!"

Tom turned to his right to see a small hole indented in the side of the boat. This was not good.

"RUN! RUN NOW!"

An immediate torrent of bullets sprayed onto the sea of soldiers who were clammering to get back to their senses, while some were still on the boats, getting ready to jump out.

Sounds of metal hitting metal erupted, as bullets poured down on the metal boats. The clanking sounds were mixed with screams that pierced the night.

Thomas already reached the shore as his team gathered with him in a trench, all of them squatting and trying to catch their breath.

An object knocked on his helmet and he instantaneously spun around to see something the size of a fist lying in the trench.

With no time to react, he dived down and smacked the grenade out of the trench, simultaneously yelling for the rest to get down as he flung onto the ground.

A sharp boom blasted off as smoke and sand filled the pit. Everyone huddled up into balls as they covered their ears.

Other than that, they seemed fine, all credited to Tom.

Tom scrambled to his feet, scrubbing his eyes to get his vision back.

Trevor was in his face, eyes glaring, mouth opening and closing. Yet, something was off. No sound was coming out.

Trevor shook Thomas's shoulder, trying to get his senses back.

Tom's ear numbed as the surrounding noise gradually returned, accompanied by a loud ringing that echoed in his head.

"Tommy! We need to move! Now!"

With Trevor yelling into his eardrums, Thomas glanced around to see bodies ----- or what's left of them, littering the beach, flares lighting up the darkness, as cries tore through the night sky and the deafening booms of grenades surrounded him.

At the corner of his eye, he spotted a fellow section commander, Macky, shouting into a radio box while taking cover in a trench.

"Everyone, get to that trench over there, take cover and wait for my instructions. Trevor, get them there."

"Got it."

As his team zigzagged past the fury of gunfire, Thomas sprang towards Macky and started yelling to him.

"Mack, get Andrew and Kyle's team to cover mine! I'll get my team towards the -----"

Thomas was cut off by a bullet that zoomed past him and connected with the now lifeless Macky's head, a spluttering mess of blood on his disfigured face.

Fuck.

Tom grabbed the radiophone and yelled the same instructions in.

"No can do sarge, the enemy is pouring in from our side and we can barely hold them off! You're on your own!" The line was then cut.

"Fuck, fuck, FUCK!" Tom hissed as he threw down the radiophone and rushed -amidst the rain of bullets- back to his section.

"Alright, Trevor, who do we have?"

"Cameron and Dexter did not make it out the boat, while Emerson and Henry was gunned down at the shore. I didn't see Derrick but Mark said he saw a body floating beside our boat, so I'm assuming that's him."

"Okay, Kenneth, Bennard and Jonathan, you guys take turns to sprint to that side of the forest there." Tom pointed into the distance.

"Nathan, Mark and Trevor, you guys will cover them, and after that, Bora, Flint and I will engage them right on while the rest of you flank them from the sides. Got it?"

Everyone nodded as the first three got to their feets.

"Ready? Now!" Tom shouted as he fired off a flare towards the forest and the rest started to provide cover fire for the three that was taking off into the forest.