The catacombs were dark and damp. Torches which burned with an orange flame provided the only illumination besides our own flashlights. The floors and walls were made of cobblestone,like something you might have seen in an old world war two German village. Stone statues filled pockets carved into the walls,closely resembling Hindu gods.
The atmosphere the place had about made me feel like I was being watched,several times I looked over my shoulder,of course the only ones there were Hudson and Wyatt,but I think even they were spooked by this place.
"This place gives me the creeps",Jackson said as we walked along,"I feel like I'm in some kind of giant spider movie and it's gonna grab us one by one before webbing us up and laying it's eggs inside of us or turning us into mindless drones."
"Let's just keep moving",I said,"the prison should be on the other side of these catacombs."
"I freaking hope so",Jackson said.
After walking for a few more minutes,we came upon a huge chamber. I could see a few scaffolding's as well as crates barrels and mining carts scattered about,which told me it was an excavation site at some point.
"Wow",Issac said,"this place is huge."
As I looked around I noticed a few armed men below us. One of them had just spotted us and was raising his AK to fire. I quickly shouldered my AR and fire two rounds,the man fell backwards into the dirt as his friends turned and spotted us.
"Hey",I said to my team,"we got live ones down here."
I slid down the ramp and into cover behind a large stone block. I poked out from cover and saw two men running up the ramp with shotguns. My instincts took over and two rounds left the barrel of my rifle. The men both took face plants in the dirt as Hudson joined me by my rock,and Wyatt and Issac slid into cover behind a rock beside ours.
"I really wish you had your 48",Hudson said shooting down a man who was approaching our flank.
"Your not the only one",I said firing at a guy who was just poking out from cover.
As the combat went on,I began to hear the distinct sound of bullets chipping stone.
"We got a sniper on the scaffolding on the far side of the chamber,top broad,left side",I said tracing
the bullet path and finding the man in the middle of a reload,"Jackson?"
"I'm on it!",Jackson shouted.
The thunderous crack of a .308 rang out through the cavern. I watched as the bullet struck the man's face,he fell from his scaffolding,his rifle with him and landed out of sight.
"Press forward",I shouted.
We broke form behind the blocks and began to run through the cave,mantling over the fallen debris and dispatching a few stragglers before coming to another torch lit passage way.
"I already hate this",Jackson said,"if I never see another tunnel again,it'll be too soon."
"No shit brother",Issac replied,"tunnels creep me the hell out."
As we walked though the tunnel,I began to hear chatter,as well as metal rubbing on metal,sounding almost like a mining cart.
"Sounds like we got live ones up ahead",Hudson said reloading his FAL,"today just keeps getting better and better."
We hugged the wall and walked along the length of the tunnel before I gave the signal to hold at the end. I drew my knife from it's holster and used it's reflective surface to see around the corner with out exposing my head. I counted ten guards all armed with PPSH's,this would be a tough fight.
"Ten guards with PPSH-41 sub machine guns",I said turning to the others,"we can't get around them with out a firefight,Hudson,you got a M54?"
Hudson looked through his kit before handing one of his large grenades. I pulled the clip and let the safety fly off so I could began cooking it. These grenades had a standard fuse time,three to four seconds once the safety fly's off before thousands of zinging,white hot fragments turned your flesh to hamburger. I cooked it for two seconds before tossing it out at the four Cubans who were having a conversation. It landed right in the middle of their group before going off and echoing throughout the entire mine,or tomb,which ever one it was. I managed to get the four of them,but that still left six others and how ever many may have been lurking else where that I missed.
"Check your corners!",I shouted as we pushed from the passage and into the room,"there's still more!"
The sounds of the PPSH-41's filled the air drowning out the sounds of our own firearms. It echoed through the entire cavern and bullets were coming down like a rain from hell,from tracing the splashes of the rounds hitting the dirt beside me,I determined most of the gunfire was coming from maybe a raised train track or perhaps a ledge.
"Does anyone see where that fire's coming from?",I shouted over the crack of the Russian SMG's.
"Ledge dead ahead!",Hudson replied,"I count at least five guys."
"Put them in the dirt!",I shouted.
There was a faint click,"FRAG OUT!" Hudson shouted.
Four seconds later,there was a loud bang and the gunfire quieted.
"Clear left",Jackson said.
"Clear right",I replied,"proceed with caution".
We broke from cover and ran towards the ledge.
"I'll boost you guys up",Hudson said placing his back against the wall and lacing his finger's together.
I drew my pistol and chambered a round,"I'm up first,Issac,then you,Frank,Jackson and Wyatt,then we pull Hudson up."
I placed my boot in Hudson's hand and with a grunt,he lifted me up and I surveyed the ledge.
"Clear",I said lifting myself up the rest of the way.
Hudson began heaving up the others one at a time before Issac and I helped up Hudson.
"Let's move",I said starting into the next tunnel way.
As we moved into the tunnel way,I began to feel what felt like wind.
"That feels like wind",Frank said,"we must be close to the exit."
"I hope so",Jackson said,"I want out of here."
The further down the tunnel we walked,the stronger the wind got,eventually I began to see light.
"All right",Jackson said,"the exit!"
We exited the tunnel and came out in a large clearing.Jackson fell into the grass with a thud.
"Sweet,sweet foliage!",he said laughing.
"Let's take a minute to get our bearings and figure out where we gotta go from here",I said.
Hudson dropped his pack and set his FAL on it to keep it out of the dewy grass and pulled out his maps and compass. He began taking all kinds of measurements and jotted a few things down before looking up at me.
"Judging from the maps",Hudson said,"the prison is only about a half a click north of here,which means we head straight ahead."
"Well then let's take down some brush and get our guys out."
Hudson picked up his kit and strapped everything back on as we headed through the clearing and into the forest. The sun was just now coming up and the yellow orange rays caught on the dew,making it sparkle and after the tunnel,was easy on our eyes. We moved as quietly through the thick jungle as we could,which wasn't very quiet at all. After several minutes of hiking,we came upon the prison. We were on a ledge which over looked the prison compound. Through my binoculars,I could see sat least twenty or so guards with RPK's trolling the grounds,as well as snipers in six towers that over looked the courtyard. Several men with AK-47's tooled the outside of the wall. The only safe way in I could see would be to create a diversion to lure the men out of the complex and then scale the wall,or insert by zip line.
"Fixing to get in to a pretty big gunfight",I said as I looked around.
"Hey John",Frank said,"check out this thing."
I looked into Frank's direction and saw he was standing near a zip line. I stood and walked over to him.
"So nice of them to leave us a way in",he said.
I traced the zip line to a walled off area that looked almost un guarded.
"Looks like we have a way in",I said,"ready your gear,were going in."
As I was stuffing my binocular's back into my bag,I noticed Jackson was laying prone with his rifle,staring out into the ocean.
"Jackson",I said,"the hell are you doing?"
"John",Jackson said,"you need to see this."
I walked over to him,"see what?"
He sat on his knees and handed me his rifle,"right ahead have a look."
I took his rifle and began peering through the scope. What I saw stunned me.