Chapter 9
"Tiberium contamination affects Yellow Zones directly and indirectly. Climate change, melting glacial ice, extreme weather events, Tiberium field growth, and decades of war have caused societal collapse in several Yellow Zones. Many cities in the most affected areas are run by Warlords and criminal organisations or have degenerated into anarchy - or they have fallen under the thrall of the sinister Brotherhood of Nod.
Existence in the worst-off Yellow Zones is not pleasant at all. Your home is likely to be in a decaying building with no running water. Power comes on only for a few hours a day at erratic times. Food is scarce. Doctors are rare. On a few occasions, food aid or medical care will be provided by humanitarian workers visiting from the pristine and high tech Blue Zones.
A subsistence living is just the start. Tiberium contamination is a fact of life, and thousands die every year from inhaling microscopic crystals that are carried in smog, clouds of dust, and other airborne particulates. Tiberium may even fall out of the sky suspended in rain drops if the clouds overhead have passed through a Red Zone during or after an Ion Storm. Because of the drought conditions in many Yellow Zones, rain showers are often greeted by the local populations with an odd mix of fear, dread, and joy.
In the harsh reality of a Yellow Zone, Tiberium is not the only threat. If Tiberium doesn't get you, then you are likely to fall victim to a violent crime, get caught in the crossfire between warlords clashing over turf, or become a collateral damage statistic in the global war between the armies of the Global Defense Initiative and the Brotherhood of Nod."
-Intel Database: Life in a Yellow Zone.
Washington D.C.
B-2
July 30th, 2047
1900
John sat by himself in a small cafeteria located deep within the Pentagon. He had been slowly nursing a cup of tea, as he waited to be summoned by General Granger. He didn't mind having to wait though, as it allowed him some time to simply sit down and not have to constantly command armies and engage in battles.
Following GDI's victory in B-2, John and the 7th had been busy hunting down and eliminating Nod forces in the bordering Yellow Zones. It had been a hellish few weeks of destroying Nod forts or clearing out occupied towns and cities. But despite all the heavy fighting, they never could find the forces that had escaped B-2. And even with Nod's invasion of the Blue Zones having failed, the war persisted, as GDI was now slowly pushing back into Nod territory.
John had been a riflemen during the last war; he had seen how brutal the fighting was up close. And he knew the war could have dragged on into a multiyear firestorm had McNeil not launched his nearly suicidal assault on Cairo. But now John feared that the same possibility was happening now, and that if GDI did not make some sort of daring move, the war could persist for years.
He took a sip of tea and glanced at a TV mounted in the corner. It was currently displaying The William Frank Hour, a program that John normally dismissed as a conservative echo chamber. But he decided to watch, mainly as a distraction, but also due to curiosity, as Director Boyle was the show's current guest. The commercials had just ended, and the show was continuing from where it had left off, clearly halfway through Frank's interview with the Acting-Director.
"It's really heartening to know that GDI has really come out swinging." host, William Frank, was saying.
"Yes, very heartening. We're putting up one hell of a fight out there." Boyle responded, his charismatic grin ever present. "But William, I disagree with your assessment that the outcome of this war is still in doubt. There is no doubt in my mind, whatsoever, that GDI will prevail. We have the willpower, the resources, and most importantly, the support of the people. The public wants payback, an eye for an eye, and that's exactly what we're going to give them."
"The question then seems to be: can you deliver on this promise? Several conflict analysts are noting your lack of wartime experience as a cause for concern." Frank questioned.
"I believe in my generals and commanders: they are the best of the best. And I believe they deserve not only the trust of myself and my administration, but also the trust of the people. Because that is who we are fighting for, who we are fighting to protect, and undermining the trust between the people and their protectors is, I believe, a mistake."
"Do you believe that you can handle the responsibility of leading GDI through this difficult period?"
"This is a terrible responsibility, thrusted upon me in terrible circumstances. But I assure you, as I want to assure all the people, that I shall do my duty tothe best of my abilities."
"Commander, General Granger has asked that you join him in TacOps 1."John's EVA interrupted.
John finished his tea in one gulp, then made his way further down to the command room. He briefly marveled at how quickly the Pentagon had been repaired. One could almost forget Nod had nearly stormed GDI's central command. But as John made his way down the halls, he did notice a subtle change: there were suddenly a lot more InOps officers moving about. He had heard mumblings about secret weapons labs, even some outlandish rumors about the revival of Nod's Project ReGenesis. The presence of Intelligence Operations here did lead some credence to these rumors though; or, at least, it was enough to prove that something was going on.
John passed the guards outside the command room, and made his way through the rows of desks. He was reminded of the first time he entered this room, what now felt like a lifetime ago, but in actuality was only a few weeks. He found the General standing by an array of monitors, studying the information displayed there. John stepped over, and was about to announce his presence, but Granger acknowledged him first.
"Ah, Commander, good to have you back. You did one hell of a job down in Atlanta." Granger greeted.
"Thank you, sir. Feels good to be back home." John replied neutrally.
"Now, despite what you may have heard in the news, you mark my words: this war is far from over. We still have a few Blue Zones that are vulnerable and could go either way, but…that's not what's bothering me. Come here."
John moved closer to Granger, suddenly anxious at the General's concerned tone. Granger typed into the console and a video began playing, showing a Nod prisoner in some InOps cell only God knew where.
"InOps has been interrogating several Nod EPWs, and they've come across several spouting similar threats. Here, have a look."
John turned to the screen and watched as the bloodied and bruised POW began speaking.
"This is only the beginning…fire will rain from the skies. Disease will waste your bodies. Your souls will cry for forgiveness! When Kane unleashes FURY!"
John shook his head in disgust at the screen. Even after all these years, he still could not understand how people could be so blindly fanatical towards Kane and his Brotherhood.
Mad minds in a mad world.
"It could be typical Nod rhetoric." Granger continued. "But to me it sounds like they're getting ready to use WMDs. That's why I'm sending you to North Africa. If Nod has the goods, that's where we'll find them. Hopefully a pre-emptive strike will nip this nightmare in the bud."
"Understood, sir. I'll have the 7th ready to go in a few hours." John said, shaking off his unease.
"Admiral Battersby has taken his 6th Fleet south to Y-5, and unfortunately Boyle has decided to keep the 1st Fleet stationed around B-15 and the North Sea. That means I can only give you a single carrier group: you'll have the Stravos and her escorts.You'll launch a full scale assault on Alexandria, as that's Nod's key port in the entire Mediterranean."
"Nod has always held a pretty strong grip on the Mediterranean and the Aegean Sea." John stated.
"Nod's navy was never able to fully recover from the Second Tib War. And most of their battleships were sunk outside of Hampton Roads. I trust Admiral Hofstadter and her ships to handle anything Nod throws at her. Now, we will also have Marine forces from the 11th MEU landing in El Qoseir. They will fight their way towards Cairo, and the plan is for you to hopefully link up with them."
"We should have never let them retake Egypt." John mused, again lamenting his and GDI's mistake for thinking Nod was defeated for good.
"I concur, but that is in the past now. Get your forces loaded up; you will rendezvous with Admiral Hofstadter off the coast of B-13. Oh, and one more thing. Best to keep this operation off the radar, we want to keep Nod oblivious to this operation for as long as possible. Dismissed, Commander."
John saluted and made his way out of the command room. He had already sent orders to his staff via EVA, but now John had to deal with the memories of the last time he was in Egypt, when GDI and the Forgotten had raced against time to stop Kane from ending the world. John had to scoff at that, amazed at how little things seemed to have changed.
… … …
Onboard the GDS Huron
In the Straitof Gibraltar
August 4th, 2047
0500
Far below the Huron, the GDS Stravos and her escorts of the Solomon-class battleship GDS Ogun, four Assault-class destroyers, and five Aegis-class support ships were sailing through the blue waters of the Strait, and into the Mediterranean Sea. There were also two Akula-class nuclear submarines that were in the vanguard of the battlegroup, maneuvering through the wreckage strewn sea floor. The seaborne ships, coupled with the Huron and her air fleet of dozens of Oxen, Orca, and Dropship transports made for an impressive display of GDI power.
While Hoftstadter and her ships certainly carried a great deal of firepower, it was the heavy armor and vehicles that her ships carried within their hulls for John's ground forces that would truly win the day. He had never commanded such a sizable force, but his father had done so, and John would do so as well.
"How long until Operation Falling Hawk commences?" John asked his bridge crew.
"Seven hours, thirty-six minutes." Athena answered.
"Hurry up and wait." John sighed absentmindedly.
"Nod is awfully quiet. Nothing on radar or sonar. Maybe they gave up?" The Huron's comms officer ventured.
"No, Nod has been pulling back to Y-1. Looks like Kane is already losing this war." Another officer said.
"Whatever it is, it works to our advantage. Colonel Miles, you have the bridge. I'll be in my cabin, overlooking our battle plans. How long until Colonel Shen's marines engage?" John asked as he rose from his chair.
"Should be making landfall within the hour, sir."
"Good, I'll make a call to him by oh six hundred."
Just as John was about to leave the bridge, his comms officer abruptly called to him.
"Commander! Incoming call, sir. Directed to you, from TacOps."
"General Granger?"
"Affirmative, sir."
"Alright, put it up."
John walked back to his chair, but stood by it as he motioned for Athena to remain seated. Granger's face appeared a moment later on the main screen.
"Commander, I just got out of a briefing with Air Marshal Beauchamp. There is an ongoing InOps mission outside of Cassabad. They are investigating a civilian irrigation facility which they suspect as being a front for a Tiberium weapons lab. If Nod is creating Tiberium weapons, then they will be shipping them to Alexandria. Obviously I don't have to tell you that this mission could prove vital to your upcoming assault."
"What resources does InOps have on the ground?"
"They have a squad of SAS troopers plus asingle InOps agent. I need you to take command of the operation, and if they prove this facility is producing weapons, level the entire place. Marshal Beauchamp has already notified the team on the ground."
"Understood, General."
Granger nodded before ending the transmission. John merely sighed at the added stress of now having to handle a covert mission right before a major offensive.
"Colonel, continue preparations for the Operation. And if Colonel Shen calls, give him the update. I'm heading down to auxiliary command to oversee this InOps mission."
"Aye, sir."
John again made his way for the door, silently hoping that InOps was wrong and that it really was just a civilian facility.
… … …
Y-2
Outside of Cassabad
T-minus 3 hours
The armored SUV made its way down the dusty and ill-maintained road, bounding over pot holes and small sand dunes. The vehicle was battered and riddled with bullet holes, but it could still withstand anything short of Vulcan rounds or heavy ordnance.
The inside was equally battered and rundown, with seats barely bolted down. Six occupants rode in the vehicle, glancing over the Tiberium crusted desert. They were all garbed in desert camouflage fatigues, and had it not been for the diving eagle patches and winged dagger pins, they could have passed for any number of Yellow Zone contractors.
But for once, GDI wanted Nod to know they were coming, because the irrigation facility was claiming to be civilian run, and thus unaffiliated with the ongoing war. But Intelligence Operations Special Agent Lissette Hanley had learned that people always had something to hide. Even if this facility wasn't producing Tiberium weapons, she was still bound to find some skeletons in the closet.
"Woah, was that us?"
One of the SAS operators, Sergeant Riley, asked as he indicated a burning Tick tank sitting just off the side of the road.
"No, it was probably mutant scavengers. Keep your guns at the ready. Last thing we need is to get shot up by a bunch of Shiners." The driver, and SAS team leader, Staff Sergeant Baskova said.
They drove past the burning tank, seeing no other signs of battle. Either Nod has been caught unawares by the mutants, or the mutants had already picked everything clean, dead bodies included. Hanley pushed the thought of savage mutants from her mind and focused on the large, imposing structure rising out of the horizon. Nod architecture was nothing but jagged edges and dark edifices, even for their civilian buildings. The irrigation facility was a large facility, with countless pipes running from it and heading off into the desert. But the facility was only guarded by a chain link fence, and a single guard tower. Hanley could see men patrolling around, armed with rifles of various makes, but they looked more like mercenaries rather than Nod soldiers.
Baskova pulled the SUV up to the guard tower, just as one of the mercenaries held up his hand and walked to the driver's side door. Baskova rolled down the window.
"You those GDI inspectors?" The guard asked.
"Yes, that would be us." Baskova replied.
"You armed?" The man asked, despite clearly seeing the rifles everyone carried.
"Yes." Baskova stated very simply.
"You guys having Shiner troubles?" Riley asked from the front passenger side.
"Yeah, fucking mutants. Listen, I don't like you guys walking 'round armed. But given the mutants have been pretty uppity, guess I can't blame yah. Anyways, head on in, the magistrate will meet you."
"Thanks."
Baskova slowly pulled up to the front of the facility, rather than park in the staff parking lot. More mercenaries were arrayed by the front, where a man in a tanned suit and purple sash was waiting.
"Who's that?" Riley asked.
"Magistrate Mahmud Abdul-Muhsi, basically the Nod equivalent of a regional Director." Hanley answered.
"Wow, bringing out the big man just for us." Baskova remarked as he parked the car.
The SAS got out first, weapons readied but not pointed at anyone. Hanley got out last, only armed with a pistol. She knew she looked rather weak in comparison, but that in itself was a weapon she could use to her benefit.
"Ah, you must be Mrs. Hanley. I am Magistrate Mahmud Abdul-Muhsi, servant of the most holy Messiah Kane. We were a bit surprised to be notified of your arrival, but I assure you, we are servants of the people. I am confident you will find everything to your satisfaction." Abdul-Muhsi greeted.
"Agent Hanley will do fine. And I hope you are correct, Magistrate." Hanley said, before turning to Baskova. "You and Riley are with me, the others can watch the car."
The SAS operators all nodded in acknowledgement, as Abdul-Muhsi led Hanley and the others inside. The inside of the facility was an odd blend of industrial practicality, mixed with the aesthetic of a church. Along the walls were computer screens and readout dials, broken up by alcoves with glass statues of Tiberium crystals. Hanley and the others were led past a cafeteria for workers, looking the same as any found in a GDI workplace, save for the prayer altar at one end. It was strange to see such vastly different worlds fused into one.
"Shall I take you to administration first? Or would you like to see the pumping stations?" Abdul-Muhsi asked.
"Show us the pumping stations." Hanley answered.
"Very good. You know, this facility alone supplies almost all of the water to the towns and villages in Y-2? Alexandria supplies itself, but we here are responsible for supplying water to hundreds of thousands of people." Abdul-Muhsi beamed with pride.
"Surely you wouldn't risk contaminated those hundreds of thousands of people with Tiberium then, would you?" Baskova asked snidely.
"Messiah no! I assure you, we represent no strategic threat to your GDI."
"Unfortunately Magistrate, secret lab or not, you do represent a strategic target. But if you are telling me the truth, then I'll be happy to try and convince my superiors not to blow you up." Hanley said.
"Oh I…uh…thank you."
"So, we've seen your guards outside. But what other kind of security do you have? Surely you would have more to protect such an important place from potential looters." Riley questioned.
"Yes, there is a warfactory nearby that houses some vehicles for us. Nothing substantial, but its enough to ward off the Forgotten. And if we need anything to deal with larger threats, the garrison in Cairo will send someone to respond."
The group lapsed into silence as they worked their way through the facility and past curious workers. Abdul-Muhsi eventually led them to an elevator that would take them lower in the facility to where the water was pumped out to the various villages clinging to life. As they all waited in the elevator, Hanley scratch at her ear, secretly sending a coded message to the rest of the SAS team that was positioned in the cliffs near the facility. After a few seconds, a gruff voice spoke directly into her ear.
"McDonnell here, we see the warfactory. Guy's story checks out: just a single banged up Scorpion and a couple Buggies. Could be more below ground, but seismic scanners aren't picking up much. I'm taking the team down to one of the larger pipes. We'll have a look." Lieutenant McDonnell reported.
Hanley smiled to herself as the mission was going just as planned. However, her long career told her something was going to happen any minute, and when it did, she would be ready.
Abdul-Muhsi led Hanley and her escorts through a maze of pipes, machines, and workers, as they proceeded towards the center of the vast room.
"This is where we extract and filtrate the water!" Abdul-Muhsi shouted over the roar of the machines. "We purify it from Tiberium or other pollutants, then send it through the vast miles of pipes to their destinations! Obviously having aboveground piping exposed them to looters, but unfortunately it is necessary as placing them underground is too costly! But the local garrisons patrol them daily! Water is more valuable than gold in these regions!"
Hanley didn't reply as she didn't feel the need to yell over the noise, but she also had to strain to listen as Lieutenant McDonnell reported.
"We've investigated some of the pipes. Most are filled with water, but a lot are empty and rusted out. But our seismic scanners have discovered an underground tunnel underneath one of the empty pipes. Looks like it leads back to the facility, and out towards - if I had to guess - Alexandria. Want usto go take a look underground?"
Hanley reached up and pressed her ear, sending a message that indicated yes. If there was a secret underground tunnel that ran from the facility to Alexandria, then that was a pretty big red flag. However, Hanley returned her attention to their host, as he stopped by the railing over a large vat of water, with mesh blades constantly keeping the water moving.
"Baskova, anything on the Geiger counter?" Hanley asked.
"Nothing, ma'am."
"You see! I told you we have nothing to hide here. True, we may be enemies, but my duty is to ensure safe water is distributed to my people. Normal people who have nothing to do with this war."
Hanley knew he was lying, just from the fact of the underground tunnel. But until McDonnell reported back with something concrete, she would just have to play along.
"I'm glad for your transparency, Magistrate. Perhaps now we can go to the administration offices? I'd like to look over your records, to ensure that you pose no threat."
"Of course. And perhaps you would like to join me for tea? We have real tea leaves!"
Hanley held out her arm to indicate for Abdul-Muhsi to lead the way, and the man happily led them out of the noisy room. Ten minutes later, Hanley, Abdul-Muhsi, Baskova and Riley, and about a dozen merc guards were in a much more lavish cafeteria for the administration staff. Hanley and Abdul-Muhsi were slowly sipping on their tea, while the SAS soldiers and mercs stared each other down.
"A pity the conflict between our people couldn't be solved as diplomatically as we have done here today." Abdul-Muhsi said as he placed his cup down.
"Indeed. But hatreds as deep rooted as the one between GDI and Nod are hard to dispose of." Hanley responded.
"Yes, sadly. I served in the Second Tiberium War, truly dreadful it was. And my father served in the First Tiberium War. A true shame we are here in a third."
For the briefest moment, Hanley truly wondered if this was man lying. He seemed so genuinely interested in peace, it made it seem hard to believe that he was running a secret weapons lab. Of course, those feelings died the instant that the facility shook from what was clearly an explosion, and Abdul-Muhsi brandished a pistol, pointing it directly at her face. She wondered why he would respond so hostilely, until she finally noticed the scar beneath his ear that indicated he had a secret communicator, the same scar Hanley had.
Baskova and Riley were already on their feet with rifles aimed, but so were the mercs. Hanley was the only one who hadn't had time to pull out her own pistol.
"I hope you believe me, Special Agent Hanley, when I say I truly did want this to end peacefully." Abdul-Muhsi said.
"Unfortunately, Magistrate, this is exactly how I wanted this to turn out." Hanley replied with a sadistic grin.
Before the man could open his mouth to respond, the windows shattered as .50 calibre rounds, fired from a GLS-70 sniper rifle, punched through the glass and into the skulls of Abdul-Muhsi and his guards. Seven bodies collapsed to the floor, sans their heads.
Hanley grabbed one of the old M16 MK II's one of the mercs had been using, and turned to Baskova and Riley.
"Looks like the LT found something. Time to head back outside."
… … …
Corporal Elizabeth "Liz" Hodgson had lost both of her parents to CABAL's cyborg armies during the Second Tiberium War. Ever since then, she had had recurring nightmares about dark tunnels where cyborgs waited to rip her apart. So finding herself and her SAS squad in a dark Nod tunnel definitely made her feel very uneasy. But having her GD2 rifle in her hands and her squad by her side helped to quash those uneasy feelings. Besides, all the cyborgs were dead anyways, with strict anti-AI laws to prevent anyone from making them again.
"We're passing underneath the facility now. According to the map Agent Hanley provided, this tunnel is going to take us to the water processing area." Lieutenant McDonnell reported from up ahead.
"I'm still getting nothing on the Geiger or seismic scanners, LT." Sergeant Kang-Dae added.
"Keep moving." McDonnell ordered.
McDonnell and Kang-Dae moved further ahead, while Liz and another SAS soldier brought up the rear. They had also left two snipers behind, plus the five men escorting the InOps agent, totalling eleven SAS operatives. Liz kind of wished she was with the InOps spook, because that would mean she didn't have to trek through an underground tunnel.
The squad moved down the tunnel for a few minutes, before they eventually came up to a large steel door. Liz instantly swore out loud as she recognized the human hand symbol splayed on the door. This facility was run by the Black Hand.
"Sergeant, get this door open. Everyone, weapons at the ready! We don't know what's on the other side." McDonnell barked.
Kang-Dae got to work on the keypad by the door, while the LT, Liz, and their other squadmate crouched down with the rifles ready. After a few attempts and several curse words, Kang-Dae got the door open, and the entire tunnel reverberated as it swung open on rusted hinges. Liz tensed as she aimed through the open portal, but relaxed slightly when she spotted nothing beyond.
"Move." McDonnell said.
The squad moved deeper into the underground complex, still unsure of what they would find. Liz was also surprised to find no guards down here. Maybe they were wrong, maybe this facility really was just some civvie joint?
Given how quiet things were, there wasn't much sound other than their footsteps and breathing. Until the Geiger counter started going off, causing Liz to nearly jumped in shock.
"Fuck me," Kang-Dae hissed. "Huge spike on the Geiger. Definitely got Tib' ahead. Lots of it."
"Okay, let's go have a look. Nice and slow."
McDonnell led the way with the rest of the squad quietly following behind. The Geiger counter began going crazy, and Liz began praying her Tiberium resistant armour would hold. The squad eventually found themselves in a vast chamber filled with large vats of liquid Tiberium. Machinery hung from the ceiling which kept the Tiberium liquefied and prevented it from crystalizing, while other machines transferred the alien substance into large trucks with transparent holding tanks. Liz also recognized the equipment used in every Tiberium refinery on the planet, indicating Nod brought Tiberium down here via harvesters to convert it to its liquid state. She also noticed dozens of workers moving about in full hazmat gear, and Nod soldiers in full armour to protect them from the deadly fumes.
"Jackpot." McDonnell said humorously. "Agent Hanley, come in? We have confirmed-"
McDonnell's head snapped backwards in a spray of blood, as a split second later Liz heard the crack of a DMR. The rest of the squad immediately moved into cover and opened fire. Nod soldiers began rushing towards them, moving into cover behind the vats or other machines. Liz fired off a few bursts, and nailed two soldiers in the head.
"Up high!" Kang-Dae shouted.
Liz rolled out of the way of a spray of bullets, then snapped her rifle higher up. Another squad of Nod troops were situated on a catwalk high above them, firing down. Liz fired another burst straight up, and managed to clip a soldier in the leg. Normally such a hit wouldn't be lethal, but it caused to man to stagger back and plummet to his death far below.
"We can't stay here! Monroe, grab the LT! Hodgson, put a grenade through that truck!" Kang-Dae ordered.
Liz and Kang-Dae continued to fire on the enemy as Monroe hefted the limp form of McDonnell over his shoulder, and began running back down the tunnel. Liz then aimed her attached grenade launchers, and fired on the truck filled with liquid Tiberium. The grenade exploded against the front grill of the truck, but a microsecond later the liquid Tiberium ignited. The explosion was blinding, and the entire facility shook from the force of the blast. Liz didn't even realize Kang-Dae was dragging her back down the tunnel until her vision cleared.
"I'm good Sarge! Fucking hell!" Liz exclaimed as she got to her feet and began running.
"Ryukyu, come in! LT is KIA, and we are coming back up. Hostiles are in pursuit, inform Agent Hanley." Kang-Dae shouted through the radio.
Liz never heard the reply as she whirled around and fired a burst at the soldiers running after them. She fired again and ripped open one soldier's chest, just as Kang-Dae fired a grenade into the squad. The explosion caused the tunnel to shake, and send sand cascading down. Liz just hoped it was enough to deter their pursuers as they ran for the exit.
By the time they reached the surface, Monroe was dragging McDonnell with the help of one of the snipers. Liz was already out of breath, but Kang-Dae kept pushing them towards the water treatment facility. It wasn't too far of a run, but she was exhausted from the frantic escape from the tunnel.
"Alpha 6, this is Bravo 5. We are coming to your position now!" Kang-Dae said breathlessly into the radio.
"Copy that Bravo 5. You better hustle: we could use a hand!" Staff Sergeant Baskova roared back.
Liz just sighed as she hefted her rifle, and ran towards the shooting.
… … …
Hanley's job typically revolved around covert operations, trying to accomplish goals as quietly as possible. But she was also more than capable of handling more messy operations. While it was InOps' hope that she go in, do an inspection, and get out without the need for bloodshed, she had suspected that things would go south, which is why she had requested a full squad of SAS.
And it was fortunate that she had, as two squads of Nod soldiers had emerged from seemingly nowhere, and were now keeping Hanley and her men pinned down. And a Nod Technical was preventing them from fighting back.
"Where the hell is Bravo?" Hanley asked over the roar of gunfire.
"They're on their way. Likely going to take them a minute or two." Baskova barked back.
Hanley responded by firing blindly over the hood of their car, hoping to hit someone. But the enemy didn't relent, and she could see them slowly trying to encircle the group. Baskova stood up to snap off a burst, before ducking back down just as quickly as the Technical sent a stream of bullets past where he had been standing. Hanley was trying to figure a way out of the situation, when she heard the familiar crack of a sniper rifle.
The Technical abruptly fell silent, and the SAS troops wasted no time as they moved out of cover to fight back. Hanley rested her rifle on the SUV's hood, and targeted a Nod soldier with a LMG. She fired a three round burst, and watched with grim satisfaction as the soldier collapsed in a heap.
As the two SAS groups converged, the remaining Nod soldiers were either killed, or retreated back into the facility. But Hanley knew they would come back with more soldiers.
"Everyone load up! Kang-Dae, take the Technical!" Baskova ordered.
"Got it."
Hanley began climbing into the back of the SUV, but stopped as she saw two SAS troops load the body of Lieutenant McDonnell into the back of the Technical. She felt guilty for his death, but quickly pushed the thought from her mind as she got in. Seconds later, the SUV began pulling out of the facility, with the Technical close behind.
"Commander Lancaster, come in! This is Agent Hanley, we need immediate extraction!"
"I read you loud and clear, Agent. Head for LZ 1-Tango, say again, LZ 1-Tango." Lancaster replied, unfazed.
"I'm also requesting an immediate airstrike on the facility. We have confirmed the presence of a Black Hand weapons lab."
There was a brief moment of silence from the Commander, before he responded.
"Understood. Firehawks are inbound. Get your people out of there, Agent."
Hanley ended the call, and silently willed the SUV to go faster. But the old vehicle was already barreling through the sand dunes as it made its way towards the designated landing zone. But it would seem that Nod was not done with them yet, as the Technical began firing at something behind them.
"Kang-Dae, what's going on back there?" Baskova asked.
"Two Buggies are chasing us! Liz, aim for the drivers!"
Riley cursed as he opened the window, letting sand whip into the car. He leaned out and began firing his rifle, and soon other SAS troops were doing the same. Hanley would have helped too, but she was stuck in the middle and couldn't move to lean out of a window. But as the sand around them was pelted with bullets, the shadow of two Hammerheads passed overhead. Hanley craned her neck to try and keep track of the helicopters, and saw them land on a small rock outcropping nearby.
"Gun it, Staff Sergeant!" Hanley shouted.
The SUV shook as it drove through the rough terrain, and Riley nearly fell out before gripping the seat with a fit of cussing. But the sight of the Hammerheads must have been enough to scare off the Buggies, as the shooting quickly ebbed away. The two vehicles then drove up to the helicopters, where GDI riflemen were fanned out in a defensive perimeter. The riflemen quickly waved the SAS troops onto the helicopters, and everyone scrambled to get onboard. Once the SAS team was secured, the riflemen climbed back in, and the Hammerheads were back in the air.
The Hammerheads maneuvered back around the facility, allowing Hanley to get a clear view through the open hatch. She could see Nod vehicles swarming around the place. Then Hanley saw, for a brief moment, a squadron of Firehawks flash past the facility, followed closely by the explosion as their bombs impacted. The facility erupted into flames as the bombs ripped through, and Hanley started to worry that the airstrike wouldn't be enough. But then the facility became engulfed in a massive green inferno, as the Tiberium ignited and exploded. The entire facility, and much of the surrounding area, was turned into a smoldering crater.
"Wooh! That got 'em!" Riley cheered.
Hanley turned to one of the riflemen, a sergeant whose name tag identified them as Burke. A.
"Sergeant! When is the invasion set to start?" Hanley asked.
"In one hour!" Burke answered.
"Let's just hope Nod never got any of those weapons out of Egypt." Hanley muttered to herself.
The Hammerheads continued to speed over the desert, heading towards Alexandria, and the coming storm.