The Captain cursed as he got the report that the drone sweep on the company’s right flank couldn’t ferret out much intel. The troops would have to find out the old fashioned way. He sent his best reserve squad into the fight on the right to help shore that area up, and another on the left.

[Zone 18/19 rolled 2 “0” for suspect markers, 1 squad (6 CF) reinforces zone 8, 1 reinforces zone 5.]

‘Here comes the armor support boys!’ hollered squad leader Jenkins. ‘When it stops we go across!’ Jenkins’ squad moved out, stacking perfectly, and paused behind the tank. As Jenkins peered around the tank to see the building that was their objective [fortified Zone 23] a single shot rang out, his head snapped back, and he dropped, dead before he hit the street. Fortunately a Lance Corporal in the assault element didn’t hesitate. ‘Grab Jenkins, we’ve got to move out of here!’ The man was brave, and smart. The original objective was where the shot came from, so he took them into a less foreboding looking building [Zone 24]. As they entered the courtyard, another burst of AK fire ripped through the air, missing them but alerting the now depleted squad that this was no safe haven.

The Captain listened to reports of multiple squads getting pinned down by accurate enemy fire. And he heard about the first casualty. He knew it wouldn’t be the last. At least some Marine gunnery training was bearing fruit, as an enemy unit fell victim to a rocket attack.

Now the Lance Corporal showed real fighting spirit. Looking at his SL’s body in the courtyard, he paused not at all before ordering the front door breached. As the door went down, he entered, weapon ready. The rest of the assault element hadn’t even entered the building when 2 bursts rang out, one a distinctive AK and the other the Lance Corporal’s A4. There were no further shots as they entered, both an enemy guerrilla and the Lance Corporal lay dead in the first room. Suddenly the squad’s morale dissolved, and they grabbed their comrades’ bodies and moved back toward the rear [mutual step loss results assaulting zone 24].

The Captain grimaced as he heard about the casualties on the left flank, but the remaining assaults went like clockwork. After less than an hour the company had virtually secured the first two blocks of their area of operation. Time was still against them, but the Captain had some hope that they would clear the neighborhood before dark.