The Sniper of Vlopolis

Chapter 9: Time's Ticking

"Alright guys, get ready to jump!" Anna yelled over the loud rush of wind. The plane's door opened for them to jump. They were above the clouds, but Mercury saw glimpses of the barren Iranian desert and small Arabian villages. Her heart beat faster than usual, and adrenaline pumped through her veins.

"Don't get killed. Stay frosty."

"I will." Mercury did a backflip out of the plane, feeling the cool air push her around in the morning sky. It was cool up in the air because of the altitude, but it's hot and stifling down below. Her ears felt stuffy and pressured. She felt free above the Earth like a flying bird. She remembered her fear of heights on top of Flawless Tower, but now she has conquered the fear since she had her wingsuit.

"Ivanka, you there?"

"Yeah, how was your ride? What time is it in Iran?" Ivanka responded through her mask.

"It was good, there was this high school fanboy that came with no weapon, and it's morning."

"That's tough. It's nighttime for me."

She was getting closer and closer to the ground. She pulled the cord on her backpack and deployed the wingsuit. Spreading her arms and legs out, she fell slowly down to the Earth.

"Ok, where's the base at?" she questioned.

"Right here."

A map came up on Mercury's visor, then zoomed onto a red pinpoint in a small town called Nirawi. "It's underground in this small village?"

"Yep, and it's one of the villages with the most fighting," Ivanka spoke through Halo.

"Oh boy, can't wait," Mercury grumbled sarcastically.

Nirawi became visible. Half of the stone buildings were rubble, tanks roamed through the dusty streets, popping from gunfire filled the town, and numerous bombs exploded. This place looks like something straight out of a war movie. She landed on a rooftop and somersaulted near the edge. She inserted a magazine full of bullets into her sniper rifle and studied the rooftops, then the streets. "Coast is clear. Halo, give me directions to the base."

"Turn left," it directed.

Mercury jumped from the roof, landing softly in the sand. Three women covered head-to-toe in black niqabs strolled through the street. A man with an AK-47 jumped up in front of them and grabbed one woman. The two other women screamed, "let go of her!" in Arabic, hitting the man with their fists. Mercury hid behind a wall, took aim through the scope, and shot the man. The women screamed and ran into a half-destroyed stone house. She ran left, hiding behind objects and walls. "Where do I go now?"

"Right."

Halo led her to a narrow ally with five guards holding rifles. They didn't have any Al Hijayet Iizaya symbol on them, but she knew that they were part of the terrorist group. "This is the place," she whispered. She peeked the barrel of her gun out from behind a wall and shot one of the soldiers. They opened fire on her, the bullets marring small craters in the wall. "Halo, turn on adhesive mode." Her gloves and boots lit up purple. "Let's do this." She stepped out from behind the wall and punched the first soldier, lifted him, and hurled him into another soldier. She then jumped on one of the walls and sprung herself off, kicking another in the face. The last soldier backed up and shot frantically at her, his face twisted with anger and fear. Mercury used her powers to make a large shield to cover her body and marched toward the soldier. Once close enough, she grabbed hold of his head and twisted it so hard, she snapped his neck.

Al Hijayet Iizaya's door was made out of heavy fireproof and bulletproof metal. Mercury used a laser gadget Ivanka made to cut a large hole through the metal. Metal smoldered and became a red-ish color, like lava. She kicked the piece of metal out of the door, letting the remaining metal of the door cool before stepping into the base. A flight of stairs led her down to a long hallway, rooms on each side. The base seemed quiet, only occasionally there was some chatter in a few rooms. Everyone must be outside fighting.