"Now! Group A, push forward! Leave none alive!" A cold glint flashed in Leah's eyes as she swiftly switched to her submachine gun, chambered a round, and was the first to leap out from cover.
"Take them down!" Calista followed right behind, firing controlled bursts as she cut down the dazed walkers still reeling from the explosions.
In the heat of battle, adrenaline surged hard.
Caught up in the momentum of her teammates, Calista felt herself getting more and more fired up, like she was unstoppable.
Every shot dropped a walker.
"Bring it on!" Turner and Wells charged out as well, their machine gun barrels glowing hot as they fired short, controlled bursts for suppression.
Mike and Carver surged forward like unleashed beasts, firing as they advanced.
Leah was the fastest, cutting through the scattered walkers like a whirlwind.
Her submachine gun rattled nonstop, dropping targets at mid-range with clean headshots.
Calista covered her flank. The two moved in perfect sync, completely unfazed by anything that got too close.
Mike and Carver had already drawn their machetes. Gripping them in reverse, they struck with brutal precision.
Any walker that got within ten meters had its skull split or pierced clean through.
Black blood and chunks of flesh sprayed everywhere, but neither of them hesitated. Their movements were sharp, efficient, and ruthless.
Turner and Wells stayed behind, maintaining heavy suppressive fire. Any stragglers that broke through were quickly dealt with.
This was a one-sided slaughter.
After being torn apart by the two RPG blasts, the horde could no longer form any real offensive. The well-trained fighters cut them down one by one.
Gunfire, snarls, and the sound of blades hacking through bone and flesh filled the air.
A few minutes later, the last walker had half its head sliced off by Carver and collapsed to the ground.
The area in front of the apron had turned into a blood-soaked killing field.
Corpses and gore were everywhere. There was barely a single intact body left.
The team stood amid the carnage, breathing heavily, covered in blood.
"Area's clear," Leah said, shaking out her hands, slightly out of breath.
"Damn, that felt good," Turner said, dropping to the ground as he began reloading his empty ammo belt.
Wells gently patted the still-smoking RPG launcher.
"Good girl. Didn't let me down."
At that moment, good news finally came from Hangar 3.
"Guys, it's done! Wiring's fixed! The F-16 is ready to start!" Oliver's voice came through, full of excitement and relief.
Lee immediately ran toward the hangar.
Two minutes later, a sharp, high-pitched engine roar erupted from inside, completely different from the APU.
It was the fighter jet's turbofan engine starting up.
A powerful blast of air surged out through the half-open hangar doors.
"Perfect!" Calista wiped the blood from her face and finally let out a relaxed smile.
All aircraft were ready.
"Group B, board the planes! Group A, cover the withdrawal! We're going home!"
The roar of engines thundered across McGhee Tyson Base.
The first to taxi onto the runway was Robert's tanker.
The massive aircraft accelerated, its engines roaring, until its nose lifted and it climbed smoothly into the sky.
"This is Tanker One, airborne, all systems good!" Robert reported, unable to hide his excitement.
Kenny's tanker followed right behind, lifting off and heading into the blue sky.
"Tanker Two is airborne."
Next was the C-130 Hercules, piloted by Thompson.
It needed a longer takeoff roll, but it accelerated steadily and lifted off, joining the two tankers.
Finally came the repaired F-16C Fighting Falcon.
Lee piloted the agile jet, lifting off after a short run and executing a clean roll in the air.
"Falcon airborne. Wow. This feels incredible!"
The four aircraft circled once over the base, as if acknowledging those on the ground, then headed toward Rock Fortress.
On the ground, Calista watched them disappear into the distance and let out a long breath. The weight on her chest finally lifted.
"All right, air mission's done. Time for us to get to work down here," she said, turning to the remaining team.
"Move it. Get the vehicles ready. And that fuel truck. Not a single drop stays here. Drain everything."
"Got it!" Carver was the first to jump up and sprint toward their vehicles.
Leah, along with Mike and Turner, quickly checked the fuel storage area, confirmed all valves were shut, and drove the fuel truck to the main pump.
Oliver operated the system with practiced ease, pumping all remaining aviation fuel from the underground tanks into the truck.
"It's full. At least several tons," Oliver reported excitedly.
"Nice work," Calista said with a nod. "Everyone, mount up. We're pulling out."
They had arrived in three off-road vehicles and a mobile power pickup. Now, on the way back, they had an additional massive fuel truck loaded with aviation fuel, forming a larger convoy as they departed McGhee Tyson Base.
At the same time, Rock Fortress and Blackberry Ranch received the news over the radio.
"We did it! We got the planes! They're on their way back!" Rickson said, his voice shaking with excitement.
"What? We actually got them?"
"Military aircraft? We have planes now?"
"Jesus Christ. Am I dreaming?"
The entire base erupted.
"The planes are landing at Blackberry Ranch!" someone shouted.
On the makeshift runway, Ancheta and his team were conducting final checks, making sure the strip was clear.
Everyone at Blackberry Ranch stood waiting, buzzing with excitement. The atmosphere felt almost like the world before everything fell apart.
"They're coming. Listen!"
From the distant horizon, the sound of engines grew louder.
Four black dots rapidly expanded.
The two KC-135 tankers appeared first, descending as their massive wings gleamed in the sunlight like elegant steel birds.
Next came the sturdy C-130 transport.
Then the F-16 streaked overhead in a low pass, roaring above the crowd. The powerful airflow drew gasps and cheers.
Only then did Lee pull back and line up for landing.
One by one, the two KC-135s and the C-130 touched down smoothly, kicking up clouds of dust.
Finally, the F-16 landed in a clean, controlled touchdown and rolled to a stop.
As all four aircraft came to a complete halt and their engines shut down, Blackberry Ranch exploded into deafening cheers.