After a few days of rest and making themselves active in the Nomad Village like helping around the village and such. The group gathers around the old radio in the basement. Kang, being an engineer, turns the dial on the radio. Static is heard as he does this.

Dae, Harriet, and Winter look up at the ceiling above the radio. Thinking of the family, friends, and loved ones. Wondering how they're doing without them. If they're okay. Or maybe thinking their dead due to being MIA for so long that everyone gave up on finding them.

Michael, David, and Mari lean against a wall while looking at the others. Hoping their loved ones are safe and alive. Shino, Elm, and Jie sit next to each other.

"Damn. All I'm getting is static. Also, this radio was built pre-war. Like, 2040. It's about 30 years old. It's not even the same as the radios the military has now." Kang said shaking his head. Ryan was sitting against a wall near the stairs with his arms crossed. He then sighs as he closes his eyes. "Let me try getting local channels. Maybe I pick up something." Kang said as he starts tuning the radio. The others just watch him.

Anthony and Felix look out the window as they stand outside. "It's really quiet." Felix said looking around the village.

The young man enters the basement and looks at them. "Arham and our scouts are out trying to send out a signal." He said as the others look at him. "I also have something that was sent here." He said as it was a piece of paper in Arabic but Ryan quickly reads it and it was a threat to the village. The threat was from Al-Hassan. "I also did some digging even now when that nuke exploded three months prior. The man is a coward. Khalid al-Hassan would never sacrifice himself." The young man informed.

That statement got some shocked reactions from almost everyone. The man that was responsible on detonating the nuke in the city, killing all of those troops - even his own men, was still alive.

A few of them were notably angry, Winter being one of them. "He is alive?!" Winter exclaimed, gripping her seat, trying to contain the anger in her.

"What the bleeding hell?!" Mari cursed.

"So that ungrateful bastard wasn't in the city after all?" Harriet said.

"I second what Amir said. He is a damn coward!" David shouted and revealed the young man's name is Amir.

"Of course he chose cowardice..." Ryan glared at the fact that this so called 'leader' left all of his people behind and killed them all with the nuke. He seen it plenty of times during WW3 when the enemy would just leave his own men behind to die.

"And he's threatening your village?" Clover asked, not liking the sound of this.

"Yes, it seems so. However, I believe the best option is to leave and warn the military. But even they still have their hands tied up due to the nuke on their soil and the loss of life," Amir informed.

"Well, the UNE Coalition never gives up a fight. Not until we know every single threat has been removed," Shino said.

"That man is so dead." Igor stated, getting nods of agreement from the rest.

"There is a safehouse in Dalaram that Khalid al-Hassan had used in the past." Amir continued as he shows on a map away from their current location Tabasin to towards a new location somewhere near in Dalaram. "Only he and his top three know about the place. A traveler from the village within it just told me about it. He used some advance tech to hide it from even the latest spy networks in the globe."

Ryan nodded. "Understood, Amir. Marines and Atly. We're going to Dalaram."

Amir put a hand on his shoulder as a couple of the men from the village enters, "Not without us. Al-Hassan has killed to many and burned too many villages to count. Plus, are all really going there without a weapon?"

Winter, Clover, Elm, and Marrow still had their weapons but wouldn't mind what Amir and the men had to offer for their kindness. Ryan, Dae, David, Felix, Kang, Jie, Igor, Mari, Michael, Shino, Harriet, Anthony, and Vine nod. "Alright. Show us what you have."

Amir led them to a door that led to a tunnel, "My father showed me this when I was 11 years old. Or 12 years ago if want to know how old I am. Follow me."

Ryan, Winter, and the others follow the men through the tunnels, using their phones as flashlights. They pass by different rooms and chambers that they can only guess the use for. Some even had crates filled with ammo, grenades, and some weapons.

"I'm impressed, Amir. I really am." Anthony said, amazed.

"Thank you, Anthony."

After a few minutes, they arrive in a room. That was filled with weapons that are now considered very old in their terms. Like 2000 to 2019 old. Amir and the other men walk to a crate and opens it. There was AKMs, M4s, M9 pistols, 12 gauge shotguns, and other firearms.

"Damn, Amir. Your grandfather and father was prepared." Ryan said looking around.

"Yeah. He was."

"These weapons are still operational, right?" Shino asked as she picks up a M16A2 and examines it.

"Of course. They have been maintained ever since the 2020s. Even my grandfather and father have kept the weapons maintained. I even taught my younger brother how to maintain weapons and fix things around the village." Amir proudly stated.

"Wow. So the village wasn't always nomadic?" Elm asked, impressed.

"No. It wasn't. They were a group of engineers that had settled down and helped the locals before they were attacked by the war." Amir explained as he pulls a AK-12 out. "My grandfather was actually the leader and the founder. The village was his idea. His wife and daughter were killed in the initial attack. He managed to escape, and started a new life. With the help of his friends. The village has been passed down from generation to generation."

"Wow." Harriet said.

"Your grandfather and father are true heroes, Amir." David stated holding a M249.

"Yes, they are. You can take any of the weapons and the ammo in the crates." Amir said.

"Thank you, Amir. We will do our best to help bring al-Hassan to justice and avenge your family." Ryan said as Amir's men also grabbed weapons and ammo.

"Like I said before. I'm also joining this fight. What kind of leader I am to sit around while the enemy threatens the village that is my home."

"Well, I think the more help the better." Jie said.

"We will not fail, Amir. You have my word." Anthony said cocking a AK-74M but accidently breaks it. "Oopsy noodles." He said nervously.

"You have mine too." Clover said as he puts a pistol into his holster.

"I agree with you both. Amir, thank you for your hospitality. And your kindness." Winter said as she holsters her pistol and puts a M4A1 into her hands.

"I agree with Winter." Dae said, putting her rifle over her shoulders.

"As do I." Igor said as he holds his PKM.

"And all of us." The rest said as the Nomad villagers look at the group.

"We will help you as much as we can. We have some contacts that might help you. My father left behind a book that has numbers and names on a page."

"Thank you, Amir." Anthony said picking up an Ak-12 Sopmod. The gun with a Holo red dot, a silencer, and a grenade launcher.

Amir nodded and handed a worn notebook to Ryan, who flipped through it, noting the names and numbers carefully. "This could be very useful. Thank you for trusting us with this."

The team, now better armed and somewhat restored from their ordeal, planned their journey to Dalaram. The mood among them was a mix of determination and grim resolve, knowing the risks but compelled by a deep-seated need for justice and to prevent further atrocities by al-Hassan.

"We'll move out at dawn," Ryan decided. "That gives us the night to plan and ensure everyone's ready. Amir, can your people provide us with local guidance?"

"Of course," Amir replied. "I will come with you, and I'll bring two of my trusted scouts. They know the terrain better than anyone."

The night passed with the team going over maps and the intel Amir provided, discussing routes and strategies. The villagers, in the meantime, prepared supplies and provisions for the journey. The atmosphere in the village was one of quiet support, with many of the villagers offering words of encouragement and prayers for safety.

As dawn broke, the team, along with Amir and his scouts, set out. The journey to Dalaram was expected to take several hours through rugged terrain. Along the way, Amir's scouts proved invaluable, navigating through less-traveled paths that helped avoid any areas that might be watched by al-Hassan's followers.

The landscape was harsh, a stark reminder of the region's brutal beauty and the desolation left by years of conflict. Every so often, they would pass abandoned villages or destroyed convoys, silent testimonials to the ongoing strife that the area had witnessed.

After several hours of travel, the group approached an overlook that gave them a view of Dalaram. Amir raised his hand, signaling everyone to stop and take cover. With binoculars, they surveyed the town. It looked quiet, too quiet, which on its own raised suspicions.

"We need to be extremely cautious," Ryan whispered to the group. "Amir, do your scouts have any idea about enemy positions or numbers in the town?"

Amir consulted briefly with one of the scouts, who had been observing the town through a scope. "He says there are usually patrols in the area, but he hasn't seen any movement yet. It's possible they're lying low or it's a trap."

"Let's not take any chances," Anthony suggested. "We should scout the perimeter before moving in. Clover, Harriet, take the left flank. David, Mari, take the right. The rest will hold position here and provide cover if needed."

The groups split up, moving silently and communicating through hand signals. The tension was palpable; each rustle of wind or distant echo seemed magnified in the stillness of the desert morning.

As Clover and Harriet advanced, they noticed a freshly dug set of tire tracks — a potential sign that vehicles had recently entered or exited the area. They reported this finding back to Ryan, who nodded grimly.

"We need to find out where those tracks lead," he said. "They could be our best clue to locating al-Hassan."

The team continued their cautious approach to Dalaram, every sense alert for any sign of the enemy. As they drew closer, the real challenge began: entering a potentially hostile town, seeking a man who had eluded capture for years, and doing so without the support they were accustomed to.

Then they saw a figure coming out of a gas station in front of them. They didn't know if it was friend or enemy, but that was answered when the figure flashed a light to the group, implying that they're a friend.

"That's my friend. Let's move." Amir said as he, Ryan, and the others move towards the figure, who happens to be a woman. When they got closer to the woman. She was of course an Afghan,  equipped with an AK-74M.

The woman wore the signature black niqab, but she wore a tan plate carrier.

"Khalid al-Hassan is in the village. Some of his forces are protecting him." The woman informed, gesturing a finger at the hill where the Village is.

"Perfect. Move out." Ryan said, ordering the rest to move up with the woman towards the hillside that leads to the village.

When they went up the hill, they begin to hear gunshots followed with Arabic shouting, and then they heard screaming of terror. "What in fuck's name is going on up there!?" Michael questioned, hearing those sounds coming from the village.

"It's Al-Hassan's forces... they're killing the villagers." The woman said with a sigh. Most of them were shocked knowing that the villagers were still in their home, which are now occupied by Al-Hassan's forces. And from all those screaming and gunshots, it seems that the Dalaram villagers are getting massacred.

"Oh no..." Amir uttered, knowing the fact that his fellow people are getting killed. Especially in a village he once knew before and got along with everyone in it.

"Shit, we must save them!" Elm shouted, also not liking the fact that people were getting killed.

"I think It's too late for that..." Felix muttered, hearing the screaming that had escalated.

"Yeah, well not for long we're not. Let's go." Ryan stated. They kept moving up the hill until they see the fences and lamp posts, and finally a building in front of them.

When they made it to the entrance of the village, they were immediately fired upon by a Opfor machine gunner by the first house. "Contact, second floor window!" Shino exclaimed as she dove for cover. The rest followed her action, taking cover behind the trees, rocks, and fences.

The machine gunner kept firing at them while Amir heard several more Opfor soldiers coming to them. And just like he expected, about three soldiers arrived in front of the house and open fire at them. "Give me cover fire!" Amir heard Felix's shout as he glanced to him on his right. He was loading up an M203 40mm round on his M16A4.

Seeing this, Amir stood up and took out two of the soldiers in front of the house, allowing Felix to peek out of cover and fired a grenade towards the machine gunner by the window, killing the gunner in the process.

"Das ist es, wovon ich spreche!! [That's what I'm talking about!!]" Felix cheered using the grenade launcher.

"That was a nice shot." David commented.

"Thanks." He replied with a smile.

Another squad of soldiers have arrived to the scene, then Amir hears a series of barks. Soon, two hounds had appeared and are charging at them. One of them darted towards Amir, but the Iranian man quickly killed it. The other hound manage to pounce on Dae. Amir turned to help her, but didn't need to when the tall Korean woman overpowered it as she threw it to the ground before stomping on it's neck, crushing it.

Amir then move up right towards the house. A soldier was by the window and fired at him, but he quickly put him down. He then turned left towards the a religious building as he saw the rest of the Opfor squadron.

A few more enemy soldiers joined in, prompting Anthony who was behind Amir to switch to his grenade launcher attachment. He fired a round and killed about two of them. The rest of the fighters move up and engaged the hostiles.

Seeing that the enemy forces were being taken care of, Amir decides to go into the house, where Al-Hassan might be in there. He then head towards the door with David and Harriet following him. Two more soldiers were spotted inside, but they were quickly dispatched by them. The three then went inside and search the place. The first floor seems to be clear.

"Clear!" David said as he went to the dining room. Amir and Harriet decides to go to the second floor. Before doing that, the latter pulled out her second weapon which is the M1014 shotgun. When Amir went to the stairs, he saw a dead villager laying down between him.

As Amir and Harriet search the rooms on the second floor, the former saw two more dead villagers at one of the bedrooms, laying in their own pool of blood. One of them looks to be a young teenage girl and the corpse next to her must be her mother.

"I can't believe they're dead..." Harriet said, eyes wided and hands covering her mouth as she reacted in total shock.

"هؤلاء الأوغاد اللعينين. [Those fucking bastards.]" Amir growled. "They even killed the young girl..." lamented at the young dead teen girl.

Harriet eyes widen in realization. "Wait... does that mean there are children in the village as well!? "Oh Oum... I hope they make it out alive."

Amir and Harriet search the rooms, but there were no signs of Al-Hassan anywhere. "Building's clear. No sign of Al-Hassan. Move on." The former stated.

The duo went down and head towards the dining room. They saw David and Winter taking cover beside the back door entrance as they engaged with the Opfor forces across the street, right behind a burning house.

"Enemy personnel by the front!" Winter shouted, firing her M4A1 at them. David tried to fire back, but was forced to get back to cover when the Opfor forces fired at him.

"Reloading." David said, reloading his weapon.

Harriet switches back to her AK74u, taking aim at the window next to David. She killed one of the shooters, causing the rest to fire at her as she duck down for cover. She then ran across to Winter's side, getting a clear view at the soldiers from her window. Amir used his M79 grenade launcher and killed them all in just one shot.

Shifting to the door, Amir saw a soldier about to enter, but he was then disarmed by Winter as she held him firmly. The Atlassian then uses her free hand to take out her knife and stabbed the soldier to the heart multiple times.

When the area was clear, Amir and David move outside the house. There they saw Anthony, Shino, Marrow, and Clover dealing with the enemies by the road near the religious building and a crashed helicopter. "Hostiles approaching!" Shino shouted.

"I see them!" Clover replied. He then threw a grenade, which killed five of the advancing soldiers. Amir assisted them by firing his AK-12 and kill about two more soldiers.

After killing them all, they focused on to the next building, which is by the edge of the village near a river. They move up while noticing more dead bodies of the villagers by the roads and near the houses. Young men and women had their lives taken by those Opfor soldiers.

Amir look back at the burning house and saw a family of 4 Iranians on the pathway. One old man, two adults, and another teenager, all were executed by the Opfor. They even saw a few of the villagers carrying shotguns, SMGs, or pistols, indicating that they tried to defend the village, but those poor souls didn't stood a chance.

Most of them watched with a sad frown. Some were in sorrow, like Amir. He believed what he was saw, the residents of Dalaram dead by the Opfor soldiers. "Looks like they are killing everyone." Anthony bitterly said.

"But why?" Elm spoke up. "There is no valid reason for them to kill innocents..."

"Maybe just for fun." Igor said with a frown. Maybe Al-Hassan even ordered the soldiers to eradicate the population. Knowing him, that must've been it.

When the squad move up to the second house, they were met with heavy fire by the Opfor occupants. Since the roof of the building was undone, it allows the soldiers a vantage point to use their machine guns. The Fighters dove for cover behind the fences or the rocks. Amir peek out and fired a few rounds, but crouched back to cover behind the fence.

The rest tried to do the same, with the niqab woman manage to kill one of the soldiers outside, but was forced back to cover. "Ant-tony! Call in air support on that building!" Amir ordered Anthony, pointing at the building with the machine gunners by the roof.

"We have air-nevermind!" Anthony quickly uses a radio that is carried on one of the fighters back to mark the coordinates, "This is Fighter AT, we need air support here."

.

.

.

.

.

"Roger that." A pilot's voice replied. "Arriving on your position. Hang tight."

Anthony waited for half a minute before he sees an attack helicopter closing in to the building. It was a old type of helicopter that the marines have seen in documentaries of WW3.

It is the Ka-520 attack helicopter, or Super Hokum for short.

They can already tell by the design that the helicopter means business. And it did. The Super Hokum set it's eyes on the Opfor forces by the building as it unleashed hell to them by firing it's 30mm autocannon. The Super Hokum manage to kill the machine gunners in the roof as it now focused on the Opfor forces outside.

A few of them were shooting at the helicopter in a desperate attempt to take it out, but of course it did no effect as the Helicopter responded by shooting at them with the autocannon. More soldiers showed up at the left side of the building, firing at the chopper. The chopper shrugged all of those bullets as it slowly turned to the group of enemies. Instead of using the autocannon, decides to fire a Air-to-Ground missile at the squad, killing them all in one blow.

After that massacre, the pilot spoke up. "This is Hadir 2-5. We have to refuel and rearm. We will not be available for some time." And with that, the Ka-520 left the area.

-To be continued-