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The sheer force of the Malinois’s impact drove the insurgent backward, his rifle clattering as Beast’s jaws crushed his forearm. The man shrieked, struggling, but Beast was all muscle and lethal intent, his powerful frame pinning him down as his teeth mauled flesh.
Brawler finished him, moved in, firing two controlled shots into the next combatant’s chest. Flash took out another, the suppressed bark of the big gun precise and deadly.
Brawler swept his weapon over the shadowed hallway, noting the flickering lights, the abandoned medical carts, the smell of blood and antiseptic that clung to the air.
At Brawler’s curt hand signal, Beast peeled off the dead insurgent and dropped back into a tight formation, slipping between Brawler’s legs and matching his combat glide effortlessly as they advanced. Each step was fluid, the dog staying low whenever Brawler lowered himself, then pivoting smoothly to keep his flank in line with his handler’s thigh. It was a practiced dance, half combat choreography and half instinctual bond, an unbroken chain of movement that let them move as one, even in the midst of chaos.
“For a big guy, you’re light on your feet, there, Fred Astaire and Ginger.”
Brawler grunted. “Beast doesn’t wear sequins.”
“Who says I was talking about Beast?” Flash’s gaze was laser focused. “Although, I think he could pull them off. You on the other hand?—”
“It’s a good thing I have other people to kill,” Brawler said, deadpan.
The radio crackled.
Tex’s voice cut through, steady as ever. “Brawler, first floor is secure. We’re heading to the second.”
Brawler could hear the gunfire, short, controlled bursts, tactical efficiency in motion. Then, silence.
Tex’s voice snapped back over the comms. “Take cover!” His gut twisted at Tex’s controlled, urgent tone.
A monster growled from above, and the whole hospital shook with thunder.
The air filled with a savage, ripping roar, like the sky itself had split open. The machine gun nest above them unleashed hell, bullets tearing through walls, punching holes in the ceiling, raining debris over them.
Flash pressed against the wall, shouting over the storm. “That’s a big fucking gun!”
Brawler’s mind flashed to the team above. Tex, Dagger, Shark, Bondo, Easy, they were up there, dodging for cover, moving through the carnage. He could see it in his mind’s eye as bullets sparked off tile, rounds chewing through door frames, teammates rolling clear just in time.
Tex’s voice cut in again, sharp with command. “Brawler, where are you?”
Brawler answered. “Just cleared the rest of the first floor. What do you need, LT?”
Tex didn’t hesitate. “Get to that nest and take it out.”
Brawler immediately looked for access and his mouth thinned. The stairwell was blocked by furniture. It would take them way too long to clear.
Flash gestured to a service elevator at the end of the hall. “Sportswear, athletic gear, housewares, anyone?”
“Yeah, a new volleyball net after I get blood all over mine.” Brawler with Beast still between his legs started down the hall.
Flash laughed wickedly, covering their six as he said, “You’re optimistic, big guy. You’ve got twenty pounds on me, but weren’t you the king of the goon squad in BUD/S? They don’t call me Flash for nothing. Gotta catch me first.”
Brawler kicked open the doors, exposing the elevator shaft, dark, hollow, rising into the floors above. “I don’t have to catch you. Beast’s got that covered.”
Without taking his eyes away from their six, Flash said, “Fuck me. Yeah, fur missile one, Flash zero.”
No time for hesitation.
Brawler pulled out Beast’s harness, and Flash made quick work clipping him, securing the powerful dog to his back rig. Beast growled low, sensing the tension. “We’ll go up first. You follow. Break our fall if we slip,” Brawler said casually.
With a bark of mock laughter, Flash secured their lines, then gave Brawler a smirk. “Thank the fuck your Hulk arms never slip.”
Brawler grabbed the edge of the doorframe, swung out, and grabbed the handle of the ladder bolted to the wall. He ascended fast, boots tapping against groaning metal. The air was thick with dust, the deep echo of the gunfire above vibrating through the steel.
The moment they reached the third-floor landing, Brawler swung in, unhooking fast as Flash unclipped Beast, and the Malinois hit the ground running.