opened up to the front of the home. Mike was able to identify that the kitchen was off to his left and the living room was to his right. He slowly peered around the corners of the opening. He saw and heard nothing in his view of the kitchen area. As he shifted his view to the right towards the living room, he saw two overturned chair legs with Joey’s legs secured to them with duct tape.
Mike signaled that he believed he had eyes on the hostage. Colt gave the command to move forward and secure Joey D. while he provided cover for Mike and Robert covering the kitchen area. Mike slung his rife over his back and retrieved his knife from the sheath attached to his belt. He couldn’t make out the facial features of the hostage through the night vision, but the overall shape of the man confirmed that he had indeed located the man he knew as Bunny. He saw and heard the congested breathing coming from Joey’s mouth. He was alive.
Mike announced, “Carry out,” loudly indicating that Bunny could not walk out of the house under his own power. He began the task of cutting him free from the chair as Robert slung his rifle and moved forward to assist with the exit procedure. Colt stood up from his crouching position and assumed the duty of protecting the men from potential threats as they lifted and carried the cargo. Robert took Joey’s legs and Mike took the torso from behind, under the arms. They were well rehearsed in the Fireman’s Carry technique of removing human beings from hostile environments. The men secured their cargo and began to move back down the hallway towards the rear exterior door. Colt followed behind the men, scanning the rear area for threats.
Everything was going well. Seven was holding the target in the tree line at bay with periodic rounds fired from his pistol. He had the blades spinning and the chopper ready to depart as soon as the cargo was loaded. Goat was seated in the cargo hold, where he had been for the entire trip. Seven saw the team exiting the back door of the farmhouse carrying his friend. It was all going well, until every interior and exterior light in the farmhouse suddenly ignited, all at once.