Ethan climbed out of the hatch and immediately spotted Jason crouched low against a stone wall. Jason was frantically gesturing toward his own ear, then pointed sharply at the ground, signaling for Ethan to stay down.
Ethan reached into his pockets, realizing he'd left his earpiece out after giving the spare to Kira. He quickly jammed it in.
"Boss, you're back. We saw the jets pass over a minute ago. They're circling for a vertical descent right into the village center," Jason said through the comms.
Ethan looked up, squinting against the glare of the snow. Two F-16 fighters, modified for STOL (Short Take-Off and Landing), were banking hard, their engines roaring like thunder as they prepared to land.
"Tell the Falcon teams to move back in. Those jets are going to land, but they cannot be allowed to take off again, or we're finished. The moment their wheels touch the ground, they belong to us," Ethan said.
