"One set, alpha side," replied Kael, the breacher, his hand hovering over the door handle."Two set, covering deep," came Jax’s steady voice."Three set, ready on the rear," confirmed Leo.

A silhouette target popped up at the end of the hall. Jax dropped to a knee to shrink his profile, delivering two controlled "thumps" from his training carbine.

They moved like a single organism, a "flow-and-go" rhythm that minimized their exposure. But as they approached the threshold of the second room—a narrow hallway—the instructor’s voice crackled over the loudspeakers: "Contact front!"

This was . The objective was simple but unforgiving: clear a three-room suite of simulated hostiles without losing momentum. "Execute," Elias commanded.