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You survey the bullet holes studding the exterior of the building and the broken glass of the windows behind their iron bars. If there was an ambush waiting for you – and it seems unlikely that there was – it cannot have survived the earlier salvo. Accordingly, as much as it goes against standard doctrine, there really is no reason to place a guard on the back door. Walking the line of soldiers, you tap three of the men, two of them corporals, and direct them to remain outside and assist in cordoning off the area. You then grab Rashidov out of the formation and take him with you to the front of the line, where you slide in alongside him as the second pair of soldiers in the column; the private with the battering ram is in front.
“We approach by the front entrance!” You shout loud enough for the whole column to hear you. “First six with me! The rest of the group should stay a few meters behind!” You look behind you and see a slow backward shuffle in the rear of the column. You are grasping your service pistol in your hands, but it feels wrong: “Lieutenant Rashidov, do you have an additional rifle in your truck?” Rather than answer, Rashidov passes an order along to the man behind him, who leaves the column to run to the truck and returns shortly afterward with an AK-74, which he hands to Lieutenant Rashidov, who hands it to you. Your hands feel the familiar wood and gunmetal and find their proper places; the weight feels natural in your arms. Now you are ready, Gennady.
“First three rows advance with me!” Led by the battering ram team, you, Rashidov, Matsukov, and three privates approach the front door of the police station. You order a halt when you reach the door and fish in your pocket for the keys. Moving ahead of the soldiers, you try each key on the large ring, but not only do none of them fit, none ever manage to fully insert; they all get stuck around half way down the blade. Noticing a large bullet hole near the handle, you eventually just try the door, which pulls open after only slight resistance, the lock probably shot to pieces.
Retaking your second-line position in the group, you allow the first line to open the door and enter the police station. This first room has a white-tiled floor now covered with glass shards. The walls are a cratered mess, as is a partially-destroyed wooden desk at the rear of the room. “Antegria Police” is painted in bold lettering on the back wall. On the right side of the back wall is a metal door covered with dents from the barrage. Making your way to this new door, you glance over at the destroyed desk, but see only scattered paper, a broken mug, and multi-line phone with two holes punched through its receiver. At the second door, you again fiddle with the keyring, but this time find success, as the first key twists in the lock and gives you access to an unlit and nearly pitch black corridor.
