[Jake's POV]
The fire escape was a rusted iron structure clinging to the brick wall of the alleyway.
Cold air hit me the second I pushed the heavy metal door open. Humid. Wet. It smelled like rain, trash, and cordite from the first assault. The alley was dark. Total blackout. But my NVGs turned it into crisp, green clarity.
The iron groaned under my weight. Water dripped from the railings. Somewhere above, a pipe was leaking. Drip. Drip.
My NVGs picked up the heat signatures of a dozen Jade Tiger soldiers clustered near the blown rear gate.
They were huddled together for warmth and for courage. Arguing in low, angry voices. Trying to figure out how to breach the loading dock doors again after the first wave had been slaughtered in the fatal funnel. One of them was kicking the twisted metal, like that would fix it.
They had no idea I was ten feet above them.
I didn't wait for them to formulate a plan.
