Paradise Burns

by J. P. Sumner

  It’s hard getting your head around the fact that it’s still dark when you’re wearing these goggles. Because you can see so clearly, you assume everyone else can too and that you’ll be visible. But it’s so dark to everyone else, you have such a tremendous advantage.

  ‘Okay,’ said Josh again. ‘When I say, you run like hell, okay?’

  ‘I’ll do my best.’

  Just up ahead, I caught a glimpse of one of the guards. They were walking toward me down the left hand side. He was carrying an assault rifle, which he was holding loose and letting it hang in front of him from the shoulder strap. I guess that meant the other guy was walking away from me down the right.

  Realizing what I had to do, the gravity of the situation began to sink in. As soon as the guy nearest to me turned his back, Josh was going to tell me to run. By the time I reached my cover, he’ll be out of earshot, but the guy patrolling the right hand side will be coming toward me and I’ll be horribly close to his line of sight. Even in the dark, if he’s facing me and I’m moving, he’ll see enough that he’ll be suspicious and come in for a closer look. That would mean a very high risk of being discovered, and then it would be game over.

  Shit.

  ‘Okay, be ready,’ said Josh.

  I stood slowly, ready to run.

  ‘Okay, go now!’

  I shot off like a sprinter out of the starting blocks. I had to cover almost three hundred feet in less than fifteen seconds. As I ran, my weapons bounced around, adding additional resistance. I could feel myself slowing as a result.

  Five seconds.

  ‘Adrian, the guy on the left should be out of earshot now, but the guy coming toward you on the right will have line of sight any second - push the pace.’

  I gritted my teeth and pressed on. I was pretty fast, for my age, and I was in good shape normally. But my cracked ribs made breathing heavy a very painful experience. Subconsciously, I knew I wasn’t running as fast as I was capable of.

  Ten seconds.

  ‘Adrian, he’s almost in position - you need to be gone NOW!’

  I came upon the cellar doors going full speed. I did a baseball slide into the corner and slammed into the wall. I looked behind me and I could see the other guy almost level with me, across the lawn. I was gasping for breath. My lungs burning, each breath sending a white-hot stab of pain shooting into my ribs. I lifted up my goggles. The guy disappeared in the darkness.

  ‘Don’t move,’ said Josh in my ear. ‘We’re not clear yet.’

  I did everything I could to slow my breathing down. The seconds ticked by. There was nothing out of the ordinary as yet. But the big test would be when the guy on the left came back this way.

  ‘Okay, he’s heading back toward you on the left now. Don’t move, don’t breath, don’t do anything.’

  I couldn’t if I wanted to.

  My breathing was returning to normal, slowly but surely. The guy on the left was approaching. I curled up into a ball, tucked away in the corner next to the cellar doors. I was in a small alcove, and the shadows coupled with the night meant I was in total darkness. I couldn’t see my own hand in front of my face. I slipped my goggles back on. The guy walked in front of me. He couldn’t have been more than ten feet away from me.

  I held my breath, causing a pain to pulsate through my chest like a fire spreading through a forest. My eyes watered, blurring my vision through the goggles.

  The guy had almost past me, but I couldn’t hold it in any longer. I grimaced at the burning sensation as I let out a breath. I immediately clasped my hand over my mouth, but it was no good. The damage had been done.

  The guy stopped, then took a couple of paces backward and stared into the small abyss where I was crouched.

  Josh’s voice sounded in my ear.

  ‘Oh, shit.’

  FORTY-SEVEN

  The guy was stood ten feet in front of me, squinting into the darkness I was hiding in. I was convinced he’d be able to hear my heart beating inside my chest. He was staring right at me, although he didn’t know it. He took another step closer, his hand tightening around the barrel and stock of the machine gun he was holding.

  I knew Josh was watching this and I was silently begging him to give me something to go on - some clue as to my best next move, but he was quiet. Probably worried his voice would be heard in the silence.

  I ran through my options, coming to the annoying conclusion that there was really only one way out of this. If this guy didn’t move away, he was going to have to die.

  I moved my hand away from my mouth and down to my pant leg. The knife was sheathed, strapped onto the front of my right thigh. I slowly and carefully gripped the handle. I couldn’t risk drawing it now in case the blade made a noise, but I had to be ready to use it if needed.

  I was willing him to walk away, but he remained in front of me, trying to focus and see into the dark shadows ahead of him. He took another pace forward, pointing his gun out in front of him.

  I had to make a decision. I couldn’t afford to blow this now, I’d already come too far. The bottom line is, if this guy finds me, it’ll be very hard to deal with it without alerting everyone else. Without the element of surprise, I’d be in a lot of trouble.

  Ah, fuck it.

  In one swift and silently brutal movement, I lunged forward and drew my knife. I pushed up with my legs and jabbed forward with the blade. It carved into him effortlessly, catching him in the fleshy part of his throat, just below his jaw and above his Adam’s apple. It was perfectly placed, as it immediately severed the vocal chords, meaning he couldn’t make any noise as he died. He fell forward and I guided him silently to the floor with my left hand.

  That was one issue resolved, but left me with a whole new one. The other guy is going to notice his friend is missing inside the next thirty seconds.

  ‘Josh,’ I said. ‘Where’s the second guard?’

  ‘Yeah, I can’t help but notice the heat signature disappearing near you.’

  ‘I had no choice. Where’s the other one?’

  ‘He’s still walking away from you on the far side. He’ll be turning round any second. If you’re going to take him out, you need to do it before he reaches the end of the lawn. Otherwise the patrol along the east wall are gonna see him.’

  ‘I’ll wait for him to turn and head back toward me, don’t worry.’

  I remained where I was, making sure the dead guard was cloaked in the same darkness I was. The next twenty seconds felt like hours, but eventually Josh came back on the line.

  ‘Right, the second guy’s approaching now. You should see him on the left any second. You can’t let him get too close, otherwise he’ll notice his partner’s missing.’

  ‘I’m on it.’

  I moved forward slightly, crouching on the edge of the alcove, just inside the shadows. I had a clear view of the guy a few seconds later. I grabbed the knife by the blade and lined up, ready to unleash it at my target. I was a good aim, but I was trying to hit either his throat or the top of his chest with a knife from about eighty feet away. It wasn’t going to be easy, but I didn’t want to use my guns. Even though they were silenced, I was going to need every bullet I had for later.

  I took some deep breaths to slow my heart rate down. Josh sounded in my ear again.

  ‘Adrian, whatever you’re going to do, you have to do it now.’

  ‘I got this,’ I whispered back.

  Just another couple of paces toward me, and...

  I took aim and whipped the knife across the lawn, following through with my arm so it gained maximum velocity as it traveled with deadly intent toward my target. In just over one second, the knife hit its target, penetrating the skin at the bottom of the throat and completely burying itself inside. He instinctively clutched at the knife, his face contorted in shock and pain, but it was too late for him. He was dead before he hit the floor.

  I breathed out in relief.

  ‘Good shot,’ said Josh.

  ‘Thanks,’ I replied.
‘How long do I have?’

  ‘It’ll be a few minutes before he’s noticed I would think. I’ve not seen any previous interaction with the two patrols.’

  ‘Good.’

  I stood up and checked the rest of my equipment was still in place before I spoke again.

  ‘Right, give me a minute.’

  I edged forward again from the shadows of my alcove and glanced left and right. Happy there was no-one immediately visible, I sprinted over to the dead body.

  I crouched low next to it and retrieved my knife. I wiped the blood off the blade using the grass, then sheathed it once again.

  ‘Josh, how’s it looking?’ I asked.

  ‘Still clear, for now. I wouldn’t hang around though,’ he replied.

  ‘Don’t intend to.’

  The dead guy was lying on his right side, partially facing the ground. I grabbed a hold of his right arm and, still crouched, slung it over my shoulder. I then put my hands around his waist and gradually got a grip underneath him. Then, in one final effort, which hurt every inch of my body, I stood and heaved him onto my shoulder in something akin to a fireman’s lift. Taking a quick glance around again, I set off back to the alcove. I tried to run, but under the weight, it was more of a slow jog.

  ‘Hurry up, Adrian,’ said Josh. ‘The patrol on the far side is coming up fast and will see if you if they look your way.’

  ‘Going as fast as I can,’ I huffed, struggling under the weight.

  I covered the distance back in twice the time I did before, but managed to retreat back into the shadows undetected. I dropped the body next to his partner and pushed them back to ensure they were fully hidden.

  I took a moment to catch my breath before speaking again.

  ‘Right, now get me on the goddamn roof.’

  FORTY-EIGHT

  ‘This is going to be the fun part,’ said Josh.

  ‘I very much doubt that,’ I replied.

  I’d slipped back into the dark alcove while Josh detailed the next stage of the attack.

  ‘To your left, as you approach the end of the south wall, there’s another small alcove in between a large bay window and the corner of the house. As you face the alcove, there’s a drainage pipe on the right hand side that leads up almost all the way to the roof.’

  ‘Okay, the keys words I picked up there were "window" and "almost". Care to elaborate?’

  ‘Sure thing,’ he said with a chuckle.

  Situations like this were where Josh and I came alive. Don’t get me wrong, I love my job - as much as someone can love killing people for a living. But this: the thrill of the assault, the adrenaline, the danger, the close quarters battle - it’s what I miss from the old days on the unit, before the dark times.

  Josh was no different. He was a good soldier, and I would entrust him with my life, but he was better at this. He was a strategist. The logistics. The planner. He wanted to be the one directing everyone else to victory, behind a desk of hi-tech toys. I’ll never forget the way he phrased our relationship to me once. He said: ‘Adrian, you always wanted to be The Man. I always wanted to be the man that The Man relies on.’ No truer words have ever been spoken. He continued, with undisguised enthusiasm.

  ‘By "window", I mean a massive bay window that I’m hoping will have drapes that are closed, otherwise you’ll be on full view of whoever’s in that room. And by "almost", I mean that it stops about five feet below the main roof, where the first floor of the house sticks out and the roof slants for drainage. You’re going to have to balance on that and climb up the rest of the way onto the main roof.’

  ‘Excellent. Glad I asked.’

  ‘The good news is, once you’re on the main roof, there’s a decent-sized skylight above what looks like a large hall or room. And it looks like we’ve hit the jackpot, because there’s some kind of meeting going on in that room - I count at least fourteen heat signatures gathered together, with five - no, six more dotted around just outside that main room.’

  ‘That’ll be a Pellaggio crisis meeting. I suspect word has got out that I survived the car bomb.’

  ‘You just gotta get to that roof unseen. You ready?’

  ‘Always.’

  ‘Okay, stay low and as close as you can to the wall. Be careful as you approach the bay window. I reckon you’ve got two minutes to get in that end alcove, and up the drainpipe at least above eye level, before the other patrol realizes they’re two men down.’

  ‘Copy that.’

  I set off, staying low, and headed for the end of the south wall. My goggles were back in place and I saw no movement ahead of me. The darkness was concealing the dead bodies for now. With some luck, they’d stay concealed until I got to the roof.

  I covered the distance quickly, soon approaching the bay window. It was squared off and stuck out a good three feet from the house. I could make out my next alcove on the other side of it. The two sides and the front of the window were all glass, from ceiling down to about waist height. The drapes were open, giving whoever was stood in the window a full view of the south lawn.

  ‘Josh, the drapes are open. You picking up any heat signatures nearby?’ I asked.

  ‘I’ve got one nearby, yeah. Hold position. It’s hard to tell which way he’s facing. If his back’s to you, you should be alright, but until he moves, I can’t tell.’

  ‘Alright, standing by.’

  I crouched low, close to the wall. I’d be fine, as long as no-one walked into the bay and looked out of their right hand side window. If they did, they’d see me, even in the darkness.

  Almost a full minute past in silence. Then Josh crackled back onto the line.

  ‘He’s got his back to you. Stay low and move fast, I don’t know how long you’ve got here.’

  ‘Done.’

  I moved silently, side-stepping in a crouch with my back to the window. I was ducked low enough to stay out of view, but again, if anyone walked to the window, they’d see me instantly.

  I held my breath.

  ‘You’re clear,’ confirmed Josh.

  I breathed out as I settled into the alcove un-noticed.

  I tested the drainpipe and it was solid and well attached. I was confident it’d take my weight. This was the easy part. I put a hand on either side and began pulling myself up. I’d placed a foot either side as well, clamping them in place and using my legs to help push me up.

  Climbing hand over hand, I soon scaled the drainpipe without incident. As I reached the top, I saw what Josh had meant about the roof. I came up on a slanted roof with tiles and a gutter. The slant was steep, and standing on it with any degree of balance was going to be difficult. The main roof of the house was about five feet above that. I couldn’t see anything to use to climb, so my only option was to stand on the slanted roof and jump.

  I pulled myself up onto the roof and stood as if I had one foot on a step. My arms were out to the sides for balance.

  I looked up. Then I made a fatal error of looking over my left shoulder and down below. I’m not particularly bothered by heights, but I do have an issue with a fall that would kill me. . .

  I took a couple of deep breaths to calm myself and plan out how best to attempt it.

  I didn’t like this at all. As it stands, I wasn’t sure I could make it.

  FORTY-NINE

  ‘Adrian, what’s wrong?’ asked Josh.

  ‘I don’t think I can make the jump to the main roof from where I’m stood. The angle I’m balancing on is too steep,’ I said.

  ‘I know it’s not easy, but there’s no other way up there. You’ve got to make this or it’s all over.’

  ‘No pressure then?’

  ‘You got this, man. You just need to focus. Talk to me when you’ve made it.’

  I sighed. I had a bad feeling about this. I looked up at the roof. It was only five feet above me, but I had to grab the ledge and heave myself over and I was stood on a steep slope.

  I found my balance and allowed myself enough room for one step before
I had to jump. I rubbed my hands on my legs to dry them, then took the step and jumped. I pushed off and reached to my full extent. I narrowly missed the ledge. As I landed, my back foot slipped on the slant of the roof and I felt myself toppling backward. I turned and dropped onto my front as quickly as I could, spreading my arms and legs out to stop me from falling off the edge. My left foot and left arm found the guttering and I stopped. I clung tight to the roof, burying my face in the tiles trying to make myself invisible.

  ‘What happened?’ asked Josh, the panic in his voice obvious. ‘Are you alright?’

  ‘I missed my jump and slipped as I landed. Anyone notice?’ I said.

  ‘I’m looking at every heat signature on the property. No sudden movements. I think you’re good.’

  ‘Christ, that sucked.’

  I got steadily to my feet and lined up for another crack at it. I took some deep breaths and focused on the ledge.

  I could make this easily any other time. Now’s no different. Come on! I took my step and jumped up.

  I grabbed hold of the ledge with both hands. Made it! But my left hand was slipping. I lost my grip and my body smashed into the wall as I hung by my right hand. I instinctively looked away to avoid hitting my face, but the side of my head banged into the wall. I gritted my teeth, trying to silence the grunt of pain I needed to let out. My bluetooth earpiece had hit the wall and fell off the side of my head, landing near the alcove below me.

  Goddammit!

  I used every ounce of strength I had to get my left hand back on the ledge. When I did, I heaved myself up and rolled over onto the roof. There was a small drop and as I landed I rolled onto my back and lay there for a few moments, breathing heavily.

  My arms, my back and my ribs were on fire. I had no way of communicating with Josh any more, which means my advantage over everyone who was below me had all but gone.

  The only thing I had left was that they didn’t know what was coming.