The Great Game Trilogy

by O. J. Lowe

  Derenko glanced back at his teammates, gestured for them to go back. Find another way into that room, he mouthed at them. They both slunk out of sight and he kept a tighter grip on his Featherstone. There had to be another way to do this. His eyes went to the two hostiles they’d dropped, he checked them over, didn’t see any sort of hailing equipment. Maybe it was portable. If he’d been in this situation, he’d have his people hooked up to heart trackers. The moment they were dropped; you’d know about it. Hopefully whoever was organising this thing wasn’t as organised as him.

  “I’ll enjoy it from out here,” he said. Maybe he could distract the hostile long enough for Aldiss and Harper to flank him. This wasn’t the best place for a shootout. Too many places to be ambushed, too many hiding spots, too many innocents. Many might have got out before the shit truly went down but those who couldn’t move still had to be here. The knowledge there might be someone in a coma in the room was the only reason he hadn’t opened fire. He thought of the grenade on his belt and toyed with the idea for a moment. It still might cause some damage, but it’d only be superficial, more distressing than anything. He’d give them another ten seconds and then toss one in there.

  “Shame, it’s lovely in here. So nice of you to show up, Unisco! I always wanted to kill some of you scum!”

  “Nice accent,” Derenko said. What was it? Burykian? He couldn’t tell above his heart pounding in his ears. He’d overheard Wilsin’s team discussing their corpse with Okocha and Brendan, more questions were being asked by the minute as to who these guys were.

  Come on Aldiss don’t let me down now!

  “What’s the HSB doing here?” He shouted at the top of his voice the name of the first Burykian crime group he could think of, the Holy Sun of Burykia, not the biggest but the most well know due to a series of serials on the viewing screens.

  “Ha! Holy Sun has set. There’s a new sun rising…”

  He was cut off, Derenko cursed the timing as he heard the roar of Featherstone fire and the unmistakeable sound of a body hitting the ground. He threw caution to the wind, stuck his head around the door and saw Harper stood with the weapon smoking in her hand.

  “Took you so long?” he inquired. “Good job, Bravo Three. Now let’s move out. We’ll identify bodies later.”

  Wade thought he heard laser fire. He wasn’t sure, in the darkness of the closet, sound was distorted. Maybe it was close, maybe far away or maybe not at all. It was the best thing he could do, even if he couldn’t shake the feeling he wasn’t about to live this down if someone found him hiding. He was a Unisco agent. He should be out there trying to secure the area and here he was. If he had heard fire, it was safe to assume his comrades had entered the building and were trying to defuse the situation. They’d have it in hand. Nobody would hold it against him if he sat this one out. After all he’d earned his injuries in a more dangerous circumstances which counted for something.

  He just wasn’t sure if he’d be able to live with himself if he didn’t do something. He’d taken two of them out, more through fortuitous circumstances than skill He had an X7 with a half-depleted charge, vision that was spotty at best and he was walking around in a robe that left his arse hanging out. Not exactly the sort of situation that left you optimistic.

  He didn’t even have his summoner on him. Roper had it for safe keeping. He wondered if Roper was part of the team entering the building. If he was, Wade felt confident that it’d be sorted in no time at all. He’d be able to deal. A fully trained Unisco squad could take on anything short of a full army. In these circumstances, they’d be fine, he told himself.

  They had to be nearly there. Twice they’d encountered resistance, the first Leclerc had tussled with before Montgomery had shot him through the throat while the second had been taken down with a Featherstone stock to the head. Wilsin’s aim had been good, he’d gone down hard. Three down, plus three that Bravo Team had dealt with.

  They’d seen two more hostiles dead in a room as well as another corpse that vaguely resembled Inquisitor Mallinson. He’d been preferable in death than he had been in life. Wilsin had met Stelwyn Mallinson before and hadn’t cared for him. Still the loss of any Unisco agent in the line of duty was a tragedy. Very little had been made of the fact he was on the premises until Brendan had mentioned he’d been brought to the island to investigate the ICCC building attack. They’d not known he was at the hospital until recently. He’d also revealed the room was Wade’s. With the bed overturned and shattered, Wilsin didn’t know what to think. There was no sign of a body, not the one they were looking for anyway.

  So maybe Wade had gotten away. He hoped so. If anyone had been able to take an opportunity, it would have been him. Wade had all his training behind him, Mallinson was missing a weapon with no sign of it anywhere. Maybe he was fine. The hostiles had both been shot with precision, one in the back of the head, one several times in the stomach. It looked like he’d died hard.

  So, eight down. Wilsin wondered how many more they’d have to deal with before the day was over. Nobody knew exactly how many there’d been to start with. It was a question he vocalised to Chaos Team.

  “Ah, I think there’s at least three in the administrator office,” Noorland said. “Maybe four. It’s hard to make out. Isn’t less though. Plan for more, you won’t be disappointed.”

  “Roger that Chaos Two,” Wilsin said. “Bravo One, what is your position?”

  “Converging on target,” Derenko replied. “Should be at the hot zone in five. You?”

  “Copy and paste that. We’ll see you there, Bravo One. Good hunting.”

  “You too, Alpha One.”

  So far it was proving too easy and Wilsin found himself worrying. They’d snaked their way through the hallways, keeping out of the main corridors when possible just in case. As Bravo team had found out by the sound of it, it was just too easy to walk into an ambush when exposed in the open. He’d insisted on it, neither Leclerc nor Montgomery had complained. They knew the score and wanted to stay alive, were also professional to the end. He was grateful. Some Unisco agents could be real pains. He was sure he was one of them back when he’d been under command.

  The whole point was limits. He’d known how far to push it before it became insubordination. He knew how to keep it in line before he became a liability. Everything had a limit and sometimes you didn’t want to test those limits. He’d found himself wondering what the limits would be here. Without knowing what these hostiles wanted, it’d be hard to gauge how quickly they’d start exterminating hostages. If they were after bloodshed, no time at all. They could wipe everyone out before they were killed themselves. If they were after something else and he had to believe that they were, they might not do it as rapidly as they might otherwise. They might only do it if they were forced. It took a queer strength of will to shoot an unarmed person. Someone who was trying to kill you, Wilsin could testify was an easy mark. Killing them would not be a problem. By that logic, he was probably far more likely to get shot than one of the hostages in the room. Those hostages in there were probably terrified, stressed and not a threat at all. If they kept their heads down, they’d be okay. That was the theory. Don’t be a hero and you won’t get hurt. Would they do it? Finding out could be an expensive way to call their bluff.

  More to the point, he couldn’t figure the logic behind their attack here. He didn’t have all the pieces, putting them together would be impossible but there should at least be the start of a picture. Not that it was important right now. The details could be established later. Maybe when they had all those, they could start to put them together, a very faint hope.

  He almost missed the hostile ahead, halting his team as the uniformed figure strode through one of the wards, rifle hanging loose from his shoulder and letting his hand trail against thankfully empty beds. He had his back to them. The Featherstone felt heavy in his hands and Wilsin toyed with the idea of giving him one in the back. Except that would bring him back to the thought before about shoot
ing someone who didn’t pose an immediate threat.

  Maybe he could turn it to his advantage. Get some answers. It was a thought that flitted through his head before the hostile turned away out of sight and Wilsin held himself still, slowing his breathing. He still pointed the weapon towards the doorway the figure had vanished through, mind already half made up to go after him. He could smell a rank cologne in the air, as he went to follow him, it stank of a scent he couldn’t describe but it had a distinct blend of sweat within it. Lovely. Exactly what you wanted to pass through your nasal passages.

  He grinned, heard something in the distance and quickened his pace, rounding the same corner the hostile had followed at a slow walk. If he was about to walk into an ambush, it wasn’t going to be blindly. His finger sat on the trigger guard, he didn’t need to employ it. Nothing. Immediate area was clear. Leclerc and Montgomery were behind him, had every direction covered and as three they moved through the corridor in a tight circle, trying to get a lock on the position of the hostile. Leclerc tagged him first and Wilsin heard the tell-tale snap of Featherstone fire cutting him down.

  “Hostile eliminated,” Leclerc reported, before glancing around at his commander. Wilsin gave him a nod and thumbs up.

  “Control, I had a thought,” Montgomery said. “About how we could defuse this situation peacefully.”

  “Go on,” Brendan said. “Let’s hear it.”

  Wilsin glanced around to ascertain their location, just another spotless white stairwell and he didn’t like this. They’d been up a few already and they made good places for ambushes. The higher ground was key, all it’d take was for hostiles to wait them out at the top and they’d have a clear shot as they came up. They were on the fourth floor. Bravo team would have more fortune descending from the roof.

  “So, they’ll be watching the door, right? Why don’t we find another way in? Examine the room above, see if there’s something we can exploit there. Or throw some stun grenades in through the window. Didn’t Chaos Two come up with some wall crawling gloves?”

  “Didn’t bring any with me, Alpha Two,” Noorland said. “Sorry. Nice idea though.”

  “We’re nearly at the engagement zone, Alpha team,” Derenko said. “What is your position?”

  “Fourth stairwell,” Wilsin replied. “Be with you when we get up there. Had a little fly in the stew, had to take time to swat it.”

  “We don’t have time to check the room above, nor the equipment to silently breach the floor, Alpha Two,” Brendan said. “Next time bring any ideas like this at the briefing.”

  “Sorry Control, it only just occurred to me,” Montgomery said, sounding apologetic. “It doesn’t matter. Let’s get this done.”

  Doctor A. B Mwarumari. Administrator Director.

  At least they were in the right place, Wilsin thought as he read the sign on the door across from them, shut tight and probably locked if they had any sense. Bypassing it would take time, time that the hostages wouldn’t have if they tried to storm the room. When the shooting started, they’d be the ones most at risk. Six of them stood outside, more than a little uneasy. They’d regrouped swiftly, he couldn’t help wondering how many they’d not accounted for around the hospital. Or maybe the last of them genuinely were locked in the office.

  “Chaos team, we need numbers,” Derenko said into his comm. “Can you get them for us?”

  “Negative Bravo One, too many variables,” Anne said. “For an exact number anyway. Best guess, five hostiles, twice as many hostages.”

  “I’d second that guess,” Noorland offered. “My thermals are better than hers, I can make out at least four, maybe five or six sets of weapons in there. Double that number for the hostages. They’re sat out in a semi-circle around the administrator’s desk. Everyone looks to be towards the back of the room except one guy… Wait, he’s coming for the door. He’s coming out!”

  “Take cover!” Brendan ordered, a redundant order by Wilsin’s reckoning given half the team had scattered already, not out of fear but desire to keep their presence secret. He didn’t rush, just pressed himself against the wall the same side as the opening door, he heard the twist of the key and hoped that the door would at least be closed before he had to do something to neutralise the threat.

  Their luck was in, he saw the hostile exit, the door close behind him, heard the lock clicking shut before he was on him, hand over his mouth and dragging him away with great difficulty. Fuck, this guy was strong! His struggles threatened to break Wilsin’s grip, he felt teeth tearing at his hand and he bit down a yell. Both hands were busy, one over his mouth, one around his neck and the hostile’s elbows were trying to swing back and catch him in the side, like riding a thrashing donkey. He applied pressure to the neck, squeezed harder, trying to find the sensitive nerves that would pacify him all while taking blows to the side and the shins, the man not going down easily. Aldiss appeared from nowhere, sprang into view and clocked the struggling hostile square on the jaw with a vicious right hook that snapped his head back and brought it lolling to a rest across Wilsin’s shoulder. Reluctantly he let him drop, stretching his arms as he did.

  “Nice hit,” he said amicably. “I had it under control.”

  “Course you did,” Aldiss grinned. “Now it definitely is though.” He shook his fist, flexed his fingers to retrieve the feeling in them. “You’re welcome, mate.”

  “Think they heard that?” Wilsin asked, reaching to his belt for a pair of restraints. He took one of the unconscious hostile’s wrists, secured the cuffs to it and then did the same to the other wrist.

  “Well we haven’t heard shooting or threats yet,” Aldiss replied. “I’d say we’re in the clear for the moment though I don’t know how much time we do have. If he was due to report back any time soon, they may suspect something.”

  “Then we should move sooner rather than later,” Derenko said, appearing from around the corner. “We need a plan to get in there now.”

  They turned, saw Leclerc crouched down next to the lock, examining it thoughtfully. If he had any thoughts on what they were talking about, he didn’t share them. Montgomery glanced over at him, then back to Wilsin and Derenko with a bemused look.

  “Not a complicated lock,” Leclerc said. “Old style key. Not electronic. Probably for security purposes. Can’t be hacked. Could probably be bust open with one solid hit. Makes it obvious if someone’s been in there.”

  “At the same time, it does the job,” Harper said. “There has to be a way…”

  Wilsin broke away from the group, moved to stand behind Leclerc, glanced at the lock and stroked his chin behind his mask. She was right. There was a way.

  “Chaos One, come in!”

  Anne, lost in the moment staring through her scope, jerked out of her reverie and looked at Noorland, still focused on the same spot as before.

  “Go on Bravo One,” she said. “What do you need?”

  “Can you see inside that room? What’s happening in there?”

  She sighed. That question or variations of it had been asked several times since the mission had started and it was starting to grate on her. This wasn’t what she’d planned to do today. Not even close. “Same as before, just with one less guy. Curtains are still shut.”

  “Does the window look reinforced?” Wilsin asked. “Do we have any data on that?”

  “Shouldn’t be,” Okocha said over the comm. “If it is, they didn’t include it on the blueprints of the building.”

  “You want me to open fire into the room?” Anne asked. “I can’t eliminate them all before the hostages get hurt. Couldn’t do that even if I could see in there.”

  “We have a plan,” Derenko said. “All we need from you is one shot. And it needs to be a good one.”

  “One of your best,” Wilsin offered, slightly unhelpfully, she thought as she heard his voice. “You get it wrong and it’ll be disastrous.”

  “What do you want me to do?” Anne asked, emotion out of her voice. At least she couldn’t f
eel the terror of the hostages from over here. That’d be distracting. She wasn’t going to feel any sorrow from them either because they were all going to be fine. Nobody was going to die, and she was going to do her bit in ensuring that was the case.

  “We’re going to supply you a target,” Derenko said. “And we need you to hit it dead on.”

  “It’s a small target,” Wilsin continued. “If the curtain’s closed, you won’t be able to see it and you need to avoid the hostages as well. Think you’re up to it?”

  She almost laughed. “Could you do it? If you can, feel free to come over here and put your credits where your mouth is. If you can’t, get that target for me.”

  For several long minutes, nothing happened. It didn’t bother her. It was the sniper’s lot. Sometimes you had to wait for hours, maybe even days in the same spot without moving. She somehow didn’t think it would take so long this time. Whatever they were doing, they had to move quickly. She didn’t hear anything over the comms, just kept her rifle pointed at the room, controlling her breathing. In and out, in and out, inhale, exhale, inhale and exhale. Noorland kept quiet but she could tell he was as agitated as her, trying hard not to feel. This whole situation was draining on everyone but that wasn’t an excuse. It was something that they needed to get right.

  “Alpha team, Bravo team,” Noorland finally said. “What’s happening down there? Are you nearly in position?”

  “Nearly,” Derenko said. “Should be on your scope in a few.”

  “Hey, you try scrounging up something like this in a few moments,” Harper quipped. “Mind you, you’d probably be good at it, Chaos Two.”

  Anne could imagine the look on Noorland’s face, the smug prideful look she’d seen so many times before. At the same time, he was entitled to it, given the abilities he had with mechs and techs. The guy was a genius, she had to admit.

  Finally, she saw it, faint but slowly blinking into existence. At this range, it looked little more than a dot, but it was growing by the second, a small red smudge against the blue of her thermal scope. If she hadn’t been looking for it, she might not have seen it.