by Rafael Hines
“He’s down,” John said. Felix was amazed by how calm and in control his cousin was, not even breathing hard.
“Let’s find Maria.”
“Think we got ‘em all?” Felix asked.
“No. There’s more hiding around here somewhere and we still haven’t seen Amir. Shoot anything that moves. Unless it’s my fiancé.”
Felix chuckled. “You got it.”
Time was short. They had to find Maria and find her fast. Their night vision sensors allowed them to move quickly through a green gloomy world of heavy equipment, pipes, cables, generators, and the giant transformer in the center of the plant that went down two stories below ground level. Halfway down the long main floor they came to the metal steps that led to the basement and sub-basement levels.
“She’s down there. I lead, you follow. Stay sharp.”
“I got you. Where’s our backup?”
At that moment Boogie Washington and Minty Jackson ran through the main door. Boogie scanned left, Minty right, both checking for overhead targets as they moved. Like John and Felix, they wore night sensors to see in the dark.
Back in the control room, Atal found the backup panel. Boogie and Minty were instantly blinded when Atal hit the switch and the bright lights came back on. Combat veterans, Boogie rolled to his left and Minty went right. Neither man panicked as they ripped off their goggles and blinked rapidly to regain their sight.
The shot rang out an instant before the bullet hit Boogie in the neck. He went down hard, blood gushing from both the entry and exit wounds. It spread quickly, the dark red in sharp contrast to the battleship gray colored floor. Minty knew his friend was already dead and focused on the shooter. The sniper was somewhere up high. Minty started his search at the top of the building and was looking at the fifth floor tier when the second shot echoed loudly. The impact of the bullet threw him backwards, slamming his head into the floor. He lay unmoving in the widening pool of Boogie’s blood.
John and Felix had been blinded too. They struggled to get their vision back when they heard the voice behind them.
“Drop your weapons. Now!”
“That you Amir?” John asked, as he and Felix tossed their AK’s down on the floor.
“It is. I was hoping you would wear your uniform one last time.”
“Only for special occasions.”
“Is death not such an occasion? Especially when you know it’s about to happen. At least it won’t be full of holes when they bury you in it. Did you bring my C4?”
“You think I would hand over the explosives before you let my girl go?”
“I thought it doubtful. But it no longer matters. I’m just glad you’re here. And your faithful cousin as well. Now, down the stairs. Felix goes first. Move!”
Minty was only stunned by the fall and woke up to Christmas’ voice in his earpiece. He knew the sniper was still up there looking for movement. He remained motionless, sprawled out on his back. His eyes barely open, he glanced down at the hole in his left shoulder. The initial numbness from being hit by a heavy caliber bullet was wearing off and the shoulder was starting to burn hot from the inside. It meant the slug was still in there.
He whispered into his earpiece. “Christmas, you there?”
“Here man. You guys okay?”
“Boog’s gone and I’m hit. I’m out in the open playing dead.”
“Shit. Where’s the shooter?”
“He’s high. Grid three. He’s behind some pipes near the roof.”
“Can you shoot?”
“Maybe. We’ll know when he moves.”
“Just tell me which way he runs and I’ll nail him.”
“Roger that.”
Another shot echoed a millisecond before the bullet exploded into Minty’s right thigh.
“Fuck! He hit me again. Fire, fire, fire!”
Christmas was lying down on a floor mat in the classic sniper’s position with his legs splayed, his chest elevated, his left arm bent with his elbow resting on a pad, his left hand under the barrel that was also supported by a small tripod, the stock nestled into his right shoulder and his right index finger on the trigger. He’d removed the wall unit air conditioner from its sleeve. Using the dark hole in the unlit apartment as his hide rendered him completely invisible to the outside world.
He stared through his scope at the windowless brick wall of the five story high Con Ed plant three hundred yards away. He and Ed had prepped for battle by sectioning off the building into twenty pre-calculated grids. There were four grids for each floor. Starting at the top west corner, grid one, Christmas swung the Fifty Cal on its tripod over to the right, zeroing in on grid three. He was already on target when Ed aimed a green laser light that confirmed the spot. The high powered rifle had a range of over a mile. At this short distance he couldn’t miss.
The rifle bucked as the heavy round flew out into the night at twenty-eight hundred feet per second. It punched right through the brick wall, creating a hole eight inches in diameter and kept on going. He edged the weapon a quarter inch to the right, firing again and opening up another eight inch hole three feet east of the first one.
The sniper bolted out of his concealed position, running east. The third shot came through the wall hitting him in the side just below the rib cage. His body tore in half, the torso silently sailed over the handrail while the legs and feet took two more noisy steps along the steel walkway before collapsing.
“You got him. Great shot Santa,” Minty said into the mike.
“Hang tight Mint, help’s on the way. Anymore targets?”
“Negative. And I don’t see John or Felix.
They marched down three flights of stairs with their hands in the air and Amir covering them from behind with an AK. As soon as they reached the sub-basement they saw Maria at the end of a long hallway. She was about twenty yards away, still handcuffed to the wide cold water pipe. One of Amir’s faithful stood behind her with a pistol pressed to the back of her head.
“Johnny!”
“I’m here, baby. Don’t move,” he said with a smile as Amir prodded him from behind.
“Funny man.”
They walked towards her along a wide corridor that suddenly ended, opening up into the enormous transformer room. A labyrinth of pipes and cabling all converged on the giant mechanism that produced a thousand megawatts of electricity.
“That’s far enough Bishop.”
“I’m disappointed, Amir. I was expecting a lot more from you.”
“Really? I thought watching your cousin die would be significant. This is what happens to any man who dares lay a hand on me!”
He turned the gun on Felix. Amir’s left arm was nearly useless from where John had shot him three days earlier so he held and aimed the heavy rifle with only his right hand. Bracing himself for the recoil, he instinctively set his right foot back firmly. John jumped in front of Felix, expecting the familiar pain of bullets entering his body. He heard a loud crack, followed by a scream from Amir that was almost as loud as Maria’s.
The sudden pressure had been too much for Amir’s Achilles. It snapped completely, crumpling him to the ground. John didn’t hesitate. Diving forward into a roll, in one fluid motion he grabbed the AK with his left hand, rolled up onto his haunches, threw the butt to his shoulder, aimed and fired. He hit the terrorist standing behind Maria right on the bridge of his nose. The dead man lay flat on his back, his arms and legs spread wide, his feet twitching.
“God damn!” Felix shouted. “Not that I’m complaining, but what the fuck just happened?”
“You remember the little pin that our boy Fletcher stuck in this cocksucker’s Achilles last week?”
“Back in jail? Are you for real?”
“Damn straight. Fletch just saved us all.”
“Jesus.”
“I think I remember you saying how you wished you could be there to see it pop.”
“I did, didn’t I? What a crazy world,” Felix said, shaking his head.
&n
bsp; Amir lay on his back. He dramatically groaned again from the pain trying to conceal his movement. John saw him reaching for the pistol and gave him a vicious kick in the head.
“Give it up, Amir. It’s all over. Felix, go see if the dead guy has the keys to those handcuffs.”
“Freeze Bishop!”
“Son of a bitch! That you, Lieutenant?”
“It is. Now drop the weapon. You let it fall, then kick it to Amir or you’re dead where you stand.”
John tossed the rifle and slowly turned to face the man he was very eager to see. Unlike the dead terrorist with the hole in his face, Harbey kept himself well concealed behind Maria with his Glock extended past her head and pointing at the two cousins.
“You know, even if we live through this shit I’m still gonna die of a heart attack just thinking on it,” Felix said.
Amir picked up the AK once again. He used it to help himself stand up, then hopped on his left foot until he reached a hand truck and held on to it for balance.
“Rest assured Felix, you won’t live through this.”
Amir was breathing hard from the effort and sweating heavily from the pain. He hung the rifle by its strap over the handle of the hand truck and pulled his Berretta out of his waistband.
John started laughing hard and said, “Damn, you look like shit, Amir.”
“What is funny?”
“You dude. We kicked your ass from head to toe.”
“Let’s see you laugh when I kill your woman. Bring her here Atal.”
“Just shoot them and be done with it Amir. Can’t you see he’s playing with you?”
“Do it!” Amir screamed.
Harbey shook his head in frustration while he unlocked the handcuffs. He walked Maria forward, staying crouched behind her the whole way.
They were five feet away when Amir shouted, “Laugh now, Bishop!”
John moved to tackle Amir before he could turn the pistol on Maria, but Felix grabbed his arm, holding him back. John and Felix both stared wide-eyed at the beautiful woman dressed in black who appeared out of nowhere.
Amir sensed something too, and turned awkwardly. He was only halfway around when the blade whistled, severing his right arm just below the elbow. He hopped around to face his attacker. His scream of, “Omar, wait!” was cut short with finality by the second slice that cleanly severed his head from his shoulders.
“Thanks!” Felix said.
“She ain’t with us!” John shouted, just as Omar lunged forward. He threw himself backwards, barely avoiding the thrust that would have gutted him. Amazed by her speed and balance, he scrambled to his feet, frantically twisting away from the eighteen inch blade that cut through the air an inch short of his Adam’s apple. Her attack was relentless. Stabbing and slashing at him from all angles, in only a few seconds he was bleeding from cuts on both shoulders and his forearms.
John ducked under a big yellow water pump to try and get away from her. It was a mistake. As if herding cattle in a slaughter pen, she had driven him right where she wanted him to go. Omar jumped over the pump and stood over John, raising the blade for the death blow.
A split second seemed like an eternity as he prepared to die. He could see her clearly. She was gorgeous, with high cheekbones, a perfect nose and cupid lips. A single strand of dark hair had come loose and lay gracefully across her forehead. She was slim and tiny at five-three or five-four at the most, yet she radiated an almost superhuman strength and power. He looked into her black lifeless eyes. There was nothing there. No mercy. No compassion. Just the empty orbs of a killing machine.
The blade was arching downwards towards his neck when Felix threw a nine inch length of pipe at her back. Omar twisted away from it and in one fluid motion made a quick back handed throw that sent a double edged knife at Felix’s head. His years of Kendo and Karate training saved his life. He ducked below the blade and kept on coming, picking up a three foot long steel jack handle as he ran to save his cousin.
Felix’s distraction delayed the death blow from Omar’s sword hovering above his head and gave John the split second he needed to go on the offensive. He pulled his belt buckle which became a handle for the flexible two inch wide and five inch long piece of razor sharp metal that he’d kept sheathed inside his thick leather belt.
He sliced up at her frantically from his prone position, cutting into her calf and hamstring. His efforts were unrewarded. Omar didn’t react at all to the deep wounds to her legs and the sword arched down once more towards his neck.
Omar sensed Felix close behind her, but this time she did not turn to avoid his attack. She had one target. One mission. She was duty and honor bound to kill John Bishop and she could not fail. Even if it meant sacrificing her own life, she simply would not fail.
Felix swung the heavy jack handle with all his might, cracking her in the head. The impact knocked Omar off of the pump, yet even after absorbing such a vicious blow, she still stabbed at John as she fell. He turned his head just in time to avoid the thrust that would have ripped his throat open. She hit the ground hard and didn’t move. The sword came free from her open hand and skidded across the floor.
“That bitch is no joke,” Felix said.
John pushed himself up and grabbed the sword. He hesitated for a second, then said, “Fuck it.” He went to stab her, but she rolled away, then flipped up onto to her hands and feet like a cat.
“I busted her fuckin’ head open with this pipe. She should be out cold.”
Blood ran down Omar’s face and neck from the open wound on her scalp, and flowed freely down her leg from where John had slashed her. She staggered backwards trying to shake off the effects of the blow so she could finish her work and go home. No Tringa had ever failed. She would not be the first. Bishop had to die by her hand.
“I’ve got this,” Felix said. “You get Maria. I saw that traitor cop drag her away when Amir lost his head.”
“Take this.” John handed him the sword. He heard shouting in the distance and took off towards the sound of Maria’s voice.
Omar was regaining her senses, but drunkenly staggered forward to get closer to Felix. He held the jack handle vertically in his left hand and had the sword raised over his head in his right. He’d always been confident in his combat skills. He’d battled and beaten the best in the gym, on the streets, and in prison. But this was a different kind of fight. He’d seen what she did to Amir and what she’d been about to do to John. Holding two weapons against an unarmed and wounded woman, Felix still felt uneasy. She was a stone-cold killer. He knew if he didn’t put her down for good he was a dead man.
He didn’t see her move until she threw the knife. Turning his head to the left saved his life, though he wasn’t quick enough to dodge the blade all together. He felt the sting of the razor sharp edge slicing open his cheek as it flew by.
She’s too quick, he thought.
She jumped to her left, forcing him to move, firing another knife at him when he did. Felix saw the flash of silver and then looked down at the blade sticking deep in his right thigh.
The moment of shock was short lived when she immediately charged in for the kill. Felix swung wildly; Omar ducked under it and raised another knife, driving it towards his eye. The blast from the Heckler & Koch .45 echoed loudly and Omar was thrown back and away from Felix like a rag doll. She rolled once then disappeared behind the base of a crane used for lifting heavy equipment.
“You okay, Felix?” Bunny asked. Not stopping to check, he ran after Omar and fired two more times before he came trotting back.
“I saw that bitch at the hospital. Knew on sight that she was bad news. Hey partna, you’ve got a knife in your leg.”
“No shit. Did you get her?”
“Hit her with a high chest shot. Lotta blood. Missed with the other two, but she’s just gonna crawl into a corner and die.”
“I’ll believe that when I see a dead body, then I’ll drive a stake through her fuckin’ heart just to be sure.”
�
�Yeah, well maybe later we’ll have time to come back and check, but not now. Where’s Johnny?”
“Ran that way after the cop who’s got Maria.”
“Ready?”
“For wha..?!!!!” Bunny yanked out the blade and cinched his belt tight around Felix’s leg.
“Thanks for the warning.”
“Like a Band-Aid baby. Right off!”
“Damn that hurts!”
“You’ll be fine, and we gotta move.”
“Not sure I can walk Bunny.”
“You can wait here with that shiny sword if you want to. Doubt it’ll do you much good if your vampire bitch comes back for a kiss.”
Bunny spun and took off in the direction John had gone. He didn’t look back to see if Felix was coming, but heard him thumping along a few feet behind. They both stopped when they heard John’s voice above them when they reached the stairs. Bunny took them three at a time.
“Look Harbey, or whatever your name is, it’s all over. Amir’s dead, your men are dead, your cover’s blown. Hasn’t there been enough killing?”
“I’m not spending the rest of my life in Gitmo. I’m walking out of here. I’ll let her go after I get some distance.”
“It’s not gonna happen and you know it. Just put the gun down.”
Atal Wazir had his forearm wrapped tightly around Maria’s neck and his gun pressed firmly to her head. He twisted and pulled her back, moving farther away from John in an awkward dance as he desperately searched for a way out. They were on the basement level in the center of the plant with the transformer behind them. High Voltage warning signs were posted everywhere.
John had Amir’s pistol and calmly angled for a shot. Harbey was moving a lot, bobbing and turning like a boxer to avoid exposing himself. John was about to put a round in his knee cap when Maria let out a piercing scream and then bit down with all her might on the forearm that held her. When Atal released his grip she snapped her head back into his nose and then twisted her body. Facing him now, she slammed up with her elbow. Her pain masked by adrenaline and anger, Maria didn’t feel her elbow shatter when it hit him in the chin. Like a bully finally getting an ass whipping in the schoolyard, Harbey didn’t try to shoot or fight back. He just covered himself up to fend off her blows and kept retreating until he ran out of road. Maria shoved him hard. He flipped backwards over the rail and sailed off the edge of the platform. Tumbling down onto the transformer, sparks flew when he hit, his body shook, and his hair and uniform burst into flames.