Alighten came over the radio a second later. “Matt, you there?”
Matt scratched his face quickly, and then keyed his radio. “Yeah, what’s up man?”
“The video and everything is setup to roll out on your signal. That Ralph guy and I setup the system to lock down after this…or at least I think we did… Either way things should be fine. Oh and Sarah wanted me to let you that know you suck. Her words not mine.”
Matt smiled and acknowledged. “Roger that… Do what you’ve got to do. We’re gonna send the lift back down as soon as we can, so it should be good to go once you get here… And tell Sarah she’s just jealous. Over.”
Alighten began to reply but was cut off by Valor, who apparently grabbed ahold of Alighten’s arm and hijacked the microphone. “Matt, you don’t got to worry about a thing! I’ll make sure these boys move like it’s the championship game! Fast as the wind, yo! Hah! We’ll come running in with guns blazing before you know it!” Alighten grunted a laugh before securing his radio. “Yeah, thanks Valor… We got it Matt, One Bravo out.”
Shake breathed in deeply as soon as Matt had secured the radio. “Hey Matt, uh… have you heard anything from the other team lately?”
Matt shook his head. “Not since their last call about that drop ship they were chasing. Why, what’s up?”
Shake suddenly looked uneasy. “Yeah that’s why I’m worried… I listened in a little when you were talking to them…just sounded like something bad had happened, you know?”
Someone had been medivaced out, but no said who exactly had been hit. Shake no doubt thinks it was his little brother. It was always like him to worry about Joe, but not usually like this… If Joe was hit, wouldn’t James be freaking out too? Actually…hmm… Nothing was certain, and he couldn’t let Shake think about it too much. “Isn’t like you to be like this… you doing alright?”
Shake took another deep breath and then just shrugged the thought off. “I think I’m just over thinking this whole thing… just forget I said anything.”
Matt glanced to the elevator level indicator as it passed by sub-level One and began to decelerate. “Once we get these high value targets, I’ve got to call up command anyways. I’ll ask them for a sit-rep for you.”
“Thanks Matt.” Shake nodded in gratitude, just as Lorain stomped her feet on the deck and spoke in serious but mostly bitchy tone. “India on the bottom floor, and Krieger on the second. We’ll secure the landing pad and you just drive the High Value Targets to us. Stick to the plan and make sure you report ANY potential High Value Target sightings. We only have one chance to do this right. Let’s get it done!”
The teams all did a quick equipment self-check and stood weapons at the ready as the elevator came to jerking halt, and the doors parted into an empty grey hallway. For once Intel had got it right, this WAS the back way in. The hallway was most certainly for maintenance, as it was littered with several janitorial carts and had supplies shoved off into various corners, but unfortunately also had security cameras which were aimed directly at the elevator. Matt cursed when he saw them, but it wasn’t unexpected. He keyed his radio as the rest of the teams spread out and secured the area. “One Bravo this is Two, we got cameras. Launch the video and get up here on the double! We’re Oscar Mike.”
Lorain glanced over at Krieger oddly, then motioned her team through several side doors and disappeared. Matt didn’t wait for the reply from One Bravo, he brought up a holographic blueprint of the building on his wrist coms, activated his waypoint system, and motioned the team toward a fire escape staircase at the other end of the hallway.
As they began to climb the stairs they heard the muffled, thunderous applause of the thousand something people gathered outside, as well as President Clarkson’s voice over the loud speakers in the quieter moments. The team silently moved up the last few flights and onto the ornate balcony overlooking the first floor lobby. The entire room, all the way to the ceiling, had beautiful dark stone floors, dark mahogany wooden fixtures and banisters, and a massive glass dome skylight in the center of the room, though its glass had been busted out by the force of the explosion during the attack a few days prior.
The room was decorated in a similar fashion to the underground train system, with dark red rugs lining the floors, potted plants, busts of historical US figures, and a variety of beautiful paintings and other decorations all positioned in classy, museum like fashion. Smelled strangely like the pine scented floor wax they used at Fort Greg too... Never mind, enough sightseeing.
The balcony ran the entire interior of the room and ended with a set of double doors on either side, which opened into the balcony hallway overlooking the park. Matt rechecked the holographic map one more time to ensure they were in the most ideal spot… Yeah, the only staircases were those two directly in front and directly behind him, all in the same place on the opposite sides of the room. If India secured the rear like they were supposed to, there wouldn’t be any threat coming from the back.
Matt pointed over to Shake, Baranov, and Kazowski and whispered. “You three, opposite side…block the stairs. We’ll jump them when they try to leave. If we can capture them, we’ll do it. Remember, don’t shoot unless you have to. We don’t want to hurt any civilians.”
The three nodded just as Matt realized the crowd outside was now booing and shouting loudly in anger. To make matters worse, the unmistakable rumbling of artillery fire began to shake the entire building…and from the sound and force of it, it had to be directly outside…in the crowd…
Through the broken glass dome, which was covered with clear plastic, they could see the unmistakable flash of cannons in slow sync with each other, right off the side of the starboard side of the Aries. My god, that ship was enormous! It was bigger than all the carriers they had put together! Was that their? Well…no, what he meant was, was it the American traitor’s? The other Navy ships weren’t firing at it, so it probably wasn’t foreign… That didn’t bode well. The traitors were firing on civilians!
Shake, Baranov, and Kazowski had frozen in mid stride, caught terrifyingly off guard by the event. They turned back to Matt, some of them angry, some of them completely shocked. Matt passed them a likewise concerned expression, but motioned them forward sternly. People began to dart around the lobby below in a frightened panic, desperately trying to figure out who was attacking them…and running once they did. There were so many people in the building now! What if the traitors escaped in the crowd? Damnit! This was getting worse and worse!
“Hawkins! Call Sarah and find out where the hell her team is!” Matt activated his radio immediately. “Krieger Command, this is Bravo Lead, do you copy?”
A few moments passed as Brett came over his ear piece. “This is command, what’s going on Matt?”
“General, we’re in position to ambush the HVT’s, but we have artillery fire dropping right outside in the civilian crowd! How copy?”
Brett didn’t hesitate to reply with a troubled tone. “Yeah…we can see that… You capture those HVT’s, and you get out double time! Understood?”
Matt was just about to reply when a muffled burst of automatic fire rang through the nearby double doors. “Shit! General I got to go. I’ll keep you informed. Out!”
Hawkins nodded toward Matt and readied his weapon. “Sarah and them are on their way up, and they said they’ll be here in less than a minute.”
Matt nodded, and was about give the order to advance, when Hawkins and Gaillard suddenly made annoyed expressions. They both hesitantly released hold of their rifles, and slowly put their hands above their head. Matt glanced to them momentarily confused, but an instant later he realized why...
“THIS IS THE SECRET SERVICE! DROP YOUR WEAPON AND PUT YOUR HANDS UP OR YOU WILL BE SHOT!”
Matt sighed and glanced over to Shake, Baranov, and Skeet, who had also all run into the Secret Service, and were being unwillingly restrained. Matt cautiously released hold of his rifle and put his hands up, which were violently grabbed ahold of
and pulled to the small of his back as he was handcuffed. “You’re making a mistake, guys…”
One of the seven or so Secret Service agents, all dressed in black tactical gear, growled at him. “Do NOT resist me or I will use force!”
Gaillard groaned in frustration. “We’re here to stop the fucking traitors! Jesus don’t you hear that artillery outside? This shit is real!”
Another Agent punched Gaillard in the gut to silence her, just as a single gunshot rang out from behind the double doors. The Agent then aggressively motioned over to two of the others. “Go check that out! Now!”
The two Agents arrived at the doors just as Krieger was being frisked, but almost as soon as they had opened the door they were massacred by a wave of automatic fire. The remaining Agents grabbed Krieger and pushed them to the ground, as a full platoon of NSWs burst through the door and began an overwhelming firefight with the Agents.
Matt and the rest of Krieger frantically wiggled into as much cover as they could find, as the surviving few Agents attempted to flee, but were instantly shot in the backs. Another Agent was executed as he tried to surrender. That was just cold… These bastards didn’t care though. They were the same sort that tried to murder the team in Crystal City! The same hexagonal camouflage and emotionless features…
The NSWs swept across the balcony, and in no time at all found the Hawkins, Gaillard, and Matt all balled up. After a short kicking spell, the NSW dragged the three into the open, lined them up, and pressed the barrels of their guns against their foreheads. Admiral Al Hakam then leisurely strolled through the NSWs, and straight over to their new captives, with the foul aroma of arrogance radiating from him.
Al Hakam stared down at them curiously, his many medals and awards clattering and dangling from his black Navy coat as he leaned over. Wonder how many of those he simply bought? He couldn’t have actually earned any of them… He didn’t seem the type to put himself into harm’s way for other.
Matt suddenly realized that Shake and the others were still cuffed on the opposite side of the balcony. The NSW didn’t know they were there! Don’t make any noise guys…for the love of God, do NOT make noise!
Al Hakam tilted his head curiously as he noticed the Scorpion Krieger patch on Matt’s shoulder. “Krieger Platoon… So you’re the ones who put on this show? Hmm. Whatever. Kill them and make sure they don’t have other friends around.”
Al Hakam began to strut back toward the forward staircase, just as several precision shots ripped through the helmets of the three NSW’s standing over the tied up team. The rest of the NSWs turned and began to fire back at the unexpected threat; India Team rushed up the far back staircase in full force.
Al Hakam bobbed and weaved through the bullets, like a child running from invisible bees, as he took off in a full sprint toward the forward balcony. The remaining NSWs attempted to dig in but were instantly torn to shreds from their flank as Sarah’s team rushed up the nearby staircase and pushed the last of them back through the double doors with the Admiral. India team immediately moved forward and began to untie the rest of Matt’s team, as Sarah moved over to cut the plastic flex-cuff off Matt’s wrists. Matt growled and rolled around violently to stop her. “NO I’LL BE FINE! GO GET HIM! DON’T LET HIM GET AWAY!”
In half a second, Sarah’s face became stone, her mind fixated on the target. There he was, the traitor Admiral! She had a personal score to settle against him, and all his Navy goons… “SHAKE! Untie the rest of the team! Everyone else, on me now!”
Krieger and India pushed forward in parallel from either side of the balcony, and straightaway met the remaining NSW as they attempted to hold them back. There could only be a handful now though. Sarah blitzed right in through the double doors, with her rifle on full auto, and sent a barrage of bullets straight into the wood paneled corner one of the NSW was hiding behind. She continued firing as she took cover in a small ornate wooden doorway, just big enough for her to hide in.
The lone NSW waited until Sarah had stopped firing and began to reload, then peeked out around the corner and attempted to fire back, but took a combined burst from Alighten and Valor, and dropped limp to the deck. Valor of course began taunting the dead man to no end, until he also noticed the dead bodies of Clarkson and MacAnthony. “Yo, holy shit it’s our HVTs! These boys are dead!”
Alighten moved over to get a better look at their faces, but was spurred back into action as Sarah shouted them forward, and rushed around the corner. They dashed past a wall of glass windows, all of which began to break as the last of the NSWs fired in at them from the balcony. Sarah took cover next to the doorframe to the balcony itself, while Lorain and India team rushed around the opposite corner a moment later, but were likewise forced to hold.
Sarah quickly peeked around the corner just as a Special Warfare drop ship swooped down out of nowhere and spun up its guns. Sarah’s eyes went wide as she pulled herself as tightly into the protection of the doorframe as she could. “DROPSHIP! GET DOWN!
The drop ship unloaded a terrifying wave of fire directly through the windows. Shards of glass, wood, and fabric began to explode and shower through the air as the bullets ripped past. The high-pitched firing of the guns drown out all other noise around them, and the air was suddenly filled with the smell of burning wood as some of the debris caught fire.
Sarah could feel the rushing air of the bullets spraying around her, and she could feel some of the rounds bouncing off the hardened metal interior of the frame she pressed up against. If she even moved and inch to either side… She just closed her eyes and focused on staying absolutely still.
Alighten and Valor had flattened themselves as much as possible and were hugging the carpet for dear life, but were a little too exposed right in the center of the floor. Thankfully the ship didn’t fire its gone very long. Now however, the dropship came up into a hover right next to the balcony and however its side ramp. They wanted to try and escape! That was NOT going to happen!
Sarah peeked out just long enough to see Al Hakam board the ship and unsurprisingly sealing the door and leave his remaining NSWs disordered and stranded on the roof. Rats on a sinking ship…
India and Krieger moved in like a hungry predator, tearing through the last five of the NSWs with coordinated fire in a matter of seconds. However, as quickly as the teams stormed the balcony, the drop ship’s engines kicked up to full and darted off toward the now silent Aries Warship.
Sarah and the team rushed up to the very edge of the railing, and watched with absolute frustration and rage as their target simply slipped out of the grasp all together… That cowardly bastard! Valor roared ferociously kicked several of the still standing foldable chairs. “Fuck yo! We almost had that cheesy bastard! Fuck…”
Loraine passed Sarah an unfriendly glance at Valor’s comment. “Let’s hope our actions were worth all this trouble…”
Sarah didn’t respond, but silently watched as the commandos simply walk back into the building without as much as another word. Matt and the rest of the team came rushing out, and gave the commandos a muddled look in passing. They were leaving? “Where are you guys going? Where’s Al Hakam?”
One of the commandos stopped and spoke, clearly frustrated. “He jumped on a drop ship and ran like a bitch… He’s gone!”
Alighten patted Valor on the shoulder. “Hey, if that really is Clarkson and MacAnthony back there on the carpet, then our mission isn’t a failure. We still got the traitors out of office like we wanted…and the world knows the truth of all this now.”
That was true, but it just didn’t feel finished. Sarah let out a sigh and began gazing out to the burning and decimated city, as rioters and looters moved through the streets unopposed by any police. There was also now the chaos that had been started in the streets by Al Hakam…
Baranov shook his head bleakly at the sight. “This city seemed better off before we got here…. How is that not a failure?”
Alighten passed him an uncomfortable expression. “We didn�
�t do this…the traitors did.” He retorted.
It didn’t seem to matter who caused it at this point... It was here, it was a pretty big problem, and they were stuck with it. Matt strolled up next to Sarah and joined her in looking over the anarchy, but she didn’t feel much like chatting. She keyed her radio instead. “Krieger Command, this is Bravo team…”
There was a temporary pause as General Travis came over the channel. “Go ahead, Bravo.”
“Clarkson and MacAnthony are dead. Looks like the traitors didn’t like each other too much… That and Admiral Al Hakam escaped on a drop ship... We need-”
An Air Force commando suddenly cried out loudly, interrupting Sarah mid-sentence. “Oh shit! Look at the Aries!”
The entire team turned their heads up to the sky as the Aries bottom-attached rail gun swiveled directly toward them, glowing with electric power as the gun charged itself. Matt and Sarah started B-lining it back into the building, physically grabbing and pulling the rest of the team with them. “EVERYONE INSIDE! NOW!”
Chapter 29 – You can be my wingman…
The cabin of the F/A - 24 was absent of all sound, except for the low rumbling of the Fighter’s twin, wing mounted turbofan engines. The aircraft appeared like a much smaller and heavily armed version of the old Osprey Vertical Take-off and Landing (VTOL) aircraft from the 20th century. The near seamless engine placement, as well as the integrated exhaust system, provided an immense amount of thrust when aligned together for forward propulsion, or provided a stable hovering capability for vertical take-off and landings in tight spots. Overall this allowed a skilled pilot to pull off some tricky, tight maneuvers that most other classes of fighter couldn’t do, but like most Army aircraft they were decades old and spare parts were few and far between. They were extremely durable when properly taken care of, but a maintenance nightmare when they weren’t.
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