“I think it’s a bit complicated for them. Let’s just let them keep that to themselves. What about you, Michael?” Lee asked.
“Well, I haven’t really thought about it. I might go back to Atlanta, but if they can still use me at the CIA, I haven’t ruled out staying yet,” Michael said.
Jess was shocked by his answer. It’s not like she thought that Michael should follow her wherever she went, but she, for some reason, had assumed he would.
“You aren’t going to come home with me?” Jess asked before she could stop herself.
“You’re my best friend, and no matter what, I’ll always talk to you and see you as much as possible, but I just don’t want to rule out any possibilities. If I can find purpose and contribute in the CIA, then I just can’t rule out that option right now.”
Everyone was a little surprised by Michael’s open mindedness to the possibility of doing things like killing others, but in a way, it was a relief to Nathan. Michael always had certain talents that could help or protect others. If he was finally at peace about using those talents, then that’s all Nathan could ask for his friend. After a little while, Lee motioned for Nathan and Sam to come with him. He ushered the two of them out into the hallway.
“What’s going on?” Nathan asked.
“I don’t know what you guys are planning to do after this is all over, but in my spare time, I made a couple of things that might give you two another option,” Lee said and handed them a couple of passports.
“Thank you,” Sam said.
“Don’t mention it, and don’t worry about me. My lips are sealed. If the day ever comes that you two decide to disappear, I’ll miss you both, but I’ll be content knowing that you’re happy wherever you are.”
Sam gave Lee a quick hug, and the three of them went back inside. It was a fun but nervous night. Even if no one would say it, they were all getting increasingly nervous as the hour got later. No one could shake the thought that all of this was coming to a head, and unfortunately, no one knew how it was going to end.
In Zane’s room he, Burt, Jason, and Dan had gathered together. Zane had already called and made sure that they would have an explosive large enough to make a good dent in the building but small enough that two people could get it inside. Everything was all set to go, but he still couldn’t shake the same uneasy feeling he always had before a big mission.
“Do you think everything is going to go like we planned?” Jason asked.
“I doubt it. I think there will probably be plenty of complications, but we’ll get this done because we have no choice but to get it done,” Zane answered.
“What time are we leaving?” Dan asked.
“I think we should leave around ten. That will give us plenty of time to get everyone set up and mentally ready.”
It was already eight minutes past nine. The friends talked for a few more minutes, and then Zane suggested that they get everyone together in the hotel lobby. Jason went to retrieve everyone else while the others went down stairs. Once they were all in the lobby, Zane addressed everyone.
“I know this will be difficult, and I know that not everyone here feels like they’re in a role that they’re prepared to do, but I just want you all to know that I believe in you. I have full confidence that every one of you will come through, and no matter what the cost is, you will succeed. As your commander, that’s what I want you to know, but as your friend, I just have to say, be careful. I don’t think I could take losing any one of you. Be sharp, and be ruthless, but don’t forget to be smart, and take care of each other,” Zane said.
Now Michael felt a little bit of nervousness build up inside him. Zane had said for them to take care of each other. As a sniper, that was his job. He had to watch their backs from afar as they entered the facility. He couldn’t freeze up this time. Even if he had felt sure earlier, he couldn’t help but feel a twinge of doubt slip into his mind as the hour of their battle grew closer and closer. As they were leaving the hotel, Zane pulled him to the side. He noticed the doubt in Michael’s eyes, and he wanted to snuff it out right there.
“You are fully capable of doing what you’re going to have to do tonight. As a matter of fact, now that my eyes aren’t what they used to be, you’re the most capable person here with a rifle. I believe in you, and your friends believe in you enough to agree to let you be the person who watches their backs. Show them how capable you really are,” Zane said.
Michael nodded, and a new sense of peace swept over him. He was going to do this, but not to show anyone how capable he was, but, instead, to simply do the only thing that he should have been worried about in the first place. Michael was going to protect his friends at any and all cost.
Chapter 25
Once they had arrived, and everyone was in position, Michael found himself on a rooftop staring through the scope of his rifle. He was surprised to see how clear the streets were. The streets around the facility had been blocked off for the last few hours, and because of this fact, Markus’s men knew they were coming. Michael’s phone went off. It was a text from Zane. Nathan, Sam, and Dan were on their way, and he was cleared to start taking out some of the guards who were standing in front of the facility. He looked through his scope and took a deep breath. He couldn’t seem to shoot. He tried to pull the trigger, but no matter how much he tried, he just couldn’t do it. When he had just about given up on shooting, a voice interrupted his train of thought.
“Do you want me to start us out?” Jason whispered from across the rooftop.
“No, I’ve got this,” Michael said.
Michael took another deep breath and then uttered a prayer.
“God, please forgive me for the things I’m about to do.”
He put his eye up to the scope and found a target. He placed the man’s head in his crosshairs and gently squeezed the trigger. The man fell to the ground. He was dead. The sight horrified Michael, but he knew that he didn’t have time to think about the horror. He practiced the rapid fire technique that Sam taught him at the shooting range. He wasn’t as accurate as he normally was, but he was dropping soldiers like they were flies. Jason began to fire, too. Between the two of them, they were able to take out dozens of the men before they could escape into the safety of the facility.
“I guess this is one job well done,” Jason said.
“Not quite. I’m sure we’re going to have to help our friends out a little more before they get into that place,” Michael said.
Nathan and many other soldiers began to approach the facility. Michael didn’t see anyone outside the building. It appeared as if they would just be able to waltz freely into the building. Suddenly, from behind him, Michael heard some people approaching. It was Jess and Burt.
“Our location has been compromised. We need to get out of here soon,” Burt said.
“How many are there?” Michael asked.
“Probably about a half dozen,” Jess said.
“I’ve got this. Jason, you keep an eye on our friends down there.”
“Wait . . . what are you going to do?” Jess asked.
“Burt and I are going to take care of the problem. I just need you to stay here and watch Jason’s back in case we can’t get this done,” Michael said as he pulled a pistol from his side.
Burt was a bit surprised to hear his name included in all this. Sure, he had built up quite the story about how he took down the Atlanta office, but was his reputation starting to precede him? Could he actually be of any use in a combat situation?
“Let’s go,” Michael said as he tapped Burt on the shoulder.
The two men made their way to the back side of the building where six men were climbing up the fire escape. Michael glanced over the edge and fired three shots down at them hitting one of the men, and effectively sending him crashing down to the ground. The men returned fire, which forced Michael to pull back from the edge. Michael and Burt got down on the ground and reached over the edge to return blind fire to the men below.
“Stop,” Michael said to Burt after a few seconds.
“Why? What’s wrong?” Burt asked.
“I only have three bullets left. How about you?”
“I’ve got five,” Burt said.
“We need to save these. Blind fire is getting us nowhere, and even if it is, we can’t look over the edge to know that.”
The two men started backing away from the edge. They got down low and waited for the men to emerge. It wasn’t the best plan, but what else could they do? A shot rang out from behind them. Jason had begun shooting again. Great! Apparently there’s a problem behind us and in front of us, Michael thought. Finally, after waiting for what felt like an eternity, the men emerged. Burt quickly started unloading his gun, and so did the other men. Michael, meanwhile, took his time and made all three of his shots count. All three of his shots landed squarely to the heads of three of the five remaining men. Burt hit one of the men twice before he was out of ammo. There was only one problem. There was still one man alive, and neither Michael, nor Burt, had a single bullet left. Burt tried to run backward, but the man fired his weapon at him. The bullet hit Burt in the arm. Then the man turned the gun toward Michael. Michael threw his gun to the ground in hopes that shooting an unarmed man would deter the person from taking his life, but no such reflection of mercy appeared on the man’s face. Michael closed his eyes and waited on the bullet. That’s when he heard the shot cry out, but he was still there. I didn’t feel anything. Am I really dead, Michael wondered. He slowly opened his eyes to see that the man in front of him was dead. Michael turned around, and Jess stepped out of the shadows.
“Don’t ever leave me behind again. You two could have used an extra hand,” Jess said in a furry.
Michael was so glad to be alive that he didn’t even notice the scolding she was trying to give him. He ran to her and hugged her tight.
“Thank you so much,” Michael said while kissing her on the forehead.
“I’m sorry to ruin your little moment, but I’m kind of bleeding here,” Burt said.
“I’m sorry. Are you okay?” Jess asked and ran to Burt.
As the sound of shooting subsided, Jason joined them.
“They’re in. We need to get out of here now,” Jason said.
“No arguments here,” Burt said while lying on the ground.
“Oh, God! What happened to you?” Jason asked while looking down at his friend.
“Well, do you want the true version or my version?”
Jason looked over at Michael.
“What really happened?”
Michael looked down at Burt, who gave him a look as if to say, “embellish it a little for me.”
“Well, I ran out of bullets after I took out one of them, and I panicked. Burt still had five bullets, so he stepped in front of me. He was able to take out four of them before one of them got to him,” Michael said.
“That’s not wha . . .” Jess said before she received a hard look from Michael.
“That’s what I saw, too,” Jess said.
“Wow! That’s amazing. You’ll probably get a medal or something for this,” Jason said.
Burt only smiled proudly, and as they were climbing down, he mouthed a simple thank you to Michael.
* * * * *
Nathan, Sam, and Dan were getting set up with the men who were at their disposal. You might as well have just said that Sam was leading them into battle, though. She was the only one of the three who actually knew fluent French, so she was the main person communicating with everyone. Once they were all set with body armor and weapons, the crew started marching toward the facility. Shots could be heard in the distance.
“It sounds like Michael and Jason have started,” Nathan said while looking over at Sam.
Nathan was a little surprised. It’s not that he didn’t believe in Michael, but he just hadn’t known if the pressure would be too much for him. In a weird way, he was proud that Michael had been able to go through with his part in the op. Sam ordered the men to quicken their pace. Just before they arrived, the shooting stopped.
“They’ve cleared us a path. We need to hurry,” Dan said.
Sam ordered the men to move quicker, and the whole squad broke into a run. Once they arrived at the front door of the facility, it was predictably locked. Dan pulled a small explosive device from his pocket.
“Step back for a second. This should do the trick,” Dan said and place the device on the door.
With a loud boom, the explosive went off, effectively blowing the door open. They all hurried into the facility and began picking off their enemies. Suddenly, they heard shots, but the strange part was that they were coming from outside. Michael and Jason were firing at something outside.
“I’ve got this,” Dan said as he motioned for a few of the soldiers around him to follow him.
The men walked outside to see an enemy crew trying to approach them from the rear, but Jason had them pinned down from above. Dan and his men fired into the crowd of enemies, effectively killing them. Then they walked back into the building to help their comrades. It was an all-out firefight. Nathan and Sam had ducked behind an old desk and were returning fire as best they could at the overwhelming number of enemies.
“How are we supposed to defeat this large of an army?” Nathan asked.
“We don’t have to defeat them. We just have to force them to another floor for a short while,” Sam said and suddenly fell back to the floor. She had been hit!
Nathan wanted to turn and run to her, but there was no time. There were three enemies approaching them from the left. Just act on instinct, Nathan thought to himself as he jumped out from behind the desk and as calmly as he possibly could, picked off the three men that were approaching them. Then he turned to check on Sam, but she was already back up by him.
“Are you all right?” Nathan asked.
“Yes, that’s what they make these for,” Sam said while patting her vest.
The fighting continued, and it was obvious that despite all of their body armor, they were losing this fight.
“They have to fall back at some point, don’t they?” Nathan asked.
“We need to think of something soon if we want a chance at winning this,” Sam said.
Nathan scanned the room as best he could without exposing himself to stray bullets, and then he saw something.
“There! We need to kill that man,” Nathan said while pointing out a man at the back of the room who was being shielded by several other soldiers.
“You’re right. It looks like that guy is giving the orders right now. If we take him out, maybe his second in command won’t be so composed. Then maybe they’ll be forced to fall back temporarily.”
“Exactly.”
“All right, give me a little cover,” Sam said and started to move to the right edge of the desk.
By the time she popped up, Nathan was already firing away. She took a quick aim and fired her weapon. Her bullets not only killed their target, but also killed two of the men who were trying to shield their leader from harm. Once they both dropped back down, Nathan scolded her.
“He’s their leader, and it’s great that you could take him out, but next time, let me do the dangerous stuff. You’re basically our leader here. If something happened to you, what would anyone here do? Neither Dan nor I can speak French. We would all be running around here in complete confusion without a way to communicate.”
The truth was that Nathan could care less about whether or not Sam was there to lead them. He was really just upset that she would endanger herself so recklessly without even a second thought. If anything had happened to her, it would have destroyed him. She could see the true worry in his eyes.
“I’m sorry. You’re right. That was foolish of me. From now on, I’ll be more careful.”
“All right then, let’s finish this,” Nathan said and peaked around the corner of the desk.
The two of them fired as accurately as they possibly could from behind the desk, and after a few mi
nutes of fighting, the enemy started a swift retreat up the stairs.
“Follow them,” Sam ordered as she grabbed her phone and called Zane.
“Tell them that we’re ready,” Sam said and then hung up the phone.
“All right, let’s go,” Nathan said as the two of them ran to the stairs.
* * * * *
Trish and Lee received the go ahead to go inside. The bomb that they were given was on a large dolly. The two of them began pushing it into the facility. Once they were inside, a conversation ensued.
“Where do we put this thing?” Lee asked.
“We need to make sure it’s in a place that they won’t look right away. We need a chance to get everyone out before this thing goes off,” Trish said.
“How about in the bathroom?” Lee asked.
“In the bathroom?”
“Yeah, why not? We could put it in one of the stalls. Do you have any other ideas?”
“No, we’ll go with your idea. Let’s just hurry up,” Trish said, and then they started wheeling it into the restroom.
Once they were inside, Trish pointed out the obvious.
“You know that this big cart isn’t going to fit in one of the stalls, right?” Trish asked.
“I know, but come on. Just help me wheel it over to one of them as close as possible,” Lee said, and then the two of them pushed the cart in front of one of the middle stalls.
“All right, move back,” Lee said and then started to try to lift the device.
“You can’t lift that by yourself.”
“You just watch me.”
To his credit, he did lift the device for about a second. As he lifted the device off the cart, he felt something crack in his back, and he dropped it to the floor. Lee too crumbled to the floor.
“Oh, that’s great! Let’s just drop the big exploding thing on the floor,” Trish said sarcastically.
Lee only stayed on the floor and moaned in pain.
“You’re really hurt, aren’t you?” Trish asked and rushed to his side.
“I’ll be fine. Just help me roll this thing into the stall so we can get out of this God forsaken place,” Lee said and slowly stood.
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