by Jim Roberts
"You..." Dante pointed at the other Centurion guard, "...come with me." The giant and his entourage moved to the door. Before he went through, he looked at the other trooper, menacingly, "You stay here."
The Olympus Commander and his group of seven soldiers moved through the door one by one.
This was it. Go!
As the door closed with a solid click, Whisper moved towards the last trooper. Bounding with incredible speed, Whisper covered the twenty feet of distance between him and the Centurion in less than two seconds. The Centurion barely had time to blink before Whisper jammed the Damascus steel blade through his visor, slicing into the trooper's brain like a ripe melon.
Whisper pulled the blade free and gripped the lifeless body. He swiftly hauled the hapless trooper behind the building. A guardrail separated the fortress inhabitants from the sheer four-hundred-foot drop. Whisper hoisted the guard up and tossed him over the side of the rail like he a bag of old socks.
He raced back to the door, keeping an eye out for any unwanted guests, and keyed in the key combination. The door snapped open and he disappeared inside.
Chapter 19
Delivering the Smackdown
"I'm in the complex," said Whisper through the comlink.
"Good going bud," answered Joe through the comm, "we're almost at the top. Did you get a good look at my men?"
"No, but the prison building is on the north end of the compound, just as the Colonel said. I've taken care of two guards so far. You'll probably have to take the rest out yourself—quietly before they find out the others are missing."
"How many are left in the courtyard?" asked Joe.
"Only three now. The rest are inside with Commander Dante."
"Copy that. Find that Code and we can get the hell out of here!"
"Copy, out."
Joe clicked the comm off. They were only a few yards from the guardrail. He tried not to look down; the sight of a four-hundred-foot drop probably wouldn't sit well with him right now. The cliff had begun to incline less sharply now and they did not need the pickaxes anymore. Joe holstered them in his belt. Handy little suckers.
Krieger knelt on the perpendicular cliff, beside his companion. The two men crept up to the ledge and peered into the courtyard. Their night vision goggles showed that there were indeed three troopers left. Joe moved his gaze to the building at the far side of the compound. Doleful looking and almost forgotten, there it stood: the prison holding his boys.
Time to take care of business.
"Take out the guards first. You take the fool at the east end, I've got the two straight ahead. Got it?"
Krieger nodded, glad finally to have some action, "Dah my friend, try to stay alive, yah?"
The two soldiers pulled themselves up and leapt over the guardrail, going their separate ways through the courtyard. Joe's first man was dead ahead, about forty-odd feet away. The armored Centurion had stopped for a moment, stretching in his armor.
As good a time as any.
Joe raised his silenced M4. Sighting through the laser scope, he squeezed the trigger. A tuft of compressed air spurt from the barrel as the bullet propelled towards its target. The armor piercing round caught the trooper perfectly in the visor, dropping him without a sound. Joe eased his way forward, eyes on the next trooper, who was patrolling near the prison building. He risked a quick glance east and spotted Krieger approaching his enemy, combat knife in hand. Joe dived down into the shadow of a HIND-E helicopter and watched Krieger do his thing.
The Russian stayed low, approaching his enemy with masterful efficiency. Suddenly, he seemed to change his mind and sheathed the weapon. He removed his climbing ax instead. As he approached, something alerted the guard and he spun around just in time to receive a six-hundred-degree slab of iron through the helmet. The trooper dangled like a minnow on a hook for a brief second before Krieger yanked the tool out. The Centurion crumpled to the ground, a waft of smoke rising from the blackened hole in his helmet.
Satisfied, the Russian lifted the trooper up and tossed him over the guardrail.
Joe sighed and checked the remaining bogie. The trooper's back was to Joe.
Good. I've got a minute.
Joe removed his two C9 charges from his pack. He slapped one onto the ground underneath the HIND-E and twisted the 'ARM' switch on the detpack. The small red lights on the charge began to faintly shimmer as the device went live. One down, one to go. He would set the last one near the center of the yard. Krieger would see one at his end, and another near the center to ensure a massive detonation.
Joe eased his way out of his hiding place and moved towards the last Centurion, still using the vehicles as cover. No point taking unnecessary risks. When he was thirty feet from the prison building, he dropped to one knee behind a parked Olympus Humvee and armed the second charge. He stuck it to the ground underneath the truck.
Charges good to go. Now to get my boys.
In his peripheral vision, Joe saw Krieger setting his first charge. One more and they would be ready for business.
Joe keyed his comlink, "Sergeant Reynolds, this is Sergeant Braddock, do you read?"
Brick's cockney accent came through over the comm, "Go ahead, Sergeant Braddock."
"Start up the bird, we're going to be ready for extract in five minutes approximate, over."
"Do you 'ave the Code, Sergeant?"
"Whisper's on it right now," answered Joe, "be careful, there are three Hastati jet troopers out there somewhere."
"Copy that, we'll be ready Joe."
Joe turned the comlink off just as Krieger ran up to join him.
"Charges set. We are ready to go!"
Joe's heart hammered in his chest. So close now.
FIVE MINUTES earlier, as Joe and Krieger were just about to climb over the wall, Whisper had entered the main fortress complex. It was a similar configuration to Fortress Bellum, but far more modern, with steel-constructed corridors and grated flooring. Whisper followed Dante's entourage as they made their way through the narrow passages of the base, keeping in the shadows whenever possible.
He had decided to alter the plan. Dante's sudden appearance was something no one had counted on and Whisper was sure the giant was here solely for the Code. He'd follow the goon and when the time was right, end the sonovabitch like the rat bastard he was. Then he could take the disc at his leisure. After a few tense minutes of tailing, Dante reached his destination: a nondescript door at the end of the hall. Dante ordered four of the Centurions to stay in the corridor as he entered the room beyond. The remaining two Centurions disappeared down the hallway beyond.
Whisper couldn't have planned it better. Taking four of these chumps down would be easy.
The Canadian exo-suit warrior watched the remaining guards take positions around the door: two standing beside the door frame and the other two positioning themselves on the opposite side, facing their comrades.
Whisper was almost beside himself. The fools couldn't have made it easier for him if he wanted them to. The hallway was not particularly well lit, with only a few rustic fluorescent lights hanging overhead. He would only have a fraction of a second to take down the troopers before they noticed him.
Stop thinking about it and act soldier.
Whisper crept slowly forward, using the shadows of the hallway. The Centurions remained silent; like well regimented soldiers standing at attention.
Closer...just a little closer.
He dropped down into a nearly prone position and made his way on all fours like a creeping lizard. He was almost in place - directly below the four troopers.
NOW!
He leapt to his feet and ejected the dual spring-propelled blades into the faceplates of the two guards facing the door. Pulling the blades free he swiveled around in an elaborate one-eighty to face the two remaining Centurions. They were so stunned at the sight of their comrades lurching in sudden death from a mass of shadows that had seemingly come to life, that they could do nothing
for a solid second.
All the time I need.
Whisper drove both blades through each respective trooper's helmets like scissors through fabric. They didn't even have time to unsling their weapons.
Danny allowed himself a brief moment of self-satisfaction.
Damn I love this suit.
After he was certain the Centurions were dead, he let the bodies slowly fall to the floor. He cleared the doorway, in case he had been heard, but the whole fight had only lasted two seconds. The door was heavy steel and should have muffled the sound.
After the rush of his attack had worn away, Whisper leaned against the door to listen. It was too thick to hear anything directly.
Whisper activated his comlink to Doctor Yune. The Doctor's face flipped on in the HUD.
"Doctor, I need to see inside this room. Is there any way I can?"
"Activate the suit's Thermal Signature Recognition. It will present everything within a hundred feet in heat sensitive outlines. Just think the acronym TSR."
Whisper followed the doctor's directions and the HUD shifted to a radically different look. Everything in the hallway turned a pastel blue color, except the corpses on the floor; they retained a dark red color.
The Doctor continued talking while Whisper acclimated himself with the new enhancement, "Corpses will appear a dark red until their body's own heat falls below room temperature. All other living organisms will register a fiery red color. Is it working?"
Whisper looked at the door and saw three figures inside. One giant blob of red, which had to be Dante, and two other normal human sized shapes, "Not bad Doctor, but how do I listen through heavy structures like this door?"
"Just increase the volume sensitivity. I haven't had time to implement anything for specific volume direction increases."
"Fair enough. Thanks, Doctor."
Whisper did as he was asked. The volume of his immediate area increased. He could hear everything: the sound of the fluorescent lights humming, the squeak of rats a few rooms down, even the hum of the electricity flowing in the wires in the wall. It was painful on his eardrums and not something he planned to listen to for long. Still, the voices in the other room were coming in loud and clear.
A voice Whisper did not recognize was speaking in a heavily accented Turkish dialect, "...and if Olympus is going to keep its contract, Mr. Dante, you shall explain to me how you managed to lose one of the largest military fortresses my country had. Do you have any idea how much we spent upgrading that location?"
"Sadly no, Mr. President."
"Well it was no small amount, I assure you. I’ve sank every dollar I have in bringing you and your men into my country and for what? You were supposed to deal with those Rangers...make a statement that my country will not tolerate the Taliban infiltrators and Western infidels. And what did you do? Destroy my compound with only five useless Americans to show for it!"
Dante's large frame stood perfectly still, taking in everything as if it were nothing more important than a morning briefing.
"Well, Commander? What have you to say for yourself? Or should I call your beloved Imperator up and tell him how I think Olympus has failed in every way to honor its contract signed with my government?"
Dante was silent for another moment. Then his booming voice broke the silence, "I will tell you what I shall do Mr. President. Because your country has been so good to Olympus..."
Suddenly the giant blob of thermal heat reached forward and grabbed the president by the neck.
"...we will be taking it for yourselves."
The other glob of thermal heat tried to draw something from its torso. Probably a gun, thought Whisper. Dante reached over with his free hand and smacked the weapon away. The unarmed foe attempted to resist the giant, but Dante simply grabbed hold of the man's neck and snapped it like a twig.
Dante dropped the corpse of the government bodyguard to the floor. "Thank you for all you have given Olympus, President Karimov, we will be taking things from here. I personally wish to thank you for allowing us to finish our little experiment. Truly, without your backing, I wouldn't have this now."
The giant pulled something from his coat and held it up. Whisper couldn't make it out; it gave off no heat to register on the HUD.
"As you were saying, my 'beloved' Imperator will indeed be glad to hear the news that you aided us so well in creating our Code."
He has the Code!
Danny's mind raced. They've already finished it. I can grab it right here.
Inside the room, the President was choking under Dante's vice-like grip."Oh you don't know what this is, do you? Don't worry; it's no longer your concern."
Karamov tried to force off the massive hand but failed.
"Why Mister President you look a little tired," The giant forced the President to his knees, "I think you need to relax a bit."
The Olympus Commander moved his hand to grasp the president's head. Karamov started screaming.
"Give your mind a rest!"
With that, Dante crushed the President's head like a ripe melon. It splattered apart in pieces of fiery red blobs, as Whisper watched in stunned fascination. Dante wiped his hand on his jacket as he replaced the disc containing the Code back into his long coat. He then held up what appeared to be a phone to his ear and spoke quickly to whoever was on the other line.
"The President is taken care of. Where are you?"
The caller warbled something Whisper couldn't make out.
"What? How did they get in here...where are they now? Do I have to do everything?"
Whisper went on edge. It sounded like their cover was blown.
Get ready; you still have surprise on your side.
Dante moved around the room as if he were searching for something important. He continued to talk as he looked, "...Never mind. Are they all there? Where is the other; the armored one? Well find him!"
Dante clicked the phone off and began finishing his business in the office up. Whisper keyed the comlink and talked fast, "Joe they know we're here. Get your men out now! I'll have the Code in a second." He switched off the comm before Joe could answer. Dante was almost at the door.
As the giant brute reached for the doorknob, Whisper ran to the opposite side of the door and pushed himself forward with all his might. As Dante opened the office door, he was met with a full-tilt cannonball head butt from the armored stealth soldier. The body slam knocked the massive Olympus commander off his feet, pushing him backward into the room with bone-crushing force. Whisper leaned back and unsheathed the blade in his right arm. He prepared to bury the blade in Dante's face, finishing the giant for good.
But the hardened PMC commander wasn't going down that easy. With a nanosecond to spare, he whipped his hand up and caught the blade before it could reach his skin. Blood oozed from between his fingers as the blade sliced into the giant's palm. Whisper wasn't going to give the man an inch. He slammed his other fist into Dante's face; the force of which knocked the wind out of the beast's lungs for the moment. Whisper drove the steel Damascus blade straight into Dante's gut, directly through his Ryno-Hyde body armor. The Olympus commander roared in a pain-induced rage. Whisper responded by slamming another fist into his face.
The monster was down and badly hurt. Whisper fished around in Dante's jacket and found the small disc. He pulled it out and sure enough, it pretty much resembled the disc he had stolen from the first base.
Whisper leapt to his feet and bolted from the room, leaving Dante to bleed out on the floor. He raced back down the Command complex corridor towards the exit.
JOE HAD knelt about twenty feet directly behind the last Centurion in the courtyard. The bastard had parked himself between Joe and the prison building housing the Rangers. Joe switched the comlink on again.
"Cordova, come in."
Isabella's voice came through over the comlink, "Go Sergeant Braddock."
"We'll be needing pickup in two minutes."
"We'll be there, ETA two minutes, ove
r."
Joe glanced at Krieger. The beefy Russian grinned. Abruptly, Joe's comlink beeped an incoming call. Joe clicked it on, but Whisper had already begun talking.
"...oe they know we're here! Get your men out now! I'll have the Code in a second!"
That was that. Olympus knew they were here.
Joe aimed the M4 and made a slight 'coo' sound as if to imitate a bird. The Centurion whipped around and before he could bring his gun up to any usable height, Joe fired a burst from the silenced M4. The Centurion's head snapped back as the bullets ripped through his helmet. The armored corpse toppled backward to land in a cloud of dust.
Joe lowered his rifle and gestured to Krieger, "Alright, let's go! Cover me!"
Krieger nodded at Joe's order, following closely behind. They ran full out to the prison building. Splitting up to stand ready at both sides of the door, Joe called through it quietly, "Rangers? It's Sergeant Braddock! Are you guys there?"
A weak sounding voice inside answered, "Yes. Who is...is that you Sarge?" It was Corporal Tennyson, the Ranger medic. His voice sounded broken; exhausted.
Joe's heart pounded in his chest, "Hell yes it's me! We're gettin' you guys out, stay clear of the door!" He removed one of the small charges of C4 and stuck it to the door lock. It was a simple digital countdown, set for ten seconds. Krieger waited opposite Joe, eyes on the rest of the base; covering Joe as he worked. In the distance, Joe heard the vague sound of gunfire and the rapidly approaching noise of helicopter rotors.
Krieger looked at Joe, inquisitively, "What was that?"
Joe finished arming the explosive, "Brick and Isabella taking out those Hastati's most likely."
Finishing his work, Joe gestured for Krieger to move back. The charge began counting down.
...5...4...3...2...1
With a sharp, focused explosion, the C4 blew the handle off the door. Joe moved in front of the door and smashed it open with a hard kick.
There, huddled in the dark of the small, cramped prison were his boys.
Privates Johanson, Sakorsky, Peterson, Paulson and the medic, Corporal Tennyson were all there. The battered Rangers were on their feet, awaiting their rescuers with eager looks on their haggard faces.
Private Johanson beamed a wide smile at the sight of his Sergeant, "Oh Christ Joe, it's so good to see you again!"