by J E Higgins
Emery raised his hand. “We’ll separate here and stay twenty meters apart. You take your light and shine it from the south and scan north. I’ll start north and scan south. Anyone there is to be considered a target.”
Kerry walked past his commander and took up his position. In like fashion, Emery walked a distance from his subordinate toward the north. When they were at the desired distance, they both walked until they were at the barriers. Lowering themselves to their knees, they rested their rifle barrels on top of the concrete barrier, pressing the magazine weld against the post base for stability. They grabbed their mag lights and rested their free hand at the base of the shoulder stock to better secure the weapon. Positioning the mag lights so they were seated over the top of the rifles, the light would shine where they intended to shoot. The lights would block their weapon’s steel sighting, but it mattered little because they were shooting in the dark.
Sauwa moved cautiously as she navigated the last few feet down the rocky beach line. She was concerned with the loose, slimy rocks beneath her feet and the situation in general. She was still leery of the circumstances working with strange men at a critical moment and meeting some strange contact in the dead of night in some old boat. If it was a setup, she didn’t want to make things easy for them. She also couldn’t shake the nagging feeling about the van that had passed them.
It was a lengthy vessel in comparison to other boats that sat alongside it. The boatman stood at the bow like a manservant preparing to receive guests at a mansion. A small greenish light just above him outlined the perfect silhouette of a small frail looking man. As she got closer the silhouette transformed steadily into the image of a bookish-looking man, pushing the age of sixty.
“It’s good to see you all. Rudy, it’s been a while.” The boatman was cordial, and one whose relationship with the men was seemingly more than business.
“Fergus, we appreciate this more than you can ever know.” Banker’s voice was distinct to her now, even over the noise of the crashing waves. Still, she had never heard the name Rudy before. To think that was Banker’s real name was strange to her. Even though she knew that Banker had always been a code name, it was the name she was used to.
“No trouble lads,” Fergus replied in a warm, friendly manner. “I was going out anyway. Besides, I’ll enjoy the company.” He turned and, even in the dark, Sauwa could tell he was looking at her.
“Well, you’re a lifesaver none…” Banker was cut off.
“What the hell?” Fergus shouted as he raised his arm, pointing up.
Everyone turned to see two powerful glowing beams shining down. They were aimed in opposite directions but were moving quickly to cover the beach. Instinctively, Sauwa closed one of her eyes to protect her night vision, while at the same time, reaching for the gun hanging from her pocket. It wasn’t long before the lights were blaring down on the group. Seconds later the crackling sound that was all too familiar began echoing. The men, who apparently were not accustomed to gunfire stood by confused, as Sauwa dove to get out of the light.
The ground around them was erupting as the bullets tore into the area. Sauwa hit the ground just in time to feel a wave of bullets slam into the gravel in front of her. It sent rock fragments flying in all directions, including her face. Surprised, Banker and his partner seemed paralyzed as the bullets came closer. The shooters above were watching where their rounds hit and were guiding them closer. Eventually, Banker and his partner snapped out of their paralysis. They reached into their coats and began fumbling about.
By now, Sauwa had drawn her weapon and was trying to fire back. But the lights shining down were blinding and the gunmen were trying to sight in on her. She could feel bullets continually tearing up the ground just inches from her. She figured out quickly that the group was too close together and were being boxed in by the gunmen. Keeping close to the ground, she stayed in the darkness. The ground itself offered protection as the gunmen had to sight closer to the ground to target her and, therefore, found most of their rounds hitting into the rock piles. From the way they were shooting, she could tell they were professionals. The gunfire was not wild. Instead, there was a series of short, controlled bursts with the gunmen taking their time firing one after the other.
Banker and his partner had managed to retrieve their weapons. They were raising their hands firing erratically toward the lights. The shots were wild and, with the blinding lights, were not likely to hit anywhere near their gunmen. Still, it was enough to draw attention away from her as both lights moved onto them. Sauwa started to crawl away from her position and was suddenly met by another blast of fire. This time coming from a direction off to the side. The firing was well over her head, and she could see it was landing close to her two allies. She could see the flashes from the rifle muzzles glowing in the distance. Like the shooters above, these other two were also using controlled fire and overhead lights to help them aim.
During the time the attention shifted from Sauwa, she drew her coat off and laid it spread out next to her in the water. Using the protection of the darkness, she began crawling slowly up the hill. Her gun tightly clutched in her hand, she took pains to keep it well above the ground. She looked back to see a burst of gunfire tear into Banker’s partner. She watched as the burly man clutched his chest and fell against the boat and finally dropped to the ground. Banker, seeing this, began firing even more wildly in fear and desperation. He was completely terrified and oblivious as bullets were getting closer to him. As if in some action movie, he began screaming as he exhausted the last of his shots.
Sauwa managed to get to a spot where she could now see the outline of one of the gunmen. He was situated somewhere between standing and kneeling as he tried to maintain a good firing position. Feeling confident they had neutralized the threat of the men, the glow of the mag lights turned back to where Sauwa had last been. The light caught her jacket floating in the water. A couple of shots rang out hitting the water close to her coat. In the excitement and tension of the moment the shooter, as she predicted, assumed it was her body, wounded or dead, floating in the water.
Taking advantage of the moment, she sighted in on the outlined figure. Using the faint lights of the street lamps behind him, and the light of his own mag light, she was able to see enough of her rear and front sights to line them up. Aiming toward the thickest portion of his center mass, she let loose quick rounds from her Sig. The bullets ripped into the man somewhere in his chest cavity from the way he clutched his body a few seconds later. He maintained control of his rifle but had dropped his flashlight.
Emery was focused on the man below. He felt it more sport than combat by the way the fool was wildly shooting, hitting nowhere near either of the IRA men. The twins were doing their part and firing controlled bursts that had eventually caught the man’s attention as he turned to the side to fire just as wildly into the darkness along the beach. The IRA man was focused on this wild shooter and the clump that used to be the other man. He hadn’t noticed that Kerry had stopped shooting altogether. Another quick burst from his rifle and the wild shooter below, like his cohort, fell to the ground. He smiled with a feeling of satisfaction when he began to hear a loud deep groan resonating off to his side. He turned to see his subordinate doubled over clutching his chest.
“Shit!” Emery cried, as he looked at Kerry. He wanted to say something, but realized, that someone was shooting back. Immediately, he veered his mag light and rifle in the direction where the South African had been spotted. A cold chill crept over him as his light caught nothing but boats, water and the gravel of the beach. She was nowhere to be found. It started to dawn on him that he was no longer in control and a stone cold, professional killer was stalking him.
The gunfire from the top to the beach had stopped, leaving only the flanking fire off in the distance. As the only other mag light was now sweeping sporadically over the ground below, even the flanking shooters had stopped, no longer having a marker to sight off. When the gunfire ceased, Sauwa h
ad to move more carefully. The sound of the waves and wind still masked her movements, but in the absence of shooting, eventually the alien noise would be noticed. The light moved about, staying along the waterline. She took advantage as she raised her body and began climbing with her free hand and knees.
“I can’t see her!” A gruff Irish voice of a man shouted. She presumed he was shouting to his allies on the beach. Sauwa continued climbing until she was able to catch the outline of the other gunman. Lowering onto her side, she aimed her weapon. Again, the illumination of the street lamps gave her just enough light to see the tips of her sights and the body of her assailant. She was still concerned about the other gunman ─ whether he was dead, injured beyond function or a danger to her. If she took the shot on the other man, she would be giving away her own position if he were still armed and ready to fire.
The glow of the moving mag light was gradually rising up the beach as the gunman realized she was no longer down there.
She was losing time. He would eventually find her. Even if he didn’t, the explosive exchange of gunfire had no doubt woken several of the town’s people. Soon the police would be here in force and her chances of escape would be lost. This was possibly the prime strategy of her assailants all along.
The light was turning in her direction. As close as she was, and the way her body was positioned, he would have her the second she was in his line of fire. She gripped her weapon and shifted her legs and body to get a steadier position. The man’s silhouette was now turned in her direction. The light was coming up fast, and she needed to act. Aiming the weapon, her sights were aligned with the gunman’s body. Taking a breath, her Sig touched off three quick shots. The bullets pounded into the barrier he was supported against.
Emery narrowly missed being caught by the bullets as they smashed into the concrete pole he knelt against. The surprise took him off guard as he lost his grip on both his rifle and his mag light, they fell to the ground. Fragments of the post had flown into his eyes blinding him. His hands were busy brushing at the fragments in his eyes. In the confusion, he had, for a brief moment, forgotten his adversary. His mind became awash with fear as he realized the danger he was in. His initial thought, in his injured state, was to call the twins. They were his only hope for protection if the South African was close and moving to make her final strike. He didn’t.
He fought to regain his eyesight while feeling around for his weapon. He was still batting his eyes when he found his rifle and started to grip it. He had gained a kneeling position when he looked over to see the blurred image of a young woman emerging. Kerry was doubled over, and even with obscured vision, Emery could see he was in the throes of death. Grabbing for his rifle, he attempted to take up his firing position, confident he could still kill her and complete his mission.
Sauwa, herself had knelt down and was still protected somewhat by the darkness of the beach. She had seized on the moment of the gunman’s weakness to race up the rest of the way and close the distance. Now, only a few feet from him, she aimed her Sig as she steadied her herself and prepared to fire. The gunman was not phased in the slightest as he tried to ready his weapon. With his silhouette firmly in her sights, she aimed directly at his chest cavity and waited.
He lifted his head after being hunched over his rifle. It was the moment she needed. As he attempted to raise his rifle in her direction, two rounds of 9mm gunfire destroyed the brief period of silence.
Initially, the bullets felt like a painful succession of heavy bee stings as the hot lead pierced Emery’s body. He could feel the metallic objects punch into his chest and stomach, crash through the bone and cut through his organs. They kept coming as the South African continued to fire. He couldn’t even count as each round brought another sensation of throbbing pain. Emery thought he was firing back, he could still feel the rifle in his hands and his fingers on the grip. But, there was no return fire. He hadn’t realized he did not have his finger on the trigger.
Sauwa fired her remaining shots, not sure in the darkness how many had actually hit him. Finally, the upper receiver was ejected all the way back, signifying she had run out of ammunition. The gunman had dropped his rifle and commenced a pattern of heavy breathing that could be heard from her location. She emerged from her position and walked out onto the road, approaching the man quickly. Throwing the first gun off into the darkness she produced the second from her waistband as she came up to him.
“Make a finish of it, bitch.” Emery’s voice was deep with a tone that denoted both vengeful bitterness and tired defeatism as he saw the assassin. He knew his time was over and he was going to go out like a man, a soldier.
Sauwa wanted to walk away. She wanted to end her career as an assassin right then. He was wounded, and she could have simply walked away. But, it wasn’t how the game worked. He would come after her, or try again to kill her as she tried to escape. There was still the rest of the kill team out on the beach somewhere. Lifting the Sig, she fired a round straight into his eye socket. Emery fell over onto his side motionless. Sauwa grabbed his rifle and lifted the strap of the side bag over his head.
She started back to where the other gunman laid. He too was motionless, and the moaning and coughing he had been doing a short time before had completely ceased. She wanted to walk past him and let it go. Yet, the professional in her told her she had to finish it. Pumping two more shots with the Sig into the man’s head, she kicked the other man’s discarded rifle onto the beach and continued walking. She told herself he could still be a threat; it still didn’t make her feel any less than a stone, cold killer.
Remembering the other members of the hit team roaming about, Sauwa moved to duck back into the shadows of the beach. She had been out in the light too long and by now had given away her position. Tucking the Sig back into her belt, she took up the rifle in a tactical grip as she moved back down the hill in a zig-zag pattern with the hope of distorting any visual marker the other gunmen might be using to keep tabs on her location. As professional as this team was, it was an easy deduction that they had seen her kill their comrades and had begun moving toward her position.
With that thought, she moved back into the darkness of the beach. Once out of sight, she began doubling back along the coastline until she was parallel to the location of the gunman she had retrieved the rifle from. Then, she moved down the hill until she was along the water line. Sauwa waited a short while, listening for any sounds that might give away the location of her adversaries. When she didn’t hear anything, she started moving toward the boat and her compatriots. Momentarily out of harm’s way, she took the opportunity to change magazines from the side bag. Like a soldier in combat, she tucked the shoulder stock into the pocket of her shoulder and aimed the barrel out in front as she started to move. Like the weapon’s previous owner, she realized the futility of trying to sight in the darkness. Still, she matched her eye up with the general direction she wanted to aim the weapon.
After passing one of the other boats, she caught sight of the green light on Fergus’s boat. Though excited, she maintained her tactical discipline as she continued a steady approach. Coming closer, she could also make out the outline of Fergus himself. He was out of the boat on the rocks, appearing to be tending to Banker and the other man. As she neared, she could hear the faint sound of loose gravel being crushed by feet rapidly approaching.
She stopped and held her position as the sound became louder and more defined. A pair of figures soon emerged into the area partially illuminated by the boat's green light. Sauwa could only make out parts of what were human outlines as she focused her rifle in their direction.
The mysterious silence and disappearance of the mag light illumination had confused the twins. Not understanding what had happened, they began moving up the hill toward the road. Witnessing the situation atop the hill, the twins quickened their pace to aid their comrades. They arrived too late to help.
Someone, a woman, armed with a rifle, was moving off the road. They watched, a
s she slipped into the darkness, heading in the direction of the boat and people they had been pinning down. With little time to assess the situation, and recognizing they were on their own, the twins retreated back down the hill and began moving toward the boat in hopes of catching the woman and killing her.
Guided by a green light from the targeted boat, they came upon a scene illuminated by that light. A small man was kneeling before two bodies sprawled out on the ground.
“Where’s the woman?” Ewen shouted as he and his sister aimed at the man. The frail-looking man looked about confused as he struggled to collect the words needed to answer.
“Answer the fucking question!” Ellen demanded as she moved closer toward the old man.
Suddenly the night exploded with the crackling of gunfire. They saw the rapid white flashes from a rifle muzzle aimed in their direction. Soon they were besieged by a hail of bullets whistling all around them. “Shit!” The twins screamed in unison as they found themselves caught entirely off guard. In the confusion, Ellen dove for the water as her brother dove for the limited safety of the ground. In the heat of the battle, both in panic had dropped their weapons.
Sauwa kept up the rapid-fire until her magazine was exhausted. She pressed the small latch that released her spent magazine. She was reaching into her bag for a spare as she moved to where Fergus was lying curled up in a ball. “Hurry, we have to get Banker and the other guy aboard,” she snapped.